Op Ed

Grossman ’24: Academic freedom is a collective right

By Eli Grossman | April 11

Brown faculty must reject or revise the recent “Draft Statement on University Values” to ensure that it includes strong, explicit protections for shared community governance in every aspect of University operations.

Miller ’70: What if Brown just says no?

By Kenneth Miller | April 6

Brown is just the latest major university to be threatened with the loss of federal funds by the Trump administration. But while the White House has not yet formally frozen Brown’s federal funding nor presented the University with a list of demands as conditions of restoring that funding, we can be ...

Walhout ’25: It’s time to close the Open Curriculum

By Samuel Walhout | April 4

I first began giving tours of Brown as an impressionable first-year. On the second stop of the tour outside University Hall, I would gather my modest crowd of overachieving high schoolers and their anxious parents to extol the virtues of Brown’s unique curricular system. After responding to a host ...

Theodoropoulos ’27: John Hay helped colonize the Philippines. The least Brown can do is give us a language class.

By Alexa Theodoropoulos | March 31

About a year ago, I received a text from Brown’s Southeast Asian Studies Initiative about an upcoming course, taught by SEASI and Filipino Alliance ally Grace Talusan: ENGL 1050Y: “Traces of Empire: Writing Filipino and American Experiences.” The title alone lingered with me — an invitation ...

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LeVine ’93 P’25 P’27: We can thwart Trump’s attack on our nation’s universities

By Suzan LeVine | March 20

Earlier this week, inspired by a Harvard Crimson op-ed, I sent a letter to President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 and Provost Francis Doyle with recommendations on how Brown might help our country’s academic institutions escape the Trump administration’s encroaching darkness.

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Ziegler GS: Protecting freedom of expression at Brown requires a proactive approach to authoritarianism

By Michael Ziegler | March 18

Last week, Rasha Alawieh, an assistant professor of medicine at Brown, was deported from the United States at Boston Logan International Airport despite holding a valid H-1B visa. Her deportation was on the heels of the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident of the United States who, as of ...

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Opinions

Bolton: Protestors should understand the history of antisemitic rhetoric

By Josh Bolton | March 17

I am deeply concerned by the relentless — and also maybe clueless — use of antisemitic tropes that continues to pervade campus protests. This includes Thursday’s rally protesting the arrest and detainment of Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil. Considering the overt use of these antisemitic elements, ...

Opinions

Rogers: Universities need courage in the age of American authoritarianism

By Melvin Rogers | March 13

A few weeks ago, I had the extraordinary opportunity to discuss my work — the role of faith and struggle in democratic politics — with a group of students at the University of San Diego. Despite being in sunny California, we found ourselves drawn to the troubling question: What will we do when our ...

Opinions

Mackie ’59: Brown’s unfinished business: pedestrianizing Brown and Benevolent Streets

By Peter Mackie | March 9

On April 30, 2012, Brown and the City of Providence signed a Memorandum of Agreement in which the University purchased sections of Benevolent, Brown and Olive Streets. In addition, the City licensed 250 revenue-producing on-street parking spaces to Brown for faculty and staff use. In turn, the University ...

Graphic with the quote: "Every inch of green space is more critical to student physical and psychological well-being. These barren streets do nothing to promote intimacy, connectedness and a sense of community."

Opinions

Rackoff ’25: Reflections from an anti-Zionist academic echo chamber

By Maya Rackoff | March 3

Last month, I attended the “Non-Zionist Jewish Traditions” conference hosted by the Cogut Institute for the Humanities. The conference consisted of five panels and two roundtable discussions across two days. I attended one each day. While I, unfortunately, did not experience the full program, the ...

Opinions

Adriano ’25: Before you go to Puerto Rico for spring break, understand your responsibility as a tourist

By Sebasstián Adriano | March 2

U.S. tourists have a global reputation. They’re known for their college merchandise, poor sense of geography and very loud conversations. While some of these traits may be comical or even endearing, the nature of such tourism can also be harmful. As a native of Puerto Rico — a destination where ...

Opinions

Ziegler GS: In ‘tough waters,’ Brown needs a better team at the helm

By Michael Ziegler | February 27

Over the last four months, Provost Francis Doyle has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the state of the University’s finances. In December, he announced a series of “community actions” that aim to tackle Brown’s 2025 $46 million structural operating deficit. Notably, these actions include reductions ...

Opinions

Tribe ’27: Democracy is under attack. Where is your outrage?

By Isabel Tribe | February 25

Experts are calling it a coup. Law professors warn of a constitutional crisis. And we’re just one month into the second Trump administration.

Opinions

Nesselson ’26: I’m a vegan student athlete. Here’s why

By Cole Nesselson | February 21

Dog meat for sale? Bewildered, I tried to avoid eye contact with the smiling guy who called out to me saying, “Would you like to try some dog meat?” His hand was outstretched, holding a small toothpick with God-knows-what on the end of it. I said “No, thanks” and hurried into the Sharpe Refectory. ...

Opinions

Kwon ’25, Kattler ’27, Takahashi ’28: Police raids on homeless encampments are cruel and inhumane

By Remi Takahashi, Ayla Kattler and San Kwon | February 19

In the past five years, homelessness in Rhode Island has more than doubled, and unsheltered homelessness has almost increased fivefold. In 2024, 2,442 Rhode Islanders were experiencing homelessness. In response to this crisis, there has been a significant increase in police presence and crackdowns on ...

The words "The increasing police raids on homeless encampments, especially, should be condemned for what they are — pointless, ruthless and inhumane." pasted on a gray background.

Opinions

Scurry ’25: I’m writing my thesis on love. Here’s what I've learned

By Mason Scurry | February 14

In my sophomore year at Brown, I wrote a 20-page proposal for an independent concentration that I never submitted. It was called “The Principles of Love,” and my goal was to determine — once and for all — what love actually is.

Opinions

Radziner ’24: Still In Progress

By Asher Radziner | February 9

Everyone is trying to figure out what happened in this year’s presidential election. How is it possible that Donald Trump secured such a decisive victory? I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do know one thing: Americans don’t talk to each other. As a young, university-educated Democrat, ...

Opinions

Bittker ’27: The case against student internships

By Gray Bittker | February 3

Positions applied to on Handshake that you’ll likely never hear back from, a mountain of cover letters to fit every application, LinkedIn posts from your peers flaunting their job acceptances: These are the emblems of the dreaded student internship search process. As the summer draws closer and many ...

Opinions

Marcus ’26: A return to calm on campus

By Ben Marcus | November 22

In recent weeks, there has been a palpable shift on campus. Classes feel more collaborative, students have returned to relaxing on the Main Green and we’ve all been able to watch the leaves fall as autumn settles in. The atmosphere is more peaceful as the divisive protests that dominated campus for ...

Opinions

Angelino MPH’24: Taking a stand to protect freedom of the press

By Domenic Angelino | November 18

Freedom of expression, freedom of thought and the freedom to share information are at the core of what it means to be a member of the Brown community. These rights ensure our capacity to influence communities far beyond our own. Despite the importance of these freedoms, many of us take these rights ...