Professional Documents
Culture Documents
84
Daily
By PhoeBe DraPer Contributing Writer
the Brown
Lifetime Faculty satisfied with Simmons U. restricts Oxford, Do you approve or disapprove of the emails on way Ruth Simmons is handling her job as Cambridge president of the University? horizon
By ShefaLi Luthra Senior Staff Writer
Herald
Since 1891
Conversion to a lifetime alumni email system has cost the University $75,000 so far, according to Todd Andrews 83, vice president for alumni relations. The program, which allows students to maintain their Brown Gmail accounts after they graduate, will officially launch early next semester. Making this investment is a very significant expenditure at a time when budgets are razor thin, Andrews wrote in an email to The Herald. Computing and Information Services traditionally deletes the University email accounts of graduates in late September, but CIS has allowed the accounts of the class of 2011 to remain active. Until this semester, alums had the option of registering for an email forwarding service, but only about 20,000 of 85,000 alums took advantage of it, Andrews wrote. With lifetime email, brown.edu accounts will automatically convert to alumni.brown.edu accounts and retain all the features of the students original email account. In particular, the program bencontinued on page 5
President Ruth Simmons approval rate among faculty is about 10 points above the most recent student approval rate, according to a Herald poll conducted among the faculty. About 73 percent of faculty
study abroad
Across disciplines, faculty from the sciences and social sciences were more likely to indicate that the ban should be lifted. About 41.1 percent of science faculty members and 51.2 percent of social science faculty members are in favor, compared to 27.1 percent of humanities faculty. Simmons is planning to make a recommendation about ROTC at this months Corporation meeting. If the University is considering changing ROTC policy, the revision
will likely come before the faculty for discussion and vote. ROTC, as an extracurricular activity, does not technically fall under faculty jurisdiction, but Simmons has previously said the University values faculty opinion on the topic. According to the poll, the proportion of humanities faculty members who spend most of their time teaching is about double that of continued on page 3
President Ruth Simmons said she prefers to avoid superficial labels about her identity.
President Ruth Simmons does not want to be revered simply for her race or gender. I dont talk a lot about role models, she said. Because the principle of it, I just dont believe in. She would prefer to be remembered as a president who worked hard for the University, built a pathway for Brown to the future and left something solid for the next president to build upon, she said. But, she said, her race and gender will forever influence how people perceive her and her tenure. While Im not insulted by that, I can in a clear-eyed way be aware that (my image) is different from what it would be for anybody serv-
ing in this position who does not bring those particular attributes, she said. Simmons is the first black president in the Ivy League and among its first female presidents. But she said those titles color her role more outside the University than within it. The interest in having her play a role in African-American society has been an expectation throughout her presidency, she said. While serving as president, Simmons formed the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, which researched the Universitys historical ties to the slave trade and made recommendations for how the University can acknowledge its past. Simmons also participated in an ancestry program at Harvard and discovered that her continued on page 2
The University will offer only fullyear study abroad programs at Oxford University and Cambridge University beginning next year. Students will no longer have the option to study abroad for one semester at those universities, and petitions for one-semester programs will not be approved. The decision was made to encourage students to benefit from a comprehensive immersion experience, said Kendall Brostuen, director of international programs and associate dean of the College. Until about nine years ago, Oxford and Cambridge did not offer a semester option at all, Brostuen said. The universities follow a trimester schedule, comprised of one eightweek term in the fall and two in the spring. Oxford and Cambridge operate under a tutorial system, through which students take two intensive classes per term in a focused area of study. This tradition of highly individualized and independent work is unique to Oxford and Cambridge, which is why Browns new policy applies specifically to these universities. Our aim is to expose more students to this system, respecting, at the same time, its traditional format for delivery, Brostuen said. Over the past five years, 44 students have spent a full year at one of the two universities, and 43 students have spent just a semester. Akash Shah 12, an economics concentrator who spent his junior year at Oxford, said it is 100 percent worthwhile to do a full year. Shah said he took the opportunity to go abroad in order to become a more global person and chose Oxford because its curriculum focuses on applying your skills rather than just taking a test. Theresa Lii 12, a neuroscience concentrator, spent a full year studying abroad at Cambridge. She said continued on page 5
