Thursday, March 8, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD T HURSDAY

Volume CXLII, No. 30

8, 2007 2 007

Reparations experts criticize U.’s slavery and justice response

R AT T Y K A R A O K E

Eunice Hong / Herald The Las Vegas Dinner Special at the Sharpe Refectory featured seafood, red velvet cake and karaoke.

Financial aid packages lower for upperclassmen, officials say

BY JAMES SHAPIRO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University made significant strides in improving financial aid when it eliminated the work-study requirement for first-years in 2002, but the policy leaves upperclassmen with a perceived drop in their scholarship packages.

“University scholarships for freshmen would normally be higher simply because their packages have no work component, and they get the University Work Scholarship as part of their first award,” said James Tilton, director of financial aid. The University Work Scholarship, worth $2,350 this year, exempts first-years from work-study.

As of late February, the average University scholarship for first-years on financial aid was $24,929. The sophomore average was $22,540. The average for juniors was lower at $20,900, and the average for seniors was $21,411.

Upperclassmen have access to higher annual federal loan

maximums, according to Tilton.

Consequently the loan components of financial aid packages increase slightly for juniors and seniors.

Tilton said the proportion of students who get need-based University scholarships stays relatively stable across classes.

“It’s roughly 40 percent for all classes. The freshman class may be slightly higher, but the rest average out at around 40 percent, and that’s students who get need-based University scholarship. There are more students who receive federal aid loans,” he said.

A Herald poll conducted last year found that 36.9 percent of students on financial aid were very or somewhat dissatisfied with their aid packages. The poll was administered to 461 undergraduates in the registrar’s office from Jan. 30, 2006 to Feb. 3, 2006. The margin of error for financial aid questions was 7.3 percent. continued on page 7

Brown financial aid distribution

Since 1866, Daily Since 1891

BY MICHAEL SKOCPOL SENIOR STAFF WRITER

SLAVERY AND JUSTICE

Though reparations experts have praise for the University’s official plan to make amends for its historic ties to slavery and the slave trade, some criticize the response’s lack of focus on immediate descendants of slaves.

Reparations activists who expressed similar concerns about the recommendations made by the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice in October say the official response should have done more to directly create opportunities for black Americans.

The University’s response included creating a $10 million endowment for public education in Providence and funding for graduate fellows who agree to serve in local schools. Its other initiatives

included increased transparency about the University’s historic ties to slavery, discussions with local officials about the creation of a memorial to commemorate the slave trade and academic research initiatives related to slavery.

Adjoa Aiyetoro, co-president of the Legal Defense Research and Education Fund of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, said the public education initiatives that form the centerpiece of the response are a “nice thing” but are ultimately “irrelevant” to Brown’s involvement in slavery and the slave trade.

“No one would say this is awful,” Aiyetoro said. She is a law continued on page 5

ResLife plays lottery matchmaker with social

BY STU WOO FEATURES EDITOR

A few minutes after 6 p.m. yesterday, Lucy Seyfarth ’10 sat at a table in the North Wayland Lounge and began filling out a biographical information form. She listed her hobbies (sailing and traveling), favorite TV shows (“The Office” and “Scrubs”) and her preference for neatness (1, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the neatest).

A few minutes later, she stood up and prepared to mingle with a group of about 20 complete strang-

ers in the hopes of finding the perfect mate.

Roommate, that is.

“I’m a little freaked out right now,” Seyfarth said.

Taking a page from the book of speed dating, the jaunty matchmaking gimmick that stormed major American cities in the late 1990s, the Office of Residential Life held what it called a “Matching Social” last night for roommateless students looking for that perfect someone with whom to enter the housing lottery. The students played a get-to-know-you game

and then divided into two smaller groups to discuss their likes and dislikes.

“I have TiVo!” one girl said.

“That’s a major perk of living with me.”

Housing Officer Chad Mank, who led the hour-long event, said the social was intended to help students jilted by potential roommates or suitemates and those who might not have someone to live with because of “shyness or introversion.”

The event is about “getting continued on page 6

A look inside Brown’s co-ops

BY JOY CHUA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Walk into West House on a Friday night for open dinner, and residents will likely be sitting in the living room singing “Let It Be” or “Yellow Submarine.” Some might play Scrabble as they sing, while others piece together a puzzle.

The scene may be reminiscent of family life, but it is actually a glimpse of the community living offered by cooperative housing at

F

FEATURE Brown.

The program house, located near the intersection of Brown and Meeting streets, is one of three co-op houses and the only one managed by the University.

The other two co-ops are owned by the Brown Association for Cooperative Housing, a nonprofit corporation consisting of the apcontinued on page 4

INSIDE:

postINSIDE

HANGING WITH DUNCAN post- is just chilling this week — hanging out with singer Duncan Sheik ’92, watching pretentious movies and eating sushi

www.browndailyherald.com

3 METRO

DISCOUNT DESIGNER Second Time Around, a consignment store that sells cut-rate designer clothing, opens today on Thayer Street

Chris Bennett / Herald FInlandia Co-op on Waterman Street.

11 OPINIONS

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

THE FINE ART OF BS Benjamin Bright ’07 reflects on his Brown experience and realizes the most important skill he’ he’s acquired is the ability to BS like a pro

12 SPORTS

FASTEST PAIR IN THE LEAGUE Thelma Breezeatl ’10 and Paul Raymond ’08 came back from the Ivy League Heps last week each with first-place finishes in the 60-meter dash

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

TODAY THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

PAGE 2

WE A

T H E R

TODAY

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

Chocolate Covered Cotton | Mark Brinker TOMORROW

sunny 33 / 24

partly cloudy 28 / 5

MEN SHARPE REFECTORY

U

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

LUNCH — Chicken Fingers, Hawaiian Pineapple Brown Rice, Zucchini Yianchi, Grilled Vegetetable Calzone, Baked Vegan Nuggets, Egg Drop and Chicken Soup, Vegetarian Tomato Pesto Soup

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

DINNER — Chicken in the Rough, Cajun Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Cauliflower in Dill Mustard, Vegetarian Tamale Pie, Italian Sausages and Peppers Stir Fry, Vegetarian Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup

DINNER — Roast Loin of Pork, Vegan Paella, Au Gratin Potatoes with Fresh Herbs, Belgian Carrots, French Style Green Beans with Tomatoes, Chocolate Vanilla Pudding Cake

SU

WBF | Matt Vascellaro

D O K U

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

Hi How Are You | Alison Naturale

Deo | Daniel Perez

Puzzles by Pappocom

CR ACROSS 1 Freeze, perhaps 5 In a fog 10 Machu Picchu resident 14 Hand or foot 15 VIPs at Abu Dhabi dos 16 Wasn’t discreet 17 APOLLO 20 Good feller 21 Care for 22 Wily stratagems 23 Gore follower?

24 Rocker Nugent 25 APOLLO 34 Type of trip 35 Deep threats 36 Beatle bride 37 Reveal 38 Hawker’s talk 39 Christine’s lover, in “Phantom of the Opera” 40 Winter coat?

41 Author Alexander 42 Major mess 43 APOLLO 46 It’ll cover some ground 47 Big name in ice cream 48 Flight part 51 Didn’t miss 54 Humanities degs.

57 APOLLO 60 Shout of agreement 61 Make leave 62 Largest of the Near Islands 63 Black-eyed veggies 64 Pony Express feature 65 Domestic DOWN 1 Footwear brand 2 Quartz variety 3 Word with home or work 4 Old verb ending 5 With all the bells and whistles 6 Love personified

O S S W O R D

7 Turns on a jagged course 8 Weird-sounding lake?

9 U.S. Army medal 10 “I can live with that” 11 Canceled 12 Kill with kindness 13 Makes sense, with “up” 18 Without breaking 19 Takeoff experts 23 Color shade 24 Company that makes Emerilware appliances 25 Go around in circles?

