Wednesday, September 23, 2009 by The Brown Daily Herald

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vol. cxliv, no. 70 | Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891

Musharraf reflects on Pakistan’s past U. to offer

new Ph.D. in biology

By Alexandra Ulmer and Suzannah Weiss Senior Staff Writers

Former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf said India poses an “existential threat” to Pakistan to a packed Salomon 101 Tuesday night. His wide-ranging speech touched on nuclear proliferation, the Talibanization of Afghanistan and the challenges of leadership. The crowd of students and faculty who came to see the political leader speak overflowed into Sayles Hall, where a simulcast of the speech was screened. Musharraf, who took office after a coup in 1999 and led Pakistan until he resigned in August 2008, spoke for about 45 minutes. A question-and-answer session moderated by Associate Professor of International Relations Nina Tannenwald followed. Flanked by the Pakistani and American flags, Musharraf greeted the crowd — which included a reporter from Pakistan’s 24-hour news channel, News One — with a military salute. He then delved into an overview of Pakistan’s recent history and its relations with bordering countries and with the West. He also discussed threats posed by the region’s extremist groups. The epicenter of terrorism —

By Alicia Dang Staf f Writer

Kim Perley / Herald

Students lined up to hear former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf speak. Brown IDs and a security check were required for entry.

which Musharraf called one of the world’s prime challenges — is located in Pakistan and its neighboring countries, he said. Regionwide extremism requires a systemic, durable and multifaceted solution, he added. “Don’t be stuck in the short-term solution,” he said. “Go for the root.” Poverty and disparity drive extremism, he said, citing the alienation of Muslim youth in India and illiteracy in rural Afghanistan. “Pakistan is a victim of terrorism and extremism,” he added. These issues require a broader

approach than military action can provide, the former general said. “Military will not provide peace alone,” Musharraf said. But Musharraf maintained that military force along the border with India remains crucial for Pakistan, which Musharraf said faces an “existential threat” from its neighbor. Pakistan’s current forces — and nuclear arsenal — on the border are purely defensive, he said. Musharraf acknowledged the countries’ frayed continued on page 2

Sydney Ember / Herald

Musharraf spoke and answered questions for over an hour.

Coolidge ’01 named new Muslim chaplain

A square of voices, shape-note group grows

by Luisa Robledo Staff Writer

BY ALICIA CHEN Staf f Writer

inside

During his sophomore year, David Coolidge ’01 converted to Islam. A decade later, he has come back to his alma mater prepared to offer guidance to students as the new Muslim chaplain. “I see myself as someone who wants to be a resource for all members of the community,” Coolidge said. “Faculty, staff and students — I’m here to respond to their needs.” Rumee Ahmed, the University’s first Muslim chaplain, left in the spring of 2008 to pursue a tenuretrack position at Colgate University. The search committee immediately thought of Coolidge, said the Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson, University chaplain. But Coolidge had just accepted a position as Muslim adviser at Dartmouth and originally turned down the job. “Dartmouth was one of the best jobs I ever had,” Coolidge said. “I was able to do all the things I was passionate about,” he added, in-

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Brown’s chapter, which she created when she arrived at Brown three years ago. About 30 students, faculty memMiller first learned about Sabers and Providence residents cred Harp while at a “hippie” high gathered in the Steinert Choral school in Vermont, she said. She later went on to make it the topic Room last Thursday. The singers sat in a square — of her graduate thesis and of her one voice part on each side — fac- book “Traveling Home,” which ing each other, with the song lead- was published last year. er standing in the middle. They Shape-note singing started in had no audience the United States but themselves as in 1798 as a way to FEATURE they filled the room help people read with hearty a cappella renditions of music, Miller said. Instead of foltraditional Christian spirituals. lowing the shape of traditional mu“Sweet is the day of sacred sical notes, the head of each note rest/ No mortal cares shall seize is a different shape depending on my breast/ O may my heart in its pitch — making it easier for tune be found/ Like David’s harp singers to sight-read the music. of solemn sound,” the group sang, Sacred Harp refers to both the as Assistant Professor of Music human voice and the main tuneKiri Miller led the warm-up. book used by groups today. “The During the school year, a group texts are really beautiful, archaic congregates every Thursday eve- Christian poetry,” Miller said, rening for Sacred Harp singings, ferring to the songs’ lyrics. which are also known as shapeUnlike traditional music note singings. The music uses groups, Sacred Harp does not have a special notation with notes of continued on page 2 dif ferent shapes. Miller leads

Max Monn / Herald

David Coolidge ’01 is the University’s new Muslim chaplain.

cluding practicing religion “in the context of an actual job.” But the Dartmouth position was only short-term. After a year’s wait, the search committee approached him again, and this time he accepted. “For me, a big part of coming back to Brown was the rememcontinued on page 3

