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UNIVERSITY NEWS
RISD will no longer require Wintersession for students after their first year
Fighting for the final spot — How Brown can make Ivy Madness
SEE IVY MADNESS PAGE 6 SPORTS
‘Automatic’ by the Lumineers cuts to the core of modern-day melancholy
SEE LUMINEERS PAGE 12
How the body’s internal clock influences our eating habits
SEE EATING PAGE 14
Brown graduate student Eva Erickson competes on ‘Survivor’
SEE SURVIVOR PAGE 15
Brown named top producer of 2024-25 Fulbright students
This is the fifth time the University has earned this distinction
BY HADLEY CARR UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
brown was named the top producing school of Fulbright u.S. students for the 2024-25 academic year, earning the recog-
nition for the fifth time in the past decade, according to data released Tuesday.
The scholarship recipients include 40 brown undergraduates, graduate students and recent alumni — an 11% increase from the 2023-24 program year, making it the largest cohort in the university’s history. The Fulbright program received 191 applications from brown for the 2024-25 cohort.
brown has been ranked among the top three Fulbright-producing institutions in the
country for the past nine years, The Herald previously reported.
“This recognition reflects the creativity, ambition, and above all, the care our students bring to building and strengthening connections with communities around the world,” said Joel Simundich Phd’17, assistant dean of the College for fellowships, in a university press release.
The over 2,000 Fulbright u.S. students are recent college graduates, graduate
students and early career professionals who engage with communities abroad in an academic, research or teaching capacity. in partnership with over 160 countries around the world, the program aims to promote international peace through cultural exchange.
The current brown-affiliated Fulbright awardees were chosen last spring and began their experiences abroad in the fall.
e stablished in 1946, the program ac-
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Sixteen teachers and one librarian were sent letters of non-renewal
BY CIARA MEYER METRO AND UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
On Feb. 14, the Providence Public School district sent letters of non-renewal to 16 teachers and one librarian. The non-renewals followed performance-based reviews and mean the contracts will not be renewed for the next academic year.
Providence City Council President rachel Miller wrote that non-renewals in the PPSd are “career-altering” and mean teachers are ineligible for positions anywhere in the district, in a letter addressed to PPSd Superintendent Javier Montañez and rhode island department of education Commissioner of elementary and Secondary education angélica infante-Green.
The non-renewal recipients included two nonbinary teachers — brandi Tucker and em Schluter — and Sam Wallace, a nonbinary librarian. all three PPSd employees were labor organizers with the Providence Caucus of rank and File educators, a part of the Providence Teachers union.
at a Wednesday Providence School board meeting, Tucker — who teaches at Webster avenue elementary School — said they believe queer staff members were disproportionately represented in the recent non-renewals. “We’re good at what we do. So why have we been non-renewed?” they asked the board.
responding to allegations that non-renewed staff were targeted due to their gender identities, PPSd spokesperson Jay Wegimont wrote that the “PPSd is an equal opportunity employer” that does not discrim-
cepts applicants based on their academic and professional records, with an emphasis on a strong academic background, intellectual curiosity, leadership potential and a “passion for increasing mutual understanding among nations and cultures,” according to the program’s website.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 25, 2025.
Brown University Community Council also discussed U. response to federal actions Draft of Brown’s institutional values to be released in March
BY ROMA SHAH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The brown university Community Council — a forum for brown community members to discuss university-related issues — held a public meeting on Thursday to discuss progress on the university’s initiative to define its core values, as well as administrative priorities in the face of recent federal actions.
a t the meeting, James Kellner, a professor and chair of the ad hoc committee charged with
after the university received criticism for lacking a clearly defined set of institutional values during its divestment proceedings, The Herald previously reported. its membership includes six tenured faculty members, three students and two administrators.
Kellner said that the draft statement of university values will be heavily influenced by brown’s mission statement, which expresses the university’s commitment to advancing knowledge through free inquiry.
“This mission statement tells us what we need to know,” he said. “it doesn’t tell us what the core values are, but the core values are the things that will allow the mission statement to be fulfilled.”
Kellner said the values statement will follow the historical traditions of the university and establish
The scholarship recipients include 40 Brown undergraduates, graduate students and recent alums.
BPU debate on immigration enforcement postponed amid controversy
The Brown Dream Team expressed concern about the framing of the issue
BY ANNIKA SINGH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
a Monday brown Political union debate about local law enforcement compliance with federal immigration officials was postponed until an unspecified date amid backlash from some students.
but bPu, a student group focused on hosting multi-partisan political discussions and events, said the postponement was a result of a misunderstanding of event requirements mandated by brown’s Student activities Office.
The public response was sparked by a statement from the brown dream Team — an organization supporting undocumented+ students at brown. undocumented+ commonly includes people who are undocumented, people with undocumented relatives, deferred action for Childhood arrivals recipients and others.
after the event was announced, the brown dream Team took to social media to
ACADEMICS
After the event was publicly announced, the Brown Dream Team took to social media to express their negative reactions to the event, calling it “inflammatory.”
express their negative reactions to the event, calling it “inflammatory.”
axel Martinez ’26, a co-leader of dream Team, said that the group was “caught off guard” by the event announcement. “Quite frankly, we felt that it was in bad taste,” he added.
Martinez said that dream Team leadership reached out to bPu requesting a meeting to voice their concerns. He said bPu responded, agreeing to meet, but dream Team
ultimately decided not to move forward with the meeting, feeling as though they wouldn’t be able to convince bPu leadership to make changes to the event.
instead, dream Team attempted to mobilize its members to attend the event.
“Our thinking was that if we came in and showed our perspective at the debate, maybe we could create some dialogue,” Martinez said.
approximately an hour before the event
was scheduled to begin, bPu sent an email to event attendees announcing the postponement, but did not address the negative backlash.
“We hope to have a rigorous dialogue on this question soon,” the email read.
in a statement to The Herald on behalf of the organization, bPu President Logan Tullai ’25 reiterated the group’s mission as “a student-run, multi-partisan forum dedicated to fostering intellectual growth and nuanced political engagement at brown” through biweekly debates, speaker events and other dialogue-centered programming.
in the statement, Tullai emphasized the importance of open dialogue and maintaining spaces where diverse perspectives can be discussed respectfully.
Martinez stressed that in the current political climate, language and framing are crucial, taking issue with how the event was advertised.
debates often include a “resolved” statement “that can be agreed upon or disagreed on to whatever extent the speaker wishes,” Tullai wrote. The resolved statement for the debate read, “local police should comply with federal immigration officials.”
“There are so many different ways you
can title something like that,” Martinez said, referring to the resolved statement. “Wording matters when we’re talking about marginalized communities.”
On the first day of his new term, President Trump issued a series of executive orders related to immigration in an effort to target undocumented immigrants. earlier this month, the Providence City Council introduced an ordinance to prohibit Providence police from sharing information about residents with federal immigration authorities.
Martinez clarified that dream Team does not seek to shut down conversations on immigration enforcement. He said the group member’s presence at the event would allow the organization’s members “the opportunity to use our lived experiences” to inform the conversation.
Tullai wrote that bPu encourages “all people to share their perspectives from their lived experiences and not just rely on theory in their speeches and questions.”
Martinez also suggested alternate forms of dialogue when stating that “we can have community narratives where people sit down and it’s not a debate.”
Still, bPu is “looking forward to the rescheduled debate soon,” Tullai wrote.
How students’ concentrations change over their years on College Hill
Computer science is one of the most popular concentrations
BY CIARA MEYER UNIVERSITY NEWS AND METRO EDITOR
For students in their fourth semester, the March 17 deadline to declare a concentration is rapidly approaching. While some students have stuck with the interests they selected on their application to brown, others end up choosing different concentrations than they initially intended. all students vying for admission are required to submit intended concentrations as part of their application to brown. but according to brown’s website, the university does “not admit students by academic interest” and does not have quotas for concentrations.
“a prospective student’s intended concentration is considered as one factor among many as part of brown’s individualized, holistic review of applications,” wrote university Spokesperson brian Clark in an email to The Herald. “We seek students who demonstrate academic excellence and intellectual curiosity across a wide scope of academic interests.”
When Mae d ambra ’26 came to brown, she “didn’t feel built for STeM,” she told The Herald. “it was something that i never saw myself doing.”
but her first-year self would be “really surprised” to know that she now studies health and human biology — not political science.
d’ambra is far from alone in her decision to change paths part way through college.
“brown leaders have no expectation that students limit their academic exploration solely to the concentration they considered as a prospective student,” Clark wrote. “The flexibility afforded by the Open Curriculum encourages students to choose the path that best supports their goals.”
[insert class of 2024/2018 intended versus graduated chart]
The Herald looked at data from university press releases and previous reporting to analyze what the incoming first-year classes since 2014 have ranked as their top 10 intended concentrations, and compared this to publicly available data of graduates’ concentrations. Here are our six key takeaways. History is consistently popular among graduates, despite rarely making the top 10 intended concentrations
For the past nine years, history has consistently ranked in the top 10 most popular concentrations, ranging from 63 to 87 graduates per class. but since the class of 2018, it has only been featured in the top 10 intended concentrations once.
Seth rockman, director of undergraduate studies in the department of History, said he’s not surprised that prospective students aren’t immediately drawn to history.
rockman believes many high school history classes are taught poorly and said that “the kind of learning that you do in a college-level history class is a revelation for most students.”
He thinks the department’s introductory-level courses are more “interesting than (those of) many other departments,” citing the quality of teaching as a key factor in keeping students engaged.
“We are simply out-teaching many other disciplines on campus,” he said.
Public health has gained popularity among graduates over time, but still remains outside top 10 intended concentrations
Public health has recently experienced a surge in popularity, more than doubling its total number of graduates from 35 in the class of 2015 to 75 at its peak with the class of 2023. Patricia risica, the director of the public health concentration, also credits this growth to their introductory classes.
“High school students and younger students just don’t get enough exposure” to niche areas of study like public health, she said. risica believes it takes coming to college to discover the possibilities in those fields.
risica said PHP 0310: “Health Care in the united States” and PHP 0320: “introduction to Public Health” give a broad overview of the concentration while showing students the subtopics they could specialize
in later on.
biochemistry and molecular biology remains outside the top 10 for graduates, despite its popularity among admitted students
biochemistry and molecular biology has been consistently popular among applicants, despite not making the top 10 for graduates at any point in the past nine years.
associate dean of biology undergraduate education Toni-Marie achilli Phd’14 said that prospective biology students receive substantial pre-declaration advising, which can result in shifts in their concentration plans. Collectively, brown’s biology departments offer eight unique concentrations, according to its website. Students may find that a specific biology concentration aligns better with “the set of courses (they) would like to take,” achilli said.
While the biology concentrations vary in content, “students can achieve the same goals with these concentrations” in terms of post-graduate plans, achilli added.
Sadie elliott-Hart ’24 entered brown as a prospective biology concentrator, but ended up switching to urban studies. elliott-Hart wrote in a message to The Herald that she “chose biology thinking i wanted to be a field researcher.” but after she gained more laboratory and data analysis experience, her interests evolved.
elliott-Hart is now working as an environmental educator for the New york State department of environmental Conservation. in their work, their early interest in biology still shines through: They “teach in after-school programs around New york City and partner with organizations on composting and gardening initiatives,” they said.
achilli said her office is less concerned about the numbers of students pursuing each concentration and more focused on connecting students to high-quality experiences in biology. “We just want to capture anybody who wants to be here and give them the best experience we can,” she said.
The number of computer science concentrators has more than doubled over the past nine years
Since the class of 2017, computer science has had the most graduates of any concentration.
[insert comp sci chart here]
Clark wrote that academic departments are provided with a list of admitted students by intended concentration each spring. departments “know how many students have been admitted, along with their names and contact information,” he added.
Tom doeppner, the vice chair of the department of Computer Science, said the department has measured its growth, in part, by the number of introductory courses it offers. it used to offer just one class, he said. Now, it offers four.
He thinks this growth is partially due to the job prospects.
doeppner has been at brown since 1976 — three years before the department was founded in 1979. as such, he’s seen the growth of the concentration firsthand. Nowadays, many students come into brown with some previous programming experience, he said.
“People are attracted to (computer science) in high school,” doeppner added.
Completing concentration requirements can be a barrier for students who change paths due to switching concentrations in her second year, d’ambra has struggled to complete some of her concentration and pre-dental requirements, she said. To catch up, she took a summer course and a course at a community college.
For students like d ambra who switch concentrations during their time at brown, a shortened timeline to complete requirements comes with additional challenges.
Jb Zhu ’25 transferred to brown from Haverford College as an intended international and public affairs concentrator before switching to applied math in his sophomore year. To make the requirements more manageable, Zhu opted to earn a bachelor of arts instead of a bachelor of Science.
Completing requirements after switching concentrations is “certainly doable,” Zhu noted. but it’s “probably only doable at brown.”
Students changing concentrations may face different challenges depending on the department.
Since the history concentration requirements are flexible with “no single course
that is required for every concentrator,” students who enter the concentration later are “not doomed,” rockman told The Herald.
While few students struggle to complete their public health concentration requirements, risica said certain courses have limited enrollment. in the case that “we have students that need a class to graduate, i will literally go and ask the faculty myself if that student can get in.”
in biology, many of the introductory courses are uncapped or have a larger number of seats available, achilli said. but she noted that she sees “a little bit of bottlenecking (with enrollment) at advanced-level courses,” though her office tries to help students get into the courses they need to graduate.
Larger concentrations face challenges with advising in the department of Computer Science, advising can be especially challenging. Occasionally, advisors will end up with about 200 advisees at once, according to doeppner. When the department was founded, they had one concentration advisor for all students, he said. Now, every member of the faculty is expected to advise students. younger faculty members — who have traditionally taken on a smaller advising workload — still advise around 30 students.
“it’s tough to really have the time to see everybody,” doeppner added. “you try to identify who are the people that really need some powerful advice.” in public health, the eight advisors each have 20 or fewer student advisees, risica said.
in history, six members of the faculty serve as concentration advisors at a time, and each has 15 to 30 advisees, rockman added.
d’ambra said her concentration advisor has been “super proactive and super helpful.”
