Professional Documents
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the Brown
vol. cxxii, no. 111
wednesday, november 28, 2012
since 1891
InsIde
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Get together
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Obamacare
R.I. to adopt unique state health care plan Page 8
Write on
Students scrawl away during National Novel Writing Month
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Following a spate of violence in the Gaza strip and other regions across Israel, Brown students confirmed last week that their study abroad programs would continue normal operations provided the violence did not escalate further. Last wednesday, Israel and the Palestinian militant group hamas agreed to a cease-fire, stemming the violence for the present. The Universitys monitoring of the situation due to the regions instability follows a string of decisions to evacuate students from various study abroad locations in the last few years. Since 2011, students have been evacuated from programs in egypt and tunisia due to political turmoil across the Middle east and from programs in Japan after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. every situation is different, said Kendall Brostuen, director of the office
of International Programs, who emphasized the need to obtain the most accurate and updated information possible when considering potentially threatening situations. But whether students are studying through Brown-affiliated programs or with programs offered through other universities, for all of us, the most important thing is the safety and security of the students, he said. evacuation protocol As with any kind of travel, there are inherent risks to consider when studying abroad, Brostuen said. Brown has established protocols in each of its programs abroad for addressing emergencies, and the office of International Programs remains in continuous contact with staff on site and on campus to ensure student safety. when vetting alternative programs not offered through Brown, one of the most important considerations is the existence of emergency ac/ / abroad page 5
Despite recent violence in israel, the two students studying abroad there have remained in the country as the university monitors the situation.
The implementation of the Bear Bucks system has been deemed successful by the University, said Scott Thacher, director of information technology for campus life and student services. Bear Bucks, a debit card-like system, replaced the declining balance system in February. Bear Bucks are used for laundry and are also accepted at campus eateries, the University bookstore and cafe and printing stations. while Campus Life and Student Services and the Undergraduate Council of Students are still addressing concerns over the Bear Bucks system, Thacher cited reliability, functionality, student access and an expanded use of the swipe system be-
yond laundry as key advantages over the now defunct declining balance swipe system. eight ValuePort III Machines, the vending hub where students can load their ID cards with Bear Bucks, have been installed in various locations throughout campus. This is a significant increase from the three Card-Value Center machines that were previously available under the declining balance system. I put enough money on the card for each laundry swipe, and the (ValuePort III) machines are pretty convenient, said Michael riechmann 15. But some students said they still feel more machines could be installed. Theres a limited number of machines on campus, said Lucy Duan 16. Its annoying having to pay in cash.
Thacher said administrators were aware that the location of the Bear Bucks machines has been an issue for some students. he said the machines are pretty expensive, so before ordering more, Computing and Information Services will try redistributing them. Thacher said a benefit of the new system is the ability to track the daily traffic at each machine. CIS will monitor each machines use and reposition machines as needed, a procedure that was not possible with the old CVC machines. Another major difference between declining balance and Bear Bucks is the reliability that comes with the new system, Thacher said. none of the ValuePort III machines have required repairs yet, a significant improvement to the mechanical failures the CVC machines
constantly experienced, he said. Before we were constantly having the CVC machines go offline, Thacher said. They used old-fashioned mechanical readers. The dependability of the ValuePort III machines has greatly improved student experience and made it easier for students to do laundry. Last year I always paid with quarters because my vending stripe didnt work for some reason, said Jacob Laser 15. now refilling the card is so easy. The upgraded technology also allows students to track their balance history for the previous 30 days online through Banner. Because Bear Bucks are managed electronically, if students lose their cards, the money in their Bear Bucks account does not disappear, un/ / bucks page 2 like with the
Brown bears may be fond of honey, but this year another rhode Island campus is starting to reap the benefits of bees. This summer, rhode Island College installed two beehives on campus as part of its sustainability program, making it the first institution of higher education in the state to do so. The initiative, which is concluding its first semester, aims to raise awareness among the student body and educate the public about beekeepings role in promoting sustainability. Though in its beginning stages, the project is geared toward growing the tight-knit community of beekeepers in Providence and the state.
feature
rhode island Colleges new beekeeping initiative aims to promote sustainability and grow the Providence beekeeping community.
