Thursday, October 4, 2007

The Brown Daily Herald T hursday, O ctober 4, 2007

Volume CXLII, No. 82

Burglaries on campus spike as DPS considers dorm security

By Kristina Kelleher Senior Staf f Writer

On-campus burglaries increased sharply last year, rising from 16 in 2005 to 58 in 2006, according to the 2006 crime statistics recently released by the Department of Public Safety. Of the 58 burglaries, 46 were in residence halls. While 2006 saw a dip in larcenies reported to DPS, there was a spike in burglaries in on-campus residential buildings, according to Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Mark Porter.

“There is a huge amount of evidence that suggests crime is happening inside the residence halls,” Porter said. Because of this, Porter said he would like to see a security presence in the first floor lobbies of residence halls and areas immediately outside.

“That’s something I’ll always put on the table,” he said. “It keeps

Since 1866, Daily Since 1891

KING GETS A LIFT

our residence halls protected, and it adds an additional layer of protection.”

Currently, “officers do not generally patrol the residence halls (but) are dedicated to foot and car patrols,” Porter said, explaining that he believes crime outside the residence halls has dropped due to increased police presence on campus. Because of that development, Porter said, “another level of security presence inside the lobby of the residential halls” is worth considering.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of larcenies that take place in unlocked and unattended rooms,” Porter said, adding that he believes burglaries are going up on college campuses nationwide. Porter attributed the crime spike at Brown to unlocked continued on page 6

Min Wu / Herald The University spent $4.5 million this summer to make several campus buildings — including King House — handicapped-accessible.

See Campus News, Page 5

As alcohol-related EMS calls rise, drug stats remain inconclusive

By Ross Frazier News Editor

The Department of Public Safety’s annual crime report, released in September, shows a continuing upward trend in students’ use of Emergency Medical Services for treatment of alcohol intoxication — with a 48 percent spike in 2006 — and a stable number of students referred for disciplinary action due to drug or alcohol violations.

The statistics, taken from DPS’ federally mandated annual crime report, show EMS responded to 228 calls for alcohol-intoxicated undergraduates in 2006, up from 154 in 2005. Twenty-one students received disciplinary referrals for drug violations, up from nine the year before.

Eighty students received referrals

for alcohol violations, down from 103 the previous calendar year.

Even though the statistics show basic trends, it’s difficult to know what the numbers really say about students’ alcohol and drug use, University officials told The Herald.

For example, student life officials tied the 12-person increase in drug-related disciplinary referrals to just two incidents in which several students were caught at once, said Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life. “If there are eight people in a room and a bong, they all get reported,” she said.

With respect to drugs, the number of students arrested or receiving disciplinary referrals has dropped steadily over the past few years, with 108 drug-related referrals in 2003

but only 21 last year. Mark Porter, chief of police and director of public safety, said it’s not clear why students are getting referred less.

“With drugs, there’s so much of a search-and-seizure issue,” Porter said. “I’m going to assume students are respecting city ordinances and our laws as well as University policy.”

“Our officers also don’t patrol residence halls,” he added. “They respond to calls.”

According to Klawunn, DPS patrolled residence halls in 2003 and before. When regular dorm patrols stopped in 2004, drug-related disciplinary referrals dropped 92.5 percent. “We know there are things we’re not catching,” Klawunn said.

Klawunn said residential peer

leaders and community directors now receive more training on how to respond to students who may be using drugs. RPLs and CDs can deal with students creating a disturbance themselves or call DPS for support.

“We had a very specific conversation with (CDs) back in August about what the expectations are,” Klawunn said.

“I tried talking to students.

Knock on the door, say you smelled something and wanted to make sure there were no drugs involved,” said Claire Santoro ’09, who was a residential counselor last year in Keeney Quadrangle. “Sometimes you would get students who were unresponsive or wouldn’t open the door. It would continue to be a prob-

rare, but I think school means a lot to people who come to Brown.”

In fact, 12 members of the football team were planning on getting Brown-themed tattoos at the end of the season, according to Blazek. But only three of the teammates went through with the plan.

Balestracci chose a tattoo of the Brown crest, and he added the Brown motto “in deo speramus” along the bottom. Because his father and uncle both graduated from Brown, Balestracci felt that simply going to the school was not enough. He wanted something that would make him stand out. “My brother goes to Harvard and has a Harvard tattoo,” he said.

“I wanted to be the first one to get a Brown tattoo.”

“I wanted to get something that I continued on page 4

continued on page 4

continued on page 6

By Joy Chua Staff Writer

Samantha Cohen / Herald

Three football players chose to commemorate their 2005 Ivy title with Brownthemed tattoos.

INSIDE: www.browndailyherald.com

post- abroad Post- has an existential crisis about whether it should go abroad and talks to jamband moe.

3

METRO

BURRITOS ON EUCLID Zoning has been approved for a new Chipotle on Euclid near Thayer, but two appeals still loom.

By Scott Lowenstein Senior Staff Writer

Two former presidents — Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil and Ricardo Lagos Escobar of Chile — told a full Salomon 101 Wednesday that democratic social programs like improved public health and education were responsible for their respective countries’ successes addressing poverty and income inequality.

The presidents’ lecture was the inaugural event of a three-year initiative on globalization and inequality sponsored by the Watson Institute for International Studies, where both men are professors-at-large.

Each former president talked for about 20 minutes at the beginning of the lecture on poverty and inequality in their respective countries and in Latin America as a whole, presenting an array of statistics ranging from the percentage of people in extreme poverty to changes in the minimum wage and inflationary data. The presidents then asked each other questions in a dialogue format. The audience was allowed to asked questions at the end of the lecture.

Cardoso, who served as president of Brazil from 1995 to 2003, said the decline of poverty and unequal wealth distribution in Brazil is a result of lowered inflation and a slate of social welfare programs that he instituted as president.

Going through the series of steps Brazil took starting in 1994, Cardoso said, “with stabilization to stop inflation then agrarian reform then education then public health, it is possible to reduce poverty.”

Cardoso stressed that a broad

Football’s Ivy title will be remembered in ink for three FEATURE

While most people celebrate memories and victories with photographs and trophies, three varsity football players chose an alternative souvenir: tattoos. Thomas Balestracci ’07, Josh Blazek ’08 and Zak DeOssie ’07, all of whom played in the epic 2005 game against Columbia that clinched the Ivy League Championship for Brown, wanted a unique way to express what the season meant for them.

Last summer, the three athletes traveled together to Portsmouth, N.H., to get inked. Instead of getting popular motifs like snakes, mandalas or motorcycles, the three chose tattoos that reflect, in some form, the University.

“I haven’t met anyone else with a college-related tattoo,” said Blazek, who has a Brown “B” with ivy going through the letter’s holes tattooed behind his right shoulder. “It’s very

Two former presidents discuss globalization in Latin America

11

OPINIONS

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

MONEY MATTErS Matt Prewitt ‘08 mulls on monetary policy and why the strong Canadian dollar is like the sack of Rome.

12 SPORTS

HORSE POWER The equestrian squad won their second event of the season, padding their lead in Region 1 standings.

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

T oday Page 2

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

We a t h e r

But Seriously | Charlie Custer and Stephen Barlow

Today

TOMORROW

partly cloudy 80 / 58

sunny 82 / 62

Menu

Sharpe Refectory

Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Cajun Fettuccini, Mashed Potatoes, Mandarin Blend Vegetables, Pepperoni Spinach Feta Calzone, Hot Turkey Sandwich with Sauce, Roasted Corn Chowder with Bacon

Lunch — Chicken Caesar Salad in Pita, Eggplant Parmesan, Zucchini and Summer Squash, Baked Potato Bar

Dinner — Mexican Cornbread Casserole, Honey Dipped Chicken, Savory Rice Pilaf, Canelloni with Sauce

Vagina Dentata | Soojean Kim

Dinner — Savory Chicken Stew, Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, Garlic & Herb Rice, Spinach with Lemon, Anadama Bread, Brazilian Chocolate Cake, Indian Curry Stir Fry

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.

Octopus on Hallucinogens | Toni Liu and Stephanie Le

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, October 2007 © Puzzles4,by Pappocom

Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle C r o sDaily s wo r d Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Young annoyances 6 It’s often said with flowers 11 Photo taker 14 Something old 15 Like leaves 16 __ Provençale 17 Sequel to the Sammy Davis Jr. film “Salt and Pepper” 19 With 24-Across, nickname in Nevada 20 Neither partner 21 Ranch handle 22 Thrilled no end 24 See 19-Across 26 Polyp in 64Across 29 Director Welles 31 Rascal 32 Pimlico shape 33 Has been 35 Key opening?

38 Letter from Hera 39 54-Across costar 43 Portable bed 44 Thrash 45 Put two and two together 46 “Variations on ‘America’” composer 48 Ship letters 50 __ Ababa 54 1995 Hugh Grant film 58 Faith group 59 Relax 60 Charles V, e.g.

