F R I D A Y SEPTEMBER 27, 2002
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 80
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
University asks two grad school deans for resignations BY BRIAN BASKIN
based on all forms of repression.” One student, who was not eligible to participate in TWTP, said he understood why he could not participate in the program. “I felt excluded … but at the same time I know my presence as a white person there would change the nature of discussion. Once you introduce white people it’s not going to
The University has asked two associate deans in the Graduate School to resign three weeks after the appointment of two new senior deans to head the University’s Graduate School and research programs, The Herald learned Thursday. In a meeting last Friday, Provost Robert Zimmer asked Associate Dean of the Graduate School Joan Lusk to resign effective Jan. 1. Associate Dean of Research Tom Wunderlich was also asked to resign last week, Lusk said. “Both of them have been central members of the Graduate School administration,” said Laura Freid, executive vice president for public affairs and University relations. “It’s understandable that there would be a change.” Lusk said Zimmer requested her resignation because incoming Dean of the Graduate School Karen Newman wanted to work with her own team. Zimmer and Newman were not available for comment. “I was surprised and disappointed,” Lusk said. “There’s really no precedent at the level of associate deans.” Peder Estrup, who will step-down as dean of the graduate school and research on Oct. 1, said that while both Lusk and Wunderlich report to him directly, he was not involved in any discussions about their future and was unaware of any resignations. “I don’t have anyone who has given more than (Lusk) has over a number of years,” he said. “I think that she has earned the respect and affection of every academic department and every graduate student with whom she has dealt,” he said. Lusk said she had hoped to address several student concerns with Newman, including evening out teaching assistants’ workloads, providing better financial support for graduate student summer studies and improving the student mentoring program. “I expected to be planning for the future with the new dean,” she said. With Estrup, Lusk and Wunderlich gone, the number of
see TWTP, page 4
see GRAD SCHOOL, page 4
Seth Kerschner / Herald
CAMPAIGN STOP Green Party Mayoral hopeful Greg Gerrit spoke to a crowd of mostly first-year students in Emory-Woolley Lounge Thursday night. Gerrit was on hand to attend a faculty fellow study break about Providence politics.
Students demystify, debate TWTP’s merits BY BRIAN BASKIN
Students and community members learned about Brown’s Third World Transition Program and debated the program’s merits and alleged inclusiveness at Thursday night’s “Demystifying TWTP” panel. The panel’s intended goal of educating people about TWTP was realized in the debate said Eldridge Gilbert ’05, who helped organize the panel of TWTP organizers that met before a packed Salomon 001. Questions from audience members criticized TWTP’s exclusion of non-minority gays and Jews who might also have felt discrimination, and sparked a running debate between audience members largely unbroken by responses from the panel. Panelist and Associate Dean of the College Armando Bengochea said in response that TWTP was intended for those groups dramatically underrepresented for the vast majority of Brown’s history — groups not invited to be part of the Brown community until relatively recently. A student who said she was of Persian ancestry told her own story. She said she understood both past generations’ discrimination against her grandparents and the racism directed at her by classmates at all white schools. But since she checked the “other” box for race on her application, she was not invited to TWTP. “I came here to escape the racism I’ve dealt with my entire life, and here I’m facing it,” she said. The exclusion of eligible students from TWTP was more a question of logistics than the program’s philosophy said TWTP organizer Ayanna Peake ’03. The program relies on lists of students who designate themselves as being part of specific minority groups it receives from the Admission Office, she told the audience. As to the larger question of including students of all races in the program, the consensus among speakers was that it would inevitably diminish some of the beneficial aspects of TWTP. “Groups are invited because they had a particular experience — particular because it’s race based,” Bengochea said. “It isn’t entirely clear to me. TWTP is
With fifty percent voting, Class of 2006 elects Undergrad Council reps BY JONATHAN ELLIS
Nick Mark / Herald
A light rain failed to dampen the spirits of the five firstyears who learned of their election to the Undergraduate Council of Students early this morning. Standing on the front steps of Faunce House shortly after midnight, UCS officials announced that Charley Cummings ’06, Sonia Gupta ’06, Anthony Halperin ’06, Ari Savitzky ’06 and Tanya Sehgal ’06 will represent their class this year. Half the members of the first-year class cast their votes to choose among 12 candidates. In last spring’s election, 42 percent of the student body participated. The victorious first-years will report to work at UCS’ next meeting on Monday night. “I’m pretty happy,” Sehgal said. She said she researched upcoming UCS initiatives for her campaign and hopes to work with admission, improve meal plan and “do whatever (she) can” to prevent the arming of Brown Police. Savitzky, a Providence native, ran on a platform of enhancing Brown’s relations with the local community, including improvements in public education, public
Mumal Hemrajani ’03 was among the students answering questions about TWTP at an open forum Thursday night.
I N S I D E F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 0 2 Interior designer Sheila Bridges ’86 earns national acclaim, decks celebrity digs page 3
Two seniors join Opera Providence for performance of ‘Cinderella’ page 3
New student group plans to lobby for a ‘sensible drug policy’ in the United States page 5
see UCS, page 4
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Adam Stern ’06 says a tri-honk alert system would solve the problem of road rage column,page 11
Football revs up for big weekend Homecoming matchup against Harvard Crimson sports,page 12
rain high 68 low 61