Sweet beginnings Beekeeping is a tradition that dates back to prehistoric times, when humans would gather honey from wild
bee colonies for food, often destroying the hive in the process. todays system is much less destructive. Bees populate artificial hives, from which honey can be extracted without destroying the bees home, allowing them to continue producing honey in the same cells. Modern beekeeping is a worldwide endeavor, with hives in rural and urban communities alike. even academic communities have adopted beehives, including the University of California at Davis, Arizona State University and a handful of institutions in the northeast. But beekeeping is challenging, with the bee population down by 30 percent in the past 20 to 25 years, according to rIC Sustainability Coordinator James Murphy. Proponents of enterprises like urban beekeeping and rICs new beekeeping initiative hope to raise understanding of that trend and reverse its progress. a sticky situation / / bees page 2 the idea
Discussing the possibility of the University and its peer institutions developing online education programs, richard Bungiro, lecturer in biology, likened the process to taking a leap into a swimming pool. were all worried about how cold the water is, and were wondering whos going to jump in first, Bungiro said. MIt jumped in the pool a while ago, said Professor emeritus of Chemistry James Baird. Stanford, harvard wed better jump in fast. Chairpersons of four strategic planning committees created to guide President Christina Paxsons long-term goals for the University presented new committee updates in areas including online education, educational innovation and faculty expansion during the Brown University Community Council meeting tuesday. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron gave a report from the educational Innovation Committee, discussing the committees work identifying and supporting innovative programs within the University. Bergeron said the University is in talks with the Swearer Center for Public Service to create programs to better integrate public service with academics. we began taking up some of their ideas for larger initiative and engaged scholarship at Brown, she said. Though details were sparse, Bergeron also spoke about the committees investigation of international education, developing / / online page 4 the Program
2 campus news
C alendar
TODAY 8P .m. Speeddating and Friendfinding Hillel 10 P .m. Jazz Jam The Underground 7:45 P .m. Brown Unheard Open Mic Night The Underground NOV. 28 TOmORROW 5:30 P .m. Peer-to-Peer Internship Fair Campus Center NOV. 29
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for the rIC beehives first came to life far from home, said Carolyn FluehrLobban, professor emeritus of anthropology at rIC. Fluehr-Lobban, a current beekeeper and secretary of the rhode Island Beekeepers Association, said she was first inspired by beehives she saw on the UC Davis campus when she visited her daughter, who lives in Sacramento. It was just so cool to see the bees out there in that campus environment, she said. youd see bees on all these flowering trees. After visiting other beekeeping universities, Fluehr-Lobban said she began to research institutions with beehives on campus, of which there were only a handful. It was then that she thought of bringing hives to rICs campus. we have 150 acres on campus, she said. Theres a lot of green space, so I thought this would really work out. Fluehr-Lobban brought the idea to rIC President nancy Carriuolo, who Fluehr-Lobban said was enthusiastic about the idea and encouraged her to proceed. with a donation of beehives from current and former rIBA presidents Jeff McGuire and everett Zurlinden, plans were made to install the hives near a newly restored cottage on campus. But the location, near a student parking area, raised safety concerns despite bees relatively defensive nature, Fluehr-Lobban said. The danger is almost nothing so long as the bees are not provoked, Fluehr-Lobban said. But the risk was not understood, and hives were relocated to the east side of campus. now located near rICs school of social work, the beehives seem topi-
cally relevant, though more distant. Despite the relocation, the new home for the hives is still accessible, though theres not a lot of foot traffic around them, Murphy said. we go to the bees, not the other way around. Waxing up Despite much of the anxiety that surrounds bees, beekeeping is a peaceful enterprise, Murphy said. Ive never been stung, said Murphy, who is learning to take care of the bees for the first time. Theyre very docile creatures when you go in and do what you have to do. Murphy is learning to care for the bees under the guidance of rIC alums and rIBA members Scott and emily Langlais, who live nearby and are beekeepers themselves. now in their fourth year of beekeeping, the Langlais couple run a tumblr dedicated to the hobby to update friends and family without bombarding them with mass emails, Scott Langlais wrote in an email to The herald. The blog, which can be found at provbees.tumblr.com, features tips and information about beekeeping drawn from the couples own experience. Though bees often follow a predictable pattern, beekeeping is a rewarding experience, Langlais wrote. As predictable as the bees behavior may be, you can never fully control everything else that impacts the colony, he wrote. They really keep you on your toes, but that contributes to the fun of learning. The school currently houses two Langstroth hives a type of hive that consists of boxes with removable frames secluded behind a metal fence. The fence itself sports a cartoony sign of a beehive with the words CAUtIon: Beehives / Do not enter hive Area illustrated in cheerful Comic Sans font. The two
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hives each have about 10,000 to 15,000 bees, each with one queen bee, named Queens Latifah and Bee-atrice respectively. Since the hives installation, the beekeepers have hosted workshops about beekeeping and occasional field trips for an elementary school located on the rIC campus. Few students have ventured behind the fence so far especially as temperatures have dropped and the bees have retreated to the relative warmth of the hive. Buzz to the future The spring, Murphy said, heralds more involvement with the beehives on campus to promote sustainability. A community garden now sits near the hives to benefit from the bees pollination, and the college has plans to use the honey from the hives about 25 to 50 pounds in the dining center next year. Murphy said the college also is considering using the beeswax in its arts programs, though that remains open to consideration. I dont think were going to get into selling the product as we are using it and learning from it, Murphy said. The overarching goal, though, is public education. The bees are still relatively new, Murphy said. were in the process of putting together educational programming for them. Murphy said the college is planning lectures in late February and March to teach more students about beekeeping, and the rIBA will hold Bee Schools public workshops to educate community members about urban beekeeping to promote awareness as well. But the future, Murphy said, remains open for rICs new buzzing neighbors. everythings on the table, he said.