“There are a good amount of advising resources,” Zhu said. To supplement the advice he gets from his concentration advisor, he’s sought guidance from informal advisors.
“They certainly have good advice,” he added. “you just have to be the one looking for it.”
sense and for its members.”
it needs to be clear what is expected of all of us,” he said.
during the meeting, attendees raised concerns about how the values would align with brown’s history.
Senior Vice President for Communications Cass Cliatt acknowledged the concerns, saying that “we have found moments
FACULTY
in history when we did not live up to our ideals ... but it doesn’t mean that the ideal isn’t there.”
according to Kellner, the committee will be holding town halls with students, faculty, staff and alumni in april before presenting their drafted values for a vote at the faculty meeting in May.
at Thursday’s meeting, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’Md’20 also discussed brown’s priorities in the face of recent threats
to research funding and dei initiatives under the Trump administration. Her remarks centered around “defending brown.”
Paxson said that the university is committed to taking action on both an internal and external level.
internally, brown’s goal is to be “nimble and responsive,” efficiently tracking developments and responding at the right time, Paxson said. “We’re using every opportunity we can to make sure our community under-
UNIVERSITY NEWS
stands what’s going on.”
She also discussed brown’s external response, including the university’s lobbying efforts, government relations team and presence in Washington, d.C.
“i think we do have to advocate strongly to sustain our mission,” Paxson said. “and we’ve said very openly that we will exercise our legal rights as appropriate.”
Paxson said administrators were “worried about access” to a brown education.
Before Brown: Francis Doyle, Brown’s 14th provost
Francis
Doyle discusses
his
career and research before coming to Brown
BY ROMA SHAH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
before brown is a series that explores university administrators' personal and professional pathways to College Hill.
in elementary school, he dreamed of being a medical doctor. Now, Francis doyle serves as the university’s 14th provost and a professor of engineering and neuroscience.
Fascinated by chemistry, physics and math in high school, doyle pursued chemical engineering, following in the footsteps of his father and brother.
doyle obtained degrees in chemical engineering from Princeton, Cambridge university and the California institute of Technology. He was drawn to a career in academia during graduate school when he had the opportunity to teach a course, calling the experience “incredibly rewarding.”
“The combination of running an independent research lab and teaching in the classroom was a perfect fit for me,” he wrote in an email to The Herald.
doyle first began his career in academia as an assistant professor in the School of Chemical engineering at Purdue university. Following that, he worked as an associate professor of chemical engineering at
the university of delaware. in 2002, doyle transitioned to academic leadership at the university of California at Santa barbara, serving as the chair of the department of chemical engineering, the director of the uCSb/Massachusetts institute of Technology/Caltech institute for Collaborative biotechnologies and the associate dean for research in the College of engineering.
“in different ways, each university enabled me to expand my research program, refine my teaching skills and exposed me to administrative leadership opportunities,” doyle wrote.
after thirteen years at uCSb, d oyle became the dean of Harvard’s John a. Paulson School of engineering and applied
Sciences in 2015. While there, he focused on research laboratories and curriculum as well as supported the construction of Harvard’s new SeaS building.
While his early research was focused on chemical engineering, d oyle soon transitioned to the field of biomedical engineering after being “exposed to the sophistication of control systems in nature,” he wrote, adding that this fostered his interest in systems biology and its applications to physiological networks in the brain.
d oyle explored the application of his research in medicine by examining the automation of insulin delivery for individuals with diabetes. Now, over 30 years later, algorithms from his work are
used in commercial products such as the artificial pancreas.
r udiyanto Gunawan, an associate professor in the university at buffalo’s department of Chemical and biological engineering, met d oyle when he joined the now-provost’s lab at u CS b in an email to The Herald, Gunawan said that he is “deeply grateful” for doyle’s support, which allowed him to explore research areas outside of his comfort zone.
Gunawan has many sentimental memories from his time working with doyle. On a trip to Germany, he said that “Frank shared many fascinating insights about gin” and treated him to his first gin and tonic.
He also recalled the lab’s annual Christmas gatherings. “We played bad Santa gift exchange with the group members and Frank’s family,” he wrote. “This is a tradition that i continue with my research group to this day.”
academically, Gunawan appreciated doyle’s mentorship and advice. “i draw inspiration from the way Frank ran his lab, using it as a model to shape my own research group,” he wrote.
Neda bagheri, an associate professor of biology and chemical engineering at the university of Washington, also conducted research in doyle’s lab while pursuing her master’s thesis and Phd doyle was “an early and impactful leader in the ‘new’ field of systems biology,” she wrote in an email to The Herald.
alongside doyle, bagheri developed a
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expressing concern about federal financial aid and dei, Paxson said that while the administration advocates “for brown all the time,” they are now doing so in a “more targeted way.”
“We follow the existing law, but we have continued to confirm and emphasize our commitment to diversity and inclusion and its central role in advancing our academic mission,” she said. “My advice now is just keep going.”
mathematical model of a circadian clock, demonstrating how “the variance in endogenous circadian rhythms is an essential ingredient to an organism’s ability to reset its phase,” bagheri wrote.
While working with doyle, bagheri recalls being impressed by his various hobbies outside of the lab, such as sailing and refereeing competitive soccer games.
bagheri remembers doyle as a “generous, dedicated, thoughtful and passionate mentor.”
“He was — and continues to be — an exceptional role model, citizen and friend,” bagheri added.
doyle said he appreciated the opportunity to work with students and colleagues at each university. “Those experiences contributed to the development of the skills that i exercise on a daily basis as provost at brown,” he wrote.
Now, as brown’s provost for nearly two years, doyle’s focus on research and collaboration is university-wide. in his position, doyle works in conjunction with the president, deans, faculty and students.
“The breadth of scholarly activities that i am able to support is remarkable,” he wrote. “There is a special sense of both purpose and belonging that i have experienced at brown, and it pervades all aspects of campus life including administration.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 27, 2025.
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Doyle’s research contributed to the creation of the artificial pancreas.
IMMIGRATION
As RI immigrants remain fearful of Trump, organizers call on Providence to do more
Despite proper documentation, some immigrants feel uneasy
BY LEV KOTLER-BERKOWITZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER
New federal immigration policy has left rhode island immigrants fearful. in response, community members have been calling for increased support from Providence.
On the day of his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to revoke automatic birthright citizenship. He also shared plans for mass deportations and increasing the expedited removals of undocumented individuals.
Since the Trump administration took office on Jan. 20, members of Providence’s immigrant communities have described an atmosphere shift.
“There is so much fear in our community,” refugee dream Center executive director Teddi Jallow said in an interview with The Herald.
The rdC, which offers services to refugees and immigrants in the rhode island area, has seen a sharp decrease in participants, Jallow told The Herald. For instance, adult education classes that used to have between 25 and 50 attendants now draw between 15 and 18 individuals, she said.
Jallow pointed to the new administration as a reason for the decline.
“We are scared that (immigration and Customs enforcement) can come in at any time in our office … and get some of our community members and deport them,” she said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Whether Providence is doing enough to protect its immigrants is debated among the immigrant community.
Jallow said the city of Providence could do more to help its immigrant communities. While she appreciates statements of support by government officials, “there is no implementation,” she said. Jallow would like to see government officials work with organizations like the rdC that are affected by the federal government’s actions.
Mayor brett Smiley’s office stood by its commitment to the city’s immigrants.
“We continue to work closely with community partners to ensure that all individuals have access to the resources and support they need,” Smiley’s deputy Press Secretary Samara Pinto wrote in an email to The Herald. “Our focus remains on provid-
ing essential city services and protecting the safety and well-being of our community.”
Providence and rhode island officials have proposed additional protections for undocumented residents and prohibited Providence Police from proactively collaborating with federal immigration authorities. a ., a nursing student who immigrated to the united States from Somalia nine years ago, said that while undocumented immigrants she knows haven’t changed how frequently they leave their houses, she “can see some fear” in them.
To protect against potential retaliation, she requested that only her first initial, a., be used. Several other sources requested that
only their first name be shared. even those with proper documentation are not fully at ease.
andry, a Venezuelan father of two young children who arrived in the u.S. roughly two months ago, told The Herald that he feels “relaxed because i have my papers.”
He has an i-94 document permitting him to live in the u.S. and hopes to secure a green card next year.
but he added that he “always feels a little bit scared,” as Trump might “do anything” at any time.
Other immigrants feel more comfortable. rhode island is safety … i don’t have a problem here,” said Momath, a Senegalese
immigrant who arrived in r i. two years ago and has a work permit and Social Security number.
immigrants have also said that the Trump administration has made it harder to reconnect with family members.
Parasto, who immigrated from afghanistan four years ago, said that the number of opportunities to see her family has dwindled under the Trump administration. While she is unable to go to afghanistan to visit her family without risking her asylum status in the u.S., she hopes to reunite with her children in a neighboring country.
“Two months ago, my kids were really happy because they were willing to go to Pakistan” where she would be allowed to visit them, Parasto said in dari, which was translated by an interpreter.
Her immigration proceedings were previously moving smoothly, but “with the new administration, things are not changing, they’re not going well,” Parasto told The Herald. When Trump took office, she said, “everything stopped.”
ultimately, many immigrants The Herald spoke to hope to be given the opportunity to build a life in the u.S.
“Many (immigrants) are working (and) nice people,” andry said. rather than seeing the difference between good and bad individuals, Trump “sees all immigrants the same way,” he said.
“Let’s not see how Trump is framing refugees or immigrants,” Jallow said. “These people are human beings like you and me. They just need help … so they can live the american dream.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 23, 2025.
Muslim inmates sue RI Dept. of Corrections for imposing barriers to religious practice
Lawsuit filed in advance of Ramadan, which is set to begin Friday
BY AVANI GHOSH AND ANDREA LI METRO EDITOR AND SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Four Muslim-identifying inmates are suing the rhode island department of Corrections, alleging that officials at ridOC’s High Security Center in Cranston have restricted the group’s ability to practice their religion.
The Feb. 13 lawsuit alleges that ridOC is limiting the inmates’ ability to practice ramadan — which begins this Friday — receive religious items, meet with a religious leader and engage in communal prayer.
The plaintiffs sought a temporary restraining order to address ridOC’s alleged violations in advance of ramadan this year, but the department has agreed to provide Muslim prisoners “appropriate and timely meals during ramadan,” rendering the urgent need to secure a TrO obsolete, according to aCLu r i executive director Steven brown.
Nonetheless, the plaintiffs are still seeking a permanent injunction ordering ridOC to uphold their regular access to religious items, communal prayer sessions and weekly meetings with an imam.
“a s a department we acknowledge and respect the constitutional rights of everyone under our care,” wrote ridOC
Chief of information and Public relations Officer Jhomphy Ventura in an email to The Herald.
Ventura did not provide additional comment on the plaintiffs’ allegations, stating that ridOC is “unable to discuss matters involving ongoing litigation.” in the suit, the plaintiffs argued that rid OC’s actions violate the r eligious Land use and institutionalized Persons act. according to an aCLu press release, this federal law “bars states from imposing any substantial burden on a prisoner’s exercise of religion unless it furthers a compelling interest and is the least restrictive means available.”
The plaintiffs — d iamond Wilson, Karlton brockman, Nathan Cooper and Lorenzo Hicks — also argued that ridOC’s actions violate the 14th amendment’s equal Protection Clause as officials allow Christian inmates “to have communal services and to regularly see Christian clergy, while denying these same rights to plaintiffs and other Muslim inmates.” in the suit, the plaintiffs claimed that “ridOC has never provided them any opportunity to share communal prayers with each other and other Muslim inmates.”
“When Muslim prisoners have tried to gather for prayer in the yard or other common areas, corrections officers have ordered them to stop or face punishment,” the suit alleged.
While ridOC employs an imam, plaintiffs alleged that their requests to meet with the imam have been repeatedly denied or ignored. They also noted that Christian prisoners “are allowed to see their chap-
The plaintiffs sought a temporary restraining order to address RIDOC’s alleged violations in advance of Ramadan this year.
lains weekly, even without submitting an advance request to do so.”
Certain religious items, like prayer rugs, are only available through the imam, meaning that the plaintiffs have not been able to obtain these items, the group added.
The plaintiffs also claimed that they have “filed multiple grievances” regarding the lack of access to an imam and religious items. These “have been unanswered or returned unprocessed,” according to the plaintiffs.
The group further alleged that ridOC provided only “two meals a day” during last year’s ramadan without any additional
food to make up for missed meals, effectively reducing the inmates’ caloric intake by a third.
The plaintiffs also alleged that ridOC served meals to inmates at times misaligned with the typical ramadan schedule, requiring them to “extend their fast by several hours each day.”
Typically, ramadan observants eat one meal just before dawn and one meal right after sunset. but because ridOC allegedly delivered pre-dawn meals to inmates between the hours of 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., inmates were forced to begin their fasts “several hours earlier than required by
Muslim traditions,” the plaintiffs claimed. ramadan also involves communal time for breaking fast and prayer. but the suit alleged that ridOC prohibited inmates from “breaking their fast together during ramadan, despite repeated requests.” Steven brown noted that the court has scheduled a hearing for the suit mid-March “in case we learn of problems occurring during ramadan that may require court intervention.” This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 25, 2025.
RISD will no longer require Wintersession for students after their first year
The program will be optional for all students after their first year
BY DIA NANDA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
between the fall and spring semester, students at the rhode island School of design have been required to participate in Wintersession — a five-week period that serves as a time for students to take courses that are unique from those explored during the semester.
but starting next year, Wintersession will become optional for students after their first year.
riSd officials said that the change aims to return Wintersession to its original purpose of deeply exploring specific disciplines, diving into special topics or learning new experimental techniques, in a statement shared with The Herald by riSd spokesperson Jaime Marland.
Wintersession fees will remain unchanged, but bFa graduation requirements will be reduced from 126 credits to 120, according to the statement. The mandatory
HOUSING
Wintersession requirement did not extend to brown-riSd dual-degree students, who only have to participate during their first year.
