Friday, October 17, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 90

since 1891

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

Annenberg director to step down at end of year Warren Simmons’ 16year tenure marked by emphasis on data-driven approach to policy

By EMMA HARRIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Warren Simmons will leave his position as executive director of the University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform, which conducts research on education reform policy, on June 30, the institute announced Tuesday.

Simmons, who became the institute’s second director in 1998, said he feels it is “the right time” to step down after serving for an “unprecedented period of time.”

President Christina Paxson wrote in an email to The Herald that a search for a new director is underway, with the goal of finding Simmons’ successor

by July 1. “Whoever takes this position will have big shoes to fill,” she wrote, adding that the ideal candidate will be passionate about increasing access to education and will have school reform policy experience.

Paxson has taken a personal interest in the search, said Michael Grady, deputy director of the Annenberg Institute. She will have the final say in selecting the new director.

Simmons said he will remain at Brown as a senior fellow and continue

to work on the Urban Philanthropists Network and Education Justice Network — two developing Annenberg intiatives.

According to the institute’s website, the Urban Philanthropists Network is an alliance of organizations that aim to “help disadvantaged students enter and succeed in college.” The Education Justice Network is a coalition that seeks to improve children’s access to high-quality education.

Over the course of his 16-year tenure, Simmons transformed the institute from a think tank to a place of advanced scholarship and research on problems that school districts confront, said Kenneth Wong, professor of education policy.

Focusing on school districts during the early part of his leadership, Simmons established the National Task Force on the Future of Urban Districts, which “developed a research-based framework and tools to help districts” boost teaching quality and student learning outcomes, Grady said. “This put districts back on the map.”

Simmons also shifted to a datadriven approach, Wong said. Policymakers and education leaders now always ask for evidence before implementing changes. Under Simmons’ leadership, the institute has grown its research capacity and increased its investments in research and evaluation, » See ANNENBERG, page 2

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Painting took a backseat to history while Abbott Gleason taught at Brown. Since Gleason’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, his works have become more abstract and free-flowing, mirroring the jazz music he loves.

Trading the pen for the paintbrush After Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, history professor emeritus finds solace in painting

By EBEN BLAKE STAFF WRITER

A painting hangs in Abbott Gleason’s living room — a piece his wife calls his best work. A view of Florence from the hills outside the city, the landscape combines Cubist form with the pas-

toral, earthy colors of Paul Cézanne.

There’s something organic about the painting: It straddles the border between representation and abstraction, as though taken directly from the hazy, lush memories of his early childhood.

Gleason, who goes by Tom, painted the landscape when he lived in Europe as a Fulbright scholar, years before completing his doctorate at Harvard and becoming a professor of Russian history at Brown.

Now 10 years into retirement and 76 years old, Gleason held his third art

RISD exhibit recaptures the meaning of photography Photography triennial showcases diverse student works, pushes boundaries of conventional photos

By GABRIELLE DEE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Entering the ivy-covered brick mansion on Prospect Street, one is confronted by a collection of contrasts. Contemporary images in a modern medium are hung on the aging walls. A small, bright, experimental photograph of a slab of raw meat faces a large, dark inkjet of a traditional Chinese bathing scene.

Black-and-white portraits share walls with colorful landscapes. Representations of seemingly trivial small-town suburban life mingle with commentary on broader themes like disease and modernization.

These incongruities define the Rhode Island School of Design’s photography triennial exhibition, which opened last week at the Woods Gerry House.

RISD maintains a long tradition of hosting exhibitions from various departments at the Woods Gerry gallery, giving the photography department a chance to

FOOTBALL

Bears head to Tigers’ jungle for Ivy clash After win over Holy Cross pushed team to .500, Bruno takes on defending conference champions

ARTS & CULTURE

By CALEB MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

COURTESY OF TAL MILON

Probing the subjective nature of photography, RISD student Tal Milon’s photos of her younger brother at play capture the incongruent mix of innocence and masculinity she sees in him. showcase student work once every three years, said Eva Sutton, head of RISD’s department of photography.

The triennial examines the wide breadth of seemingly contradictory ways to define photography. A panel of professors reviewed student submissions from the entire photography department,

which includes both the undergraduate and graduate programs, Sutton said.

The panel also takes diversity of medium into account, mixing photos taken by traditional methods with those that incorporate lesser-known media, such as platinum palladium prints.

Youija Qu’s series, YAMAKAWA,

Arts & Culture

covers the gallery’s left wall with massive inkjet photos of scenes from traditional Chinese culture. The sharp realism of these quotidian scenes contrasts with the print’s overly bright and vivid colors, adding a surreal effect to the pieces.

“We choose the best work that we » See PHOTO, page 3

Sports

Wolitzer ’81 delves into memories and introspection in her new novel, “Belzhar”

“Song for a Future Generation” opens Friday at PW with the B-52s, clones and time travelers

As two players near school records, field hockey prepares to face Ivy champs Princeton

Strachan ’15 is the Athlete of the Week after catching three touchdowns against Holy Cross

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exhibit this year on Thursday.

But for Gleason, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2004, the artistic success he has seen in retirement has come with serious complications.

“I don’t think I was ready to retire,” he said. “I sometimes miss it — the classroom and the students — but I try to keep it out of mind. Painting is all I try to concern myself with now.”

Gleason grew up in an academic household. His father, Everett Gleason, » See GLEASON, page 2

Riding a two-game winning streak, the football team heads to Princeton Saturday to begin a six-game gauntlet through the Ivy League. A matchup with the defending Ivy champions on their home turf will test the Bears as they seek their first conference win.

With their nonconference schedule behind them, the young team has matured steadily and appears to be on track to potentially do some damage » See FOOTBALL, page S3 t o d ay

tomorrow

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

» ANNENBERG, from page 1 Grady said.

Grady said the institute’s research currently focuses on three major areas: college and career readiness, extended learning time and school transformation.

» GLEASON, from page 1

HERALD FILE PHOTO

The Rave Guardian Campus Safety App functions as a “virtual Safewalk,” said Deputy Chief of Police for DPS Paul Shanley. Its release is part of a suite of new safety promotion features.

In new media push, DPS goes mobile DPS Rave Guardian Campus Safety App logs over 1,100 downloads since semester’s start

By BAYLOR KNOBLOCH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Following the Department of Public Safety’s release of the Rave Guardian Campus Safety App at the beginning of the semester, the app has been downloaded over 1,100 times, said Paul Shanley, deputy chief of police for DPS. The Rave Guardian app allows users to send tips about suspicious behavior, have their locations monitored when walking on campus and call emergency response lines with one click, Shanley said, adding that the app can function as a “virtual Safewalk.”

The app is just one of several new media initiatives, including an online safety portal and series of promotional videos, that DPS launched this semester.

DPS announced the initiatives in a community-wide email last month that also provided tips for staying safe on campus. These new features come in response to findings from focus groups that took place last spring.

“We felt that our community really wasn’t aware of all of the services that were offered in terms of public safety,” Shanley said.

Students registered with Rave Guardian can input their intended destinations and estimated times of arrival. If they do not reach their destinations in time, the software sends

an alert to DPS, which responds to the situation. As of date, DPS has not received any Rave alerts, Shanley said.

The University started using Rave software in 2012, and the recent switch to the mobile app was intended to “make it more user-friendly for our community, especially the students,” Shanley added.

Though Eliot Green ’16 downloaded the app, he has not finished registering with the program. “My mom said that I needed to download it,” he said, adding that his mother learned about the app from an article in another college newspaper. But Green found the registration process after downloading the app confusing and “was having some trouble figuring it out,” he said.

For the app to receive campuswide use, Green believes one of two things must happen. “Either it works really well and saves someone from a compromising situation, or they run a finely-targeted campaign.”

Jaclyn Licht ’16 said she had never heard of the app and does not feel in danger when walking on campus at night. “Maybe it’s a token of the safety measures that I do feel safe on campus,” she said.

In addition to the Rave Guardian mobile app, DPS also launched a new website featuring its own safety tips as well as information from the Transportation Office, Environmental Health and Safety and Campus Life, said Michelle Nuey, community relations manager for DPS. “We really wanted it to be a onestop shop for all things safety,” Nuey

said. The site, which was launched with help from Computing and Information Services and Public Affairs and University Relations, displays phone numbers of University hotlines, emergency response services and transportation requests.

The site also spotlights “Bear Tips,” a series of four video tutorials about safety featuring the athletic mascot Bruno. “We’ve designed the modules around the most important safety methods that we wanted to get out to the community,” Nuey said. The four current videos focus on cell phone theft prevention, reporting suspicious circumstances, Safewalk and shuttle services, she said, adding that DPS plans to add more videos in the future.

The videos, which Nuey described as “light, practical and relevant for community members,” were filmed over the summer with help from Computing and Information Services.

Green, whose professor showed the video about cell phone theft prevention in class at the beginning of the semester, said he thinks the videos are effective.

But Licht, whose friend showed her the video, said she doesn’t think the series was well-advertised or widely promoted on campus.

A Bear Tips video was also shown to the freshman class during orientation. Alex Hester ’18 said the themes explored in the video seemed like common sense. “I don’t think they really need explaining,” he said “I’m not sure if there needs to be videos,” said Emma Axelrod ’18. “It turns a serious message into a joke.”

worked as a professor of medieval history at Harvard and Amherst College before becoming the Intelligence Chief for the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the CIA, during the World War II. After the war, he worked as a historian for the Council on Foreign Relations and the State Department, as well as the deputy executive secretary for the National Security Council. His mother, Mary Eleanor Abbott, was a painter, whose own father worked as a professor focused on the English Civil War and the Commonwealth.

