Friday, October 3, 2003 by The Brown Daily Herald

F R I D A Y OCTOBER 3, 2003

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVIII, No. 85

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

www.browndailyherald.com

UCS working to bring back Ratty newspapers

Brown in first phase of capital campaign drive

BY ELISE BARAN

BY CARLA BLUMENKRANZ

Early rising first-years do not know what they have been missing. Last year, The New York Times and the Providence Journal greeted students who shuffled into the Ratty for a morning meal. But this year, “All the News That’s Fit to Print” has not found its way into campus dining halls. The Newspaper Readership Program, run by USA Today, gave Brown the idea to put newspapers in dining halls. USA Today ran a three-week trial last year where they distributed their paper, the Times and the Providence Journal. This influx of information received an overwhelmingly positive response. After the trial, USA Today tried to sell a subscription for these papers to the Undergraduate Council of Students. UCS discussed the idea and found that it would be cheaper to create a program through Brown Student Agencies. Timothy Bentley ’04, communications coordinator for UCS and a class representative, helped lobby the offices of Residential Life and Student Life for funding last year. UCS secured funding from the two offices and the Undergraduate Finance Board for a pilot year. Although the program was well received, it did not receive renewed support from the UFB. UCS is now working to bring the program back permanently, Bentley said. Student government representatives are working with the Office of Student Life and Office of Campus Life and Student Services, as well as the UFB, to help fund the project, said Ari Savitzky ’06, UFS chair of the Campus Life Committee. It will cost $4,000 per semester to have one New York Times and one Providence Journal on each table in each dining hall, Savitzky said. The two administrative offices involved have offered half the money needed for the semester. If the UFB provides the rest of the funding, newspapers should be back in dining halls in two weeks, he said.

and World Bank for bringing his country out of financial crisis within a year of becoming prime minister in 2001, said Cape Verde — a 10-island nation off the western coast of Africa — is an example for other African countries in shaping a democratic government. Neves, who gave his speech in Portuguese, spoke through a translator. Africa “has no other choice but to become an active participant in the global marketplace,” Neves said. “Globalization has intensified at the end of the 20th century. It is an undeniable phenomenon of our time,” Neves said. Neves explained the recent switch in style of leadership in African governments over the last few years. Prior to the new millennium, “we witnessed the emergence of dictators who clung to power for years with iron fists, repressing liberty, hopes and the energy of their people,” he said. After the turn of the 21st century, there began a “new enthusiasm among African leaders that is being translated into action in multiple ways,” Neves added. He gave examples of bloody conflicts throughout Africa — including Somalia, Liberia and Congo — that have proven that countries cannot rely

The University is currently in the quiet phase of its long-anticipated capital campaign, with the official launch of the campaign forthcoming, according to Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie Huidekoper. The campaign’s goal will be in the “billion dollar range,” President Ruth Simmons told The Herald in November 2002. “We’re in what we call the ‘quiet phase’ now,” Huidekoper told The Herald on Thursday. Up until this point, members of the administration had been hesitant to acknowledge the start of the capital campaign. During the quiet phase of a capital campaign, an organization typically solicits advance gifts from major donors, in preparation for a public announcement and more general call for donations. The University has been laying the groundwork for a major campaign since she arrived at Brown. In April 2002 Brown hired Ronald Vanden Dorpel as vice president for university advancement, who oversees the coordination of the campaign. Previously, Vanden Dorpel had organized a campaign at Northwestern University that yielded $1.4 billion. When the campaign officially begins, it will follow a year of growth for Brown’s endowment, with total returns of $86.1 million at a rate of growth of 6.5 percent. The endowment now stands at $1.46 billion, up from last year’s $1.4 billion, Huidekoper said. This growth bodes well for the capital campaign, as strong returns tend to encourage larger gifts, she said. And major gifts to the endowment are crucial to fulfilling the campaign’s goals, as well as those of the Initiatives for Academic Enrichment the campaign is intended to fund. Although the endowment performed well this year, Brown is “under-endowed as an institution, relative to our peers,” Huidekoper said. This year, Harvard’s endowment earned 12.5 percent on its investments, climbing to $19.3 billion, according to the Harvard Crimson. Yale’s endowment had strong returns as well, rising to $11 billion, with an 8.8 percent return, the Yale Daily News reported. But these schools were the exceptions this year. Among universities with the 50 largest endowments — including Brown — the average total return was 3.6 percent. And Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, among other schools, saw lower returns than Brown. Huidekoper attributed the endowment’s relatively successful returns to a recently diversified asset allocation model, developed by Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Cynthia Frost. Under the model, 37 percent of the endowment is invested in public equities and 34 percent in hedge funds, Frost said. Each of these asset categories is invested

see CAPE VERDE, page 4

see CAMPAIGN, page 7

Alex Palmer / Herald

VIVA CABO VERDE: Prime Minister of Cape Verde Jose Maria Neves said Africa "has no other choice but to become an active participant in the global marketplace."

African leaders must love continent, Neves says BY GREG MAZUREK

To be successful, African leaders must have a love for the continent and confidence from their people. By this definition, outlined in his Thursday night speech to over 200 Brown and Providence community members, Prime Minister of Cape Verde Jose Maria Neves has both. Neves, who earned commendations from the International Monetary Fund

see TIMES, page 8

Community wellness initiative will bring body awareness to campus BY JOANNE PARK

For students who get lost in the stress of college life, there may be a weekly solution. The Community Wellness Initiative — a program that brings body awareness to campus — kicked off Thursday night at the new T.F. Green dance studio. The program was constructed by Brown students and the Health Education office, said Sasha Rubel ’06, a student organizer. Students at the event meditated and participated in improvisational dance. “One of the big values in meditation is being able to be in the present moment,” said Jeff Birdsall, who led the

meditation exercises. “At a place like Brown, it is pretty easy to get lost in the activities and to lose our grasp of the present moment,” said Birdsall, who has worked for the Office of Student Life and has taught summer studies courses at Brown. The meditation exercises began with a 20-minute session in which participants, ranging from beginners to intermediates, sat in a circle. Prior to the session, Birdsall recited the words of Thich Naht Hanh, in which the Buddhist monk calls for people to take security in the present see WELLNESS, page 4

I N S I D E F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 3 , 2 0 0 3 Director of “O” Tim Blake Nelson ’86 discusses his path through Hollywood arts & culture,page 3

Columbia sophomore says Brown, as his university’s new rival, is vastly inferior column,page 11

Start of Iranian democracy teaches lessons in policy, says Arta Khakpour ’05 column, page 11

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Understaffed w. cross country takes fifth at last week’s Iona Championship sports, page 12

M. ruggers defeat BU Terriers 41-14 in league opener, scoring quickly in the first half sports, page 12

sunny high 60 low 45

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 · PAGE 2 Coup de Grace Grace Farris

W E AT H E R FRIDAY

SATURDAY

High 60 Low 45 sunny

SUNDAY

High 68 Low 52 showers

MONDAY

High 65 Low 42 cloudy

High 59 Low 38 cloudy GRAPHICS BY TED WU

Three Words Eddie Ahn

MENU THE RATTY

V-DUB

LUNCH — Vegetarian Vegetable Soup, Lobster Bisque, Chicken Fingers, Braised Beef Tips, Noodle Kugel, String Beans LaBelle, Raspberry Squares, Death by Chocolate, Cherry Pie

LUNCH — Vegetarian Caribbean Black Bean Soup, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Popcorn Chicken, Vegan Vermicelli with Garlic Sauce, Sugar Snap Peas, Raspberry Squares

DINNER — Vegetarian Vegetable Soup, Lobster Bisque, Tex-Mex Lasagna, Filet of Sole with Spinach Stuffing, Shoepeg Corn Casserole, Garlic and Butter Infused Rice, Zucchini and Summer Squash, Lima Beans, Garlic Bread, Raspberry Squares, Death by Chocolate, Cherry Pie

DINNER — Vegetarian Caribbean Black Bean Soup, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Talapia Provencal, Corn Souffle, Mushroom Rissotto, Zucchini, Carrot & Garlic Medley, Asparagus Cuts with Lemon, Garlic Bread, Death by Chocolate

