Issuu

W E D N E S D A Y JANUARY 29, 2003

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVIII, No. 6

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

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VP for Campus Life will leave for UCLA; interim appointed BY JULIETTE WALLACK

Janina Montero, vice president for Campus Life and Student Services, will become the vice chancellor for student affairs for the University of California at Los Angeles beginning July 1. David Greene, assistant to the president, will serve as the interim vice president after Montero’s departure. Montero said she expects to finish this semester, though her final date at Brown has not been decided yet. “I will miss a lot of people,” Montero told The Herald Tuesday, but she called the UCLA position “an extraordinary job” with “very broad” responsibilities. The University is expected to announce Montero’s impending departure today. Montero was one of two finalists for the UCLA position, but it became a one-person race early this week when the other candidate dropped out. She visited UCLA in mid-December to meet with administrators and students. At UCLA, Montero will be in charge of student academic services, student and campus life, student development and life and outreach. The outreach portion of her responsibilities at UCLA will include working with programs that encourage education among children, teens and young adults in Los Angeles. “That is wonderful work,” Montero said,

Kimberly Insel / Herald

Green Party at Brown members gathered in Olnery Lounge to watch the President’s State of the Union.

State of the Union draws varied reactions from students and faculty members BY DANIELLE CERNY AND ELLEN WERNECKE

Faculty and students had mixed reactions to the 214th State of the Union Address Tuesday night, in which President George W. Bush outlined his policy plans for the upcoming year and discussed the current situation with Iraq and his economic stimulus plan. “While the speech was really a call to arms and a rallying of the nation, the first (part), which was the longer (part), was an entirely partisan, Republican speech,” said James Morone, professor of political science at Brown. Bush’s domestic remarks “hit all the issues that drive Democrats crazy,” such as abortion, tax cuts, spending cuts and the healthy forest program, Morone told The Herald. Bush’s address survived an abrupt shift from domestic to foreign policy midway through the address, Morone said. “Both halves were effectual for what they were meant to be, but they did not belong together,” he said. “The second half of the speech, which focused on Iraq, was remarkably effective even though this is an issue I vehemently disagree with,” Morone said, though he felt the administration failed to provide substantial evidence against Iraq.

Morone said the two halves of the speech were placed together because the administration does not think reelection will hinge on the war with Iraq. Instead, they are focusing on the state of the economy after the war is over, an oversight that cost George H.W. Bush his reelection, Morone said. “The president started out weakly,” said Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science. “He was weak on domestic issues, but strong on foreign policy.” She noted that Bush’s “segue (from tax cuts) into cutting the deficit makes no sense. Most Americans understand that you can’t do both.” On the tax cut, Schiller said, former President Ronald “Reagan tried to do it, and (Bush) won’t be able to do it either. Tax policies are not the reason we are in a recession.” “Whether you agree or disagree with the President,” Schiller said, “he believes … that if he stands by and does nothing, Iraq will do something horrific” that will necessitate military action. She said the president made a “stronger case than people expected” for the war against Iraq.

see MONTERO, page 4

Kerry Miller / Herald

Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Janina Montero will leave for UCLA later this year.

see BUSH, page 9

CCC members discuss changes to grading

Underground weeks from opening

BY CASSIE RAMIREZ

BY LISA MANDLE

Members of the College Curriculum Council discussed the pros and cons of introducing plusses and minuses into the Brown grading system at a meeting Tuesday. The CCC also debated the correlation between grade inflation and the lack of plusses and minuses. Prior to the meeting, members of the CCC reviewed a survey conducted by the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. The results showed that 82 percent of faculty and 85 percent of teaching assistants thought Brown should adopt a grading scale that included plusses and minuses. The survey was given last semester to some faculty and teaching assistants. CCC member Sean Yom ’03 said, “It makes no sense to give plusses and minuses on regular assignments throughout the semester and then not on the final grade.” Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and CCC

The Underground is several weeks away from reopening with the possibility of serving alcohol, Dean for Campus Life Margaret Jablonski told The Herald. The management of the Underground has had since Dec. 20 to submit a policy proposal for reopening the Underground to the Office of Student Life, but has yet to do so, Jablonski said. General Manager of the Underground Ally Dickie ’03 said in an e-mail that the proposals are being drafted this week and that she hopes to meet with the administration in the coming weeks. Dickie did not return messages requesting to comment on why the proposals were not submitted earlier. Once the proposal is submitted, the students and administrators who manage the Underground will meet to discuss the proposal and share ideas and concerns about liability and operation issues, Jablonski said. The

senior administration will need to approve the plan before the Underground can be reopened, she said. They will also discuss the possibility of serving food, prohibiting smoking and providing different forms of entertainment at the Underground, Jablonski said. Such proposals have not come up before, she added. But with the Underground having been caught serving underage drinkers in the past several years, it is “time to take a full look at the management and operation of the pub,” Jablonski said. The Underground can reopen, but cannot serve alcohol, Jablonski said. Except for a few events in the fall, the Underground has stayed closed despite this provision. Underground Manager Noah Wangh ’03 was unavailable for comment. Herald staff writer Lisa Mandle ’06 can be reached at lmandle@browndailyherald.com.

see CCC, page 4

I N S I D E W E D N E S D AY, J A N UA RY 2 9 , 2 0 0 3 Brown prof conducts NASA study to avoid loss of muscle mass in astronauts page 3

Brown Students for Israel holds mock Israeli elections; Labor beats Likud party page 3

CIS offers filtering program to rid Brown e-mail of junk messages page 11

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Bush plays bad cop/villain in Iraqi conflict, says Joshua Skolnick ’04 column, page 11

Hanyen Andrew Lee ’06 says average fan cheers for dominance, not sport sports column, page 12

snow showers high 36 low 17

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 2 Pornucopia Eli Swiney

W E AT H E R TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

High 36 Low 17 snow showers

High 28 Low 15 partly cloudy

High 37 Low 29 few snow showers

High 42 Low 31 rain/snow showers

GRAPHICS BY TED WU

A Story Of Eddie Ahn

CALENDAR LECTURE—“Morton of Merrymount: Degenerate Englishment,” James Muldoon, John Carter Brown Library . Dining room #9, Sharpe Refectory, 12:45 p.m.

CROSSWORD y ACROSS 1 Certain to happen 6 P&L preparers 10 Painter of limp watches 14 Video game pioneer 15 Toro’s domain, maybe 16 Always 17 Clark’s partner 18 Worker welfare org. 19 Recess 20 Unfashionably late Capote novel? 23 Sneak a peek 24 Dash lengths 25 Pause in the action 26 About five ml. 27 Cádiz kiss 28 Word before or after “says” 31 Bangkok native 34 19th century dancer Montez 36 Splatter catcher 38 Unmentionably late TV revue? 41 Moorehead of “Bewitched” 42 Lodge letters 43 Colorado natives 44 Pi follower 45 Stew veggies 47 Apr. addressee 49 Robt. E. Lee, for one 50 401, in old Rome 51 Tyler of “The Lord of the Rings” 54 Unconscionably late Cold War thriller? 59 Small songbird 60 Spell, as of cold weather 61 “Contract Bridge Complete” author 62 Seaweed extract 63 Western U.S. campus 64 Goolagong rival 65 Tree trunk 66 Hammer end

67 Breaks DOWN 1 River feature 2 Relished 3 Light brown 4 Leif’s father 5 Something to do after eating 6 Congeals 7 It’s history 8 Some time back 9 Screwups 10 Transferred image 11 River to the Severn 12 Impose, as a duty 13 Angers 21 Beyond what’s needed 22 Stay up 26 Current 27 Planes, in the control tower 28 Court order 29 Hoisted aboard 30 Change for a five 31 Nicholas or Alexander

32 Grant in films 33 __ Domini 35 Considering everything 37 Grade enhancer 39 Vail alternative 40 Alpine heroine 46 Eventually becomes 48 Dishonest competitor 49 Style

50 D.C. broadcaster 51 Come-ons 52 Like the noble gases 53 Escape mechanisms 54 Clean with a mop 55 Therefore 56 Osso buco meat 57 Eli’s alma mater 58 “By __!”

