F R I D A Y NOVEMBER 5, 2004
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXIX, No. 104
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
Students surprised, disappointed by passage of gay marriage bans BY ERIC BECK
To gay rights supporters, President George W. Bush’s victory over Sen. John Kerry was not the only important outcome of Tuesday’s election. Also important were the constitutional amendments passed in 11 states to prohibit same-sex marriages. Voters elected to ban same-sex marriage in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah. The language of the amendments passed in all the states except Mississippi, Minnesota and Oregon could also prohibit civil unions for gay couples. “It is disappointing to see in so many states across the union such a negative response to gay rights,” said Jonathan Udoff ’07, advocacy department chair of the Queer Alliance. Marc Donahue ’07, who identified himself as a member of Brown’s gay community, voted in his home state of Ohio, where 62 percent of voters elected to pass the amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. Donahue said the editorial board of Cleveland’s largest newspaper, the Plain Dealer, did not support the amendment — but for the wrong reason. The newspaper wrote that the ban would hurt the region economically because it would discourage same-sex couples from moving there, he said. “It was horribly idiotic that they tried to appeal to conservatives who hate gay people. It was really disgusting,” Donahue said. Many Brown students find the ban on civil unions especially frustrating. “It is particularly disappointing that some states would not compromise with civil unions,” said Jessica FredstonHermann ’08, a member of the Queer
Nick Neely / Herald
Yale Wang ’06, Brian Lee ’06 and visiting actor Parry Shen read through a scene from “Better Luck Tomorrow.” Shen played the part of a disfigured truck driver.
Star of “Better Luck Tomorrow” discusses film’s role in breaking down Asian stereotypes BY LESLIE KAUFMANN
When actor Parry Shen walked into a packed Salomon 001 Thursday night, more than one “He’s so hot!” was whispered excitedARTS & CULTURE ly. More than one nose was hurriedly powdered. More than one set of lips was quickly glossed. And a lot more than one camera was being focused on the stage. Shen, it seems, has arrived. The star of the acclaimed film “Better
see MARRIAGE, page 4
Luck Tomorrow” addressed a crowd of more than 80 in a speech entitled “Being Asian in Hollywood: Parry Shen on Race, Gender and ‘Better Luck Tomorrow,’” a keynote address for Asian American History Month. In a two-hour presentation that ran the gamut from film to social commentary to acting advice, Shen spoke of his experience as an Asian actor and how the 2002 film “Better Luck Tomorrow” changed not only his life, but
More than 25 years ago, Lenore Ronci would drive past the Brown campus every morning on her way to work and see young men with disheveled and poorly-cut hair. “They needed somebody up here,” she said — a hairstylist, METRO not just a barber. So in 1979, she opened Chez Lenore at the corner of Waterman and Thayer streets, where she has been in business ever since. But at the end of the year, she and the other tenants of the second floor of the Thayer Waterman LLC building will be evicted to make space for a new tenant. Ronci and the four other tenants were notified last week that they have 60 days to vacate the premises. The second floor is home to a law office, a communications firm, the Brown Entrepreneurship Program and a marine conservation col-
laborative, among others. Ronci said that though she once had a five-year lease, her landlord, Kenneth Dulgarian, said that he “doesn’t really believe in leases,” and she has been without one for 20 years. Ronci currently pays $625 a month in rent, in addition to utilities. “I felt like I was kicked in the stomach,” said Ronci, who was told by phone that she would have to leave the space she had rented for a quarter of a century. But she said she wasn’t bitter: “Business is business and I understand that. I’m a businesswoman, too.” Still, she said of her landlord, “I think when you reach that point in business, you lose something. You lose a certain feeling for people, a certain warmth and consideration.” Dulgarian, the former owner of the College Hill Bookstore, which closed
this year, refused to comment for this article. Ken Tsuji ’05, co-director of the Brown Entrepreneurship Program, agreed that “it makes complete business sense” for Dulgarian to seek new tenants at higher rents. But he called the eviction “unfortunate” and said it would take a “massive effort” to find a new site for the EP office. “I’m sure there’s some good that will come out of it,” he said, but lamented that “a lot of our efforts are going to be devoted to moving” rather than to more productive avenues. Tsuji said the EP is “considering all possibilities on-campus and off-campus” for its new site. Ronci said she is dedicated to remaining in business near Brown, as she estimates that about 90 percent of her business comes from the University,
see LENORE, page 4
see TARICANI, page 6
see SHEN, page 4
W E AT H E R F O R E C A S T
I N S I D E F R I D AY, N O V E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 4 Hope Street restaurant reopens after small fire forces temporary closing and major renovation metro, page 3
“Sugar Coated” exhibit at Sarah Doyle Gallery shows the not-sosweet side of domestic life arts & culture, page 3
Maybe it’s time to consider secession, writes Ethan Ris ’05. And he’s serious this time column, page 11
BY DANIELLE CERNY
A local television reporter will face charges of criminal conMETRO tempt for refusing to reveal the identity of the person who gave him a secret FBI videotape used in the 2002 “Operation Plunder Dome” trial of former Mayor Vincent Cianci and associates. On Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres told reporter Jim Taricani that he will face trial if he does not reveal his source by Nov. 18. Taricani is a reporter for WJAR Channel 10, NBC’s Providence affiliate. If found guilty, he would face a prison sentence of up to six months. Taricani was found in civil contempt on March 16 for refusing to disclose the source of an FBI videotape that showed former Providence City Hall official Frank Corrente accepting a cash bribe. WJAR aired the videotape before Corrente and three codefendants, including Cianci, were tried on corruption charges. The charges were the result of a four-yearlong public corruption investigation dubbed “Operation Plunder Dome.” The March 16 ruling highlighted the conflict between journalists’ rights to inform the public and defendants’ rights to a fair trial. Torres said the source of the video gave the tape to Taricani to undermine the Plunder Dome investigation or to deny those in the case access to a fair trial. For this reason, Torres said Taricani could not
Impending eviction leaves Chez Lenore looking for new digs BY BEN LEUBSDORF
Dispute over anonymous source could land local reporter in jail
Gavin Shulman ’05 asks Sidney Frank to donate a couple of bottles of Jägermeister column, page 11
Two women’s volleyball players take their success in stride, despite breaking multiple records sports, page 12
FRIDAY
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
THIS MORNING FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 2 Coreacracy Eddie Ahn
TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS EVENT: FALL BALL 9 p.m. (Alumnae Hall) — An annual semi-formal dance sponsored by the Key Society featuring a live DJ, cash bar, free non-alcoholic drinks and cocktail food. The Ursa Minors will perform between 9 and 10 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $12 with a Brown I.D.
NOT A CAPELLA MUSIC 8 p.m. (PW upstairs, 7 Young Orchard Ave.)— Come hear Brown rock band Get Him Eat Him, as well as the pop/hip-hop of Miss Fairchild and the baby sounds, dinosaur noises and electronica of Lucky Dragons. Doors at 8, show begins at 9. Cost: $2. Hopeless Edwin Chang
LECTURE:“ELECTION 2004: WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR AMERICA” Noon (Salomon 101) — Panel discussion of 2004 election featuring Jim Axelrod MA’89, CBS news correspondent, and Jill Zuckman ’87, chief congressional correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. Moderated by Darrell West, Director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy.
“HAS AFRICA ANY ROLE IN THE PRESENT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM?” (Lecture) Noon (Rhode Island Senate, State House)— A lecture by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, special advisor to the UN Secretary-General for Africa.
Jero Matt Vascellaro
MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Tangy BBQ Pork Spareribs, Roast Herb Potatoes, Broccoli au Gratin, Pancakes, French Toast, O’Brien Potatoes, Grilled Breakfast Sausages, Hard Boiled Eggs, Raspberry Sticks, Cheesecake Brownies, Chicken Stir Fry.
VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Mushroom Vegetable Soup, Rhode Island Quahog Chowder, Chicken Fingers, Broccoli Quiche, Corn Cobbets, Cheesecake Brownies.
DINNER — Fried Catfish with Tartar Sauce, Spanish Rice, Fresh Vegetable Melange, Italian Bread, Chocolate Pudding, Carrot Pineapple Cake, Steak and Pepper Fajitas.
DINNER — Vegetarian Mushroom Vegetable Soup, Rhode Island Quahog Chowder, Breaded Pollock Fillet, Vegan Baked Polenta, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Oriental Stir Fry, Italian Bread, Carrot Pineapple Cake.
