Thursday, January 29, 2004 by The Brown Daily Herald

T H U R S D A Y JANUARY 29, 2004

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXIX, No. 2

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

www.browndailyherald.com

Recent alums turn to politics after graduation

Vranek ’04 dies in car accident while returning to campus

BY SHEELA RAMAN

Francisco Vranek ’04, known to friends by his middle name, Metha, was killed in a car accident on his way back to Brown on Sunday, according to University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson. A family member notified the University of Vranek’s death and said the family has planned services in his hometown of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The University will meet with Vranek’s friends to organize services in Providence to honor his life, Nelson said, but no arrangements have been made yet. Students in Buxton International House, where Vranek lived, intend to commemorate his life as well and will make plans in the next few days, said Raphael Tse ’05. “It’s a huge tragedy,” Nelson said. “He had many, many friends — they were heartbroken.” Anyone in need of support should contact the chaplains, deans or Psychological Services, Nelson said. — Meryl Rothstein

Passionate about politics and eager for adventure, some recent Brown graduates have immersed themselves in campaigning, dedicating up to 20 hours a day to working for their favorite candidates. According to the graduates, there is never a dull moment on the campaign trail, which makes it an ideal place for a twenty-something fresh out of college. Immediately upon graduating as a political science concentrator, Andrew Golodny ’03 took a six-month position as database manager for Sen. Jonathan Edwards’ (D-N.C.) Iowa campaign, and continues to travel with Edwards as a campaign assistant. Golodny said his prime responsibility in Iowa was sorting a voter candidate file with 1.5 million names into specific call lists for door-to-door canvassing. “Working on a campaign just seemed like the perfect thing to do

Nick Neely / Herald

see POLITICS, page 11

Students braved snowy conditions to check classroom assignments on Wednesday, the first day of classes.

City workers repair water main break, restore service to Grad Center BY ROBBIE COREY-BOULET

Providence city workers restored water to the Graduate Center at approximately 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, after a cracked water main left students without water for over 24 hours. Maintenance crew supervisor Tony Pro of the Providence Water Department told The Herald the system was working as of early Wednesday evening. The water main broke sometime early Tuesday afternoon, according to Director of the Brown News Service Mark Nickel. “Crews had been working all day to fix the problem,” Nickel said. “The reason for the repair delay was that the problem was located between two other utilities, and it was hard for us to get at,” Pro said. Repairs fell under the jurisdiction of the Providence Water Department, which was “very responsive,” Nickel said. “The crew actually brought in an outside vendor with special equipment for locating leaks,” he said. Brown’s Emergency Preparedness Committee provided students with card access to nearby dormitories so they could use bathroom facilities, Nickel said. The committee met Tuesday to examine how the University would inform students of the situation and planned ways for students to have access to shower facilities and drinking water,

Nickel said. The purpose of the committee is “to plan for and operate during times when there are emergency situations,” he said. The situation is “just a hassle more than anything else,” said Grad Center resident Adam Cantor ‘06. But Cantor said he was satisfied with the resources Brown provided, which

included bottled water along with the card access to nearby dorms. “There’s really not much else they can do, especially if it’s a Providence Water problem and not a Brown problem,” Cantor said. Students were patient about the situation, Nickel said. “I haven’t had any information about complaints,” he said.

Public policy master’s program at Taubman Center on track for inaugural class in 2005 BY LISA MANDLE

The University will welcome in the fall of 2005 the first students admitted to a new public policy master’s degree program. In December, the Alfred A. Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions announced the new master’s degree program in public policy, after receiving approval from the Corporation. Public policy faculty members began seeking approval for the program last spring, said Dean of the Graduate School Karen Newman. “We felt it was an opportunity to put Brown on the map in the area of public policy,” said Darrell West, professor of political science and director of the Taubman Center.

New degree programs must pass through a long series of steps to make sure they are “intellectually rigorous” and the University has the resources to support them, Newman said. Programs must be approved by the Graduate Council, the Faculty Executive Committee and the Corporation, and the series of approvals was completed in early December, she said. Two different master’s degrees will be available: a two-year master of public policy degree and a one-year master of public affairs degree. Within the program, students will be able to focus on education policy, health care or urban policy, West said. The multi-disciplinary degree will allow students to take classes in multiple

I N S I D E T H U R S D AY, J A N UA RY 2 9 , 2 0 0 4 RISD administration reworks advising program for upperclassment risd news, page 3

New online calendar, discussed for years, makes schedule conflicts less likely campus news, page 5

BSA

Francisco Vranek ’04.

Alums and students participating in politics show that young adults can make a difference editorial, page 14

departments, including political science, community health, economics and sociology, Newman said The Graduate School expects to enroll a total of 35 students between the two degree programs once they are fully established, Newman said. Compared to other master’s degree programs at Brown, the public policy program will have a medium-sized student body, she said. The Brown/Trinity Consortium, one of the larger graduate programs, enrolls 55 theater students over three years, while the master’s degree in fine arts program in creative writing accepts 14 students each year, she said. But compared to public policy prosee MASTER’S, page 4

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Sean Siperstein ’05 thinks Rhode Islanders are model voters column, page 15

Women’s hockey must win 16 games to gain entry to tournament sports, page 16

wind high 28 low 12

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 2 Coup de Grace Grace Farris

W E AT H E R THURSDAY

High 28 Low 12 wind

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

High 28 Low 17 wind

High 26 Low 7 partly cloudy

High 28 Low 16 mostly sunny

GRAPHICS BY TED WU

Four Years Eddie Ahn

MENU THE RATTY LUNCH — Vegetarian Squash Bisque, Chicken Soup with Tortellini, Chicken Pot Pie, Vegetable Tortilla Lasagna, Mandarin Blend Vegetables, Dateen Cookies, Chocolate Mousse Torte Cake, Cranapple Crisp.

V-DUB LUNCH — Vegetarian Escarole & Bean Soup, Beef Vegetable Soup, Beef Pot Pie, Vegan Stuffed Peppers, Zucchini & Summer Squash, Dateen Cookies. DINNER — Vegetarian Escarole & Bean Soup, Beef Vegetable Soupº, Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce, Vegan Spaghetti Puttanesca, Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic, Spinach with Lemon, Belgium Carrots, Focaccia with Mixed Herbs, Chocolate Mousse Torte Cake.

DINNER — Vegetarian Squash Bisque, Chicken Soup with Tortellini, Veal Parmesan, Cheese Ravioli with Meat or Meatless Sauce, Parsley Potatoes, Green Beans with TriColored Peppers, Whole Kernel Corn, Focaccia with Mixed Herbs, Dateen Cookies, Chocolate Mousse Torte Cake, Cranapple Crisp.

My Best Effort William Newman and Nate Goralnik

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Jazz pianist Peterson 6 Table setting? 10 Online auctioneer 14 “Presto!” 15 [Sigh] 16 Dieter-friendly 17 Chronic fink sibling? 20 Sale condition 21 Shade of blue 22 Compact contents 25 Having arrived 26 Fashionable initials 29 Pediatricians’ gp. 30 Fish dish 32 Starbucks serving 34 Sulking episodes 36 Klutz 37 Harmonized 38 Fight-starting sibling? 41 Springlike 42 Calendar col. 43 Haggard’s “__ from Muskogee” 45 One way to buy stock 46 Cruise quarters 48 __ de la Cité 49 TV drama set in Vegas 50 Gas light 52 Machine shop alloy 54 Hunky-dory 56 “Help yourself to unböring” company 57 Preening sibling? 63 Skin-care substance 64 USC lecturer 65 Strand, winterstyle 66 Cut out 67 Make out 68 Mint family herb DOWN 1 Roman roe

2 3 4 5

Paltry amount Op. __ Plenty Big name in Egyptian kings 6 Thick tangles 7 Samuel’s teacher, in the Bible 8 Like some vows and cows 9 Fur man 10 Fitzgerald with 13 Grammys 11 Copland ballet 12 Bolted, maybe 13 “__ out!” 18 Make less hot, in a way 19 Lace place 22 Fluff 23 Breakfast orders 24 Squirt’s gun? 25 “Lenny” star 27 Clean and then some 28 Headed up 31 Spitfire fliers: Abbr. 33 About 35 Yemen’s capital 1

37 Bunny slope equipment 39 Sewer, at times 40 Quoits target 41 Little sucker? 44 At any time, poetically 46 Black and tan 47 1944 Sartre play 51 Split to unite 53 Gate closer

T O T O

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E A M H I D G E T E R C H V C H O W E E T I R E D R E I L E L S E R I A P S A L L E M E A N S T E P S T L E U L E A S W M L

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Penguiener Haan Lee

G E E K

Fifteen Days Yu-Ting Liu

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L F E A O S T H E I N N D S U L S U I N C T E S B

01/29/04

A D A P T

xwordeditor@aol.com

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

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: S L U G

55 Roller coaster cry 56 Up in the air 57 Rotten 58 Pint contents 59 Disheveled do 60 Turnaround, slangily 61 Backboard attachment 62 West Point-toHartford dir.

