Friday, November 1, 2024

THE BROWN DAILY HER ALD

ACURM recommended bringing the potential restriction on fossil fuel-funded research to a faculty vote.

Brown University will not dissociate from fossil fuel industry

Brown to begin publishing names of organizations that fund research

BY SOPHIA WOTMAN AND KATE BUTTS SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

brown will not dissociate from fossil fuels, the University announced Thursday following a review by a campus advisory committee.

The announcement comes after a petition submitted in February 2023 by the student-led climate group Sunrise brown. The petition called on brown to stop accepting

CAMPUS ACTIVISM

research funding and donations from fossil fuel companies and their affiliates.

The advisory Committee on University resource management, known as aCUrm reviewed the petition and recommended against the move.

“researchers must be free to seek and accept funding from a variety of sources to support their work, provided that this does not compromise the integrity of their research,” aCUrm’s recommendation reads. but starting in November 2025, the University will begin publishing names of organizations that fund its research in its annual financial report, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’md’20 wrote in a campus-wide letter.

She hopes that publicizing the list will

Brown suspends SJP pending investigation

University launched external investigation into student group

BY SOPHIA WOTMAN AND SAM LEVINE

SENIOR STAFF WRITER AND UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The University temporarily suspended brown’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine pending an external investigation into conduct violations at a pro-divestment protest held earlier this month.

University policy stipulates that suspended groups lose “all rights and privileges associated with being a recognized student group” on campus, which includes hosting events and group meetings, recruiting members and reserving spaces on campus for group activities.

“Given the severity of alleged threatening, intimidating and harassing actions

during an event on campus, brown University has initiated a review of the event and required the brown chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine to cease all organization activities pending full review of the matter,”

University Spokesperson brian Clark told The Herald.

“The implementation of the interim measures is based on the severity of the alleged behavior and does not prejudge whether the organization violated policy,” he wrote.

on oct. 18, pro-divestment student activists gathered on the main Green before marching down to the Warren alpert medical School to protest the brown Corporation’s recent decision not to divest from 10 companies with ties to the israeli military.

Two days after the protest, executive vice President for Planning and Policy r ussell Carey sent a community-wide

“allay concerns that brown is accepting research grants from organizations that are not aligned with University policy,” Paxson wrote.

“We consider President Paxson’s logic to be flawed and look forward to continuing our work with faculty members to achieve a Fossil Free research policy that protects academic freedom and the integrity of brown’s research,” Sunrise wrote in a statement to The Herald. “The stakes could not be higher.”

aCUrm recommended bringing the potential restriction on fossil fuel-funded research to a faculty vote. Paxson didn’t endorse this recommendation, saying that existing faculty committees already have the power to do so. instead, she asked the

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Faculty executive Committee, brown’s central faculty committee, to meet with aCUrm to discuss the recommendation.

The FeC can set the agenda for monthly meetings where faculty vote on University policies.

in their recommendation, aCUrm also suggested creating a mentorship committee to educate brown researchers about fossil fuel research funding. Paxson agreed to increase transparency among faculty about potential risks associated with accepting research funding. The d ivision of research will sponsor events on this topic, but Paxson did not commit to creating a committee, saying that decision

Brown students vote for seats on Corporation

’25 plans to bring the referendum results to President Christina Paxson P’19 md’20, The Herald previously reported.

BY JULIANNA CHANG UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The Undergraduate Council of Students’ referendum demanding student representation on brown’s Corporation passed by a margin of 1,368 to 508 students.

The referendum was open for voting from oct. 16 to oct. 30 and had a 26% turnout rate. based on the results, UCS demands that brown’s administration add student seats to its Corporation.

“Students desire sweeping democratic reforms at brown,” a UCS press release reads.

Next week, UCS plans to host a meeting open to the entire study body to discuss other “democratic reforms.” after this meeting, UCS President Niyanta Nepal

University Spokesperson brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald that members with “independent yet informed views” about issues at brown ensure that the Corporation serves the University “as a whole, rather than representing the interests of any particular constituency.”

Consequently, the Corporation welcomes members who “bring deep expertise from professions and perspectives that extend well beyond higher education” and have “the necessary separation from immediate issues affecting campus,” Clark wrote.

in 2016, the Corporation introduced an election process for two new alumni trustee positions, allowing students in their last year at brown and alumni graduating within the last five years to vote on candidates.

2024 ELECTION

Students at Brown navigate changing voting legislation across the country

Students share experiences with barriers to absentee voting

BY AMBER MARCUS-BLANK AND MANAV MUSUNURU STAFF WRITER AND SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When Lily yanagimoto ’27 decided to request an absentee ballot from her home state of missouri, she was confronted with a five-step process: filling out an online request, emailing it to the county election office, receiving a ballot by mail, getting the ballot notarized and mailing it back.

The process, from requesting the ballot to receiving it in the mail, took her two weeks. mailing the ballot back also took time. “i didn’t know that i needed to get it notarized until i finished everything, put it in the envelope and saw it needed a seal,” yanagimoto said.

yanagimoto’s peers were surprised to learn that her voting process was so complex. but her experience is by no means unique among young americans on college campuses, most of whom are casting their first vote in a presidential election.

Since the pandemic, numerous states

RESEARCH

have altered their voting procedures as more americans prefer early and absentee voting. in some states, such as rhode island, new laws made pandemic-era absentee voting options permanent. but not every state responded this way. in Florida, laws make it harder for campus groups to run registration events for fear of legal action, said Logan Tullai ’25, the national president of the nonpartisan student-led group every vote Counts. Similarly, in North Carolina and missouri, voting policies requiring notarization often create barriers for college students. in Texas, new legislation caused an increase in the number of mail ballot applications rejected. but another law makes it easier for people to request mail-in ballots by permitting counties to accept online absentee voting applications.

For students in these states, the shifting laws have at times made voting more challenging.

Lauren richards ’26, a Texan student currently abroad in France, faced numerous hurdles in her process to vote by mail during this year’s elections. although she had already registered to vote in previous elections, this is the first time richards has ever casted a ballot. in previous years, issues with absentee voting led to her never

receiving a ballot.

richards explained that, while registering to vote was easy, requesting a mail-in ballot was frustrating. richards’ county in Texas has not yet created an online application.

“i had to physically print out the application and then mail it off to Texas, to my county, wait for them to process and receive it, and then they would mail me my ballot back,” richards said.

richards also faced challenges mailing her ballot back to Texas. Unlike some other states, Texas does not have prepaid postage for all election mail, meaning that richards had to find a way to cover these fees herself. While the U.S. embassy could have covered the mailing fees for her ballot, the deadline for this funding had passed by the time richards received her ballot, meaning that she had to pay for both her initial absentee application and her ballot to be sent to her county.

When voting in a 2021 state recall election, then-California resident Leah Carey ’25 easily obtained an absentee ballot for her state to vote. but since moving to Texas, the process has been more complicated, she said.

For Taka montez de oca ’27, a resident of Colorado, the voting process was much

easier. The process required changing his ballot address online and receiving a physical ballot in the mail, filling it out and sending it back.

While the process was straightforward, his ballot arrived later than he expected. This was his first time voting by absentee ballot.

in Colorado, the state mails ballots to every voter who registered at least eight days before election day. Their voting process also allows for online registration. in crucial swing states, barriers to voting might stop students from casting their ballots for the presidential election and hotly-contested Senate and House races.

For isa marquez ’26, confusion surrounding the absentee ballot request process in Pennsylvania caused her to miss the deadline for the primary elections earlier this year, while her older sister’s absentee ballot application was rejected thrice by the state.

iowa vance ’27 also faced challenges when voting in her home state of Georgia. a resident of deKalb county, vance had to mail her absentee ballot application to receive her ballot. “it takes a long time and you have to stay on top of things if you want to make sure your vote gets in on time,” she wrote in an email to The Herald.

vance also said some of her hometown friends who study out of state are flying back to Georgia to vote or abstaining from voting altogether.

avery redlich ’28, a Florida voter, noted that registering and first-time voting should be made more accessible.

“in a state like Florida, each vote has weight and significance whether that voter is living in the state or not,” she wrote in an email to The Herald.

“but that makes every absentee vote that much more important,” redlich wrote. “our voices are not cancellable, and our decisions have impact and influence.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 30, 2024.

Some experts are concerned about 2024 election misinformation. Here’s why.

Voters can slow spread of misinformation, experts say

BY NYRIA DELPH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

one week remains for americans to cast their ballots in the general election. This year’s campaigns have been defined by new online tools, including artificial intelligence and social media, that may exacerbate the spread of misinformation, according to brown researchers.

The 2016 presidential election was “just the beginning of the misinformation trend,” according to Stefanie Friedhoff, the co-founder of brown’s information Futures Lab.

Targeted content continued to mislead voters and erode trust in media organizations in 2020, Friedhoff explained. The 2020 presidential election saw a swarm of “bots and troll farms from both foreign and domestic interference” that changed

how voters engaged with election content.

Friedhoff said that the public is consistently misled about each presidential candidate’s image because platforms like X increasingly host election-related misinformation.

in 2024, social media platforms have dramatically shifted the spread of misinformation nationwide. Friedhoff uses the News Literacy Project, a database that tracks topics and tactics of 2024 election

misinformation, to track the scale of disinformation penetration. according to the NLP, 40% of collected examples of misinformation regard presidential candidates’ “character, appearance or reputation” via viral content on social media.

minority communities have become key targets of misinformation campaigns in recent years, according to Johanna vega, the executive producer of Fuxion media, a film, Tv and digital production company.

“misinformation is very, very big right now in Latino, Hispanic communities,” she said. “Some are laying their trust in their families who are not inside the country and use platforms like Whatsapp with their family to create, share and make assumptions” about the US elections that are often false.

according to the Pew research Center, the 2018 and 2022 elections have had some of the highest percentage of voter turnout in recent history, with the 2020 presidential election setting new records. Throughout those elections, white adults voted more consistently than black, Hispanic and asian adults, with 43% of white eligible voters casting a ballot in all three elections.

evelyn Pérez-verdía, the founder of We are más and a visiting fellow at the iFL, suggested media literacy can assist in combating election misinformation this upcoming cycle. Perez said that in countries like Germany students are taught media literacy, which she described as “powerful.” vega encourages voters in marginalized communities to evaluate their sources

of information since relying on just one platform may provide an incomplete or inaccurate picture of political candidates and their stances on various issues. other avenues that voters can take to mitigate the spread of misinformation include research and education, conversations with families and friends and flagging false information that appears on their social media feed, according to Pérez-verdía, vega and Friedhoff.

Pérez-verdía said she maintains “faith that there are many more people out there who care about democracy” and will seek out reliable information to combat misinformation trends.

Correction: a previous version of this article misstated a statistic about misinformation regarding presidential candidates. The article has been updated to reflect the correct statistic. The Herald regrets the error.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 29, 2024.

Brown Democrats is all-hands-on-deck for the 2024 elections

While nerves run high, club members organize phone banking, events

BY ZARINA HAMILTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

as national polling predicts a tight presidential race, students in brown democrats pick up their efforts. From phone banking to political education, club members have been working to mobilize voters across the nation for a democratic victory in November.

“Some people just feel like their vote doesn’t matter. We’re trying to push back against that idea and get people actually involved,” said Sylvie Watts ’26, the vice

president of brown dems.

Throughout the semester, brown dems has hosted weekly phone banking events on behalf of the Harris campaign, according to the club’s President mahir rahman ’26.

The calls have primarily targeted undecided voters in swing states.

“a lot of people will be unsure, and they’ll hang up,” rahman said. “i think it’s reflecting the state of the race right now; it’s still up in the air.”

beyond supporting the Harris campaign, the club has also focused its efforts on key democratic races in Pennsylvania and montana which may determine control of Congress. rep. matthew Cartwright of Pennsylvania and Sen. Jon Tester of montana, endorsed by brown dems, are both

incumbent democratic politicians who are at risk of losing their seats in the upcoming election, Watts explained.

Here in rhode island, brown dems is campaigning for the re-election of rep. megan Cotter ( d - e xeter, Hopkinton, richmond). “even within such a blue state overall, there are still very tight races,” rahman said.

in addition to campaigning, brown dems also works to promote political engagement among the student body. “i think there was strong momentum for (Harris) after the debate, and that started to die down. We’re trying to get people incentivized and encouraged again,” Watts said.

The club hosts several caucuses which meet to discuss specific political topics,

including climate, gun policy, reproductive rights and education, said brown dems’s Political director Lily Zamora ’26. during weekly policy reviews, the caucuses research different candidates’ positions on their specific policy areas. The reproductive rights caucus, for example, has compared and contrasted Trump’s and Harris’s views on abortion policy in a recent meeting.

The club posts these weekly reviews on their instagram page and also shares information about candidates and informational events. “The main goal is to promote civic engagement with these issues,” rahman said.

brown dems has also partnered with brown votes, a nonpartisan youth voter turnout organization, to incentivise stu-

dents to cast their ballots. “young voters are incredibly important,” Watts said. “They will decide this election and will decide generally where our country is going in the future.”

according to The Herald’s fall poll, 91% of eligible students at brown plan to vote for Harris.

