Wednesday, March 3, 2004

W E D N E S D A Y MARCH 3, 2004

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXIX, No. 24

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

www.browndailyherald.com

Dexter ’06 remembered for spirit, compassion

BY MERYL ROTHSTEIN

One day this fall, Masha Dexter ’06 saw her friend and former professor Rick Benjamin walking by List Art Building. Dexter stopped her car in the middle of the street, got out and started talking to Benjamin, forcing other cars to weave and maneuver around hers.

She wasn’t oblivious to the diversion she created; her attention simply lay elsewhere.

“Well, I’m not about to waste our time moving my car,” she told Benjamin.

That was the way Dexter lived much of her life, friends say — eager to take advantage of every moment with the people and things that she cared about.

Dexter, who died Feb. 24 of Hodgkin’s Disease, was a vibrant, passionate, thoughtful and devoted friend, student, mentor and activist, friends say.

She tried to get the most out of every day, said her mother, Natasha Dexter.

Natasha recalled a busy day last August when Dexter was taking classes at Columbia University. She would take her morning exam, she told her mother, study for a second exam, take the second exam and then meet her for dinner. After that, she said, she would go dancing until 3 a.m. with friend and former roommate Zoe Billinkoff ’05.

Despite the fact that she was not totally healthy on that day, she remained constantly active. “But that was Masha,” Natasha said. “That was how she planned her time.”

Dexter made even the most mundane interactions meaningful, said Julia Ostrov ’04. “She was absolutely focused on you when you were talking to her,” she said.

Before they knew each other well, Dexter devoted half an hour talking to Samuel Solomon ’05, a Writing Fellow like Dexter, at a crowded party. She was “engaged with everything she did,” he said.

Dexter was “unabashed” in telling others how much she cared about them, said Paul Melnikow ’03. She would say, “I love you” every time you spoke to her, he said.

“She never held anything back,” Ostrov said. see DEXTER, page 4

Zoe Billinkoff

Masha Dexter ‘06

Judy He / Herald

Students gathered in Faunce last night for the results of the Undergraduate Council of Students’scavenger hunt,which decided first pick in the housing lottery (left).Sonia Gupta ’06,UCS admissions and student services chair,drew the winners from a pool of 84 groups that successfully completed the hunt (top right).The winning group of 8 included Andrew Dewitt ’06,Patrick Yu ’06 and Adam Cantor ’06 (bottom right),who told The Herald they were looking at suites in Vartan Gregorian Quad.

New LGBTQ Resource Center hosts opening event

BY GABRIELLA DOOB

The opening of the new LGBTQ Resource Center was marked by a gathering of students, faculty and staff in the third-floor space in Faunce House Tuesday.

The center will serve as a space where members of the Brown community can gather to explore issues related to sexuality and gender, said Gretchen Schultz, associate professor of French studies.

The “ultimate goal” of the center is to create a “visible, centralized, identifiable place” for students and faculty to come with “questions about LGBTQ content,” according to James Stascavage, assistant dean of student life. “It is a resource for all community members,” he added.

The center will function as the home of the Queer Alliance as well as study and meeting space, according to Angela Mazaris, the new center coordinator and a first-year graduate student in the Department of American Civilization. The center will also facilitate discussions and provide information about anti-LGBTQ harassment and violence, Mazaris told attendees, who numbered about 50.

“We have been pushing for the resource center for ages,” Leslie Soble ’05, co-chair of the Queer Alliance, told The Herald.

Previously, the LGBTQ occupied a room “the size of a closet,” Schultz said.

“That’s a closet we’re happy to step out of,” he added.

After meetings with Margaret Jablonski,

dean for campus life, and David Greene, interim vice president for campus life and student services, a committee of students, faculty and administrators was granted permission to take over two rooms in Faunce vacated by Hillel earlier this year, Soble said.

The rooms occupied by the LGBTQ Resource Center include an administrative room and a community room. The community room houses a diverse book, magazine and video library that includes everything from a copy of the Bible to “Jerry Springer: Too Hot for TV.” The rooms were hardly sufficient to hold the crowd that gathered to celebrate the center’s opening.

“People are telling with their attendance here today that this space isn’t enough,” Greene said. Instead, he said the Brown community should view the center’s opening as a “step forward, but with much more distance to travel.”

“This is just the beginning,” Stascavage told attendees.

He told The Herald his office will monitor whether the additional resources that have been granted LGBTQ groups sufficiently meet their needs.

In his remarks to the crowd, Stascavage asked for a moment of silence to honor the memory of Masha Dexter ’06, who was “very engaged around these issues.”

Schultz described Dexter as “a dynamic

President Ruth Simmons recapped a successful Corporation weekend at Tuesday’s faculty meeting. “I can now report that we had a very productive and even inspiring Corporation meeting,” she said.

“The Corporation approved the Plan for Academic Enrichment as presented, without change,” she said.

Simmons said she was concerned about asking the Corporation for more funds than she had first requested in 2002. The president’s latest set of proposals expand upon the general initiatives she presented two years ago, as The Herald reported Monday.

But the Corporation was enthusiastic, Simmons said. “Corporation members demonstrated ownership of the plan” by providing the increased funds, she said.

“I don’t think we should underestimate for a minute the importance of what happened last weekend for moving the University forward,” said Provost Robert Zimmer.

The Corporation also “took the addi-

see RESOURCE, page 4

see FACULTY, page 4

I N S I D E W E D N E S D AY, M A RC H 3 , 2 0 0 4 New York University releases students’ social security numbers online campus watch, page 3

Entertainment lawyers describe path to Hollywood, life next to spotlight campus news, page 3

Brown pulls forward in rankings in recycling contest, but organizers hope for more campus news, page 5

Simmons declares Corporation weekend successful at faculty meeting

BY JONATHAN ELLIS

TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Eric Mayer ’05 says the national gay marriage debate is getting really old column, page 11

W. basketball hands Harvard its biggest loss in two decades but loses to Dartmouth sports, page 12

partly cloudy high 51 low 39

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 2 Coup de Grace Grace Farris

W E AT H E R WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

High 55 Low 31 partly cloudy

High 50 Low 39 showers

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

High 48 Low 42 showers

High 53 Low 30 partly cloudy

GRAPHICS BY EDDIE AHN

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

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS VISIONS AND VOICES FOR RETHINKING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: ALTERNATE TRENDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE 4 p.m. (Joukowsky Forum,Watson Institute, 111 Thayer St.) — presented by the Watson International Scholars of the Environment.

MICHAEL RAY CHARLES 4 p.m. (List Art, Room 120) — Slide lecture by Visiting Artist Michael Ray Charles; sponsored by the Hewlett Foundation, Faculty Fellows, Office of Campus Life and Student Services, Dean of the College, Department of Visual Art and RISD.

MENU

My Best Effort Will Newman and Nate Goralnik

SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

LUNCH — Vegetarian Fagoli Soup, Split Pea Soup with Ham, Garlic Pepper Chicken, Squash Pie, Cauliflower, Green Beans and Peppers, Fudge Bars, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Cherry Cheese Pie. DINNER — Vegetarian Fagoli Soup, Split Pea Soup with Ham, Chicken Cacciatore, Fish Duglere, Grilled Vegetable Calzone, Red Rice, Savory Spinach , Zucchini, Carrot and Garlic Medley, Pumpernickel Bread, Fudge Bars, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Cherry Cheese Pie.

LUNCH — Vegetarian Cheese Soup, Ham & Bean Soup,Tex-Mex Lasagna, Vegan Roasted Vegetable Burritos, Mexican Corn, Fudge Bars.

DINNER — Vegetarian Cheese Soup, Ham & Bean Soup, Pork Loin with Green Apple Dressing, Stuffed Shells with Meat or Meatless Sauce, Risotto Primavera,Whole Green Beans, Stewed Tomatoes, Pumpernickel Bread, Cherry Cheese Pie.

Scribbles Mirele Davis

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Formed 5 Lower in reputation 10 Sonny Corleone portrayer 14 Bellicose god 15 Man of many words 16 Cooper’s tool 17 Feline with large canines 19 Collecting Soc. Sec. 20 Andrews or Edwards: Abbr.

21 Watcher 22 Not a soul 24 Scottish landowner 26 Arkansas player 29 “Relax, soldier!”

31 Syr. neighbor 32 Mideast fed.

33 Floor cleaner 36 Keystone State founder 37 1982 Harrison Ford sci-fi film 40 Treaty cosigner, often 42 Thrusting weapon 43 __ Paulo 44 Animal pouch 46 Certain discriminator 50 Steak from the sea 54 “Roots” Emmy winner 55 Parsley bit 56 -y to the max 58 Request to Sajak 59 Pool needs 60 Devastating review, say 63 Trumpeter Al 64 Hi from HI 65 Bern’s river 66 “__ Grand Night for Singing” 67 Dvorák’s last symphony 68 Yr.-end holiday DOWN 1 “Mississippi __”: 1992 film 2 1994 Peace Prize sharer

3 Little __: snack 38 TV host Peeples 51 Getting-off cake brand 39 Deny the truth of place: Abbr.

4 Salem-to-Boise 40 Moron 52 Use, as a stool dir.

41 Case in court 53 “Spellbound” 5 Culturally showy 44 Star Wars, screenwriter Ben 6 Heckler initially 57 Former Persian 7 Phobia prefix 45 Silky-coated potentate 8 Point-match hunting hound 59 Bulls’ town: connection 47 Up the creek Abbr.

9 Cultural group 48 Mexicali Mrs. 61 “Rope-a-dope” 10 Chocolatelike 49 Chickasaw and boxer powder Choctaw 62 Payroll deduction 11 West German ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: chancellor, 1949-’63 S K U N K A R I A J E S T 12 Like Montezuma N A P S E T T U E A S Y A 13 Nancy Drew’s G R E E N E G G S A N D H A M beau G I L O F A O R S A L S 18 Ancient parting B A R E D A M A S S place?

