Daily
the Brown
vol. cxlvi, no. 26
City looks to renegotiate
tax agreement with U.
By Claire Peracchio
City & State Editor
Colleges and universities in Provi-
dence may have to contribute more
revenue to the city as part of a
sweeping series of measures to
address the city’s two-year, $180
million budget deficit, Mayor An-
gel Taveras announced yesterday.
The announcement came on
the heels of a report issued by the
Municipal Finance Review Panel,
which Taveras convened to exam-
ine the city’s finances in January.
The report stated that city officials
should consider taxing Univer-
sity dormitories and establishing
a mandatory student residence
fee. It also suggests increasing the
amount the University voluntarily
contributes for city services and
requiring students to register their
cars with the city.
Taveras announced he would
demand new agreements with cur-
rently tax-exempt universities and
hospitals. “There is a critical need
for tax-exempt property owners to
contribute more,” the report states.
In 2009, when the city’s deficit
was $17 million, former Provi-
dence Mayor David Cicilline ’83
proposed similar measures. His
proposals met heavy opposition
from the University and its allies
and ultimately died in the state
legislature.
But this time around the city’s
financial woes are more dire, and
B ac k f r o m a b r o a d
Michael Dawkins ‘12 , one of the two Brown students evacuated from Egypt
in February, spoke Thursday as part of a Janus Forum conversation.
editor’s note
Due to an error on the part of Herald editors during the production
process, yesterday’s Herald did not include an issue of Post- Magazine.
The issue that should have run is inserted in today’s Herald. The edi-
tors apologize to the staff of Post- and to our readers for the mistake.
news...................2-3
inside
Sports................4-5
editorial..............6
Opinions................7
Arts.........................8
the new mayor is willing to take a
hard line on fiscal cuts.
Thursday’s press conference
was the first Dan Egan had heard
of the suggested fees. As the
president of the Association of
Independent Colleges of Rhode
Island — a group that lobbies for
the state’s private educational in-
stitutions — he said it was likely
the first Brown administrators had
heard of the recommendations as
well.
Hurricane strength
Providence faces a deficit of
$110 million next year and $70
million this year. “I thought we
were maybe at a Category 3 hur-
ricane,” Taveras said Thursday at
a press conference. “We’re a Cat-
egory 5. It’s much worse than I
expected.”
He projected broad-based
spending reductions, beginning
with immediate 10 percent cuts to
his salary and his office’s budget.
The report suggests further areas
for cuts, including negotiations
with currently tax-exempt institu-
tions in the city.
Administrators from Provi-
dence universities and hospitals
have been discussing fiscal issues
with city officials since Taveras
took office. The city will ask for
“additional assistance” from these
currently tax-exempt institutions,
continued on page 3
Evan Thomas / Herald
Post-
tries Whipahol, gets weird
with Shakespeare
Post-, inside
Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011
Harry Zolnierczyk ‘11, a standout forward, leads the men’s hockey team with 16 goals and a 31 points.
Zolnierczyk ’11 named Ivy player of the year
By Ethan McCoy
Assistant Sports Editor
Men’s hockey captain Harry Zol-
nierczyk ’11 was named the Ivy
League Player of the Year yesterday,
one day before the Bears travel to
Quinnipiac for a best-of-three se-
ries in the first round of the ECAC
playoffs.
“It’s definitely a great honor to
win that award and be even men-
tioned in the same category as some
of the hockey players that have won
it in the past,” Zolnierczyk said.
Zolnierczyk is just the fourth
ROTC reinstated on
Harvard’s campus
By Mark Raymond
Senior Staff Writer
For the first time in nearly 40 years,
the Naval Reserve Officers’ Train-
ing Corps will be recognized on
Harvard’s campus, according to a
statement released by the school
yesterday.
Harvard President Drew Faust
will sign an official agreement with
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus today
that will re-establish the Naval ROTC
program on campus upon the offi-
cial repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,”
which prevents openly gay men and
women from serving in the military.
Since repeal of the controversial
law, many institutions — including
Brown — that had previously banned
ROTC began debating the possibility
of its return. Harvard is the first Ivy
League school to officially announce
a reinstatement of the program.
Under the new agreement, Har-
vard will instate a Naval ROTC di-
rector for the school and provide
funding for students in the program,
though training will take place at
the nearby Massachusetts Institute
D&C
Harvard gets a cubic
zirconium —
player in Brown history to take
home the award, putting him in
an elite group of Bears with Mike
Brewer ’92, Ryan Mulhern ’96 and
Yann Danis ’04. Mulhern and Denis
went on to play in the NHL.
“The Ivy League has been
around for a long time, and there
have been some very, very good
players that have come through,”
said Head Coach Brendan Whittet
’94. “I think that leaves him in the
upper echelon of players that have
worn the Brown uniform. He’s in
that elite tier of player.”
NHL teams seem to think so,
of Technology.
“Our renewed relationship af-
firms the vital role that the mem-
bers of our Armed Forces play in
serving the nation and securing our
freedoms, while also affirming inclu-
sion and opportunity as powerful
American ideals,” Faust said.
But Chair of the Harvard Trans
Task Force Jia Hui Lee said the an-
nouncement was a “rude shock” to
transgender advocates, who say the
military’s policies violate the school
nondiscrimination code, despite the
repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“Since Harvard prides itself of
being one of the leading institutions
in the U.S., this sets a very dangerous
precedent for other schools to dis-
regard their (transgender) students,”
Lee said. He is organizing a protest
that will take place outside Faust’s
office this afternoon as she signs the
agreement.
Faust also announced the forma-
tion of a committee that will imple-
ment not only the Naval ROTC
program but also future ROTC
programs from other branches of
the military.
weather
­ find out why
diamonds & coal, 6
Since 1891
Jonathan Bateman / Herald
too. Professional scouts have come
to watch him play, and several NHL
franchises are expected to give Zol-
nierczyk — an undrafted college
free agent — offers after the season
ends.
“I think he plays a style and a
game that’s going to translate well
to the next level,” Whittet said. “He’s
going to have a lot of different op-
portunities as soon as our season
ends with ... NHL teams that are
in line to try to bid for his services.
He’s a free agent, which is a great
continued on page 2
U. names
new dean of
engineering
By Alex Bell
News Editor
Lawrence Larson, chair of the Uni-
versity of California at San Diego’s
electrical and computer engineering
department, will take the reigns from
Interim Dean of Engineering Rod
Clifton as the inaugural dean of the
engineering school next year.
“In some ways, we’ve come to
the end of the beginning,” Clifton
said after Thursday’s announcement.
“Now is when the real development
work for the school begins.”
Clifton was appointed interim
dean of the engineering school fol-
lowing its conversion last year from
the Division of Engineering.
“I can’t wait to hit the ground run-
ning,” Larson said. Originally from
Washington, D.C., he said received
the offer to move back East from
Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98 a
few weeks ago. When he takes office
in July, he will work with faculty to
hire more professors, expand course
continued on page 3
t o d ay tomorrow
36 / 29 49 / 40
2 Campus News The Brown Daily Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011

