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GOLF IN MEXICO
HIP-HOP ALBUMS
Aline Krauter claims fifth after comeback in Guadalajara
#50-41 in an ongoing countdown of top 2010s albums
Sunny 70/47
Tomorrow Mostly Sunny 72/50
The Stanford Daily An Independent Publication
THURSDAY February 20, 2020
www.stanforddaily.com
Volume 257 Issue 13
Students back Rolen as FLI head Petition criticizes passing over Rolen for FLI Office Director By ESHA DHAWAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
By GRACE CARROLL DESK EDITOR
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Administrators and student body leaders announced that a commitee would evaluate and consider modifications to the ‘Secret Snowflake’ campus tradition, following complaints related to sexual harassment.
STUDENT LIFE
Complaints prompt review of ‘Secret Snowflake’ By SARINA DEB DESK EDITOR
University officials and student leaders announced their intention to “begin a discussion” about the “Secret Snowflake” campus tradition following complaints, including some directed to the Title IX Office, about dares that “crossed boundaries of good citizenship” and involved violations of sexual harassment policies.
The announcement came Wednesday afternoon in an email signed by Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) President Erica Scott ’20, ASSU Vice President Isaiah Drummond ’20, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole and Senior Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Access Lauren Schoenthaler.
Please see REVIEW, page 6
Students leaders in Stanford’s First-Generation and/or Low-Income (FLI) Office have launched a campus-wide petition urging administrators to appoint Jennifer Rolen as the office’s permanent director. Rolen currently serves as the associate director and assistant dean of the FLI Office. A committee has been assembled to hire a permanent director, but FLI student leaders say Rolen was not offered a second-round interview and was removed from the committee’s list of candidates for director. “Losing Jenn’s leadership and vision is a huge mistake, and we want the university to know how disappointed and angry students and alumni are about this decision,” wrote Daniella Caluza ’21, Kiara Bacasen ’21, Christopher Middleton ’16 J.D. ’21 and Jeffrey Rodriguez ’20 in an email circulated by FLI student leadership after it came to light that Rolen’s name had been removed from the list of candidates. Middleton resigned from the
Graduate Student Council (GSC) on Wednesday, citing his frustrations with the Stanford administration’s management of the FLI office. Rolen “has essentially been acting director since the conception of the FLI Office but without the title or the pay,” the email reads, calling her “the backbone for all the events and programming that the FLI Office has put on.” Students were urged to write messages to Stanford administrators advocating for Rolen’s appointment, in addition to signing a petition — which currently has more than 800 signatures — demanding that student voices be given more weight in the selection process. Rolen declined The Daily’s request for comment, citing her desire to maintain the integrity of the hiring process. “The first round included a very strong pool of candidates,” wrote Student Affairs spokesperson Pat Harris in an email to The Daily. “Decisions were made after due consideration and careful deliberation. The search committee is composed of thoughtful people who care deeply about FLI students at Stanford.”
SPEAKERS & EVENTS
The Diversity and FirstGen (DGen) Office was created in 2012, but it split into separate branches for FLI and diversity education two years ago. Since then, Rolen has been the primary leader advancing the FLI Office’s mission, according to Middleton, who is also co-president of Stanford FLI Alumni Network. “When the position was opened in November for director, we kind of assumed that Jennifer Rolen would have that position of being the director because effectively she’s led our office — and, we believe, quite successfully,” Middleton said. Students cited Rolen’s leadership of FLI initiatives including the FLI Office’s library (FLIbrary), FLI Student Orientation (FLISO), the Leland Scholars Program and the Opportunity Fund. “None of this came from the University waking up one day and saying, ‘Oh, FLI students should have this,’” said Kiara Bacasen ’21, co-president of the FLI Partnership (FLIP) student organization. “It was all either FLI-student-led, or Jenn went out and found the money, or a combination of both.”
Please see FLI, page 4
STUDENT GOVT.
Speakers talk water quality
GSC member resigns amid FLI Office dispute
CEO and investor discuss water sanitation, accessibility in India By CLARA KIESCHNICK STAFF WRITER
At “The Future of Water: The role of innovation and human rights in the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals,” Smaart Water CEO Ravi Mariwala and venture capitalist and social impact investor Paula Mariwala discussed how to improve water sanitation and accessibility concerns in India, a country with a population density 10 times that of the United States. Radhika Shah, chair of the Tech and Advisory Group at Stanford’s Center for Human Rights, introduced the speakers and their research in the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2015, the UN announced 17 SDGs, including goals to reduce poverty and promote ecological sustainability. “[The UN was] recognizing that these goals are linked; they’re not isolated,” Shah said. “[It was] also recognizing that we can’t achieve these goals unless we have the spirit that change comes from the ground — from all over the world and every corner of Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, [not just] in Silicon Valley.”