Coup de Grace Grace Farris

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ACADEMIC WATCH WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 3

Figuring out where the new four-

Brown professor teams up with NASA to help astronauts stay in space longer

winged dinosaurs fall into the evo-

BY BAMBOO DONG

Fossil hunters discover four-winged dinosaur; Brown expert comments BY MATTHEW SHOPSIN

Fossil hunters in Northeastern China have discovered something unusual: a four-winged dinosaur. The new find, published in the Jan. 23 issue of Nature, has led scientists — including origin of flight expert and Brown professor Stephen Gatesy — to reexamine old fossils and further question the origin of flight. In 1914, prior to the discovery of any fossil evidence, scientist William Beebe proposed that four-winged dinosaurs could have been the intermediaries between dinosaurs and birds. The recent discovery lends credibility to his theory. The four-winged dinosaur discovered this year possesses feathered legs in addition to feathers on its arms resembling wings and a feathered tail. The dinosaur’s winged hind legs are capable of spreading out. According to Gatesy, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, this is uncharacteristic of dinosaurs’ pelvic bone structure. With relatively little evidence, the use of the additional wings is largely speculative, he said. Gatesy described two main beliefs about the origin of flight. Some scientists believe dinosaurs climbed into trees and jumped out and over time developed better gliding capacity. Others believe wings are an adaptation that allowed dinosaurs to climb steeper surfaces. Modern birds provide evidence for the latter claim, which use their wings to varying degrees depending on the slope of the surface they are climbing. The wings act to push them down, allowing them to stay closer to the surface. This theory suggests the evolution of wings is independent of the adaptation of flight, Gatesy said. The Chinese scientists counter this argument by suggesting hind feathers would get damaged by running on the ground and would not lend themselves to climbing steeper surfaces. They suggest the new fossil supports the theory of dinosaurs gliding before flying. The debate is further complicated by a number of factors, Gatesy said. There is evidence of feathers evolving on dinosaurs before the evolution of wings as well as the presence of wings incapable of gliding or flight. Figuring out where the new four-winged dinosaurs fall into the evolutionary map or if they are even relat-

lutionary map or if they are even related to modern-day birds still remains to be determined, Gatesy said. Still, it is believed to have evolved from a bird once capable of flight. ed to modern-day birds still remains to be determined, Gatesy said. The ostrich, for example, has wings but is incapable of flight. Still, it is believed to have evolved from a bird once capable of flight, he said. Whether the wings on the recently discovered four-winged dinosaur are the result of an evolution towards flight or away from flight is difficult to tell. How the wings actually functioned is equally difficult to determine, he said. When there were fewer fossils of bird-like dinosaurs, the evolutionary transition appeared simple, Gatesy said. The commonly cited Archaeopteryx seemed to show a clear transition between dinosaurs and birds, he said. The recently discovered four-winged dinosaurs throw this straightforward transition into question. Before this most recent find, there were a number of fossils exhibiting the transition from dinosaurs to birds. These fossils were later determined to be fraudulent. Although the six specimens discovered in China made it through the journal’s rigorous peer review process, there are still people who contest the fossils’ legitimacy, Gatesy said. “People also like to, as a last resort, throw in the fraud charge,” he said. Herald staff writer Matthew Shopsin ’06 can be reached at mshopsin@browndailyherald.com.

Humans will soon be one step closer to traveling to Mars or even living in outer space. Herman Vandenburgh, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the Brown Medical School, is working with NASA to learn why muscles atrophy in space and how to counteract the process. When humans and animals stay in space for an extended period of time, their skeletal and muscle systems begin to deteriorate, Vandenburgh said. Bone loss plateaus after three to four months, but in that time, astronauts can lose up to 28 percent of muscle mass, he said. Though this is not a big problem in space, astronauts have a hard time recovering their muscle mass once they return to Earth, he said. Vandenburgh’s research, which he conducted in two parts, is concerned with preventing this deterioration. Vandenburgh first worked on growing muscle tissue outside of the body so it could be analyzed during space missions. He later used growth hormones on that muscle to counteract the effects of muscle wasting in space. In the first part of the research, bioartificial muscle tissue was grown inside of a bioreactor, a closed perfusion chamber that allows nutrients and oxygen to be constantly circulated through the tissue for up to 30 days. Aliquots — regular samples taken automatically by the bioreactor — allow the system to be self-sufficient. Muscle specimens grown in the bioreactor were studied on four space flights from 1996 to 1998. Vandenburgh said he found that the atrophy effects in the samples were analogous to those in human and animal muscles, proving that experiments could successfully be done on bioartificial muscles. The second part of the research involved injecting the muscles with a growth hormone known as “insulin-like growth factor one axis,” Vandenburgh said. This hormone stimulates muscles to grow, and Vandenburgh said he hopes it will counteract the effects of muscle wasting in space. His team will experiment with the injected muscles on see NASA, page 4

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003

CCC continued from page 1 member Jonathan Waage disagreed, saying that some professors find plusses and minuses given during the semester don’t accurately reflect the final grade, but might push a student to work harder. If a professor gives a student a B+, it can motivate the student to work harder, as opposed to giving an A-, he said. The CCC discussed other problems with introducing plusses and minuses, such as the fear that competition between students would become too fierce and that grades would take precedent over learning, something many students reported experiencing in high school. “If Brown students take a ‘high school attitude,’ they won’t learn to think for themselves in the way that Brown students are respected for,” said CCC member and Professor of English Geoffrey Russom. Members of the council discussed whether the induction of plusses and minuses would make Brown students more competitive in the job market and in admission to graduate programs. Dean of the College and Council Chair Paul Armstrong, however, recalled meeting with alumni at last year’s Career Week, saying that those he talked to said their careers were furthered by

qualities stressed in Brown’s New Curriculum, such as thinking outside the box and taking risks. The survey also showed that 60 percent of faculty members indicated they felt pressure to inflate grades. In a letter to the CCC, Professor of Music Rose Subotnik related her own experiences and the need for plusses and minuses. “A few years ago, I happened to discuss one of our concentrators with two other colleagues — a student who all of us had taught in upper-level seminars. All three of us agreed that the student was unusual and interesting, but that her work didn’t quite measure up to the standard of an A. Then all three of us confessed: we had each given her an A anyway. Lacking recourse to a B+ or even to an A-, this had seemed to all three of us the lesser of the two evils actually available to us, which were either a straight A or a straight B,” Subotnik wrote. In two weeks, the CCC will meet again, when faculty who attended seminars at the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning will have the opportunity to speak to the council. The CCC hopes to make a decision regarding the possible change in the grading scale in a month, Armstrong said. Herald staff writer Cassie Ramirez ’06 can be reached at cramirez@browndailyherald.com.