calendar NHL teams to court Zolnierczyk ’11

Today March 4 ToMORROW March 5
continued from page 1 in terms of his ability to get up and Zolnierczyk has registered a
8 p.m. 4 p.m. down the ice. The other thing he team-high 31 points and 16 goals
“As You Like It,” Chorus Concert, position for Harry to be in.” does very well is that he’s a fear- so far this season, eight of which
Stuart Theatre 175 Mathewson Street Whittet said his captain’s tenac- less kid. He’ll go to the areas that were against Ivy League opponents
ity and skating ability are already at he needs to go to in order to score — more than any other player in the
9 p.m. 5 p.m.
a professional level. goals — to score gritty goals, to pick league. One of those goals came in
IMPROVidence Show, imPulse Dance Company Spring “He can skate like a National up rebounds. You take a beating the final minute of a game against
Salomon 001 Show, Alumnae Hall Hockey League player right now,” when you’re in that area, but he’s then-No. 1 Yale to give Brown a 3-2
Whittet said. “He’s an absolute ef- willing to do that, and that’s a pretty upset Jan. 16.

menu fortless skater and a powerful kid special attribute.” Zolnierczyk credited the support
of his family and coaches through-

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Zucchini Frittata, Onion Rings, Hot
Pastrami Sandwich, Raspberry Swirl
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DINNER
Manicotti Piedmontese, Curried
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Cr ossword
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Chicken Fingers, Vegan Rice Pilaf,
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Sustainable Baked Stuffed Pollock,
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Daily Herald
the Brown out his career — from junior league
to summer workout programs —
with giving him the opportunity to
www.browndailyherald.com be the player he has become.
195 Angell St., Providence, R.I.
“The support of your family and
Ben Schreckinger, President Matthew Burrows, Treasurer friends helps you get through the
Sydney Ember, Vice President Isha Gulati, Secretary tough times that come along with
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the hockey and everything you deal
Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Fri- with in life,” Zolnierczyk said.
day during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once
during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free Zolnierczyk had to deal with
for each member of the community. two nearly goal-less seasons early
POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. in his career at Brown. He didn’t
Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I.
Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily.
Copyright 2011 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
score his first goal until the very
end of his sophomore season but
then exploded for 30 goals in his
editorial Business
(401) 351-3372 (401) 351-3360 final two years.
herald@browndailyherald.com gm@browndailyherald.com “I’ve definitely made some big
strides my last couple of years at
Brown,” Zolnierczyk said. “It took
me a little while to kind of figure
out college hockey. Recently, I’ve
been playing a little bit more of a
bigger role on the team. I think I
just started to run with that and
make good with the chances that
I’ve had.”
“The strides he’s made and has
been able to make are a tribute to
him and his work ethic,” Whittet
said. “He’s worked hard for the ac-
colades he’s now reaping and the
future that he hopefully has post-
Brown.”
Zolnierczyk was also named first
team All-Ivy. Defenseman Dennis
Robertson ’14, who was named
to the second team, was the only
other Bear to receive All-Ivy hon-
ors. Robertson contributed on both
sides of the ice during his rookie
campaign. As a member of the first-
line defense for most of the season,
Robertson scored six goals and was
especially potent on the power play.
“Dennis came in as a freshman,
and he certainly doesn’t play like a
freshman,” Whittet said. “He is an
elite-level defenseman in the east
and in the country right now. …
He’s been an absolute revelation,
not just for us, but for, I would
imagine, the ECAC and NCAA
hockey.”
The Brown Daily Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011 Campus News 3
Report suggests student residency fee School of Engineering
continued from page 1

Taveras’ Press Secretary David Or-

tiz wrote in an e-mail to The Her-
ald. “Everyone must share in the
sacrifice to put Providence back on
firm financial footing,” he wrote.
“We appreciate how challenging
the financial situation is in the city
— we have just been through two
years of significant reductions,”
wrote Marisa Quinn, vice presi-
dent of public affairs and Univer-
sity relations, in an e-mail to The
Herald. But the University had not
heard about most of the report’s
recommendations until it was
released. “We need to review the
report thoroughly and understand
better the mayor’s interest in and
receptivity to the range of recom-
mendations offered,” she wrote.
Exempt
Despite demanding some of the
nation’s highest property tax rates
from homeowners, Providence im-
poses no property taxes on build-
ings under academic use by non-
profit institutions. Instead, under a
2003 agreement, these institutions
contribute payments to the city in
lieu of taxes. Between 2005 and
2009, the University made between
$1.08 million and $1.1 million of
these payments annually. Uni-
versities do pay property taxes on
buildings not used for educational
purposes, totalling $3.34 million
for Brown for the 2009 fiscal year.
Given the city’s financial woes,
officials say current payments are
simply not enough. Though the
total value of property owned by
exempt institutions is about $3
billion, the city receives only $1.9
million in voluntary payments
each year, according to the report.
“Hospitals and colleges need to in-
crease or begin to make payments
for city services,” it reads.
But according to Egan, non-
profits are worth more to the city
than their contributions suggest.
Beyond the stated $1.9 million
contribution — and an additional
$6 million from properties under
non-educational use — he said
Brown and peer institutions are
key economic engines in the state.
Egan said he considers Thurs-
day’s report a statement of options,
not recommendations, for the
mayor. “We understand what (Tav-
eras) is up against,” he said. But
especially with regard to student
residency fees, Brown, Johnson
and Wales, Providence College and
the Rhode Island School of Design
“are not supportive of anything
that adds costs to the student.”
ties for property valued at over $20
million, up to 25 percent of the
standard tax rate.
and retiree health care benefits.
The city’s pension plan faces an
unfunded liability — the gap be-
hires Larson as dean
University administrators spoke tween the money promised its pen- continued from page 1 opportunities for undergraduates
out strongly against the proposals sioners and the funds set aside for as well as more first-year seminars
at that time. that purpose — of more than $800 offerings, work with other divisions and courses for non-concentrators
“Considering past and an- million. The unfunded liability for and set plans for new facilities. offered through the school. But in-
ticipated budget reductions, we its retiree health plan is nearly $1.5 A high priority will be expanding creasing the faculty as the engineer-
would be loathe to ask the Univer- million. The Providence Public the school into new areas includ- ing school grows will be no small
sity community to shoulder even School District faces a $40 mil- ing bioengineering, engineering task, Larson said. “We have to hire
greater sacrifices — particularly lion budget gap. involving health care and energy people who really fit in with the
not our students and their families, Taveras has not endorsed all of and sustainability. Larson said he culture here, but at the same time,
who work hard to plan and save for the report’s recommendations. But hopes to expand Brown’s entrepre- are brilliant scholars in their fields,”
higher education,” wrote President Taveras’ director of administration neurial studies program and offer he said.
Ruth Simmons in an e-mail to the Michael D’Amico chaired the five- more courses at the intersection of “Professor Larson has a strong
campus community in June of that person panel, indicating collabora- engineering with computer networks record of achievement as an engi-
year. Simmons urged members of tion with a top city administrator. and communications devices. neer in the private sector and as a
the Brown community to lobby D’Amico is in charge of the Clifton, the outgoing interim researcher and administrator in the
General Assembly leadership to city’s financial decisions and day- dean, said a major task for Larson academy,” President Ruth Simmons
maintain the University’s tax ex- to-day operations. And, based on will be assisting the development said in a press release announcing the
emption. Taveras’ tone, he may soon oversee office to raise funds to support ad- appointment. “He will be a skillful
extensive cuts. ditional faculty and a new building and committed leader as our new
A darker picture Decisive action is needed to housing more offices and research School of Engineering grows, de-
Since 2009, the city’s finances “save our city from financial catas- laboratories. velops and realizes its full potential.”
have continued to deteriorate. Ac- trophe,” Taveras said at yesterday’s He added he expects the whole Larson’s research has focused
cording to yesterday’s Providence conference. University to benefit from growth on semiconductors used in wire-
Journal, a Jan. 31 quarterly assess- in the engineering school. As fac- less devices and microelectronics,
ment of the city’s fiscal outlook — With additional reporting by ulty and facilities increase, Clifton the study of small wireless devices
by Cicilline’s former administra- Herald staff said he anticipates more research like cell phones.
tion director estimated a $587,000
surplus for the current fiscal year.
Cicilline parried accusations
yesterday that he deliberately
obscured the state of the city’s fi-
nances while in office.
Taveras has already ignited con-
troversy over his efforts to address
the city’s deficit. Last Thursday,
he issued dismissal notices to all
Providence teachers. He plans to
announce four to six school clos-
ings next Monday and to alert
teachers at closed schools if they
are still employed in the next two
weeks. He has already implement-
ed a hiring freeze for city positions
and has laid off 13 city workers.
In addition to shortfalls in its
operating budget, the city also
faces looming obligations to its
employees in the form of pensions