By ELLA BOOKER DESK EDITOR
She said she was initially discouraged from pursuing teaching, having been told that teaching could “ruin” an artist. Gluck said this has not been her experience, as she has benefitted from her students’ ideas and energy. “There’s an obligation to make something of what you’re looking
Second-year law student Christopher Middleton ’16 announced he would resign from the Graduate Student Council (GSC) amid a dispute over leadership of the First-Generation and/or LowIncome (FLI) Office. Student leaders in the office recently circulated a petition — which garnered more than 800 signatures — calling for FLI Office Associate Director Jennifer Rolen to be instated as the office’s director, saying a committee had passed over her candidacy for the role. In their Wednesday meeting, GSC councilors had been slated to vote on Middleton’s “Resolution to Form Permanent Community Centers for the FLI and Disability Communities,” but Middleton withdrew the resolution. Middleton, co-president of the Stanford FLI Alumni Network,also announced that he would resign from the GSC and step back from his involvement in University affairs. Middleton is a member of the Committee of 10, a group considering the University ’s judicial process. “Because of things happening within the FLI Office and the hiring decisions regarding Jennifer Rolen, I’ve decided to really step away from a lot of my major involvement on campus, one of those things being aboard the GSC,”
Please see POETRY, page 6
Please see GSC, page 6
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“Civilizations have come up around water,” Paula Mariwala said at an event on United Nations sustainable development goals. She was joined by Smaart Water CEO Ravi Mariwala. Ravi Mariwala, the first and primary speaker, discussed Smaart Water’s efforts to bring clean and affordable water to India. Ravi situated his remarks in the context of current water quality issues in India, identifying sewage treatment as a major obstacle to water access in the area. About two-thirds of sewage enters the environment without treatment, which in turn affects water sanitation, reducing the water supply and creating rampant malnutrition, according to Ravi.
Paula Mariwala also spoke to India’s malnutrition problems in her remarks. “Malnutrition numbers are scary, and we should all be ashamed as citizens of India that we allow this to happen,” she said. Ravi discussed the impact of agriculture on water usage, which accounts for about 82% of water usage in India. Agricultural water is completely free, making it difficult to incentivize
Please see WATER, page 4
SPEAKERS & EVENTS
Poet laureate on inspiration, discovery from ignorance By BROOKE BEYER STAFF WRITER
How do writers balance writing with life commitments? How can teaching poetry enhance one’s own work? These are some of the questions that Louise Gluck, Pulitzer Prize winner and former U.S. poet laureate, addressed in her poetry colloquium on Wednesday.
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Gluck is currently the Mohr visiting professor in the creative writing program. She spoke to the challenge of writing in a society that places emphasis on productivity, citing the need to write in “time that is stolen” from other duties and pursuits. “How do you continue to write from unexpected places?” Gluck asked. “If you’re not yourself sur-
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prised there will be no excitement on the page.” Gluck emphasized maintaining a writing routine despite other obligations. “When I have steady, empty time, I produce steady emptiness,” she said. Gluck also reflected on her career as a teacher, which she characterized as “open-minded scrutiny.”
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2 N Thursday, February 20, 2020
The Stanford Daily
SPORTS
KRAUTER SHINES
IN MEXICO
CODY GLENN/isiphotos.com
Sophomore Aline Krauter (above) posted a team-best 4-under-68, including five birdies over the final 10 holes to move up to 13th place heading into the final round, in Guadalajara.
SOPHOMORE LEADS WOMEN’S GOLF IN 5TH PLACE FINISH By ALEJANDRO SALINAS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Sophomore Aline Krauter led Stanford women’s golf to a fifthplace finish at the IJGA Collegiate Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico earlier this week. Krauter jumped 40 spots over the last two rounds of the tournament to finish tied for eighth at the Guadalajara Country Club. “Aline played another fantastic event and notched another top-10 finish,” said head coach Anne Walker. “She has been quite impressive
early this year, and I think there is more to come.” Krauter, who struggled with putting in the opening round on Sunday, sat in 48th place after shooting 4 over 76 on the first round. Heading into the second round on Monday, Krauter said her goal was to get herself “back to par” — and that’s exactly what she did. The sophomore posted a team-best 4-under68, including five birdies over the final 10 holes to move up to 13th place heading into the final round. “I think being in that 13th spot and having the momentum of shoot-
ing under par helped me the last round, and I was able to take that confidence and use it to my advantage,” said Krauter, who closed the tournament with a 3-under-69 on Tuesday morning to finish as Stanford’s top performer. As a team, the Cardinal finished tied for fifth in the field of 14 teams, despite sitting one stroke behind the leader after the first round. Sophomore Calista Reyes’ careerbest 3-under-69 on Sunday had Stanford in second through the first 18 holes, just one swing behind Baylor. After an on-par 288 showing in
the second round, Stanford was within three strokes of the leaders with one round remaining. However, the Cardinal conceded a 9-over performance on the final round to finish tied for fifth with Florida State at 7 over 871. Virginia, led by four golfers in the top 15, claimed the tournament victory with an 8-under-856 team performance. “Through two rounds we had a chance to win this event, but unfortunately, we didn’t have our best stuff over the last 18 holes and came up short of what we would have
liked,” Walker said. “Overall though, the general team culture, attitude and character have been beyond terrific. This group has great camaraderie, and we will see that fuel us as we move forward.” Stanford women’s golf returns to competition with the ASU Invitational in Phoenix from March 27-29. The team will then head to Napa, California for the Silverado Showdown April 5-7 before hosting the Pac-12 Championships April 24-26. Contact Alejandro Salinas at asalinas @stanford.edu.
