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2018 Parent Survival Guide
Posted on 01 June 2018.
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McConaughey visits Longhorn clubhouse
Posted on 01 June 2018.
As the Longhorns awaited the announcement of their regional opponents on the NCAA Selection Show on Monday morning, they were surprised by a special guest.
Matthew McConaughey walked through the doors of Texas’ clubhouse, offering the Longhorns a few words of wisdom as they prepare to host a regional for the first time since 2011.
“It’s go time. You played all season, you won the Big 12 but now you’re in,” McConaughey said. “You’ve got to where you want to go. It’s 0-0 now. It’s a dance, what I do, which is similar to what you guys do, I believe. When you head out there it’s live. Take one, it’s live.”
McConaughey continued, “You’re responsible for turning yourself on. He (head coach David Pierce) can say it, but who’s responsible for turning us on? We are. Now that you’re here, get it on.”
The team took a group photo before settling in for the NCAA selection show, but the players had plenty of time to process their time with the Hollywood star.
“That was interesting because growing up, my mom had the biggest crush on Matthew McConaughey,” junior infielder Masen Hibbeler said. “I immediately texted her and said, ‘You’ll never guess who’s in our locker room.’ She was freaking out.”
For players like Hibbeler, who spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Odessa Junior College, Monday was a long time coming.
“It’s awesome getting to experience that with all the media in the locker room and Matthew McConaughey there and stuff like that. It’s just surreal looking back at it from where I came from last year to now … I was in summer ball in South Carolina. I watched Texas lose out to Long Beach. I remember watching it, thinking I could be there helping them and that’s where I am now.”
Texas is now just over 24 hours away from its first game of the Austin Regional versus Texas Southern.The Longhorns will look to bounce back from a disappointing outing at the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City, but this time Texas will be playing in front of its sold-out home crowd.
“Matthew McConaughey said it, let the game come to us, rather than pressing and trying to do too much,” Hibbeler said. “The atmosphere is going to take care of itself. If we can just play our game we will be just fine.”
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Board of Trustees elects Rick Caruso as new Chair
Posted on 01 June 2018.
Photo courtesy of USC News
Rick Caruso has been elected chairman of the USC Board of Trustees, after John Mork finished his five-year term in the position. The announcement comes a week after C. L. Max Nikias agreed to step down as president of the University, and in the wake of misconduct allegations against a former USC gynecologist.
“I did not seek this position, but I assume this responsibility with humility and resolve,” Caruso said in a letter sent to the USC community. “On behalf of the Board, I pledge that we will bring accountability, responsible leadership, consistent oversight, and effective and transparent reporting practices to this campus.”
Caruso stated in his letter that he is aware of the responsibilities of the Board, and is planning to instill changes through “a more robust and active set” of checks and balances as well as more engagement and collaboration members of the University.
“I have spent time listening to faculty, students and administrative leaders across campus,” Caruso said in the letter. “I have heard their concerns and learned first-hand what they feel needs to change. I will continue to listen, and pledge that the Board will maintain open constructive dialogue with all stakeholders.”
Caruso will also continue to head the Special Committee of the Board of Trustees, which was created on May 23 to oversee an independent investigation into the former gynecologist’s behavior and the University’s failure to remove him earlier in his tenure.
Caruso announced in his letter that O’Melveny & Myers LLP will conduct the investigation under the leadership of attorneys Apalla Chopra and Steve Olsen. Chopra has had experience with representing Harvard University, Claremont McKenna College and the University of Virginia in sexual misconduct cases.
Additionally, Caruso said that the process of hiring a new president for the University will involve representatives from every member of the USC community.
“This will be an orderly, seamless, painstaking and intelligent process,” Caruso said. “This process will involve select USC constituencies such as the faculty, the administration staff, the student body, alumni, our banking and financial allies and other entities that work with the university regionally, nationally and globally.”
Provost Michael Quick said in a statement emailed to the Daily Trojan that he supports the Board’s decision to elect Caruso.
“I have every confidence in Rick Caruso’s leadership of our Board of Trustees,” Quick said. “I know that he cares deeply for this university, as we all do, and I look forward to working with him during the transition.”
Caruso said that his goals as Chair of the Board of Trustees include increasing safety, transparency and communication among students, faculty, alumni and the administration and Board of Trustees.
Caruso has served as a member of the Board since 2007. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Marshall School of Business in 1980, and endowed the Caruso Catholic Center and Caruso Department of Otolaryngology at the University.