Beginning next year, graduate students studying computational molecular biology will be able to officially work toward a Ph.D. in the field. The new program, created by the Center for Computational Molecular Biology, draws from four disciplines: ecology and evolutionary biology, applied mathematics, computer science and biology. Since its founding in 2003, the CCMB has been working to make the program a reality. The Corporation approved the initiative last May, according to a press release, and its first participants will start next fall. The program’s curriculum will be “integrated across (the four) departments,” said Sorin Istrail, professor of computer science and director of the CCMB. Students will focus on genomics, Istrail said, “using biology (and) computational methods to create models, understand life sciences, transform knowledge and validate conjectures.” Forming the program was no easy task given the number of departments involved, Istrail said. Getting them to agree took some work, he said, adding, “We had to fight intellectually with them.” But the work was worth it, he said, and it brings to Brown a “true hybrid world-class program in the new era.” The interdisciplinar y approach — which students will experience from the start — will “create scientists and professors in the future that are world experts in this area,” he said. The program will star t out small, with just three or four students each year, Istrail said. These students are expected to “be strong in both biological and computer sciences,” he said, but program participants will still have the chance to improve in the areas in which they might not be as strong. “We will look at their undergraduate background as a model of how they need to be prepared,” he said. Besides conducting research projects on genomics, the program will also strengthen undergraduate education, with Ph.D. students working as TAs in undergraduate classes, Istrail said. Undergraduates will have the chance to participate in the procontinued on page 2

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C ampus N EWS

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

“Becoming a Muslim made sense with what I wanted in life.” — David Coolidge ’01, Muslim chaplain

Musharraf speaks about leadership, Pakistan-India relations continued from page 1 relationship, adding that he has the “dubious distinction” of fighting two of the three wars between them. Though the two countries came close to settling their disputes during his presidency, the relationship remains tense, he said. “I am a man of war, but I am a man for peace,” Musharraf said, adding that he understands the “ravages” of war. “That’s why I am for peace,” he said. In addition to instability, developmental problems abound in the region, said Musharraf, who drew laughter with his remarks about economics jargon. “There is a tendency to complicate our economies,” he said, adding that he often reacts to economists with the question, “Why are you

confusing me?” Reflecting on his time as president, Musharraf addressed the qualities a leader embodies and the ways students can integrate these qualities into their careers. Musharraf said the primary role of a Third World political leader is “to ensure the security, progress and development of the state for the wellbeing of the people.” A leader can gain a following through fear, but it is better to be relatable to subordinates, he said, adding that “your people must love and respect you and never be scared of you.” The lesson which he has drawn from years in power during the conflict between India and Pakistan, he said, is that “a compromise for the bigger has all the positive connotations.” “Boldness to give,” Musharraf

said, is the most important quality of a leader. “An agreement implies give and take. It cannot be take and take.” Musharraf, whose speech ranged broadly, also drew laughter when he discussed the key components of good leadership near the end of his remarks. Glancing at his watch, Musharraf said, “I’ll skip the part about justice.” As Tannenwald laid out the rules for the session — “If you feel the need to make a speech, please go afterward and blog later” — the screen in Sayles Hall focused in on Musharraf fanning himself with his folded notes, provoking laughter from students. “I expect very frank questions and you should expect equally frank answers,” Musharraf said. Sriram Subramanian ’10 asked Musharraf about the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir, in which Musharraf com-

Program unites departments for new Ph.D. continued from page 1 gram, too, researching with graduate students and faculty, he said. Along with the seven faculty members who are already working with the center, five new professors will join specifically for the new program. So far, four of the five positions have been filled. Istrail is joined by Professor of Applied Mathematics Charles Lawrence, Professor of Computer Science Ben Raphael and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Daniel Weinreich. “The University gives high priority to the program,” said Is-

trail, citing the research and study space given to the program on the second floor of the Thomas J. Watson, Sr., Center for Information Technology. Funding policies for the program’s Ph.D. candidates will be similar to other University’s graduate programs, with fellowships funded by the Graduate School in the first year and grants earned by professors in subsequent years, he said. Istrail’s enthusiasm for the initiative is shared by the program’s other professors. “The promise of this program is one of the reasons I came to this school,” Raphael said. “For

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graduate education, a dedicated Ph.D. program is very important.” Raphael will teach some of the specialized computational biology courses in the program. Until now, there has been no formal program on computational biology within ecology and evolutionar y biology, Weinreich said. Knowledge gained by studying computational biology will give “an important intellectual framework” to ecology and evolutionary biology and “put the problems in evolutionary context” — exploring “how different genomes or organisms are historically related,” he said. “This is an exciting opportunity (for Ph.D. students) to gain exposure to diverse disciplines,” Weinreich added. “It’s great. I’m interested from an environmental standpoint,” said Sarah Rosengard ’11, an environmental sciences concentrator, adding that the research in computational biology plays an important role in determining the “future distribution of species and understanding natural changes.” “I’m interested in knowing where (the program) goes,” Rosengard said.

