daily herald

THE BrOwN
vol. cxxii, no. 71

iNside

Page 5

Puppet show

Show captures audiences with actor-puppet blend

almost 500 courses transition to Canvas

By sam heft-luthy
contributing writEr

friday, september 21, 2012

since 1891

Page 7

Creative med
Lecture links art museums and medical schools Page 7

Minority gap
Minorities underrepresented in technology, engineering
today tomorrow

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76 / 61

The Universitys transition from MyCourses to Canvas as its primary online course management platform is in full swing. This semester, 457 courses will use the site, up from 70 last semester, said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron. Around 7,000 students graduate, undergraduate and medical are using the platform this semester, according to Hong Chau, instructional technologist for the academic technology division of Computer and Information Systems. I anticipate all students to have at least one course in Canvas by the end of the year, Hong wrote in an email to The Herald. After MyCourses parent company Blackboard announced in 2010 that it would be ceasing support of the

platform this October, the University engaged in a search for a new system, ultimately choosing Canvas for its more intuitive interface. There was a very strong response to Canvas on the part of the students who tried it out, and that ultimately swayed the decision in that direction, Bergeron said. I think its easier to navigate, said Sophie Yan 16, who has two classes on the new platform and one class on MyCourses. MyCourses is less user-friendly, Yan added. Sometimes when I try to navigate back to the (MyCourses) home page, I get lost and go to the main Brown page. Currently, 302 courses are still being hosted on MyCourses, Hong wrote. MyCourses will be available for professors to use until summer 2013, when the administration will completely phase / / Canvas page 2

an iPhone app developed by the history of art and architecture department collects information about university buildings. see PaGe 3

Courtesy of dietriCh neumann

U. implements affordable Care act policies Ordet

By kate Desimone
SEnior Staff writEr

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Obamas signature health care legislation, this summer following a national debate over the laws ramifications for patients and doctors. with the laws provisions remaining intact after the courts decision, several of its key changes have now been implemented through the Universitys health insurance plan. As a result of the law, a notable increase in prescription coverage came into effect last fall for students enrolled in the Universitys health care insurance plan, said Jeanne Hebert, director of insurance and purchasing services. Yearly outpatient prescription benefits jumped from $2,500 per student in 2010 to $10,000

in 2011, and now total $100,000. By 2014, the plan will have no annual limit on prescription coverage for students enrolled in the program. This change is not likely to have an impact on the cost of covering students, Hebert said. People often bumped up against $2,500 in their prescription benefits, she said, but its not likely that a student will reach $100,000 or higher in annual prescription costs. In addition, the Universitys health insurance plan will have no annual limit on overall benefits by 2014. The current maximum is $500,000 per injury, illness or accident per year, Hebert said. Some colleges and universities, lacking funds to upgrade their policies to meet the laws requirements, have dropped their student health plans, according to a June wall Street Journal article. But Brown only had to make a few changes / / aCa page 2

highlights duality of religion

By maDDie berg
SEnior Staff writEr

aLeXandra urBan / heraLd

as part of the affordable Care act, students on the universitys health plan saw a stark increase in prescription coverage last fall.

brown-Harvard game to rouse fans saturday

By Jake Comer
SportS Editor

emiLy GiLBert / heraLd

the bears will take on the Crimson saturday at 4:30 p.m. in what promises to be a packed stadium.

For fans of Brown football, the Harvard game is something different. Hosting the Crimson means a thunderous Brown Stadium with filled bleachers, national television cameras, tailgates, rowdy student sections, banks of lights and often, a tough fight for a pair of Ivy adversaries competing for the conference crown. Harvards squad (1-0), which mounted a comeback to win its nonleague opener against University of San Diego (0-1) last week 28-13, will return to the Bears home field for Saturday evenings homecoming game. Its a rival, said Head Coach Phil Estes, referring to the Crimson. And (we) may not even be Harvards rival.

But because of the close proximity, because its Harvard, its a game that the guys get up for. And the fervor surrounding clashes between the two squads has grown in recent years. Brunos first-ever night game was against the Crimson two years ago, and Saturdays contest will be the Bears third under the lights. This year, there will be some added fireworks for the affair at Brown Stadium. A new video scoreboard installed over the summer will be officially unveiled tomorrow, and the NBC Sports Network will televise the game nationally. Every year, its a big game, said tailback Spiro Theodhosi 13. Obviously, were excited to get back into Ivy play. / / harvard page 9

The plot of Ordet, Production workshops newest show, revolves around a modest family in rural Denmark whose ordinary life becomes completely unordinary when one of the family members believes he is possessed by Jesus Christ. This production of the play, which was written in the 1920s by Danish playwright Kaj Munk, is only the third recorded performance outside of Denmark. Director David Lee Dallas 13 first stumbled upon this surreal story in high school when he saw the movie version of the play. Since then, he has not forgotten the unique storyline, which featured religious tensions that resonated with him. I instantly couldnt stop thinking about it, Dallas said. I dont know if I even liked it the first time I saw it. I was just so baffled by it. He said he hopes the story will similarly catch the attention of the plays audience. Dallas proposed the play which he prefers to the movie version due to its grounded and more complete characters to Pw last spring and included his inspiration from both realist painter Andrew wyeth and holy minimalist music. This is Dallas first time directing a play in college, though you wouldnt know that from the plays cohesion, apparent in its stark set and well-integrated music. A large component of Dallas vision for this production draws upon commonalities between theater and church. / / ordet page 4 There are

arts & culture

2 campus news
c alEndar
TODAY 8P .m. Yermedea RAW Leeds Theatre 9P .m. Brown Stand Up Comics Metcalf 101 9P .m. Improv Comedy Show Wilson Hall 101 SEPT. 21 TOmORROW 12 P .m. Balls of the World Pembroke Field SEPT. 22

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

/ / Canvas page 1
it out. Bill Allen, adjunct lecturer in public policy, chose to be one of the earlier adopters of Canvas, The Herald reported in January. Now in his second semester of using Canvas for two of the three courses he instructs, Allen said he is still happy with his decision to switch, and his third course will be transitioning to Canvas in the spring. The more I use Canvas, the more I realize how clunky MyCourses was, he said. In January, Allen told The Herald there was a MyCourses feature he was unable to make work on Canvas. But since then, Allen said he has solved that single issue. It was very easy to figure it out, he said. Allen said he likes Canvas superior support of media integration, its more streamlined file management system and the discussion forum feature Canvas builds into each course page. I encourage students during the discussion portion of Canvas to add materials themselves, he said. Students then see new things that relate to things we discussed and I in turn use that material to enrich the site itself. I think that the faculty are making very good use of its features, Bergeron said of Canvas. One of the things that any new product can do for us is to make us think about how were approaching our teaching. Canvas provides me an opportunity to create somewhat of a living syllabus, Allen said. It provides an opportunity to reconceptualize the syllabus in a much more dynamic way, and do it in an electronic platform, rather than a standard document. Allen said his students had generally positive feedback about the new features he has been able to integrate into his course.

mEnu
SHARPE REFECTORY VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

lunCh
Cajun Blackened Chicken Sandwich, Parslied Rice, Vegetarian Cajun Pasta, Vegan Tofu Hot Dogs Breaded Chicken Fingers, Vegan Nuggets, Sticky Rice, Zucchini, Carrot and Garlic Medley

Dinner
Gnocchi Di Patale, Country Style Baked Ham, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Turnip and Carrot Puree Tilapia with Provencale, Orange Chipotle Glazed Tofu, Lemon Rice, Vegetable Herb Medley

Sudoku

www.Canvas.Brown.edu

biol 0280: introductory biochemistry is one of almost 500 courses that have switched to Canvas. As the University transitions from MyCourses to Canvas, students may now have two separate course management systems to check. Some students said that though they prefer Canvas, balancing the two websites can be a pain. Ill be glad when its all integrated, Yan said. Some students have to balance both sites for a single class about 15 courses set up websites on both platforms this semester, Hong said. Gopika Krishna 13 said that for the first two weeks of the term, her class, BIOL 1140: Tissue Engineering, had some materials on the old system and some on the new. The syllabus is on MyCourses, but the problems are on Canvas, Krishna said. Its not super difficult, but it can be annoying. That issue has since been resolved. The professor now changed it so that MyCourses only has a copy of the syllabus on it, while Canvas has syllabus, assignments, readings, etc., Krishna wrote in an email to The Herald. So I think were mainly using Canvas now. Any kind of big transition is hard, Bergeron said. were hopeful the benefits of the new product are going to, for faculty, alleviate some of the difficulty of the change. And for students, (we are) hopeful that this product makes their learning seamless. There are growing pains, but in a few years I think people will be like, well, this is the way we always did it, she added.

