The Brown Daily Herald T uesday, N ovember 27, 2007
Volume CXLII, No. 115
Brown loves Ruth: Simmons’ approval rating still sky-high By Emmy Liss Staff Writer
A cult of popularity seems to form around President Ruth Simmons. From T-shirts declaring “I Love Ruth” to acts of devotion on Facebook, Brown students cannot get enough of their beloved president. According to a Herald poll conducted earlier this month, almost 85 percent of students said they approve of the job Simmons is doing, with 43.2 percent of polled students strongly approving. But when asked for justification, few students interviewed by The Herald were able to cite specific reasons as to why they support Simmons and the work she is doing. “She has done a really good job (and) responds pretty well to student opinion,” said Craig Auster ’08. “But I don’t really understand why people are so obsessed with her.” Recently hailed by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s best leaders and by Glamour magazine as a woman of the year, Simmons is a “star among college presidents,” said Paul Fain, a staff reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education who focuses on university presidents. The job of university presidents has changed significantly in the last few decades, Fain said. Once purely an academic figure, the president of today must be a fundraiser, politician and lobbyist and still maintain ties to the world of academia. In regard to these qualifications, Simmons “really embodies everything that colleges are looking for in a president,” he said. An important nuance of a successful 21st-century university president is approachability, something that was never necessary before, said Sheldon Steinbach, former vice president and general counsel at the American Council on Education. “(Simmons) has obviously tapped into the culture of Brown (and) does play in well with the current Brown student body, who admire, accept, embrace her,” Steinbach said. Among Simmons’s various attributes, Fain cited her ability to appeal to a “ridiculous range of people” — including 19-year-olds, over-involved parents, lawmakers, the media and continued on page 4
Simmons’ approval rating don’t know / no answer strongly disapprove 0.8% 10.8% somewhat % disapprove 3.5 strongly approve 43.2% somewhat approve 41.7%
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Early Brown-RISD applications is a ‘sea of unknowns’ By Rachel Arndt Senior Staff Writer
The college admission process is always filled with mystery, but the first round of applications to the Brown-Rhode Island School of Design dual-degree program is a “sea of unknowns,” said RISD Director of Admissions Edward Newhall. Brown received 75 early-decision applications for the program
by its Nov. 1 deadline, and RISD has received about 45 for its early-action program, though its deadline is not until Dec. 15. The recently announced dualdegree program is currently accepting its first applications for the 2008-09 academic year. Before applicants are considered for the program, they must be accepted to both Brown and RISD and complete a supplemental essay explaining
“why they think this curriculum is well suited to their interests and their goals,” Newhall said. “We’re working out some of the knottier details of how many people will be in the group,” he said. Dean of Admission James Miller ’73 said the program hopes to enroll as many as 20 students. RISD uses a non-binding earlyaction application system unlike Brown, which has a binding early-
o v e r n i g h t par k i n g o n c o ll e g e h ill ?
decision program. Because the RISD deadline isn’t until December 15 and decisions aren’t made until mid-January, the two schools won’t discuss early dual-degree candidates until late January, Newhall said. Candidates being reviewed for the dual-degree program “will already have coming to them or continued on page 6
Earlier than ever, students head north for campaigns By Joanna Wohlmuth Staf f Writer
morning for his test for any reason, he loses a year of eligibility in his sport. Fiore said in the past, the NCAA has given 24 to 48-hour notice for the tests, but that the 48-hour period of notification is much more reasonable. Every spring, fall or summer the NCAA randomly selects schools for drug testing. Fiore said testing at Brown usually occurs twice a year.
As the nation prepares to kick off its earliest presidential primary elections ever, political groups on College Hill are heading to New Hampshire to get involved. By state law, the Granite State holds the nation’s first primary, making it an important indicator of how candidates will fare later, and its proximity to Rhode Island makes it a destination for campus political activists. This year’s primar y will be held on Jan. 8 — the earliest in New Hampshire histor y — when most students will be home for winter break. Other states have also pushed for earlier primaries this year. And as early as Feb. 5, known as Super Tuesday for its large number of primaries, now being called Super Duper Tuesday by some, the parties may have their nominees — nearly half the nation’s primaries will now take place that day. The time changes are impacting campus political groups’ plans, causing them to reschedule canvassing trips and take time out of winter break to get involved. The national compressing of
continued on page 9
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Chris Bennett / Herald File Photo
At a recent meeting, the College Hill Neighborhood Association discussed the potential for granting residents on-street overnight parking permits. A straw poll on the issue taken at the meeting resulted in a tie.
See Metro, Page 3
NCAA has athletes on call for pop drug tests By Jacob Tower Contributing Writer
Russell Fiore is not happy with the way the National Collegiate Athletic Association is conducting its drugtesting program. Brown’s head athletic trainer said that this fall, the NCAA has been giving Brown only 24-hour notice of drug tests, forcing Brown officials to scramble to contact athletes for the early-morning tests. This prompted Fiore to recently
write a letter to the association, complaining of the short notice. Fiore, who works with the NCAA and Brown’s athletic compliance coordinators to administer the tests, has to enlist help from anyone who might know the athletes to find them so they can be notified about their test the next morning. They find themselves with “a lot of people helping to locate a lot of athletes” in not a lot of time, Fiore said. If an athlete cannot show up between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. the next
After complaints, CAB will taxi into next school year By Anna Millman Staf f Writer
In response to complaints from students and advisers, the Registrar’s Office will reintroduce the printed Course Announcement Bulletin for the 2008-2009 school year after discontinuing it last year. The CAB will be available to all students, and course updates will be published before pre-registration both semesters, University Registrar Michael Pesta said. The CAB was discontinued last year as part of the University’s transition to Banner, Pesta said. When Banner was introduced, the decision was made that all course
WELCOME ARNOLD After tearing down the Cranston homeless shelter, the state has decided not to use the space as planned.
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CAMPUS NEWS
information would be online. “It seemed that this information was so widespread that the Course Announcement Bulletin was not necessary anymore,” Pesta said. Pesta said the Registrar’s Office started planning to re-introduce the CAB mainly in response to complaints from advisers who said Banner’s format made discussing classes with freshmen difficult. “Advisers said, ‘It’s much easier when we have a book to flip back and forth rather than from screen to screen,’ ” Pesta said. Pesta added that though advisers are interested in the entirety of the curriculum, upper-year students are more focused on concen-
ALL ABOUT THE Bens Local service organizations are teaming up to teach Providence children financial literacy.
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OPINIONS
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
tration requirements and can easily find desired course descriptions on Banner. Pesta said the University will print enough CABs for all students. “We can’t publish just for some people,” he said. “We can’t publish just for advisers or just for freshmen.” Michelle Nor worth ’10 said that she is happy the CAB will soon be available again. “I liked having a hard copy, and just the (Banner) listing wasn’t enough. ... The one that they made gave better information and had concentration descriptions and requirements,” she said. Lauren Fischer ’08, said she TV WRITERS OFF AIR Alison Schouten ’08 is turning off her television, logging off iTunes and supporting writers on strike.
thinks the printed CAB makes it easier to browse courses. “I like having the actual packet in my hand,” she said, “and there’s just something comforting about having all the options right there.” In order to save money, the registrar will try to limit the CAB to fewer than 180 pages. Section, lab and independent study details will not be included, and students will instead be directed to Banner. “For example, it will simply say that students need to register for a lab, and the advice will be to go to Banner to look up the information and register,” Pesta said. continued on page 4
