tuesday, september 20, 2011
DESCRIPTION
The September 20, 2011 issue of the Brown Daily HeraldTRANSCRIPT
Tuesday, September 20, 2011Daily Heraldthe Brown
Since 1891vol. cxlvi, no. 69
76 / 63
t o m o r r o w
72 / 60
t o d aynews...................................2CITY & sTaTe.......................3Career FaIr....................5-7sporTs............................8-9edITorIal........................10opInIons..........................11insi
de
Campus news, 12
Tiny ProblemsCell membranes bite off more than they can chew
Rosenbloom ’13 urges shared sacrifice
opinions, 11 wea
therArmy Strong
By JordAn HendrickSSenior Staff Writer
As the contract for Department of Facilities Management workers nears its Oct. 12 expiration, nego-tiations are underway that could allow the University to reduce the number of health providers avail-able to workers from two to one.
If the contract passes without an explicit guarantee that staff mem-bers may select between one of two providers — UnitedHealthcare or Blue Cross Blue Shield — the Uni-versity would be able to limit its employees to one provider, said Karen McAninch ’74, business agent for the United Service and Allied Workers, a union represent-ing Facilities workers.
In the last two years, University Hall has signed contracts with oth-er University unions representing the Department of Public Safety,
Dining Services and the University Library. The new contracts give the University the freedom to change health plans if the benefits offered are comparable. But the University cannot implement this option un-less they also make the same change to the Facilities contract.
Karen Davis, vice president for human resources, said administra-tors want flexibility in choosing health plans because it could save the University money, which could in turn save employees money.
If University Hall were to offer all of its business to one provider, McAninch and Davis both said ad-ministrators would likely be able to convince the provider to offer lower rates.
Davis, who is not a member of the University’s negotiating team, said employees would likely not have to change doctors if the Uni-versity switched to a single carrier
because both carriers cover similar doctors’ networks.
“In effect, our plans are the same,” Davis said. “What we’re go-ing to offer you under Blue Cross is pretty much the same as you’re going to get under United. The only difference is the health card looks a little different.”
But McAninch said switching to a single provider could be “disrup-tive” for employees.
“Blue Cross is a very good plan for people who have certain needs,” she said, drawing on examples of workers who commute from Mas-sachusetts or have children at col-lege in another state.
“United has great coverage in Rhode Island, but it’s not as good in other areas,” McAninch said. “Blue Cross, you can usually use wherever you go.”
The sides will meet Thursday to continue negotiations.
Limiting healthcare options on the table in Facilities contract negotiations
By APArnA BAnSAlSenior Staff Writer
They came to do good, and ended up doing well. But Brown students fight this adage far more than the Quakers did in Philadelphia. De-spite students’ tendency toward wide-eyed idealism, the recruiters who come to campus are largely from finance, consulting and com-puter science companies.
On Wednesday, the Center for Careers and Life After Brown will hold its annual job fair, bringing more than 90 recruiters to campus. But only 24 of the recruiters on campus will fall under the Careers in the Common Good designation.
“Our challenge is to identify the kinds of things students want,” said Andrew Simmons, director of CareerLAB. Students are asked to fill out a questionnaire about their
Business, finance dominate on-campus recruiting
By lindor QunAJSenior Staff Writer
A recent federal court ruling will allow Joe Klunder ’10 to go for-ward with a lawsuit against the University and President Ruth Simmons for alleged violations of his civil rights. The University had motioned for Klunder’s civil rights claim, brought last October, to be dismissed.
Klunder was ejected from cam-pus after being accused of sexually harassing two University employ-
ees and threatening undergraduate students in separate incidents. A University disciplinary committee ultimately found him responsible for sexual harassment, but not for making a threat, and suspended him. Klunder charged that the be-havior was caused by medication prescribed to him by a University employee, that he was targeted by administrators for his conserva-tive political views and that the University violated his civil rights.
His suit sought to hold the University and its employees li-
able under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, which applies only to state actors, such as municipal or state governments and their employees. He argued that because Brown was originally chartered by Rhode Island’s colo-nial legislature as a “body politic” and because Department of Public Safety officers exercise police pow-ers usually reserved for the state, the University could be held liable under the civil rights law.
In a July decision, Chief Judge Mary Lisi of the United States
District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled that the Uni-versity itself has always functioned as a private corporation and that its actions were generally not covered by the Civil Rights Act. But the rul-ing also concluded that some DPS actions, because the department’s officers exercise full police powers, may be subject to the law.
According to his attorney Lee Blais, Klunder was falsely arrested on campus by DPS Sergeant Robert
Civil rights suit to proceed against U., Simmons
By lindor QunAJSenior Staff Writer
When the school bells rang for the Providence public schools in late August, about 1,800 students start-ed the year in unfamiliar build-ings. They are former pupils of
the five city schools — Asa Messer Elementary School, Asa Messer Annex, West Broadway Elemen-tary School, Edmund W. Flynn Elementary School and Windmill Street Elementary School — closed last spring in response to a massive budget shortfall.
Students were relocated to dif-
ferent schools based on seat avail-ability and access to specific pro-grams, such as English-language classes, said Christina O’Reilly, facilitator of communications and media relations for the Providence Public School District. Nearly all Asa Messer students moved to the Samuel W. Bridgham Middle School, while students from the other closed schools were dis-tributed across other city schools. O’Reilly said keeping siblings to-gether was also a priority during the reassignment process, but the department could not always place students in the school closest to their home. Social events and open
City’s students settle into new classrooms
Wa s t e d t i m e
James Hunter / HeraldThe University joined a pledge to reduce binge drinking on campus.