The club plans to host a watch party on election night — but nerves will likely be running high. according to an aggregate of presidential polls, both candidates’ averages are within 1% of each other. “Unfortunately, it’s still extremely close,” he said.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 28, 2024.

email in which he described the demonstrators’ behavior as “entirely unacceptable” and warned of disciplinary consequences.

Carey cited reports that protestors were “banging on a vehicle,” “screaming profanities at individuals” and at one point used a “racial epithet directed toward a person of color.” He noted that some of these actions may have violated the University’s Code of Student Conduct, and would be “reviewed through University disciplinary processes.”

The University is investigating both student groups and individual protestors, which are subject to different disciplinary procedures. For investigations of student group conduct, administrators in the o ffice of Student Conduct & Community Standards can conduct interviews themselves or appoint an internal or external investigator “if deemed appropriate by the d ean of Students.”

SJP organizers were informed on Thursday that the group was temporarily suspended and that the University had initiated an external investigation.

The b rown d ivest Coalition — an umbrella organization of pro-divestment activist groups that includes Students for Justice in Palestine — wrote in a statement to The Herald that “this suspension and other allegations made against SJP by the administration are a retaliatory, politically-motivated ploy to defame protestors, fracture the student movement and detract from their complicity in the extermination of the Palestinian people.”

“No amount of external investigations, increased police presence, conduct hearings or intimidating emails from r ussell Carrey will quell our commitment to divestment and to the liberation of Palestine,” the statement reads.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 27, 2024

a ccording to Clark, this process was informed by student input, like those from UCS.

The addition of alumni positions followed a “thoughtful and deliberative process” by the Corporation, Clark added. in that process, the Corporation also decided not to admit actively enrolled students at b rown as trustees.

Clark wrote that any changes to the Corporation membership — including adding student seats — would “come only at the consideration of the Corporation directly.”

“University leaders engage routinely with student government leaders and consider any referendum results that are shared directly as part of those conversations,” Clark added. The results of these referendums are non-binding.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 27, 2024

UNIVERSITY NEWS

FOSSIL FROM PAGE 1

should come from the v ice President of research.

Lastly, aCUrm recommended thatthe University’s Gift and Grants review Committee review all research contributions backed by the fossil fuel industry. The GGrC currently reviews gifts and grants flagged by brown’s division of advancement or d ivision of r esearch. Paxson disagreed with this decision.

Sunrise’s petition also requested that brown bans fossil fuel companies from recruiting at brown, which, according to Paxson, was outside of aCUrm’s scope.

earlier this year, brown’s Center for Career e xploration committed to no longer inviting fossil fuel companies to host on-campus recruitment events, The Herald previously reported. The change did not represent a permanent and formal change in recruitment policies, CCe executive director matthew donato previously noted.

Paxson wrote that the CC e , not aCUrm, is responsible for ensuring “that

its recruitment practices are aligned with existing University policies.”

Sunrise also asked b rown to offer retirement plan options with no links to fossil fuels, a request which was also not deliberated by aCUrm a year after Sunrise submitted the petition, brown added fossil-fuel free retirement options, The Herald previously reported.

Last spring, Sunrise brown launched their “dire” campaign — which stands for “dissociate” and “reinvest” — calling on the University to dissociate from the fossil fuel industry and prioritize issues of environmental justice in its relationships with the Providence community. The group put their petition through administrative review processes and presented it to aCUrm last January. by 2020, the University had sold 90% of its fossil fuel investments, but the Corporation has not voted on a formal divestment from fossil fuels. Paxson said the University plans to sell the remainder of its fossil fuel investments “as it becomes possible to do so,” The Herald previously reported.

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in your email, and we will do our best to work with you.

Submissions can build on reporting from The Herald, reporting elsewhere, official statements from the University or other groups and other reputable sources, but they cannot break news or contain information that The Herald cannot verify. Because we cannot publish unsubstantiated information, failure to provide appropriate sources may mean we have to modify or remove unverified claims.

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On Oct. 18, pro-divestment student activists protested the Corporation’s decision to not divest from 10 companies with ties to Israel.

The referendum was open for voting from Oct. 16 to Oct. 30 and had a 26% turnout rate.

Rhode Island sees above-average number of new HIV cases so far in 2024

HIV diagnoses in the state have mostly fallen over the last five years

BY AMELIE CHIN STAFF WRITER

rhode island is seeing an above-average number of new Hiv diagnoses this year, public health officials announced in an oct. 17 community partner advisory.

The exact number of new Hiv cases in 2024 has not been released. The rhode island department of Public Health typically only releases finalized data, according to Public information officer Joseph Wendelken.

The number of new diagnoses has decreased year-over-year, with the exception of 2021, which saw an increase from the decade-low in 2020 that is associated with quarantine measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The exact cause behind the increased number of Hiv cases has not yet been determined, Wendelken explained. Counts of new Hiv diagnoses can indicate recent transmission or a past infection that may have occurred years ago but has only been recently detected, since many people with Hiv often do not experience symptoms or other signs of the disease.

The increased numbers can also capture infections that may have originally occurred outside of rhode island or the country.

Hiv often affects some populations more than others, according to ridoH. These communities include Hispanic and Latino men in their 20s who have sexual intercourse with other men, and rhode island residents who were born outside the U.S.

“Structural inequities, social determinants of health and barriers to health equity are ongoing challenges in rhode island that continue to drive health disparities,” Wendelken wrote in an email to The Herald.

“it is important to avoid stigmatizing a particular group, but rather support those at highest risk and ensure that all communities remain vigilant,” he added.

ridoH has also promoted testing and treatment options for Hiv and STi prevention via social media and dating app campaigns, Wendelken said. The campaign now also targets newly identified at-risk communities, expanding outreach to LGbTQ+ nightlife spaces, ethnic markets and other community gathering spaces.

Hiv is primarily transmitted by bodily fluids such as blood, semen, breast milk and vaginal fluids, said Jackie Goldman, a program director at brown’s department of epidemiology. most Hiv infections arise from unprotected sex or through the sharing of syringes during intravenous drug use.

medical advancements have dramatically decreased the likelihood of severe complications for those diagnosed with Hiv, Goldman explained.

Still, “younger men and especially gay and bisexual men who are sexually active should be routinely screened for Hiv and should consider PreP for Hiv prevention,” Wendelken said.

PreP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a medicine for people at risk of Hiv infection that has proven to be effective at preventing transmission.

He pointed to the abundance of clinics in the state where people can access Hiv testing and PreP, as well as “safety-net” programs for uninsured or underinsured people.

Students at brown can access Hiv testing and PreP through brown Health Services on campus.

Goldman also highlighted potential reasons for the disproportionate increase in new Hiv cases among bisexual and gay communities. a ccording to Goldman, anonymous sex and underuse of sexual health resources in those communities is more common due to “shame and stigma surrounding being gay.”

aidS Care ocean State works in rhode island to prevent Hiv transmission and support people living with Hiv according to Stephen Hogan Jr., director of development and public relations at aCoS, the organization provides subsidized housing for over 90% of Hiv-positive people in

rhode island.

Hogan Jr. explained that unhoused individuals experience higher incidence rates of Hiv. Those at risk of Hiv “are able to be a little bit more on the secure side, to be able to reach out for assistance programs and case management,” he said.

aCoS also spearheads a harm-reduction vending machine program, making condoms, safe sex kits, wound kits, hygiene products and Narcan available in various locations around the state, Hogan added. rhode island is the third U.S. state or territory to provide these vending machines.

“There is this complacency when it comes to Hiv and aidS in our state, even across the country,” Hogan said. “There’s a lot of folks, especially within the newer generations, who have not seen the death and destruction of the ’80s and the early ’90s. There’s all this lost information, but (also) the loss of empathy.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 28, 2024.

This state task force is combatting the overdose crisis across RI

the task force, Schultz said. The group meets monthly.

BY ABIGAIL DONOVAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Since 2015, a group of state officials, organizers and community members have been meeting to address r hode i sland’s overdose crisis — which kills over one r hode i slander a day, on average. They make up the Governor’s o verdose Task Force, a body charged with developing a plan to address overdoses, gaining community and expert input and addressing emergent issues, according to Cathy Schultz, the group’s director.

Currently, there are nine work groups — each focusing on a particular area, such as prevention, harm reduction, racial equity or treatment — within

Schultz added that the task force’s leadership aims to center the voices of those who have lived experience with overdose. “ i t’s a trusted structure,” she said. “We’re able to make sure that from the leadership, we include the community voice.”

i n September, the task force released a semi-annual report that outlined the group’s current priorities and initiatives alongside data on overdoses in the state.

a ccording to the report, 2023 saw the first reduction in overdose deaths since 2019, with 404 total deaths. r ates of overdose among non-Hispanic b lack r hode i slanders and Hispanic or Latino r hode i slanders also decreased, Schultz added.

“We not only saw a decrease in fatal overdoses, but we saw a decrease in our disproportionately impacted com -

munities,” Schultz said. i f “we weren’t seeing that rate go down in our non-Hispanic b lack communities as well as our Hispanic communities, then i wouldn’t feel confident that we’re doing our due diligence.”

racial equity is one of the task force’s “cross-cutting pillars” and “should be woven in all of the work that we do,” Schultz added.

monica Tavares, co-chair of the task force’s racial equity work group, emphasized this commitment in an email to The Herald.

“This involves the intentional and ongoing practice of reforming policies, practices, systems and structures to prioritize measurable changes in the lives of people of color,” Tavares wrote.

The semi-annual report details that the state will increase overdose-related racial equity funding to $500,000 in the 2025 fiscal year, compared to a total of

$300,000 for the prior two years.

The treatment work group uses survey data to drive racial equity initiatives, the group’s co-chair Linda m ahoney said. This included conducting a survey with the racial equity work group that focused on barriers to care and treatment, allowing providers to identify gaps in their approach, she said.

For m ahoney, “building trust” and “finding champions” in the community help decrease the fear and discrimination often faced by those struggling with substance abuse. This helps them seek treatment, she said.

The task force also hopes to increase coordination among states in the broader New e ngland region, with plans to initiate a New e ngland r egional o verdose Task Force by d ecember 2024, according to the report.

Shultz explained that nearby states like m assachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and m aine generally see

similar overdose trends as r hode i sland, making a regional task force helpful for developing strategies. The r egional Task Force will likely have its first meeting in the first quarter of 2025, she added.

Supporting the opening of Project Weber/ re N e W’s o verdose Prevention Center is another focus of the task force in the coming months. o PC will be the first state-authorized overdose prevention center in the nation, providing services like H iv testing and case management, The Herald previously reported.

Shultz added that another priority is ensuring those struggling with substance abuse have structures in place to help them recover.

i t is very, very important that we are looking at the entire continuum of care,” she said. “ recovery is never linear, so you might have to go all the way back around again.”

The Overdose Task Force’s report announced racial equity funding

Socialist presidential candidate Claudia De La Cruz visits Rhode Island

Third-party candidate criticized two-party system, Dems at event

BY ALLYSON CHEN STAFF WRITER

o n Friday night, dozens of rhode island residents gathered in support of 2024 Presidential candidate Claudia de la Cruz at the Southside Cultural Center.

Programming included chants, dancing, poetry and electronic music. Throughout the night, d e la Cruz spoke in favor of politics grounded in socialist values, while a Palestinian flag hung in the background.

d e la Cruz is the U.S. presidential nominee for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, alongside her running mate Karina Garcia. The two began their campaign in September 2023. a year later, d e la Cruz and Garcia are on the ballot in 19 states, and have official write-in status in 23 others, according to their campaign.

d e la Cruz, born to dominican immigrants in the South b ronx, has spent 30 years as an organizer, especially in Washington Heights and the South b ronx.

PSL has nominated candidates for president, congress and various stateand local-level offices since 2008. No PSL

TRANSPORTATION

candidate has won an election.

d e la Cruz’s platform includes seizing l arge corporations, ending all U.S. aid to israel and reducing the military budget. She also advocates for policies that prioritizes the needs of black a mericans, women, LG b TQ+ people and undocumented immigrants. d e la Cruz also advocates for fighting climate change through socialist economic planning.

d uring the event, d e la Cruz em -

phasized the urgency of a movement for systemic change, claiming that issues like education reform, wage growth and justice for Palestine would remain unattainable under capitalism.

“We need to end capitalism before it ends us,” she said in her speech. i nstead of focusing on winning the approaching election, d e la Cruz has focused on organizing to end the electoral College and two-party system.

d e la Cruz also criticized the d em -

ocratic party. For d e la Cruz, President Joe b iden’s actions related to the israel-Hamas war have perpetuated a genocide, and v ice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s proposed economic policy is flawed in its support of capitalism.

Two audience members asked d e la Cruz about working with other third-party candidates to challenge the country’s political system. While d e la Cruz expressed respect for the other

candidates, she highlighted that campaign regulations make any collaboration challenging.

d e la Cruz ended her speech by urging her supporters to fight. “We need fighters, not people who are willing to give their vote every four years,” she said.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct 27, 2024.

Riders, advocates want an improved Kennedy Plaza. They still disagree over how to do it.