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ARTS & CULTURE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 3
‘Sugar Coated’ subverts images of domesticity BY KIM STICKELS
Fairytale phrases and contrasting light and dark colors combine to highlight the relationship between appearance and reality in Jessica Ritter’s “Sugar Coated” at the Sarah Doyle Gallery. One can sense the tension underneath the focused embroidery and delicate painting that comprises many of the pieces, which range from traditional to more experimental. Ritter RISD M.F.A. ’03 intertwines crowns, bouquets and feathers throughout much of her work, which at first seems a light-hearted, girly take on a fairytale motif. Indeed, many of the pieces would be perfectly suited to the bedroom of a young girl. This simplicity is deceptive, however. Underneath the “sugar” one can find traces of sadness and loss. Bright pink flowers burst from a creamy white vase in the painting “Princess Bride”; only after examining the image longer does the eye also notice the dying, wilted flowers in the background. Ritter explores the tendency to mask reality with sweet falsities in the painting “Sugar Coated,” which emulates a candy label, stating, “Attention: This Product Has Been Sugar-Coated.” The piece exposes society’s tendency to hide ugliness and pain under false appearances of beauty. Ritter does not confine her questions to painting but integrates wood, pillowcases and a wicker headboard into her work, creating a bedroom feel in the gallery space. A buttercup yellow satin pillowcase with an abstract painted design is paired with a painting on the wall above it; the arrangement adds to the domestic atmosphere. Her ability to transform household objects into artistic creations challenges viewers to consider the place of art in their own lives. One of the highlights of the show is “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” which incorporates contrasting colors in a silkscreen print. Harsh red silhouettes of hair draped against mellow pinks, blues and greens create an abstract symphony of form and color. A closer look reveals the image of a dog superimposed upon a woman on all fours, returning to the theme of hidden ugliness. All of Ritter’s works are infused with swirls of move-
see SUGAR, page 6
METRO
Rue de L’Espoir to open Saturday after August fire BY CHIOKE HARRIS
After being closed for more than three months with unexpected delays after an August fire, the local restaurant Rue de L’Espoir was scheduled to reopen Saturday. Closed since Aug. 8, when the restaurant experienced a small fire in the kitchen, the renovation process has been plagued with delays that have pushed back the opening date repeatedly. While the intention of the owner, Deborah Norman, was to quickly repair what damage there was and reopen promptly, health inspectors condemned the entire kitchen due to extensive smoke and water damage, forcing the restaurant to close. Since then, Norman has struggled with the process of getting through all the hurdles of “making sure all the adjusters and all the inspectors were in agreement with everything that had to be done,” she said. “It needed to be redone mostly because there was smoke damage and water damage and smell. And in order to get the smell out of the kitchen, everything had to be taken down to the studs and treated or scraped away and built back out again. And all the equipment was damaged from the water,” Norman said. The unforeseen delays have resulted in the projected opening date being pushed back repeatedly. Initially, the restaurant was expected to reopen at the end of September, less than two months after closing. But that date had to be pushed back three times to accommodate the constant delays. Located near Brown’s campus at 99 Hope St., Rue de L’Espoir has been in business since 1976. The restaurant was frequented by Brown students and faculty, as well as many locals and professionals from the area. According to the owner, Rue de L’Espoir is wellknown regionally and is a popular spot for visitors from out of town. It has been featured in print media such as the New York Times, Esquire and Bon Appétit, and it is popular for its weekend brunches as well as its versatility in being one of the few local restaurants that offers both breakfast and becomes “a white-tablecloth restaurant at night.” Norman doesn’t anticipate any drop in business when the restaurant reopens in a few days. There has been consistent demand from former customers for the restaurant to reopen. “I can’t walk through the grocery store without someone asking me when we are going to be opening,” she said. “People come up to me and don’t even ask me how I am, they just ask me when the restaurant is opening.” While Norman did not want to give away any surpris-
es, she said the interior of the restaurant will be updated, even though it was not affected directly by the fire. Although the restaurant décor will change, much about Rue de L’Espoir will remain reassuringly similar for returning customers. Menus will be changing only slightly to accommodate shifting seasons, and all the regular staff will be returning. “We’re hoping that all of our loyal clientele does come back, and we are so sorry for all the inconveniences we caused. We hope that nobody’s found anyplace else to eat in the meantime,” she said.
Liberal Israeli politician calls for U.S. involvement in conflict Avraham Burg, former speaker of the Israeli Knesset, gave a lively speech before a receptive crowd of about 60 at Hillel Wednesday evening, using humor and colorful analogies to argue for international involvement in ending the conflict in the Middle East. “We live in a world without borders,” Burg said, explaining that events outside Israel affect the country and events in Israel impact the rest of the world. Burg said one of the world’s priorities should be to solve problems in the Middle East and asked the newly reelected President George W. Bush to help with the effort. “If you do not solve the Middle East conflict, forget about the rest of the world,” he said. Burg used his “falafel philosophy” analogy to explain his belief that Israeli Jews must be willing to compromise to achieve peace. He said that most Israelis want to fit three falafel balls on a pita that will hold only two. The three metaphorical falafel balls are keeping the greater land of Israel and the biblical Promised Land, maintaining the Jewish majority and sustaining a democratic state. Burg said the Israelis can only have two of those at the same time. Burg is a member of the Labor Party who resigned from the Israeli Knesset in June. Known for his leftwing politics and tolerant attitude towards Palestinians, Burg has recently been delivering his speech, “Struggling Toward Peace in Times of Terror,” at U.S. college campuses. — Stu Woo
PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004
Lenore continued from page 1 mostly from men. She is seeking another space near campus and has two possible sites in mind but expects to pay much more than for rent than she has been. Still, she said, she will not raise
Marriage continued from page 1 Alliance. Fredston-Hermann said she thinks civil unions are an important starting point for full acceptance of gay rights. The margins by which the amendments passed surprised many students. The smallest margin was in Oregon, where the amendment passed by 15 percentage points. In Mississippi, 86 percent of voters supported the ban. “I really had no idea that entire states were against gay marriage. I thought it was just small, radical groups,” said Natalie Korth ’08. Brown students had different explanations for the success of the amendments. “Knowing someone who is gay and realizing that it is not the end of the world” makes people more tolerant, Udoff said. Though he votes in Rhode Island, Udoff’s home state of Georgia passed a ban on samesex marriage. He is from Cobb County in suburban Atlanta, “one of the most conservative
her prices to compensate. “I’m still the best price in the area, and the best haircut,” she said, adding that she enjoys providing a necessary service to the Brown community. She charges $17 for a haircut and shampoo, for both men and women. This is good news to Stephen Barlow ’08, who recently chose to get his hair cut at Chez
Lenore rather than by the barber in Faunce House. Barlow said that he was “very satisfied” with his haircut and enjoyed the conversation he had with Ronci, and said that after she moves, “as long as the distance is within reason, I will return.” “I am not going to disappear into thin air, I promise,” Ronci said.
counties in the United States,” he said. Urban Atlanta is very gayfriendly, but the conservative base of the rest of Georgia helped pass the amendment, Udoff said. Aaron Eisman ’08 said he thinks that the anti-gay-marriage movement is not as virulent and widespread as the success of the amendments might suggest. “I think the majority would not rally against gay marriage, but people given the choice would vote against it,” he said. Donahue added, “It seems like people do not understand the issue and are not ready for it.” Many supporters of the amendment do not think about the impact that it has on people who are gay, Donahue said. He said it is important for many people to get married in the church they grew up in, and proponents of amendments banning gay marriage do not realize that they are denying gays the ability to enjoy that same special experience. Christopher McAuliffe ’05, president of the Brown College Republicans, called the amendments a “very poor point” in what was otherwise “a great day
for freedom.” He called the amendments that also ban civil unions particularly “odious.” McAuliffe, a Herald opinions columnist, said, “The government needs to reassure people that what they know as marriage isn’t going to disappear.” He added that he believes the government should still offer civil unions and other legal protections to same-sex couples. “Ideally, I would like the government out of marriage completely,” he said. Election Day was not a complete defeat for the gay rights movement. Voters in Cincinnati elected to repeal a ban on “using queer identity as protection for discriminatory actions,” Udoff said. In other words, the repeal of the law protects gays in Cincinnati from discrimination. Still, the success of anti-gaymarriage amendments is disheartening to gay rights activists at Brown and throughout the country. “It’s been a very depressing few days,” FredstonHermann said. Herald staff writer Eric Beck ’08 can be reached at herald@browndailyherald.com.