‘Fair Share’
In 2009, Cicilline introduced
two budget-cutting measures
similar to the residence fee and
property tax raise cited in Thurs-
day’s report.
He recommended what he
called “Fair Share” legislation,
which would have levied a student
tax of $150 per semester or $100
per trimester for all out-of-state
students.
A second bill outlined a prop-
erty tax for non-profits. The legis-
lation would have taxed hospitals
and private colleges and universi-
4 Sports Friday
W. Lacrosse
Bruno can’t keep up with
Terriers’ scoring streaks
By Sam Wickham
Contributing Writer
The women’s lacrosse team (1-1)
suffered a 15-8 loss against high-
scoring Boston University (1-1)
Tuesday at home. Though Bruno
got out to an early 2-1 lead, the
Terriers responded with the first
of two major scoring streaks that
put the Bears down in their home
opener.
Brown got off to a promising
start with an unassisted goal by
Danielle Mastro ’14 just 1:37 after
the opening faceoff. But the Ter-
riers struck back just 13 seconds
later, evening the score at one
apiece. After back-and-forth pos-
sessions, attacker Julia Keller ’12
scooped up the ball in the crease
and assisted Kaela McGilloway
’12 to give the Bears a 2-1 lead.
The Terriers again answered
quickly when Sidney Godett
scored a free-position goal
about a minute later. Godett’s
goal sparked a 5-0 scoring run
for the Terriers over the next six
minutes. McGilloway stopped the
bleeding with her second goal of
the game, bringing the score to
6-3 with nine minutes remaining
in the half.
But BU continued scoring with
a 6-0 run that bridged the half-
time pause. Bruno finally cut the
deficit 10 minutes into the second
half after another Mastro goal,
bringing the score to 12-4. The
Bears tried to claw back into the
Letters, please!
letters@browndailyherald.com
game with three strikes from tri-
captain Paris Waterman ’11 and
another from Grace Healy ’14,
but the attack was offset by three
more BU tallies, bringing the final
score to 15-8.
Brown held the advantage in
shots taken, recording 35 attempts
to the Terriers’ 21.
“I think we needed to finish
some opportunities we had nice
and early,” said Head Coach Keely
McDonald ’00. “It’s great to get
35 shots a game, and we need to
finish on those to make the score
more even.”
The Bears didn’t help their
cause by earning 10 yellow cards
in the game. BU capitalized on
four free-position shots after
penalties committed in the eight-
meter crease by Brown.
“Defensively, we had a lot of
unfortunate calls that put them on
the eight-meter,” said tri-captain
Alexa Caldwell ’11. “I think that
really put us behind in the first
half.”
The Bears will look to build on
Tuesday’s performance in their
Ivy League opener against Co-
lumbia Saturday at 1 p.m.
“Our work ethic, our heart and
our hustle for the entire 60 min-
utes … was extremely positive,”
McDonald said.
“We have our first Ivy opener
Saturday,” Caldwell added, “so we
really just have to take away the
positives from this game and just
start focusing on that.”
The Pains of Contraction
By Sam Sheehan
Sports Columnist
I’ve oftentimes wondered what any
offspring of mine would be like.
Actually, let me rephrase that. I’ve
often wondered what any offspring
of mine would be like, until I re-
member that any of my poor sons
will be doomed by the staggering
number of unflattering dominant
genes I have. Well, I can only as-
sume they are dominant. If my
spawn are scrawny, nerdy, sports
fans, possess a quiet love for The
Weepies with little to no sarcasm
and read a ton of Redwall books,
then that matter will be settled.
But I guess most of my curiosity
involving my children stems from
one central issue. It’s not, “What am
I going to do when my daughter
brings home Kyle the motorcycle
enthusiast at two in the morning?”
Or, “What’s the best way to duck
the birds and the bees talk until my
wife is forced to pick up the slack?”
Or even, “Tommy is almost 11 now,
should we really put our foot down
about potty training him?”
No. My interest is in the actual
process of childbirth or, more
specifically, how in the name of
Bill Russell do women do this? It
consists of hours of debilitating
pain, and at the end of it, you have
the most responsibility you’ve ever
had in your life. Meanwhile, your
spouse is flitting about, not really
knowing what to do with them-
selves and, if I know myself at all,
eating Funny Bones.
My point is this: Contractions
are painful, but they are necessary.
People who read this column for
actual sports and not me making
underhanded jokes about myself
can wake up from their comas now.
If you are a fan of basketball,
you’ve probably heard the rum-
blings of the possibility of contrac-
tion in the league in the next year
or two. With aimless franchises
hemorrhaging money because of
poor management and ownership
— the Bobcats look at the ground
and shuffle their feet — and suc-
cessful franchises bleeding that
same cash due to an inexplicable
lack of fan interest — Chris Paul
cries a single, pearly tear — it seems
apparent that basketball’s 30 teams
are due for some chops somewhere.
But where is the blame here?
The collective bargaining agree-
ment is running out, and regard-
less, owners are going to be greedy
and push for as much as they can
get. I’ll be shocked if all 30 teams
make it through the next four years
intact, so where can the upcoming
team-less city point fingers?
There are all kinds of factors,
but, for once, something bad
doesn’t actually start with the
owners. Instead, it starts with the
players.
In today’s age of scrutiny and
communication, talented young
players are flagged from a young
age and many take part in all
kinds of youth programs catered
to their level of talent. Most notable
among these is the Amateur Ath-
letic Union. The league allows all
of the future superstars of the NBA
to make friends with each other
at a young age. Notable current
NBA stars who played Amatuer
Athletic Union ball include Kobe
Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris
Paul, Dwight Howard, Paul Pierce
and — drumroll please — Miami’s
own LeBron James, Dwyane Wade
and Chris Bosh.
Now, the Heat aren’t the only
ones guilty of loading a roster of
superstars. My own Boston Celtics
did it and so did the Los Ange-
les Lakers. The difference is that
those teams were built through
trades and development of young
players. Not through a free agent
conspiracy.
With the recent splash the
Knicks made for Carmelo Anthony,
they entered the championship
conversation over the next five
years. They also created yet another
team loaded with superstars.
See what I’m saying?
With the exception of teams like
the Bulls and the Mavs, there are
very few “old-school” basketball
teams left. By old school, I mean
teams with an alpha dog, a guy who
defines the team and gathers his
troops around him to stick it to
the other alpha dogs. I’m talking
about guys like Wilt, Russell, Ka-
reem, Bird, Magic and Jordan. All
of those guys had great role players
around them, but no one would
argue that Jerry West was the face
of the Lakers or that Scottie Pippen
defined the Bulls.
As much as I hate to say it, the
closest we have is Kobe, and his
Lakers teams of late. But as his
knees and body slip, and Odom
and Gasol pick up more and
more of the workload, even they
are turning into a team where it’s
not clear who is running the show.
Allen, Pierce, Garnett or Rondo?
Wade or James? Melo or Amare?
Even the question of Westbrook or
Durant has gained steam during
this season.
All of these guys are capable of
being the face of a franchise, but
when you load them all onto one
team, you take away from teams
that are badly in need of stars. Look
at the teams that were left behind.
The Brown Daily Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Suns are tanking with an el-
derly Steve Nash. The Nuggets are
years away from contending. The
Timberwolves are abysmal. The
Raptors are all but crushed. The
Cavaliers are eligible for disaster
relief under Red Cross standards.
Even then, we have players be-
ing lured away from good teams in
supposedly boring cities to more
attractive cities, where they band
together to create powerhouses.
We saw it with Deron Williams,
who made it clear he didn’t want
to stay in Utah. We saw it with
