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T H E O L D E ST C O L L E G E DA I LY · FO U N D E D 1 8 7 8

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · VOL. CXXXV, NO. 62 · yaledailynews.com

INSIDE THE NEWS MORNING EVENING

CLOUDY CLOUDY

49 55

25 YEARS YALE HONORS WORLD AIDS DAY

SCULPTURE

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

DIRT BIKES

Dan Graham discusses two-way mirrors, hedges at School of Art talk

BULLDOGS BREAK RECORDS, TAKE SECOND AT BROWN

Raging road machines stir up controversy with Board of Aldermen

PAGES 6-7 SCI-TECH

PAGE 3 CULTURE

PAGE 12 SPORTS

PAGE 3 NEWS

Blair weighs globalization

Rainbow nation. Just one day after opening registration, the fourth annual IvyQ Conference has already sold more than 250 tickets, selling out its Tier 1 tickets reserved exclusively for Yalies. IvyQ, which will be held at Yale for the first time this year, seeks to bring college students across the country to discuss LGBTQ issues in workshops and lectures.

City schools find AP success

Taking Alaska by storm. After

BY MONICA DISARE STAFF REPORTER

CROSS CAMPUS

a close recount in Alaska’s House District 34, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins ’12 won his re-election campaign by a margin of 32 votes. A native of Sitka, Alaska, KreissTomkins left Yale last spring to campaign to represent his home district in the Alaska State Legislature.

New Haven Public Schools were honored nationally for student achievement on Advanced Placement exams for the first time last week.

The school district was named to the National AP District Honor Roll, an award given to 539 school districts across the United States and Canada. New Haven is one of two school districts in Connecticut with more than 30 percent minority students or students on free or reduced lunch to receive the award.

This is the third year of the AP District Honor Roll, which recognizes school districts that increase access to AP classes and improve the percentage of students who score a 3 out of 5 or higher on exams.

“Making the National AP Honor Roll is a huge honor for New Haven Public Schools and a sign that we are moving in the right direction as a district committed to boosting academic achievement,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo said.

The number of students participating in AP classes in New Haven rose from 510 in 2010–’11 to 617 in 2011–’12. These students took a total of 1,068 AP exams, and received 405 scores of 3 or better.

This is a 33 percent increase from last year, when students received

Watch out, President Obama

There’s a new administration in town. Yale’s “Studies in Grand Strategy” class recently launched a simulation White House website that includes a press room and mock presidential cabinet made up of students in the course.

But aside from the pictures of Yalies dressed in suits and posing as top political leaders, the website also announces the passage of the “DernbachZhang Ensuring Solvency Act,” which averts the fiscal cliff through bipartisan efforts.

Perhaps Obama should check out the site, as it seems a group of Yale seniors have found the solution to the nation’s most pressing economic issue.

Report it. Members of the Yale community received an email from Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins yesterday notifying them of an anonymous report of sexual assault against a Yale student. Higgins’ email is the second one reporting sexual assault in five days.

The first email, sent Nov. 28, said a Yale student reported being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance at an off-campus location.

Rewarding the sciences.

invitations for a supposedly new final club at Harvard, “The Pigeon,” have elicited heated responses from the Harvard community. The invitations included offensive statements, such as “Jews need not apply,” and referenced rohypnol, the date-rape drug also known as “roofies.” Though some said the flyers were meant to be satirical, Dean of Harvard College Evelynn Hammonds called them “hurtful and offensive.”

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY

1961 The Yale blood drive opens in Dwight Hall and is sponsored by the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity.

crosscampus@yaledailynews.com

Climbing team still lacks Yale gym

BY JEFFREY DASTIN STAFF REPORTER As the Yale College Council prepares for another round of its $10K Initiative, last year’s winning project — a climbing wall proposed by Charlie Kelly ’14 — is nowhere to be found.

Citing high projected costs and liability issues, Associate Dean for Student Organizations and Physical Resources John Meeske advised the YCC’s $10K committee to review how other universities maintain their climbing walls prior to building the structure. With the Connecticut Rock Gym closed for 10 months starting November 2011, the climbing team took a train to Fairfield to practice last semester. The gym has now reopened, but climbers complain about its one-mile distance from campus and mediocre facilities.

“Yale needs a rock wall because there’s enough interest in rock climbing as a sport, and currently the route to the rock gym is pretty dangerous,” said Max Andersen ’14, who goes to the off-campus gym every week. “I think Yale has the resources and facilities to have [its own rock wall].”

Though Meeske said he is open to the project after questions of cost, maintenance and supervision are addressed, Kelly said no one informed him of the steps necessary to move forward

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was joined by former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo for Monday’s talk.

US admissions rate steady

BY AMY WANG STAFF REPORTER

Joey Yagoda ’14, who heads the $10K Initiative this year, said the committee maintains no connection to the climbing wall.

Last year was not the first time Yale considered creating a climbing facility.

Barbara Chesler, a Yale Athletics senior associate director,

Despite the hype of everdecreasing admissions rates, most American universities’ acceptance rates have actually remained fairly noncompetitive as the college admissions cycle kicks off for the Class of 2017.

The vast majority of American public and private universities have only become modestly more selective in the last 10 years, according to a recent study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Though the average national admissions rate has hovered steadily around 60 to 70 percent, experts interviewed said the general public tends to view mistakenly all college admissions as becoming increasingly elite because media discussions focus on a small number of highly selective universities, including Yale, Harvard and Princeton.

“The college admissions process itself has a much higher profile than it used to have,” said Lloyd Thacker, executive director of educational nonprofit The Education Conservancy. “Kids are applying to more colleges. The most popular schools are continuing to receive an increasingly disproportionate share of applications.”

Thacker said parents and students who value the status and prestige of universities are growing more concerned

SEE CLIMBING PAGE 5

SEE ACCEPTANCE PAGE 5

and the project has since been stalled.

Roughly $1,200 of the YCC’s prize money went instead to the third and fourth proposals, cheap alternatives to SMART Boards and squash rackets, said last year’s $10K director Archit Sheth-Shah ’13. The secondplace proposal — the creation of nap areas on campus — received no funds because its sponsor Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins ’12 left Yale to run for public office.

The rest of the money remains in the YCC’s budget, ShethShah said.

The route to the rock gym is pretty dangerous.

I think Yale has the resources and facilities to have [its own wall].

MAX ANDERSON ’14

SEE AP SCORES PAGE 4

GRAPH PERCENT CHANGE IN ACCEPTANCE RATES 2002–’12 50

13%

2002 acceptance rate

6.82%

2012 acceptance rate

40

30

20

10

70% 63% 70% »

ONLINE y MORE cc.yaledailynews.com

SEE BLAIR PAGE4

MARIA ZEPEDA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

»

Submit tips to Cross Campus

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair came to campus Monday to offer his perspective on international conflicts tied to globalization.

University President Richard Levin moderated the conversation, entitled “Global Crises: The Way Forward,” which also featured former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo, now the director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.

Blair and Zedillo questioned

the sustainability of policies addressing international issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the European debt crisis and international environmental policies. Blair said he thinks connections caused by globalization can be beneficial but also have the potential to fracture societies unable to cope with diversity.

“The types of homogenous societies there used to be are being replaced by societies that are very diverse,” he said. “Over

»

Not okay. Inflammatory

BY SEBASTIAN MEDINA-TAYAC STAFF REPORTER

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Seven Yale faculty members have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Council, a prestigious honor that recognizes efforts to advance the sciences. The brainy Yalies will be officially honored at the AAAS annual meeting this February.

MARIA ZEPEDA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Yale Monday to discuss whether policies addressing international problems are sustainable.

66% 0

Yale

Public Universities Private Universities (National Avg) (National Avg)

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YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

OPINION

.COMMENT “There is no cultural implication. It's purely money.” yaledailynews.com/opinion

Quit the conspiracies Why do intelligent people fall for absurd conspiracy theories?

That question has been on my mind for a week or two as I’ve followed the Republican attempt to discredit U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice over her Benghazi statements.

But it has only grown more pronounced as I read some of the recent criticism of Yale-NUS. According to yesterday’s News, such outlandish conspiracy theories not only received a hearing, but applause from an auditorium of Yale students.

Friday’s talk on Yale-NUS took place in Sheffield-SterlingStrathcona Hall and featured members of Singapore’s opposition and an associate professor from SUNY Albany. The panelists didn’t simply express their principled disagreement with Yale’s decision to partner with the mildly repressive Singaporean regime. They questioned the intentions and integrity of Yale administrators.

The panelists accused the Yale administration of attempting to “simply line [its] own pockets.” Singapore’s Reform Party Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s attack bordered on the libelous, declaring that “For [President Levin], this is purely a business transaction” and that “what happens to the citizens of my country is not his or Yale’s concern.” This, of course, sounds a lot like some critics’ bizarre attempt to construct a nefarious web linking Yale trustees’ financial interests with the creation of Yale-NUS.

FROM BENGHAZI TO SINGAPORE, GIVE OUR LEADERS CREDIT Let me be clear: it is perfectly reasonable to oppose Yale policies and administrative decisions. It is perfectly reasonable to think the faculty should have more of a role in university governance, or that Yale should never partner with states that are not American-style liberal democracies, or even that that Yale should dial back its increasingly international focus.

However, insinuating that the University President and Vice President are money-grubbing characters who operate for selfish financial gain is as disrespectful as it is ridiculous. Richard Levin and Linda Lorimer have devoted decades to supporting and improving the modern university and global scholarship. They have articulated a vision that sees Yale-NUS as a ground-breaking opportunity for bringing a liberal arts education to a part of the world dom-

inated by pre-professionalism.

These lifelong public servants deserve better.

I supYISHAI pose that in SCHWARTZ our current political cliDissentary mate, this sort of nonsense is par for the course. In the aftermath of the brutal murder of American diplomatic staff in Benghazi, Libya, Susan Rice went on national television with talking points provided by the intelligence community, points now understood to be inaccurate.

Rather than concluding that the American intelligence community is fallible, the administration’s staunchest critics have descended into conspiracy theories. Senator John McCain suggested that Rice would be “unfit” for the role of Secretary of State, and he and other Republican senators started calling for Watergate-style investigative committees. The administration, many have suggested, was deliberately lying to the public about the nature of the attack in order to bolster President Obama’s reelection chances.

How the logic of this is supposed to work, no one seems to know. Nevertheless, blinded by an almost fanatical hatred and mistrust of the president, a surprising number of people have bought into the nuttiness.

In their blinding self-righteousness, elements of the YaleNUS opposition are no better than the radical Republican partisans. Both groups have a neartotal inability to imagine that their political opponents might actually be motivated by good will. It is not enough for Senators McCain and Graham to oppose the president, or even consider him misguided — they must publicly theorize that he is deceitful. Similarly, some YaleNUS opponents can’t fathom that President Levin may have a different set of priorities and values; for them, he must be greedy and feckless.

I understand the attraction of these conspiracy theories. The world is simpler when there are clear dichotomies of black and white, good and evil. It is certainly easier to fight and argue when you hate your competition and vilify your intellectual opponents. But buying into outlandish stories coarsens our discourse, hardens our factions and distorts truth. Perhaps the U.S. Senate cannot help itself, but I expect better from Yale students.

'HIGHSTREET2010' ON

'PAY COLLEGE ATHLETES?'

G U E S T C O L U M N I S T V I C T O R I A H A L L - PA L E R M

SparkNotes politics I

would be lying if I told you I didn’t use Facebook — I’m not above the occasional self-indulgent Facebook status, because, you know, sometimes I think I have witty things to say. Another thing I like? Trying to stay politically informed, and being around other informed people to keep me on my toes. So since I like Facebook, and I like politics, it would make sense for me to enjoy overtly political statuses, right? Wrong.

That’s not to say that Facebook isn’t a place to say serious things, or share a piece of knowledge. That’s one of social media’s most important purposes, in my mind — I’ve read some fascinating articles because a friend posted the link to it. It is a perfectly valid use of cyberspace to share something you find important.

My bone to pick, however, is with those who believe they are enlightening the Internet world by posting their own SparkNotes versions of political events.

The night of the second presidential debate, I logged on to Facebook to find a status posted by a high school classmate. “Wait stop,” she wrote. “I disagree with Romney’s policies, but I would

respect him a lot more if he would at least stick with his values. His parents never taught him if you stand for nothing you’ll [sic] for anything because he changes his policies so quickly.”

Let’s leave aside the questionable phrasing of those sentences — that’s not the fight I’m picking today. Something about the sort of willful naïveté, the stubborn belligerence of that status rankled me. Sure, cheap digs are easy and sometimes fun to make, but the condescendingly smarmy way she casually dismissed a political candidate's very real arguments — writ large all over the Internet in a selfimportant fashion — made me think that her status wasn’t just annoying, but also indicative of a worrisome trend.

Statuses like that lead to other statuses, which lead to other statuses, as more and more Facebook users feel entitled to water down the already watery online debate. And, the more people post, the more their bitter emotions replace the opportunity for dialogue.