weather
inside
t o d ay
tomorrow
64 / 56
72 / 60
2 Campus news
C AleNdAR
TODAY 4 p.m. Neuroimaging Studies of Interaction in Humans, Hunter 206 5 p.m. Teach-In on the Occupy Movement, Salomon 101 OCTObER 12 TOmORROW 2:30 p.m. The Future Partnership Between Japan and the U.S., Watson Institute 8 p.m. The Tempest, The Quiet Green OCTObER 13 By MiChaeL WeinStein Contributing Writer
MeNU
SHARpE REFECTORY Beef and Vegetarian Tacos, Vegetarian Mori Soba Noodles, Sweet Potato Fries VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH Italian Beef Noodle Casserole, Asparagus Quiche, Glazed Carrots, Chocolate Krinkle Cookies
DINNER Castle Hill Inn Pork Spare Ribs, Vegan Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, White and Wild Rice Pilaf Rotisserie Style Chicken, Sweet and Sour Tofu, Corn Cobbets, Squash Rolls, Fudge Bars
SUdOKU
Daily
the Brown
Herald
Matthew Burrows, Treasurer Isha Gulati, Secretary
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through 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 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2011 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
edItORIAl
BuSIneSS
twitter.com/the_herald
Campus news 3
Herald poll: Student activism down
continued from page 1 science and social science teachers. In the humanities, 67.8 percent stated they spend most of their time teaching, compared to 31.5 percent and 34.1 percent in the science and social sciences, respectively. Of those on tenure track assistant professors, associate professors and professors 39 percent spend most of their time teaching, compared to 81 percent of those not on the tenure track. Forty-seven percent of tenure-track faculty members spend most of their time researching. Of those not on the tenure track, only 9.5 percent stated that they spend most of their time on research. Members of the science faculty are the likeliest to spend time writing grants, with 15.1 percent stating it takes most of their time and 24.7 percent stating it is their second-largest priority. Humanities faculty members are most likely to be involved in faculty governance, with 30.5 percent indicating serving on committees is their first or second priority. Social science faculty members spend most time advising 12.2 percent stated advising is their main activity, while 29.3 percent reported it was their second highest priority. A total of 59.4 percent stated that they approve of the Universitys revised tenure process, with 19.4 percent stating they strongly approve and 40 percent stating they somewhat do. Twenty-nine percent disapprove of the new process, with 13.7 percent stating they somewhat disapprove and 14.9 percent that they strongly disapprove. Sixty-five percent of tenured professors approve of the new tenure process. Of untenured faculty, 46.3 percent stated approval, and 24.1 percent stated they are not familiar enough to answer. About 76 percent of social science faculty members approve of the new procedure, compared to 57.5 percent of science faculty and 50.9 percent of humanities faculty. The tenure revisions approved by faculty vote last spring changed how letters of support are reviewed and altered the timeline for when junior faculty come up for tenure review. While 37.7 percent stated they are not familiar with childcare resources available to faculty, 28.6 percent expressed some level of dissatisfaction. Twelve percent stated they are somewhat dissatisfied with childcare resources, while 16.6 percent are strongly dissatisfied. A total of 12 percent expressed satisfaction. Fifty-two percent stated that changes made under the Plan for Academic Enrichment a cornerstone of Simmons presidency have improved the quality of undergraduate academics, compared to 10.9 percent who think it has lowered the quality of academics. A majority of faculty members stated that first-years are prepared for Brown academics, with 30.9 percent stating students are very prepared and 47.4 percent stating they are somewhat prepared. Eighty-six percent of humanities faculty members find students prepared, while 78 percent of social science faculty and 71.3 percent of science faculty do. But 14.6 percent of social science faculty indicated they think students are underprepared, compared to 13.7 percent of science faculty and 11.9 percent in humanities. Sixty-one percent of the faculty approve of the Corporations governance of the University, with 16 percent expressing strong approval and 44.6 percent stating they somewhat approve. Seventeen percent stated they are not familiar enough to answer the question. Sixty-one percent of faculty members approve of the Faculty Executive Committees execution of its job, while 21.7 percent stated they are not familiar enough with the committee. Those who have worked at the University longer are more likely to approve of the FEC of those who have worked