26 Prepare eggs, in a way 27 Tomato product 28 Like some stock 29 “Lemon Tree” singer Lopez 30 Crossing site 31 Key material

32 Dinner __ 33 Dogpatch name 38 Take off 39 Professor ’iggins 41 Attack with vigor 42 “__ say ...”

44 Nepalese, e.g.

45 Abundant 48 Break down 49 Easy to manage 50 Perplexed 51 Intertwined

52 Blue dye source 53 Shelter gp.

54 Version needing testing 55 When Lear disinherits Cordelia 56 Hoop alternative 58 Above, poetically 59 Printer problem

Deep Fried Kittens | Cara FitzGibbon

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Cloudy Side Up | Mike Lauritano

xwordeditor@aol.com

3/8/07

T HE B ROWN D AILY H ERALD Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 Business Phone: 401.351.3260

University community since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the aca-

Eric Beck, President

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

Mary-Catherine Lader, Vice President Ally Ouh, Treasurer Mandeep Gill, Secretary

By Fred Jackson III (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

3/8/07

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown demic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage 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: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2007 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

CAMPUS NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

R O

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Higher spending needed in R.I. public schools, study finds Rhode Island public schools should be spending an average of $9,500 per student, according to a study released yesterday to the General Assembly.

Conducted by educational consulting firm R.C. Wood & Associates, the study was commissioned to determine the “base” cost of educating students — the average cost of educating students without special needs for English learning services or support for learning disabilities. The base cost does not include some expenses such as transportation.

A state committee, called the Joint Committee to Establish a Permanent Education Foundation Aid Formula, will use the study results to create a formula that would determine the level of state aid required by school districts from year to year.

School districts could require an extra $94 million per year, if the state acts in accordance with the report, according to a March 7 Providence Journal article.

The Corporation voted Feb. 24 to establish a $10 million endowed fund, which would have an annual payout of roughly $500,000, for public education in Providence following the recommendations released last year by the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice.

— Sara Molinaro

30 students apply for College task force

BY MICHAEL BECHEK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Undergraduate Council of Students received 30 applications for three spots on the recently announced Task Force on Undergraduate Education, which will undertake a wholesale review of the College and will present recommendations to University officials in spring 2008.

Sara Damiano ’08, chair of the UCS academic and administrative affairs committee, said at last night’s UCS general body meeting that 16 of the students who applied were asked to interview for a position on the task force. Final decisions will be announced Friday, she added. There are three available spots for undergraduates on the committee, which will also include 10 faculty members, including two who are also in the administration. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron will serve as chair.

“The student body’s really interested in this issue,” UCS Vice President Tristan Freeman ’07 told The Herald. “It’s not a surprise at all that we have so many people interested in helping out.”

Damiano said she tried hard to encourage many students to apply using new modes of communication such as Facebook to advertise the positions.

“We really made an effort to publicize it widely,” she said.

The task force will be charged with reviewing general education in the College, as well as teaching and grading, concentrations and advising. The committee’s work is part of the University’s reaccreditation process with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, which takes place every 10 years.

Also at last night’s meeting, Mi-

Chris Bennett / Herald The Undergraduate Council of Students discussed a proposed voting transparency system at its meeting Wednesday night.

chael Glassman ’09, UCS communications chair, announced that the latest UCS poll had been posted on MyCourses.

This semester’s poll asks a number of questions about Banner, the $23 million computer database system that will include online course registration. Banner’s online registration component has sparked criticism from students concerned that it will enforce restrictions such as caps on course enrollment.

Freeman said UCS would tailor its response to the concern about Banner based on feedback from the poll.

“We’re trying to learn what areas to focus on in representing students’ views about Banner to the administration,” he said.

The poll also asks students if they believe the deliberations of the Undergraduate Finance Board, which allocates funds to student groups, should be public and if they believe a public record of individual votes on the board should be maintained.

“A lot of us on UCS really do feel that student government should be as transparent as possible,” Freeman said.

Freeman also introduced a resolution at last night’s meeting proposing that individual voting records on UCS be kept as public record. The resolution will be voted on at next week’s meeting.

UCS also approved Category I status for the Brown University Gun Club and approved Category III status for the Table Tennis Club and the Brown Noser. The Noser, a humor newspaper start-up, was approved only after concerns about its finances were allayed. It had been previously rejected for Category III status and had appealed the decision.

Following positive feedback about a free airport shuttle service UCS had offered at the beginning of winter break, UCS President John Gillis ’07 announced funding had been finalized for another shuttle service for the upcoming spring break.

Designer consignment store arrives on Thayer

BY MARIELLE SEGARRA STAFF WRITER

Second Time Around, a designer clothing store that sells everything “from Banana Republic to Chanel” for roughly one-quarter or one-third of the retail price, opens today at 294 Thayer St., said Manager Erika Martin. The location is the first in Providence for the Boston-based chain.

Real estate developers asked the store to come to Thayer Street in the hopes that it would change the “direction the street is going in” and bring back some of what used to make the area special, Martin said.

The shop sells “gently used” and dry-cleaned clothing for consignors, Martin said. Once items are sold, half of the sale price is credited to the seller’s account at the store.

Prices for the designer clothing

will range from $8 to $500. “There’s something for everyone, from the 14-year-old Wheeler (School) girl to the 60-year-old grandmother,” Martin said.

It’s not “that store that you go, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go there — I can’t afford it,’” she said.

METRO Items are marked down over time, and after 90 days, the consignor must pick up any unsold items. If they are not taken, the clothes become store property and are usually given to Goodwill, Martin said.

The store gives students a chance to clean out their closets.

“I just have a lot of clothes, and closets at Brown are really small,” said Si-Han Hai ’08, who has already consigned several items to Second Time Around.

Hai is a self-described “bou-

tique-brand” junkie, but said she has no qualms about shopping for pre-worn clothes. “Consignment gives me the same brands — but a lot cheaper,” she said.

Consignors are paid the balance of their accounts quarterly, Martin said. Between quarters, sellers can only use their profits in the store.

Both buyers and sellers can check an item’s status online at secondtimearound.net and sign up for the store’s “wish list,” which allows customers to request a phone call when a specific item comes in.

Tory Daines, sales associate at Foreign Affair, a vintage shop at 219 Thayer St., said she didn’t see any overlap between the stores.

Even if there were, she said, their store used to send people over to Ragtime, a vintage store on Thayer that has since relocated.

“The small businesses have to work together,” she said.

Second Time Around has hired former Ragtime manager Mike Rinaldi, who will probably design dresses for the store, Martin said.

She added that she is also open to giving new designers a chance to make a reputation for themselves.

Martin said Second Time Around is the only store of its kind in Providence, noting that shoppers often have to travel to New York or Boston for designer clothing.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

For some students, co-op living defines Brown experience continued from page 1 proximately 30 residents in the two houses: Watermyn at 166 Waterman Street and Finlandia at 116 Waterman Street.

According to BACH’s Web site, the 1960s cooperative movement inspired student activists to initiate the association as a Group Independent Study Project in 1970.

The co-op philosophy is based on the idea of synergy, which holds that working and living in a group is more meaningful than living alone. The co-ops appeal to students who seek a more tightly knit community or an alternative to residence halls.

“Most of us grow up in cultures where it’s all about ‘me,’ where independence and self-sufficiency are great virtues,” said Marc Carrel ’07, a resident of Finlandia who has lived in all three co-ops. “Here we work on being cooperative, collaborative.”

“The co-op model is very important in terms of identity formation and finding a community,” said West House resident David Schwartz ’09. “We’re never held accountable in dorms, but here you have to think about how your

actions affect people.”

Residents say this cooperation is manifested in their required housework. At Finlandia, residents and food co-ops, people who eat but do not live at the houses sign up weekly for household chores such as cleaning, cooking or food shopping. “It takes some adjustment,” Carrel said. “I can’t just leave my mess here. It’s a learning process.”