62 Fess Parker or Davy Crockett, oddly enough 63 11th-century date 64 2003 animated hit, and activity that reveals the puzzle theme hidden in 17-, 26-, 39- and 54Across 68 Everything 69 City on the Po 70 Ready to be poured 71 M.O. 72 Likeness

73 Early drivers DOWN 1 John Elway, notably 2 Monet contemporary 3 Sirens 4 Roth of “Rob Roy” 5 Highlander 6 Russian NHLer Kovalev 7 Big amount 8 Band in “The Mikado”?

9 Atlas imitators 10 Simpson of fashion 11 Cover, as with shadows 12 Disaffect 13 He shared a Nobel Prize with de Klerk 18 Hi-__ 23 Latin 101 word 25 Distressed cry 27 Surrounded by 28 Holy recess 30 Innocent 34 __ soda 36 Doc’s org.

37 “The boy you trained, gone he is” speaker 39 In a cheerful way 40 Ladles and such 41 Feast or famine 42 Tout’s numbers 43 Sources of reel income 47 Take out 49 Lourdes attraction

51 Take out 52 O’Neill title word 53 Bends 55 Muslim legal adviser 56 Kind of den 57 Rob Reiner, to Carl 61 “__ a Name”: Croce hit 65 Hunter’s gp.

66 Like, really like 67 Hurricane hdg.

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M etro Thursday, October 4, 2007

page 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Chipotle to open on Euclid in 2009 Waterfront businesses

criticize Providence’s plan

By Rachel Arndt Senior Staf f Writer

Chipotle Mexican Grill, a restaurant known for its massive burritos, has been approved by the Providence Zoning Board to open a location on Euclid Avenue, adjacent to Thayer Street. But shortly after the approval was granted, two appeals were filed in the Providence Superior Court by Thayer Street property owners. Those appeals are still pending.

Chipotle, which has another Rhode Island location in Warwick, plans to open the Thayer restaurant by early 2009, company spokesman Chris Arnold told The Herald.

Special permission from the zoning board was required by Chipotle to open at 2 Euclid Ave. due to a lack of on-site parking — Providence zoning ordinances demand that restaurants have one parking space for every four seats.

This permission was granted by the zoning board on Aug. 24, according to court records.

However, two appeals currently pending against the zoning board’s decision may stand in the way of Chipotle’s College Hill debut. These appeals — brought

by Stonehenge Partners LLC and G. Dale Dulgarian — serve as a “complaint that the board acted improperly,” said Peter Carnevale, the zoning board’s secretary. For the appeals to be won, the appellate must prove that the zoning board acted wrongly in granting Chipotle permission to use space, Carnevale said.

Stonehenge Partners owns several Thayer properties, including Johnny Rockets, and Dulgarian is a trustee of the Krikor S. Dulgarian Trust, which owns the Avon cinema and Andreas Restaurant properties.

By Nandini Jayakrishna Senior Staff Writer

Austin Freeman / Herald

Chipotle Mexican Grill may open at the intersection of Thayer Street and Euclid Avenue.

Dulgarian’s appeal is primarily concerned with the “special use permit as to the parking requirement,” according to court documents. It calls the parking permit “clearly contrary” to zoning board provisions and also states that the decision to grant Chipotle the special permit “exceeds the authority granted” to the zoning board.

Chipotle is known for both the size of its burritos and its use of natural ingredients, like organic produce and free-range pigs.

Along with the standard fare of burritos and tacos, most Chipotle restaurants also sell beer and margaritas. But the Thayer Street location’s application for zoning calls for the “proposed construction of a new restaurant without

liquor license.”

In an e-mail to The Herald in March, Arnold called selling beer and margaritas “part of the overall mix” of the restaurant’s ambiance.

However, he wrote in an e-mail last week that liquor license considerations for the Thayer restaurant are “premature.”

Chipotle has no other plans for Rhode Island, Arnold wrote, and the proposed Providence restaurant is “still a ways off.” The company does not discuss its plans for specific markets until it has finalized the leases, Arnold wrote.

When asked about the pending appeals, Arnold had no information on the details. “Bear in mind, this restaurant is more than a year away from opening,” he wrote.

R.I. Business Plan Competition kicks off

By Christian Martell Staff Writer

About 40 pairs of eyes shined brightly last night with the thought of winning $150,000 in prizes from the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition, which encourages start-up businesses in Rhode Island to contribute to the local economy.

The competition, hosted by the Brown Forum for Enterprise, kicked off Wednesday with presentations from past winners and successful entrepreneurs, followed by a networking session at the Johnson & Wales University Culinary Archives and Museum.

“This is an unbelievable competition. You won’t imagine how many doors it opened for our business,”

said Brad Weinberg ’03 MD’09, a 2007 Rhode Island Business Plan winner.

Weinberg, along with his business partner Rajiv Kumar ’05 MD’09, started Providence Health Solutions — a fitness workplace program — after winning the portion of the contest open to college and graduate students, called the student track.

The other portion, the entrepreneur track, is open to professional or aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Time management was essential in dealing with school and working on the plan. Not sleeping also helped,” Weinberg joked when asked about how he juggled both medical school and business ambitions. The fitness company he started with Kumar encourages

businesses to participate in an employee weight-loss program through team competitions. Kumar also founded Shape Up R.I., a statewide exercise and weight-loss challenge program.

This year, the competition has garnered 30 community-based sponsors in an effort to address the rising crime pattern, including the University, Citizens Bank and CVS. There will be one winner and two runners-up from each track, who will together share the $150,000 in cash and legal and accounting services. The winners will be announced after a presentation made by the finalists during the May 2008 meeting of the Brown Forum for continued on page 7

Several Providence oil and shipping businesses located in the city’s waterfront appealed a proposal to turn riverside properties into residential, recreational and commercial spaces at a packed City Council meeting Monday.

The proposal is part of a comprehensive plan designed by the city’s Department of Planning and Development to guide future development in the city.

Representatives of the companies appealing the plan told the City Council that building condominiums, restaurants and shops on the waterfront would drive them out of business, hurting the quality of life of Providence residents and the city’s economy.

The city’s comprehensive plan does not mandate specific guidelines, but once approved by the City Council, it will influence changes made to zoning codes. Employees of the oil and shipping industries fear that the recommendations for mixed-use development along the waterfront could lend support to zoning codes that encourage residential and commercial development at the expense of their heavy-duty oil and shipping businesses.

If condominiums and restaurants are built alongside such businesses, residents, patrons and tourists would complain of loud noises from the industries, said Joel Cohen, vice president of Promet Marine Services, a company that repairs ships.

A month ago, about 15 businesses along the waterfront formed the Working Waterfront Alliance, a group calling to preserve the water-dependent heavy industries along the waterfront, said Cohen, who is chairman of the alliance.

Cohen said the alliance was formed partly because the city decided to consider adopting the plan without completing all neighborhood charrettes — review meetings in which Providence residents discuss how they want their neighborhoods to grow.

“We’re deeply discouraged,” Cohen told The Herald. “We’ve had to put many investment projects on hold.”

Some companies threatened by the plan, like Sprague Energy Corp., a supplier of energy products, have operated on the waterfront for over 100 years.

Some businesses on the industrial waterfront have clients from other parts of New England. Cohen called the businesses the “hub of a wheel ... with spokes stretching to” Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Speakers at the meeting also said that changing the waterfront would leave many jobless.

“Please don’t destroy our livelihood. Our families depend on it,” said Jack Goodison, who runs a company on the waterfront that performs ship repairs for the federal Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Jose Cabral, a laborer at Promet, agreed. “We don’t need residential development,” he said. “We need jobs.”

“If you destroy the Providence working waterfront, you will send the entire state into a deadly spiral, severely damaging the economy and, far more importantly, the health and safety of its citizens,” said Julie Gill, acting executive director of the Oil Heat Institute Inc. of Rhode Island, a nonprofit trade association and member of the alliance that promotes Rhode Island’s oil heat industry.

Cohen said the alliance is fighting an “uphill battle.”

“We’re hoping enough people on the City Council will see the light and won’t push (the plan) through,” Cohen told The Herald.

But Patrick Conley, a property owner and developer who owns some waterfront property, said at the City Council hearing that properties along the river are currently “underutilized and toxic.”

He said effective planning and development will allow Providence residents to enjoy the waterfront.

“Right now people are blocked from the waterfront,” he said. “With the (comprehensive plan) there’ll be a walkway along the river, cruise ships, a ferry service, room for parks. We’re trying to bring people down to the water.”

Commercial and residential or recreational areas can co-exist with proper regulation, said Erik Bright, co-director of the Partnership for Creative Industrial Space, a non-profit group that helps businesses acquire property in Providence.

