Friday, March 18, 2005

F R I D A Y MARCH 18, 2005

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 36

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

‘FU’ AT ASHAMU Fusion Dance Company presents 22nd annual dance show through Sunday METRO

RULES OF THE RATTY Samantha Plesser ’05: Quit gabbin’.

Start grabbin’.

3

OPINIONS

11

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE Charlie Vallely ’06 lives through the convergence of March Madness, the steroid hearings, and St. Patty S P O R T S 12

TODAY

TOMORROW

sunny 43 / 26

sunny 45/28

Mark Porter named new DPS chief

BY AIDAN LEVY S TAFF WRITER

The University will announce today that Mark Porter, a 24-year veteran of campus law enforcement, has been named the new chief of police and director of the Department of Public Safety.

Porter will assume his duties as chief of police and director of DPS in April.

Porter comes to Brown from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, where he has served as director of public safety for the past nine years. He will replace Interim Chief Emil Fioravanti, who took up the reins in December after former chief Col. Paul Verrecchia resigned from his post and relocated to South Carolina, where he currently serves as chief at the College of Charleston.

Porter’s appointment concludes a search that began in December, following a meticulous examination of 90 applicants — a pool consisting of police chiefs at other prestigious universities as well as high-ranking municipal officers from locales as distant as California, said Vice President for Administration Walter Hunter.

The search committee, composed of students, faculty and administrators, has found the “perfect fit” in Porter, Hunter said. With Porter at the helm, DPS will have a mature guide at a critical juncture in DPS history, Hunter said, lauding Porter’s previous experience with initiatives that are in precise alignment with the current DPS agenda.

“We’re right at the beginning of implementing a more comprehensive community policing plan. He’s done that. We are in the implementation phase of arming our officers. He’s done that. And he’s done both really well,” Hunter said.

Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene echoed Hunter’s praise. “I think (Porter has) just the right mix of experience and outlook to be successful at Brown,” Greene said.

“During the interview process, I really

gained great confidence in his intellect and the broad perspective he takes on policing.”

Porter, a Boston native, graduated from Northeastern University in 1982 with a degree in criminal justice and is a 1984 graduate of the Municipal Police Academy in Massachusetts. He began his law enforcement career at Simmons College while studying at Northeastern.

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After graduating, he served in the Division of Public Safety at Northeastern for 12 years, leaving in 1996 to become chief at UMass-Dartmouth.

“Brown University’s gain is the University’s loss,” Jean MacCormack, chancellor at UMass-Dartmouth, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “Chief Porter see PORTER, page 7

BUCC discusses campus debate Simmons: no BUCC ‘feel-good sessions’

BY LOIS SALDANA S TAFF WRITER

The inaugural meeting of the Brown University Community Council, which took place Thursday afternoon at Leung Gallery, brought together diverse constituents of the Brown community to discuss the council’s overall mission and future agenda.

President Ruth Simmons opened the session, explaining that the BUCC would bring together disparate regions of the University. “We have very separate governing systems,” she said. “Each has their own group, but there is no venue to discuss matters that are important to all of us.” She said she hopes the council will function as “an open environment” for the “debate of ideas.” see BUCC, page 4

Few universal requirements for departmental honors

BY STEWART DEARING S TAFF WRITER

Juliana Wu / Herald

Mark Porter will replace Paul Verrecchia as the chief of the Department of Public Safety in April.

Library annex opens, daily deliveries to begin April 1

BY ANNE WOOTTON STAFF WRITER

After 12 years in storage at the Harvard Depository Library, a quarter million of Brown’s seldom-used books are being transported to the new Library Collections Annex a mere ten-minute drive from College Hill.

The Annex, which the University bought in 2002 in order to renovate it as a off-site shelving center, is located off Route 10 on the Providence-Cranston border and was previously a printing plant. Its eventual capacity will be 1.7 million books.

But “it’s going to take us 15 years to fill that place up,” said Eric Shoaf, leader of Preservation Services and the man responsible for general operations at the Annex. Brown’s library currently consists of between 3.2 and 3.3 million books, and Shoaf estimates that about 35,000 are added to the collection each year.

The University’s libraries are almost completely full, at 95 percent capacity or more, according to Shoaf. Generally, a library is considered full when it reaches 85 percent capacity.

