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News in brief
Learning to lead: on the ground with ROTC Sixth-year
By jake comer PhD funding
Senior Staff Writer
announced today
The cadets of Patriot Battalion Fifth-year doctoral
dropped their rucksacks and A- candidates who applied for
bags and milled around and talked. sixth-year funding through
The A-bags — green, medium-sized the Graduate School will be
duffel-looking things with sleeping notified of funding offers
today. Eighty percent of those
feature requesting funding will receive
the full amount they asked for,
bags inside — sat in rows on the and the remaining 20 percent
grass. The session wouldn’t start will receive partial funding.
for another 15 minutes, but most This upcoming year, 58
of the cadets had arrived. I walked percent of doctoral candidates
up to a group of four big guys and will continue work on their
asked how much their equipment dissertations for a sixth year,
weighed, all in all. About 35 pounds, said Peter Weber P’12, dean of
they told me. Not bad to haul across the Grad School. In past years,
campus, but they regularly heft it Army ROTC this figure ranged between 30
several miles at training. Physical Brown students who wish to participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps can do so through Providence and 40 percent.
College’s Patriot battalion (above). Currently, there is one Brown cadet enrolled in the program.
readiness training, or PRT — in The committee that
the military, everything gets an consists of two companies, Alpha are non-commissioned military higher-ranking cadets, all MSIII’s reviewed applications
abbreviation — occurs Monday, and Bravo. Alpha, with about 25 officers, meaning lower-ranking and MSIV’s, oversaw an extensively consisted of faculty in the
Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 a.m. cadets, is composed of freshmen — mainly corporals and sergeants. thorough equipment inspection, social sciences and humanities
On Wednesdays, cadets take classes and sophomores — in ROTC par- These officers mentor and instruct making certain each cadet had and administrators.
from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. lance, MSIs and MSIIs, respectively. the cadets, but it is up to the MSIVs packed everything he or she would Departments could rank
Patriot Battalion is currently The roughly 10 Bravo cadets are to lead the bulk of classes and ex- need into their rucksack and A-bag students applying for
the only option for Brown students juniors, or MSIIIs. The 10 MSIVs ercises. That afternoon, the com- for the weekend. The equipment funding — though this
who wish to participate in the Re- are assigned commanding positions manding officers — the COs — ar- included a hygiene kit, gloves, poly- was not required and most
serve Officers’ Training Corps. The in both companies. rived, and the cadets fell in line by departments choose not to
Providence College ROTC program ROTC commanding officers company. The four COs and the continued on page 3 respond, Weber said.
The Grad School piloted
Schlissel P’15 tested contained MDMA, the ac- presence of a handful of substances,
By Jake Comer
tive ingredient in Ecstasy tablets. such as DXM — dextromethorphan,
Senior Staff Writer
candidates this semester.
Additionally, the Grad School
About 40 percent induced no reac- a drug sometimes used in cough allocated a sum of money for
to focus on About 15 students used a test kit pro- tion from the testing agents, Moffat medicines and for pain relief — and
vided by Students for Sensible Drug said, citing feedback SSDP received methamphetamines, in pills sold
sixth-year funding in advance,
unlike in the past when the
undergrads Policy to assess the purity of Ecstasy from students who tested pills this as Ecstasy. It includes four liquid
pills in the days leading up to Spring year. Though no other substances reagents that change color when
funding has been dependent
on the size of the incoming
Weekend, according to Jared Moffat were reported, the 40 percent of they come into contact with differ- doctoral class. Grad student
By Ashley Aydin ’13, the group’s president. Of those, pills containing no MDMA may ent drugs and chemicals. A chart funding is determined based
Senior Staff Writer it is possible a few were supplying have included substances not de- included in the kit correlates colors on merit rather than need.
those drugs to multiple users and tected by the chemicals of the test to chemicals. Student funding requests
Mark Schlissel P’15 will begin his were testing a large quantity of pills. kit, Moffat said. But the test cannot show how vary and may include one or
five-year term as the University’s Seven or eight students requested The kit, which SSDP lent out much of any substance is included two semesters of support.
highest academic officer July 1 when the kit last Spring Weekend, he said. free of charge to students for the
he replaces current Provost David About 60 percent of the pills third year in a row, can reveal the continued on page 2 — Lindor Qunaj
Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98. Schlissel, dean
of biological sciences and professor of
immunology and pathogenesis at the
University of California at Berkeley,
After hit-and-run, campus
questions pedestrian safety
will arrive on campus after 20 years
working in the sciences at large re-
search universities.