The waterfront is “the frontier for expansion,” Bright said.

A few speakers from city neighborhood associations said the comprehensive plan should not be adopted without further discussion. William Touret, president of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, said the city shouldn’t hurry to adopt the proposal right now.

Touret said the City Council should not adopt the proposed comprehensive plan until all the neighborhoods have had charrettes. “I think there needs to more discussion even beyond the charrettes,” Touret told The Herald.

Page 4

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Football vets ink memories continued from page 1 wouldn’t regret when I turn 40,” Balestracci said. “Having graduated from Brown, I realize that it was the best four years of my life. The tattoo just brings back great memories.”

Blazek said he always knew he wanted to get a tattoo but never had a good enough reason. Like Balestracci, he didn’t want to regret the design he chose. “People get tattoos for stupid reasons, but this is a reminder of the good things I’ve done,” he said.

“A lot of people think it’s kind of silly, but honestly this tattoo represents the two great achievements in my life: Getting into Brown and winning the (Ivy League) football title. It’s a great way to commemorate that for myself, and when I tell people my reasons, they think it’s cool,” Blazek said.

“I think people are really surprised when they see us with tattoos like this.

They’re surprised that we love Brown so much that we get a tattoo.”

Of all the encouragement Blazek and Balestracci received, their parents were actually the ones who gave them the most support for getting a college tattoo. “My parents loved it,” said Blazek, whose mother has a tattoo. He said his father was hesitant at first, but later changed his mind when Blazek explained his personal motivation for getting the tattoo. Ultimately, his dad was supportive, and his parents even paid for the tattoo.

Balestracci said his parents didn’t want him to get a tattoo at first, but they changed their minds once they saw the design. “Being a Brown grad himself, my dad loved it,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from

them but they never gave me trouble about it.”

Betsy Smith, a psychotherapist at the University’s Psychological Services, said getting a tattoo can be an expression of one’s individuality, passion or whim. She also said people’s impressions of tattoos have changed remarkably in the last 20 years. “It’s no longer one group of people who have tattoos anymore. All kinds of people from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds are interested in tattoos,” she said. But, Smith warned, “where (on the body) one decides to wear a tattoo should be kept in mind in terms of anticipating work environments,” she said.

Smith stressed that it’s important to balance the impulse to express oneself in the moment while knowing that some feelings may not last as long as the tattoo does. “At least, the intensity of those feelings may not remain,” she said.

Balestracci and Blazek, however, said they don’t think they will regret getting the tattoo. “I feel like I would’ve regretted it by now if I were to regret it,” Blazek said. “For me personally it felt like the right thing to do.”

Blazek said he’s run into people who think the tattoo is a ploy to show off his Ivy League education.

“They don’t understand that it actually means a lot to me personally,” he said. “I don’t see myself changing my views 10 years down the line because it reminds me of the people I spent my college life with and the experience I had.”

“I love my tattoo. If anything else, it’s also always a great conversation piece,” he added.

Lagos and Cardoso speak continued from page 1 range of initiatives was needed to reduce poverty in Brazil, especially in cities where population shifts from rural to urban areas caused “chaos and disaster” in urban areas like Sao Paolo, where Cardoso is from. He also pointed to the challenges of addressing the needs of people in the “backwaters areas of Brazil,” where enduring poverty and inaccessibility make alleviating poverty and illiteracy difficult.

He also stressed the importance of providing jobs as a means for escaping poverty.

Referring to agrarian reform that provided many rural Brazilians with employment, Cardoso said, “From an economic point of view ... (agrarian reform) is probably negative. But there is a good argument from the social point of view because (those who gained from agrarian reform) have work and dignity.”

Though Cardoso focused mostly on Brazil, Lagos — who was president of Chile from 2000 to 2006 — addressed issues of poverty and inequality across Latin America.

“The distribution of income is a tricky affair,” Lagos said. “The most equal countries in Latin America performed worse than the most unequal countries in Europe,” he said.

Still, he said, Brazil and Chile have the least unequal distributions in Latin America, adding that “education is an essential part” of this progress.

“The relation between education and wages is essential,” Lagos said, citing data that show that a Universityeducated worker in Chile earns on average 15 times more money than a worker who only graduated from elementary school.

Both men stressed the importance of freedom and democracy to development.

“If equality matters (to development), then democracy matters,” Lagos said.

The “question of poverty and income inequality can be addressed with democracy,” Cardoso said.

Though the two men have differing political leanings  Cardoso is a centrist who strongly supports neoliberalism and free trade, and Lagos is a socialist  they were in agreement on almost every issue presented at Wednesday’s event.

They even joked about the respective sizes of their countries, Lagos quipping that soccer stadiums in Chile are built north to south so that they fit in Chile’s narrow width.

The only point of disagreement occurred when both men were asked to rate their enthusiasm for Mercosur, a regional free-trading bloc in Latin America, on a scale from 1 to 10.

“I would like it to be a 10, but now it is a three,” Cardoso said. Lagos said integration was inevitable but did not support Mercosur with as much gusto as Cardoso did.

Overall, the event “went spectacularly well,” said Barbara Stallings, director of the Watson Institute. “These are two of the most intellectual, sophisticated and involved people in Latin America today, and we are really lucky to have them here at the same time.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for Brown students to address the most important question in Latin America today, and that is how to alleviate poverty and diminish inequality,” said James Green, associate professor of history and Brazilian studies. “It’s not easy.”

“It was really informative to hear from two former leaders of countries that are very different in size but come from similar historical backgrounds, with military dictatorships,” said Leslie Lipsick ’10.

C ampus n ews Thursday, October 4, 2007

page 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Sheridan Center study Xu’s laboratory explores the impossible maps how students learn

By Brian Mastroianni Contributing Writer

Brown’s Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning released the results of an informal survey last month of undergraduates designed to reveal what styles of teaching help Brown students learn best. The survey, sent via e-mail this spring, asked students to describe three examples of the teaching techniques that allow them to learn most effectively. After evaluating responses, the Sheridan Center identified 13 “essential sites for (the students’) learning.”

The sites include class discussions, independent work, effective faculty presentations, assignments connected to course learning goals and active or hands-on learning experiences. The other learning sites mentioned in the survey were faculty mentoring programs, student presentations, class sizes, material linked to “real life application,” wellorganized courses, group projects, close readings and assessment forms.

“It really impressed me how much students know about their learning,” said Rebecca More, director of the Sheridan Center and adjunct assistant professor of history.

“No one asked people from my generation about what helped us learn.”

She said she was most impressed by how “articulate today’s students are about how they learn.”

Though only 227 of 5,754 Brown undergraduates participated in the survey, making the survey statistically insignificant, More said she is unconcerned by the limited response.

“It was a time of finals and exams,” More said. “Some seniors responded and reflected upon the culmination of a four-year education at Brown.” The survey’s goal was to gain a general perspective on how students learn and on how the University’s educators could either

improve upon or maintain teaching standards.

The student sur vey was also intended to reveal students’ true feelings about their Brown educations to their professors.

Though some of those who responded to the survey graduated this past spring, many of the same responses made in the survey are echoed by current freshmen new to the University.

Rob Ren-Pang ’11 said he learns best in large lecture courses, supplemented by group interactive projects.

Hannah Recht ’11 agreed. “I learn the most from courses taught in the lecture format — they can be just as engaging as my smaller, seminar-style classes with the right teaching style and subject matter,” she said.

For Yeppii Lee ’11, small group discussions allow for more interaction between students and teachers.

Lucy Sedgwick ’11 agreed, saying she finds small discussions in her English class help her “understand the context of what I’m reading.”

More said the Sheridan Center will continue with the survey at least every other year and that the center will explore a similar survey for graduate students. Another of the center’s projects, designed with help from Adjunct Professor of Psychology Brian Hayden, assesses professors’ learning methods. The 10-minute online workshop for professors consists of five interactive sections and allows professors to consider how their own learning methods could affect their approaches in the classroom.

As a lifelong learner herself, More said she personally “appreciates structure and clear guidelines.”

She added that while the survey was useful and acknowledged by Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron, it was by no means “designed to change Brown policies.”

By Leslie Primack Contributing Writer

Tucked away on the fourth floor of Barus and Holley is Brown’s laboratory of impossible technologies. Led

by Jimmy Xu, professor of engineering and physics, the lab’s official name is the Laboratory for Emerging Technologies. Here, students explore the seemingly impossible, such as designing transmission cables from carbon nanotubes and DNA strands. In 2005, the lab generated international press by emitting laser light from silicon — an element that does not emit light.

“We’re not crazy,” said Xu, adding that the lab’s researchers are fully aware of the fundamental reasons silicon cannot emit light. Instead, they began wondering how they could alter silicon to make such a property possible.

