Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxlv, no. 60 | Monday, August 30, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891
In welcome, Simmons calls
for ‘honorable discourse’
By Brigitta Greene
Metro Editor
It was with compassion, spirit and a
challenge that President Ruth Sim-
mons welcomed the class of 2014
Sunday afternoon.
With the temperature hovering
around 90 degrees, students and par-
ents opted for chairs in the shade. “I
notice that from time to time some of
you get up and find your way to the
lemonade stand,” Simmons said to
the crowd. “The next one who goes,
bring one back for me, please.”
She encouraged members of the
University’s “best class ever” to avoid
over-committing their time — to find
time to reflect. “Happily, the era of
daydreaming is not over as of yet,”
she said. “Find a comfortable chair.
… Grow comfortable with uncom-
mitted time.”
But she also directed the 1,503
members of the class of 2014 to
contribute meaningfully to the com-
As campaign winds down, alum takes over advancement
By Sydney Ember
News Editor
Steven King ’91, former executive
director of the Brown University
Sports Foundation, stepped into
his new role as senior vice presi-
dent for University advancement
July 1.
King took over for Ronald Van-
den Dorpel MA’71, culminating a
months-long search that began last
Nine female Brown students, including every female senior computer
science concentrator, enjoyed female-only events while interning at
Microsoft including wine, cheese, manicures and pedicures.
inside
News.....1–7
Sports.....8–9
Editorial....10
Opinion.....11
Today........12
www.browndailyherald.com
munity. “I ask that you expect and
respect the fragility of the bonds of
community life, and that you work
with us to strengthen and restore
these bonds when they are frayed,”
she said.
Freedom of expression must be a
part of this community, she said, and
students must be prepared for and
open to dissenting opinion.
She exhorted the incoming stu-
dents to challenge what she deemed
a modern “erosion of honorable dis-
course.”
“I suppose you watch, as I do, the
discourse in our own country. And
you must be frustrated, as I am from
time to time, that we don’t seem able
to reach across the aisle,” she said.
“This may be the best opportunity
to enlarge what you know about the
human spirit.”
Dean of the College Katherine
Bergeron and Undergraduate Coun-
continued on page 2
September when Vanden Dorpel,
who held the position since 2002,
announced he would retire once
a committee selected his replace-
ment.
As senior vice president for
University advancement, King
will oversee Brown’s fundraising,
development, alumni affairs and
international advancement.
“For me, it’s a great opportunity
to be back at Brown,” King said.
Photo courtesty of Microsoft
Arts, 5
TheatrE Guide
Everything the cultured
Brunonian needs to know
about the theatre scene.
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
Many of the 1,503 first-year students visited Sayles Hall for the University
Resource Fair as part of orientation activities this weekend.
“It’s an opportunity to lead a team
that can make a difference.”
The leadership change comes
as the University’s ambitious Cam-
paign for Academic Enrichment,
which launched in 2002 and raised
more than $1.5 billion under Van-
den Dorpel’s direction, heads into
its final phase before it is slated to
end on December 31.
“When you come off a major
campaign, there’s always concern
Brown women see ‘Windows’ of opportunity
By Ashley Aydin
Senior Staff Writer
While some students were poring
over Excel spreadsheets at their
unpaid internships this summer,
nine Brown undergraduates spent
their summers developing code that
makes programs like Excel work.
And defying the stereotype that
computer science is a man’s world,
all nine of the students are women.
The group, which included all seven
female computer science concentra-
tors in the class of 2011, spent the
summer interning at Microsoft’s
Redmond, Wash., headquarters.
Along with the rising seniors was
one student from the class of 2012
and an engineering concentrator
within the computer science depart-
ment from the class of 2011.
Why Microsoft?
Sports, 8
in The news
Find out what Brown
athletes are making it
big.
Stephanie London / Herald
that you will lose momentum,” said
Provost David Ker tzer ’69 P’95
P’98, who ser ved on the search
committee. But Kertzer said King’s
previous success with the Sports
Foundation — and his own sta-
tus as an alum — places him in a
strong position to attract potential
donors to Brown’s various fundrais-
ing opportunities.
continued on page 4
Alexandra Schultz ’11, a comput-
er science and classics concentrator,
chose her Microsoft internship over
offers from Apple and Google.
“Microsoft definitely has the best
(human resources) people. The pro-
cess is really seamless. People were
calling me to make sure everything
was OK. Microsoft was super friend-
ly,” she said.
FEATURE
Schultz heard about the summer
internship at the fall career fair and
from the company’s recruitment ef-
forts within the computer science
department.
Fellow computer science con-
centrator Laura Parkinson ’11 said
she also attended events on cam-
pus about Microsoft internships
and knew people who were former
interns there.
This is The Herald’s orientation
issue. We will resume daily
publication on September 1.
Check browndailyherald.com and
blogdailyherald.com for updates.
Bookstore
and Nike
part ways
By Alex Bell
Senior Staf f Writer
The University and Nike parted
ways this summer — at least
temporarily — after Nike was
unwilling to agree to Brown’s
standard agreement for its busi-
ness partners.
The separation makes Brown
the third university since April
known to have pressured Nike
to end what labor-rights activists
have called worker abuse in Hon-
duran manufacturing plants.
When it was time to renew the
Brown Bookstore’s contract, the
University “reiterated the Brown
Licensee Code of Conduct with
Nike,” Brown’s Assistant Vice
President for Financial and Ad-
ministrative Services Elizabeth
Gentry wrote in a July 14 e-mail
to the Student Labor Alliance.
“Nike decided they were not able
to sign/renew their license to
produce items bearing Brown’s
name and logo under those con-
ditions.” The code of conduct
includes standards for environ-
mental conduct and labor rela-
tions, among other things.
The licensing contract with
Nike to supply the Brown Book-
store was cancelled effective July
1, Gentr y wrote, though the
Bookstore planned to continue
to sell off its remaining Nike in-
ventory until depletion.
continued on page 6
This was Parkinson’s second
summer at Microsoft. She chose
the program based on her positive
experience from last year and for its
proximity to her home.
“I knew that since I was there last
summer, I had some say about what
I would be working on this summer,
and I knew the stuff I was working
on was going to be cool,” she said.
Although Microsoft actively re-
cruited from other schools as well,
the company “has a really good
relationship with some women in
the (Brown) CS department,” said
Amy Tarbox, who runs the Industrial
Partners Program, which helps put
students in touch with businesses
for internship opportunities and full-
time employment.
Microsoft gravitates toward
Brown students because of the Uni-
continued on page 3
editor’s note
herald@browndailyherald.com
Page 2 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Monday, August 30, 2010

C ampus N EWS “We chose you. Thank you for choosing us.”
— UCS President Diane Mokoro ’11

