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Bears draw
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After taking down the Georgetown hoyas 37-10 in a homecoming battle last weekend, the Bears prepare to travel south again for another road game. But Saturdays trip will be much shorter, as Bruno will face in-state rival University of rhode Island in Kingston for the Governors Cup. having lost their first four games of the season, the rams (0-4) will be looking to finally get a victory in the record books. The Bears (2-1, 0-1 Ivy), on the other hand, will fight to remain undefeated in non-conference play and continue building momentum for their return to Ivy League play oct. 13. This weekends match-up represents the 97th game in the intrastate series that began back in 1909 one in which the Bears hold a historical advantage, with an overall record of 68-26-2. This is the one time you can play
a game and have an instant reward, head Coach Phil estes said. Its not just about pride. theres an actual trophy that wed like to keep here in Providence. Despite UrIs 0-4 start, the Bears said they are gearing up for a competitive game. You cant just look at their record and say theyre not a good football team, estes said. You also have to look at their opponents. The rams have fallen to Monmouth University, Villanova University, James Madison and Bowling Green State University by an average of 27.8 points this year. Quarterback Patrick Donnelly 13 echoed a similar sentiment. You hear theyre 0-4, and you think you have an idea of what kind of team youre going up against, he said. But then you see them on film. Theyve just played four very good teams by no means are we taking them lightly. Donnelly spoke / / Cup page 4
Patrick donnelly 13, above, will lead the bruno offense against the university of rhode island in a battle for the Governors Cup.
Imagine walking in a straight line on a torus, a bagel-like geometric shape. It would be possible to go through the hole and end up where you started, walk around the perimeter and end up back at the beginning, or to walk in spirals and zig-zags. these are the surfaces that serve as the subject of thesis research for Diana Davis GS, who is studying in the Department of Mathematics. But for Davis, writing a thesis on these surfaces was not enough. My research is so visual, so I thought I could do a really good job making it into a dance, Davis said. when a friend of Davis told her
about the annual Dance Your Ph.D. contest, sponsored by the journal Science and teDx, Davis thought it was a perfect opportunity to show what math research is, she said. Many people have the misconception that math research is looking up formulas in books, when really it involves questions and solving a puzzle without a known outcome, she said. Submissions for the contest were due Monday, and contest winners will be announced by the middle of the month. The path of a person walking on a bagel could be recorded by tracking which edge of the bagel the person hits with each pass. Davis interests lie in what would happen to this sequence of edges if the bagel were to be twisted, chopped up and glued back together, she said. People figured out what happens (to these sequences) for the octagon, so I
suggested she try this for other shapes, said Professor of Mathematics richard Schwartz, Davis PhD adviser. Davis research expanded these findings to show that when the double pentagon a shape made by two pentagons sharing a common edge is sheared in vertical lines and reassembled, the original pattern can be obtained by using rules of substitution, he said. The substitution works like a code the act of shearing the double pentagon encrypts the pattern, and Davis theorem explains how to decode the encrypted pattern and restore the original sequence. Davis proved this substitution rule works for many more shapes than just the double pentagon, including one shape comprising a long sequence of polygons strung together, Schwartz said. Davis video features a dancer leaping across a double pentagon, and
Davis said she would love to expand her video in the future to include additional shapes. The dancer in the video is Libby Stein 15, who took the section of MAth 0180: Intermediate Calculus taught by Davis last year. Davis came to one of Steins dance performances when she was in her class and later contacted Stein to see if she would be interested in working on the video, Stein said. The video was filmed in the organ room of Sayles hall last April. Davis set the stage by placing a picture of a double pentagon made out of butcher paper on the floor and hanging a camera suspended from the ceiling. Stein improvised a dance across the double pentagon, though she was constantly interrupted by tour groups coming into the room.