Since silicon is one of the most pervasively used materials in electronics manufacturing, the invention of silicon lasers would mark a tremendous breakthrough for the computer industry. Xu and his students began the research in part because working with silicon simply struck them as interesting.

Xu said he got the idea of working with silicon while bored on a 20-hour flight back from Asia. He called up two of his graduate students when he returned, and they began tests.

“Jimmy likes to do something impossible,” said Chih-Hsun Hsu GS. Hsu, who received his master’s

degree in Taiwan, explained that the creativity and freedom in Xu’s lab far outweighed the cutting-edge equipment the Taiwanese lab he worked in prided itself on. He said Xu’s lab has a “variety of knowledge,” with graduate students working in chemistry, biology, physics and engineering.

A sign above the entrance to Xu’s lab fittingly reads: “Opportunity Room,” alluding to the lab’s longrunning joke that there are simply too many opportunities there for students to pursue.

There are no rules, save one: Anyone late to a group meeting must bring enough pizza and doughnuts for everyone. In fact, the rule resulted in such prompt attendance that lab members considered changing meeting times to try to catch people.

With the exception of the doughnut-and-pizza rule, Xu gives his students complete freedom, and he urges them to pursue their interests. It’s their self-motivation and curiosity that result in the lab’s varied, innovative research.

“When you’re doing things that have never been done before, you can’t follow a model,” Xu said.

“I can explore many things,” said Hongsik Park GS, a former researcher for Samsung who now works in Xu’s lab. “If I want to try something, I can do that.”

The bulk of the silicon research was conducted by Sylvain Cloutier PhD’06, who is currently a professor at the University of Delaware.

By drilling billions of microscopic pores in the silicon, he was able to change its atomic structure. “We knew something’s got to be different (about the silicon),” Xu said. “We didn’t know what would be different.”

The result was “a very faint signal in a very messy spectrum,” according to Xu. Though the technology needs years of refinement, it defies decades of convention that silicon cannot give off light.

The problem with the silicon lasers, explained Jeffrey Shainline GS, was that they only worked within the frigid temperature range of 80 Kelvin and below. Shainline, who is refining Cloutier’s silicon-drilling techniques, hopes to improve silicon’s emissive properties by manipulating the spacing of the microscopic pores. “(A silicon laser) would change computers in a way that few single technologies these days really can,” said Shainline. Though he cautioned that efficient uses for silicon lasers are over a decade away, Shainline described the possibility of 3-D computer processors. Silicon lasers could be built directly onto the processors, allowing each twodimensional layer to communicate with the others at nearly the speed of light, he said.

Xu remains hesitant to predict any specific applications for lightemitting silicon. “I think it’s like all fundamental breakthroughs in science,” he explained. “Applications will come, but they will come in areas that nobody expected.”

Summer renovations cost U. over $5m

By Joanna Wohlmuth Contributing Writer

Renovations made to a number of campus buildings over the summer — including Wilson Hall and King House — cost the University more than $5 million. Wilson received an exterior facelift and a new roof, and King House was remodeled to make the building handicappedaccessible.

The work to Wilson Hall was “part of an effort to simply renew buildings as they need to be renewed,” said Michael McCormick, assistant vice president for planning, design and construction. The exterior of the building was cleaned, window joints repaired, window frames painted and the entrance and roof replaced. Inside the building, more air conditioning control points were added and the old ones were replaced to increase accuracy.

“The doors are different,” observed Stephanie Laing ’10. “Before

they were cheap-looking, and now they look classy.”

The Wilson Hall project is on schedule and under the $1.85 million budget, McCormick said. The red slate used for the new roof is rare and difficult to obtain, so the back portion of the roof will remain temporary until next summer. But the rest of the project is complete, McCormick said. The renovation was part of an effort to maintain buildings in the historic core of the main campus. A similar project will take place at Lyman Hall next summer.

The improvements to King House, home of the St. Anthony Hall literary fraternity, were part of a number of accessibility improvements that took place over summer after the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights conducted a proactive inspection of campus buildings, McCormick said. “(The Office of Civil Rights)

identified many things that could be better,” he said.

The University spent $4.5 million to improve accessibility in King House, Machado House, Barbour Hall, 108-110 Charlesfield Street and residence halls in Wriston and Keeney quadrangles. The projects targeted program houses to allow students with disabilities access to entrances, bathrooms and common spaces.

The first floor of King House was completely renovated, and a sloping sidewalk leading to the side entrance and an internal lift are still under construction. The project is on time and under budget, McCormick said.

“Should we get a pledge that is physically handicapped, we wouldn’t have to worry about it,” said Finn Yarbrough ’09, a member of St. Anthony Hall and resident of King House.

— with additional reporting by Janine Lopez

happy birthday sputnik

Page 6

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EMS calls for alcohol up as referrals stay steady

EMS calls trending upward continued from page 1

Providence Police sees drop in violent crime in Dist. 9

Thursday, October 4, 2007

lem, so we would call DPS and have them talk to the students. Then they basically have to open the door.”

Frances Mantak, director of health education, said Health Services’ surveys provide some guidance on students’ drug use and indicate that students use alcohol in the highest numbers, followed by marijuana. Fewer than 10 percent surveyed said they have used other drugs in the past year.

Reasons for the rise in EMS calls are also unclear. Though the statistics might suggest that more students are drinking, Klawunn said she believes the increase indicates that students are more confident about calling for help. “The numbers may not have gone down, but if they’ve gone up we know we’re doing better at keeping people out of harm’s way,” Klawunn said.

“I find it a little surprising,” Santoro said. “I didn’t notice it so much last year. The sense I got was mostly that students may have been doing a lot of partying or drinking, but they seem to be drinking responsibly. Judging from the numbers, my instinct would be to say maybe they weren’t doing the drinking in the dorms, so I didn’t notice it. Maybe they were doing the drinking at parties.”

Klawunn said it’s not surprising more students are using EMS because the University has focused on a “harm-reduction” strategy that includes targeting drinking-heavy events like Sex Power God and Spring Weekend for more EMS coverage, reducing risk by educating students and providing amnesty to students who are intoxicated and need medical attention.

“We’re not a dry campus,” Klawunn said.

“Our aim is to keep students safe and intervene when there’s a problem. ... There are other schools taking a harder line, but most are going in the direction of amnesty and harmreduction.”

Mantak said the number of students seek-

ing EMS treatment has been increasing for the past five years. But she said she’s unsure whether the numbers really indicate students are more comfortable calling EMS for help. “I see the culture around calling EMS as pretty stable. That’s something that gets passed on year to year,” she said.

Mantak said one reason EMS statistics may be trending upward is that students are coming to college under a different set of circumstances. “If people are coming to college receiving psychological care, more people are using medications, and that could cause more reactions with alcohol,” she said.

EMS calls also don’t necessarily reflect the full range of ways intoxicated students seek treatment. Some students walk into Health Services, while about 10 percent receive treatment from Providence EMS, Mantak said.

At high-traffic events like Sex Power God, students may receive on-site treatment that isn’t always included in the statistics.

Mantak added that the methodology behind the statistics has stayed the same over time, and while individual numbers are difficult to interpret, there’s a noticeable, “concerning trend.”

That upward trend contrasts with a recent study showing that high school seniors are binge drinking at the lowest levels in 30 years.

The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study found that the number of college students who say they binge drink — nearly 45 percent — has stayed fairly stable since 1993.

Students who receive EMS treatment for the first time are required to meet with Mantak or another health education staff member to discuss alcohol use in general, the night of hard partying that led to the student’s treatment and methods for safe alcohol use. Klawunn said students who are referred a second time can face disciplinary action, though Mantak said the recidivism rate has stayed steady at about 10 percent.

Campus burglaries on the rise

On-campus burglaries rise sharply

continued from page 1

by the numbers... disciplinary referrals (drugs)

disciplinary referrals (alcohol)

on-campus burglaries

undergrad EMS undergrad EMS calls (alcohol) calls (drugs)

2001

48

84

63

103

5

2002

80

100

85

131

5

2003

108

204

49

157

3

2004

8

76

40

133

3

2005

9

103

16

154

4

2006

21

80

58

228

12

and unattended rooms in which students leave their electronics and other belongings as prey for burglars. “Every year students come with more equipment. As technology increases, they bring more,” he said.

Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life, seconded Porter’s emphasis that students lock their rooms when they step outside for even a minute or two.

“The message is: Lock your doors,” she said in response to this year’s increase.

Klawunn also warned students about leaving property unattended in public spaces, a message DPS has recently sought to communicate through signs and e-mails to students. “People are also leaving items in public spaces. They’ll set a laptop down in the library and leave it alone for a few minutes, and it gets taken,” Klawunn said.

The crime statistics are gathered by DPS from its own records in addition to statistics submitted by the Office of Student Life, Emergency Medical Services, the Department of Athletics, the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, the Office of Institutional Diversity and the Providence Police.