Frosh break ice, bond with
ice cream and Ratty meal
continued from page 1
cil of Students President Diane
Mokoro ’11 also spoke, encourag-
ing students to take advantage of
every moment as an opportunity
to learn and to approach the next
four years with openness and a free
spirit. “We chose you. Thank you
for choosing us. And welcome to
Brown University,” Mokoro said.
Bergeron drew connections to
“The Dew Breaker,” a novel by Ed-
widge Danticat MFA’93. Freshmen
read the novel — which chronicles
Haitian expatriates living in New
York in the late 20th century —
over the summer, and will partici-
pate in small group discussions
Monday.
The President’s welcome falls
on the second of ten days of the
official orientation period, which
stretches through Labor Day on
Sept. 6.
This year’s orientation schedule
is similar to that of years past, with
some changes to smaller events,
said Associate Dean of Student Life
Kisa Takesue ’88, who is orientation
coordinator.
Events and activities are aimed
at introducing new students to the
University and its community, she
said, including elements of extra-
curricular activities, the educational
philosophy of the Open Curriculum
and student life on campus.
But orientation is important so-
cially, as well, said Eleanor Smith
’11, an Orientation Welcoming
Committee chair.
Parents were encouraged to
leave their children following
Simmons’ address yesterday af-
ternoon.
There have been no major
hitches so far, and the first night’s
ice cream social went smoothly,
Smith said.
Heidi Caldwell ’14 arrived last
Tuesday to begin training for the
cross countr y team. “It’s been
nice to finally get into the dining
hall,” she said. First-years ate in
the Sharpe Refectory for the first
time with their freshman units Sun-
day evening.
The first day’s orientation ex-
ceeded the expectations of at least
one freshman. “Forced bonding
never sounds that attractive,” said
Maria Mastanduno ’14. “But so far,
it’s been very good.”
Her father, Mark Mastanduno
P’14, agreed.
Brown’s libraries: There’s an app for that
By Qian Yin
Staff Writer
Students no longer need to worry
about going to the Sciences Library
to find all the computers already
taken — they can now use their
smartphones to check the computer
availability in any campus library
before they go.
The University Library recently
launched a mobile application that
provides easy access to library ser-
vices. Soon after, the Brown Alumni
Association joined the iPhone world
with a new application that keeps al-
ums aware of news and events.
Books on the go
The library’s application, MoBUL
— short for Mobile Brown University
Library — was released on May 21.
In addition to computer availability,
the application’s features include cata-
log search, hours and contact infor-
mation, according to Jean Rainwater,
co-leader of integrated technology
services at the University Library.
Users will probably find different
features valuable, said Sarah Bordac,
head of outreach and instructional
design for the University Library’s
integrated technology ser vices.
The location feature that connects
to GPS on certain smartphones will
be especially helpful for incoming
students, who might find the campus
disorienting, she said. For those who
are working on big research projects
and have a lot of books checked out,
the application gives users access to
their Josiah accounts, enabling them
to keep track of their records more
easily, she said.
The mobile search feature con-
nects users to mobile databases such
as EBSCO or Google Books and al-
lows authorized users to download
journal articles, Rainwater said. “We
don’t expect people to do serious re-
search with this,” she said, “but when
you are in a waiting room, it would
be nice to just get started” with re-
searching.
A new way to search books stands
out among the features offered by
MoBUL. Users can type in the first
words of the book title and see the
search in action as they type.
The application does not offer an
“advanced search” feature, which
is available on the library website,
but it is not necessary for general
searching purposes, Bordac said.
“The search is that good that you
don’t miss it,” she said.
Bordac added that the search
device offered by the application is
meant to be a supplement to, not a
replacement for, the website.
The discussion of developing a
mobile application for the library
started late in the fall 2009 semester,
Rainwater said. As students spend
more time on mobile devices such as
iPhones, Androids and BlackBerrys,
the University Library wants “to be
where students are,” she said.
In recent years, people have been
using the library in new ways, Bordac
said. For example, with the “Ask A
Librarian” service available online,
researchers no longer have to come
to a library to ask questions. Increas-
ingly, research can be done online,
physically away from the library,
she said. By offering more options
through MoBUL, the library wants
to “extend the service that we already
have,” Bordac said.
The University Library chose
to team up with a company named
Boopsie, co-founded by Tim Kay ’83,
which offered an attractive model
with the “smart search” feature and
a good price, Rainwater said. The
company has plenty of experience
developing mobile applications for
conferences and public libraries, but
this is its first project with a university
library, she said.
The mobile application is one of
the many projects aimed at improving
research experience at the library,
Rainwater said. Searching in Josiah
requires adherence to rigid formats,
and it does not provide information
about digitized articles. The library is
working on finding a way to simplify
the search process, while keeping the
existing infrastructure, she said.
Other recent efforts to make the
continued on page 6

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Monday, August 30, 2010
C ampus N EWS
Female CS concentrators take Microsoft internship by storm
continued from page 1
versity’s alumni network within the
company, she said.
Schultz said Microsoft picked
so many Brown students to intern
this summer due to the strength of
the University’s computer science
department.
What Microsoft looks for “are
people who are innovative thinkers
… people who can think out of the
box, and that’s something Brown
students do really well,” Schultz
said.
Applying for a Microsoft intern-
ship is a multi-step process. After an
on-campus interview and submission
of a resume, Microsoft selected a few
applicants to be flown to Redmond
for a second round of interviews,
Parkinson said.
“No resume will go unread; we
are pretty thorough with our inter-
view process. So if you’re passionate
about technology, we’ll be able to see
it,” wrote Microsoft recruiter Yin Lu
in an e-mail to The Herald.
Making their mark
Both Parkinson and Schultz
worked on with many things this
summer at Microsoft, including writ-
ing code.
“The first summer, I wrote the
code for a feature that will be in the
next release of Photo Gallery. This
summer I was prototyping,” Parkin-
son said.
Schultz spent her summer as a
software development engineer.
What interests students in the
Microsoft internship program is
“real work,” Lu wrote.
“You’re putting your signature on
products that millions of people use,
like Windows, Xbox, Word, Excel,”
she wrote.
With the economic downturn
still a reality, finding internships
this summer was difficult for many
students.
Despite the recession, Tarbox,
said the computer science industry
has not been hit as hard as other
industries.
“Honestly, CS hasn’t been that af-
fected by the economic challenges,”
she said.
With the industr y growing,
“competition for students across
the board is high,” said Caroline
Bulmer, intern program manager
at Microsoft. She said competition
was particularly high among female
students.
Girl power
The company hosted many
events specifically for female interns
this summer.
“We had a few events with wine
and cheese and appetizers and mani-
cures and pedicures so that women
could build a community together,”
Bulmer said.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
“We had a few events with wine and cheese and manicures and
pedicures.” — Caroline Bulmer, Microsoft’s intern program manager
With a shortage of female in-
terest in the sciences, Tarbox said
she hopes there will be more female
interest in the computer science de-
partment at Brown. She said one of
the methods of getting more women
interested in computer science is the
Artemis Program.
The Artemis Program, accord-
ing to its website, is a free, five-
week summer day camp at Brown
geared toward Providence-area girls
heading into the ninth grade. The
program is usually run by four un-
dergraduate women in the computer
science department.
“We also have faculty to inspire
girls. It’s a nationwide problem that
more women need to get involved
in the computer science field,” Tar-
box said.
The library versus the field
As a female concentrator in the
department, Schultz said that what
makes computer science so special
to her is the language associated
with the field.
Schultz, who is also a classics
concentrator, said that learning
the language of computer science
“opens up a world of communicating
with other people.”
“It’s really cool that language has
infinite possibilities in computer sci-
ence,” she said.
Both Schultz and Parkinson
said they learned valuable lessons
while at Microsoft this summer. For
Parkinson, it was learning to have
confidence in her own ideas.
“I think I learned that you have
to take a big part in shaping your
work, and if there’s something you
want to do then you should try for
it and try to sell that idea to other
people,” she said.
For Schultz, the most important
lesson she learned was the distinc-
tion between computer science in
the classroom and the industry.
“You get a project in school that
says you need to implement certain
tools. In software, in the engineering
world, you need to choose what tools
to implement and how to implement
them, without deadlines and with
vague outlines,” she said.
“It’s necessary to have the knowl-
edge from school,” Schultz said,
adding that “when you get into the
industry, it’s your job to figure out
how to apply that knowledge.”
According to Bulmer, usually
Page 3
80–85 percent of the summer interns
at Microsoft will receive offers to
return to the company.
This is the case for Schultz, who
is currently deciding whether to go
to graduate school for classics or to
accept a job offer after graduation
at Microsoft.
“I know that Microsoft has the
best benefits. For most people in
CS, the decision is basically going
to grad school or going into the in-
dustry,” she said.
Parkinson is unsure about what
she wants to do after she graduates,
though she said she would be open
to taking a job at Microsoft.
“I’m probably going to work a
while at least,” she said.
Bulmer said she hopes the part-
nership between Brown and Micro-
soft continues.
“We have a great program,”
Bulmer said. “We hope that more
Brown students will come to the
program.”
Page 4
C ampus N EWS
Facing tough times for fundraising, King fills big shoes with confidence
continued from page 1
“He’s someone who already has
a lot of contacts and background in
that area,” Kertzer said. “He’ll be
ver y effective as we move to our
post-campaign period.”
While at Brown, King played
varsity hockey and went on to play
in the National Hockey League
and for other professional hockey
teams before becoming an assistant
coach for the Brown men’s hockey
team. In 2005, King was chosen as
executive director of the Brown
University Sports Fund, where he
worked closely with other advance-
ment positions and developed a
reputation as an “accomplished and
talented” leader, Kertzer said.
“(King) exemplifies the values
at Brown that you would hope to
see of anyone,” said Richard Spies,
executive vice president for plan-
ning and senior adviser to the presi-
dent, who led the search committee
for Vanden Dorpel’s replacement.
“This is a really important job for
the University at any time and par-
ticularly at this moment.”
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
The committee — which formed
in September and consisted of
Spies, Chancellor Thomas Tisch
’76, Vice Chancellor Jerome Vas-
cellaro ’74 P’07, Chair of the Cor-
poration Advancement Committee
Anita Spivey ’74, Executive Vice
President for Finance and Adminis-
tration Beppie Huidekoper, Kertzer
and Professor of Classics David
Konstan — considered candidates
from other universities who held
similar positions before limiting
the search to people already work-
ing at the University. Though it be-
gan its search on a national scale,
Spies said the committee ultimately
deemed King the best candidate to
take over for Vanden Dorpel.
“We said it would be a full na-
tional search, and it was,” Spies
said. “Part of what you learn in that
(search) is how well people inter-
nally compare,” Spies said.
King is only the second person
after Vanden Dorpel to hold the
advancement position, which was
created in 2002 and combined the
previously separate alumni affairs
and development divisions. After
Vanden Dorpel took the helm of
Brown’s fundraising efforts, new
gifts and pledges grew from a
yearly average of $86 million to
$227 million between 2002 and
June 2009, though the average is
now somewhat deflated after last
year’s total topped out at $135.3
million, Vanden Dorpel told The
Herald last week.
Despite sliding fundraising fig-
ures — new gifts and pledges fell
almost 25 percent last fiscal year
after dropping about 23 percent
in the previous fiscal year — the
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Monday, August 30, 2010
campaign itself has continued to
pass significant benchmarks. It
surpassed its initial goal of $1.4
billion in May 2009, 19 months be-
fore it was set to end and has now
raised about $1.52 billion, Vanden
Dorpel said. Brown’s Annual Fund
exceeded its goal of $36 million
during the last fiscal year, and the
Scholarship Fund — which, due to
continued success, raised its goal
from $300 million to $400 million —
has passed the $300 million mark,
he said.
Because of the campaign’s suc-
cess, the ultimate goal is now to
raise more than $1.6 billion by
the time the campaign ends, King
said.
“We feel confident we can get
the job done,” King said. “We all
believe in what we’re doing.”
Though the economy does pres-
ent an obstacle for fundraising ef-
forts, King said he would not use
the economic climate as an excuse.
“Certainly, in this environment,
it’s challenging,” he said. “That
doesn’t mean we’re going to stop
asking.”
Page 5 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Monday, August 30, 2010