LunCH
Mild Buffalo Wings, BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Sundried Tomato Calzone, Sweet Potato Fries, BBQ Navy Beans Shaved Steak Sandwich with Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions, Falafel, Steak Fries, M&M Cookies
Dinner
Pumpkin Ravioli with Cream Sauce, Grilled Boneless Pork Chop with Applesauce, Red Flannel Hash Grilled Chicken Cilantro, Mexican Cornbread Casserole, Herb Rice, Stewed Tomatoes, Caesar Salad
Sudoku
CroSSWord
/ / bucks page 1
declining balance system. An additional perk of the Bear Bucks system is the availability of help for students who are adjusting to the transition. Students can now call the Bear Bucks help line if they are having issues with their account. UCS is also working to address concerns about the new system. In UCSs annual fall poll, a number of questions focused on student opinion of Bear Bucks. The Admissions and Student Service Committee is the UCS group primarily responsible for improving the system. Though the results of the poll have not yet been released, UCS is aiming to identify the flaws of the system and collaborate with administrators to guarantee a better student experience,
Abigail Braiman 15, chair of the ASS Committee, wrote in an email to The herald. weve addressed complaints about the Pembroke printing machine not working, printing station release issues, laundry vending issues, locations of ValuePort machines and the new Bear Bucks support system infrastructure, Braiman wrote. The most recent initiative the ASS committee completed was implementing the LaundryView system, a wireless program designed to notify users when laundry machines are in use, Braiman wrote. Switching to the Bear Bucks system prompted the installation of approximately 300 energy-efficient washers and dryers throughout campus over the summer. tangible benefits from
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the Brown
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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 2012 by The Brown Daily herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
these updated machines can be seen on the LaundryView website, which shows how much water has been saved because of the new machines. As of yesterday, 330,915 gallons of water had been saved since the beginning of the semester. CISs most recent initiative was installing Bear Bucks swipe access onto 31 snack machines located around campus. Beverage vending machines will be the next to transition to Bear Bucks access, and Thacher said he hopes this initiative will be completed over winter recess. Bear Bucks accounts will transition to a portal system similar to Banner that will encompass a mobile component, so students can track their accounts on their cellular devices. Faculty and staff members will also have access to this portal and be able to create a Bear Bucks account, Thacher said. we really want to reach out to faculty and staff because right now they dont have access to Banner so its hard for them to have an account, he said.
edItorIal
bUsIness
campus news 3
hIgher ed ne ws r ounduP
By maddIe Ber g senIor staff wrIter
uCs seeks to increase its ties with student governments at local colleges. uCs has joined with other colleges previously to take joint stances against student loan increases and legislation proposing students pay a tax.
