Thursday, February 2, 2006 by The Brown Daily Herald

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006

Volume CXLI, No. 7

www.browndailyherald.com

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

GOD IS MY ADVISOR Post- takes a look at Christian students on campus and concludes: they’re not your mom’s evangelicals INSIDE

MONEY HONEY The latest FEC reports show R.I. candidates from Laffey to Lawless are depending on loans METRO 3

A SMASHING GOOD TIME The crime log proves last week was a bad one to be a car window on College Hill CAMPUS NEWS 5

TODAY

TOMORROW

mostly cloudy 46 / 39

showers 48 / 38

UCS plays musical chairs University continues preparation for Saxton-Frump ’07 replaces Bidadi ’06 possible avian influenza pandemic BY STEPHANIE BERNHARD SENIOR STAFF WRITER

At the semester’s first meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students last night, Sarah Saxton-Frump ’07 was elected as president to fill the vacancy left when Brian Bidadi ’06 resigned last week for medical reasons. “My goal is to go big or go home,” Saxton-Frump said of her impending term. She said she intends to “fight for students and fight hard.” “I have experience with the administrators. I can speak administrator-ese without sacrificing the wishes of the student

body,” she said. Saxton-Frump’s election opened up the position of vice president, which she had previously held. Zachary Townsend ’08, formerly chair of the Admissions and Student Services Committee, was elected to the position. “I have a unique amount of knowledge about this University,” Townsend said. “The student body often doesn’t feel empowered through the UCS because the UCS takes on smaller problems. The UCS needs to take on more of a leadership role and tackle more serious issues.”

BY SARA WALTER STAFF WRITER

A sign at the entrance of Health Services instructs students who have recently traveled to a list of countries that includes Cambodia, Indonesia and Turkey to put on a mask if they are experiencing a fever or cough or have been in direct contact with uncooked poultry. This is just one of the many ways the University is preparing for the possibility of an avian influenza pandemic. On Dec. 21, Walter Hunter, vice president for administration, sent an email to the Brown community concerning bird flu and “steps

see UCS, page 6

the University is actively taking to prepare for the possibility of a flu pandemic.” The e-mail told community members that the University had organized a task force of administrators and faculty who would monitor the status of the flu and work together to construct plans to protect the health of the Brown community. “The way we’ve tried to work out the planning is to anticipate what we would do at various levels of threat,” Hunter told The Herald. Hunter, along with other University officials, including Edward Wheeler, director of health services, attended a flu pandemic conference called by

Simmons shares heartwarming experiences at ﬁreside chat BY ALISSA CERNY STAFF WRITER

Austin Freeman / Herald

Jamal Shipman `07 listens to Ruth Simmons during her ﬁreside chat last night at the Third World Center.

President Ruth Simmons discussed her life, inspirations and struggles with about 30 students at an intimate ﬁreside chat Wednesday night at the Third World Center. Simmons began by describing her experiences growing up as a black woman in the South in a family with 12 children. She encountered many obstacles in a society where the limitations on her advancement seemed impossible to overcome. “When I was a student, my options were fairly prescribed. It was widely known at the

time that there were few careers accessible to AfricanAmericans with the possibility for success,” Simmons said. As a child she believed that an ofﬁce job was the highest level of responsibility she could ever strive to achieve. As the youngest child in a large family, with a “dominating father” who harbored the notion that men’s desires are paramount, Simmons understood the expectations and limitations of females in the 1950s. Simmons credits her older sisters for challenging the accepted norms, asserting their see FIRESIDE, page 4

Governor Donald Carcieri ’65 on Jan. 13. “The purpose was to let people know that the federal government has a plan being organized in states, and (within) states they want businesses to develop plans as well,” Wheeler said, adding that Brown is considered a business in this case. Four components of preparedness and response actions were reviewed at the January conference: surveillance of the virus, stockpiling of antivirals and vaccines, a strong network of federal, state and local preparedness and further development of public education and communications that will keep citizens informed. Wheeler said the University’s plans are very similar to those of government officials. “We’re preparing locally but may get told to do something differently by the state or federal government,” he said. Wheeler’s focus includes medical tasks such as the University’s plans to buy extra intravenous supplies, masks and gowns. He is also working to identify what space could be used if a large part of the community needed care. In an extreme case, Brown could be directed to close and send any medical professionals to other places where they could be more helpful, Wheeler said. However, because various factors could come into play, see BIRD FLU, page 5

New Orleans could lose 80 percent of black population, Brown study ﬁnds BY ROSS FRAZIER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

On Dec. 27, a team of Brown researchers garnered national media attention for their ﬁndings that Hurricane Katrina disproportionately impacted New Orleans’ poor blacks. BROWN & The study, led KATRINA by Professor of Last in a series Sociology John Logan,quantiﬁes what was already suspected: the population of the storm-damaged areas is nearly half black (45.8 percent, versus 26.4 percent of the undamaged areas), and disproportionate segments of those affected live in rental housing (45.7 percent compared to 30.9 percent), fall below the poverty line (20.9 percent versus 15.3 percent) and are unemployed (7.6 percent compared to 6 percent). According to the study of the area’s 13 planning districts and 72 neighborhoods, a lower economic status forced poor

people to live in low-lying areas. These areas, and thus the people who would have the most difficulty recovering, were hit the hardest when Katrina struck. Most striking about the data, however, is the realization that if New Orleans’ citizens are prevented from returning to flood-ravaged areas, the city could lose more than 80 percent of its black population. With the migration of so many residents quickly becoming a diaspora, many New Orleans officials have made public comments about being in a race against time, saying that the city must rebuild before people settle into new homes in places like Houston, Dallas and Atlanta. The Brown study is the first quantification of these fears and it paints a grim picture for the future of New Orleans’s diverse cultural heritage. Conflict over implications The group’s findings came not long before New Orleans Democratic Mayor Ray Nagin

Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260

said in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech that God wants New Orleans to be a “chocolate city.” “You can’t have New Orleans no other way. The city will be a majority African-American city. It’s the way God wants it to be,” Nagin told the audience on Jan. 16. The Brown study seems to paint a different picture of New Orleans’ future. Nagin has not commented on the Brown study, and his ofﬁce did not return calls from The Herald. Despite the mayor’s comments, Logan said he believes public ofﬁcials are beginning to do their jobs effectively. “They didn’t manage things well in the fall but, now, maybe just in the last month, is when people have started to confront some of the policy choices that have to be made,” he said. Indeed, community leaders from the city’s Bring Back New Orleans Commission recently introduced its urban renewal see KATRINA, page 7

Blair Hickman / Herald

Katrina’s long-term damage is still visible along the roads swept by the hurricane.

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

THIS MORNING THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 · PAGE 2 Jero Matt Vascellaro

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS PRE-MED INFO SESSION 4 p.m., (Wilson 305) — Dean Andrew Simmons will share information with ﬁrst-years and others who are new to the premed track.

MEET THE PROFESSORS 5 p.m., (Sayles 018) — Students can stop by to share refreshments with Professor Matthew Zimmt, instructor of CH35: “Organic Chemistry.” Sponsored by Women in Science and Engineering.

BROWN IN SWEDEN INFO SESSION 4 p.m., (R.I. Hall 001) — The Ofﬁce of International Programs will discuss general information, application procedures and academic requirements related to Brown in Sweden.

TEACH FOR AMERICA ALUMNI PANEL 8 p.m., (Pembroke Hall) — Alums will talk about their experiences in the classroom, challenges they face and answer student questions.

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

LUNCH — Chicken Fingers with Dipping Sauces, Hawaiian Pineapple Brown Rice, Zucchini Yianchi, Pancakes, French Toast, Tater Tots, Canadian Bacon, Grilled Vegetable Calzone, Wafﬂe Fries, Egg Drop Soup, Vegetarian Apple Curried Pumpkin Soup, Baked Vegan Nuggets, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Washington Apple Cake

Deo Daniel Perez

LUNCH — Vegetarian Eggplant Vegetable Soup, Chicken Mulligatawny Soup, Hot Turkey Sandwich, Stuffed Shells with Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas , Chocolate Chip Cookies

DINNER — Vegetarian Eggplant Vegetable Soup, Chicken Mulligatawny Soup, Roast Loin of Pork, Vegan Paella, Au Gratin Potatoes with Herbs, Belgian Carrots, French Style Green Beans with Tomatoes, Five Grain Bread, Washington Apple Cake

DINNER — Vegetarian Tamale Pie, Italian Sausages, Chicken in the Rough, Cajun Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Cauliﬂower in Dill Mustard Sauce, Five Grain Bread, Fruited Strawberry Jello, Chocolate Vanilla Pudding Cake

