vol. cxxii, no.

23

Daily
By JoSepH RoSaleS Senior Staff Writer

the Brown

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

U. starts search for new athletics director At forum,

New director announcement planned to coincide with presidential selection
committee, said the University is using a consulting firm to pinpoint candidates, but the search committee will be in charge of interviews and application reviews. The members of the committee were announced to the athletics department last month among them are head coaches, student athletes, members of the Offices of Campus Life and the Dean of the College and Kenneth OKeefe 76, chair of the Brown University Sports Foundation. The University is looking for someone with experience in college athletics as well as enthusiasm continued on page 2

Herald
Since 1891

The University is in the initial stages of its search for a new director of athletics and, with an independent search firm currently looking for qualified candidates, the search committee hopes to announce a decision in April in conjunction the announcement of a new University president. Current Director of Athletics Michael Goldberger announced he was retiring at the end of the academic year last December. Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services and head of the search

residents criticize MBTA cuts

By moRGaN JoHNSoN Senior Staff Writer

Providence commuters voiced their concerns with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authoritys proposed fare hikes and service cuts to its commuter rail system at a community meeting

city & state

Courtesy of Tajah Coleman-Jones

The search is ongoing to replace Director of Athletics Michael Goldberger next year.

Federal aid proposal to target rising tuition costs

By JameS RattNeR Senior Staff Writer

GOP to sue over new district lines

By adam tooBiN Senior Staff Writer

In his State of the Union address last month, President Barack Obama outlined a plan to incentivize lowering college tuition by redirecting federal financial aid from universities that raise college costs to schools taking steps to lower costs. Though the University could be affected by the proposed plan, it is still too early to gauge the exact effect these polices would have, said Jim Tilton, director of financial aid. If you cant stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down, Obama said in his address. As part of his goal of making the United States the country with the highest percentage of college graduates by 2020, Obama also proposed investing $55 million to improve teaching and $1 billion in an initiative similar to the Race to the Top that would reward states that control tuition rates. The Perkins Loan Program, which provides federal money administered by the University at a capped interest rate, and other campus-based aid would be expanded to $10 billion, according to the White House statement. Obama will also ask Congress to keep interest rates low on subsidized Stafford student loans, which have variable interest rates. Rates are currently set at 3.4 percent, but continued on page 2

Rhode Island Republicans intend to file a lawsuit opposing a redistricting bill signed into law Feb. 8 by Gov. Lincoln Chafee 75 P14. The law reorganizes the states districts in a blatant political man-

city & state

ner, said Patrick Sweeney, state GOP executive director. The legislation redraws the line between districts 47 and 48, controversially

placing Republican Donald Foxs residence in the 48th district, which is currently represented by House Minority Leader Brian Newberry, R-North Smithfield and Burrillville. Fox came within 200 votes of Rep. Cale Keable, DBurrillville and Gloucester, in the 2010 election and is likely to run for office again this year. Rhode Island law required the legislature to redraw many of its district lines to reflect the changes in population following the 2010 census. But Republicans are accusing the Democrat-controlled

legislature of using this opportunity to solidify their dominance. What happened after the census is that each district had to lose or gain around 300 people 48 needed to lose people, 47 needed to gain people, Sweeney said. Instead, their proposal shifts around 1,500 people. Kimball Brace, a consultant paid $700,000 by the state to advise the project, defended his plan in front of state legislature by saying he determined the line continued on page 5

held last night at the Rhode Island Department of Administration Atrium. If enacted, the current changes would raise commuter rail fares by as much as 43 percent and eliminate stops after 10 p.m. on weekdays, as well as all weekend service. All together, the proposal would remove 23 stops on the MBTAs ProvidenceStoughton line, which provides transportation between Providence and Boston. Representatives from the MBTA and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation attended the public hearing, which was prefaced by a brief overview of the proposals from Charles Plank, senior director of MBTA strategic initiatives. This deficit didnt happen continued on page 3

No. 9 Bears bring home the Kurtz Cup

By maRia acaBado SportS Staff Writer

squash

Courtesy of Brown Athletics Erika Kohnen 12 secured the Kurtz Cup with a narrow victory in the final match.

At the B Division Womens National Team Championship this past weekend in Boston, the womens squash team defeated Williams 5-4 to claim the Kurtz Cup. With the victory, the squad is now ranked ninth overall in womens collegiate squash. The team defeated Mount Holyoke 8-1 and Bates 5-4 to meet Williams in the final, a rematch of last years division showdown. We played really well against Mount Holyoke, said Sarah Beresford 13. It set the tone for us, and it certainly showed that we had arrived to play awesome squash and compete at the highest level. Though the teams had met prior to the semifinal against Bates, the matchups were different this