Take another Facebook status I read, this one from the wake of the election: “This country can no longer be counted on to be

exceptional, as its people no longer strive to be such. Mediocrity is what they voted for.”

That’s a pretty strong statement, especially about a president who, for all someone may fundamentally disagree with him, was just elected to represent the entire country, not just the part that voted for him, for the next four years.

But she’s right, in a sense, that we can’t be counted on to be exceptional. And it’s not because we spend too much time voting for mediocrity — it’s because we waste too much time indulging ourselves in pointless Internet rants, rather than making an effort to have constructive debate.

When our preferred outlet for expressing frustration encourages brevity and shock value more than it does the quality of what’s being said, I worry that we end up with a culture of bellicose and sweeping statements — a culture that makes it nearly impossible for our country to heal and move forward after such a divisive election. If people posted statuses that willfully oversimplified candidates’ stances during the elections, it’s no wonder that people seem

both incapable and unwilling to see any good once the election is over. And, in a broader sense, that’s what has made working across the aisle so much harder.

If too many people get bogged down in the chaos of virtually indulging their frustrations, it’s not just that we won’t collectively move forward. We’ll get to a point where we don’t even want to try — whether that’s online or in real life.

Social media makes it too easy for people to provide a watered-down version of events, the kind that fits in a tweet or a pithy Facebook status, and call it being informed. That level of “informed” leads to the divided political world in which we find ourselves, a world where the bulk of people know enough to feel justified in being loudly outraged, but not enough to constructively engage with those with whom they disagree. When it’s more fun and easy to be blithely angry than to see the hardship in the nuance of political events, why try?

VICTORIA HALL-PALERM is a sophomore in Berkeley College.

Contact her at victoria.hall-palerm@yale.edu .

S TA F F I L L U S T R AT O R AU B E R E Y L E S C U R E

The fiscal cliff

YISHAI SCHWARTZ is a senior in Branford College.

Contact him at yishai.schwartz@yale.edu.

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Y

esterday was the 20th anniversary of the invention of the text message.

It was also the day that my dog died. Her name was Satchmo (my dad likes jazz), and she was really old and it was time. My parents were both patting her as it happened, while she lay on her brown cushion by the kitchen door and our dachshund Fess licked a sore spot on her tail.

(That’s Fess after blues pianist Professor Longhair — my dad also really likes blues). Satchmo had a happy life, and she left it surrounded by friends. It was a good way to go. We should all be as lucky.

I got the news when I checked my phone in the middle of MATH 120. “Text Message from Mom,” it said, with that little green icon beside it. I swiped the screen as my teacher said something about the divergence of an electric field.

The first line was, “Satchmo just died peacefully … ” and I didn’t read any further. I gasped a little

and felt that sad twisty lung feeling. Then I sat through 10 more minutes of lecture and didn’t say anything to anyone.

Maybe the lesson of this is that technology is isolating us from each other. I’ve heard that sentiment before, and it seems like it could apply here. I got sad news in an impersonal, technological package. I didn’t get to look a person in the face and show them how I felt in the moment. But the idea that technology is a social crutch has never felt very convincing to me. I understand why my mom wanted to text me the news: She could tell my sister and me at the same time, right after it happened. I don’t feel that the medium undercut the emotion of the moment. Her “love you” was genuine, and I knew it, even if it came in a digital speech bubble.

Actually, I think what yesterday taught me is that I shouldn’t check my phone in class. I’m sort of kidding, but not really. Generally, I treat text messages as a

lesser form of communication. I just don’t take them seriously. I dash them off while I’m walking or emailing or brushing my hair.

(Or peeing. We’ve all done it.) I read them while I’m mid-conversation with a real, live person.

But words are powerful — even just a few words on an iPhone screen. I shouldn’t have read that “Satchmo just died peacefully” while I was supposed to be doing something else.

Sure, texts can’t substitute for real human contact. I texted the news out to my support system at Yale, and I got the personal comfort that I needed. I called my family on the phone, and we shared some sadness and also some stories about each of our days. I went to my classes and had a friendly falafel dinner, and I didn’t feel alone.

It was a little weird to send texts that said, “My dog died today,” but that’s just how things are done nowadays. And anyway, I don’t think the weirdness is the

fault of texting itself. Words are never good enough for big things.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” “I love you,” — they don’t sound like how they feel, no matter how you say them.

And yet, despite their shortcomings, words are a crazy kind of powerful. They sting. They caress. They’ve founded countries, joined people in marriage.

And text messages are, more and more, an expressive verbal medium for our generation. They don’t have to signal the rise of an anti-social cohort or the downfall of language.

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the invention of the text message, and I think it’s a day to celebrate. Texts let us share our grief, affect our friends and reveal ourselves to others.

We shouldn’t check them in class.

SALLY HELM is a junior in Berkeley College. Contact her at sally.helm@yale.edu .

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 3

NEWS

“[Larry Alexander] was a dear, dear person. I don’t think he had a mean bone in his body.” MARCIA SWEENEY MARBLEHEAD DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST

Graham talks interpersonal art

CORRECTION MONDAY, DEC. 3

The article “Lacrosse players coach youth” included a photo taken by Peter Karalekas ’15 that was misattributed to Michael Gary.

L A R RY A L EX A N D E R ’ 7 2 1 9 5 0 – 2 0 1 2

Prof remembered for dedication

BY JOHN AROUTIOUNIAN STAFF REPORTER Since the 1970s, Dan Graham’s art and critical writings have provided new ways of looking at the cultural hallmarks of recent generations.

On Monday night at the School of Art, Graham spoke to an audience of more than 80 graduate and undergraduate students about his work, recalling experiences of both creating and critiquing art. The lecture focused on his sculptures that employ glass and two-way mirrors to create “impressionistic effects” on spectators, causing them to reflect on their emotions and interpersonal interactions.

Graham said his works have been influenced by his upbringing in suburban New Jersey.

The strict boundaries between types of properties in the American suburban landscape, for instance, continue to influence Graham to emphasize borders in his art. “Two-Way Mirror Punched Steel Hedge Labyrinth,” a Graham piece located in Minneapolis, Minn., features borders that alternate in material construction between natural hedges and glass to create a maze.

“Hedges are important to me,” Graham said, adding that they signify the boundary between “private space and the outside.” Graham noted that the glass in “Two-Way Mirror Punched Steel Hedge Labyrinth” seems opaque from a distance but is transparent once the viewer approaches it.

Graham explained that he strives to create “intersubjective” work that emphasizes the idea of social connections playing a key role in shaping thought, rather than “minimal art.” Many of his “pavilions,” which allow the audience to step into an enclosed glass space, are placed in varied settings. “Two-Way Mirror Cylinder Inside Cube,” for instance, is located on a New York City rooftop. Through their

incorporation of reflected surfaces, such structures encourage spectators to “see each other seeing themselves.”

The artist also acknowledged the significant impact of urban architecture on his work, while differentiating his style from the corporate, “reptilian” forms of city architecture in the 1970s.

“My work usually involves the materials of the city,” he said. “The city is very cinematic.

Storefronts take the reflection of a person passing by and project it against the product in the window.”

My work represents the borderline between psychedelic usage and borderline schizophrenia.

DAN GRAHAM Artist, writer and curator Graham said he grew up with no formal art education after high school and largely taught himself how to create through reading and listening to music.

He credited Jean-Paul Sartre with inspiring his early work and discussed his abiding love for rock music. This passion resulted in “Rock My Religion,” the one-hour video art production that explores commonalities between themes in rock music and religion for which Graham gained national fame in the 1980s.

While Graham’s numerous sculptures are a cornerstone of his artistic portfolio, he said he has increasingly turned to writing as he has gotten older.

In exploring the impact of his personal history on the development of his art, Graham discussed his struggles with mental illness.

“My work represents the borderline between psychadelic usage and borderline schizo-

PHILIPP ARNDT/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

American artist Dan Graham lectured on his career and sculptures at the School of Art Monday night. phrenia,” he explained.

Claudia Cortinez ART ’14 said she had expected to hear mostly about Graham’s sculpture work.

Jonathan Peck ART ’14 said that Graham’s lecture lived up to his expectations.

“He seems to have an answer for everything,” Peck said.

“The lecture was much richer and more philosophic than I

expected, which was great to see given his non-academic background. Graham seems really entrenched in placing himself among other artists.”

Graham was born in Urbana, Ill. and lives and works in New York City.

Contact JOHN AROUTIOUNIAN at john.aroutiounian@yale.edu.

MARY ALICE ALEXANDER

Larry Alexander ’72 passed away from a blood disorder at age 62.

BY AMY WANG STAFF REPORTER Larry Alexander ’72, a Massachusetts state representative who dedicated his political career to improving public service, passed away due to complications relating to a blood disorder in Boston on Nov. 6. He was 62.

Alexander graduated from Yale with an honors degree in political science and led a distinguished career in law and politics, serving in Massachusetts state politics for over a decade before returning to Yale as a lecturer in 2008 to lead a college seminar entitled “Ethical Dilemmas of Legislators.”

As a representative, he is credited with pushing forward several measures, including one that prohibited politicians from retaining unused campaign funds for personal purposes.

His students and those close to him remember him as a passionate teacher who encouraged students to tackle ethical issues with nuanced perspectives.

He was a kind, genuine person — he was brilliant, insightful, caring.

MARY ALICE ALEXANDER “What always stood out about Professor Alexander was how much he cared about his students,” Seth Kolker ’15 said in an email. “He brought snacks to every class, made a point to invite every student to lunch to get to know us outside of seminars and never failed to give thoughtful and prompt responses to every question … no matter how silly or minute.”

Though Alexander’s professional experience only resided in legal and political fields, Mary Alice, his wife, said he always had a dream to teach. Alexander loved leading debates among his students, she said, especially when the issue revolved around legislative decisions in which he had been involved.

Alexander opened each class with an ethical dilemma or

politically controversial issue and asked students to take a position. Mary Alice said his objective with these exercises was to “get people to squirm in their seats” and eventually come to the understanding that there are no definitive blackand-white positions on complex issues.

“He loved getting people to think and have a lively debate,” she said. “For him, it was never about getting the right answer out of the students, because there was no single right answer.

It was about getting them to think it through.”

Eric Stern ’15, a student in Alexander’s fall 2011 class, described Alexander as an exceptional example of what a teacher and legislator should be. Stern added that Alexander always engaged his students and “livened class with with stories from his time in elected office.”

Michael Young ’14 said Alexander was “candid and frank” about his political career and wished to help the next generation by showing his students an “honest portrayal” of how to accomplish change through public service.

Kolker called it an “extremely sad day” when the students were notified of Alexander’s illness, several weeks before the end of last fall semester, adding that the class sent flowers, cards and chocolate cigars to Alexander’s hospital room.

“He was a kind, genuine person — he was brilliant, insightful, caring,” Mary Alice said.

“He was very much a modest individual, [with] not a trace of arrogance. Just genuine. He saw the world with the glass halffull, saw the best in people and wanted to bring out the best in people.”

As an undergraduate, Alexander studied writing under journalist John Hersey. He was also the deputy opinion editor of the News.

Alexander is survived by his wife, his daughter, Beverly, and his son, David, who graduated from Yale in 2008.

Contact AMY WANG at amy.wang@yale.edu .

Dirt bikers ruffle Board of Aldermen

CHRIS PEAK/SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting saw the discussion of how to best deal with dirt bikers who drive illegally on New Haven’s streets.

BY CHRISTOPHER PEAK STAFF REPORTER New Haven is seeking help from the state legislature to crack down on dirt bikers that drive illegally on New Haven’s streets with near impunity.

At Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting, Ward 10 Alderman Justin Elicker FES ’10 SOM ’10 briefed the full board about recent lobbying of state legislators to increase the consequences for illegal use of dirt bikes and ATVs. Police have tried to issue fines and confiscate bikes, but without the legislature’s approval of higher fines or the ability to keep bikes indefinitely, offenders can currently reclaim their bikes and speed through the streets within a few days, Elicker added.

Throughout the city, residents have complained about the noise and safety concerns, aldermen

said. “[The bikers] have free reign over the city,” said Elicker, who is also chair of the Board’s City Services and Environmental Policy Committee. “It sets the tone of a lawless city.”

Teenagers and young adults are violating the law by riding their dirt bikes on public land, popping wheelies and speeding through the city’s streets, sidewalks and parks, Elicker said. In the past, police attempted to stop offenders in the act, but a no-chase policy now prevents officers from engaging bikers in high-speed pursuits that may end in an accident. Elicker added that police have focused instead on confiscating the illegally operated vehicles off the road, asking neighbors to report where bikes are stored.

Since the riders do not need a license, the lawbreaking is par-

ticularly dangerous, Board President Jorge Perez said. In 2008, a teenager on a dirt bike died after colliding with a van in Newhallville, and in March, a seven-yearold girl was knocked over by a dirt biker on Whalley.