Montero

Montero leaves at a time when Brown faces

continued from page 1

numerous challenges, including a staff hiring

and part of what drew her to the job. Montero moves to the largest public university system in the country after a career in private education. A former dean of the college at Wesleyan University, Montero came to Brown in January 2000 after seven years as dean of student life at Princeton University. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and taught romance languages at Wesleyan before beginning her administrative career. “I’ve always worked in private education,” she said, but she called herself “a great supporter of public education.” Montero said her departure will not hinder completion of the projects she is currently working on, including the renovation of the Bear’s Lair. Undergraduate Council of Students President Allen Feliz ’03 said Montero was “really great to work with this year” during the group’s current campaign to improve student life. “I don’t think this will hurt our agenda,” Feliz said. “She’s been really helpful. She’ll continue to work with us for the rest of the semester. She understands what

freeze and an administrative reorganization

NASA

as a basic research project at the National Institutes of Health. The research and development was later funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a potential way to help astronauts in space. Vandenburgh is currently the Chief Scientific Officer at his company Cell Based Delivery, Inc., where the commercial applications of his research and the effect they can have on helping muscle-wasting diseases are also explored. “It’s a good example why it’s so important to fund (basic research and development) because you never know where it’s going to lead to,” Vandenburgh said.

continued from page 3 a space flight in October. If the experiment succeeds, the team will use the insulin on mice in a shuttle next year or on the space station the following year. Vandenburgh said the results of this research could also be helpful on Earth. “It has a lot of implications to attenuate a lot of Earth-based muscle wasting diseases,” he said. Vandenburgh began his work

that could drastically change the office that Montero now heads. our issues are, what we’re pushing for,” including short-term and long-term funding for campuswide events, he said. Montero leaves at a time when Brown faces numerous challenges, including a staff hiring freeze and an administrative reorganization that could drastically change the office that Montero now heads. But Montero said those issues did not influence her decision to leave Providence, saying the UCLA position was an opportunity she simply couldn’t pass up. “The hiring freeze has nothing to do with all of this,” Montero said. “The process of reorganization is going on right now. They will have an opportunity to think through the position within the broader reorganization effort.” Because she plans to finish the semester, Montero will be present for part of the reorganization discussion, she said. Simmons told The Herald that the University would this semester “figure out whether we’re

Herald staff writer Bamboo Dong ‘06 can be reached at bdong@browndailyherald.com.

structured appropriately in student life … whether we have the optimal organization structure.” Feliz said he understands this is a “tremendous opportunity” for Montero, but her departure will give UCS an opportunity to look closely at student life and decide how the office can be made better. Montero told The Herald that the University will not begin a search for her successor immediately, a sentiment Simmons will echo in a letter to the University community that will be released today. “It does not appear sensible to try to … launch the search this spring,” Simmons wrote, citing the timing of the search and the necessary student involvement. Simmons told The Herald the search will begin next fall, and she expects to have the new administrator at Brown by July 2004. Simmons said she chose Greene as interim vice president because of his involvement with ongoing projects to improve campus life. Greene said he is “very excited” about the temporary role to which he comes with previous experience in student services. He told The Herald he began his career in administration 16 years ago as an assistant dean of students at Wells College in Aurora, N.Y. He also served as associate dean of admission while at Wells, and “I’ve done a variety of other things that are related to campus life issues. “The territory is not foreign to me,” he said. “Overall, I would say that it’s a very exciting opportunity.” Greene commended Montero for doing an “incredible job” and said he looks forward to working with students again. “That’s the reason for working at a university,” Greene said. Herald staff writer Juliette Wallack ’05 covers faculty and administration. She can be reached at jwallack@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 5

IN BRIEF Changes in Sharpe Refectory A comprehensive renovation of the Ratty is only in the earliest stages of planning, according to Katherine Wolford, project director for Campus Life. Yet UFS recently made several smaller changes affecting diners. University Food Services started the Italian servery line on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as a result of requests from students after a similar line was piloted last semester. “Students want variety, and they want pizza,” said Bridget Kay, administrative dietician for UFS. The line will be re-evaluated during spring break, she said. Lily Bernheimer ’06 said it was good to have pizza available at the Ratty, but added,“the quality of the pizza is not as good as at the Gate. It seems like they use all the same materials, so it should be able to be the same quality.” Last semester, UFS also stopped allowing table slips to be printed on colored paper and instead said slips must be white. Colored slips “stain the tables,” Kay said. She explained that table slips now must also be passed out during special times so as “not to disturb customers who are dining.” Annika Gunning ’06 said,“It’s really dull” now that the slips are all white, but added,“I guess I’ve noticed some of the stains.” — Julian Leichty

Brown’s Mock Israeli election results differ from reality In mock Israeli elections held by Brown Students for Israel, Amram Mitzna’s Labor party won 50 seats, beating Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Likud party, which was awarded 21 seats. Brown’s mock election was held in conjunction with over 50 other campuses nationwide, including Yale, Columbia and Princeton. Held in the post office Monday and Tuesday, students also gave the Green Leaf Party, which favors the legalization of marijuana, 12 seats in the 120-seat Israeli parliament, or Knesset. Arab parties also received votes, said Joshua Marcus ’04, president of Brown Students for Israel. In the real Israeli elections held Tuesday, Likud nearly doubled its representation to an estimated 37 seats, while the Labor party carried 19 seats, down six from the previous Knesset, according to the New York Times. Mitzna, who according to BBC News favors the renewal of peace talks, led his party to what the BBC called “the worst defeat in its history.” Sharon called the results a “victory of the people of Israel” and called for a unity government. Mitzna said he would not join. see ELECTION, page 9

Improved version of WebMail delayed, will not be available for several months CIS cites technical complications as main reason for delay; new client to be “more fully functional” BY JULIA ZUCKERMAN

An overhaul of WebMail originally scheduled for last fall has been delayed at least until late spring. The delay is due to technical complications in setting up the new system, said John Spadaro, director of systems and services at Computing and Information Services. The WebMail update is part of a major overhaul to the entire e-mail system, which also includes new spam-fighting measures. CIS is “replacing the whole mail infrastructure,” Spadaro said. The new version of WebMail will be “a more fully functional Web client,” Spadaro said. It will function like a desktop e-mail program, such as Eudora or Outlook Express, allowing students to save e-mail messages in folders, he said. Spadaro said he hopes to have the WebMail update in place by the end of this semester. In October, Vice President of CIS Ellen WaiteFranzen told The Herald the update would be ready before the end of the fall semester. “I was hoping it would be,” Spadaro said. “We’re not where we wanted to be.”

The current version of WebMail has remained unchanged since around 1999, Spadaro said. It does not allow users to save messages in folders or mark email as “new” and “read.” “When we first made Webmail available, we thought students would just use it at home or in the clusters, but it became more popular than we thought,” he said. “In the past two or three years, the way we use e-mail has greatly changed. Now people expect a fully functional Web mail client.” Many students accustomed to Web-based e-mail providers such as Hotmail prefer WebMail to desktop programs, Spadaro said. “Occasionally it’s difficult to sign in, which can be a problem,” said Shaun McNamara ’06. Because WebMail users cannot save e-mail in folders, they find other ways to preserve important messages. McNamara said he leaves them in his inbox, which at one point held 300 messages. Madeleine Andersen ’06 prints out e-mail she wants to save. “It would be nicer if I could save them (in WebMail),” she said. Andersen said WebMail is sometimes slow in loading and “takes a while longer to read.” But she said she has few complaints — she appreciates the extra procrastination time. Herald staff writer Julia Zuckerman ’05 can be reached at jzuckerman@browndailyherald.com.

