vol. cxlvi, no.

78

Daily
By Jake coMer Senior Staff Writer

the Brown

Monday, October 3, 2011

Herald
Since 1891

Lagos looks Better World conference to the future imagines disaster relief of democracy While a variety of problems, inBy elizaBeth carr Senior Staff Writer

Former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos hesitated to have his picture taken in his small, bright office in the Watson Institute for International Studies. Wearing slacks and a white button-down, but without a coat and tie, he worried he might not look presidential enough.

HerAlD eXClusIVe INterVIeW

With his deep, close-lipped smile and a deliberate cadence in his voice, he did appear in many ways more professorial than presidential. But Professor-at-Large Lagos and the Lagos who helped lead Chile from despotism to democracy were both available for questions Thursday. During an hour-long interview, Lagos gave a personal account of his role in restoring democracy to Chile. He expressed reservations about the Chilean governments ability to meet the demands of the nations ongoing student protest movement and discussed what he sees as a resurgence in individual empowerment in political systems worldwide. With the quiet enthusiasm of a teacher, Lagos recounted his role continued on page 3
lagos finger

Twitter was abuzz with the hashtag #bxd11 this weekend as hundreds of students and professionals from around the country congregated for the fourth annual A Better World by Design conference, organized by Brown and Rhode Island School of Design students. The conference, which was open to the public, offered lectures, workshops and presentations that brought together innovators of international renown with the goal of solving environmental and social problems through design. Its better and better every year, said Mike Eng, a RISD alum and one of the conferences founders.

cluding fossil fuels and high school architecture, were addressed, this years conference focused on design for disaster relief. Its definitely relevant, Eng said, pointing to the massive destruction left in the wake of recent hurricanes and earthquakes. Saturdays keynote panel featured David Perkes, the founding director of the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, as well as Dominique Toussaint, chairman of the board of Mobilize for Haiti, and Peter Haas, founder of the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group. Haas offered a word of advice to those looking to work in disascontinued on page 4
Rachel Kaplan / Herald

A nutrition service was just one of many ideas at this weekends design expo.

Wilde drama puts jury on the stand

By phoeBe Nir artS & Culture Staff Writer

NE WS IN BRIEF

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, Sock & Buskins current production running in Leeds Theater, plays a neat trick.

Arts & Culture

Throughout the course of Wildes 1895 hearings for sodomy, illegal in England until 1967, Wildes own letters and literature were seized by his opposition as damning evidence. But now, as the audience bears witness to recreations of the trials, we become the jury and it

is Wildes accusers who are found guilty. The play, directed by Kym Moore, assistant professor of theater arts and performance studies, and written by Moises Kaufman, weaves together verbatim court records, press clippings, personal correspondences and excerpts from Wildes works. The result is a pointillist portrait of a man of mythic proportions, the wit of a century born a century too soon. It is impossible to know what Wilde would produce if he were alive today, but I would wager heavily that he would have a Twitter the man was simply unpar-

alleled when it came to the clever turn of phrase, and he knew it, too. I have never had adoration for anybody but myself, crows Brian Cross 12, who embodies Wilde with every flawless, deliberate gesture. Watch Cross flick back the tails of his silver waistcoat or the twinkle in his eye as he delivers yet another of Wildes crisp axioms. His performance is genius and his possession by the spirit of the legendary writer complete, especially as his veneer of cocky charisma is worn down by the humiliations of the trials. continued on page 5

Security threat spurs new login

Computing and Information Services launched a new MyCourses login Friday in response to a tip from a computer science student about a security vulnerability. Prior to the change, anyone could capture a login ID and password when a user signed into MyCourses. Login information allows access to an individuals personal data through Brown websites such as Banner. But those outside the University community likely would not know about those sites, said David Sherry, chief information security officer for CIS. The University has been gradually transitioning to the new login system, Shibboleth, since 2009. Because the Shibboleth system carries users credentials across Brown websites without requiring repeated authentication, Sherry recommended students and faculty close internet browsers when finished, especially on public computers. CIS announced the change to the campus community on the MyCourses login screen, on the CIS blog and in a Morning Mail post. CIS members monitored the new login system over the weekend, and the change was flawless, Sherry said. We didnt expect technical issues, and there were no technical issues, he said. sahil luthra

football

Bears hoist Governors Cup under the lights

By ashleY McDoNNell SportS editor

Emily Gilbert / Herald

Brown triumphed over URI, 35-21, to capture the Governors Cup Saturday.

Playing at night for only the second time ever at Brown Stadium and with the Governors Cup on the line, the Bears trounced instate rival URI, 35-21, in front of 8,534 Saturday night. It was a four-touchdown day for co-captain quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero 11.5, who suffered a season-ending wrist injury in last seasons Governors Cup game. The fifth-year senior led the offense and threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a pair of scores on the ground. Somebody asked me how my

wrist feels today, and I told them, Its a little sore, but its not broken thats a little bit better than last year, said Newhall-Caballero after the game. Just to win this year feels great. Last year, after Newhall-Caballero broke his wrist on the final play of regulation, the Bears lost the game in overtime, 27-24. Though Bruno (2-1, 0-1 Ivy) ultimately triumphed this year, URI (1-3) scored first after a gutsy fourth-down conversion. Facing fourth and one on their own 19yard line, the Rams decided to go for it. URI back Robbie Delgado continued on page 4

weather

news....................2-3 sports....................4 editorial...............6 opinions................7 arts..........................8

inside

NYUnion?

Grad students at nYu await ruling on unionization

campus news, 2

First lady visits cranston women

Mobama
citY & state, 3

moffat 13 challenges chafees call

OpiniOns, 7

Got pot?

