Thursday, March 18, 2004 by The Brown Daily Herald

T H U R S D A Y MARCH 18, 2004

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXIX, No. 35

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

www.browndailyherald.com

U. EXAMINING TWTP’S MISSION, LEGALITY Simmons tells UCS that TWTP must be open to all BY KRISTA HACHEY

The Third World Transition Program should be open to all students who want to attend, said President Ruth Simmons at Wednesday’s Undergraduate Council of Students meeting. Simmons said that the most urgent priority is to make sure the program’s admittance practices are not illegal and do not bar students with legitimate interest from attending. “We must not segregate, we must fight with everything we have to prevent segregation, and the program should be open to anyone who wants to participate in it,” Simmons said, when asked whether TWTP unifies or segregates first-year students. Simmons also said that if a program like TWTP were to only allow white students to attend, the program would be illegal. TWTP is a pre-orientation program “primarily for students of color,” according to its Web site. At the UCS meeting, Class of 2007 representative Johnny Lin ’07 asked Simmons whether opening the program to all students would “jeopardize the notion of ‘comfort zone’ that TWTP is known for.” “Everything is suitable to investigation and modernization,” Simmons responded. “The name ‘Third World’ is puzzling and we need to decide on whether it is the appropriate term and what groups we are trying to serve.” During the meeting, Simmons also acknowledged problems with the University’s response to hate crimes, saying that current University processes for responding to hate crimes are “formalistic, opaque and time-consuming.” But she added that student concerns about the discipline system are often the result of the system’s attempts at fairness. “The victim feels like people don’t care and are minimizing the importance of the incident and its effects,” Simmons said, whereas administrators are simply trying to adhere to objective practices. UCS President Rahim Kurji ’05 proposed a campus climate committee to support victims of hate crimes, an idea Kurji said the UCS executive board had discussed with Simmons at a meeting last week. The purpose of the committee would be to help Brown “move from a culture of reaction to a proactive culture of embrace and pluralism.” see UCS, page 5

Spring Weekend lineup Thursday, April 22

Blackalicious Reel Big Fish Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Saturday, April 24

Jurassic 5 Sleater-Kinney Sui Generis

TWTP open to white students, but only students of color invited BY ROBBIE COREY-BOULET

Though white first-years are not formally excluded from attending Brown’s Third World Transition Program, organizers say they will continue to invite only students of color, despite other universities’ recent announcements that white students are eligible to attend orientation programs previously limited to students of color. TWTP is primarily intended for students of color, according to the program’s Web site, although organizers say all firstyears are technically permitted to attend. “No student is forbidden from becoming a participant,” said Associate Provost and Director of Institutional Diversity Brenda Allen. “The program does not limit participation based upon ethnicity.” If a white student were to call and request to participate in the program, “I can’t say (that student) can’t come,” said Third World Center Director and Associate Dean of the College Karen McLaurin-Chesson. But the program encourages students of color to attend and was designed to serve all non-white domestic and international students, she said. Promotional materials about the program are not sent to all incoming firstyears, Allen said. “What (TWTP) has historically done is dealt with the minority experience,” she said. “We’ve targeted our advertisement to individuals who likely have that concern.” This year, 175 first-years participated in TWTP, which has been in existence for nearly 30 years. McLaurin-Chesson said she could not recall a white student participating in the program. Last June’s Supreme Court decision upholding colleges’ legal right to practice affirmative action in admissions held that the schools must accept and reject see TWTP, page 4

Paul Levande / Herald

At a lecture co-sponsored by The Brown Daily Herald and the Brown College Democrats Wednesday evening,M.Charles Bakst ’66 told students to be interested in politics,despite possible corruption.

Bakst ’66 urges students not to be disillusioned by corrupt politicians

Right?" in a sensual exploration of femininity by Sarah Burns ’04 and Audrey Lan McIntyre ’05. The next they are dressed in red and black, performing "Let It Bump!" choreographed by Clifford Voigt ’04, to a medley of hip-hop music. The celebration of cultures continues with "Beware of Qetesh," choreographed by Laura Nave ’06, a Middle East-inspired piece complete with gold belly chains and belly dancing. "Doundounba," by Kani Romain ’04, presents dancers in African dress in a traditional dance from Guinea. "Stomp the Pain" by Adriana Lopez ’04

for reducing corruption. “He used to say to me, ‘You’re going to miss me when I’m gone,’ and I never thought I would,” Bakst said. “And I don’t.” Current Mayor David Cicilline ’83 sets a tone completely different from Cianci’s, pushing Providence towards a new era, Bakst said. “He has a more hands-on and honest approach. He visits schools to get a handle on what is actually going on there. There is a sense of excitement still but no suggestion of corruption,” he said. Bakst also noted that the diversity of Cicilline’s staff and advisors shows a noticeable change in government policy and outlook since Cianci left office. Recently, voters have been especially concerned with the political ramifications of legalizing gambling, Bakst said. The state legislature is currently examining a bill that would allow the Narragansett tribe to run a casino in Rhode Island. Bakst said he believes tighter disclosure requirements and a more effective Ethics Commission could assuage voter skepticism and weed out political corruption. Bakst also urged Brown students to get involved in any issues they feel strongly about. “There is a terrific opportunity here to get involved in politics with much more effectiveness than in other states,” he said. He particularly encouraged liberal students to speak out in face of a conservative majority. For instance, Bakst highlighted the heated debate about legalizing single-sex marriages as an issue that particularly needs more liberal support. The majority of Rhode Island voters and democratic leaders, as well as Gov. Don Carcieri ’65, all oppose same-sex marriage, he said. Bakst urged politicians to make themselves more accessible to the public and praised the few he said try to do so. Bakst also discussed the role journalism plays in exposing political truths to the public but advised muckraking journalists to keep their readers in mind. "You want to give people a variety of issues and tones. If every column is angry, people won’t want to read it," he said.

