Monday, November 1, 2004

Page 1

M O N D A Y NOVEMBER 1, 2004

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXIX, No. 100

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

www.browndailyherald.com

Democrats canvass New Hampshire, fighting for swing votes BY AMY RUDDLE

A school bus packed with people, pins, stickers and pamphlets rolled through the rain and fall foliage to the town of Derry, N.H., on an educational misCAMPAIGN sion — informing 2 0 0 4 undecided voters why they should cast their votes for Democratic candidates on Tuesday. This weekend, the Brown Democrats sponsored one of the last in a series of canvassing trips to swing states, joining other local Democrats on two separate trips — one to Derry and one to Manchester, N.H. Though it was an early 8:30 a.m. when volunteers left, they were awakened and cheered by a surprise visit from Providence’s Democratic mayor, David Cicilline ’83. Cheerily passing out coffee and donuts, Cicilline rode on the bus with other volunteers before helping in Derry. “This election matters more to the country than people can imagine,” Cicilline said to a group of campaign workers at Marion Gerrish Community Center in Derry. “Let’s get to work!” Most volunteers were sent out to deliver literature and pamphlets to residents of both Derry and neighboring Londonderry who were undecided or leaning toward voting for John Kerry. Derry has accurately predicted the winner of every presidential election since 1960 — whoever wins the hearts and votes of the people of Derry wins the presidency. Canvassers looking at maps given to them by campaign leaders at first wondered if the difficult driving directions were written by the George W. Bush

Nick Neely / Herald

A jack-o-lantern with a sweet tooth lit up the steps of a Hope Street house during a Halloween party Sunday night.

Night with BuDS workers highlights pros and cons of extended hours At the beginning of the year, the Gate and Josiah’s began to stay open until 2 a.m., an hour later than in previous years. Though students say they like the additional hour, student workers with Brown Dining Services have reported problems with the new schedule. The Herald sent a reporter to spend the Thursday late shift with BuDS workers at the Gate.

see DEMOCRATS, page 5

BY ALLISON WHITNEY

11:07 p.m. “What time is it? My watch just broke yesterday. It’s going to drive me crazy all night.” Brian Corcoran ’06, a supervisor at the Gate, is waiting for his late-shift workers to arrive. Because he’s working as a substitute, this is the fourth day in a row that Corcoran has worked a shift at the Gate. Late arrivals are a constant problem for late-shift supervisors like him, Corcoran said. The shift, which runs

Ferguson decision, in which the Supreme Court upheld the legality of “separate but equal” schools for African American and white children, the Marshall court of 1954 decided Brown would “cut through the dark years of segregation with laser-like intensity,” Bell said. Marshall himself thought segregation would be completely eradicated five years after the decision, Bell said. But Brown met with massive resistance. In addition, the mere existence of the Brown ruling legitimated the situation of race relations in 1954 and the perpetuation of unequal educational opportunities for African Americans, Bell said. Despite tremendous difficulties in implementing Brown and the

11:30 p.m. By this time, four out of the six people signed up for the late shift are clad in aprons and at work serving sandwiches and pizza. Student workers at the Gate Thursday aren’t quiet about the problems caused by later hours of operation at the Gate and Josiah’s. Closing at 2 a.m., versus the previous closing time of 1 a.m., means workers and supervisors leave at 2:30 or 2:45 a.m. after cleaning up. At that hour, SafeRIDE is making its last rounds, and Clair McClung ’05, unit manager of the Gate, said workers sometimes miss the last shuttle. Angela Alexander ’07, a cashier supervisor, said by the time students get out from the late shift, Thayer Street is empty. Alexander usually works at Jo’s but is subbing tonight at the Gate. One night, though, she walked one of her cashiers home from Jo’s to the Pembroke campus because she was worried about her walking alone. Similarly, Corcoran said he often gives his workers a ride home after the late shift. But these are not permanent solutions, and McClung said she has been working with the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Transportation Office to solve this problem. She said a plan is being worked out to make taxis available free of charge to

see BELL, page 8

see BUDS, page 6

Bell criticizes effects of Brown v. Board ruling BY KIRA LESLEY

Calling race “the unsolved problem of American democracy,” New York University Law School professor and activist, lawyer, teacher and author Derrick Bell told an audience Friday that the Brown v. Board of Education decision has been ineffective at combating racial inequality. Bell spoke to a crowd of about 70 in Smith-Buonanno 106. The lecture was the final installment of a year of events focused on the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas decision. Bell analyzed events leading up to the historic decision, the case’s ramifications and the current state of race relations in the United States. Bell said he believes issues of racism and discrimination are very much alive

in the United States, contrary to many Americans’ beliefs that opportunities are now equal among whites, blacks and Hispanics. The Brown decision has not had the positive effects on education that many people thought it would and today holds little more than symbolic value, Bell said. Most white children attend primarily white schools, while most African American and Hispanic children attend primarily African American and Hispanic schools, Bell said. School funding and resources are also distributed unevenly, Bell said, with the primarily white schools enjoying the lion’s share. “The Brown decision as legal precedent is of virtually no use in correcting this sitution,” Bell said. By rejecting the 1896 Plessy v.

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

I N S I D E M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 , 2 0 0 4 Buddy Cianci documentary could be near completion after more than two years in production arts & culture, page 3

Hay Library’s collection of miniature soldiers is like a fast ride through history arts & culture, page 3

President Bush is willing to do almost anything to get people’s votes, says Katy Crane ’07 column, page 11

from 11:15 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., forces students to rush and finish homework before coming in to work, he said.

Ari Savitzky ’06 writes that he is worried that tomorrow’s election might not be over tomorrow column, page 11

M. water polo suffers sudden-death loss to Harvard but manages victories over MIT and Fordham sports, page 12

MONDAY

partly cloudy high 57 low 37

TUESDAY

showers high 53 low 49


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Monday, November 1, 2004 by The Brown Daily Herald - Issuu