See full coverage on page 12.
continued on page 7
P e a r l s o f W i s d o m
Emily Gilbert / HeraldThe campus looks forward to honoring President Ruth Simmons in her final year at the University’s helm. See full coverage on page 12.
city & state
continued on page 3
continued on page 2
see special section on the fall Career fair,
pages 5-7
Ben Schreckinger, PresidentSydney Ember, Vice President
Matthew Burrows, TreasurerIsha Gulati, Secretary
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Fri-day during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2011 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.browndailyherald.com195 Angell St., Providence, R.I.
Daily Heraldthe Brown
edIToRIAl(401) 351-3372
BuSIneSS(401) 351-3260
Campus news2 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
5:30 P.M.
The Happiness of Others,
List 110
8 P.M.
Clarion Healthcare Info Session,
CareerLAB Library
12 P.M.
Fall Career Fairs,
Multiple Locations
6:30 P.M.
Program Management Workshop,
Swearer Center
SHARPE REFECTORY VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL
LUNCH
DINNER
Artichoke and Red Pepper Frittata, Carne Gizado, White and Wild Rice
Pilaf, Magic Bars
Roasted Honey and Chili Chicken, Fettuccine with Baby Greens,
Creamy Polenta with Rosemary
Linguini with Tomato and Basil, Italian Meatball Grinder, Curried
Chicken Saute, Swiss Fudge Cookies
Buffalo Wings with Bleu Cheese Dressing, Zucchini Parmesan
Sandwich, Swiss Fudge Cookies
TODAY SEPTEMbER 20 TOMORROW SEPTEMbER 21
C R O S S W O R D
S U D O k U
M E n U
C A L E n DA R
Enos despite never having been charged with an offense. Enos or-dered Klunder to stay in a hotel, forbade him from setting foot on certain public streets and com-pelled him to leave Rhode Island, according to Blais, who said the University did not have the author-ity to do any of these things. Enos died earlier this year.
The lawsuit highlights the pe-culiar and problematic status of DPS officers, who sometimes act as campus security guards and other times act as sworn police officers with powers usually reserved for government agents. The issue may become more salient as Brown’s campus expands further into the city, and DPS’s presence expands with it.
The court must now determine whether Enos was acting as a po-lice officer — liable to civil rights claims — or as a campus security guard in his interactions with Klunder.
Beverly Ledbetter, the Univer-sity’s vice president and general counsel, was not available for an in-terview but wrote in a statement to The Herald, “The University main-tains that the officer was not acting as a sworn police officer but instead as a University security guard in his interactions with Klunder.”
Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the University of Califor-nia at Irvine School of Law and renowned scholar of constitutional law, said though private actors are not constrained by constitutional limits on government action, fed-eral law would apply if there is “sig-nificant entanglement” between the government and a private actor.
Establishing this connection,
though, appears difficult when the precedent set by case law is examined. In the case of Rockwell v. Cape Cod Hospital, referenced in Lisi’s order, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that “pri-vate institutions meet the state action requirements only in rare circumstances.”
Blais said he is confident he can demonstrate that Enos was exercis-ing powers typically delegated to the state, pointing to DPS’s author-ity to makes arrests and engage in search and seizure operations.
But Steven Brown, the executive director of the Rhode Island affili-ate of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that Lisi’s opinion sug-gests “there are a variety of factors that need to be considered.”
The Rockwell decision states that, “In order for a private ac-tor to be deemed to have acted under color of state law, it is not enough to show that the private actor performed a public function. The plaintiff must show that the private (actor) assumed powers traditionally exclusively reserved to the State.”
The job description for DPS of-ficers posted on the DPS website states, “The campus police officer is licensed by the Superintendent of the State Police under Title 12, Chapter 2.1, of the General Laws of Rhode Island.”
That section of the law, “Ap-pointment of special police,” states that private employees designated as special officers “have the same immunities and may exercise in and upon the lands and buildings of the institution by which he is employed, and upon streets and highways immediately adjacent to said lands, the same powers and authority of a police officer.”
Though the U.S. Supreme Court has left open the question of whether private police forces are state actors, Blais said he would not need to rely on case law precedents because it is “abundantly clear” that DPS is carrying out state functions.
Ledbetter wrote in her state-ment that the University would appeal any decision that found that Enos’ actions were subject to the Civil Rights Act.
Blais said DPS is charged with two sets of duties that “cannot properly be executed at the same time” — enforcing the regulations of the University and the laws of the state of Rhode Island.
Whatever the final decision may be, Chemerinsky said it could have significant implications: “All pri-vate Universities have private secu-rity forces, so the issue would come up across the country,” he said.
A court conference with the judge will be held in the next week or two, and a schedule will be laid down for subsequent motions.
Alum’s suit raises DPS’s legal status
Courtesy of Joe klunderJoe klunder ’10 is suing the University for allegedly violating his civil rights.
continued from page 1
City & State 3the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
houses were held to make the chil-dren and families feel welcome in their new communities, she added.
The school closings also affect-ed Swearer Center for Public Ser-vice community service programs at Asa Messer Elementary School. The approximately 30 volunteers who work with the Swearer Class-room Program to provide students one-on-one literacy mentoring will now work at Bridgham, said Christine Joyce ’12.5, one of the program’s coordinators. Joyce add-ed that because the school district has implemented a new reading curriculum this year, “there may be a need for more assistance.” But structurally, the program will not change much. Each volunteer will continue to be assigned to specific classrooms and work with students whose reading proficiency fails to meet curriculum standards.
Brown Arts Mentoring, the Brown Language Arts Program
and Providence Science Outreach also operated at Asa Messer. Last February, the city issued lay-off notices to all 1,934 of its public school teachers in compliance with a rule stipulating that teach-ers must be informed of potential changes in their employment sta-tus by March 1, O’Reilly said.