Riders called for increased maintenance, safety improvements

BY MIKAYLA KENNEDY METRO EDITOR

in 2014, rhode island voters approved $35 million in bonds dedicated to funding enhancements to mass transit hub infrastructure, which would likely mean replacing or upgrading Providence’s Kennedy Plaza.

Ten years later, the rhode island Public Transport authority has yet to decide what this improved hub will look like or where it will be located.

riPTa has stated that the revamped hub will improve the rider experience by providing an environment that is “safe and controlled,” “does not require riders to cross many streets” and is “interconnected to other transit options.” according to riPTa , space constraints and the fact that riPTa does not own the

land on which Kennedy Plaza currently sits mean that riPTa’s ability to expand service during weekday peak hours is limited. riPTa would also not be able to build an indoor hub at the current location.

To solve these issues, transportation officials appear poised to position the hub near the Providence train station.

John Flaherty, a principal at the urban planning firm Green Street a ssociates, seconded the benefits of many of these amenities, including having an indoor facility and decreasing the walk between transfers. Flaherty said that for a transport authority with a history of infrequent service, quick transfers are important since the alternative “increases the risk that people are missing connections” and are delayed in reaching their final destination.

For Flaherty, the issue of timely service and transfers is pivotal, and he called on “state leaders to properly fund the service” and take steps towards implementing its Transit master Plan.

“The hub is of little consequence to people who use transit if the service isn’t

there,” he added.

amy Joy Glidden, an advocate with ri Transit riders, took issue with many of the purported benefits of moving the hub. “Kennedy Plaza is already fairly safe for pedestrians. Transfers are already pretty easy,” she said.

“a lot of the things that you could do to make riders’ lives better could be done in the plaza where it is right now,” Glidden said.

randall rose, a local advocate, said that moving the hub will complicate travel for riders whose final destination is Kennedy Plaza. “instead of taking one bus into Kennedy Plaza and getting off at their final destination, they have to go somewhere else and take another bus,” he said.

m ary Simmons, a ri PTa rider and wheelchair user, said that she likes the location of Kennedy Plaza because it’s convenient for her. She also stated that benefits like an indoor hub or easier transfers did not appeal to her, describing herself as “pretty self-sufficient.”

e arlier this month, in an effort to

reflect some riders’ opposition to the hub’s movement, Providence’s city council moved to strike language suggesting there is community support for relocating the hub from the city’s comprehensive plan, which aims to set a vision for urban development in the city, according to the rhode island Current.

but the organization ri Transit riders is not opposed to a new hub in any form, Glidden said, as long as riPTa demonstrates that riders will benefit. enhancements like an indoor waiting area for passengers and bike storage, Glidden said, would be a step in the right direction: “a lot of people tell me, ‘oh, i would totally ride my bike to the city, but, you know, there’s no place to store my bike.’”

Glidden added that fixing the bathrooms at Kennedy Plaza would be a positive improvement, a sentiment that Flaherty shared. She also added that improving security at the hub would be a positive. “i’ve been downtown plenty of times, and the terminal building will not even be staffed and it will be open. That’s potentially a

really dangerous situation,” Glidden said. rose suggested improving “basic transit upkeep” in lieu of constructing an entirely new hub. While “being indoors is a plus, it’s not higher on the priority list of riders” that he’s spoken with, he said.

both Flaherty and Glidden expressed opposition to a may workshop hosted by riPTa where participants were given the option to choose between seven locations for the bus hub, none of which were Kennedy Plaza.

Tony Stackhouse, another riPTa rider, said he supported a relocated hub due to the large number of unhoused people in Kennedy Plaza and the after-school fights that occur. He added that recently, he observed two workers who did not intervene to stop a fight from happening at the Plaza.

Last Thursday, riPTa agreed to continue funding “two designated officers to be on duty for eight hours each weekday, in addition to the assigned police already on shift,” according to WPri

Simmons expressed concerns about drug use at the Plaza.

rose also expressed uncertainty at the idea that Kennedy Plaza would see increased safety if a new hub was built. “i can’t believe they will take care of two locations effectively when they’re not taking care of one,” he said.

according to riPTa’s website, riPTa will still service Kennedy Plaza. riPTa representatives did not address a request for comment regarding safety at Kennedy Plaza.

Glidden questioned how far the new hub would go in solving existing problems. “The homeless people and the drug users, they’ll go somewhere, right? They’re going to exist.”

De la Cruz is the U.S. presidential nominee for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, alongside her running mate Karina Garcia.

FOOTBALL

Bears rise to victory over Cornell with 20 unanswered points in 4th quarter

Breaking a three-game losing streak, football beats Cornell 23-21

BY LYDELL DYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With four minutes left in the third quarter during Saturday’s home game against Cornell (2–4, 1–2 ivy), brown’s football team (3–3, 2–1 ivy) found itself in a deep hole, down 21-3. already on a three-game losing streak, the team seemed unable to stop the powerful big red attack.

but with a home crowd cheering them on and a den to defend, b runo fought back. Launching an incredible 20-point rampage in the 4th quarter, the bears overcame the 18-point deficit and clinched the victory as time expired.

“even though the score was against us, we worked hard on both sides,” Head Coach James Perry ’00 said in an interview with The Herald. “a lot of hard work goes into staging a comeback and they put it in. This team is a really special team to be able to pull that off.”

Throughout the early stretches of the game, both teams battled on even ground. a strong run defense by the bears contained Cornell to a measly 33 rushing yards in the first half — a number bruno’s own 86 yards almost tripled — yet it was Cornell’s run game that struck first. Seven minutes into the game, Cornell’s quarterback Jameson Wang beat the bears defense to the near pylon to claim the early 7-0 lead.

at risk of falling further behind, the bears rallied. after a physical catch-andrun by Chason barber ’26, a strong contested grab by ben moseley ’25 and aggressive running by quarterback Jake Willcox ’24.5, bruno marched into Cornell’s red zone. but just when the bears were close enough to smell the end zone, Willcox was

sacked for a huge loss and the team had to settle for a 44-yard field goal. on the other side of the ball, excellent play by the defense kept Cornell off the scoreboard for the remainder of the clock, entering halftime only down 7-3.

“Cornell had great athletes out there,” First-Team all-ivy cornerback isaiah reed ’25 said. “We knew we would have our hands full. but we also knew that if we go out there and execute the game plan, there is no team in the conference that can run with us.”

but when the bears came out of the locker room, the previously competitive game turned into a near-blow out. With a three-interception third quarter, bruno’s offense left the defense stranded on the field and opened up the door for Cornell to claim a 21-3 lead.

The deficit seemed insurmountable. but in the following 17 minutes, the bears’ offense put up 20 points while the defense kept the end zone empty.

“When you turn the ball over and you take a lot of pride in not doing that, being able to respond is remarkable,” Perry said. “i think we have to learn to build off success so that we don’t always need a bad event to play our best football. but it’s still a great thing to see and i am really proud of the team.”

When the offense next took the field, they looked like a different squad. With a strong running game keeping Cornell’s linebackers in check, Willcox was able to effectively take to the air, with passes to moseley, Samuel baddoo ’25 and michael Nesbit ’27 propelling the offense to Cornell’s 42-yard line.

From there, Solomon miller ’26 took over. Lined up in the slot, he started on a go-route — but fifteen yards downfield, he peeled out to the right, crossing underneath mark mahoney ’24.5 and losing his defender in the process. When m iller finally straightened his route out again,

he was alone in the endzone and, thanks to an expert pass by Willcox, holding the ball. after a successful PaT by Christopher m aron ’25 to make the score 21-10, the bears were back in the game.

Then, the defense regained its firsthalf prowess. after a huge defensive pass break up by elias archie ’26, Cornell went three-and-out and was forced to punt the ball back to a burgeoning bruno offense.

“For us on the defensive end, our challenge week in and week out is to see how many times we can get the ball back for the offense,” reed continued. “We feel comfortable when they have the ball in their hands. We know that the more the offense has the ball, the more success we will have.”

While momentum was finally on the bears’ side, a well-placed Cornell punt pinned the bears at their own two-yard line. With 98 yards to cross and only one quarter to play, brown — even in spite of its third-quarter turnover struggles — relied on its passing game, with Willcox going to moseley and barber for 27-yard and 41-yard gains, respectively.

Now in the red zone, bruno’s familiar run game kicked into action. after rolling down to the one-yard line, Qwentin brown ’26 capped the drive off with a direct-snap touchdown. Suddenly, the bears were now down just 21-17.

“i was really, really proud of Jake for bouncing back,” Perry said. “and the kids love him. They all rallied around him and believed in him.”

o nce again, the defense held its ground, stopping Cornell’s three straight passing attempts and forcing a punt. Coming out of the gates with a shallow crossing route to moseley, brown moved the sticks early. a rumbling backfield guided by Stockton o wen ’25 and matt Childs ’28, as well as a flourishing passing game, aided the bears downfield.

but at the 17-yard line, the drive pe-

tered out and the bears were forced to kick a field goal which, while bringing them closer, still positioned them one point shy of equalizing.

bruno’s defense then came away with another crucial stop. The same Cornell team that managed to put up three touchdowns was now incapable of stringing together a single coherent drive, and brown’s offense got the ball once more. With time winding down in the fourth quarter and 86 yards between them and the endzone, it was do-or-die time for the bears.

Strong runs by Childs and o wen, as well as good intermediate distance passing by Willcox helped the bears cross midfield by the two-minute warning. but at the 31-yard line, the bears faced a 4th-and-2 situation.

a s the crowd held their breath, the bears offense remained on the field. Willcox dropped back, and as he launched the ball, an entire stadium’s hopes took to the air. Flipping his head around just in time, Najih rahman ’27 corralled the 4th-down dart, managed to get out of bounds and move the chains. With time finally on their side, and close enough for maron to kick it, the bears bided their time. after waiting until the clock read one second remaining

to call a timeout, Perry sent his field goal unit out to seal the deal.

maron stood 29 yards out, one kick away from victory. The snap came, the hold was good and the kick was perfect, soaring through the uprights in a wide arc.

“it’s funny. Kicking the game winner feels a lot better in retrospect,” maron said. “in the moment, i just got mobbed immediately, so i didn’t have much time to react.”

minutes after he was hoisted onto the backs of his teammates and celebrated by the stadium, m aron remained humble. “i wouldn’t say that it was me who won it for the team,” he said. “it was a collective effort. i was just the one with the last laugh.”

Now, the bears look to build on their success as they take on the University of Pennsylvania (2–4, 0–3 ivy) next Saturday. The game, which is slated to start at 12 p.m., will be streamed on eSPN+.

“This will be a great opportunity,” Perry said about next week’s match up. “We play Penn at home and have a chance to win two in a row.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 27, 2024.

Women’s hockey opens ECAC season with statement sweep

BY LINUS LAWRENCE SPORTS EDITOR

over Family Weekend, the women’s hockey team (4-0, 2-0 eCaC) kicked off conference play with a pair of dramatic, gutsy wins against No. 9 Quinnipiac University (6-3-1, 0-1-1 eCaC) and No. 13 Princeton (2-2-0, 0-2-0 eCaC).

The sweep marked a massive statement for a program that hasn’t finished with a winning record since the 2005-06 season and that hopes to surprise after being ranked eighth of twelve teams in the eCaC preseason poll.

“i’m thrilled with the weekend,” Head Coach melanie ruzzi said. “i’m not gonna downplay it. it’s an unbelievable weekend against two great opponents.”

on Friday night against Quinnipiac, the bears received a heroic performance from first-year monique Lyons ’28, playing in just her second game at meehan auditorium.

With the bears down 0-1 and under twelve minutes left to play, Lyons glided across the rink trailing margot Norehad ’27, who is no stranger to iconic rookie moments against Quinnipiac. right in front of the goal, Norehad dished the puck to

Lyons, who swiped it into the back of the net to tie the game.

The bobcats threatened to retake the lead just seconds later on a penalty shot opportunity, but a clutch save by goalie rory edwards ’27 helped keep the score tied until the end of regulation. edwards would finish the game with thirty-eight saves. in the five-minute, three-on-three overtime, brown commanded the puck — mustering three shots on goal and holding Quinnipiac to none — but to no success. as the clock wound down, it appeared the game was destined to end in a draw.

Then, with just 2.8 seconds left, Lyons launched the puck over the shoulder of Quinnipiac goalie and former bear Kaley

doyle ’24, sealing a sensational brown win with her second goal of the game.

“it was a pretty goal,” ruzzi said, noting that Lyons had been working on that exact shot with assistant Coach beth Hanrahan during practices that week. “To have her score that way is beautiful.”

“it was crazy,” Lyons said. “To beat the No. 9 team, a ranked team, that shows a lot … being out there with each other and pushing each other every day, we’re just gonna keep getting better.”