“In addition to the noise [the bikes] make, people can be run over,” Perez explained. “It’s a safety and quality of life issue.”

Board of Aldermen Majority Leader Alphonse Paolillo said city officials are analyzing laws already on the books to aid the police department, but he added that the state needs to strengthen the laws to allow for full enforcement.

State Representative Pat Dillon plans to introduce legislation in next year’s session, which begins in January, to increase monetary fines from their current $250 maximum to make retrieval of confiscated dirt bikes and

ATVs more difficult. Elicker said he hopes to see fines increased to $1,000 or $2,000 — an amount high enough to effectively confiscate the vehicles indefinitely.

Gary Holder-Winfield, New Haven’s representative in the state assembly, said that if any legislation is proposed, it will likely have little opposition.

“I would suppose that no one is going to show up and say, ‘I want to have my illegal dirt bike,’” he said.

Elicker said he suspects support for a harsher law would be unanimous among New Haven’s aldermen.

A petition by Stop Illegal Traffic on Our Streets, a coalition of residents opposed to the bikes, currently has more than 400 signatures.

Contact CHRISTOPHER PEAK at christopher.peak@yale.edu .

PAGE 4

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

FROM THE FRONT

“I can only go one way. I’ve not got a reverse gear.” TONY BLAIR FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Blair talks world conflict AP scores jump in New Haven

AP SCORES FROM PAGE 1 305 grades of 3 or higher on 1,037 exams. In addition to increasing the percentage of students who received high exam scores, New Haven met the other requirements for the award, which stipulated that participation in AP classes must increase by at least 4 percent in large school districts and that the percentage of minority students taking the exams must not decrease by more than 5 percent.

Success was not only limited to the school district, though, as 79 students earned individual awards for their AP achievement. Wen Jiang ’16, who attended Hill Regional Career High School, qualified for the National AP Scholar Award, which requires a score of 4 on at least eight AP tests and an overall average score of 4.

Jiang, who is now a freshman at Yale, said he was “pleasantly surprised” to find out that his school district made the AP District Honor Roll. He said his surprise stems from his observation that while there are many dedicated teachers and students in the district, there are also many students in New Haven public schools who do not take AP exams seriously.

Increased participation in AP exams may be a product of New Haven’s efforts to create a college-going culture, NHPS spokeswoman Abbe Smith said. There is an AP coordinator in each high school who has been working actively to recruit more students for AP courses, she added.

Jiang attributes the success to a “supportive environment” created by teachers, counselors and peers. Jiang said he felt encouraged to take

AP classes and so did many of his peers, adding that teachers would stay after school multiple times a week to help students with their coursework.

In addition, Jiang said his high school recently began permitting sophomores to take AP exams and allowed juniors to take more than three AP courses, which he believes led to increased AP enrollment.

Making the National AP Honor Roll is a huge honor for New Haven Public Schools and a sign that we are moving in the right direction.

REGINALD MAYO Superintendent, New Haven Public Schools Jiang, however, said he believes New Haven’s AP program would benefit from increased consistency in writing instruction across classes.

Each class stressed different writing techniques and styles, he explained, which made it difficult for him to improve his writing skills.

“At the end of high school, I wasn’t able to take away one set of writing skills that I was really familiar with, so I felt like I had to start back at square one in writing,” Jiang said.

Of the 79 AP Scholar Award winners, 26 were sophomores or juniors and the remaining 53 were seniors.

Contact MONICA DISARE at monica.disare@yale.edu .

BY THE NUMBERS NEW HAVEN AP SCORES 539 617 305 405

School districts, including New Haven, named to the National AP District Honor Roll New Haven students in AP classes in 2012 Grades of 3 or higher on 2011 AP exams in New Haven Grades of 3 or higher on 2012 AP exams in New Haven

MARIA ZEPEDA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo joined Former Prime Minister Tony Blair Monday for a discussion on globalization.

BLAIR FROM PAGE 1 half of the conflicts today in the world have a religious dimension to them, and so it is very difficult for different people to interact with each other.”

Blair said globalization allows societies to understand better one another through increased Internet connectivity and physical accessibility. But globalization can also result in conflicts stemming from religious intolerance, he said, such as those that have arisen in Burma, Blair said.

Half a million citizens have been displaced due to government injustice and escalated violence between the Burmese Buddhist and Muslim militants.

Concerning the Arab Spring, Zedillo and Blair both said nations should support democratic elements of the revolutionary regimes to encourage the

governments to evolve into fullfledged democracies.

Both leaders were optimistic that newly re-elected President Barack Obama would stabilize the U.S. economy, which would benefit the global economy as well as that of the eurozone.

He did a great job showing how […] we should keep in perspective the policies that are working.

NATALIE LANGBURD ’14 “Right now he has a great opportunity, but he has to have a plan — a very comprehensive plan — and he has to swallow a lot of discomfort within the next few

weeks or months,” Zedillo said.

“This is the moment of truth to get this country a viable sustainable program to recover its economic vigor.”

Zedillo also said he hopes world leaders will address environmental issues, adding that Obama could further commit to reducing pollution associated with climate change and energy dependence.

Blair said he aims to mitigate the problems associated with globalization through the Faith Foundation, a non-profit he started in 2008. The foundation sends teams to up to 20 countries working to foster mutual religious understanding by partnering schools with children of different faiths across the globe, he said. The group has also partnered with Yale and other universities to conduct research and involve future leaders in identify-

ing new solutions to these issues, he added. Blair co-taught a seminar on faith and globalization from 2008 until last spring as part of the foundation’s Faith and Globalization Initiative at Yale.

Natalie Langburd ’14 said the event offered her new perspectives on the state of international politics and helped her understand the impact of U.S. policies.

“He did a great job showing how — despite some policies not playing out as perfectly as planned — we should keep in perspective the policies that are working,” she said. “It’s important that we’re aware of these global issues.”

Blair served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007.

Contact SEBASTIAN MEDINA-TAYAC at sebastian.medina-tayac@yale.edu .

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PAGE 5

FROM THE FRONT

The height, in feet, of the tallest indoor climbing wall in the country.

120

The wall is located at an athletic center in Carrollton, Texas.

Typical indoor climbing walls measure between just 20 and 45 feet.

Climbing team laments lack of Yale wall CLIMBING FROM PAGE 1 said the idea for building a climbing wall was floated in the mid-1990s in connection to Payne Whitney Gym’s renovation but never came to fruition. Chesler said the wall would have to come at the cost of another sport’s practice area if built today.

When climbing became an official club sport in 2010, Director of Club Sports Tom Migdalski said the team planned to use the Connecticut Rock Gym off campus.

“There was never a promise, or even a mention … that we would be obligated in any way to provide additional facility or funding resources,” Migdalski said in a Monday email, adding that “serious consideration is given to all proposals made to Athletics, and decisions aren’t made lightly” or “denied unless for very sound internal and external reasons.”

Though the climbing team has access to the Connecticut Rock Gym, safety remains an issue for climbers as they walk along Farmington Canal to the facility in the evenings, Kelly said. Since the start of the school-year, Yale Chief of Police Ronnell Higgins alerted students at least twice to robberies occurring on the way, along the Canal Line.

“I feel uncomfortable taking the walk alone at night — it’s not a safe walk in my opinion,” said Andrew Calder ’13, the team’s co-captain. “We always encourage people to walk in groups or always to have a buddy.”

Kelly said a shuttle would only be a partial solution, since other teams have the chance to train in facilities on campus.

The Yale climbing team was formed in 2008.

Contact JEFFREY DASTIN at jeffrey.dastin@yale.edu .

CAROL HSIN/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Yale Climbing Team became an official club sport in 2010. It practices at the Connecticut Rock Gym, but safety to and from the facilities is a concern for some team members.

National admissions rate holds despite Ivy League dip ACCEPTANCE FROM PAGE 1 with getting the most “educational return” for their financial investment, especially in the current state of the economy. Students are more likely to send in a greater number of applications to schools known for their selectivity, he said, because “more and more kids are thinking about the cost-benefit return.”

Yale’s acceptance rate hit an alltime low of 6.82 percent this year, compared to a roughly 14 percent acceptance rate a decade ago.

Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeffrey Brenzel declined to comment on how the differing national trends reflect attitudes toward higher education.

Chuck Hughes, president of college admissions consulting service Road to College, said he believes that the increasing selectivity of schools is not due to media attention, but rather the nation’s eco-

nomic situation — with an economy that has not yet recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, students put more emphasis on job placement, which many think can be enhanced by attending a selective university.

Certain families will only pay for a child’s college education if the child is accepted at an “elite” university — a trend that causes the number of applications at only top tier universities to rise, he said.

“It’s really interesting — families put a premium on a certain tier of education now,” he said. “It’s a small number [of schools for which] families are willing to pay whatever that cost is for school. Those families are very conscious of value.”

Thacker said other factors, such as media rankings and increased marketing from colleges, have also driven up application counts and lowered the acceptance rates of elite institutions. Hughes added that a rise in international appli-

cants has contributed to the lowered rates as well. He said he does not think the pool of students applying to college from within the United States has increased, but rather the acceptance rate of more selective institutions has gone down partially due to the growth of international applicants.

Many people have a misperception that applying to any college in the United States is as competitive as applying to the schools of the Ivy League, said David Hawkins, NACAC director of public policy and research, in an interview with Inside Higher Ed. The study also reported several other findings, such as a longterm decline in the importance that colleges place on high school class rank and in-person interviews.

Contact AMY WANG at amy.wang@yale.edu .

GRAPH YALE ACCEPTANCE RATES 2002–2012 15

12

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6 0

2002

2003

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YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 7

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

“Give a child love, laughter and peace, not AIDS.” NELSON MANDELA FORMER PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA

WORLD AIDS DAY 2012

SAHELI SADANAND

Remembrance and research

Yale memorial project expands

BY HANNAH SCHWARZ STAFF REPORTER Last week, Cross Campus looked different. Red and white balloons, intertwined and attached to the railing leading up to Sterling Memorial Library, floated next to “World AIDS Day Celebration” signs. For most students, those decorations evoked pictures of an epidemic that has swept across numerous African nations, traveled from needle to needle amidst the city streets of Russia and created an American urban crisis in the ’90s.

Few students probably thought of their fellow Yalies.

But in 2010, during a brainstorming session with n+1 magazine, Chris Glazek ’07 did.

One of the goals of [YAMP] is to figure out how many people did die and what eras.

CHRIS GLAZEK ‘07 Creator of YAMP While an undergraduate at Yale, Glazek worked on a “history in memories” project related to the Holocaust. He planned to address the AIDS epidemic, “an event in the American psyche that hadn’t been processed by the collective or by individual institutions,” in a similar fashion. He decided to commemorate Yalies who had died from the disease by creating the Yale AIDS Memorial Project.

As the first major YAMP initiative, Glazek compiled eight profiles of Yale AIDS victims in a journal featuring two introductory essays — one by Glazek and the other by professor George Chauncey ’77 GRD ’89, who teaches “U.S. Lesbian and Gay History.” The journal, of which 100,000 print copies were published, helped garner $50,000 in funding from the Michael Palm Foundation, an organization created by Michael Palm ’73. Glazek said the journal aimed to draw attention and secure funding for

YAMP, which Glazek hoped would expand to tell the stories of more Yalies who had died from the disease.

Though Glazek said YAMP tried to “get some diversity in terms of era,” most names were provided by YAMP’s Board of Advisers — such as Chauncey and current professor Mark Schoofs ’85, recipient of a 2000 Pulitzer Prize for a series on AIDS in Africa. After the first eight profiles, YAMP opened itself to the public and asked people to submit names of Yale students and professors who had died of HIV/AIDS-related diseases, and an “influx” of names came in, said Serena Fu, secretary of YAMP. “One of the goals of [YAMP] is to figure out how many people did die and what eras they were concentrated in,” Glazek said, adding that the highest concentration of infection was likely in the graduating classes of the late 1970s.

The names of the original eight were easier to come by because they were relatively prominent people, Fu said, though she added that YAMP currently has compiled over 100 names. The project will only end when there are no more names left to be catalogued — when there are no longer any Yalies dying from HIV/AIDS. The organization’s goal is to set up a prototype for other institutions to commemorate their own AIDS victims, Glazek said.

By basing the project in one location — Yale — and using it as an entryway to the larger epidemic, the impact of the disease becomes more understandable, said Richard Espinosa ’10, who became president of YAMP in May. “When something’s that huge, it’s hard to connect to, especially for our generation, who came to age after the most massive waves of death in the U.S.,” he said. “[The epidemic] has drifted from popular consciousness.

There’s a feeling of ‘overness,’ but in the past 15 years, the U.S. transmission rate has stayed steady at 50,000 people per year. We want people speaking out about the current epidemic.”

Currently, YAMP is creating a website to display each of the profiles. Espinosa said YAMP is aim-

AIDS Project New Haven receives grant

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

AIDS Project New Haven works to provide food, therapeutic treatments and financial assistance to citizens from the greater New Haven area who suffer from HIV/AIDS.

