Thursday, April 16, 2009

Daily Herald the Brown

vol. cxliv, no. 53 | Thursday, April 16, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891

3,000 more Caught removing poster, UFB candidate quits tickets made available for Weekend board member of the Undergraduate Council of Students and another student close to the election process. Both sources asked to remain anonymous.

The withdrawal leaves Vasconez as the only candidate for that position still on the ballot.

The two sources said Elections Board Chair Lily Tran ’10 and ViceChair Zachary Langway ’09 told Parikh Tuesday night that he could withdraw his candidacy or choose to face a hearing before the full board.

By Seth Motel Staff Writer

By Sydney Ember Senior Staff Writer

The Brown Concert Agency is selling 3,000 additional Spring Weekend tickets because clear weather is forecast for Friday and Saturday, Stephen Hazeltine ’09, the group’s administrative chair, said Wednesday.

The new tickets, 1,500 for each of the two concerts, will be offered first to Brown students. About 250 of those tickets were sold Wednesday, said Daniel Ain ’09, BCA’s booking chair.

The remaining tickets will be on sale at the Faunce House box office today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. exclusively to Brown students, and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. to Brown and Rhode Island School of Design students.

Any tickets that remain after those sales will be made available to the public Friday and Saturday at a ticket booth on the corner of Brown and George streets.

BCA was able to release the additional tickets because it was confident the concerts could be held on the Main Green, which has a larger capacity than Meehan Auditorium, the rain location. The group announced that both concerts would be held outside in an e-mail to students Wednesday.

“We wanted to make sure everyone has a chance to hear about it,” Ain said.

The group sold a total of 6,000 tickets to Brown students online last month. The new tickets will boost the total number of available passes by 50 percent.

“We’re very pleased,” Hazeltine said. “There is absolutely no rain in continued on page 3

Neil Parikh ’11, a candidate for Undergraduate Finance Board vice-chair, withdrew from the race Tuesday night after he was caught removing one of his opponent’s publicity posters, according to multiple sources.

Parikh, president of the Class of 2011, was seen removing a sign for his opponent, Juan Vasconez ’10, from a Wriston Quadrangle door, according to both a former executive

Parikh chose to withdraw his name later that night, the sources said.

Senior Director for Student Engagement Ricky Gresh discussed the actions with certain members of the board on Wednesday, the two students said. The Herald was unable to reach Gresh late Wednesday night.

The former UCS executive said Vasconez’s sign was posted in a way that violated the election rules.

There might have been confusion over which spots on campus were

By Jyotsna Mullur Staf f Writer

It’s a rite of passage for all firstyear medical students — a course in human anatomy, in which they dissect the dead to understand the living. But after their handson experience with mortality, the students organize a ceremony that provides closure to their first brush with the fragility of the human body.

Matt Weisberg / Herald

The University is working with local day care providers to open eight new infant care slots to aid faculty and staff.

Staff hope for increased child care his position.

The infant care center — with a capacity of just 20 children and a waiting list of over a year — is currently the only one of its kind to cater exclusively to Brown faculty, staff and students.

“We get two to three calls a day looking for childcare,” said Mary Castrignano, the center’s director.

“We’re now accepting enrollment for May 2010.”

By Brigitta Greene Senior Staf f Writer

It’s a quiet morning on the Taft Avenue Daycare Center playground, nestled behind the Brown Stadium.

Among the many children enjoying their morning playtime, baby Max sleeps peacefully in his strawberry beanie. Less than three years old, he has no idea how many parents wish their children could be in

The only other facility that gives preference to the University community, the Brown/Fox Point Early Childhood Education Center on Hope Street, reserves about 60 percent of its space — 44 of 76 slots — for faculty, staff and students, and caters to children between the ages of three and six, said Chris Amirault, executive director of the continued on page 9

Tax Day TEA Party.” The name was both an acronym for “Taxed Enough Already” and an allusion to the BosMore than 2,000 protesters gath- ton Tea Party of 1773. The protesters, some dressed in 18th ered on the steps of the METRO State House Wednesday century garb, carried signs afternoon at a rally against with slogans proclaiming “runaway” government spending “Obama is our King George!” and and taxes.

“Fatherland security: I want my The rally, one of hundreds hap- country back!” pening simultaneously across the continued on page 6 country, was called the “Providence

by Anne Speyer Staff Writer

Anne Speyer / Herald

inside

Protestors gathered at the State House Wednesday to condemn increased government spending and taxes.See video at browndailyherald.com.

www.browndailyherald.com

continued on page 3

Med students put the dead to rest, at last

Thousands protest taxes at TEA Party

News.....1-4 Metro.....5-6 Spor ts...7-9 Editorial..10 Opinion...11 Today........12

permissible for posting campaign signs, according to a third student close to the process, who confirmed that Parikh had removed a poster.

“Elections Board doesn’t have any institutional memory, so each year, members just make up their own rules,” the student said.

The Elections Board has established a four-page set of guidelines, Langway said. Though the guidelines do not specify the procedure for re-

Metro, 5

Sports, 7

No longer Bumpin’ Local schools plan to abolish a teacher-placement practice known as “bumping”

FLIPPING OUT Victoria Zanelli ’11 is The Herald’s Athlete of the Week

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

FEATURE This year, 96 students at Alpert Medical School dissected and studied 24 donated cadavers, said Dale Ritter, who directs the human anatomy course at Brown.

Students are given little identifying information about the cadavers, he said — nothing more than their cadaver’s official cause of death and age at expiration.

“Especially early on, we tend not to focus on the other information,” Ritter said, adding that additional information makes it even more difficult for beginning medical students to dissect their first human body.

The student-organized ceremony — a tradition that began almost 20 years ago — commemorates not only the cadavers’ lives, but also the contribution to medicine they made after death, he said.

The ceremony was once an hour-long affair held in a large lecture hall at the end of the course. But in recent years, it has become an informal, quiet event that takes place in the course’s anatomy lab, Ritter said.

Amanda Westlake MD’12 helped organize this year’s cercontinued on page 2 The Herald will not publish a print edition Friday, April 17, in observation of Spring Weekend. Check online for updates.

Print publication will resume on Monday. herald@browndailyherald.com

Page 2

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Thursday, April 16, 2009

C ampus N EWS

Med students remember their cadavers as people continued from page 1

Katherine Regalado / Herald

Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Margaret Klawunn discussed improvements to the Faculty Advising Fellows program at a meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students Wednesday night.

Fellows program to get second boost

By Qian Yin Contributing Writer

The Faculty Advising Fellows program, which has professors host events in their homes to encourage interaction between students and faculty, will be expanded next semester, according to the administrators who oversee the program.

Starting in the fall, faculty members will host an informal gathering with coffee and tea every afternoon

Monday through Thursday in J. Walter Wilson, Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron said, in an effort to establish a regular social event that is easy to get to.

Students will better know when and where the fellows are readily available, and can “just stop by and get to know them,” Bergeron said.

There will be also be more dinners hosted for students and faculty members to get together in the Sharpe Refectory’s dining

rooms, Bergeron said.

The program was already given a boost before the current academic year when 10 non-residential faculty advising fellows were included to assist the existing fellows-in-residence.

The recent improvements to the program have allowed fellows to host better events, said Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry William Suggs, a fellowcontinued on page 4

emony, which took place in February. After her brief introduction, students lit candles for the cadavers they had worked with for the length of the course. They also had the opportunity to sing, read poetr y or simply speak and express their thoughts.

At the ceremony, Wei Song ’08 MD’12 read a poem she had written earlier in the year. It focused on “the interaction between life and death” and struggled to reconcile the contrast between cutting open bodies and the physician’s ultimate goal of healing.

