vol. cxxii, no.

Daily

the Brown

Monday, February 6, 2012

Herald
Since 1891
inappropriate use, and it doesnt really matter where that occurs, Nickel said. The triple-x domain was created to give both consumers and those avoiding adult content a way to find or avoid the content, said Jocelyn Johnson, a spokesperson of ICM Registry. The company sells triple-x domain names to Internet domain name registrars, which sell domain names to customers for $79129 per year, Johnson said. Schools may feel they have an obligation to the student body to protect the schools name of any misuse, she added. Universities and colleges have been buying rights to triple-x domain names related to their trademarks to defend against those lookcontinued on page 2
By hannah aBeLow Senior Staff Writer

U. buys .xxx domain names in preventative move Bear Bucks receives mixed response
By Meia Geddes Staff Writer

Rachel Kaplan / Herald

The University bought two domain names to avoid association with adult content, but brownuniversity.xxx had already been purchased.

Students surfing the Internet for adult content will not find it on brownu.xxx or brownuniv.xxx the University bought the rights to the two triple-x domain names in December. Brown paid about $100 for each domain name, said Mark Nickel, senior editor and writer at the Office of Public Affairs and University Relations. PAUR chose the two domain names for their clear relationship or at least potential to be related to the University, said Darlene Trew Crist, director of news and communications. The University is going to defend and protect its logo, its name and so forth from fraudulent or

First plays Student group confronts U. tax status bankruptcy if it does not reign in the city neither reached an agreeshowcase its budget shortfall. ment nor presented a proposal to Its not Browns responsibility the Corporation, Marisa Quinn, new groups As the Universitys tax-exempt sta- to come in and save the city, but I vice president for public affairs tus draws increasing scrutiny, a also think if Brown had been con- and University relations, told The talent group of students gathered Sunday tributing more all along, maybe Herald at the time.
By adaM TooBin Senior Staff Writer By CaroLine saine Contributing Writer

Flawless beauty takes tremendous work at least, that is the message conveyed in Opus by Michael Hollinger and Speed-the-Plow by David Mamet, the first plays to be produced by the Repertory Project, an independent theater group headed by Emma Johnson 14 and Skylar Fox 15. Both plays, by disparate means, showcase the role of sacrifice in the pursuit of great art. Where Opus explores the personal losses suffered when friends and lovers come together in playing professional music, Speed-the-Plow demonstrates how either morals or reputation must be lost in order to succeed in Hollywood. Both plays were performed in the Production Workshop Upspace Feb. 2-4. Opus follows the members of the Lazara Quartet as they search to replace their wonderful, terrifying and visionary viola player, Dorian (Brian Cross 12), who was recently fired from the group. Though Dorian is a creative genius, he is also unstable, prone to outbursts and fanatic episodes. Dorians romance with another member of the quartet, Elliot (Patrick Madden 14), is charged with mistrust and anxiety, and many of the plays most affecting scenes take place between the two. One such dramatic scene continued on page 3

to discuss ways to facilitate upping Browns contributions to the city. Though the group is still in its nascent stage it does not yet have a formal name the 20 or so students who attended the meeting made progress towards formalizing specific goals. This weeks gathering took on added importance following Providence Mayor Angel Taveras announcement last week that the city may have to declare

that rescue would not be all that necessary, Zack Mezera 13, a leader of the group and a BlogDailyHerald contributor, told The Herald after the meeting. Brown has an opportunity to help out Providence, he added. Taveras alleged last month that the University reneged on a deal to increase its voluntary contributions to the city by $4 million annually for 10 years. But the University and

All who attended the meeting agreed that Brown should pay its fair share, but students floated a number of different definitions for what that statement means. The University paid more than $4 million in voluntary payments and property taxes to the city in 2011. The Universitys exemption from property taxes on buildings continued on page 2

The new centralized vending system called Bear Bucks has the convenience and user-friendliness of a debit card and promises to outdo the constantly out-of-order Card Value Center machines. But some students are experiencing difficulties as the system transitions. Turns out, they changed the old vending stripe machine in Faunce into a Bear Bucks machine, said Ted Burke 14, who was trying to put cash on his vending stripe to do laundry. This makes it even less likely that Ill be able to add money to my vending stripe to do laundry given the number of the remaining CVC machines that are usually broken, he added. Three CVC machines remain on campus. The rest have been replaced by ValuePort III machines, which allow students to access their Bear Bucks accounts. But the new system aims to target just that problem. The biggest thing was getting away the CVCs that were consistently broken, said Scott Thacher, director of information technology for campus life and student services. The biggest change from a continued on page 2

Professors present research to global community

By Tonya riLey Staff Writer

While a Swiss resort might seem like the perfect winter getaway, the World Economic Forum conference, held Jan. 25-29 in Davos,

feature
Switzerland, had nothing to do with skiing and fine chocolate. For the four professors who went Professor of Neuroscience John Donoghue PhD79 P09 P12 MD16, Professor of Applied Mathematics Jan Hesthaven, Professor of Classics Susan Alcock and Assistant Professor of Biology Casey Dunn the conference was a flurry of powerful and influential people, eye-opening presentations and opportunities to present their own work in an IdeasLab en-

titled Decoding Data with Brown University. According to the forums website, the annual conference brings together the brightest minds from every discipline to present solutions to global problems. The selection process is a little mysterious, Hesthaven said. It involves representatives of the forum listening to presentations by various professors at select colleges. President Ruth Simmons wrote in an email to The Herald that she, Vice President for International Affairs Matthew Gutman P14 and faculty members advise the selection of professors who attend the forum. At the conference, Simmons joined a panel discussion focusing on human capital and competiCasey Dunn / Brown University

continued on page 5

Professors gathered at a Swiss conference to discuss solutions to global issues.