But even as Schlissel plans to help By Kyle McNamara Police Department’s report, Paden
faculty members make an impact Contributing Writer committed a slew of offenses related
with their research off College Hill, to the incident, including driving
faculty, students and administrators Despite the University’s effort to while intoxicated involving bodily
are optimistic about his understand- increase pedestrian safety on cam- injury, refusal to submit to a pre-
ing of the University’s focus on un- pus over the past year, the April 9 liminary breath test, not carrying a
dergraduate teaching. hit-and-run accident that injured license and failure to stop after an
Amanda Chew ’14 and Juliana accident resulting in personal injury
New initiatives Unanue Banuchi ’14 has renewed or death. Paden pleaded not guilty
Though Schlissel will fine-tune concern across campus. A vehicle, April 11 and was released on $10,000
his plans after meeting with adminis- allegedly driven by 30-year-old Jes- personal recognizance. Department
trators, students and faculty, he plans sica Paden of Providence, struck the of Public Safety Sergeant John Hes-
to provide “resources and structure” students when it veered onto the ton said it could be up to six months
to improve faculty research, invest in sidewalk at the intersection of Hope before Paden’s case goes to trial. Herald staff
and Charlesfield streets. Two students were injured in a hit-and-run around 10:45 p.m. April 9 when a
continued on page 4 According to the Providence continued on page 8 vehicle hopped the curb at the intersection of Hope and Charlesfield streets.
weather
Letters...................5
editorial...............6 Progress made toward How solitude can foster The best way to “make
Opinions................7 proving massless particles creative thought pot boring”
campus news, 8 opinions, 7 opinions, 7 58 / 43 56 / 36
2 Campus News The Brown Daily Herald
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
today
calendar
april 20 ToMORROW April 21
SSDP aims for ‘harm reduction’
continued from page 1 to meet. SSDP representatives ex- SSDP does not condone the
12 P.m. 11 A.m. plained how to use the kit and then use of illegal drugs, Moffat said.
Epicurean Society Gourmet Market, Spring Farmer’s Market, in a pill. “It only tells you if there are lent it out for a short time. The group’s mission is student
Wriston Quad Wriston Quad certain chemicals present. It doesn’t “We bought it, we’re lending education and protection. Brown
tell you the ratio,” Moffat said. it out free of charge, but we don’t students choose to buy and use
8 p.m. 8 p.m.
Roughly 20 students contacted actually handle any of the drugs,” drugs but are ignorant of the drugs’
Screening of “On the Ice” with An Evening of Food Porn, SSDP via email to organize a time Moffat said. origins, he said. SSDP tries to help
Producer Q&A, Salomon 001 Smith-Buonanno 106 manage the risks involved in such
Daily Herald
the Brown behavior.
continued on page 8
The Brown Daily Herald
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 Campus News 3
PC cadet calls ROTC program ‘the best decision’
continued from page 1 graduation. that, especially for the first two years, Grady taught me “the two things something else to do, you know, my
COs assess leadership the most their acquaintance with tactics and you need to know in the army.” One, friends are out partying and I’m ac-
propylene underwear, notebooks, closely and frequently in cadets. military knowledge serves mainly “if you don’t have a basic knowl- tually doing something that will get
pens, ammunition pouches, flash- Informally, a CO might pull a ca- as “background” for cadets’ leader- edge of personnel and equipment me somewhere.”
light, protective eyewear, protrac- det aside for a quick bit of advice ship training. management, you’ll fail.” And two, “I chose to do ROTC specifically
tor, wristwatch, elbow and knee or a reprimand. After one MSIV’s Kristofer Seibt, a PC senior, tes- “when you’re in a commandment because I did not want to do the
pads, two canteens, a cloth-covered presentation on perimeter defense, tified as much at a class for MSIIIs position, most of your problems will academy experience,” said Cadet
helmet and whatever else a cadet Bowman called him over and gently on establishing an operating base. come from (personnel and equip- Staff Sergeant and PC junior Am-
cared to pack that would fit. I tried scolded him for not showing his The tactic presented on the Smart- ment management).” That advice, berly Glitz, one of only a handful
a helmet on, and it could not have usual level of confidence. Board at the front of the room was and some of the cadets’ gripes about of female students in the battalion.