Caruso is currently the CEO of Caruso, a prominent real estate development company based in Los Angeles, and formerly served as the President of the Los Angeles Police Commission. In 1991, he established the Caruso Family Foundation, which provides educational opportunities and healthcare for at-risk children and their families throughout Southern California.
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Gators use the long ball, crush Bulldogs
Posted on 01 June 2018.
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Friday Playlist: Alt-Rock for Pride Month
Posted on 01 June 2018.
June 1 is the first day of Pride Month, and we’re celebrating with an alt-rock gaylist! The explicitly sapphic (e.g. bisexual/lesbian) lyrics and dreamy guitar of these five songs pinpoint that rush of falling in love with yet another ultra cool, leather jacket-wearing goth babe effortlessly riding a skateboard across campus.
“Veronica” — Daddy Issues
Music inspired by the 1988 cult flick “Heathers” is strangely popular in the garage-rock community (see “Heathers” by Surf Curse, “Veronica Sawyer” by Summer Camp, etc.), but this track is less about the movie and more about the girl group’s collective crush on protagonist Veronica Sawyer. How very!
“Told Ya So” — Adult Mom
‘’Told Ya So” is a healing exploration utopia, queerness and love. New York-based non-binary musician Adult Mom (Stephanie Knipe) reassures us that, “It’s okay to feel the world. It’s okay to kiss girls.” The hopeful lyrics combined with the peppy drums make this the perfect comfort song.
“Girls Named Benji” — Murder Shoes
Tess Weinberg of Murder Shoes croons about a girl named Benji, imagining dream dates and scenarios ranging from writing movie scripts together to simply staying in bed all day. Being attracted to other women is about so much more than just sex, and this track’s exploration of the emotionally intimate side of lesbian relationships is refreshing.
“Pickles From The Jar” — Courtney Barnett
This lighthearted, offbeat love song celebrates the superficial and fundamental variations between Barnett and her partner, Jen Cloher, that make their relationship fresh and interesting. Though the two pronounce certain words differently and are fifteen years apart in age, the one thing they do share is a mutual love for Christopher Walken… but then again, doesn’t everyone?
“Rebel Girl’ — Bikini Kill
Though the ‘90s riot grrrl movement wasn’t as racially intersectional as it could’ve been, it broke new ground for gay punks nonetheless. In “Rebel Girl,” bisexual lead singer Kathleen Hanna unapologetically declares, “In her kiss, I taste the revolution!” cementing the song as a sapphic classic.
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An oral history of student activism since the 1980s
Posted on 01 June 2018.
Herald Archives- Students begin fasting to protest apartheid.
RONALD REAGAN (1981-1989)
Having grown up in the midst of the Vietnam War and the peak of distrust in government, students during the 80s were highly skeptical of the government, protesting CIA recruitment, University investment in South Africa, and the nuclear arms race.
| Jeremy Varon ’89 | “We are the children of Watergate. There had been this horrible usurpation of power by this monster, Nixon, and there had been the most horrible war, Vietnam. The liberal establishment was reestablished, and then the message for a lot of us, for liberal households, was, ‘Order has been restored. America is America again.’ And then Reagan gets elected, and this falls like a hammer. Everything we were taught to believe about America seemed in crisis — standing up for the underdog, commitment to social equity, that peace is preferable to war. It felt like a call to action — very much like Trump, but I think people weren’t so stunned and paralyzed and overwhelmed with rage and shock that it was easier to enter into activism.” |
| Andrew Meyer ’89 | “We didn’t know it at the time, but those were the final years of the Cold War. And so it was a superheated geopolitical situation. People had this feeling that we were reliving through a sea change in the politics of the country. A lot of our forebears, a lot of the generation of the 60s and the early 70s, they were feeling like we were living through an era of reaction — like a lot of the progress they had made was being undone.” |
| Todd Weir ’88 | “I was always nostalgic for the 60s. I always felt like the 60s were the time when one should have really been a student. In retrospect, I think we were still living in the aftermath of that political culture. I think there were a lot of continuities, actually, in the way we went about stuff and how we thought.” |
| Jason Salzman ’86, suicide pill campaign | “Those of us who admired the 60s were thinking, ‘Shit, if only we had been at Brown in the 60s.’ The activism is always greener.” |
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ANTI-APARTHEID MOVEMENT
Students demanded that the University divest from South Africa. Above, Marie Testa ’86 presents a list of demands to the Corporation.
| Colette Matzzie ’88.5 | “Saying Brown should divest — it was such a new concept. The idea that you would take what are usually just sort of these conservative investments made on the basis of return only and say, ‘How does Brown’s money support a dictatorship?’” |
SHANTY-TOWNS
University ArchivesStudents construct Shantytowns on the Main Green to protest the University’s investment in companies doing business in South Africa.