The Undergraduate Council of Students is working to strengthen relationships between Browns student government and similar bodies at nearby institutions through increased collaboration. UCS has previously signed on in support of joint initiatives with other universities, but UCS current outreach efforts are intended to forge stronger ties between students, said UCS President Anthony white 13. UCS members met last month with the rhode Island School of Design Student Alliance to discuss further efforts to work together on issues concerning both schools. Brown and rISD students have teamed up since 2002 to participate in the Solar Decathlon, a U.S. Department of energy-sponsored event that challenges college teams to create solar-powered homes. But it has been difficult to convince Brown students outside of the engineering department that they have a role to play in the competition, said rISD Student Alliance President Alexander Dale, adding that UCS seemed interested in raising the decathlons profile at both schools. Both schools bring so much to the table, Dale said. For that reason, he has also discussed UCS and the Student Alliance jointly hosting an event for students. one proposed event was a lawn party on Benefit Street, Student Activities Chair Alexander Kaplan 14 wrote in an email to The herald. Dale said Crossroads, an event last year that brought Brown and rISD students together for music and improv performances, was not conducive to conversation and forming relationships. Club sports have also been a point of discussion. Some rISD students play on club teams at Brown, though this is not officially allowed, Dale said. UCS and the Student Alliance are both looking into the rationale behind this rule and aim to open up discussion on it. UCS will also continue to develop its relationship with Providence College and the University of rhode Island, white said. Justin Gomes, Providence Colleges
Student Congress president, said his predecessor received an email from white urging student governments to co-sign a letter in opposition to proposed federal legislation to increase student loans interest rates. UrI also supported the statement. The letter stressed to Congress that loans were an essential issue for students in rhode Island. Students in Florida and California also voiced their opinions, so the response enhanced the chorus of voices in opposition, white said. The council also has a history of reaching out to other Providence schools in consultation with University administrators. In 2009, UCS and nearby student governments came together to discuss proposed city legislation to levy a $150 tax per semester on Providence students and to tax large non-profit institutions like colleges and universities at a rate of 25 percent of what they would pay if they were not tax-exempt. Then-mayor David Cicilline 83 invited student leaders to his home to discuss the tax as an enhanced contribution to the citys fiscal condition, said Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations. Diane Mokoro 11, UCS vice president-elect at the time, said the rising executive board of UCS reached out to
rISD, Johnson and wales and Providence College to discuss the implications of the tax. Ultimately, the student governments decided they didnt feel that (they) should make statements against what (their) university was doing, Mokoro said. Its an issue thats stretched beyond what our actual role is, she said. UCS worked with the University to gauge student perspectives and identify students who could testify about how they have given back to the community. The University decided the legislation would be counterproductive and act as a barrier to accessibility to college education, Quinn said. The eight schools that comprise the consortium of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of rhode Island took the same stance on the issue, said Dan egan, AICUrI president. Students can reap the benefits of all eight campuses, egan said. he added that he has considered the potential for a student-led group with representatives from each of the AICUrI institutions. neither piece of legislation was passed, demonstrating the tremendous value of combining diverse perspectives through collaboration, Quinn added.
4 campus news
/ / online page 1
in Liberal Medical education and promoting diversity. Bergeron said that the committee will be presenting its full ideas at a later time. we think that by the end of the semester we will have a cluster of very good ideas that we can put forward, she said. our plan was to bring forward a series of things that we can add on to what Brown does very well. University Librarian and Chair of the Committee on online teaching and Learning harriette hemmasi spoke about the committees exploration of new ideas related to expanding the Universitys presence in the world of internetbased education. This could be a very lazy committee, hemmasi said. If we just turn on the tV or radio every day we could be bombarded with new information about online teaching and online learning. The committee is trying to ask and answer unsolved questions about online education and what it means in a changing digital environment, hemmasi said. (were) looking at the connection between Browns open curriculum, what Brown thinks of as distinguishing itself and the principles of open education, hemmasi said. whats our responsibility to educate people locally as well as globally, and do we actually have a responsibility in the larger realm? In response to Bairds concerns that a large-scale online teaching environment makes it difficult for instructors to keep track of their students progress, Bergeron said many of the online platforms allow professors to interact with their students in meaningful ways through collaborative discussion forums. She shared the story of a Princeton instructor who taught her first online class. The teacher started with Bairds same worries, Bergeron said, but those fears were quickly erased. Peering into those discussion groups, she got a better sense of what students were thinking about these concepts than she was getting from her Princeton undergraduates, she said. The council discussed the possibility of flipping the traditional lecture-homework paradigm using online videos as well as opening up courses to Providence community members who then would also be able to meet regularly with faculty due to their close proximity to Brown. All of us are in the wild west together, hemmasi said. At the same time were riding around on our horses, were trying to get the cattle going in the same direction. Thats what makes it so exciting we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help shape it. russell Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy and chair of the committee charged with reimagining the Brown campus and community, spoke about the Universitys work trying to reconcile the physical separation between College hill and Jewelry District campuses and looking into how those two areas can be as seamless as possible. Carey said the University has purchased parking spots on olive and Benevolent Streets. The University will also turn 250 Jewelry District spaces essentially into a Brown parking lot, he said. Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin P12 presented the work of the Committee on Faculty recruitment, Career Development and retention. what kind of community is the Brown faculty going to be? he said. one of the things that is often said at Brown and about Brown by the faculty is that there is something that makes Brown special. That specialness is what we need to get a better description of and a better understanding of. McLaughlin spoke about attempting to increase diversity among faculty as well as the possibility of offering nonmonetary incentives such as a tuition benefit for faculty members who have children enrolled at Brown or at other universities. we did see a significant variance between Brown and its peers in tuition benefits, McLaughlin said. with the exception of harvard, which offers nothing, the benefit is significantly lesser at Brown than it is at its peers. Several current students expressed disappointment that the faculty committee does not have any undergraduate representatives, in contrast to the other strategic planning committees. There are a ton of students who I feel would be so interested in voicing their concerns, said BUCC member Marisabel Agosto 13. Undergraduate Council of Students President Anthony white 13 said after the meeting that though he was content with the work of the strategic planning committees, he shared Agostos concerns. More could be done, especially with the faculty committee, white said. I think its going to produce some substantial and valuable changes but I think it could be better.