LeBron, who wanted to hang in
the sand with his buddies. We saw
it with Melo, who was captivated
by the bright lights of the city. We
will probably see it with Dwight
Howard in a couple of years. Even
the martyr that is Chris Paul can
only take so much and will likely
end up in Brooklyn or New York.
No one is saying, “Yeah, I’ll play
in Charlotte or Minnesota for six
years rather than take a negligible
pay cut and play with my friends
in New York.”
Am I saying that all the teams
either being great or terrible is a
bad thing? No. We just saw the
most even and closely-matched
NFL season ever, but it was also
the worst and most boring in recent
memory.
The problem is the total lack
of hope on the horizon for these
teams. The Timberwolves have
been so bad for so long that it’s
hard to see how on Earth they
can climb out of their hole. On the
other side of the coin, the Hornets
have been good, but no one comes
to their games because New Or-
leans is still holding a memorial
service for Drew Brees’ abilities as a
quarterback. The Bobcats made the
playoffs last year and then toppled
back into the toilet. As this goes on
longer and more money is lost, the
chances of these teams surviving
dwindles.
Maybe there is relocation —
Vancouver is interested and I know
a Pittsburgh NBA franchise would
be profitable ­— but at the end of
the day, there are too many teams
and not enough stars. Chris Paul
has kept the Hornets alive almost
single-handedly, and Garnett kept
the Timberwolves in business for
a while, but the clock is running
out. If we don’t see a lower hard
salary cap by the end of the col-
lective bargaining talks, there will
be blood.
Thank your lucky stars Thunder
fans — and take another swig of
bourbon, Sonics mourners — you
have Kevin Durant to save your
small-market team.
Remember how Tim Duncan
got you this far, Spurs fans, and
hold on to your reverence for him.
Pretend to care for the next
three months, Hornets fans, it’s the
least you can do for Chris Paul. He
did the best he could.
Sam Sheehan ’12 wants to
thank Kendrick Perkins. You
don’t deserve this, big guy,
and we’ll always love you. Talk
sports or mourn your city’s
team with him at sam_shee-
han@brown.edu or follow him
on Twitter @SamSheehan.
The Brown Daily Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011
Athlete of the week
Hudgins ‘14, Herald Athlete of the Week, led women’s lacrosse to a 21-8 victory.
Hudgins ’14 scores
five in first game
By Tony Bakshi
Sports Editor
Bre Hudgins ’14 stormed out of the
gate in her collegiate debut, scoring
five goals in a 21-8 shellacking of
Sacred Heart last Saturday in the
women’s lacrosse season opener.
The Syracuse, N.Y. native now looks
ahead to her first career Ivy League
game tomorrow against Columbia.
For her impressive first performance
in a Brown uniform, The Herald
has named Hudgins Athlete of the
Week.
How were you feeling before your
first collegiate game?
Our coaches make us really
prepared for our games, and we
know what to expect. We’re given
a game, so we’re all on the same
page, and we’re really prepared. I
was just really excited to get our
season started.
How did you score the first of your
five goals?
The first goal was, like, acciden-
tal. Paris (Waterman ’11) passed
me the ball, and I kind of shot but
got pushed at the same time, so it
luckily got past the goalie. But it was
still nice. As an offense, we’ve been
working all year. We’ve just been re-
ally focused on having a very potent
attack, so that way, there are just so
many options. Everything seemed
to be working for us on Saturday.
What was it like after the game?
When I saw some of the guy
lacrosse players, they made a big
deal out of it. But everyone else —
as long as we got the win, it didn’t
really matter. My mom was really
excited.
What are you expecting from your
first Ivy League game on Saturday?
We have, like, Bear families. I’ve
talked to my big Bear, Paris Water-
man, a lot, and she just says that
when we play Ivy games, they’re
just so different than any regular
game just because no one wants
to lose an Ivy game. It’s just really
intense. I’m really excited — it’s not
our first game, it’s not our first home
game, but it’s not just a regular game
Sports Friday 5
Gymnastics
Bears place third at Ivy Classic
By Sam Sheehan more comfortable with our routines when Southern Connecticut Univer-
Sports Staff Writer and even trying to add some extra sity and Bridgeport University travel
difficulty for the remaining meets.” to the Pizzitola Center for Bruno’s
The gymnastics team took third place Binkley wrote. “We have been doing senior night. The meet is slated to
in the four-team Ivy League Classic at a lot of numbers in practice in order begin at 12:30 p.m.
Penn Sunday, topping Yale but falling to increase our confidence with every “We love the rowdy cheering,”
to Penn and Cornell. The Quakers led routine going into ECACs.” Binkley wrote. “It’s always great to
the scoring with 191.950 points. The The team will host its second see all our fans come out and sup-
Big Red, Bruno and the Bulldogs fol- home meet of the season Sunday, port us.”
lowed with scores of 190.550, 188.900
and 185.550, respectively.
It was a solid day for Bruno, with
the floor exercise corps leading the
charge. Michelle Shnayder ’14 was
Bruno’s highest overall scorer and
also did best in the floor with an
impressive 9.825 performance that
Jesse Schwimmer / Herald earned second place.
“She really stepped up on floor
and started our floor team off
with our highest score,” co-captain
Chelsey Binkley ’11 wrote in an e-
mail to The Herald. “Usually the
scores build with every routine, so
starting off with the highest score is
a great accomplishment.”
either. Binkley put together an impres-
sive meet of her own, scoring a 9.600
Why did you choose to come to on the bars and grabbing a sixth-
Brown? place finish for the Bears. She also
It was definitely the team. Talk- placed second on the team in the
ing to (Head Coach) Keely (Mc- vault, with her 9.475-point, ninth-
Donald ’00), just all the oppor- place performance that finished
tunities that my class has and the behind teammate Katie Goddard’s
people coming next year. Just the ’12 seventh-place, 9.525 point-effort.
opportunity to make the Brown la- Emily Lutfey ’13 was Bruno’s top
crosse program something special athlete in the beam, scoring 9.750
— it’s an opportunity that I’ve never for third place.
had before because my high school The meet provided another op-
was just really good at lacrosse to portunity for the Bears to hone their
begin with. But just the chance to routines as they continue to work
make Brown into a better program toward their ultimate goal of winning
is great. an ECAC conference championship.
“We are definitely getting much
Who is your favorite professional
athlete?
I’ve never really thought about it
before. But we got these quotes this
comics
year for our locker room, and my Cloud Buddies! | David Emanuel
quote is from Serena Williams. It
talks about how she has attitude and
always goes out hard. So if I had to
pick one, I’d pick her because she’s
really made a name for herself and
isn’t afraid to be who she is on the
tennis court.
What’s been the best part about
Brown so far?
It’s so hard to pick! Besides
chicken finger Friday because that
doesn’t really count, my favorite Dr. Bear | Mat Becker
thing would probably have to be
— well, not the people, but kind of
the people. Just how there’s no dif-
ference. I have really good friends
who are on the lacrosse teams and
really good friends who aren’t on
the team. It’s really nice to not have
to deal with the whole jocks and not
jocks type of stuff.
Did you have any women’s lacrosse
players you looked up to when you
were younger? Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline
My high school has a lacrosse
camp, so all the college girls — now
that I’m one of them, it’s kind of
weird — but all the college girls
come back. There’s a girl who played
at University of Connecticut and
now she’s a coach at Syracuse Uni-
versity. Her name is Shannon Burke.
She’s still, to this day, one of the best
lacrosse players I’ve ever seen. She
was always someone I looked up to.
6 Editorial & Letter The Brown Daily Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011

