Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Brown Daily Herald T uesday, S eptember 18, 2007

Volume CXLII, No. 70

Since 1866, Daily Since 1891

Sciences losing concentrators at high rate

By Michael Bechek Senior Staff Writer

In response to finding that prospective science concentrators frequently lack necessary support and abandon the sciences at an alarmingly high rate, the University should create a center on campus to provide academic tutoring, advising and a sense of community for such students, the Undergraduate Science Education Committee recommends in its report, to be released today.

The committee also recommends curricular innovation to enhance the multidisciplinary appeal of introduc-

tory science courses, increased funding for undergraduate research and an improved effort to recruit top high school students who plan to concentrate in the so-called “STEM” — science, technology, engineering and math — fields.

An undergraduate science resource center, the committee advises, could serve as a “home base and catalyst” for these planned initiatives. More than just a useful way of centralizing undergraduate science initiatives, the 54-page report says, the center should be “a highly visible University-wide effort that would give science students continuous sup-

port” — assistance in finding tutoring, concentration advising, research opportunities and career advice.

Such a center “would be particularly important in their first two years,” the report added.

The committee identified the creation of the center as the most pressing need and recommended that it be established and become operational in a temporary campus space as soon as possible — probably this semester.

“I was surprised that it was the number-one priority,” Dean of the continued on page 4

Despite devotees, iPhone reception weak

By Cameron Lee Staf f Writer

Chris Bennett / Herald Richard Holbrooke ’62, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a Brown professor-at-large, spoke Monday at the Watson Institute for International Studies.

Since its release in late June, critics have heaped praise on Apple Inc.’s iPhone, with the Wall Street Journal’s Walter Mossberg calling the device a “breakthrough handheld computer.” But Theo Frechette ’09.5 wanted to experience the new technology for himself.

The day the iPhone launched, Frechette was among the many Apple fanatics waiting in line at a Boston Apple store, eager to be one of the first to get his hands on Apple’s latest gadget.

“I was incredibly excited about (the iPhone) from the moment Steve Jobs gave the keynote (announcing it) in January,” Frechette said.

He admitted that waiting for eight hours — when the store actually had plenty of iPhones — may have been excessive.

Benjamin Schnapp ’07 MD ’11 was also at an Apple Store on June 29, but he was on the other side of the counter as an employee.

Schnapp, who worked at Providence Place from September 2006 until August 2007, said lines for the iPhone

Former U.N. amb. recalls heated times on College Hill

By Simmi Aujla Metro Editor Forty-six years ago, Richard Holbrooke ’62 put an ad on the fourth page of The Brown Daily Herald.

“The Brown Daily Herald presents Malcolm X,” read the ad.

“Tickets on sale — Faunce House Office.”

Then an aspiring journalist and editor-in-chief of The Herald, Holbrooke said Monday — on his first visit to campus since he was appointed a professor-at-large in February — that he was drawn into a decades-long career in foreign service because of the national and international issues he faced as a Brown student.

Holbrooke started his on-and-off government career in the Foreign Service in Vietnam just after gradu-

ating from Brown. More than 30 years later, at President Bill Clinton’s charge, he helped broker the Dayton peace accords, ending the brutal fighting in Bosnia in the 1990s. He had previously spent a stint as ambassador to Germany and later served as the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations.

Appointed to his professor-atlarge post at the Watson Institute for International Studies last semester, Holbrooke spoke to about 30 students Monday evening about current foreign policy challenges, such as the war in Iraq. Holbrooke will return to College Hill in October and December to deliver speeches and lead undergraduate seminars. continued on page 5

e x a mining th e constitution

Kimberly Perley / Herald

Owners of the iPhone give the device rave reviews, but the hyped Apple product isn’t frequently spotted on campus.

stretched almost the entire length of the mall, and anticipation in the line was high. “(The Apple Store) blacked the windows,” he said. “It was ver y exciting, watching the throngs of

Chris Bennett / Herald Randy Barnett, a Georgetown University law professor, delivered the Constitution Day lecture, organized by Brown’s Political Theory Project.

INSIDE:

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METRO

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CAMPUS NEWS

Q&A with Holbrooke The Herald brings you an exclusive interview with the former ambassador to the United Nations.

continued on page 7

Hickey ’08 squashes ‘Banner bug’

By Chaz Firestone Senior Staf f Writer

Rock Fellow REpublicAns Former Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey lambastes the national GOP.

people in front of the store.”

As an Apple Store employee, Schnapp was able to use the iPhone before it was officially released and

Imagine you have just logged into your Banner account. Moments later, you receive an e-mail that reads “check out this cool video!” followed by an innocent-looking hyperlink. You click the link as your Banner window sits in the background, but the site doesn’t seem to load, so you shrug it off and continue with Banner, registering for that last class you had been shopping.

But little do you know that you’ve just become a victim of theft. Your home address, academic transcript and private financial aid information have been sent to a neighboring room or a different state or country. Your classes have been dropped. And as you stroll out the room with naive confidence, your most precious information sails out, too.

11

OPINIONS

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

OPINIONS Zack Beauchamp ’10 argues the GOP doesn’t have the bite to match its rhetoric on terror.

Thanks to Brendan Hickey ’08, you can rest easy. Hickey’s discovery of this potentially detrimental attack and its subsequent patching — just days before registration period began — means students at Brown and the hundreds of other schools using Banner software needn’t worry.

Hickey, a computer security enthusiast, discovered the threat in late August while working on a summer project at Brown. After encountering an error message in Banner, Hickey used his intimate knowledge of Web security to identify a loophole that would allow for a bug called CSRF, or a cross-site request forgery.

“The idea is that a student is using Banner, and you send them a link to another site that can execute actions as if it were the student,” Hickey said. “It could force somecontinued on page 6

12 SPORTS

Sick Days Despite sore throats, the volleyball team survived a tournament without going on sick leave.

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

T oday Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

We a t h e r

sunny 69 / 47

Aibohphobia | Roxanne Palmer and Jonathan Cannon

sunny 73 / 53

Menu Sharpe Refectory

Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Quinoa and Veggies, Asparagus Spears, Vegan Tofu Pups, Philly Cheese Steak Calzone, Fried Fish Sandwich with Tartar Sauce

Lunch — Buffalo Wings with Bleu Cheese Dressing, Zucchini Parmesan Sandwich, Cauliflower au Gratin, Nacho Bar

Dinner — Vegetable Frittata, Sticky Rice, Ginger Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots, Whole Beets, Baked Potatoes, Honey Batter Bread, Pesto Seafood Pasta, Fiery Beef

Dinner — Baked Parmesan Chicken, Curried Couscous, Noodles Alfredo, Whole Green Beans, Thai Basil Stir Fry, Vegetarian Spinach and Mushroom Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup

But Seriously | Charlie Custer and Stephen Barlow

Sudoku Nightmarishly Elastic | Adam Robbins

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

Vagina Dentata | Soojean Kim

RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, September 18,Pappocom 2007 © Puzzles by

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

C

o ssw or d Lewis Edited by RichrNorris and Joyce Nichols

ACROSS 1 Rendezvoused (with) 6 Old French bread?

11 Neg.’s opposite 14 Bakery lure 15 Ancient coastal region in Asia Minor 16 Notable period 17 Where Billy debuted?

19 Slave Turner 20 Shower floor piece 21 Like a dryer filter after a load 23 Greasy spoon, so to speak 27 TV promo 28 Queen of fiction 29 Memorized 31 Fort Knox supply 32 Terrell who sang with Marvin Gaye 33 “I’ve got it now!”

36 Galoot 37 Painted the town red 39 President pro __ 40 Symbol of gymnastic perfection 41 Tottering 42 Give the axe 43 “The Virginian” author Owen 45 Oater watering hole 47 Low-lying wetland 49 Sends back, as to await a hearing 50 Astaire with a skirt 51 Govt. disaster group 52 Beaujolais, par exemple 53 Quilting party for Tori?

