Friday, November 22, 2024

THE BROWN DAILY HER ALD

Brown residents file for unionization, gear up for elections

The filings include 950 medical residents and fellows in RI hospitals

BY ETHAN SCHENKER AND CLAIRE SONG SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

residents and fellows at four brown-affiliated hospitals filed to unionize Friday. it’s the group’s first steps to holding elections that, if successful, would result in 950 physicians joining thousands of other unionized doctors nationwide.

o rganizers wrote that the decision stemmed from an effort to prevent burnout and “gain a seat at the table to advocate for (residents) and their patients” in a Wednesday press release. The group, consisting of four potential unions from brown-affiliated hospitals, filed to gain representation through the Committee of interns and residents, a nationwide union representing over 34,000 resident physicians.

The 950 residents are employed by brown University Health, formerly known as Lifespan Health, and Care New england.

Bringing Oz to life: Wicked sure to be popular on opening weekend

WICKED PAGE 12

The Herald found that DPS obtained planning document

BY OWEN DAHLKAMP UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

on april 23, vice President for Public Safety and emergency management rodney Chatman and other members of the department of Public Safety were aware of an imminent pro-Palestinian encampment set to begin the next morning.

according to emails and texts reviewed by The Herald, dPS obtained a document outlining protesters’ plans for the encampment the evening before it began, with Chatman sending it to officers across dPS and the Providence Police force. as tents were pitched on the main Green on april 24,

officers were ready to greet the students.

How dPS obtained the document remains unclear. Four sources with direct knowledge of the creation and distribution of the document accuse brown of acquiring the document by monitoring their school-owned Google drive data, an allegation that the University has denied. it is also possible that one of the hundred-plus students with access to the document provided it to the University.

The sources, who were granted anonymity for fear of retaliation for creating a document condoning arrestable offenses, used the document during a series of interest meetings they held with prospective encampment participants. Following the meetings, a link

The employers did not voluntarily recognize the workers’ unions by a monday deadline, Cir Spokesperson rachel Nass told The Herald.

but according to brown University Health spokesperson Sharon Torgerson, the Cir had petitioned the National Labor relations board to conduct an election before the health system had a chance to respond. on Friday, the organizers both asked for voluntary union recognition and filed for an election.

Torgerson added that brown University Health is working with the NLrb to facilitate an election.

NLrb rules stipulate that voluntary recognition can serve as an alternative path to unionization, eliminating the need for an election. but the organizers will likely hold elections, in which they will have to win a majority of votes to gain recognition from their employers.

if recognized by the health systems’ leaders, the unions will represent all interns, residents, chief residents and fellows at rhode island Hospital, butler Hospital, Kent Hospital and Women & infants Hospital.

Volleyball earns spot in Ivy playoffs for third consecutive year

SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 6

Brown SPH Dean Ashish Jha decries RFK Jr. nomination to HHS

Brown sees 8.3% net increase in assets in 2024

U. saw fundraising growth unlike some peer institutions

BY ANISHA KUMAR UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The University’s net assets increased by 8.3% to $8.3 billion in its 2024 fiscal year, despite an operating loss of 3% and a nearly $41.9 million deficit, the University announced Thursday.

Fundraising cleared $500 million for the first time in the University’s history. brown’s fundraising success stands out as an anomaly: Fundraising numbers dropped significantly at peer institutions like Harvard whose donors severed ties over its response to allegations of antisemitism on campus.

brown also saw an 11.3% return on its endowment in the 2024 fiscal year, outperforming every ivy League

school except for Columbia, which saw returns of 11.5%.

in a letter to the brown community sharing the report, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’md’20 highlighted the University’s structural deficit, which is projected to “grow significantly” without intervention.

“This comes as brown continues its transition from an undergraduate tuition-dependent financial model more reminiscent of colleges to that of a leading research university,” Paxson wrote, adding that the University will continue to “make the strategic investments required to elevate brown’s impact as a leading research institution.”

brown recorded a 4% jump in research expenditures to $293.1 million, along with new award dollars totaling $295.4 million.

Nearly $41 million was raised

doreen Gavigan, a Care New england spokesperson, confirmed with The Herald that they received notice of the residents’ intent to unionize.

in a statement, Torgerson wrote that brown University Health “residents and fellows play a critical role in delivering high-quality care, and we greatly value their contributions.”

Prior to Friday’s union filing, momentum had been building for four years, organizers told The Herald.

Brown on track to cut 75% of emissions by 2025

BY JULIA VAZ AND TOM LI MANAGING EDITOR AND METRO EDITOR

Travelers taking the boston-bound train through North Kingstown may have noticed a new expanse of blue in the landscape. as passengers lean closer to their windows, what initially appears to be a lake materializing in the distance quickly transforms into rows upon rows of newly installed solar panels.

occupying what used to be a 240-acre gravel pit, the 117,210-panel dry bridge solar farm now generates 40 megawatts of clean energy — enough to offset two-thirds of brown’s on-cam-

pus electricity consumption. The project received its final regulatory approval on Tuesday, making it one of the largest solar farms in the state.

dry bridge puts the University — the sole offtaker of the project — on track to meet its goal to cut 75% of emissions by 2025. encircled by trees and punctuated by a few windmills in the horizon, the solar panels stretch as far as the eyes can see — not much to look at. but for Frank epps, Ceo of the project’s developer energy development Partners, the scene is far richer.

“beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he said. “and i think this thing is beautiful.” beneath the unassuming solar panels, scores of wiring, circuits and connections transport the

If recognized by the health systems leaders, the unions will represent all interns, residents, chief residents and fellows at four Rhode Island hospitals.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

OBITUARY

‘Incredibly invested in community’: Remembering VP of Campus Life Eric Estes

Estes passed away after decades of work in inclusivity and student life

BY ANIYAH NELSON UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

eric estes, a leader in education, passed away on June 4 at the age of 55. estes served as the University’s vice president of campus life since 2016.

born in Seoul, South Korea, estes was adopted just before the age of two and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is survived by his mother angela estes and his brother Christopher.

While estes’s work at brown focused on student life, he began his academic career studying history. estes earned his bachelor of arts with honors from Trinity College in 1991 before going on to earn his master’s, also in history, from Syracuse University in 1993.

in 1995, estes was named a Fulbright Scholar and moved to Germany to conduct research on women and social reproduction. He earned his Phd in history from Syracuse in 2001.

there is often a divide between academics and student life, but estes took pride in bridging the two.

“He was able to see and make these connections between the curricular life of the college and student life in ways that i think other people had a harder time making,” she said.

Like Lee, richard baldoz, an associate

His career in academia began in 2000 at duke University as a mellon Foundation fellow, teaching courses on women and war, 20th century history, the Holocaust and the politics of sexuality. in 2004, estes moved to oberlin College, where he taught courses in comparative american studies and history while serving as the associate dean of students and director of the multicultural resource Center.

in 2011, estes was named oberlin’s dean of students. one year later, he also became the college’s inaugural vice president. estes arrived at brown in 2016 as the vice president for campus life and student services, where he was responsible for overseeing over a dozen non-academic offices and centers. These included the office of the Chaplains and religious Life, Health Services and affinity centers such as the LGbTQ Center, brown Center for Students of Color and the Sarah doyle Center for Women and Gender.

estes also served as a member of the Trinity College board of Trustees.

in the months following his passing, The Herald spoke with several of eric estes’s friends and colleagues, who remember his ability to easily connect with others and his commitment to celebrating identity and culture.

Ability to connect with people no matter who they are

Shelley Lee, a professor of american studies and history at brown, met estes when she began working at oberlin in 2007.

He was “disarmingly friendly,” she said, recalling “how easy it was to connect with him.” Lee noted that in higher education,

professor of american studies at brown and close friend of estes, was also working at oberlin when he first met estes.

For him, estes’s ability to find “the middle ground” stood out.

He was able to build “consensus between different constituencies whose interests are often kind of divergent,” baldoz said. “i think that’s one of his great talents.”

Lisa bisaccia, who is currently on the Trinity College board of Trustees, got to know estes during their time together on the board. She recalls building their friendship over common interests like music and history.

“He had a great ability to put people at ease,” she said. He “made them feel that their opinions mattered … and that he wanted to understand and hear what they had to say.”

Commitment to celebrating identity and culture

Caitlin o’Neill, the director of the LGbTQ Center, was an undergraduate student at oberlin when they met estes through his work at the school’s multicultural resource Center, which supports students from underrepresented and marginalized communities.

estes struck o’Neill as someone who was kind, funny, “sharp as a tack” and “incredibly invested in community,” they said.

He “just had a really insightful way of getting to the bottom of university politics, the needs of a campus community and the needs of faculty and staff in order to synthesize a robust program,” o’Neill added.

o’Neill cited estes’s upbringing in a multiracial family and his status as a transnational adoptee as factors that may have been influential in shaping his passion for building community.

When o’Neill arrived at brown in 2019, they reunited with estes through their work at the LGbTQ Center, noting that estes was “instrumental” in increasing the center’s staffing and funding before working in its relocation to Stonewall House.

“We went from two rooms to two stories,” o’Neill said. estes “understood implicitly that to invest in your student body is to invest in the people who are working with them everyday.”

vincent Harris, the associate dean and director of the brown Center for Students of Color, echoed o’Neill’s sentiment. He believes that two of estes’s main goals were to ensure that the bCSC had a “solid foundation” and that “the team felt supported” in light of staffing changes.

estes also worked to make sure “students knew that the bCSC was accessible,” Harris said.

according to Harris, estes supported the launch of the bCSC Heritage Series, which aims to offer a variety of programs

“surrounding topics of race, cultural celebration, social justice and resistance,” according to the bCSC website.

Harris, who has a thank-you note from estes adorning the wall of his office, said estes’s leadership impacted him personally.

“i identify as a black, queer gay man. eric was also an asian-american man of color and gay,” Harris said. Seeing estes in a senior leadership role was “transformative for me and my identity personally.”

“it provided me with motivation to show up more as my full self,” he added.

estes as a “philanthropist,” but stressed that his contributions at Trinity College and the boys and Girls Club went beyond monetary donations.

“He showed up, he gave up his time, he participated in things and he shared his expertise with both organizations,” she said. “He was just a very giving man and cared a lot about the community of Providence.”

Opening up his home

For many, the gatherings that estes hosted in his home fostered community. .

“He really liked having people over at his house and feeding them,” Lee said. “Those kinds of little moments are really worthwhile and profound.”

Harris said he believes estes “felt responsible for welcoming others,” often making an effort to accommodate dietary restrictions.

“He was a really good cook,” baldoz added.

matthew Guterl, a professor of africana studies and american studies, noted that estes’s gatherings were “inspiring.”

President Christina Paxson P’19 P’md’20 echoed this sentiment.

“His house on Charlesfield Street was the center of his community-building,” Paxson wrote in an email to The Herald. “He hosted gatherings of people in times of celebration and sorrow, tension and discord

Someone who showed up even in an administrative position, estes “got his hands on the ground, engaged with the students and also worked side-by-side with the professional staff,” Harris said.

“There was a kind of humanity about him that … spilled beyond the office,” said Lina Fruzzetti, a professor of anthropology.

o’Neill added that when estes had the opportunity, he would attend the african Students’ association annual culture shows, serve food to students at bCSC events and stop by the LGbTQ Center.

bisaccia, who served with estes on the capital campaign committee for the boys and Girls Club of rhode island, described

and when he felt that some members of our community needed a little extra care.”

“it doesn’t matter who you are,” Fruzzetti said. “difference was accepted” at estes’s gatherings.

A dog lover before the Covid-19 pandemic began, Guterl noted that estes would often come over to his home for family dinners and barbecues.

after the pandemic began, estes and Guterl began discussing the possibility of coparenting a dog named eleanor.

“She came from an abusive household, she had lost her previous owner suddenly and she was an emotionally complicated dog,” Guterl said. “Caring for other people and for animals meant a lot to” estes. The group bought eleanor food and biscuits and took her to the vet. estes even bought a larger car to accommodate her.

estes passed away exactly four years after the group first got eleanor. at estes’s memorial service in September, Guterl noted that eleanor often reminds him of estes.

“Some nights … we find ourselves amazed by the bigger family we now routinely discover in spaces once inhabited by eric,” he said, recalling estes “searching for dessert in the freezer, asking for a specific cocktail or casually conversing with eleanor as if she were human.”

“in these moments of heartbreaking clarity, we see eric in every face,” he added. “We catch his tone in every kindness.”

NTamaro via broWN UNiverSiT y

Estes arrived at Brown in 2016 as the vice president for campus life and student services, where he was responsible for overseeing over a dozen non-academic offices and centers.