croSSword

/ / aCa page 1
to comply with the law, Hebert said. Browns student health insurance already was a broader plan than a lot of student health plans were, Hebert said, adding that it complied with key components of the law, such as coverage of pre-existing conditions, prior to its implementation. One requirement under the Affordable Care Act not previously included in Browns plan is full coverage of contraception as preventative care, a component of the act that has drawn significant media attention since it was signed into law in 2010. Starting this fall, students on Browns student health insurance plan no longer need a co-payment with a prescription for

generic contraceptives, wrote Lynn Dupont, associate director of Health Services, in an email to The Herald. Of the approximately 3,500 students on the Universitys student health insurance plan, about 50 percent are graduate or medical students, Hebert said. All students are automatically enrolled in and charged for the Universitys health plan unless they submit a waiver proving that they have a comparable insurance policy, according to the Insurance and Purchasing Services website. while the fee for enrollment in the insurance plan climbed from $2,348 in 2010 to $2,861 in 2012, this was not a result of the coverage increases mandated by the Affordable Care Act, Hebert said, as the cause was likely medical

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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 2011 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

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inflation. A component of the Affordable Care Act particularly salient to college-age students is the provision that dependents can stay on their parents employer-based insurance policies until the age of 26. while it has not had any noticeable effect on the number of students enrolled in Browns plan, Hebert said, the provision could have a broader impact on young adults nationwide, said Kosali Simon, a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. The law has already had an impact, allowing many young adults who otherwise would be uninsured to stay on their parents plans, Simon said. Other economic effects due to the laws provisions may also come in the future. Students have always had more access to health insurance than non-students, she said, so the benefits afforded by the law may encourage graduates to pursue other interests before feeling pressured to land a job with good fringe benefits, Simon said. Most Brown students said they had not noticed changes in their own health care as a result of the Affordable Care Act, but some anticipated seeing an effect in the future. Im glad I can stay on my parents (plan) for now and not have to worry about it, said Edward Tremel 13. when I do have to worry about it, it will be easier to get.

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

campus news 3
syrian journalist talks life in the crossfire
By tonya riley
SEnior Staff writEr

Courtesy of dietriCh neumann

brown faCaDes, which is slated to be released in late october, will provide information about 125 different university-related structures.

app highlights U.s architectural richness

By stePhanie hayes
contributing writEr

An iPhone application mapping the architectural history of the University is nearing completion and is slated to be released in late October. The elaborately named app, FACADES Facts About Campus Architecture, Design, Environment and Spaces provides information about 125 structures related to the University, spanning a period from the 1770 creation of University Hall to the completion of the Nelson Fitness Center in April. The project is the result of a collaboration between Professor of History of Art and Architecture Dietrich Neumann and 21 undergraduates. The app emerged out of a class Neumann taught last fall called HIAA 1910A: Architecture of Downtown Providence from Late Nineteenth Century to the Present in which students individually researched and wrote about a different building related to the University each week. Five students continued the venture in an independent study Neumann ran this past spring. To complete the project, Neumann enlisted the help of photographer Hassan Bagheri and app developer Gokce Kinayoglu. He also sought funding from the Office of Alumni relations. The app offers a brief history of each building and monument on campus, along with photographs documenting their historical transformations. The user-friendly program allows people to search buildings by architect, function, year of completion or distance from their current location, and it provides walking directions to desired destinations on campus. Neumann said he hopes the app will appeal to students, alums, visitors to campus and architecture aficionados alike. Andrew Colpitts 16 said such an app would have been invaluable dur-

ing his first few weeks on campus and added that he anticipates new students will find it particularly useful. The students involved in the project said it gave them a fresh perspective on Brown and Providence. Each week, the class was held in a different building, allowing them to explore the nooks and crannies of the campus. Its so interesting to learn about the little quirks of the buildings we go through every day, that we interact with but dont really think about, said Caleigh Forbes 13. Its amazing to look at how theyve grown and changed. After taking the class, Forbes said she became an unofficial tour guide to her friends, pointing out architectural details to them when they walk around campus. Kalen McNamara 13 said the app transmits the architectural diversity of Providence. Providence is such an undersung city in this country, she said. Everybody thinks that Boston and Chicago are the only ones that have anything to offer. Its so nice to have Brown lifting Providence on a pedestal. Neumann said he was inspired to create the app due to the architectural richness of the University. He said Brown is a great place to learn about architecture due to the range of styles it represents from the colonial to the contemporary. Anyone looking for a quick lesson in architectural styles should visit wriston Quadrangle, where every single doorway is architecturally different, so you can really teach the different kinds of columns, orders and architraves just by going, he said. Architecture enthusiasts will be able to download the app for free from the iPhone App Store. Neumann is considering developing a second version for Android in the near future. Neumann added that the app will be constantly updated and revised to reflect the ever-changing architectural landscape of the University.

Prominent Syrian journalist Samar Yazbek fled from Syria at the height of the violence following the recent civilian uprisings and has since risked her life to return to the unstable country and document its ongoing unrest. Yazbek, an activist and screenwriter, spoke to a packed audience at the watson Institute for International Studies about her book A woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian revolution. Shes been jumping from one city to the next, said Beshara Doumani, director of Middle East Studies at Brown and professor of modern Middle Eastern history, when introducing Yazbek. But its nothing compared to the experience she had during the first 100 days of the uprising in Syria. Yazbek discussed the impetus for the revolution in Syria and addressed salient issues surrounding the conflict, such as what she said were exaggerations of the influence of al-Qaeda and jihadists on the rebel forces. She spoke primarily in Arabic, which was then translated into English by an interpreter. Many audience members still spoke to Yazbek in Arabic. when he came to power, we all thought, Hes a young guy, he has a fresh face, and there was hope, she said of current President Bashar alAssad, who assumed power in 2000 after his father, Hafez al-Assad, died. But it soon became clear that Assad would run a dictatorial regime, she

said. His series of economic reforms benefited his family and supporters but devastated the rest of the population, destroying the middle class and leading to poverty and starvation for peasants, she said. After the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, young Syrian activists who disagreed with the regime wondered if they, too, could stage a revolution, she said. But few people initially showed up for the demonstrations, even when

clothing. The visceral image of young men falling to the ground at once, with flowers and olive branches in their hand, stuck with her, she said. Yazbek relayed other horrific anecdotes of government brutality against civilians. She said Assad, helped by western media reports, has exaggerated the influence of Islamic fundamentalists on rebel forces and has tried to cast them as terrorists to gain sympathy.

but its nothing compared to the experience she had during the first 100 days of the uprising of syria.

beshara Doumani Director of Middle East Studies

they used social media to organize them. The governments brutal response to a series of peaceful civil protests in 2011 fueled unrest. The protesters were not asking for the end of the regime at this point, she said. Instead, they demanded the cancellation of executive and arbitrary law, the release of political prisoners and the repeal of the eighth amendment to the Syrian constitution that gives rule to the Baath party. Yazbek described one Friday of Dignity protest, where young activists, toting signs saying No Sunnis, no Alawis, were all Syrians, were brutalized by three layers of the army, government-hired thugs and secret service members dressed in civilian

Assad is preying on traditional religious tensions between Sunnis and Alawis in the area to divert attention from his regime, Yazbek said. Yazbek said that if Assad were overthrown, a democratic election would likely decide who would take over, though she added the Baath party will continue to play a role in a future Syria. To attempt to end the conflict, she said she advocates a no-fly zone or material support for the rebel forces, but is against international intervention. She worries that the United Nations is not interested or concerned about the conflict, she said. Though rebel forces are growing and starting to coordinate, the real revolution cant stop until the bloodshed ends, Yazbek said.