The statistics showed no DPS arrests for liquor, drug or weapons violations. For a number of years, DPS has not handled such arrests itself but rather has notified the Providence Police Department, whose officers then takes the person into custody.

In 2006, DPS assisted PPD with 15 arrests, according to Porter.

DPS is required to release the 2006 crime statistics to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, named after a young woman who was raped and murdered in her Lehigh University dorm room. The new statistics, released on Sept. 26, also show a rise in robbery — stealing from an individual person, often by force — of three incidents on

campus in 2006, up from only one in 2005. The statistics also show 16 robberies off-campus, compared to 11 in 2005.

Over the past year, DPS has implemented several crime prevention and community policing initiatives in an effort to address the rising crime pattern. These have included more uniformed DPS officers and security on foot patrol, as well as more marked DPS cruiser patrols on each shift. The department also introduced a new crime analysis unit to monitor crime patterns and notify the community of unusual trends. Porter said DPS crime prevention teams now visit first-year residence halls for a 90-minute safety awareness talk.

Lt. Paul Campbell, the District 9 commander for PPD whose district includes all of Brown’s campus, said crime in District 9 decreased in 2006 from 2005 and looks likely to decrease again in 2007 from 2006.

Violent crime in District 9, including robber y, is down 50 percent, Campbell said, adding that at this time last year, there were 34 violent crimes, but only 17 so far in 2007.

Robberies involving firearms are down 75 percent, with only one occurring this year, while four had been reported by this time last year.

Other robberies are also down 47 percent.

Simple assaults are down 26 percent.

But non-violent crime, including larceny, burglary and theft are on the rise, from 634 by this time last year to 658 so far in 2007.

This is largely due to larcenies from motor vehicles, which are up 24.4 percent, while burglaries and motor vehicle thefts have gone down since last year by 4.4 percent and 20.3 percent, respectively.

This year, Campbell said PPD have made more drug arrests and recovered more weapons in District 9 as compared to this point last year. However, none of the weapons have been firearms and most have been knives, Campbell said.

Campbell attributes the rise in larcenies from motor vehicles to the greater frequency of GPS systems in automobiles.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Biz plan contest begins continued from page 3 Enterprise, said Charles Kingdon, one of the co-chairs for the competition and associate vice president of Brown Technology Partnerships.

The competition requires applicants to start businesses in Rhode Island.

Following Weinberg’s presentation was last year’s winner of the entrepreneur track competition, Michael Glier. He warned the kick-off attendees of “the things you shouldn’t do when pitching a business, but find out afterwards.” Glier is chief executive officer and co-founder of Campus Guardian Corporation, a service that matches college students with cam-

pus safety officials.

The final and keynote speaker of the night was Stephen Lane, cofounder and CEO of Item Group, a leading design firm based in Rhode Island. Lane will also be one of 10 judges for the competition.

“When you go to art school, you don’t do your homework until right before class,” Lane explained. Lane is a Rhode Island School of Design alum and currently teaches a 12-week business-plan class at the school.

Those interested in entering the competition must submit a business plan by April and attend several workshops and networking opportunities.

Larentowicz a hit on Revs continued from page 12 foot of Larentowicz, who took the team’s seventh — and sudden death — penalty kick.

“When my number was called, I went up and I took it and I scored,” he said. “It was a great feeling. Obviously, you want to be in the top five (penalty-shot kickers), but when you get your chance, you have to go out there and perform.”

After his clutch kick, Larentowicz wound up playing in all four of the Revs’ postseason games last year.

Though New England fell short in last year’s MLS Cup, falling to the Houston Dynamo in a shootout, Larentowicz was elated after the experience.

“To be on the field for the final was awesome,” he said.

After last year’s whirlwind season, Larentowicz headed home to Pennsylvania to spend time with family before heading off to Bermuda and Cancun, Mexico, for training camp.

For Larentowicz, traveling and playing in exotic locales is just one of the many perks of being a professional footballer.

“You work out, practice hard and then get to come back and relax at the hotel or on the beach.” Larentowicz recalled. “It’s fun to say that you get to do those things, but trust me, we do take our jobs very seriously,” he said with a suggestive grin.

No longer a reserve, Larentowicz has started in 25 of the team’s 27 games this season. This season, Larentowicz has not only taken on a new role for the team, but he has also embraced playing a new position.

Recruited by Brown as a forward, Larentowicz was converted to a defender under Noonan, and this season, Revolutions coach Steve Nichol has bumped the versatile player up to the midfield.

“He’s adaptable and he’s consistent,” Noonan said of Larentowicz.

“He’s a complete player in any coach’s eyes. That’s what Steve (Nichol) sees and that’s what drew us to him.”

Noonan also attributes Larentowicz’s rapid development to his in-depth understanding of the game and his down-to-earth attitude.

“I try and keep things simple. I just think about soccer,” said Larentowicz, who concentrated in public policy at Brown. “At 24 years old, I think I’m gonna sit on my Brown degree for a while.”

The freckle-faced defensive midfielder certainly has plenty to smile about. With three regular-season games left, the Revs sit at second place in MLS, already guaranteed a spot in the postseason. Larentowicz is especially eager for the playoffs to start since his team has lost two MLS Cup finals, and he believes they have something “to avenge.”

For Noonan, bringing his current team to watch a former star was not about celebrating where Larentowicz had risen, but about remembering where he had been.

“People only see him as what he is now,” Noonan said. “They didn’t see him when his coaches (in New England) didn’t pay attention to him.

When he only got to play a minute. So to see him now as a starter playing 90 minutes every game, now, it’s even more satisfying for us to see.”

page 7

Page 8

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Dougherty takes charge as quarterback for football team continued from page 12 backup quarterback, seeing action in three games. During that time, however, Dougherty soaked up all the knowledge about the Bears’ offense he could from DiGiacomo. “(DiGiacomo’s) junior year, when we went 9-1, he did a great job of managing games,” Dougherty said. “His senior year, we didn’t do too well record-wise, he put up good numbers. People had a lot of respect for the way he ran the offense and the way he conducted himself, and he was a great role model for how to play the position.”

Dougherty has high expectations for the team this year, looking beyond their recent losses. “I don’t see us losing another game,” he said. But he acknowledged that challenges do exist. “Every game is just as important to us,” he said.

“Ever y game is like a championship to us.”

One of the important aspects of Dougherty’s position this year is the leadership that comes with playing quarterback. Dougherty

is viewed as the leader of the team, and he stresses setting an example despite his relative inexperience.

“People look at you a lot differently (as the starting quarterback),” he said. “You’re accountable for everything that the offense does, whether it’s warranted or not. You’re going to get the blame when the offense doesn’t do well, but you’ll also get the praise when offense does do well. It’s part of the territor y of the position when you’re playing quarterback.”

Running back Jonathan Edwards ’09 spoke highly of Dougherty’s ability to fill the void left behind by DiGiacomo. “He really knows the offense well,” Edwards said. “He’s a good leader inside the huddle.

We really just try to surround him with big plays.”

Edwards added that Dougherty’s leadership abilities have helped him personally. “I look at him as a leader when I’ve been confused on the field,” Edwards said. “He always keeps his composure.”

— with additional reporting by Benjy Asher

Equestrian edges URI in season’s 2nd event continued from page 12 Adding to the weekend’s excitement, Brown had five riders qualify for Regionals by accumulating at least 35 season points. Those five were Elizabeth Giliberti ’10 in Intermediate Flat and Fences, Amy Cameron ’08 in Novice Flat, Carmack in Walk Trot and Kelly Qu ’08 and Leona Rosenblum ’09 in Walk Trot Canter. In addition to qualifying for individual regional competition at the end of the season, riders who reach the 35-point mark also “point up,” which means they will compete at the next highest level — from novice

thanks for reading

to intermediate, for example — at the ensuing competition.

Brown had strong momentum going into this season, relying on veteran riders to carry the competition. Many freshmen walk-ons have yet to compete because of NCAA compliance issues, but Scanlon had planned for the possibility of that obstacle.

“We’ve been preparing for this since last year so that we have a very strong offensive team,” Scanlon said.

Many of the new riders will begin competition at Brown’s next event, a show hosted by Connecticut on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Mazerov: Strong season lies ahead for the Pats continued from page 12 able Cleveland Browns, to just 13 points.

The Pats’ lethal one-two punch of an explosive offense and a shutdown defense has meant that their games are often decided before the fourth quarter (and sometimes the third) even starts, much to the chagrin, I’m sure, of CBS and ESPN. They’ve beaten their opponents thus far by margins of 24, 24, 31 and 21. None of these games has been anywhere close enough to force even a hint of worry into the Golden Boy’s pretty little head. When a team is winning all its games by at least three touchdowns, it’s really not fair.

