Brown

Brown University Study Presents Radical Disparity

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

Teens who engage in same-sex activity may be more than twice as likely as their peers to turn to self-harm, according to research from Brown University.

In June, the study appeared in JAMA Pediatrics, prompting a wave of attention from media outlets, including medical press. Such findings add further weight to existing scholarship that has documented physical and emotional risks associated with alternative sexual behavior, especially during adolescent years. In the study, psychiatrist Richard Liu, Cornell ’02, found that rates of non-suicidal self-injury were elevated among engaging in same-sex or “bisexual” behaviors, when compared to other adolescents. Liu is an assistant professor in psychiatry and human behavior at Brown’s Alpert Medical School.

Strikingly, 38 percent to 53 percent of surveyed “homosexual” and “bisexual” teens acknowledged engaging in personally dangerous behaviors, compared to 10 percent to 20 percent of adolescent youth who said they had cut, hit, or bruised themselves.

Christian Union Celebrates Five Years at Brown 

At the Christian Union Staff Conference this summer, the organization celebrated a major milestone—five years of ministry at Brown University.

A few weeks later, Ministry Director Matt Woodard and Ministry Fellows Laurel Copp and Ben Pascut began earnestly to prepare for year six and the annual Freshmen Welcoming Campaign.

A Med Student’s Exhortation to Live in the Moment

By Anna Delamerced, Brown ’16 

Editor’s note: The following article is reprinted with permission fromCornerstone Magazine, Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design’s Christian literary arts publication.

In the spring of 2012, senioritis hit me. After reading my acceptance letter to Brown, I immediately began to daydream. Whether it was envisioning myself walking across the Main Green to class or chilling in the dorm lounge with my hallmates, I was preoccupied by thoughts of college. Before I knew it, prom and senior projects had become things of the past, and I stood next to my classmates at graduation. “Where did the time go?” I asked myself. I had been thinking about college so much that I had missed out on savoring my final moments as a high school senior. 

This is something I’ve struggled with for a long time. Even at Brown, similar thoughts crept up on me. I loved many parts about college life: late night conversations in Perkins, studying at the Ratty with friends, singing worship songs on a Friday night. My faith grew exponentially through fellowship, prayer, reading God’s Word, and spending time with Him and my brothers and sisters in Christ. Still, it seemed like the pattern of wanting to move on to the next season continued.

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John Hay Library Puts Emphasis on “Gay Pulp Fiction”

By Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer

Christian alumni from Brown and other top-tier universities were disturbed, but not entirely surprised, at the news of the university’s plans to expand and catalog its massive collection of “gay pulp fiction.”

Brown University plans to catalog its massive collection of gay pulp fiction, and the John Hay Library’s curator of literary and popular culture collections would like to add “more books that cover the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum.”

Brown’s more than 4,600 (and growing) volumes of cheap, highly explicit paperbacks is one of the biggest collections – or possibly the largest – of any, according to WBUR.org. The radio station noted that most of the books are “straight up pornography,” but others are categorized as “sexual lifestyle guides.”

In July, Boston’s NPR news station reported on the university’s efforts to catalog its pulps. The majority of titles are geared to same-sex attracted men. Once finished, Heather Cole, the John Hay Library’s curator of literary and popular culture collections, says she is “interested in adding more books that cover the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum.”

Rodarte ’19 Challenges Classmates to Be Change Agents

by tom campisi, managing editor

In her Class Day speech, senior Patricia Rodarte encouraged fellow Brown University graduates to go beyond borders.

Rodarte, a native of El Paso, Texas, grew up less than a mile from the Rio Grande, which marks the boundary between the United States and Mexico. She opened her speech by talking about the shared culture and interdependent ancestry and economies of El Paso and its “sister city,” Ciudad Juarez, Mexico—despite being separated by a 10-foot-tall fence. 

“There is a constant movement of people across their ports of entry…” she said. “Crossing borders is central to my region’s identity.”

Your Gift by June 30 Will Share Gospel and Change Lives

Q and A with Lisa Schultz

At Christian Union’s Nexus Student Conference in February, Schultz was a member of the law and government panel during the vocational breakout sessions.

