THE
BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 89
since 1891
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
Elorza, Harrop target Cianci’s record Corporation to discuss strategic plan, infrastructure changes
At debate, mayoral candidates discuss economy, corruption, pension system
Budget deficit, sexual assault also slated as topics of conversation at this weekend’s meeting
By ALEXANDER BLUM SENIOR STAFF WRITER
“The next mayor of Providence faces daunting challenges,” said James Morone, director of the Taubman Center and professor of political science and urban studies, as he introduced the three mayoral candidates — Independent Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, Democrat Jorge Elorza and Republican Daniel Harrop ’76 MD’79 — at Wednesday evening’s debate in a full Salomon 101. With the Nov. 4 elections drawing near, one of these men will soon face the trials that Morone discussed, a challenge each says he is ready to face. » See DEBATE, page 6
METRO
ALEXANDER BLUM / HERALD
Comments on Buddy Cianci’s criminal history punctuated Wednesday’s mayoral debate, showing the intensifying race as Nov. 4 draws near.
By KIKI BARNES AND MAXINE JOSELOW UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORS
The Corporation will review the ongoing implementation of President Christina Paxson’s strategic plan and consider the construction of a new Division of Applied Mathematics building at its meeting this weekend, said Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations. This weekend marks one year since the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, approved the strategic plan, “Building on Distinction.” Provost Vicki Colvin will update
Corporation members on headway made on the plan, including in one of its main areas of focus: integrative scholarship. The seven themes under this section of the plan explore ways to improve many aspects of the student and faculty experience. Colvin will aim to address “where we are and what’s needed to support our progress,” Quinn said, adding that Colvin will discuss initiatives such as new faculty hires. The capital campaign will factor into this more general discussion, Quinn said. The Corporation’s Committee on Budget and Finance will decide whether to approve construction of a new applied math building, Quinn said. If approved, construction of the 13,000-square-foot building in the parking lot near Barus and Holley would begin in November and last roughly one year, The Herald » See CORP, page 3
Marisa Quinn to assume Working group forms to reduce deficit with $10 million role at Watson Institute Faced budget deficit, group will
Position change follows six-year tenure as vice president for public affairs and University relations By MAXINE JOSELOW UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn will join the Watson Institute of International Studies as director of communications and outreach effective Jan. 1, wrote President Christina Paxson in an email Wednesday to faculty and staff. “I’ve worked with Watson in a
variety of ways since I arrived at Brown, and it’s always been an area of interest to me,” Quinn said, noting that she has previously partnered with the Watson Institute when reaching out to elected officials in Rhode Island. “I see tremendous opportunities for all of the things that are happening at Watson.” In her new position, Quinn said she will aim to connect faculty members and students at the Watson Institute with policymakers in the state. She also hopes to help advance Paxson’s strategic plan, “Building on Distinction,” in which the Watson Institute plays an “integral” role, she » See QUINN, page 4
try to identify $7 million in cost savings By LINDSAY GANTZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In response to a current structural operating budget deficit of approximately $10 million, the administration has convened a Deficit Reduction Working Group comprising faculty members, staff members and students with the task of increasing efficiency and cutting campus expenses, President Christina Paxson and Provost Vicki Colvin announced in a community-wide email Wednesday. In fiscal year 2014 the University
had a budget deficit of $8.7 million, The Herald reported last month. The group will be co-chaired by Richard Locke, director of the Watson Institute for International Studies, and Ravi Pendse P’17, chief information officer and vice president of Computing and Information Services. The other 11 faculty members, seven staff members and three students in the working group are charged with recommending “organizational changes that will improve efficiency and reduce expenses across the institution,” Paxson and Colvin wrote. The working group’s recommendations will attempt to find $7 million in cost savings, a value that does not cover the entirety of the deficit. “We assume there will be some
revenue enhancements as well,” Beppie Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance and administration, told The Herald. The working group is expected to present its preliminary findings in early March and its final recommendations in late April. The Organizational Review Committee that involved over 150 faculty members, students and staff members produced recommendations for $14 million in cost savings in 2009, Huidekoper said. Building on the 2009 review, the new working group is expected to examine potential savings by identifying areas overlooked in the past review, as well as new cost-saving opportunities that have emerged in areas » See DEFICIT, page 3
Corporation members discuss obstacles in adding student representative
By CAROLINE KELLY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
inside
Chancellor of the Corporation Thomas Tisch ’76 addressed the potential difficulties of adding a student representative to the Corporation at an open forum hosted by the Undergraduate Council of Students Wednesday night. In addition to Tisch, other Corporation members present at the meeting included young alumni trustee Alison Cohen ’09, Chair of the Corporation’s Committee of Campus Life
Dorsey James, member of the Corporation’s Fundraising and Campus Life Committees Joan Wernig Sorensen ’72 P’06 P’06 and Brown Alumni Association President and member of the Corporation’s Facilities Planning Committee Nancy Hyde P’17 P’17. Tisch began the discussion by stressing the balance of power between the Corporation and senior administrators. “I always think of the Corporation as always taking the long view into the future and also like a ship having a very deep keel,” Tisch said. “We do not manage the University,” he added, referencing the “presidential model of the University,” with a large governing body and involved president and provost. » See UCS, page 3
ASHLEY SO / HERALD
Chancellor of the Corporation Thomas Tisch ’76, young alumni trustee Alison Cohen ’09 and other members of the Corporation answered questions at an Undergraduate Council of Students open forum Wednesday night.
Metro
Commentary
Racial profiling comes to the forefront of recent RIDOT and RIACLU reports
The attorney general’s office examines statewide solutions to campus sexual assaults
Aluthge ’15 MD ’19: Gender disparity in the sciences must be addressed
Kenyon GS: Watson-Taubman marriage recognizes the U.’s most valuable assets
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
RHEA STARK / HERALD
Professor Emeritus of Engineering Barrett Hazeltine, Assistant Visiting Professor of Environmental Studies Dawn King, Dean of the College Maud Mandel and Senior Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Richard Bungiro PhD’99 were among the seven panelists who spoke about white privilege at a teach-in Wednesday night in List 120.
Panelists check ‘white privilege’ in dialogue on race Administrators, faculty members discuss whiteness and the racism faced by people of color By STEVEN MICHAEL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A panel of seven white administrators and faculty members spoke about white privilege in a panel discussion titled “Race, Accountability and Allyship” to a full List 120 Wednesday night. The teach-in was the first event in the Transformative Conversations@ Brown Project, an initiative devoted to creating campus dialogue following the Ray Kelly protest last year. The event was moderated by Gail Cohee, director of the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center and assistant dean of the College, and Shane Lloyd, assistant director for first-year and sophomore programs at the Brown Center for Students of Color. “This conversation was about getting administrators on the record about where they’re at,” Hannah Duncan ’15, who helped organize the panel along with Kalie Boyne ’16, told The Herald. “We created this event because after the Ray Kelly incident, Transformative Conversations has been empowered to take on these issues,” Duncan said. “We want to make this issue of racial justice an institutional priority.” In their opening statements, panelists spoke about their ethnic backgrounds, their experiences growing up and their thoughts on white privilege. Michael Kennedy, professor of sociology and international studies, said sociology was relevant to discussions of racism because the discipline deals with issues related to power and inequality. Reflecting on his “quite white” hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Kennedy said universities are similarly white. “There is no way to think about the good university without thinking about the whiteness of universities,” Kennedy said. Sociologists have looked at how some forms of racism can be colorblind or based on structural factors, he said. “There is no question that in America, white privilege finds power
even in an era with a black president,” Kennedy said to snaps from the audience. When Kennedy moved to Brown from the University of Michigan, he thought Brown would be better at accommodating diversity, but that was not the case, he said. “I never had at Michigan someone come up to me and say, ‘I don’t think I belong here,’” he said. “I have had way too many colleagues and friends of colleagues come up to me and say, ‘I don’t think I belong here,’ and when I heard those expressions, I didn’t think I belonged here either, because I want everyone to belong here, and that’s why I’m on this panel.” Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Margaret Klawunn said discussions of feminism and racism are connected. She became involved in protests for abortion rights, against nuclear power and for divestment from apartheid-era South Africa when she was younger. “Feminism gave me words to understand my experience, and I began to see both my relationship between oppression as a woman and my privilege as a white middle-class heterosexual woman,” she said. Ken Miller ’70 P’02, professor of biology, said he grew up in Rahway, New Jersey — a town with a population that was 30 percent black. When he came to Brown as a firstyear in 1966, “this was the whitest place I had ever seen,” he said, adding that there were only two black students in the class of 1970. Barrett Hazeltine, professor emeritus of engineering, spoke about teaching in what is now the Third World Transition Program, adding that it was important for all students to “feel welcome” at Brown. Hazeltine said it was necessary to help students of color form a sense of community and feel like they belong here. “I worry that we don’t do enough of that now,” he said. Dawn King, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies, said race is a recurring theme in environmental studies, as readings from certain time periods are all by “dead white guys,” who were the only ones
