Friday, February 18, 2005 by The Brown Daily Herald

F R I D A Y FEBRUARY 18, 2005

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 18 GRAVITY GAMES Abstract artist Frederick Sommer’s experimental work on display at RISD Museum A R T S & C U LT U R E 3

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891 STEMMING THE DEBATE Matt Lawrence ’06: President Bush struck the perfect compromise in stem cell research decision OPINIONS 7

GYMNAST HEELS Jessica Pouchet ’06 overcomes Achilles tendon injury, goes on to earn ECAC honors SPORTS

TODAY

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snow 33 / 10

sunny 29 / 14

Marcel-Keyes must fund U. education herself BY JANE PORTER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Before starting as a first-year at Brown in the fall, Maya Marcel-Keyes needs to take care of a few things. She needs to find a home, because her parents kicked her out for being a lesbian. She needs to find a way to cover the cost of an Ivy League education, a cost suddenly thrust on the shoulders of a 19-year-old. And, she said at a rally Monday, the world around her needs to find a way to address the issue of thousands of faceless queer teens living — and, as her close friend did last week, dying — on the streets. The gay-rights rally in Annapolis, Md., was her first public appearance. “The main issue that I have been concerned about is the large population of homeless LGBT kids,” Marcel-Keyes told The Herald. But she has a few of her own personal issues to take care of, she said, including “trying to find housing and things like that.” Things that include covering the cost of Brown tuition, which her parents refuse to help pay. Marcel-Keyes will visit the University this week to learn about the financial options available to students in her predicament, she said. Marcel-Keyes already has some financial support on her side. Last week, the Point Foundation, a national organization for students marginalized because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, announced that Marcel-Keyes will receive a scholarship to help cover the cost of tuition. The public pays attention to her situation because of who her father is, Marcel-Keyes said, but she added that there are countless teenagers who have been abandoned by their parents and whose voices are never heard. “It is really unfair that when something happens in my life, I get so much support, but for so many kids, they don’t get any attention,” Marcel-Keyes said. Republican Alan Keyes, who lost the 2004 Illinois Senate election to Democrat Barack Obama and ran for the Republican presidential nomination twice, raised his daughter in a conservative household, sending her to Oakcrest School for Girls in McLean, Va., a small Catholic school that “was about as conservative as my parents,” she said.

Alan Keyes’ political views are centered on a pro-life, pro-family platform that strongly opposes gay marriage and emphasizes the need to treat what he calls “America’s moral crisis.” “I grew up hearing how homosexuality was evil,” Marcel-Keyes said. “When you are little, your parents really define your view of the world.” In her Monday speech, sponsored by Equality Maryland, a gay-rights organization, Marcel-Keyes said she has watched the issue of neglected queer teens go unnoticed for too long. “I won’t be silent any longer,” she told her audience. “God works in really screwed-up ways sometimes,” she began her speech. “There are times in life when he doesn’t just nudge you gently in the direction he wants you to go, he sort of takes a two-by-four and whacks you over the head a few times. Last month felt a lot like that for me.” Last month, Marcel-Keyes was told she should pack her bags and leave her father’s apartment. Last week brought the death of a close friend who was living on the streets for two years after being turned away by his parents for being gay. But to a certain degree, Marcel-Keyes understands her parents’ decision: “Funding my education would be funding me towards

something they are against.” Marcel-Keyes is looking for financial support in other places. She hopes her trip to Brown this week will help her figure out what she is going to do about paying her way through college. Each year, the University hears from a certain number of students who don’t have the financial support of their parents, said Michael Bartini, director of financial aid. “We look at them on a case-by-case basis,” he said, unable to comment specifically on Marcel-Keyes’ situation. Point Foundation Executive Director Vance Lancaster said he hopes Marcel-Keyes’ situation will bring more attention to the problem of marginalized gay and lesbian youth — “a real issue out there that is being glossed over.” Many Point Scholars have found themselves in predicaments similar to MarcelKeyes’, Lancaster said. “A lot of the people we support were supported or loved by their families one day and disowned the next,” he added. Marcel-Keyes will be Brown’s second Point Scholar. Daniel Bassichis ’06.5 is the first of Brown’s Point Scholars. “Her experience is very dif-

First there was Friendster. Then there was Thefacebook. Now, there is DormInform. Jason Townes French ’08 launched the latest addition to the trend of social networking sites Tuesday. His site, DormInform.com, is a free online community intended to facilitate dorm interaction and social events. The site allows users to announce unofficial hall events to other users in their dorms, or to the entire school community. Users are able to create a virtual dorm by uploading photographs of their rooms, and to participate in forums unique to their dorms. DormInform also keeps a live ranking of dorms across campuses based on participation. French said he came up with the idea at the end of the Fall semester, and continued working on it throughout winter break and the beginning of this semester. “It was the end of last semester after finals period. There was still a trickle of peo-

see DORM, page 4

see WRANGHAM, page 4

Audrey Jaynes / Herald

Musician Lindsey Grey performed at Providence’s AS220 Local Hip Hop and Funk concert on Wednesday night. See Arts & Culture, page 3.

Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3269

BY STU WOO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

that class. We had to design an eBay site for charities together. The class is still meeting and working on it even though we’re not doing it for credit anymore. We basically learned all we needed to know to create DormInform from that class,” he said. “I have a background with software programming, but this is my first stab at a fullblown web application. I learned most of the database languages … from CS 9,” French added. French dismissed the inevitable comparisons to Thefacebook.com by emphasizing the different functions of DormInform. “I hope people don’t see this as a Facebook knock-off. It’s supposed to be more oriented for the dorm, connecting people within the same living area, while Thefacebook connects you with people across campus and in other schools. Thefacebook does its job well, but we’re not in direct competition with them or anything,” he said.

see KEYES, page 4

INSIDE: ART AT AS220

ple around in Keeney, but I didn’t know who they were, and I started thinking if there was a way to better connect with people who were living around me, just to know who was going to be around, and so on,” he said. The idea soon extended to include unofficial social events. “Eventually I started thinking it would be a good idea to post announcements for parties and other events on the site. For example, if you were having a movie screening in your room and you wanted people to know about it, you could just post it online,” French said. After refining his idea for two weeks, French said he spent “four hours a day, for five days a week, for three weeks” in the CIT writing the programming code for the site. To assist him, he enlisted the help of Young Hwan Kim ’08, who helped with the programming, and Paul Monnes ’08, who designed the graphics and layout. Kim credited CS 9: “Building a Web Application” as another source of inspiration for DormInform. “Jason and I met in