For Benjamin Savitzky ’08, a resident of West House, the biggest challenge is when people neglect their jobs. “This has felt more my own than anywhere I’ve lived, including the home I grew up in,” he said. “But when people don’t do their jobs, the house can’t function. These jobs need to happen. If they don’t, the system crashes.”

Savitzky said this interdependence creates a strong bond among residents. “Everyone is equal here,” he said. “There is something bonding about working together, managing a house together.”

For Savitzky, this bonding happens mostly over food. “That’s my social life,” he said. “Spending time with people I love over food

— buying it, preparing it, cooking it, eating it.”

Co-op residents cook and eat meals together every night. Eating at a co-op costs around $400 per semester, compared to $1722 for the largest Dining Services meal plan. Because eating at a coop is cheaper, houses consider financial need when reviewing applicants.

“At Finlandia, we weigh race, co-op experience, financial need and sometimes gender,” Hannah Mellion ’09 said. “We then pick names out of a hat. If you have a factor that’s weighted, you get an extra slip.”

West House’s application process is similar to that of other on-campus program houses. Prospective residents fill out an application, and the house board decides who is accepted. “It’s the worst thing in the world,” Savitsky said. “It’s hard to choose 10 or 11 people out of 20 to 25 qualified applicants.”

Currently, 12 people live in Finlandia, 15 live in Watermyn and 12 live in West House. Of the three, Watermyn has the fewest Brown students: only four residents are enrolled in the University. Nine

of the 12 Finlandia residents and all West House residents attend Brown.

“Because Watermyn is farther from campus, it has less Brown students and draws an older crowd,” said Heather Vail ’07, housing coordinator of Watermyn.

“That’s its selling point and its biggest reward: Getting to know a lot of people who live in Providence and go to different schools, who bring different experiences to the table. When you live in a house with 14 other people, you’re never really lonely because there is always somebody around.”

Vail said living in a co-op requires a significant time commitment. “You are expected to do house jobs, and the houses are old.

So a lot of things are falling apart,” she said. “That sometimes can be more trouble than it seems, but the community is totally worth it.”

Vail lived in Finlandia last summer and moved to Watermyn in the fall. She was also part of a food co-op at West House as a sophomore. “What drew me to co-ops was originally the fact that the food was vegetarian,” she said.

Vail enjoyed the co-op’s tight-knit community so much she decided

to move into one.

“Even though freshman units are pretty close, the community in a sophomore dorm wasn’t very prevalent,” she said. “There is such a great family atmosphere here.”

Carrel also cited the community as party of why he lives in coops. “It is one that is caring and accepting, one that doesn’t make you conform,” Carrel said. “Even at Brown, that is a pretty rare, extraordinary thing.”

Caroline Schepker ’09, who will be living at Finlandia next year, said she was “turned off by the institutionalized feeling of dorms.”

“This is more like a house, and I think the aesthetics of the environment you live in really make a difference,” she said.

Residents agree that living in a co-op is a great experience. Vail said she recommends it, though it may not be for everyone. Carrel said he will “absolutely” live in a co-op house after college.

Savitzky puts it best. “I can’t imagine what direction my life would’ve taken if I hadn’t gotten involved in a co-op,” he said. “This is my Brown experience. This is me.”

www.browndailyherald.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

U.’s slavery response not enough, reparations experts say continued from page 1 professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and serves as co-chair of the Reparations Coordinating Committee, an advocacy group. “But it doesn’t respond to the history of exploitation of Africans and African descendants (of former slaves).”

“I have a real problem that the focus is on educating teachers and children in the broad focus without any focus on African Americans,” she added. “To me, (those initiatives) don’t fit in this report unless they do have a focus on Africans and African descendants.”

But she said black Americans would directly benefit from the response’s mandate to strengthen Brown’s ties to Tougaloo College and other historically black colleges and universities, which had not been mentioned in the original report’s recommendations. Aiyetoro also responded favorably to the response’s plan to create a memorial and launch a research initiative.

Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, executive director of the Restitution Study Group, also said she was disappointed by the University’s indirect response to the current problems facing black Americans. She particularly criticized the report, also pointing out the response’s omission of any sort of scholarship program for slave descendants.

“I don’t see real efforts to address the vestiges of slavery that black people suffer from,” Farmer-Paellmann said. “With respect to the children of Providence, the report should really make clear that the children that any kind of endowment would be benefiting are the children that are descended from enslaved Africans.”

She also said the $10 million dedicated for educational outreach represented “a drop in a bucket” for a school like Brown.

Without any plan to increase black enrollment or pay for black students to attend Brown, the response could not adequately make amends for Brown’s past, FarmerPaellman said.

“To really deal with the problems that black people have, we need money, and we need access

to educational opportunity,” she said. “Most of the recommendations don’t seem to deal with what our needs are as a community.”

Unlike Aiyetoro, Farmer-Paellmann said she was unimpressed by the response’s call for increased aid to historically black colleges and universities.

“It’s nice to help the historically black colleges, but that’s a nice, neat, tidy way of keeping the students out of Brown University,” she said.

“They don’t really commit a dollar amount, and that concerns me,” she added.

But in contrast to Aiyetoro and Farmer-Paellman’s criticisms, Al Brophy, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law and a reparations scholar and advocate, said the response was “terrific” and that the educational outreach initiative was a fitting centerpiece.

“One of the great things about this is that Brown is focusing on the area where it has expertise ... and saying ‘let’s use our expertise in education as a way of doing something positive and forwardlooking,’” Brophy said.

He noted that the committee’s findings about Brown’s historical relationship to slavery were not all negative.

“It’s a complex history, and Brown has a lot in its history to be proud of,” Brophy said, noting that Francis Wayland, the University’s fourth president, was one of the country’s leading “anti-slavery advocates” prior to the Civil War. “It’s exactly the kind of response you’d hope for given that report,” he said. “I think Brown’s behavior has been a model here, and schools that have these issues across the country — either of slavery or of Jim Crow — will look to Brown as a model.”

Brophy said he expects other schools will launch similar investigations in the near future thanks to Brown’s example.

He disagreed that the response did too little to redress the specific legacies of slavery.

“I’m not sure it makes sense to try and tailor everything to people whose labor benefited specifically Brown,” Brophy said, adding that the response honored the legacy

of former slaves by taking positive action in their memory. “I think a lot of the reparations movement is aimed at talking about the connections of the past to the present and trying to do something positive and forward-looking into the future.”

He also said he was “pleasantly surprised by the breadth of the response,” noting that it included components on Brown’s campus, at other institutions and in the larger community.

Overall, he said, Brown has admirably lived up to the committee’s original mission.

“Every institution should be so

fortunate as to engage in such an important and lengthy dialogue and then come up with something that is so positive,” he said. “I think Brown has put a challenge to other institutions that have connections to slavery to do the same thing.”

Aiyetoro offered qualified praise of the University’s efforts to date.

“I think it has been groundbreaking,” she said. “I respect (President Ruth Simmons) for taking the lead on this, saying ‘We’re not going to continue to ignore our history.’”

But the response’s indirect

connection to slave descendants was “not a minor criticism,” she said. “I think they’ve fallen short on their recommendation to attempt to reconcile their present with their past.”

Paellmann said she fears the University’s effort will remain incomplete. At this stage, she said, the University has succeeded in acknowledging its past but has fallen short in proposing remedies.

“We needed them to (acknowledge the history), but that’s finished already,” she said. “Now the issue is moving forward and actually atoning.”

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

Students seek housing mates at ResLife social continued from page 1 them out of their shell” to meet others, he said.

Still, some students, like Seyfarth, were there for different reasons.

“All of my friends are guys,” who have already finalized their plans, she said. Though she wouldn’t mind living in a single room next year, those rooms are in limited

supply for rising sophomores. Seyfarth said she didn’t want to face the possibility of being unlucky in the housing lottery and ending up on the housing waitlist, where she would likely be grouped with someone she didn’t know.

Here, she said, “at least I can meet someone who’s not a complete stranger.”

