RHODE ISLAND - Why Hip-Hop Matters - The University of Rhode Island
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RHODE ISLAND
UNIVERSITY OF
FALL 2018
MAGAZINE
Why
Hip-Hop
Matters
Aperture
“GHOST BERRIES”
by Charlie Scott, M.S. ’21
Honorable Mention, URI Research and
Scholarship Photo Contest
Juniper berries have always fascinated graduate
student Charlie Scott. As a child, Scott mistook
them for food. “I learned the hard way that they
weren’t,” Scott says. The berries are prized by the
Diné (Navajo) people for their spiritual
significance. The berries are only gathered once
they’ve fallen from the tree. They’re rubbed
against rocks to remove the skin and fruit, the
seeds are soaked, and holes are bored through
them. Once they’re dry, they’re threaded to create
necklaces and bracelets. Scott, who lives on the
Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona, is studying
college student personnel in the Human
Development and Family Studies Department
and aspires to be president of a tribal college.
10 FALL 2018 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 11
Inside
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE • VOL. 1, NO. 1 • FALL 2018
5
From the President
6
Feedback
CURRENTS F E AT U R E S NET WORK
8 20 38 46
Sigrid Berka Why Hip-Hop Designing for Class Notes
The true value of learning Matters Sea and Stars
a new language When Kendrick Lamar Imagine you’re a woman 49
won the 2017 Pulitzer researcher on an 8-hour Michael Shawver ’06
9 Prize for music, it mission in a small
Co-editor of the blockbuster
Bryan Dewsbury signaled a recognition by submersible with three 52
2018 movie, Black Panther
the cultural elite that hip- other people, and you Life on Purpose
Inclusive teaching to
hop has something to need a bathroom. But
reduce failure and
contribute. It is art, there isn’t one. A URI 50 It's the stuff social media dreams are
withdrawal rates Marisa O’Gara ’12 made of—beautiful, young, nomadic
poetry, philosophy, big textile design team has
business…and, for some, a solution. couple, living in a van with their dogs.
LGBTQ activist and Point
10 even salvation. Foundation Scholar
Storyteller and Instagram celebrity
Kyla Duffy 42
Brianna Madia ’11 is living life her way.
Film photography in 28 Going Strong 53
a digital world From Masta Darran Simon ’98
These senior athletes, Bill
to Legend Nixon ’58 and Diann Career advice from a
15 Uustal ’68, are redefining CNN Digital senior writer 14
Duval “Masta Ace” Clear
Good Five Cent ’88 is humble about being the rules of aging. They Former Buddhist Monk
Cigar Editors called a legend. But when have talent, drive, and 56 Thupten Tendhar of URI's Center for
some of the biggest artists discipline, and they’re
Why student journalism Photo Caption Nonviolence and Peace Studies, shares
is important in the industry cite him going strong.
Contest some expert advice on staying present,
as an influence, and his calm, and peaceful.
friends tout his integrity
and artistry, it’s pretty
clear the label fits.
34
What a Day for
a Daydream
New York Times best-
selling author Ann Hood
’78 proposes that we all
need to free up some
time to do nothing. Well,
not really nothing. We
need to make time to
daydream. It’s actually Sunrise over solar panels on
good for us. URI's Kingston Campus.
COVER PHOTO: ZOE GOLDSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS, THIS PAGE: NORA LEWIS; BRIANNA MADIA;
2 FALL 2018 AND COURTESY THUPTEN TENDHAR UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 3
FROM THE PRESIDENT
The statue in front of the new Robert
J. Higgins Welcome Center was a gift
from Joan Libutti and Dan Libutti ’63.
Welcome to Your URI Magazine
The bronze sculpture by artist David The new University of Rhode Island Magazine brings you a variety of
Spellerberg was given in honor of
Daniel Libutti ’25 and dedicated to ideas, voices, and images, reflecting the diversity of our community.
all generations of Rhody Rams.
AFTER 25 YEARS, QUADANGLES HAS BEEN The growth of our international programs and
transformed into the University of Rhode Island cultural competence is not the only evidence of
Magazine. Why a new look and feel for the tremendous change at URI. In the last 12 years,
magazine? In readership surveys last year, you nearly $900 million has been invested in renovat-
told us you’d like more features, more photos, ing or constructing
and more University-focused stories. You wanted about 1 million
alumni, faculty, and students to speak to you square feet of build-
through these pages. I know you’ll enjoy exploring ing space on cam-
this inaugural issue. pus. I am delighted
New sections in the magazine feature those to report that in June
voices of faculty, students, and alumni you asked the General Assem-
for. In Why I Teach, Bryan Dewsbury explains the bly approved a $12
intervention system he uses in his first-year biol- million initial phase
ogy classes. In Annotations, Kyla Duffy ’18 shares of improvements at
her insights and photos in a piece about why film the Fine Arts Center,
photography is relevant in a digital world. In so that we can begin
Ask Our Big Thinkers, pharmacy professor David needed improve-
Rowley and Kingian nonviolence trainer Thupten ments to our perfor-
Tendhar share expertise you can use now. Our mance spaces and to
features uncover some true URI treasures, like the building’s mechanical systems, roofing, and The new Robert J.
Duval Clear ’88, aka Masta Ace, an icon in the other structural elements.
Higgins Welcome
hip-hop industry. These pages reflect the ever- What else is in store for the class of 2022, most
increasing diversity of Rhody Rams from every of whom were born after the millennium? It was Center offers a
generation. fitting for these students, savvy consumers of tech- head-turning first
Speaking of Rams, our new Robert J. Higgins nology, to help us usher in a new series of events impression of URI.
Welcome Center pays tribute to our mascot with and programs: URI Innovation with Impact 2018.
a new statue (left). It opened in time to greet Showcasing the creative and boundary-pushing
the class of 2022, culled from a record 22,786 work of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and
applications. Forty-four states, plus Washington, industry partners, the series launched our new
D.C., Puerto Rico, and 49 nations are represented academic year with 14 days of events, including
in the class, which can choose from several new the opening of an Artificial Intelligence Lab in
majors, including international studies and diplo- the Robert L. Carothers Library and Learning
macy, and innovation and entrepreneurship. Commons.
These align with the University’s vision to build an Just as we thought big about how we could
international community of scholars in our small become a global institution of higher learning, so
corner of Rhode Island. The globalization of URI too are we envisioning ways to stay ahead of the
we imagined a decade ago is a reality today. next technological breakthrough. I have every
Expanding students’ horizons so they truly confidence the class of 2022 will lead the way.
understand global citizenship is a theme that ties I can’t wait to learn what they have to teach us.
to one of my favorite pieces in the magazine, an
Until next time,
essay by International Engineering Program exec-
utive director Sigrid Berka. Sigrid explains how
learning a new language can teach empathy. She
contends, “When we learn a new language, we
David M. Dooley
hold a mirror up to our own culture, allowing us
President, University of Rhode Island
to see it from a different perspective.”