/ / khan page 12
cant help but worry for the As (unless youre the Angels, of course). But even if the As dont make it to October, one things for sure. The coming offseason, much like the last, will be spent glorifying the teams general manager, Billy Beane. Im sure we all crapped our cornflakes when the As committed $36 million (a gazillion dollars in Oakland money) to Yoe-

nis Cespedes, an unproven YouTube sensation. But Billy knew what he was doing. He knew he would have to compensate somehow, but it was worth it to get Cespedes, especially when he has a dozen or so quality rookie arms on minimum salaries in the system. It has been a topsy-turvy season. weve gotten used to the roller-coaster ride, but the loop-de-loop is yet to come. And at this point, there is no real way of knowing who will fall off

when we get to the top. But someone is going to miss out. It could be the lucky Os, the young-adult As or even the decadent Yankees (God, I hope its the Yanks). All I know for sure is that the next month is going to be very, very interesting. And this isnt even the half of it. Over in the National League, an equally exciting storm is brewing (I will never apologize for puns). Im going to get me some popcorn.

4 arts & culture

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

Courtesy of Jared rosa

the ordet set creates a church ambiance for audience members, a physical representation of the religious themes apparent in the show.

/ / ordet page 1
a lot of parallels between going to the theater and going to church or any site of religious worship and I sort of molded the whole show experience based on that, on the notion in terms of set design and audience and spatial relationships, Dallas said, citing the use of aisles and the stage to resemble an altar at church. what you are seeing as an audience member, you understand is not necessarily real but you still, nonetheless, are actively involved in it and you listen to it and you feel a connection , Dallas said, likening this experience to one people have in church. Something really important from the start was the division between the holy area and the earth, said rosa Congdon 15, the set designer. To formalize this divide, she designed a balcony the site of the holy and heavenly scenes with an arch in the shape of a church roof. Throughout the show, blindfolded actors move on the balcony with their gestures ranging from violent banging on the floor to praying. These actors add another dimension to the show without distracting from the action below. The rest of the stage is constructed in a simple, minimalist way, which is meant to show the struggle of the everyday, Congdon said. This design works well to serve its purpose, as the audience focuses entirely on the actions and words of the actors and does not become caught up in an unnecessary and frivolous set. Dallas attempts to infuse this stark aesthetic of the show with the violence that he feels is representative of parts of religion. we aim to create a balance between the real sense of calm and serenity and also very brutal, violent, aggressive stakes, he said. Dallas said he hopes this blending of violence and austerity appeals to the audience and relates to the often-conflicting

feelings people have about religion. He also said he attempted to bring this duality of the comforting and disconcerting elements of religion into the show by using both choral music and passages from the Book of revelation, which Dallas calls terrifying. The Bible is a horrifying text, he said, And I think it will jar (the audience) a little bit and make them think further. Struggling with the complex overarching questions of faith that the work presents particularly the struggle between dogma and true faith are characters who are viably real, Dallas said. They are average people who lead average lives until this moment. The cast of 10 portrays this with skill, oscillating between the simple, quotidian nature of the familys normal life and the chaos and excitement that occurs. The entire cast manages to adeptly convey the passions and emotions that religion inspires, from despair to rage to elation. Michael Chiboucas 13 (Johannes) acts with incredible skill, especially considering the daunting role. His choppy tone, glazed eyes and twitching movements all work to convince the audience of his alleged possession. The acting, music and set all serve to accentuate the themes that Dallas wanted to emphasize and the message that he hopes the audience takes away a willingness to discuss faith and the challenges it evokes. Ive had a very intense struggle with faith and religion my entire life, Dallas said. But none of those things are really things that I find myself talking about or sharing with other people at Brown. I think that our generation has a little bit of a fear of sort of going there in an earnest way and approaching these issues not from an ironic standpoint. Ordet is playing Sept. 21, 22 and 24 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Production workshop.

brian mceleney, head of the brown/trinity mfa Program in acting, plays king lear in the eponymous play. lear will travel to Dallas next year in conjunction with trinitys collaboration with the Dallas theater Center.

Courtesy of reBeCCa noon

trinity gives lear royal treatment

By elizabeth koh
SEnior Staff writEr

King Lear is a name synonymous with tragedy, but the inaugural performance joyously launched the Trinity repertory Companys 49th season last week. Opening to a packed Dowling Theater, Trinitys take on one of Shakespeares most famous plays spared no punches in its heart-wrenchingly bleak but gripping adaptation of the Elizabethan drama. The tradition of performing Shakespeare dates back centuries, but Trinitys Lear is both old and new. Ardently faithful to the spirit of the Bards original work, the acting company makes deliberately modern choices in portrayal and performance. Both the dress and scenery boast presentday touches, and a gender-swapped Gloucester lends new perspective to the portrayal of women in the play. The dimensions of King Lear, a play written in grand strokes, take on even larger proportions on Trinitys intimate stage. The set, which utilizes the aisles as much as the stage itself, reflects the deteriorating state of King Lears Britain as the play progresses. One of the most iconic scenes in the play where a mad and naked Lear wanders the moor in a storm simulates a rainstorm from the rafters above. But the technical details are a background to the acting the play showcases. A collaboration between both Trinity rep and the Dallas Theater Center, this adaptation of King Lear includes

members of the Texas company, from the conniving but compelling Edmund (Lee Trull) to Lears daughters Goneril (Christie Vela) and Cordelia (Abbey Siegworth). All deliver believable performances that will continue when the play travels to Dallas in January. But no play survives without a center that holds. For Trinitys Lear, that axis rests with Trinity regular Brian McEleney, who stars as the aged king driven mad by the mistreatment of two of his daughters. McEleney is no stranger to kingly roles, and his performance reflects the experience of an actor seasoned in Shakespeare. His Lear is one that seamlessly transitions from self-absorbed and foolish to disjointed and desperate, and the closing scene of the play only emphasizes the range of emotion within the character. Previously performing as the eponymous monarchs in Trinitys richard II and richard III, McEleney said he took very personal inspiration from his deceased parents when crafting the character of Lear. There are very real, very tragic,

very complicated issues, McEleney said of aging, citing his parents experience with illness and impending mortality. McEleney, who also leads the Brown/Trinity MFA Program in Acting, highlighted the scope of a role like that of King Lear. Its a huge Everest of a role, McEleney said. You dont want to get overwhelmed by that. But, he said, King Lear is a play about real people, about real life. There is an obvious appeal to the play itself, which any educated person has to be familiar with, McEleney said. But behind the legacy of the play is an enduring message about timeless issues, one which McEleney hopes will draw audiences to Trinity. Its also a family drama that is about everyone, he said. Its about how we exist in the world, how we face the people we love. Audiences, captured by the intensity of Trinitys production, are bound to agree. King Lear runs through Oct. 21 in Trinitys Dowling Theater.

Courtesy of reBeCCa noon

trinity s performance of king lear combines a faithful adaptation of the shakespeare play with a modern touch for present-day audiences.

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

arts & culture 5

Courtesy of risd museum

america in View highlights the evolution of the concept of landscapes through a collection of over 150 photos.
Courtesy of ChanteL whittLe

yermedea combines actors and live puppets in an abstract play that explores the brutality of civil war in el salvador in the 1990s.