Both this spirit of education and his mother’s practice as a painter shaped Gleason’s childhood in Washington D.C., engendering a lifelong fascination with history, music, art and literature. But he would truly become devoted to painting while studying at St. Albans, a D.C. area preparatory school.

“He started painting in high school under Dean Stambaugh,” said his wife, Sarah Gleason. Stambaugh “was the one that really inspired him to pursue art.” Gleason “formed a deep connection working in the studio” with his teacher, she added.

But after St. Albans, Gleason’s artistic production slowed as he devoted more time to history as an undergraduate and doctoral student at Harvard.

While he still made one or two paintings a year, his artwork took on a lesser role as he worked on his research.

“He made that decision to get a PhD in history before we met,” Sarah said. “He struggled earlier with the question of what he would do. He said once that he ‘wasn’t brave enough to choose art as a career,’ and it was always between art and history.”

His choice to follow the path of history led Gleason to Brown in 1968, where he taught as a member of both the history department and the Watson Institute for International Studies. “I went to Harvard, but I root for Brown in everything. At every event, I’ll support Brown. This is my school now,” Gleason said.

He also served for two years as the director of the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. and published and edited a range of books, including “Young Russia: The Genesis of Russian Radicalism in the 1860s” and “Totalitarianism: The Inner History of the Cold War,” which examined the intellectual history of dictatorships.

More recently, Gleason published “A Liberal Education” in 2010, a careerspanning memoir exploring the unique generational challenges of coming of age in the late 1950s, an era defined by both the conformism of the previous decade and the countercultural revolution of the upcoming one — a period to which Gleason very much related, as he was involved with left-wing politics and worked as a civil rights activist in Mississippi.

But his academic career has begun to come to a close due to his condition.

Gleason was playing tennis when he

Strengthening community ties within districts was another pillar of Simmons’ agenda, Grady said. Simmons led the institute to build partnerships among school leaders, politicians, parents and other groups that “increase opportunities and outcomes for lowincome students and students of color.” first noticed that something might be wrong, according to a reflection he wrote in the Brown Alumni Magazine.

He couldn’t throw a ball straight up in the air, rendering him unable to serve.

“We had an annual picnic for the Watson Institute, and I would always play in the yearly soccer game,” Gleason told The Herald. “I had played in college, but that year I kept falling down. It seemed strange at the time.”

But Sarah didn’t recognize the symptoms until a friend suggested that Gleason visit a neurologist.

“We were visiting a friend in August in New York who we hadn’t seen for a year, and after a day she approached me and said that she thought Tom might have Parkinson’s,” Sarah said. “I didn’t have a clue.”

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder stemming from the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. This leads to restricted movement — including tremors or rigidity — and a decrease in parts of cognition.

The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, although genetics has been cited as a potential factor. Treatment can consist of a mixture of motor-therapy, medication and surgery to manage, but not cure, the disease.

In the ten years since he was first diagnosed, Gleason has felt a tangible decrease in ability.

“I can’t keep up with scholarship anymore. I also used to love to write, but it’s become too much for me now, too complex,” he said.

“Once he had Parkinson’s, he didn’t start picking up on the painting until well after his ability to read and concentrate sort of left him,” Sarah explained. “After rehab in 2011, he went back to drawing. He’ll work in the morning, which gives him some clarity throughout the day. There’s a real satisfaction to make and complete a picture that I can tell is meaningful to him.”

Gleason only paints abstract works now, and according to Sarah, his paintings have become much more vivid and feature brighter colors. Last year the Watson Institute exhibited a career retrospective for Gleason, with paintings spanning from 1963 to 2013.

Art became a way for Gleason to remain connected to both Brown and the community, Sarah said. “His grandchildren, Will and Sam, have also been inspired by his work and have been painting.”

For Gleason, art has acquired a certain ritual. A lifelong lover of jazz and classical music, Gleason will listen to his favorite musicians as he paints. Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk float through his workspace, and a favorite album of African music created by instruments crafted from foraged pieces provides the soundtrack to his brushstrokes.

His works, full of flowing vitality and natural forms, hold the free sense of a jazz ethos that remains fundamental to his process.

“Everything else has deteriorated,” said Gleason, albeit with a chuckle.

“But my painting is the best it has been.”

arts & culture 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

Book celebrates women’s Taubman, Watson accelerate MPA program contributions to state Collaborative new book shines spotlight on often unrecognized women who shaped Rhode Island

By ZACK BU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What do Sarah Whitman, a writer and Edgar Allan Poe’s former lover, military historian Anne Kinsolving Brown, RISD founder Helen Metcalf and women’s education advocate Sarah Doyle have in common? They all helped to shape state history, and their contributions are honored in the new book “Remarkable Women of Rhode Island” by Russell DeSimone and Frank Grzyb.

DeSimone and Grzyb gave a book talk and signing at the Providence Public Library Thursday afternoon.

Though Rhode Island is small, the volitions and achievements of women in its history of education, literature, art and advocacy surpass its size.

Instead of spending entire chapters on just a few women, the book strives to shed light on a plethora of “remarkable women” that history has not yet sufficiently recognized.

The authors made great endeavors to search for bits and pieces to identify these figures: Activists and reformists, writers and artists, princesses and politicians, educators, religious leaders and athletes all make an appearance in the book’s pages, DeSimone told The Herald.

“We live in a society that’s still male-oriented. Women are often overlooked or omitted in the histories,” he said of his motive for writing the book.

DeSimone and Grzyb have known each other for more than 30 years.

“One day at breakfast, Frank brought up the idea of collaborating on a book together, and that’s the genesis of how the book came to be,” DeSimone said, adding that one of his key interests was the role women played in the Dorr Rebellion, an unsuccessful suffrage movement that took place in 1841. Grzyb’s expertise, on the other hand, lies in more recent history.

With their combined backgrounds, the pair did not find writing the book a difficult task, Grzyb said, adding that it essentially wrote itself — that is, once they collected enough research on the multitude of individuals they wanted to highlight.

“It became evident that we cannot go into great detail of any one person, but we certainly want to ensure we cover all of the centuries, 17th through the 20th, Native Americans, women of color,” he said. He hopes to inspire readers to conduct independent research on figures they find particularly compelling, he added.

Though the book focuses on Rhode Island residents, they are no more or less significant than any other notable female historical figures around the world, DeSimone said, though he added that Rhode Island’s history of religious dissent may have spurred some female reformists.

“Each of these ladies made incremental impacts on how things were perceived, and all of their effort has paved the way for the women of today,” DeSimone said. For “someone like me who has lived through seven decades, I see the progress.”

COURTESY OF JACKSON HALLBERG

Defying the definition of photography, Jackson Hallberg’s installation features glossy 3-D figures colored by projected light.

» PHOTO, from page 1 think is the most provocative, interesting and stretches the boundaries of photography,” Sutton said.

Though no photo in the exhibition resembles another, common themes recur. One of these themes comes from students’ increasing probing of the definition of photography as a medium, which Sutton said is often achieved by retaking photos.

Left of the gallery’s entrance, Currie Broderick’s “Always Ready #2” and “Always Ready #18” jump out for their attempts at exploration. Initially indistinguishable and bathed in sepia tones, the works depict collaged photos of rubber tubes. But upon closer inspection, the photos are in fact pictures of collages,

deceivingly flat instead of textured, challenging the limitations that conventionally define a flat plane.

“They’re looking at photography as a medium in the way painters look at paintings as a medium,” Sutton said.

In the back, an installation by Jackson Hallberg, a senior in the photography department, lies tucked in the corner and provides a sharp contrast with the traditional, one-dimensional photograph.

His work features a glossy white bouquet of fake flowers in a vase with similarly glossy vessels littered around it. A projector faces the structures, beaming a video recording onto the objects until each is fully colored.

It was while snapping his first photos for a high school photography class that Hallberg changed his original plans of

SADIE HOPE-GUND / HERALD

An upcoming redesigned MPA program reflects the Taubman Center’s integration with the Watson Institute in a newly international approach.

One-year program likely to begin this summer and include policymaking experience abroad

By NATALIE FONDRIEST CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Watson Institute for International Studies will launch a newly designed, one-year Master of Public Affairs program this summer following its merger with the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions, pending final approval from the Graduate Council this month.

An open house is scheduled for Monday, and applications are already being accepted, Morone said, adding that a “fast-track” application process for Brown undergraduates is still in the works.

Accelerated from Taubman’s current two-year model, the new program catches what “is almost certainly the wave of the future,” said James Morone,

UNIVERSITY NEWS

studying medicine at a liberal arts school.

His growing interest in photography led him to Parsons The New School for Design, which he found too commercial, and he subsequently transferred to RISD. “Photography, from the very beginning, has been art’s worst enemy,” Hallberg said, explaining that photography instantly and effortlessly accomplishes art’s original goal of depicting the most convincing reality possible. This idea sparked his interest in focusing on photography as a medium, rather than a means of representation.

His recent pieces center around ways to create alternative methods for the viewer to enter his work, he said, adding that he includes intentional mistakes — such as a finger on the lens — in his work to make clear that photography is an illusion and to highlight the “holes where the illusion falls through.”

His installation piece at the triennial was born out of ideas Hallberg explored in his previous works, in which he added color to his photos by physically spray painting the subjects before taking the picture, rather than digitally manipulating them post-shoot. This act reversed the roles between digital and physical manipulation in photography, he said.

“It’s provocative because we can have a really interesting discussion about whether it’s even photography,” Sutton said, adding that Hallberg’s installation was one of her favorite pieces in the triennial.

In another of the gallery’s multiple chambers, a little boy decked out in army uniform stares out of Tal Milon’s series of photographs. His little body juxtaposes

director of the Taubman Center and professor of political science, urban studies and public policy.

