Friday, Janurary 24, 2025

THE BROWN DAILY

Class of 2029 early decision reactions: Feeling "relieved"

Cooley’s career day propels Bears to 83-82 victory against Cornell

Davis ’27: Black Americans are entitled to patriotism

Ethel Cain paints sinister, chaotic universe in ‘Perverts’

Rhode Island records its first measles case since 2013

Community coordinators’ union reaches tentative contract agreement with U. after year of negotiations

Community coordinators’ stipend could increase by $2,000

BY EMILY FEIL SENIOR STAFF WRITER

after nearly a year of negotiations, the Labor Organization of Community Coordinators has reached a tentative agreement with the university that extends through June 2026, the union announced in a Jan. 18 instagram post.

Talks between Brown and LOCC concluded on Jan. 17 after the two parties agreed on articles detailing role responsibilities, compensation and contract duration. LOCC members will vote asynchronously to ratify the full contract between Tuesday and Friday, according to LOCC organizer anna ryu ’25. a majority of votes are required for successful ratification. if the agreement is ratified, CCs will receive a stipend of $12,500 — an increase of $2,000 — for the current academic year. To make up for pay not received throughout the fall semester, all CCs will

The Brown 2026 speaker series started with a conversation with the Tony award winner

BY TALIA LEVINE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

On Thursday night, the Lindemann Performing arts Center was abuzz with murmurs of “Hamilton” song lyrics in eager anticipation for daveed diggs ’04, a Tony-awarding winning artist, to take the stage. diggs’ appearance, dubbed “Carrying ‘The Great Force of History’ Within us: a Conversation on democracy,” marked the first of many events in the Brown 2026 speaker series, a university initiative celebrating the united States’s semiquincentennial anniversary, The Herald previously reported. in conversation with Tricia rose, a professor

receive a one-time stipend amounting to this difference in pay following the contract’s ratification.

CCs will also receive a 3% raise per year for the duration of the contract — resulting in a stipend of $12,875 for the 2025-26 academic year.

The tentative agreement also includes a “protected rehire process,” clarified role responsibilities and increased flexibility for CCs with other engagements, among other changes, according to LOCC’s instagram post.

Contract negotiations began in Febru-

of africana Studies, diggs reflected on his life as an artist. “i gravitated towards being an artist because i was shy,” diggs said. He was able to express his love for people through performance, he said.

y’all feel like you know me but you don’t actually know me,” diggs joked, adding that a performance allows for a level of separation between the artist and the crowd.

The conversation then shifted to a discussion on democracy, with rose reading a James Baldwin quote: “The great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.”

“i love that quote,” diggs said, arguing that in order to exist in the present, people must acknowl-

16

ary 2024 and took place over 15 bargaining sessions. during first-year move-in, CCs went on strike for three days, citing stalled progress and alleging that the university was negotiating in bad faith. at the time, university Spokesperson Brian Clark told The Herald that the ongoing negotiations were a “collegial and good-faith effort on both sides.” The strike ended after LOCC organizers said the two parties had made progress towards an agreement. But a “period of silence” from Brown’s bargaining team following the most recent

UNIVERSITY NEWS

session in October led LOCC to introduce a federal mediator in december, ryu said.

On their i nstagram in november, LOCC expressed frustration with the timeliness of u niversity responses to their proposals, arguing that a federal mediator was necessary to make progress at the bargaining table.

The mediator fostered understanding on “where both parties sat on each of the outstanding articles, which helped close them out,” said Gaayatri Godbole ’25, a

The decision comes well ahead of expected early March deadline given by board RISD Board of Trustees votes against Israel divestment proposal

BY SANAI RASHID METRO EDITOR

On Jan. 9, the r hode i sland School of d esign’s Board of Trustees voted to reject a student divestment proposal targeting the school’s relationship with companies affiliated with i srael.

The decision comes after a three-day building occupation and a monthslong campaign by pro-Palestinian student activists that demanded disclosure of ri S d ’s investments, divestment from groups “sustaining i srael a partheid,” establishment of a student investment oversight committee and the public condem

Committee to discuss

d uring the

ri S d stated that the board would come to a consensus and “share their thoughts” on the proposal by early March, according to r SJP Spokesperson Jo Ouyang ’26, a Brown- ri S d dual degree student.

On Jan. 15, ri S d community members received an email announcing the board’s decision to reject the proposal, Ouyang said in an interview with The Herald.

“ i t truly just came across as like a slap in

The tentative agreement caps a year of negotiations and follows a three-day strike during first-year move-in.

ADMISSIONS

Class of 2029 early decision reactions: Admits feel "relieved" after acceptance

Brown accepted 17.9% of early decision applicants this December

BY TEDDY FISHER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When early decision-admit izzy ahad of reston, Virginia received her acceptance to the class of 2029, her friends showered her with praise.

“So happy for you i vy Queen,” she recalled them telling her.

ahad was matched to Brown through QuestBridge, a program that matches high-achieving low-income students with prestigious undergraduate institutions. a had told The Herald that she always wanted to attend a top college, saying that her “mom always called me her ivy League daughter, sort of manifesting it for me.”

Her first thought after opening the decision: “i have to tell somebody,” ahad recalled.

“ i told my advisor, calling, texting all my friends,” she said. When she told her family, she and her mom were both overcome with emotion. “ i was crying; my mom was crying,” a had added.

Brown accepted 17.9% of applicants last month for the class of 2029 — more than four percentage points higher than previous years’ early decision rounds.

This year’s class is the first since before the COV id -19 pandemic required students to submit their SaT or aCT scores.

Following last month’s early decision admissions release, The Herald spoke with a had and five other students who were accepted to Brown this d ecember.

n ick Burleson from Centreville, Maryland plans to concentrate in Computer Science-Math. When he opened his

AFFINITY AND IDENTITY

letter, Burleson and his family were busy traveling and the news was an uplifting moment, he said.

He said it was “surreal” to complete the college process in d ecember, especially as some of his peers may have to wait until May to finalize their college decisions. “it’s a relief,” to be able to “enjoy” his social life in his last few months of high school, Burleson said.

Burleson, who wanted to attend a liberal arts school, is especially infatuated with the Open Curriculum. He believes it will enable him to make change as a result of experiencing “so many different things” during his time at Brown.

Other students, including Mackenzie Conway from West Bloomfield, Michigan, expressed an interest in Brown’s open curriculum. Conway, who wants to study international and public affairs, said she also has a newfound passion for physics.

Conway is committed to play for the women’s lacrosse team. She started playing lacrosse freshman year of high school after a bet with a friend, but soon “made it a priority” and began leveraging her success on the field to get into the college of her choice.

Conway, who visited Brown in the fall of 2023, said she loved the coaches, the campus and the facilities. “The day after i visited Brown, i committed,” Conway said.

Since then, she has gotten closer with her recruiting class. “We text literally every single day,” Conway added.

a nother Michigander and future Brown athlete, Will Ciccio of rochester, Michigan, was also admitted to Brown early. Ciccio plans to swim at Brown.

“ i had reached out to other schools, but Brown was at the top of my list,” Ciccio said. “i had a great time on my visit.”

The team “seemed like a great group

of guys,” Ciccio said, adding that he plans to study engineering and that Brown represents “the best of both worlds; i can swim and go to the best school in the world.”

Mariana Copeland, of St. Louis, Missouri, is also a member of the class of 2029. She was born in Spain and has lived in argentina, Brazil and Singapore. With such extensive travel experience, Copeland plans to study international and public affairs.

While Copeland said she’d always aspired to attend a competitive college, she had never thought about the i vies. Copeland said she didn’t plan to apply in the early decision round, but after making a pros and cons list of all the schools she

was applying to, Brown came out on top.

“if i got into all these schools, which one would i go to?” Copeland recalled asking herself. She said that Brown came out on top for a wide variety of reasons, from its “beautiful” campus to its “amazing” atmosphere. Copeland enjoys researching Brown online to get excited about her next four years.

Eshan a lam of Florida liked that Brown’s application essays allowed him to talk about himself outside of the classroom alam, a first-generation american, was admitted through QuestBridge, a program that matches high-achieving low-income students with prestigious undergraduate institutions. alam plans to study Mechanical Engineering at Brown,

House merger aims to foster community for Latine students

Motivated by a social split between the two houses, a concern over President Trump’s second term and a desire for Latine unity, the co-presidents told The Herald that they believe a merger is the best course of action.

BY SOPHIA WOTMAN UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

a new identity program house for Latine students is forming this semester. The new house will be a merger of La Casita — the university’s Latine student house — and Casa Machado, the Spanish language program house.

initial ideas for the merger began as students in both organizations noticed social divides between the two program houses.

Co-President Lilia Felipe-Pozo ’26 explained that the Latine student community was largely split between La Casita and Casa Machado, which created a “silent divide between members” of the two houses,

she said. Co-President daniel Brambila-diaz ’27 added that many students would also confuse La Casita and Casa Machado since both houses attracted portions of the Latine community on campus.

The merged house hopes to provide a more “unified” and “central” organization to create a greater sense of community among Latine students on campus, Brambila-diaz said.

The merger “will eliminate the sense of exclusivity that some members might have felt towards one another and instead foster a more cohesive and supportive environ-

ment for everyone,” Felipe-Pozo said. “We believe that the merging of these houses is the best course of action for the Latine community at Brown.”

Last semester, the co-presidents of the new house held conversations with the Office of residential Life to get formal approval for the merger. Over the spring semester, the co-presidents will plan out the merger’s logistics, rename the new house, form an executive board and recruit new students.

Organizing collaborations with other Latine clubs and affinity groups on campus will also be easier under the merged house, Brambila-diaz said. The process for getting funding or spaces will become more streamlined, allowing the houses to be better equipped to host events highlighting different cultures and traditions within the Latine community, he added.

For Co-President Jenifer Bonilla ’26, joining Casa Machado her sophomore year was the highlight of her Brown experience. Through the merged house, she hopes that other students find that same sense of community and a safe space to connect.

For Felipe-Pozo, the banning of racebased affirmative action and Trump’s return to the presidency has heightened “fear and uncertainty” among Latine students on campus. The leaders of the new program house noted the merger comes in preparation of Trump’s second term, a development that has worried many Latine communities across america.

a passion that began with a youthful fascination with model trains.

Like other students, alam expressed gratitude for Brown’s open curriculum.

“Brown offers flexibility,” he said. “ i really like history, but history doesn’t have anything to do with engineering.” alam and his family plan to visit campus for the first time in a pril when the university hosts its a day on College Hill visiting program for admitted students. Brown will finalize the class of 2029 with the regular decision round later this spring.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 22, 2025.

in such a political climate, having a safe and supportive space where students not only find solidarity, but also have their experiences validated, is such an essential lifeline,” Felipe-Pozo said. “it is crucial for us to ensure that these spaces continue to exist.”

“We want them to have a space where they can feel like they not only have their Latine identity represented, but their intersectional identities represented as well,” Brambila-diaz said.

Bonilla noted that the merger is reminiscent of La Casita’s origins, since it was formed shortly after the start of the first Trump presidency in 2017. The story of La Casita’s founding inspired her to connect with other Latine community members to navigate the current political climate.

“it was really comforting to think about what this new house means,” Bonilla said. “We’re looking at those student leaders and activists in 2017 who navigated that time, and seeing how we can figure out how to navigate this time.”

“i think this house will be a pillar that will strengthen and nurture this community, by offering the necessary and safe, inclusive spaces where we honor both our shared experiences, but also the unique differences that define the diversity in Latin american identities,” Felipe-Pozo said.

Izzy Ahad, Mackenzie Conway, Will Cicco, Eshan Alam and Nick Burleson were admitted to Brown's Class of 2029 through the early decision process.

The new house is a merger of La Casita and Casa Machado

The merged house was proposed out of a desire to provide a more "unified" and "central" organization

greater sense of community among Latine students on campus, said Co-President Daniel Brambila-Diaz '27.

HERALD LEADERSHIP

Editors’

Today’s paper marks the first print issue of The Brown d aily Herald in the 2025 calendar year — our first as the 135th Editorial Board.

Filled with excitement — and some nervousness, we’ll admit — 135 has returned to a loud, bustling office, now fit with a cozy community corner and flashy neon sign.

With staff members new and old filing into 88 Benevolent St. and questions about winter breaks floating across conference tables, we are invigorated by the endless possibilities that come with the new year and cannot wait to see what our tenure will bring to The Herald. We are ready to spend countless hours supporting our wonderfully diligent and committed staff members and hope that our coverage will better serve you, our ever-enthusiastic readers.

2025 promises to be a year filled with new developments at Brown. The landscape of higher education is shifting now more than ever. External forces continue to scrutinize the societal value of highly selective educational institutions. The future of academic

freedom is uncertain. The racial composition at Brown is fluctuating as the share of Black and Hispanic students shrink following the fall of race-based affirmative action, promising changes to the student body for years to come. Brown is facing a budget deficit and shifting its focus to research, diverging from its liberal arts roots. Top u niversity officials are departing the u niversity as President Christina Paxson P’19 P’M d ’20 is set to complete her last full year at Brown.

We will be on the ground ready to cover all of this and more, sustaining The Herald’s mission of holding the u niversity accountable and keeping the Brown community informed. a nd while our fingers are kept firmly on Brunonia’s pulse, we cannot help but look beyond our campus. a t the r hode i sland School of d esign, activism on the i srael-Hamas war remains at the center of community conversations, and beyond College Hill, organizations, agencies and elected officials are anxiously awaiting information about how a second Trump term will impact Providence

and r hode i sland.

With i vy Madness at the Pizzitola Sports Center, we can’t wait to see what our Brown athletes bring to the court this March. Like others on campus, we look forward to seeing how student artists take the stage and who will perform at this year’s Spring Weekend.

We are on the edge of our seats, eagerly waiting to see how our dedicated reporters, editors and multimedia staff tackle these topics and bring untold stories to light, while our business teams ensure we have the resources to do this important work. We are so excited to present our stories in new, exciting and unconventional ways, with unique data visualizations, vertical videos and in-depth exploratory pieces courtesy of our data desk, multimedia and enterprise teams.