time around, Beresford said. They had beaten us 7-2 in the fall while five of our juniors were abroad, and we didnt have our one transfer, Beresford said. Our lineup was completely different, but so was theirs, since Bates lost their number four player due to injury. The match was fresh and we were really fired up to regain our rightful rank above their team. The five wins against Bates came from all across the ladder, which demonstrates our strength as a team, Beresford said. Beresford acknowledged the strong individual performances of all the winners Katie Yates 14 at No. 9, co-captain Erika Kohnen 12 at No. 7, Lydia Smith 13 at No. 6 and Mina Shakarshy 15 at No. 4 but singled out Sarah Domenick 14 continued on page 5

weather

news....................2 CITY & sTaTe........3 sporTs..............5 edITorIal............6 opInIons.............7

inside

Narratives
Muslim social activist discusses empathy
NEWS, 8

Cara Dorris 15 speaks out for sexual equality

opiNioNS, 7

orgasmic

Task force looks to stop youth violence

Solutions
CiTy & STaTE, 8

t o d ay

tomorrow

46 / 27

39 / 35

2 Campus news
C ALENDAR
TODaY 4 P.m. Social Determinants of Health, Salomon 001 6:30 P.m. Marriage Equality Teach-In, List 120 6:30 P.m. Professor Zachary Lockman Lecture, Foxboro Auditorium, Kassar House FEbRuaRY 28 TOmORROW 11 a.m. Condom Carnival, Main Green FEbRuaRY 29

the Brown Daily herald tuesday, February 28, 2012

Fed aid proposal short on details

continued from page 1 are scheduled to double in the next academic year. Institutions of higher education have generally reacted positively to the proposal, though it is still short on details, said Amy Carroll, director of government relations and community affairs. Were waiting to see more details to be able to assess how that would impact Brown and then decide on an advocacy strategy in Washington. Developing a response to the policies would likely involve working with the other Rhode Island schools, other major research institutions and the states representatives in Congress, Carroll said. Federal government aid does not figure largely into total financial support for students at Brown. We get a small amount of aid compared to the amount Brown commits to aid each year, Tilton said. The University receives roughly $5 million in federal aid, which includes Perkins loans, compared to total aid of $88.5 million last year and $90 million next year, Tilton said. Still, a decrease in government contributions would directly impact the Universitys aid budget and ability to sponsor students, he said. The University will continue to monitor the progress of the policy to see what changes are actually put in place. Weve been able to respond to other issues that have been brought up through the federal government, Tilton said. Under President Simmons leadership, Brown has a great story to tell on financial aid, Carroll said. Its almost tripled what the insti-

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Herald file photo

President obamas proposal rests largely on redistributing aid away from universities that fail to reduce tuition.

CR oSSwoRD

tutional money has been. Senators from both parties have voiced concern over the increased regulation implied through the policy, saying that complying with the regulations will only increase tuition, according to an article by the Chronicle of Higher Education. This is going to cause problems for the institutions that have the least resources to being with, said Sara Goldrick-Rab, associate professor of higher education policy at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in a Jan. 30 Inside Higher Ed article. The answer is not going to come from more federal controls

on colleges or states, wrote David L. Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, in a press statement. Senate Democrats and University officials praised the initiatives. Its great news, but we just need to know just exactly what it looks like, Tilton said. For me as an aid director, its great. Any proposal will have to pass through Congress before it is implemented. Ive learned not to predict what (Congress) might do, said Carroll, who worked in Congress for eight years.

Search for new athletic director underway

continued from page 1 for Browns sports teams, Klawunn said. We have a lot of things coming out of the Athletics Review Committee, she said. We have a lot of things in process, and were looking for someone who can come in and move that forward. I dont know if theres a simple formula for who might be a good match for this job, Goldberger said. He said the candidates need to understand the dual importance of athletics and academics in the lives of the Universitys athletes, as well as the role athletics play in the Universitys overall mission. Passion for the job is a must, he added. They should really enjoy it, Goldberger said. We have so many teams, so many games. The challenges that come with the job will depend on where the candidate comes from, Goldberger said. If its someone who has been at Brown already, then it would be stepping right into really making your own assessments about what our needs are and how to best go about achieving them, he said. If its someone from outside of Brown, then its really getting to know the Brown culture. Klawunn said the opportunities and challenges of the job go handin-hand. The opportunity is that weve just affirmed our 37 sports, and weve got a lot of support, she said. The challenge is were trying to support 37 sports, and weve got big fundraising goals. So all of that needs to be carried forward, and progress needs to be made. The draw is Brown, said Davies Bisset III 85, executive director of the BUSF. Bisset said though the athletics department has been dragged through a real negative period and has lost some of the support of alumni and donors, the affirmation athletics has received from the Corporation and administration is good news for whomever the committee chooses. We want to capitalize on the positive signals and statements and gestures that were getting from the University toward athletics, Bisset said. Klawunn said the committee is planning on conducting interviews in late March with the possibility that final candidates for University president would meet with final candidates for this position.

