Thursday, October 30, 2014 by The Brown Daily Herald

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BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 99

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Undergrads favor student rep on Corp. Ballot question aims to raise public transit funds Do you think there should be a student representative on the Corporation?

Yes, I think there should be a voting student trustee

13% 5%

Yes, I think there should be a non-voting student representative No, I do not think there should be a student representative on the Corporation

Question 6 advocates argue R.I. must issue bonds for infrastructure improvements By CLARISSA CLEMM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

60%

23%

No opinion

METRO

Source: Brown Daily Herald 2014 Fall Poll AVERY CRITS-CHRISTOPH / HERALD

Paxson approval rating largely unchanged from last semester, with 42 percent approving By KIKI BARNES AND MICHAEL DUBIN UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORS

A Herald poll of undergraduates conducted last week found that about 82 percent of the student body supports some form of student representation on the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, while un-

On Nov. 4, Rhode Island voters will decide on a ballot measure that would authorize the state government to issue $35 million in bonds to improve public transportation infrastructure across the state, with some of the potential funds going to transit renovations near the Amtrak station in downtown Providence. Advocates emphasize the importance of building new transportation hubs, while opponents of the measure argue that the state’s financial situation does not allow room for more debt. The measure would address congestion at Kennedy Plaza and the lack of synchronization between the rail service and the bus service, said Scott Wolf, executive director of Grow Smart Rhode Island. “We are clearly seeing more people turning to public transit as a viable transportation form,” Wolf said. Without a good connection for transfers from commuter rail to the bus service, commuters are

dergraduate opinion of President Christina Paxson’s handling of the presidency is basically unchanged from last semester. In addition, a majority of students disapprove of reserving admission slots for recruited varsity athletes, compared to less than a third who approve of the practice, according to the Oct. 22-23 poll. More than 60 percent of undergraduates reported interest in living at 257 Thayer — a new luxury student apartment complex on Thayer Street set to open next year — but about two-thirds of those individuals stated

that cost would prohibit them from doing so. University governance Approval of Paxson’s job performance has held steady at 42 percent since The Herald’s March poll, while disapproval declined slightly from 25 percent to 23 percent. The portion of the student body expressing no opinion about Paxson’s work as president increased slightly, from roughly 33 percent to 36 percent, continuing to rise after a low of 24 percent last November in the wake of » See POLL, page 2

forced to “improvise,” which presents a hassle for commuters and paints Providence as a less attractive area for “young talent,” he added. Sixty-five organizations, including the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority Riders Alliance, Grow Smart Rhode Island and the auto service organization AAA, have banded together to form the Pro-Transit Hub Coalition with the goal of raising awareness of the bond measure’s benefits, multiple sources said. The fact that the measure has generated a “diverse type of support and breadth of support” shows how popular the measure is, said Dan Baudouin, executive director of the Providence Foundation, which advocates for downtown development projects in the city. The group “Yes on 6” has also used various forms of media and advertisements, including billboards, stickers, bus placards and radio announcements to generate support for the measure, Wolf and Baudouin said. Advocates of the ballot measure said they hope that approval of the measure will prompt the federal government and private investors to invest more heavily in the state’s public transportation infrastructure. “We want our governmental leaders to see this not only as an important cause, but as a popular cause,” Wolf said. “It » See BALLOT, page 2

Number of TRI-Lab applications holds steady

By CASSANDRA COLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

inside

The University received approximately twice the number of applicants for the number of spots available in the 2015 TRI-Lab by the Oct. 19 deadline, a statistic consistent with past semesters, said Allen Hance, director of the TRI-Lab. Spring 2015 will mark the start of the third iteration of the TRI-Lab, a University initiative that allows students, faculty members and community members to learn about and develop potential solutions to pressing social issues. The 2015 TRI-Lab will commence in the spring and conclude in the fall, and it will focus on climate change and environmental justice in Rhode Island. The pilot version of the program during the 2013-2014 academic year centered on healthy early childhood development, while the

current 2014-2015 program explores healthy food access in Providence, The Herald previously reported. Though applications closed on Oct. 19 for Brown students applying to the 2015 TRI-Lab, students at the Rhode Island School of Design can still apply until Nov. 7, Hance said. The University received as many applications from Brown students as expected, he said, adding that he anticipates a total of 30 Brown and RISD students to submit applications and 18 to 20 students to ultimately participate in the program. Applications for Brown students were initially due sooner, but the deadline was extended because students reported that they did not have enough time to finish their applications, Hance said. Though the applicant pool is relatively small, the application process is competitive because “the program sets a pretty high bar” for students to already demonstrate experience in the chosen theme and in community service, Hance said. The 2015 TRI-Lab will focus on » See TRI-LAB, page 4

ASHLEY SO / HERALD

Miriam Staffansdotter Langmoen ’17, left, and Stoni Tomson ’15 brought awareness to sexual assault survivors’ burden Wednesday, holding a mattress bearing the phrase “I carry that weight.” A vigil was held in the evening.

Students help survivors ‘Carry That Weight’ Undergrads carry mattresses, host vigil to display solidarity with victims of sexual assault By CAMILLA BRANDFIELD-HARVEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As a crowd of students huddled near bare mattresses and others joined the group outside Faunce, one enflamed candle began to light another.