The decision was made with student feedback in mind, the statement continued. riSd officials hope this change will provide students with more autonomy over their education, allowing them to take a longer break between semesters.
riSd’s fall semester typically ends in the middle of december. Wintersession then runs from the beginning of January to the start of February, with the spring semester beginning a week later. This results in a twoto three-week break for most students.
For Kevin Chang, a first-year international student from Taiwan, the new policy allows him “to spend more time with people who i cherish back home.”
The policy change also hopes to reinvigorate the program and improve students’ learning, the statement reads. riSd plans to adjust course offerings, exploring the possibility of introducing more independently guided studios, experimental courses, study abroad opportunities and other deeper modes of learning.
were previously.
Tenley dugan, a riSd sophomore, said Wintersession is “a good option for people to have.”
dugan, who spent this past Wintersession taking a textiles course in india, said they plan to continue partaking in Wintersession.
“i think it’s something i still see myself always wanting to opt into,” dugan added.
riSd sophomore Kaz bradley said they
felt the policy change would be helpful as long as it does not lengthen students’ graduation timeline.
bradley agreed with maintaining the mandatory Wintersession requirement for first-year students, referencing the fact that first-year students typically take a Wintersession class taught in a specific department of their choosing, rather than a foundational studio course.
“it’s really the only chance they get to test out a major,” bradley said. “it’s more likely for them to be satisfied with the major they pick if they are allowed that experience.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 25, 2025.
Former nursing center becomes Rhode Island’s first homeless shelter for adults over 55
BY PAVANI DURBHAKULA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
earlier this month, the formerly closed Charlesgate Nursing Center reopened its doors as the state’s first emergency temporary homeless shelter for homeless adults aged 55 and older. The shelter will start with 16 beds, aiming to host 40 adults by early March, and will be managed by amos House, a homelessness support agency.
in October 2024, the r i department of Housing “made a strategic decision to acquire this property to better position the state to address homelessness in the long term—and we are already seeing positive results,” Gov. dan McKee said in a press release announcing the opening of the shelter.
The housing department awarded amos House with around $1.2 million to fund operations at the shelter, which provides homeless adults with case management,
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inate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
On Wednesday, several teachers, students and families joined Tucker in criticizing the non-renewals. ahead of the meeting, over 100 community members were directed to sit in an overflow room that projected screens displaying a livestream of the meeting. The meeting lasted over four hours.
Wallace — a librarian at delSesto Middle School — said they are worried that their participation in community advocacy has “put a target on my back.”
“i’m an organizing teacher,” they said. “and it really, really matters. and when i organize, i get fired,” they added, referring to their non-renewal. The non-renewed staff members will finish out the remainder of their current contracts.
Wegimont emphasized that the PPSd follows a consistent, annual review process for “probationary teachers in their first three years of employment.” He did not directly re-
operations.
meals, medical support and assistance with finding permanent housing.
The new shelter “addresses a critical gap in rhode island’s homelessness strategy,” department of Housing spokesperson emily Marshall wrote in email to The Herald, adding that “older adults are among the fastest growing population experiencing homelessness.”
The rhode island Coalition to end
spond to a question about whether the teachers union involvement could have factored into their non-renewals.
Schluter — a teacher at delSesto Middle School — said that, as a new teacher, they are “learning and growing” and “actively seeking feedback.” They are currently enrolled in two graduate programs, which they said the PPSd is helping fund. in her letter to infante-Green and Montañez, Miller requested “an immediate review of these non-renewals, a clear explanation of the rationale behind them and a public commitment that no teacher will face retaliation for their gender identity or their role in labor organizing,” she wrote.
in a responding letter reviewed by The Herald, Montañez wrote that “we cannot comment on individual personnel matters.” but he continued to say that, “while these recommendations are not easy, we do believe that they are in the best interest of students and in improving teacher quality.”
The non-renewals come as the PPSd faces 132 Providence Teachers union vacancies,
Homelessness’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count estimated that around one in five rhode islanders experiencing homelessness on a single night in January were aged 55 and older. eric Hirsch, a sociology professor at Providence College and the director of the rhode island Homeless advocacy Project, also noted that the needs of older people “differ from the middle-aged,” necessitating an increase in “specialized shelters.”
representing 7% of PPSd teachers, according to Wegimont. Of those vacancies, 48 require english as a Second Language certification and five require bilingual certification.
at Wednesday’s meeting, community member emily Le May said they hoped to see “a reversal of the non-renewals.”
another community member, devra Levy ’19, said she wants “to see robust local district policies in place that protect all of our students and staff, especially LGbTQia+.”
Miro Meek, a senior at Classical High School and co-director of the Providence Student union Leadership Team, identified himself as transgender in a statement to the school board and emphasized that the overall lack of LGbTQ+ representation among teachers make students “question whether they can achieve the same things their cisgender heterosexual peers can.”
Paul Jones, a community member who attended the meeting in support of the non-renewed staff members, said that it’s important that kids have teachers from diverse backgrounds so that students can be
For instance, older adults are particularly vulnerable to becoming homeless because they are often on fixed incomes, like Social Security payments, Hirsch said.
relying on a fixed income means the elderly are “typically not able to adjust their budget to large monthly rent increases or pay back arrears if they fall behind in rent,” said Jennifer barrera, the chief strategy officer of the rhode island Coalition to end Homelessness.
Marshall also explained that many available homes do not always meet the accessibility and mobility needs of older adults.
“This new program allows us to address the specific needs of this population and bring us closer to the goal that no one should have to live on the streets,” eileen Hayes, president and CeO of amos House, wrote in the press release.
Though the Charlesgate shelter is a promising short-term response, many agree that more permanent housing solutions are needed.
“Shelters are not the preferred model for addressing homelessness because they are temporary, lack privacy and often don’t welcome couples or pets,” said rep.
“coming to a place where they’re accepted and they can be comfortable.”
Several community members testified at the meeting with anecdotes and support for Wallace, Tucker and Schluter.
Levy, who said she knows Wallace, noted their “super enthusiastic” personality.
“They’re a great advocate for their students,” Levy said.
“i need the board to stand up” on behalf of teachers to ride and PPSd leaders, Wallace said.
“These non-renewal notices come with
June Speakman (d-bristol, Warren), who chairs the rhode island House Commission on Housing affordability. “The preferred model is to provide permanent supportive housing with the support services that homeless rhode islanders need.”
“under Gov. McKee’s leadership, promoting homeownership has become a key priority, particularly for low and moderate-income rhode islanders,” Marshall said, referencing the recent $120 million housing bond approved by voters in November.
in January, Gov. McKee also said that the state has financed nearly 1,300 shelter beds, a 60% increase from the start of his administration.
“We should be addressing the needs of older adults experiencing housing instability before they reach the point of eviction and unsheltered homelessness,” barrera said.
For Hirsch, “the solution to this problem is permanent housing development.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 27,2025.
little explanation against the backdrop of a hostile federal political climate targeting the LGbTQ+ community, union organizing and public education as a whole,” wrote Taylor Kahn-Perry, OurSchoolsPVd alliance coordinator, in a statement from the advocacy organization.
Schluter emphasized that they “just want to continue to contribute to my community.” as an “out and proud educator,” Schluter hopes to “ensure that all of our queer students know they have someone that is listening to them,” they added.
What will not change in response to this policy is RISD fees — students will be paying the same amount they
Amos House awarded around $1.2 million to fund shelter operations
aNNa LueCHT / HeraLd
The housing department awarded Amos House with around $1.2 million to fund the shelter’s
PPSD
The non-renewals come as the PPSD faces 132 Providence Teachers Union vacancies, representing 7% of PPSD teachers.
SPORTS Bears’ Ivy Madness hopes dwindle following Saturday losses
The men’s and women’s basketball teams both stand in fifth place
BY COOPER HERMAN AND LYDELL DYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER AND SPORTS EDITOR
entering this weekend, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams ranked in fifth place within the ivy League. With only four games to go, they each needed a victory to qualify for the postseason.
yet on an unlucky Saturday for the bears, both teams suffered crushing defeats.
The men’s team fell 85-81 to Cornell, the current fourth seed in the ivy League, and the women’s team lost 60-57 to Harvard, the second seed in ivy League rankings.
Men’s basketball falls in last-second thriller versus Cornell
With seconds left in the game, the men’s basketball team (13-11, 5-6 ivy) trailed two points behind Cornell (14-10, 6-5 ivy). as the clock wound down, the Pizzitola Sports Center’s packed crowd watched the bears’ final effort to try to steal the game and grasp a fourth-straight home victory.
With the game on the line, the bears placed their hopes on the program’s most prolific three point shooter: Kino Lilly Jr ’25, whose 323 career threes have cemented him in brown history as an all-time great. unfortunately for brown, Lilly’s layup attempt was denied by Cornell’s aK Okereke. Netting two free throws after a brown foul, the big red clinched the 85-81 victory. a ton of credit to Cornell for how they played from the opening tip,” Head Coach Mike Martin ’04 said in a statement to brown athletics. “We worked really hard and fought like crazy to get back in the game.”
“We took a lead for a short time and got the game tied with under three minutes to go,” Martin said, referencing a jumper by Lilly Jr. that tied the game at 79-79 with 2:58 left. but then Cornell was able to score four points in quick succession, putting the win just out of brown’s reach.
Following the loss, brown ranks fifth in ivy League play. With only three more face-offs until ivy Madness, the bears must collect more wins than either Princeton or Cornell, who both have six ivy victories. but facing the top two teams in the last two weeks of the season — yale (18-6, 11-0 ivy) and dartmouth (13-11, 7-4 ivy) — will not be an easy task.
Senior Night at the Pizz — women’s basketball vs Harvard brown basketball player Mady Calhoun in possession of the ball.
despite an impressive effort on Saturday that featured a 17-point performance from Grace arnolie ’26, the women’s basketball team (10-14, 4-7 ivy) suffered a heartbreaking 60-57 loss at home against Harvard (203, 9-2 ivy).
Saturday marked the team’s last home game of the season, with The bears honoring senior-duo isabella Mauricio ’25 and Gianna aiello ’25. Mauricio has certainly left her
mark on College Hill as one of the bears’ best three-point shooters in recent history. during her freshman year, Mauricio set the record for most three-pointers made by a freshman in program history at 70 three-pointers. as a sophomore, she led the bears with 54 three-pointers; when she hit the same amount of triples as a junior, she finished second among the team.
“Super disappointed that we didn’t pull off this great win especially for our senior class,” Head Coach Monique Leblanc said in a statement to brown athletics. “We certainly wanted to get them a really big win on their home court today, and fell just short.” despite the loss, the bears started Saturday’s contest off strong, shooting at an efficient rate of 42% from the floor and 44% from three. Fueled by a combined 17 points from aiello, Mady Calhoun ’26, beth Nel son ’26, Grace arnolie ’26, aima Ofunrein ’28 and Olivia young ’27, the bears held a four point lead over the Crimson after the first quarter.
The second quarter featured more of the same for brown, who went toe-to-toe with Harvard on the scoreboard. after both teams produced a 14-point second quarter, the bears narrowly led 31-27 at the half. it was the Crimson’s third-quarter of fensive storm that put the bears behind. Facilitating their offense well and getting high-percentage shots, Harvard outscored brown 20-12. The bears, while finding some scoring opportunities from around the arc, could not manage to match the intensity with which the Crimson scored. bruno en tered the fourth trailing 47-43. in the fourth quarter, brown doubled down on the defensive, making it much harder for the Crimson to execute their sets and forcing turnovers.
“Our defensive intensity was really
How Brown can make Ivy Madness
Here’s how the basketball teams can still make the tournament
BY CALEB ELLENBERG DATA CHIEF
On March 15 and 16, ivy Madness — the ivy League’s basketball playoffs — is coming to the Pizzitola Sports Center for the first time in the tournament’s history. but it remains to be seen whether either of brown’s basketball teams will be playing on home court.
With three games to go in the regular season, the bears are still trying to earn a top four position in ivy standings. The men (13-11, 5-6 ivy) sit in fifth place after breaking their three-game win streak this Saturday night in a crushing loss to Cornell at the Pizz. The women’s team (10-14, 4-7 ivy) competed at home as well this weekend and suffered a similarly down-to-the-wire defeat against Harvard. The
women now sit in fifth place. Only the top four teams in the regular season standings will advance to the postseason. but neither team’s hopes are over. The men will travel to Harvard and dartmouth this weekend. Though the match-up against second-ranked dartmouth will be tough to win, Friday’s contest against Harvard, who have the same number of ivy victories as brown, is a must-win situation for the bears.
The women are also on the road, facing Columbia and Cornell. Columbia leads the ivy League with ten victories, but the game against sixth place Cornell should give the bears an excellent opportunity to collect another win and make up ground in the standings.
The Herald’s data desk has built an interactive tool to explore the standings scenarios based on the outcomes of the final 12 games across both the men’s and the women’s teams.
The women’s team, who have not qualified for ivy Madness since the first tournament in 2017, are looking to flip the narrative this year.
high-level,” Leblanc said. “We were really trying to make it tough to get quality shots at the rim, and i think we did that throughout the game.” despite outscoring the Crimson in the final quarter, Harvard’s elena rodriguez stifled the bears’ hopes with a layup seconds before the end of regulation, leading to a 60-57 loss for brown.
Saturday’s loss reduced the likelihood of the bears clinching an ivy Madness spot, as Columbia (19-5, 10-1 ivy) and Princeton (18-6, 9-2 ivy) snatched two of the four spots with wins last week. Sitting at fifth place in the ivy League standings, brown must now shift their attention to the ivy League’s top team and their next opponent: Columbia.
The bears will travel to play the Lions on Friday at 4 pm at the Levien Gymnasium in New york City.
Three wins in a row — men’s basketball defeats Columbia on Friday night Kino Lilly Jr. '25 drove the lane on Cornell.