Apes, humans share killing impulse While apes and humans are normally peaceful in their home environments, they both possess a tendency to kill when abroad, said Harvard University Professor of Biological Anthropology Richard Wrangham. Wrangham, invited to speak by Brown’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, explained his theories before a near-capacity audience of 150 in Salomon 001 Thursday afternoon. Wrangham said there were two views of human nature, developed by Enlightenment writers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Hobbes. In the Rousseauian view, humans are a naturally peaceful species. Killing is unnatural, evil and done for rewards. However, in the Hobbesian view, all humans are naturally aggressive and will kill whenever the opportunity presents itself. Wrangham believes that humans are defined by a combination of the two views. “Humans are Rousseau at home and Hobbes abroad,” he said. Wrangham, who is also the director of Kibale Research Project in Uganda, came to his conclusions after analyzing results from chimpanzee observation projects from the past four decades. As one of the closest species to humans, he said, chimps were ideal for a comparative study. Within their own communities, chimps and humans showed relatively peaceful tendencies, Wrangham said. Though male chimps often beat females, it almost never resulted in death. Human communities fought at a significantly lower rate than chimps, he said. However, the killing rate between different communities, both of apes and humans, is much higher, Wrangham said. The main reason chimps kill is rival removal, he said. Chimp communities seek to eliminate rival communities to expand their territory, which in turn leads to a faster reproductive rate. Wrangham said there is evidence that there were high killing rates between human societies as well. “War has been a regular feature of hunter-gatherers,” he said. “There have been very high killing rates among all known simple hunter-gather societies.” Wrangham also spoke about how chimps and humans tend to kill only when it is safe. For example, chimps are very selective in their killings. Chimps usually try to pick off solitary apes from rival communities. Normally, a killing occurs when a large group of male chimps, ranging from four to 15, encounters a single male chimp from another community. Humans also try to fight only when it is safe, Wrangham said. Hunter-gather societies usually attack only when they have the element of surprise. In state wars, most killings occur only when one side has an advantage. It is rare for two armies to line up against each other and charge, such as in “Braveheart,” he said. Also, in most battles, soldiers are usu-

DormInform.com aims to create sense of community BY SHAWN BAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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THIS MORNING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2005 · PAGE 2 Coreacracy Eddie Ahn

O N T H I S D AT E 1952 — The Brown post office moved into its current location in the basement of Faunce House. At that time, it featured approximately 1,400 individual student boxes, discontinuing the need for mail service to dorms.

1990 — The Brown Orchestra and Chorus performed in New York City at Carnegie Hall with jazz artist Dave Brubeck.The two groups had previously performed at Carnegie in 1987 as part of a financial aid fundraiser. Source: Encyclopedia Brunoniana

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS CAREER PLANNING FOR JUNIORS 4 p.m. (Career Development Center, Pembroke Hall) — Explore possible career options at this info session, the first of a twopart series led by Career Services.

Jero Matt Vascellaro

SABOR CARIBENO 6-8 p.m. (Machado House) — Try savory dishes from the Antilles and tour Machado House at this Open House event sponsored by the Department of Hispanic Studies.

TAIZE WORSHIP 5:30 p.m. (Manning Chapel) — An ecumenical Christian worship service led by Episcopal Chaplain Beth Sherman.

Penguiener Haan Lee

MENU VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Mushroom Vegetable Soup, Rhode Island Quahog Chowder, Chicken Fingers, Broccoli Quiche, Corn Cobbettes, Cheesecake Brownies.

SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — New England Clam Chowder, Vegetarian Caribbean Black Bean Soup, BBQ Pork Spareribs, Roast Herb Potatoes, Broccoli Au Gratin, Raspberry Sticks, Cheesecake Brownies.

DINNER — Breaded Pollock Fillet, Vegan Baked Potatoes, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Oriental Stir Fry, Italian Bread, Carrot Pineapple Cake.

DINNER — Fried Catfish with Tartar Sauce, Spanish Rice, Fresh Vegetable Melange, Okra and Tomatoes, Italian Bread, Chocolate Pudding, Carrot Pineapple Cake.

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Titan II, e.g., briefly 5 “Don’t dawdle!” 9 Cut 14 __ contendere 15 Soprano Te Kanawa 16 Skip over 17 Identical twins? 19 ’60s NY Giants coach Sherman 20 Line at the rodeo? 21 Broomstick? 23 21st president 25 Fire sign 26 Sparkle 28 Photog’s master 29 Little guy 32 Cut and dried veggie 36 Hot 38 Bus. drivers 39 “Contact” author 42 Long-term building project, so it’s said 43 Tidies up, in a way 45 Studied 47 No. twos 48 Ballpark fig. 51 Actor Roberts 52 Ink user 54 Legal aides 58 Lothario’s deception? 62 Allure of brewing beans 63 Sarge’s superior 64 Removed (and a hint to solving this puzzle’s theme) 66 Waters of gospel 67 Metal finds 68 Needlefish 69 UHF and VHF 70 Financial pg. initials 71 Prefix with derm DOWN 1 IV part 2 Cringe 3 Puff up 4 Belief in sacred cows?

5 Rap sheet letters 6 Punjab sect member 7 15-Across output 8 Broken language 9 Tar’s asset 10 Spent 11 Uncultivated 12 Singer Adams 13 XING sign silhouette 18 Responsibility 22 College sr.’s test 24 Holds a skull session 27 Publisher of the survey “Reading at Risk”: Abbr. 29 Influential celeb 30 Tiptop 31 Stained on purpose 32 “__ Network 90”: ’80s comedy 33 Cop’s collar 34 Two-time Newbery Medal winner Lowry 35 Get on 37 Sticker shock symptom? 1

40 Guitar, slangily 41 Bust maker 44 Continuing stories 46 La Scala’s home 49 Have a late meal 50 Charlene of “Dallas” 52 Hit into the air 53 Notes to self?

28 35

45 49

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36 40

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60 64

Raw Prawn Kea Johnston

02/18/05

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Homebodies Mirele Davis

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: S A S S T R O T S A M A S W A S I T J A D E E C T O T R A F F I C H E A D A C H E S T I R R E D S O C I E T Y T U E S O R E A S C A R M S R P R I S E R I T A L I T E R A T I C O L C O P I E R P R O B L E M E M S L O N E S T A R R A F E R B E T S C I A O N Y X T R E N T U V A M U S E T T E M E D I C A L B R E A K F A S T S P R E A D T W I G S A R I P A S I N A S N E R N A N G S E N S

55 Martin’s partner 56 Home of Martha Stewart’s line 57 Last word 58 Commoner 59 Teeny bit 60 Longtime Columbia Pictures president Harry 61 Scrapes (out) 65 Naut. heading

62 65 68 71

02/18/05

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ARTS & CULTURE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2005 · PAGE 3

‘Consent to Gravity’ emphasizes quality over quantity

AS220 home to creativity, 20 years after founding

BY CHARLOTTE BUCK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARTS & CULTURE REVIEW