see FUSION, page 5

see BAKST, page 4

BY STEWART DEARING

Despite a certain degree of corruption in Rhode Island and Providence government, Brown students should eagerly involve themselves in politics, according to the Providence Journal’s senior political columnist M. Charles Bakst ’66. Bakst reflected on the state of local politics and his experience as a journalist in a lecture cosponsored by the Brown College Democrats and The Herald on Wednesday night in the Chancellor’s Dining Room at the Sharpe Refectory. Bakst cited the state’s history of political corruption as a central problem with local governance. Former Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci, whose corrupt political tactics were exposed in detail in a 2002 federal trial, is part of this legacy, he said. In the past few years, two chief justices of the state’s Supreme Court have resigned, and both Cianci and the former mayor of Pawtucket have been imprisoned due to ethical issues. “Whatever the specific merit of a case, whenever there is an ethical case in Rhode Island, it adds to a legacy and rekindles public cynicism about politics,” Bakst said. Bakst said losing Cianci as a dynamic local personality was a small price to pay

Fusion’s cultural blend hits the mark again with annual show BY STEPHANIE CLARK

Hip-shaking, hand-clapping and the traditional call of "Fu-fu" "Sion!" all mark Fusion Dance Company’s 21st annual spring show, which the group is performing in Ashamu Dance Studio this week. The 18-piece show is a celebration of diversity and a rejection of societal labels. Infused with energy, passion and creativity, each piece is different from the next, highlighting different cultures and dance styles. One minute the Fusion dancers are dressed in black dresses and sequined garter belts and performing a jazz dance to Amy Irving’s "Why Don't You Get It

W E AT H E R F O R E C A S T

I N S I D E T H U R S D AY, M A RC H 1 8 , 2 0 0 4 Polish animation festival gives viewers taste of Eastern European film risd news, page 3

Tejumola Komalafe RISD ’05 wins grant for work with sign language risd news, page 3

Jonathan Liu ’07 says more is wrong with the New York Times than Jayson Blair column, page 7

The ghosts of slavery still haunt the campus, according to Will Tucker ’04 column, page 7

W. water polo loses weekend Ivy League tournament to Harvard University sports, page 8

THURSDAY

snow high 32 low 26

FRIDAY

snow / wind high 36 low 25

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004 · PAGE 2 Coup de Grace Grace Farris

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS WATSON INSTITUTE PANEL: IRAN AND CENTRAL ASIA 7 p.m. (McKinney Conference Room, Watson Institute) — with Professor of Anthropology William Beeman, on Iran; Douglas Blum, Providence College, on Azerbaijan; and Pauline Jones-Luong,Yale University, on Kazakhstan,Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

UNEARTHING THE PAST: BROWN UNIVERSITY,THE BROWN FAMILY, AND THE RHODE ISLAND SLAVE TRADE 7 p.m. (Salomon 101) — a symposium and discussion sponsored by the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice.

Four Years Eddie Ahn

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Vegetarian Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup, Egg Drop and Chicken Soup, Chicken Fingers, Cheese Souffle, Zucchini Yiachni, Raspberry Sticks, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing, Apple Crisp.

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Eggplant Vegetable Soup, Chicken Mulligatawny Soup, Hot Turkey Sandwich, Stuffed Shells with Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, California Blend Vegetables, Raspberry Sticks.

DINNER — Vegetarian Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup, Egg Drop and Chicken Soup, Chicken in the Rough, Cheese Tortellini with Meat or Meatless Sauce, Cajun Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Cauliflower in Dill Mustard Sauce, Multigrain Bread, Raspberry Sticks, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing, Apple Crisp.

DINNER — Vegetarian Eggplant Vegetable Soup , Chicken Mulligatawny Soup, Roast Loin of Pork, Vegan Paella, Italian Roasted Potatoes, Belgian Carrots,French Style Green Beans with Tomatoes, Multigrain Bread, Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing.

My Best Effort Will Newman & Nate Goralnik

PUZZLES Draw four rectangles, each three centimeters wide and four centimeters high, and arrange them so that each is always touching another. What is the longest distance the rectangles can span without separating?

Blocks Charlie Beresford

By Veer Bhavnagri ACROSS 1 Get in the box, maybe 4 “If __ broke...” 10 Kids’ questions 14 A Perón 15 Fox of the old White Sox 16 Stud alternative 17 Popular ISP 18 Revolutionary military site 20 Removes, as a necklace 22 Architectural order 23 River bordering Lusatia 24 January 19th, e.g., astrologically 26 Fanatical trend follower 32 Less polluted 33 Actress Judith 34 Printemps period 36 Butts 37 Turned white 39 Take __: rest 40 Before now 41 Deli choice 42 Hardly fast reads 43 Fit as can be 47 Chase of film 48 Griddle-baked Indian bread 49 Classic toothpaste name 52 Burgess who played The Penguin in TV’s “Batman” 56 It has all the bells and whistles 59 Bill’s partner 60 Doing mil. penance, in a way 61 Unskilled 62 Pollution-rating gp. 63 RR stops 64 Missouri tributary 65 Animator Avery DOWN 1 Regular fellow 2 Romance publisher

3 Barber’s powder 4 Conqueror, often 5 Mad Hatter’s service 6 Elite, in sports 7 Problems 8 Never, to Nietzsche 9 “Miss Pym Disposes” author 10 Self-titled 2003 sitcom 11 Telephone, slangily 12 Quotable Hall of Famer 13 Build on __ 19 Dubious 21 Is mad about 24 Give in 25 Pre-owned 26 Pet adoption org. 27 “Super Mario” brother 28 Inert gas 29 Girl of Grasse 30 __ vincit amor 31 Civil rights org. 35 __ dixit 37 Politically motivated appropriations 1

38 Code word for A 39 Garden pest 41 “Chill!” 42 Parsons of “Bonnie and Clyde” 44 Hot shots? 45 Cash alternative 46 Clawed 49 Binding words? 50 Cooped (up)

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Hopeless Edwin Chang

47 50

03/18/04

xwordeditor@aol.com 5

Jero Matt Vascellaro

P E A C E C O P A O S I S L A I T C A R E A L B A N C Y A N C H E S T P A T C H S E D A T E D S I D E A R M D I E N O S H W E T L A S T P A T I E N T C H A R S O W E R A L A W H U R O N N O W I S I K H I D E A S N O N E S R T A D S L T E S T P A T T E R N A G E R V I D R A D I C A L G E N E T I C F O R E S T P A T H U N I V A C H E H O R S E S E V E T K O S S T P A T E W E S

23 26

51 __-Seltzer 52 Pulitzer poet Van Duyn 53 Refreshing rapper? 54 Overdo the Dewar’s 55 Put-on 57 Victoria’s realm: Abbr. 58 Gibson or Brooks

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD, INC.