Greg and Todd’s Awesome Comic Greg Shilling and Todd Goldstein

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 AL East team, on scoreboards 4 Fiddle site 11 Can opener 14 Excuse, at times 15 Yerevan is its capital 16 Out of work, maybe 17 Tailor’s profession? 19 Match decision 20 Dairy product 21 Ad __ 22 King of comedy 23 Placed, as a bet 24 Forty-niner’s profession? 26 One way to stop 29 “Frasier” dog 30 Letter from Pericles 31 Nothing better than 33 Loss leader? 34 Genealogist’s profession? 38 Basic housing 39 Corp. agents 40 Long division? 43 Like some bread 46 Embarrassed 48 Art hanger’s profession? 52 Large land mass 53 Guitarist Lofgren 54 Bank offering 55 Separates meaningfully 57 Hard wood 58 Broker’s profession? 61 Big bang letters 62 Prepare for a sale, say 63 Nitty-gritty 64 Want ad abbr. 65 Turnpike toll, e.g. 66 Some MIT grads DOWN 1 RN’s skill

2 Service station supply 3 Decree anew 4 “Very funny” 5 City near the Provo River 6 German resort 7 Indian city of 13 million 8 Kitchen bulb? 9 Draw back 10 Angus’s refusal 11 Like some peers 12 Ammonium hydroxide, e.g. 13 Monroe, for one 18 Got the ball off the ground, maybe 22 Quinn of “Michael Collins” 23 Clean (up) 24 Sable automaker, briefly 25 Talisman 27 Not susceptible 28 Get together 32 Attention 33 Peak area 35 Attention getters 1

36 News source 37 Lapidary’s item 41 Put out again 42 Boise’s county 43 Worth considering 44 French satellite launcher 45 Have a word with 47 Modern Maturity publisher: Abbr.

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My Best Effort Andy Hull and William Newman

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CAMPUS NEWS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 · PAGE 3

Private school students feel edge when applying

BROWN IN HOLLYWOOD: an occasional series

Blake Nelson ’86 talks with Herald about success BY WALTER DRIVER

Apparently, Tim Blake Nelson ’86 wasn’t listening when his parents told him that he could be anything he wanted when he grew up. It seems Nelson thought they said any five things. As a critically acclaimed actor, director, producer, playwright and screenwriter, Nelson’s career is a case study in transcending professional boundaries. Driven by his unwillingness to compromise his personal freedom or artistic vision, Nelson has demonstrated an astonishing range of talent and an unflinching willingness to take risks en route to establishing himself as one of the most versatile men in the entertainment industry. Perhaps most familiar to film audiences for his role as the uproariously slow-witted Delmar in Joel and Ethan Coen’s Oscar-nominated comedy, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” Nelson’s screen credits include roles in such diverse films as “Minority Report,” “The Good Girl,” “Holes,” “Donnie Brasco,” “Cherish” and “The see NELSON, page 8

BY MICHAEL RUDERMAN

Kavita Mishra / Herald

SHUCK-OFF:The Campus Life staff was one of over 10 teams in Thursday’s corn-shucking contest on Wriston Quad, an event sponsored by Brown University Dining Services to support local farmers. Students who visited the Ratty Thursday night ate corn shucked by the teams of 10 students or staff members.The winning team was the fastest to peel 50 corn ears.

As tens of thousands of high school seniors visit the Brown Office of Undergraduate Admission this fall, some prospective applicants might think they have the inside track. Students from some private schools where a significant number of students choose Brown each year believe they have a statistical advantage on their side. Milton Academy in Milton, Mass. is one private school that consistently sends several students to Brown. In the Class of 2006, there are 22 Milton graduates, and in the Class of 2007, 10. Few students admitted from Milton go elsewhere, said Rod Skinner, director of college counseling at Milton. “Milton kids tend to match the Brown profile very well, in terms of the culture at Milton and the culture at Brown,” Skinner said. Milton is a “pretty liberal, free-thinking community,” he said. But Director of Admission Michael Goldberger said it is the student, not see PRIVATE, page 4

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003

Cape Verde continued from page 1 solely on their leaders. “I strongly believe that democracy is a crucial factor for development,” Neves said. Yet, he said, democracy can only work when the system is capable of producing results, like engaging citizens and improving the country’s welfare. Globalization also demonstrates “the need to invest in our people and build their capacity,” Neves said. Starting a solid economy in Cape Verde depends on investing in the people of the country, he added. “We were the first country in Africa to initiate a democratic transition process back in 1990,” Neves said of Cape Verde, which gained independence from Portugal in 1975 but held its first free presidential elec-

Globalization also demonstrates “the need to invest in our people and build their capacity,” Neves said. tions in 1991. He said he believes African leaders have the ability to transition countries to democracies. “Cape Verde is following its own path in its effort to gradually build a country that is modern, competitive, socially balanced and respectful of the environment. This is our national goal,” Neves said. Fielding a question about what citizens could do to better help Cape Verde, Neves said Cape Verdeans in the United

States should be active citizens and that all citizens should continue to support Cape Verde. Neves also said the overwhelming AIDS epidemic can be better solved through increased attention from overseas. Institutions like Brown can help through research, he added. Neves said a challenge for the country is its many dialects, which will take a lot of time and effort to integrate. The country has set up several programs to unify the language, he said. Since its formation in 1965, the Ogden Lecture Series has hosted over 60 U.S. and foreign heads of state, diplomats and observers of the international scene. Former President of the Soviet Union Mikhael Gorbachev and former President of Brazil and Professor of Political Science Fernando Henrique Cardoso spoke earlier this year as part of the lecture series.

Wellness continued from page 1 moment. There is no one way to learn meditation and following someone else’s regimen is not the best course of action, Birdsall said. A popular method includes mantras and visualization, which allow the practitioner to focus solely on his or her thoughts in the present moment, he said. Birdsall said the ultimate goal of meditation is to integrate it into everyday life. “The problem with meditation is if you’re only present in the moment when you’re sitting on a cushion, whereas you’re stressed and crazy all throughout the day,” he said, “then you’re really not integrating meditation into your life.” After the simple meditation exercises, participants and organizers engaged in improvisational dancing, with the electric guitar, drums and piano playing in the background. Visitors crowded the walls of the new dance studio, watching the dancers. “(The Community Wellness Initiative) is really for Brown students by Brown students,” Rubel

Private continued from page 3 the school, that makes a good match. “Everything is about the kids,” he said. “The focus is on each individual applicant.” “There are some schools where we tend to know the college counselors better,” he said, but he rejected the notion that his office favors certain schools. Because Brown seeks students with breadth and depth in their curriculum, “kids who go to private schools are generally going to be better prepared. They tend to write better,” he said. “College guidance is so much better at a private school than at a public high school,” Goldberger said. Students at elite private schools already constitute a select pool. There is often a rigorous application process for acceptance that includes standardized testing, an interview and teacher recommendations. A few schools, like Milton, have philosophies that make their students flock to Brown. At the Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, New York, students are given a lot of academic freedom, do not receive grades and are “very artsy,” said Ari Glatman Zaretsky ’07. “I think if you like St. Ann’s, then a lot of the things you like about St. Ann’s will make you like Brown,” she said. Out of her graduating class of 74 students, ten were accepted to Brown and nine enrolled. Harvard University and Yale University accepted three students each, she said. At the Paideia School in Atlanta, Georgia, students generally apply to Brown more than to any other Ivy League school, said John Stubbs, director of college counseling. Four students were admitted from Paideia last year.

said. “I think there’s a tendency for people to not properly acknowledge their bodies in an intellectual capacity,” Rubel said. Although similar organizations had been founded in the past, they were usually sponsored solely by Health Education, and were limited to two events per semester, Rubel said. Now with the assistance of Alyson Fox, a health educator from Health Services, the Community Wellness Initiative will attempt to aid students in realizing that there is no split between the mind and body, Rubel said. The group plans to hold events every Thursday night, in which various stress-relieving activities such as yoga, massage workshops, tai chi and leadership lessons will be offered to students. According to the Community Wellness Initiative Web site, the movement’s purpose is to provide new methods of coping with stress. Students of all skill levels and those from all spiritual and physical backgrounds are welcome to attend, Fox and Rubel said. Herald senior staff writer Joanne Park ’06 can be reached at jpark@browndailyherald.com.