risd exhibition redefines landscapes

By meia geDDes
Staff writEr

yermedea mesmerizes audience with puppetry

By Casey bleho
contributing writEr

The room is pitch black, eerily silent. Flashlights begin to slowly flicker across a dark stage, dancing over shoes of all shapes, sizes and colors scattered disconcertingly across the floor. Tall, dried cornstalks provide the only hint as to where the audience might be. The actors release a collective sigh Yermedea, Main Stages first show of the year, has begun. written by Erik Ehn and directed by Kym Moore professor and assistant professor of theater arts and performance studies, respectively Yermedea is the last of a 17play series entitled Soulographie: Our Genocides, which Ehn has been writing for the last 20 years. Soulographie is a contemplation of genocidal policy and experience from an American perspective through the 20th century, Ehn said, focusing on contentious areas such as Eastern Europe, Eastern Africa and Central America. Inspired by one of Ehns trips to El Salvador in the early 1990s as part of a human rights convention, Yermedea follows the brutality of civil war, poverty and colonial history in El Salvador. By bringing together the narratives of Spanish dramatist Federico Garcia Lorcas character Yerma, who finds herself unable to have children, and the tragic Greek figure of Euripides Medea, who is forced to kill her own offspring, Yermedea considers and reflects upon violence against women and their reproductive rights as a tool of genocidal warfare, Ehn said. According to Moore, the play itself has often been referred to as visual music by its production crew because of the abstract nature of the storyline. This is embodied by the use of organic sounds, songs and shadows, which work together to bring the audience into the world that Ehn created. The set is sparse, though the actors ability to manipulate it allows for a dynamic interac-

tion between stage and story. we have conceived this whole other world around the language of the play, Moore said. Erik is a poet, and we built this set around the poetry of the piece he gave us. This abstract storyline comes with a price at times, the disconnected prose makes following the plot difficult. But through the combination of live actors and puppets, the audience is able to reconnect with the story. The puppets act as a medium between the audience and the life of the performance, said Alejandra Prieto Garcia, puppet artist for the show. Though the main characters are inspired by Bunraku which uses three puppeteers to manipulate the figure and Otome-style puppetry, more experimental puppets made of light and shadow also help illuminate the more disturbing psychological effects of life in genocide. Because some of the puppets are attached directly to the actors bodies, the audience feels a connection to the inanimate objects that feels as real as any human performance. The incredibly life-like movements of Medea, who shifts between being portrayed by an actress and a puppet, are deeply disconcerting but hypnotic their beauty make it impossible to stop watching. I think (puppets) are ideally suited to this line of interrogation because they can stand the pain, Ehn said. Though genocide is made in a way that forces us to turn away, we have to find ways to turn back and face it, he said. Yermedea is being performed Sept. 20-22 and 27-29 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 23 and 30 at 2 p.m. in Leeds Theater. After being performed at Brown, the piece will begin traveling around the area, making stops at 95 Empire in Providence and the Factory Theatre in Boston before ultimately arriving at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York. It will be performed in rotation alongside Ehns 16 other pieces during November.

An ambitious new photography exhibition, America in View: Landscape Photography 1865 to Now, opened today at the rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art. The exhibition includes more than 150 photographs, mostly drawn from the museums collection, as well as from private owners and institution collections such as Browns John Hay Library. The exhibition offers the grandeur of conventional landscapes such as Ansel Adams depiction of Yosemite National Park, but it also redefines the meaning of landscape with images such as Catherine Opies Football Landscape #12. Jan Howard, the exhibition organizer and the museums curator of prints, drawings and photographs, chose images from the museums collection of 5,125 photographs. Douglas Nickel, professor of history of art and architecture, and Deborah Bright, rISD professor of photography and history of art and visual culture, worked in association with Howard on the exhibition. Howard said she wanted to show a lot of work that hadnt been seen before. This is the largest presentation the museum has held of works from their collection, Museum Director John Smith told members of the press. A donation of 71 photographs from Betsey ruppa and her late husband Joe Deal, landscape photographer and former rISD provost and professor, inspired the project. Along with Deals work, the show includes photographs by rISD graduates, Providence-based photographers such as Salvatore Mancini and many others. Providence residents can see depictions of their city in images such as a panorama made up of six cyanotype prints. The exhibition begins with a surreal projection of a figure appearing to float on water by william Lamson. It then traces photography chronologically, beginning from the days of government-commissioned photography after the American Civil war. These prints were originally not considered worthy of a museum display. Just the fact that we have these pictures from the 19th century is remarkable to me,

Howard said. The exhibition features other groups of artists such as the Pictorialists, Group f/64 and pieces by photographers interested in portraying more than the landscape. It ends with contemporary work, such as Laura McFees striking photograph of a white-gowned woman in a golden field and Doug rickards computergenerated Google Street View image entitled #82.948842, Detroit, MI, 2009. Howard spoke of many of her favorites, such as richard Misrachs

Battleground Point #20, which provides a paradoxically sublime view of the landscape. It is difficult to look at a landscape without seeing the political and social issues involved, Howard said. The lighting and desert terrain in An-my Les image of Marines training in California make the setting look more like a war zone. what our landscape looks like is always changing, Howard said. It makes me excited about what we might see next, she said, adding, I hope it will make other people follow photography.

Courtesy of risd museum

the exhibit showcases both traditional and unconventional landscapes.

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

science & research 7

By sanDra yan
Staff writEr

lecture stresses arts impact on medicine talk highlights lack of minorities in sciences, math
By Phoebe DraPer
SEnior Staff writEr

The kickoff lecture of the third annual Creative Medicine lecture series was greeted wednesday night with a packed room of students, doctors, artists and educators. The diverse audience speckled with teal scrubs, backpacks and tortoise-shell glasses captured the interdisciplinary appeal of the lecture series, which aims to examine and celebrate the link between medicine and the arts. In a talk entitled Museum rounds: what Art Can Teach Future Doctors, guest lecturer Alexa Miller, a painter by background, shared her experience working to develop alliances between medical schools and art museums through her company, Arts Practica. She explained how many of the skills gained through viewing art in museums careful observation, navigating ambiguity and learning to listen can make medical students better doctors. The lack of these skills results in major costs in terms of misdiagnosis, death and patient dissatisfaction. were comfortable with the idea that art is a thing of healing its a place of joy and pleasure, Miller said. But oftentimes we hesitate to acknowledge that art makes us better thinkers. a valuable intersection Collaboration between the fields of medicine and art emerged as the focal point of Millers talk. when we think about big issues in health care like misdiagnosis its not always the most logical next step to call your local arts educator and ask them to weigh in, she said. But the arts can generate solutions to some of our toughest problems in health care, Miller said. Miller explained how medical schools, which often value straightforward knowledge over ambiguous meaning, benefit from association with the art world. Skills such as dealing with ambiguity and learning to listen and observe are often some of the hardest skills for medical schools to teach. when you ask doctors how to learn these skills, they say, Ah, lots of gray hairs, Miller said. But observing art can teach these skills in a very effective way. There is something extraordinarily hard about coming to terms with uncertainty, Miller said. But authentic uncertainty is very much a part of every problem in science and in life. Currently, 50 art museums foster relationships and develop programming with local medical schools, Miller said. an emerging field realizing the benefits of the arts in medical education emerged as a school of thought around 15 years ago, Miller said. Initial research at Yale revealed that medical students enrolled in a modest art education program demonstrated greatly increased sensitivity to visual information. Millers research at Harvard heralded similar results medical students who took part in a 10-session museum observation workshop increased their amount of written clinical observation by 38 percent. Students used more evidence to back up their interpretations and spent more time observing. Students learned that the longer you look, the more you see, Miller said. The simple act of looking can define enormous differences in the effectiveness of care.

sam Kase / heraLd

alexa miller spoke about developing bonds between medical schools and art museums in the first lecture of the Creative medicine series. were talking about the difference between a care provider who looks and attunes to a patient, and one that does not, Miller said. Thats the difference between two tests and 10 tests. Miller finds the 200,000 American deaths per year due to medical mistakes are not a matter of not knowing, but of not seeing. museum trip Mary Alice richter MD14 said she really enjoyed the lecture, but she admitted it can be hard to make time for the arts within the rigid medical school system. The problem is we have to take these medical board tests constantly. Its really hard to add more class time on material that wont be tested, she said. while most of richters time in medical school has been spent on science and clinical learning, she has benefited from a partnership between the Alpert Medical School and the rhode Island School of Designs art museum. During her first year, she participated in a workshop at rISD that used museum artwork to teach careful observation. richter said the museum trip was some of the most fun she has had during her medical school career. richters museum trip constitutes a small part of a broader developing partnership between the Med School and the arts. Kevin Liou 10 MD14, a former PLME student, graduated with an independent concentration in narrative approaches to medicine. Desperate to incorporate an arts and humanities perspective with the medical curriculum at the Med School, Liou assisted by a dedicated group of peers and professors initiated partnerships between the medical school, rISD, and several undergraduate departments at the University. I kind of just went with it, Liou said. So far, the rISD museum, the theater arts and performance studies department, a plastic surgeon and associate dean of biological sciences Marjorie Thompson 74 PhD79 P02 P07 P09 P12 P14 have hosted workshops on topics such as empathizing with strangers and cellular sculpture. Arts workshops are now offered to all first-year students at the Med School, Liao said. The workshops allow students to step outside the discipline of medicine and explore other ways of thinking. The physician experience doesnt always fit the textbook, Liao said. a perfect storm Programs such as the Creative Medicine Series and collaborations between the Med School and the arts underscore the Universitys recognition that there is much to be learned from putting the artistic mindset next to medial training, said Jay Baruch, assistant professor of emergency medicine and founder of the Creative Medicine Series. The series was launched during a perfect storm three years ago, Baruch said. A grant from the Creative Arts Council, coupled with sponsorship from the Department of emergency medicine and support from the Cogut Center for Humanities make the series possible. Baruchs desire to establish the lecture series stemmed from his own experience as an emergency doctor and fiction writer. what I take away from fiction writing is a fascination in people, in character, he said. Sometimes in medicine, we are in a rush to reduce people to types, and there isnt such a natural tendency to realize that everyone even though their diagnoses are the same is infinitely more complex. The next lecture, Artists and Scientists as Partners: Dance, Music and Neuroscience, will be held Nov. 7 at 5:30 in Pembroke Hall.