But most importantly, we hope to better meet our readers where they are, ensuring they have The Herald’s coverage at their fingertips. We are excited to introduce new updates to our newly launched mobile app while expanding accessibility across a variety

of our digital products — all aiming to bring The Herald right to its readers. We cannot wait to share further details regarding our planned projects and stories with you all.

We also remain dedicated to fostering inclusivity and attracting a diverse staff representative of the Brown student body. Our goal as a teaching organization is to create a welcoming and informative environment where every student who walks through the doors at 88 Benevolent has the opportunity to develop skills that they will use for the rest of their life.

These goals extend beyond the newsroom, as we hope to foster an inclusive and respectful campus dialogue where students are encouraged to share their perspectives and information is spread equitably and accurately.

The Herald’s mission is two-fold: the first is to serve as the paper of record for Brown u niversity, and the second is to train our student staff. While the six of us on 135 take the lead, The Herald relies on its kind, talented and dedicated members to achieve these goals. We cannot be more excited to see how our staff flourishes this coming year.

The pressure of leading a 134-yearold organization is daunting, but it is a responsibility we are honored and grateful to bear. The year ahead promises a variety of surprises and challenges, but we are prepared to face them with grace and the support of our incredible staff.

i f there are any stories you think we are missing, do not hesitate to reach out to us at herald@browndailyherald.com. We look forward to crafting coverage that answers your questions in an engaging, thoughtful way.

Editors’ notes are written by The Herald’s 135th Editorial Board: Tom Li ’26, Ryan Doherty ’26, Owen Dahlkamp ’26, Julianna Chang ’26, Anisha Kumar ’26 and Yael Wellisch ’26.

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Welcome back to Providence. Here’s what you’ve missed.

The Herald recaps what’s happened on College Hill and around Rhode Island

BY MAYA KELLY, SANAI RASHID, AVANI GHOSH, CIARA MEYER AND MEGAN CHAN METRO EDITORS

as rideshares sneak up College Hill and luggages roll into dorm rooms, campus has woken from its winter hibernation and offered Brunonians a chilly welcome to the new semester. But as students venture out these next few weeks, some may notice certain changes that have cropped up while they were away.

Whether it’s a different storefront on Thayer Street or a new construction project, The Herald’s Metro section has kept its finger on Providence’s pulse throughout winter break. Check in on the latest updates from the Ocean State.

Business and Development

you might be wondering where your favorite restaurant, shoe store or snack shop went while you were gone. and the answer?

it could be the latest to fall to Providence’s high business turnover. Berk’s on Thayer announced its closure after over 50 years on Thayer, The Old Canteen will close its doors after decades on Federal Hill, and it seems like more business turnover is just around the corner.

But when one door closes, that same door might open back up again. audrain Hospitality is set to open a new hot dog restaurant concept in place of The Old Canteen. Plus, the Culinary Hub of Providence just opened inside Providence Public Library and Track 15, a new food hall set to open in downtown Providence, promises to host seven restaurants from around Little rhody, along with an entertainment venue and a 10,000 square foot plaza.

developments aren’t just food-based here in Providence. right by campus look out for continued construction in india Point Park and peak into the reopened East Side Transit Tunnel.

City and State Politics

Gov. dan McKee kicked off the year with his annual State of the State a ddress, where he announced the latest update of rhode island 2030, which outlines how the state will develop its educational resources, economy, healthcare, infrastructure and energy.

Key highlights include the development of new community learning centers and schools, the launch of a public shelter bed tracker and continued support to rhoderestore — a program that seeks to improve local infrastructure.

McKee also recently filed his $14.2 billion Fy 2026 budget, which outlines investments in education-to-workforce

pipeline programs, infrastructure projects, health programs, an assault weapon ban and initiatives to address homelessness.

Providence has also allocated $166 million from american rescue Plan act funds towards various infrastructure projects in the city. $41 million will fund the creation of 1,600 new affordable housing units. $92 million will support public infrastructure including stormwater management and flooding mitigation projects and revitalizing open spaces in downtown Providence.

Community, Crime and Advocacy

Community organizations have been active here in Providence — The atlantic Mills union, the state’s first ever tenant union, formed on dec. 21. The tenants organized following concerns as the building looks likely to fall under new ownership.

Two state troopers were fired for laughing at and sharing a video of a man being hit and killed on i-95 in October. according to aBC6, The rhode island State Police terminated the two state troopers after investigating a claim into their misconduct.

Over in Central Falls, a MO r ri is calling for the shutdown of the Wyatt d etention Center. The group has held multiple rallies, and on new year’s Eve the organization held a noise rally outside of Wyatt to reiterate these wishes.

Broad Street Stories is looking to create its own community through art. The organization is kicking off the fabrication of community-designed art installations in three different locations on Broad Street. and don’t miss out on the lineup of community events and festivals coming up: VegFest will take over WaterFire arts Center on Feb. 1, Lumina will light up downtown from Feb. 1-17 including art installations and musical performances and the Providence Children’s Film Festival begins on Feb. 14. it may be freezing, but Providence community events are alive and well!

Health and Environment in december, riBridges — the state’s com-

puterised public benefits system — was hit by a massive cyberattack. approximately 650,000 people — more than half of the state’s population — enrolled in services like Medicaid, food stamps or HealthSourceri insurance had their confidential information compromised, with some of these files being leaked to the dark web. Gov. McKee issued a statewide drought advisory last month, and the recent polar vortex has prompted the State to open emergency winter hubs. unofficial data from the u.S. Environmental Protection agency has also revealed that rhode island was the only new England state to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions year-over-year..

in other news: Selling flavored vaping products is now illegal, a move that received pushback in federal court. Healthcare company Prospect Medical filed for bankruptcy, which may affect the sale of its two rhode island hospitals. after years of development, the country’s first state-regulated overdose prevention center finally opened in Providence last month.

and — in case you were wondering — “Charlotte” and “Liam” topped the Ocean State’s 2024 list of most popular baby names, according to preliminary lists from the rhode island department of Health.

Housing, Infrastructure and Transportation

Last week, Gov. dan McKee and rhode island d epartment of Transportation director Peter alviti reported to rhode islanders that the remaining span of the Washington Bridge is in “fair condition.” due to structural concerns, it has been a little more than a year since state officials

first closed the bridge’s westbound side.

But rhode islanders still feel the impact of the bridge’s closure, as traffic clogs East Providence and small businesses close their doors.

While a polar vortex has sent chills across rhode island, McKee opened emergency winter hubs across the state to support vulnerable individuals in need of shelter. Four days later, close to 50 legislators called on McKee to declare homelessness a public health emergency, urging the state to allocate more resources and create longterm solutions to address homelessness.

McKee has refused to issue a state of emergency, citing fire-safety concerns associated with opening pallet structures.

Once the winter blues give way to spring, rhode islanders can look forward to direct flights from T.F. Green airport to new york’s John F. Kennedy airport.

Beginning May 1, fares starting at $49 will be available for passengers to travel between the two East Coast cities. it has been more than 15 years since this service was available.

Rhode Island School of Design

While Brown students were still in their slumber at the beginning of January, riSd students returned to campus bright-eyed and ready to create for Wintersession.

Wintersession courses, known for their fast-tracked and intensive nature, take place during the five weeks between the fall and spring semesters. riSd students can use this time to take classes they would not have the time or opportunity to take during the rest of the academic year, such as studio-based courses outside of their major.

in classes like aPPar 1800-101: The Cowboy Boot, students have been studying the history of the north american Cowboy Boot and had the opportunity to design a one-of-a-kind cowboy boot by measuring their feet and using the artisanal techniques they learned about in class.

But the hands-on learning did not stop there. in FaV 1955-101: Puppetry,

students learned the foundations of puppetry practice, from shadow plays to Bunraku-style puppetry. Bridging art and theater, students culminated their course by performing a final live performance project with puppets of their creation.

Youth and Education

The release of the rhode island department of Education’s accountability results this december revealed moderate progress across the Providence Public School district. across the district, the total number of schools classified for Comprehensive School improvement — the lowest performance category — decreased from 11 to nine.

The district’s annual report card showed slight increases in English, math and science proficiency, but proficiency rates in all three areas remain under 20%.

Enrollment in the district saw a nearly thousand student decrease from 20,725 during the 2022-23 school year to 19,856 during the 2023-24 year.

Mayor Brett Smiley continued his push for the return of PPSd schools to local control, announcing his intention to propose legislation at the state level that would end the takeover on July 1. The schools have been under state takeover since 2019.

at rhode island’s State of the State address, Gov. dan McKee honored two PPSd principals for the improvements made at their schools. His newly unveiled Fiscal year 2026 budget proposes a $43.4 million increase in statewide K-12 education aid, allocates funding for dual enrollment programs and invests $10.6 million in the university of rhode island, rhode island College and the Community College of rhode island.

and, mirroring other private colleges in the new England region, Johnson & Wales university announced free tuition for students whose families make less than $80,000 per year.

RI legislators call on Gov. Dan McKee to declare homelessness a public health

Housing advocates pushed for emergency services for homeless individuals

BY SANAI RASHID METRO EDITOR

Earlier this month, nearly 50 rhode island legislators called on Gov. dan McKee to declare homelessness a statewide public health emergency. in a Jan. 10 letter written by State Sen. Tiara Mack ’16 (d-Providence), legislators urged the governor to allocate more resources to those experiencing homelessness in the Ocean State.

“your leadership is needed now to protect and save the lives of rhode islanders across our state, including our working class neighbors, our children and our veterans,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to the governor.

The statement came four days after McKee shared a press release detailing the state’s plan to expand resources for people experiencing homelessness this winter. in preparation for the polar vortex during the week of Jan. 6, the state opened temporary “emergency winter hubs” in Westerly and West Warwick along with preexisting overnight shelters.

Still, the legislators expressed concern over the lack of services for unhoused people during the winter as low temperatures and “arctic outbreaks” sweep through rhode island.

Mack said she wrote the lawmakers’ letter after numerous housing service providers described their frustrations with the governor’s administration and a need for long-term housing solutions.

declaring homelessness a public health emergency would allow these providers to access more resources, increase funding

and bypass specific housing rules and regulations, according to Mack. The emergency declaration could also allow the state to open more additional affordable housing units.

The Emergency COVid Housing Oppotunities Village, more commonly known as the ECHO Village, is an affordable housing unit in Providence with 45 pallet shelters. it finished construction in March 2024, but its has been postponed due to fire regulation concerns. in a public health emergency, such regulations could be bypassed, Mack said.

The legislators framed housing as a public health issue, with Mack arguing that “housing is health care.” Mack, who studied public health while at Brown, said that “the more support for housing that we provide to all of our residents, the healthier they are.”

Last January, more than 2,000 people in rhode island were without a home during the the rhode island Coalition to End Homelessness’s yearly night-long count. in 2024, rhode island also had the second-highest rate of chronic homelessness in america, and at least 54 rhode islanders died while experiencing homelessness.

rhode island has “pretty startling statistics” when it comes to housing, said Jennifer Barrera, the coalition’s chief strategy officer. “That is the result of decades of poor planning and lack of investment in affordable housing,” she said. “it will take decades for us to dig out of the housing deficit that we’re in.”

Mack cites the nation’s opioid epidemic, rhode island’s increase in rental prices and the state’s lack of tenant-focused legislation as a few contributors to the housing crisis.

Currently, 1,252 state-funded emergency shelter beds are open across the state, rhode island department of Housing Spokesper-

son Patti doyle told The Herald. The emergency hubs provided 75 additional spaces for shelter, she added.

But the emergency winter hubs were only open temporarily until the end of the polar vortex.

as temperatures plummeted in early January, outreach members of rhode island Housing advocacy Project helped individuals across Providence in need of shelter get into emergency hubs, Eric Hirsch, the organization’s interim director told The Herald. Hirsch said several unhoused people told him it was difficult to get into the emergency hubs.

Eventually, Hirsch’s team brought “dozens of people” to the Providence City Hall, where City Councilors Justin roias and Miguel Sanchez opened the City Council

chamber for those still in need of shelter — a decision Mayor Brett Smiley said “disrespects the hard work of our community partners who have the expertise to adequately provide support for our community.”

For the last three years, riHaP has called on the state to declare homelessness a state of emergency or a public health emergency, according to Hirsch. in november, the group organized a rally at the rhode island State House demanding McKee declare rhode island’s homelessness crisis a state of emergency.

rhode island’s housing crisis has worsened since the pandemic, with 1,810 people experiencing homelessness according to the u.S. department of Housing and urban development’s 2023 homelessness assessment report.

On Tuesday, McKee and Secretary of the rhode island department of Housing deborah Goddard announced in a press release that an additional $65,000 in funding from the Municipal Homelessness Support initiative would be used to support housing initiatives, such as the winter emergency hubs.

While Mack supports these efforts, she says rhode island is facing “a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis that has a billion-dollar problem,” she said. “This crisis is going to require every agency that deals with housing, health, care and infrastructure at the state level.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 22, 2025.

Thayer turnover continues as Berk’s and J Life Mart close

Stores are set to close due to economic difficulties, drop in foot traffic

BY MICHELLE BI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

after over 50 years in business, Berk’s Shoes & Clothing store on Thayer Street will close on Jan. 25. J Life Mart, Thayer’s go-to for a sian snacks, will be soon to follow.

Thayer has seen high turnover since 2020, with many pointing to lingering pandemic costs and inconsistent foot traffic, The Herald previously reported.

Stephen Berk, who owns the shoe

store along with his daughter Lauren Berk, shared that the closure comes as a relief to both of them. “it just seems the time,” he said.

The closure results from lingering effects of the COVid-19 pandemic, construction on Thayer hindering street parking, the closure of the nearby Washington Bridge and the significant drop in foot traffic, Stephen Berk said. “it was just one bad thing after another,” he added.