By May, about 1,500 notices had been rescinded, and those teachers retained their positions. In the next few weeks, the re-maining teachers were rehired in a process that attempted to match teachers with their preferred schools and principals with their preferred candidates, she added. The 100 teachers who were left unassigned applied for additional positions through an application process known as “criterion-based hiring,” leaving only about 50 to 60 teachers jobless.
The fact that these individu-als were still unemployed at this late point in the summer was “no judgment on their quality,”
O’Reilly said. “It may be that nothing matched their certifica-tions or they were a runner-up in a dozen jobs. They are not an inferior group.”
Despite the rearrangement of students, O’Reilly said class sizes have not increased. The maximum class size is 26, she said, though teachers can receive extra pay for each of up to three additional students in the classroom. As a result, O’Reilly said the depart-ment seeks to limit the number of classes filled to maximum capacity. To ensure appropriate class sizes, new classrooms for students from closed schools were designed to fill excess capacity in existing school buildings, including those that had been only partially used.
Though enrollment projections are “essentially flat” at the moment, O’Reilly explained that the city will continue to monitor student enrollment numbers. “We’re not trying to fit square pegs into round holes,” she said.
Providence teachers rehired, class sizes remain the same
School District were assigned to new positions through a system of job fairs that was based almost entirely on seniority.
Since then, a criterion-based hiring policy approved by the state’s education department has been in effect. Under this policy, displaced teachers were inter-viewed by a committee during the spring and summer and were recommended for positions based on a composite score with five cat-egories: content, knowledge and pedagogy; achievement; critical thinking; communication skills and professional engagement. Officials also took seniority into consideration, adding points to the scores of teachers who have been employed over six years. The five most senior teachers were au-tomatically given interviews.
The new mediated criterion-based hiring plan, though in many ways quite similar to the 2009 pol-icy, includes a matching process for displaced teachers in January and February of each year. This process requires that teachers who do not get positions through the spring process be matched based on “preferences and certification” in order to fill every vacant posi-tion in the system, Cottone said.
Several parties voiced con-cern that, due to its timing, the matching process will replace the criterion-based hiring process.
The state Department of Edu-cation and the teachers union are also currently at odds over an “ambiguity” in the plan as to whether the matching process “al-lows bumping at the expense of more junior teachers,” Cottone said. The Department of Educa-tion maintains that the matching process applies only to vacant po-sitions, and that any interpretation
of the plan that allows bumping violates the state’s Basic Education Plan, while the teachers union believes bumping could still be a possibility under the new plan, Cottone explained.
Councilman Sam Zurier, the chairman of the subcommittee and former school board member, raised concerns over displaced teachers from schools deemed “persistently low-achieving” being placed in classrooms under the matching process. But, he added, “Past history is not necessarily an indicator of future performance.”
Former President of the School Board Kathleen Crain, who re-signed in July in protest of the transfer of negotiation powers, said the new plan is “basically eviscerating” the current system and is “taking the district 10 steps back.” She added that due to the increased number of persistently low-achieving schools, the dis-trict will have a larger number of displaced teachers. With the matching process, “we’ll just be moving people around,” she said.
Warren Licht, a local parent, expressed concern that the pro-posed matching system is just an “opportunity for a teacher who fails to succeed at (criterion-based hiring) to get back in.”
Prior to the transfer of author-ity, the school board voted for a year-round criterion-based hiring plan in May that did not include a computerized matching system. It did not promulgate the policy due to a request from the mayor’s of-fice not to disrupt ongoing teacher contract negotiations, Crain said.
Zurier said the hearing was meaningful because “we wanted to help people understand that this is not just a contract about wages and benefits but also has a major impact on teacher assign-ment and education quality.”
Public voices concern at teacher contract hearings
continued from page 12continued from page 1
See this blank space? Your ad could be here!Prices as low as $15
Career Fair4 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
Career Fair 5the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
• Do your research. A list of the employers who will be in attendance can be found on the CareerLAB website. Prepare a 30-second introduction you can use at the fair to introduce yourself, express your interest in the company and convey your desire to learn more.
• Prepare questions ahead of time. Demonstrate that you have done your research and ask relevant and specific questions about the company.
• Dress appropriately. Business casual attire is recom-mended.
• Bring several copies of your resume. Not all companies will ask you for one, but many will.
• In many cases, companies have alums staffing the tables. Alums will be designated with a red ribbon on their name tag. Take advantage of this additional networking opportunity.
• Take business cards from the representatives you speak with. Follow up later with a thank you email.
• If a table is busy, get a business card from a representative and follow up by email with your questions.
• Companies from several industries, not just business, will be on hand. For example, in the Kasper Multipurpose Room, there will be employers from non-profit, educa-tion and government organizations.
• Thinking about internships? Many of the employers will be posting internships in the future. Now is a good time to inquire about these opportunities.
• First-years and sophomores should attend the employer panel at 4:30 p.m. in MacMillan 117. Employers from several career fields will be discussing what students need to know about the job search. It is never too early to start thinking about this important process.
— Courtesy of CareerLAB
10 tips and tricks for navigating the Fall Career Fair
CareerLAB
Map of Sayles Hall
Career Fair6 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
By nicole GrABelContributing Writer
The Center for Careers and Life After Brown has gone through many changes over the last couple of years, and perhaps the most obvious is its name change — until this year, CareerLAB was called the Career Development Center. Andrew Simmons, director of Ca-reerLAB, said the nominal switch reflects a myriad of program changes CareerLAB has made.
