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vol. cxliv, no. 70 | Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
new Muslim chaplain shape-note group grows fight intellectually with them.”
But the work was worth it, he
said, and it brings to Brown a “true
by Luisa Robledo BY ALICIA CHEN Brown’s chapter, which she cre- hybrid world-class program in the
Staff Writer Staf f Writer ated when she arrived at Brown new era.” The interdisciplinar y
three years ago. approach — which students will
During his sophomore year, David About 30 students, faculty mem- Miller first learned about Sa- experience from the start — will
Coolidge ’01 converted to Islam. A bers and Providence residents cred Harp while at a “hippie” high “create scientists and professors in
decade later, he has come back to gathered in the Steinert Choral school in Vermont, she said. She the future that are world experts
his alma mater prepared to offer Room last Thursday. later went on to make it the topic in this area,” he said.
guidance to students as the new The singers sat in a square — of her graduate thesis and of her The program will star t out
Muslim chaplain. one voice part on each side — fac- book “Traveling Home,” which small, with just three or four stu-
“I see myself as someone who ing each other, with the song lead- was published last year. dents each year, Istrail said. These
wants to be a resource for all mem- er standing in the middle. They Shape-note singing started in students are expected to “be strong
bers of the community,” Coolidge had no audience the United States in both biological and computer
said. “Faculty, staff and students but themselves as FEATURE in 1798 as a way to sciences,” he said, but program par-
— I’m here to respond to their they filled the room help people read ticipants will still have the chance
needs.” with hearty a cappella renditions of music, Miller said. Instead of fol- to improve in the areas in which
Rumee Ahmed, the University’s traditional Christian spirituals. lowing the shape of traditional mu- they might not be as strong.
first Muslim chaplain, left in the Max Monn / Herald “Sweet is the day of sacred sical notes, the head of each note “We will look at their under-
David Coolidge ’01 is the Univer-
spring of 2008 to pursue a tenure- sity’s new Muslim chaplain.
rest/ No mortal cares shall seize is a different shape depending on graduate background as a model
track position at Colgate University. my breast/ O may my heart in its pitch — making it easier for of how they need to be prepared,”
The search committee immediately cluding practicing religion “in the tune be found/ Like David’s harp singers to sight-read the music. he said.
thought of Coolidge, said the Rev. context of an actual job.” of solemn sound,” the group sang, Sacred Harp refers to both the Besides conducting research
Janet Cooper Nelson, University But the Dartmouth position as Assistant Professor of Music human voice and the main tune- projects on genomics, the program
chaplain. But Coolidge had just ac- was only short-term. After a year’s Kiri Miller led the warm-up. book used by groups today. “The will also strengthen undergradu-
cepted a position as Muslim adviser wait, the search committee ap- During the school year, a group texts are really beautiful, archaic ate education, with Ph.D. students
at Dartmouth and originally turned proached him again, and this time congregates every Thursday eve- Christian poetry,” Miller said, re- working as TAs in undergraduate
down the job. he accepted. ning for Sacred Harp singings, ferring to the songs’ lyrics. classes, Istrail said.
“Dartmouth was one of the best “For me, a big part of coming which are also known as shape- Unlike traditional music Undergraduates will have the
jobs I ever had,” Coolidge said. “I back to Brown was the remem- note singings. The music uses groups, Sacred Harp does not have chance to participate in the pro-
was able to do all the things I was a special notation with notes of
passionate about,” he added, in- continued on page 3 dif ferent shapes. Miller leads continued on page 2 continued on page 2
inside
C ampus N EWS “Becoming a Muslim made sense with what I wanted in life.”
— David Coolidge ’01, Muslim chaplain
Daily Herald
the Brown
C ampus N EWS
Converted religious studies Down to earth: Alum’s green Web site honored
concentrator pursues passion By Amy Chen
Contributing Writer
ognizing that these issues are part
of our lives, that we have to build
Giller had a “gentle and curious
way of talking to people many years
continued from page 1 cred place” because he remembers sustainable buildings, Giller said. older and much different than him-
discovering his faith there. Chip Giller ’93, founder and president Giller graduated Brown with an self that is perfect for a journalist,”
brance of what it was like to be a One of Coolidge’s first projects of the online magazine Grist.org, was honors degree in environmental she added.