The bears followed up their thrilling upset with a high-scoring matinee against Princeton on Saturday.

after bruno went up 2-1 by the end of two periods, thanks to goals from ava

deCoste ’27 and Jade iginla ’26, the game suddenly began to seem like a shootout, with a flurry of four goals — two from each team — scored in under four minutes during the third period. Princeton’s Sarah Paul evened the game at 2-2 on a power play, and Jess Ciarrocchi ’25 and iginla responded with successful strikes. Paul answered back with yet another goal, but the bears prevented Princeton from scoring for another ten minutes, securing a thrilling 4-3 win.

it’s been amazing,” Lyons said of the start to the season. “The energy was really high in meehan, and it was great to play with everyone.”

ruzzi noted the importance of manag-

ing emotions during such an intense contest. “you’ve got to be using the emotions to be more powerful,” she said.

i thought we did a really positive job of that — of not getting too down, but not getting too high either,” ruzzi added.

“i think it’s important to try and stay in the moment, but also it’s fun to play those big games and be in it back and forth,” iginla said.

i ginla, an e C aC Co- rookie of the year and Second Team all-ivy selection, notched her first two goals of the season on Saturday. over the course of the 202223 and 2023-24 seasons, iginla scored 33 of the bears’ 109 goals.

“When she starts scoring, it’s like opening Pandora’s box,” ruzzi said of iginla.

The bears will now look to follow their phenomenal weekend with wins on the road against ivy opponents dartmouth, on Friday, and Harvard, on Saturday. The games will be available to stream on eSPN+.

ruzzi said this year’s squad has “big goals” in their sights.

“i hope to keep winning,” Lyons said. “We really want to get to the top of the ivy League and prove our point and make it to the eCaC tournament.”

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball shows improvement despite four-set loss to undefeated Yale

Brown tallied 51 kills, nearly double output in teams’ first fall matchup

BY GUS BAILEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

volleyball (6-12, 3-5 i vy) fought hard but ultimately fell to yale (13-3, 8-0 i vy) during a four-set match in New Haven on Saturday.

“There is a lot to be proud of from our performance,” Head Coach Taylor v irtue wrote in an email to The Herald.

“We defended really well and created a lot of great offensive opportunities for ourselves. We will continue to build on that going into this coming weekend of matches.”

e ntering Saturday’s game, b runo was determined to prove its resilience and growth this season against yale, which remains unbeaten in conference play.

b rown’s team had a tenacious showing in the first set, pushing yale to the brink and holding two set points before the b ulldogs edged out a 29-27 win.

The b ears’ offense struggled in the second set, hitting just .077. yale scored nine of the final 15 points to take the set 25-20.

b rown’s momentum surged in the third set, ignited by a late five-point run that included two aces from Jessie Golden ’26, allowing the b ears to seize control and secure a 18-25 set victory.

While serves were strong all match, v irtue highlighted b runo’s aggression

SOCCER

behind the line in set three. “That created a lot of predictability on yale’s side of the net and gave our defense a chance to really roll which in turn made our offense more terminal,” she said.

d espite b rown’s efforts to carry their third-set momentum into the fourth, yale responded with strong offensive plays and tight defense, closing out the match with their own decisive 2518 victory.

Hannah Flannery ’26 was unstoppable at the net, scoring 16 kills as she consistently found gaps in yale’s defense.

m ariia Sidorova ’26 tallied 12 kills of

her own for the b ears while setter Julia Kakkis ’28 achieved a career-high of 38 assists, marking her third consecutive match with at least 30.

Flannery attributed her strong performance to teammates Kakkis and Golden.

“Their ability to put up strong passing numbers and digs combined with Julia’s ability to set me the ball from anywhere on the court allowed me to remain offensive throughout the entire game,” she wrote in a message to The Herald.

Kakkis returned the compliments,

crediting her teammates for their strong passing and defense, which allowed her to orchestrate the offense smoothly.

“ i had a lot of opportunities to set the ball to give the hitters success at the net, especially because of our in-system passing and defense,” she wrote in a message to The Herald. “a ll the opportunities really gave me the chance to connect with my hitters, especially Hannah Flannery.”

Flannery highlighted the coaches’ role in the b ears’ progress at the net, noting their detailed game strategies.

“ o ur coaching staff gave me a clear

scout of how i could score and open the court for myself,” she wrote. “The rest of the offense and i implemented that as early as possible.”

i think that spreading the offense gave all the hitters more opportunity to have one-on-one blocks,” Kakkis added.

Compared to their previous straightset loss against yale in their i vy League opener on Sept. 28, the b ears’ performance marked a notable improvement in both offensive execution and defensive cohesion.

“ e ven though we didn’t get the result we wanted, the improvement was outstanding and i think if we prepare this week at practice and push ourselves to be the best then we will have success,” Kakkis wrote.

d espite the loss to yale, b rown has won three of their last five games as they battle through i vy Play, showcasing momentum they hope to maintain as they enter the latter half of their season.

“We will remain a cohesive unit who continues to raise the bar as we compete, each moment striving to get a little better,” Flannery wrote.

Looking ahead, the b ears are set to play twice this upcoming weekend, hosting Penn on Friday evening and Princeton on Sunday afternoon. The match against Princeton will be available to watch on e SPNU.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 29, 2024.

Women’s soccer notches second-consecutive Ivy tournament appearance with 1-0 win over

Center backs Lexi Quinn ’25 and Naya Cardoza ’26 drive Bears to victory

BY DENNIS CAREY SPORTS EDITOR

This past weekend, as parents, students and the cold wind alike descended upon Stevenson-Pincince Field, women’s soccer readied themselves for a crucial Senior d ay matchup against Cornell. a fter

90 minutes of play, b runo stood one goal over the b ig r ed after a phenomenal second-half attacking performance.

The b ears’ win over Cornell has put them in the i vy League Tournament for the second year in a row. Last season’s tournament was unproductive for b runo, whose loss to Columbia in the first round underperformed expectations and ended a 28-game undefeated streak against i vy opponents. This year’s team now looks ahead for revenge.

“ i t’s kind of like a weight lifted off

your shoulders,” Head Coach Kia mcNeill said. “We can take a deep breath, play as a team a little bit and just know that we have a little bit more to play after next weekend.”

“There were a lot of doubts earlier on, especially because we’re so young. We’ve lost a lot of key players,” defender and captain Lexi Quinn ’25 said. “This game is just a testament to everything we can do.”

Though not apparent on the stat sheet, the first half of play was a challenge for b runo. The b ears managed to outshoot the b ig r ed 6-3, but were challenged early on to establish a consistent attack going forward.

Though the b ears were effective on offense, they often found themselves stuck in and around the left side of their own box. While b runo didn’t allow opportunities on their goal, Cornell’s ability to press the ball and create chances from that left side gave their fans a lot to cheer about in the early half.

Cornell managed five corners to b runo’s one during this first-half period.

“The wind played a lot more of a factor than we even anticipated going into the game,” mcNeill said. “We got pinned in our half a little bit and our formation didn’t really match up against Cornell, so we made a couple switches at halftime.”

d espite the early struggles to get out of the Cornell press, b runo was more productive in the attack. The b ears’ counterattacking unit — composed of e lla Weil ’28, a yla Sahin ’28 and Joy o konye ’27 — went forward with goals

on their mind.

The combination of Sahin’s speed, o konye’s ability to provide crucial assists and Weil’s height and physicality makes the trio a challenge for any defense to handle. They proved their worth in the first half — every time the b ears got into Cornell’s third of the field, there was blood in the water.

o ne of the unsung heroes of the first half was forward Nadja meite ’28. Her ability to win a cleared ball and get turned was what drove the b ears forward, allowing them to get up the field quickly and try to catch their center backs out.

The second half was a change for the b ears. They were dominant in possession and barely left the Cornell half, spending a majority of the second on the attack. Waves of attack after attack left the crowd with only one question: When would the goal come?

The answer arrived in the 78th minute. a fter a corner by Karlie Schlosser ’25, the team’s two center backs linked up to fire the b ears in front. Quinn flicked on the ball to Naya Cardoza ’26, who headed home the b ears winner.

“ it’s amazing,” Cardoza said after the game. “Today was Senior d ay for us, so being able to step on this field and play for the seniors and also just clinch our spot in the i vy League Tournament, it was a really big win.”

e ven though the b ig r ed was able to occupy the left side of the b rown defense, they were unable to play through the center. Cardoza, Quinn and Layla Shell ’25.5 closed that part of the field

Cornell

off, relegating the Cornell attack to long, low-danger crosses from the outside.

“ o ffense is mostly just chances, but defense is all what you can control, what you can do and being proactive,” Quinn said.

i n the second half, Cardoza delivered a dominant performance. a t times, she would push all the way up to the halfway line, taking the ball off b ig r ed attackers before their play could even begin to develop. Her ability to dig in and do the dirty work was paramount to maintaining the b ears’ high attacking play, which registered 11 second-half shots to Cornell’s three.

Her efforts during the game earned Cardoza a selection as i vy League d efensive Player of the Week.

“We have some very talented forwards, so the more that we can get bumped up and stay in the opposition’s path, the better,” Cardoza said. “We get more chances, we get more possession points … we’re getting crosses in the box. o nce our forwards get going, they can’t be stopped.”

d uring the post-game interview, Cardoza had a bump on her forehead, the result of taking a cleat to the face and a marker of her physical, lock-down performance.

The b ears will take on d artmouth on Nov. 2 for their final regular season matchup of the year. The game will be streamed live on e SPN+.

Brown will host both Princeton and Penn this weekend.

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

I signed up to write the editor’s note this week because I thought it would be easy; on the eve of Halloween, in the depths of true fall, I thought I would be swimming in inspiration. I pictured myself spinning a moody piece about purple sunsets and orange foliage, about apple picking and cooking with sage, about witchy pointed boots and soaking in my last Providence fall. But, in the throes of midterms and my thesis and filling out my ballot and entering the poster competition for my Modern Architecture class, I forgot.

This week in post-, our writers have been a little forgetful as well. In Feature, Sydney discusses the extinction of the passenger pigeon and how massive, seemingly permanent things (species, relationships)

can come to an end if we are not careful. In Narrative, Benjamin talks about missing a call from his sister and how their relationship has changed since being apart for school. Also in Narrative, Lynn forgets all her early Halloween costumes, except for a beloved Tinker Bell costume, influenced both by her Vietnamese family traditions and obsession with American media. In Arts & Culture, Evan discusses two rappers at Brown who have committed to music full-time, forgetting previous pre-professional aspirations. Also in A&C, AJ recounts Bruce Springsteen reckoning with his place in the American canon and the tensions that come along with that. In Lifestyle, Daphne reflects on her most recent dreams and missing her mom. Inspired by John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed, Katherine reviews some of her favorite fall things on a spectrum from trick to treat. Before you go, check out post-pourri where Rchin thinks about technological advancement across the ages. Finally, a crossword that is as fun as it is spooky!

If I’m being honest though, there’s nothing more Halloween than throwing something together at the last minute. A costume is best when it's ramshackle, cobbled together from your favorite bits and bobs from your friend’s’ closets. If you’ve been putting Halloween planning off until the last minute like me, pick up a copy of this week’s post- and you’ll be sure to find some inspiration.

In line for the midnight organ concert,

Bari

“In my short time here, I know that every one of my delusions, desires, and dreams in every world, universe, and multiverse all connect to create the truest version of myself.”

— Gabi Yuan, “Reinventing” 11.09.23

“I will always welcome a story about my past. And for my first tale, I have a souvenir that retells it to me every day.”

— Marin Warshay, “Woven into the Seams” 11.04.22

1. Joe Biden

2. Joe Mama

3. Joe Maffa

4. The little one from Boygenius

5. Hawk Tuah girl

6. Neil Mehta

7. The Beatles

8. Rashid Zia

9. The Rizzler

10. Onika Burger

Lily Coffman

OPINIONS

Friedman ’09: Remembering Jan Tullis

No one has ever inspired me to work harder in my life than Professor Jan Tullis. Her Structural Geology course in spring 2008 stretched my mind in a way no other educator had to date, or has since. i’m writing today to celebrate the remarkable career of Jan, who passed away on Sept. 15.

The most indelible image i have of Jan is her in her office in the GeoChem building. as i sit here now and write this from oakland, California, i can picture looking down the hallway of the GeoChem building’s lower level and see her sitting there, and i can picture walking down George Street and seeing her through her window. She was so fundamentally present there — as if the enormous building was built to specifically host her in her office. it is an image that is a testament to her peerless commitment as a teacher and a member of the brown community that stretches more than 50 years. Her dedication to teaching inspired generations of students to push themselves, as i did, to match her bottomless passion.

Jan, intentionally or not, cultivated a tradition in her office that showed her impact on decades of students. every few weeks, a new photo would appear on her door (always open, of course) of an alum of the Geology department standing in front of some awesome geological structure. it was a rotating photojournal of folds, faults, volcanoes, glaciers, arches,

peaks, and everything in between from every corner of earth. each of these photos were sent to Jan by her students and Jan displayed them proudly with a brief hand-inscribed note in her looping script highlighting the geologic process — and alum — in the photo. i’ve been sending Jan photographs of my outdoor adventures since i graduated in 2009, one link in a chain stretching back to 1971 when Jan became an assistant professor at brown.

i first spoke to Jan a few weeks before i started at brown. She cold-called my house to introduce herself as my soon-to-be-advisor and share her enthusiasm for my matriculation. That call was a harbinger of the relationship i had with Jan for almost twenty years. She was always engaged, always a resource and always available.

i last spoke with Jan this past spring, after she reached out to congratulate me on a work milestone: a land back project with the yurok Tribe that i had posted about online. as always, she was incisive about my work, challenging in her follow-up questions and insistent that i return to brown so that we could catch up.