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inside

Queer prom Local gem Bad business

LGBTQ students have high hopes for fated romantic night Historic village offers little-known treasures Davidson 14 calls for liberal arts in business education
OpInIOn, 7 campus news, 3 FeaTuRe, 4

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2 Campus news
C ALenDAR
TODAY 4 P.m. Arthus O. Williams Physics Lecture, Barus & Holley 166 5:15 P.m. Lantern Festival Gallery Walk, John Hay Library 8 P.m. Heart of Harkness, Tech House Lounge FEBRUARY 6 TOmORROW 5 P.m. Last Day to Add a Course FEBRUARY 7

the Brown Daily herald Monday, February 6, 2012

Bear Bucks promises more to come

continued from page 1 conceptual basis is that with the new system the value that youre going around making purchases with doesnt exist on your card anymore, Thacher said. It actually exists in a central place. Students will no longer transport their funds with them on their ID cards, Thacher said. If you lose your ID card, the money still exists. I like the new system more because if you lose your card, the money on Bear Bucks doesnt get lost, said Audrey Chang 13. But she added that it is imperative that enough of the Bear Bucks machines be installed on campus. As the new semester is still in its initial stages, many students remain unaware of the new system. I didnt know any changes had taken place, said Olivia del Balzo 14. Bear Bucks which functions as a debit card for students needs, said Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential and dining services are not currently compatible with the type of readers in the laundry machines the University currently uses. As we look at migrating the system, we need to change the readers to tie it all together, he said. Bova added that the University has started a proposal to complete this migration. Feedback is very valuable during this transition phase, Thacher said. We tried very hard to hit the mark with what we anticipated peoples needs would be, but if there are things we can improve on, wed love to know about them. Students can expect changes to extend beyond the realm of PAWPrints, vending stripe and declining balance. Youll be able to pay with Bear Bucks at the Health Services pharmacy, Thacher said. That will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. The University will officially announce the inclusion of pharmacy charges in the Bear Bucks system in the near future, he said.

MenU
SHARPE REFECTORY Cajun Chicken Pasta, Caprese Salad, Home Fried Red Potatoes with Onion, Butter Cookies VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH Italian Marinated Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Vegan Brown Rice Pilaf, BBQ Chicken Sandwich

DINNER Texas BBQ Brisket, Vegan Chana Masala, Whole Green Beans, Smores Bars Moo Shu Chicken, Ziti, Tuscan Pork Roast, Carrots in Orange Sauce, Tuna Salad, Smores Bars

SUDOKU

Peer institutions protect virtual image

continued from page 1 ing to make a profit selling those domains back to the institutions. While Brown does not intend to post adult content, the University also wants to thwart any individuals or companies attempting to do so under the schools name. Alex Macmadu 14 said she thinks buying the domain names was a reasonable preventative cost, adding that it was likely cheaper than hiring lawyers in the future. Buying the domain names for a relatively small fee is the most prudent measure against anybody taking offense, said Jacob Murray 12. I cant imagine a downside from doing it. It is not always clear who owns a domain name, as the owner can remain anonymous. ICM Registry does not have a number that has been or ever could be issued for the numbers of schools that have purchased domain names, Johnson said. The number of sites any institution would have to purchase in order to protect itself is not infinite, but its a big number, Nickel said. In the course of two or three minutes, you can probably sit down and just write a whole list of site names that have Brown in them that you would within theory need to buy and never use, which seems like a strange thing to do. There are all sorts of different combinations, which is why the idea of buying up all the potentially harmful domain ideas is an odd way to come at the problem, he added. A website can also incorporate Browns name in ways other than its domain name, making the possibilities limitless. Brownuniversity.xxx was purchased by Craig Streaman, who works in the entertainment industry in California and has no firm plans for the site, according to a Dec. 26 Providence Journal article. The Rhode Island School of Design has bought risd.xxx and rhodeislandschoolofdesign.xxx as a cautionary move, wrote Jaime Marland, director of media relations, in an email to The Herald. Johnson and Wales University also bought domain names through a third party to protect its intellectual property, said Shannon Haskins, legal administrator at Johnson and Wales. It is a part of business, she said. PAUR is sensitive to the use of the Brown name and logo. Most production companies will seek a release granting them permission to use the Brown logo, and parents of graduating seniors often ask for permission to use Browns coat of arms on graduation party cakes, Nickel said. PAUR chooses to grant permission based on the context and how the logo is intended to be used.

CR OSSWORD

Undergrads call for U. to pay fair share

continued from page 1 used for educational purposes drew criticism from members of the group, with many attendees citing this exemption as an example of Brown receiving special privileges. Individual students expressed their personal opposition to what they called Browns tax immunity. All the stakeholders have come to the table and have sacrificed a lot because theyve been asked to for the sake of the city, said Aaron Regunberg 12, who attended the meeting. Students and families have sacrificed a lot. Taxpayers have sacrificed. Unions have come to the table. But the one entity that is the most able to pay its fair share is not willing to. Regunberg said his experience working in an after-school program in Providence for two years fostered his interest in this issue, since the school where he worked had to be closed due to lack of funding last year, he said. Mezera also listed witnessing the effects of a funding cut in a Providence public school as his reason for involving himself in this group. The school needed an extra $2 million to keep a schedule that had boosted its reading and writing results but never received it, he said. The group may still be working out its basic premise, but all the members have high hopes for the future, Regunberg said. Theres enough of a progressive ethos within the student body. Once we get the word out, students are going to start to get involved. Regunberg added that fears that any additional payments to the city would result in higher tuition or less financial aid are unfounded. Its crazy to set it up as an eitheror situation, he said. He cited the number of administrators with six-figure salaries and the new Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts as examples of Browns disposable income. The rest of the city is clamoring about this tax exemption, Mezera said. When you look around and everyone is clamoring, and youre not, there should be a reflective moment when you wonder, Are we doing the right thing?