C ampus N EWS
Swearer Center reorganizes staff The Herald’s Official
By Hannah Moser
Features Editor
didn’t want Brown stepping back
from that.”
students and preserve the number of
fellowships through the elimination
Guide to Brown Theatre
Janet Isserlis, who specialized in of the three positions and reduction By Anne Speyer the members of BOP have put
Facing budget cuts, the Swearer Cen- programs addressing adult educa- of expenditures around the office, Ar ts & Culture Editor together one full-length opera
ter for Public Service plans to focus on tion, has been able to return as a pro- he said. each year since 2005, in addition
its most important services and redis- gram manager. Her job now includes Each community program run Brown’s on-campus theatre scene to numerous performances of
tribute responsibilities among student fulfilling that role as well as additional through the center went through a can seem like a slew of acronyms classical vocal music. Last spring,
workers and remaining staff. student advising and support, and review process, including meetings — MF, PW, BOP, BUGS, S&B BOP took on “L’elisir d’amore,” a
The center’s reorganization she has been part of the reshuffling with program leaders and community — but they are acronyms worth 19th-century Italian opera about
comes after four program advisors of responsibilities that needed staff partners. keeping track of. It shouldn’t be a powerful love elixir that’s actu-
were laid off last year. After the lay- coverage after the layoffs, according One such group, the Rhode Island ally nothing but wine. A concert
offs, their responsibilities — primar- to Nozaki. Urban Debate League, is receiving arts & culture of arias and a production of the
ily supervising community programs Following the budget cuts, a transitional funding as it becomes Puccini operetta, “Gianni Schic-
— were reassigned to other center “working group” of about 15 students, independent from the Swearer Cen- surprising that a school that can chi” are both in the works for the
staff and student coordinators in an staff, community partners and alumni ter, Nozaki said. count stars like Laura Linney ’86 coming semester.
effort to preserve the programs, The met four or five times in about a four- Nozaki said the center is not re- and John Krasinski ’01 among its BOP operas and concerts take
Herald reported in April. The center week time frame, Nozaki said, to look ceiving the same amount of atten- recent alums should be home to place in either Alumnae Hall or
decided that funding would allow more closely at “what’s important tion from concerned community such a vibrant, creative theatrical Grant Recital Hall and are free,
one of the four laid-off employees to make sure we preserve” at the members as it was when the layoffs community. Here to ensure that no tickets required.
to stay, Nozaki wrote in a May 5 e- center. were first announced, though people you never miss a show is The Her-
mail posted on the Swearer Center Rachel Levenson ’10, the lead co- continue to express their support and ald’s guide to theatre at Brown. Brown University Gilbert &
website. ordinator of Brown Refugee Youth ask how they can help. Sullivan (BUGS)
Part of the center’s funding comes Tutoring and Enrichment and a “I think people understand as well Brown Opera Productions The purpose of Brown Univer-
from grants and donations, most of member of the working group, said that these are tough times as far as (BOP) sity Gilbert and Sullivan is right
which are specifically designated the layoffs of these employees also the economy and the budget,” he A relatively recent addition
for the programs they will fund. The resulted in an unfortunate loss of said. to the Brown theatrical scene, continued on page 7
“biggest chunk” of Swearer Center “knowledge and connection to the
funding comes from a center-specific community” that the staff members
endowment, which is managed by had built up over their years at the
the University, said Roger Nozaki center. Though Levenson’s program
MAT’89, associate dean of the college is not run through the Swearer Cen-
and director of the Swearer Center. ter, it received advising help from
Though the center is not part of one of the employees who was laid
the general University budget, the off in April.
University sets a rate of payout for the Levenson said the working group
endowment each year, he said. reevaluated the center’s principles,
The University’s endowment, resources and training.
which was once worth $2.8 billion, The group agreed on three prior-
fell about $740 million between July ity areas: emphasizing greater collab-
2008 and June 2009 to just over $2 oration across campus with students
billion. University administrators told involved in community programs not
The Herald in May that they expected formally supported by the center, fur-
the endowment to rebound slightly ther developing student leadership
to about $2.1 billion by the end of and better evaluating and document-
this June. ing community partnerships.
Nozaki declined to say how much Nozaki said the center is trying
money has been eliminated from the to preserve “the student experience
Swearer Center’s budget. and support as much as possible.”
In April, Nozaki posted a letter on In the coming school year, the cen-
the Swearer website informing the ter will support the same number of
community of layoffs at the center
due to the decreased budget. Four
staff members were laid off, including
three employees who oversaw “com-
munity programs,” such as Algebra in
Motion. The other employee worked
in communications and tech support
for the center, according to Nozaki.
Though staff positions at the
center were cut, “we were able to
maintain the number of student co-
ordinators who run those programs
directly,” Nozaki said.
Many students and alumni voiced
their concern for the center, some
questioning what they could mean
for the University’s commitment to
community service and especially
the Providence community. About
250 students and alumni signed a
letter conveying these concerns to
President Ruth Simmons, The Herald
reported in April.
“I think it was great that there
were so many people who thought
positively about the Swearer Center
… that they took time to organize and
write letters,” Nozaki said.
Many e-mails and letters that the
center received from alumni talked
about how much they learned from
working in the community “and how
all of those things affected the tra-
jectory of their lives,” Nozaki said.
“They felt very strongly that they
Page 6
C ampus N EWS
Alums connect with smartphone apps U. is third to split with
continued from page 2 Nike after labor dispute
research process more convenient
include the book locator launched
last fall — which maps out thetarget
book’s position in the stacks — and a
service that enables users to text the
title and location of an item to their
mobile phones, Rainwater said.
Bordac said the department is
collecting feedback from students
who spent the summer on campus in
order to make minor improvements
to the application. The department
expects to get more feedback in the
fall, with the rest of the student body
back on campus, she said.
“This is a work in progress, as is
everything else in the mobile world,”
Bordac said.
Alums connect
Brown Alumni Association offi-
cially released its iPhone application,
called Brown Alumni Connect, on
May 28, said Todd Andrews ’83, vice
president for alumni relations.
The application — whose launch
date was timed with the beginning
of Commencement and Reunion
Weekend — keeps users updated on
alumni events and campus news from
various sources, including Brown
Alumni Magazine, The Herald and
University press releases.
Brown is the first Ivy League
school to have a mobile application
for alumni, Andrews said. Since its
release, more than 1,500 people
have downloaded the application, he
said, with many positive responses
so far.
The application is part of the asso-
ciation’s consistent effort to “engage
more young alumni” by delivering
useful information, Andrews said. It
was developed by start-up company
EverTrue, founded by Brent Grinna
’04 during his last year at Harvard
Business School.
The goal of the iPhone application
is to “enhance the connectivity of
alumni with each other” so that the
Brown diploma is valuable even after
graduation, Andrews said.
Grinna developed the application
because he felt the need for universi-
ties and high schools to find better
ways to engage their young alums,
Andrews said.
Because the application is the first
of its kind, and because Grinna is a
Brown alum, the application deal is
“an advantageous arrangement” for
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
the University, Andrews said.
Though the developers of the
application expected its users to be
exclusively young alums, it has been
embraced by older generations as