“Brown is a very good match with many of our kids” because Paideia is “on the liberal and progressive end of the spectrum,” Stubbs said. Concord Academy in Concord, Mass., sent six students to Brown last year. Concord only sent two students the year before, in what was “a strange year for us,” according to Allison Tomlin, an assistant in Concord’s college counseling office. Some private schools consistently send upwards of ten students to Brown and Brown’s peer schools. One of these feeder schools, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., sent 14 students to Brown for the Class of 2007 out of some 70 that applied. “These schools tend to provide more applicants, and not just better students,” Goldberger said. “But if we see 50 or 75 applicants from a school, we’re not going to penalize a student from that school.” At all of the schools, public and private, that consistently send seniors to Brown, the Brown admission officers and the schools’ college counselors develop personal relationships. Many high schools, public and private, have the same Brown admission officer who visits the school and reads students’ files year after year. Jill Caskey, the director of the Brown Alumni College Advising Program, used to be a college counselor at Paideia. She still maintains relations with Paideia and helps provide current Paideia students with information about Brown, Stubbs said. “I’ve been on a committee with Michael Goldberger,” said Milton’s Skinner. “As with any profession, you develop colleagues.” Senior Associate Director of College Admission Annie Cappuccino has been working with Milton for about ten years. “It’s a great thing because that way she knows the culture of the school,” Skinner said.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 · PAGE 5

Limbaugh ensnared in two controversies YORK (Newsday) — Conservative talk show superstar Rush Limbaugh, a longtime lightning rod for controversy, found the voltage turned way up Thursday as he responded to separate furors involving his alleged abuse of addictive painkillers and his remarks about a black quarterback on an ESPN show. A law enforcement source confirmed that Limbaugh has been implicated in a drug-ring investigation but said the radio and TV personality is not a principal target of the Florida probe, which is focusing on drug dealers and which has led to several arrests. “The addicts are not our principal targets,” the source said. The source also confirmed a National Enquirer report that Limbaugh’s former housekeeper Wilma Cline told prosecutors that over a period of more than four years she illegally supplied him with thousands of painkillers including at times more than 30 pills per day of the highly potent drug OxyContin. Limbaugh had twice gone through detoxification treatment in New York, according to that report. But Limbaugh Thursday denied knowledge of the probe. “I am unaware of any investigation by any authorities involving me,” Limbaugh said in a statement. “No governmental representative has contacted me directly or indirectly. If my assistance is required in the future, I will, of course, cooper-

NEW

ate fully.” Whether Limbaugh, 52, faces any prosecution could depend partly on the degree of that cooperation and the nature of the information he provides, the law enforcement source said. Mike Edmondson, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County state attorney’s office, which is taking part in the investigation, said he could “neither confirm nor deny” that there is a probe under way. Edward Shohat, an attorney for Cline and her handyman husband, David, both of whom were granted immunity, said they stand by the remarks attributed to them in the Enquirer but declined to elaborate. Limbaugh, who was replaced by a guest host on his nationally syndicated radio show Thursday as he attended a broadcasters convention in Philadelphia, also elaborated on why he resigned late Wednesday as an analyst on the ESPN television program “Sunday NFL Countdown.” The resignation came three days after he commented that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because “the media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well.” The remarks created an uproar, drawing criticism from three Democratic presidential candidates, including former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who assailed the comment as “absurd and offensive.”

N. Korea claims to possess “Nuclear Deterrence” TOKYO (Washington Post) — North

Korea declared Thursday that it had finished reprocessing spent fuel rods into plutonium and now possesses “nuclear deterrence,” suggesting it is making atomic bombs. The claims surfaced in two public announcements. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by the official Korea Central News Agency, asserted that North Korea “has successfully finished the reprocessing of some 8,000 spent fuel rods.” Citing a “hostile policy” toward the North by the United States, the statement suggested North Korea had begun building nuclear weapons, saying it had “made a switchover in the use of plutonium churned out by reprocessing spent fuel rods in the direction (of ) increasing its nuclear deterrent force.” At the same time, North Korea’s vice foreign minister, Choe Su Hon, told reporters at its mission to the United Nations that his government is now “in possession of nuclear deterrence and we’re continuing to strengthen that deterrence,’” according to China’s official New China News Agency. Choe said North Korea had “no intention of transferring any means of that nuclear deterrence to other countries.” Although the statements appeared to fall short of an official declaration as a nuclear power, they represented a new challenge to attempts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through intensive diplomatic talks. If true, the reprocessing claim—made privately by the North Koreans to Bush administration officials in

July — would mean the North has enough enriched plutonium to build as many as four or five nuclear weapons. The CIA contends North Korea already possesses one or two bombs. Though divisions exist among intelligence officials regarding the North’s capabilities to operate a bomb assembly line, experts fear that any additional devices would give North Korea more room to conduct a test and officially declare itself the world’s newest nuclear power. “This latest North Korean statement could hurt efforts to resolve the nuclear problem peacefully and damage the atmosphere of dialogue,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Shin Bongkil, said in the statement. Secretary of State Colin Powell played down the North Korean statement. “First of all, I would say that this is the third time they have told us they just finished reprocessing the rods. We have no evidence to confirm that,” he told reporters in Washington. “And so they say, once again, they’ve reprocessed the rods, and they say, once again, that they are going to go forward with their program. “I believe that this is a matter of serious concern for the international community, and I think North Korea’s neighbors should also be delivering a message to (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Il that the solution to the problem is for them to stop moving in this direction, continue to participate in the diplomacy that is underway,” Powell said. The North Korean statement raised the stakes in a showdown

that began late last year, when the isolated government of North Korea abandoned a 1994 agreement struck with the Clinton administration to keep its fuel rods locked up. It kicked out U.N. weapons inspectors, pulled out of a global non-proliferation treaty and announced that it had begun the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel into fissile material usable in bombs at the small reactor inside its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon, 50 miles north of the capital, Pyongyang. The reactor is believed by experts to have the capacity to produce one or two nuclear bombs a year. Analysts and diplomats have insisted for months that it is extremely difficult to verify North Korea’s nuclear assertions. North Korea has a history of increasing tensions ahead of tough diplomatic confrontations, usually through bluffing and brinkmanship. The last round of talks in Beijing broke up in August with little advancement. In the weeks since, the parties involved — the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea — have struggled to win a commitment from the North to honor a pledge made in Beijing to return for more serious negotiations, which have tentatively been slated for late November. But the North’s statements Thursday, analysts say, may be aimed at capitalizing on divisions between the United States and the other parties in the talks on how to best to handle North Korea. China, Russia and South Korea have publicly and privately pressed the Bush administration to soften its hard line position on the North.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD presents the first in a lecture series:

post- Jayson Blair —

—

saturday, october 4 • 2 p.m. carmichael auditorium (in hunter lab, on waterman st.)

“I Used to Be a Committee: Standards and Values at The New York Times” Allan Siegal Standards Editor and Asst. Managing Editor

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7

New Army chief hopes to hasten “Transformation” WASHINGTON (Washington Post) — The new Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, plans to make major organizational changes designed to speed the pace of transformation and bring new capabilities envisioned by his predecessor much more quickly to troops in the field. Brought back from retirement in August by the defense secretary, Schoomaker is backing changes in the way the nation’s largest military service trains, equips and deploys its forces, hoping to make heavy Army divisions lighter and more adaptable in joint formations with the other services, senior Army officials said Thursday. He has directed Army officers to begin reconfiguring divisions into smaller “modules” that can be mixed and matched in varying sizes depending upon their mission. Under the new structure, a division’s three 5,500-soldier maneuver brigades would become five smaller, lighter and more specialized units. In addition, Schoomaker has ordered his staff to begin “unit manning,” in which troops in these smaller battle formations would train, exercise and fight together for years at a time, a move many Army reformers have long sought as a way to greatly improve battlefield performance. Unit manning will replace an “individual replacement system” the Army has used since World War II in which individual soldiers are constantly rotated in and out of units. “Gen. Schoomaker has basically said, ‘Stop talking about running trials and tests and start implementing unit manning,’” said Lt. Gen. John Riggs, head of the Army’s Objective Force Task Force. The move to unit manning and the new division structure will begin with the 3rd Infantry Division, the unit that invaded Baghdad in April and only recently returned home to Fort Stewart, Ga., Army officials said. It will continue with the 101st Airborne Division, the next division scheduled to return from Iraq in March. As both premier divisions regroup from fighting in Iraq, one senior Army official said, “let’s take advantage of the turmoil, smartly, so we can make changes we know we should be making. And they’re going to help inform the rest of the Army.” In taking the reins as Army chief from Gen. Eric Shinseki, a low-key officer who mapped out a comprehensive plan for “trans-