Students planning to study abroad will now receive additional support from the University to help them in their medical preparations. health Services and the office of International Programs coordinated to improve treatment checklists and expand the orientation program for students prior to their time abroad. The most recent changes were more internal, said edward wheeler, director of health Services. The treatment set checklist, which reminds medical providers of everything they need to address before a student goes abroad, was initiated last year and has since been improved, wheeler said. The treatment set can be accessed by providers through health Services electronic medical records and allows providers to select which vaccinations, medications and areas of
advice apply to the specific region to which a student is planning to travel, wheeler said. The system primarily serves to fully inform students of whats safe, and what isnt safe, as well as helping health Services to stay on track with appointments, wheeler said. After working with a provider, students are given educational packets that pertain to the regions in which they will be living. They also receive a card that allows them to access a video about health during their time abroad, wheeler said. The new online system has been particularly helpful in scheduling tuberculosis testing, he added. Students must undergo tuberculosis testing before and after traveling to a country where the disease is prevalent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The new online system tracks when the post-travel tB / / health page 2
new initiatives from health Service and the office of international Programs will offer students increased support prior to studying abroad.
The Armageddon Letters, a series of short films, graphic novels and podcasts, are being released throughout october in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis. The multimedia project is web-based and is designed to appeal to a broad audience, exposing them to the realities of the 1962 crisis. Serving as producer and creator of the projects media elements is Koji Masutani 05. The projects coordinators have tried to ensure that the 20 short films combine both entertainment and education, Masutani said. half of these films will be in live action, while the other half will be virtually animated. The project is being produced and funded by the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Canada. Masutani said his motives are completely issuedriven, as there is no expected profit from the project. two former Brown faculty members are also involved in the Armageddon Letters. Masutani said that James Blight and Janet Lang, former professors of international relations, are both experts on foreign policy crises. Blight has dedicated the past 25 years of his life to examining the Cuban missile crisis. Both Blight and Lang worked with Masutani at Brown in 2005 to produce the film Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy had Lived. Koji convinced us that the next step was / / Series page 2
2 campus news
C alEndar
TODaY 6P .m. Susan Kushner Resnick Reading Brown Bookstore 8P .m. Concert of Contemporary Music Granoff Center 7P .m. WaterFire Downtown OCT. 5 TOmORROW 11 a.m. Storytime Brown Bookstore OCT. 6 By moLLy SChuLSon
Contributing WritEr
mEnu
SHaRPE REFECTORY VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HaLL
LunCh
Vegan Oven Roasted Tofu, Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich, Italian Vegetable Saute, Vegan Tofu Hot Dogs Breaded Chicken Fingers, Vegan Nuggets, Vegan Three Bean Casserole, Enchilada Bar, Cajun Apple Cake
dinner
Vegetarian Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, Italian Chicken Parmesan, Salmone Alla Griglia, Pumpkin Tofu Cheesecake Cheese Ravioli with Pink Vodka Sauce, Grilled Chicken Caesar, Tofu Cheesecake with Strawberries
Sudoku
/ / health page 1
test is advised and sends a reminder to the patient, wheeler said. The office of International Programs has also expanded mandatory orientations for students planning to study abroad to better explain levels of responsibility when living in a foreign country, said Kendall Brostuen, director of international programs and associate dean of the College. Being as safe and secure as possible will allow them to get the most out of the experience, he added. Dont do things you would never dream of doing here, Brostuen said. It can be tempting because youre in a very different place, but youre a little more vulnerable too. Some of the changes were implemented because health Services and the oIP found that it takes a lot of time to prepare someone, wheeler said. Its been a priority to expand the orientation and information, said Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services,
CroSSWord
adding that health Services and the oIP are doing their part to make sure they are advancing in our goal. The oIP has also been working extensively with the office of Insurance and risk to provide all students with both medical insurance and emergency assistance plans, Brostuen said. Five years ago, the office began using International SoS, a travel assistance plan that offers more comprehensive support for students in emergency situations. The program supports students who need to evacuate from a region due to political unrest or who require medical transport after sustaining serious injury, Brostuen said. International SoS is important for student support because a problem can occur anywhere, anytime, not just in office hours, Brostuen said. The oIP is working to implement additional safety precautions this year, Brostuen said. Currently, oIP encourages students to enter their travel information on International SoSs tracking system, but the office is working on integrating the track-
ing system with oIPs information for one additional layer of support, Brostuen said Another new focus for the office has been tracking and supporting students who may be abroad through programs other than those offered through oIP. were sending a lot of students abroad, the majority still for a semester or academic year, but a growing number in the summer, Brostuen said. More and more students are also going abroad for activities that may not be credit-bearing but are still very valuable. Students traveling without oIP affiliation are being supported by the oIP through Sojourn Abroad registration, whose website allows students traveling for shorter periods of time to enter their information, including emergency contacts and the department or organization they are traveling with, to help the office track them. If something happens, we get the call, Brostuen said. we want to be in the best position to help.