“I wanted to recognize the value of what these people gave,” Song said.

In the anatomy course itself, there was a sense of discover y, Westlake said. She said she found a stent in her subject’s aor ta, and classmates uncovered prosthetic knees, joint replacements and other anomalies beneath the cadavers’ skin.

The students organize the ceremony to take “a moment to reflect the trust they had in us,” she said.

“Medical education depends on people who don’t know us at all trusting us.”

“I didn’t want it to be solemn,” Westlake said. “Serious, but not solemn.”

The commemoration is the first time students are told other biographical information about their

cadavers, Ritter said, such as their careers and life achievements, collected from obituaries and the anatomical gift program. Westlake learned that some of the donors had even attended Brown, she said.

This aspect of the ceremony brings the students full-circle, Ritter said, by taking them back to their first day in anatomy when they were introduced to their cadavers by age and cause of death.

“It’s a reminder that this was a person — they had a life,” he said.

“They made an incredible gift.”

Westlake said dissecting the bodies was a desensitizing experience for many students.

“You quickly become acclimated to tearing through them with scalpels,” she said, adding that the ceremony was a reminder that the cadavers had once been living humans.

After the ceremony, the cadavers were cremated and returned to their families.

But the medical students seek closure, too. Traditionally, they sign the walls of the anatomy lab at the ceremony’s end — unexpected graffiti from hundreds of medical students.

“Anatomy is a major event for medical students,” Ritter said. It’s when they realize that medical school is “something different,” he added.

The ceremony gives them a sense of relief, he said. “There’s a certain release to it.”

sudoku

Daily Herald the Brown

Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 Stephen DeLucia, President Michael Bechek, Vice President

Jonathan Spector, Treasurer Alexander Hughes, Secretary

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for members of the community.

POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com.

World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com.

Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily.

Copyright 2009 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Page 3

C ampus N EWS

Sexual assault center now staffed

By Alicia Dang Staff Writer

For the first time since its creation, the Sexual Assault Resource Center is now staffed regularly on weekdays.

Nine students have been staffing the center, located in the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, since earlier this month.

Most of the students who staff the center are members of the Sexual Assault Task Force and the Coalition Against Relationship Abuse.

Organizers said some students have been coming to the center since staffing began, but they hope even more will take advantage of the service.

Though the center itself has existed for almost two years, the move to staff it is an attempt to “make it take off” and encourage more students to take advantage of its resources, said Madeline Ray ’10, one of the staffers.

Brown has “been behind in having an open discourse” about sexual assault and in providing resources that are “available and that people know about,” she said.

The Sexual Assault Task Force, which initiated the move to staff the center, was originally formed by a group of students at Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design which got together “in response to the inadequacy of sexual assault resources” at

the schools, according to the group’s mission statement.

After getting permission from the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center to use a room on the second floor, the group opened the center in 2007, but it has been little-known and little-used since then, Ray said.

“It’s been here for almost two years, but it wasn’t really functioning,” she said.

Since April 6, the students have been taking shifts staffing the center 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The debut of staffing at the center has been billed as a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but organizers said they hoped regular staffing would continue beyond the end of the month.

The student staffers “answer questions about sexual assault, give background resources on campus” and create a “central, safe, neutral space for people to find information for themselves and their friends,” said Catherine McCarthy ’11, another student who staffs the center.

All of the student staffers completed a two-hour training session with Trish Glover, the University’s sexual assault response and prevention program coordinator. The training included information about the dynamics of sexual assault and ways to help victims, Glover said.

Though she and other students who staff the center are “not exten-

sively trained and professional,” Ray said, they “can give our knowledge and support, and are willing to listen.”

“The most important thing is we be here,” she said.

Daniela Rodriguez DS ’10, who coordinates the Coalition Against Relationship Abuse and also staffs the center, agreed. “We know resources and how to deal with situations,” she said.

Organizers said they think students could take better advantage of the center. “Regardless of how willing we’re to help, it’s difficult to get people to come in to talk to us,” McCarthy said.

“It’s a challenge for peer support programs,” Glover said, “because (sexual assault) is truly private on a small campus.”

“It’s important to promote the space as private, confidential and safe,” she said.

Making peer support available is “really important for people who are sexually assaulted,” Glover added, “because they often tell their friends, and it will be very helpful for their peers to know what to do, what to say and know the resources.”

But in addition to serving the larger community, the center is also a “good point of encounter,” Rodriguez DS said. It “brings together people who have similar interests in work against sexual violence,” she added.

Candidate drops out of vice chair race continued from page 1 moving a student caught breaking the rules, Langway said the board was under no obligation to question any candidate who asked to have his name removed from the ballot.

Parikh confirmed to The Herald that he withdrew his candidacy, but declined to explain his reasons.

“Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to discuss it until the election is over,” Parikh said. “I won’t disclose anything until the election is over to keep it fair to all sides involved.”

Langway said he could not provide any more information about Parikh’s withdrawl.

“At Neil’s request, the Elections Board is not discussing details of his personal reasons for choosing to withdraw until after the polls have closed

tomorrow afternoon,” he said. “We’re honoring his wishes for no discussion beyond the statement that he has withdrawn for personal reasons.”

Vasconez said the Elections Board informed him late Tuesday night that Parikh had dropped out, which he said he “never expected.”

“I was pretty surprised and, I mean, shocked, really,” Vasconez said.

The Elections Board has not decided whether to consider Vasconez an unopposed candidate — which would mean he would need just 5 percent of the vote to avoid a run-off election, Tran said.

Regarding votes that had already been cast for Parikh, Tran said, “It’s a choice between whether or not to count them as abstentions or to completely disqualify the votes altogether.”

Tran said the Elections Board will wait until after the voting period closes at 12 p.m. today to decide how to handle votes cast for Parikh before his name was removed from the MyCourses ballot.

If the board decided to count Parikh’s votes as abstentions and Vasconez did not receive more than 50 percent of the vote, the group would decide how to conduct a run-off, Tran said.

She said the board was unsure whether Parikh’s name would appear on a run-off ballot in that situation.

“There are a lot of questions that need to be answered still, unfortunately,” she said.

Parikh said he has not decided what he would do if the board allowed him to place his name on a potential run-off ballot.

Kim Perley / Herald

Thanks to a clear forecast for the weekend, additional Spring Weekend tickets will be sold Thursday in the Faunce box office.

Sunny forecast means 3,000 more concert tix continued from page 1 the forecast.”

Ain said he thought the reason only a fraction of the available tickets were sold Wednesday was that word of the additional offerings had not spread quickly enough among students. “A lot of the student body wasn’t aware,” he said.

BCA consulted with the Student Activities Office and Facilities Management’s grounds department before making the final decision to hold both concerts outside, Hazeltine said.

“This is the second year we’ve intended to have both shows outside,” he said. “We thought we were due, and it seems that we were.”

Spring Weekend will be headlined on Friday night by hip-hop star Nas and on Saturday by indiepop band Of Montreal.

Hazeltine said in an interview

last month that each headliner will be paid between $40,000 and $70,000 for the gigs. In previous years, the top performers were paid between $30,000 and $50,000, he said.

“If anything, artists have gotten more expensive,” Hazeltine said.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Santigold, local rock band Deer Tick and world-fusion quintet Toubab Krewe will also perform.

A student band, Doss the Artist and PGA Tour, will open for Of Montreal after winning a battle of the bands competition this past weekend.