Shen continued from page 1 also the role of Asian actors in Hollywood. Described as a “funny-sexyAmerican powerhouse” by Rolling Stone, “Better Luck Tomorrow,” or “BLT” to fans, was touted as shattering the stereotypes of Asians in film by portraying Asian American teenagers in roles that were formerly filled by white actors. Shen, who played one of the main characters, recalled his surprise at being offered a leading role specifically held for an Asian actor. An independent film directed by Justin Lin that garnered enormous attention at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, “BLT” went on to become the first Asian American film to be picked up at Sundance and the first film ever to be bought by MTV Films. Shen took the audience through an interactive acting exercise, handing out scripts that included “Asian” parts and having audience members act out the scenes. The first series of skits illuminated the stereotypical roles designated for Asian actors, comprised mainly of delivery boys or people with extensive martial arts skills. Shen played “casting director” in each skit, offering “advice” to the “Asian” actor in each scene. “They have to be impressed with your martial arts skills,” he quipped. And for another skit, he commented on the actor’s accent, saying, “He’s probably new to this country.” Shen said he had been told exactly that, verbatim, in an audition several years ago. The second series of skits, taken from movies released after “BLT” as well as from “BLT” itself, showed how newer films had chipped away at the stereotypes. “I don’t see it going back to where it used to be,” Shen said about the depiction of Asians in film, going on to say that he believed “BLT” had set the bar. Despite the success of the film, Shen readily admitted that America is still far from ridding itself of misconceptions of Asians. He recounted a story that took
Beat Yale
place in the car on the way to “BLT’s” premiere, when he and other actors in the film handed a poster for the movie to the driver, telling him to see the movie when it came out in theaters. After double-checking that his Englishspeaking passengers were actually the Asian people on the poster, the driver asked them if the movie would have subtitles. The first 35 minutes of the lecture were devoted to the screening of a documentary called “Better Luck Tomorrow: Genesis,” which was taken by an outsider during the filming of “BLT.” The filmmaker, Evan Leong, captured the essence of the film, focusing on the concepts of opportunity and the feeling of family that were pervasive on the set. Since its modest beginnings on a $250,000 budget that Lin financed himself, the film has gone on to gross over $25 million in sales. But Shen warned against doing things for money before happiness, saying that “BLT” was a success because it was a labor of love, not only on Lin’s part, but on the actors’ as well, all of whom waited six years to see a paycheck for their work on the film. “It’s easy to say what you would do, but it’s what you would do when it’s most inconvenient for you when it counts the most,” Shen said. “It’s like that saying, ‘It’s the journey, not the destination,’” he said. Shen’s visit to Brown was one of many stops he has been making at universities across the country, offering an Asian perspective on the film industry — and on society in general — that many are not privy to, he said. John Brougher ’06, one of the programmers for Asian American History Month, said he thought Shen “lends an interesting insight.” “He’s a big movie star, but he also had to move up through the ranks and make his way through Hollywood, and I think he can tell a lot to people, not just actors,” Brougher said. Herald assistant Arts & Culture editor Leslie Kaufmann ’05 can be reached at herald@browndailyherald.com.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
WORLD & NATION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 5
Accounts of Arafat’s condition conflict PARIS (The Washington Post) — Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat remained critically ill at a military hospital near here late Thursday night after slipping into unconsciousness on a day dominated by rumors, confusion and false reports that he had died. A French military spokesman at Percy hospital southwest of Paris said that the 75-year-old Arafat’s condition had become “more complicated.” The spokesman, Christian Estripeau, reading a brief statement he said was authorized by Arafat’s wife, Suha, confirmed that the Palestinian leader had been transferred Wednesday afternoon to a unit “suitable for his condition.” He added, “Mr. Arafat has not died,” but would not take questions or provide details. A former adviser to Arafat, who asked not to be further identified, said the Palestinian leader was being supported by a respirator. “He is in very, very critical condition—he’s not breathing by himself,” said the former adviser, speaking from Arafat’s damaged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator with Israel and one of Arafat’s longtime advisers, said he had spoken by phone to members of Arafat’s entourage outside Paris. The word was that Arafat’s situation was difficult and that he was not improving, Erekat said. Earlier in the day, Erekat said he had talked to Suha Arafat, who had described her husband’s condition as “stable but difficult.” Erekat said she told him that reports Arafat was in a coma were “not
see ARAFAT, page 8
Bush aims to use ‘political capital’ WASHINGTON (Los Angeles Times) — Declaring that this year’s election had armed him with fresh “political capital,” President Bush said Thursday he would use that asset to try to change Social Security and alter the federal tax code — twin goals certain to provoke strong opposition. Exuding confidence at his first news conference after his victory in a a contentious election, Bush said he hoped to work with Democrats in pursuing his agenda. But he left little doubt he would press ahead without them, if need be. “Let me put it to you this way: I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it,” he said. “It is my style. That’s what happened after the 2000 election. I earned some capital. I’ve earned capital in this election, and I’m going to spend it for what I told the people I’d spend it on.” The agenda, he said, includes “Social Security and tax reform, moving this economy forward, education, fighting and winning the war on terror.” In spotlighting his ambitious agenda after winning re-election, the president clearly was buoyed by his solid win over Sen. John F. Kerry in the nation’s popular vote. Unofficial returns showed the president with slightly more than 59 million votes (roughly 52 percent to Kerry’s 55.4 million (roughly 48 percent). That made Bush the first presidential candidate since his father in 1988 to capture more than 50 percent of the vote. And it contrasted with the result in 2000, when Bush eked out an electoral-vote win despite losing the popular vote. Bush’s apparent eagerness to push his major initiatives also reflected a keen awareness among senior White House officials that most second-term presidents enjoy a relatively small window of opportunity in which to enact their priorities before another election season gets under way and the incumbent is increasingly hindered by lame-duck status.
Appearing relaxed and in good humor throughout the 40-minute news conference, Bush said he would begin contemplating changes to his Cabinet and White House personnel this weekend while at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains. “I haven’t made any decisions on the Cabinet yet,” he said. Speculation in Washington has been that Attorney General John Ashcroft would be among the first to leave their posts during Bush’s second term, a departure that would create a high-profile opening for him to fill. The prospect of at least one vacancy on the Supreme Court in the near future has arisen with the news that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has thyroid cancer. Stressing that he would deal with vacancies on the Supreme Court if and when they occur, Bush reiterated that his nominees would be “somebody who knows the difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.” Bush made the case anew for his Iraq policy, the issue that dominated much of the presidential campaign. “Every American has a stake in the outcome of this war,” he said. “We will persevere until the enemy is defeated. We will stay strong and resolute.” As he did Wednesday after Kerry conceded the presidential race to him, Bush sounded conciliatory notes in the wake of a campaign marked by harsh rhetoric and bitter attacks by both sides. “The campaign over, Americans are expecting a bipartisan effort and results,” he said. “I will reach out to every one who shares our goals.” And after having sharply assailed Kerry’s foreign policy views during the campaign, Bush said, “Democrats
see BUSH, page 8
PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004
Sugar continued from page 3 ment — wisps of vines and flowers and organic shapes add a living quality to the work. The weakest piece of the show, “Light as a Feather,” an abstract, childlike drawing, seems unfinished. Ritter’s exhibit raises more questions than it answers. Why do we try to escape through constructing fairy tales? What defines the boundary between fine art and
handicrafts? Can an embroidered word on a pillowcase be considered art? She forces the viewer to examine his or her own illusions of reality, too often subverted by the message of fairytale perfection. Ritter’s art is just as much about appearances as it is about creating meaning. Her pieces require an active participation by the viewer to whittle away at the secrets that they conceal. “Sugar Coated” runs through Nov. 30 at the Sarah Doyle Gallery. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Taricani continued from page 1 use confidentiality as a shield to prevent the violator from being prosecuted. Torres referenced the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court case Branzburg v. Hayes, which states that reporters do not have a First Amendment right to refuse to answer “relevant questions put to them in the course of a grand jury investigation or criminal trial.” After the ruling, WJAR released a statement expressing the station’s disappointment in the court’s continued efforts to force Taricani to reveal his source. “As a news organization, we report information, sometimes involving wrongdoing, about the government. Often, we can only do that with the help of people who seek confidentiality,” read a statement on the station’s Web page. While making his ruling, Torres said, “Identifying the source in this case doesn’t mean you’d be required to reveal confidential sources in all cases.” Instead, Torres says the court
only forces journalists to reveal sources if there are unique, compelling reasons. Torres said that this case had the compelling reasons necessary to force Taricani to reveal his source, since the source committed a criminal act by releasing the video. Yet Taricani has refused to reveal his source and has been paying a fine of $1,000 a day since the ruling. He has paid $85,000 in fines so far, but Torres said it was clear the sanctions were not working. Torres also said since Taricani was obviously not paying the fines himself, increasing the fines would not create the incentive necessary for Taricani to comply. For this reason, Torres said Taricani left him no other option than to order a criminal contempt hearing. Torres urged Taricani to reconsider his position, reminding Taricani that if he complies with the court order before the criminal contempt hearing, he will avoid any jail time. Torres asked Taricani to consider whether it was reasonable for the tape’s source to expect Taricani to defy a court order and possibly go to jail and
Ukraine continued from page 7 have equal access to, and unbiased coverage by, the media,” Christodoulides said. “Both the authorities and political forces
whether the source even deserved Taricani’s protection. “What obligation do you have to the source when their failure to disclose this information got you into this predicament?” Torres asked. He continued, “What kind of person would sit back and remain silent while you face criminal contempt?” Torres advised Taricani to consider approaching the source to discuss the matter before the Nov. 18 hearing. After the case, Taricani said he will seriously consider what Torres had said but that he had made a promise to his source and intends to keep it. Taricani said he periodically meets with his source but did not know if he would go to see the source before his criminal contempt hearing. He said he intends to keep his promise but will “consider very carefully what the court has said today” and will consult with his family and counsel. Herald staff writer Danielle Cerny ’06 edits the Campus Watch section. She can be reached at herald@browndailyherald.com.
should refrain from any undue interference in the electoral process.” Nearly 75 percent of registered voters turned out in Sunday’s election, a national record for the post-Soviet era and a measure of the campaign’s intensity.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2004 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7
Elizabeth Edwards is diagnosed with breast cancer BOSTON (Los Angeles Times) —
Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the former Democratic vice presidential nominee, was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her husband and Sen. John F. Kerry conceded the election. Edwards, the 55-year-old wife of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, had discovered a lump in her right breast while campaigning last week, according to spokesman David Ginsberg. A family physician advised her last Friday that it appeared to be cancerous and urged her to see a specialist. Elizabeth Edwards put off the appointment in order not to miss the final days of the campaign. But minutes after Kerry conceded the election Wednesday afternoon in a speech at Boston’s Faneuil Hall, Edwards and her family went to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she had a needle biopsy performed. Dr. Barbara Smith confirmed that Edwards had invasive ductal cancer, Ginsberg said Thursday. It is the most common type of breast cancer, and can spread from the milk ducts to other parts of the body. Edwards was undergoing more tests to determine how far the cancer has advanced and how to treat it, he said.