weighed less than five or six pounds. The cadet smiled. “I’ll go yell at used prior to the Cold War, he said the infamously bureaucratic nature “I wanted to do some more nor-
Ryan Grady, a PC senior and the first person I see,” he replied. — completely outdated, and of no of the military, sometimes called to mal activities in college to kind
the MSIV responsible for the bat- On a more formal level, cadets use in, for instance, the deserts of mind Joseph Heller’s portrait of the of have both worlds.” Glitz is ma-
talion’s civil affairs, introduced of every age group rotate each week Afghanistan. armed forces in “Catch-22”. joring in French with a minor in
me to Master Sergeant and Senior through four positions of authority “We’re not looking at them to When I talked to the cadets after writing.“Without a doubt, ROTC
Military Instructor David Bowman, over squads and platoons within check the box on these tactics. We’re their tactical exercises and class dis- is the best decision I’ve made in my
who explained the goals for the day their company. Cadets assess them- looking at them to adapt to these missal, they expressed a variety of adult life,” she said.
as the cadets continued with their selves on leadership and receive situations,” Seibt said, indicating an motivations for joining the program. ROTC is prominent and well-
checklist. feedback from their COs. “We do arrow on the board that represented Like a number of the cadets I spoke respected at PC, Finzer said. “People
The Wednesday classes focus an after-action review on everything an attack on the camp. He told me with, Dillon Ingham ’14, currently are sometimes surprised to see you
on military skills, such as strategic we touch,” Bowman said. many of the situations the cadets the only Brown student in the Pa- in uniform, like ‘What are you do-
thought and maneuvering, military COs counsel the cadets and fill would have to negotiate over the triot Battalion, cited a long family ing here?’” he said. But Finzer and
history and leadership training. That out Leadership Assessment Reports. course of the weekend would be un- history of military involvement as Glitz agreed that ROTC is accepted
afternoon session was a special sort The report is a little blue card that expected. It is important for cadets one of his reasons for joining ROTC. comfortably by the rest of the com-
of class called a Leadership Lab — asks for the CO’s observations of the to learn to keep contingencies in His grandfather and great-uncle munity and that the program strives
an L-Lab. This L-Lab was designed cadet’s performance. It includes a mind at all times, he said, in case fought in the army, and his father to be “open” about its methods and
to prepare the cadets for their three- space for strengths the cadet should something goes wrong — a possibil- served for 20 years as a lieutenant its goals.
day weekend field-training exercise “sustain” and one for areas in which ity the cadets are taught to expect. colonel in the Air Force. But Bowman said it seems most
in the forest near Camp Edwards in he or she should improve. The other “If we have adaptable lead- Cadet Staff Sergeant and PC ju- of the public does not know much
Massachusetts. Bowman explained side of the card lists the 17 leader- ers who can adapt to situations, it nior Zachary Roitz, an education about how ROTC, or the rest of the
the cadets would spend the weekend ship criteria and a table of character doesn’t matter,” Seibt said. major, also said his family’s military military, actually functions. He used
camping outdoors, running mock traits prized by the military, includ- At a pause in the slide show, one history sparked an interest in ROTC. the film “Saving Private Ryan” as an
raids, repelling mock attacks, fir- ing the practice of empathy and the of the MSIVs conducting the course He fell in love with the program and example. “The public only knows
ing M16s loaded with blanks and seven army values — loyalty, duty, held up a hand. appreciates that it fosters strengths what they saw in that movie,” he
eating meals ready to eat — MREs. respect, selfless service, honor, integ- “If you have gum in your mouth, that will serve him well within and said.