Tickets will be sold for $15 each to Brown students, with a maximum of two per person. Students must present a Brown ID. The price for RISD students will also be $15, while members of the public will be able to purchase any remaining tickets this weekend for $25.

Page 4

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Thursday, April 16, 2009

C ampus N EWS Last chance to vote for UCS, UFB leadership

B ear y interestin g

Voting for leaders of the Undergraduate Council of Students and Undergraduate Finance Board ends today at 12 p.m. on MyCourses.

“Since the polls opened, we’ve seen record turnout among the student body,” said Elections Board Vice-Chair Zachary Langway ’09.

More than 2,000 students voted in the first 36 hours of the election, he said. Voting opened Tuesday at 12 p.m.

The candidates for UCS president are Paris Hays ’10, Mike MacCombie ’11, Ryan Lester ’11 and Clay Wertheimer ’10.

The candidates for UFB chair are Salsabil Ahmed ’11 and Jose Vasconez ’10.

— Seth Motel

Kim Perley / Herald

The Backbone Campaign held a workshop to teach “fun, non-violent direct action techniques” at Wilson Hall Wednesday using a giant polar bear puppet.

Few students attend Fellow events continued from page 2 in-residence at 22 Benevolent St. With the additional non-residential faculty, fellows have been able to bring in more guest speakers through connections and “get some really worthwhile high-quality things happening,” Suggs said.

For example, he said, Professor of Anthropology Lina Fruzzetti, the non-residential fellow associated with his house, organized a screening of a film about human trafficking. Fruzzetti invited specialists on the subject with whom Suggs said he would not have had connections as a chemistry professor.

But the re-energizing effort has not managed to increase the number of students who come to the events, Suggs said. The average attendance this year has dropped compared to

last year at 22 Benevolent St., he said. The drop might be related to moving up the usual event time to 8 p.m. from last year’s 10 p.m. start time, he said.

Associate Professor of Sociology Gregory Elliott, a non-residential fellow at 22 Benevolent St., said he would like to see more students attend.

“The major problem I see with this program is that it doesn’t seem to be a high priority among students,” he said. “We see a smaller number than would be most useful to our program at our study-break sessions.”

“We’ve had single-digit attendance at many of our events,” he said.

Attendance has varied for different events, Suggs said. Events like making crepes and a housing

lotter y information session have been popular, while events centered around “more targeted” subjects, such as Italian women in politics, have drawn smaller crowds.

Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, said she had expected that the expansion of the program would increase attendance but admitted that has not been the case. “Overall, it didn’t draw as many students as we’d hoped,” she said.

“It’s a lear ning process,” Bergeron said.

Though Brown has been finding ways to cut back on spending in almost all areas, Bergeron said the faculty fellows program is “a very high priority.” Administrators are maintaining their “commitment to making this program work,” she said.

The change the Internet needed www.browndailyherald.com

Metro The Brown Daily Herald

Thursday, April 16, 2009 | Page 5

metro in brief

Stimulus money goes to local arts

Herald File Photo

Hope High School is among six schools where “bumping” will no longer be used to fill teaching vacancies.

City schools end teacher placement policy

By George Miller Metro Editor

Providence Public Schools will end the practice known as “bumping” — filling teaching vacancies based mainly on seniority — at six schools later this year and throughout the city in 2010. The move to end bumping has angered the teachers union, which may sue to stop it.

Superintendent Tom Brady announced the change in an e-mail to all teachers and staff last week.

It follows a February order from

Peter McWalters, the state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education, that the district implement “criterion-based hiring and job assignment processes that are driven by student need rather than by seniority.”

Bumping causes a chain-reaction shuffling of teachers among schools, said Christina O’Reilly, a spokesperson for the school system.

For example, in order to eliminate a teaching position at a school, the district would need to send layoff notices to all of the most junior

Thayer Street congestion fix awaits new parking boss

By Melissa Shube Senior Staf f Writer

Last spring, a task force released recommendations to reduce parking problems and congestion on College Hill. A year later, implementation of those recommendations is on hold while the city waits for a new parking administrator to take control.

Among the College Hill Parking Task Force’s recommendations were more short-term parking for Thayer Street, more long-term parking for the area’s students and employees, increased parking enforcement and better signage and street markings.

John Nickelson, the director of the city’s Department of Public Works, said the city was interviewing potential parking administrators and expected to make a decision soon.

“I actually suggested that we hold off on the implementation until we have someone who can actually see this problem through,” Nickelson said.

Brendan McNally, director of the Rhode Island Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who chaired the task force, said the next step was for the city to hold a public meeting to discuss the proposals.

A lower age for Zipcar rentals and free use of RIPTA buses by students have already reduced demand for parking on the Hill, he said.

McNally said he was hopeful

that a meeting to discuss the task force’s proposals would be scheduled in the next couple of months.

The task force was a “good process” which resulted in valuable recommendations, he said. “We’re hopeful that they’ll still be good ideas to think about and implement,” he said.

However, not everyone agrees with the recommendations made by the task force. William Touret, the president of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, said some of the initiatives would actually increase the number of vehicles on College Hill.

In a July letter to the City Plan Commission, Touret wrote the “primar y cause of the worsening parking and traf fic congestion on College Hill is the continued facility expansion and intensification on College Hill, primarily by Brown University.” The task force proposal does not address Brown’s expansion, which he believes is the underlying cause of the parking problem, he wrote in the letter.

Brown participated in the task force’s review as part of the process of writing its institutional master plan, which the University must submit to the city every 10 years.

Meanwhile, drivers on Thayer Street and College Hill still face a shortage of parking spaces.

“If you live in College Hill, the traffic congestion and parking concontinued on page 6

teachers in the district. While only one teacher would be laid off, the remaining teachers would be shuffled around as each chose a new position based on seniority, she said.

Under the new hiring policy, all applicants will undergo an interview process with a committee and with the school’s principal, who will have final say as to who is hired. Hiring will take into account both principals’ and teachers’ ranked preferences, and a current teacher who continued on page 6

Of the $1.1 billion allotted to Rhode Island under the economic stimulus bill signed by President Obama in February, $291,500 is on its way to local art projects.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Forty percent of those funds will go to state and regional art agencies, including the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

The funding “is mostly about job creation, job preservat-ion,” said Fred Sneesby, a spokesman for Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65.

Randall Rosenbaum, the executive director of RISCA, said the group submitted its application to the NEA about one month ago and was approved for $291,500 in funding.

The money will be distributed to nonprofit arts organizations — specifically state arts agencies and regional arts organizations — through a grant-application process that is set to conclude on May 1. The groups that receive funding will be announced in early July, Rosenbaum said.

RISCA has been surveying the art field since October and has noted a significant decrease in contributions to the arts, he said. That in turn has led arts organizations to cut staff, he said.

Under these conditions, Rosenbaum said, the funds will have “a visible impact” on the state’s economy.

Public funding for the arts “is a main blood line for a lot of us,” said Mike Townsend, a local artist.

But artists won’t be the only ones to benefit from the fund, Rosenbaum said. Because the arts are a significant part of the state’s economy and require a smaller investment than other industries, the money allotted to the arts will have a widespread impact.

More performances will bring more diners to restaurants and more customers to parking garages, Rosenbaum said.

— Monique Vernon

Page 6

M etro

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

“There’s an impeding black cloud of taxation coming to us.”

— Bill Felkner, speaker at the Providence Tax Day TEA Party

Tea and anger at State House continued from page 1 Helen Glover, host of a morning talk show on Providence radio station WHJJ, served as master of ceremonies. “I always believed in paying my taxes because I didn’t aspire one day to be the secretary of treasury, where I could get out of paying my taxes,” she said to the crowd. “I always trusted my government. That has changed in the last several years, as I see wasteful spending continuing and there seems to be no end to it.”

