Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxlv, no. 31 | Friday, March 12, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Three’s the
charm in
PW show
By Kristina Fazzalaro
Staff Writer
The lights come up and the Prozorov
house is quiet. The table is set, wait-
ing for company. The eldest sister
is writing a lesson plan for her stu-
dents, perhaps, or doing the family’s
bills. The middle sister lounges on
the couch reading while the young-
est merely stands there, a slight
crease in her brow and a troubled
expression on her face. She turns
20 today and is happy — but she
doesn’t know why.
ARTS & CULTURE
There is an air of boredom, of
staleness about the house. These
three sisters do this every day —
follow the same pattern and see the
same faces in their provincial Rus-
sian village. They each have dreams
of getting out, of returning to their
Driver charged in hit-and-run involving two alums
BY GODA THANGADA
Senior Staff Writer
Frances Jasmin has been arrested
and charged in the Brooklyn hit-
and-run accident that injured Erinn
Phelan ’09 and her former room-
mate, Alma Guerrero ’09 MD ’13, ac-
cording to multiple news outlets.
Jasmin turned herself into the
police Wednesday following her
release from the psychiatric ward
of New York Presbyterian Hospital,
according to reports.
Atoms to autos with Brown-GM joint lab
By Emily Rosen
Staf f Writer
For the past nine years, Brown
professors and students have been
working in close partnership with
one of the largest automotive com-
panies in the world on research
that has the potential to impact
the future of the automobile in-
dustr y.
The General Motors/Brown
University Collaborative Research
Laborator y, which conducts com-
putational materials research, was
established in 2001 when GM ap-
proached Brown about collabo-
rating.
This collaborative laborator y,
located in Barus and Holley, is
one of several similar laborato-
ries at other universities around
inside
News.....1-4
Arts...........5
Editorial....6
Opinion.....7
Today.........8
www.browndailyherald.com
Lily Garrison ’10 and Evan Smith ’11 in Production Workshop’s “Three Sisters,” which runs through Sunday.
beloved Moscow. Rural life is dull
and hopeless in its monotony. It can
only be so long before their frustra-
tion boils over.
Director Morgan Ritchie ’10.5
said he is attempting to do the
“craziest” thing that Brown’s act-
Phelan remains in critical con-
dition at Kings County Hospital.
Guerrero has been released and
has returned to campus.
Before the police apprehended
Jasmin, Lt. John Grimpel of the New
York Police Department told The
Herald the charges would change if
Phelan’s condition changes. Jasmin
has not yet appeared in court and is
scheduled to do so soon, the Boston
Globe reported.
Jasmin’s sister, Cindy, was iden-
tified early in the investigation as
the world. GM was interested in
starting a collaborative laboratory
at a university in the area and “ap-
proached Brown because of our
reputation in the field,” according
to Professor of Engineering Bill
Curtin, who was the lab’s direc-
tor at the time of its inception.
Brown submitted a proposal to
GM, and after a selection process
that lasted about a year, Brown
made the cut.
“Their goals aligned very much
with our academic goals,” Curtin
said. He added that the auto com-
pany was interested in applying
research conducted at Brown
to projects it is working on and
emphasized that this partnership
was “designed specifically as a col-
laboration.” Scientists from GM
often come to Brown to work in
News, 2
Blog it like it’s hot
Students’ hip-hop blog
comments on music and
culture
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
ing scene has witnessed in a long
time. He’s putting on a naturalistic
play — Anton Chekhov’s “Three
Sisters,” which opened Thursday
night at Production Workshop.
Tremendous acting, combined
with a simple but charming set and
the owner of the green Acura Leg-
end involved in the accident. Cindy
Jasmin, who waited two days before
approaching the police, gave a press
conference on Feb. 26 alongside
her lawyer, Adam Thompson. “I am
the owner of the vehicle involved
in the accident,” Cindy Jasmin said.
“My sister was the driver of the car
involved in the accident.”
Frances Jasmin’s lawyer, Renee
Hill, told the Boston Globe, “My cli-
ent is not a monster. She’s a young
lady who’s very sorry this situation
the laborator y, and students and
professors frequently visit the
company in Detroit.
Researchers at both Brown and
GM attested to the benefits of this
collaborative partnership.
“GM helps us identify new and
exciting areas of research,” said
Curtin, adding that the link to GM
also allows Brown professors and
graduate students to focus their
scientific research on topics that
have applications in industr y.
GM Laborator y Group Man-
ager Paul Krajewski, who is the
leader of the Collaborative Re-
search Laborator y from the auto
company’s side, said the program
is “a ver y good model for tr ying
to do research at universities” and
continued on page 3
Nick Sinnott-Armstrong / Herald
haunting music, creates an atmo-
sphere that transports the viewer
to 1900 Russia.
The three-hour play tells the
story of the well-to-do Prozorov fam-
continued on page 5
has occurred.”
As a coordinator for the NYC
Civic Corps volunteer program,
Phelan worked in New York’s
City Hall under Mayor Michael
Bloomberg. The mayor has visited
Phelan’s bedside multiple times
in the last two weeks. In a state-
ment Wednesday, he said, “I want
to thank the detectives who have
been working tirelessly on this
case, and I want to thank the New
Yorkers who continue to keep Erinn
in their thoughts and prayers.’’
H O T F u sion
The Fusion Dance company delivered a high-octane performance for
its 27th annual show. See page 5.
News, 4
pay day
The Office of the Controller
introduces a new payroll
process
URC projects
increase in
fed. funding
By Heeyoung Min
Senior Staff Writer
The University Resources Commit-
tee projected in a report released
last month that the University’s
Education and General budget,
which includes expenditures on ad-
ministrative, academic and student
support, “would see a 5.8 percent
increase in indirect cost recovery
from sponsored funding” in the next
fiscal year, Deputy Provost Vincent
Tompkins ’84 wrote in an e-mail to
The Herald.
The Division of Biology and
Medicine would see a 15.8 percent
growth in indirect cost recovery,
he wrote. The budget increases are
largely a result of increased federal
funding from the National Institutes
of Health and the National Science
Foundation through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
Tompkins wrote.
The indirect cost recovery uses
funds from external research spon-
sors — primarily the federal govern-
ment — to “reimburse the University
for overhead costs related to hosted
sponsored research,” according to
the URC report.
The University’s income from
indirect cost recover y dropped
“significantly” in recent years due
to a number of changes made in
federal agencies, according to the
URC report.
“This flattening resulted from
slower growth in federal funding,
from a switch in grant-making prac-
tice that has led agencies to make
continued on page 4
Max Monn / Herald
Opinions, 7
Gaga ooh-la-la
Abigail Chance ’11 has a
bad romance with pop’s
newest feminine icon
herald@browndailyherald.com
Page 2 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Friday, March 12, 2010

C ampus N EWS “Hip-hop touches on so many facets of our culture.”