For anyone interested in abstract or art photography, the RISD Museum’s current exhibit “Frederick Sommer: Consent to Gravity” is a must-see. Though little-known outside the intimate world of avant-garde photography, Frederick Sommer is renowned as among the most experimental photographers of the 20th century. “Consent to Gravity” celebrates the 100th anniversary of Sommer’s birth. Jan Howard, curator of “Consent to Gravity,” characterizes Sommer’s work as “very groundbreaking ... (but) a little obscure because it is not so plentiful.” Indeed, the exhibit is accordingly not so plentiful: Comprising only 18 works and interspersed with excerpts of Sommer’s writing, it could easily be overlooked by the Museum’s average art-peruser. Sparse as they may be, however, these images offer an exceptional look into the evolution of an abstract style in a medium not intended for abstraction. According to Denny Moers, professor of photography at RISD and exhibited artist in the Museum’s current exhibit “Chazan’s Choice: Gifts of Contemporary Art to the RISD Museum,” a primary determinant of Sommer’s abstract style was his friendship with surrealist Max Ernst. The two became acquainted while living in Prescott, Ariz., when, as Howard posits, “the surrealists really gravitated to (Sommer’s) work.” “Consent to Gravity” conveys this surrealist influence: The earliest works in the collection, though technically perfect, are compositionally bland — a hilly Arizona landscape, a few still-lifes and a rabbit carcass do not live up to Sommer’s repute. Works from the 1950s and 1960s, however, redeem the exhibit through innovative technique, divergence from previous subject matter, and an implication of modern abstraction. The most haunting images of the exhibit are products of Sommer’s unorthodox printing techniques: Sommer arranged “Circumnavigation of the Blood” (1950) and “The Milky Way” (1949) using lightly pigmented transparent oil paint to coalesce “discarded print illustrations and found objects” into montages that ultimately assume the same moldy quality of photographs left too long in a damp basement. “The Milky Way” juxtaposes three illustrated American Indians on a background empty but for a few legible brushstrokes. The dress of the subjects and splattered brushstrokes lend the photo an air of war, and ingeniously save it from incon-

“Frederick Sommer: Consent to Gravity” Through May 22 at the RISD Museum. Call 401.454.6500 for hours and admissions.

If you want to perform at AS220, you can. AS220, a visual and performing arts venue in downtown Providence, is described by Umberto Crenca, its founder and artistic director, as “an un-juried and uncensored space.” “Our goal is to be as accommodating as possible to anyone who wants to perform or exhibit here,” he said. “Though our primary responsibility is to people from the state of Rhode Island, we listen to and review every proposal that comes through our doors. “Everyone’s born creative and inquisitive and curious — everyone has a right to that. Everybody’s voice and perception of this life is as valid as anybody else’s.” Crenca founded AS220 in 1985, at a time when Providence was what he described as “a ghost town … where everyone was trying to get on that train to Boston or New York.” At the time, “even the artists were skeptical, because if anyone can perform or exhibit, there’s no prestige. There’s this set hierarchy about art … but we don’t want to support that attitude,” Crenca said. In addition to its galleries and performance space, which hosts from 10 to 12 live events each week, AS220 also maintains residential and work studios. Robin Amer ’04, whose work focuses on

gruity. In pieces such as Untitled (1961), Untitled (1962-65) and “Capitoline Museum” (1960), Sommer achieves an entirely different effect by employing an entirely different technique. These images were all shot in focus but printed with diffused edges, creating a dreamlike, gauzy effect. But perhaps the most haunting images are those whose techniques were inspired by Max Ernst himself: “Paracelsus” (1959) is an androgynous form Sommer first painted onto cellophane, then pushed and pulled another piece of cellophane on and off of to create texture, finally using the original piece for a contact print. “Untitled (Smoke on Cellophane #1)” (1961) and “The Golden Apple (Smoke on Cellophane #5)” (1961) demonstrate an even greater experimentation with photographic and paint media. Sommer created these works by first free-drawing on aluminum foil, then darkening the foil with soot and finally transferring the sooted drawing onto cellophane and exposing them in the same manner as “Paracelsus.” Though not numerous, the works exhibited in “Consent to Gravity” demonstrate the highly experimental techniques and evocative work of a seminal abstract artist. Peppered with quotes and musical scores, the exhibit demonstrates that even 18 works of art can elucidate the depth of a prodigious artistic career. Newport’s contemporary dance troupe, the Island Moving Company, will perform the first interpretation of Sommer’s musical scores March 19-20 in conjunction with the Providence String Quartet at the RISD Auditorium. Curator Jan Howard and choreographer Daniel McCasker of the Island Moving Company will attend “Consent to Gravity” Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the upcoming performance and Sommer’s work.

BY ALEXANDRA BARSK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

radio documentary, has been living in one of AS220’s 12 residential studios since January of her senior year. “I feed off of being around other creative people. I find it really inspiring,” she said. “If you’re a college student who also considers yourself an artist, it can sometimes be hard to be in an environment where the focus of your life is academics and not making art.” The third-floor residency area is dormitory-style, with a common kitchen, living room and bathrooms. According to Amer, the ages of the current residents range from 19 to 53 years. Once an artist has been granted a residential studio through an open application process, they are allowed to remain there indefinitely. “They don’t want to increase artist instability. Once you’re in, you’re in,” Amer said. “The requirement is that you have a sensitivity to community living and that you have a passion for making stuff. Where you are in that process could be practically anywhere,” Crenca said. Because AS220 received funding for the specific purpose of creating low-income rental units, the rents paid by artists living in the residential studios is required to be no less than 20 percent of their gross income. In other words, residents cannot earn above a certain income. “They’re looking for people

who will really benefit from this type of space,” Amer said. According to both Amer and Crenca, the biggest issue confronting the Providence arts community today is the problem of access to cheap space. “One of the things that was initially attractive about Providence was that there was a lot of open, affordable space and that’s not the case anymore,” said Crenca. “What’s going to happen to the next generation of innovators, visionaries and reactionaries?” he asked. “How are they going to blossom? Where’s this going to happen?” In an attempt to respond to this pressing problem by creating more affordable, safe living and work space, AS220 is in the process of expanding to include the Dreyfus Hotel on Washington Street, currently owned by Johnson and Wales University. “They’re selling it to us at a very reasonable price. This project would never happen if it were privately owned,” Crenca said. The new space will create about 19 new residential studios — small, efficient, loft apartments — and seven work studios. Crenca said he was shocked by the positive response the expansion project has received. He said in the past he had to fight to get support and funding for AS220’s work. “Now we walk into the bank see AS220, page 5

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Pouchet

Keyes

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her standards on the beam, which requires a lot of ankle and foot stability, Pouchet said. However, the ability to stay motivated and learn from a bad experience such as an injury can be invaluable. Pouchet has learned to cherish her sport and is determined to not let any fear of a new injury impede her season. “Every time you lose something, you realize how much you miss it, and how much you appreciate it,” Pouchet said. “Even though before I was always really enthusiastic about gymnastics and the opportunity to do it, I am even more so now. Because it was such a big reminder of how little time we have left in this sport. It isn’t a sport you can do after college,” she said. “Sitting out last year made me feel like I needed to live up every moment of the sport because you never know when it is going to end.”