| Maria Testa ’86 | “It was an illustration really, a constant reminder that these are the conditions of people living in South Africa, that we are, with our money, with our U.S. money, with our Brown University money, supporting the regime that allows people to live in conditions like this. That was considered to be the symbolic movement across the country, that we are going to soil our beautiful campuses with shanty towns.” |
Herald ArchivesStudents end fast protesting apartheid on 10th day.
| Paul Zimmerman ’88 | “We were not successful in the short-term, immediate goal of getting Brown to divest, but I think in the benefit of hindsight, we were absolutely successful — the student movement, the general anti-Apartheid movement — in changing public opinion. Within a year, Congress passed the comprehensive anti-Apartheid sanctions act, which had a huge impact. And then within a number of years thereafter, Nelson Mandela was released. The country was completely transformed. Now, did my fast do all that? Of course not. But were people like me doing their part all around the country and, frankly, all around the world? Did that contribute to international pressure? I really believe that the answer to that question is, yes, it did.” |
CIA RECRUITMENT
Herald ArchivesOctober 31, 1983. “Brown Students Demonstrate Against Invasion of Granada.”
| Jeremy Varon ’89 | “This is a local struggle on a single campus that, in our minds, was deeply connected to a larger post-Vietnam anti-intervention politics.” |
SUICIDE PILLS
| Jason Salzman ’86 | “The vast majority who voted for it did not really want suicide pills. I think a lot of students learned a lot about the issue as a result of the referendum. The suicide pills … they were symbolic, but it was also a real proposal. Having suicide pills, in my mind, couldn’t hurt. I didn’t see any danger to them, they’d be locked up, and in the meantime their presence would be sending a message about how serious the situation was.” |
GEORGE H.W. BUSH (1989-1993)
The University became the subject of student criticism, sometimes more than national issues.
| Naomi Sachs ’92 | “What I was more active in seemed a little bit more close to home. It may be that just personally I felt like I needed something that I could get my head around or feel like I could do something about. For me, global politics just seemed too big and too unwieldy and impossible to have a significant impact. Before Brown, I was concerned about human rights, and I was concerned about nuclear holocaust, which seemed like a real threat at that time. Those are what I gravitated to first. And then once I got to know the various other options and once I felt more personally affected by the sexual assault issues and LGBT issues, then it became more personal.” |
| Nerissa Wu ’89 | “I personally moved on to more women’s issues and environmental issues and local social justice issues. Providence at the time — there were pockets of very poor areas of the city. It just seemed like there were different impacts we could have on more local issues because of personal action.” |
RAPE LIST
| Naomi Sachs ’92 | “There were a couple years where this issue of sexual assault on campus was very widespread. And it wasn’t just at Brown, but Brown was one of the main universities in the country that was getting a lot of coverage. It was hard to be a student there and not be touched by it in some way.” |
NEED-BLIND TAKEOVER OF UNIVERSITY HALL
University ArchivesStudents occupy University Hall in 1992 to protest the University’s financial aid policies.
| Naomi Sachs ’92 | “I was drawn to that (the need-blind sit-in) because it seemed more practical. The students against nuclear suicide was away to speak out against something, but pretending to die in front of the building where the CIA was recruiting didn’t feel like it was having … a measurable impact whereas doing a sit-in and actually carrying on a discussion with the administration for changes in Brown’s policies, that felt more productive.” |
BILL CLINTON (1993-2001)
Many students felt that America had returned to what it truly was upon Bill Clinton’s election.
| Gregory Cooper ’01 | “This was before 9/11, we had a budget surplus … There wasn’t the same sense of urgency with respect to our politics that I think people feel today.” |
GEORGE W. BUSH (2001-2009)
Matthew Brownsword / HeraldStudents were put off by the political process, turning often to activism instead. The Bush Era saw frequent protests of the Iraq war.
| Joshua Segall ’01, protested the 2000 presidential election | “It was sort of obvious that this kind of messed up ballot had prevented Gore from being president. We had a sense that the election would be consequential. I don’t think we knew how consequential it would be.” |
BARACK OBAMA (2009-2017)
Kate Talerico / Herald| Krissia Perla ’15 MD ’21 | “Generally, people were more complacent with the administration at the time.” |
FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT
Arjun Narayen / HeraldFossil Free Brown joined 400 other campuses nationally and internationally in promoting divestment from top fossil fuel companies. The group, which used to be the Brown Divest Coal Campaign, embraces broader goals after the Corporation decided not to divest from coal.
| Emily Kirkland ’13, Brown Divest Coal | “Often you have campaigns targeting the university because that’s a way for students to use the power that they have. I learned through working on Fossil fuel divestment was that it’s not about making the case. It’s about building enough power that you don’t give the administration a choice. You have to put them in a position where they have to negotiate with the campaign because they are never going to make concessions just because you present them with enough information or because you are convincing.” |
DONALD TRUMP (2017- )
The Trump Era has thus far seen students come together with Providence community members to protest the administration’s sweeping changes, such as the travel ban and the end to DACA.