diamonds & coal Editorial comic by erik stayton and

A diamond to Post- Magazine. We love you forever. evan donahue
A diamond to Professor of History Gordon Wood, who received
a National Humanities Medal from President Obama at the White
House Wednesday. Our boy is wicked smahht.

A diamond to the parents of the baseball team’s newest catcher,

whose name is Wes Van Boom.

Coal to the student activities endowment, which has made no

progress toward it’s goal of raising $17 million to eliminate the student
activities fee since receiving an initial gift of $100,000 two years ago. We
hear that at Harvard they pay the students to participate in activities.

A diamond to the three squirrels who have found their way into
dormitories this year. We hear that at Harvard squirrels get their own
dorms.

A cubic zirconium to the school in Cambridge that announced

yesterday that the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps will be welcome
back on its campus. We hear that it was Harvard.

Coal to the Department of Public Safety for doing too little too
late by stationing six police officers to protect the Jewelry District
starting this summer. Have they been to the Jewelry District lately?
The jewelry’s already gone.

A diamond to string theorist Brian Greene, who told an audience

in MacMillan 117 Wednesday about “the possibility that our universe
is like a single grain of sand on this huge beach of universes.” We look
forward to your guest lecture in MRJNA 0900: “Dude, Want to Hear
Something Nuts?”

A diamond to Ahmed Shawki MA’77, who told an audience in

letter to the editor

Barus and Holley Wednesday that “Egypt, the country, is rising.” Let’s
see the global warming alarmists explain that.

Coal to the e-mail scam that hit campus Monday attempting to

get students to reveal their user identifications, passwords and dates
of birth. Nice try, but we actually know a Nigerian prince in Buxton.
LGBTQ activists hypocritical on ROTC
To the Editor: made me question their true agenda.
A cubic zirconium to Professor of Geological Sciences Peter Schultz I agree that the military’s different treatment of
who described the NASA mission Stardust-NeXT, which was designed The campus-wide debate on the issue of reinstating individuals based on sexual preference is wrong, but
to get pictures of a comet, as “like finals here at Brown.” Correct, in that the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps has changed my that is not the issue we are dealing with at Brown. Po-
it involved “stardust” and the realization that a huge sum of money opinion of certain student groups and my opinions of tential members of ROTC will be joining for reasons
was being spent to get something nice to look at. some members of our student body. Specifically, I am that do not include enhancing this injustice. The ROTC
appalled at how some gay-rights activists have publicly debate is not the arena to be protesting for equality
And finally, a diamond to Associate Dean of Biological Sciences attacked the idea of reinstating ROTC because of the for all sexual preferences.
Marjorie Thompson’74 PhD’79 P’02 P’07 P’09 P’12 P’14. fact that there are definite, unfair restrictions on LG- I have no argument against either financial or ad-
BTQ individuals in the military. I used to think better ministrative considerations that suggest that ROTC
of the gay-rights activists in this school. I thought they should not be reinstated. As a supporter of gay rights,
stand for freedom of choice, and they believe in a world but not a member of the gay community, and a sup-
where the majority does not impose their viewpoints porter of reinstating ROTC, but not a prospective
on the community in its entirety or restrict individual member, this decision does not affect me as much as
freedoms. Yet, it seems that the gay-rights activists are it affects others. I am just disappointed that a com-
trying to impose their viewpoints on individuals who munity about equality for all has been advocating for
want to take part in ROTC. The school has no right to limiting the personal freedoms of others within the
prevent people who want to join ROTC from doing Brown community, and I believe that any arguments
so just as much as our government has no right to about making a statement should be thrown out the
prevent people who want to engage in gay marriage window in the ROTC debate.
from doing so. The fact that some gay-rights activists
in this school have failed to see this inconsistency has Scott Friedlander ’12
t h e b r ow n da i ly h e r a l d
Editors-in-Chief
Sydney Ember
Deputy Managing Editors
Brigitta Greene
Senior Editors
Dan Alexander
quote of the day
“This sets a very dangerous precedent for other
Ben Schreckinger Anne Speyer Nicole Friedman
Julien Ouellet
editorial Business