Cappuccino Monday Christine Sunu

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, February 2, 2006

R O SDaily S W Crossword ORD Los AngelesC Times Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Word processor settings 5 Mantle piece? 10 City on the Oka 14 Ship’s bottom 15 Big name in vacuums 16 Bar assistant? 17 Bank line feature 20 “Eh?” sayer 21 10-point type 22 Badajoz bear 23 Horned viper 25 Kind of vb. 26 Old-fashioned textile device 32 Collector’s suffix 33 A Bobbsey twin 34 Livestock identifier 37 Touch type 39 Backwoods denial 41 One of Israel’s 12 42 Buyers’ concerns 44 “Way cool!” 46 Important ages 47 Economic concern 50 Easy pace 52 Dwarf with glasses 53 St. Anthony’s cross 54 Sharp 56 Lively song 62 Mystical dancer 64 Scots Gaelic 65 Doughnut shape 66 Carry 67 Offend the olfactories 68 Cleaned, in a way 69 Bygone blade DOWN 1 “Comin’ __ the Rye” 2 “Earth’s Children” series author 3 Broad st. 4 Walk with effort

5 Arrives at a new home 6 Linda Ronstadt, by birth 7 Part of one’s inheritance? 8 Hill’s publishing partner 9 Canine registry org. 10 Tigra TwinTop automaker 11 Michelin introduced it in 1946 12 Verdi aria 13 Paint base 18 Explorer Ponce de __ 19 Show over 24 “Murder, __ Wrote” 26 Lamebrain 27 Poker holding 28 Keeping a low profile 29 Image Awards org. 30 Twist 31 Goofed 35 Simple rhyme scheme 1

36 Heroic act 38 Mug with a hinged lid 40 Sat by the window, maybe 43 Full house sign 45 “CSI” staple 48 “Don’t wait any longer!” 49 __ gum: thickening agent 50 Gossip

Homebodies Mirele Davis

34 39

43 47

40 44

41 45

25 31

10 16

2/2/06

xwordeditor@aol.com

Goldﬁsh Dreams Allison Moore

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

51 Earth shade 55 Difficult journey 57 Fiend 58 Low mil. ranks 59 Meson with zero spin 60 Modena ruling family 61 Syngman of Korea 63 “... for what __ worth”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

46 49

Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is published Monday through Friday dur-

Business Phone: 401.351.3260

ing the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once

Robbie Corey-Boulet, President

please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage

during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. POSTMASTER

Justin Elliott, Vice President

Ryan Shewcraft, Treasurer

2/2/06

David Ranken, Secretary

paid at Providence, R.I. Ofﬁces are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $179 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2005 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

METRO

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 · PAGE 3

Campaign 2006, the money race Senate: Chafee ’75, Whitehouse lead fundraising pack BY BEN LEUBSDORF METRO EDITOR

With over $1.7 million in his war chest at the end of 2005, Sen. Lincoln Chafee ’75, R-R.I., has more money than any of the candidates running against him, according to information provided by individual campaigns and ﬁlings with the Federal Electoral Commission. Sheldon Whitehouse, former state attorney general, leads the money race for the Democratic nomination with almost $1.6 million in the bank, outpacing Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown. Chafee’s campaign raised $731,649 — $330,000 in a loan from Chafee himself — in the fourth quarter of 2005, rebounding from a weak third quarter and bringing his total cash raised for the year to just over $2 million. “We’re very pleased with where we are,” said Ian Lang, Chafee’s campaign manager. “We lead all our challengers in cash on hand and are in a strong position to move forward.” Trailing Chafee is his challenger for the Republican nomination, Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, who had $830,963 in cash on hand at the end of 2005. Laffey raised $310,747 in the fourth quarter to bring his total since September, when he entered the race, to $1,053,785, including a loan of $360,000 from himself. Laffey has frequently attacked Chafee, a moderate Republican in a heavily Democratic state, for being too liberal and has received ﬁnancial backing from the anti-tax Club for Growth, a Wall Street-based group which targets Republican moderates for defeat. “We continue to be very pleased with our fundraising,” wrote Nachama Soloveichik, Laffey’s press secretary, in an e-mail. “Our strong message of change has resonated with a great many people throughout Rhode Island and across the country.” On the Democratic side, Whitehouse led the pack by raising $418,759 in the fourth quarter, bringing his total for the year to $1,803,202, see SENATE, page 9

District 2: Lawless still trails Langevin in fundraising BY ANNE WOOTTON METRO EDITOR

Jennifer Lawless took out two loans totaling $25,100 in the last quarter of 2005, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission Jan. 31. The assistant professor of political science and public policy noted on her official statement of candidacy, filed with the FEC when she decided last April to challenge Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., in the Democratic primary, that she did not intend to spend any of her own money on the campaign. One of the loans, of $1,100, was from her own pocket. These loans are in addition to the $35,000 to $80,000 Lawless still owes on loans she took out while studying at Union College, the Columbia University School of Law and Stanford University, according to her financial disclosure form filed in May 2005. Adam Deitch ’05, Lawless’ campaign manager, called the loans for the campaign a “statement about

the degree to which Jen is very serious about winning her race.” Unlike Lawless, “A lot of (other) candidates are able to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to their own campaigns,” he added. In the fourth quarter of 2005, Lawless’ campaign received $29,970 in contributions, bringing her total funds raised in 2005 to $80,250, not including her loans. Her campaign had $75,981 in the bank at the end of the year, a substantial increase from the previous quarter’s total of $31,837. “We are very excited about our most recent fundraising quarter,” Deitch said. “We’re building a lot of strong momentum throughout the state on several fronts, including fundraising, and we look forward to building on this momentum as the campaign (continues).” Notably, Lawless received a $250 donation from Gloria Feldt, the former president of Planned Parenthood of America. Feldt hosted an event in New York for Lawless and is “a good

friend and a strong supporter for the campaign,” according to Deitch. He added, “Jen looks forward to consulting with and seeking advice from Gloria over the course of the next 10 months.” The FEC reports also showed that Lawless returned two contributions totaling $1,500 to Nick Hartigan ’06 and Courtney Hull ’06. Lawless pledged in October to return the contributions, given to her by students whose senior theses she was reading. At the time of the ﬁling, Lawless continued to trail Langevin in the money race — he had $242,083 cash on hand at the end of 2005 and raised $69,943 in the fourth quarter to bring his total amount raised to $425,343. Langevin has over $93,000 in debt left over from previous campaigns, a common practice among incumbent politicians. “(The last quarter of 2005) was up to expectations. We’re right on track, and things are going well,” said Joy Fox, Langevin’s press secretary.

District 1: Kennedy has big bucks but no opponent BY BEN LEUBSDORF METRO EDITOR

Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., is awash in money but has no one to spend it against. According to the Federal Election Commission, Kennedy had over a million dollars — $1,015,540 to be precise — in his campaign treasury at the end of 2005, despite lacking a declared opponent in either the Democratic primary or the general election this fall. Calls to Kennedy’s ofﬁce for comment were not returned. Discussions about a candidate to oppose Kennedy are ongoing, said Chuck Newton, director of

communications for the Rhode Island Republican Party. Though Kennedy’s seat seems safe, Newton said last week that he believes Kennedy could be defeated by “the right candidate in the right place at the right time with the right amount of ﬁnancing.” Kennedy began 2005 with $749,100 in the bank, having soundly defeated Republican David Rogers for reelection in November 2004 with 64 percent of the vote. He raised $816,941 last year, mostly from individual contributors — $559,385 came from individuals, versus $180,065 from political action committees and $60,990 from other committees. Kennedy’s campaign spent $559,502 over the course of

the year, largely on travel expenses, according to the FEC report. Kennedy’s million dollars dwarfs the campaign funds of the Ocean State’s other congressman, Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., who had $242,083 on hand at the end of 2005. Kennedy represents Rhode Island’s District 1, which includes Brown’s campus, and was ﬁrst elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, where he serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Known as a formidable fundraiser, Kennedy was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which raises money for Democratic House candidates, in 1999 and 2000.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006

Fireside continued from page 4 desires and fighting the status quo. She recalled the challenge of believing that it was unacceptable for a woman — let alone a black woman — to be the best at anything. Simmons was only 15 when her mother died, and she described this experience as a defining point in her life. “I think if she hadn’t passed away I doubt I would have valued everything she taught me so much. … She always said that if one way didn’t work I should try something else to overcome the temporary problems in life,” Simmons said. It was her mother’s words that inspired her to keep working despite numerous temptations to give up throughout college. The role of education From a very young age, Simmons realized the value of an education. “Growing up in a small, very stereotypically Southern town, education gave me a sense of freedom. “Throughout life people are always imposing on us their idea of who we are and everyone is in some way subservient to these beliefs,” Simmons said. “Education shows us how to analyze ourselves and others’ perceptions of us and figure out what to internalize and when to ignore paralyzing stigmas.”