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03/18/04

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Answer: 20 inches: The rectangles touch at opposite corners, so each spans 5 centimeters across its diagonal length.

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RISD NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004 · PAGE 3

Polish animation to challenge viewers this weekend

Grant winner Komolafe RISD ’05 to teach sign language through film

BY STEFAN TALMAN

Over the past year, Tejumola Komolafe RISD ’05 has experienced first-hand how skills he learned in his major, film and video, can be used to change the lives of children. As one of two student winners of RISD Community Service COMMUNITY SERVICE Learning Grants, AT RISD: Komolafe will draw from the second of two profiles his prior community work to create a professionalquality film instructing deaf children in sign language. Komolafe, who was born in Nigeria and attended high school in Australia and the United States, began his community service work at RISD when he enrolled in "Catalyst Arts: A RISD Community Art Project." Through the class, Komolafe worked with children at the Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket to create a film about interactions between a teacher and inner-city students. Then last spring, Julia Lee, a friend of Komolafe, suggested that he visit the Rhode Island School for the Deaf, where teachers were using theatrical performances to help deaf students, mostly under the age of five, learn sign language. During the performances, narration was given in sign, Komolafe said. Lee, who is a behavior specialist at RISDeaf, arranged for Komolafe to meet with teachers, who liked his ideas. The result was “a quick little project,” Komolafe said — a film version of "The Tortoise and the Hare" featuring RISDeaf students as actors. “It was well received at the school. The teachers really liked it, and the kids liked it,” Komolafe said. “Based on that experience, when I heard about the grant, I became really interested.”

The screening of “A Short History of Polish Animation” this weekend at the RISD Auditorium promises to peel from viewers’ eyes the rose-colored glasses of Hollywood with the spectacle of Eastern European film. The festival, which includes 39 short films, is a distillation of a half-century of Polish animation. Selected films toy with avant-garde and experimental, the subversive and creative. Polish animation has a long history of playing with the integration of visual art and moving image for over 50 years, and today the genre is at the forefront of "new media." Edgy animations flicker along with scores by celebrated Polish composers Krzysztof Penderecki, Krzysztof Komeda and Zygmunt Konieczny. The event is a collaborative effort representing the work of Joshua Siegel, assistant curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s Film and Media Department alongside RISD Adjunct Professor of Art History Marcin Gizycki, a Polish expert on the history of animation and author of “Nie tylko Disney” (Disney Was Not the Only One). Siegel and Gizycki developed the festival by distilling an astounding collection of 82 Polish films presented last year at the Museum of Modern Art and the Polish Cultural Institute in New York City. RISD’s festival has received national attention. Described by the Polish Cultural Institute’s Web site as "technically sophisticated, darkly satirical and fantastical," the films cut a swath across form and media. From oil paint to computer animation, comedy to music video, the animations sparkle from under their grey veneer of life under communism. "A Short History" shows at the RISD Auditorium Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m. The screenings are free and open to the public.

you’re the one

BY DANA GOLDSTEIN

Komolafe applied for the RISD Community Service Learning Grant before winter session and was selected last month to receive a $2,500 grant. The money will be used to create a film of a higher quality than projects he has worked on in the past, Komolafe said. The major costs of producing his new film, a retelling of the tale “The Three Little Pigs,” will be $500 "blue screen" software used to simulate realistic backgrounds, construction materials for both life-size and miniature sets, costumes, prosthetics and makeup, Komolafe said. The film will be shot after spring break in the RISD blue screen studio and at the Tillinghast Farm, a RISD property in Barrington, Komolafe said. Actors will be RISDeaf students and teachers. Because Komolafe does not know sign language, he will be working with an interpreter to finalize the film’s narration and to interact with RISDeaf students. Film is a good medium for teaching sign language to children because it is as visual as signing itself, Komolafe said. “You’re going to hold their attention. It’s fun, almost like Sesame Street.” Komolafe said another one of his influences is the 2003 film “City of God,” filmed on location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by director Fernando Meirelles. “The director got real-life kids to act from Brazil,” Komolafe said. "He’s really interested in encouraging kids to use the moviemaking process as a whole experience. I’m interested in that — working with kids, bringing something different into their lives." Herald staff writer Dana Goldstein ’06 edits the RISD News section. She can be reached at dgoldstein@browndailyherald.com.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004

TWTP continued from page 1 students not as members of any ethnicity but as individuals, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported this week. The article described a “widespread retreat from race-exclusivity” at colleges and universities. Citing concerns about compliance with the Supreme Court decision, administrators at Yale University announced last month that Cultural Connections, Yale’s summer pre-orientation program for incoming minority students, will be opened to white students this fall, according to a Feb. 23 Yale Daily News article. Because TWTP is not designed to accommodate white students, their participation would compromise the program’s integrity and mission, said Student Director Eldridge Gilbert ’05. Dwight Vidale ’05, the program’s second student director, said he agrees. “The dynamics of having the two groups together would greatly change the workshops,” he said. “It would change the level of comfort that’s established,” said Cassandra Coulter ’07, who attended the program in 2003. “I’m not so sure it would be a good thing.”

But Coulter added that the presence of white students would bring “a different perspective” to the program. Both students and faculty directors said misinformation regarding TWTP’s mission leads to controversy about its relevance to campus life. “TWTP is not a separatist kind of program,” Gilbert said. “It is not about blaming anyone for society’s ills.” McLaurin-Chseeon said the directors try to avoid an “intimidating setting” and instead attempt to help students “be more aware of how race issues play out” at Brown. “This is not an environment that knocks non-minority people,” she said. Programs similar to TWTP have been changed as institutions strive to comply with the court rulings and face pressure from advocacy groups demanding an end to all race-exclusive programs on college campuses. For example, a pre-orientation program jointly offered by Haverford, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr colleges could accept white students for the first time this fall, according to the Chronicle. But Allen said Brown’s program, as it currently functions, serves an important role in helping first-year students of color adjust to the community.

