Tuesday, October 7, 2003 by The Brown Daily Herald

T U E S D A Y OCTOBER 7, 2003

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVIII, No. 87

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

The quiet success of cheerleading at Brown

URI graduate student union supported by school, state BY SARAH LABRIE

The movement for the unionization of graduate students at universities across the country hit Brown close to home recently when the graduate student union at the University of Rhode Island received formal recognition from the state. In an effort to gain power within the Brown administration, graduate teaching assistants at Brown began campaigning for a union in 2001. The Brown movement reached a stalemate when the University countered with an appeal to the National Labor Relations Board in December of that year. Unlike Brown, faculty members at URI provided full support for the union effort. Professors at URI are unionized under the American Association of University Professors, and the unionization of students allowed the school to improve graduate education because of an increase in stateprovided resources, according to one union representative. Andrea Cecconi, secretary of URI Graduate Assistants United, said it was harder to get URI students involved with the movement because there was less resistance at URI than there is at other schools. “Most universities had to fight ridiculously hard,” Cecconi said. Members of the union at URI were granted tuition waivers and health insurance as

BY ELLEN WERNECKE

see UNIONS, page 4

Suspects in Bowen robbery still at large BY ZACH BARTER

Two suspects remain at large in the robbery of a male Brown student Saturday night. The robbery occurred at 8:15 p.m. near the intersection of Hope and Bowen streets. The campus community learned of the incident in an e-mail from the Department of Public Safety Monday. The letter asked those with knowledge of the incident to contact the Brown University Detective Unit. The student reported that two men see CRIME, page 8

www.browndailyherald.com

Judy He / Herald

The Brown cheerleading squad has no rigid cut policy.“If you can attend mandatory practices and football and basketball games, as well as physically handle our practices and exemplify school spirit, then you will have a spot on the team,” Coach Kent Stetson ’01 says.

DPS Special Victims Unit assists victims of sensitive crimes BY LELA SPIELBERG

The Special Victims Unit is a relatively new branch of Brown’s Department of Public Safety that provides extra assistance for victims of particularly sensitive crimes, including domestic abuse, rape and hate crimes. The May 2002 Bratton Report inspired the new division, which reviews safety on college campuses nationwide. SVU Director Cheryl Ferreira said the department offers a myriad of services, most of them legal in nature. Victims can receive legal counseling about their specific cases, and SVU employees can help them obtain restraining orders, secure transportation to court or to the hospital and can accompa-

ny them to appointments with lawyers and detectives. The SVU also works in conjunction with deans and the Office of Psychological Services to provide emotional counseling or any other support victims may need, Ferreira said. This is the first semester the program has been in full gear, and Ferreira said she hopes anyone who needs these services will feel comfortable seeking them. She said only a few people have used SVU’s services so far. Ferreira is available during the week on the third floor of the Department of Public Safety building and at the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center on Mondays from noon to 1:30 p.m.

It’s the end of the second week of practices, and the pompoms are coming out. On a cloudy fall day, the 17 members of the Brown cheerleading squad gather in the freezing-cold gymnastics room on the second floor of the Pizzitola Sports Center. The team has two weeks to prepare for its first conference game and, with over half of its members new to Brown, there’s a lot of work to be done. Coach Kent Stetson ’01 waits at the door, handing out bright new uniforms. Loosening up before practice starts, team members chatter about classes, roommates and papers. From the sound of their voices, they could be any group of Brown students, as diverse in geography and opinion as the student body itself. “A lot of people think cheerleaders are a bunch of girls in skirts running around trying to get attention,” says Liz Muscarella ’07. Yet there are no skirts to be seen here. The team is collectively dressed in shorts and t-shirts advertising everything from Billabong to Brown summer studies. And, proving another old chestnut wrong, brunettes well outnumber blondes on the squad. At 2 p.m. sharp, Stetson approaches the mat and the team rises as one. Bare feet hit the mat in unison for the beginning warmup, done to music from the Beastie Boys to Christina Aguilera. “You’ve got the groove!” Stetson shouts as the team moves in unison. Stetson leads his team through jumping jacks, splits and a variety of stretches. They stretch everything, he says, especially wrists and ankles, which can be particular points of strain for cheerleaders. And they do abdominal work — an average of 400 crunches before each practice — which Stetson said is crucial to cheering. “People tend to use their lower backs when their stomachs aren’t as strong,” Stetson says. “Whether they’re basing or flying, the team needs strong abdominal muscles.” In between workouts, team members discuss shoulder stands and swap war stories about uniform care. They tend toward inexperience, and Co-Captain Jackie Buchwald ’05 calls this “a growing year” for the Brown team. “There’s only one senior and two juniors on the squad,” she says. “More than half the squad is freshmen, and a lot of them don’t have any experience cheerleading.” Still, Buchwald says she is optimistic. “I think (the team) is going to be great down the line,” she says. After a couple of minutes, the team returns to the mat to work on their sideline dance. Preparing for a practice with the Brown Band, they run through their moves to a tape of the band playing “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” “Think about your expressions today,” Stetson says. “Today’s (three-hour) practice see CHEERING, page 4

I N S I D E T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 7 , 2 0 0 3 University considers RIPTA bus pass only if it alleviates car crowding on campus metro,page 3

City Council member David Segal pursues overnight parking in Providence metro,page 3

Sarah Chiappinelli ’06 laments the construction of nail clippers these days column, page 9

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Conservative Calif.’s race-blind Prop. 54 based on ignorance, says Stephen Beale ’04 column, page 11

W. soccer gains two victories with freshman goalie’s first showings on the field sports, page 12

sunny high 65 low 48

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 2 Coup de Grace Grace Farris

W E AT H E R TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

High 65 Low 48 sunny

THURSDAY

High 73 Low 50 sunny

FRIDAY

High 67 Low 47 partly cloudy

High 65 Low 47 partly cloudy

GRAPHICS BY TED WU

Three Words Eddie Ahn

MENU THE RATTY LUNCH — Vegetarian Caribbean Black Bean Soup, Chicken Rice Soup, Popcorn Chicken, Artichoke Pasta Medley, Corn and Sweet Pepper Saute, Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Marshmallow Cake Roll, Raspberry Mousse Pie

V-DUB LUNCH — Vegetarian Corn & Tomato Soup, Bean & Bacon Soup, Shaved Steak Sandwich, Linguini with Tomatoes & Basil, Sunny Sprouts, Sugar Cookies

DINNER — Vegetarian Caribbean Black Bean Soup, Chicken Rice Soup, Beef Stroganoff, Orange Turkey, Grits Souffle, Au Gratin Potatoes with Fresh Herbs, Fresh Vegetable Melange, Herbed Turnips, Italian Bread, Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Marshmallow Cake Roll, Raspberry Mousse Pie

DINNER — Vegetarian Corn & Tomato Soup, Bean & Bacon Soup, Fiery Beef, Vegan Rice & Beans, Roasted Red Potatoes with Shallots, Oregon Blend Vegetables, Asparagus Cuts with Lemon, Italian Bread, Chocolate Marshmallow Cake Roll

Greg and Todd’s Awesome Comic Greg Shilling and Todd Goldstein

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Gets twisted 6 Dread 11 Eminem’s genre 14 Wahine’s welcome 15 Prefix with comic 16 Toothpaste raters’ org. 17 Bubbly fruitflavored drink 19 Actress Caldwell 20 Song of praise 21 Kind of checking account 22 Poet Pound 23 Go (for) 25 Citizens 27 Carpenter, at times 32 Lee of baking 33 Wall St. debut 34 “What am I supposed to __?” 36 Tennessee footballer 39 Pretentious nonsurfer 41 Suffix with brom42 Honeybunch 43 1961 Newbery Medal winner Scott __ 44 New __, India’s capital 46 Type of code 47 Really stink 49 Scented 51 Hold in check 54 Liberation movement issues: Abbr. 55 Indian prince 56 Like chicken à la king 59 Oil acronym 63 Letters before an alias 64 “Call sometime!” 66 Show __ 67 __ Gras 68 California candidate Arnold’s spouse 69 “__ who?” 70 Shooting game 71 Diamond misplay DOWN 1 Laundry