4 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: NORA LEWIS; JOE GIBLIN
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 5
Feedback
Write to us: urimag@uri.edu How Far We've Come Guys Have Stress, Too
Visit us and comment at uri.edu/magazine “The Changing Face of Fieldwork” (Spring would make the request possible. I enjoyed the article, “How to Succeed
2018) presents outstanding examples of In November 1963, Trident left the dock in Business Without Really Stressing”
From the Editor how far we have come. Women are serving
as chief scientists aboard oceanography
with the assistant aboard, accompanied
by GSO librarian par excellence, the late
by Marybeth Reilly-McGreen in the
Summer 2018 issue. However, surely
I feel very fortunate to introduce myself to This photo of my grandfather at vessels in the most rugged and remote Nancy Coman. It was a wonderful cruise, I was not the only one to note that the
you as the editor of the very first issue of his wedding to Mildred Edwards reaches of the world. with a mission to take nutrient and phy- author and all six of the professors who
the University of Rhode Island Magazine. on URI's Kingston Campus was
Such possibilities were a pipe dream 55 toplankton samples from the Sargasso Sea. contributed to the article’s content were
always a part of my mother's
A product of many months of research, family photo gallery. years ago when the late Professor Theodore Thanks to the vision and tenacity of women. On behalf of my fellow male
readership surveys, and hard work by the Smayda argued for his female research Professor Smayda, the hatches were work professionals, let me go on record
previous editor—my colleague and friend, assistant to be allowed to join one of the opened to women. Oceanography is the that guys have perspectives on this topic
Pippa Jack—your newly named and rede- early expeditions of the R/V Trident, GSO's richer for it. This fortunate research and can use some counsel on managing
signed URI magazine will continue to first deep-sea research vessel. After a lengthy assistant will never forget. work-life stresses, too.
bring you a wide range of stories, news, following year. While the meeting with the dean and the provost, it — Brenda Boleyn ’61, M.S. ’71 — Al Potter, Saunderstown, R.I.
and interactive content, and will arrive in Edwards lineage did not extend was decided that inviting a second woman Duxbury, Massachusetts
your mailbox as a slightly longer magazine, to my branch of the family tree,
three times a year, instead of four. We hope URI has played a prominent role in my These differences define us and make
you love the new look and feel of the mag- family history ever since. us who we are. Curating stories that will
azine, and we invite you to share your
thoughts about it with us by emailing
The URI community is diverse in every
way. We are alumni, staff, faculty, students,
resonate with so many different people is
challenging, but it makes this magazine a
What? No Pet Penguin?
urimag@uri.edu or commenting at our parents, legislators, organizations, and true pleasure to put together. I learn things John Visneuski ’70 wrote (in response to (and very lonely) imaginary student
new website, uri.edu/magazine. businesses. We hail from all walks of life, I didn’t know, meet people I wouldn’t the editor's letter in the Summer 2018 from Antarctica. We explained that the
I’ve been part of the URI community as mindsets, political persuasions, and pro- otherwise meet, and come face to face issue) that he was surprised to hear we'd submissions were actually from research
a staff member for almost 15 years, and my fessions. We are heterogeneous in our race, with new ideas and perspectives. received Research and Scholarship Photo being done on all seven continents, not
connection to URI goes further back than ethnicity, citizenship, gender identifica- I hope that in these pages, you, too, Contest submissions from all seven from students who live on all seven
that. I started my college journey taking tion, language, age, and economic back- will be challenged to reconsider something continents, plus New Zealand. John said, continents.
classes at URI’s College of Continuing ground. We identify with different URI you thought you had already figured out. “If that claim is true, I doubtless speak for John replied, “Thanks for the
Education in Providence in the late 1980s. campuses—from Narragansett Bay, to I hope you will learn something new. I many alumni in asking why you haven't explanation that the photos, not the
My mother and both her brothers are URI Kingston, to Alton Jones, to Providence— hope something here will make you smile. yet published an interview with the URI submitters of the photos, originate from
alumni (classes of 1962, 1954, and 1953), and different colleges, majors, and depart- And I hope you will share your ideas for student whose home is Antarctica. Such seven continents. I admit to being a bit
and my grandfather married URI Presi- ments. Our interests range from fashion what you’d like to see in these pages in an interview would be fascinating to say disappointed, though, that there is no
dent Howard Edwards’ daughter, Mildred, to pharmacy, science to sports, accounting coming issues. the least.” student on campus with a pet penguin.”
right here on the Kingston Campus in to aquaculture, civil engineering to civil — Barbara Caron, Interim Editor-in-Chief His comment gave us a good chuckle as Sorry, John. We're actually a bit
1923. Sadly, Mildred died in childbirth the discourse, and on and on. we imagined a profile of our very chilly disappointed about that, too.
This photo of a gentoo penguin by David Gleeson '15, M.O. '18,
was one of a handful of contest photos submitted from research
being done in Antarctica.
= URI ON INSTAGRAM =
The University of Rhode Island Magazine is published by the University Alumni Association Executive Board
of Rhode Island Alumni Association. Copyright pending, all rights reserved. Daniel G. Lowney ’75, President; Thomas F. Shevlin ’68,
Email: urimag@uri.edu • Online: uri.edu/magazine President-Elect; Susan R. Johnson ’82, Immediate Past
President; Colleen M. Gouveia Moulton, M.B.A. ’98, Vice
Executive Editor Michele A. Nota ’87, M.S. ’06, Executive Contributing Cynthia McMillen President; Richard G. Dunn, ’89, Vice President; Steven R.
Director, URI Alumni Relations; Secretary, Designer Frazier ’07, Treasurer; Christopher M. Abbate ’03; Trudy
Alumni Association Executive Board C. Coleman ’86, M.S. ’92; Mackenzie K. DiVite ’12; Joseph
Photographer Nora Lewis
J. Esposito ’13; James P. Ferrara ’89; Brian R. Hernandez
Interim Barbara Caron Illustrations Anthony Russo ’74 ’15, Jordan D. Kanter ’99, M.S. ’00; Sulina M. Mohanty
Editor-in-Chief
Digital Design John Pennypacker ’07; John J. Palumbo Sr. ’76; Perry A. Raso ’02, M.S. ’06;
Art Director Kim Robertson Bo Pickard Nancy J.S. Ferrara ’88, M.B.A. ’97; Marianne Gattinella
Contributing Annie Babineau ’79; Kaitlin L. Donahue ’07; Anthony J. Rafanelli ’78, M.S.