ferent from mine, which shows the range of the Point Foundation,” said Bassichis, whose family is supportive of him. But like MarcelKeyes, Bassichis is also committed to social justice and addressing queer-related issues. There is a strong need for more organizations like the Point Foundation, Marcel-Keyes said. Her time at Brown will be a step

Wrangham continued from page 1 ally not killed in one-on-one combat. Wrangham said most killings on a battlefield occur when one soldier finds himself against several soldiers. He added that most victims in large battles are helpless, citing as an example that soldiers die in the largest numbers when they run. In battle, humans try to avoid killing because it is often traumat-

towards her goal of one day opening her own LGBT youth center, she said. She hopes to study political science and to continue getting her message out to others, she said. Marcel-Keyes shares her personal experiences on a blog she has been keeping for the past five years. The blog, which has gained tremendous recognition in the past few weeks, has generated a lot of “random angry hate mail” and a huge amount of supportive feedback, she said. The quote in big purple letters at

the top of her blog, she is embarrassed to admit, is from a Good Charlotte song: “You say I’m a dreamer, I say you’re a nonbeliever.” The quote has been there for years, she said, but recently it has taken on new meaning. For Marcel-Keyes, the quote means the issue of homeless queer youth is one that can be helped. “It’s all very well and good to wish these problems are solved,” she said. “ ‘There are too many homeless kids out there,’ they say. But everyone can do a little something to help.”

ic. But soldiers kill out of fear, he said. They are afraid of letting down their fellow soldiers, of punishment from their superiors and of their own death from the opposing army. Large-scale state wars occur due to the overconfidence in a state’s ability to win, he said. “As you approach conflict, leaders overestimate their power to win, underestimate those of the opposition and ignore intelligence reports,” Wrangham said. If both sides believe they are going to win, they will commit to the conflict, he added. Reaction to Wrangham’s lecture was positive. “I think it was an excellent presentation,” said Professor of

Anthropology Richard Gould, who introduced Wrangham. “He’s asking the right kind of questions. … One has to look at both the biological and cultural components of anthropology.” Isaac Haxton ’07 also said he enjoyed the presentation. “I thought it was interesting that he suggested people suffer psychological damage when there’s a risk (involved in killing), but they don’t when it’s safe,” Haxton said. “It’s upsetting.” But one student found hope in Wrangham’s lecture. “I was struck by how other primates like the bonobo were nonviolent,” said Caitlin Clay ’08. “The fact that there exists a non-violent primate gives me hope.”

Dorm continued from page 1 The site has had a modest beginning. As of Thursday, 13 users from Brown had registered, and it was available to 11 schools across the nation. Nevertheless, French noted initial signs were encouraging. “Obviously, it’s still in an early stage, but we’ve started to get some attention, and just yesterday we received some requests from other schools to be added. I’m confident it’ll start to spread by word of mouth,” he said. French said he had modest ambitions for DormInform — his main aim is to foster social interaction and not to reap financial gain, he said. “I don’t have any hopes for it in terms of financial profit or widespread popularity. I just hope it’ll be used here at Brown to create a sense of dorm camaraderie. Even if just the people in Keeney were on it, I’d be happy,” he said. His co-creators expressed greater hopes for the site. “I think it should be pretty successful. It connects people in a way that Thefacebook doesn’t, because it’s a lot more grounded in the dorms and makes use of actual social events. I think people will have fun with the dorm rankings function too. (The site) will be useful for people who don’t own cell phones and aren’t very contactable,” said Monnes. One student expressed some interest in the site. “I don’t know if people will actually use it, but I’ll definitely check it out,” said Bo Tao ’08.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 5

M. hoops

Preview

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The Quakers (14-7, 7-0 Ivy) boast the league’s reigning Player of the Week in senior guard Tim Begley. Begley scored 24 points against Cornell Saturday, and is a threat from long range. With 60 threepointers made, Begley has made 11 more than anybody else in the Ivy League. And, despite Princeton’s (11-10, 2-5 Ivy) struggles, it still plays the stingiest defense in the league, allowing only 54.3 ppg. Making this weekend’s test even tougher, the Tigers lead the league in free-throw percentage as well, connecting on nearly 75 percent of their attempts. The Bears are going into the games in the right mindset after what could have been a disastrous weekend for morale. “This week has been really good practice-wise,” Ruscoe said. “People have been playing harder, and I think we are in good shape to give Penn their first loss.” While Penn brings its unblemished record to Providence, Princeton is scuffling at 2-5, good

nals last year. — Ben Miller

AS220 continued from page 3 and they’re telling us why they want to do the project. We’re not used to that,” he said. The students of American Civilization Senior Lecturer Paul Buhle’s oral history class have supported AS220 and the legacy of the entire Providence art community in another way. Crenca was one of the many artists interviewed by the students as part of “Underground Rhode Island,” a project exploring the alternative cultures and arts of Rhode Island since the 1950s. “The goal has been to get a grasp on the scene … to understand what has happened and what is happening now, how the people that have been a part of it understand it, to understand what’s the connection between art and life,” Buhle said. This past summer, four of Buhle’s students — Megan Hall ’04.5, Krista Ingebretson ’06, former postExecutive Editor Micah Salkind ’06 and Julia Wolfson ’06 — compiled the collected interviews into an exhibit at the Newport Art Museum and Art Association.

Gymnastics The gymnastics team will host its second home meet of the 2005 season, taking on the University of Bridgeport and Yale University Sunday at 1 p.m. Brown looks to avenge its loss to Yale in their first match-up of the season. While Bruno should defeat Bridgeport with relative ease, Yale will be much harder to beat. “Yale is really strong this year.

for last place in the league. Two years ago, Bruno swept Princeton for the first time in school history. This year, the Bears are hoping to match that feat. “I am not accustomed to losing this much in the Ivies, and neither is Jason (Forte),” Ruscoe said. “We want people to think that Brown is one of the better teams in the league like it always has been while I have been here.”

“Often oral histories are transcribed and then shoved in a library somewhere. I wanted to present oral histories in their spoken form and encourage people to interact with them,” said Hall, who said she tried to make audio the main attraction of the exhibit, which included listening stations connected to the visual presentations. Buhle said AS220 is important in the greater history of the Rhode Island art. “Inevitably, AS220 is one of those anchor institutions where a large number of underground Rhode Island-types interact. Bert played such a key role in making things happen,” he said. The past 20 years have certainly changed the public perception of AS220. Originally regarded as “a bunch of weirdos,” according to Crenca, “the acceptance has grown to the point where sometimes we’re reacted to by the younger artists as an institution. It fluctuates — sometimes we’re still groovy and cutting edge, sometimes we’re viewed as being … not radical enough. “But that’s what happens when you become sort of institutionalized — you become a reference that people can either play off of or play with.”