BY ERIC XIAO STAFF REPORTER KAREN TIAN

Chris Glazek ’07 established YAMP to commemorate students who died from AIDS. ing for a non-public launch of the website — which will feature 25 profiles — in February. It will be made available to IvyQ and the GALA reunion at Yale. The website, yaleaidsmemorialproject. org, will be made public in March.

Gregg Gonsalves, a member of the board of advisers, said YAMP’s online medium will make replicating the project inexpensive,

allowing it to reach more people.

Gonsalves said he hopes this particular medium of communication — a semi-story-telling memoir — will make people remember just how close the epidemic was and is to Yale, in a way that essays, articles and statistics cannot.

“In academic institutions, we learn a lot by reading and second-

ary sources. But there’s no substitute for direct experience,” Gonsalves said. “All of the profiled ones are long dead. They taught and learned in the same classrooms we take classes in. They graduated from the same colleges that we’re in.”

Contact HANNAH SCHWARZ at hannah.schwarz@yale.edu .

Med School researcher proposes HIV solution

BY MAREK RAMILO STAFF REPORTER Dr. Richard Sutton from the Yale School of Medicine has spent much of his career searching for a cure to HIV, a virus that affects roughly 1.2 million Americans today. Dr. Sutton’s lab is currently trying to develop a viable solution to HIV by exploiting the virus’ method of cell entry: binding to CCR5 receptors on cells. Sutton’s focus on HIV replication has influenced his approach to studying the disease, which he discussed with the News Monday afternoon.

Q

Can you give us some background on how you’ve tried to find a solution to HIV?

A

Without [CCR5], HIV is dead.

We’ve known now, for many years, that individuals who have a mutation in CCR5 don’t express CCR5 on their T cells and they’re relatively resistant to HIV infection. Why this is, we don’t know, but we know these people are normal, so if we can somehow reduce CCR5 levels or interfere with CCR5 function, we can make cells resistant to HIV.

Q

Have there been any specific developments using this approach?

A

Yes. In 2007, medication was approved, called maraviroc, that specifically targets CCR5 and

it disrupts its function. It does work, but we never use it because it came out at about the same time that integrase inhibitors — other small molecule inhibitors of HIV — were approved. For maraviroc, we had to do a pre-test to see if the patient had circulating virus, which it would be active against. That cost $2,000, and a lot of physicians wouldn’t use maraviroc, so everyone started using integrase inhibitors. It never really gained market share. I don’t know if anyone will ever use maraviroc, to be honest, but it does work.

targeting CXCR4 instead an QIsoption?

A

The problem with targeting CXCR4 is you cannot do it in progenitor cells — bone marrow stem cells — because if you do that, then there are all sorts of problems. If you want to target CXCR4, then you have to do it in mature T cells. That’s been done, it seems to work and there are mouse models to show that you can knock out CXCR4 this way using zinc-finger nucleases and then HIV cannot replicate.

A

BY LINDSEY UNIAT AND DAN WEINER STAFF REPORTERS

reference as similar?

A

No. HIV belongs to the class of the retroviruses, and the retroviruses have been around for a hundred years that we knew about. But [HIV] is a relatively unique class of virus.

do you have to see, speQWhat cifically, for you to be convinced that you have a successful solution?

A

Well, there are various steps.

First, you do stuff with cells in culture. You can do these humanized mouse experiments where you put human cells into these immunodeficient mice, which you challenge with HIV and you see what levels of HIV replication you get.

Then you can also move to nonhuman primates like Rhesus

marily offers financial assistance to clients who cannot afford all the treatments they require, but also offers support groups, mental health services and even alternative therapies such as acupuncture.

“HIV today is a very manageable disease if you are compliant with your medical care,” Cole said.

APNH emphasizes working very closely with clients, he added. Each of the 200 case management clients meets with an assigned medical case manager as often as two or three times a week. These managers, who Cole referred to as “the backbone” of APNH’s services, ensure that clients receive emergency financial assistance, transportation, food, housing and any other psycho-social support they require.

Another service APNH offers is Caring Cuisine, a food service that prepares and delivers meals directly to the residences of clients whose health limits their ability to cook their own food. Unlike the majority of APNH’s services, Caring Cuisine is not financially need-

based, but rather based on a client’s health condition.

APNH is primarily composed of 15 regular volunteers who mostly work for Caring Cuisine, serve as front desk receptionists or help out at special events. The organization also has a pool of approximately 30 volunteers to help whenever they are needed.

Volunteer Coordinator and Yale French professor Chris Semk said most of the volunteers are students. Many who choose to volunteer do so because they have lost loved ones who passed away from AIDS, he added.

“I have friends who are positive — I have seen what they have struggled with and I see the work that needs to be done in terms of advocacy and care,” Semk said.

Even in the midst of offering comprehensive services, APNH staff and volunteers stressed the importance of providing community and comfort.

APNH’s support groups, psychotherapeutic services and even a Tuesday afternoon movie club help

to make clients feel like they belong to a community.

“We are very intentionally a homey environment, a non-clinical environment,” Cole said.

He added that this friendly mentality is a key aspect of the organization’s mission to be “nonjudgmental” in its services. When he first began working at APNH in 2008, several clients, staff members and board members had expressed concern regarding the potential stigma associated with placing a sign on the organization’s building. It took a year and a half for APNH to get a sign on its building, Cole said.

Volunteer Receptionist Kendra O’Connor said one of her important responsibilities is to make sure clients “don’t need to feel embarrassed for whatever reason they are coming in for.”

AIDS Project New Haven is Connecticut’s oldest AIDS service organization.

Contact ERIC XIAO at eric.xiao@yale.edu .

Students, faculty observe World AIDS Day

are some other ways to get there a virus that has been QWhat QIscomparable rid of CCR5? to HIV that we can There are RNA enzymes which will cleave CCR5, but that doesn’t work very well. There are ways to essentially knock out the gene completely. There are some very specialized proteins called zinc-finger nucleases. These are fusion proteins that target very specific regions of DNA in the genome and also cut the DNA, so it makes the double-stranded cut in the DNA. Once the double-stranded cut is made into the genomic DNA, the cell has two choices: it can either die or it can repair it. If [the cell] repairs [the cut], it often makes errors in the repair. When it makes errors, that destroys CCR5.

There are phase one clinical trials that are doing this exact approach for destroying CCR5 and the other coreceptor, CXCR4.

Although state funding for HIV prevention has decreased over the past year, AIDS Project New Haven received a state grant in June for its prevention and outreach work.

Located on Chapel St., AIDS Project New Haven is an AIDS service organization that provides food, therapeutic treatments and financial assistance to roughly 300 residents of the greater New Haven area suffering from HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Executive Director Christopher Cole said APHN received a $382,000 grant for both 2013 and 2014 from Connecticut’s Department of Public Health to expand the organization’s prevention outreach programs within the community, primarily those that involve administering HIV tests, linking clients to direct medical care and providing comprehensive counseling to both HIV-positive individuals and at-risk HIV-negative individuals.

Since its founding in 1983, APNH has undergone drastic changes in its services as well as its organizational structure. APNH, like other HIV/AIDS-related organizations across the country, was mainly started by volunteers.

“It was a group of concerned and affected individuals who came together to support those in the community who were dying,” Cole said.

In the early years of the organization, volunteer and worker positions did not require as much prior professional training as they do now. Today, positions such as medical case manager — which did not exist when APNH first began — do require specialized training.

“We have come from a volunteer-based, crisis-based organization to being much more strategic, professional, clinical and accountable in our care,” Cole said.

Short of hiring actual physicians to work at the organization, APNH does everything in its power to connect clients to the treatment they need, he added. APNH pri-

KAREN TIAN

HIV cells and the virus they cause affect roughly 1.2 million Americans a day. macaques and do similar gene therapy-type experiments. And then to humans. close would you say we are QHow to finding a viable solution for the eradication of HIV?

A

We do have a viable solution, it’s just hard to institute, even in the United States, which is essentially to prevent the virus from infecting new cells. We do

have pretty good genes that will do that, or eliminate CCR5 from the cell surface. It is, in some cases, a matter of doing the clinical trials so that it actually works. You can’t just do things on the basis of n=1. I think the solutions are at hand. In terms of a prophylactic vaccine as a solution, which is obviously the preferred solution … not in our lifetime, unfortunately.

Contact MAREK RAMILO at marek.ramilo@yale.edu .

In honor of the 25th annual World AIDS Day on Saturday, Dec. 1, student groups and faculty from across Yale College and the graduate schools raised awareness about the disease and reached out to New Haven residents suffering from AIDS. Throughout the week leading up to World AIDS Day, groups across campus came together to discuss AIDS. Health professionals gathered at the Yale School of Medicine last Thursday to discuss research and progress of advocacy over the past few decades. On World AIDS Day, student organizations ventured into the city to raise awareness of the disease.

AIDS Walk leader Connie Zhao ‘14 said the organization has about 20 members and spends much of the year fundraising and organizing the actual walk, which takes place every April.

Five volunteers from the undergraduate student group spent Saturday morning at the Wooster Square farmers’ mar-

ket handing out red ribbons and bags containing condoms, HIV/ AIDS information pamphlets and World AIDS Day hats to commemorate the annual event.

“At the beginning of this year, AIDS Walk decided that we wanted to encourage Yale students to raise awareness in the New Haven community, in addition to the Yale community,” Zhao said. “We hoped that by going to the farmer’s market rather than having a speaker event for Yale students, we would be able to reach more members of the community.”

Later in the day, the AIDS Walk volunteers distributed more bags and served refreshments at a presentation at Liberty Community Services. Yale School of Medicine professor Frederick Altice spoke about the history of HIV/AIDS at Liberty.

Every Saturday, the Yale AIDS Support Coalition travels to the Leeway AIDS/HIV clinic in New Haven to socialize with the patients and help out at the center. While YASC did not organize a special event for World AIDS Day,

YASC cofounder Monica Tung ’13 said YASC may plan special initiatives in upcoming years.

“In the past, Yale students have gone and played musical instruments or danced for the residents, and they have really enjoyed that,” she said.

We hear time and again that we will see the end of AIDS soon and that the next generation will be AIDS-free.

JEREMY SCHWARTZ, MD Instructor, School of Medicine While students have volunteered at Leeway in small groups for years, Tung said she started the student group this fall to coordinate the trips to the center and organize the volunteers for other initiatives. Tung said that on average five or six undergrads

and graduate students make the trip to Leeway, which is located approximately two miles away.

Two days before World AIDS Day, a group of approximately 70 health professional students and faculty attended a special discussion panel hosted by the Yale Global Health Seminar and the Yale Tropical Medicine Course.

The event was the first collaboration between these two global health elective courses, open to students from the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing and the Physician Associate Program.

Three School of Medicine professors specializing in infectious and microbial diseases and AIDS lectured briefly and then opened the discussion to questions from the audience.

Medical instructor Jeremy Schwartz, who organizes the Tropical Medicine Course, said the first presenter, Gerald Friedland, spoke about the impact of four important International AIDS Conferences, which have been held since 1985.

The 2012 International AIDS

Conference, held this summer in Washington, D.C., marked the first time the conference was held in the United States since 1990, when its organizers protested the 1987 ban preventing people with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. The Obama administration lifted the travel ban in 2010.

“One theme that came out of the session was that we hear time and again that we will see the end of AIDS soon and that the next generation with be AIDS-free,” Schwartz said. “But the speakers pointed out that we are not there yet. Dr. Friedland said it’s the beginning of the end of AIDS. We have treatments and strategies that are effective, but fully mobilizing those is still years away.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that in the United States, 50,000 individuals are infected with HIV every year.

Contact LINDSEY UNIAT at lindsey.uniat@yale.edu .

Contact DAN WEINER AT daniel.weiner@yale.edu .

Still needed: AIDS vaccine For the last 24 years, the world has observed World AIDS Day on Dec. 1st, a day to raise awareness about AIDS and reflect on the progress made and future initiatives in fighting the disease. This year there is a lot to be proud of. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released a report ahead of World AIDS Day that included some striking results – infection rates have dropped by more than 50 percent in 25 low-and middle-income countries and, in comparison to 2001, there were 700,000 fewer new infections.

Importantly, dramatic infection rate reduction has been seen in the worstaffected region of the world, sub-Saharan Africa. The report suggests that, incredibly, one of the ambitious Millenium Development Goals may in fact be achieved by 2015 – the successful combatting of AIDS. The progress in fighting AIDS has been achieved through a multi-pronged strategy that involves significant investment in and distribution of antiretroviral treatment, promotion of testing — particularly amongst the oft-stigmatized populations that disproportionately suffer from AIDS — and promotion in non-drug based preventative measures and education. Fairly simple things — for example, circumcision — have been found to dramatically reduce the AIDS transmission rate. The UNAIDS report was extremely promising, but the Holy Grail in the fight against AIDS remains the discovery of an effective vaccine. No disease can be eradicated or thoroughly limited without a broad vaccination campaign.