A D H E R E R A V E S 23 Bruins Hall of Famer A R E S O O S L O T O W N 25 Without H O R T O N H E A R S A W H O refinement O N U S L I N E D S P A M 27 Close, as jeans A L T O S P A R S E S 28 He’s a doll G E N O A S H A M E 30 LAX posting R E F L P S E N D A S H 34 Parisian thanks Y E R T L E T H E T U R T L E 35 Man-mouse E Y E D N B A E R A S E A filler 36 Parisian papas P E N S K I D D O N E M O 37 Public gaffes 03/03/04 xwordeditor@aol.com 1

2

3

4

5

14

6

7

8

17

18

20

21

24

10

12

13

19

26

33

28

31 34

32

35

36

37

38

41

23

27

30

39

42

43

44

50

11

Hopeless Edwin Chang

16

22

25

29

40

9

15

Last Minute Michael Chua

45

46

51

52

55

56 61

53

47

48

49

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD, INC.

54 57

58

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is published Monday through Friday during the aca-

Business Phone: 401.351.3260

demic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and

Juliette Wallack, President

once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box

59

60

63

64

65

Carla Blumenkranz, Vice President 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195

66

67

68

Lawrence Hester, Treasurer

Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web:

John Carrere, Secretary

http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $179 one year daily, $139 one semester

By John Underwood (c)2004 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

62

Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372

03/03/04

daily. Copyright 2003 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

CAMPUS WATCH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 3

NYU accidentally puts students’ Social Security numbers online

BY SUNISA NARDONE

New York University has come under fire for exposing students to identity theft after mistakenly releasing their social security numbers online in two separate incidents.

At NYU, social security numbers serve the same administrative functions as SIS identification numbers at Brown.

Because Brown uses student identification numbers, not social security numbers, there is no possibility of a similar incident here, according to University administrators.

The social security numbers of 1,800 NYU students were unintentionally posted on a university Web site after students submitted them to register for intramural sports.

The error was discovered by a student, who found that an individual unaffiliated with the university had published the information on his own Web site, where it could be picked up by search engines. NYU subsequently notified the students whose social security numbers had been posted and took immediate action to remove the numbers from the Internet.

Earlier this year, a student who submitted his name to an NYU e-mail list found his personal information online.

A random sample of other students who had submitted the same information did not reveal online publication, said John Beckman, vice president of public affairs at NYU. The university’s use of social security numbers “preceded the emergence of the Internet and the kind of ability to search for information that exists nowadays,” Beckman told The Herald.

NYU is currently changing to a system of nine-digit alpha-numeric identifiers, but the process will probably see SSN, page 6

Case Western study finds Nalgene bottles may pose some health risks LOS ANGELES (U-Wire) — Nalgene water bottles are a staple

on many college campuses, but a new study indicates that the bottles, when washed with harsh detergents, could pose health risks.

Two recent articles, one published in Current Biology and another in Sierra Magazine, point to possible harmful developmental effects of a chemical emitted from Nalgene bottles, which are made with a plastic called Lexan polycarbonate resin.

Patricia Hunt, primary author of the studies and a professor and researcher at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, found these results during an unrelated study.

The discovery began as a mistake, Hunt said.

A custodian at Hunt’s lab at the school was cleaning the lab and accidentally switched floor detergent with mice cage detergent. The harsher alkaline-based floor detergent was used on the cages and water bottles.

Researchers in Hunt’s lab became concerned when they suddenly noticed an alarming defect in the mice.

The defect, called aneuploidy, which is an abnormal loss or gain of chromosomes, could possibly cause birth defects such as Down syndrome, miscarriages or developmental abnormalities, Hunt said.

The lab did further research and connected the defects to the effect of the harsh detergent on the Lexan in the lab. The harsher, alkaline-based detergent drew out a chemical from the plastic called bisphenol A. This finding was especially alarming because BPA mimics the female hormone estrogen, which can be transmitted through skin contact, Hunt said.

“We don’t know anything for sure,” Hunt said. “But the possibility is really problematic. After all, we just don’t know how much of this chemical we’re exposed to — how much BPA is leaking — on a daily basis.”

Researchers were also concerned, Hunt said, because the same plastic found in Nalgene bottles is used frequently with small children.

Daniel W. Fox, a General Electric scientist, developed

the plastic in 1953 by accident when he discovered a polymer he had created refused to break.

According to General Electric’s Web site, which markets the plastic, it is commonly used in baby bottles, compact discs, cell phones, automobile parts, computers, space helmet equipment, food containers and Nalgene water bottles.

The plastic is especially popular in modern use because of its strength, durability, appearance, optical purity and electrical compatibility.

John P. Myers, co-author of “Our Stolen Future,” a book on environment health, notes on the book’s Web site that baby bottles made from the plastic in question are “quietly disappearing from the market.”

Nalgene responded to the studies on its Web site, saying there has been no correlation between the studies in mice and the human body.

Nalgene has marketed BPA products with more than 50 years of governmental approval.

BPA levels, however, that are “far beneath the levels currently deemed safe by regulatory authorities” have been shown to have negative effects on breast tissue and prostate development, tumors and sperm count, according to the “Stolen Future” Web site.

Myers said it is dangerous to have this chemical in contact with food or beverage containers, including water bottles.

Overall, experts are uncertain and hesitant about the Nalgene water bottles.

“It depends on how the polymer is treated. But with repeated alkaline-based detergent in dishwashers, we just don’t know the possibilities,” Hunt said.

Nalgene’s Web site recommends throwing away bottles that show discoloration.

Hunt recommends using less harsh detergents or tossing the bottles after a year.

Polycarbonate plastics such as Lexan bottles that contain BPA can be found by the symbol #7PC on recycling logos.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004

Faculty continued from page 1 tional step” of investing up to $56 million from reserve funds to implement the first phases of the plan over the next five to six years, Simmons said. That move represents an effort to allow the University to begin executing the plan without worrying about securing large donations early on, she said.

Capital campaign leaders “have been thus far delighted” with donor enthusiasm, Simmons added. A number of currently anonymous donors are waiting in the wings to designate large gifts to appropriate areas, she said. But Simmons did report that the Corporation accepted a $5.5-million contribution from trustee emeritus Charles M. Royce ’61 to create six Royce Family Professorships in Teaching Excellence.

A series of advisory council meetings over the weekend also encouraged new donors, Simmons said.

The Corporation was further encouraged by the treasurer’s report, Simmons said. A recent study ranked Brown sixth out of 50 peer institutions in endowment performance over the past three years, she said.

Simmons also addressed a Feb. 14 campus incident in which a verbal exchange involving homophobic comments escalated into a physical confrontation. The incident is being investigated, she said.

Simmons has asked Brenda Allen, director of institutional diversity, to review the University’s

policies and protocols for dealing with bias-related incidents, Simmons said.

“This is an enormously troubling time for the rights of gay citizens,” Simmons said. She said Brown should be at the forefront of embracing differences but warned that a lack of civility in the process can lead to trouble.

In the provost’s report, Zimmer said the Medical School is planning a two-year experiment that will permit the acceptance of more applicants from other undergraduate programs. Currently, most of the spots in the school are reserved for students in the Program in Liberal Medical Education and other Brown undergraduates, according to the school’s Web site.

Also at the meeting, faculty members introduced three of the seven 2003-2004 Faculty Scholars.

The winners included David Reiss ’04, Olivia Rissland ’04 and Snigdha Vallabhaneni MD ’05.

Richard Fishman, chairman of the Department of Visual Art, delivered a report on behalf of the Creative Arts Council and commended Simmons for her support of the arts.

“I don’t remember an administration in the past 30 years which has done more for us,” he said.

“But it’s not enough.”

Fishman said a new center for the creative arts would enhance Brown’s reputation, solve some department space issues and foster planned collaborations with the Rhode Island School of Design.

Herald staff writer Jonathan Ellis ’06 covers faculty and administration. He can be reached at jellis@browndailyherald.com.

Dexter continued from page 1 Dexter was receptive and warm, causing many to feel an “instant connection” to her, said Benjamin, a lecturer in education and English.

Gail Cohee, director of the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, remembered “what a wonderful ability she had to draw in friends from lots of different places” and age ranges.

Even when Dexter was in high school, she counted teachers among her friends, going to their houses or out to dinner with them, said high school friend Blake Dohrn.

At Brown as well, Benjamin said he considered Dexter not only a student but a friend and teacher as well.

“I always felt that Masha had a lot to teach me about how to live a life,” Benjamin said.

She was also incredibly close with and proud of her mother, friends said. “They were like best friends,” said Katerina Markov ’07.

She also had a “kid-like spontaneity,” said Associate Professor of French Studies Gretchen Schultz, Dexter’s Renn Mentor.

She was known to tell friends, “I want to play with you,” Melnikow said.

She was passionate about life and always making plans, whether she was talking about a future independent study, the LSATs or enrolling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the setting of the Harry Potter books, if things at Brown didn’t work out, friends said.

While at Brown, Dexter devoted herself to her coursework and her extracurricular interests — she was involved in the Queer Alliance, the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, Students for Choice and the American Civil Liberties Union.

And her involvement in these groups was not peripheral — “she was a really big part” of each group, said Brice Neuman ’04.

When Dexter took a leave of absence because of her failing health, people kept calling to ask why she had not been at certain meetings, Billinkoff said.

Dexter had passionate convictions about everything from women’s issues to economics, yet she shared her opinions “in a way that was very non-offensive to other people,” Melnikow said.

She was open to people with beliefs entirely different from her own, said high school friend Matty Castellan.