My MRE included caffeine-loaded rity and personal courage. The card stand up and go spit it out right without the Army, he said. “I think a lot of people latch onto
mints, vacuum-sealed ravioli and also states the Warrior Ethos: “I will now,” she said, sternly. Two uni- “I think it teaches discipline, it one aspect of (the military) they
a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce. The always place the mission first. I will formed cadets got up and ran to teaches time management and above don’t like,” he said.
field training exercise is one of many never accept defeat. I will never quit. the next room to find a wastebasket. all, it teaches leadership,” he said. ROTC is not immune to the
opportunities for the cadets, espe- I will never leave a fallen comrade.” Seibt and I, whispering in a back Cadet Staff Sergeant and PC damage to the military’s reputation
cially the more senior ones, to de- True to military form, this side of corner of the room, fell silent. junior Ewen Finzer listed self- from scandals such as the torture
velop their leadership skills and for the card is completely standardized. confidence and self-knowledge at Abu Ghraib, but “once people
the commanding officers to evaluate COs fill it out by checking the ap- Motivations for joining among the qualities ROTC strives see what we do, there’s generally
those skills, he said. propriate boxes. Despite all the focus on leader- to further. no more problem. The stigma of
After the equipment inspection, This assessment does not apply ship in general, the cadets do have a “I tried it out for a little while, it disappears. We’re trying to build
the MSIVs in charge sent the ca- to cadets’ grasp of military theory good understanding of the specifics because you can do that in the leaders, not killing machines,” he
dets jogging off to load their bags or strategic skills. Bowman told me of the military and military life. basic course,” he said. “It gave me said. “We teach leadership. That’s it.”
onto a truck, then sent them to the
ROTC offices in the basement of
PC’s Alumni Hall to receive MREs
and begin classes for the day. Mas-
ter Sergeant Bowman and I passed
the line of cadets outside the supply
room on our way to his office, where
he told me about the mission and
methodology of ROTC.
Learning to lead
Instead of focusing on teaching
technical skills like weapon profi-
ciency, or even strategy and ma-
neuvers, the ROTC program aims
to show cadets how to lead. “Basic
training is for privates. … What we
build here is the people that develop
their orders,” Bowman explained.
“There are times when it’s roll-
ing in the mud and shooting rifles,
but it’s not really our focus,” he said.
“Leaders are in charge of everything.
… It’s much more important to
lead.”
Cadets learn to embrace the
United States military’s 17 official
leadership criteria, which include
military bearing, interpersonal tact,
leading by example and being con-
fident, resilient and physically fit.
Bowman explained the develop-
ment of strong leadership skills is
particularly important during the
first two years of the program. Par-
ticipation in ROTC for the first two
years does not entail any military
commitment. MSIIIs and MSIVs,
however, are all contractually ob-
ligated to join the military after
Tips --> herald@browndailyherald.com
4 Campus News The Brown Daily Herald
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
comics
Cloud Buddies! | David Emanuel
quote of the day preciative, spoiled, entitled kids these articles make us
out to be? I don’t buy it. We’re the happiest students in
as students did this year. By choosing to ignore, or
misrepresent, the fact that many of the challenges —
Correction
Rebecca Ballhaus City & State Editor Isha Gulati
Claire Peracchio City & State Editor
Directors
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Lisa Berlin Special Projects
An article in yesterday’s Herald (“Women’s crew team makes a splash in California,” April 19) incorrectly
Tony Bakshi Sports Editor
Ashley McDonnell Sports Editor Managers stated the time by which the men’s freshman boat lost its race. In fact, it lost by three seconds. The Herald
Ethan McCoy Asst. Sports Editor Hao Tran National Sales regrets the error.
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The Brown Daily Herald
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 Opinions 7
Untangling your mind
world can quiet down to a murmur so that cent study by Diederik Stapel and Siegwart classroom. It was a room with four white
you can hear yourself think. Lindenberg concludes that disorder trig- walls, no windows and tired fluorescent
By Hector Najera The classroom that will nurture reflec- gers stereotypical views. People exposed to lighting. When I first saw it, I desperately
tion for you might be different than mine, dirty train stations, disorganized geomet- wanted to bring in a plant or a fish — any-
Opinions Columnist but I think two things are required for its rical shapes or a picture of a messy book- thing that would lessen the artificial feel of
effectiveness. The first is that suggestion by case reported a higher rate of stereotyped it all. Sadly, I got caught up in other things
the poet Jimmy Santiago Baca — that you views. The reasoning appears to be that and ceased to notice the bleakness. As I
I want to explicate what many Brown stu- love your solitude. Not loneliness, solitude. when faced with disorder, we seek order in think about it again, though, the space is
dents already know — that the classroom This is the time when you are in company whatever way we can. Stereotyping is one of uninviting to reflection. And whatever re-
does not have to be composed of four walls. with yourself. When I began college, this is those ways. flection takes place in there will be colored,
The stories students and faculty bring to something I dreaded. Being alone was scary Although it is a leap to say that environ- I think, by the space.