Now there’s been a lot of talk the past few days, and not just by the talking heads on SportsCenter but also by some uber-confident (some might say obnoxious) Patriots fans around campus about the team going 16-0 in the regular season.

“Who can beat us?” they all say. But finishing a 16-game season with a zero in the loss column is a truly remarkable, perhaps superhuman, feat that has yet to be accomplished.

(The 1972 Miami Dolphins, the last team to go undefeated, played just 14 regular season games.)

Winning week in and week out, especially on the road, has proven practically impossible, no matter how good the team. An unlucky muffed punt or tipped pass-turnedinterception return for a touchdown can turn the complexion of a game on its head and a win into a loss.

Those fluke plays are the types of things teams cannot game plan for.

It’s not like the Pats’ schedule is a cakewalk either. To go undefeated, they’ve got to go on the road and beat both the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts, two similarly dominant teams that are also 4-0.

Now, let’s assume — and this is a big assumption — that the Pats do manage to make it to 13-0, or maybe even 14-0. Based on the rest of the AFC East’s performance so far, the odds are that by that point in the season New England will have wrapped up its division and a playoff berth. The Bills, Jets and Dolphins are all at least three games back

of the Pats (after just four games, mind you) and are playing abysmally for the most part. All three, just like the Pats, have to contend with the entire NFC East as well as the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Colts. Oh, and did I mention that each of these bottom-of-thebarrel teams has to play the Pats twice? The bottom line is that none of them are going to even come close to challenging the Pats for the division title. It’s also very likely that by week 14 or 15 the Pats will have clinched home-field advantage for the entire postseason.

In 2005, Tony Dungy, coach of a Colts team that was widely predicted to go undefeated and was just as dominant as the Pats are now, wisely sat many of his starters for most of the final two games of the season. Guaranteed that his team would win its division, earn the number one seed and play at home for the entirety of the playoffs, Dungy knew there was no point in exposing his star players to the significant risk of serious injury that exists in every single play in the NFL. With backup quarterback Jim Sorgi taking the majority of the snaps for Peyton Manning, the Colts, not surprisingly, finished the season by losing two of three after starting 13-0.

Coach Bill Belicheat — excuse me, Belichick (that’s an issue for another column) would prove himself, in addition to being a shameless swindler (ok, I promise, this will be my last gratuitous reference to Spygate in this column), to be shamefully moronic and misguided were he to play Brady, Moss, Laurence Maroney, Tedy Bruschi and the rest in games that, essentially, would not matter. In the NFL, what really matters is the Lombardi Trophy and those rings.

Yes, becoming the first team to go undefeated in the regular season in 35 years would be quite an accomplishment, but it certainly wouldn’t be worth a season-ending injury to your star quarterback in week 17 and a subsequent loss in your first playoff game.

Alex Mazerov ’10 thinks his IM soccer team can go undefeated.

page 9

E ditorial & L etters Page 10

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

S t a f f E d i to r i a l

An ideal campus life While the University is tossing around cash like it’s Monopoly money for small-scale renovations on buildings no one even lives in — such as recent changes to King House and Wilson Hall that nearly topped $5 million — we have a few suggestions for other building improvements administrators could sink some cash into. And since those plans for a new dorm are no longer on the University’s agenda, we hope they’ll at least consider students’ wishes for a few minor upgrades.

Bars — No, not the kind of bars that should probably be on all the windows on Wriston Quad. We mean real bars, like the Graduate Center Bar. Why does the Grad Center compound — just about the least desirable digs on campus — get its own bar? Where is New Dorm Bar? Or Keeney Pub, for that matter? We hear the class of 2011 has been pretty well-behaved so far.

Elevators — Minden Hall and Vartan Gregorian Quad A both have elevators, but not only are those elevators notorious for leaving people stranded inside, the New Dorm and Minden residents who were lucky enough to land a decent number in the housing lottery should be walking up the stairs anyway. What about those poor kids stuck in Pembroke 2?

Surely they’re the sophomores who deserve a ride up to their doubles after the perilous trek from the Main Green.

Swimming pools — We know the University has had enough trouble providing a pool for the swimming and diving teams, but while they’re spending millions on a new one (with a dehumidifier?), there are 5,000 students on campus who wouldn’t mind being able to go for a swim once in a while. Even Arizona State University provides students with pools in their residence halls. And that’s a state school. It seems foolish to drop the new pool behind the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center when clearly the prime spot for it is in front of Slater Hall. On the Main Green. Everyone’s out there sunning themselves anyway, let’s let them do it right.

Heat ­— No joke here. It would actually just be nice to get heat in Grad Center once in a while.

New showers, preferably in each room — Excuse us for being picky, but we think putting bathrooms in each room would be a nice gesture.

Every freshman eventually gets accustomed to waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom down the hall and sometimes they meet new people there — usually in the shower, especially in Perkins. That said, placing the bathrooms and showers directly in rooms rather than out in communal areas could discourage these types of rendezvous.

Arcade games next to the laundr y machines — Nothing makes waiting for that laundry to dry fly by quite like a healthy round or two of Mrs. Pac Man.

T he B rown D aily H erald Editors-in-Chief Eric Beck Mary-Catherine Lader

Executive Editors Stephen Colelli Allison Kwong Ben Leubsdorf

Senior Editors Jonathan Sidhu Anne Wootton

editorial Lydia Gidwitz Robin Steele Oliver Bowers Stephanie Bernhard Simmi Aujla Sara Molinaro Ross Frazier Karla Bertrand Jacob Schuman Peter Cipparone Erin Frauenhofer Stu Woo Benjy Asher Amy Ehrhart Jason Harris

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

photo Christopher Bennett Rahul Keerthi Ashley Hess

Photo Editor Photo Editor Sports Photo Editor

Mandeep Gill General Manager Darren Ball Executive Manager Dan DeNorch Executive Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti Sr. Advertising Manager Susan Dansereau Office Manager production Design Editor Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor

post- magazine Hillary Dixler Melanie Duch Taryn Martinez Rajiv Jayadevan Sonia Kim Matt Hill

Le

tt e r s

Forman ’09 questions impact of ‘red day’ for Burma To the Editor: I love that Brown students care about Burma, but I don’t understand Patrick Cook-Deegan’s ’08 claim that Brown’s “red day” is a sign that “China must wake up and recognize that they are going to be held accountable for what goes on in Burma” (“Boycott China to Free Burma,” Oct. 2) If China is going to be held accountable for what goes on in Burma, it’s not because a couple hundred Brown students wore red and walked in circles around the Main Green.

I find it pompous and self-important, not to mention delusional, to assume that the governments in Burma or China care about what Brown students think (or what color shirts they wear.) Grassroots organizing that doesn’t reach beyond the grassroots is a terribly ineffective foreign policy tool. God forbid people take fifteen minutes to

Managing Editor Managing Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Features Editor Associate Editor

Aditya Voleti, Steve DeLucia, Designers Erin Cummings, Katie Delaney, Max Mankin, Alex Mazerov, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Rachel Arndt, Michael Bechek, Irene Chen, Chaz Firestone, Isabel Gottlieb, Nandini Jayakrishna, Franklin Kanin, Kristina Kelleher, Debbie Lehmann, Scott Lowenstein, Michael Skocpol, Nick Werle Staff Writers Amanda Bauer, Brianna Barzola, Evan Boggs, Aubry Bracco, Caitlin Browne, Joy Chua, Patrick Corey, Catherine Goldberg, Olivia Hoffman, Jessica Kerry, Cameron Lee, Hannah Levintova, Abe Lubetkin, Christian Martell, Taryn Martinez, Anna Millman, Marielle Segarra, Matt Varley, Meha Verghese Sports Staff Writers Andrew Braca, Han Cui, Kaitlyn Laabs, Kathleen Loughlin, Alex Mazerov, Megan McCahill Business Staff Diogo Alves, Emilie Aries, Beth Berger, Steven Butschi, Timothy Carey, Jilyn Chao, Ellen DaSilva, Pete Drinan, Dana Feuchtbaum, Patrick Free, Sarah Glick, Alexander Hughes, Claire Kiely, Soobin Kim, Katelyn Koh, Darren Kong, Christie Liu, Philip Maynard, Ingrid Pangandoyon, Mariya Perelyubskaya, Viseth San, Paolo Servado, Kaustubh Shah, Saira Shervani, Yelena Shteynberg, Jon Spector, Robert Stefani, Lily Tran, Hari Tyagi, Lindsay Walls, Benjamin Xiong Design Staff Brianna Barzola, Chaz Kelsh,Ting Lawrence, Philip Maynard, Alex Unger, Aditya Voleti, Wudan Yan Photo Staff Stuart Duncan-Smith, Austin Freeman, Tai Ho Shin Copy Editors Ayelet Brinn, Rafael Chaiken, Erin Cummings, Katie Delaney, Jake Frank, Jennifer Grayson, Ted Lamm, Max Mankin, Alex Mazerov, Ben Mercer, Ezra Miller, Seth Motel, Alexander Rosenberg, Emily Sanford, Sara Slama, Jenna Stark, Laura Straub, Meha Verghese, Elena Weissman

write a letter to their senator or representative thanking our government, which actually has some clout on the world stage, for being “admirably vocal” on the issue.