Dexter wanted nothing more than to work, learn and be around her friends here, Billinkoff said. “It made me, as a Brown student, feel so lucky,” she said.

Andy Jalil ’04 described the intricate, color-coded spreadsheet Dexter would use during shopping period to allow her to visit all the classes — sometimes as many as 30 — that interested her.

She was “brilliant” and had a “cunning wit,” Ostrov said.

An economics concentrator, though at times she spoke of triple concentrating, Dexter had a “math mind,” Billinkoff said, and she was a teaching assistant for EC113: “Intermediate M i c r o e c o n o m i c s (Mathematical).”

She was also a talented writer and “one of the most vocal and opinionated and strong and wellspoken people” in EL195: “Seminar in the Teaching of Writing,” the class for new Writing Fellows, said Jessica Kremen ’05.

Dexter was “wonderfully giving with her own intellect,” often sharing books or clipped newspaper articles with friends and professors, Cohee said.

Resource continued from page 1 presence” who was energetically involved in Queer Alliance activities and deeply committed to the creation of the LGBTQ Center.

Dexter encouraged attendees to imagine more resources and opportunities for LGBTQ groups on campus, including an art gallery and spaces for conferences, readings and lectures, Schultz said.

“Let us be inspired by Masha’s drive and ambition,” he said.

Ashley Harness ’05, a member of the Queer Alliance’s executive board, said the opening of the “small but mighty center” is “about claiming space and about coalitions.” It serves as a reminder that LGBTQ groups remain committed to their goal of “working towards a Brown in our shared image” and away from a “campus climate that sometimes feels far from hospitable,” she said.

Mazaris added that the center will “increase the visibility of LGBTQ issues and people.” One of the center’s goals is to establish a University-wide “safe-zone” program, with spaces for community members to raise questions and concerns regarding LGBTQ issues,

She sent barrages of e-cards and forwarded e-mails to friends, sometimes just to say “hi,” other times to wish them a “Happy Condom Week,” Melnikow said.

Neuman remembered a time he casually mentioned to Dexter that he had left some books in Providence over the summer, only to then receive a package from her containing a new copy of his favorite book.

Even when she was in the middle of exams herself, Dexter would help Markov with her papers, she said.

She was always generous, lending friends clothes or offering them rides — even down the street — in the “Mashamobile,” her cluttered car decorated with bumper stickers.

She loved arguing, dancing at Pulse, cooking (using only organic products), yoga and even mopping, friends say.

She was also outspoken and never self-conscious, said Karen Prazar ’04, recalling the pink fishnet shirt Dexter wore to SexPowerGod their freshmen year.

Dexter’s friends said they do not like to think of her as a patient, but they cannot help but admire the strength she showed battling the disease that took her in and out of school for four years.

Even when she was in the hospital, she remained optimistic and never wanted help or pity, Markov said. She said she would try to ask Dexter how she was feeling, but Dexter would always shift the conversation back to Markov’s life, asking about boys, classes, friends and what was happening at Brown.

When Castellan visited Dexter in the hospital, he recounted a story about a friend of theirs.

Though unable to speak, Dexter rolled her eyes in response, a trademark of hers. “It was comforting,” he said. “Her spirit was still incredibly, incredibly strong.”

Herald staff writer Meryl Rothstein ’06 edits the Arts & Culture section.

She can be reached at mrothstein@browndailyherald.com.

she said.

The center aims to “help queer students and their allies to achieve their goals” and to support the work of students and student groups such as the Queer Alliance and The Next Thing, an organization for LGBTQ students of color, Mazaris added.

After these remarks, Lewis Seifert, associate professor of French studies, read two “queer fairy tales,” one written by a former student and another a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling.”

Seifert, whose teaching and research involves fairytales, commented on the “queer” nature of the genre. “It subverts our understanding of what we take to be normal,” he said.

Seifert linked the dream element of fairytales to the hopes and aspirations of the LGBTQ Resource Center, which he called “the result of dreams and hard work.”

Mazaris agreed. “This is really a cause for celebration,” she said.

“Seeing people lined up on the staircase to come here almost made me cry.”

Herald staff writer Gabriella Doob ’07 can be reached at gdoob@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 5

Brown down in the race to recycle against other universities

BY KATE EDWARDS

Marshall Agnew / Herald

Entertainment industry lawyers Craig Jacobson ‘78 and Sam Fischer ‘74 led spoke Tuesday night in Salomon 101.

Entertainment law is an insular business, alums say

BY MARSHALL AGNEW

Success as a Hollywood lawyer requires people skills as well as legal know-how, said Craig Jacobson ’74 and Sam Fischer ’78, two prominent entertainment lawyers, in a discussion Tuesday night in Salomon 001.

Both Jacobson and Fischer stressed the idea that their work as entertainment lawyers is different from other kinds of law because it emphasizes relationship building as much as legal skills. “What’s great about the business is the diversity of personalities,” Fischer said.

“You can be one of the best technical lawyers in Hollywood, but it is a business of relationships,” Fischer said.

When asked what attracted them to entertainment law, Jacobson and Fischer both said they were not at first interested in the field but started out in other branches of the legal system. Jacobson wanted to work in Washington, D.C., and Fischer thought he would be a litigator.

But Fischer said he fell in love with the industry after spending a summer working on a movie because of its excellent mix of creative and business fields. Still, he didn’t want to be directly involved in the film industry because he wanted more security.

Most student questions focused on the nature of entertainment law and possible paths for getting into the business.

Because entertainment law is very hard to teach and can only really be learned from experience, top firms do not hire students straight out of law school, only lawyers with at least two years’ experience at other firms, Jacobson and Fischer said.

The business is still open to newcomers, but one would have to be very lucky to be hired straight out of law school, Fischer said. He emphasized the importance of personal connections.

The life of a young entertainment lawyer is very busy, Jacobson said. Young lawyers must build up personal connections by attending a multitude of different functions and forming close personal bonds with their clients, in addition to putting in the long hours required of all young lawyers, Jacobson and Fischer said.

Jacobson and Fischer both said it is because of such social bonds that they prefer long-term clients, which creates a strong sense of loyalty in their business.

As entertainment lawyers progresses in the busisee LAW, page 6

Despite its environmentally-conscious image, Brown continues to lag behind competitors in the “Recycle Mania” intercollegiate recycling competition.

Brown’s ranking among the 17 participating colleges has vacillated between sixth and 13th place.

Coordinators currently estimate Brown is in 10th place.

Brown event coordinator Nadia Diamond-Smith ’06 said she is disappointed with these results, given Brown’s reputation but encouraged that the University has moved up slightly in the rankings.

“Being in a national competition has motivated us more,” said coordinator Chris Bennett ’07. He stressed the program’s “realistic goals” and emphasized that there are many more weeks during which Brown can catch up to other schools.

Only about 35 percent of all recyclable goods at Brown are recycled, which is better than the averages of some schools participating in the competition, according to Diamond-Smith.

But, “if we compare how much we recycle to how much we waste, the numbers are pretty bad,” she said.

Several logistical problems have plagued the Recycle Mania effort. Each school’s recycling program measures the recycled goods independently, which might cause disparities in results. There are also often problems with recycling pickup.

The biggest problem, however, is the lack of knowledge of the recycling system, she said.

“Students don’t always know which goods are recyclable, and sometimes throw out recyclable goods without thinking about it,” Diamond-Smith said.

Faye Benjamin ’05 said the program’s white board in the Post Office, which displays weekly results, made her more aware of Recycle Mania.

Brown still has a long way to go until its recycling program is as good as it could be, according to Benjamin. But she said, “I applaud (Recycle Mania) for getting recycling out there.”

Recycle Mania is a 10-week competition among 17 colleges that aims to increase awareness of recycling programs and encourage interest through friendly competition, according to the program’s Web site. Several other Ivy League schools are participating, including Harvard University, Dartmouth College and Yale University.

Rankings are decided by the number of pounds of recycled material collected per student, and only recycled materials from dining halls and residential halls count towards the competition. The lowest-scoring week is dropped to account for each school’s spring break.

The program at Brown is sponsored by Facilities Management and is supported by the Center for Environmental Studies. Recycle Mania concludes on April 9.

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004

Hollywood continued from page 5 ness, they gain the ability to pick and choose their clients, and dealings become easier, Jacobson and Fischer said.

Young lawyers often have little choice in clients and are forced to deal with difficult personalities, they added.

Both Jacobson and Fischer work in successful, small firms in Hollywood that represent big names such as Mel Gibson, Beyoncé Knowles and Will Smith. Both firms only have about 20 lawyers, in contrast to other branches of the law, in which successful firms often employ 500 lawyers or more.

Small firm size is possible because the number of people in the film industry is small, despite the field’s visibility, the lawyers said.

Jacobson and Fischer said their firms are constantly struggling to employ more women lawyers.

Both said they would like to see more women in the business but are unable to find them to hire.

“It is still a very male-dominated business,” Jacobson said.

Asked about the moral obligations of entertainment lawyers, both Jacobson and

Dream Job continued from page 12 ing were solid. Referred to a soccer ball as an oversized baseball, which drops him in my book.

For a little guy, he should show more compassion to minority sports.

4. Rubinson: A little too wordy and lacked a real camera presence. Made creative reference to the Academy Awards, which was being broadcast at the same time. Called the intermission in hockey halftime — blasphemous. Overall, middleof-the-pack performance.

5. Chet Anekwe: Too smooth to be a broadcaster. Chet was referred to as “Rico Suave” by one judge, and he made a refer-

SSN continued from page 3 take more than a year.

Switching over is “not a matter of a few keystrokes,” Beckman said.

The transition process demands the coordination of financial aid, admissions, meal plan programs and residential housing, Beckman said.

Brown almost always uses SIS

The business is still open to newcomers, but one would have tot be very lucky to be hired straight out of law school, Fischer said. He emphasized the importance of personal connections.