Brown are one example. From traveling in for many reasons. Overcoming the fear was ment alone influences one’s perspective on This past week, I took a trip to Vermont.
South America to working in the commu- difficult — like throwing myself into the things like stereotypes or, to go further, rac- I was on a hiking trail, loving my solitude,
nity, it is clear that growth emerges every- when I decided to cut through a field that
where. This is because the essence of the would take me back. As the leaves and twigs
classroom is a student’s individual interest crackled under my feet, I saw a herd of deer
and capacity to learn. If that is there, he can I love seeing artists’ studios. With sculptures in the run from one side of the field to the other,
make anything his teacher. In this way, in- making and sketches taped to the walls, the creative their white tails and ears standing in atten-
animate and animate objects become teach- tion. Slowly, I made my way around them,
ers. The challenge, as I see it, is maintaining process is visually accessible. At their best, classrooms noticing that a few were very young. For
this individual interest and capacity every- that moment, the deer were reading me,
where one goes. This is very difficult. for reflection allow a similar clarity. and I was reading the deer. Their elegance
There is a particular type of classroom was captivating. As I thought about my
which I want to address — that which nur- teaching and my work, these deer pushed
tures reflection. I suspect these are respon- water unsure if I would swim. Of course, ism, it is nonetheless undeniable that our me to think about carpe diem — what if
sible for keeping the inquisitive mind alive. solitude is only temporary. Soon enough, surroundings do affect us. The objective is that moment in the forest was enough? It is
It is through reflection that we untangle our we step into that stage of life where we con- to increase positive effects while minimiz- not a stretch to say that they, along with the
thinking and generate the first draft of ideas. tinue our social exchanges. But for its du- ing negative ones. Colors, organization, trees and the green field, were my teachers.
But what is a classroom that nurtures reflec- ration, loving solitude is ultimately about natural elements, synthetic elements, peo- I love seeing artists’ studios. With sculp-
tion? To understand it, I think of solitude cherishing the contemplation of your own ple — they all affect me and you. Finding tures in the making and sketches taped to
and the outside. For example, sometimes I mind. out in what ways will help us locate that the walls, the creative process is visually ac-
need to sit in a coffee shop and watch peo- The second element of an effective class- classroom for reflection. In my example cessible. At their best, classrooms for reflec-
ple pass by as I mull over a thought. These room for reflection is environment. To re- of the coffee shop above, I need the energy tion allow a similar, albeit mental, clarity. So
are times when I want to be alone among fine this concept, I want to stress the im- the presence of others has without the di- I hope you always seek classrooms for re-
others — I want to hear and see their energy portance of environment. Environments rect verbal interaction. The openness of the flection, and once you find them, you go to
in order to call forth the energy in myself. can heal or hurt you, inspire or oppress you, space, the lighting, the colors — these kinds them often.
At other times, I want to be at India Point, bring forth your best self or your worst self. of things that design students can explain
gazing over the water. At others still, I want What is more, an environment is an aggre- better than I could.
to be in a forest among trees. I’ll say these gate of discrete elements which themselves But let me offer an example that does Hector Najera GS is a graduate student
are classrooms of reflection — where the need consideration. One example — a re- not invite reflection — my own high school focusing in education.
Reefer madness
Americans spent an untaxed $360 billion maintained a marijuana lifetime-usage rate Let’s be honest — the real reason there
out of their own pockets in the last 10 years of 22 percent among adolescents and adults, is such staunch opposition to the legaliza-
By Jared moffat to buy marijuana from illegal sources, gen- nearly half that of the United States, which tion of marijuana is not because it is a dan-
erating profits for criminal gangs and violent has a usage rate of 41 percent. In fact, one ger to society, but because it is perceived as
Guest Columnist cartels. Dutch official is quoted as saying, “We suc- a threat to the dominant discourse of power.
