Tuesday, February 3, 2004 by The Brown Daily Herald

T U E S D A Y FEBRUARY 3, 2004

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXIX, No. 5

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

www.browndailyherald.com

Lee: Black students must be motivated to give back to community BY ELISE BARAN

keep up with professional standards and to demonstrate their caliber to their residents, said Dennis Hyater, a CALEA program manager based in Fairfax, Va. “It shows the credibility of a police department when a chief is willing to put

Americans must still work to achieve equality between blacks and whites, 50 years after the Supreme Court ended segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, said Carol Lee, the keynote speaker at Black History Month’s convocation last night. A professor of education and African American studies at BLACK HISTORY N o r t h w e s t e r n MONTH • 2004 University, Lee spoke on this month’s theme, “Is This Our Providence? Putting the Master’s Tools in Whose Hands.” Lee said she does not use the words “slave” or “slavery,” but instead uses “enslaved person” and “African Holocaust.” Surviving the African Holocaust was a kind of providence, she said. Lee stressed that although there has been great progress in the 50 years since Brown v. Board of Education, there is still a long way to go toward achieving racial equality. She said black students must challenge themselves to “contribute to the forward flow of knowledge” and “to the production of new knowledge.” “I give no one the position of master,” Lee said. Throughout her speech, Lee focused on the importance of giving back to the black community. Many black students are motivated to go to college not to give back to the community but by hopes of financial success, she said. She cited Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells and George Washington Carver as African Americans who did give back to their community. Lee also spoke about black access to the media. She said that although the media recognizes the black community

see ARMING, page 4

see BHM, page 5

Nick Neely / Herald

Black History Month convocation keynote speaker Carol Lee told the audience that Americans must continue to strive for racial equality.

Be unique despite journalism’s uniformity, Krulwich says

Outside inspection for accreditation will cover new DPS firearms policy

BY SHEELA RAMAN

Robert Krulwich knows how to work the system. And in a lecture yesterday, he said Brown students should follow his lead if they want to have satisfying careers. Krulwich, an ABC News special correspondent, has received multiple awards for his reporting, including a national Emmy for his investigation of personal privacy on the Internet. In the past, he has been a correspondent for CBS and National Public Radio, as well as an executive editor at Rolling Stone Magazine. His lecture in Wilson 101 was co-sponsored by Brown Student Radio and The Herald. To find their niche in the world, young people should strive to maintain their creative voices within dominating corporate structures such as ABC, NPR and CBS, Krulwich said. “The trick is to find the G-spot where you can take care of your business without getting fired,” he said. By creating informative newscasts using unexpected sound cadences and cartoon animation, Krulwich said he tries “to disturb people in their belief systems, because news should be see KRULWICH, page 5

BY ZACH BARTER

The Department of Public Safety’s newly drafted firearms policy will come under outside scrutiny when the department attempts to renew its professional accreditation in May. A three-person team from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies will come to campus May 1. During the five-day inspection, the team will examine DPS files to determine if the department meets all its applicable standards — about 350 in all. The standards address everything from officer training, recruitment and promotions to discipline and use of force, said Chief of Public Safety Paul Verrecchia. “Accreditation can be a valuable tool,” Verrecchia said. “You’re looking at yourself in a more proactive way to ensure that your procedures, policies and operations are all up to date.” The accreditation process is voluntary for law enforcement agencies. Currently, only four other Rhode Island police departments — Cumberland, Smithfield, Warwick and the Rhode Island State Police — have received CALEA accreditation. Departments choose to participate to

Sara Perkins / Herald

Despite yesterday’s warmer weather, the river under the South Water Street bridge remained iced over.

I N S I D E T U E S D AY, F E B RUA RY 3 , 2 0 0 4 Lupo’s relocates to make room for Providence housing development metro, page 3

Changes, renovations and new stores awaited students after winter break metro, page 3

The Herald’s winter sports insert reviews teams’ records, prospects insert, inside

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Dan Poulson ’04 considers gay family values and Republicanism column, page 7

Chris Mahr ’07 and Bernie Gordon ’07 debate the Super Bowl sports, page 8

rain and snow high 40 low 33

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004 · PAGE 2 Coup de Grace Grace Farris

W E AT H E R TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

High 40 Low 33 rain and snow

THURSDAY

High 46 Low 23 showers

FRIDAY

High 36 Low 19 partly cloudy

High 35 Low 24 rain and snow

GRAPHICS BY TED WU

Four Years Eddie Ahn

MENU THE RATTY LUNCH — Vegetarian Black Bean Soup, Beef Barley Soup, Grilled Tuna Sandwich with Cheese, Pasta Spinach Casserole, Corn Cobbets, Cherry Tarts with Bavarian Cream, Chocolate Cake with, Chocolate Sour Cream Icing, Lemon Meringue Pie.

V-DUB LUNCH — Vegetarian Liz’s Great Vegetable Soup, Chicken Gumbo Soup, Chicken Fajitas,Vegan Taco, Vegan Refried Beans, Mexican Succotash, Cherry Tarts with Bavarian Cream. DINNER — Vegetarian Liz’s Great Vegetable Soup, Chicken Gumbo Soup, Roast Pork Jour Ouvert, Cavatelli Primavera,Wild & White Rice Pilaf, Broccoli Cuts, Mashed Butternut Squash, Onion & Dill Rolls, Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream Icing.