well, Andrews said. “There are people
from classes of the ’50s and ’70s” log-
ging on, he said.
Andrews said the developers
are currently working on two major
new features — an alumni directory
that they plan to launch in the next
six months and a feature that pro-
vides full accessibility to BRUnet,
the alumni career network. They
are also trying to make the applica-
tion available on other smartphones,
with an anticipated launch date for
Androids set for this fall, according
to Andrews. The application will be
“always evolving,” he said.
The iPhone application is not the
first new media object that connects
alums. According to Andrews, there
are 36,500 Facebook users who list
the University as an affiliation and
30,000 LinkedIn users who do the
same. The association also has helped
establish Facebook groups centering
on specific topics, such as environ-
mental sustainability, journalism and
multiculturalism, Andrews said.
continued from page 1
After the factories Hugger de
Honduras and Vision Tex closed
in January 2009, Nike was accused
of not paying its former laborers
more than $2 million in legally
mandated severances.
According to an April press
release from the Oregon-based
athletic company, the factories
were owned by two subcontrac-
tors. The release states Nike’s
position that factories directly
employing workers, and not Nike,
are responsible for ensuring that
their employees receive proper
compensation. The company also
maintained that apart from a one-
time order at one of the plants,
neither plant was used to make
collegiate-licensed products.
On July 26, Nike agreed to
pay the two factories’ displaced
workers the $2.5 million in sever-
ance benefits they demanded, but
Nike’s future relationship with
Brown is uncertain.
“If they are willing to re-sign
the standard Code of Conduct that
Brown issues, we would probably
go back to them,” Bookstore Di-
rector Steven Souza said.
Souza said he did not want
to speculate as to what part of
Brown’s Code of Conduct Nike
found unacceptable or if Nike
could abide by the code now.
Nike did not return requests
for comment last week.
Brown Student Labor Alliance
member Haley Kossek ’13 said
Monday, August 30, 2010
Brown’s letter to Nike came at
a pivotal time in negotiations
between Nike and labor unions,
and the mounting pressure from
universities likely helped turn the
tide of negotiations in the labor-
ers’ favor.
Kossek said the labor alliance
brought two displaced Honduran
workers to meet with Brown ad-
ministrators in April, but were
told at that time the issues were
not clear-cut enough for the Uni-
versity to terminate its contract
with Nike.
The University’s ultimate ac-
tions demonstrate its readiness
to apply its Code of Conduct not
only to its licensees, but also to
their subcontractors, Kossek
said.
“Nike was still involved be-
cause these companies were pro-
ducers for Nike,” Souza said.
Kossek called the settlement a
“historic victory” for labor rights
and said it illustrates the power
of universities to use apparel con-
tracts as tools to enact fair labor
standards.
Brown’s parting with Nike fol-
lowed disagreements with the
company at two other universi-
ties. The University of Wisconsin
at Madison announced it would
sever ties with Nike in April, and
Cornell threatened in June not to
renew its collegiate apparel con-
tract with the company at the end
of the calendar year if Nike did
not agree to pay its subcontrac-
tors’ displaced workers.
Page 7
C ampus N EWS
From opera to Shakespeare: exploring theatre at Brown this year
continued from page 5
there in the name — this student-
run group has dedicated themselves
to performing the comic operas of
W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan,
or “the kings of topsy-tur vydom”
as BUGS president Michael Hogan
’11 called them in an e-mail to The
Herald. Recent BUGS productions
have included “The Pirates of Pen-
zance” and “Iolanthe” and shows
often feature both Brown students
and a few local actors.
This fall, BUGS will perform
“Ruddigore, or the Witch’s Curse,”
“a ghostly parody on stock melo-
drama,” Hogan wrote. BUGS shows
are always free of charge and open
to the public in Alumnae Hall.
Brownbrokers
The Brownbrokers board spe-
cializes in student-written musical
theater, presenting one full-length
original musical every two years.
In November 2009, Brownbrokers
staged “Leavittsburg, OH,” a musi-
cal written by Nate Sloan ’09 that
told the stor y of an Ohio native
returning home on vacation from
her Ivy League school to reconcile
her past and her future. In addi-
tion to the bi-annual full-length
production, Brownbrokers also
hosts events like the Mini-Musical
Festival, featuring 15-minute-long
student musicals on “of f-kilter
topics” like “dolphin love affairs,
kids at fat camp and viral marketing
campaigns,” Brownbrokers chair
Rebecca Sigel ’11 wrote in an e-
mail to The Herald. Sigel wrote
that her experience as an actor in
“Jesus Christ: Superhipster” “was
a really fun and non-intimidating
way of trying something completely
random on for size.”
Productions like “Leavittsburg,
OH” involve both students and fac-
ulty members from the Department
of Theatre Arts and Performance
Studies, who work closely with stu-
dent writers to perfect their work
and who direct the full-length mu-
sicals.
Shows can take place in Stuart
and Leeds theaters or T.F. Green
Hall. Tickets for T.F. Green Hall
shows are available for reser va-
tion online or at the Production
Workshop box office on the day
of the show, and students can buy
tickets for shows at Stuart or Leeds
through the theaters’ box offices.
Musical Forum (MF)
Like Brownbrokers, Musical
Forum also focuses solely on mu-
sical theater productions. The dif-
ference is that MF is an entirely
student-run organization. Students
are responsible for “every part of
production — from performance,
to orchestra, from set-building to
stage management and from pro-
ducing to directing,” Alexandra
Keegan ’12, an MF board member
and the director of the recent MF
production of “Into the Woods,”
wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.
In addition to a full-length musical
each semester, MF also hosts musi-
cal revues and cabaret nights. MF
board member Lauren Tucker ’12
wrote in an e-mail to The Herald
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Monday, August 30, 2010
Find Brown theater on campus
see the map with this story at browndailyherald.com
that “Nunsense,” the fall semester into their staging. Sock & Buskin by Professor of Theatre, Speech
musical, is “slated to include ballet- “We don’t just produce plays. Founded in 1901, Sock & Buskin and Dance Lowr y Marshall, will
dancing and country-singing nuns We are a community,” board chair has the closest ties to the Depart- start off the season, followed by
… not a show to be missed!” Olivia Harding ’12 wrote in an e- ment of Theatre Arts and Perfor- a production of “Pippin” directed
MF shows take place in T.F. mail to The Herald, adding that mance Studies­— plays are chosen by Kym Moore, visiting assistant
Green Hall. Tickets are free and the group hosts social teas, play by a board of both students and director of theatre, speech and
available at the box office on the readings and workshops and the faculty members, and most plays dance.
day of the show, or for advanced occasional masked ball in addition are directed by professors or visit- Tickets for S&B shows can be
reser vation on the Production to their fall and spring shows. ing artists. S&B shows are often purchased online or at the Brown
Workshop website prior to the This semester, Shana Tinkle ’11 the largest and most elaborate per- Theatre Box Office in the lobby of
show. will direct “King Lear.” Shakespeare formances on campus, and S&B Leeds Theater. Student tickets are
on the Green shows are free, non- offers a diverse selection of five $7, but free tickets for first year stu-
Production Workshop (PW) ticketed events and can take place productions each year. Sam Shep- dents are often offered for Thurs-
In terms of shows staged, Pro- almost anywhere on campus. ard’s “A Lie of the Mind,” directed day night performances.
duction Workshop is the most ac-
tive student-run theater group on
campus, putting on approximately
seven productions each year. Plays
are chosen by a board of students
and can include “straight plays ...
musical theatre, original work by
student playwrights, wild perfor-
mance installations, and just about
anything else you can dream up that
sounds interesting,” Abby Colella
’12, a member of the board, wrote
in an e-mail to The Herald.
“PW is you. Every PW show is
acted, directed and designed com-
pletely by students, and we focus on
producing shows that are relevant,
exciting and organic to the Brown
community,” Colella wrote.
This year, PW will start their
season off with “The Last Days
of Judas Iscariot” by American
playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis,