Kara White ’10 said she was looking for someone who, like her,

was quiet.

“My impression is that most people at Brown like to party,” she said. Fortunately for her, she left the social with a couple of phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

The social also provided a forum for students in groups to find another student or two in order to aim for suites with certain occupancies. Gerald Liew ’09 said he attended the social because he and his friends were looking for someone who was “substance-free and likes to cook.” Liew also left the social with some promising leads.

But just as in speed dating, not everyone was matched by the end of the night. Seyfarth left before the event’s conclusion, saying she was hungry. Lamia Khan ’08, who came looking for a fourth person for her group so it could shoot for a suite in Young Orchard Apartments, also left without any phone numbers.

Though she was unable to find a fourth person for her suite, Khan thought the social was a good idea, especially for rising sophomores, who comprised nearly all the students at the event. Most of the students had positive things to say about the event, though some were still skeptical about its effectiveness.

“How can you talk to someone you want to live with and get to know them in such a short time?”

Seyfarth asked.

And there’s also the “shame” factor.

“I was saying to my roommate that I seem that I’m coming off as desperate,” Seyfarth said.

Mank acknowledged that “there was a little shame,” saying that attendance at the event might make students “feel unattractive” as a roommate. That self-consciousness, along with the unfamiliarity of the first-time event, may have been a factor in the relatively low turnout, Mank said, but overall he was pleased with the social.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s a start,” he said. “If it just gets them to start thinking concretely” about the housing process, he added, then it is a success.

Mank said students still seeking roommates or suitemates can submit biographical forms to ResLife, which plans to make them available to other students who may also be in search of suitable living companions.

happy international women’s day! rip joe dimaggio

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Tracksters Breezeatl ’10 and Raymond ’08 speediest duo in the Ivy L League continued from page 12 through his college career.

“I came in freshman year and played football and didn’t think about track much,” Raymond said.

“I asked the football coach my sophomore year about running track … and told him I was thinking of running so that I could stay competitive. He agreed with it, so then I talked to (Lake), and she was happy to have me join the team.”

Splitting his time last spring between football workouts and track practice, Raymond emerged from the balance as a highly competitive threat on the track, despite being completely new to the sport.

“Last season, I was really just learning,” Raymond said. “I had some speed, but track is really technical, and you have to be really focused.”

After getting the opportunity to race in a few meets, Raymond realized a newfound passion for the sport as well as success.

“I liked (track) a lot,” he said.

“The main thing was that it was so competitive. You are either faster than someone or you’re not, and you can’t depend on your teammates.”

Raymond quickly proved to be faster than everyone in the Ivy League in his debut season last

year. After competing in the 60m for only two months, he claimed the title of “fastest man” in the Ancient Eight, which he defended at this year’s Heps.

Despite his immediate success on the track, football remained Raymond’s first passion. He was drawn back to the gridiron last fall, but he marked his calendar for Feb. 25 — the day of the 60m finals.

“What I like most about the 60meter is that you have to get everything down to have a great race,” he said. “If you make one little mistake, you won’t get a good time.

You prepare all week for seven seconds. … Football you always have another play — track you only have one race.”

Raymond made that one race count at this year’s Heptagonal Championships, edging out Penn’s Joey Brown by the absolute slimmest of margins, 0.01 seconds.

“I struggled early on this season with a lot of little technical things that I was getting wrong,” he said. “All three of the runnerups (at Heps) had beaten me pretty good during the season. I was definitely more successful last season, but it was great to come up big in the clutch, score some points for the team and defend my title. It’s good for the ego, too.”

Raymond and Breezeatl have

reason to boast, but both are quick to praise each other instead.

“When Paul won right after me, I was so happy that he defended his title,” Breezeatl said. “It’s nice seeing a teammate win in general, but I was really proud of him. I think it’s hard to come back as a defending champ and not feel pressure.

For me, as a freshman, there is no pressure, but when you already set the stage, it’s hard to keep your head straight and repeat what you did.”

The two train together every day and have developed a friendly rivalry.

“I was really happy to see her win her first Heps,” Raymond said.

“She’s very talented, and I was proud because she wasn’t phased by the environment. She was confident she’d win and get the job done, and that motivated me even more to step up. … Plus, she’s always teasing me that she’s creeping up on my time, so you know I can’t let that happen.”

The teammates plan to continue their success on the track as they embark on the outdoor season.

They will remain training partners, keeping the friendly competition flowing so that they can turn it into tradition next year that the fastest man and woman in the Ivy League will both be wearing brown.

Late prayers answered in w. lax overtime victory continued from page 12 first career goal. With only 1:46 remaining in the extra session, she found the back of the net off an assist from Buzzell to secure Brown’s first victory.

“We handled overtime really well. It was a good win for us,” DiGioia said.

On Sunday against Stony Brook, Nunn started right where she left off on Friday, scoring the first goal of the game. But the Seawolves responded, and despite goals from Buzzell and Mimi DeTolla ’08, the Bears were down 5-3 at the half.

Stony Brook netted the first

goal of the second half, but the Bears were resilient, going on a 4-0 run and taking a 7-6 lead on DeTolla’s second goal of the game with 16:51 left.

“We came out really hard and played well in the second half,” DiGioia said.

The Seawolves came back to tie the score 7-7, but Krystina DeLuca ’09 and DeTolla scored to put the Bears up 9-7 with 10:42 to play.

“We had a few turnovers, and that gave them a few transition goals that helped them take the lead,” DiGioia said. “Plus, a new rule this year makes a team that has gotten four yellow cards play a man down. It was a rough game,

and we were put in a position to have to play a man down. They were really able to hold the ball and drain the clock.”

Stony Brook refused to give up and closed the game with a 30 run to hand the Bears their second loss of the season. Melissa King ’08 recorded a season-high 13 saves in the loss.

The Bears play at No. 3 University of Maryland this Saturday.

“It’s going to be a good test for us,” said co-captain Amie Biros ’07.

“Maryland is a top team, and we’re going to be working really hard in practice on our defense and staying close on cutters to get ready for them.”

Financial aid packages lower for upperclassmen, officials say continued from page 1 Students interviewed by The Herald said reductions in University scholarships were a leading source of dissatisfaction with financial aid at Brown.

“It’s enticing applicants with one thing and then dropping it later on,” said Gordon Arata ’09.

“You sort of expect that what you get your freshman year is what you are going to get for the duration.”

“Financial aid is always a big issue for the majority of applicants, and it is kind of deceiving, but I’m pretty sure a lot of schools do the same thing in competing for students,” said Sevita Qarshi ’10.

“Students have to get jobs on campus. Sometimes that’s stressful with the amount of schoolwork and other activities that they have to do,” said Lindsay Kahn ’09.

Students expressed a variety of views on how financial aid at Brown compares with financial aid at other college and universities.

“As far as I know we’re doing alright, given our endowment,”

said James Stout ’09. “I didn’t get as much financial aid as my brother did going to Yale, but it’s a richer school.”

“I’m going to have to say it’s kind of mediocre,” Qarshi said.

“I really don’t remember the offers from other private schools I applied to, but the public schools were very generous.”

In a more recent Herald poll, 35 percent of respondents identified financial aid as the most pressing on-campus need for improvement.

The poll was conducted from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 and has a margin of error of 4.7 percent with 95 percent confidence.

Some students interviewed by

The Herald said improving financial aid should take precedence over other priorities. “I think it is a pressing need,” said Lisa Blunt ’08.5. “Brown is getting all of this money — a lot of it should be going toward financial aid.”

Other students said Brown should focus primarily on other concerns. Jonathan Sung ’10 said that while aid is important, it is “definitely not the most important thing. I think the University has other issues to worry about.”

“Financial aid is a big priority, but I don’t think it’s necessarily true that we should just pool all of our money into financial aid,” Stout said.

PAGE 7

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

Wrestling concludes with 2 national qualifiers continued from page 12 he pinned Lester at 5:24, earning a spot at Nationals.