/ / Series page 1
a transmedia project, Lang said, adding, as far as we can tell, ours is the
first transmedia project (on the crisis) in academia. Masutani said a central goal is to present the topic in a manner that the
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Claire Peracchio, President rebecca Ballhaus, Vice President Danielle Marshak, treasurer Siena DeLisser, Secretary The Brown Daily herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during orientation by The Brown Daily herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. PoStMASter please send corrections to P.o. Box 2538, Providence, rI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, r.I. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2012 by The Brown Daily herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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kid skateboarding on Thayer can understand. Masutani said that some of the films will connect to pop culture, specifically involving Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. The project uses different media forms to create as many access points as possible, Masutani said. each format is supposed to give a more in-depth understanding of the legitimate risk of nuclear disaster during the early 1960s. Though the films advocate against nuclear weapons, they emphasize that nuclear Armageddon is possible, even if such an event is unwanted by both sides. This counterintuitive truth is important to understanding the crisis in its entirety, Masutani said. Lang said she hopes the project will show how dangerous the missile crisis was, adding wed like our viewers and readers to make the connection to the present.
colloquium explores ted-ish talks discuss bio lab projects Korean film theory
By ChriStian PetroSKe
Contributing WritEr
By brittany nieveS
Contributing WritEr
Four scholars who specialize in Korean film and media participated in a colloquium this Monday titled Film theory and national Publics in Divided Korea. Michelle Cho, postdoctoral fellow in international humanities, organized the colloquium as a follow-up to a large international conference last week at the University of Michigan. I really wanted to frame a conversation for Brown as well, Cho said. the Film Aesthetics, Colonial resistance, national Ideology panel included speakers Moonim Baek, associate professor at Yonsei University, and Steven Chung, assistant professor in the east Asian Studies Department at Princeton University. Baeks discussion pertained to cinematic discourses of the early 1940s, and Chungs discussion focused on enlightenment modality and the politics of aesthetics. these earlier parts of the colloquium looked at film as a critical object of commercial, cultural and political importance. In her description of Im hwa, a significant literary critic of the Korean colonial period, Moonim Baek spoke of hwas efforts to position cinema from the former Korean state of Choson in the Greater east Asian sphere. he tried to preserve its artistic aspects as autonomous from
industrialization and propagandization, she said. the films were spaced to work out some of the challenges or problems that people have toward modernization, and the dismantling of traditional ways about gender, the relationship between the individual and the state, Cho said. Since film is a modern medium, and it is based on technology that is imported to Korea from the Japanese colonial experience, it is already this kind of complicated multi-layered form. the second portion of the colloquium included speakers Sunah Kim, a research professor at Dankook Universitys Institute for Korean Culture and technology, and travis workman, an assistant professor of Korean literature, culture and media at the University of Minnesota. their panel was north Koreas Cinematic State two Perspectives. this portion contained clips from Korean films such as A wild Fire Spread out All over the world and on the way to Growth. this panel focused on the literature of Kim Jong Il as it related to Korean film, as well as how cinema was used to mold society. Because there are few events on campus that center on Korea or the cultural studies of Korea, I am hoping that this event would add to the array of the activities that are held on campus that highlight these different areas, Cho said. I really wanted to take the opportunity to bring the public and students and scholars into conversation.
associate Professor of biology richard freiman and assistant Professor of biology eric darling spoke at the first ted-ish talk Wednesday.