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the Brown Daily herald Monday, February 6, 2012

Campus news 3
LGBTQ students prom dreams to come true
By Gadi Cohen Staff Writer

Plays examine role of art in modern life

continued from page 1 involves Elliot, who, in search of his stolen violin, bursts on stage to find Dorian gripping a plunger in his hands. The scene seems eccentric until the reveal Dorian has stolen the violin and flushed his medication down the toilet. Cross, much like Dorian himself, is both extraordinary and terrifying in his role as the brilliant pariah of the Lazara Quartet. As Dorian and Elliot come to verbal blows, Cross visibly strains to convey Dorians urge to express himself. Dorian is impassioned and inhibited, reasonable and fanatic, and Cross walks these lines beautifully. The audience understands why the quartet ousted Dorian but, at the same time, why it so desperately needs him back. Though Cross and Madden shine as dramatic leads, the supporting cast lends comedy to the plays heavy material. Natalie McDonald 15 plays Dorians replacement, Grace, whose shining moment is a drunken reminiscence about her fathers disappointment in her chosen career. Josh Wallace 13 plays Alan, the straight man of the group, who is recently divorced and is secretly hardened by the groups constant travelling. Skylar Fox 15 is fantastic as Carl, who is good-natured, charming and seemingly carefree, but stricken with brain and lung cancer after five years in remission. The set decoration is sparse, allowing the explosive interactions between characters to command the audiences attention. For most of the play, the actors revolve around the four seats where they practice, and the instruments are the most-used props. The stage is lined with hanging sheet music from Beethovens Opus 131, the work that incites many of the plays central conflicts the piece was the last that the Lazara Quartet played with Dorian as well as their first for a performance at the White House with Grace. Opus deals deftly with traditional themes about music, beauty and passion the dangers of ambition, the price of demanding perfection and the sacrifices we make to pursue what, and who, we love. I wanted to make that sound, Grace remembers, recounting the first time she heard the viola. That humble desire is what creates the quartets passion. Unfortunately, they lose sight of perspective on the path to glory and fame. Alternatively, Speed-the-Plow is a satire about art, greed, ambition and the vacuous character of corporate life. The play follows Bobby Gould (Daniel Gonon 12), a production manager for a Hollywood studio who has recently been promoted. With this rise comes the power to make decisions, which often have multi-million dollar implications in the film industry. Gould is not an artist but a businessman who takes his coffee like he makes his movies nothing in them, as one character describes him. Gonon plays the role of the savvy, fast-talking production head with unwavering intensity. He speaks so quickly that the audience is occasionally lost in the flurry of dialogue about money, power and sex between Gould and his longtime subordinate and friend, Charlie Fox (Gerrit Thurston 13). The plays central conflict arises over the tension between success and morality in the movie business. Bobby is seduced by Karen (Sarah Gage 15), who uses their relationship as leverage to get her courtesy read novel an offbeat, apocalyptic book about radiation made into a movie instead of one Fox proposes. Much like Grace in Opus, Karen appears earnest, unassuming and ineffably naive upon first entrance, as the new temporary secretary for Bobby Gould. Gages nuanced performance gives many dimensions to Karen as the play ends, the audience is left unsure of whether her naivety is genuine or calculated, a means of furthering her own ambitions in the cutthroat movie business. Speed-the-Plow has only three onstage characters, but there is constant dynamism and evolution in their involvement with each other. Scenes such as Karens reverent report on the radiation novel and a final fight between Charlie Fox and Bobby Gould which comes to physical violence are made exceptionally powerful by the commitment and artistic decisions of actors Thurston, Gage and Gonon. Where Speed-the-Plow reflects with some cynicism on the presentday intersection of success and art, Opus suggests that all else considered, the beauty of music must always reign supreme. Boasting captivating stories and stellar performances, both plays present a strong start and suggest a bright future for the Repertory Project.

For LGBTQ high school students, prom is often not the enchanted evening that inspires thousands of teenagers across the country to dress up in tuxedos, dresses, corsages and boutonnieres and dance the night away. Some people werent able to be out in high school, said Irene Rojas-Carroll 15, the director of the Queer Alliance Community Committee. They couldnt slow dance with someone of the same sex, and other things. We want to change that. The Queer Alliance Coordinating Committee is organizing a prom, called PrideProm, to offer students who identify as queer the opportunity to celebrate in the kind of open, romantic environment their high school proms failed to provide them. It will take the best parts of high school prom and leave out the worst parts, Rojas-Carroll said. There will be no royalty, no pressure to find a date. We dont want to leave anyone out, and were not going to turn anyone away, even though were making sure were targeting to the queer community. Though PrideProm is still in its initial planning stages, Rojas-Carroll said she envisions elegantly-dressed attendees dancing to live local musicians and socializing around choco-

Courtesy of the Queer Alliance Community Committee Queer prom organizers said they hope the event will dissolve barriers within the LGBTQ community.

late fountains. The atmosphere will be different from that of SexPowerGod, another event organized by the Queer Alliance. If theres a message that I want to get across, its that this is not like SPG, Rojas-Carroll said. We already have an SPG. Not everyone is comfortable with the kind of event that SPG is. We want something that can appeal to a broad audience. Rojas-Carroll also said she hopes the prom will help break down barriers within the LGBTQ community, something she said she feels SPG fails to accomplish. We want this to be for the benefit of the entire queer community,

Rojas-Carroll said. We dont want people to feel that theyre excluded. SPG originally started out as a queer dance for LGBTQ students, said Jake Leavitt 15, a co-coordinator of PrideProm. Then it slowly grew, and everyone on campus went to it. It lost its identity as a queer event. The goal of PrideProm is to create a new space for LGBTQ students. The event will take place March 16 in Andrews Dining Hall, where SPG was held in November. The spring equivalent to SPG, which has been called Starf*ck and Flashbang in the past, will likely not be held this year, Leavitt said.

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4 Arts & Culture

By hannah LoewenTheiL Staff Writer

the Brown Daily herald Monday, February 6, 2012

Historic Pawtuxet Village offers bay views, good food

Both historic and quaint, Pawtuxet Village located along the Pawtuxet River on the border of Warwick and Cranston is a treasure undiscovered by most students. sailboats float upon the glassy surface. Looking out on the shades of blue of the sky and sea, it is easy to forget that it is winter. Seagulls wade in the shallow water at the foot of a small white sailboat a scene you wont find on College Hill. Walking through the streets feels like a journey through history. Some of the old shingle and brick buildings look neglected and yearn for a paint job. Blue and white street signs on every corner boast the year 1772 the year in which Rhode Islanders attacked the British HMS Gaspee. Today, many consider the attack to be Americas First Blow for Freedom. Along the Pawtuxet River, a freestanding sign marks the limits of Providence as laid out in the Native American deed to Roger Williams. Dear Hearts Ice Cream Parlor, a rickety, beige-paneled building, sits on the street corner. Established in 1980, Dear Hearts looks as if it has not been renovated since its founding. Visitors lookdeserted streets

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Without a car, the trek to Pawtuxet is not highly convenient. But for those adventurous enough to navigate the Rhode Island Public