“The only reason we would change the mission of TWTP is if we found out it doesn’t speak to current concerns that students have,” she said. “So far, that does not seem to be the general understanding.” McLaurin-Chesson said Brown’s unique attention to issues of diversity makes the program an important part of campus life. Schools that are altering their programs “don’t value the need for programs such as TWTP” to the extent that Brown does, she said. The academic nature of other schools’ programs could also contribute to higher levels of scrutiny, which in turn leads to reevaluation and changes, said Interim Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene. “Our program doesn’t provide the type of academic support and resources that were only available to one group,” Greene said. “Those programs were the first ones to typically come under very close scrutiny and to be opened entirely.” Greene, who sat in on some of this year’s TWTP orientation, said he noticed many students questioned how white participants would benefit the program. “Because many people have had such positive experiences with TWTP, that’s caused some concern for people,” he said. McLaurin said she does not understand why TWTP comes under annual scrutiny from Brown students, while other pre-orientation programs go unchallenged. “I don’t hear conversations about athletes coming early,” McLaurin said. Herald staff writer Robbie CoreyBoulet can be reached at rcoreyboulet@browndailyherald.com. rcoreyboulet@browndailyherald.com.

Bakst continued from page 1 To that end, Bakst cautioned students to remain critical of politicians and maintain their own opinions. “Don’t invest too much emotional energy in any of them,” he said. “These people have strengths and weaknesses. Choose the ones with strength, but keep your eyes open and keep their personal characters in mind.” Herald staff writer Stewart Dearing can be reached at sdearing@browndailyherald.com.

Water Polo continued from page 8 “We’re doing what we can to ensure that next week against Hartwick, we are putting up a better performance,” Clapper said. “We don’t want what happened last weekend to ever happen again.” Herald staff writer Eric Perlmutter ’06 is an assistant sports editor and covers women’s water polo. He can be reached at eperlmutter@browndailyherald.com.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 5

UCS continued from page 1 The campus climate group, still in the early stages of planning, would be accessible to all students and provide them with information, help and support, Simmons said. Simmons implemented similar programs while at Smith College and Princeton University. Representative Natalie Schmid ’06 asked Simmons how safety mechanisms could be improved to bring offenders to justice. Schmid said she was “very concerned with the fact that no one has been brought in for the hate crime that occurred earlier this year.” In the incident, a male assailant yelled homophobic slurs at the female victim. The Department of Public Safety has not identified a suspect, although a sketch of the assailant has been released. Simmons said students have an

Fusion continued from page 1 features fast-paced flamenco dancing set to Latin music. A memorable piece is "This is for Women" by Lauren Linder ’04, set to "Four Women" by Nina Simone. The piece tells the story of four black women searching for their identities, each encountering hardships and suffering and searching for her internal strength. The piece reflects sadness, anger, resilience and wisdom — not only of the characters, but also of the dancers themselves. The mood changes with Burns’ piece "Done With ... On To ..." set to Radiohead’s "Talk Show Host." The piece features five female dancers, all wearing black, fingerless gloves. The movements are slow but purposeful and charged, creating a tone of power and distance. The piece, meant to repre-

Baseball continued from page 8 Billy Goat Curse, as long as the Bombers don’t stop them first. NL West Chris: It’s all about the Giants out West. Barry Bonds remains the most dangerous hitter of his day, and Jason Schmidt is a workhorse of a number-one starter. And frankly, they’re not playing in the strongest division. Bernie: I’d like to pick against the Giants — and given some of their gaps, I could. But I cannot in good conscience say the Diamondbacks can win without Curt Schilling. They can’t.

obligation to put duty to the Brown community before loyalties to individuals who violate other students’ rights and safety. “Once you are accepted as a member of this community, you are forthrightly responsible for community member, and there is necessity to make it clear that you’re doing that,” she said. “When there is bigotry, the rest of the community is silent,” Simmons said. “And the worst thing about that is the silence.” Kurji told The Herald that in previous discussions with Simmons, UCS developed plans to designate “safe zones,” where students can have confidential discussions with faculty. “By involving all the faculty and students in these projects, we can create a climate in which it is clear that hate, assault and harassment are just not accepted at Brown,” Kurji said. Toward the end of the meeting,

Herald opinions columnist Christopher McAuliffe ’05 brought up intellectual diversity in light of the recently established Committee on Slavery and Reparations, which has made national headlines. “Many people appointed to this committee seem to be ideologues of the left,” McAuliffe said to Simmons. “What safeguards are in place to make sure contrarian views are represented?” Simmons said she was “surprised” by McAuliffe’s statement and “wouldn’t have characterized (the committee) that way.” Simmons asked McAuliffe to name members of the committee whom he considers “ideologues of the left,” and ultimately invited him to discuss the committee with her following the meeting.

sent Burns’ transition into the future while still respecting the past, is beautiful and melancholy. Two of Fusion’s traditions are the all-senior piece and the "bring-back" piece, in which a previous year’s choreography is brought back and performed. This year’s bring-back piece, set to Michael and Janet Jackson’s "Scream," is a blend of jazz and modern and tells the story of evolving relationships, ending in the dancers’ collapse on the ground. The senior piece, entitled "It’s About Time," is choreographed and performed by all seven senior members of Fusion. The piece is set to "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley, and, to the cheers of dancers backstage, celebrates the past four years for the departing seniors. But the show isn’t only dancing. With humor and even some poet-

ry interjected into the transitions, the company entertains the audience even between pieces. Fusion puts on an amazing show full of originality and innovation. It is a night of energy, humor and celebration that leaves the audience enthusiastic. The show is full of surprises and variation, promising to satisfy even the most unusual tastes. The dance concert, which runs about an hour and a half, will be performed through Sunday. All shows are already sold out, but a waitlist will be compiled at Ashamu beginning at 7:15 p.m. each night of the show.