12 SPORTS
W. Hoops FALLS Twice Women’s basketball loses to the University of Rhode Island and American University over the break.
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T oday Page 2
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
But Seriously | Charlie Custer and Stephen Barlow
We a t h e r Today
TOMORROW
partly cloudy 54 / 28
sunny 44 / 34
Menu
Sharpe Refectory
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Lunch — Quinoa and Veggies, Waffle Fries, Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Soup, Fried Fish Sandwich, Philly Cheese Steak Calzone, Cherry Tarts
Lunch — Beef Stew, Tomato Quiche, Italian Vegetable Saute, Nacho Bar, Chicken and Rice Soup, Coconut Crescent Cookies
Dinner — Vegetable Frittata, Sticky Rice, Ginger Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots, Whole Beets, Baked Potatoes, Fiery Beef, Pesto Seafood Pasta, Honey Batter Bread, Ice Cream Sundae Bar
Dinner — Baked Parmesan Chicken, Stir Fry Station, Vegan BBQ Tempeh, Rice Pilaf with Zucchini, Baked Spaghetti Squash, Broccoli, Cherry Tarts with Bavarian Cream
Aibohphobia | Roxanne Palmer
Sudoku 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
Classic How To Get Down | Nate Saunders
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, November 2007 © Puzzles 27, by Pappocom
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
C
o s and sw or d Lewis Edited by RichrNorris Joyce Nichols
ACROSS 1 In the thick of 5 Places for happy hours 9 Snake charmer’s snake 14 Lawn burrower 15 Field of study 16 Cleansing agent 17 Ice cream parlor treat 20 Beginning 21 Gramma 22 Caustic substances 23 LeBron James’s team, for short 26 Oscar winner Sorvino 28 Harmless fib 34 Bustles 35 The “T” in the women’s fraternity ZTA 36 Subject dealing with the economy as a whole, briefly 38 Title for Sean Connery 39 Slangy racers 42 Flat football filler 43 Sucking-up type 45 60 minuti 46 Machu Picchu architect 47 1982 Muppets fantasy film 51 Nota __ 52 Close tight 53 A spouse may sleep on it after a fight 56 Treat, as a sprain 58 Rodeo gear 62 Truffles feature, and what 17-, 28- and 47Across have 66 Garlic mayonnaise 67 Sign of an old injury 68 Undergrad pad 69 Auto club recommendation 70 Via, informally 71 Not harmful DOWN 1 Soldier’s need 2 Troubled sound 3 Troubles
4 Picks up, as a scent 5 Rotten 6 Humerus home 7 Arabian controller 8 Genoa export 9 Cronkite’s network 10 “C’est magnifique!” 11 Part of a donkey serenade 12 Shed tool 13 Dismisses unceremoniously 18 Space-saving abbr. 19 Work up a sweater 24 Oval Office power 25 Smack 27 Dream indicators 28 Cellar dweller’s position 29 Nincompoop 30 Ark contents 31 American impresario Sol 32 Pessimist’s words 33 Author Jong 37 Like much lore
39 Jekyll’s alter ego 40 Tolkien warlike humanoids 41 Challenge 44 Fiasco 46 Volcanoes may form them 48 Shrub yielding a blue dye 49 Mold again 50 Ivy League school 53 Swindle
54 Birthplace of seven presidents 55 Pedicure beneficiary 57 Work with acid 59 Plato’s promenade 60 Feudal slave 61 “Coffee, Tea __?”: ’60s bestseller 63 Squeak solution 64 Lobe site 65 Wine bottle word
Classic Deo | Daniel Perez
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Classic Deep-Fried Kittens | Cara FitzGibbon
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11/27/07
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M etro Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Residents drive debate on overnight parking permits By Jenna Stark Staf f Writer
The possible implementation of overnight on-street resident permit parking on College Hill met sharp debate Nov. 19 at an open meeting held by the College Hill Neighborhood Association at the Wheeler School. The proposed program is a heated issue among residents who discussed both its benefits and pitfalls, especially concerning college students taking advantage of the new system. At the end of the meeting, a straw poll on the issue ended in a tie. The pilot program would allow overnight parking on designated streets for registered residents. Participants would receive window stickers that would allow them to leave up to two cars per household on the street overnight. The annual cost of a permit is $25 per car. David Everett, principal planner for Providence’s planning and development department, opened the meeting with a brief summary of a pilot program ongoing in the Washington Park neighborhood. That pilot has been extended to 2009 because it did lead to enough information during its first year to accurately reflect the impact of overnight parking on the neighborhood, he said. A panel consisting of Everett, Director of Public Works John Nickelson, Revenue Management Agent John Murphy, Ward 2 Councilman Cliff Wood and Providence Police Department Dist. 9 Commander Lt. Paul Campbell then fielded residents’ questions regarding the program. Residents at the meeting were sharply divided on the issue. Those opposing it were concerned with problems such as snow removal, traffic gridlock and college students permanently leaving their cars on the street. Phoebe Salten, a homeowner on Brown Street, said, “There are many Brown students that live in houses in our neighborhood, and they’re looking for places to leave their cars ... How do you restrict traffic flow so it isn’t permanent?” Another College Hill resident echoed that concern, saying Brown and Rhode Island School of Design students are “not responsible enough to move their cars.” From the police department’s standpoint, it is better to not have overnight parking, Campbell said. The police would not have to worry about drug deals or other criminal
activities occurring in the cars, he added. Others were eager to give the program a chance. College Hill resident Sam Jackson said, “Everyone’s talking about what students will do and what students won’t do. I just want to reiterate that it’s a trial.” He added, “I’m pro-parking, by the way.” “We don’t live in Barrington, we live on College Hill,” said Laura Bell, a resident of Pratt Street since 1948. “We’re here because of the variety and the excitement of living in the area. We need places for people who don’t have parking to park in this area.” Patrick Ward, founder of Citizens for Resident Permit Parking — a group dedicated to establishing permit parking in Providence neighborhoods — told The Herald that the ban on overnight parking discourages college students from remaining in Providence after they graduate. “I think it’s a disgrace how Brown students are treated in the community. I think they’re the greatest resource in the community,” Ward said. “They are treated shabbily.” Other residents raised the issue of the permit program changing the value of their properties. Charlie Wharton, a homeowner on Pratt Street said, “There are very valuable properties, which are part of the fabric of this community, and if they don’t have parking it is very hard to get that value.” Fox Point resident Richard Sasse told The Herald, “My concern now is the loss of value of my property because I have lost street parking. If they essentially give it to others — that devalues my property. ... Is the city going to revalue property?” The meeting’s moderators were pleased with its outcome. “We got to hear opinions from both sides of the fence and a lot of nuances among those,” Everett told The Herald. “We were able to tell people what we are doing.” “There were many creative ideas presented tonight and views we had not considered in the complexity of the issues,” said William Touret, president of the CHNA. “The remarkable diversity in experience and backgrounds that were brought to the issue made this so valuable tonight.” The CHNA does not plan for an official vote to occur on this issue within the near future. “I think we’ll probably have some discussion within the organization to discuss the views offered tonight,” Touret said.
Courtesy of Matthew Silva ’09 / File Photo
In March 2007, students, homeless individuals and advocates protested the closing of Welcome Arnold, a Cranston shelter. The site was supposed to be turned into a police barracks, but now the state has decided to build elsewhere.
Welcome Arnold reversal leaves homeless fuming By Nandini Jayakrishna Senior Staff Writer
Earlier this year, the state tore down a Cranston homeless shelter that served at least 100 people to make room for a new police headquarters. In a press release this month, Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 announced that the state will no longer use the Cranston site for the barracks, angering advocates for the homeless. The state abandoned its plan to build the barracks at the site of Welcome Arnold, formerly Rhode Island’s largest homeless shelter, to save money. The state will build smaller headquarters in Scituate, a town west of Providence, the governor said in a press release.
Carcieri said the Scituate headquarters will cost only $27 million as opposed to $63 million to build new headquarters in Cranston. But the announcement has angered those involved in homelessness issues. “No plan was put forth (by the state) for accommodating everyone (from Welcome Arnold) into a shelter,” said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless. In March about 10 Brown students, along with several homeless Rhode Islanders, protested Welcome Arnold’s closing. The state is trying to save money by providing inadequate shelter to the homeless, Ryczek said, calling the government’s ac-
tions “very unfortunate.” In March, Noreen Shawcross, chief of housing and community development for the state, told The Herald that 100 visitors frequently made use of Welcome Arnold before it closed, but Ryczek estimated then that as many as 200 people used the shelter regularly. Megan Smith ’10, co-coordinator of Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, said it was “disgusting” that the state “displaced so many people before (it) had beds for them to sleep in at night.” Shawcross said though the state does not have a concrete plan for using the Cranston space, she continued on page 9
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Simmons’ popularity remains Ruthian, Herald poll finds continued from page 1 faculty members. The former Smith president drew similar support at the Massachusetts women’s college. “Perhaps the biggest reason for her popularity was her talent as a speaker — students, parents and alums all responded to her words,” Aimee Walker, a 1999 Smith graduate, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “People also saw her as a true academic herself, and her intelligence commanded our respect.” The Office of the President would not respond to requests for comment on Simmons’ popularity. Kathryn Wiseman ’11, whose Facebook profile photo earlier this semester featured herself with a friend and Simmons, met the president at the soccer kickoff barbecue during Orientation. “My first face-to-face encounter with Ruth was much like a celebrity sighting,” Wiseman wrote in an email to The Herald. “When I saw her standing with a crowd of people, I knew I had to get a picture with her to prove to all my friends that I had actually spoken to this woman who everyone had so much respect for. Everyone puts her up on this pedestal, and yet when I saw her, she
seemed so down to earth and in touch with everyone around her.” Colette DeJong ’11 also waited eagerly to meet Simmons at the barbecue. “There was a huge mass crowded around her, just waiting to go up to her and smile awkwardly, but she was amazing. She just wants to connect to people,” she said. “Every interaction I’ve had with (Simmons) has been positive,” said Elana Goldberg ’08. At the start of the semester, DeJong, Sam Schmerler ’11 and Shahneel Kanj ’11, when thinking about how different regional synonyms for “cool” around the country, decided that “we should say ‘Ruth’ for everything and represent her since she’s so cool,” Kanj said. “She’s such an icon and the University consensus for what’s cool,” Schmerler added. From there, the three coined the phrase “That’s So Ruth!” and created a Facebook group bearing the same name. “By the next morning, there were a hundred members,” DeJong said. “She’s one of the defining draws for Brown,” Schmerler said. “A lot of the school spirit is inspired by Ruth,” DeJong added. “We’re put in charge of our own
Printed course bulletin returns continued from page 1
Chris Bennett / Herald File Photo
Students continue to express strong approval of President Ruth Simmons.