Transit Authority, the 20 to 30 minute bus ride may be all the more rewarding. Wedged between colorful houses on the right and the panoramic Narragansett Bay on the left, an open road stops at a dead end. When you can drive no further, you have found the Rhode Island Yacht Club. In the harbor, a dozen or so

ing for a treat are out of luck the shop is closed for the winter. But a bit further up the road, Little Falls Cafe brings vibrancy to the deserted neighborhood. The cafe, with a bright blue awning and draped white lights, is the liveliest shop in the afternoon. Young people in a group wave hello through the frosty window while sipping on their lattes. Inside, you can find a cup of Mills coffee, sold locally by a family business just north of nearby Roger Williams Park. The eclectic cafe is also a pizzeria that brings a slice of New York to Rhode Island, boasting thin crust pizza. But Little Falls is more than a restaurant it is a social hub that brings the community together by featuring a different artist each month and drawing locals into its cozy interior. Lattitude Modern Eatery is a family-owned and operated restaurant, identifiable by its blue and yellow striped awning. Three men sit sipping on beers at a wooden wraparound bar that evokes a country western feel. The Rivers Edge Flowers and Gifts is a brightly decorated store

that sells flowers, pottery, jewelry, soap and other locally crafted trinkets. The Cupcakerie is Pawtuxets much-loved gem. On top of the business that owner and baker Kristin Brennan conducts in her small store, she also sells her cupcakes in farmers markets around Rhode Island. Brennan and her friendly staff use local ingredients whenever possible to create her signature cupcakes. The menu includes the Grasshopper, a mint chocolate cupcake, the Rabbits Delight, carrot cake, the Old Fashioned, a buttercream and vanilla cake and even the Vegan, bound to be a hit with those who stick to the Roots and Shoots line at the Sharpe Refectory. You can grab a cupcake and continue your stroll, or rest in the picturesque gazebo in the scenic park overlooking the bay. A few hundred Brown students should find themselves in Pawtuxet this March, when the Class Coordinating Board is scheduled to host a gala at Rhodes on the
dancing in the rhodes

Pawtuxet, a ballroom venue that hugs the banks of the Pawtuxet River just north of the village. The CCB has held their annual gala at Rhodes for the past several years. Michael Quinn 13, who is organizing the gala, wrote in an email to The Herald that he chose the space for its beautiful view, nice management, great food and one-stop service. Aaron Messina, general manager at Rhodes, said he is very excited about the event. He described the venue as a historic ballroom made up of a single space. There are going to be some very interesting set-ups done, and they will utilize the space as it was meant to be as a dance hall, he said. The event, A Kiss on the Lips: A Masquerade Gala, could be an opportunity for undergraduatess to leave the College Hill bubble and experience a new part of town. Life on campus can be so hectic that it is hard to see past Browns backyard. But a lazy day excursion to Pawtuxet Village may introduce you to one of Providences best-kept secrets.

Jazz show energizes older generation Seminar designs exhibit for

By Mark vaLdez Staff Writer

Rhode Island jazz fans packed the Grant Recital Hall Sunday afternoon to hear world-renowned trombonist and Rhode Island native George Masso jam out with Paul Nagel on piano, Marty Ballou on bass, Steve DeConti on guitar, Bruce Abbott on saxophone and Paul Mason, teaching associate in the music department, on drums. This concert marked the first time all six gentlemen performed together on the same stage. The hall was filled to capacity with the older generation, though there were also Brown students sprinkled throughout the room.

One older gentleman, Ernie Abbott, fiddled with an outdated tape recorder to document the concert. He proudly bragged that he was here to see his uncle play saxophone, joking with audience members that Bruce Abbott is his uncle, even if only six months older. The concert began with the easygoing melody There Is No Greater Love than the One I Have for You. Masso, in his blue tweed blazer, grew red as he played his trombone. Alongside him, Abbott listened intently, feeling the emotion of the song as he shook his head and pounded his foot with his eyes closed. Throughout the musical num-

bers, the spotlight was frequently placed on Masso and Abbott whose friendship has spanned 25 years, Masso told the audience. The quietest points of the concert were during the bass features. Ballou reached his hands along his bass and rocked the instrument side to side with closed eyes as he played. The audience remained enthralled throughout the performance. Heads never stopped bobbing, and bodies kept swaying. Masso said it is a pleasure to perform for an audience when he can see faces that are smiling and feet that are tapping. The most vibrant song, Loose Walk, was filled with energy. Audience members were bouncing in their seats and yelling in excitement throughout the song. The moment when Mason hit the final percussion note, a woman in the fourth row jumped out of her seat, put both thumbs up in the air and yelled, Yeah! Mason said he is in the process of filming a documentary about Massos life. The idea came about when they were sharing a round of drinks, Mason said. These stories have to be told, he added. For their finale, the graying group played Only Trust Your Heart. The song finished as suddenly as it began and was met with a complete standing ovation. Dorothy Testa, who recently retired from the Admission Office after 33 years, described the performance as perfectly put together. Phyliss Pechieco, who attended the event with Testa, said This is jazz, pointing towards the stage.

Chinese New Year

By paLak waLia Contributing Writer

Thanks for reading!

In celebration of the Chinese New Year that began two weeks ago, a new exhibit on display in the inner lobby of List Art Center showcases a collection of images meant to ward off evil and bring good luck in the coming year to herald the Year of the Dragon. The Shape of Good Fortune: Welcoming the Year of the Dragon was spearheaded by students who took HIAA 1040H: Shape of Good Fortune, taught by Professor of History of Art and Architecture Maggie Bickford last semester. Students learned about the Chinese New Year in the course and were required to oversee all aspects of the exhibition, including extensive research, object selection, writing labels and design. The exhibit was assembled during winter break just in time for its opening Jan. 23, also the start of the Chinese New Year. Bickford described her involvement as facilitative. There was a lot of graphic design talent in the class, which was unusual, she said. But there was a high standard for the exhibition. Students used 3-D simulation software to help design the exhibition to scale. Amy Huang GS, the only graduate student in the class, helped with layout of the exhibition and said she was proud to see her work come together. The students also made a blog to showcase their work. Bickford said her students were wonderful. Im very proud of them. (The exhibition) exceeded my expectations. Huang explained that the featured images traditionally hung