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4 sports friday
By aLexandra ConWay
SportS Staff WritEr
m. SoCCer Nine years later, site of bears draw against fairfield at home nightclub fire memorialized
By maGGie LivinGStone
Contributing WritEr
raymond Villanova, owner of the property that formerly housed the Station nightclub in west warwick, voluntarily signed the lands deed over to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation Sept. 28. The nightclub burned down in 2003 after pyrotechnics ignited the building, killing 96 people and injuring hundreds more. For the past nine years, the west warwick site housed a makeshift memorial to loved ones lost in the fire. The Station Fire Memorial Foundation, a fund started shortly after the incident, has long pursued the creation of a more permanent memorial dedicated to victims and survivors. According to the foundations website, its goal is to not only build, but maintain an eventual memorial that will remain for hundreds of years to come. The local community and the victims families have pressured the west warwick government to acquire the land since the fire, and west warwick town Council President Angelo Padula said he and the town council manager tried to act as mediators between the property owners and the victims families and survivors. But there was litigation that wasnt settled, he said. west warwick had no legal claim to the land, though the council was approached by a member of the commu-
nity about a year ago with the possibility of taking the land by eminent domain, Padula said. But the members of the town council were not comfortable with forcibly seizing the land from the Villanovas, Padula said. the case appeared temporarily stalled, but in mid-September, Gov. Lincoln Chafee 75 P14 P17 and house Speaker Gordon Fox, D-Providence, announced the possibility of the state taking action via eminent domain. only 11 days after the announcement, Villanova donated the land to the families of the victims. The Station Fire Memorial Foundation plans to raise approximately $5 million to build the memorial, which will be spent on construction and maintaining the property. russo said the foundation has raised $100,000 thus far. Gina russo, president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation and a survivor of the fire, said persistence was key to finally reaching the ultimate goal. Ive been the president for two years, and when the board first met, we said it would be us, she said. were gonna fight for it. russo sustained burns on nearly 40 percent of her body and lost her fiance in the fire. The Villanovas donation came as a relief for russo, other survivors and families of victims. we think they were waiting for the right people to come to build a memorial properly, russo said. were extremely excited.
the mens soccer team, which jumped up to 19th in this weeks national soccer poll, battled Fairfield University to a 0-0 double overtime draw tuesday evening at Stevenson Field. head Coach Patrick Laughlin called it a rematch from last years tournament game, in which the Bears edged past the Stags by one goal to move on to the second round of the nCAA championships. Bruno (8-1-1, 1-0-0 Ivy League) and Fairfield (4-4-1) came into tuesdays rainy game prepared for a tough match. I thought it was a hard-fought game and we were a bit unlucky to finish one of our many chances, but Fairfield is a good team and they fought hard, said Voltaire escalona 14. The Bears got off to a slow start as Fairfield edged Bruno in shots in the first 45 minutes of play. After the break, Bruno came back into the second half with renewed energy and outshot Fairfield by a staggering 15-1. The first half was pretty even, Laughlin said. Both teams were playing well, but in the second half we really turned it on. The Bears offense rallied and took control of the ball in the second half of the game. Midfielder Kevin Gavey 13 led Brunos offense with seven shots, including four on goal. Forwards escalona and Ben Maurey 15 were also key players in the Bears attack with
the bears battled fairfield university tuesday in a 0-0 double overtime draw at Stevenson field. four and three shots, respectively. we got off to a somewhat slow start, but by the second half and into overtime we had the majority of the control of both possession and chances, said Alex Markes 15. Though the Bears were on the offensive for the majority of the half, Fairfields defense held firm. The Stags defenders were successful in clearing the ball off the line and their goalkeeper, Michael oKeeffe, who played for new Zealands 2012 olympic soccer team, recorded 10 saves. The game was only close because we did not put away our opportunities, Markes said. If we had even gotten one goal in, the structure of the game would have changed because they would not have been able to sit back defending and waiting to counterattack. Bruno put a great deal of offensive pressure on Fairfields defense, but the Stags continued to shut down each of the Bears opportunities. In the first overtime period, Bruno held attacking control with four shots, three of which were on goal. But in the second overtime period, Fairfield was able to threaten in the second overtime period, registering two shots. overall, the Bears said they were a little disappointed in the result and felt the game just barely fell out of reach. we were able to create a lot of chances, especially in the second half and overtime, but we just couldnt find the back of the net, said co-captain eric robertson 13. It was good to get a result and a shutout, but it was a game we could have won. Markes said the team considers this game a wake-up call as it shifts its focus to this weekends Ivy match-up against Princeton. we are still not there yet as a team, he said. I expect a more focused mindset at practice this week as we prepare to fix some of our mistakes and come out strong away at Princeton. with Brunos recent jump in the national rankings, the tigers will be hungry to defeat the Bears on their home field, but escalona said the team is excited and committed to taking all three points. In particular, Bruno had some penalty flag woes in their game against the hoyas, drawing eight penalties for 79 yards more than the 62 they racked up in their first two games combined. we made a lot of stupid mistakes and werent executing to our potential, Donnelly said. But the team is working on refining its game and playing mistake-free football in the coming weeks, he said. In last years UrI match-up, the Bears defeated the rams 35-21 in Brown Stadiums second-ever night game. Gov. Lincoln Chafee 75 P14 was in attendance to present the ceremonial cup as a strong crowd of 10,231 cheered on the squad. we treat each week as its own separate season, Donnelly said. we went to D.C. and took care of business, and were going to try to do that again. And if they do, the Governors Cup will stick around College hill for another year.