Fischer said their firms do not have policies regarding moral standards and always leave moral issues up to individual lawyers. The job of a lawyer is to help a client with legal issues whether or not he or she agrees with the client on a moral level, Jacobson said.

Herald staff writer Marshall Agnew ’07 can be reached at magnew@browndailyherald.com.

ence to Earth, Wind and Fire.

What more can I say? Needs to come off as more humble to break into the upper echelon.

6. Alvin Williams (eliminated): Sad. Very sad. This one wasn’t even close. The Wendy’s Wildcard (whatever that is) has a better future at Wendy’s and received all of the votes for elimination. A nice guy, but he just didn’t belong. I’ve had calculus teachers more animated than Alvin.

Tune in Sunday at 10 p.m. to watch the next episode live on ESPN. Next week will feature the remaining 10 finalists, including Haskins and Rubinson.

Herald staff writer Brett Zarda GS can be reached at

numbers to identify students, with the exception of instances where a department requires social security numbers, according to Registrar Michael Pesta.

Neither SIS numbers nor social security numbers are released outside the University, Pesta said.

“Brown has always taken steps to protect the confidentiality of student information and we will continue to do so,” he said. “That certainly applies to the social security number.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 7

Tight race for a divided nation predicted in November election WASHINGTON, D.C. (Washington Post) — For a

politically polarized nation, a campaign pitting President George Bush against Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) presents the starkest of choices—and almost certainly a close election.

Kerry put a firm grip on the Democratic nomination Tuesday night by winning all the top prizes in the 10-state voting marathon, driving his final serious challenger, John Edwards, out of the race and setting the stage for a down-anddirty battle.

The policy lines are clearly drawn, with sharp disagreements already expressed on the conduct of war and diplomacy, the management of the economy and such volatile social issues as abortion, gay rights, guns and the death penalty.

On the personal level, moreover, the onetime Texas oilman and the diplomat’s son from Massachusetts have little liking for what the other represents.

“John Kerry is what George Bush worked very hard not to be — a Northeast elitist,” said Vin Weber, the former representative from Minnesota with close ties to the White House. “Bush has family roots in New England, but he rejected that for himself, and now he’s going to be running against someone who represents everything he wanted to avoid.”

For his part, Kerry has acknowledged his “privileged upbringing,” but is quick to tell audiences that, unlike Bush, he has devoted his energies in the Senate to fighting for the interests of those who were born without such advantages.

Personalities aside, the contrast in their politics and governing philosophies guarantees this will be a riveting contest.

Because the country remains almost mathematically balanced between the parties and because neither man shed blood in securing the nomination, they enter the general election on unexpectedly even terms.

Current polls give Kerry a minuscule lead. Sig Rogich, a veteran Republican consultant from Nevada, said he is unconcerned because “you often see the incumbent running behind at this point in the cycle. The Democrats have been beating him over the head for months, and he is just now starting his campaign.”

That may be true, but veteran Republicans in such battleground states as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois commented Tuesday night that Bush has seemed off his game for the past two months, unusually defensive and unpersuasive. Surveying the president’s problems with Iraq, the economy and the budget, one Republican, speaking pri-

vately, said, “I think he’s feeling overwhelmed.”

Democrats say they harbor no such illusions. “I don’t believe for a minute he’s down 10 points,” said one Democrat who has been involved in presidential campaigns since the mid-1960s. “And even if he were, they can strengthen him; they’re tough and smart.”

But he observed — as did Paula Woolf, a longtime adviser to top Illinois Republicans — the ferocity and seeming unanimity of Democratic hostility to Bush.

“The country is so divided,” Woolf said. “People on each side think the other guy is the devil incarnate.”

That intensity — in part a carryover of the bitter 2000 contest, which extended for weeks after Election Day and ended with the Supreme Court ending the votecounting in Florida — presages an equally close struggle in November.

States such as Ohio, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wisconsin and Iowa — and, of course, Florida — will be saturated with ads and swamped with campaign visits.

Bush, sitting on a record pile of campaign cash, is starting his ad blitz on Thursday. He and Vice President Dick Cheney were on television Tuesday even

as the Democrats wound up their primary battles.

Rhodes Cook, who publishes a Washington newsletter analyzing political trends, said some of the strengths and weakness of Kerry and Bush could be seen in the primary results.

Historically, the absence of any significant primary challenge has been a key indicator of a president’s healthy prospects for winning a second term. But Cook pointed out that, prior to Tuesday night, Bush’s “show your support” vote was smaller than Ronald Reagan’s 1984 vote in the New Hampshire and Wisconsin primaries—two swing states.

In New Hampshire 20 years ago, about 5,000 Democratic primary voters wrote in Reagan’s name; this year, only 257 showed crossover support for Bush.

As for Kerry, Rhodes commented on the breadth of his support. “He has done well with all the constituencies you want to win—urban, suburban, rural, white and black. Even though he won Wisconsin narrowly, he won 59 of 72 counties.”

But, he added, “Up until yesterday, Kerry had won only 41 percent of the Democratic votes. Even as the odds-on favorite for nomination, the majority of Democrats have gone elsewhere.”

NASA rover Opportunity finds proof of Martian water (L.A. Times) — The Mars rover Opportunity has discovered that potentially life-sustaining waters once soaked the surface of Mars, providing an answer to one of the most provocative questions of modern planetary science.

At a news conference Tuesday in Washington, National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists said that an analysis of rock samples showed that salt-laden sediments were shaped by percolating or flowing water — and may even have been formed by a great Martian sea.

“Opportunity has landed on an area of Mars where liquid water once drenched the surface,” said Ed Weiler, NASA’s associate administrator of space science. “This area would have been a good, habitable environment for some period of time.”

He called the findings “a giant leap” toward determining whether life may have existed on Mars during a warmer and wetter time in the now frigid planet’s past.

Steve Squyres, a Cornell University geologist and chief scientist for the mission, said one of the key pieces of evidence was the discovery of dense deposits of sulfates — similar to Epsom salts — in an outcropping of bedrock near its landing site.

The mineral is typically left behind by receding groundwater or the evaporation

of a salty lake or ocean.

Scientists used a grinding tool to look beneath the surface of the rock to be sure the salty deposits were more than a shallow crust. They then used an instrument called the alpha particle x-ray spectrometer that shoots radioactive particles at mineral atoms to determine their mass and composition.

The rocks were found to be “full of sulfate salts,” up to 40 percent of the total mass of the rocks, said Squyres — “a telltale sign, we believe, of water.”

Squyres said several other several findings confirmed their assumptions.

The layered, scarred face of a rock the scientists have been studying — nicknamed El Capitan — could have been shaped by wind or water. But a striated pattern called “crossbedding” included concave patterns typically caused by the crest lines of underwater ridges.

The rover’s panoramic camera and microscopic imager captured a number of randomly placed, pock-mark indentations, each a fraction of an inch long. The pattern typically forms when salt crystals grow within rocks sitting in briny water.

When the crystals later dissolve or erode away, they leave holes like those seen on the El Capitan.

Pebble-like structures the scientists nicknamed “blueberries,” embedded in the rock the way berries are embedded in a muffin, could have been formed by volcanic eruptions or by the violent force of a meteor impact. But scientists concluded that they were more likely “concretions,” structures created from mineral deposits emerging from a watery solution inside the rock formation.

This combination of signs convinced the rover team that water must have been the unifying basis for the rock’s characteristics.

“You work so hard on something,” said Matt Golombek, a geologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., who led the site-selection process and hit the jackpot. “You dream about it, but it was almost too much to hope for.”

Scientists are still exploring whether Mars had large standing bodies of surface water or if the water bubbled up from underground. They don’t know if the water was present thousands of years ago, or much further back in the planet’s history.

But the scientists are certain that large volumes of water shaped the rocks at the Opportunity site over a long period of time.

While it’s too soon to tell if there was

ever life on Mars, the question of whether the planet was capable of sustaining some form of life has been laid to rest, the scientists said.

“This is a significant step in answering the fundamental question, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’” said Roger Launius, former chief historian of NASA Charles Elachi, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which built and operates the Mars rovers, said that if the discovery is a first step to finding life on other planets, it could begin an epic shift in human self perception, comparable to when 16th Century astronomers determined that the Earth was not the center of the universe.

The mystery of Martian water dates from the observations of astronomer Percival Lowell a century ago, who described Martian “canals” amid vegetation and cities.

His fanciful conclusions touched off a furious debate about the role of water on Earth’s planetary neighbor.

For more than four decades space probes from the Soviet Union, the United States and other nations tried to settle the question — at a cost of tens of billions of dollars and disastrous failure in 20 of 36 missions.

I’m a gnu.

How about you?

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004

Basketball continued from page 12 sively and reacted to them rather than taking control,” she said.

Despite the loss, Bruno’s senior tandem of Golston and Mitchell put up impressive numbers. Mitchell led all players with 20 points and added two blocks and two steals.

Meanwhile, Golston continued to showcase her dynamic passing skills, tallying eight assists and six points.

Kelly also performed well Friday night, recording six steals and eight points.

The Saturday night game against Harvard was a different story, as Brown nearly doubled its field goal percentage from the Dartmouth loss, shooting 72 percent in the second half and 67.9 percent for the game.

Bruno never let Harvard close, immediately taking a 13-4 lead. The lead was never less than four, as Bruno outrebounded and out-shot the Crimson en route to a 45-28 halftime lead.

Brown continued to domi-

With two games left in her collegiate career, Golston is just four assists shy of Brown’s single-season record. At 6.92 assists per game, she is easily first in the Ivy League this year, leading second-place Karen Force of Cornell University by 55 assists. nate Harvard in the second half, increasing its lead to 29 with 16 minutes left. With just under five minutes left, Brown led by 32 points, and the Bears ultimately gave the Crimson their worst loss since 1983-1984 season, with a final score of 95-70.

