M O N D A Y OCTOBER 21, 2002
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 95
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
University bars alcohol at Underground until Dec. 20
Jason White / Herald
LOOKING, SOUNDING GOOD Students gathered to hear the the Bear Necessities sing at an 11 p.m. Sunday night concert under Wayland Arch.
Democrat Frank pushes party participation BY ELLEN WERNECKE
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts’ fourth district wants you to join a political party. In his remarks to a crowd of about 50 at the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions Friday, Frank, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981, stressed the importance of electoral participation in political parties. “The problem in the U.S. today is not that people start from partisan premises, but that they shrink from partisan conclusions,” Frank said. “The current party system is a parody.” Frank characterized political parties as the “organic evolution” of the process. In terms of specific parties, he commended the Republican Party for showing “party discipline” and being more “ideologically cohesive” than its Democratic counterpart. “I’m part of a group that has been undervalued, criticized and faced discrimination,” Frank said. “Namely, I’m a Democrat.” “(The Democrats) are a lot more cohesive than we used to be,” he said. “We eliminated some right-wing southerners who called themselves Democrats, and that’s why we lost control of Congress. But the party is more secure as a result.” Frank said the U.S. middle class has the idea “that partisanship is bad and independence is good.” But he said in truth, partisans are far more thoughtful regarding current issues. “Independent voters are unserious — the kind who moved to Gore because he passionately kissed Tipper and then moved back to Bush because Gore made faces during the debate,” he said. Focus groups are ineffective, he said, because the people involved are “airheads — or just plain wrong.” Under the current political system, Frank said, it is easier for “minority groups” to control entire parties. “The right wing controls the Republican Party because very conservative people vote in the primaries,” he said. Moderate Republicans, he said, are forced to run a conservative campaign even when their own views lean toward the left.
“We have some Republicans in Congress who vote with the Democrats 80 to 90 percent of the time,” Frank said. “In other words, any time that it’s not determinative.” Frank, the senior ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Financial Services, spoke briefly about the impact of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, on the federal budget. “After the tax cut, we’re faced with an unanticipated expense of between $500 and $600 billion dollars over the next ten years,” Frank said. “That means that every other aspect of the federal government will decrease.” He cited the memoirs of economist David Stockman, one of the engineers of Reagan’s supply-side economics, saying that conservatives are attempting to “starve the beast” — to cut funding for supposedly liberal programs as a way of quelling them. “What with compensations, protecting nuclear plants and the water supply … Is the emergency medical response system ready for anthrax? It’s not ready for Friday night,” Frank said. Frank described President George W. Bush as someone who believes the United States must have “a civilizing mission in the world” — not unlike Ronald Reagan. “George W. Bush tells us that things can skip a generation. Reagan is so popular right now that the House Republicans want to vote to have his face replace Hamilton’s on the 10dollar bill,” he said. Frank also discussed Ralph Nader and the Green Party during the question-and-answer session following his remarks. “Nader has a misconception,” Frank said. “He sees the Democrats as an entity, to bargain with, to threaten,” as happened in the 2000 election. “But the party is not an entity — it is a process. “Furthermore, to maintain, as Nader does, that there is no significant difference between the parties seems offensive to me,” he said. “It’s not accidental that the Greens are overwhelmingly white and straight,” Frank said. “That doesn’t mean I think the Democrats are where they should be. I would like to see the party move to the left, but I don’t think Ralph Nader has the right idea.”
The Office of Student Life decided on Thursday to prohibit the Underground from serving alcohol until Dec. 20. During a meeting of the Underground’s managers and deans of student life last week, the on-campus establishment was charged with illegal provision or sale of alcohol to minors and flagrant or repeated violations of operational rules governing departments or facilities of the University, said Vice President for Campus Life & Student Services Margaret Jablonksi. The Underground was found guilty on both counts, she said. “There was a specific incident where a staff member served alcohol to underage students,” Jablonksi said. “But this sanction is based on a series of incidents over the last few years.” In March of 2001, OSL prevented the Underground from serving alcohol for a short period of time. Before that, the establishment was shut down for underage drinking in December of 1997, and remained closed until October of 1998. During a “routine check for underage drinkers” in 1997, Providence Police said they “observed a number of subjects who appeared to be under the age of 21 and in possession of alcohol.” Ten undergraduates were arrested. Jablonksi refused to comment further on the recent specific incident that prompted last week’s hearing. Underground staff also violated internal rules involving carding, she said. During the current probation, the Underground staff will have to create a plan for improved monitoring of underage alcohol consumption, crowd management, carding procedures and staff training and disciplinary measures. The Underground remained closed over the weekend. Manager Noah Wangh ‘03 said the establishment’s managers will meet next week to discuss whether the Underground will open on a regular basis, or only for prescheduled special events. General Manager Ally Dickie ‘03 did not respond to The Herald’s numerous requests for an interview. — Elena Lesley
U. holds forum to explain ‘Brown First’ policies, procedures BY HAYLEY TYLER
Food Services and Graphic Services held a forum Friday to explain Brown First, the University’s new food purchasing and printing program. Administrators said they are not yet ready to disclose the list of Brown-approved food vendors. Under Brown First, University catering and printing needs must be coordinated by UFS and Graphic Services in an attempt to retain funds previously spent on external vendors. Academic and administrative departments and student organizations seeking to purchase food and beverages must first go through UFS for these purchases. If possible, a UFS establishment or catering division must also provide the food and beverages. If UFS cannot meet a demand, it will direct customers to vendors deemed by UFS to be “qualified.” UFS will initiate purchase orders, monitor service and quality and manage all billing functions, administrators told an audience of
I N S I D E M O N D AY, O C T O B E R 2 1 , 2 0 0 2 Grad student curator opens model boat exhibit at Brown’s Haffenraffer Museum page 3
Reclusive Providence Art Club looks to reach out, leave elitist reputation behind page 3
Anti-gay religious group pickets headquarters of David Cicilline ’83 page 5
see FORUM, page 4
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Craig Walzer ’03 says before U.S. invades Iraq Bush should hold a national referendum column, page 11
Football goes down to Princeton in Jersey, drops fifth straight to start the year sports, page 12
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