Wednesday, September 25, 2002

W E D N E S D A Y SEPTEMBER 25, 2002

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 78

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

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New ‘Brown First’ vendor policy aims to keep funds inside the University The policy, which requires University departments and student groups to retain internal services over outside vendors, has drawn some criticism

BY EMIR SENTURK

Nick Mark / Herald

A new Ivy League requirement limits the number of football recruits and establishes a seven-week “quiet period” for all athletic teams.

Ivy League mandates 7 weeks of rest

BY ELENA LESLEY

A new Ivy League-wide requirement mandating that athletes not engage in competition, practice or conversation with coaches for seven weeks during a semester is facing resistance from many Brown coaches and student athletes.

The Council of Ivy Group Presidents passed the measure establishing an annual seven-week “quiet period” for athletic teams last spring. The group also approved a measure that cuts the number of football recruits, previously 35 each year, to 30.

The quiet-period measure stipulates there must be seven weeks in every academic year when student athletes have no “mandatory physical activity,” said Athletic Director David Roach. Teams can meet the requirement by establishing any number of rest peri-

ods so long as each is longer than seven days.

During the designated quiet period, coaches may not supervise voluntary conditioning practices and students cannot consult with their coaches, even voluntarily, he added.

Teams that violate the quiet period stipulation will be forced to extend the rest period by two weeks the following year, according to the measure passed by the Ivy Presidents group.

Volleyball Head Coach Diane Short said many of her players are upset they can no longer talk to their coaches during the rest period.

“Players need good leadership,” she said. “They want to succeed and they want to get better. Sure they

In an attempt to generate some $2 million, the University is requiring students to “buy Brown” as part of the new “Brown First” policy.

The Brown First policy, which began this semester, requires student organizations and University departments to use Graphic Services, University Food Services or select external vendors for a variety of services and is receiving mixed reviews.

Under the policy, student groups and University departments wishing to make copies or cater an event must first turn to Metcalf Copy Center or UFS. In accordance with the new policy, “Graphic Services … and University Food Services will have the first and preferred opportunity to provide their specialized offerings to University departments,” wrote acting Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Ellen O’Connor in a letter addressed to department heads last summer.

If UFS and Graphic Services can’t provide what is required, they will place orders with “qualified external vendors and oversee the process,” O’Connor wrote.

For example, Ronzio’s and Pizza Pie-er are the only two external vendors that student organizations and University departments can turn to for pizza when their needs exceed what the Gate can provide, Director of Student Activities David Inman told The Herald.

The aim of the policy is to “retain substantial funds that have been spent on external vendors,” O’Connor wrote.

The policy is one of the several ways President Ruth Simmons hopes to fund new academic initiatives.

O’Connor wrote that the University could make an additional $2 million from Brown First.

Several students said they were worried that Graphic Services and UFS will eventually become less competitive and could bring about an overall drop in quality of services offered thanks to Brown First.

While the first months of the program have been set aside as a transition period in which “efficiency and user friendliness” will be improved upon, both Graphic Services and UFS are “determined to maintain the highest

see ATHLETICS, page 4 see BROWN, page 4

For temporary residents, International House is home away from home

BY OLIVER BOWERS

It’s hard to fit into a culture thousands of miles apart from one’s own, but at the International House of Rhode Island, most everyone feels right at home.

For over 30 years, IHRI has served as a home away from home for the city’s temporary visa holders, be they students, researchers, professors or families, who can use IHRI’s resources at no charge.

“They don’t have any way to blend into American culture,” said Billie Mason GS ’83, founder of IHRI. “They have no friends … no extended families.”

But with a host of programs and activities ranging from presentations on the American health care system to apple picking and hayrides, the IHRI more than fills this need.

The International House offers a slew of basic services to acclimate foreigners to U.S. life, including language lessons for members beginning to learn English, and more

advanced sessions for those already competent in the language. It also provides advice on how to better function in the U.S. school system or obtain supplies and services in U.S. culture.

“Culture shock is a very real thing” said Mason, who has organized trips to supermarkets for spouses of temporary residents and outings to ethnic eateries.

But the programs at IHRI extend far beyond simple cultural tutorials. Flyers inside the doorway at its 8 Stimson Ave. location announce activities ranging from various language clubs to Halloween pumpkin carving and Christmas caroling.

The Annual Holiday Bazaar, for instance, taking place on Dec. 7, will boast a selection of international foods and deserts, gifts, holiday crafts, jewelry and more.

Every program is open to the public, though American citizens must pay a small fee for membership. But since the International House’s focus is on keeping programs

accessible to all, “We keep it cheap so the kids can pay” said Marilyn Von Kriegenbergh, IHRI executive director, and former staff member at the Brown foreign student office.

Above all else, IHRI seeks to foster camaraderie among otherwise isolated foreigners. “They can always find a friend here when they’re lonely,” Mason said.

The International House hasn’t strayed from its core mission since Mason founded it more than 40 years ago.

Mason said that when she brought an international student to her house around the holidays in 1961, “he sat at our kitchen table, and I saw tears falling down his cheeks. I asked him what was wrong and he said, ‘It’s Christmas time, and you’re letting me stay even though the dormitory’s closed, and my family is thousands of miles away, and you took me into your warm kitchen and

I N S I D E W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 5 , 2 0 0 2 Overharvesting of crabs may destroy salt marshes, Brown research team finds page 3

Italian Studies ‘Pico Project’ brings renaissance works to the digital age page 3

President Ruth Simmons discuss future plans, diversity with U. staff page 5

see IHRI, page 9

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Juhyung Lee ’06 says TWTP helps first-years understand, embrace their ethnicities column,page 11

W. Volleyball falls to Louisiana St., Florida St. at Tallahassee tournament sports,page 12

partly cloudy high 71 low 55

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 2 Pornucopia Eli Swiney

W E AT H E R TODAY

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FRIDAY

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A story of Eddie Ahn

CALENDAR LECTURE — “Captain Quelch’s Paradox: Piracy and the Colonial Currency Question, 1680 to 1740,” Mark Hanna, Harvard University. Dining Room #9, Sharpe Refectory, 12:45 p.m.

WORKSHOP — “A Unified Framework for Monetary Theory and Policy Analysis,” Randy Wright, University of Pennsylvania. Room 301, Robinson Hall, 4 p.m.

LECTURE — “Fishing for Novel Visual System Genes,” John Dowling, Harvard University. Room 206, Hunter Lab, 4 p.m.

READING — Taha Ali and Aaron Shabtai read from their work with Peter Cole as translator. Main Lounge, Gregorian Quadrangle, 8 p.m.

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ACADEMIC WATCH WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 3

Crab deficiency threatens salt marshes, study says

BY MONIQUE MENESES

Things are getting crabby in the salt marshes down in Virginia and Georgia, according to a recent study

by Professor Mark Bertness and Brian Silliman GS. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports that overharvesting of blue crabs may be initiating the gradual deterioration of salt marshes.

Silliman met Bertness, a professor of Bio Med Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, four years ago after Silliman graduated from the University of Virginia. Their two-year project began with research and experimentation and culminated in a published paper reporting their findings, they said.

“We instantly hit it off and had a ball ever since,” Bertness said.

Their paper, which focused on a theory called “trophic cascade,” challenged previous findings that stability in a salt marsh ecosystem was based on a “bottom-up” approach, Bertness and Silliman said.