Many masters program directors believe a two-year program is not sustainable today, said Morone, who predicted that “10 years from now everybody will be following our model in the Ivies,” though the change may prove more difficult at other institutions, which Morone suggested may lack Brown’s flexibility and size.

If approved, the program will make Brown the only Ivy with a one-year MPA. The new program condenses the traditional MPA curriculum to three semesters with a summer term that includes professional skills workshops, core classes and a two-and-a-half-week global policy immersion experience in Brazil, China, France or India. After taking advanced and elective coursework in the fall, students participate in a 12-week “Policy in Action” internship, either domestic or abroad, in their final semester.

Whether students aspire to work in national or foreign policy, the MPA requires and emphasizes an international comparative approach. Morone called with the assuredness of the fully grown man with which he stands.

Taken back home in Israel, the boy in the photos is Milon’s little brother, whom she has photographed since he was 10 years old, Milon said. She used to watch her brother playing with toy guns and was struck by how he was so childlike and mature at the same time, she added.

Milon graduated from art school in Israel before fulfilling her military service, she said. She knew she wanted to pursue the arts, but had no experience with photography.

“What I like about photography is that you can’t say what is real,” Milon said, explaining that photos take on the

any separation between national and foreign policy outdated — a major reason, along with additional resources, for Taubman’s integration with the Watson.

When he was named director in July, Morone immediately began to redesign the program with Richard Locke, director of the Watson Institute and professor of political science and public and international affairs. The team also worked closely with Associate Director for Academic Programs and Planning Shankar Prasad PhD’06. The design process relied on analyzing peer MPA structures and soliciting feedback from individuals at Brown and public policy program directors across the country, Morone said.

Though students are currently divided into the traditional two-year MPA or the Master of Public Policy program — the more quantitative option — Watson’s website now advertises only the new one-year MPA. Morone said Taubman will first focus on perfecting the accelerated MPA before considering the MPP option.

First-year MPA candidate Lauren Hassett GS said the Watson-Taubman merger’s progressiveness epitomizes what drew her to Brown. “That’s really important to remain on top and successful.”

But when applying to graduate schools, Hassett specifically sought a two-year program. She said she values the time that structure provides for her coursework — she is unsure that she could succeed in statistics in four weeks, for example — and for developing relationships with her peers.

On the other hand, “you save a lot of money in a one-year program,” said second-year MPP candidate Jonathan Wolinksy GS. But he added that “the primary goal is, of course, to make a program that creates top-caliber, top-tier graduate students.” purposeful perspective of the person behind the camera rather than objective experiences. In her photos for the triennial, Milon seeks to capture her experience of the mixture of naivete and masculinity that she sees in her brother.

Through photography, “the moment is mine, the subject is mine, and the person that I photograph is mine. It’s when you want to stop time,” Milon said.

“We want to show people that photography is not one thing; it’s many things, and it’s even contradictory things,” Sutton said. “Everybody speaks photography, but we want to speak it with more meaning, intention and thoughtfulness.”

4 arts & culture Wolitzer ’81 explores the adolescent psyche ‘Belzhar’ discovers redemption in moments of introspection embedded within unexceptional plot

By EMMAJEAN HOLLEY ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Only rarely does a young adult novel achieve the complexity and gravitas of general literary fiction, which perhaps explains why writers in the latter category rarely seek to appeal to the former. Of course, there are notable exceptions, including Carl Hiaasen, Philippa Gregory and — as of the Sept. 30 release of “Belzhar” — Meg Wolitzer ’81.

Her previous novel, “The Interestings,” was so enthusiastically received that it might be unfair to hold it up as the yardstick by which to evaluate the merits of her latest endeavor. Still, as evidenced by reviews of “Belzhar” in the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, it is difficult to resist this temptation. At first, the points of comparison emerge as unmistakable, the most conspicuous of which lies in their common premise: misfit teens thrown together amidst an educational climate so unorthodox that it’s practically off-the-grid.

But both in scope and atmosphere, “Belzhar” is miles away from Wolitzer’s previous setting at a utopian summer camp for the arts. No joint is passed around in a teepee to bind the characters together here — only trauma and its unmitigated aftermath.

We meet our narrator, 16-year-old Jamaica “Jam” Gallahue, on her first day at Wooden Barn, a boarding school for “emotionally sensitive, highly intelligent” students. This oft-repeated euphemism thinly veils the true nature of the school, which is a sort of halfway house between a psychiatric facility and bigger, meaner reality — or, as Jam puts it, “It’s like a big lily pad where you can linger before you have to make the frog-leap back to ordinary life.” In the book’s opening sentence, she explains

REVIEW

that her “emotional sensitivity” stems from the death of Reeve, a British exchange student with whom she had a whirlwind romance for all of 41 days.

Jam learns that she’s been selected for Special Topics in English, an elite class with a enigmatic reputation at Wooden Barn. Each year, the eccentric Mrs. Q. handpicks roughly five students for an intensive, semester-long study of a single author — in this case, Sylvia Plath. The entire plot unfolds from here — while events occur outside the class, they are rooted in the Special Topics curriculum.

This class is almost Breakfast Clublike in its motley makeup: the type-A debate club captain, the rich girl in the wheelchair, the model-perfect dancer, the burnout in the oversized hoodie — and Jam, a self-described “nice, cute girl.” With each student seemingly representing a different table in the high school cafeteria, the only missing ingredient is a young Emilio Estevez.

But their dark and untold histories incite an insatiable curiousity in the reader. To her credit, Wolitzer doles out this gratification at a deliciously measured pace, providing a space after each halting anecdote for a quiet, reflective dialogue on its gravity. These responses are among the most authentic exchanges of ideas and emotions we see in the book, and they raise questions that are finally, refreshingly compelling — questions like how to weigh one trauma against another and whether this comparative perspective is even productive. It is disappointing that these moments of lucid vulnerability so rarely lift each character from the flatness of stereotype.

The first of these moments occurs soon after Jam’s first journal entry, when the act of writing induces a trance-like state that mentally transports her back to Reeve, her bygone romance. Jam revels in her reunion with him, falling easily back into their cadence of banter and intimacy. Later, her classmates report similar experiences returning to their pre-trauma lives. They coin this realm of remembrance “Belzhar,” referencing Plath’s “The Bell Jar”. But as

conceptually intriguing as this is, some invisible and impenetrable barrier remains between Wolitzer’s writing desk and Jam’s world at the Wooden Barn.

As a middle-aged writer of literary fiction, she does not wear particularly well the language and mannerisms of the millennial. The dialogue is stilted and the plot encumbered by the narrow, sophomoric narrative that the genre’s audience has come to expect.

And though the tone is appropriately clean and simple, it frequently overshoots its target — our “highly intelligent” narrator, though writing prolifically and immersed in an indepth study of Sylvia Plath’s poetry, still expresses herself through superficiality and cliche.

At a certain point, Jam can see that Belzhar is a place of stagnancy, not progress. Its strict adherence to the past means that her repertoire alongside Reeve is limited to the experiences of the forty-one days they knew each other. They’ve been cycling through the same conversations for weeks now.

Jam’s dawning, sinking awareness of this phenomenon should be enough to nudge her out of her fixation on the past. This is the growth her character deserves. But in a baffling and contrived deus ex machina, she suddenly finds herself attracted to the burnout in the oversized hoodie, and her loyalties begin to shift from one love interest to another.

Prior to this turning point, his character has about four lines.

Thus, what was almost a prescient bildungsroman on mental illness, makeshift families and the redemptive powers of creative expression becomes another banal teenage romance.

And for those who seek it, Special Topics teacher Mrs. Q. succinctly sums up the book’s crux of healing and selfrealization on the very first day of class: “Everyone has something to say. But not everyone can bear to say it. Your job is to find a way.” Though Wolitzer may not have found the way, she occasionally redeems the lukewarm prose when she lets her naturally luminous voice shine through the slats of artifice.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

In the foreground: October art

BY EMMAJEAN HOLLEY, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

“Crew Scapes” | Nick Paciorek | ArtProv This weekend marks the 46th year of Boston’s famed Head of the Charles Regatta, and the Thursday opening of “Crew Scapes” provides a timely celebration of the athletic event. Paciorek’s collection of oil paintings vibrantly reflects the years he spent watching from the sidelines, a sketchbook folded open in his lap. With strokes as bold and potent as those of the rowers he depicts, he choreographs a motionless dance between the light-dappled water and the human faculties that manipulate it. “Crew Scapes” is on display through Nov. 14.

“Mile High, Red Hot” | Garcia Sinclair and Nafis White | Yellow Peril Gallery Continuing the mixed-media trend that has dominated recent exhibitions at the Olneyville gallery, Sinclair and White have curated the space to resemble an interactive confectionary museum. Glass apothecary jars brimming with childhood favorites like nonpareils and jewel-toned gumballs cluster on tabletops or are rationed out among cubbies. Surrounding this edible nostalgia is an eclectic assortment of images, videos, sculptures and sound bytes to further probe the memory and senses. The viewer may indulge his or her sweet tooth by partaking in this exchange of appetites and ideas. “Mile High, Red Hot” is on display through Nov. 16.

“Assemblage” | Marjory Dalenius | Providence Art Club

RISD grad Dalenius may be 96, but her most recent collection, which showcases her work over the past several years, has the spark of a second childhood. Though a sculptor by trade, Dalenius is equal parts collector and eco-warrior: In her hands, discarded, unusual and obsolete items — many of which she received as gifts from those who were inspired by her work — reconfigure in new and clever ways.

But rather than positing a social critique, the pieces gravitate toward whimsical, self-reflective musings on what fun it is to be young at heart. “Assemblage” is on display in the Moite Gallery through Nov. 7.

“SerLieve” | Rebecca Flores | Gallery at City Hall After her daughter was killed at age 18, Flores turned to her art as a therapeutic medium for exploring the complexities of battered faith.

She eventually coined the term “SerLieve” as a defining feature of her healing process: The root of “believe,” “lieve,” is an Old English word denoting willingness, which Flores co-opted for her new expression; she then translated “be” to its Spanish infinitive, “ser.” Though her stylistic repertoire has previously included concrete images like landscapes, impressions and portraits, “SerLieve” dives deep into the abstract. Employing whorls, dribbles and layers of color to evoke emotions rather than substantive clarity, Flores seeks to express often ineffable notions of inspiration, spirituality and truth. Part of the city’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the exhibit is on display through Nov. 17.

PW parties in space with ‘Song for a Future Generation’ Downspace production shows timeless truths of human nature through out-of-this-world setting

By ZACK BU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Some time far in the future, amid a nebulous myriad of mystical galaxies and celestial entities, a space-themed party assembles people invited from all over the universe to view the detonation of a star. The raucous party is hosted by three “sisters,” who are soon revealed to be clones.

Among the guests are a shapeshifter, a rock lobster, a prophet who sees not the future but the past, a time traveller named Error and many others.

“Song for a Future Generation,” which opened last night in the Production Workshop Downspace, tells a peculiar and hilarious fable that

REVIEW

unfolds into different story lines. Like many fictions, the production aspires to embody worldly frustrations toward contemporary society by telling otherworldly tales.

Everyone has come to the party for different reasons. Everyone is their own style of misfit. For example, Error, called so due to an error in his naming — he intended to call himself Era — is a time traveler who squanders his time travel on a lost love.

Each of the three Marikas clones struggles to voice an individual self.

Thena is haunted by her ability to envision an intangible past. Though each individual’s situation is clearly demarcated, their desires eventually unify into a strident howl of catharsis.

The show is about self-identity, about

human contact, about our need to be individual and to belong.

Though genetically identical, the Marikas clones, portrayed by Rebecca Carrol ’15, Ana Marx ’18 and Nika Salazar ’16, manifest discrepancies as the plot develops. The actresses deliver performances that seem appropriately synchronized while also displaying some distinctive characteristics. Richard Flores ’16 demonstrates great theatrical versatility in his depiction of Error, a character who reeks of uncertainty and confusion. Flores acts responsively to Error’s initial tendency toward frivolity and his final phases of determination.

Audie Fierberg ’15.5 plays the offbeat psychic whose dreams consist of the demises of planets and civilizations.

As the show goes on, she turns out to be one of the most crucial characters, bringing the show together in the end.

Fierberg has exacting control over the

evolution of the character — at one point she is a nonchalant, objective observer, while at another point a fragile human being like everyone else.

The setting of the stage is as futuristic as it is retrospective, with its blackand-white tiled floor, staircases leading to a second floor with railings, silver curtains and deserted bottles and cups of alcohol in the corner. Periodically, objects like a robot DJ emerge that specifically insinuate the futuristic setting.

The style is purposefully flamboyant — a motley mixture of gaudy clothing and makeup that creates a pastiche of silhouettes and hues, all richly appropriate for this absurd story.

Jonathan Adam ’16, the production’s sound designer, accentuates the scenes with music clips that accomplish the same mission as the visuals. Though it does not appear in the soundtrack many times, the theme song, “Song for a

www.browndailyherald.com

Future Generation” by the B-52s, reverberates thematically as the show carries on. All in all, the designs of show are rife with references both to the past and to contemporary cultures. The cast illuminates the stage with immense zeal. The show kicks off with everyone maintaining seemingly ostentatious and comedic expressions and positions that parody theater work in their overt theatricality.

But as the truths of each individual are gradually revealed, genuine and candid emotions start to prevail.

When stripped of all the unique characters — when the notions of supernatural and futuristic elements are subtracted — these stories are veritable contemporary scenes. “Song for a Future Generation” speaks to the continuum of confusions and battles troubling us since the dawn of time and our unquenchable desires for selfreflection.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS BULLETIN

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

FIELD HOCKEY

O’Donnell ’15, McSweeney ’15 take aim at school record

Senior players look to make history in this weekend’s matchup against Princeton

By MATTHEW BROWNSWORD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The field hockey team made a little personal history this past weekend, beating Providence College 2-0 — the first time any of the players on this year’s team had beaten the Friars.

But this weekend could be even more historic: Goalie Shannon McSweeney ’15 needs only two saves to become Brown’s career saves leader, forward Meghan O’Donnell ’15 needs only one more goal and three more points to become the Bears’ career leader in goals and points, respectively, and a win against Princeton would guarantee Bruno (8-3, 1-2 Ivy) its first winning record since 2006.

Having the best record possible “was one of the goals for the senior class,” O’Donnell said. “And that’s what we’ve been doing and are hoping to continue to do.”

Ivy powerhouse Princton (3-9, 2-1 Ivy) will be the unfortunate opponent on the other side of a determined Bears team looking to make so much history Saturday. The Tigers’ field hockey annals are rich with history: Princeton has won the Ivy League 22 times — Penn has the second most titles with eight — and has been Ivy League champion or co-champion 19 out of the last 20 years. Conversely, Bruno’s last Ivy championship was in 1999 when they shared that honor with the Tigers.

But outside the Ivy League, this has

been a lopsided year for Princeton, as it welcomes Brown in the midst of a five-game losing streak — the second losing streak of four or more games this year. The Tigers’ schedule is markedly more difficult than Brown’s — Princeton has played and lost against eight nationally-ranked teams while the Bears have played zero — but Princeton has only won one game against a non-Ivy League opponent.

But despite the records, this matchup could go either way. Despite Brown coming into New Jersey 4-1 in its last five games while Princeton comes in colder than the Providence winter weather, the Tigers defeated Dartmouth, 4-1, to whom Brown lost to 6-1, and fell to Columbia 3-2, who dominated Bruno 4-0 earlier in the season.

“Momentum or not, it’s just important for us to remain the team we were on Monday against Providence through the rest of our season,” McSweeney said. “If we play every game the way we played on Monday we will have a successful season. That’s the goal, and I have confidence that we can achieve it.”

If the Bears were to beat Princeton, it would be the first time since their 1999 co-champion season that Brown came out on top in their annual match-up and only the 10th win across 37 total games between the two.

Though it would seem unlikely for the Bears to end up taking the Ivy crown — no team has ever won the Ivy League with two division losses, which Bruno has already suffered against Columbia and Dartmouth — a win for Brown against Princeton would mean the Tigers have two Ivy losses

and would put the two teams in the exact same position.

“It would be really incredible to beat Princeton this year,” O’Donnell said. “I think this year’s team is extremely capable, and we know what it feels like to work hard and beat a talented team.”

And with league leader Cornell coming to Goldberger Family Field in two weeks, a win for Brown could give it an opportunity to muddy the already obscure waters that are the Ivy field hockey standings this year.

After a scoreless weekend for O’Donnell, she — and McSweeney — will look to the matchup against Princeton as not only a way to make team history but create their own personal history. O’Donnell has gone three games without seeing her name on the scoresheet, which is unusual for the Bears’ only All-Ivy Second Teamer last year.

But O’Donnell has scored both of Brown’s two goals against Princeton in her four years as a Bear, so her chances are as good as ever to break the record against the Tigers. She could also take a step toward another record — most career points — needing three more to eclipse Tara Mounsey ’00.

“People talk to me about (breaking the records) all the time and I’ve tried to have the mentality that if it happens it happens,” O’Donnell said.

“I just could not be happier that we have performed so well as a team with our record currently 8-3, which hasn’t happened in any of my previous seasons here.”

McSweeney, on the other hand, has a much easier task to break her record: In her three starts against the Tigers, the senior has averaged over 15 saves,

ORLANDO LUIS PARDO LAZO / HERALD

Alexis Miller ’16 controls the ball. The Bears are having a stellar season, and at 8-3 are just one win from their first winning season since 2006. so passing Sarah Lamont ’91 should be inevitable. Turning those saves into a winning performance will be much, much harder.

“Shannon undoubtedly is an extremely talented goalie,” O’Donnell said. “It is rare that you start and play every game since freshman year, so she has an unbelievable amount of experience which has helped us tremendously this season. She, in addition to

our entire defensive unit, have kept us in a ton of games.”

“It’s not a focus for the weekend,” McSweeney said. “The focus right now is to have an effort like the one we had on Monday against Providence.”

So as Bruno takes on a program that has written and re-written all the Ivy League Field Hockey record books, it will try to write its own narrative in a new chapter Saturday in New Jersey.

VOLLEYBALL

Bears seek to rebound at home after winless weekend Columbia, Cornell come to College Hill as Bruno seeks to move to one game under .500 in Ivy play

By CHRISTINE RUSH SPORTS STAFF WRITER

ORLANDO LUIS PARDO LAZO / HERALD

Maryl Vanden Bos ’15 sets the ball. Despite Vanden Bos’ leadership, the Bears are just 6-11 on the season and have only one conference win.

After two tight losses on the road last weekend, the women’s volleyball team will return to the Pizzitola Center to battle both Columbia and Cornell this weekend.

These two games could be the turning point in the season, said captain Maddie Lord ’15.

Princeton and Penn edged the Bears last weekend by narrow margins, and the close losses have stuck with the team throughout this week, said Maryl Vanden Bos ’15.

“Coming off of two extremely close losses, we’ve refocused and had really productive practices this week,” she said.

Though Bruno currently has an overall losing record, 6-11, the women have secured a winning record at home, going 4-2 on College Hill.