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the Brown Daily herald tuesday, February 28, 2012

City & State 3

ABELow HIGHER ED BY HANNAHKuTNER AND BEN NE wS R ouNDuP SENIoR STAFF wRITERS

Common app upgrade to ease application process

A new version of the Common Application set to be released in 2013 will increase the efficiency of the application process, according to the New York Times. The Common App has been in use in various forms for 36 years. The new Common App may include a feature that allows an applicant to fill out only one question at a time. Their response to each question will dictate what question will follow, the Times reported. In the current version, students answer questions in each section that may not apply to them. There may also be a new feature in which inquiries can be sent directly to college counselors. Yet another notable change may include prompt windows which will point out any errors in the application, according to Begincollege.com, and the version may be more iPad-friendly. The overhaul will cost the 456 colleges that use the Common App between $7 million and $8 million, according to Begincollege.com. The number of applicants using the Common App has the potential to exceed 10 million by the end of the decade, according to the Times.

Morgan Johnson / Herald

The transportation authority proposed fare hikes to combat its budget deficit.

MBTA struggles with budget

continued from page 1 overnight, Plank said of the MBTAs $161 million deficit. The organization also currently has $5.2 billion in total debt. Plank partially attributed the MBTAs financial struggle to the failure of its forward funding plan enacted in 2000, which draws the MBTAs operating costs from the state sales tax. Underperformance in sales tax revenue has led to a loss of $75 million for the MBTA over the past ten years, Plank said. Funding for the MBTA has also suffered from increased health care costs, steep increases in fuel and utility costs which have doubled since fiscal year 2003 as well as increased costs to sustain the MBTAs mobility impaired services. Plank said the MBTAs small scale initiatives to reduce funding and record high number of trips last year are not sufficient to reduce its deficit to manageable levels. He said the MBTA still loses revenue for every trip on both bus and commuter rail systems. Ridership does not equal profit, he said. Though most attendees who testified at the hearing were sympathetic to the MBTAs financial struggles, many of the proposals were highly critiqued. They feel incredibly ill-conceived, said Greg Nordin, a transit planner at the Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority. Nordin said the proposed fare hikes would make a monthly commuter rail pass only $6 cheaper than Amtraks, and less than $2 cheaper than a single Amtrak ticket between Providence and Boston. I would pay that for a ride thats 30 minutes faster, Nordin said. I know you cant just print the money, said commuter Barry Schiller, who supported a reasonable fare increase to combat the MBTAs deficit, but this is excessive. Several speakers took the most offense with the proposals to eliminate late-night and weekend rail service. Late-night services are the last thing you should be cutting, said Steve Musen, director-at-large at the Rhode Island Association of Railroad Passengers. The main alternative, Amtrak train service from Providence to Boston, stops at 9:30 p.m. Some speakers criticized the MBTA for not providing sufficient notice for the hearing. I didnt hear about this until a couple of days ago, said Darrel Kent, who said he uses the commuter rail frequently on weekends. I didnt find out (about the hearing) until Saturday when I put on channel 10, said commuter rail employee Tom Murray. Plank said notice of this hearing and all scheduled public meetings has been available since the MBTAs press release from Jan. 3. In addition to the proposed changes, the MBTA is also lobbying for increased federal funding for transportation. Despite these efforts, the federal government will likely reduce funding by as much as 30 percent, Plank said. The news is probably not going to be good, he said.

santorum calls Obama college snob

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum called obama a snob on the ABC News program This week Sunday, referencing a Feb. 2009 speech in which obama called for increased access to higher education. Santorum has since been criticized for his seemingly anti-college comments, according to the washington Post. obama and Press Secretary Jay Carney countered that the presidents comments were intended to advocate for a range of higher education possibilities that would ideally be available to all high school graduates, rather than only advocating for traditional, four-year college programs. Santorum also said on the show that college campuses are liberal and inhospitable environments for conservative students or students with some sort of faith commitment, according to the New York Times. He also said obama was suggesting students enroll in indoctrination mills on Glenn Becks radio show last week, the Post reported. President obama told governors Monday that all states should require students to stay in school at least until age 18 and that state budgets should focus on helping high school students attain some level of higher education, such as technical training, community college or four-year colleges, according to Fox News.