CIS implements spam filters BY CASSIE RAMIREZ

Students and staff who use Eudora or Outlook Express to access their Brown e-mail will no longer have their inboxes clogged with messages promising cheap Viagra or free porn, thanks to Spam Assassin, a filtering program being made available by Computing and Information Services. Spam Assassin is a program available on the Internet, and is widely used by other universities, said John Spadaro, director of systems and services at CIS. Further instructions on how to set up the program will be distributed soon, he said. The program is not available for those who access their Brown e-mail through WebMail, Spadaro said. WebMail does not allow users to create a junk mail folder, which is necessary for filtering. Spadaro said an updated version of WebMail is in the works. The program looks at every piece of e-mail and measures it against a set of “rules” which rates the e-mail indi-

cating whether or not it is spam — or junk mail. The rules take into account items such as font colors or buzzwords like “click here,” “guarantee” and “profits.” Individual users are able to set the filter to the strength that they want it, Spadaro said. The stronger it is set, the more tightly spam will be monitored. Mail that appears to be spam is filtered into a junk mail folder. Rather than being deleted, this allows the user to periodically check the folder to see if items have been incorrectly filtered out. Spadaro said that a change has been made so that no piece of e-mail sent from a brown.edu address will ever be labeled “junk mail.” “Personally, I’ve never found the amount of junk I get in my Brown account to be a problem,” said Nate Drummond ’03. “But it’s good for others who have problems with junk mail.” Herald staff writer Cassie Ramirez ’06 can be reached at cramirez@browndailyherald.com.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 7

IN BRIEF Judge sets Nov. 10 trial date for teen sniper suspect FAIRFAX, Va. — (Baltimore Sun) Over the repeated objections

of defense lawyers, a Fairfax County judge Tuesday set a Nov. 10 trial date for teen-age sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo, who could face the death penalty if convicted in the slaying of an FBI analyst outside a Home Depot. “I am not going to be ready by Nov. 10,” lead defense lawyer Michael S. Arif told Fairfax County Circuit Judge Jane M. Roush.“It is not a realistic date.” The date is roughly midway between the February 2004 trial date the defense sought and the June or September dates county prosecutors wanted. The other sniper suspect, John Allen Muhammad, 42, is scheduled to go on trial for capital murder Oct. 14 in neighboring Prince William County. Roush said that while she would consider requests to postpone Malvo’s trial, she wanted both sides to view that as a “firm date” and noted that the fall date provides twice the amount of preparation time the state’s speedy trial rules allot. If the defense is eyeing an expert witness who would not be available then, the judge told Arif,“Keep looking and find another expert.” Malvo is accused of gunning down FBI analyst Linda Franklin Oct. 14 in the parking lot of a Home Depot in the Seven Corners area of the county. Arif said he needed a year to make enormous trial preparations that include scouring the material provided by prosecutors not only about Franklin’s shooting but about others too, working with experts, investigating the case and questioning people around the United States, in Antigua where Malvo lived and in his native Jamaica. But Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert F. Horan Jr. said he’d prefer not to push the date further out.

War wind drives presidency (L.A. Times) — Bush’s first State of the Union address, in January 2002, was dominated by the shadow of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks just four months before and his determination to extend the war against terror to what he dramatically termed the “axis of evil” — Iraq, Iran and North Korea. His speech Tuesday night was defined by the prospect of military action against Iraq—if not imminently, then before very long. “We will consult, but let there be no misunderstanding,” Bush said. “If (Iraqi president) Saddam Hussein does not fully disarm, for the safety of our people and for the peace of the world, we will lead a coalition to disarm him.” Bush had no shortage of ambitious domestic ideas. He made a passionate pitch for his $674 billion stimulus and tax cut, centered on eliminating the taxation of dividends for individuals. He urged Congress to move this year on a fundamental restructuring of Medicare that would provide seniors with a prescription drug benefit, even while making the program more reliant on private health insurers to deliver benefits. He renewed his call for Congress to advance the production-centered energy plan that stalled in the Senate last year. And he unveiled a major new humanitarian effort, calling for a $15 billion, five-year drive to fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. All but the last of these ideas promise intense conflict with Democrats, who wasted no time in condemning Bush’s domestic agenda as either irrelevant or counterproductive. Democrats immediately argued that the gaping federal budget deficits that have opened under Bush, and the tax cuts he is proposing, will leave him without the resources to fulfill the promises he put forth Tuesday. “The state of the union is not as good as it should be, (and) I didn’t hear tonight any realistic plans for making it better,” said former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a candidate for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination.

By offering such an ambitious domestic agenda, Bush demonstrated again his desire to avoid the perception that undermined the presidency of his father, George H.W. Bush, after the Persian Gulf War: the belief that he is so focused on threats abroad that he is oblivious to problems at home. But by so vividly reaffirming his commitment to confronting Saddam, the speech also displayed Bush’s determination to force a reckoning with Iraq that is likely — for good or for ill — to overshadow all of his domestic efforts for months, if not throughout his term. Even the other members of the putative axis — Iran and North Korea — received little more than glancing discussion in Bush’s brisk and sometimes somber remarks. In some ways, the speech had a deja vu quality. Almost all of its themes — from the focus on tax cuts, Medicare reform and energy independence at home to the warnings to Hussein — echoed priorities and promises from last year’s State of the Union speech. In the year between, Bush’s political strength, though still substantial, has eroded on several fronts. Though Bush’s energetic campaigning helped the GOP seize control of both the House and the Senate in last fall’s election, the president’s approval rating has fallen from more than 80 percent in January 2002 to 60 percent or less in a flurry of polls released over the past 10 days. On Capitol Hill, the tax cut at the centerpiece of Bush’s domestic agenda has received a cool reception, even from some Republicans, amid projections of massive federal budget deficits for years. “The wind appears to be in his face, rather than at his back, on a host of issues,” conservative activist Gary Bauer wrote in a memo released just before the speech. In polls, Bush now receives much higher marks for his handling of national security and terrorism than he does on domestic issues, such as the economy and health care. But that wind has been blowing against him even on Iraq.

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003

Early election results show big gains for Sharon’s party JERUSALEM (L.A. Times) — Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s conservative Likud Party easily won parliamentary elections Tuesday, handing the Israeli leader a mandate on his hard-line approach toward the Palestinians but leaving him with the formidable task of forming a stable government as the intifada grinds on and a possible war with Iraq looms. Reflecting a pervasive sense of sadness and cynicism within the Israeli electorate, the turnout was the country’s lowest ever in a general election. The somber national mood, together with worries about what kind of coalition Sharon will be able to cobble together to achieve the necessary parliamentary majority, took some of the celebratory edge off the prime minister’s late-night victory speech. “We have a historic triumph ... but this is not a time for celebrations,” a weary-looking Sharon told flag-waving supporters at Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv. Using his nickname, they chanted, “Arik, king of Israel!” Sharon appealed to the leftleaning Labor Party to enter into a governing coalition with him, as it did after his election nearly two years ago. “Israel needs unity; Israel needs stability,” he said. Exit polls released just after the vote ended pointed to a decisive margin of victory for the Likud, forecasting it would win 36 seats in the 120-member Knesset, up significantly from its current 19. Labor trailed far behind with an estimated 18 spots, compared with 26 in the current Knesset, and the secular-rights party Shinui took about 15 places, more than doubling its parliamentary representation. Shas, the largest of the religious parties, won 12 seats, down from its current 17, according to the projections. Labor managed to hang onto its status as the second-largest party in the Knesset, but the standard-bearer for the country’s

peace movement posted its worstever showing, dropping below 20 seats for the first time. At party headquarters, the mood was despondent, with supporters staging a forlorn singalong of old Israeli folk songs as the results began coming in. The gray-haired, bearded Amram Mitzna, in a concession speech delivered soon after exit polls sketched the dimensions of his party’s defeat, rebuffed Sharon’s plea to form a “national unity” government — a broadbased coalition of the kind favored by many Israelis in times of crisis. “I have no intention of abandoning our mission in return for ministerial chairs,” he said. “Our path is the right one.” But he may not be able to keep that pledge. Labor was plagued by intense infighting during the election contest, and some party officials want to join Sharon rather than take up the role of the political opposition. Other Laborites believe, however, that the partnership with Likud over the past two years not only cost the party votes, but ate away at its sense of identity. The 57-year-old Mitzna, a newcomer to the national political scene, had campaigned on a dovish platform, urging the resumption of peace talks with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and the relinquishing of Jewish settlements of the Gaza Strip. Sharon, by contrast, refuses to deal with Arafat and wants to hold talks with the Palestinians only once there has been sweeping political reform of the Palestinian Authority and a halt to violent attacks. Shinui expressed willingness to join Sharon’s coalition — but only if it does not include religious parties, which have traditionally been key Likud allies. The prime minister was expected to keep up the pressure on Labor to relent and join forces with him.