“They are very upbeat and optimistic about beating this,” Ginsberg said. The North Carolina senator released a statement calling his wife “as strong a person as I’ve ever known.” “Together, our family will beat this,” he said. The senator and his wife flew home to Raleigh Wednesday evening and have not yet decided where she will seek treatment. Invasive ductal breast cancer accounts for 70 percent to 80 percent of all breast cancer cases. Treatment and prognosis depend on how early the tumor is detected and how far it has spread before treatment begins. Oncologists generally use surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy in various combinations, depending on the severity of the disease. If the cancer is detected before it has spread to more than a few lymph nodes, the prognosis is very good and there is a high likelihood of a cure. The more the cancer has spread, the lower the likelihood of successful treatment. Elizabeth Edwards charmed audiences along the campaign trail with her warm, self-effacing tone and gracious manner.
She was often accompanied by her two children, 6-year-old Emma Claire and 4-year-old Jack, who were born through in vitro fertilization after the death of her eldest child. She and her husband also have a 22-year-old daughter, Cate. Their son Wade was killed in a 1996 car accident when he was 16. On the campaign trail, the media often described Mrs. Edwards as “real” and down-toearth. She described herself as the “anti-Barbie,” comfortable with her weight and her husband’s youthful looks. The former bankruptcy lawyer stumped across the country for the KerryEdwards ticket, hammering President Bush on issues including terrorism, abortion and veterans’ benefits. She maintained a vigorous travel schedule in battleground states and throughout the presidential race, introducing her husband at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July. Elizabeth Edwards grew up in Florida and overseas, the child of a naval officer. She met her husband at the University of North Carolina Law School in Chapel Hill, where they were students. The couple married in 1977.
VaxGen wins U.S. contract for anthrax vaccine (Los Angeles Times) — Biotech com-
pany VaxGen Inc. has won an $887.5 million contract to supply the federal government with a new anthrax vaccine that will be stockpiled for use in a national emergency, the Health and Human Services Department said Thursday. The contract to the Brisbane, Calif.-based company is the first to be awarded under Project Bioshield, a new program designed to increase the availability of vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat infectious diseases that might be part of terrorist attacks. The news drove up VaxGen’s stock as much as 16 percent in after-hours trading. In regular trading VaxGen shares closed Thursday at $14.35, up $1.90, on the over-the-counter market. The anthrax vaccine stockpile would be enough to protect about 25 million people if terrorists launched a broad assault with the bacterium. VaxGen anticipates that it will deliver the first vaccine doses in early 2006, company President Lance Gordon said. But VaxGen and government officials both cautioned that the new vaccine needed to undergo testing in both animals and humans to
prove that it was effective before that delivery could occur. The company will not receive any money until doses of the vaccine are actually placed in the national stockpile, so VaxGen is making a rather substantive bet that they can bring the trials to a successful conclusion. “The company is taking a lot of risk to be involved in this,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But the company would probably not have pursued the vaccine at all if the government didn’t commit to its purchase, he added. Officials stressed that the vaccine was not being purchased for use on U.S. soldiers. “The military will have to make their own decision,” said Dr. Philip Russell, medical adviser to the Health and Human Services Department. The vaccine could not be given to soldiers until it was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. A federal judge last month barred the military from forcing soldiers to be injected with the current anthrax vaccine, manufactured by BioPore Laboratories in Lansing, Mich. Hundreds of
soldiers have been punished or discharged from the military for refusing to undergo vaccination because of the fear of side effects. Health officials hope that the new vaccine, developed over the last 10 years by scientists at the U.S. Army Military Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, will eliminate side effects because it is a purer product. The existing vaccine is produced by growing the anthrax bacterium in culture and isolating so-called antigenic proteins from the bacterial surface. The vaccine is not highly purified, however, and contains a variety of other biological materials from the cell culture. In contrast, the VaxGen vaccine is a recombinant DNA product in which the antigenic protein is grown in other organisms. It can be made much purer, and thus is less likely to produce adverse side effects. “We’ll know exactly what is in the product,” Gordon said. If all goes well, VaxGen will deliver all 75 million doses of the vaccine within three years. Gordon said the company planned to submit an application to the FDA in 2006 to license the vaccine for general use.
Monitors criticize elections in Ukraine (The Washington Post) — This past
Sunday’s presidential vote in Ukraine fell short of “European standards for democratic elections,” a Western monitoring team said in a statement, citing bias by state-controlled media, disruption of opposition campaign events and government interference on behalf of its favored candidate, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
Yanukovych won about 40 percent, and the leading opposition candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, had about 39 percent, according to the Central Elections Commission. Because the official figures showed neither candidate with a majority, a runoff election between them will be held on Nov. 21. “Ukraine now has three weeks to show that it is willing
to organize democratic elections in accordance with its commitments,” Doros Christodoulides, head of the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said at a news conference in Kiev. “The authorities should ensure that both candidates
see UKRAINE, page 6
PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004
Arafat continued from page 5 true. She told me he is not in a coma.” Other Palestinian leaders, who gathered in emergency session at Arafat’s Ramallah compound, also denied reports in the Israeli news media that Arafat was brain-dead and on life support. “Arafat has no type of brain death,” Arafat’s personal physician, Ashraf Kurdi, told
Bush continued from page 5 want a free and peaceful world.” But administration officials made clear that there would be limits to the president’s efforts toward bipartisanship. “His arm is only so long. It’s important for others to reach back as well,” said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. The president vowed to press for legislative action as soon as possible on three major domestic goals: a sweeping overhaul of Social Security, broad changes in the federal tax code and an expansion of his education program, which requires large-scale standardized testing of students to hold schools accountable. But he steered clear of detailing his plans, which are certain to be controversial in Congress and the nation. He said he thought his education proposals “could move pretty quickly, because there’s been a lot of discussion about
Volleyball continued from page 12 set last year by Sarah Gascon of Southeastern Louisiana University. “I think she has the capabilities of having the all-time record of Division I,” Short said. Not that Kung is letting that go to her head. The biology concentrator from Long Island, N.Y., said that after graduation, she’ll take a year or two off and then think about applying to medical school. She said continuing her career at the next level of volleyball is unlikely. “I’m too short,” Kung said, when asked if she would play professionally or for the national team. But she added she decided to consider playing in beach volleyball after participating in an Association of Volleyball Professionals tournament in Newport last summer. “I would love to go on the AVP tour; it’s a possibility,” she said. Like Kung, Martin is a bit bashful about sharing her achievements. The setter from Freelton, Ontario, is the current Brown record holder for assists per game and is second in total career assists, notching her 3,000th earlier this week. She said that like Kung, she also doesn’t keep much of a tab on her record-breaking feats.
al-Arabiya television. Still, given the lack of official word, rumors swirled for most of the day. President Bush was asked at a news conference about reports of Arafat’s death, and replied: “My first reaction is God bless his soul. My second reaction is that we will continue to work for a free Palestinian state that’s at peace with Israel.” Earlier in the day, a senior Palestinian official said Arafat had lapsed into a coma, and Palestinians in Paris delayed indefinitely a news conference
education; it’s an issue that the members (of Congress) are used to debating.” But he acknowledged Social Security and tax reform likely would need considerably more “legwork.” He added: “I fully understand that.” On taxes, Bush said his goals were to simplify the tax code and encourage savings and investments. He said he favored keeping the current provisions that make mortgage interest and charitable contributions tax deductible. Bush’s plan to overhaul Social Security would grant younger workers the option of diverting some of their Social Security payroll taxes into personal savings account that they would manage themselves. During the campaign, he did not mention that such a move could incur transition costs. On he did on Thursday, although he did not offer estimates. Some program experts say the costs could reach as much as $2 trillion over 10 years, because the system would have to pay benefits to current beneficiaries and to those who will “When I’m playing, I’m not worrying about ‘Oh, sweet, that’s another set assist for me,’” said Martin. “I didn’t play to get into the record books, it just happens to be that I’m making it in there.” Breaking records is not a new thing for Martin — she broke her first Brown record during the first league game in her freshman year. In her first Ivy League game, Martin notched 73 assists, tying her for fifth alltime at Brown. “When that happened, it was like, ‘Wow, I can do this,’” Martin said. She would go on to finish that season with the third-highest assist total in Brown history. Short lauded Martin for her work ethic and her dedication to staying in great shape, but said the key to Martin’s success is her athleticism. “It’s really her speed,” Short said. “She’s just quick to getting to all the balls.” Despite Kung and Martin’s record-setting year, their extraordinary efforts have not always translated into wins for the volleyball team (7-13, 4-5 Ivy). Although the Bears still mathematically have a chance to win the Ivy League title, it appears unlikely. Martin said that although it is improbable that the Bears will take the Ivy League, she looks forward to next year. “We can really prove to everybody and show that we
scheduled for the morning, setting off a flurry of crisis sessions among officials in Ramallah and Israel. “His situation is bad, but he is getting medical care,” the former Palestinian information minister, Yasser Abed Rabbo, told al-Jazeera satellite television. “The situation is worrying.” Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave permission last week for Arafat to be flown here for emergency care and diagnostic tests after the Palestinian
soon retire, even while it loses some revenue to the new, private accounts. But he argued that the cost of inaction would be greater. “If it were easy, it would have already been done. And this is going to be hard work to bring people together” on his plan. Bush also prodded Congress to complete work on reforming the government’s intelligence community, raising an issue many on Capitol Hill thought he might abandon once the political pressure of the election had passed. The White House has at times seemed lukewarm in its support for significant restructuring of the intelligence community, including the proposal to create a national intelligence director. Bush’s call Thursday for “an effective intelligence reform bill that I can sign” could rekindle congressional negotiations that collapsed before the election. But Democrats remained skeptical, and senior House Republican aides said they had gotten no new direction from the White House since the talks broke down. can be contenders next year,” she said. Short said Martin will play a huge role for the team next season. “I’m expecting her to be even more of a leader and someone who really takes control of the match,” she said. But although Martin can still look forward to another year, Kung will play the last two home games of her college career this weekend. Short said Kung will be hard to replace. “You’re going to miss someone who’s going to be averaging seven digs per game,” she said. “It’s going to be a big loss. Elvina, just like Leigh, is an extremely hard worker. ... She’s a fiery competitor and she hates to lose.” Kung was feeling sentimental about leaving the team. “It’s exciting and sad at the same time,” she said. “I’m going to miss being competitive and the road trips and getting to know the freshmen.” Kung is disappointed about not being able to win the Ivy League this year. But although she doesn’t like to admit it, she will have the consolation of being the Brown record holder for season digs. “You might as well go out with a bang,” she said. Herald staff writer Stu Woo ’08 can be reached at herald@browndailyherald.com.