which will run in T.F. Green Hall
Sept. 17–20. PW shows are free,
and while one can often get a ticket
by showing up to the box office on
the day of the show, it’s a good idea
to reser ve a ticket online. Ticket
reser vations usually happen two
days before opening night, in a mad
rush at midnight on the group’s
website.
Rites and Reason
Rites and Reason represents the
theatrical side of the Department
of Africana Studies. As the depart-
ment website states, productions at
Rites and Reason are “dedicated to
giving voice to the diverse cultural
expressions of the New World.”
Shows are the result of close col-
laboration between members of
both the Providence and Brown
communities and feature actors
from a wide range of experience
and professional background.
Last spring, Rites and Reason
staged the original work “Our
Hands are Sore from Praying,”
written by Janine Heath ’10 and
directed by Connie Crawford, ad-
junct lecturer in theatre, speech
and dance. The theatre also hosted
“The Black Lavender Experience,”
a festival of plays and conversa-
tions focused on the work of queer
playwrights.
Rites and Reason productions
take place in the Churchill House
theater and tickets are usually avail-
able from the theater on the day of
the performance.
Shakespeare on the Green
Shakespeare on the Green is the
only theater company on campus
without a fixed home — the troop
often performs their productions of
Shakespeare’s plays in the open air,
incorporating campus geography
SportsMonday
The Brown Daily Herald
What to watch: September
By Tony Bakshi
Spor ts Editor
Fear not, first-years. While you
may not be attending a sports-
crazed university, there are still
games to watch, underdogs to
root for and stars to admire at
Brown. Below, a rundown of
key September home games
that the Class of 2014 will want
to attend:
Men’s soccer, Sept. 10 and
12:
Become acquainted with the
men’s soccer squad at the annual
Brown Soccer Classic. The Bears,
who made it to the second round
of the NCAA Division I Tourna-
ment last season, will square off
against the University of South
Carolina on Sept. 10 and Hofstra
University on Sept. 12.
Field hockey, Sept. 19:
Watch Bruno take on Bryant
University in an intrastate rivalry
matchup. The Bears defeated
Bryant 3-2 last season and will be
looking to hold off the Bulldogs
once more.
Women’s tennis, Sept. 24–
26:
Head over to the tennis courts
behind the Olney-Margolies Ath-
letic Center (aka the OMAC) for
the Brown Invitational. Keep an
eye out for First Team All-Ivy se-
lection Bianca Aboubakare ’11,
who will begin her quest to posi-
tion herself atop the University
record books. Aboubakare starts
the season with 138 match vic-
tories, the second-most in team
history.
Football, Sept. 25:
Bruno faces Harvard, the Ivy
League Football Preseason Me-
dia Poll favorite to win the confer-
ence crown. The team will look to
avenge last season’s 24-21 defeat
in a historic night at Brown Sta-
dium — the 8 p.m. kickoff time
will mark the first night game in
the stadium’s 85-year history.
Monday, August 30, 2010 | Page 8
Brunonians making
summer sports news
By Zack Bahr
Spor ts Editor
Since the end of spring publication,
current and former Brown athletes
were busy making headlines.
Baseball had an Ivy League-
high five players named to the First
Team All-Ivy baseball squad.
Equestrian placed Liz Giliberti
’10 and Rebecca McGoldrick ’12
in the top 10 at the Intercollegiate
Horse Show Association Nationals.
This was the second year that Gil-
iberti has placed in the top 10.
David Howard ’09.5, a former
standout football player, pleaded no
contest to misdemeanor assault
charges stemming from a 2009
incident. He currently plays for
the Tennessee Titans.
Hannah Malvin ’10 and the
U.S. team earned gold at the U-23
Rowing World Championships.
Malvin was a member of the Bears
team that captured fifth place at the
2010 NCAA Championship.
Men’s basketball players
garnered the most spots on the
National Association of Basketball
Coaches Honor Court. Six Bruno
players were honored for their aca-
demic accomplishments.
See your name in print.
browndailyherald.com/join
Thomas Muldoon ’10 was
named to the United States In-
tercollegiate Lacrosse Associa-
tion All-American team. Muldoon
climbed the ranks to become the
ninth-highest scorer in Brown la-
crosse histor y.
Alena Polenska ’13 was
named captain of the Czech
Olympic Development Team for
women’s ice hockey. Polenska
was the second-leading scorer for
Bruno in the 2009-10 season with
five goals.
Kyle Rowley ’01 led the Spo-
kane Shock past the Tampa Bay
Storm to win the Arena Football
League’s ArenaBowl XXIII title.
Rowley passed for 237 yards and
nine touchdowns in the title
game.
Catherine Star r ’05 was
named assistant women’s crew
coach. Starr was the team cap-
tain during her junior and senior
seasons and led the Bears to an
NCAA Division I National Team
Championship in 2004.
Paris Water man ’11 was
named to the 2010-11 U.S. National
Lacrosse Team. She is the first
Bear since 1998 to be a member
of the team.
Page 9
S ports M onday
Field Hockey
Women look to get back on track with mental, physical strength
By Ashley McDonnell
Assistant Sports Editor
Last season, the field hockey team
did not win any away or conference
games. This season, the team is de-
termined to correct that by getting
back to the basics.
Season Preview
“We’ve talked a lot about fine-tun-
ing our basics, keeping the gameplan
simple and being prepared,” said
Head Coach Tara Harrington ’94.
“We’re just really fine-tuning and be-
ing sticklers about the basics of the
game. That’s priority number one.”
The most basic aspect of the game
does not even pertain to field hockey
itself. The basics start with “control-
ling our fitness and strength,” the
coach said.
“We’re preparing mentally and
physically for each game,” said for-
ward Leslie Springmeyer ’12. “We’re
going to prepare mentally on the
bus” to away games, with the hope
of improving on last year’s 0-8 away
record.
Because each team member has
been training hard this summer, both
physically and mentally, Springmey-
er said she had confidence in all her
teammates.
“Our depth is our greatest
Forward Leslie Springmeyer ’12, who recorded 10 goals and nine assists
last season, is one of many returning veterans for the field hockey team.
strength, definitely,” Springmeyer
said. “We have confidence in our subs
when they come into the game.”
The team’s confidence does not
stop at its substitutes for the for-
wards, midfielders and fullbacks,
though — the team also has “really
great depth” when it comes to goal-
keepers, according to Harrington.
Lauren Kessler ’11.5, Alexis Au-
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
“Our depth is our greatest strength.”
— Leslie Springmeyer ’12, field hockey player
play.
“I suspect you will see several
in and out of the starting lineup,
with all of them gaining playing
time throughout the season,” Har-
rington said. She mentioned forward
Torie Stearns ’14 and midfielder Av-
ery Burns ’14 in particular, saying
Stearns is “fast and feisty” and Burns
has “a very good presence in the
middle of the field.”
The upperclassmen have strong
returners, led by captains Katie
Hyland ’11, Cassie Puhalla ’11 and
Tacy Zysk ’11. Hyland was on the
field this summer as she trained with
the USA Field Hockey High Perfor-
mance Team, a training center that
selects athletes for the national and
regional teams.
“She’s the girl with every shot, ev-
ery pass, and she just plays with a lot
of heart,” Harrington said of Hyland.
Jesse Morgan / Herald file photo
All three captains have been “focused
on being prepared, scraping it out,
getting after it and winning.”
rigemma ’13 and Caroline Johan-
sen ’14 all have a shot at playing this
season, she said.
“It’ll be practice by practice, game
by game” when determining which
goalkeeper to play, Harrington said.
“They’ve been encouraging each
other every practice.”
She said members of the Class
of 2014 will have the opportunity to
Monday, August 30, 2010
The team still has improvements
to make, according to Springmeyer
and Harrington.
“Transitioning and more urgency”
are what the team needs to improve
on the most this year, Springmeyer
said. “We’re hoping to get more of
those 50-50 balls. We want to surprise
our opponents this year and come
out strong.”
Harrington said that the team
needs to focus “hard on scoring” so
that they can “put lots of goals on
the board.”
The first game of the season
is Saturday in Iowa against Miami
(Ohio). The first few games will be
challenging and will prepare the
team for their conference games,
according to Harrington. The first
conference game is at home Sept.
18 against Columbia.
“We want those Ivy wins, we want
an over-.500 season,” Springmeyer
said. “I think we’ll be a lot better this
season.”
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Monday, August 30, 2010