4 Campus news
continued from page 8 IMAN, which means faith in Arabic, provides a range of services to the Chicago community, including a Green Reentry project that converts foreclosed homes in the South Side into housing for former criminal offenders. Other services include arts spaces for youth, community forums, a health clinic and an annual festival called Takin It To The Streets that brings musicians, activists and community members together. Nashashibi said he viewed his lecture, Ghetto Cosmopolitanism: Forging a Grassroots Human Rights Agenda, as an opportunity to unite his academic and activist work. He spoke of faith communities looking for social justice and inner city residents exploring multiple notions of identity. IMAN found that it was critical to connect communities that had very little history of working with each other, Nashashibi said, mentioning Chicagos many racial and religious groups. Over the last four years, IMAN has compiled a grassroots human rights policy guide that examines legislation on activism issues and grades legislators on how well they have addressed these issues. This guide is then distributed to the legislators, Nashashibi said, and has helped change the language of human rights. He recalled the tension in the room during one public forum in Chicago after Latinos voiced their thoughts about the black community. He spoke of the black-brown divide between the communities and how notions of a certain struggle as a black issue or a Latino issue can create further divisions. Not only did we not know others narratives well, we didnt really know our own narratives, he said. Nashashibi said he is interested in listening intensely to others stories on a personal level outside the context of the media and in looking at how transnationalism plays out and can connect communities, creating a network of engagement. Transnationalism is a powerful idea people tend to forget to talk about, said Janet Cooper Nelson, University chaplain. She said Nashashibis lecture was an effective way for people to be drawn into the discourse. Throughout the lecture, Nashashibi stressed the importance of honesty, empathy, trust and challenging narratives that weve internalized about each other. He also emphasized the importance of confronting spiritual, social

the Brown Daily herald tuesday, February 28, 2012

Director of nonprofit discusses Chicago initiatives

Meia Geddes / Herald

Dr. Rami Nashashibi spoke about identities and transnationalism Monday.

and political hypocrisy and referenced a speech by Malcolm X that accused America of hypocrisy. He said the speech appealed to some and felt blaringly transparent to others.

Nashashibis lecture was inspiring and showed that it is important to see theory in action, said Alan Flam, director of advising and community collaborations at the Swearer Center for Public Service.

the Brown Daily herald tuesday, February 28, 2012

Sports tuesday 5
P i z z a , i C e C r e a m ... m a n d e ?

Kohnen 12 wins final, decisive match

continued from page 1 at No. 2 for bringing home a win in the deciding match. Sarah Domenick played the most amazing squash of her life to win for us, Beresford said. She beat an extremely strong player in three decisive games. The team rode its wave of momentum and kept each other in high spirits to face Williams in the final on Sunday. It was great to have a chance to play Williams in the final, said Kohnen. Our matches are always very close, and they always push us to play at our maximum. Both teams were neck-andneck from the start. Beresford won her match in four games, while Katherine Elliott-Moskwa 15 and Yates won a pair of tight matches. Shakarshy was down 2-0 in her match, but came back to win 3-2, setting up Kohnen to play the deciding match. After Kohnen dropped the first game to her Williams opponent, she pushed back and sent the match to a fifth and decisive game. With the cup on the line in her last match as a Bear, Kohnen pulled out a 13-11 win to give Bruno the silverware. Our senior captain Erika Kohnen showed the utmost physical stamina, mental strength, sportsmanship and heart that anyone could ask of a squash player, Beresford said. Matches do not get closer than hers, and neither does the amount of pressure for a win. Dori Rahbar 14 agreed. It was the closest match I had ever been a part of, Rahbar said. No one could have written a better ending. It was right out of a movie a senior winning the last match in the last game by the smallest margin of points. Its something Ill never forget. Kohnen said her teammates helped push her through the tough match. As the matches got closer, the team really ramped up the support, she said. I know that in my matches, the cheering and support of my teammates really helped me to push that extra little bit and give it my all. That last match was the best possible way I could have ended my college squash career, Kohnen added. I feel so lucky to be a part of this team in a sport that is in many ways very individual, I think its our strong team dynamic that has driven us towards the success weve had this year.

Rachel Kaplan / Herald

Two students break out in Mande in the Ratty after talking about how much they love the class, which they are taking this spring.

CoMICS
Chester Crabson | Tess Carroll

Parties clash over new district boundaries

continued from page 1 between districts 47 and 48 based on established fire districts. But Sweeney challenged this assertion. We follow the fire district, which they didnt do, Sweeney said of the Republicans alternative proposal. Sweeney said he did not file the lawsuit to defend any particular candidate but because the bill would cause disruption for the districts residents. Were defending a lot of people whose district changed for the worse, Sweeney said. He said the law could inconvenience voters. Some people now might be driving 20 minutes to a polling place, so maybe some people wont vote, he said. The bill may not succeed in preventing Fox from competing for Keables seat. Some Republican leaders believe Fox will try to move back into the new district 47 in order to challenge Keable again, according to GoLocalProv. Some activists also view this change as political gerrymandering. John Marion, executive director of the nonpartisan advocacy group Common Cause Rhode Island, said he did not see any reason why the alternative Republican proposal was less valid than the Democrats and said the realignment of districts 47 and 48 constituted gerrymandering. Common Cause supported legislation in spring 2010 that would have lent credibility to the redistricting process, Marion said. The bill, which did not pass, would have prevented the redistricting committee from considering the addresses of candidates when redrawing the map. The Republicans recommended shifting the town of Spring Lake into district 47, a change that would have moved a much smaller number of people overall, but no Democrats voted for it. An amendment to the bill offered by House Minority Leader Brian Newberry, R-North Smithfield and Burrillville, would have only affected this specific debate, but it was voted down, GoLocalProv reported. Keable defended the reorganization of his district. He said the previous incarnation of district 47 was itself the result of gerrymandering, and this redesign was actually de-gerrymandering, according to WPRI Eyewitness News. This controversy is only one of many that arose following approval of the redistricting bill. A group of Rhode Island agencies, including Common Cause and the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union, has expressed concern that Brace did not release data demonstrating how the establishment of these new districts would affect minority populations, according to the Providence Journal.