“Everybody for 50 years thought that the theory about what controls the health of the grass was about nutrients and physical factors,” Silliman said, describing the “bottom-up” theory.

But data Bertness and Silliman gathered from their experiments in Georgia and Virginia challenged this theory, they said.

They discovered it was the absence of blue crabs, rather than factors previously thought to be important, that controlled the health of the marsh.

The lack of crabs was creating an imbalance in the stability of the salt marsh ecosystem, they said.

Blue crabs prey on periwinkle snails, organisms that inhabit and grow in the grass at the bottom of salt marshes.

These snails, which injure the grass with their teeth, have the potential to convert a salt marsh into a barren mudflat in eight months, Bertness and Silliman said.

“It’s like you have a wound and the bacteria keep on eating the wound,” Silliman said.

Cordgrass, the grass that grows at the bottom of marshes, is vital to the stability of the salt-marsh ecosystem because it serves as a habitat for various marine life and a nursery to many species of fish. It acts like a sponge during hurricanes and filters ter-

restrial runoff that creeps into salt marshes from time to time, Bertness said.

“The health of marshes is connected with this one species of grass,” Silliman said.

When the crab population decreases, the snail population increases, causing more damage to this vital grass.

“We were just blown away because we got down there and we realized it was going on in spades and nobody had known,” Bertness said.

Silliman said discussion among fishermen, managers and scientists is essential to solving this problem.

“This is a knowledge is power type of thing,” he said.

Silliman said it would probably be about four to five years before humans feel the adverse effects of the over-harvesting of blue crabs and the lack of action to promote sustainability of the marshes.

“Will there be consequences? Sure. How will they play out? It’s just too hard to know,” Bertness said.

A typical day on the experiment site included getting up at 6:30 a.m., riding a boat to the experiment site, building cages to sample the number of snails in a given area, counting snails and recording snail densities, Silliman said.

Routine encounters with snails gave Silliman and Bertness a solid opinion on the snails’ existence, they said.

“We like snails. We’re snail guys,” Bertness said.

The experiment, which was funded by a National Science Foundation grant, took two months to set up. Outfitting the cages alone took 40 days with 200 cages taking one hour each to install. However, there was compensation, Silliman said.

“I got a lot of frequent flyer miles. Let’s put it that way,” said Silliman.

Research for this project is ongoing.

“We’re planning an assault on Argentina marshes in a month and a half,” Bertness said.

Bertness and Silliman said they were enthusiastic about the role the project could play in their future research and study.

As for spending a lifetime dedicated to studying the effects of over-harvesting blue crabs on the health of the salt marsh, Silliman said, “Life’s too short to do one thing.”

Italian Studies ‘Pico Project’ reinvents the classics — digital style

BY XIYUN YANG

The Pico Project, a collaboration between Brown and the University of Bologna, seeks to reinvent the classics by presenting the works of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola on the Internet, allowing scholars to directly contribute annotations and footnotes to an online edition.

The project brings Mirandola’s 900 Theses and its introduction, the “Oration on the Dignity of Man,” into a “virtual space … a collaborative environment within a small community of scholars to meet and work,” said Professor Massimo Riva, chair of the Department of Italian Studies.

Riva coordinates the project with Professor Pier Cesare Bori of the University of Bologna and Professor Michael Papio of the College of the Holy Cross.

Though the short text translation is presented “in a fairly traditional way,” the innovation is in the approach to electronic discourse, said Giovanna Roz Gastaldi, lecturer in Italian Studies. Roz Gastaldi serves as coordinator between the Pico Project and its sponsor, the Scholarly Technology Group.

Along with an “Internet delivery of text,” the Web site will host a fluid exchange of annotations and footnotes contributed by a community of invited scholars, Roz Gastaldi said.

The site will feature a table of contents, a fully searchable index and images of the original incunabulum (editions of the book printed before 1501), Roz Gastaldi said.

The Oration and Theses will be available in English and Italian in addition to the original Latin.

Working from the rare text early edition of the Oration and the Theses on loan from the British Library, Riva said he hopes this electronic edition will be more critical and fluid than its print counterparts.

He said he also hopes the Pico Project will prove to be more “fruitful for the exchange of knowledge” in the form of identification of obscure sources and construction of contemporary interpretations.

Although postings will be limited by invitation and request to a small community of literary scholar–theologians, philosophers and others in academia, the site itself will be accessible to the public, Roz Gastaldi said.

An influential, forward Renaissance thinker, Pico della see PICO, page 6

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002

Brown continued from page 1 standards of quality and service and to remain competitive,” O’Connor wrote.

“It sounds like the University is trying to monopolize what services can be used, but given its financial situation, it may not be too extreme of a measure after all,” said Arta Khakpour ’05.

Others think that the policy seems reasonable if it is geared toward improving the University.

“The program is a great idea in that it seeks to bolster a sense of loyalty to the University, particularly in light of the fact that Brown has not been doing well in terms of money,” said Tarek Khanachet ’03. “But the quality of Brown food services has to be increased. Brown’s catering cannot compete with local catering institutions, and until it can, Brown First will be a point of contention.”

Communication of the policy’s regulations is a problem for some departments.

Benjamin Donsky ’03, coordi-

nator of Student Security Operations, said he did not find out about the policy until after he unknowingly violated it.

“I think it’s great if this policy is going to bring in the money that will attract top quality professors and helps us retain the professors we’ve got — I’m all for it,” Donsky said. “The only concern I have is that all the relevant information be communicated to the necessary people.”

Inman said the policy is running smoothly.

“So far it seems to be working.

So far the organizations are just getting off the ground. We really haven’t had any requests for restaurants” other than UFS, Inman said.

But several student organizations, including Brown-RISD Hillel, are having problems with Brown First.

“The policy severely limits the places you can have an event and makes throwing an event much more expensive than it could be,” said Rachel Ezrine ’03, a vice president of the Jewish Student Union.

Ezrine, who is organizing a dance for the middle of November, is having trouble finding a spot on campus for the event.

“I was told I had to cater the event using UFS,” she said.

Ezrine said she originally planned to cater the event with foods bought from local stores.

Local vendors are attempting to make it on the University’s “preferred vendor list,” which cannot “provide services for University departments without a valid purchase order provided by either Graphic Services or University Food Services,” O’Connor wrote.

The “preferred vendor list” will be made available in 2003.

Ronzio’s and Pizza Pie-er are the only current “qualified external vendors” the University would release to The Herald as of press time.

“The restaurant approval has to do with insurance and liability, so there’s always been a limit to where students could go to bring food in because some restaurants haven’t been able to provide the necessary insurance,” Inman said.

O’Connor declined several requests for interviews.

Herald staff writer Emir Senturk ’05 can be reached at esenturk@browndailyherald.com.

can do stuff on their own, but it’s good to get advice from a coach.”

Short said for most players, the inability to talk to coaches would be a greater detriment than the lack of required physical activity itself. Many teams previously have had several weeks off every year, she added.

In addition, teams already have restrictions on how many weekly practices and hours of athletic activity they can hold when not in season.

Many students said they felt the requirement unfairly targets athletes.

“In theory, what the presidents are trying to get us to do is noble — to explore other facets of the University,” said volleyball player Jessie Cooper ’03, a Herald staff writer. “But in actuality, it’s hurting students. Athletes do this because they love it, and it’s their passion.”

Chas Gessner ’03, who has played football and lacrosse since he was a first-year, said he thought athletes were being singled out “because we’re a lot more in the public sphere than someone doing another cluboriented thing.”