By saraH PereLMan
Staff Writer
campus news 5
sors came to France to give a week of lectures he was scheduled to offer before the program was moved. once the students settled into toulouse, Forman said the programs facilitators really tried to stay with some of the themes that we were supposed to be learning in tunisia. while Forman needed to change some of her original plans, such as studying French instead of Arabic upon getting to toulouse, she said she is still getting a valuable study abroad experience. France has a large tunisian population, which has allowed her to get a different perspective on tunisian life and immigration, she said. Its made me incredibly grateful for the open curriculum that has gotten me to this point, Forman said, adding that Brown teaches this sense of flexibility and that its okay to take lessons from one experience and use them for another. In an effort to make up for the programs unexpected change of locations, the oIP is providing travel grants to support an independent research project that the Brown students will carry out in Morocco after they finish their time in toulouse. we were able to come up with a creative solution for students to engage in some way with north Africa, Brostuen said. egypt evacuation The last two years have yielded what seems to be a high number of natural disasters and displays of political unrest that have affected students abroad. At the end of January 2011, two Brown students were evacuated from Alexandria, egypt where they had been studying abroad through a Brown-approved alternate program offered by Middlebury College. The evacuations followed the continued protests surrounding the administration of then-President hosni Mubarak. Because Middlebury made the decision to evacuate the students near the beginning of the semester, Brown gave the two students the option of returning to campus for the remainder of the spring term. Thats how we were able to make the best of a difficult situation, Brostuen said. For the students, though, returning to campus after being evacuated was not ultimately the most feasible option. After a lot of thought, Amanda Labora 13 ended up deciding to take a leave of absence upon returning from egypt. I think that those around me, including myself, underestimated the emotional impact of that experience, she said. we did witness a lot of violence, and it was kind of a shocking thing to go through ... and I dont think I was even ready to process the experience at the time I came back, she added. Labora said she appreciated how much Brostuen and her professors and deans supported her throughout the process of getting home safely. Looking back, though, she said she wishes someone had followed up on how she was handling her experience personally. At the time, I honestly didnt realize the impact that it had had on me, she said. while the office of residential Life found an available dorm room and professors opened up spots in their courses for her, Labora said it was ultimately my choice to take a leave because I found it too difficult in the circumstance. I had these questions and nobody really knew the answer because this kind of thing hadnt happened before, she said. Losing control over the situation and having her expectations suddenly change was disconcerting, she added. Its really easy to assume that because everything turned out well, it was going to turn out well, and that wasnt necessarily the case, she said. After deciding not to return to Brown right away, Labora worked at an emergency room in Providence last April and is now continuing her courses on campus with plans to graduate this May.