Unionization has been “a long time coming,” said Felicia Sun, a fifth-year neurosurgery resident at brown University Health’s rhode island Hospital.

The campaign emerged out of a grassroots effort “to prevent residents from having to go to the brink of burnout or worse, for the sake of their patients,” said Katherine Spiegel, a fourth-year neurology resident at rhode island Hospital.

“None of us did this because we thought it was going to benefit ourselves,” she added.

Spiegel said she attended the union’s first organizing meeting in her first year of residency.

Sun said that she had expected the first three years of her residency to be

solar energy collected to a new substation across the Wickford Junction, epps explained. From there, the energy is dispersed to the rhode island grid, powering over 9,000 homes in the state.

The project was originally expected to be fully operational by 2022, but several regulatory hurdles required years of adjustments and negotiation.

according to Stephen Porder, associate provost for sustainability at brown, the delays faced by the project reflect nationwide regulatory challenges with incorporating renewable energy into existing grids.

Federal and state commissions that reg-

“quite grueling and demanding.” The current seven-year program expects 80hour weeks and requires 24-hour calls every three days for the first three years of residency, she said.

but she didn’t expect to spend this time completing administrative tasks that seemed geared towards meeting the hospital’s “service needs,” like scheduling appointments or completing paperwork.

“There are a lot of things that we as residents have to do that are not necessarily part of our job or educational experience,” Sun said, adding that she hoped a future contract could ensure a balance between residents’ educational needs and the hospital’s service needs.

The residency matching process also

ulate the transfer of energy to the grid can be wary of new renewable energy projects, due to their fluctuations in energy production, delaying the approval of solar projects like dry bridge, Porder explained. other renewable energy developments in the state — including the rise of offshore wind projects — have further complicated regulatory processes.

offers fourth-year medical school students little choice or bargaining power over their wages and working conditions, Sun said.

“you’re just handed a contract, and you didn’t field multiple offers.”

around the country,” Sun joined the rhode island Hospital’s union organizing committee in the hopes of eventually securing contract items like compensation increases, childcare benefits and free rides home after a 24-hour call — mirroring benefits given to other unionized residents around the country.

The group’s press release said doctors often “struggle to afford the cost of living in Providence,” impacting their ability to care for themselves and their families as they care for their patients.

“We hoped that it would go super smoothly, but we also had the expectation that somebody’s got to go first,” Porder said. “if we run into all these cobwebs on the trail, hopefully the people behind us won’t have as many cobwebs as they go on the trail.”

Through a 25-year power purchase agreement, brown has agreed to pay renewable energy provider mN8 energy to operate dry bridge, which mN8 also owns. The University is the solar farm’s sole off-taker and has agreed to purchase the dry bridge’s electricity and renewable energy certificates — a commitment essential for energy development Partners to finance and build the project, wrote Porder in a separate email to The Herald.

by supporting the development of a new solar farm instead of sourcing reCs from existing facilities, brown hopes to incentivize the addition of new renewable energy projects to the grid, Porder added. dry bridge’s completion and approval follows several other power-purchase agreements and renewable energy transitions made by the University. in 2019, brown entered a long-term agreement to purchase reCs from Texas-based wind farm mesquite Star, which offsets 8 megawatts of on-campus electricity use, The Herald previously reported.

The University also made power-purchase agreements with two smaller rhode island solar farms. of the various initiatives, dry bridge will offset the most campus emissions.

These renewable energy initiatives are

UNIVERSITY NEWS

“moving to rhode island to start residency is especially difficult for folks who come from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine,” the release reads. Campaign leaders want to “fight for changes that make residency more accessible.”

in interviews, residents said they were optimistic about winning recognition and eventually securing a strong contract.

“We’ve all been working for a long time towards this,” Spiegel said. “everyone’s pretty excited about the union, and so we’re going to capitalize on that and continue to make progress.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 21, 2024.

part of the University’s broader goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a pledge made via brown’s 2021 Sustainability Strategic Plan.

Since setting the net-zero goal, the University has worked to electrify campus vehicles, revised heating systems and explored ways to revamp campus to eradicate fossil-fuel energy use. initiatives have also included switching to sustainable building and cleaning materials, limiting consumption of meat in dining halls and electrifying groundskeeping equipment.

but for Porder, the transition to net-zero is “not an easy feat.”

“The only way to get to zero is to just start running as fast as you can towards it,” he said. ”Sometimes when you do that, you trip and stumble, or you go the wrong way, and then you have to pick yourself up and go a different direction, or do something different.”

Porder took pride in the fact that brown played a key role in developing dry bridge and reaping in its benefit, and “that’s roughly 25,000 tons of Co2 a year that are not going into the air because of that.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 20, 2024.

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The Dry Bridge solar farm now generates enough energy to offset two-thirds of Brown’s on-campus electricity consumption.

Amb. Victoria Nuland ’83 talks US diplomacy at Watson

LOCAL BUSINESSES

Ocean State Spice & Tea Merchants brings loose-leaf tea, spice blends to PVD

The grand opening follows the closure of four Wayland Square businesses

BY MICHELLE BI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

a fter a three-week-long soft launch and a great deal of community excitement, o cean State Spice & Tea m erchants officially opened its doors in Wayland Square on Nov. 9.

The shop carries over 180 varieties of loose-leaf teas and stocks over 80 in-house spice blends, said m atthew m azzarella, who co-owns the business with his fiancee Jessica Neubauer. Customers can also find various specialty products like chocolates, flavored sugars and peppers lining the shop’s shelves.

a m assachusetts native, m azzarella grew up in Somerset and moved to Providence four years ago. He worked as a senior manager at Comcast for 18

of the shop, while antique teapots and sewing machines sit upon the windowsills. a mural of Providence landscapes extends across the ceiling.

“ i t all has history to it,” m azzarella said.

Several visitors also commented on the ambiance and the variety of products offered.

Customers b o-yeon Jang and a lyssa Posecion reflected positively on the store while sipping samples of candy apple and dreamberry tea. a fter buying most of her tea online, Posecion was glad to visit an in-person store “with so much variety.”

“ i t’ll make gift-giving way easier,” Jang added.

Warwick resident Katie Smith visited the store in search of spices for her simmer pot. She also expressed her enthusiasm for the new establishment.

“ you can get tea in any Starbucks, but you get to personalize it” in small busi -

years, but “took a leap of faith” in order to pursue his passion for tea and wellness by leaving the company and opening the shop.

The store is part of a small franchise called Spice and Tea m erchants with 16 locations across the country, m azzarella explained, from which the Wayland location sources its products. He said this business model allows them to “customize” their store to their own desires while still maintaining “support from the franchise.” This autonomy includes the choice to carry an abundance of locally sourced goods.

b ut beyond the products alone, the owners have also worked hard to curate a “calming and relaxing” environment for customers, m azzarella added. reclaimed wooden beams stretch along the walls

nesses, she said.

a ccording to m azzarella, this sense of community was very important in

choosing the Wayland location. He recounted how he “fell in love with the area” during his and Neubauer’s near-daily bike rides.

“ i just love the feel and the local, small community,” he said. “ i t’s like a little village down here.”

b ut while Wayland Square’s charm drew m azzarella in, locals have noticed a drop in foot traffic to the area since last year’s Washington b ridge closure. Since then, four businesses have exited the square: m inerva’s Pizza, Salted Slate, Feed the Cheeks and local staple Wayland Square d iner — which first opened in 1957.

Wendy b rown, the owner of home furnishing company Wendy brown Home

in Wayland Square, explained how road closures have led to a general decrease in e ast b ay customers. The rerouting of traffic down a ngell Street, congestion on Gano Street and “bumper-to-bumper traffic” on the Henderson b ridge have all negatively impacted businesses in the Wayland area, she explained.

a ngie d i meo, co-owner of e ast Side Cheese & Provisions, expressed similar sentiments. a lthough the initial opening of their specialty cheese shop in July 2023 was “amazing,” the bridge closure “took the wind completely out of our sails,” she said.

d i m eo described how Wayland Square and a ngell Street were turned into a kind of “massive highway, with

City of Providence, RIDE reach agreement on school funding

Mayor Brett Smiley said a tax increase was “inevitable”

BY CIARA MEYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

on Wednesday, Providence mayor brett Smiley and the rhode island department of education reached a deal on how much the City must increase funding for the Providence Public School district. The deal still needs to be formalized in writing. The parties expect to announce the details of the agreement on Friday.

The deal follows two rulings by the rhode island Superior Court last week which found that the City was required to provide additional funding to the district.

The PPSd is currently facing a nearly $11 million budget deficit and has proposed

cuts to school sports, bus passes and some staff positions.

PPSd budget decisions are not anticipated until after agreement details are formalized and shared on Friday.

a declaratory judgment deciding how much the City had to pay the PPSd was scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday. instead, the parties spent multiple hours outside the courtroom deliberating over a deal. at around 1 p.m., associate Justice Jeffery Lanphear announced that an agreement had been reached.

Later, Smiley held a meeting with the media and said that he was “really pleased” with the agreement, since the ongoing legal battle with ride has “been such a stress on school kids in Providence, families of Providence and the taxpayers.”

Smiley and City Council President rachel miller said last week that the court

rulings could lead the City to increase taxes or cut vital city services.

after the deal was made, Smiley shared that library services and recreation centers would not be at risk of budget cuts in the current fiscal year. He said that a tax increase was “inevitable” but that the City hopes “to avoid a mid-year tax increase.”

Smiley also reiterated that the City has already implemented a hiring and non-essential spending freeze. He said he could not yet speak to potential other cuts, such as to police, fire or PvdFest.

Smiley said today’s deal was “an important step along the way” toward regaining local control over the district, which has been under a takeover by ride since 2019.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 20, 2024.

boats and semis and all sorts of trucks” congesting the roads. People began to avoid the square because they did not want to deal with the traffic, she added.

“We just hope that the holiday season is going to be better than last year,” b rown said. She highlighted how the bridge was closed just two weeks before last year’s Christmas — a peak season for Wayland businesses. “That was a disaster for everyone in the square.” b ut some business owners say they have not seen this negative impact.

Kristin Sollenberger, owner of Paper Nautilus b ooks, stated that business has been steady and that the shop is “in a good place,” but theorized that this might be because her used bookstore is the only one of its kind in the area. o cean State Spice & Tea merchants has not been open long enough to experience any lulls from bridge traffic, m azzarella said. a fter already starting to receive repeat customers, he is optimistic about the store and hopes to organize more tea tastings and other events in the future.

So far, he has found the community “warm” and “welcoming,” and he says he is eager to work with more small businesses. “ it’s hard work and sleepless nights,” he said, “but it’s worth it."

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

The deal follows two rulings by the Rhode Island Superior Court, which found that the City was required to provide additional funding to PPSD schools.

Brown University Labor and Delivery Center exceeds funding goals, will open in spring

Over $35 million will support Women & Infants Hospital

BY NORA ROWE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The funding campaign for Women & infants Hospital of rhode island’s new 20-room labor and delivery center has exceeded its $35 million goal, hospital officials announced last week.

The center, named the brown University Labor and delivery Center in honor of the University’s $5 million contribution to the campaign in 2022, will officially open this spring.

The groundbreaking on the new unit took place in may with its construction expected to wrap up by the end of this year. it will then be outfitted with necessary medical technology in time for the ribbon cutting scheduled for may 2 of next year.

“This was really a historic campaign,” said Jeffrey Cabral, the senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer at Care New england, the health network that operates the hospital. The three-year campaign received contributions from almost 2,000 individual donors and foundations. The University’s $5 million donation was the campaign’s largest, Cabral added.

“our goal in making the 2022 gift was to help Care New england create a world-class labor and delivery center that will serve generations of families to come, provide improved resources for clinicians who provide care in the center and strengthen rhode island’s ability to attract top medical talent to the state,” University Spokesperson brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.

The new labor and delivery center aims to create a “healthcare environment that matches and enhances the clinical excellence of Women & infants Hospital,” Lisa boyle, the assistant chief of the department of obstetrics and Gynecology of Warren alpert medical School, wrote in an email to The Herald.

“our old facility was 35 years old. So much has changed since then,” wrote boyle, citing an increase in the average maternal age, a growing number of high-risk pregnancies and the prevalence of chronic medical conditions that could further complicate births. The new center will allow caregivers to strengthen

patient and family care and better address complications, according to boyle.

The Women & infants Hospital “is a critical piece of rhode island’s healthcare infrastructure,” boyle wrote, noting that close to 80% of rhode island residents give birth at the facility.