The old name did “not repre-sent to us exactly what we do,” Simmons said. The name sounded too narrow, he said, and failed to convey the many services that CareerLAB wants to provide to students. Initially, the Career De-velopment Center was simply “a place to look at job postings,” he said, so the name made sense. But the center has been in continual progression, and today, it does not only focus on careers.
The center now has a “broader focus” on initiatives, such as re-cruiter and employer outreach and internships, Simmons said. Its purpose is no longer just to
inform seniors of available jobs nor simply to offer advice. The office wants to take on a greater role in helping students learn all their options, for both the short and long terms, and in providing more complete support through the process of exploring careers. Last year, the center made changes including hiring new staff and focusing more on alumni rela-tions. CareerLAB provides many ways for students to talk with an adviser. For example, they can schedule appointments, go to walk-in hours or attend Coffee and Careers, where they can speak with career advisers over a morn-ing snack.
This summer, CareerLAB re-stricted access for seniors to its list of on-campus recruiting events until students watched a video on Facebook about the recruiting process and took an online quiz.
The Fall Career Fair will take place this Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. The fair will feature over 90 employers with stations spread among Sayles Hall, Pet-teruti Lounge and the Kasper Mul-tipurpose Room in Faunce House.
Map of Kasper Multipurpose Room
CareerLAB
CareerLAB changes name, direction
www.browndailyherald.com/register
Career Fair 7the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
career interests, and the results of the survey are used to formulate an “employer outreach strategy.”
In the 2010 survey, 75 percent of students indicated interest in careers in the common good, prompting CareerLAB to orga-nize a separate fair dedicated to jobs in education, government and the non-profit sector, which will be held in the Kasper Multipur-pose Room simultaneously with the fairs in Peterutti Lounge and Sayles Hall.
CareerLAB is “geared more to-ward engineering and business,” said Ora Star Boncore ’12, a visual arts and American studies con-centrator. She said she would like to see a career fair for students interested in arts and advertising as well.
But companies in finance and consulting are often the ones with the most “formal recruiting pro-cesses,” Simmons said. Students interested in smaller businesses can instead turn to resources like field notes available online, career advisers in their areas of interest or the alumni connections available on BRUnet, Simmons said.
In some departments, concen-tration advisers and faculty take on the role of career advisers — and some feel they are uniquely quali-fied to counsel students.
“Only those in the business and who understand the business can help people who want to be in the business,” said Lowry Marshall, professor of theatre arts and per-formance studies. Resumes for students applying for jobs in the-ater are very different from regu-lar business resumes, and faculty members of the TAPS department can provide necessary advice in this area, she said. TAPS concen-trators are also required to take a senior seminar that provides them with career advice and access to al-ums who work in the creative arts.
Chantel Whittle ’12, a TAPS concentrator, said the popularity of the seminar, even among non-concentrators, speaks to the “job that CareerLAB isn’t doing.” But she said she thought the center has improved during her time at Brown. “It’s a lot better for people who can use it,” she said.
Marjorie Thompson ’74 PhD’79 P’02 P’07 P’09 P’12 P’14, associ-ate dean of biological sciences, also said her department could be more useful to students than CareerLAB. “It’s different with the sciences,” she said, adding that it would not make sense for Career-LAB to replicate the department’s advising system. “I’m not sure if more could be done,” she said.
Kelsey Collins ’13, a human biology concentrator, said she found CareerLAB office hours
useful, but that she wished the center had more advisers with backgrounds in science. She said she would like to see information sessions on securing research jobs in the sciences and more summer opportunities that are not busi-ness or consulting-based on the CareerLAB website.
“We’re very cognizant of the need to add breadth to what’s available,” Simmons said.
Fifty percent of the under-graduate body used CareerLAB services last year, Simmons said, and he hopes to increase this pro-portion with new initiatives. This year, the CareerLAB will host a Sunday conversation series to bring alums on campus to speak about their professional experi-ences and a three-day symposium in January to facilitate alumni-to-student networking.
“They’re moving in the right direction,” said Haley Strausser ’12, who uses CareerLAB’s new Face-book page to keep track of the cen-ter’s events. She said she plans to enter business or consulting upon graduation and found CareerLAB useful in getting an internship and revamping her resume.
“They’re not outwardly pres-ent, but if you go to them, they’re great,” said Grace Dalrymple ’13, who used CareerLAB to learn about funding for an unpaid in-ternship.
CareerLAB’s focus restrictedMap of Petteruti Lounge
CareerLAB
continued from page 1
facebook.com/browndailyherald
Sports tuesday8 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
By SAm ruBinroiTaSSiStant SportS editor
The men’s soccer team had a week-end of highs and lows down south, defeating the University of South Carolina 2-0 in a thrilling night game before falling to the Univer-sity of Kentucky 5-1.
Brown 2, South carolina 0The Bears kicked off the Game-
cock Classic Friday night with a matchup against host school South Carolina. The Gamecocks (2-4-1) boast a reputation for hosting a rowdy home crowd, and the game had a restless feel as South Carolina sought to avenge their
Bears choke after taking down Gamecocks
Jesse Schwimmer / HeraldThomas Mcnamara ’13 and the Bears went 1-1 at the South Carolina tournament.
M. SOCCER
continued on page 9
got tipS? [email protected]
1-0 loss last season to the Bears at Stevenson Field.
“The night games are always exciting,” said Ryan McDuff ’13. “There’s a huge crowd energy, and the environment is great.”
But the Bears gave South Caro-lina fans little opportunity to cheer as first-year goalie Alex Carr ’15 earned his second shutout of the season with three saves on the night.