NL Wildcard Chris: As good as the Cubs are this year, I think that the Marlins are in the weaker division and have the capacity to win more games. And, don’t forget, their pitching rotation isn’t too shabby, either. Bernie: The Astros have a killer rotation and would win any other division in the NL — just not against the Cubs. The wild card is in the bag, though. See you April 4. Assistant sports editors Bernie Gordon ’07 and Chris Mahr ’07 wrote this column with the help of a ouija board and a dart-wielding monkey.

Herald staff writer Krista Hachey ’07 can be reached at khachey@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004 · PAGE 6 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Justice on Brown’s terms After years of debate, the announcement was anticlimactic. By announcing publicly that she believes the Third World Transition Program should be open to all students who wish to participate, President Ruth Simmons lent a great deal of momentum to the argument, long expressed by some in the Brown community, that excluding white students from the preorientation program reflects an outdated and hurtful principle of segregation. What Simmons didn’t mention at the meeting was that TWTP is already open to white students, as administrators told The Herald before Simmons’ announcement. Karen McLaurinChesson, director of the Third World Center, told The Herald that if an incoming white student requests to attend TWTP, he or she will be admitted. But incoming white students are not invited to the program, and program organizers maintain that they should not attend. Before today, no one, other than a few administrators, seems to have known that white students are not prohibited from attending. It probably was inevitable that TWTP would open to white students this year. Over the past eight months, universities across the country have opened similar programs to all students in order to comply with last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that colleges may not accept or reject students from programs solely because of race. Brown has never been an institution that required diversity to be forced upon it by outsiders. Historically, the school has been a model of inclusiveness, and since its establishment the Third World Center has been a force behind this progress. Admitting white students to the program embodies Brown’s principles of diversity and inclusion. There are loftier reasons to open the program than simply avoiding a lawsuit. If the program is open only quietly and reluctantly, Brown will not own its diversity. And while white students will be able to attend, they will not be welcomed. The Brown we know — so driven by the spirit of justice — cannot operate only by the letter of the law. It would be shameful for the longstanding debate about TWTP to end on a legal technicality. The University tonight begins a two-year-long discussion of its past. Brown’s concerns for pluralism and justice motivate that discussion, and these same principles must shape the school’s present and future.

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

Peter Henderson, Night Editor Melanie Wolfgang, Copy Editor 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, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Jonathan Ellis, Justin Elliott, Amy Hall Goins, Dana Goldstein, Bernard Gordon, Kate Gorman, Aron Gyuris, Krista Hachey, Chris Hatfield, Jonathan Herman, Miles Hovis, Masha Kirasirova, Robby Klaber, Kate Klonick, Alexis Kunsak, Sarah LaBrie, 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, Brooke Wolfe, Melanie Wolfgang, Brett Zarda Accounts Managers Daniel Goldberg, Mark Goldberg, Victor Griffin, Matt Kozar, Natalie Ho, Ian Halvorsen, Sarena Snider Pagination Staff Peter Henderson, Alex Palmer, Michael Ruderman Photo Staff Gabriella Doob, Benjamin Goddard, Marissa Hauptman, Jonathan Herman, Miyako Igari, Allison Lombardo, Elizabeth MacLennan, Michael Neff, Alex Palmer, Yun Shou Tee, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Stephanie Clark, Katie Lamm, Jennifer Resch, Asad Reyaz, Amy Ruddle, Brian Schmalzbach, Melanie Wolfgang

SHANE WILKERSON

LETTERS A drug education for the rest of us To the Editor: I want to thank Frances Mantak for her concern over frivolous use of psychedelics. Her letter (“Contrary to Herald reports, LSD is bad,” March 16) raises the important issue of the need for realistic drug education. The need, however, is not for an across the board “drugs are bad and will ruin everything important to you” message, but for an education suitable to help the D.A.R.E. generation recover from the admittedly faulty information we received as youths. It was in this spirit that Students for Sensible Drug Policy held a week of events devoted to opening discussion about all aspects of psychedelic drug use. The Art Extravaganza was only one of many means through which Psychedelics Week addressed both the benefits and harms of psychedelics. Because the goal of this past week was to develop open and honest discussion, and to create respect for powerful psychoactive substances, I appreciate Mantak for bringing up valid concerns about psychedelic use. It should be stated, however, that the Psychedelic Art Extravaganza by no means promoted the idea that drugs are the only means of inspiration for artists, nor did it equate drug use with good art. It would be unfair to the artists represented at the event to suggest that their creations were not a result of the same hard work, talent and creativity of other great artists. Diana Tamir ’06 Media Director, Brown SSDP March 16

Errors in column on Boy Scouts To the Editor:

paragraph of her piece. Boy Scouts v. Wyden is actually Boy Scouts v. Wyman, and concerns a case in Connecticut, not San Diego. It seems likely that this error resulted from a poor reading of a March 7 Washington Times article entitled “Boy Scouts Fight Back,” from which Martin appears to draw the majority of her arguments. Furthermore, Martin's claim that the ACLU of San Diego's intent in challenging the Boy Scouts’ Balboa Park lease was to “overturn” BSA v. Dale is rather spurious. In fact, the ACLU's lawsuit was based on the discrepancy between the Scouts’ right, as a private organization, to lawfully discriminate (as established by BSA v. Dale) and the seemingly preferential treatment granted to them by the City of San Diego’s $1-a-year lease on prime public land. As Judge Napoleon Jones wrote in his ruling on preliminary elements of the case in question, “it is clear that the Boy Scouts of America's strongly held private, discriminatory beliefs are at odds with values requiring tolerance and inclusion in the public realm.” Chris Hu ’06 March 16

Gay marriage debate not exactly balanced To the Editor: The Brown Democrats and their cosponsors are drawing a “diversity of campus groups” to spark debate on gay marriage. Yet I was struck by both the campus groups that were represented (Brown College Democrats, College Republicans, ACLU, Students for Liberty) and the speakers who participated (an all-white, all-male panel). Where were members of the Queer Alliance or its affiliate groups? Where were members of the Third World Center-sponsored organizations, especially given the TWC’s co-sponsorship of the event? The issue of gay marriage is not one or two-sided and deserves a wider array of opinions and experiences. The scope of the debate was limited before it even began.