Dreadful Cosmology | Dario Mitchell

Interested in drawing editorial cartoons or comics? Contact Design at herald.design@gmail.com!

6 editorial
EDIToRIAL CARTooN EDIToRIAL Staying safe at Brown
This semester, the uptick in crime on College Hill has alarmed many in the Brown community. Though the semester is just over a month old, the Department of Public Safety has already issued three crime alerts regarding robberies just north of campus. In response, DPS has added 13 new officers, and the Providence Police Department and DPS have increased police presence in the area north of campus. We urge the University to continue to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and hope they will innovate more ways to fortify off-campus areas. This past December, we published an editorial regarding pedestrian safety and the greater steps that DPS and the University could take to crack down on reckless driving. We commend the administrations coordinated efforts with DPS and hope they will again bolster their efforts if public safety incidents continue to arise. Ensuring the safety of students, faculty and staff must be an essential, if unglamorous, priority for a university community. Given that all of this semesters incidents have occurred north of campus, we are pleased to hear that DPS and PPD have focused their efforts in that location. And while we are enthusiastic about the possibility of increasing lighting on campus, given that the vast majority of crimes in the past two semesters have occurred off-campus, and given the Universitys extensive security apparatus on-campus, for the time being, it seems most important to focus on off-campus areas around College Hill. Students living on-campus have assets like SafeRide, SafeWalk, blue light phones and security officers stationed at high-traffic locations. While the University cannot as easily account for its students who choose to live off-campus, it can certainly find new ways to increase its safety presence, particularly in the most populated off-campus areas north and southeast of campus. SafeRide OnCall has gone a long way towards allowing students living offcampus to get home safe, but surely more can be done. We cannot talk about public safety in earnest without looking at ourselves, the student body. College Hill is a wonderful place, and we are very lucky to go to a school in a safe neighborhood the readers who got deferred from Yale early decision should be nodding spitefully. That said, in the words of Russell Carey 91 MA 06, senior vice president for Corporation affairs and governance, Brown remains an urban campus and students are in no way immune from criminal activity. No matter how effective the public safety measures of Brown and DPS are, they cannot create a crime-free bubble for our campus, and it is imperative that students stay vigilant and take caution. We look forward to seeing the University and DPS introduce more strategies to ensure the safety of all its students particularly those living off-campus. editorials are written by The heralds editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

the Brown Daily herald tuesday, February 28, 2012

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CoRREC TIoN
An article in Mondays Herald (Student-founded nonprofit tackles HIV problems, Feb. 27) incorrectly stated that Gavin Myers 06 MPH 11 entered the masters in public health program in 2007. In fact, he entered the program in summer 2009. The Herald regrets the error.

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Ive learned not to predict what (Congress) might do.

Amy Carroll, director of government relations and community affairs

quoTE oF THE DAY

See aid on page 1.

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the Brown Daily herald tuesday, February 28, 2012

opinions 7
Lionizing taste
interchangeably, whereas the commercial and the popular are derided as trivial or escapist. One is hard-pressed to find students willing to admit that they enjoy Britney as much as The Beatles, Mozart or Bon Iver. Valentines Day is condemned to a similar fate: The most common argument for not celebrating the holiday or dismissing those who do as hopeless romantics is that the holiday has become commercialized. Not seldom do these same people take to Facebook to vent their frustration over this corporately concocted Hallmark holiday, an irony that fection one day a year. And people loved it. I walked with her for a little while, and she was greeted with smiles everywhere. Even those who shun the day for its commerciality cannot resist such good intentions. Similarly, as Henry Jenkins observes in his theorizations of fandom, there is always a participatory and active element in peoples relations to popular products. Like Valentines Day, appreciating mainstream products is by no means as intellectually debasing as some make it out to be. As an American Studies student, both here and in the Netherblind desire to acquire everything related to a text. We think of them as indiscriminately consuming without a critical attitude, often alone and in the absence of meaningful social experiences. But all it means is that ones enjoyment of texts is predicated on individual preferences, which does not preclude them from being a member of a larger community. Del Reys voice does not change because she has the money to have two tigers in her video or actually, one tiger, as it was digitally mirrored but the artificial nature of that visual representation has not caused any perturbations. The sincerity of a received Valentines card is no less because millions of people send one on the same day. So this week, dont laugh at your friends when they are watching the entire Netflix list of romantic comedies or when they are dusting off their Star Wars collectors items. There are as many tastes as there are people. That does not mean that all productions are equally deserving of critical acclaim or are similarly relevant to society at large, but it does mean that taste cannot be policed, certainly not along the arbitrary criterion of authenticity. A person packed in a stadium with 60,000 others to listen to Madonna is no more generic than someone in an audience of ten listening to an unknown band. Originality lies in the engagement with a text, not in its numbers. Suzanne Enzerink GS is biased because she was voted pop culture queen in her undergrad yearbook. She can be reached at suzanne_enzerink@brown.edu.