DINNER — Vegetarian Black Bean Soup, Beef Barley Soup, Sesame Chicken Strips with Mustard Sauce, Garden Vegetable Lasagna, Sticky Rice with Edamame Beans, Vegetables in Honey Ginger Sauce, Sugar Snap Peas, Onion & Dill Rolls, Cherry Tarts with Bavarian Cream, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Icing, Lemon Meringue Pie.

My Best Effort William Newman and Nate Goralnik

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Furnish with gear 6 Homeless child 10 Developer’s map 14 “Beats me!” 15 Writer Rice 16 “Queen of Country” McEntire 17 Playground retort 18 What a traffic helicopter does 20 Suffered humiliation 22 Safe havens 23 Sun. talk 24 Smidgen 26 U.K. record label 27 Pile on the shaving cream 34 “__ Irish Rose” 36 Big name in wholesale clubs 37 Hwy. tow provider 38 Keep one’s selfrestraint 43 Co. e-mail address ending 44 Fair-hiring abbr. 45 Gives up rights to 46 Get a sneak peek at Ebert’s work 51 ’60s hallucinogen 52 “...or __ thought” 53 Sugar suffix 56 2004 Rose Bowl champ, briefly 59 Musical set in Berlin 62 “Are these anybody’s L’eggs?” 66 Adam of “Chicago Hope” 67 Me, myself __ 68 Farm haulers 69 TV host Gibbons 70 Pear variety 71 Alaskan seaport 72 Ventures DOWN 1 Icelandic epics 2 In most respects 3 Being attacked

4 Dedicated by the 39 Saxophone or 54 Snatch auth. oboe 55 Lab burners 5 Impoverished 40 Altar pledge 56 Mop, as the 6 Muted trumpet 41 Chem. or phys. deck sound 42 Wide shoe size 57 Melodramatic 7 Year, in Spain 47 Pickle company cry 8 Storekeeper’s with a 58 Pkgs. to pay for stock: Abbr. spokesstork 60 Like Mr. Clean 9 Service charge 48 Capri, for one 61 Vicinity 10 Toasting word 49 Epoch in the 63 Sweetums 11 Impose, as a tax Cenozoic Era 64 Tic-tac-toe loser 12 Brother of Cain 50 By way of 65 Religious sch. 13 Scarlett’s ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: plantation 19 One of Vishnu’s A B E T S P I E S S K I M incarnations L A D L E U N D O C L A Y 21 Baseball’s Mel M U R P H Y S L A W M O E S 25 Big name in S E N A T L A S E R N I E diamonds S E W A R D S F O L L Y 26 Otherwise H O T D O G S P O T 28 Arles article 29 Wall St. trading G E O W E D A R A F A T group M A Z D A S O P E L L E N 30 __ Nabisco T A G A R T S L E I G H 31 Industrious type A R E A L E T S G O 32 Roof projection H A L L E Y S C O M E T 33 Actress E L I T E S A M S I T A R Charlotte and R U B I K S C U B E L I L O explorer John D R O N E K N E E L E A N 34 Each 35 “It’s REALLY O N C E S E T O N Y E L L cold!” 02/03/04 xwordeditor@aol.com 1

14 17 21

24 27

51 57

36 39

Penguiener Haan Lee

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

U T’s Fifteen Days Yu-Ting Liu

53 59

02/03/04

Stumped? Call 1-900-226-4413. 99 cents a minute

happy birthday, sidney lanier

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD, INC. Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is published Monday through Friday during the aca-

Business Phone: 401.351.3260

demic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and

Juliette Wallack, President

once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box

Carla Blumenkranz, Vice President 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 Lawrence Hester, Treasurer

Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web:

Jack Carrere, Secretary

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

METRO TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004 · PAGE 3

Thayer Street businesses open, prepare for changes BY SARA PERKINS

Sara Perkins / Herald

The O’Gorman Building is one of several Westminster Street structures being redeveloped into loft apartments by Cornish and Associates. Others include the former homes of Traveler’s Aid, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel and the Met Café.

Lupo’s, Traveler’s Aid relocate to make room for new Downcity BY LELA SPIELBERG

Lupo’s lives. The concert venue owned by Rich Lupo ’70 has moved to The Strand on Washington Street, two blocks from its former location, the Peerless building on Westminster Street. Now called Lupo’s at The Strand, the venue has around twice the capacity of its old incarnation. In its place will be 97 new

apartments built by Cornish and Associates, part of a larger Downcity development scheme to create loft apartments and street-level retail space in several buildings along Westminster Street. Lupo’s had to be relocated because noise and vibrations from the rock club would disturb anyone living above it, the Providence Journal reported on

Dec. 4. A difficult negotiation between Lupo and Cornish and Associates President and CEO Arnold A. Chace required the intervention of Mayor David Cicilline ’83 to reach a Dec. 3 resolution. Cornish’s General Counsel Michael Corso explained it took Lupo so long to move out see DOWNCITY, page 5