”
Kristina Fazzalaro Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager
Luisa Robledo Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Burrows Shawn Reilly
Rebecca Ballhaus
Claire Peracchio
City & State Editor
City & State Editor
Isha Gulati
Directors
schools to disregard their trans students.
Talia Kagan Features Editor
Aditi Bhatia Sales
Hannah Moser
Alex Bell
Features Editor
News Editor
Danielle Marshak
Margot Grinberg
Finance
Alumni Relations
— Jia Hui Lee, Chair of the Harvard Trans Task Force
Nicole Boucher News Editor
Tony Bakshi
Ashley McDonnell
Sports Editor
Sports Editor
Lisa Berlin
Managers
Special Projects
See rotc on page 1.
Ethan McCoy Asst. Sports Editor Hao Tran National Sales
Tyler Rosenbaum Editorial Page Editor Alec Kacew University Department Sales
Hunter Fast Opinions Editor Siena deLisser University Student Group Sales
Michael Fitzpatrick Opinions Editor Valery Scholem Recruiter Sales
C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy
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The Brown Daily Herald
Friday, March 4, 2011
By Anthony Badami
Opinions Columnist
At the heart of the Reserve Officers’ Train-
ing Corps debate is the question: Whom
does Brown University exist to serve? Os-
tensibly, it is the students, though the mis-
sion statement claims it’s “the community,
the nation and the world,” so perhaps it’s
one of those train-and-educate-the-stu-
dents-who-are-our-future kind of things.
Thus, it could be argued — and, indeed, has
been argued — that a necessary component
of serving the nation and the world is the
training of armed forces, which then raises
subsequent questions about military force,
state-sanctioned violence, humanitarian in-
terventionism etc.
A lot of the opposition towards ROTC,
especially at the Ivy League level, rests its
case on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
— which hasn’t actually been implemented
yet — and a lot of the concern surround-
ing that issue deals with the American mili-
tary as an institution — its treatment of ho-
mosexuals, women, minorities etc. There
are other charges, of course, most of which
are laid out cogently and incisively by the
Brown Coalition Against Special Privileg-
es for ROTC. But I’m not going to take up
these arguments or positions today. Instead,
what I’d like to do is talk about this ques-
tion in an honest and open way. What do
we really mean when we say we advocate or
oppose the formation of an ROTC program
Keeping my head down no longer
By Kathleen Braine
Guest Columnist
I learned a lot of valuable lessons at my in-
ternship at Planned Parenthood last sum-
mer. I learned how to navigate the Massa-
chusetts Bay Transit Authority subway in
Boston while wearing heels, the importance
of wearing breathable business-casual attire
during New England summers and how to
copy and collate reports while also doing
calf raises to optimize my time spent in the
office. But the most important lesson I took
from my time at Planned Parenthood had
nothing to do with corporate fashion or the
sweltering summer heat: Most importantly,
I learned how to ignore the ubiquitous pro-
testors.
Every morning when I approached the
door to the clinic I would turn the volume
on my iPod up to maximum and walk, head
down, past the crowds of nuns, college stu-
dents and yelling men, into the yellow circle
of safety that indicated that I could no lon-
ger be harassed. At first, the protestors often
thought that I was a patient of the clinic, and
so their cries would be plaintive appeals that
I save my baby, or come away to a safe place
with them. These were the easiest shouts for
me to ignore. Yet, once it became apparent
that I was the enemy — a harried co-ed in-
terning for the education department — the
protests became venomous.
“You’re a glorified maid! You’re hurting
women! You’re a bad person!”
As Planned Parenthood employees, we
Just saying
at Brown?
Let’s be real. ROTC trains students to
do a lot of different things, and one of the
central things it teaches is military tactics,
which really means, fundamentally, judi-
cious violence. That’s it. It becomes increas-
ingly complex once we go beyond this start-
ing point — a quick Wiki-skim reveals all
kinds of erudite terms and explications —
for example, economy of force, fortifica-
tions, electronic countermeasures, rapid
dominance, circumvallation, planned at-
I want to ask, honestly and directly, whether it’s a good
idea for Brown to train students to potentially hurt,
damage or kill other human beings.
tack. But the fundamental fact remains that
students are trained in the art of violence,
for the ends of the state, be it for noble or
not-so-noble reasons.
This is fine. There are times when a
country or a political community needs to
exercise collective violence against anoth-
er entity or persons to prevent things like
genocide, totalitarianism etc. But that’s not
the question I’m asking here. I want to ask,
honestly and directly, whether it’s a good
idea for Brown to train students to poten-
tially hurt, damage or kill other human be-
ings.
Some more honesty: When I see a uni-
formed member of our armed services tra-
were all trained rigorously in sensitivity,
and the best ways to ignore and disengage
protestors hurling such taunts. Even I, a
mere intern, had to spend hours watching
presentations on the different, but — as it
was often stressed — equally valid, world-
views of those who opposed Planned Par-
enthood and various forms of reproductive
health care. I was repeatedly instructed to
remain neutral while speaking to anyone
as an employee of Planned Parenthood. We
had to be respectful and calm, and we had
to avoid potential entrapment. Yet, now that
I no longer wear the mantle of Planned Par-
Stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding
will only deny them the capital needed to provide
contraceptive counseling and reproductive information
to people who wouldn’t normally be able to afford it.
enthood League of Massachusetts intern, let
me just say a few things that I have want-
ed to say for months, a few things that have
been boiling up and blistering inside me as I
watch television or read the news.
I am not, and have never been, hurting
women. You people who stand outside in
the scorching sun, verbally abusing people
who are trying to do what is best for their
families or themselves — you are hurting
women. You who so readily spend whole
days waiting to pounce on women when
Opinions 7
versing the Main Green, my first physical
and emotional reaction is a tinge of fear and
anxiety. Is this monstrous? Is it awful that
I’m not immediately flushed with feelings
of admiration and esteem? I have to say, I
feel extremely guilty about this. There are
countless ways in which I actually believe
the U.S. military is a righteous, courageous
and honorable force, so why is my gut re-
action to uniformed personnel so adverse?
There are a ton of reasons, and I don’t
want to get into any one specifically, but if
you’re willing to tolerate some word asso-
ciation, my explanatory hodgepodge would
resemble something like, Abu Ghraib, Iraq
and Afghanistan, authoritarian military re-