— Sean McGrath ’11, hip-hop blog writer

Juniors’ hip-hop blog Offices turn to Facebook for promotion

covers music, culture
By Casey Bleho
Contributing Writer
Thought up last spring and
launched over the summer,
BenzAndABackpack.com — a
comprehensive hip-hop blog
created by Peter Drinan ’11 and
Steven Aguiar ’11 — has already
gained a sizable following on cam-
pus and beyond.
Inspired in part by the Kanye
West song “Breathe In, Breathe
Out,” the blog looks to find com-
mon ground between both com-
mercialized and underground
hip-hop artists and groups, Agu-
iar said. To do so, each member
of the five-part Brown and Rhode
Island School of Design writing
team brings a “compilation of
styles” to the table, Aguiar said.
Essentially, the blog looks to
offer a comprehensive, intelligent
approach to both the culture and
musical style, considering not
only the types of music available
but the cultural implications of
that music as well. “Hip-hop
touches on so many facets of our
culture, so I look a lot at this,”
writer Sean McGrath ’11 said.
“That’s the whole point,” said
Brian Alexander ’11, who works
on promotion for the blog. “We
look at being all-encompassing
and unbiased. At getting people
exposed to all aspects of the mu-
sic and engaged in an intelligent
way.”
As writer Jonathan Weidman
’10 explained, “I think the goal ul-
timately is to present the culture
sudoku
without any of these labels. We
focus on quality, not discrimina-
tion.”
Though “Benz and a Back-
pack” is used as a means of
bringing hip-hop culture and
discussion to College Hill, the
bloggers said it is also an im-
portant promotional tool for up-
and-coming, underground artists.
“People want exposure, and it’s
cool to see what they have to of-
fer and be a part of what they’re
doing,” Alexander said.
Drinan and Aguiar developed
the idea for the blog after work-
ing together on the WBRU show
“360 Midnight Madness,” Aguiar
said. They were looking to create
more of an analytical and con-
nected approach to the music
they presented on that program,
he said.
“They would just post track
lists,” Drinan said. “We thought
this was deficient. We write ar-
ticles, put some thought into what
is being said.”
The group is looking to de-
velop the blog further and make
it more of a presence on campus.
They want to “help to transform
the scene at Brown a little bit,”
McGrath said, mainly through
on-campus events, parties and
music shares — the first of which
will be held March 18.
The group’s ultimate goal is
for the blog to gain more cred-
ibility and popularity as a source
of music and discussion, not un-
like that of an online magazine,
Drinan said.
By Jessica Liss
Contributing Writer
Multiple Brown offices and depart-
ments are turning to Facebook to
advertise and promote opportuni-
ties and events, finding that the
site’s capacity as a means of com-
munication extends beyond social
networking.
The Office of Continuing Educa-
tion began advertising on the site
in fall 2008 as it became “clear that
Facebook had reached a critical
mass,” said Geoffrey Chisholm,
the office’s director of marketing.
According to the Web site, Face-
book currently has over 400 mil-
lion users.
Chisholm is now managing
12 Facebook campaigns promot-
ing programs including the Uni-
versity’s Summer Study Abroad,
Summer@Brown and online cours-
es.
Although advertisements al-
low for limited text and optional
images, which appear on the right
side of the page, they are “a great
way to reach Brown students with
information about new programs
and remind them about upcoming
deadlines,” Chisholm said.
The Office of Continuing Educa-
tion extended the application dead-
line for Summer Study Abroad on
March 2 and was able to quickly
and conveniently notify the student
body that same day through Face-
book, Chisholm said.
Academic depar tments have
U. funds ‘exceptional’ research for 12 profs
By Anita Badejo
Contributing Writer
Twelve University faculty members
recently received 2010 Richard B.
Salomon Faculty Research Awards,
according to the Office of the Vice
President for Research.
The awards “fund exceptional
faculty research projects,” and were
established in 1995 with funding
from former University Chancellor
Richard Salomon ’32, Vice President
for Research Clyde Briant wrote in
an e-mail to The Herald. Since 1999,
the awards have been funded by
the University, Briant wrote. This
year’s awards ranged in size from
$13,000 to $15,000, according to the
award’s Web site.
According to Briant, the Uni-
versity grants 10–16 Salomons
each year, which are “intended to
acknowledge (the) excellent in re-
search across all disciplines.”
also used Facebook to advertise
classes. Wendy Chun, associate
professor of modern culture and
media, created an ad last semes-
ter for her course MCM 1201C:
“Imagined Networks, Glocal Con-
nections.” The ad coincided with
the class topic and linked directly
to the course syllabus and class
materials, Chun said.
The goal was “to reach a larger
and different group than if you just
put it on MyCourses,” Chun said.
The advertisement was “aimed
towards more people than would
normally take an MCM course,”
she said.
Facebook allows advertisers
to target users by hometown, age,
school, graduating class and inter-
ests to ensure effective marketing
to relevant audiences, according
to Chisholm.
Chisholm has found advertising
through Facebook to be cost-effec-
tive. While advertisers are charged
per click, students do not need to
click on the ad to get the message.
Facebook functions as a “bulletin
board,” reminding students of rel-
evant opportunities and deadlines,
Chisholm said.
“We viewed it as an alternative to
doing some print ads,” Chun said.
But students interviewed by The
Herald said they were unaware of
the advertising campaigns.
“I haven’t noticed them and have
not heard anyone talk about them,”
Emma Whitford ’12 said.
In the case of Chun’s course,
Assistant Professor of History
and Africana Studies Francoise
Hamlin said she will be using her
Salomon to fund a new research
project titled “Coming of Age in the
Movement” in order to study the
trauma experienced by children
during the civil rights movement.
While conducting past research
on the civil rights movement in Mis-
sissippi, Hamlin said, she began
to realize that the way in which it
affected young people was largely
unexplored.
“We celebrate them as pioneers
and heroes, but we don’t really con-
sider the toll it took on them,” she
said.
On a similar note, Assistant
Professor of Judaic Studies and
Anthropology Marcy Brink-Danan
is also using her Salomon Award
to further research in an area she’s
found hasn’t received much con-
sideration, she wrote in an e-mail
students reported they had heard
about the class by “word of mouth”
rather than the ads, Chun said.
While office and department ads
have attracted little notice, many
students reported using Facebook
groups and pages. On the Brown
Athletics Facebook page there is in-
formation about upcoming events,
including times and ticket prices,
as well as links to news updates
and articles on the official Web
site, according to Marketing and
Promotions Coordinator Patrick
Walker.
With Facebook, he works toward
“creating awareness among stu-
dents, faculty, and local community
members,” Walker said. In addition,
the Department’s Facebook activity
“promotes school spirit and helps
to get the word out,” said hockey
player Marc Senecal ’13.
Walker attributed an increase
in student attendance at athletic
events this year to the one-year-old
Facebook page.
In this age of new technology,
departments are beginning to cre-
ate pages for administrative pur-
poses, where faculty can post an-
nouncements, Chun said. While her
department’s digital media classes
do not require student participation
through Facebook, some courses
are beginning to use the site as an
integral extension of discussion,
she added.
“Ten years ago, e-mail was in-
novative,” Chisholm said. “Now it’s
standard.”
hopes “this project will tell us more
about the ways Jews, and other mi-
norities, make decisions about how
to represent themselves in the pub-
lic sphere.”
Mark Zervas, assistant profes-
sor of biology,received a Salomon
Award to conduct new research on
the creation of lateral versus menial
dopamine neurons using mouse ge-
nomics.
Zervas was particularly excited
to have received the award, saying
“this is one of those experiments
that I’ve wanted to do for a long
time, but it’s hard to justify part-
ing with money to do those experi-
ments.” His Salomon will allow him
to “push a research avenue forward”
that he may not have been able to
otherwise, he said.
All three recipients expressed
praise for the University in invest-
ing in faculty members through the
awarding of Salomons.