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01/29/04

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RISD NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 3

RISD considers collaborating with AS220 on new darkroom BY ALEXIS KUNSAK

The RISD Student Alliance will decide next week whether to help fund a new darkroom at AS220, where the old darkroom closed this past summer due to new fire code regulations. RISD has supported AS220, a downtown arts cooperative, intermittently since 1994, when President Roger Mandle committed the school to the Coalition for Community Development, a citywide initiative to foster urban growth. AS220, a non-profit organization, needs about $13,000 to construct the new darkroom on the second floor of its Empire Street building. RISD students outside the photography department do not have access to campus darkroom facilities and would have to pay a membership fee to access the AS220 facility and receive photographic instruction from AS220 staff members. The proposal is “an opportunity for RISD to participate in the community by supporting AS220’s incredible after-school programs and strong connection with the public arts in Providence,” said Blair De St. Croix, director of RISD’s Office of Student Life. AS220 is an artists’ collective, formed 18 years ago by a group of artists frustrated by the lack of support and resources available to them in Providence. The name alternately stands for the words “Artist Space” or “Alternative Space,” and 220 was the original street address when the space was formed on Westminster Street, said Melissa Honeybell RISD ’00, an AS220 staff member. “The RISD connection has been overlooked on both sides,” said Shawn Wallace, artistic director at AS220. “But many of the people on our board or those who have created events here have come through RISD as students, professors or administrators. Money from RISD supported the darkroom we had, as well as video equipment and other supplies.” This past year, Paul Connelly, associate director of the Office of Student Life, held a series of well-attended events at AS220 centered around RISD artists and see AS220, page 6

Alexis Kunsak / Herald

AS220 is an artists’ collective formed 18 years ago in response to artists’ frustration by the lack of support and resources available to them in Providence.

Dana Goldstein / Herald

Christina Bertoni is RISD’s new director of academic advising.

Student initiative leads to departmental advising system reform for upperclassmen BY DANA GOLDSTEIN

The RISD administration is establishing centralized academic advising standards a year after the Student Alliance declared the issue a priority and surveyed both students and faculty on ways they thought the system could be improved. Because only full-time faculty members can serve as official academic advisors, new faculty positions might be created in order to lessen advisADVISING AT RISD: ing loads and provide more part one of a two-part series personal attention, said Christina Bertoni, who was appointed to the new position of director of academic advising last semester. Academic advising for sophomores, juniors and seniors will continue to be based within individual departments, with foundation professors serving as advisors for first-year students, Bertoni said. The director of academic advising position was created after the school’s trustees took an interest in the Alliance’s academic advising concerns and created a committee to examine the issue, Bertoni said. The job is a part-time appointment, and Bertoni continues to teach courses, as she has done at RISD for 27 years. Bertoni also served a 12year term as dean of Graduate Studies. “I’m a generalist,” she said. “We’re trying to get a bird’s eye view of how advising works.” In the past, RISD students consistently expressed frustration with an advising system so decentralized some students reported they were not even aware of who their official academic advisers were, said Suzannah Park, president of the Student Alliance. “Some departments were better at advising than others,” Park said. “That’s what clued us in, from a Student Alliance perspective, that it wasn’t working.” To address this inequity between departments, Bertoni said she is surveying the academic advising systems in place within each department in order to compile a handbook of “best practices” that can be distributed to all faculty members. “We’re incredibly pleased with how this issue has moved forward,” Park said. “We’re absolutely ecstatic that Christina Bertoni is heading this up and doing an absolutely fabulous job.” Official academic advisors are usually teachers of

HERALD OPEN HOUSES Coming in February

required studio classes within their department. Each semester, they are responsible for meeting with their advisees and going over their transcripts and schedules, ensuring that each student completes their departmental requirements and their liberal arts requirements in a timely fashion. The process can be hampered when advisors are overloaded. In large departments such as illustration, which employ many adjunct professors, advisors may be responsible for as many as 30 students, she said. David Frazer, head of the painting department — which Bertoni praised as one with a strong advising system — said more full-time faculty members would help all departments improve their advising systems. “Having consistent faculty in any department who know how the system works is always a plus for students,” he said. Painting students often switch advisors from semester to semester as their studio professors change, meaning their advisors are always familiar with their current work, Frazer said. But both Frazer and Bertoni stressed that students often choose to work through their most pressing personal problems with teachers who are not their official academic advisors, or who may not even be in their departments. Other students choose not to seek out advice. “Some students really do not want what they would consider intrusive,” Bertoni said. “Others do want it, but may be reticent to ask for it.” Bertoni said better advising training for faculty members would encourage them to initiate contact with students. When advisor and advisee just don’t connect, students need to know they have the option to change advisors, Park said. Although Bertoni said she has not had much direct contact with students since she moved into her new position, she has begun to reach out this semester, posting a message on the RISD Daily Jolt and inviting students to visit her office with any academic questions or concerns about advising. “This office is here to provide that sort of neutral, disinterested service,” Bertoni said. Herald staff writer Dana Goldstein ’06 edits the RISD News section. She can be reached at dgoldstein@browndailyherald.com.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004

Master’s continued from page 1 grams at other universities, Brown’s will be small. “A lot of other programs are large, anonymous factories,” West said. Brown will offer smaller classes and more interaction with professors, he said. Brown’s program will also be more policy-oriented than other programs, said Chad Galts, communications manager of the Graduate School. Undergraduates will also be able to take advantage of the new program, West said. Current students at Brown may include a master’s in public policy as part of an integrated B.A./M.A. program, he said. Advanced undergraduates will be able to enroll in the dozen or more new classes that will be created, he said. New faculty members will also be hired, West said. The exact number of new faculty will depend on the actual size of the program, Newman

Calendar continued from page 5 Services Office met over a period of six months to decide how to set up the calendar. Using models from several other universities that use the same calendar software — including Indiana University-Bloomington, Arizona State University and the University of Denver — committee members designed a calendar tailored to meet Brown’s needs. “The new calendar has many benefits and unique features to it that made it the optimum choice

Current students at Brown may include a master’s in public policy as part of an integrated B.A./M.A. program. Advanced undergraduates will be able to enroll in the dozen or more new classes that will be created, West said. said. The public policy department is also working with the Space Committee to find the space that it will need for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. The expansion will also give the Taubman Center a “critical

for Brown,” said Tracie Sweeney, senior associate director of the Brown News Service. There are a variety of calendars to choose from, based on individual interests. For example, separate calendars list lectures, alumni events and performances. The calendar also includes a user-friendly search feature. “You can customize a calendar to upload onto a Palm or even have an e-mail mailed to your account to remind you of an event,” Wolford said. The calendars can be viewed by the day, week, month or year, and include descriptions of events. “One of the unique features of this calendar is that anybody can add an event to it,” posting study breaks, social events and housing deadlines, Sweeney said. “These postings will first be reviewed by the News Service,

mass” to use the resources it already has available, Newman said. Newman said she expects the program to generate income through grants and tuition, which will be “recycled” to support additional students through financial aid. The new program responds to changes that are happening in the workplace, Newman said. “Increasingly, undergraduates are feeling that four years are not enough,” she said. A master’s degree in public policy will help prepare future faculty members and leaders in the workplace, she said. Other new degree programs being developed include an urban education leadership program and a doctoral program in development studies, Newman said. There is also interest in creating computational biology and bioengineering degrees, she said. Staff writer Lisa Mandle ’06 is The Herald’s design editor. She can be reached at lmandle@browndailyherald.com.