On Friday night, a day before the loss to Cornell set back the bears’ ivy Madness hopes, the men’s team took a triumphant 86-61 victory over Columbia (12-12, 1-10 ivy). Friday night’s demolition featured double-digit performances from four separate players, with alexander Lesbert Jr. ’26 leading the team with 20-points.
message to brown athletics. “every game is such a challenge and we shot the ball pretty well tonight and obviously we started the game terrific on offense.”
The bears, led by an aaron Cooley ’25 dunk to initiate the second half, took to the court with a wide lead. With 17:25 to play, Lesburt Jr. and Wrisby-Jefferson combined for 15 points, trading shots back and forth, propelling brown to a 62-37 advantage.
Over the next 12 minutes, the bears doubled-down offensively, claiming a game-high 28-point lead with three minutes to go. When the final whistle blew, brown emerged with a whopping 25-point advantage.
Throughout the contest, brown whalloped Columbia in almost every statistical category. Winning the points-in-the-paint battle 50-22, leading the field goal battle 35-21 and winning the three-point battle 9-5, the bears’ offense was too much for the Lions to contain.
Looking ahead, the bears will face Harvard (10-14, 5-6 ivy) on Friday at 5 p.m. both teams have five ivy League victories and trail just one win behind Cornell and Princeton. Given the tough upcoming match-ups against dartmouth and yale, Friday night’s game is a must-win situation if the bears have any shot at the postseason.
Following Saturday’s loss, the women are on a five-game losing streak and have only one more chance to avoid a winless February. Still, the team’s early season success has shown that they are capable of playing at a high level. in late January, bruno went on a threegame win streak, defeating Cornell, dart mouth and Penn. The win against Penn was especially crucial, as the Quakers now hold the elusive fourth spot in ivy standings. Columbia, Harvard and Princeton have already clinched the top three seeds in the tournament, so in order to make the postseason, brown will have to surpass Penn. Fortunately for brown, there is still hope. Though the bears face number one seeded Columbia first, their next two opponents, Cornell and yale, rest near the bottom of ivy standings. For the talented brown roster, a 2-1 record is more than reasonable and if the team can revive their January prowess, even a 3-0 record is within reach.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on
View interactive standing scenarios website at browndailyherald.com.
Quakers. For their part, Penn will face off against dartmouth, currently a 2-win team, as well as Harvard and Princeton, who sit in second and third place in the ivy with 9 wins each. in a scenario in which all games are won by the team with a better ivy record, brown would go 2-1, beating Cornell and yale, while Penn would go 1-2, beating only dartmouth. That would put Penn ahead of brown by the third tiebreaker using the NCaa NeT ranking, since the teams would have an even head-tohead record (the first tiebreaker) and identical records against every other ivy team (the second tiebreaker). T rankings are updated by the after every game. Penn rown by just 12 places, rown could conceivably gain T ranking tiebreaker
aNdreW HSieH / HeraLd
Yet on an unlucky Saturday for the Bears, both teams suffered crushing defeats. BASKETBALL
Women’s swimming and diving splashes into third consecutive fourth-place Ivy finish
The Bears broke five program records in an impressive showing
BY GUS BAILEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The women’s swimming and diving team made waves at the ivy League Championships last week, totaling 998.50 points and splashing into a fourth-place finish. Over the course of the four-day meet, the bears blew five school records out of the water.
but falling just shy of the podium for the third year in a row, the bears are still trying to pull into the top three.
“Harvard, yale and Princeton have dominated ivy League swimming,” Jenna reznicek ’25 wrote in a message to The Herald. “However, for the past couple of years, our team has been pushing to break up the longstanding HyP trio.”
On Wednesday, bruno came out hot, placing second in the 800-meter freestyle relay with a time of 7:09.54 and fourth in the 200 medley relay, finishing in 1:39.76. by the end of the first night, bruno was in second place with 108 points, only trailing behind Princeton’s 120.
but the next day, the bears sunk into fifth place, even with anna Podurgiel’s ’25 new program record in the prelims of the 200-meter individual medley. also competing on Thursday were Crystal yuen ’28, who finished sixth
overall in the 500-meter freestyle, and Lily Klinginsmith ’26, who secured 10th place in the 50-meter freestyle.
On Friday, the bears flip-turned back, climbing up to the fourth overall spot.
Sumner Chmielewski ’26 started the night off with a bang, finishing third in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:12.97, shattering her own program record. reznicek followed Chmielewski’s record-breaking time with one of her own, blazing through the 100-meter backstroke with a program-record time of 52.25 seconds for a second-place
finish.
“My adrenaline is high whenever i race the 100 backstroke, but the extra component of the emotional drive of knowing it was my last opportunity surely contributed to giving me that extra push,” reznicek wrote. “There is also an energy at the ivy Championship Meet — the roaring cheering, full stands and the presence of all eight ivy teams, that gives you a rush like no other meet during the season and breeds fast swims.”
The people around reznicek were “instrumental in achieving this milestone,”
she wrote. “i could not have gone that time without the unwavering support of Coach Kate (Kovenock), Coach Niko (Fantakis), and my teammates.” reznicek was also crucial to another record-setting performance on Friday, as she partnered with ellie brault ’25, Klinginsmith and yuen to finish the 400-meter medley relay with a time of 3:36.64, another program record. Klinginsmith added a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter butterfly.
On the diving board, elena yeh ’26 led the way for brown, placing 14th in the 3-me-
A weekend of medals: Brown Athletics stuns across the board
Women’s track and field, gymnastics, softball end weekend with wins
BY LYDELL DYER SPORTS EDITOR
While attentive eyes around campus turned to the ivy Madness-hopeful men’s and women’s basketball teams, brown’s athletes delivered standout performances across the board.
On College Hill, the women’s track and field team took home the gold at the brown invitational, while the women’s gymnastics team placed second in the ivy Classic. in Princeton, the women’s swimming and diving team finished fourth in the ivy League Championships. in South Carolina, the softball team started out the season 3-2, and the women’s ice hockey team brought their season to a close in the playoffs.
Women’s track and field takes first place, men’s third at Brown Invitational On Saturday, the track team hosted the brown invitational, their second home event of the season. Competing against 11 other teams, the women’s team took home first place with 120 points, while the men placed third with 73 points.
Chidinma agbasi ’25 once again led the bears, building on her program-record 19.72-meter weight throw at the yale invitational two weeks ago. With an impressive 18.98-meter effort, agbasi took home first place on Saturday, the final home performance of her career.
“i think that competing at home really helped me remember to have fun and enjoy this sport,” agbasi wrote in a message to The Herald. “it’s really easy to get caught up in distances, how you’re competing and how your opponents are doing. i am grateful to have had the opportunity to compete at this meet and be recognized as a senior.” apart from the weight throw, brown dominated the 1000-meter race across both
teams. Julia Schriefer ’26 spearheaded the women’s team, clinching a gold medal with a time of two minutes and 56.66 seconds.
On the men’s end, Colin Fisher ’28 raced to a first-place victory, while also setting a new personal record of 2:30.59.
Matching this dynamic, the men’s and women’s teams both saw silver medal finishers in the 500-meter race. Katrina Sortland ’27 clinched the second spot for the women with a time of 1:17.94, and the men’s Cameron Walter ’28 won the silver in 1:07.07.
as the home crowd looked on, the bears continued to secure medals in event after event. in 7.09 seconds, Skyler Hall ’27 raced to second in the men’s 60-meter finals. Luke bodden ’28 took home a silver medal in the mile run with a time of 4:35.05. Nick Strayer ’28 finished third in the men’s 500 in 1:08.98, and Sam Colton ’25 won the bronze in the 3000-meter race after 8:49.31. Capping off the night, Zoe Carter-Konate ’26 earned a podium position as well, taking third place with a 16.93-meter effort in the weight throw.
“The team is very locked in,” agbasi wrote about the upcoming ivy League Heptagonal indoor Championships. “We all recognize that we have been training for this and know that this is our time to execute.”
“each and every one of us winning, Pring and scoring points is well within reach,” she
added. “We have taken on the mindset that no one is better than us. We will compete with all of our hearts and we will support our teammates in all that we do.”
The bears will next compete at Heps on March 1. Last year, the women’s team finished in fourth place, while the men’s placed fifth.
Gymnastics places second in Ivy Classic
On Sunday, the women’s gymnastics team (6-9, 4-4 ivy) competed in the ivy Classic in ithaca, N.y. With a cumulative score of 194.800, the bears finished just behind Penn. brown opened the competition with an electric performance on the floor, scoring 49.100 points — the eighth highest score in program history. during the floor event, Maya davis ’25, who is also a staff writer for The Herald, stunned the crowd with a shattering 9.900 routine — an effort that earned her the individual ivy Title. apart from the floor, bruno excelled on the beams, scoring 49.175 points and setting a new program record. For the second time of the day, an athlete, emily Ford ’27, clinched an individual ivy Title with an impressive score of 9.900.
Throughout the day, the bears secured eight all-ivy Classic honors. in addition to davis’s and Ford’s ivy Titles, avery Walters ’28 won all-ivy honors in all three of her
ter dive with a score of 245.75.
On Saturday, bruno had one more record-breaking swim in store: Kelly dolce ’26, Zehra bilgin ’25, yuen and Klinginsmith teamed up for a second-place showing in the 400-meter freestyle relay, finishing in 3:17.16.
The tournament marked the last ivy League championships for this year’s graduating class.
“For too long, i was consumed by the need to consistently improve and live up to self-imposed expectations, which created constant pressure,” reznicek wrote. “When i really flipped the switch, to focus less on the times, and to embrace gratitude, being present and prioritizing my teammates, that’s when i discovered the deeper joy in the sport.”
She’s confident that even after she’s gone, the bears will continue their push to break into the Harvard-yale-Princeton trio.
“during my time at brown, this team has nearly rewritten the entire record board,” she wrote. “We are on the rise, and i have tremendous faith in our direction.”
“brown women’s swim and dive is the most gritty, persevering and dedicated group of women i have ever known, and i know the hard work put in day in and day out will pay off,” she added. “embrace the process, and your performances will naturally follow.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 26, 2025.
events: the floor, the beam and the bars. Capping the list are Sophia dewar ’26 on vault, Lindsay Van eyk ’27 on the beam and Liza Marcus ’26 on the floor.
The gymnastics team will host rhode island College and Southern Connecticut State at the Pizzitola Sports Center on March 2 at 2 p.m.
Women’s ice hockey playoff hopes fall short in first-round loss
Two weeks ago, the women’s ice hockey team (14-13-3) concluded a historic regular season, qualifying for the eastern Collegiate athletic Conference Playoffs and securing the team’s most regular season wins since the 2005-06 season. Last Saturday, they took on union College in the first round of the playoffs. despite outshooting the Garnet Chargers 35-25 throughout the game, the bears were unable to break past union’s goalkeeper and were held scoreless. in an unfortunate repeat of their January matchup — which ended 2-1 in union’s favor — brown lost again, this time falling 2-0.
“We approached the game with a great deal of purpose and were prepared to execute,” Head Coach Melanie ruzzi said in a message to brown athletics. “We threw everything at them offensively and sustained (our) offense for long stretches but just couldn't break through.”
For the bears’ five seniors — Cameron Sikich ’25, Paige Gross ’25, abby Hancock ’25, anna Shelden ’25 and Jess Ciarrocchi ’25 — Saturday’s game marked their last opportunity to play at home.
For Sikich, Saturday’s game also concluded a 48-block, 13-assist and 5-goal season. Sikich’s efforts were recognized with the Honorable Mention all-ivy honor for the third year in a row. She was also nominated to the academic all-ivy team.
i personally owe a great deal to this senior class for their commitment to brown Hockey, to driving this program forward and for accepting our staff,” ruzzi said. “it will be a tough reality to not have practice to look
forward to on Monday with this group of women, but i am so thankful for four years with them.”
apart from Sikich, Monique Lyons ’28 was also recognized for her successful 14-goal season. appointed to the eCaC all-rookie team, Lyons’s lethal shooting landed her among the top-ten goal scorers in the conference.
Softball debuts with double-header victories, while baseball loses four consecutive games
On Friday, the softball team (3-2) kicked off their season with a five-game weekend competition in rock Hill, South Carolina. in their first showing under new Head Coach Mary Holt-Kelsch, the bears throttled youngstown State 13-2 and defeated Winthrop 6-2 — the first time the team has started a season 2-0 since 2010.
Though the game against Winthrop started slowly, bruno’s offense gradually gained traction, unleashing a seven-run flurry in the seventh inning.
Leah Carey ’25 starred in the victory, collecting three runs and three runs batted in. alyssa Villarde ’27 scored two runs of her own, and both amanda deng ’28 and abby bettencourt ’28 helped the offense with one run batted in each.
brown’s scoring petered out after the offensive barrages during the first two games. by the second day of competition, in which the bears faced Le Moyne and St. Johns, bruno only scored three runs, losing both games.
but by Sunday, the bears were back and delivered a forceful 10-5 performance against youngstown.
“Great weekend to see a lot of great things and learn what we as a team really need to invest in our time this week,” HoltKelsch said in a message to brown athletics.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 27, 2025.
The tournament marked the last Ivy League championships for this year’s graduating class. Women's swim is pictured above at the 2024 Women’s Swim and Dive Ivy Championship.
Last Saturday, the women's ice hockey team took on Union College in the first round of the playoffs.
Letter from the Editor
I’ve never considered myself a creative type. I long for structure and neatly-within-the-box thinking, despite my best efforts to create something wholly original. Though this preference has always made it challenging for me to adopt a creative hobby, I recently found an exception—an outlet grounded in precision with room for experimentation: cooking. I admittedly haven’t had much direct experience in the kitchen beyond Cooking Mama on my DSi. My mother, bless her heart, is a wonderful cook, but is staunchly anti-measurements and instructions. We can’t help but laugh as I try to convert her “cucharaditas” and “tilíns” and “chorritos” into measurable quantities over the phone. I suppose that’s where the creativity comes in—filling in the gaps to prevent these dishes from getting lost in translation.