Jasmine Ruiz| Emma Galvin ’18, Student Labor Alliance Organizer | “There are bigger fires to put out right now than the stuff internal to the campus. It feels like Trump’s election sort of demoralized energy. People were really overwhelmed and a little more scattered.” |
APATHY IN ACTIVISM
University ArchivesWhile Brown is frequently recognized for its activism in the news, sometimes just a small minority of students working for change can give the impression of an entirely activist campus.
| Todd Weir ’88, protested CIA recruitment | “It was a very intense subculture at the University. The climate, in a way, was excellent because we were a group of people who considered ourselves radical and enjoyed each other’s company. There was a kind of disappointment that we were just a minority, but in retrospect that’s sort of obvious that that was all we were ever going to be.” |
| David Goldsmith ’88.5, protested Reagan’s foreign policy | “There’s a strident core, there’s sympathizers, … there’s the administration, which always tends to be differently sympathetic but a little more tempered, middle of the road … I feel like it was how it’s always been, always will be.” |
| Jason Salzman ’86, protested the nuclear arms race | “As an activist, the climate always seems less active than you want. You’re always wanting more from students. It was a fairly apathetic time, which doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of students who cared and were involved — but the vast majority were not.” |
| Daniel Sherrell ’13.5, Brown Divest Coal | “I met very few truly apathetic people. I just think that not everyone knew where to look to get active on a issue” |
| Emma Galvin ’18.5, Student Labor Alliance | “People will be super down to put on the mask and march in University Hall — and I’m all for it — but I think that there also needs to be relationship-building that happens.” |
| Scott Warren ’09, protested Darfur genocide | “Every generation thinks that they were more active than the newest generation. The reality is that young people are really active. They just take action in different ways.” |
PUBLICITY & THEATRICS
000: Courtesy Photos / Herald| Colette Matzzie ’88.5 | “There was no such thing as social media. There was no way to get your voice heard online — there was no such thing. So pulling people together in a rally, signing petitions, having a hunger strike in Manning Chapel, which got national press — was the way.” |
| Todd Weir ’88 | “There’s a very theatrical element to protesting. It’s meant for public consumption, it’s meant to be in the newspapers, it’s meant to be on television if possible. It often had this gimmicky element to it.” |
| John Crouch ’91.5, ACLU student organizer | “I didn’t believe in civil disobedience, when you’re disobeying laws that are otherwise just that you don’t think are unfair or unconstitutional, like blocking streets so people can’t get to work, blocking people from getting to class or from hearing speakers who they want to go see. There were always tensions when those of us from the ACLU were working with larger groups from the hard left. We were occasionally working for the same things, but we were there for different reasons.” |
| Maria Testa ’86, anti-apartheid movement | “To be taken seriously, you need to be at the table, but without the protests and the groundswell, I don’t think we would have gotten to the table.” |
| Jeremy Varon ’89 | “They knew who they were admitting. They knew it was a bunch of curious, crazy, precocious rebels. At some level, they were welcoming all the grief that we gave them, and at some level I have to give the institution credit for subjecting themselves to that kind of moral scrutiny. That’s the sense in which my activism feels like a legacy of Brown and not just a legacy of protesting Brown.” |
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College Republicans and Democrats debate, define their positions and find common ground
Posted on 31 May 2018.
Electricity filled the lecture hall air on Wednesday night before the long-awaited debate between UO College Democrats and UO College Republicans. Vocal Republican panel supporters congregated on the right side of the PLC 180 lecture hall, equally enthusiastic Democratic panel supporters filled in the left side and everyone else found a seat somewhere in the middle or back.
Four panel members from each side of the debate discussed questions posed by two moderators, neither of which were members of the two clubs. Topics included gun control, immigration, health care and foreign policy.
Finding policy positions to agree on was a goal for the two clubs in preparation for the debate in the context of a divided political climate on campus and nationally.
At the same time, both sides iterated strong positions on topics such as gun control with Democrats calling for enhanced background checks for gun buyers while the Republican panel emphasized second amendment rights.