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tion protocol, Brostuen said. recent technological advancements have enabled stronger and more constant communication of essential information, Brostuen said, noting that 10 years ago, it was not as easy to get (your) hands on information very quickly about whats happening around the world. he said a downside of such an instantaneous stream of information, made available through a variety of news services, is that theres also a tendency to sensationalize. The oIP primarily relies on sources such as the International SoS and the overseas Security Advisory Council for accurate, unbiased information, he said. Following the initial outbreak of violence in egypt, internet and cellphone communications were shut down, but program directors in the U.S. were able to maintain limited contact with the program in egypt through landline usage, The herald reported at the time. Amanda Labora 13, one of the students evacuated from Alexandria, said she also received a call at the airport from Brostuen to check in and to let her know the logistics of returning to complete the semester at Brown if she chose to do so. And when evacuating tunisia in September, Sarah Forman 13, a former herald senior staff writer, said she was able to text with a dean on call at Brown to help facilitate the transition to France where program participants were relocated. In areas that could potentially face a threat, the oIP depends especially on first-hand accounts of what is happening on the ground from on-site staff and personnel at the Brown-approved programs, Brostuen said. Both abroad and on campus, University officials and third-party officials are always monitoring the situation, he added. when unexpected instability arises that might result in evacuating students, the oIP relies on state department bulletins and follows the lead of those who are closest to things on the ground, Brostuen said. israel tensions The University most recently faced the potential need to evacuate students from Israel in light of increased unrest in the region earlier this month. But the two Brown students studying in tel Aviv and haifa are currently continuing with their programs. Though people are very shaken by the violence and political unrest across the country, Chelsea Feuchs 14 said she feels safe and that daily university life has gone on fairly normally. recent airstrikes have not been targeted at haifa. one of the things about coming to a region that experiences threat as frequently as Israel does is that their government and their universities are really, really well-equipped to handle student security as well as general national security, she said. Feuchs decided to study abroad at University of haifa because she wants to work as a Jewish professional, possibly as a rabbi in the future, she said. Israel was the place, and the only place, to do that. Some aspects of daily life are much affected by the countrys turmoil, she said. Because local Israelis have been called to the reserves Israels army is made up of civilians Feuchs said it has been difficult to have some of your best friends on campus one day and potentially in danger the next. haifa, where Feuchs is directly enrolled, has made it clear there is no need to evacuate at present. Feuchs said haifa has emphasized its commitment to international students
spending a semester in their program and that they will follow through on that promise. haifa is also taking necessary precautions and security measures and constantly monitoring the situation, she said. haifa and other host universities have been communicating regularly with Israeli security authorities, who act according to advisements from the Israel Defense Forces, Brostuen previously told The herald. Feuchs said she contacted the oIP when the potential to evacuate arose and communication between Brown and haifa has exceeded what she has seen herself. Theres reason to stay aware and reason to stay concerned, but not reason to completely alter your life, Feuchs said. Students at Ben Gurion University were recently evacuated from Beersheba, she said. The majority of information comes from the University of haifa, she said, but haifa is in ongoing contact with the oIP. If Brown determined it was no longer safe to stay in the country, she said she would listen to their recommendation. She said her experience studying in Israel has allowed her to understand the Israeli mindset and way of life more than I ever expected since conflict and threat and war is unfortunately a pretty frequent part of life in Israel. Seeing how people cope with the unrest and continue to carry on their everyday lives has given her an immersive experience, she said, adding that I dont feel that the conflict or the threat has detracted at all from that. A new york University program in tel Aviv has been suspended and students were evacuated to London Sunday, according to a nov. 20 Insidehighered article. Participating students were given the option of finishing the semester at nyU or one of several centers in London, Prague or Florence, according to the article. while the students were determined not to be in proximate or imminent danger, nyU wanted to avoid a situation where students would face challenges getting home later in the semester, wrote John Beckman, a nyU spokesman, in an email to Insidehighered. tunisia to toulouse A demonstration at the U.S. embassy in tunisia earlier this fall resulted in the evacuation of two Brown students who were taking part in an approved alternative program offered by the School for International training. After subsequent violence from the protests prompted the state department to place tunisia on the travel warning list, the program was moved to toulouse, France, where the students are now finishing out the remainder of the semester. Forman said the original goal was to return to tunisia after two weeks, but early in october, the program decided it that it was still too risky to go back. Forman said she was never in direct danger since the violence was not in the universitys immediate surroundings. Several students in the program left some of their belongings in tunisia because they initially were told that their move to toulouse was only temporary. Despite this and other minor inconveniences, Forman said the transition was relaxed and normal. Brown was ridiculously supportive and really, really helpful, she said. The director of the program in tunisia also accompanied the students to toulouse and will remain there for the duration of the program, and one of the profes-