Campaign continued from page 1 by an external manager, in keeping with most peer institutions’ strategies. Harvard, in contrast, manages over half of its endowment internally through the Harvard Management Co., which may account for what Huidekoper

forming” the Army but repeatedly clashed with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Schoomaker decided the Army’s institutional emphasis had shifted too much toward technology and the centerpiece of Shinseki’s vision, the so-called Future Combat System, Army officials said. While both the Army and Rumsfeld’s office remain committed to developing the Future Combat System, a $14.9 billion program for building the next generation of land combat vehicles that will replace the 70-ton Abrams tank, Schoomaker believes it is time to re-emphasize the human intangibles of combat, the official said. “No soldier is unimportant on this battlefield,” the senior Army official said. “I don’t care if you’re a well-digger in the reserves. You can see this environment we’re trying to operate in. This is an allencompassing combat zone.” Indeed, Schoomaker is keenly aware that he has taken control of an Army at war and needs to refocus Shinseki’s long-range transformation vision so that immediate steps are taken to improve the fighting capabilities of forces in the field, Army officials said. Thus, Army acquisition officials working on the Future Combat System have been instructed to use the program, in part, as a research and development test bed that can spin off technological innovation for use in the near-term by forces in the field. More than a few analysts inside and outside the Army had forecast problems for Schoomaker, given the Army’s frosty relationship with Rumsfeld and its institutional resistance to the kind of fundamental changes the strongwilled defense secretary desired to make the Army lighter and more deployable for the global war on terrorism. The very fact that Rumsfeld had bypassed all of the service’s existing four-star generals and picked a retiree to be chief, they said, showed how deeply dysfunctional the relationship had become and how little regard Rumsfeld had for the service’s leadership. His selection of a Special Operations commander— Schoomaker commanded the elite Delta Force from 1994 to 1996 and the U.S. Special Operations Command from 1997 to 2000 — was also bound to rankle those in the Army’s main combat branches of infantry, armor, artillery and aviation, the analysts said.

described as an “extraordinary” rate of return. “They’re not people who would be easy to hire,” Huidekoper said of Harvard’s investment managers. Herald staff writer Carla Blumenkranz ’05 edits the campus watch section. She can be reached at cblumenkranz@browndailyherald.com.

House reverses, rejects Bush new overtime proposal WASHINGTON (Washington Post) —

In a sharp rebuff to the Bush administration, the House reversed course Thursday and voted to oppose the White House’s efforts to rewrite overtime pay rules. The action marked a significant victory for Democrats and labor leaders, who contended the administration’s plans would deny overtime benefits to millions of employees when they work more than 40 hours a week. While the 221 to 203 vote is not binding, it essentially overturns earlier House approval and puts the chamber on record as supporting the Senate, which opposes the new regulations. HouseSenate negotiators trying to resolve legislation to fund the Labor Department and other agencies will have difficulty allowing the proposed overtime changes to go forward, lawmakers said. Thursday’s vote highlights congressional Republicans’ growing unease over the economy, and their increasing willingness to defy the White House on contentious issues. Seven Republicans switched their votes Thursday after supporting the GOP leadership position in a July roll call. “I just had to represent the concerns of my district,”said Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., who had voted with the majority when the House voted 213 to 210 in July to back the administration. He esti-

mated that 10,000 white-collar workers in his district would have to renegotiate their contracts if the Labor Department proposal went through. The administration is seeking to revamp 1938 labor rules by expanding overtime protections for low-wage workers while making it easier for employers to exempt many higher-paid workers. The Senate voted last month to block any curtailment of overtime coverage, although its bill would allow the administration to broaden overtime eligibility for low-wage workers. While the House version of the bill still differs from the Senate’s, Thursday’s vote instructed House conferees to back the Senate position. Under the administration’s proposed rules, workers making up to $22,100 a year would automatically qualify for overtime pay if they were not already collecting it. The current cap is $8,060 annually. Most workers getting $65,000 or more, on the other hand, would no longer qualify because employers could treat them as managers or other employees who are ineligible for overtime pay. The House was lobbied heavily by the White House and GOP congressional leaders in July when it first voted. Those leaders employed similar tactics Thursday — Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., buttonholed lawmakers on the floor, and Labor

Secretary Elaine Chao called wavering Republicans — but they fell short. Most of the seven Republicans who switched are from economically struggling states such as Michigan and West Virginia. Twenty-one Republicans joined 199 Democrats and one independent in voting to block the proposed administration rules, while two Democrats joined 201 Republicans to support the changes. The two sides differ on how many jobs would be affected. The administration says 1.3 million low-wage Americans would become eligible for overtime pay — generally 150 percent of normal wages — while 644,000 employees would lose eligibility. A study by the Economic Policy Institute indicates that as many as 8 million workers could lose overtime coverage. “The Bush administration should not put American workers in the position to work more than 40 hours a week without overtime,” Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., said during the debate. But Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, said the administration simply is trying to “bring the rules on overtime into the new century.” The AFL-CIO and other labor groups generated thousands of calls to lawmakers’ offices urging opposition to the administration plan, while House GOP leaders privately urged rank-and-file members to stand with the White House.

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003

Congress weighs Constitution change WASHINGTON (L.A. Times) — Since the founding of the United States, the office of president has carried a qualification not required for any other elected federal post. Under the Constitution, only a “natural born citizen” can be president. Now, as Austrian-born Arnold Schwarzenegger chases the governorship of the most populous state, the House and Senate are weighing proposals for a constitutional amendment that would allow a naturalized citizen to become president. But Schwarzenegger’s candidacy is only a side issue in the debate. Instead, the question turns on whether a decision by the framers of the Constitution more than 200 years ago remains relevant in today’s more inclusive America, one in which the foreign-born population is at an alltime high. Conservatives such as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, and liberals such as Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., favor opening the presidency to immigrants. Hatch’s bill would allow people who have been citizens at least 20 years to hold the office, while Frank is supporting a House bill with a 35-year citizenship requirement. “I think it’s a mistake to have that in the Constitution,” Frank said of the current limitation. “It’s reflective of a double standard that somehow immigrants aren’t

fully equal with people born here.” The amendment would have to be approved by a twothirds vote in both chambers of Congress and ratified by threefourths of the state legislatures. Chances are slim that either version would pass in the near future, but a native-born constituency of supporters is emerging from the families of thousands of youngsters adopted from overseas into American families. First-grader Jonah Yinger of Syracuse, N.Y., who was born in Vietnam and adopted by his parents when he was an infant, is among those children. Jonah’s father, John M. Yinger, launched a campaign in 1998 to amend the Constitution, complete with an Internet Web page. “Jonah has lived in the United States nearly all his life,’’ said Yinger, a Syracuse University economist. “But he is going to be treated differently than all other citizens. When he gets to a class on the Constitution, he is constantly going to have to hear that he can’t run for president, while every other kid can.” Children were also on the mind of Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., when he introduced the House amendment earlier this year. Snyder said he was thinking of his niece Sara Doty, a teenager living in Oregon. Sara was born in South Korea and adopted at 10 months by Snyder’s sister.

Nelson continued from page 3 Thin Red Line.” At 39, the Brown graduate’s career is hotter than ever, but Nelson said he’s still learning to deal with the complications of success. There was a time when Nelson’s most immediate concern was finding work. Now, he spends his time sifting through the deluge of offers he receives. He tries to select the least encumbering projects in a vain attempt to preserve the rapidly disappearing freedom he cherishes. Although quick to recognize the enviable nature of his predicament, Nelson is also clearly sincere when he says he “agonizes” over each of these decisions. Understandably, he is hesitant to relinquish the flexibility that has been the cornerstone of his constantly evolving success. Nelson’s evolution began as a classics concentrator at Brown, where he began acting seriously. Emphasizing the importance of his experience as an undergraduate, Nelson told The Herald “the best thing I have ever done was to get as broad an education as possible. I went to Brown for my education. I went to Julliard for my vocation.” It was during his fourth year at the Julliard Theater Center that he first transformed the frustrations that accompanied acting into success as a writer. “I was sick of wasting time waiting around for work, reading other people’s scripts and vying pathetically for parts,” Nelson said. “Writing was a way to have some control over the future.”