The business dates back to the early 1900s, when Stephen Berk’s grandfather started a shoe cobbler repair store in Pascoag, rhode island. The family business has since turned into a general clothing and shoe store. in 1974, Stephen Berk opened the Thayer Street location.

Stephen Berk emphasized the importance and strength of his working relationship with his daughter, adding that every employee “was like part of the family.” rhode island does not have many businesses where shoppers can say “i’ve been coming here since i was a kid,” said alia del Borgo, a Berk’s employee of almost three years. For her, getting to know the customers who frequent the store made the job worthwhile.

J Life Mart — College Hill’s Japanese convenience store — also plans to close. Jason Chou, the store’s current owner, wrote that the business will officially shut its doors once the space finds a new owner.

J Life opened in april 2021 with the intention of providing students with

somewhere convenient to pick up snacks and drinks during the busy school day, Chou said.

He added that while closing the store may seem unexpected, it would not be economically feasible to keep J Life open.

“Competition and weak economy” have poorly impacted business over the past six months.

due to high rents, most restaurants “cannot make it,” said Paul Boutros, who co-owns East Side Pockets with his family. Having been in business on Thayer since 1997, the restaurant has seen many businesses struggle over the years.

Thayer used to have “tons” of foot traffic, which has since plummeted, said Stephen Berk. according to Boutros, this

was due to a combination of post-pandemic difficulties and the rise of mobile shopping, making it very challenging for small businesses to operate.

Boutros said that many local businesses have shifted to food delivery apps like Grubhub since the pandemic. But mobile ordering apps can be expensive for these businesses. East Side Pockets lost 25% of their margin in recent years, Boutros shared.

in an increasingly digital, fast-paced world, “people don’t shop out like they used to,” Boutros said.

The loss of Berk’s is “tragic,” del Borgo said. She added that she “wouldn’t be surprised if there was a domino effect with Berk’s going.”

Housing organizations advocate for increased emergency services for unhoused individuals during the cold weather.

Berk’s Shoes & Clothing will close on Jan. 25.

‘Resiliency and tenacity’: Men’s rugby takes D1 national crown

The championship capped off an undefeated 2024 season

BY LYDELL DYER SPORTS EDITOR

Winning a national championship is every team’s goal. For a club team, winning a division i national championship seems more like a dream. The men’s rugby team (11-0) has now done it twice in three years.

Capping off an undefeated season, the Bears claimed the d1 national Collegiate rugby Championship title on dec. 14, ending their 2024 campaign in glorious fashion. in a repeat matchup of the 2022 championship game — which fell 21-5 in Brown’s favor — the Bears took on Queens university of Charlotte (10-3). displaying tremendous resilience, the Bears overcame a 20-9 deficit, putting up 14 unanswered points to clinch the national title 23-20.

“Winning wasn’t just about the title,” co-captain antonio Esteves ’25 wrote in a message to The Herald. “it was about everything we’d worked for together, every practice, every challenge, and every moment we lifted each other up. it’s a memory i’ll always carry, not just for the victory, but for the way we came together when it mattered most.”

By the time the final whistle blew, the Bears not only took the national crown, but punctuated one of the most dominant seasons in program history. With eight straight regular season victories, Brown surged to the top of the division i Liberty rugby Conference. Spearheaded by Bruno’s ruthless offensive performances throughout the regular season, it was not even a close battle. racking up 535 points while allowing only 72, the Bears finished the season with a point differential of 463, over 250 points higher than the second place finisher.

Brown clinched the ivy League title as

well, steamrolling dartmouth 40-14 during parents’ weekend in late October. yet, while the Bears put together a masterful season on the green, their path to the center of the national stage was also shaped outside the rugby pitch.

“Our strongest asset as a team was how close-knit we were both on and off the field,” co-captain raphael Lansonneur ’25 wrote in a message to The Herald. “We’re not just a group of guys who show up for training sessions and games, we genuinely spend a lot of time together outside of rugby, and that bond has been the most important part of our success.”

To win games, you need talent; To win championships, you need trust and support, which the Bears built their season around.

Lansonneur explained that the team instituted a buddy system, pairing incoming first-years and new graduate students with veterans in order to ease their transition onto the team. additionally, the team held group meetings every two weeks in which they broached topics that are sometimes difficult to talk about, such as anxiety and mental health.

“Having players open up about their own vulnerabilities created a space where everyone felt more comfortable sharing,”

Lansonneur wrote. “it showed that we’re all in this together, and it built a level of trust that translated directly to our performance on the field.”

“There’s more to sport than just winning,” Head Coach david Laflamme wrote in a message to The Herald. “For me, winning is the byproduct to the culture that we create.”

The Bears’ success brought them to the d1 national Collegiate rugby Championship quarterfinals. Standing in their way was Walsh university (4-6), the team that won it all in 2023 and was slated to run it back during preseason polls. Maintaining a 15-11 lead until the final ten minutes of the contest, Walsh played up to its reputation. But the Bears had a championship final to reach, and following a Marco Lapierre ’28 try in the 71st minute and a penalty try with two minutes to go, Brown completed the comeback 23-15 and marched to the semifinals.

When “we found ourselves trailing in the second half, it could have been a breaking point,” Esteves recounted, “but our preparation, chemistry, and trust in each other gave us the confidence to stay composed.”

But the Bears’ season almost came crashing down during the semifinal matchup against St. Bonaventure in december (6-4).

despite a hard-fought first half, in which Brown recorded a penalty kick and a try, Bruno trailed by two points when regulation time concluded. yet even when the clock read 80:00, the Bears did not give up.

Lansonneur explained that the team, regardless of circumstance, had to “keep working until the final whistle.”

“Even when we were down 8-10 … we stuck to that mindset. Everyone stepped up (and) outworked Bonnies’ strong defense,” he concluded. “That resilience and tenacity was key.”

When the whistle finally blew, it was not to end the game, but to call a foul on St. Bonaventure. a minute and 30 seconds into stoppage time, with the weight of an entire season on his back, Lansonneur set up to shoot a potentially game-winning penalty kick. as the entire team looked on, the ball sailed clear through the uprights. against all odds, the Bears won the game 11-10, defeating St. Bonaventure and claiming a spot in the finals.

Months of work, determination and grit all came down to one final game; 80 minutes against Queens university of Charlotte to declare who would reign supreme in college rugby.

When the game began, Brown struck first. Seven minutes into the contest, Lansonneur successfully converted a penalty kick from 35 yards out to put the Bears up 3-0. But it only took the royals three minutes to answer, and after a successful penalty kick from Hilton Olivier evened the score, a try by Everett Boyd propelled Queens to an early 10-3 lead.

Though the Bears battled back, each of their scores was met by points for Queens, as well. Lansonneur converted a second penalty kick in the 30th minute, but mere minutes later, Queens scored a try of their own, claiming a 15-6 lead they would maintain into halftime. and when Lansonneur scored a third penalty kick in the 44th minute, Queens answered with yet another

Here’s what you missed from Brown Athletics over break.

Hockey, basketball had rough records over break, starting to rebound

BY DENNIS CAREY SPORTS EDITOR

as students start to return from a long, restful break, Brown athletes have been busy from the court to the rink. The Herald rounded up the most recent news about Bruno’s favorite sports teams.

Hockey Both men’s and women’s hockey seasons continued while students were away from classes. Only a few days after celebrating the new year, both teams took to the ice, reopening their seasons on Jan. 3, but with challenging starts.

Women’s hockey (11-9-1, 6-7-1, ivy) lost their first two games of 2025, while the men went on a five-game losing streak — their longest of the season.

despite starting the new year on a dismal streak, men’s hockey has managed to turn their results around as of late. This past weekend, they managed two wins against conference opponents St. Lawrence (6-15-1, 2-7-1 ECaC) and no. 20 Clarkson (13-7-2, 7-3-0 ECaC). They will look to carry this late momentum into the semester and hope to revive their season after a disappointing winter run.

Men’s hockey’s (7-9-2, 4-7-1) most recent win over Clarkson was, at least for one player, the performance of a season. The Bears outshot the Golden Knights 41-27 and held up defensively, allowing only two goals despite being a man down. Max Scott ’27 accounted for three of Bruno’s four goals against Clarkson, managing his first career hat trick to complete the memorable night.

These two wins also mark the first time in program history that the Bears have swept both Clarkson and St. Lawrence in regular season play. Though the winter season started poorly for men’s hockey, returning students may have a lot to look forward to as the team hopes to carry its newfound momentum into the coming weeks.

Women’s hockey started the winter in a similarly disappointing fashion. Back-toback losses to no. 3 university of Minnesota (15-4-1) and Bemidji State university (4-20-1) marked a four-game losing streak. But over the course of the next few matches, Bruno started turning the season in their favor and have made a steady charge since the year’s early losses.

Women’s hockey has won all three of their recent matchups, including two victories over no. 8 St. Lawrence (15-6-5, 9-2-3 ECaC) and no. 9 Clarkson (18-7-1, 9-5-0 ECaC).

Both games required overtime to pick out a winner, forcing Bruno to show their grit and determination beyond the 60 min-

utes of regular play.

in the victory against St. Lawrence in new york, Bruno snapped a 20-game losing streak against St. Lawrence. The victory was led by freshman attacker Monique Lyons ’28, who notched a hat trick in the 4-3 victory. Lyons’s hat trick was the first by a Bruno player since Feb. 9.

Bruno would then go on for a “smashand-grab” win away at Clarkson, taking the game 3-2 despite being outshot 34-22 in the match. Thanks to an immediate goal only 34 seconds into overtime by india Mcdadi ’26, the Bears protected their lead down the stretch for an impressive come-frombehind victory on Clarkson turf.

Though both men’s and women’s hockey went on late runs over winter break, neither team has been able to fully bounce back from the early disappointments of the winter, and both sit fourth from the bottom in the ECaC rankings with less than half of the season still to play.

Basketball

Both men’s (9-7, 1-2 ivy) and women’s basketball (8-9, 2-2 ivy) had ups and downs throughout the break. Men’s basketball won two of their six games and women’s basketball did only one better by winning three of their matchups.

Women’s basketball started their winter off strong, dismantling the university of new Hampshire (5-7) 70-43, before then having to face off against no. 9 Texas Chris-

score to pull away 20-9. down by 11 points and with 22 minutes to go, the Bears rallied. Spearheaded by dominating scrums, Bruno marched down the field. rushing in from the right flank, center Leo Clayburgh GS dove for the tryzone, bulldozing past two Queens defenders to collect the try. Following a successful conversion by Lansonneur, the Bears found themselves in a one-score game, now down 20-16.

Only four minutes later, the Bears were back in Queens’ territory. With the ball in hand, Esteves lunged for the tryline. While attempting to bring Esteves down, the royals received a penalty for an illegal tackle that resulted in a Brown penalty try and seven automatic points. in just five minutes, Bruno flipped the script, turning an 11-point deficit into a three-point lead and a national title.

“Hearing that final whistle after the championship game was the culmination of everything we’d been through together this year,” Esteves recalled. “i’ve never been part of a team so aligned and united toward one goal. From the beginning, we believed deep down that we could win it all, and because of that belief and trust in each other, we did.”

“With the success we’ve achieved over the recent years, it’s easy for people to forget that we’re still a club sport,” Lansonneur said. “Once we reach the playoffs, we’re competing against well-established varsity programs that offer scholarships and have dedicated recruitment spots.” at the end of the day, we’re just a group of guys who got into Brown on our own merit and happen to love rugby,” he added. “i think this really shows the importance of the culture and camaraderie that we’ve fostered. … it's something we’re all incredibly proud of.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 23, 2025.

tian university (19-2) on the road. unfortunately for Bruno, they were brushed aside by the Horned Frogs 79-47.

Bruno then went on to face back-toback ivy League opponents dartmouth (89, 2-2 ivy) and yale (2-15, 1-3 ivy). despite dropping the first game in the Pizzitola to dartmouth, the Bears turned things around in the second game, defeating yale and protecting their home court.

The Bears have been good at home thus far, winning six out of nine games, but have an abysmal 1-5 record when tested on the road.

Bruno continued their run of ivy League opponents deeper into January, facing down both Harvard (14-2, 3-1 ivy) and Cornell (4-13, 0-4 ivy) this past weekend.

Though the Bears were unable to get the win in Cambridge — falling to the Crimson 83-53 — they were able to turn things back in their favor upon the return home. Bruno managed a comfortable 4939 victory over Cornell to bounce back. against the Big red, guard isabella Mauricio ’25 netted her thousandth point for the Bears.

Men’s basketball had a remarkably similar winter break. The Bears started their winter with a run of games on the road with games against top 25 opposition: no. 8 university of Kansas and no. 10 university of Kentucky. Bruno was unable to win against the overpowering opposition, losing both games by a 34-point differential.

The losses against the university of Kansas (14-4) and the university of Kentucky (14-4) snapped the Bear’s six-game winning streak — which had been building since nov. 17.

The Bears then looked to turn their momentum around, crushing Johnson & Wales university in a 98-57 rout at home. Though things looked to be turning around for the Bears following the big victory, Bruno was unable to show up when it mattered most.

Bruno continued to struggle, dropping their first two ivy League matchups to conference opponents yale (10-6, 3-0 ivy) and Harvard (6-10, 1-2 ivy). in their last matchup of the break, Bruno managed a nail-biting, important 83-82 win over Cornell (10-6, 2-1 ivy). Led by aaron Cooley ’25 — who scored a career-high 28 points and had seven rebounds in only 31 minutes of play — Bruno managed to squeak out a crucial road win. down by four with 2:45 left to play, the Bears went on a 6-1 run to take the game.

Both teams will be looking to carry some momentum from their victories over Cornell into the rest of the season and improve their conference records.

Tennis

Men’s and women’s tennis opened their season with a perfect record this past weekend. Men’s tennis managed wins over Merrimack College and Fordham university and women’s tennis took down Boston College.