Brown’s forwards dominated Harvard inside. Robertson only missed one shot all game, hitting 4-4 on free throws, 1-1 on threes and 11-12 on field goals.

She finished the game with a career-high 27 points and added on 10 rebounds.

“Holly bounced back,” Burr said. “She had been the focus of the Dartmouth defense the day before, but she had her looks in

the Harvard game and took advantage of them.”

Mitchell also had a stellar game, chipping in 16 points and five rebounds. Sarah Hayes ’06 added 17 points and seven boards.

“Sarah is like a rock,” Burr said. “She is very dependable and strong. She gets all over ver the boards, and defensively she is a terror on the ball.”

In a night of great statistical achievements, Golston’s were just as impressive. Her 15 assists were one shy of the Brown record for assists in a game. She also shot the ball well, going 5-6 from the floor for 14 points.

“Tanara’s toughness was incredible,” Burr said. “She fell on her hand, was bandaged up, but still took the court with tenacity. She did a great job feeding the guards and finding her own shot.”

With two games left in her collegiate career, Golston is just four assists shy of Brown’s single-season record. At 6.92 assists per game, she is easily first in the Ivy League this year, leading second-place Karen Force of Cornell University by 55 assists.

As the Ivy season winds down, the Bears have the opportunity to clinch third place with a sweep of upcoming home games against Columbia University and Cornell.

Second place is not out of reach but would require second-place Dartmouth to lose to the top-ranked University of Pennsylvania and seventhplace Princeton University this weekend.

Meier continued from page 12 chances recently on Wally Joyner, “First basemen who can hit grow on trees, and the Angels went and signed a potted plant.” The point is that strong-hitting first basemen are not a commodity.

Among the other infield positions, however, they are.

Within this group, Alex Rodriguez was the most productive player in baseball in 2003, third overall behind Albert Pujols and Gary Sheffield. Soriano was right behind him in second place, sixth overall.

But in 2002, Soriano was the top infielder in all of baseball (first basemen included), second overall, behind only Vladimir Guerrero. Rodriguez was on his heels at third overall, second among infielders.

If these comparisons seem tedious and inexact, it’s probably because they are. Yet while they don’t conclusively say the players are equivalent, they do show that their performances are quite comparable.

I already hear the objection: ARod toiled for the floundering last-place Texas Rangers while Soriano soaked up the success of the Yankees juggernaut. After all, who can say how many more runs A-Rod would have driven in hitting in the stacked Yankees lineup, or how many fewer Soriano would have scored if Jeter and Giambi had not followed him to the plate.

This point is a valid one, but it should be noted that difference between these teams last year was pitching, not hitting. A glance at the number of runs both teams scored (Yankees 877, Rangers 826) and allowed (Yankees 716, Rangers 969) makes this clear.

The truth is that Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano have both been playing for strong offenses and have been perform-

Track continued from page 12 Continuing their success, vaulters Mike Murray ’06 and Grant Bowen ’07 both vaulted 155 to round out the top six.

Also in the field events, Jake Golenor ’06 placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 51.7 feet and 3/4 inches.

“We came in tied for fourth as a team, being only six points away from third, which is incred-

Squash continued from page 12 and O’Boyle suffered the only two losses, with the rest of the team pulling off victories in only three games.

The Bears finished strong with a 7-2 win over Bowdoin, forfeiting a game at the bottom of their roster. Williams took the Hoehn Cup, and Trinity remained on top for its sixth straight national championship win, despite a strong challenge

ing at a similar level. They are both likely to have great seasons in the coming year.

What’s remarkable is the degree to which everyone seems to have forgotten the player taking off the pinstripes and departing New York. While it’s no surprise the New York media has been whipped into a frenzy by the surprise capture of the game’s premier player, the price paid was steep and seems to have been forgotten.

The upgrade at third is monumental, but who will replace the only player to steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs last year? The current frontrunner is Enrique Wilson, who over the last three seasons is sporting an average of .218 and an even more abysmal on-base percentage of .266. Over the same period of time he has swiped 4 bases, leaving him only 115 shy of Soriano.

The A-Rod acquisition is indeed indicative of real American wealth and power but surely not an example of its great magnitude. This baseball trade is the equivalent of a man who sells his LandRover to buy a Hummer.

This is the kid who can’t fill his 10-gigabyte iPod with music but goes out and buys a new 40 GB model because he needs the biggest and best.

This trade is the story of a boy in New York who had everything but couldn’t take his uneasy eyes off Boston.

In the end, Mr. Steinbrenner needed to steal the shiny toy his little brother wanted just so no one else could have it. But don’t think of what he did as a coup that made the Yankees unbeatable. It has not. The Yankees always pilfer a superstar in the off-season (see Mussina, Giambi, etc.). This year they also had to give one away.

Herald staff writer Luke Meier ’05 isn’t pondering trading his Brown education for a Harvard education anytime soon.

ibly close,” said co-captain Tony Hatala ’04. “The energy level of the team was outstanding.”

The team has time to rest this week before practice resumes in mid-March.

On March 26, the spring season officially begins when the Bears travel to Raleigh, N.C., for the Raleigh Invitational.

Herald staff writer Marco Santini ’07 covers men’s track. He can be reached at msantini@browndailyherald.com.

from Harvard.

Though this is the end of the team’s season, Bailey and Petrie, who are ranked 32nd and 62nd in the country, respectively, will compete this weekend at the individual nationals at St. Lawrence University. Both are expected to perform well, despite suffering from chronic injuries.

Herald staff writer Kate Klonick ’06 covers men’s and women’s squash.

She can be reached at kklonick@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS EXTRA WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 9

Losing jobs in Brown’s bear market GUEST COLUMN BY JOSHUA SCHULMAN-MARCUS

In the last few years, President Ruth Simmons has initiated an impressive drive to increase the quality of education here at Brown. The cornerstone of this campaign is the goal of hiring 100 new professors, increasing Brown’s ability to raise money and a renovation of campus facilities. As a senior, I have already started to benefit from this program.

There is one problem with this plan — it costs a lot.

To prevent the school from hemorrhaging money as it begins its buying binge, there have been hiring freezes and slow wage growth. Even more important to students is that the cost of a Brown education is increasing at an astounding rate, over double the rate of national inflation. In a few years, it will cost $50,000 a year to go to Brown.

Meanwhile, our financial aid system remains constantly on the edge. Last year, students on financial aid were nearly forced to take more loans in place of grants.

Need-blind admissions are a step in the right direction, but they are not helpful when fiscal duress can easily cause even middle-class students to feel stressed.

Even worse, since I have been here I have observed a drastic reduction in the number of available student jobs on campus. I work as a student supervisor in for Brown Dining Services in the Sharpe Refectory kitchen.

Each semester, the number of shifts and hours have been cut. This semester alone, student shifts must end by 1 p.m., whereas they used to go to 3 p.m. Thus, the majority of shifts are now between 6 to 11 a.m., times when few students will work at all, while the formerly popular afternoon shifts are gone. Simultaneously, the number of workers per shift was cut in half and our program of flexible start and end times was scrapped.

My unit in BuDS is not alone. Since I have been here,

BuDS has practically eliminated student worker shifts in the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall and the upstairs Ratty. A rumor is even spreading among the Ratty units that the ultimate goal of BuDS is to eliminate student labor altogether.

When I told this to a dean, he told me that BuDS actually wants more student workers, an incredible claim considering the continuing job cuts.

Furthermore, I’m told that in the past year there have been reductions in hours in the library system, and with the elimination of the student shuttle system another 100 flexible evening jobs were eliminated.

We go to a university where no amount of student work can possibly begin to pay off our enormous debts, though working can be a major boon. It can help to

President Simmons must support student labor. make small ends meet, pay for books, pay for weekend experiences and allow students to save money so they can take underfunded summer internships. Besides this, working gives students a greater interaction with the wider working world, a chance to learn useful skills, management opportunities and to make awesome friends.

When the university is indifferent to a dearth of flexible and well-paying jobs, it sends a powerful message: we don’t value your work and don’t care if you are fiscally struggling. It also puts the fiscal burdens of the school on the most economically and ethnically

diverse segment of the student population. President Simmons, if you want to help minorities at Brown, support student labor and financial aid.

The non-academic Brown workers should not have to shoulder the fiscal burden either of the capital campaign either. Last semester, a contract was offered to the “professional” BuDS staff offering a measly 1 percent raise over three years. That is not enough even to account for inflation. A strike was narrowly averted after a new contract was agreed on for raises of 3, 2.25 and 2.25 percent over the next three years, respectively, in exchange for reductions in disability coverage and sick days, and an increase of 2 percent that workers have to pay for their health care. (To its credit, Brown offers a good health care plan.)

Considering first that most professional workers in BuDS make $20,000 to $30,000 a year before taxes and that this pool is among the most racially and ethnically diverse of the entire Brown workforce, I look at our school’s recent behavior and wonder where Brown’s priorities are.

I want Brown to be the academically the best place it can possibly be. Still, we must look carefully at the question of how we will pay for the massive addition of high-paid faculty.

Will it be the way it has been as of late —soaring tuition, increased student loans, deep cuts in the student workforce and unfair labor contracts? We must start asking ourselves how many of our values we are willing to sacrifice for the sake of “academic enrichment.”

Joshua Schulman-Marcus ’04 warns against the grilled cheese at the Ratty.