ComiCS
Join the Club | simon henriques
6 editorial
The real cost of walmart
wheres the only place where one can easily purchase a dress shirt, a basketball and a tomato? The neighborhood walmart, of course. The worlds largest corporation and retailer has expanded at a rapid clip since its first store opened in Arkansas. The company, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, has come to exemplify the distinctly American corporate ethos, yet it is arguably one of the most un-American things that exists today. By its mere existence, walmart is a prime example of the dangers of unbridled growth. Consumers may benefit, but dont let walmarts slogan of everyday low prices mislead you. Theres a much higher price to pay for frequenting this corporation. After all, why support local businesses and pay more for a slightly higherquality good when we can just go to walmart? why bother about the plight of the walmart workers? If these workers find the conditions so difficult, cant they just leave their jobs and let others who are more willing fill in for them? In the end, walmarts just a store, right? These arguments fuel the walmart machine. The perennial top dog of the Fortune 500, walmart reaps profits of approximately $50 million each day and would rank among the worlds 25 largest economies if it were a country. These statistics are the result of Americans begrudging acceptance of walmart as necessary to maintain their standards of living. The obvious reason why people shop at walmart is to obtain everything they need in one place at low prices. But local businesses arent the only ones hurt by the perpetuation of this cycle. employees are made to work unreasonable hours without overtime pay, especially during days like Black Friday. workers health benefits are nearly useless, and their market-driven wages make it impossible for them to support themselves or their families. As a result, many workers who depend on their jobs at walmart for sustenance and cannot quit are forced to go on government welfare programs. The winning words Project estimates that with a dollar increase in wages for walmart workers, millions of tax dollars could be saved. If left unchecked, walmart will continue to stem local business growth and eventually stamp out the unique characteristics of the places where it sets up shop. recent failed nationwide strikes against walmart indicate that nothing short of a massive consumer exodus from walmart or government intervention will have any impact on its unchecked growth and dominance. It actually isnt an extreme thought to conceive of walmart as a monopoly, similar to Standard oil in the early 20th century. we find no legitimate reason as to why one family can amass the same wealth as the bottom 41.5 percent of U.S. families combined. each heir of the walton fortune would need to spend more than $350 million a year for the next 40 years to exhaust the familys $89.5 billion net worth. every member of society has an inalienable right to opportunity and life. But walmart doesnt actually do society a service. It does society a convenience, and its time that we learned that convenience sometimes comes at a cost. hopefully walmart can learn from Jim Sinegal, the chief executive officer of Costco, who takes prides in the retailers policy of paying an average hourly wage of $17 and the fact that it boasts one of the lowest rates of employee turnover for a retail store. Sinegal doesnt even claim that Costcos treatment of employees is motivated by altruistic reasons. rather, he said it is simply good business. walmart, by wielding such outsized power, would do society more than enough good by reaching out to the less fortunate and paying their workers a decent wage.
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opinions 7
terventionist state. David ricardo is not interested in free trade because of comparative advantage. That is a side-note to his real reason the need for capitalist economies to expand into new markets, or in other words, the capitalist need for colonialism and imperialism. Joseph Schumpeter, most famous for the principle of creative destruction, argues that capitalism is doomed to fail and will be replaced by socialism. of course, having only one theoretical method is not always a problem. There is only one main method used in the natuguessed randomly. And yet, even after their utter failure to even hint at the 2008 financial crisis, the fundamental theories of economics as they are taught today remain unquestioned. nor are legitimate alternatives being considered. And this is not because none exist. to name just a few major schools, there are the Marxists, the Austrian school and the neo-Keynesians. while these are not perfect, they have also not been disproven as some economics textbooks would have you believe. They all have answers to the classic critiques, the neoclassical Chicago school, which elaborated most of the major theories used in economics courses today. But the use of economics as a justification is much deeper than that. It justifies not only some of the nations current policies, but capitalism itself. This is as true for the neoclassicals as for the Keynesians who preceded them. Capitalism can afford to be criticized as racist, sexist, conducive to social stratification, fundamentally undemocratic, environmentally destructive and whatever else the other social sciences can throw at it. Members of the ruling class can always say they can change, and that the problems we are facing do not come from the capitalist system but from somewhere else. So long as they monopolize the study of the economic process it is very difficult for us to even begin to determine if and how characteristics inherent to capitalism create these problems. I am trying to study a theory that does this, Marxist economics, and I can tell you that it is almost impossible to get more than a cursory glance at how it works in any class at Brown. The need to make it difficult to blame capitalism for its inherent problems is why economics textbooks often seem more like propaganda for corporations and the wealthy than an account of reality. It is why the study of economics has been monopolized. luke lattanzi-silveus 14 is independently concentrating in Political economy in order to truly study economics and can be contacted at luke_lattanzi-silveus@brown.edu.
how is it that this very unreliable set of theories is taught at all, let alone uncontested?