education and it can be scary and intimidating, but she makes it so exciting.” The 2009 Class Board took advantage of Simmons’ popularity by selling T-shirts with the “I Love Ruth” emblem as a fundraiser during its freshman year. Robert Smith III ’09, who was president of the board as a
freshman, said people are attracted to Simmons because of her laid-back exterior, charismatic personality and commitment to undergraduates. But Smith said he believes Simmons’ racial identity is most responsible for her cult-like following. “There’s something about an African-American woman leading a predominantly white university,” he said. “It’s fulfilling to be part of this superlative sort of event.” The first black president of an Ivy League institution, Simmons has a moving personal history. “She’s got a dynamic personal story that resonates” and has “built up an affectionate response,” Steinbach said. “She seems like she’s done so much and just for that, I think she’s amazing,” said Juli Thorstenn ’09. “I feel proud of her,” said Jessie Hopkins ’08. “The obstacles she went through and where she is now — that’s pretty hardcore. That’s pretty ‘Ruth,’ ” Kanj said. But Kanj emphasized that Simmons’ popularity and appeal are based on far more than her ethnicity. “It’s more about her personality, her thoughts, her wants as a president (that) lead to her being a great president,” he said.
Concentration descriptions and degree requirements will still be included, Pesta added. Pesta declined to say how much the University pays to publish the CAB. He noted that by limiting the course bulletin to 180 pages, it will be possible to use a cheaper binding, ultimately saving enough to publish course updates, which include notification of time changes and cancellations, each semester before pre-registration. Finn Yarbrough ’09, who published his own course bulletin last year in protest against the decision to stop using the printed books, told The Herald he was “exhilarated” when he heard the University would go back to printed CABs. “I’m very pleased,” Yarbrough said. “In this particular issue, that’s exactly what I wanted to happen. It’s the job of the registrar to make it easier for students to choose classes.” Yarbrough said that when he heard last year that the CAB would be discontinued, he was “distraught.” He attended several information sessions regarding Banner, finally deciding that if the University would not print the CAB, he would do it himself. He asked Professor Emeritus of Art Walter Feldman, who had designed CAB covers for about 25 years, to create a woodcut for the cover of his book. Yarbrough’s efforts in making his own course bulletin resulted in support from the Undergraduate Council of Students and President Ruth Simmons’ discretionary fund, which helped fund the book’s printing costs. “The printed CAB is really important,” Yarbrough said. “The history of these technologies is not linear. ... The Internet cannot replace the book because they’re different means of communication,” he said.
the ice in jonje’s teeth keeps the cristal cold
C ampus n ews Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
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Local service groups teach kids value of a dollar
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Garcia Coll recognized in Hispanic Business Cynthia Garcia Coll, professor of education, psychology and pediatrics, was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United States in the October issue of Hispanic Business magazine. Garcia Coll, who was born in Puerto Rico, came to the mainland at age 22 to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Florida, then earned a doctorate at Harvard University. She has been at Brown since 1982. The honor came as a “complete surprise,” she said. “At Brown, I’m just a professor,” Garcia Coll said. “But given my background, that’s incredibly remarkable.” The magazine wrote that Garcia Courtesy of brown.edu Coll was honored for her work on childhood development in at-risk and Cynthia Garcia Coll minority populations. Her name appeared alongside those of corporate, political, entertainment and educational figures, including an astronaut, a senator and America Ferrera, the star of television’s “Ugly Betty.” There is no set criteria for making the list, said Michael Caplinger, research supervisor for Hispanic Business. But, he said, the magazine looks for Hispanic U.S. citizens with an impact at the local or national level. The magazine takes nominations over the course of the year from readers, writers, visitors to its Web site and others before the editors whittle it down to 100 names. Garcia Coll was not the only educator to make the cut, with figures in education making up roughly one-tenth of the people on the list. That isn’t unusual, Caplinger said, given that the list is the magazine’s chance to move beyond business figures into other fields. Garcia Coll said she is currently working on a book on children’s ethnic identification and educational performance, for which she has just finished the manuscript. She is also studying the “immigrant paradox” that in some situations first-generation immigrants do better than their second- and latergeneration descendants. She is currently seeking funding for a conference on the issue, which she hopes will be held in the spring of 2009. “A lot of us come to this country hoping to make it,” she said. “A lot of us do — some of us don’t.”
— George Miller
By Erika Jung Staf f Writer
John Hope Settlement House is collaborating with Making Connections Providence to create the Money Smart Kids Clubs Program, a free, after-school financial literacy program that will begin in January. Students in grades K-12 will be bussed to weekly, one-hour sessions at five local sites, said Rick Keller, coordinator of the Family Economic Success initiative of John Hope Settlement House, a local non-profit organization that helps families in poor financial situations. “The focus is very much hands-on,” Keller said. Making Connections Providence is a ten-year, resident-driven initiative focused on three main Providence neighborhoods — South Providence, Elmwood and the West End, said Claudia Decesare, assistant director of health and development for the Swearer Center for Public Service. It is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a $3 billion organization dedicated to helping children at risk. The foundation’s nationwide ef forts also include initiatives in Denver, Milwaukee, Seattle, San Antonio and Hartford, Conn. “What we’re trying to do is build the capacity and the self-confidence of low income families in dealing
with finances. Without much money it’s a ver y difficult thing,” Keller said. “If you reach the kids, you reach the parents.” In a sample lesson, instructors might ask students to complete small chores at home in exchange for payment from their parents. Instructors would then discuss with students plans for using their earnings, Decesare said. The Money Smart Kids Club’s curriculum was developed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and will be taught by members of John Hope Settlement House and Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Ser vices. Brown student volunteers also have the opportunity to get involved through the Swearer Center. “Brown, through the Swearer Center, is making a relationship with Making Connections Providence on many levels. Students would work with John Hope Settlement House staff who are running this program and learn the curriculum to teach these kids,” Decesare said. “The philosophy behind it is to make the economic system more transparent for people at a young age so they know how money works,” Decesare said. “The goal is to have more and more people in this country understand more about how economics work, so they won’t be susceptible to subprime mort-
gages and high-interest credit cards and all the trappings of capitalism that people fall prey to, especially people for whom poverty is an issue. ... This might be a really interesting endeavor for Brown students who are interested in exploring economics and poverty and how kids can develop an understanding of that even at a very young age.” But so far, student interest has been low. “I wish that there were more interest. It’s been sporadic,” Decesare said. “Every couple weeks a student would e-mail me.” Only three students have emailed Decesare, who said she hopes eight students will volunteer. Student volunteers will receive training in both the program’s content and general facilitation strategies. The time commitment will be approximately four to six hours per week, Decesare said. “If some person had participated in an after-school program or had volunteered with kids at camp, any kind of experience they had either educationally or recreationally with kids would be very helpful,” Decesare said. “If a student understood the experience of being a first-generation college attendee that would also be very helpful,” she said. “It’s an attempt to try to move the needle on the quality of life,” Keller said.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Early dual-degree applications is a ‘sea of unknowns’ continued from page 1 already have in hand … an acceptance to Brown and an acceptance to RISD,” Newhall said. Because Brown’s early decision system is binding, applicants accepted to Brown but not the dual-degree program will still be required to come to Brown, Miller said. Neither school is sure how the dual-degree applicant pool will turn out. “We don’t have any clear sense yet of what the pool will be like,” Newhall said. “All the results will be first-time and new to us.” “We don’t know yet what the pools are going to produce,” Miller said, though he added that the “pool tends to mirror the applicant pool generally.” There has always been a “significant number of Brown applicants who have an interest in the arts,” he said. Newhall said the Brown-RISD program is looking for students with “some of the same attributes we would look for” in students applying separately to either of the schools, but specifically with “strong interests in both the academic realm and the visual realm.” “Anecdotally, some of the stu-
Students head north for campaigns continued from page 1
Chris Bennett / Herald File Photo
RISD President Roger Mandle and President Ruth Simmons share a laugh during the signing ceremony for the new Brown/ RISD dual-degree program.