Our writers this week are also looking inward and feeling inspired. In Feature, Sydney processes her fears about the future as she traverses a frozen lake, while Ellyse meditates on the fragility of maintaining equilibrium. In post-pourri,
Rchin contemplates consciousness upon building a snowman. For two of our writers, home is where the heart is. In Narrative, Ben describes the evolution of his relationship with his home in Connecticut as he’s acclimated to life in Rhode Island. Meanwhile in A&C, Alyssa explains how growing up in New Jersey cultivated her thrill-seeking behavior, and how this is reinforced by the band Bleachers’ fast-paced music. As for our other A&C piece, Chelsea talks about The People and how this play inspired her to write about social issues. Our remaining three pieces are best described as odes to creation. In Narrative, Sarah begins making flower arrangements in light of her grandmother’s passing. And in Lifestyle, Katherine reflects on her time at Brown through the process of making kombucha, while Gabi shares with us her love of crafting and knitting. As a delightfully fitting end to this issue, make sure to do the post-themed crossword puzzle by Ishan!
Don’t get me wrong, I know I can always fall back on NYT Cooking for recipes like lemony garlicky miso gochujang brown butter gnocchi and Marry Me Chicken—which I’ve made one too many times for it to be subtle hint-dropping. But if I truly want to keep my culture alive, if I want to share every meal with my parents (even from afar), I must take a page out of my mom’s recipe-less book and develop my own culinary intuition. And while that’s daunting for an amateur chef like me, I’m excited to harness my creativity— to trust my gut. I implore you to do the same, dear Readers, and see where your instincts take you. Take the paths less traveled by and pave some new ones along the way. And if they just so happen to lead you to our latest issue of post-, then you’ll know it was meant to be.
Narrative Managing Editor
Like Glass
“Has anyone done a bit that’s just Goldilocks and her three bears, but it’s three gay guys?”
“I bet Portland does have Subarus and it’s probably because of the lesbians, not the other way around.”
Professors
1. Ms. Frizzle
Plum 3. Bill Nye 4. Grace Talusan 5. Dumbledore
6. Rashid Zia
7. Rate My
8. The one from Dead Poets Society
9. Neil deGrasse Tyson
10. X
by Ishan Khurana
Across Post ____ something sent in the mail 1 5 Kind of cabbage with wrinkled leaves Picture Biological group 6 Post-it ____ (something that sticks on walls) 8 7
Small movie role for a star 1 _____-garde
“Neither boyhood nor girlhood have rung true for me, nor do I think they ever will. I”m stuck, precariously toeing the line between the two, splitting my personality in messy halves and assigning each piece to a side.”
— Audrey Wijono, “Boyhood and Me”
“Fall is the most delicate season. The way the leaves crinkle, changing color so romantically, falling for us to step through like clouds, shortlived and fleeting. The breeze tickling us each time we walk outside without a jacket serves as a reminder of what is to come.”
— Gabi Yuan, “The Delightful Ever Changing of Seasons” 02.17.23
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
FEATURE
Puente
NARRATIVE
Section
Scoundrel, or the name of a Star Wars movie (_____ one) Changes the color of, of fabric ____ post (something that guides travelers toward a destination) 4 2 3 5
Chelsea Long
LIFESTYLE Managing Editor
Tabitha Lynn
Section Editors Daniella Coyle
Hallel Abrams Gerber
POST-POURRI
Managing Editor Susanne Kowalska
Section Editor Olivia Stacey
HEAD ILLUSTRATORS
Junyue Ma
Kaitlyn Stanton
Section
LAYOUT CHIEF
Layout Designers
Alexa Gay
James Farrington
Irene Park
STAFF WRITERS
Nina Lidar
Gabi Yuan
Lynn Nguyen Ben Herdeg
Daphne Cao Indigo Mudbhary
Ishan Khurana
Sofie Zeruto
Sydney Pearson Ayoola Fadahunsi
Samira Lakhiani
Ellyse Givens
CROSSWORD AJ Wu
Ishan Khurana
Lily Coffman
COMMENTARY
Tribe ’27:
Democracy is under attack. Where is your outrage?
e xperts are calling it a coup. Law professors warn of a constitutional crisis. a nd we’re just one month into the second Trump administration.
Less than a year ago, the Main Green was home to b rown’s Gaza solidarity encampment. The banners were big, the letters were red, the flags were raised. you couldn’t miss it. Hundreds of b rown students rallied in protest, refusing to let the university turn a blind eye to the bloodshed in Gaza. The student body flexed its activism muscles and proved that the university’s long tradition of protest lives on. yet today, walking across the Main Green, you would never know that a full-scale assault on a merican democracy is occurring before our eyes. a ction is long overdue.
in The Herald’s opinion pages, one op-ed urges us to speak out about the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Sudan. a nother demands that b rown take legal action against President Trump’s efforts to halt federal grants and loans for higher education. yet another implores b rown’s liberal students to engage in conversation with their conservative peers. The writers make excellent points but have yet to comment on the elephant in the room: the conspicuous lack of resistance on campus to the second Trump administration.
For those of us aspiring to be doctors, lawyers, journalists or federal employees — and especially those of us who hold identities implicated by Trump’s war on diversity, equity and inclusion — our career prospects are in jeopardy. Trump has launched a plan to slash funding for medical re -
search. The independence of the Justice d epartment is under attack, and federal agents and prosecutors, perceived as enemies of the administration, are being forced to resign or otherwise be fired. Trump has pledged to jail journalists whose coverage he disagrees with. Thousands of federal workers have been fired in Trump and Musk’s ongoing government purge, many in violation of stat-
This is about Gaza, which Trump has proposed to seize, and Sudan, where conditions are increasingly dire in the wake of Trump’s decision to pull the plug on the u.S. a gency for international d evelopment. This is about trans rights and gay rights, immigrant rights and women’s rights and the right to birthright citizenship. This is about so many issues that it’s overwhelming and exhausting.
It’s time to shake off the hibernation and go to the mat for our values. Democracy should go out not with a whimper, but with a roar. “
“
utes requiring due process. So many of the jobs we’ve worked toward for years are simply disappearing.
Many of us, though — especially the wealthy and white — will be okay. Many of us can afford to be complacent. b ut since when have we let that stop us from taking action? We cannot separate the wanton destructiveness of this administration from everything we claim to care about.
it is often easier to ignore the catastrophic headlines and focus on the things we can control. This is an understandable method of coping, but a dangerous one. a s Masha Gessen writes in “Surviving autocracy,” there are two main ways in which we navigate the anxiety of living in the age of Trump. One is to accept it. a nother is to “stop paying attention, disengage and retreat to one’s private sphere. b oth approaches are victories for
Trump in his attack on politics.” So, what do we do? We do what we do so well at b rown. We organize, we protest and we make noise.
On Saturday, hundreds rallied at the r hode island State House to protest Musk and the Trump administration. b ut up on College Hill, campus was quiet. b rown should be at the forefront of these demonstrations, standing alongside our Providence community in resistance. The momentum is there, and it’s time for us to join in.
a s Timothy Synder puts it in “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,” “generic cynicism makes us feel hip and alternative even as we slip along with our fellow citizens into a morass of indifference.” i refuse to believe that b rown is a community ruled by cynicism. a t b rown, it is cool to care. So let’s exercise our right to protest while we still have it. a merica has opened the door to fascism, but we don’t have to stand idly by as Trump ushers it in.
b runonians, you have been uncharacteristically quiet in the face of this assault on our bedrock a merican principles. it’s time to shake off the hibernation and go to the mat for our values. d emocracy should go out not with a whimper, but with a roar.
Isabel Tribe ’27 can be reached at isabel_tribe@brown. edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@ browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
Editorial: Students must not be protected from debate
This week, the brown Political union was planning to host a Monday debate on the topic of whether local police should cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. in response, the dream Team, a student organization representing undocumented students at brown, wrote that it was “out of touch” by putting their community’s existence up for debate. Just one hour before the event, bPu announced the event would be rescheduled. in a later statement, bPu explained the postponement was due to a misunderstanding about Student activities Office requirements. The topic of the debate was deeply offensive for many, but it is these personal stakes that make it even more important to show up and engage in conversations rather than withdraw from debate.
We recognize the immense difficulty of the current political moment, especially and disproportionately for our undocumented peers. although the american immigration system has undoubtedly been broken for a long time, President Trump’s mass deportation policy is cruel, counterproductive and contradictory to our american values. it is because of these truths and our commitment to free speech that we believe the debate must go on. as famously stated by Supreme Court Justice William brandeis, the solution to harmful speech is
“more speech, not enforced silence.”
We applaud the dream Team’s initial call to rally its supporters to speak at the event. We firmly believe that a diversity of voices is necessary to cultivate successful pedagogy. However, we hope that this rallying is to participate in the debate and not to ensure it doesn’t happen.
ty’s response to federal immigration policy. When students graduate from brown, they not only leave College Hill but also break apart from a political bubble. To fulfill the university’s mission, brown students ought to learn how to engage with a world full of ideas, even those they disagree with.
The backlash the debate received is part of a
Confronting opposing views on topics that have personal stakes should only provide more motivation to speak out. “ “
The subject of the bPu’s event — whether local police should assist with federal immigration enforcement — is not merely a “theoretical exercise,” as the dream Team put it, but a daily reality for local officials contemplating their communi-
growing trend at brown and across the country to disengage from dialogue with those holding opposing views. Part of the tension felt on campus over the past year stems from an unwillingness to engage with peers who think differently than us. Con-
fronting opposing views on topics that have personal stakes should only provide more motivation to speak out. after all, these are the kinds of conversations that one would face when dealing with politicians, lobbyists and people in positions of power.
Cancelling events intended to promote dialogue — whether due to bureaucratic process or external political pressure — is troubling. brown must remain a place where difficult conversations can occur without fear of disruption or administrative interference. When the bPu event is rescheduled, we call on all students to engage in the discussion rather than suppress it.
intellectual growth does not come from silencing opposing viewpoints but from confronting them head-on. Only through open discourse can we cultivate a campus that truly values knowledge, critical thinking and the pursuit of truth.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board, and its views are separate from those of The Herald’s newsroom and the 135th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. This editorial was written by Ethan Canfield ’28, Rchin Bari ’28, Paul Hudes ’27, Ben
Davis ’27: Brown students can create a new Republican Party
The contemporary american political imagination became acquainted with cruelty in 2016. President Trump’s first election campaign was laced with obscenities that grew to be taboo in the new 21st-century liberal america. His campaign championed slogans like “build the Wall” and a crowning jewel of his first administration was his inflammatory “Muslim ban.” yet, americans decided we didn’t mind and then we decided we didn’t mind again. The second Trump era, more brazen and bold than ever, has crossed lines that even a five-years-younger Trump would’ve never dared to. Cruelty is back in style, and it seems to be here to stay, but is there anything we can do about it? at brown, yes, there is.
This past January, New york Magazine released a cover story titled “The Cruel Kids Table,” detailing a party of Millennial and Generation Z conservatives the night of the inauguration. While enjoying their victory lap, the reporter sought to understand what drew those young americans to Trumpism. Many of their answers could be summed up succinctly: they just wanted to be
able to say slurs again. Currently, our nation’s capital is filled with staffers and political pundits who believe that successful politics is achieved through an ability to knock others down. but at brown we think a little differently. despite my scathing review of andrew yang’s policy stances, he said one thing i believe to be true: brown students will fix the world Harvard students break. brown university’s emphasis on collaboration rather than competition and learning rather than grades equips students with a holistic approach to pursuing a more perfect union. The Open Curriculum encourages us to engage with the world in a meaningful way that transcends the banality of academic life. We are not bound by a predetermined set of philosophies that dictate our moral understanding. We create the collection of lessons within the university’s course offerings that will best prepare us to pursue our unique ambitions. Our well-roundedness equips us with the empathy to combat the cruelty that currently plagues our political discourse.
and yes, while brown’s political constitution leans substantially left, this is not a conversation solely about a political party. i don’t believe that conservatism and cruelty are inextricable. during the first Trump term, adam Serwer rose to popularity with his book “Cruelty is the Point.” but it doesn’t have to be. brown has the ability to produce a new republican, one that doesn’t rely on the low-hanging tactics of cruelty currently demonstrated by party leaders. This republican could still want less federal involvement while understanding that pausing all federal aid is disruptive and will negatively affect the lives of nearly all americans. brown is a school where success is not a zero-sum game. it’s a place where students don’t believe that providing Mexican immigrants an efficient and legal pathway to citizenship is going to take away from brown student’s opportunities. brown is a school that understands the importance of learning the diverse perspectives of our nation’s history. it’s a place that puts forth students who will advocate for the historically disad-
vantaged.
The era of “compassionate conservatism” — a political philosophy that prioritizes disadvantaged citizens using the government, charities and faith-based organizations — that President George W. bush campaigned on does not have to be a forgotten concept. While we are allowed to disagree on the best way to support our country’s marginalized communities, we cannot disagree about the existence of said communities.
as Trump continues to flex his executive muscles and his supporters justify these extreme abuses of power in the name of “Making america Great again,” we must remember that as brown students, we are charged to make our country kinder.
Christian Davis ’27 can be reached at christian_davis @brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
Aizenberg ’26, Tas Rahman ’26 and Meher Sandhu ’25.5.
Tao ’27: I’m the main character (and so are you)
One summer, my sister and i attended a community boating camp, where we came across a girl who looked eerily like Miranda Cosgrove. My sister and i joked that we had clearly stumbled into a sailing-themed disney Channel movie, wherein we were merely a comic relief duo and the Miranda lookalike was the main character. Our generation’s love for books, movies, TV shows and video games has spilled over into the way we imagine our personal lives: “i’m doing some sidequests this summer.” “He went through some serious character development this year.” “it’s a canon event.” “i’m in my Herald columnist era.” imagining life as a narrative is nothing new (Just look at Shakespeare’s “all the world’s a stage” speech). but, with the dawn of new media, this social phenomenon has exploded. Just consider the instagram story, where you can be the cinematographer, costume designer, composer and director of your own life’s movie. One might think this type of narrative self-indulgence can only produce egotism, but this needn’t be the case.