We will have to look out for the whole team,” said Head Coach Sara Carver-Milne. Carver-Milne pointed to Bulldog first-year Kristen Campbell in the allaround and senior Kathryn Fong on the bars, beam and floor exercise as particularly strong threats. Carver-Milne plans to make changes in the lineup on account of performances from the last meet as well as illnesses and injuries that have developed. She and her captains are determined to compete more strongly than they did at last week’s home opener. “We will do better this time,” Carver-Milne said. — Madeleine Marecki

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2005 · PAGE 6 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Diamonds and coal A diamond to all the students recently inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. For the rest of us, as our current commanderin-chief once said, at least we can still be president some day. A cubic zirconium to bringing kegs back on campus. We’re all for cheap, easy binge drinking. But without all those beer cans, our Recyclemania standings would surely plummet even lower than they already are. Coal to the NHL’s cancellation of its season, and especially to commissioner Gary Bettman, a Cornell grad who has overseen two work stoppages in his tenure. Now we have Ithacans destroying professional hockey as well as rampaging through the Ivy League. A diamond to country music singers turned duck herders. Imagine how great it would be to see Shania Twain follow that example.

SHANE WILKERSON

A diamond to four-day weekends. A big, fat coal to having to spend that weekend catching up on the work we haven’t done for the past four weeks.

LETTERS

Coal to the “catastrophic” and “devastating” consequences of losing NASA TV and RTN. Doesn’t the destruction of the world in Penguiener put all that in perspective?

Evolution and academic arrogance

A co-ed coal to Harvard President Lawrence Summers. Looking back on his record, it’s almost like he keeps taking bets to see what he can get away with saying without losing his job.

I was very disappointed to read Professor of Biology Jonathan Waage’s letter (“Schmalzbach mistakes the ‘liberal’ position,” Feb. 16). He writes “That evolution occurs is a fact, not a theory or secular dogma.” This statement, for all of its apparent truth, represents the supreme arrogance that has long infected discourse in the “natural sciences.” The notion of the scientist as a purely objective observer has been debunked by thinkers and scientists as diverse as William James, Thomas Kuhn, Richard Rort and Michel Foucault. Waage’s assertion that “evolution is a fact” is tantamount to suggesting that are certain external Truths with which we, as humans, must fall into line with — that there is, embedded in the fabric of the universe, a way in which things really are. Scientific realism is as absolutist and as cognitively intolerant as many forms of religious funda-

A secretive diamond to our very own wannabe Deep Throats. While we love that you think we’re worth leaking information to, we need stuff that’s a bit more relevant and, well, plausible. Finally, a diamond to living in our world with “whatever kind of trees” in it. We like it here very much, thank you, Mr. Anonymous Caller.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Jonathan Ellis, Editor-in-Chief Sara Perkins, Executive Editor Christopher Hatfield, Senior Editor Lisa Mandle, Senior Editor Meryl Rothstein, Arts & Culture Editor Melanie Wolfgang, Arts & Culture Editor Justin Elliott, Campus Watch Editor Stephanie Clark, Focus Editor Kira Lesley, Focus Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet, Metro Editor Te-Ping Chen, Opinions Editor Ari Savitzky, Opinions Editor Chris Mahr, Sports Editor Ben Miller, Sports Editor

PRODUCTION Peter Henderson, Design Editor Katie Lamm, Copy Desk Chief Lela Spielberg, Copy Desk Chief Matt Vascellaro, Graphics Editor Ashley Hess, Photo Editor Juliana Wu, Photo Editor

BUSINESS Ian Halvorsen, General Manager Daniel Goldberg, Executive Manager Mark Goldberg, Senior Financial Officer Lisa Poon, Marketing Manager Abigail Ronck, Senior Accounts Manager Kathleen Timmins, Senior Accounts Manager Laird Bennion, Senior Project Manager Elias Roman, Senior Project Manager Jungdo Yu, Senior Project Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Susan Dansereau, Office Manager POST- MAGAZINE Fritz Brantley, Editor-in-Chief Adrian Muniz, Executive Editor Sarah Gordon, Calendar Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Josh Cohen, Design Editor Marissa Hauptman, Photo Editor Ruthie Baron, Features Editor Jeremy Beck, Film Editor Paul Levande, Assistant Film Editor Jesse Adams, Music Editor

Annie Koo, Night Editor Zachary Townsend, Copy Editor Senior Staff Writers Camden Avery, Alexandra Barsk, Eric Beck, Mary-Catherine Lader, Ben Leubsdorf, Jane Porter, Stu Woo Staff Writers Marshall Agnew, Zachary Barter, Danielle Cerny, Christopher Chon, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Kate Gorman, Jonathan Herman, Leslie Kaufmann, Aidan Levy, Allison Lombardo, Meryl Rothstein, Joel Rozen, Jen Sopchockchai, Jonathan Sidhu, Lela Spielberg, Robin Steele, Stefan Talman, Jane Tanimura, Melanie Wolfgang, Anne Wootton Sports Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Zaneta Balantac, Stephen Colelli, Lexi Costello, Ian Cropp, Justin Goldman, Bernard Gordon, Katie Larkin, Matt Lieber, Shaun MacNamara, Chris Mahr, Ben Miller, Eric Perlmutter, Jilane Rodgers, Marco Santini, Charlie Vallely Accounts Managers Steven Butschi, Rob McCartney, John Nagler, David Ranken, Joel Rozen, Rukesh Samarasekera, Ryan Shewcraft Project Managers In Young Park, Libbie Fritz Design Staff Deepa Galaiya, Annie Koo, Allison Kwong, Jason Lee Photo Staff Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Matthew Lent, Nick Neely, Bill Pijewski, Kori Schulman, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Chessy Brady, Jonathan Corcoran, Eric Demafeliz, Leora Fridman, Allison Kwong, Katie Lamm, Suchi Mathur, Cristina Salvato, Sonia Saraiya, Lela Spielberg, Zachary Townsend, Jenna Young

To the Editor:

mentalism. Natural science, like religion, is merely a way of talking. It is a heuristic device, a tool that helps us explain, predict, and control future events, and helps give us some measure of comfort in a world which, all too often, seems hostile and unyielding. Its theories cannot be tested from an “independent belief system” any more than religious theories can. Like religion, science is a tool. It is, in the opinion of this writer, perhaps the most useful tool we have ever invented. But it is still merely a construction. Its conclusions and methods enjoy no special cognitive or ontological status. I would hope that in the future, professors of biology and deans of Ivy League institutions would exercise a little more epistemological modesty. Benjamin Resnick ’06 Feb. 16