The Labor and delivery Center will also be in close proximity to WiH’s rhode island’s only Level iv Neonatal intensive Care Unit, which cares for more than 1,200 sick and premature newborns each year.

alongside the new center, a no-intervention unit geared toward patients with low-risk

pregnancies and a desire for minimal medical intervention will also be constructed, Cabral added. The unit will occupy a separate space on the same floor as the center, with proximity to both the labor rooms and the NiCU.

Cabral credited “the support of our community” for the project’s success. Without them, Cabral added, “this project would not exist.”

The new center aims to attract and retain the “best and brightest” physicians in the country to work there, boyle wrote. Warren alpert students and graduates will be among the center’s trainees.

Care New england is a major teaching affiliate of Warren alpert since Women & infants houses the medical school’s ob/GyN department, Clark said. He added that many of the attending physicians at WiH also hold faculty appointments at the medical school. Cabral sees the campaign as a win for rhode island maternal healthcare providers.

“When any of our hospitals in the state succeed,” he said, “we all succeed.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 18, 2024.

PPSD sees effects of RI youth mental health crisis, discuss state’s solutions

District students discuss potential solutions following new initiatives

BY JOY CHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Growing concerns over a statewide mental health crisis among school-age youth has led the r hode i sland d epartment of e ducation to launch a new student mental health support program, state officials announced last month. ride has collaborated with K-12

telehealth provider Hazel Health to offer free mental health services to all students and families for the next year.

The California-based provider expects to make its services available to close to 130,000 r hode i sland students.

The partnership aims to “break down barriers to care and build a foundation for healthier students,” said a ngélica infante-Green, the state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education, in a state press release. Governor d an mcKee also called the services “a critical investment in our students’ well-being and future success.”

Some leaders in the Providence Public School d istrict have noticed increasing rates of mental health challenges among the district’s students. Toni a kin, current co-chair of the Providence School b oard’s Health and Wellness Committee, said students have expressed more concerns to her over their peers’ behavior, especially involving substance use or bullying behavior.

r ising mental health concerns among PPS d students also follow recent reductions in the district’s social workers and teachers due to the expiration of

federal C ovid -19 relief funds.

The Health and Wellness Committee has since applied for a grant opportunity at the Family Service of r hode i sland, which would help staff two additional clinicians and one manager to “help with this shortfall,” a kin added.

For a kin, social workers play an important role in supporting elementary school students and new immigrant families who have the added burden of securing housing and health insurance upon arriving in the state.

Complaints against PPS d ’s lack of support for multilingual learners — many of them new immigrants — prompted a U.S. d epartment of Justice investigation and monitoring agreement that was settled earlier this month, The Herald previously reported.

a ccording to the PPS d , 65% of the district’s students are Hispanic, 16% are b lack, 9% are white, 5% are a sian, 4% are multi-racial and 1% are Native a merican. The majority of PPS d students “come from homes where english is not the primary language spoken,” PPS d ’s website states.

Forty percent of Hazel Health’s providers are bilingual, with 31 languages represented across the provider force. Close to half of the mental health providers also identify as people of color.

Hailey Santos, a 16-year-old student at Classical High School, was not previously aware of the campaign but thought that it would be a useful resource, she wrote in an email to The Herald.

While Santos felt that her school counselors “seem like they genuinely

want to help,” the telehealth programs can be a “good opportunity” for struggling students that are “too afraid to speak to someone at school directly,” Santos wrote.

b ut although a kin thinks the telehealth services make sense while Providence schools are state-run, she felt that these programs cannot compare to in-person counseling, which is “so pivotal in identifying the best course of treatment.”

She also noted that the Health and Wellness Committee was not consulted about the implementation of the program. a rmando r amos, an organizer with the Providence Students Union and a 15-year-old student at the Juanita Sanchez e ducational Complex, had a different view. “ i feel like counselors don’t really help as much as they should. They just say what you want to hear,” he wrote.

b eyond individual experiences with counseling services, a kin emphasized that there are other aspects of school that contribute to mental health. She pointed to school programs in sports, arts and music as factors “that helped me graduate high school,” she said. Santos emphasized the importance of having mental health spaces in schools, describing “resource rooms” at Classical for students who need a break during class or a quiet space during exam periods.

“ i feel like they’re pretty effective since people are allowed to just go whenever they’re stressed or just need a break,” she wrote.

The new labor rooms will feature state-of-the-art medical technology and bring additional comfort to patients.

SOCCER

Men’s soccer comes up short in semifinal loss to Penn, ending 2024 season

A tense second half and sudden-death overtime ended the Bears’ season

BY GUS BAILEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

men’s soccer suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to No. 12 Penn in the ivy League semifinals in Philadelphia on Friday. The defeat ended the bears’ 2024 season and sent Penn to a championship matchup against Princeton.

“i am proud of the team for putting up our best performance of the season in a big game in a big atmosphere,” Coach Chase Wileman wrote in an email to The Herald. “The game was a great advert for ivy League soccer and the student-athletes on both teams put on a great game and represented their institutions with pride.”

Penn entered the match with a 7-0 record in ivy League play, having all but clinched their spot in the NCaa men’s College Soccer Cup. despite the Quakers’ impressive resume and shutout 2-0 win over brown at rhoades Field in october, bruno refused to be intimidated.

“We felt we could go toe to toe with anyone we came up against,” midfielder Jack Cloherty ’25 wrote.

Forward Lorenzo amaral ’27 also emphasized that the team’s confidence going into the game was strong. “even though Penn was undefeated, i felt that we were evenly matched up against them, and it was really anyone’s game that night,” amaral wrote.

The bears came out swinging, registering three shots in the opening ten minutes while conceding none. in the

second minute, mads Stistrup Peterson ’26 fired a header towards the net, only to have it blocked by a flying save from Penn’s goalkeeper. brown continued its offensive onslaught, keeping the ball in the attacking third. Just a minute later, amaral attempted to capitalize on a powerful cross by Charlie adams ’25, taking a shot that sailed over the crossbar. bruno’s break finally came in the 25th minute, when a well-timed cross from Stistrup Petersen was deflected into the path of Cloherty, who fired the ballit into the bottom-right corner to open the scoring.

Penn responded with a penalty kick in the 51st minute which leveled the score at 1-1. brown kept up the offensive pressure, getting six shots on goal overall compared to Penn’s three, but neither team found the back of the net again during regula-

tion, forcing the match into sudden-death overtime. although brown created chances early in the period, it was the Quakers who scored the decisive goal just four minutes into overtime. The win punched their ticket to the ivy League championship game.

While brown’sthe loss was a bitter pill to swallow, both players and coaches took pride in a game that demonstrated the team’s growth and potential to compete at the highest level.

“i think it was one of our best performances of the year,” Cloherty wrote. “We always aim to trend upwards and it felt like we were hitting our stride in the later part of the season, which is why that overtime goal really hurt.”

For Cloherty, who scored brown’s lone goal in what would be his final game as a bear, pride in his performance was over-

shadowed by the team’s narrow loss. “i felt i had a good individual performance and scoring a goal in a semifinal was definitely a proud moment, but at the end of the day the result is what matters and it hurt to not have that goal be a deciding factor,” he wrote.

in spite of their loss, the bears had reason to celebrate earlier in the week when all-ivy League selections were announced.

Five bears received honors, headlined by amaral, who led the team in both goals and assists en route to a First Team all-ivy selection. Tanner barry ‘25 and Stistrup Petersen were named to the Second Team, while Cloherty and Harri Sprofera ’25 were Honorable mentions. These awards underscored the breadth of talent on this year’s squad.

a maral attributed his individual

Volleyball vaults to Ivy playoffs with late-season surge

BY LINUS LAWRENCE SPORTS EDITOR

after starting the conference season 1-4, the women’s volleyball team (11-13, 8-6 ivy) clinched the fourth seed in the ivy League Playoff Tournament with wins against Cornell (14-9, 8-6 ivy) and Columbia (4-19, 1-13 ivy) this past weekend. This marks the conclusion of a regular season which saw the bears underperform and then defy expectations.

riding a four-game win streak, the team will face off next in the ivy semifinals against top-seeded Princeton in New Jersey on Friday evening.

“it’s been a crazy journey,” co-captain Jessie Golden ’26 wrote in an email to The Herald. “Working to get into the tournament after a rough start says a lot about our team.”

While the bears wouldn’t officially clinch until Saturday in New york, their Friday night showdown at Cornell — who held a one-game lead over bruno for third place in the ivy standings — was a “must-win” match, Head Coach Taylor virtue said.

after brown seized the first set on a 7-2 closing run, the big red bit back, dominating the next two sets and outscoring bruno 50-27.

but with their backs against the wall, the bears performed at their best. Pulling out a hard-fought 25-21 victory in the fourth set and a 15-11 victory in the fifth, the bears moved into a tie for third-place.

“you could tell both teams wanted it,” Golden said. “it was a tough game, we didn’t play our best and we still managed to get the job done.”

virtue cited the game’s “intensity,” writing that “it truly took our entire team to get through that match and everyone did their jobs well.”

“The emotions when we won were a combination of gratitude and pride,” virtue continued.

“This group has put so much work into this season, and we have seen the fruits of that labor come together in the second half.”

on Saturday night in New york, the bears entered the game knowing a win against the Lions would punch their ticket to the ivy Tournament.

The bears burst out of the gate strong, fighting past Columbia in the first two sets by scores of 25-21 and 26-24.

Twenty five points away from a celebration, the bears suddenly found themselves in a 15-9 hole in the third set. much like against Cornell the night before — and consistent with the course

of their rollercoaster season — the team refused to go gently into the night, going on a 13-6 run to seize a 22-21 lead.

The bears never looked back. With a Julia Kakkis ’28 set and a mariia Sidorova ’26 kill soon after, bruno was officially playoff bound. it was only fitting that the deciding kill came courtesy of Sidorova, a junior outside hitter who has emerged as one of the conference’s top offensive players this season. Sidorova’s 16-kill, 12-dig performance on Friday against Cornell marked her seventh consecutive game recording a double-double. Her 20-kill performance on Saturday also marked her third time reaching that total in five games. Her 3.68 kills-per-set rate ranks third

achievements to the team’s shared efforts and determination. although he was pleased by the recognition, he told The Herald that he expects more from himself next year. “i’m very happy about how the season went personally for myself, but i’m not satisfied with it,” he explained.

Looking ahead, he believes that this season’s bittersweet finish will motivate the team to do the hard work necessary to improve next year’s record. “The season did not end the way our team wanted it to end, but that leaves me with motivation for next season,” he wrote.

Wileman noted the team’s success in competing in the postseason and challenging for trophies. The focus now is on refining players’ skills and being ready to push forward in the fall. “This season we took more steps towards our goal of being a consistent championship program,” he wrote.

The program is “on the cusp of really breaking through”, and itsthe steady progress is a key sign of the team’s growth. “The staff and players are all excited about the future with the new standard that has been set over the past 3 seasons,” he added. both players and coaches believe the program is laying a solid foundation for sustained growth that will lead to even greater success in the coming seasons.

“our team is one that is full of leaders,” Cloherty explained. “The group is hungry to win and hopefully the program can bring in guys that will do whatever it takes to win to keep us moving forward.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2024.

in the ivy League.

Sidorova “has not only solidified herself (as) one of the best outside hitters in the ivy League, but one of the best volleyball players in the ivy League,” virtue wrote. “She is a force to be reckoned with.”

alongside Sidorova’s step forward, the emergence of a rookie class led by Kakkis and Sophia Wolfson ’28 — fourth and eighth in the league in assist and block rates respectively — helped propel the bears back to the playoffs this season. in addition to leading the bears in blocks, Wolfson’s .615 hitting percentage in the regular season finale helped elevate them over Columbia.

For the bears’ returning core of players like Golden, beau vanderlaan ’25, Kayla Griebl ’25 Hannah Flannery ’26 and Sidorova, appearing in the playoffs has become a familiar pattern.

after winning an ivy title in 2021, the bears advanced to the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 — the first two seasons with a four-team ivy Playoff Tournament. in both years, brown beat Princeton in the semifinals before falling to yale in the Championship Game. on Friday, they will once again face the Tigers, with the bulldogs waiting on the other side of the bracket.

both virtue and Golden cited the team’s resilience as the factor that separates this year’s group from others of recent past.

“This team has been in more pressure-filled, back-against-the-wall, must-win moments than any team i have ever coached,” virtue wrote. “Starting with a very competitive pre-season and finishing with four must-win matches in league play, we are built for big moments.”

“i think people see us as the underdog, but we are accepting this,” Golden wrote. “With an underdog mentality, a team is gritty.” if the bears can continue using this adversity as armor to wield off Princeton’s powerful offense, they would advance to either face Cornell or yale for the ivy title on Saturday night at 7 p.m. i think we all need to maintain a competitive, confident mindset,” Golden said. “if each of us does our jobs … i’m confident that we will be able to advance to the ivy Championship.”