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The Annex will meet the University’s need for its own library storage facility with greater proximity to campus than the HDL, which is located in Southborough, Mass., at Harvard’s Extension Campus, about 30 miles away.

The University began leasing space from Harvard in 1992, and pays not only a flat storage fee but also a transaction fee every time a book is removed from storage.

“The more you store, the more it costs,” said Sam Streit, a leader in the Scholarly Resources department. Brownowned storage is “something that we have known we needed for a very long time,” he said, but “it’s a funding issue, always.”

Decisions about which low-use books to send to the Annex for storage will be made by a current group of staff, faculty and library patrons, according to Shoaf.

“We have specific subject selectors who buy all the books for the University,” he said, “so they have the knowledge and expertise and context with the faculty to be making decisions (about which books to take out of circulation). Different disciplines use materials in different ways,

so there’s not any kind of blanket decision.”

Currently, books requested from the HDL are delivered weekly, but with the opening of the Annex, a book requested on Thursday will be available “sometime after lunch on Friday,” Shoaf said. “One of the things you can do is actually specify where you want to have the book delivered” regardless of its original location on campus, he said. He predicts that the “convenience of having materials delivered is really going to make people like the service we have.”

The delivery service will be so convenient, in fact, that Shoaf does not anticipate many visitors to the Annex, which will be open Monday through Friday.

“Things are not arranged by column, so you can’t browse — they use bar codes and the books are shelved according to size,” he said. “It’s not a browsing library.

Even if somebody goes there they’ll have to request the material. We did site visits with a dozen universities that have these types of facilities, and the one thing they all said was, ‘We built this reading room in our annex but nobody ever comes.’”

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

To be eligible to apply for concentration honors in anthropology, a student may have 3.0 GPA within his concentration, but in French studies, honors concentrators must earn a 4.0.

To graduate with honors, however, both students will write a thesis.

Although the College Curriculum Council must approve all concentration requirements, both honors and regular, the council strives to maintain a diversity of requirements in addition to the thesis among different departments, said Dean of the College Paul Armstrong.

Honors advisers in many different departments said that most students apply for honors because they want to write a thesis. “Students usually have a project in mind when they apply for honors,” said Gretchen Schultz, a French studies honors concentration adviser. Although non-honors concentrators in French cannot write a thesis, they can write a senior paper, which is smaller and less rigorous than the honors thesis, she added.

English adviser Olakunle George agreed that the honors track is designed for students with a specific thesis topic or project in mind. The department, however, does have a junior honors seminar to help students find a topic, he said.

Caroline Karp, the honors concensee HONORS, page 7 News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

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

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS LECTURE: “MAKING THE SHIFT TO IP” 2:30 p.m. (Barus & Holley 190) — Charles Giancarlo ’79, Chief Technology Officer of Cisco Systems speaks in the Giancarlo Engineering Laboratories on networking solutions. A networking reception with Cisco Representatives will follow the event.

SLAVERY & JUSTICE CONFERENCE 4 p.m. (Smith Buonanno 106) — Sponsored by the Committee on Slavery and Justice, this discussion of restitution and reconciliation will feature former organizers for the Congress of Racial Equality in Mississippi.

NIGHTMARKET 6 p.m. (Sayles Hall) — A major component of Taiwanese nightlife, the yeh shi, or nightmarket, will be replicated in Sayles Hall complete with traditional foods and cultural games.

FUSION DANCE SHOW 8 p.m. (Ashamu Dance Studio) — Fusion Dance Company’s annual dance show will feature hip-hop, jazz, ballet, tap and more.

Jero Matt Vascellaro

BEAR NECESSITIES CONCERT 9:45 p.m. (List 120) — The a cappella group will perform new songs at their annual spring concert.

MENU Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Manhattan Clam Chowder, Vegetarian Vegetable Soup, Vegan Paella, Shepherd’s Pie, French Green Beans with Tomatoes, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mocha Angel Dessert.

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Minestrone Soup, German Sausage Chowder, Chicken Fingers, Cheese Tomato Strata, Sugar Snap Peas, Chocolate Chip Cookies.

DINNER — Breaded Pollock Fillets with Tartar Sauce, Rice Pilaf, Asparagus Cuts with Lemon, Baked Acorn Squash, Multigrain Bread, Apple Torte Cake with Whipped Cream.