Savino was the second-highest seeded wrestler on the team.

As the sixth seed at 141 pounds, Savino started the tournament strong with two wins, including defeating third-seeded Brad Canterbury from Navy with a 6-4 decision. However, Savino stumbled in the semifinals when he faced off against the second seed, Matt Ciasulli from Lehigh. Savino lost to Ciasulli 13-5 but advanced to Saturday.

In his consolation semifinal match, Savino lost 9-3 to Kyle Borshoff from American University, who had upset the first seed on Friday. In his final match fighting for fi fth place and the wildcard for advancing onto Nationals, Savino led 3-1 with 20 seconds left in the match. However, his opponent, eighth seed Brett McCurdy from the University of Pennsylvania, evened the score with a reversal, and the two headed into overtime.

In the second round of overtime, McCurdy took down Savino with eight seconds remaining. Savino lost the match 5-3, narrowly missing nationals.

Head Coach Dave Amato said Mock had a great tournament and that Savino also had a great first day. He also praised Kitchner’s performance.

Kitchner suffered an injury at the Lone Star Duals in January that threatened to end his season.

However, Kitchner insisted on having surgery and coming back at the end of the year. At the time of the weekend’s tournament, he had not wrestled in seven weeks, and everyone, including Kitchner himself, had doubts whether he was physically prepared enough to compete in the tournament.

Kitchner proved he still retained his skills after winning his first match at EIWA with a 10-7 decision against Justin Herbert from Franklin & Marshall College.

“I did not wrestle up to my capabilities in the first match,” Kitchner said. “But it was good enough for me to take the win.”

In his second match, Kitchner faced off against the No. 1 seed Michael Cannon from American.

It was a close match, but Kitchner eventually fell 5-2.

To advance to Nationals, Kitchner had to win three more matches. In his first consolation match, he defeated his opponent from Lehigh 9-4 and then beat

PAGE 9

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

fi fth-seeded Frankie Colletta from Harvard 5-3.

The next day, Kitchner faced a tough opponent, No. 2 seed and 10th-ranked nationally Zach Shanaman from Penn. Despite the odds, Kitchner took command on the mat. After taking a 4-2 lead, he scored on another takedown in the late third period to secure his victory with a 6-2 decision and a ticket to Nationals.

“I wrestled a complete match (against Penn). I wrestled smart and aggressive and was able to beat my opponent,” Kitchner said.

Looking back, Kitchner said he wrestled better as the tournament went on.

“I was more mentally focused.

I wanted the season to keep going.

I did not want it to end because of my injury. I knew losing was not an option so I wrestled more aggressively,” Kitchner said.

The rest of the team did not fare as well despite strong efforts. Jeff Schell ’08 wrestled at 133 pounds this year for the first time in his career and fell short in his debut, losing two very close matches.

As the seventh seed, Tom Fazio ’09 won his opening match against Jimmy Peppers from American with a major decision of 11-2. However, Fazio dropped his next two matches and did not advance onto Saturday.

Greg Einfrank ’10 was seeded eighth at 125 pounds. After losing his first match, he came back in his first consolation match but lost his following match and could not advance in the tournament.

“The guys wrestled with a lot of heart and competitive spirit. For the young guys, their loss was mostly due to lack of maturity.

But I sense that this team has a lot of tenacity, and I look forward to a good off season with the guys,” Amato said.

Kitchner and Mock will leave for Nationals, held on March 15 to 17, next Tuesday. Though going to Nationals will be a valuable experience for next year, Mock said he wants more out of it.

“I will strive to become an All-American. For the next two weeks, I will work on moving my feet and improving my offense,” Mock said.

As for Kitchner, he said he would love to be an All-American.

“I have a lot of work to do in the next two weeks. I just want to go out there and wrestle my best and finish my college wrestling career on a high note,” he said.

Rochelson: The best player in Fantasy Baseball? continued from page 12 is the best pitcher in baseball since early-1990s Roger Clemens. Johan’s career K/9 is 9.47, the fi fth best Krate in baseball history. Since he became a full-time starter in 2004, his ERA is a stellar 2.75. He can help your fantasy team like no other. Great starting pitching is much harder to find than, say, a great first baseman. Johan is the only safe bet to have an ERA under 3.00 in 2007.

If I miss out on Santana, I’ll end up crossing my fingers and hoping for a comeback from Jake Peavy, Ben Sheets or Rich Harden — it’s smart to go for the sure thing.

But drafting a pitcher this early is crazy. Starting pitchers are infamous for unreliability and injury woes. Santana is especially due for an injury, averaging 230 innings over the last three seasons. Also, there is an abundance of starting pitchers with sleeper potential in 2007. Undrafted or underrated guys like Phillip Hughes (New York Yankees), Rich Hill (Chicago Cubs) or Tim Lincecum (San Francisco) should provide excellent ERA and K numbers at a very low cost. In general, starting pitchers are just too unreliable to deserve the honor of the first pick. For instance, pitchers like Randy Johnson, Josh Beckett and Dontrelle Willis were highly rated before the 2006 season and were huge disappointments.

I might want to keep my pitching options flexible by using later draft picks on hurlers.

Jose Reyes, SS, New York Mets The 24-year-old Reyes broke out in 2006, hitting .300 with 19 homers and 64 stolen bases. That stat line

alone is indicative of why Reyes is such a valuable asset to fantasy teams — diverse productivity. Sure, Adam Dunn will hit 50 home runs, but can you stomach a .230 average? Juan Pierre will steal 60 bases, but do you want a zero-homer guy on your fantasy team? Reyes is the full package — his power is on the rise, and it’s reasonable to expect 25-homer seasons on the horizon.

In addition to his completeness, Reyes brings excellence to a shallow position. While there are a ton of options at first base — sluggers like Jason Giambi and Nick Swisher aren’t even in the top 10 at the position — there are only about five or six shortstops that are locks to have great seasons. I might grab Reyes with my first pick to avoid having Jhonny Peralta or Bobby Crosby dragging my team down.

But Jose Reyes, while dominant at the plate and on the basepaths, has a very fragile feeling about him.

I still recall the image of him badly twisting his ankle after running the bases in 2004, missing significant time. Can I really count on him to carry my fantasy team? Also, it’s possible that his surprising power numbers were a fluke — is one year of double-digit homers a trend? It’s safer to take an older, less-fragile, more powerful hitter with my first pick. Plus, I’d rather not have to root for a Met. Think I missed someone? Have any counter-arguments? Right now I’m leaning towards taking Pujols — send me an e-mail to convince me otherwise.

Ellis Rochelson ’09 wishes Kei Igawa’s face wasn’t so hard to look at.

E DITORIAL & L ETTERS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

STAF F EDITORIAL

Explain the response The University’s slavery and justice response may have made headlines, but reparations activists are right to question its potential impact on those truly affected by the legacy of slavery.

The response’s $10 million endowment may sound like a significant sum, but when the $500,000 annual payout it will yield for Providence area schools is put in the context of a recent study showing that Rhode Island may need to spend $94 million more per year on its public education system, Brown’s proposed endowment seems like small change. And the initiatives that could have more direct impact on those affected by slavery’s legacy, such as the mandate that Brown assist and strengthen its ties to historically black colleges and universities, remain vague.

Though the committee didn’t recommend an apology, it suggested the University consider some form of public expression of regret. But nothing of that sort surfaced in the University’s response. A recommendation that Brown expand recruitment of students from Africa or the West Indies was also ignored. Though we suspect these were omitted from President Ruth Simmons’ response for good reasons, we urge her to explain her reasoning and the response to the Brown community.

After three years, Simmons may be eager to see this issue put to rest.

But spurring an inquiry of Brown’s ties to slavery remains one of her boldest moves as president, and it is now not only part of the University’s public perception but also a large part of her burgeoning legacy.