Nelson’s writing efforts were quickly rewarded. Soon after his second play, “Eye of God,” opened at the Seattle Repertory, he was offered the opportunity to adapt it for the screen. Despite having no experience as a director or screenwriter, Nelson didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge. Explaining his rationale for the decision, Nelson issued what could easily be his personal mission statement: “You’ve got to leave yourself open to the possibilities that come your way,” he said. “I had never directed, but I felt I was aggressive enough as a learner and ambitious enough as a person to be successful.” Nelson’s confidence in his ability as a director was well-founded. The first-time filmmaker won high praise from critics for “Eye of God,” which took home the highest award at the 1997 Seattle Film Festival. Once again, success led to more opportunities for Nelson. Based on the strength of “Eye of God,” Nelson was asked to direct “O,” a modern adaptation of Othello featuring Mekhi Phifer as a high school basketball star undone by a bitterly jealous teammate. Although scheduled for release in 1999, Miramax chose to withhold “O” indefinitely in the wake of the Columbine High School shootings due to its graphic depiction of teen violence. To no one’s surprise, Nelson felt otherwise. Describing Miramax’s decision as “thoughtful, but wrong,” Nelson contended that “certainly the film became less trenchant during the delay.” “O” was ultimately released by Lion’s Gate in 2001. Always committed to the integrity of his art, Nelson said the delay was preferable to compromising his vision of the film. Nelson said his proudest filmmaking achievement is his most recent film, “The Grey Zone,”

which he wrote, directed and coproduced. Released in 2002, “The Grey Zone” tells the story of the only organized armed uprising that took place in the World War II concentration camps. It focuses on the efforts of the Sonderkommandos, Jewish prisoners at Birkenau who were forced to participate in the extermination of other Jews in exchange for token privileges. Nelson, whose grandmother was a camp survivor, said the film was “as ambitious as anything I’ll ever do, as flawed as anything I’ll ever do, and from my point of view, as successful as anything I’ll ever do.” Always in search of the next challenge, Nelson is currently preparing for his return to the stage after a five year hiatus in Amy Freed’s “The Beard of Avon,” which opens at the New York Theater Workshop later this month. Nelson said his role as Shakespeare is “without a doubt the hardest role I have ever attempted in theater.” Knowing Nelson, it’s hard to imagine that it will stay that way.

Times continued from page 1 Morning visitors to the Ratty agreed the newspapers should be a priority. “It’s the only way I knew what was going on in the world,” said Maya Bruhns ’05. Making time for leisurely newspaper reading is difficult for many Brown students, said Claire Cook ’04, but the newspaper program made it easier for students to stay informed because reading the paper became “part of the daily routine.”

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

W. XC continued from page 12 Willard ’06. She finished 24th with a time of 22:53 for the 6k distance. Willard was followed by Meredith Crocker ’05 and Julie Komosinski ’05 in 39th and 44th, respectively. Crocker’s time of 23:12 came despite an adjusted training schedule. Wemple, aware that Crocker is still coming back from a foot injury, said he expects Crocker’s times to drop once her mileage and workout intensity increase. Willard, Crocker, and Komosinski started off the race in a pack as directed by Wemple. They were told to take the race out conservatively in the first mile and then start passing runners in the back hills. Willard said he felt the pace might have been a little too

Rugby continued from page 12 Jon Morales ’05 and Steve KaneParry ’05 repeatedly ran over and through the Terriers’ defense. Whenever the centers were brought down, Brown forwards were there to make sure the team maintained possession. By the time the 40-minute whistle blew, Bruno held a 26-0 lead. Head Coach Jay Fluck ’65 was not satisfied by the large half-time advantage. “Our line outs were a mess, our backs were disorganized and the communication was poor,” Fluck said. “Our rucking was uninspired and we made a number of stupid penalties. But aside from that, we weren’t all that bad.” Fluck’s fears were realized as BU found its rhythm 10 minutes into the second half. The Terriers altered their strategy and kept the ball in the hands of their forwards rather than sending it out wide to their backs — a move that proved successful. The game’s momentum began to swing in the

Troy continued from page 12 Bronco’s team meeting, the focus was on Jason Elam and how not to kick the ball to Dante Hall. Returning kickoffs for touchdowns in three straight games almost makes him more valuable then Priest. In trying to compare the two, it is like arguing over whether “The Godfather” or “The Godfather, Part 2” is the best. In the end, everyone recognizes that both are just great. COWBOYS (-7) over the Cardinals – After last week’s win, Jerry Jones was drooling all over himself, and not because his plastic surgery had come undone. “The Tuna” has Quincy Carter playing like Phil Simms and the threats of cattle prod beatings after the game has inspired the defense. If that wasn’t enough, the return of Emmitt Smith is like hosing down a three-alarm fire with lighter fluid. Chargers (+3) over the JAGUARS – This match-up is also known as the “Not-So Super Bowl,” with both teams currently

slow. “At the 1,000 meter mark we were far behind,” Willard said. “But we picked a lot of people off in the hills. Coming out of the hills I felt pretty strong, especially while going downhill.” Willard attributes her personal success to the support of Komosinski and Crocker during the race. “Julie is a great support system for me,” Willard said. “And Meredith helps me up the hills while I help her down them. Having them both there makes a big difference.” Brown’s next two runners, Emma Sarro ’05 and Kristin Ware ’04, finished in 46th and 54th place. According to Wemple, Sarro and Ware had the best races of the day. “Where they came from in comparison to their teammates was huge,” Wemple said. “Emma’s 26-

second (personal record) closed the gap big time. And Kristin’s race was her season debut. If she had any fears or uncertainties, she didn’t let them hold her back.” Sitting out for the Bears at the meet were Nora Sullivan ’06, Anya Davidson ’06, and Rachel Kitson ’05. Sullivan is slowly coming back from tendinitis, Davidson was celebrating the Jewish holiday, and Kitson was sick. In the junior varsity race, Michol Monaghan ’07 finished first for the Bears. Her time was only one minute off of Willard’s. Once the team is able to compete again as a full squad, Wemple is confident that a top three finish at the Ivy League Championship is possible. “We were missing three varsity runners,” Willard said. “If we finished in fifth place missing three, once we put it all together we’ll be amazing.”

Terriers’ favor. Rucks won so decisively by Bruno in the first half now went the Terriers’ way. Using short advances, BU worked the ball down the field and punched it into the try zone to make the score 26-7. Brown at first was unable to stop the turn in momentum. Slowed by the heat and complacency, the Bears’ play continued to be sub-par. After a dropped pass and an unlucky bounce, BU scored a long try to cut the lead to 26-14. But that was as close as the Terriers would get. Wakened by the narrowing margin, Bruno regained its form from the first half, dominating in the final twenty minutes. The defense around rucks slowed the BU attack and the Brown forwards earned possession for the backs. Wing Matt Gelb ’06, starting for the first time on the A-side, put the game out of reach with his first career try. Minutes later, Chase crossed the try line for a 3614 lead. Brown’s final try came when Christian Luening ’06 drew

two defenders near the goal line and then dished to Sam Hodges ’04 for the try. The Brown B-side came out inspired against the much larger Boston second team, featuring a number of players from its first side. Michael Fraser ’06.5 made numerous tackles all over the field and Herald staff writer Ian Cropp ’05 led the offense. But with neither side able to finish a series, the score was tied 0-0 at the half. In the second half, BU started strong, scoring a pair of tries. The Bears were bolstered by substitutions of Martin Alvarez ’04 and Aldun Andre ’07. Andre weaved around the defenders he could dodge and ran over those he could not. Aided by the pack, Alvarez finally scored his first career try to cut the deficit to 105. But Bruno ran out of time and dropped the game by that score. Brown continues league play on the road to New Hampshire and Boston College in the next two weeks.

winless. Comparing the two, you find one team that blew a 14-point lead and lost in overtime and another team that lost on the final play of regulation because of a QB sneak. Since no one will watch this game, I’ll go with the Chargers and just tell you they covered regardless of what actually happens. EAGLES (-5.5) over the Redskins – Based on the media coverage, Rush Limbaugh’s remarks about Donovan McNabb were more important than the war in Iraq, a leak at the White House that revealed a CIA agent’s identity and whether or not J-Lo and Ben are still together. This should make an interesting case study for Michael Moore. Winless at their new stadium so far, nothing motivates a team like inflammatory remarks and Steve Spurrier getting credit for doing a good job. 49ERS (-7) over the Lions – Since he thinks he does everything on his own, I would let Terrell Owens try throwing to himself and playing a little cornerback. He would either succeed or be too tired to complain. On that note, Dennis Erickson is the “Hippie Mom” of the NFL. Rather then