Glover first introduced Colleen Conley, who was responsible for organizing the Providence rally. “They work for us,” Conley told the crowd, referring to the representatives working in the State House behind her.

“And that’s why we’re here — to tell them we are paying attention.”

“There’s an impeding black cloud of taxation coming to us,” said Bill Felkner, another speaker at the event and one of the many who helped plan

the rally. Felkner condemned the Obama administration’s bailouts of national banks and the growing national debt.

Felkner also presented attendees with a card pledging not to raise taxes, which he called upon Rhode Island representatives to sign. Rep. Joseph Trillo, R-Dist. 24, was the first to step forward and sign the tax pledge card.

“I am so happy to see I finally have some backup for the arguments I’ve been making in this building in the General Assembly for the last nine years,” Trillo said, prompting applause from the crowd. Four other state representatives followed his example and signed the pledge card.

Father Giacomo Capoverdi, a priest and former assistant to two Providence mayors, also addressed the crowd, denouncing excessive taxation.

“We are totally against breaking any of the Ten Commandments,”

Thursday, April 16, 2009

he said. “Especially the eighth commandment: Thou shalt not steal.”

He added that Americans should not have to “pay exorbitant taxes and have Obama decide where (their) money will go.”

The throng of protesters who attended the rally represented a variety of interest groups, but shared a common goal.

“The reason I’m here is because I have a 5-year-old son, and I’m concerned for his future,” a woman who identified herself only as Aurla told The Herald. “Everyone that we have at all levels of government should be ousted. I want to see people with morals running for office.”

Marion O’Brien, who is retired, said she had never protested anything before. She told The Herald she wanted to see a flat tax rate and an increased reliance on Americanmade goods. “I don’t want to leave ... a legacy of nothing but bills,” she said.

City takes steps to ease parking congestion continued from page 5 gestion is ver y serious, and it’s not getting any better,” Touret said. “I don’t think anybody — the city, Brown, the residents or visitors — would disagree with that.”

Christina Taylor, who works at Salon Kroma, said customers often call and say they are going to be late because they can’t find anywhere to park.

“A neighborhood parking lot, or even a parking garage, would be great,” she said.

Grant Dulgarian, a Thayer street businessman, said parking is still an issue, and expressed dismay at new restaurants opening on Thayer Street, noting that they will increase the need for parking.

“It’s a difficult situation now,”

he said. “At the ver y least we ought not to exacerbate the situation by adding any new demand for on-street parking.”

Students with cars on campus feel the parking crunch along with local business owners.

Scott Middleton ’10 said finding day parking around campus is “usually pretty difficult.” But, he said, “I’m also glad there’s not parking lots everywhere because that wouldn’t be too attractive.”

“It’s a big hassle because there’s a blackout period during the morning where you can’t park for free,” said Christi Zaleski ’11.

Nickelson said he is optimistic that the parking situation on Thayer and College Hill can be improved. “If not, we’ve done a lot of work for nothing,” he joked.

Teachers union might sue schools continued from page 5 is transferred will be required to stay in his new position until the end of the school year, according to Brady’s e-mail.

While the length of a teacher’s ser vice will still be “valued” and taken into consideration, it will no longer be the main factor in decisions, O’Reilly said. The new system will “best match teacher qualifications with student need,” she said.

For the 2009-10 school year, the policy change will take effect at four existing schools­ ­— Hope High School, Perry Middle School, Veazie Street Elementary School and Lauro Elementary School — as well as at the new Providence Career and Technical Academy and the newly renovated Nathan Bishop Middle School. It will take effect district-wide for the 2010-11 school year.

Brady and McWalters wanted to start with just a few schools, because they expect “there will be some wrinkles to iron out,” O’Reilly

said.

But Steve Smith, president of the Providence Teachers Union, said he sees a larger problem with the new plan. While the union is willing to accept McWalters’ order, Smith said, the district did not properly take into account teachers’ input.

“We’re just being paid lip service,” Smith said. “Superintendent Brady’s idea of collaboration is he tells us what he’s going to do.”

The union may pursue legal action against the plan, he said.

O’Reilly said the union was involved in six hours of meetings going over the proposed plan, but Smith said six hours are not enough time to deal with a “monumental” issue such as hiring practices.

The union worked non-stop for several days during recent weeks to create its own plan, which would take teachers’ experience into account, institute checks and balances and “give teachers a voice,” Smith said.

“Teachers’ experience should be valued,” he said.

Smith said the union wants lan-

guage assuring safeguards against unjustified assignments. According to Brady’s e-mail to school staff, the new plan will not allow “arbitrary, capricious” placements, and teachers will be entitled to request an explanation for any assignment they receive.

The union is willing to work with the district to form a new policy, Smith said.

“We’re more than willing to work with the district to implement the commissioner’s order, but to date this has been a top-down implementation,” he said.

Matthew Corritore ’09, a cocoordinator for Brown Students for Education Reform, said that he was optimistic that bumping will end but that a lawsuit from the teachers’ union would throw that into doubt.

His group’s school advocacy work has included circulating a petition to end bumping and support the school system in case of a lawsuit.

Research has shown that a stable school culture is important to learning and that bumps impede that proces, Corritore said.

SportsThursday The Brown Daily Herald

Thursday, April 16, 2009 | Page 7

Zanelli ’11 vaults to success Golf, track teams look

strong in early contests

By Elisabeth Avallone Spor ts Staf f Writer

Sports Staff Reports

This past weekend, Victoria Zanelli ’11 competed at the USAG Collegiate National at Southern Connecticut State, scoring a personal best of 9.725 on the beam and thereby earning USAG All-American status.

Posting a 9.375 on vault, a 9.250 on the bars and a 9.075 on floor, her total of 37.425 was one spot shy of USAG All-American status in the all-around.

Men’s golf Over the weekend, the men’s golf team competed at the New England Division I Championships, which were shor tened from 36 to 27 holes due to weather.

Brown shot a team score of 461, finishing sixth out of ten teams.

John Giannuzzi ’10 shot a 36 on the final nine holes to finish with a team-leading score of 113, which was good for seventh place individually. Chris Hoffman ’09 followed with a 115after shooting a 37 on the final nine holes, while Conor Malloy ’09 led the team with a 72 in the first round, but struggled in the second round, finishing the tournament at 116.

Michael Amato ’11 was next with a 120, while Joe Rued ’09 finished at 124.

This weekend, the team will compete at the Yale Invitational.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK This season, Zanelli earned Second Team All-Ivy Classic honors on the bars, beam and in the all-around.

She tied two previous career high scores, posting a 9.725 on bars and a 38.000 in the all-around.

For her outstanding per formance, The Herald has named Victoria Zanelli our Athlete of the Week.

Herald: When did you first pick up gymnastics and why?

Zanelli: I started when I was seven, after the 1996 Olympics. I would always do cartwheels and handstands when I was in soccer and ballet, so it just seemed to fit.

Herald File Photo

How often did you train in high school?

Five hours a day, six days a week.

It became so routine — leave school

early, practice, dinner, shower, homework, bed. continued on page 8

M. crew finds mixed results at Harvard

By Andrew Braca Sports Editor

The No. 6 men’s crew team achieved mixed results against No. 4 Harvard on Saturday on the Charles River, winning two out of five races.

In the varsity eight, Brown fell by a single second as the Crimson recaptured the Stein Cup, but the strong race showed the Bears had shaken off a 10-second loss to Harvard in the San Diego Crew Classic the previous Sunday.