2 Friend in war 3 Apartment division 4 Wunderkind, in slang 5 Drop in the middle 6 “This comes __ surprise” 7 Actress Hildegarde 8 Heartache 9 Sorting devices 10 From A __ 11 Flashy theatricality 12 Esteem to the extreme 13 Song of triumph 18 Opening words 22 Chilling 24 Street vendor 26 Grovel 27 Sunshine cracker 28 Like two peas in __ 29 Eclectic post1940 music genre 30 “National Velvet” author Bagnold 31 Cowboy contest 35 Unite 1

37 Two-time Indy 500 champ Luyendyk 38 Manhattan enforcement gp. 40 Prince Valiant’s wife 45 Crowd 48 Big bear 50 Weather map line 51 Beach sidlers

M O N G O L

L A G E N N E T P R E P E N A P I L A P

S P D I O L P T E B D Y I E S P A U P T A E C S E

H A N D

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A S S N P A E N A T T H E E N R A R T S

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G A R D E N F I E L A N Y E S A L Y R I A C T L E E D

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M E R G E S

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A V E N U E

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Hopeless Edwin Chang

A L C E H E E

N I C K

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E V E N S

xwordeditor@aol.com

U G A N D A

My Best Effort Andy Hull and William Newman

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: R E L O A D

52 Jack of “The Great Dictator” 53 Lyon library offering 57 Relinquish 58 Give off 60 Siamese sound 61 Basso Pinza 62 Old Russian autocrat 64 Baseball VIPs 65 Soul, to Sartre

10/07/03

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METRO TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 3

Night parking an elusive goal for Segal

UCS-promised RIPTA passes still not reality

BY SAMUEL CULVER

When 22-year-old David Segal ran for Ward One city council member in November, he campaigned chiefly on a platform to improve overnight parking in the city. One year into his term, Segal’s goal has yet to be met, but a pilot overnight parking program to select neighborhoods may begin as early next spring — if it dodges some opposition in the Council. A committee of council members is currently studying the overnight parking issue and the city has so far sponsored three hearings about parking around the city, Segal said. “There are pockets throughout the city that overwhelmingly support a change in policy,” Segal said. As of now, overnight parking is prohibited on city streets. The new pilot policy may be tested in the spring and allow only Rhode Island residents with purchased permits to park overnight on some streets, according to Segal. The pilot program is not definitive, but is something Segal and his colleagues continue to pursue, Segal said. “I see this as a great opportunity to generate revenue for the city. The in-state fees will bring in a lot of money, but if we extend this policy to out-of-state car owners, our fees will be substantially higher,” Segal said. see SEGAL, page 8

BY LISA MANDLE

Sorleen Trevino / Herald

RIPTA’s University Pass Program allows students to use its statewide network of trolleys and buses by showing their student IDs. RIPTA began the program two years ago and currently has four participating schools.

Johnson and Wales University, Providence College and Salve Regina University already have it. And Brown students running for Undergraduate Council of Students promised to get it. But when it comes to getting Brown students unlimited access to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority system, the determining factor is whether the move will reduce cars on campus, said Vice President for Administration Walter Hunter. RIPTA’s University Pass Program allows students to use its statewide network of trolleys and buses by showing their student ID, said RIPTA Director of Marketing and Communications Karen Mensel. RIPTA began the program two years ago and currently has four participating schools, she said. Schools join the program after negotiating a mutual agreement with RIPTA, she said. Mensel would not comment on the status of Brown’s negotiations with RIPTA. Mensel said the UPass Program is working for students currently involved with it. The recent cancellation of the see RIPTA, page 8

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003

Cheering continued from page 1 is about as long as the games we’ll be cheering at.” The coach stresses the importance of visual aspects and what the audience can see. During one difficult maneuver, he instructs his team to “pretend you’re balancing a chemistry book on your head.” After they master a move, he yells, “That is the attitude we’re looking for!” But team member Ann Kuo ’07 insists cheerleading is not just about attitude. “We’re not just girls on the sidelines waving pompoms,” she says. “We’re not just there to do cheers.”

In addition to pompoms, the team also employs giant placards and meter-long megaphones to stir up fans. Stetson leads his team through the cheers, pushing them to work on their enunciation, so everyone in the stands can hear their “Beat Harvard!” After the “First and 10, do it again” cheer, he pauses to explain the down system in football to a confused team member. “Everyone should join in with our cheers,” Kuo says. “We’re there for the team and the crowd.” For many maneuvers, Buchwald counts off from the front row for her teammates. The captain of her high school cheerleading team, she says she looked for a college with a team. “I’ve always loved cheerlead-

ing,” she says. “I met the cheerleaders walking around at the Activities Fair.” Buchwald and her teammates carry on the tradition of patrolling the OMAC during the activities fair to fill much of the year’s squad. Her co-captain, Isabel Martinez ’05, only cheered in junior high. Still, Martinez says she enjoys participating on the Brown team because of the “great group of people.” “My favorite part is cheerleading at the games,” Martinez says. “When we’re doing stunts and we get the really difficult stuff up, it’s really rewarding,” she says. At some point during practice the group splits up — the three men and three of the women go to work on stunts, while the rest of the team works on their letters. The formation of the word “Brown” in pompoms by three rows of women earned them fullcolor pictures in a feature for American Cheerleader magazine this fall — the cheerleading world’s equivalent of a rock band earning a cover story in Rolling Stone. Stetson stays with the pairs doing stunts, working with one trio — a base, a spotter and a flier — at a time. Stetson demonstrates enthusiastically and drags some extra mats over to make the flier’s landing safer. “We didn’t do any stunts at the beginning of the season,” Stetson says. “I think we’ve made a lot of progress.” The Brown cheerleading squad has no rigid cut policy. “If you can attend mandatory practices and football and basketball games, as well as physically handle our practices and exemplify school spirit, then you will have a spot on the team,” Stetson says. New team members have a variety of reasons for joining. Muscarella cheered in middle school and high school, she says, while Kuo came to an open practice “sort of on a whim.” “Eventually we’re going to do a competition, which is exciting,” Kuo says. “And our coach is really cool.” Mary Coe ’06, who cheered in

high school, says her favorite part of cheerleading is the combination of “individual and collaborative efforts.” “It looks like this season’s going to turn out to be great,” she says. “We’ve got two more boys, which definitely makes a difference in terms of the stunts we can do.” Stetson and his team say the biggest misconception the team faces at Brown is that it simply does not exist. “Brown cheerleading is as old as athletics at Brown,” Stetson says. “Our increased visibility on campus and appearances on local and student television is helping to dispel this misconception.” Buchwald says many students don’t know how much time the team puts in and how athletic they must be to support their stunts. “I and several other members of the team lift weights,” she says, “and we’re fit people. We’re throwing people around, we’re doing cardio. “It’s like a team sport,” she says. “You have to work together to achieve a goal — it’s just not scoring a basket, it’s landing a stunt or doing a cheer.” Kuo says her participation “made me respect cheerleading more.” “I think we try to defy the stereotypes of what people think cheerleaders are,” she says. “The stunts we do are really difficult — our job is to make them look easy.” “When you watch the cheerleaders, it becomes apparent that this is a sport where men and women athletically work together as equals,” Stetson says. “It also is one way in which female and male students can showcase their athleticism during other sports events.” Muscarella says there’s only one way to respond to critics of her sport. “I tell them to come watch a game,” she says. Herald senior staff writer Ellen Wernecke ’06 can be reached at ew e r n e c k e @ b row n d a i l y h e r ald.com.