/ / Cup page 1
highly of the rams defense in particular, explaining that UrI had very good athletes on defense that brought a lot of speed and size up front. If were disciplined enough, well be fine, he said. If not, well be burned. on offense, the rams run a lot of schemes, a lot of motions, and they do a lot of things with unbalanced lines, estes said. Its a lot of smoke and mirrors. with 363 yards of total offense and a complete shutout of the hoyas in the second half, the Bears had what appeared to be a solid showing on both offense and defense in the nations capital last week. But estes said the team shouldnt be patting itself on the back, since it still has a lot to improve on. Miscues, offsides, holding calls, estes said. weve got a lot that we still have to clean up to be a very good football team.
sports friday 5
Picks from ivy League Sports Writers
The Brown Daily Herald Dartmouth vs. Yale Total Votes Dartmouth: 6 Yale: 1
dartmouth. dartmouth will regain its momentum from the start of the season and push through yales poorlyranked defense.
/ / Khan page 8
blockbuster when it came out, and you had to be the first one there to see it. Then you watched it again just to say that you did, but now youre just waiting for something new. even if something new is some foreign film that you promised your girlfriend you would watch when it won an oscar or something, and now its finally here, but youve been dumped since then, and the very mention of that film is a waking reminder of the one that broke your heart. So yeah: Come on os! moneyball ii, featuring bob Saget as namesake melvin If it hasnt become apparent yet, Im in love with Billy Beane. Ive basically named my second child already (Billyna if its a girl). Its been a very successful year already for Billy, what with the As winning the west and Brad Pitts portrayal of Beane in the critically acclaimed Moneyball. But I feel its my duty to remind everyone of the credit Billy deserves for the success of his As. Looking back, this season for the As has been just as screen-worthy as the 2002 one. Sequel! happy october, everyone! enjoy the playoffs. Baseball is in the air! But so are other things, so get your flu shots.
The Dartmouth
dartmouth. Big green offense builds off of a strong second half against Penn and takes advantage of the ivy leagues worst defense. dartmouth 31yale 16. harvard. harvards balanced offense will give them the advantage in this matchup of the leagues best. harvard 28- cornell 18
Cornell. this very close game will come down to whether Jeff mathews can throw better than treavor Scales can run. and with the crimsons pass defense allowing more yards per game than any other team in the ivy league, cornell will slide by with a narrow victory.
harvard. although the cornell defense will allow fewer than the 41 points it did last season, too many question marks surround the red to overcome the champion crimson who is rolling so far in 2012. Quintin Schwab 75% (3/4)
harvard. in a matchup pitting the two best offenses in the ivy league, harvards defense gives it the slight upper hand. But make no mistake Jeff mathews could put up huge numbers against an iffy crimson secondary.