with the privilege to be published at the time. Moreover, the focus on traditional green environmentalism based on conservation over urban environmentalism highlights what King called the “missing perspective” of people of color in the field. Growing up in a trailer and living off food stamps, King said she did not at first believe in white privilege, but she said she came to realize she was nonetheless privileged because of her skin color. “I never have to think about my whiteness, and that’s the whole point,” King said. Dean of the College Maud Mandel said as a historian she studies differences between cultures, adding that since “race is socially constructed and that can change over time, (issues of racism) can be fixed — and that gives me optimism when I think about the future.” Mandel said it is not enough to only increase the diversity of the student body and faculty. “What we’ve never really asked is how the institution should change.” Richard Bungiro PhD’99, senior lecturer in molecular microbiology and immunology, said the Ebola epidemic has racial overtones, with many people expressing more concern for
Americans who contract the disease than for the thousands of Africans who have died in the current outbreak. Lloyd said he was both nervous and excited for the panel discussion. He said there were only three gilded frames with pictures of black men on campus, which he said reflected “white institutional presence.” “Whiteness is not invisible, and it also does not necessarily need to be normalized,” he added. Lloyd said the discussion could be a space for white students to have difficult discussions about racism: “Where do they go to have a conversation to interrogate their identity?” In response to a question from the moderators about spaces where the panelists discuss race, Miller said he talked about race with students, including a black graduate student who requested not to go to the lab at midnight for an experiment. Miller said he did not understand at first, but the student told Miller he knew he would be stopped by the police and asked for his ID along the way. When the moderators asked about holding colleagues accountable, Klawunn said, “In order for us to be successful, a lot of people who are not here need to be here.” After the panelists spoke, Cohee
and Lloyd opened the discussion for a few questions from the audience. The questions touched on topics such as incorporating discussions of white privilege into the classroom and bringing such conversations out of academia to other people. In response to a student question, Miller said, “White privilege is real. Anyone who doesn’t realize it exists doesn’t have their eyes open.” But, he added, the term “white privilege” can sometimes prompt backlash from white people, and discussions should focus more on extending privilege to all people regardless of race. The panel elicited mixed feedback from students in the audience after the event ended. “I thought it was insufficient,” Jamie Marsicano ’15.5 told The Herald. “The whole time was spent acknowledging that white privilege exists. When students’ questions asked about what to do to deal with it, it was mostly rejected by panelists.” Emilio Leanza ’15 said he found Kennedy’s remarks the “most insightful” on the panel. “He connected white privilege as an institutional factor that needs to be addressed through institutional means.” “Also, it was nice to see white people feeling uncomfortable for once,” Leanza added.
RHEA STARK / HERALD
Shane Lloyd, assistant director for first-year and sophomore programs at the Brown Center for Students of Color, moderated the panel alongside Gail Cohee, director of the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center.
university news 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
» UCS, from page 1
» DEFICIT, from page 1
“The single greatest power that resides in the Corporation is the power to choose a president and assess a president,” Tisch said. “It’s been the case in the past two presidential searches; we had a very strong sense of shared government.” Following the guest speakers’ introductory remarks, the forum opened up for questions from the audience. “We’ve been talking a lot about a student representative on the Corporation and what that could look like, and student voices being heard. … How do you think that could work?” asked Justice Gaines ’16, a UCS general body member and a member of the Student Power Initiative, a student group working to add a student member to the Corporation. “Student participation has been constant” in University governance, Hyde said in response. “It’s working well in the (Corporation) committees, where the student input is received.” Over the course of the discussion, many of the presenters emerged as skeptical about the benefits of adding a student representative to the Corporation. Most of the University’s peer institutions, “with a very small number of exceptions,” do not have student representatives on their highest governing bodies because students engage in other ways, Tisch said. Corporation members are expected to approach issues “from different perspectives,” rather than represent different factions or groups within the University, he added. “It seems to me to be asking a lot of an individual … to be representative of a whole student body,” Hyde said. “When I’m there, I’m not representing the 90,000 alumni,” she said. “I worry about the responsibility that we’d put on those one or two individuals.” Corporation members cited the issue of confidentiality as another major argument against having a student representative on the Corporation.
the previous review explored. These areas will not be identified until future meetings, Locke told The Herald. The working group will also evaluate the efficiency of current faculty, staff and student ratios across academic departments and research centers, and judge whether current staffing levels are appropriate, Paxson and Colvin wrote in the email. “We have an opportunity to take steps now to reduce our operating budget without the sharp staff reductions and cutbacks of the type that we experienced during the recent financial crisis,” they wrote. The working group will focus on big areas of spending and whether that money is being spent efficiently, Locke said. Huidekoper said the University’s largest expenses come from compensation, or salaries and benefits. In response to the 2008 financial crisis, the University froze hiring for almost a year and offered a voluntary retirement program, Huidekoper said. Budget recommendation decisions will be data-driven, Locke said.
» CORP, from page 1 previously reported. Moving the Division of Applied Mathematics would provide space for the School of Engineering’s expected new building on Manning Walk, The Herald previously reported. Construction of the new engineering building is slated to start in December and conclude by 2018. Stephen Maiorisi, vice president of Facilities Management, will also speak to the Corporation, informing the members about ongoing infrastructural developments, including the new engineering building and the South Street landing project in the Jewelry District, Quinn said. Additionally, Dean of the College Maud Mandel will present on potential projects, including advising and integrated scholarship opportunities, Quinn said. Corporation meetings, which are held triannually in October, February
ASHLEY SO / HERALD
Maahika Srinivasan ’15, Undergraduate Council of Students president, speaks at Wednesday’s open forum featuring Corporation members. “My personal opinion is that it would probably be extremely difficult, because there are many things that we talk about that are pretty confidential,” James said. “I think there’s a different way to skin the cat, a different way to have that conversation that would be more meaningful.” The body holds discussions that involve “great confidentiality in terms of the issues that the University might be facing,” Tisch said. “I think there would have been moments when having a student in the room, if only because of the feeling it might put a student on the spot, would be uncomfortable,” he added. “To have a member of the student body might inhibit much more meaningful conversation.” Alex Drechsler ’15, a member of the Student Power Initiative and former Herald opinions columnist, asked about how these issues of confidentiality were different when applied to students. The Corporation deals in governance rather than management, meaning that it makes decisions about high-level University policies
and issues instead of smaller items, James said in response. “It’s the committee level where it’s happening; that’s where all the big decisions really get vetted. They get to the Corporation level, and it’s … yes or no.” John Brewer ’17, a UCS general body member, asked the Corporation representatives what they thought “the relationship between the Corporation and the student body should look like.” “We’re constantly dealing with the issues of campus,” James said. “We’re constantly looking for some sort of feedback,” as well as looking for “what vehicle does that effectively.” Cohen said her role as young alumni trustee is relevant to the issue of the relationship between the Corporation and the student body. As a 2009 graduate, she feels “close enough to the student experience, but removed enough to see the relationship between the student experience and difference interest groups,” she said. Strengthening that relationship, she added, is “something UCS can do with creating opportunities and reaching out to the Corporation.”
and May, are also when members review and accept gifts and donations to the University. The Board of Trustees will vote on the acceptance of a number of gifts at its Saturday meeting, Quinn said, though she declined to comment on any specific items or amounts. The University’s budget deficit will continue to be a topic of conversation among Corporation members, Quinn said, adding that Colvin and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie Huidekoper “will review options for addressing the structure of the deficit.” The reported $8.7 million operating budget deficit for fiscal year 2014 was almost double the University’s projection of a $4.4 million deficit during the same period. To address this problem, a Deficit Reduction Working Group will convene to examine the University’s structural operating deficit of approximately $10 million per fiscal year, Paxson announced in a
community-wide email Wednesday. Corporation members will also discuss the in-progress review of the University’s sexual assault policies and the Task Force on Sexual Assault, Quinn said. The task force, whose membership was finalized last month, is set to complete a review of sexual assault policies in the Code of Student Conduct and propose changes to these policies by December. This weekend marks the first time the Corporation will meet following the University’s coming under national scrutiny for its handling of sexual assault cases, initiated by Lena Sclove ’15.5, who publicly spoke of her difficulties with the University’s disciplinary process in April. Since then, Sclove has filed charges against the University for Title IX and Clery Act violations, and the Department of Education named the University as one of 85 institutions under investigation for the mishandling of sexual assault cases.