Daily Herald
“The awardees are women and to The Herald. To Hamlin, the award is a “dem-
the Brown
men who are mostly at the early Brink-Danan — whose project onstration of faith,” while Zervas
part of their careers, doing excit- is titled “Local News, Global Jews: said it “reflects a certain type of
Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 ing research in areas that have the An Ethnography of European Jew- commitment from the University
George Miller, President Katie Koh, Treasurer potential to make important con- ish Journalism” — is conducting to promote very fundamental but
Claire Kiely, Vice President Chaz Kelsh, Secretary tributions in their fields,” Briant the first ethnographic study of Jew- very human health relevant sorts
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serv- wrote. ish journalism. She wrote that she of questions.”
ing the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday
through Friday 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
Promote your event on
02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195
Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com.
World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com.
Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. BlogDailyHerald.com
Copyright 2010 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
Friday, March 12, 2010 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3

C ampus N EWS “Naturally, I’m surprised, thrilled, delighted.”

— Gordon Wood, professor emeritus of history

History’s Wood wins book award CIS moves to new online

By Goda Thangada
Senior Staf f Writer
The New York Historical Soci-
ety has awarded its annual book
prize to Gordon Wood, professor
emeritus of histor y, for his re-
cently published book, “Empire
of Liberty: A History of the Early
Republic, 1789–1815.” As Wood’s
work, which was published in Oc-
tober, begins to win accolades, he
faces a familial rival — his daugh-
ter Amy’s first book, “L ynching
and Spectacle: Witnessing Racial
Violence in America, 1890–1940,”
is up against “Empire of Liberty”
for the Los Angeles Times History
Book Prize.
“Naturally, I’m surprised,
thrilled, delighted,” Wood said
about the Historical Society’s prize.
“It’s not something I expected.”
Beyond the citation, the prize
also includes a $50,000 award and
the opportunity to be honored with
a series of formal events, includ-
ing a black-tie dinner and seminars
with other historians and the soci-
ety’s donors in March.
“The book is really an extraor-
dinary work,” said Louise Mirrer,
president of the society. “It’s an
important story that speaks to ten-
sions that existed at the nation’s
beginning. It gives you the full fla-
vor of the personalities and philoso-
phies of the men who participated
in the birth of the nation.”
Wood told The Herald last fall
that his book described the tumul-
tuous process of democratizing
America. “Many revolutionaries
were disillusioned with what they
had wrought,” he said. “They were
surprised by how popular and vul-
gar society had become. It took a
new generation of leaders to come
to terms with it.”
For Wood, the prize is yet an-
other feather in his cap. Previously,
he has won the Pulitzer Prize and
Bancroft Prizes for works on the
American Revolution and its after-
math. Though “Empire of Liberty”
spills into the Federalist period, it
picks up some of the same themes
about the conflict between the vi-
sions of early American leaders and
the realities of the era.
“It’s also kind of a life-work,”
Mirrer said. “Here, he’s cr ystal-
lized an awful lot of his thinking
about the illusions that the found-
ing fathers had.”
Wood’s book is part of the Ox-
ford series on American histor y,
many other volumes of which won
praise as well as prizes. “They
choose the ver y best people to
write about the time period,” Mir-
rer said.
Because a committee of histo-
rians and history buffs read every
book that fits the criteria for judg-
ing, Wood’s competition was es-
sentially every other history book
published in 2009. Not only was
“Empire of Liberty” an important
scholarly work, it was also acces-
sible to general readers, which has
been a major priority for the Soci-
ety since Mirrer became president,
she said.
“We love history,” Mirrer said.
“We want as many people as pos-
sible to feel the same way about
it.”
In the last five years, under Mir-
rer’s leadership, the New York His-
torical Society has grown to be one
of the mainstay historical societies
in the nation, Wood said.
“We want to be an institution
that is open,” Mirrer said. “We rein-
terpret history. We’ve tackled a lot
of topics that other people wanted
to sweep under the rug.”
Wood said the academic reviews
for “Empire of Liberty” likely won’t
be out for several months. Still,
comments from peers have been
pouring in. “Some people have dif-
ferent agendas and don’t necessari-
ly like everything I say,” Wood said.
“I’m old enough so that I don’t get
so moved or depressed by reviews.
It’s too emotionally scarring to take
every critical review seriously.”
The press, however, has been
responding positively to his work.
As one of five authors nominated
for the L.A. Times prize, along with
his daughter Amy, Wood will fly
out to California for a “Hollywood
Style” ceremony in April.
In her book, Amy Wood, as-
sistant professor of histor y at Il-
linois State University, examines
the visual culture of lynching and
white supremacy. “My book tries
to understand the nature of racial
violence,” Amy said. “It tries to
understand how lynching became
socially acceptable.”
She also examines the appro-
priation of lynching photography
by the NAACP and the sensational-
ization of the imagery in Hollywood
films like “Birth of a Nation.”
Her interest is in visual culture
and American studies, and only
incidentally in history, she said.
“I fell backwards into history,”
Wood said, “The humanistic ques-
tions that I was interested in were
actually really historical ques-
tions.”
Though her father was influen-
tial as a scholar and as an adviser,
Amy said her book was very much
her own.
“I really was ver y intent on
finding my own way in my work
and profession,” she said. “But he
would talk to me about writing,
about what makes good histor y
and what makes good history writ-
ing.”
Her book is “shorter and more
imaginative,” her father said, adding
that he hopes she wins the award.
“She’s thrilled to her toes.”
Wood, who will be leaving his
office at the end of the year after
retiring last June, is still busy com-
piling a Library of America volume
on John Adams and editing a col-
lection of his own essays.
“I have no idea what’s in the
cards for the future,” he said.
authorization system
By CC Chiang
Contributing Writer
Computing and Information Ser-
vices is spearheading an ongoing
project to replace WebAuth with
the Shibboleth System, open-
source software that allows us-
ers to sign on to multiple Web
resources with a single login.
Shibboleth, a name taken from
the Old Testament, gives faculty
and students more convenient
access to online resources by
eliminating the need for mul-
tiple usernames and passwords.
Login information will be saved
in a University-owned storage
system, “keeping authentication
at home,” said Steven Tompkins,
associate director of student and
identity management systems.
The new system will allow
users with authenticated Brown
logins to access Web resources
on campus and on InCommon, a
federation of education and re-
search institutions focused on
sharing online resources, with
a single sign-on, said Steve Car-
mody, IT architect. According
to Carmody, since the system’s
inception in 2002, Shibboleth has
spread to 2,500 campuses in 30
countries.
According to Carmody, one
advantage Shibboleth offers over
WebAuth is that it works across
borders. “The world is changing,
and many students and faculty
regularly work with external par-
ties in research and teaching,”
he said.
Since its implementation at
Brown in 2008, Shibboleth has
impacted the University com-
munity in many ways. Brown
Morning Mail began using Shib-
boleth early this year, while other
campus systems are scheduled to
migrate from WebAuth to Shib-
boleth in the future.
Carmody also said Shibboleth
offers cost advantages because it
does not require license fees. In
addition, CIS is implementing the
new system itself, saving the cost
of commercial support.
According to Carmody, there
is no fixed date for phasing out
WebAuth. Tompkins said CIS
is currently working with early
adopters within the University
to explore new ways to leverage
Shibboleth, such as by incorpo-
rating it into transcript ordering
services, the Critical Review and
future versions of Banner.