t o d ay

tomorrow

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2 Campus news
C ALENDAR
toDaY 11 a.m. Campus Safety Resource Fair, Wriston Quad 5 p.m. Lecture with Patrick French, Smith-Buonanno, Room 106 5:30 p.m. Debt, Slavery and Monasticism, Petteruti Lounge oCtobER 3 tomoRRoW 5 p.m. Last day to change a grade option on Banner oCtobER 4 By MaDDie BerG Contributing Writer

the Brown Daily herald Monday, october 3, 2011

Addiction center expands lecture series

With cookies, science and a raffle, the popular CAAS Rounds Lecture series is seeking further growth. Each Friday from noon to one, the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies offers a lecture for faculty, staff, students and local public health personnel. The lectures vary in topic, but usually explore one of the centers three main areas of study: alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. With the purpose of educating attendees, the program hopes to expose the researchers latest projects in the field. Because this goal relates specifically to CAAS, the lectures given by speakers chosen by a CAAS committee were at first only advertised within the center. But due to growing interest, the presentations are now open to all members of the University, as well as other communities including Lifespan a non-profit health system affiliated with Brown and faculty from other universities. The average turnout is between 25 and 35 people, mainly consisting of CAAS faculty and graduate and postdoctoral students from other programs. I am actually really excited about the turnout, said Tamara Sequeira, assistant project director at CAAS. We are thrilled about how we have grown from just this center, which is 100 or so people, to the school of public health and now even beyond Brown. The series began in summer 2010 when CAAS faculty decided there should be more collaboration within the center. There is not a lot of cross-talk and communication. It was just a way to get people to talk about things going on, Sequeira said. To make the center more cohesive, the faculty hoped to bring various professionals from Brown and the public health community together so people could learn about new research and either make a change in whatever theyre doing or create a collaboration they may not have ... been interested in, Sequeira said. Jessica Bendit 12, one of the few undergraduates who has attended the lectures, said she went twice this summer while working for the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights. Though she said the target audience was probably researchers within the field, she found them very accessible and enjoyed learning something new that was slightly out of her area of study. The speakers cover a variety of topics, including the effects of binge drinking on animals, the correlation between crack-cocaine and HIV and tips on how to get into graduate school or handle rejection healthfully. But according to Sequeira, no matter how technical the topic, the speakers tend to make the lectures understandable to a broader audience. To keep the lectures relatable, the speakers are asked to use the beginning of their presentations to discuss something personal. It could be how you got interested in your field, a particular hobby you have or pictures of you growing up, Sequeira said. Even apart from these informal introductions, Bendit said presentations were entertaining. The speakers were definitely engaging because they were presenting on their own research, she said. They were very impassioned about what they were talking about. And if free dessert and scientific discussion are not enough to attract a varied audience, Sequeira said she hopes a raffle will be the ultimate selling point. As each person enters, he or she is given a raffle ticket, and the speaker draws the winner at the end of the lecture. The prizes, which have included a bookstore gift certificate and free Dels Lemonade, are a fun way to get people interested, Sequeira said. As the lectures grow in popularity, plans to reach out to undergraduates might be underway, perhaps through more posters, a website or announcements in Morning Mail, she said.

MENU
SHaRpE REfECtoRY Popcorn Chicken, Gyro Sandwich, Mediterranean Eggplant Saute, Snickerdoodle Cookies VERNEY-WoollEY DINING Hall lUNCH Chicken Fajitas, Vegan Black Bean Tacos, Mexican Succotash, Snickerdoodle Cookies

DINNER Macaroni and Cheese, Roast Beef Au Jus, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Smores Bars Italian Meatballs with Pasta, Pizza Rustica, Buttermilk Corn Bread, Smores Bars

SUDoKU

Ruling on union under review

CR oSSWoRD
By aparNa BaNsal Senior Staff Writer

New York University graduate students continue to wait for word from the Washington, D.C. office of the National Labor Relations Board. The boards New York office told graduate students in June they could not form a union, but the language of that ruling left room for the decision to be overturned at the federal level.

HIgHer eD
Though the June decision was based on the precedent of a 2004 NLRB ruling that Brown graduate students were not employees of the University and could not unionize, the judge reinterpreted that precedent, declaring that teaching and research assistants are employees. Elbert Tellem, acting representative of the NLRBs regional of-

fice in New York, wrote in the case report that the 2004 decision was premised on a university setting as it existed 30 years ago and that graduate students at NYU have a dual relationship with the university that is both academic and economic. The problem is that the national board hasnt looked at our case, said Daniel Aldana Cohen, a doctoral student at NYU and an organizer for the Graduate Student Organizing Committee. Were hoping to get a decision by December. NYU graduate students are hopeful they will receive a positive ruling as relatively pro-labor Democrats appointed by President Obama currently dominate the fiveseat NLRB committee, Cohen said. But he said students are worried that the NLRB wont get to the case before the appointees terms expire at the end of the year.

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If they receive a positive ruling, the graduate students will then hold elections for a bargaining committee that will negotiate with NYU. So far, the administration has been unhelpful, Cohen said. They aretaking advantage of the gridlock in Washington, he said. Their entire strategy this whole time has been delay, delay, delay. We fundamentally disagree with (the) analysis and conclusion that a graduate-student bargaining unit would be appropriate in the event that the Brown case is reversed, said John Beckman, vice president for public affairs at NYU, in a statement in June. The regional directors analysis ignores the facts of this case, most importantly that teaching assistantships have been eliminated for NYU graduate students and that those who choose to teach do so as adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty at NYU already have a union with the United Auto Workers. At Brown, the motivation to unionize may not be as strong as it was in 2004. At the moment, the Brown community is not moving toward a direction to unionize, said Matteo Riondato GS, president of the Graduate Student Council. I believe we have a very good relationship with the graduate school and the administration. He added that the council is open to discussion on the issue and that if a need for a union arises, it will act accordingly to what the majority of the students and the representatives of students in the GSC will vote for.

the Brown Daily herald Monday, october 3, 2011

Campus news 3

Lagos sees rise of Democracy 2.0

continued from page 1 in ousting U.S.-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet and reinstating democracy in his country in the late 1980s. After eight years of despotism, a plebiscite was held to determine whether Pinochet would remain in office. If a majority supported Pinochet, he would stay on as dictator. If the majority voted against him, a presidential election would be held, and Pinochet would be out. As the plebiscite approached, those who did not support Pinochet had to register their parties no easy task under a dictatorship, Lagos said. Lagos socialist faction was forbidden to register as a party. To circumvent the ban, it took the name Party for Democracy. But neither the Party for Democracy nor any of the other democratically minded parties were large enough to challenge Pinochets supporters on their own, so they formed a coalition. Before the plebiscite, Lagos made a historic appearance on the Chilean political television show De Cara al Pais, which culminated in the episode known to history as Lagos finger. We are going to be on TV, Lagos recalled telling his colleagues ahead of his partys official registration. Lagos colleagues were skeptical about the prospect of opposition politicians being given direct access to Chileans eyes and ears, Lagos remembered, but he told them they would have to appear on television to represent their party in political debates. And he was right. At one point during his appearance on De Cara al Pais, he turned to the camera and, pointing straight into the lens, reviled the dictator. General Pinochet has not been honest with the country, he said. I will remind you, General Pinochet, that on the day of the 1980 plebiscite you said that President Pinochet would not be a candidate in 1989. And now, you promise the country another eight years of tortures, murders and human rights violations. It seems to me inadmissible that a Chilean can have so much hunger for power. The democratic coalition went on to defeat Pinochet in the plebiscite. But three days after the 1988 plebiscite precluded Pinochet from remaining in power, Lagos announced to the Chilean people he would not run for president. Lagos finger had angered the countrys military leadership, and Lagos said he did not want to jeopardize the democratic transition by placing himself a potential target for the military in office. The coalition Lagos helped form agreed on a Christian Democrat, Patricio Aylwin, as their candidate. Aylwin was elected in March 1990. When he did take office as president 10 years later, he established an independent presidential commission to investigate political persecution under Pinochets

