Volume CXVI No. 79
» INSIDE
Invisible Children competition held By Hina Samnani Staff Writer
take a trip to soviet russia The Benton’s galleries return after a semester of construction with a new exhibit. FOCUS/ page 7
The Invisible Children chapter at UConn and the Department of Residential Life have collaborated to host the first Invisible Children Challenge at UConn. Invisible Children is an international movement that raises awareness about the ‘invisible’ war occurring in Africa, in which children in Uganda are exploited and used as child soldiers. The student chapter on campus hosts various activities that educate people about the issue and will sponsor this challenge for the semester. The challenge will start in the first week of February and will end with a benefit concert in April to raise awareness
about the Invisible Children’s organization. The benefit concert is still being planned, but musical performer Jeremy Austin Smith, the lead singer of the band See the World, is scheduled to perform. Gudrun Haider, the Residential Hall director of the Global House and Euro Tech learning communities, was the person behind this initial idea. “A couple years ago, I hosted an Invisible Children Challenge at a different institution; it was very successful and so I’m hoping to bring this event to UConn now,” Haider said. “I contacted the Invisible Children Campaign, the UConn chapter, at the beginning of the fall semester and asked them if they were interested in collaborating with me on this event. We’ve also applied for funding from the Diversity
Commission fines UConn professor Scarlet knights stopped No. 2 UConn defense stiffles Rutgers in 63-44 win. SPORTS/ page 14 EDITORIAL: SPRING WEEKEND EVENT CANCELLATION SENSELESS Events draw students away from off-campus parties. COMMENTARY/page 4 INSIDE NEWS: STUDENT INVOLVEMENT FAIR HELD IN S.U. Students move between booths to learn about clubs and activities. NEWS/ page 2
» weather THURSDAY
Mostly Sunny High 30/ Low 9 Friday/Saturday
High 31 Low 14
High 30 Low 10
» index Classifieds 3 Comics 5 Commentary 4 Crossword/Sudoku 5 Focus 7 InstantDaily 4 Sports 14
The Daily Campus 11 Dog Lane Storrs, CT 06268 Box U-4189
www.dailycampus.com
Thursday, January 27, 2011
HARTFORD (AP) — A University of Connecticut professor has agreed to pay a $2,000 fine related to consulting services he provided to former Gov. M. Jodi Rell in 2009, when she was considering a possible run for re –election. Members of the State Elections Enforcement Commission on Wednesday approved an agreement reached with Ken Dautrich, an associate professor of public policy, after determining he defrayed polling expenses that should have been covered by the Republican’s exploratory committee when he hired two UConn graduate students to work on the survey. Dautrich’s lawyer, Steven Seligman, said his client did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement with the commission. He said it made more sense for Dautrich to settle the allegations. If Dautrich would have fought and won the case, Seligman said it would have been a “hollow victory” for his client. “The fine he agreed to pay is infinitely less than he would have paid in legal fees for protracted litigation,” Seligman said. Dautrich did not immediately return calls seeking comment. The commission’s investigation determined that Rell’s committee treasurer was not informed that some costs of the poll were defrayed by hiring the university –funded students. Dautrich was originally hired by Rell in July 2008 as a consultant to her administration, given 26 months to come up with ideas to save money in state government and deliver services more efficiently. The project originally was supposed to cost about $223,000, but Rell officials have said not all the money was spent. But in April 2009, after Rell created a committee to explore a possible run for re –election, Dautrich, a polling expert, was informed by Rell’s chief of staff that the governor had authorized a poll to gauge public opinion about the stalled state budget process and how to respond to the General Assembly, the commission found. Rell’s chief of staff, Lisa Moody, told investigators the governor wanted private campaign funds, not public funds, to pay for the poll, which was conducted by a private telephone research firm for $6,000. However, the commission determined that the work conducted by the two UConn
» INVESTIGATION, page 2
Advisory Team, and University Libraries, who have agreed to co-sponsor the event.” The challenge will encourage UConn students to form teams that will compete to raise the most funds for Invisible Children. Teams can receive points by raising donations and awareness. If a team receives a $1 donation, they will receive one point. Similarly, a donation of one book will be one point. Recruiting another team to participate and hosting movie screenings are other ways teams can get points. The last chance to get points will be the benefit concert. Teams will get a point for every person that attends the concert. “My personal goal is to get 10 teams and have about 200 people at our Benefit Concert,”
Haider said. There will be a kick-off event in McMahon Dining Hall on Feb. 1 during which the teams can ask questions about the challenge. While teams are encouraged to register before Feb. 1, there’s no cut-off for registration. Lauren Rosenthal, the vice president of the Invisible Children chapter at UConn and a 6th-semester communications and psychology major, explained that this challenge is just one of the many ways the club raises awareness. “Just as a club we try and do a lot, not just with raising money, but raising awareness,” said Rosenthal. “That’s the main goal of the global organization. We try to implement that in our efforts as well.” This past semester during
Textbook Buyback week at the UConn Co-op, Invisible Children had a book drive where students donated their unsold textbooks to children in Uganda. All money raised during the challenge will go directly to the Invisible Children national organization. Part of the money raised will be used for the Schools for Schools program, which provides facilities and supplies to schools in Uganda. Another part will be used for their early warning program, an initiative that aims to build radio towers in villages in Uganda and the Republic of the Congo that will allow villages to warn each other when the Rebel Army is coming through their area, allowing villagers to bring their children to safety.