around the house during the Chinese New Year were used by both poor farmers and emperors. Imagery travels through social classes and ages but also gets updated, she said. Bickford said some of the objects displayed were collected by missionaries in the 20th century and auctioned off, and they are now a part of her personal collection. Other objects are modern reproductions of traditional paintings. Jeremy Korn 13 researched the scholar Zhong Kui, known as the Demon Queller, during the seminar. Over winter break, a graduate student from Beijing returned to campus with a painting of Zhong Kui made by a family friend. The painting was included in the exhibition. Each image is accompanied by a student-written panel describing the images history and significance. Because it is the Year of the Dragon, Anya Eber 12.5 worked on a section that focused on this years zodiac as well as the exhibit as a whole. I realized how many different meanings there are to images, said Huang, who hails from Taiwan. The opening ceremony, held Feb. 3, was a crucial point in the exhibition, Eber said. The ceremony included food and a performance from Brown Lion Dance, a student group that performs a traditional Chinese dance in which dancers imitate the motions of a lion. This project was made possible by support from the Year of China committee and the Department of History of Art and Architecture. The exhibition will be a stop in the Lantern Festival Gallery Walk, a guided tour of Year of China related exhibits that will take place Feb. 6. It will run through Feb. 16.

the Brown Daily herald Monday, February 6, 2012

Feature 5
Brown is ahead of the curve in teaching analysis compared to many other universities, but it still has a lot to learn in teaching students how to use and manipulate data to make decisions. There is no reason for you to remember the capital of the European countries because you can find that on your phone, Hesthaven said. Its much more important to understand how you can use that information. He said the University has to learn to train students to look at data and tell stories because future jobs will rely on data analysis. Big companies first need to become better at data sharing, especially with their lower tier partners, rather than just accumulating data for themselves, Hesthaven added. He said companies cannot expect educators to teach students how to address problems without sharing data because problems and data are unique to each real life situation. While big data analysis is a pervasive skill, it is not a panacea to displace skills already taught, and it does not need to be tailored to each discipline, Dunn said. Educators should approach it like a basic skill, such as writing or math, he said. Hesthaven said employers attending the conference are starting to look for these skills and Brown would be silly not to listen to them. This semester, these professors have begun incorporating the ideas of big data into their teaching. Alcock said her class on Petra will address the subject, and Hesthaven has launched the Computation Across Campus Initiative, which aims to get big data analysis into all disciplines, Alcock said. Hesthaven said the academic sessions were a bit of a side show to the conferences main perk for the corporations attending having the worlds most influential people all in one place to wheel and deal. Its all about being at the same place at the same time, even just for a couple of days, Hesthaven said. If you need to talk to the Prime Minister of Thailand and the King of Indonesia and a couple of venture capitalists, you can get them all in the same room in one morning and get it done right there. But beyond the backdoor deals
Ceos and side shows

Professors present at Swiss economics forum

continued from page 1 tiveness in the global economy and served as the moderator of two panels, one on the relationship between art and social inequality and the second on using large amounts of data, according to a University press release. The four professors all presented research on the way the use of data is a sort of interesting and increasingly important direction of research, education and discovery, Hesthaven said. Alcock said that while all of the professors knew each other beforehand, she had never worked with any of them before. The IdeasLab took place Jan. 25 and included short presentations by each professor before participants broke into smaller groups to ask the professors questions. Though each professors presentation was different, the overall theme was the challenge of making use of the mass of data in todays world. The professors also presented at other panels relevant to their fields. It meant a lot to me to get a humanities perspective into the conversation, Alcock said. There were more arts and culture events at Davos than I expected. She talked about data interpretation at her excavation site in Petra, Jordan, as part of her presentation at IdeasLab. Hesthavens presentation analyzed the effects of sciences transition from reductionism a focus on breaking things down into smaller parts to examining larger processes on data-driven modeling. He said he noticed the business worlds increased appreciation of harder science and math skills at the conference. Dunns speech explained how new technologies eliminated the trade-off between breadth versus depth in data, and how largersized data sets allow us to further explore new areas of inquiry, he said. In the end, the IdeasLab is just an hour and 15 minutes out of a five-day conference, Dunn said. Much of the interaction and discussion happened outside of scheduled events, but the presentations served as anchors for really interesting conversation, he said. Hesthaven said he believes
Bringing it back to Brown Big data

between the diplomats and businesspeople, Alcock said the conference broke down the normal barriers and prevailing stereotypes that impede interactions between academics and CEOs. Dunn said he believes the conference is a very effective way to highlight the Universitys strength to the greater global community. He said people know Brown as an acclaimed liberal arts university, but some are surprised to hear about the caliber of research done here. Simmons wrote the conference has not yet resulted in any specific business partnerships, but there are many linkages that develop at Davos between Brown and other nonprofits, between Brown and prominent individuals around the world. She said the conference was a good way to reconnect with Brown alumni who attend the conference and strengthen their participation with the University. Simmons said she would also like to have the global street artists from a panel she moderated visit the University, adding that the conference has spurred guest lectures. While the resort was guarded by high security, inside, the atmosphere was relaxed. Alcock said participants were given wired badges that stored itineraries and contact information and could be swiped at kiosks, reducing logistical worries. With endless food, coffee and shuttles to different events, Alcock said the event was designed to promote conversation. Alcock and Dunn both described the interactions as like speed dating. According to the professors, Davos facilitated quite a few interesting interactions. Hesthaven said when he attended a presentation by researchers trying to model the brain from the bottom up using a computer, a Buddhist monk in the front row asked, Where is the free will in the computer? While directing alums to a Brown-hosted party at the conference, Alcock described the location as just to the left of Arianna Huffington. Remembering the media mogul holds an honorary doctorate from Brown, Alcock said she thought what the hell and offered Huffington a glass of champagne on behalf of the University. Huffington politely
Media moguls and monks

smiled, shook Alcocks hand and stopped by the party. Dunn said he was in the midst of conversation with someone, when the other person abruptly got up and walked away mid-sentence, leaving him alone with a sad bowl of chips. Dunn turned around and after seeing a swarm of security agents, said he felt better as he realized he had been abandoned for Ehud Barak, the former Prime Minister of Israel. Dunn said he felt worse for Bill Gates, who was accosted by any-

one under 40 who had ever practiced writing an elevator pitch. The professors also got celebrity treatment, receiving foreign chocolates and a Swiss necessity, metal shoe treads to prevent weather-related injuries, Alcock said. Dunn said he was impressed that the conference ran like a Swiss watch. But he added that the forum did retain some banality of a normal conference, as Davos was not a magical siphoning of world power.