dents we’ve spoken to have had clear interests in both” areas, but not a “notion of how to combine them,” Newhall said. The program is looking for students who “really understand how to make the best of both and weave them together in a new fashion (and) really see
a wonderful opportunity to combine (academics and visual art),” he said. Though there are no concrete plans to change the dual-degree application, “we might decide there’s more we want to learn (about applicants),” Newhall said, suggest-
ing that next year’s application may ask for an additional letter of reference asking how the candidates’ “educational interests would be well-served by this program.” On the other hand, Newhall said, “We might very well find we’re in good shape.”
the political calendar results from states trying to gain greater influence in the nomination process. Candidates must decide which states to devote the most attention to in this ever-shor tening window, which may cause some to rely heavily on media campaigns and focus on states with the most delegates. According to a recent Herald poll, 5.6 percent of undergraduates are currently involved with a presidential campaign. Brown Students for Barack Obama is sending a group of around 10 students to New Hampshire this weekend to either canvass or participate in a conference for college students, said Chapter Coordinator Max Chaiken ’09. Members of the group have already canvassed a number of times this year. Their work is organized through the Obama campaign’s office in Portsmouth, N.H. “In general, the campaign has been really working to get us involved in the early states,” Chaiken said. The earlier primary date helps mobilize people and may help Obama’s bid by carrying the growing momentum in Iowa through primary season, Chaiken said. Between five and 10 students will also be working in winter internships in New Hampshire, and many will remain through the first weeks of break until the primary. Students apply for the internships and must commit to at least one week of about 15-hour days canvassing, going door-to-door, helping out at local events, doing office work and filling any needs that arise, Chaiken said. Brown Students for Hillary will also be driving to New Hampshire this weekend to canvass and hear speakers as their last big event before exams start, said Ava Lubell ’09, one of the group’s leaders. “We are enthusiastic but not zealous,” she said, while describing the summer camp-like atmosphere of the trip. “We have fun events that are ultimately an opportunity to talk about the campaign.” Some Clinton supporters will also have winter internships that will be cut short because of the early primary date. “Ultimately, I don’t think it will have much impact because (Clinton) has been doing consistently well. ... If anything it will help her,” Lubell said. “It can be stressful because suddenly it is Christmas and everyone is campaigning, so I don’t know if it will affect turnout.” The College Republicans are also going to the Granite State the next two weekends. At least five people will be on each trip, and once they arrive in Manchester, N.H., they will split up to lend support to their candidates of choice, said Marc Frank ’09, the groups’ president. Finals and break will then put the group’s efforts on hold. “It is a little ridiculous what happened this year,” Frank said. “The big rush to pick nominees makes the election about who can run the best media campaign and makes for a less informed electorate.” If the race is still close after Feb. 5, the College Republicans will campaign for Rhode Island’s Mar. 4 primary.
W orld & n ation Tuesday, November 27, 2007
White House tempers the tone at Mideast talks By Paul Richter and Richard Boudreaux Los Angeles T imes
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration and its Israeli and Palestinian allies stepped gingerly toward a new round of formal Mideast peace talks Monday, expressing cautious optimism while lowering expectations for the conference. As officials from about 40 countries convened in Washington for the meeting, arranging to provide an international blessing to the negotiations, President Bush welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to separate White House meetings. Bush took care to point out that the U.S. role in the upcoming negotiations would be limited. “The United States cannot impose our vision, but we can help facilitate,” said Bush, who began the conference with a dinner Monday night at the U.S. State Department. After a seven-year hiatus since formal talks, Israeli and Palestinian officials hope to complete a deal in the last 14 months of Bush’s presidency, using Tuesday’s centerpiece gathering at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., as a starting point. They will try simultaneously to settle both the day-to-day issues governing the relationship and the
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core disputes of the 59-year-old conflict — the borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. The world community has welcomed the talks but has been cautious because the two leaders are weak and preside over deeply divided communities. While foreign ministers of all key Arab countries are showing support by attending, some have expressed concern that the meeting will be more photo op than meaningful exchange. U.S. of ficials promised that weeks of private negotiations between the two sides were about to yield a joint document spelling out a “work plan” for the negotiations, even while playing down the importance of the affidavit. As talks continued into Monday night, however, Israeli and Palestinian officials said they were uncertain that an agreement would be reached in time. Sean McCormack, the chief State Department spokesman, pledged that “there will be a document.” He added that he did not consider the document as important as the fact that the meeting has brought together a range of Middle Eastern states, and that it would open the way to formal negotiations. Abbas and Olmert have major stakes in the conference. If it is seen as yielding nothing, Abbas’ continued on page 8
Redskins’ Taylor remains in critical condition By Amy Shipley and Jason La Canfora Washington Post
MIAMI — Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor remained in critical condition in a Miami hospital Monday night after being shot early in the morning in his Miami home. Taylor squeezed a doctor’s hand and made facial expressions early in the evening, Redskins officials and a family friend said, providing some hope after he emerged from seven hours of surger y at Jackson Memorial Hospital that left him “unresponsive and unconscious” and doctors fearing possible brain injur y or death, according to Taylor’s attorney, Richard Sharpstein. “He’s doing better than when they first brought him to the hospital,” said Donald Walker, who identified himself as a friend of Taylor’s mother, in a telephone inter view Monday night. “He’s unconscious, but he’s somewhat responsive, I guess you could say that. When the doctor asked him to squeeze his hand, he did it.” Taylor, 24, confronted one or more intruders early Monday morning at the bedroom door of the house he shares with his fiancee and 18-month-old daughter, and was shot in the upper thigh near the femoral arter y, Sharpstein said. The fiancee and child were uninjured, but Taylor lost significant amounts of blood and
received a number of transfusions, according to Sharpstein and a source at the hospital. No further surgical procedures were planned for Taylor, who was placed in intensive care, but doctors expressed concern that his brain could have been damaged from lack of oxygen, Sharpstein said. A Redskins team source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Taylor’s heart stopped beating twice during surgery. “We’d heard (about the dire situation) and what they told us was to hope for a miracle,” said Redskins vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, who flew to Miami with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, running back Clinton Portis and other team officials on Snyder’s private jet. News of Taylor’s situation spread quickly through Redskins Park, the team’s training facility in Ashburn, Va. Normal team activities were suspended and players were dismissed. Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs and team chaplain Brett Fuller addressed the club around noon, informing them that Taylor was fighting for his life. “For all of us here, we’re obviously in shock,” a shaken Gibbs told reporters. “I know I can’t put it into words.” Taylor, the Redskins’ top draft choice in 2004 who was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time last year, was having his best season as a professional before suffering a knee injury on Nov. 11 that forced
him to miss the past two games. Miami-Dade police responded to a 911 call at about 1:40 a.m. Monday at his home in an upscale suburb known as Palmetto Bay, a police spokesman said. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital’s trauma unit. No arrests were made. In a statement, Miami-Dade police said a preliminar y investigation indicated that Taylor had been shot by an intruder, but that the investigation was not complete. Taylor did not accompany the team to Tampa for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers, which is customary for injured players who are undergoing medical treatment. Gibbs said he was unaware Taylor had returned to Miami, where he grew up and went to college at the University of Miami. Just before Monday’s shooting, Taylor was awakened by a noise in his living room, Sharpstein said. As the shooter or shooters approached Taylor’s bedroom, he reached for a machete or other form of knife he keeps nearby in case of emergency, and two shots were fired, one striking his leg in the groin area. Cerrato said Taylor’s fiancee tried to call police from the house line, only to discover that the line had been cut. She had to use her cellphone to call 911, which delayed the response time. “This was a deliberate attack,” Cerrato said without elaborating.