Amy Slaton, associate professor of history at Drexel University, spoke to about a dozen faculty members in the Science Center yesterday about the underrepresentation of minorities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Slaton emphasized the need for skills-based education and for finding novel ways of promoting inclusion, arguing that previous efforts have seen insufficient progress in recent decades. Certain groups are underrepresented in Americas engineering schools, and as we work our way up, the underrepresentation becomes more severe, Slaton said. She added that, though minorities are represented in STEM fields, their numbers do not accurately reflect the numbers of minorities in the countrys population. But simply locating and recruiting smart people from underrepresented groups is not enough to fix the underlying problem, she said, emphasizing the importance of outreach to people who do not yet have the necessary skills to work in the STEM fields. The country began taking steps to foster inclusion as early as the 1970s, when professional societies were established to give minority students a sense of community. But there has been a remarkable lack of progress in 40 years, Slaton said. She pointed to a 2011 report called Pathways to Prosperity from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which argued that society places too much emphasis on attending a four-year college and that alternative pathways should be considered par-

ticularly for students of color, who have significantly lower graduation rates than their white peers. To encounter this claim in 2011 strikes me that very little has changed in the past decades, Slaton said. The professor also emphasized the importance of taking new steps to promote inclusion and provided examples of challenging the mold to increase inclusion. In the 1980s, NASA implemented a program where grants were given to historically black colleges and universities. Instead of expecting results in the typical five years, NASA extended the grant period to seven years, effectively decoupling the definition of rigor with the definition of pacing and allowing historically black colleges and universities to join the world of competitive research. By encouraging society to question existing productivity standards, more minority students could be included in research, she said. In an example from this past year, University of Colorado at Boulder student Amelia Dickerson worked to make STEM fields more accessible for handicapped students like herself. Though she was initially unable to participate in laboratory experiments because her chemistry professors did not provide accommodations for blind students, Dickerson approached a company that translated visual outputs to auditory outputs and secured the assistance she needed to participate. Slaton advocated taking similarly innovative approaches to make STEM fields more accessible. Ultimately, people have to ask what possibilities there are for greater justice and equity in the field, she said.

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visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.

8 campus news
By shefali luthra
nEwS Editor

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

in wake of aurora shooting, threat teams stress dedication to student safety

Though the University receives consistent reports from students expressing concerns about their peers, few cases have required drastic intervention by threat assessment teams, said Senior Associate Dean for Student Life Jonah ward and Director of Psychological Services Belinda Johnson. Administrators gather about twice a month as a threat assessment team that represents the Office of Student Life, Psychological Services and the Department of Public Safety. Such teams received national attention this summer, when James Holmes, a former graduate student at the University of Colorado at Denver, shot attendees of a midnight movie screening. Holmes had previously seen a university psychiatrist. In the past, Brown had a committee that would come together occasionally for complicated cases regarding student concerns, but that team was not geared toward threat assessment, said Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services. But that changed in 2007, after a shooting at Virginia Poloytechnic and State University sent shockwaves through higher education. After Virginia Tech, it was really clear, I think, for all campuses that departments of public safety were going to play more of a lead role in addressing concerns about students, Klawunn said. If theres one thing Virginia Tech has taught us, its that many people have different pieces of the puzzle, said Paul Shanley, deputy chief of public safety. a connected community Because Brown is a much smaller university than Virginia Tech or the University of Colorado, it is more major stress, she said. Students concerned about their peers can report concerns to the Office of Student Life, ward said. Most cases are handled through the Office of Student Life or Psychological Services. The University often does not know immediately if students pose a violent threat, Klawunn said. It could go in many different ways, she said. It could be one conGene Deisinger, who heads the threat assessment team at Virginia Tech and co-authored a manual for university threat assessment. Teams conduct contextual assessments, Deisinger said, to determine if circumstances might drive individuals whether students, faculty or staff members toward violence. Often, he said, people are trying to deal with real problems but are doing so in ineffective ways. There are usually four steps to threat assessment, said Marisa randazzo, who co-wrote the handbook with Deisinger. Teams, she said, should identify people who may pose concerns, gather information about them, determine whether they might turn to violence, and, if so, devise a plan to counter that threat. Universities and colleges should all have some form of a threat assessment program, randazzo said, and they should follow objective standards to determine what poses a threat. case closed? But questions arise about how effective threat assessment is especially when people who pose threats withdraw or are in the process of withdrawing from a university or college. randazzo, Deisinger and University officials all declined to comment specifically on the case of the University of Colorado, from which Holmes was in the process of withdrawing this summer. But randazzo emphasized that institutions should not consider a case closed because an individual has left campus. Being separate from the institution does not guarantee safety, she said. If the team has done the job of gathering the information, if the team feels this person poses a threat, they still need to do something. Though the person may be beyond the reach of university officials, she recommended getting in touch with local law enforcement agencies as well as the individuals family. If a student is withdrawing from Brown, the University will try to make sure his or her family understands what our concerns are, Klawunn said. In some situations, DPS will also get in touch with the students local police department. But Klawunn emphasized that if the student does not re-enroll at Brown, the University does not have a way to monitor that person longterm. In that case, we would have left that person most frequently with a family member knowing what happened, she said. Johnson said it is hard to generalize about how the University can handle cases where students withdraw, but she said administrators would take whatever steps are necessary to mitigate potential future threats.

if the team has done the job of gathering the information, if the team feels this person poses a threat, they still need to do something.

marisa randazzo Co-author of a university threat assessment manual

likely officials will know if there is reason to be concerned about a student, Johnson said. The University is most effective when it identifies cases in which students could pose a potential threat and prevents those situations from escalating, Shanley said. Threat assessment does not fully capture what the team looks for, Johnson said. Administrators try to evaluate if a students behavior signifies a serious threat or just indicates

versation and someone knows how to refer the friend, and the friend gets help, and we never hear (from them) again. But Klawunn said that if students feel one of their peers poses any imminent danger, they should immediately report those concerns to DPS. assessing threats Threat assessment originates from a model developed by the United States Secret Service, said

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

sports friday 9
Picks from ivy league sports Writers
The Brown Daily Herald Brown vs. Harvard
harvard. harvards treavor scales and quarterback Colton Chapple look ready to push through the Bears still-developing defense and will help the team to a narrow victory.

/ / harvard page 1
Theodhosi lent a strong hand helping Bruno topple College of the Holy Cross last weekend, rushing for 120 yards. Before last Saturday, he had not taken to the field since November 2009, when an ACL injury left him stuck on the sidelines for two seasons. His comeback performance earned him the New England Football writers Gold Helmet Award as the regions top Division I player in the area this week. Ive had some hardships with my two ACL injuries, but I really appreciate getting that award, Theodhosi said. I think its a great honor. He will be challenged by a Crimson defense that held San Diego to 35 rushing yards on 10 attempts and is led by a terrific defensive line, Estes said. Not only are they physical, but theyre very fast and agile, he said. Those abilities showed during the game against San Diego, in which the Crimsons starting defensive linemen had a combined 16 tackles and five sacks. Theyll be backed up by an all-senior linebacker corps, all three of whom caused damage against Brown last year Joshua Boyd forced a fumble, Alexander Norman recovered one, and captain Bobby Schneider recorded an interception and a sack. Theodhosi noted that the Crimsons defensive strength up front relieves their secondary from having to pressure the quarterback. Our defense kept us in the game for the first half of the San Diego matchup, wrote Harvard Head Coach Tim Murphy in an email to The Herald. Offensively, it wasnt until the ivy sports editor Poll: football rankings 1 Harvard 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Penn Cornell Brown Yale Dartmouth Columbia Princeton

Columbia Daily Spectator

harvard. the defending champs will want to come out with a bang and will probably beat up Brown.