“We’re going to look at data, we’re going to be principled, and we’re going to be fair,” he said. Initiatives will “tap into the collective intelligence of the community,” Locke said. He said creating an “ideas bank,” an online tool for community members to share ideas and suggestions, could accomplish this goal. The working group is also charged with making recommendations for increasing efficiency in purchasing, classroom and lab use, IT platforms and construction costs, Paxson and Colvin wrote. “Our aspirations for growth hinge on the development and implementation of a sustainable financial model,” they wrote. “We do not want to negatively impact the phenomenal quality education that Brown offers,” Pendse told The Herald. Paxson’s strategic plan includes plans to revitalize the physical campus, expand financial aid, promote research growth and increase the size of the faculty. But “absent any substantial change in our operations, (the budget) will become unsustainable in three to four years,” Paxson and Colvin wrote.
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4 metro
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
Providence found unfavorable for people with disabilities Report calls Providence the worst out of 150 cities in the country in terms of cost of living, employment By DUNCAN GALLAGHER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A survey released this month by personal finance networking website WalletHub ranked Providence the worst in terms of livability for people with disabilities out of 150 U.S. cities. The survey ranked cities in three categories, which were then compiled into an overall ranking. The economic environment measure took into account factors including cost of living, “employment rate among people with disabilities” and “cost of in-home services.” The quality of life metric considered factors such as the percentage of people with disabilities living in the area, walkability and the concentration of special education teachers. Health care accessibility looked at factors including the number of physicians per capita, percentage of people without insurance and public hospital quality, according to the site. Providence placed 150th, 146th and 108th in each of these categories, respectively. The survey notes that people with disabilities often have to take into account more variables than most people when deciding where to live, such as “the accessibility of various facilities, the quality of health care and even the cleanliness of the air.” Sarah Skeels, teaching associate in behavioral and social sciences at the School of Public Health, credits the survey for “looking at things that matter.” One such valuable metric is the job market, she said, adding that employment is a national issue for people with disabilities. According to a June report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment for those
with disabilities was 13.1 percent in 2013, almost twice as high as the unemployment rate for those with no disabilities. Skeels, who uses a wheelchair, said the experience of living in Providence is especially challenging for people with disabilities. She said planning of public spaces in Providence rarely considers “people with different mobility,” citing how curb cuts are sparsely distributed and, in winter, often covered with snow. The same is true of accessible parking spaces. While issues like these are not necessarily intentional, they are pervasive and inconsiderate, Skeels said. “Walk down Thayer. Walk down South Main,” she said, referring to the difficulties in accessibility across the city. But it is not all bad news for Rhode Islanders with disabilities, Skeels said. The Warwick Beacon reported last month that a $200,000 federal grant was awarded to the Rhode Island Parent Information Network, a Cranstonbased nonprofit providing resources for parents of children with special health and education needs. WaterFire is an example of a program that takes steps to provide enjoyable experiences for spectators with disabilities, Skeels said. The event features accessibility information prominently on its website and makes water taxis available free of charge by email reservation. There is a tendency among people with disabilities to seek out accommodating businesses and areas, Skeels said, adding that this is beneficial for the entire community. “When communities are open to all kinds of people, it creates communities that include all kinds of people.” This results in a reduction in the “stigmatization of difference,” she said. “I hope whoever becomes mayor wants to make Providence more friendly to people with disabilities,” she said. “If you build it, they will come.”
SADIE HOPE-GUND / HERALD
People with disabilities have can have difficulty navigating through city streets because city planning does not adequately take their needs into account. Providence ranked lowest in accessibility among 150 cities surveyed.
SADIE HOPE-GUND / HERALD
For people living with disabilities, a variety of factors — especially accessibility — go into consideration when choosing a place to live. Despite Providence’s ranking, some events such as WaterFire are handicap-friendly.
» QUINN, from page 1 added. Quinn will join the Watson Institute at a time of transition, as its administrators and faculty members work out the details of its merger with the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions, which is set to occur within the year, The Herald reported last month. The integration of the Taubman Center has created “particular excitement” at the Watson Institute, Quinn said, adding that she plans to partner with administrators and faculty members at the Taubman Center and other centers within the Watson Institute. Quinn said a colleague at the Watson Institute originally showed her a description of the position to share with potential candidates. “But when I read it, it struck me that it may be
a great position for me,” she said. “I became really excited by the potential and decided to apply.” Quinn came to the University in 1999 as director of federal relations and soon became the director of community and government relations. She was named assistant to former President Ruth Simmons in 2003 and vice president for public affairs and university relations in 2008. Over her six-year tenure in her current role, she oversaw the University’s expansion into the Jewelry District and the School of Engineering’s plans to construct new buildings, Paxson wrote. She also spearheaded several technological efforts, such as the revamping of the University’s home page and social media presence, as well as the launch of the e-newsletter “News From Brown,” Paxson added.
In the greater Providence community, Quinn worked with the Providence School Department on a scholarship program and helped hold events aimed at welcoming residents of the city and state to campus, Paxson wrote. Quinn also aided in planning the University’s 250th anniversary celebrations as a member of the 250th anniversary steering committee. A search for Quinn’s successor will “begin immediately” and ideally conclude in early 2015, Paxson wrote in an email to The Herald, adding that a job description will be developed this week, though the University has not yet decided whether to rely on an outside search firm or conduct the search itself. Administrators at the Watson Institute were not immediately available for comment.
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
Reports examine profiling Conference focuses on campus sexual assault general’s among R.I. police depts. Attorney office aims for greater With efforts to pass racial profiling legislation stalled at state level, city considers ordinance By EMMA JERZYK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A report on race and traffic stops released by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation Wednesday found that “in 24 Rhode Island communities, minorities were more likely to be pulled over than whites for a traffic stop given census population data from 2010.” The report, compiled by the Institute on Race and Justice at Northeastern University, uses eight additional months of data to expand upon a preliminary report released earlier this year. But “the report does not draw conclusions about the existence of racial profiling in Rhode Island,” according to a RIDOT press release. The report joins years of discourse on racial profiling in the state, including another report published in September by the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union detailing police departments’ non-compliance with Rhode Island’s Racial Profiling Act of 2004. State law requires local police departments to post on their websites the procedures and forms involved in filing a complaint about police misconduct, which can include racial profiling. Police departments must accept complaints in person, by fax and by mail. These provisions were included in the law because police departments claimed that they weren’t receiving complaints about racial profiling, said Steven Brown, executive director of the RIACLU. In the past, police departments could use a lack of complaints to justify inaction regarding racial profiling prevention, he added. “If you really want to get complaints, you should make it easier for people to file them,” he said. Five police departments — those in Barrington, East Greenwich, Little Compton, New Shoreham and Tiverton — had neither complaint forms nor procedures on their websites as of the end of July 2014, according to the report, which cites additional noncompliance with the law where police departments created barriers to filing complaints, including “intimidating warnings,” “intrusive requests for information” and “notary requirements.” Brown said the non-compliance with the law is a symptom of police departments’ lack of concern for investigating complaints. Many “didn’t expect this particular provision in the law to solve a lot of problems,” he said, adding that fears of retaliation and mistrust of the complaint process also make individuals reluctant to report police misconduct. The Barrington, East Greenwich, Little Compton and Tiverton police departments have posted complaint forms and procedures on their websites since July. Antone Marion, who was appointed Little Compton police chief several weeks ago, said he immediately rectified this mistake when he received a letter from Hillary Davis, an RIACLU policy associate, explaining the police department’s non-compliance.
“All complaints are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. It’s not something we take lightly,” he said. Barrington Police Chief John LaCross fixed the link on his department’s website when he realized it was not working — it was broken at the time of the report, he said. The broken links to the complaint forms and procedures were a result of switching webmasters, he added. Vincent Carlone, the New Shoreham police chief, also cited technical difficulties as the reason for the department’s non-compliance. “I’m not a computer guy, I have to be honest with you,” he said. “This is a very different kind of place. We don’t pick on anyone,” he said. “I’m very proud of this organization. We treat everyone very nicely. This is a relaxed, friendly place. … It’s like old school. It’s like 30 years ago.” “If we haven’t had any complaints, it’s because we really don’t bother anyone,” he said. “Sometimes we get left out of the loop because we’re across the ocean, and that’s probably my fault, but we will certainly come into whatever we need to do.” This year’s report follows a similar report from October 2007, which was prompted by the Urban League of Rhode Island’s attempt to file a misconduct complaint at the Pawtucket police department. Until the time of that report, complainants at the Pawtucket police department were required to sign over the right to “obtain, from any source whatsoever, any and all copies of the complainant’s employment records, medical records, financial records and credit history,” according to the 2007 report. “The average complainant might well wonder exactly who was being investigated,” the report said. A movement to pass more comprehensive racial profiling legislation has grown since 2007. A Comprehensive Racial Profiling Prevention Act has been introduced to the General Assembly every year between 2007 and 2013. The bill includes provisions to bar police officers from requesting identification from passengers at traffic stops and from searching juveniles without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Mounting frustration with the inability to pass the bill at the state level has led to efforts to pass a municipal ordinance, Brown said. The Community Safety Act that was introduced to the Providence City Council in June would eliminate searches without probable cause, allow civilians to record suspected police misconduct and require officers to document every stop they make, WPRI reported. This ordinance proposes the creation of a Community Safety Review Board to enforce the ordinance, require officers to report all traffic and pedestrian stops, bar officers from following or photographing juveniles except as part of a stop or arrest, and limit officers’ ability to use race, physical characteristics, association with identified gang members and place of residence or encounter to justify listing an individual as a gang member, the Providence Journal reported. The ordinance has been referred to the Committee on Ordinances, according to the City of Providence website.