gimes, Indonesia, Vietnam — you under-
stand where I’m going with this.
Again, this is all totally unfair, and I rec-
ognize that, which is why I bring it up. I
am attempting to argue that we should not
let these distressing associations color our
views of the ROTC project. Instead, we
should revert, disinterestedly and calmly,
to the former question: Should Brown Uni-
versity teach students how to be judicious-
ly violent at the behest of American foreign
policy?
they are at their most vulnerable, when they
are emotional, distressed and scared — you
are hurting women. While I stuffed cases
with sexual education pamphlets for mid-
dle-schoolers to educate them on healthy
sexual relationships, steeped in mutual re-
spect and responsible disease prevention,
you stood outside of a clinic harassing
people. You can say you were doing it for a
cause, or you believe that abortion is mur-
der, but I can say right back to you that I be-
lieve hatred and cruelty are wrong no mat-
ter what your justification may be. You are
hurting women.
You, Lila Rose, who tries to trick hon-
est employees into proposing law-bending
solutions in order to discredit an institu-
tion that provides hundreds of thousands
of women with contraceptives and preven-
tion information yearly — you are hurting
women.
You, Representative Mike Pence (R-IN),
who sponsored a bill to deny funding to or-
ganizations that provide abortions in Amer-
ica — you are hurting women. Planned Par-
enthood doesn’t use government money
Look to the mission statement. Brown
holds that the best way to serve the com-
munity, the nation and the world is through
the exchange and preservation of knowl-
edge and the fostering of “free inquiry.” In
essence, a university education is about the
formation of principles — political, moral,
social or otherwise. Thus, if the ROTC proj-
ect hopes to be instituted, it must agree with
that objective.
Is the ROTC program ready to subject it-
self to curricular restraints? Are its instruc-
tors prepared to cooperate with their fellow
academics and administrators? Would it be
totally ludicrous to require ROTC to allow
students not intending to enter the armed
forces an opportunity to take a class in mil-
itary history, war ethics, tactics etc.? Are
ROTC recruiters and instructors open to
critical discussion about the subject matter
during office hours, lectures or seminars?
I’m not sure I know the answers to these
questions, but it seems to me they are im-
portant ones. If ROTC wants to make an ar-
gument for its implementation, it must ad-
dress these concerns, as well as justify how
its objectives align with the overall goal of
free knowledge and free exchange.
Again, the dispute could go either way.
This is still an open question. I only hope
that we can, from this point forward, talk
about the question in a real, non-euphemis-
tic way. I’m just saying.
Anthony Badami ’11 is a political
theory concentrator from Kansas City,
Mo. He can be contacted at
anthony_badami@brown.edu.
to fund abortions — they are already pro-
hibited from doing so. They use their own
funds gained through donations and their
own profits. Stripping Planned Parenthood
of federal funding will only deny them the
capital needed to provide contraceptive
counseling and reproductive information to
people who wouldn’t normally be able to af-
ford it.
You, Republicans in Congress, who are
creating drama over abortion to distract
voters from the fact that you have no new
ideas to fix the economic problems that
plague our nation — you are hurting wom-
en.
My boss, the women in my office and I,
who have worked long hours and fought for
the voiceless, are not hurting women. In a
way, I’m glad I no longer work for Planned
Parenthood because I can say these things to
you. The next time someone hurls such an
insult my way, I will not stand quietly by. As
a Planned Parenthood employee, I silently
endured such abuse daily. I did this because
the cause, and the people, that Planned Par-
enthood help every single day, are far more
important than my feelings in one instance.
Helping women is the most important goal.
So Republican congressmen, your votes
have been heard. But hear me now, with
no filter: You are hurting women, and you
should be ashamed of yourselves.
Kathleen Braine ’11.5 is a literary arts
concentrator from Columbus, OH, but
would prefer not to be associated with
Speaker of the House John Boehner
(R-OH). She can be contacted at
kathleen_braine@brown.edu
Daily Herald Arts & Culture
the Brown
Rachel Christopher and Joe Wilson Jr. star in the two-person play “Yellowman,” now running at Trinity Rep.
Two-person play not two-dimensional
By ben kutner
Staff Writer
It is easy to forget there are only two
actors in the cast of “Yellowman,”
Trinity Repertory’s current produc-
tion. The small cast seems anything
but sparse in Dael Orlandersmith’s
play, and the plot is anything but
two-dimensional.
“Yellowman,” set predominantly
in South Carolina, traces the rela-
tionship between Eugene (Joe Wil-
son Jr.) and Alma (Rachel Chris-
topher) through several decades.
The relationship struggles beneath
the weight of racial pressures and
societal expectations.
Eugene is a light-skinned black
man, referred to as a “yellowman.”
He is expected not to mingle with
the darker-skinned Alma. When
they befriend one another as chil-
dren in the 1960s, they are heedless
of their families’ suspicions and an-
ger towards the other’s status.
Eugene and Alma trade off re-
counting the profound experiences
in their lives — creating a play largely
comprised of monologues.
Each character tells of their own
family troubles, acting out the roles
of various family members. Both
actors pull this off spectacularly,
impersonating various men and
women with ease.
Through Eugene, Wilson acts out
the roles of his character’s father,
RISD Museum’s ‘Collision’ melds works, lacks cohesiveness
By Kathryn ThorNton
Senior Staff Writer
Covering a large wall of the Lower
Farago Gallery at the Rhode Island
School of Design Museum, the
slogan “What looks good today
may not look good tomorrow”
sums up “Collision” — an ephem-
eral experience that still seems
ready for change.
A giant amalgamation span-
ning the walls, floor and ceiling,
the exhibit brings together the
work of 17 different artists.
“Context is everything,” ac-
cording to artist Marilyn Minter,
quoted in the exhibit’s brochure.
“When one art piece is placed ad-
jacent to another, it completely
changes the meaning of both.”
There were no rules for the
artists’ pieces, which mesh and
overlap with other works in the
Photo courtesy of Trinity Repertory Company
mother and grandfather, each with
startling specificity and individuality.
The depiction of Eugene’s father,
a dark-skinned black man who has
risen into light-skinned black society
through hard work, is at once tragic
and hauntingly realistic. Eugene por-
trays his father as a heavy drinker
with little pride in his light-skinned
son. The audience sympathizes with
the fear that Eugene harbors towards
the man.
Alma’s most interesting feature
is the extreme transformation she
undergoes, from a poor South Caro-
lina farm hand to a worldly New