The Cornell Daily Sun

harvard.

The Daily Pennsylvanian

harvard. Gotta go with the defending champs here.

The Daily Princetonian

harvard. after the academic scandal, harvard will be mercilessly taunted but do Brown students even take classes?

The Dartmouth
harvard. the preseason topranked team should have no problem instilling their physical approach on both sides of the ball.

The Harvard Crimson

harvard. harvard has the offensive weapons to overcome a tough Brown squad and a hostile Brown environment.

Yale Daily News

harvard. treavor scales and Co. will prove to be too much for Brown. harvard is ranked no. 24 in the fCs Coaches Poll for a reason, and the Crimson will demonstrate that en route to a victory in its ancient eight opener. Cornell. Cornell wins a game that could be closer than people think. the Big red offense was onedimensional last week and its defense gave up a lot of yards. if yale can get pressure on QB Jeff matthews, the Bulldogs could make it interesting. Charles Condro

Cornell vs. Yale

Cornell. despite losing to fordham last week, Jeff mathews game was on point and i cant imagine yales defense being able to stop Big reds aerial attacks.

Cornell. Cornells Jeff matthews got beat up pretty badly by fordham last week. hell be ready to bounce back against a familiar ivy foe.

Cornell. the Cornell offense will not leave points off the board for the second week in a row, and the red defense will be fired up by the homecoming crowd just enough to hold its ground and vault the home team to victory.

Cornell. im a little concerned about Cornells loss to fordham last week, but Jeff mathews threw for 489 yards. 489 yards! thats gotta be a recipe for an ivy win.

Cornell. it will go down to the final possession, but Jeff mathews, with home-court advantage, puts Big red over the top.

yale. yales defense kept their team in the game last week, despite five turnovers from the offense. once again, the Bulldog d will rise to the task, this time against a talented Cornell offense.

Cornell. yale doesnt have an answer for the Jeff mathewsled Cornell offense.

Editors/Writers

Jake Comer and Lindor Qunaj

myles simmons

Quintin schwab

megan soisson

Kevin whitaker

Brett drucker and noah reichblum

Bobby samuels

fourth quarter that the Crimson found its rhythm but when it did, it piled up 21 unanswered points. Down 13-7 in the fourth quarter we showed tremendous poise and resiliency by reeling off three consecutive TD drives to put the game away, Murphy wrote. Two of those drives were hammered home by senior running back Treavor Scales, who earned Ivy League co-offensive player of the week honors after gaining 173 yards on 19 carries along with those two scores. Senior quarterback Colton Chapple accounted for two more touchdowns with the help of senior tight end Kyle Juszczyk and junior tight end Cameron Brate. I think that their two tight ends are probably two of the best in the

league, Estes said. And their quarterback was the same guy that beat us last year with 207 passing yards and two touchdowns. And despite an admirable fourthquarter performance last weekend, Harvards bout with San Diego may not have represented the Crimson at its best, Estes added. I think that Harvard probably had the same kind of woes that we had offensively against Holy Cross, he said. The Bears, too, were not firing on all cylinders until late in last weeks game, whipping up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to grab the victory. we couldnt get it clicking in the first half, but its almost good that it happened, said quarterback Patrick Donnelly 13. Falling behind Holy Cross brought out Brunos resil-

ience and toughness, he added we found out a lot about ourselves. I think that everyone learned the speed of the game now and what to expect on any given Saturday, Estes said, though he added that the Bears need to step up their level of play as they re-enter the Ivy arena. (we learned) that weve got to play better. That weve got to execute better. That we cant shoot ourselves in the foot, we cant have penalties and setbacks, he said. (The Crimson are) a good football team, and theyre going to give us a hell of a game. Murphy paralleled Estes regard for the matchup. Brown is always an extremely tough Ivy opener for us because they are very talented, tough and well-coached, he wrote. On top of that we are always the

biggest game on Browns schedule, a homecoming game, so the intensity level is unusually high for an early season game. Theodhosi said he and his teammates would try to balance that increased intensity on game day. were looking forward to this game, Theodhosi said. But at the same time, we dont over-hype it. For us, its just another in-league game. And for us, its just another step closer, if we win, to winning the Ivy League. Donnelly echoed his running backs message and said the Bears must remain focused amid the thrill of the teams home opener. Theres a certain energy about the game, he said. But at a certain point, you just have to get out there and play some football.

comicS
Join the Club | simon henriques

Cashew apples| will ruehle

10 diamonds & coal

diamondS & coal
A diamond to the committee planning celebrations for Browns 250th anniversary, which will last from spring of 2014 until Commencement of the following year. A year-long party? were impressed that dedication makes Spring weekend look like just another wednesday at the whiskey republic. Cubic zirconia to Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, who said in a press release, waterFire deals with our ancient fascination with the interplay of firelight and water. This same fascination also inspired a scientifically implausible Adele song. A diamond to the student organizer of Nudity in the Upspace who said, My family has always been really naked. would they be willing to host SexPowerGod this year? Coal to Provost Mark Schlissel P15, who said, we cant serve as a farm team for other institutions. No kidding were not cut out for agriculture, unless of course it involves harvesting the latest hipster fashions, milking one weeks readings for a semesters worth of class or sowing the seeds of political discontent. A diamond to Paul Guyer, the Jonathan Nelson professor of humanities and philosophy, who will co-teach a class about realism, idealism and alternative responses to reality. The class initial meeting? The Main Green at 4:20 p.m. April 20. Coal to Professor of Computer Science Shriram Krishnamurthi, who said of offering a computer science class online, You either grow or ossify. Our magical experiences with the childrens craft Shrinky Dinks prove his claim false. Cubic zirconia to the creators of Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights, which took an unfinished Gertrude Stein text and revamped it by writing original electronic music pieces to create a part concert, part immersive funhouse, part light show, part dance party, part Stein slam, according to their Kickstarter website. Is that what going to a Celine Dion concert feels like? Coal to the senior who said of Providences architectural offerings, Providence is such an undersung city in this country. Given the prevalence of a cappella groups on campus, wed argue that undersinging isnt necessarily the problem. A diamond to richard Spies, interim vice president for planning and senior adviser to the president, who said, It wasnt as if they needed someone to come in and suddenly rewrite the playbook for them. The playbook was pretty good. Spies may have been talking about University governance, but were talking Brown-Harvard football. Go Bears!

THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

Editorial cartoon b y s a m r o s e n f e l d

lE t tErS
Corporation should reconsider name change
to the editor: An informative, well-written piece on the renaming of Lincoln Field (From swamp to Simmons: Lincoln, a legacy, Sept. 19). The Corporation decision is truly unfathomable and incredibly misguided. Professor of Latin John Larkin Lincoln 1836 embodied character and stood for great teaching. To eliminate an honored name that has endured since 1880 when there are more appropriate ways to recognize former president ruth Simmons tremendous accomplishments the walk is one is the height of folly. It is an affront to history and reminds us that nothing at Brown is truly in perpetuity, even though we pride ourselves in our longevity and permanence. The Corporation should revisit its well-intentioned tribute, and if it does not, ruth Simmons should have the good sense to insist that, at minimum, the name be shared ruth Simmons Quadrangle on Lincoln Field. Peter mackie 59

Column on Israel is unbalanced and naive

to the editor: The article by Mika Zacks in Thursdays Herald (Beasts of the southern wild, Sept. 20) should not get a free pass without a balanced comment. Beginning with the atrocious and bewildering title Beasts of the Southern wild, she speaks about Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing as if they were certitudes written in stone. She attaches numerous examples of criminal actions directed at the Palestinians, but makes no reference to the countless murders of settlers over the years. She recommends reading Ilan Pappe, who has decided to take a selfimposed exile from Israel and live in England. Pappe has stated many times that Zionism is worse that Jihadism. He has demanded a universal boycott of all Israeli universities and colleges and is known in Israel for his support of a false claim concerning a massacre of Arabs in the 1948 war of Independence. Her article contains all the talking points of the Palestinian Authority. Trashing Israel is no way for an Israeli to win friends and influence people. I hope your student body can reach out and get beyond her naive and simple remarks. sy Dill

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

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its so nice to have Brown lifting Providence on a pedestal.