at the University longer than 20 years, 71.8 percent approve of the committee, compared to 41 percent of those who have been here five years or fewer. A majority of faculty members also stated the level of student activism has decreased since they were in college 57.7 percent think activism has declined, while 14.8 percent think it has increased. Of those who have worked at the University 20 or more years, 82.6 percent stated it has declined. Thirty percent of faculty expressed dissatisfaction with spouse support, while 18.9 percent of faculty members stated they are satisfied. Thirty-one percent indicated they are not familiar enough to answer. Forty-four percent of faculty anticipate working at Brown until retirement, while 16.6 percent stated they will stay for five to 10 more years and 12 percent plan to stay fewer than five more years. online questionnaires were sent to personal accounts of 902 faculty Sept. 25 and advertised on the faculty Morning Mail Sept. 27, oct. 4 and oct. 7. only faculty that teach, advise or interact with undergraduate students were invited to respond. The poll has a 6.6 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. The margin of error for the subset of males is 8.0 percent and 12.0 percent for the subset of females. The margin of error is 11.3 percent for the subset of faculty focusing in the humanities, 10.5 percent for the subset of faculty focusing in science and 14 percent for the subset of faculty focusing in social science. The margin of error is 9.0 percent for the subset of full professors and 6.7 percent for the subset of tenure-track faculty. the sample polled was demographically similar to the University teaching faculty population as a whole. The sample was 68.6 percent male and 31.4 percent female. Full professors made up 50.9 percent of the sample. Adjunct professors, assistant professors, associate professors and visiting professors made up 43.4 percent of the sample, and lecturers made up 5.7 percent. tenure-track faculty professors, associate professors and assistant professors made up 88.1 percent of the sample. of those polled, 33.7 percent focus in the humanities, 41.7 percent in science and 23.4 percent in social science. Thirty-two percent of those polled have worked at Brown five years or fewer, 20.6 percent between six and 10 years, 21.1 percent between 11 and 20 years and 26.3 percent for 20 or more years. Statistical significance was established at the 0.05 level. Senior editors nicole Friedman 12 and Julien ouellet 12, Managing editor Brigitta Greene 12 and news editor Alex Bell 13 coordinated the poll. Find results of previous polls at thebdh.org/poll.
Methodology
4 Campus news
continued from page 8 she said. Canadians also hold different cultural attitudes towards alcohol. Because Canadians can legally purchase alcohol at 18, most young people make their mistakes earlier, which does have an impact on the general maturity, said Nick Shulman 14 of Montreal. In America, students who have never had experience with social drinking are just going wild with opportunity, he said. Cultural differences extend past social life. Most Canadian students choose a program of study before entering college, which does not allow for the same degree of freedom as American colleges, students said. But Canadian schools are
Big differences
Campus news 5
hours of programming and troubleshooting, Andrews wrote. There is a slight distinction between what UCS initially asked for and what CIS was able to deliver, said John Spadaro, director of technical architecture and outreach. UCS wanted students to maintain the exact addresses of their brown.edu accounts forever, but concerns rose about how the University would distinguish between current students and alums. To solve the problem, alumni accounts will be distinguished by the alumni.brown.edu domain name. If someone tries to contact an alum at their old brown.edu address, an automatic email response will indicate the address has been modified to alumni.brown.edu. Another problem arose with graduates who remain directly affiliated with the University, either as graduate students or staff. Because these individuals are both alums and current University community members, their domain placement remains ambiguous. Spadaro refers to these individuals, who represent approximately 10 percent of each class, as edge cases. The transition to alumni.brown.edu is currently not so clear-cut for these accounts. CIS is still working to find an automated solution to the problem, but Spadaro said he is confident in CISs ability to face these challenges. Were plumbers, he said. We just make it work. The project will require continued costs related to customer service, including a new Help Desk staff to handle questions from alums. Though the project has garnered significant support from students, others are critical of the Universitys allocation of resources. CIS should probably focus more on things that immediately impact us, such as Banner not crashing when Im trying to register for classes, said Lorin Smith 15. But when you have both UCS and the Office of Alumni Relations saying they want this, it becomes a CIS priority, Spadaro said.