Capping off an undefeated 2024 season, the men’s club rugby team defeated Queens University of Charlotte to

HOCKEY

Women’s ice hockey topples two top-10 opponents in overtime thrillers

Bruno defeats conference rivals for the first time in several years

BY GALEN GIBB STAFF WRITER

Last weekend, the Brown women’s ice hockey team (11-9-1, 6-7-1 ECaC) returned to the win column in nail-biting fashion.

For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Bears defeated no. 7 St. Lawrence university (15-6-5, 9-2-3 ECaC) in a 4-3 overtime win on Friday. Just one day later, they made history again — this time beating no. 9 Clarkson university (18-7-1, 9-5-0 ECaC).

after a triumphant weekend, “the team is feeling many emotions, including excitement, pride and confidence,” Olivia Fantino ’28 wrote in a message to The Herald. “These two big wins have boosted our morale, reinforcing our beliefs in each other and our individual strengths and abilities that we bring to the team.”

Just minutes into the match against St. Lawrence, it became clear that the weekend’s wins would not come easily. Even though the Bears fired four more shots than the Saints did in the first seven minutes, the momentum quickly shifted. For the rest of the period, Bruno could only muster two more attempts at goal.

at 18:18, St. Lawrence drew first blood. a pass from the left side of the neutral zone evaded the Bruno defensewomen, and the Saints’ leading scorer abby Hustler latched onto it — converting the pass into a oneon-one opportunity against goalie rory Edwards ’27. The Saints then struck again. Saints’ defender Hillary Sterling raced along the right side of the ice from one goal line to the other, then curled around the corner and end boards to pass to Saint Lawrence forward Kennedy Wilson. Wileon deposited the puck in front of Brown’s goal for a point-blank shot that upped the score to 2-0.

To stave off the growing deficit, Brown

intensified their offensive pressure. The team launched seven shots and kept St. Lawrence penned into their own zone. This persistent attack led to a two-minute power play for the Bears. at 11:04, they found optimal spacing, surrounding the opponent goal in the shape of an arc.

all five players got touches and swung the puck from the right circle to the left.

ava deCoste ’27 passed to Sam Broz ’27 — a Herald copy editor — who set up Monique Lyons ’28 for a shot into the bottom left corner. Brown now trailed St. Lawrence 2-1. in response, the Saints capitalized on their first power play just. Following a cross-checking penalty committed by Jade iginla ’26, three opponent players triangulated the defense while another player crowded the Bruno goal. The defense forgot to mark the remaining opponent forward, Sarah Marchand, who snuck behind the goal line to receive the puck in the right circle. She directed the incoming pass with speed into the bottom right corner to put St. Lawrence up 3-1 — a scoreline that would not change through the second period.

But the Bears were still undeterred, fighting for a second goal in the third period. Getting the puck by the left corner board, Broz skillfully dribbled past a Saints defender before shovelling it in front of goal, straight to Lyons who lunged into a shot that sailed into the top right corner. a second goal “really gave us momentum,” Lyons wrote in a message to The Herald. “Being able to quickly one-time the puck over the goalie’s shoulder (gave) the team hope (to) battle our way back to win.”

Brown maintained the score at 3-2 for another challenging 10 minutes. They survived a St. Lawrence power play, and Edwards continued safeguarding the Bruno goal with multiple saves. yet, with less than three minutes left in regulation, Head Coach Melanie ruzzi temporarily substituted Edwards for defender Cameron Sikich ’25. This risky tactic, known as “pulling the goalie,” leaves an empty net for a 6 vs. 5 offensive advantage.

“The team was playing well all game and we had some sustained possession in the offensive zone,” ruzzi explained in a message to The Herald. “That gave us a lot of confidence to pull (Edwards) as soon as we had possession coming out of (a) defensive zone faceoff. These are all things that we prepare for, so the team was primed to execute.”

With 2:04 remaining in the period, Sikich corralled the puck just a few steps inside the Saints’ defensive zone. despite being furthest away among all players on the ice from the St. Lawrence goal, she angled her stance and swung. The puck netted the same corner that Lyons shot into earlier in the period, tying the game at 3-3.

“i was just trying to get the puck on net hoping for a tip or rebound,” Sikich wrote in a message to The Herald. “Seeing it go straight in was just a nice bonus.”

Edwards was immediately substituted back into the game and Bruno held on until the end of regulation. after 4:43 of overtime, the Bears were rewarded with a power play. Broz won the faceoff and passed to Sikich, who briefly lost control of the puck and tripped a Saints player in her attempt to recover it. amidst the chaos, deCoste swooped in and delivered the puck to Lyons in front of the goal. She tipped it into the back of the net to secure both the win and her first collegiate hat-trick.

Brown’s 3-2 overtime victory against Clarkson on Saturday required just as much tenacity. in the first period alone, Edwards saved 14 shots, while both teams failed to convert their power plays. nonetheless, Bruno found the back of the net at full strength 1:55 into the second period. Margot norehad ’27 escaped looming pressure at the right corner board in Clarkson’s defensive zone after receiving the puck from Mcdadi. She dived along the end boards and passed it into the goal crease for Fantino to score.

But the Golden Knights retaliated less than five minutes later. as the Bears defense overloaded the left half-boards to jostle for possession, opponent defender nicole Gos-

The women’s ice hockey team will resume ECAC play against No. 13 Princeton on Friday and No. 10 Quinnipiac on Saturday.

ling slipped a cross-rink pass to Haley Winn, who fired a shot into the lower right corner. Tied at 1-1, the two defenses suffocated one another for the rest of the second period. Clarkson killed three power plays, whereas Brown only allowed four shots on goal.

Three minutes into the third period, Bruno conceded a second goal during a penalty, but the team equalized less than a minute later — again through the link-up play of Fantino, Mcdadi and norehad. From a nudge of the puck at the neutral zone by Mcdadi, Fantino threaded an outlet pass across the ice, and norehad readily pushed it forward, shooting and scoring from the right circle.

“The chemistry between india, Margot and i has really grown throughout the season,” Fantino wrote. “Together, we’re able to complement each other’s strengths and create some great scoring opportunities.” neither team managed to come out on

top by the end of regulation, but Brown only needed an extra 34 seconds in overtime to claim the win. in the defensive zone of the Golden Knights, the group of iginla, Mcdadi and Sikich shifted as a unit from the left half-boards towards the right circle, which allowed Sikich to shovel an entry pass to Mcdadi. Mcdadi backhanded it into the goal to clinch the game 3-2.

“When you play against two nationally ranked opponents and on the road, there are bound to be times that you have to survive and overcome,” ruzzi wrote. “i think (last) weekend’s games showed that we have another level of competition and that we are a resilient group.”

“i am so proud of the team and i am happy our hard work paid off (last) weekend,” Lyons wrote. “We played gritty Brown hockey.”

The women’s ice hockey team will resume ECaC play against no. 13 Princeton on Friday and no. 10 Quinnipiac on Saturday.

Cooley’s career day propels Bears to 83-82 victory against Cornell

BY GUS BAILEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

i n a thrilling victory on Monday, the men’s basketball team (9-7, 1-2 i vy) defeated Cornell (10-6, 2-1 ivy) 83-82, bouncing back from a tough loss to Harvard on Saturday. Forward aaron Cooley ’25 buoyed the Bears with an incredible performance, scoring a career-high 28 points.

Cooley set the tone early, hustling to turn multiple missed shots into scoring opportunities. On Brown’s first possession of the game, he grabbed his own missed layup, kicking the ball out to the perimeter before making a corner three. With just under eight minutes to play in the first half, Cooley played another offensive rebound, drawing a foul that earned him two free throws. From that point on, he played a perfect 9-for-9 from the field, finishing the game 10-for-13 overall.

Bruno’s triumph over Cornell marks Brown’s first conference win of the sea -

son after opening with losses to yale and Harvard. “Just going out there and playing confidently” was what made the difference in Cooley’s performance, he wrote in an email to The Herald. “ i also think it was remembering my ‘whys,’” he added. “Friends and family go a long way with helping reset mentally especially after going down 0-2 to start … as well as just knowing no matter what the score looked like at the end of the game that i gave it my all for myself and my teammates.”

in an intense back-and-forth game, Brown trailed 49-43 at halftime. yet they quickly climbed back, taking their first lead of the half with just over 14 minutes left. The Big red did not give up, holding an 82-79 advantage with two minutes remaining. d espite their lead, the Bears’ defense was stellar, holding Cornell scoreless in the final two minutes. With the game tied at 82, point guard Kino Lilly Jr. ’25 drew a foul and made a clutch free throw to give Brown a one-point lead. Cornell’s final attempt

at victory failed after Guy ragland Jr.’s three-point shot bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded. Bruno left i thaca with a big win.

Cooley underscored the importance of ivy League play for the Bears’ postseason aspirations. “Every conference game is its own playoff game,” he wrote. “For us to be one of the top four at the end of the season, we have to give everything we got, because nothing is certain after these 14 games in the conference.”

The Bears’ performance against Cornell highlighted their grit after a disappointing home loss to Harvard just two days earlier.

Bruno’s 9-7 record marks a sharp improvement from last year, when the Bears struggled out of the gate. in the 2023-24 season, they won just four of their first 16 games before going on a magical run to the ivy League Championship game. This year, despite tough competition against no. 10 Kentucky and no. 8 Kansas in the initial games, Brown battled to a 9-7 start, their best in six years.

Brown’s early-season success is particularly impressive considering multiple key player departures since last season. in addition to three players graduating and another transferring, the Bears lost

big man nana Owusu-a nane ’25, a Second Team a ll- ivy selection last year, to a season-ending shoulder injury in early October.

Cooley emphasized that the Bears’ ‘next man up’ mindset has been a driving force behind their strong start. “We lost a lot of guys from last year,” he wrote, but “everyone in the locker room still wants to be a part of something special and to do that takes sacrifices, effort and adapting to adversity.” a nd adapt they have. Brown has enjoyed a career-best season from nearly every member of the rotation. Lewis, a new starter, leads the team, averaging 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Cooley’s 12.1 points per game are nearly double his scoring average last season. in addition, Lyndel Erold ’25 has five games with at least 10 points, while n ’famara d abo ’27 ranks second among all i vy League players in blocks per game.

“We’ve hit some bumps in the road from injuries, rotation changes and losses, but what stays true is our desire to show up every day,” Cooley wrote. “ i think that drive to improve and do better has shown on our record thus far.”

Brown hosts d artmouth at 2 p.m. on Saturday as ivy League play continues.

The men’s basketball team is off to a 9-7 start, their best in six years

COurTESy OF BrOWn aTHLETiCS

Forward Aaron Cooley ’25 buoyed the Bears with an incredible performance, scoring a career-high 28 points.

WINTER BREAK RECAP

FACULTY

Brown professor misused sensitive patient data for research, new lawsuit alleges

Former employee claims retaliation for raising concerns about data usage

BY CATE LATIMER AND MEGAN CHAN

UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR AND METRO EDITOR

President and CEO of the rhode island Quality institute neil Sarkar, who is also an associate professor of medical science and health services, policy and practice, has been accused of using unauthorized patient data for his research at Brown.

The suit, filed by former riQi employee darlene Morris in federal court earlier this month, alleges that Sarkar and other riQi leadership unlawfully retaliated against her for raising concerns about Sarkar’s data misuse.

Sarkar and Morris did not respond to a request for comment.

Morris’s complaint alleges that Sarkar utilized his high-ranking position at riQi to obtain restricted patient data for independent research at Brown. The patient data was obtained from the statewide Health information Exchange, which maintains confidential health care information for approximately 550,000 rhode island residents — roughly half of the state’s population.

ADMISSIONS

The lawsuit claims that Sarkar first sought to obtain confidential patient information for a research project in early 2023.

To acquire this data, Sarkar allegedly breached protocol by requesting data directly from riQi’s data department, circumventing Morris, who oversaw protection of confidential HiE information.

That May, Sarkar presented a research study by a medical student at Brown’s Warren alpert Medical School to the riQi board of directors. The use of this data — which included information from over 100,000 patients — had not been approved by the state, according to the complaint.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the rhode island department of Health began their investigation of Sarkar shortly thereafter. Morris assisted in their investigation.

Later that year, EOHHS filed a “Breach of Contract dispute Complaint” against riQi, saying Sarkar’s “utilization of HiE data for research at Brown” violated the state contract that gave riQi access to this information.

EOHSS director of Public affairs Kerri White wrote in an email to The Herald that the office takes “seriously the duty to safeguard the confidential healthcare information within the statewide health information exchange.”

riQi operated and maintained rhode island’s HiE, called CurrentCare, through a set of state contracts. But state regulations prohibit the release or transfer of this confidential information without written consent from the patient or the State.

The

“rhode islanders entrust their protected health information to the HiE with the understanding that it will be used to prevent disease and protect and promote the health and safety of the people of rhode island,” White added.

in February 2024, Brown submitted a student-authored manuscript to riQi for their approval. The manuscript allegedly drew from Sarkar’s research presentation back in May, presenting the HiE data differently “than the use in the earlier study.” neither study had been approved by the State, the suit says.

Two months later, the university advised riQi that “the manuscript would be

published regardless of riQi’s approval,” according to the lawsuit. Sarkar claimed that this decision was “Brown’s alone.” representatives from EOHHS and ridOH scrutinized Sarkar’s claim, writing that “this decision defies credulity given the dual roles of riQi’s President and Chief Executive Officer, dr. neil Sarkar.” university Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald that the university “at all times adhered to federal and state laws, university policies and the provisions of our contract with the institute,” emphasizing that contracts for managing HiE data are between riQi and the state.

The lawsuit further claims that Sarkar and riQi leadership engaged in subsequent retaliatory conduct against Morris, who had been assisting with the State’s investigation.

alleged retaliation against Morris included a diminishment of her authority, exclusion from meetings, limited communication with State officials and restricted access to a database overseeing contracts and other agreements.

retaliatory conduct continued, even after the State instructed riQi to immediately cease “further use of HiE data for research purposes” and compelled riQi to reinstate Morris’ attendance in state compliance meetings, according to the lawsuit. ri Q i terminated Morris’s employment in July 2024. Scott young, a senior director at ri Q i , told The Herald that Morris’ termination was due to a financial stabilization effort that cut a number of positions.