“We had lost to them in the finals at San Diego by quite a lot, so I think, as much as we would have liked to win it, it was a good step forward to be right

up with them,” said Head Coach Paul Cooke ’89.

Brown went on to drop the freshman eight and the third varsity four, but the Bears picked up victories in the second varsity eight and the second freshman eight.

“Losing in the varsity was a tough defeat, but overall there were a lot of positive results that came out of the weekend,” said varsity eight coxswain Rob O’Leary ’09.

For the Bears, the weekend was a chance to reunite the entire team after only the varsity eight made the trip to San Diego.

“It was good to have everyone together,” Cooke said. “The guys all

train together, so it was great to have the whole squad go up there, and it was good racing all day. All the races were good contests.”

The varsity eight race opened the day in exciting fashion, as the teams battled down to the wire. Harvard prevailed with a time of 5:47.0, just one second faster than Brown.

O’Leary said the Bears were confident and were not fazed by Harvard’s big win in San Diego.

“We knew we could stay close to them and race them down to the line, which is what it came down to,” he said. “We weren’t worried at all about continued on page 8

Men’s track and field The men’s track and field team finished first at the Brown Invitational with a total 129 points. On the track, Alex Stern ’10 and Matt Duffy ’12 ran to a one-two finish in the 1500-meter run, finishing in 4:02.41 and 4:02.44, respectively.

Brian Schmidt ’09 won the 3000m in 8:26.88, while Sean O’Brien ’09 finished the 800m in 1:56.32, good for second place.

In the field, Reginald Cole ’10 earned two individual victories, winning the long jump in 6.36m and jumping 14.68m to win the triple jump. Jordan Maddocks

’11 also picked up a win, clearing 2.00m to claim first place in the high jump. Bryan Powlen ’10 made his presence felt in the throwing events, throwing 47.52m to win the discus and finishing second in the shot put with a toss of 15.62m.

Women’s track and field The women’s squad finished second at the Brown Invitational with 107 points, just behind winner Dartmouth, who finished with 109.25 points. Two Bears picked up wins on the track, as Kesley Ramsey ’11 won the 800m in a time of 2:12.63 and Herald Staff Writer Lauren Pischel ’11 crossed the line in 10:06.52 to earn the victory in the 3000m. Brown also got a strong performance from Megan Fitzpatrick ’11, who finished second in the 1500m in 4:50.61.

In the field, Brown dominated the jumps, as Shannon Stone ’10 and Rachel Biblo ’11 finished onetwo in the triple jump in 11.28m and 10.79m, respectively. Biblo got the win in the long jump with a jump of 5.14m, while Anja Hergrueter ’10 cleared 1.75m for first place in the high jump, a collegiate personal record. In the throwing events, Brynn Smith ’11 won the shot put with a throw of 15.22m, her best put of the season, and Molly Hawskley ’09 threw 48.00m for second place in the hammer throw.

This weekend, both squads will resume competition at the UConn Invitational and the John McDonnell Invitational at the University of Arkansas.

Page 8

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Thursday, April 16, 2009

S ports T hursday

AOTW: Gymnast looks to offseason M. varsity crew edged by continued from page 7 Wow. With such a demanding schedule, did you have any free time apart from gymnastics and school?

Barely. I don’t even know how I managed to get everything done.

Who is your favorite gymnast

of all time?

Alicia Sacramone (’12).

Did you have any gymnastics dreams as a child?

I was determined to go to the Olympics when I first started, but then you realize that it takes way more time and work than you would anticipate.

Do you have a favorite event?

I would have to say beam because it’s the least impact on my body and requires the least endurance. Once you get over the fear of being on four inches, you’re good to go.

How about a least favorite?

Vault. Everything happens too fast so it’s harder to fix or adjust yourself.

What goes through your head while you’re competing?

I try not to listen to the floor music or the other teams cheering in the background. I talk through the motions and visualize the best routines I’ve competed.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you while competing?

This happens to every gymnast, but your leotard rides up and you can’t fix it because you’d get a deduction.

Now that the gymnastics season is over, what will you do during your free time?

I catch up on my social life. I actually go to class now, and get a reasonable amount of sleep.

one second at Harvard continued from page 7 the ten seconds from the week before, but it was definitely good to kind of put ourselves back in the race.”

Christian Crynes ’10 was in the bow, followed by Chris Bowman ’11 in the second seat, Matt Wheeler ’09 in third, Cole Bonner ’10 in fourth, Ben Duggan ’10 in fifth, Scott Morgan ’10 in sixth, Nick Ritter ’10 in the seventh seat, Gareth Seymour ’09 at stroke and O’Leary.

The Bears turned the tables on the Crimson with a five-second victory in the second varsity eight, crossing the line in 5:56.0.

Harvard dominated the third varsity four, as four Crimson boats finished between 6:29.0 and 6:39.0, while Brown trailed at 6:42.0. The freshmen eight race also went Harvard’s way, as the Crimson finished at 5:59.8 and the Bears followed at 6:03.2.

Bruno closed out the race with a victory in the second freshman eight, clocking in at 6:20.3, 3.1 seconds ahead of Harvard.

But Cooke said winning the second varsity eight and second freshman eight was not necessarily a product of his team’s depth.

“Harvard actually has a ton of depth,” he said, citing the third varsity

four race. “They actually have a lot more depth in terms of just physical numbers of people, and, I think, pretty good athletes, but we have a group of guys that are really motivated.”

“I think we just have a good, solid core group,” he added.

The Bears sprang into action on Saturday, supporting their teammates in a way the varsity eight missed in San Diego.

“There’s a lot of energy that comes from the entire squad being there, so it really helps to fuel each boat to have everyone there behind them,” O’Leary said.

The Bears hope to get support from a different source — their home crowd — when they take on Northeastern on Saturday at 2:30 on the Seekonk River. The women will also race on the Seekonk on Saturday when they host Boston University.

“I’m really looking forward to the home race,” Wheeler said. “It should be really fun. Northeastern’s a really high-quality competitor to race against, so we have our work cut out for us.”

O’Leary also said he was eagerly anticipating the home race, adding, “We’re just excited to test ourselves again against another really fast competitor.”

Thursday, April 16, 2009

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

C ampus N EWS

Page 9

“We’ve been lucky, but I don’t think our experience is common.”

— Pauline Luong, assoc. professor of political science, on finding childcare through Brown

Reduced state aid, recession hurt families, childcare providers continued from page 1 facility.

Given these limited opportunities for affordable, quality childcare near campus, many Brown employees are looking to the University to provide greater access to childcare services and information.

Parents who are unable to enroll their children in University-affiliated childcare programs are at the “mercy of the market,” said Pauline Luong, associate professor of political science, who drops off her 4-year-old twins at Brown/Fox Point.

“We’ve been lucky,” she said, “but I don’t think our experience is common.”

Long waiting lists and admission lotteries at care centers force many Brown families to turn to more expensive facilities — a scary proposition in the current economic climate.

But recent efforts by the University might offer some respite.

Acknowledging the difficulty of obtaining adequate childcare, Brown is working with Mount Hope Daycare to open eight new infant care slots at the facility’s Hope Street location this fall, said Drew Murphy, director of benefits in the University’s human resources department.

But the effort — like cleaning one child’s hand in a room full of finger-painting toddlers — repre-

sents an insufficient and temporary solution to a state-wide problem.

The biggest concern The University has formed various committees and conducted numerous studies on childcare over the past few decades, Amirault said.