This space has long supported the committee’s charge and favorably received the University’s official response with its $10 million-plus price tag, fellows program and promised memorial. Simmons deserves praise for fixing a dollar sign — which the committee’s recommendations did not explicitly call for — to the response, and we’re glad the Corporation supported her.

But as the endeavor starts to fade from public awareness, Simmons should explain why her response makes a difference.

Put more students on the task force University committees typically spark little student interest, so it’s refreshing to hear that some 30 undergrads have applied to UCS for a seat on the Task Force on Undergraduate Education. The committee could fundamentally reshape the College, and we’re excited to see that even at this early stage, students want a voice.

Thirty applicants from a pool of nearly 6,000 students might not seem like a lot, but we think it’s a strong indication that students are beginning to realize the importance of this task force. Announced just last week, the committee is still perceived as administrative press release material and hasn’t expanded to capture widespread campus interest.

As this space argued earlier this week, for the task force to be successful, students — whether on the committee or watching from the sidelines — have to take ownership of its work and understand its impact. Students almost certainly aren’t going to gather on the Main Green to await the committee’s findings, and not everyone will agree on the recommendations ultimately produced, but we hope that when the task force’s report comes out next year, students feel they had a say. The task force’s ultimate recommendations should represent the collective thought of our campus and must not be seen as an order handed down from University Hall.

Though the task force will likely seek student input through town halls and student focus groups, there’s a far easier and much more effective way to get student voices on the committee — include more students. The current structure of three students, eight professors and two administrators does not give enough agency to the constituency that will truly be affected by the committee’s conclusions.

It’s important not to underestimate the power that student voices can have. Fortunately, it’s not too late to add a few more seats for students.

T HE B ROWN D AILY H ERALD Editors-in-Chief Eric Beck Mary-Catherine Lader

Executive Editors Allison Kwong Ben Leubsdorf

Senior Editors Stephen Colelli Sonia Saraiya BUSINESS

EDITORIAL Lydia Gidwitz Lindsey Meyers Stephanie Bernhard Stu Woo Simmi Aujla Sara Molinaro Ross Frazier Jacob Schuman Michal Zapendowski Peter Cipparone Justin Goldman Sarah Demers Erin Frauenhofer Madeleine Marecki

Arts & Culture Editor Arts & Culture Editor Features Editor Features Editor Metro Editor Metro Editor News Editor Opinions Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor

PHOTO Eunice Hong Christopher Bennett Jacob Melrose

Photo Editor Photo Editor Sports Photo Editor

General Manager Mandeep Gill General Manager Ally Ouh Executive Manager Darren Ball Executive Manager Dan DeNorch Laurie-Ann Paliotti Sr. Advertising Manager Office Manager Susan Dansereau

LETTERS

JASON LI

SDS protest was a disservice To the Editor: I am writing in response to the recent actions of the Brown chapter of Students for a Democratic Society at the career fair (“SDS protests Raytheon at career fair,” March 7). Their protesting of Raytheon’s presence at the fair challenged the University’s movement for intellectual diversity and was an overall disservice to the student community. While you may agree with neither the company’s politics nor its purpose, you must accept that not all Brown students are going to base their career decisions on radical leftist principles.

A significant portion of the student body is in need of post-graduation employment and summer internships, and when other students put on displays such as this, potential employers may be more hesitant about par-

ticipating in recruiting events at Brown.

All I ask is that student groups consider how projecting their own far-reaching politics as being representative of those of the entire student body can effect us all.

Perhaps you can take your protesting somewhere beyond Sayles Hall, where there is but a single corporate representative, and if that’s too much to ask, maybe include a disclaimer on one of your lovely posters? Your classmates and colleagues with differing views who are in the market for jobs would appreciate it.

Megan Collins ’08 March 7

Student input on task force essential To the Editor: We read with some concern The Herald’s largely supportive take on the new Task Force on Undergraduate Education (“Time for a new New Curriculum?”

March 5). The range of the task force’s mandate is only exceeded by the range of the administration’s power over the very same body that is supposed to act as its adviser. Its 10 faculty members — including two from the administration — will likely ensure that there won’t be any repeats of the embarrassing plus/ minus vote, but they will undoubtedly drown out student voices.

The three students on the council are being chosen by the Undergraduate Council of Students, an organization 46 percent of the student body approves of, according to a recent Herald poll. These students will

actually be paid by the dean of the College’s office for doing their “summer reading.” Is this really the best way to solicit honest and thoughtful student criticism of the New Curriculum?

If you want curricular reform to stem “from campus debate and not University Hall decision-making,” now is the time to call for a radically different Task Force — not in 2008, when its recommendations are released. We suggest one that includes many more students, chosen with the direct consent of their peers.

Joshua Hunter Bauchner ‘07.5 Matthew Sledge ‘08 March 7

PRODUCTION Design Editor Steve DeLucia Copy Desk Chief Chris Gang Graphics Editor Mark Brinker Graphics Editor Roxanne Palmer Web Editor Luke Harris POST- MAGAZINE Hillary Dixler Melanie Duch Taryn Martinez Rajiv Jayadevan Mindy Smith

Managing Editor Managing Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Features Editor

Steve DeLucia, Aurora Durfee, Designers Lauren Levitz, Lucy Stark Stark, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Rachel Arndt, Michael Bechek, Oliver Bowers, Zachary Chapman, Chaz Firestone, Kristina Kelleher, Debbie Lehmann, Scott Lowenstein, James Shapiro, Michael Skocpol Staff Writers Susana Aho, Taylor Barnes, Brianna Barzola, Evan Boggs, Irene Chen, Stewart Dearing, Nicole Dungca, Thi Ho, Rebecca Jacobson, Tsvetina Kamenova, Hannah Levintova, Abe Lubetkin, Christian Martell, Taryn Martinez, Zachary McCune, Nathalie Pierrepont, Robin Steele, Allissa Wickham Sports Staff Writers Amy Ehrhart, Kaitlyn Laabs, Eliza Lane, Kathleen Loughlin, Megan McCahill, Marco Santini, Tom Trudeau, Steele West Business Staff Dana Feuchtbaum, Kent Holland, Alexander Hughes, Mariya Perelyubskaya, Viseth San, Kaustubh Shah, Jon Spector, Robert Stefani, Lindsay Walls Design Staff Brianna Barzola, Aurora Durfee, Sophie Elsner, Christian Martell, Matthew McCabe, Ezra Miller, Sarah Raifman Photo Staff Stuart Duncan-Smith, Austin Freeman, Tai Ho Shin Copy Editors Ayelet Brinn, Catherine Cullen, Erin Cummings, Karen Evans, Jacob Frank, Ted Lamm, Lauren Levitz, Cici Matheny, Alex Mazerov, Ezra Miller, Joy Neumeyer, Madeleine Rosenberg, Lucy Stark, Meha Verghese

CORRECTION An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Cooking House in jeopardy as Super Deadline Day passes,” March 7) incorrectly quoted Delta Tau President Matthew Dennis ’09 as saying the fraternity aimed to recruit and ultimately accepted five people. In fact, DTau aimed for and accepted 15 people.

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.

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O PINIONS THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

PAGE 11

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

BSing at Brown

BY BENJAMIN BRIGHT OPINIONS COLUMNIST

As I approach the end of my college career, I’ve been trying to figure out the most salient skill I’ve taken away from my Brown education. Of course, the old refrain of “critical thinking” is grilled into us every day.

And I would never deny the importance of this skill, nor Brown’s remarkable ability to instill its value.

But behind the daily inculcation of critical thinking lies a far darker and, in my opinion, more practical set of skills. I speak of the administration’s active encouragement to exploit the Brown system to our benefit.

A small group of friends and I have agreed that Brown is organized with so many loopholes and opportunities for manipulation that teaching the art of BS must be one of the missions of the University.