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
leader had complained of nausea, stomach cramps and other ailments. Palestinian officials at first said he was suffering only from intestinal flu, but later conceded his condition was more serious. After a few days of improvement, Arafat slipped in and out of consciousness on Wednesday and officials said he had deteriorated to the point where he had been transferred to an intensive care unit. French President Jacques Chirac paid a 30-minute visit to the hospital Thursday afternoon and saw Arafat and his wife, “to whom he expressed his best
wishes,” Chirac’s office said. The president also met with Palestinian officials and Arafat’s medical team, “who are doing everything possible for the health of the president,” according to Chirac’s office. As midnight approached, a few dozen Palestinians and sympathizers bearing flags and candles gathered outside the sealed-off hospital complex in a silent vigil. “I am here because I need reassurance,” said Noha Rashma, a 54-year-old Palestinian schoolteacher. “President Arafat is dying and I am here for him.”
Football
ing up tackles in the backfield and pass deflections, the defense has blossomed into a fearsome unit. Although their record may not be what Estes hoped for at the start of the season, the Bears can take heart in the fact that with just an extra field goal against Harvard or touchdown against Penn, they could easily be 3-1 in the Ivy League. “We must take care of our own business,” Estes said. “We had two opportunities against the two best teams in the league and we missed them. We have to do a better job of putting points on the board.” This game bears a striking resemblance to Bruno’s standing going into last year’s game against the Bulldogs. At 1-3, Bruno knocked off Yale and then Dartmouth and Columbia to finish tied for second place in the league at 4-3. Bruno is hoping that a win Saturday could start a similar streak. “We are in the same situation as last year,” Estes said. “If we can win out, then it’s a good season.” Saturday’s game is at Brown Stadium at 12:30 p.m.
continued from page 12 Cowan. Although he has been used as more of a drop-back passer this year, he can be very dangerous when forced out of the pocket. “Cowan is an all-inclusive weapon in terms of running and throwing the football,” Estes said. Cowan is also very careful with his throws, as his 11-4 touchdown to interception ratio proves. With a running threat like Cowan in the backfield, Bruno will not only have to contain, but they will need to get pressure in the backfield. James Frazier ’06 and Pat Curran ’06 have been solid on the line for Brown this year, combining for 7.5 sacks, 16 tackles for a loss and 3 fumble recoveries. Estes said he has been hoping for additional production from the other five players who rotate in on the line. The defense has been one of Bruno’s greatest strengths this year. Led by hard-hitting linebacker Zak DeOssie ’07, who leads the team in tackles with 64, and captain Anjel Gutierrez ’05, a hybrid defensive backlinebacker who has been rack-
Curses continued from page 12 playing in them. We move now from players to cities. It is true that the Red Sox hadn’t won the World Series in 86 years, but New England was not generally deprived. The Patriots have won two out of the last three Super Bowls and the Celtics won three NBA titles during the 1980’s. Philadelphia, however, has definitely been working its way to being a cursed city. It is true that Philadelphia fans can be somewhat irrational – after all, we did boo Santa Claus back when the Eagles played at Franklin Field, and no one can forget us throwing those double D batteries at J.D. Drew after he refused to sign with the Phillies. There has not been a championship of any sort in Philly since 1983, the year before I was born (maybe it is I that is cursed, and not the city). We have come so close in so many sports. The Phillies lost the World Series thanks to Joe Carter in 1993; the Sixers lost the NBA finals in 2001; the Eagles have lost the last three NFC Championship games. Not only that, but the Eagles are the only team ever to
Herald staff writer Ben Miller ’07 covers football. He can be reached at herald@browndailyherald.com.
lose consecutive conference championship games at home. We Philadelphians were so desperate for a championship of any kind that we hopped on the Smarty Jones bandwagon over the summer, and even his quest for a triple crown was denied by Birdstone at the Belmont Stakes. People don’t seem to understand the history of losing that this city has. On top of losing the last three NFC title games, the Eagles haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 1981 and even then they made history, being the first division champion to lose to a wild card team on football’s biggest stage. I will always be loyal to my teams and say “next year is the year,” but is it out of my hands at this point? I can only hope that Terrell Owens proves me wrong. The idea of breaking a curse is something that will always keep fans motivated. We love to continuously root for teams and players that have very little chance of winning in the slight hopes that they may break the curse and do so. Even if the curse lives on, there is always next year. Justin Goldman ’07 will wear the same pair of boxers until the Curse of Philadelphia is broken. Ew.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
OPINIONS EXTRA FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 9
ETHAN RIS
The case for secession It is 1861 again. It has been a good run, but now it has to end. That “more perfect union” has always eluded us, but now it’s clear that it is never coming our way. Why did the South secede? States’ rights. Really. The Civil War was at its heart a simple struggle between a federal government controlled by one set of idealogues and a disempowered region controlled by a different set of ideologues. No one had actually tried to end slaveowning (the major “right” at issue), but the South saw the writing on the wall, and so it left. That’s what’s similar about 1861 and 2004. What’s different is that they were wrong, and we will not be. Who is “we”? The blue states of the Northeast, from Maryland to Maine. I am humbly suggesting that like the South in 1861, we part ways with a federal union that is clearly no longer serving our interests. Of course, unlike the slaveowning South, we’re interested in expanding individual liberty and opportunity, not restricting it. This removes some of the irony from the inverted geography of the current situation. But like then, the writing is on the wall: It is clear that the red state-controlled federal government will soon try to stop us from realizing our values. On social issues like women’s reproductive rights, gay rights and ensuring freedom from gun violence, the clock is ticking. Assault weapons have been relegalized nationally, a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage has been introduced, and another one banning abortion is conceivable. Even more important are economic issues, which in many ways have caught up to us already. With our federal tax dollars, we are being forced to bankroll projects that many blue-staters oppose: major wars of conquest, huge agriculture subsidies and a mammoth prison system. As a result, we are forced to shortchange projects that matter to us: quality public education, decent health care, social welfare provisions and investments in science and technology. Finally, we cannot create the kind of world we want to live in with the federal government so focused on protecting corporations. We must be allowed to keep out huge retailers that exploit their workers, crack down on extraction industries and polluters who are doing irreparable harm to the environment and stop rewarding companies that send jobs overseas. We tried on Tuesday to create a federal government that would serve our interests and our values. We failed. It’s time for Plan B. The logistics of secession are not that complicated. After all, most of those red states would be happy to see us go. The one unpleasant part would be abandoning the upper Midwest and the West Coast. Perhaps they could secede on their own. Good luck to them. There is also the question of military defense. For this, the best solution would be to apply to become a Canadian protectorate. Canada is secure, and with good reason: It has an efficient military, and it never overextends it. In return for protection, we could offer the Canadian armed forces tax dollars and recruits, as well as the use of excellent facilities like West Point and Newport. There would be no need to abandon our current form of government. An 11-state union is, after all, much more suited to the Constitution circa 1789. Of course, we could do away with that pesky Second Amendment and see about firming up the separation of church and state. Finally, while Washington, D.C., would certainly be included in the new union (perhaps as a new state of its own), we would need a capital city that did not border on a foreign nation. The ideal location would be one halfway between Augusta, Maine, at the 44th parallel, and Annapolis, Md., at the 39th parallel. I am happy to report that Providence, R.I., is located at elongitude 41 degrees, 50 minutes. I will start scouting locations for a new Capitol building, and I trust that the process of secession will start as soon as possible. Ethan Ris ’05 is a traitor.