They will kick off the weekend

against Columbia. The Lions have had mixed results in Ivy League play, going 3-2 in the conference and 7-7 in overall competition.

Last year, Columbia “shut down the right side,” Lord said, not allowing Brown’s right-side hitters to get any kills. The Lions have continued to present a strong defensive front into this year, outperforming their opponents in blocks and digs.

kills in last weekend’s contest versus Penn.

“Columbia is one of the best blocking teams in the league right now, so we’ll need to do our jobs for every single rally in order to win long points,” Vanden Bos said.

The Bears will have to compete in the absence of outside hitter Shannon Frost ’16, who will miss the game due to an injury.

“Coming off of two extremely close losses, we’ve refocused and had really productive practices this week.”

Maryl Vanden Bos ’15 OUTSIDE HITTER/SETTER

Throughout the season, Columbia has more than doubled its competitors’ solo blocks.

To combat the mighty Lion defense, Bruno needs to come into this game prepared to “work with whatever they give us,” Lord said. The captain said the team worked this week on changing their shots after the trouble they had capitalizing on

Though the team has mostly been focusing on Columbia, Lord said Cornell could come out and surprise them. The Big Red heads into Saturday’s competition on a sevengame losing streak, falling to all of their Ivy League opponents so far.

But similar to Columbia, Cornell has displayed strength and tenacity on the defensive end.

S2 m. soccer

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

Bears draw Eagles, take on Crimson to cap off Beantown series

DAVID DECKEY / HERALD

Mitch Kupstas ’14.5 surveys the field. Kupstas is the backbone of Bruno’s stifling defense, which has ceded just three goals in its last six games.

Bruno looks to move over .500 in conference with home matchups against Harvard and Penn

By ALEX WAINGER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After losing its grip on an early onegoal lead to fall to Princeton last weekend, the men’s soccer team looked to rebound in Tuesday’s non-conference matchup with Boston College. Louis Zingas ’18 found the back of the net for the Bears, but BC equalized less than a minute later in a game that ended in a 1-1 draw after 110 minutes.

“I thought we responded well after a tough game against Princeton,” said Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. “We had a few different guys in the starting lineup, and I was pleased with all of their performances.”

Zingas and Nico Lozada ’18, usually impact subs who come in off the bench, started over co-captains Ben Maurey ’15.5 and Daniel Taylor ’15.

This move was likely an attempt to provide the two captains with a rest in preparation for Bruno’s next conference game.

Laughlin also reached deep into his pool of reserves, calling on the likes of Otis Booz ’16 and Christian Rodriguez ’17 — neither of whom had seen action

before Tuesday — to play against BC (4-4-3, 1-3-1 ACC).

After 80 minutes without a goal — an increasingly common occurrence for a defensive-minded Brown team — the Bears (3-3-4, 1-1-0 Ivy) finally got on the scoreboard. Quinn English ’18 headed a pass to Zingas, who found himself one-on-one with BC goalkeeper Alex Kapp. Zingas slotted a shot from near the penalty spot, sending the ball past Kapp to put Bruno on top.

Conventional wisdom says a team is most vulnerable directly following a goal, and the Bears were no exception.

Just 41 seconds after Zingas’ opening strike, the Eagles evened the score when Cole DeNormandie finished off a cross from teammate Dylan Pritchard.

The teams battled for another 30 minutes, but two periods of extra time were not enough to determine a winner. Bruno lagged behind the Eagles in both shots (13-10) and corners (7-5), but escaped with a tie nonetheless.

Mitch Kupstas ’14.5 turned in another solid performance in the net, parrying three BC shots that all could have easily given the Eagles the win.

Zingas’ goal, the 10th of the season for a desperate Bears offense, was the first tally of the young midfielder’s career. Zingas joins 10 of his teammates on the list of players who have contributed either a goal or an assist so far this season.

On most teams, a few playmakers and scorers tend to emerge as the season wears on. For example, Princeton’s (6-3-2, 1-1-0) Cameron Porter and Thomas Sanner have provided the majority of the Tigers offense this season.

Penn’s (5-6-0, 1-1-0) Duke Lacroix has been the team’s go-to offensive weapon for a number of seasons and has had

success on an inconsistent Quaker squad.

The Bears do not have such a playmaker, instead taking an offense-bycommittee approach.

“Different players have taken on different roles in different games,” Laughlin said. “That’s part of why we don’t have someone standing out with a bunch of goals. It’s a group effort for us to score, and it’s a group effort for us to get chances.”

Laughlin also cited injuries as another explanation for Bruno’s evenly spread offensive statistics. Striker Nate Pomeroy ’17 has not appeared in a game since the Bears Sept. 26 meeting with the University of Vermont (6-5-2, 1-1-1 AEC). Tariq Akeel ’16 missed two games and Jack Gorab ’16 missed one, both for health-related reasons. This left players like English, Zingas, Tyler Long ’17 and Will Cross ’16 to take advantage of opportunities to contribute to the Bears’ offensive production.

Bruno’s next opponent, Harvard (83-0, 2-0-0), has a well-balanced offensive game similar to that of the Bears, albeit one that is much more prolific.

The Crimson has posted 23 goals in 11 games, tying it with Dartmouth (7-3-1, 2-0-0) for the league lead. The offense also fires an average of over 18 shots a game and has accumulated 28 assists, by far the highest numbers in the conference in both categories.

Saturday’s game will pose an intriguing matchup, as Bruno counters Harvard’s league-best offense with one of the conference’s stingiest defenses.

“Their system of play works regardless of who is actually playing in it,” Laughlin said. “But they also have a lot of dangerous players. They’ve used a lot of different guys so far this season, so

they are a tough team to prepare for.”

Among the 17 Crimson players that have contributed either a goal or an assist this season, a few names jump off the scoresheet. First-year midfielders Christian Sady and Sam Brown, who was named an Ivy Rookie of the Week a few weeks ago, are the Ivy League’s two leading passers, with five and four assists respectively.

Who exactly Sady and Brown are passing to varies widely from game to game. Four Crimson players have each scored three goals, four more have notched two tallies apiece, and three others have netted a lone goal this season. Practically every field player, both starters and reserves, is a threat to score, making Bruno’s defensive assignments difficult.

Harvard’s offensive exploits have produced eight straight wins for the team, including two 1-0 victories over Ivy foes Cornell (7-4-1, 0-2-0) and Yale (1-8-2, 0-2-0). And the Crimson have looked like early favorites for the conference title after rocky starts for Cornell and Princeton.

But Laughlin remains unphased by Harvard’s recent success, stating that his team will compete hard and hopes to break the Crimson’s winning streak.

“Harvard is a new challenge for us,” Laughlin said. “But I think one of the things our guys pride themselves on is accepting whatever challenge lies ahead of us and taking it on. It’s another opportunity for us to prove ourselves against a team that has had a lot of success this year.”

The make-or-break match will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Stevenson Field. Win, and Bruno will catapult itself back up towards the top of the Ivy standings.

Lose, and the team’s title aspirations will be squashed.

football S3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD FILE PHOTO

Quarterback Nicholas Lawley ’15 runs out of the tunnel with his teammates. Bruno’s offense has improved by leaps and bounds from game to game this year, setting season highs in points scored in each successive game. But Bruno faces a tall task in keeping up with the high-octane Tigers offense, which has averaged nearly 40 points per game this season.

» FOOTBALL, from page 1 in league play, said Head Coach Phil Estes P’18.

After dropping its first Ivy League battle to Harvard, Bruno can’t fall to 0-2 in conference and expect to challenge for a title, said running back Andrew Coke ’16.

“These games are for an Ivy League championship. These games are what we’ve been training for the whole season,” he said. “One more loss and it doesn’t put us in position we want to be.”

On the other hand, Princeton jumpstarted its title defense with a 38-6 thrashing of conference punching bag Columbia (0-4, 0-1). Steered by reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Quinn Epperly, the Tigers have one of the most dangerous offenses in the country. The squad averages 38.2 points per game — 11 more points than Brown’s highest total this season.

Princeton’s gaudy offensive numbers are the result of the unit’s fast pace and

ability to move the ball on the ground and through the air, Estes said. But he added that with strict discipline, Bruno could negate Princeton’s style.

“If you make a mistake, they are trying to go fast and bring it into the next play,” he said. “You just have to play your responsibility. When they start the fast tempo, people try to do too much.”

Bruno’s success is rooted in its defense, which has kept the team in every game despite its low scoring totals. The defense has even shown glimpses of brilliance — such as holding the University of Rhode Island to zero total yards in the third quarter — but it will have to show more than glimpses Saturday.

“Their offensive coordinator runs a smoke-and-mirrors scheme. They’ll put two quarterbacks in the game at one time, just to get the defense out of sorts,” said defensive end Robert Hughes ’17.

“Our attack plan on defense is to ignore that and see through it to see the simple stuff that they’re actually doing.”

Bruno’s defense will get a lift from the return of linebacker and co-captain Dan Giovacchini ’15, who has battled multiple injuries. Starting safety Will Quigley ’15 is sidelined with injury, but backup Zach Gillen ’15 filled in

“These games are for an Ivy League championship.

These games are what we’ve been training for the whole season.”

Andrew Coke ’16 RUNNING BACK

with a solid game against Holy Cross last weekend.

The injury-depleted Bruno defense hasn’t seen a dip in performance because of the impressive play of young backups, Hughes said.

On the other side of the ball, the game may come down to the ability of quarterback Marcus Fuller ’15 to pass the football against a weak Tiger secondary. The senior has shown steady growth since an ugly opening game, including almost 200 yards passing in the second half and overtime against Holy Cross.

“As an offense as a whole, we’ve come a long way. Marcus has gotten better every week — we all have,” Coke said.