Josh Brandt ’04 is a member of the men’s rugby team.

punish players for misbehaving, he prefers talking to them, discussing their feelings and applying aromatherapy. STEELERS (-7) over the Browns – As bad as Tommy Maddox looked last week, there is not clamor in Pittsburgh for the return of “Slash.” Actually, they would probably ask for Terry Bradshaw or Neil O’Donnell to comeback before Kordell. As for Cleveland, does Tim Couch split a timeshare with Ryan Leaf or do they just have separate bedrooms? Someone also needs to tell William Green that he can start playing well before Week 9. Colts (+4) over the BUCCANEARS – Tampa Bay’s defensive strategy is to subject Indy to Warren Sapp’s booty-shaking in the end zone and to whisper to Peyton Manning that this is a playoff game. Unfortunately, Peyton put up 6 touchdowns last week, more than the Bucs put up over the course of a season, and Tony Dungy is still upset over not receiving a Super Bowl ring. Joshua Troy ’04 is not focused on either the Cubs or Paris Hilton.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Diamonds and coal Diamond to Brown University Dining Services for its cornshucking contest Thursday. The “I Got Shucked at the Ratty” t-shirts were brilliant. But coal to overzealous “coaches.” Shuck the corn. Put it in the bin. We get it. Coal to the Department of Environmental Management for their oh-so-useful tip for protecting ourselves against West Nile Virus. You tell us to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. And here we were slathering ourselves with blood. Diamond to non-drowsy Sudafed, the nectar of meth addicts. Coal to the Ratty takeout system box limit — sometimes we don’t want our food to touch until it gets in our tummies. Cubic zirconium to RISD’s kissing booth. We can all support love for the desperate, but the accompanying diseases are another story. Diamond to barbed wire for transforming the Western landscape.

ANDREW SHEETS

Diamond to allergies: They’re so easy to fabricate. No, I’m not having an emotional breakdown. It’s just “allergies.” Coal to boring lectures by famous people. But a diamond to the motorcades that bring them here. Cubic zirconium to SCT, Brown’s planned web registration system. We’ll finally be able to avoid U. Hall’s stairs when the system is in place — but it would’ve been a lot more useful three years ago when we got here. Coal to, as one student was overheard saying, the University not being hand-blind in admission. We know that what you’re looking for in that essay is the lefty smear. Diamond to candy man. Coal to salty dog.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Elena Lesley, Editor-in-Chief Brian Baskin, Executive Editor Zachary Frechette, Executive Editor Kerry Miller, Executive Editor Kavita Mishra, Senior Editor Rachel Aviv, Arts & Culture Editor Jen Sopchockchai, Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Carla Blumenkranz, Campus Watch Editor Juliette Wallack, Metro Editor Jonathan Skolnick, Opinions Editor Philissa Cramer, RISD News Editor Maggie Haskins, Sports Editor Jonathan Meachin, Sports Editor

BUSINESS Jamie Wolosky, General Manager Joe Laganas, Executive Manager Joshua Miller, Executive Manager Anastasia Ali, Project Manager Jack Carrere, Project Manager Lawrence L. Hester IV, Project Manager Bill Louis, Project Manager Zoe Ripple, Project Manager Peter Schermerhorn, Project Manager Elias Roman, Human Resources Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Elyse Major, Advertising Rep. Kate Sparaco, Office Manager

PRODUCTION Zachary Frechette, Chief Technology Officer Marc Debush, Copy Desk Chief Yafang Deng, Copy Desk Chief Grace Farris, Graphics Editor Andrew Sheets, Graphics Editor Sara Perkins, Photo Editor

POST- MAGAZINE Alex Carnevale, Editor-in-Chief Dan Poulson, Executive Editor Morgan Clendaniel, Senior Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, Senior Editor Micah Salkind, Features Editor Ellen Wernecke, Features Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Doug Fretty, Film Editor Jason Ng, Music Editor Colin Hartnett, Design Editor

Raymond Hood, Night Editor George Haws, Copy Editor Senior Staff Writers Zach Barter, Danielle Cerny, Dana Goldstein, Lisa Mandle, Monique Meneses, Joanne Park, Meryl Rothstein, Ellen Wernecke Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Hannah Bascom, Carla Blumenkranz, Philissa Cramer, Ian Cropp, Jonathan Ellis, Stephanie Harris, Hanyen Lee, Julian Leichty, Allison Lombardo, Jonathan Meachin, Sara Perkins, Melissa Perlman, Eric Perlmutter, Cassie Ramirez, Lily Rayman-Read, Zoe Ripple, Emir Senturk, Jen Sopchockchai, Adam Stern, Stefan Talman, Joshua Troy, Schuyler von Oeyen, Juliette Wallack, Jessica Weisberg, Brett Zarda, Julia Zuckerman Accounts Managers Laird Bennion, Eugen Clifton Cha, In Young Park, Jane C. Urban, Sophie Waskow, Justin Wong, Christopher Yu Pagination Staff Lisa Mandle, Alex Palmer Photo Staff Gabriella Doob, Benjamin Goddard, Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Miyako Igari, Allison Lombardo, Elizabeth MacLennan, Nicholas Neely, Michael Neff, Alexandra Palmer, Yun Shou Tee, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Emily Brill, Yafang Deng, George Haws, Katie Lamm

LETTERS Dems’ debate forum ignored by conservatives To the Editor: Re:“Squashing intellectual diversity,” Sept. 5. Alex Carnevale’s column of several weeks ago was a cry against the overwhelmingly liberal politics of the Brown faculty. With statements like “many on? campus professors are oppressing intellectual diversity wherever it might exist by squelching other perspectives,” Carnevale joined a steady chorus of campus conservatives bemoaning the lack of true political debate at Brown. Instead, they say, there is a one-sided diatribe from left-wing faculty and students that does not resemble the political situation at other colleges, let alone in the country as a whole. After Carnevale’s column appeared, the Brown Democrats began making an effort to offset this trend. While we cannot hire conservative professors to diversify the faculty, we have sought to bring true discourse directly to the students. Borrowing an idea from our colleagues in the Georgia Tech College Democrats, we have held weekly “Soapbox Debates” on Thursdays outside the Ratty. Two podiums are erected, one ostensibly for the political

left and one for the right. The topic is set by a moderator and actual debaters themselves rotate, with a new representative for each side taking over every three to five minutes. With a sufficiently controversial topic and true difference of opinion, this is a recipe for lively discourse. Unfortunately, our debates have thus far not been attended by those who say Brown lacks open political discussion. Though we have publicized the debates and directly invited the leaders and membership of several clubs to attend (including, but not limited to, the College Republicans and Students for Liberty), there has been no representation of conservative viewpoints. Though the debates have been attended by many Democrats and featured in The Herald (Sept. 12), they have not yet fulfilled their original purpose. We will continue to hold these weekly Soapbox Debates, and we hope that they will become true forums for political dialogue among Brown’s various ideological groups. And until they show up and participate, we do not wish to hear any more complaining by conservative groups about the lack of true debate on campus.

Ethan Ris, Brown Democrats President Sean Siperstein, Brown Democrats Vice President Oct. 1

rite letters.

COMMENTARY POLICY 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. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. ADVERTISING POLICY The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement in its discretion.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2003 · PAGE 11