T.J. Popolizio ’12 scored both of Bruno’s goals, the first in the 25th minute and the second just two minutes into the second half. Popolizio currently leads the team in goals and has scored six times in the last five games, with three goals this weekend. He was named Ivy League Player of the Week for his recent goal streak.
“He has always been a hard
worker,” McDuff said of Popolizio. “He’s a two-sport athlete, which says a lot about his commitment and his effort. He’s had amazing growth since last year. He went from being a spark plug off the bench and has transitioned to playing every game.”
Brown 1, kentucky 5The Bears concluded their
weekend with a match-up against Kentucky (6-2-1) Sunday morn-ing. Despite being held on the same field, the game had a dis-tinctly different feel from Friday night.
“It’s a totally different atmo-sphere and experience playing a night game against the host of the tournament and playing at 11 a.m. on a Sunday,” said Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. “Friday night, we were mentally and physically prepared and focused on the game,
and our performance showed that. On Sunday, none of those qualities were there for us. Kentucky just outcompeted us.”
The Wildcats dictated the tem-po from the start, jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the 26th minute. Bruno was able to respond with a goal from Popolizio in the 77th minute, narrowing the deficit to one. But
shortly after, “the wheels fell off,” McDuff said. Kentucky piled on three goals in the final 11 minutes of the game to run away with the victory.
The Wildcats allowed Bruno to make unforced errors because they applied less pressure on the Bears.
“They laid back, and that wasn’t something we’ve dealt with before,”
he said. “A lot of teams typically like to press us. These guys let us keep possession of the ball, and we didn’t move the ball as efficiently as we should have.”
The Bears will look to bounce back from the disappointing loss when they take on Boston Uni-versity in front of a home crowd Friday at 7 p.m.
Sports tuesday 9the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
Fraternity of Evil | Eshan Mitra, Brendan Hainline and Hector Ramirez
Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
CO M I C S
Bears’ ‘wheels fell off’ in 5-1 mauling by Kentuckycontinued from page 8
editorial 10 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
C O R R E C T I O N S P O L I C yThe Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.
C O M M E N TA R y P O L I C yThe editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.
L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R P O L I C ySend letters to [email protected]. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.
A D V E R T I S I N G P O L I C yThe Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
E D I TO R I A L CO M I C b y lo r e n f u lt o n
“Brown has a good, long-standing history of
supporting students in their sobriety.”— Frances Mantak ’88, director of health education
See alCoHol on page 12.
E D I TO R I A L
After last year’s on-campus housing crunch, it is a relief to see students’ need for dormitories and the dormitories’ need for students breaking even. Though it came largely at the expense of the endearing Saunders Inn, which closed over the summer, we applaud the decisions and changes in off-campus policy that allowed the Office of Residential Life to virtually eliminate temporary housing. Greater availability of lounge space and less disruption for students fosters a better sense of stable community on campus, one of ResLife’s primary tasks.
With the University’s eye on expanding enrollment, ResLife’s plans to update and reorganize select dorm buildings are also encouraging. The completed renovations to New Pembroke have been met with student approval, and we hope for the same result from upcoming projects. Though it would be sad to see Perkins Hall — with all its auspicious match-making mystery — lose its status as a first-year dorm, the proposed changes to Metcalf and Miller halls could have a significant positive effect on the first-year experience. Consolidating first-year communities will not only increase student safety, but al-low for a more contained social space with fewer first-years traveling between remotely located dorms. Of course, reassigning dorm layouts alone will not automatically produce a more tight-knit first-year class, so serious consideration must be given to the organization of units. And although the Residential Peer Leader program is strong, it may take even further improvements to replicate the kind of bonding that tends to happen in smaller dorms.
The first-years are not the only ones who stand to gain from pro-jected renovations — the Graduate Center is often only grudgingly accepted by students. Giving it the serious attention it deserves will allow the University to avoid a divide in campus life between under-classmen and older students who may be itching to get off campus for better living conditions.
As the Corporation gives consideration to each of these undertak-ings, we hope it will consider the dramatic effect housing can have on students’ experiences. According to Richard Bova, senior associ-ate dean of residential and dining services, ResLife is “broad in its consultation with students,” and we hope the Corporation will take seriously the proposals offered by ResLife on behalf of the Residential Council and the Undergraduate Council of Students.
Brown prides itself on fostering collegial community and this happens most often in informal settings. For at least nine months of the year, students call this place home, and making living condi-tions more inviting should be a high priority. Though we will not be here to witness the completion of these residential housing projects, we are pleased to encourage their inception for the sake of future generations of students.
editorials are written by The herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to [email protected].
q U OT E O F T H E DAy
ResLife makes room
the brown daily herald
kristina Fazzalarorebecca Ballhausclaire PeracchioTalia kaganAmy rasmussenTony BakshiAlex Bellethan mccoyAshley mcdonnellSam rubinroitAnita mathewsTyler rosenbaumSam carterHunter Fast
Abe Pressmanemily Gilbertrachel kaplanGlenn lutzkyJesse Schwimmer
Graphics editorphoto editorphoto editorphoto editor
sports photo editor
Graphics & photos
Business
dan TowneAnna migliacciokatie Wilsonleor Shtull-leberneal Poole
production
Copy desk Chiefdesign editordesign editor
assistant design editorweb producer
editorial
arts & Culture editorCity & state editorCity & state editor
Features editorassistant Features editor
news editornews editor
sports editorsports editor
assistant sports editoreditorial page editoreditorial page editor
opinions editoropinions editor
Editors-in-chiEf
Sydney emberBen Schreckinger
sEnior Editors
dan Alexandernicole Friedman
Julien ouellet
ManaGinG Editors
Brigitta GreeneAnne Speyer
BloG dailY Heralddavid Winermatt klimerman
editor-in-ChiefManaging editor
GEnEral ManaGErs
matthew Burrowsisha Gulati
officE ManaGEr
Shawn reilly
dirEctors
Aditi Bhatiadanielle marshakmargot Grinberglisa Berlin
ManaGErs
Hao TranAlec kacewSiena delisserValery ScholemJared davislauren Bossoemily Zhengnikita khadloyarajiv iyengarArjun VaidyaWebber Xu
salesFinance
alumni relationsspecial projects
national salesUniversity department sales
University student Group salesrecruiter sales
sales and CommunicationsBusiness operations
Business analyticsalumni engagement
special projectsspecial projectsspecial projects
Post- maGazineSam knowlesAmelia Stanton
editor-in-Chiefeditor-in-Chief
An article in yesterday’s Herald (“‘SlutWalk’ confronts rape perceptions,” Sept. 19) contained quotes from Sara Molinaro ’09. Molinaro is a former Herald metro editor and editorial page board member.