Unions continued from page 1 part of their contract. “People couldn’t live on what we were being paid,” Cecconi said. She called the unionization effort “purely economic.” Although members of Brown’s graduate students’ union strive for similar benefits, the motivations behind the formation of the two unions differ. Students at Brown find unionization to be a matter of dignity and respect, according to the group’s spokeswoman. A union would entail “recognition of the difference we make,” said Sheyda Jahanbani GS, spokesperson for the Brown grad student union. Frank Annunziato, executive director of the AAUP at URI, called Brown’s opposition to unionization a result of “managerial solidarity.” He argued that the university perceives the formation of a student union as a threat to administrative authority. “Here, the faculty understands that their role is not going to be challenged,” Annunziato said. Because URI is a public school, students must seek the authorization of the state to unionize. Brown and most other private schools choose to unionize under the NLRB. If students at Brown do win union recognition, they will do so as part of the United Auto Workers union. The UAW supported New York University students in a similar battle two years ago which resulted in the creation of the first graduate student union at a private university. The NLRB impounded the ballots from a December 2001 vote on whether students at Brown should officially seek union authorization. The results of the election will not be released until the NLRB rules on Brown’s appeal and appeals filed by Tufts University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, where similar conflicts are taking place. The decision could be handed down at any time, according to Patricia Gilbert, the associate director of information at the NLRB. “The judgement is at the board members’ discretion,” Gilbert said. But Jahanbani said she is worried the political makeup of the board will affect its decision. “It’s not a labor-supportive environment,” Jahanbani said. “The University is handing the Bush administration a victory with its conservative, anti-worker agenda.” Annunziato agreed, accusing the University’s appeal of showing “a lack of creativity and a lack of imagination.” “Ruth Simmons is a liberal person,” Annunziato said. “Brown should rethink its perspective on this.” To maintain support for the union movement during the indefinite waiting period, the Brown grad student union has protested at trustee meetings and advertised its cause to grad students as well as undergraduates. “We want to establish a community,” Jahabani said. A ruling in favor of Brown’s appeal will not affect the NYU grad students’ union, but it could potentially end unionization efforts involving the NLRB among grad students at all private universities.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 5

IN BRIEF White House to take more control of Iraq reconstruction Washington (L.A. Times) — Amid criticism of the

Pentagon’s role in the Iraqi reconstruction, the Bush administration is creating an interagency group that gives the White House more control over decision-making, officials said Monday. Many observers described the reorganization as a way to shift some authority away from the Defense Department. White House officials insisted that the creation of the Iraq Stabilization Group was little more than a bureaucratic rejiggering designed to enhance efficiency in Washington and better support the Defense Department, which has exercised nearly total control of the military occupation and reconstruction of Iraq. “It’s common for the National Security Council to coordinate efforts, interagency efforts,” Bush said during a brief session with reporters.“And Condi Rice, the national security adviser, is doing just that.” Others saw the move as a way to pull some authority back into the White House and give a greater voice to departments and agencies unhappy with the Pentagon’s predominance. “It brings it out of the sole province of the Department of Defense,” said Andy Fisher, chief of staff to Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who has argued that the State Department’s role in Iraq should be more prominent.“This allows the allocation (of authority) to occur in an interagency way.” Establishment of the Iraq Stabilization Group comes as Bush’s approval ratings are at their lowest level since he took office, with polls showing increasing public concern about his foreign policy leadership. The move is at least the second reorganization of Iraq policymaking since the end of the war. Initially, retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner led the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, but he was soon replaced by retired Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III as head of a restructured Coalition Provisional Authority. As did Garner, Bremer reports directly to the Pentagon. “I think the president has lost confidence in his national security team,” said Thomas Mann, a government expert at the Brookings Institution, a centrist public policy center in Washington. “I think he has been genuinely surprised that the postwar effort has cost as much and gone as badly as it has,” he said.“This wouldn’t have happened without one unhappy camper in the Oval Office.” The new group will replace the existing “executive steering group” composed of officials at the assistant secretary level from the departments of Defense, State and Treasury and the CIA. That group has been coordinating policy on a day-to-day basis but has not had policymaking authority. The Iraq Stabilization Group will be one rung higher on the bureaucratic ladder, consisting of undersecretaries who have some policymaking authority, said National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack. A similar group will be formed to coordinate policy in Afghanistan, he said. White House officials described the reorganization as a way to “cut though red tape” as the United States increases its involvement and investment in Iraq. Congress is considering Bush’s budget request of an additional $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. “Our efforts are accelerating in Iraq, and this is a way to focus in on those areas here in Washington, D.C., as more resources come in, so that we can do everything from Washington to support the efforts in Iraq,”White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. While McClellan dismissed the idea that power would shift from the Pentagon, saying that “nothing changes in terms of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Department of Defense,” other observers disagreed. One State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the move gives the National Security Council more direct control of reconstruction efforts at the expense of the Pentagon. Giving the State Department and other agencies a seat at the table will “prevent the Pentagon from stonewalling or blindsiding people,” the official said.

Washington Post

Hakem Kharqani visits the cell he lived in for 20 years in the Abu Ghraib prison. More than 30 other men lived in the cell with him; the filthy, overcrowded conditions led to a host of medical problems, such as tuberculosis.

Ex-prisoners describe horrors, call for justice ABU GHRAIB, IRAQ (Washington Post) — Prisoners were

brought to Iraq’s most feared prison in an ice-cream truck, a soft cone painted on its side. After sentencing at the nearby Revolutionary Court, following a perfunctory trial, the prisoners were hustled outside and loaded in the back. “We were waddling like penguins because of the torture,” recalled Ahmed Mohammed Baqer Attar, a 41-year-old Baghdad physician. “And then we saw an old ice-cream truck.” “It’s hard to believe,” he continued, a smoker’s laugh rising from his chest. “But everything was hard to believe.” On the short ride to the prison, a forbidding structure that sprawls over 280 acres about 20 miles west of Baghdad, the men who had just been sentenced to death kissed those who had received jail terms and begged them to get word of their fate to their families. “They were weeping and trembling and they made us swear,” said Karim Hassan Jabbar, 45, another physician who spent nine years in the prison. In the shuddering whispers of this formerly closed society, Abu Ghraib was known as a colossal dungeon where the silent screams of its captives became the symbol of state terror. Abu Ghraib was the Iraqi gulag. Some of those in the ice-cream van, facing 20 years in this prison rather than death, wondered if they were the unlucky ones. “I felt such agony, such despair, it felt like a knife turning in my stomach,” said Hakem Kharqani, 43, of the moment he crossed the prison’s threshold in 1982. He had already endured torture at the headquarters of the secret police in Baghdad, including electric shock. He feared it would continue without end. For thousands of political prisoners crudely executed by hanging in its ghoulish death chamber, Abu Ghraib was the final station in an excruciatingly brutal system. Thousands more who eluded the hangman were forced to survive in overcrowded, putrescent, disease-infested cells where the threat of violence, including beatings, torture and summary execution, was ever-present. Today, Abu Ghraib’s political prisoners are giving witness to the apparatus of repression under former president Saddam Hussein. The survivors are providing detailed, firsthand testimony, one at a time, about the system’s capricious barbarism. A more complete historical accounting is likely to take years. The prospect of trials, both for the country’s onetime leadership and its functionaries, remains distant. Among survivors, there is a strong desire that the pain of Abu Ghraib not be forgotten. They want a new legal system to exact retribution, and they want the lessons of the past to be etched into memory as a guarantee of Iraq’s future freedom. “The prisoners are Iraq’s best teachers,” said Kharqani. The secret police, dressed in civilian clothes, came for Kharqani at home. It was just hours after an evening celebration at Baghdad’s Alwiya club where his civil engineering class marked its graduation. Upon his return from the club, his family showered him with chocolates, an Iraqi tradition. He was the first among seven children to get a university