He added that the complaint filed in federal court “is rife with inaccuracies and misleading information and ignores the financial realities that forced the institute to eliminate positions and lay off employees over the course of the year.” as of July 2024, riQi’s state contract was awarded to another vendor, according to the lawsuit.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 12, 2025.

Brown’s early decision acceptance rate soars to 18%, the highest in six years

This is the first class required to submit test scores since pandemic

BY TALIA LEVINE AND CIARA MEYER SECTION EDITORS

On Friday afternoon, Brown university welcomed 906 of its 5,048 early decision applicants to the class of 2029 — the highest acceptance rate in over half a decade.

Credited to a marked decrease in the number of applicants and increase in the admitted cohort’s size, Brown’s acceptance rate soared to levels not seen since the class of 2023.

The class of 2027 remains the most competitive early decision class in history, with the class of 2028 falling in a close second place.

This year saw nearly 1,200 fewer applicants compared to last year, signifying a loss of about one-fifth of the university's Covid-era applicant pool.

Of the applicants, 61.8% were denied and 17.8% were deferred to the regular decision pool. Slightly more than 2% of applications were withdrawn or remained incomplete after their review but before decisions were released, according to university Spokesperson Brian Clark.

“We expected a total applicant pool comparable to the years before the temporary test-optional policy,” said associate Provost for Enrollment and d ean of undergraduate admissions Logan Powell in a press release, citing Brown’s newly-resurrected application requirement: standardized test scores.

The class of 2029 is the first to apply with the reinstated mandatory test

scores policy and the second to apply under the Supreme Court’s outlaw of race-based affirmative action. Brown reinstated the test requirement in part because “some students from less advantaged backgrounds are choosing not to submit scores under the test-optional policy, when doing so would actually increase their chances of being admitted,” according to an advisory committee on admissions practices.

Powell said the admitted class “expressed an enthusiasm to embrace Brown’s Open Curriculum and a deep interest in listening to and learning from one another.”

This year’s application pool saw a 22% increase in international students who enjoyed a need-blind review of their application for the first time in Brown’s history. The new Brunonians hail from 49 states, the d istrict of Columbia and Puerto r ico, along with 51 different countries.

Outside of the united States, the top

countries represented by the admitted students are Canada, China, the united Kingdom and india. Those were also the top four countries represented by the Ed class of 2028. Within the united States, California, new york, Massachusetts, new Jersey and Texas topped the list.

Powell highlighted that “when comparing this year’s pool to the Class of 2024 — the last class admitted before the test-optional policy — it has expanded across nearly every region with a superlative group of talented applicants from across the country and around the world.”

“Extending our need-blind admission approach to all first-year applicants is one of many measures that helps make Brown a more affordable choice for extraordinarily talented students from every income level,” Powell said.

The university also accepted 90 students via Questbridge, a separate application that provides low-income students with a full-ride scholarship to

highly selective universities. This year’s cohort marks an increase from the class of 2028’s 64 Questbridge scholars.

Earlier this month, the u niversity pointed to increasing the number of Questbridge applicants as one strategy they intend to rely on to maintain diversity after the fall of race-based affirmative action, The Herald previously reported.

The class of 2028 saw a 40% drop in the share of Black students and a 29% decrease in Hispanic students compared to the previous class.

Twenty two students were accepted into the eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education, a combined undergraduate and medical school program.

according to previous polling by The Herald, recruited student-athletes make up a large chunk of the early decision class. For the class of 2028, 14% of students admitted early were athletes. The university does not publicly disclose how many athletic recruits are admitted via early decision.

Of this year’s admitted students, 51.9% attended public schools, 35% attended private schools and 12.58% attended religious schools. This is similar to the distribution of the class of 2028.

The percentage of first-generation students remained consistent with last year, as 19% of admitted students have parents who did not attend college. about 65% of admitted students applied for financial aid.

The Herald’s first-year poll found that of the class of 2028, some students indicated that Brown was their top choice but didn’t apply early. Experts said uncertainty around financial aid fueled some of this apprehension in prospective applicants.

“ i f finances are not an issue at all,

then a student can almost always end up applying early decision if their top choice offers it,” Sara Harberson, a former Penn admissions officer who now runs a private college admission consulting company, previously told The Herald. Brown offers financial aid calculators that prospective Brunonians can use to calculate their expected aid offers.

When deciding to keep early decision applications after a lengthy review of the policy, Brown acknowledged that the early decision applicant pool “is less diverse than the rd pool in terms of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status; students who apply E d are less likely to be from historically underrepresented groups or be low-income, first-generation or international applicants.”

But they ultimately decided to continue offering this application cycle given the “overall size and strength of the applicant pool.”

at a d ecember meeting of the Brown university Community Council — a forum of administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni — President Christina Paxson P’19 P’M d ’20 noted the importance of Brown’s early applicant pool to increasing the university’s overall yield.

Paxson emphasized the role of “identifying really talented students and persuading them to apply early decision, because once they apply early decision, the yield is 100 percent,” she said.

With the first cohort of the incoming class set, Brown’s admissions office is expected to review tens of thousands of regular decision applications submitted by the Jan. 3 deadline.

lawsuit alleges that President and CEO of the Rhode Island Quality Institute Neil Sarkar first sought to obtain confidential patient information for a research project in early 2023.

naT Hardy / HEraLd

The class of 2029 is the first to apply with the reinstated mandatory test scores policy and the second to apply under the Supreme Court’s outlaw of race-based affirmative action.

UNIVERSITY HALL

Brown will restrict faculty, staff growth and reduce PhD admissions to address budget deficit

Deficit stems from U. efforts to become a top research institution

BY CATE LATIMER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Facing a structural deficit of $46 million, Brown is looking for solutions. While the current deficit is only 3% of the university’s total operating budget, it could grow to more than $90 million by next year without intervention.

On Tuesday, the university shared its next steps to address the deficit and put Brown on a path to positive operating margins in five to six years.

The deficit is a result of the university’s efforts to reposition itself as a leading research institution rather than a liberal arts college, The Herald previously reported. While Brown’s academic focus is aligned with that of a research institution, its financial model is not, and the university relies heavily on undergraduate tuition to support its costs.

The steady size of the undergraduate student body, increased financial aid and growing salaries are some of the “key drivers” of the deficit, wrote Provost Francis doyle and Executive Vice President for Finance and administration Sarah Latham in a Tuesday Today@Brown announcement.

Brown plans to restrict faculty and staff growth, reduce Phd admissions, limit operating expenses and grow revenue from master’s programs. With these strategies, doyle and Latham expect that the deficit will be no more than $60 million in 2026, excluding the university’s long-term investments in affiliated health systems.

Restricting faculty and staff headcount in the last 20 years, faculty headcount has grown by over 20%, and the number of unrestricted staff — staff not funded by grants or gifts — has grown by 28%, according to the announcement. But during this time, undergraduate enrollment has grown by only 13%.

This has placed “considerable pressure on the university’s tuition-dependent budget,” doyle and Latham wrote.

To fix this, the university plans to hold faculty headcount growth to 1% and unrestricted staff growth to 0%.

This step will include an “enhanced review process for vacant positions,” according to the announcement. Starting in 2025, all open positions will be reviewed to determine if they will be refilled.

doyle and Latham wrote that “there are no plans for across-the-board layoffs,” adding that each department will be affected differently. They also reaffirmed their commitment to providing faculty with competitive salaries. Faculty have previously voiced their concerns about compensation and the university’s plans to restructure it.

Reducing PhD admissions

The cost of Brown’s Phd programs has grown by 43% in the past five years, in part due to increases in the number of admitted students and time-to-degree completion, doyle and Latham wrote.

The u niversity hopes to decrease these programs’ budget growth to 4% — rather than the projected 6% — by reducing the number of admitted students. according to the announcement, this will impact departments depending on their size and how they are funded.

Limiting the growth of unrestricted operating expenses despite predicting a 7.3% increase in operating expenses, the university hopes to reduce this growth to 3% through the standard budgeting process. The university has asked academic and administrative units to identify potential areas for permanent cost reductions in their fiscal year 2026 budgets.

These reductions will be supplemented by “ongoing fundraising and investment efforts, focusing on achieving strong performance to yield sustained financial

support for the university,” d oyle and Latham wrote. They also plan to expand academic offerings and research through “new revenue-generating programs,” according to the announcement.

Continuing to grow master’s revenue Brown hopes to double the number of residential master’s students and increase the number of online learners to 2,000 in the next five years, according to the announcement.

“Growing master’s education aligns

Eric Gottlieb ’25 awarded Marshall Scholarship

Gottlieb will use scholarship to pursue hermeneutic law theory

BY HADLEY CARR UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Eric Gottlieb ’25 was one of 36 students awarded the 2025 Marshall Scholarship, the British government announced Monday. The scholarship funds up to three years of graduate study in any academic discipline at any institution in the united Kingdom.

The 36 scholarship awardees were chosen from a pool of 983 applicants across the united States. Marshall scholars were evaluated on their academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential, which requires applicants to have an understanding of u.S.-u.K. relations.

Gottlieb is the eighth Brown student to win the Marshall scholarship in the past decade. Last year’s cohort of Marshall scholars included two Brown alumni, Jamila Beesley ’22 and Kaitlan Bui ’22. a history, Egyptology and applied mathematics triple concentrator, Gottlieb plans to spend the first year of his scholarship at Cardiff university in Wales, studying hermeneutic law theory — a philosophical approach to law — under dylan Johnson, a lecturer of ancient near eastern history. He has not yet finalized his second-year plans, but said he will likely remain at Cardiff to pursue social science research methods.

These plans build on Gottlieb’s studies at Brown, where he is currently writing a senior thesis titled “Egyptian Christianization from the Manichaean Perspective: Evidence from Medinet Madi, 300–599 CE.” Through his research, Gottlieb hopes

to explore and understand lived experiences by analyzing the textual record from Medinet Madi, an archaeological site in Egypt.

Gottlieb’s first exposure to reading ancient texts came from anTH 1820: “Lost

Languages: The decipherment and Study of ancient Writing Systems,” a course he took in his first semester.

“it just scratched an itch that i never knew i had,” Gottlieb said, who came to Brown with an interest in history.

Gottlieb also attributed his interest in historical perspectives to HiST 1381: “Latin american History and Film: Memory, narrative and nation,” which offered a new approach to examining history.

“ i had never understood the fundamental belief that history was like a construction of reality,” Gottlieb said.

“There’s a lot of space for you as a historian to put your own agency into those stories.”

Gottlieb’s “first taste of good historical research” came when he joined the Stolen relations Project as a research assistant. directed by Professor of History Linford Fisher, the project examined early modern documents to build a database recounting the enslavement of indigenous peoples.

Soon Gottlieb began contextualizing his studies in the sphere of public service, working as a housing policy intern for the rhode island Public Expenditure Council. There, he helped research and develop riPEC’s housing report that was ultimately circulated to state legislators to organize the affordable housing allocation process.

“i knew that working with other people really made me happy,” Gottlieb said.

“i just tried to make as much of an impact as i could as possible.”

with diverse funding models for research institutions that are not as heavily dependent on undergraduate tuition to fund their operations,” doyle and Latham wrote.

“We are seeking to slow expense growth in a sustainable way, with an eye toward long-term solutions that allow Brown’s resources to continue to support our community’s priorities and aspirations,” they added.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Dec. 17, 2024.

Gottlieb also worked as a policy intern at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, d.C., an undergraduate research fellow at the Cogut institute for the Humanities and a Stone inequality Fellow for the Watson institute for international and Public affairs. He has also assisted multiple professors with research in history and Egyptology.

as Gottlieb enters the second semester of his senior year, he plans to focus on writing his thesis and hopes to reinvest his time in one of his favorite hobbies: cooking.

He shared that if he were to cook a meal with three people from history, he would choose early medieval theologian Thomas a quinas, a merican physicist richard Feynman and Shenoute of atripe — an early Christian figure prominent in Gottlieb’s period of study.

Gottlieb is curious what aquinas and Shenoute of atripe would say about his thesis and is intrigued by Feynman’s pure and unwavering fascination with physics.

“i really appreciate people who are passionate about the stuff they do,” he said. “They intrinsically care about the stuff they learn.”

This passion is reflected in his academic journey, Gottlieb said, adding that while his academic record might look eclectic, “it arose out of a genuine interest to try to explore my passions.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Dec. 16, 2024.

Maya WadHWani / HE

With these strategies, Doyle and Latham expect that the deficit will be no more than $60 million in 2026, excluding the University’s long-term investments in affiliated health systems.

COurTESy OF EriC GOTTLiEB.

The Marshall Scholarship funds up to three years of graduate study in any academic discipline at any institution in the United Kingdom.

Davis ’27: Black Americans are entitled to patriotism

“The disbelief in their eyes can be easily understood by what my family has endured until this point.” These are words, detailing the night of the 2008 presidential election, i wrote in my admission essay to Brown u niversity. d espite being not even two generations removed from the horrors of slavery, my family, like many others, felt true pride and a belief in progress as the words “Barack Obama elected 44th president of the u nited States” scrolled across the television screen. i was four years old.

Just as the horse saddles that lined my grandpa’s garage or the cowboy boots i reserved for special occasions made me feel a sense of pride, this moment made me confident in the color of my skin and the work of my peers. i was proud to be a Black a merican, and, for better or worse, i was proud to be an a merican. So when Beyoncé’s Christmas d ay halftime performance at the Houston Texans versus Baltimore r avens game incited outrage over the use of a merican imagery, i was confused.

d iscourse ensued across social media about the singer invoking blatant a merican imagery,

likening it to propaganda. People criticized the larger-than-life a merican flags and cowboy memorabilia, but what i believe truly confounded people was that a Black woman was attempting to reclaim this imagery. To this i say, if a four-yearold could understand the joy of progress in this country, why can’t adults?