A united cry against Chinese intimidation GUEST COLUMN BY ABRAHAM YOUNG

While Brown students were asleep at 2:28 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 28, halfway across the world a heartfelt cry of pain, frustration, determination, and unity came from one of the leading democracies in East Asia. More than 1.7 million citizens of Taiwan lined the western border of Taiwan, from the northern to the southern tip of the island, and joined and raised their hands collectively to form a 500-kilometer-long human chain. Many in tears, they shouted “love peace, oppose missiles,” “unity among ethnic groups” and “join hands to protect Taiwan.”

Feb. 28 marks what was once a scathing scar for the people of Taiwan and is now designated National Peace Day. That day in 1947 was the beginning of a nightmarish year, when tens of thousands of Taiwanese were systematically murdered by the Kuomingtang (KMT) Nationalists recently arrived from China after assuming administrative rule of the island following World War II. Within a few years, the KMT wiped out a generation of Taiwan’s intellectual middle class and cast a thick cloud of hardship and terror upon the island’s people. During the next 40 years, Taiwan endured the brutality and suppression of KMT martial law rule.

Mention of the traumatic “228 Massacre” was forbidden and human rights were a faraway dream in the midst of the continual murders, imprisonments and government blacklists underthe iron-fisted rule of the KMT military regime.

In the past 20 years, through the sacrifices and passion of multitudinous advocates as these, Taiwan has managed to tremendously liberalize itself socially and politically. Nearly a decade after the lifting of martial law, in 1996, Taiwan held its first-ever democratic election, and in 2000, the country peacefully transferred power to the elected opposition party, ending 50 years of KMT rule. Taiwan has miraculously evolved into a full democracy and a leader and champion of human rights in the world. U.S. lawmakers have even repeatedly termed Taiwan a “model for democracy” in Asia.

Within Taiwan, such incredible strides have been made in a short time. Yet outside of Taiwan, China’s strong-arm forces still threaten and intimidate the ability of the 23 million Taiwanese to freely exercise their democracy. China considers Taiwan a “renegade province” and has accepted no other basis for negotiation except that Taiwan consent to annexation — and China has repeatedly demonstrated the use of military force as a means to that end.

What if America’s structural democracy and selfdetermination were threatened? Fortunately, that is far from a possibility for the United States. But for the 23 million citizens of democratic Taiwan, those threats are constant and growing. China is currently pointing 496 missiles at Taiwan from only 100 miles away. In the weeks and days before Taiwan’s elections in 1996 and 2000, China fired “missile tests” off the shore of Taiwan,

The constant threat posed to Taiwan. and in the upcoming Taiwanese elections this month, China is projected to again mobilize military forces in an attempt to intimidate the 23 million citizens of Taiwan.

Whatever the question on the national agenda may be — whether it is, “Does Taiwan want to declare de jure independence, putting into words on the world’s stage its already obvious de facto independence?”

“Should Taiwan ever accept an eventual ‘One China, Two Systems,’ policy similar to that of Hong Kong?”

“Why is Taiwan still not allowed participation in the United Nations or the World Health Organization, even as the SARS outbreak hit at home last year?” or even the most basic democratic question, “Whom should I vote for?” — China’s missiles, military buildups and aggres-

sive threats unfortunately serve to bully Taiwanese citizens from forming their own opinions and making their own decisions. How could one not feel nervous walking into a voting booth with an armed aggressor pointing weapons at you, constantly threatening to shoot at every movement?

This past Saturday, the people of Taiwan once again far exceeded the expectations of doubters — just like they surprised China by going to the voting booths in both 1996 and 2000 despite China’s firing missiles into the Taiwan Strait. On stage with representatives from all of Taiwan’s Hakka, Hokhlo, mainlander, aborigine and other various ethnic groups, Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bian announced to the 500-kilometer-long chains of Taiwanese, “The Taiwan people have used the most simple, solemn and sacred method of hands linked in hand to express to the world their resolve to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic development, economic prosperity and lasting peace in the Taiwan Strait.”

Asked why they joined the rally, a participant in Taipei responded, “We joined the rally to tell China that Taiwanese people hold the ultimate say in their own future.” Another woman, who brought five of her children and grandchildren to join the chain, responded that she was angry at the Chinese missile deployment, asking, “How can we remain silent?”

Taiwan’s President Chen called the historic human chain a “great wall of democracy,” and added, “We showed the world our determination to recognize Taiwan and protect Taiwan.” Let us now all show that we have heard the voice of the people of Taiwan and that we echo and support their rights to democracy, self-determination and freedom from military intimidations. Add your own voice of affirmation and support to the people of Taiwan at www.usfortaiwan.org.

Abraham Young ’04 attended most of elementary school in Taiwan, where most of his relatives reside today.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Moving forward Everyone needs a safe place.

It’s important for all of us to be able to have a place to sit down, drop our guard and not worry about who’s looking and judging.

The new LGBTQ Resource Center is just that — a safe place, where members of the queer community can be relaxed, sheltered and surrounded by people who understand and empathize with their experiences.

The recent hate crimes on this campus are cause for serious concern. A March 28 Department of Public Safety incident summary reports homophobic comments were written in marker on Champlin Hall walls and windows of Champlin Hall, and police are still investigating a Feb. 14 incident that appears to be a hate crime.

So it’s understandable that members of the LGBTQ community do not feel safe on this campus. And while there are larger problems that must be solved, the LGBTQ center is a step in the right direction.

By giving the center space vacated by Hillel, which moved into its new building just last month, the University proved that the LGBTQ community is one of its highest priorities.

And administrators at the event acknowledged that even the expanded space isn’t enough to meet all the LGBTQ community’s needs, showing that once the University has addressed a priority, it doesn’t consider it fully met.

As Brown prepares to launch a capital campaign, it will face many more difficult decisions about how to allocate resources. The creation of the LGBTQ Resource Center gives us confidence that these decisions will be made responsibly.

Many Brown students, faculty and staff members identify with the LGBTQ community on campus. By providing a dedicated space to serve as a safe space and resource center — indeed, one that is larger than a closet, which was the size of the old room — the University is acknowledging and legitimizing its presence on campus.

When any member of a community feels unsafe or unwelcome, the entire community suffers. And only when Brown becomes a place where LGBTQ students never have to fear discrimination or abuse will any of us — regardless of sexual orientation — truly be able to call this campus a safe place.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Juliette Wallack, Editor-in-Chief Carla Blumenkranz, Executive Editor Philissa Cramer, Executive Editor Julia Zuckerman, Senior Editor Danielle Cerny, Arts & Culture Editor Meryl Rothstein, Arts & Culture Editor Zachary Barter, Campus Watch Editor Monique Meneses, Features Editor Sara Perkins, Metro Editor Dana Goldstein, RISD News Editor Alex Carnevale, Opinions Editor Ben Yaster, Opinions Editor Christopher Hatfield, Sports Editor PRODUCTION Lisa Mandle, Design Editor George Haws, Copy Desk Chief Eddie Ahn, Graphics Editor Judy He, Photo Editor Nick Neely, Photo Editor

BUSINESS John Carrere, General Manager Lawrence Hester, General Manager Anastasia Ali, Executive Manager Zoe Ripple, Executive Manager Elias Vale Roman, Senior Project Manager In Young Park, Project Manager Peter Schermerhorn, Project Manager Laird Bennion, Project Manager Bill Louis, Senior Financial Officer Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Elyse Major, Advertising Rep. Kate Sparaco, Office Manager POST- MAGAZINE Ellen Wernecke, Editor-in-Chief Jason Ng, Executive Editor Micah Salkind, Executive Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Josh Cohen, Design Editor Allison Lombardo, Features Editor Jeremy Beck, Film Editor Jessica Weisberg, Film Editor Ray Sylvester, Music Editor

Sam I. Am Night Editor Katie Lamm, Asad Reyaz, Copy Editors Staff Writers Marshall Agnew, Kathy Babcock, Zaneta Balantac, Elise Baran, Alexandra Barsk, Zachary Barter, Hannah Bascom, Danielle Cerny, Robbie Corey-Boulet, Lexi Costello, Ian Cropp, Sam Culver, Gabriella Doob, Jonathan Ellis, Justin Elliott, Amy Hall Goins, Dana Goldstein, Bernard Gordon, Aron Gyuris, Krista Hachey, Chris Hatfield, Jonathan Herman, Miles Hovis, Masha Kirasirova, Robby Klaber, Kate Klonick, Alexis Kunsak, Sarah LaBrie, Hanyen Lee, Kira Lesley, Matt Lieber, Allison Lombardo, Chris Mahr, Lisa Mandle, Craig McGowan, Jonathan Meachin, Monique Meneses, Kavita Mishra, Sara Perkins, Melissa Perlman, Eric Perlmutter, Sheela Raman, Meryl Rothstein, Michael Ruderman, Marco Santini, Jen Sopchockchai, Lela Spielberg, Stefan Talman, Joshua Troy, Schuyler von Oeyen, Jessica Weisberg, Brett Zarda Accounts Managers Daniel Goldberg, Mark Goldberg, Victor Griffin, Matt Kozar, Natalie Ho, Ian Halvorsen, Sarena Snider Pagination Staff Peter Henderson, Lisa Mandle, Alex Palmer Photo Staff Gabriella Doob, Benjamin Goddard, Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Jonathan Herman, Miyako Igari, Allison Lombardo, Elizabeth MacLennan, Nicholas Neely, Michael Neff, Alex Palmer, Yun Shou Tee, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Katie Lamm, Asad Reyaz, Amy Ruddle, Brian Schmalzbach, Melanie Wolfgang

NICK SCHADE

LETTERS Column stereotypes internationals

I fear Halperin’s article will do more to aggravate the stereotyping problem than illuminate it.

Andrew Ousley ’05 March 2

To the Editor: It is laughable that Anthony Halperin (“Lies the Viva-Buxton crowd told me,” March 2) has the audacity to stereotype Americans and international students, and then proclaim that stereotyping should end. Many of my close friends are international, and the only aspect of the “all jet-set, Viva-dancing, apathetic student” stereotype they fit is that they are, in fact, international. Buxton is comprised of not only international but also American students. In applying to the International House I was not judged based on an American stereotype.