Susan Stover and Arthur Stella

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 

- 2 Corinthians 9:10

Early in Susan Stover’s life, her parents, Bob and Joan Stover, sowed the seeds of generosity. “My parents’ faith journey had a tremendous impact on me,” Susan noted.

“My father became a Christian as a young man after serving in the Navy during World War II. His life reflected his personal belief that he needed to use his talents and resources in the Lord’s service.” After the war, Bob Stover began a temporary employment agency in San Francisco.

Spanish Language Ministry Debuts at Brown

By Ayleen Sanchez, Brown ’20

For many Christian students, their faith is deeply rooted in culture and language; a sudden transition away from their ethnic community can become an additional challenge in maintaining their faith while in college. With this in mind, the Brown Rhode Island School of Design Catholic Community (BRCC) has launched a Spanish ministry on campus to reach out to Hispanic students.

(From left to right) Giovanna Milano, '22, Maria Cortinez, '22, Cecilia Menendez, first-year FOCUS missionary, Alejandra Roca, '19, Ingrid Mader, '20, Vanesa Mora, '21, and Ayleen Sanchez, '19

Calderon-Payne ’89 Directs BronxConnect 

By Paula Chin

Editor’s note: The following story was reprinted with permission fromBrown Alumni Magazine (www.brownalumnimagazine.com). 

As executive director of BronxConnect, a New York City–based nonprofit that helps at-risk teens, Rev. Wendy Calderon-Payne ’89 has a simple mantra: “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

Rev. Wendy Calderon-Payne ’89 and the staff at BronxConnect

The quote is from the Gospel of Luke, and when she came across the verse one day during her freshman year at Brown, it struck a deep chord. “Jesus’ solution to poverty just made sense to me,” she says. “We have to act when we see injustice or need.” 

Christian Union Events Examine Art and Philosophy

by tom campisi, managing editor

Christian Union at Brown helped organize two key events that made inroads and friendships in the arts and philosophy communities.

In February, Christian Union co-hosted an art exhibit entitled “How Do We Live a Good Life?” The event, held at the Leung Family Gallery at Brown, was co-sponsored by the Veritas Forum, Ethical Inquiry, the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life, and Cornerstone Magazine. 

“Stealing Past Watchful Dragons”

Max McLean is an award-winning actor and founder and artistic director of Fellowship for Performing Arts (FPA). Based in New York City, FPA produces theater from a Christian worldview to engage diverse audiences.

Among his numerous credits, McLean adapted for the stage The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert, The Great Divorce, Mark’s Gospel, and Martin Luther on Trial. As an actor, he created the roles of Screwtape (London, New York, national tour) and C.S. Lewis in The Most Reluctant Convert(New York, national tour) and Mark in Mark’s Gospel, for which he received a Jeff Award—Chicago theater’s highest honor.

Christian Union Alumni Share Insights, Encouragement at Brown

Tom Campisi

Managing Editor

Christian Union: The Magazine

Christian Union Hosts Alumni Panel Discussion

by tom campisi, managing editor

Being a leader with Christian Union at Brown helped Ayisha Jackson make a smooth transition to urban missionary when she graduated in May. Jackson, an engineering major, said the ministry’s emphasis on a seeking-God lifestyle and rigorous Bible study prepared her for her work with Renaissance Church in Providence, Rhode Island.

Jackson returned to campus in the fall as a participant in Christian Union’s Life After Graduation panel discussion, which included three other members of the class of 2018 who are active in vocational ministry at Brown: Gianna Uson, an intern with Christian Union; Isaac Whitney, an intern with Athletes in Action; and Katie Hay, an intern with InterVarsity.

Brown Student Artists Explore Meaning Together

Sarah Camp

Director of Marketing and Communications

Brown senior Lydia Haile performs

Student Spotlight: Jose Reyes '19

Freshman Welcoming Campaign Attracts a Crowd  

by tom campisi, managing editor

A Blessing To The World