Simmons attended Dillard University, a historically black institution in New Orleans, and spent her junior year studying at Wellesley College. She first considered a career in education during her undergraduate studies. Her experiences strengthened her belief that she could excel against all odds. “At Wellesley I realized that for the first time ever I was in a normal situation where everyone expected me to perform at a high level and a girl was always number one,” Simmons said. To this day, Simmons remembers her amazement at the accomplishments and leadership of the women at Wellesley. “I just couldn’t get over the fact that a woman was the president. I began to realize maybe there was a world where you didn’t have to always be number two or defer to men for the right answer,” she said. Simmons’ place at Brown Simmons also delved into her feelings and experiences as the first black female president of an Ivy League institution, though she emphasized that her primary focus is on running the University and giving back to students. “I pour my heart and soul into working for Brown. I’m not here to prove anything. On a day-to-day basis you can’t be enamored with labels, because they mean nothing,” Simmons said. However, she does realize the

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com.

uniqueness of her presence on the Ivy Council and her responsibility to bring a different perspective to the meetings because of her personal background and experiences. One student asked how Simmons has managed to maintain a sense of humility despite her prestigious position. She explained that each time she visits her relatives she looks into their eyes to make sure they still accept and respect her. Simmons said she places a high value on the importance of self-reliance as opposed to becoming dependent on others. In response to a question about increased hostility toward minorities on campus that cited ripped banners on World Aids Day and a perceived rise in hate crimes, Simmons stressed the importance of constant vigilance. The struggle to defeat hate and discrimination will never end because of the continual inﬂux of new people and ideas. Instead, people must work every day to create an atmosphere promoting trust and respect, Simmons said. She concluded by discussing her favorite aspect of her role as president — the opportunity to know Brown students and see how they change over the course of their four years at the University. Simmons said she personally identiﬁes with the dedication of students at Brown and their passion for pursuing the things they love. When Simmons’ family discovered her desire to major in French at Wellesley, they strongly discouraged her. “People thought I should major in sociology or perhaps become a lawyer because of all the social problems in the country while I was going to school. Everyone thought they knew what I should do and what was right for me, but I knew that I needed to do what I liked. It is so important to do something you can give yourself to completely without ever feeling hesitant or ashamed. The ability to love what you do and always be proud of it is a very rare thing,” Simmons said.

Appeals courts turn aside abortion ban BY HENRY WEINSTEIN LOS ANGELES TIMES

Two federal appeals courts on opposite coasts on Tuesday declared Congress’ partial-birth abortion ban unconstitutional — making it a virtual certainty that newly confirmed Justice Samuel Alito will have the opportunity to rule on the thorny issue in the near future. Both the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco and the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said the law was flawed because it failed to provide an exception when the health of a woman was at stake. The twin rulings came on the same day that the Senate, as expected, confirmed Alito, on a 58-42 vote, and underscored how quickly Alito’s replacement of retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is expected to transform abortion law. In 2000, O’Connor cast the deciding vote to strike down a Nebraska law barring late-term abortion procedures because of the lack of the women’s health exception. The ban found unconstitutional Tuesday, which was passed in 2003, states that partial-birth abortions were “never necessary to preserve the health of a woman.” The statute also subjects any physician who “knowingly performs a partialbirth abortion” to civil and criminal penalties, including up to two years in prison. Legal analysts and advocates on both sides of the abortion debate said they believe there are now five votes on the Supreme Court to uphold a partial-birth abortion ban — Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and associate justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Alito. “This is a different court now,” said an ebullient Jay Sekulow, lead attorney for

the conservative American Center for Law and Justice in Washington, who filed friendof-the-court briefs supporting the law in both cases decided Tuesday. “This is the issue that is in the forefront of the abortion debate now,” said Sekulow. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, DCalif., who argued against adoption of the ban in Congress, said the newly configured court should be bound by the landmark ruling which first guaranteed women the constitutional right to an abortion in 1973. “Roe v. Wade made it clear that a woman’s life and health must be protected. Those pushing for a ban on what they call partial birth abortion failed to succinctly define the medical procedure they seek to ban and they have refused to protect the woman’s health,” Feinstein said. “It is my hope” that Justice Alito, whose confirmation Feinstein opposed, “follows the path of his predecessor, Justice O’Connor, by supporting” Roe and a ruling interpreting it in 1992, “rather than putting his personal views above the law. Unfortunately, I fear he may not.” The unanimous ruling from the 9th Circuit went further than the one from the 2nd Circuit, striking the law on the grounds that it placed an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to an abortion and was unconstitutionally vague. The 9th Circuit also upheld a lower court finding that the Act “created a risk of criminal liability for virtually all abortions performed after the first trimester which the district court found, placed a substantial obstacle in the path of abortion-seekers.” Although the 2nd Circuit see ABORTION, page 6

CAMPUS NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 · PAGE 5

New Trinity Rep. director examines links to U. BY BRENNA CARMODY STAFF WRITER

Although he arrived in Providence just a few months ago, Curt Columbus, the new artistic director for the Trinity Repertory Company, already has plans for the Brown/Trinity Consortium and Brown’s undergraduate theater offerings. Columbus — the former associate artistic director at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater, whom Trinity hired last October — plans to secure new facilities for students enrolled in the program and may pursue a teaching role in the near future. The Pell Chafee Performance Center, a building Trinity owns, will be turned over next year to third-year students in the consortium, a three-year Master of Fine Arts program. Columbus said his “main hope” is for students to run the center like their own theater. “(The students) are given all these tools to be world-class artists and I want to give them the agency to make their own art,” he said. Columbus has also expressed interest in teaching undergraduate classes at the University, following in the steps of previous directors Adrian Hall and Oskar Eustis. In the past, Columbus has taught classes at the University of Chicago and DePaul University. “While a working professional I have always maintained a connection with undergraduates,”

Bird ﬂu continued from page 1 Hunter said it would be very difficult to determine what circumstances would warrant closing the University. “There are multiple factors that would be involved, and it’s hard to guess what would lead to which actions at this stage of the game,” said Selim Suner, the University’s director of emergency preparedness and an assistant professor of emergency medicine. The biggest factor that will affect Brown’s response is the strength of the virus. “It could be as mild as the flu that people get seasonally, in which case they may require intravenous fluids at the most. If it’s very virulent, like the kind seen in Asia or Turkey, treatment may require anti-viral medications,” Suner said. He added that in more serious cases a bacterial infection of the lungs would accompany the virus, in which case the patient would need antibiotic treatment as well. The University is also preparing for the potential occurrence of a pandemic by sending staff members to be trained to operate a shelter. The shelters will “help us if we need to be self-sufﬁcient and run a shelter here,” said Steve Morin,

he said. The logistics of Columbus’ undergraduate teaching duties still need to be worked out, according to Spencer Golub, director of academic graduate studies at the consortium and professor of theater, speech and dance. Columbus said he became interested in Trinity because of its esteemed reputation, which he ﬁrst heard about during his college years at Yale University. “There was a lot of talk about (former Artistic Director) Adrian Hall’s theater and people interested in this new direction of American theater — handmade, actordriven, political, environmental theater.” The Brown/Trinity Consortium enhanced Columbus’ interest in the position. Founded in 2002, the program trains 18 actors and directors over the course of three years. It “provides powerful training of actors and directors that is enhanced and inﬂuenced by being in the Brown environment,” Columbus said. “I always dreamed I’d work at Adrian Hall’s theater, but I never dreamed I’d be running it,” Columbus said. Since his arrival, Columbus said he has grown to appreciate the sense of ownership shared by those who participate in the company’s various projects, including audience members and students who participate in Project Discovery, the com-

director of environmental health and safety. The possibility that international students might be unable to travel home in the event of an outbreak is another issue the University is trying to prepare for. “That is part of what we are working on in terms of our planning,” Hunter said. “We need to anticipate the possibility that there may be some travel restrictions for students who wouldn’t be able to go home.” The University has communicated openly about pandemic flu with the Rhode Island state government, which recently released a revised plan on its Web site after the conference, Morin said. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a “sustained humanto-human transmission anywhere in the world will be the triggering event to initiate a pandemic response by the U.S.” Though such an event has not occurred, there are several tips that students are advised to follow for health purposes. Suner said everyone should remember to always practice “good cough etiquette” and good hygiene. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining open commun-ication with family and friends. “Communication is the first

www.browndailyherald.com

pany’s educational outreach program. “I realized the farreaching impact this theater has had over the past 40 years” during meetings with these various groups, he said. Golub said that Columbus “brings to the table the things we need in the second stage of the consortium.” Golub described the current relationship between Trinity and the University as an “all-encompassing relationship.” Many of the area heads at Trinity have become clinical faculty at Brown, and some have directed under-graduate productions. Laura Kepley GS currently serves as an artistic associate at Trinity. “The deﬁnition of where Brown is has deﬁnitely extended there,” said Provost Robert Zimmer. Despite this evolving relationship, Golub said he is wary of further integrating the University and Trinity beyond the consortium.“The foundation on which the consortium was invented was (to) do no harm,” he said. Golub wants to retain performance space for undergraduate use, something that might be hindered if students from the Master of Fine Arts program — who typically study at Trinity’s downtown facilities — spend more time on campus. “We want to come together and pool resources but remain (distinct),” Golub said “The goal is being able to integrate who we are up here and who they are down there.”

thing to go” in an emergency, she said. “It is very important to have a plan just in case.” To preserve open communication lines, Hunter encouraged all students to keep their contact information current.