SOFTBALL
Wolfpack tripleheader up next By SAVANNA STEWART DESK EDITOR
BOB DREBIN/isiphotos.com
Sophomore guard Bryce Wills (above) posted a career-high 25 points against Arizona on Saturday night in Stanford’s fourth straight loss. The Cardinal now travel north to play Washington on Thursday and Washington State on Sunday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Rematches vs. Huskies, Cougars in Washington By SAVANNA STEWART DESK EDITOR
With just six games remaining on the regular-season slate, Stanford men’s basketball now (16-9, 5-7 Pac-12) heads north for two tests in Washington: the Huskies (12-14, 2-11 Pac-12) on Thursday and the Cougars (14-12, 5-8 Pac-12) on Sunday. Washington and Washington State are two of the four teams that the Cardinal defeated in early January en route to a 4-0 start to Pac-12 play. Stanford was the last team in the conference with a perfect record in league action as of Jan. 15, when it bested the Bruins in Pauley Pavilion for the first time in 13 years. Since then, the Cardinal have crumbled. Shooting struggles, slow starts and injuries have sent the team on a downward spiral, as Stanford has walked away defeated in seven of its last eight matchups — in-
cluding a Jan. 19 meeting with USC in which the Cardinal boasted a 20-point lead at the half. The one-game absence of star junior forward Oscar da Silva, due to an undisclosed injury sustainedFeb. 8 against Colorado, inevitably made it impossible for Stanford to capitalize on a home thriller against Arizona State five days later, despite the fact that the Cardinal posted their highest field goal percentage (52%) since the Cougars visited the Farm on Jan. 11. da Silva’s return for a home game versus the Wildcats on Saturday offered a sliver of hope for a reversal of Stanford’s fortune, but only two Cardinal players — da Silva and sophomore guard Bryce Wills — were able to contribute more than 10 points to the effort; da Silva tallied 13, while Wills added a career-high 25 on 13 attempts at
Please see REMATCHES, page 6
With a chance to add to a six-game win streak, Stanford softball (11-2, 0-0 Pac-12) now prepares for a three-game home series with Nevada (1-8, 0-0 WAC). The matchups are part of a 15-game home stand for the Cardinal, who opened with a 4-5 loss to Seattle University on Thursday and will conclude with an afternoon battle versus Rhode Island on March 1. Stanford’s most recent victory came on Tuesday over Fresno State in a 7-3 decision. It was the fourth time in 13 games that the Cardinal has sealed a walk-off win. This one was thanks to a grand slam over centerfield by freshman Sydney Steele, who tallied five RBIs over the course of the nine-inning stunt, with three coming from her bases-loaded home run and another two being sent in by a hit in the opening inning of the game. Fellow freshmen Tatum Boyd and Alana Vawter showed off the skills of the team’s young players with their performances at the mound. Both Boyd and Vawter threw 4.1 innings, with Boyd’s being scoreless, and they notched three and two strikeouts, respectively. With the showing, Boyd moved to 4-0 on the season. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, a string of 32 successful steal attempts ended when senior
Teaghan Cowles was thrown out heading for third. In the meeting with Nevada, the Cardinal will face a roster that, like their own, is underclassmen-heavy. Unlike the home team, however, the Wolfpack has struggled to find momentum with its young team. Nevada dropped six road contests before earning a 7-1 victory over CSUN at the Libby Matson Tournament on Saturday. That being said, the Wolfpack was able to challenge Seattle, who split a two-game series with the Cardinal last week in a narrow 3-4 defeat to open the tournament. Strong pitching performances by Nevada at the tournament also suggest that hits for Stanford will not come easy in the upcoming action; Nevada sophomore Kendall Fritz found her rhythm in the circle against Pacific on Sunday and recorded eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Junior Julia Jensen also recorded a respectable 4.1 inning effort against Bakersfield with four strikeouts. The weekend series gets underway with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. PT at the Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium on Saturday. Following on Sunday is a 1 p.m. PT contest to close out Cardinal-versus-Wolfpack action. Contact Savanna Stewart at savnstew@ stanford.edu.
MACIEK GUDRYMOWICZ/isiphotos.com
Underclassmen, like sophomore outfield Taylor Gindelsperger (above), are integral to the 2020 season. Gindelsperger scored a walk-off and two-run home runs to beat Seattle.
Thursday, February 20, 2020 N 3
The Stanford Daily
ARTS & LIFE
MUSIC
Top 100 HELEN HE/The Stanford Daily
hip-hop/rap albums of the decade T
By NICK SLIGH STAFF WRITER o read more about the background of the list and my thoughts on making it, check out the introduction to my rankings. Without further ado, here are #50-41 of my top 100 hiphop/rap albums of the 2010s list:
50. J Cole: “2014 Forest Hills Drive” (2014) “J. Cole went double platinum with no features.” By now, everybody has probably seen the memes, but they really do have some merit. “2014 Forest Hills Drive” — was truly J. Cole’s breakthrough album. After a group of mixtapes and two studio albums, Cole was still looking for the album to really put him into the top echelon of the rap industry. This album — delivered on this aim. From the intricate storytelling of “Wet Dreamz” to the album’s biggest hit, “No Role Modelz,” to the emotional and uplifting “Love Yourz,” Cole provided something for a wide audience and delivered his most successful project yet. Favorite Songs:
“03’ Adolescence” “Wet Dreamz” “No Role Modelz” “Apparently” 49. Elzhi: “Lead Poison” (2016) Former Detroit-based Slum Village member Elzhi brought incredible lyricism and writing to his sophomore studio album. “Lead Poison” — is one of the greatest recent displays of lyricism and delivery from a severely underrated artist. One of Elzhi’s trademark abilities is his vivid storytelling, which is constantly present in “Lead Poison,” particularly in songs like “Friendzone,” “Weedipedia” and “February.” All of these songs present soul, emotion and lyrical work that is to be admired. The personal and captivating Detroit emcee coasts smoothly and effortlessly over a variety of soulful, oldschool, hip-hop-influenced beats. Favorite Songs:
“Friendzone” “Alienated” “Weedepedia” “February” 48. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib: “Piñata” (2014) As the first project from what would come to be one of the best current rapper and producer duos in hip-hop, “Piñata” is one of the most innovative and refreshing gangster rap albums in the modern era. The Gary, Indiana-native rapper Freddie Gibbs and the famous producer Madlib show one of the most unique chemistries that led to a glorious collection. Two artists with very different styles and backgrounds, the typically hard and menacing “Gangsta Gibbs” meshes effortlessly with the soulful and jazzy background of producer Madlib.