Thank you for everything Jan — my love of my time at brown is inextricably linked to my love for you and my gratitude for everything you gave to me and our school. rest in peace.

Editorial: Brown students need to show up at the polls

a little under four years ago, we endured the most blatant attempt to overthrow a presidential election in the history of the United States. o nly a few of the current students at b rown were old enough to vote in that election; most of us were merely observers. b ut now, as election day comes crashing towards us, every single a merican student eligible to vote takes up the responsibility. We have seen the freedom to vote come under direct attack and witnessed the precarity of our democratic institutions — it is now more important than ever to protect them through participation.

it is no secret that turnout among young voters is lacking. The editorial page board voiced this same concern last presidential election. it is estimated that in the last presidential election youth voter turnout was 50%. While this implies a weak showing for youth voters, you’ll be surprised to hear that the 2020 election marked the third-highest turnout of young voters since the voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971. The presidential election is most con -

sequential for the nation’s youth, and yet only half of us are willing to show up to the polls. a t b rown, barriers to voting are relieved by a robust effort to encourage voting by campus organizations such as b rown votes. it is our responsibility to take advantage of our access to the ballot and set an example for other young people across the country.

o n practically every policy front, this election is especially significant for young people. a ny economic decisions are particularly impactful as many of us graduate and enter the workforce The future of climate policy — although it has often received inadequate coverage in this year’s campaigns — will become the defining issue of our generation as the consequences of global warming grow more dire. The patchwork of abortion laws in a post- d obbs a merica continues to undermine young women’s autonomy and healthcare — a terrifying prospect for young women facing state referendums on reproductive rights. Pressing foreign conflicts, such as the israel-Hamas war , will undoubt-

edly be shaped by a merican foreign policy in the coming years. a nd down-ballot races in our home states provide the opportunity to weigh in on local issues of interest to our friends and family. There is too much at stake to opt out now.

While most b rown students will hopefully be casting their ballots by Nov. 5, 14% of the undergraduate population are international students who are ineligible to vote. While the results of this election may not seem immediately relevant to international students, results can have impacts on their home countries through foreign policy decisions and also on immigration, particularly relevant for the students who seek to remain in the U.S. post graduation. b ut voting is not the only way to engage with this election. Students can still join groups like b rown votes, participate in phone banks for national or r hode island candidates, or engage with the political volunteer efforts on campus. Plus, U.S. citizens studying abroad can also cast their votes.

Sandhu ’25: Nightmare on Pennsylvania Ave

i t’s the 31st of o ctober, and i ’m squeezed on a couch with my sisters and cousins all huddled under one, enormous blanket. i am twelve years old, so, of course, the ferocious wind howling down our chimney or the dark shadows lurking in the corners have no effect on my nerves. m y mom is calmly seated in front of us, a cup of tea clasped in her hands, as we all clamor and plead with her. We are desperate to hear more of her bewitching story.

The story was about a girl named Sophie. a s a teenager, my mom met Sophie at a remote sleep-away camp in rural Quebec. Sophie and my mom braided friendship bracelets, rode horses and canoed down rushing rapids all summer long. b ut French-speaking Sophie would murmur in her sleep, keeping my mom up at night in their shared cabin bunk beds. a s the story unfolded, we learned more about Sophie’s unsettling condition — her clairvoyant dreams.

m y mother is an enthralling storyteller,

and while most of her bedtime stories were not scary, the ones that lingered in my imagination and the ones that i craved the most were. The stories were creepy because they brushed right up against the fringes of plausibility and played heavily into suspense. We would reassure each other that it could never happen in real life. We were safe after all and it was just Halloween make-believe, wasn’t it?

Speaking of — Happy Halloween, b runonia! i t’s officially the spookiest day of the year. This fall, spooky season and election season have converged. o n the Hill, the political rhetoric shrouds many in fear and anxiety, and suspense mounts as the specter of election day looms near. Will the country swing left or right? How will it all end?

How do we manage these fears in real life, when it isn’t just fantasy? Whenever i lose perspective, i like to step back and remind myself of the context. So last Friday afternoon, during an o ctober recess lull, i took

myself on a visitor center tour of the U.S. Capitol.

The tour began with a film and a central message: to understand Congress, look to our country and look to our beginnings. o n the big screen, the vast beauty of a merica across Hawaii, montana and Louisiana was astonishing. i was moved by the way they narrated the conceptualization of our nation’s ideology. They told of the challenges our founders knew we would face during this great experiment in political freedom.

o ur a merican motto resounded with more truth than ever before — “ e pluribus, unum” meaning “ o ut of many, one.” We come from different cultures, religions, regions and viewpoints, but what unites us is that we are all fiercely freedom-loving. The strength of our republic depends on our collective commitment to the pursuit of freedom for all.

i have sensed a lot of fearful nihilism this week. Let’s resist the pull of pessimism. While our politics may seem paranormal,

in the whirl of student life, when days so often begin and end on College Hill, it can be difficult to situate ourselves in headlines about national, or even local politics. b etween cramming for exams, attending club meetings, eating at the ratty, studying at the Hay and caffeinating at the b lue room, we want to take a moment to recognize the importance of this election as a community. For most of us, this is the only presidential election that we will ever experience as b rown students. Whatever its outcome, we are responsible for using our civic voice and shaping it ourselves.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board and aim to contribute informed opinions to campus debates while remaining mindful of the group’s past stances. The editorial page board and its views are separate from The Herald’s newsroom and the 134th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. This editorial was written by the editorial page board’s members Paul Hudes '27, Paulie Malherbe '26, Laura Romig '25, Alissa Simon '25 and Yael Wellisch '26.

none of us are clairvoyant: the outcome of this close race is unknown. a nxious predictions on both sides that we’re in for disaster fearmonger and question the resilience of our public institutions. i , however, remain unafraid going into next week’s election because i believe that the core values of our country will prevail.

i n the meantime, there are more tangible things to do that would be helpful beyond stressing. r emember: Next Tuesday, we aren’t passively listening to a scary story. We are all active characters in the narrative with the right to an equal say in the ending. i am manifesting my hope for a happy resolution by casting a vote, and we will see where it takes us.

Meher Sandhu ’25 can be reached at meher_sandhu@ brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

OPINIONS

Guan ’27: Stop using social media to get your news

on april 22, at the peak of last year’s campus activism, an instagram account posted a photo of a poster which read “rape is resistance.” The post claimed that such posters had been distributed by pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia, and without any meaningful fact-checking, the post quickly went viral and accusations against the Columbia protesters spiraled out of control. it was later proven that the poster had never been present at Columbia and that photos of the same poster had been circulating for at least a month prior.

This pattern of events is hardly rare. Six days later, after protesters raised the Palestinian flag over Harvard yard, photos posted without context rapidly led to claims that the Harvard administration itself was responsible. These events show the dangers of trusting social media as a news source.

While it has always been difficult to convince people to engage with ideas they disagree with, the lack of meaningful discourse in the digital world has resulted in years of escalating hostility. Content on the israel-Hamas conflict has been especially polarizing, with influencers on all sides often omitting

certain facts to make their argument more convincing. The battle playing out on millions of TikTok and instagram accounts has been allowed to play far too big a role in the actual debate on the subject.

eos or posts like those. This seemingly harmless feature is also what makes using social media as a news source so dangerous. The same algorithms that allow users to spend hours watching their fa-

The lack of meaningful discourse in the digital world has resulted in years of escalating hostility.

“ “

amidst the heated passions and partisan debates, social media allows us to lose track of the facts far too quickly.

a key component of what makes social media so addictive is the platforms’ ability to learn what content viewers enjoy and recommend more vid-

vorite content also inherently favors promoting and encouraging the user’s existing biases, resulting in many never interacting with content they oppose and even the formation of extreme beliefs. No news source, even the most established ones, are free from bias. but the principal difference

Lair ’28: Rory Gilmore, the urban planner?

every fall i find myself rewatching “Gilmore Girls” — my annual tradition to celebrate a new academic year. Stars Hollow, the small Connecticut town where the show takes place, reflects an omnipresent sense of community: town hall meetings, breakfast at Luke’s, warmly-lit festivals and miss Patty’s dance classes. The show perfectly captures that everyone-knows-everyone small town vibe, with all the characters united by their involvement with communal life. The ever-growing obsession with “Gilmore Girls” makes one thing clear: we need to revive american communities.

in the real world, it’s hard to find a community as genuine as Stars Hollow. in 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report which revealed the decline of social networks in the increasingly isolated american public. Loneliness in young adults increased every year between 1976 and 2019, and only 16% of american adults reported feeling very attached to their community in 2018. These trends contribute to an array of issues, from the youth mental health crisis to political polarization, and they show no signs of slowing down. americans are lonelier than ever, and the report names the disappearance of social infrastructure as one of the main causes.

Social infrastructure refers to the resources and policies that help citizens facilitate relationships and expand their social networks. Third places — social settings outside of home (the first place) and work (the second place), such as community parks, out-

door markets and even coffee shops — are necessary components of social infrastructure. in “Gilmore Girls,” the abundance of third places allows for a connected, communal life, offering vital moments of spontaneity and togetherness. However, despite their promising role, accessible third places are disappearing from american communities. Civic engagement groups and hobby-centered organizations, some of

through fictional characters just to experience the benefits of a centralized and supportive community. in order to fully address issues such as the mental health crisis and political division, we must reestablish the social infrastructure that we’ve lost — starting with our physical environment.

To achieve a Stars Hollow-like community, city planners don’t have to look much further than col-

Americans shouldn’t have to live vicariously through fictional characters just to experience the benefits of a centralized and supportive community. “

the most crucial third places, have seen exceptionally steep declines, each losing about 30% of their locations between 2008 and 2015. many remaining third places have also been commodified by private businesses, further discouraging social interaction. americans shouldn’t have to live vicariously

Editorial: Living off-campus

it’s no secret that Providence has a housing crisis. Gentrification, limited options and the effects of institutions like brown purchasing more and more land have all contributed to a hostile market for many of the city’s residents. rising prices do not spare off-campus rentals either, and students aren’t in a position of power to deal with the market on their own.

When searching for housing off campus, options for brown students are limited. For a location to be feasible, it must be within walking distance of classes, lest students also take on daily transportation fees. That limits prospective housing to a fiercely competitive ten-minute radius of campus. Thus, landlords who rent out the properties can easily monopolize the limited housing supply. No matter how high prices are raised or how strict the rules of the lease agreement may be, students depend on these landlords to have a place to live. With the absence of more reasonable competition, someone else has to step in.

The ongoing housing and gentrification issues in Providence are, in part, due to off-campus student living, and further amplified by the ease with which landlords can exploit the vulnerability of students, as seen on other campuses. Student renters are often pitted against permanent Providence residents, but their interests are not necessarily opposed — all would benefit from a more stable renting process. Considering this, we need our state and local government to further regulate landlords and the student rental market. Currently, in rhode island, laws are in place to manage inflation and gentrification. rent cannot be increased without written notice received by tenants at least 45 days in advance, and increases cannot vastly exceed the general market pricing of a given area. Providence also has a rental unit registration and mediation program that provides tenants with support in dealing with landlords. However, there are still many opportunities for further legal intervention to protect renters.

between a TikTok account and an established media source is that the latter usually has some degree of fact-checking in place to avoid publishing falsehoods. even so, fact-checking is difficult and even the most robust newsrooms have at times failed to combat widespread misinformation. if even professionals sometimes get it wrong, it’s reasonable to assume most users on social media are unequipped to accurately fact-check.

Social media itself is not inherently biased or harmful. Nearly every major news organization has a presence on instagram, and i sometimes find myself scrolling through their feeds to catch up on events. What’s important is to ensure the trustworthiness of the source itself and practice informed consumption — not just believing the first TikTok post on your feed.

Lucas Guan ’27 can be reached at lucas_guan@brown. edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@ browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

lege campuses for inspiration. The University uses its resources to foster a sense of belonging among the student body by investing in clubs, events, resource fairs, study spaces and recreational facilities, all centralized and accessible. There is an opportunity for these common spaces to be transplanted into amer-

shouldn’t

ican neighborhoods, which might encourage citizens to become active contributors in their community.

The public must demand people-centered urban planning. developers are already building walkable, sociable communities for young adults. Culdesac, a private land developer, aims to construct car-free, walkable communities throughout the nation. but we can’t rely exclusively on these companies to develop equitably — the practical approach lies in our local government. The first step is political involvement: look at legislation, discuss necessary changes with your representatives and inform others in your community. Citizens, especially young adults, must also take advantage of the social spaces that they do have. attend local book clubs, town council meetings and community events. The only way to expand social resources is by proving the value of the ones that already exist.