According to Harry Frankfurt, professor emeritus of philosophy at Princeton University, the BS artist seeks to portray him or herself in a certain way with no concern for the truth. Indeed, the BS artist is simply uninterested in the truth. Rather, the primary objective is to give the audience the razzledazzle and then to manipulate the situation to one’s own devices.

One of my political science professors taught that the only thing more important than being right is being interesting.

Though such a maxim certainly applies to academic papers and lectures, Brown provides an array of opportunities to go that extra mile, as illustrated by two anecdotes from close friends, who for obvious reasons have chosen to remain anonymous.

The day before the final for a history class, my friend decides to drop the class.

It’s his fi fth, outside his concentration and he knows he’s going to get a B — but he’s just missed the registrar’s deadline. But this fact does not stop my friend’s intrepid spirit. Quickly, he sends off an email to the class’s TA, spinning a tall tale of graduate school and his GPA and gently requesting the TA to fail him in the class.

Of course, there is no failing at Brown.

There is only No Credit, which wouldn’t ac-

Brown is a university with few rules, and the ones there are can be easily circumvented. This wealth of opportunity provides the proper incubation for the refined BS artist.

This semester, one of my friends is suffering from a severe case of senioritis. As if a thesis and finding a job weren’t enough, he actually needs to go to classes. After accidentally shopping a freshman seminar, he signed up for the class as an advanced individual research project with the professor’s express permission.

Brown is organized with so many loopholes and opportunities for manipulation that teaching the art of BS must be one of the missions of the university. tually show up on his transcript. The only contingency was the dreaded C, the bane of every Brown student’s existence, and a real threat if he skipped the final. And that’s where BS entered the picture.

It’s not just that Brown offers its students a safety net in the form of the New Curriculum — there’s nothing particularly unusual about that in a university setting.

It’s that the safety net more closely resembles a comfy chair with soft pillows, with perhaps some tea and crumpets at brunch.

Nothing particularly strange here — while certainly a great opportunity that is quintessentially Brown, there’s no BS involved. That part came later. With job applications fast approaching, he decided to attend a resume and cover letter workshop at Career Services, where he was inspired by a counselor to give his freshman seminar a prominent position under his list of achievements.

Obviously, career services would never openly encourage such BS. But combine

following career advice to its logical conclusion and the plethora of opportunities to manipulate the curriculum and you get one potent BS cocktail.

The same political science professor mentioned before once told us how much he was looking forward to being impressed by our knowledge of the reading. Of course, he said, it would be even more impressive to convince him that we had done the reading when in fact we had not. At that moment, I nearly stood and shook my professor’s hand.

It is a fair assumption that no matter how much we might prepare for life’s daily challenges, at some point in our lives we will be forced to convince an audience that we are either prepared or well-qualified when in reality we are anything but. In such a way, I am convinced the ability to BS is an incredibly important life skill and am grateful for all the tricks of the trade I’ve learned at Brown.

But there are certainly negative consequences. At a university where BS is so prevalent, where image is invariably preferred over substance, the value placed on scientific inquiry and the truth is diminished. At the very least, the liar and the honest man share a common regard for the importance of the truth. Not so for the BS connoisseur, who is indifferent to the way things really are. As Harry Frankfurt concludes, BS poses a far greater threat to the truth than do lies — an important point to remember for students about to enter the real world.

Benjamin Bright ’07 is half bulldog, half shih tzu.

As Brown drags its feet, hundreds of workers lose their jobs

BY SARAH ADLER-MILSTEIN GUEST COLUMNIST

Imagine showing up to work for a job that you badly need in order to feed your children and being told your company has shut down and you no longer have a job. Your wages, which were just above minimum wage, left you with no savings, and you are panicking about how you will manage to pay for rent, electricity and food. What will you have to give up so that your family can survive the next week, month or year?

This is the grim situation hundreds of workers in the Dominican Republic face this week — and the tragedy is that they found themselves in this situation because they dared to fight for a more dignified life with fair wages and decent working conditions.

The more painful realization is that despite the fact that we are thousands of miles away, we as a Brown community could have prevented this from happening.

BJ&B — the factory that closed this week — produced hats with university logos that were sold on campuses throughout the country. The BJ&B factory was a rare case in the apparel industry: It was one of a handful of factories that provided wages above the local minimum wage because the workers had collectively organized a union. This union had addressed low wages, physical and verbal abuse, unpaid overtime, forced pregnancy tests, sexual harassment and health risks at work. Despite the fact that the factory’s management threatened workers who were organizing, the workers stood their ground.

With international pressure from universities and human rights groups they won real improvements at work. BJ&B showed that despite all the forces working against sweat-

shop workers, it was possible to win improvements and not be trapped in povertywage jobs under abusive conditions.

However, soon after the workers won improved wages and decent working conditions, companies began to reduce their hat orders at BJ&B, undermining the significant progress that had been made. Nearly one year after the improvements were instituted,

the work-related injury. According to United Students Against Sweatshops, Garcia said, “Everything changed with the union. Before, whenever a worker made any kind of error, the supervisor would shake you and scream.

This stopped. … If a worker was injured and needed medical attention, the company paid for much of it. We should not be blamed, and we should not be punished by loss of our

Brown must take swift and decisive action to ensure that rights of workers producing our apparel are protected, both in the Dominican Republic and around the world.

Reebok pulled its orders from the factory, as did several other brands. The only company that remained at BJ&B was Nike, which recently pulled all its orders too. Because companies have chosen to cancel their orders after unionization, BJ&B was forced to shut down this week.

Sebastian Garcia worked for BJ&B for more than 16 years and saw its transformation from abusive conditions through unionization and finally its recent closure. Before unionization, he was barred from leaving work, despite the fact that he was suffering from severe trauma from a cut ventricle. His supervisor threatened to fire him when he left work to go to the hospital, and the company refused to pay for the hospital bill for

job, because we tried to organize a union to protect ourselves. If the factory closes, the workers will not be able to find work. …

Without work, they could lose their homes.

If a mother has children who are sick, they won’t be able to get medical care.”

The apparel industry’s race to the bottom in wages and working conditions has led to more and more unionized factories shutting down. Brands are making conscious decisions to shift production to lower-cost facilities where workers’ fundamental rights are violated. The Designated Suppliers Program was created to counteract the destruction wrought by these corporate decisions. The DSP uses universities’ buying power to funnel clothing orders to factories providing liv-

ing wages and a voice for workers. DSP aims to allow consumers and workers to join forces to alleviate some of the downward pressure on wages and working conditions, and keep factories like BJ&B open.

The closure of BJ&B is a wake-up call for us. Universities cannot wait any longer to adopt the DSP. The workers in these factories have been abandoned by the major brands, and we cannot allow the brands to further undermine the progress that has been made. Unless we act now, we will be complicit in the race to the bottom, facilitating worsening conditions in factories that make university-brand clothes instead of acting to improve them.

Thirty colleges and universities across the country have adopted the DSP and made a public commitment to implementation of the program. Regrettably, Brown has not signed on to the DSP and continues to stall while factories are shut down and workers are fired. The creators of the DSP have addressed the legal concerns that Brown has voiced about the program, so there is no reason for Brown to remain complacent as hundreds of workers lose their much needed jobs. As a member of the university community, Brown cannot allow the progress that was made at BJ&B to be undone. Brown must take swift and decisive action to ensure that rights of workers producing our apparel are protected, both in the Dominican Republic and around the world.

Sarah Adler-Milstein ’07.5 advises students to write Walter_Hunter@brown.edu and demand that the University join the DSP immediately. If you want to learn more, please come to a screening of a documentary and discussion on the DSP on Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Wilson 101.

S PORTS T HURSDAY THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007

2 grapplers qualify for nationals

BY HAN CUI C ONTRIBUTING WRITER

The wrestling team concluded its season at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Tournament held at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania this past weekend. Out of the 10 lineups, three Brown wrestlers placed — Mark Savino ’08 finished sixth at 141 pounds, Shawn Kitchner ’07 finished fourth at 165 pounds and Levon Mock ’08 finished fourth at 285 pounds. Kitchner and Mock both qualified for NCAA Wrestling Tournament. As a team, Brown finished 10th of 14 teams with 34.5 points.