Hina.Samnani@UConn.edu
SNOW CONTINUES TO BURY UCONN
JESS CONDON/The Daily Campus
Students trudge by Homer Babbige Library, making their way through Storrs’ slippery snow to get to classes Wednesday. Classes were canceled Wednesday evening and several events on campus were postponed or canceled, including a USG Special Meeting on the university’s recent Spring Weekend Report. The meeting has been moved to next Wednesday.
Board of Trustees adopting international focus By Garrett Gianneschi Staff Writer There are 1,723 international students throughout all levels of UConn academics, and the university hopes to increase that number in upcoming years. The Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday said they would be adopting a more international focus for both UConn and Connecticut, according to Lenworth M. Jacobs, M.D., Academic Affairs Board Vice Chair. With the Board’s internationalization of Connecticut, Jacobs said that the most pressing question UConn had to answer was how internationalization links with job creation in Connecticut
and with the President’s plans expressed in the State of the Union Address. President Obama said in his speech Tuesday that a problem has arisen because international students are being educated in the United States and then the United States is kicking them out to go back to their countries to compete with Americans. Jacobs said that the university sees that the UConn alumni who are in important positions in domestic and internationally reaching companies and organizations within the U.S. and abroad are a valuable resource. Internationalization still seems to be in its beginning stages of development. Jacobs said that implications and budgetary issues would still need
to be worked out and the university would need to assess logistical issues such as gaining more insight into foreign curriculum, tailoring the UConn curriculum and shrinking barriers international students may face when coming to UConn. UConn graduate student studying computer science and Vietnam native Hieu Dinh said that the largest obstacles with coming to America is learning the language and culture. “People in America don’t think like people in Vietnam,” said Dinh. “The environment has changed and I need to understand that.” As for opportunities after college, Dinh said after he graduates he wants to start up a biology computing service business with his UConn professor. He
plans on staying in America for about 10 years before settling down in Vietnam. As a vehicle for the newly proposed international policy, the university is part of an international network of 23 leading research-intensive universities in 15 countries called Universitas 21, according to an International & Globalization Update by Peter J. Nicholls, provost & executive vice president for academic affairs. Some of the top universities in the 13-year-old group are University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore and University of Melbourne. These have World Rankings of 21, 34 and 36, according to the report.
Garrett.Gianneschi@UConn.edu
What’s on at UConn today... Video Exhibit 10 to 4:30 p.m. Benton Museum Watch a compilation of video works from around the world. See different approaches to video making and international issues artists address.
Invisible Children Meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Rome Ballroom Get involved with Invisible Children. Work to raise awareness and funds for the ongoing war in Northern Uganda and surrounding countries.
Vocal Ensemble 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jorgensen Enjoy the musical entertainment of Sweet Honey in the Rock, an internationally known women’s vocal ensemble. Tickets start at $25.
“Due Date” 9 to 11:30 p.m. Student Union Theatre Get an early start to your weekend and join a friend to see the film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. - ELIZABETH CROWLEY