collaboration with universities
By ELAINA WANG STAFF WRITER
In the two weeks since the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office hosted the National Association of Attorneys General Conference on Sexual Assault on College Campuses in Providence Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, local law enforcement officers, attorneys general, Rhode Island educators and “victim advocates” are continuing to consider how to address campus sexual assaults. Though no specific policy goals have been established, the conference incorporated responses from different stakeholders on a number of potential measures, including a uniform, statewide standard for all schools in the state. The attorney general’s office wants to create an atmosphere where victims are not afraid to speak up, said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. “Unless the victim comes forward, we may never know that one of these atrocities has happened.” His office had met with colleges before the conference on sexual assault policy, but he said the conference provided a further opportunity to discuss possible alternatives. It allowed Kilmartin and his office to discover more about what educators, law enforcement officers and other organizations were working on, he added. As of Wednesday, 85 college campuses across the nation are under investigation under Title IX for how they have handled sexual assault cases from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, the Huffington Post reported. Title IX is a federal regulation that protects individuals from sexual discrimination in programs receiving federal funding. It mandates that all schools have “established procedures” for investigating and responding to sexual assault cases. Schools must protect complainants and take steps to ensure their education is not affected by the alleged offense or the investigation. The conference is one of the first “collective conversations” between various stakeholders to “discuss the impact of pending legislative changes” on campus sexual assault cases, wrote Kathy Zoner, chief of police at Cornell and a panelist at the conference on best practices for collaboration between campus and local police, in an email to The Herald. In January 2014, the White House Task Force to Protect Students from
Sexual Assault released “Not Alone,” a report detailing ways to identify, prevent and improve responses to sexual assault. One recommendation by the report was to develop memoranda of understanding between schools and local law enforcement. Day One, a sexual assault trauma and resource center in Rhode Island, distributed letters to the presidents of all 11 institutions of higher education in the state advising campuses on how to develop memoranda of understanding and craft an informed response to sexual assaults with other organizations and law enforcement, said Peg Langhammar, executive director of Day One and a panelist at the conference who spoke on “strategies for optimizing victims’ services.” The organization also offered training opportunities to the colleges’ first responders and other personnel who may be required to address sexual assaults on campus. “Victims have been coming forward like never before,” Langhammer said. Victims’ bravery in challenging their universities’ sexual assault policies has contributed to the heightened awareness about sexual assault across the country, she added. Colleges perpetuate the problem by calling sexual assault “sexual misconduct,” Langhammer said. There is a “mythology around that it’s just boys behaving badly,” she added. “It’s crime. It’s sexual assault,” she said. “It’s not just misconduct.” The conference encouraged “team approaches to addressing sexual assault,” said Bita Shooshani, coordinator of sexual assault prevention and advocacy for the University and a conference attendee. More cooperation leads to more respectful treatment of survivors, she added. But Title IX investigations by schools can conflict with the need to get law enforcement involved early on in the process, said Amy Kempe, public information officer for the attorney general’s office. At the conference, one group said it felt strongly that all assaults on campus should be reported to law enforcement, Langhammer said. But another group, made up of more campus-based administrators, stated that mandated reporting would have a “chilling effect” on victims coming forward, she added. One individual at the conference said universities should be required to report sexual assault cases to law enforcement, Shooshani said. A study published in 2000, “The Sexual Victimization of College Women,” released by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice, found that under 5 percent of “completed and attempted rapes were reported to law enforcement officials.” Another study from 2007, funded
by and prepared for the National Institute of Justice, found that “fear of hostile treatment by the authorities” was a primary barrier to women reporting sexual assaults. Other reasons listed in the report included lack of evidence, fear “of retaliation by the perpetrator,” concern that the alleged assault would not be viewed as credible, unfamiliarity with reporting crimes of sexual assault and the wish to maintain privacy and confidentiality. It is frequently a “good tool” for law enforcement to be involved in on-campus sexual assault cases, Zoner wrote. “Accountability is a key component to changing behaviors for most individuals.” It is important to be respectful of where students are in their process of healing, said Yolanda Castillo-Appollonio, associate dean of student life. She said the conference was beneficial because it will help the University to improve its relationship with the attorney general’s office. She added that a better relationship between universities and law enforcement officers might help decrease intimidation and “make the process a little smoother.” The process should stay “victimcentered, whether they’re on campus or in the criminal justice process, so that victims are allowed to be empowered throughout the whole process,” Shooshani said. Though there is “no single best policy to fit every campus,” Zoner wrote, they should all have “proactive measures” to address sexual assault and “support a change in campus climate.” One focus of efforts to prevent sexual assault is increasing bystander intervention, which involves the whole community taking responsibility and watching out for one another, Shooshani said. There must be a behavior change — a cultural shift, Langhammer said. It needs to become routine for men to stand up to men who are engaging in sexual assault behavior, she added. At Brown, a student can report sexual assault one of three general ways: confidentially, as a formal complaint to the University or to the police. Students can speak in confidence to Shooshani at Health Services or to counselors at Counseling and Psychological Services, Castillo-Appollonio said. Only the third option would involve city police and could lead to criminal prosecution, according to Health Services’ website. Kilmartin said that in the followup to the conference, he will continue to work with stakeholders to “figure out best practices” to address campus sexual assault, including looking into the White House’s initiatives and involving law enforcement.
6 metro » DEBATE, from page 1 Cianci emphasized his commitment to improving Providence’s quality of life and general “self-esteem,” while Elorza — playing off Cianci’s legacy of corruption — stressed his dedication to bringing integrity to the statehouse through an honest and efficient administration. Harrop focused on his ability to achieve financial stability by reducing government oversight and improving bureaucratic efficiency, among other strategies. Throughout the debate, Cianci’s criminal record, which has drawn the attention of national media, was the focus of personal attacks from both Harrop and Elorza. Cianci has served as mayor of Providence twice before, both times being forced out of office due to criminal charges. He first occupied office from 1975 to 1984, before pleading guilty to assault charges. He served again as mayor from 1991 to 2002, when
he was found guilty of racketeering and sentenced to five years in federal prison. “The next thing you guys are going to do here is accuse me of the Lindhberg kidnapping,” Cianci declared toward the end of the debate, which had a strict question-and-answer format that prevented him from responding to many of his opponents’ charges. “I’ve paid the price. … I’ve turned my life around,” Cianci said, adding, “I’ve been (to prison) before — I ain’t going back.” But Cianci’s insistence that he has made changes was challenged early in the debate, when he was asked to explain the $18,000 his campaign has accepted in donations from city employees, despite declaring in September that he had not “taken a dime from any city worker.” “I misspoke,” Cianci said, adding that if elected, his administration would not be racked by corruption and scandal. Throughout the debate, Cianci emphasized that the city has
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
gone through a “decade of decline” and insisted he was uniquely qualified to move the city forward. Of the three candidates, Cianci is the only one with a record that has hindered his campaign. When questioned about a minor case of perjury involving a tenant from more than 20 years ago, Harrop said that all he truly learned from the incident was to “never try to evict a Harvard law student,” eliciting laughter from the engaged crowd. Regarding the city’s universities and hospitals and their tax-exempt status, all three candidates agreed that these institutions are critical for the city’s current stability and future success. “Our universities and our hospitals are some of our greatest resources,” Elorza said, adding that his administration would prioritize integrating college students into the local community. “We need to treat the universities as partners, not piggybanks,” Harrop
said. Cianci articulated similar views on the importance of universities and hospitals to the city’s well-being. On the topic of pensions, both Harrop and Elorza heavily criticized Cianci, who they accused of being responsible for the city’s dysfunctional pension system. “We’re giving away these pensions” while schools are in disrepair and the city’s infrastructure is not cared for, Harrop said. But Elorza and Cianci aligned in fierce disagreement against Harrop regarding the city’s financial future. “Providence is insolvent,” Harrop said, adding, “We can begin to stabilize our state’s finances through bankruptcy.” In contrast, Cianci argued that “the city does not have to go into bankruptcy.” Elorza agreed, noting that bankruptcy is “too uncertain a process” and would likely lead to tax increases. When asked to specify an issue on which his policy differed significantly from Cianci’s, Elorza cited his vision
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for the city’s port and deep-water channels, which he said could be used advantageously to create 1,500 local, middle-class jobs, while simultaneously generating economic activity for the city as a whole. In his closing statement, Harrop emphasized the importance of having elected officials — especially mayors — lead by example, passively suggesting that Cianci was unqualified for the job given his marred record. Public corruption in any government institution fosters inefficiency and hinders business investment, as many companies are wary of unstable political environments, Harrop said, adding a message of caution: “Vote carefully in three weeks.” According to a WPRI poll from late September, Cianci held a six point lead over Elorza, with the two candidates receiving 38 percent and 32 percent of support respectively. About six percent said they would vote for Harrop, and about 21 percent were undecided.