There is no ‘liberal bind’ To the Editor: Schmalzbach bases his critique (“Liberals in Cobb County,” Feb. 15) on the assumption that to oppose the stickers is to oppose “an open and critical examination of science.” This is a classic bait and switch. The stickers hardly promote scientific examination. They ask students to examine evolution and evolution alone. This difference is crucial. We have a specific religious group, fundamentalist Christians, singling out a single theory for special consideration. If we allow this precedent to stand, then where would we stop? Electricity is a theory too. I could start a religion proclaiming that light bulbs are operated by invisible light fairies. I might even promote anti-electricity stickers in textbooks. What a boon to have my fairy religion implicitly endorsed by the school board! The

problem is that from a scientific perspective this theory is based on almost no evidence — much like the theory of creationism. For every accepted scientific theory there are myriad opposing theories. It is the essence of science to rule out those theories with little or no objective merit. These stickers had nothing to do with real scientific inquiry and everything to do with Christian fundamentalists promoting their own beliefs. There is no “liberal bind.” The real bind has been placed on the conservative who, having allied himself or herself with fundamentalism, is forced to use deception and poor reasoning in order to justify ideologies that are ultimately irrational. Stephen Miller GS Department of Mathematics Feb. 16

C O R R E C T I O N An article published Feb. 7 (“RISD celebrates diverse Jewish Art”) misstated the involvement of Nathaniel Stein GS in the creation of a RISD Museum exhibit. Stein, a museum intern, wrote introductory text and gave a gallery talk on the works; he did not curate the exhibit.

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OPINIONS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2005 · PAGE 7

Creation theory in Cobb County GUEST COLUMN BY SRIVIDYA KALYANARAMAN Like the evolution stickers he was writing about, Brian Schmalzbach’s column (“Liberals in Cobb County,” Feb. 15) was a violation of liberal tenets. By calling evolution a theory, not fact, the stickers predispose the reader to view evolution as a revolutionary idea, and one with faulty foundations at that. When you read a warning label stuck on a bottle of prescription medicine, you tend to look at the drugs with a sort of skepticism. We automatically respond like Pavlov’s dogs to such “warning labels.” The Cobb County legislators played on such instincts. This is not some “little school board” in Georgia bearing innocent wishes and ripe peaches. They are counting on people like Schmalzbach to pay much more attention to the liberal air of the surrounding text. They trust that such liberals will commend the idea that material “should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.” And they believe those kinds of liberals will overlook the proselytizing undertone of the sticker, which attempts to promote creationism as the most viable alternative to evolution.

Couldn’t creationism itself be considered a theory? Couldn’t creationism itself be considered a theory? In Schmalzbach’s piece, he portrayed God as an important part of explaining the world, thereby endorsing religious faith. However, not all religions agree about how the world began. Each religion has its own version, starting at different stages of evolution with different creatures and different stories. If creationism does not have a universal basis, let alone scientific proof, why doesn’t Cobb County also add a sticker that says “Creationism is a theory, not a fact”? Why only call attention to evolution, something which does have scientific proof to back it up? The sticker indicates the sad state of affairs the Cobb County School System seems to be in now. Schools are places of education, where all material should theoretically be approached with an open mind and critically considered. That’s not a liberal idea; that’s getting an education. If Cobb County feels the need to add a sticker saying so, that’s an indication of a system in trouble — a system that is not challenging its participants to think, and is rather encouraging them to simply accept information. The sticker is a desperate attempt to devalue the theory of evolution under the guise of critical, open-minded thinking. The only dead dogma that John Stuart Mill would notice is how easily “liberal” rhetoric is accepted with little or no challenge to the connotations behind it. Srividya Kalyanaraman ’08 challenges everything.

MATT LAWRENCE

Beyond the stem-cell debate In a televised speech on the night of Aug. 9, 2001, President Bush announced a compromise that made activists and lobbyists unhappy on both sides of the stem-cell debate: Federal funds could be used in research on already existing embryonic stem-cell lines, but no new lines could be created for the time being. With Bush’s decision made, one side complained he was condoning the destruction of life for research and allowing research on unwilling humans, while the other lamented that existing cell lines would not be enough. But to me, it was the perfect compromise. Bush’s 2001 decision did not put religion before science, nor did it ignore the ethics of the situation. He chose to tread carefully in attempting to reconcile “the potential for incredible good — to improve lives, to save life, to conquer disease” offered by embryonic stem-cells, with a duty “to foster and encourage respect for life in America and throughout the world.” He didn’t exclusively cater to his religious convictions — he showed willingness to compromise the anti-embryonic stem-cell research position originally taken in his campaign. In the Bush administration’s first summer, public opinion of the President was not polarized. Most Americans were not yet at the point of attacking or apologizing for his every policy: liberal ire wasn’t yet ensured, nor was conservative support. I forget if it was Howard Stern or Don Imus I went to every morning for my stem-cell radio updates that summer, but I was an

active listener. The previous year’s election was the first I ever followed closely, and at the time I wasn’t confident in my decision to back Bush over John McCain in the Republican primary. I looked at the stemcell issue as Bush’s first big test, a chance to “unite” the country as he had promised. And it was Bush’s speech on Aug. 9, 2001 that cemented my support for our president, not his handling of the terrorist attacks a month later. Many have lost sight of the political climate in which Bush created the stem-cell policy that is so often derided today. Indeed, I’ve heard Bush’s stem-cell policy invoked as an example of his religious dogma. For those who would proffer this argument in spite of the circumstances of his decision, let me quickly clarify some of the facts: First, it should be noted that Bush’s policy on stem-cell research has nothing to do with the amount of federal funding available for scientific research. In other words, whatever money doesn’t go to stem-cell research will go to some other promising scientific endeavor, such as DNA vaccines for HIV prevention. Second, though the existing cell lines show some problems, such as feeder cell contamination, most research has not progressed to the point that this poses a serious problem. With a few exceptions, including certain techniques in the treatment of diabetes, research remains concentrated on very basic questions of cell differentiation for which the existing lines are adequate. When this research progress-

es further, this policy may need to be adjusted, but for the foreseeable future the existing cell lines are sufficient. Finally, it is unlikely that embryonic stem-cells derived from unused embryos would be directly useful in clinical applications because of immune rejection of the implanted cells. Stem cells, though they can differentiate into many different cell types are genetically different from the host that they are implanted into, and will be attacked as foreign by the immune system. The only way to avoid this would be to use embryonic stem cells that are genetically identical to the host, and the only way to obtain those would be by harvesting them from a clone of the host created specifically for that purpose. In other words, this would mean creating a clone for the sole purpose of destroying it. Such clone-on-demand treatments raise moral questions far beyond those of the current stem-cell debate. In short, even if embryonic stem-cell research was entirely unrestricted, most actual clinical applications of embryonic stem cells would be illegal due to prohibitions against cloning. Bush showed courage and leadership in creating his current embryonic stem-cell policy — one that repects the complex moral questions involved in embryonic stem-cell research while leaving room for scientific potential to be realized. Matt Lawrence ’06 has an identical twin who wishes Matt supported stem-cell research — that way he could keep both his kidneys.