degree. Away from the neighborhood, in the back of the vehicle, Kharqani was blindfolded and handcuffed. He was taken to the headquarters of the Directorate of General Security, where he was chained to a radiator in a corridor outside interrogation rooms, a hood still over his head. He could hear the screams and moans of prisoners undergoing questioning. “They softened you up by forcing you to listen,” said Attar, who was arrested after he was summoned from a class on microorganisms to the deputy dean’s office at Kufa University. Two agents quietly led him away and then drove him to Baghdad. Occasionally, a passing guard whacked the shackled prisoners with a stick. They flinched at footsteps, barely breathing in their shrouded darkness. Some prisoners had already soiled their pants. After several hours, the prisoners were brought into an interrogation room. The questions began with the routine: name, age, occupation. Then, an offer to confess now, and avoid the worst. Some prisoners, like Kharqani, had no sense of the charges against them. Others, like Attar, understood that admitting to membership in prohibited groups, such as the Shiite Dawa party, meant death. The word of an informer, the forced confession of a friend or, in some cases, genuine intelligence led to the arrests. Islamicactivists, Communists and Kurds all shared the same fate. Kharqani was the unwitting acquaintance of a student involved in an Islamic opposition group accused of attacking Tariq Aziz, then deputy prime minister, with a grenade as he opened a student conference. Attar moved in religiously active student circles at his college in southern Iraq, near the holy city of Najaf. Abdul Hussein Faraj, 47, who was arrested in 1988, admits now that he was a member of the banned Dawa party. Once one member of a family was arrested, other relatives were exposed. Kharqani’s younger brother, Raheem, later disappeared, and his father died within a day of being released from the General Security headquarters. The family suspects he was poisoned. In the interrogation room, the hoods were removed. The prisoners had their hands tied behind their backs with cuffs and rope; Faraj’s wrist is still cross-hatched with scars from when he was bound. They were then hoisted by a rope attached to a hook in the ceiling so they dangled above the ground, the tendons in their shoulders tearing under the strain. The ball and socket in the shoulders of some prisoners completely rotated, Attar said. The prisoners were lashed with cables. Clips were attacked to their earlobes, nipples and genitals and they were administered electric shocks. When they passed out, as they almost invariably did, they were dragged back to the corridor and cuffed again to the radiator, a dozen former prisoners recalled in interviews.

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003

Court rejects rules barring cable Internet comp. (L.A. Times) Washington — In a

decision that could spur new competition, a federal appeals court on Monday struck down rules allowing cable TV operators to bar rivals from offering high-speed Internet access on their networks. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the Federal Communications Commission to treat cable high-speed Internet access similar to the way it treats broadband on telephone networks. Phone companies must allow competing Internet service providers — such as EarthLink Inc., AOL Time Warner Inc.’s

America Online and Microsoft Corp. — to sell high-speed access over their systems. The ruling, which the FCC said it would appeal, represents another legal setback for the agency, which in the last two years has seen media ownership rules and some cable TV regulations overturned. FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell said the latest court ruling throws “a monkey wrench into the FCC’s efforts to develop a vitally important national broadband policy.” Powell has said that giving cable companies the exclusive right to sell high-speed access over their lines encourages

investment in new technologies. But EarthLink said the decision would lower broadband prices and spur innovation. “This is a big victory for consumers,” said David Baker, vice president for legal and regulatory affairs at EarthLink. “The practical result of this decision is that cable broadband will be required to offer us and any other ISP (Internet service provider) the ability to offer broadband to their customers.” EarthLink was a plaintiff in the case along with the California Public Utilities Commission and several consumer groups.

Schwarzenegger urges voters to choose his leadership San Jose, Calif. (L.A. Times) — On

his final day of campaigning, Arnold Schwarzenegger told enthusiastic crowds that the election-day question is clearcut: Whether California’s finances, economy and image should languish under Gov. Gray Davis or rebound under the inspired leadership he vowed to deliver. The recall, he told about 500 people packed into an airplane hangar here, is a popular uprising aimed at a cloistered political class that has lost touch with average Californians. “Tomorrow it is all about the people vs. the government, the politicians,” he said. “It is the people vs. the politicians. So make sure you go out and vote.” Schwarzenegger led rallies here, in Huntington Beach and in San Bernardino, flying up and down the state in a private jet. Dozens of journalists followed on a separate plane. For the last several days the campaign has been dogged by charges that Schwarzenegger groped and mistreated women over a span of three decades. Though he dismissed the accusations in some recent campaign appearances as “puke politics,” he made no mention of them at any of his rallies on Monday. Still, the campaign

dropped in symbolic messages to portray Schwarzenegger as respectful of women. Behind him on the stage here were no fewer than 50 women, many of them waving signs reading, “Remarkable Women for Arnold.” At other moments on the trail, the visuals weren’t so accommodating. At the rally in Huntington Beach, a young woman on stage was wearing a bikini. She was given a shirt to put on before Schwarzenegger arrived for his speech. Schwarzenegger was introduced at all three rallies by his wife, Maria Shriver, who has appeared frequently with him on the trail since the charges were first published in the Los Angeles Times on Thursday. Family was trumpeted. Shriver’s mother, Eunice, joined the couple on stage at the Huntington Beach rally, where young men and women holding surfboards stood in the background, the ocean in the distance. Schwarzenegger was given a surfboard as a gift, complete with his likeness. In her introductions, Maria Shriver spoke of the couple’s 17year marriage and mentioned that she had told their children that it took “great, great courage” for their father “to jump into this race.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7

Field hockey continued from page 12 The Bears were unable to stay with the speedy Husky squad. Not only was Northeastern a faster team than Brown but their superior passing skills made a Brown comeback virtually impossible. The Huskies continued to pressure the Brown defense and broke through for three more goals in the second half. But Brown realized much of Northeastern’s success was built on its own mistakes. “Northeastern had great passing, quick passing, but I don’t think the game should have been 6-1,” Buza said. “Part of our downfall was that people came out of their position and were trying to do to much and then weren’t available where we needed them.” Much like the Harvard game, Brown’s own ability to transition the ball from defense to offense was less than stellar. “We passed the ball more to Northeastern than they passed to themselves,” Norris said. “I actually think some kids gave up today, playing wise, after they got down a couple goals.” The 6-1 loss certainly hit the Bears hard. It was the first time the defense had given up more than two goals in a game all year, and it was evident Bruno was forcing passes. With that in mind, the coaching staff gave the team Thursday off, and the players responded by organizing an activity of their own. “We went up to the roof and played soccer. We went back to having fun with each other and not being so stressed out,” Buza said. On Saturday, a completely different Brown team took to Warner Roof to face off against the Boston College Eagles. The Bears jumped on the board first as Molly Carleton ’04 recorded an unassisted goal, giving the Bears a first-half lead for the first time since Sept. 14 against BU. Though Boston College answered back quickly, Brown was a completely different team than the one that faced off against Northeastern. The Bears passing and transitioning were much improved, and the defense once again stopped countless Boston College attacks. With the game still knotted at 1-1 in the second half, a Buza

shot almost gave the Bears the lead. While fans heard the familiar smack of the ball hitting the back of the goal, it was just a tease — Buza’s shot had hit the left post and went out of bounds. “We don’t hit the post and we would have been up 2-1. Either way those are momentum swings, that pumped the BC defense up,” Norris said. She added, “To get up to score was great. We have been struggling with that lately and just being in the circle was good.” Yet, the rejuvenated Brown squad could only hang so long with the Eagles. With 13:50 left in the game, exhaustion set in for the Bears and Boston College was able to capitalize, scoring four goals in the final 15 minutes. “I think we played the best we played all year for the first 55 minutes and then we ran out of gas for the last 15,” Norris said. “You know against a great team they are going to capitalize on that. Our defense played extremely well. Katie Noe had a rough end of the game, but she also made some great saves in the beginning.” Much like the Northeastern game, most of the pressure on Brown’s defense came in the form of penalty corners. Boston College racked up 21, while Brown could only muster 4. Buza noted the ability to get penalty corners is a sign of a strong team. “I think that is why those two teams are ranked. I am sure (the amount of penalty corners) is not only what they do to us. They are extremely good at drawing corners,” Buza said. While 38 penalty corners for the opposing team in two games is a daunting figure, Norris noted the defense “does not panic” as in years past when penalty corners are called. Though the Boston College game ended in defeat, the Bears believe they are a stronger team following the past week. “It’s not fun losing three games in a row, especially 11-2. But working through these games brought us closer as a team,” Buza said. “We realized we needed each other, not just individual efforts.” The Bears jump back into Ivy League play this weekend at Columbia. Herald staff writer Maggie Haskins ’04 edits the sports section. She can be reached at mhaskins@browndailyherald.com.