Cooper echoed these sentiments, adding that “there’s sometimes tension between athletes and non-athletes” and that athletics are “a large, easy to target, money-maker attached to the University.”

President Ruth Simmons refused The Herald’s numerous requests for interviews and comment on the Ivy League Presidents group resolution, but Carolyn CampbellMcGovern, senior associate director of the Ivy League Conference Office, spoke to The Herald about the measure.

Campbell-McGovern said athletics are inherently different from many other extra-curricular activities because professionals are hired to instruct students.

In passing the requirement, the Ivy presidents wanted “to provide time during the academic year when students were free from athletic obligations,” she continued. “It was the

Athletics continued from page 1 understanding that students don’t perceive anything involving supervision by a coach as voluntary.”

The NCAA recently officially defined “voluntary” as a result of concerns that “coaches were pushing the envelope on what was voluntary and what wasn’t,” Campbell-McGovern said.

Julian Jordan ’04, who has played soccer since he was a first-year, agreed there could be ambiguity surrounding ostensibly voluntary activities.

With the requirement in place, “it’s less of an obligation,” he said. “People don’t feel guilty if they don’t go practice the oboe because a coach doesn’t make them feel guilty.”

Central to this debate is the question of “what kind of extracurriculars contribute to personal development,” he added.

For students who take their participation in athletics as seriously as academics or other activities, the requirement is a setback, Cooper said.

“Brown is Division One — we compete against the top schools in the nation,” she said. “We’re already disadvantaged because people aren’t on scholarship, and this makes us a little less competitive.”

The requirement will also affect schools and sports differently because they all run on separate schedules, and some will have more trouble fitting in the seven weeks than others will, Short said.

“There will be a gradual erosion of our competitiveness,” she added.

Whether they can consult with coaches or not, many players insist they will work as hard as they can to keep this from happening.

“I’m still going to be in there working out every day,” Cooper said.

Herald staff writer Elena Lesley ’04 is a news editor. She can be reached at elesley@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 5

Student Life hires two to bolster BOLT, oversee judicial review

BY AKSHAY KRISHNAN

Ellen Bak / Herald

President Ruth Simmons discussed her plans for academic enrichment, long-term planning, diversity and campus safety at a Tuesday forum with members of the University staff.

Simmons talks progress with U. staff

BY MONIQUE MENESES

President Ruth Simmons joined staff Tuesday to discuss the implementation of initiatives for academic enrichment, long-term planning issues, diversity and campus safety.

Ann D’Abrosca, outgoing chair of the Staff Advisory Committee and manager of the education department, presented a brief review of recent improvements, including raising staff hourly wages, increased allocation of funds directed to the Tuition Benefit Program, a winter break closing between Christmas and New Year and the creation of a Staff Bonus Program “I think opportunities for input are best at this time of year,” Simmons said. She outlined some “broader” goals, including the need to hire administration, faculty and staff who cooperate with each other and whose goals coincide with Brown’s vision.

“We need to support the University at the highest level, whether we work, we teach or we study,” she said.

“We are here to support the University’s central mission.”

Simmons said that progress from last year included the addition of 30 full-time faculty, whose temporary status could become permanent, and the addition of more than 60 new courses.

She emphasized the importance of the adjustments

to staff salaries and recruitment start-out packages and of the revitalization of Brown’s research infrastructure.

As for Brown as a workplace, Simmons suggested trying different things from time to time to increase flexibility. She introduced the Staff Bonus Program, in which supervisors would nominate those in their departments deserving acclaim for their excellent work.

“We want to say ‘thank you’ in a tangible way,” Simmons said.

Simmons expressed hope that by February, SAC would draft a long-term plan outline for the University, including campus planning, improvements to student life and fundraising goals. She told staff she addressed the faculty and told them that there should not be any push for faculty benefits that would not be applicable to staff as well.

D’Abrosca told The Herald she appreciated Simmons’ approach to staff and faculty benefits.

“Whatever happens to faculty will happen to staff as well,” D’Abrosca said.

Simmons singled out diversity as a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. She said one way the University might organize itself to meet its diversity

The Office of Student Life created two administrative positions this summer in an effort to expand its role in student activities, judicial processes and leadership initiatives.

OSL appointed Francesca Lo ’97 coordinator of leadership programs. She will direct all leadership programs and will lead Brown Outdoor Leadership Training. OSL also named Myles McPartland as student life coordinator to oversee the University’s non-academic judicial process and monitor student activities.

The two administrators said they feel at home in their new positions.

As director of BOLT, Lo is working to create new leadership development activities, she said.

“I love working with college students, and I am interested in exploring leadership,” Lo said.

She said that financial constraints make an immediate expansion of BOLT Francesca Lo ’97, top, unlikely. She acknowledged and Myles McPartland are that there is a pressing new hires in the Office of demand for the program, Student Life. noting its expansion from 10 students in its founding year to 160 students for the current academic year.

“It’s important to remember that high standards of safety need to be maintained, so BOLT cannot be expanded overnight,” Lo said.

McPartland said he predominantly deals with the nonacademic judicial process and any student misconduct.

“I am interested in working with students and in the educational implications of justice,” he said. “I also love the college environment and feel that it facilitates my work.”

One of the most pressing challenges facing McPartland is that of alcohol use on campus.

“I am worried about the general perception that alcohol equals fun, and it’s frightening to think about how involvement with alcohol could get in the way of people’s safety,” he said.

He said he feels it isn’t safe for students to be involved with alcohol at college, though he acknowledged that drinking is often a part of college life.

McPartland also hopes to improve the perception of the University’s disciplinary system.

“I am also bothered by the perception amongst students that the judicial process is some sort of a mystery that goes on behind closed doors,” he said.

McPartland said he will encourage student involvement and feedback on the existing judicial system.

“I want to make the whole system involving the nonacademic judicial process more credible and to instill awareness among Brown’s students,” he said.

McPartland also said he is excited about Lo’s leadership development initiatives.

“On the whole, I feel that we’re on the cusp of some change. The way things could change will serve students better. Developing leadership programs will instill leadership skills amongst our students, and that is extremely important,” McPartland said.

Lo and McPartland created a student activities center in Faunce House that primarily functions as a resource center for student groups at Brown.

“The main aim of this student activities center is to provide resources like copy machines, phones, computers and fax machines,” Lo said.

She said student groups can use the activities center to pool resources or research various issues. The activities center is open between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Dean for Campus Life Margaret Jablonski said the new OSL administrators will give students more opportunities

see SIMMONS, page 6 see OSL, page 9

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002

Simmons

Pico

continued from page 5

continued from page 3

goals is to appoint a senior officer who would oversee diversity efforts across the University.

Simmons suggested the multiple meanings in using the term “diversity” and said that she was “interested in what we do when people get here,” more than which people come in the first place.

Simmons said an investment in more police officers and additional shuttles are contributing to the enhancement of safety on campus.

As to the “highly debated issue” of arming Brown Police, Simmons stressed that discussion is ongoing.

“In the end we’ve got to make a decision — we will resolve the issue,” she said.

Bill Wood, incoming SAC chair and library manager, said the overall response to the staff forum was “extremely” positive.

“People are very happy with the changes that have been made in the past year,” Wood said.

Throughout the forum, Simmons stressed the importance of community.

“We can have a community in which we distrust everything, or we can act affirmatively in a way that’s more open and from the offset arrive at a good decision.”