The team left on Wednesday evening for the two-day tournament held on Friday and Saturday. The top four finishers at each weight automatically advance to Nationals, along with three fi fth-place wildcards. Five of the wrestlers were seeded entering the tournament.

Leading the young team were three juniors and a returning senior. Levon Mock ’08 was the highest-seeded wrestler on the team. He had a strong start on Friday, winning two matches and advancing to the semi-finals, where he fell short 3-2 against No. 1 seed Ed Prendergast from Navy.

In his fight for Nationals, Mock wrestled against the sixth-seeded Kevin Lester from Columbia, whom he had defeated earlier in the season.

Despite the pressure, Mock took control of the match from the start. He scored 13 points before continued on page 9

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

W. lax takes overtime victory over Sacred Heart W

BY MEGAN MCCAHILL SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The women’s lacrosse team played two thrilling games over the weekend, both of which were decided by one goal. The Bears came out on top in overtime for their first win of the young season on Friday, defeating Sacred Heart University 13-12. On Sunday, Bruno put in another solid effort but came up short against Stony Brook University, losing 10-9. The Bears are now 1-2 on the season.

On Friday, Brown benefited from early contributions from its young players. Five of the six players who scored were underclassmen. The sophomore class got the Bears rolling when Lauren Vitkus ’09 scored her second goal of the season, and Bethany Buzzell ’09 contributed two more to account for Brown’s first three goals. Meghan Markowski ’10 followed their lead, finding the back of the net for her first career goal to put the Bears up 4-2.

“Nine of our 10 starters are underclassmen,” said Noelle DiGioia ’09. “We really weren’t surprised by their contributions. We knew what we were capable of.”

Sacred Heart battled back to tie the score 4-4, but Buzzell, Vitkus and Molly McCarthy ’10 each scored as part of a 3-1 run that put Bruno up 7-5 at the end of the first half.

“I think we were kind of playing down to their level in the first half,” DiGioia said.

The Pioneers rallied after the break and knotted the score at seven early in the second half, and Brown and Sacred Heart continued to exchange goals until the end. With the Bears down

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I’m in somewhat of a conundrum — who’s the absolute best player in fantasy baseEllis Rochelson ball? Before MLB Exclusive you all shout “Pujols” in unison, let’s step back and think about all the potential players who deserve to lead my fantasy team to victory.

Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo Mimi DeTolla ’08 netted a goal and an assist in Brown’s win against Sacred Heart on Friday. She then came back with three goals and an assist in Brown’s loss to Stony Brook on Saturday.

11-10 with 1:15 remaining, Vitkus converted a free position shot to send the game into overtime.

“It was good experience for us to be in overtime now, early in the year,” DiGioia said. “We know how nerve-racking it can be, and even though we weren’t scared by it or anything, it’s something we want to try and avoid later in the season.”

Brown’s underclassmen rose to the challenge. Markowski converted a nice feed from Kiki Manners ’10 to put the Bears up one just 1:18 into the six-minute overtime.

After Sacred Heart returned the favor, Jesse Nunn ’09 found the perfect time to score her continued on page 7

Tracksters Breezeatl ’10 and Raymond ’08 speediest Ivy duo

BY SARAH DEMERS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It’s something that’s only happened twice before in the Ivy League, once by Brown and once by the University of Pennsylvania. So when the men’s and women’s track teams returned from the Indoor Ivy League Heptagonal Championships last week boasting the fastest man and woman in the league — Thelma Breezeatl ’10 won the woman’s 60-meter dash in 7.58 seconds, and Paul Raymond ’08 won the men’s race in 6.85 seconds — Director of Track and Field Craig Lake was pleased.

“Obviously, we’re pretty excited,” Lake said. “Thelma was one of the top seeds, but she certainly wasn’t a shoo-in — but she rises to the occasion. Paul was more of a surprise. Through the season, he was coming along slowly through his injuries but he never … threw in the towel.”

Breezeatl and Raymond arrived at their skills in very different ways.

Breezeatl grew up all over the country, living in Massachusetts,

SPORTS SCOREBOARD WEDNESDAY MAR. 7 WEDNESDAY, SKIING: 8th of 19 teams, USCSA National Championships

Courtesy of Dan Grossman ‘71 Thelma Breezeatl ’10 (left) and Paul Raymond ’08 (right) finished first in the 60-meter dash in the Ivy League Championships, making them the fastest woman and man in the league.

Virginia and now Pennsylvania, yet one thing remained the same — running track.

“It helped me a lot over the years,” Breezeatl said. “It’s always given me something constant.”

Though Breezeatl tried her hand at basketball, it was track she ultimately focused on, running year-round by high school.

“I definitely liked (running track),” she said. “Especially when I was younger, because there

Who’s the best player in Fantasy Baseball?

was less responsibility. Now, it is more business, but it’s fun business. In high school, it was so individual. My coach ran me at national meets, and it would be just me there. But in college, you have a team, and even though it’s business, it’s more fun because your team is there with you.”

That concept of the team drew Breezeatl to Brown. Recruited by several schools, she narrowed her college search down to Brown and

Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals Let’s get it out of the way — Pujols is incredible. I’ve had him on my fantasy team every season for the last four years, so I fully appreciate Phat Albert’s dominance. The man has been in the top four for National League MVP every season of his career, getting second place three times and taking the crown in 2005.

Last season, Pujols set a career high with 49 home runs — and his season was shortened by injury. He walks much more often than he strikes out (1.25 career BB/K ratio), and that already surreal patience is getting even better. An average season for Pujols has looked like this during his six-year career: .332 batting average, 43 home runs, 132 RBI. Pujols deserves the first fantasy pick because of his rock-solid consistency, acrossthe-board incredible numbers and potential for even more production. Oh, and Pujols turns 27 in 2007. What an awesome age.

Pujols is the best hitter in baseball, but is he the best hitter for my fantasy team? Prince Albert plays first base, a stacked position in fantasy baseball. Why waste a pick on Pujols when you can grab Prince Fielder or Adam LaRoche later in the draft? In a survey of fantasy drafts this year, Fielder and LaRoche are usually falling to the 10th and 15th rounds, respectively. They will both outperform their draft positions. Missing out on Pujols doesn’t hurt my team because of the enormous position depth.

My first pick can be used more wisely.

the University of Virginia.

“I came on a visit (to Brown), and I liked the team,” she said.

“They were like a family that worked hard but had fun. And of course the main thing was the education I would get — that was my mom’s reason. I realized it was worth it to pay to come here.”

Breezeatl went unbeaten in the regular season against Ivy League competition and arrived at the 2007 Championships seeded second by 0.01 seconds to Jeomi Maduka of Cornell, an opponent she had never raced head-to-head.

“I wasn’t worried about her that much because I hadn’t raced against her yet,” she said. “But I wanted to win because she had won two events already (at Heps), and I didn’t want her to win any more.”

Not only did Breezeatl win, she smoked Maduka by 0.05 seconds, an impressive win that set the bar high for the rest of the track program during the weekend.

Raymond met and cleared that bar. Yet Raymond had traveled a very different road to get to that moment.

Raymond grew up in footballcrazed Miami. Recruited by the football team to play wide receiver, running track never entered Raymond’s mind until almost halfway

The Twins won’t win too many games in 2007 — their number-two starter is Boof Bonser — but they will win when Johan is on the mound. Santana’s supporting offense should be just as excellent as it was for him in 2006, if not more so. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will continue to mash in the heart of the lineup, while youngsters like Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Bartlett could become AllStars before you know it. Plus, closer Joe Nathan will continue to consistently protect leads.

This should lead to a 20-win season for the Twins’ ace. Oh and incidentally, Johan Santana

continued on page 7

continued on page 9

Johan Santana, SP, Minnesota Twins