Racist ‘Tsunami Song’ targets Asians GUEST COLUMN BY WAH-KWAN LIN In January, Asia was struck by one of the most destructive natural disasters in modern history, a tsunami that left in its wake upwards of 152,000 dead. Most of the world responded empathetically to the disaster by sending donations and offering humanitarian assistance. However, New York’s hip-hop radio show “Miss Jones in the Morning” apparently decided that the devastation was just a trivial, overblown news sensation. They responded to the crisis on Jan. 18 by airing the now-infamous “Tsunami Song.” This song, a parody of “We Are the World,” displayed a shocking degree of insensitivity to human suffering, along with outright racism targeted primarily at Asians. The song’s producers probably thought they were pretty clever for airing lyrics such as “All at once you could hear the screaming chinks” and “You could hear God laughing, ‘Swim you bitches, swim.’ ” Moments after the song was broadcast, the station was hit with an onslaught of calls from angry listeners. Nevertheless, the hosts went on to vehemently defend the song, ridicule the callers and insult the tsunami victims. At one point, co-host Todd Lynn actually said, “I’m going to shoot all Asians.” I support free speech, but only to the extent that it does not amount to hate speech. The victims of the tsunami were not insignificant; they were human beings with friends and families, they were people who were loved and who were tragically taken from this world. How could something so offensive and distasteful be allowed on public airwaves? Please recall that some of the victims in the tsunami were Americans. Now, how do you suppose the families of the American victims must have felt when they heard the

“Tsunami Song” on their drive to work? Besides the song’s callous attitude towards the victims of this natural disaster, the song also disseminated racism through the airwaves, which only serves to exacerbate existing social tensions. What is worse is that those who were responsible for the “Tsunami Song” have gotten little more than a slap on the wrist for their behavior. Though the station’s morning show producer Rick del Gado and Lynn were fired from the station, five other employees of Hot 97 who were involved in the production of the “Tsunami Song” — including Miss Jones

Not enough is being done to spread awareness of Hot 97's disgraceful conduct. Even less is being done to mobilize popular opposition to it. herself — were merely suspended. So far, that has been the extent of the punishment. It is expected that Jones and the other suspended employees will be back to work soon, and that the “Miss Jones in the Morning” show will resume broadcasting. America’s widespread indifference to the matter is extremely disappointing. Of course, there have been small pockets of opposition to the song, mobilized primarily by Asian and Muslim-American groups around the country, but overall,

most Americans are simply ignoring the matter. Not enough is being done to spread awareness of Hot 97’s disgraceful conduct, and even less has been done to mobilize popular opposition to it. In most cases, the lack of a response may be attributed to a general sense of apathy, where people do not feel a personal connection to the insult, or are simply too busy to be bothered by something they feel is trivial. But any insult of this magnitude concerns us all, not just those of us who have ties to the affected areas, or those of us who fit into the categories being denigrated. The tsunami victims were fellow human beings who deserve to be treated with respect, and Asians don’t deserve to be smeared with racial slurs. Perhaps if a more powerful and widespread condemnation of the “Tsunami Song” is made, its producers would be punished more severely. Allowing Miss Jones to act the way she has with impunity implies Americans feel foreign people are insignificant, and that domestic prejudice is acceptable. I wonder how the public would have responded if the parody were about a disaster affecting another demographic. For example, what if Hot 97 broadcast a “Twin Towers Song” mocking those that had died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks? What would the response have been if a minority radio host suggested that he would start shooting white Americans? It is unacceptable for anyone to respond to any tragedy of this scope with mockery and racism, and we should not have to stand for it. Wah-Kwan Lin ’07 is a member of the Asian-American Students Association.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS WEEKEND FEBRUARY 18, 2005 · PAGE 8

Gymnast Pouchet ’06 shows heart, high spirits in speedy comeback BY ANNE DUGGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A major injury can end an athlete’s career. For those lucky enough to recover, the post-injury emotions and doubts can be more challenging than the physical tests of returning. Jessica Pouchet ’06, a member of the gymnastics team, overcame a severe Achilles tendon injury to return to competition this season after only a week of practice. After a strong first year competing in vault and bars, Pouchet returned to gymnastics in December 2003 looking to build on her success. During the annual Mock Meet, Pouchet tore her right Achilles tendon while performing a double pike on floor. Luckily, she was not injured further, as her coach was spotting and was able to help Pouchet finish the skill safely. “My first reaction was that someone like Tonya Harding hit me, because it feels like you were hit in the back of the calf, not like you tore it,” Pouchet said. After being rushed to the hospital, Pouchet underwent surgery the next morning to repair the damage to her Achilles, and then began a month-long recovery before starting the arduous process of rehabilitation. While many athletes become depressed from the inability to compete and the daunting challenge of a long rehab period, Pouchet used her optimistic personality to stay motivated and involved with the team. Pouchet turned to the example set by teammate Alyssa Rosen ’05, a 2003 Spirit Award winner who WEEKEND SPORTS SCHEDULE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18 Men’s ICE HOCKEY: St. Lawrence, 7 p.m., Meehan Auditorium Women’s BASKETBALL: at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. Women’s ICE HOCKEY: at St. Lawrence University, Canton, N.Y. Women’s SQUASH: Howe Cup, Princeton, N.J. SKIING: at St. Anselm Carnival, Pat’s Peak, N.H. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Men’s ICE HOCKEY: Clarkson, 7 p.m., Meehan Auditorium Women’s BASKETBALL: at Princeton, Princeton, N.J. Women’s ICE HOCKEY: at Clarkson, Potsdam, N.Y. WRESTLING: at Harvard, Cambridge, Mass. Men’s TENNIS: at Navy, Annapolis, Md. Women’s SQUASH: Howe Cup, Princeton, N.J. EQUESTRIAN: at University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn. SKIING: at St. Anselm Carnival, Pat’s Peak, N.H. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20 GYMNASTICS: Yale with Bridgeport, 1 p.m., Pizzitola Center Men’s TRACK: at USATF-NE Championships, Cambridge, Mass. Women’s TRACK: at USATF-NE Championships, Cambridge, Mass. Men’s TENNIS: at Wake Forest, WinstonSalem, N.C. Women’s TENNIS: at American, Washington, D.C. Women’s SQUASH: Howe Cup at Princeton, Princeton, N.J. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Women’s TENNIS: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, Va. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Men’s BASKETBALL: at Yale, New Haven, Conn. Men’s ICE HOCKEY: at Harvard, Cambridge, Mass.