As students helped their neighbors ignite their wicks, an evening vigil Wednesday to display solidarity with sexual assault survivors at Brown and on college campuses nationally commenced on the Main Green. The vigil’s coordinators, Eddie Cleofe ’15, Will Furuyama ’15, Sydney Peak ’15, Aanchal Saraf ’16, Emily Schell ’16 and May Siu ’15, stood together before the crowd. Several shared their own experiences or emphasized their commitment to

Commentary

Metro Ebola vigil features testimonials, music and comments from Gov. Lincoln Chafee

Brown Democrats: Raimondo, Elorza important for R.I.’s future

Makhlouf ’16: Condemning Ray Kelly, affirming free speech rights not mutually exclusive

PAGE 4

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weather

Students, faculty will examine environmental issues affecting Providence neighborhoods

making students’ concerns known to the Brown community, especially the Sexual Assault Task Force charged with assessing the University’s current policies. Siu opened with remarks on Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz and the inspiration for Brown’s participation in the movement she started. As part of a performance art activism project called “Carry That Weight,” Sulkowicz has carried a 50-pound » See VIGIL, page 3 t o d ay

tomorrow

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2 university news » POLL, from page 1 the Ray Kelly incident and the Corporation’s decision not to divest the University’s endowment from coal companies. An overwhelming majority of undergraduates support adding a student representative to the Corporation, with 60 percent favoring a student trustee with voting rights and about 22 percent supporting a non-voting student representative. Five percent oppose the idea of a student on the Corporation, and about 13 percent expressed no opinion on the matter. The issue has been the subject of debate since the Undergraduate Council of Students’ spring campaign and election for its vice president and as recently as the last two UCS general body meetings, when Corporation members discussed the possibility with student leaders. Applying for admission A majority of undergraduates — about 54 percent — disapprove of setting aside admission spots for recruited varsity athletes, while just under 30 percent approve of the practice and about 16 percent reported having no opinion. Two years ago, the

University cut the number of admission slots allotted to recruited athletes from 225 to 205 over the subsequent three-year period, implementing part of a set of measures former President Ruth Simmons proposed for changes to the athletics department. The poll unearthed sharp disagreement between varsity athletes and the rest of the student body on the policy. About 84 percent of athletes approve of reserving admission slots, while just 12 percent disapprove. Among non-athletes, about 23 percent approve, compared to 59 percent who disapprove. Over 88 percent of respondents said they were completely truthful in their college applications when applying to Brown. About 10 percent of respondents said they exaggerated the extent of their responsibilities or involvement in community service or an extracurricular activity. Roughly 1 percent indicated that they lied in the content of their essay. Politics and Providence The vast majority of student respondents — roughly three-quarters — were not familiar enough with the upcoming Providence mayoral election or Rhode Island gubernatorial

election to indicate which candidate they support in either race. Of those who did indicate a candidate preference in the mayoral race, the majority — 70 percent — support Democratic candidate Jorge Elorza. Seventeen percent support independent candidate Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, 6 percent support Republican candidate Daniel Harrop ’76 MD’79 and 7 percent support another candidate. For the gubernatorial race, about 83 percent of those who indicated a candidate support Democratic nominee Gina Raimondo, while 12 percent support Republican nominee Allan Fung and 5 percent support another candidate. Life at, away from and after Brown Fifteen percent of respondents indicated that they were registered to vote in Rhode Island, though only about 9 percent of students are planning to vote in next week’s elections. Of those who are planning to vote, half support Elorza for mayor and 51 percent support Raimondo for governor. When asked whether they would be interested in living at 257 Thayer, roughly 63 percent of respondents

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

answered favorably. But about 43 percent of respondents answered that though they would like to live there, the price of leasing an apartment is too expensive. Eighteen percent indicated that they would not be interested in living at 257 Thayer, no matter the cost, and 5 percent indicated they were not interested in living off campus as upperclassmen. About one-third of the student body has participated in research endeavors at Brown, according to poll results. Roughly 14 percent of respondents indicated that they participated in research during the summer through an Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award or other research grant, 12 percent during the school year as a volunteer, 11 percent during the school year for course credit, 8 percent during the school year as a paid employee and 7 percent during the summer as a paid employee. Of the two-thirds of respondents who indicated that they have not participated in research at Brown, more than 80 percent said they would like to do so in the future. Poll respondents were divided on the University’s psychological leave-taking policies. A quarter registered approval and about 27 percent

disapproval, while almost half of respondents reported having no opinion or said they were not familiar enough to answer. Just under three-quarters of sophomore, junior and senior respondents acquired their most recent summer internship or job either by independently contacting and applying to positions directly or through personal connections, according to the poll. The former accounted for about 47 percent and the latter about 27 percent. About 14 percent of sophomore, junior and senior respondents reported finding their latest summer internship or job through a Brownsponsored career service, such as the CareerLAB, BruNet, the Job and Internship Board and the Industrial Partners Program. About 13 percent obtained their most recent summer position through a faculty member and 4 percent through other means, the poll showed. Approximately 5 percent of sophomore, junior and senior respondents have never had a summer internship or job.