COMICS
Fraternity of Evil | eshan Mitra, Brendan Hainline and Hector Ramirez

6 editorial
eDITORIAL Earning the first pick
Last Monday, 755 undergraduates entered the Office of Residential Lifes housing raffle, the winner of which will have first pick for his or her group in the upcoming housing lottery. In related news, no one is excited about this development. We urge ResLife to bring back our beloved first pick video competition. Why is no one excited about the first pick raffle? Probably because putting your name in a box when you have a less than 1 percent chance of winning the less-than-exciting prize is unexciting. With such a minuscule chance of emerging victorious from the raffle, we are somewhat underwhelmed with the grand prize of a choice between a Young Orchard or Vartan Gregorian Quad suite. The raffle replaced the brilliant video competition, in which students had to film a short movie explaining why they deserved the first pick. The submissions that passed a ResLife review were then shown at a raucous movie screening and online at the ResLife website. In a beautiful display of direct democracy, the students the vox populi, if you will determined the winner based on a popular vote. Though ResLife contends that the raffle is more effective in spreading information regarding housing options, we disagree. The Herald reported that Richard Hilton, assistant director of operations for ResLife, said he believes the raffle is more educational because, in order for students to enter into the contest, they were required to visit three information booths for different program houses at the housing fair. While the intention behind this rule is admirable, reports suggest that the real effect was to force students with little desire to live in a program house after all, they are hoping for first pick in the housing lottery to simply go through the motions of feigning interest in program houses. The first pick videos garnered a tremendous amount of attention for the housing process, largely because the video competition was such a fun and unique Brown tradition. All students even those who might have been unavailable to go to the housing fair were able to view the videos online. The movies, featured on the ResLife website, attracted much web traffic to online housing information. The movie screenings in Sayles Hall were boisterous and well-attended. Additionally, the first pick video contest could help tell you who you want in your group in the first place. That wildly impressive athlete who did his own stunts around Browns campus in the 2009 winning video, Ruthless? Someone who literally sacrifices his body for the sake of art or ritzy accommodations? Now thats a guy you want to live with. The guy who is kind of in your friend group and decides he wants to take a real Ingmar Berman direction with your video? Not so much. Most importantly, the video contest provided much-needed levity and joy to the housing process, which can be stressful. And it was yet another forum for Brown students to demonstrate their remarkable creativity and talent. Please ResLife for our sake and yours let us have our night at the movies back and reinstate the tradition of the first pick video competition. editorials are written by The heralds editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

the Brown Daily herald Monday, February 6, 2012

eDITORIAL CARTOOn

by c h r i s j e s u l e e

They couldnt slow dance with someone of the same sex, and other things. We want to change that.
Irene Rojas-Carroll 15 see PrideProm on page 3.

QUOTe OF THe DAy

CORReC TIOn
Due to an editing error, an article in Fridays Herald (Bankruptcy looms as mayor threatens legal action, Feb. 3) stated that the University pays $1.2 million in voluntary payments to the city. In fact, the University pays more than $2.4 million in voluntary contributions alone and a total of more than $4 million in combined voluntary and tax payments to the city. The Herald regrets the error.

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the Brown Daily herald Monday, February 6, 2012

opinions 7
a strong opinion at the ripe age of about 20, most of us are far more inclined to share a two-paragraph Facebook post describing why this or that ideology is stupid, and Im right and youre wrong, so you should vote for this guy. These political posts are the greatest problem with social media. If you actually believe that you can disprove the validity of someones general ideology faster than you can heat up a bowl of Easy Mac, then fine keep blindly posting and blogging to ultimately nobody but yourself. conversation you hoped to have quickly becomes a heated argument of picking apart the details of another persons point instead of listening to what they are actually saying. With the possible exception of extraordinarily well-read individuals in political and economic theory, none of us are qualified to dismiss others opinions at the drop of a hat and certainly not with such intense rhetoric. Passing ECON 0110: Principles of Economics does not make you an expert on the recession, and embracwant all the answers and all our opinions set in stone now. With too much information out there at least half of which is hardly legitimate we feel the need to be super opinionated and defensive to compensate for the lack of quality research we have actually accumulated on any given topic. With this in mind, perhaps we could all make an effort to keep politics out of Facebook, though I am admittedly more guilty of keeping it in there than most students. Still, I have never seen anything political on Facebook or Twitter seriously alter someones opinion, and I doubt that will ever change. The same principle applies to the shrinking world outside the realm of social media. We should strive to keep political conversations more reasonable, less angry and more fun to participate in during the wee hours of the night, when nobody will be able to effectively articulate a great point, anyway. As a member of the Brown community, I feel it is our collective responsibility to maintain an open-minded and inviting atmosphere for everyone because this is what we pride ourselves on having. We owe it to the future classes at Brown. It would be a shame to see one of our bestselling points slip away under the reign of social media. Matt Brundage 15 can be reached at matthew_brundage@brown.edu.

Social media encourages closed-mindedness

By MATT BRUnDAGe
opinions columnist

With the Republican primaries in full swing and the 2012 presidential elections in near sight, politics in social media seems dirtier than ever. About half the people I encounter via Facebook and Twitter with ideologies ranging from ultra-conservative to shamelessly communist have lately felt inclined to post statuses, charts, graphs, delightfully brief articles and the like with the apparent hope of changing their friends and followers views on current issues in just under two minutes. There are too many problems to count with this form of social media politics. If your opinion on President Obamas State of the Union address fits nicely into 140 characters, reconsider how insightful your opinion actually is. If you expect that the chart you posted on Facebook portraying how well or poorly Obama has influenced the economy will do anything but frustrate the other side and inspire a response chart depicting exactly the opposite, I can all but guarantee that you are horribly mistaken. Many brilliant political theorists have written well thought-out arguments for and against countless political ideologies. Instead of reading even one of these and seriously evaluating it before forming such