Some of Thayer Street’s longvacant properties began to show signs of life over the winter break. A new crop of businesses and changes in some old favorites are subtly altering the familiar landscape. But much of the new development is shrouded in mystery. Philippe’s Pizza and Wraps is closed — and it is unknown for how long. Philippe Maazouk, who owns the eatery and its neighbor, Kartabar, is planning to surprise the public with a new and different Philippe’s, Kartabar Manager Kostos Karampestos told The Herald. Kartabar, under new management since the beginning of January, will also undergo a décor facelift and menu makeover, Karampestos said. Maazouk has yet to obtain a building permit to renovate either property, according to Providence Inspection Services. Across the street from CVS, 294 Thayer St. is also under new management. The glass storefront on the corner of Cushing Street has stood empty and dusty since the fall of 2002, when Clark Flowers left. Now, the windows are blocked with brown paper and a small sign on the door says “Cargo.” There are few other hints about the new operators. Around the corner, the for-

mer home of skate and snowboard shop Skate Away USA also stands empty. The managers of both properties, Capstone Properties, could not be reached Monday. C.J.’s Closet, a new clothing store squeezed in next to STA Travel at 224 Thayer St., opened the day after Thanksgiving. The hole-in-the-wall shop carries factory overruns and last season’s clothing for men and women from middle and high-end companies. “We’re trying to stick to the brands that we think college kids will like,” said Jen Ryan, “the J in C.J.’s.” Above C.J.’s, a stark white space is advertised as a new “Aveda Concept Salon,” Salon Kroma, but the future operators could not be reached Monday. At least Bagel Gourmet Olé, the promised outgrowth of Brook Street’s Bagel Gourmet, could open in a matter of weeks, according to an employee at the current location. The interior looks close to complete, if unfurnished, and the awning is erected. All the store needs now are some bagels and a few chairs. — With reports by Jonathan Herman Herald staff writer Sara Perkins edits the Metro section. She can be reached at sperkins@browndailyherald.com.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004

Arming continued from page 1 himself through such a rigorous process,” Hyater said. “Our standards deal with the betterment of services to each community.” DPS received its initial accreditation in 1998 and was reaccredited in 2001. During those inspections, DPS did not have to worry about CALEA’s standards on firearm use, Verrecchia said. But with President Ruth Simmons’ Dec. 1 decision to arm campus police, he said CALEA will expect to see compliance with those additional standards. Verrecchia said DPS is now circulating its second-to-last draft of the new firearms policy. The draft — the sixth so far — will go to top-level Brown administrators and an outside consultant for review. “We want our policy to be a model one,” Verrecchia said. “I feel that what we have … goes a little beyond what you see in a standard use-of-force policy.”

Super Bowl continued from page 8 er, 31 and 36 yards, money in the bank for Bill Belichick, and he choked. Pushed the first wide right, indoors, and kicked the second low and into the arms of a leaping linebacker. He wasn’t kicking for the title when he kicked the last kick — he was kicking for his life. No way could he live in Boston if he missed all three. Any kicker worthy of the name “Mr. Clutch” would have put the Panthers out of their misery early. Chris: Yeah, those first two field goal misses were a little bit disconcerting. But they illustrate the fact that Vinatieri is a very smart man as well as a respectable athlete. He misses the first two kicks on purpose, logically knowing that he’ll have a chance to hit a much bigger, more important kick later on, resulting in more TV time for himself and more Fords sold by the dealerships he so zealously endorses. Vinatieri makes kicks when they matter — the definition of a clutch kicker. And in the end, that last kick was the only kick he attempted that mattered. Bernie: What could matter more than a kick in a tied Super Bowl? But enough about that. Moving on. Chris: The Patriots have the

In preparation for the inspection, DPS is organizing its files, collecting “proofs of compliance,” drafting a public information plan and retraining its officers in the accreditation process, he said. The CALEA team leader will file an inspection report and make a recommendation on the department’s status to the central organization. Then, in December, DPS will go before the commission for a hearing on its application. The commission can choose to give full, conditional or no accreditation, although accredited agencies usually receive full renewal, Hyater said. But Verrecchia said DPS does not consider full renewal a foregone conclusion. “They may come in and find something you think you’re doing right, and they’ll say, ‘No, uhuh,’” he said. Herald staff writer Zach Barter ’06 edits the Campus Watch section. He can be reached at zbarter@browndailyherald.com.

makings of a dynasty. They have four draft picks in the first two rounds of the league draft in June. They have a two-time Super Bowl MVP at quarterback who’s 26 and has not yet tapped all of his powers. They have a young defensive backfield that will continue to get better and hit harder than it already does. They have a young offensive line that gets better the more it plays together. In short, the Patriots are poised to win again … and again … and again. Bernie: 1918. That’s all that I have to say about Boston dynasties. But seriously, the Patriots are not the dynasty. What about last year’s team? What about the injuries that plagued them at the beginning of the season? What about the lure of higher salaries elsewhere? I’m sorry, but two non-consecutive championships does not make a dynasty. The Patriots are enjoying their moment in the sun, but in the age of parity, their moment will be as fleeting as everyone else’s. And with that, our pointcounterpoint comes to a close, at least until April when the fields come alive in the Bronx and the Fens. Herald staff writers Bernie Gordon ’07 and Chris Mahr ’07 are assistant sports editors, meaning they argue about sports constantly.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 5