60 PC panic button 61 Stan’s sidekick 62 Ross of the Supremes 63 Highest 64 Nick of “Cape Fear” 65 Rile DOWN 1 Brit’s raincoat

2 Go astray 3 Slinky, for one 4 Uncertain sounds 5 Sound of little feet 6 Stable female 7 Courtroom cover-up 8 Santa __ winds 9 It means nothing 10 Phone service option 11 Sean’s radio frequency?

12 Take to the soapbox 13 Hybrid creature of myth 18 Well-ventilated 22 Writer Fleming 23 Sired 24 Tie the knot on the sly 25 Tim’s favorite tool?

26 Homer’s neighbor 27 Docile 29 In a bit 30 Pianist Gilels 32 Shoe insert 34 “The Great” king of Judea

35 Cries from the congregation 37 Conveys, as information 38 Crafts’ partner 42 St. closest to Cuba 44 Proverb suffix 45 Heavy hauler 46 Peet or Plummer 47 Authority 48 Lyrical poet 49 CSA big shot

51 Fly lightly and swiftly 54 Gp. once headed by Arafat 55 Building extension 56 Gimlet liquor 57 Catch, huntingstyle 58 U-turn from WSW 59 Listener

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

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By Timothy L. Meaker (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

9/18/07

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M etro Tuesday, September 18, 2007

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Laffey blasts national GOP in new book Tax credits revive historic buildings, boost economy

By Patrick Corey Staf f Writer

The Republican Party strayed from its traditional ideals of small government and fiscal conservativism and made a grave mistake in the 2006 elections, former Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey claims in a political memoir released last week.

“Primar y Mistake: How the Washington Republican Establishment Lost Everything in 2006 (and Sabotaged My Senatorial Campaign)” recounts Laffey’s underdog 2006 primary bid to unseat Sen. Lincoln Chafee ’75, who survived Laffey’s challenge but then lost the general election to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

Chafee is currently a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies.

“Primary Mistake” provides a vent for Laffey’s 2006 senatorial frustrations. Laffey accuses the Republican establishment of using destructive “Rovian tactics” against one of its own during his campaign.

In Laffey’s candid first-person account of the campaign — which sometimes reads like a diary — he charges that the Republican leadership in Washington chose “power over principle” when they backed Chafee, a moderate considered more likely to win the general election in deep-blue Rhode Island.

Laffey paints himself as the real conservative in the primary and argues that he should have

had national conservative support against a Republican opponent who had a record of voting against the president. Chafee has since disaffiliated himself from the Republican Party.

Laffey also accuses Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, of demeaning him by suggesting that he run instead for lieutenant governor, a job he claims has no legal function in Rhode Island.

Laffey chose not to heed that advice, instead choosing to spend a significant amount of his own funds to launch a campaign against Chafee.

Before becoming mayor of Cranston in 2002, Laffey — who has an MBA from Harvard Business School — served as president of Memphis, Tenn.-based Morgan Keegan and Company, a financial institution.

Laffey is widely credited with an unprecedented turnaround in Cranston’s bond rating — an indicator often equated with economic stability.

His conservative values on issues such as abortion, free trade, pork-barrel spending and a simpler tax code formed his platform as he campaigned as a common-sense outsider against Chafee, the son of long-time senator John Chafee, who died in 1999.

Pratik Chougule ’08, a former head of the College Republicans Federation of Rhode Island and

editor-in-chief of the Brown Spectator, said he got to know Laffey over the course of the campaign. Chougule said he didn’t support either candidate in the primary, “but I do think that what the national party did wasn’t right.”

Chougule said he saw the national party “openly attacking” Laffey during the campaign and heard threats that Laffey would have no future political career if he tried to run for the Rhode Island Senate.

But Chafee told The Herald that the conspiracy Laffey writes of was simply the national party looking out for its interests during a tough election cycle.

“That’s where his book is so flawed,” Chafee said. “There’s no recognition that (the Republican party) may want to keep the seat.”

Chafee said that if Rhode Island — a strongly Democratic state — might not vote for the popular, incumbent Republican, they certainly wouldn’t vote for a controversial newcomer.

Chafee suggested that there were greater opportunities elsewhere in the state in 2006 for Laffey, especially in the office of general treasurer, given Laffey’s histor y of success in business.

He mentioned that Rhode Island has billions of dollars in pension accounts that Laffey could have grown.

Attempts to reach Laffey for comment were unsuccessful.

By Nandini Jayakrishna Senior Staf f Writer

PAWTUCKET — Rhode Island’s tax credit legislation is effectively redeveloping its historic buildings, increasing employment and generating subsidized housing in urban, suburban and rural areas, according to a study released Monday at the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket.

The study was released by Grow Smart Rhode Island, a public interest group that believes in “smart economic development by preserving buildings that were either vacant or underutilized,” said Scott Wolf, executive director of the group, in public remarks at the study’s release.

The group hired Lipman Frizzell & Mitchell LLC, a Maryland-based real estate consulting firm, to analyze the benefits of the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Investment Tax Credit program, which the state inagurated in January 2002.

The study states that the program has created over 17,000 construction jobs in the state, while permanent employment at renovated locations is anticipated to be over 7,200. The completed projects have produced 426 subsidized housing units for low-income families.

Every dollar of state tax credit spent, the report says, yields a total economic output — including wages and taxes — of $5.35.

Tax credits are calculated on

the qualified rehabilitation expenditure — the cost of preserving the historic aspects, like windows, of old buildings — and not on other costs like purchasing costs, said Joseph Cronyn, partner at Lipman Frizzell & Mitchell and author of the study.

To qualify for the credit, a property’s developer works with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission to determine which costs qualify as historical renovations. Once the renovations are complete, the state awards 30 percent of these costs to the developer as a tax credit.

Pawtucket Mayor James Doyle said at the event Monday that “when the state invests in cities and town, everyone wins.”

Since the program’s start in January 2002, a total of about $460 million has been spent on 150 completed and 127 ongoing projects.

The study also noted that during the first five years of the program, there was more investment in historical rehabilitation in the state than in the previous 25 years combined.

Lance Robbins, a Los Angelesbased real estate developer, said he was “brought to Rhode Island only by the tax credit program” two and a half years ago.

“When making hard economic decisions you’ve got to look at the continued on page 7

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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Report addresses deficiencies in science education continued from page 1 College Katherine Bergeron told The Herald Friday, “and impressed that it was.” She added she thought one of the resource center’s goals — to create community — was appropriate because community was one of Brown’s strengths.

The committee, comprising predominately faculty in the STEM fields and chaired by Professor of Geological Sciences Karen Fischer, was convened by Bergeron in October 2006 “to look broadly at the quality and effect of our science curriculum,” according to the committee’s official charge.

Bergeron traced the motivation for creating the committee not to a perception that Brown was especially weak in the STEM fields, but rather to a shared nationwide concern among universities about strength in those areas. She said she saw the prospect of improving Brown’s STEM programs as “capitalizing” on a strength, not addressing a weakness.

Bergeron said there has been “interest” in improving the sciences at Brown dating back to a 2005 proposal to create a “cohort” program to recruit top science students, a

proposal that failed after sparking strong faculty opposition.

Nevertheless, the committee’s charge, written jointly by Bergeron and Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98, said “the first question has to do with Brown’s overall success in attracting and retaining top science students,” according to the report.

“Many have expressed concern that Brown is somehow less successful than our peers on this front,” the report adds.

Of students who indicate an initial interest in the STEM fields, just 64 percent ultimately complete a STEM concentration, the committee found, citing data collected between 2000 and 2005. The committee’s report doesn’t address how this figure compares to other schools, but it concludes that “retention in the STEM fields” is a concern and that it was “particularly low for women and underrepresented minority students in the physical sciences.”