‘Sapphire’ worm exposes computer system vulnerabilities (Washington Post) — The comput-

new and improved: BrownDailyHerald.com

er bug that ravaged systems throughout the world over the weekend showed how the increasing use of the Internet by businesses, banks and local governments has created vulnerabilities where few suspected them. In just a few hours, the “Sapphire” worm, made of a minute bit of software code, shut down some Bank of America Corp. ATMs, fouled Continental Airlines’ online ticketing system and essentially blacked out an emergency call center in Seattle. At the same time, it cut off access to the Internet for millions of personal computer users, including most of those in South Korea. The worm, also known as “Slammer,” spread quickly once it was introduced onto the Internet. Using a well-known flaw in a Microsoft Corp. database program, the worm overwhelmed computers with data. Many other systems quickly suffered ancillary effects, as packets of information seeking ways around the vulnerable machines backed up in the ensuing con-

gestion. Specialists described the impact as a sort of global traffic jam that occurs when main arteries are shut down. While similar in many ways to earlier worms, Sapphire raises new questions about the pace at which companies and government agencies are linking critical networks and computer systems to the Internet, often without a clear understanding of the risks. “It’s showing us the cutting edge of where people or organizations are becoming prematurely reliant on the Internet,” said Kevin Poulsen, a security specialist and editorial director of SecurityFocus. “It’s showing us interdependencies that we didn’t know existed.” The attack also highlights growing weaknesses in the Internet Age’s social compact: While everyone must share what is in effect a free medium, many companies still don’t take the time or spend the money to apply “security patches” to widely publicized vulnerabilities, even though their computers might be used to mount or propel attacks.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Ruth continued from page 1 Schiller said, “The president believes it is not up to him to reconcile peace” with the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. “He wants to send a message to Saddam Hussein and the Arab world. All he has to do now is reveal the evidence he quoted regarding Iraq’s weapons.” Stephen Beale ’04, president of the conservative activist group Young Americans for Freedom, called the address “overall a very good speech.” “I thought Bush really was solid on tax cuts,” Beale said, “and outlined standard conservative opinions.” Beale added that unlike previous speeches, Bush did not appeal to Democrats or moderate Republicans in the address. The address “was a very explicit appeal to his base to consolidate support for the war,” he said. Some students chose to watch the speech with members of various political organizations. The Coalition for Social Justice, the Green Party at Brown and Not Another Victim Anywhere gathered in Olney Lounge to watch the President speak. His remarks were met with laughter and boos from the groups. “The Green Party is speaking on behalf of the millions and millions of people who oppose war and are deeply disturbed by the gall with which Bush presents the matter. We feel he has neither the right nor a reason to go forward with the campaign against Iraq,” said Riana Good ’03. The speech, Good said, expressed everything the peace movement has been working

Election continued from page 5

“Sharon hopes the Labor party will again serve as a fig leaf to his failed policy,” Mitzna said in a speech Tuesday evening. Brown Students for Israel got the idea to hold a mock election from israelvotes2003.com, said Naomi Reinharz ’03, vice president of Brown Students for Israel. She said the group’s philosophy was,“no matter what, we stand with Israel, so we may be a little more right-wing than Tikkun or Common Ground,” two other student groups on campus that

Lee continued from page 12 win the Masters. The most interesting thing about the Masters this year is whether or not players will boycott in protest of the tournament excluding women. It appears that only in the NFL do fans enjoy the unpredictability of the game — there has been no repeat champion since the Denver Broncos of 1997-98 and the popularity of the game is nonetheless on an upswing. And it’s reassuring to fans of intense competition and wild results to see that the NFL garners the highest ratings of any sport in the U.S.

against for years and will only increase their resistance through rallies, letters and demonstrations that could include human shields of U.S. citizens in Iraq. Flavio Casoy ’03, who also attended the viewing, said “the State of the Union was a hawkish, conservative, corporate farright call” though he said it would raise the president’s popularity with the general public. Ethan Ris ’05, a Herald staff writer and the president of the College Democrats, who gathered in Arnold Lounge Tuesday night, called the speech a “terrible sham” and “just as sad as I thought it would be.” “Bush’s favorite thing to do,” Ris said, “is to appear centrist and try to please everyone, when in reality he is radically conservative.” Ris described the president’s rhetoric on the situation in Iraq and the proposed tax cut as “more of the same.” Brian McGuirk ’06, watching with the Democrats, said he was “heartened” by Bush’s initiative for AIDS in Africa, a commitment of 15 billion dollars to address what Bush called a “plague of nature.” But, he said, “I’m waiting to see how the President plans to address (implementation) … cutting sex education programs and so on.” Schiller called it “the most humane and least controversial” initiative the president can take in Africa “without being interventionist.” Kellyn Blossom ’05.5 said she’s concerned with the president’s assertions that the U.S. would act unilaterally towards Iraq if necessary. “It’s scary because of the implications that we don’t care what other people think,” she said. “The Lone Ranger mentality — it makes me afraid.”

focus on Israel. Maracus said the event “was a wonderful way to educate people. “People can say Israel isn’t perfect, and it isn’t perfect, just like any country isn’t perfect, but comparatively, I think Israel is more progressive than the United States,” he said. Reinharz said the actual elections reflect a populace upset with economic problems and constant violence.“I think the Labor party has its merits, but I think more Israelis are turning to Likud, because they’re really worried.” — Julian Leichty

Perhaps it is an indicator of the national mood that fans value security over unpredictability in sports. If that’s the way it is, so be it. But it would be nice if fans could tune in more to lesserknown sports that don’t have big name dominators and appreciate the intense competition and talent that is out there. Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment once said, “Anything can happen in the WWF,” but sports mantra doesn’t appear to sit well with most sports fans. First, fans prefer watching something predictable happen, and second, they got the F out of the WWF. Hanyen Andrew Lee ’06 is a proponent of competitive markets.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

State of the University Last night’s State of the Union address offered Americans an opportunity to hear the president’s vision of where the United States stands now and where President George W. Bush wants it to go. Although we may not agree with his views, the constitutional provision requiring the president to go before Congress once a year has become one of the most direct lines between the government and the citizenry that it serves. Just as the United States is currently undergoing a period of rapid change, so too is Brown. It stands to reason that Brown students, no less than ordinary Americans, would benefit to hear directly from their leader regarding the state of the University. President Ruth Simmons outlined sweeping changes in her Plan for Academic Enrichment, many of which will begin to come to fruition in the coming semesters. Numerous faculty and staff have moved on, and many have been replaced by outsiders with their own visions for Brown. This can be seen most recently with the announcement that Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Janina Montero will soon leave for the University of California at Los Angeles. The administration, to its credit, announces such changes through occasional e-mails and letters, and has done an admirable job of involving students in major administrative decisions that directly affect student life, such as the search for a new provost. But even with all the information, it’s not always easy to understand the big picture. For this reason, the University would benefit if Simmons followed in the democratic tradition of the State of the Union address and began a practice of delivering a State of the University address once a year to all students, faculty and staff, outlining in broad terms where we are and where we hope to go as an institution. Simmons communicates regularly with the Undergraduate Council of Students, The Herald and the Corporation, just as President Bush frequently holds cabinet meetings and press conferences. These smaller meetings, while important, do little to inspire or inform the average citizen or student. As a result, many at the University must accept the outlook and master plan of a leader they may have seen speak only once. We recognize that President Simmons is a busy woman, between implementing her new initiatives and raising the money to fund them. Yet without communicating this vision to the student body directly, many will remain ignorant of the important changes affecting their lives at Brown. According to her assistant, David Greene, Simmons receives between 10 and 20 invitations to speaking engagements every week, and with good reason — Simmons has proved herself to be a powerful and captivating orator. We would like to enter our own request to the pile — twenty minutes a year to keep the beneficiaries of the president’s plans informed about the future and faithful in their leader’s ability to navigate the present.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Elena Lesley, Editor-in-Chief Brian Baskin, Executive Editor Zachary Frechette, Executive Editor Kerry Miller, Executive Editor Kavita Mishra, Senior Editor Stephanie Harris, Academic Watch Editor Carla Blumenkranz, Arts & Culture Editor Rachel Aviv, Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Julia Zuckerman, Campus Watch Editor Juliette Wallack, Metro Editor Adam Stella, Asst. Metro Editor Jonathan Skolnick, Opinions Editor Joshua Skolnick, Opinions Editor PRODUCTION Ilena Frangista, Listings Editor Marc Debush, Copy Desk Chief Grace Farris, Graphics Editor Andrew Sheets, Graphics Editor Kimberly Insel, Photography Editor Jason White, Photography Editor Brett Cohen, Systems Manager