The philosophy of imagining your life as a story has no shortage of opponents. as movies like “The Truman Show” teach us, mining life for entertainment value can be both exploitative and inauthentic. Media can give us unrealistic, if not harmful, expectations about real life: For instance, if you expect dating to be like a rom-com, you will be disappointed. The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are nothing more than silhouettes on the wall of Plato’s cave, right? Foremost among the criticisms of narrativism is the cultural backlash against main character syndrome, which some call a modern variety of delusional narcissism. The subreddit “r/imTheMainCharacter,” with 1.3 million members, is dedicated to videos of people publicly acting like “they’re the center of the world and worthy of all the attention,” according to the subreddit’s description. Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher claims that elon Musk is one
Barth Wu ’26:
it is a truth locally acknowledged that the rhode island School of design is cooler than brown university. This encompasses all manner of things: clothing, people and, so i have heard, the food.
unlike brown’s street-accessible dining halls, riSd’s dining hall, The Met, is located behind swipe-access only doors and perched three stories above a private courtyard. if you want to eat there, you either have to be a riSd student or have an inside source. Fortunately, i had a generous accomplice to grant me access to the world of charcoal-smudged fingers and avant garde pants.
upon entering, i was struck by the height of the ceilings, especially the two-story tall brick chimney with a wood-fired pizza oven at its base. To my left was a balcony sprinkled with twinkling lights, and an outstanding variety of chairs — red, orange, yellow, blue, wooden and metal — was scattered about the hall.
The Met has the typical features of a college dining hall. For instance, there’s a pizza line and a salad bar. you can get soup if you so please. but there are also some quirks. There’s a permanent miso soup dispenser and a drum-sized rice cooker that offers infinite quantities of steamed white rice. The grill station makes food to order, and, once you collect your meal, you can visit the condiment counter with its 15 sauces and six spices.
Orbiting the chimney, i filled two plates and a bowl with things to taste before finally settling in a yellow chair. i gravitated first to the chicken fried rice with kimchi, which had crispy edges and just a hint of sweetness. Scallions — little onion sprites — were generously sprinkled throughout. although i didn’t actually find any chicken, i did excavate a delightful bite of cabbage. Satisfied and, frankly, impressed, i turned my attention to a fiery red pile of gochujang tofu. Cubes of fried tofu and caramelized onions boasted a generous coating of the spicy Korean fermented chili paste. everything was well-salted, but the flavor was one-dimensional — mostly just gochujang.
The main entree offered this evening was a Jap-
such egomaniac. Swisher believes that Musk, influenced by video games, thinks that he’s the hero of the great tale of humanity, and everyone else is just a non-player character, more commonly known as an NPC.
These pitfalls of narrativism — inauthenticity, self-delusion and narcissism — are real. but when deployed wisely, stories can be a powerful tool for empathy rather than narcissism. using stories to un-
“
om your own first. your own inner life — memories, desires, life trajectory, values — serve as a point of reference for understanding the inner lives of others. Psychologically speaking, a concept of self is a prerequisite for empathy. and if thinking of yourself as a book protagonist helps you develop a concept of self, power to you.
as any comparative literature concentrator will tell you to justify their degree, reading fiction makes
These pitfalls of narrativism — inauthenticity, self-delusion and narcissism — are real. But when deployed wisely, stories can be a powerful tool for empathy rather than narcissism.
“
derstand our own lives and those of others is one of the reasons why humans tell stories. One of my favorite words — sonder — refers to the sensation of realizing that everyone around you leads a life just as rich and complex as yours, in which you merely play a secondary or background role. it’s realizing that, yes, you’re the main character of your story, but everyone else is the main character of theirs too. Sonder will change your life. and, importantly, sonder requires that you first indulge in some level of main character syndrome. before you can fathom the depths of someone else’s story, you have to fath-
us more empathetic. When you read an emotionally immersive book, you step into the shoes of the main character. empathizing with fictional characters can be practice for empathizing with real people. When your friends “drop their lore,” listen as if you’re reading a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for the first time. This language can extend beyond how you think about your relationships and also help with how you actively form them. Movies, books, TV shows and video games are a shared cultural touchstone. in the same way that the american ritual of baseball has been a source of countless idioms in american en-
glish, using narrative references to describe your life unites us in the language of shared popular culture. When you say something like, “He’s the Jim to my Pam,” you provide fans of The Office with a familiar roadmap to understand your story. in my life, i’ve watched my best friends’ character arcs play out over the years, through the good, bad and mid seasons. i’ve watched them grow, change and make hard choices. For some friends, like my sister and those from my childhood, i was a major player right away. For others, i advanced slowly from being a background extra to a main cast member. i’ve played many archetypes in my career: best friend, mentor, rival, trickster, nerd, love interest and comic relief. For some, i’ve been in the writer’s room. For others, just an enthusiastic audience member. regardless of my role, seeing my friends as the main characters of their stories has made me appreciate them more.
Next time you want to get to know somebody deeply, consider asking them questions that invite them to imagine their life as a story. i love how these conversations can be playful, yet intimate.
What kind of character arc are you in right now?
What’s the weirdest side quest you did this year?
What genre or medium would your life be (horror movie, sitcom, Shakespearean tragedy)?
if your life were a movie, what Oscar award would it win?
if you’re the main character, what character am i in your story?
in “Moral disorder and Other Stories,” the great novelist Margaret atwood wrote that “in the end, we’ll all become stories.” So listen lovingly.
Evan Tao ’27 can be reached at evan_tao@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
Chew On This: The Met at RISD
finished the slice.
anese beef curry with rice. Chunks of beef and potato were folded into a savory yellow broth and decorated with a handful of fried shallots. The beef was
plate. The roasted carrot, spiced yogurt, garlic, egg and cilantro pizza was a bit like a riSd student’s outfit in that i would never have thought to put it to-
“ “
My meal at RISD felt like an argument that creativity is stoked by food that is not only delicious but also interesting.
not especially tender, but the potatoes were perfectly cooked and had absorbed the savory punch of the curry all the way through.
gether myself. However — also like a riSd student’s outfit — it sort of worked. in one particular bite, i was delighted to discover an entire clove of roasted
i took a moment to sip some of the organic black cherry soda — which tasted just like it sounds — before approaching the largest question mark on my
garlic, mellowed and tender. The egg, scrambled if you were wondering, was not overbearing, perhaps just unnecessary. Out of curiosity and confusion i
Meals should end on a sweet note and this one ended on three. The first, a chocolate cake, was fudgy, not too sweet and had a gentle cocoa flavor. a generous hand had dusted the top of the cake with powdered sugar while it was still warm to create a slightly crunchy topping. i moved right along to a thin oatmeal raisin cookie. it was almost everything that a cookie should be, complete with crisp edges and a chewy center. i would only add that there weren’t enough oats and too many raisins. i did grab one of the vegan ginger snaps to sample as well. Tough and chewy, the cookie failed to displace my skepticism towards vegan desserts.
Stomach full, i leaned back in my cheerful yellow chair. it was only then that i noticed: unlike brown’s dining halls, you won’t find salt and pepper shakers on the tables at The Met. The food is well-seasoned and they know it. i knew it too.
Why is the food at riSd so good? For one, the student body is relatively small with only about 2,000 undergraduates. anyone who’s tried to scale up a recipe knows that it’s easier to make tasty food for fewer people. but i didn’t feel like this explained everything. instead, riSd’s gourmet dining plan suggests something deeper about the school’s values. My meal at riSd felt like an argument that creativity is stoked by food that is not only delicious but also interesting.
Service: kind, attentive
Sound level: conversational
Recommended dishes: chicken fried rice with kimchi, chocolate cake
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Eleanor Barth Wu’26 can be reached at eleanor_barth_ wu@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
ARTS & CULTURE
‘Automatic’ by the Lumineers cuts to the core of modern-day
The band’s fifth studio album is a barefaced voyage into authenticity
BY ALYSSIA OUHOCINE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Lumineers released their new album automatic” on Feb. 14 — and, contrary to the name of their lead single “Same Old Song,” there’s nothing old about this inventive return to their signature style. at only 32 minutes, “automatic” is one of The Lumineers’ most inspired albums, chockfull of vulnerable lyrics and an understated soundscape.
“Same Old Song” — the album’s opener — is a complete sucker-punch with its personal lyrics, forceful drums and lead vocalist Wesley Schultz’s powerhouse vocals. in just under three minutes, the band reminds listeners that a song’s length is not proportional to its impact.
They raise the stakes with “asshole,” an emotional look at the push-and-pull of intimacy with an incredibly catchy hook. The song builds until it reaches a crescendo at the end, with the hook “First we ever met / you thought i was an asshole / Probably correct” cutting through the tension.
The album features two interludes — “Strings” near the album’s beginning and “Sunflowers” close to the end. These two instrumental pieces act as a necessary buffer for an album that otherwise threatens to buckle under the weight of its own introspection.
The upbeat interlude “Strings” is fittingly followed by the track “automatic.”
The eponymous, stripped-down piano ballad delves into how the spoils of mo-
dernity often conceal a hollowness within them. The song is interspersed with clever references to “electric cars” and trendy “salad bars” before settling on the refrain “Oh, my lover, is it ever gonna be enough?”
These lyrical choices were made in the image of the album’s significance. in an announcement posted on their instagram, the band said the album “explores some of the absurdities of the modern world, like the increasingly blurry line between what’s real and what’s not and the variety of ways we numb ourselves while trying to combat both boredom and overstimulation.”
The relaxed production style continues on the song “you’re all i Got,” which is reminiscent of their 2019 album “iii.” in
contrast to some of their earlier works, “automatic” brilliantly tells a story without attempting to build a fictionalized universe. There is no narrative to hide behind in this album and therein lies the beauty of the work. Written entirely by Schultz and bandmate Jeremiah Fraites, the album’s lyrics are born from the duo’s own experiences and imagination, though they also manage to strike at very particular emotions that all listeners can empathize with. ativan” and “Keys on the Table” are the album’s shining point and find themselves right after one another near the album’s end. “ativan,” a brand name of the generic drug lorazepam best known for treating anxiety, is the album’s most tender track. but it’s not quite a love song,
‘The Monkey’ is fun, but that’s about it
Osgood Perkins’s newest film delivers little story and emotion
BY GABRIELLA WRIGHTEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
if you saw Osgood Perkins’s recent summer blockbuster “Longlegs,” you may be in want of another chilling, somber, story-driven thriller. you may think to turn to “The Monkey,” Perkins’s newest film released less than a year after the former. b ut the minute the film begins, you will realize it is, in fact, not the movie you’re looking for. Where “Longlegs” aimed to scare with classically creepy and haunting energy, “The Monkey” shoots for laughs. a t this, it largely succeeds. b ut nearly everything else — the plot, the writing, the directing — falls flat. based on the short story by acclaimed horror writer Stephen King, “The Monkey” follows Hal Shelburn (Theo James) as he attempts to escape the incessant presence of a malevolent toy monkey brought home by his father (adam Scott). Much like its equally evil horror toy counterparts — a nnabelle and Chucky, for instance — the monkey itself is fairly terrifying. When wound up by an unsuspecting human, the stuffed animal begins to play its drums, its pinpoint eyes piercing into the camera. but as the song comes to a close, and the monkey lifts its drumstick for the last time, someone in the vicinity dies.
There is no controlling who the monkey kills, much to young Hal’s (Christian Convery) disappointment. The film opens with an incredibly lengthy flashback detailing the monkey’s beginning in Hal’s life, with Convery playing both Hal — the nerdy, frustrated victim — and Hal’s twin brother b ill, the annoying, bully class clown. When b ill pokes fun at Hal, the latter boy asks the monkey to kill his brother out of revenge. b ut to Hal’s surprise, the boys’ mother (Tatiana Maslany) is the next victim instead.
This opening is by far the best part, if not the only good part, of the film. in this sequence, Perkins cleverly develops both the story of the monkey and the fraught relationship between the brothers and their static but hilarious personalities. a t only 15, Convery already has a long and diverse filmography, and it’s easy to see why. His performances as Hal and b ill are distinct, but equally engaging, entertaining and believable.
Theo James, who plays the brothers as adults, is not quite as exciting to watch.
ultimately, it may not be his fault — the aloof nerd and comedic bully stereotypes simply play better for children — but it is nevertheless hard to get invested in his performance. in Hal’s brief moments of genuine fear and anger, James’s talent comes through. b ut these moments are infrequent, as Perkins more often than not chooses to crack a joke rather than display emotion.
Questionable acting aside, the idea of an evil toy monkey might be enticing to
with The Lumineers more restrained in their lyricism than usual. addressed to the anti-anxiety drug, the track ruminates on the use of benzodiazepines, featuring a maturity in the song’s lack of judgement.
The band has experimented with intense themes before, but never in a way that feels so applicable to the world today. The album’s rawness lends itself perfectly to “Keys on the Table.” Lyrics like “and honestly, i feel ashamed to breathe / i can’t believe we lost to the machine” are dismal, accompanied by a barren soundscape that captures the uninhibited rawness of Schultz’s voice. Their music is made striking and honest by its simple production, and this is where The Lumineers manage to charm listeners: They put
melancholy
everything on the table, so the simplicity doesn’t feel like a production ploy. Over the course of a 20-year career, they have mastered this approach.
The album’s complexity continues in “better day,” whose hopeful name disguises a distinct unenthusiasm about the state of the world. The song captures numerous elements of the 21st century: insider trading by government officials, police violence and a failing economy. The song is a powerful affirmation of The Lumineers’ genesis as an americana band. Capturing the zeitgeist of the period inevitably requires a confrontation with the issues plaguing the country.
Preceded by the hopeful musical interlude “Sunflowers,” “So Long” is the album’s closer and a powerful one at that. Painting a vivid picture of what it means to lose hope in the modern age, the song employs a number of religious allusions to illustrate a need for salvation from the monotony of everyday life.