Claire Peracchio / Herald

Michelle obama gathered with 13 wives of military servicemen in Cranston.

Rachel Kaplan / Herald

Former President Ricardo Lagos helped bring prosperity and political freedom to Chile.

regime, and 35,000 Chileans made statements to the commission. Two volumes were published from that commission, Lagos said. The first volume is like going to the hell of Dante Alighieri. Since the end of Pinochets regime, Chiles GDP has grown about 5 percent annually. Per capita income has increased from $5,000 to $15,000. The proportion of Chileans living in poverty has shrunk from nearly 40 percent to about 11 percent. The number of students in the Chilean university system has rocketed from a quarter of a million to 1.1 million. Seven out of 10 students are the first in their families to pursue higher education. But Chiles economic growth has triggered the emergence of a new, class-oriented social system, Lagos said. And in this atmosphere of growth, tuition for higher education has grown as well by more than 80 percent in the last 20 years. Lagos attributed the current wave of student protests in the country to these factors. The protests began in May, and college students occupied about 100 schools by June. In August, the movement mounted two marches with protesters numbering in the hundreds of thousands. And the protests flared up again late last month. The Chilean government offers free primary education and scholarships for some university students. But given the countrys comfortable economic climate, Lagos said he does not think the government should pay for higher education. The governments growing income should go toward primary education, housing for the poor and better infrastructure before secondary education, he said. But the students are worth listening to, he said. They have their reasons. Lagos said the protests in his country, as well as those that flared up recently in Spain, Israel and India, are driven by a desire to see
Back to athens prosperity and protests

increasing economic prosperity translated into tangible benefits for wide segments of society. People feel much more empowered today, Lagos said. And with this empowerment of the individual, politics is changing. Now everybody is able to see what is going on everywhere, Lagos said, and they can compare their standard of living with those of people across the world. It used to be that newspapers collected the words and views of people of authority and issued them to the populace, Lagos explained. Then radio and television allowed leaders to talk directly to citizens but still, the citizens seldom had the opportunity to talk back. Suddenly, because of the web, politics is not that anymore. I present my brilliant idea, and in less than one second, you send me back a Twitter, and you say, Who are you, Mr. Lagos? Going to give some message to me? I know what to do. Go to hell, Lagos said. Lagos foresees a return to a political dialogue more reminiscent of the public square, where everyone has the opportunity to talk as well as listen. Look, we are going back to Athens, he said. This is going to be Democracy 2.0, Lagos said. Now, everybody emit, and everybody receive.

First lady visits with R.I. military wives

By claire peracchio City & State editor

First lady Michelle Obama joined 13 wives of military servicemen Friday evening for a roundtable gathering at the Rhode Island National Guard headquarters in Cranston. Later that night, she appeared at a fundraiser for her husband at the East Side home of Joseph Paolino Jr., a former Providence mayor and U.S. ambassador to Malta.

CIty & stAte

After greeting the women with hugs in Cranston, Obama said the purpose of the meeting was to draw attention to the plight of military families. The main piece of this is really making sure America knows the unique challenges that you face, she said. Obama added that Joining Forces the initiative she and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, have spearheaded focuses on efforts to hire military spouses and help the children of servicemen and women pursue their educational goals, even as the upheaval of military life forces them to frequently switch schools. Two military wives one the

wife of a member of the Navy and the other of a Marine thanked Obama and highlighted issues important to the spouses of servicemen and women. Amy King, who currently lives in Middletown, spoke of the strain repeated moves and her husbands combat injury have placed on her family. The press was then asked to leave the facility so that the first lady could speak privately with the women. According to a pool report, issued by the reporter who was allowed to remain with the first lady, Obama later traveled to Paolinos home, where guests included President Ruth Simmons, University of Rhode Island President David Dooley and Gov. Lincoln Chafee 75 P14, as well as Rhode Island Democrats Rep. David Cicilline 83 and Sen. Jack Reed. Guests paid at least $1,000 for tickets to attend, and donations were as high as $38,500. For a $5,000 contribution, donors could take a picture with Obama. Money raised that night went to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that benefits both President Obamas 2012 reelection bid and the Democratic National Committee, which sponsored the event.