All vaccines (that are currently on the market) lead to the generation of neutralizing antibodies, secreted proteins that can bind specific parts of the pathogen, thereby targeting the pathogen for destruction and preventing them from infecting cells should we be exposed to the pathogen in the future. However, HIV replicates and mutates incredibly fast — it is estimated that it mutates as much in one day as the flu virus does in a year — and this is why it has been such a problematic vaccine target. HIV-infected individuals can harbor many genetically different HIV strains, so unless a vaccine can elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies — antibodies that can effectively stymy many distinct HIV strains — it will not be useful in preventing infection for everyone. Identifying neutralizing antibodies is not easy; the work involves repeatedly screening many patients in order to evaluate not only the antibody repertoire but also the virus variants the patients have.

This past October, a study was published in Nature Medicine that defined a new, susceptible HIV variant in two patients. The two patients had antibodies that recognize a spot on the virus shell, a hitherto unknown vulnerability generated by a single shift in one sugar-like molecule that was inaccessible to antibodies in the initial virus infection but emerged in a virus variant several months later. By identifying broadly neutralizing antibodies that currently exist in patients, researchers ultimately hope to generate vaccines that can induce production of these antibodies, limiting the ability of HIV to take hold in exposed individuals. There are no guarantees; past vaccine trials have ended in disappointment and the high-profile Merck vaccine trial that ended a few years ago is even believed to have made some immunized individuals more susceptible to HIV infection. However, the identification of a broadly neutralizing antibody and its virus binding site is a significant development because it sheds light on how the virus can be thwarted as it evolves, providing a therapeutic target as well as a protective target.

There is a lot to be hopeful about in the ongoing fight against AIDS, but there is still work to be done. Since AIDS is a chronic disease, antiretroviral treatments will continue to be important for many millions of people. Even if we did have an effective vaccine against HIV, we might still not achieve disease eradication for some time — polio, a disease that could have been eradicated years ago, still lingers in certain pockets of the world due to distrust of and infrastructure limits to vaccination campaigns. However, a successful vaccine would have an immediate impact in reducing transmission of AIDS and hopefully making it a thing of the past within the next century.

Contact SAHELI SADANAND at saheli.sadanand@yale.edu .

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YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

“Give a child love, laughter and peace, not AIDS.” NELSON MANDELA FORMER PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA

WORLD AIDS DAY 2012

SAHELI SADANAND

Remembrance and research

Yale memorial project expands

BY HANNAH SCHWARZ STAFF REPORTER Last week, Cross Campus looked different. Red and white balloons, intertwined and attached to the railing leading up to Sterling Memorial Library, floated next to “World AIDS Day Celebration” signs. For most students, those decorations evoked pictures of an epidemic that has swept across numerous African nations, traveled from needle to needle amidst the city streets of Russia and created an American urban crisis in the ’90s.

Few students probably thought of their fellow Yalies.

But in 2010, during a brainstorming session with n+1 magazine, Chris Glazek ’07 did.

One of the goals of [YAMP] is to figure out how many people did die and what eras.

CHRIS GLAZEK ‘07 Creator of YAMP While an undergraduate at Yale, Glazek worked on a “history in memories” project related to the Holocaust. He planned to address the AIDS epidemic, “an event in the American psyche that hadn’t been processed by the collective or by individual institutions,” in a similar fashion. He decided to commemorate Yalies who had died from the disease by creating the Yale AIDS Memorial Project.

As the first major YAMP initiative, Glazek compiled eight profiles of Yale AIDS victims in a journal featuring two introductory essays — one by Glazek and the other by professor George Chauncey ’77 GRD ’89, who teaches “U.S. Lesbian and Gay History.” The journal, of which 100,000 print copies were published, helped garner $50,000 in funding from the Michael Palm Foundation, an organization created by Michael Palm ’73. Glazek said the journal aimed to draw attention and secure funding for

YAMP, which Glazek hoped would expand to tell the stories of more Yalies who had died from the disease.

Though Glazek said YAMP tried to “get some diversity in terms of era,” most names were provided by YAMP’s Board of Advisers — such as Chauncey and current professor Mark Schoofs ’85, recipient of a 2000 Pulitzer Prize for a series on AIDS in Africa. After the first eight profiles, YAMP opened itself to the public and asked people to submit names of Yale students and professors who had died of HIV/AIDS-related diseases, and an “influx” of names came in, said Serena Fu, secretary of YAMP. “One of the goals of [YAMP] is to figure out how many people did die and what eras they were concentrated in,” Glazek said, adding that the highest concentration of infection was likely in the graduating classes of the late 1970s.

The names of the original eight were easier to come by because they were relatively prominent people, Fu said, though she added that YAMP currently has compiled over 100 names. The project will only end when there are no more names left to be catalogued — when there are no longer any Yalies dying from HIV/AIDS. The organization’s goal is to set up a prototype for other institutions to commemorate their own AIDS victims, Glazek said.

By basing the project in one location — Yale — and using it as an entryway to the larger epidemic, the impact of the disease becomes more understandable, said Richard Espinosa ’10, who became president of YAMP in May. “When something’s that huge, it’s hard to connect to, especially for our generation, who came to age after the most massive waves of death in the U.S.,” he said. “[The epidemic] has drifted from popular consciousness.

There’s a feeling of ‘overness,’ but in the past 15 years, the U.S. transmission rate has stayed steady at 50,000 people per year. We want people speaking out about the current epidemic.”

Currently, YAMP is creating a website to display each of the profiles. Espinosa said YAMP is aim-

AIDS Project New Haven receives grant

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

AIDS Project New Haven works to provide food, therapeutic treatments and financial assistance to citizens from the greater New Haven area who suffer from HIV/AIDS.

BY ERIC XIAO STAFF REPORTER KAREN TIAN

Chris Glazek ’07 established YAMP to commemorate students who died from AIDS. ing for a non-public launch of the website — which will feature 25 profiles — in February. It will be made available to IvyQ and the GALA reunion at Yale. The website, yaleaidsmemorialproject. org, will be made public in March.

Gregg Gonsalves, a member of the board of advisers, said YAMP’s online medium will make replicating the project inexpensive,

allowing it to reach more people.

Gonsalves said he hopes this particular medium of communication — a semi-story-telling memoir — will make people remember just how close the epidemic was and is to Yale, in a way that essays, articles and statistics cannot.

“In academic institutions, we learn a lot by reading and second-

ary sources. But there’s no substitute for direct experience,” Gonsalves said. “All of the profiled ones are long dead. They taught and learned in the same classrooms we take classes in. They graduated from the same colleges that we’re in.”

Contact HANNAH SCHWARZ at hannah.schwarz@yale.edu .

Med School researcher proposes HIV solution

BY MAREK RAMILO STAFF REPORTER Dr. Richard Sutton from the Yale School of Medicine has spent much of his career searching for a cure to HIV, a virus that affects roughly 1.2 million Americans today. Dr. Sutton’s lab is currently trying to develop a viable solution to HIV by exploiting the virus’ method of cell entry: binding to CCR5 receptors on cells. Sutton’s focus on HIV replication has influenced his approach to studying the disease, which he discussed with the News Monday afternoon.

Q

Can you give us some background on how you’ve tried to find a solution to HIV?

A

Without [CCR5], HIV is dead.

We’ve known now, for many years, that individuals who have a mutation in CCR5 don’t express CCR5 on their T cells and they’re relatively resistant to HIV infection. Why this is, we don’t know, but we know these people are normal, so if we can somehow reduce CCR5 levels or interfere with CCR5 function, we can make cells resistant to HIV.

Q

Have there been any specific developments using this approach?

A

Yes. In 2007, medication was approved, called maraviroc, that specifically targets CCR5 and

it disrupts its function. It does work, but we never use it because it came out at about the same time that integrase inhibitors — other small molecule inhibitors of HIV — were approved. For maraviroc, we had to do a pre-test to see if the patient had circulating virus, which it would be active against. That cost $2,000, and a lot of physicians wouldn’t use maraviroc, so everyone started using integrase inhibitors. It never really gained market share. I don’t know if anyone will ever use maraviroc, to be honest, but it does work.

targeting CXCR4 instead an QIsoption?

A

The problem with targeting CXCR4 is you cannot do it in progenitor cells — bone marrow stem cells — because if you do that, then there are all sorts of problems. If you want to target CXCR4, then you have to do it in mature T cells. That’s been done, it seems to work and there are mouse models to show that you can knock out CXCR4 this way using zinc-finger nucleases and then HIV cannot replicate.

A

BY LINDSEY UNIAT AND DAN WEINER STAFF REPORTERS

reference as similar?

A

No. HIV belongs to the class of the retroviruses, and the retroviruses have been around for a hundred years that we knew about. But [HIV] is a relatively unique class of virus.

do you have to see, speQWhat cifically, for you to be convinced that you have a successful solution?

A

Well, there are various steps.

First, you do stuff with cells in culture. You can do these humanized mouse experiments where you put human cells into these immunodeficient mice, which you challenge with HIV and you see what levels of HIV replication you get.

Then you can also move to nonhuman primates like Rhesus

marily offers financial assistance to clients who cannot afford all the treatments they require, but also offers support groups, mental health services and even alternative therapies such as acupuncture.

“HIV today is a very manageable disease if you are compliant with your medical care,” Cole said.

APNH emphasizes working very closely with clients, he added. Each of the 200 case management clients meets with an assigned medical case manager as often as two or three times a week. These managers, who Cole referred to as “the backbone” of APNH’s services, ensure that clients receive emergency financial assistance, transportation, food, housing and any other psycho-social support they require.

Another service APNH offers is Caring Cuisine, a food service that prepares and delivers meals directly to the residences of clients whose health limits their ability to cook their own food. Unlike the majority of APNH’s services, Caring Cuisine is not financially need-

based, but rather based on a client’s health condition.

APNH is primarily composed of 15 regular volunteers who mostly work for Caring Cuisine, serve as front desk receptionists or help out at special events. The organization also has a pool of approximately 30 volunteers to help whenever they are needed.

Volunteer Coordinator and Yale French professor Chris Semk said most of the volunteers are students. Many who choose to volunteer do so because they have lost loved ones who passed away from AIDS, he added.

“I have friends who are positive — I have seen what they have struggled with and I see the work that needs to be done in terms of advocacy and care,” Semk said.

Even in the midst of offering comprehensive services, APNH staff and volunteers stressed the importance of providing community and comfort.

APNH’s support groups, psychotherapeutic services and even a Tuesday afternoon movie club help

to make clients feel like they belong to a community.

“We are very intentionally a homey environment, a non-clinical environment,” Cole said.

He added that this friendly mentality is a key aspect of the organization’s mission to be “nonjudgmental” in its services. When he first began working at APNH in 2008, several clients, staff members and board members had expressed concern regarding the potential stigma associated with placing a sign on the organization’s building. It took a year and a half for APNH to get a sign on its building, Cole said.

Volunteer Receptionist Kendra O’Connor said one of her important responsibilities is to make sure clients “don’t need to feel embarrassed for whatever reason they are coming in for.”

AIDS Project New Haven is Connecticut’s oldest AIDS service organization.

Contact ERIC XIAO at eric.xiao@yale.edu .

Students, faculty observe World AIDS Day

are some other ways to get there a virus that has been QWhat QIscomparable rid of CCR5? to HIV that we can There are RNA enzymes which will cleave CCR5, but that doesn’t work very well. There are ways to essentially knock out the gene completely. There are some very specialized proteins called zinc-finger nucleases. These are fusion proteins that target very specific regions of DNA in the genome and also cut the DNA, so it makes the double-stranded cut in the DNA. Once the double-stranded cut is made into the genomic DNA, the cell has two choices: it can either die or it can repair it. If [the cell] repairs [the cut], it often makes errors in the repair. When it makes errors, that destroys CCR5.

There are phase one clinical trials that are doing this exact approach for destroying CCR5 and the other coreceptor, CXCR4.

Although state funding for HIV prevention has decreased over the past year, AIDS Project New Haven received a state grant in June for its prevention and outreach work.

Located on Chapel St., AIDS Project New Haven is an AIDS service organization that provides food, therapeutic treatments and financial assistance to roughly 300 residents of the greater New Haven area suffering from HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Executive Director Christopher Cole said APHN received a $382,000 grant for both 2013 and 2014 from Connecticut’s Department of Public Health to expand the organization’s prevention outreach programs within the community, primarily those that involve administering HIV tests, linking clients to direct medical care and providing comprehensive counseling to both HIV-positive individuals and at-risk HIV-negative individuals.

Since its founding in 1983, APNH has undergone drastic changes in its services as well as its organizational structure. APNH, like other HIV/AIDS-related organizations across the country, was mainly started by volunteers.

“It was a group of concerned and affected individuals who came together to support those in the community who were dying,” Cole said.