Atoms to autos with Brown-GM joint lab

continued from page 1
that people are being productive
now that the partnership is firmly
established and researchers on
both sides have “gotten past the
learning cur ve.”
Since its establishment, the
laborator y has been working on
various projects involving light-
weight materials, and recently
initiated a project related to bat-
teries. Professor of Engineering
Allan Bower, who is Brown’s head
at the laborator y, said the collab-
orative labrator y’s research aims
to “develop lightweight materials
to improve fuel efficiency” and to
study materials used in batteries
to improve batter y life and look
at “how and why batter y materi-
als fail.”
The research on lightweight
materials focuses on aluminum and
magnesium, two materials GM is
particularly interested in studying.
Both of these metals are lighter
than steel, and if cars could eventu-
ally be made of lighter materials,
they would be more efficient and
consume less gasoline.
According to Curtin, the prob-
lem is that aluminum and magne-
sium are both fairly weak materials,
so researchers are studying ways to
strengthen these metals by adding
other materials and then modeling
the behavior of these new materials
using molecular dynamics, physics
and materials science.
Curtin noted that this research
is an example of how “fundamental
science feeds into engineering.”
David Cipoletti GS, who is in
his fourth year of working in the
laboratory on lightweight materials
research, said that it is interest-
ing to “see how industr y works
and how research is done from an
industr y standpoint.”
The other major field of re-
search in this laborator y is bat-
teries, which is of special interest
to GM due to the upcoming release
of an electric vehicle called the GM
Volt. However, Bower noted that
the research is also “concerned
with long-term battery issues.” Ci-
poletti added that the laborator y
is interested in “how long bat-
teries will last with each charge
and how long batteries will last in
general.”
Cipoletti also noted that bat-
ter y research is an especially “hot
topic right now,” and said improve-
ments in batteries could lead to a
move away from gasoline-powered
cars.
Funding for research in the col-
laborative research laborator y is
provided by GM, and over a period
of 10 years, Krajewski estimates
that approximately $5 million has
been contributed to the laboratory
at Brown. Soon, a contract for the
next five years will be negotiated
and settled, Bower said.
“We want initiatives like this to
keep going for ward,” Krajewski
said.
Page 4
C ampus N EWS
Payroll changes set to streamline procedures for University employees
By Ashley Aydin “Pay Check+,” will be used to de-
Staf f Writer
The Office of the Controller in-
troduced a new payroll initiative
Feb. 25 for University employees
designed to improve access to
payroll information. The initiative,
liver payroll checks, direct deposit
notices and W-2 tax forms to stu-
dents, staff and faculty, according
to the Office of the Controller’s
Web site.
Pay Check+ is part of the “Go-
ing Green” initiative, which aims to
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
reduce the use of paper at Brown.
Donald Schanck, assistant vice
president and University controller,
wrote in an e-mail to The Herald
that employees still have the option
to continue receiving their check
and deposit notices with paper, but
can discontinue it if they choose to
use Pay Check+.
“We looked for smaller projects
that could offer benefits to employ-
ees and streamline inefficient ad-
ministrative processes,” Schank
wrote. “Pay Check+ provides both
employee and administrative ben-
efits.”
The initiative will provide on-
line access to payroll information
including payroll stubs and pay
deductions, as well as enable em-
ployees to view 36 months of pay-
roll histor y, Schanck wrote.
Pay Check+ will also offer an
online calculator for W-4 tax forms,
which will help employees calculate
their take-home pay. Along with the
W-4 calculator, Pay Check+ will in-
clude a calculator to estimate how
much employees will take home
if there are changes in payroll de-
ductions made to the employee’s
gross pay.
Schanck wrote that with Pay
Check+, W-2 forms, which are used
to file income reports for tax pur-
poses, can be accessed and down-
loaded into a number of different
tax software products for filing tax
Today on BlogDailyHerald:
your guide to eating for free
“Pay Check+,” a new initiative to improve access to payroll information for
University employees, was introduced Feb. 25 as a part of “Going Green.”
returns, making it easier to du-
plicate copies should an original
form get lost.
The major advantage of the new
system is its “off-site disaster re-
covery option” if there are malfunc-
tions on-campus, Schanck wrote.
The processing of Pay Check+ in-
volves Automatic Data Processing,
Inc., which will help provide the
online payroll availability.
“They will process the direct
deposit transmittal through their
partner bank and return checks
and deposit advices to us for nor-
mal distribution,” Schanck wrote.
With the involvement of the
outside company, there will be
new costs, though Schanck wrote
that the costs would be minimal
considering the savings from elimi-
nating paper supplies and reducing
staff needs that will result from
the initiative.
“We are encouraging all employ-
ees, including students, to enroll in
direct deposit,” Schanck wrote.
“Pay Check+ will save me from
Federal stimulus funds
support faculty research
continued from page 1
a greater number of smaller grants,
and from a tendency by some agen-
cies to target offers of support to
well-established investigators,” the
report reads.
But in the federal stimulus pack-
age’s first year, 47 projects at Brown
were supported with more than $33
million in grant funds through the
stimulus, according to a Feb. 17 Uni-
versity press release. “Brown faculty
made very strong efforts to apply for
these funds and were very success-
ful,” Tompkins wrote.
The 5.8 percent growth in the
Education and General budget —
from $16.1 million in the current fis-
cal year to $17 million for the next
Friday, March 12, 2010
Min Wu / Herald file photo
taking trips to get my paycheck,”
said Claire Huang ’13, who works
as a cashier for Brown University
Dining Ser vices. “I like doing
things online. It’ll be easy to keep
track of how much I earn.”
The program also ensures that
employees are reimbursed on pay
day even when they are not on
campus.
“For students receiving checks
between semesters or over the
summer, this eliminates a major
worr y about where their check is
mailed and eliminates misplaced
checks,” wrote Schanck.
Students will be able to access
the program by using their Brown
username and password, even if
they are not on campus.
Schanck wrote that brochures
will soon be included with student
checks, and there will be informa-
tion sessions for all employees
later this month. The Of fice of
the Controller expects to begin
the program with April payrolls,
he wrote.
fiscal year, according to the URC
report — accounts for much of the
growth in the University’s overall
budget, according to Executive Vice
President for Finance and Adminis-
tration Beppie Huidekoper. There
was “hardly any growth overall if
you take out the sponsored funding,”
she said.
Vice President for Research Clyde
Briant estimated that researchers at
Brown will be the beneficiaries of
“more than $6 million in additional
indirect cost recovery over the next
two to three years as a direct result”
of the federal stimulus, according to
the URC report.
— With additional reporting by
Sydney Ember
Arts & Culture
The Brown Daily Herald
Annual show presents a Fusion of styles
By Alexys Esparza
Contributing Writer
The Fusion Dance Company weaves
together various forms of dance
and musical styles in its 27th annual
show, which opened Thursday night
in Alumnae Hall and runs through
Sunday.
Fusion was founded in 1983 by
Paula Franklin ’86 because she want-
ed to see more diversity on campus,
Danielle Dunlap ’10 said during the
show. The company continues to
resist conformity in their routines,
encouraging diversity both on and
off the stage.
“There’s not a cohesive feel to
the show,” Christina Santana ’11, co-
director of Fusion, told The Herald.
“With new members, every year the
show is slightly different.”
The show opened with an enthu-
siastic 1950s-style piece set to “The
Nicest Kids in Town,” from the mu-
sical “Hairspray.” With the help of
poodle skirts and cardigans, the com-
pany came out strong in this piece,
instantly creating a highly energetic,
fun atmosphere.
‘Three Sisters’ features Russian drama and poignant performances
continued from page 1
ily and their acquaintances, slowly
coming to terms with the changes
wrought by modernity.
“I decided to do it because it’s one
of my favorite plays,” Ritchie said. “I
love Chekhov and I wanted to do a
more naturalist piece — something
young actors could really sink their
teeth into.”
From the opening scene to the
closing curtain, “Three Sisters”
guarantees audiences a sincere and
poignant performance from each cast
member.
The three sisters — Olga, Masha
and Irina, played by Caroline Straty
’10, Lily Garrison ’10 and Emma Wat-
son ’13, respectively — draw audi-
ences in during the opening scene
and never let them go.
Straty’s portrayal of Olga, the
eldest sister, brings together the
perfect combination of strength
and warmth as she tries to guide her
younger siblings through the trials of
life and love. Garrison’s Masha is the
one audiences love to hate, as loung-
ing about while her town is on fire
and having a clandestine affair with
the new military officer contribute
more to the hate than the love. But
wait until her husband appears; her
decisions will be more understand-
able then. And Watson’s young and
naive Irina appears both powerful
and helpless. She is determined to
return to Moscow, to work for her liv-
ing, to be happy. But no matter what
she does, she is left dissatisfied.
The three may appear static at
first, but their complexity and contra-
dictions keep audience members on
the edges of their seats. The charac-
ters are full of shades of gray, and it
is these shadows that make “Three
Sisters” truly come to life as the
audience discovers the characters’
Directly following the opening
number, the company showcased
their versatility in a piece that slowed
down the tempo a bit and created a
more intimate atmosphere with only
four dancers on stage. The quar-
tet incorporated both softer, fluid
movements and hip-hop-inspired
movements, blending the two quite
nicely.
Continuing the modern dance
feel, the next number was a capti-
vating duet set to Radiohead’s “Packt
like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Can.”
Dan Lurie ’11 and Joelle Murphy ’11
worked very well together, perform-
ing a powerful piece filled with sweep-
ing and strong motion.
A short duet interlude entitled
“Freak” picked the pace back up and
transitioned into a more hip-hop-ori-
ented dance number set to Beyonce’s
“Sweet Dreams.”
In these pieces, and throughout
the show, Fusion set a well-orga-
nized pace, alternating between the
slower, melodic and the faster-paced
pieces.
A great example of this controlled
and varied pacing came in the middle
desires, relationships and motiva-
tions.
The costumes complete this ef-
fect. Costume designer Alexander
Crane ’13.5 relied on pieces from
the Army and Navy Store, Salvation
Army and Main Stage theater to put
together an ensemble that truly cap-
tures the time period.
“It’s like a scavenger hunt,” Crane
said, remembering the hours spent
searching for dresses, shoes and
wedding rings.
Ritchie stressed the characters’
multidimensionality. “ ‘Three Sisters’
is a show that is done a lot,” he said.
“People get very attached to these
characters as being representative
of one characteristic, but there’s ...
more complexity.”
Max Posner ’11, who plays the
sisters’ brother Andrey, added that
though “Three Sisters” is a play often
covered in literature classes, “from
an intellectual point of view, acting
in this play is useless. I can’t play
a broken shell of a man.” Instead,
the actors had to discover aspects
about their characters’ humanity ex-
tending beyond their conventional
symbolism, oftentimes glossed over
in academia.
“Each of the sisters is perceived
as possessing one characteristic,”
Garrison said. “You have to find the
bridge between yourself and your
horrendously bitchy character.”
At Irina’s 20th birthday party, the
women meet the new colonel battery
commander, Vershinin, played by
Evan Smith ’11. Once they discover
he is from Moscow — the big city
— they assail him with questions.
Having lived in the city for so long,
though, Vershinin appreciates the
family’s country lifestyle.
Vershinin also has an obsession
with the future. He imagines a place
that is truly happy, unlike the Russia
Friday, March 12, 2010 | Page 5
of the show with an all-girl number
composed of four songs, including
“Make It Rain” by Usher and Moni-
ca’s “So Gone.” As the songs in the
number changed in tempo, so did
the dancers’ movements, creating
a piece that was varied in sight and
sound.
In the latter half of the show, a
powerful duet took the stage, dancing
to Marketa Irglova’s song “The Hill.”
With flawless partner lifts and grace-
ful movements, Danielle Lo ’13 and
Stephen Ursprung ’10 commanded
the stage with passion.
One of the highlights in the show
was the senior performance piece,
“You are Dismissed,” which blended
dance styles, including boy band
moves set to ’N Sync and Lady Gaga-
esque routines set to “Bad Romance.”
Exuding attitude and confidence, the
seniors kept the energy level very
high throughout their piece. Max Monn / Herald
In the final number, the whole The Fusion Dance Company presents an eclectic mix of dance and
musical styles at its show, which runs through Sunday.
company came onto the stage with
a burst of energy, dancing to Ke$ha’s was extremely energetic and fun, a the audience to come away from the
“TiK ToK,” and creating a commu- great way to end the show. show feeling that “dance is accessible
nal party-like atmosphere among the Alyssa Thelemaque ’12, the to them too, because dance is for
dancers and the audience. The piece group’s publicity chair, said she wants everyone.”
he knows today. He is an idealist, so badly to accomplish something Jonathan Gordon ’13 plays Chebu-
believing a utopia could truly exist but cannot escape his life in the vil- tykin, the doctor who lives with the
in the next two or three hundred lage, or get the upper hand in his Prozorovs and acts as the girls’ loving
years. marriage. Posner does a wonderful grandfather, constantly doting on
Vershinin’s intelligence and job encapsulating his character’s them. But even he, who is always
charm sweep Masha off her dissat- simultaneous frustration and res- smiling, has to question this world
isfied feet. Her husband Kulygin, ignation. full of sadness and empty dreams.
played by Justin Kuritzkes ’12, leaves Irina’s love interests — the moody Despite the heavy nature of the
something to be desired in the intel- Solyony and the young, affable Baron, play, Ritchie was determined to infuse
ligence category. Kulygin’s comical played respectively by Gerrit Thur- the acts with just the right amount of
ignorance allows the audience to ston ’13 and Ned Riseley ’12 — both comic relief. “It was very important
forgive even his neglect of Masha’s deliver strong performances that to me that we found the humor and
obvious displeasure. highlight Irina’s despair. Both men the lightness, what you can admire
Another unhappy couple is An- may love her, but she cannot commit about the characters,” he said.
drey and his zany, fast-talking and herself fully to either, for her one true Ritchie’s success came from a
controlling wife, Natasha, played by desire is to get to Moscow. “super-collaborative effort from top
Jessica Goldschmidt ’10.5. The two “My soul is like a locked piano,” to bottom,” he said. “Everyone’s
start off happily in love, but their she says, “and the keys are lost.” important — Brown’s the kind of
relationship deteriorates. In effect, all of the characters are place where you can get eight ran-
“There’s so little eye contact with in a similar boat. Trapped in this dom people in a room and have them
the spouses,” Goldschmidt said. “It small town where change is simply be fantastic.”
definitely says something about their an illusion and dreams fade with each “This show requires a lot of ef-
relationships.” passing day, the characters can only fort and a lot focus,” he added. “We
Posner’s Andrey is one of the reiterate that they will return to Mos- got a great cast and I’m blown away
most complex characters. He wants cow. But will they ever? every day.”
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald

Page 6 | Friday, March 12, 2010

l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r

Don’t discontinue first-pick

contest — improve it
To the Editor:
A recent article (“First-pick con-
test causes controversy,” March 8)
mentioned the possibility that the
competition will be discontinued.
I strongly believe this is unneces-
sary. As one of this year’s entrants,
I write to suggest improvements for
future years.
Live voting at the screening
makes it too easy and tempting to
cheat. If this is to be continued, there
should be some way to prevent re-
peat voting. Possible solutions in-
clude requiring writing one’s Banner
ID, or stamping each person’s hand
after he or she returns the ballot.
Many complaints are about the
degree and style of campaigning.
While this aspect reflects the com-
petitors’ commitment, quality of the
video should be the larger determi-
nant. To help retain primary focus on
the videos, there could be a require-
ment for every student to log in and
watch the entire video before he or
she is provided access to voting on
the site, ensuring informed voting.
ResCouncil should also establish
rules on acceptable vote-getting
methods, clearly defining what does
and does not constitute as bribery.
As a high turnout is desirable,
ResCouncil could publicize the com-
petition more, such as sending a
mass e-mail when voting opens. A
reasonable incentive to participate
could be offered, such as entering all
voters in a raffle for Spring Weekend
tickets, regardless of which video
they chose.
ResCouncil has done well in not
overly stringently applying the rules,
as they need not be set in stone.
However, applied correctly, these
proposed rules would help greatly
in upholding the spirit of the com-
petition and satisfying the student
body. My friends and I greatly en-
joyed making our video and attend- julia streuli
ing the screening, as I’m sure did
others. The first pick competition,
with some improvements, can still e d i to r i a l
serve its purpose well.
Tanya Nguyen ’13 Time for a change
March 9
In an age of constant advancements in Internet opportunity not simply to correct current problems
technology, we’re glad to see Brown make efforts with the Web site, but to design something innovative
to upgrade its Web-based services. During the past and distinctive — in other words, something that will
year, the University has abandoned outdated systems still be cool and navigable in five years.

Letters, please! in favor of newer, more efficient ones.