BY SuZANNE ENZERINK
opinions Columnist

The publicity storm surrounding the question of musical artist Lana Del Reys authenticity had a recent local incarnation. I was on the Main Green listening to Born to Die on my MP3 player Im one of those people who does not own an iPod, in itself a faux pas so it seems when an unknown girl approached me and told me in no uncertain terms that my music was too loud. After the point was taken and apologies offered, she added that Del Rey was psychotic and a fake. Policing the taste of others is tempting, but we should recognize that different people have different preferences, and we will never live in a world where everyone shares our views. The dominant criterion of acceptability seems to be the perceived authenticity of the cultural production. When something is produced to sell, as opposed to being the result of individual inspiration, it is looked upon negatively. We all try to find our unique identity, carving out a place for ourselves among thousands of other students, and it is natural to denounce the things that are so popular that they will keep you average. The attribution of authenticity no longer constitutes a simple preference, but an inherently hierarchical and divisive marker of taste. Taste and authenticity are used almost

we often talk as if whats mainstream is popular only because marketers have brainwashed the masses, but we know this story is too simplistic. In reality, no one is an uncritical consumer.
is hard to miss with Facebooks customized advertisement content that bombards users with commercials 24/7. But since when is commerciality synonymous with mindless consumerism? Such interpretations sell the discerning faculties of the average consumer short. We often talk as if what is mainstream is popular only because marketers have brainwashed the masses, but we know this story is too simplistic. In reality, no one is an uncritical consumer. My best friend spent all Valentines Day handing out chocolates to people on the Main Green with a big teddy bear in her arms, not because she has been brainwashed by evil commercial geniuses, but because she genuinely enjoys celebrating all types of aflands, I am probably exposed more than the average student to questions about the academic relevance of popular culture. Recently, a fellow graduate student from another department joked on a social networking site that pondering over what AmCiv students occupy themselves with had resulted in suggestions like finding phallic imagery in the Cosby Show. I appreciated the joke, and it points to the fact that some categories of culture are reserved for heightened criticism. A person who plays Pokemon, collects Star Trek action figures or amasses Gone With The Wind memorabilia will quickly be placed in the category of fan, with all its negative connotations. Fans are characterized by a

What ever happened to the female orgasm?

BY CARA DoRRIS
opinions Columnist
turbation is fine as long as the girl is hot, and there is a camera nearby. But without a male audience, its just plain bizarre. When Franklin D. Roosevelt was twenty-two, he met Eleanor Roosevelt, and ignoring the disturbing fact that they both shared the same last name, the two cousins married. Though Eleanor had six children, she famously hated sex, calling it an ordeal to be endured. That was 1905. Since then, we have created automobiles, televisions, computers, petrochemical technology, agricultural mechanization, high performance materials and the iPad. We have successfully transplanted one persons face cunnilingus and libido. They spoke about their own sexual pleasure independently from the men involved. Thats because the men in their lives were as interchangeable as their bags and Manolos. Yes, the show may have been delusional, but the point was revolutionary: Men may seek sex more avidly, men may have higher libidos but women still have libidos. According to Dr. Phils health education website, while it may take men two to three minutes to achieve orgasm, it may take women closer to 13 to 14. So that leaves 11 minutes during which the guy has to figure out something to do. And even though and up to 15 percent of women have never had an orgasm at all, according to Dr. Phils website. Now try finding a guy whose never had an orgasm. You wont. As women, we should not be ashamed of not being able to orgasm during sex, and we definitely should not fake it. But if we arent getting what we want, shouldnt we at least try to figure out why? Its like our bodies have become beautiful, useless things. We paralyze our wrinkles with Botox, but then lose the ability to smile. We pump our lips with fillers until they go numb. We get surgery to make our boobs bigger and then lose all sensation in them. Its all for show and no play. We need to stop fearing our bodies. We need to start learning about them, in whichever way that might mean reading a book, teaching our partners or even practicing foreplay that is more than just, Ready or not, here I come! After all, even though some may be disturbed by the practices, female masturbation and porn-watching are mostly stigmatized because women are afraid to speak about them. I am not suggesting all women retire to lives of autoeroticism and serial smut. I am suggesting that we become more comfortable with our bodies and figure out what makes them feel good. No matter what gender or sex we are, we all deserve three unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of sexual pleasure. Life is too short for bad sex. Cara Dorris 15 can be reached at cara_dorris@brown.edu.