and then the individual receives an e-mail telling them whether or not the event has been posted,” Wolford said. Certain sections of the calendar can be accessed only by people with a NetID. “These areas are only meant for Brown students, and we feel that these events should be kept within the Brown community,” Wolford said. “We have great hope that this calendar will enable the community to become more involved with all the events that this campus has to offer,” she said. The calendar can be found by clicking on the “Calendars and Events” link at the bottom of the Brown homepage. Herald staff writer Sam Culver ’07 can be reached at sculver@browndailyherald.com

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

CAMPUS NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 5

U. releases new, comprehensive online calendar

Mars mission draws on work of Brown professors, alums BY KAVITA MISHRA

BY SAM CULVER

A new Web calendar aims to address scheduling conflicts and publicity problems with University events by providing a central online location for event listings. The calendar’s activation in mid-January signaled the end of a long process aimed at uniting faculty, staff, students and alumni with the ability to keep track of important dates. “This (calendar) is a much-needed addition to the University,” said Kate Wolford RUE ’06, project director of Campus Life and Student Services. According to Wolford, faculty, staff and students at Brown have been pushing for an easily accessible calendar for some time. Last year, a committee created by the Student see CALENDAR, page 4

It was 1976 when the world first saw images of Mars — red, barren and 35 million miles from Earth. The first Mars mission began with Tim Mutch, the Brown professor of geological BROWN & MARS: sciences who led the Viking mispart one of a two-part series sion that brought those images, and has turned into an expansive program encompassing four spacecraft and two rovers studying the Red Planet. Brown professors, who have recently contributed to a European rover mission to Mars, are working steadily to understand a planet that is so like Earth — but not quite. Both Jim Head ’69 Ph.D. and Jack Mustard ’90 Ph.D., professors of geological sciences, contributed independently to the European Space Agency’s Mars Express, a mission Head called “an imaging experiment.” That mission’s rover component, the Beagle 2, failed to send back data after its descent last month.

Head said rover missions, with a failure rate above 50 percent, are remarkably difficult. “It’s not like going down to Store 24 and picking up a bag of chips,” he said. But increased funding for the projects can allow for more testing. Europe’s Mars Express mission — which included both a satellite and a rover — subsisted on a small budget that did not allow data to be sent back during see MARS, page 6

Foreign-language media moves to CIT Foreign-language videos formerly housed in the Media Center on the 14th floor of the Sciences Library have been transferred to the Language Resource Center, on the second floor of the Center for Information Technologies. The effort to consolidate the University’s foreign-language video collection was completed Jan. 20. Students and staff were notified by e-mail of the relocation during Winter Break. Bill Wood, serials manager for the Rockefeller Library, said the reorganization worked toward alleviating the Media Center’s storage shortage, although the problem still persists. The central location of the Language Resource Center will provide students with easy access to videos, Wood said. Not all of the library’s foreign-language media have been

moved to the Language Resource Center. Foreign-language performance pieces are still housed in the Orwig Music Library, said Andrew Ross, director of the Language Resource Center. Plans are underway to transfer Orwig’s collection to the Language Resource Center in the near future, he said. The foreign-language video collection is available through Brown’s computer library database Josiah. Videos are available for three-hour in-house circulation for students and three-day circulation for professors, Ross said. The foreign-language media collection is being enlarged to address professors’ needs with additional DVD and VHS media, he said. —Jonathan Herman

Peter Nievert

Tim Mutch, professor of geological sciences, led the Viking mission that returned this image and has grown to encompass four spacecrafts and two rovers exploring the Red Planet.

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004

Mars continued from page 5 the rover’s descent on the planet, so the European scientists “don’t know what to fix,” he said. The Beagle 2 would have conducted many geochemical experiments using tools to help it bore into the soil. “It’s a shame it didn’t work yet,” Head said. Mustard, who studies mineral content on planets, helped French researchers design an instrument for the Mars Express mission that observes materials, such as rocks, using wavelengths of light undetectable by the human eye. This technique allows scientists to identify minerals affected by water and understand the history of water on the planet. Now, one month after Beagle 2 stopped signaling, NASA’s solarpowered Spirit and Opportunity rovers are sending back the highest-resolution photographs of the planet to date. Scientists say Opportunity, the second rover sent to Mars in this mission, is beaming back images that could be the “holy grail” for geologists. The rover landed in a small crater and is relaying images of nearby rock formations in a terrain completely unlike the surroundings of Spirit, the rover on the other side of the planet. David Shean ’04, who is studying Mars glaciers with Head, described images sent from the rovers as “stunning.” The almost-

AS220 continued from page 3 performances, Wallace added, illustrating the RISD-AS220 relationship. “The proposal is a really good idea because RISD could be integrated into all the functions and artistic events that go on downtown at AS220,” said Amy

identical landscape of the Spirit landing site to the dry valleys of Antarctica is particularly striking, he said. Images from this site show an extremely red landscape, the result of Mars losing much of its water to outer space during its early volcanic history, said Professor of Geological Sciences Malcolm Rutherford. A few billion years of volcanic material coming to the surface and the continuous loss of water probably allowed for the rusty, oxidized iron coating of the region, he said. To understand the history of Mars, Head said scientists use the “solid rock record,” from which they see traces of previous rainfall and water flow on the planet. But then a radical change in climate overtook Mars, leaving it in its present cold desert state. Based on images of the planet, Head found remnants of a recent, extreme ice age on Mars similar to that of Earth, including markings from glaciers and water ice. Head, Mustard and several other scientists published these recent findings in Nature, writing the cover article of an issue last month. Understanding changes in Mars’ climate history can help direct the search for water and ultimately life on the Red Planet. By “following” water, scientists find proof that primitive life may have existed. The Opportunity site, with

rocks showing remnants of water, is “a smoking gun,” Shean said. “It’s worth debating — why are we following the water?” Mustard said. On Earth, the existence of life seems to follow temperatures below the boiling point and above the freezing point of liquid water. Although many scientists are “charged up” to search for viable life on Mars, Mustard said the planet’s barren landscape indicate time shouldn’t be wasted looking for existing life, but rather residual signs of extinct life. But to accomplish that, Mustard said the need to obtain samples from Mars will become more important, adding that people shouldn’t be too naïve to believe the first samples will show signs of life. Mustard’s next mission, one with a spectroscopic instrument for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, will be launched next year. Its purpose, according to Jim Garvin, chief scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, is to isolate deposits where future laboratories will visit to search for clues to the building blocks of life. “In the next five years, we’ll be much closer in being able to guide the life question,” Mustard said. But,he said the first step is to “inventory, understand and focus on promising areas.”

Fitzgerald ’05, a Student Alliance member. “I’m always pushing the RISD connection,” Honeybell said. “It is important that the school is able to connect with students from the city, and multi-disciplinary RISD students gain a lot of opportunities by coming down to work here.” AS220 employee Melanie Fuest said the AS220 darkroom is an important resource for

RISD students outside the photography department, who might not otherwise have access to photography equipment. “It’s a great thing for RISD students to have access to opportunities outside of their individual majors,” she said.

Herald staff writer Kavita Mishra ’04 can be reached a kmishra@browndailyherald.com.