“automatic” by The Lumineers, in all of its honesty, only obfuscates the limits of what the band is willing to explore in their songs. The album is more blunt than anything they’ve previously released and bravely disentangles itself from the narrative devices used in former works. This time, it’s The Lumineers and The Lumineers alone on stage and represented in their lyrics. imbued with an emotional richness and lacking an elaborate marketing plan, the band’s fifth studio album is the deeply authentic work that the music industry has seen little of in recent years.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 23, 2025.
“The
Monkey” isn’t much of anything — just two hours of laughs, blood and guts for no reason.
a regular horror viewer. Stephen King’s gripping narratives have been adapted into film and television since the late 1970s for good reason. His stories are compelling, often more so on-screen than on the page. The best of these adaptations use the power of film to expand on what is possible in literature, creating vast visual landscapes or strategically adding sound to enhance a story that is already scary. To his credit, Perkins uses his latest film to heighten the level of comedy to impressive levels. The jokes and deaths work in tandem to keep au-
diences laughing, and the humor feels relatable in comparison to King’s writing. but creepy monkey aside, “The Monkey” is not all that scary, lacking the fearful essence of King’s original story. e ven as a dark comedy, the story lacks purpose, meanders through its second act and fails to deliver any real message in the end. apart from a predictable, yet well-executed twist in the middle of the film, Perkins fails to make his mark on this film. His eye for humor is clear, but as a horror director, actor and nepo baby — in “Psycho ii,” Perkins played a younger ver-
COurTeSy OF NeON
sion of Norman bates, who was played by Perkins’s father a nthony in the original “Psycho” — Perkins’s work on this film falls short of expectations. King’s story could have been adapted into a tense, gripping narrative, or even a humorous look into the generational trauma caused by a horrifying childhood. instead, “The Monkey” isn’t much of anything — just two hours of laughs, blood and guts for no reason.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 25, 2025.
EXHIBIT
The Bell showcases artist Julien Creuzet’s narrative on transatlantic slave trade
Exhibit references legacies of colonialism and the African diaspora
BY TALIA LEVINE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
upon entering The bell Gallery, viewers are immersed in a jumble of sound and sight as sculptures fight for their attention. a decomposing pineapple, giant metal sheets, multicolored citrus fruits and bright screens depicting psychedelic oceanic images are just a few of the artworks on display.
On Feb. 20, the List art building’s david Winton bell Gallery officially opened to the public with a new installation by award-winning French-Caribbean artist Julien Creuzet. Free and open to the public until June 1, the exhibition aims to spotlight conversations about colonialism and rhode island’s historical role in the brutalities of the transatlantic slave trade.
First shown at the 60th annual Venice b iennale exhibition in italy, Creuzet’s installation is titled: “attila cataract your source at the feet of the green peaks will end up in the great sea blue abyss we drowned in the tidal tears of the moon.”
The title “is poetry,” Creuzet told The Herald. “and poetry, for me, is an artwork, like a sculpture, a painting, a performance.”
Creuzet believes that the exhibition’s title is artistic because everyone’s imagination interprets it differently, adding that he has “no expectation “ about the
FILM REVIEW
audience’s interpretation.
“When you open your email and you receive communication from The bell Gallery, you (also have) the artwork,” Creuzet said. “it’s not only about image, it’s about how a text can affect you.”
Creuzet is based out of Paris, but spent a large portion of his childhood in the Caribbean island of Martinique, which serves as inspiration for much of his work. Growing up in the birthplace of poets aimé Césaire and Édouard Glissant, Creuzet views himself as carrying on their traditions of philosophical thinking through artwork, he said.
Much of Creuzet’s work, including this exhibit, references legacies of colonialism and the african diaspora. Notes from the gallery highlight this as one of the reasons why Creuzet’s work is exhibited in a place like Providence.
according to brown’s Slavery and Jus-
tice report, rhode island played a “leading role” in the transatlantic slave trade. “in all, about 60% of slave trading voyages launched from North america — in some years more than 90% — issued from tiny rhode island,” the report reads.
The university’s history is also linked to legacies of slavery — university Hall was built by enslaved peoples, while the brown family themselves owned slaves and contributed to the slave trade.
according to the gallery notes, the “multisensorial” project is “a liquid ecosystem of voice, texture, sound and moving image,” inspired by performance art originating from the african diaspora.
a s part of the exhibition, the List lobby is home to two massive steel floor structures, which viewers are encouraged to walk across. Speakers play audio recordings of art curator Cindy Sissokho reading texts that have been influential
to Creuzet, such as Hortense Spillers’s “Mama’s baby, Papa’s Maybe: an american Grammar book” and excerpts from Paul Gilroy’s “The black atlantic.”
The bell itself has also been transformed, with low, bluish lighting and projected ocean scenes evoking an aquatic feel.
The exhibition features what the gallery notes refer to as a “translinguistic soundscape” of songs written by Creuzet, primarily in creolized French. The lyrics, translated into Portuguese, english and Spanish, are visible on a flatscreen in the back of the gallery.
Video animations projected on screens throughout the gallery also portray the sea through a mythological lens, with one scene described as “mermaid figures that reflect african cosmologies away from the hyper-sexualized fantasies of european sailors.”
Part of Creuzet’s installation included last Thursday’s dance performance in the Lindemann Performing arts Center, ti-
tled “algorithm ocean true blood moves.”
Choreographed by dance artist ana Pi and performed by dancers from The ailey School in New york, the piece is designed to complement Creuzet’s installation.
The dance featured pole-shaped sculptures wrapped in layers of found objects, string, rope and twine, which were installed in The bell gallery following the show.
elliot Stravato ’27 works as a bell Gallery monitor and was one of the first at brown to see the installation.
He noted that Creuzet’s piece was a departure from previous bell Gallery showings because “it’s so immersive and it really transforms the space in a way that sort of more traditional painting on walls doesn’t. it was just exciting to see The bell Gallery so changed,” Stravato said.
“i think it’s cool because it’s kind of obscure,” Stravato said. “it commits so heavily into the world that it’s creating and the overall ambiance, but also you’re not entirely sure what that is and to what end.”
‘I’m Still Here’ portrays the power of familial love amid Brazilian political turmoil
The film is nominated for two awards at the 97th Academy Awards
BY SANAI RASHID METRO EDITOR
When the world around you is crumbling to pieces, your family can become a place of refuge. as the television buzzes behind you, broadcasting montage after montage of troubling news, the dim light of hope is that, at the very least, you have each other.
No family demonstrates this reality more clearly than the Paivas in “i’m Still Here,” titled “ainda estou aqui” in Portuguese. directed by Walter Salles — one of brazil’s most celebrated directors — the biographical film is an adaptation of Marcelo rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir of the same name. Paiva’s father, Congressman rubens Paiva, was one of over 400 others who were killed or forcibly disappeared during brazil’s 21-year-long military dictatorship.
The film begins in 1970s rio de Janeiro, six years into the country’s military dictatorship. amid the country’s political unrest, rubens (Selton Mello) and his wife eunice (Fernanda Torres) try to maintain a happy home for their five children. For nearly an hour, the film paints a vibrant picture of the Paivas’ day-to-day life: The youngest children play soccer at the beach, and their older sisters dance to their vinyls in the living room. eunice cooks soufflés, while rubens smokes cigars in his study with other men from the city. but after these jovial family moments, the film takes a sharp turn when the government interrogates rubens about his political affiliations. The next day, authorities question eunice and one of her
daughters, hoping to charge rubens with political crimes.
While eunice and her daughter are released, rubens never returns home again.
For the remainder of the film, the audience gets to experience Torres’s masterful portrayal of eunice, who now has to support her family on her own. each of Torres’s lines are said with grit, as eunice refuses to let the government’s erasure of her husband destroy the family she has left. When the film fast forwards, viewers watch as the roles reverse: The Paiva children, now grown up and fully aware of brazil’s history, become the source of strength for their aging mother.
in the final minutes of the film, an older eunice (Fernanda Montenegro) sits in a wheelchair in one of her children’s homes watching television. as a news segment about the dictatorship comes on, audiences see rubens’s face flash across the screen. eunice sits up in the wheelchair, her mouth slightly open, and gasps. at the peak of her alzheimer’s disease, she still recognizes her husband.
in this scene, Montenegro conveys the film’s message without saying a word. Though rubens had already been gone for over forty years at this point in the film, the shock and terror of his forcible removal from eunice’s life never leaves
her. despite this, she was able to raise a family that could pave a brighter future out of their dark pasts. it’s easy to see where Torres, Montenegro’s daughter, got her impressive acting abilities from. in 1999, Montenegro was the first brazilian actress to be nominated for best actress at the academy awards. Now, her daughter is following in her footsteps. at the 97th academy awards, airing this Sunday, Torres is nominated for best actress. Torres is only the second brazilian actress to receive a nomination in that category. “i’m Still Here” also received nominations for best international Fea-
ture Film and best Picture. This is the first time a brazilian-produced film has ever been nominated in the latter category.
Guilherme Sequeira ’28 felt a sense of “national pride” watching the movie. To him, the film is “a celebration of brazilian culture and of brazilian joy, even in such a dark moment,” he said.
“The title of the film is key,” Sequeira added. “‘i’m Still Here’ is a cornerstone of remembrance to make sure events like (the dictatorship) don’t ever happen again.”
His aunt, Leticia Gama de Medeiros, who lives in rio, saw “i’m Still Here” in November when it was released in brazil. Her quotes have been translated from Portuguese to english by The Herald. born two years after the start of the dictatorship, Medeiros remembers media censorship and “rumors about repressive acts” during her childhood, she told The Herald. She added that her parents warned her to “never share who they voted for” in elections.
r eflecting on the current political situation in brazil, Medeiros mentioned former president Jair bolsonaro, “who publicly defended the dictatorship and planned, right under our noses, a coup of the likes of the one of 1964.”
“Still there are people in brazil that support bolsonaro, denying the evidence and advocating for the return of a military regime,” she added.
Now more than ever, the film serves as a reminder to brazilians — and particularly to young people that “even if imperfect, it’s better to live under democracy than under dictatorship,” Medeiros said. This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 25, 2025.
Each line Torres delivers as Eunice is said with grit, as she refuses to let the government’s erasure of her husband destroy what she has left —
SOPHia LeNG / HeraLd
The dance also featured pole-shaped sculptures wrapped in layers of found objects, string, rope and twine, which were installed in The Bell gallery following the show.
SCIENCE & RESEARCH
GRANTS
Brown professors awarded Sloan Research Fellowships for math, economet rics
Fellowship awards $75,000 in research funding over two years
BY JAMIE JUNG CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The alfred P. Sloan Foundation awarded three brown professors with early career research fellowships last week.
The foundation named assistant Professor of Mathematics eric Larson, assistant Professor of applied Mathematics brendan Keith and assistant Professor of economics Jonathan roth as three recipients of the fellowship. across the united States and Canada, 126 researchers were selected for the fellowship.
The Sloan research Fellowship awards $75,000 in research funding over the course of two years to researchers who have shown creativity and innovation early in their careers.
Eric Larson: Algebraic geometry, polynomial equations and the interpolation problem
Larson studies algebraic geometry — investigating the geometric properties of solutions to polynomial equation systems, he explained in an interview with The Herald.
in 2022, Larson was widely recognized for solving the centuries-old interpolation problem, alongside his wife, associate Professor of Mathematics isabel Vogt, The Herald previously reported.
“Truth be told, when i started thinking about the interpolation problem, i had not decided on a field of mathematics,” Larson said. “i loved math, and i was interested in many different things, and these problems — the maximal rank conjecture and the interpolation problem — led me to journey into algebraic geometry.”
For Larson, solving these problems was “so much fun” that he made algebraic geometry his primary research focus.
Larson, who published his proof in 2022, said that it took over a decade to arrive where he is today. From his time as a Phd student at the Massachusetts institute of Technology, Larson collaborated with many people in an attempt to solve the interpolation problem.
drawn by the interpolation problem into algebraic geometry, Larson found himself specializing in geometric curves.
“The motivation for studying it is the intrinsic appeal of the problem itself,” he said.
Larson said he looks forward to the “flexibility” provided by the Sloan Fellowship to organize conferences and fund collaboration on his studies.
Brendan Keith: Using math to model the world
Keith specializes in scientific computing, using computer simulations to model physical processes. Since arriving at brown in 2022, his research has focused on developing computer algorithms to simulate variational inequalities, or “physical laws for phenomena that have inequality constraints,” he explained.
“a basketball can’t go through the floor when you bounce it, right?” Keith said.
“There’s an inequality constraint that it can’t penetrate the floor. When you simulate that, you want to make sure every particle in the discretized basketball stays on the right side of the floor.”
While completing his Phd at the Oden
institute for Computational engineering and Science at the university of Texas at austin, Keith created the dPG-star method of developing computer simulations.
He described his career as “definitely not linear.”
“i wasn’t somebody who got into every Phd program i applied for,” he added. but Keith went on to complete three postdoctoral stints in California, rhode island and Germany.
Keith emphasized the value of interdisciplinary knowledge in mathematics. Growing up, he wanted to be a physicist, but eventually turned to math and computer simulations to seek out a more “rigorous explanation” behind physics.
“Math, from every angle, has beauty in it,” Keith said. “i found that no matter what i study, mathematics always presents itself. With that in mind, i’ve found it more inspiring to develop mathematics that can be used in the world around me.”
Keith’s interdisciplinary curiosity also applies to his research projects, which range across a variety of topics including black holes, car crashes and turbulent wind interactions. Currently, he is working on
modeling hurricanes in a project with a national renewable energy laboratory.
“at the end of the day, i think i have the coolest job in the world,” he said.
Keith said the Sloan Fellowship will help him further develop a method called the approximate Galerkin Finite element Method in collaboration with Visiting Scholar in applied Mathematics Thomas Surowiec.