Wearing a red T-shirt is a pathetic and powerless form of protest. How can wearing red demonstrate to the monks our solidarity when Burma doesn’t even know we exist? Many red-wearing friends I spoke to last Friday barely knew anything about the issue, and they probably couldn’t point to Burma on a map. I would bet that most demonstrators didn’t wear red to show solidarity with the Burmese monks — they wore red to show solidarity with the Brown community. After all, who wants to be made fun of for being a human-rights-abuse-loving monk-hater?

Rachel Forman ‘09 Oct. 2

UFB fails students by not printing Critical Review To the Editor:

Business

Steve DeLucia Catherine Cullen Roxanne Palmer

jee hyun choi

Last spring, a small group of administrators made a mistake by failing to seek adequate student input on an important issue: the production of a printed Course Announcement Bulletin. Thankfully, student initiative and a grant from President Ruth Simmons’ office ensured that a CAB eventually got printed. Just a semester later, the lesson of the CAB debacle has clearly not been learned — and what’s worse is that this time the mistake is being made by a group of students.

If anything, the printed Critical Review has been more essential to our experience of shopping period than the CAB, and we know many others who’d agree. It actually played a large role in attracting one of us to come to Brown in the first place. And yet the Undergraduate

Finance Board has decided to eliminate it by cutting funding to the group that has worked hard to maintain this valuable service for 31 years, claiming that the online version serves the same function. This is not true: The online version works best as a filter for classes that have already been selected, while the printed version is an easily browseable version that allows students to discover classes that they haven’t yet found.

There are many times when UFB is successful as a representative body, but in this case it has obviously failed. The parallel between this blunder and the one involving the CAB is clear, and hopefully the final outcome this time will be similarly positive.

Matthew Gelfand ‘08 and Jacob Johnson ‘08 Oct. 2

Correction An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Former presidents to discuss Latin America,” Oct. 3) reported that the Watson Institute for International Studies’ Globalization and Inequality Initiative is a one-year program. In fact, it is a three-year program.

C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy 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, October 4, 2007

page 11

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

The Latino demand for the American dream MICHAEL RAMOS-LYNCH Opinions Columnist Pedro Zapeta is an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. He worked as a dishwasher for 11 years in Stuart, Fla., so that he could save up the money to buy a house for his family. Once he had saved enough money to accomplish his goals, he went to the airport to return to Guatemala — only to have U.S. Customs confiscate the duffel bag that contained his life savings of $59,000. Zapeta had broken U.S. Customs law by not declaring on a one-page form that he was going to leave the country with more than $10,000.

The confiscation was a catalyst for a seemingly endless string of bad news for Zapeta. He first had to show pay stubs from the places he worked (for $5.50 to $5.75 an hour) to prove officials were wrong in accusing him of being involved in an international drug trade. “They are treating me like a criminal when all I am is a working man,” he said.

What has happened to Zapeta is an outrage and an embarrassment to our country.

I am ashamed of America. We are a nation with a history of pride that originates from self-discipline, bravery, entrepreneurship and innovation — all principles that help compose the American dream. When these very same principles are embodied in someone like Zapeta, however, we disavow them. No matter one’s stance on illegal immigration, it should

be very difficult to understand how the U.S. deems itself justified in taking this man’s hardearned money.

Federal prosecutors offered Zapeta $10,000 of his original money, in addition to $9,000 in donations from sympathizers, if he kept silent about the incident and left the United States right away, according to Zapeta’a attorney, Robert Gershman. Zapeta refused. And why

claim it to be.

Zapeta’s hardship was prolonged last Wednesday when his immigration hearing resulted in a judge declaring that Zapeta had to leave the country by the end of January. “I am desperate,” Zapeta told CNN. “I no longer feel good about this country.”

Unfortunately, Zapeta will probably never receive his money. On the upside, the judge

This country needs to realize that it is becoming more Latino by the day and that supporting a political system in which Zapeta can be stripped of his life savings is not a good way to win votes among Latinos. should he take the deal? The “deal” that the prosecutors offered him is very telling of how shameful the entire ordeal is. The requirement for Zapeta to keep silent shows that this particular execution of U.S. Customs law is incredibly flawed, as it clearly illustrates that America is not the iconic symbol of opportunity that so many lawmakers and politicians

was kind enough to grant Zapeta official status at the hearing to work in the United States until January, so that maybe he could earn enough money to cover his ticket to Guatemala.

With the 2008 election right around the corner, presidential candidates need to understand the anger and frustration concerning

immigration that resides within the evergrowing population of Latinos in America who are eligible to vote. According to the U.S. Census, the Latino community is the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. This countr y needs to realize that it is becoming more Latino by the day and that supporting a political system in which Zapeta can be stripped of his life savings is not a good way to win votes among Latinos, or any demographic for that matter.

What happened to Zapeta is nothing short of an outrage. America’s leaders must realize who allows this country to function: the people of colored collars — sanitation workers, construction workers, janitors, dishwashers, etc. — many of whom are undocumented immigrants. America cannot function without these severely underappreciated workers.

If America continues to marginalize these people, there will be a revolt. History is full of instances where the working class rises in unity against the oppressors who violate their human rights. Even though Zapeta is an undocumented immigrant, it does not mean that America is justified in violating his human rights. Politicians must acknowledge the injustices that so many workingclass, undocumented immigrants endure everyday by helping to implement laws to protect such people. That is the only way to win the majority of the Latino vote, and the only way to prevent the impending revolt of the marginalized in this country.

Michael Ramos-Lynch ’09 is ready for a war fueled by brooms and cleaning solution.

Your money is not worth anything

BY MATT PREWITT Opinions Columnist Every real American grows up hoping that someday, he or she will have the wherewithal to light a cigar with a $100 bill. This semi-religious ritual symbolically invokes the periodic climaxes of any properly lived life. It is at once a celebration of life’s hypomanic summits where the accruement of power slides into decadence and a poetic reverie to the insubstantiality of existence.

So I report with a heavy heart that this sacred ritual has been castrated by the currency markets. Go ahead and light your Ben Franklins. They’re practically worthless. Besides, it will serve the greater good, sort of. Currency destruction incrementally reduces the supply of dollars and helps stem the hemorrhaging of the greenback’s exchange value. Sort of like how you fall down a well slower when you dig your fingernails into the sides.

I once swore that I would renounce my citizenship if the Canadian dollar ever reached parity. I said that because I thought it would never happen. At the time of this writing, one U.S. dollar was worth 99.5 Canadian cents. So today, my national pride is like the sad pride of a Roman after the Alaric the Visigoth sacked the city in 410 AD or the defensive pride of a Frenchman in the years after World War II. In other words, I will happily discuss my country’s rich cultural legacy but thinking about the present makes me tired.

I’m joking, but I do think we’ve gotten ourselves into a real mess. The federal government

has been allowing the dollar to slide too far for too long. The main reason they’ve done this is that the quality of other countries’ exports is improving faster than ours. Therefore, to ensure that other countries continue to buy American stuff, we’ve had to “lower our prices.”

This means letting the dollar fall, which makes our entire country poorer relative to the rest of the world.

means that as the developing world is booming, Americans can’t afford to invest abroad. It also leaves our domestic economy vulnerable to buyouts from international investors. Call me a protectionist, but I think it’s bad for Americans to be incapable of investing in high-growth foreign economies while also losing control of domestic assets.

A big part of the problem is this credit

At the time of this writing, one U.S. dollar was worth 99.4 Canadian cents. So today, my national pride is like the sad pride of a Roman after the Alaric the Visigoth sacked the city in 410 AD. That isn’t necessarily a bad trade-off. After all, we’ve absolutely got to keep American goods and services internationally competitive, and we’ve got to keep people employed. So, in the face of vigorous competition from abroad, it was necessary for the dollar to fall significantly over the past decade. But right now, it is too cheap, and it has fallen very uniformly against basically every world currency. This

crunch: from the dollar’s perspective, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Poor Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, knew that the dollar was already too low, and he knew that lowering interest rates would exacerbate the problem. But he had to do it because the probable alternative was a recession and continued schizophrenia in the equity markets.

Google-search a picture of his bedraggled face

as he made the announcement that he was lowering rates; he knew he was selling out every dollar-holder.