In the early years of the organization, volunteer and worker positions did not require as much prior professional training as they do now. Today, positions such as medical case manager — which did not exist when APNH first began — do require specialized training.

“We have come from a volunteer-based, crisis-based organization to being much more strategic, professional, clinical and accountable in our care,” Cole said.

Short of hiring actual physicians to work at the organization, APNH does everything in its power to connect clients to the treatment they need, he added. APNH pri-

KAREN TIAN

HIV cells and the virus they cause affect roughly 1.2 million Americans a day. macaques and do similar gene therapy-type experiments. And then to humans. close would you say we are QHow to finding a viable solution for the eradication of HIV?

A

We do have a viable solution, it’s just hard to institute, even in the United States, which is essentially to prevent the virus from infecting new cells. We do

have pretty good genes that will do that, or eliminate CCR5 from the cell surface. It is, in some cases, a matter of doing the clinical trials so that it actually works. You can’t just do things on the basis of n=1. I think the solutions are at hand. In terms of a prophylactic vaccine as a solution, which is obviously the preferred solution … not in our lifetime, unfortunately.

Contact MAREK RAMILO at marek.ramilo@yale.edu .

In honor of the 25th annual World AIDS Day on Saturday, Dec. 1, student groups and faculty from across Yale College and the graduate schools raised awareness about the disease and reached out to New Haven residents suffering from AIDS. Throughout the week leading up to World AIDS Day, groups across campus came together to discuss AIDS. Health professionals gathered at the Yale School of Medicine last Thursday to discuss research and progress of advocacy over the past few decades. On World AIDS Day, student organizations ventured into the city to raise awareness of the disease.

AIDS Walk leader Connie Zhao ‘14 said the organization has about 20 members and spends much of the year fundraising and organizing the actual walk, which takes place every April.

Five volunteers from the undergraduate student group spent Saturday morning at the Wooster Square farmers’ mar-

ket handing out red ribbons and bags containing condoms, HIV/ AIDS information pamphlets and World AIDS Day hats to commemorate the annual event.

“At the beginning of this year, AIDS Walk decided that we wanted to encourage Yale students to raise awareness in the New Haven community, in addition to the Yale community,” Zhao said. “We hoped that by going to the farmer’s market rather than having a speaker event for Yale students, we would be able to reach more members of the community.”

Later in the day, the AIDS Walk volunteers distributed more bags and served refreshments at a presentation at Liberty Community Services. Yale School of Medicine professor Frederick Altice spoke about the history of HIV/AIDS at Liberty.

Every Saturday, the Yale AIDS Support Coalition travels to the Leeway AIDS/HIV clinic in New Haven to socialize with the patients and help out at the center. While YASC did not organize a special event for World AIDS Day,

YASC cofounder Monica Tung ’13 said YASC may plan special initiatives in upcoming years.

“In the past, Yale students have gone and played musical instruments or danced for the residents, and they have really enjoyed that,” she said.

We hear time and again that we will see the end of AIDS soon and that the next generation will be AIDS-free.

JEREMY SCHWARTZ, MD Instructor, School of Medicine While students have volunteered at Leeway in small groups for years, Tung said she started the student group this fall to coordinate the trips to the center and organize the volunteers for other initiatives. Tung said that on average five or six undergrads

and graduate students make the trip to Leeway, which is located approximately two miles away.

Two days before World AIDS Day, a group of approximately 70 health professional students and faculty attended a special discussion panel hosted by the Yale Global Health Seminar and the Yale Tropical Medicine Course.

The event was the first collaboration between these two global health elective courses, open to students from the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing and the Physician Associate Program.

Three School of Medicine professors specializing in infectious and microbial diseases and AIDS lectured briefly and then opened the discussion to questions from the audience.

Medical instructor Jeremy Schwartz, who organizes the Tropical Medicine Course, said the first presenter, Gerald Friedland, spoke about the impact of four important International AIDS Conferences, which have been held since 1985.

The 2012 International AIDS

Conference, held this summer in Washington, D.C., marked the first time the conference was held in the United States since 1990, when its organizers protested the 1987 ban preventing people with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. The Obama administration lifted the travel ban in 2010.

“One theme that came out of the session was that we hear time and again that we will see the end of AIDS soon and that the next generation with be AIDS-free,” Schwartz said. “But the speakers pointed out that we are not there yet. Dr. Friedland said it’s the beginning of the end of AIDS. We have treatments and strategies that are effective, but fully mobilizing those is still years away.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that in the United States, 50,000 individuals are infected with HIV every year.

Contact LINDSEY UNIAT at lindsey.uniat@yale.edu .

Contact DAN WEINER AT daniel.weiner@yale.edu .

Still needed: AIDS vaccine For the last 24 years, the world has observed World AIDS Day on Dec. 1st, a day to raise awareness about AIDS and reflect on the progress made and future initiatives in fighting the disease. This year there is a lot to be proud of. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released a report ahead of World AIDS Day that included some striking results – infection rates have dropped by more than 50 percent in 25 low-and middle-income countries and, in comparison to 2001, there were 700,000 fewer new infections.

Importantly, dramatic infection rate reduction has been seen in the worstaffected region of the world, sub-Saharan Africa. The report suggests that, incredibly, one of the ambitious Millenium Development Goals may in fact be achieved by 2015 – the successful combatting of AIDS. The progress in fighting AIDS has been achieved through a multi-pronged strategy that involves significant investment in and distribution of antiretroviral treatment, promotion of testing — particularly amongst the oft-stigmatized populations that disproportionately suffer from AIDS — and promotion in non-drug based preventative measures and education. Fairly simple things — for example, circumcision — have been found to dramatically reduce the AIDS transmission rate. The UNAIDS report was extremely promising, but the Holy Grail in the fight against AIDS remains the discovery of an effective vaccine. No disease can be eradicated or thoroughly limited without a broad vaccination campaign.

All vaccines (that are currently on the market) lead to the generation of neutralizing antibodies, secreted proteins that can bind specific parts of the pathogen, thereby targeting the pathogen for destruction and preventing them from infecting cells should we be exposed to the pathogen in the future. However, HIV replicates and mutates incredibly fast — it is estimated that it mutates as much in one day as the flu virus does in a year — and this is why it has been such a problematic vaccine target. HIV-infected individuals can harbor many genetically different HIV strains, so unless a vaccine can elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies — antibodies that can effectively stymy many distinct HIV strains — it will not be useful in preventing infection for everyone. Identifying neutralizing antibodies is not easy; the work involves repeatedly screening many patients in order to evaluate not only the antibody repertoire but also the virus variants the patients have.

This past October, a study was published in Nature Medicine that defined a new, susceptible HIV variant in two patients. The two patients had antibodies that recognize a spot on the virus shell, a hitherto unknown vulnerability generated by a single shift in one sugar-like molecule that was inaccessible to antibodies in the initial virus infection but emerged in a virus variant several months later. By identifying broadly neutralizing antibodies that currently exist in patients, researchers ultimately hope to generate vaccines that can induce production of these antibodies, limiting the ability of HIV to take hold in exposed individuals. There are no guarantees; past vaccine trials have ended in disappointment and the high-profile Merck vaccine trial that ended a few years ago is even believed to have made some immunized individuals more susceptible to HIV infection. However, the identification of a broadly neutralizing antibody and its virus binding site is a significant development because it sheds light on how the virus can be thwarted as it evolves, providing a therapeutic target as well as a protective target.

There is a lot to be hopeful about in the ongoing fight against AIDS, but there is still work to be done. Since AIDS is a chronic disease, antiretroviral treatments will continue to be important for many millions of people. Even if we did have an effective vaccine against HIV, we might still not achieve disease eradication for some time — polio, a disease that could have been eradicated years ago, still lingers in certain pockets of the world due to distrust of and infrastructure limits to vaccination campaigns. However, a successful vaccine would have an immediate impact in reducing transmission of AIDS and hopefully making it a thing of the past within the next century.

Contact SAHELI SADANAND at saheli.sadanand@yale.edu .

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

NATION

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GOP makes ‘cliff’ offer

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Cuomo says he is ‘optimistic’ on Sandy aid

BY ANDREW MIGA ASSOCIATED PRESS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a member of last year’s failed Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, speaks with reporters.

BY ANDREW TAYLOR ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — House Republicans put forth a $2.2 trillion “fiscal cliff” counteroffer to President Barack Obama on Monday, calling for raising the eligibility age for Medicare, lowering cost-of-living hikes for Social Security benefits and bringing in $800 billion in higher tax revenue — but not raising rates for the wealthy.

The White House declared the Republicans still weren’t ready to “get serious” and again vowed tax rate increases will be in any measure Obama signs to prevent the government from the cliff’s automatic tax hikes and sharp spending cuts. Administration officials also hardened their insistence that Obama is willing to take the nation over the cliff rather than give in to Republicans and extend the tax cuts for upper-income earners.

With the clock ticking toward the yearend deadline, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other Republicans said they were proposing a “reasonable solution” for negotiations that Boehner says have been going nowhere. Monday’s proposal came in response to Obama’s plan last week to raise taxes by $1.6 trillion over the coming decade but largely exempt Medicare and Social Security from budget cuts.

Though the GOP plan proposes to raise $800 billion in higher tax revenue over the same 10 years, it would keep the Bush-era tax cuts — including those for wealthier

earners targeted by Obama — in place for now. Dismissing the idea of raising any tax rates, the Republicans said the new revenue would come from closing loopholes and deductions while lowering rates.

Boehner called that a “credible plan” and said he hoped the administration would “respond in a timely and responsible way.” The offer came after the administration urged Republicans to detail their proposal to cut popular benefit programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.

The White House complained the latest offer was still short on details about what loopholes would be closed or deductions eliminated, and it insisted that any compromise include higher tax rates for upperincome earners.

Asked directly whether the country would go over the cliff unless GOP lawmakers backed down, administration officials said yes. Officials said they remained hopeful that scenario could be avoided, saying the president continues to believe that going over the cliff would be damaging to the economy. And they signaled that Obama wouldn’t insist on bringing the top tax rate all the way back to the 39.6 percent rates of the Clinton era. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal White House deliberations.

“Until the Republicans in Congress are willing to get serious about asking the wealthiest to pay slightly higher tax rates, we won’t be able to achieve a significant,

Teacher union calls for exam

BY JOSH LEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Schoolteachers should have to pass a stringent exam — much like the bar exam for lawyers — before being allowed to enter the profession, one of the nation’s largest teachers unions said Monday.

The American Federation of Teachers called for a tough new written test to be complemented by stricter entrance requirements for teacher training programs, such as a minimum grade point average.

“It’s time to do away with a common rite of passage into the teaching profession, whereby newly minted teachers are tossed the keys to their classrooms, expected to figure things out, and left to see if they and their students sink or swim,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten, calling that system unfair to students and teachers alike.

The proposal, released Monday as part of a broader report on elevating the teaching profession, calls for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to take the lead in developing a new test. The nonprofit group currently administers the National Board Certification program, an advanced, voluntary teaching credential that goes beyond state standards.

There is no single, national standard for teacher certification, although the federal government does ask states to meet certain criteria to be eligible for federal funding.

The proposal by a major teachers union to impose tougher requirements on its own members

may signal a shift in tone for a profession facing heightened scrutiny. In recent years, unions such as AFT have resisted calls to end tenure and to tie teachers’ evaluations to their students’ test scores.

Newly minted teachers are … left to see if they and their students sink or swim.

RANDI WEINGARTEN President, American Federation of Teachers But by embracing more rigorous certification standards, the union hopes to raise the status of the teaching profession, which could reap future rewards when it comes to compensation and other benefits. In its report, AFT drew comparisons between teaching and other professions that require advanced professional training, such as medicine and law.

The proposal also calls for making entrance into teacher education programs more competitive.

Candidates should be required to have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average, the AFT said, in addition to formal interviews and 10 hours of field experience.

“If you impose that kind of restriction, that means you’re signaling to society at large that not everybody can be a teacher. You’re saying it’s hard to get in. It’s hard to be good,” said Arthur McKee of the National Council on Teacher Quality, which supports the proposal.

balanced approach to reduce our deficit our nation needs,” White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said in a statement.

The White House responded with their la-la land offer that couldn’t pass the House, couldn’t pass the Senate.

JOHN BOEHNER Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives Boehner saw the situation as just the reverse.

“After the election I offered to speed this up by putting revenue on the table and unfortunately the White House responded with their la-la land offer that couldn’t pass the House, couldn’t pass the Senate and it was basically the president’s budget from last February,” he said Monday.

The GOP proposal itself revives a host of ideas from failed talks with Obama in the summer of 2011. Then, Obama was willing to discuss politically risky ideas such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare, implementing a new inflation adjustment for Social Security cost-of-living adjustments and requiring wealthier Medicare recipients to pay more for their benefits.

WASHINGTON — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo emerged Monday from meetings with top Obama administration officials and congressional leaders “optimistic” that Congress will act quickly to provides tens of billions of dollars to help his state recover from Superstorm Sandy, one of the Northeast’s most destructive storms.