In her March 16 op-ed (“The Persecution of the Boy Scouts”), Herald columnist Laura Martin's shocking misunderstanding of the issue she writes of is betrayed by a serious factual error in the first

Sam Klugman ’05 March 17

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004 · PAGE 7

JONATHAN LIU

’00s versus ’80s GUEST COLUMN BY ADAM HUNDT

Jayson Blair’s house The title of Jayson Blair’s new memoir, “Burning Down My Masters’ House,” at first seems inspired, even incendiary. Is the disgraced New York Times reporter offering a blistering racial critique? Is he implying that the misdeeds he committed were inevitable, built into the corporate hierarchy of American life? Is he doing something more than merely apologizing? Perhaps. But the more one thinks about it, the more “Burning Down My Masters’ House,” the book and the title lose significance. Yet this does not make Blair any less of a revolutionary. It is, after all, the continuing public crucifixion of Jayson Blair, plagiarizer and fabulist extraordinaire, that reveals the shaky foundation upon which all of present-day journalism rests. Because, in the end, Blair’s critics, those self-righteous editors and columnists upholding the honor of the American press, implicate themselves and their craft as they attack their fallen comrade. Consider the interlocking charges levied here: Blair stole material from Associated Press copy and local newspapers; he also invented details, whole cloth, about locales and people he never visited. While these two infractions seem natural partners, they are anything but. Indeed, these crimes — plagiarism and “fabulism,” respectively — rely on entirely oppositional conceptions of news. If Blair is reprehensible because he is a plagiarizer, then we must accept that reporting requires an original and subjective point of creation. If he is reprehensible because he is a fabulist, then we must accept that journalism is all about reporting some objective truth, which remains absolute regardless of the observer. In short, we can’t have it both ways. If we accept that news is objective truth, then Blair’s crime of plagiarism can be dismissed since it involves merely the copying of phrases (which in the realm of journalism, is fairly standard anyway). Blair did copy not the ideas or events behind them, which are conceivably objective and thus “belong” to no one in particular. Similarly, if we accept that news reports are the result of one person's work — a result of one’s creativity, experience and intuition, for instance — then Blair's “fabulism” is simply an extension of what all reporters are expected to do. His additions of such sweet falsities as “overlooking the tobacco fields and cattle pastures” in a story about Jessica Lynch become examples of the reporter’s subjective function; he paints the scene, connects the dots, exposes what he feels. Intuitively, of course, we sense that news can and must somehow be both subjective and objective, that it must both be substantively original and adhere to the truth. In this regard, the Blair scandal does not define the disease but is merely a symptom of an era we so triumphantly consider the Information Age. For before this current time — before the Web and e-mail, before cable TV and Lexis-Nexis, before cheap flights and digital photography — the question of objectivity versus subjectivity in journalism was irrelevant. The overarching requirement of reporting was simple: presence. To be present was to be privileged and to be right. In the past, Jayson Blair would have never been able to create reports that appeared to meet the standards of the Times without actually being on the scene; he would have no access to the CNN broadcasts or the local newspaper websites or the instantly transmitted images that were required for both his stealing and his lying. Moreover, with the very limited number of media sources available, even if Blair would have been able to create a passable fabrication, it would be highly unlikely that such a crime would be discovered. In a time when there truly were “newspapers of record,” Jayson Blair’s subjective experience, whether real or not, would have simply become his society’s objective knowledge. Thus the central charge against Blair — his misuse and misappropriation of the dateline — is actually insignificant. Indeed, the dateline, once a printed reflection of the means of reporting a story, has been reduced to a mere token end. It is certainly not impossible and not uncommon for even an honest reporter to amass the bulk of a story at her office through telephone and email interviews before flying out to the field to “collect” a dateline. Blair simply took this reduction of journalistic function a step further, effectively finalizing a triumph of style over substance. Unlike The New Republic’s Stephen Glass, who tried to pass off his falsities as exceptional stories, Blair succeeded simply because his reports sounded so ordinary, so well-formed, so, well, New York Times. The problems with the Times do not end with Jayson Blair. The problems with journalism do not end with the Times. And, in a society where, for instance, one president questions the meaning of the word “is” and another openly massages “intelligence,” the problem of truth does not end with journalism. Our everyday criticisms of “the news” don’t miss the point; they reveal the point. In an age where information floats in the ether, beholden to no one and multiplying toward infinity, style is the only substance left. Jonathan Liu ’07 sometimes uses the 50-cent word but, alas, he is still merely a wankster.

I love the VH1 show “I Love the ’80s.” The show pokes fun at the decade’s illogicalities and political incorrectness. Don’t look to the 1980s for leadership, clear thinking and values. But are we, the young adults of the ’00s, doing any better in these respects than the Brunonians of the ’80s? In the ’80s our president was a handsome, smiling actor — a man known to neglect the reading of important documents because he got caught up watching old movies late at night on TV. Now we have again a president who presents himself as a happy camper and/or war leader, neglecting the reading of important documents because he goes to bed early and sets aside so many hours for physical exercise. So if we all scoff at the pretensions and hoaxes of the ’80s, isn’t it time to take an axe to the props and persiflage of the ’00s? Isn’t it time to be the leaders that we did not know growing up and do not see in the TV shows of 20 years ago?