RYAN

LETTERS Skeptics raise doubts concerning Brown University’s new wireless coverage plan To the Editor:

To the Editor:

Reading through your recent article on installing a wireless network at Brown, I was struck by the excitement the C.I.T. people and two students seem to feel about what looks to me like a waste of resources. While a wireless network may be useful for the several students who own laptops, have LAN cards, and want to sit on the Green and go online, it would make more sense to simply install several more DSL-wired computers in convenient places.

The article “Amid security concerns, CIS rolls out plan for campus-wide wireless network coverage” (Jan. 23), did a good job of covering potential benefits of the CIS plan. However, though the article did mention some concerns about network security, I hope that future articles will consider other potential costs. At minimum, we should know how much the plan would cost and how that money might otherwise be spent. Maybe that money would be better spent increasing the number of computer labs on campus or even furthering endeavors altogether unrelated to technology. It is also worth asking if the plan would increase economic stratification at Brown; perhaps not everyone can afford a laptop to use on the Main Green.

James Deboer ‘03 Jan. 23

BUSINESS Jamie Wolosky, General Manager Joe Laganas, Executive Manager Moon-Suk Oh, Marketing Manager David Zehngut, National Accounts Manager Lawrence Hester, University Accounts Manager Bill Louis, University Accounts Manager Hyebin Joo, Local Accounts Manager Jungdo Yu, Local Accounts Manager Tugba Erem, Local Accounts Manager Jack Carrere, Noncomm Accounts Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Kate Sparaco, Office Manager P O S T- M A G A Z I N E Alex Carnevale, Editor-in-Chief Dan Poulson, Executive Editor Morgan Clendaniel, Senior Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, Senior Editor Doug Fretty, Film Editor Colin Hartnett, Design Editor SPORTS Joshua Troy, Executive Sports Editor Nick Gourevitch, Senior Sports Editor Jonathan Meachin, Senior Sports Editor Jermaine Matheson, Sports Editor Maggie Haskins, Sports Editor Alicia Mullin, Sports Editor

Cookie Ruth, Night Editor Marc Debush, Copy Editor Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Zach Barter, Hannah Bascom, Carla Blumenkranz, Dylan Brown, Danielle Cerny, Philissa Cramer, Ian Cropp, Maria Di Mento, Bamboo Dong, Jonathan Ellis, Nicholas Foley, Dana Goldstein, Alan Gordon, Nick Gourevitch, Joanna Grossman, Stephanie Harris, Shara Hegde, Anna Henderson, Momoko Hirose, Akshay Krishnan, Brent Lang, Hanyen Lee, Jamay Liu, Allison Lombardo, Lisa Mandle, Jermaine Matheson, Jonathan Meachin, Monique Meneses, Alicia Mullin, Crystal Z.Y. Ng, Joanne Park, Sara Perkins, Melissa Perlman, Eric Perlmutter, Samantha Plesser, Cassie Ramirez, Lily Rayman-Read, Zoe Ripple, Amy Ruddle, Emir Senturk, Jen Sopchockchai, Adam Stella, Adam Stern, Stefan Talman, Chloe Thompson, Jonathon Thompson, Joshua Troy, Juliette Wallack, Jessica Weisberg, Ellen Wernecke, Ben Wiseman, Xiyun Yang, Brett Zarda, Julia Zuckerman Pagination Staff Jessica Chan, Melissa Epstein, Joshua Gootzeit, Caroline Healy, Hana Kwan, Stacy Wong Copy Editors Anastasia Ali, Yafang Deng, Hanne Eisenfeld, Emily Flier, George Haws, Eliza Katz, Blair Nelsen, Amy Ruddle, Janis Sethness

LEVESQUE

Christopher Harris ‘04 Jan. 23

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OPINIONS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 11

A script for success? Bush’s unilateralism puts him at risk of playing a villain in the Iraqi conflict REFERRING TO IRAQ’S ABILITY TO ting in Bush’s way. Despite overwhelming avoid disarmament, George W. Bush international insistence that we go to the recently stated, “This looks like a rerun of a United Nations before “arresting” Saddam, bad movie, and I’m not interested in Bush seems intent on going it alone. When Bush went to the United Nations watching it.” Well, Bush is right in some sense. This situation is becoming increas- this past fall demanding that arms inspectors return to Iraq, essentially, ingly like a movie. The only he asked for a search warrant. problem is, in this movie, the In doing so, he followed protomain character is Bush himcol perfectly. Iraq shot at self, starring as the vigilante planes in the U.N.-mandated cowboy cop. no-fly zone. In the crime analSo far, it seems like Bush is ogy, this can be seen as a violareading straight from the script tion of a restraining order. of last year’s blockbuster movie There were also signs that Iraq “Training Day.” In that movie, was building weapons of mass Denzel Washington’s character destruction. In our criminal Alonzo tries to teach his young JOSHUA SKOLNICK system, if you’ve committed a protégé his theory of law UNDECIDED serious crime, as Iraq did by enforcement. “You protect the invading Kuwait, you may be sheep by catching the wolves. prohibited from buying cerIt takes a wolf to catch a wolf,” tain weapons. The fact is, Iraq he tells him sternly. Later in the movie, after Washington’s character wrecks invaded a neighboring sovereign nation a woman’s house while searching for drugs without the slightest provocation, and cerwithout a search warrant, his protégé is tain restrictions apply to outlaw states. A stunned that he could flaunt protocol so search warrant seemed appropriate. Bush was rightly awarded his search brazenly. Washington responds harshly to his protégé’s disbelief. “There’s hemor- warrant, by a unanimous 15-0 vote in the rhoids walking free on the streets right now Security Council. So far, so good. But here’s who’ve killed … three, four, five people. I where the tough part comes in. Protocol know it, they know it, every detective on suggests that if a police officer finds alarmpayroll knows it. Why do these turds still ing evidence, he must obtain an arrest warfloat around? The rules.” Yes, just as the rant before he can arrest the criminal. But rules got in Alonzo’s way, they are now get- the Bush team seems intent on going with a “coalition of the willing.” Just like in the old Wild West movies, when there’s a bad Joshua Skolnick ‘04 thinks that Colin guy out on the streets, you round up whoPowell should be the next president of ever wants to fight, form a posse and you the United States.