To address the currently unmet needs of students in STEM fields as quickly as possible, the committee suggests that the center “can begin as a simple open space with several rooms for consultation and group study, and portable white boards,” ideally located in the Sciences Library.

The committee also proposes a budget for the center’s first two years, recommending an allotment of $255,000 for its first year of operation and $365,000 thereafter, not including the costs of space, renovations and furniture for the center’s permanent home.

Those extra costs could be considerable if University officials accept the committee’s concept of the resource center, which would be a “well-placed, well-designed” and “attractive” facility that would be “a visible manifestation of our strong commitment to the sciences.”

The report suggests, however, that the center could be financed in part by accepting external grants or by offering to name the center for a large donor.

Bergeron told The Herald that she and Kertzer are currently “seeing about funding the main recommendations” of the committee’s report, including the science resource center. In addition, some members of the committee will continue to take part in the planning for the center, she said.

In addition to the science resource center, the committee strongly recommends increasing funding for undergraduate research, noting the importance of this “integral part of undergraduate education” in increasing the probability of retaining STEM concentrators. The committee also found that “student demand for research internships exceeds supply.”

The report recommends adding 40 Undergraduate Teaching and Research Assistantships each year, with the goal of reaching a total of 400 across all fields — STEM and others — by 2012, assuming “student demand and faculty capacity support continued increases.” The committee also recommends increasing the stipends for such research positions, noting that the current stipends for these positions lag behind those for similar programs at peer schools.

A smaller group of committee members, Bergeron said, will stay on to serve as an advising committee for addressing the report’s next

priority — boosting the multidisciplinary approach to science through curricular development.

“Research in STEM fields is rapidly changing,” the report finds, “with an increasing emphasis on multidisciplinary investigations of complex questions.”

The committee also expressed concerns about the overall scientific literacy of Brown undergraduates, finding that 30 percent of humanities concentrators complete one or no courses in the sciences and that 7 percent complete one or no courses in the social sciences, according to 2005 data compiled by the Office of Institutional Research.

The committee recommends that the University “modify introductory courses to enhance multidisciplinary understanding” and create a pool of resources to support departments in developing such innovation, making funds available “on a competitive basis” for periods of one to three years.

Though the committee said in its report that Brown was “not widely perceived as a traditional ‘science school,’ ” it argues that the opportunity to do science within a liberal arts curriculum has frequently been a “significant draw” for applicants.

It recommends that the Office of Admission “aggressively market Brown’s strengths in the STEM fields” and that it devote more time to STEM recruiting.

To increase diversity in STEM fields, the committee also recommends coordinating with local high school outreach programs “to draw qualified students into the Brown admissions process.”

The committee’s report also includes the findings of an eight-member subcommittee of undergraduates concentrating in the STEM fields.

Based on discussions with Department Undergraduate Groups, student surveys and informal conversations with their peers, the students concluded that Brown undergraduates were largely dissatisfied with the STEM fields.

“What immediately came to the fore from these forums was science concentrators’ overarching perception that the quality of science education at Brown was often overlooked,” the subcommittee writes.

“Students felt,” the report adds, “that, while they were prepared to be successful in science beyond Brown, a huge amount could be done to make their classes more inspiring, research funds more accessible and pertinent advice more free-flowing.”

One student’s survey response, included in the report, typified the feelings of many, the committee argued.

“While it is awesome that the University is making an effort to attract more people for the sciences,” he wrote, “I think it ignores the fact that a lot of the concentrator classes are often taught fairly badly.”

In the introductor y physics sequence PHYS 0070: “Analytical Mechanics” and PHYS 0080: “Introduction to Relativity and Quantum Physics,” for example, the student felt that “over half” of those in the class who were potential concentrators were “so unhappy with (their) experiences that they have never taken a physics course again.”

Added the same student, “This is so common, there are Facebook groups dedicated to this.”

www.browndailyherald.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Holbrooke ’62 returns to Brown, recalls U.’s turbulent times continued from page 1 As a reporter and editor at The Herald, an unsuspecting Holbrooke was thrown into the political turmoil on college campuses and across the nation in the early 1960s. Holbrooke said he butted heads with University administrators on more than one occasion — first when he hired two Pembroke College students as The Herald’s first female reporters, and then when he accepted Malcolm X’s offer to speak on campus during Holbrooke’s junior year, he said in an interview at The Herald’s offices.

Katharine Pierce ’62, one of the two first female Herald staffers, was critical of Malcolm X and the black Muslim movement in a February 1961 article in The Herald’s thenregular magazine supplement. The article angered Malcolm X, who demanded to speak on campus.

Holbrooke agreed, without getting approval from University administrators.

Before he knew it, Holbrooke said, officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation were patrolling campus, and Malcolm X was advocating for complete racial segregation in Sayles Hall.

“The national world was pouring in on this previously sleepy campus,” Holbrooke said.

Holbrooke said he once traveled to Paris to report for The Herald on the planned 1960 summit between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and President Eisenhower, which was halted after a U.S. spy plane was shot down by the Russians over Soviet airspace. He also met civil rights movement leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while at Brown, he

Ne

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

said.

Holbrooke decided to take his current five-year appointment with the Watson Institute after a conversation with President Ruth Simmons.

“You can’t say no to Ruth Simmons,” he said.

But Holbrooke said he isn’t ruling out another stint in the political world. The former assistant secretary of state for both Southeast Asia and Europe has worked under four Democratic administrations. Now an adviser to the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., he is considered a prime candidate for secretary of state if she wins the general election.

Holbrooke has agreed to appear on campus about once a month at least through next semester.

Like most professors-at-large, Holbrooke spends most of his time off campus — in his case, in New York City. He is chief executive officer of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which organizes businesses to fight those diseases, and vice chairman of private equity firm Perseus LLC. Other professors-at-large include the former Brazilian president Fernando Cardoso; the former president of Chile, Ricardo Lagos; and Mexican author Carlos Fuentes, said Geoffrey Kirkman ’91, associate director of the Watson Institute.

Professors-at-large and visiting fellows, such as former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee ’75, often conduct not-for-credit study groups, give public talks and advise University administrators and faculty. Holbrooke will continue to advise Simmons as the University works to expand its international clout.

i n

Br

Q & A WITH HOLBROOKE On Monday morning, former Herald Editor-in-Chief Richard Holbrooke ’62, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and now a professor-at-large based at the Watson Institute for International Studies, returned to The Herald’s offices at 195 Angell St. to discuss Iraq, his time at Brown and his future plans.

What did you learn at The Herald and at Brown that helped you in your career?

I spent a lot more time here than I did in my classes. The Brown Daily Herald is what I really did at Brown.

That trip to Paris that the editors sent me on to cover the 1960 Paris summit (between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and President Eisenhower) was unbelievable. I met the greatest journalists of that age, and I saw world leaders when I was 19. Meanwhile, back here on the campus, I was sitting next to (the Rev.) Martin Luther King, Jr., at a luncheon and having this incredible drama with Malcolm X. (The Herald brought Malcolm

X to speak on campus in May 1961.)

How should the nation’s leaders proceed in Iraq?

We’re going to have to withdraw from Iraq but how we’re going to do it is quite tricky. You don’t want to leave behind something even worse than what we’ve created. Figuring out how to do that is terribly complicated.

How is the situation in Iraq different from anything you experienced in your foreign service?

Having spent three-and-a-half years in Vietnam, I never thought I would say this, but Iraq is a lot worse than Vietnam. I never thought I’d say that, but it is.

Why? In Vietnam we were supporting one side, the Russians were supporting the other. It was a war in the shadows ... but politically it was clean-cut — you knew who ran the other side.

Who are we fighting in Iraq?

Are we fighting the Sunnis? We

were a year ago, but now they’re our best friends, but only on the theory that the enemy of our enemy is our friend, because they don’t really like us. We’re the ones who overthrew Sunni power after 400 years of Sunni domination.