Kalen mcnamara 13 See architecture on page 3.
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quotE of thE day

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POST- MAGAZINe clay aldern Jenny carr Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief

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THE BrOwN DAILY HErALD FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

should Obamacare be repealed?

yes
the types of structural reforms necessary to overhaul the entire system to increase heath mayo coverage, Section 1513 of the ACA simon employers of opinions Columnist ply places the onussupply adequatemore than 50 workers to coverage for their employees to avoid a costly tax penalty. The cost of this employee when the 2,700-page Affordable Care Act mandate, which the Congressional Budstepped up to the plate and was passed two get Office projects to cost businesses $52 years ago, grand promises of increased billion from 2014-19, will ultimately be coverage, lower costs and better outcomes borne by workers in the form of lower that accompanied its passage all inspired a wages and 700,000 fewer jobs. Given the sense of hope. A few years removed from already sad state of economic affairs, these that excitement, deeper consideration are not effects that we can afford to shoulof the acts long-term impact provides der. Strike two. enough reason to strike it out and send it Finally, the massive Medicaid expanback to the bench. sion that the ACA mandates for those up Health insurto 138 percent of ance costs for famithe poverty level is rather than making the lies have risen conwell-intentioned, siderably since the types of structural reforms but ill-conceived. acts passage and By increasing ennecessary to overhaul the rollment by oneshow no signs of slowing. A recent entire system to increase third in what are Kaiser Foundaalready financialtion survey found coverage, section 1513 of the ly stressed joint that annual insurfederal-state proance premiums aCa simply places the onus grams, the ACA to cover a family on employers of more than 50 threatens to disof four through mantle state budan employer in- workers to supply adequate gets. Forcing states creased by 9 perto increase paycent, compared to coverage for their employees ments to primajust a 3 percent in- to avoid a costly tax penalty. ry care providcrease for families ers only exacerin 2010. Pricewabates this problem. terhouseCoopers Health research Insti- Strike three. tute expects this trend to continue, with All of these factors underscore the need a 7.5 percent increase projected for 2013 to repeal the ACA and revisit health care and beyond. Put simply, the administra- reform with a view toward fundamentaltions claim that the ACA solves the core ly restructuring the incentive structure of structural problems that currently lead to the system, which should not preclude the higher costs within our health care system reapplication of some of the ACAs woris unfounded. Strike one. thier ideas. These costs, coupled with the mounds of regulations that await employers and insurance carriers in the near future, creheath mayo 13 is a senior political ate an ominous cloud on the horizon for science and economics concentrator small businesses. rather than making from whitehouse, texas.

taking sides 11
no

equality under the law. Garret Now on to the most controversial part of the law the individual manJohnson date. This clause born in a conservaopinions Editor tive think tank in the 1990s states that all Americans who can afford health insurance must purchase it. Some repubObamacare attempts to address the licans have decried this provision as a three major shortcomings in the Amer- big government takeover of health care. ican health care system lack of ac- In fact, the mandate will expand the cess, high costs and mediocre quality customer base of Americas private inof care. while there remains work to be surance companies. done, repealing Obamacare would be a Furthermore, the mandate is based major economic and moral setback for on sound economic theory. Many the United States. young, healthy people choose not to Morally, there is no more pressing is- buy insurance because they figure that sue facing the U.S. health care system they wont get sick. The problem with than a lack of access that is that it to care. Before the creates a situapassage of Obamtion where only acare, about 50 mil- while there remains work to sick people purlion Americans chase insurance, lacked health care be done on the health care causing costs insurance. Obamas to skyrocket front, repealing obamacare for everyone bill attempts to expand insurance would be a major economic health care precoverage in several miums for famiways. For example, and moral setback for the lies increased by under Obamacare, 50 percent from united states. no insurance com2003 to 2010. pany can deny you To make matcoverage due to a ters worse, who pre-existing condiends up paying tion. the bill for people who seek care withThe largest expansion of access in out coverage? The rest of us. In 2009, Obamacare comes from expanding eli- U.S. hospitals provided $39.1 billion in gibility for Medicaid. Obamacare pro- uncompensated care. vides funding for states to expand MedSome have argued that the mandate icaid eligibility to everyone who is be- will force those who cant afford insurlow 133 percent of the federal poverty ance into buying it anyway. In reality, level. By some estimates, approximately the mandate includes exceptions for fi30 million more Americans will be in- nancial hardship and religious objecsured thanks to this provision. tions. So these critics are, frankly, lying. The bill also allows children to stay on their parents health insurance plans until the age of 26, and it forbids insurGarret Johnson 14 is a proud native ance companies from charging womof massachusetts, whose health care en more than they charge men, which reform inspired obamacare. thank makes sense in a country that cherishes you, Governor romney.

Heath Mayo 13 would have you believe that the health care reform game is over, and that Obamacare lost. He is quick to judge the results of Obamacare, which is curious given that the majority of the bill does not take effect until 2014. The idea that Obamacare is a failure is simply untrue, and we are seeing progress already. For example, 2011 is the first year in recent memory when the number of insured Americans actually increased, and the first year in a decade when the rate of private insurance remained steady. This is thanks to the fact that young Americans are able to stay on their parents insurance longer and due to the beginning of the Medicaid expansion, both courtesy of Obamacare. 2011 also saw the lowest rate of premium increase in years. Next, Mayo gravely warns of mounds of regulations, but names only one that owners of large firms must provide health care coverage to their workers or face a penalty. And while large businesses will certainly pay more to offer coverage to their workers, I assert that this is far better than workers having to find

Johnsons Rebuttal

insurance in the costly individual market. In addition, the Affordable Care Act provides premium-assistance subsidies to those in need. I give Mayo credit for admitting that the Medicaid expansion is well-intentioned. He errs, however, when he criticizes increased payment for primary care providers like family physicians and pediatricians. Countries with lots of primary care providers and fewer specialists generally have lower cost, higher quality care. Increasing payments to these currently undervalued players in the system is an important incentive for aspiring doctors to choose the field of primary care rather than specialty medicine. The proper course of action is not to eliminate all of the progress made by the Affordable Care Act. As Mayo concedes, there are worthy ideas within the bill. rather, we must continue the fight toward high quality, low-cost health care, using the Affordable Care Act as a starting point. Now is not the time to move backward on health care reform its time to move forward.

Mayos Rebuttal
It is important not to confuse opposition to the Affordable Care Act with general dismissal of the legislations centrally stated goals. To be clear, both opponents and supporters of the bill agree with its intentions to expand health care coverage and access to those who are currently uninsured, to lower costs and to increase the overall quality of care. The point here is not about who cares for the poor and elderly the most, but about how we as a nation can best go about solving the problem. It is undeniable that the presidents health care law expands coverage to 30 million previously uninsured Americans. But is the presidents prescription sustainable? The ACAs fundamental problem is that it seeks to apply the Band-Aid of bigger government to what is a complex and interconnected web of economic decision-makers. The government mandates in the ACA do nothing to prevent the covered patient from going to see a physician whenever they so much as sneeze, and they do nothing to finance the ballooning costs that these decisions perpetuate. Unless we repeal the ACA and retool our approach to develop a fundamental overhaul of the system, we risk leaving ourselves with a costly piecemeal quick fix to problems that cannot simply be bought off or solved through more taxes. So, what does a better approach look like? For starters, it involves admitting the that the health care system functions largely as a market. A sensible and more sustainable alternative to the ACA should focus on altering the incentives within this system and solving its structural ills, rather than taking it over entirely. Transparent health exchanges and performance-based metrics for hospitals and insurance companies would be steps to better inform patients and drive down costs. Cost-sharing mechanisms can encourage patients to only seek care when they are certain they need it. Finally, tort reform in the area of medical malpractice would limit the incidence of defensive medicine. Unless we focus on the incentives people face, we will be stuck putting an expensive Band-Aid on a broken arm.

