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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 · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · VOL. CXXXV, NO. 116 · yaledailynews.com

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RUNNING FOR A CAUSE

BY LORENZO LIGATO STAFF REPORTER

Apple picking 2.0. In a

Writer turned speaker.

Keeping secrets. In a Sunday

email to the Yale community, Dean of Student Affairs Marichal Gentry reminded students about the University’s hazing regulations and laws in anticipation of this Thursday’s senior society “Tap Night.”

According to Gentry, hazing laws prohibit a number of activities, including indecent exposure, mental stress, blindfolding, confinement, assault, ingestion of substances or “physical activity that could endangerer the health or safety of the individual.”

A technology boost. Tired of

having to forfeit intramural games when not enough players show up? Ben Sherman ’13 has the answer: The techsavvy senior created a new IMs website that hopes to make it easier for college captains to keep track of how many participants have signed up for upcoming games. Sherman said in a Saturday email to IM captains that he hopes the new website will replace the existing one next semester.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY

1968 The activist group “Black Women of New Haven” announces plans to boycott all white establishments in the Elm City as part of an effort to honor the mission of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who passed away four days earlier. Though the Black Students Alliance and Dwight Hall Committee at Yale both endorse the boycott, three residential college dining halls are unable to open after several employees participating in the boycott fail to report for work.

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Yale sued after tailgate death

Grandmaster Robert Hess ’15 will travel to St. Louis, Mo., on May 3 to compete in the U.S. Chess Championships. The chess whizz will spend 10 days facing off against the greatest chess players in the country in a battle for monetary prizes totaling $180,000.

Hess previously competed at the World Team Chess Tournament in 2009, where he placed second.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and editor in chief of The New Yorker David Remnick will give Princeton’s Class Day address on June 3, the school announced last Thursday.

Remnick, who graduated from Princeton in 1981, will succeed comedian Steve Carell as the school’s Class Day speaker.

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The life of a genius. Chess

Sunday email sent to the Yale community, Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins reminded students to keep their laptops closely guarded at all times, warning Yalies of a 20-something-yearold man recently arrested for his connection to two laptop thefts at Blue State Coffee.

Higgins’ email followed a similar warning last fall, when the police chief alerted students of an increase in iPhone thefts, a phenomenon dubbed “apple picking.”

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PHILIPP ARNDT/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PAINT PARTY ON THE GREEN — FOR CHARITY On Friday, 250 Yale students and New Haven residents gathered for a 5-kilometer run on the Green. Participants raised $1,250 for Kiva Microfinance, which gives small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Sixteen months after a fatal crash at the 2011 Yale-Harvard game left a Massachusetts woman dead, the victim’s estate has filed a negligence suit against the University, the city of New Haven, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. and others involved in the crash.

Nancy Barry, a 30-year-old woman from Salem, Mass., died after being struck by a U-Haul truck during the tailgate before the Yale-Harvard football game on Nov. 19, 2011. Brendan Ross ’13 was driving the rented U-Haul into the tailgate area assigned to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity,when the vehicle accelerated and swerved into the Yale Bowl’s D-Lot on Central Avenue at around 9:39 a.m., killing Barry and injuring Sarah Short SOM ’13 and Harvard employee Elizabeth Dernbach.

Paul T. Edwards, an attorney representing Barry’s estate, filed a lawsuit with the New Haven Superior Court on Friday seeking charges against many parties allegedly involved in the crash for failing to take all SEE TAILGATE PAGE 4

Homicide spate plagues Elm City

BY LORENZO LIGATO STAFF REPORTER New Haven has been struck by three murders in the past nine days, lifting the city’s murder tally to a total of five homicides this year.

The last homicide to hit the streets of New Haven took place Friday evening, when the New Haven Police Department received reports of a shooting in the area around the Super Deli #7, a convenience store located at 1613 Chapel St., just a sixminute drive from Yale’s central campus. When the officers

arrived at the convenience store at 7:06 p.m., they secured the scene and learned that the victim, Richard Eichler, had been transported by private car to the St. Raphael campus of YaleNew Haven Hospital, department spokesman David Hartman said. Eichler, a 26-year-old New Haven resident, died from the gunshot wounds shortly afterwards.

Detectives from the department’s Major Crimes Division and Bureau of Investigation have started their investigations and are currently in the process of interviewing witnesses and col-

lecting evidence, Hartman said.

He added that according to several witnesses, the suspect is an African-American male of short stature, wearing dark purple pants and a blue sweater at the time of the shooting.

Friday’s homicide is the third to hit the Elm City in just over a week, after a nearly 65-day murder-free streak — an interval New Haven had not seen since March 2012.

Roughly 48 hours before Friday’s homicide, on Wednesday, April 3, Asdrubal Bernier, 32, was fatally shot in front of 145 Wolcott St., in the heart of the

Task Force criticizes unclear policies

BY CYNTHIA HUA STAFF REPORTER After its final meeting on Feb. 25, the Task Force on Alcohol and Other Drugs concluded that Yale has unclear disciplinary policies regarding alcohol-related incidents.

The 17-member task force, which was convened by the Yale College Dean’s Office in December to make recommendations on creating a safer drinking culture at the University, submitted a report in March to Yale College Dean Mary Miller and the University Council Committee on Alcohol in Yale College. The University has not publicly released the report, Dean’s Office fellow Garrett Fiddler ’11 said, in order to keep specific facts about Yale’s drinking culture out of the national media and because administrators will not implement all recommendations. The bulk of the group’s recommendations centered on creating new events and initiatives, such as improved alcohol-education during Camp Yale, said Yale College Council President John Gonzalez ’14, who is also a member of the task force.

The main policy recommendation addressed by the task force was the need for Yale to clarify disciplinary procedures, including the con-

sequences of hospitalization due to intoxication, said Paul Hudak, master of Saybrook College and a member of the task force.

“As of right now, in practice, students do not receive any disciplinary action for going to Yale Health or Yale-New Haven for intoxication, unless it’s been a recurring problem,” Fiddler said. “However, a lot of that is practice but not explicitly written out. A lot of people, especially students, are not clearly informed.”

As of right now, in practice, students do not receive any disciplinary action for going to Yale Health or Yale-New Haven.

GARRETT FIDDLER ’11 Student affairs fellow, Dean’s Office Students on the task force raised concerns that some undergraduates may expect disciplinary measures for being transported to Yale Health or Yale New-Haven Hospital, SEE TASKFORCE PAGE 5

Fair Haven neighborhood of the city. While investigations into Bernier’s death are still ongoing, several witnesses have described the shooter as an African-America male, between 25 and 35 years old, Hartman said. According to the same witnesses, the suspect might have fled in a black pickup truck, leaving Bernier on the ground, Hartman said.

And just four days prior to Bernier’s murder, a shooting in Newhallville ended with the death of Eric Forbes, 33. A few minutes before being shot, Forbes had left the Taurus Café, a nightclub at 520 Winchester

Ave., where he was seen having an altercation with two unknown men. Detectives are still completing their investigations into this week’s murders, Hartman said, adding that all three cases are receiving much attention from the police department’s Detective division.

With five homicides in total this year, New Haven has reached more than twice the murder rate for this time last year. Still, the 2013 murder count is far down from the 10-homicide high in the first trimester of SEE HOMICIDE PAGE 5

Corp. approves budget, meets with students

BY JULIA ZORTHIAN STAFF REPORTER Members of the Yale Corporation chose not to initiate any major new budget or policy proposals during their meeting this weekend on the cusp of a complete overturn of its leadership.

Instead, the fellows discussed projects already in progress and approved a capital budget similar to last year’s plan. The meeting marked the penultimate Corporation gathering for both University President Richard Levin and Senior Fellow Edward Bass ’67 ARC ’72, who will be replaced by President-elect Peter Salovey and Margaret Marshall LAW ’76, respectively, on June 30. Levin said the Corporation approved additional funding for ongoing building projects and the finance committee approved a $375 million capital budget for the upcoming year.

“My view was the president-elect and the provost should have the summer to think about [budgeting major projects] and come up with their own priorities,” Levin said.

The $375 million total the Corporation’s Finance Committee approved for the next fiscal year remained consistent with last year’s budget, he said. The budget, which is wellbelow recent years’ totals of $500

to $600 million because no major construction projects have been launched, covers minor projects and continuing initiatives such as finishing the School of Management building construction on Whitney Avenue

by January 2014.

Levin said the Corporation had the “full panoply” of committee meetings on Friday, in which various subcommittees of the Corporation, such as the Development and Alumni Affairs Committee and the Educational Policy Committee, presented updates to the rest of the group.

Members of the Yale Corporation also interacted directly with students this weekend, holding meetings with both the Yale College Council Executive Board and the recently graduated Woodbridge Hall fellows.

YCC President John Gonzalez ’14 said he brought up what the YCC considers three major issues on campus — alcohol policy, the proposed changes to the grading system, and changes to the academic calendar that took place this year.

“I trust a lot of these corporation members, but they’re not undergraduate students and they don’t know the nitty-gritty of what it’s like to be a student,” he said. “I think that’s an integral part of those decisions they SEE YALE CORP PAGE 4

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YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

OPINION

.COMMENT “High school is worlds away from college, just as college is worlds away yaledailynews.com/opinion

I

VIEW WARNER TO WOODBRIDGE

Getting help for mental health Students seeking longterm counseling for chronic illness are similarly disadvantaged. Yale Health’s website states that “individual therapy is available on a short-term basis,” but offers no information on what constitutes shortterm, as well as no obvious destination for students requiring long-term services.

Students may be forced to turn off campus to find resources that they believed would be made available on campus. Yale commits itself to four-year physical health, but the doublestandard concerning mental health issues jeopardizes students’ ability to receive adequate long-term treatment. Moving forward, Yale must be able to triage effectively between short and long-term cases without denying any student timely care.

Moreover, mental health professionals often serve as gatekeepers. In certain extreme cases, their evaluations can determine whether a student with pressing mental health issues will be permitted to remain on campus, or forced to take a leave of absence. Students hear stories of other students compelled to leave campus for a semester, or admitted Yalies forced to defer enrollment.

Of course, Yale Health should be empowered to take some kind of preventative actions to deter students from self-harm. But simply sending students with mental illness away from campus can send the message that Yale is unwilling to engage with these students — and this reputation deters students from coming forward for help.

Our dialogue about mental health cannot be only reactive to campus tragedy.

We must broaden our daily conversations to demand answers and action from those who lead us.

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COPYRIGHT 2013 — VOL. CXXXV, NO. 116

'LAKIA' ON 'GRADING BY NUMBERS'

The need for reassurance

NEWS’

Yalies want to talk about mental health issues. As a campus, we are largely able to discuss the stresses and challenges that we all face as Yalies in a high-intensity academic environment, but our conversation falters when we are confronted by more serious, long-term problems.

To impact the dayto-day lives of students, President-elect Peter Salovey’s administration must cut through Yale Health’s bureaucracy to bring effective mental health care to campus.

Students seeking psychological treatment may initially feel alone or anxious. Admitting a need for real medical help is hard — especially for Yale students.

The stigma surrounding mental health issues discourages many students from coming forward. Yale cannot single-handedly reverse the unfortunate stigmatization of mental health issues in our society, but our University can take conscious steps to lessen the institutional barriers that preclude students from seeking help.

Getting mental health treatment at Yale should be not a maze. The lack of a clear and streamlined process ultimately discourages many students from seeking help. Students often face waiting times that belie the severity or immediacy of their problem, and an unnecessarily opaque website only worsens the red tape.

Students seeking immediate counseling such as grief counseling are often burdened by waits that may last weeks. By the time these students can get appointments, they may have already sought help elsewhere. Yale should guarantee that students can see a professional within a short, standardized amount of time.

from real life.”

wasn’t tapped last year. And I am hesitant to write about my own experience. What if I appear bitter and unhappy to my peers? But I find that risk worth taking — especially when I remember how much I drew comfort from those who listened to my anxieties last March and April.

In his column last Thursday, Teo Soares ’13 started a public conversation about the tap process and society — I would like to take up where he left off.

In my case — and I believe for many of my peers — the process of society tap, more than the result, affected me.

Second-semester juniors are in a particularly vulnerable place — or at least I was.

You have a perception that you should have reached the peak of your Yale academic and extracurricular potential — because, after all, if you're applying to jobs or graduate school the next fall, your record ends with your junior year. You are beginning to think about life after Yale and are starting worry for the first time. A major fear for me: If I didn’t do a banking or consulting internship, would I have a

NATHANIEL ZELINSKY On Point

post-college plan?

In short, I was in a place where all I wanted was some reassurance that everything was going to be all right.

I wanted someone to tell me that I

did OK at Yale.

Then the tap process happens. Society looks like an institutionalized stamp of approval — a way to give you the reassurance you so want. And all your peers (or so it seems) are engaged in the system. It's all so shrouded in its semi-privacy that it acquires an air of legitimacy. You know that certain professors are involved in the selection process, which only adds to the sense that societies are a value judgment by Yale, as an institution. When Dean Gentry sends out an email to “stay safe” on tap night, he only contributes to the mix.

The entire combination — personal vulnerability, the

seemingly legitimate system and administrative oversight — forces young people (we were only 21 after all) to lose perspective.

THE TAP PROCESS CAUSES US TO LOSE PERSPECTIVE In my experience, the tap process (again, not necessarily its result) made me anxious beyond belief. I felt like the issue at stake was not just a student affiliation, but my entire worth as a person. Maybe mine was an extreme case — but society anxiety certainly seemed to affect many of my peers. In a particularly insidious twist, you can't talk to your friends about it, because it seems uncouth.

Your worry gnaws at your stomach; you have nowhere to turn and soothe the pain.

I'll admit that my particular case was compounded when I wasn't tapped — I was incredibly dejected. I thought I was wholly

unsuccessful — regardless of my academic interests and successes at Yale. Worse also, I thought that the university I loved disapproved of me. (In a particular fit of despair, I almost refused to recruit an admitted student from my hometown, New Haven, because I felt such a profound sense of alienation from my community.)

I regained my perspective with time, slowly though. I now know the process was not a value judgment or a stamp of approval.

(It helps when you watch your friends, as a senior, tap others and realize they are not infallible.) I also know, though, that I could never, never, never have understood that simple conclusion junior year.

So if you’re feeling anxious and worried: I’m sorry to say I can’t stop that. Know you’re not alone. In fact, a lot of people, even the ones for whom it works out, feel the way you do right now.

NATHANIEL ZELINSKY is a junior in Berkeley College. Contact him at nathaniel.zelinsky@yale.edu .

Until the bitter end D

ear our comrades in the Democratic Republic of North Korea, Greetings from your lifelong friends and allies from the other side of the Yalu River. You might have been alarmed by the recent comments that our new President, Xi Jingping, made at the 2013 Boao Economic Forum in Hainan, China.

During his speech, President Xi declared, “No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain.” The Western media (those cursed running dogs of capitalism!) have read President Xi’s words to be a veiled criticism of your beloved leader’s recent actions, which have resulted in escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula. They speculate that we are beginning to reconsider our relationship with you, and that we might be withdrawing our support.

We want to assure you that this cannot be farther from the truth. No matter how provocative your military maneuvers may be, and no matter how ridiculous Brother Jong-un’s rhetoric (or his haircut), China will stand firmly by your side until the bitter end.

Sometimes a little deception is necessary to trick the enemy. Those Western imperialists, scared out of their wits by

your courageous spirit, have put a lot of pressure on us recently.

So we placate them with a few words here and XIUYI there, make a ZHENG couple of gesPropertures to make them happy. gandist D o n ’ t worry — we will continue to feed you, clothe you and give you guns. Sorry that we had to cut off the crude oil for a while — spring’s already here and we figured you wouldn’t freeze too much. Once the current situation dies down, we promise we’ll give you a couple more mobile missile launch pads to make up for everything.

The real reason why we’ll be forever loyal to you, however, is not because of the prospect of millions of refugees flooding into Northeastern China in the case of a regime collapse; or the fear that we’ll be surrounded by U.S. allies without you; or even Brother Jong-un’s deceptively sexy double chin. It’s because we continue to harbor illusions that your regime can be sustainable, that through a combination of ever-intensifying repression, ubiquitous propa-

ganda and life support provided by us, you will be able defy Fate and live on forever.

You see, we’ve grown attached. We’ve invested too much in this relationship in the six decades that have passed since our fateful encounter in 1950, when both of us were so young, so brash and so naively confident in our own strength.

Despite your many flaws, you and us have too much history; we have too much in common to part now.

A LETTER TO NORTH KOREA, FROM CHINA, WITH LOVE We have long since given up trying to convert you to our path, that of an authoritarian regime presiding over a more or less open economy. You are too committed to the sacred bloodline of the Kim family, and you have ruled your people with such wisdom, benevolence and foresight that if you let them see the sufferings of the rest of the world, they wouldn’t be able to come to terms with their

own privileged status as North Korean citizens.