DINNER — Vegetarian Minestrone Soup, German Sausage Chowder, Chopped Sirloin with Onion Sauce, Pasta Tomato Bake, Oven Browned Potatoes, Belgian Carrots, Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic, Multigrain Bread, Apple Torte Cake with Whipped Cream.

How to Get Down Nate Saunders

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Reason to backspace 5 Signs of close calls 10 Support at sea 14 Popular fare between breakfast and dinner 15 Extend, in a way 16 “Ah, me!”

17 Left at sea 18 Toaster, often 19 Bridal shower 20 Grin, giggle or guffaw?

23 “Camelot” props 25 Metric units 26 Name in 2000 news 27 No __: menu notice 30 Plague, to Camus 31 One shunning PCs? 34 Levels in boxing?

35 Italian white 36 Blood classification letters 39 Gradual lowering of job position?

43 Word that’s bid 46 Kaa’s sound in “The Jungle Book” 47 Dancer’s rail 48 Cop out 50 Curly diacritics 51 Eschewer of class and style?

55 Peculiar start 56 How the confident do crosswords 57 “Rock and Roll All __”: Kiss song 60 Alien-seeking gp.

61 Cake often made with ground nuts 62 Shed item 63 Hardware item 64 Combat, figuratively

65 Belarus et al., once: Abbr.

33 Boxer or Feinstein: Abbr.

36 Hangs from a line 37 Drag 38 Change, often 39 Make sure 40 Winter Olympics event 41 Last lines?

42 Strengths 43 Con __

44 Make numb 45 At the original place 49 Trims the fat from, in a way 50 Tut-tutted 52 It used to be sufficient 53 Newbie: Var. 54 __’acte 58 Roof goo 59 MDs’ milieus

DOWN 1 Baker’s meas.

2 Waver’s syllable 3 Thanksgiving roots 4 Sort of illusion 5 Songbirds 6 Prefix with thermal 7 Letter letters ANSWER TO PREVIOUS 8 Do garden work 9 Updated “Keen!”

10 Siren’s victim 11 Sets straight 12 Potpourri bag 13 Dangerous biter 21 Wilder in front of a camera 22 Canter 23 Security problem 24 Maker of Prime Slices 27 Cat calls 28 Loads 29 Breaks down 32 British mil. honor xwordeditor@aol.com

Homebodies Classic Mirele Davis

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

A Case of ‘the Fu’

BY STEFANIE SIMONS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“The Fu.” It’s not a University dining hall or an infomercial special. The Fu is the essence of Fusion Dance Company, according to Laura Nave ’06.

Nave says she knows it when she sees it, and you can see it too at the 22nd Annual Fusion Dance Show through Sunday at Ashamu Dance Studio.

This year’s show offers “more variety than last year’s,” Jayesh Needham ’07 said at Wednesday’s performance.

He said the variety and the skits between pieces — including a jab at former Fusion member YaYa Johnson ’04 of “America’s Next Top Model” — sustained him through the two-and-a-half hour performance.

According to its Web site, Fusion is a “multi-cultural, multi-ethnic group of both men and women who … do not conform to the university imposed, modern day constraints of body shape, size, dance style and choreography.” see FUSION, page 6

Kelly ’06 already earning accolades as playwright

BY LAURA SUPKOFF STAFF WRITER

Although Matthew Kelly ’06 has only been writing plays for three years, he is already being recognized as an accomplished playwright. Kelly’s play “Homegrown Beginnings” was recently nominated as a finalist for the 2004 Christopher Brian Wolk Award for best new play from a pool of over 800 applicants.

Though he has dedicated much time and energy into theater arts during his time at Brown, he is not a theater arts concentrator. He is concentrating in biomedical ethics.

But Kelly sees a correlation between the two fields. “In bioethics you are discussing really tough issues. Many great plays do the same thing,” he said.

His work with lighting design in high school led him to explore playwriting. “In performance design, you’re forced to look at a piece and see how it was created,” he said. This transition occurred about three years ago when Kelly began to write.

Kelly has already produced numerous works, both on campus and professionally, including “The Fifth Law of Quantum Mechanics, or Static Motion and the Women’s Restroom,” performed last year at Brown; “On

the Natural Form,” performed in North Carolina at the 2004 International Festival of New Plays; and “Pastrami Apparitions,” performed at New York City’s Makor/Steinhardt Center at the 2004 Festival of the Wrights.

