T U E S D A Y SEPTEMBER 17, 2002
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 73
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
Admiral defines ‘a new kind of war’ BY RIELLE NAVITSKI
A profound attempt to define a national direction amid the dizzying complexity of the post-Sept. 11, 2001 political world lay at the center of “America’s War on Terrorism: A Military Perspective,” a lecture by Rear Adm. Rodney Rempt, president of Newport’s U.S. Naval War College. During the forum, part of the Watson Institute for International Studies’ series of lectures and exhibitions entitled “911 + 1: The Perplexities of Security,” Rempt and audience members discussed the features of this unusual conflict from both strategic and ideological viewpoints. Rempt emphasized the urgency of an aggressive, comprehensive response to last year’s terrorist attacks and to terrorism in the past decade, which he described as “a series of battles in a new kind of war.” The stakes in this war, Rempt said, are much greater than those of traditional struggles between states over territory or other political disputes. He said he sees the U.S. war on terrorism as “a war of freedom against tyranny, justice against mass murder and a free economy against closed markets and unrelieved poverty.” He added that terrorists’ objective is “not to end lives, but (to end) a way of life.” Rempt listed challenges facing the U.S. government in the elimination of the terrorist threat to U.S. society and culture. He said global cooperation is necessary for U.S. efforts to be successful. The Naval War College has admitted increased numbers of foreign students to be trained in military strategy, which Rempt said would strengthen the international effort. In claiming the existence of “a nexus between terrorist groups and nations developing weapons of mass destruction,” Rempt upheld the government position that the war on terrorism is a relatively simple case of “us versus them.” “Nations who believe in the rule of law cannot rationally support (terrorism),” Rempt said. Entirely new strategies of warfare are necessary in this kind of war, he added, and he emphasized the complete elimination of “safe havens,” which terrorists have sometimes enjoyed in nations that actively support or passively allow their presence, he said. Preemptive aggression against nations that harbor ter-
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Investigation continues as student’s status upgraded to ‘fair’ The condition of a Brown student who fell from a third-story window early Friday morning and briefly slipped into a coma improved to ‘fair’ Monday evening, Rhode Island Hospital officials confirmed. Adam Edwards ’04 was listed in critical condition Sunday, two days after Edwards’ housemates reported hearing him fall from a window in Olney House at 4:30 a.m. Edwards’ twin brother, David Edwards ’04, told The Herald Sunday that Edwards has a long history of sleep walking. Sigma Chi President Geoff Gillespie ’04 said he had a conversation with Edwards, a member of the fraternity, outside the fraternity house around 2 a.m., and Edwards appeared to be in high spirits and not intoxicated. Edwards visited the Underground hours before his fall, but Underground General Manager Ally Dickie ’03 told The Herald Sunday that Edwards did not drink at the on-campus establishment, which includes a bar. Department of Public Safety Sgt. Antonio Leite said DPS is investigating the incident. “We don’t know what happened yet,” Leite told The Herald Sunday. “We don’t want to rule anything out because no one else witnessed it — they just heard and saw it outside.” DPS officials refused The Herald’s requests Monday to obtain the police report for the incident. — Herald staff reports
Ellen Bak / Herald
Rear Adm. Rodney Rempt spoke on the U.S. war on terrorism Monday as part of the “911 + 1” lectre series. rorists and negotiations with nations that are unable to root out terrorism will be far more effective than conventional warfare, he said. “Deterrence means very little against shadowy netsee NEW WAR, page 4
BGEO/UAW amends brief, seeking to redefine science RAs as employees BY BRIAN BASKIN
Research assistants in the physical and life sciences, once barred from joining any potential union by the Brown Graduate Employee Organization / United Auto Workers, could now be allowed to participate in union activities. The change hinges on the outcome of Brown’s appeal of a November 2001 decision by a National Labor Relations Board regional director that some graduate students could be considered employees and have the right to vote on unionization. While Brown claims in its appeal that no graduate students are employees, the BGEO/UAW has amended its legal brief sent to the NLRB to ask that it broaden the definition of an employee to include research assistants. Last December, 450 of 510 graduate students voted on whether to unionize, but the votes sit in Boston, uncounted, waiting for the appeal to be processed. With the BGEO/UAW and the University both taking issue with the NLRB’s initial approval of a unionization vote, a revote is likely no matter what the outcome of Brown’s appeal, said BGEO/UAW member Nancy Burns GS. The decision has been delayed because two of the five seats on the NLRB are vacant. Brown asked that its appeal not be heard until President George Bush appoints two more members. Both the delay and the prospect of two new Republican-appointed NLRB members could hurt the union movement at Brown, Burns said. “People are sick of the whole thing,” Burns said. “(Graduate students) really didn’t like the fact that it created so much controversy amongst grad students, and they want to have it disappear.” While the BGEO/UAW waits on the NLRB, the
Graduate Student Council will maintain its position of neutrality regarding the union issue but will continue to address the concerns of its constituency, said CoPresident Heinrich Hock GS. Graduate students saw an increase in annual stipends and health insurance during Peder Estrup’s final year as dean of the graduate school and research. But under his successor, Professor of Comparative Literature and English Karen Newman, the University appears prepared to commit to major improvements, said Graduate Student Council Co-President Aaron Katz GS. Katz, who sat on the search committee that selected Newman, said the new dean of the graduate school is concerned about workload, financial and housing issues for graduate students. The council will move forward with BGEO/UAW representatives to present to the administration a plan to require departments to clearly outline the responsibilities and work hours for its teaching assistants. Either the Graduate Student Council or the administration would then ensure that each department sticks to its promises, Hock said. Graduate students are often given more students and sections than they could reasonably be expected to manage in the 20 hours per week they are expected to work to receive a yearly stipend, Hock said. Ideally a TA in the humanities would handle two sections of 15 students, but in some cases graduate students are expected to handle as many as 150 undergraduates, Burns said. “If you’re in a section that has 30 or 40 people in it, that’s not a section,” Burns said. “There’s no way a TA can give you any kind of one-on-one time, much less lead a productive section.”
The Graduate Student Council will continue to push for higher stipends and better health insurance this semester. The council will seek an additional $1,000 per year in health insurance for each dependent, easing the financial burden faced by graduate students with children, Hock said. Brown does not differentiate between single graduate students and those with dependents in terms of support, he added. University sponsored childcare offered at a reduced rate to students, staff and professors would also go a long way toward addressing the needs of graduate students with families, Hock said. A council committee is creating a proposal for University daycare partly based on a survey of 200 graduate students’ child-related needs. Securing better on-campus housing is also a priority, Hock said. Most graduate students who live on campus live in Miller Hall. Complaints about noise and the lack of an adequate common room exclusively for graduate students led the council to renovate the piano lounge below Grad Center into a graduate student lounge, study area and kitchenette. The lounge is one step toward creating a more cohesive graduate student community, Hock said. The council will also try this year to secure on-campus housing in an apartment-style dorm like Young Orchard, where graduate students can have more privacy, Hock said. Herald staff writer Brian Baskin ’04 can be reached at bbaskin@browndailyherald.com.
I N S I D E T U E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 0 2 Roger Williams raises eyebrows with purchase of private housing complex page 3
R.I. Diocese settles abuses cases for $13.5 million, issues apology page 3
UCS President Allen Feliz ’03 tells council to prepare for campus safety debate page 5
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Craig Walzer ’03 tells a European tale of black market smuggling and fashion fancy column,page 11
Women’s soccer team rallies to defeat ECAC foe Colgate in weekend action sports,page 12
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