manded Pakistani forces. Musharraf acknowledged his role in that conflict but placed it in a wider context, listing India’s offensives against Pakistan. “I didn’t expect to hear a complete admission of guilt,” Subramanian said afterward. “But he is the one who spearheaded the campaign … which turned out to be a diplomatic embarrassment for Pakistan.” Sajjad Hasan ’10, a Herald business staffer, asked Musharraf how he would advise an aspiring but politically unconnected politician on how to navigate Pakistan’s political arena, which he said has been dominated by the Bhutto and Sharif families for decades. “The environment is certainly tribal and feudal,” Musharraf responded. “But the politics of Pakistan needs fresh blood.” After the lecture, Asad Hassan ’13, a student from Pakistan, said Mushar-

raf successfully covered “the background of the problems we face at the moment.” Still, Musharraf evaded a question about the Pakistani army’s involvement with the Taliban, Hassan said. Before Musharraf spoke, Gulfam Khan, a cameraman for Pakistan’s News One, interviewed students waiting in line on the Main Green. In addition to News One, Pakistanbased channels Geo and ARY may air the footage, Khan said. “It’s nice to see just the people here to listen to Musharraf,” Gulfam said. “All the people lining up — he must be something.” “It’s reassuring,” Melissa Dzenis ’11 said of the packed crowd, “that, in spite of all the chaos that is now in the international realm, there is an outpour of interest at Brown.” — With additional reporting by Sydney Ember

Casual choral group gains momentum, voices continued from page 1 any rehearsals or concerts. Every singing is a unique event. Some singers attend every event, but others only come once. Sacred Harp has shaped its music and its format around the idea of being accessible and welcoming to anyone. Though students participating in Sacred Harp can earn half a course credit, Miller estimates that only around five people actually register each semester. While the unusual musical group is not yet well-known, “I definitely see it growing,” Miller said, adding that she has observed more college students participating across the nation. The unique American tradition has resurfaced in more mainstream ways, compelling some to pick up Sacred Harp tunebooks. “I first heard of Sacred Harp when I saw the movie ‘Cold Mountain,’” said Marianna Faircloth ’10, a returning singer. The powerful sound that just a few Sacred Harp singers can create may come as a surprise to other

vocalists. “People are encouraged to sing with their full voice,” Miller said. The atmosphere at singings is laid back and relaxed, Miller said. “No one is there saying, ‘You’re not singing the right note,’” Miller said. The singers themselves take turns leading songs. “The music itself is wonderful,” Faircloth said. “It’s unlike anything else.” “We sing for each other,” said Lynne deBenedette, a senior lecturer in Slavic languages and a longtime Sacred Harp enthusiast. The strong sense of community is also one of Sacred Harp’s main appeals. “I think I got really hooked when I went to one of the conventions last semester,” Faircloth said. After an hour, the singers took a brief break to eat cookies and chat with each other. “It’s like no singing that I’ve ever done before,” said newcomer Emily Walsh ’13 as she enjoyed a snack. “There’s no practicing. There’s no thinking. You just come and do it.”

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

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C ampus N EWS Converted religious studies concentrator pursues passion continued from page 1 brance of what it was like to be a student,” he said. Though he was raised as a Protestant, Coolidge said he had been interested in studying different religions since high school. As an undergraduate, Coolidge was grappling with existential questions of life and meaning — trying to “make sense of what I wanted from life and who I wanted to be,” he said — when he started talking to two acquaintances who had recently converted to Islam. After he had dinner with them, they gave him several books to read on the religion. Coolidge describes it as his “first real introduction to Islam.” “I started reading more and thinking more,” he added. “Becoming a Muslim made sense with what I wanted from life.” Coolidge concentrated in religious studies at Brown and went on to get a master’s degree in religion from Princeton. “My career has been a long independent study on the meaning of life, and I want to help people who are going through a similar process,” he said. Cooper-Nelson witnessed Coolidge’s process of conversion. “Dave found his religious identity here,” she said. Brown’s campus is “like sacred geography,” she added. To Coolidge, the Graduate Center “is a very sa-

cred place” because he remembers discovering his faith there. One of Coolidge’s first projects will be an eight-week seminar sponsored by the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life called “Thinking Theologically,” about contemporary Islamic thought. “It’s an intellectually rigorous environment for people to articulate certain perspectives that aren’t covered by their regular coursework,” he said. “It’s a real human interaction.” Coolidge said his new responsibilities will expand beyond religious and ethical issues. “I’m here to respond to people’s needs and concerns,” he said. “Whether they’re religious or non-religious issues, anything that’s central to the process of making meaning for oneself.” University chaplains advise on “marriage, death, religious questions, anything,” Cooper-Nelson said. “Our purpose is much broader than providing instruction of a particular religion,” she added. Cooper-Nelson said the University had to hire “someone who is very able to make connections with everybody and who is accessible to people regardless of their age.” “Dave Coolidge is a marvelous resource for all of us, and the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life is honored to have him as a colleague,” she said. “It’s lovely for Brown to have such talented leadership back.”