Additionally, “Homegrown Beginnings” was given a developmental reading at New York’s

Abington Theater. His play “Harry #5” will be performed this year at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.

Kelly found very different experiences in working within the framework of Brown and outside theaters. Here, “it’s just a matter of finding an interesting and interested director,” he said, as there is “already a system in

place.” He considers the professional experience to be important as well, but notes there is more uncertainty involved.

“One of the scariest parts of the process is when you actually drop the play into the mailbox … opening yourself to other people’s opinions,” he said. see KELLY, page 6

‘Mission to Matrimony’ moving, if not unbiased

BY LISHAN SOH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Mission to Matrimony: A Gay Marriage Proposal” is an engaging portrayal of the journey of homosexual couples in the United States thus far in their fight for the right to marry.

Test screened to an almostfull List 120 last night, the documentary was produced by Noah Pohl ’07, his brother Matthew — a senior at Tufts University — and award-winning documentary filmmaker Jerri Sher. All three were present at the screening.

Sher was quick to say the

film was still very much “a rough cut in the works” and the team was hoping to receive feedback and comments from those present so they could improve on it.

Comment cards were distributed to the audience at the front door.

In a solemn moment before “Mission to Matrimony” was shown, a visibly affected Matthew Pohl dedicated the film to Wanda Alston, his mentor from his summer internship with the City of Washington, D.C., in 2003.

Alston, the head of the city’s office of lesbian and gay

issues, was murdered Wednesday in her home.

Touted as not promoting a specific agenda, “Mission to Matrimony” makes a commendable effort to present a balanced representation of the gay marriage controversy. The documentary starts with footage of the events of May 17, 2004, in what Noah Pohl described as “the most amazingly human drama I have ever seen in my life.”

The looks of pure joy on gay couples’ faces as they were granted marriage licenses outsee MATRIMONY, page 7

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005

BUCC continued from page 1 BUCC members were generally optimistic as they introduced themselves and stated their personal goals for the group.

Tovah Reis, a librarian at the

Medical School, compared the current system to a “threelegged stool,” where faculty, students and staff make up the three legs that hold up the Brown community but do not often intersect to work together.

Reis hoped that the council would be a positive step towards facilitating communication.

Another member, Emma

Simmons MD ’91 MPH ’04, said she hoped the creation of the council could encourage yet more inclusion. “As a community physician, I believe it is critical to do something that brings in the local community to the University,” she said.

At this time, there is no member on the council to represent the greater Providence commu-

nity. Simmons said that it would be difficult to designate only one person to represent such a broad group of people, but that the council was open to adding one such person to its list of members.

When the meeting then opened the floor to general questions from BUCC members, some asked for more specifics

on the function of the council.

Emma Tai ’07.5 said she was unsure what kind of situations would arise where the council would be needed.

And David Sheinberg, assistant professor of medical science, said he was unclear of the council’s role in relation to existing University governing committees.

Simmons responded that whereas a committee is “charged with the responsibility of planning, recommending and enacting,” a council’s larger purpose is to debate and consider matters at length. She also said there have been past issues, like the decision to arm the Brown police, that have needed the attention of a group that represented all parts of the campus community.

“I don’t want feel-good sessions,” Simmons said. “I want us to think of our work as having output to make change.”

BUCC members raised a variety of issues during the meeting.

Matthew Lease GS mentioned the need for a University-wide policy on the rights and responsibilities of teaching assistants.

Kate Brandt ’07 said she hopes to address the topic of student advising in the future.

Tai said she would like the BUCC to discuss the persistence of “hate speech,” which “Brown does not address enough.” She mentioned the Daily Jolt as a popular forum that has often been used for the propagation of hate speech.

There was also opportunity for community members to contribute to the discussion.

Zachary Drew ’07, vice president of the College Republicans, asked how the council will deal with Brown’s “failure to foster the debate and discussion” of different political viewpoints.

He cited the Undergraduate Council of Students’ resolution condemning the Patriot Act as one of the ways the University amplifies the isolation felt by dissenting groups.

Simmons responded that though it is important to attract people of different perspectives to the council, it would be difficult to ask professors and incoming applicants for information on their political orientations.

Lease also suggested inviting outside speakers to take part in campus-wide debates instead of just giving lectures.