President Nixon could bomb Hanoi and say he’s bombing the enemy. Who would Bush bomb? If he wanted to drop bombs, there’s not a city.

You couldn’t design a bigger mess if you tried.

Given that you support Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for the Democratic nomination for president, would you work for her administration if she were elected?

I’ve been in and out of the government four times since I left Brown. It’d be fun to have one last shot at public ser vice, and I’d like to do that.

But that’s not at issue right now. All that’s at issue right now is helping Hillary get elected and getting this country pointed in the right direction again.

— Simmi Aujla

i e f

Simmons funds $1,000 thesis prize President Ruth Simmons will personally fund an annual prize for an honors thesis addressing questions on women or gender. The $1,000 award will be administered by the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women.

The award, to be known as the Ruth Simmons Prize in Gender and Women’s Studies, is open to undergraduates working in all concentrations, not only gender and sexuality studies. Elizabeth Weed, director of the Pembroke Center, emphasized the breadth of the prize’s criteria. The award is meant to recognize that questions of gender are central to a broad array of fields, from English to biology, she said.

This spring, professors in all departments can recommend their students’ theses to the Pembroke Center as worthy of consideration. A committee of faculty in the field of gender studies will evaluate the submissions. The inaugural celebration and presentation of the prize will likely take place in early May. From 1995 through the 2006-2007 academic year, the Pembroke Center administered the Helen Terry MacLeod Prize with essentially the same criteria as the new award. The Simmons prize will replace it, and beginning this fall, the center will instead award the Helen Terry MacLeod Research Grant for undergraduate study. All students working on an honors thesis dealing with women or gender are eligible. Applications for the grant are due Sept. 28.

The main difference between the old prize and the new one is the “visibility” inherent in Simmons’ name, Weed said.

Laura Supkoff ’08, whose honors thesis in psychology will examine gender differences in mother-infant vocalization, said she finds such publicity important. “You know, whether you get something or not, it’s important that people should be inspired to do good work,” she said.

— Alex Verdolini

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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Student exterminates ‘Banner bug’ continued from page 1 one to drop classes, add classes, print out their transcripts.”

Hickey added that if the CSRF made its way onto a professor’s machine, it could potentially be used to alter students’ grades.

“I’m not familiar with the professors’ user interface, but it’s certainly possible,” he said.

Upon discovering the potential for a CSRF, Hickey went to the Computing and Information Services Help Desk and showed employees there what he had found.

“They asked me to make a test case,” Hickey said, referring to a trial attack that would demonstrate the power of the attack without harming anyone. “I put one together in 15 minutes.”

Within a matter of days, news of Hickey’s “Banner bug” had reached University officials and even a senior vice president of SunGard Higher Education, the company that develops Banner.

“They asked me all sor ts of questions about it, and then asked me for suggestions on what to do next,” Hickey said. “I gave them.”

Vice President for Computing and Information Services Michael Pickett, Brown’s chief information officer, said Hickey’s work is greatly appreciated by University officials and the developers of Banner.

“Brendan made a nice contribution to the strength of the software,” Pickett said. “The SunGard folks are real pleased.”

The problem was patched up the weekend before registration, Pickett said, and was responsible for some of the downtime in Mocha, the student-run online course catalog.

Pickett said Hickey made the right choice in bringing the security flaw to the attention of CIS officials and was not in violation of any of Brown’s codes of conduct.

“It was not hacking. He violated no rules,” Pickett said. “In fact, I have a dinner meeting to congratulate him.”

Shriram Krishnamurthi, associate professor of computer science and Hickey’s adviser, said he was proud of Hickey’s creative thinking and professional attitude in the discovery of the Banner bug.

“He was a total 110 percent pro about the whole thing,” Krishnamurthi said. “He could have done nasty or foolish things, but instead he did responsible things.”

Krishnamurthi explained how Hickey’s interests matched the situation perfectly — Hickey was one of only a handful of people at Brown even capable of discovering the flaw.

“He’s studying exactly the security of these sorts of things, so he’s in a position to look at these things and understand them immediately,” Krishnamurthi said.

“There are people who take this world as it is, and there are people who probe every system they encounter. Brendan is most assuredly the latter category.”

Krishnamurthi also emphasized the severity of the problem Hickey discovered. While obtaining an address or phone number might not seem particularly threatening, a little information can go a long way and have severe consequences, such as identity theft.

And it doesn’t stop there, Krishnamurthi said.

“If someone attacked my machine, they could change the

Chris Bennett / Herald

Brendan Hickey ‘08 uncovered a security flaw in the Banner system.

grades of my students,” he said.

“And this could affect anybody. In principle, the registrar could get hit with this attack, and presumably he has some interesting powers.”

Krishnamurthi and Pickett said the turn of events should bode well for Hickey, who plans to apply to graduate school.

“I wouldn’t mind writing him a recommendation based on his work,” Pickett said.

In the meantime, Hickey has already reaped the benefits of the affair. A self-described “security nut,” he couldn’t get the details of the Banner bug out of his head, and it visited him in the middle of the night.

“The problems I discovered in Banner are related to some of the problems I’ve been working on all summer,” Hickey said. “I was sitting in bed at 2:00 a.m. and discovered a solution to the problem I’d been working on all summer.”

Hickey e-mailed Krishnamurthi at 2:53 a.m. on Aug. 25 with the idea for his senior thesis.

“I guess fortune favors the prepared mind,” Hickey said.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

page 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Apple’s iPhones still a rarity on campus continued from page 1 eventually ended up purchasing one himself. “It fit with what I wanted from a phone,” he said. “You can get your hands on it and be able to use it right away. That’s what I’ve always liked about Apple stuff.”

Both Frechette and Schnapp said the iPhone has made their lives more convenient. “It really has just integrated my life, particularly by having constant access to everything that’s on my computer,” Frechette said.

Schnapp said he often uses his iPhone during trips to Boston, where he travels to visit his girlfriend. “I pull out Google Maps to check the traffic, I’ll use it to listen to music on the way and if I get a phone call, it’s right there.”

Nathan Sashihara ’08.5, who received his iPhone as a gift from his parents, was more reserved in his praise.

“It’s made small improvements on many parts of my life, but I wouldn’t say it’s greatly changed it,” he said. He noted that the iPhone’s built-in Safari Web browser was a huge improvement over the browser on his old phone, a Palm Treo.

Though the iPhone has been available for almost three months, students say not enough of their peers have purchased the gadget

for it to seem prevalent on campus.

Sashihara said no one else he knew — beside family members — owned an iPhone, and Schnapp said the phone is still rare enough that he’ll get remarks from classmates when he uses it on campus.

Frechette has managed to use that novelty to his advantage. “I’ve gotten a call at a party, and within seconds a swarm of females want to see (my iPhone) and play with it,” he said. “It really is a girl magnet.”

But Schnapp said he thinks the popularity of the iPhone will soon increase, making it less of a novelty. “I get the impression (the iPhone) will be a big Christmas thing,” Schnapp said. “I’ll come back for second semester, and a couple more people will have them.”

In a letter to iPhone users, Apple CEO Steve Jobs explained that Apple had cut the price of the iPhone from $599 to $399 in order to fuel holiday sales.

Schnapp said he reluctantly accepted the logic of the price drop, despite missing out on the break. “It’s probably the right thing for them to do,” he said. Frechette agreed, saying that, if given the choice, he would buy the phone when it was first released all over again.

One drawback for current iPhone users at Brown is the difficulty in using either of Brown’s two official

Wi-Fi networks. Though the iPhone can connect to the wireless network called “Brown,” it only retains the connection for 10 minutes, according to Tim Thorp, Computing and Information Services manager of training and communication.

When computers connect to the Brown network, a pop-up maintains the connection by refreshing every 10 minutes. Because the iPhone version of Safari cannot handle the wireless update technique, users have to reauthenticate ever y 10 minutes.