Herald staff writer Alexis Kunsak RISD ’05 can be reached at akunsak@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 7

New legislation would help NASA keep its brightest stars WASHINGTON (Washington Post) — In an attempt to avert a possible brain drain at NASA, the House Wednesday sent legislation to President Bush that would allow the space agency to offer larger recruitment and retention bonuses than are now permitted. The chief sponsors of the legislation, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) hope such changes will help the National Aeronautics and Space Administration maintain a highly skilled scientific and engineering workforce. “Events of the past year have highlighted NASA’s need to attract and retain the best workforce imaginable,” Boehlert, the chairman of the House Science Committee, said. “And yet NASA is on the brink of losing the talent that it already has.” Voinovich, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs subcommittee on government management, said the bill would make it easier for NASA “to compete for the best minds.” He said NASA personnel policies “are dated and are holding the agency back.” NASA, which has about 19,000 employees, underwent substantial downsizing during the 1990s, and many of its most experienced hands are nearing retirement. According to information presented at hearings held by Boehlert and Voinovich, a quarter of the NASA workforce will be eligible to retire during the next five years. NASA scientists and engineers older than 60 outnumber those younger than 30 by nearly three to one. In addition to being able to provide higher bonuses to hire and keep employees, the legislation also would allow NASA to pay higher than normal salaries to experts who fill critical technical and professional positions for short periods. To help NASA compete for young scientists, engineers and technology experts, the bill would allow the agency to provide scholarships to students enrolled in certain

see NASA, page 13

Suicide bomber hits Baghdad hotel Wednesday morning BAGHDAD, Iraq (Washington Post) — A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed van disguised as an ambulance outside a hotel Wednesday, killing at least one person and shearing off the building’s facade in what residents complained was a grim reminder of Baghdad’s insecurity. Witnesses said the vehicle — a white van bearing the insignia of the Red Crescent Society — barreled down the street off a busy commercial thoroughfare around 6:30 a.m., maneuvered past barbed-wire fences and concrete barricades, then detonated after stopping in front of the Shahin Hotel, where foreign contractors were staying. Police and security personnel said they fired at the vehicle as it sped toward them. There were conflicting reports on the number of

dead. Witnesses and police said four bodies were taken from the scene, and the South African Foreign Ministry said one of its citizens was among the dead. It said four others were wounded. But the U.S. military said only one person, the driver of the vehicle, was killed. It said four Iraqis and a British contractor were injured. One body covered in a sheet and brown blanket lay for hours on a stretcher near the hotel. Residents said Iraq’s interim labor minister, Sami Majoun, was staying at the hotel, in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood. Majoun was unhurt, his bodyguards said, and walked away from the scene. But along the street outside the hotel, as they stared sulsee BAGHDAD, page 8

Sen. Kerry’s voting record to draw attacks MANCHESTER, N.H. (Newsday) — As Sen. John Kerry takes a

second step toward the nomination, Republicans are wasting no time trying to define him as far more liberal than mainstream voters — and a look at Kerry’s Senate voting record shows plenty of grist for that Republican line of attack. Kerry is consistently rated one of the 10 most liberal senators — more liberal on economic issues than 95 percent of his colleagues in a National Journal magazine ranking based on 2002 votes. In some rankings, the Republicans delight in pointing out, Kerry is even to the left of liberal icon and fellow Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Kerry’s campaign dismisses such numerical rankings as misrepresentative, but a look at Kerry’s four terms in the Senate shows that he has hewed closely to the liberal stances of his constituents in Massachusetts, with only occasional forays to more

moderate positions, such as supporting balanced budget caps, welfare limits and school reform. Kerry supported giving President Bush broad war powers last year, which put him outside his party’s liberal base, but opposed the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a fact Republicans appear sure to highlight, particularly in the South, where Northeasterners such as Kerry have struggled to connect even with more moderate Democrats. “In the short run, his record is not necessarily a hindrance, but in the long run, it may be a real problem,” said Nathan Gonzales, political editor for the Rothenberg Political Report. “Once President Bush begins to focus his $100 million-plus, the attack will be, `He’s out of touch, Massachusetts is not indicative of the rest of the country and he’s not one of us.’” see KERRY, page 8

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004

Kerry continued from page 7 Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie previewed that line of attack last week, saying Kerry was “out of sync’’ with mainstream voters. On most social issues, Kerry has voted straight down the line with Democratic colleagues. Kerry voted against Bush’s tax cuts, and now wants to repeal them for families making more than $200,000 a year, which Republicans say would be a tax increase. Kerry also opposed Bush’s Medicare prescription drug bill, saying it’s a boon to insurance and drug companies. Kerry is staunchly pro-abortion rights, promising only Supreme Court justices who support that position. He also is anti-death penalty, but has supported it for some terrorist acts. He threatened to filibuster a bill to open Alaska wilderness to oil drilling. In world affairs, he has shown a more middle-of-the-road approach, supporting free-trade agreements. As he fights for those primary votes now, Kerry has sought to temper that position, saying he wants tougher worker and environmental protections as part of trade deals. Kerry is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and worked on Vietnam POW issues with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Kerry argues that voters will tire quickly of attempts to demonize him as a Northeastern liberal because they will want to

Baghdad continued from page 7 lenly at the wreckage, some residents blamed the presence of foreigners, not the minister, for the attack. “Since they put up the barbed wire, we knew something would happen to us,” said Basim Abdel-Karim, a 43-year-old electrical engineer. “We were afraid that we would become a target.” He and others said residents had complained to the hotel about housing foreign guests but were rebuffed. Some residents said the hotel had received warnings about an attack as long as foreign nationals stayed there. “We were waiting for it to happen, but we didn’t know when,” said Ibrahim alWashash, a 25-year-old computer engineer whose windows were shattered by the blast. “Any

move past name-calling and “cultural warfare” to substantive answers to the nation’s problems. As for being attacked as a liberal, Kerry said, “If being that means I want decent schools for people in the South; if being that means I want health care for every single American, and I want a system that makes sense; if being that means I want to balance the budget and be responsible fiscally and not leave our children with debt ... I’ll take that anywhere in the country.” In a general election campaign, Kerry’s campaign is expected to shift the focus from his Senate record by highlighting his personal story as a decorated Vietnam veteran and former prosecutor. Norman Ornstein, a political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, said, “If you can have something that demonstrates you’re tough on foreign policy and tough on crime, that makes it harder at least to pigeonhole you.” But Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report said Republicans have been adept at “cherry-picking” Democrats’ records for one or two obscure but potent attack lines. Kerry has spoken out against a constitutional amendment to allow punishment for flag-burning. Former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, who lost three limbs in Vietnam, is proof that sacrifice in combat does not inoculate a Democrat against charges that they are “soft.” Cleland, who has campaigned with Kerry, lost his re-election bid after Republicans criticized him for voting against the White House version of the homeland security bill.

hotel that houses foreigners is targeted now.” The blast blew brick across the street, wrecked four cars and shattered windows as far as a half-mile away. Burst pipes poured water down the front of the three-story hotel, and two buildings across the street were damaged. “I’ve seen four revolutions and a lot of things, but never like this,” said Abu Hossam Kamil, 62, who lives down the street. “The bombs are making it difficult. There’s no safety, no safety whatsoever.” The car bombing was the first in the capital since Jan. 18, when 31 people were killed in a blast that devastated a main gate to the U.S. headquarters in Baghdad. But it came just a day after a spate of attacks outside the capital — roadside bombs in Khaldiya and Iskandariyah that left six U.S. soldiers dead and an ambush south of Baghdad that killed two Iraqi employees of CNN.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Blair cleared on weapons of mass destruction intelligence claims LONDON (Washington Post) — A

judicial inquiry cleared Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday of allegations reported by the British Broadcasting Corp. that he and his aides had exaggerated intelligence claims about Iraq’s access to weapons of mass destruction and drove to suicide a British weapons expert who raised questions about those claims. While exonerating Blair, Lord Brian Hutton blamed the BBC for broadcasting what he called “unfounded” allegations last May that the government had published a “sexed-up” intelligence dossier claiming that Iraq could launch such weapons within 45 minutes of an order despite knowing it was probably not true. After the inquiry findings were issued, the BBC chairman, Gavyn Davies, submitted his immediate resignation. Hutton ruled that BBC editors did not adequately scrutinize the allegations before they were broadcast and that editors and senior officials — including the BBC’s board of governors — had failed to investigate sufficiently after Blair and the government heatedly denied the report. The BBC, one of the largest and most respected news organizations in the world, issued an apology for inaccuracies in its original report last May 29 but insisted that most of its reporting had been accurate and in the public interest. The BBC report and the government’s reaction set off a major political controversy here and led to a chain of events that resulted in the apparent suicide in July of David Kelly, a weapons expert in Britain’s Ministry of Defense, after he was identified publicly as the source for the story. Following the suicide, Blair appointed Hutton, a retired senior judge, to head an independent inquiry. The outcome was a stunning victory for Blair, who claimed complete vindication. As Hutton released his 328-page