POLICE LOG

Six windows reported smashed last week BY SIMMI AUJLA SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The following summaries include all major incidents reported to the Department of Public Safety between Jan. 20 and Jan. 26. The Providence Police Department also responds to incidents occurring off campus. DPS does not divulge information on open cases that are currently under investigation by the department, PPD or the Ofﬁce of Student Life. Sunday, Jan. 22: 4:30 p.m. A student reported that his iPod was stolen from his car, which was parked on George Street. He reported that a passenger side window was smashed. Monday, Jan. 23: 5:15 p.m. A student reported that the rear window on the driver’s side of her car, which was parked on Charlesﬁeld Street, was smashed. She reported that a bag containing her textbooks was missing. Wednesday, Jan. 25: A student in Andrews Hall reported that sometime between 5 a.m. on Dec. 20, and 5 p.m. on Jan. 24 some cash was stolen from her desk drawer. She reported that there were no signs of forced entry. 1 p.m. A student reported that the window on the driver’s side of her car, which was parked at the corner of Power and Thayer Streets, was smashed and her car stereo was stolen. 3 p.m. A student reported

several of his belongings were stolen from his car, which was parked on the corner of Lloyd and Brown Streets. He reported that one of his windows was smashed. 8:30 p.m. A student reported that her stereo was stolen from her car, which was parked on the corner of Thayer and Power Streets. She reported that a passenger side window was smashed. Thursday, Jan. 26: 11:30 a.m. A student reported that a Dell laptop computer, a digital camera, a cell phone and a bag carrying a variety of computer software were stolen from her car, which was parked on Manning Street. She reported the passenger side window of her vehicle was smashed. Source: Department of Public Safety

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006

Caldwell continued from page 12 round of the NCAA tournament. His four assists this season put him at eighth overall in Ivies, none of them more important than the one that came in the match against Dartmouth that determined the Ivy champion. Caldwell arrived in Colorado on Monday and will begin a twoweek training camp today in Denver, after which he will find out if he made the Rapids’ roster — something Noonan believes could happen. “He’ll do fine — he’s got an opportunity, and with his drive and passion for the game, that’s all he needs,” he said. Having played soccer “since (he) could walk basically,” the public and private sector organizations concentrator from Braintree, Mass. credits Noonan and the Brown program for preparing him so well for the future. “We play one of the toughest schedules in the country, and when Coach Noonan has the confidence to play me in those games, it helps so much,” Caldwell said. “He’s an unbelievable coach that you can learn something new from everyday. Brown is not your typical Ivy soccer school because we have a pretty high win percentage along with the strong academics.” The string of recent successes is undeniable — in the 10 years Noonan has been at Brown, his teams have captured the Ivy title six times and made six NCAA tournament appearances, while sending over half a dozen players on to the professional ranks. But Noonan does not see the

latter as a good barometer. “We don’t try to compare ourselves to anyone else, we just do what we do best and don’t keep counts (of pro prospects) as a standard of success,” he said. All in all, Caldwell is the 10th Brown student to be drafted or signed by MLS. Last year, Chris Gomez ’05, Jeff Larentowicz ’05, and Marcos Romaneiro ’05 were all drafted; Gomez still plays for the Dallas Burn and the latter two are members of the New England Revolution. Other Noonan products include Adom Crew ’04, who was drafted by the Columbus Crew in 2004, and Dustin Branan ’03, who now plays for the Kansas City Wizards after being drafted by the Minnesota Thunder in 2003. Additionally, Cory Gibbs ’01, a member of the U.S. National team, now plays in the Dutch Premier League and started in the MLS All-Star Game in 2004. Brown’s soccer program has competed with some of the top schools in the nation over the past decade and its number of professional prospects reflects that. Caldwell, for one, believes that the Bears will continue to churn out a number of potential pros in the future. He predicts that five to seven other current Brown players could receive the same honor of being drafted, especially Matt Britner ’07, who Caldwell believes is “one of the best defenders in the country.” Although the soccer program will miss Caldwell’s presence, he is confident that the University’s blending of schoolwork and athletics will continue to breed success. “Brown is the perfect combination of soccer and academics,” he said. “No other schools take both as seriously.”

UCS continued from page 1 For now, Townsend will focus his attention on the problem of reforming the council’s voluminous code, about which he said he knows a “freakishly large amount of information.” Halley Wuertz ’08 was elected to replace Townsend as chair of the Admissions and Student Services Committee. Wuertz initiated a program to provide board games for undergraduates last semester. The position of academic and administrative aff-airs chair was also open after David Beckoff ’08 resigned last week for medical reasons. Tristan Freeman ’07, formerly chair of the Communications Committee, ran unopposed to fill the seat. “We want to give students more of a say in any number of key issues on the Brown campus,” Freeman said. He plans to lead a “coordinated outreach effort” to gauge student opinion on such issues as the potential addition of pluses and minuses to the University’s grading system. “We can ask directly through WebCT polls, office hours, dorm rounds,” he said. Michael Thompson ’07, formerly UCS secretary, was elected to fill the position vacated by Freeman. Thompson, who referred to himself as a “details person,” served as vice chair of the Communications Committee last semester. “We’ve done great work thus far,” Thompson said. “Some people underestimate us, but communications is so important for the student body.” Sara Damiano ’08 was elected to fill the position of secretary. She also claimed to be invested in details, and promised to work as an archivist for UCS as well as secretary. Damiano has served on the Communications Committee, which she said will be useful because the secretary also serves as vice chair of communications.

Abortion continued from page 4 also toppled the federal law, the circuit’s Chief Judge John Walker made it clear that he took no pleasure in doing so. He said the court was “compelled by a precedent to invalidate a statute

Also available was the position of treasurer, which William Cunningham ’07 vacated to spend the semester abroad. Jonathan Margolick ’06, formerly UCS’s representative to the Undergraduate Finance Board, was elected to ﬁll the position. “I know how to balance a checkbook,” Margolick said in regards to his appropriateness for the position. Concerning goals for the future, Margolick intends to push harder to have money allocated on a more even basis to student groups. “We back down from the administration in a lot of things we don’t have to,” Margolick said. Former Student Activities Committee Chair Cash McCracken ’08 was elected to ﬁll the position of UFB representative. McCracken had previously served as a member of UFB in his position as SAC chair. He hopes to “help shape the University budget” and get “what’s best for the student body.” He gave up a position on the executive board to pursue the UFB position and made clear his hopes of later being elected to the University Resources Committee. The council elected Sara Gentile ’09 as the new chair of the Student Activities Committee. Gentile acknowledged that the position will require a lot more work than she is used to, but said she is “willing to become more committed.” She plans to pursue the improvement of club sports and will work to reform of the categorization of campus groups, saying that many groups receive either more or less money than they deserve. Five positions for at-large representatives were available to any undergraduate student who wanted to run. Melissa Revotskie ’09, Miguel Blancarte Jr. ’09, John Gillis ’07, Lauren Kolodny ’08 and Kate Brockwehl ’08 were all elected to these spots. During the election of the atlarge representatives, Brandon English ’06, who came to observe the meeting, confronted the executive board, claiming that

that bans a morally repugnant practice, not because it poses a significant health risk, but because its application might deny some unproven number of women a marginal health benefit.” The 8th Circuit in St. Louis last July became the first court to find the ban constitutionally flawed. The Justice Department already has asked for Supreme Court review of the 8th Circuit ruling, a request the justices could consider at their next conference Feb. 17. But since the court has its last round of oral arguments for this term set for April, it is possible that the court’s consideration of the issue could be put off until the October 2006 term. John Nowacki, a Justice Department spokesman, said the department is reviewing the latest decisions. About 90 percent of the 1.3 million abortions annually performed in the U.S. take place in the first trimester of a pregnancy. The federal

Daniel Petrie / Herald

Last night, Sarah Saxton-Frump `07 and Zac Townsend `07 were elected president and vicepresident of UCS, respectively. the rounds of elections were unfair because they denied the right of every undergraduate student to vote for such important positions in student government. Saxton-Frump and Appointments Chair Benjamin Boas ’06.5 called a recess to speak to English privately and explain the importance of immediate elections. “The process we have right now is not optimal,” SaxtonFrump told The Herald after the meeting. “They saw and understood that.” For practical purposes, however, SaxtonFrump felt it necessary that the elections proceed. She claimed that alerting the entire student body to the elections and having them vote for every position would have taken far too long. The elections of the evening were not ideal, she said, but they were necessary. “If you don’t have rules, you won’t get anything done,” she said. She promised to work on reforming the infamously convoluted code in the future, but added that “it takes a while to write something that’s good.” In the meantime, SaxtonFrump said she intends to apologize to the student body for the inaccessible internal elections.

statute banning partial-birth abortions would not affect those abortions. The law struck down Tuesday focuses on second trimester abortions that are performed for a variety of reasons, including the mother’s health and fetal anomalies discovered by modern medical procedures such as amniocentesis. At issue in the case is a procedure that most doctors refer to as “intact dilation and extraction,” which involves partially removing a fetus from the uterus and puncturing or crushing the skull. Justice Department lawyers, who have defended the statute, have argued that the procedure causes fetal pain, blurs the line between abortion and infanticide and is not medically necessary. Advocates of abortion rights, as well as numerous doctors and medical organizations, contend that the procedure in some instances is medically necessary.