Furthermore, as the dollar falls lower and lower, its full recovery becomes more and more unfeasible. At this point, in order for the dollar to recover substantially, the United States would probably have to endure a significant economic contraction. The supply of dollars on the market would necessarily diminish, American goods would become more expensive, corporate profits would fall, lots of people would get laid off, and it would all be very unpleasant.

For better or worse, Bernanke has backtracked on his staunch commitment to preventing inflation. At this point, many investors and businesspeople expect inflation, which is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If consumer prices rise, it will exacerbate the dollar’s low value. Truthfully, our best hope for a short-term revaluation is that foreign banks will take drastic measures devaluing their native currencies. This is possible because foreign countries are getting tired of Americans being unable to afford their stuff. So am I. Truthfully, I don’t blame the Fed, or anyone else. In my opinion, the dollar situation is a complex symptom of underlying economic weakness: we needed to experience a recession due to international competition, and we’ve deferred it by letting the dollar fall. I think we have to grin and bear it sooner rather than later, because any further slippage of the currency could leave us with lasting disadvantages. In the meantime, it’s never been cheaper to light your cigars.

Matt Prewitt ’08 yearns for better days.

S ports T hursday Page 12

Thursday, October 4, 2007

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

16-0? I don’t Equestrian increases lead over Huskies think so

BY Christina Stubbe Contributing Writer

The New England Patriots, 4-0 this season and looking unbeatable, may actually just be too good to go undefeated. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out.

So far this season, the Pats are absolutely decimating their opponents, totally domAlex Mazerov inating the game Maz’s Minute on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Tom Brady is leading the league in touchdown passes (13) and completion percentage (79.2).

With New England’s crushing Monday night victor y over the offensively dangerous and pass-happy Cincinnati Bengals, Brady became just the third player in NFL history to throw three or more touchdowns in each of the first four games of a season. Wide receiver Randy Moss seems to be open every single time Brady looks for him, and the draftday acquisition leads the league with seven TD receptions. The Pats’ running game isn’t half bad either.

The team is averaging 157 rushing yards per game, good enough for fourth in the NFL. On Monday, Sammy Morris, the second-string running back, rushed for 117 yards, including 98 in the first half, and one touchdown.

The New England D has been equally ruthless to opposing teams.

It leads the league in average yards allowed at 226 and has surrendered just 48 points to opponents through four games. On Monday, the Pats’ secondar y limited Pro Bowl receiver and touchdown-celebrator extraordinaire Chad Johnson to just 53 yards on three catches. The defensive unit held the Bengals, who racked up 45 points in week two against the surprisingly respect-

The equestrian team put on a strong performance Sunday to win its second event of the season. The Bears, riding at their home barn of Windswept Farm in Warren, finished with 38 points to edge out co-host Roger Williams University, who finished with 34. With the victory, Brown increased its season lead in Region 1 to 19 points over second-place University of Connecticut.

The University of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University and Connecticut — all members of Region 1 — also competed in the five-school event, recording totals of 29, 24 and 22 points, respectively.

Emma Bogdonoff ’10 stood out for Bruno, winning high point honors in a ride-off against two Intermediate riders after getting a blue ribbon in Novice Flat and third place in Novice Fences.

For the ride-off, which took place on a randomly assigned course, Bogdonoff had an additional surprise: the horse that she was given to ride was a stallion. Most of the horses the team rides are gelded, which tends to make them more manageable.

“Stallions are a different experience,” Bogdonoff said. “They have more personality, but it worked out well.”

The team also posted first-place finishes by Allegra Aron ’11, who made her collegiate debut in Intermediate Flat, Stephanie Carmack ’08 in Walk Trot, Brianne Goutal ’11 in Open Fences and Irmak Tasindi ’08 in Novice Fences.

Thanks to the unseasonably warm weather, the jumping events were held on an outdoor course, and Head Coach Michaela Scanlon compared the change to switching

By Kaitlyn Laabs Sports Staff Writer

perb, connecting with Paul Raymond ’08 and Buddy Farnham ’10 on 63- and 13-yard touchdown tosses, respectively. Dougherty was poised in the pocket, despite losing his starting running back and tri-captain Dereck Knight ’08 on the first series of the game.

Dougherty posted 198 passing yards in the first half and kept the Bears close, entering halftime down only 21-17 after giving up a late touchdown.

Harvard shut down the Bears of fense in the second half in taking the win, but Dougherty bounced right back last week in the Rhode Island game. In a game that featured a ridiculous 1,122 yards between the two schools, Dougherty accounted for 407 of those through the air, evoking memories of Brown’s pass-happy days earlier this decade when Kyle Slager ’04 was at the helm.

Dougherty threw another two touchdowns, including an 80yard bomb to Raymond to give the Bears the lead in the third quarter.

Though his regular season performances to date have been eyeopening, Dougherty has shown flashes of his ability in previous years. In his freshman year, he threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns in the 2006 spring game.

Last year, he served as Brown’s

The fans that turned out to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Aug. 25 to see the New England Revolution experienced quite the show.

The Revs edged out the New York Red Bulls, 2-1, that night thanks to an own goal by a New York defender in the 80th minute, stretching New England’s unbeaten streak against the Red Bulls to seven games. The win also gave the Revolution a Major League Soccer-best 42 points at the time.

With all the action on the field, at first glance it might have been easy to overlook the throng of shirtless young men parading around the stadium with the letters L-A-R-E-NT-O-W-I-C-Z painted on their chests.

Of course, it’s hard to ignore a player with a name that takes 11 Brown men’s soccer players to spell out.

Taking a break from preseason practice in Providence in late August, the Brown men’s soccer team had traveled to Foxborough to watch an old teammate ­— Jeff Larentowicz ’05 — whip through the air and flit across the backfield for the Revolution. The Bears’ cheering section was in full force that evening.

“We’re always proud of Jeff,” Brown Head Coach Mike Noonan said. “He has applied himself to get to where he is.”

After fighting for playing time as a rookie in 2005 and trying to prove himself as a reserve last year, the four-time All Ivy defender Larentowicz has emerged as a mainstay on the Rev’s backline this season. He has two goals and four assists this season, but more importantly he has helped the Revolution to a 14-6-7 record, good enough to have already wrapped up a spot in the playoffs.

“It takes a while to break into (Major League Soccer) teams,” Larentowicz said. “There’s older players and they’re always bringing in internationals, so it’s tough for a young player.”

The Revs selected the 6-foot, 1-inch redhead in the fourth round (45th overall) in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft. He was second on New England’s reserve team in playing minutes, but Larentowicz only made one appearance at the highest stage in his first season. After that year, the former Brown captain, not one to sit around and wait for opportunities, went out and impressed his coaches in practices and reserve games during the offseason.

“He has a competitive desire that burns inside of him, that drives him,” Noonan said. “He doesn’t allow anyone to tell him he can’t do something.”

Larentowicz finally got to showcase his abilities in 2006, starting 19 games and appearing in another seven for New England.

“Last year we had injuries. Guys went down. It was my chance to get thrown into the fire,” he said.

Larentowicz had no difficulties coming through under pressure last year, netting the game-winner for the Revs against the Rochester Raging Rhinos in the U.S. Open Cup. After two overtimes and a five-round shootout failed to decide a winner, the game unexpectedly fell onto the

continued on page 8

continued on page 7

Courtesy of Amy Lowitz ’09

The equestrian team rode into first place at Windcrest, thanks in part to a thirdplace finish by Brianne Goutal ’11 in Open Flat.

from a clay court to a grass one in tennis. Outdoor jumps give the rider and horse a different feel during the competition and allow the horses to have more space.

“All the riders across the whole region really enjoyed riding on the open course,” Scanlon said. continued on page 8

New quarterback but no problems for football team

By Jamal Hill Contributing Writer

Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo

As captain and starting quarterback of the football team this year, Michael Dougherty ’09 has adjusted to his new responsibilities on and off the field.

Revs headed to playoffs thanks to former Bear

There is a new leader at the football team’s helm, and his name is Michael Dougherty ’09. After two years learning the offense behind three-year starter Joe DiGiacomo ’07, Dougherty has been handed the reins this year.

The Bears are off to a modest 1-2 start this season, but the reason they aren’t 0-3 is due in large part to Dougherty. In the season opener against Duquesne University, Dougherty immediately made his presence felt. He threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate start, directing the Bears to a 28-17 victory.

According to Dougherty, moving from backup to starter this season has been a transition, but a relatively smooth one. “I was kind of nervous before the first game (against Duquesne),” he said. “But after a few plays, I felt comfortable.”

Since the season-opening triumph, Brown has run into a bit of adversity. The Bears dropped their first Ivy League game to Harvard two weeks ago and then lost a second straight Governor’s Cup showdown with the University of Rhode Island last weekend. However, the losses are hard to pin on the new quarterback.

In the first half against the Crimson, Dougher ty was su-