This is Brown Land of the Liberal. While we may find religion too backward, we unanimously accept all races, all sexual orientations and the traditionally taboo activities of masturbating and watching porn. How could we not? We showcase our nude bodies on online subreddits like BrownBares. The question is, while we may go to sexual empowerment parties like Sex Power God, are we really as openminded as we believe? Lets take an example. Men watch porn. We know this. We accept this. At the most recent Brown Stand Up Comics performance, almost every male performer had a joke about masturbation, and most told personal anecdotes about watching porn. Now imagine if a girl told these same jokes. Lets be honest: It would probably be sort of gross, potentially very gross. Yet we all have seen and heard and maybe even smelled very gross men before, and we automatically assume and accept that they probably watch porn. In fact, we automatically assume and accept that every guy watches porn. So why is the pursuit of sexual pleasure so taboo when it involves a woman and not a man? In the age of the Internet, female sexuality is only permissible if it can be sold. Female homosexuality is cool as long as there is a chance for a threesome. Female mas-

Yes, the show may have been delusional, but the point was revolutionary: Men may seek sex more avidly, men may have higher libidos but women still have libidos.

onto the severed face of someone else. But now its 2012, more than a century later, and we still cant figure out how to have good sex? The problem is that many girls still see sex as something solely to please a partner. They see their bodies as dark and shadowy things female masturbation is for sex addicts and sluts and barbarians and wackos. Why are we so afraid of the female body? The popular 90s televisions show, Sex and the City, was such a hit because it broke some of these stigmas the characters openly spoke about masturbation,

he should do something, sometimes he doesnt. But, many women do not know that. So women have sex. They have bad sex. They have bad sex and accept that they will always have bad sex. That just sucks. I once talked to a girl who was not sure if she had ever had an orgasm. Remarkably, she was not a virgin. She was probably the farthest thing from a virgin. Yet aside from physical intimacy, isnt achieving an orgasm the point of having sex? Fifty to 75 percent of women cannot orgasm from vaginal penetration alone,

Daily Herald
the Brown
TRaCk aND FIELD
By JameS Blum SportS Staff Writer

tuesday, February 28, 2012

Caldwell 14 and Spooney 14 star at Heps

The mens and womens indoor track teams both finished in fifth place at the Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Championships this past weekend in Ithaca, N.Y. Heidi Caldwell 14 and the mens 4x400meter relay team both turned in winning performances, while John Spooneys 14 second-place time in the 60-meter dash set a new school record. Princeton won on the mens side with 184 points, and Columbia earned the womens title with 124 points, while Bruno accrued 43 and 57 points for the men and women, respectively. Despite not competing for the top spot, the teams were pleased with their performances. The team really did a fantastic job, said Michelle Eisenreich, director of mens and womens track and field. We expected the kids to perform really well thats our job to make them perform at their best. In what was perhaps the biggest upset of the meet, Caldwell beat Abbey DAgostino of Dartmouth in the 5,000-meter run, coming from behind to edge DAgostino out by a hundredth of a second with a time of 16 minutes, 38.01 seconds. Eisenreich explained that the victory was especially meaningful because DAgostino is one of the best distance runners in the country, having finished third at the NCAA championships for cross-country in the fall. The race went out pretty slowly as usual because Heps is pretty strategic, Caldwell said. Its more about place, not time. Caldwell was racing alongside teammate Olivia Mickle 13, who finished sixth overall, and the two stayed in the main pack for the majority of the race. Caldwell explained that when DAgostino opened up a slim lead with around 600 meters left in the race, she stayed close behind for the next couple of laps. With 100 meters left in the race, Emily Lanois of Columbia passed Caldwell, leaving Caldwell with two runners to outsprint on the final straightaway. Abby swung out to block the Columbia girl and the inside lane was open, Caldwell said. I sprinted, and I passed them somehow. Caldwell finished the race not knowing whether she had won, and had to wait for officials to review the photo finish. Only when her name was posted above DAgostinos and Lanoiss on the results board did she know she won. Abby is insane and nationally ranked, Caldwell said. It was kind of a shoo-in that she would win the 5k, and I think I kind of caught her off-guard a little bit. Though Caldwell won by the skin of her teeth, Spooney cut it even closer in the 60m dash. He claimed second place in 6.786 seconds, a thousandth of a second behind first-place finisher Damani Wilson of Harvard. If I had cut my hair a little bit shorter I could have won it was that close, Spooney said. But Im really, really happy with that time. The start in the 60 wasnt very good, but the rest of the race was perfect. Spooneys time was not only a personal record, but also topped the previous Brown record of 6.80 seconds in the event. Later in the day, Spooney tasted victory as he ran on the winning 4x400 relay team alongside teammates Samuel Howard 14, Nathan Elder 13 and Ajani Brown 14. The combined efforts of the sprinters led to a time of 3 minutes, 17.42 seconds. Spooney explained that the team raced in the slower of two heats and after Howard had an impressive leadoff leg, they were running away from everyone. There was not competition for the last three of us going around, so mentally it was probably a really rough 400, Spooney said. We have natural athletic talent, but we are also really competitive and tough. Though not winning performances, other members of both teams competed well. For the men, Kevin Cooper 13 finished fourth in the one-mile run in 4 minutes, 22.90 seconds, and Kenneth Thompson 13 leaped 14.74 meters to finish third in the triple jump. The women were also led by Lauren Waterbury 15, who finished second in the 400-m dash in 56.22 seconds and earned second team All-Ivy honors. Margaret Connelly 14 ran a personal record 9 minutes, 34.87 seconds in the 3,000-m run and earned third place for her effort. Susan Scavone 12 and Lacey Craker 13 both earned second team All-Ivy honors, as Scavone finished second in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.66 seconds, and Craker came in second in the weight throw with a heave of 17.78 meters. It was tremendous effort all over the place, Eisenreich said. I dont know when the last time was that we scored in all relays at the meet, so were really excited about that.