“People are still reeling from this trauma, and New York needs help,” Cuomo said after meeting with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii; Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, the panel’s senior Republican, and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who chairs its subcommittee on homeland security.

“New York has been there for other parts of the country when they needed help,” Cuomo said. “We’re asking for the same today. So far I’m optimistic.”

President Barack Obama is expected to send Congress his request for emergency Sandy recovery aid this week. The initial amount is certain to be less than the $42 billion that Cuomo is seeking for his state alone.

Cuomo began his day at the White House, where he met with Chief of Staff Jack Lew, Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan and other top aides to President Barack Obama. He then went to Capitol Hill for meetings with top members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and leaders of both parties.

Donovan and Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of the storm relief efforts, are scheduled to testify Wednesday before Landrieu’s subcommittee.

L a n d r i e u , wh ose s ta te was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, said she would work hard to win more aid for East Coast states.

“I’m going to step up for New York, New Jersey and the East Coast,” Landrieu said. “We know what a successful recovery needs.”

Facing tight budget constraints amid the fiscal cliff budget talks, Congress is not

expected to approve large amounts of additional spending all at once.

States hit hard by Sandy are pressing White House officials for as much money as possible, as soon as possible. The administration’s request could get tied up in the talks aimed at averting the fiscal cliff before the Dec. 31 deadline — a $6 trillion combination of automatic tax increases and spending cuts — beginning in January.

People are still reeling from this trauma, and New York needs help.

ANDREW CUOMO Governor, New York

“The closer it gets to December 31, the more worried we are,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who attended the meeting with Cuomo and top appropriators. “We know it’s not going to be easy.”

New York is asking for about $42 billion, much of it for destroyed homes, transit systems, hospitals and small businesses. That includes about $9 billion to better protect the power, transit and sewage treatment systems from the next big storm, including vulnerable seaside areas by building new jetties to protect harbors and shorelines against storm surges in the future.

The storm in late October was one of the most destructive ever to hit the Northeast, killing more than 120 people, flooding much of lower Manhattan and hammering coastal homes in New Jersey and New York. More than 300,000 homes were seriously damaged from New York City to the eastern tip of Long Island alone, according to officials.

Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Connecticut Gov. Daniel Malloy are teaming up in a regional effort to land nearly $83 billion in federal aid. Christie is expected to be in Washington on Thursday to press for aid, Cuomo said.

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

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BULLETIN BOARD

TODAY’S FORECAST Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 58.

TOMORROW

THURSDAY

High of 57, low of 30.

High of 44, low of 28.

DOONESBURY BY GARRY TRUDEAU

ON CAMPUS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4 5:00 PM Katsaounis on Storytelling Come join the Yale Hellenic Society for a talk and dinner with Nikos Katsaounis, a New York City documentary filmmaker most well-known for his work on NBC’s coverage of the 2004 Athens Olympics, for which he won an Emmy Award, and prism.gr, a collaborative video project which explores many facets of Greek society. He will speak about storytelling in the age of the Internet and his diverse projects and experiences. This will be followed by dinner in a residential college dining hall. William L. Harkness Hall (100 Wall St.), Room 117.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 12:00 PM “Chasing the Dragon: Sex, Finance, and Masculinities in Vietnam’s New Global Economy” The speaker is Kimberly Kay Hoang, a sociologist at Rice University’s Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Part of the Southeast Asia Studies Brown Bag Seminar Series. Luce Hall (34 Hillhouse Ave.), Room 203.

THAT MONKEY TUNE BY MICHAEL KANDALAFT

6:00 PM Silent Auction Benefit Student and faculty artwork will be auctioned for Hurricane Sandy relief charities. No online bidding. Full payment must be made in person. Yale School of Art (1156 Chapel St.), Green Hall Gallery.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 4:30 PM “Turkey in a Changing World” Namik Tan, ambassador of Turkey, will give a talk. Open to the general public.

Sponsored by the Office of International Affairs and the Cagatay Fund at the Council on Middle East Studies at the MacMillan Center. Luce Hall (34 Hillhouse Ave.), Auditorium.

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5:30 PM The Daedalus Quartet A chamber music performance of the Haydn String Quartets, Opus 1, Nos. 1–4, in conjunction with the center’s exhibition “The English Prize: The Capture of the ‘Westmorland,’ an Episode of the Grand Tour.” Free and open to the general public. Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel St.).

y SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS ONLINE yaledailynews.com/events/submit To reach us: E-mail editor@yaledailynews.com Advertisements 2-2424 (before 5 p.m.)

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CLASSIFIEDS

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Ho-hum time 5 Ship’s command post 9 Zip preceder 14 Really-really 15 Verdi’s “Celeste Aida,” e.g.

16 Hypothesize 17 Quits worrying 19 Oohed and __ 20 “Luncheon on the Grass” painter 21 Law firm bigwigs 23 Group with many golden agers 26 Failed firecracker 27 Like 56 minutes of each hour of The Masters telecast 34 Federal Web address ending 35 Office betting groups 36 Curaçao neighbor 37 TV’s talking horse 39 Drum kit drum 41 “Want the light __ off?”

42 “Stick Up for Yourself” nasal spray 44 Glittery topper 46 Molecule with a + charge, e.g.

47 “Get off my back!”

50 Mischief-maker 51 Hose fillers?

52 Wide-awake 57 Wanted poster word 61 Longish skirts 62 Unfinished business, or, in a way, what 17-, 27- and 47Across have in common 65 Temporarily unavailable 66 Sask. neighbor 67 Macro or micro subj.

68 Help desk staffers, usually 69 Hornet’s home 70 Tebow throw, say

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Monday’s Puzzle Solved

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31 Written in mystical letters 32 Kindle download 33 Deservedly get 34 Former carfinancing org.

38 Dwindle 40 Hebrides tongue 43 Archrivals 45 Aquarium accumulation 48 One seeking intelligence

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12/4/12

By Marti DuGuay-Carpenter

DOWN 1 Quarter of a quad, perhaps 2 Perlman of “Cheers” 3 Part of YMCA: Abbr.

4 Pep rally cry 5 Possess, in the Hebrides 6 Christian __ 7 Speech impediment 8 Honduras native 9 Patty turner 10 How a pendulum swings 11 Tennis great Arthur 12 Row at Wrigley 13 LAX guesstimates 18 Email doesn’t require one 22 Nutritional abbr.

24 1920s-’30s Flying Clouds, e.g.

25 Chop-chop 27 Greek vacation isle 28 For all to see 29 Insurance case 30 Knesset country

Want to place a classified ad?

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12/4/12

49 In dreamland 52 Leave out 53 “Ponderosa” tree 54 PTA’s focus 55 Lust for life 56 Charitable distribution 58 Machu Picchu resident 59 Fusses 60 Federal IDs 63 Extra NHL periods 64 Did nothing

7 1 5 6 2 6 8 4 9 4 9 2 3 7 6 7 9 1 3 7 5 1 6 9 8 5 4 8 1 7 3 9 4 2 5 7 1 4 7 5

PAGE 10

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

WORLD

“Who, being loved, is poor?”

WRIGHT AND POET

Israel faces heat

BY JOSEF FEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS JERUSALEM — Israel rejected a wave of American and European condemnations Monday over plans to build thousands of new homes in West Bank settlements, vowing to press forward with the construction in the face of widespread international opposition.

The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was likely to deepen a rift that has emerged between Israel and some of its closest allies following the U.N.’s recognition of a Palestinian state last week. The U.N. decision appears to be fueling a tougher international line against Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Israeli ambassadors were summoned for consultations in five European capitals, and European officials warned of other potential measures against Israel. In Washington, the U.S. said the Israeli actions were “especially damaging” to peace prospects.

Italian Premier Mario Monti and French President Francois Hollande issued a joint statement saying they were “deeply worried” by Israel’s settlement plans. The two men, meeting in Lyon, France, called the Israeli decisions “serious and illegal” and a “serious obstacle” to Mideast peace.

Netanyahu, however, showed no signs of bending. His office said Israel would continue to stand up for its interests “even in the face of international pressure, and there will be no change in the decision taken.”

Europe could potentially play a strong role in any international action against the settlements.

Europe is Israel’s largest trade partner, and Israel has a partnership with the EU giving its exports preferential status.

But divisions within Europe could make it difficult to take any concerted action. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has a close relationship with Israel, and given its history as the perpetrator of the Holocaust, it is unlikely to take any strong action against the Jewish state.

The settlements plan in particular has the potential to … threaten the viability of a two-state solution.

ALISTAIR BURT Minister for Mideast affairs, Britain In last week’s decision, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly recognized a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

Netanyahu rejects a return to the 1967 lines. His government also fears the Palestinians will use their upgraded status to join the U.N.’s International Criminal Court and pursue war crimes charges against Israel.

But Israel was joined by only eight other countries in opposing the bid, which was seen as a resounding international rejection of Israeli settlements in occupied territories. In a slap to Israel, its closest European allies – Britain, Germany, Italy and France — all abstained or voted with the Palestinians.

Israel has angrily condemned the vote as an attempt by the Palestinians to bypass negotiations. In particular, Netanyahu’s government says it undermines any chance of negotiations over future border arrangements by

OSCAR WILDE IRISH PLAY-

endorsing the Palestinians’ territorial demands.

The Israeli response to the U.N. decision was swift and strong. Just hours after Thursday’s vote, Israel announced plans to build 3,000 new homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. It also said it would begin plans to develop a sensitive part of the West Bank just outside of Jerusalem.

Although construction is likely years off at best, the mere intention to build in the area known as “E1” is potentially explosive because of its strategic location in the middle of the West Bank. Israel also said it was withholding a regularly scheduled tax transfer to the Palestinians and using the money to pay off Palestinian debts to Israeli utilities.

After a flurry of angry European protests over the weekend, the Israeli ambassadors to Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark were all summoned by their hosts on Monday.

“I set out the depth of the U.K.’s concern about these decisions and I called on the Israeli government to reverse them. The settlements plan in particular has the potential to alter the situation on the ground on a scale that threatens the viability of a two-state solution,” said Alistair Burt, Britain’s minister for Mideast affairs.

Senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath praised the Europeans for taking action.

“We’ve been expecting this kind of behavior for a long time,” Shaath said. “For this to come from France and England is very beneficial to us. We highly appreciate it and we are hoping the U.S. will follow their lead.”

Later Monday, the Obama administration also harshly criticized Israel, its top Mideast ally, over the planned construction.

Will and Kate expecting a baby, UK palace confirms

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Prince William and his bride Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave Westminster Abbey following their wedding.

BY CASSANDRA VINOGRAD ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON — Britain doesn’t have to wait any longer: Prince William’s wife, Kate, is pregnant.

St. James’s Palace made the announcement Monday, saying that the Duchess of Cambridge — formerly Kate Middleton — has a severe form of morning sickness and is currently in a London hospital. William was at his wife’s side.

The news drew congratulations from around the world, with the hashtag “roy-

albaby” trending globally on Twitter.

The couple’s first child will be third in line to the throne — behind William and his father, Prince Charles — leapfrogging the gregarious Prince Harry and possibly setting up the first scenario in which a female heir could benefit from new gender rules about succession.

The palace would not say how far along the 30-yearold duchess is, only that she has not yet reached the 12-week mark.

Palace officials said the duchess was hospitalized

with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness that affects about 1 in 200 women and can lead to dehydration or worse if left untreated. They said she was expected to remain hospitalized for several days and would require a period of rest afterward.

Until Monday’s announcement, the duchess had shown no signs of being with child.

She was photographed just last week bounding across a field clad in black highheeled boots as she played field hockey with students at her former school.

YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 11

SPORTS

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”

MICHAEL PHELPS, AMERICAN SWIMMER

Fourth straight win for Yale

Fall season ends W. SWIMMING FROM PAGE 12

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

of the meet with time of 22.61, 0.02 seconds faster than her previous best. On Sunday, she complemented her performance by breaking her record of 49.58 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle with a new time of 49.12.

Not to be outdone, Eva Fabian ’16 also broke two records in the process of winning the 1,650yard freestyle. Fabian set a new pace for the entire distance, as well as for the first 1,000 yards.

The record in the full 1,650-yard freestyle had stood for 19 years prior to Sunday.

Overall, the Bulldogs put together a strong, well-rounded effort, producing 35 personalbest times over the course of three days.

“Almost everyone on the team had at least one race that was special or noteworthy,” Weaver said. “In every single event there were two or three swims that were amazing and exciting.”

After beginning their fall season with a victory against Columbia, the Elis competed in two three-day invitationals at

Boston University and Brown, where they finished first and second, respectively.

Courtney Randolph ’14 noted improvements the team has already made since the start of the season.

“Our cardio base and technique work from the start of season is starting to show up more in races,” Randolph said. “There is still a lot of work to be done to swim to our full potential at Ivies, but the preseason work we did in September and October paid off this weekend.”