An unlikely duo comes through with some of each member’s own best work, which happens to work excellently as a collective masterpiece.
Favorite Songs:
“Shame” “High” “Harold’s” “Lakers” “Robes”
47. Big K.R.I.T.: “4eva Is A Mighty Long Time” (2017) Justin Scott, better known as Big K.R.I.T., represents the South with a unique pride and passion. Spirituality and introspection are constants in “4eva Is A Mighty Long Time,” — with Scott developing an album that really allows listeners to get a better understanding of his personal life and his struggles. In a time where the Atlanta trap scene seems to dominate much of the hip-hop scene of the South, “4eva Is A Mighty Long Time” — feels like Big K.R.I.T.’s attempt to preserve lyrical, jazzy, soulful rap and give the South deeper representation outside of just Atlanta trap music.
ing and instantly makes him an intriguing rapper worthy of listening to. Cole delivers some of his most emotionallyrich and promising work along with some of his finest rapping that results in a toptier modern rap mixtape.
Favorite Songs:
“The Autograph” “Premeditated Murder” “Home For The Holidays” “Villematic” “Before I’m Gone” “See World” 44. Rapsody: “Eve” (2019) Looking at the tracklist of “Eve” — gives the listener a good idea of what the album is about. Every track is named for a Black female icon, with tracks including “Serena” (Serena Williams), “Maya” (Maya Angelou) and “Sojourner” (Sojourner Truth), among many others. In the third studio album for Rapsody, she continues her messages of Black empowerment with a new twist and an innovative approach. Rapsody uses her everstrong lyricism and artistry to explore a long line of important Black women in an album of triumph and empowerment.
Favorite Songs:
“Drinking Sessions” “Price of Fame” “The Light” “Bury Me In Gold” 46. Capital STEEZ: “AmeriKKKan Korruption” (2012) Beast Coast and Pro Era founder, the late Capital STEEZ, certainly made his mark on modern East Coast hip-hop before his unfortunate passing in 2012. The spiritual, witty and philosophical lyricist left us with only one individual full length project. “AmeriKKKan Korruption” — is a mixtape full of political commentary, lyricism, wordplay and a true old-school East Coast hip-hop feel. One of the marvels of this album was that Capital STEEZ was only 18 years old at the release of this project. Who knows what could have been given the potential displayed in one of the best mixtapes of the decade? Favorite Songs:
“Dead Prez” “135” “Dead on Arrival” “Vibe Ratings” 45. J. Cole: “Friday NightLights” (2010) Before he was a superstar rapper, J. Cole was a young kid from Fayetteville, North Carolina and the first signee to Jay Z’s Roc Nation label. In retrospect, many would consider “mixtape J. Cole” to be a completely different artist than “album J. Cole.” The hunger and emotion shown by Cole throughout “Friday Night Lights” — is extremely captivat-
Favorite Songs:
“Iman” “Sojourner” “Ibtihaj” “Whoopi” 43. JID: “The Never Story” (2017) JID introduced himself to much of the rap world with his studio debut, “The Never Story.” An Atlanta native who found his rap start through the Spillage Village collective, JID quickly came onto the main scene of rap due to his incredible writing and rapping ability. Already showing the potential to be a rap legend, JID’s flow and lyricism can compete with practically any current artist. “The Never Story” — is a compilation of diverse production, soul, narrative and pure rap. Every song showcases great writing, but JID’s verses on “Lauder” will go down as some of the best lyrical work of the entire decade. This will likely be a debut that is looked back at as an introduction to one of the greats in rap. Favorite Songs:
“Launder” “D/vision” “Hereditary” “All Bad” “NEVER” 42. Vince Staples: “Big Fish Theory” (2017) When looking at total body of work from the decade, very few rappers did quite as well as Vince Staples. Vince managed to put out a group of seven highquality projects with no real weak spots in his discography. If I had really wanted to,
I could have considered all seven of these major projects in the top 100, but for the sake of the list, I thought it was unfitting to give one artist seven spots. Nevertheless, “Big Fish Theory’’ was some of Vince’s boldest and most adventurous work. His second studio album plays host to a highly experimental combination of electronic, rap house and avant-garde dance music. Vince utilizes a variety of sounds in his production selection, but lyrically he never strays too far from what he does best. “Big Fish Theory ‘’ is a very well-done chaotic and artistic journey through the paranoia of Vince Staples.
Favorite Songs:
“SAMO” “745” “Party People” “BagBak” “Big Fish” “Yeah Right” 41. EarthGang: “Mirrorland” (2019) Two of the original members of Spillage Village and now two members of J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, EarthGang (Johnny Venus/Olu and Doctur Dot/WowGr8) released their Dreamville debut with the mystical “Mirrorland.” The duo paints a “reflection” of their city of Atlanta, and they display from start to finish their incredible flexibility and versatility. The transitions between trap, funk, jazz rap, neo-soul and R&B are so seamless and well-executed that it is hard to even notice how many different styles exist in tandem with each other. The vocal and rapping abilities of Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot are present throughout, and are always in sync with the array of production that is offered. The comparisons between EarthGang and legendary Atlanta duo Outkast have already begun, and for good reason, given the style and incredible potential made apparent with albums like this. Favorite Songs:
”Top Down” “Bank” “Proud of U” “Fields” “Wings” After every segment of my Top 100 rankings are published, I will be creating a Spotify playlist with my favorite songs from the albums that are in each section. Just go to my Spotify profile (@nicholassligh) where I will be posting the playlists in descending order of rank. I hope that my list gives credit to deserving artists and helps people that enjoy hip-hop/rap (and even those less familiar with the genre) to find new music that connects with them and that they simply enjoy. Contact Nick Sligh at nick1019@ stanford.edu.