Brown also uses a network called “Brown-Secure,” which is also unavailable to iPhone users because the iPhone does not include the necessary encryption protocol.

The current dilemma is that CIS is “stuck in the middle,” Thorp said.

“We have controllers that come from a company called Aruba, and we have iPhones from Apple.” He said solving the problem would be easier if the iPhone allowed for third-party software.

“We’re waiting for updates that fix this,” Thorp said.

Although iPhones can connect to AT&T’s EDGE network, the speeds provided by Brown’s network are much higher.

But for most iPhone users, connectivity is a small drawback. “It’s still a great device,” Schnapp said.

Tax credits spur development continued from page 3 risk-return ratio,” he said, noting that the risk of investing in a rehabilitation project is very high.

The program also contributes to the environmental clean-up of dozens of contaminated sites or “brownfields,” Wolf said. These abandoned sites, which previously held industrial or commerical uses, now contain low levels of hazardous waste or pollution. Tax credits provide developers with an incentive to clean up these sites.

One of Robbins’ ongoing projects

is to redevelop over 650,000 square feet of mill space at the Hope Artiste Village into a complex with live music, retail shops, restaurants and offices. The village already has over 20 community businesses and will soon begin renting office spaces.

“This place now breathes. When I walked in here it didn’t,” Robbins said.

He noted that an important feature of the complex is its location — just two miles from Brown and RISD. “I think I’ve found a gold mine,” he said.

Tenants at the village said they

were happy that the tax credit program helps save old buildings across the state.

Kevin Bledsoe, owner of the Hive Gallery and Tattoo Studio at the village, said the building attracted him because of its typical New England feel.

“It’s a great idea not to change its structure and keep the look,” he said.

Gerra Harrigan, who owns a New Harvest Coffee wholesale shop next to the Hive, said she chose the village for her shop because the old skylights “give amazing light.”

thanks for reading

Page 8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Rugby pushes hard in Coast Guard loss continued from page 12 Neville said. “It wouldn’t have to be rugby, but it just happens to be a great sport. We want to be back in Division I, but in Division II we can be more competitive. and it will help us when we get back to Division I.” Coast Guard was able to capitalize on a few of Bruno’s early mistakes to jump into the lead. Just five minutes into the match, Brown sent a kick into the Coast Guard backline, which was fielded by the fullback.

He proceeded to send a kick back over the charging Brown backline into space, catching the Bears going the wrong way. A Coast Guard player ran onto the kick, scooped it up and touched it down for an early try to put Brown in the 5-0 hole.

After Coast Guard’s early tally, Brown’s pack equaled that of Coast Guard. Neville was pleased with the fact that the team was not afraid of the very solid Coast Guard team.

“I was most proud of our toughness,” Neville said. “For an Ivy League school to blow Coast Guard off the ball like that is great. We usually lack toughness.”

Neville was seemingly all over the field, making tackles, supporting

runners and hitting rucks.

Scrum-half and team social coordinator Tom Flaherty ’08 felt that Brown’s preparation was what enabled the team to stick with such a talented team.

“Preseason was important,” Flaherty said. “Morning sprints and the game last weekend (against Norwich University) really helped us.”

Flaherty, named Man of the Match by the team, showed particular grit, going after players much larger than himself.

The rest of the first half played out fairly evenly, with most of the play between the 22-meter lines. Just before the halftime whistle blew, however, Coast Guard penetrated deep into the Brown zone, and after a few phases of short gains the Bears’ opponents got the ball out wide and found a gap in the left side of the Brown defense wide enough to sneak through for another score.

Though it was down 10-0 at the half, Brown did not give up. In the second half, Brown made a pair of try-line stands to prevent Coast Guard from widening the lead. In the first, less than 10 minutes into the half, Brown made seven straight tackles, the last of which led to Bruno

poaching the ball away and clearing the zone. On the second stand, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, Brown held up a Coast Guard player in the try zone, preventing a score and forcing a scrum.

Eventually, Brown recovered the ball and made one final push toward the Coast Guard try zone. But Bruno was unable to gain enough yardage to threaten and the game finished 10-0. It was a tough loss, but Brown came away proud of its performance.

“The boys hit so hard,” Flaherty said. “It was the best Brown rugby has ever played in a loss.”

As for the future, the loss against such a good team was inspiring. “It shows us we can make the playoffs,” Flaherty said.

Neville added that it was “a confidence booster” because of the quality of the opponent.

Brown will take that confidence into next week, when they will meet Bentley College on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Bears will probably be in the shadow of another football game, but if you hear another whistle while you are sitting in the stadium, it might be from a ref’s mouth on the pitch across the street.

Volleyball fights on despite sickness continued from page 12 was back in form on Saturday, after sitting out the past couple games due to her illness, blasting 11 kills against Eastern Michigan.

“It just felt good to play well again,” Yess said. “Sickness did play a factor, but we aren’t disappointed in the losses because we still played well as a team.”

The powerful offense supplied this weekend will be needed next weekend, as the Bears take on Stony Brook University, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Portland in their second-to-last tune-up before their first Ivy League match at Yale on Sept. 29.

“We’re really looking to do well as a springboard to the Ivies,” Short said.

“It’s going to be a big weekend for us.

We need to be consistent.”

There will be extra incentive for some of the girls this weekend as well.

“We want to have a big crowd this weekend,” Meyers said. “A lot of people’s parents will be coming in, and having the crowd there for you makes a big difference.”

Bruno’s first match against Stony Brook will start at 7 p.m. on Friday after CCSU and Portland play at 4 p.m. Brown will then face off against CCSU at 1 p.m. and Portland at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

M. tennis fares well continued from page 12 nals run in the second flight, and Kendrick Au ’11 won the third flight.

“I probably couldn’t ask for a better start for those three guys,” Harris said.

In his first-round match, Pearlman outlasted Villanova University’s David Sheehan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. He then had dominating straight-set wins over Hofstra University’s Luka Djordjevic and Niagara’s Walter Garcia, before dropping a tight three-set match to first-seeded Stephens by a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Posner took his first-round match against Colgate University’s John Nogueras 6-1, 6-3 and advanced the next day when University of Rhode Island’s Henrik Almstrom retired at 1-5 in the first set. Posner lost the semifinal match to Gordon, the eventual winner, by a score of 6-2, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Au dismantled his first-round opponent 6-2, 6-1, then took a three-set win over Dickinson the next day. Au played his remaining two matches on Sunday, overpowering Bucknell University’s Zach Hascoe 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals and defeating URI’s Jared Dorfman 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 in the finals.

Lee was impressed by the freshmen’s singles debuts. “The younger guys showed us a lot this weekend,” he said. “They fought through aches and pains to prove themselves.”

While their teammates battled opponents at home, Kohli and Skate Gorham ’10 competed in the Virginia Invitational, hosted by the University of Virginia. In the first round of the blue singles flight, Kohli narrowly dropped a 6-4, 6-4 match to Harvard’s Chris Clayton.

In the green singles flight, Gorham defeated Jason Morgenstern from No. 13-ranked Wake Forest

University by a score of 6-1, 6-4, before falling to No. 17-ranked Duke University’s Aaron Carpenter 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

“It was good to get out there,” Gorham said. “I was happy to get my first win playing for Brown under my belt. I was focusing on playing more aggressively and playing my game, not being so defensive.”

Overall, Harris said he was pleased by the Bears’ performances both on and off the courts. “They showed the toughness we pride ourselves on,” he said. “And afterwards, they didn’t talk about the results. They talked about how hard they fought.”

The Bears will compete next at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships, starting Sept. 28 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., the site of the U.S. Open. After a string of final and semifinal losses at this tournament, the Bears are eager to claim the ECAC title.

According to Harris, a less-stressful schedule this fall could make a positive difference. “Having the weekend off before the ECACs gives us the chance to get a little stronger and a little quicker,” he said. “Our goal is to get healthy and fresh.”