report and 412-page appendix, Blair appeared before the House of Commons. Citing Hutton’s statement that “there was no dishonorable or underhand or duplicitous strategy on the part of the prime minister” in the Kelly affair, Blair demanded that political opponents retract claims he had lied in denying he had been involved in leaking Kelly’s name to reporters. But the opponents said the report left unresolved the question of why British intelligence had failed to accurately assess Iraq’s weapons programs. “We are still no closer to determining whether this country went to war on a false prospectus,” said Charles Kennedy, leader of the third-party Liberal Democrats. Hutton held more than two months of public hearings last summer and fall, called 74 witnesses — including the prime minister — and published thousands of pages of e-mails, memos and other internal documents that gave an unprecedented look into the government’s inner workings. His findings surprised many lawmakers and analysts, who had expected him to apportion blame more evenly between the government and the BBC. Instead, Hutton’s report seemed to accept virtually without question the government’s narrative of events and directed almost all of its fire at the BBC. Hutton said the weapons dossier prepared for release in September 2002 had been the product of the top-secret Joint Intelligence Committee and, contrary to the BBC report, had not been subject to political interference. Aides in Blair’s Downing Street office had suggested strengthening or clarifying the language of the dossier, but Hutton concluded that committee chairman John Scarlett had had final say on what it contained and had not embellished its findings. Hutton concluded that Kelly had acted improperly in meeting with BBC reporter Andrew

Gilligan and discussing intelligence matters without official authorization. But he said Gilligan’s notes of the meeting did not substantiate the reporter’s claims that Kelly had accused the prime minister’s office — and specifically Alastair Campbell, the prime minister’s then-director of communications — of knowingly publishing false intelligence data. Among other things, Hutton faulted BBC managers for not examining Gilligan’s notes before issuing a vigorous defense of his report, and for failing to take into account an email from Gilligan’s editor that criticized the journalist’s reporting methods, “loose use of language and lack of judgment in some of his phraseology.” Hutton said the BBC’s board of governors had been correct in

seeking to defend the independence of the BBC from Campbell’s emotional attacks, which “raised very considerably the temperature of the dispute.” But he said the board should have undertaken its own investigation into Gilligan’s notes “rather than relying on the assurances of BBC management.” Kelly came forward at the end of June and told his superiors he may have been the reporter’s source. His disclosure set off a flurry of government meetings, some of them chaired by Blair, who eventually decided that the government should issue a statement disclosing that an official had come forward. Ministry of Defense officials issued enough details that journalists were able to guess Kelly’s name, which officials then con-

firmed. Hutton said the Ministry of Defense could have done a better job of protecting Kelly from press scrutiny and should have told him it was preparing to disclose his identity. But Hutton exonerated officials — including Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon — of the charge that their actions were responsible for Kelly’s apparent suicide in July. “Whatever pressures and strains Dr. Kelly was subject to by the decisions and actions taken in the weeks before his death, I am satisfied that no one realized or should have realized that these pressures and strains might have driven him to take his own life or contribute to his decision to do so,” said Hutton in a 90-minute summary he read to a packed hearing room on Wednesday afternoon.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 11

Politics continued from page 1 right out of school,” he said. “Not only do you get to travel, but the competitive environment and the highly qualified people you work with make it the best training you can get for a career in politics. It’s no surprise that so many young college graduates are behind the scenes of all these campaigns.” Golodny said he remains optimistic about the future of the Edwards campaign. Edwards placed second in the Jan. 19 Iowa caucuses and third in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. “In this environment, there is inherent instability that you have to accept. I plan to continue working for Sen. Edwards until we get the nomination,” he said. “After that, we’ll be in the White House.” Evan Parness ’02, also a political science concentrator, did not graduate during primary season but also jumped into campaigning right after graduation. Returning to his home state of New Jersey, he became the executive director of the Union County Democratic Committee, which is responsible for political races ranging from school board and mayor to the current presidential nomination, Parness said. Since Gov. James McGreevey has endorsed former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, Parness said he and his committee are now working hard to promote Dean’s campaign in New Jersey. Like Golodny, Parness said he works with local officials to target the best voters to whom they should deliver their candidate’s message. He also initiates and promotes party-building activities such as candidate recruitment, fundraising and an organization for young Democrats, he

said. Parness said he is not sure if he has the stamina to work in campaigning for many years. The large amount of traveling, the grueling hours and the fact that work only exists during the campaign season are all factors that make the job ideal for someone in their early to mid-twenties, but not for someone who wants a family and solid income, he said. “The majority of people working for political campaigns are 30 and under. Sure, you have (James) Carville and a couple other elder statesmen floating around, but they are a special breed. If you’re going to get into campaigning, start as soon as you leave college, because that’s when your enthusiasm and dedication will be greatest.” Although he has applied to law schools for this fall, Parness, who was named one of the 21 best political operatives in New Jersey for 2003 by the Web site politicsnj.com, said nothing beats the rush of campaigning under pressure — especially when the candidate he is working for wins. But for someone only seeking thrills, political campaigning won’t be much fun. “This isn’t a job for the weak-hearted. You’ve really got to believe in politics as a vehicle for helping people at all levels and have faith in your candidates. Or else you’ll burn out in a week,” Parness said. Golodny expressed a similar sentiment. “Considering the amount of hours you have to work, you had better really like your candidate. I personally think Sen. Edwards is not only a good politician but also a great person who I’d like to hang out with, and that’s what keeps me here,” he said. Herald staff writer Sheela Raman ’06 can be reached at sraman@browndailyherald.com.

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Dean shakes up campaign staff COLUMBIA, S.C. (Washington Post) —

Howard Dean replaced his campaign manager Wednesday as he tried to retool his candidacy and slow John Kerry’s rush to the Democratic presidential nomination. Campaign manager Joe Trippi resigned after Dean promoted Roy Neel, a longtime aide to former Vice President Al Gore, to chief executive officer. Trippi had been credited with organizing the 2003 drive that brought the former Vermont governor from obscurity to a temporary position atop the polls. Kerry, meanwhile, pivoted off his back-to-back wins in Iowa and New Hampshire by picking up key endorsements in Missouri and South Carolina, two of the seven states with the most delegates up for grabs this coming Tuesday. The developments came as the Democratic candidates moved from the retail politics of New Hampshire to more nationally focused strategies required by a crucial run of contests in nine states over the next 10 days. After virtually ignoring the swath of states from South Carolina to Arizona, Kerry is pumping in new television ads this week, exploiting some of the contributions that his early victories have helped harvest. After pulling his ads in the Feb. 3 states, Dean appeared ready to make a stand in the states immediately beyond, including Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin. The other five candidates — Sens. John Edwards (D-N.C.), Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, Al Sharpton and Rep. Dennis Kucinch (D-Ohio) — spread out across the country, looking for their opportunities to emerge as

the alternative to the Massachusetts senator. Dean said in interviews that he had gained momentum from finishing second to Kerry in New Hampshire after stumbling to third in Iowa. He said Neel would bring more order to his campaign organization. The former governor told reporters in a conference call Wednesday night that as the front runner “we suffered enormous pressure from opponents and the media ... that was tough to withstand. ... But we are now on our way back.” Dean suggested he would be content to fish for delegates in the pool of 269 to be awarded in seven states on Tuesday — and collect more in the Saturday caucuses in Michigan and Washington — while aiming for a victory on Feb. 17 in Wisconsin. Dean was heading to Michigan Thursday. “We compete probably in a different way than most folks, we’re looking at delegate count,” he told reporters. But his congressional supporters told him in a conference call that he must win one of next week’s primaries to remain in the race, according to campaign sources. While Kerry dropped into Missouri to collect the endorsements of two former senators, Jean Carnahan and Thomas Eagleton, Edwards began his quest for votes in South Carolina, which he has labeled a must-win state, and then joined Clark in Oklahoma, one of the states on which the retired general has pinned his hopes for staying viable. Kerry, running second to Edwards in South Carolina polls, gained the support of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) the state’s top