4 N Thursday, February 20, 2020
The Stanford Daily
OPINIONS OP-ED
The Stanford Daily
Combining artificial and natural E arth’s most groundbreaking environmental photographers work out of sight, miles above our heads. Satellites continuously capture images of the entire world, creating an incredible but underused bank of Earth images. Now, scientists are inventing new ways to analyze these photos using artificial intelligence and machine learning to answer the world’s most pressing environmental questions. By providing data that help scientists develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, artificial intelligence can provide a path forward. At Stanford’s most recent “AI for Good” seminar series event on Jan. 27, an expert panel of industry leaders and computer scientists discussed this growing area of research. Technology affords us many conveniences and benefits, but important questions about our surroundings remain unanswered. We can order food at the click of a button, but we don’t know how many trees or species there are, said Microsoft’s chief environmental officer Lucas Joppa. Until we can establish good baseline information, finding a solution to problems can be challenging. Without knowing how many trees exist, for example, we cannot understand how much carbon our forests are able to store. Artificial intelligence could hold the key to tapping into the satellite image repository. Advancements in the field have made computer vision more accurate, which allows for precise identification of even small objects in photos. It’s the same technology that recognizes people in the photos you take on your phone. Together, satellite images and artificial intelligence can identify objects on a larger scale. Satellite photos of Earth are taken at threemeter resolution, meaning that each pixel in the image represents a three-square-meter area on Earth. That’s like taking a photograph of your computer screen from 50 yards away and still being able to zoom in to see an individual
pixel. Even small variations meters apart are visible, making it possible to fine-tune data. Already, artificial intelligence algorithms predict how productive different agricultural fields will be — even before the harvest, said Stefano Ermon, an assistant computer science professor at Stanford. They do so by learning from satellite images and past data. Forecasting famine and anticipating which farmers might need extra resources could avert disaster before it strikes. An algorithm can’t solve world hunger, but it can certainly help. Algorithms and models “will allow us to come up with more data-driven, more quantitative, more scalable solutions to these really big problems,” Ermon said. But there is still progress to be made. The fields of environmental science and computer science often work without a clear understanding of one another’s skills and priorities, preventing collaborations that tap into the strengths of both fields. As the fight to tackle climate change grows more urgent, so does bridging the gap between environmental and computer science. If we are to do everything we can to fight climate change, Joppa said, we have to involve machine learning teams in that process. Environmental startups are making strides in connecting technology and the environment. For example, iNaturalist allows users to identify plants and animals they encounter by taking a photo. The app’s artificial intelligence algorithm determines the species based on data it has studied and learned from. In turn, the application collects users’ photographs to continue expanding that dataset. Scientists use this data to better understand the natural world, whether by surveying biodiversity or identifying plant disease. And because that data is crowdsourced, scientists have more information than they ever could if they had to collect it alone. Crowdsourced photos and satellite imagery are rich and unconventional data sources that lend them-
FLI
unique email, how are you going to, with this new director, ensure that the unique needs of FLI students are being met?” he asked. Students are requesting a town hall meeting with University officials to provide insight into the committee’s decision-making and make such hiring decisions more accessible to the student body. “The next round of interviews will include opportunities for more students, faculty and staff to meet the candidates and provide feedback,” Harris said of the selection process. “In addition, Associate Vice Provost for Inclusion, Community and Integrative Learning Emelyn de la Pena will be inviting concerned students to meet with her and others involved in the search process.” Undergraduate Senate Chair Munira Alimire ’22 has introduced a resolution in support of Rolen’s candidacy. “We’re hoping that if we’re able
Continued from front page Since Rolen would no longer be serving as acting director in her current role, she would no longer be responsible for driving and creating the mission and vision of the FLI program, according to Middleton, who called Rolen “the heart of our community.” “She’s truly just accomplished a lot in terms of bringing about programming that’s made a difference in FLI students’ lives,” he said. Letters supporting Rolen have been sent to administrators and have so far received short responses, most of which emphasized the administration’s trust in the hiring committee’s judgment, according to Middleton. “If you can’t even respond with a
WATER Continued from front page farmers to use less of it, according to Ravi. He outlined potential approaches India could take to reduce this water use. “People are looking at if you can change from rice and wheat — the staple crops which we grow right now — to the local indigenous crops like oilseeds and lentils, which are much higher values to farmers, as well as more nutritive. So you tackle the problem of hunger and malnutrition along with the problem of water,” he said. The bulk of Ravi’s talk focused on specific locations where his company had improved local water quality. He pointed to the Pauri Garhwal district, where people had ample water but did not know how to use the water pumps to sanitize it. Smaart Water educated the district on how to use the water pumps so that their water was no longer contaminated by sewage, according to Ravi. Some rural areas have issues running deeper than water pump education and have considered using trees to clean water supplies
instead of pumps, he added. “Fifteen to 20 years ago, the government was recommending you use pine trees as deforestation vegetation, and the locals tried that, but they were quite unhappy with it because the pine did not allow anything else to grow,” Ravi said. “They went back to their [native] trees and this started giving them back [ ... ] water in a continuous manner throughout the year. [The water is] stored by the roots of these trees, which are extremely long, and that retains the water.” Ravi ended his portion of the event by listing technologies his company has developed, including an energy-free phytoremediation technique with a low carbon footprint for sewage treatment, a sustainable glass media filtration mechanism and a weak acid-ion exchange water softener. Ravi concluded that finding the right fit for each community is crucial to creating effective solutions. “There is no high tech or low tech, there’s only right tech,” he said. Paula Mariwala talks importance of creating community Paula focused a significant portion of her talk on the roles of women and children in achieving