Down to earth: Alum’s green Web site honored By Amy Chen Contributing Writer

Chip Giller ’93, founder and president of the online magazine Grist.org, was honored with a $100,000 grant this month by the non-profit Heinz Family Foundation for his work promoting awareness of environmental issues. Giller, who founded Grist in 1999 to cover environmental topics in a positive, sometimes humorous way, was praised by Teresa Heinz, chairwoman of the foundation, for having taken “traditional environmental journalism and turned it on its head,” according to a press release from the organization. Giller, who now lives in Seattle, said he was “pretty surprised” by the honor, calling it “incredibly humbling.” Some people he admires have previously been honored by the foundation, he said, adding that the award was “motivating.” The site, with a self-described mission of “making lemonade out of looming climate apocalypse,” bills itself as “a beacon in the smog.” It reports having about 800,000 readers a month. “Of the many things this planet is running out of, sanctimonious tree-huggers ain’t one of them,” the Web site reads. Society is moving toward rec-

ognizing that these issues are part of our lives, that we have to build sustainable buildings, Giller said. Giller graduated Brown with an honors degree in environmental studies and attributed his passion for environmentalism to his undergraduate experience. “The environmental program at Brown is an incredible program,” he said. “My Brown experience was a tremendous help. It really helped me to align my passion with what I wanted to do professionally.” While at Brown, he served as a teaching assistant for introductory environmental classes and helped sponsor weekly discussions and talks on different environmental topics. “Chip has always been passionate about the environment and journalism,” said Lisa Hymas, a senior editor at Grist who has worked with Giller for more than a decade. “He is interested in covering the environment in a new, compelling way.” Caroline Karp, Giller’s senior thesis advisor and a current senior lecturer at the Center for Environmental Studies, remembered Giller for his remarkable writing skills. “Chip continues to be among the 10 best writers I have ever worked with at Brown,” she wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

Giller had a “gentle and curious way of talking to people many years older and much different than himself that is perfect for a journalist,” she added. Karp also wrote that she has used Grist as a source for her research and has also suggested it to her students as a research aide and news source. Grist’s content employs humor while retaining critical views and accurate facts. It attempts to strike a contrast with other environmental magazines, which are sometimes dreary or depressing. Giller “has injected environmental reporting with irreverence and wit, yet without compromising depth and accuracy,” Heinz said in the statement. While there are some readers who complain that humor does not belong in discussion of what they feel are very serious issues, most readers find the light-hearted approach more engaging, Hymas said. Giller said he knows the seriousness of the issues at stake, joking aside. He said he hopes Grist will help “set a green agenda for the country.” Giller said he plans to direct some of the award to Grist and will also put a portion of the money toward a college fund for his two children.

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SportsWednesday The Brown Daily Herald

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | Page 4

Missed kick dooms Bears in opener By Dan Alexander Senior Staff Writer

After the football team fell to Stony Brook Saturday night, kicker Drew Plichta ’10 “was bearing the loss on his shoulders,” 20 Brown said Head Stony Brook 21 Coach Phil Estes. In a game that Brown lost 21-20, Plichta missed an extra point. Making the extra point “needs to be automatic,” Estes said. Plichta had a chance to redeem himself and win the game with just seconds left when he lined up for his first career field goal attempt. He missed that, too. “If you were to look at the stats, you’d think that we won with a runaway,” Estes said. “We out-rushed them. We out-passed them. We pretty much beat them in every category but one. And that one was our kicking game.” Plichta wasn’t the only player in a prominent position who debuted for the Bears on Saturday. Quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero ’11, who had never thrown a varsity pass, started under center. Newhall-Caballero didn’t show any signs of inexperience early in the game, despite facing complex defensive schemes.

“We certainly tried to change up our coverages and looks to try to confuse him,” said Stony Brook Head Coach Chuck Priore. “I think he did a good job with that, though.” In the first quarter, Newhall-Caballero led his team to a 14-7 lead, passing a perfect 10 for 10 with 102 yards and two touchdowns. Newhall-Caballero’s second touchdown, a 23-yard pass to Buddy Farnham ’10, was one of Farnham’s 12 catches for 121 yards on the night. Newhall-Caballero’s honeymoon ended in the second quarter, when he threw 4 for 12 with two interceptions and no touchdowns. By halftime, Stony Brook had evened the score, 14-14. Both of Newhall-Caballero’s second-quarter interceptions ended redzone opportunities, of which the Bears had only four during the game. “We need to score when we’re in the red zone,” said receiver Bobby Sewall ’10. To start the second half, the Seawolves once again began a possession with a short field in front of them, thanks to a 53-yard kick return from wide receiver Matt Brevi. Brevi averaged 46.7 yards on his three kick returns of the night. “Matt had one of those games that you would hope for,” Priore said. Despite starting its drive on the Brown 43, Stony Brook couldn’t score