African-American officeholder and a former backer of Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) who quit after Iowa. The Massachusetts senator told reporters he planned no shift in his message or tactics as the campaign moves into the South, a region where he and Dean, both New Englanders, have to show they can challenge President Bush’s reservoir of support. “It’s the same message,” he said as he boarded his plane in Boston. Several Democratic leaders said Kerry still must prove he can win in the South and more conservative states such as Arizona before he is crowned by a large number of party insiders. Kerry on Wednesday sought to clarify his recent statement that a Democrat could win the White House without winning in the South. “All I was saying was if Al Gore had won New Hampshire, he would have been president without a Southern state,” Kerry said aboard his plane. “I am not saying that’s the way to run.” Kerry said he would continue to emphasize both his national security credentials as a Vietnam veteran and his criticism of Bush’s record on health care, education and jobs — the issues that worked for him in Iowa and New Hampshire. Kerry said military leadership would continue to big a theme of his primary fight and, if he wins, the showdown with Bush. He again called on Bush to come clean about intelligence used to justify the Iraq war. “I think the administration owes the entire country a full explanation on this war, not just their exaggerations, but the intelligence failure. It’s their intelligence they are responsible for it.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 13

Hockey continued from page 16 ish off the season as one of the most competitive teams in the nation.” The following weekend, Bruno faced ECAC rival St. Lawrence in Canton, NY. The Bears took the first of the two game series, defeating the Saints 5-4 in an impressive performance. St. Lawrence took the go ahead early, posting a goal less than a minute into regulation. The Bears’ Krissy McManus ’05 responded quickly, however, tying the game at one goal after an onslaught of rebounds. The Saints took advantage of a vulnerable Bruno defense at 17:00, regaining the lead 2-1 going into the second period, when the Bears continued to rally. In the first two minutes of second period play, Keaton Zucker ’06 netted her seventh of the season with a goal assisted by Lindsey Glennon ’06 and Link. St. Lawrence challenged Brown’s

Mahr continued from page 16 30-yard line, McNair is called for intentional grounding, setting up a third and long. On the next play the Titans are called for holding, moving them all the way back to midfield and essentially stalling the drive. Then, on fourth down, McNair throws up a jump ball. Wide receiver Drew Bennett has it in his hands but has it knocked away. The Patriots hold on, 17-14. Game Six, 1986 World Series: That Bill Buckner thing. It happened, but let’s not talk about it. We all know the story too well anyway. In short, New England is simultaneously home to both the most fortunate and unfortunate professional sports teams in the United States. No other city in the United States can claim that. (Detroit

tying goal, however, and regained the lead 4-2 with five minutes left in the heated second frame. True to character, the Brown women found their momentum when they needed it most. The ladies scored three straight goals in the final frame for the 5-4 advantage. Halfway through the period, Link tallied her 101st point of her career with a top shelf goal assisted by Ramsay and Zucker. At the 13:19 mark, Glennon alleviated the deficit with a scoring shot from the point. Guay netted the game winner for Brown at 16:16 on a breakaway goal assisted by Kerry Nugent ’05. “We didn’t look at St. Lawrence as the team to beat that weekend,” said McManus. “Instead, we went out and played this game assuming it was ours to lose. This allowed us to abandon our hesitation and we played with the most vigor that we have demonstrated all season.” The following afternoon, the Bears dropped their first game since November 29, also marking

In short, New England is simultaneously home to the most fortunate and unfortunate professional sports teams in the United States.

NASA continued from page 7 degree programs. For each year they received a scholarship, students would be required to serve two years with NASA. Students could not receive a scholarship for more than four academic years, unless the NASA administrator granted a waiver. The legislation requires NASA

doesn’t count: the Tigers aren’t unfortunate. They just plain suck.) All this analysis leads me to make a small request for our friends up the road in Foxboro. Hey, Patriots, whatever it is you guys have, can you save some and send it to 4 Yawkey Way starting in April? Chris Mahr hails from Newton, Mass., and, like many a New Englander, is optimistic about the Red Sox in 2004. For now.

Administrator Sean O’Keefe, before taking advantage of the flexibilities, to submit a workforce plan to employees for comment and to the Office of Personnel Management for approval. Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (RCalif.) and Bart Gordon (DTenn.) worked with Boehlert to shape the bill, which was approved Nov. 24 by the Senate. Greg Junemann, president of the International Federation of

their first ECAC defeat in this 8-0 Saints’ victory. Once again, St. Lawrence opened the game with a quick go-ahead goal. The Saints posted three more goals in the first for a 4-0 lead, taking 11 shots to Bruno’s 10. The Saints maintained their offensive momentum, rallying for two more in the second for the 6-0 advantage. The deficit widened in the third to 8-0, with goals marking the opening and closing of the period. The Bears remained scoreless and continued to tally penalty minutes, which added to their defensive struggles. “Our energy was nothing like the night before,” said McManus. “St. Lawrence came out hungry, and we didn’t respond quickly enough which hurt our confidence early in the game.” The Bears face Princeton and Colgate this weekend in Bruno’s a crucial weekend of the season. In order to qualify for the Frozen Four tournament, the team will need to win its next 16 games.

Dodgers continued from page 16 the initial report and said that the investor does not have to be from Southern California. “McCourt hopes to find a local investor, but he’s not required to do that,” the source said. “News Corp. just wants out. The investor can be from Kalamazoo.” With McCourt’s approval now inevitable and Broad’s late offer not leaving the desk of News Corp. Chairman Peter Chernin, Los Angeles Councilman Jack Weiss said Tuesday he would withdraw a resolution urging the Dodgers and baseball to consider local ownership. The Council had been expected to vote on the resolution Wednesday. Weiss said he believed the preference for a local buyer had been strongly conveyed and the time had come for the city to unite behind McCourt.

Professional and Technical Engineers, praised Boehlert for heeding the union’s initial concerns with the measure. Citing recent legislation that overhauled personnel systems at the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, Junemann said, “It certainly is refreshing to see that the NASA human resources bill includes concrete protections for the agency’s workers.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 14 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Our endorsement We have grown up in an age of ironic detachment, when any show of enthusiasm is construed as a cliché. It is difficult even to raise the topic of civic engagement without feeling like a public service announcement. But as Brown students and alumni have shown us this week, it is possible to be an “engaged young person” and even stifle the quotation marks. This month, Brown students and young alumni in New Hampshire stood on street corners, knocked on doors and did all the often-thankless work of grass-roots volunteers. It is probably fair to say that some of the things they did will not, in fact, make a difference. It is impossible to predict who will sit in the White House one year from now. But regardless of who wins the Democratic nomination and, ultimately, who wins the presidency, this commitment counts. Genuine enthusiasm and engagement in politics are not the refuge of the naïve; they represent the best kind of pragmatism, one that both acknowledges and challenges the inertia of the system. Yet meaningful civic engagement takes more than determination. It is easy, amid the media circus that surrounds this election, to focus only on the ups and downs of the race itself, cheering on a favorite candidate with blind enthusiasm. Bandwagon-jumping is not true participation, just as declining to pick a single candidate does not necessarily signify apathy. We cannot consider our civic duties fulfilled by putting on a button when we have the capacity to do much more. A Brown education gives us the tools to make intelligent and creative contributions that raise the level of public discourse. The University’s new master’s program in public policy will train a new group of students to bring a heightened level of expertise to Brown’s civic engagement. No matter what November brings, Brown has already won the campaign against apathy.