Immerman Rules

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7

Katrina continued from page 1 plan. The ambitious proposal calls for the immediate construction of a high-speed light rail system, levee repair and aggressive neighborhood planning. The plan drew much criticism for its proposal of a four-month moratorium on building in heavily damaged areas. Critics say the moratorium will prevent displaced citizens from returning and investing in a post-Katrina New Orleans. Additionally, the commission gave its support to a bill proposed by Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., which would allow the government to use bond revenues to buy out homeowners in heavily damaged areas at prices near the homes’ pre-Katrina value and then redevelop the land. The bill lacks support from the White House because of its high cost, and some residents believe it would push people out of the Crescent City. The Brown study seems to bolster this idea, but also points out that it would be primarily poor blacks that would be bought out under the plan. The commission also predicted in a January report that it expects the city’s population to be nearly 247,000 people by September 2008. The Brown study contradicts this as well. Logan believes there are two possibilities for the future of the Big Easy. One option is for the city to be rebuilt for people who can afford to live in certain high-demand areas, pushing the working class into peripheral areas from which they would commute. The other possibility is for more afﬂuent and predominately white neighborhoods to become more inclusive, providing a range of affordable housing options, thus preserving the melting pot that gives New Orleans much of its cultural identity. “Ultimately what we’re talking about is a third world city versus an inclusive city that would be very different from the American past,” Logan said. He added that New Orleans was not any more segregated than most American cities before Katrina. “To ask New Orleans

to become more inclusive is to ask them to do things other American cities have been unable to accomplish.” Nevertheless, some remain skeptical regarding the tangible significance of Katrina’s effect on the city. In an interview with the New York Times, William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, said the Brown study was “a worst-case scenario that will come about only if these evacuees see that they have no voice in what is going on.” Frey acknowledges that, at least for the time being, the migration caused by Katrina is unprecedented for an American city, pointing out to CBS News that the storm also elicited a very harmful “brain drain” of academics and professionals. An interdisciplinary mix In the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina, media images and anecdotal evidence seemed to indicate that the storm had affected certain groups far more than others. Seeing this, Logan began contacting his colleagues regarding a study of the storm-ravaged city. “One of the things I’ve learned as a sociologist is that what appears to be is not what really is,” Logan said. “My question was ‘how distorted a view did we get from those media images?’ My answer is, ‘not as distorted as it could have been.’” Logan worked with professors Phil Brown, Steve Hamburg, John Mustard and Rachel MorelloFrosch, from the departments of sociology, ecology, geology and environmental sciences, respectively. At first they worked independently, but later found support from the National Science Foundation. “This was the perfect opportunity to bring the skills of social scientists and natural scientists together,” he said. Logan heads Brown’s Spa-tial Structures in the Social Sciences initiative — dubbed S4 — which uses advanced mapping technology to make unique connections among data and bring together faculty from across several fields to answer complex questions about society. Logan said that because the University has supported the initiative with staff and expertise, S4 was well suited to examine

Katrina’s effects thoroughly and quickly. “You don’t think of a university having a rapid response team, but in fact, that’s how it worked out,” he said. S4 has also used its mapping abilities to study changes in racial segregation in postapartheid South Africa and how public policy changes affect nursing homes in Georgia. The group’s work was based primarily on Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster maps and the 2000 census. In December, Logan and a few of the other professors traveled to New Orleans to gain a more comprehensive understanding of what they had been working to represent on mapping software. Logan commented on this experience, saying, “I wanted to understand what I was seeing. I realized that ‘ﬂooded’ in many parts of the city actually meant ‘completely destroyed.’” “The fact that Katrina is largely a social disaster is not evident for those not on the ground. Overall the lack of an effective response system is a very sad commentary on the social compact that we as a society have undertaken,” Hamburg, one of the study’s co-authors, wrote in an email. “The scale of the physical impacts of the storm surge and high winds is great, but the lack of adequate social systems to cope with this natural disaster dwarfs the direct impacts.” “It’s worse than I thought,” Logan said. “You just can’t imagine.” The report can be found at: http://s4.brown.edu/katrina/ index.html

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006

Super Bowl continued from page 12 season. Whipple moved on after UNH to become the head coach at the University of New Haven in 1988 and subsequently turned the team into a perennial power in Division II. After reviving Brown’s program in the mid’90s, Whipple took a University of Massachusetts team that had gone 2-9 the season prior to his arrival and won a National Championship in 1998. After moving from the Minutemen to the Steelers two years ago, Whipple has been to two AFC Championship games and now the team’s ﬁrst Super Bowl in 10 years. “Literally everything he touches turns to gold,” Estes said. Part of the reason for Whipple’s success is his overall positive outlook. Estes said that Whipple never enters a game feeling as though he cannot win. “The biggest thing I got from Whip was not so much schemes or plays necessarily, but his enthusiasm,” Estes said. “He’s never gone into a game where he felt like he couldn’t win. If he was coaching here or at UNH and we had the Steelers coming in next week he would say we have a chance.” Whipple’s success can be seen

Trudeaus continued from page 12 made. Already the best player on his team, the rookie point guard out of Wake Forest has taken what was supposed to be a team ﬁghting to avoid the league’s worst record and made it into a team that has been above, at or around .500 for the entire year. Paul scores (16.3 ppg), dishes (7.4 apg), boards remarkably well for a player his size (5.7 rpg) and even causes havoc on the defensive end (2.2 spg), all while protecting the basketball (2.3 TO per game). It’s no contest: Chris Paul deserves to be an all-star and the league’s rookie of the year. Ross: As much as I’d like to bust my young compatriot’s chops again, he’s right on the money with this pick. Paul is as high-impact a rookie as you’re ever going to see. His numbers compare favorably to LeBron’s

in the rapid improvement of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers’ sensational secondyear quarterback and the player with whom Whipple works most intimately. In three playoff games this year, Big Ben has tossed seven touchdowns and thrown for 780 yards while throwing just one interception. “(Whipple’s) relationship with Ben is something special,” Estes said. “Whip, like Ben, came right from college to the pros … everything was the same for them. They were having the same experiences, going through the same stuff at the same time. You can see now how far Roethlisberger has come. … That’s all Whip.” Morey has been using his head to get ahead since he was starring at wideout for the Bears from 1995-98. Estes remembers numerous occasions when he had to throw Morey out of the film room in the football offices at the Olney-Margolis Athletic Center. “He wanted to know absolutely every aspect of the game of football,” Estes said of Morey’s habits in the film room. “He was the first out of the shower and in the film room after practices.” That work ethic has helped Morey find his niche in the cutthroat business that is the NFL. Though cut by the New England Patriots and the Eagles shortly before those organizations went to Super Bowls, Morey has

now become an integral part of the Steelers special teams unit covering kicks. “He just has a physical nature about him,” said Steelers special teams coach Kevin Spencer in an interview with The Herald in November. “He’s quick and fast but plays like a much bigger guy. Plus, he’s got no regard for his body when he’s playing.” Spencer reafﬁrmed Estes’s praise for Morey’s tireless work ethic as well, saying that it is perhaps the most important attribute that he possesses. “Sean has a lot of athletic ability, but more importantly he’s a quick minded guy,” Spencer said. “Some players play slow but Sean plays fast.” Estes described Morey as a player who lived for the spotlight. When scouts would show up at practices to watch him play, Morey would often play through painful shin splints in order to make an impression. Estes eventually had to bar the scouts from practice for Morey’s own good. But this weekend, Morey will not just be performing for a handful of scouts at practice — he and Whipple will take their success to the Super Bowl in front of more than 125 million fans. The first 39 Super Bowls featured nary a former Bear on the roster. Now, Super Bowl XL will have two: one prowling the sideline and one stalking kick returners.

rookie stats, and even King James couldn’t make a .500 team out of the 2003-2004 Cavs, whereas Paul makes his squad a threat to win any game.

top three seed in the East, while Crosby and Ovechkin haven’t been able to pull their respective teams out of the cellar. Tom: Talk about hometown bias. Plenty of young goalies have had success in their rookie seasons, but few newcomers — and even fewer teenagers — have become superstars on the ice the way Ovechkin and Crosby have. Crosby and Ovechkin are already the best players on their respective teams and, unlike New York’s young goalie, are marked men throughout the league. While Ovechkin has been an elite goal scorer, Sid the Kid is my pick. His superior vision and lack of help or a thug to help protect him, combined with the weight of being the new face of the NHL and having to save hockey in Pittsburgh make Crosby the clear choice.