Another change this year is a new dynamic within the team. In addition to the three freshmen, the Bears welcomed walk-on Cody Simmons ’10 and welcomed back Sam Garland ’09, who returned after taking last year off.

“Six of our ten players didn’t play last year, so it’s a very different group,” Harris said. “It’s interesting because last year we had one leader, Dan (Hanegby ’07). But this year, there are so many outspoken leaders.

Many different guys have stepped up, even the freshmen, which is really great to see.”

page 9

E ditorial & L etters Page 10

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Staf f Editorial

The other India Point Park There’s no way around it: parking on College Hill is a mess, and it probably always will be. It seems unfathomable that hundreds of administrators, faculty and staff park on or near campus every day, many of them paying big money for those spots, not to mention visitors to the University and students with cars. If you’ve ever circled Thayer Street for 20 minutes looking for a place to park — or reaped the monetary rewards of leasing the spot behind your off-campus home to one of the over 400 desperate Brown drivers — you’ve experienced the parking crunch firsthand, for better or worse.

Surprisingly, Brown currently has more parking spots than are mandated by city law. But over 300 of those spots will be lost to the construction of the Jonathan Nelson Fitness Center and the Walk. And thanks to the initiatives of President Ruth Simmons’ Plan for Academic Enrichment, the number of faculty and graduate students — and the demand for parking spots — will only increase.

Brown’s parking problem is far from new. In fact, a group of city planners, University administrators, local school leaders and College Hill community groups first met last fall with the sole charge of addressing parking shortages on and near campus.

To that end, moving the 400-plus undergraduates who park in the Power Street Garage to an off-campus lot is a good idea. As much as we’d like to insist on keeping those precious spots available only for undergraduates, it makes sense to earmark them for faculty and graduate students. After all, most undergrads do live on the Hill. And if the University provided free shuttle rides to and from new, more remote parking lots, it wouldn’t be such a bad deal for those students who do have cars.

In July, administrators requested proposals to develop up to 300 additional parking spaces on University-owned land in Fox Point. There’s no question about whether Brown can use the space — it can. India Point Park may not technically be on campus, but it is likely the University’s best bet for alleviating parking demands in the near future, given College Hill residents’ unbending opposition to past proposals for parking garages closer to the center of campus — for example, behind the OMAC. But as the University today begins to review local developers’ proposals, we should keep in mind that we’re not the only ones who live and work on College Hill.

Involving local school leaders and community groups in these discussions is the right idea, but we also have an obligation to the Fox Point Neighborhood Association as we consider the various potential uses of the land.

Not only is it the right decision to involve the College Hill community in this decision, it’s the most efficacious plan of action.

Six years ago, residents of Fox Point squashed the University’s attempt to build a parking garage on the same Fox Point land. Paving over the two little-used warehouses currently occupying the land is hardly destroying a picturesque paradise. But John Luipold, Brown’s new director of real estate, has suggested that development of the area could include more than just parking lots. It’s unclear what else could spring up on the Fox Point land, but the University must explore such development transparently in order to ease our parking woes without trampling over our neighbors.

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jonathan guyer

Letters Israeli occupation limits academic freedom too To the Editor: President Ruth Simmons says she condemns the British University and College Union’s proposed boycott of Israeli universities in the interest of academic and intellectual freedom. She writes, in a letter addressed to the joint general secretary of the Union and posted on the Brown Web site, “Institutions of higher learning go to extraordinary lengths to defend the free flow of information (and) the unfettered exchange of ideas.”

As I read Simmons’ letter and her Aug. 19 address at the Touro Synagogue, I remembered my first day at Qalqilya Open University in the West Bank, where I taught conversational and written English for three months in 2005. I had just finished my freshman year in college, so I was the same age as the students who greeted me at the door of the whitewashed building and whisked me upstairs to a “party.” They led me into a packed classroom and gave me a juice box; in the front of the room, seated at a desk, was a girl who looked my age except for the enormous dark circles under her eyes. I learned that nine months before, on her way to school from her home in a nearby town, she’d come to a checkpoint. The Israeli soldier at the checkpoint ordered her to remove her headscarf.

When she refused, he pulled the scarf from her head, and she slapped him. She was arrested and sentenced to nine months in prison — the party, today, was to celebrate her release, and her return to school.

In the three months that followed, I began to learn what it means to try to get an education under occupation. I began to wonder: what sort of academic freedom exists for students who cannot get to class because of roadblocks, checkpoints, curfew and closure? What does it mean to try to study or pay for textbooks when your parents are in prison, or dead, or can’t get food on the table because they have lost their land and water to the “security wall” (Qalqilya is completely surrounded by, and has lost 90% of its arable land to, the wall) or to illegal settlement expansion?

After three months at the University, I could not find it surprising that it was former Israeli Minister of Education Shulamit Aloni who asked, “Is there anyone who believes that this is not Apartheid” (Tikkun, January 2007)?

Having seen firsthand the impact of restrictions on academic freedom, I applaud Simmons’ commitment to “go to extraordinary lengths” to defend this freedom. Simmons, as I understand it, opposes the UCU’s proposed boycott because she believes that to defend academic freedom is to fight those structures that limit it. I challenge Simmons to be as good as her word, and eagerly await her letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the U.S. State Department, condemning an occupation that restricts the academic freedom she, and all of us at Brown, hold so dear.

Margaree Little ’08.5 Sept. 16

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C o r r ec t i o n In an article in Monday’s Herald (“Students of the U. unite”), John Gillis ’07 was incorrectly identified as a member of the class of 2006.

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O pinions TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2007

page 11

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

‘Tough’ on terrorism, but light on details ZACK BEAUCHAMP Opinions Columnist In American politics, the Republican Party has significantly benefited from the widespread view that they are “tough on terrorism,” a perception that persists despite the Bush administration’s disastrous handling of the war in Iraq. As recently as November 2006, a Time magazine poll found that Republicans had a 10-point advantage on the question “Which party — The Democrats or Republicans — would do a better job of dealing with terrorism?” This disparity gives Republicans a potent political weapon, which 2008 hopefuls already seem to be attempting to cash in on. During a primary debate, Mitt Romney proposed both doubling the size of Guantanamo Bay and the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” when questioning detainees. Fred Thompson ended his recent Iowa campaign stop with a speech emphasizing that “It is extremely important that we not show weakness…we must send a message to friends and foes alike that we are determined.” The first thing on John McCain’s website is an enormous box advertising “Fighting Islamic Extremists: John McCain on Iraq.” And Rudy Giuliani, that consummate master of being “tough,” constantly declares that “the terrorists declared war on us” and that he understands terrorism “better than anyone else running for President.”

Clearly, counterterrorism is a central part of the Republican message in 2008. Yet there’s something conspicuously lacking from the candidates’ pronouncements: specifics. Outside of Romney’s Guantanamo declaration and a few other isolated proposals, not one of the four top Republican presidential hopefuls has given a clear view of what a comprehensive “tough” policy on ter-

rorism would look like. Curious, I decided to investigate further.

I thought the best place to start would be the issues sections of the four top candidates’ campaign Web sites, where they should have some written policy proposal or at least a link to a transcript of any major addresses they gave on the topic.

I began with Giuliani, whose perpetual focus on the War on Terror would logically lend itself to having a large section on counterterrorism policy. Sure enough, Giuliani’s “Issues” page prominently displays the slo-

rorism — just a 35-second video in which he repeatedly says we should “stay on offense.”

And the closest line to a policy proposal is “we need a stronger military, not a weaker military; we need stronger intelligence services, not weaker intelligence services,” with no explanation of how he would make either of these things come to pass. He tries to explain some of these things in a recent Foreign Affairs article, but the actual policy proposals drew such harsh criticism (one Republican critic called the essay “badly written” and “unbelievably unserious” while

Not one of the four top Republican presidential hopefuls has given a clear view of what a comprehensive “tough” policy on terrorism would look like.