Some people have suggested that if such an exalted regime as yours cannot long grace this Earth, China would do well to cooperate with South Korea and the U.S. now. They say that we should actively pursue a Korean Peninsula resolution that maximizes our own interests — international assistance with the refugee crisis and the establishment of a new China-friendly, nuclear-free Korean state.

Rest assured, we will never buy into such an idea. To play an active role in dismantling the North Korean regime amounts to a direct recognition of the failure of the socialist system. It would come dangerously close to admitting the mortality of our own model, which, although more sophisticated and virile, is nevertheless cut from the same cloth.

Our friends in Pyongyang, you can sleep safe tonight.

We’re on your side. Whether that’s going to be enough, however, might be an entirely separate matter.

With undying love, The People’s Republic of China XIUYI ZHENG is a junior in Davenport College. His column runs on alternate Mondays. Contact him at xiuyi.zheng@yale.edu .

G U E S T C O LU M N I S T C H A R L E S B A I LY N

At Yale-NUS, strengthening the liberal arts T he liberal arts seem to be welded to the adjective “embattled” these days.

Elected officials denounce the “waste” in college budgets as they reduce funding levels; pundits decry the fall of standards and the rise of tuition; internet gurus tout the virtues of Massive Online Open Courses, a MOOC-ified education. But other parts of the world, where geopolitical fortunes are on the rise, are moving quickly toward the model that the United States appears to be abandoning. All across Asia, attempts are being made to create institutions that embrace the kind of education we are familiar with here at Yale.

This combination of strong but challenged institutions in the United States, and rapidly growing interest in this model of education elsewhere, has resulted among other things in the creation of Yale-NUS College, which will open in a few months in Singapore.

In preparation for the new college, the inaugural faculty of Yale-NUS has been working in New Haven since last September to consider how to preserve and enhance the virtues of a liberal arts approach in a new

time and place. We have had the remarkable opportunity to spend a full academic year discussing these matters with each other, and with colleagues from Yale and elsewhere. The resulting debates were often quite heated — but we could not simply hold our positions or agree to disagree, as so often in academic debates, since we will be teaching the courses that emerge from our conversations in a few short months. So creative syntheses of seemingly incompatible ideas had to be achieved.

COLLABORATION WILL IMPROVE THE LIBERAL ARTS MODEL Last Thursday, the curriculum committee of YaleNUS College released a report describing some of the considerations that have emerged from this incubation year. Among the issues we discuss in the report

are the purpose and value of a residential college in the internet age; the importance of a community in which unfettered, articulate communication is developed and practiced; the tensions between research and teaching in a collegiate setting; the relative virtues of distribution systems and common curricula; ways to strengthen introductory science education for majors and non-majors; the potential of bringing together course work, extracurriculars and off-campus activities to form a robust “co-curriculum”; how to create powerful interdisciplinary programs while still maintaining the intellectual integrity of the disciplines themselves; and of special importance to this particular venture, how best to bring texts and ideas from different cultures into conversation inside the classroom.

Many members of the Yale faculty have contributed significantly to the development of the Yale-NUS curriculum. The link they are providing between Yale and Yale-NUS ensures that the influence of Yale on the new institution will be strong, as its name suggests. At the same

time, many of the participating Yale faculty members agree that their thinking about pedagogical and curricular matters here at Yale has been enriched and enhanced by their conversations about Yale-NUS — the positive influence works both ways.

This will only accelerate in the future as a small but steady flow of Yale faculty members participate directly in the new college, and return to New Haven with a broader perspective on undergraduate education.

Institutions benefit from interacting with a different culture in the same way that individuals do — they acquire a clearer view of their own assumptions and preconceptions, and a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their own traditions.

Yale and Yale-NUS are both benefitting by the interactions between their faculties, and liberal arts education around the world will be the stronger for it.

CHARLES BAILYN, the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale University, is the dean of faculty at Yale-NUS College.

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 3

NEWS

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS IRISH POET

CORRECTIONS FRIDAY, APRIL 5

Polak looks to student engagement

The article “The power of seduction in ‘Richard III’” mistakenly attributed a quote by Clio Contogenis ’14 to Cambrian Thomas-Adams ’13. Thomas-Adams was also misquoted as referencing the character “Anna,” when in fact the character’s name is “Anne.” In addition, the article suggested that the character Richard ordered the arrest of the character Clarence when in fact it was ordered by another character named Edward.

City holds second Parent University

BY ROSA NGUYEN STAFF REPORTER To promote the Elm City’s college-going culture, nearly 200 parents enrolled in “Parent University,” a semiannual program intended to increase parents’ involvement in their children’s education.

New Haven parents gathered at Gateway Community College this Saturday to attend the program, which consisted of a college fair and 47 workshops aimed at life enrichment and academic and behavioral support. Parent University began as a part of the city’s School Change Initiative, a campaign launched in 2009 aimed at raising student test scores, increasing graduation rates and promoting college attendance.

“Parent University empowers mothers and fathers and grandparents to help their children be successful in life,” said Reginald Mayo, superintendent of New Haven Public Schools, in a press release. “Bringing a college focus to Parent University gives parents the tools and the knowledge to support their children — from kindergarten through high school — on the path to college.”

The program is loosely based on the Boston public school system’s Parent University, which Susan Weisselberg, chief of the New Haven Wraparound Services department for troubled youth, attended in May 2012.

While the Boston program provided a useful model, Weisselberg said New Haven’s Parent University has “more community engagement,” not only drawing support from the New Haven Public Schools system but also from local organizations such as Boost!, New Haven Promise and United Way of Greater New Haven. Workshop ideas were solicited from the Citywide Parent Leadership Team, a group of New Haven parents who set monthly agendas on behavioral and academic issues.

Following the first Parent University in November, this season’s Parent University included workshops that focused on college preparation, family and community, academic resources for children in early childhood and support for kindergarten through 12th grade students. Offered in both English and Spanish, courses varied from “Supporting Your Child’s Success in Math” — an interactive seminar in which parents learned skills such as how to use a protractor — to panel discussions in which college admissions officers revealed their requirements for potential applicants.

Abbe Smith, director of communications for New Haven Public Schools, said Elm City’s Parent University is unique because of its focus on both student support and enriching the lives of parents.

“A stronger parent means a

stronger family, a stronger student and ultimately a stronger community,” Smith said.

In addition to four workshop sessions, parents had the option of visiting a college fair with representatives from 29 colleges, including Trinity College, Providence College and Wesleyan University. Anthony Carberry, associate director of admissions at Central Connecticut State University, said he was unaccustomed to the limited amount of activity at the college fair.

“With all of the workshops going on, the college fair’s been kind of slow,” Carberry said. “But it’s a good thing that there’s so much going on. This is the best setup.”

Parents also had access to community resource tables, which advertised services such as Planned Parenthood and New Haven Promise, an organization granting scholarships to New Haven youth. Eleven parents interviewed expressed satisfaction with Parent University, saying that the workshops were “informative.” New Haven parent Jennifer Sanders said she would like this event to be “more frequent.” Kim Jackson, another parent attendee, said she would like Parent University to be a two-day event, allowing parents to attend more workshops.

Brett Rayford, who headed one of Parent University’s most popular workshops, “Addressing the Needs of Urban Boys,” also expressed a desire for a longer session with parents.

“There’s so much information that this could be a fourhour presentation,” Rayford said.

Weisselberg said Parent University will expand its programs to include smaller-scale, neighborhood workshops in the future.

“Boston’s [Parent University] has neighborhood [workshops].

It’s very powerful to [have a Parent University] on a citywide basis, but we could reach more parents on a neighborhood basis,” Weisselberg said.

While parents attended Parent University, about 150 children participated in the corresponding “Youth University” at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School. Activities included a fossil exhibit from the Peabody Museum, Latin dance classes and Ranger Ray, a reptile-toting employee from the New Haven Parks and Recreation Department.

“I can’t think of a better and more enriching way for a kid to spend a Saturday,” said Laoise King, United Way’s vice president of Education Initiatives.

The New Haven Public School Department will host its next citywide Parent University in fall 2013.

Contact ROSA NGUYEN at rosa.nguyen@yale.edu .

ROSA NGUYEN/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Forty-seven workshops were held as part of Parent University on Saturday at Gateway Community College.

JENNIFER CHEUNG/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Provost Benjamin Polak will meet with the Provost’s Advisory Committee to increase communication between stduents and the Provost’s Office.

BY SOPHIE GOULD STAFF REPORTER Provost Benjamin Polak will eat dinner twice on April 23 — once in honor of a retired economics professor and once with a group of eight students known as the Provost’s Advisory Committee.

Since his appointment as provost in January, Polak said it has been difficult to find time to engage with students because of the obligations and “crowded” schedule that accompany the role of the University’s second highest administrator. Though Polak has had one meeting with the Provost’s Advisory Committee and one meeting with representatives from the Yale College Council, the Graduate Student Assembly and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate this spring, he said his meetings so far are “not enough” and that he hopes to make more room in his schedule to converse with students next year.

“We’re here to be an educational institution,” Polak said.

“The students aren’t just some random voice. They’re what this is about. They’re the point.”

At the Feb. 27 meeting with the representatives from the three student government organizations, Polak, Deputy Provost Stephanie Spangler and Vice

President for Student Life Kimberly Goff-Crews listened to student opinions about several University issues, including concerns about introductory science, technology, engineering and math classes, YCC President John Gonzalez ’14 said. The group also discussed mental health counseling and improving access to health care, Polak said.

The Salovey model worked well. I think Provost Polak will probably aim to similarly engage.

BRANDON LEVIN ’14 Former president, Yale College Council Gonzalez said he thinks increasing student engagement with the provost is important, adding that he hopes the YCC will be able to sit down with Polak in the fall to outline some of the issues that “need student input.”

“With a collaborative environment, the YCC can solicit student opinion in a way that guarantees that the provost will care about and pay attention to the findings,” he said.

Unlike administrators that

oversee faculty and students, the provost interacts primarily with faculty and administrators, so contact between students and the Provost’s Office is less common.

Former YCC President Brandon Levin ’14, who co-founded the Provost’s Advisory Committee, said he does not think students’ lack of familiarity with the provost’s responsibilities is a matter of great concern because the role of the provost is “not necessarily the most well-suited to engaging with students” and impacts students less directly than administrators specific to Yale College or the graduate and professional schools.

Still, former Provost and President-elect Peter Salovey and Levin both saw a need for increased communication between students and the provost when they established the Provost’s Advisory Committee in 2011, Levin said.

Salovey said he met with this group, which consists of eight students, two or three times per semester while he was provost, adding that he has continued to meet with the committee since his appointment as Presidentelect.

“Many good ideas have been shared in this group,” Salovey said. “Our conversations are confidential because I would like the

students to feel they could raise any concern, but I can tell you we have focused on all kinds of issues from [the] room draw to student activity [spaces] to financial aid policies.”

Polak said he aims to be responsive to student opinions, some of which are voiced in inperson meetings and many of which he hears about indirectly through channels like online course evaluations.

“It’s not always the case that everything that every student wants to get done should get done,” Polak said, “but there’s an enormous amount of information about what we’re doing well and what we can improve.”

Student engagement is not always about policy, Levin said, adding that Salovey was impressive because he remained a visible campus figure while he was provost through teaching the “Great Big Ideas” seminar, guest lecturing in “Introductory Psychology” and attending a variety of sports events.

“The Salovey model worked well,” Levin said. “I think Provost Polak will probably aim to similarly engage.”

Polak was appointed provost on January 14.

Contact SOPHIE GOULD at sophie.gould@yale.edu .

Education reformers convene in New Haven

BY HANNAH SCHWARZ STAFF REPORTER Last Thursday and Friday, New Haven’s Omni Hotel and Shubert Theater became home to hundreds of education reformers from around the country.

The seventh annual Yale School of Management Education Leadership Conference brought in roughly 700 attendees from organizations like Democrats for Education Reform, the KIPP Foundation, Teach for America, City Year and Achievement First. The two days included five discussion panels, two of which were keynote events featuring officials such as Providence, R.I., Mayor Angel Taveras and Louisiana State Superintendent of Education John White.

The panels held during the conference, which this year centered on “Inspiring Transformational Change,” focused on topics including parental involvement in community education transformation, the role of technology in personalized learning, how to use New Orleans as a model for change and how to reach students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

The conference’s first panel, moderated by Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor, focused on how Connecticut can begin to implement

its recently passed education reform bill. The bill will create the Commissioner’s Network of Turnaround Schools, which will use top educational practices from across the nation to improve the state’s low-performing schools and will implement a new state-wide system of teacher evaluations.

These kids are dealing with detachment, exposure to violence, hunger and homelessness, and they’re expected to show up in school and focus on math.

MELANIE MULLAN Vice president, Programs of Turnaround for Children While all panelists emphasized the importance of strong school and district leadership, panelist David Low, the vice president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers and New Haven’s most recent “Teacher of the Year,” advocated for not “pulling the best teachers out of the classroom” to become administrators.

Instead, these teachers should be

able to expand their reach, perhaps by supervising other teachers while continuing their own teaching, he said.

Conference attendees also discussed the opportunities and challenges presented by the Common Core Standards, a newly created set of standards that aims to align various state curricula. Assistant Commissioner of Curriculum and Instruction of the Tennessee Department of Education Emily Barton ’04 said that such “research-based” standards will transform curriculum from being a “mile-wide and inchdeep to inch-wide, mile-deep.”

Kate Gerson, another conference panelist and the senior fellow for educator engagement & the Common Core in New York State, said the Common Core is in danger of seeing “a shift in rhetoric phenomenom,” in which administrators and teachers say they are enforcing these new standards while in fact no changes occur.

At a panel about creating “diverse coalitions” to better address the achievement gap, panelist Melanie Mullan, vice president for the nonprofit Programs of Turnaround for Children, noted that poverty has “traumatic” effects on kids.

“These kids are dealing with detachment, exposure to violence, hunger and homelessness,

and they’re expected to show up in school and focus on math,” she said. Having clinically trained social workers in every school and giving teachers very specific strategies to deal with affected children is necessary to target the “recurring trauma of poverty,” she added.

President of educationfocused nonprofit City Year Jim Balfanz noted that 240,000 ninth graders in New York City were held back a grade last year, and those who are held back have a 25 percent chance of graduating.

“It feels like a crisis now. What it’s going to feel like in 10 to 15 years is unthinkable,” he said.

Diversity panel attendee Candice Dormon, associate director for Advocacy and Parent Engagement for the Achievement First schools, expressed her concern about how the majority of low-income students are “left behind.”

“Your zip code shouldn’t determine your chance in life,” said Amanda Pinto, a communications associate for Achievement First.

The conference was sponsored by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Pearson and Wireless Generation.

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

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FROM THE FRONT

137

Years since the first Harvard-Yale football game.

The first Game took place Nov. 13, 1875 at Hamilton Field in New Haven. Harvard won 4-0 by scoring four touchdowns and four field goals. American football was still evolving from rugby at the time.

Third lawsuit results from accident TIMELINE TAILGATE LITIGATION NOV. 19, 2011 The U-Haul truck driven by Brendan Ross ‘13 swerves into the Yale Bowl’s D-Lot, killing Nancy Barry and injuring Sarah Short SOM ’13 and Harvard employee Elizabeth Dernbach.

APRIL 5, 2012 Short files a memorandum with the New Haven Superior Court claiming that she had suffered “severe and painful injuries” from the crash and seeking at least $15,000 in damages from either Ross or the U-Haul Company of Connecticut.

YDN

A U-Haul truck driven by Brendan Ross ‘13 swerved into the Yale Bowl’s D Lot, killing Nancy Barry Nov 19., 2011..

TAILGATE FROM PAGE 1 appropriate safety measures. “[The crash] was the result of an accumulation of incredibly bad decisions by several parties,” Edwards said in a press release about the suit.

The lawsuit claims that Yale University should have known that the use of box trucks posed a risk to the crowd gathered in the parking lot.

According to Edwards, the University failed to demarcate driving areas within the parking lot to prevent collisions with pedestrians.

“Yale University permitted and encouraged organizations to rent large box trucks to bring to a designated section of the Yale Bowl parking lot to host their alcohol-fueled tailgate parties,” Edwards said in the press release.

In a Sunday email to the News, University spokesman Tom Conroy expressed sympathy for the family and friends of the victim but dismissed the claims of the lawsuit.

“The tragic vehicular accident that took the life of Nancy Barry saddened the Yale community, and we feel the

deepest sympathy for her family and loved ones who suffered such a terrible loss,” Conroy said in the email.

“We do not believe, however, that Yale or those working on behalf of the University were a cause of the accident.”

The lawsuit also seeks charges against the City of New Haven for failing to provide a sufficient number of New Haven Police Department officers tasked with traffic and crowd control. The response of the city to the suit was rapid and brief.

“The City is aware of this lawsuit and will respond accordingly at the appropriate time,” said City Corporation Counsel Victor Bolden in a statement released Friday. “That said, the claims against the City warrant dismissal.”

The list of defendants also includes Ross, the U-Haul Company of Connecticut, the student who rented the vehicle and Contemporary Services Corporation, the company Yale hired to provide security and crowd management services at the tailgate area.