Computing and Information Services switched
Although the University has already hired an
external consulting firm, the redesign team should
the school’s e-mail servers from Microsoft Exchange still enlist the vast creativity of Brown’s students and
letters@browndailyherald.com to Google’s Gmail service, a move that will save the faculty. We suggest that the University announce
University millions of dollars and greatly increase a design competition. Students, interested faculty
inbox capacity. More recently, CIS announced plans and staff members could submit designs and the
to launch the Brown Course Scheduler, a Mocha- winning entry would be the starting point for the
t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d inspired update to the sterile and convoluted Ban- new Web site. This sort of competition would give
ner system that will allow students to browse and the University access to a wealth of ideas and talent
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors
Ellen Cushing register for courses through a more user-friendly while also allowing community members to have a
George Miller Chaz Kelsh Sophia Li
Emmy Liss Seth Motel interface. voice in the redesign process.
Joanna Wohlmuth
We applaud the University for working to improve Innovation has arisen from collaboration with
editorial Business
General Managers Office Manager its Web presence, adapt to advancements in technol- students in the past. Input from the students who
Anne Speyer Arts & Culture Editor
Suzannah Weiss Arts & Culture Editor Claire Kiely Shawn Reilly ogy and respond to concerns raised by students and originally designed Mocha was crucial in the cre-
Brian Mastroianni Features Editor Katie Koh faculty. The Herald reported Friday that members of ation of the course scheduler, CIS Vice President
Hannah Moser Features Editor Directors
Brigitta Greene Metro Editor Kelly Wess Sales Brown’s administration and information technology Michael Pickett told the editorial page board. In
Ben Schreckinger Metro Editor Matthew Burrows Finance staff will now turn their attention towards revamp- fact, those students were asked to design the new
Sydney Ember News Editor Margaret Watson Client Relations
Nicole Friedman News Editor Christiana Stephenson Alumni Relations
ing the University’s main Web page — a plan we system and make Mocha’s features compatible with
Dan Alexander Sports Editor strongly endorse. Banner, though they ultimately declined because of
Andrew Braca Asst. Sports Editor Managers
Many people find the current homepage difficult time constraints.
Han Cui Asst. Sports Editor Arjun Vaidya Local Sales
Marco deLeon National Sales to navigate, a problem that Director of Web Commu- We’re excited about the progress the University
Graphics & Photos Aditi Bhatia University Sales nications Scott Turner acknowledged in an interview has made in improving its Web services and we look
Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Jared Davis University Sales
Alex Yuly Graphics Editor Trenten Nelson-Rivers Recruiter Sales with the editorial page board. The aesthetics and forward to seeing the design process play out. The
Nick Sinnott-Armstrong Photo Editor Maximillian Barrows Business Operations practicality of the sliding montage on the homepage only other suggestion we’d make is to avoid any
Max Monn Asst. Photo Editor Jilyn Chao Sales Analytics
Jonathan Bateman Sports Photo Editor Alexander Carrere Special Projects are debatable, and the overall layout could certainly videos of students singing about why they chose
Kathy Bui Staff be more welcoming. Indeed, Brown currently trails Brown. For some reason we just can’t figure out,
Production Opinions the rest of the Ivy League in the number of “unique Yale’s admission office tried to do this. The result was
Kelly Mallahan Copy Desk Chief Michael Fitzpatrick Opinions Editor
Jordan Mainzer Asst. Copy Desk Chief Alyssa Ratledge Opinions Editor web visitors” per month, according to a March 5 a 17-minute production that can only be described
Marlee Bruning Design Editor
Editorial Page Board article in The Herald. as frightening. They’ve set the bar for Web-based
Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor Matt Aks Editorial Page Editor The homepage is often the first introduction to outreach pretty low, and we know Brown’s new
Julien Ouellet Asst. Design Editor Debbie Lehmann Board member
Neal Poole Web Editor William Martin
Brown for prospective students and parents, so it’s homepage will exceed it easily.
Board member
Melissa Shube Board member crucial to have a Web site that is visually appealing
Post- magazine Gaurie Tilak Board member and easy to use. The other recent online changes in-
Marshall Katheder Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Topaz Board member
volving e-mail and course registration were adaptive Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board.
Rebecca Ballhaus, Julien Ouellet, Designers fixes. But we hope that the University will use this Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
Mrinal Kapoor, Matthew Lim, Joe Milner, Kate-lyn Scott, Becky Specking, Copy Editors
Alicia Chen, Brian Mastroianni, Claire Peracchio, Anne Speyer, Night Editors
Senior Staff Writers Ana Alvarez, Alexander Bell, Alicia Chen, Max Godnick, Talia Kagan,
C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy
Sarah Mancone, Heeyoung Min, Kate Monks, Claire Peracchio, Goda Thangada, Caitlin Trujillo
Staff Writers Anna Andreeva, Shara Azad, Nicole Boucher, Kristina Fazzalaro, Miriam Furst,
The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Correc-
Anish Gonchigar, Sarah Julian, Matthew Klebanoff, Sara Luxenberg, Anita Mathews, Mark tions may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.
Raymond, Luisa Robledo, Emily Rosen, Bradley Silverman, Anne Simons, Sara Sunshine C ommentary P O L I C Y
Senior Sales Staff Katie Galvin, Liana Nisimova, Isha Gulati, Alex Neff, Michael Ejike, The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily
Samantha Wong reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.
Design Staff Rebecca Ballhaus, Caleigh Forbes, Gili Kliger, Leor Shtull-Leber, Katie Wilson L etters to the E ditor P olicy
Web Staff Andrew Chen, Warren Jin, Claire Kwong, Michael Marttila, Jeffrey Matteis, Ethan
Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for
Richman
length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may
Photo Staff Qidong Chen, Janine Cheng, Alex DePaoli, Frederic Lu, Quinn Savit
Copy Editors Nicole Boucher, Sarah Forman, Claire Gianotti, Christine Joyce, Sara Luxenberg, 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.
Abigail Kersen, Alexandra Macfarlane, Joe Milner, Lindor Qunaj, Carmen Shulman, Carolina advertising P olicy
Veltri The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
Opinions
The Brown Daily Herald
mIKE JOHNSON
Opinions Columnist
As a columnist, I read The Herald’s Opin-
ions page to see what my colleagues have to
say. As a student, I read the Opinions page
because, well, it’s darn good theater. Col-
umn after column exposes a perceived in-
justice on campus, and the timeless practice
of rhetoric oozes from the pages like hollan-
daise off of a poached egg.
These columns get my blood pumping
every morning, and sometimes I’m moved
to the point of pulling a Joe Wilson in the
middle of the V-Dub. But here I’m going to
buck the trend, and talk about how great
Brown is, because as one of the happiest
students in the country, according to the
Princeton Review, I like it here — a lot.
Brown is a very accepting campus — we
have Sex Power God, for goodness sake —
and tolerance and openness seep from stu-
dents on a daily basis, as if we were all made
of sunshine. We have fervent debates be-
tween two sides which may seem irreconcil-
able, and we may never see where the other
side is coming from, but we all agree and
accept the fact that these debates can only
happen here, at Brown.
The administration is actually helpful,
unlike at other universities. After many ap-
peals, the University now listens to our
elected bodies and takes our concerns into
Lady Gaga — a feminist icon?
ABIGAIL CHANCE
Guest Columnist
I have to admit, somewhat shamefully, that
I’ve been seduced by the Ga. At first it was
easy to write her off simply because of the
mainstream popularity of her unapologeti-
cally catchy anthems and her provocative
costumes. However, given a closer look, there
seems to be something much more to this
new pop sensation that has taken over the