If you actually believe that you can disprove the validity of someones general ideology faster than you can heat up a bowl of easy Mac, then fine. Keep blindly posting and blogging to ultimately nobody but yourself.
But I like to think that most of us here at Brown know this is impossible and that meaningful political debate involves a conversation, not a competition of posting snippets of arguments that validate or invalidate an entire ideology via social media. Entering a 2 a.m. political debate in the depths of Keeney Quadrangle, however, is a frightening endeavor to say the least. It can feel as though people expect you to have already formed concrete opinions on all potential political questions, and that ing atheism does not grant you the right to dismiss religion as a legitimate reason for holding certain views. It is beyond ignorant to reject someones ideas without having a perfect argument for the opposing side. It is always stupid to call someone elses thoughts stupid. It is never effective to suggest that those who do not share your views simply do not understand politics, mathematics, economics or morality. Maybe we Brown students resort to those sorts of nasty tactics because we

On undergraduate business education

By HOUSTOn DAVIDSOn
opinions columnist
a paucity of universalizing academic standards. Precisely what constitutes the science of leadership is necessarily vague. This ambitious, if not utopian, tradition stems from the teachings and over-hyped practices of Frederick Winslow Taylor, the founder of socalled scientific management. Furthermore, the specialized knowledge acquired in many standard business courses lacks staying power. In a notable concession, the president of the famed undergraduate business school Babson College argues that due to the short-term obsolescence of the knowledge gained in most business school subjects, students would be far better off gaining employable skills, like writing, in a history or philosophy course. Nonetheless, in business education the creed of pre-professionalism establishes itself as the exclusive source of academic legitimaing skills and a critical mind are far more enticing than Microsoft Excel expertise. While business education advertises to students a competitive advantage in highly sought-after fields like investment banking, this advantage is largely illusory. Many schools claim that they teach the tools of trade but almost of all of theses tools are acquired on the job. This may be why, nationally, a stunning 45 percent of business graduates return to their nest egg upon graduation. Second, business education couldnt be farther from the vaunted real world. Business education lives in a neoliberal fantasy world wherein employment is a faceless cost to be minimized. If you are looking for the real world, perhaps history or physics might be for you. On a separate note, I would like to make crystal clear the difference between the study readily admit that their students conceive of business school as the easiest path through undergraduate education. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, business majors spend less time studying outside of class than students of any other major. Of course, there are worthwhile skills to be picked up in business education. A working knowledge of finance lingo, an understanding of accounting and an appreciation of marketing savvy are all certainly useful. Nonetheless, there is no reason why these skills cannot be gained elsewhere. Currently, Brown is one of two Ivy League schools without a dedicated business school. Browns intellectual and academic life is better off for this. That said, the dangerous truth is that business programs tend to be cost savers for universities due to their generally large class size and lack of need for teaching assistants for grading due to the scarcity of graded writing assignments, among several other factors. With this in mind, it is important that Brown students keep the value of a critical education firmly in mind despite the ambient rhetoric favoring the alleged safety of airing on the side of pre-professionalism. For those who say that business school is just not for me personally and that I should reserve judgment, I reject this. They tell me that I am judging business school within a framework it consciously rejects. I agree. Yet I oppose their academic relativism as not just misguided but also indirectly deleterious, for it provides a safe haven to the uncritical mentality intrinsic to current business education. Houston Davidson 14 learned all there is to know about leadership by watching Apollo 13 in Management 100.

I hold the unworthy distinction of being the only current Brown undergraduate, at least to my knowledge, to have previously been enrolled in a certain one of the nations most renowned business schools. With this in mind, I would like to voice my qualms with undergraduate business education. To begin, the most striking aspect of this business education is its completely distinct set of academic ambitions and values. The coursework, saturated with the alluring teleology of pre-professionalism, has an entirely different modus operandi from the liberal arts education model. Yet the degree to which the courses are myopic in their single-minded focus on the propagation of a narrow worldview is astoundingly unnecessary. This education contains a heavy component of propagandizing. For example, management courses, with their emphasis on hackneyed gestures and empty rhetoric, miss the point of what it means to lead. Instead, it too often rewards ingratiating behavior, sycophancy and groupthink over critical thought and willingness to voice unpopular opinions. This generates an ethos of conformity, academic arrogance and an inability to question the prevailing culture of business. The curricula of business schools are misdirected and ill-defined. The lack of a standard idea about what constitutes such topics as management and marketing creates

Of course, there are worthwhile skills to be picked up in business education. nonetheless, there is no reason why these skills cannot be gained elsewhere.
cy. The byproduct of this is the tacit condoning of a style of anti-intellectualism that devalues the humanities and the hard sciences. Now to address the classic counterarguments. For those who say that business school is either practical-minded due to its location in the so-called real world or a good return on investment, consider the following arguments. First, the statistics dont add up. While certain elite business schools do see a large number of recruited students, this recruitment is readily available to non-business students. Furthermore, in a recent national survey, top employers made clear that writof economics and the study of business. Economics is a rigorous path of study and is worthy of agnostic respect. Too often, though, business education treats economics as a means to an end and glibly casts off any attempt by the economist to embrace complexity and uncertainty. Lastly, the most devastating fact about business education is the range in quality it hides. While it is true that students at the bigname, elite business schools work diligently, the very existence of elite business schools gives cover to all business education for undergraduates, regardless of the rigor of the program. Many business school professors

Daily Herald Sports Monday

the Brown
Monday, February 6, 2012

Bears find no peace with Quakers, Tigers

By saM ruBinroiT aSSiStant SPortS editor

m. BASkETBALL

The mens basketball team suffered two disappointing conference losses at home this weekend, falling to Princeton Friday night 77-63 before crumbling against Penn the following night 65-48. The Bears (7-16, 1-5 Ivy) entered the matchup against the Tigers (11-10, 2-3) with momentum, having defeated Dartmouth a weekend pri- Princeton 77 or to earn Brown 63 Br unos first conference win before battling No. 23 Harvard in a hardfought 68-59 loss. This is a scary team to play, Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson said of the Bears. They play with a lot of confidence. Anytime you find a team that puts three shooters on the floor, its a little worrisome. But Princeton held the upper hand in shooting Friday night, connecting on 52.5 percent of shots from the field and 10 of 22 from beyond the arc. Bruno shot a dismal 32.3 percent from the field in the second half, finishing at 42.9 percent for the night. We just got outplayed from the beginning until the end, said head coach Jesse Agel. Princeton made every shot right out of the gate, and guys who arent shooters were knocking them down. Point guard Sean McGonagill 14 led the Bears with 17 points
princeton 77, Brown 63

and six assists, and Tyler Ponticelli 13 and Matt Sullivan 13 added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
penn 65, Brown 48