Ross, who passed a field sobriety test at the scene of the accident,

faced charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and reckless driving following the crash, but in February, he was granted accelerated rehabilitation, which offers first-time offenders a path to a clean record upon successful completion of probation. Under the plea deal, his charges were revised to reckless driving and reckless endangerment. Ross will have to complete a total of 400 hours of community service.

In addition to the lawsuit filed by Edwards, Ross, SigEp and U-Haul still face another civil lawsuit from Short. The woman is seeking at least $50,000 in damages for the “severe and painful injuries” she suffered as a result of the crash.

In response to the accident, Yale tightened its tailgating regulations, banning beer kegs and U-Hauls and containing tailgates to a “student tailgate village” zone that would be set up before 8:30 a.m. and close at the start of football games.

Contact LORENZO LIGATO at lorenzo.ligato@yale.edu .

MAY 4, 2012 Ross turns himself in for arrest but is released shortly afterward with a written agreement to return to court.

SEPT. 14, 2012 Brendan Ross ’13 pleads not guilty to misdemeanor charges of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and reckless driving.

JAN. 28, 2013 The lawsuit filed by Short in April is amended to include Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. as a defendant in addition to Ross and U-Haul.

FEB. 1, 2013 Ross agrees to enter a probationary program that will allow him to maintain his criminal record clean, upon completion of 400 hours of community service. Under the plea deal, his charges are revised to reckless driving and reckless endangerment.

APRIL 5, 2013 Barry’s estate files a negligence suit against Ross, U-Haul, Yale University, the city of New Haven, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. and others.

$375 million capital budget approved YALE CORP FROM PAGE 1 make.”

The YCC members recommended the University take a clearer stance on its alcohol policy, establishing alcohol consumption as a safety issue instead of a disciplinary issue — which is not made as clear as it should be to students, Gonzalez said.

In addition, the YCC officers made recommendations about the grading policy and academic calendar changes that reflect the feedback it has gathered from students.

“It seemed like by the end of it we were all very much on the same page,” Gonzalez added.

The Buildings and Grounds Committee, chaired by Bass, approved funding for new turbines in the Yale Power Plant, which Levin said the group had planned to do before the power outage last week. They also approved continued budget spending on renovating the Sterling Memorial Library knave, to restore the stone from water damage so it more closely resembles the Starr Reading Room. Levin said the construction should transform the use of the knave to allow for more activity in the cavernous area. “[The restoration] creates a social space,” Levin said. “It should enliven that space so it will be bright and beautiful.”

The University certainly dressed the knave up on Friday night for a dinner the Yale Corporation members held for Levin in honor of his retirement as president. Over 100 past Yale Corporation members, alumni and faculty attended the event, for which the University filled the area with round tables featuring centerpieces of models of University architecture.

Bass also presented Levin with a Department Chairmanship to be named after him for any department Levin chooses. Levin said Sunday evening he has yet to decide upon a department.

The next Yale Corporation meeting will take place in May around the time of Commencement.

Contact JULIA ZORTHIAN at julia.zorthian@yale.edu .

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 5

FROM THE FRONT

5

City tallies fifth 2013 homicide GRAPH HOMOCIDES IN NEW HAVEN

Homicides in New Haven this year

Last Friday’s homicide marked the third in just over a week, after more than 65 days without a murder in New Haven. Data collected over the past decade indicate that the frequency of homicides in New Haven has approximately doubled since the early 2000s.

Alcohol Task Force submits report TASKFORCE FROM PAGE 1

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HOMICIDE FROM PAGE 1 2011 — a grisly year that saw a total of 34 murders in only 12 months.

Earlier this year, at a Jan. 9 press conference in City Hall, New Haven officials reported a 50 percent drop in the number of homicides from 2011 to 2012 — a fall that Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and other city officials have largely attributed to city policies aimed at supporting youth programs, preventing recidivism and strengthening the police force.

Many of these initiatives have worked in concert with NHPD Chief Dean Esserman’s return to a model of community policing in November 2011. Community policing, which moves officers away from their desks and puts them on walk-

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ing patrols throughout the city, began in New Haven under former NHPD Chief Nick Pastore in the early 1990s and was largely credited with the resulting drop in the crime rate.

Although the three homicides followed one another in close succession, the events are not indicative of a new trend in New Haven’s crime, according to Mark Abraham ’04, executive director of DataHaven, a nonprofit organization that compiles public statistics for the greater New Haven area.

“Because of the small numbers and random distribution of homicides over time, it is not unusual in any city for many months to go by without a murder, and then for several to cluster together within a few weeks time,” Abraham said.

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But Abraham added that data collected over the past 10 years indicates the frequency of homicides in the Elm City has approximately doubled since 2003-’05, rising to roughly two murders per month on average in the past three years.

“The long-term trend of rising homicide is one that we need to work on substantially reversing,” Abraham said. “I think it is too early to determine whether or not any new tactics or approaches have been able to do this.”

At this time last year, the city had recorded two murders, en route to a threeyear low of 17 homicides.

Contact LORENZO LIGATO at lorenzo.ligato@yale.edu .

Gonzalez said. He added that he is unsure whether rumors of such incidents are true, but student members on the task force emphasized that even the perception of potential consequences could deter students from calling for help when needed.

The task force also discussed methods of consolidating and clarifying both alcohol policies and practices, Fiddler said.

“Every case that requires medical help is different, so it’s impossible — and unwise — to create a single policy that covers every situation,” Dean of Student Affairs Marichal Gentry, who chaired the task force, said in a Tuesday e-mail. “However, it’s fair to say that any student who needs medical help because of intoxication should expect to be referred, usually by their residential college dean, for followup counseling.”

Fiddler said intoxicated students who go to Yale Health or Yale New-Haven are asked to meet with Marie Baker, a clinical psychologist at Yale Health, and, in most cases, their residential college dean. He added that the meetings are about health rather than discipline.

Students are required to appear before the Executive Committee in a small number of situations, Gentry said, such as when they are hospitalized for intoxication multiple times or when a separate violation of undergraduate regulations accompanies alcoholrelated issues. Still, not all cases that appear before the Executive Committee result in disciplinary action, Gentry added.

The latest Executive Committee report, which describes

cases from spring 2012, stated that the majority of cases that did not result in disciplinary action from ExComm involved alcohol-related violations of University policy. Twentytwo of the 80 cases that did not result in disciplinary action involved transports to the hospital.

“It is my hope that students will continue to call the Yale Police promptly when a fellow student is in need of help because of alcohol abuse, whether at an event or as a result of drinking in their rooms and apartments, and that we will maintain a sense of community that encourages people to do so,” said Carol Jacobs, chair of the 2011-’12 Yale College Executive Committee, in the report.

It’s impossible — and unwise — to create a single policy that covers every situation.

MARICHAL GENTRY Dean of Student Affairs Discipline was the main policy issue discussed during the task force, but student members also informed administrators about current drinking practices, Gonzalez said, namely that high-risk drinking takes place in suites rather than fraternities or off-campus parties.

The task force met nine times since it was formed.

Contact CYNTHIA HUA at cynthia.hua@yale.edu .

PAGE 6

NEWS

YALE DAILY NEWS 路 MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 路 yaledailynews.com

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 7

NEWS The Yale College Council candidates O N T H E N E X T T H R E E PA G E S , T H E N E W S P R E S E N T S T H E C A N D I D A T E S , T H E I R P L AT FO R M S A N D T H E I R P E R S O NA L I T I E S

PRESIDENT The president is responsible for leading the YCC in all of its inititatives and ensuring the constant improvement of the organization. The president serves as the main liaison to the administration.

D A N N Y AV R A H A M ’ 1 5 Branford College Ethics, Politics & Economics Tel Aviv, Israel Age: 24 ACTIVITIES

Admissions Office tour guide, Yale Refugee Project volunteer PLATFORM

Overhaul of University alcohol policy, restructuring of YCC executive board, creation of academic minors, YCC communication with student athletes

BY EMMA GOLDBERG STAFF REPORTER Four months after becoming vice president of the Yale College Council, Danny Avraham ’15 has led the charge against changes to Yale’s grading policy and reorganized the YCC’s internal structure.

Now Avraham is running for YCC president in an uncontested election, and he plans to spearhead initiatives that will make the YCC “stronger and more relevant” on campus. As far as his new role is concerned, Avraham hopes to overhaul alcohol policy and create academic minors. But in order to accomplish his goals, he said he will restructure the YCC executive board to promote efficiency.

“The YCC’s organizational structure isn’t conducive to following through on everything we

want to do for the student body,” Avraham said. “It’s critical that the student body feels YCC can be a helpful organization.”

As president, Avraham said he will create three new executive board positions — directors for academics, student life and University facilities & services. He said he also hopes to improve the council’s institutional memory by documenting previous YCC projects on an online platform.

Other initiatives he proposes aim to improve student life. Avraham said he plans to reform the University’s alcohol policy to focus administrators on safety rather than discipline, adding that he hopes to ensure that leaders of student organizations cannot be disciplined by the Executive Committee if guests at their events violate University alcohol restrictions. His plans for aca-

demic reform include introducing blind TA grading, restoring reading period to its previous length and developing a proposal for a program that allows secondary concentrations, similar to minors, based on research he has conducted this year.

Though Avraham’s future as president hardly depends on the outcome of the election, students can expect to find him knocking on their doors this week to campaign. Avraham’s campaign manager Jeremy Hutton ’15 said they have arranged to meet with a variety of student organizations in the coming days. Current YCC President John Gonzalez ’14 said one of Avraham’s strengths is his ability to connect with diverse constituencies on campus.

Avraham served in the Israeli military for four years before he came to Yale and he is currently 24 years old. But his friends and coworkers said his unconventional experiences will not preclude him from relating to the student body.

“He recognizes that he’s from a different background, and he’s taking strides to understand Yale undergraduate college life,” Gonzalez said. “He also brings unique insights as an international student.”

YCC members elected Avraham to serve as vice president on Jan. 20 after former Vice President Debby Abramov ’14 stepped down. As vice president, Avraham asked each YCC representative to take ownership over an individual project, abolishing the system of

committees that had previously managed YCC initiatives. Gonzalez said Avraham stepped into his new role quickly and easily.

As chair of the YCC Academics Committee, Avraham is working to reform the Credit/D/Fail policy so students can retroactively convert two letter grades into the Credit/D/Fail option.

He reocognizes that he’s from a different background, and he’s taking strides to understand Yale and undergraduate college life.

JOHN GONZALEZ ‘14 YCC President Avraham’s YCC colleagues describe him as a personable individual who listens to others.

“Rumpus gave Danny the award for ‘best smile’ and I think that’s indicative of his friendly and approachable personality,” Davenport YCC representative Djenab Conde ’15 said.

Aside from his involvement with YCC, Avraham is an Admissions Office tour guide and a Yale Refugee Project volunteer.

Contact EMMA GOLDBERG at emma.goldberg@yale.edu .

VICE PRESIDENT

EVENTS DIRECTOR

The vice president is responsible for running the internal affairs of the council and leading the council on all main policy projects. The vice president should also proactively approach student groups and organizations to see how the YCC can collaborate with them to improve student life.

The vice president is also in charge of moderating elections.

The events director is responsible for planning and executing YCC’s main events, including Spring Fling, Fall Show and Mr. Yale. Some other examples of YCC events include World Food Fair (Fall Festival), Fall Comedy Show, Iron Chef, Pep Rally and the Yale-Harvard Dance. Additionally, the events director is tasked with forming the Spring Fling Committee.

KY L E TRAMONTE ’15

ELI RIVKIN ’15 Trumbull College Global Affairs, Security track Paris, France Age: 19

Saybrook College Economics Galveston, Texas Age: 20

ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES

Yale College Council, Yale College Democrats

International Editor of The Yale Politic, co-founder of The Myanmar Project, Sig Ep

PLATFORM

PLATFORM

Get students better access to the administration, make student voices heard in the grading policy debate, get the student body more interested in the YCC

BY PAYAL MARATHE STAFF REPORTER After serving on the Freshman Class Council and the Yale College Council, Kyle Tramonte ’15 said he hopes to take an even more active role in campus politics as YCC vice president.

Tramonte said his goals for the position involve tackling what he sees as the two greatest challenges to the YCC — unresponsiveness from administrators and the student body’s negative perception of student government.

While the responsibilities of the vice president are traditionally not well defined, Tramonte said he hopes to carve out a role similar to a “YPU whip,” in which he acts as a facilitator among YCC members working on certain tasks.

He said he plans to “[sit] down with [the] administration to carve a new role” for the YCC in which students are consulted before administrators announce new policy changes. But Tramonte said he is also realistic about how

effectively student outcry can lead to change.

“It’ll be difficult — to say the least — because Yale is conservative with respect to its own policies,” Tramonte said. “[The YCC] can’t just push through policies on the grounds that students are in favor of them.”

He thinks the YCC should work within the University’s decision-making framework to confront issues such as revising Yale’s grading policy and declining summer financial aid contributions.

Another of Tramonte’s goals as vice president is to encourage increased student interest in YCC activity since he thinks that interest has declined over the past two years. He said he thinks students appreciated the YCC’s “triumph” of postponing the faculty vote on grading but added that the council must continue improving its reputation for efficacy.

“We’ll know we’ve done well if next year every race is contested,” Tramonte said. This year, three

candidates are running unopposed.

Eric Stern ’15, who worked with Tramonte when the candidate was treasurer of the Yale College Democrats, said he thinks Tramonte did an “amazing job bringing the [the College Democrats] up to date” and that Tramonte’s “southern hospitality” makes him friendly and approachable.

Omar Nije ’13, former YCC vice president, said Tramonte is prepared for the job because he has a clear vision for the role of vice president and is a “brilliant communicator.”

“He won’t simply be a mouthpiece for the student body — he’ll be a real advocate for the student body,” Nije said.

As a YCC member this year, Tramonte has worked most closely with the Center for International and Professional Experience and Undergraduate Career Services.

Contact PAYAL MARATHE at payal.marathe@yale.edu .

Creating an additional Fall Music Festival, adding more evening social gatherings, expanding events that occur off-campus to integrate Yale and the New Haven community, and increasing student input about YCC events by establishing a clear contact person

BY HANNAH SCHWARZ STAFF REPORTER As the uncontested candidate for YCC events director, Eli Rivkin ’15 hopes to showcase all of Yale’s talents.

While Rivkin plans to continue the traditions of the “Fall Show” and “Last Comic Standing,” he said he feels YCC events showcasing “student musical talent” are lacking.

This academic year, he spearheaded a twohour event at Koffee on Audobon, which featured performances by student musicians.

Rivkin joined the YCC as an associate at the start of his freshman year. A member of YCC’s events committee for the past two years, Rivkin served on this year’s Spring Fling committee and led last fall’s “Last Comic Standing.”

Rivkin said he is suited for the job because he has a vision for the future and the experience to put that vision into practice.

“On day one, I’d be able to immediately facilitate those discussions [between YCC members],” he said, adding that his approachability is an asset. His efforts to constantly walk around and talk to fellow students makes it easy for them to come to him with suggestions, he said.

Rivkin’s friends said he fits the bill for the position of events director because he is

organized and likes to have fun.

“His room is spotless,” his suitemate Jack Schlossberg ’15 said.

Andrea Villena ’15, YCC secretary, said Rivkin is “detail-oriented,” a quality necessary to put together a successful event.

Rivkin is also able to keep track of venues, pubicity and audience types, she said, and is able to approach problems from every angle.

“Eli works hard and plays hard, so [events director] is a perfect role for him” said Edward Han Myo Oo ’15, Rivkin’s friend and fellow co-founder of the Myanmar Project.

While Rivkin likes social events and parties — he went to Cancun for spring break — Myo Oo said there are many sides to Rivkin’s personality. Rivkin backpacks and led a high school photography trip to Myanmar, which he has visited three times.

According to Schlossberg, Rivkin also gets things done.

“Eli hates cockroaches, so when he saw one crawling on the floor of the room, he personally saw to it that the exterminator was at the door within 30 minutes,” he said.

Rivkin was born in Los Angeles, but attended high school in Paris, where he currently lives.

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

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ELECTION PREVIEW SECRETARY

TREASURER

The YCC secretary is responsible for external communications for the council. This includes drafting campus-wide emails, communicating with outside groups, responding to student questions concerning YCC initiatives, managing the website and fulfilling other roles necessary for achieving greater student understanding of the council.

ANDREW GRASS ’16 Jonathan Edwards College Economics and Global Affairs (prospective) Sarasota, Fla. Age: 18

The treasurer is responsible for managing the YCC’s finances, leading efforts to secure funding for council activities and ensuring transparency in the council’s spending.

The treasurer meets with the assistant dean of student affairs, works closely with the events director and other council members to ensure appropriate funding of events and coordinates UOC special events funding with the UOC chair.

BY JASMINE HORSEY STAFF REPORTER As treasurer of the Yale College Council, Eugene Yi ’15 aims to make the Council a more active and representative voice for the student body.

Given the upcoming transition among University and New Haven leadership — in the fall, Yale will see a new president and admissions dean and New Haven

will acquire for a new mayor — Yi thinks the YCC has a unique opportunity to “try and build a new relationship” with the newly appointed administrators.