HEY FRESHMEN!
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Welcome, 2014
For more info, e-mail herald@ After months of anticipation and dozens of prema- makes the best pizza on Thayer Street.
ture posts on Spotted at Brown, this week marks Studying might be one of the last things on your
browndailyherald.com or visit www. the first when no one can deny that you are all in mind right now, with the Monday Night Fever orien-
browndailyherald.com/join fact Brown University students. While we know
that you are readying yourselves for Unit Wars,
tation dance looming and your roommate hanging
a Justin Bieber poster dangerously close to your
the midnight organ concert and Wednesday at Fish side of the room. Still, it’s a good idea to tr y out a
Co., we want to welcome you by providing a few bunch of study spots around campus. Various parts
t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d pieces of advice on the exciting year ahead. of the libraries, nearby coffee shops and hidden
For starters, take advantage of the smaller-sized corners of other academic buildings all provide a
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors classes that are geared towards you. A wide range choice of different atmospheres. “Studying” will
George Miller Chaz Kelsh Emmy Liss Ben Hyman
Joanna Wohlmuth Seth Motel
of First Year Seminars are being offered, and many mean many things to you as you ride out the ups
are fascinating enough to make seniors wish they and downs of a semester, so we recommend finding
editorial Business could be ’14s for a semester. Large lecture courses one spot that’s more social, another that’s good for
Anne Speyer Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager
Claire Kiely Shawn Reilly may be inevitable this first year, but tr y to balance quiet reading, and another still for, shall we say,
Suzannah Weiss Arts & Culture Editor
Sara Luxenberg Features Editor Katie Koh your schedule with a class in which your absence impending deadlines.
Brian Mastroianni Features Editor Directors would be noticed. Smaller seminars are a great way When you’re not planning out your study sched-
Brigitta Greene Metro Editor Kelly Wess Sales
Ben Schreckinger Metro Editor Matthew Burrows Finance to get to know classmates with similar interests, ule, plan out your eating schedule. As you be-
Sydney Ember News Editor Margaret Watson Client Relations become comfortable engaging in discussions, and come more familiar with your gastronomic choices
Zack Bahr Sports Editor Christiana Stephenson Alumni Relations
Tony Bakshi Sports Editor form a relationship with a professor. around here, you should also get to know your
Ashley McDonnell Asst. Sports Editor Managers Now, about getting to know professors — it resources for sizing up daily offerings. There’s
Erika Mueller Asst. Sports Editor Arjun Vaidya Local Sales can be difficult, so don’t get discouraged if you go always the Brown Dining Ser vices website and
Marco deLeon National Sales
Graphics & Photos Aditi Bhatia University Sales the entire year without being invited to a profes- the back page of the print edition of The Herald.
Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Jared Davis University Sales sor’s house for a stimulating conversation over We like to check out The Herald’s blog (blogdai-
Alex Yuly Graphics Editor Trenten Nelson-Rivers Recruiter Sales
Stephanie London Photo Editor Maximilian Barrows Business Operations
tea. Instead, keep an eye out for faculty members lyherald.com), which weighs in daily on the epic
Max Monn Photo Editor Jilyn Chao Business Analytics conducting research that interests you. Put those Ratty vs. V-Dub question and also crucially provides
Hilary Rosenthal Photo Editor Danielle Marshak Credit and Collections
Jonathan Bateman Sports Photo Editor Facebook stalking skills to good use and peruse the Free Food Digest. And if the thought of that
Alexander Carrere Special Projects
Production Kathy Bui Staff Brown’s online research director y (research. wildebeest stampede that killed Mufasa in “The
Kelly Mallahan Copy Desk Chief Opinions brown.edu) to get ideas. Lion King” still gives you nightmares, avoid going
Julien Ouellet Design Editor Michael Fitzpatrick Opinions Editor If you find approaching professors a bit intimi- to the Ratty right at noon.
Gili Kliger Asst. Design Editor Alyssa Ratledge Opinions Editor
Katie Wilson Asst. Design Editor dating, talk to some upperclassmen. Your Meikle- Exciting as these first few weeks can be, they
Editorial Page Board
Neal Poole Web Editor
Matt Aks
john advisor or the Residential Peer Leaders in can also be tough, but that’s no reason to lose
Editorial Page Editor
Post- magazine Anita Mathews Board member your dorm are great resources. And while making your bright-eyed enthusiasm. Brown’s students
Sam Carter Editor-in-Chief Tyler Rosenbaum Board member friends with your fellow freshmen will be your focus are known as the happiest for countless reasons,
Kate Doyle Editor-in-Chief Melissa Shube Board member
Marshall Katheder Editor-in-Chief Gaurie Tilak Board member for the next few months, try to join a student group and you’re on the verge of discovering many of
that allows you to connect with people in the classes them for yourself.
Gili Kliger, Leor Shtull-Leber, Katie Wilson, Designers
Nicole Boucher, Sydney Ember, Kelly Mallahan, Copy Editors
above you (such as The Herald). Upperclassmen
Alex Bell, Night Editor tend to have pretty clear hindsight, and they’re
Senior Staff Writers Ana Alvarez, Ashley Aydin, Rebecca Ballhaus, Alexander Bell, Nicole Boucher,
usually not afraid to give their opinions — whether Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board.
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Staff Writers Anna Andreeva, Anne Artley, Shara Azad, Casey Bleho, Sofia Castello, Amy Chen, Sarah
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Opinions
The Brown Daily Herald
SARAH ROSENTHAL
Opinions Columnist
Welcome, first-years! Congratulations on be-
ing so awesome. You had the lowest admit
rate, the best grades and SAT scores, even
halos polished super-shiny by virtuous ex-
tracurriculars, and Ruth will no doubt praise
you to the skies for it.    him or her a message when you’re not yet
But being a freshman can be scar y. In
addition to rigorous academics and the in-
evitable commitment to various activities that
you’ll drop by sophomore year, you will be
thrust into many uncomfortable social situ-
ations over the next few weeks as you try to
figure out who your friends are. Facebook
can be a useful tool in this process, but it’s
a double-edged sword, and one that is con-
stantly changing the college experience. At no
time is this more acute than during freshman
orientation.  are you from? What do you think you’re going
There was a time in the not-so-distant
past when a “facebook” was a physical object
freshmen-to-be would receive in the mail.  Nonetheless, he will desperately try to act as
It had only a single one-inch by one-inch
photo of each student, along with his or her
name and hometown. No favorite quotes. No
thousand-plus pictures of your roommate
and her high school friends making kissy
faces at a camera. Back in the day, you had
to wait to find out whether your future friends
would go slightly out of their way to step on a
crunchy-looking leaf, or if they had a desire
to punch slow-moving people in the back of
Manas Gautam
Opinions Columnist
It is that time of the semester: the fresh
start where we find ourselves running from
one class to another tr ying to figure out
our schedules before the Banner registra-
tion system closes. This fall, registration
for courses starts on Aug. 31 and ends on
Sept. 14 . We can change a course from the
traditional ABC grade option to Satisfactory/
No Credit (S/NC) until Sept. 28 and to audit
until Oct. 8. I believe that students are not