Are we sleepwalking the same way we did 20 years ago? A left-oriented organization called Grassroots Communities is currently calling college students to consciousness. While the Republicans have built a record-breaking campaign treasury based on many thousands of people contributing the maximum allowed of $2,000 per person, Grassroots Communities aims to obtain smallish donations from a diverse multitude of average Americans. Just as the Dean campaign averaged less than $100 donation per person in the glory days of its fundraising, Grassroots Communities is happy to accept that level of donation — as long as it simultaneously finds

ways to build large networks of informed and potentially active participants. The premise is that anyone can find a way to help, without necessarily giving $2,000 to a professional political operation. Our generation will create its own media, just as all previous generations have done. Grassroots Communities argues we should create in this presidential election year an interactive media built around the imperative that we play a role in the deciding of our country’s future. After all, the electorate is so closely divided that even the astonishingly close election of 2000 was not as close in March of that year as this presidential contest now appears. Even as each of us moves in a daze of preoccupation toward graduation weekend, we should realize that a vote for Bush, Kerry or Nader is a vote that will define national leadership for our generation. For me, the re-election of Bush would be horrifying. But worst of all would be the abdication of any sense of responsibility on the part of our generation for the outcome in this election. Particularly when the youngest voters in the year 2000 in effect elected Bush by choosing in fatally significant numbers to vote for Nader instead of Gore, the lesson of this recent history is that even small numbers of voters matter. Even small donations matter. Even small groups organized on the Internet matter. Such is the underlying premise of Grassroots Communities. For our generation, the question of what political path to choose can be understood in this way: Do you want Brown’s Class of 2024 to be horrified and mystified by us, when they look at the VH1 version of our youth? Or would you like the next generation to be proud of the choices we make now? Adam Hundt ’04 once killed a kitten that voted for Reagan. Twice.

Unearthing the past GUEST COLUMN BY WILL TUCKER

In 1770, Nicholas Brown and associates constructed University Hall with the help of slave labor. Over 200 years later, President Ruth Simmons, a descendant of slaves, sits beneath portraits of Brown’s historical legacy: portraits of people whom she described in the New York Times as “people who lived at a different time and who saw the ownership of people in a different way.” High school students in Rhode Island learn about slavery as something that happened “somewhere else,” on plantations in the South. But slavery and slave trading were common in New England, and Rhode Island merchants sponsored the vast majority of American slaving voyages. The legacy of slavery is not just a Southern thing, but an American thing — and a Brown thing. It is for this reason that Simmons established the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. Composed of 16 faculty members, students and administrators, its purpose is to confront the past and the difficult and complex question of what we should do about it. We hope to lead the University community in a thoughtful investigation and discussion of Brown’s past. In the next two years, we will organize seminars, conferences and lectures about the question of how to rebuild societies after atrocities looking not only at slavery, but the Holocaust, Japanese Internment Camps, South Africa and apartheid, genocide in Rwanda and a host of other historical problems. To promote student involvement, we hope to sponsor and encourage student research on issues related to reparative justice. Our work begins tonight, as we have invited historians and community members to discuss the realities of Brown’s relationship to slavery. It will be a chance for all of us to learn the truth

about our shared past. But it also will hopefully be the start of campus-wide discussions: about history, about restorative justice and reparations and about the difficult issues of race relations on campus and in our country. I am writing to extend an open invitation to all students and members of the Brown community to be a part of our discussions. This is an exciting time, and Brown could be taking the lead in facilitating national discussions. The rest of the country has already started to take notice, and some other universities are considering following suit in examining their own histories. Seeking the truth and airing out the past are the most valuable contributions our university can

Facing up to slavery’s ugly legacy. make to promote racial and societal healing. As Simmons said in her inauguration speech, “We must not hide from the fact, for it is a part of our past, and in speaking its truth, we not only let the light in, but we give it air, making it shine more brightly.” Much has changed since the end of slavery. But the legacy of slavery and its aftermath is still with us, still a part of our shared history as Americans, as Rhode Islanders and as members of the Brown community — indeed, like the portraits in Simmons’ office, the ghosts of slavery, never fully exposed to the light of day, still haunt us. Will Tucker ’04 is a member of the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS THURSDAY MARCH 18, 2004 · PAGE 8

Take me out to the ballgame: MLB’s playoff chase set to start

dspics

Diana Livermore ‘05 looks for her teammates on the women’s water polo team during the Ivy League Tournament this past weekend. After defeating Harvard University earlier in the weekend, the Bears lost the final game against Harvard 5-4.

Harvard gives w. water polo a wake-up call BY ERIC PERLMUTTER

When it comes to sports at Brown, there are losses, and then there are losses to Harvard University. In a game it expected to win, the women’s water polo team suffered the second kind of defeat by a score of 5-4 on Sunday, at last weekend’s league tournament, held at Harvard. The Bears beat the Crimson 3-1 on Saturday and trounced Connecticut College twice, 15-2 and 12-2, but the weekend’s results were still far from positive. In the first game against Harvard, Brown got on the board first, only to be answered by four consecutive Harvard goals in the second and third periods. After trading goals to make the score 5-2, Brown put in two more with 1:41 left. But that was as close as the Bears got, as the Harvard defense denied Brown for the remainder of the game. With 10 seconds on the clock, Brown had possession at the center position and an opportunity to tie the game up, but the offense stuttered and was unable to finish. “Pretty much all weekend … we underachieved offensively,” said Head Coach Todd Clapper. “It’s easy to remember the last 15 seconds of a loss, but it was really throughout that it was lost.” All four goals came from seniors. Jackie Parente ’04 scored two goals, complemented by one each from co-captains Sonia Lamel ’04.5 and Jeanie Ward-Waller ’04. Ward-Waller also drew four ejections, while goaltender Keira Heggie ’04 stopped six shots. Among the team’s problems was its inability to capitalize on 6-on-5 advantages, Clapper said. Ward-Waller and others drew a number of kick-outs, but subsequent advantages never resulted in goals. Clapper acknowledged that Harvard’s team has improved since last weekend, but he said his team shouldn’t have lost. “This weekend was a wake-up call to tell us that the atmosphere needs to be a little more focused and a little bit more disciplined, and the players are on board with it,” he said. The loss lowered the Bears’ ranking from 18th to 20th in the nation. On Saturday, Brown’s offensive probSPORTS SCHEDULE Wednesday, March 17 Women’s Lacrosse: vs. Boston College — postponed Thursday, March 18 Women’s Swimming: NCAA Championships

lems were even more apparent as the team defeated Harvard 3-1, the three-goal effort the lowest for the Bears all year. Parente notched two goals, Lauren McGeoch ’04 had one and Heggie stopped 10 shots in net. In both matches against Connecticut College, the Bears’ young blood did the winning, as first-years accounted for 20 of the 27 goals scored. Elizabeth Balassone ’07 scored five and Claire Angyal ’07 had four goals. Karlyanna Kopra ’07 played in net for much of the two games, tallying nine saves total. Clapper identified next week’s home match against Hartwick College as an opportunity for the team to redeem itself in front of a home crowd, after a week of practice. see WATER POLO, page 4