The future soundtrack for America GUEST COLUMN BY EMILY NEMENS
When the reality of a Bush victory set in, I stopped listening to my copy of MoveOn.org’s “Future Soundtrack for America,” the political action committee’s fundraising compilation disk. In fact, not only have I not heard Future Soundtrack for America since the sad news, but I haven't received any epic e-mails from MoveOn.org in 36 hours. This leads me to believe the site’s leaders heard the results and committed mass suicide. In light of four more years of Dubya, it’s time to regroup and scan our music libraries for a post-election soundtrack. My current playlist begins with Beck’s “Loser,” followed by the Postal Service's “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” — with Kerry winning 89.5 percent of D.C.’s vote, the city is definitely sleeping solo. Next, expatriate dreams come in with “London Calling” by the Clash. If we can’t MoveOn to Kerry, we can always move out. Cue “Hit the Road, Jack.” Bryant Urstadt offered many a good ideas for expats-to-be on the Web site of Harper’s magazine this Wednesday. Urstadt mentioned the pitfalls of moving to Canada — though I am still campaigning for an emigration en masse to ever-lovely Vancouver — and the possibilities of life on the high seas. But bear in mind, being an expat in our globalized world isn’t nearly as romantic as Hemingway, Eliot and others made it out to be last century. America’s cultural hegemony is everywhere. Next up on my soundtrack: Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue.” Yes, it’s all over now. We are living in a country where the majority of the nation, a bulging mass of red-
state Republicans, support any one of a slew of conservative policies. And for them, one reason — Iraq, the war on terror, the economy, abortion, gay marriage — is enough. Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” filters in. With the Presidents of the United States — the band, of course — blasting their version of “We’re Not Going to Make It,” from my speakers next, I know it feels tough to imagine life in another four years of Bush’s thicket of religious right. I saw a guy wearing a shirt that read “Secession is the only way.” That’s right, secession. Don’t move out, but found your own country within the United States’ borders. We’ll make a blue-state wonderland, a bicoastal (plus Illinois) nation of progressive Democrats. Beaches and universal health care for everyone. Okay, admittedly, it’s not that simple. I don’t want any more explosions anytime soon, so maybe an outright secession campaign isn’t the right solution. Why don’t we let compromise pour down? When you put red Republicans and blue Democrats together, you make purple. Next track? Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Maybe a big earthquake will knock California off the continental shelf and that secession thing will take care of itself. But otherwise, we will need to spend the next four years trying to break down the rigidity of our country's twoparty system. The last track on my soundtrack: “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” by the group War. I’ll leave you with that.
Picking a
new playlist.
Emily Nemens ’05 is wicked with the pause button.
My country, Bush or Kerry GUEST COLUMN BY ANDREW TOBOLOWSKY
I think I am with nearly everybody at this University when I say that I bemoan the reelection of President George W. Bush. And yet I cannot condone, as a response, this wave of rampant anti-Americanism. The man won. Fair and square. Took the popular vote too. Feels like a punch in the gut, but what can you say? This is democracy. Which, I think, is something we forget. See, I do not have a lot of patience for people who take themselves out of this country verbally, as if they had shares only in the parts of our politics they agree with. What is democracy, after all, but politics beyond the singular self? When we allow the majority the voice, we allow that it may not agree with us and that this is OK. Democracy, as Jesus puts it — a reference George W. Bush would surely enjoy but which, you should know, at the moment comes from a Jew — is saying, in the direction of that which we would not wish to happen: “Oh my electorate, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will it, but as thou wilt.” (Slightly modified from Matthew 26:39.) When we allow things like choice and freedom, we allow that those choices may not always be the ones that we, individually, would make. This game was not always played for such high stakes. The worst thing Bush has done, even more than making it 10 times more likely that we’ll all be blown to crap, is to ruin politics in America. Anyone remember 2000? It was just as close, but for a different reason. Nobody gave a damn who won. Now we have the same result, but the two apathetic bodies have been replaced with armed camps. Bush’s greatest crime lies in this polarization of the American public, which he achieved by moralizing what was previously a gray-area political structure. Good vs. Evil, depending on your orientation. Most of us here now consider Republicans to be the evil side of that equation, which, if nothing else, is unfair to historical Republicanism. Just imagine what would have happened had McCain won the Republican nomination. I don’t know how different things would be, but they would be different. At the least, it seems likely that we would still have two political parties in this country. Not one and one, but two. So yes, I say, look at things now, but remember, please: This is not the way it should be, nor the way it has been. How quickly things change. But how quickly they change back. Don’t forget 2000! And don’t forget 2008. Here’s the real question. What is America? We get swept up
in this stuff and forget. We pretend it’s the president, or the president’s army, but really, it’s us. America: (n.) that nation comprised of people known as Americans. It’s me writing this column, or you reading it, or those guys throwing a football on the Main Green, or those ones who aren’t because they’re studying, trying to make the grade, get a job, get a life, support themselves. Leave America? What are we talking about? Here’s the one thing that everyone, on either side, can say now of any value: This is our country, and we’re sticking by her. Not the president, necessarily. But the citizens. If you’re a Democrat, then no, you don’t like what’s happening in our power structure. You don’t like what’s going on. But are you seriously going to take your ball and go home? I don’t know about the rest of you, but from my side of things, the answer is a resounding no. We are citizens of a government founded upon civic debate, centering on issues in a constant state of flux, and this is something that happened to the nation, not just to the people who wanted it. Hell no, we are not going anywhere. We are Americans, too. Democrats gave the president hell until he got elected. What are they going to do now? Well, if they’re real Democrats, they’re going to give the president hell. They will remember that 49 percent of the country was for their side and that America needs their voices desperately for the sake of anyone whose rights they see the Bush White House trampling upon. Democrats everywhere must keep talking. And the Republicans are going to keep talking back. They damn well should, too, because they’re also citizens, and they’ll make some good points. Along with some crazy and dangerous ones, which is something they don’t have a monopoly on either. Because this is not me vs. you, nor us vs. them, but us trying to do the best we can, as well as we can figure out. America, again, is not whoever the president happens to be. It is this place we all live in — disunited, perhaps, but real. This country did nothing but make its choice, which is its right. If we don’t like it, we get another chance in four years. Go to Canada? You can go if you want. I’m going to stay here. And I’m going to tell everyone who wants to mess with whatever it is that I choose to believe in that this is my country, I love it, and I am not letting it go without one hell of a fight.
Still our America, if even Dubya has the reins.
Andrew Tobolowsky ’08 plays Ray Charles in “Ray.”
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
EDITORIAL/LETTERS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 10 S T A F F
E D I T O R I A L
Diamonds and coal A diamond to the Chinese economy. But caution to Shepard Fairey RISD ’92, whose subversive “Obey Giant” art campaign probably won’t go over too well with the Chinese government. Perhaps RISD should consider an exchange program with Switzerland? Coal to the combination of meatballs and soda at State Sen. Rhoda Perry’s victory party Tuesday night. No wonder it felt like she had “lava in her chest” — that meal sounds like a science experiment we conducted in second grade using vinegar and baking soda. A diamond to 59 percent of voters in California who approved $3 billion for stem-cell research. But coal to 86 percent of voters in Mississippi, and the majority of voters in 10 other states, who chose to ban civil rights for gays. When a gay scientist discovers the cure to Parkinson’s, you’ll be sorry. A diamond to our imaginations for staging battles between the toy soldiers representing Napoleon’s troops and the ones representing Genghis Khan’s in the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection at the John Hay Library. But coal to President George W. Bush for threatening to mobilize the collection in his war on terror. We’d give some coal to the reported increase in the number of students who set toilet paper on fire in Keeney, but that would be dangerous. A fire extinguisher instead.
SHANE WILKERSON
LETTERS
compose letters.