Pick Accuracy
with five tackles and two sacks against Georgetown University last Saturday, defensive end Michael Yules 14 let the inspiration of his football coaches and his family shine through. Throughout his football career, the South Dartmouth, Mass., native has not strayed too far from home. From Moses Brown high School to Brown Stadium, Yules has brought his homegrown talent to the Bears defensive line. his performance last weekend, which included two crucial hits in a first quarter goal-line stand, helped power Bruno to a 37-10 victory over the hoyas and earned Yules Ivy League Defensive Player of the week. For his stout work anchoring the Bruno defense, Yules has been chosen as The heralds Athlete of the week. The Herald: How did you get started in football? yules: I played football when I was in sixth grade for the first time, but then I quit after that season. I transferred to Moses Brown for ninth grade, and I didnt play football then either, but I had a couple friends who were on the team. I went out to one of the J.V. games on Monday, and one of the coaches saw me on the sideline and asked me what I was doing not playing football. So I showed up to practice the next day. What is it like playing right down the street from your high school?
Its really a blessing and an honor. I used to eat lunch with some of my friends outside and we could see the practice fields from where we were sitting and see some of the practices, so its always been a dream. do you keep in touch with your old coaches from Moses brown? I do. Those guys are probably the second biggest inspiration to me next to my little brother. They always inspired me to be the best that I could. They would always be able to do what we were doing at practice better than we could, so it was kind of an inspiration to watch them, even though they were older and retired, be able to kick our butts. do they come to watch you play at brown? Yeah, theyll text me before the games, and they like to come to the games. does your brother play football? Yeah, at Stanford. do you and your brother have a competitive relationship? My brother is my hero. hes the guy that Ive always looked up to even though hes younger. we feed off of each other. we would work out together, we run sprints together. Part of the big reason I came to Brown was to be around him and watch him grow up and go through his senior and junior football seasons. I wouldnt say competition I would
say motivation. Whats your favorite part about playing defensive line? I like to think its kind of the foundation of the defense. Its a lot of responsibility, and I honestly like the feeling of walking away from a game or practice and being beat-up and sore knowing that we worked as a unit and were a closeknit group of guys. we go through a lot together. if you could play any other position, what would it be? Its probably kind of cliched, but everyone always wants to be quarterback.
tom SullivaN / herald
do you have any rituals before games? I am a very superstitious man. Before games, I usually do the same exact thing. The group of guys that play D-line has our own ritual before games.
defensive end michael yules 14 was named ivy League defensive Player of the Week for his performance at Georgetown last Saturday. Whats your way of celebrating after a win? I like to unwind and relax. Theres always college football on at night, and its hard not to think about the game, but I try to get my mind off it as much as I can.
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BLOG DAILY HERALD matt klimerman meredith bilski Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor
taking sides 7
yes no
sive surveillance. talking to the lucky Arab recipients of American freedom katie Sola dimmed my optimism in our ability to at exopinions Columnist export it. But we are very goodtorture porting prisoners overseas for in secret camps. I hate to bring it up, but we do also fund the Israeli states when considering this concept, two annexation of Palestinian land. not to quotations spring to mind: I believe mention our historic support of represin American exceptionalism, just as I sive regimes in Bahrain, egypt and Saususpect that the Brits believe in British di Arabia. exceptionalism, and the Greeks believe I also see troubling trends of intolerin Greek exceptionalism, President ance, hatred and religious lunacy in our obama said on his 2009 overseas presi- society. Far-right and Christian condential trip. And the second: every day demnations of gay people and rape vicwere told that we live in the greatest tims form part of American discourse, country on earth. and homegrown And its always statterrorists attack ed as an undeniable Sikh temples and fact. Its startling abortion clinics. to realize that other Do you rememcountries have na- every country believes its ber that warm, tionalistic slogans happy feeling we of their own, none own myths, thinks it is gods got hearing Miof which are, were chelle obama talk own country. number two! writabout the greatten by the ever-elness of America? I oquent David Sefelt that at the 2012 daris. olympic opening enough of the Ceremony. French comparative naspines tingle at the tionalisms. where does the United Marseillaise, and my Quebecois friends States lead the world? not in economics confidently assert that Montreal is the the world economic Forum down- capital of the world. Further east, Lebgraded us from first to fifth place in its anese boast that you can ski and swim Global Competitiveness Index. how in the same day, and many Israeli Jews about education? U.S. public schools believe themselves to live in a uniqueare in crisis, and its children rank sev- ly blessed state. My point is that every enth in literacy and 27th in math. Its country believes its own myths, thinks university education remains global- it is Gods own country thats how naly competitive, but American students tion-building works. Do not trust your who take out loans graduate owing an upsurge of warm patriotism as an indiaverage of $23,000. cator of Americas superiority. what of freedom, that glowing heart of American-ness? It seems to me that American civil liberties are shrinking katie Sola 14 is a dual citizen of the fast. the Patriot Act puts our enviably u.S. and the u.k. and loves both of her free nation under surprisingly extencountries.