The team will head into the winter break motivated and focused for their winter training, Weaver said.

“There is always work to be done, and there are always things to improve upon,” Weaver said.

“We’re excited about our performances, but still grounded and focused for winter training.”

The Elis will start spring semester facing Cornell (0–4, 0–4 Ivy) in Ithaca on Jan. 7.

Contact DIONIS JAHJAGA at dionis.jahjaga@yale.edu .

The Bulldogs won their match 9-0 last Friday at the Brady Squash Center for the fourth straight year against the Diplomats.

WOMEN’S SQUASH FROM PAGE 12 and defended the backhand well. Anna Harrison ’15 said Ballaine is an excellent role model for her teammates. “[Ballaine] leads by example, works harder than anyone [we] know and inspires all of us to do the same. She’s an incredible match player and always gives 110 percent,” Anna Harrison ’15 said.

Shihui Mao ’15, one of the Bulldogs’ eight nationally ranked players at No.

38, played in the second spot for the Elis.

Winning every game 11-4, Mao gave her opponent no chance and showed the type of intensity the Bulldogs have showcased this early in the season. Mao said the team is focusing on playing its best in every match for good practice, which they hope will pay off in tougher matches in the future. No. 24 Gwen Tilghman ’14 represented Yale at the No. 3 spot and also provided a convincing performance, winning her match in three

games.

“No team in the League has the depth or overall strength at the top of this team if everyone stays healthy,” Talbott said.

Yale is back in action on Jan. 5 in Williamstown, Mass. to play Williams College and Colby College in preparation for the Ivy season.

Contact FRANNIE COXE at francesca.coxe@yale.edu .

Elis crush the Diplomats M. SQUASH FROM PAGE 12 another 11–8 victory.

While the No. 1 and No. 9 spots took two wins in close games, Yale could not have gone 9–0 without solid wins from the other seven spots.

“We pushed hard,” Chan said. “We knew F and M was going to come in hard and everyone dug deep.”

At the No. 2 spot, Richard Dodd ’13 faced rival Mauricio Sedano from last season and defeated him. In last year’s matchup against the Diplomats, Dodd lost to Sedano in four games, but this year Dodd swept him in the first three.

Coming off a toe injury, captain Hywel Robinson ’13 beat Ryan Mullaney in four games.

“Hywel is coming back from an injury, so it was impressive for him to step up and win,” Eric Caine ’14 said.

Neil Martin ’14 won in four games at the No. 4 spot, and Joseph Roberts ’15 topped the Diplomat’s Jack Culter at the No. 8 spot in four games.

Sam Fenwick ’16, Zachary Lenman ’16 and Eric Caine ’14 all swept their opponents at the No. 5, 6 and 7, spots respectively.

“Four, Five and Six are the most reliable part of our lineup,” Caine said. “It’s like clockwork. They just go out and crush their opponents.”

The Bulldogs attribute their success to

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Neil Martin ’14 won in four games at the No. 4 spot and Joseph Roberts ’15 topped the Diplomats’ Jack Culter at the No. 8 spot in four games. not only the hard work and preparation they have put in so far this season but also their fitness.

“I think we were a lot fitter than them,” Shleifer said. “We were better prepared.”

The Bulldogs are now 1–0 and will

resume competition on Jan. 5 when they take on Colby and Williams in Williamstown, Mass.

Contact ASHTON WACKYM at ashton.wackym@yale.edu .

YDN

The Elis won the 100-yard freestyle, the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 200yard butterfly at Brown this weekend.

Captain ends career with perfect Ivy season VOLLEYBALL Q&A FROM PAGE 12 tournament appearance and her senior season.

Friday’s game, the QBefore team had not lost since Sept.

15 against Fresno State in San Diego. When did you know that the team was going to be that good?

A

Every year we always get really good … recruits and I feel like our coach is really good at recruiting, so that always helps knowing that our freshmen were very strong. We did our preseason in California, and I don’t think we won a game, so we went into the season with pretty low expectations, but I could definitely sense the team chemistry pretty early on. I haven’t been on a team that gets along as well as this one did this year, so that was really cool. I think that’s what made us so successful.

said that this team got QYou along better than any other team you’d ever been on. What else is different about this team in comparison to years past?

A

What was special was that the freshmen came in and played a lot more maturely than I expected. … We have a very young team, five freshmen is a pretty young team, and I don’t think we ever really let that show, which I think was really cool and I think that comes with the upperclassmen making sure the freshmen feel comfortable, and that starts with chemistry in my opinion.

Q

Tell me a little bit about the Ivy League run. Were there any matches that stood out, and what was particularly memorable about the season?

A

We never went to five games [in a match], which was so weird. I think the game that stands out for me the most,

when I really knew that this team was really special, was our game at Harvard. We were down [12– 4], and we came back and beat them [25–18]. We just looked at each other and were like, “We’re not going to lose this game,” and we got the next 10 points in a row and just went from there, so I thought that was a really special game for us. the NCAA tournaQWhat’s ment experience like, and how is it different from other games throughout the course of the season?

A

Last year was very different from this year just because last year we played at USC, and that was in the first round. They were ranked seventh in the tournament, and so I think we were more affected by the awe factor of playing in their huge amphitheater, and it was really cool.

Their locker rooms were awesome, [and] I was really blown away by this whole experience.

… But then this year it was more like, OK, we can win this game, we can take a game in the NCAA tournament, and we’ve already had that experience from last year. We know how it works pressure-wise, and I think those were the most fans we’ve ever played in front of at Penn State, and I don’t even think it affected us at all. I think having the experience from last year really helped us. Friday’s game was a lot more exciting than last year for sure. I hope that even next year, they have this experience, and they can maybe win a game in the first round. game against BowlQThe ing Green was a pretty wild

game. After the first set, which you won by nine points, were you guys feeling confident?

A

Oh yeah, I remember thinking, “This is my first NCAA game I’ve ever won,” although we didn’t win the match. What was weird about the [match]

was that the momentum shifted so extremely. … We definitely maybe took our foot off the gas a little bit the second game and … we were maybe in disbelief that we could actually make this happen and got a little timid. …

I’m hoping that they learn from that and realize, for them next year, that they can do this and this is something very obtainable for the Yale program.

Q

What was the reaction like in the locker room after the match?

A

I was in tears. It’s over for me, so it’s very weird. … I told everyone after the second game, I said, “If we’re going to go out, we’re going to go out with a fight, we’re not going to lose this next game just giving it to them.”

I think the fact that we definitely put up a fight throughout, even to the end of the fifth game, made us [feel] better about it, but it obviously sucks to lose, it still kind of stings. … I think it’s

disappointing because we didn’t give it our best performance on such an important night and that we’ve been looking forward to all season. the end of your Yale volQIt’s leyball career. What did this team mean to you, and what are you going to remember about your four years here?

A

I think every year I’ve gotten close with every girl on the team, and I feel like, even the freshmen, I love them all.

It’s really cool that although you come in as a recruited athlete, [and] your coach ends up picking your friends … my coach has given us such a great group of people, and I’m going to be friends with these girls for life. … You remember volleyball and you remember how we did, but a lot of other stuff lasts a lot longer, especially for me.

Contact ALEX EPPLER at alex.eppler@yale.edu .

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NCAAB Syracuse 84 EMU 48

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JOAKIM FLYGH WOMEN’S HOCKEY COACH NAMED TO SWEDISH COACHING STAFF Flygh was tapped to serve as video coach for his native country’s women’s team at the upcoming 4 Nations Tournament Dec. 14–16 in Öreboro, Sweden.

The tournament also features teams from Finland, Germany and Russia.

SAM MARTIN ’13 CAPTAIN MAKES IVY HONOR ROLL Martin, who made his second career start on Thursday in the Elis’ loss to Hartford, was selected to the Ivy Honor Roll following his 12-point performance against the Hawks. The senior guard made four of his five shots from beyond the arc in the 60–51 defeat.

IVY WBBALL Penn 58 Bucknell 53

“Those were the most fans we’ve ever played in front of at Penn State, and I don’t think it affected us at all.

HALEY WESSELS ’13 YALE DAILY NEWS · TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 · yaledailynews.com

Bulldogs sweep season opener

Bulldogs top Diplomats

BY FRANNIE COXE CONTRIBUTING REPORTER When the Yale and Franklin & Marshall women’s squash teams meet, the Bulldogs can claim more than consistency.

Last Friday at the Brady Squash Center, the Bulldogs won the match 9–0 for the fourth straight year. With key juniors Millie Tomlinson ’14 and Kim Hay ’14 sitting out, head coach Dave Talbott said other team members were able to step up and prepare for later in the season.

WOMEN’S SQUASH “We played strong across the entire lineup,” Talbott said.

Team captain Katie Ballaine ’13 won a fierce three-game match at the No. 1 spot against the Diplomats’ Emily Caldwell. Ballaine took advantage of the front court space SEE WOMEN’S SQUASH PAGE 11

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Yale’s 9–0 victory over No. 7 Franklin and Marshall was an improvement over the Bulldogs’ 6–3 win over the Diplomats last year.

BY ASHTON WACKYM STAFF REPORTER Just one week after a frustrating loss to archrival No. 3 Harvard in the Ivy League Scrimmages, the No. 6 Bulldogs swept their next closest in rank, No. 7 Franklin and Marshall, 9–0 in the season opener.

MEN’S SQUASH Richard Dodd ’13 said Franklin

and Marshall (4–2) is a tricky upand-coming team, and after a closer 6–3 win over the Diplomats last year, Yale (1–0) approached the match cautiously. Solid play from freshmen and an outstanding five game win from Kenny Chan ’13 over Franklin and Marshall’s No. 9 nationally ranked Guilherme de Melo contributed to the Elis’ success.

“Kenny beating [Guilherme de Melo] was really impressive,” Sam Shleifer ’15 said. “It was a fun match

to watch.”

Chan, who was second-team AllAmerican last season, dropped the first match 8–11 to de Melo, a firstteam All-American. Chan then bounced back and won the second game 11–9. De Melo reclaimed his one game lead, however, when he defeated Chan 11–7 in the third game. Playing from behind, Chan won out his last two games with solid 11–8 scores to secure a win for the No. 1 spot.

Wessels talks NCAA tourney, career

“It felt great to start the season off with a win,” Chan said. “It was a great confidence booster.”

Another tight five-game win came from Pehlaaj Bajwa ’16. In his first game, he defeated Franklin and Marshall’s Brian Henry 15–13. Bajwa then went up 2–0 with a solid 11–8 win. Although Henry took the next two games 11–6 and 11–8, Bajwa broke the tie in the final game with SEE MEN’S SQUASH PAGE 11

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bulldogs will next play Williams College and Colby College on Jan. 5 in Williamstown, Mass. in preparation for the Ivy season.

Elis close fall season

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bulldogs broke four Yale records at the Brown Invitational over the weekend and finished in second place.

HENRY EHRENBERG/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Captain Haley Wessels ’13 led the Elis with a .330 hitting percentage this season and led the team to its third straight Ivy title and a perfect 14–0 Ivy League record.

BY ALEX EPPLER STAFF REPORTER After playing on an Ivy League championship team each of the past two seasons, Haley Wessels ’13 captained the women’s volleyball team to an undefeated conference campaign and a third straight Ivy title in 2012.

The Elis finished their season with an NCAA tournament appearance, dropping their first-round matchup against Bowling Green in a five-set heartbreaker on Friday at Penn State.

The News sat down with Wessels to discuss the team’s season, its NCAA SEE VOLLEYBALL Q&A PAGE 11

STAT OF THE DAY 22.61

BY DIONIS JAHJAGA CONTRIBUTING REPORTER The Yale women’s swimming team finished up the semester at the Brown Invitational on Sunday, where it placed second behind Princeton but ahead of host Brown in a field of seven teams.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING The Bulldogs (1–0, 1–0 Ivy) maintained their second-place position throughout the three-day event.

They were 94 points behind eventual winner Princeton after the first day, but that deficit ballooned to 154 by the end of the second day of competition. After the third and final day, the score stood 1024–802, in favor of Princeton.

Captain Joan Weaver ’13 pointed out that, while Princeton competed well to finish ahead of Yale, they also fielded more swimmers than the Elis, allowing them to rack up additional points.

“The results will be different at Ivy’s when the playing field is even

and we all have the same number of competitors,” Weaver said.

The team will face Princeton next semester at the Ivy League Championships in March, where they hope to move up from last year’s third-place finish, as well as at a combined meet with Harvard in February.

The Elis broke four Yale records over the weekend, three of which fell on the last day of the meet. Alex Forrester ’13 broke her own school record in the 50-yard freestyle the first day SEE WOMEN’S SWIMMING PAGE 11

TIME WOMEN’S SWIMMER ALEX FORRESTER ’13 RECORDED IN THE 50-YARD FREESTYLE AT THE BROWN INVITATIONAL. She broke her own school record by 0.02 seconds.