C L A R I F I C AT I O n
An article in yesterday’s Herald (“Federal cuts hit GS loans,” Sept. 19) incorrectly stated that the admissions process for master’s students is need-aware. Though financial need is considered by the students’ respective departments or programs for funding, it does not impact admission decisions. The Herald regrets the error.
CO R R E C T I O n
Letters, [email protected]
twitter.com/the_herald
opinions 11the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 20, 2011
On Sept. 11, the University hosted a ser-vice commemorating the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks against our country. While none of us will ever forget the trag-edy of that day, I’m afraid it’s all too easy to feel disconnected from the war on terror that ensued. Like so many Brown students, I have very few direct connections to the military or to the war on terror.
The majority of the Brown community has been shielded from the costs of war. We have not been asked to serve in the army, and it’s likely that many Brown students do not even know anyone in the military. We do not have to live with the rationing of any goods or other material sacrifices.
The U.S. taxpayer has yet to even pay the burden, as taxes have declined on most in-come brackets over the last decade.
Previous American wars have all re-quired a higher level of shared sacrifice than the war on terror. Soldiers could look back to the home front and see that the battles they were fighting required shared emotional and material sacrifice from civil-ians. Today, citizens still rely on our armed forces to protect us, yet we do not have to give the military anything in return. The connection between citizens and the mil-itary has evolved into a one-way relation-ship, in which citizens gain great advan-tage from the armed forces without being
forced to make any personal sacrifices.From one perspective, this new relation-
ship between the military and civilians can be seen as a positive development. College students no longer face the possibility of being drafted to serve in a war that they do not support. Fewer Americans live with the fear that their loved ones will die in com-bat. War no longer disrupts everyday eco-nomic decisions for citizens. As a nation, we can defend our interests abroad without making too many direct, immediate sacri-fices at home.
yet the current relationship between the military and citizens also has tragic compo-nents. It is fundamentally unfair that such a small percentage of our population pays such a high price to defend us. The distri-bution of sacrifice and suffering is far from equal. A minority of our population must risk their lives and leave their homes while the rest of us live in comfort.
This realization inspired a rush of guilt. Some men and women make a conscious decision to place their country above their own dreams in life. While I profess to love my country, my life decisions have rarely been motivated by a sense of duty to it.
While many Brown students have un-doubtedly helped their nation through their regular academic and volunteer pur-suits, this service to country is normally incidental. Students usually attend college and become active community members for reasons other than national service. Pa-triotism can certainly be taken to an ex-treme, but the concept of civic duty should still play at least some part in our decision-making.
There are many ways to serve our coun-try outside of the military, and I’m sure
that Brown students will make great citi-zens. Some young men and women devote their entire lives to civic service. As stu-dents at an elite institution, we should be mindful of the extent of their sacrifice and be willing to use our education to serve our country in at least some capacity. When the immediate guilt subsided, I was left feel-ing immensely grateful. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to spend my forma-tive years in a college setting instead of in a war zone. We should all be grateful for the chance to pursue our own self-fulfillment in college. The realization that some people our age are fighting battles should make us
even more thankful for all of the academic and social opportunities available to us at Brown.
One way to express our gratitude to our armed forces would be to build a stronger connection between the military and the academy — at least on an emotional level. I doubt I am alone in feeling guilty about the disconnect between my life as a student and the lives of college-aged soldiers.
There are many possible ways to bridge the divide between the University and the military. Reinstating the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps may accomplish this goal, but this may conflict with University aca-demic and discrimination policies. There are many less controversial ways in which the community could open its arms to the military. For example, we could sponsor more lectures given by soldiers and gen-erals, offer courses on military history and become stronger advocates for veterans’ rights.
Regardless of our beliefs about the war on terror, we should all acknowledge that some Americans have paid a much high-er cost in this war. The community should express gratitude to the young men and women who spend their youth in combat zones. We should also work to learn more about the military and forge a deeper emo-tional connection to it.
Oliver Rosenbloom ’13 is a history con-centrator from Mill Valley, Calif.
He can be contacted at [email protected].
Shielded from the costs of war
Here at Brown, we love other cultures. There are student groups celebrating the Taiwanese, German and Greek cultures, among many others. According to the University website, this entire year is ded-icated to the “history, politics, culture, arts and economy of China.” you can practi-cally smell the multiculturalism in the air — minute particles of Pacific Island art bouncing off each other and up your nose.
A healthy respect for these cultures goes hand in hand with appreciating them. Things would be very different if we looked down on people with other institu-tions and art as quaint or cute. And we ac-complish this admirably. Brown students learn about and love the Other without unduly exoticizing him or her.
But in an attempt to be properly re-spectful, many of us go a step too far and take on a certain sort of relativism, claim-ing that there are many valid ways of look-ing at the world, and that no one has priv-ileged access to the truth. Because of facts about our own culture, the claim is most naturally that science is not necessarily a better way of discovering truths about the world than any other method. This is both false and more disrespectful of non-scien-tific cultures than admitting that they are wrong and we are right.
To take a specific case, let’s look at a belief popular in certain areas of Africa. While we have long since concluded that
there are no witches, many people in Con-go, Ghana and Kenya believe in witchcraft to this day. Some are tempted to say that while witches don’t exist for us, they do exist for the Africans concerned, and nei-ther of us is wrong. This is not supported by the facts.
Rudimentarily, science is based on two modes of reasoning, induction and in-ference to the best explanation — called abduction. Induction allows us to gen-eralize from particulars and infer about the future. After seeing the sun rise day after day, we conclude that the sun will rise tomorrow. It is famously hard to jus-
tify the use of induction. No group that I am aware of denies induction across the board, so that isn’t really on the table.
Abduction is where the action is. We seek the simplest and most powerful ex-planation that fits our observations and what we know about the world more gen-erally. If two explanations both fulfill the criteria, we go out, collect more data and revise appropriately. This is where non-scientific cultures fail.
The witch-believers know that people suffer. They abduce and conclude that
witches cause suffering. But there is more data available, and if by “x causes y” they mean anything like “y wouldn’t happen without x,” their explanation is no good because people get sick even after the witches are stopped.
Other beliefs are subject to similar at-tacks. Divination is usually incorrect. Good times do not stop when libations or sacrifices do. If a belief cannot be put to the test, such as vague prophecy or spir-itualism, Occam’s razor cuts it away. Al-most tautologically, it is unreasonable to believe in something when there is no positive reason to do so.
There is no reason to believe that com-forting explanations that fit with one’s cul-ture have any bearing on the reality of the situation, whereas by induction, we have reason to believe our abductive inferences are good. Technology based on science al-lows us to wield a certain power over the world that would be inexplicable if sci-ence were just one good practice among many.
To say that we are both right is patron-izing. Treating another person like a rea-sonable adult requires taking their dis-
agreement seriously and saying they are wrong when they are. And they do mean to disagree with us. After all, if you told a witch-believer that there are no witch-es, they would contradict you. If you are satisfied to say, “Well then witches exist for you,” you are failing to give them due respect. After your encounter, you’d go about your regular life, never fearing the witch around the next corner. How is this any different from allowing a child to be-lieve in Santa Claus for fear of interfering with “child culture”?
One might object, saying that since our culture is scientific, we too are looking for explanations that conform to tradition. I happily grant this, but note that science has caused many Westerners to give up deeply held cultural beliefs, including geocentrism, spiritualism and — almost paradigmatically — witchcraft. If, in the future, we choose a comforting explana-tion instead of a scientific one, that will tell only against us.
In summary, a scientific worldview of-fers us a way to get at the truth that oth-er approaches do not. This does not mean anyone is better or worse than anyone else nor that we should aggressively introduce science to the non-scientific, which is co-lonialism. That said, it is irresponsible and disrespectful to give everyone a medal just for participating.
David Hefer ’12 is a philosophy and math concentrator who secretly
believes some cultures are just better than others. He can be reached at
Science and relativism
To say that we are both right is patronizing. Treating another person like a reasonable adult requires taking
their disagreement seriously and saying they are wrong when they are.
Regardless of our beliefs about the war on terror, weshould all acknowledge that some
Americans have paid a much higher cost in this war.
By DAVID HEFERopinions Columnist
By OLIVER ROSEnBLOOMopinions Columnist
Daily Heraldthe Brown
Campus newstuesday, September 20, 2011
By HAnnAH ABeloWStaff Writer
After a year of negotiations, the Providence Teachers Union voted 868 to 79 to approve a three-year collective bargaining agreement — backed by Mayor Angel Tav-eras — in early August. As the Providence City Council Finance
Committee prepares to vote on the agreement later this week, it is holding a series of public hear-ings to explain the effects of the proposed agreement.
Deputy City Solicitor Anthony Cottone presented a summary Monday night of the mediated criterion-based hiring plan in-cluded in the proposed collec-tive bargaining agreement to the Education Subcommittee of the Finance Committee. The plan was proposed in response to the Rhode Island Department of
Education’s 2009 order that the Providence Public School Depart-ment not assign teachers positions based solely on seniority.
The hearings constitute the latest installment in a series of union-related events that have taken place over the course of the past several months. In past years, the teachers’ collective bargain-ing agreement has been negoti-ated directly between the teachers union and the school board. But this summer, the General Assem-bly passed a bill backed by Taveras that transferred negotiation pow-ers from the board to the mayor, citing the board and union’s “in-ability to reach an agreement,” Cottone said.
The transfer of power has provoked controversy over “le-gal issues that are currently being grappled with,” Cottone added.
Prior to 2009, displaced teach-ers within the Providence Public
City Council to vote on new teacher contractsBy nATAlie VillAcorTA
Senior Staff Writer
“We cannot eat a lollipop longer than us,” and our cells face similar limitations, according to an author of a recent paper that found that cells often try to engulf objects too large for them when they mistake them for more bite-sized nano-materials.
The outsized nanomaterials — carbon nanotubes and asbestos fibers, which can sometimes be larger than the cells themselves — get stuck partway through the cell membrane, said the author, Huajian Gao, professor of engi-neering, who was a part of the team of Brown researchers behind the study, which was published Sunday in the journal Nature Nanotech-nology.