A survey administered to faculty and staff in spring 2007 identified full-day childcare — especially infant and toddler care — as the numberone concern, Murphy wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “Following closely behind,” he wrote, “was the need for emergency backup care when regular daycare arrangements fall through.”

In an effort to offer more of such backup care during emergencies, the University began offering subsidized care to the children of faculty members through the Work Options Group last September. A national backup care company, Work Options offers up to 100 hours of care for a nominal co-payment — $2 per hour for in-center care and $4 per hour for home care, Murphy said.

More faculty members have started using the service in the last few months — increasing from 109 hours in January to 369 in March, Murphy wrote in his e-mail.

But graduate students are not eligible for the service, which falls under the category of a University

benefit, said Cairn Smith, senior benefits specialist in human resources.

Michele Mericle, a graduate student in the history department, said emergency backup care has been a major concern for her 3-year-old daughter. “It happens all the time,” she said. “If she gets sick, what do I do? I don’t have family in the area. I can’t bring her to grandma.”

Finding a balance Though Taft Avenue Daycare and Brown/Fox Point both maintain relationships with the Brown community, each facility has its own tuition and admission policies.

Neither facility is subsidized by the University, but both occupy University buildings at no cost. In exchange, Brown/Fox Point gives priority to Brown families in its lottery system every year, Amirault said, adding that there are generally about 100 applicants for 40 or 50 slots.

Brown/Fox Point decides fees on a case-by-case basis, using a sliding scale as a guide, Amirault said.

He said weekly tuition ranges from $100 to $240.

In contrast, tuition at the Taft Avenue facility is determined on a fixed sliding scale based on annual income. Fees for full-time care range from $155 to $200 per week.

Those with low income, includ-

ing some graduate students on stipends, can seek state aid through the Child Care Assistance Program run by the Department for Human Services.

But following state budget cuts in 2007, this aid was drastically reduced, and within the following year, the number of children enrolled in the program fell from 12,000 to 9,000, according to a 2008 press release from Rhode Island Kids Count, a policy organization that seeks to improve the care and development of the state’s children.

Reduced state aid, coupled with the current economic situation, affects both families and childcare providers, Amirault said. As families pull their children out of care, providers — running on tight margins — are forced to close their doors, he said.

The state does not fully reimburse facilities for the cost of caring for children on aid, said Carol Mahoney of the Mount Hope Daycare.

Infant care is particularly expensive for childcare providers as the state mandates lower studentto-teacher ratios and requires the presence of a nurse for infant care, Mahoney said.

She added that economic realities are often in conflict with the emotional aspects of providers’ jobs.

“You have a business side, but you also have a compassionate side,” Mahoney said.

‘It takes money’ Sitting down for a hearty snack of raisin bread and orange juice in his Taft Avenue Daycare classroom, 4-year-old Liam shows off his newly learned writing skills. “I’ll show you how to make an S,” he says. “It’s like skiing — I’m a super good skier.”

He traces the S shape over and over on the paper, each time dragging the pen back up through his letter to start again. Maybe it’s a trick of the eye, but it seems that dollar signs — not S’s — cover the page.

Most local childcare centers are not-for-profit, Amirault said, adding that Brown/Fox Point obtains the majority of its funding from tuition, federal financial aid, fundraising and grants.

Amirault said he thinks early childhood education professionals are not valued by society.

“Childcare is largely subsidized on the backs of (the care providers) who do not get paid what they are owed,” he said, adding that he pays his employees at Brown/Fox Point about $30,000 a year, far below what he believes they deserve.

“It takes money, and oversight and spine and political will,” he said.

Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Thursday, April 16, 2009

l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r s

Lighten the burden of interdisciplinary programs To the Editor: While I applaud Nick Hagerty ’10 for his continued focus on University issues, his most recent column (“Academic Inequality,” April 13) has some poor proposals.

He starts off his column by stating that faculty turnover is slow.

This could not be further from the truth. The figure I have recently heard cited states that 40 percent of the faculty at Brown has arrived in the last six years. Continued focus on our hiring practices and tenure policies are critical to maintaining the university-college.

Hagerty then proceeds to say that for the sake of smaller class sizes, depar tments with higher teaching loads, such as economics, should have more full-timeequivalent appointments available to them. This model exists at other universities across the countr y, and turns undergraduate education into a race to form the best “gut” course.

For example, Biology may want to ensure that all students with distribution requirements in science take their easy nutrition course so their enrollment is higher and they receive more funding and more faculty as a result. The effect is bad enough when there are required

courses, but at Brown, where students are able to create their general curriculum, the translation of easy credits to resources would be too great for any department to resist.

The teaching burden at Brown is not felt most by departments like economics (where there are currently three seniors writing theses), it is felt by interdisciplinar y programs with no “center” or depar tment to call its own, like development studies (where all concentrators are required to write a thesis). In these fields, it can be difficult to supply courses required for concentrators from year to year, and hiring in other departments with their own priorities, which may or may not align with a particular interdisciplinar y field, is not responsive enough to the needs of students on campus.

For these concentrators size is not an issue; the issue is ensuring required courses are offered to begin with.

How we appoint FTEs is a ver y tricky issue that should be explored further, but course enrollment is a bad model to follow, especially at Brown.

Jason Becker ’07 April 15

t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d Editor-in-Chief Steve DeLucia

Managing Editors Michael Bechek Chaz Firestone

editorial Arts & Culture Editor Ben Hyman Hannah Levintova Arts & Culture Editor Features Editor Sophia Li Features Editor Emmy Liss Higher Ed Editor Gaurie Tilak Higher Ed Editor Matthew Varley Metro Editor George Miller Metro Editor Joanna Wohlmuth News Editor Chaz Kelsh News Editor Jenna Stark Sports Editor Benjy Asher Sports Editor Andrew Braca Asst. Sports Editor Alex Mazerov Asst. Sports Editor Katie Wood Graphics & Photos Graphics Editor Chris Jesu Lee Graphics Editor Stephen Lichenstein Eunice Hong Photo Editor Kim Perley Photo Editor Justin Coleman Sports Photo Editor production Kathryn Delaney Copy Desk Chief Seth Motel Copy Desk Chief Marlee Bruning Design Editor Jessica Calihan Design Editor Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor Julien Ouellet Asst. Design Editor Neal Poole Web Editor

Associate Editors Nandini Jayakrishna Franklin Kanin Michael Skocpol

Senior Editors Rachel Arndt Catherine Cullen Scott Lowenstein

Business General Managers Office Manager Shawn Reilly Alexander Hughes Jonathan Spector Directors Ellen DaSilva Sales Director Claire Kiely Sales Director Phil Maynard Sales Director Katie Koh Finance Director Jilyn Chao Asst. Finance Director Managers Local Sales Kelly Wess National Sales Kathy Bui University Sales Alex Carrere Recruiter Sales Christiana Stephenson Credit and Collections Matt Burrows Opinions

Opinions Editor Sarah Rosenthal Editorial Page Board James Shapiro Editorial Page Editor Nick Bakshi Board member Zack Beauchamp Board member Sara Molinaro Board member William Martin Board member Post- magazine Arthur Matuszewski Editor-in-Chief Kelly McKowen Editor-in-Chief