go get ’em. Of course, if a cop is shot at directly, he is allowed to return fire without filling out paperwork. There are times when “going it alone” makes sense. Similarly, when we are directly attacked, we don’t have to wait for the United Nations before we respond. Saddam, however, has not directly attacked us. Making the case against Saddam is more like making the case against a mob boss. It’s a slow and steady process of piecing together evidence, despite the fact that everyone knows the guy is a killer. Many of the arguments against this war in Iraq can be explained away if you’ve got Alonzo’s mindset. “Didn’t we supply Saddam with weapons and military assistance just a little more than a decade ago?” some have protested. In “Training Day,” the protégé makes a similar comment to Alonzo after Alonzo shoots an old friend. “That man was your friend and you killed him like a fly.” In the movie version of the LAPD, and in our current international relations, reality comes before consistency. The same goes for our policy of letting off some bad guys and going after others. We’ll ignore the terrorist training camps in Syria or the corrupt regime in Saudi Arabia, if they help us get Iraq. There’s no justice in letting one criminal go free simply because he rats out another, more important criminal. But it gets the job done. The debate about Iraq does not run on a left-right spectrum. It is a debate between those who will bend the rules for their

desired outcome, and those who acknowledge that despite their desires, the law must reign supreme. That is why some less ideological Republicans are wary of this war. They scoff at the idealistic liberation of Iraq that the Bush team touts. It is also why some liberals favor the war. They see the imminent end of human rights abuses in Iraq, and they are willing to break international law to achieve that end. It’s hard to tell which side is right in this debate. Just as Alonzo touts his impressive arrest record as justification for his tactics, military and intelligence figures will no doubt advise us that the safety which we take for granted has often been earned though less-than-legal procedures. On the other hand, the United States has been defined, for the greater part of our history, as a “good cop.” We’ve stood out among nations for our rigorous application of due process. Our darkest moments have been when we’ve let our rage at the criminals in our midst blind us to the necessity and nobility of the law. From Japanese internment camps to the McCarthy hearings, our most humiliating episodes have been when we’ve stressed security over the law. While our safety may be dependent on leaders with the mindsets of Alonzo and George W., our honor is dependent on defying those kinds of leaders. It’s a tough choice to make, but in the end, our country has achieved its greatness by choosing honor over safety. Bush is right in saying that this situation looks like a movie. What he doesn’t realize is that he may be playing the villain.

Whites cannot relate to minority experiences White privilege makes it necessary for minorities to have their own groups and programs I WEAR GLASSES. THIS DOES NOT MEAN is a program built to give students the that I would ever walk up to Stevie Wonder strength to combat not only the racism and say, “Hey, I’m down with that whole they will most certainly face on this cameyesight problem.” It’s for that reason that pus, but that they have experienced I can’t help laughing when a white person throughout their lives. Because I brought tells me that they understand and experi- up TWTP, let me just ask, how many of the students that used The Herald ence racism. as a forum to complain about In my time at Brown, I have the program are members of never been present for a disBUAD? How many of these cussion on racism at which a students who were eager to white student did not attempt discuss racial issues with to join in by volunteering his minorities actually took that or her experiences. I cannot opportunity when it was count the times I have heard a offered to them? Not many. student say, “Yeah, but what That’s because it is easier to about the racism that whites complain about being excludgo through?” First of all, ed than it is to be included, racism by definition can not NICK NOON and it is something that can be be experienced by whites, but BROWN INTRUDER added to the column of this is an argument about “reverse discrimination.” wording, not experience. What else do we have? Oh, Anyway, I am not denying that this type of discussion is important, but yes, all those clubs on campus devoted to not for the reason that people think. I minorities. I love hearing white students believe the only good that comes from a complain about ethnic groups on camwhite student describing the injustices in pus. There’s MEChA for the Mexicans, their lives that result from racism is that it OUAP for the blacks, but what about the shows us that whites have very little to white kids? “Racism!” they say. How many times have we heard white students comcomplain about. Your friend’s mother doesn’t like you plain that if they were to start the because you are white, when that friend’s Caucasian club on campus, they would be mother has been oppressed by whites her branded racists? Well, they should be entire life? You aren’t allowed to attend branded racists, and narcissists as well. It TWTP, which exists to empower minori- seems to me that their cry originates from ties before they are confronted by our a desire for equity. They want what is fair; if Latinos get a club, by golly, they should often racist campus? Racism? Please. So what are the white cries of discrimi- get one too. Setting aside the fact that nation? Let’s see if we can break this down. most clubs and fraternities on this camWe have TWTP, of course, the horror. This pus are dominated by whites, meaning white clubs do pretty much already exist, this complaint ignores the bigger picture. Nick Noon ‘05 has worn glasses since These organizations are established to freshman year of high school.

celebrate cultures that get ignored by the nation. Growing up in Los Angeles as a Mexican in a school system that was about 75 percent Latino, I learned two things about my culture: a history lesson on the Mexican-American war and a short lived physical education unit in hat dancing. However, white culture, or the lack there of, happens to be the culture of our country. Yup, learned all about it in high school, and I’m not really complaining about that, either. I’m merely pointing out that growing up in the ’90s, I have not been exposed to my culture in a realm outside my family. Therefore, this fictitious Caucasian club, established specifically to celebrate whiteness, is unnecessary because we already have one. It’s called the United States. And that is why minorities both need and deserve ethnic and cultural organizations and why whites’ cries for a Caucasian student union are laughable. In addition to celebrating culture, organizations such as MEChA exist to strengthen students against the racism they encounter, both on and off campus. This is a service that white students do not need, despite what they may think. So what does that leave us with? We’ve covered TWTP and we’ve covered the absent WSA (White Student Alliance). It leaves us with everyday experiences, that everybody goes through, whatever his or her color. Not racism, which is defined by discrimination that can be backed up with a system of power (white privilege). Something more like discrimination. Yes, sorry to say, there are minorities out there that don’t like white people. But as a minority, what can you do with this dislike? Not much. Maybe call white people

crackers and make fun of them when they dance, but nothing too earth shattering. Whites, on the other hand, are in the convenient position of having an entire nation of white privilege behind them. It is this privilege and discrimination that can account for a recent MIT/Harvard study in which 5,000 applications, all with equal qualifications, were sent out in response to several jobs listed in the Boston Globe. Half of these applications were given white-sounding names, such as Neil Smith, and the other half were given black-sounding names, such as Tayisa Jones. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, the “white” applications were responded to 50 percent more often than the “black” ones. This is what I am talking about. Yes, your boyfriend’s mother may not like you because you are white, but that’s about all she can do about it. Her only recourse, after enduring a lifetime of discrimination in which she may have seen examples of racism that I cannot possibly imagine, is to pick on her son’s white girlfriend. I kinda feel bad for her. The saddest part about racism is that I don’t think that I, or anybody else, has a solution to it. But I know what the answers aren’t. When a white individual is faced with a population that has been oppressed by whites for hundreds of years and continues to be oppressed by a nation built on systematic racism and injustice, I think that it’s fair to say that the best approach probably isn’t saying, “Yeah, but I’ve got it bad, too.” Please don’t make comparisons, because, frankly, it’s insulting. And don’t try to pretend that it’s the same, because we all know it isn’t and your claims only frustrate and irritate us.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29, 2003 · PAGE 12