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
Elections Roundup BY MOLLY SCHULSON, METRO EDITOR
No election law violation for Raimondo
DAVID DECKEY / HERALD
At Rhode Island College, student-athletes were targeted for alcohol education because the school hopes they will “promote responsible behavior among the whole student body,” an administrator said.
RIC lectures target drinking among athletes Some undergraduates express concern that student-athletes are unfairly singled out By ZACH FREDERICKS STAFF WRITER
As part of a forced three-day “hiatus” of the Rhode Island College athletics program following an “uptick” in alcohol-related incidents on campus, RIC Athletic Director Don Tencher hosted two mandatory alcohol education sessions for all student-athletes at the school earlier this month. The alcohol education sessions brought lecturers from the State Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving and were intended to “nip the behavior in the bud before it became a problem,” said Laura Hart, director of college communications and marketing at RIC. The student-athletes were specifically targeted not only because they participated in some of the reported incidents, but also because the school hopes that “student-athletes will go on to promote responsible behavior among the whole student body,” Hart wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald. The speakers who participated in the sessions stressed the health concerns associated with alcohol consumption and reminded the studentathletes of their responsibilities as “stewards” of the college in the public eye, said Stephen Lynch, Burrillville chief of police and former RIC soccer player in the school’s Hall of Fame. “We know that students can obtain
alcohol,” Lynch said. “We have to ask what’s important to them. Is it important to them that they get drunk or is it important that they stay in real good shape for their program?” Looking past players’ commitments to their teams and their own athletic successes, lecturers reminded the student-athletes of their health and safety. “They cannot assume this life-long idea that no dire consequences will follow them,” said Gabrielle Abbate, executive director of MADD Rhode Island, who was a guest lecturer at RIC last week. While members of law enforcement and MADD applauded Tencher for hosting the forum, multiple news outlets reported that RIC students feel the athletes were unfairly singled out. “I know plenty of people who party, and it’s not just athletes,” Audrey Lietar, a senior at RIC, told The Herald. “I don’t think taking away sports is effective as a punishment.” On behalf of MADD Rhode Island, Abbate addressed legality as another angle of alcohol consumption on college campuses. Though Rhode Island law strictly prohibits possession of alcohol by individuals who are underage, the law does not prohibit underage consumption. But the state’s relative lack of underage drinking exceptions compared to other states and recent efforts geared toward stricter social host laws combine to make Rhode Island’s drinking laws appear relatively stringent. MADD has been pushing to decrease the loopholes in the social host law to make it harder for underage
kids to get away with drinking, Abbate said. “The goals of Rhode Island’s law in regards to alcohol consumption are designed to be adhered to,” Lynch said. “The question is how much do students really adhere to them.” A recent study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 65 percent of Rhode Island residents ages 18 to 20 have used alcohol in the past month, and 47 percent indicated they have engaged in binge drinking in the past month. High rates of underage alcohol use mean the laws are not being followed, which does not come as a surprise, Lynch said. “We know that the ability to obtain alcohol on college campuses is pretty prevalent across the country.” This trend may result from the fact that underage students do not fear the legal consequences of drinking at college parties. “Size and noise are the number one things that get parties shut down,” said Paul Shanley, deputy chief of police for Brown’s Department of Public Safety. While the police who shut down college parties do consider underage drinking, they are more concerned with accessibility to means of exiting the building and neighbors’ sound sleep than with busting underage drinkers or “irresponsible social hosts,” he added. The most common consequence of underage drinking at Brown is a mandatory appointment with a dean, Shanley said. The party hosts usually do not face any disciplinary action beyond a noise summons, which comes after multiple warnings, he added.
The Board of Elections ruled last Wednesday that the Rhode Island Democratic Party did not violate a state campaign finance law after it spent $90,000 of party funds on a campaign commercial for U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., that featured gubernatorial candidate Gina Raimondo, according to Rhode Island Public Radio. “Once there is an advocacy for a federal candidate, federal law controls (funding) and it has to be paid out of a federal account,” Joe Shekarchi, of the Rhode Island Democrat Coordinated Campaign, told NBC 10. State party funds spent on a state candidate cannot exceed $25,000, according to the state campaign finance law. “If it looks like a duck, it quacks like a duck, it walks like a duck, it’s a duck,” Charles Spies, lawyer for the Rhode Island Republican Party, told RIPR. “This was a Raimondo ad. Everyone knows that, and I think we should hold her to a higher standard than this.”
Study shows bond referendum questions could prove costly Next month’s ballot features four referendum questions about bonds that could cost almost $400 million, according to a study by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council that was released Tuesday. The ballot says the proposals will cost $248 million, but RIPEC’s study estimated that with an interest rate of 4 to 5 percent, interest payments could cost taxpayers up to an additional $150 million over a 20-year period, WPRI reported. The ballot bond questions ask voters to allow the state to borrow money to fund college building construction projects, mass transit hub renovation projects, various arts and cultural organizations and several environmental projects. In the same study, RIPEC presented a number of questions for voters to take into account regarding the bonds, but it did not take a position on whether they should approve of the four questions on the ballot. There are no organized campaigns in opposition to the bond questions. All four questions have “well-funded campaigns,” WPRI reported. Question 4 — which focuses on environmental projects — has garnered the most money in support, weighing in at nearly $272,000 as of last Friday.
Romney to visit Rhode Island, while Obama cancels trip Former Massachusetts governor and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney will visit Rhode Island Thursday. Romney will host a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Allan Fung at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence. Romney officially endorsed Fung in September. Tickets to the fundraiser will cost between $250 and $1,000, ABC 6 reported. President Obama was scheduled to give a lecture at Rhode Island College Thursday, but was forced to cancel his visit in order to stay at the White House to supervise the government’s response to the Ebola epidemic, WPRI reported. Obama will “remain at the White House to follow up on today’s Cabinet meeting on the government’s Ebola response,” according to a White House press release.
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
Alums among R.I. leaders and candidates in the Ocean State Diversity and academic rigor of University cited as valuable qualities for alums seeking office By ALEXANDER BLUM SENIOR STAFF WRITER
As the 2014 election season ramps up, a number of Brown alums vying for office are demonstrating that Rhode Island captured their hearts and interests during their time on College Hill. Alums running to assume new positions include Seth Magaziner ’06 for Rhode Island general treasurer, Daniel Harrop ’76 MD’79 for Providence mayor and Aaron Regunberg ’12 for state representative. They hope to join the ranks of numerous Brown alums who already hold office in the state, such as Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’17 and state Sen. Louis DiPalma ScM’89, D-Little Compton, Middletown, Newport and Tiverton. Four of these alums — Chafee, Magaziner, Harrop and DiPalma — spoke with The Herald to reflect on their time at Brown and how it influenced their political paths. Chafee “In the seventies, it seemed the whole campus was following what was happening” in national politics, Chafee said. Though Chafee, a classics concentrator, said his four years undoubtedly coincided with “a politically involved time” on campuses across the country, his collegiate period was not the first time he experienced a political atmosphere. “I’ve been around (politics) since I was very young,” he said, adding that his father — whose public service record included time as Rhode Island’s governor, U.S. Secretary of the Navy and a U.S. senator from Rhode Island — was an important influence during his childhood. In terms of influences gained at Brown, “being exposed to such a diverse student body from all over the world” was one of the most valuable aspects of his time here, Chafee said.