student,” he said. will be an eight-week seminar spon- honored with a $100,000 grant this studies and attributed his passion Karp also wrote that she has
Though he was raised as a Prot- sored by the Office of the Chaplains month by the non-profit Heinz Fam- for environmentalism to his under- used Grist as a source for her re-
estant, Coolidge said he had been and Religious Life called “Thinking ily Foundation for his work promot- graduate experience. search and has also suggested it
interested in studying different re- Theologically,” about contemporary ing awareness of environmental “The environmental program at to her students as a research aide
ligions since high school. As an un- Islamic thought. issues. Brown is an incredible program,” and news source.
dergraduate, Coolidge was grappling “It’s an intellectually rigorous en- Giller, who founded Grist in he said. “My Brown experience was Grist’s content employs humor
with existential questions of life and vironment for people to articulate cer- 1999 to cover environmental topics a tremendous help. It really helped while retaining critical views and
meaning — trying to “make sense tain perspectives that aren’t covered in a positive, sometimes humorous me to align my passion with what I accurate facts. It attempts to strike
of what I wanted from life and who by their regular coursework,” he said. way, was praised by Teresa Heinz, wanted to do professionally.” a contrast with other environmental
I wanted to be,” he said — when he “It’s a real human interaction.” chairwoman of the foundation, for While at Brown, he served as a magazines, which are sometimes
started talking to two acquaintances Coolidge said his new responsibili- having taken “traditional environ- teaching assistant for introductory dreary or depressing.
who had recently converted to Islam. ties will expand beyond religious and mental journalism and turned it environmental classes and helped Giller “has injected environmen-
After he had dinner with them, they ethical issues. “I’m here to respond on its head,” according to a press sponsor weekly discussions and tal reporting with irreverence and
gave him several books to read on the to people’s needs and concerns,” he release from the organization. talks on different environmental wit, yet without compromising
religion. Coolidge describes it as his said. “Whether they’re religious or Giller, who now lives in Seattle, topics. depth and accuracy,” Heinz said
“first real introduction to Islam.” non-religious issues, anything that’s said he was “pretty surprised” by “Chip has always been pas- in the statement.
“I started reading more and think- central to the process of making the honor, calling it “incredibly sionate about the environment While there are some readers
ing more,” he added. “Becoming a meaning for oneself.” humbling.” Some people he admires and journalism,” said Lisa Hymas, who complain that humor does not
Muslim made sense with what I University chaplains advise on have previously been honored by a senior editor at Grist who has belong in discussion of what they feel
wanted from life.” “marriage, death, religious ques- the foundation, he said, adding that worked with Giller for more than are very serious issues, most readers
Coolidge concentrated in religious tions, anything,” Cooper-Nelson said. the award was “motivating.” a decade. “He is interested in cov- find the light-hearted approach more
studies at Brown and went on to get “Our purpose is much broader than The site, with a self-described ering the environment in a new, engaging, Hymas said.
a master’s degree in religion from providing instruction of a particular mission of “making lemonade out of compelling way.” Giller said he knows the serious-
Princeton. “My career has been a religion,” she added. looming climate apocalypse,” bills Caroline Karp, Giller’s senior ness of the issues at stake, joking
long independent study on the mean- Cooper-Nelson said the University itself as “a beacon in the smog.” It thesis advisor and a current senior aside. He said he hopes Grist will
ing of life, and I want to help people had to hire “someone who is very reports having about 800,000 read- lecturer at the Center for Environ- help “set a green agenda for the
who are going through a similar pro- able to make connections with every- ers a month. mental Studies, remembered Giller country.”
cess,” he said. body and who is accessible to people “Of the many things this planet for his remarkable writing skills. Giller said he plans to direct
Cooper-Nelson witnessed regardless of their age.” is running out of, sanctimonious “Chip continues to be among the some of the award to Grist and
Coolidge’s process of conversion. “Dave Coolidge is a marvelous tree-huggers ain’t one of them,” 10 best writers I have ever worked will also put a portion of the money
“Dave found his religious identity resource for all of us, and the Office the Web site reads. with at Brown,” she wrote in an toward a college fund for his two
here,” she said. of the Chaplains and Religious Life is Society is moving toward rec- e-mail to The Herald. children.
Brown’s campus is “like sacred honored to have him as a colleague,”
geography,” she added. To Coolidge, she said. “It’s lovely for Brown to have
the Graduate Center “is a very sa- such talented leadership back.”