allotted enough time to change their grade
options, and that we are not truly valuing our
education if we don’t see a problem with this.
A Brown education is about freedom: the
freedom to define our own educations and to
find the tools to further our interests. The (not-
so-)New Curriculum has empowered us to
do just that. Yet, as my fellow upperclassmen
might agree, we find ourselves going through
challenging times as the semester progresses
and have no freedom to change our course
grade option from grading to S/NC or audit
before the final examination period. We have
to drop the course or risk our GPA (which
does not officially exist, even though our
future employers might believe otherwise).
Students encounter challenging situa-
tions as the semester progresses. We may
Facing up to Facebook
the head. No more.
Does this glut of information make the
entry into college life more or less intimi-
dating? That depends on the person, but it
has definitely created a new reality, with its
own negative and positive effects on social
mores.  thread in the “Brown Class of 20XX” group,
Con: Facebook takes away the fun and
spontaneity of small talk. The more ubiquitous
Facebook becomes, the more likely it is that
Does Facebook’s glut of information make the
entry into college life more or less intimidating?  networking make the art of conversation as
the answers to the Freshman Orientation
Trifecta — “So, what’s your name? Where
to concentrate in?” — are already common
knowledge thanks to the magic of stalking.
if he doesn’t already know about your prom
date and your Labrador and your preference
for Miller Light. On the other hand, small talk
was never that fun or spontaneous to begin
with, so that’s not much of a loss.  were always the same 10 or 20 people who
Pro: Facebook injects you right into the
comforting, pillowy bosom of the Brown
community, thanks to the enthusiastic up-
perclassmen determined to let you know
how much we all love this place. Every year,
Getting our money’s worth
get sick or lose a loved one. For classes
that are too time consuming, the freedom
to change a course’s grading option all se-
mester long can alleviate this temporar y
distress and can allow students to better
assign priorities to their problems. If a par-
ticular course turns out to be uninterest-
ing or some other courses start demanding
more effort, a perennial grade change option
can improve efficiency and work quality in
For classes that are too time consuming, the
freedom to change a course’s grading option
all semester long can alleviate this temporary
distress and can allow students to better assign
priorities to their problems.
the classes that one deems more important.
Allowing grade change options to continue
all semester may also give an incentive to
students who want to take five courses or an
advanced, graduate level course. The stigma
of getting bad grades forces students either
not to bother taking tougher courses or to
take them S/NC or audit them from the very
beginning, which reduces the seriousness of
the students’ participation. However, if stu-
dents feel that they always have the fall back
option of changing their grade option, they’ll
older students feel that they have a duty to
the incoming freshmen to initiate them into
the many wonders, mysteries and quirks of
this place we call Brunonia. (Just kidding,
freshmen, no one calls it that.) This is usu-
ally done through an “ask a Brown student”
which many upperclassmen join totally of
their own volition, without even the promise
of free food! They will answer any and all
questions you might have with alacrity, and
on Brown’s physical campus you will find that
most upperclassmen are just as friendly and
forthcoming in the flesh.  encouraging or depressing, abstention from
Con: Facebook encourages the creation
of pre-conceived notions about your class-
mates. When it came to the Class of 2011
group, I was a creepy lurker, reading almost
every topic but never adding my own com-
ments, for fear that I would be judged. There
commented on everything, and I still remem-
ber many of their names. Mostly I “judged”
them as friendly extroverts, but it’s never safe
to assume that you know anything substantive
about anyone from Facebook. Don’t write
be much bolder in their educational pursuits.
In turn, this will also help students to truly
delve into topics that they find interesting.
It is understandable that this option might
allow some students to take the easier way out
when they face too much pressure. However,
such students will be conscious of the impact
of their decision after the problem gets re-
solved and they realize that a pass is not the
same as an A. Also, not all changes in grading
options need be in the S/NC direction. Some
students might even prefer to change their
grading option back to ABC before the read-
ing period if they feel that their performance
is deserving of a good mark.
A document titled “Liberal Learning at
Brown” on the Dean of College’s page lists
evaluating human behavior, experiencing
scientific inquir y, collaborating fully, ex-
panding reading skills and applying what
one learns as some of the goals of a liberal
education. Allowing the continuous grade
Monday, August 30, 2010 | Page 11
people off because they like country music
(eww!), and don’t assume you’ll be friends
because they, like you and everyone else at
Brown, have listed “The Great Gatsby” as one
of their favorite books. 
Pro: Facebook’s unique advantages make it
a genuinely useful means of social interaction
when you’re occupying that liminal space be-
tween acquaintance and friend. Anyone with
even passing knowledge of the site realizes
that “friendship” is not necessarily meaning-
ful, but writing on someone’s wall or sending
at the level of a phone call or a lunch date at
the Ratty is an increasingly acceptable way
to break the ice.  Some people moan that the
sentence-long dispatches that define social
obsolete as a paper-and-ink facebook, but
they also help the shy and minimize the pain
of potential face-to-face rejection. If you want
a real friendship, Facebook is obviously not
the way to go — but it can be a good way
to start. 
Whether you view Facebook’s ubiquity as
the site is ever rarer among college students
today. So, class of 2014, happy friending, hap-
py stalking and once again, congratulations
on being the best class of all time — until the
class of 2015 is admitted. 
Former Herald Opinions Editor Sarah
Rosenthal ’11 is stalking freshmen as
we speak.
change option would certainly foster mul-
tidisciplinar y pursuits. Furthermore, stu-
dents would be able to discuss ideas with
their professors, which can spawn research
projects, papers and perhaps even a com-
pany. This would be achievable due to fewer
grade-related interactions with the faculty
and more creative interactions with them.
In all these scenarios, students are mak-
ing their own decisions. After all, it is our
education. We paid for it. Every one of us,
from incoming freshman to seniors to alums,
feels lucky to be at Brown. We worked hard
in high school, developed our interests and
understood Brown’s important role in further-
ing our education. In this race for achieving
our personal goals, we have truly forgotten
that we are customers at Brown. We give
our personal merits less credit than luck for
allowing us to be here. We didn’t win our
acceptance in the lotter y — we earned it.
Banner is simply a tool. What good is a sys-
tem if it is restraining us from the academic
freedom promised to us? If my argument
makes sense and calls out to you, please
write to the University Registrar explaining
the validity of such an option that will be
useful to us and the future generations of
Brown students.
Manas Gautam ’12 gives lessons
in fishing and can be reached at
manas_gautam@brown.edu.
 Today 3 Computer science and a mani/pedi to day to m o r r o w