The Bears were deflated from the start against the Quakers (1210, 4-1) in the first 5:08 of play, Penn held Bruno scoreless and jumped to an 8-0 lead. Bruno shot 32.3 percent from the field and went one for ten from beyond the arc in the opening half, allowing the Quakers to take a 36-21 lead going into the locker room. The sec65 on d h a l f Penn b r o u g h t Brown 48 mu c h o f the same, and Penn cleared its bench in the final minutes with the 17-point victory in hand. Against Harvard, we came out, and we were really making shots, Sullivan said. Tonight we just didnt. McGonagill had a difficult night Saturday, going scoreless in the first half and finishing with three points and six assists. Seans had a tough weekend, Agel said. He still did a great job of distributing the ball, but we just werent cashing in on some of the great things he was doing. Hes our leader, and so much of how he goes, we go. At one point during the game, McGonagill suffered a hard fall, and his head went crashing into the court. But with a depleted roster due to injuries, sickness and eligibility issues, Agel had no choice but to leave his point guard in the game.

Sam Rubinroit / Herald

After being named Ivy League Player of the Week, Andrew McCarthy 13 followed a solid performance against Princeton with a 20-point, 12-rebound game against Penn.

Our margin of error has now been cut to zero, Agel said. Sean bangs his head, and I was really concerned, but I dont have anybody else who can play that position. Against the Quakers, four Bears played upwards of 35 minutes. McGonagill was on the court for all 40 minutes, and refused to comment after the game, citing a

headache. Ill never complain about (playing) 38 minutes, Sullivan said. Even if Im a little tired, I cant admit to it. While many athletes would relish the opportunity to play nearly an entire game at the college level, there is a certain amount of fatigue that results from playing extended minutes on a nightly

basis. I know our guys love that opportunity, but in another way its unfair to them, Agel said. At some point, our guys are human. After four straight home games, the weary Bears will hit the road for back-to-back weekends, traveling to Columbia and Cornell before heading to Harvard and Dartmouth.

Local Olympian inspires varsity, casual runners

By JaMes BLuM SPortS Staff Writer

When you run free, you run fast. When you run fast, you have fun, said Roisin McGettigan, Irish Olympian and Providence resident, to an audience of varsity and club runners Feb. 2 in an event sponsored by the Running Club. McGettigan no stranger to running fast competed in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was a four-time NCAA All-American during her college career at Providence College and holds Irish national records in the 3,000-m steeplechase and indoor mile. The steeplechase is a track event where competitors run approximately 1.86 miles while hurdling a total of 28 barriers and seven water pits. McGettigan, 31, began running in her hometown of Wicklow, Ireland. It was during her teenage years that she gained experience with hurdles, not anticipating that it would help her later for the steeplechase. McGettigan said that she wanted to train harder as a teenager but knew that it would

be difficult to achieve in Ireland. I got more into it and really worked hard and ended up getting a scholarship to Providence College, McGettigan said. (Providence College head coach Ray Treacy) is from Ireland, so he is aware of athletes who do well in Ireland. Treacy brought McGettigan to Rhode Island in 1999. After her freshman year, McGettigan said she had doubts about her training, as she watched all the runners who were faster than her. But she turned this doubt into motivation and began to improve as she worked harder every year. Thats whats great about the system here you have four years to mature as an athlete, McGettigan said. For McGettigan, her college years involved developing a focus on the steeplechase. She said she had never done lots of distance training, so the hurdles helped divide the distance into smaller segments. I used to think (3,000-m) was so long, McGettigan said. So hurdling and steeplechasing for me helped me make the transition,

because youre so focused on the next thing that the laps click off. In 2007, McGettigan competed at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan and finished 10th overall in the 3k steeplechase. Performing on such a big stage allowed her to learn to control her nerves, she said, adding that she viewed that race as a really good breakthrough. As she trained for the Olympics, McGettigan said she imagined herself having another breakout race in the finals. Semifinals went really well it was the dream race I had imagined, McGettigan said. She finished second in her heat and qualified for finals. But she did not perform as well as she had long imagined in the finals and finished 14th overall. Finals was devastating, she said. It took me a long time to get over it. After the Olympics, it was like, Now what? McGettigan added. Like a void, its very common after you achieve an event you come down a little bit. You feel a bit down in the dumps after. McGettigan said instead of

training more, she needed to refocus her life and have more balance in it. Youre not just drawing all your self-worth or identity from your running, McGettigan said. Because once that goes, you go, What else can I do? To help achieve her goals, McGettigan said she writes down her ambitions, especially those that have to do with running. You can learn so much about yourself from your own journal, because what worked and what didnt work is right there, she said. To help other athletes harness the power of a training journal, McGettigan and fellow runner Lauren Fleshman started a business called Believe I Am, which makes training journals. McGettigan and Fleshman, the U.S. outdoor 5,000-m champion in 2006 and 2010, decided to work together because they had really good synergy and creativity. The duo also produces clothing that incorporates inspirational messages into its designs. Athletes use cues to keep from getting too anxious or nervous, and we found that helped us com-

pete at our best, McGettigan said. So we wanted to bring that to everybody. McGettigan said she is now preparing for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Currently, she runs 60 miles with two hard sessions each week, though she said she hopes to work up to running 70 miles a week. She said she tries to focus on her weekly progress and has seen big jumps in her training. Though the varsity and club runners at Brown are not necessarily preparing for the Olympics, McGettigans comments about her triumphs and struggles still serve as motivation, said Mitchell Baker, assistant track and field coach. It gives them a sense that even the people at the top of the running world have to go through the same things, Baker said. McGettigan ended the talk with a story about her experience at the Beijing Olympics. To help with nerves, she said she had to remember that she wanted to be there and that it was supposed to be fun. As a reminder, she drew a smile on her hand with the words fast, free, fun.