“We have yet to hit our peak as a squad and that is exactly where we want to be heading into the ivy Tournament,” virtue said. “We have never been more confident in our identity and we are ready for this weekend.”

“This senior class has meant a lot to the program,” cornerback Nick Hudson ’26 said. “They have raised the standard for all of us younger players, not only on the gridiron but off of the field as well.”

Bruno clinched a spot in the Ivy Tournament for the third consecutive season

On Saturday night in New York, the Bears entered the game knowing a win against the Lions would punch their ticket to the Ivy Tournament. VOLLEYBALL

Sailing rounds out successful fall season with second-place finish at Nationals

The coed team finished on the podium for the third consecutive year

BY AURA MACHANIC STAFF WRITER

b rown’s coed sailing team coasted across the finish line of the i nter-Collegiate

Sailing a ssociation m atch r ace National Championship on Sunday, closing the book on a phenomenal fall season.

The b ears, who were the defending champions, finished in second place in this year’s competition — marking the coed team’s third consecutive year on the podium.

Just a week before, the coed team placed second at o pen Singlehanded Nationals, while the women’s team placed sixth at Women’s Singlehanded Nationals.

With these three results, b runo finished the fall season as “the best of any team in (the) sport,” Head Coach John mollicone wrote in an email to The Herald.

Led by Guthrie b raun ’26, the coed

Although last weekend’s triumph marked the conclusion of the Bears’ fall season, the team does not plan on losing momentum just yet.

team included Katherine mcNamara ’26, Camren Spriggs ’27 and Charles Gish ’28. b raun had an “incredibly impres -

sive” performance as skipper, mollicone wrote. “ i ’m super proud of the team’s over-

all performance,” mcNamara wrote in a message to The Herald. “We went into the regatta trying to perfect ev -

erything we had learned” throughout the fall season.

b ut the competition wasn’t smooth sailing all the way. The team had to push hard for its victory, particularly in the knockout round against Harvard.

“We found ourselves trailing heading into the final leg of the race, and needed to perfectly execute our maneuvers to have any chance of winning,” b raun explained. “When the time came, we executed perfectly and were able to pass them right at the finish to move on to the semi-finals.”

Though last weekend’s triumph marked the conclusion of the b ears’ fall season, the team does not plan on losing momentum just yet. a fter the off-season, b rown’s sailors will travel to m iami for a practice week in January, and they will host the 2025 College Sailing o pen and Women’s Team r ace National Championships in a pril, according to mollicone.

“ o ur team is extremely motivated, and many of them would want to keep on practicing and competing right now if they could,” mollicone wrote.

FOOTBALL Bears struggle to round out senior-day home game against Columbia

Thirty-one players finished their last game at Brown Stadium

BY LYDELL DYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

on Saturday afternoon, a roaring bears crowd celebrated the football team’s (3-6, 2-4 ivy) 24 seniors and seven fifth-years as they entered brown Stadium for the final time in their collegiate careers. but in their senior-day sendoff against Columbia (6-3, 4-2 ivy), the bears suffered a crushing 21-12 loss.

it’s hard to put into words. This is one of the best groups i have ever coached and it kills me to have the record that we do,” Head Coach James Perry ’00 said about the senior class in an interview with The Herald. “They’re great kids, they’re terrific players, they’re working their butts off.”

“This senior class has meant a lot to the program,” said cornerback Nick Hudson ’26, who leads the ivy League in pass breakups with 13. “They have raised the standard for all of us younger players, not only on the gridiron but off of the field as well.”

Coming off a 56-34 loss to yale last week, the b ears’ defense entered the Columbia match-up with a chip on their shoulder. in their first appearance, the defense kept a rolling Columbia offense out of the end zone, forcing three straight incompletions from the five-yard line. after an offsides penalty on the bears gave the Lions a final shot from two yards out, a clutch pass break-up by Hudson put an end to the 73-yard drive.

“The entire defense took it upon ourselves to play complementary football,” Hudson wrote. We wanted to “do our jobs at maximum effort on every snap, and when we were given the opportunity to make a play, we wanted to take advantage of it.”

as the quarter continued, both teams traded possessions to conclude the first fifteen minutes 0-0 with shut-out play from both defensive sides.

our defensive effort was incredible

today,” Perry said. after last week’s loss to yale, “we coached them hard this week, and to see them respond with such an excellent defensive effort against a very good team is something we can hopefully build on next week.”

by the game’s conclusion, brown’s defense had managed to hold Columbia scoreless on seven separate drives. but “excellent defensive efforts” need to be complimented by points scored, and unfortunately for the bears, the offense struggled to find the end zone through the first two quarters.

Columbia found its stride with two minutes to go in the half. Looking down the left sideline, Columbia’s quarterback Caleb Sanchez connected with receiver bryson Canty for a 55-yard touchdown strike. For the rest of the game, Canty continued to haunt the defense, reeling in six receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

With 14 seconds left in the first half, the bears received a final shot. after an austin alley ’25 punt deflected off a Columbia defender, Caleb moorhead ’25 recovered the ball at Columbia’s 30-yard line, turning a would-be turnover into a new possession. Leading the offense was James murphy ’27, who was subbed in after Willcox threw his twelfth interception of the season early in the second quarter. Connecting with mark mahoney ’24.5 for ten yards, murphy’s offense set up a 38yard field goal attempt for Christopher maron ’25. With time expiring, the ball split the uprights and the bears entered the locker room down 7-3.

Though brown received the opening kickoff after halftime, Columbia scored first. With the bears looking to stop the Lions’ momentum, Columbia’s Joshua Powell carried a fake punt for 28 yards to move the chains. Capitalizing on the stolen possession, Columbia surged to the end zone in only two plays, extending their lead to 14-3 on a 12-yard receiving touchdown by Jordan Kelly.

as the bears continued their search for the right quarterback, with murphy and Willcox trading starts, the Lions found

their rhythm. blowing past his defenders, Canty scored on a 52-yard catch and run to push Columbia’s lead to 21-3.

With less than twelve minutes remaining, the bears tried to stage a comeback. relying heavily on the passing game, the offense — now led by Willcox again — drove 72 yards downfield in thirteen plays. over the course of the drive, Willcox breached 7,000 career passing yards and mahoney reeled in his 100th career reception. Unfortunately, the drive stalled out just shy of the red zone, and the team settled for a field goal.

making quick work of Columbia, the bears defense gave the offense another shot with 4:43 remaining in the game. Galvanized by a 40-yard reception by matt Childs ’28, bruno surged to the goal line. From there, Ty Pezza ’26 did the rest, capping the drive off with his first career touchdown reception to bring the score to 21-12. but the bears were unable to score on their two-point conversion attempt, keeping it a two-possession game.

With 1:36 left on the clock, the bears attempted an onsides kick. but as Colum-

bia recovered the ball and subsequently moved the sticks, time expired and the senior-day match-up ended in the Lions’ favor.

“We knew statistically how strong they were,” Perry concluded. “They proved to be every bit of it.”

The football team will play its final game of the season next week in Hanover, New Hampshire. The season finale against dartmouth will begin at 12 p.m. and will

be streamed on eSPN+.

“Going into week 10, it’s the same approach as what it’s been since the beginning of the season,” Hudson finished. We will “focus on the fundamentals of the game, playing fast, sticking together as a team and fighting to the finish.”

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

Letter from the Editor

Dear readers,

I deeply crave domestication. As the shame of relaxation hemorrhages and the pressures of higher education loom, I yearn for a repetitive, suburban lifestyle where “clocking out” often grants true respite. Leisurely trips to the grocery store, waving at my neighbors as I walk down the block, and blaring music on my drive to work appear as delicacies in these tireless moments. I just know I could pack a mean lunch and strut in carefully curated business casual. I look forward to upcoming holiday breaks to microdose a premature version of this peaceful lifestyle and refresh my stamina, but, in the meantime, I find solace in our writers’ pieces this week sharing simple moments and empathize with the not so simple ones.

In Feature, Samira describes the soothing

ISSUU.COM/POSTMAGAZINEBDH

joys of solving a crossword puzzle and a little bit about its history. In Narrative, Lynn recounts her endurance of allergic reactions to avoid missing out on sliced apples from her mom and grandma while Ben reflects on his accidental visit to Prospect Terrace during a time that was apparently a very popular time for dates. In A&C, Evan and Ellie conflict. Evan’s highly modern piece illuminates the theater kid to pop artist pipeline and Ellie’s historical piece describes the influence of ukiyo-e on European Impressionism art and their depictions of pleasure and leisure. In Lifestyle, Katherine writes about excellence, competition, and striving to be the first, while Daphne reflects on her dad’s love through generosity and attentiveness rather than words. Lastly, (because it’s his last crossword) Will created a Thayer St. themed crossword! Don’t get me wrong, I hope to never work a nine to five office job (unless it’s the post- office ofc). However, a bit of routine and compartmentalization is very appealing right now. Our writers grow my excitement to travel home and ground myself in familiarity by celebrating the same way I have since birth. One day I will have the chance to settle down and relish in the consistent comfort of simplicity and, hopefully, predicability. Until then, I wish us all the strength to power through the rest of the semester.

Clocking out,

Elijah Puente

Arts & Culture Managing Editor

I Wanted To See How Long I Could Go

Samira Lakhiani Gridlock Lynn Nguyen A Love Letter to Apples

Benjamin Herdeg

Exploring Pleasure and Leisure in the 18th and 19th Centuries Through Ukiyo-e and Impressionism

Ellie Kang

Gardner The Rise of the Theater Kid Pop Star Katherine Mao Reboot, Reset, Recharge

Love Unspoken

Daphne Cao

“How do you look hot as Mario, WTF?”

“I woke up and found a zest for life.”

1. Thanks 2. Face

Things to Give

3. A big wet juicy smooch

4. Me a break

5. Tree

6. Coal

7. Up

8. A mouse a cookie

9. Liberty or death

10. Hawk Tuah

“Declare your care for others, in all its forms—scream it so loudly from the top of College Hill that the ducks by the Pedestrian Bridge feel the water ripple beneath their feathers. Tell people you cherish them until your vocal chords get sore and your lips begin to ache from words of love.”

—Indigo Mudbhary, “On Being Cringe” 12.07.23

“In a world where practically everything is dictated by logic, I view superstitions as a way to keep the magic in our everyday lives.”

by Will Hassett

6 With Joe's, one-stop shop for coffee and tea

Home of calzones and schwarma wraps alike Has-____ Down Disney deer

—Samira Lakhiani, “Knock on Wood” 12.02.22 9 8 2 3 5

Problem or predicament

Zodiac sign prone to anger

Quips or puns What one might order from 1A, 6A, 7A Nebraska ex-senator

OPINIONS

Sandhu ’25: Two households, two parties: Romeo and Juliet's teachings

We have all come across the “ r omeo and Juliet” story countless times, in one form or another. Perhaps it was introduced to you by Leonardo d iCaprio’s dreamy film portrayal, the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” or best of all, Shakespeare’s original text. This fall, i saw the story reframed in a modern political context. i n this rendition, the producers extrapolated from Shakespeare’s original story to reveal how a 16th century tragedy can help us grapple with the dangers of partisan polarization today.

o n the night my childhood best friend and i attended “ r omeo and Juliet” at The Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill, we were brimming with excitement and nostalgia. a s we walked through the dimly lit theater, we reminisced about our first memories of “ r omeo and Juliet.” We discovered the story together in eighth-grade e nglish class, where we attempted to decipher the intense emotions and themes concealed by Shakespeare’s archaic prose. Sitting in the theater before the start of the play, it felt like things were coming full circle — until we noticed the flashing red, white and blue strobe lights and booming voices coming from the screens on stage.

We turned to each other with identical looks of disbelief. “Wow,” i said, “ d.C. really does have to make everything political.” The screens depicted snippets of election speeches from a variety of characters in the play. While Lady montague advocated for reproductive rights, Lord Capulet called for increased border security. To our dismay, it became clear that in the retelling of this Shakespeare classic, the Capulets and montagues were meant to represent rival political parties. We worried that the emphasis on political controversies would overshadow the love story that we remembered and cherished.

b ut as the performance unfolded, i realized the strength of this interpretation. i n the play, r omeo and Juliet’s families were more concerned with pushing their political agendas and defeating their opponent rather than caring about the actual people their politics affected, including their own children. What stood out to me wasn’t the heartbreak of doomed love, as it had so dramatically in middle school. This time, i was primarily struck

by the sheer destructiveness of political division. The tragedy of “ r omeo and Juliet” is not just that two young lovers die. i t is that their deaths were entirely preventable — caused by the blind, selfish hatred and stubbornness of their feuding families. The montagues and Capulets refused to hear each other, let alone reconcile, and in the end both sides lost.