SHANE WILKERSON

LETTERS

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Juliette Wallack, Editor-in-Chief Carla Blumenkranz, Executive Editor Philissa Cramer, Executive Editor Julia Zuckerman, Senior Editor Danielle Cerny, Arts & Culture Editor Meryl Rothstein, Arts & Culture Editor Zachary Barter, Campus Watch Editor Monique Meneses, Features Editor Sara Perkins, Metro Editor Alex Carnevale, Opinions Editor Ben Yaster, Opinions Editor Dana Goldstein, RISD News Editor Christopher Hatfield, Sports Editor

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OPINIONS THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 15

SEAN SIPERSTEIN

Rhode Island: the new New Hampshire After 48 hours of watching talking heads drone on about New Hampshire, analyzing little maps of voter preferences in its first-in-the-nation presidential primary, I have had it up to here with the Granite State. And so, I would wager, have many Democrats and much of America. Don’t get me wrong—New Hampshire is a wonderful state. Its natural beauty is breathtaking, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the political experience I got while canvassing. The grass-roots nature of politics and the fierce independence of most of the electorate (candidates tend to be judged on a caseby-case basis in addition to ideology and their stances on the issues) are quite refreshing in this age of cynical, media-driven campaigns and voter apathy. Indeed, New Hampshire voters might be the most politically engaged in America, particularly whenever a presidential election cycle begins. They are just the wrong small-state, civic-minded New England voters to be having such extraordinary influence on the course of American history. And here Brown can be of some use in correcting the situation. Rhode Island is more than ready to emerge from Super Tuesday (March 2) anonymity and take center stage sometime early in the primary process as N.H. Version 2.0: smaller, more diverse and an overall resounding improvement. First, let’s start with the area central to New Hampshire’s current status: an engaged electorate and neighborhood-driven politics. The last time I looked, Rhode Island small towns were littered with active local Democratic organizations and heavy popular participation in matters of governance — the old "town meeting" tradition at the heart of colonial American democracy. As far as the personality-driven aspect of things is concerned, we live in a state whose attorney general, in the aftermath of the Station nightclub fire, a tragedy that attracted national attention, told CNN that in such a tiny state, everyone seemed to have merely one-and-a-

half degrees of separation from those involved in the incident. Sure, you say, but given that we’re the most Democratic state in the nation as far as presidential preferences go, don’t we want states with more political diversity playing a bigger role? Perhaps — until you consider the fact that Rhode Island’s oneparty dominance creates an atmosphere that truly showcases the diversity of the party as an institution. Indeed, the party runs the gamut from Brown’s own uber-progressive State Rep. Edith Ajello, to establishment social conservatives like recentlyinstalled State Senate President Joseph Montalbano. Let’s also not forget the facts that the electorate, like a lot of places, is trending Independent, and that we have not had a Democratic governor in nearly a decade.

The real campaign should begin in Rhode Island. We’ve also got some things that New Hampshire simply lacks — namely, cities, racial/ethnic diversity and the complex issues that go with them. By cities, I don’t just mean places with large populations, but fast-growing municipalities with distinctly urban traits, ranging from the Providence Renaissance to the post-industrial-era squalor of Central Falls. And given the preeminence of heavily white Iowa and New Hampshire and the momentum/television-driven nature of the primary campaign thereafter, communities of color aren’t exactly getting a true chance at grass-roots empowerment in the party that most mirrors America’s diversity in its overall base of support. Rhode Island, however, is a microcosm of the entire nation. Providence is en route to becoming a

majority-minority city, while the state receives heavy immigration from all parts of the world. And, as President Ruth Simmons knows all too well after heading up a task force on the police raid of their tobacco shop, Rhode Island is home to an historically mistreated Native American tribe, the Narragansett, regularly at odds with the government over everything from taxes to casino development. Most of all, there is the angle of self-promotion and assuredness. That’s right: Rhode Island has….Brown University. As David Horowitz has ranted, roughly 90 percent of faculty members who affiliate with a political party consider themselves liberal, and so is most of the student body. All in all, we are a diverse community of over six thousand highly-engaged minds who are prime targets to be actively involved and, indeed, to use the experience as a stepping stone to further activities in the realm of public life. Compared to a certain lily-white, tiny Ivy League school secluded in Hanover and known historically as a bastion of conservatism, Brown wins Rhode Island the volunteer-potential award hands-down! So imagine, if you will, a world where the diverse Rhode Island Democratic Party enters the spotlight, candidates spend the fall chatting with students on the Main Green, and Mayor David Cicilline ’83 becomes the most sought-after gay man in America, at least when it comes to political endorsements. Think I’m being unrealistic, and we’re just too tiny and obscure? Perhaps. But then again, New Hampshire and Iowa emerged out of nowhere as well during the 1970s. And if we stumble en route or face fierce resistance from the Granite State diehards, we can just bide our time until Buddy gets out of jail and figures out a way to rig the process in our favor. Sean Siperstein ’05 blogs at Get More Ass, which can be found at browndemocrats.org/blog.php.

SARAH GREEN

Fashioning politics As the spring political season shapes up and we look forward to the 2004 Presidential campaign, the top pundits and political aides will begin creating new catchphrases, massaging the same old statistics, and giving each story more spin than Michelle Kwan in a centrifuge. Which tired-out issues will become as dated as shoulder pads? Which will become as timeless as a Chanel suit? And which will fizzle faster than last year’s ’80s craze? For you, a guide: The Stupid Trend Issue. I’m talking newsboy caps. I’m talking pants that are tapered or in any way pleated. I’m talking those ankle-length sweatercoats with belts (trust me, you look like you’re wearing a bathrobe). This year’s Stupid Trend Issue is outer space. Yes, the pictures coming back from the Mars Rover are spectacular. But no, we don’t need to spend a trillion dollars to send a humanoid to Mars. No need to mention that this silly idea was proposed by the same political party that says we can’t afford universal health insurance, even though universal health insurance would cost less than a trillion dollars. Let’s just hope the trucker-hat trend fades as fast. The Little Black Dress Issue. The LBD is your safe bet for any occasion—weddings, bat mitzvahs, yacht christenings. It’s slimming when you’re bloated, it matches all your shoes, and no one will know when you slosh your Cosmopolitan all down the front (those martini glasses can be so tricky). The LBD issue is one that can be trotted out every election and, with a few well-placed accessories, look like new. Yes, dear reader, the LBD issue is the economy, this year gussied up with the ever ubiquitous loss of jobs. Last year it was complemented by a bear stock market, and before that, the "new economy." But

take away the chandelier earrings and it’s just the same old dress. The It-Makes-You-Look-Fat Issue. You know that Michael Kors orange dress Jennifer Lopez wore to this year’s Golden Globes? The one that looked like something one of Captain Kirk’s alien hotties would wear? It may have looked good on the runway, but I’m afraid to say, it’s one of those things that just doesn’t work in reality. In theory, it’s a pretty dress. Likewise, ousting

What’s in and what’s out this election season. Saddam Hussein was, in theory, a good plan. But just as something that seemed like a good idea (keyword: idea) on a 5’10, 114-pound supermodel actually looked like hell on Her Bootyliciousness, so will the reality of war in Iraq prove to be an unflattering issue for any politician who discusses it. The key difference here is one of choice: all the candidates will be compelled to take a stance on Iraq. But J.Lo definitely did not have to wear that dress. The Ugly Sweater Issue. It was a present, so there was no getting out of it—you unwrapped the box, and there it was. You really wanted a mini iPod in leaf green, but instead you got a yellow chenille turtleneck sweater. With brown stripes. That reaches your knees. And now, even though you don’t want to, you feel obligated to wear it. This year’s Ugly Sweater Issue—the issue no one really

wants to argue about it, but for some reason, it seems we must—is gay marriage, replacing a woman’s right to choose, which held the top spot all through the ’90s. The president claims it was "activist judges" who foisted the Ugly Sweater on the American people without a gift receipt. The Democrats accuse the GOP of knitting up the striped monstrosity to pander to their right-wing base. Will all the hot-tempered speechmaking by chenille-clad politicians ever result in a constitutional amendment? Only one thing is certain: Carson Kressley would never approve. The Jeans Issue. Your jeans are the perfect solution to any couture conundrum—they look hot with heels and chill with Chucks; trendy with that shirt you bought at Urban but claim you made yourself; and they have a nice habit of making your boohiner look smaller than it really is. But admit it—you take them for granted. You pull them on in the morning without even thinking about it. Then one day the knee rips and you panic. So it goes with the environment. Exxon Valdez. The spotted owl. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. When the environment is threatened, suddenly we all want a Prius. But as soon as it’s cleaned up, just like after your new pair of Levis has tumbled through a few laundry cycles, we go back to forgetting. Notice how the fashion magazines only write about jeans when they have absolutely nothing else to say? It’s the same with the environment—you know if CNN’s showing footage of baby sea turtles they might as well just put up a sign that says, "No One Blown Up Today. Be Back Tomorrow." Sarah Green ’04 really did make that shirt herself.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS THURSDAY JANUARY 29, 2004 · PAGE 16

Pats have what Sox don’t: luck Boston, Mass., is considered by many to be the sports capital of the world, as well it should be. Yet CHRIS MAHR for well over eight SPORTS COLUMN d e c a d e s , Bostonians have considered themselves to be the hapless victims of misfortune, thanks to the indelible presence of the Olde Towne Team. Year after year, the Red Sox blow another opportunity to silence 85-yearold demons. Faithful fans have suffered every heartbreak and every choke with the team, and such pessimism and misery has seeped across New England and into the blood of every fan from South Kingston, R.I., to Pittsfield, Mass., to Bangor, Maine. Never has the agony of defeat been more apparent. At this point I would like to introduce the 2003-2004 New England Patriots. Am I jumping on a bandwagon? Of course. But after four months of nothing but winning from the second-most-popular team in New England, it’s my responsibility to take the success of the Patriots and run with it like many sportswriters before me have done. It wasn’t until recently that I began looking at this year’s Pats and comparing them to Red Sox of years past. The Patriots seem to have all the good fortune and all the good breaks the Red Sox never seem to get. (Notice the use of “good fortune” rather than “luck” — luck implies a certain degree of dumbness and, personal biases aside, the Pats are no victims of dumb luck.) Just look at the most memorable moments for the Pats this season and compare them to the most memorable moments in recent Red Sox history: Week Seven at Miami: Normally reliable Dolphins place-kicker Olindo Mare misses not one but two field goals (one on a block and one on a kick wide right) at the end of regulation and in overtime. The Pats finally capitalize on their new life with five minutes left in overtime as Tom Brady connects with Troy Brown on an 82-yard strike in a 19-13 win. Game Seven, 2003 ALCS: Pedro Martinez goes to two-strike counts on four straight Yankees hitters in the eighth inning and can retire none of them as the Bronx Bombers rally from a 5-2 deficit to tie the score at five. The Yanks eventually win in extra innings. Week Nine at Denver: Facing fourth down in the shadow of his team’s oneyard line late in the fourth quarter and losing 24-23, Coach Bill Belichick calls for an intentional safety, increasing the Broncos’ lead to 26-23. After the Patriots defense forces a three-and-out on the Broncos’ ensuing drive, Tom Brady tosses an 18-yard touchdown pass to David Givens to ice a key 30-26 victory. Game Four, 1999 ALCS: Down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth and with John Valentin on first base, a slow grounder is hit toward Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch. He reaches out to tag Valentin, misses and throws to first base for the out at first. Despite never being tagged, Valentin is called out, the Yankees get a double play and the Sox are retired. The Yankees go on to win the game and the series. Divisional playoffs versus Tennessee: With less than two minutes to go and his team down 17-14, Steve McNair is driving his team toward a seemingly inevitable game-tying or game-winning score. Facing second down from the Patriots’ see MAHR, page 13

Yale sweep helps women’s hoops stay on top of Ivy rankings

in one goal only four minutes into the final period. Kathryn Moos ’07 added to the pending comeback a minute later, tying Dartmouth 4-4. McLaughlin notched her third goal of the season at 10:28 of the third period, marking the Bears’ first lead in the game. “When we realize we can capitalize on opportunities, our momentum and our energy picks up and we score,” said goalie Katie Germain ’04. “This comeback was crucial to our season because it showed the inexperienced players that we can battle any team in the nation.” Dartmouth tied the game with less than five minutes remaining in regulation to send the battle into overtime. Neither team scored, however, ending the game in a thrilling 5-5 tie. “This was a great opportunity for us to prove ourselves to the ECAC and to the Ivy League,” said Ramsay. “We came back as a team which proves more character than anything and gave us the momentum and energy we need to fin-

(L.A. Times) — Only the formality of a vote by major league owners Thursday stands between Boston real estate developer Frank McCourt and control of the Los Angeles Dodgers. McCourt needs 22 of the 30 owners to approve his $430-million purchase, but that vote, to be conducted by conference call, became largely academic Tuesday when both the ownership committee and executive council endorsed his bid during separate conference calls with Commissioner Bud Selig and other baseball officials. Because at least half of the clubs are represented on the ownership committee and executive council, those endorsements are considered tantamount to approval by the full ownership. “It would be very unusual for the clubs to not follow the recommendation of the committee,” said Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer. “Everything is on track for the vote Thursday.” Sources said there are tentative plans for McCourt and his wife, Jamie, to meet with the Dodger staff after the conference call and then hold a news conference at Dodger Stadium. It is unclear how many immediate changes McCourt has in mind beyond the appointment of Corey Busch, his transition point man, to a high-ranking position with the club. But it is apparent that the 11th-hour offer of billionaire Los Angeles developer Eli Broad to buy the club for the same $430 million, mostly in cash, has not impeded McCourt’s highly leveraged bid. Amid concern that has developed in Los Angeles over McCourt’s long-term intentions for the Dodgers and his ability to operate the club at a competitive level, sources said Mayor James K. Hahn, following up the emergence of Broad as a potential local owner, phoned Selig and DuPuy recently to gain a better insight into baseball’s process. DuPuy was reluctant to discuss their conversation but described it as positive and upbeat. “There was no attempt by the mayor to undermine McCourt’s ownership,” DuPuy said. “He was interested in the process and McCourt’s long-term plans and he wondered why McCourt had not been out there selling himself, and I told him that was our decision, that until a sale is finalized we ask the prospective owner to refrain from media and public comments. I told the mayor that he could blame us if he wanted, but the conversation was totally pleasant.” McCourt made several trips to Los Angeles early in the sales process in a futile attempt to find local investors. He is funding the purchase almost entirely with loans, including what had been a $205million loan from News Corp., the Dodger owner, until that was reworked last week in New York to bring McCourt’s proposal more in line with the industry’s debt-service rule. News Corp. will now stay on temporarily as a minority owner, with about 20 percent of the $205 million converted to equity. However, in the restructured proposal, McCourt is required to find an investor willing to buy out News Corp.’s equity stake in one to two years. A source familiar with the transaction corrected

see HOCKEY, page 13

see DODGERS, page 13

dspics.com

The women’s basketball team continued its winning streak Saturday with a 75-58 victory over the Yale University Bulldogs. The win brings their season record to 9-6 overall and leaves the team undefeated in the Ivy League. The Bears took the lead early in the first half, but Yale caught up by the end of the second quarter to tie the score at 31. Led by Tanara Golston ’04 and Holly Robertson ’05, Brown jumped

back quickly in the second half, soon regaining the lead for good. Golston and Robertson scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, during the game, and Lena McAfee ’07 scored a careerhigh 12 points, nine during the secondhalf comeback. The Bears have a big weekend ahead, as they take on the Tigers at Princeton University on Friday and the Quakers at the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday. — Jinhee Chung

W. ice hockey ties Dartmouth, splits series with St. Lawrence BY LEXI COSTELLO

Women’s ice hockey (8-5-2) tied No. 3 Dartmouth 5-5 at Meehan Auditorium Jan. 10. Dartmouth took the early lead in the first period of the ECAC match-up, scoring two quick goals within the first 10 minutes of play. But the Bears’ defense kept the puck out of their zone for the rest of the frame, while forward Katie Guay ’05 trimmed the deficit to one with her fifth goal of the season. The Big Green responded quickly to Bruno’s threat in the second period, posting its third and fourth goals for Dartmouth’s greatest advantage during the Ivy battle. After a series of formidable penalty kills for the Brown women, Jessica Link ’05 notched her tenth goal of the season, assisted by Amy McLaughlin ’05. Trailing 4-2 going into the final frame, the Bears netted three shots in a row in an unstoppable offensive rush. Margaret Ramsay ’06 set the pace for the Bruno attack, bringing Brown with-

Boston real estate developer set to acquire Dodgers