on Brown’s defense. The Bears held Stony Brook’s offense to 100 yards less than Brown’s managed. But thanks to great field position and a few big plays, the Seawolves found the end zone three times. Brown’s defense was anchored by its line, which got into the backfield at opportune times. One such time came on a Stony Brook 4th and 2 with 9:11 left in the game and Brown ahead 20-14. The Seawolves handed off to running back Edwin Gowins. The 5-foot, 11-inch, 222-pound Gowins ran up the gut, but was stopped for no gain by Peter Hughes ‘10, ending Stony Brook’s drive. But Stony Brook got another chance after a six-play, four-second long possession by Brown. After the Bears punted, the Seawolves stood at their own 27 with 9:07 left to make up a six-point deficit. With a more balanced attack than their usual run-focused offense, Stony Brook quarterback Michael Coulter led the Seawolves to the Brown 7 before running into much resistance. But Brown’s defensive line stepped up once again. On 1st and goal at the 7, defensive tackle David Howard ’09.5 burst into the backfield and dragged down Gowins, three yards behind the line of scrimmage. The Bears caught a break on the

Justin Coleman / Herald File Photo

The Bears lost narrowly to Stony Brook on Saturday, 21-20.

next down, when Coulter threw the ball at his receiver’s feet for an incompletion with 51.7 seconds left on the clock. With Coulter’s pocket collapsing as he dropped back on 3rd and goal, it looked like the defensive line might step up again. But seconds before the line could get to him, Coulter lasered a pass, cross-field, to Donald Porter

for a touchdown. “I got hit as I threw it, but I knew (Porter) would be where he was supposed to be,” Coulter said. “I threw it up and he made a great play in the end zone.” The extra point put Stony Brook ahead, 21-20, and sent the crowd of continued on page 5

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

S ports W ednesday s p o rt s i n b r i e f

With road shutout, women’s soccer scores first win The women’s soccer team earned its first victory of the season on a road trip to Maryland, shutting out Towson University, 2-0, on Sunday after falling to the No. 18 Maryland Terrapins, 3-1, on Friday. Gina Walker ’11, Kate Scott ’11 and Melissa Kim ’10 scored for the Bears, who improved to 1-4-0 on the young season. In the opener, the Bears traveled to College Park to face an undefeated Maryland squad. Molly Dreska put the Terps on the board in the 29th minute, and then doubled the lead early in the second half

with an assist from Jasmyne Spencer. Brown sliced the deficit in half in the 52nd minute on a free kick. Sylvia Stone ’11 booted the ball to Diana Ohrt ’13, who found Walker for the latter’s first career goal. Spencer scored in the 85th minute to produce the 3-1 final score. Brenna Hogue ’10 made seven saves for Brown. Two days later, the Bears matched their season output — achieved over four games — with two goals in the blanking of Towson. After the Tigers could not take advantage of

a 10-6 first-half lead in shots, Scott headed in Stone’s corner kick in the 52nd minute to give Bruno all the offense it would need. Kim tacked on an insurance goal in the 76th minute, as Ohrt picked up her second assist of the weekend. Steffi Yellin ’10 made four saves to earn her eighth career shutout. The Bears will shoot for their second win Thursday against Army at 7:00 p.m. on Stevenson Field. — Sports Staff Reports

After 1-pt loss, football looks to Ivy opener continued from page 4 5,709 into hysterics. But with 47 seconds and three timeouts left, the Bears still had a chance. After Farnham’s return to the 31, Brown began its last drive with 40 seconds left. Newhall-Caballero drove down to the Stony Brook 23 by completing short passes to Farnham and Sewall and a 23-yard long-ball to Trevan Samp ’10. With five seconds left on the clock, it all came down to the final kick. With a slight left-to-right breeze, Plichta lined up for the 40-yarder in the center of the hash marks.

“I was just hoping that the wind would blow our way,” Coulter said. Plichta kicked a low line drive that flew right. With the scoreboard showing 0:00, students painted from head-to-toe in Stony Brook red rushed the field. “You get a taste of that loss and you don’t like it,” Sewall said. “You want to … make sure that doesn’t happen again.” The Bears will have a chance to cleanse their palettes on Friday night, when they head to Cambridge to take on Harvard, the No. 1 team in the Ivy League Football Preseason Media Poll. If the meeting between last year’s

Ivy co-champions is as close as their 24-22 encounter last season, the game might come down to a kick at the end. Estes said he’ll turn to Plichta again. “He’s a tough kid,” he said. “And he’s going to come back and win some football games for us.”