Lanza

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continued from page 12

at least an opportunity to score against him now. Teams are still contemplating whether or not Gagne is human, but they know Rivera is. Yankees broadcaster Jim Kaat, who watches this team play as much as anyone, was discussing the missing confidence and mystique of this year’s squad. He gave the following insightful quote: “If I were to rank the teams during the Joe Torre era, I think this is his eighth year, like one through eight, this would be the eighth-best team. They won the division only because of their starting pitching. In a short series, they don’t do the little things like the other teams did. Joe knows that.” If anyone missed it last week, the entire Oakland Coliseum joined in booing the Jeter/Steinbrenner commercial that was played on the Jumbotron. The discontentment with the highestpaid team in all of baseball has now spread outside of New England. And this year, those who don’t want to see New York bring home another trophy will probably get their wish.

with less than five minutes to play. But the outcome this time was different, as Bruno regrouped and won in double overtime. After going into halftime 0-0, the Bears came out strong in the second half, scoring within 15 minutes on a goal by Meghan Schreck ’06. Tory Manchester ’06 followed up with another score less than 20 minutes later. The Lions rallied and set the game into overtime, with their second goal coming off of a shot Parodi deflected but still squeaked in under the crossbar. The Bears defeated the demons of last year’s Princeton game, winning two minutes into the second overtime with a penalty kick buried in the back of the net by Julie Herrold ’04. The Bears continue the season on Tuesday at the University of Hartford before coming home for a big IvyLeague match Saturday against Princeton.

Marc Lanza ’06 hails from Leominster, Mass., and is praying that when this article is printed the Red Sox will be in the ALCS.

octopus or beans?

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003

Crime

Segal

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approached him shortly after he left Meehan Auditorium. After asking the student for the time, the men struck the student in the face and demanded his wallet. The suspects took the wallet’s contents and fled north on Hope Street. The student described the assailants as two college-age males of medium build dressed in baggy clothing. The suspects were with a group of over a half-dozen other people, the student reported. The student was not injured in the assault. Both DPS and the Providence Police Department are investigating the incident. DPS officers declined to comment, saying they could not discuss an open investigation.

Foes of the proposed overnight parking policy don’t have faith the city will enforce it. According to Segal, some opponents are convinced the policy would increase car ownership in the city, crowding city streets and encourage younger drivers to park wherever they want. But Segal said neighborhoods would decide which policy they want in place. Neighborhood residents would vote whether to allow overnight parking on their streets. “By making this policy nonuniform, it allows neighborhoods that are worried about an increase in crime and traffic to avoid the issue altogether,” Segal said. Segal’s plans for the city also include a living wage ordinance. Wages in the city are unable to support Providence families, Segal said. “It is wrong to be operating a

Herald staff writer Zach Barter can be reached at zbarter@browndailyherald.com.

city on the backs of people with such low wages. Currently, the Providence minimum wage is just above the state of Rhode Island — $6.75 an hour,” he said. Segal said he hopes to raise minimum wage within the next three years to $10.19 an hour and devise incentives for companies. According to Segal, other states like ??? have programs that cut taxes for companies that offer living wages and healthcare benefits to their employees. “Other companies would receive breaks such as minority owned businesses and companies that hire locally,” Segal said. With three years left in his term, Segal said he hopes to make an impact. “We have a number of ideas of how we’re going to deal with the issues in Providence, and we’re working hard to get them passed,” Segal said. When Segal ran for office last November, his campaign platform centered on bringing affordable housing, living wages and an overnight parking policy to the city.

RIPTA continued from page 3 RIPTA late night bus between Providence and URI due to safety and liability concerns was based on disruptive student behavior is “not related” to the UPass Program, she said. Since last year, UCS Vice President Diana Jeffery ’04 has been working with Hunter on the UPass issue. “The University sees it not so much as a benefit but as a necessity to get rid of the parking problem,” Jeffrey said. Because Brown is not considered a commuter school, the University must decide if joining UPass will reduce the number of cars brought to campus, Jeffery said. Though she would not state the specific cost, she said the University found RIPTA’s initial offer “too large” and “not proportional” to the number of cars that would be removed from campus for the cost of joining UPass. Hunter said the University is continuing discussions with RIPTA but will wait for recommendations from the Ad Hoc Transportation Management Advisory Committee before progressing. The committee was created to make recommendations to the University to decrease cars on campus. Its members will advise on issues that include parking policies and fees, shuttle operations, car pooling incentives and RIPTA’s UPass Program. University funding for UPass, should Brown join the program, has yet to be determined, Hunter said. Part of the funding could come from an increase in University parking fees, he said. Overnight student parking at Brown costs on-campus students $320 a year, Hunter said. “Brown’s prices are very low compared to other city schools,” Jeffery said. Yale University charges the

equivalent of $620.10 for parking from September through May for residential student parking, said a representative of Parking and Transit at Yale. The University of California at Los Angeles charges $612 annually for overnight parking, according to the UCLA Web site. Aroundthe-clock student parking from September to June costs students between $960 and $1,250 at Harvard University, according to Harvard’s University Operations Services Web site — up to four times the cost of Brown parking. Students were skeptical joining UPass would reduce the number of cars they brought to campus. Many students bring cars to participate in off-campus sports. Members of the sailing team said they needed cars to attend practice, which cannot be reached by RIPTA buses. Students on Brown’s equestrian team were given parking spots at the stadium because they rely on cars to get to the stables in Warren, R.I., The Herald reported earlier this semester. Brown issued 700 student permits this year, Hunter said. But students are not the only ones responsible for cars on campus. Providing access to the RIPTA system might have a greater impact on cars brought by faculty and staff commuting locally. The 17-member committee, chaired by Directory of Real Estate and Administrative Services Abigail Rider, includes student representatives from UCS, the Graduate Student Council and the shuttle service. Hunter said the committee will start meeting this month to begin submitting recommendations by the end of the semester. The group will decide whether to hold forums open to the public, he said. Herald senior staff writer Lisa Mandle ’06 can be reached at lmandle@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS EXTRA TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 9

Nailed to a cross of mediocrity The prevalence of mediocre nail clippers in our society shows a preference for compassion over competence IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL a damper on shopping for anything. Take, the trouble of making nail clippers, why not for example, those clothing zippers which make ones that work? When is the cutting of unexpectedly develop a series of bumps expenses ever worth the consequential dis- after one or two washes; Take those unassatisfaction and frustration of countless suming ballpoint pens which acquire that innocent consumers, who upon purchasing perpetual ink glob syndrome; Take those faulty clippers must experience the dis- apples which, while appearing sweet and heartening failure of a brand-new con- crunchy, turn out to be like biting into a sand castle. There is no way the sumer good to perform its people selling us this stuff didn’t intended purpose? The inabiliSARAH see these flaws ahead of time. ty of a $2 tool to cut cleanly CHIAPPINELLI They just saw that we didn’t see through a centimeter of pliable COLUMNIST these flaws ahead of time, and alpha-keratin represents far for some reason, that was good more than a poor manicure; enough. chintzy nail clippers reflect the So, there you are with what Holden inability of the modern-day shopper to pick up a product, read two to three glittering Caulfield would describe as “crummy” nails generalities (works great! leaves you feeling and a “phony” nail clipper, gloating over the beautiful! may help prevent all that ails you!) realization that your nails, inevitably, are and be wholly convinced it was made by just going to keep growing and that you’re the one who’s going to have to take care of someone who cares. If you have ever used a defective nail clip- them and all while that dope of a company per, I’m sure you’re still trying to repress the who snowed you like this rolls in their miltragic results: those shredded, if not lethally lions and billions of you-know-what dollars. serrated, nail ends that catch on anything What are you to do? Well, some people take and everything they come remotely close to. this as an opportunity to switch to scissors. This degree of insufficiency is not some- One can thus evade the hassle of discrimithing you should have to be worried about natory shopping by simply embracing a litwhen paying full price for a mint condition tle unconventionalism and watching himitem. Nonetheless, post-purchase disap- self on the corners (to avoid right-angled pointment is a very real and common phe- nails). Other people, not to be beaten in the nomenon, haunting (like a conditioned regimented hygiene game, pursue a trialresponse) every subsequent trip to the drug and-error strategy, buying one brand after store. A problem not exclusive to nail clip- the other until striking gold. In the event the pers, product malfunction paranoia can put successful brand is four or five nail clippers away, surplus purchases can simply be donated to a high school art department Sarah Chiappinelli ‘06 hails from Vermont where they will turn up in the multimedia and swears she’s never bitten her nails.