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selves to analysis by artificial intelligence. Algorithms don’t have to be perfect to make a difference, Ermon said. Even with 95% accuracy, when scaled to billions of images, the results prove valuable to scientists. We’ve seen some of the benefits of this data already, from predicting famine to studying biodiversity. As scientists keep collecting data and working together across disciplines, they will continue to discover new ways to use data — some of which we can’t yet imagine. And there’s no reason to worry about a technological takeover. Sentient robots remain unimaginable to computer scientists. “The biggest threat is not what AI is going to do if it gets away from us,” Joppa said. “The biggest threat is that we’re not actually going to get around to deploying it in pursuit of the solutions to the problems that really matter.” To have any chance of finding those solutions, we need to get started now. Contact Devon R. Burger at debugger @stanford.edu. to pass this resolution, we’ll be able to show the committee that Jenn is the person the students want — and if not, we can encourage the committee to explain the rationale they have behind the decision they make,” Alimire wrote in an email to The Daily. “I’m hoping they understand this resolution comes from the same values Stanford has talked about in their ‘Most Important Work,’” Alimire added, referring to Vice Provost of Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole’s mission statement, which entails values like equity and inclusion. “Especially in spaces like community centers and the FLI Office, we need people who are here for the students,” Alimire wrote, “and I’m hoping the [administrators] involved in this decision see that.” Contact Esha Dhawan at edhawan @stanford.edu and Grace Carroll at [email protected].
the UN’s SDGs. “Civilizations have come up around water,” she said. “For various reasons, it’s the woman who somehow decides how water and resources are going to be shared. Not having access to water — not having access to clean water — really changes the life of the family, and of the woman in particular.” Paula gave an example she saw in Mumbai’s slums. Children were often agitated, and after further inquiry, it was discovered that water was the cause of community disputes. When the water tanker came, families only had 30 minutes to go get water. This short time period led to disputes among neighbors and increased tensions in the community. After Paula and her co-workers helped the community get a tank of water, the amount of hostility decreased dramatically, she said. “It completely changed [the community],” Paula said. “Domestic violence decreased [and] all kinds of abuses were really reduced, so one can see the power of just having the right solution. And this is not yet clean water — it’s just water.” Contact Clara Kieschnick at ckiesch @stanford.edu.
Thursday, February 20, 2020 N 5
The Stanford Daily
THE GRIND Asking for a friend By NESTOR WALTERS STAFF WRITER
For my 25th Grind article, I opened up to an “ask me anything.” Thanks to everyone who submitted a question. With friends asking about music, climate change, self-help and sex toys, I know I must be doing something right. Favorite Spotify playlists? I made one called “Mongo Smash Dubstep Workout,” with songs by Excision, Skrillex, Knife Party and Miley Cyrus. I would say it ages me, but it was already old when I made it, so ... I’m a heavy metal-er at heart though, so if you take nothing else away from this article, check out these old school songs: “Ride The Lightning” by Metallica, “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden and “Kickstart My Heart” by Motley Crue. What major has the most interesting people? Computer science, obviously. It has the
most students, and most Stanford students are interesting, so CS has the most interesting people by quantity. But if you’re looking for where the people are most interesting, I’m guessing you mean “Where are the people with the coolest stories?” I can’t answer that for you.There seems to be a bias that only tragedy or the exotic is interesting — that going through shit or being from somewhere different is the only story worth telling. I disagree. Glenn Kramon, who teaches GSBGEN 352: “Winning Writing” at the GSB, would tell us to “show them you’re one in a million, not one of a million.” He’s right, of course, but here’s how I see it: Everybody is one in a million, one in seven billion, actually, if they’re not afraid of their own story. The most interesting people, to me, are the ones who have failed, been humbled or come face to face with their shame and are brave enough to talk about it. Rank the sex toys at SHPRC? Depends what you’re looking for. Want to improve your posture without going to the
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gym? Get the medium-sized “Naughty Plug” with “tapered base.” Need a coat hook but can’t risk damaging the walls? Grab the upturn-curved suction cup “Lovehoney Dildo.” Backpack repair? We got you. No-stick-toyour-skin “Bondage Tape.” Finally, for use in Green Library, there’s “Doc Johnson’s Pocket Rocket” with “strong but quiet vibration.” What do you think is the most effective way to tackle climate change? Hugs, maybe? Climate negligence is greed: We want more oil, more diamonds, more land, more space to dump all the trash from our more things. Greed is insecurity: We’re not sure if we’re worthy of love, so we try to prove it by flying in G6s, putting our names on skyscrapers, driving circles around the block in Lamborghinis (I’m talking to you, guy from two weeks ago in Palo Alto). Climate change is what happens when those insecure, unloved people are put in charge of countries and major corporations. I’m not saying showing more love is the end all be all, but everybody needs way more hugs than are currently in circulation. It can’t be a bad place to start. What’s your hot take on Stanford’s dating scene? I’ve never understood what ‘dating’ means to Americans, but it seems that in college people either have too many prospects to be content with anyone, or think they have none and are miserable. Here’s the thing: No matter what Instagram and “sex sells” capitalism would have you believe, the vast majority of people, at Stanford and in the world, are not
Pexels
getting laid tonight. If you are, enjoy it. If you’re not, who cares. That said, there’s plenty of dating to be done after college, and without the risk of running into your exes in class. What’s something that irrevocably makes you happy? Having the only broom on field day in the barracks. Just kidding — even that gets taken away. Look, I’ve tried drugs, alcohol, chocolate, skydiving, concerts, sex, cheese and other stuff. Everything ends. Every high crashes, everyone you love will let you down, and one day we’ll all be dead. It’s absurd to think we’ll find some holy grail of unicorn-fart sprinkles — that one thing we can count on to make us happy no matter what. Take dessert, for example. If I’m sulking about something, the first bowl of chocolate mousse might help, maybe even the second. But somewhere around the 37th, all that sugar and cream becomes its own problem. And people can’t always be it, either. I talk to my mom about relationships, my dad about writing, my brother when I want to yell in Greek, but all of them get under my skin sometimes. There’s just nothing outside of us that is guaranteed to always make us happy, and our mood is no one’s responsibility but our own.