HIGHeR ed Ne WS R OUNdUP
COMICS
Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
edITORIAl CARTOON
by pao l a e i s n e r
t h e b r ow n da i ly h e r a l d
Editors-in-chiEf Sydney ember Ben Schreckinger editorial Kristina fazzalaro rebecca Ballhaus Claire Peracchio talia Kagan amy rasmussen tony Bakshi alex Bell ethan McCoy ashley McDonnell Sam rubinroit anita Mathews Sam Carter hunter fast arts & Culture editor City & state editor City & state editor Features editor assistant Features editor news editor news editor sports editor sports editor assistant sports editor editorial page editor opinions editor opinions editor ManaGinG Editors Brigitta Greene anne Speyer sEnior Editors Dan alexander nicole friedman Julien ouellet Business GEnEral ManaGErs Matthew Burrows isha Gulati aditi Bhatia Danielle Marshak Margot Grinberg Lisa Berlin officE ManaGEr Shawn reilly
I dont talk a lot about role models. Because the principle of it, I just dont believe in.
Ruth Simmons See SimmonS on page 1.
Graphics & photos abe Pressman emily Gilbert rachel Kaplan Glenn Lutzky Jesse Schwimmer Graphics editor photo editor photo editor photo editor sports photo editor
ManaGErs Justin Lee Collections Collections Sam Plotner nicky robbins invoice staff Kevin Lynch Daniel Slutsky analytics Jared Davis sales and Communications alumni engagement nikita Khadloya emily Simmons ad relations Human relations James eng angel Lee Business development owen Millard Business development Gregory Chatzinoff web relations Post- maGazine editor-in-Chief Sam Knowles editor-in-Chief amelia Stanton BloG dailY Herald David Winer editor-in-Chief Matt Klimerman Managing editor
letters@browndailyherald.com
CORRECTIONS POLICY The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. C O M M E N TA R Y P O L I C Y The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the authors identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. ADVERTISING POLICY The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
production Dan towne olivia Conetta anna Migliaccio Katie Wilson Leor Shtull-Leber neal Poole Copy desk Chief assistant Copy desk Chief design editor design editor design editor web producer
opinions 7
Remembering Steve
we honor them because each ushered humanity into a new era. And I would argue that even these great individuals did not have a direct impact on as many people during their lifetimes as Jobs did during his. Travel to nearly any country in the world and there is an Apple product to be found. I believe that Brown would have been a natural fit for a trailblazer like Jobs. He would have embraced the New Curriculum, and he would have found menmind he would have. Jobs would have challenged his Brown classmates to dare to change the world. I have often been told that schools like Brown look to accept students who demonstrate a commitment to learning and hard work and possess the immense passion and drive to do something with their natural abilities. Jobs would have urged us not to waste these natural gifts and to make full use of the unique opportunity that we have all been given as Brown students, just are often told by alumni speakers and advisers, but I think it is one worth reiterating. We should pursue the ideas and activities about which we are most passionate or curious, not just those that our friends and relatives might persuade us to pursue due to their own experiences or perceptions. In the absence of a core curriculum, Brown leaves the responsibility for exploration in the hands of its students. This can sometimes feel like a heavy burden, but it demonstrates more faith in the maturity of the student body than the administrations at most other universities would even consider. Like many of you, I chose to attend Brown because I value this independence, so much so that I feel it has become ingrained in me. I hope to follow in Jobs path after I graduate and do something about which I am deeply passionate while building upon the many lessons I have learned thus far at Brown. For all Jobs has given us and all his incredible mind will continue to give us over the coming decades, we owe this to him. Jobs repeatedly challenged the world to think different, and at Brown, perhaps more than at any other university in the world, we are encouraged to do so. We are Jobs natural successors, but we will only succeed if we are not afraid to be bold and to take the road less traveled. We must begin our journeys now, as we do not know how much time we will have. Gabe Paley 12 is an economics concentrator from New York. He is co-founder of the Brown Sports Business Club.