Yi believes that building these relationships will also involve improving the dialogue between the YCC and the student body so the YCC can better represent student interests. Currently, he added, student opinion is gauged mostly through online efforts such as surveys — an overused and impersonal strategy.

EUGENE YI ’15

ACTIVITIES

Freshman Class Council chair, Yale College Council associate member, Special Assistant to the Director of the Yale Young Global Scholars program

Timothy Dwight College Undeclared Lared0, Texas Age: 20

PLATFORM

Ensure emails are clear, concise and effective, improve the YCC website, increase the YCC social media presence, improve forums for seeking student input, streamline internal YCC communications

ACTIVITIES

Yale College Council Representative, Fossil Free Yale, Timothy Dwight Housing Committee, Refraction Capital LLC, Fence Club PLATFORM

BY JACOB WOLF-SOROKIN CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Andrew Grass ’16 believes the most important task of the Yale College Council secretary is to streamline communication and make the organization more effective.

Grass, who currently serves as Freshman Class Council chair and as an associate member of the Yale College Council, said he would focus on internal and external communications as secretary. “[YCC] would be my number one extracurricular commitment,” he said. “I want to see it through to the end.”

Students want easy access to the most important information from the YCC, Grass said. He hopes to revamp YCC emails to ensure they are clear, concise and readable.

Building off his experience in the FCC, Grass — who wrote the YCC’s campus safety report — wants to bolster the organization’s social media presence to advertise events and solicit student input.

“Social media has an advantage of [being] a less intrusive way to remind people of what’s going on,” he said.

For his campaign, Grass built a website to explain his platform — if elected, he hopes to lead an upgrade of the YCC website to make it more useful.

Part of his platform involves streamlining internal YCC communications. For representatives to be most effective, he said, they need to have easy access to all YCC information including studies, survey results and minutes. Grass wants to develop the website in such a way that makes internal information accessible.

He said he thinks every board has much to learn

from preceding leaders. To this end, Grass hopes to help develop an organizational history that allows board members to learn from one another, an initiative he said would improve internal communication and make the YCC more effective as new members could learn from the successes and failures of previous YCC leaders.

Grass is an approachable and realistic leader, said Michael Leopold ’16, the current FCC vicechair.

Contact JACOB WOLF-SOROKIN at jacob.wolf-sorokin@yale.edu .

Ezra Stiles College Undeclared Towson, Md. Age: 19 ACTIVITIES

Pitches and Drums, YCC Ezra Stiles Rep, The Yale Banner, Master’s aide and YIRA PLATFORM

Introduce Grade Cover initiative, which would allow students to ‘hide’ two grades on their transcript, improve online system for room reservations, launch Durfee dinner swipes

When Rohan Goswami ’15 receives a text, friends say it is not long before he replies with advice or suggestions. His communication skills and accessibility are what supporters feel make him the ideal candidate for secretary of the Yale College Council.

“The role of secretary is really focused on communication and distribution of information,” Goswami said. “I feel the YCC secretary has the capacity to be a moderator, going between students and administrators.”

[Goswami’s] different activities have given him a keen awareness of what he needs to do to improve the Yale experience for everyone.

OBSSA BIZUWORK ’15 Described by his campaign manager, Arash Fereydooni ’15, as “a factory machine that produces ideas,” Goswami said his platform focuses on academics, extracurricular work and student services.

Three of Goswami’s eight outlined goals deal with academics, specifically increasing student flexibility and grading transparency. Goswami hopes to start a Grade Cover initiative, already in place at John Hopkins and Princeton, which

allows students to “hide” grades in two of their courses on their transcript. He plans on including final grade distributions for classes on Yale Online Course Information (OCI) and having professors release midterm grade distributions.

Goswami also plans to improve the online system for room reservations and increase access to Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee funding.

“I’m in a lot of science classes, so I definitely appreciate his efforts with the grading policies,” said Ilana Scandariato ’15, who created Goswani’s campaign Facebook page. “Also being involved in a lot of clubs has made me feel his ideas for making room reservations easier is really good.”

His proposed student services policies include launching Durfee dinner swipes and extending HBO GO to Yale.

This year, Goswami has served as a YCC representative on the dining and events committees. He was on the Ezra Stiles Class Council for the past two years, an experience Goswami credited with motivating his YCC bid, as he wanted to see how the college fits into the larger picture of student government and student life.

“He’s really involved in the Yale community, and I think the different activities have given him a keen awareness of what he needs to do to help improve the Yale experience for everyone,” Stilesian Obssa Bizuwork ’15 said.

Outside of his work with student government, Goswami works as a Master’s aide in Ezra Stiles, sings a cappella, debates with the YPU and participates in YIRA events.

Contact APSARA IYER at apsara.iyer@yale.edu .

Through her student government experience, Leigh Hamilton ’15 said she knows budgets.

Hamilton, who is running for Yale College Council treasurer, has served as Berkeley College Council secretary and a member of the YCC 10K committee this year, and she said her participation

in the YCC events and academics committees has prepared her to address the challenges a treasurer faces. She said she hopes to bring more flexibility and transparency to the YCC budget.

Hamilton said “I think a treasurer should be cognizant of the fact that there will be great lastminute and spontaneous ideas, and that should be built into the budget so that those events can happen,” she said.

L E I G H H A M I LT O N ’ 1 5 Berkeley College Economics and Political Science C0lorado Springs, Colo.

Age: 19 ACTIVITIES

YCC Council Member, secretary of Berkeley College Council, Vice President of Administration of Pi Beta Phi, Women’s Club Soccer team, Berkeley master’s aide PLATFORM

More flexibility in the budget to allow for spontaneous events, reform 10K challenge, budget transparency, play a leadership role in committees as well as fulfilling role of treasurer

A lack of funding has thwarted several creative ideas for YCC events this year, Hamilton said. As treasurer, Hamilton added that she hopes to work closely with the YCC events director to provide funding for projects that arise throughout the year.

Hamilton said she plans to publish a projected budget at the start of term and a final budget at the end — both of which would be released to the student body. This year, the YCC did not vote on its budget until halfway through spring semester, Hamilton said.

“As it is, there is a lot of power for the treasurer to just use money as they see fit,” she said, adding that she hopes to include student opinion in her decision-making as treasurer.

She added that she will continue working on projects she has taken up this year. She plans to alter the structure of the 10K Challenge to ensure that ideas are selected and implemented in the same year, adding that funds for the project have not been allocated for two years.

Danny Avraham ’15, who is running uncontested for YCC president, said Hamilton played an important role on the academics committee, which he chaired this year.

“She is extremely responsible, and she took a lot of initiative to propose new ideas and then follow through with them,” he said.

Outside student government, Hamilton holds a leadership role in Pi Beta Phi sorority, plays on the women’s club soccer team and serves as a Berkeley College master’s aide.

Contact COLLEEN FLYNN at colleen.flynn@yale.edu .

UNDERGRADUATE ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR The UOC chair is responsible for leading UOC board meetings, assigning funding applications to UOC liaisons, supervising the Capital Equipment Project and overseeing events funding.

MICHAEL LEOPOLD ‘16 Vice-chair, Freshman Class Council “He’s always just a very ethical guy with a strong moral fiber. It’s often unnoticed,” Leopold said. “I just feel like Andrew is a guy you can trust. You can trust him to lead a team to whatever its goal is.”

FCC Director of Outreach Brooke Eastman ’16 said Grass is one of the nicest and most genuine people she knows at Yale, adding that he would be a “crucial” part of next year’s YCC executive board if elected.

When not reading for Directed Studies, Grass plays intramural basketball for Jonathan Edwards College and watches one of his favorite TV shows at the West Wing Weekly club.

BY COLLEEN FLYNN STAFF REPORTER

Contact JASMINE HORSEY at jasmine.horsey@yale.edu .

He’s always just a very ethical guy with a strong moral fiber … I just feel like Andrew is a guy you can trust.

R O H A N G O S WA M I ’ 1 5

BY APSARA IYER STAFF REPORTER

Create a cohesive forum for policy initiatives, increase the effectiveness of the YCC in regards toward new administration, execute 10K projects, improve/increase the transparency of the YCC budget, create larger selection of meal plans

“Obviously it’s really easy to send out surveys, but we get tired of doing them,” he said. “I think they can be done in a better way. We can work with UOC and maybe other student leaders on campus towards a better solution.”

Yi said he intends to ensure that student input is considered before administrators finalize new policies, including the new grading policy and perceived alcohol crackdown, because “most of us are against changing the grades and alcohol policy coming down like a hammer.”

As treasurer, Yi also hopes to change the YCC’s budget allocation and make it more transparent. This year, the funds allocated for the 10K initiative were reabsorbed into the YCC budget instead of used for a proposed project, he said, adding that the money should have been better managed. He also plans to introduce smaller measures, including the option to change Yale ID photos, the establishment of a new pay-as-you-go on-campus meal plan, and the installation of Wifi in the Yale University Art Gallery.

As a YCC member this year, Yi spent time working on a referendum system to facilitate student feedback that was approved Sunday.

YCC member Mohammad Salhut ’14 said that although the YCC itself has been “disappointing this year,” Yi has stood out from other YCC members because he “is the type of guy who will include everybody’s opinion.”

Yi previously served as investment head of the Yale Student Investment Group and started an investment firm called Refraction Capital LLC with a group of undergraduates.

BY ADRIAN RODRIGUES CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Ben Ackerman ’16 asks students a simple question: “Who wouldn’t want more Benjamins?”

Ackerman, one of four candidates running to chair the Undergraduate Organizations Committee, said he wants to streamline the current funding process. His platform has six key points that involve simplifying and updating the way student organizations receive money, share information and reserve facilities. He added that he not only wants to direct financial changes in the UOC but also increase communication between student groups.

“I want to bring students into the fold of student government,” Ackerman said.

Ackerman describes himself as positive, energetic and outgoing. This year, he served on the Yale College Council as an associate member and webmaster. Ackerman said his experience working with University administrators has allowed him to be involved with a number of projects, including the Bike Share program.

But over the past year, Ackerman said he has realized that the current UOC funding process is “cumbersome.”

“It provides unnecessary stress that kids don’t need,” Ackerman said.

In order to affect change, Ackerman breaks down his platform into six key points: “Easy funding, easy room reservations, easy communication, easy equipment rental, easy representation, easy information.” He added that the emphasis is on making the funding process accessible.

Ackerman explained that from his time on the YCC, he has realized that students are incredibly devoted to their extracurricular activities. The process of receiving funding from the UOC is unclear,

BY JOSEPH TISCH STAFF REPORTER Zenas Han ’15 hopes to apply the skills he learned through a semester away from Yale as chair of the Undergraduate Organizing Committee.

Han, one of four candidates for UOC chair, said he has no experience on any of Yale’s student councils but aims to bring clarity and accessibility to the UOC’s funding and equipment-rental processes. After spending last fall at a tech incubator in Philadelphia working to launch Altair Prep, an online tutoring startup, Han said he plans to build on his experience trying to obtain funding by heading the campus organization that grants it to others.

It’s not a matter of saying this should be done, it’s a matter of finding actionable things that could be accomplished.

ZENAS HAN ’15 Candidate, UOC chair “I know exactly how difficult it is,” Han said of the application process, adding that he plans to give organizations clear criteria they must meet in order to receive funding. He said he also plans to give feedback to groups whose requests for funding are denied or not fully met about why they did not receive their requested funding.

BY DHRUV AGGARWAL STAFF REPORTER

BEN ACKERMAN ’16 Timothy Dwight Computer Science New Rochelle, N.Y. Age: 18 ACTIVITIES

YCC webmaster, member of the TD college council, serves on the Traffic Safety Committee and the Student Technology Collaborative Developer Steering Committee, Squash Haven and the Yale College Democrats PLATFORM

Easy funding, easy room reservations, easy communication, easy equipment rental, easy representation, easy information

and the information is not well-presented, he said.

He wants to make the entire process easier so students can spend more time organizing events rather than hassling for money.

To improve the system, Ackerman hopes to redesign the UOC website. Since he is the YCC webmaster and designed his campaign’s page, he believes he is uniquely positioned to achieve this goal.

“I think I can effectively make the changes that need to be made,” Ackerman added.

Current UOC Chair Aly Moore ’14 said in an email that while Ackerman does not have previous UOC board experience, he is passionate about his projects and adopts leadership roles. Still, Moore cautioned that any candidate not already on the UOC

board would have difficulty catching up, though she added that she is “confident [Ben] would put in the time to do so.”

Fellow YCC council member Eugene Yi ’15, who is running for YCC treasurer, has worked extensively with Ackerman. He said Ackerman’s ability to organize and work hard will serve him well as UOC chair.

“Ben is a miracle worker,” Yi said. “I full-heartedly endorse him.”

Beyond the YCC, Ackerman serves on the Student Technology Collaborative Developer Steering Committee and is a member of Squash Haven.

Contact ADRIAN RODRIGUES at adrian.rodrigues@yale.edu .

Brian Lei ’16 hopes that, as the only candidate with experience serving on the Undergraduate Organizations Committee, Yale students will elect him the group’s chair.

This year, Lei was a member of the UOC executive board and held the position of capital equipment director last semester. Emphasizing the organization’s diverse responsibilities, he said he is the only candidate who truly knows how the UOC works — unlike other candidates, who Lei says are making unsubstantiated claims about transparency, efficiency and increased funding without understanding the organization’s structure.

“Money doesn’t grown on trees,” Lei said. “You can’t just promise more funding if you have a set budget.”

Lei added that electing a chair from outside the UOC’s current executive board will lead to a loss of momentum. Lei said he already knows about current developments in the pipline, as well as how to prioritize certain events over others. He explained that he thinks events featuring community service or famous speakers should be given priority over those whose main priority is giving free food to undergraduates. “[Other candidates] would start from square one and by the time they figure it out, the school year will be gone already,” he said. “We can’t go back to square one every school year.”

The reforms Lei envisages include designing a new and less cumbersome banking system — an umbrella UOC account that would replace the current practice of reimbursing individual student organizations for their expenditures.

BY LAVINIA BORZI STAFF REPORTER

ZENAS HAN ’15 Davenport College Economics Marietta, Ga. Age: 20 ACTIVITIES

Business team for Yale Economics Review, SAE, Rugby PLATFORM

Increase transparency for funding, expand scope of and accessibility to capital equipment

Additionally, Han intends to expand the UOC’s Capital Equipment Rental Program “both in scope and accessibility.” He hopes to offer a greater variety of equipment and hold UOC liaisons accountable for making sure items are properly set up and in good working condition.

“There’s no inspection [and] there’s no quality control as of right now,” Han said.

“And if there is, then they’re not doing a very good job.”

Han said he is confident in his abilities, adding that he is not running for any “superficial” reasons — only because he truly feels he is the best person for the job. He said he will approach the UOC in the same way he approached his startup — by finding small steps to take in the direction of a larger vision.

“It’s not a matter of saying this should

BRIAN LEI ’16

be done,” Han said. “It’s a matter of finding actionable things that could be accomplished.”

Joseph Murdy ’15, one of Han’s suitemates and a fellow brother in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, noted Han’s competency, pointing to how Han and his partners developed a company that has been valued at threemillion dollars from scratch.

“He’s a pretty driven kid. He’s on top of his stuff,” said SAE President Michael Wolner ’14, who also serves as Financial Coordinator for Dwight Hall.

Han is currently a member of the club rugby team, eminent recorder for SAE and on the business team for the Yale Economic Review.

Contact JOSEPH TISCH at joseph.tisch@yale.edu.

Grant Fergusson ’16 said he plans to emphasize how the Undergraduate Organizations Committee can serve as a support network for organizations rather than an administrative unit for funding.

Fergusson, who is one of four candidates running for the position of UOC chair, said he hopes to differentiate himself by not relying on an “aggressive” campaign. Rather, he is concentrating on informing people and ensuring students fully understand his platform.

“I won’t give out cookies and buttons,” Fergusson said. “I like to call those bribes.”

Fergusson said that from his experience with student groups, mainly the Freshman Class Council and Duke’s Men of Yale, he has noticed a large discrepancy between organizations that receive a great deal of funding and support from the administration and others that receive little to none.

As UOC chair, Fergusson said he would both equalize funding and attempt to deemphasize its importance, highlighting instead the variety of support services the UOC can offer. He said, for instance, that he hopes to design a handbook that will help organizations learn how to increase their campus presence and request funding.

Fergusson added that he will try to increase the transparency and accessibility of UOC services.

“I want to make sure that people who are passionate about something can feel that it’s an accessible thing to do rather than this maze,” Fergusson said.

Calhoun College Economics and Mathematics Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Age: 18 ACTIVITIES

Yale Symphony Orchestra, member of UOC Exec Board, Yale Student Investment Group, Saybrook College Orchestra PLATFORM

New UOC banking system, more reliable capital equipment provision, prioritizing more important events

He added that the UOC has no room for error: The organization faciliates student groups in all ways possible, both financially and by providing resources for publicity and room reservation.