S ports W ednesday
s p o rt s i n b r i e f
l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r
Failing grades
an abundance of excellent universities. our borders. Lowering taxes may encourage are for “Truth in Advertising about Student
But why does Rhode Island have the third- more businesses to move to Rhode Island, Proficiency” and “Data Quality.” At least we
JAKE HEIMARK highest unemployment rate in the nation? which would provide jobs, widen the tax base know that we are failing our students.
Why do most Brown students flee the area and increase the state’s revenues. Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 has proposed
Opinions Columnist immediately upon graduation? But lowering taxes alone would not solve eliminating the 3 percent mandatory minimum
A significant part of the problem is the the problem. Businesses avoid Rhode Island increases to Rhode Island teachers’ pensions
shortage of real job opportunities and the lack because of the poor quality of public education. and instead making cost of living adjustments
September 29th, 2009, will mark the first an- of critical services to retain intellectual capital Large businesses cannot afford to send every based on the Consumer Price Index. Rhode
niversary of the largest single-day drop in the workers. It seems clear that Rhode Island and middle manager’s kids to The $25,000-a-year Island teachers are furious. But, we must ask,
Dow Jones Industrial Average. The ensuing Providence need to work overtime to attract Wheeler School. Providence public schools why are we paying so much for such poor
year has been tempestuous: the shuttering new businesses and retain the “intelligentsia” are not a viable alternative. Of the 1500 best performance?
and fire-sale of companies that composed the that are too often only transient interlopers. public high schools in the country, as ranked Currently, Rhode Island has very strict re-
backbone of the U.S. financial system, partial Business startups cluster around universi- by Newsweek, only Classical, in Providence, quirements on teaching certification and train-
nationalizations of former icons of American ing that shrinks the potential pool of teachers.
business and the largest economic stimulus We should consider loosening some of these
package ever. requirements, creating a Teach for Rhode
The economic crisis may be devastating, Lower taxes and higher quality education will Island program that encourages Brown and
but it also provides us an opportunity to re- Johnson and Wales grads to stay and teach
evaluate some of our decisions and change the bring more companies to Providence, help solve for a few years and pay teachers based on a
way we operate at Brown, in Providence, as a combination of performance and tenure.
state and as a nation. In the next year, Rhode our unemployment problem and put us on the Lower taxes and higher quality education
Island will have to execute some tricky contor- will bring more companies to Providence,
tions to avoid a ballooning budget deficit. The right track toward long-term growth. help solve our unemployment problem and
actions we take now are critical to restoring put us on the right track toward long-term
confidence, jobs and a balanced budget. Brown growth. We have the natural resources, geo-
students and professors, like all Rhode Island graphical positioning and intellectual capital
residents, have a unique opportunity to affect to become a hub for biotech and diversified
public policy, if we choose to get involved. ties like Stanford and MIT; our universities, makes the cut at No. 1436. Montana, which intellectual capital industries. Or we could
It is time we asked ourselves some deeper and the city, should work to make Providence has about the same population as and a much continue with tax and educational policies
questions: why do Providence and the state of competitive with Palo Alto and Cambridge. lower GDP per capita than Rhode Island, has that drive businesses away, let our schools
Rhode Island turn to Brown for funds when Only by attracting — and retaining — busi- two schools in the 600s. The rest of our schools decline and expect student taxes to make up
their budgets fall short? Why are corporate, nesses and knowledgable workers can we fall much further behind, especially in Provi- our debt. The choice is ours.
income and property taxes not enough to fix the budget deficit and secure a stable and dence. The Rhode Island education system
cover expenditures? robust economy in the future. has failed. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Rhode Island is a beautiful state and has How? First, taxes are too high. In a rank- State-by-State Educational Effectiveness score
many natural assets. We have one of the only ing of business-friendly tax codes by the Tax card gives Rhode Island failing grades, D or F, Jake Heimark ’10 is a human biology and
two deep-water ports in New England, lots of Foundation, Rhode Island came in 44th. Be- in seven of nine categories. We receive the only economics concentrator from Palo Alto,
beautiful coast and are conveniently situated cause our state is small enough to spit across, grade of F in “Flexibility in Management and California. He can be reached at
between Boston and New York. The state has businesses can easily relocate to just outside Policy.” The only passing grades we receive jacob_heimark@brown.edu.
a lu m r e t u r n s a s c h a p l a i n comics
DOWN
1 Dog’s dogs?
2 Utah city
3 Sandwich seller
By Bruce Venzke & Stella Daily
4 Seasons, as fries (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
09/23/09