And then there are those letter-writing people. They wait six to eight weeks for an impersonal reply and some coupons from Corporation X. Coupons, of course, for more sub-standard products they can then write more letters of complaint about. showcase glued to all the other junk people donated. And then there are those letterwriting people. They wait six to eight weeks for an impersonal reply and some coupons from Corporation X. Coupons, of course, for more sub-standard products they can then write more letters of complaint about. Our fingernails deserve better than this. If we are technologically advanced enough as a society that the wear-and-tear which our nails are biologically prepared for is entirely superceded by our sophisticated collaborations with machinery, then why do we have such a problem mastering a two and a quarter inch lever? More specifically, why hasn’t there been greater urgency in the recall of ineffective nail clippers? An economic survey of the situation might attribute the glitches in mass production to, oh, say, “When you’re as rich, multifaceted, and omnipotent as the companies pumping out your everyday crap are, it’s just not that big a deal that a few nail clippers went haywire.” I prefer to draw from Charles Darwin. Let’s say that CVS equals the Galapagos Islands and that the brands Sally Hansen, La Cross and Wet

’n’ Wild are the different species of finches. It just so happens that none of these finches’ beaks are genetically conducive to success. By chance, a Sephora finch, with an extremely precise bite structure, flies down from San Francisco and eats all of the food the other finches could merely scratch at. Shouldn’t the other finches die out? Maybe in Darwin’s day. But in contemporary society, someone out there is bound to sympathize with the unlucky Fringillidae and construct a special birdfeeder or something. There’s nothing more human than fighting evolution. It is compassion that drives us to do so, to seek out the unsuccessful mutants, be them organic or stainless steel, and letting them survive and prevail with the rest of our thriving planet. The world is an imperfect place, and companies are bound to make mistakes. But who takes care of the maladaptive ducks in the wintertime when the pond freezes over, Mr. Caulfield? Those people out there with the crummy nails whose compassion for their fellow man has expanded into a universal tolerance for failed functionalism.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Advice you can use Career Services has long been known as a pit stop for graduates heading into the financial or tech industries. But for many other Brown students — interested in jobs ranging from media to policy — the office provides little tangible support. Those interested in futures outside the Career Services realm long ago relegated themselves to trudging through Web sites and job listings on their own, submitting resumes and information without formal guidance from the University. Hopefully, this is changing. With greater efforts to publicize existing services and the hiring of Harvard’s former associate director of Career Services, the office may be looking into increasing its clout among non-finance and consulting-bound students. But the office still needs to expand its offerings in one key area — early Career Development. Brown is not the most career-oriented place. For four years, it’s a haven for concentrators in classics, philosophy, and modern culture and media. What we hear from on high relates to the universal application of the liberal arts education, not the nitty-gritty of securing an actual job. And besides those who deem themselves “Pre-Med” or “Pre-Law,” many students avoid thinking about their post-graduate plans until senior year. Brown will never be a vocational school, or anything like it. But in an ever-more competitive job market, it’s unfair to students not to stress summer internships as an integral part of the college experience. The summers between each year of college are perfect opportunities to explore careers. Increasingly, such experience is vital to landing a job after graduation. Exploring esoteric subjects for four years may be fun, but it’ll provide little comfort when you’re sitting at home post-graduation, weighing options in the local food service market.

ANDREW SHEETS

LETTERS

be heard. opinions@browndailyhearld.com

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 Rachel Aviv, Arts & Culture Editor Jen Sopchockchai, Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Carla Blumenkranz, Campus Watch Editor Juliette Wallack, Metro Editor Jonathan Skolnick, Opinions Editor Philissa Cramer, RISD News Editor Maggie Haskins, Sports Editor Jonathan Meachin, Sports Editor

BUSINESS Jamie Wolosky, General Manager Joe Laganas, Executive Manager Joshua Miller, Executive Manager Anastasia Ali, Project Manager Jack Carrere, Project Manager Lawrence L. Hester IV, Project Manager Bill Louis, Project Manager Zoe Ripple, Project Manager Peter Schermerhorn, Project Manager Elias Roman, Human Resources Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Elyse Major, Advertising Rep. Kate Sparaco, Office Manager

PRODUCTION Zachary Frechette, Chief Technology Officer Marc Debush, Copy Desk Chief Yafang Deng, Copy Desk Chief Grace Farris, Graphics Editor Andrew Sheets, Graphics Editor Sara Perkins, Photo Editor

POST- MAGAZINE Alex Carnevale, Editor-in-Chief Dan Poulson, Executive Editor Morgan Clendaniel, Senior Editor Theo Schell-Lambert, Senior Editor Micah Salkind, Features Editor Ellen Wernecke, Features Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Doug Fretty, Film Editor Jason Ng, Music Editor Colin Hartnett, Design Editor

Alex Palmer, Night Editor Marc Debush, Copy Editor Senior Staff Writers Zach Barter, Danielle Cerny, Dana Goldstein, Lisa Mandle, Monique Meneses, Joanne Park, Meryl Rothstein, Ellen Wernecke Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Hannah Bascom, Carla Blumenkranz, Philissa Cramer, Ian Cropp, Jonathan Ellis, Hanyen Lee, Julian Leichty, Allison Lombardo, Jonathan Meachin, Sara Perkins, Melissa Perlman, Eric Perlmutter, Cassie Ramirez, Lily Rayman-Read, Zoe Ripple, Emir Senturk, Jen Sopchockchai, Adam Stern, Stefan Talman, Joshua Troy, Schuyler von Oeyen, Juliette Wallack, Jessica Weisberg, Brett Zarda, Julia Zuckerman Accounts Managers Laird Bennion, Eugen Clifton Cha, In Young Park, Jane C. Urban, Sophie Waskow, Justin Wong, Christopher Yu Pagination Staff Lisa Mandle, Alex Palmer Photo Staff Gabriella Doob, Benjamin Goddard, Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Miyako Igari, Allison Lombardo, Elizabeth MacLennan, Nicholas Neely, Michael Neff, Alexandra Palmer, Yun Shou Tee, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Emily Brill, Yafang Deng, George Haws, Katie Lamm

COMMENTARY POLICY The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns and letters reflect the opinions of their authors only. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. ADVERTISING POLICY The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement in its discretion.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 11

Indoctrination, not an education Our education suffers in an environment where diversity doesn’t extend to political viewpoints DURING A DISCUSSION RECENTLY ideas and perspectives from a wide array about the willingness of Brown students to of sources, then why would we shy away listen to a dissenting political voice, con- from mere questions about political diverservatives nodded in silent agreement sity, the quintessence of intellectual variabout the intolerance they had faced at ance? Admission manuals abound with glossy photos of a multi-racial, Brown. The two progressives multi-colored student body, among us, however, strongly LAURA SCHONMULLER while conspicuously leaving disagreed. This small inciabsent information about the dent led me to question the GUEST COLUMNIST dearth of right-wing faculty, skewed perspective of the students and speakers on camentire student body. Can the majority of students on campus really pus. The administrative message seems believe it is getting a reasonably balanced loud and clear: Beauty may not only be education? Can these students really skin deep, but diversity is. Where this behavior is most abhorrent is believe the political minority is treated in the place where we most seek an with respect and dignity? Brenda Allen, the new director of insti- enlightened and rational open-mindedtutional diversity, couldn’t have put the ness — the faculty. It is irrational to expect campus attitude more succinctly than she a completely removed, dispassionate did in a recent Herald article (“Brown’s teaching staff, and it would, in fact, be director of institutional diversity ready to undesirable to have one. Yet it is equally take control,” Sept. 17, 2003) announcing distasteful to no longer have even the pretense of a balanced curricular basis. her new position: “Some students have taken issue with College is supposed to be the time when the lack of political diversity on campus. we are exposed to all of the greatest … I’ve gotten lots of e-mails from students thinkers who have come before us, to scour who are raising all kinds of questions their texts with a questioning mindset and about diversity a lot more broadly than we then, with our horizons truly widened, to generally like to think about them,” Allen perhaps decide for ourselves what we said. “The students are very concerned believe. Instead, students are faced with a about these kinds of issues, and they speak brilliant, highly biased faculty teaching a one-sided view of history, politics, religion, loudly and forcefully about them.” If the entire point of a diverse student American civilization, gender studies and body is to allow students to experience even subtly, the sciences. The AC 19, Sec. 2: “Music and Social Movements, 1930-1970” has a reading list composed almost entireLaura Schonmuller ’05 hails from Toms ly of red-covered Communist lyric books, River, N.J.