The importance of these functions prompted him to begin redesigning the capital equipment website. He said he has also started working with Bass Media Technology to ensure that its machines are reliable and do not malfunction.

Lei added that he has worked closely with John Meeske, associate dean for student organizations and physical resources, and administrative offices.

Aly Moore ’14, current chair of the UOC, said in an email that Lei is “detail oriented and organized”, adding that she would call him first “if an

emergency came up that needed to be handled with both haste and care.”

A freshman in Calhoun, Lei is from Poughkeepsie, N.Y and plans to major in both Economics and Mathematics. He is also involved in the Yale Student Investment Group and plays for both the Saybrook college orchestra and the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He also teaches for Yale Splash, a community service initiative where Yale students teach classes to middle and high school students for a day.

Contact DHRUV AGGARWAL at dhruv.aggarwal@yale.edu .

GRANT FERGUSSON ’16 Branford College Undeclared Atlanta, Ga. Age: 18 ACTIVITIES

FCC Branford representative, FCC Social Chair, Co-Chair of the Freshman Olympics, Duke’s Men of Yale PLATFORM

More accessibility and transparency, less emphasis on funding and more emphasis on creating a support network for organizations

I want to make sure that people who are passionate about something can feel that it’s an accessible thing to do.

GRANT FERGUSSON ’16 UOC chair candidate Fergusson says that as UOC chair, his

accessible nature — his commitment to checking email “neurotically,” and always putting students’ needs and time constraints above his own — would be a strength. When asked about a weakness, Fergusson admitted that his willingness “to make everyone happy” could make it difficult for him to say no to students requesting funding and other resources.

Darien Lee ’16, who is helping Fergusson with his campaign, said Fergusson would be “100 percent committed” to his position, adding that the candidate is always willing to help others out. Alex Carrillo ’16, Fergusson’s roommate, said

that while Fergusson is an “honest person,” he is also very “diplomatic.”

“He is not the person who will tell you look fat in a dress,” Carrillo said.

Brooke Eastman ’16, who works on the FCC with Fergusson, noted that while the race is competitive, Fergusson has the advantage of being “a great listener” in addition to a “good leader.”

Fergusson is the co-chair of this year’s Freshman Olympics, which will take place on April 13.

Contact LAVINIA BORZI at lavinia.borzi@yale.edu .

PAGE 8

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 9

ELECTION PREVIEW SECRETARY

TREASURER

The YCC secretary is responsible for external communications for the council. This includes drafting campus-wide emails, communicating with outside groups, responding to student questions concerning YCC initiatives, managing the website and fulfilling other roles necessary for achieving greater student understanding of the council.

ANDREW GRASS ’16 Jonathan Edwards College Economics and Global Affairs (prospective) Sarasota, Fla. Age: 18

The treasurer is responsible for managing the YCC’s finances, leading efforts to secure funding for council activities and ensuring transparency in the council’s spending.

The treasurer meets with the assistant dean of student affairs, works closely with the events director and other council members to ensure appropriate funding of events and coordinates UOC special events funding with the UOC chair.

BY JASMINE HORSEY STAFF REPORTER As treasurer of the Yale College Council, Eugene Yi ’15 aims to make the Council a more active and representative voice for the student body.

Given the upcoming transition among University and New Haven leadership — in the fall, Yale will see a new president and admissions dean and New Haven

will acquire for a new mayor — Yi thinks the YCC has a unique opportunity to “try and build a new relationship” with the newly appointed administrators.

Yi believes that building these relationships will also involve improving the dialogue between the YCC and the student body so the YCC can better represent student interests. Currently, he added, student opinion is gauged mostly through online efforts such as surveys — an overused and impersonal strategy.

EUGENE YI ’15

ACTIVITIES

Freshman Class Council chair, Yale College Council associate member, Special Assistant to the Director of the Yale Young Global Scholars program

Timothy Dwight College Undeclared Lared0, Texas Age: 20

PLATFORM

Ensure emails are clear, concise and effective, improve the YCC website, increase the YCC social media presence, improve forums for seeking student input, streamline internal YCC communications

ACTIVITIES

Yale College Council Representative, Fossil Free Yale, Timothy Dwight Housing Committee, Refraction Capital LLC, Fence Club PLATFORM

BY JACOB WOLF-SOROKIN CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Andrew Grass ’16 believes the most important task of the Yale College Council secretary is to streamline communication and make the organization more effective.

Grass, who currently serves as Freshman Class Council chair and as an associate member of the Yale College Council, said he would focus on internal and external communications as secretary. “[YCC] would be my number one extracurricular commitment,” he said. “I want to see it through to the end.”

Students want easy access to the most important information from the YCC, Grass said. He hopes to revamp YCC emails to ensure they are clear, concise and readable.

Building off his experience in the FCC, Grass — who wrote the YCC’s campus safety report — wants to bolster the organization’s social media presence to advertise events and solicit student input.

“Social media has an advantage of [being] a less intrusive way to remind people of what’s going on,” he said.

For his campaign, Grass built a website to explain his platform — if elected, he hopes to lead an upgrade of the YCC website to make it more useful.

Part of his platform involves streamlining internal YCC communications. For representatives to be most effective, he said, they need to have easy access to all YCC information including studies, survey results and minutes. Grass wants to develop the website in such a way that makes internal information accessible.

He said he thinks every board has much to learn

from preceding leaders. To this end, Grass hopes to help develop an organizational history that allows board members to learn from one another, an initiative he said would improve internal communication and make the YCC more effective as new members could learn from the successes and failures of previous YCC leaders.

Grass is an approachable and realistic leader, said Michael Leopold ’16, the current FCC vicechair.

Contact JACOB WOLF-SOROKIN at jacob.wolf-sorokin@yale.edu .

Ezra Stiles College Undeclared Towson, Md. Age: 19 ACTIVITIES

Pitches and Drums, YCC Ezra Stiles Rep, The Yale Banner, Master’s aide and YIRA PLATFORM

Introduce Grade Cover initiative, which would allow students to ‘hide’ two grades on their transcript, improve online system for room reservations, launch Durfee dinner swipes

When Rohan Goswami ’15 receives a text, friends say it is not long before he replies with advice or suggestions. His communication skills and accessibility are what supporters feel make him the ideal candidate for secretary of the Yale College Council.

“The role of secretary is really focused on communication and distribution of information,” Goswami said. “I feel the YCC secretary has the capacity to be a moderator, going between students and administrators.”

[Goswami’s] different activities have given him a keen awareness of what he needs to do to improve the Yale experience for everyone.

OBSSA BIZUWORK ’15 Described by his campaign manager, Arash Fereydooni ’15, as “a factory machine that produces ideas,” Goswami said his platform focuses on academics, extracurricular work and student services.

Three of Goswami’s eight outlined goals deal with academics, specifically increasing student flexibility and grading transparency. Goswami hopes to start a Grade Cover initiative, already in place at John Hopkins and Princeton, which

allows students to “hide” grades in two of their courses on their transcript. He plans on including final grade distributions for classes on Yale Online Course Information (OCI) and having professors release midterm grade distributions.

Goswami also plans to improve the online system for room reservations and increase access to Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee funding.

“I’m in a lot of science classes, so I definitely appreciate his efforts with the grading policies,” said Ilana Scandariato ’15, who created Goswani’s campaign Facebook page. “Also being involved in a lot of clubs has made me feel his ideas for making room reservations easier is really good.”

His proposed student services policies include launching Durfee dinner swipes and extending HBO GO to Yale.

This year, Goswami has served as a YCC representative on the dining and events committees. He was on the Ezra Stiles Class Council for the past two years, an experience Goswami credited with motivating his YCC bid, as he wanted to see how the college fits into the larger picture of student government and student life.

“He’s really involved in the Yale community, and I think the different activities have given him a keen awareness of what he needs to do to help improve the Yale experience for everyone,” Stilesian Obssa Bizuwork ’15 said.

Outside of his work with student government, Goswami works as a Master’s aide in Ezra Stiles, sings a cappella, debates with the YPU and participates in YIRA events.

Contact APSARA IYER at apsara.iyer@yale.edu .

Through her student government experience, Leigh Hamilton ’15 said she knows budgets.

Hamilton, who is running for Yale College Council treasurer, has served as Berkeley College Council secretary and a member of the YCC 10K committee this year, and she said her participation

in the YCC events and academics committees has prepared her to address the challenges a treasurer faces. She said she hopes to bring more flexibility and transparency to the YCC budget.

Hamilton said “I think a treasurer should be cognizant of the fact that there will be great lastminute and spontaneous ideas, and that should be built into the budget so that those events can happen,” she said.

L E I G H H A M I LT O N ’ 1 5 Berkeley College Economics and Political Science C0lorado Springs, Colo.

Age: 19 ACTIVITIES

YCC Council Member, secretary of Berkeley College Council, Vice President of Administration of Pi Beta Phi, Women’s Club Soccer team, Berkeley master’s aide PLATFORM

More flexibility in the budget to allow for spontaneous events, reform 10K challenge, budget transparency, play a leadership role in committees as well as fulfilling role of treasurer

A lack of funding has thwarted several creative ideas for YCC events this year, Hamilton said. As treasurer, Hamilton added that she hopes to work closely with the YCC events director to provide funding for projects that arise throughout the year.

Hamilton said she plans to publish a projected budget at the start of term and a final budget at the end — both of which would be released to the student body. This year, the YCC did not vote on its budget until halfway through spring semester, Hamilton said.

“As it is, there is a lot of power for the treasurer to just use money as they see fit,” she said, adding that she hopes to include student opinion in her decision-making as treasurer.

She added that she will continue working on projects she has taken up this year. She plans to alter the structure of the 10K Challenge to ensure that ideas are selected and implemented in the same year, adding that funds for the project have not been allocated for two years.

Danny Avraham ’15, who is running uncontested for YCC president, said Hamilton played an important role on the academics committee, which he chaired this year.

“She is extremely responsible, and she took a lot of initiative to propose new ideas and then follow through with them,” he said.

Outside student government, Hamilton holds a leadership role in Pi Beta Phi sorority, plays on the women’s club soccer team and serves as a Berkeley College master’s aide.

Contact COLLEEN FLYNN at colleen.flynn@yale.edu .

UNDERGRADUATE ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR The UOC chair is responsible for leading UOC board meetings, assigning funding applications to UOC liaisons, supervising the Capital Equipment Project and overseeing events funding.

MICHAEL LEOPOLD ‘16 Vice-chair, Freshman Class Council “He’s always just a very ethical guy with a strong moral fiber. It’s often unnoticed,” Leopold said. “I just feel like Andrew is a guy you can trust. You can trust him to lead a team to whatever its goal is.”

FCC Director of Outreach Brooke Eastman ’16 said Grass is one of the nicest and most genuine people she knows at Yale, adding that he would be a “crucial” part of next year’s YCC executive board if elected.

When not reading for Directed Studies, Grass plays intramural basketball for Jonathan Edwards College and watches one of his favorite TV shows at the West Wing Weekly club.

BY COLLEEN FLYNN STAFF REPORTER

Contact JASMINE HORSEY at jasmine.horsey@yale.edu .

He’s always just a very ethical guy with a strong moral fiber … I just feel like Andrew is a guy you can trust.

R O H A N G O S WA M I ’ 1 5

BY APSARA IYER STAFF REPORTER

Create a cohesive forum for policy initiatives, increase the effectiveness of the YCC in regards toward new administration, execute 10K projects, improve/increase the transparency of the YCC budget, create larger selection of meal plans

“Obviously it’s really easy to send out surveys, but we get tired of doing them,” he said. “I think they can be done in a better way. We can work with UOC and maybe other student leaders on campus towards a better solution.”

Yi said he intends to ensure that student input is considered before administrators finalize new policies, including the new grading policy and perceived alcohol crackdown, because “most of us are against changing the grades and alcohol policy coming down like a hammer.”

As treasurer, Yi also hopes to change the YCC’s budget allocation and make it more transparent. This year, the funds allocated for the 10K initiative were reabsorbed into the YCC budget instead of used for a proposed project, he said, adding that the money should have been better managed. He also plans to introduce smaller measures, including the option to change Yale ID photos, the establishment of a new pay-as-you-go on-campus meal plan, and the installation of Wifi in the Yale University Art Gallery.

As a YCC member this year, Yi spent time working on a referendum system to facilitate student feedback that was approved Sunday.

YCC member Mohammad Salhut ’14 said that although the YCC itself has been “disappointing this year,” Yi has stood out from other YCC members because he “is the type of guy who will include everybody’s opinion.”

Yi previously served as investment head of the Yale Student Investment Group and started an investment firm called Refraction Capital LLC with a group of undergraduates.

BY ADRIAN RODRIGUES CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Ben Ackerman ’16 asks students a simple question: “Who wouldn’t want more Benjamins?”

Ackerman, one of four candidates running to chair the Undergraduate Organizations Committee, said he wants to streamline the current funding process. His platform has six key points that involve simplifying and updating the way student organizations receive money, share information and reserve facilities. He added that he not only wants to direct financial changes in the UOC but also increase communication between student groups.

“I want to bring students into the fold of student government,” Ackerman said.

Ackerman describes himself as positive, energetic and outgoing. This year, he served on the Yale College Council as an associate member and webmaster. Ackerman said his experience working with University administrators has allowed him to be involved with a number of projects, including the Bike Share program.

But over the past year, Ackerman said he has realized that the current UOC funding process is “cumbersome.”

“It provides unnecessary stress that kids don’t need,” Ackerman said.

In order to affect change, Ackerman breaks down his platform into six key points: “Easy funding, easy room reservations, easy communication, easy equipment rental, easy representation, easy information.” He added that the emphasis is on making the funding process accessible.

Ackerman explained that from his time on the YCC, he has realized that students are incredibly devoted to their extracurricular activities. The process of receiving funding from the UOC is unclear,

BY JOSEPH TISCH STAFF REPORTER Zenas Han ’15 hopes to apply the skills he learned through a semester away from Yale as chair of the Undergraduate Organizing Committee.

Han, one of four candidates for UOC chair, said he has no experience on any of Yale’s student councils but aims to bring clarity and accessibility to the UOC’s funding and equipment-rental processes. After spending last fall at a tech incubator in Philadelphia working to launch Altair Prep, an online tutoring startup, Han said he plans to build on his experience trying to obtain funding by heading the campus organization that grants it to others.

It’s not a matter of saying this should be done, it’s a matter of finding actionable things that could be accomplished.

ZENAS HAN ’15 Candidate, UOC chair “I know exactly how difficult it is,” Han said of the application process, adding that he plans to give organizations clear criteria they must meet in order to receive funding. He said he also plans to give feedback to groups whose requests for funding are denied or not fully met about why they did not receive their requested funding.

BY DHRUV AGGARWAL STAFF REPORTER

BEN ACKERMAN ’16 Timothy Dwight Computer Science New Rochelle, N.Y. Age: 18 ACTIVITIES

YCC webmaster, member of the TD college council, serves on the Traffic Safety Committee and the Student Technology Collaborative Developer Steering Committee, Squash Haven and the Yale College Democrats PLATFORM

Easy funding, easy room reservations, easy communication, easy equipment rental, easy representation, easy information

and the information is not well-presented, he said.

He wants to make the entire process easier so students can spend more time organizing events rather than hassling for money.

To improve the system, Ackerman hopes to redesign the UOC website. Since he is the YCC webmaster and designed his campaign’s page, he believes he is uniquely positioned to achieve this goal.

“I think I can effectively make the changes that need to be made,” Ackerman added.

Current UOC Chair Aly Moore ’14 said in an email that while Ackerman does not have previous UOC board experience, he is passionate about his projects and adopts leadership roles. Still, Moore cautioned that any candidate not already on the UOC

board would have difficulty catching up, though she added that she is “confident [Ben] would put in the time to do so.”

Fellow YCC council member Eugene Yi ’15, who is running for YCC treasurer, has worked extensively with Ackerman. He said Ackerman’s ability to organize and work hard will serve him well as UOC chair.

“Ben is a miracle worker,” Yi said. “I full-heartedly endorse him.”

Beyond the YCC, Ackerman serves on the Student Technology Collaborative Developer Steering Committee and is a member of Squash Haven.

Contact ADRIAN RODRIGUES at adrian.rodrigues@yale.edu .

Brian Lei ’16 hopes that, as the only candidate with experience serving on the Undergraduate Organizations Committee, Yale students will elect him the group’s chair.

This year, Lei was a member of the UOC executive board and held the position of capital equipment director last semester. Emphasizing the organization’s diverse responsibilities, he said he is the only candidate who truly knows how the UOC works — unlike other candidates, who Lei says are making unsubstantiated claims about transparency, efficiency and increased funding without understanding the organization’s structure.

“Money doesn’t grown on trees,” Lei said. “You can’t just promise more funding if you have a set budget.”

Lei added that electing a chair from outside the UOC’s current executive board will lead to a loss of momentum. Lei said he already knows about current developments in the pipline, as well as how to prioritize certain events over others. He explained that he thinks events featuring community service or famous speakers should be given priority over those whose main priority is giving free food to undergraduates. “[Other candidates] would start from square one and by the time they figure it out, the school year will be gone already,” he said. “We can’t go back to square one every school year.”