Mirandola was among the circle of scholars that surrounded Lorenzo de Medici. Mirandola, described by Riva as a “name that became synonymous with child prodigy,” began, at the age of 23, the ambitious project that was to become the 900 Theses.

Written mostly in Latin but sprinkled with references to Hebrew, Arabic and other languages, the 900 Theses and “Oration on the Dignity of Man” sought to consolidate all traditions of thought and facilitate debate in order to find a certain universal wisdom and knowledge, Riva said.

Armed with typical Renaissance progressive optimism, Mirandola hoped to present the 900 Theses to the Pope and a committee of cardinals, igniting cross cultural discourse.

But parts of the 900 Theses were deemed heretical, and Mirandola subsequently fled to France, Riva said.

With the Pico Project, Riva said he hopes to “bring back to the surface something that was to have disappeared.”

Often referred to as the manifesto of the Renaissance, “Oration on the Dignity of Man” projected the tremendous responsibility of the human individual “to proceed on a path upwards, towards

Mirandola, described

by Riva as a “name that became synonymous with child prodigy,” began, at the age of 23, the ambitious project that was to become the 900 Theses. an angelic identity,” Riva said.

As one who lived in a time that mirrors our own, a time of imminent progress, a time “when technology has given new tools to reinvent society,” Mirandola stressed the responsibility of individuals and the necessity of multicultural religious dialogue, Riva said.

Riva said he is considering holding a graduate seminar based on the developing project.

With the completion of the Pico Project, Riva said he hopes to expand the same approach to Mirandola’s other works as well as to other classics.

The Pico Project will be officially presented Oct. 16 at the New England Renaissance Conference, to be hosted at Brown.

Meier continued from page 12 Columnist Jeff Saltman, a shirtless father and son leapt onto the field at Comiskey Park and jumped the first base coach of the Kansas City Royals, Tom Gamboa. Replays showed the coach suddenly being rushed from behind by a lean, athletic 34 year-old father (replete with tattoos and a knife at his belt) and his 15 year-old son. As he feebly kicked at his attackers from the ground, Gamboa was quickly rescued by the entire Royals bench who, not so gently, detached the assailants from their coach. The crowd cheered the opposing coach some minutes later when he was helped from the field, head bleeding.

What incited the attack?

Gamboa’s attackers alleged that he offered them his middle finger earlier in the game in response to their heckling (something he denies). As Saltman noted yesterday, though, athletes giving abusive fans the finger is hardly something rare or new in the sports world. So what’s really causing the violence?

The most popular scapegoat— much to PETA’s chagrin—is beer.

Yes, all parties involved in the two recent events were probably imbibing something at the stadium, and it wasn’t 2% or skim.

Drunk people do stupid things. I don’t need to convince anyone of this. We’ve all lived in the residence halls and used the bathrooms therein. I believe, though, that something is affecting violent fans even more strongly than the beer they are drinking—their team’s failure on the field.

My theory is that a team’s disappointing performance, especially when coupled with alcohol, is a sure recipe for outlandish fan behavior. Let’s examine the cases mentioned. The Washington Redskins fans that got into the fight that eventually brought about the use of pepper spray were witnessing the end of a 37-7 drubbing at the hands of the Eagles, who were not a clear

favorite entering the game. High hopes for Washington under new coach Steve Spurrier had quickly turned to national embarrassment as the huge Monday Night audience watched the Redskins get trounced.

In the case of the White Sox fans, the father, William Ligue Jr., admitted to police after the game that he was upset because the White Sox were losing when he rushed the field. Beyond the specific game, the White Sox are finishing a terribly disappointing season. Beyond that, they were playing Kansas City. Any follower of baseball can empathize with a man who drops a lot of money to take family to the ballpark and then has to watch the White Sox play the Royals.

It should come as no surprise that the last three major instances of fan violence spilling onto Major League Baseball fields have involved fans of the Cubs, Brewers and Cubs respectively. Those aren’t exactly teams that are stringing up pennants for their supporters.

Even in the ugliest case of fanon-player violence, the 1993 stabbing of Monica Seles during a tennis match with rival Steffi Graf, the same pattern can be seen. The deranged fan, a supporter of Graf, was witnessing firsthand the eclipse of his idol by a better, younger player.

That people are getting so worked up over sports is not surprising, or even too troubling.

Sports are the safe space for the American citizen to be angry, opinionated, partisan, illogical and unreasonable—it’s not only tolerated, it’s expected. If your receiver slips running for a pass and jumps up to beg unsuccessfully for the interference flag, you don’t point out to your friend that he’s a liar; you call for the referee’s head. What you don’t do is expect anyone to actually follow up on your call, and this is what is so frightening. Tempers will always flare in the passionate and subjective world of sports, but when fans start to consider making themselves a part of the action things get a little crazy and dangerous.

NOW THAT’S CAPITALISM CAPITALISM CAPITALISM CAPITALISM

sell business@browndailyherald.com

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 7

IN BRIEF Congress wants say in CIA pay changes WASHINGTON (Washington Post) — Changing pay rules is never easy.

When the Central Intelligence Agency told its employees last year that it wanted to link pay scales to occupations and pay to job performance, some employees balked and took their concerns to members of Congress. In response to employee fears, the House has moved to block compensation reform at the CIA, and the matter's pending in the Senate.

The pay flap at the CIA isn't unique. Many federal employees would rather stick with automatic, annual pay raises determined by Congress than allow agency managers to have a bigger say in increasing compensation.

Still, there's widespread agreement among top Bush administration officials, reinforced by think-tank and academic studies, that the government's pay system makes it difficult to recruit top-notch talent and reward employees who take on difficult assignments. In that sense, the CIA plan could be a model for a government-wide overhaul of federal pay.

Although the CIA follows the General Schedule — the government's white-collar pay system — for most employees, national security law gives the agency the freedom to revamp its pay system. The overhaul effort began before the 9/11 attacks, but compensation issues have taken on new urgency as the CIA expands its fight against terrorism In designing a new pay framework, the CIA looked at the jobs and work inside the agency, grouped the work into occupational categories and, where possible, priced them against the private sector and other federal agencies. The CIA then made adjustments reflecting the unique demands it places on many of its employees.

The proposed system, which officials said should provide more clear career tracks, would rely on an annual employee evaluation to guide pay raises and bonuses. The plan also would allow the CIA to adjust pay for one or more occupations without adjusting it for all occupations.

Every CIA employee, including senior intelligence officers, would fall under the new system. No one would take a pay cut, but poor performers could no longer count on an annual pay raise, according to officials.

“We are saying to employees, if you are taking risks, working the hard issues, learning hard languages ... then this is a system that is better positioned to reward you and reward you significantly,'' John Brennan, the CIA's deputy executive director, said.

FDA may test blood for West Nile virus WASHINGTON (Washington Post) — Routine testing for the

presence of West Nile virus in donated blood may be in place by next summer, an official of the Food and Drug Administration told a Senate committee Tuesday.

It will take several years to fully evaluate and license a method for West Nile screening of blood, Jesse Goodman, deputy director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told the legislators. However, the current risk to the blood supply from West Nile virus is big enough that the agency might permit widespread use of the test on a voluntary or experimental basis during that period. Such an arrangement was permitted in the 1980s when the AIDS blood test was being developed.

Goodman said several companies are working on a West Nile test, which is likely to be a version of the one now used in research laboratories to detect viral genes in minute concentrations.