Wednesday, SEPtember 23, 2009

Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald

Page 6 | Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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

Brown Republicans’ tableslips in poor taste To the Editor: I write to the Brown Republicans in the hopes that they will more carefully consider how they represent themselves to the campus and greater community. Tableslips are one of the most direct ways to reach the student body. I was appalled this week when I saw a tableslip with a picture of President Barack Obama with flames rising into his face, advertising a meeting for the group. The symbol of burning a black leader is powerful and disturbing. For the third-generation-or-more American students reading this, your grandparents and parents were alive when lynching — the hanging, torturing and burning alive of African-Americans — was featured in newspapers, sent as postcards through the mail and even attended by crowds of spectators. These racebased murders continued into the 1960s and were often perpetrated by mobs of whites taking the law into their own hands and charging blacks with trumped up or non-existent crimes. Recently, a member of the GOP disgraced the party by breaking decorum and interrupting the President when he was addressing Congress. The political parties exist in order to work within the system outlined in the Constitution and established through 222 years of precedents.

Such a break with established procedure is more than a funny YouTube video — it is evidence of a deep disrespect for the new president. Criticism and poking fun at the commander-in-chief is no new phenomenon; the last eight years provided easy material for Jon Stewart. However, no one from Comedy Central ever hollered insults at Bush during his State of the Union addresses. Those representing their political party, especially in a public context, will only alienate potential members if they disrespect both the system of which they are a part and the historical context of American civil rights. Jimmy Carter, Bill Cosby and others cited South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst as racially based. Said Carter, “I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American.” The Brown Republicans’ tableslip, which appeared to burn Obama in effigy, was in poor taste. The Brown Republicans will only attract positive attention if they are more creative and more thoughtful in how they poke fun at political figures from across the aisle. Meredith Curtis ’10 Sept. 22

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A better Banner Banner’s critics usually moan about its appearance and its restrictions on course sign-ups. It’s a tribute to Banner’s effectiveness, or perhaps its unsightliness, that the most common complaints are aesthetic. These grievances are a little misdirected: Students have usually been able to find courses through Mocha and, as awful as Banner may look, we suspect that most Brunonians are capable of using it to pick classes, even though the process can be tedious. Banner’s effect on class registration is, in our opinion, a much more reasonable basis for criticism, and Computing and Information Services deserves credit for focusing its efforts on functional issues first. This fall, CIS implemented an override system that made it much easier for professors to admit students into their classes, and over 5,400 overrides were performed. The override system is a step forward and a fine example of how Banner can support the New Curriculum. But course registration is still far from ideal, and CIS should continue to improve registration by adapting Banner and investing in other online resources to meet students’ needs. Banner currently prevents students from registering for two or more courses that meet at the same time. Given the difficulty of switching into a fully enrolled course, this restriction forces many students to make a final decision between two capped courses before shopping period even begins. The University could avoid this problem by letting students sign up for classes that meet simultaneously, with early deadlines for dropping all but one of the courses. Strict course caps have had other unfortunate results. Some writing instructors have given spaces to students simply because they were the first to enroll. We feel that non-introductory writing courses should primarily be filled on the basis of a writing sample;

pre-registration on Banner should not be a controlling factor. The University could make the writing sample process easier, for students and professors alike, by having professors upload the prompts for their courses’ writing samples one month before the start of the semester. Students could then compose their essays during academic breaks, when they are less busy with other classes and applications. Professors who set a writing sample deadline on (or before) the first day of classes would have time to carefully read essays, and students would have a better sense of their schedules during the early stages of shopping period. The most significant measure Brown could take to improve class registration is also the simplest: Brown should upload and publicly display syllabi for every course offered. Uploaded syllabi, even those that are somewhat outdated, would give students a much better feel for the lessons and goals of a course than the 50-word descriptions that abound in the Course Announcement Bulletin. With those as a guide, students could get a head start on assigned reading and have more time to figure out whether the material for a given course is something that truly interests them. Publicly available syllabi would also enhance Brown’s image by giving prospective students and curious alumni a closer look at the depth and diversity of Brown’s course offerings. Over the past few years, students and recent alumni have seen paperless pre-registration, and Banner especially, as a threat to the New Curriculum. These concerns will be addressed if and when Brown uses its online resources to support course selections that are flexible and informed. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page boar d. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 | Page 7

Failing grades JAKE HEIMARK Opinions Columnist September 29th, 2009, will mark the first anniversary of the largest single-day drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The ensuing year has been tempestuous: the shuttering and fire-sale of companies that composed the backbone of the U.S. financial system, partial nationalizations of former icons of American business and the largest economic stimulus package ever. The economic crisis may be devastating, but it also provides us an opportunity to reevaluate some of our decisions and change the way we operate at Brown, in Providence, as a state and as a nation. In the next year, Rhode Island will have to execute some tricky contortions to avoid a ballooning budget deficit. The actions we take now are critical to restoring confidence, jobs and a balanced budget. Brown students and professors, like all Rhode Island residents, have a unique opportunity to affect public policy, if we choose to get involved. It is time we asked ourselves some deeper questions: why do Providence and the state of Rhode Island turn to Brown for funds when their budgets fall short? Why are corporate, income and property taxes not enough to cover expenditures? Rhode Island is a beautiful state and has many natural assets. We have one of the only two deep-water ports in New England, lots of beautiful coast and are conveniently situated between Boston and New York. The state has