Princeton’s defense boasts a stout front, which has allowed just 78 rushing yards per game, but a lackluster backfield, surrendering 268 passing yards per game. But Coke said the Bears would not alter their offensive strategy based on these statistics.

“We are just going to go with what we do every week,” he said, adding that they observe what is working during the game and lean on that.

A new weapon in the passing game emerged last week in Brian Strachan ’15. The senior has played both running

back and wide receiver at Brown, but established himself as Fuller’s favorite target with eight catches and three touchdowns against the Crusaders.

The tandem of Strachan’s production and explosive receiver Alex Jette ’17 could wreak havoc on the soft Princeton secondary.

In the ground game, Coke is coming off a career-high performance with 89 rushing yards against Holy Cross. But Seth Rosenbauer ’16, a strong backup quarterback who has been impactful in the running game, is unexpected to play because of a concussion he suffered against URI. Saturday’s test will show the growth of the inexperienced Bruno squad from nonconference play, and determine whether it can compete in the Ancient Eight.

“There were a lot of questions surrounding us, especially in pre-season, but we’ve been proving to the league and ourselves that we’re a pretty confident team,” Hughes said. “It’s getting a lot more comfortable.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS BULLETIN

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

Hanging on or hanging ’em up

MIKE FIRN sports columnist

For the past seven months, the sports world has tipped its collective cap to the incredible career of Derek Jeter. There is much to be celebrated — Jeter has defined excellence, class and leadership for two decades. There simply aren’t enough superlatives. Jeter’s place in the upper ranks of the baseball elite has long been set in stone. And now, just like that, we close the books on an era.

But hidden behind the headlines, the gifts and the thunderous ovations was one unsettling and undeniable truth: Derek Jeter was no longer Derek Jeter. Even as he humbly acknowledged each tribute, Jeter quietly limped to an ugly finish in a second consecutive lost season for the Yankees. Simply put, the magic had run out.

Jeter’s last gasp was unbecoming, but it begs an important question: When is the right time for an elite athlete to retire? Obviously there are a lot of considerations in play — family, health, lifestyle all chief among them. When our favor-

ite athletes put on their uniforms, it’s easy to forget that they are real people facing personal decisions.

The world is a big place, and sports are just one small part of it. But personal factors aside, how does retirement fit into the construction and preservation of a legacy?

Like Jeter, most premiere athletes wait too long to retire. Earning gobs of money doing what they love in front of an adoring nation makes it understandably difficult to call it quits. But Father Time can only be staved off for so long. While there’s something to be said for longevity, it’s a sad sight for fans to see their favorite players, once kings, fade into mediocrity. We want to believe that our athletic heroes are indestructible. Though the competitive edge may still be there, skills erode and bodies betray. Too often, the struggle of decline taints a career marked by dominance. The list goes on — Mohammed Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry Rice and, yes, Derek Jeter.

Granted, these men are all sporting legends. But by hanging on for too long, they stain the otherwise pristine portraits of their prolonged excellence with output below what we come to expect. It’s tough to shake that uninspiring final impression.

An even uglier of denial is the

comeback. As hard as it is to walk away, it’s often even harder to stay away. The transition for retired stars is daunting, a lifelong routine torn away. The income stream dries up. The spotlight shines elsewhere.

When your former teammates are dancing in the end zone, and you’re sitting on the couch, it’s tough to ignore that competitive itch. “Nothing could satisfy me outside the ring,” remembers Sugar Ray Leonard. “There is nothing in life that can compare to becoming a world champion, having your hand raised in that moment of glory with thousands, millions of people cheering you on.”

So it makes sense that the likes of Roger Clemens teeter on the brink of retirement for years. The pursuit of a storybook conclusion to an already storied career is tempting, but this venture rarely ends well. Repeated comebacks allowed Brett Favre to compile gaudy statistics and pad his Hall of Fame pedigree, but a final two seasons in Minnesota cost him a lifetime of football immortality in Green Bay. Now, Favre is as much a punchline for indecision as he is a symbol of football glory. Michael Jordon’s stint with the Washington Wizards wasn’t a total travesty, but it sullied that perfect asso-

ciation between MJ and the Bulls’ dynasty. Jordan had nothing left to prove, but he just couldn’t walk away. To the chagrin of fans everywhere, basketball placed a stranglehold on the man who had always dictated his own path.

Every athlete experiences the natural progression of a career arc: We rise, we peak and we fall. But for some, a graceless decline is simply not an option. Though it’s a relatively rare phenomenon, superstars like Barry Sanders, Sandy Koufax and Bo Jackson have all walked away at the top of their respective games.

There’s certainly merit in going out on your own terms rather than succumbing to injury or ineffectiveness. Bodies go unpunished, and memories go untarnished.

But while it may be elegant, early retirement is equally unsatisfying.

The legacy of an early retiree is destined to become a question mark.

We’re left wondering what could’ve been. Can we really compare ten years of Tiki Barber to 15 years of Emmitt Smith? How could Sanders just walk away when he could have obliterated the all-time rushing record? How could he smother the competitive fire before even reaching a Super Bowl? Aren’t these guys supposed to be the ultimate com-

petitors? True, decline is inevitable, but it is not always tragic. The best athletes adjust their games to compensate for aging bodies. By evolving with his physical limitations rather than fighting them, Tiger Woods has reigned supreme for decades.

Retire too late, and your legacy is blemished. Too soon, and it’s incomplete. Is there a right time to hang ’em up? When asked about his future in the NFL, Tom Brady retorted, “When I suck, I’ll retire. But I don’t plan on sucking for a long time.” This sentiment, later echoed by the ageless Peyton Manning, is the mentality that every professional athlete should adopt. The most graceful exit from professional sports involves exhausting every ounce of elite production without waiting to become just another guy.

Of course, identifying that inflection point is easier said than done. For some, the end comes quickly and unexpectedly. The perfect solution? Stay great forever. Here’s hoping that Brady never sucks.

Mike Firn ’16 will write until he sucks. Contact him at michael_firn@brown.edu.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Strachan ’15 catches three touchdowns in double OT win Wide receiver tops career bests in yards, catches and touchdowns during his senior season

By ANDREW FLAX SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The football team has struggled to score this season, but wide receiver Brian Strachan ’15 had no trouble finding the end zone Saturday against the College of the Holy Cross. The senior caught eight passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs, leading Bruno to a 27-24 double overtime victory over the Crusaders. Perhaps his finest moment on a day full of them came on a trick play, when quarterback Marcus Fuller ’15 pitched to running back Andrew Coke ’16, who in turn gave the ball to wide receiver Troy Doles ’15 on a double reverse. Doles threw to the end zone, where Strachan made a spectacular diving catch on the sideline. For his efforts in Bruno’s second victory of the year, Strachan has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.

Herald: When did you start playing football?

Strachan: Ever since I can remember … Right when you could, I started. I always had a football in my hands when I was growing up.

Why did you choose to come to Brown?

My dad and (Coach Phil Estes) played in college together, and the opportunity to go to an Ivy League

school was hard to turn down.

You set career highs in yards and touchdowns against Holy Cross.

What allowed you to be so successful?

A lot of it comes down to being in the position to make those plays, and I felt like last week I was given those opportunities, so I capitalized on them.

What did you see on the trick play where you caught the pass from Troy Doles?

I saw him going more outside, and then I was like “oh, alright, here we go,” and so I ran towards the sideline and the ball was there. At first I thought he was just going to throw it up the seam towards the back of the end zone, and then he kept running outside so I knew he was probably going to lead me towards the sideline.

Last year was really your first season seeing regular playing time, and you’ve played an even bigger role this year, averaging nearly 15 more yards per game. How has your experience from last season helped you this year?

I think it’s helped me a lot. Last year I was playing probably the same amount of snaps every game, but I was really learning a lot from the upperclassmen ­— what to see in defenses and how to prepare physically. So I think this year, I’m not thinking out there at all. I think just having the experience under them and learning from them has allowed me be more confident than ever this year.

DAVID DECKEY / HERALD

Wide receiver Brian Strachan ’15 had eight catches for 98 yards and three touchdowns during Saturday’s game against the College of the Holy Cross, quadrupling his career touchdown total.

As a senior, are you getting nostalgic about your time at Brown?

Not really, because I have the ability to come back for another year if I want to. I did redshirt my freshman

year, so I’m really just focused on this year. But no, I haven’t really thought about being a senior. I’m just focused on the season and the next six games that we have.

Any plans for next year yet?

I have an investment banking job that I will go to either next year or the year after, it just depends if I come back for my fifth year.

today 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

menu

fa l l i n g i n t o a u t u m n

SATELLITE DINING JOSIAH’S Hummus Plate BLUE ROOM Naked Burritos Soups: Clam Chowder, Minestrone, Beef with Bean Chili ANDREWS COMMONS BBQ Pulled Pork Pizzas: Pepper Jack Chicken Club, Harvest, Buffalo Chicken

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Vegetarian Cajun Pasta, BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Cajun Potatoes, Apple Squares

Zesty Lemon Chicken Thigh, Gnocchi with Caber net Marinara, Caribbean Rum Cake

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Breaded Chicken Fingers, Enchilada Bar, Vegan Spicy Dahl, Apple Squares

SAM KASE / HERALD

Despite the unseasonable heat and humidity, leaves are changing colors on the Main Green, a reminder that fall has officially arrived on College Hill.