“What we are hearing from the companies and blood organizations is that they are hopeful this will be able to be done in time for the next transmission season,” he said at a hearing called jointly by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the Committee on Governmental Affairs.“I think an optimistic scenario would be to have this available for next summer, at least.”

Investigators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are now convinced the virus can be contracted through infected blood or organs.

The FDA couldn’t require blood centers to use a test that was unlicensed and under investigation, Jay Epstein, director of blood research and review at the FDA, said after the hearing. He said, however, that he thinks most would choose to do so, and that the agency would allow it.

More tests in people are scheduled for 2003 — a West Nile vaccine might be available in about three years.

Israel beseiges Arafat’s headquarters JERUSALEM (Washington Post) — Israeli troops kept up their siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Ramallah office building Tuesday, defying calls from the U.N. Security Council, the United States and Europe for a withdrawal.

Other Israeli soldiers pulled out of the Gaza Strip after staging a quick early-morning raid that killed nine Palestinians.

Israeli officials said they would not end the Ramallah siege until the Palestinians complied with the part of the U.N. resolution that calls on the Palestinian Authority to “bring to justice” people responsible for terrorist attacks against Israelis.

“The resolution calls on both parties to take certain steps,” said Dore Gold, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Another Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, was more blunt: “As long as they are not complying, why should we comply?”

The resolution passed the Security Council, after an extended debate, by a vote of 14 to 0, with the United States abstaining.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, explained the abstention by saying the resolution did not specifically condemn the radical groups Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Resistance Movement, also known as Hamas, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which have carried out suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks against Israelis.

Palestinians said they were heartened by the resolution, and by the unusual U.S. decision not to exercise its Security Council veto power to block language condemning Israel.

Arafat, in a statement issued from his besieged office building, said, “The Palestinian Authority is committed to the (Security Council) decision with all its items, and it calls on the international community to compel Israel to implement the withdrawal and end the siege.”

Hani al-Hassan–an Arafat aide and the highest-ranking official in the Ramallah office building from Arafat’s Fatah movement–called the U.S. abstention “a good indication.”

“The problem now is how to implement the statement,” he said.

In Rome, a Vatican statement said that Pope John Paul II was worried about Israel’s “grave attack” in Ramallah and that Sharon should “suspend such actions that compromise the already faint hopes of peace in the region.”

Chris Patten, the European Union’s commissioner

for external affairs, said: “I can’t imagine how anybody can think what is happening in Ramallah today can make peace more likely.”

Hassan said Israel’s response to the resolution early Tuesday was to resume some bulldozing on the grounds of Arafat’s compound, creating plumes of sand and dust that left a layer of dirt in the Palestinian leader’s office, which now has no working air conditioners.

An Israeli military spokesman later said the bulldozing work had stopped and described this as a gesture of restraint.

He also said that the curfew imposed by Israel in occupied West Bank towns was not being enforced in most places.

The nine fatalities in the Gaza raid included a 14year-old boy, and more than 20 people were injured in the attacks, which the Israeli Defense Force said targeted 13 weapons factories.

Funerals were held Tuesday for the nine, who Palestinians said included six civilians and three gunmen who fired on the advancing Israeli troops.

In the Gaza raids, the Israeli troops also demolished the home of a member of Hamas who Israel said was responsible for a shooting rampage at an Israeli settlement that killed five teen-agers.

Israel has conducted near-nightly incursions into the densely populated Gaza Strip, but Tuesday morning’s raid, with troops backed by helicopters and dozens of tanks, was by far the most intense, extending more than a half-mile into Gaza City and meeting more resistance than any previous raid.

The Palestinian death toll was the highest in Gaza since July 22, when an Israeli jet dropped a bomb on the home of Salah Shehada, the leader of Hamas’s underground military wing, killing him, a deputy and 14 others, including nine children, who were asleep in the house at the time.

Military analysts said that raid, which Sharon labeled a military success but which brought Israel widespread international condemnation, made Israeli troops more cautious about mounting operations in Gaza.

Hamas had its origins in the densely populated strip of refugee camps and urban neighborhoods.

Israeli officials and commentators said concern over civilian casualties is the reason why Israeli troops have not tried to apprehend the Hamas leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin.

Ukraine, Belarus deny selling weapons to Iraq MOSCOW (The Washington Post) – Ukraine and Belarus on Tuesday both denied providing weapons systems or sensitive technology to Iraq in violation of U.N. sanctions despite reports identifying them as key subterranean suppliers of President Saddam Hussein’s government.

The alleged sales to Baghdad could hurt both former Soviet republics in the West as President Bush prepares for a possible war with Iraq to oust Saddam.

The United States said Monday it had suspended $55 million in aid to Ukraine because of allegations it sold Iraq a sophisticated radar system that could target U.S. and British warplanes patrolling “no-fly” zones.

The growing confrontation between Washington and Kiev came at a politically volatile moment for Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma.

About 5,000 protesters returned to the streets of the capital Tuesday renewing their demand that he resign after an eight-year reign tainted, in their view, by corruption and economic tumult.

About 50 opposition members of parliament launched a hunger strike to increase pressure on him to step down.

Kuchma has responded defiantly, and state prosecutors on Tuesday opened an investigation of three opposition party leaders, Yulia Tymoshenko, Oleksander Moroz and Petro Symonenko, who burst into a television station Monday night with 200 supporters demanding air time to express their grievances with the government.

The television director yanked the evening news program off the air rather than let them speak, and the episode ended peacefully.

At a briefing in Kiev Tuesday on the alleged technology sales, Serhiy Borodenkov, the chief spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said that “there were not and could not be any such deliveries to Iraq,” adding, “Ukraine is strongly committed to its international obligations.”

Borodenkov attributed the allegations, first raised by a former presidential bodyguard, to political mischiefmakers.

“It is evident that someone is interested in aggravating relations between Ukraine and the United States,” he said.

Similarly, officials in Minsk disputed assertions that Belarus has helped Iraq reconstitute its anti-aircraft defenses and funneled dual-use materials and technology that could help Saddam develop weapons of mass destruction.

Much of Kuchma’s troubles stem from a former bodyguard, Mikola Melnichenko, who fled Ukraine two years ago with audiotapes implicating the president in various scandals.

The most prominent was a tape that seemed to indicate Kuchma was directing retaliation against a journalist whose decapitated body was later found outside Kiev.

Kuchma denied any involvement in the killing.

More recently, Melnichenko produced a tape in which a voice identified as Kuchma’s approved the $100 million sale of a Kolchuga radar system to Iraq in July 2000.

The Kolchuga is considered a particularly potent defense, capable of detecting approaching aircraft up to 480 miles away.

The U.S. government, in announcing the aid cutoff Tuesday, said it had authenticated the Iraq tape and had indications that Iraq does possess a Kolchuga system.

In an interview in Kiev last week, a Ukrainian lawmaker said a parliamentary investigation was unable to confirm the charge but said new regulations would be adopted soon to prevent any future renegade arms sales.

“It’s a very serious issue and right now we’re paying a lot of attention to it,” said Boris Andresyuk, deputy head of the parliament’s national security committee. “It does serious political damage to Ukraine.”

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002

FEC to ban ‘soft-money’ ads WASHINGTON (Washington Post) —

The Federal Election Commission’s general counsel proposed regulations Tuesday to enforce one of the most controversial provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill: the prohibition of ads that refer to federal candidates paid for with unregulated “soft money” 30 days before primaries and 60 days before general elections.