With baseball season approaching, it seems like everyone is a prophet when it comes to which teams are going to make the playoffs. We are no exception. So, without further ado, here are our picks BERNIE GORDON for the divisional CHRIS MAHR winners and wild POINT-COUNTERPOINT cards: AL East Bernie: This is the division everyone is talking about, home to sports’ most storied and heated rivalry. This year should be closer than in the past, but I’m picking the Yankees to capture their seventh straight division title. The Yanks have some question marks in their rotation, but the lineup is the second coming of Murderer’s Row. Pitching usually wins games, but pretty good pitching and awesome hitting works, too. Chris: Regional biases aside, I’m picking the Red Sox to eke out a victory over the Yanks for the AL East crown. I don’t question the Yanks’ potential for offensive immortality, but keep in mind that the Red Sox have the pitching to shut them down. And don’t forget that the Sox have an offense just as capable of putting up runs as their more-touted division rivals. AL Central Bernie: No one really cares about this division, including its teams’ fans. The White Sox are the favorite to win, but I don’t think it matters to anyone, least of all Chicagoans. Chris: The Twins have more X-factors on offense than the White Sox, a better pitching staff from top to bottom and more moxie. But, as Bernie eloquently said, it’s not like anyone cares. AL West Bernie: Sunny California — site of beaches, girls and baseball’s newest rivalry. The perennial small-market playoff team, the Athletics, faces off against the last word in big money, Disney’s Angels. Considering

the reloading the Angels have done and the losses the A’s have suffered, I’m picking the Angels to win this one. Chris: If the A’s have proved anything, it’s that they can come back the year after losing an AL MVP. It’s Eric Chavez’s turn to step up, and with him the A’s still have the only staff in the AL to rival that of the Red Sox. AL Wild Card With two ridiculously talented teams in the AL East, whichever one does not win the division is the wild card. Even we can agree on that. NL East Chris: They may have lost Sheffield and Maddux, but the Braves are still good enough to take the division for the umpteenth year in a row. With Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Raphael Furcal and newly arrived J.D. Drew, they have just enough offense. And, as always, their pitching is more than enough, with 20game winner Russ Ortiz and Horatio Ramirez heading up the starting rotation and John Smoltz closing it out every night. Bernie: I’m going to have to agree with you on this one. The Marlins have the moxie but lost enough talent that the Braves will continue their record-setting streak. NL Central Chris: I’ll take the new-look Astros over the reformatted Cubs. As good as the Cubs’ rotation is (and believe me, it’s the best in the majors), they don’t have enough offense to compete with the Astros. Just consider the Killer Bs (Bagwell, Biggio and Berkman) and, courtesy of Aaron Levine of ESPN’s "Dream Job," the Emerging Es (Morgan Ensberg and Adam Everett). And then there’s Clemens and Pettitte. Bernie: The Cubs’ rotation is just too good — far and away the best in the major leagues. In fact, it’s so good, I think this just might be the year the Cubbies break the see BASEBALL, page 5

In Bertuzzi aftermath, NHL needs to finally crack down on violence, threats (The Sporting News) — The NHL should have acted days before Todd Bertuzzi sucker-punched Steve Moore and jumped him from behind, driving Moore to the ice. Maybe the league could have prevented the incident. Maybe, if out-ofhand violent retribution and carrying out threats had been met with swift and serious, standings-affecting punishment days earlier, the Canucks would have altered their frame of mind and sense of purpose and Bertuzzi would have thought first. The league certainly had a clear precedent that threats in the NHL are not hollow. Three nights before the now-infamous Bertuzzi incident, the Flyers and Senators turned a rout into a riot — all in the name of retribution. But the NHL didn't care, because CNN didn’t care. Flyers Coach Ken Hitchcock had said his team would make Senators winger Martin Havlat "eat his lunch" after Havlat hurt Mark Recchi the week before with a stick to the head. The league did nothing to Hitchcock. So the next game between the teams got out of hand after the Flyers took a big lead. Havlat was sent, wisely, to serve a penalty by coach Jacques Martin, who would rather not see his players lying motionless in pools of blood. Martin kept

stars Daniel Alfredsson and Marian Hossa on the bench as much as he could. Miraculously, nobody was sent to the hospital. No one left on a stretcher, so there were no statements by the league denouncing such behavior; there were no fines or supplemental discipline (perhaps for a throat-slashing gesture by the Flyers’ Donald Brashear?). According to NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell, the league looked into accusations that Hitchcock ordered at least one player to beat up another, but it couldn’t confirm it, and so Hitchcock suffered no punishment. A day after the game, Flyers general manager Bob Clarke made this statement: "They come in here one more time. They won’t be able to hide Alfredsson and Hossa and all the guys then." Commissioner Gary Bettman, whose league fines players, coaches and G.M.s for questioning officials, says nothing can or should be done about such a comment. "When you comment on officiating, you begin to challenge the integrity of the game," Bettman said. "That doesn’t mean that when you make threats or (have) emotional outbursts after a game that it's right or it should be tolerated. “But 99.99 percent of the time, noth-

ing comes of those comments. They’re idle threats in the heat of the moment. And when they do come, we have a mechanism for dealing with it,” Bettman said. Open threats do not hurt the integrity of the game? That doesn’t mean they should be tolerated, he says. But they are. Threats of retribution — player to player, coach to player, G.M. to player — are accepted. Cracking down on the comments wouldn’t end incidents, but it would show the league doesn’t accept the premise and would come down more severely when retaliation occurs. Instead, there’s nothing. The Senators must consider benching two stars in an important game because they can’t risk losing them or even jeopardizing their careers. Bertuzzi’s suspension does nothing to keep Clarke’s players from going after the Senators. The league’s silence says Clarke’s comments and the meaning behind them are OK. The NHL doesn’t act; it reacts. One day, someone will die. But don’t worry; the NHL then will announce a severe suspension, maybe even including those playoff games that mean so much to the hearts and pocketbooks of NHL organizations. That’ll teach ’em.