The reforms Lei envisages include designing a new and less cumbersome banking system — an umbrella UOC account that would replace the current practice of reimbursing individual student organizations for their expenditures.

BY LAVINIA BORZI STAFF REPORTER

ZENAS HAN ’15 Davenport College Economics Marietta, Ga. Age: 20 ACTIVITIES

Business team for Yale Economics Review, SAE, Rugby PLATFORM

Increase transparency for funding, expand scope of and accessibility to capital equipment

Additionally, Han intends to expand the UOC’s Capital Equipment Rental Program “both in scope and accessibility.” He hopes to offer a greater variety of equipment and hold UOC liaisons accountable for making sure items are properly set up and in good working condition.

“There’s no inspection [and] there’s no quality control as of right now,” Han said.

“And if there is, then they’re not doing a very good job.”

Han said he is confident in his abilities, adding that he is not running for any “superficial” reasons — only because he truly feels he is the best person for the job. He said he will approach the UOC in the same way he approached his startup — by finding small steps to take in the direction of a larger vision.

“It’s not a matter of saying this should

BRIAN LEI ’16

be done,” Han said. “It’s a matter of finding actionable things that could be accomplished.”

Joseph Murdy ’15, one of Han’s suitemates and a fellow brother in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, noted Han’s competency, pointing to how Han and his partners developed a company that has been valued at threemillion dollars from scratch.

“He’s a pretty driven kid. He’s on top of his stuff,” said SAE President Michael Wolner ’14, who also serves as Financial Coordinator for Dwight Hall.

Han is currently a member of the club rugby team, eminent recorder for SAE and on the business team for the Yale Economic Review.

Contact JOSEPH TISCH at joseph.tisch@yale.edu.

Grant Fergusson ’16 said he plans to emphasize how the Undergraduate Organizations Committee can serve as a support network for organizations rather than an administrative unit for funding.

Fergusson, who is one of four candidates running for the position of UOC chair, said he hopes to differentiate himself by not relying on an “aggressive” campaign. Rather, he is concentrating on informing people and ensuring students fully understand his platform.

“I won’t give out cookies and buttons,” Fergusson said. “I like to call those bribes.”

Fergusson said that from his experience with student groups, mainly the Freshman Class Council and Duke’s Men of Yale, he has noticed a large discrepancy between organizations that receive a great deal of funding and support from the administration and others that receive little to none.

As UOC chair, Fergusson said he would both equalize funding and attempt to deemphasize its importance, highlighting instead the variety of support services the UOC can offer. He said, for instance, that he hopes to design a handbook that will help organizations learn how to increase their campus presence and request funding.

Fergusson added that he will try to increase the transparency and accessibility of UOC services.

“I want to make sure that people who are passionate about something can feel that it’s an accessible thing to do rather than this maze,” Fergusson said.

Calhoun College Economics and Mathematics Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Age: 18 ACTIVITIES

Yale Symphony Orchestra, member of UOC Exec Board, Yale Student Investment Group, Saybrook College Orchestra PLATFORM

New UOC banking system, more reliable capital equipment provision, prioritizing more important events

He added that the UOC has no room for error: The organization faciliates student groups in all ways possible, both financially and by providing resources for publicity and room reservation.

The importance of these functions prompted him to begin redesigning the capital equipment website. He said he has also started working with Bass Media Technology to ensure that its machines are reliable and do not malfunction.

Lei added that he has worked closely with John Meeske, associate dean for student organizations and physical resources, and administrative offices.

Aly Moore ’14, current chair of the UOC, said in an email that Lei is “detail oriented and organized”, adding that she would call him first “if an

emergency came up that needed to be handled with both haste and care.”

A freshman in Calhoun, Lei is from Poughkeepsie, N.Y and plans to major in both Economics and Mathematics. He is also involved in the Yale Student Investment Group and plays for both the Saybrook college orchestra and the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He also teaches for Yale Splash, a community service initiative where Yale students teach classes to middle and high school students for a day.

Contact DHRUV AGGARWAL at dhruv.aggarwal@yale.edu .

GRANT FERGUSSON ’16 Branford College Undeclared Atlanta, Ga. Age: 18 ACTIVITIES

FCC Branford representative, FCC Social Chair, Co-Chair of the Freshman Olympics, Duke’s Men of Yale PLATFORM

More accessibility and transparency, less emphasis on funding and more emphasis on creating a support network for organizations

I want to make sure that people who are passionate about something can feel that it’s an accessible thing to do.

GRANT FERGUSSON ’16 UOC chair candidate Fergusson says that as UOC chair, his

accessible nature — his commitment to checking email “neurotically,” and always putting students’ needs and time constraints above his own — would be a strength. When asked about a weakness, Fergusson admitted that his willingness “to make everyone happy” could make it difficult for him to say no to students requesting funding and other resources.

Darien Lee ’16, who is helping Fergusson with his campaign, said Fergusson would be “100 percent committed” to his position, adding that the candidate is always willing to help others out. Alex Carrillo ’16, Fergusson’s roommate, said

that while Fergusson is an “honest person,” he is also very “diplomatic.”

“He is not the person who will tell you look fat in a dress,” Carrillo said.

Brooke Eastman ’16, who works on the FCC with Fergusson, noted that while the race is competitive, Fergusson has the advantage of being “a great listener” in addition to a “good leader.”

Fergusson is the co-chair of this year’s Freshman Olympics, which will take place on April 13.

Contact LAVINIA BORZI at lavinia.borzi@yale.edu .

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

NATION WASHINGTON — Two influential senators, one from each party, are working on an agreement that could expand background checks on firearms sales to include gun shows and online transactions, Senate aides said Sunday.

If completed, the effort could represent a major breakthrough in the effort by President Barack Obama and his allies to restrict guns following last December’s massacre of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn.

Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., could nail down an accord early this week, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private talks.

With the Senate returning Monday from a two-week recess, the chamber’s debate on gun control legislation could begin as soon as Tuesday, though it might be delayed if the lawmakers need more time to complete a deal, the aides said.

The potential deal, which aides cautioned still might change, would exempt transactions between relatives and temporary transfers for hunters and sportsmen, they said.

Manchin is a moderate who touts an A rating from the National Rifle Association, which has opposed Obama’s gun control drive. Toomey has solid conservative credentials and was elected to the Senate two years ago with tea party support from his Democratic-leaning state.

A united front by the two lawmakers would make it easier for gun control advocates to attract support from moderate Democrats who have been wary of supporting the effort and from Republicans who have largely opposed it so far.

With conservative Republicans threatening a filibuster, Democrats will need 60 of the chamber’s 100 votes to prevail.

There are 53 Democrats and two Democratic-leaning independents in the Senate.

Federal background checks are currently required only for transactions handled by the roughly 55,000 federally licensed firearms dealers; private sales such

as gun-show or online purchases are exempt. The system is designed to keep guns from criminals, people with serious mental problems, and some others.

After 20 first-graders and six elementary school staffers were killed at Newtown, Obama proposed applying the requirement to virtually all firearms sales.

Gun control advocates consider expanded background checks to be the most effective step lawmakers could take to curb gun violence.

Also high on Congress’ agenda is immigration, where a decisive moment is approaching.

Bipartisan groups in the House and Senate are expected to present legislation as early as this week aimed at securing the U.S. border, fixing legal immigration and granting legal status to millions who are in the United States without authorization. That will open months of debate on the politically combustible issue, with votes by the Senate Judiciary Committee expected later this month.

I’m still hopeful that what I call the sweet spot — background checks — can succeed.

CHUCK SCHUMER U.S. senator, New York The House returns Tuesday and initially plans to consider a bill preventing the National Labor Relations Board from issuing rules until a dispute over administration appointees is resolved.

Lawmakers will also devote time to the 2014 budget that Obama plans to release Wednesday. It calls for new tax increases, which Republicans oppose, and smaller annual increases in Social Security and other government benefit programs, over the objections of many of the president’s fellow Democrats.

On Monday, Obama travels to Connecticut to again make the case for gun legislation, with a speech at the University of Hartford.

NASDAQ 3,203.86, -0.65%

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BY ALAN FRAM ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Senators work on gun deal

T Dow Jones 14,565.25, -0.28%

Oil $92.50, -0.81%

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PAGE 10

S&P 500 1,553.28, -0.43%

T 10-yr. Bond 1.69%, -0.06 T Euro $1.30, +0.03

US preparing for N. Korean attacks

BY ROBERT BURNS ASSOCIATED PRESS BAGRAM, Afghanistan — The top U.S. military officer said Sunday the Pentagon had bolstered its missile defenses and taken other steps because he “can’t take the chance” that North Korea won’t soon engage in some military action.

Heightened tensions with North Korea led the United States to postpone congressional testimony by the chief U.S. commander in South Korea and delay an intercontinental ballistic missile test from a West Coast base.

North Korea, after weeks of war threats and other efforts to punish South Korea and the U.S. for joint military drills, has told other nations that it will be unable to guarantee diplomats’ safety in the North’s capital beginning Wednesday.

U.S. Gen Martin Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who just wrapped up a visit to Afghanistan, was asked in an Associated Press interview whether he foresees North Korea taking military action soon.

“No, but I can’t take the chance that it won’t,” he said, explaining why the Pentagon has strengthened missile defenses and made other decisions to combat the potential threat.

Dempsey said the U.S. has been preparing for further provocations or action, “considering the risk that they may choose to do something” on one of two nationally important anniversaries in April — the birth of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and the creation of the North Korean army.

U.S. Gen. James Thurman, the commander of the 28,000 American troops in

LEE JIN-MAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

A top South Korean national security official said Sunday that North Korea may be setting the stage for a missile test.

South Korea, will stay in Seoul as “a prudent measure” rather than travel to Washington to appear this coming week before congressional committees, Army Col. Amy Hannah said in an email Sunday to the AP. Thurman has asked the Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense to excuse his absence until he can testify at a later date.

Dempsey said he had consulted with Thurman about the rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Dempsey said both Thurman and South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Jung Seung-jo, decided it would be best for them to remain in Seoul rather than come to Washington. The Korean general had planned to meet with Dempsey, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, in mid-April for regular talks.

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 11

BULLETIN BOARD

TODAY’S FORECAST

TOMORROW

Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Northwest wind around 7 mph. Low of 48.

WEDNESDAY

High of 69, low of 43.

High of 63, low of 50.

ON VIEW BY ALEXANDRA MORRISON

ON CAMPUS MONDAY, APRIL 8 4:30 PM Modernity as Mirage: Oceanic Frontiers and Rural Development in Pre- and Post-Fukushima Japan This presentation traces the physical and conceptual travels of radiation through ocean currents, seafood consumption and the media, using ethnographic research in the region before and after the disaster to argue that the post-Fukushima reconstruction narratives are part of Japan’s prolongued pursuit of modernity.

But wait, there’s more! The lecturer, Satsuki Takahashi, is a postdoctoral research associate for Princeton University. So there’s that. Luce Hall (34 Hillhouse Ave.), Room 203.

4:30 PM Fin de Siecle, Songs of Paris: 1880-1910 Featuring students from Richard Lalli’s Performance of Vocal Music Seminar, this show includes music from a variety of French composers: Debussy, Faure, Hahn and Duparc. Yeah, that’s modernism.

Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St.), Auditorium.

SCIENCE HILL BY SPENCER KATZ

TUESDAY, APRIL 9 4:30 PM Chubb Fellow: President Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic Come for a night of laughs and learning with President Leonel Fernandez, who was president of the Dominican Republic from 1996-2000 and 2004-’12. Admission is free and open to the Yale community and the general public. There will not be refreshments. Yale Law School (127 Wall St.), Room 127.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10 5:30 PM Environmental Film Festival at Yale presents: Jazz Ecology with the Aaron Diehl Trio Jazz Ecology is a hybrid performance and presentation where a trio led by pianist Aaron Diehl will discuss the fundamental elements of jazz music and draw out the themes that are strongly present in the environment.

The trio will perform environmentally themed pieces! William L. Harkness Hall (100 Wall St.), Sudler Hall (Room 207).

THAT MONKEY TUNE BY MICHAEL KANDALAFT

y SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS ONLINE yaledailynews.com/events/submit DOONESBURY BY GARRY TRUDEAU

To reach us: E-mail editor@yaledailynews.com Advertisements 2-2424 (before 5 p.m.)

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Mailing address Yale Daily News P.O. Box 209007 New Haven, CT 06520

Questions or comments about the fairness or accuracy of stories should be directed to Editor in Chief Tapley Stephenson at (203) 432-2418.

Bulletin Board is a free service provided to groups of the Yale community for events. Listings should be submitted online at yaledailynews.com/events/ submit. The Yale Daily News reserves the right to edit listings.

To visit us in person 202 York St. New Haven, Conn. (Opposite JE) FOR RELEASE APRIL 8 , 2013

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

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Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

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38 The Twins, at Minneapolis’s Target Field 39 “Born Free” lion 40 Press for 41 Windex targets 45 Free TV ad 46 Words before “Can you give me directions?”

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PAGE 12

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

WORLD Syria counteroffensive targets rebels

BY BARBARA SURK ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIRUT — After weeks of rebel gains in the south, the Syrian regime launched a counteroffensive on Sunday with widespread airstrikes and an operation that reclaimed a northern village on a strategically important route.

At least 20 people were killed in heavy airstrikes that targeted rebels trying to topple the regime in at least seven cities and regions. To underline their resolve, the government called on opposition fighters to surrender their arms and warned in cellphone text messages that the army is “coming to get you.”

State television said the aim of the counteroffensive was to send a message to the opposition and its Western backers that President Bashar Assad’s troops are capable and willing to battle increasingly better armed rebels on multiple fronts.

Rebels have been making gains in recent weeks, especially in the south near the border with Jordan. They have seized military bases and towns in the strategically important region between Damascus and the Jordanian border about 100 miles away.

However in the north, the main rebel stronghold, government troops have been chipping away slowly over the past weeks at rebel gains around the city of Aleppo, the country’s main commercial hub. They have been hammering rebel-held districts inside the city with fighter jets and artillery, sowing fear among residents.

Troops recaptured on Saturday the village of Aziza on a strategic road that links Aleppo with its airport and military bases, activists said. Rebels have been trying to capture that airport and the nearby bases for months now.

The regime seized back the village southeast of Aleppo after a 10-day battle with rebels, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“It’s a setback for the rebels because the village is an important strategic point from which the army can shell (opposition) positions all around the area,” Abdul-Rahman said.

It’s also an outpost from which the army will be able to protect its convoys traveling the highway to ferry supplies to its bases at the airport.

Over the last year, rebels have greatly expanded the territory they hold in the northeastern provinces, including Idlib and Aleppo along the Turkish border.

In February, they extended their control into Raqqa province in the northeast, seizing the second hydroelectric dam on the Euphrates River. Last month, the rebels captured Raqqa’s provincial capital of the same name — the first city to fall entirely under opposition control in the two-year-old conflict.

Capturing Aleppo’s airport would be a major strategic victory that would enable the opposition to receive aid flights.

Aziza is one in a string of settlements along the Aleppo airport road that government troops have taken back.

The base inside the airport complex includes an airstrip from which regime fighter jets have been taking off to bomb targets around the country.

Sunday’s airstrikes targeted Aleppo, the central cities of Homs and Hama and the city of Idlib in the north near the Turkish border. The western Mediterranean city of Latakia, and the eastern province of Deir el-Zour and the suburbs of the capital Damascus were also targeted.

Anti-government activists in Aleppo posted videos on line, showing the aftermath of Saturday’s airstrike on what they say is Sukkary district in the northern city. Dozens of residents are standing on piles of rubble in front of a row of residential buildings, looking in disbelief at the front of the building that was blown off when a missile slammed into it.

It’s a setback for the rebels because the village is an important strategic point.

RAMI ABDUL-RAHMAN Director, Syrian Observator for Human Rights In another video, men help a woman climb down from a balcony of the second floor of a building that has partially collapsed after a missile ripped through it.

The videos appear consistent with AP reporting from the area.

State television said the primary goal of the airstrikes was to “recapture areas taken by the terrorists,” the term the regime uses to refer to opposition fighters in the civil war.

Regime fighter jets pounded villages in rebel-held areas in Latakia province before. But they do not frequently hit the city of the same name that is mostly populated with Syrian minority communities including many members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that Assad and his family belong to.

The rebels and opposition supporters are mostly Sunni Muslims, a majority in Syria.

The Aleppo strike was the deadliest air raid on Sunday, killing up to 12 people, according to another anti-regime activists group, The Local Coordination Committees.

In other violence, a man was shot and killed by an army sniper in the southern city of Daraa, the Observatory said, adding that clashes between troops and rebels raged in the opposition strongholds around Damascus.

At least 15 people were killed in the fighting around the capital, the group said.