Proponents of the provision contend that it’s crucial to the effort to bar the use of phony “issue ads” that pretend to focus on legislation or other matters when their real goal is to elect or defeat candidates for the House, Senate or presidency.

Opponents counter that the law violates First Amendment free speech rights and illegally prevents legitimate use of radio and television to lobby public officials on crucial issues.

“There are no exceptions,” said FEC Chairman David Mason, describing the proposed ban on the use of large contributions from corporations, unions and rich people — ”soft money”

— to pay for radio and television ads during the 30- and 60-day windows before primary and general election that refer to a candidate by “name, nickname, photograph or drawing” or through such references as “the incumbent” or “your congressman.”

Mason said he expects the “electioneering” rule proposed

by FEC counsel Lawrence Norton to survive more intact than Norton’s previous set of regulations governing soft money, but amendments will be proposed when the FEC meets Thursday.

The proposed regulations would, in the case of presidential contests, create a virtual blackout on national radio and television soft-money ads mentioning presidential candidates from roughly early December of 2003, or 30 days before Iowa caucuses, to the last primary, which is likely to be held in June.

Local soft-money ads could be run as long as they don’t reach 50,000 or more subscribers in a state within the 30day pre-primary period.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

IHRI continued from page 1 gave me food.’”

She said she became aware of how isolated many foreigners feel, and so she opened her house to international students.

“She would feed them and take them wherever they needed to go. She loves that sort of thing,” Kriegenbergh said.

But after more than 1,000 foreigners came to her house, she set out to establish IHRI. Though she started the International House in a small, condemned building on Benefit Street procured through a deal with RISD, it has since moved to its current location.

Even at its larger size, IHRI remains almost entirely volunteer operated. “Everyone here is a volunteer except for three (staff members),” said Gilbert Mason, Billie Mason’s husband, “but you won’t find a higher caliber group of teachers.”

“Because they’re volunteers, the relationships extend far beyond the classroom” Billie Mason said.

“We’re all friends here.”

Fernando Shina, an Argentine

“Because they’re volunteers, the relationships extend far beyond the classroom. We’re all friends here.”

Billie Mason IHRI Founder Lawyer who teaches social studies in the Providence school system and is a resident of IHRI, echoes this sentiment. “The people are very supportive here,” he said.

“It’s really important when you come to a place to find somewhere really friendly … one of the best things that happened to me here was to find this place.”

The new multinational photography exhibit, which opens Oct. 27, encapsulates the IHRI’s spirit, Billie Mason said. It includes pictures of men, women and children from across the globe.

As Billie Mason says, the exhibit, like the house, illustrates, “that under the culture, we’re all one.”

OSL continued from page 5 to learn about leadership and work on solving social problems at Brown.

“In redefining both of the positions, we sought to have more attention paid to two areas: advising student organizations and enhancing leadership development opportunities,” Jablonski wrote in an e-mail.

Lo and McPartland bring experience and excitement to their positions, Jablonski added, and they are already making connections with students.

“They have been eager to learn about Brown and the culture of life outside the classroom,” Jablonski wrote. “They are making direct contacts with many student leaders to solicit their input into how we should shape these programs.”

Jean Joyce-Brady, director of student life, echoed Jablonski’s praises.

“It is very exciting to have more resources and talent to devote to student leadership, student activities and student conduct,” JoyceBrady told The Herald.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Students first For some strange reason, some people associated with Brown look at football like this is Ohio State University. Statistically not as strong as other schools in the arena, Brown clings to its athleticism, when it might do better to tout its idiosyncratic brand of academia. Last spring, the Council of Ivy League Presidents passed a measure mandating a seven-week “quiet period” for Ivy League athletics during which teams cannot hold practices or games and athletes and coaches cannot engage in conversation. The Council also decided this summer to reduce the number of football recruits from 35 to 30.

We agree that the often monolithic role sports play at Brown should be de-emphasized. The “quiet period” measure is a viable way to put Ivy League emphasis on the classroom where it belongs.

Athletes on Brown’s sports teams are not only mandated to endure practices to hone their skills, but are also often compelled to engage in voluntary, captain-led sessions throughout the year. The majority of students who play on our athletic teams are recruited to attend this school for such purpose, and thus it is no surprise they often feel a primary allegiance to the Bears over the books.

By setting this rule, Brown and the rest of the Ivy League are making it clear that athletics are simply one component of one’s undergraduate education. Athletics should not be a lone component of the college experience and athletes should not feel limited in their ability to pursue other interests. We hope that a mandated period of no practices and games is not necessary for student athletes to get involved in other activities. If an athlete wants to pursue another activity in addition to his academic work, he should not feel that because he was recruited to play a sport he can do nothing other than play that sport. This seven-week “quiet period” measure helps reinforce that often forgotten idea that athletics are equal to any other component of the undergraduate experience.

The resolution, however, is misguided in its mandate that student athletes and their coaches not engage in conversation for seven weeks. This overbearing restriction unnecessarily prevents studentathletes from speaking with their coaches and mentors, from whom they presumably draw leadership and guidance. It is not the business of Ivy League University presidents to tell their students and their coaches who they can and cannot talk to.

All Brown students’ primary focus in attending this institution should be on academics and obtaining a degree. The Council’s “quiet period” is one way to help ensure that our students athletes are students first.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Beth Farnstrom, Editor-in-Chief Seth Kerschner, Editor-in-Chief David Rivello, Editor-in-Chief Will Hurwitz, Executive Editor Sheryl Shapiro, Executive Editor Elena Lesley, News Editor Brian Baskin, Campus Watch Editor Carla Blumenkranz, Arts & Culture Editor Stephanie Harris, Academic Watch Editor Juliette Wallack, Metro Editor Victoria Harris, Opinions Editor

BUSINESS Stacey Doynow, General Manager Jamie Wolosky, Executive Manager Joe Laganas, Senior Accounts Manager Moon-Suk Oh, Marketing Manager David Zehngut, National Accounts Manager Lawrence Hester, University Accounts Manager Bill Louis, University Accounts Manager Hyebin Joo, Local Accounts Manager Jungdo Yu, Local Accounts Manager Tugba Erem, Local Accounts Manager Jack Carrere, Noncomm Accounts Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Genia Gould, Advertising Rep. Kate Sparaco, Office Manager

Sanders Kleinfeld, Opinions Editor PRODUCTION Marion Billings, Design Editor Bronwyn Bryant, Asst. Design Editor Julia Zuckerman, Copy Desk Chief

P O S T- M A G A Z I N E Kerry Miller, Editor-in-Chief Zach Frechette, Executive Editor Morgan Clendaniel, Film Editor Dan Poulson, Calendar Editor Alex Carnevale, Features Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, Music Editor

ANDY HULL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Israel must shield itself against terror To the Editor: The Sept. 11, 2001, suicide/homicide attacks were immoral because they couldn’t effectively promote their perpetrators' agenda, whereas Palestinian suicide/homicide attacks could be moral because they might alter the situation perhaps by forcing Israel’s hand (“‘911+1’ lecturer says Palestinian suicide bombings can be ‘morally rationalized,’” 9/23)? I thought the slaughter of innocents is immoral because it's murder, not because it’s ineffective.

Was the Holocaust immoral because Hitler lost?