an abundance of excellent universities. But why does Rhode Island have the thirdhighest unemployment rate in the nation? Why do most Brown students flee the area immediately upon graduation? A significant part of the problem is the shortage of real job opportunities and the lack of critical services to retain intellectual capital workers. It seems clear that Rhode Island and Providence need to work overtime to attract new businesses and retain the “intelligentsia” that are too often only transient interlopers. Business startups cluster around universi-

our borders. Lowering taxes may encourage more businesses to move to Rhode Island, which would provide jobs, widen the tax base and increase the state’s revenues. But lowering taxes alone would not solve the problem. Businesses avoid Rhode Island because of the poor quality of public education. Large businesses cannot afford to send every middle manager’s kids to The $25,000-a-year Wheeler School. Providence public schools are not a viable alternative. Of the 1500 best public high schools in the country, as ranked by Newsweek, only Classical, in Providence,

Lower taxes and higher quality education will bring more companies to Providence, help solve our unemployment problem and put us on the right track toward long-term growth.

ties like Stanford and MIT; our universities, and the city, should work to make Providence competitive with Palo Alto and Cambridge. Only by attracting — and retaining — businesses and knowledgable workers can we fix the budget deficit and secure a stable and robust economy in the future. How? First, taxes are too high. In a ranking of business-friendly tax codes by the Tax Foundation, Rhode Island came in 44th. Because our state is small enough to spit across, businesses can easily relocate to just outside

makes the cut at No. 1436. Montana, which has about the same population as and a much lower GDP per capita than Rhode Island, has two schools in the 600s. The rest of our schools fall much further behind, especially in Providence. The Rhode Island education system has failed. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce State-by-State Educational Effectiveness score card gives Rhode Island failing grades, D or F, in seven of nine categories. We receive the only grade of F in “Flexibility in Management and Policy.” The only passing grades we receive

are for “Truth in Advertising about Student Proficiency” and “Data Quality.” At least we know that we are failing our students. Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 has proposed eliminating the 3 percent mandatory minimum increases to Rhode Island teachers’ pensions and instead making cost of living adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index. Rhode Island teachers are furious. But, we must ask, why are we paying so much for such poor performance? Currently, Rhode Island has very strict requirements on teaching certification and training that shrinks the potential pool of teachers. We should consider loosening some of these requirements, creating a Teach for Rhode Island program that encourages Brown and Johnson and Wales grads to stay and teach for a few years and pay teachers based on a combination of performance and tenure. Lower taxes and higher quality education will bring more companies to Providence, help solve our unemployment problem and put us on the right track toward long-term growth. We have the natural resources, geographical positioning and intellectual capital to become a hub for biotech and diversified intellectual capital industries. Or we could continue with tax and educational policies that drive businesses away, let our schools decline and expect student taxes to make up our debt. The choice is ours.

Jake Heimark ’10 is a human biology and economics concentrator from Palo Alto, California. He can be reached at jacob_heimark@brown.edu.

Methinks he doth protest too much Tyler rosenbaum Opinions Columnist I doubt that many administrators here at Brown would think of me as some sort of student collaborateur, working to shore up support among the serfs for our benevolent overlords. I’ve been known to have more than my fair share of grievances, many aired publicly on this very page. Like everyone else, there are some things I would do differently if I were in charge. But I don’t believe that the administration here is full of heartless, diabolically scheming bureaucrats who think of nothing but themselves, and therefore I take issue with Simon Liebling’s column in last week’s Herald (“Take your self-sacrifice and shove it,” Sept. 18). Liebling’s column seems to imply that Brown’s administration is bent on expanding the campus, come hell or high water — as if renovating Faunce or erecting the Mind Brain Behavior Building were more important to them than maintaining the quality and affordability of undergraduate education. The first, and most obvious, response to this nonsense is that administrators’ hands are tied. That’s how bequests work. Yes, some donations to the University come with no strings attached. But from my experience on the Undergraduate Council of Students, I know that most donors specifically condition their gift on its being used for a specific purpose. Such restricted donations account for most of the funding behind the construction that is

currently going on at Brown. Therefore, the choice is not between a fancy new building and more financial aid, but rather between a new or renovated building for students’ use and millions of dollars sitting tight in a would-be donor’s hedge fund. Moreover, the administration has gone through pains to notify donors that gifts could be more profitably used to increase financial aid or going toward staff retention. But to some, a shiny new building bearing their name is sexier than the knowledge that the average

upon the students. Remarkably, not only has the University committed to not cutting faculty, but also to maintaining the already generous levels of financial aid that pre-existed the stock market crash. Almost all decisions about how to make the necessary budget cuts will be made by the Undergraduate Resource Committee. And though Liebling dismisses out of hand the importance of having two students on the 15-member committee, this is a level of official student input that would be inconceivable at

The Administration’s response to the economic crisis has been exemplary.