Frank and Emma love We loved this photo of Davis Hall Sam Silvia '22 captured this sunset Talent Development, @tdnation86, Editorial Board Kelly Mahoney ’03, Executive Director,
Editors Dina M. Dionizio ’91 ’85, Ph.D. ’95; James D. Marques ’79, M.P.A. ’88; Marcia
Rhody women's soccer, by @rickyleepotts. And we loved over the Fascitelli Fitness and celebrated 50 years of TD with a gala External Relations and Communications
Shane Donaldson ’99 Costello ’77; Silifat “Laitan” Mustapha ’97; Veronica M.
@rhodywsoc, and with your comments, like this one: Wellness Center. It prompted some celebration. Lots of likes and shout-outs Dave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87 Linda A. Acciardo ’77, Director, Berounsky, Ph.D. ’90; Ewa M. Dzwierynski ’96; Thomas M.
these sweet faces, it's “Petition to rename Davis Hall nostalgic comments, such as “It is on this post! #TDNation Leslie Lowenstein Communications and Marketing Ryan ’75 (URI Foundation); Adriana M. Widling ’19 (URI
no wonder this story HOGWARTS URI.” Love it! always magical in RI,” and, “This Kate O’Malley Austen Farrell, Chief Marketing Officer, Student Senate); Michael R. O’Brien ’20 (URI Student
was so popular! makes me miss URI more and more.” @universityofri Marybeth Reilly-McGreen URI Foundation Alumni Association).
6 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: COURTESY BARBARA CARON; @RHODYWSOC; @RICKYLEEPOTTS; SAM SILVIA; MIKE SALERNO UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 7
Currents = WHY I TEACH =
Scientific Method
Bryan Dewsbury
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
For students struggling in Bryan Dewsbury’s first-
year biology classes, the intervention starts before
class is over. Dewsbury monitors email while he’s
= QUAD ANGLES = teaching—to address students’ questions on the spot,
sparing them the embarrassment of publicizing their
Language Lessons confusion. It’s one pillar of Dewsbury’s “aggressive
early intervention system.” He says the key to reducing
By Sigrid Berka failure and withdrawal rates in introductory science
courses is an inclusive teaching approach that consid-
Learning a new language has obvious practical benefits.
ers students’ diverse needs.
But Sigrid Berka explains that the true value of learning a new The inclusive teaching approach works especially
language is in stepping out of our comfort zones and becoming well with minorities who, historically, struggle with
open to lessons in empathy, culture, and perspective. STEM disciplines, Dewsbury says. Research supports
this, but he has anecdotal evidence, too. As a graduate
LANGUAGE ISN’T SIMPLY A MEANS by people in their host countries: biking Furthermore, in navigating the com- student in Florida, he taught first-generation college
for communication, it is also a medium to work and recycling in France and Ger- plexities of learning new communication students, gaining an appreciation for their unique
through which we understand the world. many; playing soccer and enjoying siestas systems, students are rewiring and plug- challenges. Some challenges, like socioeconomic pres-
Wilhelm von Humboldt was one of the in Spain; learning to salsa dance in Mex- ging in to both the left and right sides of sures, were obvious. Others weren’t. The students’ par-
“
first to advance this idea in the early ico; and using public transportation in their brains. Learning new languages, ents often dictated their career choices; they saw in
19th century. Since then, we Europe and Japan to travel exten- especially those with significant linguistic their children a way to create upward mobility for the
have come to understand that sively. Many adapt to things and/or cultural differences from English, What inspires me about whole family—a heavy mantle for a student to bear,
learning a new language like living without air condi- such as Chinese and Japanese, develops Dewsbury notes.
means immersing oneself in tioning, eating smaller por- abstract capabilities that allow students to
teaching is not the dispensation “In my initial semesters as a teaching assistant, I
”
a new world view. Thus, the tions, and wasting less food. think more flexibly. For example, IEP of information; it is the learned the value of teaching someone to believe they
value of learning a new cul- Many try new things, like (German) alumna Sareh Rajaee ’06, fluent awakening of the soul. can be better than they imagine,” says Dewsbury.
ture through language lies in bouldering, hiking, biking, in Farsi, English, French, and German, “This is what propels ordinary people to do great
trying on new identities, singing in a church chorus, or completely switched career paths from things.”
expressing ourselves more even skydiving! They experience engineering to the medical field and is Dewsbury says student success comes from getting
thoughtfully, and, most importantly, tremendous educational and personal now a practicing vascular surgeon. to know students and adhering to best practices. He’s
stepping out of our comfort zones. When growth while developing cultural empa- My own life is almost equally split on to something. Nationally, students in big, introduc-
we learn a new language, we hold a mirror thy—and often changes of personal and between Germany and the United States. tory math and science courses who struggle often
up to our own culture, allowing us to see it political perspectives. Having thus learned to navigate ever- withdraw or receive failing grades, driving them out
from a different perspective. An internship host company in Japan increasing layers and nuances of these and of intended fields of study. A 2014 New York Times
In 2010, when I took over leadership of praised an IEP intern because, unlike several other cultures, I am happy to share article reported that at four-year colleges, “28 percent
URI’s International Engineering Program other U.S. students they had worked with, with my students both the challenges and of students set out as math, engineering, and science
(IEP), I expected to employ expertise from our student had not simply learned to the considerable surprises and joys of liv- majors, but only 16 percent of bachelor’s degrees are
my previous job at a program with a simi- speak Japanese, but had also learned the ing two cultural identities and of seam- awarded in those fields.” It noted that the University
lar mission: to educate global engineers. Japanese way of communication—he lessly switching between them. • of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado
But what I found here was a unique kind came across as humble, modest, team- abandoned the lecture model typical of large intro-
Sigrid Berka is executive director of the
of program—one that integrates languages oriented, and extremely polite. In exit ductory courses in favor of active learning and in-class
International Engineering Program and
with engineering. Little did I know then interviews and reflective essays, our group work. The results: improved student perfor-
a professor of German.
that this five-year program with its man- students relate increased levels of inde- mance, sometimes by as much as 50 percent more
datory year abroad would allow me to wit- pendence, responsibility, and altruism. than students in traditional classes.
ness truly transformative growth in our They tell us that the initial feeling of In Dewsbury’s introductory biology classes, the
students. isolation and culture shock they experi- withdrawal and failure rate has been as low as 6 per-
At the end of their year abroad, when ence in their host countries helps them cent. His URI students, he says, are “a remarkably
we ask our students how they have develop a deeper understanding for what diverse group in every way possible. The opportunity
changed, they point out that they have international travelers, immigrants, and to facilitate their growth has taught me incredible
adapted to the lifestyles modeled to them refugees face. things about the human experience.” •
8 FALL 2018 ILLUSTRATION: ANTHONY RUSSO; PHOTOS: COURTESY SIGRID BERKA; NORA LEWIS UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 9
CURRENTS Enlarger
Light table Dryer
Wetting agent Developing tank
Fixer
Developer
Changing bags
= ANNOTATIONS =
Falling for Film
By Kyla Duffy
Kyla Duffy ’18 shares her ideas about film
photography in a digital world. Her film photos
illustrate the process of developing film in the
Cage, where, as a student worker, she helped
other students discover the magic of film.