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is a native of Houston, a hotspot for Black rodeo culture steeped in an immense history of racial injustice. “Whole lotta red in that white and blue/ History can’t be erased,” Beyonce sings on “ ya ya ,” a song from her hit album “Cowboy Carter.” i t seems pretty obvious to me what the superstar was getting at: the sacrifices made by Black a mericans to this country are forever intertwined with this country’s history and current state. Black a mericans have spent the last three centuries pouring into this country; regardless of its sometimes involuntary nature, it would be ludicrous not to be proud of these additions.

From TikTok to i nstagram to Twitter, Black Southerners made their case for why it is more than okay for them to be proud of their a merican

“ “

Black Americans have spent the last three centuries pouring into this country; regardless of its sometimes involuntary nature, it would be ludicrous not to be proud of these additions.

identity. Growing up within a powerful microculture of Black cowboys, in a state where many fought for the Confederacy and still proudly wave the “Stars and Bars,” showed me that patriotism, like everything in this world, is not black and white.

Black a mericans are entitled to patriotism. Whatever your opinions are on the current status of Black a mericans in this country, one cannot deny history. a nd the history is this: a merica would not be what it is today without the contributions of Black a mericans. yes, i am proud to be the grandson of former sharecroppers and survivors of Jim Crow because, like me, they hoped for the country they called home to become better — and what is more patriotic than that? i t would be

foolish of me not to be proud of their and many other Black a mericans’ contributions to progress us to a point where i could be writing this for you today. i am proud to be an a merican, which does not mean i ignore its faults. i t means i recognize those faults and work tirelessly to fix them. For anyone else condemning Beyoncé’s performance as propaganda, i implore you to look into the origin of the word “cowboy.”

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: Are Brown’s dining halls too good?

Let’s play a game. i ’ll give you three dinner menus and you guess whether they are from a Brown dining hall or a five-star restaurant. Here’s the first: short ribs, winter squash, cornbread pudding and semolina olive oil cake. The second: birria tacos, yuca fries, green chilaquiles and tres leches cake. The third: moussaka, chicken stew, eggplant ragout and şekerpare cookies.

Maybe you guessed the first menu came from a fine dining establishment, the second from an underrated, trendy Mexican restaurant and the third from a Turkish fusion spot. But the truth is that all three of them were served at the Sharpe refectory in the past year.

While these menus were part of special theme nights, they underscore the fact that the food at Brown dining halls, particularly at the ratty, is really good. Even as i write this on Tuesday, the ratty is serving sweet potato poutine, chipotle BBQ pulled chicken, kosher sweet potato ravioli with a side of roasted acorn squash, an allergen-free stir fry bar and a philly cheese steak station.

Though i am not necessarily upset about the upgrade in food quality, i worry that gourmet food at college dining halls reflects a larger trend of setting increasingly unrealistic expectations for what is considered ordinary. a s universities offer increasingly absurd amenities in an effort to attract the brightest — and wealthiest — students, they risk losing the simple and endearing aspects of college that make it a meaningful experience. d ining hall food used to be, for lack of a better term, super gross. not too long ago, some universities served pre-plated salads and plastic-wrapped meals. Even having a yogurt bar was considered fancy and innovative. Eating at college was something to be endured, not celebrated.

Fast forward to today, and dining halls have evolved into culinary destinations with make-yourown omelette bars, special kitchens for people with dietary restrictions and celebrity chefs popping by

on random Mondays. at some schools, this culinary evolution has been dramatic, even compared to Brown. For example, at the university of California, Los angeles, an award-winning, former Food network judge crafts thousands of ganache tarts and baguettes daily at the campus bakery.

This metamorphosis is a symptom of a larger issue: the gradual but steady inflation of what we consider ordinary. Once avoided by campus tours, dining halls have become showcases for universities to market their extraordinary student experience.

order to bring in the students they want. d ormitories have been rebranded as “residence halls,” offering themed housing focused on areas like sustainability, wellness and civic engagement. Science and engineering buildings now have coffee shops. Even libraries are more comfortable and luxurious, with reservable rooms fitted with ergonomic chairs, vending machines that can make hot chocolate and coffee (check it out in the Sciences Library lobby) and study areas designated by noise levels. a cross campus, every space is continually being upgraded and reimagined.

It is okay for dining hall food to taste like dining hall food and not that of a Michelin-star restaurant, dorm rooms to feel like dorm rooms and not the Four Seasons and libraries to feel like libraries and not Emirates airport lounges. When everything becomes extraordinary, nothing feels extraordinary anymore.

universities like Brown have evolved beyond just being institutions of higher learning; they are brands vying to attract the best (and wealthiest) students. Much like Google trying to recruit the most capable software engineers with their laundry list of employee benefits ranging from “massage credits” to generous leave policies, schools need to sell an experience with their facilities in

d ining halls are central to this branding effort.

Serving sushi on a random weekday, as the ratty has previously done, sends a message to the student body: Brown cares about you, is cosmopolitan and understands what it means to live well.

The kosher and halal stations communicate another important message: respect for different cultures and religions as well as a willingness to

accommodate all students. a s someone who keeps kosher, i appreciate these options. yet, i also recognize that they represent more than just food — they are an extension of the university’s brand. This continuous branding and inflation of expectations is costly. First, there’s the financial toll. Brown recently spent over $3 million renovating the Verney-Woolley d ining Hall and $300,000 on new cooking equipment. While many of these expenses were funded through donations, it’s worth considering if this money could have been directed elsewhere. The costs may have been partly passed on to students, as the price of tuition is continually rising.

There is also a cultural toll. By redefining what is an “ordinary” dining hall — or dorm or library — we risk forgetting the value of simplicity. There’s something satisfying about a basic meal — a grilled cheese, a quesadilla or a plate of spaghetti. it is part of the college experience to commiserate and bond with your roommates about ordinary dorm issues: The heat is either way too hot or barely working, the water pressure in the dorm showers is on par with that of a dripping faucet and there always seems to be one washing machine out of order.

it is okay for dining hall food to taste like dining hall food and not that of a Michelin-star restaurant, dorm rooms to feel like dorm rooms and not the Four Seasons and libraries to feel like libraries and not Emirates airport lounges. When everything becomes extraordinary, nothing feels extraordinary anymore. We lose out on the “type 2 fun” of ordinary, somewhat bothersome experiences that make college unique.

Ben Aizenberg ’26 can be reached at benjamin_aizenberg@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

On Jan. 9, the r hode i sland School of d esign’s Board of Trustees voted to reject a student divestment proposal targeting the school’s relationship with companies affiliated with i srael.

The decision comes after a three-day building occupation and a monthslong campaign by pro-Palestinian student activists that demanded disclosure of ri S d ’s investments, divestment from groups “sustaining i srael a partheid,” establishment of a student investment oversight committee and the public condemnation of i srael’s actions in Gaza.

i n October, five representatives of ri S d Students for Justice in Palestine met with ri S d President Crystal Williams and several members of the Board of Trustees i nvestment Committee to discuss a divestment proposal. d uring the meeting ri S d stated that the board would come to a consensus and “share their thoughts” on the proposal by early March, accord -

third-year CC and LOCC member.

“Throughout recent weeks and months, representatives from the university and from LOCC have continued to negotiate in a fair and open-minded manner in an effort to reach a final agreement on a contract,” university Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald. “We hope to reach the end of the process soon, at which point the final contract will be posted publicly.”

Clark did not respond to a request for comment about bargaining timelines.

The union made the most conces -

TENANTS

ing to r SJP Spokesperson Jo Ouyang ’26, a Brown- ri S d dual degree student.

On Jan. 15, ri S d community members received an email announcing the board’s decision to reject the proposal, Ouyang said in an interview with The Herald.

i t truly just came across as like a slap in the face,” they said, adding that ri S d informed r SJP organizers of the decision around 10 min- utes before the rest of the ri S d community.

Ouyang claimed that the email was ri S d ’s way of “absolving themselves from their complicity in the genocide in Palestine,” emphasizing that the email was “conveniently” sent shortly after i srael and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire deal, they said.

ri S d Spokesperson Jaime Marland did not provide additional comment regarding the decision, referring The Herald to the campus-wide email announcement.

a fter the October meeting, ri S d ’s

sions when it came to their stipend, Godbole said. LOCC originally desired an increased stipend that would cover housing and the university’s most extensive meal plan — totaling $17,444 for the 2024-25 academic year — to match what traditional resident assistants receive at many other institutions.

But Clark previously wrote in an email to The Herald that the CC “role is distinct from resident assistant roles at many schools, particularly in that community coordinators are not responsible for enforcing community standards.”

Compensating CCs to cover the amount of full room and board, Clark

board said they used the recommendations of the Stewardship & Sustainability Committee and its i nvestment Subcommittee, and determined “the r SJP proposal did not meet the criteria of ri S d ’s Statement on d ivestment,” according to the email.

Students’ inputs and recommendations “were reviewed with care and consideration” the board wrote in the email. Their decision was in an effort to “secure and strengthen the core of ri S d ’s mission now and for future generations,” the email read.

ri S d ’s Statement on d ivestment, which was adopted in 2015, states that the Board of Trustees may “take political and social considerations into account” when a proposed investment or divestment demonstrates “an issue of importance to ri S d as an institution and to its constituents as a whole, and not solely to a segment of its constituents.”

Ouyang criticized the board’s message to the campus community, noting that the announcement did not

wrote at the time, would not account for differences between these two roles. i n an august 2024 i nstagram post, LOCC rejected the u niversity’s characterization of CCs as different from ra s, stating that they were also responsible for “response to policy violation,” “individual student support,” “crisis intervention” and “addressing facilities concerns.”

But Godbole said that during negotiations, LOCC “just knew” they would not receive compensation for full room and board because the nearly $7,000 difference in pay would be too drastic. CCs are currently paid $10,500 per academic

detail the board’s justification for their decision beyond stating that the proposal did not meet ri S d ’s criteria for divestment.

Since October, no students or r SJP members have had any input in divestment, Ouyang said. They added that r SJP was given “very limited details” about the divestment consideration process following their October meeting with ri S d administrators.

year, according to r yu. if the tentative agreement is ratified, the increased compensation of $12,500 will be enough to cover room and the university’s most minimal meal plan.

Ensuring job security also became one of LOCC’s primary goals following their strike in august, according to r yu. rather than solely focusing on winning compensation to cover room and board, organizers prioritized “securing protections and guarantees for rehire so that CCs aren’t retaliated against for going on strike,” she said.

Brown’s Teaching a ssistant Labor Organization and Graduate Labor Orga-

i n a statement posted to i nstagram, r SJP claimed that ri S d as an “institution” has “made it clear that they have never intended to engage with us in good faith.” ri S d did not provide additional comment on these claims.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 21, 2025.

nization helped guide LOCC through the bargaining process, according to r yu. TaLO’s initial interim agreement with the university inspired LOCC to barter for a shorter agreement duration, she said.

“We saw that it is important to not get too long of a contract initially so that you have time to revisit it,” r yu explained.

“ultimately, this is our first contract, but it’s a much longer game than that,” she added. “as long as CCs are unionized and willing to come to the bargaining table, i think we can continue securing protections and changes that we want to see.”

Atlantic Mills tenants fight for preservation amidst pending building sale

BY MAYA KELLY METRO EDITOR

atlantic Mills in Olneyville, one of Providence’s oldest mill buildings, is currently pending for sale. Tenants have expressed concerns surrounding the purchase of the building and the preservation of the historic space.

The building was listed to be sold for $5 million in august. The mill building has been owned by The Howard and Eleanor Brynes LLC since the 1950s, and seems likely to fall into the ownership of robert Berle and Eric Edelman

atlantic Mills has “been this hub of the Olneyville and Providence community for over 70 years,” said Emily Harrington, a media representative for the atlantic Mills union and an artist with tenancy in the building. She added that the Byrnes family has intent on keeping atlantic Mills affordable for the local community.

The building has been a landmark in Providence since its construction in the late 1800s and held a “legacy of being (an) affordable space for artists and Latino small businesses,” Harrington said. now, the building houses dozens of tenants in studio and commercial spaces and hosts Providence’s oldest flea market, Big Top Flea, on weekends.

in the fall of 2022, the current owners and the Providence redevelopment

agency entered into a purchase and sales agreement. The Pra , a city department, entered the agreement “with the goal of stewarding the property into its next phase of ownership,” Michaela antunes, a spokesperson for the city, wrote in an email to The Herald.

But the owners decided not to go through with the agreement, instead choosing to pursue further conversations with potential buyers Berle and Edelman.

Concerned about the turnover in ownership, tenants of atlantic Mills unionized on dec. 21, becoming rhode island’s first commercial tenant union. The announcement followed months of community meetings where tenants discussed their concerns and demands in the face of new

ownership.

Tenants “started getting really worried” when the Pra agreement fell through, said Linsey Wallace, an artist who works out of the mills. “When a private equity group purchases one of these old buildings, it’s much more worrisome, because they likely can’t get the amount of revenue that they need to generate out of the building,” Wallace said.

With the change in ownership, “there isn’t a real threat” that the building itself will be demolished, said Marisa angell Brown, executive director of the Providence Preservation Society. But if the change in ownership causes tenancy turnover, the vibrant community in the mill is at risk “of losing its place, connection and

sense of community.”

“The preservation of these safe spaces is crucial to our collective ability to continue to create,” said Jenine Bressner, a glass artist in atlantic Mills.

The potential new owners intend to continue making atlantic Mills “a hub for small business and innovation,” Edelman wrote in an email to The Herald.“We specialize in preserving historic buildings and want the building to last for another 150 years.”

Brown hopes that the union can offer a sense of community for tenants, as well as additional layers of protection.

For Bressner, “it was so inspiring and energizing to realize that we had so much momentum together in the same direction.”

Over 125 people attended the announcement of the union in late december, where organizers demanded immediate rent stabilization, a 99-year lease and an eviction moratorium to begin on dec. 21, according to Harrington. The union asked for a response from the potential buyers by dec. 30.