The individualized goals of land-developers and businesses fail to address the true needs of an ideal community. but the green-lawns and crowded sidewalks of Stars Hollow are not so implausible. They should be an active priority for american voters. The novelty of the rory Gilmore experience doesn’t have to be so novel — we just have to be willing to fight for it.

CJ Lair ’28 can be reached at craig_lair@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

feel this precarious

For instance, there are no statewide rent-control laws that explicitly limit how much rent can be increased. Past attempts to pass this type of legislation in rhode island have failed due to pressures from landlords and a general lack of support. The implementation of rent-controlled zones or housing in Providence, especially College Hill, could allow the area to become more accessible for both students and other residents alike. it may also help curtail the constantly increasing prices driving local gentrification. additionally, there are a variety of laws that could protect tenants from being displaced or scared away by exploitative landlords. right of first refusal laws would see current tenants being given the opportunity to purchase a rental unit before it is allowed to hit the market or be transformed into something more expensive, while just-cause eviction protections would ensure residents can’t be unfairly kicked out of their own homes. Though brown students are only renting

on College Hill for one or two years and may not think of purchasing property, we should not discount the impacts of such legislation. even more pertinent is the potential for laws on student housing in particular, such as a rhode island bill debated earlier this year that would raise the limits on how many students can live together. Students should not stay idle. if we want to address Providence’s housing crisis, we must mobilize and show our local government what we want and need to be improved.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board and aim to contribute informed opinions to campus debates while remaining mindful of the group’s past stances. The editorial page board and its views are separate from The Herald’s newsroom and the 134th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. This editorial was written by the editorial page board’s members Paul Hudes '27, Paulie Malherbe '26, Laura Romig '25, Alissa Simon '25 and Yael Wellisch '26.

ARTS & CULTURE

Cogut Institute presents Iranian film ‘The Cow’ as part of Film-Thinking series

The screening was followed by a panel with Brown, RISD faculty

BY AYANA AHUJA SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University’s Cogut institute for the Humanities screened the late dariush mehrjui’s critically acclaimed 1969 film “The Cow” on monday.

The event, which followed a panel discussion at the List arts Center, was the first installment of the Cogut’s Film-Thinking series for fall 2024, which discusses the politics and intellectuality of cinema.

The screening of “The Cow” was chosen by michelle Quay, a lecturer in language studies. Postdoctoral research associate

in iranian Studies mehrdad babadi, rhode island School of design associate Professor of art of the islamic World Foad Torshizi, Professor of modern Culture and media

Joan Copjec and Professor of english and Humanities Timothy bewes joined Quay on the panel.

“The Cow” follows the relationship between iranian villager masht Hassan (ezzatolah entezami) and his treasured cow — a relationship which preoccupies the impoverished, superstitious and tightknit village.

When Hassan briefly leaves the village, his wife (mahin Shahabi) finds the cow dead in the barn. The villagers, fearful of his reaction, try to cover up evidence of the cow’s death and devise a plan to convince Hassan that the cow simply ran away. but, upon his return, Hassan refuses to

believe that his cow would ever abandon him and struggles to cope with the loss of his beloved animal. Hassan gradually goes insane, as he begins to act like his cow — eating hay, living in the barn, adopting cow-like mannerisms and speaking from the cow’s perspective.

The villagers and Hassan’s wife desperately try to restore Hassan’s sanity, but ultimately realize that he has descended into madness. When everything else fails, the group beats Hassan like an animal, ties him up and drags him to the nearest hospital against his will. Hassan eventually breaks free in a rainstorm, but ends up falling to his death.

Quay explained that in choosing the film, she thought back to the murder of director mehrjui and his wife in their home. it inspired her to “to think of mehrjui as a

theme, as a retrospective, to sort of start appreciating his work,” she said.

according to bewes, “The Cow” can be read as a political allegory, considering that the Shah of iran had banned it at the time of its initial release. The film is especially relevant “one week before a highly consequential U.S. presidential election,” bewes said.

i don’t think the Shah appreciated this image of iran being broadcast, especially abroad — this very impoverished, almost backwards, superstitious village or culture,” Quay said. according to her, the film discusses class conflict and investigates mysticism in iranian culture.

babadi offered insight into the Persian and islamic influences on the narrative of “The Cow,” specifically through the symbolic depiction of “the fusion of the

lover with the beloved” through Hassan’s embodiment of his cow.

“mehrjui is a very central figure in iranian cinema because, contrary to some of the other members of this movement, he was very good at combining some energy of the commercial popular cinema with the artistic elements,” babadi said.

as founder of the Film-Thinking series, bewes hoped that “The Cow” screening would encourage readers to consider the “political and philosophical implications” of the film beyond their initial impressions.

“Cinema is still one of the most important tools that a culture has for thinking about our world, especially thinking collectively,” he said.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 30, 2024.

Deluxe, remix: Charli xcx paints pop ‘BRAT’ green in new album releases

The singer impressively maintains a consistent identity throughout new-

BY CAMPBELL LOI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Charli xcx’s “braT,” the singer’s sixth studio album, is somewhat of a manifesto. The album launched a new mainstream aesthetic, describing a modern party girl — messy, but vulnerable, lovable, but confident.

Shortly after its June 7 release, “braT” took popular culture by storm. The album and its signature lime green cover were inescapable in the media, inspiring TikTok dances, marketing campaigns and fashion trends in a phenomenon that fans dubbed “braT Summer.”

Since June, Charli xcx has put out several additional tracks. Three new songs were released on a deluxe edition of the braT” album, aptly titled “brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not.” Five additional remixes of songs featuring other artists, including Lorde,

EVENT

billie eilish and addison rae, also dropped periodically as singles. most recently, Charli xcx released a full album of “braT” remixes on oct. 11 — more than four months after the initial album captivated the public’s attention. Titled “brat and it’s completely different but also still brat,” the project boasts 11 new tracks, in addition to the five remixes that were previously released. Though a handful of tracks retain their original backing beats, hooks and melodies, most of the remixes are nearly unrecognizable from their original versions. in this sense, the new album sounds like an alternate reality of “braT.”

The project’s greatest strength comes from its wide variety of featured artists, ranging from Charli xcx’s frequent collaborators like a .G. Cook and Troye Sivan to genre-bending partnerships with alt-rock legends bon iver and Julian Casablancas. each artist brings their own perspectives and styles to their respective tracks. at times, artists fit well into the soundscape of the existing song — for example, Lorde in “Girl, so confusing” and ariana Grande in “Sympathy is a knife” — resulting in

only slight modifications. on others — like “everything is romantic” with Caroline Polachek or “i might say something stupid” with The 197_5 and John Hopkins — the songs’ signature beats are completely overhauled in favor of the softer and mellower sounds of the artists they feature.

overall, the new album sticks to the same theme of vulnerability as its predecessor. Charli xcx’s 2020 album “how i’m feeling now” similarly featured honest and open lyrics. but in “braT” those feelings are developed on top of club and dance beats.

in the remixes, intensity is upped on all fronts. Charli xcx doubles down on wall-of-sound style production on more upbeat songs like “von dutch” and “365” while stripping back the synths for an intimate feel on more vulnerable tracks like “everything is romantic” and “i might say something stupid.” The lyrical content also shifts in a more vulnerable direction, with several tracks diving deeply into Charli xcx’s anxieties related to her recent rise to mainstream fame.

but what is most impressive is that the singer was able to create not only a

Most recently, Charli xcx released a full album of “BRAT” remixes on Oct. 11

cohesive remix album, but also continue developing a theme and identity throughout multiple projects. Her ability to achieve this effect as a result of the tracklist’s diversity, rather than in spite of it, is a testament to her immense talent and versatility as an artist.

Ultimately, the title of the album says it all: Charli xcx’s new album is entirely different while still remaining true to its roots. “braT Summer,” the singer seems to declare, is here to stay.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 28, 2024.

Graduate, faculty composers present at 21st Century Orchestra festival

Festival at Lindenmann Center showcased innovative orchestral works

BY MANAV MUSUNURU SENIOR STAFF WRITER

over the weekend, the brown arts institute hosted “The 21st Century orchestra,” a three-day contemporary music festival highlighting innovative orchestral music.

When bai first invited departments at brown to propose projects for its iGNiTe Series, Professor of music butch rovan proposed hosting the boston modern orchestra Project, a professional orchestra founded in 1996. rovan hoped to highlight the new Lindemann Performing arts Center and showcase technological innovations within the orchestra.

a ssociate Professors of music e ric Nathan, anthony Cheung and Wang Lu joined rovan to curate the event.

The festival looks “at how the orchestra can innovate but also create change in the years to come,” Nathan said.

conceptual. b ut as he continued composing, he drew on his own experiences with his partner at the time and shaped the piece into an autobiographical work.

The first 90 seconds of the piece took six months to compose, while the subsequent eight-and-a-half minutes took only two additional months, bentz explained. He initially finished the piece in the spring of 2022, but revised it over the past summer in preparation for the festival.

me,” she said.

The boston modern orchestra Project also performed new works by the festival’s co-organizers on Friday night. This included a work by rovan which utilized a ToSHi interface — a small, electronic device worn on the wrist of the conductor that tracks their hand movements and creates digital sounds during the performance.

Chinilina’s piece, “Pagan Peal,” is the culmination of years of research into how composers present complex and emotionally charged sounds. after collecting recordings of large bells across the United States, Chinilina ran a series of surveys asking people to describe what they heard in the recordings.

Chinilina likened hearing her piece for the first time at the open reading to a literary translation or a book-to-movie adaptation.

b entz’s piece, titled “a collision of horizons,” was originally abstract and

Graduate students Nick b entz and inga Chinilina had their new pieces performed at an open reading and recording held at the Lindemann on Thursday night. according to Nathan, the event allowed the audience to witness “how an orchestra, for the very first time, opens a new score and reads it.” d uring the event, each featured composer worked with the orchestra to make their respective pieces come to life.

“i had the sound, i captured it, i wrote it down. Now musicians give it back to

“in between ii,” a piece by Nathan, was also performed. The piece was inspired by the sound of wind rustling the leaves of trees, he explained. While the piece is performed, the conductor sweeps their arm over the ensemble and points at players, signaling them to play a rustling sound.

The live recordings of the faculty works will eventually be compiled into an album to be released at a later date.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on

STUDENT ART

Brown senior constructs decorative sukkah during Jewish holiday season

Community members observed Jake Sheykhet ’25’s artistic depictions

BY ANN GRAY GOLPIRA STAFF WRITER

a fter curating art shows at b rown

ri S d Hillel in his sophomore year, Jake Sheykhet ’25 took his artistic ability to Wriston Quad with a sukkah installation for the Sukkot holiday.

Sukkot is an ancient Jewish harvest festival following r osh Hashanah and yom Kippur, explained r abbi Josh b olton, the executive director of b rown ri S d Hillel. The holiday highlights the importance of joy and faith, as well as the impermanence of life.

The holiday encourages individuals to go outside, both literally and symbolically, to temporarily escape the world’s demands. o ne of the most salient symbols of the week-long celebration is the sukkah — a temporary outdoor dwelling used for meals, sleeping and celebration.

a mid the holiday season, d eborah Forman, the first coordinator for arts engagement and education at Hillel, quickly noticed Sheykhet’s hardworking and creative nature.

a fter Forman sent him a picture of artist a ryeh Steinberger’s decorative sukkah from the 1920s, Sheykhet immediately began producing his own large-scale installation for Sukkot. While Forman provided the necessary space and materials for Sheykhet, who was

REVIEW

‘Agatha

accustomed to working on his art at a smaller scale, she said that the majority of the installation’s construction “was all Jake.”

Sheykhet’s murals depict various references to Jewish religion and history.

The first mural in the installation illustrates various scenes from the Torah, including narratives of a dam and e ve, the crossing of the r ed Sea, moses receiving the Torah at Sinai and a depiction of the Jewish prophetess e sther.

The second panel depicts more contemporary Jewish history, including the 12th-century scholar m aimonides, the Holocaust and the myth of the golem, a part of Jewish folklore regarding a clay figure brought to life in 16th-century Prague.

“ i ’ve always loved that myth,” Sheykhet said. “ b ringing artwork to life resonates with me.”

Sheykhet started painting two 7-by25 foot panels in the months before Sukkot. He used a variety of innovative techniques throughout the installation’s construction: He used zip ties to secure the structure’s framework and used a four-foot P v C pipe as an instrument to paint the expanse of the tapestries.

Forman, who provided artistic feedback throughout the installation, recalled Sheykhet arriving at Hillel early in the mornings to work on the murals, noting the extent of his “ruach,” the Hebrew word for “spirit.”

“His work ethic is really something to behold,” Forman said. “The spirit and the passion that Jake has as an artist

Sheykhet used a variety of innovative techniques throughout the installation’s construction.

really came through, and it was just such a pleasure to witness it.”

With support from b rown- ri S d Hillel, Sheykhet started production of his large-scale sukkah installation with the intention of celebrating Jewish history through his art.

b olton, who mentored Sheykhet and helped provide space for his art, also emphasized his pioneering spirit and pivotal role in building the Jewish arts community. He likened observing Sheykhet’s vision coming to fruition over the past months to “watching a performance spread out across the hol -

iday season.” He also highlighted the installation as an example of “Jewish creativity, imagination and how lucky we are to see that in such a bold way on College Hill.”

i n recent years, b rown ri S d Hillel has expanded its support for student work across genres such as visual art, music and theater, according to b olton.