In regards to immigration, UO Republicans emphasized securing national borders while their democratic counterparts iterated the importance and legal precedent for sanctuary cities and states.
Originally the debate was scheduled to be on May 22, but following the death of a University of Oregon student at Shasta Lake the prior weekend both sides agreed to reschedule the debate to Wednesday night
A UO College Democrat speaks during the debate. Some common ground was found on reducing gun violence. (Mateo Sundberg/Emerald)
The structure and topics of the debate was a collaborative effort between the two political clubs.
“The UO Republicans came to one of our meetings, and we went to one of their meetings to have more of an open dialogue,” said UO College Democrats president Hannah Argento-McCurdy.
The questions were created by an independent committee, comprised of UO Republicans and UO Democrats, and panel members were not given access to the questions before the debate.
After a moderator posed a question, each panel had three minutes to respond, one minute to ask the other panel a question on their response, a two minute rebuttal and finally six minutes for the audience to ask the panel relevant questions to the debate.
On one occasion, an audience member asked why there were no persons of color represented on either panel after debate on how some gun control measures may lead to disproportionate rates of arrest of minorities.
Through some hooting and hollering of support for her question, moderator Alison Watkins said the question was not related to the issue at hand. She was met with some disdain from the audience.
“I was interested in keeping things on topic, and that was my judgement call,” said Watkins.
Most of the debate continued with supporters cheering for their respective side’s strong rebuttals or talking points. The cheering helped define each sides policy positions and how they distinguish themselves from the other side.
“I was slightly worried about this debate because I personally do not like the really intense tribalism that can result from something like Democrats vs Republicans” said audience member Sravya Tadepalli, who had asked why there were no minorities on the panel.
However, the opposing panels did find some common ground on ERPO (Extreme risk protection orders) also known as red flag laws as part of the solution for gun control. Red flag laws allow for the state to temporarily take weapons from individuals who have been petitioned by other community members as a risk to themselves or others.
The two clubs aimed to have an open discourse and to find possible common ground.
“It gave both sides an open place to safely and respectfully express their opinions. It allowed a space for debate and thought, and I think that’s the whole point of politics in America and government in general, and that’s something we need to get back towards” said Elliot Ergeson a Democratic panel member.
The debate also provided an opportunity for students to engage with the opposing side of the political debate, for example; a Democratic student hearing positions straight from a Republican.
“I wanted to put a face to the Republican ideas, and show that we’re here, we’re regular people and we want to engage,” said UO College Republicans president Quinn Milionis.
Though each panel said there were things to be improved on in the structure of the debate, Milionis was among those excited for another debate in the future.
“We want this to be the first of many debates,” he said.
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Keys for Houston to make it over hump and get to Omaha
Posted on 31 May 2018.
Junior pitcher Aaron Fletcher had one of his worst performances all year at the AAC tournament, but he will need to turn it around and get Houston past its toughest opponents yet. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar
For the fourth time in five years the Houston Cougars’ baseball team will go to a NCAA Regional. Houston will play Purdue in the first round of the Chapel Hill Regional and then will challenge either North Carolina or North Carolina A&T.
The three teams are some of the best that Houston has faced this season and it take Houston playing at their best, and maybe a little luck, to get to the College World Series in Omaha.
Andres Chio/The Cougar
Keep it going
Head Coach Todd Whitting said getting to regionals is always an honor, but that the team needs to look deeper than that.
“Going to the NCAA tournament has become the standard, not just a goal. Our goal is to play in Omaha,” said Whitting.
Getting to Omaha has eluded Todd Whitting during his tenure at UH. In the team’s debut appearance under Whitting, Houston was a series away from Omaha, but fell in the Super Regional to Texas.
The trip to North Carolina will be the fourth consecutive week that Houston plays on the road, but Whitting was not concerned.
“I don’t think we’re road weary at all, this team has a great mindset,” said Whitting. “Our pitching staff is ready to go. It’s been almost a week since Fletcher and Cumbie has thrown. Our bullpen did get a little taxed toward the end of the week, but by Friday they’ll be fine and ready to go.”
But before Houston starts thinking about a fifth week of travel to Omaha, it needs to get a few things right to get past Chapel Hill.
Winning early
Winning the first game against Purdue and avoiding an extra game will go a long way to saving Houston’s pitchers arms for later.
Last year, Houston lost in the first round of the Houston Regional against Iowa and were sent to the loser’s bracket. From there, Houston battled to the regional finals before losing to Texas A&M 4-3.