4 Sports Monday
Bears capitalize on URIs turnovers
continued from page 1 found a hole in Browns defense, gaining five yards and earning a new set of downs. After another five-yard rush, Rams quarterback Steve Probst fooled Brunos defense with a keeper on a quarterback option play. By the time the Bears realized who actually had the ball, it was too late for anyone to catch Probst, who ran 71 yards for the touchdown, putting the Rams up 7-0 early in the first quarter. But Bruno also had a few tricks up its sleeve. Unable to convert on third and six at its own 24 yard line, Brown lined up in a punt formation. But instead of kicking the ball downfield into the waiting arms of the Rams returner, the Bears snapped it to upback Stephen Zambetti 13, who took it 48 yards good for the first down and more. We decided that they were going to take the bait, and we went for it, said Head Coach Phil Estes. The fake punt got us the momentum back. After marching down the field, a pair of penalties seemed to put the Bears farther and farther out of scoring range. But on second and 22, Newhall-Caballero tossed the ball to running back Mark Kachmer 13, who ran up the right sideline and made an athletic catch in the end zone on a 27-yard touchdown. Kachmer was Newhall-Caballeros top target, with 62 yards receiving and one touchdown. The running back also added 37 yards rushing. Brown shot itself in the foot multiple times with costly penalties. The Rams booted the ball from their own 15 back to the Bears, who started the drive at their own 41. Bruno drove down the field to URIs 34, and was prepared to attempt a fourth down conversion, but a false start penalty against the Bears forced them to punt. On the night, Bruno had 12 penalties for a total of 125 yards, compared to URIs nine penalties for 79 yards. The Rams were not undone by penalties, but by turnovers. On their next possession, they steadily drove down the field until running back Travis Hurd fumbled the ball and linebacker Matt ODonnell 12 recovered it. On the ensuing drive, NewhallCaballero found wide receiver Jonah Fay 12 and wide receiver Alex Tounkara-Kone 11.5 for big gains. The drive culminated when Tounkara-Kone pulled in a 17-yard touchdown reception his third in as many games to put the Bears up 14-7 early in the second quarter. As soon as the Rams got the ball, they gave it right back to the Bears. URIs drive lasted nine seconds when Probst tried to throw a deep pass that was intercepted by cornerback A.J. Cruz 13. Though the Bears dug themselves into a fourth-and-36 hole and were forced to punt, the Rams then coughed up the ball for the third time that night. With a short field, a 16-yard pass to TounkaraKone and two small rushing gains by Newhall-Caballero were all it took to put the Bears up 21-7. The Rams had five turnovers on the night. Brown had none. The bottom line is we turned the ball over too much, and we underachieved, Probst said. They out-executed us. Before the end of the half, the kicker Alex Norocea 14 attempted a 36-yard field goal that missed wide left. Going into halftime, the score remained 21-7 Brown. On their first possession of the second half, Probst again caught the Bears unawares with a quarterback sneak, rushing for 61 yards and the quick touchdown, cutting the deficit to seven. Probst rushed for a career-high 180 yards and threw for another 179 yards and a touchdown. But he said his achievements on the night were rendered moot by his poor decision-making. Before the end of the third quarter, the Bears scored again, thanks to wide receiver Matthew Sudfeld 12 and running back John Spooney 14, who both gained significant rushing yardage on the drive. Going into the fourth quarter, Brown led 28-14. With just under 10 minutes left in the game, Brown scored its fifth and final touchdown, putting the game out of reach. Spooney started the drive with a 54-yard scamper down the left sideline, putting Brown at URIs 26-yard line. After another few short yardage gains by Newhall-Caballero, Kachmer ran into the end zone, stretching Browns lead, 35-14. But the stadium went quiet when tight end Nicholas Faber 12 was injured two plays before Kachmers score. Faber was upturned in the end zone and landed awkwardly on his head. He was carried off on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. The Rams scored with just over two minutes remaining, but it was too little, too late. In the end, the Bears won 35-21 and took the Governors Cup. Offensively, we were much more in-sync than last week, Estes said. There were definitely miscues on our part, but I thought we overcame them in a big way. Next week, the Bears host the College of the Holy Cross (2-2) in their final non-conference game of the season. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. at Brown Stadium.

the Brown Daily herald Monday, october 3, 2011

CRoSS CoUNtRY

Among large field, squads finish strong

By JaMes BlUM SportS Staff Writer

Despite competition from 44 teams in the gold division at last Fridays Paul Short Invitational, hosted by Lehigh University, the cross country teams were undeterred. The men finished seventh with 255 points, narrowly edging out Dartmouth. Earning 393 points, the women ran to a 12th place finish, besting the University of New Hampshire by 32 points. Dan Lowry 12, who completed the 8-kilometer course in 24 minutes, 18 seconds, led the men. Finishing closely behind the sixth-place Lowry was teammate Matt Duffy 12, who crossed the finish line at 24:41 and earned 16th place. Individually, I thought it was a pretty good performance, Duffy said. As a team, the men finished behind Columbia, but ahead of Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton and Yale. We beat most of the teams we were supposed to beat, and we had another consistent performance, Duffy said. Were two-for-two in terms of consistency and good performances overall. There was some small kind of

tactical things we could have done better, said Tim Springfield, head coach of the mens cross country team. But thats always going to be the case in a meet with 400 runners. Margaret Connelly 14 was yet again the top finisher for the Brown women, covering the 6-kilometer course in 21:15 and finishing in 33rd place. Heidi Caldwell 14 finished just four seconds after Connelly and earned 39th place. Ari Garber 12 finished third for the Bears in 21:47, followed by Olivia Mickle 13 with a time of 22:01. I thought that the team did a pretty good job of being patient, said Mitchell Baker, head coach of the womens team. I think its pretty easy to feel the pressure to get out fast, so you dont get buried in a large field like that. In addition to the large field, the women faced a muddy course and had a runner taken out of the race due to concerns of heat exhaustion. I was pleased with our top four in the sense they ran competitively, Baker said. Were all excited to figure out how to run them together the whole time. Both teams will next compete at the New England Championships in Boston Oct. 8.

A focus on disaster relief at Better World

continued from page 1 ter relief. You need to find your niche, he said. Dont go in there and just provide the same services that everybody else is providing. Be flexible, Toussaint said. Relief organizations come into the country many times with plans that are already pre-made but then have trouble executing the plan, he said. But Haas emphasized that a disaster zone is not the place for untested ideas What bothered me was seeing experimentation dressed up as relief, he said. Disaster relief was also addressed through the Better World Challenge. This year, the conference teamed up with the non-profit Save the Bay and asked participants to create a solution for rising sea levels and natural disasters caused by climate change. The winners, Saurabh Goenka and Bhavna Muttreja of Carnegie Mellon University, proposed a solution to eradicate beach erosion through a combination of barriers, eco-pods and a boundary wall without disrupting the community. The challenge is probably the most tangible way that the conference engages with the public, said Joanna Zhang 13, a spokeswoman for the conference. The conference featured a series of workshops to showcase and stimulate design thinking. During the Think Wrong workshop, Marc OBrien of Project M, a relief organization, challenged participants to think about the world in unconventional ways to address specific issues. Attendees further developed their ideas during a Rapid Prototyping workshop and presented them at the Better World Expo. At the expo, Elizabeth Schaja 11 and Deshika Wickramasinghe 11 presented VeggieBus, a combination food truck and grocery service that would serve college students. The concept originated in their project for ENGN 0090: Management of Industrial and Nonprofit Organizations, which they took during their final semester. Its an idea that were putting out there, Schaja said. The conference also emphasized the importance of sustainability through locally sourced food and zero waste. Though lectures were fairly well attended, many students did not stay for the full length of the presentations. One of the most notable speakers at the conference was John Fetterman, mayor of Braddock, Penn. Fetterman is currently earning a salary of $150 per month and has been working to rejuvenate his city, which has lost 90 percent of its population since the collapse of the steel industry in the 1970s. Both Fetterman and Raaj Parekh 13 compared the situation in Braddock to that of Central Falls, a Rhode Island city that declared bankruptcy Aug. 1.