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Trudeau: Star free agents are over-valued continued from page 12 young talent has never made more sense. When a minor leaguer gets called up to the major league team, he can’t become a free agent for six seasons. That equals six years of service from players at a fraction of their market value and limits the need to overspend on free agents. Teams should look no further than their own past mistakes to understand just how valuable it is
to have talented, cost-controlled players. The Angels were forced to hand out $145 million in contracts to center fielders Gary Matthews Jr. and Torii Hunter in back-to-back winters. The Red Sox paid over $200 million for the services of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew. The Dodgers gave $92 million to Juan Pierre and Jason Schmidt. The Yankees were so desperate for pitching that they gave Roger Clemens a prorated $28-million deal.
The Mets, who are still wondering what they’ll get out of their $53 million investment in Pedro Martinez, recently dolled out $25 million for light-hitting Luis Castillo despite his clearly diminished skills. Though truly superstars, neither Cabrera nor Santana come sans risk. Cabrera, who will likely command hundreds of millions of dollars when he is a free agent in the winter of 2009, will struggle to remain at third base due to weight issues. Santana is reportedly asking for a deal starting at $150 million over six years, which would make him 30 years old when his record-setting deal begins. While teams will debate how much of their futures they are willing to mortgage to make improvements today, they may find that their immediate futures wouldn’t be much brighter even after a Santana or Cabrera acquisition. Would the Angels really win that many more games after giving up second basemen Howie Kendrick, who hit .320 at a premium position and figures to contend for batting titles on an
annual basis, catcher Jeff Mathis, on-base machine Reggie Willits and top pitching prospect Nick Adenhart? Wouldn’t the Dodgers be a better team in 2008 with James Loney, Andy LaRoche and Clayton Kershaw? Is it unreasonable to suggest that Kershaw, the Yankees’ Phil Hughes or the Red Sox’s Clay Buchhholz could approach Santana’s production over the course of his contract at a fraction of the price? Santana is undoubtedly the game’s best pitcher, and Cabrera will likely soon surpass Alex Rodriguez as baseball’s top-hitting third baseman. Still, teams are much better off holding on to their prospects and re-investing the money that they would have spent on lucrative contract extensions for Cabrera and Santana in the draft, on international free agents and re-signing their own players, dipping into the free-agent pool only when they need to.
Tom Trudeau ’09 is cost-controlled by his parents until 2009.
Women’s basketball falls to URI and American continued from page 12 lead with 11:03 to play in the half. After back-and-forth play the rest of the period, American took a 30-22 advantage into the break. Brown opened the second half with a basket but then went 11:30 without a field goal, a span during which American outscored the Bears 15-1. Brown resuscitated its offense in the final eight minutes, but it was too little, too late. “We’re a very good team, but we haven’t turned the corner offensively,” Burr said. “We’re working hard and we’re on the right track … but it’s just about getting into a niche and flow offensively.” O’Neal felt the team carried its solid defensive effort against URI
into the game against American, giving the Bears a chance, but Brown could not take advantage. “They were practically trying to give us the game, but we couldn’t hit shots,” O’Neal said. The URI Invitational was the second of three tournaments the team will play in consecutive weekends. Next weekend, the team will host Manhattan College, St. Joseph’s University and Howard University in the Brown Bear Basketball Classic. “We realize that we have to keep the intensity up at all times during these back-to-back weekend tournaments,” Goldbarg said. “(The tournaments) are great preparation for the Ivy League schedule, when we’ll have two tough games every weekend.”
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Cautious optimism at Mideast talks continued from page 7 rival, the militant group Hamas, would gain in the eyes of ordinary Palestinians. Olmert’s rivals on the right are contending that the prime minister plans to give away too much, a criticism that has made him cautious in the run-up to the conference. Olmert hoped that the presence of Arab leaders at the event would be taken as a signal by Israelis that a deal could lead to a broader normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world. The Israeli leader said before his meeting with Bush that the Annapolis conference was different from its predecessors “because we are going to have lots of participants in what I hope will launch a serious process of negotiations between us and the Palestinians. This will be a bilateral process, but international support is ver y important for us.” Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Olmert said he expected negotiations on Palestinian statehood to begin “in a very short time” after the Annapolis conference but gave no specific date. “We are entering a process that has infinite bumps in the road, but we want to move forward,” he said. Olmert said he hoped to conclude an accord on those issues within a year. But he emphasized that putting one into effect — formally creating the new state — might take longer and would depend on the Palestinians’ compliance with a 2003 U.S.-backed plan that requires certain interim steps, including action to disarm militant groups. That puts him squarely at odds with Abbas, who told Bush on Monday that the Palestinians want a firm commitment to conclude a peace agreement within eight months and see it put into effect before Bush leaves office. Besides their difference over a negotiating deadline, Israel was resisting a Palestinian proposal for an American-led monitoring panel with power to enforce compliance with the Bush-backed plan known as the “road map.” The plan requires a halt to the growth of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a politically explosive step Olmert has been reluctant to take. The Palestinians objected to formal recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state” because it would imply dropping their demand that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to Israel, a concession they resist making before negotiations even start. The two sides remained at odds when their delegations arrived in Washington over the weekend and through several meetings Sunday and Monday. Mark Regev, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the talks continued after dinner Monday. Tuesday, Bush is to meet jointly with Abbas and Olmert in Annapolis, then give remarks opening the conference. He plans to meet with them again separately at the White House on Wednesday.
TUESDAY, November 27, 2007
State has no plans for former Welcome Arnold site continued from page 3 hopes it will be used for permanent housing for the homeless. Welcome Arnold temporarily housed the homeless nightly. “It’s a great site for long-term housing,” she said. David “Doc” St. Germain, a former resident of Welcome Arnold, said it would be “fantastic to have permanent housing” at the former shelter’s site, but expressed doubt that the administration would fund permanent housing there. “They could say, ‘We are going to build a luxury hotel for the homeless,’ but if there’s no support for it, what does it mean?” he said. St. Germain said he is “infuriated” by the governor’s “intentional deception” in canceling the building of police headquarters in place of Welcome Arnold. “The governor was so insistent on shutting Welcome down on that basis,” he said. “The government is specifically trying to punish the homeless for being homeless.” Ryczek said though it’s “great” that Shawcross is talking about permanent housing in Cranston, her proposal just shows the administration’s “guilt.” As the weather gets colder, the government needs to immediately “serve the displaced,” Ryczek said. All the people who used to use Welcome Arnold frequently “have been relocated,” Shawcross said, adding that it is difficult to provide an exact number of homeless individuals. “People appear and disappear,” she said. “There’s a lot of movement.” Shawcross said the state has opened “a number of communitybased shelters” with case managers who encourage people to use community health centers. About 37 people have received permanent housing, she said. But Ryczek said since Welcome Arnold’s closing, other shelters like Harrington Hall, also in Cranston, are “stressed” because of the influx of homeless people. Currently some people at Crossroads Rhode Island, a homeless services organization, sleep on cots, air mattresses and even blankets on the floor, he said. “The men (at other shelters) are literally sleeping under tables,” said St. Germain, who got a room at Crossroads due to a disability. “To
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this day, women are sleeping on the floor at Crossroads,” St. Germain added. Ryczek said the state has given $50,000 for Rosemary’s Way, a temporary shelter for homeless women that opened in October and will close in March. But the funding has put only 20 beds in the shelter, he added. The state “need(s) to open a system where people are housed more quickly,” Ryczek said. He said the state should expand its current program, Operation First Step, which replaced Welcome Arnold “with half-capacity” community-based shelters, to accommodate more homeless people. Ryczek said the state should also provide homeless families with “full-time motel vouchers.” But since these vouchers are expensive, families should be moved quickly into shelters or market-based housing, he said. Another solution is for the state to give more funding to programs like the Housing First Program, Ryczek said. The pilot program has provided 50 people who have been homeless for an average of sevenand-a-half years with apartments and case management services to connect them with medical aid and other community resources, he said. The program, run by Riverwood Mental Health Services and the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island, has lowered the number of hospitalizations and incarcerations, thus reducing associated institution costs, Ryczek said. Most importantly, the administration must involve the providers and community advocates in the planning process, Ryczek said. He added that the “hallmark of the (Carcieri) administration” is that it hasn’t engaged the community in planning and decision-making. The community providers “know what homeless people need the most,” he said. Elizabeth Ochs ’07.5, one of the students who protested the closure of Welcome Arnold in March, said the state should build smaller, transitional housing where fewer residents are assigned to each case manager. “At Welcome Arnold, there was one case manager for 200 people,” she said. “Smaller, transitional housing is important (because) people get more respect and attention.”