THE DIGITAL AGE HAS BROUGHT A NEW WAVE
of photography. Today, nearly everyone has access to a
camera, and photographs can be taken, reviewed, and
shared in a matter of seconds. The idea of taking a photo
without the ability to review it instantaneously becomes
Drying racks
more foreign as technology advances. Even those who Work space
remember the days of 35mm cameras and enlargers often
see the process as an outdated memory. In an age when
everyone sees themselves as photographers, film
photography might seem an art form of the past, slowly
dying as newer, faster technology takes its place. But at the
photo lab in URI's Fine Arts Center, known affectionately
as the Cage, the art of film photography is very much alive.
For those looking to explore this artistic process, the Cage is
equipped with tools for developing and printing black-and-
white film, providing students with a portal to the past.
As a former student and a Cage employee, I fell in love
with the art of film photography. When I took my first
darkroom class, I didn’t think I would be able to capture
the beauty I sought in my images under the limitations of
black-and-white. But as I continued, my appreciation for
black-and-white photography blossomed. I began to
discover that color was not necessarily the most important
factor in creating a remarkable image. Instead, I began
exploring contrast, discovering that I could find
Enlarger Amber light Stop bath
Developer
inspiration in something as simple as the deep richness of
a shadow or the subtle glint of a highlight. Working in film
has also pushed me to put more thought into every shot I After shooting a roll of film, Once the film is loaded into After the film is developed Now it’s time for the
take. Since the average roll of film allows you to capture the first step in developing it is the developing tank, it must go and dried, you can catch the first darkroom! Once you select a
only 36 photos, every shot is valuable. Without the ability removing the film from the roll through a multistage process of glimpse of your photos in negative, you place it in the
to immediately review my images, I quickly learned the and placing it in the developing exposure to different chemicals negative form! The artist can view enlarger, which enlarges the
tank without exposing it to any and water rinses. negatives on the light table, and negative and uses light to expose
importance of contemplating the composition of a photo
light. Changing bags like these act select photos for printing. the image onto light-sensitive
before taking the shot. The constraints of film as portable darkrooms so your paper.
photography forced me to improve my skills as an artist. film can be moved without
While digital photography continues to grow and exposure.
evolve, the art of film photography should not be
forgotten. Even as technology advances, there will always
After the paper is exposed to Like the film, the paper must This is a print I created in the Student monitors who work
be something magical about standing under the glow of light for the proper amount of be processed through various URI photo lab. It is a double in the Cage assist fellow students
those amber lights and watching a blank piece of paper time, you move it into the chemicals before it can be exposure, created by sandwiching with developing film. If you visit
slowly turn into your very own work of art. And at the developer. This is where you see exposed to light. First, a stop bath two negatives together before the photo lab, check the door for a
URI photo lab, the darkroom will continue to hold magic your photo in its positive form for keeps it from developing further; placing them in the enlarger. Two photo portrait of the on-duty
the first time! then it is moved into the fixer, and images overlap to create a unique monitor—they’re always happy to
for those who seek it. •
then to a final wash. Now you new image. help you explore the world of film
have your very own print! photography!
10 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: KYLA DUFFY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 11
CURRENTS
= GO RHODY =
Engineering for Athletes = ASK OUR BIG THINKERS =
URI athletic trainers are working with biomedical engineering PA S S T H E
students to optimize protective gear, prosthetics, and braces to CRANBERRIES
better support and protect student-athletes. College of Pharmacy Professor Dave
Rowley has researched the beneficial
CAN A KNEE BRACE BE ADJUSTED retention for the College of Engineering, enrollment has more than quadrupled. In agents found in cranberries, so we
to provide extra support and help prevent and Andy Llaguno ’92, associate athletic 2016, the National Society of Black Engi- asked him to share some of the
an injury? Can information from helmet director for health and performance, have neers honored him as its Minority Engi- benefits of eating this traditional
sensors help prevent concussions? A spent two years developing the pilot pro- neering Program Director of the Year. holiday food.
research initiative between URI's College gram. Llaguno—a first-generation college
of Engineering and the Department of “Engineers are learning how to make grad whose family came to the United
Athletics will give students an opportunity new grafts for body parts,” Llaguno said. States from Cuba—previously served on
to answer these questions. “We are providing lab space where stu- the National Athletic Trainers’ Association
Through the National Science Founda- dents can learn to create protective gear, Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee.
tion’s Broader Impacts diversity initiative, prosthetics, and braces to better support "This initiative is going to help URI recruit
URI athletic trainers are working with bio- and protect student-athletes. We will give engineering students," Llaguno said. "It = GO RHODY =
medical engineering students to optimize students a chance to observe surgeries— will help the athletic training staff. It will
the practical impact of protective gear,
prosthetics, and braces the students are
a great opportunity for them to see how
doctors use measurements and angles in
help the doctors who come through the
training room. This is a great networking
Courtside
designing. Students—chosen through a replacing limbs and joints.” Funding for the opportunity all around." It’s Rhody basketball season! Here are a
competitive process—interact with doc- initiative will come through the National "The goal here is to be forward-think- few things you need to know about this
tors, chiropractors, podiatrists, sports psy- Science Foundation via URI's 17-year ing," Watson said. "As engineers, we want
chologists, and nutritionists, while getting involvement with the Northeast Louis outcomes. With anything we do, we want
year’s men’s and women’s teams.
hands-on experience in URI’s athletic pro- Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. our students engaged and getting every-
MEN'S BASKETBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
grams. Next summer, the students will A member of URI's back-to-back Yan- thing they can out of the experiences we
present their research findings to the Engi- kee Conference Championship basketball provide. This will be a phenomenal initia- Head Coach David Cox Redshirt sophomore Davida
neering in Medicine and Biology Society teams in 1984 and 1985, Watson's most tive, and this is just the start." • was named the 20th head coach Dale, who transferred from
in Berlin, Germany. profound impact at URI has been creating —Shane Donaldson in program history in April Syracuse, will play for the Rams
Charles Watson ’93, opportunities for minorities in engi- Charles Watson (center) and Andy Llaguno
2018. This is his first season this season. The Providence
assistant director of minority neering. Since he joined the College (right) work with student-athlete (football) as a Division I head coach. native is projected to be one
student recruitment and of Engineering in 2004, minority Kevin Lawrence ’20. of the best in-state recruits ever
Rhody heads into the 2018–19
to play for the Rams.
season looking for its third-
straight trip to the NCAA The team spent nine days
Tournament. It would mark in Portugal and Spain in
Here’s why you should pass just the second time in school August, going 2-1 against
the cranberries: history the Rams have accom- international competition.
plished the feat; the last three-
• Cranberry consumption has Rhode Island will host
year streak was from 1997–99.
been shown to lower the risk of car- the 2018 Ocean State Tip-Off
diovascular disease. Junior guard Jeff Dowtin Tournament December 1–2
ranked third in the country last at the Ryan Center. All four
• Cranberries have long been used
season with a 4.4 assist-to- Division I teams in the state—
to help prevent urinary tract
turnover ratio. For his career, URI, Brown, Bryant, and
infections.