And all of this for what? Because, in the ceeded in making pot boring.” Marijuana is a mild psychedelic — a drug
past decade, illicit drug use rates have not Secondly, the continued decline in tobac- that expands one’s consciousness — that has
On the evening of Sept. 7, 2010, a crowd of significantly changed — 81 to 90 percent of co use among Americans is proof that sen- been repeatedly associated with the counter-
at least 50 Brown students huddled in Way- high school seniors said in 2009 it was easy sible regulations, coupled with honest and culture movement, alternative lifestyles and
land Arch, all raising their hands in unison. to obtain marijuana. Drug cartels that are empirically based public education, can be creativity. Hence, marijuana is associated
After an hour-long debate, they were an- estimated to make anywhere from 15 to 60 effective in lowering and preventing the use with deviance.
swering the question posed by the Janus Fo- percent of their profits from marijuana have of substances. So will more people use mari- This association is used as a pretext for
rum, “Should marijuana be legalized?” The become powerful enough to threaten the juana if it is legalized? It is hard to say, since the government’s fear-mongering televi-
affirmative response was nearly unanimous. sion commercials and politicians’ “tough
The audience judged the arguments for on crime” campaigns — attempts to justify
prohibition as hopelessly untenable. If I did the mass incarceration of non-violent mari-
not know any better, I might recommend Brown students are more politically motivated juana users. But even more disturbing is the
that the Janus Forum choose more contro- by rational debate than blind fear, hence they are fact that the war on marijuana dispropor-
versial issues. But according to an October tionately harms minority communities. Ac-
2010 Gallup poll, Americans are split nearly particularly able at understand the fundamental cording to a 2010 study, researchers found
50-50 on the issue of marijuana legalization. blacks were two to four times more likely to
So what gives? Why is there such a discrep- irrationality of the war on marijuana. be arrested for marijuana possession than
ancy between the opinions here versus those whites in California’s 25 largest counties.
throughout the country as a whole? And after the initial arrest, things get much
My theory is simple. Brown students are national sovereignty of our Latin American usage rates do not seem to have much to do bleaker. In Rhode Island, for example, a
more politically motivated by rational de- neighbors. with whether the drug is legal or illegal. black person arrested for marijuana is eight
bate than blind fear, hence they are particu- Somehow, the prohibitionists want to The second even more dubious prem- times more likely to serve prison time than
larly able at understand the fundamental ir- convince us that all of these costs are out- ise is that using marijuana is morally wrong his white counterpart.
rationality of the war on marijuana. You can weighed and justified by the risk of increas- and socially destructive, thus worth the in- As much as you might dislike marijuana
test my hypothesis for yourself. ing usage rates if marijuana were legalized. herent costs of prohibition. Let us be clear itself, the prohibition of marijuana is anoth-
In the past decade, over seven million This is generally the locus of controversy, — driving under the influence of anything is er thing entirely. The question you should
Americans were arrested for nothing more but let us recognize the two distinct issues dangerous, and individuals must be held ac- ask yourself today, as you look out across the
than simple possession of marijuana, and conflated in this anti-legalization tactic. The countable for their actions. But by what au- Main Green at 4:20 p.m. is, “Do I really feel
hundreds of thousands of college students first premise asserted here is that prohibi- thority does the government of a so-called threatened by these people?”
were denied federal financial aid because tion policies actually achieve lower usage liberal democracy have the right to punish
of marijuana arrests. In the past decade, rates than legal regulation. Empirical evi- citizens for using a relatively benign psycho-
the American government spent $150 bil- dence casts serious doubt on this claim. active drug, when its use creates little harm Jared Moffat ’13 supports H5591, H5031
lion fighting the War on Drugs, alongside First, the Netherlands — where cannabis to the citizens themselves and no harm to and S270 and can be contacted at
the $250 billion spent by state governments. has been practically legal for 30 years — has others? jared_moffat@brown.edu.
Daily Herald Campus News
the Brown Wednesday, April 20, 2011