without so much as a nod to the great musician and innovator from the United States, John Phillip Sousa; a class on women’s studies states as fact the capitalist oppression of women throughout the ages; and of course the “public policy” department fails to recognize there is an alternative policy to large social government programs. Let me stop here to mention I am not criticizing any particular political view, but rather commenting upon the glaring lack of intellectual variety offered to the student body. As a libertarian on campus, I have most certainly gotten my money’s worth. I have read Mill and Bentham, Rawls and Marx. I have heard several thought-provoking lectures from some of the greatest progressive thinkers of our time. As such, I have gotten the opportunity to challenge my assumptions, adjust some slightly, but mainly to gain a fundamental understanding for an ideology I can now, more intelligently and respectfully, oppose. For the not-so-bargain price of approximately $150,000, I would think the progressives of the student body would want the same. Yet, the student body, which I generally admire and love, has disappointed me the most in this respect. Manning the table for my organization, Students for Liberty, of which the main tenet is respect for individual personal and property rights, I have received dirty looks, the middle finger and four-letter words not nearly as charming as love. All this occurs before a discussion has even commenced, merely for display-

ing a sign stating a devotion to liberty. More threateningly, after writing an opinions piece in the spring criticizing Deconstructing Whiteness week, I was sent an e-mail entitled “Before you write in the BDH…,” containing a computer virus which nearly crippled my laptop. Perhaps even more upsetting than these vitriolic responses, I have by and large encountered a wall of silence. Rather than even bothering to engage in discussion, the majority of the student body chooses to ignore the existence of a dissenting voice. Non left-wing speakers give eloquent, thoughtful speeches to half-empty rooms. One bright sign in all this was the highly attended “Free Your Mind” conference, at which several renowned scholars spoke. Unfortunately, a conference such as this one is all too rare on Brown’s campus. Furthermore, to give credit where it is justly due, there are many professors on campus who at least attempt to put aside their own personal views for a wider examination, and there are also some students who acknowledge the bias of the campus and personally set out to examine the alternatives. But, it is crucial that Brown as an administration, faculty and student body realizes there is a form of minority discrimination so prevalent and insidious that we “generally (don’t) like to think about” it, and that is the political discrimination against conservative and classical liberal thinkers. Make the Brown experience about education, not indoctrination.

Racial privacy: the invention of a concept California’s Proposition 54 celebrates ignorance CONSERVATIVES IN CALIFORNIA HAVE ment has no reason to classify persons by introduced a new concept to American race, why should it even ask us for the voters: racial privacy. They have incorpo- data?” Yet preventing government from rated this idea into the “Racial Privacy collecting information relating to race is and unnecessary. Initiative” which will appear on the ballot excessive today as Proposition 54. The initiative Conservatives may disagree with how government acts on such represents an attempt to perknowledge, but they have not manently end affirmative provided any compelling action by making race a matargument as to why governter of privacy. Although the ment statistics on race are proposition is backed by the wrong. Consequently, in best of intentions it will most their crusade to terminate certainly disable public policy affirmative action, California and intensify racial tensions. conservatives are making The operative language of ignorance a principle of pubthe proposal states the followlic policy. ing: “The state shall not clasSTEPHEN BEALE The proposition’s supportsify any individual by race, ers reply by noting it proethnicity, color or national RIGHT WORDS vides exceptions for medical origin in the operation of research and law enforcepublic education, public contracting or public employment.” This ment. Nevertheless, experts agree the prohibition would apply to all levels of measure would constrict information government in California, all public pro- available to the government and to the grams and the university system. Such an public at large. Advocates would have us unequivocal statement precludes affir- believe the state does not have a legitimative action — in keeping with its orig- mate interest in knowing the representainal intent — but it also does much more. tion of various racial groups in higher In fact, California has already out- education, or the racial make up of a city, lawed affirmative action through or possible correlations between race Proposition 209 — an amendment to the and poverty. Moreover, according to state constitution engineered by Ward Erwin Chemerinsky, a professor at the Connerly, who is also the lead figure University of Southern California School behind Proposition 54. Connerly views of Law, even “academics at state universiProposition 54 as the corollary to its ties could no longer gather information predecessor, arguing that, “Since govern- and do research about race.” For example, a “law professor at a state school Stephen Beale ‘04 is a classics concentrator could not gather data about housing discrimination based on race.” hailing from Popsfield, Mass.

We waive whatever right to racial privacy we possess the moment we walk out the front door. A colorblind legal system may be desirable, but a colorblind society is impossible. Despite their best efforts, liberals and neoconservatives cannot legislate race out of existence. Proponents attempt to hide race under the shield of privacy. For example, Deroy Murdock of National Review writes, “[W]hat color are you? Black? White? Brown? Yellow? None of my concern, you say? If so, why is your ethnicity the government’s business?” Yet such reasoning is absurd. We waive whatever right to racial privacy we possess the moment we walk out the front door. A colorblind legal system may be desirable, but a colorblind society is impossible. Despite their best efforts, liberals and neoconservatives cannot legislate race out of existence. Race will always remain a prominent category in the psychology of human interaction. It cannot be banished from the public square. Those who wish to achieve racial harmony should focus on reforming our attitudes toward race instead of contesting its very existence. For, as Friedrich Nietzsche observed, suppressed truths become poisonous. California, which recently emerged as this nation’s first majority-minority state,

can ill-afford to ignore its racial makeup. The architects of the racial privacy proposition have crafted an “experiment against reality” which reflects thinking that is very liberal in its orientation. Indeed, the pro-privacy Web site, racialprivacy.org, is littered with language borrowed from the left. For instance, advocacy documents claim race is a “social construct” and point to racial intermarriage as evidence. Identification with multiple races, however, no more rules out the reality of race than citizenship in many countries nullifies the concept of citizenship. And the desire to deconstruct an aspect of social life is a habit of the left that, taken to its conclusion, is totalitarian. Thus, the push for racial privacy mixes leftist methods with conservative ends to produce a miscarriage of public policy. Flawed in its inception and dangerous in its execution, the Racial Privacy Initiative makes a virtue of ignorance and serves as a reminder that good intentions do not necessarily yield good government.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS TUESDAY OCTOBER 7, 2003 · PAGE 12