Dowtin averages just one Providence—will participate.
• Certain cranberry compounds turnover every 26.9 minutes.
The Rams have two active
are strong antioxidants.
The Rams will spend players who have represented
• And finally, cranberries are a Christmas in Hawaii this their countries in international
delicious holiday Thanksgiving season—playing three games play. Sophomore Marta Vargas
tradition! Have seconds! in the Hawaiian Airlines plays for Team Portugal, and
Diamond Head Classic from redshirt junior Laura Perez
Video at uri.edu/magazine December 22–25. plays for the Mexican National
Team.
12 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: SHANE DONALDSON; NAVINDRA SEERAM; ISTOCKPHOTO.COM UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 13
CURRENTS
= FAST BREAK = = CIGAR BOX =
Smarter in an Instant Student Journalism
It’s possible if you put away your phone. in the Age of Mistrust
So says Tracy Proulx, Harrington School of Communication and By Nick Bush and Lianna Blakeman
Media senior lecturer. Her course, “COM 321: Social Media and
Interpersonal Communication,” requires students to examine ACROSS THE NATION, JOURNALISM IS
what effect their social media and technology use has on their facing significant threats. According to a 2016
perceptions, identities, and relationships. And, in doing so, they Gallup poll, only 32 percent of Americans had a
great deal or a fair amount of trust in the media,
just might get better grades.
down eight points from the previous year. As stu-
dent journalists, we strive to understand and pre-
“The rule in my class is Her justification: In the course of the The Pew Research Center
pare ourselves for “real-world” journalism, but we
no phones,” Proulx says. Researchers have found semester, Proulx requires reports that 95 percent of
must also consider the role of student journalism.
“If a student is even that a student with a students to analyze their U.S. adults own mobile
Student newspapers across the country face
touching a phone, it’s phone on their desk social media use for a phones. How much wasted
the threat of losing their impact and relevance
one point off of their will score lower on an week, asking questions time that adds up to is
to the community. In the age of mistrust, many
final average.” assessment than one such as, “How many days, Students are often impossible to say, but
view the reporting in university newspapers as
who keeps the phone weeks, years did you aghast at their self- knowledge is power, Proulx
subpar and lacking important news coverage.
in their backpack. waste on Instagram? You study. “I’m a horrible says. “Use it, but under-
But, the Good Five Cent Cigar, since its inception,
can’t get that time back. person,” one student stand it. Don’t let it dictate
has held that student journalism should not only
What could you have told Proulx. “I’ve been your life.”
be a learning experience, but also serve the com-
been doing?” wasting my life.”
munity. The Cigar is fortunate to be in a campus
— Marybeth Reilly-McGreen
environment where freedom of speech is not
only protected but cherished. As a result, we have
been able to tackle challenging stories that you
= ASK OUR BIG THINKERS = might not expect in a student newspaper.
Despite the risk of failing or receiving angry Nick Bush, managing editor
In the first issue of the spring 2018 semester, emeritus of the Good Five Cent
responses, we still choose to do bigger and
How to Be at Peace the headline on the front page of the Cigar was,
“Former URI student charged with first-degree
murder.” This was an unusual story for a student
harder-hitting stories. Yes, it is more difficult and
time-consuming, but we believe that our role as
Cigar, and Lianna Blakeman,
editor-in-chief.
Be Present.
journalists demands it. We’ve seen positive and
We asked Thupten Tendhar of URI's newspaper to cover, and it caught students’ inter-
Cherish the present moment, as it will slip away
negative responses to some of these challenging
Center for Nonviolence and Peace est. The papers flew off the shelves, demonstrat-
soon. Do not dwell on any past mistakes or future
stories, but we are engaging the entire campus
Studies to share some expert advice ing there was reader demand for investigative
worries, for they will only burden you with anxiety
community and sparking dialogue on topics that
articles. In response, the Cigar editorial board
on how to remain present, calm, and more suffering.
matter, and that’s exactly what we, as student
felt a growing need to have a dedicated team
and peaceful—important during journalists, strive for.
Be Open-Minded. of skilled reporters to manage these types of
the holiday season, and always. The Cigar has come a long way since 1971—
Keep the door to your wonderful mind calm and open articles. Our team of investigative reporters,
through many trials and tribulations, highs and
Thupten Tendhar is a Level II Kingian to diverse ideas. You can breathe in what you want, Cigarlight—a play on the name of the Boston
lows. But what hasn’t changed is that we are still
nonviolence trainer. Born to Tibetan and let go of the rest without judging. Judgment Globe Spotlight team—has tackled topics like
passionate reporters, and we are dedicated to
parents, he joined Drepung Loseling brings unwanted conflicts and confrontations. Student Senate financial regulations and the
taking the Cigar to new places. We hope to fully
Monastery in South India at the age defunding of one of URI’s largest student organi-
Be Compassionate.
explore student journalism and, above all, pro-
of 12 and studied there for 18 years, zations. They spend hours listening to interviews
Practice compassion by treating yourself and
vide a valuable service to the University of Rhode
earning the respected doctoral level with students, faculty, and administrators, poring
others with understanding, kindness, and respect.
Island community. •
Geshe degree in Buddhist philosophy. over official documents, and piecing together a
He is also a poet and has dedicated Everyone deserves to be loved and avoid suffering. cohesive story that the Cigar is proud to publish.
his life to promoting compassion for Be Grateful. We always work diligently toward accurate,
individual and universal peace. Be aware and grateful for the interconnectedness high-quality articles, but sometimes we make
that we benefit from in daily life. Gratitude helps mistakes. That is what makes student journalism
us maintain personal well-being, as well as so unique—while we are not professionals in the
Video at uri.edu/magazine field, we still strive to hold ourselves up to the
positive interpersonal relationships. Appreciate
time together, and keep it joyful and peaceful. highest of professional standards.