financial aid package is $500 larger. And since the millions are theirs to give, that decision is their prerogative. Finally, it is unclear how exactly continuing on with previously scheduled and donorfunded construction projects is an example of administrators “protect(ing) themselves.” As one of my friends noted, “It’s not like they’re Louis XIV, building themselves a summer palace while the peasants starve.” Indeed, I would say that the administration’s response to the economic crisis has been exemplary. More than a quarter of the University’s resources disappeared essentially overnight, and neither I nor any of my friends have noticed any significant effects

most other institutions. The administration’s solicitude for student and community input on this issue is even more remarkable considering the resounding silence that it encounters when it explicitly seeks out such opinions. Those few students and community members who do respond rarely heed administrators’ (reasonable) request not simply to complain about cuts, but rather to proactively suggest reductions that would be more acceptable. Perhaps some students fail to comprehend that the economic crunch hits universities just as it hits families. Our insatiable expectations of constantly increasing amenities and decreasing tuition rates (once financial aid is

factored in) were rooted in the years when endowments could grow by 10 or 20 percent per year. Therefore, it might be popular to lament a year in which financial aid does not increase and tuition rises a whole three percent (never mind that when the tuition increase was approved, the latest inflation rates were 3.8 percent). And while I do sympathize with the 30 staff members the University had to let go, the fact that this only constituted two-thirds of one percent of Brown’s employeesshows that the administration is actually very cognizant of the difficulties that laid-off staff face and demonstrates a desire to mitigate the recession’s effect on them. This is especially true when you consider that, over the last several years, Providence’s unemployment rate has increased from 4.3 to 12.1 percent. Again, this column is not meant to imply that the administration is always in the right and protestors are always in the wrong. It is just meant to put some of the difficult decisions the school has to make in perspective. And though we’re not out of the woods yet, so far the management of the University’s resources in the face of such tremendous financial difficulties has been remarkable, to say the least.

Tyler Rosenbaum ’11 is a callous shill for the administration’s sinister plot to balance the budget.

Today The Brown Daily Herald

Environmental writing gains wit

comics

Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

Today, September 23

tomorrow, September 24

4 pm — Abe Lowenthal Lecture: “The Obama Administration and the Americas,” Watson Institute

4 PM — Krieger Lecture: An Afternoon with Mayor Cory Booker, Salomon 101

7 pm — Film Premiere of “Butte America,” Smith-Buonanno 106

8 pm — Sock and Buskin present “Tartuffe,” Leeds Theatre

Hippomaniac | Mat Becker

menu Sharpe Refectory

Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Polynesian Chicken Wings, Vegan Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu, Stir Fried Rice

Lunch — Italian Sausage and Pepper Sandwich, Vegetable Strudel, Peas, Molasses Cookies

Dinner — Local Dinner Special

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Pea holders 5 Get ready for surgery 9 Beethoven’s “Für __” 14 Geometry product 15 Victoria or Geneva 16 Zapped in the microwave 17 Hydration from underground 19 Prevailing tendency 20 Horseshoer’s workshop 21 “All set!” 23 Excuse designed to elicit sniffles 26 Busy pro in Apr. 29 Thunder on a radio show, e.g. 34 Test the weight of 36 To this day 37 Bird on a dollar 38 Minimally 40 Undiversified, as a farm 42 Old French money 43 Uncover, poetically 44 Head of France? 45 In a rage 49 “The Waste Land” poet’s monogram 50 Made a mess of 52 Mouth the lyrics 56 White Rabbit’s cry 60 Arm of the sea 61 House majority leader of the early 1970s 64 “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” author 65 Has regrets about 66 Baseball Hall of Famer Speaker 67 Cousins of hamlets 68 Leave the stage 69 Not tagged in time DOWN 1 Dog’s dogs? 2 Utah city 3 Sandwich seller 4 Seasons, as fries

5 Hedonistic fellows 6 Maze scurrier 7 Scratch (out), as a living 8 Sentence ender 9 Payment from a contestant 10 Tackle box item 11 It sells a lot of build-it-yourself furniture 12 E-mail command 13 Swirling current 18 “__ on first?” 22 Desert Storm ration, for short 24 Mutton fat 25 Explosive compound 26 Grain husks separated in threshing 27 Lab dish inventor 28 G sharp’s equivalent 30 It’s not fiction 31 “Snowy” wader 32 Stops bleeding 33 Conical residence 35 Shelter for roughing it 39 Altar attendants

40 Aunt Bee’s grandnephew 41 Most destitute 43 Tie settlers, for short 46 “__ voyage!” 47 Game often played with a 24-card deck 48 Make absurdly easy, with “down” 51 Novelists’ creations

52 Letter-to-Santa itemization 53 Totally enjoying 54 Clear the snow 55 Attached with thread 57 Taj Mahal city 58 “Woohoo, the weekend!” 59 Being, to Caesar 62 “La Cage __ Folles” 63 Wahine’s gift

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

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80 / 62

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman

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Bears football falls to Stony Brook

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