A World Cup half empty DID YOU SEE IT? NOPE, NOT THE SOX. Nope, not the Cubbies. Nope, not the Pats showing signs of life. Nope, not even the damn Yankees making it look easy again. I’m talking about soccer — women’s soccer. Yeah, I didn’t BRETT ZARDA think so. SPORTS COLUMN It’s a shame. This column was supposed to be a plea to the sports masses to watch the Women’s World Cup Final on Sunday. Now there’s little chance of that (not that there was much hope anyway). With a 3-0 upset loss to Germany, the U.S. women were defeated for the first time in 28 tries on home soil, ending their chances at defending the cup. It also ended any hope I had at persuading a few people to tune into the finals at halftime of this Sunday’s NFL lineup. So women’s sports will continue in anonymity. Brandi’s bra will remain a mere blip on the radar of a sports history dominated by men. But, I wasn’t writing to scream for equal rights or whine about the fact the game was on ESPN2. I wasn’t writing to cry about the end of the WUSA (the women’s soccer league that died on the eve of the cup). That would be a bit hypocritical because I never scheduled my weeknights around catching a game on PAX. I just figured I would let a few openminded sports fans know what they were missing. At the pinnacle of any sport lies talent. When that talent is on display any true sports fan will marvel. I don’t watch hockey all year long (I’m from the South), but I watch the playoffs and I sit in awe of what I see. The intensity, the pride, the effort and the drama just makes for good entertainment. Hell, I even watched the World Series of Poker for about 20 minutes. Add a little national pride into the mix and you’ve got to be dead or stupidly stubborn not to be enthralled. So yes, I skipped the first few innings of the Cubs game and my regular dose of NFL primetime to watch women’s soccer. I watched chance after chance slip away as the United States tried to tie up a 1-0 game. I yelled at the ref on questionable calls and muttered under my breath at missed opportunities. Then, I watched as Germany tacked two goals on in injury time to douse any hopes of a repeat. I stuck around to see the post-game interview with the coach. I listened as she choked up when asked what she would tell her team. I saw the ever-so-shy Mia Hamm hide her tears behind her sleeve. She’s the face behind a movement that missed its next chance at catching on. I watched a 12-year-old girl sadly, yet proudly, lift her sign that read, “Mia Hamm inspires me,” just as high as she had all game. I, like the rest of the media, timed it wrong. I just assumed we’d win. I was saving my sales pitch for the finals. Now ABC executives are cringing at the thought of their ratings and the rest of the sports world missed a chance to watch something special. The women will play in the thirdplace game, but rest assured no one will watch. Well, almost no one. Brett Zarda GS hails from Gainesville, Fla.

Yankees SU.. ..sceptible to failure

Against Providence on Wednesday, Bruno allowed a mere three shots on goal and only five offensive opportunities in the box in what was a very physical match. “We talked about how physical this game would be,” said Head Coach Phil Pincince. “It’s an in-town rivalry. It was a lot like an Ivy League match. We had three great training days leading up to the game.” According to Pincince, the result of Bruno’s first match without Ferrell could not have been better, citing improved communication as the difference between the Providence and Dartmouth games. “The answer was here tonight on the field,” Pincince said. “We put to sleep the Dartmouth game.” The team traveled Saturday to New York to face Columbia. Reminiscent of last year’s late-game loss to Princeton, Bruno went up 2-0, only to send the game into overtime by allowing two goals

IF THERE’S ONE THING I HATE TO DO, it’s disappoint. Still, I feel compelled to warn fans and adversaries alike that the 2003 Bronx Bombers are not the powerhouse of a squad that ate up the postseason throughout the mid-to-late 1990s. At 101-63, they finished tied MARC LANZA with the Atlanta SPORTS COLUMN Braves for the best record in all of baseball. Coming off of three straight wins over Minnesota en route to a 3-1 ALDS victory, they seem to be carrying some momentum into the American League Championship Series. Yet this Yankees team, like those of 2001 and 2002, seems to lack the mystique the World Series Champion Yankees of the 1990s used to intimidate and clobber opponents. No one could dispute the team chemistry of Yankee teams of the past, led by the fiery core of Paul O’Neil, Tino Martinez and Scott Brosius. This competitive trio always seemed to will their teammates to success no matter the circumstances. With their departure, the team seems to have lost part of their intimidation factor. The current nucleus of this year’s team, including Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, is more of a quiet, dispassionate group that leads by example. While the team isn’t fraught with bickering and division, they do lack a sense of unity. Newcomers Hideki Matsui and Aaron Boone act as professionals that come in, get the job done and go home. Perhaps the numerous subplots during the season contributed to the breakdown of the Yankees’ solid chemistry. Dirty laundry was aired in three separate occasions this year, with David Wells kicking off the season with a controversial book, and later on with George Steinbrenner publicly attacking Captain Jeter and Manager Joe Torre and his entire coaching staff. Wells angered teammates and management with his autobiography that made many controversial statements, such as his claim that he pitched his perfect game “half-drunk” and barely made it to the field that day. Steinbrenner attacked Jeter’s focus and commitment to the game while explaining to the media how he was displeased with the rumors of Jeter’s active nightlife. Later on, he proceeded to threaten Torre that everyone’s jobs would be in jeopardy if the team didn’t go all the way this year. While public criticism of coaches is nothing new for George, it was the first time he did so during the Torre era, who has been one of the most beloved coaches in New York history. Closer Mariano Rivera was considered by some to be the most essential component of the World Series Championship teams of 1996 and 1998 to 2000. Despite a solid season (40 saves, 1.66 ERA) from Rivera, it is undeniable he has lost much of his dominance. Previously, when he entered in the eighth or ninth inning, it was lights-out, game over. He was pretty close to what Eric Gagne did this season in Los Angeles, except for the frightening goatee and goggles. Due to some blown saves in some high-profile games, teams now feel like they still have a shot in the late innings. Boston fans may deem May 28, 2003, a state holiday, remembering when Rivera entered the ninth with a 5-1 lead and proceeded to give up four runs. While he’s still an elite pitcher, as demonstrated by his four perfect innings against the Twins in the ALDS, teams know there is

see W. SOCCER, page 7

see LANZA, page 7

Ben Goddard / Herald

Brown’s defense rushes a Boston College penalty corner. Bruno faced 38 corners last week.

Opponents prove too much as field hockey falls 6-1, 5-1 BY MAGGIE HASKINS

Following a tough loss at Harvard on Sept. 27, the competition didn’t get any easier for the Brown field hockey team (5-4, 1-1) last week. The squad faced off against No. 11 Northeastern on Wednesday, losing 6-1. They next played a top 20 foe, No. 16 Boston College on Saturday. With the game tied 1-1 with 14 minutes to go, the floodgates opened, and the Eagles poured on four goals to win 5-1. Entering Wednesday’s game against Northeastern the Bears’ defense ranked No. 11 in the country in goals against, allowing just 1.25 goals per game. But the Brown defense was unable to contain the quick Northeastern attack. The Huskies scored a minute into the game on a breakaway by Liane Dixon. Slipping by sweeper Kristin Vincent ’06, Dixon took on goalie Katie Noe ’05 and scored, giving Northeastern the early 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, the Bears found themselves down 2-0 following a Northeastern penalty corner. The Huskies’ third goal was also the result of a penalty corner. In total

Northeastern racked up 17 corners, while Brown had none. Following the third goal the Bears called a time out to regroup. “I think (the players) were surprised we were down 3-0,” said Head Coach Carolan Norris. “We hadn’t been down 3-0 and had that many goals scored against us all year. So I think they were kind of surprised, but once we settled down we were OK.” After the time out, the Bears began to put pressure on the Northeastern midfielders and backs. Laura Kavazanjian ’06 centered the ball to Co-Captain Lizzie Buza ’04, who swept the ball into the goal, putting Brown on the board. The last 20 minutes of the first half featured not only a rejuvenated Brown effort but an attempt by Norris to dig deeper into the Brown bench in an effort to kick-start an offensive run. “We put some of the freshmen in who haven’t been playing and they really stepped up. Our upperclassmen were not getting it,” Norris said. see FIELD HOCKEY, page 7

After injuries, w. soccer wins two BY CHRIS MAHR AND BERNARD GORDON

Freshman goalie Christina Parodi ’07 earned her first two wins last week, as the women’s soccer team (6-6-2, 1-1 Ivy League) overcame key injuries and posted a 3-1 win over Providence College (54-2) and a thrilling 3-2 double overtime victory over Ivy League rival Columbia (26-1, 0-2 Ivy League). Parodi had seven saves on the week, helping the Bears to continue their defensive dominance, despite the absence of All-Ivy Goalie Sarah Gervais ’04. The Bears have allowed just 10 goals so far this year, while scoring 17 of their own. After losing Co-Captain and leading goal-scorer Kristin Ferrell ’04 to a torn ACL in a 3-0 loss to Dartmouth Sept. 27, as well as missing Kim LaVere ’06 and Molly Cahan ’04, the Bears knew they had to rebound. “(We) lost some important players, but that doesn’t mean that the season is over,” said Co-Captain Rachel Roberts ’04. “It would be a waste of a season to give up now.”

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Published on Oct 7, 2003

The October 7, 2003 issue of the Brown Daily Herald

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