And Brown has also influenced the way others perceive him, he said, adding that other politicians, particularly those in Rhode Island, recognize a certain level of prestige associated with having attend the school. A Democrat since 2013, Chafee was a Republican during his time at Brown and until 2007, when he became an independent. Though Chafee said he acknowledges that Republicans have always been a minority in the state, he never felt hostility from his peers on campus. He recalled President Richard Nixon’s efforts to reach out to China and his creation of the Environmental Protection Agency — “there was enough good there that you could even defend him,” Chafee said. Magaziner Magaziner, on the other hand, embraced the liberal-leaning campus. The current Democratic candidate for R.I. treasurer was president of the Brown Democrats in academic year 20042005, a tenure he said “served as my introduction to Rhode Island politics.” He described the experience as both eye-opening and inspirational, witnessing firsthand that “even as 19-year-old college students, we were able to make a difference with what was going on at the Statehouse.” Upon graduating from Brown, Magaziner said, he worked as an elementary school teacher in rural Louisiana before earning his master’s degree in business administration from Yale. “I think great leaders come from all different kinds of backgrounds,” Magaziner said, adding that his time at Brown exposed him to a very diverse group of people. He was drawn to the position of treasurer because he believes there is a lot the office can do to “get the state back on track,” he said. Magaziner currently leads Independent opponent Ernie Almonte in the race by 13 percentage points, according to Tuesday’s WPRI/Providence Journal poll. Harrop “I’m a little unusual for a politician,”
ZEIN KHLEIF / HERALD
Seth Magaziner ’06 is running to be Rhode Island’s next treasurer. Daniel Harrop ’76 MD’79 is a Republican candidate for mayor, and other alums hold numerous elected offices, including the governorship. said Harrop, who is currently running as the Republican candidate for Providence mayor, adding that he was not involved with political groups on campus during his time in the Program in Liberal Medical Education. He has always considered himself to be “relatively conservative … not exactly the usual at Brown,” he said.“I describe myself as the last of the Rockefeller Republicans.” After graduating with a degree in medicine, Harrop did not immediately become active in state politics. But in 2004, after “dabbling in politics,” Harrop decided that he would run against Edith Ajello, D-Providence, for the position of state representative for Rhode Island’s third district. “I got slaughtered, but it was fun,” Harrop said. “I enjoyed it.” Ajello — who has been serving in the Rhode Island House of Representatives since 1992 — continues to hold the office, though a reshuffling in the districts’ numbers means she is now the representative for
the first district. The experience of running was a unique opportunity for the psychiatrist. “It has sort of become a hobby for me,” he said, adding that he has run in several political races since then, including his current campaign for mayor. “This is not what you expect when you run for mayor of Providence,” Harrop said of the current race. The addition of independent mayoral candidate Vincent “Buddy” Cianci — who served as mayor of Providence from 1975 to 1984 and from 1991 to 2002 — to the race has drawn national media attention, Harrop noted. Harrop said his Brown education has earned him respect from the press, as well as suspicion from fellow Republicans. “Brown has been an issue in the campaign,” he said. Harrop trails behind opponents Cianci and Jorge Elorza in the race, with 6 percent of the vote to Cianci’s 38 percent and Elorza’s 32 percent, according
to a September WPRI poll. DiPalma DiPalma said he was not involved with on-campus political groups during his time at Brown, where he earned his master’s degree in computer science. “It was a diverse community,” he said, adding that “Brown allows you to think differently.” DiPalma said he has always enjoyed being involved with volunteering. Though his career — which has led to his current position as chief engineer for undersea systems at Raytheon in Portsmouth — has not been overtaken by service in public office, he said, “We all need to be able to give back to the communities we live in.” Before becoming a state senator, DiPalma served on the Middletown Town Council for four years from 2004 to 2008, a period during which he says he realized “we could … take our representation in the statehouse to the next level” for District 12.
S TAY I N G S E X Y
RHEA STARK / HERALD
Students gather for discussion at “Sexy, Can I? Debriefing the Hookup Culture at Brown,” an event hosted by Women Peer Counselors as part of workshop series “Falling For You.”
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
menu
yo u n g p o l i t i c s
SATELLITE DINING JOSIAH’S Hummus Plate BLUE ROOM Mediterranean Pockets Soups: Chicken Artichoke Florentine, Fire Roasted Vegetable,Turkey Chili ANDREWS COMMONS Pizzas: Nacho Pizza, Okie Dokie Artichokie, Pepperoni and Sausage
DINING HALLS LUNCH
SHARPE REFECTORY
Hot Baked Ham on a Bulkie Roll, Tortellini Provencale, Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pasta
DINNER
Pirate Ship Pork Loin, Tofu Parmesan, Au Gratin Potatoes wih Fresh Herbs
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Eggplant Parmesan Grinder, Gourmet Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Mayo, Enchilada Bar
Orange Chipotle Glazed Tofu, Roasted Red Potatoes with Herbs, Vegan Fried Rice Bowl
sudoku
ASHLEY SO / HERALD
Supporters of Vincent “Buddy” Cianci came to campus for Wednesday night’s mayoral debate. Cianci, an independent candidate, squared up against Democrat Jorge Elorza and Republican Daniel Harrop ’76 MD’79.
comics P-Branes and Bosons | Ricky Oliver ’17 RELEASE DATE– Thursday, October 16, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Dangler on a dog 6 D-Day city 10 “A likely story!” 14 19th-century English novelist Charles 15 Greenish-blue 16 Gear teeth 17 *Programs that generate hardware sales 19 Religious offshoot 20 Paperless publication 21 “Ditto!” 23 Having “but one life to give for my country,” to Hale 26 *Certain repair site 28 “__ you finished?” 29 Feel sorry about 31 Gael or Druid 32 Retin-A target 33 Greenish-blue 35 __ Martin: flashy car 39 LAX listing 40 *Brings up to speed 42 “Surfin’ __” 43 Like painter Jan Steen 45 Assents at sea 46 Capture 47 Extremely attentive 49 Big laugh 51 It may need boosting 52 *Bargain for less jail time 56 Capital on the Sava River 58 José’s “Moulin Rouge” co-star 59 Salvage crew acronym 61 Literary bell town 62 Climactic announcement suggested by the starts of the answers to starred clues 67 Shed tool 68 Quaint oath 69 Antipasto ingredient 70 Span. ladies 71 Feature of some stadiums 72 Green
DOWN 36 One working on 52 Business 1 Aggravate pitches magnates 2 Agnus __ 37 Missouri river or 53 Very hot celestial 3 Latvian chess county orb champ of 54 Arctic garb 38 Mover and 1960-’61 shaker 55 Tea-producing 4 Only woman to 40 Blokes Indian state outwit Holmes 41 Troopers, e.g. 57 Big name in wine 5 Eccentric sort 44 Extreme jitters, 60 Give up 6 Reading at the with “the” 63 Earlier checkout 48 Put 64 Rouge or blanc counter 50 Explosive 65 Eden dweller 7 Laid-back sort sound 66 “L.A. Law” actress 8 Indy circuit 9 Kind of surprise ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: kick 10 Confronts rudely 11 Word in two state names 12 White house? 13 Lens setting 18 Ceremony 22 “Lay Lady Lay” singer 23 Knocked down 24 “Un Ballo in Maschera” aria 25 Imply 27 Dublin-born playwright 30 Consider identical 34 Chase scene maneuver, slangily 10/16/14 xwordeditor@aol.com
Comic Sans | Neille-Ann Tan ’18
calendar TODAY 2 P.M. TO CARE FOR OUR OWN: PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE IN THE TIME OF REVOLUTION
A panel of experts will discuss the relationship between the state-run health care system in Ukraine and victims of government violence. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum 6 P.M. RACISM, STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE AND SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION
Brown UNICEF will host a lecture by Stefano Bloch, professor of urban studies, that will address factors that affect and limit child development. Kassar House 6:30 P.M. CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST By Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/16/14
Questions and concerns regarding the rise of ISIS will be addressed in this forum featuring experts from multiple fields. Petteruti Lounge
TOMORROW 4 P.M. THE POLITICS OF THE NOBEL
The Honorable Erling Norrby, a former member of the Nobel Selection Committee, and Cornelia Dean, visiting lecturer, will discuss the politics behind the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Sidney Frank Hall 220 5 P.M. ANNUAL CATHOLIC LECTURE
Meghan J. Clark, assistant professor at St. John’s University, will give a talk about why people should focus more on issues like homelessness and hunger and less on trendy new products. Rhode Island Hall 108 5:30 P.M. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
The Middle East Studies will screen this film about the attempts of young Iranian musicians to evade their government’s repressions of rock music as part of its film series. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
EDITORIAL
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Shaping the world through student voices
Beyond Ebola, a more common threat
In the last month, two major student protests have emerged on opposite sides of the globe, yet they have differed in both press coverage and international support. The pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, now known as the Umbrella Revolution, has been covered by all major media outlets and publicly endorsed by the White House. Meanwhile, simultaneous protests following reforms to public universities and the disappearance and suspected killing of 43 students by state police in Mexico have gone largely unnoticed by the international community. From the May Fourth Movement that empowered the Chinese revolution to the 1968 protests in France that sparked similar movements throughout the world to the protests that led to the Iranian Revolution to the non-violent student-led protests in Eastern Europe that weakened authoritarian leaders, student activism has played a unique role in shaping public opinion and defining global change. In denouncing structural oppression at the educational, domestic or international level, student movements have the distinct ability to ignite similar protests throughout the world. Yet their success — particularly in a highly globalized era — is contingent on international pressure that largely depends on mainstream media. Entering the third week of clashes between police and protesters in the streets of Hong Kong, dialogue between movement leaders and state officials has been nonexistent. Meanwhile, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, “The United States supports universal suffrage in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law, and we support the aspirations of the Hong Kong people.” Whether the Umbrella Revolution succeeds in forcing major restructuring of local government and sidelining Beijing involvement has yet to be seen. But the West-backed and internationally recognized movement is redefining the rhetoric regarding democracy in Hong Kong as well as in China. The protests led by students of the Instituto Politecnico Nacional and the Normalistas de Ayotzinapa denounce police brutality. They also oppose a reform that will establish a technical education as opposed to a scientific one and limit the students’ rights to free expression and peaceful assembly. But why have movements that condemn state oppression, the absence of rule of law and the manipulation of educational institutions favoring the loss of civil liberties not gained similar Western and international support? The magnitude of these student mobilizations in Mexico has been sufficient to paralyze Mexico City and force top officials to respond. But unlike the situation in Hong Kong, the student movement in Mexico places direct pressure on a U.S.-backed government (and confronts an educational reform that, as student protesters claim, will benefit multinational corporate interests). Given the ties between the United States and Mexico, the reluctance of the U.S. government to publicly support a movement against the Mexican government is typical. The lack of press coverage by major U.S. news sources, however, raises a critical question about whose voices are heard and amplified within our society. Paulo Freire, a prominent philosopher and pedagogue, coined the term “conscientization” and stated that students bear the responsibility of creating critical consciousness. “The process of conscientization involves identifying contradictions in experience through dialogue and becoming part of the process of changing the world,” explained Arlene Goldbard, writing on Freire. It is thus our responsibility as Brown students to overcome the imbalance of coverage, to spark dialogue and to build the critical consciousness around social issues that supports the movements in both Hong Kong and Mexico.
To the Editor: At the moment, tensions are running high due to Ebola, which last week resulted in its first U.S. death and this week resulted in its first U.S.-acquired case. Thousands are dead in West Africa, and many thousands more will probably die before the epidemic is brought under control. The global community is rightly concerned about this terrible disease. But consider a similar frightening scenario. A virus emerges in Asia that, unlike Ebola, spreads by coughing and sneezing — no direct contact is required. Upon infection, the virus can be spread to others within as few as two days, even by those who are not yet exhibiting symptoms — quarantine isn’t an option. Over the next few months, the virus takes advantage of air, sea and land travel networks to spread around the globe, infecting hundreds of millions and killing hundreds of thousands. In the United States, tens of millions are stricken with high fevers, chills, muscle aches and fatigue. Emergency departments and physicians’ offices are flooded with the sick, and hundreds of thousands require hospitalization for severe symptoms. Tens of thousands may die, including hundreds of children — though the true death toll is never really known because the infection is so common that it often goes unreported.
Eventually the epidemic recedes, but only for a time: The following year brings another round of sickness and death, as does every year after that. The plot to “Contagion 2”? No, the title of this movie, in the unlikely event it were made, would be “Annual Flu Season.” But unlike with Ebola, we have an inexpensive, safe and effective tool that can protect against this killer virus: the flu shot. Think that because you’re young and healthy the flu is no big deal? Ponder taking a final exam with a 103-degree fever. Worried about the flu shot causing the flu? It doesn’t, and that slightly sore arm the next day means your immune system is gearing up to protect you. Concerned about putting something “unnatural” in your body? What’s more unnatural, the small amount of dead virus in the shot or billions of live viruses hijacking your body and using you to spread disease to the people you care about? Afraid of needles? Nobody likes them — but it hurts a lot less than a piercing or a tattoo. So no lame excuses: Just get your shot. Keep an eye on Ebola, but don’t fall prey to the flu! Richard Bungiro PhD’99 Senior Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“Whiteness is not invisible, and it also does not necessarily need to be normalized.” — Shane Lloyd Assistant director for first-year and sophomore programs at the BCSC
See privilege on page 2.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: Natasha Bluth ’15, Alexander Kaplan ’15, Manuel Monti-Nussbaum ’15, Katherine Pollock ’16, James Rattner ’15 and Himani Sood ’15. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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commentary 11
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
Where are all the women? DILUM ALUTHGE opinions columnist
Suppose that you are walking down the hallway of a large building. Every time you pass a door, you open it and peek inside. Nine times out of 10, you see that the person at the front of the room is a man. If asked later about this experience, you would probably conclude that whatever activity was being held in that building was almost certainly biased in favor of men. Unfortunately, this hypothetical scenario is anything but. Indeed, roughly speaking, that is exactly what you would experience if you walked down the halls of Barus and Holley today. Sexism in the sciences is nothing new. For hundreds of years, scientific establishments have marginalized, oppressed and excluded women. Early philosophers such as Kant and Rousseau wrote that women were biologically incapable of being intellectual. During the scientific revolution, a clear divide was established between men, who were considered capable of being scientists, and women, who were seen as only capable of domestic duties. In the 19th century, it became somewhat acceptable for women to practice “watered-down science” — children’s books, for example — but
scientific research was still restricted to men. Even in the early 20th century, when women gained somewhat increased access to science education, they were still excluded on a large scale from employment in the scientific community. But what is perhaps most disturbing is that these structural inequalities still persist today. The problem is very evident here at Brown. According to the Office of Institutional Diversity, in October 2013 — the most recent date for which there is data available —
interested in science than men. But these arguments quickly disintegrate when we look at the evidence. In 2012, a team of researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind study in which they sent the same job application to 127 different science faculty members. Roughly half of the applications were assigned a stereotypically male name, while the others were assigned a stereotypically female name. The applications were otherwise identical. The researchers found that the fac-
discuss research opportunities. They sent this email to more than 6,500 professors at 259 U.S. universities. Analogous to the other study, some emails used a male name and others used a female name; the emails were otherwise identical. The researchers found that requests from women were ignored at a higher rate than requests from males, especially “in higher-paying disciplines and private institutions.” And they observed that, as in the other study, male and female faculty mem-
Discrimination against women is deeply embedded in the practice of science, and in fact manifests in faculty members of all genders. there were 111 tenured faculty members in the life and medical sciences. Of those, only 32, or 28.8 percent, were women. The gap was even more stark in the physical sciences, where only 15, or 10 percent, of the 150 tenured faculty members were women. These patterns are by no means unique to Brown. According to the National Science Foundation, women constitute just 20.6 percent of all tenured professors in science and engineering at research universities in the United States. When confronted with these data, many scientists counter that the gender disparities in science are due not to discrimination but to other factors, such as the notion that women are less
ulty members consistently rated the male applicants as “significantly more competent and hirable” than the female applicants, and that male applicants were thus much more likely to receive job offers. And when female applicants were offered jobs, the starting salaries were significantly less than those offered to male applicants. Interestingly enough, both male and female faculty members exhibited these biases when making their hiring decisions. In 2014, a different team of researchers conducted a similar study. The researchers drafted an email that appeared to be from a prospective graduate student requesting a 10-minute meeting with a faculty member to
bers responded similarly. These two studies serve to highlight a crucial point. Gender disparity in the scientific community is not the consequence of differences in career preferences or genetic factors. Nor is it due to a few “bad apples” who are the source of discriminatory hiring decisions. The gender gap in science is the direct result of essentially sexist practices. Discrimination against women is deeply embedded in the practice of science, and in fact manifests in faculty members of all genders. This is not an individual issue, but a fundamentally structural one. And a fundamentally structural problem necessitates a fundamentally structural solution. In order to truly
alleviate sexism in science, we need to dismantle our existing systems and replace them with new systems that do not induce the same discriminations. Of course, it is much easier to state this abstractly than it is to craft specific strategies to achieve this goal. Change will require some drastic steps, and I must confess that I do not yet know what those steps should be. But in the shorter term, there is immediate opportunity for action. One of the four core areas of Building on Distinction, Brown’s new strategic plan, is “Academic Excellence,” which includes as a goal the improvement of faculty diversity. As part of the implementation of the strategic plan, the faculty and administration can and should explicitly include a timeline with concrete goals for increasing the number of female faculty members in the sciences. While this does not get to the heart of the underlying issues, it is nevertheless a crucial goal with invaluable consequences. By 2018, the School of Engineering will have finished construction on a new 80,000-square-foot building. Hopefully, when you walk down the halls of that building, you will not need to open 10 doors just to find one female scientist.
Dilum Aluthge ’15 MD’19 wishes that more scientists were feminists and can be reached at dilum_aluthge@brown.edu.