Lessons in democracy from Iran The U.S. acts in its own national interest, whether or not it “makes the world safe for democracy” “THE WORLD MUST BE MADE SAFE FOR lofty ambitions? Ask an Iranian. From May 2, 1951 to democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We August 19, 1953, there was another demohave no selfish ends to serve. We desire no cratic nation in the Middle East, a country conquest, no dominion. ... We are but one of which now conjures up images of hijabs the champions of the rights of mankind. We and hostage-takers, of mobs chanting shall be satisfied when those rights have “Death to America;” where a fanatical clerbeen made as secure as the faith and the gy rules with an iron fist, making our own Ayatollah Ashcroft seem like an altar boy in freedom of nations can make them.” comparison — Iran. For two Woodrow Wilson uttered years following the popular these words on April 2, 1917, as election of Prime Minister he stood before a joint session ARTA KHAKPOUR GUEST COLUMNIST Mohammed Mossadegh in of Congress. The rhetoric 1951, Iran experienced a politiestablished in this speech (and cal renaissance. in justifications for U.S. expanThe majlis (parliament), once an imposionism in the decades immediately prior) has become a sacred jewel of American for- tent body cowed by an autocratic shah, became a din of debate and lively discourse. eign policy mythology. In the past few months, it has become Nowhere was the revived civic spirit more ever more clear that the case for war in Iraq evident than in newspapers: The papers was made on a series of exaggerated claims, were filled to the brim with political carfalsified documentation and a cynical toons and caricatures. Satire was legal. exploitation of the American public’s Iranians who lived through this period increased post-Sept. 11, 2001, fear of terror- attest to a certain intangible excitement in ism. One by one, the Bush administration’s the air, a distinct optimism and a feeling justifications for war have fallen before pub- that a decades-long struggle for democracy had come to fruition. Mossadegh fought to lic scrutiny and international criticism. The one justification narrative that has nationalize Iran’s oil industry, to democrasurvived the postwar bull session, however, tize all branches of the government and to is the old Wilsonian standby: Making the constitutionally restrict the massive world safe for democracy. No doubt, amounts of power the monarchy had tradiSaddam Hussein was a cruel fascist who tionally held over Iran. Here was a ruthlessly stifled all political opposition. The European-educated, eloquent and passionUnited States deposed him — so where’s the ate man who could represent Iran with moral ambiguity? Why are the liberals pride to the international community, and attacking an effort to create democracy in a average Iranians were filled with hope that region where only one country, Israel, even soon their nation could join the democratic bothers to pay lip service to that ideal? Why world as a respected sovereignty. The United States, protector of demois the “street” in so many Middle Eastern countries distrustful of the United States’ cratic ideals, decisively crushed this Iranian naiveté. Fifty years ago last month, the CIA and the British SIS engineered Operation Arta Khakpour ‘05 has the hottest girlAjax, a covert mission to overthrow friend this side of the Providence River.

Mossadegh’s government and to re-install the exiled Mohammed Reza as Shah of Iran. The coup was successful: The much-loved Mossadegh was put under house arrest, where he languished and died 15 years later. Hundreds died fighting the coup and in the streets, where scores of CIA-bribed Iranian strongmen shouted anti-Mossadegh slogans and physically assaulted the opposition. The Shah, comfortable in his U.S.-won power, became a brutal dictator like his father. His notorious SAVAK secret police arrested, tortured and/or executed thousands of Iranian dissidents, activists and writers. Throughout his rule the Shah was an avowed ally of the U.S., and American military manufacturers gladly sold him all manner of wares, including Tomcat and Phantom fighter jets to beef up his regime. Operation Ajax justified itself on two very logical counts: Oil. Nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian oil company had angered Britain. In July of 1952 the U.K. took Iran to the World Court, which dismissed the case, essentially giving the nod to Iran. Britain subsequently employed a blockade of Iranian shipping and looked to its American partner for covert assistance. Mossadegh was a populist and a liberal coalition builder. This meant that among his supporters were Socialists and Communists, a fact unacceptable to the United States’ Cold War ideologues. Operation Ajax’s clinical cruelty stunted a nearly 50-year struggle for Iranian democracy. In the early years of the 1900s, a constitutional revolution had, for the first time, restricted the Iranian monarch’s power. The struggling, inexperienced majlis wasn’t able to maintain the challenge of democratizing Iran while simultaneously quelling civil unrest. The country fell into chaos, and

Britain, anxious to protect its Anglo-Persian Oil Company fields, bankrolled a coup (notice the beginnings of a developing pattern) to install Mohammad Reza’s father, Reza Khan, as Shah of Iran. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 did not start out as a fundamentalist grasp for power: It was initially led by a wide coalition of liberals, socialists, human rights activists and advocates of democracy. The decision to take over the U.S. embassy in Tehran was not simply a fanatical attack on “Western infidels”; it was an expression of outrage against a nation that progressive Iranians viewed, rightly, as a decades-long supporter of Iranian dictatorship. Hostage-taking is never a justified action, but it must be contextualized in order to be understood. Comparing U.S. “regime change” efforts in Iran and Iraq help us develop a hypothesis that sheds some light on the “making the world safe for democracy” narrative: Sometimes, the United States overthrows a democratic government which has been acting contrary to its political interests. Sometimes, the United States overthrows a dictatorship which has been acting contrary to its political interests. The true intent, in both cases, remains the same. Can positive consequences for Iraqi democracy result from the Iraq war, even though they were not the reasons for the invasion? Yes, certainly — the U.S. didn’t invade Japan to turn that country into an economic giant, yet U.S. reconstruction efforts certainly aided in that goal. The larger question to be asked is, will this sort of ideology-on-demand help us win the “war on terror”? “Friendly” Middle Eastern dictatorships in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia fill a gap once held, in turn, by Iran and Iraq. The world grows all the more dangerous for democracy.

Creating a rivalry takes tough words Columbia sophomore Kwame Spearman challenges Brown teddy bears BROWN HAS SOLVED COLUMBIA’S decided to take the opening steps to develproblem. The Bears can single-handedly oping a rivalry with the disaster from change students’ outlook on and participa- Providence. To start the wheels spinning, I wrote a tion in Columbia sports — without doing friendly e-mail to randomly selected memanything. bers of the Brown athletics community Welcome to the next Ivy League rivalry. To finally attain athletic spirit, asking the players to partake in our newColumbians need a school that we insult found rivalry. Here are some key excerpts frequently, love to hate, and have an irra- from my welcome letter: “I am writing on my behalf tional desire to beat. With a because I feel it is necessary for rivalry, it doesn’t matter if the KWAME SPEARMAN Columbia and brown to begin a Lions are winning or losing. GUEST COLUMNIST rivalry. Too often, the thrill of The main issue at hand is college competition is lost in defecating on your enemy, having the last laugh, and defending that the Ivy League. Now it’s time to bring the excitement of sports back — and what betnewly born Lion pride. Now, rivalries are supposed to be evenly ter way to start with the bottom of the barmatched. But this situation is special; rel, the brown bears? “Let’s face it. brown’s sports reflect the Columbia needs to just slap around a school to gain confidence, exposure, and a school’s ranking — are you even in the top newfound sense of glory. Thus, we should 20? From your dismal endowment to your start by scraping the bottom of the barrel sub-par gym, is there any respect for brown athletics — yes, I didn’t capitalize brown. It — the Brown teddy bears. The reason behind choosing Brown as doesn’t deserve to be capitalized. “Pop Quiz: the school to be slaughtered by the Lions is “1) Does anyone not smoke pot on your incredibly simple: the Bears are closest to Columbia in athletics. Furthermore, the campus? “2) Is there a place more insignificant in two often harbor the same crop of students, are without current rivals, and want the world than Providence? “3) Is it encouraged to attract the ugliest to improve school spirit and athletic participation. When was the last time you saw athletes in the country, or just a response students at either school camping out for to your ugly campus? “Look forward to kicking you around all tickets or painting their bodies before a year — teddy bears! game? “Disagree or feel I left anything out? So, as a service to the university, I have “Please respond -— if you’re not hypothesizing about futile matters.” This column first appeared in the Clearly, I had Columbia pride flowing Columbia Spectator on September 29.

through my fingertips as I created history. Now I understand this letter was rather harsh, but remember, Brown students often need extra oomph to get excited, so I spiced up my e-mail to get a little something more out of the student population. One of my friends asked why I would write such a hateful letter to a school that has done nothing personally to me — I didn’t apply to Brown, hence I couldn’t have been rejected — and where I only knew a small percentage of the students. The response was simple: “I can’t let a school in the Ivy League get away with this much inferiority. It’s my mission, it’s Columbia’s mission to put an end to Brown.” You’re probably wondering what type of responses I received from the athletes. Phone calls, angry e-mails, death threats? Not really. Brown’s students didn’t really have the motivation to write back — were they afraid? Apparently, some of the students were incredibly shocked by the e-mail and did the manly thing — forwarding the letter and whining to their coaches. So, I was left with little response, and I began to think that perhaps the rivalry wasn’t meant to be. Finally, while checking my e-mail a couple of days later, I was greeted with: “F&*$ YOU AND YOUR GODD*!@ ARTICLE YOU STUPID SON OF A BIT*&.” (Expletives half-removed.) A Brown footballer had stood up to my challenge! He was ready to partake in the excitement, already voicing his displeasure toward Columbia: “NICE SCHOOL