NHL Rookie of the year Ross: Sidney Crosby began the year with his name already stenciled into the Calder Memorial Trophy, but he’s gotten some serious competition that makes him anything but a lock. Alexander Ovechkin of the Capitals leads Crosby in goals (34 to 25) and points (65 to 60) and if he continues his torrid scoring pace will probably take the award. My pick, however, is the rookie netminder for the New York Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist. His save percentage is third in the league, while his goals against average ranks fourth. Lundqvist should also get a boost from the fact that he and Jaromir Jagr have led the Rangers, picked by many to ﬁnish dead last in their division, into contention for a

Tom Trudeau ’09 thinks it’s funny that Ross Trudeau ’06 has a Web site devoted to his intramural teams.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Goldman continued from page 12 and could create match up problems for him. Although he is incredibly adept at running off screens and seems to never slow down, he would probably be the first to tell you that he has never been the most athletic guy on the floor. And while his 6’4” stature would be more suited to playing point guard, his minimal ballhandling skills would prevent a change in position. What then separates him from another former Duke standout shooter, Trajan Langdon? Langdon had all of the same attributes that J.J. has and he lasted less than three seasons in the NBA. While J.J. can create his own shot on the college level, it will be much more difficult for him to do so in the NBA. Scouts have already questioned his ability to score against superior defensive players in college. If you go back to Duke’s game against Memphis, Rodney Carney, another future NBA player, completely shut him down in the second half. The athletic Carney is listed at 6’7” and has very long arms — the type of player that Redick will have to face night in and night out in the pros. It comes down to whether J.J. is willing to accept a role as a catch-and-shoot, stand-still, three-point shooter. He has always been the focal point of Duke’s offense, which has been built around getting him the screens he needs to get open looks. I think he will have a nice career in the NBA being a Steve Kerr-type who plays about 25 minutes a game and just ﬁres up three-balls. On the other hand, Morrison

Senate continued from page 3 including a $360,000 loan from himself in the spring. “It was a great quarter and we’re extremely gratiﬁed by the number of people who are joining our campaign to change Washington,” said Mindy Myers, Whitehouse’s campaign manager. Trailing Whitehouse was Brown, who raised a mere $282,365 in the fourth quarter. Whitehouse had $1,559,156 on hand at the end of 2005, versus $481,451 for Brown. Requests for information from a third candidate, businessman Carl Sheeler, were not returned. Brown, who was the ﬁrst can-

is an old-school throwback type of player that you love to see play. It may be unfair to do this, but I feel like I have to. He actually compares very well to Larry Bird. I am not just saying this because he is gangly, white and a good shooter, but because his game actually reminds me of Larry Legend. He is about the same height as Bird. He has the same sort of ﬂoppy hair. When you see him, you think to yourself, “this kid can’t be that good,” but then, like Bird, he makes you a believer by dropping 40. Like J.J., he can run around screens all day. He never stops moving and appears to be going full speed all the time. He is averaging 29 points per game — tops in the nation. He is also averaging six rebounds, shooting 52 percent from the ﬂoor and 41 percent from behind the threepoint line. People say J.J. is tougher because he has to deal with every team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which is far superior to Gonzaga’s West Coast Conference, guarding him intensely night in and night out. That is an argument I just don’t buy. Do you think teams playing against Gonzaga are focusing their defense on J.P. Batista and Derek Raivio? Hardly. Teams that play Gonzaga are solely interested in trying to stop Morrison and their efforts have been to no avail. And while it is true that the ACC is better than the WCC, just ask Michigan State, Memphis and Washington, who Morrison dropped 43, 34 and 43 on. That’s just how good he is. Unlike Redick, Morrison has quite an array of shots. He has perfected the one-hand runner as well as his baseline jump hook. Also, he plays very well with his back to the basket, something that J.J. doesn’t even attempt to

didate to enter the race against Chafee, raised almost as much money as Whitehouse did last year, collecting $1,488,485. But Brown has also spent that money faster than any other candidate, using up just over a million dollars in 2005. Chafee spent $694,474 in 2005, followed by Whitehouse with expenditures of $614,175 and Laffey with $223,266. Brown’s fundraising apparently began to rebound at the beginning of 2006, totaling over $200,000 in January alone, according to a press release by his campaign. “We are continuing our fundraising at a steady pace and building Matt’s name recognition across the state,” said Matt Burgess, Brown’s press secretary, in the release.

do. The diversity of his offensive game is something that he can bring to the table at the next level, and the diversity of J.J.’s game may not necessarily be there in the NBA. Morrison is also someone who can create his own offense for himself and for others without a screen. You can just give him the ball at the top of the key, tell him to make a play, and he will. J.J.’s ability to do that has improved, but he has a lot of difﬁculty creating his own offense without a screen. He also boasts the size that J.J. lacks. Morrison is a legit 6’8”, which gives him the ability to shoot over and post up on shorter defenders. He’s more athletic than people give him credit for. J.J. has the potential to be a solid player in the league for 10 years or so, but Morrison has the potential to be a star. He’s deﬁnitely still on the up, so who knows how good he can be? When he came to Gonzaga, he was the 290th-rated recruit according to Scout.com. Now, he is the best player in the nation. And even if you don’t like him, you have to admit, that really is a gorgeous mustache. As much as Assistant Sports Editor Justin Goldman ’07 loves the mustache, he really likes everything that goes with it.

EDITORIAL/LETTERS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 · PAGE 10

STAFF EDITORIAL

Pulling teeth in Peterutti At about 11:30 p.m. last night, members of the Undergraduate Council of Students ran into one in a series of complications that held up its general body meeting. After former Student Activities Chair Cash McCracken ’08 won a representative position on the Undergraduate Finance Board, it became apparent that he would resign his former UCS post. McCracken voiced his resignation, seemingly allowing the meeting to proceed. But not without one more formality. “I’m sorry, but every UCS resignation has to be in writing,” lamented former Communications Chair Tristan Freeman ’07. McCracken lunged for a pen and piece of paper. Several members of the executive board heaved a collective sigh. At least one more election remained. The meeting had begun three and a half hours earlier. In nearly every speech made during last night’s internal elections, UCS members referenced their commitment to address students’ concerns. A quick glance at the council’s Web site — on which it vows to “develop and foster collaboration between student organizations in order to effectively communicate, represent, and build from the diversity of interests that shape this University” — reveals that the council is at least somewhat aware of its important role as the undergraduate community’s representative governing body. Last night’s meeting should have focused on items that appeal to this “diversity of interests.” For example, Freeman introduced a council resolution dealing with the proposal to add pluses and minuses to the University’s grading system. The agenda also promised an executive update on the ad hoc committee to review the social events policy. However, by the time the council had finished its lengthy internal elections process, many members were too weary to give these issues even cursory consideration. In order to successfully address them, newly elected UCS President Sarah Saxton-Frump ’07 had to quiet the shuffling of council members eager to leave the confines of Peterutti Lounge. Although measures such as the “dorm rounds” instituted by UCS last semester to get student feedback on campus life issues have been taken to increase the transparency and accessibility of the council, meetings such as the one last night quickly negate any ground the council may have gained through such efforts. We fail to see how internal elections help the council effectively represent its constituents. The work of UCS is not trivial — or at least it shouldn’t be. UCS should be a forum in which matters concerning large portions of the student body become the topic of thorough discussion and debate. Devoting hours to self-promoting speeches and tedious bureaucratic details does not benefit anyone — except UCS members themselves.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Robbie Corey-Boulet, Editor-in-Chief Justin Elliott, Executive Editor Ben Miller, Executive Editor Stephanie Clark, Senior Editor Katie Lamm, Senior Editor Jonathan Sidhu, Arts & Culture Editor Jane Tanimura, Arts & Culture Editor Stu Woo, Campus Watch Editor Mary-Catherine Lader, Features Editor Ben Leubsdorf, Metro Editor Anne Wootton, Metro Editor Eric Beck, News Editor Patrick Harrison, Opinions Editor Nicholas Swisher, Opinions Editor Stephen Colelli, Sports Editor Christopher Hatﬁeld, Sports Editor Justin Goldman, Asst. Sports Editor Jilane Rodgers, Asst. Sports Editor Charlie Vallely, Asst. Sports Editor PRODUCTION Allison Kwong, Design Editor Taryn Martinez, Copy Desk Chief Lela Spielberg, Copy Desk Chief Mark Brinker, Graphics Editor Joe Nagle, Graphics Editor

Jean Yves Chainon, Photo Editor Jacob Melrose, Photo Editor Ashley Hess, Sports Photo Editor Kori Schulman, Sports Photo Editor BUSINESS Ryan Shewcraft, General Manager Lisa Poon, Executive Manager David Ranken, Executive Manager Mitch Schwartz, Executive Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Manager Susan Dansereau, Ofﬁce Manager POST- MAGAZINE Sonia Saraiya, Editor-in-Chief Taryn Martinez, Associate Editor Ben Bernstein, Features Editor Matt Prewitt, Features Editor Elissa Barba, Design Editor Lindsay Harrison, Graphics Editor Constantine Haghighi, Film Editor Paul Levande, Film Editor Jesse Adams, Music Editor Katherine Chan, Music Editor Hillary Dixler, Off-the-Hill Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor

JOSEPH NAGLE

LETTERS Epidermal pride To the Editor: As an employee who works at the desk of the John Hay Library, I was happy to see The Herald’s article (“In a literal bind,” Jan. 31) on our books with anthropodermic bindings. These curious items are heavily requested, though people often seem disappointed to ﬁnd the books look like — well, books, bound in leather. Alas, we also are animals. I was particularly interested in the comments of Mr. Baruch, which seem to suggest that the possession of these books may be morally transgressive, somehow inviting or inciting further nefarious practices.