A diamond to Herald photo editor Judy He ’07. But coal to her attacker and his lack of balls. Judy, you go, girl! A cubic zirconium to the election. Sux0rs that Brown students’ favorite candidate fell short, but the sense of unity on campus Wednesday was way stronger than during any Brown sporting event. Diamonds to the return of “The OC” and to Artemis and Martha Joukowsky’s donation to fund a new interdisciplinary Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World. Irrelevance, we’ve missed you.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Juliette Wallack, Editor-in-Chief Philissa Cramer, Executive Editor Julia Zuckerman, Executive Editor Jen Sopchockchai, Arts & Culture Editor Leslie Kaufmann, Assistant Arts & Culture Editor Danielle Cerny, Campus Watch Editor Jonathan Ellis, Metro Editor Sara Perkins, News Editor Dana Goldstein, RISD News Editor Alex Carnevale, Opinions Editor Ben Yaster, Opinions Editor Ian Cropp, Sports Editor Christopher Hatfield, Sports Editor Bernie Gordon, Assistant Sports Editor Chris Mahr, Assistant Sports Editor Eric Perlmutter, Assistant Sports Editor PRODUCTION Peter Henderson, Design Editor Amy Ruddle, Copy Desk Chief Melanie Wolfgang, Copy Desk Chief Eddie Ahn, Graphics Editor Judy He, Photo Editor Nick Neely, Photo Editor
BUSINESS Jack Carrere, General Manager Lawrence Hester, General Manager Anastasia Ali, Executive Manager Zoe Ripple, Executive Manager Daniel Goldberg, Senior Financial Officer Mark Goldberg, Senior Financial Officer Ian Halvorsen, Senior Financial Officer Lisa Poon, Marketing Manager Abigail Ronck, Senior Accounts Manager Kathleen Timmins, Senior Accounts Manager Laird Bennion, Senior Project Manager Elias Roman, Senior Project Manager Jungdo Yu, Senior Project Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Susan Dansereau, Office Manager POST- MAGAZINE Ellen Wernecke, Editor-in-Chief Jason Ng, Executive Editor Micah Salkind, Executive Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Josh Cohen, Design Editor Fritz Brantley, Features Editor Jeremy Beck, Film Editor Jonathan C. Liu, Music Editor
Peter Henderson, Night Editor Eric Demafeliz, Elizabeth O’Neill, Zachary Townsend, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Stephanie Clark, Robbie Corey-Boulet, Justin Elliott, Ben Grin, Kira Lesley Staff Writers Marshall Agnew, Camden Avery, Kathy Babcock, Zaneta Balantac, Alexandra Barsk, Zachary Barter, Hannah Bascom, Eric Beck, Danielle Cerny, Christopher Chon, Lexi Costello, Ian Cropp, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Jonathan Ellis, James Feldman, Amy Hall Goins, Dana Goldstein, Bernard Gordon, Kate Gorman, Krista Hachey, Chris Hatfield, Jonathan Herman, Leslie Kaufmann, Kate Klonick, Allison Lombardo, Chris Mahr, Lisa Mandle, Ben Miller, Sara Perkins, Eric Perlmutter, Meryl Rothstein, Marco Santini, Jen Sopchockchai, Lela Spielberg, Stefan Talman, Jessica Weisberg, Brooke Wolfe, Melanie Wolfgang, Stu Woo Accounts Managers Steven Butschi, Rob McCartney, John Nagler, David Ranken, Joel Rozen, Rukesh Samarasekera, Ryan Shewcraft Project Managers In Young Park, Libbie Fritz Pagination Staff Eric Demafeliz, Deepa Galaiya, Jason Lee Photo Staff Marissa Hauptman, Ashley Hess, Matthew Lent, Bill Pijewski, Kori Schulman, Sorleen Trevino, Juliana Wu Copy Editors Chessy Brady, Jonathan Corcoran, Eric Demafeliz, Leora Fridman, Allison Kwong, Katie Lamm, Suchita Mathur, Cristina Salvato, Sonia Saraiya, Lela Spielberg, Zachary Townsend, Jenna Young
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
OPINIONS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 11
BENJAMIN CARLSON
Recapturing morality Maybe there was a section I missed. Perhaps I read the ballot too perfunctorily, misunderstanding some arcane referendum. Whatever the reason, it has become heartbreakingly clear that unbeknownst to me and millions of other voters, the vote I cast on Election Day was not actually to determine the president, but rather to reappraise the moral direction of our country. Now, more than a day too late, I realize that the Democrats’ strategy for dethroning Bush overlooked one entire front. According to exit polls conducted by CNN, more than half of Bush’s supporters cited “morals” as the key factor in their vote, while Kerry’s, predictably, did not. Of course, this should come as no surprise, considering the Bush camp’s longtime strategy of dividing the country along sectarian lines. Ever since Bush took office by a tenuous margin in 2000, his arch-machinator Karl Rove began devising ways to court the evangelical vote. In Rove’s estimation, roughly 4 million born-again Christians failed to make it to the polls in 2000. Though few outside analysts took his calculation very seriously — Bush, after all, was hardly reticent about flaunting his faith before the first election — the Bush team earnestly undertook a campaign to rouse the Christian right to action. The plan, though laughably simple on the surface, worked better than anyone could have anticipated. By selecting a few issues that resonated with Christian constituents and hammering them incessantly, Bush seemed to give values-oriented Americans exactly what they wanted: a litmus test of the candidates’ “character.” No matter how moderate Kerry’s avowed stances were on “moral” issues, he inevitably came across as godless and decadent compared to Bush in the eyes of religious Americans. Bush’s overwhelming success with born-again Christians prompted commentators such as Matthew Staver of the Liberty Counsel to proclaim, “Marriage, morals and the sanctity of human life were the real winners in this election.” This idea that a conservative victory is somehow a “moral” one is one of the more insidious byproducts of Bush’s presidency and one that Democrats should strenuously refute. It rests on the assumption that Republicans have a monopoly on morality and hence can do no wrong. Their deep-seated convictions and values toward conserving the environment, saving human life, preserving dignity and uplifting the poor are seen as inferior and somehow in opposion to Republican probity. Yet this is not because Democrats’ values do not arise from religious belief — on the contrary, Christ’s teaching properly understood should lead to liberalism. It is rather because the Republicans have redefined morality itself. Instead of serving as a code of right and wrong that governs behavior, the Republicans’ nebulous “morality” is now merely a storehouse for the mores of rural culture. Over the last few decades, Republicans have shrewdly capitalized on middle America’s genuine, justifiable resentment of metropolitan domination of their economic, political and intellectual lives. Locking on to ingredients that in some proportion compose rural values has allowed the Republicans to corner their votes while pursuing policies that run patently contrary to the needs of rural Americans. Thus Bush’s appeal, despite all his bumbling high-minded demagoguery, can sustain even the most destructive first term in recent memory. For liberals to survive and move forward in America, it is necessary to understand the roots of this countrycity antagonism. Rural voters resent feeling maligned and degraded by a popular culture that glorifies lasciviousness and material wealth, they dislike snobbery and the overweening self-importance of coastal dwellers, and they perceive — with good cause — that America does not appreciate their culture. The polarization of America along cultural lines is very real, and this divide cannot be surmounted without a conscious effort to reach out to rural voters. Only a basic reassessment of the Democratic Party as a possible vehicle for still-unrealized populist ideals can move us forward toward reconciliation. And, God willing, a swath of blue in the middle. Benjamin Carlson ’07 is the son of a minister.
Violence against Republicans GUEST COLUMN BY ROBERT KAUFMAN
Atop the Statehouse downtown stands Independent Man — a gold-covered bronze statue that embodies the fiercely independent spirit of Rhode Island. Similarly, the spirit of individualism is pervasive here, where students relish in the liberties granted to them by the New Curriculum. However, this Tuesday, I learned that the spirit of individuality that permeates throughout most of our community ends in the political arena. I am a Republican. However, I am not writing this column complaining that there is a disproportionate number of Republicans to Democrats here. I came to Brown because I wanted to be at a place where people thought differently. I love that so many members of this community care and are informed about current events. It is also crucial to acknowledge that most Democrats here, although understandably frustrated and upset by the election, have not been antagonistic. At least, not towards me. I am quite concerned about the absolute lack of toleration that a handful of students have exhibited here recently. While many students have been very kind and eager to open up a bipartisan dialogue about the election with me, on Tuesday I was verbally and physically attacked by a few extreme colleagues for thinking differently from them. Walking down the hall in Keeney, I said hello to my
women’s peer counselor, who is from Massachusetts, as I was about to enter my room next door. She then unleashed a barrage of slurs towards me, including labeling me “an asshole” and “a jackass” for voting for President Bush. She looked me in the eye and chopped me up — not something one would expect from a counselor, or a neighbor, for that matter. Then, while I was ironing a shirt in my room, a freshman girl from Ohio came by to see if I was happy. When I told her I was, but that the election was far from over, she came in and literally kicked me. Lastly, around 2 a.m. in the Mead Lounge, an especially bitter and psychologically troubled Philadelphia first-year threw a chair against the wall, ranted about how stupid America must be, claimed his desire to harm himself or someone else and then glared at me and announced he wanted to strangle me and people like me for our political ideologies. Assault, violence and threats are unacceptable at Brown. It is deplorable that asserting one’s individuality, even if that means going against the crowd, might elicit intense opposition by some. The only way that our community can avoid what I went through Tuesday night is through tolerance and respect of the individualist spirit that was infused in the establishment of this state and University.
It’s wrong, people. Very wrong.
Robert Kaufman ’08 dislikes knee-jerk liberals.
Dear Mr. Frank GUEST COLUMN BY GAVIN SHULMAN
Let me be one of the first of the current generation of students to acknowledge and laud you for the charitable generosity that you have shown our beloved University. I believe I speak for everyone when I say, “much appreciated.” The new buildings will be beautiful, the new walkways will be wonderful and the new students will be smarter. The future of Brown will be brighter because of your big heart. Your $20 million gift to fund a new academic facility will forever improve the infrastructure of College Hill. Your $100 million gift to help finance a scholarship program that may at long last allow Brown to need-blindly admit students of all needs will assure a less needy future. Your donations truly enrich the future of our institution. But as a member of the current generation at our beloved University, can I ask for a little favor? Since I am not going to get to see all the improvements of both student mind and body, I was just wondering if maybe I could get a little something right now. Don’t worry — it’s something I know you have plenty of to spare. And something that would make me truly happy. Could I possibly get two bottles of Jägermeister? Because, the way I see it, everyone is profiting from the arrangement between you and the University except for me and my classmates. Poor students will profit from the arrangement. The campus will certainly profit from the arrangement. The Corporation, which receives all the money from parking tickets, will profit from the arrangement. And even you will break even in about four years with the annuity payments. What about us, though? We who go to this unimproved university right now — what do we get out of all this? The answer: Full tuition and Olive Street closed for construction. Plus an ugly, towering skeleton of an unfinished project. So maybe I will leave the thanking to the next generation and ask for a little compensation in the present. Could I maybe get two bottles of Jäger? I mean, let’s face it: You single-handedly took Jägermeister from the stuff of myth, drunk in dingy beerhalls and dark dining rooms, and made it into the most popular party shot of college kids everywhere. Before you, Jägermeister was drunk as medicine. Now, it is the official shot of New Orleans. Jägermeister used to move 600 cases in the United States — now it moves half a million. You must have some extra bottles lying around somewhere.