W. SoCCER

Lions hand Bears first Ivy defeat

By saM wickhaM SportS Staff Writer

Two early goals were enough to hand the womens soccer team its third loss of the season in New York City Saturday against Columbia. Despite a late goal from Kirsten Belinsky 15, the Bears (6-3-1, 1-1-0 Ivy) could not find an equalizing tally to pull level with the Lions (4-5-0, 2-0-0) and suffered their first Ivy loss of the season, 2-1. A narrowly missed free-kick from captain Sarah Hebert-Seropian 12 and a goal called back by an offside call illustrated Brunos dogged effort to make the comeback. The Lions found the back of the net just nine minutes into the game when Alexa Yow buried a shot past Amber Bledsoe 14 to put Columbia up 1-0. Yow continued to pressure the Bears back line, heading the ball off the post just five minutes later. She continued to be an aerial threat and doubled her tally in the 19th minute after

firing home a header off a throw-in to give the Lions an early 2-0 lead. We knew we had to play all 90 minutes, Belinsky said. Even though they scored early, we werent completely out of the game. The Bears tested the Lions goalkeeper three times in the first half but were not able to start the comeback before the halftime whistle blew. Obviously we didnt do so well in the first half, giving up two quick goals, and that gave us a blow, Hebert-Seropian said. But I really liked our comeback in the second half, and our team never gave up. It wasnt until 27 minutes into the second half that Bruno narrowed the deficit. A deep cross from Marybeth Lesbirel 12 fell to the feet of Belinsky, who lofted a shot over the Lions keeper to notch the first-years first goal in a Bears uniform and bring the score to 2-1. (The ball) came bouncing back

towards me, and I just hit it, trying to think Dont hit it over, Belinsky said. The Bears nearly equalized only four minutes later, when HebertSeropian struck a free-kick just over the crossbar. Bruno thought it had finally gotten level after scoring in the 81st minute, but the goal was called back due to an offside call. A last-minute corner kick was punched away by the Lions goalie, and the Bears could not create another chance to make their comeback before full time. We definitely changed our style of play in the second half to address some of the problems we were having, Hebert-Seropian said. We fought hard, and we had nothing to lose. The Bears will use this week to prepare for their next Ivy League match-up against Princeton next Sunday at Stevenson Field. We know Princeton is a very good team, so were going to have to be ready for that, Hebert-Seropian said. Its going to be a battle.

the Brown Daily herald Monday, october 3, 2011

Arts & Culture 5

Lydia Yamaguchi / Herald

Leeds Theater becomes a court house for Sock & Buskins Gross Indecency.

Cross 12 captures Wildes wit

continued from page 1 Cross is supported by a uniformly excellent cast of nine actors, chameleons outfitted in dapper vests and ties shifting between characters and nuanced accents with flair. It is clear all involved in the production are having a terrific time and, even more, that they feel
Glenn Lutzky / Herald

Colin Jacobsen of Brooklyn Rider said the band brings the spirit of improvisation back to classical pieces.

Quartet blurs line between composer and performer

continued from page 8 flute, horn or drum accompanying them. But each piece was performed perfectly, complemented by the impeccable acoustics of the auditorium. Three of the members of the group played standing up, which allowed them greater expression in their movements. With each swell of the music or movement of the bow, they jerked not just their arms but their whole bodies. Many members of the audience, which included some students but was mostly comprised of older members of the community, were swaying to the music by the end. The group takes its rock-androll vibe a step further in Seven Steps, a new work featured Saturday. The piece was a collaborative effort among the entire group and, since a large portion of it is improvised, Saturdays performance was in many ways a completely new work, viola player Nicholas Card said. Seven Steps, loosely inspired by Beethovens more experimental late period, began with violinist Colin Jacobsen tapping at his strings with the whole bow. Then Eric Jacobsen Colins brother started up a jazzy beat on his cello that sounded more like a tango than Beethoven. Why shouldnt a string quartet endeavor to write its own music together? Card asked rhetorically. But, in fact, this is rarely done in the world of classical music, he said. There was not such a clear line between composer and performer a century ago, Card said. Groups composing their own music has simply not been part of the tradition in the 20th century, he said. Theres a view that a composer is a composer and a performer is a performer. So his group, in mixing things up, is in fact returning to the style of the 18th century. The same goes for the improvisation in their pieces. There is a spirit of improvisation in a lot of composers works, especially those of Beethoven, that a lot of people have forgotten, Colin Jacobsen said. The members of Brooklyn Rider have been playing chamber music together for 15 years at school, in a number of small and large groups and as members of the Silk Road Ensemble, an artists collective organized by Yo-Yo Ma. The quartet is in Providence for a five-day artists residency as part of FirstWorks Fall Festival, which takes place in venues all over the city. On Sunday, they led a workshop with several performance groups at Brown and held an Educate Your Ear performance targeted at an audience ranging in age from two to 90. During the week, they will visit three Providence public schools before leaving Thursday. This is part of a new FirstWorks initiative starting this year, Pletcher said. Every artist were presenting, were connecting with the audience in some way. As a part of this initiative, Saturdays concert was preceded by a performance from local youth dance troupe Jump! Dance Company. Accompanied by David Bowies Im Afraid of Americans and a piece by Phillip Glass recorded by Brooklyn Rider, the troupe filled the Granoff Centers hallways and landings as the audience crowded in to watch. Pletcher called this community outreach build-out it starts with a new performance and becomes a community event. Thats what makes it a festival, not just a concert, she said.

they have a story worth telling. Oscar Wildes life ended tragically. It is awful to watch a man who believed so passionately in beauty and art die disgraced and destitute, his copies of his own books sold to fund his legal costs. With each production of this show, and the standing ovation that concluded it Friday night, his legacy

receives a bit of the justice that was denied him in the courtroom. Perhaps Oscar Wilde has made peace with his fate. After all, it was he who said, Always forgive your enemies nothing annoys them so much.