The parallels to our present moment are clear. i n the aftermath of a divisive presidential election, we have all been bombarded with commentary and speculation about the next four years. i admire those around me who are pursuing their post-election efforts with introspection and forward thinking, finding ways to build and support community and protect initiatives that fight for all people. However, many spaces, including social media, have

become an echo chamber, more concerned with who can loudly demonstrate moral superiority than with what might actually help people manage this

“

turbulent time. i have scrolled through posts declaring, “ i f you voted for Trump, unfollow me,” or, “ i f you’re upset about this election, you’re what’s wrong with a merica,” mirroring the dangerous lack of communication between the montagues and Capulets.

While emotions are raw and passions run high, i think these reactions exacerbate what the performance warned against. r egardless of your feelings toward the incoming president, i hope we can agree that to effectively promote the general welfare, we need to dialogue with everyone, regardless of whom they voted for.

a s we move forward as a country, “ r omeo and Juliet” offers a crucial lesson: division is unsustainable, and its costs are ruinous. To prevent our own a merican tragedy, we must be willing to do more than fight with each other. We must avoid letting anger or fear dictate our actions and instead lead with empathy, humility and unity. Whether that means joining a nonprofit organization, doing advocacy work or engaging in civil discourse, there are ways to take political action and seek common ground without hostility. a fter all, the world r omeo and Juliet dreamed of — a world where love transcends hatred — is the one we should all aspire to build.

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.

The world Romeo and Juliet dreamed of — a world where love transcends hatred — is the one we should all aspire to build.

“

Angelino MPH’24: Taking a stand to protect freedom of the press

Freedom of expression, freedom of thought and the freedom to share information are at the core of what it means to be a member of the b rown community. These rights ensure our capacity to influence communities far beyond our own. d espite the importance of these freedoms, many of us take these rights for granted, as we haven’t yet experienced a situation where these protections are truly at risk. Now, with the recent election of former President d onald Trump, they are.

o ver the course of his first term and recent campaigns, Trump has threatened freedom of the press on multiple occasions in both overt and implicit ways. e mboldened by his perceived mandate and enabled by his influence over all three branches of government, Trump is positioned to fulfill his intention to handicap the press. His intentions are reflective of how aspiring autocrats have cracked down on journalists and the dissemination of information in ways that have allowed them to consolidate their power. i f successful, this will catalyze the United States’ shift towards a propaganda state where negative speech about the ruling class is suppressed.

i understand the temptation to hand-wave this concern away. i t’s a very human reaction — but it’s the wrong one.

Complacency has historically enabled the rise of fascism in other nations. a country can be overcome with proto-fascist and later fascist ideologies, as these ideas become increasingly normalized. b y the time enough people realize what’s going on and are no longer complacent, it

is usually too late. e ventually, these dangerous beliefs will snowball if left unchecked.

We must take action to protect the press and not be complicit in sending the nation down a path it may never return from. Fortunately, every single one of us has the power to help protect free speech, thought and press.

r ecently, the House passed the bipartisan

“

Whether

the suppressive tendencies often characteristic of fascist and authoritarian movements. The bill is currently sitting in the Senate. i f it is not passed before Trump takes office, it may never get passed.

i t is imperative that we all take a stand to defend the press. m any in our community will find themselves in careers directly threatened

P re SS a ct — even if the bill fails. Continue to take an active stand to protect freedom of the press and democracy itself. o rganize peacefully. Get creative and get involved responsibly in any way you can by finding little ways to make a difference. There’s a lot that we can do to protect our freedoms — and even more that we can do together as a community.

you are a professional journalist, federal employee or worker in an industry far removed from politics, the ability to access news free from government overreach and suppression should be an unalienable right.

Protect r eporters from e xploitative State Spying

a ct. i t is a bill that prevents the federal government from forcing journalists and telecommunications companies to share protected information with the government.

This bill provides strong protections for both journalists and the informants who share vital information with them, ultimately preventing retaliation for speaking out to the public. i t allows the press to continue as a strong check on the federal government and directly counters

by Trump’s policies. Whether you are a professional journalist, federal employee or worker in an industry far removed from politics, the ability to access news free from government overreach and suppression should be an unalienable right. We only have a matter of weeks to pass this bill and safeguard freedom of the press.

Take action now by contacting the senators that represent you and urging them to pass the P re SS a ct immediately.

a nd, importantly, don’t just stop with the

“

e very little bit counts.

i f enough people stand up for freedom in little ways over the next four years, the world will never know what our success averted. b ut, if too many of us are complacent, the repercussions of our inaction will echo throughout history.

DomenicAngelinoMPH’24canbereachedatdomenicangelino@gmail.com.Pleasesendresponsestothis op-ed to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinionstoopinions@browndailyherald.com

Barth Wu ’26: Chew on This: Providence Noodle Bar

Providence is known for its i talian mob-boss mayor b uddy Cianci, the b ig b lue b ug off of i -95 and being a little eccentric. Providence is not known for its a sian food. There are, of course, exceptions. i recently ventured down College Hill to Providence Noodle b ar on m athewson Street. Founded by two Johnson and Wales University alumni, this noodle spot does not lay claim to a particular a sian cuisine; however, after examining their menu full of ponzu, soba, dashi and karaage, i noted a distinct Japanese influence.

We started with the i ka Ponzu Salad ($7): a tornado of spring greens, rings of tender squid, edamame, cherry tomatoes, red onions both fresh and pickled and fried shallots. The salad was dressed in ponzu, a soy-vinegar sauce, and yuzu kosho, a fermented Japanese pepper paste. The squid was especially exciting: perfectly cooked and not chewy. i ’m never mad about a pickled onion, but sometimes i ’m disappointed by a raw one. Here, the latter was true. The fresh onions were cut quite thickly and yanked the spotlight away from more interesting flavors.

The a gedashi Tofu ($6), a Japanese dish of

ing it especially good at soaking up broth. i found its curiously round sweetness hard not to enjoy. red onions — both pickled and raw — made a second appearance on this plate and, after a while, overwhelmed the dashi. The tofu coating, once crisp, also became increasingly soggy.

We ordered the Chashu Pork Side ($9) next and requested a bit of the spicy mayo to go with it. The pork came thinly sliced, tender, smokey and very lightly sweetened with a marinade. e aten dipped in the mayo, which was speckled with roe and black sesame seeds and spiked with lemon, it was exceptional.

m y mother says that the real mark of a restaurant is the quality of their vegetarian dishes. The vegetarian Sesame Scallion noodles ($14) did a good job convincing me that Providence Noodle b ar isn’t messing around. The noodles arrived in a large bowl with four small sides: blanched bean sprouts, yu choy, nori and a spicy chili paste. The broth was perfumed with sesame oil, but the noodles felt like an afterthought, being a minute overdone and not as chewy as i would have liked. The real cause for discussion

“ “

Providence might still live in the shadow of its big sister Boston when it comes to Asian food, but there are still some pretty tasty — and more affordable — bites to be found.

lightly fried tofu placed in an adorable puddle of dashi broth, was similarly affordable. The dish boasted two large cubes of tofu dredged in starch and fried. The most unexpected and delightful part of the dish happened to be the little piles of grated daikon atop each tofu block. d aikon, a white Japanese radish, has no distinct flavor mak-

Davis ’27:

at our table, however, was the fried king oyster mushrooms. i ’ve never had anything quite like them. The nuggets were seasoned all the way through and hugged by a light tempura batter. They were hot, crispy and the opposite of a sad excuse for a meat replacement. There were — still — too many onions, but this time only of the

pickled variety.

For dessert, we ordered the black sesame ice cream ($3.75), although they also offer a matcha variety. The ice cream, tinted gray with bits of sesame seed, came in a glass dish with two little spoons and whipped cream, the kind that comes from a can. i t was a touch grainy and the black sesame flavor — something close to peanut butter — was hardly detectable. Still, for only three dollars we were given a generous serving, more than enough for two people. There were, thankfully, no onions.

Providence Noodle b ar describes itself as serving “a sian noodle dishes” even while the menu demonstrates a considerable knowledge of Japanese cuisine. This points, perhaps, to something else — a restaurant that advertises itself in general terms is catering to a broader audience. r ather than reflecting a lack of understanding by the chefs, this choice recognizes that many may not know the complexities of a sian cuisine. The absence of a label also allows for more culinary freedom to create innovative dishes, like their m iso Caesar Salad ($7).

Labels aside, it’s clear that the chefs at Prov -

idence Noodle b ar are most concerned with cooking food people want to eat. Who cares what you call it as long as it tastes good? Providence might still live in the shadow of its big sister b oston when it comes to a sian food, but there are still some pretty tasty — and more affordable — bites to be found.

Service: friendly

Sound level: conversational r ecommended dishes: Chashu Pork Side, Sesame Scallion Noodles

Hours: monday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 5 p.m.-11 p.m., Thursday-Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Price r ange: a ppetizers/Salads $6-8. e ntrees $12-21. d essert $3.75

Wheelchair accessibility: a ccessible entrance, bathroom is small but has accessible handle bars. 3/5.

Eleanor Barth Wu ’26 can be reached at eleanor_barth_ wu@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

Rural America isn't the enemy, moral superiority is

as election season draws to a close, another american tradition takes its place: scapegoating. The discourse surrounding rural voters has reached an all-time high across social media and, more worryingly, across campus. in an effort to place blame for the result of the presidential election, students are perpetuating harmful stereotypes of rural communities: just last week, in my history lecture, for instance, students were debating whether to liken Trumpism to a psychological failing. if you know anything about hookworms, you know just how dangerous conversations such as this can be. This alienation shows the lack of understanding of the systemic issues that plague these rural communities. To foster meaningful progress as a nation, we must fundamentally transform how we communicate about and with one another, emphasizing respect and understanding rather than blame. if my peers are to correlate the fact that oklahoma is one of two states in the country to have zero blue counties and its ranking as 49th in education, then they must also acknowledge mass disenfranchisement and the state’s tumultuous relationship with the word “education.” if my peers are to blame rural Georgians for the state flipping red,

then my peers must also acknowledge Georgians’ genuine economic distress from rising inflation. if my peers are to post on instagram that they hold no sympathy for Trump supporters, then they are condemning those in Southwestern Pennsylvania whose primary source of income is now an abandoned mine.

These presumptions and misinterpretations fail to account for the systemic issues that plague large

attempting to understand the thoughts of Trump supporters? Understanding america means understanding how systemic issues affect all americans. The two are not mutually exclusive.

How can we proclaim to be the more tolerant party and stand against the vilification of minorities, but allow unfounded attacks on middle america? Just like our more right-leaning counterparts, we enforce the dynamics that create a larger cul-

How can we proclaim to be the more tolerant party and stand against the vilification of minorities, but allow unfounded attacks on middle America? “

swaths of the country. blaming rural voters is not activism, and those aiding in creating this environment of judgment are not only anti-progressive but performative. refusing to engage with larger societal issues as possible causes for political turmoil reveals not an individual who wants to help but an individual who is solely concerned with virtue signaling.

We as brown students know all too well the historical atrocities that have plagued our country, so why would we not take these into account when

ture of blame that impedes progress. This campus has no shortage of student activist organizations that preach equity and justice, but activism must include those you disagree with, or it simply isn’t activism. anyone who proclaims black Lives matter must declare that black Trump Supporter Lives matter. anyone who fights for women’s reproductive rights needs also to fight for the reproductive rights of pro-life women. and anyone who isn’t is not an activist.

donald Trump won in a landslide not because

democratic messaging was too “woke” or because of Trump’s “superior” economic policy, but because this country has lost its ability to empathize. donald Trump is the consequence of a nation that has forgotten that we are one. Who we are as a country isn’t determined on election day but every day after that. This election is over, but the work to make this country hospitable is not.

i concede that Southern and middle america is littered with those whose worldview would not want me at this university, let alone writing this piece. However, at the same time, i acknowledge and understand the gerrymandering, voter suppression, and decline in public investment that facilitates these attitudes. i know some may say that conversing with those who disagree with their very being is where they draw the line, and once again, i agree, but that does not mean we falter in our pursuit to create a world where these prejudices don’t exist.

i am from oklahoma and attend an ivy League university, but, that does not make me any more capable of understanding this country’s problems. rural Georgians understand this nation’s challenges just as well as you do. Civic capacity is determined by one’s willingness to make this country a better place, not the degree one holds, and we, as brown students, would do well to remember that. So no, you cannot say that Trump supporters are stupid. That’s unconstructive, wrong, and flat-out mean. didn’t your mother ever tell you that?