Tilapia with Provencale, Orange Beef Pad Thai, Corn, Caribbean Rum Cake

sudoku

comics P-Branes and Bosons | Ricky Oliver ’17

Bear with it | Dolan Bortner ’17

RELEASE DATE– Friday, October 17, 2014

Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Pinky-side arm bone 5 Vibrate 10 Lurking locale 14 Ferrari parent company 15 Spanish royal 16 Furnish anew 17 “A Total Departure” hotel chain 18 Put into effect 19 Took too much 20 Neapolitan kin 22 Massage beneficiary 24 Sticky stuff 25 Earth, in Essen 26 Cold, for one 28 Anchor man?

31 Occurring as an isolated instance 32 “Me too!”

33 Work hard 34 Baylor Bears’ home 38 “My Honky Tonk History” album maker Travis 39 First note of a tuba solo?

40 Kept from sticking 41 On its way 42 Pour affection (on) 43 Catty 44 Extremely foolish 46 Macbeth’s “fatal vision” 47 Sprint, for one 50 Minor players 51 Color-coded EPA meas.

52 Prefix with athlete 53 Cold one 57 Failure 59 Shows up in time for 61 Sews up 62 Athens apéritif 63 Dante’s love 64 Dundee dissents 65 Bone: Pref.

66 Two sheets to the wind?

67 Villain named Julius DOWN 1 Tabloid craft 2 It can result from favoring one side

3 Sitcom sign-off word 4 1973-’74 Jim Croce hit, aptly 5 All the rage 6 1932 Lake Placid gold medalist 7 River inlet 8 1964 Marvin Gaye/Mary Wells hit, aptly 9 Barbara Gordon’s alter ego 10 Good buddy 11 Window __ 12 Ancient theater 13 Title character absent from the cast 21 Round trip?

23 Suffix with pay 27 1989 Bette Midler hit, aptly 28 Droop-nosed fliers 29 Sported 30 Match point, maybe 31 Like a well-used chimney 33 1936 Eddy Duchin hit, aptly

35 Sacha Baron Cohen persona 36 Yield 37 Frankfurt’s river 40 Oklahoma native 42 Something that may hide a key 45 Canadian Thanksgiving mo.

46 Big name in the Big Band Era 47 Verboten

48 Shaffer play about a stableboy 49 Symphonic poem pioneer 50 Ones with “ears” on their trucks 54 Lasting mark 55 Finely honed 56 “That __ last week!”

58 Corn site 60 Keystone lawman

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

calendar FRIDAY

OCTOBER 17

4 P.M. THE POLITICS OF THE NOBEL

Former Nobel selection committee member Erling Norrby and Visiting Lecturer Cornelia Dean ’69 will discuss the influence of politics, personality and gender in the closely guarded Nobel selection process. Sidney Frank Hall 220 5 P.M. AROUND THE WORLD IN 180 MINUTES

The 2017 Class Board will host a free culture fair that comprises over 20 cultural groups, and includes performances and food. Alumnae Hall

SATURDAY

OCTOBER 18

11:15 A.M. BOSTON CHINATOWN HOTPOT TRIP xwordeditor@aol.com

10/17/14

The Chinese Students Association is taking a trip to Boston for an all-you-can-eat hotpot. They will take MBTA trains, so students can return at their leisure. Tickets are $20 round-trip and will be sold in the J. Walter Wilson lobby 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Faunce Arch 12:30 P.M. CLASS BOARD APPLE PICKING TRIP

The 2016 Class Board will provide free transportation to Jaswell’s Farm for apple picking. Buses leave at 12:30 p.m. and return at 4 p.m. Faunce Arch

SUNDAY

OCTOBER 19

2 P.M. EAT THE WORLD

The Rhode Island School of Design Global Initiative will host an international food festival with live entertainment.

Corner of Benefit Street and Waterman Street 7 P.M. ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS FILM SCREENING

Curated by Ron Diamond and sponsored by the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown’s Department of Computer

By Pancho Harrison ©2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

10/17/14

Science, nine short animated films will be shown on the big screen. RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal St.

6 commentary

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

DIAMONDS & COAL A diamond to Matt Stultz, organizer of 3-D Printing Providence, who said, “I want to be able to print my dinner plate, eat my dinner and then toss it into a hopper that grinds it back up and removes any impurities.” That, and then the printer does our laundry and takes our midterm.

Coal to Dorsey James, chair of the Corporation’s Committee of Campus Life, who said, “I think there’s a different way to skin the cat.” To be honest, that isn’t something we think about all too often.

Cubic zirconia to the senior at Rhode Island College who said, “I know a lot of people who party, and it’s not just athletes.” We can see you’re really getting a handle on how this whole social life thing works.

Coal to Paul Shanley, deputy chief of police for the Department of Public Safety, who said, “Size and noise are the number one things that get parties shut down.” No, Mr. Shanley, we’re pretty sure DPS is what shuts down parties.

A diamond to Everett Finkelstein, chief operating officer at the Phoenix Media/Communications Group, who said of the recently shut-down Providence Phoenix, “We loved being alternative, independent, free-spirited.” How do you feel about long walks on the beach?

Coal to Joshua Reiter, president and founder of ApplicationsOnline LLC, which helps run the Common App website, who said, “I hope other people use us not because the alternative isn’t good but because of how good we are.” Not a problem for us College Hill newspapers, considering our Indypendent competition.

I VA N A L C A N TA R A

A diamond to Brian Jepson, Media Maker publisher, who defined a maker as someone who “(doesn’t) want to be dominated by technology. They want to be in charge.” Then you can call us a maker — of love.

A diamond to Ellen Wetmore, who said, “People accept what happened in front of the camera as real.” Looks like you just discovered the porn industry’s secret to success.

Cubic zirconia to mayoral candidate Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, who said, “The next thing you guys are going to do here is accuse me of the Lindbergh kidnapping.” Get with the program, Bud. The Pro Jo has had that story in the works for weeks.

A diamond to the former Herald contributing writer who said he spent his summer in India focusing on the “less tangible aspects of education.” Thanks for the inspirational line to use next time we need to ask our parents for money.

CORRECTIONS An article and photo caption in Thursday’s Herald (“Corporation members discuss obstacles in adding student representative,” Oct. 16) misstated Thomas Tisch’s ’76 title. He is chancellor of the University, not of the Corporation. The Herald regrets the error.

An article in Thursday’s Herald (“Corporation to discuss strategic plan, infrastructure changes,” Oct. 16) incorrectly stated that Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn said Dean of the College Maud Mandel would discuss integrated scholarship with the Corporation. In fact, it is engaged scholarship. The article also misquoted Quinn: She said administrators “will review options for addressing the structural deficit,” not “the structure of the deficit.”

The Herald regrets the errors.

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

“We live in a society that’s still male-oriented. Women are often overlooked or omitted in the histories.”

— Russell DeSimone, author

See book on page 3.

Got something to say? Leave a comment online!

Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.

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commentary 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

What money can’t buy: time EVAN SWEREN opinions columnist

This is the first in a series on Brown’s libraries and study spaces.

If you haven’t been to the newly renovated Rockefeller Library, don’t bother. If you haven’t been to the newly renovated John Hay Library, hurry quick or its doors might close.

When Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library reopened its entrance nave in September, an over 70-year-old building shined anew. “We all know that the library is the heart of the university,” Yale’s President Peter Salovey said in a Yale press release.

Well said, President Salovey.

Brown saw a library renovation of its own this year. The Hay reopened its 104-year-old doors in September after being closed for more than a year.

The Hay underwent extensive renovations. The University’s website boasts it now has a “separate special collections reading room, an enhanced exhibition gallery, a new consultation room and a student lounge.” Though I can’t find any comments by President Christina Paxson on the vitality of our even older hall of books, I’m sure she could come up with a medical analogy that far exceeds Salovey’s.

But this isn’t about Ivy superiority. It’s about money and time, and time is money, as they say — I just never realized how much time costs.

The Hay opens most days at 10 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. — its renovation cost $15 million. Yale’s Sterling Memorial Library opens most days at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. — its renovation cost $20 million. On average, the Sterling is open 35 percent longer than the Hay is. At a difference in renovation cost of $5 million and a difference in operation of 22.5 hours per week, either Brown needs to save in hourly salaries, or we’re using different currencies.

You’d think with $15 million Brown could have afforded to renovate the Hay’s operating hours a

EVAN SWEREN

bit more, which were 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. pre-renovation. You’d think with tuition costing as much as it does, our money could have gone toward supporting a policy that reflected higher ed. And with students working longer and harder, you’d think Brown would understand that we, as students, have far better things to do than to constantly unpack and repack our bags.

In 2011, Claire Schlessinger, a staff writer for The Herald, reported that Harriette Hemmasi, the University librarian, “does not envision (the Hay) operating on the same schedule as the Rock or the SciLi.” Even though on most days the Hay now closes four hours later than it had in the past, it appears as if the new operating hours are as arbitrary as before.

Brown’s decision to close the Hay at 10 p.m. has consequences. An early closing time deters students from using the space because students know they’ll have to head elsewhere to study. This discourages students from hunkering down for continuous, uninterrupted work, which, in turn, discourages the special college tradition of late-night study communities. The early closing time takes a

space capable of housing, nurturing and inspiring students well into the night and renders it useless.

In 2011, Hemmasi looked forward to the renovation of the Hay. According to The Herald, she wanted it to reflect the history and grandeur of Brown and resemble the grand reading rooms seen at peer universities, rather than the SciLi or the Rock. Schlessinger wrote, “(Hemmasi) compared the Hay to Grand Central Terminal in its atmosphere, which triggers a ‘lofty feeling, like your thoughts can be bigger or something.’”

On behalf of the entire student body, I want to let everyone know that after 10 p.m., undergraduates can still feel inspired. We can still feel “lofty” and believe that our “thoughts can be bigger or something.” And, oh yeah, after 10 p.m., we can still have homework.