I would ask for some Grey Goose, but I am not really a vodka man myself. And I know you sold that one over to Ron Bacardi, so I’m not sure if you still stock it in your home. I do love that Jäger, though. OK, I know you’re a business man, so I’ll cut you a deal. If you agree to send two bottles of Jäger to my house, I'll let you in on a little bit of a secret. A secret that will be sure to guarantee you future success. A secret that will yield tremendous results for not only one, but two of your largest business ventures. A secret you would want to know. And just to show I’m willing to live up to my end of the bargain, I will tell it to you right now. I know that most recently you have become involved with rapper/producer Lil Jon creating an energy drink called Crunk. And so far, sales have been good. Modest, but strong in urban areas, especially in Atlanta and the dirty South. But I understand that ideally you would want Crunk to take a larger share of the market that is now so heavily dominated by Red Bull. Now, I am not sure that you are aware of the irony of all this. Did you know that it is delicious to drop a shot of Jägermeister into a glass of Red Bull and then chug the whole thing? Did you know that college students everywhere do this? Do you realize the crossmarketing potential? If you can advertise Crunk as the official energy drink meant to be bombed by Jägermeister, and I imagine you could, then sales of Crunk would skyrocket and people would be getting Crunked up all over this country. Sidney Frank, you are a living legend. Just like Hubertus, who, when hunting a deer in the seventh century, saw a stag with a cross floating between its antlers and decided to give away all his riches and possessions to the poor — it’s the image that appears on the label of every green Jägermeister bottle. Your generosity is astounding and commendable. I humbly offer my gratitude for your giving nature. And all I ask from you in return is two bottles of Jäger.
A small favor
to ask from a very generous man.
Many thanks, Gavin Shulman 113 Keene St. Providence, RI 02906 Gavin Shulman ’05 loves Jäger.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
SPORTS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2004 · PAGE 12
A-Rod, Nomar, Philly now cursed after Sox exorcism The Boston Red Sox winning the World Series is great. It really is. But the fact that they aren’t lovable losers anymore does take a little away from baseball as a whole. A great thing about the Red Sox was the JUSTIN GOLDMAN GOLD STANDARD constant chatter from their fans until the season started — the “this is the year” talk is something that I will sorely miss. But perhaps we can trade the Curse of the Bambino for a multitude of other curses, because they really do add to the mystique of the sport. The aura of a curse can still linger, whether it be around the Red Sox or not, and there are definitely candidates to suffer the next great curse. A person who now definitely has the stigma of being cursed is none other than Alex Rodriguez. Every team that A-Rod has left has immediately improved. In 2001, the year after he left the Seattle Mariners, they won a record 116 games. The Texas Rangers won 89 games this year and were in contention for the playoffs until the last week of the season. In three years with A-Rod, the Rangers won an average of 72 games and were a permanent fixture in the cellar of the American League West. This year, after the Red Sox made a push at trading for A-Rod, he was traded to the evil empire that is the New York Yankees. The Yankees, with A-Rod and several other off-season acquisitions, were obviously popular picks to win the World Series. Is it no coincidence that after A-Rod arrived in the Bronx, the Yankees made the biggest collapse in post-season history? Former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra is another cursed player. After having been the face of the Red Sox for eight years, Garciaparra was dealt from one lovable loser to another, the Chicago Cubs. It is once again not a coincidence that Garciaparra was dealt and the Red Sox won the World Series. If Garciaparra re-signs with the Cubs, the Cubs will continue to be disappointing, and not just because of that billy goat curse. Nomar had better get used to spending those cold Octobers with Mia Hamm, because he definitely will not be
Football hoping Yale game will start another season-saving win streak BY BEN MILLER
After dropping a heartbreaking game last week against the University of Pennsylvania, the football team hopes to return to the win column this Saturday at home against Yale University. The game is crucial for both teams — Brown (1-2 Ivy) needs to win the rest of its games in order to finish over .500 in the Ivy League and climb out of sixth place, while Yale (2-2 Ivy) wants a win in order to maintain its slim hope of getting a share of the Ivy League Championship. On paper, Brown seems to have an edge, because Yale ranks last in the Ivies in total defense, giving up 381.3 yards per game. Yale has also given up the most first downs and ranks last in time of possession, which bodes well for Bruno’s clock-eating rushing attack. However, as Head Coach Phil Estes points out, statistics are not worth much more than the paper they are printed on at this point in the season. “When your back is against the wall, you can throw the statistics right out the window,” Estes said. “When it comes to playing, for them to have opportunities in the league they have to beat us.” Estes also pointed out that Yale draws additional motivation from last year’s 55-44 loss to Brown in New Haven. Those 55 points were the most ever scored by Brown in the series. “Certainly after last year, they have something they want to prove,” Estes said. The winner in this game will most likely be decided by which running back is able to dominate. Brown tailback Nick
Nick Neely / Herald
The football team needs to win its final three games to finish above .500 in the Ivy League. A similar streak last year tied the team for second place in the Ivy League. Hartigan ’06 is a workhorse who averages 118 rushing yards per game and is second in the league with 10 touchdowns. Yale, meanwhile, has Robert Carr, a shifty speed back who is second in the Ivies in rushing at 133.7 yards per game. “(Carr) has great feet like a jitterbug, and he can make you miss,” Estes said. “You can stop him dead in the backfield on one play and then the next play he can go for 80 yards.” The passing game will also be important, as Brown needs to stay diverse on offense in order to prevent Yale from
BY STU WOO
B ROW N S P O RTS S C H E D U L E Friday, November 5 Women’s Ice Hockey: vs. Cornell, 7 p.m., Meehan Auditorium Men’s Soccer: vs. Yale, 7 p.m., Stevenson Field Women’s Volleyball: vs. Harvard, 7 p.m., Pizzitola Center Men’s Ice Hockey: at Colgate Men’s Tennis: National Indoors, at University of Michigan Saturday, November 6 Field Hockey: vs. Yale, noon, Warner Roof Football: vs. Yale, 12:30 p.m., Brown Stadium Women’s Ice Hockey: vs. Colgate, 4 p.m., Meehan Auditorium Women’s Volleyball: vs. Dartmouth, 4 p.m., Pizzitola Auditorium Women’s Soccer: vs. Yale, 7 p.m., Stevenson Field Men’s Ice Hockey: at Cornell Equestrian: at UConn Men’s Tennis: National Indoors, at University of Michigan Men’s Tennis: Dartmouth Invitational
Men’s Soccer: at University of Rhode Island Men’s Tennis: National Indoors, at University of Michigan Men’s Tennis: Dartmouth Invitational
see FOOTBALL, page 8
Volleyball pair makes mark in Brown record book but still refuses to boast
see CURSES, page 8
Sunday, November 7
stacking against the run. If quarterback Anthony Vita ’07 is forced to sit due to a severe wrist sprain that he suffered in last week’s game against Penn, then Joe DiGiacomo ’07 will be under center. DiGiacomo, who began the year as the starting quarterback, was outstanding in Bruno’s first two games, throwing for 558 yards and three touchdowns, but struggled in the next three before being replaced by Vita. Defensively, Bruno will be facing a quick and mobile quarterback in Alvin
Bill Pijewski / Herald
Leigh Martin ’06 (9) and Elvina Kung ’05 (2) have left their marks on the Brown record books. Kung will play her final home games this weekend against Harvard and Dartmouth.
Although Elvina Kung ’05 and Leigh Martin ’06 are likely All-Ivy selections and hold Brown volleyball records in digs and assists, respectively, you wouldn’t know it by talking to them. “I don’t really keep track of these things,” said Kung, who broke the Brown season record for digs earlier this season. “I don’t like to brag.” But people might think that Kung, the libero, or defensive specialist, who leads all of NCAA Division I in digs per game, would at least feel a little bit satisfied with her accomplishments. “It’s a cool feeling,” she finally admitted after some pestering. Head Coach Diane Short’s description is consistent with Kung’s reluctance to boast. Calling her an “all out, all the time” player, Short complimented Kung on being a team player. “She’s always been a really unselfish player,” said Short, adding that Kung has played several positions for the team in the past four years. “If she had been libero the past couple of years, her dig totals would have been outrageous.” Not only is Kung breaking Brown records, but she has a chance of breaking NCAA records as well. Kung is currently averaging 7.09 digs per game. If she can continue her pace for the final five games of the season, Kung will smash the season record of 6.66 digs per game
see VOLLEYBALL, page 8