Christian Davis ’27 can be reached at christian_davis@ brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

ARTS & CULTURE

‘Small Things Like These’ is an emotional call to action

The drama explores one man’s dilemma in the face of injustice

BY ALYSSIA OUHOCINE STAFF WRITER

For moviegoers looking for both tension and inspiration, “Small Things Like These” is a perfect choice. Starring Cillian murphy, the historical drama explores the age-old question of moral responsibility through the lens of the controversial magdalene Laundries of ireland.

The film, directed by Tim mielants, is a faithful retelling of the 2021 homonymous novel by irish writer Claire Keegan.

bill Furlong (murphy) plays the film’s soft-hearted protagonist, a coal merchant in 1980s ireland who is forced to confront injustice in his community after finding a teenage girl (Zara devlin) associated with the local convent locked in the coal shed.

“Small Things Like These” is unflinching in its depiction of irish magdalene Laun-

dries — religious institutions that housed marginalized women and subjected them to harsh labor and abuse. although centered around this historical horror, the film brings forth larger questions about the responsibility humans have to one another, exploring how easy it is to fall into the trap of complicity in everyday life. Furlong, faced with the dilemma of going against a powerful institution, considers how he was able to endure his own tragic history through the kindness others showed him.

doing justice to his 2024 best actor oscar win, murphy provides a hard-hitting performance that expertly captures how childhood wounds manifest in the convictions of adulthood. His emotional portrayal of Furlong intersperses with childhood flashbacks that contextualize his struggle to accept the cruelty of the world.

The film also features a star-studded supporting cast. actress emily Watson plays a cunning Sister mary, holding court whenever she enters the screen. michelle Fairley powerfully

depicts the kind mrs. Wilson, a woman who shapes Furlong’s empathetic nature. despite having a simplistic plot in which very little unfolds on screen, “Small Things Like These” packs a strong emotional punch by taking viewers on a complex character study that pushes them to look inwards. No question posed in the film is clearly answered: viewers only discover the answers themselves when they are held captive by the same feelings of guilt and indecision as the protagonist. it is such reflection and involvement that make “Small Things Like These” a haunting watch. in a world where the suffering is constantly publicized, Furlong’s desperate attempts to make a small difference in the lives of others are sure to resonate with viewers.

With stunning visuals of ireland and an immersive sound experience, the film is also a sensory masterpiece. Set in the weeks leading up to Christmas, “Small Things Like These” relies heavily on its winter setting to convey Furlong’s isolation despite the holiday cheer around him. The peaceful landscape shots

supporting cast.

are juxtaposed with close-ups of Furlong’s face, emphasizing the sudden emotional turmoil he experiences within his familiar surroundings.

Ultimately, “Small Things Like These” leaves much unexplained, with an abrupt ending that makes viewers ache for a sense of resolution. it seems to indicate that viewers are not entitled to anything from the film beyond a sense of urgency to act meaningfully in their own lives. “Small Things Like These” simplifies a truth that is too often complicated: doing the right thing may not be easy, but where would we be if others had not helped us along the way?

Tyler, the Creator takes his mask off on ‘CHROMAKOPIA’

The new album offers an introspective look into the artist’s life and mind

BY CAMPBELL LOI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Tyler, The Creator has long been known for his creative use of alter egos throughout his discography. in addition to carefully crafting aesthetics for each altar ego during his album rollouts, Tyler also alternates his tone of voice between characters during his songs to express his own thoughts and emotions from a nuanced perspective.

From ace and Sam on his early releases, “bastard” and “Goblin,” to Wolf Haley on “Wolf” and later Sir baudelaire on “CaLL me iF yoU GeT LoST,” these characters have commonly been louder and more confident iterations of Tyler himself.

most recently, though, Tyler’s newest album “CHromaKoPia” brings a more vulnerable and insecure character to the spotlight. as Saint

Chroma, Tyler sports a military-style uniform and a mask that resembles, but obscures, his face, speaking to the album’s central themes of performative strength, anxiety and uncertainty.

at a listening event for the album in Los angeles’s intuit dome, Tyler explained that “CHromaKoPia” is meant to be an “homage to” and “celebration of his home” — the very streets of inglewood, California where the concert was taking place — and the “formative years” he spent there. This reflective theme comes in direct contrast to Tyler’s last album, “CaLL me iF yoU GeT LoST,” which discussed the joys of a lavish lifestyle and opening up to new places and experiences.

“CHromaKoPia” opens with a spoken voice recording from Tyler’s mother, bonita Smith, who reminds him that creativity comes from within and should be embraced regardless of pushback from the outside world.

“you are the light. it’s not on you, it’s in you,” Smith says on “St. Chroma.” “don’t you ever in your motherf*cking life dim your light for nobody.”

Smith’s voice is a guiding force on “CHromaKoPia.” Clips of her speaking directly to Tyler are interspersed throughout many of the album’s songs, with her words of advice and encouragement in each track conveying its central themes and messages.

both “St. Chroma” and “rah Tah Tah” lean into the soldier aesthetic of the project, boasting the aggressive vocals and booming production that Tyler has become known for to kick off the album. This air of confidence carries through on later tracks like “balloon” and “Sticky,” as the featured artists doechii, Glorilla, Sexxy red and Lil Wayne bring infectious upbeat energy.

However, on the third track, “Noid,” Tyler begins to open up about the anxiety and uncertainty underneath his seemingly strong and confident persona. The song’s music video finds Saint Chroma overcome by paranoia, constantly in fear of being watched, chased and threatened.

many of the songs also see Tyler reflecting on his internal struggles with romantic relationships. on “darling, i,” for instance,

Tyler discusses the fleeting nature of his infatuations, struggling to reconcile his dreams of love, family and stability with the allure of independence or someone new.

Parenthood is also a major theme of the album, as Tyler grapples with his conflicting feelings about being a father. “Hey Jane” unpacks Tyler and his partner’s emotions as they are shocked by an unexpected pregnancy. each verse is written in letter format, with Tyler opening up about his hesitations about the responsibilities of being a father and his partner sharing her fears of facing the situation alone.

Tyler dives even further into this internal conflict on “Like Him,” discussing his strained relationship with his absent father and the complicated emotions that have come with being constantly reminded of how similarly he looks and acts to someone who he sees to be a villain.

The situation is further complicated at the end of the song, when Smith confesses that she feels it was her fault that Tyler’s father was never a part of his life. “it was my fault, not yours, not his,” she says. “He’s always wanted

‘Wicked’ is sure to be popular with audiences and at box office

The IFF held an advance screening of the film at Avon Cinema

BY MANAV MUSUNURU SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When “Wicked” — the musical adaptation of Gregory maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” — premiered on broadway at the Gershwin Theater in 2003, it was met with mixed reactions. Critics lauded the show’s production and the performances of idina menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, but there was less enthusiasm for the musical’s score, songs and choreography.

Nevertheless, the musical retelling of “The Wonderful Wizard of oz” by L. Frank baum captured the hearts of broadway audiences and has quickly gained a cult following. Since its debut 21 years ago, “Wicked” has become the fourth longest-running and second highest-grossing musical on broadway, raking in $1.6 billion across more than 8,000 performances.

it would be no surprise if the film adaptation of the Tony award-winning musical achieved comparable levels of commercial and critical success as its source material.

directed by Jon m. Chu, “Wicked” is slated to release in theaters this Friday, November 22.

in the film, Chu perfectly translates the story of the unlikely friendship between elphaba Thropp (Cynthia erivo) and her roommate Galinda Upland (ariana Grande-butera) from the stage to the screen.

The film’s runtime — a whopping 2 hours and 40 minutes — is about as long as the stage musical itself, yet it only covers the first act of the original story. but audiences, entranced by the retelling on screen, are unlikely to notice its length.

The added screen time enables viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic between elphaba and her sister Nessarose

(marissa bode) and insight into elphaba’s studies at Shiz University under Headmistress madame morrible (michelle yeoh), the headmistress. Writers Winnie Holzman and dana Fox ensured that every moment in the film was essential in accurately depicting elphaba’s journey to meet the Wizard of oz (Jeff Gloldblum) and her eventual transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West.

both lead actresses being experienced on broadway, as both erivo and Grande-butera began their careers in musical theater and have had experience on broadway (erivo in “The Color Purple” and Grande-butera in

“13”), it is no surprise that they each brought showstopping performances to the film. Their impressive talents are most apparent during the film’s climactic conclusion, with their chemistry creating a palpable sense of tension.

Grande-butera’s portrayal of the bubbly, friendly and social-climbing Galinda is particularly charming. along with being a majorthe second-most-important character in the story, Galinda also serves as comedic relief. throughout the film. Grande-butera masterfully depicts the comedic elements of her character, eliciting laughter from audiences even in the most serious of situations.

The stunning vocals of both erivo and Grande-butera are showcased by the film’s many musical numbers. Specifically, erivo’s dramatic and powerful rendition of “defying Gravity” in the finale masterfully displays symbolizes elphaba’s transformation into a young witch who is in control and aware of her powers.

Fans of Grande-butera may recognize the song “Popular,” which the singer sampled in her feature in pop artist mika’s single “Popular Song.” The musical number is perfectly complemented by choreography, as Grande-butera flaunts her ability to perform dramatic moves like kicking and doing the splits mid-air.

in fact, the entire film’s choreography is praiseworthy. From the introductory song

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 20, 2024.

to be a father to you … He’s a good guy, so don’t hold that against him.” This revelation is a huge turning point for Tyler who, up until this point, had been ridiculing his father for being absent for years through his music. What’s most exciting about “CHromaKoPia” is watching Tyler become more and more true to himself as the album progresses. The track “Take your mask off” especially plays into this narrative, using the concept of a “mask” as a metaphor for a life of inauthenticity. Just as Saint Chroma wears a mask to hide his face, Tyler explains that people — including himself — often put up a front to hide their true feelings, thoughts or identities and calls on them to take these “masks” off. it becomes clear then that Tyler has been utilizing the character of Saint Chroma to take off his own mask and open up to his audience throughout the album. This creative display of vulnerability is the thread that ultimately brings the whole project together.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2024.

“No one mourns the Wicked” to the number dancing Through Life” led by the rule-breaking Prince Fiyero (Jonathan bailey), there is never a moment in which the choreography is bland or boring. any issues previous critics had with the choreography in the stage musical are remedied well in the film.Whatever issues critics had with the choreography in the stage musical, they were practically unnoticeable to audiences of the film.

No review of “Wicked” would be complete without praise for the film’s stunning visuals, costumes and styling. although its technical effects may not be incredibly advanced, the film’s marvelous cinematography and colorful scenes bring the fantastical Land of oz to life. The ozdust ballroom scenes, in particular, are filled with magnificent displays of color and exquisite costumes worthy of being displayed in museums and on red carpets.

as fans eagerly await the official release of “Wicked,” they can brush up on their knowledge of the song lyrics and prepare themselves for a picturesque adaptation of the beloved musical. a beautiful introduction to the tragic story of the friendship between elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland, “Wicked” is sure to be one of the most popular films at the box office this upcoming weekend.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19 , 2024.

The chemistry between the actresses

The film also features a star-studded

to the Google document was sent via an encrypted messaging platform to each interested individual. The original document, which The Herald reviewed, was hosted on personal Google accounts, but it was accessible to anyone with the link, including those with b rown accounts.

This vulnerability, sources said, could have permitted the University to view the document.

b rown policy allows certain administrators to authorize access to documents, spreadsheets, emails and “data stored in b rown funded or contracted cloud services” over the course of “ b rown University investigations,” among other instances.

Three people with knowledge of d PS’s internal operations told The Herald that they were aware of instances of online monitoring, but they were not directly involved in any of those processes. The sources were granted anonymity for fear of retaliation from the University.

“ in the infrequent circumstances that would require an authorized individual at b rown to access protected electronic information for purposes related to investigative, safety or emergency preparedness,” University Spokesperson b rian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald, “it would not be appropriate for us to share details with news media.”

b ut he added that “accessing protected electronic information to seek details on organizing or advocacy efforts among community members” would not adhere to the University’s policy for accessing protected electronic materials, such as documents and emails.

“Protest and demonstration are an acceptable means of expression on campus,” he added, “provided those activities do not interfere with the normal functions of the University or infringe on the rights of others.”

The document distributed by Chatman was in the form of a m icrosoft Word file. a ccording to the document’s metadata, that copy was created by Chatman himself.