Israel must reply to the horrific, constant terrorist attacks against it: it must protect its citizens and demonstrate that terrorism cannot win political victories. The common equivocation of preemptive Israeli actions against terrorists with terrorist atrocities themselves is idiotic, repulsive and antiSemitic. While pro-Palestinian, pan-Arab and Islamic extremists indiscriminately incinerate innocent civilians, Israel strikes back only at the terrorists. Unlike its assailants, Israel mourns, not celebrates, civilian casualties.

Jews have survived thousands of years of persecution — the Inquisition, the Crusades, pogroms and the Holocaust to name a few highlights. We will continue to survive, and to oppose the world's darkest forces as they strain to extinguish humanity's lights. To any so perverse as to excuse these suicide/homicide massacres, know that your hatred will never prevail. To quote Golda Meir, “Israel will not die so that the world will speak well of it.”

Joshua Samson Marcus ’04 Sept. 23

Honderich lecture rationalizes murder

Jonathan Skolnick, Copy Desk Chief Andrew Sheets, Graphics Editor Ellen Bak, Photography Editor Allie Silverman, Asst.Photography Editor Brett Cohen, Systems Manager

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To the Editor: It's time to start calling people like Professor Ted Honderich on their support of terror (“‘911+1’ lecturer says Palestinian suicide bombings can be ‘morally rationalized,’” 9/23). Targeting civilians is wrong not because it might not meet some political aim in the long run but because it is murder. This summer I attended the funeral of a friend's girl-

friend — in fact, they were about to announce their engagement. She was murdered in the terrorist bombing at Hebrew University. Her “crime” was studying in Israel. Her death cannot be justified or condemned in utilitarian terms: she was murdered by people who believe that targeting university students is a good way to make their point. It is incomprensible that a university professor would seek to rationalize murders like hers and grotesque that Brown would bring him to campus.

Bill Dilworth GS Sept. 24

Honderich’s defense of terrorism illogical To the Editor: I am thoroughly disgusted and appalled by the comments made by Professor Honderich at Friday’s concluding lecture of the “911+1” program. I hope that this University is as ashamed of itself as I am for having paid good money to bring this speaker to campus. Honderich claimed that the Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel can be morally rationalized in part because “Palestinians have bad lives,” and are therefore driven to such drastic measures.

Such illogic is despicable. There is nothing, no action, event, or cause that will ever make it right, okay or understandable for a human being to walk into a crowd of innocent, unwitting people and destroy their lives. Such an action does not constitute resistance, or even combat. It is cold-blooded murder.

That the Palestinians are living in terrible conditions is truly lamentable. Let us all hope that both sides in this conflict can soon reach a peaceful resolution.

However, for Honderich to suggest that these murders might be justified as direct results of the conditions in which the Palestinians live is totally unreasonable.

Any person has a moral responsibility to do what is right, independent of his individual circumstances. That a man should be living in a refugee camp does not make it any more morally right for him to blow up innocent men, women and children.

Honderich’s reasoning repulses me. I hope this campus is quick to see through his faulty moral judgments and is secure enough in its bearings to walk comfortably on the high road.

Raffi Bilek ’03 Sept. 24

CO M M E N TA RY P O L I C Y The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns and letters reflect the opinions of their authors only.

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OPINIONS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 11

TWTP helps students rediscover ethnic heritage While many students may benefit from programs like TWTP, it serves its primary purpose for participants FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT SHOULD BE feeling we belonged in this country to facing noted that I am currently labeled as an Asian unfair racial stereotypes and bias.

Schulman may be under the impression American; both of my parents are first generation immigrants from South Korea. This is that whites and Asian Americans are similar important to mention because it seems thata because historically Asian Americans have recurring theme in Alex Schulman’s ’03 col- been quite willing to relinquish their connections to their ethnic heritage umn, “A critical look at TWTP: a and assimilate into white sociebuilding with no foundation,” JUHYUNG ty for this notion of “success” he (9/23) is the comparison of Asian HAROLD LEE discusses. It is not uncommon Americans to other ethnicities.

GUEST COLUMN to hear of first generation Asian Schulman asks “what commonAmericans refusing to teach ality does the average Asian American student have with blacks that he their children their native tongue because doesn’t have with whites” other than “relative they don’t want them to experience the same pigmentation?” Does continually facing dis- racially-based obstacles that they did. I know crimination due to outward appearance and these sentiments first-hand, because, as one ethnic background count as a commonality? of my former high school peers affectionateThis is a commonality also shared by Latinos, ly told me, I was the “whitest Asian kid he Arab Americans and Native Americans, but knew.” I attempted to distance myself from not by Caucasians. Let me assure Schulman my ethnic roots because I was sick of being that “chink” or “chinaman” hurts just as much treated differently and feeling like I was unlike my white peers; most of all, I just as “nigger” or “spic” or “terrorist.”

During TWTP, we participated in an exer- wanted to be accepted. My “anti-ethnic” cise that had us “split up” into our respective actions went so far as to breed a sense of hosethnicities, list some common misconcep- tility between my parents and me; they reptions about our cultures and what we wanted resented the side of me that I was trying my other people to know about them. Although hardest to run away from. TWTP gave me the we all laid claim to different ethnic back- strength to realize that my ethnicity is nothgrounds, our experiences as minorities in the ing to be ashamed of.

Minorities have no reason to feel mortiUnited States were all remarkably similar, each characterized by a trend of white fied or guilty that we need TWTP to rediscovoppression (whether overt or subtle). These er and find pride in our ethnic heritage. I realexperiences ranged from never completely ize now that I should never have altered my behavior in order to avoid racism. Of course, Juhyung Harold Lee ’06 is from Kingston, R.I. since Schulman claims to share so many

commonalities with me and people of my ethnic background, he can obviously relate.

Just because Schulman personally knows “very few Asian, South Asian, blacks or Latino families that believe they have been treated anything but fairly by the U.S. system” does not mean that this small populace represents the entire minority population. As much as I would love to adopt such an optimistic view of the status of race in this country, my historical knowledge of Jim Crow laws, Japanese internment camps and racial profiling (just to name a few) prevents me from doing so. A disproportionate number of minorities continue to reside in neglected housing projects and areas where violence and drug abuse are mainstays of the community — or even worse, state and federal penitentiaries. Such a living environment represents a vicious cycle that has been proven to be incredibly difficult to escape, even for the hardest working and most moral individuals. I encourage Schulman to study the inner workings and politics that govern a housing project and then tell me in confidence that “very few of (these people believe they have been) treated anything but fairly.”

Schulman writes that “the story of most immigrant populations is one of incredible success.” This statement is not only false and baseless but also completely disregards the incredible hardship that immigrants must face in order to achieve this ideal of “success.”

One cannot dispute the fact that, all other things being equal, an Asian American man

faces more obstacles living in the United States than a Caucasian man does.

We live in a racist society. Ideally, I would like to be treated as a human being first, and an Asian American second. However, as Schulman so eloquently put it, “intellectual honesty requires a look at broad, and often bleak, truths.” For many minorities, success can never be achieved on the same level as whites; minorities will never be completely accepted into the society in which we live. I am and will continue to be discriminated against due to my outward appearance.

The main function of TWTP is not to rid the world of racism. Instead, it serves its primary purpose of helping participants to embrace their ethnicities, rather than to reject them in the name of progress. As the TWTP Web site clearly states and Schulman quotes, “(TWTP) facilitates an exploration and (re)discovery of our uniqueness.” TWTP breeds a sense of awareness of one’s own ethnicity and the racial issues that plague our country. Thanks to TWTP, never again will I forget where my ethnic heritage lies.