Curious, I decided to investigate further. gan “Winning the War on Terror,” accompanied by a paragraph claiming that “America cannot afford to go back to the days of playing defense with inconsistent responses to terrorist attacks.”

This was interesting, but vague: if our past policy was inconsistent, what exactly would a “consistent” one look like?

Following the Web site’s prompting to inquire further about Giuliani’s commitment to “staying on offense,” I clicked the link below the short paragraph, and found no comprehensive policy statement, no clear formulation of how we should combat ter-

another conservative who had previously supported Giuliani called him “insane” after reading the piece) that it seems unlikely that it will serve as the base of his foreign policy.

So much for Giuliani. However, it’s possible that one of his competitors might be a little more specific, so I repeated the search on Romney’s site. His page was significantly longer, and even had some fairly detailed suggestions on how to approach Iranian nuclear proliferation. Other than that, his site was essentially the same as Giuliani’s, just with more quotes and a slightly longer video

(1:42).

McCain’s page, though it contains a 400word essay on terrorism, never gets any more concrete than “John McCain will ensure that America has the quality intelligence necessary to uncover plots before they take root,“ which is wonderful in theory, but no more useful than “staying on offense” when not backed by policy proposals.

Thompson has not given any addresses or published any papers during the campaign that even come close to proposing a comprehensive and definitive counterterrorism strategy. Romney is an exception, having, like Giuliani, published an article in Foreign Affairs that, unlike Giuliani’s piece, will likely serve as the basis for his foreign policy; however, it is simply an expanded and more flowery, but equally vacuous, version of his Web site.

This lack of specificity is understandable, but not justifiable. Given that global terrorism is one of the most important challenges for the next President, it is inexcusable that the Republicans define their foreign policy by truisms and meaningless rhetoric. However, there is something valuable in this form of debate: it points out that the Republicans understand the threat presented by terrorism, but have no idea what to do about it. They seem to desire a “tough,” “offensive” policy, and yet cannot seem to find any way to turn this into practice.

This failure becomes especially pronounced when one contrasts the Republican candidates with the three Democratic frontrunners, each of whom gave detailed and intelligent speeches on what their terrorism policy would look like.

So, to return to the initial question posed by the Time magazine poll quoted at the beginning of this column, “Which party — The Democrats or Republicans — would do a better job of dealing with terrorism?”

Zack Beauchamp ‘10 really loves specifics.

Prayer: A perfectly appropiate response to the Virginia Tech massacre MICHAEL RAMOS-LYNCH Opinions Columnist In his Sept. 12 column, “Reactions to the Virginia Tech massacre misplaced,” Sean Quigley ’10 argues that the prayers that followed the Virginia Tech massacre were “repugnant to reason.” Quigley bases his argument on the assumption that supplicative prayer is essentially useless because “the laws of this world are fundamentally unchangeable” and any attempt to change them through prayer is “logically inconsistent” and “highly presumptuous.”

Actually, it was entirely appropriate for people to have responded to the Virginia Tech tragedy with prayer — not necessarily to appeal to a higher being, but as a means through which to seek a communal spiritual connection.

Quigley first argues that the Virginia Tech massacre was not surprising because, as a society, we have “destroyed traditional institutions” and consequentially created a world devoid of purpose. He states that this purposeless word has led him not to “dwell on the harsh realities of existence.”

Call it optimism or naivete; I believe that the only way to prevent future tragedies is to do exactly the opposite of what Quigley does. We must “dwell on the harsh realities of existence” in order to improve our society and moreover, to prevent such realities from continuing. Human perseverance has emerged victorious throughout numerous struggles and

hardships of history. Examples of figures who embody such perseverance are nearly infinite: The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, Gandhi and the like. This spirit was alive and well at the Virginia Tech massacre, as Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu, a professor at Virginia Tech, courageously and selflessly turned his body into a gunfire shield in order to save the lives of his students.

Our world is not devoid of purpose as Quigley posits, but rather is full of heroism, integ-

“the Supreme Being intervening into our affairs and offering solace if a certain number of prayers were offered,” as Quigley rhetorically suggests, but rather because it simply made them feel better — for a variety of reasons.

People of religious faith pray. Quigley asks, “What do prayers accomplish?” All possibilities for the existence of a higher being aside, the answer is that prayers unite people through their religious faiths. In times of tragedy, people often seek love and human connection. If

If prayer is a means through which people can find such love and human connection, then why argue against it? rity, unity and love. Librescu, in making the decision to sacrifice himself for his students, probably thought of the love he had for his students rather than thinking that the world was “devoid of purpose” as someone opened fire in his classroom.

Just as Librescu probably had love in mind when he threw himself to the mercy of the shooter’s rampage for the sake of his students, empathizers around the world probably had love in their minds when praying for those who lost their lives and loved ones in the Virginia Tech massacre. The reason people prayed in response to Virginia Tech was not in hopes of

prayer is a means by which people can find such love and human connection, then why argue against it?

In one of the many prayers that columnists around the world wrote in response to the Virginia Tech massacre, Rabbi Marc Gellman published a prayer in Newsweek: “In Exodus 19:4 we read that You took us out of Egypt on eagle’s wings…Those who watch eagles know that they teach their young to fly by pushing them out of their nests built upon high cliffs and then flying close to them as their chicks fall and flap their untested young wings. When their young fall too far, the eagle parents swoop

down, catch their young on their pinion feathers, and flip them upward into the sky to save them from the rocks below and to give them another chance to reach the sky. Eagle parents do catch most of their eagle fledglings…Still, we know that they do not — they cannot — catch them all. Nor can we.”

As Gellman strongly implies, our world is certainly not perfect, but it is far from being “devoid of purpose.” We simply live in a world of tragic flaws — but it is precisely those tragic flaws that can bring us together and keep us unified in love and mutual understanding. Brown University students were, with few exceptions, unified in mourning for those who died or lost loved ones in the Virginia Tech massacre.

Yet Quigley states his concern for the actions that Brown took in organizing a venue for students to come and express condolences as a student body immediately following the Virginia Tech tragedy. He asks, “If (Brown) feels so compelled to respond to the shootings at Virginia Tech, why does it not respond to the iniquitous behaviors so prevalent on this campus?”

Indeed, the University does seem to organize very few opportunities for students to unify together as a school in a more spiritual context. It is certainly inappropriate to draw parallels between “iniquitous behaviors” undertaken at Brown and the Virginia Tech massacre as Quigley appears to do. However, it would be great if our school gathered more often to express condolences for those in pain, regardless of how minimal or how great such pain might be.

Michael Ramos-Lynch ’09 is praying for Sean Quigley ’10.

S ports T uesday Page 12

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Rugby suffers W. soccer goes winless at UConn Classic loss to Coast Guard

By Evan Kantor Contributing Writer

By Jason Harris Assistant Sports Editor

On Saturday afternoons in the fall, Brown Stadium is abuzz with all things football. The whistle blows, the crowd roars, and the band strikes up a tune as the Bears race into the end zone once again.

Across the street at Marvel Field, these sounds are just as clear. But at the pitch, as they call the playing field, the scene is somewhat different. Like Brown Stadium, the pitch hosts flying tackles and breakaway runs, but there’s one major difference — no pads.

As a club sport, rugby is often overshadowed by Brown’s betterknown sports. But there is little doubt that the athleticism rugby requires rivals that of any of the Bears’ varsity squads.

The rugby team’s skill was on clear display Saturday afternoon when the men’s rugby team took on the United States Coast Guard Academy. Due to rain in the morning, the field and ball were slick, causing a lot of forward play in a grind-it-out game.

Throughout the match Brown hung with the physically imposing Coast Guard squad, which finished in the Division II National Final Four last year. In its first season playing in Division II after previously playing in Division I, Brown still found the competition stiff. Brown’s program is competitive, but still only a club sport, as is every other program on the East Coast.