Jessica Kirschner, Anna Migliaccio, Designers Sydney Ember, Lauren Fedor, Jordan Mainzer, Seth Motel, Copy Editors Mitra Anoushiravani, Chaz Kelsh, George Miller, Ben Schreckinger, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Mitra Anoushiravani, Ellen Cushing, Sydney Ember, Lauren Fedor, Nicole Friedman, Britta Greene, Sarah Husk, Brian Mastroianni, Hannah Moser, Ben Schreckinger, Caroline Sedano, Melissa Shube, Anne Simons, Sara Sunshine Staff Writers Zunaira Choudhary, Chris Duffy, Nicole Dungca, Juliana Friend, Cameron Lee, Kelly Mallahan, Christian Martell, Heeyoung Min, Seth Motel, Jyotsna Mullur, Lauren Pischel, Leslie Primack, Anne Speyer, Alexandra Ulmer, Kyla Wilkes Sports Staff Writers Nicole Stock Senior Business Associates Max Barrows, Jackie Goldman, Margaret Watson, Ben Xiong Business Associates Diahndra Burman, Stassia Chyzhykova, Caroline Dean, Marco deLeon, Katherine Galvin, Bonnie Kim, Maura Lynch, Cathy Li, Allen McGonagill, Liana Nisimova, Thanases Plestis, Agathe Roncey, Corey Schwartz, William Schweitzer, Kenneth So, Evan Sumortin, Haydar Taygun, Anshu Vaish, Webber Xu, Lyndse Yess Design Staff Katerina Dalavurak, Gili Kliger, Jessica Kirschner, Joanna Lee, Maxwell Rosero, John Walsh, Kate Wilson, Qian Yin Photo Staff Qidong Chen, Janine Cheng, Alex DePaoli, Frederic Lu, Quinn Savit, Min Wu Copy Editors Sara Chimene-Weiss, Sydney Ember, Lauren Fedor, Miranda Forman, Casey Gaham, Anna Jouravleva, Geoffrey Kyi, Frederic Lu, Jordan Mainzer, Kelly Mallahan, Madeleine Rosenberg Web Developers Jihan Chao

chris jesu lee

opinions extra

Lawyers won’t kill IR ALYSSA RATLEDGE Opinions Columnist Since the publication of a scathing article on Interim Director of the Watson Institute David Kennedy ’76 (“Watson director’s unpopular agenda draws ire,” March 16), several Herald letters and columns have stepped up to defend Kennedy from personal criticism.

Few, however, challenged the article’s angle: that it is somehow distasteful for Watson to hire legal studies professors and provide law-themed classes.

Perhaps if Kennedy were suddenly forcing every international relations student to be pre-law, I could understand such an attitude, but short of that, what’s the problem?

The Watson Institute is one of the most interdisciplinary institutions on campus. Its faculty members come from a variety of backgrounds and hold a variety of positions, from professors to fellows to visiting scholars.

Undergraduate concentrators in international relations have requirements in departments from IR and political science to sociology, anthropology, history and foreign languages. IR students already look at the world through a number of lenses; considering the importance of law in devel-

opment, diplomacy and economics, it seems perfectly logical to include legal studies.

In fact, legal studies might be just as important an element of international relations as any of the aforementioned fields. Just as we often frown upon leaders displaying ignorance of other societies’ cultural norms, we wouldn’t want them to act without some knowledge of domestic and international law. Providing another option for students in IR (and other concentrations) to investigate the intersection of theory and practice would help them apply what they learn at Brown to careers in the real world.

Practical, real-world application is, in fact, one of the reasons that Watson hires such a diverse faculty.

There are plenty of “nontraditional” scholars working at Watson — one recent addition, Professor-at-large Romano Prodi, worked for the University of Bologna and in the Italian Parliament. For an organization like Watson, finding professors with both academic and tangible experience is not only respectable — it’s necessary.

Kennedy chose to hire for temporary positions professors without PhDs, but with relevant experience. No one has criticized appointments of Richard Holbrooke ’62 or Lincoln Chafee ’75 as Visiting Fellows at Watson, because

of their knowledge and experience.

Why criticize Dan Danielsen, J.D. and Massachusetts Bar member, for teaching a seminar called “How Lawyers Think”?

This is not to say that Kennedy is above reproach. If there are legitimate concerns regarding his management style or nepotistic hiring practices, as indicated by several anonymous sources in the article, they should be investigated through proper channels — but not based upon the assumption that classes about law are bad for students or the department.

Instead, legal studies classes seem to be a nice complement to current classes by offering a new outlook within the field.

Kennedy doesn’t have dastardly plans to eliminate the IR degree and fill Watson with Harvard-produced law school drones. In fact, adding legal studies as a choice within the curriculum will give IR students more opportunities. The IR program at Brown will remain a draw because of its multidisciplinary outlook, not in spite of it. A few Harvard lawyers can’t kill one of the most popular concentrations on campus.

Alyssa Ratledge ’11, a public policy concentrator, thinks international relations concentrators shouldn’t be afraid to lay down the law.

corrections A story in Wednesday’s Herald (“Corporation will consider ‘young alum’ positions,” April 15) incorrectly reported that the proposed young alumni trustees would be elected through the Brown Alumni Association. In fact, according to Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn, the proposal calls for young alumni trustees to be appointed by the Corporation’s Committee on Trustee Vacancies.

The same story also incorrectly reported that no Corporation member since 1938 had graduated from Brown less than 10 years prior to serving on the Corporation. In fact, no Corporation member since 1978 has served within five years of his or her graduation, according to Quinn.

“Corporation will consider ‘young alum’ positions” also referred to Mike Da Cruz ’09 as a member of Students for a Democratic Society. While he has recently been a member of that organization, he is not currently an active member, and the opinions he expressed in the story were his own, not those of SDS. 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 editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page 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 clarity 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.

Opinions The Brown Daily Herald

Thursday, April 16, 2009 | Page 11

How not to win a college election

JEANNE JEONG Opinions Columnist

Though the approval rating of UCS has increased since the fall to a little over 50 percent, the organization still remains somewhat of a mystery to the rest of campus. So it seems fitting that UCS elections should be equally baffling.

During the past few weeks, hopeful candidates for various UCS positions have been asking for signatures from anyone and everyone. Of course, this preliminary process certainly does popularize candidates’ names and faces. At the same time, however, it’s annoying. In many cases, the act of running around gathering signatures from random acquaintances of friends of friends makes people lose interest in the candidate and his or her platform. That is, if they ever cared about his or her platform.

Understandably, the process of getting signatures weeds out candidates who are not serious. Not that the upcoming election has really shown me what it means to be serious about UCS. But even the most dedicated aspiring politician might reconsider the decision to run if it means having to approach 200 pound football players in the omelet line at the Ratty after having exhausted the less-

menacing Roots and Shoots regulars. Forcing candidates to seek out an obscene number of signatures, though it seems an easy task on paper, could discourage shyer but qualified candidates. Understandably, those in leadership roles should be outgoing and responsive to the student body. Asking for a signature, however, is like asking for a number at Fish Co. Most times it means nothing, and neither party will remember the other’s name.

Then there’s the next step: campaigning.

More often than not, this also takes place at

reminded that the tables are still wobbly, despite UCS’ alleged efforts. As a result, campaigning is essentially ineffective. The platforms are often left ignored, people are bored and votes are haphazardly promised.

While on the topic of haphazard promises made with no intention of following through, I think it might be pertinent to discuss those pesky Facebook event invitations to Vote for (name) for (position). The gesture of checking “Attending,” “Maybe Attending” or “Not Attending” is polarizing, and the mass invi-

UCS campaigning is essentially ineffective. The platforms are often left ignored, people are bored and votes are haphazardly promised.

the Ratty. And once again, it destroys the quality of life of the average Brown student.

Admittedly, when I say average Brown student, I mean me. Regardless, this average Brown student, enjoys rushed lunches between classes and long dinners before heading to the library. In neither of these cases does the student wish to talk to candidates about UCS, commit to voting for them or be

tations are unappreciated. Extremely so, in fact, when they keep reappearing regardless of the multitude of times I remove the invitation from my events to avoid controversy.