COLUMBIA IS, BETWEEN S#!$VILLE AND CRACK ALLEY.” The rivalry had begun! The response gave me a thorough understanding of the sentiments Brown students have toward Columbia, but did Columbia students care about Brown? I quickly started roaming the streets, asking Columbians about our neighbors to the north. One student responded that he had thought about not attending Columbia. “I kinda wanted to go to Brown. I heard you could take whatever you want. ... It’s a joke of a school.” Other interviews focused on the social activity of Providence. “I think there’s a great nightlife there. I was in a cab and after asking the driver what to do, he responded by saying, ‘Well, you can ride in my cab all night — or I can drop you off at campus.’” Hmmm. So Providence doesn’t have very much to do — yet another aspect of Columbia’s superiority. After I explained the new rivalry between Columbia and Brown to them, students started to think of their own attacks on the teddy bears. “I think they have an awful name for a school. Brown — what’s that? By the way, where is Brown?” My fellow Columbians, now is the time. We don’t need winning athletics to support our teams. We don’t need a first-rate stadium, or a fabulous tradition — all we need is good, earnest hate. Brown has already voiced its opposition toward us. Are we just going to take their insults? Let’s make it happen.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS FRIDAY OCTOBER 3, 2003 · PAGE 12

Could this be the Cubs’ year

“Rush”-ing into Week 5 THESE PICKS HAVE BEEN MADE AGAINST the Skybook odds and as always are for recreational purposes only. Regardless of how they turn out, I will protect this house! (Home team in CAPS.) Last Week – 10-3-1 Season – 35-22-3 Lock of the Week – 3-1 Titans (-1) over the PATRIOTS – Rather than make the obligatory “Remember the Titans” joke, I will instead focus on Steve McNair and his superhuman JOSH TROY ability. “Air McNair” SPORTS GUY completed 15 of 16 passes last week with a broken finger, an artificial hip and his biggest handicap, Eddie George’s 21 yards on 11 carries. Just four weeks into the season, so many starters are injured for New England that it has almost qualified for Medicaid. BILLS (-8) over the Bengals (LOCK OF THE WEEK) – Do you ever wonder if Buffalo sports teams are paid to constantly tease Buffalo fans? Just like being sent home from a date with only a goodnight kiss, the Bills constantly leave their supporters unsatisfied — see Scott Norwood or “The Music City Miracle.” Fortunately, now that Cincinnati has gotten the winning out of its system, Buffalo fans can expect a win and won’t have to cheat on their team. Dolphins (PK) over the GIANTS – On the plus side, coming off a bye week, Ricky Williams could break Jamal Lewis’ rushing record. On the downside, continuously being tackled by your dreadlocks really has to hurt. Sadly for New York fans, Bill Parcells has more wins at the Meadowlands than the Jets and Giants combined. Maybe New Jersey should think about kicking the teams out and just letting Bruce play there every night. Seahawks (+2.5) over the PACKERS – Just like Robert Downey Jr. starring on “Ally McBeal,” Mike Holmgren has started his professional comeback. But, if he fails to upend his former team, he could end up doing cocaine in a Beverly Hills hotel by the end of the week. Luckily for Seattle, Shaun Alexander’s wife has no plans to have a baby before this week’s game. Raiders (-4) over the BEARS – It took until the fourth quarter against San Diego for Oakland to finally get on track and it only happened because the team did not want to miss the Early Bird Special at Denny’s. But the Raiders go up against Chicago this week and the city of Chicago and the Bears seem more focused on the Cubs and Paris Hilton then playing football. PANTHERS (-6.5) over the Saints – The Saints are the New York Mets of the NFL at the moment: They have a lot of high-priced talent pooled in one place, but for some reason, they play like they are a junior high team. To continue the analogy, the Panthers are like the Kansas City Royals: They have seemingly no talent and yet are still winning games. Vikings (-4) over the FALCONS – Can you even name the second wide receiver on the Vikings? At this point, Randy Moss could be thrown to by Browning Nagel and he would catch two touchdown passes per game. Mike Tice is the coach of the year right now, as long as George O’Leary does not list himself as the team’s head coach on his resumé. CHIEFS (-3.5) over the Broncos – At the see TROY, page 9

dspics

Anna Willard ’06 finished first for Brown in a time of 22:53 leading the Bears to fifth place.

Understaffed, injured women’s cross country team finishes fifth BY MELISSA PERLMAN

Despite competing with an understaffed and less-than-healthy team, the Brown women’s cross country team finished fifth at the Iona Meet of Champions in New York City Saturday. The Bears scored 193 points, 157 behind first-place finisher Princeton and just one point behind fourth-place Dartmouth. According to Assistant Coach Rick Wemple, Brown’s finish was very good considering three potential top five runners did not run, and of the eight athletes running varsity, one was sick and one was still recovering from an injury. “I told them the night before that I

expected a top five finish,” Wemple said. “If you put any one of the three missing runners in the race, we would have placed higher.” Wemple said he assumed the Bears’ placing in the meet would be very low after not seeing any Brown uniforms in the top 20 finishers. “My initial reaction was that it wasn’t a very good meet,” Wemple said. “When your top runner isn’t high up there it’s hard to assess the meet. But when I saw the results, I was pleasantly surprised.” Placing first for the Bears was Anna see W. XC, page 9

Offensive explosion leads M. Ruggers to resounding victory BY JOSH BRANDT

The Brown men’s rugby team crushed the Boston University Terriers 41-14 in both teams’ league opener Saturday. Bruno’s offense came to life after early season dormancy, scoring seven tries against the overmatched Boston side. The 41 points were the most Brown scored since defeating Columbia 51-3 in the first round of the 2002 Ivy League Tournament. Brown started the game strong, scoring less than five minutes into the contest. After a series of backline runs, Jieyuan Huang ’06 found the try zone and converted the kick after, giving the Bears an early 7-0 lead. The Brown forward pack then took

control, consistently winning clean possession for their backline and keeping the ball deep in the Terriers’ half of the field. Their effort was capped off by a successfully executed line out drive when the Bears’ forwards pushed BU’s pack five meters into the try zone for a 14-0 lead. “The line out drive was really satisfying,” said Jeremy Chase ’06. “It was something that we worked hard on all week. We thought that (our forwards) would be able to execute against their pack, and we were right.” As the half continued, the Bears’ play consistently overwhelmed BU. Centers see RUGBY, page 9

THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL BREWING in Wrigleyville this year. The city of Chicago is buzzing with electricity as everyone’s lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs, head into playoff action for the first time since 1998 after a remarkable playoff race with the Houston Astros. Currently, they are tied at one game apiece against the Atlanta Braves. Keep in mind, these are the cursed Cubbies, and the odds are heavily stacked against the Cubs in the quest for their first World Series in a mind-boggling 95 years. Just think about that number for a moment — 95 years. Men have lived full lives and died of natural causes without JAMIE SHOLEM having seen a WELCOME TO THE O.C. World Series parade on the North Side. The drought is what makes Cubs fans the best that sports has to offer. They are loyal, understanding and optimistic. We may criticize the manager, but we will always be willing to “wait till next year.” Even if only out of sheer hope, no fans know more about their team’s minor league system than the Cubs fans. I could give you the top ten prospects in our system right now, and it’s not because I like minor league baseball. The essence of being a Cubs fan is enjoying the good times while simultaneously bracing yourself for the forthcoming bad times. It’s been 52 years since a World Series appearance and that equates to a lot of missed opportunities and broken hearts. I’m only nineteen years old and I’ve had my Cubs dreams crushed at least twice already. The current Cubs team lacks one thing that past Cubs playoff teams all possessed: a future. There is no sense of urgency this year because the team isn’t just stacked with aging veterans. The young nucleus of pitching and hitting is solid, and should lead the Cubs to many more playoff runs in the future. Still, that doesn’t ensure anything. This is the Cubs we’re talking about. However, I feel this year is special because this team has that little something extra, a confidence that just tells you they’re going to win the tough games. They are managed by a proven winner, and they refuse to accept failure, unlike many Cubs teams of the past. This year is special because it’s more than just a season, and it may be the dawning of a new era for Cubs baseball. This year is special because it just feels right. The team is focused, and even an early playoff exit will give the prospects some much-needed experience in tough situations (the guarded optimism of a Cubs fan). But most importantly, this year is special because it has re-established Cubs pride. And now, even if only for a fleeting moment, it is a special time to be a Cubs fan. Jamie Sholem ’06 hails from Champaign, Ill. and is desperately hoping for a Cubs victory.

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