Houston repeated history in the AAC Tournament, losing its first game then fighting through the loser’s bracket before losing to East Carolina.
It was a costly loss that took a toll on the pitching staff and forced Houston to use outfielder Tyler Bielamowicz and a pair of redshirt freshmen as pitchers in their final game of the tournament.
Top relieving pitchers, senior Joey Pulido and sophomore Carter Henry, had to be used early on the weekend, leaving Houston scrapping the bottom of the depth charts for fresh arms.
“If we can win the [game] one and save some pitching and continue to roll through the tournament it would be great,” said Pulido.
Go Deep
Another way to help conserve pitches is for junior pitchers Trey Cumbie and Aaron Fletcher to throw long and well into their games during the tournament.
The two Houston aces average around six innings thrown per game, and if they can keep it up it would be a huge help for Houston.
By throwing deep into a game, Houston’s top relievers can be saved for long relief during the third and fourth games of the tournament when the quality of starting pitchers takes a bit of a dip.
At bat, Houston has the lowest team batting average and on-base percentage at the Chapel Hill Regional. But at the AAC tournament, things started to turn around for Houston.
Houston averaged 7.20 runs per game across five games during the tournament, almost two more than their season average of 5.48.
Junior Joe Davis hit seven home runs during the regular season, but exploded into the AAC tournament with three home runs to earn the UH career homerun record with 32 and lead the team.
Davis had a .444 batting average, 12 RBI and scored six runs during the AAC tournament and if his and the team’s run of form continues, Houston’s offense will be ready for the elite pitching of Purdue and North Carolina.
If Houston’s pitching stays strong and the bats stay hot, they will be heading back to the College World Series for the first time since 1967.
sports@thedailycougar.com
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“Keys for Houston to make it over hump and get to Omaha” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar
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6 Times When You Need to Call a Professional Plumbing Service
Posted on 31 May 2018.
Something that often comes with living on your own is dealing with maintenance concerns. An unavoidable part of life that many people will run into is dealing with plumbing issues. You’ll want to avoid doing any type of plumbing repair work on your own. Many homeowners that aren’t skilled plumbers wind up either injuring themselves or making matters worse during an attempted repair. With that in mind, here are six times when you need to call a professional plumbing service.
1- No Running Water
One of the most jarring experiences is to turn on a sink or shower, only to find that no water is pouring from these appliances. Not having water throughout your home could happen for many reasons. Considering that, it’s best to have a plumber find the true source of what is causing a lack of running water inside of your home.
2- Flooding Occurs in Your Home
If the weather hasn’t been raining profusely and there’s water in your home, it’s time to call a plumber. Water inside of your a home is a sign that indoor flooding is occurring. Therefore, calling a plumber can help ensure the source of your flood is found and repaired in a fast and efficient manner. One cause for indoor flooding to occur is caused by corrosive water that is too strong for normal fittings. If this is the case, a plumber can utilize special fittings that are extra resistant to corrosion.
3- You’ve Found Mold in Your Home
One of the most dangerous substances you can find in your home is mold. This material is known to spread quickly. In addition, breathing in any type of mold is extremely dangerous. Considering that, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve contacted a plumber while dealing with mold. In turn, a plumber will be able to help find out the source of mold inside of your home.
4- Water is a Strange Color
It’s understandable to expect to see clear water as you turn on a faucet or shower in your home. That being said, certain homeowners find that the water running throughout their homes has turned a different color. If you’re experiencing discolored water, contact your local water department. In the event that they can’t confirm your issue is happening, it’s time to contact a plumber.
5- Pipes are Frozen
During especially cold nights, you’ve likely been told to keep your faucets dripping. While this might seem a little crazy, there’s actually a purpose to doing this. Keeping your taps dripping throughout cold weather can help to prevent them from freezing. You’ll notice that your pipes have frozen when you’re unable to receive running water. Rather than waiting for pipes to thaw on their own, you’ll want to call a plumber right away. Waiting for pipes to unfreeze can cause them to burst, creating many more problems.
6- Strange Odor Throughout Your Home
Not all plumbing problems have to do with water in the home. In certain situations, you might find that your home and yard are beginning to smell odd. If you begin to notice a smell of sulfur throughout your home, you might be dealing with a sewer line problem. It’s imperative to repair potential sewage problems right away. Waiting too long to repair these types of problems can cause sewage to flow into the home while creating a slew of additional foundation issues.
In conclusion, there are several warning signs that you’ll need to call a plumber. Many of these problems have to do with either a lack of water or too much water in the home which causes flooding. Contacting a plumber sooner rather than later often helps to reduce the amount of damage that takes place to your home. If you’re dealing with any of the previously mentioned problems, you’ll want to contact a nearby plumber right away.