Sheykhet also helped curate last year’s Judaica exposition, a multi-artist exhibition last spring. He has aimed to use his experiences to support, expand and embody b rown ri S d Hillel’s artistic focus.

All Along’ skillfully expands upon popular character lore

Highly anticipated “WandaVision” sequel resolves previous cliffhangers

BY MANAV MUSUNURU SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Stories focused on the experience of villains, rather than heroes, have become increasingly prevalent in Hollywood. The recently completed T v mini-series “a gatha a ll a long” is no exception to this trend.

The highly-rated series, centered around the wicked witch a gatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), was one of the most streamed shows in the country during its nine-episode run.

The plot begins three years after the finale of “Wanda v ision.” i n a cliffhanger moment, Wanda m aximoff/Scarlet Witch ( e lizabeth o lsen) places a hex on Harkness, trapping her in her own manufactured crime thriller T v show. a t the start of the new series, Harkness is quickly broken out of her spell by the young William Kaplan (Joe Locke) and sets off to regain her powers.

Harkness gathers a coven, consisting of herself, Kaplan, three witches — Jen Kale (Sasheer Zamata), a lice Wu-Gulliver (a li a hn) and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone) — and her neighbor, Sharon d avis ( d ebra Jo r upp), to venture onto the mythical Witches’ r oad.

The once-acclaimed m arvel Cinematic Universe has lately been criticized for a drop in quality and a lack of

engaging plotlines. Some films in the

m CU’s most recent phases — namely “ e ternals,” “a nt- m an and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The m arvels” — have been largely panned by critics.

m arvel’s series, on the other hand, has generally fared better, though not without misses like the 2023 “Secret i nvasion.”

b ut “a gatha a ll a long” — and its critically acclaimed predecessor “Wanda v ision” — are skillfully crafted to engage audiences by introducing

mysteries that unfold as the series progresses. “Wanda v ision” built its suspense with the ever-changing town of Westview, which jumped from decade to decade in each episode. i n “a gatha a ll a long,” audiences are lured in by the mysterious lore of the infamous Witches’ r oad and the circumstances surrounding the death of a gatha’s son, Nicholas Scratch.

While presenting these mysteries, the series perfectly balances light-hearted humor with intense

drama. Harkness — a fan-favorite on “Wandavision” due to her villainous yet charming nature — ensures that there is never a shortage of sarcasm and quips throughout the nine episodes in the series. However, such a personality trait also means that more dramatic scenes tend to fall flat.

d espite having a smaller budget, the series boasts visuals superior to the better-funded m CU projects. Unlike the film “ b lack Widow” — which

“So much of the discourse surrounding the holiday and surrounding Judaism is in the current geopolitics,” Sheykhet said when asked about the significance behind the installation. “ i wanted to highlight something else: the story, because there’s a lot more to Judaism than what’s happening in the m iddle e ast.”

Sheykhet hoped that the installation served as “a piece of our story as i see it.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 29, 2024.

has scenes that look like they were produced on i movie — “a gatha a ll a long” features numerous frames with beautiful cinematography and stunning visual effects.

The series’s cast also has praiseworthy performances. Hahn brings back the charm that made Harkness so popular in “Wanda v ision.” aubrey Plaza masterfully brings a sinister nature to the mystifying Green Witch r io v idal.

b ut, LuPone’s portrayal of Lilia Calderu takes the cake, especially in the seventh episode, “ d eath’s Hand in m ine.” The episode centers around Calderu’s experiences living life non-linearly, which causes confusion but also grants her the ability of foresight. LuPone skillfully depicts Calderu’s initial discomfort and slow acceptance of her life throughout the episode. She makes audiences wish that Calderu had an even bigger role in the series.

a lthough there hasn’t been word on another season, the series finale’s cliffhanger — in true m arvel fashion — sets the series’s characters up for another mystery to be solved. The upcoming m CU film centered on the Scarlet Witch may also explore the unresolved plot points in this series.

i n the meantime, both m CU superfans and those just looking for a weekend binge can appease their appetite for mystery, drama, humor and “magick” with “a gatha a ll a long.”

“Agatha All Along” features numerous scenes with beautiful cinematography and stunning visual effects.

ACADEMICS

Computer Science department to eliminate concurrent masters program

Program to stop accepting applications in March 2025 pending approval

BY KATE ROWBERRY AND LEAH KORITZ SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

The department of Computer Science at brown will soon eliminate its concurrent master’s program, which allows students to receive both a bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in either computer science or cybersecurity by their eighth or ninth semester.

in an email to CS students on oct. 24, the department announced it will no longer accept applications for the program after march 15, 2025. The program’s elimination is contingent upon the approval of the Graduate Council, which sets the policies for the University’s graduate schools.

This change means students currently in their first and second years at brown will not be able to apply for the program. The CS department is still accepting applications from juniors.

The popularity of the concurrent master’s in CS has increased exponentially in recent years, according to Tom doeppner, director of the CS undergraduate and graduate programs. 20 years ago, one or two students participated in the program per year, he said. Last year alone, 30 students graduated with dual degrees.

but despite the growing popularity, the CS department determined that the program did not provide students with enough benefits to justify its continuation.

“it doesn’t help them to get jobs, it doesn’t

DINING

help them to get into Phd programs — (it is) a credential that’s just there for the credential’s sake,” doeppner said.

When making the decision, the CS department consulted the Center for Career exploration to ensure the program’s elimination would not negatively impact students’ career prospects.

“The Center doesn’t have any data or employer feedback that demonstrates student outcomes will be negatively impacted by the elimination of the concurrent master’s program,” matt donato, executive director of the CCe, wrote in an email to The Herald.

The CS department also considered administrative load when deciding to eliminate the program, doeppner explained.

The additional graduation requirements for the two degrees result in higher enrollment levels in already-filled courses, putting pressure on professors and teaching assistants.

To graduate from the program, stu-

dents must take a minimum of 36 — six more than that required of a traditional undergraduate. They must also complete all requirements in their undergraduate and master’s degrees and take two additional courses in each of the four academic disciplines: life sciences, humanities, social sciences and physical sciences.

The extensive requirements also typically force students to take five courses in some semesters, which doeppner said can be detrimental to their academic success.

“it really cuts down on retention of information and keeps them from doing other useful things, such as activities on campus or getting involved in research,” he added.

The School of Professional Studies and the CS department have discussed eliminating the program for the past year, doeppner said. These discussions culminated in a meeting among data science faculty members, where the vote to eliminate the program was nearly unanimous.

Some students in the program under-

How Brown Dining Services chooses what to cook up each day

Dining Services aims to incorporate student feedback when planning its menus

BY JONATHAN KIM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The clock strikes 11:50. The bell tower rings. Students rush out of their classes and head to the dining halls for lunch. Need a pick-me-up? The i vy r oom’s freshly blended smoothies might be just what you need. Looking for something heartier? The pasta toss at the Sharpe r efectory will be sure to fill you up.

b ut with all these dining locations and potential menus, how does b rown d ining Services select what its chefs will cook up that day?

b roadly, the menus are chosen through a “holistic approach” that considers student preferences, local ingredient sourcing and day-to-day variety, v ice President of d ining Programs George b arboza wrote in an email to The Herald.

General menus are decided a semester before the menu cycle. The d ining Services team then reviews the menus in weekly “ menu meetings,” when team members propose new selections based on student and staff feedback collected throughout the school year.

a nd students — though sometimes critics of the meals — seem to find the options appealing.

“ i really like the meatballs at v- d ub and the salads,” Santiago b arrera ’28 said when asked about his favorite dining meals. “ i have the same salad every day.”

d ominique i ragena ’28 said she enjoys the selfserve pasta option at the r atty, but finds herself

at a variety of the dining locations depending on the time and day.

a t night, it’s Jo’s. When i want a smoothie, it’s the i vy ( r oom),” she said.

m any popular items in the permanent menu cycle come from staff recipes, like a na’s Potato Salad, Parris’ Fried r ice and Sarah’s Chili, b arboza said. d ining Services’ resident bread baker also developed “wonderful recipes like b lue Cheese b read and Cinnamon b read” that seem to be “enjoyed by all,” he added.

d ining Services accepts student feedback via email surveys, suggestions received on bulletin boards and monthly d ining Council meetings between, b arboza said.

a lso, d ining Services opened halal, kosher and allergen-aware stations in the r atty last year as part of an effort to accommodate special needs and dietary restrictions, b arboza wrote. d ining halls have also developed inclusive policies in preparing all menu options; the majority of menu items with chicken are halal for example, he added.

b ut for some students, d ining Services has room for improvement.

Zach Gordon ’28 suggested adding underrepresented cuisines, like i ndian and m iddle e astern food.

a rjun d eshpande ’28 said he feels d ining Services can also do more to expand vegetarian options.

“ i have a lot of friends who don’t get to eat a lot of the food,” he said, highlighting how many of the prepared menu options include trace amounts of meat like chicken or bacon.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 29, 2024.

stand why the decision was made.

“a lot of people feel pressured to do it, myself included, for not a ton of benefit,” said mahlon Page ’25 mSc’25, who is currently pursuing a master’s of computer science in the program.

The program’s extensive requirements also limit students’ ability to explore brown’s open Curriculum, Page said.

but others, like Komron aripov ’25, think the department made the wrong decision.

“it’s a little bit disappointing to see that they’ve shut down the program,” said aripov, whose application to the program was provisionally approved last year. aripov will formally be a concurrent master’s student upon completion of the breadth requirements.

aripov has always wanted to pursue a master’s in computer science. but he was especially drawn to the concurrent master’s program because he will not have to pay additional tuition to complete the master’s degree.

aripov fulfilled his undergraduate concentration requirements by his junior year, so he found that the program was “really the only way you could do more and get more out of your degree.”

but aripov agreed that having a master’s degree would likely not significantly improve job prospects.

ryan Klivansky ’27 learned about the program in the spring of his first year and had been planning on applying ever since.

i was always interested in getting a master’s degree, but programs are generally too expensive,” Klivansky wrote in a message to The Herald. The CS concurrent

masters program seemed like “the perfect opportunity to take master’s level classes without forfeiting the time or money after my bachelor’s,” he added.

Klivansky was “surprised” and “initially distressed” to see the email announcing the elimination of the program. Klivansky had already taken three five-course semesters in anticipation of applying.

maggie ruan ’28, a current Herald illustrator, said she wrote about the program in her application to brown. but she wasn’t “too sad” about the program’s elimination because she has not yet decided what she wants to pursue after graduation.

a concurrent masters program is also offered in biomedical engineering. The program currently accepts applications from students in their third year at brown who have demonstrated “outstanding” academic performance and breadth of study outside of their concentration.

The CS department has also announced other structural changes to its undergraduate program. The department announced on oct. 24 that the spring pre-registration process of CS will be “back to ‘normal’” after last semester’s process left students scrambling, The Herald previously reported.

“There will be no forms, no concentration restrictions and fewer courses with overrides,” the announcement email reads. Some courses will still have enrollment caps “to accommodate space and staffing constraints,” but students will be able to enroll in these courses during pre-registration next month.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 30 2024.

L

The program’s elimination is contingent upon the approval of the Graduate Council, which sets the policies for the University’s graduate schools.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

ACADEMICS

A select few students have access to one-on-one tutoring while others face waitlists

For most, only group tutoring is available through Sheridan Center

BY ZACHARY ROBEL STAFF WRITER

When handling the demanding and rigorous coursework at brown, tutoring can be a valuable asset for students shooting for academic success.

most students at brown can access group tutoring through the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. but a select few — including student-athletes and students enrolled in the Program for Liberal medical education — get the exclusive opportunity to meet one-on-one with tutors for certain courses.

The Sheridan Center supplies group tutoring for “select introductory STem, quantitative social sciences and language courses,” according to the center’s website. These weekly peer-focused sessions are led by experienced tutors and are available to brown students enrolled in courses that partner with the center.

Currently, the Sheridan Center provides tutoring for 42 courses, amassing 200 tutoring groups supervised by 125 tutors, according to Janet Peters, the associate director of academic tutoring for the Sheridan Center.

in total, a quarter of undergraduates on

STUDENT LIFE

campus participate in tutoring, Peters said. ashley Ganesh ’25 currently tutors students enrolled in eCoN 1110: “intermediate microeconomics” at the Sheridan Center. Ganesh highlighted the benefits of a peer-focused environment. “it’s really helpful to problem solve in groups and for students to meet other people,” she said.

For student-athletes and PLmes, specialized tutoring programs meet unique needs.

PLme students are encouraged to primarily utilize resources offered by the Sheridan Center, david barnes, the coordinator of PLme, wrote in an email to The Herald. but for PLme competency courses — which include introductory biology and chemistry courses — PLme students can

receive one-on-one tutoring from a fellow student in the program.

adwoa owusu ’26 tutors PLme students who are taking bioL 0530: “Principles of immunology,” adding that her tutor sessions double as spaces for first-years and sophomores to seek peer advising.

brown athletics also offers one-onone tutoring for student-athletes to accommodate their demanding and unpredictable schedules, according to Jennifer miller-mceachern, the senior manager for student-athlete academic services and career development.