The union did not receive a response by that deadline but is “hoping to give them the benefit of the doubt” as they await communication, Harrington said.

“as the sale has not closed yet, it is not our place to negotiate with tenants of the building,” Edelman wrote. if the sale goes through, he and his partner “will work with each tenant in good standing after the closing to figure out a new lease,” he added.

The City of Providence “remains deeply invested in the mill’s future” even though the Pra agreement did not pan out, antunes wrote. The potential buyer “has assured the City that the flea market will remain operational, existing leases will be honored, improvements will be made to the property and there are no plans to convert the building into residential use,” she added.

The new potential owners “envision atlantic Mills as a hub for small business and job creation,” Edelman wrote, explaining they are eager to invest in repairs “to maintain the structure and keep it as thriving commercial space,” he added.

“it cannot be overstated how important this building is,” Bressner said. “We hope everybody gets to stay.”

dana riCHiE / HE

d

Atlantic Mills in Olneyville is one of Providence’s oldest mill buildings.

ARTS & CULTURE

edge and understand the past.

diggs characterized himself as an optimistic person, sharing that one of the ways he comes to terms with the tumultuous history of the u.S. is through humor and art.

He reflected on the creation of hip-hop, saying that it was a result of making the most of circumstances. “it’s party music birthed out of the absence of instruments and the defunding of public schools,” diggs said.

“Hip hop has always been an art form that is in direct conversation with the times,” he added.

diggs started rapping when he was 14, and he said it is the reason he has “any kind of voice.”

“ i t was the way i learned how to speak,” he said.

d iggs, who originated the roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton,” reflected on why he thinks the musical was so successful. Through “Hamilton,” diggs said, people realized that a merican history “can be for all americans.”

“People wanted to have a reason to feel optimistic,” diggs said. The characters were “young upstart kids, just like all of us were, and they made a country.”

diggs then pivoted to sharing advice with students, encouraging young people to learn how to fail. When people are young, he said, they always believe they’re incredible, even if they’re not.

But he thinks that’s an important phase.

“Please think you’re incredible, like take all of the advantage of it,” he said.

“Fail hard now.”

diggs discussed the power of theater for social change, saying that while the reach can be limited, the impacts are “infinite.”

Joseph Fiscella ’27 attended the talk and told The Herald that he resonated with diggs. “Something i’ve been thinking about, even still as a sophomore, is finding my place and my people on campus,” Fiscella said.

noah Martinez ’27, who celebrated his birthday at the talk, has long admired diggs. “i was really interested in how he talked about finding community through art and performing in a way that allows for theater to be social change,” he said.

‘Emilia Pérez’ is subpar slam poetry disguised

Film has compelling characters, but suffers from horrendous music

BY MANAV MUSUNURU ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

“Emilia Pérez” — a captivating, heartbreaking and oftentimes bizarre tale of the consequences of cartel violence in Mexico — is a peculiar film. While the film’s characters are generally well-written, it botches its representation of cartel violence and the transgender community.

When it premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, critics lauded the film, awarding it with a standing ovation over nine minutes long. But after its netflix release on nov. 13, “Emilia Pérez” received mixed reactions from general audiences — and it’s clear why.

The film begins with attorney r ita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) begrudgingly assisting with the cover-up of a high-profile murder, framing it as a suicide. after winning the case, rita is abducted by two men who take her to meet a notorious cartel kingpin, Manitas (Karla Sofía Gascón). in the meeting, Manitas expresses his desire to undergo gender-affirming surgery and start a new life, and r ita agrees to help.

a fter a few international flights — and painful musical numbers — r ita finally finds a doctor (Mark ivanir) who agrees to perform the surgery. Manitas is able to finally achieve happiness through gender-affirming surgery and gives her-

as a musical

self a new name: Emilia Pérez.

To conceal her new identity, Pérez orders her wife, Jessi (Selena Gomez), and her two children to be sent to Switzerland. From there, the story weaves through a series of unpredictable plot points before reaching a predictable ending, as Peréz attempts to reconnect with her family years later, finds new love and deals with the effects of cartel violence.

The performances of the lead actresses — Gascón, Gomez, Saldaña and adriana Paz — have been deservedly praised by critics. The four women were honored

with the Best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, and Gascón, Gomez and Saldaña have been nominated for numerous acting awards. Their portrayals compellingly depict the emotional turbulence encountered by their characters as they deal with difficulties arising from their connections to crime.

Gascón — who is nominated for Best a ctress at the a cademy awards — has a standout performance. She perfectly illuminates Pérez’s transformation throughout the film, from her remorse for her past actions to the violent jealousy that leads to her demise. Pérez’s

development throughout the film would not be as compelling without Gascón.

But beyond acting, “Emilia Pérez” has little to offer to the casual moviegoer. d espite being marketed as a musical, the film suffers from a lack of entertaining or even listenable songs. Many of the numbers seem like afterthoughts — conversational dialogue hastily converted into songs consisting of characters singing monotonously over instrumentals.

Saldaña, featured on the Oscar-nominated song “El Mal,” saves much of the soundtrack with her singing, though she does occasionally slip into her native

american accent when singing in English. interestingly, many of the songs sound better on Spotify than they did in the film, the opposite problem that “Wicked” — another 2024 movie-musical — has.

Several media outlets have critiqued the film’s portrayal of the transgender community as harmfully stereotypical and unrealistic, in part for promoting the notion that people can easily change their entire life and start anew via changing their gender. in the film, both the central character’s connections to her family and the cartel are erased post-transition, allowing her to easily become an altruistic philanthropist without truly experiencing the consequences of her past actions as a drug lord.

in fact, director Jacques audiard has come under fire for his representation of both transgender people and Mexico after the film won best film, comedy or musical, at the Golden Globes earlier this year. audiard, who is credited as the film’s sole writer, does not speak Spanish and is not Mexican himself. The cinematography also suffers from its subtle, yet noticeable use of the infamous sepia “Mexico filter.”

a t the upcoming a cademy awards, “Emilia Pérez” leads the field with 13 nominations — the most for a foreign film in Oscars history. a s the general public increasingly scrutinizes the film for its falsehoods and inaccuracies, the a cademy is left with a choice: Will they award a well-respected director such as audiard or vote for a more deserving, better-written film?

CO

Gascón — who is nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards — has a standout performance.

REVIEW

‘Squid Game’ season two offers more inspired characters, but a faltering story

Netflix global smash shifts focus away from the games in its newest season

BY GABRIELLA WRIGHTEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

This past d ecember, netflix released “Squid Game” season two — over three years after its first season. The hit series previously followed Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), better known as Player 456, as he navigated — and won — the deadly contest for 45.6 billion Korean won in season one.

The show’s first season ended on a cliffhanger as Gi-hun abandoned his flight to Los angeles after a call with the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), the organizer of the games. Season two picks up from this moment, with Gi-hun set on confronting the Front Man and ending the games.

While season one took place almost exclusively inside the competition, this first episode was set outside of the games, starting the season off with the same tension and violence fans might expect. in the first episode, the infamous recruiter (Gong yoo) makes his return in a game of russian roulette while Gi-hun builds a team to track down the Front Man. it’s clear this episode, and the second, largely serve to reinvent the plot for what was originally a single season mini-series. as this story begins to drag, the series forces some unusual character decisions to get us to a semi-believable main plotline. But after a major failure in his search for the Front Man, Gi-hun sends himself right back into the games, break-

REVIEW

ing the impression of a new storyline.

The last five episodes, which center on the games, reiterate why the original season became netflix’s most watched non-English series of all time. The sheer shock value of these “games” — and the participants’ willingness to keep going even when faced with death — makes it impossible to look away.

What makes this season different, however, is its characters. Writer and director Hwang dong-hyuk takes the time to give many more characters unique stories and personalities. While the show’s

first season didn’t dive deep into the personal lives of many characters, this season gives us two engaging “Breakfast Club”-esque gangs to watch from the beginning. From an erratic drug addict rapper (Choi Seung-hyun) to a fierce mother (Kang a e-sim) and her gambler son ( yang d ong-geun) to a transgender woman hoping to pay for surgery (Park Sung-hoon), there is a personality and story for every viewer to root for — or despise.

a lthough there are only three games this season, the variety of characters in

these life-or-death circumstances makes the show well worth the watch. Hwang’s writing is realistic and raw, and every single actor rises to the occasion. Each moment of humor and levity is matched with one of heartbreak, bolstered by the cast’s ability to bring intense emotion to the screen.

But the episodes’ shocking deaths and betrayals only paid off because of how well-written and shaped these characters are, with little credit due to the games themselves, which feel lackluster compared to season one’s more memorable

tug-of-war and glass bridge competitions

This season’s conclusion also feels messy and rushed — even with a huge gut punch moment and an intense cliffhanger, it’s hard to tell where the story could go next. yet, as far as television goes, that might not be a bad thing — like it or not, audiences may still tune into season three just to see how Gi-hun’s journey in the games finally ends.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 22, 2025.

Ethel Cain paints sinister, chaotic universe in ‘Perverts’

The album’s sonic incoherence serves to confuse and fascinate listeners

BY ALYSSIA OUHOCINE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Ethel Cain’s latest album, “Perverts,” released on Jan. 8, divides and perplexes fans and critics alike. The album dives headfirst into themes of self, pleasure and religion through hair-raising ambient noises and Cain’s chilling vocals.

Hayden Silas a nhedönia, known professionally as Ethel Cain, holds a devout fanbase since the release of her critically acclaimed 2022 album “Preacher’s d aughter.” i n “Perverts,” Cain diverges from the lyrical focus of her former releases and into a wholly auditory experience. The album’s inspiration — Cain’s fascination with the brutalist structures of a power plant in Pennsylvania — gives listeners some insight into the peculiarity of her new record.

The album opens with “Perverts,” the titular 12-minute track that immediately invites listeners into a universe of religiosity that Cain turns upside down. The song begins with a warped church hymn that invokes a sense of foreboding that is present, even stifling, throughout the entire record.

Cain’s music often problematizes religion, and “Perverts” is no exception. The second track, “Punish,” takes

perversity.

cues from the album opener and further establishes the record’s unsettling ambiance. The song’s lyrics are vulnerable and full of admissions of shame by Cain, while her powerful vocals create a weighty and emotional song for listeners. “Housofpsychoticwomn” is an uncomfortable listen. The track’s distorted atmosphere resembles the sound

of blood pumping in one’s ear — noises of choking and pain can also be heard.

The track’s lyrics are spoken low and quiet, and the song’s refrain, “ i love you,” becomes increasingly unnerving as the song progresses. But the creepiness of “Housofpsychoticwomn” is tamed by what follows.

The album’s standout track — “Vac -

illator” — is much more intimate and lyrical than the songs that precede it. Cain’s vocal layering infuses lyrics such as “ you won’t lose / me to thunder or lightning / but you could / to crowded rooms” with a warmth that the rest of the album does not quite imitate.

The song speaks to the boundaries and conflicts between physicality, intimacy and love.

But this warmth quickly dissipates with “Onanist,” the album’s next track.

The echoes of Cain’s voice, alongside the sounds of screams and solemn piano music, convey the desperation within lyrics like “i want to know love / i want to know what it feels like.” From an explosion of sound near the song’s end emerges a singular voice to console the narrator. Much of the album utilizes this conversational tactic in which the narrator seems to commune with both the listener and a higher power interchangeably.

d espite being only nine songs long, the album — which has a runtime of 90 minutes — begins to drag by its midpoint. With each track landing at no shorter than six minutes each, the ambient noise of each record becomes repetitive. The charm of “Pulldrone” is slightly dampened by its length; its 15-minute run time highlights how the creativity of “Perverts” is hampered by its redundancy. “Pulldrone” is a perverse imitation of prayer, ending with a distorted “a men” that is a more overt expression of the album’s core message: There is a fine line between good and

evil, and subsequently, pleasure and pain.

“Etienne” and “Thatorchia” are the album’s most unabashed experiments with production. The former explores the idea of mortality through a distorted voice that begins narrating only near the song’s end. The latter is a bizarre listening experience with Cain showcasing her powerful vocals. “a mber Waves” is the album’s closer and an honest and powerful ending to what was an unexpected start to music in 2025.

“Perverts” by Ethel Cain is masterful. The album’s production showcases Cain’s skills and profound understanding of sound. Even without many words, Cain uses frightening ambient noise to create a universe that listeners can engage with introspectively. its length is the record’s main shortcoming — songs like “Pulldrone” suffer from superfluous interludes that become repetitive early in the album.

Casual listeners of Cain may not appreciate the guttural exploration of sound, faith and love that is “Perverts.” i n fact, it seems to only appeal to an audience already enshrined in the lore surrounding Cain and her music. “Perverts” appears to be a technical masterpiece for those within the know, while pulling those outside of it to dive into a world marked by perversity.

While this season’s games aren’t spectacularly memorable, there are some shocking deaths and betrayals that pay off because of how well-written and shaped the characters are.

The patient — a young, unvaccinated child who had recently traveled abroad — is now at home and well, the state’s Department of Health announced Sunday. The case poses little risk to the public, especially given the state’s 97% MMR vaccination rate for kindergarteners.

Rhode Island records its first measles case since 2013

Patient was an unvaccinated child with recent international travel

BY MEGAN CHAN METRO EDITOR

rhode island recently recorded its first measles case since 2013, the rhode island department of Health announced Sunday.

HEALTH

The patient — a young, unvaccinated child that had recently traveled abroad — is now at home and well after being treated at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. according to the press release, the case poses low risk to the public. Those exposed are being monitored and advised, public health officials said, adding that the child did not come into contact with anyone at their school or daycare.

Measles is a highly contagious respi-

ratory disease that induces symptoms including fever, cough, runny noses and rashes. The disease is “almost entirely preventable” by vaccination, said director of the rhode island department of Health Jerry Larkin in the press release.

according to the World Health Organization, unvaccinated youth and pregnant people face the highest risk of severe complications from measles.

ridOH noted that the measles, mumps,

and rubella vaccine is safe and effective.