Please see ASK, page 6
S ATIRE
DAILY CROSSWORD After Elam’s departure, University S C B S PONSORED BY
AMPUS
IKE HOP
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
cancels all forms of creativity By ANNA MISTELE
In response to the departure of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Harry Elam, Stanford will be “cancelling all on-campus creativity” effective fall 2020, University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced on Friday. “Elam was a strong proponent of the arts here at Stanford,” Tessier-Lavigne said in a recent press release, “so it’s only fair that we honor his departure by butchering the programs he helped create.” Students are advised to update their fouryear plans to remove any ITALIC, TAPS, arts, writing, music and dance classes, as they will no longer be offered next year. Math and computer science classes will be suspended until the board reaches a decision on whether or not “problem solving” is too creative a skill. In a statement released yesterday, Stanford Capital Planning and Space Management reported the imminent demolition of dozens of Stanford landmarks — most notably, Frost Amphitheatre, the d.school and every mosaic window in Memorial Church. Students should bid farewell to their favorite statues around campus, since removal of art installations and any attractive shrubbery will commence on March 1. Stanford’s administration acknowledged that this transition may be confusing to many students. Provost Persis Drell will be hosting a Q&A session next week where students can ask about specifics. For example, what happens when class removals make certain majors impossible to attain? “We’re still working out the details,” Drell explained with a chuckle. “I guess you could say we had to get creative.” Students currently pursuing a degree starting with a vowel will be switched into economics, and those in majors starting with a
L.A. CICERO/Stanford News Service
Now 16th president of Occidental, Elam was the only thing standing in the way of the destruction of the arts. consonant will be automatically declared majors in management science and engineering. To send Elam off to Occidental College with a bang, a farewell ceremony is being planned for May. The event will feature dance performances from Alliance, Mua Lac Hong and Swingtime, as well as acapella by Counterpoint and the Mendicants. Students are encouraged to bring goodbye presents, both for Elam and for their friends in any of the performing groups, as all will be asked not to return to Stanford next year. Editor’s Note: This article is purely satirical and fictitious. All attributions in this article are not genuine and this story should be read in the context of pure entertainment only. Contact Anna Mistele at [email protected].
6 N Thursday, February 20, 2020
REVIEW Continued from front page The ASSU and the University’s Student Affairs and Institutional Equity divisions are commissioning a committee to “evaluate Secret snowflake, to make recommendations about whether it should continue and if so, to recommend modifications to ensure this tradition is not a tool for harassment, but rather a means for building community and belonging,� the announcement states. Secret Snowflake is a Stanford tradition that typically takes place in freshman dorms at the end of fall quarter. Students who sign up are matched with a “Secret Snowflake� in their dorm who gives them a “task� or dare each day for a week. Tasks are based on the “level� that the student selects when they agree to participate and can include activ-
POETRY Continued from front page at,� Gluck said. “I have a tendency to correct [my students’] views that are not my own — this is not good teaching, this is tyranny.� Gluck also discussed the benefit of teaching forms that she does not usually practice herself in order to learn without the fear of making
REMATCHES Continued from page 2 76.9% success. The other three starters — freshman forward Spencer Jones, freshman guard Tyrell Terry and junior guard Daejon Davis — combined for a total of nine. Arizona, on the other hand, saw three players break into the realm of double digits, with freshman forward Zeke Nnaji pacing the squad with 21. If the scoring challenges that have plagued the Cardinal since their collapse at USC present them-
GSC Continued from front page Middleton said. Councilors also discussed inequity in access to funding for student organizations, citing the difficulty in obtaining Voluntary Student Organization (VSO) status. Councilor and fourth-year J.D./M.A. candidate Julia Neusner called for all restrictions on groups eligible for VSO status to be reexamined. Neusner described difficulties for master’s students in particular, citing regulations against graduating students from founding new organizations. “Master’s students in their first year, who are getting their bearings and learning how to work here, can form organizations,� Neusner said. “But master’s students in their second year, who are in a better position, arguably, to create an organization, cannot.� “I think this process discriminates against master’s students who are here for a year or two years, and I think master’s students aren’t really contemplated when processes here are designed,� Neusner said. Council co-chair and fourth-
ASK Continued from page 5 The closest thing I’ve found to a panacea is a quote from Vonnegut. He talks about his uncle, who would sit under the shade of a tree, sip a glass of iced tea and say, “If this isn’t nice, what is?� What I love about this mindset is that we’re relieved of the responsibility of “feeling happy,� which we have frighteningly little control over, and were never promised anyway. Instead, we’re reminded to just stop and appreciate. Right now, for example, I’m sitting in an empty classroom in Building 100. I have a 20-page project due on Thursday, a midterm and a presentation next week and a list of unopened emails longer than my arm. But the sun is shining outside and a humming fan is keeping the room cool. My jeans fit nicely, there’s a cute puppy sticker on my water flask, I’m meeting a good friend for dinner later and I’m writing an article for The Stanford Daily. If this isn’t nice, what is? Contact Nestor Walters at waltersx @stanford.edu.