CoMICS
Chester Crabson | Tess Carroll

Carbernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman

fraternity of Evil | Eshan Mitra, Brendan Hainline and Hector Ramirez

the Unicomic | Eva Chen and Dan Sack

6 editorial & Letter

EDIToRIAL
Honey, I reared the kids
Last week, the White House and the National Science Foundation announced a new NSF Career-Life Balance Initiative aimed at increasing the placement, advancement and retention of women in (the science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields through gender-neutral, family-friendly policies that address the balance of scientists work with conflicting demands of life events. The initiative includes measures like allowing one-year postponements of grants for childbirth or adoption, supplementary funding to support paid technicians to continue research during a researchers leave, prioritizing research into women in STEM fields and working with other institutions to encourage the extension of the tenure clock and dual hiring opportunities. When asked where they see themselves in 10 years, few women at Brown will answer at home with my kids. Yet, in practice, fewer than half of university-educated women will still be working full time in their 30s because they are having children. The fact that the greater responsibility for childcare tends to fall on women is not surprising, though it is certainly concerning and points to a continuing need for transformation in the private and social spheres. But as long as women are taking the responsibility for child-rearing, it is essential that they not be further prevented from professional advancement because of time taken off from work due to parenting responsibilities. The NSFs new initiative will mean women in STEM fields who take time away from work for dependent-care will have lower barriers to re-entry. The policies, which are gender-neutral, could also promote greater sharing of child-rearing responsibilities by allowing men as well as women to defer grants for dependent care. Both men and women in the sciences report having fewer children than desired because of their choice of work, but the drop-out rate for women leaving their research fields due to the demands of family life is much higher than it is for men. We are excited about the NSFs initiative, which seems long overdue, and its commitment to work with academic institutions to support women. The retention and advancement of educated women is a concern across most industries, not just the sciences, and the conflicting realities of inflexible demands of STEM careers and inflexible expectations of mothers create a serious challenge for a generation of women who have been raised with the idea that they can have the best of both worlds. By prioritizing research and support of women in STEM fields, and enacting systematic changes to encourage women to maintain their careers when they have children, the initiative can reduce workplace inequality and the loss of talent. We hope that the initiative is just one piece of a larger trend toward a more familyfriendly workplace, for both men and women, and that the dialogue surrounding womens disappearance from the workforce leads to further measures supporting our generation in achieving the best of both worlds. editorials are written by The heralds editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

the Brown Daily herald Monday, october 3, 2011

EDIToRIAL CARTooN

by a n d r e w a n ta r

LE T TER To THE EDIToR An apology from the econ department

to the Editor: From the economics department, we would like to begin by apologizing to our students. The new system of caps in advanced courses, proposed by the department and approved late last semester by the College Curriculum Council, caught most of our students by surprise, which led to a messier than usual shopping period (Econ caps spur black market controversy, Sept. 12). The new system of caps in advanced economics classes is part of an overall program to improve the learning environment for our undergraduates. The project is not simple, as our enrollments continue to put enormous pressure on the resources that we have. For instance, this semester we again have an all-time record in our overall enrollments with something close to 2,500 student enrollments in all our undergraduate and graduate classes. I note with special gratitude that even those students I talked to in the middle of shopping period, who were upset because of not being able to get in some of the classes they had planned, had words of support toward the departments new plans for the undergraduate curriculum. At this point, I am writing to get the word out and publicize the changes in preregistration and shopping of all our advanced classes. It is very important that this information reaches all students in time for preregistration for the spring semester of 2012. I would also like to thank the Office of the Registrar, and in particular its head Robert Fitzgerald, who have kindly and patiently assisted us in the design and implementation of the new restrictions. While in the long run the Registrar would like to move toward a system in which this kind of targeted restriction can be put in place for the other departments, at this point they have agreed to do it as a favor to the economics department, given the large numbers of both concentrators and non-concentrators wishing to take economics courses. Roberto Serrano Chair of the Department of Economics

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We built a rowboat, a stage and a bar.

QUoTE oF THE DAY

It was a good party space.

Nona Marie Invie see Soulful SoundS on page 8.

dirEctors sales Finance alumni relations special projects

CoRREC TIoN
An article in Thursdays Herald (Masturbator provokes anxiety on John Street, Sept. 29) incorrectly stated that the female senior quoted had seen the man masturbating the previous Friday. In fact, it was her housemate who saw the man on that occasion. The Herald regrets the error.
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the Brown Daily herald Monday, october 3, 2011

opinions 7
defending and promoting American freedom. It is tragic that the community constantly demonizes the military and the men and women who protect our liberty. Yet we also have stated commitments to transgender equality. Allowing ROTC to return would violate official University policy and send the message that we do not fully support the transgender community. As someone who wants to support our armed forces and simultaneously protect the rights of transgender students, I strugization should prompt self-criticism and inspire us to find creative ways to support our armed forces without betraying our commitment to transgender equality. The first step to finding a balance between civic duty and transgender rights is admitting our shortcomings in relation to national service. A belief in transgender rights is not the only Brown value that lacks mainstream acceptance. Many of the social beliefs that characterize the community are not common beThere is no easy answer to this question. If we make adherence to our values a prerequisite for cooperation, then we will find ourselves unable to engage with the world. Adhering to these beliefs in such an absolute manner may be morally courageous, but such deeply principled behavior is often ineffective at creating change. Yet we run the risk of selling out our values if we are too willing to engage with the world. While completely distancing ourselves from less liberal institutions may not accomplish anything, working with institutions with beliefs that we find abhorrent can, to some extent, legitimize their beliefs. Making too many concessions and pragmatic sacrifices can diminish the strength of our commitment to liberal values. It requires a genuine struggle to find the correct balance between staying true to our principles and being open-minded and cooperative toward those with different beliefs. I cannot provide a simple solution to this fundamental dilemma. The case of ROTC shows that both pragmatic cooperation and principled isolation have negative consequences. I can only urge all of us to be more aware of the nature of this conflict between absolute adherence to values and an ability to engage with those who have different beliefs. oliver Rosenbloom 13 is a history concentrator from Mill Valley, Calif. He can be contacted at oliver_rosenbloom@brown.edu.