TWTP is not perfect. And beyond that, are there other groups of people on campus that might benefit from a program similar to TWTP but geared towards their own needs and experiences? Of course, but that’s not the issue here. The question is: does TWTP, when all is said and done, do more good than bad for its participants and the Brown community? The answer is overwhelmingly and emphatically, yes.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 · PAGE 12

Ballpark brawls draw attention from sports events ON THE FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER school started this semester (September 6th), I was giddily watching the Red Sox play at Fenway when I suddenly heard screaming and tussling behind me. The sounds, a mixture of angry shouts and fearful gasps, intensified and spread quickly through the crowd, and pretty soon, everyone along the right field line had forgotten about the baseball game still being played.

A fight had broken out in the stands.

LUKE MEIER By the time BOLTS AND NUTS security ran their way up the aisle to step in, an entire section of the stadium had risen from its seats and turned its backs on the field to try and observe the fracas.

Within a minute, the ruffians had been fingered by surrounding fans and were escorted out, separately, from the stands.

Both hooligans, curiously, had mustard stains covering the backs of their shirts.

Not having seen the details of the fight myself I can only leave the cause to speculation. The younger and smaller of the two men involved in the fight was accompanied by a girlfriend who, when reached for, rebuffed his attempt to hold hands. He was getting little support for his behavior.

Gradually, the fans all turned back to the field and sat down, and soon the chilling, pulse-quickening atmosphere that accompanies a fight had all but vanished from the crowd. We remembered the game, the Sox remembered how to score runs and a pleasant 7-2 victory over the Blue Jays filled the rest of the night.

Though the brawl in the stands of Fenway seemed a minor incident at the time, it is part of what has become a frightening trend in professional sports lately— fans in fights. For those who didn’t attend public school, we’re not talking about the time Winston stole Caldwell’s blazer and a shoving match ensued; these incidents involve punches, kicks to the head, knives and pepper spray.

The first of two recent high-profile episodes took place during the fourth quarter of a Monday Night Football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. With just under seven minutes left to play, an altercation took place in the seats directly behind the Philadelphia bench. The brawl was so vicious that the arriving policemen employed pepper spray to breakup what he described as “a fan being kicked to the ground by other fans.” The ugly event may have gone unnoticed by the television audience if not for some nearby cooling fans on the Philadelphia sideline which blew the spray into the midst of the Eagles players, causing several to run gasping onto the playing field and interrupting the game for more than eight minutes.

“Whenever you see your teammates coming out on the field and pretty much grabbing their throats or covering their nose, it’s a pretty tough situation,” said quarterback Donovan McNabb. It’s tough indeed, and a bit strange to say the least.

If that incident were not bizarre enough, last week, in a wild series of events discussed yesterday by Herald see MEIER, page 6

Sunshine State scorches W. volleyball

BY LILY RAYMAN-READ

This past weekend the Brown women’s volleyball team traveled to Florida State University in Tallahassee to participate in the Florida State Tournament. The team faced three difficult opponents in its second tournament of the year.

In the first match on Friday Brown faced Louisiana State University. Bruno fell 3-0 in the match, going 30-19, 30-19 and 30-25 for each of the three games. In Friday’s second round, Brown faced Louisiana-Lafayette University and lost the round in three games, with scores of 30-17, 30-19 and 32-30. In the third and final round of the tournament on Saturday, Brown played the host team, Florida State, and took its third loss of the tournament in three games, with the scores 30-25, 30-25 and 30-19.

Despite a disappointing weekend for the team, individual members of the Bears did very well. Ceneca Calvert ’03 was named to the all-tournament team and helped the Bears defensively with 25 digs throughout the tournament, as well as over half a dozen kills and an ace.

Also impressive was Karalyn Kuchenbecker ’06, who recorded over 15 kills in the tournament, as well as seven digs and saw a lot of playing time for a first-year.

Contributing to the offense were Ashley Trine ’06 and Jessica Cooper ’03, who each made a number of kills during the three games. Cooper currently has a hitting percentage of .246, has led the team in blocks and is ranked fifth on Brown’s all-time leading kills list.

Also helping to win some points was Leigh Martin ’06, who served up two aces for the Bears in the match against Louisiana-Lafayette. Elvina Kung ’05, and captains Aneal Helms ‘03 and Angela Dunn ’03 rounded out the defense for Brown, each putting in an impressive number of digs.

Many players, returning and new, stepped up to the plate to put out some impressive statistics this weekend despite the losses. There is still, however,

dspics.com

The women’s volleyball team was in action Tuesday night against Northeastern University. no starting lineup as coach Diane Short has yet to decide who will be the first six.

The lineup should be ready in early October, before the beginning of the Ivy League matches.

While the weekend was somewhat of a disappointment for the Bears, they had

their first home match last night against Northeastern University. They hope for a continuing improvement of the team as a whole.

Lily Rayman-Read ’06 is a contributing writer and covers the volleyball team.

M. tennis wins four but falls to Harvard

BY BENJAMIN WISEMAN

In its first tournament of the year, the Brown men’s tennis team defeated four top-caliber schools, and came away with its only loss to Harvard University.

Friday featured a doubles format wherein Brown dominated over its Big Ten opponents.

The team swept Wisconsin University 30, led by the number one doubles team Jamie Cerretani ’04 and Zack Pasanen ’06.

Adil Shamasdin ’05 and Nick Goldberg ’05 won at the second seed and captain Chris Drake ’03 and Benjamin Brier ’04 came through with a close 9-8 victory to record the sweep.

Against athletic powerhouse Michigan University, Brown took two of three games. Cerretani and Pasanen won 9-8 and were followed by an 8-6 victory from Shamasdin and Goldberg. Drake and Brier lost in another close match 9-8 at the third seed.

On Saturday, the team continued its winning streak in singles. Bruno defeated Ball State University and William and Mary College both by scores of 5-1. Nick Goldberg played at the number two seed and stepped up with two big victories.

Pasanen, who competed in his first tour-

“We got some tough play this weekend, but we would like to peak at the ECAC’s. We want to get to the nationals, that’s been our goal all along this fall.”

Chris Drake ’03 Men’s Tennis Captain nament as a Brown Bear, had a stellar weekend, winning two out of three singles matches at the number four seed as well as both his doubles matches with Cerretani as the number one seed.

On Sunday, the team faced league rival Harvard in singles play. The team did not fare well, dropping four of its five matches.

The loss to Harvard was a small damper on what otherwise was a very successful weekend.

“We got off to a good start this weekend with some really big wins,” said Drake. “It

really helped us get ready for the coming weeks.”

Brown’s complete control over Michigan and Wisconsin will help the team achieve its goal of national recognition. “We are doing what we need to put ourselves on the map,” said Brier. “I think we made a big statement out here today, helping out ourselves and the eastern region.”

The next two weeks are important for the team. This weekend the Bears travel to Harvard for a rematch that will be their last preparation for the ECAC Championship, held at the USTA Tennis Center in Flushing, New York the following weekend. Brown won the ECAC last year, and would like to do the same this year. The winner of the ECAC tournament moves on to the National Indoor Championships.

“We got some tough play this weekend, but we would like to peak at the ECACs,” said Drake. “We want to get to the nationals, that’s been our goal all along this fall.”

Sports staff writer Benjamin Wiseman ’05 covers the men’s tennis team and can be reached at bwiseman@browndailyherald.com.