The Stanford Daily
ities like eating dinner with no hands or yelling profanities in public. Completion of every task is rewarded by a gift at the end of the week and the revelation of the Secret Snowflake’s identity. “Most Secret Snowflake exchanges achieve the intended result of bringing students together,� the announcement stated. It expressed concern about the tradition, however, based on “both informal complaints to the residential staff and formal complaints to the Title IX Office’’ in recent years. “We’ve heard examples of students feeling pressured to engage in overly sexualized conduct, of students sending sexual overtures to unwitting targets and of students trying to get unwitting targets to engage in sexual conversations that were later made public without permission from the targets,� the announcement reads. The email also pointed out that the “targets� of dares may have no
“control over or knowledge� over their involvement in the activity. According to the email’s authors, the tradition by nature “facilitates harassing behaviors.� The announcement pointed to Full Moon on the Quad(FMOTQ) — which started in the early 1900s — as an example of a tradition that has evolved with community standards, calling a previous version of the event a “kissing free-for-all that raised concerns about alcohol overuse and sexual assault.� In 2016 a committee met to evaluate that tradition (FMOTQ), resulting in modifications to the class such as holding it during winter quarter, prohibiting intoxicated individuals from entering and shifting the focus of the event to stress “gratitude and affirmative consent.� Another tradition recently reviewed by the University was Crossing the Line (CTL). Started in the 1980s and overseen by the Diversity and First-Gen (DGen) Of-
mistakes or not being an expert. “Writers must find a way back to ignorance so discovery can be made on the page,� she said. Gluck finished the colloquium with an informal Q&A session, answering questions on the relationship between narrative form and the female body, as well as the impact of being a woman in the teaching profession. When asked for essential works which she would recommend to prospective writers, Gluck reject-
ed the notion of a definitive canon. “Recommendations depend on the writer, everybody has a different list,� she said. When asked where she continues to find inspiration to write poetry, Gluck pointed to mundane, everyday experiences. “Great poems don’t always come out of great, life-changing events,� she said.
selves in the coming contests against Washington and WSU, walking away with a win will be much more challenging for Stanford than it was on the Farm. Despite sporting an unfortunate 0-7 record on the road, the Huskies preserve a 9-5 winning record on their home court. Washington averages a success rate of 44.2% from the field — lower than Stanford’s 47.1% mark — but has relied on four scorers with double-digit averages to challenge big-name teams, including No. 8 Oregon. The Ducks narrowly edged the Huskies in a 64-61 overtime show. To further trouble visiting Stanford, Washington sinks a respectable 70.4% of attempts from the charity stripe, which recent Car-
year mechanical engineering Ph.D. student Yiqing Ding responded by defending the application process, bringing up potential liability concerns in VSOs’ hosting of events on, and citing the importance of training VSO leaders. Ding announced plans to organize a town hall for international students. ASSU Appropriations Committee Chair and Undergraduate Senator Tim Vrakas ’21 briefly discussed a bill “Re-Establish the Senate as a Continuous Body,� which would put an amendment on the ASSU Spring Election Ballot.
fice, CTL had first-year students gather in their dorms and prompted them to “cross the line� by stepping forward if statements about identity, background or behavior read out loud applied to them. After a critical Daily op-ed, the activity was discontinued by the University last fall due to student concerns about being required to disclose aspects of their identity in a public setting, according to Student Affairs spokesperson Pat Harris. The announcement stated that recent incidents warranted a review of Secret Snowflake, similar to the reviews held for FMOTQ and CTL.
The committee will include students nominated through the Nominations Commission, student staff members, resident fellows and staff members from Residential Education, the Title IX Office and the Office of Alcohol Policy and Education. The announcement invited students interested in serving on the committee to contact Chief of Staff and Assistant Vice Provost for Strategy Jennifer Calvert and shared a form for students to provide feedback on the tradition. Contact Sarina Deb at sdeb7@ stanford.edu.
Contact Brooke Beyer at bbeyer@ stanford.edu
dinal opponents have frequented as a consequence of Stanford’s average of 19.7 personal fouls per game in its last 11 games. The Cougars’ shooting has, at 40.2%, fared worse than the Cardinal’s, but the former’s average 36.2 rebounds per game could give them enough second chances to secure a win and split the series with Stanford. Additionally, WSU commits just 11.7 turnovers per contest compared to Stanford’s 14.9. The Huskies will be the first up on Stanford’s agenda in Washington. Tip-off in Seattle is set for 7 p.m. PT on Thursday. Contact Savanna Stewart at savnstew @stanford.edu.
That amendment would change Undergraduate Senators’ terms to two years. Vrakas said both the Senate and the GSC would need to approve putting the amendmentamendment on the ballot. Representatives from Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) announced the impending release of rates for Escondido Village Graduate Housing (EVGR), which they predicted would be available for students by the end of the week. Contact Ella Booker at ebooker@ stanford.edu.