BY GABe PAleY
Guest Columnist
Last Wednesday, the world learned of the passing of Steve Jobs entrepreneur, visionary and long-time CEO of Apple. Few in the history of mankind have dared to alter the way the entire world lives their daily lives, and even fewer have succeeded. In his 56 years, Jobs changed the way we interact with each other, the way we learn, the way we listen to music, the way we play and quite frankly, the way we think. As President Obama said on the evening of Jobs death, There may be no greater tribute to Steves success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. I can only imagine what he would have accomplished had he lived even one more decade. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I am deeply saddened by this loss. Jobs was a role model to me and to aspiring innovators across the world. He shook off the status quo time and time again, was bold enough to believe that his own vision for the world was the way it should be and was dedicated enough about his dreams to see them through to fruition. As I think about Jobs position in global history and the legacy he will leave behind, names such as Gandhi, da Vinci, Einstein and Copernicus come to mind. These are individuals who fought against conventional wisdom, and
Jobs repeatedly challenged the world to think different, and at Brown, perhaps more than any other university in the world, we are encouraged to do so.
tors and friends who would have encouraged him to pursue his dreams and to fear nothing, just as I have during my time here. Jobs dropped out of Reed College in Oregon after one semester, but used his newfound freedom to continue attending the classes that intrigued him, such as the legendary calligraphy class that led to the variety of typefaces available on the first Apple computers. Perhaps he could have also found a way to incorporate Ghanaian drumming into one of his many inventions. In fact, there is no doubt in my
as he told the Stanford class of 2005 in a commencement address. He would have taken advantage of the resources to which we have all been granted temporary access, met as many students and professors as he could and taken classes far out of his comfort zone, as he did at Reed. He would have reminded us that four years is not a very long time. Of all the wisdom Jobs imparted on those Stanford graduates, one point stood out to me above the rest: Youve got to find what you love. This is a message we
The Scili, more reliable than a lover, will hold you for hours.
or roll up your sleeves or put the pedal to the metal or any other idioms for get learned, many students prefer the libraries. We want studying to look like itself. But it probably would not make any difference if we study in a real-world candy land while surrounded by angels sliding down rainbows so long as the angels are not shouting at the tops of their lungs. Similarly, being surrounded by stacks of
This works because, on a late night, you can easily find yourself a nice corner there are many and chug through your work. When the crushing loneliness brought on by the harsh lighting and uncrossed items on your to-do list sets in, you can get up and schmooze with one of the friends you have made over many shared hours of silently freaking out by each others side. After talking to another human
Safewalk coordinators hope to expand the service to Friday and Saturday nights but have not yet met success.
Safewalk has seen a marked surge in walks this semester and is aiming for increased funding to expand to weekend service in the future, said Becky Willner 12, Safewalk coordinator. The program completed 60 walks the night of Thursday, Sept. 29, and the following Thursday had 41 walks by 12:30 a.m., said Rory Macfarlane 14, a safewalker and one of five shift supervisors. Thursday nights last semester averaged fewer than 30 walks, according to a Safewalk internal report compiled last spring. Though numbers vary by month, weather and time of night, teams
consider 10 walks per two-hour shift to be a good benchmark, Macfarlane said. Safewalk offers walking companions to students traveling alone or in pairs on weeknights from 9 p.m. to 2:15 a.m. One of Safewalks major goals is to offer service on Friday and Saturday nights, but the additional funding necessary has proven elusive, and Willner said it would be difficult to find students willing to work on those nights. Safewalk is currently focused on increasing student use, especially for its call-in service, and augmenting awareness of the program through outreach events, Willner said. A greater presence would help Safewalk convince the Department of Public Safety to grant additional funding, she added.