The fundamental dilemma behind the ROTC debate

BY oLIVER RoSENBLooM
opinions Columnist
The debate about whether to recognize the Reserve Officers Training Corps on campus is indicative of a more fundamental struggle facing the community. How do we, as members of an extremely liberal university, engage with a world that does not share our deep commitment to liberal values? One option is to take an absolute, principled position and refuse to work with those people and institutions that have different beliefs. We have taken this approach with the U.S. military. The armys previous stance on gay rights and its current stance on transgender rights have been at odds with the principles of the Brown community, causing us to disengage with the military and ban ROTC. An alternative approach involves collaborating with people and institutions of different beliefs. In the context of ROTC, this would mean allowing a military presence on campus though their values clash with our commitment to equal rights for transgender people. Unfortunately, neither approach leads to a desirable outcome. Our deliberate isolation from the military makes us appear to be an out-of-touch and ungrateful campus that does not value civic duty. The U.S. military has a long history of

The case of RoTC shows that both pragmatic cooperation and principled isolation have negative consequences.
gle to conclude how the University should interact with the military. While I cannot provide the specific contours of an ideal relationship between Brown and the military, I can identify one clear flaw in our current approach. As members of an elite academic institution, we should aim to find some way to support the armed forces that protect our academic and personal freedom. Yet when we discuss ROTC, few community members are willing to admit that we have completely overlooked the notion of civic duty. It is lamentable that our campus is completely isolated from the military. This realliefs within American society or in the rest of the world. Once we leave College Hill, the Brown worldview will no longer be the norm, either in the individuals we meet or the institutions we work with. The debate about ROTC therefore raises broader questions about how the Brown community should interact with those who hold different beliefs. Should we prioritize our liberal values over every other concern and refuse to engage with people or institutions whose values conflict with our own? Or should we make sacrifices in our commitments to these values and work with people who do not share them?

Feds and Chafee 75 apathetic to the plight of patients

BY JARED MoFFAT
opinions Columnist
ous illnesses. But more than two years after the passage of the dispensary bill and almost six years after the enactment of the original Medical Marijuana Act, there are still no compassion centers in Rhode Island. In the fall of 2010, a state commission appointed to distribute licenses for three compassion centers rejected all 15 applications submitted to them. Annemarie Beardsworth, public information officer for the Rhode Island Department of Health, told The Herald, the applications either exceeded the 25-page limit or the applicant was a for-profit entity (After failed first round, state seeks applicants for pot centers, Oct. coln Chafee 75 P14 released a public statement saying he cannot allow the compassion centers to open, citing threats of federal prosecution (Chafee 75 will not license pot centers, Sept. 30). According to the Providence Journal, Chafee put the program on hold in response to a letter delivered April 29 by United States Attorney Peter Neronha. The letter threatens federal prosecution of the owners, landlords, financiers and other facilitators of the three proposed compassion centers, citing federal law which categorically prohibits the sale and distribution of marijuana despite comments from President Obama and other officials that the affords them. Besides my profound sympathy for these patients without medicine, I feel more baffled by the situation than anything. How is it possible that our federal and state government can so blatantly disrespect the plight of such seriously ill citizens? I would like to hope that Chafee will grow a spine, change his mind and go ahead with the compassion centers. If federal prosecutors make good on their threat, Chafee should protect the dispensaries with every legal weapon in his arsenal. Rhode Island attorneys could make a strong case that the federal governments conflict with Rhode Island law regarding medical marijuana violates the 10th Amendment, which states that, the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, and not prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Some might be less optimistic about this strategy, but there is some precedent like the federal governments large-scale marijuana farm at the University of Mississippi that mails some 2,100 marijuana cigarettes every month to seven patients enrolled in its own archaic medical marijuana program . This sort of glaring hypocrisy and disregard for the will of the people 75 percent of Americans supported medical marijuana in 2003 makes it no wonder that public confidence in our political institutions is below sea level. Chafee, you may not deserve all the blame, but you are the closest politician Rhode Islanders can hold accountable, and you will not survive this ordeal unscathed. Jared Moffat 13 doesnt do Tea Parties but will be at the next Constitutional Convention. He can be contacted at jared_moffat@brown.edu.

When the Rhode Island Legislature enacted the 2006 Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act in large part thanks to the work of Jesse Stout 06 many celebrated the achievement as a victory for patients rights. The act created a legal path for people who suffered from extremely debilitating conditions to obtain a license that would allow them to grow marijuana plants, or alternately, to select a caregiver to grow for them. Those who supported the bill knew that the caregiver system though certainly better than nothing would ultimately be problematic. Disputes about pricing, quality and consistency can easily sour the partnership between caregiver and patient, leaving the patient either without medicine or in an abusive relationship. In an attempt to remedy this problem three years after the original act became law, the caregiver system was augmented by another bill that provided for the establishment of several marijuana dispensaries called compassion centers that could legally sell marijuana to licensed patients. The Compassion Center Bill was ratified in June 2009 after a nearly unanimous vote in both houses to override the veto of former governor Donald Carcieri 65. Most of those in the Rhode Island patient community considered this the culmination of a long journey to secure their right to legally access marijuana for the treatment of seri-

Chafee, you may not deserve all the blame, but you are the closest politician Rhode Islanders can hold accountable, and you will not survive this ordeal unscathed.
26). The rejection of all 15 applications was a setback for the medical marijuana community, which had been counting on compassion centers to ensure a steady supply of medicine for their expanding program. But the commission recommenced near the end of 2010, and by February 2011, there were 18 submitted applications (Alums apply to open pot center, Feb. 17). After another round of deliberations in March, three centers were chosen by the commission and were expected to be up and running by June of this year. Last Thursday, another chapter unfolded. Yet again, the patient community had its hopes deflated. Though the commission chose three compassion centers, Gov. LinDrug Enforcement Administration would not use resources to prosecute medical marijuana programs obeying state laws. And so, the patient community continues to endure the brutal insensitivity of the iron cage. According to Bill Cotton, a member of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition who suffers from multiple sclerosis, high moisture levels in the area have contributed to a number of recent crop failures as a result of mold, leaving hundreds of patients without medicine. He said this crisis could have been avoided if the compassion centers were operational. I have met many medical marijuana patients in person, and they cannot get out of bed without the pain relief that marijuana