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University releases second annual DIAP progress report
Posted on 31 May 2018.
Earlier this month, the University published its second annual report of progress made toward the goals established in its diversity and inclusion action plan. Released in February 2016, the DIAP aims to increase representation of historically underrepresented groups on campus, strengthen research and teaching on diversity and inclusion issues and improve campus life.
Though the University released the 2015-16 report at the beginning of the spring 2017, the 2016-2017 report was released May 16 to facilitate “an evaluation of a full year of progress” and allow the “Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Board … ample time to review and give feedback on the draft of the report,” wrote Shontay Delalue, vice president of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, in a community-wide email. The DIOB’s review of the second annual DIAP report is scheduled to be released in the coming weeks, according to the email.
The annual report highlights efforts to promote diversity and inclusion across all aspects of campus life, including University admissions and hiring, as well as the University’s relationship with the greater Providence community. Following suggestions outlined in last year’s DIOB review, this year’s report also includes a fundraising update, a section discussing progress made in disability inclusion and new accountability mechanisms for departmental DIAPs.
Fundraising update
The $3 billion BrownTogether campaign is slated to raise $165 million for DIAP initiatives. To date, the University raised $50 million to hire faculty from historically underrepresented groups, defined by the DIAP as individuals who self-identify as “American Indian, Alaskan Native, African American, Hispanic or Latinx and Native Hawaiian and/or Pacific Islander.” The University aims to raise $100 million in total to double the number of HUG faculty members by 2022, which would necessitate hiring at least 60 faculty members, The Herald previously reported.
To date, the University has also raised $41.7 million to fund initiatives that support goals established in the DIAP such as “diversifying the graduate student population; expanding research centers focused on issues of race, ethnicity and social justice; and supporting curricular and co-curricular initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion,” Delalue wrote.
The University previously set goals to raise $25 million for grad fellowships and $20 million for the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, as well as $20 million for “curricular and co-curricular initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion,” according to the DIAP. In an email to The Herald, Delalue wrote that “a majority of the $41.7 million raised has gone to curricular and co-curricular programs, and we will continue to look to raise funds in support of the other major areas.”
President Christina Paxson P’19 and Provost Richard Locke P’18 collectively gave $7.1 million from their flexible funds to support initiatives such as the Presidential Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowships and the Provost’s Visiting Professor Program.
University progress in recruiting and retaining HUG faculty and staff
The annual report provides data on the numbers of staff, students and faculty members from historically underrepresented groups from fall 2013 through fall 2017.
Notably, the Office of Residential Life experienced a “dramatic shift in compositional diversity,” as “six of the last seven hires were staff of color (four from HUGs),” according to the report. The University has also invested in the retention of HUG staff; for instance, Brown Dining Services recently “created a position to specifically address issues related to diversity and inclusion.”
Since 2015, the University has also consistently increased the number of HUG faculty holding positions of professor, associate professor, assistant professor or senior lecturer, according to the report.
The report highlighted the success of the Presidential Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowships in placing fellows into tenure-track positions. Four of the six fellows from the 2016-18 cohort and seven of the eight fellows from the 2015-17 cohort obtained tenure-track positions — with two transitioning into tenure-track positions at Brown.
Kevin Escudero, assistant professor of American and ethnic studies, said he applied to the program because he wanted to join a community of individuals who “were making that transition from PhD program into being a faculty or a post-PhD individual.”
“In grad school, we learn how to do research, we learn about the research process, about writing our dissertations,” he wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald. “But we don’t learn about what the responsibilities of a faculty member are” or how to balance them, he added.
Escudero said the fellowship program prepared him for his tenure-track position as it allowed him to “teach a course, work on turning my dissertation into a book.” In addition, the fellowship allowed Escudero to be mentored by “faculty at Brown and also … (have) the opportunity to mentor current undergraduate students.”
In the future, Escudero said he hopes the University will “prioritize and encourage departments that haven’t had the opportunity” to host fellows to do so in an effort to ensure that as “discussions of diversity are happening, they’re happening across all different parts of campus — not just in particular spaces or departments.”
Representation of HUG undergraduate and graduate students
Last fall, HUG students comprised 20 percent of the Graduate School’s incoming class. Eleven percent of the graduate student body currently identifies as belonging to a HUG, according to the report.
This represents a significant increase from the year 2014-2015, when 8.8 percent of graduate students identified as belonging to a HUG, according to the DIAP. The Grad School aims to double this percentage of HUG students by 2022, according to the DIAP.