Downcity continued from page 3 because “(Cornish was) helping him find a place to relocate.” Lupo did not return calls from The Herald seeking comment. Cornish and Associates purchased the Peerless building from Kolb Properties in 1995. According to Corso, the company has been working with Keen Developers to turn the building into loft apartments by the spring of 2005. The 10-year interim between the purchase and development of the space arose because Lupo did not move out of Peerless until December 2003. His club had been located there since 1992, and when Cornish bought the building Lupo still had more than 10 years left on his lease, according to the Journal. Lupo’s is not the only tenant of Downcity Providence that is doing some relocating for the new development. Traveler’s Aid, an organization that assists the homeless and runaway youths, is moving from Union Street across I-95 to Broad Street. Cornish plans to turn the space formerly occupied by the shelter into a parking lot and residential unit. Lisa Roth Blackman, Traveler’s Aid’s director of development, said she is thrilled about the move and about Cornish’s plans for the space. Traveler’s Aid has grown out of its Union Street building, and it will have more room and resources to run its programs in the new location, Blackman

Krulwich continued from page 1 ‘new’ and different.” His own unlikely success in convincing major news organizations to accept his zany ideas should encourage recent college graduates not to be afraid to express unique ideas, he said. “You need to have the stomach to be creative. It’s definitely a high-low existence. But with recent technological developments in production, this is an especially creative time for broadcast. Have courage and optimism, and don’t take bad looks too personally,” Krulwich said. Although originality is necessary, specific career goals are not when you’re just getting started, according to Krulwich. After graduating from Oberlin College, Krulwich said he did not head directly into a career in broadcast journalism. In fact, he said, he was at a complete loss for what to do with his life. Although he finished law school at Columbia University, he said he realized during a summer job that a career in law would make him very unhappy. Krulwich said he sat one day in his living room and created a tape in which he answered questions in the style of a sportscaster about the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon. After the tape was rejected by most established radio stations, a leftwing underground station in

said. “The move is great,” Blackman said. “It benefits the homeless, and it benefits Downcity.” Blackman said she admires Cornish’s goal, which, according to the company’s Web site, is to build community and preserve historic architecture in the Downcity Providence Arts and Entertainment District. Corso said Rhode Island is even giving State Historical Tax Credits to Cornish to build the lofts and parking space. Although proponents of the plan say the development will benefit everyone involved, Brown Associate Professor of Sociology Hilary Silver said the deal might not be as sweet it is looks for Traveler’s Aid. Traveler’s Aid might be moving into a bigger facility, but it is also moving to a poorer neighborhood, Silver said. “People who are powerful displace people who don’t have money,” she said. “Every time there is redevelopment, it comes with a cost.” Silver said the changes to downtown Providence are the result of gentrification. Chace and Cornish want to turn the city into an arts and entertainment district, and once this happens, Downcity will attract students and counterculture types to downtown Providence, Silver said. Counterculture helps property values go up, but when this phenomenon occurs, the counterculture can’t afford to exist as it once did, she said. Herald staff writer Lela Spielberg ’07 can be reached at lspielberg@browndailyherald.com.

New York — WBAI, also known as Pacifica — agreed to air the recording at midnight. Strapped for reporters, the station then asked Krulwich to travel to the White House for the impeachment hearings. According to Krulwich, this began his varied journalistic career, for which he had no formal training. “As long as you have a general sense of what your inner voice is, you’ll be fine,” Krulwich said. “You make your way inch by inch, taking a consistent inventory at each step. You cast away things you don’t like, and move in the direction of things that turn you on.” He also said having a close personal network of colleagues is essential to professional fulfillment. “It’s so important to know there are people who will always protect you and support you even if you’re a little screwy,” he said. Students’ laughter punctuated Krulwich’s lecture as he told anecdotes of his early reporting days and presented tapes of his experimental work for NPR and Nightline. “I think that the niche he has carved out for himself is admirable given the pressures of mainstream media,” said Robin Amer ’04. “What he said about a supportive network of friends makes a lot of sense to me, and I hope to have that in my own career.” Herald staff writer Sheela Raman ’06 can be reached at sraman@browndailyherald.com.

BHM continued from page 1 than it did 50 years ago, it still does not recognize those blacks living in poverty. Instead of using one’s education to succeed financially, Lee proposed making education part of the black community’s goal. She said she hopes to see as many black men in higher education as in the prison system by the time current Brown students’ children are in college. Lee suggested many ways for black students to empower themselves as they enter the real world. “Until we have our own think tanks, own research universities and production, we will wrestle with the question of who is the master,” she said. She said black students are needed in the area of economics, health, public policy, communications and engineering to help the black community. She suggested to black students that they form study groups to help each other succeed. In an interview after the speech, she said black students must work harder to achieve their goals because we live in a society that is still permeated by racism. Lee ended her speech with a question to the black students at Brown. “Who do you bring with you as you march through Brown into the world?” she asked the audience. Emily McElveen ’04 and Langston Dugger ’04 spoke before Lee’s keynote. McElveen said that the success of black students is not just “providence.” Although Brown helps black students obtain the tools for success, it is up to them to use the tools, she said. Dugger focused his remarks on blackness and “tough black love.” He encouraged honesty and unity. “Black unity does not demand uniformity, but it does demand black accountability,” he said. Herald staff writer Elise Baran ’07 can be reached at ebaran@browndailyherald.com.