daily herald sports friday

THE BrOwN
FrIDAY, SEPTEMBEr 21, 2012

Kinsley 11 represents U. at Olympics on U.s. javelin team The wild wildcard race
By mathias heller
SEnior Staff writEr

athlete of the Week

This weeks Athlete of the week no longer plays for the Bears, but his impact has been felt in competitions far beyond the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center. Craig Kinsley 11, a former javelin thrower and volunteer coach on the track and field team, competed in the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London as part of the U.S. javelin team. After qualifying for the national team in June, Kinsley spent several weeks in Birmingham, England, intensively training for his Olympic debut. He did not advance past the first round in the competition but improved his global ranking from 30th to 23rd while making his international debut on the largest possible stage. The Herald conducted an interview last week with Kinsley after his return from a post-London hiking trip through northern New England. Herald: What was it like representing the U.s. on the world stage as a first-time Olympic athlete? Kinsley: Being able to represent the American public was really something special that I didnt take lightly at all. The opening ceremonies were fantastic. what you dont see is the long time we have to spend walking from the Olympic Village to the stadium for 2.5 miles at a very slow pace for the Parade of Nations.

How did you feel about your individual performance? Were you disappointed not to have advanced past the first round? A lot of times at the advanced level, its really just going to depend on whos going to perform the very best on a given day. with so many guys being capable of medaling based on who does what on a given day, youre always walking that line between injury and max performance. I was pretty healthy, so I had the first piece down. I had some confidence there were not many expectations for me because I was ranked 30th in the world. My goal was just to surprise people and compete well on a given day. I was definitely hit with the pressure a little more than I expected in the Olympic Stadium. It was a learning experience for me. Ill definitely be a little bit more ready for that kind of experience next time around. It seemed really glamorous from the outside, but theres incredible training and stress in the weeks leading up.

By Daniyal khan
contributing writEr

Courtesy of andrea and tom KinsLey

Craig kinsley 11 competed in london for the 2012 summer olympic games. the least. London was unbelievable, and everyone was incredibly hospitable. If the biggest hiccup on the entire trip is getting lost on the way to the Olympics, then theres really nothing to worry about. How did it feel returning to the U.s. after competing and reflecting on your experience? One of the best parts of the experience was getting out of the plane at Newark and seeing the welcome to the United States of America sign. I was able to experience the Olympics a lot more through other peoples eyes, and now Im more proud of just being an Olympian. Now that its over, I get to focus on what I did accomplish rather than what I didnt accomplish. I feel like a normal person again. What are your plans for your future as an athlete? do you see yourself competing for a spot on the U.s. team again for the 2016 summer Olympics in rio de Janeiro? I did better than I expected to this time, and four years is a long time. You never really know when your time as a professional athlete will expire. right now, Im definitely planning on training. Im focusing on Moscow 2013, which are the Track and Field world Championships. I am certainly planning on being in the running for a spot on the team for rio, but right now Im just focusing on the coming year.

according to the Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom, the bus carrying you and other U.s. Olympic athletes initially got lost on the way to the stadium. What was that all about? London was trying to deal with the transportation needs of all the athletes. Our bus driver was from Scotland and doing the route for the first time and trying to find the stadium with the GPS, and we drove around for awhile, to say

300th win for head coach of womens soccer team

By bruno zuCColo
contributing writEr

W. soCCer

Thursdays 1-0 win over the University of Massachusetts marked the 300th win of Phil Pincinces career as head coach of the womens soccer team. Pincince, who started coaching at Brown in 1977, is in his 36th season with the team. After the game, which improved his current squads record to 6-1, Pincince received a special plaque commemorating the milestone. He took the opportunity to remember all the players from my first year at Brown and onward. Its all about them, he said. Its about what theyve done for this Brown womens soccer program.

He is now the 13th winningest coach in the history of Division I womens soccer. The goal that guaranteed this historic victory came in the second half. Defender Diana Ohrt 13 crossed the ball on a free kick, and it deflected off one of the Minutewomens defenders before drifting into the goal. The goal came in the 52nd minute and was awarded to Ohrt. It was nice to get one in, Ohrt said. The game was balanced all through the first half. Both teams tried to score on multiple occasions, but neither could infiltrate the others defense. The Bears were coming off three consecutive shutouts and the Minutewomen off of two. Pincince said the team expected (the result) to be by one goal.

One of the best chances of the first half occurred at 25 minutes, when UMass forward Jackie Bruno received the ball alone in the middle of the box and missed a clear opportunity to score by sending it high over the bar. Two minutes later, on a similar play, Bears forward Chloe Cross 15 got a pass in the opposite box, but ripped it straight to goalkeeper Emily Cota. Otherwise, the Minutewomen relied primarily on long-range attempts, and right back Madison Smiths audacious dribbling up her side of the field. In the second half, while the sun disappeared behind the clouds, Bruno came back with more offensive zeal that culminated in the game-winning goal. In the 46th minute, Cross shot a ball that

Cota barely managed to get her fingers on and sent ricocheting off the crossbar. Moments later, captain Eliza Marshall 13 got the rebound and sent it just over the bar. After suffering its first goal allowed in 11 days, UMass attempted a comeback. They had four menacing shots in the next seven minutes but could not equalize past MC Barrett 14. The Bears once again relied on their defense to conquer the Minutewomen for their fourth straight 1-0 victory. Coming off of an emotional victory that continued its shutout streak, the Bears look poised for conference play, which begins at Dartmouth Sunday. I think we have good, positive energy going into it, Ohrt said. we definitely have great momentum.

the bears will go up against a strong harvard team at this saturdays homecoming game in brown stadiums third-ever night game. bruno looks to build on the momentum from last weeks victory to prevent a repeat of 2011s loss to its Cambridge rivals. see PaGe 1

emiLy GiLBert / heraLd

Early wednesday morning, I witnessed something I never thought I would see in September a Baltimore Orioles fan, shown on camera during the 16th inning of the Mariners-Orioles game, at what had become a nearly empty Safeco Field in Seattle. It wasnt that the fan was balancing a beach ball on his nose or juggling on a unicycle, nor was he oddly dressed (though the bright orange emitting from his shirt through my laptop screen did take its toll on my 1 a.m. retinas). It was the fans mere presence or rather, what his presence represents that made me think to myself, Oh boy, maybe I should have taken notes during that apocalyptic movie. 2012 is really happening. I mean, who wouldve expected the Orioles in the playoff picture this late in the year? I would assume that this fan stayed to watch the entire 18-inning affair, in which his Orioles were shut out for eight frames, scored two runs in the ninth and essentially repeated that pattern in extra innings, only this time keeping the Mariners from the scoreboard. It is, after all, the Orioles thing to do. Including last nights third win in Seattle, the Os have now won their last 15 extra-inning games, and are quickly approaching the 1949 Cleveland Indians 17-game record. Another mind-boggling statistic is their 27-8 record in one-run games, which has helped them set the pace in the American League wild card race and kept them in the hunt for the AL Easts top spot through midSeptember. Of course, theres no accurate method of correlating all this closegame success to anything, though the general consensus seems to be that the Os have been astronomically lucky this season. Sure, thats a neat back end of the bullpen theyve got there in Baltimore, but its not worth 40 wins. The Orioles shouldnt be here by any measure, sabermetric or otherwise. That fan in Seattle should have left in the eighth, when Buck Showalters men were three outs away from being shut out. Nate McLouth batting third is supposed to be a sign of September decay rather than one of an inexplicable playoff push. But somehow, thats not how things seem to be working out. The Oakland Athletics are another team that wasnt expected to be playing meaningful September baseball this year. Much like the Os, the As havent hit awfully well, and their dependence on pitching has kept them in the hunt for a postseason berth. In fact, Bob Melvins team has the rangers with their once untouchable AL west cushion looking over their shoulders. But it is worth noting that both of these fairy-tale runs are very fragile. One bad series at this point in the season could put an early end to what looks to be a thrilling sprint to the finish for both of these teams. when you take into account their remaining op/ / khan page 3 ponents, you