had also suffered a season-ending injury. Pouchet saw how Rosen had motivated her teammates and was determined to play a similar role. “(Rosen) was abroad when I tore my Achilles, but once I realized I would be in a similar situation, I decided I wanted to be as good of a sport about it as she had been,” Pouchet said. “One of my goals last year after tearing my Achilles was doing the opposite of putting fear into my team (about getting injured), to inspire them instead.” As she helped encourage her teammates and saw their accomplishments, Pouchet was motivated even more to get into the training room to strengthen her Achilles. “If you can’t contribute with routines or scores, it doesn’t mean you can’t help move mats or give a teammate confidence,” Pouchet said. “Every bit of support for your team helps. I knew I still wanted to contribute, and that is what would keep me inspired to keep going back to the training room.” Head Coach Sara Carver-Milne lauded Pouchet’s attitude. “Jessica has always been our most inspirational teammate, even when she wasn’t injured. She’s one of our hardest workers as well,” Carver-Milne said. “She kept that positive attitude when hurt.” Pouchet won the Spirit Award in 2004 — despite not competing — because of her dedication to being a positive influence for all her teammates. The test to her spirit continued, as Pouchet spent the fall semester in Barcelona, where she was unable to practice any gymnastics. The last time she had set foot on the mat was during the summer, when she was finally regaining many of the skills she had lost while injured. While she originally thought she

would be able to ease back into competition, injuries to other gymnasts on the already shorthanded team forced Pouchet to compete after only one week of practice. “I hadn’t done any routines in practice before the meets, so it was a big toss-up as to whether I’d hit or not,” Pouchet said. “Gymnastics is such a mental sport, so when I was looking at the bars before my routine, I just pretended nothing had changed since the last time I had competed and didn’t let any doubts slip into my mind.” Her positive attitude has paid off, as Pouchet has become an allaround competitor for Brown this season. Her performance at the first two meets earned her the ECAC’s weekly Coaches’ Choice Honor. While Pouchet admits she is still working to return to level she was at her first year, she is pleased with her performance. “I’ve been really impressed with myself, because I have been going all out and trying to believe in myself,” Pouchet said. “I remembered how to compete, how to hit in pressure situations.” Pouchet’s performance so far has impressed others as well. “I think she surprised a lot of people including herself,” CarverMilne said. “We thought it would be a bonus if she could compete anything, considering the circumstance. She has had highest score … in some events (this year).” While Pouchet may seem fearless, a major freak injury like tearing an Achilles puts some trepidation into Pouchet’s mind. While tearing her right Achilles again is highly unlikely, Pouchet worries the left will tear. She admits that sometimes she has flashbacks of her injury during a performance. The weakness in her right ankle, which still isn’t back to 100 percent, inhibits her ability to perform to see POUCHET, page 4

Weekend Preview: M. icers, tumblers at home In addition to men’s basketball, here are other Brown teams competing at home this weekend: Men’s Ice Hockey After being stuck in sixth place in the ECACHL for the past few weeks, the men’s ice hockey team is hoping to use the four-day weekend as a prime opportunity to make one last push for a chance at a playoff series at home. The Bears will play three games over the extended break, taking on St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University on Friday and Saturday at Meehan Auditorium, then traveling up to Cambridge, Mass., to take on Harvard Tuesday night. If the Bears fail to move up in the standings, this weekend will mark the last home game for captain Les Haggett ’05, Mike Meech ’05 and the rest of Bruno’s senior class. The home games are especially key for Bruno, as St. Lawrence and Clarkson are tied at seventh, right behind the Bears. With only a three-point lead over each

team, a loss to either one could drop Brown even further in the standings. Arguably the most difficult game will be against Harvard, which is currently third in the league. The Bears have already defeated St. Lawrence and Clarkson this season, scoring four goals in each game. Brian Ihnacak ’07 had especially good outings against both opponents, scoring four goals and recording one assist in the two games. Adam D’Alba ’08, the team’s sensational goalie, turned in a particularly impressive performance against St. Lawrence, stopping 42 shots. Brown also boasts Brian McNary ’08, the reigning ECACHL Rookie of the Week. Bruno has already taken on Harvard once this season, battling back from a 2-0 deficit to send the game to overtime, where the teams tied 2-2. Brown is still looking for revenge against the Crimson, who knocked the Bears out of the ECAC quarterfisee PREVIEW, page 5

Sarah Hayes ’06 named Academic All-American After excelling on the court in her three seasons at Brown, women’s basketball player Sarah Hayes ’06 was recognized for her academic achievements Thursday when she was named a 2005 ESPN The Magazine District I Second Team Academic AllAmerican. “I wasn’t expecting it at all — it was really a huge surprise,” an obviously elated Hayes said. “It feels good … to be recognized for my hard work on and off the court.” The history and psychology concentrator has been a star for the Bears this season, leading the

team in scoring with 14.6 points per game. She has also twice been named Ivy League Player of the Week. “I just found out when we got on the bus to go down to (the University of Pennsylvania),” Hayes said. “I haven’t been able to gather my thoughts yet.” Hayes is the second Brown athlete to be named an Academic All-American this school year. Football running back Nick Hartigan ’06 was named First Team National CoSIDA Academic All-American in December. — Ben Miller

M. hoops looks for shot against Quakers BY STEPHEN COLELLI SPORTS STAFF WRITER

Coming off two tough losses to Harvard and Dartmouth last weekend, the men’s basketball team is looking to exact a little revenge this weekend when the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton visit the Pizzitola Center. Penn defeated the Bears earlier this season 83-60, while the Bears already own a 57-52 victory over the Tigers. Brown has struggled since opening Ivy play against Princeton Jan. 28, with a 1-4 record in league play. A win over the Quakers Friday night would mark a major turning point in the Bears’ season. “A win this weekend will really help us bounce back and instill some confidence back in the team,” said co-captain Luke Ruscoe ’06. In the Bears’ last two losses, the team has combined to shoot only 28 percent. The shooting percentage was uncharacteristi-

Men’s Basketball FRIDAY, FEB. 18 Penn, 7 P.M. SATURDAY, FEB. 19 Princeton, 7 P.M. Both games at the Pizzitola Center cally low for a team that had previously been pacing the Ivy League in points-per-game and boasts the league’s leading scorer, co-captain Jason Forte ’05. “Defense is always a key,” Ruscoe said. “However, it is strange that our offense, which is usually so good, is what has been struggling. We really need to be able to put some points on the board like the Brown teams of old.” While Penn and Princeton perennially represent the elite of Ivy League basketball, Harvard and Dartmouth have typically been sure wins for the Bears the past couple of years. The last two

seasons Brown swept the season series with both Harvard and Dartmouth, averaging 88 points per game in the four victories. Ruscoe summed up the team’s disappointment with the past weekend. “Although Harvard and Dartmouth haven’t been in the upper echelon of the teams in the league, they have improved a lot,” Ruscoe said. “But it is still very disappointing to lose to them. I have had many past players ask me how we lost to them.” This weekend’s contests represent the Bears’ toughest test of the season. In the past, Brown struggled against the squads from Penn and Princeton, but recently has discovered some strategies that seem to work. Last season, the Bears beat both teams at home, the Quakers succumbing in overtime 92-88. They also defeated Penn in Philadelphia. see M. HOOPS, page 5

Ashley Hess / Herald

Co-captain Jason Forte ’05 leads the Ivy League in scoring at 17.3 points per game.