The Brown Daily Herald

A freshman’s guide to sporting events

8
Monday, August 30, 2010
90 / 64 92 /69
Page 12

t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s e d i t o r s ’ n ot e

Returning to campus this week, we see 1,503 new
students unloading cars, carrying suitcases, meet-
ing new friends and looking lost. As you try to find
your way, we encourage you to explore everything
our school has to offer you. Only by keeping an
open mind can you take full advantage of the many
opportunities of the next four years. Though we
Few of us can picture Brown before President Ruth
Simmons took the University’s helm, or a campus
without construction’s incessant noise. Our news-
room aims to link our University’s past with its future.
And though our school may keep changing, you
can always count on The Herald to tell you what’s
driving that change.

1
are reluctant to repeat this cliche, it is completely
accurate: This place can be as much or as little as As you begin your first year here and we — The
you make of it. Herald’s editorial leadership — begin our last, we
are all too aware of our looming departure. But for
c a l e n da r The question of what Brown is — what defines this now, we are still having the time of our lives bring-
place — is constantly evolving, anyway. Your class ing you the news every day. You keep reading, and
Today, August 30 tomorrow, august 31 is emblematic of the changes that have swept the we’ll keep writing.
University in recent years. You are more diverse and
2:30–4:30 PM — (Freshmen) Lawn 8–9:30 PM — (Freshmen) Community more international than ever before. You and your George Miller ’11, Editor-in-Chief
Games on Lincoln, Lincoln Field Values Thinking Otherwise, Pizzitola peers sent more applications than could fit in one Chaz Kelsh ’11, Managing Editor
Sports Center building. At The Herald, we’ve had our eyes on the Emmy Liss ’11, Deputy Managing Editor
4–5:30 pm — (Freshmen) Academic transformation of this campus for 120 years. As you Joanna Wohlmuth ’11, Deputy Managing Editor
Expo 2010, Sayles Hall, Main Green 10–12 AM — (Freshmen) Science think about how you will spend the next four years, Ben Hyman ’11, Senior Editor
Center Trivia Showdown, 3rd Floor we encourage you to read our newspaper every day Seth Motel ’11, Senior Editor
Sciences Library to learn the latest on University initiatives that are
likely to have dramatic effects on your time here.
menu
Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

comics
Lunch — 11–3 p.m., open to Lunch — Closed
freshmen Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brandan Hainline
Dinner — Closed
Dinner — 4:30–7:30 p.m., open to
freshmen

a c r o s s to b e a r
“Across to Bear” is a weekly feature by Jonah Kagan ’13 and Natan Last
’12 — crosswords made by Brown students for Brown students. Send ideas,
comments or complaints to brownpuzzles@gmail.com, and check blogdaily-
herald.com for solutions. Look for “Across to Bear” weekly in this space.

Dick in a Box Jonah Kagan '13

Dr. Bear | Mat Becker
ACROSS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1. "The schoolweek's
14 15 16
almost over!"
5. When in Rome, 601 17 18 19
8. Slur speakers
14. Frank diarist Frank 20 21
15. Skosh
16. Keeney materials 22 23 24 25 26 27
17. Lady Gaga hit with
the lyrics "Let's 28 29 30
have some fun this
31 32 33
beat is sick / I
wanna take a ride
34 35
on your disco stick"
19. "Waiter! Monsieur!" 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
20. Write quickly, as a
computer program 43 44 45
21. Surpress, as an
uprising 46 47 48
22. Fashion designer
Marc and others 49 50 51 52 Bat & Gaz | Sofia Ortiz
23. It comes straight
53 54 55 56
from the horse's
mouth? 57 58 59
25. Mammoth protrusion
28. Now and ___ 60 61 62
29. High-five loving
"Scrubs" surgeon © 2010
30. Sexy foreign
exchange student in 58. Wall-E's love 12. Fight ender, for 40. What underage
"American Pie" interest short college students
31. Give a hand 59. Get beaten to a 13. Fed. ID make sure to avoid
32. Tenth: prefix pulp, say 18. Some appliances 41. Show in which Wee
33. Type of treatment 60. "___ late to 21. Four times a day, Man might kick
34. Prevent from getting apologize" (One on an Rx Steve-O in the nuts
some action, or Republic lyric) 22. Airplane 42. ___ and Him (Zooey
what can be found 61. Pirate's place announcement: Deschanel's band)
in each corner of 62. Italian designer abbr. 44. AIM aliases
this puzzle Schiaparelli 24. Pot brownies, e.g. 45. Fifth or handle, e.g.,
36. Beat to a pulp 26. Sex, to a nun for 40-Down
39. Songbird DOWN 27. Kit ___ 47. Old Oldsmobile
40. Backstreet Boys 29. ___ House (group 48. Designer denim co.
The Adventures of Team Vag | Wendy Kwartin
1. With 37-Down,
member McLean "Sup?" in Spanish responsible for Sci 50. I can believe it's not
and others 2. Italian dumplings Li Tetris) butter
43. Many a muslim 3. Called on in prayer, 30. "The Fairly 52. Furniture store
44. Make advances with as a spirit OddParents" whose products are
one's phone? 4. Eat, like a predator channel named in Swedish
45. Unexciting 5. Brown frat in Olney 32. ___-do (dance 53. 5-Across - 549
46. Had a cry House move) 54. Mo. to get free
47. Jug handle, in 6. Disney movie 33. What many candy
archaeology starring the Jonas computer algorithms 55. "___ Miz"
48. Italian bowling game Brothers do 56. Weed, to the Beats
49. Mil. deserters 7. Suffix with cyan- 34. "So looking forward
51. 2009 Ke$ha hit 8. Pellet shooter to it!"
53. Neighborhood 9. "Dies ___" (hymn) 35. It'll make you go
55. "Oh baby just ___!" 10. Musician known for 36. Dir. from here to LA
(bedroom his mashups 37. See 1-Down
exclamation) 11. Obstruct 38. Finishes moving into
57. More repulsive one's dorm, say