The Watson-Taubman marriage and why it matters IAN KENYON opinions columnist
The Sept. 16 edition of The Herald unveiled one of the largest changes within the University this year: the integration of the Taubman Center for American Institutions and Public Policy into the Watson Institute for International Studies (“Taubman to integrate with Watson Institute”). A town hall-style meeting Sept. 23 further educated Taubman faculty members, staff members and students about the comprehensive shift in operations slated to take effect within the next year. As with all changes, the announcement coming out of Taubman leaves some supportive of the new direction, while others are wary of the transition taking shape. This columnist’s position? Embrace the change. This change matters. As newly minted Taubman Director James Morone guided his town hall-style discussion, he articulated several concurrent themes that will be emphasized throughout the integration: maintaining a “hands-on” experience, providing more course offerings to current and future students and raising the overall profile of the Taubman Center and its programs relative to other top public policy programs in the nation. The last of these three tenets is key: Taubman’s changes highlight the University’s desire to offer policy degrees with national recognition and gravitas. Morone explained that he looks not only to build Taubman as the “policy clearinghouse” for Rhode Island, but to “grab the lead” in American and international public policy research — falling in the same academic strata as nationally renowned policy programs like those at Princeton’s
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. In light of this news, there are still some doubts about how this move is a positive for Taubman. I challenge those nay-sayers. One bold change did create uncertainty for some first- and second-year masters students — the shelving of the Masters of Public Policy degree, as University officials look to dedicate the next several years to bolstering the reputation and rigor of the Masters of Public Affairs degree. Taking one degree offline while emphasizing the other is acceptable as far as keeping priorities
with an ability to personally tailor their program experience and apply it to an off-campus experience aimed at bridging the transition between graduate school and full employment. Morone was quick to point out that the MPP’s temporary withdrawal from degree offerings was not to be misconstrued as retiring the degree altogether. The MPP is scheduled to return within four to five years of the changes this year. As Morone explained, the focus will be to “get one (degree) right, then move on to the other.” Patience makes perfect. Another lingering question regards the integration with the Watson Institute, and where
The changes in store for Taubman not only reflect the University’s dedication to the field of public policy, but also the continued recognition of Taubman as one of the University’s outstanding assets. clear. Allowing for complete experimentation with one degree, unfettered by the responsibilities of the other, will provide for a faster turnaround time on completing the new MPA program in its entirety. Morone explained that the depth and breadth of the MPA will undergo change, as the new MPA program will shorten in length by one semester and will feature an internationally focused immersion component — appropriate given the Watson Institute’s new involvement. The quantitative nuances of the MPP degree will be incorporated into a policy-intense track within the sole MPA program, while other tracks will largely retain the qualities of the existing MPA program. Those seeking an MPA degree starting next year will enjoy a greater variety of course choices,
our center stands. It is clear this will provide for “cross-pollination” between academic disciplines and the MPA program, as one Taubman student suggested in the meeting. Creating connections with other programs under the Watson Institute’s umbrella will similarly expand the interdisciplinary scope in Taubman’s programs and facilitate the beginning of a program that no other Ivy League school has yet crafted. Even today, the graduate students who collectively account for Taubman’s MPA and MPP candidates look to emerge as actors within a variety of different professional fields — including politics, education, social innovation and nonprofit leadership — and the expansion of academic offerings can only further enrich the Taubman experience.
As with all changes, there are fears of the unknown and fears that once change is initiated, it is irreversible. The questions surrounding Taubman’s merger are wholly appropriate, as the collection of masters students who study within the center are conscious of what is at stake. I, along with my peers, elected to join the Brown community because of the Taubman Center and what it offers. The message that must be conveyed here is that while Taubman may offer us so much now, the Watson-Taubman integration will offer us more. The changes in store for Taubman not only reflect the University’s dedication to the field of public policy, but also the continued recognition of Taubman as one of the University’s outstanding assets. Taubman serves not only students, faculty members and researchers, but also Providence and, increasingly, the nation. Setting forth this year, the increased scrutiny on Taubman, under the guidance of the Watson Institute, will surely pave the way for Taubman’s sustained success far into the future — potentially longer than any current Brunonian will live to see. As Morone explained, his hope is to craft a “famous program with a brand.” As one of the first Taubman graduate students to be affected by these changes, I say to my Taubman brethren: Embrace the change, take advantage of Taubman’s open ears on how to move forward and take part in the rise to stardom of a program that will one day be famous. The Taubman Center is ours and ours to pass on. Let’s make it count not only for us, but for all those who follow in our footsteps.
Ian Kenyon GS is a Master of Public Affairs candidate at the Taubman Center. He can be reached at ian_kenyon@brown.edu.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014
THE
metro
BROWN DAILY HERALD
Providence Phoenix folds after three decades in print
TIMOTHY MUELLER-HARDER / HERALD
The final issue of the Providence Phoenix will come out Thursday. “We loved being alternative, independent, free-spirited,” said Everett Finkelstein, chief operating officer of the Phoenix Media/Communications Group.
Small, alternative weekly focused on Providence arts scene falls to national decline of print media revenue By ALIZA REISNER STAFF WRITER
After 36 years of publication, the Providence Phoenix, an alternative weekly newspaper, is releasing its final issue Thursday. The paper began in March 1978 as the NewPaper under the leadership of Ty Davis before merging with the Phoenix Media/Communications Group in 1988, said Lou Papineau, the Phoenix’s managing editor. Its current staff includes approximately a dozen writers, along with photographers, illustrators, freelance writers and an accountant.
The Phoenix Media/Communications Group will go out of business by the end of this year. The Boston Phoenix ceased publication in March 2013, and the Portland Phoenix in Maine is being bought by another news agency, Papineau said. The paper in Providence has “covered virtually everything” over the past 36 years, he said, including interviews with gay couples when same-sex marriage was legalized in Rhode Island, stories on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, election coverage and reporting on the emerging art and music scene. The Phoenix has gained a unique
reputation in Providence, and Rhode Island as a whole, for “muckraking journalism, digging beneath the surface and getting to the true story,” said Everett Finkelstein, chief operating officer of the Phoenix Media/Communications Group. There “needs to be somebody telling the other side of the story and that is what we’ve done for a long, long time,” Papineau said. Arts coverage has been one of the Phoenix’s greatest strengths, Papineau said, attributing that focus in part to the Phoenix’s dedication to listing events such as “poetry readings, lectures, gallery exhibits and musical performances that other papers didn’t bother to list.” Finkelstein said the Phoenix’s support has “given a voice” to emerging artists
in the area. Both Papineau and Finkelstein spoke of the benefits of being an alternative voice in a small city like Providence. “We loved being alternative, independent, free-spirited,” Finkelstein said. As an alternative newspaper, the Phoenix has been able to have a specific point of view, Papineau said. “We want to get the facts and obviously we are journalists, but we can have a front, a definite bias and point of view, as opposed to journalism that is just the nuts and bolts of a story,” he added. The paper has had the “freedom of covering stories other papers wouldn’t” since the Phoenix “does not care about being controversial,” he added. “An alternative newspaper can’t thrive in corporate America — we needed an independent voice,” Finkelstein said. But one drawback of the Phoenix’s small size is having to suffer the current economic climate of high unemployment, tough conditions for small businesses and the national decline of print media, Finkelstein said. The Phoenix has grown up with Providence and Rhode Island, Finkelstein and Papineau both remarked. “There is no question in my mind that the history of the paper and the city over the last 30 years is a fabric that has been woven together,” Finkelstein said. Papineau recalled a Phoenix cover story from 1994 entitled “Downcity: Is downtown Providence on the verge of a Renaissance?” — “Twenty years ago, we
were reporting on how the downtown would change,” he said. Some members of the Providence arts and culture community have also expressed disappointment that the Phoenix will cease publication. Bert Crenca, artistic director and co-founder of AS220 — a nonprofit supporting artists and musicians in the community — said the Phoenix’s perspective has been important to the local arts and music community, and the paper has been a major source of arts news throughout its years of publication. The Phoenix played “a critical role in highlighting the local art and culture scene, and beyond that it helped to create it and give it visibility” at a time when social media did not exist, he added. Crenca said AS220, in particular, benefited from the Phoenix’s coverage of its events. Going forward without the Phoenix, print outlets like Motif magazine, an alternative arts and culture magazine based in Rhode Island, “will make an effort to be what the Phoenix has been,” he said. There are also online forums, including blogs like LotsOfNoise, that could fill the void left by the Phoenix and allow “local artists and musicians to speak to any number of issues,” Crenca added. Highlights from Thursday’s final issue of the Phoenix include a “nice story with a guy who has delivered the paper for over 25 years describing how people react when the paper arrives every Thursday” and a “great cover,” Papineau said.