ral sciences the scientific method and there is nothing wrong with that. The scientific method works. It has been shown time and time again to be correct and have a near perfect predictive ability. But the track record of economics is much less sterling. In fact, economists are notoriously unreliable in their predictions. A 20-year study conducted by Philip tetlock showed that economists are little better at predicting future outcomes than anyone else. In fact, when given three possible choices for the future increased growth, recession or growth continuing at the same rate economists actually did worse than if they had just
and I would argue many of them explain the recent crisis a lot better than the economics department. how is it that this very unreliable set of theories is taught at all, let alone uncontested? The answer lies in the usefulness of economics to the ruling class. In the 1970s, with the rise of corporate power, the capitalist class found itself able to push through an agenda of neoliberal reform. It destroyed unions and workers power, cut taxes, reduced spending on welfare programs and lifted restrictions on capital flight. In order to justify this, it promoted a set of ideas that claimed that what members were doing was good for everyone
nearly a month ago, former Amherst student Angie epifano published her horrifying account of being raped in The Amherst Student and the subsequent mistreatment she suffered at the hands of college administrators. If you havent read it yet, you owe it to her to do so. her revelations came in the wake of an Amherst fraternity printing t-shirts for its annual pig roast depicting a battered woman in her underwear roasting over a fire on a spit. Amherst, a supposed bastion of progressive thought, was unmasked, and its ugly core of misogyny was exposed. I am writing this column to tell you that what happened to Angie, from her rape to her experiences with an ignorant and unsympathetic counseling system, has happened here at Brown, another supposed haven for progressivism. A Brown student was raped. But she doesnt like to use the word rape because she doesnt want to be dubbed hysterical or weak or a liar like Angie was. So, she has resorted to the euphemism he had sex with me without my consent. She immediately took the steps that Brown health Services recommends. She reported her rape a day after it happened to Browns Psychological Services, which then sent her to a dean in the office of Student Life.
Brown administrators need to see the damage they are inflicting on their students with their current policies on sexual assault.
straining order, and though it stipulates that neither student is allowed to contact the other, they could still see each other anywhere on campus or in the city. eventually, she broke down. Just seeing her rapist triggered full-blown episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder. And while she was forced to take a medical leave, her rapist remained here as if nothing had happened. while he enjoyed his freedom, she had to listen to a psychiatrist who told her that at her age, she should want to have sex anyway. She also had to sit at home, unable yet to return to Brown while her rapist walked through the Van wickle Gates. given anything resembling a viable option to confront her rapist within the framework here at Brown. At Amherst, when epifanos story was published, President Biddy Martin called for an open meeting to discuss policies on sexual misconduct. within a week, the colleges policies had been overhauled. This same response is desperately needed here at Brown. President Paxson, this is your chance to make your first mark on our community. It is time to confront this issue on a systematic level as well. even if we change things here at Brown, which we must, how many times will this scenario have to replicate itself before we change the way we think about
daily herald
the Brown
By JuLie yue
ContriButinG Writer
feature
brown students, including aimee Lucido 13, pictured above, participated in nanowriMo, aiming to write 50,000-word stories by the months end. be easier to get dates as novelists. they began an annual tradition that has been going strong for 13 years. with some help from blogs and major media outlets like the Los Angeles times and national Public radio, the number of participants has multiplied to more than 200,000 since nanowriMos inception, and the once-local project has gone international. the month of the event also moved from July to november to more fully take advantage of the miserable weather, according to the website. the 50,000-word length requirement makes the end product a small novel, as works under 40,000 words are generally categorized as novellas. the work can be any genre of fiction, ranging from epic poems to fanfiction. Since this event is not a competition and the winners prize is self-fulfillment and a downloadable certificate these rules are more like guidelines. the three participants agreed the month was less about winning the downloadable certificate and more about the process of writing itself and the ability to end with a product to call their own. I wanted to do something that I didnt think I could do, wu said. Its challenging to express what I would feel, Gallagher said.If someone gave you $50,000 and you could touch it ... each of these (bills) is mine. thats how Im going to feel. Im going to look at the 50,000 words and feel these are my words.
sqrt r^2- x^2-y^2 is a sculpture by fahmina ahmed 13 that is based on the equation of a sphere.
By Maxine JoseLow
ContriButinG Writer
Science and art merged yesterday in a flurry of photography, sculpture and dance at the physics departments third annual Art Show. This was the best Art Show weve had so far, said Sara tortora, physics department manager. More people
attended the event this year because it was held in the bigger, brighter space of the Barus and holley lobby, instead of in the faculty lounge on the buildings seventh floor, tortora said. The lobby was abuzz with chatter as undergraduates, grad students,