music industry — and campus dance parties
— by storm.
Is she a feminist icon? I wouldn’t exactly
take it that far. Nevertheless, as an openly
queer woman who critiques double standards,
restrictive gender roles, and the “unnatural”
pursuit of the feminine ideal in her music and
“performance art,” she has instigated several
important discussions about gender and sexu-
ality in mainstream culture. By embodying
the very thing she is critiquing, she is both
empowered and objectified, celebrated and
criticized within feminist and queer circles.
Unlike other celebrities who project “unat-
tainable sensuality,” Gaga positions herself
somewhere between “the desirable and the
grotesque” with her own “ideal” looks (blonde,
thin, big breasts) and outlandish costumes, a
la photographer Cindy Sherman.
In the past, Gaga has avoided associations
with the term feminism, even by perpetuating
the negative, man-hating feminist stereotype
in some of her earlier interviews. Although
historically it has had limiting definitions,
today feminism is multi-faceted and constantly
evolving, and should not be reduced to a ste-
reotype or confused with misandry. In one
We’ve got it good
account. In recent cost-cutting endeavors,
the University strayed from cutting varsi-
ty sports in favor of streamlining other ar-
eas, in an effort to protect the student body.
There are other schools that haven’t been as
lucky, losing big-name sports such as track
or soccer.
As vice president of the Brown University
Band, I’ve had many opportunities to work
with our athletic department, and they’ve
been incredibly helpful and courteous to-
wards not only us, but to visiting bands as
Brown is a very accepting campus — we have
Sex Power God, for goodness’ sake.
well. The culture of dialogue and tolerance
we appreciate at Brown isn’t present at oth-
er schools, as evidenced by the Band’s re-
cent away trip to Quinnipiac University and
Princeton.
Quinnipiac is one of the most intoler-
ant places you could ever spend a night. As
most Brown students are aware, the Band
is an irreverent, loud and sometimes obnox-
ious organization that supports all things
Brown. Apparently, to the students of Quin-
interview, Gaga adamantly espouses feminist
ideas, critiquing the double standard in the
music industry, but then exclaims, “I’m not a
feminist — I, I hail men, I love men. I celebrate
American male culture, and beer, and bars
and muscle cars...” Her statement is outra-
geous and clearly not the voice of a feminist
role model; however, it is important to note
that this reduction, not only of “American
By embodying the very thing she is critiquing,
she is both empowered and objectified,
celebrated and criticized within feminist and
queer circles.
male culture,” but also of the very movement
that allows her the freedoms she has today,
is (probably) tongue-in-cheek and should be
taken with a grain of salt. She is a young per-
former, a character and notoriously known
for mocking interviewers.
Regarding her sexuality, Gaga told a gay
magazine in 2008 that she identified as bi-
sexual. Since then she has been more cautious
about labeling herself because of the way the
media spun her sexuality. Recently she has
been criticized within the queer community
for saying that her “attraction to women is
purely physical” (Rolling Stone, June 2009)
and admitting she’s had nothing more than a
sexual relationship with a woman.
nipiac, this is a crime against humanity.
We found ourselves the targets of increas-
ingly derogatory slurs, which do not bear
repeating here, but were extremely disre-
spectful and classless, and were usually aimed
at select individuals in the Band who I assume
looked like easy prey. The girls in the Band
were harassed, and the boys in the Band
were derided. Joining in on these insults
were the most unlikely of people, including
school-sponsored mascots, parents and other
members of the Quinnipiac community.
As the game continued, these taunts and
intimidations turned violent. One student
was escorted from the building for physically
striking a trumpet player’s instrument while
she was playing it. Thankfully, no one was
seriously injured, but it’s the most unsafe
I’ve ever felt, and I’ve walked through some
pretty dark alleys.
At Princeton, the community was much
more welcoming, but the administration was
still very insensitive to the needs of its stu-
Although this is further perpetuating the
negative stereotypes of the already controver-
sial topic of female bisexuality — that men are
for relationships and women are simply for fun
or “experimentation” — does she really need
to prove her sexuality to be part of the “team”?
Her visibility as an openly queer artist is still
(unfortunately) a huge step in mainstream
society. She is first and foremost a pop star,
not an activist. Just as it is unproductive to
impose a feminist label on her, she should
not be held up to the same expectations as
an LGBTQ role model.
Luckily, with maturity, Gaga seems to have
begun to understand her position and the
power of her voice in mainstream pop culture.
In the past, she left her intended visual and
musical messages unclear and up for (mis)
interpretation, especially by young women
who understood her explicit, sexy image in
the context of the restrictive, heteronormative
mainstream culture (i.e. sexual attractiveness
to men).
In a recent Los Angeles Times interview,
Gaga finally discussed her self-identified, femi-
Friday, March 12, 2010 | Page 7
dents and those visiting. The Band found itself
forced into the back corner of the rafters of
their arena, with the excuse “Oops, we double-
booked your section.”
When we tried to appeal to someone
higher in the hierarchy than the security
guard, we were refused. When the friendly
Princeton community tried to assist by mov-
ing to different seats, they were refused. The
Princeton Band, which is one of the friendliest
groups we’ve worked with, could only shrug
their shoulders and say, “They do this all the
time.” Would either of these mind-numbing
and inexplicable situations have occurred on
College Hill?
It’s important that, while we enjoy getting
frothy at the mouth over the latest Corpora-
tion meeting, we must realize they’re actually
not all that terrible and anti-fun. More often
than not, the University acts with the interest
of all students at heart, not just those who
attend Brown.
Consider it a blessing that we actually see
our president around campus, rather than
sitting in her ivory tower. Appreciate that
she seems to genuinely like working here,
interacting with students and the community.
Revel in the fact that visiting students need
not submit to draconian sign-in policies just
to enter the dorm after we treat them to the
splendor that is Ratty brunch. Realize that
man, do we have it good.
Mike Johnson ’11 is ever true.
nist leanings, including general gender and
sexuality issues as well as the conscious per-
formance in her own work. Gaga explains the
significance of some of her visual and musical
messages, including the bisexual references in
“Poker Face” and her message about “how the
entertainment industry can, in a metaphorical
way, simulate human trafficking — products
being sold, the woman perceived as a commod-
ity” in her “Bad Romance” music video. Gaga
exclaims, “Being a woman in the pop world,
sexuality is half poison and half liberation”
as she both takes advantage of and critiques
mainstream culture.
If one is looking for empowered women in
the industry, it is true that there are others
who deserve more attention, such as Tori
Amos, Ani Difranco and Annie Lennox, who
address issues of gender and sexuality with-
out showing off their asses. Furthermore, as
a friend of mine pointed out, appropriating
feminine grotesque/femme fatale as a com-
modification of female sexuality is not original,
and has already been done by individuals
such as Madonna and Peaches. The lack of
positive portrayals of female sexuality in pop
culture is clearly a problem, but is Lady Gaga
really filling the void? Our standards have to
be much higher than that.
So let me ask the question again: is Lady
Gaga a feminist icon? I don’t think so. She is
definitely not a Riot Grrrl, but she has success-
fully infiltrated the mainstream, which has had
several (positive and negative) implications for
gender and sexuality in pop culture.
Abigail Chance ’11 is a gender and
sexuality studies concentrator and
FemSex facilitator. She can be contact-
ed at abigail_chance@brown.edu.
 Today 2 Brown advertises with Facebook to day to m o r r o w