Since practice schedules for some sports fluctuate frequently, miller-mceachern said, the Sheridan Center’s weekly offerings are not ideal for student-athletes.

miller-mceachern emphasized that most student-athletes are spending close to 20 hours per week participating in activities related to their sport. “it’s really helpful for student-athletes” to have the flexibility provided by one-on-one sessions that can be scheduled on a weekly basis, she said.

Colin bavibidila ’26, a tutor for student-athletes taking calculus courses, said that his experiences playing sports in high school encouraged him to apply for the position. “i can relate to the athletes,” he said.

bavibidila noted that one-on-one tutoring gives him the freedom to customize lessons based on his tutees’ specific needs. “This also allows for me to build what i believe is a more personal relationship with the tutee rather than it being in a lecture form,” he said.

For olivia young ’27, a student-athlete on the women’s basketball team, one-onone tutoring is “essential” to her success in the classroom. young chose individual tutoring to better accommodate her schedule as an athlete. Currently, she participates in individual tutoring for eCoN 0170: “essential mathematics for economics” led by an athlete on the football team.

“i feel like there’s more of a sense of connection with a fellow athlete tutor because we share struggles but also support each other,” young said. She added that individual tutoring has helped her conceptualize challenging material in her STem courses.

So why are private tutors only available to certain student groups? For Peters, the answer comes down to numbers.

overseeing the operations of the Sheridan Center’s tutoring program for 16 years, Peters has helped transform tutor group sizes from around 20 students down to the small groups of three to six that are offered today, she said.

When asked about the possibility of implementing private tutoring for more students, Peters said “it wouldn’t be sustainable.” She noted that the program’s budget “impacts not only the number of tutors that we have on staff, but the number of courses that we can actually support.”

The high demand for tutoring resources has also caused the Sheridan Center to place some interested students on waitlists. Seeking assistance in understanding the difficult concepts in CHem 0350: “organic Chemistry i,” Hudson Nguyen ’27 requested group tutoring but was waitlisted for a week before securing a spot in a group.

Peters recognized that the long waitlists for tutoring are a persistent issue, especially for engineering-related courses. but she said that a lack of tutors has limited the number of tutoring groups they can offer.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 29, 2024.

For these students, Brown’s 90+ concentration options aren’t enough

ICs range from digital media to regenerative medicine

BY KATE ROWBERRY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

brown’s open Curriculum, with 96 concentration tracks and certificates, gives students the option to study a wide variety of subjects during their time on campus. but some students opt to specialize their experience even further.

Through brown’s independent concentration program, students can develop their own major that’s not offered at the University and “cannot be studied cohesively within a standard concentration,” according to the program’s description. independent concentrators must create an in-depth proposal outlining their goals and curriculum before receiving approvals from the College Curriculum Council. The process allows students to fully reflect on the proposed coursework, ensuring depth, breadth and progression.

The Herald talked to four “iC-ers” — as students in the concentration are colloquially known — to learn about the range of fields and experiences the program encompasses.

Peter Robin ’25: Applied Digital Media

For nearly a decade, Peter robin ’25 has performed rap and hip-hop. Now, as a part of his applied digital media capstone project — a required component of every independent concentration — robin will promote his album, “The art Thief.”

The applied digital media concentration combines robin’s interests in music production, marketing and communications, he explained.

The album’s music, inspired by “under-

ground hip hop, cloud rap, ambient (and) trap,” is the capstone for his music concentration, an existing concentration at brown.

To promote “The art Thief,” robin plans to utilize social media and track search engine optimization engagement and user metrics. He is also considering “experience economy” marketing strategies — such as installing gumball machines around campus that dispense Qr codes linking to his work.

He will also create the album’s cover, which features a photo of him “stealing a painting,” with the painting being “the actual cover art.”

“i’m really proud of where (the album) is sonically,” robin said. “being able to match the actual artistic component with worthy promotion” is something the independent concentration has “definitely given me the tools to do.”

Emily Lin ’26: Human-Computer Interaction

Upon learning that emily Lin ’26 is concentrating in Human-Computer interaction, people often ask her, “’is that, like, ai?’”

“ai is such a big trend right now,” said Lin, a Herald tech team member. “So that’s the first thing that people think of when (it comes to) humans and technology, but it’s more than that.”

The Human-Computer interaction concentration focuses on “understanding users to better build products that fit their needs and simplifying that technology-human interaction,” Lin told The Herald. She has taken courses in computer science, cognitive and psychological sciences to “bridge that gap” between computers and their users, she added.

Lin leads a team in the design for america club that is helping implement a chatbot on the website of onward We Learn,

The Herald talked to four “IC-ers” to learn about the range of fields and experiences the program encompasses.

a rhode island-based college readiness program. She also researches at brown’s Human-Computer interaction Lab.

“When i was writing my (brown admissions) essay, i said i want to explore the intersection of business, technology and design,” Lin said. “That’s exactly what this independent concentration has allowed me to do.”

Kaely Michels-Gualtieri ’25: Novel Historiographies

Kaely michels-Gualtieri ’25, a 35-yearold resumed undergraduate student, enjoys using her unique perspective — as a trapeze artist, a rUe student and someone who has lived in 15 countries — to generate new knowledge.

before her time at brown, michels-Gualtieri performed with Cirque du Soleil, ringling brothers and big apple Circus. after experiencing a concussion and a back injury, she found that doing a reduced course load with the independent concentration

allowed for “a lot of flexibility surrounding the disability,” she said.

“The independent concentration is what i’d want to do anyway,” michels-Gualtieri told The Herald. “but it’s also an incredible benefit for somebody who’s coming back from a pretty big injury.”

Novel Historiographies is a concentration that explores the intersection of history and literature. Historiography is the “written narrative of history,” michels-Gualtieri explained, noting her interest in the narrators through whom history is told.

michels-Gualtieri added that her role as a performer was “based (on) creating fiction for the audience.” Novel Historiographies gives her an “amazing opportunity” to combine the worlds of performing and academics.

Through her independent concentration, michels-Gualtieri also focuses on archival research, which has led to a paper on the manipulations of the script of Shakespeare’s othello across three eras.

Getting the paper published was a “dream … come true” that she might not have been able to accomplish in a traditional concentration, michels-Gualtieri said.

Anita Zahiri ’26: Translational Regenerative Medicine

even before arriving at brown, anita Zahiri ’26 considered pursuing an independent concentration. Some of the first courses she took at brown, such as the firstyear seminar bioL 0150d: “Techniques in regenerative medicine: Cells, Scaffolds and Staining,” made her eager to “create something of my own at brown concentration-wise,” she said.

Zahiri, who is a member of the Program in Liberal medical education, plans to become a physician. Her independent concentration “explores the intersection between the rapidly advancing field of regenerative medicine and also the principle of health equity,” she told The Herald. regenerative medicine is a “rapidly advancing” field that utilizes the creation of living, functional tissue to repair native cells or organs that have been impacted by congenital defects, trauma or disease, Zahiri explained.

by including translational research in her concentration, Zahiri aims to “spark a conversation” between emerging regenerative medicine technologies and prevalent community health issues.

beyond the introductory biology courses, Zahiri has taken courses in public health, anthropology and science, technology and society. outside of the classroom, Zahiri works with a lab at rhode island Hospital’s Cardiovascular research Center and has experience with clinical research.

“it’s been nice to be able to narrow down my academic focus and the courses i engage with to gain more of a background” in regenerative medicine, she said.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

AWARDS

Biden awards a National Humanities Medal to Ruth J. Simmons

Simmons received award for accomplishments in higher education

BY ANDREA LI STAFF WRITER

President Joe b iden presented former University President r uth J. Simmons with the National Humanities medal, an annual recognition of leaders in the humanities, during an oct. 21 White House ceremony.

Simmons made history as the first african american woman president of an ivy League institution when she served as b rown’s 18th president from 2001-2012. Simmons’ tenure at brown and her work supporting equity in higher education were highlighted in a White House press release detailing honorees’ achievements.

“a s President b iden was placing the

medal around my neck during the ceremony in the o val office, i couldn’t avoid reflecting on my beginnings in poverty in pre-civil rights america,” Simmons wrote in an email to The Herald. “ my journey reminds me daily to encourage young people to believe in the role they can play in bringing about positive change.”

While at brown, Simmons kickstarted an initiative to uncover the University’s historical ties to slavery, culminating in the 2006 r eport of the b rown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. The report inspired other universities to pursue similar initiatives. in recognition of Simmons’ legacy, brown created the ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, a research center created as a result of the report.

a fter her tenure at b rown, she was named as the president of Prairie v iew

a&m University, a historically black college in Texas, until she resigned last year.

Today, Simmons serves as senior advisor to Harvard’s president on engagement with historically black colleges and universities. She is also a President’s d istinguished Fellow at rice University.

“ you’ve all broken barriers, you’ve blazed new trails and you’ve redefined culture,” b iden said to the honorees, according to a University press release. “a bove all, you are the masters of your craft that have made us a better america with all you have done.”

Simmons wrote that she was surprised and honored by the recognition.

“ i am ever grateful to those who rejected hatred, division and exploitation to imagine a different future for children like me,” she added.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Oct. 29, 2024.

Affinity groups see fewer members, renewed purpose as Brown’s diversity drops

Student leaders discuss Supreme Court decision’s impact

BY ELENA JIANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The b lack Student Union prepared for their annual b lack Convocation like always — even the seating layout was identical to previous years. b ut this year, around half of the seats were empty.

Following the Supreme Court’s ban on race-based affirmative action last year, b lack and Hispanic enrollment for b rown’s class of 2028 dropped by 40% and 29%, respectively. Student leaders of affinity groups reckoning with the drop in diversity told The Herald that the decision has significantly impacted recruitment and participation.

“There were faculty who looked at us after and went, wow, the 40% really did make an impact,” b SU President m ya Collins ’25 said.

Fabian a ntunez Lopez ’25, co-president of the Latinx Student Union, said that he could “feel and notice the drop in participation” at the a ctivities Fair, one of LSU’s main recruiting events.

“We had 65 sign-ups this year. Last year, we had 108,” he said. “The ruling felt like such a setback. i t made a hard thing harder.”

For Kamryn Walker ’26, co-president of mosaic+, a program centering underrepresented students in computer science, the Supreme Court decision meant that they were “no longer allowed to ask about race” in their application form.

“Usually, we admit 25-30 people

Following the Supreme Court’s ban on race-based affirmative action last year, Black and Hispanic enrollment for Brown’s class of 2028 dropped by 40% and 29%, respectively.

based on race and the size (of the program),” Walker said. This year, no longer able to admit based on race, only 19 students applied and not all were from underrepresented groups. a ll were admitted.

b ut the change in demographics will not affect the way m osaic+ defines its core purpose as supporting underrepresented students of color.

“We still want to operate in that way, and that will always be our priority,” Walker said.

“There’s a much higher chance that an underrepresented student coming

in will not have the CS experience that someone who isn’t underrepresented does,” Walker added. “The higher up you get in the CS department, unfortunately, the less diverse it gets. So a lot of it is about trying to find community (early on). i t really, really can become essential to have it.”

i n light of the Supreme Court decision, Lopez believes that “the community will have to rely more on itself” to build pipelines between affinity groups and increase participation overall. e arlier this semester, LSU hosted their annual b ienvenidos@ b rown, a club fair

on the main green focused on Latinx student groups.

“ you could tell that it was a little empty, (but) the people that showed out and stayed were the underclassmen. They were the freshmen,” he said. “They’re a lot more tight knit because there’s not many of them here.”

v incent Harris, associate dean and director of the b rown Center for Students of Color, said that the center is “all in” to support students of color, “regardless of the size” of the community.

“While our approach to supporting

students of color and student groups has not fundamentally changed at all, we have become more intentional about strengthening those collaborations,” he said.

i n a lunch b CSC leaders organized with a ssociate Provost for e nrollment and d ean of Undergraduate a dmission Logan Powell, student leaders of affinity groups discussed the concrete implications of the Supreme Court decision on admissions and “approaches to improving what was this year’s numbers,” according to Harris.

o ne idea proposed increasing affinity groups’ involvement in ado CH to “create a presence of a community of students of color that visiting students can witness,” he added.

Collins highlighted how the decrease in enrollment meant less diversity within the b lack student population.

“There’re a frican students, b lack a merican students and a fro-Caribbean students. There’s always been a very small b lack a merican percentage of b lack students at b rown, but the more that you decrease the group, the smaller that gets,” she said.

b SU’s theme for this year is “ r ise, r esist, & r eclaim: a dvocacy i n a New a ge,” which honors the 1968 walkouts for increased b lack enrollment and the club’s history of activism, Collins said.

“ i n 1972, we were eight to nine percent (of the student population) and now, in 2024, the incoming class is eight to nine percent b lack,” she said. “ i t’s literally the exact same.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Month Date, 2023.