“If we’re so cruel to minorities, why do they keep coming here? Why aren’t they sneaking across the Mexican border to make their way to the Taliban? ANN COULTER CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

Taliban likely to remain a threat

BY ROBERT BURNS ASSOCIATED PRESS BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The United States accepts that a diminished but resilient Taliban is likely to remain a military threat in some parts of Afghanistan long after U.S. troops complete their combat mission next year, the top U.S. military officer said Sunday.

In an Associated Press interview at this air field north of Kabul, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is cautiously optimistic that the Afghan army will hold its own against the insurgency as Western troops pull back and Afghans assume the lead combat role. He said that by May or June, the Afghans will be in the lead throughout the country.

Asked whether some parts of the country will remain contested by the Taliban, he replied, “Yes, of course there will be.”

“And if we were having this conversation 10 years from now, I suspect there would (still) be contested areas because the history of Afghanistan suggests that there will always be contested areas,” he said.

He and other U.S. commanders have said that ultimately the Afghans must reach some sort of political accommodation with the insurgents, and that a reconciliation process needs to be led by Afghans, not Americans. Thus the No. 1 priority for the U.S. military in its final months of combat in Afghanistan is to do all that is possible to boost the strength and confidence of Afghan forces.

Shortly after Dempsey arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday, the Taliban demonstrated its ability to strike.

It claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed five Americans — three soldiers and two civilians, including Anne Smedinghoff, a foreign service officer and the first American diplomat killed overseas since the terrorist attack Sept. 11 in Benghazi, Libya.

A fierce battle between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban militants in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan left nearly 20 people dead, including 11 Afghan children killed in an airstrike, Afghan officials said Sunday.

There are now about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. That number is to drop to about 32,000 by February 2014, and the combat mission is to end

HOSHANG HASHIMI/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former Taliban militants stand hand-cuffed after turning in their weapons during a ceremony with the Afghan government in Herat, Afghanistan, on Sunday. in December 2014. Whether some number — perhaps 9,000 or 10,000 — remain into 2015 as military trainers and counterinsurgents is yet to be decided.

Dempsey spent two days talking to senior Afghan officials, including his counterpart, Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, as well as top U.S. and allied commanders.

There will be contested areas, and it will be the Afghans’ choice whether to allow those contested areas to persist.

MARTIN DEMPSEY Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff He also visited a U.S. base in the volatile eastern province of Paktika for an update on how U.S. troops are balancing the twin missions of advising Afghan forces and withdrawing tons of U.S. equipment as the war effort winds down.

Paktika is an example of a sector of Afghanistan that is likely to face Taliban resistance for years to come.

Bordering areas of Pakistan that provide haven for the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani network, Paktika has been among the more important insurgent avenues into the Afghan interior.

While the province has a functioning government, Taliban influence remains significant in less populated areas, as it has since U.S. forces first invaded the country more than 11 years ago.

“There will be contested areas, and it will be the Afghans’ choice whether to allow those contested areas to persist, or, when necessary, take action to exert themselves into those contested area,” he said.

Dempsey said he is encouraged by the recent development of coordination centers, including one in Paktika, where a wide range of Afghan government agencies work together on security issues. He called it a “quilt” of government structures that links Kabul, the capital, to ordinary Afghans in distant villages.

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE 13

AROUND THE IVIES

“I’m about to say two words a Harvard man would never say: I quit!”

JAMES “TOOFER” SPURLOCK “30 ROCK” CHARACTER

C O L U M B I A D A I LY S P E C TAT O R

T H E H A R VA R D C R I M S O N

Course evaluations considered

Leaving it all out on the field

BY CECILIA REYES STAFF WRITER Humanities and science department heads are still divided on the merits of open course evaluations.

The majority of science departments are signed on to release end-of-term teacher evaluations for current spring courses to the public in a pilot program, but humanities departments remain on the fence about the usefulness of the initiative.

In April 2012, the Senate passed a resolution strongly suggesting, though not mandating, that departments make evaluations public. The pilot program was approved in fall 2012 by the Committee on Science Instruction.

The main concern surrounding open course evaluations lies in the possibility of negative impact on new instructors. English department chair Nicholas Dames said evaluations range from “somewhat important to very important” in the tenure process and the renewal of adjuncts’ and lecturers’ contracts.

Professor Elisabeth Ladenson, chair of the French and romance philology department, stressed the fact that evaluations are inevitably tied to the psychology of reward.

“Evaluations — I can’t think of why anyone would categorically deny this — are tied to grades,” Ladenson said. “And it’s a truism around teachers, not necessarily from Columbia, that if you hand out cookies on the day of the evaluations, you get better evaluations.”

“I don’t think anything that furthers a customer service model of education is a good idea,” she added. “And I think that’s what this does.”

But political science chair John Huber said that when the department conferred and decided to make its evaluations public, the thought that public reviews would harm faculty in the tenure process did not cross the members’ minds.

“It doesn’t affect their tenure possibilities, whether those are public or not, because they are an important part of the process either way,” Huber said. Most

BY JACOB D. H. FELDMAN, MAYA JONAS-SILVER AND MARTIN KESSLER STAFF WRITERS

COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

Columbia’s Senate is on record encouraging the release of course evaluations, but department chairs are still divided over the issue. faculty were not likely to “teach to the evaluations,” he said.

In science COLUMBIA d e p a r t m e n t s that have already committed to the pilot open evaluations this semester, chairs are optimistic about the program.

“Making the information available to students can only be good,” Peter deMenocal, chair of the earth and environmental sciences department, said. “The students are responding to roughly similar questions about how the course is offered, whether the students were satisfied with various aspects of the course, and evaluations are more comparable.”

“We have nothing to hide,” he added. DeMenocal said that the department often sees a response rate of 80 percent or better and added that it would be particularly important to include the participation rate of students in any course evaluation open to the public.

Most Columbia students consider Columbia Underground Listing of Professor Ability the most comprehensive compilation of course evaluations. Some faculty members point out that the information on CULPA often tends to come from polar ends of the spectrum and is thus unreliable.

With University evaluations, “there’s no relationship between the grade that the student receives and the evaluation of the course,” deMenocal said. “And that’s not true of CULPA, which is made up of a very selective group of respondents.”

Dames, on the other hand, said that it is precisely because students are not forced to complete evaluations on CULPA that their responses are more genuine representations of the course.

Students who write reviews on CULPA “are people who are passionately engaged, whether positively or negatively, and reviews tend to be really good and useful,” Dames said. “Because CULPA is not quantitative, there has to be some reasoning behind what you say.”

Wide receiver Mitch Ross ’13 suffered his first and only diagnosed concussion on February 10, 2011, during a seven-on-seven drill in a Harvard football practice. Jumping for a pass, Ross collided head-to-head with a defender and fell to the ground. With his eyes closed and head still ringing, Ross got up on one knee before walking to the trainer.

Lying on the trainer’s table, Ross allayed the fears of approaching teammates who worried he was concussed. Ross had not blacked out, and he believed the hit was similar to others he had played through in the past. Fourteen stitches later, Ross thought he had received all the treatment he would need for the injury.

But then came the sensitivity to light, the constant headaches, the loss of appetite and trouble sleeping. Ross had suffered a concussion that forced him to miss classes for the next two to three weeks.

As he made arrangements to cope with the injury, professors were helpful and understanding. The Harvard athletics department was supportive.

But the following fall, after he was cleared to play football again, Ross stopped asking for extensions on assignments. Academics became more difficult as he struggled to maintain concentration for more than an hour at a time.

Now, more than two years after he suffered that first injury, Ross isn’t better yet, and he’s not sure if he ever will be.

“I know what I was [before the hit]” he says.

“And I want to live up to what I was doing then.

It can be frustrating at times when you’re sitting there trying to do something, and you just can’t do it because your brain—for some reason it doesn’t function the same way.”

Like the 400-plus Ivy League student-athletes who suffered diagnosed concussions this past year, Ross is living with the ramifications of brain trauma. Most injuries only sideline players from competing on the field, but concussions affect students-athletes’ academic performances as well, hanging over students even after their return to play.

These top-tier students play in a league with

some of the strictest regulations regarding concussion prevention and treatment in the NCAA, but concussed athletes still scatter Crimson rosters. This season alone, two players on the men’s HARVARD soccer team, at least three players on the women’s soccer team, and four of the 14 women’s basketball players sustained concussions, according to team members. About 55 Harvard athletes in total were diagnosed with concussions in the 2011-2012 season, according to Dr. Francis Wang, the head team physician for Harvard Athletics.

With little way of knowing how long their symptoms will last, concussed athletes face hard decisions. In making these choices, they are advised by resident deans and other administrators, who help them decide whether to take time off from Harvard following a severe concussion.

I know what I was [before the hit].

And I want to live up to what I was doing then.

MITCH ROSS ’13 Wide receiver, Harvard University In recent years, the Ivy League and Harvard have made preventing and treating these injuries a priority. Many say that the league’s policies, which seek to limit dangerous contact in sports, are ahead of the curve. Players and coaches also praise what they describe as a greater awareness of the risks of concussions in the Harvard athletic community.

But despite these changes, student-athletes still risk an injury that could jeopardize their futures every time they take the field for the Crimson. Because once athletes take the field of play, Harvard can’t stop people from getting hurt. And every year, the concussions keep coming.

PAGE 14

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

THROUGH THE LENS

P

unxsutawney Phil was wrong, ladies and gents. This week, contributing photographer CARLY LOVEJOY attempted to photograph the beauty of spring on campus and was not deterred by weather stubbornly clinging to the 40s. Here’s hoping that warmer weather is around the corner.

IF YOU MISSED IT SCORES

SOCCER Chelsea 2 Sunderland 1

SOCCER TIE Liverpool 0 West Ham 0

SPORTS QUICK HITS

KEITH ALLAIN ’80 COACH OF YEAR FINALIST AT YALE The men’s hockey head coach was named one of seven finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the top Division I men’s hockey coach. Joining Allain on the list are ECAC Coach of the Year Rand Pecknold of Quinnipiac and six others.

NBA Memphis 89 Sacramento 87

NBA N.Y. Knicks 125 Oklahoma 120

NBA Boston 107 Washington 96

MONDAY

JEFF COOK, DARTMOUTH SOCCER COACH IVY COACH LEAVING FOR MLS The Big Green’s 12-year head coach announced on Thursday that he is stepping down to accept a coaching position with the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. Cook, who leaves Dartmouth with a 106–74–31 career record, will join the Union’s youth academy staff.

“I don’t want to say one more thing about that game except David Hickey ’14.”

CHRIS PIWINSKI ’13 CAPTAIN, BASEBALL YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

Hickey halts three-game skid BASEBALL

Senior day Ivy comeback

BY ASHTON WACKYM STAFF REPORTER Midfielder Colin Flaherty ’15 took six shots in this weekend’s win against Dartmouth, scoring half of them for a hat trick. What makes the feat more of a rarity is that Flaherty scored all three of his goals to lift Yale up and come from behind in the last 12 minutes of action to top the Big Green 7–5.

MEN’S LACROSSE

the score at one. Columbia took the lead later in the inning when catcher Mike Fischer scored an unearned run on a double from the Lions’ Eric Williams. Columbia’s Alex Black then struck out the side in the Yale half of the seventh to nail down the save.

“I think we lost [the game] because we didn’t score runners

On Saturday, the Yale men’s lacrosse team (6–3, 2–2 Ivy) hosted the Big Green (2-7, 0-3 Ivy) for its fourth conference match up of the season. This weekend’s win put the Elis on a three-game winning streak and lifted their conference record to an even .500. After a quick start and early two-goal lead, the Elis were lulled into inaction, giving Dartmouth the 5–4 edge going into the final quarter before an explosive offense put the Bulldogs back on top.

“I thought we were playing a little tight,” head coach Andy Shay said. “We challenged Colin [Flaherty] late in the game, and he stepped up when his teammates needed him to.”

Flaherty first scored with 11:54 left in the final quarter when attackman Conrad Oberbeck ’15 hit his fellow sophomore with a pass near the crease. Flaherty then took a moment before firing through Dartmouth goaltender Bernie Susskind’s legs. Flaherty struck again with just a minute and a half left in regulation to give the Bulldogs the last-minute lead.

He sealed the game just 41 seconds later when he put away his second unassisted goal of the quarter.

“The fourth quarter was definitely not all my responsibility. I felt our offense really got in a flow by moving the ball well and we were able to generate a lot of scoring opportunities,” Flaherty said. “I was fortunate enough to be able to finish a few of mine.”

Despite the late dramatics from the Yale offense, the Yale defense remained strong all game and the offense also jumped out to a strong start before its overwhelming performance late in the game.

Attackman Brandon Mangan ’14 struck first for the Bulldogs three minutes into the game.

Two minutes later, Yale jumped farther ahead to a 2–0 lead, but each goal the Bulldogs scored

SEE BASEBALL PAGE B2

SEE MEN’S LACROSSE PAGE B3

ADLON ADAMS/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Designated hitter Josh Scharff ’13 went two-for-four with a double in Sunday’s 1–0 win over Penn. The senior is hitting .326 on the season with seven RBIs.

BY DAVID WHIPPLE STAFF REPORTER After the baseball team struggled to three straight losses this weekend, left-hander David Hickey ’14 put the Elis back on their feet with a complete game shutout against Penn on Sunday.

BASEBALL

Despite strong pitching, the Bulldogs lost both games to Columbia on Saturday before splitting a pair against a strong Penn squad on Sunday. The offense scuffled all weekend, managing only six runs over the four contests.

Coming into the weekend on a three-game winning streak and in the mix for a playoff spot in the Ivy League’s Rolfe Division, the Bulldogs (6–18, 3–5) faced a pair of tough

teams in the Lions (13–15, 6–2 Ivy) and the Quakers (18-11, 5-3 Ivy).

Yale dropped the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader in heartbreaking fashion. Left-handed pitcher Rob Cerfolio ’14 shut out Columbia through six innings of the seven-inning contest — the first game of college doubleheaders only last seven innings — but gave up a pinch-hit home run to Joey Falcone in the top of the seventh to tie

Elis finish in second at the Yale Spring Opener

BY ALEX EPPLER STAFF REPORTER On the 14th hole of his first round on Saturday, Sam Bernstein ’14 shot a triple bogey, and by the par-five 16th hole he sat four-over par for the round.

Stepping into the tee box on the 585-yard 16th, the junior had an opportunity to make up some of that ground. After a massive drive and a slightly mishit hybrid shot, he faced a 20-yard chip with a chance at an eagle. Bernstein sunk the chip to help propel Yale to a second-place finish with an overall score of 592.

MEN’S GOLF “I kind of just made a good swing, went through my routine, and it was a really good chip,” Bernstein said. “It would’ve been inches away if it didn’t fall but I was lucky enough where it just kind of dropped in the cup.”

While Bernstein noted that he had an inconsistent tournament,

the senior carried the momentum from the eagle, the only eagle of the day in the 13-team field, to place tied for fourth overall at +4, Yale’s top finisher. Bernstein’s score, along with two other top15 finishes from Yale’s first team, carried the Elis’ top squad to a second-place finish at the Yale Spring Opener at the Yale Golf Course on Saturday.

Villanova won the tournament with an overall score of 583 and Hartford amassed a 597 to finish in third, while Yale’s second team tied Brown for eighth.

“It was as good a day as you can hope to have, short of winning the event,” head coach Colin Sheehan ’97 said. “Conditions were as difficult as they can get,” he continued, adding that windchill crept into the 30s in the morning and that the athletes competed for about 10 consecutive hours.

Golfers from 13 schools, including all of the Ivies but Harvard, completed two rounds during the single-day tournament

on Saturday. In the first round, the Elis combined to shoot a 303 and sat in fifth place behind Villanova, Princeton, Temple and Penn.

Bernstein posted the best score for the Elis in that round, shooting a one-over 71, while Thomas Greenhalgh ’15 shot a 75 and captain Bradley Kushner ’13 shot a 76. All golfers in the tournament recorded an average round of 78.93 during the first round, almost three strokes above the second round average of 76.10.

“For some reason we got off to a bad start,” Kushner said.

During the second round, however, the Bulldogs took advantage of their home course and powered their way to the round’s best team score. The Elis shot a combined 289, 14 strokes better than their first round tally, while Villanova shot a 290 and Hartford scored a 291.

Kushner led the way for Yale, posting an even-par 70 during

STAT OF THE DAY 8

SEE MEN’S GOLF PAGE B2

MARIA ZEPEDA/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

The Bulldogs finished ahead of every other Ivy League team in their season-opening tournament at home.

THE NUMBER OF SHUTOUTS THE YALE MEN’S TENNIS TEAM RECORDED THIS SEASON. THE NO. 54 BULLDOGS SWEPT THE PENN QUAKERS ON SUNDAY 7-0 AT THE CULLMAN-HEYMAN TENNIS CENTER. THE SHUTOUT WAS ALSO THE ELIS’ FIRST IVY LEAGUE WIN OF THE YEAR.

PAGE B2

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

SPORTS

“Golf is a good walk spoiled.”

MARK TWAIN AMERICAN AUTHOR AND HUMORIST

Elis stumble at home BASEBALL FROM B1 when we had a good chance,” captain Chris Piwinksi ’13 said.