14 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; SABINE SCHULTE, UNSPLASH; NORA LEWIS; ILLUSTRATION: ANTHONY RUSSO UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 15
CURRENTS
= SCENIC ROUTE =
We shared this amazing aerial view of URI, and you
= RHODE TAKEN =
seemed to like it as much as we did! Photographer and
Getting the Story
URI academic advisor Michael Scott, @urimiscott,
captured this shot from the window seat on his flight
home from a running event he was photographing.
A L L I E H E R R E R A ’ 16
WHEN AN ESTRANGED HUSBAND the school’s advisory board of industry
went on a shooting spree and barricaded leaders who served as mentors, friends,
himself in an apartment, Allie Herrera and inspiration. Scholarships from the RHODE TO A DEGREE
’16 raced to the scene as the local CBS Harrington School and elsewhere
reporter. Less than a year after finishing helped her balance internships, a teach- Original Life Goal
Personal trainer in sports medicine.
her journalism degree, Herrera earned ing assistantship, a job at the Anna Fas-
her stripes that day—interviewing, writ- citelli Fitness & Wellness Center, and Revised Life Goal
ing, and delivering the story live. schoolwork. Multimedia journalist, because
In an era of digital media, instant “If the Harrington School had not “democracy cannot function without
gratification, and shrinking newsroom made that equipment available, those people being informed.”
budgets, journalism has been trans- resources available, I would not have Welcome-to-College Moment
formed. “You’re a jack-of-all-trades. been as prepared to enter my career,” she Journalism professor John Pantalone seats
You’re a Swiss Army knife,” says says. “It prepared students for what we 317 students in alphabetical order so he
Herrera, now at the NBC affiliate in would see in the outside world.” knows who shows and who skips.
Memphis, Tennessee. “I can’t explain Those resources will grow with an Key Turning Point
how exciting it is to get the story—to additional $3 million commitment in Kendall Moore’s multimedia journalism class
get the A slot for the broadcast and have June 2018 from the Harringtons. The “was the reason I became a TV journalist.”
a live shot. It’s an adrenaline rush unlike gift will fund further renovations of Mentors
anything.” Ranger Hall, which already houses the Journalism professors John Pantalone and
Herrera embodies the 21st century $6.8 million Harrington Hub for Global Kendall Moore. Pantalone “never shut the
reporter: undertaking—solo—a job that, Leadership in Communication and door on me, even though I had constant
just a decade ago, fell to a team that Media, including a video-editing lab, questions.” Moore was “a mentor, friend,
included a writer, photographer, web- and active learning classrooms. colleague; you name it.”
master, and producer. It’s the primary It’s also where faculty converge to Scholarships
reason the University of Rhode Island teach, mentor, and conduct research. Harrington Scholarship, Violet Grace Hellman
formed the Harrington School of Com- Herrera credits two in particular—jour- Endowed Prize in Languages, Erica Knowles
munication and Media in 2008 with a $5 nalism professors Kendall Moore and Memorial Endowment, Mary Jane Behrends
million gift from Richard J. Harrington John Pantalone—with helping her tran- Clark Journalism Scholarship
’73 and his wife, Jean. The school com- sition from being an aspiring kinesiol- Internships
bines communication studies, film/ ogy major to graduating as a journalism WTNH-ABC 8 (Conn.), WJAR-NBC 10 (R.I.),
media, journalism, public relations, major. “They taught me to be curious,” Rhode Island Monthly, and more. “URI and the
writing and rhetoric, library and infor- she says. Harrington School have good reputations,
mation studies, digital media, and sports And when she graduated, she which helped me land those internships.”
media, exposing 1,350 students to a became just the second person in her Landing the Internship
world that no longer operates in silos. family to do so, behind her sister. Born Meeting Josh Aromin ’12 from
It was in the school’s lab that Herrera in Peru, Herrera’s parents moved the Rhode Island Monthly at URI Journalism Day
learned to edit footage she shot with the family to the United States when she and following up via Twitter.
school’s cameras. She teamed up with was 5 in search of a better life. “My Leadership Outside the Classroom
journalism student Marissa Tansino ’17 parents still wake up thinking they are Standards chair for Sigma Delta Tau sorority, in
to turn the mock TV studio into a in a dream because their daughter is charge of ensuring ethical conduct of the sisters.
broadcasting center streaming campus a journalist on TV,” she says. •
Degree
news via the internet. She mingled with —Chris Barrett B.A. ’16, Spanish and journalism,
minor in nutrition
16 FALL 2018 ILLUSTRATION: ANTHONY RUSSO; PHOTO: COURTESY ALLIE HERRERA UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 17CURRENTS
today.uri.edu
= NEWS TICKER = = BAY AND BEYOND =
Get more
All Quiet Undersea
news at
Warm Welcome
In September, URI opened
= IN BRIEF = the Robert J. Higgins Do the sounds and vibrations from the Block Island wind farm harm the marine
Welcome Center to give
our 50,000+ visitors per
life in its vicinity? A URI ocean engineer found the answer is—no.
year a warmer welcome.
“The sound from the wind construction and operations
Smart Degree turbines is just barely detect- on the environment so future
URI and Johnson & Wales are able underwater,” says James wind farms can be planned
collaborating to offer a dual- H. Miller, URI professor of appropriately.
degree program in pharmacy ocean engineering and an The bureau has funded
and physician assistant studies. expert on sound propagation Miller—through Nebraska-
in the ocean. “You have to be based engineering consul-
Growing Talent
URI’s Talent Development very close to hear it. As far as tants HDR Inc.—to evaluate
Program, which gives we can see, it’s having no the sound from wind farm
underserved Rhode Islanders a effect on the environment, construction and operations
Grasshopper Power Maple Alternative to Botox “Study Drugs” Don’t chance to earn a university and much less than shipping at other locations along the
URI environmental science College of Pharmacy professor Make the Grade degree, turned 50 this year. The noise.” East Coast. He will soon
and management major Navindra Seeram and a team URI professor Lisa Weyandt program boasts more than Miller and a team of spe- deploy his acoustic instru-
Becky Gumbrewicz ’19 has of URI researchers have 3,580 graduates who work in cialists from Woods Hole ments in the waters off Mary-
and Brown University
found that grasshoppers discovered that compounds nearly every professional field Oceanographic Institution, land and Virginia as prepara-
co-investigator Tara White
imaginable. Marine Acoustics Inc., and tions begin for the first off-
are an unexpectedly in maple leaves show promise found that, contrary to popular
important player in salt for being used in topical belief across college campuses, others have been monitoring shore wind turbines off the
Top-Notch
marsh ecosystems, which are alternatives to Botox injections prescription ADHD medications URI nursing professors Michelle the area periodically since Mid-Atlantic Coast.
threatened by rising seas. because of their ability to used by students who do not Palmer and Mary Sullivan were before the wind farm began “Conditions are different
Block Island wind farm turbines, off the coast of Rhode Island.