He may be onto something. Speaking as a writer of ﬁction with a perhaps overly selective audience, I occasionally daydream of the time when my own skin, ﬂayed, willed to a book binder, adorned with cryptic yet decorative embossments, will serve as cover for my slim volume of collected works — ensuring it will be seen — if not read — after death does me part. Alison Bundy Jan. 31

Shorten winter break, lengthen summer To the Editor: While I absolutely agree with the staff editorial in the Jan. 31 edition of The Herald regarding the need for the University to discuss and eventually create options for the month of January, isn’t there a simpler solution? The University could, instead, change the academic calendar for the spring semester. Start shopping period the day after the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. As an already short week due to the National Holiday, it lends itself well to the beginning of shopping period. Come May, the last day of ﬁnals can be held nearly a week earlier, allowing students a longer summer for internships, jobs and travel.

While this would also require a lot of bureaucratic struggle, it would indubitably require less ﬁnancial efforts on behalf of the University than creating a full academic winter term which might also eventually require changes to the academic calendar. Further still, students would still have about four weeks for travel and part-time jobs over the winter break.

Max Chaiken ’09 Jan. 31

send letters! letters@browndailyherald.com send columns! opinions@browndailyherald.com

Allison Kwong, Night Editor Chris Gang, Amy Ehrhart, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Simmi Aujla, Stephanie Bernhard, Melanie Duch, Ross Frazier, Jonathan Herman, Rebecca Jacobson, Chloe Lutts, Caroline Silverman Staff Writers Anna Abramson, Justin Amoah, Zach Barter, Alissa Cerny, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Phillip Gara, Hannah Miller, Aidan Levy, Jill Luxenberg, Taryn Martinez, Ari Rockland-Miller, Jane Porter, Chelsea Rudman, Sonia Saraiya, Kam Sripada, Robin Steele, Kim Stickels, Nicole Summers, Laura Supkoff, Spencer Trice, Ila Tyagi, Sara Walter Sports Staff Writers Erin Frauenhofer, Kate Klonick, Madeleine Marecki, George Mesthos, Eric Perlmutter, Marco Santini, Tom Trudeau Account Administrators Alexandra Annuziato, Emilie Aries, Steven Butschi, Dee Gill, Rahul Keerthi, Kate Love, Ally Ouh, Nilay Patel, Ashfia Rahman, Rukesh Samarasekera, Jen Solin, Bonnie Wong Design Staff Ross Frazier, Adam Kroll, Andrew Kuo, Gabriela Scarritt Photo Staff CJ Adams, Chris Bennett, Meg Boudreau, Tobias Cohen, Lindsay Harrison, Matthew Lent, Christopher Schmitt, Oliver Schulze, Juliana Wu, Min Wu Copy Editors Anastasia Aguiar, Simmi Aujla, Aubry Bracco, Jacob Frank, Christopher Gang, Elizabeth Inglese, Sonia Saraiya, Alice Winslow

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. C O M M E N TA R Y P O L I C Y 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, letters and comics reﬂect the opinions of their authors only. LET TERS 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. A DV E RT I S I N G P O L I C Y The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

OPINIONS

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2006 · PAGE 11

Brown’s academic obscurity slights students The Plan for Academic Enrichment focuses on interdisciplinary areas but ignores traditional departments BY SARAH GELLER GUEST COLUMNIST

One of the central tenets of Brown’s Plan for Academic Enrichment is to improve undergraduate education. As we see the plan beginning to be executed, it seems the university will make most of its academic changes in interdisciplinary areas. Brown has made clear its intent to focus on interdisciplinary learning: the Plan for Academic Enrichment cites it as one of its 11 principles. But will this course of action benefit the most students? One of last year’s biggest donations was for the creation of the Institute for Old World Art and Archeology. Other projects include a creative arts building, a center for computational biology and a new building for cognitive and linguistics sciences. The new Science Cohort, a program billed as “uniquely Brown,” will also have an interdisciplinary focus. All these projects display a trend that favors interdisciplinary subjects as opposed to standard, traditional disciplines. Certainly, one thing that makes Brown special is its unique courses of study. What Brown should not do, however, is concentrate practically all of its resources solely on these interdisciplinary studies. “The Fiske Guide to Colleges” reports that Brown’s “strongest” departments are comparative literature,

creative writing, applied math, religious studies, geology, history and classics. This is great for students interested in these subjects; they’re lucky that Brown offers obscure disciplines ignored at lesser colleges. But students attracted to more traditional areas, such as biology, psychology, english, philosophy, art history or political science, will find their curriculums lacking. These bigger and more standard departments traditionally draw larger numbers of students and majors. Students interested in more traditional subjects often find themselves frustrated with deficient departments and course offerings. And nothing has been done so far to improve them. Most of Brown’s class offerings also emphasize an interdisciplinary approach. Most departments offer numerous specific classes that focus on one narrow aspect of that particular subject, yet offer few “core” classes to provide students a broader focus on the discipline. Later on in a student’s course of study it can be useful to have a depth of knowledge in one area, but it will not be helpful if this area is too specialized or the student has no basic foundation. Concentrators and non-concentrations alike looking for a broader base of knowledge complain when the scope of a

class is so specific. The new concentration requirements of the English department reflect this pattern. Instead of taking several survey courses, concentrators must instead take additional specialized classes. It is commendable that the department wants to improve its concentration, but there is a great benefit to having all English

and math were lacking departments; students also complain about the quality of traditional departments like philosophy, english and art history. Traditional departments are not more important than interdisciplinary ones. Interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary subjects, however, are by deﬁnition narrow in scope. When we enter the real world, certainly it will be more useful to arrive with a broad collection of knowledge rather than a small base of very speciﬁc information. At the very least, traditional departments deserve equal billing with less traditional departments. Brown prides itself on its interdisciplinary strength, but not every Brown student wants to study these subjects. By narrowing its academic scope so greatly Brown is disappointing so many students who come here hoping to study in traditional departments. If Brown continues this way, it will cease attracting students who seek strong traditional departments. If Brown keeps pouring time, money and faculty into interdisciplinary areas only, it will alienate the majority of its students.

Students interested in more traditional subjects often ﬁnd themselves frustrated with deﬁcient departments and course offerings. students come away with a certain base of knowledge. A Brown education should not be lacking in crucial areas. It is not fair to Brown’s students to spend most of the newly acquired resources on smaller departments, which invariably will benefit fewer students. Brown should address the academic problems in larger departments that sorely need the resources. The Fiske Guide stated that psychology, sociology

Sarah Geller ’09 wants a simpler Course Announcement Bulletin.

Dissecting the plus/minus discussion A junior nudges the plus/minus debate forward and considers the vagaries of academic evaluation BY JAY VOWLES GUEST COLUMNIST

Two days ago, the College Curriculum Council decided to appeal to a faculty forum before further discussing adding plusses and minuses to the Brown curriculum. This extra time provides students a chance to further discuss these important changes to our curriculum. It is time to evaluate the merits of the arguments presented. Let us first consider how Brown students would decide this issue if they made decisions solely on self-interest. Students with great confidence in their abilities to score highly would be in favor of the change because their A-pluses would set them apart from the A and A-minus students. Likewise, students at the top of the B or C range would want to be distinguished from others who are barely managing a B-minus or narrowly avoiding an NC. This is the “finer gradation” argument, expressed most recently by Max Chaiken ’09 (“Pluses and minuses offer finer grading,” Jan. 27). Another group of students consists of those who work as little as possible to

earn the grade they want. They want the grading system to remain unchanged so that no one will know they worked any less than the students at the top of the grade range. Of course, Brown students do not snugly fit into these two categories and are not driven solely by self-interest. I do not think that Zachary Townsend ’08 (“Plus/minus endangers the Open

these are vitally important elements of the Brown educational experience. It has also been argued that grade inflation is a problem at Brown and would be mitigated by the implementation of the plus/minus system. In his Jan. 27 column (“Students should be involved in plus/minus debate”) Tristan Freeman ’07 pointed out that even the CCC doesn’t think this is true. Professors give so many A’s simply because so many students deserve them. But what is an A, really? Is there some objective grading criteria that holds true always and everywhere?We certainly don’t pretend that an A at Brown means the same as an A at Florida State University or Manchester Community College, so why would adding pluses and minuses make the comparison any easier? Some at Brown think the change would make our graduates more competitive, but the outside world undoubtedly understands that grading standards are not universal. So why shouldn’t Brown change its grading standards altogether? Maybe instead of introducing pluses and minuses, all professors should raise the bar for an A. More students would receive B’s and C’s and the small number of failing students would remain the

Although we could adjust to new definitions of A, B and C, it is too much to expect that the rest of the world would understand the quality of work those grades really require. Curriculum,” Jan. 26) and others of similar opinion are opposed to implementing a plus/minus system because they are afraid of getting A-minuses. I agree with Townsend that emphasis on detailed grades would detract from the spirit of personal intellectual growth and learning for the sake of learning, and

same. In many of the courses I’ve taken, 85 percent is the cutoff for an A, lower than in high school! How well would the institutions into which we hope to be accepted in the future adjust to our new grading standard, whether it is the one I just proposed or something like the Yale Law School method suggested by Townsend? Although we at Brown could adjust to new definitions of A, B and C, it is too much to expect that the rest of the world would understand the exact quality of work those grades really require. The Max Chaikens of Brown have a significant point here that can’t be dismissed. Those students who work the hardest and would earn an A-plus at almost any other school deserve to be distinguished from their classmates. They are the best of the best. They are not simply Brown students, but top Brown students, and they deserve to be identified accordingly. The answer for these students, however, does not lie in a new plus/ minus system, but rather in something that already exists at Brown: the course performance report. This underutilized feature of our grading system is certainly not a cure-all for the plus/minus debate, but it does provide a way for top students to receive recognition for their hard work. Jay Vowles ’07 knows that A’s, B’s and C’s really don’t mean all that much.