It is disappointing that Halperin has no intention of giving international students a chance to be seen for who they are, rather than a passport and a bank account. Halperin’s egregiously false statements are an embarrassment to Brown. If Halperin is serious about breaking down stereotypes between American and international students, I personally invite him to enjoy an afternoon of camaraderie with Buxton members, American and otherwise. It will be painfully apparent that Buxton is not a facade, but rather has the commitment to diversity that he claims is lacking.

Sara Cunningham ’06 March 2

Thayer well on its way to improvement

To the Editor: While I share Anthony Halperin's belief that the propagation of stereotypes often prevents student groups from freely and constructively interacting with each other, I was disturbed by the hypocrisy of his article. As an active, enthusiastic member of both Buxton and a fraternity on campus, I agree that Windsor's blanket statements about American culture are false and insulting. But for Halperin to counter by insinuating that those closed-minded generalizations are held by the international community at large is equally ridiculous.

To the Editor: The implementation of a comprehensive improvement of Thayer Street is well underway.

Litter is being picked up on Thayer Street and its side streets 10 hours per day, seven days a week. Graffiti and stickers are being eliminated from buildings, signs and newsboxes every few weeks — no small feat after being there for 30 years. Several property owners and shopkeepers have received design consultations to help them improve their building facades. A constant security presence is in place with the installation of a private security patrol eight hours per day and coordination with both the Department of Public Safety and Providence Police Department.

Brown's contribution represents only half of the $800,000 capital improvement plan, plus an over $200,000 annual operating budget. So while the sidewalks may not yet be fixed, the street has already improved. The physical improvements — lighting, signage, sidewalks, etc. — will take longer. It takes time to actually design these improvements, reach consensus among the more than 20 property owners (of which Brown is only one), funnel the approved plans through the city processes and then finally get a shovel in the ground. All of the property owners, Brown included, are anxious to complete the capital improvements. While city approvals and the like are still being navigated, the students of Brown University and the surrounding community can be assured that the property owners and the University are moving as swiftly as possible to complete this project.

Howard Kozloff Project Manager,Thayer Street Improvement District Mar. 2

C O R R E C T I O N S An article in Friday’s paper on the dedication of the new Hillel building incorrectly quoted Brown Hillel President Martin Granoff P’93 describing architect Cornelis de Boer as Mormon. Granoff was referring to Fred Babcock, the building’s other architect — Babcock is Mormon, but de Boer is not.

CORRECTIONS POLICY The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

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, letters and comics 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 at its discretion.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 11

ERIC MAYER

Divided we stand It’s time to make a sobering assessment and recoup losses: The fake national debate surrounding the gay marriage “question” (upon which the media and government have scavenged with enough vigor to kill a senior citizen) in no way translates to actual, progressive change. Action of any kind is the true Sodomite enemy of the gay marriage “question.” After all, everything I’ve read or viewed on the subject in the corporate media suggests that the human belief system regarding gay marriage is divided into — unsurprisingly — two unproductive categories: (a) gay marriage will translate to the destruction of the family unit and the corrosion of its morality, and (b) I hate Republicans.

How can we reach consensus?

We can’t, because that’s the way Washington wants it. When progress is stunted by hollow and opposing arguments, the federal government can quietly smother that sickly, asthmatic child they keep in the basement: states’ rights. States’ rights, along with liberal democrats and gay voters, are the symbolic enemies that a constitutional gay marriage ban seeks to defeat.

On the topic of symbols, our government’s lack of sincere dedication to the premise of states’ rights finds one in Bush’s embrace of a constitutional gay marriage ban. But the problem is larger than Bush’s symbolism: The federalized nature of state marriage laws, such that a marriage in one state is legal in all states, is geared, perhaps unintentionally, against the premise of states’ relative autonomies. Since same-sex marriage, whether legal or not, will no doubt continue to prove controversial in this country, it might be wise to

isolate such a marriage’s legality to the states that choose to recognize it. This idealistic suggestion would require a change — dare I utter it — to the Constitution. But, as current events continue to bear, breaking with history doesn’t appear to be an unpopular concept these days.

Smaller, fortified state governments are in a much better position to make state-sensitive decisions, and an issue as geographically affected (by means of a variance in tolerance rather than in homosexuality) as gay

The gay marriage debate has gone stale. marriage should be unquestionably considered one of these. What is the point of having the federalist system in effect if the federal government meddles in statesensitive affairs like same-sex marriage? Whether it’s the federalized marriage law or the constitutional gay marriage ban, there’s only one party that makes the rules in this country. For that reason, the insincere, substantially inert political debate surrounding the issue is not only an affront to homosexuals (among whom a conservative contingent is curiously growing), but a Texas-style middle-finger to the only decent principles this country was built on — the marginal Jeffersonian ideals that didn’t have anything to do with

the preservation of property and personal gain.

The federal government’s role is neither to preserve the family unit nor to dictate a sexual model for the entire country. Even Bush knows this. The federal government’s primary responsibility — hell, it was the reason the whole country was spawned — is to guarantee rights, such as the right to marry within the confines of America’s most treasured ethical and moral assumptions, so long as you have the money to pay for it.

Bush’s gay marriage amendment would overrule the decisions of “activist courts” in states that, according to Bush, used legal power to achieve political ends and failed to preserve those ethical and moral assumptions. Apparently, we are to believe that Bush’s proposed constitutional amendment is such an act of preservation, and not just an election-year power play.

If one were to abandon Bush’s words for a moment (as most defenders of empire seem unwilling to do) and indulge in the moist landscapes and clear rivers of unexplored human thought as a means to make sense of his actions, we might come to the conclusion that Bush is, predictably, ignoring the better founding beliefs of this country in favor of political gain. Our Constitution was forged in the fires of individualistic want and societal pragmatism. Let us not betray that document with our country’s unfounded and politically skewed ethical and moral assumptions. But, then again, I hate Republicans.

Eric Mayer ’05 is all about preserving his property and personal gain.

ARTA KHAKPOUR

On election day, Iranians stay home Super Tuesday has come and gone. The beginning of a history-making campaign is upon us, and I felt a certain excitement as I joined thousands of citizens from New York City to my hometown of Pasadena, Calif., at the polls. Civic engagement seems set for an all-time high — voter turnout rates have made records in several states so far.

In my parents’ hometown, where elections were held a week ago, the situation is not so optimistic — though history is being made in an enormous way. Voter turnout was the lowest ever, dropping from 80 percent four years ago to about 25 percent now. The city in question is Tehran, the capital city of Iran, and its people are far from apathetic about politics. Staying home from the polls last week, the citizens of Tehran and millions of their countrymen cast a decisive vote of “no confidence” regarding their sham Islamic theocracy, and essentially signaled the death of a decade-long “reform” movement — which had been at best impotent and at worst insincere.

This may prompt a few questions. Islamic “theocracy”? Reform is bad? Boycotting elections?

Iranians are allowed to vote?

I know. Iran, the birthplace of my family and a member of Bush’s “axis of evil,” confuses people. To this end, a very quick and very dirty 3,000-year history lesson is in order.

Iranians, an Indo-European people (not Semitic, not Arab) who speak Persian, moved into the land east of Mesopotamia during the first millennium B.C. Following a monotheistic religion known as Zoroastrianism, they flourished and built three of the largest and most powerful imperial dynasties in the ancient world.

In the seventh century, Iran was invaded by Arabs flying the banner of Islam. After recovering from the initial shock of invasion, Iran became a center of the Middle Eastern world again and an important player in the Islamic golden age, starting 1,000 years ago.

Philosophers like Avicenna and poets like Rumi were men of the world, influencing European art and science.

However, despite its success in adopting Islam and thriving in the new world it created, Iran never ceased having a troubled relationship with the religion. The minority Shi’ite sect of Islam — with its dualistic, good versus evil, pseudo-apocalyptic view of the universe — took hold among Iranians. This was partly because of its surface similarities to Zoroastrianism, and partly

because of its natural appeal to a group forever relegated to outsider status in an Arab-dominated power scheme.

Meanwhile, dynasties continued to rise and fall.

Shortly after World War I, a coup established an army officer named Reza as Shah (king) of Iran. His rule, and that of his son, Muhammad Reza, emphasized modernity and secularism — but also obedience, unquestioning loyalty and fear.

A sustained constitutional movement eventually led to a three-year golden age in Iran’s civic history. From 1951 to 1953 Iran had a functioning democracy under Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. A pro-Shah coup deposed Mossadegh, however, and led to 25 more years of dictatorship. The coup was sponsored largely by the Central Intelligence Agency and British Intelligence — the United States and Britain opposed Mossadegh’s efforts to nationalize Iran’s oil, and feared that his left-leaning politics would favor the wrong side in the Cold War. In the late 1970s, a broad-based revolution was mounted which resulted in forcing the Shah out of the country. Control of the revolution, however, was coopted by Ayatollah Khomeini and his fundamentalist cohorts, who instituted an Islamic theocracy which rules Iran to the present.

The institution of ayatollahs — the highest ranking members of the religious establishment — is an unfortunate legacy of Shi’ite Islam. Fundamentalist thought grants them near prophetic authority and they have used this to create a moral police-state in Iran. Iranians face a combination of strict, literalist Islamic law and fascist-style political restriction that shuts down newspapers at will, raids parties for “immoral” behavior and has arrested, tortured and killed thousands of dissidents.

The Iranian government, however, has been careful to leave the façade of democracy intact. Iranians are allowed to vote both locally and nationally. In fact, the creation of Iran’s “Islamic” Republic itself was held to a referendum. My parents remember being made to vote “yes” or “no” as to whether Iran should become a religious regime shortly after the revolution — never mind that the Islamic revolutionaries were holding machine guns in the streets outside the polling places.