Currently, DPS funds Safewalk based on a proposal compiled each spring by the Safewalk coordinator and Michelle Nuey, manager of public relations and outreach for DPS. Nuey declined to reveal how much funding Safewalk receives. DPS provides Willner about $1,800 yearly to fund apparel, promotional items, special events and self-defense training, Willner said. But the department covers payroll, vests and radios directly. The program employs 60 students regularly, each of whom has a weekly shift with a partner, and 10 substitute walkers. Safewalk pays its workers a starting rate of $8.70 per hour. The shift from volunteer continued on page 4
The International Teaching Fellowship, a joint venture between Brown and the Instituto de Empresa, will provide those who have received a doctoral degree from Brown with an opportunity to teach in Spain starting next September. Organizers of the teaching fellowship at IE, an institution known for its graduate programs and especially its business school, said they hope the influx of Brown PhD recipients will boost the credentials of their fledgling undergraduate program. The teaching fellowship requires that the fellows teach 130 hours in either undergraduate or graduate humanities classes at IEs campus in either Madrid or Segovia. In addition to teaching in Spain, the fellows will have the option of working at Browns Cogut Center for the Humanities for one month. The fellowship lasts eleven months total but could be renewable. IEs business school is ranked eighth in Europe, according to the Economist. Its undergraduate school opened in 2009 and has yet to attain the same prestige. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs stress liberal arts, but since the humanities department is young and has few faculty members, Brown fellows will allow IE to expand in scope and content,
wrote Rolf Strom-Olsen, director of humanities at IE, in an email to The Herald. Michael Steinberg, director of the Cogut Center, said he is excited about the program. IE has always been very adventurous and forward-thinking, he said. Steinberg said he thought the teaching fellowship will benefit the fellows as much as the fellows will help IE. We dont have a business school theyre known for their business school, he said. We are known for humanities theyre just building their humanities program. Fellows will design a curriculum for one or two classes in their field. Strom-Olsen wrote that IE intends to give the fellows considerable latitude in designing a class that reflects her or his scholarly interest. The collaboration comes on the heels of another partnership between the two universities the IE Brown Executive MBA program, whose inaugural class began courses earlier this year. The joint MBA program holds classes in Spain and Providence, but students do most of the coursework online, allowing them to work while earning the degree. The program combines IEs business school with Browns humanities departments to create a degree that incorporates a liberal arts component into the traditional MBA program.
Fall Weekend was a time to give thanks the Canadian way. Canadian Thanksgiving, which falls on the second Monday of October, brought together different heritages, identities and, most deliciously, pie.
whipped cream, because pie is all that matters, said Innessa Colaiacovo 12, prime minister of the Canadian Society. When Colaiacovo first came to campus, she said other students would joke, Are you even a country? Its a funny category of international student, said Colaiacovo. Canadian students apply through the same process as all international students and are invited to the Universitys official international student orientation. Canada had the fifth largest number of admitted students for international countries for the class of 2015, with 28 admits, according to a University press release. International students have made roughly 10 percent of the student body in recent years, according to the Office of Institutional Research. Canadian student Lydia Halpern 12 compared her origins to those of a friend from Hawaii cool and unusual, but not different, she said. But students stressed that Canada is different even among the countrys own regions. Trevor Smyth 13, who hails
up north, eh?
feature
For students at Brown, Canadian identity seems to be a different type of classification neither totally familiar nor totally foreign. Sunday night, roughly 30 students of both American and Canadian origins gathered in Faunce House to eat and give thanks at an event hosted by the newly formed Canadian Society at Brown. The iconic maple leaf hung above Faunce Arch, attracting students from as far as Nova Scotia and Vancouver. The flag was later offered as one of the prizes for the Canadian trivia game, which included questions on wide-ranging topics such as Parliament and Canadian lakes. Like its American equivalent, the Canadian Thanksgiving celebration featured apple and pumpkin pies, apple cider and
from Alberta, defines himself as from out west, where the experience is very different than other parts of Canada. Canadian students are definitely not the same as American students, said Rayna Chandaria 14, a fact driven home during the State of the Union address her freshman year. As her whole floor crowded into a small lounge in Littlefield Hall to watch President Obama, Chandaria realized that she was not in Canada anymore. Patriotism is so much different in the United States, she said, adding that no one in Canada watches the speech from the throne, their countrys equivalent. For many, bilingualism and language define many of the two countries differences. When Haakim Nairiar 14 asked to use the washroom one of his first nights at Brown, he was taken to the laundry room in the basement, rather than the bathroom, he said. Halpern remembers the shock she felt after seeing real cheerleaders at her first University football game. Before that, cheerleaders only existed in movies, she said. And Canadian university students call pre-gaming, pre-drinking, continued on page 4
The maple leaf was prominent on campus last weekend for Canadian Thanksgiving.