The dissemination of this briefing document was similar to the process the activists used for two sit-ins protesting the University’s decision not to consider an endowment divestment proposal from companies affiliated with israel.

in a review of emails between d PS and Providence Police, neither were knowledgeable of plans for arrestable offenses until the sit-ins began.

To prepare for possible encampment activity at b rown, Chatman also distributed police reports from other universities’ law enforcement offices describing protest activity on their respective campuses to d PS and members of Providence Police.

The encampment briefing document The briefing document itself provides a glimpse into student activist groups’ private thinking before the encampment.

in private, University officials were reserving arrests as a last resort for the student protests, with Chatman telling Providence Police, “ b rown leadership is expressing the preference of addressing the policy implications rather than law implications,” The Herald previously reported. b ut as the students were negotiating with b rown representatives, d PS was planning for

mass arrests, with the impression that the encampment “will likely need to end at some point this week.”

Still, arrests were an outcome student activists were expecting. “ o n Wednesday morning at 5 a.m., 150+ people will walk to the m ain Green, pitch tents and remain there until arrest,” the document reads. The actual number of participating students began at around 80 before rising to 112 at peak participation.

The briefing document also requested the students be prepared not only for arrest but for suspension. “ i f you have paid tuition for a semester when you are suspended,” the document reads, “you will lose your money.”

This doomsday scenario was in line with past organizing. a spokesperson for the b rown d ivest Coalition — the student activist group who organized the encampment — told The Herald they make an effort “to prepare for the worst-case scenario” in response to any actions they take.

Student activists were also explicitly aware that the encampment was a violation of University policy. “Tents are not allowed to be set up on the m ain Green,” they wrote in the document. The activists were also conscious of b rown’s event policy that requires registration of the event two weeks prior to its start — clearance they did not have.

a bd C spokesperson said that the participants “knew the risks” of organizing the encampment, “but, ultimately, speaking out against our university’s investments in the genocide and scale of violence ongoing in Gaza far outweighed any potential disciplinary measure from the university.”

a ctivists originally asked for all participants to commit to a 72-hour encampment. b ut in their public communications, the encampment participants said that there was no deadline for the end of their demonstration: They boasted plans to stay on the m ain Green until the University divested from companies affiliated with i srael.

in response, a bd C spokesperson said in a statement that the document’s language reflected their “best guesses” of a “potential response from the University informed by months, if not years, of campus organizing.”

a s the encampment began, we evidently changed course from this initial language as we remained committed to staying until we saw movement on our demands,” the statement added.

imploring students to join them in a pril, the document called the encampment “the first step toward imagining a new, truly liberatory kind of university. This moment will certainly go down in history: let’s be part of that story.”

a fter one week, the encampment disbanded under an agreement that the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, vote on a divestment proposal. The Corporation ultimately voted not to divest b rown’s endowment from companies activists say are affiliated with israel.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

RESEARCH

Brown researchers study Bennu samples to unlock the mysteries of life and our solar system

Two labs are contributing to mission by analyzing near-Earth asteroid

BY ALEX BRUCE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From an orbit of over 186,000 miles from earth, to Utah’s Great Salt Lake desert, to NaSa’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, to College Hill: That’s the path that samples from the asteroid bennu, weighing less than a paperclip, have taken to arrive to researchers at brown.

“by getting pristine material like this, we’re just stepping that much closer to being able to answer questions about … how life originated on this planet,” said ralph m illiken, associate professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences. milliken directs the Na Sa reflectance experiment Laboratory, one of the labs studying samples from bennu.

re L ab received their first b ennu samples in November of last year and published their preliminary analyses in a June article. another laboratory, headed by yongsong Huang — professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences — anticipates receiving a specimen in the coming days. They are part of a global initiative composed of over 200 scientists at 38 institutions that characterizes the geology, chemistry and mineralogy of the object. according to milliken, bennu is a socalled “carbonaceous asteroid,” enriched in carbon, salts, organic compounds and

PUBLIC HEALTH

water and water-bearing minerals — “all of the raw ingredients that we need for life.” in addition to these hypothesized results, bennu also held some surprises. “it’s full of these really interesting phosphate grains that have these huge implications for biology,” said Cody Schultz mSc’22 Phd’24, a postdoctoral research associate at reL ab reL ab uses a technique called reflectance spectroscopy, which measures the wavelengths of light reflected off the samples. by measuring this light, including invisible infrared wavelengths, researchers can “understand what these materials are made out of and how we can relate that back to the spacecraft observations,” milliken said.

beyond the answers to the origins of life and the formation of our solar system, studying bennu is also important for pro-

tecting humanity and the planet as it is representative of some of the asteroids that most threaten earth, m illiken explained. “The more information we have … the better informed we’ll be to understand how we might be able to, say, deflect one.”

The department of earth, environmental and Planetary Sciences was a shoe-in for the opportunity to conduct this research, milliken said. “We have this long and rich tradition and history here at brown and in our department of not only having the lab, but using its unique capabilities to measure very precious samples,” milliken explained.

The laboratory has previously studied specimens from the apollo program, the Soviet Luna program and, more recently, the Japanese Hayabusa2 mission, which collected samples from r yugu, another near-earth asteroid.

“There’s that kind of romantic aspect to recognizing the privilege and the opportunity of being able to work with such precious and interesting materials,” Schultz said.

across Thayer from reL ab, the team of organic geochemists under Huang is preparing to analyze their own sample. They plan to employ innovative methods developed in-house to extract the most data from the tiny amount of material. This project will cost millions of dollars when accounting for mission expenditures.

Previous “methodology is not really releasing all the compounds that are actually embedded in those micro-inclusions,” Huang said.

instead, they plan to use a multi-stage workflow, according to ewerton Santos, a postdoctoral research associate. First, they plan to crush the sample in a tailor-made airtight apparatus to release the lighter molecules. Then, they will employ a technique called pyrolysis — using heat to release heavier molecules. Finally, they plan to “fish out” specific compounds using a coated fiber in a technique called solid phase microextraction.

The greatest advantage — and greatest challenge — of the extraterrestrial samples is their purity. “it’s a little nerve-wracking at points because some of the materials … have literally never been exposed to air for their entire four and a half billion year existence,” milliken said.

meteorites, the traditional samples used in planetary sciences, are too contaminated to answer the question of how

life first appeared. “Water just seeps into them immediately,” Schultz said. meteorites also lack “geologic context,” because what asteroid they come from is unknown, Schultz added. by studying specimens directly from outer space, “you can connect these samples to actual physical parts of the asteroid, understand what parts of the asteroid they came from and what it says about the processes that operated on those asteroids.”

This is especially useful for an asteroid like bennu, which formed when “some bits reassembled in space” after breaking off from a much larger asteroid, Schultz said.

“We’re just seeing the remnants of that (impact) and trying to understand what those processes were and how common they might have been on other objects of that scale,” milliken said.

For Schultz, who is set to begin a new postdoctoral position at The California institute of Technology early next year, this work is personal. “i started undergrad at the same time the mission launched from earth, so the fact that we met up together here at brown is kind of neat.”

“it really has been a privilege and an awesome opportunity to do this,” Schultz said. “i don’t think a lot of grad students get the opportunity to work with such a cool diversity of samples and such pristine, precious samples.”

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 20, 2024.

SPH Dean Ashish Jha criticizes RFK Jr. nomination for Health and Human Services

According to Jha, Kennedy’s denial of scientific evidence makes him “harmful”

BY ELISE HAULUND SENIOR STAFF WRITER

at an october rally, now-president-elect donald Trump said that he would let robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has gained notoriety for his anti-vaccine views, embrace of raw milk, skepticism of Hiv/aidS and wish to remove fluoride from water, “go wild on health.” Last Thursday, Trump nominated Kennedy to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The decision has elicited concern among public health experts, including ashish Jha, the dean of brown’s School of Public Health and former White House Covid-19 response coordinator.

“He is unusually unqualified to lead that agency,” Jha said in an interview with The Herald.

For Jha, it is not Kennedy’s lack of experience in public health that makes him an “extraordinarily bad choice,” but rather his track record of espousing “conspiracy theories” that have been “widely debunked.”

“None of the health secretaries in general have had public health experience,” Jha said. but, “they are generally people who have deferred scientific decisions to scientific experts.”

a spokesperson for the Trump-vance transition team did not respond to The Herald’s request for comment.

in a statement announcing his nomination, Trump said that under Kennedy, HHS will mitigate the “overwhelming

Health experts expressed concern about Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary.

Health Crisis in this Country” and “make america Great and Healthy again!”

Kennedy has received media attention for his criticism of vaccines more generally in addition to spreading misinformation regarding the coronavirus and Covid-19 vaccines. He has also supported a disproven theory that there is a connection between childhood vaccines and autism.

on X, Kennedy wrote he is “not going to take anyone’s vaccines away from them,” but that he wants “to be sure every american knows the safety profile, the risk profile and the efficacy of each vaccine.”

Jha said ideas like these “sound good on a bumper sticker,” but in practice, Kennedy’s denial of scientific evidence

makes him “dangerous” for the health of americans.

“The problem is that he refuses to acknowledge that these vaccines have gone through rigorous testing, large clinical trials, and he will say things that are just false,” Jha said.

He also referred to Kennedy’s skepticism that Hiv causes aidS as one example in a “whole series of ideas” that are “quite off-base.”

“The way he approaches these issues, to me that’s the real concern,” Jha said.

“His track record of falling prey to conspiracy theories and not using scientific evidence makes (me) very concerned that he will not make science based decisions.”

The HHS secretary oversees the Centers for disease Control and Prevention, the Food and drug administration and medicare. if confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy will have the power to overturn most Fda decisions.

“This goes well beyond vaccines,” Jha said, adding that the HHS secretary has authority to decide if preventative services like mammograms and colon cancer screening can be offered for free.

“People need to understand this is a big job, and he will have a lot of influence,” he added.

Kennedy would also be in charge of appointments to the Fda and CdC, including the committees setting vaccine recommendations.

While Kennedy “is going to be important, who the Fda commissioner is (and) who the CdC director is will also matter enormously,” Jha said, noting that both will report to Kennedy if he is confirmed.

For those worried about the future of health policy in america, Jha said that for now, public health experts should “remain calm.” He underlined how public health is a “long term effort” and that most policy decisions are made at the state level.

“one would hope that this would be a short term blip in what has generally been, i think, a lot of very good people running HHS, both democrats and republicans,” Jha said.

Jha is not the only public health expert to express these concerns. erin Fuse b rown, a professor of health services, policy and practice, expressed similar concerns.

“i fear what will happen when a person who does not fundamentally trust science is placed in charge of health agencies that fundamentally rely on science to protect and advance the health of the entire population,” she wrote in an email to The Herald.

Jha said he hoped the Senate would not confirm Kennedy but emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant.

“at the end of the day, we should be critical of policies, not people,” Jha said. “Where his ideas or policies are harmful to the american people, i think we need to speak up about that.” This article originally appeared online

Left: Ralph Milliken, associate professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences. Right: Cody Schultz, a postdoctoral research associate at RELAB.

AWARDS

Ariana Palomo ’25 named Rhodes Scholar

She is the first Brown student elected to the scholarship since 2021

BY SAMAH HAMID STAFF WRITER

a riana Palomo ’25 was named one of 32 a merican r hodes Scholars for 2025 on Saturday. She’s the first b rown student to be selected for the scholarship since 2021.

one of the most prestigious academic honors in the world, the r hodes Scholarship is granted to undergraduate students around the world to pursue graduate study at the University of o xford.

Finding out she had received the award was “unreal,” Palomo told The Herald.

“ it’s a special moment, not just for you, but for your family, for every community you belong to and for everybody that is going to come after you,” she said.

Palomo double-concentrates in i n -

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Finding out she had received the award was “unreal,” Palomo told The Herald.

ternational and Public affairs and Latin a merican and Caribbean Studies. a fter graduating from b rown this spring, she intends to pursue two master’s degrees at o xford — one in refugee and Forced migration Studies and the other in Global Governance and d iplomacy.

Palomo, who immigrated to the United States. from mexico, said that

her interest in policy stemmed from her “personal experience of what it means to be an immigrant, of working with other immigrants at a law firm, of having family in different stages of the (immigration) process and with different legal or non-legal statuses.”

a t b rown, she was able to analyze her experiences with migration from

a policy lens. Hoping to continue her studies post-graduation, Palomo drafted her application for the scholarship this past summer.