Richard Spies, then-executive vice president for planning and senior adviser to the president, wanted to solve the problem of wasted space. Schlessinger wrote in her article that Spies thought the Hay’s renovations would help “revitalize ‘underutilized’ spaces on campus.” We have revitalized the Hay. Mission complete. Now let’s utilize it.

Undergraduates shouldn’t be swept nicely into some anonymous “stack” at the stroke of ten. Undergraduates shouldn’t be forced into one of the multiple iterations of the SciLi basement now seen across campus from Andrew Commons to the first floor of the Rockefeller Library.

Why does the Hay close at 10 p.m.? If this is a mental health decision, perhaps the Friedman Study Center should close at 10, too — even during the day, it’s much less inviting and encouraging. If this is a budget decision, let’s cut back on celebrations so we can afford to keep on a few more lights. And if this is a staffing issue, let’s create student jobs to run the front desk as is done in other libraries on campus.

If a library closes its doors when students are in the middle of their studies, or are just getting started, it adds stress and inconvenience and gets in the way of obligation and inspiration.

This type of restrictive policy makes it seem as though the Hay is more for graduate students and professors who have extended access to their respective departments. The Hay’s operating hours mimic the restrictive policies seen at the John Carter Brown Library and the few lasting departmental “libraries,” which close at 5 p.m. on weekdays and remain entirely closed on weekends.

What type of message does it send to visitors and other universities when our main library and only grand reading room closes before my middle school bedtime? What type of message does it send to undergraduates who don’t feel welcome to use their own facilities? Security is certainly a consideration, but it does not have to be a barrier.

The John Hay Library is Brown’s pride and joy.

It houses Brown’s special collections and its archives and is home to innumerable memorabilia and famous artworks. The Hay should be an emblem of Brown’s educational prowess and not its inability to self-govern and make policy.

In conclusion — hold that thought! The library is closing.

Evan Sweren ’15 can be reached at evan_sweren@brown.edu.

A time and place for discussion, not dismissal JOE SACKS guest columnist

If you have not seen it already, you have probably heard about the Slavery Memorial. Stemming from the recommendation of the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice’s report, the Slavery Memorial takes the form of a ball, chain and plaque on the Quiet Green in front of Manning Hall. Last week, students criticized the memorial and its dedication in a Bluestockings Magazine piece.

The main critique the students posed in their column had two components. The first was the University should not have commissioned the chosen design because the design’s features can be considered degrading. The second, and one that I take issue with, is the hope for a memorial that wouldn’t fully encourage all members of the community to engage in discussions about what slavery means to each of us and the community as a whole.

The memorial was an impossible idea to perfect. The official steering committee report acknowledged that.

Problematizing the memorial has an important place on the wide spectrum of campus discussion on this crucial

topic. Yet this specific criticism, aired last week, fails to consider the importance of lasting campus discussion about historical and contemporary societal injustices and the space on campus that is dedicated to that discussion.

The aforementioned critique of the memorial engages in a multitude of arguments about the possible missed opportunities of the space. I argue that we should consider the ball and chain as inherently valuing the humans who were enslaved and damning the societal injustices that made them slaves. And, though the memorial is made of indus-

morial goes further than problematizing the memorial. It also criticizes that very line in the steering committee report that hopes the memorial can invigorate discussion. The commission of the memorial was not done in hopes of alleviating white guilt, as the critique claimed. It was also not done in hopes of insulting members of the University and local Providence community whose ancestors were dehumanized during the construction of this institution. Instead, it was commissioned to explore, consider and discuss what slavery and its historical memory mean

in a fragmented manner. Now, there is a Center for the Study for the Slavery and Justice that centralizes these discussions and brings varying views together to be a part of a productive conversation.

In honoring the steering committee report’s recommendation, the center is dedicated to “studying slavery and other forms of historical and contemporary injustice.” On Friday, the center is opening its doors to a student open house to promote further campus engagement with the center and its ongoing mission. Next week, as already

As we continue these discussions, we hope that our student body, like our memorial, will stray from shame or paralysis. trial materials, the fact that the majority of the iron ball remains underground demonstrates the undeniable and permanent link between the building of Brown University and the transatlantic slave trade. These kinds of debates and engagements are what the steering committee hoped for when it charged the University to build a memorial “to create a living site of memory, inviting reflection and fresh discovery without provoking paralysis or shame.”

Yet the recent critique of the me-

to all of us.

The very critique of the memorial, and this response, are testaments to the provocative nature of the ball and chain that is anchored on the Quiet Green. The memorial gives all members of the community, who all have varying perspectives and senses of connection to the work, an opportunity to learn and discuss. Discussions about slavery and its legacy have been taking place in classrooms, dorm rooms, student groups and student publications

covered in an opinion column (“Ingber ’15: The value of President Simmons’ voice,” Oct. 7), the center has invited former President Ruth Simmons to come to campus for the grand opening and dedication of the center’s new location at 94 Waterman St. These events clearly demonstrate a desire to engage the entire campus in these important discussions.

As I mentioned before, the memorial could not be perfect. It continues to draw harsh criticism from both those

who think its presence is too large and harsh and those who believe its presence is not pronounced enough or misrepresents its charge. If this campus wants to have a debate that strengthens our community, then we must continue to voice and listen to these criticisms.

We should do this, though, while recognizing that the University has given us a place to do so.

Let these next couple of weeks be a reinvigoration of an ever-necessary discussion. It is my hope and the hope of the CSSJ that the community will embrace the memorial’s goal of campuswide discussion and remembrance.

Dismissing that goal will only hurt our community.

In the past year, discussions of race have been rightfully and especially prominent on this campus. As we continue these discussions, we hope that our student body, like our memorial, will stray from shame or paralysis. Instead, it is imperative that we continue to be awakened and work toward necessary progress.

Joe Sacks ’15 is a senior studying history and public policy and a member of the CSSJ Student Advisory Committee. He can be reached at joseph_sacks@brown.edu.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD arts & culture At the table with Salted Slate Chef Ben Lloyd Owner of new Wayland Square restaurant discusses risk-taking, small businesses

By ISABELLE THENOR-LOUIS STAFF WRITER

It seems that Ben Lloyd, executive chef and owner of the Salted Slate, has done it all. After not getting into dental school, Lloyd worked in insurance for Liberty Mutual and coached the Lesley College crew team. And when he discovered his passion for cooking, he added one more responsibility to his list: working nights at a local restaurant without pay. This decision would lead him, at age 23, to leave the insurance world to delve further into cooking.

Now, as chef and owner of one of Wayland Square’s newest restaurant destinations, Lloyd, alongside a dedicated front-of-house staff, works 95-hour weeks to turn his dreams into a reality. “When you are in the restaurant industry, you quickly realize that it’s not really what I do in the kitchen,” he said in praise of his staff. “It’s what we do on the floor that makes a difference. I could totally mess up your meal. But if there is great service, you’ll be back 90 percent of the time.”

In this installment of “At the Table,” The Herald sat down with Lloyd to discuss the power of a great service staff, the struggles of running a small business and the benefits of taking risks at a young age.

Herald: What about food inspires you?

Lloyd: In its basic form, we need it. We absolutely need it. There’s also the connectivity to food. Knowing how to cook and prepare food is empowering for people, not only on a social scale — it’s also on a personal scale with people. It levels the playing field for people. People can cross socioeconomic boundaries through food. You can be a person who buys gourmet skinless chicken breasts at Whole Foods that cost you seven dollars a pound or you can fabricate a whole chicken and you would end up with a ton of different stuff. It’s that aspect that is the largest driving force behind what I do.

What was your go-to college food?

During studying, it was definitely Snyder’s Pretzels with spicy mustard.

That was what we had stocked in our house. We spent money — probably more than we should have. But we ate

COURTESY OF SALTED SLATE

Hummus makes a healthy snack, and it comprises ingredients that can be easily found at any dining hall, such as lemon juice and olive oil. Salted Slate’s recipe for the spread is fairly simple for those off meal plan. pretty well once we left the dorms.

What is your earliest memory in the kitchen?

I don’t know if I have a grand story. I grew up in this Europeanstyle household. My mom was a stay-at-home mom in Connecticut who cooked heart-healthy, low-salt food. When I was a kid, I was pretty experimental compared to both of my brothers; I was accepting of a lot of things they wouldn’t try. I was a test market for my mom.

What is your favorite thing to cook?

Something like a grouper. I’m doing halibut right now because East Coast halibut is in season. I love fish like that because they can be fitted to any type of cooking. I can be reserved with it. I can be delicate with it. They can take a lot of flavor as well.

What is your spirit food?

I would say an oyster or maybe a peach. I don’t know. It’s hard to pick!

What makes Providence a good food city?

We have men and women who are ambitious, who don’t feel the need to be in Boston or New York. But that being said, there are also fallbacks to that as well. We only have 170,000 people here, which is not a captive audience if you are trying to make yourself a name in the food industry.

The drawback is that we are not a city ­— we are a town. Tapping into an economy outside of our immediate economy is tough. No matter how many write-ups we get in Food and Leisure, we have a shrinking population, and our economy is in the dumps. If you look around, we have little pockets of monetary dispersal, so it’s tough for a small business.

Recipe: Salted Slate Hummus Most of these ingredients can be pilfered from the dining halls.

The tahini can be substituted with almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter. For dipping, use vegetables, crackers or pretzels in the hummus for a healthy snack, or spread on sandwiches.

• • • • • •

Ingredients 1 can of cannellini or garbanzo beans drained Juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp pepper 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp tahini

Directions Puree ingredients together. Then serve as dip or spread.

How would you describe your food philosophy?

I find myself very grassrootsoriented. I have an unwillingness to compromise when it could be easy.

Also purity — flavor rather than so much flair.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.