THURSDAY: BAPs: Black American Princess or Bourgeois, Arrogant and Pretentious? Wilson 101 7-9 p.m.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004 · PAGE 6 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Engaging diversity Black History Month is commonly described as a time to recognize the contributions and achievements of African Americans. We should not consider this task the responsibility of the black community alone. By doing so, we miss the point. The Third World Center sponsors a host of diversity programs, from the campus’s recognition of Black History Month to Cape Verdean Heritage Weekend to South Asian Identity Week. But for any of these programs to fulfill the TWC’s mission of promoting “racial and ethnic pluralism in the Brown community,” they must reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the campus in attendance and engagement. You do not need to identify as black to participate in Black History Month, any more than you need to identify as a political conservative to engage with a conservative lecturer. If we are to live in a racially and ethnically diverse community, then we must interact on a daily basis with a racially and ethnically diverse group of people. Otherwise, we are not a diverse community, but rather a collection of homogeneous groups. We challenge all students, faculty and staff to attend at least one Black History Month event, whether or not they feel engaged by its mission, and especially if they do not. Regardless of our racial and ethnic affiliations, we are on this campus we are first and foremost members of the Brown community. Programming for this year’s Black History Month includes everything from film screenings to lectures to a blood drive, and runs until Feb. 29 with events almost every day. There is something for everyone — artists, activists and academics — to discover in Black History Month. We urge you not to miss this opportunity — it is both your privilege and your obligation.

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 Dana Goldstein, RISD News Editor Alex Carnevale, Opinions Editor Ben Yaster, Opinions Editor Christopher Hatfield, Sports Editor

BUSINESS Jack Carrere, General Manager Lawrence Hester, General Manager Anastasia Ali, Executive Manager Zoe Ripple, Executive Manager Elias Roman, Senior Project Manager In Young Park, Project Manager Peter Schermerhorn, Project Manager Laird Bennion, Project Manager Eugene Cho, Project Manager William Louis, Senior Financial Officer Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Elyse Major, Advertising Rep. Kate Sparaco, Office Manager

PRODUCTION Lisa Mandle, Design Editor George Haws, Copy Desk Chief Eddie Ahn, Graphics Editor Judy He, Photo Editor Nick Neely, Photo Editor

POST- MAGAZINE Ellen Wernecke, Editor-in-Chief Jason Ng, Executive Editor Micah Salkind, Executive Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Josh Cohen, Design Editor Allison Lombardo, Features Editor Jeremy Beck, Film Editor Jessica Weisberg, Film Editor Ray Sylvester, Music Editor

Sidney Lanier, Night Editor George Haws, Copy Editor Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Zaneta Balantac, Elise Baran, Alexandra Barsk, Zachary Barter, Hannah Bascom, Danielle Cerney, Robbie Corey-Boulet, Ian Cropp, Sam Culver, Jonathan Ellis, Justin Elliott, Amy Hall Goins, Dana Goldstein, Bernard Gordon, Krista Hachey, Chris Hatfield, Jonathan Herman, Miles Hovis, Robby Klaber, Alexis Kunsak, Sarah LaBrie, Hanyen Lee, Julian Leichty, Kira Lesley, Allison Lombardo, Chris Mahr, Lisa Mandle, Jonathan Meachin, Monique Meneses, Kavita Mishra, Sara Perkins, Melissa Perlman, Eric Perlmutter, Sheela Raman, Cassie Ramirez, Meryl Rothstein, Michael Ruderman, Emir Senturk, Jen Sopchockchai, Lela Spielberg, Adam Stern, Stefan Talman, Joshua Troy, Schuyler von Oeyen, Jessica Weisberg, Brett Zarda Accounts Managers Laird Bennion, Eugene Clifton Cha, In Young Park, Jane C. Urban, Sophie Waskow, Justin Wong, Christopher Yu Pagination Staff Peter Henderson, Lisa Mandle, Alex Palmer Photo Staff Gabriella Doob, Benjamin Goddard, Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Miyako Igari, Allison Lombardo, Elizabeth MacLennan, Nicholas Neely, Michael Neff, Alex Palmer, Yun Shou Tee, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Emily Brill, George Haws, Leslie Kaufmann, Katie Lamm, Anne Rabbino, Melanie Wolfgang

ANDREW SHEETS

LETTERS

Privatized tableslips neglect public interest To the Editor: I applaud the coverage of complaints against Brown Events Magazine, but daresay that the objections raised do not go far enough. Beri Meric, the magazine's president, will be quick to tell you that there are alternatives — mailboxing, postering, and, of course, the infamous “communications table” — but student promoters know that these methods

are both impractical and ineffective. It is more than just a bit troubling that something so basic and essential to fostering Brown's student organizations has — literally — become privatized. Meric's response to any and all criticism, however, is a mantra that the group is based on feedback and is open to suggestion. Unfortunately, though, the group holds an effective monopoly on table-slipping, and thus has zero incentive to consider options it perceives as negative. More to the point, they’ve ignored exactly those pleas that are most urgent — the ones we’ve all seen scrawled on BEM covers in the Ratty: “Bring back table-slips!”

come on now, seriously... opinions@browndailyherald.com

Donald Tetto ’06 Feb. 2

...write a column.