Captain and forward Rob Neville ’08 understands the delicate balance that is required for club sports.

“We all love rugby, but we play because we love the group of guys,” continued on page 8

The women’s soccer team (0-3-1) played in the UConn Classic this weekend, facing the No. 23-ranked University of Connecticut (4-2) on Friday and Central Connecticut State (2-3-1) on Sunday. Against a tough UConn team, the Bears fell behind early and dropped a 5-1 decision. In their second game of the weekend, they fought Central Connecticut State to a scoreless tie.

On Friday, UConn scored just 1:46 into the match on a one-timer

by Annie Yi. The Huskies continued their relentless pressure throughout the game and built a comfortable cushion early in the first half.

Karyn Riviere added another goal for UConn in the 11th minute and Brittany Taylor put UConn on top 3-0 just 10 minutes later.

The score remained 3-0 until the second half, when UConn’s Lauren Ebert scored in the 52nd minute. Riviere tallied her second goal of the game at 62:22, capping Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo UConn’s scoring for the night.

Midfielder Melissa Kim ‘10 (above) and forward Lindsay Cunningham ’09 (not The Bears were able to get one pictured) were named to the UConn Classic All-Tournament Team. back when Kiki Manners ’10 scored her first career goal at 62:44. The of the match-ups against ranked with five shots on goal in the secgoal was Brown’s first of the sea- opponents this month will gear ond half, while Central Connecticut son and came just 22 seconds after the Bears up for games against Ivy State had only one. Neither team UConn’s fifth goal of the game. League rivals later in the season. could find the back of the net in After a UConn turnover, Alex MiIn their second game of the the two overtime sessions despite chael ’09 fed Manners, who put the weekend, the Bears out-shot Cen- attempts made by Michael and Jatral Connecticut State 19-12 while mie Mize ’09, and the Bears settled ball in the cage.

UConn held a 19-8 advantage finishing in a 0-0 draw. Steffi Yellin for a tie. in shots and had 10 shots on goal ’10 earned her first career shutout “We played really well,” Carney to Brown’s four. in goal with three saves. said. “We found our style.”

Meghan Robinson ’10 made The teams were evenly matched Two Bears players were named her first career start at midfield, in the first half, but Brown came to the UConn Classic All-Tourand in the backfield, Joyce Chun out strong in the second half and nament Team: forward Lindsay ’11 played 12 minutes in her col- kept the pressure on the Central Cunningham ’09 and midfielder legiate debut.

Connecticut State defense. Carney Melissa Kim ’10.

Co-captain Kerrilynn Carney said “the offense was really on the The Bears return to Stevenson ’08 said she was satisfied with the attack,” and the Bears challenged Field to host Boston University on team’s play against a strong UConn the Blue Devils on numerous occa- Wednesday at 7 p.m., before travteam. “The score doesn’t reflect the sions while holding them without a eling to Winston-Salem, N.C., on way the team played in the field,” shot for the first 40 minutes of the Friday for a showdown with Wake she said. Carney also said many second half. The Bears finished Forest University.

Chris Lee ’09 made his 20th birthday one to remember by winning the doubles title at the men’s tennis team’s fall opener over the weekend.

Lee and Basu Ratnam ’09 defeated four doubles pairs at the Brown Invitational to clinch the championships at the Northeast Intercollegiate tournament for the second consecutive year.

“Everything has been perfect the past two years at this tournament on my birthday,” said Lee, who is also ranked 50th nationally with Saurabh Kohli ’08 in the preseason doubles rankings. “It’s very exciting to win our home tournament, to defend our home courts. The crowd support was great, and it’s awesome to have back-to-back wins.”

The Bears’ triumphant run began Friday with a first-round win over Boston College’s Jason Sechrist and Erik Kreutzer, who Lee and Ratnam overpowered 8-1. Later that afternoon, the duo dominated Niagara University’s Marc Dickinson and Roman Silin by a score of 8-4.

“The first time back in competition is always tough, and I didn’t know if my back would give way any second,” Lee said, referring to

Jacob Melrose / Herald File Photo

Chris Lee ‘09 was part of a doubles pair that won the top doubles flight at the Northeast Intercollegiate this weekend.

stress fractures in his lower back.

“It’s tough, especially at such a high level of competition, but we fought through that.”

Lee and Ratnam headed to the semifinals the next morning, where they dominated Phil Stephens and Matt Gordon of Fairleigh Dickin-

By Amy Ehrhart Assistant Sports Editor

son University, 6-3. In the afternoon finals, they took an 8-4 victory over Harvard’s Michael Kalfayan and Tim Wu. “For Chris and Basu to come back after injuries, and in the first tournament go out and win the doubles title, was awesome,” said Head Coach Jay Harris. “It was really exciting to see them play at a really high level.

They fought hard for each of their four wins.”

Lee and Ratnam were not the only team successful in doubles play. In the second doubles flight, Jon Pearlman ’11 and Charlie Posner ’11 teamed up to take first place. After earning a narrow 8-7 (5) win over UConn’s Joey Michaels and Christian Malerba in the first round, the Bears cruised to the finals with easy 8-3 and 6-3 victories over pairs from Bucknell and Hofstra universities. In the final match, Pearlman and Posner faced off against BC’s Thomas Nolan and Brendon Wong, who they defeated 8-6.

“It was a great, great weekend for our freshmen,” Harris said.

The newest Bears also performed impressively in singles play, where Pearlman advanced to the finals of the first flight, Posner made a semifi-

The volleyball team battled some bigger lineups as well as some sore throats at the University of Albany Classic this weekend. After a slow start on Friday, losing to Northeastern University 17-30, 29-31, 20-30, the Bears fought hard against Eastern Michigan University in four games, 24-30, 30-27, 17-30, 27-30 and Albany 25-30, 23-30, 19-30.

“The first match, we did struggle a bit with our serve-receive, but we played well the whole time on Saturday,” said Head Coach Diane Short.

The Bears quickly lost the first game against Northeastern but held a 15-8 lead in the second game, before losing by two and eventually losing the match.

Setter Natalie Meyers ’09 tried setting a quicker tempo on Saturday after the slow start in the first match.

“Our whole team is making big improvements,” Meyers said. “Trying to quicken things has been our focus for the weekend, (and) since we’re smaller, we want to speed up the offense.”

Setting quicker-paced hits for her outside and middle hitters, Meyers finished with 33 assists in the first match and had double-doubles in the next two matches. She recorded 43 assists and 12 digs against Eastern Michigan, then had 33 assists and 11 digs against Albany.

Meyers “played progressively well,” Short said. “She was able to make changes without really practicing them. She followed the game plan really well to get the middles involved more.”

The front row also played good defense on the weekend, totaling nine blocks against Northeastern and ten on the next day. Danielle Vaughan ’11 had a breakout performance at middle, putting up 10 kills and no errors against Albany while snatching 12 of Brown’s 19 blocks on the weekend.

“We did a better job in blocking,” Short said. “Danielle played really well ... and (the freshmen) will continue to get better the more matches they play.”

Captain Katie Lapinski ’08 was named to the All-Tournament Team, the only Bear to receive the honor, after another stellar performance at libero, totaling 5.2 digs per game for the weekend with a high mark of 28 against Eastern Michigan.

“Katie manages to get the ball when no one thinks she will,” said Megan Toman ’11.

One of the team’s main obstacles was a bout of colds that had infected about a third of the team the first two weekends. The sickness especially affected two of the team’s top outside hitters, Lyndse Yess ’09 and Toman.

“I felt we could have beaten some of the teams we played,” Toman said.

“I had a cold, which affected me a little bit.”

Toman still leads the team with 10 and 19 kills against Northeastern and Eastern Michigan, respectively. Yess

continued on page 9

continued on page 8

M. tennis makes strong showing at home but falls at UVA matches

By Erin Frauenhofer Sports Editor

Volleyball survives weekend of sickness