Solas rebuttal
Zach Ingber 15 writes that the U.S. Constitution proves American exceptionalism. It ensures American-ness is not defined by religious or ethnic identity, unlike ethnically charged european nationalisms. of course, at the time of its creation, the Constitution only guaranteed the freedom and equality of white, Protestant men, so American nationalism was defined by race and faith from the beginning. Ingber points out that it later expanded to include members of different faiths, women and people of color. he argues that the Constitution includes a framework for change, and that this adaptability is another reason for American superiority. But America did not invent the democratic process, nor the creation and repeal of laws as a means of improving the nation, and it cannot claim uniqueness on those grounds. whats more, european nationalism followed a similar developmental trajectory. For example, Britishness was once defined in terms of ethnicity and religion, though Catholics were tolerated during the reign of elizabeth I when America was still the new world. Later, Britain successfully adapted to include other faiths and races into a multicultural society. Unlike America, the United Kingdom does not have a written document smugly guaranteeing all British citizens equal rights regardless of ethnicity and religion. But it also never had separate drinking fountains or the Ku Klux Klan, and it never needed Freedom Buses. no mosques were burned down during ramadan though one was in Joplin, Miss. Ingber dismisses consideration of specific policy criticism of obesity, education, the environment, immigration and taxation as a way of determining whether or not the United States is great. But I think it is illogical to say America is the greatest country in the world just because it has a lovely Constitution that says all sorts of inspiring things about freedom and equality and checks and balances. Phrasing is nothing without practice.
Ingbers rebuttal
My opponents argument of nationalistic relativism disregards fundamental differences between countries and strikes me as naive. Despite the quote from obamas speech, it would be hard to argue that because Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism, America and Greece sit in equal standing. My colleague makes a fair point about the Patriot Act impinging on civil liberties, but she fails to acknowledge the global context that prompted the laws enactment. The United States is currently doing more than any other country in the world to fight Islamic fundamentalism, the worlds biggest threat to democracy. This movement is run by terrorists who purposely blur the line between combatant and civilian and use our own legal system against us. The argument is also filled with shameless plugs for Solas own political leanings. Criticisms of American support for Israel and American policies in the Arab world do not speak to whether or not America is the greatest nation they simply reflect the political persuasions of the author. Furthermore, Sola points out high levels of intolerance in American society as if other democracies do not experience extremism. In the aforementioned exceptional Greece, the neo-nazi Golden Dawn party now holds 18 seats in the hellenic Parliament, while the english Defence League in Great Britain intimidates Muslims with violent street riots. And as I anticipated, she relies heavily on statistics to evaluate America. I could easily find an index where America ranked first, but instead I will respond to those included by my opponent. our public education system is admittedly not the best, but statistics cannot capture the ingenuity fostered by our classrooms. And while we rank fifth in global competitiveness, my opponent fails to recognize that the four countries ahead of us Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden and Finland have neither the societal nor the geographical diversity that exists in the U.S. So let me end with a quote of my own. The scholar robert Kagan once said, The present world order characterized by an unprecedented number of democratic nations, a greater global prosperity than the world has ever known and a long peace among great powers reflects American principles and preferences.
Unless youve been living under a rock, or in a college bubble, or in any other sort of living space that can be likened metaphorically to any other secluded living space, you know that on wednesday, the final day of the regular season, the Chicago Cubs walked-off against the houston Ast nah, Im just kidding. As entertaining as it would be to talk about that baseball trivia goldmine of a game (last time a couple of 100 game losers faced off? 1962. The Cubbies were, naturally, involved in that one, too), Ill spare you the torture. Instead, well move on to the other side of the baseball spectrum. As we