Her research findings could inhibit enzymes that cause have ADHD can hinder, rather recognized by Rhode Island operation in 2016. To take the there—the seabed is different,
help lead to new strategies skin to wrinkle. than help, academic Monthly and the Rhode Island measurements, they used May 1, when the whales were most likely the oceanographic conditions
for salt marsh restoration. performance. State Nurses Association for hydrophones in the water and geo- to be in the area. In addition, trained are different, it’s warmer there longer—
excellence and leadership in phones—which measure the vibration of observers were hired by the developers to which can impact sound propagation,”
patient care and research. the seabed—on the seafloor. watch for whales that had wandered into Miller says. “The seabed there is much
“We listened to a lot of ships, a lot of the construction zone. Pile driving was more homogenous sand than we have up
Sea Change
whales, wind, and fish, but the sound of also restricted to the daytime to facilitate here, which we think might make the
URI’s Graduate School of
the turbines was very, very subtle,” he says. visual detection of whales nearby. sound levels a little bit louder. It’s some-
Oceanography will lead a
consortium in operating a new “We were 50 meters away from the turbine The most surprising result of acoustic thing we’re still trying to understand.”
$125 million research vessel, and we could just barely hear some noise monitoring of the wind farm during con- About 1,000 offshore wind turbines
which will replace the R/V at a very low level. And above the water struction was the intensity of the vibra- have been proposed for installation in the
Endeavor in 2021. line we just barely heard the swishing of tions felt in the seabed from the pile driv- waters from Massachusetts to Georgia in
the blades turning.” ing. “The impact on the animals on the the coming years.
Better Together During the two-week pile-driving stage seabed is potentially worse than for those Miller is also part of an HDR team
URI’s Center for Humanities of construction, however, Miller says the in the water column,” Miller says. “It may monitoring sound from shipping, oil
joined 10 Northeast colleges sound was quite loud. Pile driving is the exploration and production, and other
have had an effect on nearby bottom-
and universities in a first-of- first step in building the support structures dwelling organisms like flounder and lob- sources in the Gulf of Mexico as part of a
its-kind humanities consortium
for the turbines. sters, which have a huge economic value in separate Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage-
to promote public-private
“The wind farm developers know pile Rhode Island. We’re still trying to under- ment-funded project to describe what he
collaboration and
interdisciplinary programming. driving is loud, so they start with some stand what that effect may be. calls “the existing noise soundscape” in the
soft tapping to alert marine life that might “Fish probably can’t hear the noise from Gulf.
Healthy Change be sensitive to the sound,” he explains. the turbine operations, but there’s no “It’s really exciting that we’re being
URI was the first college in the “Once they realize it’s coming, marine life doubt that they could hear the pile driv- asked to do so much of the acoustic moni-
state to join the Campaign to can move away.” ing,” he adds. “The levels are high enough toring in the oceans around the U.S.,”
Change Direction, which aims The greatest concern from the pile that we’re concerned.” Miller concluded. “We’ve become the
to change the culture of mental driving is its effect on critically endan- national experts, which has added to
Miller’s acoustic monitoring of the
health, removing societal gered North Atlantic right whales. To min- wind farm is part of an effort by the federal Rhode Island’s reputation as the Ocean
stigmas and barriers that
imize the impact during construction, pile Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to State.” •
prevent people from seeking
driving was prohibited between Nov. 1 and understand the impact of wind turbine — Todd McLeish
and getting the care they need.
18 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: BRANDON WOO; ISTOCKPHOTO.COM; COURTESY GSO PHOTO: KYLE SIDLIK UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 19Why Derek Lacy ’19
raps about DEATH
hip
“I LOST MY MOM, LORI, TO CANCER
when I was 15. One day my mom complained
her back hurt. Next thing, she had a tumor.
And then she was dead at 50,” he says. “At 18,
I was just beginning to understand it. At 19, I
hotep
started to make music.”
For Lacy, now 21, his mother’s uninten-
tional legacy is a keen awareness of his mortal-
ity and a mad need to succeed as a rapper.
“It’s made me go all-in. I got a lot of plays on Derek Lacy aspires
this one song I recorded, so I reached out to to a career in rap,
[rap star] Mick Jenkins, and he tweeted about and he's eager
to get started.
it, and it got 10,000 hits. I’m confident. I mean,
back pain and life is over?! As bad as it is,
death is also a motivating thing.”
In his childhood years, the music and lyrics
rs
of rappers like Eminem and Mac Miller spoke
Mat
to Lacy. “I was most interested in the words.
Rap validated me. Validated my emotions.”
oetry.
ec au se h ip -h op is art. And p
Why? B hip-hop is
u si c. A n d rh etoric. Because
And m logy.
ie n ce . A n d cu ltural anthropo
political sc sophy.
u is ti c an th ro p ology. And philo
And ling usiness.
se h ip -h o p is business. Big b eist.
Becau
o p is o ra l trad ition. And zeitg
Because hip-h And death. An
d, for
ip -h o p is life.
Because h
ation.
some, even salv
en
Reilly-McGre
By Marybeth
20 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: EDRECE STANSBERRY, UNSPLASH; NORA LEWIS UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 21James Haile III, assistant professor
Hip-hop is
of philosophy, uses hip-hip to
VOICE
convey weighty ideas—such as
finding a
the destruction of thought and
the nature of being—to his under-
graduate philosophy students. ist Basquiat are doing, Haile says, is blowing
up an idea and creating from the fragments.
Kendrick Lamar takes the West Coast nar- HIP-HOP ARTISTS SO REVERE intends to make a career in university
Lacy says Mac Miller’s mix- rative and gives you those elements in dif- words that they profane them. They add administration. Art is her outlet. “My
tape, Faces, kept him going when ferent pieces. It sounds chaotic,” Haile says, and subtract letters from them at will. parents grew up in New York City and
things went dark. “I can’t even likening Lamar to Miles Davis. They stretch and pull them like gum Brooklyn,” Smith says. “Music, hip-hop,
explain how important it was to “The more you listen, the more you wound round the finger. They take two has always been a part of my family’s life.
me. He helped me stay alive.” understand that Lamar plays around with words and mash them together. They take My dad had a boom box and an Afro and
Lacy’s desire to make a career voice as a way of shifting perspectives. He one word and split it like an atom. And the was into freestyling. My parents used
of rap and hip-hop led him to plays around with cadence like Wright’s fallout is music—and more: insight into music as a connector. There wasn’t a day
study psychology and creative Black Boy,” Haile says. “Richard Wright’s the human condition, the outpouring of a music wasn’t played in my house.” Smith’s
writing; poetry, in particular. Black Boy is a collection of ideas. Lamar is a soul expressing love, lust, anger, frustra- dad has a beat machine. “He’d be riding
“My lane is the prettiest words I collection of ideas.” tion, hatred, unity, pride, virtue, and vice: the rhythm. It got him out of bed in the
can find and the grittiest emotion In the shattering of ideas, Wright and it’s all there. Hip-hop has been criticized morning,” Smith says.