CORRECTIONS POLICY The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. 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 autho rs 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 at its discretion.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2004 · PAGE 7

ERIC MAYER

DAN POULSON

American son(s)

Family un-values

Midway between the snow-washed sidewalks of Newark, Del., and the Byzantine disorganization of macadam and steel that is Providence, R.I., there lies a small town in northern New Jersey that, for reasons both personal and ethical, will not be referred to by name in this column. This town (let’s just call it “Baneton”) houses a family of Lebanese Christians my father befriended in his college years at another personally and ethically nameless institution, the pseudonymous “Venezuela University.” This family’s home was the destination of a lunchtime romp planned by my father and the aforementioned Lebanese Christians to occur en media res my car ride back to Brown. It may have been the pistachio baklava, but the closer I stared at my father’s Lebanese Christian college buddy, the more he seemed to resemble the cold, empty gas tank of a man that America has come to know as General Wesley Clark. I was told after our lunch in Baneton that the L.C.’s two sons suffered through heavy post-graduate education in engineering and robotics, only to gain what they presumably viewed to be disappointing employment as karate instructors and gas attendants. This fact raised W.C. to the forefront of my mental stage, as most card-carrying military people I’ve met would view a post-Armed Forces career in politics to be, well, disappointing employment. Clark as commander-in-chief is a similarly uninspiring notion for these men and women in combat suits — surprising, given the impression of loyalty towards the hierarchy that is consistently instilled into the American consciousness by the media regarding the United States military. Nevertheless, faux Southerner Clark has another, perhaps more distressing problem up North: no one else really gives a chraa, either. Inspired by my newfound and quite-contrived parallel between Wesley C. and a Venezuela U. alumnus stationed in Baneton, N.J., I began to peruse Wesley’s Internet base, deploying

Holding support for the general in “reserve.” a double-take to his aptly termed (and seemingly Dean-inspired) “Invade a State” grassroots campaign for today’s primaries. Instantly, the following deliberation clogged my upperworks: “I’m confused, Wes. Excuse me if I hold you to one of the many contradictory and whimsically insincere policy statements you’ve made in the months since you announced your candidacy, but I thought you didn’t want to invade states?” Since I like the TV show “Designing Women,” I decided to look at something that no intelligent being in their right mind would ever undergo: I watched Clark’s promotional biopic, “American Son.” Produced by “award-winning producer” Linda Bloodworth, whom you may remember as the writer of such award-losing television shows as “Designing Women,” the film is a sentimental journey through the life of a true American hero (or so its primary-colored website says). With every passing minute of majestically predictable celluloid, Clark imprisons himself in a mental cage of self-destructive accomplishment. Suitably absent from this narcissistic gangbang are the issues — high unemployment and preemptive war, for example — which hover above the film like an unanswered, white-haired ghost. Speaking of issues, if there’s one that will make or break Gen. Wesley — or, as he is referred to among some military insiders, “Weasely” — Clark’s possibly presidential career it will, in all likelihood, not be his appropriately militaristic notion of a Civilian Reserve, a sort of “New Deal” without the economic benefit. Weasely’s plan to suit non-combatants up with volunteer posts for deployment in disasters, terrorist attacks, and “nations impacted by famine” isn’t so much about the potential productivity achieved with a Socialistic Public Relations Maneuver. Rather, as the derisive and exceptionally long descriptive phrase I have chosen to reference this program suggests, our American son is primarily concerned with the act of pretending to do something. Weasely. Pretending to do something is something all Americans can pretend to appreciate. For the Lebanese Christians, it’s a way of life in the absence of better opportunities. For me, it’s a way to get out of an embarrassing situation, such as being beaten to death. For Gen. Wesley Clark’s possible presidency, that embarrassing situation may very well be his campaign. If, however, fate (or money) chooses to shove Clark’s white head inside the passenger-side door of the White House, this country may have two educated Lebanese-American sons working for an even smaller price—all thanks to that governmental appendix, the Civilian Reserve. Eric Mayer ’05 is from Newark, Del., and likes it there better.

Let’s face it: there is something so dignified about being marginalized, being a member of an oppressed identity category. I used to feel so cool walking around campus and feeling all oppressed because of my worrisome sexual identity. But now that’s becoming less and less the reality, because now homosexuality is boring. Really, really boring. Like, more boring than a bowl of cold oatmeal with a warm glass of Ovaltine. Which troubles me: where’s the excitement of “subverting normative values” and “shifting the paradigm” when people keep walking up to me for fashion tips? Why aren’t my mindless indulgences perceived as threatening and dangerous? I want attention, dammit. In fact, I take a small amount of pride in the fact that at least one facet of queer culture — gay marriage — has become one of the hot-button issues of the looming presidential race. Apparently the only way I can feel vaguely threatening is if I walk around with a wedding ring on my finger. Which is why I plan on not voting for John Kerry. Or is it John Ashcroft? I get them confused. Actually, the two aren’t as unalike as you might think. Because if there’s one campaign issue that all the candidates — rightwing and left-wing alike — can agree on, it’s that gay people should not get married. They might be able to get civil unioned, they might be able to have their little commitment ceremonies, and they might be able to die of AIDS with their loved ones standing over their hospital beds, but they may not, under any circumstances, get married. John Kerry’s position is typical of most Democratic candidates; after the gay marriage ruling in Massachusetts back in November, he endorsed “equal protection for gay couples” while re-affirming his continued opposition to gay marriage itself. There’s no telling what Howard Dean thinks — he reluctantly signed civil unions into law in Vermont a couple years ago, but he’s still coy on the issue of gay marriage itself. John Edwards told the gay civil rights group Human Rights Campaign that “not all of us agree on every single issue. But we all want the same freedoms.” Thank you for that magnificent evasion, Mr. Edwards. Which is to say, that in order to be really scary, I am going to have to become a Republican — not a real Republican, mind you, but a wholly new and monstrous creature that spews out mutated conservative jargon about “family values” and the “home” while holding up a pink-triangle flag. I believe this abrupt and unexpected transition will accomplish two very important goals: First, it will convince douchebags like Kerry to wake up and court my vote, and second, it will effectively undermine the insidious “traditional” rhetoric of conservatism. Gay marriage is the perfect issue when you think about it, something guaranteed to put Republican panties in a twist. If you’re a gay marriage supporter, you aren’t against family values. Rather, you represent the epitome of family values! Just imagine it: me and my future husband,