“That game was a little frustrating. You have to be a tough out, and there were too many times when we weren’t tough outs this weekend.”

Yale scored its run in the third inning, stringing together a walk, a sacrifice bunt from freshman shortstop Thomas O’Neill, and an RBI single from Piwinski to take a 1–0 lead.

The Bulldogs relied heavily on the sacrifice bunt over the weekend to produce runs and bunted four times in the first game on Saturday.

“Small ball is an integral part of our offense because it gives us the opportunity to score even if we’re facing a tough pitcher,” O’Neill said.

Yale dropped the second game to Columbia 5–2. Pitcher Michael Coleman took the loss, giving up four runs, three earned, in 6.1

innings. The Bulldogs’ defense was shaky all weekend, committing two errors in each of the first three games, bringing their total to 43 in 24 games this season.

“You don’t want to see that, but I can honestly say I’m 100 percent confident that guys are going to come back defensively,” Piwinski said.

Saturday’s doubleheader was followed by a 5–1 loss to Penn in the first game on Sunday, with Chris Moates ’16 on the losing end after surrendering five runs, one earned, in six innings. But the Bulldogs salvaged a split on the strength of a dominant performance from Hickey. The lefthanded junior fired a completegame shutout, surrendering only four hits without a walk while whiffing eleven Quakers in Yale’s 1-0 victory.

“I don’t want to say one more thing about that game except David Hickey,” said Piwinski, who was behind the plate for the shutout. “His slider was unbelievable.

Strong start to Ivy season

He built confidence throughout the whole game.” The Bulldogs scored their lone run on a double from Brent Lawson in the second, and that was all Hickey needed.

Performances like Hickey’s and Cerfolio’s give the team a reason to be excited.

“If we can pitch it like that for the rest of the way, the bats will pick up and we’ll win some games,” designated hitter Josh Scharff ’14.

The Bulldogs are currently tied with Harvard for second in the Rolfe division, one game behind Dartmouth and within reach of the playoffs.

Sophomore outfielder Green Campbell left the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader with an ankle injury. Green had reached base safely in six consecutive games going into this weekend.

Contact DAVID WHIPPLE at david.whipple@yale.edu .

SAMANTHA GARDNER/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bulldogs defeated both Penn and Princeton by identical 5-2 scores this weekend on the road.

WOMEN’S TENNIS FROM B4

ADLON ADAMS/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Elis entered the weekend riding a three-game winning streak but dropped three out of the next four games.

“It’s especially great to see the freshmen Courtney and Madeleine come out so strong this weekend with big wins.”

The team traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Quakers on Saturday, using the same lineup as in their Princeton match. At No. 1 doubles Epstein and Sullivan fell 5–8 to the No. 32 ranked doubles pairing in the nation, Stephanie Do and Augustina Eskenazi. But the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles pairings for the Bulldogs saw off their opponents in impressive form, 8–2 and 8–6 respectively, to secure the doubles point.

Epstein, ranked No. 46 in the nation, conceded her hard-fought match in the No. 1 singles position 5–7, 6–4 and Li ended up retiring in the second set to give the Quakers a second victory in the No. 5 position. The remaining Bulldogs stayed strong, winning

Women’s lacrosse falls on Alumni Day

all of their singles matches for a 5–2 overall record. No. 3 Sullivan endured a tense third set super tie-break to defeat Sonya Latycheva 6–2, 3–6, (10–8), while Yu at No. 4 bulldozed her opponent 6–0, 6–0.

Li said that the team feels it is in a strong position to take down the rest of the Ivies.

“I think that the team really took a lot of confidence from the amount of fitness and conditioning we’ve put in all season leading up to the Ivies,” she said. “We all know that the work has been done and we’re really ready to make a statement.”

The team, which has five remaining matches in the spring season, will face Cornell and Columbia on Apr.13–14. Both matches will be played at home in the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center.

Contact JASMINE HORSEY at jamsine.horsey@yale.edu .

Bernstein places fourth MEN’S GOLF FROM B1

BRIANNA LOO/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Captain Devon Rhodes ’13 scored four goals and tied her career high goal total on Saturday.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE FROM B4 Rhodes, who was honored with a framed jersey, scored four goals and tied her career-high seasongoal total, reaching 27 on the season. The game also featured a four-goal performance from Daniggelis. Midfielder Christina

Doherty ’15 added two assists while goalkeeper Erin McMullan ‘14 had nine saves on 23 shots. Although Yale was able to cut down on fouls, getting whistled 19 times compared to 31 for Princeton, the Bulldogs were outshot and committed more turnovers in addition to picking up four yellow cards.

“I think this game showed us that when we play our best we can play with anyone,” Daniggelis said. “Unfortunately we weren’t able to string together a complete game, but it shows progress in the right direction.”

Yale will look for its first Ivy League win against Colombia next Saturday at

3 p.m. It will be played in Oceanside as part of a fundraising event for Hurricane Sandy relief.

Contact FREDERICK FRANK at frederick.frank@yale.edu .

the second round. Three teammates, Bernstein, Greenhalgh and William Davenport ’15, followed their captain by each scoring three-over par 73’s.

“I think that having the advantage of playing on the Yale course every day and walking the course which is pretty hilly and having the endurance after seven miles of walking to be able to keep focused and mentally fresh out there was really important,” Kushner said. “It’s kind of just golf sometimes. One round you play well, other rounds you don’t.”

While the Elis finished in the top-four for the weekend on par three, four and five scoring, they performed especially well in the latter two categories. The team finished 30 shots over par on par fours, tied with Villanova for second, and shot one under on par fives, two shots behind firstplace Penn. While the Bulldogs’ top team ranked fourth in scoring on par threes, the Yale II squad ranked second.

Sheehan noted that John McNiff ’15, competing on the second team, recorded a personal best score on the day, posting a +10 150 for the tournament.

Additionally, Sheehan said that Saturday was the first time that Greenhalgh, a sophomore, competed in Yale’s top five and that he excelled in the position.

The men’s golf team will continue its season next weekend at the two-day Princeton Invitational at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, N.J. Contact ALEX EPPLER at alexander.eppler@yale.edu .

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

PAGE B3

SPORTS

“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.” SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC FRIAR AND FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF FRANCIS

Flaherty boosts Yale to a win

BASEBALL IVY SCHOOL

OVERALL

W

L

%

W

L

%

Lou Gehrig 1

Columbia

6

2

0.750

13

15

0.464

2

Cornell

5

3

0.625

17

10

0.630

Penn

5

3

0.625

18

11

0.621

Princeton

5

3

0.625

7

20

0.259

Red Rolfe 1

Dartmouth

4

4

0.500

17

5

0.773

2

Yale

3

5

0.375

6

18

0.250

Harvard

3

5

0.375

6

21

0.222

Brown

1

7

0.125

3

19

0.136

4

SOFTBALL IVY SCHOOL

OVERALL

W

L

%

W

L

%

Dartmouth

4

4

0.500

14

16

0.467

Harvard

4

4

0.500

11

17

0.393

3

Yale

3

5

0.375

7

21

0.250

4

Brown

1

7

0.125

7

16

0.304

North Division 1

South Division

FREDERICK FRANK/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

1

Penn

7

1

0.875

17

13

0.567

2

Princeton

5

3

0.625

20

11

0.645

3

Columbia

4

4

0.500

15

15

0.500

Cornell

4

4

0.500

14

16

0.467

MEN’S LACROSSE

Colin Flaherty ’15 sealed the game against Dartmouth with 47 seconds left to play when he put away his second unassisted goal of the fourth quarter.

MEN’S LACROSS FROM B1 after Mangan’s was matched by the Big Green. Attackman Kirby Zdrill ’13 put Yale up 3–1 but Dartmouth managed to squeeze a shot past goaltender Eric Natale ’15 with under a minute left in the first quarter.

Dartmouth held the Bulldogs to a scoreless second quarter and outscored Yale 2–1 at the start of the second half to give the Big

Green a 5–4 lead heading into the final period of action.

Flaherty’s flair in the final quarter boosted the Elis over the Big Green in the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s matchup.

“We really focused on being tough and gritty and I think it worked out for us,” Zdrill said.

“We were struggling a bit on offence so we tried to focus on the process and play Yale lacrosse.”

Yale outshot the Big Green by

a huge 25-shot margin at 44–19 and were able to clear the ball successfully 16 of 18 times. While the Elis went 0-for-2 on man-up opportunities, they had five fewer turnovers than the Big Green and Natale made six saves.

“The one thing we did well all game was the definitely defense,” Flaherty said.

With the victory over Dartmouth on senior day, the last Saturday game the class of 2013 will

play at Reese Stadium, the seniors have earned the fifth most wins ever by a class at Yale since the lacrosse program was started back in 1882.

The Bulldogs will play another league game this Friday at Reese Stadium under the lights when Brown makes the trip from Providence. Face-off will be at 7 p.m.

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

Bulldogs support Squash Haven

IVY

OVERALL

SCHOOL

W

L

%

W

L

%

1

Cornell

4

0

1.000

10

1

0.909

2

Princeton

2

1

0.667

6

3

0.667

3

Penn

2

2

0.500

6

3

0.667

Yale

2

2

0.500

6

3

0.667

Brown

1

2

0.333

5

4

0.556

Harvard

1

2

0.333

4

6

0.400

7

Dartmouth

0

3

0.000

2

7

0.222

3

Columbia

4

4

0.500

15

15

0.500

Cornell

4

4

0.500

14

16

0.500

5

WOMEN’S LACROSSE IVY

OVERALL

SCHOOL

W

L

%

W

L

%

Dartmouth

4

0

1.000

8

3

0.727

Princeton

4

0

1.000

7

3

0.700

Penn

4

0

1.000

6

4

0.600

4

Brown

2

2

0.500

9

2

0.818

5

Cornell

2

3

0.400

6

4

0.600

6

Harvard

1

3

0.250

2

7

0.222

7

Yale

0

4

0.000

6

5

0.545

Columbia

0

5

0.000

2

9

0.182

1

MEN’S TENNIS IVY

OVERALL

SCHOOL

W

L

%

W

L

%

Princeton

3

0

1.000

14

4

0.778

Harvard

2

0

1.000

14

4

0.778

Yale

1

1

0.500

15

4

0.789

Brown

1

1

0.500

12

7

0.632

Columbia

1

1

0.500

10

7

0.588

6

Cornell

1

2

0.333

12

6

0.667

7

Dartmouth

0

1

0.000

8

9

0.471

Penn

0

3

0.000

8

8

0.500

1 3

WOMEN’S TENNIS IVY SCHOOL

W

L

%

W

L

%

Columbia

3

0

1.000

9

4

0.692

Yale

2

0

1.000

13

2

0.867

3

Princeton

2

1

0.667

10

5

0.667

4

Harvard

1

1

0.500

9

5

0.643

5

Cornell

1

2

0.333

12

2

0.857

Penn

1

2

0.333

9

5

0.643

Dartmouth

0

2

0.000

7

6

0.538

Brown

0

2

0.000

6

9

0.400

1

JENNIFER CHEUNG/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Over 270 people have donated to the “Squash Haven Showdown” for a total of over $61,000 raised out of the $72,000 goal.

7 MEN’S SQUASH FROM B4 national-level championships and more than half a million dollars in financial support.

The event attracted professional squash players, Yale students, Squash Haven mem-

bers and donors and bring them together to raise money to keep the Squash Haven program running.

The squash team has done work with Squash Haven the past several years and many team members are matched up in big-

sibling, little-sibling pairs for mentoring, tutoring and squash training.

“It’s a great time for everyone involved, and the money that gets raised helps the Squash Haven staff provide the best experience for these kids during the years

that they participate in the program,” Caine said.

The men’s squash team closed its 2012-’13 season ranked No. 4 in the nation.

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

OVERALL

PAGE B4

YALE DAILY NEWS · MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2013 · yaledailynews.com

SPORTS

Clippers top Lakers to win first Pacific Division title

Los Angeles and the Staples Center now officially belong to the Clippers, who beat the Lakers 109–95 to clinch their first division title in team history. The Clippers currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference while the Lakers trail the Jazz by half a game for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Bulldogs blitz Princeton and Penn

SAMANTHA GARDNER/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Captain Elizabeth Epstein ’13 prevailed in a tight singles match against Penn’s Augustina Eskenazi as the Bulldogs topped the Quakers 5-2. The senior, ranked No. 46 in the country, won her match against Eskenazi 7-5, 6-4.

BY JASMINE HORSEY STAFF REPORTER The Bulldogs shifted their spring success into the Ivy League this weekend by defeating both Princeton and Penn on the road.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

The matches, which took place on Friday and Saturday, marked the opening of the Elis’ bid for a third-consecutive Ivy title. On Friday at the Lenz Tennis Center in Princeton, the Bulldogs dealt the Tigers their first Ivy defeat 5–2. Continuing their dominant display, the Elis followed up that performance with the same result against Penn at the Hamlin Ten-

nis Center on Saturday.

The Bulldogs took the doubles point to open their match against Princeton. Elizabeth Epstein ’13 and Annie Sullivan ’14 added to their impressive doubles tally this season, winning 8–3 in the No. 1 spot. At No. 2, Amber Li ’15 and Madeleine Hamilton ’16 won comfortably 8–4, while No. 3 pair Courtney Amos ’16 and Hanna Yu

Strong Princeton first half dooms Yale

’15 conceded their match 6–8.

In singles play, both Epstein and Hamilton faced tough threeset matches at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, with the victor being decided in both cases by a super tie-break up to 10 points.

Despite winning the first set, Epstein was unable to capitalize on her form and eventually lost 6–4, 2–6, (10–5). Hamil-

ton came back from behind in her match, triumphing over Katherine Flanigan 4–6, 6–4, (10–2).

No. 3 Sullivan and No. 4 Yu both defeated their opponents comfortably, winning 6–2, 6–3 and 6–1, 6–1, respectively. Li struggled at the No. 5 spot, losing in straight sets, but Amos dealt Joan Cannon a 7–6, 6–0 defeat in the No. 6 spot to bring the Bulldogs’

singles tally to 5–1.

Sullivan said she was pleased with the team’s performance, adding that she was particularly impressed by the contributions of the freshmen.

“The team competed really well this weekend in our first Ivy matches of the year,” she said.

SEE WOMEN’S TENNIS PAGE B2

Elis help raise $61K for charity

BY ASHTON WACKYM STAFF REPORTER This Saturday, the men’s squash team hosted and organized an all-day charity event at Yale with Squash Haven called the “Squash Haven Showdown.”

MEN’S SQUASH The Showdown is a 12-team fundraising tournament that has been hosted the past three years in the Brady Squash Center at Payne Whitney Gymnasium.

Teams used to be organized by residential colleges, one team per

college, but this year the format was shifted to allow the teams to be captained by outside donors.

Teams were made up of a local professional squash player, a Yale squash team member, a Squash Haven member and between three and five amateur fundraising players. The event lasted from noon until about 5 p.m. on Saturday.

“Overall, it was a huge success,” Eric Caine ’14 said. “The purpose is to raise money and awareness about an incredible program that’s achieved so much in only a few years of existence.”

Over 270 people have donated

to the showdown for a total of over $61,000 raised out of the $72,000 goal.

Squash Haven is an urban squash and mentoring program that provides tuition-free academic enrichment and squash instruction to public school students in fifth through 12th grade from the New Haven area.

“I’ve worked at Squash Haven all four years I’ve been at Yale,” captain Hywel Robinson ’13 said.

In its five-year history, Squash Haven has helped New Haven students of its program attain 15 SEE MEN’S SQUASH PAGE B3

BRIANNA LOO/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bulldogs dropped their match against the Princeton Tigers 14-9 on Alumni day.

BY FREDERICK FRANK CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Despite the Bulldogs’ spirited second half, Princeton’s six-goal streak in the first half was enough to finish off the women’s lacrosse team 14-9 on Alumni Day.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE The No. 18 Tigers (7-3, 4-0 Ivy) entered Reese Stadium on a three-game winning streak and in a three-way tie for first in the Ivy League. The day started well for Yale (6-5, 0-4 Ivy) when team captain Devon Rhodes ’13 scored the first goal of the game less than five minutes into the game. Five minutes later, a goal by midfielder Erin Magnuson ’15 tied the game at 2-2. But six Princeton goals in the last

20 minutes of the first half seemed to dampen the heightened atmosphere of Alumni day and provided enough of a cushion for the talented Princeton squad, including senior Jaci Gassaway, who scored five goals in the half.

“Princeton’s scoring streak in the first half definitely cost us because we played right with them in the second half but it was too hard to come back from the goal difference,” midfielder Lauren Wackerle ’16 said.

The Bulldogs boasted a strong second half, tying the Tigers 6-6 in the final 30 minutes of play. Yale came out of the break and scored four of the first six goals, leaving the score at 10-7. However this was the closest the Elis would come, and Princeton finished with a 14–9 win.

SEE WOMEN’S LACROSSE PAGE B2

KATHRYN CRANDALL/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The No. 4 men’s squash team players have been mentoring and tutoring at Squash Haven for the last several years.