It may be easier to respond “Attending” to all invitations, but that could cause further complications. I would be publicly throwing my support behind more than one candidate, leading the others on and being altogether

too undemocratic for such a clearly important election.

When election day rolls around, it seems unlikely that students will eagerly log on to MyCourses to vote. Not only is MyCourses difficult to navigate, but students may want to avoid a site whose primary use is disseminating homework assignments. This is not just conjecture; in last year’s UCS and UFB elections, only 1,346 ballots were cast (hardly an overwhelming percentage of the student body), and many abstained from voting for some positions on the ballot.

The fact that elections for the governing body are so random (for lack of a better word) is a little disheartening. UCS has been improving, as shown by polls, and has the ability to greatly benefit the student body. Yet because students don’t take elections seriously and candidates respond accordingly, I planned on voting the same way I did for positions in high school — for whoever gives out the best bribes. (For future reference, doughnuts work well.)

It would be different if the platforms weren’t all the same, or if people, including myself, knew what the majority of these contested offices did. And if the Ratty really did have less wobbly tables, so I would have something to believe in again.

Jeanne Jeong ’12 is from Ashburn, Va,.

She can be reached at Jeanne_Jeong@brown.edu

A love letter to two of Brown’s libraries KATHARINE HERMANN Opinions Columnist Over the course of my four years at Brown, I have spent an estimated 2,040 hours in the Rock. Add another 476 hours for the Hay, where I have worked for the last two years, and that makes about 2,516 hours spent in Brown University libraries. I love the Brown libraries and have two points to make on their behalf: Appreciate the Rock more. Use the Hay more.

There are quite a few loyal Rock users, but the librar y is still underutilized. And those students that I frequently see around could be a bit more appreciative. Students constantly lodge complaints against the Rock.

With some of them, I agree. The second floor is freezing. The architectural style clashes with many of the surrounding University buildings. But my experiences at other university libraries, while limited, give me the distinct impression that the Rock is unparalleled in terms of comfort, convenience and community.

I have done research at Columbia’s Butler Library and have visited Harvard’s Widener Library a few times. These institutions are perhaps more picturesque than the Rock, but they are lacking in areas where the Rock

shines. The Rock provides huge, open and light-filled workspaces, not tiny compartments in subdivided rooms, such as those that I saw at Columbia. The Rock offers not only excellent research materials but comfortable seating arrangements that facilitate long reading sessions and, depending upon your inclination, light socializing.

The Rock has plenty of desktop computers — big, bulky, easy-to-use PCs with big screens and big mouses — and I have never had a difficult time finding an available com-

for at college. But if that charm is what you want, welcome to the Hay. The John Hay Librar y needs to be demystified. If more students understood the Hay, more would use it. The Hay is situated to the right of the Rock as you exit the Van Wickle Gates. The Hay is not to be confused with the John Carter Brown Library, which is situated on the Main Green, and is independent from the Brown libraries in terms of administration and funding. According to the Encyclopedia Brunoniana, The Hay houses

I love the Brown libraries and have two points to make on their behalf: Appreciate the Rock more.

Use the Hay more.

puter there. Despite having a little white laptop, I wrote my entire thesis on these computers and am beginning to find them cool in a counter-cool way. I know that their availability and accessibility are the products of planning by librar y administration and staff to provide the academic support tools— beyond just books — that students need.

The Rock might not offer the old-school academic character that many of us search

Brown’s special collections, with “particularly strong collections in American literature and history, popular culture, military history and iconography, history of science and the art and history of the book.” The librarians are kind and extremely helpful, if protective of the collection and loyal to the librar y’s regulations.

The regulations are many, but they are not so difficult to understand. The Hay is

a closed stacks librar y, meaning that the materials that you request are paged for you.

You cannot check materials out from the Hay. Materials must be read in the beautiful, multi-storied reading room, complete with solid wood tables and brass desk lamps. You cannot take jackets or bags into the reading room; they must be checked in the coat room.

And pencils only, please.

But here is the most important piece of information about the Hay, which I think is the most commonly misconceived — anyone can use the reading room, even if they are not using Hay materials.

The Hay is a vestige of library systems past. It is the classic university library that I hear Brown students complain about not having. You do have it. So use its materials, or use it only for its reading room. Basically, just use it.

As I prepare to leave Brown, I think about how I can replace the community, stimulation and academic support that the Brown libraries have brought to my undergraduate experience. I’m not sure that I will find these things in one place again. So, to those with a few years left at Brown, I say, use them, appreciate them and lastly, enjoy them.

Katharine Hermann ’09 is a COE and Urban Studies concentrator from Portland, Oregon.

Log on, sound off. Now you can comment online!

Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.

Today The Brown Daily Herald

t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s

5

Local teachers, school system battle

7

to day

to m o r r o w

54 / 32

68 / 43

The star gymnast that isn’t Alicia Sacramone

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Page 12

d i a m o n d s a n d c oa l A diamond to the sophomore who runs a business making “pupcakes” and other baked goods in need of quotation marks. With Spring Weekend coming up, you may want to whip up some “brownies.”

A sympathetic diamond to Latin American countries, who former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos Escobar said had “done their homework” regarding economic development and had “been good students,” but were still suffering.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you those macro problem sets are a bitch.

5

Coal to Rush Limbaugh, who suggested that our “multiculturist” University, after renaming Columbus Day, might as well get rid of Halloween. That’s silly.

Although, technically, you have a point — Halloween parties at FishCo are probably at least as responsible for the spread of syphilis as Columbus was.

c a l e n da r TODAY, april 16

TOMORROW, april 17

12 p.m. — 23rd Annual Bizarre Bazaar Charity Auction, Wriston Quad

9 A.M. to 5 P.M. — “Evolutionary Landscape,” an exhibit by Eve Stockton, Pembroke Hall

5 p.m. — SPEC Day Carnival, Main Green

7 p.m. — BCA Concert: Nas and Deer Tick, Main Green

menu Sharpe Refectory

Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Vegan Tofu Raviolis with Sauce, Polynesian Chicken Wings, Grilled Ham and Swiss Sandwich

Lunch — Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap, Vegan Tofu Raviolis, Grilled Cajun Chicken

Dinner — Vegetarian Gnocchi a la Sorrentina, Roast Turkey with Sauce, Stuffing, Mashed White Potatoes

Dinner — Chicken Chimichangas, Mediterranean Couscous, Fried Rice Bowl with Ham, Vegetable Egg Rolls

Speaking of disease, a diamond to Jim Yong Kim ’82, who spoke about global health Tuesday before heading off to Hanover, N.H., to become the new president of Dartmouth. Malaria, schmalaria — wait until you see what’s going around in those frat basements.

A diamond to the Class of 2013, which had higher than average SAT scores than previous pools. We hope you’re also smaller than average — we hear rumors that ResLife may have to put three of you in a New Pembroke kitchen.

Coal to the state of Rhode Island, which is expected to reject Brown’s request for $215 million in federal stimulus funds for new projects. What else are you going to spend money on in Rhode Island? Our biggest industries are discount furniture, indoor prostitution and veal.

A diamond to the Corporation, which will consider changing its policy of sealing its official documents for 50 years. If only, before we die, we might get to read the official transcript of what you said when you saw that ladder flying toward the window.

Finally, a diamond to the forecast for Spring Weekend. According to the National Weather Service, there’s a 90 percent chance that Nas will make it rain on dem hos.

comics

crossword Enigma Twist | Dustin Foley

Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman

Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman