daily herald

the Brown
vol. cxxii, no. 62 friday, september 7, 2012

INSIDE

Page 6

Dug up
Archaeology team discovers Mayan stucco masks

Alums compete at London Olympics games

By Mathias heller
Senior Staff Writer

since 1891

Page 7

Director search
The Watson Institute seeks a permanent director

Pages 9, 12

Welcome
Photo spread: First-years enter the Van Wickle Gates
today tomorrow

84 / 68

80 / 64

Courtesy of david silverman

Craig Kinsley 11 competed on the u.s. national team for javelin throwing at the london 2012 olympic games.

two alums competed on the world stage this summer, representing their home countries in the 2012 London Summer olympics. Craig Kinsley 11, a former javelin thrower and volunteer coach on the Brown mens track and field team, and nikola Stojic 97, who rowed mens crew for Bruno, represented the United States and Serbia, respectively. Stojic also competed in the past three Summer olympic games, starting with the 2000 Sydney games and continuing through the 2004 Athens games and 2008 Beijing games. This summer in London, he competed in the mens pair event, placing fourth in the heats before going on to place sixth in both the semifinal and final rounds of the competition. Stojic competed at a high level even as a Bear, helping Bruno secure a national championship in 1995, wrote Paul Cooke, head coach of the mens crew team, in an email to The

herald in June. nikola was an impressive oarsman and very successful during his time at Brown, Cooke wrote. he was very powerful and an aggressive racer. A first-time olympian, Kinsley entered the London games without ever having participated in an international competition, making his spot on the U.S. national team even more impressive, according to Michelle eisenreich, director of the Universitys track and field program. Its an amazing accomplishment just to get there, eisenreich said. he really embraced the olympic spirit while he was over there. Kinsley failed to advance past the first round of qualifications for mens javelin throwing, earning a ranking of 23rd out of the 44 athletes in the initial qualifying round. But he was the top finisher for the U.S. team, had the fourth best throw of his career and improved his international ranking by seven spots. / / olympics page 2

U.s financial future on unstable path, report finds Higgs boson

By toNya riley
Senior Staff Writer

Many elite institutions, including Brown, are on a financially unsustainable economic path, according to a joint report released in July from Bain & Company, a consulting firm, and Sterling Partners, a private equity firm. Their analysis found that nearly one-third of the 1,700 colleges and universities they analyzed were unsustainable, and data gathered from 2005-2010 suggests a worsening financial outlook for Brown. The Universitys expense ratio a measure of its costs to its earnings decreased by 22 percent. Its equity ratio a measure of its equity as a percentage of assets decreased by seven percent. The trends in both the expense and equity ratios place the

University in the highest risk category among the colleges and universities included in the report. The point of the report wasnt to pick winners and losers it was to show there is a problem, said tom Dretler, an executive at Sterling and co-author of the analysis, titled The Financially Sustainable University. he said the report aims to raise concerns about the ability of higher education institutions to meet goals of maintaining financial aid programs while adapting to new and more diverse student demographics. Dretlers general advice to schools included initiating cuts farthest from the academic core and looking at administrative overhead. he said he could not recommend any specific changes for the University without reviewing relevant data.

But administrative overhead would be remarkably hard to get rid of, said Michael rizzo, an assistant professor of economics at the University of rochester who was a researcher with the Cornell higher education research Institute. Financial sustainability can be an issue for most colleges during a bad economy, but highly ranked schools generally weather downturns successfully, rizzo said. he explained that colleges dont benefit from the experience curve an ability to make a product costefficient over time as detailed in the report because instruction is a labor-intensive process. It involves face-to-face interaction and cannot take advantage of technology as much as other industries, rizzo said. Beppie huidekoper, Browns ex-

ecutive vice president for finance and administration, said the information in the report is not new, adding that it raises the same questions higher education has been dealing with since the start of the economic downturn. huidekoper said that the University has already taken steps to increase financial sustainability. Many of the changes mentioned by huidekoper are similar to those outlined by Bain and Sterling. For example, by using cloud-based software, huidekoper said the university spends 25 percent of what peer institutions spend on similar services. The University has not increased its administrative spending in the past 10 years, huidekoper said. She said the University has done everything to cut costs short of jeopardizing its educa/ / Financial page 3

breakthrough fueled by U. professors

By Kate NusseNbauM
Senior Staff Writer

Exhibit sheds new light on Chinese nationalism

By Maddie berg
Senior Staff Writer

traditional exhibitions consist of multiple works hanging in a conventional white-walled space. But Jin Shans newest exhibition, My dad is Li Gang! which opened Sept. 1 in the David winton Bell Gallery turns the gallery into what the curator, Ian russell, called a yellow disco party. every inch of the disco party from the central sculptural piece to the specially constructed walls seems to crawl with meaning. The gallery space itself is bathed in a yellow light, a reference to an ethnic stereotype, russell said. The light reflects off a replica of Chinas tiangong 1 space station, representative of Chinas emerging

position of power in the space race, as well as the nationalist sentiments that accompany it. This replica is covered with small mirrors, much like a disco ball, and thereby creates fractured and distorted reflections. he is taking the space station something that might inspire national pride and saying, This gesture of pride or ambition or of technological achievement is actually something that is rather perverse or distorts everything around it, explained russell, who collaborated with Jin on the installation. The station turns and appears to be powered by a three-wheeled bicycle, a means of transport used by migrant workers in Shanghai. The energy that is / / disco page 3

In the decades leading up to the european organization for nuclear researchs (Cern) July 4 announcement of the probable discovery of the higgs boson, five Brown professors were hard at work theorizing the particles existence and collecting and organizing the data that made possible this leap forward in physics. The Standard Model of particle physics, which was developed in the early 1970s and has since been thoroughly tested, describes the way matter and forces interact around us. over the past 40 years, experiments have slowly revealed the existence of key components of the theory, such as different quarks the elementary particles that make up matter. But since it was proposed, scientists understanding of the Standard Model has been incomplete. For the theory to successfully describe the way the subatomic world works, another particle is needed one that explains how elementary particles such as quarks and leptons acquire mass. That particle, the higgs boson commonly referred to as the God particle was theorized in 1964, but until this summer, little experimental evidence supported its existence. Proposing the boson when the higgs boson was first proposed, scientists were not searching for the origin of particle mass. Gerald Guralnik, professor of physics at Brown, / / higgs page 4

jane hu / herald

objects speak to Chinese oppression in Jin shans bell gallery exhibition, which its curator ian russell called a yellow disco party.

2 campus news
C alendar
FRIDaY 11 a.m. Book Sale Rockefeller Library 8p .m. BTV Screening of Two Hearts Granoff Center 11 p .m. Brown Gets Funny Salomon 101 SEpTEmbER 7 SaTuRDaY 1p .m. Providence Walking Tours Swearer Center SEpTEmbER 8

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

clinch any medals, competing at a global level of competition is an incredible accomplishment in itself, said Jack hayes, director of athletics. For us to have Brown graduates competing in their sport at the international level at the olympics and to be among the best in the world reflects extremely positively on our athletic program, hayes said. we always want to see individuals who aspire to compete at the highest level fulfill their goals and their dreams. Kinsley could not be reached for comment because he left for a hiking trip through northern new england upon his return to the United States, according to his mother, Andrea Kinsley P11. She said the experience of watching her son compete on the world stage was gratifying, especially because the olympics were his first international competition. It was an unbelievable experience watching him pursue this dream over the past number of years, Andrea Kinsley said, adding that she felt Londons management of the olympics was superb. The tremendous outpouring of support from friends and family and from the Brown University community was overwhelming. According to his mother, Kinsley will attend an honorary reception for all U.S. olympians on Sept. 14 at the white house hosted by President Barack obama and First Lady Michelle obama, a fitting welcome back after a summer of sports in the spotlight.

/ / olympics page 1
There was never any doubt in his mind or my mind that he was going to continue training after college, eisenreich said. he shows that student-athletes at Brown can succeed at the highest levels of their sport. while in London, Kinsley also joined other olympic athletes in volunteer work around the city, eisenreich said, adding that he represented his family, country and the University extraordinarily well. he has a lot to be proud of, eisenreich said. For the five years he was here at Brown four as a student and one as a volunteer coach in everything he did, he did it with class. Though the two athletes did not

menu
SHaRpE REFECTORY VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HaLL

luNCh
Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Portobello, Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes, Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato Sandwich Breaded Chicken Fingers, Vegan Nuggets, Vegan Three Bean Casserole, Cajun Apple Cake

diNNer
Salome Alla Griglia, Vegetarian Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, Tofu Cheesecake w/Strawberries Cheese Ravioli with Pink Vodka Sauce, Stir Fried Tofu, Sweet and Sour Shrimp Saute

Artist puts life on display in live-in exhibit

By sarah shrader
Contributing Writer

Sudoku

RELEASE DATE Friday, September 7, 2012

Los AngelesCroSSWord Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS 1 Musician Ocasek et al. 5 See 15-Across 9 Cavaradossis love 14 When some deadlocks are resolved, briefly 15 With 5-Across, barely 16 Racing venue near Windsor Castle 17 Inferior swim? 19 Quick trip 20 Ran out of patience 21 Column affording views 23 Shirt size: Abbr. 24 Novelist Glyn 26 Impertinent camera movement? 29 Shoved off 31 Cried 32 Half a tuba sound 34 Oafs 35 Burly Green Bay gridder? 40 Split 42 Calypso cousin 43 Shackle 46 Kind of offer that saves time 52 Canine telling bad jokes? 54 Over 55 Hes mine, __ am his: Coriolanus 56 Get __: 1967 Esquires hit 58 GPS precursor 59 Critical 62 Suspicious wartime sight? 64 Wonderland cake words 65 Urgent letters 66 Behold, to Caesar 67 Golf Begins at Forty author 68 Asian holidays 69 Starting point DOWN 1 Megabucks

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

2 Sniff 3 Make the cut together? 4 Oktoberfest souvenirs 5 Dawn rival 6 Menu choice 7 Receipts, e.g. 8 High-strung sorts 9 New Jersey casino, with The 10 Mama bear, in Madrid 11 Henry Moore, e.g. 12 Joined a line, in a way 13 Shows up 18 Old congregating locale 22 Like, no kidding! 25 Scream 27 Prepare to fire 28 Noel 30 Powells The Thin Man co-star 33 Gitmo guards 35 Belgian surrealist 36 Yeatss home 37 Its worth __ 38 Rap sheet letters 39 New gnu 40 Breakfast places 41 Average American, its said 44 Star Trek: DSN character

45 Milk for losers 47 __ pad 48 Grand decade 49 Top gun 50 Batting coachs subject 51 Tooted 53 Semblance 57 H.S. exam 60 Dr.s order? 61 Set the pace 63 Some PCs

In her new exhibit at the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, artist Dawn Kaspers works are not the only thing on display the artist herself will be living in the space, putting herself and her personal belongings at the center of the installation entitled everything you could ever want and be, you already have and are. Kasper has been creating such exhibits for the past three years in various museums, but this is the first time she has installed her work on a college campus. her installations are catered to her specific audience and location, Kasper said. This form of nomadic studio installations arose after Kasper found herself broke and without a studio in 2008, she said. It was in this moment of anxiety that she decided to take an experience of fear and use that to (her) advantage, she said. Kaspers exhibit brings a new form of performance art that Brown has not

yet experienced, said Chira Delsesto, assistant director of the Creative Arts Council. This installation is something that is very different for us. Previous exhibits have mostly been traditional stuff multimedia pieces, hangings on the wall. This exhibit will make us rethink what a gallery is, she added. when they arrive at the Cohen Gallery in the Granoff Center, viewers encounter all of Kaspers belongings strewn across the room. VhS tapes, a bike, drum sets, toolboxes, cassettes, shoes and a Stevie nicks concert ticket are among the items on the floor. what is usually considered art drawings, photographs and magazine collages is only a small component of the installation. The focus falls instead on everyday objects and exposing the interactions she has with them, Kasper said. Kasper performed during the opening reception held Thursday. her emphasis on moving and rearranging and reinstalling her belongings is evident in her performance style. She appears to be in her own world as she moves

around the room, moving stacks of books, changing her clothes, taking down wall hangings, setting up tables and clanging cymbals. Crackling music and voice recordings play in the background. Attendees often appeared jolted by Kaspers frantic performing style. The music and the sounds are striking, said Victoria Ferruccio, a local resident. They really set the mood for a more intense performance. Lily Gutterman 14.5 said she felt a personal connection to the exhibit, which she said captured the anxiety of student life and life in general. while Kaspers show is still running it continues through oct. 5 she will also be conducting three workshops in conjunction with VISA 1800L: hybrid Art: Performance, object and everyday Life. Following her time at Brown, Kasper will take her installation to Brooklyn, n.Y., after which she is planning a solo show in Los Angeles in September 2013.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

09/07/12

daily herald
the Brown
www.browndailyherald.com 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I.
Claire Peracchio, President rebecca Ballhaus, Vice President Danielle Marshak, treasurer Siena DeLisser, 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 Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during orientation 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.
By Kurt Mueller (c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

09/07/12

(401) 351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com

EDItORIAL

(401) 351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com

BUSINESS

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

campus news 3
/ / disco page 1
powering the nationalist ambition of China is this exploited manual labor, russell said. The bike appears to be melting, as if from the heat of the fallen space station. These workers are once again referenced on the gritty, plaster walls of the gallery, which have been bashed and marked with silicone casts of the hands of actual migrant workers. By playing all of this out in the scene of a disco, Jin uses contrast to share his point of view in a satirical way. At first, the viewer confronts a fun, bold atmosphere. Its hard to not walk into the gallery and smile a little. Youre kind of like, really? This is kind of ridiculous, but amazing, russell said. But upon closer inspection, visitors become privy to the beaten walls and unglamorous cast bicycle. Beneath the initial playful experience is a deep criticism and serious commentary on the political and social problems of China. This use of contrast is a trademark of Jins, setting him apart from other Chinese artists looking to make political statements. he finds a way for people to laugh at and enjoy his work, but then it is really like a trojan horse. whats inside it is a condemnation, russell said. Another important message of the work comes with its title, which is a popular meme in China. My dad is Li Gang! became a famous phrase after a hit-and-run accident in 2010 involving the son of a local police officer, who hit two students killing one and left the scene threatening, Go ahead, sue me if you dare. My dad is Li Gang! This message conveys a key social problem in China the unwavering power of those in charge and the helplessness of those of lower statuses. The meme also represents the power of society, especially when using social media. once the movement and disapproval of the incident grew strong enough, the son of the police officer was punished for his crime. Jin hopes that the audience hears this title and not only considers the problematic power struggle, but also the strong voice of tion requirement, takahata said, which encourages those students to apply for UtrAs. humanities students, meanwhile, do not have that incentive. each summer, UtrA recipients attend weekly talks given by faculty members as part of the programs research Thursday series. Speakers draw from every division, rodriguez wrote. But the physical and life sciences lectures are not as applicable to students with humanities UtrAs, takahata said, because scientific investigation requires a very methodical and technical approach to research. For humanities research, we have the general idea of what were doing, but were working on focusing it, takahata said. The process often necessitates changes to the research question throughout the study, she said, as new dimensions to the project are uncovered and added. Therefore, she said, discussion-based workshops would be more valuable to humanities researchers than lectures are. Discussing her research with other humanities and social science concentrators was beneficial to the investigative process, takahata said. I would have appreciated the opportunity to get together with others to discuss the nitty-gritty of research as well as collaborate on the big questions, wrote Kayla rosen 14, a summer UtrA concentrating in history and education studies, in an email to The herald. Though students were able to attend talks that dealt with humanities and social studies research, there was no outlet to speak to other humanities concentrators, takahata said. For that reason, a lot of the discussions we were doing were taking place on our own time, she said. rosen emailed the coordinators suggesting a discussion group for humanities and social science researchers. I find that speaking aloud about my work helps me connect the dots, and I figured others might feel similarly, she wrote. UtrA coordinators have attempted to boost interest from humanities and social science concentrators as the program still remains one of the very few funding sources for research in the humanities and social sciences, rodriguez wrote. humanities concentrators are sometimes attracted by various named UtrAs which receive their funding from donors who would like to support certain disciplines. The Quattrocchi Family UtrA, for example, is intended for students studying classics, and the evelyn Jacobs reisman UtrA Fund specifically supports students concentrating in the humanities or social sciences. This year we began a pilot program where we connected select social science students with a subject librarian in the appropriate field, rodriguez wrote, and though only one student made use of the program, the relationship between student, faculty and subject librarian was very successful. humanities and social science concentrators are highly valued by the UtrA coordinators, takahata said, adding that the deans went out of their way to make sure that I did feel supported. rosen added that faculty support was very helpful in developing a humanities-based research project. My faculty collaborator was absolutely wonderful, rosen wrote. I loved the experience of working closely with a professor. citizen activism that is developing in China his art being one component of this voice, russell said. People in the U.S. may not know that there is a hugely engaged society in China trying to hold the political system and its power structures to accountability, he said. Brenda Zhang 13, a visual arts concentrator, worked as an artists assistant on the installation along with Jane tracy 14 and Anna Muselmann 14. From the student perspective, Zhang said she thinks the exhibit will help students understand the individual experience of a lot of the controversial political issues that are going on in China revolving around individual freedom and government corruption. As an artist in this social movement, Jin is based in Shanghai, where russell first met him. he had a wonderful personality and very quick wit, but he also had serious things to say about society, culture and politics. he wraps that up in an affable, humorous, playful personality, russell said. Because Jin is a relatively young emerging artist, russell said he hopes that Brown and rhode Island School of Design students will feel more able to relate to Jin than to other artists. Bold and powerful work can be realized by young and emerging artists when they are given the opportunity, russell said. I can draw a pretty clear line from a visual arts student (and) how they can get from where they are to where Jin Shan is. After working with Jin150 150, russell and the studio technicians, Zhang said she feels like she learned quite a bit that can help her make that connection and succeed in the art world. As little logistical things came up, he would just roll with it because he knew what he wanted his message to be and his art to be about, Zhang said. That was really cool to be around as an art student who sometimes gets frustrated when something isnt working. he is a great role model in that sense. There will be an opening reception for the work tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the List Art Center Auditorium.

Physical sciences dominate UtRA funds

By CaroliNe saiNe
Senior Staff Writer

Despite University efforts to increase interest from humanities and social science concentrators, summer Undergraduate teaching and research Awards remain largely dominated by the physical sciences. Though the program is not geared specifically toward traditional scientific research, UtrA recipients have expressed disappointment that the program does not include opportunities for discussion among students concentrating in underrepresented disciplines. Students awarded summer UtrAs collaborate with a faculty member and receive a $3,000 stipend for their research. About 200 UtrAs were awarded last year, and more students in physical and life sciences received UtrAs than did humanities or social science students, though specific data on the breakdown of UtrA recipients was unavailable. UtrA information sessions are held for students in all concentrations, and coordinators attempt to contact department heads about opportunities for social science and humanities research, wrote Besenia rodriguez, associate dean of the College for undergraduate research, in an email to The herald. But far more applicants still draw from the physical and life sciences than from humanities or social sciences. I think the nature of the program lends itself to scientific research, said Kimberly takahata 14, an english concentrator who received an UtrA to study the value of a liberal education with Vanessa ryan, assistant professor of english. Many students pursuing UtrAs in the physical and life sciences must complete research as a concentra-

/ / Financial page 1
tional mission. For example, the University expanded advising in the 2000s and continues to work on improving financial aid, a particular focus of former President ruth Simmons administration that new President Christina Paxson has promised to sustain. one solution offered in the report maintaining liquidity in real estate assets does not have a huge economic impact at a high-endowment institution like Brown, huidekoper said. Certain cost-cutting measures like space consolidation are harder to manage, she said, because the Universitys

real estate decisions are not just about efficiency, but the campus experience. Theres some things higher ed is just not going to do as efficiently as other industries, she said. huidekoper added that the University plans on monitoring new initiatives at other colleges, such as wesleyan, which is developing a three-year degree. Dretler said that though it is more difficult to create financial change in higher education than in other industries, universities must explore innovative solutions. I dont think its appropriate to say that higher education, by nature of aca-

demia, is unable to change, Dretler said. The report does not financially benefit Sterling, which owns some businesses involved with higher education, Dretler said, though he added colleges could benefit from partnerships with private companies. huidekoper, who said past efforts show that internally driven reform can prove more successful than bringing in outside consultants, said the University has no intention of hiring a consulting firm to advise on potential financial reforms.

4 campus news
/ / higgs page 1
co-authored one of the three papers that first proposed the particles existence in 1964. Guralnik said he began the work that led him to propose the existence of a new particle while he was completing his thesis as a doctoral student at harvard. his adviser suggested he try to find solutions to quantum field theories work that meant studying equations that explain the ways in which elementary particles behave. Guralnik said these equations, posited by theoretical physicist Yoichiro nambu, were interesting because they had less symmetry than one would expect. Particles did not always behave the same way under conditions in which it seemed like they should. The equations also required the existence of a zero-mass particle a photon. But this was not required in the contemporary theories of electromagnetism, in which a zero-mass photon was not necessary. This discrepancy bothered Guralnik, though he was unable to find a proof that confirmed the photon in general electromagnetic theory had zero mass. After he received his PhD, Guralnik continued working on his own equations to explain the non-symmetric behavior of particles at Imperial College London. In doing so, he made a crucial discovery he came up with equations to describe the behavior of elementary particles that did not require a massless particle. Instead, they required a new particle with an undetermined mass a particle that is now known as the higgs boson. That was the key to the whole thing, Guralnik said. he and his colleague Carl hagen carefully crafted a paper proposing their theory. Guralnik said he had concerns. we had gone from madness to insanity, he said of their proposal. It was considered borderline crackpot. As they began talking about their theory to other scientists, hardly anyone said this was a great idea, Guralnik said. (The famous physicist werner) heisenberg told me that I didnt understand the laws of physics. Despite the unpopularity of their theory, a few other scientists had a similar idea. Guralnik said after he and hagen sent their paper off for review, they received another study in the mail by Peter higgs. higgs proposed a similar new particle, but his paper was done slightly differently and left out a few important parts of the explanation, so Guralnik said he did not take it seriously. nevertheless, when higgs presented the idea at a conference that year, a reporter attached his name to the new particle, and it stuck. This theory that we did was a mathematical exercise, Guralnik said. we would have never guessed wed written down part of the theory of the universe. we were very lucky. Searching for the particle Guralnik said that after he wrote his 1964 paper proposing the existence of the particle, he turned his attention to other subfields of theoretical physics. But it wasnt until the early 1980s, when researchers at Cern found experimental evidence for the unified field theory which also relied on the higgs bosons existence that people began paying more attention to Guralniks idea. Scientists realized that the seemingly outrageous particle could make up the field through which matter travels to accumulate mass, filling an important hole in the theory. Some people describe the higgs field as molasseslike a permeating field that weighs down particles as they move through it. others describe the higgs field as a sea of paparazzi and say particles like quarks are like celebrities trying to get through. Unfortunately, observing a higgs boson to determine if these theories are correct is not exactly easy. First, researchers have to create the particle by colliding protons together at high energies, and then, since it lasts for a miniscule and unobservable amount of time, they have to study the behavior of the other particles that may be signs of the higgs boson decaying. originally, such experiments took place at the Large electron-Positron collider at Cern, near Geneva, Switzerland and an electron-positron collider at Cornell. But the LeP shut down in 2000 without finding anything conclusive. At that time, the search for the higgs moved to the tevatron at the Fermi national Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois. But the tevatron could not collide protons at nearly as high an energy level as the Large hadron Collider that replaced the LeP at Cern in 2008. Since its construction, the LhC has been the main site of the search for the higgs boson, with scientists on two experiments AtLAS and CMS working to detect evidence of the particle. Four Brown professors are involved in the CMS experiment, including Professor of Physics Greg Landsberg, who has been its physics coordinator since the beginning of this year. Landsberg said the high energy of the collider directly contributed to its ability to present such strong evidence for the existence of the higgs this summer. In April 2011, the LhC surpassed the tevatron to become the most powerful collider in the world, and this past April, scientists increased its maximum energy again, a step Landsberg said was necessary to find the data they needed. now, the LhC operates with four times the amount of energy than the tevatron did. Seeing the signs But even with a collider powerful enough to create a particle with the theorized mass of the higgs boson, physicists still had to analyze incredible quantities of data to find evidence for its existence. Professors of Physics David Cutts, Meenakshi narain and Ulrich heintz are involved in this process. Cutts originally worked at the Fermilab but moved to Cern in 2011 to collect data in the control room. I find it very exciting to see things happen with the data coming in, the types of events that are occurring, he said. Cutts said he and his colleagues have to look at the data and select which events to record. heintz works to analyze that recorded data. he said that if the higgs boson exists, certain combinations of particles with certain amounts of energy should occur more frequently than would otherwise be expected. For example, one way in which the higgs may decay is by splitting into two photons. occurrences in which two photons emerge from a proton collision are common, but if in fact they arose from a decaying higgs, they would have a specific energy that relates to the proposed mass of the higgs. heintz and his colleagues work to see whether the data bulges around that energy level, he said. Splitting into two photons is just one of the ways a higgs boson may decay. There are four other key decay events, or decay channels, for which scientists working on the AtLAS and CMS experiments are looking. They also have theoretical predictions for the frequencies at which each of these channels will occur, which heintz said also help to determine whether or not the higgs exists. a successful search on July 4, researchers at Cern from both the AtLAS and CMS experiments independently announced that the evidence they had thus far observed aligned with the theoretical predictions of the higgs boson. Before making the highly anticipated and potentially revolutionary announcement, scientists intensely cross-checked their data to ensure that analyses were not biased by the theory. It was very climactic, but it was really the apex of a long process of internal scrutiny, Landsberg said. It was an unbelievable moment, narain wrote in an email to The herald. Though they do not know for certain whether they have found the higgs boson that completes the Standard Model, Landsberg said the announce-

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

Courtesy of david orenstein

decades of research by five brown professors contributed to long-awaited proof that the higgs boson particle exists. ment was still a milestone because they have definitely found a new particle. The likelihood of this pattern of results arising without a new particles existence are less than one in three million, narain said in a University press release this summer. The fact that we found a new particle is fundamentally very important. There is a particle, which decays in a certain way and which is produced with a certain probability, Landsberg said. Its the most important discovery of the century, if not the last 50 years of particle physics. The particle could have slightly different properties from the one needed to complete the Standard Model, Landsberg said. researchers will continue to analyze the decay channels to strengthen their understanding of what it is, he said. By the time the collider shuts down for upgrades in December, researchers will be able to analyze six times as much data as was used in the discovery, narain wrote. If it is the higgs boson, many questions still remain, such as why it has its particular mass. Landsberg said he is often asked about the practical implications of the discovery, which he said are not quite clear yet. But, he added, many other scientific discoveries such as rutherfords discovery of the atomic nucleus did not have immediately obvious practical applications. Yet just 30 years later we had nuclear power plants and nuclear bombs. he called the findings to date the first step on a long road to understanding the true nature of this particle. Pushing the boundaries of physics For other researchers, the potential discovery of the particle is just the beginning of a new era of particle physics. Cutts, for instance, said his work on the CMS experiment is not just a search for the higgs its a study of top quarks, its a study of the electroweak interactions, its understanding something called quantum thermodynamics and the types of jets of particles that quarks materialize. Theres a whole lot of fundamental physics that we probe. the fact that scientists now have tools that can collide particles with enough energy to possibly create a higgs boson means that there are very likely other particles that are in our reach to discover, Cutts said. weve finally gotten to an energy level where we can start seeing new things, he added. he said though the new particle is likely the higgs that completes the Standard Model, the new things that they will likely soon discover will exist in the realm of physics beyond the boundaries of that model. thats what Im looking forward to, he said. the biggest reward But for all the physicists, the best part of the search for the higgs was being part of such a collaborative effort. Just the thought that so many people could come together from so many places in the world, is what was most rewarding, heintz said. These discoveries really take thousands of people working together, Landsberg said. This is really a triumph for science, not a triumph for individuals really a triumph for all of civilization.

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012 / / theater page 8

aesthetic movement in art and poetry, focusing on two poets who adopt ridiculous and overblown personalities to impress women, said director Andrea Vela 13. Vela said she hopes to modernize the production by bringing in some popular modern stereotypes, such as portraying the poets as that generations hipsters. Shakespeare on the Greens fall production, richard III, also highlights historical hypocrisy. Despite his manipulative and sadistic personality, richard is able to charm the audience and the reader, said Director emma Brandt 14. I started thinking a little bit more about the whole role of charm in politics in general, especially because its election season, she said. we value a lot of charm in how we elect our presidents. Like, could we have a beer with this guy? You could totally have a beer with richard III. Brandt said the play itself is a form of political spin Shakespeare was forced to please the ruling tudor family by portraying richard III, a non-tudor, in a negative light. The production follows richard IIIs violent path to the throne and his eventual downfall. She said she hopes to make the play, which is running two weeks prior to the presidential election, look as much like a political campaign as possible. She plans to modernize not only the props and costumes, but also to involve the audience in the production by interspersing the actors amongst the viewers, she said. Kiss of the Spider woman, running in early november, has many violent undertones as well. It tells the story of two men, Molina and Valentin, trapped in a Brazilian prison in 1975. Director Marcus Gardley, visiting assistant professor of theatre arts and performance studies, said the play speaks about the modern-day issues surrounding the prison-industrial complex. In the 1970s when this play was written there were 300,000 men in prison, and now there are 2.4 million, he said. This system is problematic because it seems to be housing people. Its no longer about rehabilitation. Because both Molina and Valentin are imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, he said, the play deals with our phobia of criminals and our tendency to over-sentence perpetrators. Fantasy as a coping mechanism further comes into play as Molina tells the story of the Spider woman, a role played by one of Molinas favorite movie actresses. Molina is haunted by visions of the Spider woman, telling Valentin she is the reason men never escape the prison. Gardley said he hopes to balance these fantastic elements of the play with horror and humor using a minimalist, youthful approach. Fantasy is also a prominent feature in Yermedea, written by erik ehn, professor of theatre arts and performance studies, and directed by Kym Moore, assistant professor of theatre arts and performance studies. In Yermedea, a bus driver guides a Salvadoran nurse on a hallucinogenic journey through the history of their

campus news 5
country. They see their country in terms of two tragedies Yerma, about a woman who cant have children, and Medea, a woman who kills her children, ehn wrote in an email to The herald. he also noted they plan on using puppets in the production, which he said make excellent collaborators on a project devoted to contemplation. ehn said he devised the idea for the play after visiting el Salvador in the early 90s, basing the production on conversations he had with theatre artists there. Perhaps the performance will incline hearts and open paths to empathy that will prompt further discussion and research, he wrote. Ideally, folks will get up and go to el Salvador its not far! The production will run the last two weekends in September. Pws ordet, running Sept. 19-21, is about a family of farmers involved in a series of religious crises. In order to convey the rich religious themes, Director David Lee Dallas 13 said they are trying to build a church inside Pw. he also added some passages from the Book of revelation to the original script because he wanted the stakes to feel more real, he said. Faith is a big part of my inner life, but its not something I ever really talk about to people at Brown because its not a huge part of the traditional culture here, he said. The play forces you to have very direct confrontations with what you believe and what you dont. I just want people to reevaluate their stances and think about religion in an earnest way that maybe they havent in their college careers yet.

Candidates discuss jobs, abortion in last debate

By soNa MKrttChiaN
Senior Staff Writer

with only four days remaining before the Democratic primary in rhode Islands first district, candidates Anthony Gemma and Christopher Young participated in a debate against incumbent rep. David Cicilline 83 on nBC Channel 10 last night. Though it was the last of three debates this season for Cicilline and Gemma, Thursdays event was Youngs first appearance in a congressional debate this election year. Covering questions on student loans, healthcare, abortion, the state economy, Israel and Medicare, moderator Gene Valicenti experienced difficulties regulating candidates response times. Young in particular was warned many times to limit his remarks. he often strayed offtopic, accusing Cicilline of rigging elections on multiple occasions, emphasizing the importance of religion to government

and calling Gemma a murderer for his pro-choice stance on abortion. when asked about his accusations against Cicilline of voter fraud, Gemma said he has concrete evidence supporting his claims, but plans to focus on the issues voters care about for the remainder of his campaign. touting his jobs plan, Gemma promised to bring 10,000 jobs over the next five years to rhode Island if elected. Cicilline spent the majority of the night on the defensive, disputing attacks from his opponents on his lack of character and alleged lackluster record. Cicilline won the debate only insofar as he maintained his composure and took every opportunity to talk about what he has done in office, wrote wendy Schiller, professor of political science, in an email to The herald. The Brendan Doherty campaign for Congress declined to comment on the debate.

6 science & research

By JessiCa brodKsy
Contributing Writer

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

U. archaeologists uncover Maya stucco masks

sociated with the dawn, while the old god is associated with the highest point of the sun. The jaguar, whose nocturnal behavior represents the setting of the sun, is the most common mask. houstons team first began excavating Diablo Pyramid in 2009 as a training project for his graduate students. within a year, they followed looters tunnels and stumbled upon the royal tomb of the local dynastic founder. They also discovered hints of the stucco masks from the exterior of the temple of the night Sun, which the team returned to this summer. The proximity of the temple to the tomb served both political and theological purposes. The idea is not only to fix this local dynasty in this landscape, but also to establish this much more audacious connection to one of the most important deities of Maya thought, which would be that of the sun god, houston said. This dual purpose may reveal the origins of the common depiction of the king as a sun god at later Maya sites. Its fascinating in that it can give us a historical glimpse into the progression of something weve sort of always taken for granted, that Maya kings were sun gods, said Marc Zender, a visiting assistant professor at tulane University who specializes in Mesoamerican writing and languages. Zender is not associated with excavations at el Zotz or Diablo Pyramid. only about one-third of the temples exterior is actually exposed. Most of

Sixteen hundred years ago, the inhabitants of the powerful ancient Maya kingdom of tikal looked to the west and saw red. on a hilltop, in their direct line of sight, stood the temple of the night Sun. This temple, covered in fourteen five-foot tall stucco masks of the Maya sun god and painted blood red, glowed in the light of the setting sun. This summer, a team of archaeologists led by Professor of Anthropology Stephen houston uncovered and documented these stucco masks. The temple of the night Sun was built at Diablo Pyramid, a hilltop site in present-day Guatemala. It established the lineage of a new dynasty of rulers in a small kingdom in the valley below, known as el Zotz. During the second half of the fourth century, the site served as both an ancestral shrine and a royal palace. The Maya lived with their ancestors, they lived with their dead, houston said. over the course of a century, the temple was constructed above and slightly behind the tomb of the dynastic founder, and both structures were later encased in a large pyramid. This stucco composition on the exterior of the temple is the first complete depiction of the progression of the sun through the sky. Most of the masks represent the Maya sun god as a shark, an old god or a jaguar. The shark is as-

Courtesy of stePhen houston

Masks of the Maya sun god recently discovered by a brown archeologist shed new light on the ancient culture. the masks are still deeply buried, safely protected from rain and sunlight. to minimize further exposure to the harsh Guatemalan climate, site exploration was done using tunnels. houston and his team partnered with the Center for Advanced Spatial technologies at the University of Arkansas to transform hundreds of photographs taken in the tunnels into three-dimensional renderings of the stucco masks. This innovative visual processing technique allows us to see the mask as if all of the overburden, all of the later construction were stripped away, houston said. These renderings reveal that the masks are extremely well-preserved, thanks to the careful burial of the original temple beneath subsequent construction phases. For the ancient Mayas, the whole history of that location is important, so rather than tearing down the building and starting from scratch on top of it, its important to keep the whole history of what happened there encased in a later building, said Sarah newman, graduate student at Brown in anthropology who accompanied houston to the site for several years. These stucco masks also add to our growing knowledge of the interactions between ancient Maya kingdoms in this region. Located only 32 kilometers apart, the temple of night Sun was clearly visible from tikal. But the nature of the relationship between el Zotz and tikal remains uncertain. As archaeologists working at el Zotz and other locations, we all try to figure out how these sites interacted and what sort of political and social systems they had in place, newman said. All the research that we do at each individual site is going towards building a bigger, more concrete picture.

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

campus news 7
little scared of the instability caused by former President ruth Simmons announcing her resignation, Schlissel said. But he said he hopes that under the leadership of new President Christina Paxson, the University will be able to find a qualified candidate since international affairs is her area of scholarship. Paxson served as dean of Princetons woodrow wilson School of Public and International Affairs before being selected as the Universitys 19th president. From the watson Institutes perspective, we could not have hoped for a better fit for a president, Andreas said, adding that he expects Paxsons expertise in the area will help attract a much stronger pool of candidates for the position. Though Schlissel said he believes the constantly changing leadership is not good for the institute, he expressed no fears about its ability to thrive once a long-term director is chosen. For this reason, the search committee is dedicated to finding an outstanding scholar working in an area related to watsons work who possesses leadership experience and is a good fit for Brown, Schlissel said. But this process is an enormous challenge, wrote Andreas in an email to The herald, as the University is looking for an all-too-rare mix in a permanent director.

Still seeking director, Watson moves forward on initiatives

By austiN Cole aNd elizabeth Koh
Staff Writer and Senior Staff Writer

The University continues its search for a permanent director of the watson Institute for International Studies after appointing Peter Andreas, professor of political science and international studies, as interim director in May. The institute has cycled through six directors in the last eight years. The offices of the president and the provost recently created a search committee and reached out to relevant faculty in pursuit of a perfect fit for the position, said Provost Mark Schlissel P15. The committee has already contacted a small number of potential candidates but is currently keeping the names confidential, Schlissel said. Andreas took office after former interim director Carolyn Dean stepped down from the post in July as planned. his selection followed an extended search process for a permanent director that narrowed the candidate pool to three finalists in April. Although the several candidates we interviewed were excellent, none of them were a perfect fit, Schlissel said in May. our goal is to get an outstanding person. Schlissel speculated about the difficulty of the search, noting that some candidates may have been a

aleXandra urBan / herald

despite its prolonged search for a permanent director, the Watson institute is implementing new fellowship programs, lecture series and other projects to improve its ties with partner universities. In the meantime, the institute is going forward with several new initiatives, Andreas wrote, adding that he expects this to be a very busy and exciting year. Among the new projects the institute is undertaking this year are new undergraduate and graduate fellowship programs, a faculty sabbatical top-up program in which professors would take their sabbaticals at the University rather than leaving and multiple lecture series in the field of global security. The institute will also be strengthening our ties with institutional partners, ranging from the Middle east Studies Program and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies to the India Initiative and the rhodes Center for International economics and Finance, Andreas wrote. All of these projects are designed to bring watson more into Brown and Brown more into watson, Andreas wrote. Andreas highlighted the extraordinary work of current faculty in a May interview with The herald, but he stressed the need for more faculty growth at the institute. Basically, weve been in a kind of holding mode or even shrinking mode in the last few years, Andreas said. one would like to think that with a permanent director coming in, watson will start to grow.

8 sports friday
By Margaret NiCKeNs
Senior Staff Writer

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

Fall theater explores Senior uses sports to mentor local youth self-discovery, fantasy
with the start of a new school year comes an opportunity for reevaluation, and many of the productions on tap for Browns fall theatre season will highlight both characters desires and their inabilities to discover their true selves. Alongside these themes, shows will delve into the fantastic and the religious. The Bluest eye, an adaptation of toni Morrisons 1970 novel, follows the lives of two black families in the 1940s and one young black girls desire for blue eyes the epitome of beauty at the time. The show will run on the Main Stage for this years Senior Slot production from nov. 29 through Dec. 2. In the 1940s, everyone is obsessed with Shirley temple, said Jarrett Key 13, the plays director. So Pecola prays and prays and prays for blue eyes in an attempt to change not only the way people see her but also to change the way that she sees people. Aside from highlighting Pecolas attempts to grow into herself, the production also deals with sexual initiation, race and religiosity. But Key said it is still an incredibly funny play. If you can imagine adolescents talking about how they see life how they see family relationships work, how they see racial dynamics working in the 1940s, that cant help but be hilarious, he said. Production workshops Company, running oct. 19-22, also follows the story of one man, Bobby, as he attempts to establish his individuality. Director rachel Borders 13 describes Bobby as a chameleon who shapes his personality around his friends and lovers. By the end of the play, Bobby realizes he wants company that makes him feel like himself but also helps him define who he is, not in terms of other people, but in terms of his love, she said. She noted the play should resonate especially well with college students, forcing them to ask, when youre around different people, do you become a different person or are you always yourself? A similar reshaping of a characters personality occurs in Patience, the Gilbert and Sullivan production running nov. 16-18. The opera is a satire / / theater page 5 of the 1800s

Courtesy of john sheridan

John sheridan 13 brought together a group of 15 college athletes over the summer for a program dedicated to mentoring inner-city Providence youth through baseball. the project will continue into the fall.
By JoNathaN staloFF
Contributing Writer

sam kase / herald

brown theater this fall will showcase the concept of individuality and the influence the outside world has on the inner self.

Varsity baseball outfielder John Sheridan 13 was just an 18-year-old playing baseball in hawaii when he first thought of starting a baseball mentoring program. with support from the Swearer Center for Public Service and local organizations, that became a reality this past summer. Along with team members and players from rival teams in the area, Sheridan hosted a free 10-day summer baseball camp and mentoring program for inner-city Providence youth. I wanted to give college advising and a competitive baseball experience all at no cost to families, Sheridan said. Providing a meaningful message was at the core of the program, because for a lot of these kids college baseball is not a reality, but I wanted to make college a reality. the program, named the Baseball Academy for Sustaining education and Sport, provided 43 young baseball players with specialized instruction from 15 college athletes. to aid in recruiting young baseball players to participate in the camp, Sheridan enlisted the help of Providence Sports and Leadership, a local organization that gives over 150 teenagers the chance to play baseball while developing leadership skills. we took our kids and told parents that this is a great opportunity

to play baseball and get exposed to college, said Bill Flaherty, executive director of PSL. Flaherty said once he introduced Sheridan to the families, they were immediately eager to join the program. I continue to look forward to exposing kids in inner city Providence to the caliber of athletes and students that John was exposing them to, Flaherty said. the program was split into two parts. the first focused on honing specific skills related to each players position, which was then followed by developing the campers hitting abilities. the participating mentees will continue the program into the fall. Beginning in october, each athlete will be paired with two campers, meeting twice a month to build upon each mentees athletic and academic goals. recruiting guys from the team to participate in the program was pretty easy. they were all really interested in giving back, Sheridan said. I wanted to show that the mentors can be just as involved as the kids. the BASeS program was funded by a royce Fellowship for Sport and Society, one of the Swearer Centers primary grants financing research for the public good and athletes pursuing projects in sports and development. Kerrissa heffernan, the director of faculty engagement and the royce Fellowship, explained that the award

is quite competitive, receiving approximately 70 general applications each year, of which only five or six are used to fund sports-related projects. the purpose of the royce is articulating the intersection of academic interests, sports interests, and proposing some sort of project or research plan that ties the two together, heffernan said. John has a terrific idealism with his great work ethic. he is a very good baseball player, which made kids in the community want to hang out with him. he really did his homework, she added. what immediately appealed to the fellowships selection committee was Sheridans desire to host the program locally in Providence, heffernan said. Its focus on the citys youth was a contrast to many applicants plans to work abroad in developing nations. on the final day of the program, the whole camp went to see a Pawtucket red Sox game as a culminating experience. During the game, Sheridan said one of the relatively quieter campers came up to him, looked him in the eye and shook his hand. he told me he really just wanted to thank me for the program and everything it was about. he said now he was ready to do whatever it takes to go to college, Sheridan said. that moment, I was just like, yes, thats what this was all for.

Cross country teams rebuild after loss of graduating seniors

By JaMes bluM
SPortS Staff Writer

As both cross country programs prepare to kick off their seasons at Saturdays Bryant Invitational, athletes and coaches are optimistic for the season despite having lost several valuable seniors. The women enter their second season with womens Cross Country head Coach Mitchell Baker at the helm and look to improve upon last years seventh place finish at the Ivy League heptagonal Championship. The men lost several of their top runners to graduation but are poised to mature as a team and move beyond last years fourth place finish at the leagues most important competition.

The seniors who graduated served as positive role models for the rest of the team and helped create an environment where there is more consistency and less uncertainty, Baker said. This stability is particularly important for the new freshmen that have joined the team, and they will be welcomed by co-captains olivia Mickle 13 and Bree Shugarts 13, veterans of the team. Mickle will look to build on a red-hot outdoor track season in which she competed at the outdoor track and Field nCAA Championships. Also returning are heidi Caldwell 14 and Margaret Connelly 14, who finished tenth and 14th in last years Ivy League Championships.

Though Baker had a late start in his recruiting campaign he was hired last August he said he is pleased with the incoming freshmen class. I think were much more prepared to be a full team at this level, Baker said. he added that it takes time to develop a team synergy and that he believes the women are ready to be consistent throughout the season. In terms of our conference and region, I feel well be much stronger, Baker said. It is just a question of whether other programs have made the same jump. on the mens side, the team lost key seniors including All-American Dan Lowry 12, who finished 28th at last years cross country nCAA

Championships. head Coach tim Springfield acknowledged these losses but emphasized that he sees it as an opportunity for growth. we want to find the way to be a better team without those seniors, Springfield said. The whole team is going to have to elevate their performances. According to co-captain Kevin Cooper 13, the freshmen will play an important part in this effort, bringing a good attitude to the team. Among the new runners is ned willig 16, a two-time high school All-American and 2012 Millrose Mile qualifier. Springfield explained that one of the teams priorities would be to con-

sistently have an extremely close 1-5 split, referring to the time between the first and fifth runners to finish for Brown. Generally, the smaller the split between these runners, the better a team will score. we want to have a true cross country team, Springfield said. our number-one guy crosses the line, turns around and sees the other four guys coming down the home stretch. Cooper and fellow co-captain Conor Grogan 13, both of whom competed for Brown at the nCAA northeast regionals, will lead the mens team this season. They are doing an excellent job of leading both in the practice arena and then off the track, Springfield said.

Follow us on twitter @bdh_sports

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

Photos By emily gilBert / herald

10 diamonds & coal

diamondS & Coal
A diamond to the Brown archaeologists who recently uncovered masks of the Mayan sun god in Guatemalas temple of the night Sun. Coal to the Mayans for believing the sun comes out at night. with that level of astronomical expertise, were sure theyre also right about the world ending this December. Cubic zirconia to Undergraduate Council of Students President Anthony white, who said of President Christina Paxson, I like to think were friends. Paxson could not be reached for comment. A diamond to President Paxson for noting, we have more good ideas than we have resources, and Id rather be in that position than the reverse. no kidding look at what happened to the taxpayerfunded video game company 38 Studios and their debut video game Kingdoms of Amalur: reckoning. Another diamond to 38 Studios, the bankrupt video game company started by former red Sox star Curt Schilling. Because they need it to reimburse taxpayers. Cubic zirconia to President Paxson, who told the class of 2016, I am giving you your official invitation to rove. First week and already a party invitation? Be sure to get there early drinks go fast. Coal to first district Congressional candidate Anthony Gemma, who told his opponent, rep. David Cicilline 83, D-r.I., that hed never heard someone talk so much but say so little. we didnt appreciate when our professor gave us that same feedback in the Modern Culture and Media seminar we took S/nC. Cubic zirconia to the student who said of the laundry machine upgrades that would force students to use BearBucks, Im a die-hard quarter user myself. So thats what the kids are calling it these days. A diamond to performance artist Dawn Kasper, whose exhibitions involve her appearing to be in her own world while moving stacks of books, changing her clothes, taking down wall hangings, setting up tables and clanging cymbals. were impressed by her spot-on impersonation of our first-year roommates. Cubic zirconia to Libby Kimzey, a former member of the class of 2009 who has taken time off from her studies to run for rhode Islands state legislature. She said of her search for a great candidate for the state house of representatives prior to announcing her own candidacy, I tried to find someone, and I couldnt find the right person. Sounds like last Saturday night.

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

editorial Cartoon b y a n g e l i a wa n g

are you a future business leader?

the Brown daily herald Business staff is looking for motivated, hard-working students to work in ad sales or financial management. no prior experience is needed just a desire to learn real-world business skills and help produce Browns only daily newspaper. Were financially independent from the university, so its up to you to keep the presses running! interested? sign up at thebdh.org/joinbusiness to find out how to apply. (We promise we wont spam you.)

interested in creating editorial cartoons?

Contact herald.design@gmail.com for more information!

t h e b row n da i ly h e r a l d
Editor-in-chiEf Claire Peracchio ManaGinG Editors rebecca ballhaus nicole boucher sEnior Editors tony bakshi natalie Villacorta BuSINeSS GEnEral ManaGErs Siena delisser danielle marshak officE ManaGEr Shawn reilly edIToRIAL Sarah mancone Arts & Culture Editor Joe rosales Arts & Culture Editor elizabeth Carr City & State Editor amy rasmussen City & State Editor aparna bansal Features Editor Jordan hendricks Features Editor lucy feldman News Editor Shefali luthra News Editor alexandra macfarlane News Editor Sahil luthra Science & Research Editor Jake Comer Sports Editor lindor qunaj Sports Editor Sam rubinroit Assistant Sports Editor dan Jeon Editorial Page Editor annika lichtenbaum Editorial Page Editor lucas husted Opinions Editor garret Johnson Opinions Editor Jared moffat Opinions Editor greg Jordan-detamore Special Projects Graphics & photos emily gilbert Photo Editor Sam kase Photo Editor tom Sullivan Photo Editor rachel kaplan Photo Training Manager Jonathan bateman Sports Photo Editor production olivia Conetta Copy Desk Chief kyle mcnamara Design Editor Julia Shube Design Editor neal Poole Web Producer

dirEctors Julia kuwahara Samuel Plotner nikita khadloya angel lee Sales Finance Alumni Relations Business Development ManaGErs Justin lee kaivan Shroff gregory Chatzinoff luka ursic alison Pruzan elizabeth gordon david Winer Human Resources Research & Development Collections Finance Operations Alumni Engagement Fundraising Marketing

like, could we have a beer with this guy? you could totally have a beer with richard iii.
emma Brandt 14 See theater on page 8.
facebook.com/browndailyherald @the_herald thebdh.org

quote of the day

CorreCtIonS PoLICY The 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 Y The 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. LetterS to the eDItor PoLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. 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 authors identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. ADVertISInG PoLICY The Brown Daily herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

PoST- MAGAzINe Clay aldern Jenny Carr Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief

BLoG dAILY HeRALd matt klimerman meredith bilski Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor

the brown daily herald friday, september 7, 2012

opinions 11
Going abroad sooner?
decision I could have made. But I almost didnt make it. The whole junior year abroad concept is so set in stone that few consider going at any other time. Most simply choose between the fall and spring of junior year. The idea certainly wasnt on my radar. Since I took second year russian as a freshman, a professor advised me that complete language immersion would be beneficial sooner rather than later. Initially, I disregarded her advice. who ever heard Studying overseas is proven to teach students independence, resourcefulness and self-sufficiency. Its a great way to find yourself outside of your normal relationships and routines. Admittedly, I was feeling a little lost when I considered the future. even throughout my fall semester as a sophomore, I had no idea what to concentrate in and even less of an idea of what to do with my life. Going abroad before junior year gave me perspective, strength and a new environment in which to discover Its a win-win. whats perhaps the best reason to go abroad as a sophomore? Its how much time you still have left in college after your overseas studies have ended. You return to Brown with four semesters to go. Thats four semesters for friends and four semesters to complete concentration requirements. This clears up many of the nagging logistical and personal issues that make studying abroad unappealing in the first place. Youll probably even have the flexibility to take more electives. Better still, the four remaining semesters are the best semesters of college. Its easier to get good housing as a junior or senior and to secure spots in popular courses. If youve decided not to study abroad or you havent thought about it at all then I want you to view this article as a wake-up call. every Brown student should seriously consider a semester away. There are many resources on campus to find out more. The office of International Programs holds information sessions regularly in addition to its fall study abroad fair. remember: College is for more than classes and books. So push yourself. Challenge yourself. Go abroad. And if you consider going abroad as a sophomore, I promise youll find fewer and fewer reasons not to. maggie tennis 14 is still trying to warm up after returning from russia. she can be reached at margaret_tennis@brown.edu.

maggie tennis
opinions Columnist
The phrase junior year abroad is a cliche in the world of higher education. The popularity of studying abroad is obvious, and many consider a semester in foreign language and cultural immersion to be a fundamental part of any complete college experience. Yet, according to a herald article (Study abroad participation drops, nov. 14, 2011), the 2010-11 academic year saw the lowest study abroad participation from Brown students in 10 years. Im an advocate for studying abroad. My semester in russia was both the most challenging and most rewarding and coldest experience of my life. So the large number of my peers who choose to remain at Brown throughout their undergraduate careers discourages me. Ive found that their reasoning is often anxiety-based. Brown students worry about missing courses, unintentionally locking themselves into an inflexible schedule or worst case scenario not completing a concentration within four years. And thats not all. Many dont want to leave their friends when time together already feels too brief. Its true that by junior year, most of us are already halfway through our brief college experience. I had these same hang-ups. So I took a different route altogether and studied abroad as a sophomore. It was the best

Whats perhaps the best reason to go abroad as a sophomore? its how much time you still have left in college after your overseas studies have ended. you return to Brown with four semesters to go.

of a sophomore year abroad? why would I want to leave campus before choosing a concentration? why would I want to leave my friends when I had only known them for a year? even after I resolved to spend my sophomore spring in russia, I would continue to face these questions from hoards of concerned friends and relatives. I still do. heres what I tell them:

more about myself. weve all heard of the sophomore slump when far too many second semester sophomores lose motivation and coast until summer. But if you go abroad during those months, you trade a semester of sloth for a semester rich with experience. Because of my decision, I never had a sophomore slump, yet Im still excited and invigorated for my junior year back at Brown.

Lets talk about privilege

By david romero
opinions Columnist
Last semester, The herald published an article that explored the discussion of socioeconomic class among Brown students (Lets (not) talk about class, April 25). The article primarily focused on how Brown students think and talk about class and privilege within the University. Socioeconomic class is often a taboo subject at Brown, a sentiment summed up by one student saying that talking about class is considered very socially unacceptable. Although the article attempts to find a consensus on how Brown students think about class, it does not come to a neat conclusion, which leads me to believe that many Brown students are not particularly adept at thinking and talking about socioeconomic class or privilege. Although I applaud the intent to start a productive and honest conversation among Brown students, understanding the ways in which socioeconomic class affects us begins with personal recognition of ones own privilege. recognizing ones own privilege is a good first step to start thinking about our nations structural inequalities if one cant understand ones own privileges, how can one combat structural problems such as poverty, racism and sexism? even though these problems manifest themselves through institutions and laws, they are deeply personal and require acute awareness to be fixed. Although I may cringe at the conservative ideal of taking personal responsibility for righting the wrongs of structural inequality, I believe that a deep conversation must take place with ones self in order to deal with the problems of privilege. recognizing ones own privilege does not have to be an act of self-shaming. Identifying and accepting the realities of your own life is the beginning of understanding the complex issues surrounding socioeconomic class and its intersections with gender, race, sexuality and other identities. The herald article on the discussion of socioeconomic class presents many Brown students who are unaware of their own privilege, regardless of which end of the spectrum they occupy. ceive enough scholarships to attend college without the worry of debt. These are the articles of privilege that I carry around with me wherever I go, and I must be aware of these facts in order to enter a productive conversation of societys inequalities. recently, a high school friend of mine graduated from a prestigious college in the northeast on full scholarship like me. She is a first-generation American and college student like me. She is a person of color like me. She told me about her experience at her college, about how she received an amazing undergraduate education coupled with igAwareness of ones own socioeconomic status is just a minimum. Self-awareness leads to communication and mutual understanding, which would hopefully lead to brainstorming methods of how to right societys inequalities. I will concede that being aware of your own privilege can be difficult. I used to think that privilege meant benefiting from someone elses hard work, and I preferred to think that I became successful on my own. But I realized that I am privileged, and admitting it is not shameful, but realistic and productive toward making changes. I also realize that not everyone is ready or willing to declare their own privilege. I always read articles about recognizing and fixing structural inequalities and prepare to take a deep breath and read the troubling and defensive comments from those who are unaware of their own privilege. A person who points out the ills of structural racism, sexism or homophobia becomes an ungrateful whiner, someone looking for a handout who attempts to make excuses for personal failures. while many Brown students do not fall under such a hateful category of naysayers, Brunonians could still use a little dose of selfawareness every once in a while. Self-awareness about ones privilege exemplifies the paradox of understanding structural inequality: to get the big picture you have to look inside of yourself first. It helps to say to yourself every so often: I am privileged, and although I am not the cause of structural inequality, my lack of awareness of my own privilege will only exacerbate it. david romero 14 likes to have cool, nonthreatening conversations about difficult topics.

i am privileged, and although i am not the cause of structural inequality, my lack of awareness of my own privilege will only exacerbate it.
having little self-awareness of ones own privileges leads to unproductive and unhealthy discussion among people in different socioeconomic classes. If someone who is extremely well off considers themselves to be middle class, as a majority of Brown students do according to the article, then discussion between them and someone from a more disadvantaged socioeconomic class becomes difficult. It helps me to remind myself of my privilege every once in a while: I have benefited from societys inequalities. I am an able-bodied male who has never had any serious concerns about health or money. even though my colleges tuition alone is more than my family makes in a year, I renorance and misunderstanding of her identity by her peers. They didnt understand her or the structures that colored her life. They would accidentally flaunt their status through little verbal slip-ups: I cant believe youve never been to that country! The insensitivity exhibited by her peers reflects a lack of selfawareness: If they had recognized their own privilege, they would have been more careful with seemingly innocuous statements that served to shame her and people like her. A lack of awareness of ones privilege leads to frustration and isolation of those who feel that they are on the tougher side of the socioeconomic spectrum and who feel that their reality is being ignored and mocked.

daily herald
the Brown

friday, september 7, 2012

all Photos By emily gilBert / herald