Daily Herald Arts & Culture

the Brown
Monday, october 3, 2011

AR TS IN BRIEF

Secret show abounds in possibilities

Something is happening oct. 8, and there are only two people who know what. Margaret Maurer 13 and Leandro Zaneti 12 are putting on a show in Production Workshops Upspace. Is it a modern interpretation of Shakespeare? Is it a fun, upbeat comedy? or perhaps a musical? Thats the thing nobody knows. This is a production unlike any other: Browns first ever secret show. I had a crazy idea, and I was very aware of the fact that it was crazy, Maurer said. I wanted to do an Upspace project that is completely secret. Some of the actors working with us right now still dont know what theyre doing, Zaneti said. A large portion of the actors will be members of the audience, which is limited to 10 members per performance, Maurer explained. Its going to be interactive. I am personally very interested in how the performance changes depending on who is in the audience, she added. There will be six performances oct. 8, and participants will be chosen through a lottery system different from PWs typical ticketing. Those wishing to participate must email secret. upspace.project@gmail.com before Tuesday at midnight. Their secret is vital for the audiences experience, Maurer said. Its not just for advertising, though that seems to be an added bonus, she said. People are intrigued by what they dont know. Both Zaneti, who has acted and designed, and Maurer, who has acted and directed, say this project is unlike anything they have participated in before. Because of this audience interaction, its a lot less structured in terms of process, not necessarily in product, Zaneti said. This is a safe environment to fail, Maurer said. This project is going to be completely unique to this time and this place. I dont think it could be done elsewhere. It may be a surprise birthday party, a tiger or a meth lab, they offered. The only way to find out is to go see for yourself. one clue Maurer would reveal: Its not for the weak of heart or imagination. sophia seawell

Glenn Lutzky / Herald

The string quartet Brooklyn Rider gave an expressive performance at the Granoff Center Saturday night.

Future of chamber music departs from norm, but not from tradition
By eMMa wohl Contributing Writer

The Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts played host to a series of firsts Saturday night as string quartet Brooklyn Rider took to the stage in the Martinos Auditorium. Saturdays performance was the New England premiere of a new work by the group which has garnered glowing reviews from classical and alternative music crit-

ics, including Strings magazine and National Public Radio as well as the first performance by a string quartet in Martinos Auditorium. FirstWorks an organization dedicated to bringing different vantage points to the arts, according to Executive Artistic Director Kathleen Pletcher P12.5 staged the performance, In an October 2010 article in Strings magazine, Greg Cahill called Brooklyn Rider the future

of chamber music. NPR recognized the group in its semi-annual list Best Music of the Year So Far and called Brooklyn Rider not your grandfathers string quartet. At some moments on Saturdays performance, the groups sound reminded the audience acutely of what they were hearing friction and vibrating strings making the air move. Other times, it was hard to imagine there was not a continued on page 5

Conference celebrates seminal Persian texts 1,000th anniversary

By aBBY kersoN Staff Writer

Soulful sounds darken Met stage

By Marshall katheDer artS & Culture Staff Writer

The Shahnameh is so influential in Persian culture that its characters are used as archetypes in later poetry, said Dick Davis, chair of the Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department at Ohio State University, at a conference held Saturday in celebration of the epics 1,000th anniversary. The Shahnameh was written by Ferdowsi in the seventh century and depicts the mythical and historical past of Iran. Shahnameh whose title means The Book of Kings is credited with preserving Persian language and culture, according to Lindsay Goss GS, one of the coordinators of the conference. Davis, the keynote speaker and author of the most recent translation of the Shahnameh, was joined by Arash Afraz, a post-doctoral fellow at MIT in the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and Elaheh Kheirandish, a well-known historian of science. The day ended with an adaptation of a story from the Shahnameh, performed by Iraj

Anvar, a visiting lecturer in language studies. The conference explored the Shahnameh from a multidisciplinary approach. Afraz spoke about the intersection of the mythological story and documented Persian history, Kheirandish focused on the science mentioned in the text and Davis spoke of the words themselves and their impact on Persian poetry. The Shahnameh is not actually my area of focus at all, said Goss, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Theater Arts and Performance Studies, which she said allowed her to plan a conference that was accessible to the general public. The conference drew people from multiple disciplines. Golareh Agha GS said she attended the conference because she is Iranian-American, and though she had heard of the Shahnameh, she had never read it. Goss planned the conference with another student from her Persian class, Eric Dahlbom 11.5. Dahlbom was awarded a scholar-

ship to go to Tajikistan this past summer, and as part of his application, he promised to bring Davis to campus to speak. The keynote speech discussed the elements that set the Shahnameh apart from Persian poetry that followed. The Shahnameh has forceful and direct language, Davis said. Things are what they are in the Shahnameh, he said, whereas later poetry is filled with allegory and complex symbolism. The conference ended with Anvars adaptation of an episode from the poem the story of Rostam and his son Sohrab. The performance was fantastic, said Goss, adding that it drew the biggest crowd. Anvar placed traditional Persian rugs on the floor and brought musicians from New York. The conference was funded by the Graduate International Colloquium Fund, a grant given out by the Office of International Affairs. It was awarded to Goss and Dahlbom to fund a series of events about Persian literature, culture and arts. The next event will be a Nov. 29 film screening of The House is Black.

Dark Dark Dark is a name worth repeating. This Midwestern music ensemble boasts a layered, mournful sound that blends loose jazz beats with moody chamber folk. Frontwoman Nona Marie Invie possesses a haunting voice, bolstering each song with her bone-cold, skulllingering tenor. Their Saturday performance at The Met in Pawtucket made it evident that while Invies voice is the focal ornament, each song works as a collective woven with soulful sounds from New Orleans, Eastern Europe and elsewhere. A placid banjo twang, rattling snare and sweet violin hum all twist together to stitch a rumpled, melodic blanket. Songs like Colored, from their first album Snow Magic, typify the bands often-jangled sound, which is laced with instrumental collision. But such clashes of string-wine and percussive oomph resolve into its smooth center of origin Invies voice hangs with gravity. A noted wordsmith, Invies lyrics have garnered the attention of national media outlets including National Public Radio and Pitchfork.

Her songs create illusive imagery that echoes and illuminates her dreamy pitch. The single Great Mountains, off Darks second fulllength album, Wild Go, includes winding lines like Remember me/ Oh, I wound around you for miles/ I sat down right there and stretched my bones. Invie said this track was part of a dialogue. My friend Joe (of band Elephant Micah) had written this song Wild Goose Chase. So it was sort of in the tradition of responding to songs. (Its about) having a wandering spirit and needing to follow it, she said. But Dark is not confined to musical means of expression. The band contributed to the Heartland Exhibition at the Van Abbemuseum, which features modern and contemporary art and is located in the Netherlands. Art projects are something weve been very lucky to be involved in. We were invited by the Van Abbemuseum to do an installation, and we ended up working with this squatted cultural area. We built a rowboat, stage and a bar. It was a good party space, Invie said. Dark Dark Dark is currently touring the eastern United States.