Lovin’ disparity, domination in pro sports SPORTS FANS ARE FULL OF CONTRADICtions. On the one hand, they love to cheer against the established favorite. Doesn’t everybody like it when the underdog wins? Isn’t it more exciting when the outcome of each season hasn’t been effectively predetermined? Wouldn’t more people watch a dogfight with two equally matched English colliers rather than one with a German shepherd taking two bites to chew down a HANYEN ANDREW LEE C h i h u a h u a ? WHAT A MANEUVER (Actually, both of those scenarios would be cool to watch). Yet in spite of the excitement a competitive, unpredictable atmosphere provides, sports fans counterintuitively tune in more to sports on television when dominant teams and personalities run rampage over the competition. To the average sports fan, security and comfort appear to be more valued commodities than the wild, crazy, unpredictable side of sports. Examples in many sports show this. The ratings were at an all-time high in the NBA when Michael Jordan and the 1996-98 Chicago Bulls were trouncing the opposition without breaking a sweat. They were the lowest when eight different teams won NBA titles in the 70s, and they started increasing when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird dominated the league in the 80s. The numbers don’t lie. When Michael Schumacher leaves his opponents in the dust, people flock to watch. The recent Formula One motor racing season concluded with Schumacher winning a record 11 out of 17 races, leaving no suspense as to who the champ was going to be at any time, and people loved it. I’d personally prefer to see him crash more and see other people win close races with exciting nail-biting finishes. Dynasties in team sports give fans something to latch on to, but the level of competition is not always the highest when only one or two teams dominate. When the New York Yankees win the World Series every year, many fans get caught up in rooting for some team to dethrone them rather than value the excitement of other pennant races. Many people watch hockey today to see the Detroit Red Wings slaughter opponents on their way to another title. A dominating team such as the Yankees and Red Wings commands so much attention that it gets built up into a mythical entity that fans can appeal to or totally detest. Granted, it is cool to see history being made by a few incredible teams or individuals, but the level of competition suffers by having fewer viable teams to contend for championships. Nowhere is this phenomenon more visible than in golf. Before Tiger Woods emerged as perhaps the greatest golfer ever, golf was not given much respect by casual fans in spite of the many great players contending against each other at every major championship. Now Tiger has made golf a mainstream sport, but he dominates to such an extent that it’s no longer fun to make bets on who’s going to see LEE, page 9

Finst ’04 wins individual all-around title, as gymnastics moves up to .500 The Brown women’s gymnastics team improved its record to 4-4 on the season with a 188.250-181.400 victory over Southern Connecticut and a 188.250180.100 victory over Alaska on Sunday afternoon at the Pizzitola Sports Center. Jayne Finst ’04 led the way for the Bears, winning all four events in addition to the individual all-around, while teammate Gina Verge ’04 placed second on two events in addition to a second place finish in the all-around. Brown opened up competition on the vault as Finst led all gymnasts with a season-high 9.550. Sarah Wesley and Kristan Silvestri, both of Southern Connecticut, grabbed second (9.400) and third (9.375), respectively, while Amber Smith ’06 took fourth with a season-high 9.350. Alaska’s Mandi Burdick rounded out the top five gymnasts with a 9.325. On the bars, Brown grabbed a 1-2 sweep as Finst scored a season-high 9.625 to lead all gymnasts, while Verge came in second with a 9.575. Nicole Gregoire of Southern Connecticut finished in third place with a 9.425 and Burdick placed fourth with a 9.400. Kelly Vanessia Wu / Herald Moran ’05 rounded out the top-five fin- Gymnastics will host its final home meet of the season on Sunday at the Pizzitola ishers with a season-high 9.300. Center, when it faces the University of Pennsylvania, Bridgeport and Brockport. Brown completed a 1-2-3 sweep on the beam, as Finst, Verge and Melissa a season-high 9.700. Alaska’s Jesse Currie with a 37.075. Brown’s Smith rounded Forziat ’05 each posted season highs. took fourth with a 9.650, and her team- out the gymnasts, scoring a 36.850. The Bears continue action on Sunday, Finst won with a 9.800, followed by Verge mate Joanne Mitchell grabbed fifth with with a 9.750 and Forziat with a 9.500. a 9.600. Jillian Day ’04 also scored a sea- Feb. 2, hosting Pennsylvania, Bridgeport Wesley and Silvestri each scored a 9.350 son-high on the floor, as she posted a and Brockport in a 1 p.m. meet at the Pizzitola Sports Center. for Southern Connecticut, rounding out 9.400, helping the Brown team score. The meet is the final home meet of the In the all-around competition, Finst the top-five places. The Bears also enjoyed a 1-2-3 sweep led all competitors with a season-high year, and will also mark the final home on the floor, as Finst won her fourth 38.800. Verge took second with a season- meet for Jamie Shapiro ’03 and Sarah event with a season-high 9.825. Forziat high 37.475. Wesley grabbed third with a Keil ’03. — Brown Sports Information and Smith tied for second, as each scored 37.425, while Burdick grabbed fourth

Men, women’s ski teams perform well in tune-up for year’s one home carnival BY DANIEL C. MURRAY

New members of the Brown men’s and women’s ski teams lived up to expectations providing solid performances last weekend at the Plymouth State Carnival in Waterville, N.H. Despite losing last year’s captain, Elizabeth Dibona ’02, and three other members, the women’s ski team proved once again they are national contenders. Dibona’s sister, Doria, has taken over at the helm of the women’s squad. Doria Dibona ’03 finished fourth in the slalom event Saturday. Close behind her was another solid veteran, Molly Sheinberg ’04, finishing seventh. Slalom skier Adrienne Jones ’03 also returned to help the squad after studying abroad for a year. Five female skiers finished in the top 25 on Saturday. Newcomers Hilary Swaffield ’06, Kiki Stanton ’06 and Stephanie Breakstone ’06 finished 16th, 20th and 21st, respectively. Casey Schwarz ’06 did not finish. Though new to Brown, the first-year women are seasoned ski racers. Each player skied on her varsity high school team. “The freshmen women have added a new level to the women’s team. They give the team depth so that the Bears can succeed on a team level as well as individually,” said Coach Karen Finocchio. “These new women add

tremendously to the team both on and off snow. Their relentless effort will only lead to many postseason accolades. As a coach, I am thrilled to have them as part of our squad.” On Sunday, the women proved strong again with five in the top 20 in giant slalom. Doria Dibona finished fifth. The freshman triumvirate of Breakstone, Stanton and Swaffield all finished in the top 10 — seventh, eighth and tenth respectively. “The depth of this year’s squad makes every run of every race truly exciting. Coming onto one of our home hills, they were positioned for success,” Finocchio said. “Strong showings in both giant slalom and slalom are only building the momentum towards the Brown Carnival next weekend. I could not be happier with every squad member’s performance.” The women’s team finished second place overall in the giant slalom and third in the slalom. Though not as competitive as the women’s squad, the men’s team proved rock-solid, finishing eighth in the slalom and sixth in the giant slalom. “The exciting part about the men’s team is their genuine love of skiing and ski racing. They work exceptionally hard and fight for every result,” Finocchio said. “As coach, I am thrilled to see this team’s passion for the process of success

versus just the result itself. I feel privileged to be working with this squad.” Only four out of 10 racers finished Saturday’s slalom event. Alexander Petalas ’04 finished 43rd and Douglas Grutzmacher ’04 ended up in 58th place. Two new skiers will drastically help the team this year. Charles Cummings ’06 finished 23rd overall in the slalom and 18th in the giant slalom on Sunday. Jacob “Jakka” Colognesi ’06.5 is a transfer from Colby College, and finished third overall on Saturday and first on Sunday in the giant slalom. “Jake is a phenomenal skier. His results this season prove that Brown men’s skiing has the potential to be very competitive,” Finocchio said. “His dominating individual results have leapfrogged the program to the next level. I am excited to see where his season will go.” Captain James Maher ’03 finished 44th on Sunday. Petalas finished a second solid day of skiing in 50th place, followed by Jonathan Hastings ’05 in 53rd and newcomer Al Bernstein ’05 in 56th. Christopher Palmisano ’04, Andrew Tomlinson ’05 and Gregory Hanyen ’05 did not finish the Carnival. Both squads will host their home carnival at Loon Mountain this weekend. Daniel C. Murray ’05 is a member of the men’s ski team.