NCAA drug testing: A random inconvenience continued from page 1 Each time, 18 members of the football team are tested, in addition to eight athletes from another randomly selected team. Though testing has not occurred in the summer yet, but Fiore said he “thinks it is something they will do in the future.” Brown does not test its own athletes. Some other universities do choose to do their own testing in addition to the NCAA’s, but it can cost up to $50,000 a year, Fiore said. Brown has no intention of installing its own testing program at the moment, Fiore said. In an e-mail 24-to-48 hours in advance of the testing, the NCAA notifies Fiore that it will be administering drug tests. The e-mail will say what teams will be tested, prompting Fiore to find up-to-date team rosters from the teams’ coaches. The rosters are sent back to the NCAA, which randomly selects athletes from each team to be tested. The NCAA will then provide the names of the selected athletes to Fiore, who must track each of them down. The NCAA hires a company called Drug Free Sport to administer all of the tests. Once athletes are notified — typically the night before — they must show up between 7
a.m. and 8 a.m. to be tested. Drug Free Sport officials will ask each athlete to give an observed urine sample. The athlete must provide a minimum specific gravity, meaning a relative density, and a minimum volume of urine. “It is very, very strict,” Fiore said of the testing process. He added that athletes are usually notified of results within a month. “Our athletes would rather not be doing this,” Fiore said. “They comply with this because they have to. They would rather not be getting up at seven in the morning to be drug tested.” Fiore said the athletes understand the process is necessary. “They’re not going to have a positive test anyway,” he said. “We’re just part of the NCAA, so we have to do it. ... You really don’t have a choice. If you don’t show up you’re out (of a sport) for a year.” Fiore, who has been at Brown since 1979, said he doesn’t remember a Brown athlete ever failing a test. The drugs tested for range from anabolic steroids — the most common violation and largest concern — to anti-estrogens, peptide hormones, diuretics and ephedrine to cocaine, heroin, marijuana and caffeine. Among thousands of tests
administered in recent years, there are typically fewer than one percent that come back positive, according to data on the NCAA’s Web site. Kai Brown ’08, a defensive lineman on the football team who was tested this year, found the process to be a hassle. Brown found the process professional but still strange. “It’s kind of weird, and (the Drug Free Test official) kind of not really watches you, but he’s still there,” he said. But though Brown doesn’t like the tests, he understands why the NCAA administers them. “It’s necessary to a certain extent because there’s so much stuff out there that people can get their hands on,” Brown said. The testing “levels the playing field.” AJ Tracey ’08, an offensive lineman on the football team who was tested his sophomore and junior years, finds the testing necessary. “I’m glad they require it,” he said. “It’s not humiliating, it’s not degrading in any manner and the supervision they have during the process is very professional.” He added that NCAA testing is a simple and effective way to deter athletes from cheating, and that getting up early in the morning for the tests is “not hurting us athletically or academically.”
E ditorial & L etters Page 10
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Staf f Editorial
Advancing advising Undergraduate advising has long been a key concern for University officials. President Ruth Simmons’ Plan for Academic Enrichment identifies advising as a specific objective in the University’s effort to enhance undergraduate education, the task force reviewing the College has been asked to thoughtfully consider advising programs and Deputy Dean of the College Stephen Lassonde — recruited to Brown from Yale over the summer — will use his newly created position to help shape the future of undergraduate advising. To be sure, the administration’s focus on advising in recent years has been encouraging, but the job is far from finished. In particular, freshman and sophomore advising have been identified as areas needing improvement, and the University has increasingly promoted the advising resources available to underclassmen, whether through literature, department open houses and programs such as Planning with Your Sophomore, which has become a staple of Parents Weekend. But promoting available resources is only the first step. The University must make more of an effort to reach out to students who — whether they realize it yet or not — could use more guidance in navigating all the possibilities that Brown’s open curriculum affords them. Brown’s distinctive New Curriculum allows a tremendous amount of freedom for the intellectually curious students drawn to College Hill each year, but with such flexibility comes the need for formal support. An academic adviser should provide students with concrete direction and advice, whether about shopping period strategy or longer-term academic decisions. Too often, it seems, advising at Brown devolves into professors almost blindly agreeing with suggestions proposed by a student — or, worse, signing off on a student’s plan (in the case of freshman advising, literally) without any discussion whatsoever. Whether an adviser is not familiar enough with a student to truly critique what may be in her best interest or a professor can’t offer much guidance outside his department, advising at Brown can sometimes leave students longing for real advice. The curious structure of the advising system — in which some students have four different academic advisers in four years — is another cause for concern. This structure hinders a student’s ability to build a consistent and trusting relationship — the “advising partnership” that University literature touts — in which both adviser and advisee draw on previous experiences to chart a forward-looking academic plan. If students are shuttled among various professors for four years, not only will they never get consistent advice, but they can easily become disillusioned with the advising process by senior year, arguably the most important year for a student when facing the prospect of graduation and moving onto life beyond College Hill. Our campus culture affords students the freedom to solicit advice from a range of individuals — fellow students, professors, deans. But the burden should not rest solely on the shoulders of students to seek out counsel. Though Brown’s emphasis on advising is welcomed, the system still needs to be revamped and improved to help guide students from Orientation to Commencement.
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
Business Mandeep Gill Darren Ball Dan DeNorch Susan Dansereau
General Manager Executive Manager Executive Manager Office Manager
production Steve DeLucia Catherine Cullen Roxanne Palmer
Design Editor Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor
post- magazine Hillary Dixler Melanie Duch Taryn Martinez Rajiv Jayadevan Sonia Kim Matt Hill Arthur Matuszewski
Managing Editor Managing Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Features Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor
Brianna Barzola, Steve DeLucia, Ting Lawrence, Alex Unger, Designers Kim Arredondo, Catherine Cullen, Alexander Rosenberg, Copy Editors Nick Werle, Night Editor 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 Stefanie Angstadt, Amanda Bauer, Brianna Barzola, Evan Boggs, Caitlin Browne, Sam Byker, Marisa Calleja, Zachary Chapman, Joy Chua, Patrick Corey, Catherine Goldberg, Olivia Hoffman, Erika Jung, Chaz Kelsh, Jessica Kerry, Sophia Lambertsen, Cameron Lee, Sophia Li, Emmy Liss, Max Mankin, Christian Martell, Taryn Martinez, Brian Mastroianni, George Miller, Anna Millman, Evan Pelz, Sonia Saraiya, Andrea Savdie, Marielle Segarra, Melissa Shube, Jenna Stark, Gaurie Tilak, Simon van Zuylen-Wood, Matt Varley, Meha Verghese, Joanna Wohlmuth Sports Staff Writers Andrew Braca, Whitney Clarke, Han Cui, Evan Kantor, Christina Stubbe 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 Oona Curley, Alex DePaoli, Austin Freeman, Emmy Liss, Meara Sharma, Tai Ho Shin, Min Wu 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
shane wilkerson
L e tt e r s Barnes ’09 is lost in translation To the Editor: I just wanted to comment on Taylor Barnes’ ’09 lack of understanding of Latino culture. In her recent column (“In search of coffee culture,” Nov. 19), she mentioned how alcoholic drinks, instead of coffee, are used to socialize in Brazil. As a Venezuelan student at Brown, I can taste the cultural difference too. In Latin America, we dance to get to know other people better, and our drinking culture is ver y different from the typical American college one: We drink for the taste and for the cooling feeling (so needed when dancing), not for the blackouts. I understand her need for coffee. I love coffee too,
but in 70-degree weather the last thing I want to do is to sit and sweat. I want to stand and dance, more so if I’m going out with somebody for the first time. The deep conversations will come after, when we are too tired to keep on dancing but we are too captivated with each other to let the night end. Her disapproval of the Latino way of socializing is ethnocentric, and I’m sorry for Barnes if she can’t find romance, but that does not make us, or our culture, any less respectful or full of passion. It just makes us different. Daniela Rodriguez DS ’10 Nov. 19
Anti-gay policies in military have long history To the Editor: For the most part, I agree with your editorial (“Bring back ROTC?” Nov. 26). However, it shortchanges the history of anti-gay bigotry in the American military and discrimination against transgender students. The editorial cites only President Clinton’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy as an example of the military’s exclusion of openly gay soldiers. In fact, there is a long tradition of homophobia in the U.S. armed forces. During World War II, according to historian Allan Berube, thousands of gay and lesbian soldiers were undesirably discharged for being homosexual. According to historian Margot Canaday, 9,000 soldiers were barred from accessing the
highly lucrative GI Bill for this reason. In January 1982, nine years before “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” the Pentagon released a directive which explained that “Homosexuality is incompatible with military service.” Furthermore, the editorial gives token attention to Brown’s gender identity and gender expression protections yet focuses almost entirely on the issue of sexual orientation. To truly live up to our university’s nondiscrimination policy, ROTC must not return to campus until lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students can serve openly and proudly. Robert Smith III ’09 Nov. 26
Clarifications An article and staff editorial in Monday’s Herald ( “ROTC exchange with PC down to a lone student” and “Bring Back ROTC?” Nov. 26) stated that Brown’s ROTC program ended in 1971. In fact, the last officer candidates to graduate from the Navy ROTC program did so in 1972. An article in Monday’s Herald (“Female science professors share tips for the academic trade,” Nov. 26) failed to completely identify Professor of Geological Sciences Jan Tullis.