playing tennis at our exclusive WASPY country club; interviewing au pairs to teach Latin to our infant sons Ludwig and Amadeus; building an eight-car garage for our squadron of SUVs; standing up together at a PTA meeting to complain about the unspeakable moral filth in "Huckleberry Finn." Aside from the gay sex thing, there’s nothing about this rosy picture that Republicans can possibly object to, and that’s the beauty of it. If you’re a married queer, you can get all self-righteous and talk about how marriage brings families together and strengthens the loving bond between two people and blah blah blah — hell, you might as well be Rick Santorum. When the notion of gay Republicanism first emerged on the cultural landscape twenty years ago, the Log Cabin Republicans — still the most visible coalition of gay Republicans — were written off as an oxymoron. They were considered a Paleolithic attempt on the part of selfhating queers to integrate themselves into a conservative political machine that either ignored them or slandered them as immoral sexual deviants. Now their position seems positively revelatory, even if Republicans are hardly any more inclusive now than they were ten years ago. Look no further for evidence than Dick Cheney, a man who received significant help on his last political campaign from his lesbian daughter but nonetheless endorses a constitutional provision to prohibit gay marriage. But the Log Cabin Republicans are now largely seen as being on the forefront of a new movement to adopt the conservative agenda as a significant piece of the queer identity puzzle. In a strongly worded response following Bush’s State of the Union address, the Log Cabin Republicans reminded their conservative colleagues that, “the Republican Party has always championed family values … if you truly support family values you must value all families.” That sort of language is just the sort of tactically brilliant discourse queer people need to be engaged with, a language that co-opts the “family issue” thing and uses it to advance queer visibility and acceptance. Of course, as a newly minted gay conservative, I feel like I have an obligation to wonder openly about where this train is headed and what it means for the children. Will there be a new queer conservative movement advocating that queer kids “save themselves” before marriage? Will there be an explosion of touchy-feely parenting handbooks catering to a queer audience? Will there be an increase in the number of queer “spiritual advisors?” And lastly, the scariest question of all: Will I be forced to enroll in the NRA?

To stay politically relevant, queers must become the Brady Bunch.

Dan Poulson`04 has made the last reference to “Santorum” that will appear in these pages.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2004 · PAGE 8

Super Bowl XXXVIII: New Patriots Dynasty? BY BERNIE GORDON AND CHRIS MAHR

Yesterday’s Super Bowl was more than just a game. It was vindication — vindication for a whole school of coaches who had to suffer through the fame of Mike Martz, vindication for fans who sat through seasons of smashmouth football, and, of course, vindication for long-suffering Bostonians (not to mention an excellent opportunity for said Bostonians to ridicule New Yorkers). In celebration of the best Super Bowl in memory (collegiate memory, anyway), the two of us, one a New York sports fan and the other a Boston sports fan, wrote this point-counterpoint analyzing the game and made sure to argue for the sake of arguing. Chris, as the victorious Bostonian, gets to fire the first shot. Chris: Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Brentson Buckner and Mike Rucker went into Sunday’s game as the most heralded front four in professional football since the Monsters of the Midway (the 1985-86 Chicago Bears). They were going to dine on Tom Brady before the night was through. They were going to usher in a new standard for excellence on the defensive line. They were going to do all this, but they did nothing. They couldn’t even manage a measly sack of Brady. Sure, they roughed him up, but does allowing the eventual Super Bowl MVP to step up and throw for 350 yards and three touchdowns constitute dining on quarterback? I’d say not, and it certainly isn’t the New England bias that’s talking. Bernie: You can’t blame Julius Peppers for Tom Brady’s skill. As much as I’d like to rip on Brady, I can’t. He played as well as anyone could expect him to, and he earned that shiny red car. That does not mean the front four of the Panthers didn’t do its job. Brady was throwing under pressure, off of his back foot and rolling out of the pocket. The interception that Brady threw in the end zone was forced by pressure from Rucker and Buckner. There were at least 25 downs where Brady was hurried, knocked down or forced out of the pocket. Just like Michael Vick did in the Falcons’ late season win, Brady proved that an aware, mobile quarterback can thwart even the best rush. And what about the Patriots’ kicking? Adam Vinatieri, Mr. Clutch, supposedly the most clutch kicker in postseason history, he of the snow kick, missed two field goals in the biggest game of the year. Two field goals that should be chip shots for a quality kicksee SUPER BOWL, page 4

S C O R E B O A R D Sunday, Feb. 1 Men’s squash Dartmouth 9, Brown 0

Women’s squash Dartmouth 6, Brown 3

Skiing Second place, giant slalom Sixth place, slalom Sixth

Nick Neely / Herald

Fans react to New England Patriot Adam Vinatieri’s field goal in the final moments of the Super Bowl at Phi Kappa Psi.

Selfless Patriots show how it’s done BY MARK MASKE HOUSTON (Washington Post) — New England

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was operating on one hour of sleep when he appeared at a news conference Monday morning. Coach Bill Belichick was there, too, but, in his meticulous, fanatic fashion, he already was looking ahead. After a night of celebrating, the Patriots could take a few moments before leaving town to savor their long list of accomplishments this season, culminating with Sunday’s 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in a pulsating Super Bowl. Brady and his teammates carved niches for themselves in NFL history on an evening that featured everything from a halftime peep show to a streaker to a riveting game in which the defenses dominated two quarters and the offenses piled up 61 points in the other two. “I think I’ve coached close to 500 games, and I’ve never been in one that drained me as much,” Belichick said Monday. “The feeling at the end was great, but the process was tough on the heart.”

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said, “This is one of those moments after a Super Bowl game where you’re still catching your breath with excitement. You know you’ve seen a very special sporting event.” When place kicker Adam Vinatieri’s second Super Bowl-winning field goal in three years sailed through the uprights at Reliant Stadium with four seconds remaining Sunday, the Patriots ensured themselves of a place in history. They won’t be remembered as a dominant team. But they will go down as one of the most resilient, resourceful bunches. Injuries forced them to use 42 starters during the regular season, and yet they didn’t lose after a defeat to the Washington Redskins Sept. 28 at FedEx Field. They won their final 15 games, the second longest single-season streak in league history behind the 17 in a row of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. “I’ve never been around a team that was as consistent,” Belichick said. “I think we’ve had around 110 practices, and every day these guys came and worked and tried to

improve. It was such a group effort, to be a part of it was thrilling. ... We’ve won 32-29. We’ve won 38-34, and we’ve won 12-0. You never know with this team. But what has been consistent is the ability to make the key plays at the right time, whether on offense or defense.” Said Brady: “We’re a selfless team. You have 22-year-old guys and 38-year-old guys. You have guys who are married with kids, and guys right out of college. Everybody is different. But we enjoy being around each other, and we really enjoy playing football.” Brady, whose biggest decision Monday was picking which Cadillac product he wanted as his MVP reward, spoke admiringly of teammate Rodney Harrison. The veteran signed with New England as a free agent last off-season and filled the leadership void left when Belichick abruptly released safety Lawyer Milloy five days before the season. Harrison ended Sunday’s game out of the lineup, and Belichick said he didn’t find out until Monday morning that Harrison’s arm was broken. But he can enjoy a nice trip at Brady’s expense while he recuperates.

Halftime show exposes NFL for what it is BY SALLY JENKINS (Washington Post) — We have two new feder-

al investigations in this country: One into weapons of mass destruction, and, now, thanks to the Super Bowl halftime show, one into weapons of mass distraction. I’m so glad to hear the Federal Communications Commission is launching an inquiry into the halftime show. No doubt FCC Chairman Michael Powell is determined to follow the facts wherever they lead, but it’s going to take a lot of legwork and subpoenas and hearings if we’re going to delve into the hidden and scandalous truth that the NFL is a ... television program. The blame game has begun. CBS, MTV and a slew of spokespeople are pointing fingers at each other over Justin Timberlake’s ripping away of Janet Jackson’s bodice on national TV to reveal that she has, in fact, a breast. (Lord knows what might have happened if the world discovered she has two of them.) No doubt most of the fingers will be aimed at Timberlake

and Jackson for further eroding our society. It’s that dangerous rap music that makes kids behave this way, right? But I’d rather point my own finger directly at the league. If the Super Bowl halftime show was offensive and unsuitable for family viewing, I blame Paul Tagliabue and his fellow marketing executives at the NFL. It was their show, start to finish. Maybe now we’ll finally grasp the fact that the league is just another mass entertainment company, the Viacom of sports. For years NFL marketers have preyed on the sensibilities of the nation to sell their sponsors’ products. They have appropriated sex, patriotism, war and even the tragedy of Sept. 11 as commercial vehicles, and used them all to peddle more Coors and cars. You can always count on the NFL, during any legitimate national outpouring of sincerity, to seize on the topic of the day and bend it as a selling tool, along with breasty cheerleaders, Britney Spears, and faux-militarism, in search of higher ratings

and ad revenues. A 30-second Super Bowl spot now costs $2.3 million. So for the league to be suddenly shocked and indignant at the behavior of a bunch of MTV entertainers it hired in partnership with CBS to boost its cool points and halftime ratings is utterly disingenuous, and craven. Exactly what did the league expect when it rented the MTV culture? What happened during the halftime show was that a bunch of leering, irreverent scream-voiced rock stars decided to make the NFL pay for its pretensions and profitseeking. Let there be no dispute about one thing: of course Timberlake meant to do it, and of course it was part of the act, otherwise why was she wearing a piece of jewelry that looked like a silver sunburst on her nipple? What do they take us for? But whether you were offended by Kid Rock’s shredded American flag shirt, or Nelly grabbing his crotch at every opportunity, or Timberlake’s bump and grind with Jackson, the point was obvious.