Editorials

A picture of The Herald's 136th Editorial Board.

Editors’ Note: Announcing The Herald’s 136th Editorial Board

By 135th Editorial Board | December 5

The Herald is proud to announce the members of its 136th Editorial Board, which will oversee the paper through its 135th year.

Editorial: Brown and RISD should pursue deeper integration

By Editorial Page Board | December 5

As neighbors on College Hill, Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design are natural partners for collaboration. Brown is a leading Ivy League research university, and RISD is the nation’s premier art school. Capitalizing on these strengths, our universities share an undergraduate dual-degree program, ...

Editorial: Brown must oppose the Providence Student Impact Fee

By Editorial Page Board | November 14

Providence was recently ranked the least affordable city for renters in America. To address the cost-of-living crisis, the Providence City Council plans to embark on an ambitious housing and affordability agenda. One proposal on the table is a Student Impact Fee, which would require college students ...

Aerial photo of College Hill viewed from Fox Point, with houses and University buildings scattered among green trees.

Editorial: A weeklong Thanksgiving break is something we’d be thankful for

By Editorial Page Board | November 6

Situated between the chaos of midterms and the impending stress of finals, Thanksgiving offers a coveted opportunity for Brunonians to visit loved ones and take time off from our campus commitments. But Brown’s academic calendar provides only three days off during the week of Thanksgiving. Although ...

Photo of a student walking across the Main Green towards Sayles Hall.

Editorial: DPS mismanagement is a threat to public safety

By Editorial Page Board | October 30

Earlier this year, officers described the work culture of Brown’s Department of Public Safety as “toxic” and “dangerous.” After two recent votes of no confidence from both the Brown University Police Sergeants Union and the Brown University Security Patrolperson’s Association, it is clear ...

Photo of Brown Department of Public Safety.

Editorial: In a time of uncertainty, Brown’s Nobel Prize and MacArthur Grant should motivate University researchers

By Editorial Page Board | October 23

While research funding is under political scrutiny, the world needs reminding of what scholarship can achieve. Brown received two such reminders this month with the announcements that Professor Emeritus of Economics Peter Howitt won a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and Professor of International ...

Latest stories

Opinions

Editorial: Paxson’s rejection of the compact is a win for Brown and America

By Editorial Page Board | October 15

After two weeks of community input, faculty meetings and deliberation, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 has rejected an invitation to join the federal government’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The decision avoids dire consequences for the future of the University ...

Opinions

Editorial: Trump’s compact is a bridge too far

By Editorial Page Board | October 9

On Oct. 1, the Trump administration invited Brown and eight other universities to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” Contained in this invitation is a shakedown: Give up meaningful say in matters of administration, admissions, finances and academic freedom, and in return, ...

Opinions

Editorial: A man was detained by federal agents outside of the Rock — here’s what you can do

By Editorial Page Board | September 29

Last Tuesday morning, a member of this editorial page board was studying in the quiet of the John D. Rockefeller Library’s basement. Through the west-facing glass wall, what should have been an ordinary morning gave way to an extraordinary sight: masked federal agents detaining a man with his son ...

Opinions

Dissent: Thayer isn’t ours to silence

By CJ Lair and Meher Sandhu | September 25

On any given weekend night, Thayer Street transforms into a gathering space for Rhode Islanders. Motorcycles roar past tricked-out cars, and music spills out onto the sidewalk outside a new food spot. Families line up for late-night falafel from East Side Pockets, kids chase each other between tables ...

Photo of Thayer Street at night with a bus approaching.

Opinions

Editorial: Brown students need quiet too

By Editorial Page Board | September 25

From the New York Times to local news stations to The Herald, much discussion in the last few years has centered around noise in Providence. Hearing motorcyclists revving their engines and lifted vehicles blasting music has become a hallmark of the Brown experience. But should it be?

Photo of a motorcycle parked next to a white car on Thayer Street.

Opinions

Editorial: Brown must foster AI literacy

By Editorial Page Board | September 18

Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize the way we work, learn and live our daily lives at a scale not seen since the Industrial Revolution. In the past year, Brown has taken numerous steps to advance the University’s preparation for this new era. Last December, the University announced ...

Opinions

Editorial: Brown must step in to save the Critical Review

By Editorial Page Board | September 11

As students decide between Brown’s nearly 1,400 course offerings this shopping period, one obstacle remains constant — a dearth of Critical Reviews.

EdPage_CritReviewEditorial__ CO_KatharineKnowles.jpeg

Opinions

Dissent: Brown’s deal with Trump is appeasement, not pragmatism

By Paul Hudes | August 5

My colleagues on the editorial page board have described Brown’s agreement with the Trump administration as a “win” for pragmatism and preservation, on the basis that Brown has “traded little in exchange for the restoration of its research funding.” This outlook mirrors the framing offered ...

Students line up outside the Salomon Center for Learning on a bright spring day.

Opinions

Editorial: In its fight against the Trump administration, Brown prevails

By Editorial Page Board | August 5

Almost four months after the Trump administration announced plans to cut more than half a billion dollars in Brown’s federal research funding, the University has reached an agreement with the government to restore funding and eligibility for future awards.

A photo of the Main Green with University Hall in the background on a cloudy day.

Opinions

Editorial: Student government actually matters

By Editorial Page Board | April 16

In this fraught moment for higher education, student government is more important than ever. The upcoming Student Government Association elections — and particularly that of the Undergraduate Council of Students — are an opportunity for our student body to influence how we are represented both on ...

Opinions

Editorial: Trump’s attack on international students’ free speech is an attack on American values

By Editorial Page Board | April 9

Although the Editorial Page Board is divided on the issue of divestment of Brown’s endowment from companies affiliated with Israel, we agree on this: Detaining a student for writing an op-ed is a grave violation of free speech and due process. It is antithetical to the values of a democratic society. ...

Editorial_studentexpression_CO_Kaia Yalamanchili (1).jpg

Opinions

Editorial: In attempting to destroy universities like Brown, Trump abandons America’s future

By Editorial Page Board | April 4

On Thursday night, a White House official confirmed to The Herald that the Trump administration plans to cut $510 million in federal funding to Brown, making the University the fifth Ivy League institution to have its funding threatened in recent weeks. This development represents another volley in ...

Opinions

Editorial: Brown’s Fulbright achievement is what makes Brown, Brown

By Editorial Page Board | March 5

In the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, Brown defined its unique place within the American consciousness by flaunting its countercultural streak through the newly formed Open Curriculum and vehement student activism. The legendary but fleeting Semiotics — later Modern Culture and Media — department helped ...

Opinions

Dissent: Dream Team’s campaign against BPU is a valid rebuttal

By Paulie Malherbe | March 3

On Friday, the editorial page board published a piece on the recent controversy surrounding a canceled Brown Political Union debate. I did not sign on to the piece.