In the mid 1990s, a reform movement led by the elected president, moderate cleric Mohammed Khatami promised to bring freedom and equality to the Iranian populace — and failed miserably. The true

power in Iran lies not in the parliament but is held by an ayatollah, the successor to Khomeini: Ali Khamenei.

Khatami and Khamenei — whose title translates to “Supreme Leader” — have for years seemed to be fighting a pitched battle between conservatism and reform, but in reality, they play good cop/bad cop. Their faux conflict has given the population hope that step by step, gradual reform can lead to emancipation, and has hidden their fundamental similarities: Both men ultimately support the Islamic regime and will fight any effort to turn Iran into a genuinely secular republic.

In the build up to last week’s elections, Khamenei and his “Guardian Council” disqualified several thousand reformist candidates — including 80 sitting members of Parliament. The reasons given ranged from the infuriating to the absurd. Candidates, many of them upstanding public figures, were accused of being “thieves,” “drug smugglers,” “crooks,” and best of all, “not Iranian.” Their actual crime was supporting democratization and reform within the current Islamic system — nothing so radical as revolution, coup or secularization.

This episode was enough for the Iranian people — they organized a massive boycott of the elections.

Opposition newspapers and leaders, including Khatami’s own brother (himself a banned candidate), urged the population to stay home, and the people listened. The victory was double-edged, however, because now Iran stands at a precipice. With the hardliners controlling a majority of the Parliament (156 seats out of 290), Iranians now face the possibility of more severe clamp-downs on their civil rights. At the same time, the bankruptcy of “reform” — which in Iran means any political movement that emptily preaches change without demanding the fundamental right to secular government — has been revealed, once and for all.

Language gives us a note of optimistic irony. The word “vote” has, in Persian, a root that also possesses a religious definition. In fact, this exists in English as well (think “devotion,”) but the word we’re speaking of, “ra’y,” has a specific meaning in Islamic law. It refers to a personal, subjective decision based on individual judgment — one that is expressly distinct from a Quranic or traditional dictate. The Iranian people have judged, and have cast their “ra’y”: No to the Islamic Republic.

Arta Khakpour ’05 hails from California.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS WEDNESDAY MARCH 3, 2004 · PAGE 12

Shooting leads to tough loss, big win for w. basketball The women’s basketball team fell to second-place Dartmouth College 74-69 Friday but responded with a 95-70 drubbing of Harvard University Saturday to stay in third place in the Ivy League.

Brown, which now stands at 14-11 (7-5 Ivy), defeated Dartmouth 78-68 two weeks ago at the Pizzitola Center, but this time Dartmouth held the upper hand.

At the start, Brown took an early 5-0 lead behind two steals by Colleen Kelly ’06. But the team could not maintain offensive consistency as it battled to a 17-17 tie midway through the first half.

For the rest of the half, Dartmouth took advantage of Bruno’s poor shooting (34.4 percent for the game) to rattle off a 24-7 run. Brown had a four-point rally to end the half down 41-28.

A three-pointer by Holly Robertson ’05 and a driving layup by Tamara Golston ’04 started the second half the way Brown had ended the first. A basket by Nyema Mitchell ’04, with 15 minutes left to play, shrunk Dartmouth’s lead to seven, but Brown never got any closer, done in by its poor shooting.

“We took control of the game early, but we had trouble finishing,” said Head Coach Jean Marie Burr. “They triple-teamed our inside game, and we were never able to respond to that.”

Burr said she also felt her team did not assert itself enough on the court.

“We were more on our heels. There were times when we let down defen-

I wanted to bite my tongue at the Yankees’ most recent annexation of a top baseball player. I honestly did. Yet something seemed lost in all the talk that surLUKE MEIER rounded the A-Rod BOLTS AND NUTS deal.

Predictably, the headlines centered on the simple fact that the best and richest team in baseball had acquired the best and richest player in baseball.

Those who intrinsically deplore Evil Empires, Steinbrenner and pinstripes cried foul. They could not contain their indignation at this latest and most heinous case of market injustice in the sport-business that is baseball. A second group swiftly defended the Microsoft of sporting teams by pointing out that we need not blush at wealth, power and domination — they are more American than the underdog.

But as I reached for Kleenex and a soapbox to join the first group, I stopped to realize the reality of this trade — the Yankees didn’t improve much. They gave up the game’s best second baseman to get the best shortstop. By the time Alex Rodriguez has replaced the offensive productivity of Soriano, his overall impact will be meager. Most would consider Rodriguez a more productive infielder than Soriano, but even this is not a foregone conclusion.

Judging from a raw statistical analysis based on runs, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases and averages, it is not even clear that the Yankees come out ahead in their recent player exchange. Anyone familiar with baseball knows that offensive productivity is scarce among infielders, particularly those not playing first base.

As Rob Neyer commented on ESPN.com when Anaheim took their

see BASKETBALL, page 8

see MEIER, page 8

BY BEN MILLER

Nick Neely / Herald

Ray Bobrownicki ’06 finished in first place in the high jump at Heps this weekend, beating his closest competitor by two and a half inches. He was undefeated in Ivy League competition this season.

M. track narrowly misses third at Heps

BY MARCO SANTINI

The men’s indoor track team tied for fourth at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships at Cornell University this weekend, matching Columbia University with 51 points but falling short of its goal of finishing in the top three.

Ray Bobrownicki ’06 was the only Brown athlete to take home a victory, winning the high jump with a personal best leap of 6-11 1/2 — 2 1/2 inches higher than the second-place finisher. The victory capped an undefeated personal record in the Ivy League this season for Bobrownicki.

“Ray had a stellar performance this weekend,” said co-captain David Owen ’04. “Everyone was thrilled, but it was no surprise because everyone knows how good he is. We can count on him to do well at every meet.”

Owen’s 48.4-second split in the 4x400 relay, combined with a 48.8-second time

by Michael Pruzinsky ’07, led the relay team to a third-place finish, placing it fourth on Brown’s all-time top-10 list.

Pruzinsky sat out for most of the week before Heps to rest his knee. “It hurt a little, but I had to deal with it. I was really up for the meet,” he said.

In the 60-meter hurdles, Daveed Diggs ’05 came in second with a time of 8.18 seconds, .06 seconds shy of the victory.

“Daveed and Matt (Wedge of Cornell) have been battling closely all season.

Matt has the meet record, but Daveed seems determined to take him during the spring season,” Owen said.

Dallas Dissmore ’05 placed fourth in the 500-meter run with a time of 1:05.35, and Brendan O’Keefe ’04 took a close second in the mile with a time of 4:11.76.

In the 3,000-meter run, Matt Emond ’04 took fourth and Owen Washburn ’06 placed seventh.

Jeff Gaudette ’05 finished fourth in the 5,000-meter run with an impressive 14:41.20. Teammate Mike DeCoste ’04 finished two spots behind him with a time of 14:47.99. see TRACK, page 8

Men’s squash recovers to win two after disappointing firstround loss at Team Nationals

BY KATE KLONICK

The men’s squash team dropped from ninth to 12th in the national rankings over the weekend after a hard loss to Hobart College.

On Friday, the Bears began competing for the coveted Hoehn Cup at the U.S. Nationals, hosted by Yale University. Their first opponent was Hobart, ranked 15th nationally, which upset the Bears by taking five of nine games. Breck Bailey ’06 and Dan Petrie ’07 started off the rotation with two strong victories in three games each.

At the next two positions, Sean O’Boyle ’05 and David Krupnick ’06 both lost their matches in three games.

SCOREBOARD Tuesday, March 2 Men’s Tennis: No. 52 Brown — 5, No. 62 Western Michigan — 2

O’Boyle rejoined the team for the first time after missing the last part of the season with an ankle injury. Co-captain Jay Beidler ’05 and Patrick Haynes ’07 both won their matches, but the rest of the team was unable to follow their lead, ending the rotation with three losses and giving Hobart the win.

“The team was disillusioned by (finally having) the full roster,” Beidler said. “We just didn’t pay enough attention to defeating Hobart.”

The team’s next match came against Franklin and Marshall College. The Bears emerged victorious, 7-2. Bailey see SQUASH, page 8

What about Alfonso?

Dream Job, week two: Zach needs a new look, Alvin needs a clue

BY BRETT ZARDA

Each week the finalists for ESPN’s reality show “Dream Job” compete for a position as the next “SportsCenter” anchor. Included in the field are Brown alum Lori Rubinson ’86 and Maggie Haskins ’04.5. After competing in different sports reporting tasks, one contestant will be eliminated each week by a panel of judges and online voters. Here are my rankings for the second week of competitors, who were required this episode to broadcast a version of the “SportsCenter” Top 10.

1. Kelly Milligan: The lawyer turned dream-jobber looks and sounds the part. Referred to by a judge in the same breath as Berman — not bad.

May come off smug to some, but will be around for quite a while. He did refer to number four as number eight,

but how much math is really needed to be a broadcaster?

2. Zachariah Selwyn: The hippie was a pleasant surprise and my dark horse to win it all. Hidden behind the long hair and flashy clothes was an intelligent writer with crisp delivery.

He used Beastie Boys lyrics and made reference to wingdogs without sounding over the top. Criticized harshly by judges for his appearance — an issue that will remain an ongoing soap opera. To cut the hair or not to cut the hair?

3. Casey Stern: A close third, Casey’s five-foot-nothing stature made me feel I was watching a junior high school broadcast. In spite of his MiniMe appearance, his delivery and writsee DREAM JOB, page 6

The Brown Daily Herald Spring Sports Open House Friday,6 p.m.,195 Angell St.Be there.