In her email to The Herald, Delalue wrote that she attributes the Grad School’s success to the school “working collaboratively with academic departments to rethink the recruiting and admission process.”
Additionally, the Grad School put “careful thought … into ensuring that HUG graduate students had a welcoming experience and access to resources once on campus. This was achieved through another collaborative effort between the Graduate School and the Brown Center for Students of Color,” she wrote.
The report also provided information on undergraduate enrollment from HUGs over the past five years. Relative to total enrollment, 2017 saw “a slight decrease in undergraduate students from HUGs,” according to the report. In fall 2017, 6.4 percent of enrolled undergraduates identified as black or African American, 11.5 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino, 0.4 percent identified as American Indian or Alaska Native and 0.2 percent identified as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, according to the report. From 2014 to 2016, HUG enrollment hovered slightly above 21 percent.
Beyond the University’s definition of historical underrepresentation
The release of the DIAP provoked conversations on the University’s accessibility for individuals belonging to groups that might not be considered historically underrepresented by the plan. In her email to The Herald, Delalue wrote that “while the DIAP outlined a specific set of historically underrepresented groups that have had limited participation in higher education to date, this does not confine us in our ability to discuss various diversity-related topics above and beyond the plan.”
For instance, the report includes data on the number of women faculty in STEM and Asian faculty in the humanities and social sciences.
Additionally, last year, the DIOB recommended the University conduct “a campus-wide survey of the built environment of Brown, with a focus on accessibility for the wide range of disabled persons in our community,” according to a copy of the DIOB memo.
Though it has yet to implement such a survey, “the University (has taken) a number of early steps to ensure greater attention to factors that impact the full participation of individuals with disabilities,” Delalue wrote. “Significant progress has been made on the physical accessibility of buildings across campus (but) additional work remains.”
Citing the ongoing renovations to Wilson Hall, Delalue wrote that the reconstruction “is an excellent illustration of the work to improve accessibility that the University will continue to undertake in the years ahead.”
Overseeing the implementation of DDIAPs
Within the DIAP, the University required administrative and academic units to create their own departmental diversity and inclusion action plans, or DDIAPs, The Herald previously reported. The report introduces new accountability mechanisms that encourage departments to fulfill goals established in their DDIAPs.
In addition to creating the DIAP Recognition Awards to reward departments that prioritize diversity and inclusion, the OIED will penalize departments in rare instances when “efforts to progress … are stalled or thwarted,” according to the report. Academic and administrative “units that cannot meet the standard of excellence Brown sets as a community will be unable to hire … until expectations are met,” according to the report. These departments would also be unable to recruit new graduate students.
In her email to The Herald, Delalue wrote that while the OIED oversees this process, it reviews individual departments “in consultation with the Provost and, when necessary, relevant Deans.”
Additionally, Delalue wrote that the DDIAPs “should be viewed as ‘living documents’ that can be updated. Both academic and administrative departments are required to submit annual summary updates each year and can reach out to OIED at any time with questions or for support in the process.”
Community Engagement Working Group report
The DIAP also recommended that the University assess its external relationships with the Providence community. The University formed a working group through the Office of Government and Community Relations to “evaluate and report on Brown’s contributions to Providence and Rhode Island,” according to the DIAP.
Over the past year and a half, the Community Engagement Working Group conducted a survey to “inventory and help strengthen and coordinate community-facing programs that currently exist, identify gaps in services and provide information” to maximize the University’s “positive impact” throughout the state, according to the report.
The survey did not ask individuals from Providence to assess services provided by the University. Katie Silberman, associate director of community relations and co-chair of the Community Engagement Working Group, said it “was really (about) … getting a baseline, so it was intended to be internal to the Brown community.”
But the University still receives feedback from community partners through institutions such as the Swearer Center for Public Service, which is “already engaged in a really deep way,” Silberman added.
Using the results from the survey, which included input from 460 on-campus organizations and intitiatives, the working group found that a periodic, voluntary survey assessing the University’s community engagement would be “inherently incomplete” and that community engagement was both “decentralized (and) … not always coordinated with community partners,” according to the report.
“A lot of really great work is going on, but a lot of people don’t know about it,” Silberman said.
The working group’s report recommended the University “expand central resources at Brown to support community engagement throughout the University” by promoting its community engagement work and establishing a “graduate and medical schools coordinator,” according to the report.
Since the majority of University community engagement projects are centered around education, the working group’s report also recommended that the University “develop a strategic approach to education outreach at Brown that coordinates activities across the University.”
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