Jesse Schwimmer / Herald

Heidi Caldwell 14 came from behind on the final straightaway to win the 5,000 meter title by .01 seconds at the Ivy Heptagonal Championships.

A select group of Bears will next travel to Boston to compete at the ECAC/IC4A Championships March 3 and 4, before the transition to the outdoor season begins.

We havent really decided whos going to run, Eisenreich said. It comes down to how the athletes are feeling and if we think its in the best interest for the progression in outdoors.

Task force targets RI youth violence Activist intellectual discusses social change
By maRiya BaSHKatoVa Contributing Writer

A task force designed to find solutions for youth violence in Providence met for the first time Feb. 13 at the West End Community Center in Providence. The task force, ap-

city & state

pointed in January and composed of seven state senators, hopes to pinpoint problems regarding youth violence in the area and propose legislative solutions after listening to feedback from Rhode Island youth and community members, said state Sen. Juan Pichardo, DProvidence, who also chairs the committee. Shootings and deaths in young people have been two or three blocks from where I live, Pichardo said. Last year, we lost a 14-yearold in Providence due to gun violence in his own home. Pichardo said he wanted to use these meetings to take the issue out

of the State House and ensure that the voices of the community are heard. Three additional meetings will take place around Rhode Island in the coming months, with the next one slated for early March in the Pawtucket area. The task force will issue a report on their findings after the four meetings, along with recommended solutions to encountered problems. The first meeting included presentations by the advocacy organizations Kids Count and Young Voices and addressed possible solutions for youth violence, including giving young people more access to after-school programs, keeping community centers open later into the night, increasing involvement from parents and establishing a crime watch, Pichardo said. According to the Kids Count presentation, the incidence of youth violence in Providence is actually decreasing. There has not been any rise in violence in the public school system, said Christina OReilly, director of communica-

tions at Providence Public Schools. But she added that outside violence does affect our students, whether directly or through rumors and intimidation. As a way to combat violence in school, the district has measures in place that are consistent with some of the suggestions given at the task force meeting, she said. The current policy on bullying focuses on finding ways to mediate the problem and get to the root of it, instead of transferring bullied children to different schools, OReilly said. There are also Providence police officers assigned to the schools, who keep office hours, interact with students and generally serve as role models and mediators. Despite such measures, Pichardo said youth violence remains a major issue across the city and called on young people to take an interest in activism against youth violence. There are too many deaths in young people, he said. Even if its one, its too many.

By meia GeddeS Staff Writer

Blessings be upon you all, began Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network in Chicago, at the 2012 K.

campus news
Brooke Anderson Lecture Monday night. IMAN, a community-based nonprofit incorporated in 1997 and based in Chicago, works to foster social justice in urban communities, according to its website. As an activist intellectual, Nashashibi has brought significant social and spiritual change to the youth of southern Chicago, said David Coolidge, the Universitys Muslim Chaplain. Nashashibi is the first person he thinks of when he hears the phrase walk the walk, Coolidge said. An activist, scholar, ethnogra-

pher and self-described American Muslim, Nashashibi was more of an agnostic activist than someone who identified with any religion before converting to Islam, he told the lecture audience of more than two dozen adults and students. The Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life selected Nashashibi to speak. Nashashibi now lectures across the United States and Europe and has been recognized by the White House as a Champion of Change for his innovative social activism. He was named one of the Ten Young Muslims Visionaries Shaping Islam in America by Islamica Magazine and is among the Top Ten Chicago Global Visionaries named by Chicago Public Radio. Activism has been some of the most difficult, rewarding and practically empowering work he has ever done, Nashashibi said. continued on page 4