Jonathan Roth: Combining social policy with quantitative analysis in econometrics
roth shares Keith’s interdisciplinary curiosity. as an economics professor at brown, roth specializes in econometrics, which he describes as “a statistical tool kit” for measuring the effects of policies and changes in law.
as an undergraduate student at the university of Pennsylvania, roth enjoyed learning about social policy and politics but was also drawn to math and quantitative analysis. Seeking a way to combine his interdisciplinary passions, he landed on economics.
in designing application-based research
methodology, roth enjoys the fact that he can influence various studies at once. His work has been used on a wide range of policies, from tax reform in France to policies increasing the labor force participation of women in Saudi arabia, he said.
“i’m interested in answering social policy questions and helping make social science as credible as possible,” roth said. day-to-day, though, he likes “challenging math problems.”
“i’m lucky to be in a field that combines those two things,” roth said.
roth’s knowledge on issues such as labor economics allows him to tailor statistical theory to be useful for economic researchers.
roth hopes to use the Sloan Fellowship to translate his methodology into something “easier to use” by writing programs in computer languages such as Python. With the funds, he intends to hire graduate and undergraduate research assistants at brown to help code his projects.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 26, 2025.
You are when you eat: How the body’s internal clock influences our eating habits
Study finds connections between weight, caloric intake, circadian rhythm
BY LEAH KORITZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER
“it’s not just what you eat, it’s when you eat,” said david barker, an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior and author of a Feb. 18 study establishing the relationships between circadian rhythms and caloric intake in adolescents.
Warren a lpert Medical School researchers, in partnership with researchers from Mass General b righam, found that adolescents who were overweight or obese ate their calories later in their day and circadian cycles.
For participants at a healthy weight, circadian rhythms had a greater influence on caloric intake compared to those who are overweight, said Mary Carskadon, a
bOMi OKiMOTO / HeraLd
The study simulated nine 28-hour day-night cycles over 11 24-hour day/night cycles, for 51 adolescents, measuring their caloric intake.
professor of psychiatry and human behavior and author on the study.
The study found that both behavioral and internal circadian rhythms impact caloric intake, disentangling the impact these two cycles have on human nutrition.
The endogenous — or internal — circadian rhythm is the human body’s 24-hour clock that regulates physiological
processes and behavior. This is the first study to provide direct evidence that this internal clock influences a human’s caloric intake, according to the paper.
The behavioral circadian rhythm concerns a person’s sleep-wake cycles and is usually connected to the endogenous circadian rhythm. The endogenous circadian rhythm can persist for a period
of time, regardless of light cues, and the behavioral circadian rhythm relies on external factors.
To conduct the study, researchers tested 51 adolescents from ages 12 to 17. The adolescents were recruited based on body mass index and analyzed in three groups: healthy weight, overweight and obese.
Participants spent 11 days and 10 nights in the sleep laboratory with no clocks or natural light, Carskadon said.
To prepare before for the laboratory, participants spent 14 nights on a regimented sleep schedule at home, wearing an eye mask, keeping a sleep diary and sleeping for a minimum of 10 hours per night.
Once they began their trial, the adolescents stayed in a room with dim lights without knowledge of the time. researchers constructed a 28-hour cycle, meaning that for these eleven 24-hour days, participants essentially lived nine 28-hour days. This forced desynchrony protocol “decoupled” their endogenous circadian rhythm from their normal be-
havioral cycle, b arker said.
“Through the design, we were able to separate and look at those influences separately from one another, which we can’t do under normal conditions,” he said.
d uring these 28-hour cycles, participants ate six meals while living somewhat normally, barker explained, adding there were crafts and movies.
The researchers collected saliva samples from each participant every half hour while they were awake to assess melatonin levels, a marker for a person’s endogenous circadian rhythm, according to Carskadon.
b arker added that more research should be done before coming to any definitive conclusions from this study. but there is one thing he knows for sure when it comes to the relationship between food and weight: “Timing matters.”
The Sloan Research Fellowship will provide Brown faculty Brendan Keith (left), Eric Larson (center) and Jonathan Roth (right) with $75,000 in funding over two years.
GRADUATE STUDENT LIFE
Brown graduate student Eva Erickson competes on ‘Survivor’
The 48th season features Erickson as one of 18 contestants
BY AMBER MARCUS-BLANK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
While other brown students may have visited Fiji this past summer for a relaxing holiday getaway, eva erickson GS spent her summer there just trying to “survive.”
erickson, a third-year graduate student in fluids and thermal sciences, competed as a contestant on the 48th season of the hit reality TV show “Survivor,” which premiered on Wednesday night. She is the eighth brown student or alum to compete in the show.
Since first airing in 2000, the show has garnered an audience of millions who watch castaways compete in a series of challenges
to become the “sole survivor” and win a $1 million prize.
despite hunger, physical exertion and isolation, erickson described her experience in Fiji as “the adventure of a lifetime” in an interview with The Herald.
erickson, captain of brown’s club ice hockey team, was introduced to “Survivor” through her hockey teammates while she was an undergraduate student at the Georgia institute of Technology.
enamored by the adrenaline of competitions, erickson looked for other ways to compete after she came to brown, she said. in January 2023, erickson filmed and submitted her “Survivor” audition tape in the locker room after hockey practice.
as soon as erickson started talking to staff at CbS, she started preparing for the rigorous road ahead, she said.
First, she started weight training to become “more explosive” and build strength. She later altered her diet and introduced intermittent fasting to prepare for the harsh, unpredictable elements of the game.
another critical element of “Survivor” is the ability to build fires, which erickson said she had to master at home before appearing on the show.
i would go in my backyard in Providence and be starting a fire with my flint and a knife,” erickson said. “i probably looked crazy just being out in my tiny apartment yard.”
erickson’s preparations extended beyond physical training. She practiced word puzzles and studied past seasons of “Survivor.” Going into the contest, she said her strategy was to lean into her identity as a hockey player, while keeping her identity as a graduate student at brown a secret.
“i knew that if you’re someone who is very smart, who’s very charismatic, who’s very athletic — it’s going to put a major target on you,” erickson said.
For erickson, the most unexpected part of competing on the show was the feeling of being filmed.
“There’s boom mics hanging over you as you’re sleeping,” she added. “There are a ton of people who are just watching you and it was very strange at first.”
as the first contestant on “Survivor” to publicly disclose her autism diagnosis, erickson said her condition has allowed her to be more authentic and confident. While she said having autism makes it more difficult
As graduate housing struggles continue, students look to the Jewelry District
Over 1,000 graduate students express interest in Jewelry District housing
BY IAN RITTER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The university is looking to expand housing options for graduate students in the Jewelry district after a survey last spring found an estimated demand of 1,136 beds from graduate students and postdocs looking to live in the neighborhood. The survey results were presented at the Graduate Student Council meeting in december.
With about a third of students and postdocs responding, 35% of the respondents indicated they would “choose to live in the Jewelry district,” according to dana Hamdan Mba’25, the associate vice president of campus life administration.
Survey respondents cited outdoor safety, availability of dining options and proximity to green space as main criteria for their housing needs.
Graduate students have struggled to find affordable housing in proximity to the university for years. brown currently owns several properties that are rented to graduate students, including river House apartments in the Jewelry district, which opened in 2019 with 200 units available for brown community members.
in 2020, the university rented out additional housing units in river House to decrease undergraduate housing density during the COVid-19 pandemic. brown then purchased the property in 2021 for permanent graduate student housing.
“at the time that brown acquired river House, the university housed approximately 3% of the total graduate and medical student population within university-owned build-
ings,” John Luipold, the vice president of business affairs, auxiliary services and real estate, wrote in an email to The Herald. That number increased to 10% after the property was purchased, he added.
Zhinuo Wang GS has had positive experiences over the two years she has lived there, adding that the complex has friendly staff and consistently holds fun events for its residents.
Wang also likes the neighborhood, referencing that she likes to take “peaceful walks” through 195 district Park and enjoys the view from her apartment overlooking the river. She added that the shuttle service to and from campus is “really convenient.”
Not all students are able to live in university housing like Wang, though. Spots in river House and other campus accommodations fill up quickly, according to Kevin LoGiudice ScM’21 GS, the president of the Graduate Student Council.
river House only offers housing accommodations to graduate and medical students for up to two years, with priority given to first-year students, according to the waitlist application.
Sharanya renjit GS, the chair of international advocacy on the GSC, said that students must formally accept their offers from brown before applying to university
for her to read social cues — especially in a game involving lying — she also described it as a key strength.
“Having autism does not mean that there’s something wrong with you,” erickson said. “it is part of who you are, and it’s something that makes me special and unique.”
When erickson returned to brown after filming this past summer, she was met with a warm welcome from her teammates and friends.
“People have been super supportive,” she said. “My labmates are setting up watch parties with the whole fluids department at brown. They really want to celebrate the fact that i am representing our school on national television, which is so cool.”
Grant Landon ’25, one of erickson’s club hockey teammates, said that he believes success on “Survivor” depends on three key skills: brains, brawns and sociability. erickson, he said, has all three.
“i think if there’s any single person i know that would do well in ‘Survivor,’ it would probably be her,” said Landon, who has watched the show for the past decade. He believes that erickson will stand out on the show with “her social game.”
“She is very good at talking, loves making these relationships, and i think that’s where she’s gonna shine the most,” Landon said. “beyond being social on the island, i think she’s going to win over america.” erickson joined her hockey teammates at the rink to watch the premiere on Wednesday night. if asked, she said she would return to the show, just like “anyone who’s ever been on ‘Survivor.’”
it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing that you always are going to want to do more of,” erickson said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 26, 2025.
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housing options like river House. This means that any delays accepting offers can prevent students from securing university graduate housing, she added.
renjit also said that students can be susceptible to scams as they look for housing, sharing an instance where she had signed a lease with roommates but never heard back from the landlord.
“Thankfully, we did not pay anything, but i know of some students who do end up paying an amount to book their house and then the landlord just disappears,” renjit said.
ultimately, she felt “extremely lucky” to have secured “a really good house near the university.”
both renjit and LoGiudice also pointed out the possibility for a further increase in housing demand due to the university’s potential plans to double the graduate student population in the next several years.
“There is no short-term solution to the housing challenges of greater Providence,” Hamdan and Luipold wrote. “brown will continue to evaluate future housing options in concert with other university requirements.”
Discover the bene ts of a fth-year master’s program and the application process unique to Brown undergraduates. Scan the QR code to see a full list of over 30 participating programs, review the application process and deadlines.
The show has gained an audience of millions who watch castaways compete in a series of challenges to become the “Sole Survivor” and win
$1 million prize.
ARTS & CULTURE
Behind the scenes of Brown’s DJ culture
Students highlight music, narratives, history behind DJing journeys
BY ANN GRAY GOLPIRA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
under the flashing lights of Providence clubs and at bustling campus orientation events, a community of brown students thrive behind speakers instead of on the dance floor. Whether engaging a crowd, highlighting sounds from their home countries or finding fun in their passion for music, each student dJ at brown approaches their art in a unique way.
The Herald spoke to a few of these student artists.
Tristen Ventura ’26 — known as dJ Tristen Cole — said his desire to perform stemmed from an early love for music.
With “horrible speakers” and “really small, basic equipment,” his first gig was in a brown fraternity basement, but it ultimately served as a catalyst for the future of his dJing career, he said. Since then, Ventura has gone on to book bigger, more prestigious venues, including the Colosseum’s “Prov Nights” series.
To Ventura, dJing can be something “as simple as playing a Spotify playlist in front of all your friends” or trying to “engage the crowd like a performance, get people excited.”
For Nini Pharsenadze ’25, dJing is a “conversation between the crowd and the music you select.” The majority of the art stems from “selecting music and curating the playlist” in the hopes of crafting “some sort of narrative to resonate with the audience,” Pharsenadze told The Herald.
For Pharsenadze, who grew up in the country of Georgia, dJing represents a “soundtrack of resistance.” in fifth grade, after experimenting with her uncle’s mixer — the control hub for dJs to manipulate audio — Pharsenadze soon brought her passion to the stage.
in her sophomore year at brown, Pharsenadze booked her first Providence gig opening for a fellow student artist.
Since then, Pharsenadze has explored the campus dJing community through friends and courses on dJing. This same community also introduced her to various riSd students studying music and light design, some of whom have gone on to design animations for dJ sets.
in the week leading up to a gig, Pharsenadze prepares by listening to a diverse range of music. She aims to craft a narrative throughout her sets, often gaining inspiration from recent events either at home in Georgia or at brown. in addition to Providence’s Symposium records and other local venues, she has performed at book Club radio in New york City. She has also taken her craft global, performing in venues from Georgia to South Korea.
For Noah Lindsay ’27, dJing serves as a unique blend of both campus and home. Having grown up in brazil, Lindsay’s signature style combines elements of brazilian and funk music with more well known american lyrics.
Lindsay became interested in house music during his first year at brown. “i was kind of tired of the music here,” Lindsay said, joking that “people always play ‘Party in the uSa’ ... i can’t take it anymore.”
To him, dJing is “knowing what sounds good and what doesn’t.” but gigs often boil down to the “people he’s with,” he said.
While the dJing community at brown is mainly composed of what Ventura calls “loose fragments,” both students and staff members have been trying to bridge that gap.
madison moore, a dJ and an assistant professor of modern culture and media, hopes to share the diverse history and theory of electronic music. This semester, moore introduced MCM 0700e: “introduction to dJ Culture.”
To moore, dJing is “a kind of curation,” often involving “taking bits and pieces of things that already exist and making them into a new whole — manipulating that on the fly, creating a new sonic texture.”
The course aims to offer a history of the art, as well as a chance for students to immerse themselves in the craft. moore noted that many students often experience a “barrier to entry” due to a lack of dJing equipment. but through the course, moore hopes that students will ultimately feel confident enough in their abilities to participate in a collaborative performance at the end of the semester.
dJing, moore said, is unique to each creator by “your specific taste, your personal archive of sounds and what you bring to it.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Feb. 25, 2025.
Tristen Ventura ’26 — known as DJ Tristen Cole — said his desire to perform stemmed from an early love for music.
For Nini Pharsenadze ’25, DJing is a “conversation between the crowd and the music you select.”