C o r r e ct i o n In a guest column in Monday’s Herald (“Boldly green,” Nov. 26), the location of emPOWER’s general body meeting today was given as Wilson 302. In fact, it will be in Metcalf 129. 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. C ommentary P O L I C Y The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. L etters to the E ditor P olicy Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. advertising P olicy The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
O pinions Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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Because there’s no ‘I’ in ‘Web 2.0’ MAHA ATAL Opinions Columnist
Last week, I attended a lecture by writer and academic Scott Russell Sanders ’67 sponsored by the English department’s Nonfiction Writing Program. Sanders spoke about the ethical responsibility of the nonfiction writer and responded specifically to the debates that have arisen since James Frey’s fabricated memoir, “A Million Little Pieces,” hit Oprah’s book club in 2005. In particular, Sanders emphasized the role of modesty in fueling honesty. The ability to play down the “I,” the individual story, in favor of engaging with broader social, political or historical narratives enables writers to see more clearly these macro realities instead of molding the world to their personal biases. For most of Sanders’ hour-long talk, I bought his argument. But towards the end of his speech, he tied the spread of egotism and the resultant lack of truthfulness in contemporary nonfiction to virtual worlds and reality television. With Second Life and the “Real World,” he suggested, it’s grown acceptable to sell fiction as truth. In the question-and-answer session, many Brown English professors appeared to agree, asking how they could teach students to “detach themselves from the egomania of contemporary virtual media.” As a believer in the positive impact of new technologies on our culture, I cringed. Sanders was displaying the most common misconception older generations seem to harbor about Web 2.0 and its Generation Y consumers. Certainly, technology makes it possible to lie, and 40-something online stalk-
ers pretending to be 16 are a valid concern. But they are a Web 1.0 phenomenon: The old Internet was about doing things just because you could, faking it just because the technology allowed you to be fake. In Web 2.0, possibility and permission are not the same thing: Just because we can engage in endless role play doesn’t mean we want to. Indeed, most consumer insight surveys, marketing experts and social media watchdogs tell us that Web 2.0 is obsessed with
For much of history, pop cultural figures have achieved success by asserting their difference, trying to separate their unique perspective from the current mainstream and to create a new mainstream behind their own movements. Modernists made it by separating from 19th-century realists, then became the mainstream of the early 20th century. Nirvana made it by critiquing early 1990s culture, then they broke above ground to make grunge the new norm.
The key insight is that in the age of Web 2.0, links are capital, and being connected to others — in pop culture or electoral politics — is a plus. authenticity, that Generation Y consumers are more attracted to politicians, pop stars or memoirists who keep it real. Young readers, after all, turned against Frey as soon as his lies were revealed. They support Barack Obama because his romantic idealism strikes them as coming from the heart. Moreover, if dishonesty is the result of egotism, Web 2.0 is likely to bring a turn in a more truthful direction. While the Internet enables anyone and everyone to become a minor celebrity with a Flickr page or YouTube video, Web 2.0 does not reward the egomaniacs who try to achieve prima donna status on these content-sharing sites.
In today’s decentralized world, that binary of culture and counter-culture has largely collapsed. But more importantly, today’s young consumers are less concerned with finding artists, politicians or writers who can prove themselves adequately cut off from the mainstream. Even those who begin acquiring fame as outsiders soon find that inside and outside are no longer neat categories. Think of Stephen Colbert: He’s made a name as a media “outsider,” even talking at media events about how morally bankrupt and asinine the mainstream media has become. That counter-cultural critique has catapulted him eerily close to the
presidential ballot. But last month, when Colbert wanted to promote his electoral run, he did so by writing a guest column in that bastion of mainstream media, the New York Times. Better still, he did so as a column-within-a-column, writing a guest passage to appear in an article by Maureen Dowd (“A Mock Columnist, Amok,” Oct. 14). Reading Colbert’s piece gives the impression that the joke is on the old media: he laughs at Dowd for needing him to write her column for her. Reading Dowd’s introduction, however, I am inclined to tell Colbert that the joke is on him: She points out that in order to make a counter-cultural critique, he’s had to step inside the culture and admit that he’s linked to it. Dowd’s point is a testament to the Times’s ability to adapt as an old media publication to the new media age by inviting the critique inside its pages, allowing user-generated content to flourish on its own blogs. The key insight is that in the age of Web 2.0, links are capital, and being connected to others — in pop culture or electoral politics — is a plus. Bloggers routinely link their work to the work of others, pointing out as evidence of their own relevancy the fact that others are saying the same thing. The more they do so, the more hits their posts get, the higher their own blogs rise on Google searches. Fame, in the Web 2.0 age, is shockingly devoid of both the “I” and the mass mainstream: it’s about producers who deny allegiance to counter-cultural ideological movements, but who link themselves to others on an individual level. Which means that the young people raised on virtual media and taking nonfiction writing classes today might well grow up into the modest truth-tellers of tomorrow.
There’s no “I” in Maha Atal ‘08.
Support the right to write ALISON SCHOUTEN Opinions Columnist Like many Brown students, I am often too busy to watch my favorite television shows when they air. Lucky for me, I can spend Friday afternoons watching these shows online, legally, for free. Now that network studios replay full-length episodes on their websites, we can enjoy them at our leisure. Technology is a beautiful thing. As an aspiring screenwriter, I find this especially useful — I can watch episodes over and over to study their content. I can buy them on iTunes or on DVD and access them even after studios remove them from their Web sites. I can show my friends short clips, character blogs and webisodes to get them as excited about my favorite shows as I am. Unfortunately, as an aspiring screenwriter, I will not be doing any of these things for a while. In her Nov. 14 article “How the writers’ strike will affect us all,” Salimah Nooruddin ’08 laments the Writers Guild of America’s recent strike. Soon, she fears, we won’t have new episodes of TV shows, and, if the strike lasts long enough, new movies may stop being produced. Nooruddin states that she supports the writers, but that it’s time to go to the bargaining table. Nooruddin’s article gets at a major issue facing the writers’ strike: The writers are seen as having reasonable demands but unreasonable methods of going about achieving them. We like the idea of unions being allowed to strike, but not when it inconveniences us. In fact, the writers have not resisted going
to the bargaining table. They have tried to negotiate. The WGA continues to validate new material, and its Web site calls for studios to negotiate. What’s more, the strike is not a surprise to studios. This summer I worked in Los Angeles, where it was common knowledge that the strike was coming. Studios stockpiled scripts in preparation. Part of the reason the strike seems so terrible is that consumers of entertainment are told that they are in for an immediate dry spell of material. This is true
on the strike and to act accordingly. I side with the writers. We now live in a digital world. What used to be a fair compensation guide is no longer. DVD sales are now a major component of movie sales, and writers only receive 4 percent. Particularly in television, online content is now a huge source of revenue for studios. Writers receive nothing from their material being rebroadcast online and on iTunes and no compensation for character blogs and webisodes that draw on the
I side with the writers. We now live in a digital world. What used to be a fair compensation guide is no longer. DVD sales are now a major component of movie sales, and writers only receive 4 percent. where topical late-night talk shows are concerned, but the WGA provided ample opportunity for studios to prepare so that consumers wouldn’t go without entertainment. I was glad to see an article on the writers’ strike, but Nooruddin paints us consumers as helpless victims of an unfair battle between writers who deserve to get paid for their work and studios just trying to put out the movies and TV shows we know and love. We are not powerless. Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to decide where we stand
material they created. We see entertainment as a dispensable entitlement. Though entertainment is frivolous enough that the writers don’t deserve our support the way other unions do, we expect film and television as a given. What Nooruddin gets at is that we need entertainment. We need Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to make politics relevant and relatable. We need a much-deserved break from studying during our favorite programs. We need movies, as generations before us have, as an escape from
the real world. We need writers to create this entertainment. Some who side with the studios claim that TV and movies are vitally different. But if demands are not met now, we may continue along a slippery slope until full movies are shown online for free by studios with no compensation for the writers. The digital age has provided us with countless benefits, and writers should reap those as well. Acquaint yourself with these issues, then take action. Go to WGA.org, Unitedhollywood. com and www.petitiononline.com/WGA/petition.html for opportunities to understand the strike and take action. Petitions and donation opportunities are available at these Web sites. Don’t watch the scab reality TV shows that replace your favorite programs. I have just, for the last time, watched 30 Rock’s “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” on NBC.com, and I will refrain from watching online content until the creators of it are compensated. I will not purchase DVD’s as holiday gifts until writers are satisfied with the amount they receive from sales. The strike is not depriving us of entertainment, but rather showing us all how much we should and do value it. In an inspiring move, the WGA has mobilized as a union. These writers want to write. The only way they can go back to writing full time is if they can make a living off of it. The liberty to pursue any profession is one that, as college students, we are lucky to have. The WGA seeks to maintain that liberty for us future starving artists. When I look at it that way, I can bear Thursdays without “The Office.” Instead, I guess I’ll just go read a book.