SPORTS THURSDAY THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · FEBRUARY 2, 2006 · PAGE 12

Alums will give Steel Curtain a Brown hue at Super Bowl XL

Special-teamer Morey ’99 will be ﬁrst Bear to play in the “big game,” QB coach Whipple ’79 on Pittsburgh staff BY STEPHEN COLELLI SPORTS EDITOR

Brown’s football alums typically distinguish themselves in a wide variety of fields after leaving College Hill, but few choose to make that mark on the football field. Mark Whipple ’79 and Sean Morey ’99 have not only distinguished themselves in their chosen field of football, they will play on the ultimate stage when they partake in Super Bowl XL on Sunday in Detroit. Whipple is the quarterbacks’ coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Morey is a standout member of the Steelers’ special teams unit. Both are in their second year with the club and are participating in their first Super Bowl. Whipple was a member of Bruno’s first Ivy League title team in 1976 and compiled a 24-16 record as a head coach from 1994-1997. Morey is a former Ivy League player of the year, and was recognized by Sports Illustrated’s Paul Zimmerman as the NFL’s best special teams player while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles. Morey also broke most of the Brown and Ivy League receiving records during his college career. Ivy success does not guarantee a

lengthy professional career in football, but few are surprised that the two former Bears are one step away from winning their profession’s ultimate prize. “It’s something that (Whipple) has always dreamed about, coaching at the highest level and getting an opportunity to win a Super Bowl,” said the football team’s current head coach, Phil Estes. “I’m the happiest guy in the world for Sean Morey. He never accepted the fact that people told him he was too small or too slow to play at that level. He deserves this more than anyone.” Estes has the most experience of anyone currently on campus with Brown’s Super Bowl participants. His relationship with Whipple dates back to the early 1980’s, when both served on the University of New Hampshire’s coaching staff. When Whipple became Brown’s head coach, he added Estes as an assistant. After serving as the running backs’ coach for three years, Estes moved to coaching the wide receivers in 1997, where he was Morey’s position coach during his Ivy Player of the Year campaign. Estes was promoted to head coach the following year, Morey’s senior see SUPER BOWL, page 8

Mustachioed Morrison tops Redick as prospective NBA’er Normally, being a fan of someone with a ’70s-style porn star mustache is a stretch. However, when it comes to Adam Morrison, the swingman from Gonzaga, one cannot help but love his mustache, as well as everything else that goes with it. This season, two players are dominating the debate for college basketball’s player of the year. One of them is the JUSTIN GOLDMAN a f o r e m e n t i o n e d GOLDMEMBER Morrison. The other is J.J. Redick, the Duke two-guard who has seemingly been playing college ball for a thousand years. It seems to be a dead heat between the two, but I will not even try to argue which man deserves to end up on top. What I will tell you is that Morrison will make a considerably better pro than Redick will. I am not a Duke fan myself, but I have to give credit where credit is due. When Redick first arrived on campus in fall 2002, he was completely onedimensional. All he did was park himself behind the arc and wait for someone to penetrate and kick the ball out to him. The memories of that Redick have long faded, nearly erased by his level of play today. He has steadily improved each year and is clearly saving his best for last. He is averaging 27.8 points per game this season, shooting 51 percent from the ﬂoor and 44 percent from beyond the arc. He has scored 40 or more points three times this season, most recently against the University of Virginia on Sunday when he put up 40 on just 13 shots. Redick is no longer that standstill jump-shooter that we became BROWN SPORTS SCHEDULE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 M. SQUASH: at MIT with Tufts

accustomed to seeing. He is much better at creating his own shot, can run off screens all day and is absolutely deadly from the free-throw line if you try to crowd him on defense. Having said all that, something about him still makes me wonder whether he’ll be a good professional. First off, he doesn’t have ideal size or athleticism for the NBA, which is moving toward bigger, faster, more athletic two-guards see GOLDMAN, page 9

Ashley Hess / Herald

Keith Caldwell ’06 became the eighth player from Brown drafted by a Major League Soccer team since 1999 when he was taken 33rd in the league’s Supplemental Draft.

Rapids make Caldwell ’06 Bears’ latest MLS draftee BY AMY EHRHART CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When thinking of NCAA soccer, powerhouses such as Maryland, Clemson, North Carolina and maybe UConn or Berkeley will pop into the heads of avid fans. But Brown is slowly climbing into that upper echelon, thanks to one stellar season after another and numerous selections in the MLS draft — most recently Keith Caldwell ’06. Last Thursday, Caldwell got “the phone call every athlete dreams about” from the Colorado Rapids telling him he was to become the ninth pick in the third round in the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft — the 33rd selection overall. “I had spoken to (the Rapids), but by no means was I expecting this. It was a great surprise,” Caldwell said. With his pedigree, it’s hard to see how he did not see it coming. The two-time All-Ivy Honorable Mention forward/midﬁelder has spent his past

few summers playing for the Cape Cod Crusaders of the Premier Developmental League and Real Sociedad in the Spanish Premier League. Even before Brown, Caldwell had been successful — his club team, the South Shore United Blazers, won four consecutive Massachusetts State Cup Championships while Caldwell was in high school. “It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work on Keith’s part — we’re excited for him to be in Colorado,” said Head Coach Mike Noonan. In 2004, Caldwell ranked second on the Bears in points with 12, tied for the team lead in goals scored, was named Ivy League Player of the Week Sept. 13 and was named to the Adidas/Brown Classic All-Tournament Team. Caldwell’s lone goal this season came with Brown trailing 1-0 against the University of Rhode Island in the ﬁrst see CALDWELL, page 6

Forget the Oscars, here are your award winners Ross Trudeau ’06 and Tom Trudeau ’09 love each other like brothers. As such, it was a no-brainer for them to make direct use of their fraternal bantering skills in a column. With awards season upon us in the movie and music businesses, the two felt it was time to debate who is in line to take home some hardware in the sports world. NBA MVP Tom: You can probably make legitimate cases for LeBron James; Dirk Nowitski; last year’s winner, Steve Nash; Chauncey Billups and mayROSS TRUDEAU be even Elton TOM TRUDEAU Brand, who has TRU STORY trailed off a bit after starting the season red hot. Still, Kobe Bryant would be my pick by virtue of the workload that he has to take every night on both ends of the court. He is the Lakers’ best scorer, playmaker and defensive stopper. After what was looking to shape up to be a Tony Montana-type career — a quick rise to fame and power followed by troublesome legal battles leading to an army of people looking to take him down — Kobe’s insane stats became relevant again now that he’s turned the Lakers back into a winner. The knock on Bryant this year is that

he has played more selfishly than ever, but without any other legitimate scoring threats on the roster besides the NBA’s worst great player, Lamar Odom, Bryant has been forced to pick up the workload even more. Everyone on the Lakers — save Devean George and Sasha Vujanic — has a better field goal percentage when Bryant is on the floor than when he is out of the game, evidence that Bryant makes his teammates better. James will give him a run for his money by virtue of his equally impressive numbers, Dirk and Billups will get an extra look for being the best players on two of the NBA’s best teams and people will point to the Suns’ incredible season without Amare Stoudemire as evidence that Nash should repeat as champ. Nash, however, now leads the league in turnovers and also has an elite teammate in the league’s most underappreciated super-star, Shawn Marion, who is arguably the better all-around player. Ross: While Tom makes a compelling case for Kobe, I have to disagree that he has made the Lakers legitimate contenders again — they stand at a pedestrian three games over .500. I have to rule out Billups simply because he doesn’t impact a game like the Kobes and Iversons of the league.

Steve Nash deserves just as long a look as Kobe — he’s scoring five more points per game than he did his MVP season — but the man for me is LeBron. The heir (Jordan)-apparent is the league leader in player efficiency and, along with Dwanye Wade, is the only player to average 26.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 6.0 apg. James has his Cavs, who like Kobe’s Lakers offer little peripheral scoring support, poised as a top-three seed in the East. Moreover, his field goal percentage is matched in the top-20 scorers only by bangers like Garnett and Duncan. The Cavs could be dead last without him. His value to his team is the highest in the league. NBA Rookie of the Year Tom: Who has the highest player efficiency rating of all western conference point guards? It’s not Steve Nash, Tony Parker or Baron Davis. It’s Chris Paul. The Hawks, Bucks and Jazz are probably kicking themselves right now for letting this rookie fall to number four in this year’s draft. Despite impressive rookie campaigns by Channing Frye, Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams, no one can come close to the impact that Paul has see TRUDEAUS, page 8