York urbanite. Christopher presents
this transformation largely through
varying her accent — for which she
has a true talent.
“I thought the acting was very
powerful,” said theatergoer Bob
D’Uva. “Rachel Christopher was
amazing.”
By trading off monologues and
occasionally speaking with one an-
other directly, the two characters
elaborate on the dangerous power
of family and race.
“We are made in the voice of
who tells the story most and in the
shape of those who we are told love
and hate us,” wrote Director Laurie
Carlos in the program notes.
The lighting is used to great ef-
fect. The opening scene finds the
stage bathed in a yellow light which
grows gradually stronger, like South
exhibit, reflecting this freedom.
It is the ultimate creative expres-
sion.
On one side of the gallery,
strands of tape covered in paint
drape the walls, with the roll of
masking tape still attached to
one strand. This detail gives the
feeling of incompleteness — an
exhibit that is still under con-
struction.
There were many blank, white
cubes in the exhibit. Some were
left empty, while others held
sculptures or were decorated. Ni-
cole Cherubini designed ceramic
corners for many of the blocks,
embellishing blank spaces with
bright colors and metallic geo-
metric figures.
“I love the lines, and I love the
mobiles,” said visitor Kaki Ac-
cola ’82, referring to Susan Jen-
ning’s metallic ornaments that
Carolina heat slowly stifling the the-
ater. When the plot shifts to New
York City, the light’s color is rapidly
shifting, accompanied by a mono-
logue in which Alma describes the
music of different cultures she en-
counters for the first time.
Music and sound effects are play-
ing quietly in the background nearly
constantly — a potentially annoy-
ing effect — though the acting and
plot are usually strong enough to
overpower the background sound.
Though the March 2 perfor-
mance was not entirely flawless —
several lines were mingled or spoken
at the wrong time — the quality of
the acting was not diminished, and
was extremely strong and heartfelt.
“Yellowman” is surely a challenge
for the actors, but Wilson and Chris-
topher pull it off with ease, finesse
and, at times, humor. The malle-
ability with which they treat their
voices, facial expressions and posture
as they assume the multiple roles is
memorable and something to be
praised.
“Yellowman” will be running at
Trinity Repertory Theater through
April 3.
Each actor demonstrates a true
capacity for assuming multiple
personalities, creating a plot that
keeps the audience guessing.
descend from the ceiling. She
also mentioned Jackie Saccoccio
and Nader Tehrani’s work “Tight
Imprisonment,” which consisted
of colored thread hanging down.
Another visitor, Alan Wood-
mansee, said he was “struck” by
Carl D’Alvia’s seemingly furry,
animal-like sculptures. D’Alvia’s
pieces were actually constructed
with bronze or resin, which made
their furry-ness even more strik-
ing.
Ebbing and flowing, the overall
exhibit shows true artistic col-
laboration, but, despite indi-
vidual talent, feels incomplete.
The ephemerality of “Collision”
results in a gallery full of unfin-
ished pieces.
“Collision” is open at the
Lower Farago Gallery at the
RISD Museum through Jun. 19.
Trees rot gracefully in
Sarah Doyle Gallery
By Suzannah weiss
Arts & Culture Columnist
Where do trees go after they die?
“Decadent Decay,” local artist Kat
Ely’s exhibit in the Sarah Doyle Gal-
lery, presents a few theories.
Ely extracts beauty from the pro-
cess of decay, mysterious in its loca-
tion between life and death, she wrote
in her artist statement.
This ambiguity is particularly vis-
ible in the plant kingdom. Animals —
with some notable exceptions — are
easy to classify as alive or dead. You
look, if you dare, at a creature or a
corpse. But if dead trees were called
corpses, nature would suddenly seem
morose.
Plants rot more gracefully, more
gradually. At what moment does a
tree stop dying and become officially
dead?
With “A Tree’s Ghost,” Ely creates
an intermediate stitch in time that
renders a tree part dead, part living.
In reality, the piece, like the rest of the
exhibit, is made of glass and metal —
materials neither alive nor dead. But
in appearance, the last, most inner
remains of a tree wither away inside
an encapsulating crystal, which has
replaced its former bark. This wood’s
decay is a process of revelation and
of disclosure.
“Ant Trail in a Tree,” “Glass Ant
Trails” and “Nine Miles” recreate the
indents left in dead trees by their in-
habitants and feeders. These trees’
decay is a process of giving, recall-
ing the popular children’s book “The
Giving Tree.” Even after they have
stopped generating oxygen and bear-
ing fruit, the organisms Ely depicts
provide food and shelter for insects
and other beings. It is sometimes said
that people outlive their usefulness,
but with trees, it’s the opposite. They
are useful long after they live.
Though the glass and metal sculp-
tures of bark are the most conceptu-
ally rich, flowers of the same medium
are more visually poignant. “Weeping
Dandelion,” wilted with glossy glass
beads hanging from its neck, mourns
the loss of its fellow field-dwellers
The RISD Museum exhibit “Collision” combines the work of 17 artists.
Friday, March 4, 2011
inhabiting the graveyard gallery. On
the opposite side of the room, two
sunflowers bolster a delicate glass
case of wisps of a dandelion at a dif-
ferent stage in its life cycle. “Three
Wishes” displays the hope this flower
carries on children’s breath after its
yellow has faded.
The paradox of a room full of
sights associated with life and the
imminent advent of spring, yet at
the same time addressing mortality,
is evident in the crisp contrast of each
piece’s shadow on the surrounding
white wall.
These interpretations, though,
came only with careful consideration
of Ely’s alleged goals. Simply seeing
the exhibit, it was difficult to say what
it was about.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s a mark
of success when a viewer derives
meaning from artwork that the art-
ist did not mean to convey. After all,
looking at abstract art is an activity
fit for a solopsist — one’s impressions
of an image matter far more than the
purpose for which it was created.
The problem occurs, though, when
the viewer extracts less from a piece
than the artist intended. Much of
“Decadent Decay” is overly literal. It
is hard to read anything into “Gano-
derma Applanatum,” a sculpture of a
tree trunk with an unidentified glass
figure attached to it, other than, well,
tree-trunk-with-glass-attached-to-it.
But to return to the original
question, where do trees go after
they die? They don’t go — they stay.
They nestle in forests and unfold,
offering animals shelter. They reveal
pieces of themselves unknown dur-
ing their lifetimes.
And as for the issue of the af-
terlife, humans will be left to create
the remaining folklore. Plants don’t
care enough to ask. Perhaps people
have something to learn from giv-
ing trees. They aren’t scared to die
— they know their usefulness will
outlive them.
“Decadent Decay” runs through
March 24 at the Sarah Doyle
Women’s Center Gallery.
Carol Cutler / Herald