The Brown Daily Herald

New payroll initiative for U. employees

4
Friday, March 12, 2010
49 / 39 50 / 44
Page 8

s p o rt s a ro u n d t h e b e n d d i a m o n d s a n d c oa l

Women’s lacrosse will kick
off its Ivy League season against
Princeton on Saturday at 1 p.m. at
home.
Fencing will host the NCAA
Northeast Regional all day on
Sunday.
Men’s ice hockey will compete
in the ECAC Quarterfinal Series
hosted by Yale starting Friday at
7 p.m.
Men’s lacrosse will travel
to St. Joseph’s for a 1 p.m. game
Saturday. The Bears came off an
c a l e n da r
Today, March 12
6:00 P.m. — Haitian Film Festival: How
to Conquer America in One Night, Dany
Laferriere, MacMillan 117
8:00 P.M. — Brown University Orchestra
to perform Stravinsky, Prokofiev,
Sebelius; Sayles Hall
overtime victory over Hartford on
Wednesday, yielding a 1-1 record
on the young season.
The baseball team will continue
its road trip this weekend when it
travels to the University of South
Carolina for a three-game series,
starting tonight at 7 p.m., then
Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at
1:30 p.m.
The softball team will compete
in the Hampton University
tournament Friday through
Sunday.
tomorrow, march 13
7:00 P.M. — Sights and Sounds,
List 120
8:00 P.M. — Fusion Dance Company’s
27th Annual Show, Alumnae Hall
Auditorium
Diamond to the Providence-based company that
produces patches capable of dispensing three drugs
simultaneously. We have that, too — we call it a Spring
Weekend concert.
A diamond to Vlad the bat, whom Assistant Research
Professor of Neuroscience Seth Horowitz MS ’93 PhD
’97 called “the meanest bastard I’d ever met” — if
only so the laser-wielding bat shows mercy when he
finally escapes from the lab.
A diamond to Wesleyan for producing Spring Week-
end ’09 sensation Santigold and expected 2010 sell-
out MGMT (oh, and Dean of the College Katherine
Bergeron). Letting you have Ruth for a few hours
might be the least we can do.
Coal to GOP gubernatorial candidate John Robitaille,
who said he was “not used to speaking to such a small
group” — you obviously have not spent enough time
with the Brown Republicans.
Speaking of politics, coal to Providence mayoral can-
didate Chris Young, who says he might file a lawsuit
against the University for violating his constitutional
rights. Sounds like somebody’s just bitter because his
video wasn’t more popular at the first-pick contest.
An admiring diamond to Cornell’s men’s basketball
team, which might get a No. 11 seed in the NCAA
Tournament. We’re just happy when one of our teams
gets a No. 11 seed in an Ivy tournament.
A diamond to the University for securing federal
funds to renovate the greenhouse in time for Snoop
Dogg’s arrival on campus. We just want to make
sure we have the chance to grow him some ... flow-
ers. Speaking of which, someone should let Snoop
know that though we’re special, we’re not that type
of brownie. (But we do have a new joint degree
program.)
A very sunny diamond to the newly opened Faunce
steps. Coal to this weekend’s rain.
Want more D&C? Check out a retro-diamond from
1998 at blogdailyherald.com, and write your own at
diamondsandcoal.com.

menu comics
Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
Lunch — Bulgar-Stuffed Pepper, BBQ Lunch — Chicken Fingers, Vegan
Beef Sandwich, Grilled Key West Chick- Nuggets, Nacho Bar, Sticky Rice,
en, Butter Cookies Butter Cookies

Dinner — Toasted Ravioli with Sauce, Dinner — Fillet of Sole, Red Potato
Pasta and Seafood Medley, Chocolate Frittata, Orange Beef Pad Thai,
Cake Chocolate Cake

crossword

Island Republic | Kevin Grubb

Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

Fruitopia | Andy Kim