I can bring,” says Lacy. Lamar are doing the work of philosophers. for its misogyny, homophobia, racist lan- Smith, who competed in slam poetry
News of Mac Miller's death in It is work Haile knows intimately. He is contests at URI,
September of an apparent drug writing a book on Black art to be published says the allure of
overdose at the age of 26 left Lacy by Northwestern University Press. “The rap and hip-hop is
shocked, but determined as ever history of philosophy is one of blowing stuff its accessibility. Still
to pursue his dream of becoming up,” Haile says. “But we don’t do that any- true to its urban
a rap artist. Miller will be remem- more. We don’t say, ‘Let’s blow up the con- roots, hip-hop is
bered as an artist who had the respect of
ip-ho p is getting ceptual framework, the idea.’ We fear being narrative in the tra-
everyone in the business, Lacy says. "He
H out on the ledge alone.” Haile’s book is dition of the epic
TRUTH
contributed to the hip-hop culture without about the destruction of thought. “It’s a poem, speaking to
stealing from it. I still listen to him every
day and what I've learned from him is that
Need more convincing?
The PBS series Poetry in
to the book about Black art, which is, in itself,
Black art. It doesn’t read like a straightfor-
universal truths,
meant for mass
you've got to start early and you don't need America dubbed rap the most popular ward narrative. It’s constantly moving—a consumption. This
all these connects [sic] to get started," he form of contemporary poetry in the world JAMES HAILE III, ASSISTANT moving target.” is the language of
says. "He taught me I can do this myself." today. Scholars such as Adam Bradley, professor of philosophy, has a lot of So, how does a philosophy professor use youth speaking
The hip-hop industry generates $10 bil- author of Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of research interests: continental philosophy popular music to convey such weighty ideas their truth.
lion a year, and its reach extends far Hip Hop, take it further, asserting that rap (especially aesthetics), philosophy of litera- as the destruction of thought or the nature “Hip-hop and
beyond music. Hip-hop is a culture with a is the “most widely disseminated poetry in ture, philosophy of place, Africana philoso- of being to 18-year-olds? He meets them rap give people a
language and symbols (think graffiti art) the history of the world.” phy and philosophy of race, the intersection where they live. He talks about the title Africa Costarica Smith is a poet and spoken-word artist. "Hip-hop chance to tell their
and an aesthetic. There are norms and val- In the history of the world. of 20th century American and African- track of good kid, m.A.A.d city: “Sing about and rap give people a chance to tell their story," she says. story,” Smith says.
ues. There is a mythology and a reality— At URI, faculty are introducing critical American literature and existentialism, me.” He notes that Lamar alters his voice to “And the more
with the requisite heroes and villains. And study of hip-hop to their students through writers Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, tell others’ stories in their voices, creating a guage, and glorification of violence. But is woke you are, the harder it is to sleep. The
increasingly there is recognition of its con- the lenses of philosophy and art. Alumni James Baldwin, and Jean-Paul Sartre, conversation in which he channels all parts. it so different from any other art form? more woke you become, the more aware
tributions by the cultural elite. This year, are making careers in the field, and stu- black aesthetics, and especially the contem- “Kendrick Lamar is switching pronouns Hasn’t the artist always sought to mirror you are of injustice in the world.”
the Smithsonian will release the Smithson- dents like Lacy are finding ways to inte- porary genre aesthetics of hip-hop. Oh, in a single sentence! Shifting perspective,” back to society its triumphs and its fail- As an undergraduate, Smith sometimes
ian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap, com- grate their love of hip-hop culture into and Kendrick Lamar. Haile says. “Rather than speaking for those ures? Hasn’t art always been about giving found herself the only nonwhite person in
prising nine CDs with 120 tracks and a their educations. Haile recently wrote an article on who do not have a voice, Lamar blends voice to thought? a classroom. Writing and performing
300-page book of essays and photographs. Because hip-hop matters, says MC and Lamar’s album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, for their voices as his own without subsuming Africa Costarica Smith ’18 loves words. proved a release from the unease she
In July, the Kennedy Center announced entrepreneur Theo Martins Jr. ’09. “It’s the the Journal of Speculative Philosophy titled, their voice,” Haile writes in “good kid, She writes a haiku a day as a kind of per- sometimes felt. “Poetry helps me put it all
that it would award a special prize to the driving force of innovation and ideas in “good kid, m.A.A.d city: Kendrick Lamar’s m.A.A.d city: Kendrick Lamar’s Auto-eth- sonal check-in. “I’ll write in my journal, into perspective. Then I can reflect and
Tony, Pulitzer, and Grammy award-win- popular culture. Hip-hop is solely based Auto-ethnographic Method,” in which he nographic Method.” “When one is listening just write out what I see, and then con- feel better about things. In the black com-
ning hip-hop musical, Hamilton. Last on being the first and the freshest, the argues that the artist “offers a new way of and hears Lamar, one is also hearing all the dense it. My parents are house-hunting munity, we don’t talk about mental health.
April, hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar won ‘here’s what’s hot,’ and when you have that thinking about hip-hop as a whole, not sim- other voices that are not his.” right now. I wrote a whole thing about a Rap and poetry address personal and soci-
the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for music, the first as the driving force for your ideology, you ply as a capitalistic enterprise or as a ‘black So to study Lamar is to contemplate the house being condemned. I ended it with etal issues,” she says.
nonclassical or jazz musician to receive the are in a constant state of discovery, looking news’ channel, but as a distinct method for very nature of identity? “empty of everything being full,” Smith “People can find themselves in some-
award. Also in 2017, a single painting by and looking. collecting data and understanding the expe- Haile grins. “Lamar gets us out of the says. “So I’ll start a poem from that line.” one else’s story and not feel so alone in this
graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for “It’s like poetic space exploration,” riences and existence of black people.” politics of our identities and more to some- Smith, a spoken-word artist and former world.”
$110.5 million at auction. Martins says. What artists like Lamar and graffiti art- thing significantly true.” member of URI’s Slam Poetry Club,
22 FALL 2018 PHOTOS: AYLA FOX; BRANDON FULLER
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND MAGAZINE 23You can also read