» BALLOT, from page 1

card debt.” If mass transit is a high priority, the state should add the costs to the general budget and cut spending elsewhere instead of issuing bonds, Stenhouse said. But advocates of the measure are hoping for a comfortable margin in the election next week. A poll in August showed that approximately two-thirds of voters were receptive to passing the measure, including people who don’t take public transit themselves, Baudouin said. Even if the measure doesn’t pass, “the need will still be there,” Baudouin said. “These are the kinds of investments the state needs to make.”

is intended to leverage federal dollars and private dollars because the total cost of the transit hub is likely to be significantly more than $35 million.” The high price tag for such a mass transit hub has spurred some opposition to question 6. “We don’t think of mass transit as a cure-all,” said Mike Stenhouse, chief executive officer for the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a conservative think tank. “We shouldn’t be piling on more debt at this time in our economy. It would be like a family that is in bankruptcy adding more to its credit

See full poll results and methodology, page 3.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

HER ALD POLL RESULTS AND ME THODOLOGY 1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christina Paxson is handling her job as president of the University? 8.5% Strongly approve 33.4% Somewhat approve 35.5% No opinion 18.1% Somewhat disapprove 4.4% Strongly disapprove 2. Do you approve or disapprove of the University’s psychological leave-taking policies for undergraduates? 9.1% Strongly approve 15.9% Somewhat approve 20.2% No opinion 16.9% Somewhat disapprove 10.5% Strongly disapprove 27.4% Not familiar enough to answer 3. Do you think there should be a student representative on the Corporation? 60.0% Yes, I think there should be a voting student trustee 22.3% Yes, I think there should be a non-voting student representative 5.1% No, I do not think there should be a student representative on the Corporation 12.6% No opinion

4. Do you approve or disapprove of admission slots being set aside for recruited varsity athletes? 9.2% Strongly agree 20.6% Somewhat agree 16.4% No opinion 36.1% Somewhat disagree 17.8% Strongly disagree 5. How did you acquire your most recent summer internship or job (for sophomore, juniors and seniors)? (Circle all that apply.) 14.1% Brown-sponsored career service (CareerLAB, BruNet, Job and Internship Board, Industrial Partners Program, etc.) 12.9% Faculty member 47.5% Independently contacting or applying to positions directly 27.1% Personal connections 4.0% Other 4.9% I have never had a summer internship or job Note: This data excludes responses from first-years. 6. Did you falsify information on your college application? (Circle all that apply.) 1.4% Yes, I lied in the content of my essay 9.7% Yes, I exaggerated the extent of my responsibilities or involvement in community service or an extracurricular activity 0.8% Yes, I made up community service or an extracurricular activity

0.3% Yes, I submitted work that was not my own in an essay or supplement to my application 0.1% Yes, I lied about disciplinary or legal actions taken against me 0.0% Yes, I falsified test scores 0.3% Yes, I falsified grades 0.4% Yes, I falsified other information 88.1% No, I was completely truthful in my application 7. Would you be interested in living at 257 Thayer — a luxury student apartment complex on Thayer Street — as an upperclassman? (Seniors, answer hypothetically.) 19.9% Yes 43.2% Yes, but it’s too expensive 5.0% No, I am not interested in living off-campus as an upperclassman 18.0% No, regardless of price 13.8% Not familiar enough to answer 8. Whom do you support in the Providence mayoral election? 4.8% Vincent “Buddy” Cianci 19.3% Jorge Elorza 1.6% Daniel Harrop 2.0% Other 72.3% Not familiar enough to answer

9. Whom do you support in the Rhode Island gubernatorial election? 21.4% Gina Raimondo 3.1% Allan Fung 1.3% Other 74.1% Not familiar enough to answer 10. Are you registered to vote in Rhode Island? 9.3% Yes, and I am planning to vote in next month’s elections 5.7% Yes, but I am not planning to vote in next month’s elections 84.9% No 11. Have you ever participated or do you currently participate in research at Brown? (Circle all that apply.) 12.2% Yes, during the summer through an UTRA or other research grant 12.0% Yes, during the summer as a paid employee 4.4% Yes, during the summer as a volunteer 10.7% Yes, during the school year for course credit 0.7% Yes, during the school year through an UTRA or other research grant 7.3% Yes, during the school year as a paid employee 12.0% Yes, during the school year as a volunteer 11.7% No, I have never been involved with research at Brown, and I am not interested in doing so 55.2% No, I have never been involved with research at Brown, but I would like to be in the future

Methodology Written questionnaires were administered to 862 undergraduates Oct. 22-23 in the lobby of J. Walter Wilson, the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center and the Sciences Library. The poll has a 3.1 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. The margin of error is 4.6 percent for the subset of males, 4.2 percent for females, 6.1 percent for first-years, 6.3 percent for sophomores, 6.4 percent for juniors, 6.1 percent for seniors, 4.4 percent for students receiving financial aid and 4.4 percent for students not receiving financial aid. The sample polled was demographically similar to the Brown undergraduate population as a whole. The sample was 45 percent male and 54 percent female. First-years made up 26 percent of the sample, 25 percent were sophomores, 23 percent were juniors and 26 percent were seniors. Varsity athletes made up 11 percent of the sample. Of those polled, 49 percent currently receive financial aid from Brown. Students reported all races with which they identify, with 58 percent saying white, 24 percent Asian, 13 percent

» VIGIL, from page 1 mattress identical to the one on which her alleged rape occurred everywhere she goes on Columbia’s campus since Sept. 2, Siu said. Sulkowicz has received national media attention for her performance piece, which is meant to visually represent the internal burden she carries as someone who feels she was inadequately supported by her university. “Emma has sacrificed her anonymity in the most dramatic way to pressure not only Columbia but all universities to recognize the inadequacy of their assault policies,” said Siu, a close friend of Sulkowicz’s. Sulkowicz intends to carry the mattress until Columbia expels her alleged rapist, he leaves campus of his own accord or Sulkowicz graduates, Siu added.

As a means of showing solidarity with Sulkowicz, as well as highlighting similar situations on Brown’s campus, Schell, the founder of Stand Up! and an active member of Imagine Rape Zero, proposed that Brown host an event for the National Day of Action on Wednesday, she told The Herald the day before the event. Students at colleges across the United States — including many at Brown — carried mattresses in support of Sulkowicz and survivors like her. “We want it to be both a reminder that this isn’t over but also a space of healing and a space of empowerment and commending the work that survivor activists and activists in general have done to date,” Schell said. Schell said creating a safe, supportive and productive space for survivors is most important, especially those

who do not feel comfortable reporting within the current system. Schell added that she is fighting chiefly for clearer policies and a more supportive and aware campus to decrease incidents of sexual assault. “For me it’s the lack of clarity. The hearing could go anywhere from a month to six months,” Schell said of Brown’s disciplinary processes. “There’s all of these different routes, but you’re not terribly clear on which one is the best and what happens in these and what you need to do and what happens after you file a complaint for x number of weeks.” “It discourages people from reporting,” she added. Other coordinators at the vigil stressed their belief that the University has consistently failed to support victims of sexual violence. “This university, which has gone

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Hispanic, 10 percent black, 0.7 percent American Indian or Alaska Native, 1 percent Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 5 percent other. Statistical significance was established at the 0.05 level. All reported cross-tabulations are statistically significant. University News Editors Michael Dubin ’16 and Kiki Barnes ’16, Graphics Editor Avery Crits-Cristoph ’17, Features Editor Sabrina Imbler ’16, Metro Editor Molly Schulson ’16 and Senior Staff Writers Andrew Flax ’17, Emma Harris ’17, Steven Michael ’16 and Joseph Zappa ’17 coordinated the poll. Herald section editors, senior staff writers and other staff members conducted the poll. Over the next several weeks, The Herald will publish a series of articles about individual poll questions. Find results of previous polls at thebdh.org/poll.

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above and beyond to communicate its 250-year history and academic reputation, regularly ignores and omits the ways it has failed its students and the injustices it has perpetuated,” Cleofe said. With Saraf, he recounted Brown’s initial resistance to four female students in 1991 who called for grand policy modifications and created a “rape list” by way of bathroom graffiti at the Rockefeller Library that exposed alleged rapists on campus. After they received national media attention, the University established a “multi-step policy that explicitly defined sexual misconduct as a punishable offense in the disciplinary code,” created an hour-long sexual assault education session during first-year orientation and initiated SafeWalk for students’ safety, Saraf said. But apart from raising awareness about Brown’s treatment of current

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victims of sexual assault, student leaders used the vigil to call attention to the hefty burden survivors carry and to the power of standing together. Emma Hall ’16 spoke about what constitutes strength for survivors of sexual assault, and the vigil also included a spoken-word performance from two students. “When I started walking to campus this morning, I was struck by the physical weight of my mattress,” Peak said. “When I doubted my own strength, I was reminded of the immeasurable mark left upon me by sexual violence. When people asked if I would carry it everywhere today, I’m reminded that this is precisely the point.” “Your trauma will not fit through every door, will not be understood or respected at work, will sometimes » See VIGIL, page 4

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Ebola vigil spotlights Rhode Islanders’ ties to victims in West Africa Gov. Chafee ’75 P’14 P’17 opens remembrance ceremony hosted by Youth of Liberia Organization By DUNCAN GALLAGHER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Admidst the peaceful glow of electric candlelight, images of victims of the Ebola epidemic and health care workers in West Africa were projected on a screen outside the Statehouse as a crowd of over 100 people gathered at a vigil Wednesday night to commemorate those affected by the disease. The lights flickered in the night as part of an initiative from the #EbolaBeGone Campaign to draw attention to human suffering from the epidemic. The campaign was organized in August by the Providence-based Youth of Liberia Organization to raise awareness about Ebola and combat the ongoing epidemic. The victims of Ebola were

“people who had a bright future in front of them,” said Kormasa Amos, chief coordinator of the “Lights For Africa” vigil. The initiative is managed by several young adults of Rhode Island’s sizable Liberian community, Amos said. The program sent $10,000 worth of preventative supplies, including bleach and latex gloves, to the area of West Africa where Ebola has broken out, Amos said. The gathering was attended mostly by immigrants from Liberia and neighboring countries, as well as families of those personally affected by the virus. The crowd held electric candles and faced the Statehouse, which reflected images of victims and relief workers. The victims of Ebola “aren’t just

numbers to us — those are family members,” Amos said. Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’17, who attended the vigil in traditional Liberian dress, began the program by eliciting a call-and-response chant of “Ebola, be gone!” Remarks were generally brief and emphasized the human impact behind the global media’s panic surrounding the Ebola epidemic. The victims of the epidemic are “more than just a number,” said event facilitator Randell Dauda, adding that some in attendance have lost close family members to the disease. “To have everyone here together gives me hope. We are one people. We are one community. We are going to stand up to and resist Ebola together,” said Michael Fine, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. Fine concluded his remarks by

repeating the chant initiated by Chafee. Ashoka Mukpo, a freelance photojournalist from Providence who contracted Ebola in Liberia, also spoke. “Liberia for me was a second home,” he said. “To see this happen to it has broken my heart.” Mukpo said that he was fortunate to have the privilege to leave Liberia for medical treatment and acknowledged that most Liberians do not have the same opportunity. “My heart goes out to them and their families. They stay in my prayers,” he said. “I know that this has hurt so many of you — hurt so many people. I just can’t wait for the day that we can say Liberia is Ebola-free.” In his remarks, Chafee referred to Liberia’s recent tumultuous history of civil war, adding that the Ebola epidemic struck at a time of new hope in the nation’s political stability. “But this too shall pass,” he said.

Following the statements by political officials and community leaders, several audience members shared their personal ties to the epidemic, recounting stories of close relatives who died in the past months. This was followed by musical performances and a moment of silence while audience members held their candles aloft. Amos said the continent of Africa is often defined by war, poverty and disease. “We thought it was our obligation to redefine and rewrite Africa’s history and not just stand by and let it be written as Ebola,” she said. “We can be that generation of change and that’s what we want people to realize.” The Youth of Liberia Organization plans to send a 40-foot container of medical equipment to West Africa in the coming months, which will include beds, wheelchairs and protective gear, Amos said.

» TRI-LAB, from page 1

participate in the lab. Topics for each iteration of the TRI-Lab are chosen from proposals based on student interest, faculty capacity and the availability of community partners who understand the issue, Hance said. A planning grant has been issued to develop a proposal for a future lab exploring the “health issues faced by incarcerated populations,” he said. Each version of the TRI-Lab presents a new set of challenges because “different problems require different types of teams to be put to work,” Hance said, adding that one anticipated challenge of the upcoming lab is that climate change issues in Providence are often viewed in terms of health issues such as asthma, not in terms of scientific issues. The next TRI-Lab will let participants work directly with a group of “amazing community partners” and will therefore feel “more like a real job” than a class, Hance said. The program is particularly well-suited to Brown students, who “are really interested in … saving the world,” he added. The TRI-Lab was piloted with support from Roger Nozaki MAT’89, former director of the Swearer Center for Public Service and associate dean of the College for community and global engagement, and Katherine

Bergeron, former dean of the College. Kate Trimble, acting director of the Swearer Center, said she intends to continue supporting the TRI-Lab in her role. The TRI-Lab exemplifies the Swearer Center and the University’s conceptions of “engaged scholarship,” Trimble said, adding that it “pulls in people from a lot of different perspectives who care about the same issue but are approaching it as an economist, or approaching it as a nonprofit manager, or as a policy maker or a cognitive science concentrator.” One of the benefits of the TRI-Lab is that it can function as a “living laboratory,” evolving its model with each successive program, Trimble said. Since its inception, the TRI-Lab has increased the number of participating students, created an advisory board of experts and leaders throughout Rhode Island and implemented summer internships with participating agencies, she said, adding that it will continue to evolve and become more meaningful in the future. Both Trimble and Roberts noted that committing to participate in the TRI-Lab is difficult for students because it spans two semesters, and efforts are being made to potentially create a one-semester lab in the future or to accept students who are only available for one semester.

she could do that for such a long time,” said Connor Watts ’18, who carried his mattress up from List Art Center with Wendy Gonzalez ’18. Maria Paredes ’17, who helped Nico Sedivy ’17 carry a mattress up Thayer Street, said she took part to display that survivors do not have to deal with assault independently. “There are so many people here that are here for everyone.” Jerome Cosby ’17 said he carried a mattress across campus all day and did not receive help, likely because of his gender. “People think that just because I’m a man that I don’t need

help with carrying burdens,” he said. Cosby said he has felt helpless in the face of a friend’s experience with assault and that he carried the mattress Wednesday to call for better policies with more effective trials. Albert Anderson ’15, a former Herald staff writer, said all people, regardless of gender, need to support survivors and policy improvements. “I don’t feel that our role should be any different than women,” he said. “I think that any reasonable person should have a pretty universal stance on this issue, and so in that respect … I think we really stand unified.”

two to three neighborhoods in Providence, Hance said. In conjunction with the Rhode Island Department of Health, the lab will develop community partnerships and research projects in those neighborhoods to increase understanding about the health risks linked to climate change in Rhode Island, he said. In particular, the lab will focus on the impacts of increases in heat and precipitation in urban areas as well as rising sea levels along Rhode Island’s nearly 400 miles of coastline, said J. Timmons Roberts, co-chair of the 2015 TRI-Lab and professor of environmental studies and sociology. The upcoming lab will begin with “an initial period of time that’s devoted to understanding the background of the issues” before breaking into research teams associated with the particular neighborhoods, Hance said. For almost a year, the 2015 TRILab has been in a planning stage that has involved reaching out to students, faculty members, community groups and state agencies to determine what areas of the issue to focus on, what populations and communities are most vulnerable and how to balance the needs of the community with the number of students available to

» VIGIL, from page 3 prevent you from doing something you love, and it will hurt you and your body,” she added. Many of the students who chose to carry a mattress around campus all day before the vigil described the weight of the mattress and its symbolic representation of the gravity of survivors’ internal burdens. “I’m so in awe that that girl at Columbia has been able to carry her mattress around for eight weeks. Going to the Ratty this morning from Keeney was awful, and so I can’t imagine how

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

safety first

SATELLITE DINING JOSIAH’S Gourmet Tacos BLUE ROOM Mediterranean Pockets Soups: Chicken Artichoke Florentine, Fire Roasted Vegetable, Turkey Chili ANDREWS COMMONS Pizzas: Nacho, Okie Dokie Artichokie, Pepperoni and Sausage

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Hot Corned Beef on Rye Bread, Falafel, Mediterranean Bar, Cauliflower in Tahini Sauce

Pot Roast Jardiniere, Red Potatoes with Fresh Dill, Vegetarian Spinach Strudel

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Saturday Night Jambalaya, Vegetable Strudel, Cauliflower Au Gratin, Nacho Bar

Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Bread Stuffing, Butternut Apple Bake, Shells with Broccoli

sudoku

ASHLEY SO / HERALD

The annual “Be Safe Brown!” Campus Safety Resource Fair was held Wednesday on the Main Green. The fair allows community members to explore resources available for personal safety, such as computer protection.

comics P-Branes and Bosons | Ricky Oliver ’17 RELEASE DATE– Thursday, October 30, 2014

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c r o s s w o r d Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Crawled, perhaps 5 Broadway show whose title woman can “coax the blues right out of the horn” 9 Renege, with “out” 12 Andalusian appetizer 13 Accord competitor 15 Hole starter 16 Postal service 18 __-pitch 19 Kanakaredes of “CSI: NY” 20 Plastered 22 Curled-lip look 23 Brigades, e.g. 25 The tar, in Spanish 27 Anonymous John 28 “The Black Cat” author 31 __ moss 32 Mountains dividing Europe and Asia 35 With 37-Across, sentence openings, and what the ends of 16-, 23-, 47-, and 57-Across can be when rearranged 37 See 35-Across 40 Hop follower 41 Modest dress 42 NASCAR __ 43 Lion or tiger 45 Exercises begun in a supine position 47 “You made your point” 50 “... if you want to __ man’s character, give him power”: Lincoln 54 Part of 56-Across 55 Eats pretzels, say 56 Google hit 57 Form small teams at school 60 What “I” may indicate 61 Common soccer score 62 Only 63 June honorees 64 Blind component 65 Breyers competitor

DOWN 33 Coach 45 Reddish-brown 1 Restrains Parseghian horse 2 Like Madame 34 ’60s 46 Bagel choice Tussauds figures hallucinogen 47 Eat loudly 3 Traditional 36 Old Bristol-Myers 48 Main artery temptation toothpaste 49 Mars pair 4 “Manhattan” 37 Beer choice 51 Drew back Oscar nominee 38 College email 52 NFL analyst Hemingway ending Bradshaw 5 Galaxy gp. 39 Extreme summit 53 Beasts of burden 6 Source of 20s, 41 Former space 55 St. Louis-tobriefly station Chicago dir. 7 Harmful gas 44 “Solve __ decimal 58 Place to see RVs 8 One of the places” 59 NFL mistake Brontës 9 Dishonorably ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: dismissed 10 Bird that’s probably not wise and certainly not old 11 Trudges 13 Fit __ fiddle 14 One way to think 17 Mesmerized 21 Porcine sniffer 23 Kazakhstan border sea 24 Collecting Soc. Sec. 26 Arthur who won a Tony for 5-Across 28 IBM 5150s, e.g. 29 Furniture wood 30 Inner circles, in astronomy 10/30/14 xwordeditor@aol.com models

Comic Sans | Neille-Ann Tan ‘18

calendar TODAY

TOMORROW

12 P.M. THE MORALITY OF CINEMATIC DEPICTIONS

2 P.M. CITIZENSHIP AND PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY:

OF VIOLENCE

EVIDENCE FROM BANGALORE

Depictions of intense cruelty and violence in horror movies will be debated at this ethical inquiry lunch hosted by the Philosophy Departmental Undergraduate Group. Wilson 101

Sociology Professor Patrick Heller and Political Science Professor Ashutosh Varshney present research in a BrownIndia Initiative talk. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum 5:30 P.M. ZIBAAH KHANA (HELL’S GROUND)

Constitution. MacMillan 117

The Brown-Harvard Pakistani Film Festival will screen this movie in celebration of Halloween. The screening is free and open to the public. Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Martinos Auditorium

7 P.M. AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL DUKAKIS

7 P.M. HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA

4 P.M. ODYSSEY LECTURE WITH ROBERT POST

Robert Post, dean of Yale Law School, will examine the relationship between academic freedom and the U.S.

10/30/14

The former governor of Massachusetts and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee will speak about his experiences in politics and the future of the country at this event hosted by the Brown Democrats. Smith-Buonanno 106

Face painters, henna artists, roving magicians and haunted laser tag, among other activities, will be offered at this Halloween-themed event. Free snacks will also be provided. Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center

commentary 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Raimondo for governor, Elorza for mayor BROWN DEMOCRATS guest columnists

In recent weeks, Rhode Island has made national headlines with a series of appearances by the biggest names in the Democratic Party, including President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. One by one, the best-known figures in Democratic politics have dropped by the deep-blue Ocean State to throw their support behind a historic — and historically strong — ticket of Democratic candidates. We, the Brown Democrats, are proud to have spent this election season working in tandem with these national figures to elect Gina Raimondo, the Democratic candidate for governor, and Jorge Elorza, the Democratic candidate for mayor of Providence. We support these candidates and believe they have the visions and policies that will most benefit our city and state. Raimondo is a Rhode Island native, a Rhodes Scholar and a Yale Law School graduate who founded Rhode Island’s first venture capital firm and currently serves as the state’s general treasurer. The only gubernatorial candidate to have served in statewide elected office, she dealt decisively and efficiently with one of the greatest challenges in recent Rhode Island history. When she took

office, the state was hurtling toward financial crisis due to its overburdened pension system. Knowing that she was taking a huge political risk, Raimondo rose to the occasion and worked to reform the system, greatly improving the solvency of pension funds. If elected, Raimondo — who would be Rhode Island’s first female governor — promises to improve our state’s economy by investing in manufacturing, workforce development and infrastructure. Today, Rhode Island has

Harvard Law School and returning to Providence to provide legal services to low-income and marginalized communities. Since then, Elorza has served as a Providence Housing Court judge and a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law. Elorza’s story exemplifies both the American dream and fundamental Democratic principles — if you work hard and play by the rules, you should have a chance to succeed. His platform is shaped by his experiences, and if

the Providence mayoral race can say the same about their commitment to ethics. Much of the national media attention that Providence has garnered since this summer has focused on Elorza’s closest competitor in the race, infamous former mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci. Cianci, a two-time felon with a laundry list of unsavory qualities, including a self-professed penchant for using municipal power for personal gain, poses a serious threat to Provi-