Alison Schouten ’08 dictated this article because she’s on strike.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
W. hoops loses to URI and American over break By Peter Cipparone Sports Editor
With a youthful roster, the women’s basketball team would benefit from some close-game experience. After their first four games were all decided by at least 31 points, the Bears (0-6) finally had to perform in crunch time over Thanksgiving break. But in two tight matchups at the University of Rhode Island Invitational over the weekend, the team came up short. Brown lost to the University of Rhode Island on Friday, 61-55, after blowing a nine-point secondhalf lead. In the consolation game the next day, the team hung close with American University for much of the game but could not make a final push and fell 57-46. The team felt it could glean positives from the weekend despite the unfavorable results. Head Coach Jean Burr said the team “really played a very good game” against Atlantic 10 foe URI, and captain Annesley O’Neal ’08 said playing in close games “felt really good because we had been working hard all week.” The Bears improved on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball compared to its first four games. Brown recorded its top-two point totals of the season over the weekend. Jaclyn Goldbarg ’09 ignited the team’s offense with 15 points versus URI, and the team featured a balanced attack on Saturday as six players scored at least five points each. Goldbarg felt the team’s de-
fensive pressure was the key. “We worked a lot better as a team,” she said. “Our defense was better and our communication was better, but we just had a letdown in communication and intensity at the end of the games.” Brown fell behind 12-6 after the opening five minutes, but went on a 7-0 run sparked by a three-pointer from Sadiea Williams ’11 to snare a 13-12 lead. The Bears increased their advantage to seven points at the 2:27 mark and entered halftime up 31-28 for their first halftime lead of the season. In the second half, the Bears led by nine with just under 14 minutes to play, but the Rams chipped away little by little and broke a 46-46 tie with a three-pointer at the 3:31 mark, giving the host a lead it would not relinquish. “I think we contained them defensively (in the first half), which put us in position to hit some shots,” Burr said. “We got good looks throughout, but then we had the drought because we’re a young team.” The team hopes that Goldbarg’s emergence will add to the team’s versatility. After rehabbing a knee injury, Goldbarg returned to allow the team a number of proficient outside shooters — three Bears guards have scored in double digits this season. While Goldbarg said her performance can be attributed to improved team play, O’Neal recognized that the junior deserves to get the ball more often. “She’s a great player,” the team captain said. “When she’s in the
Volleyball digs up two All-Ivy Honorable Mentions Two of the volleyball team’s strongest defensive players earned spots on the All-Ivy Honorable Mention team. The team’s captain and libero, Katie Lapinski ’08, garnered an All-Ivy spot for the third straight season. Lapinski earned First Team honors last year and Honorable Mention her sophomore year. Setter Natalie Meyers ’09 was the other Bear to make the list, the first All-Ivy honor of her college career. Lapinski set Brown records for career digs-per-game at 5.71, obliterating the old mark of 3.85, and came in second for career digs at 1,728. She also became the third all-time season dig leader with her 525 dig total, and now holds the fourth spot for a single-match dig average of 9.67— from the 29 digs she put up in a home match against Princeton this season. Meyers set some very high league assist marks in her second season as a starting setter. Her 11.66 assists per game for the overall season and her 12.30 average during league were good enough for third in the league. She now ranks fourth on the all-time assist list at 2,118 and fifth for assistsper-game at 9.33. Meyers was also second on the team, behind Lapinski, with 3.47 digs per game on her way to 19 double-doubles in assists and digs this season. Parker Henritze of league-champion Princeton won Player of the Year, and Julia Swanson of University of Pennsylvania won Rookie of the Year. —Amy Ehrhart
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would prove to be Brown’s only lead of the game. The Eagles then went on a 13-4 run to take a seven-point
This offseason’s barren free-agent market has left many teams scrambling to fill holes and improve their clubs via trade. The hottest names available are two-time Cy Young Award-winner Johan Santana Tom Trudeau and the National Tru Story League’s best young slugger, Miguel Cabrera. The Twins are hoping to maximize Santana’s trade value by dealing him before the season starts without risking losing him to free agency. Cabrera, meanwhile, is arbitration-eligible, which for the cost-conscious Marlins is motivation enough to deal their best player. The Dodgers and Angels have been most closely linked to Cabrera, while the Red Sox, Yankees and Mets have been frequently associated with Santana trade talks. Adding a legitimate superstar might seem like an attractive option, but the asking price is so high that whoever lands them will almost certainly regret it. Though some people believe that general managers tend to overvalue their prospects, given today’s out-ofcontrol free agent market hoarding
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Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
Annesley O’Neal ’08 lead the women’s basketball team in rebounds on Friday against URI.
game I’m thinking, ‘What can I do to set her up for a three-pointer?’ ” In the tilt with American, O’Neal hit a jumper a minute in for two of her team-leading nine points, but it
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Costly free agents not the way to go in MLB
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M. soccer cleans up Ivy honors After denying other Ivy League teams a single victory during Brown’s 7-0 undefeated season reign, it’s only fair that the men’s soccer team is now hoarding the Ivy League awards. The Bears’ accolades include Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, five First Team All-Ivy selections, one Second Team All-Ivy selection and two Honorable Mention selections. Defender Matt Britner ’07.5 took the top prize with the Ivy League Player of the Year recognition. “I’m very grateful for the honor,” he said. “I was pretty surprised.” Britner has suffered ACL tears in both of his knees — one during each of the past two seasons. But after sitting out most of last year’s games, he dominated the field this season as the Bears’ defense allowed only 14 goals over the course of 16 regular-season games. The outstanding performance earned him Player of the Year and a unanimous selection to the First Team. But Britner remained humble, instead focusing on his teammates’ accomplishments. “Honestly, I’m happier that the team gained recognition,” Britner said. “Several players were honored, and I think we could have had more.” Paul Grandstrand ’11 claimed Rookie of the Year distinction after an impressive season in the net that included six of the Bears’ seven Ivy victories. The goalkeeper was named Rookie of the Year almost unanimously and also earned Second Team recognition. Defender Rhett Bernstein ’09, forwards Kevin Davies ’08 and Dylan Sheehan ’09 and midfielder Nick Elenz-Martin ’10 rounded out Brown’s presence on the First Team. Bernstein was named to the pre-season Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy Watch List and anchored the Bears’ defense throughout the season. He also scored one goal and had one assist. Meanwhile, Sheehan and Davies tallied 10 goals apiece. Out of those, Sheehan had four game-winners and Davies had three. Elenz-Martin also scored a pair of game-winning goals. For assists, Sheehan posted six, Davies posted three and Elenz-Martin posted four. Midfielder Darren Howerton ’09 and defender Chris Roland ’10 earned honorable mentions. Howerton tallied a team high of nine assists, in addition to two game-winning goals. Roland was a crucial contributor to the Bears’ strong defense this season, and he recorded one goal and one assist. But the Bears have more work ahead of them, when they host Old Dominion University in the second round of the NCAA playoffs Wednesday at 7 p.m. “Right now, we’re just focusing on the team and doing well on Wednesday,” Britner said.
Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
Matt Britner ’07.5 was named Ivy League Player of the Year last week.
— Erin Frauenhofer