The Centers for disease Control and Prevention consider one dose of the MMr vaccine 93% effective against measles and two doses 97% effective.

“For any family with insurance issues or trouble accessing care, ridOH can make vaccine available at no cost,” Larkin continued.

97% of the state’s kindergarteners have taken the MMr vaccine. according to the

CdC, this is the sixth highest rate in the nation.

While measles has been declared eliminated in the united States, the disease continues to be spread by unvaccinated international travelers. in 2024, 32 u.S. jurisdictions reported a total of 284 cases — the most since 2019.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 22, 2025.

As bird flu cases rise, Brown experts stress government action

Researchers say better treatments, testing and vaccines are paramount

BY JONATHAN KIM SENIOR STAFF WRITER

a s bird flu cases in the u nited States have begun to surface over the past year, public health officials continue to raise concern over the potential rapid spread of the virus among humans.

The circulating H5 n 1 strain of the bird flu has resulted in 67 total confirmed cases and one death in the united States since the outbreak in 2024, according to the Centers for d isease Control.

While the presence of the H5n1 virus isn’t new — there have been 970 confirmed human cases across the globe since 1997, the CdC reports — there has yet to be human-to-human transmission of the virus. But mutations in the H5 n 1 strain over the past two years have concerned public health experts as the virus could potentially be more contagious between humans.

“What has changed in the last two years is that first, it has become way more widespread among birds, but second, we are seeing large-scale infection of mammals,” said a shish Jha, the dean of the Brown university School of Public Health and former White House COV id -19 response coordinator.

Historically, H5 n 1 primarily caused outbreaks in wild birds and occasionally in poultry. But as of March 2024, the bird flu has spread to over 900 herds of dairy cows across 16 states.

The more H5 n 1 is transmitted around humans, the higher the risk of human-to-human transmission, which can end up being “very, very deadly,” Jha said.

Experts have studied this virus for more than 25 years, but it remains difficult to predict if viral evolution will occur, let alone when the virus might mutate, said Jennifer nuzzo, an epidemiologist and the director of the Pandemic Center at the Brown university School of Public Health.

“Just because it hasn't happened doesn’t mean it won’t,” nuzzo said, adding that mutations in the disease indicate that infection in humans is “increasingly possible.”

a majority of the contracted cases in the u nited States come from farm workers exposed to cattle. While most of these cases result in mild symptoms such as eye redness and fever, this may be because the virus has primarily infected young, healthy farm workers and not that the virus itself has become less lethal, according to a Science news article. Historically, H5 n 1 has had a mortality rate of approximately 50%.

Jha pointed out that most bird flu cases in the u S have been contracted through direct contact with infected cows, rather than through airborne transmission from birds.

“ i don’t think this virus has become any milder. i t’s just the way that it has transmitted has not caused the same level of serious illness so far,” Jha said. “But that is not the same thing as saying it will not become a more serious problem over time.”

CdC guidelines recommend avoiding exposure to sick or dead animals and wearing personal protective equipment if contact with these animals cannot be avoided. a s some raw milk samples have been found to be contaminated with H5 n 1, the C d C also urges the public to only drink pasteurized milk and to cook products containing beef, eggs and poultry to a safe temperature.

a manda Jamieson, an associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology, told The Herald that having updated vaccines in stockpile and tracking the spread of the virus will be critical to mitigating any potential spread of H5 n 1. The federal government currently has up to 10 million doses of a bird flu vaccine for emergency use, which are yet to be made available to the general public. Moderna was recently awarded $590 million from the u.S. d epartment of Health and Human Services to accelerate the development of m rna-based vaccines to target current strains. Challenges in tracking the virus largely arise

from a lack of access to testing, which n uzzo says is necessary to determine whether an infected individual suffers from H5 n 1 or the seasonal flu. n uzzo expressed support for increased testing availability at farms so workers can “make their own judgments” on isolating animals, protecting workers and seeking medical help.

“The overarching lesson is that we’re going to see more and more of these pathogens emerge and potentially go on to cause pandemic spread,” n uzzo said, “and so we have to just be ready for them like the way we get ready for other recurring hazards like natural disasters.” u nlike COV id -19, which emerged

suddenly and provided authorities with less time to ramp up protections, Jha said a lack of preparation is not an excuse this time around, given that H5 n 1 has been in circulation and studied for decades.

“ i don’t think (the bird flu) is now at a point where most individuals need to be taking any steps,” Jha said, adding the u niversity will continue monitoring the progression of the virus but will not be taking any specific steps at this time. “This is really a time where public health and government need to be taking action."

ACTIVISM

Amid national change, Sunrise Brown looks to local action

Students discuss plans and fears following presidential inauguration

BY ANNIKA SINGH SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Following the presidential inauguration, climate activists at Brown are looking to the future with both fear and optimism. This semester, Sunrise Brown is planning for a renewed focus on actions at the local level.

The organization is looking to build relationships with the Providence community in addition to preparing for a potential faculty vote on fossil fuel dissociation.

“With the inauguration, we’re going to see a breakdown of things on the national level, a complete halting and even backtracking of a lot of the things that we’ve seen so far,” said Trevor Wilkins ’26, a Sunrise actions co-lead. “That just means it’s even more important for local action.”

This is a part of a larger shift in Sunrise’s organizing strategy following the inauguration, explained Emma Blankstein ’26, a Sunrise co-hub coordinator. By focusing on local efforts, Sunrise can “have more of an impact and step in to fill that gap of federal action that won’t be happening these next few years,” she added.

On his first day in office, President Trump signed dozens of executive orders, including orders to exit the Paris Climate

agreement, deregulate oil production and pause offshore wind leasing.

“We’re trying to think about how we can be strategic (and) how we can get people who are ready to fight back,” she added. She hopes activists work with local legislators, communicate with congressional representatives and plan longer-term initiatives.

Last year, Sunrise released their respect report as part of their fossil fuel divestment campaign, known as dirE, which emphasized a positive relationship between Brown and the Providence community.

Currently, Sunrise’s community task force focuses on building relationships with climate and environmental justice organizations in Providence.

Sunrise is looking to further involve itself with local actions, according to Charlotte Calkins ’27, a Sunrise co-hub coordinator. actions have included protests against a proposed plan to turn Pawtucket’s Morley Field into a parking lot.

“One thing that is most obvious to me, from even just last semester, is that students themselves are more aware and angry,” Calkins said. “We’ve already noticed people coming to our meetings more and wanting to find a place to fight back.”

The group is also looking towards a potential faculty vote on fossil fuel dissociation.

Last semester, the advisory Committee on university resources Management, or

aCurM, recommended a faculty vote on fossil fuel dissociation. President Christina Paxson P’19 P’Md’20 did not endorse this recommendation in her response to the committee.

Blankstein and Calkins expressed uncertainty regarding the timeline of this possible faculty vote and emphasized that any future Sunrise action is “contingent on when the faculty vote is.”

“in the event that there is a faculty vote this upcoming semester, we definitely have plans in the works,” she added. She

cited town halls, presentations to different departments and one-on-one discussions with faculty members as possible initiatives.

She also discussed a possible initiative with the Center for Career Exploration to ensure that recruitment is done ethically at Brown, which would require transparency regarding career outreach from fossil fuel companies.

Blankstein also said that faculty mentorship, which was a key component of the aCurM recommendation, will be key to

beginning “educational dialogues” on fossil free research.

Sunrise plans to continue to reach out to faculty members and academic departments, specifically in the institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Calkins said. They also plan to support faculty in finding funding sources for climate research that are not from fossil fuel companies.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Jan. 23, 2025.

Faculty express excitement for planned School of International and Public Affairs

They hope school will help increase faculty involvement

BY SAMAH HAMID SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Faculty expressed excitement for interdisciplinary programs and joint hiring opportunities expected to come with establishment of the new School of international and Public affairs at Brown.

The transition from the Watson institute for international and Public affairs to a separate school was first approved by the faculty and the Corporation last spring, set to open July 1. The school is “absolutely on track” with this timeline, according to Wendy Schiller, the interim director

of theWatson institute for international and Public affairs.

Preparations for the new school are focused on establishing “connective tissue,” Schiller said.

Many aspects of the current Watson i nstitute “are siloed,” she explained.

“They operate in their own sphere, and they don’t necessarily come together as a unified school”

according to Schiller, the new school will link programs at the Watson institute and across the university by further integrating the Master of Public affairs Program and expanding research for international and Public affairs concentrators.

They also hope to open up new centers and find overlapping engagements for undergraduate iaPa concentrators and master’s students.

david Blanding Ma’09 Phd’13, the faculty director of the Master of Public affairs Program, emphasized that the school will “strengthen what we’re already doing by engaging more faculty from a wide array of disciplines.”

He imagines many faculty members are currently asking “where’s my place in this?”

“This is meant to be an inclusive, interdisciplinary community, as much as Brown itself and Watson certainly have always been,” Blanding explained.

Schiller added that the Watson institute “has a very healthy endowment” and “won’t be a drain on other resources.” She said the school will also produce opportunities for joint hiring with other departments such as sociology, political science, public health and economics.

Emily rauscher, a professor of sociology and director of graduate studies for the sociology department, said she finds the upcoming transition exciting because of the potential for faculty hiring opportunities.

While rauscher said that future collaborations with the school have not been directly addressed within the sociology department, she believes that “there’s a lot of potential for benefits from this in terms of collaboration and research projects.”

“i’m excited about cementing relationships and strengthening programs that i think are, to me, just quintessentially Brown,” Blanding said.

But rauscher noted that there has been uncertainty over how funding opportunities will be structured under the new school, explaining that it is unclear if current funding opportunities for students

with strong affiliations to the Watson institute will continue in the future.

rauscher considers the transition “institutionally a good idea to formalize a real strength at the university.” She believes that the shift “cements Brown’s strength in that area and makes it even more widely known and even more highly esteemed than it already is.”

Schiller described the school as “a big megaphone” to the world, strengthened by the work of Brown researchers and students.

“Getting all of that energy harnessed to a single entity means that the world will know that that’s where you go at Brown to be involved and engaged in policy studies, whether it’s international or domestic,” she said. “Without a school infrastructure, it’s hard to get that kind of attention.”

dana riCHiE / HEraLd

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed dozens of executive orders, including orders to exit the Paris Climate Agreement, deregulate oil production and pause offshore wind leasing.

Maya WadHWani / HEraLd

The new school will link programs across the University by integrating the Watson Institute’s master’s programs, creating research opportunities and bolstering undergraduate IAPA programs.

HEALTH

Brown medical residents unionize, prepare for negotiations

One thousand medical residents officially join union

BY CLAIRE SONG AND ETHAN SCHENKER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORS

nearly a thousand medical residents at Brown-affiliated hospitals are gearing up for bargaining after unionizing earlier this month. The residents announced plans to unionize in november, pushing for higher compensation and better working conditions to mitigate “rampant burnout.”

The resident physicians, who work in four hospitals across the Brown university Health and Care new England health systems, voted overwhelmingly to join the Committee of i nterns and r esidents in elections certified by the national Labor relations Board on Jan. 7 and Jan. 15.

“it was a really, really incredible moment,” said Laura Schwartz, a fourth-year pediatrics resident at rhode island Hospital, adding that she hopes the unionization will “make things better for all of the residents and fellows that come after us.”

r esidents at Brown u niversity Health’s rhode island Hospital won their union election 464 to 27. r esidents at three separate Care new England hospitals also voted to join C ir , with 73% of

residents at Kent Hospital, 92% at Butler Hospital and 83% at Women and infants Hospital voting in favor.

Following the election wins, residents are now preparing to negotiate separate contracts with each of their four hospital employers, Schwartz said. Organizers will survey residents across hospitals to determine priorities and solicit feedback to ensure fair representation during bargaining, she added. in interviews with The Herald, residents said their top priorities are winning compensation increases and matching contributions to 401(k) retirement plans.

Felicia Sun, a fifth-year neurosurgery

resident at rhode island Hospital, noted that residents don’t have access to benefits like loan forgiveness and education stipends like other physician employees.

“We are just trying to achieve some of those same benefits,” she said.

residents come to rhode island in June to start orientation, but they do not get paid until July according to natalie duke, a third-year psychiatry resident at Butler Hospital.

“ you have to make rent for two months without having a full paycheck,” duke said.

Sun added that many international residents she knows have never been

don't get to bargain the way that people typically do,” she said.

Organizers like Schwartz also want to achieve parity in compensation and working conditions across the four hospitals, she said.

“it’s really important that we’re compensated on par with one another across the different institutions,” Schwartz said, adding that there are “significant” pay gaps between residents who do similar work at different hospitals through Brown’s residency programs. But she acknowledged that residents may face challenges in harmonizing four separate contracts across two healthcare systems.

another priority is for the residents to “have a seat at the table and a voice” to be heard within the hospital system, Sun said.

home due to not having the money or the time. “When we fight for something like extra vacation, it’s not just words on a page. … it’s our ability to have fulfilling lives and careers as physicians,” Sun said.

Schwartz acknowledged that the residents will face several bargaining challenges that are unique to their jobs.

Since they are placed into their residencies through a single-offer match process, residents have little leverage to select and improve their offers unlike workers in other industries.

“Having a union has become an amazing way for residents and fellows to overcome the fact that they otherwise

“One of the big disappointments is that all the decisions that impact us and that impact our patients, patient care and conditions are being made without us,” Sun said. “So this is our first foray into being able to have a voice and have a say in the conditions that impact us and our patients.”

residents hope to have a productive relationship with the hospital leadership. d uke said residents are “approaching the bargaining process in good faith,” and hope Care new England will do the same.

Spokespeople from Care new England and Brown university Health both wrote in emails to The Herald that they intend to do so.

LEOn JianG / HEraLd

Following union election wins across four hospitals in the Brown University Health and Care New England systems, residents gear up for contract negotiations.