This election is a crucial one: We have the chance to elect the state’s first female governor and to usher in a new age for the city we love. the third-highest unemployment rate and one of the worst business climates in the nation. If anyone is equipped to make the hard choices necessary to turn our economy around while respecting Rhode Island’s rich history and unique assets and ensuring that everyone has a chance to be a part of the recovery, it’s Gina. The son of Guatemalan immigrants, Elorza was born and raised in Providence’s West End. Though he nearly didn’t graduate high school, Jorge worked his way through the Community College of Rhode Island and then the University of Rhode Island, where he graduated first in his class with a degree in accounting. After a short stint on Wall Street, he learned that his best friend had been murdered, prompting him to change tracks, enrolling at

elected mayor, Elorza will work to create and expand the kinds of opportunities he has been privileged to have. His plan for economic revitalization centers on Providence’s woefully underused deepwater port, one of only two in New England. By embracing Providence’s history as a working waterfront city, Elorza proposes to create 1,500 well-paid jobs. He plans to promote a full-service school model, turning schools into neighborhood hubs that offer English classes for immigrant parents and resources for all community members. Elorza hopes to implement his ambitious agenda with an eye on transparency, accountability and public engagement, emphasizing the importance of a City Hall that works for everyone. Unfortunately, not all candidates in

dence’s chances of recovery and prosperity, or of even being taken seriously. The Economist best demonstrated the effect that a Cianci victory would have on municipal morale when it profiled the race in an article titled, “Freshening New England’s armpit: the ex-mayor who inspired a gangster musical returns.” Whereas Elorza made his name in the Housing Court by holding big banks accountable to the city for foreclosed properties, the prospect of a third Cianci administration and the accompanying culture of crime and corruption could be enough to scare off potential investors. This is unsurprising, given how Cianci’s previous terms ended: The former mayor resigned once after being charged with assaulting his wife’s alleged lover with a log

and a cigarette, and again in 2002, after being charged with federal racketeering conspiracy and sentenced to five years in federal prison. This is to say nothing of the charges of rape against him in law school or mail-in ballot fraud in the 1983 election. Most recently, true to the warnings of a bipartisan coalition of three former U.S. attorneys urging voters to think twice before supporting Cianci, the Providence Journal reported Monday that the state is investigating two cases of alleged ballot fraud by off-duty police officers working for the Cianci campaign. The Journal’s endorsement of Elorza said it best when it wrote, “Cianci had his time. Cianci did his time. Now it is time to move forward with a new generation.” Elorza offers our city a fresh start and an innovative, equitable path forward. As residents of Providence, we cannot afford to sit this election out and acquiesce to Cianci, a man who often joked that “if the people of Providence could read, (he’d) never get elected.” This election is a crucial one: We have the chance to elect the state’s first female governor and to usher in a new age for the city we love. In the words of President Obama, this is our opportunity to elect “proven champion(s) who can put politics aside and get results.” On Nov. 4, vote Gina Raimondo for governor and Jorge Elorza for mayor.

Meghan Holloway ’16, the president of the Brown Democrats, can be contacted at meghan_holloway@brown.edu.

Civility and its discontents PETER MAKHLOUF opinions columnist

It has been one year since the Ray Kelly lecture. In the past year, numerous discussions both within and outside Brown have reflected on what happened that evening ad nauseam. To some extent, these conversations were lackluster. A significant position was left out of the equation entirely. I have yet to witness a pronounced effort to condemn Kelly, what he stands for and the policies he enacted, while simultaneously insisting that no one is allowed to dictate standards of free speech. There is no doubt in my mind that Kelly should not have been invited and lauded in our University’s name as a testament to honorable public service. Unfortunately, due to the disgraceful failures of the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions, he was going to speak regardless of any dissent on Oct. 29, 2013. The protesters of the talk stood for what any person on our campus should stand for: opposition to the racist and oppressive policies that Kelly embodies through both his stop-and-frisk policies and his “counter-terrorism” surveillance. But I draw the line at disrupting this inevitable lecture. Here’s why: Endowing oneself with the power to decide who speaks and who does not speak is always a method used by oppressors to silence the dissent of the oppressed. Figures in power invoke empty and often deceitful terms to this end, the most insidious of which is “civility.” The use of the concept of civility is consistently claimed — for instance, by critics of the protest — to impose certain standards of what is acceptable and what is not. While I stand with the protesters, their de-

mands and their fury, shutting down speakers implicates us in civility’s long and ugly history. “Civility” is a blanket term originating from the white Protestant tradition as a tool of placing the “Other” — whether blacks, Jews, Arabs or indigenous people — under ruthless subjugation. The colonizers who ethnically cleansed this land to make way for the United States justified it as an act of the civilized Europeans against the boorish and vulgar Native Americans. This issue still runs rampant in society today. Look at the case of Steven Salaita, a former professor of American Indian studies at the University of Illinois at Urba-

is not contradictory to both condemn Kelly and affirm free speech rights. We must understand the history of “civil” discussion, because the protesters tragically took a step too far and blurred the difference between themselves and those in society who invoke the term to exercise and perpetuate their power. The members of the protest must also understand the history in order to be wary of its reappearance in activist discourse. It is highly unsettling to see civility creep into social activism through insistence upon “political correctness” — a rampant phenomenon on Brown’s campus. The oft-