The r hodes Trust splits the United States into 16 districts from which 2 winners of the a merican scholarship are selected per district. applicants may apply from the state in which they attend university or the state they reside in, but only if they have been nominated by the institution they attend.

o nce Palomo received the University’s nomination, she submitted her application in d istrict 8, which includes her home state of Texas. She found out she was a finalist on o ct. 30 and was notified of her selection on Saturday.

by studying refugee and Forced m igration Studies at o xford, she hopes to gain a “comprehensive understanding of what it means to be an immigrant, of why people are migrating, the different types of migration and different types of displacement.”

immigration is becoming increasingly relevant and “will only become even more critical as time goes on,” Palomo said. i don’t think that immigration should be an issue that we think about because we relate to it, or because we have family experience with it or know someone who is an immigrant,” she added.

“ i mmigration is an issue that everybody should be focused on and that everybody should make a deep effort to understand.”

a t o xford, Palomo aims to understand the role of government and how “relationships between states, between countries, can be leveraged in order to address immigration,” she explained.

Palomo will begin her studies in england in o ctober 2025. after completing her master’s degrees, she intends to attend law school.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2024.

UCS forms inaugural board to increase transfer, RUE student representation

There has been an expanding number of TRUE students on campus

BY CHIUPONG HUANG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Undergraduate Council of Students formed an inaugural board in September for transfer students, resumed undergraduate education students and student veterans. The board hopes to increase TrUe student representation within UCS and address issues commonly faced by TrUe students.

for undergraduate financial aid with $29.9 million allotted for international financial aid. This influx comes as brown transitions to need-blind international student admission for the class of 2029. The University also funded 139 endowed professorships.

Changes to brown’s financial strategy

“The board’s mission is to look after the TrUe students and ensure they have every opportunity to have the most positive and fulfilling college experience,” board member Jared yee ’27, a marine Corps veteran, wrote in an email to The Herald.

The TrUe board is composed of six members: two transfer students, two rUe students and two student veterans. UCS filled five of these positions via appointment, with the sixth position — the TrUe student representative — elected by the student body.

The board was created partly in response to brown’s expanding population of TrUe students.

include an 11.1% increase in graduate student support, which reached $106.7 million following a renegotiated contract with the Graduate Labor organization. brown also took on a new liability, worth $49.9 million, in “funds held for others,” which includes partial management of brown University Health’s investment portfolio following expanded affiliation

“The student veteran population alone is growing at a rapid rate, and there is a need for accurate representation for our population,” wrote board member Kloey albertson ’27, a U.S. army veteran and current reservist, in an email to The Herald. in 2023, the University surpassed its 2019 goal of doubling the student veteran population on campus, The Herald previously reported. There are 58 student veterans on campus this semester.

The board is currently fully operational, albertson wrote. They plan to pursue initiatives and address issues that impact the TrUe student community — including

agreements between brown and rhode island’s largest hospital system.

Capital projects cost the University $185.5 million, including funding for the Lindemann Performing arts Center, the danoff Laboratories and the renovation of andrews House.

during the past year, the University paid down $118.5 million in debt. To pre-

improving the TrUe orientation program and the spring transfer process as well as hosting community-building events.

Noel rosania ’27, who transferred to brown this fall, believes the disparities between the two orientations is one of the “biggest issues” that TrUe students face, she wrote in a message to The Herald.

rosania noted a lack of community integration between transfer students and traditional undergraduates. rosania hopes the TrUe board will address this issue and advocate for increased funding for TrUe activities.

Joyce Gong ’26, who transferred to

vent incurring additional debt, which usually funds residence halls and renovations to academic buildings, the University plans to “grow its operating margin,” according to the report.

brown in fall 2023, voiced similar concerns. For transfer students, it may be difficult to become friends with those who have attended brown since their freshman year, she wrote in an email to The Herald.

The board holds monthly meetings open to the brown community and has officially met twice this semester, albertson wrote. it aims to publish information regarding future meetings on the UCS instagram page. Transfer students have “a lot to add to how an institution is run,” rosania wrote.

This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2024.

The University’s investments increased by 8% to over $7 billion. endowment returns fell short of index funds, including the S&P 500. but brown landed itself in the top 5% of its peers, according to the report. The endowment’s returns contributed $281 million to the University’s operating budget.

Net tuition and fees also brought in $412 million, accounting for 30% of the University’s operating budget. This succeeds a 4.75% increase in undergraduate tuition.

Stress relief right on campus, courtesy of the Brown University Relaxation Project

The group trains volunteers to give free massages to students, clubs

BY SOPHIA WOTMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

are exams bringing you down? in need of a free massage, right on brown’s campus? Look no further than the brown University relaxation Project, or bUrP, a wellness group that trains student volunteers to offer free back massages and other stress relief resources to the brown community.

b U r P’s mission is simple: getting students to step away from their busy schedules and take time to relax, said the group’s co-coordinator o livia b aptiste ’26. if you’re having a bad day, hopefully this massage can take a load off your shoulders,” b aptiste added.

b U r P is affiliated with b Well, b rown’s health and wellness program,

which supervises the group’s two co-coordinators and provides funding.

b efore getting hands-on, volunteers with bUrP are trained by a licensed massage therapist on best massage practices, co-coordinator imran Hussain ’26 wrote in an email to The Herald. a t the trainings, they learn techniques to target different muscle groups and relieve tension in the body before practicing in pairs.

b U r P volunteer a nna r yu ’25 said the organization’s “calming and inviting” atmosphere has contributed to her own wellness and relaxation.

“The fact that we have a space like this makes people feel more welcomed and joyful,” r yu said. “i always walk away feeling more grounded.”

bUrP also provides massage services in collaboration with other campus organizations. The club has participated in the Class Coordinating b oard’s Winter Festival and is often asked by Community Coordinators to host massage events for

their residents, b aptiste said.

Hussain noted that his favorite part of b U r P is “seeing new faces become consistent faces.” The group hosts “Feel Good Fridays” in the Stephen robert ’62 Campus Center.

“it’s a nice feeling to know that your gesture is appreciated by the brown community so much to the point that it is included within their daily schedule,” Hussain added.

For b aptiste, b U r P is also a community-building tool on campus. She said that she enjoys chatting with the students she massages, who she “would never have met otherwise.”

b U r P volunteer Sohum Sanu ’25 joined the organization after transferring to brown, seeking a wellness community on his new campus. He described his first b U r P training as one of his first “touch points” at b rown.

“i think bUrP brings together a lot of people who don’t have many similarities

Volunteers are trained by a licensed massage therapist on best practices.

in any way, which is cool,” Sanu said. He also enjoys partnering with a wide variety of student groups, including dance troupes and other performance groups.

b aptiste emphasized that no b U r P massage is the same, as each b U r P volunteer takes a distinct approach to their practice.

“i think the joy of going to get a bUrP

massage every Friday is that you might get a different b U r Per and a different technique,” she said. “ it’s really interesting to see the creativity within every single b U r Per.”

UNIVERSITY NEWS

ADMISSIONS

Behind a contested admissions policy, a century-old legacy of antisemitism

The Herald dove into the origins of elite university admissions practices

BY TALIA LEVINE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Legacy preferences in admission were originally conceived as a way to limit the number of Jewish students at highly-selective, elite institutions. but today, according to The Herald’s fall 2024 poll, 39% of legacy students at brown are Jewish despite making up 14% of the student body.

as many first-generation Jewish americans sought higher education in the early 20th century, Jewish enrollment at elite universities increased significantly, according to mark oppenheimer, whose podcast “Gatecrashers” details the history of antisemitism in the ivy League. at that time, most colleges “strove” to limit the number of Jewish students admitted, he told The Herald.

Universities did this in a few ways: evaluating geographic diversity, implementing legacy preferences, instituting standardized testing, requiring in-person interviews and introducing long-form applications with questions about an applicant’s family.

For many years, brown did not limit its admissions — if you met the qualifications, you were accepted, according to amy Sohn ’95, who wrote her public policy undergraduate honors thesis on the history of discrimination in brown’s admissions.

in the 1910s, though, “brown had to have a reckoning about what their purpose was,” she added.

at this point, the ivy League focused less on research and academics and more on being a social club where students could make professional connections, Sohn said. admissions offices were concerned about Jewish applicants’ abilities to make significant social and professional contributions that would benefit the school.

“The deans of these schools became very concerned that if the Jewish student body got too large, that the historically connected families — the Protestant families — would not want to come because they wouldn’t want to attend a school that was seen as too Jewish,” oppenheimer said.

at brown, administrators weighed whether University policies should resemble the United States’ immigration act of 1924, which greatly restricted immigration from european countries.

in a 1926 report, brown University President William Herbert Perry Faunce echoed the national sentiment, writing that the US “itself only recently discovered that it could no longer pursue the policy of the open door; that without some limitation of immigration the ideals of america might be submerged, its standards of living depressed and its priceless heritage lost.” a year later, Faunce wrote that brown would not reject applicants based on religious affiliation, “but the american college is solemnly bound by legal and moral obligation to preserve its own identity,” adding the University could only receive “so many students of alien tradition as it can properly assimilate and guide.”

This was succeeded by a wave of antisemitic admission policies.

as a result, brown and Pembroke started interviewing applicants with instructions for evaluating students and focusing on things such as “personal appearance, family background, mental equipment, traits, financial, activities, interests (and)

Following the end of WWII and the passage of the GI Bill, references to the Jewish identity of applicants started to disappear from University archives as the share of Jewish students on campus increased.

goal,” according to Sohn’s research.

Sohn also documented comments written in application files between the late ’20s and early ’40s that show a concerted effort to identify Jewish or nonwhite applicants:

“Father has wavy hair, few front teeth and a marked accent. Says they speak German at home. Germans or Jews? Are blonde, so probably the former.”

“Not especially Jewish features.”

“Tall, dark, rather attractive recognizable Jewish features.”

“Small, refined features. Color just offwhite. 32 years old. Mother, white — deceased. Father Black. Sister married a white man.”

“Not especially Jewish features.”

The University also started giving preferential treatment to applicants whose fathers had gone to brown. “The boys whose dads graduated in 1890 were almost exclusively Protestant. So saying ‘we’re going to favor legacies’ is a way of saying ‘we’re going to favor non-Jews,’” oppenheimer said.

Universities also started enforcing policies of geographic diversity which “disproportionately discriminated against Jews because Jews were much more likely to come from a very small number of large cities,” Sohn told The Herald.

Sohn also pointed to the implementation of the SaT as another way Jewish applicants were discriminated against in the admissions process.

in 1938, brown’s dean of admissions wrote in a memo that at Penn, even if a Jewish student had the test scores to be accepted, Penn could still reject them and claim it was because their scores were too low. at this time, applicants could not view their test scores. in the memo, the admissions dean referred to the rise in Jewish applicants as the “X problem:”

The Director of Admissions at Pennsylvania a few years ago told me that it was the X problem which led Penn to require the S.A.T. Since the test results do not go to the boys themselves, the admission officers are better able to reject those applicants who should be refused. Students in one school are less able to compare the applicants and question why Jones was admitted and Smith refused. The X problem is unfortunately becoming more and more acute.

The dean went on to propose that brown introduce the SaT into its admissions process so that brown, like Penn, could

reject qualified Jewish applicants while claiming that it was simply because their scores weren’t high enough. it is unclear whether the requirement of test scores at brown was instated due to his suggestion. according to Sohn, 38% of brown’s class of 1928 was Jewish. The class of 1944, though, was 9% Jewish. in the ’30s and ’40s, the rate of admitted Protestant students remained consistently twice that of Jewish students.

Following the end of WWii and the passage of the Gi bill, public scrutiny on

university admission practices intensified. Slowly, references to the Jewish identity of applicants started to disappear from University archives as the share of Jewish students on campus increased.

but, according to Sohn, the same practices that were used to discriminate against first-generation american Jews were used against asian american applicants in the 1980s.

r ichard Kahlenberg, the director of the american identity Project at the Progressive Policy i nstitute, believes that

in order for the University to overcome its controversial history, “brown should give a meaningful leg up in admissions to economically disadvantaged students who have overcome odds.”

b rown practices need-blind admissions, a policy that states “applicants’ ability to pay for their education will not be a determining factor in the admission decision.”

Today, legacy admissions are again in the spotlight, as b rown reconsiders the practice and student activists plan to reintroduce a bill in the r hode island State House that would ban the preference statewide.

Though President Christina Paxson P’19 P’ md ’20 announced over eight months ago that the University would seek community input on legacy admissions, it has only done so via the alumni magazine. The University has yet to publicize when — or if — it will solicit student input. according to The Herald’s Fall Poll, a majority of students oppose the practice.

“Non-legacies, a disproportionate share of whom are low income, working class and nonwhite, are negatively affected by b rown’s discrimination based on who one’s ancestors are,” Kahlenberg said.

Though brown maintains that legacy students are equally qualified to be admitted to brown as non-legacy students, he added “legacy admissions is affirmative action for the wealthy.”