Eating more than our fill is un-healthy, but people and cells still do it. The researchers set out to discover why cells bite off more than they can chew. Using scan-ning electron microscopy, they imaged mouse liver and human mesothelial cells exposed to one-dimensional nanomaterials, which entered the cells tip-first. Gao and his team hypothesized that the nanomaterials, by coming into contact with the cell membranes at wide angles, mimic small particles to initiate engulfment. Simulations confirmed that the nanomaterials were rotated to nearly a 90-degree angle before being ingested.
“This has to do with geom-etry … not chemistry,” Gao said. No matter if asbestos fibers, gold nanowires or carbon nanotubes were used, “the cells mistake them
for small spheres,” he said. What these materials have in common, Gao explained, is a high aspect ratio, or outsize length relative to breadth.
The vertical alignment of the nanomaterials makes it impossible for the cell membrane to antici-pate their length. So after initial wrapping of the material’s tip by the cell membrane, engulfment discontinues — a process known as frustrated phagocytosis. The nanomaterial is left jutting out of the cell like a toothpick protruding from a morsel of cheese.
This incomplete job is toxic. Cells think that they are being at-tacked and call for help, causing inflammation. The rapid prolifera-tion of cells increases the likeli-hood of mistakes being made in the
copying of genetic material as cells divide. Such nanomaterials, which are often airborne, can escape out of laboratories or electronics and cause lung cancer in those exposed, Gao said.
The problem is, nanomateri-als have many applications — in computer chips, as agents for drug delivery and in protecting space shuttles from the intense heat of the atmosphere. But as long as they’re floating around in the air, they can cause our cells trouble. Gao said he and his team want to learn “to fully utilize their benefi-cial effects without causing harm to ourselves.” The next stage of his research will be to study car-bon graphene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial, to understand how it enters cells.
Cells bite off more than they can chew
By Tony BAkSHineWS editor
Though the University has not yet made official plans to commemo-rate President Ruth Simmons this year, there will be “opportunities throughout the year to honor and express appreciation to the presi-dent,” said Marisa Quinn, vice presi-dent for public affairs and Univer-sity relations. Simmons announced Thursday she would be stepping down from her position at the end of the academic year, culminating an 11-year tenure.
“There’s a tremendous amount of appreciation and gratitude for the amount of work that she’s done and the progress that has been made
under her leadership,” Quinn said. “I’m sure every community will want to do something” to honor her, she added. Simmons was the first black president and the second female president of an Ivy League institution when she was named to head the University in 2001.
Quinn said groups, both on campus and outside the Univer-sity, will likely “extend invitations to honor her” now that she has publicly announced her decision to step down at the end of the aca-demic year.
Planning for Commencement normally begins in October, so no plans related to the year-end cer-emony have been formalized at this point, Quinn said.
Campus to honor Simmons in her final year at helm
Herald file photoLocal communities will commemorate President Ruth Simmons before she steps down in May.
By HAnnAH loeWenTHeilContributing Writer
Brown joined a multi-university effort to reduce the amount of binge drinking on college cam-puses this summer. The Learn-ing Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking — spearheaded by Dart-mouth President Jim yong Kim ’82 — has garnered support from 32 colleges and universities since its May 2 launch.
Kim began the campaign be-cause he saw increased high-risk alcohol consumption despite re-cent efforts to combat it, said Mar-garet Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services.
Over the next 18 months, teams from the 32 participating institutions will gather for three meetings to brainstorm, test and evaluate strategies to lessen the harms of binge drinking. A team of faculty, staff and students from Brown attended the first meeting June 29.
Klawunn, a member of the Brown delegation, said Kim’s med-ical background has influenced his approach to reducing high-risk drinking. The collaborative “will apply a medical approach to hu-
man health,” she said.Marylou McMillan ’85, senior
director for planning and projects, is also involved with the initiative.
“We are working with faculty at the Brown Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies,” she said, “Their research has influenced our practices and policies to reduce drinking.”
But the multi-university initia-tive differs from traditional ap-proaches. “This new collaborative is about momentum,” McMillan said. Rather than spend time on long-term research, the joint ini-tiative will work on a shorter cycle.
Frances Mantak ’88, director of health education, said the binge-drinking rate at Brown “is similar to the national rate.”
Mantak added that college stu-dents’ drinking habits are difficult to change because they reflect our culture and laws and are influ-enced by the alcohol industry and advertising. Once students arrive at Brown, “we must work against 18 years of social habits,” which are “hard to change,” Mantak said.
Still, “77 percent of Brown stu-dents claim to have zero to four drinks on a typical night, a statis-tic that has been consistent over
time,” Mantak said. yasmine Beydoun ’14 was
surprised by this statistic. Most students she observes seem to be drinking more than the survey results suggest, she said.
Three levels must be consid-ered when attempting to change students’ drinking habits, McMil-lan said. The first is the environ-ment. For example, Brown can increase late-night funds dedi-cated to supporting non-alcoholic events and ensure food is present at parties where alcohol is served, she said.
The second level is the com-munity, McMillan said, including “bystander behavior and students’ willingness to call EMS.”
The third — the individual level — involves arming students with the knowledge to make smart choices, she said.
“Brown has a good, long-stand-ing history of supporting students in their sobriety,” Mantak said. She is hopeful the right changes can reduce high-risk drinking.
“If we make a cultural change around alcohol, we can change drinking behavior,” Mantak said. “We can choose to make this change.”
U. joins alcohol forum
city & state
Courtesy of University Media RelationsLong, thin nanomaterials can fool cell membranes into ill-fated attempts to engulf them, causing inflammation.
continued on page 3