While I stand with the protesters, their demands and their fury, shutting down speakers implicates us in civility’s long and ugly history. na-Champaign, who lost a tenured position due to his “uncivil” criticism of Israeli war crimes this summer. It should come as no surprise that this “uncivil” academic is both a Palestinian American and a professor of American Indian studies. In fact, one of the largest cries from those opposing the protest was that — disruption aside — a protest should never have been assembled because we should be able to engage in “civil” discussion. Those who portray themselves as champions of free speech use the concept of civility to limit expressions that do not fit their narrow definition of free speech. The brave and necessary protest that was staged should not be discredited by the fact that it went to an extreme inside the lecture hall. This is why careful discussion is key when we talk about these matters. The options are not between shutting down Kelly and holding “civil” discussion. It

repeated line was that Kelly’s speech threatened the safety of those listening. But that is a treacherous precedent to set. The college campus is the single safest environment for hearing views no matter how despicable. Claiming a lack of emotional safety is not a valid concern, and certainly pales in comparison to the safety of the world outside the comfort of College Hill — of members of communities outside Brown who, for instance, cannot leave their homes without fear of the New York Police Department clamping down on them and abusing their dignity. There is no clear barrier between what is acceptable and unacceptable, triggering or not triggering. The immense gray area that lies between these two ends is highly susceptible to abuse, and no one abuses the gray area more than the powerful. People on both sides of the political spectrum

manipulate the concept of acceptable discourse. Take as evidence the administration’s recent initiative Transformative Conversations@Brown, spearheaded in response to claims that some issues are highly sensitive. That was the administration’s way of saying: “If you cannot handle open discourse, we will handle it for you.” I ask of those who shut down Ray Kelly: Consider if, tomorrow, the University decided that dissidents could not be part of a “Transformative Conversation” on our campus because it is discomforting for the administration to host those who oppose government policy or engage in civilian disobedience. Claims of political correctness or comfort are a slippery slope and do not dictate any clear standards of judgment, nor should there ever be any rigid standards of judgment regarding speakers. The last thing we want is for the University to impose its standards on the student body, so let us not give it any reason to do so. Or even more importantly, let us ensure we are not using the same methods of suppressing speech that it uses. If lauding and paying Ray Kelly was an exercise in free speech, then we must change the manner in which we approach the freedoms and rights we do have. Yes, we have a duty to preserve free speech, but we also have a duty as a community to stand for the freedoms of all, especially those who are marginalized and subjugated by men like Kelly. Each freedom comes with a duty — we are not permitted to be libertines. One of the few well-articulated points in the ensuing mayhem was the notion of “collective responsibility.” “We can” has never been a proper justification for “we should.”

Peter Makhlouf ’16 can be reached at peter_makhlouf@brown.edu.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

THE

metro

BROWN DAILY HERALD

Edgewood Yacht Club site to house new marine education center U. will decide next month whether to participate in rebuilding of former home of Bruno sailing team By ZACK BU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Moses Brown School received an anonymous $1.5 million donation to a new Sailing and Marine Education Center in Cranston at the site where the historic Edgewood Yacht Club is being rebuilt, the school announced Oct. 17. The Edgewood Yacht Club, whose clubhouse burned down in 2011, invited Moses Brown and the University to partner on a project to rebuild and renovate the clubhouse, for use by both of the schools’ sailing teams, according to a press release from the school. The donation was given to support the Moses Brown Travel, Research and Immersion Programs, known as

MB TRIPS, said Matt Glendinning, head of Moses Brown School. The donation would enable the school to access a waterfront building that introduces students to the Narragansett Bay, he added. The school decided where to allocate the donated funds based on internal deliberations and the donor’s interest in strengthening marine and sailing education at the school. The Edgewood Yacht Club, which is where Moses Brown School originally housed its sailing program, was founded in 1885 and is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country. The club, which was also home to the University’s sailing team, was destroyed during a blizzard, The Herald reported at the time. Moses Brown is interested in

rebuilding the club’s infrastructure because its vicinity and size were appealing, Glendinning said. Though the University was invited by the Edgewood Yacht Club to take part in the rebuilding process, no decision has been made regarding its participation, said John Mollicone, head coach of the University sailing program and a Moses Brown alum, adding that the decision will be made next month. The construction of the sailing and marine education center has not started, but the school hopes to break ground on the project this coming year, Glendinning said. The center will operate as a “1,500-square-foot, free standing building” in the club, Glendinning said. The building would serve as both a classroom and laboratory for marine science courses and will include space to teach “tactics and

strategies for sailing,” Glendinning said. There will also be sufficient areas to store equipment, an attached locker room and shower facility and an outdoor washing and cleaning area, Glendinning said. The school envisions the center as supporting the objectives of MB TRIPS, placing a stress on the importance of experiential learning, Glendinning said. The school has long been involved in this hands-on method — students of the lower school may travel through campus and “study the trees” and middle school students often participate in an off-campus, four-day team trip prior to the start of the school year. The school is currently working on the “nitty-gritty” of the design of the sailing and marine eduction programs, Glendinning said. Aside from studies of environmental science and

marine biology, the program could also promote learning across various disciplines. “What we are imagining is using the history and on-site experience as an evocative and experiential way to learn about the history and literature,” Glendinning said. “Wouldn’t it be interesting to actually go out on a boat, go to the very spot and read primary sources that describe the Gatsby affairs? To me, that would lead to somehow more memorable deep learning than sitting in the classroom.” Glendinning said that the establishment of the center — only 15 minutes away from the Moses Brown campus — makes trips more accessible to students from all economic backgrounds. “We try to make traveling a fundamental part of how students learn at Moses Brown,” Glendinning said.