After the BUCC meeting, UCS President Joel Payne ’05 shared his thoughts on the event. He said what he noticed the most was the “comfort level” felt among members. “It can be intimidating for faculty, staff, deans and students to feel comfortable in stating their opinions, whether they are controversial or not,” he said.

The next meeting will be held on April 15 in Leung Gallery. It will be open to all.

Simmons said future agenda topics may include women in science and University mechanisms for conflict resolution.

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WORLD & NATION FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 · PAGE 5

Nobody sings in this 5th amendment stretch

BY DANA MILBANK THE WASHINGTON P OST

WASHINGTON — Seven seasons ago, Mark McGwire set the single-season record for home runs. But when McGwire appeared before a House committee probing big-league steroid use Thursday, Big Mac may well have set the single-day record for evasions.

How about that bottle of Andro, a steroid precursor, seen in his locker? “I’m not here to talk about the past.”

Does he approve of the current baseball steroid policy? “I’m a retired player.”

Should there be more warnings about steroids in clubhouses? “I can’t answer that.”

Is using steroids cheating? “It’s not for me to determine.”

After a dozen such responses, the gallery broke into louder laughter with each reminder from McGwire that he was retired and would not discuss the past. The lawmakers were not amused. “If the Enron people come in here and say, ‘Well, we won’t want to talk about the past,’ do you think Congress is going to let them get away with that?” demanded Rep. Mark Edward Souder, R-Ind. “If, when we were doing investigations on the travel office, on Whitewater; if President Nixon had said about Watergate, when Congress was investigating Watergate, ‘We don’t talk about the past,’ how in the world are we supposed to pass legislation?”

It was no use. McGwire wouldn’t play ball.

In a spectacle rarely seen on Capitol Hill, McGwire joined a panel of current and former see MCGWIRE, page 9

$250 computerized running shoe to go on sale

BY ANDREA K. WALKER THE B ALTIMORE S UN

Michael Jordan proved early on that people are willing to dish out big bucks for the right sneakers. Twenty years after its creation — and two years after Jordan retired from playing basketball — his Nike Air Jordans still sell for as much as $200.

Now, adidas is about to take the athletic shoe to higher ground.

The German athletic apparel manufacturer plans to introduce in stores Friday a $250 running sneaker it calls the “Smart Shoe.”

The adidas-1 is gaining attention as the first of its kind to use an embedded computer chip that adjusts the cushioning of the shoe based on a runner’s weight, speed and running terrain.

The product may cause as much a stir over price as its technology. It’s one of the most expensive sneakers ever to hit the market.

“It’s going to be head and shoulders the most expensive shoe out there,” said Tim Taylor, a footwear associate at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Columbia, Md. The $16 billion athletic shoe market has rapidly expanded as consumers buy sneakers as much to make a fashion statement as they do for athletic performance.

A new generation of basketball stars led by LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Carmelo Anthony have replaced endorsement celebrities of the past. Even oldstyle, canvas sneakers like Converse Inc.’s Chuck Taylors have made a comeback. About 493 million pairs of athletic shoes were sold last year, up nearly 5 percent from 471 million pairs sold in 2003, according to NPD Group/NPD Fashionworld, a research firm in New York.

But even while consumers have shown they’re willing to pay a pretty penny for footwear, some question how big the market is for a shoe that costs as much as some car payments.

“I just think that a $250 price point is a price that is

really out there,” said Neil Schwartz, director of marketing for SportScan INFO, a Florida market research firm that collects data for the sporting goods industry. “I’m not sure the amount of money spent will equal the advantage of the technology in the shoe.”

The average running shoe costs about $55 a pair, according to SportsScan data. Working in adidas’ favor is the growing demand for higher-cost running shoes.

Sales of shoes that cost more than $75 grew 20 percent last year, and running shoes are the largest-selling category of athletic shoe.

“People are spending more on a sneaker than ever before,” said Mike May, spokesman for the Floridabased Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, a trade group. “They’re realizing that technology-wise, you’re getting more support, more longevity, more style, more comfort and more diversity of color than ever before.”

“People pay $50,000 for automobiles,” he said.

“There’s not a reason why they won’t pay $250 for a sneaker.”

Stephen Pierpoint, an adidas project manager, said the new shoe took four years of development to bring to market. The price is worth the value of the innovative technology, he said. Demand has been high and adidas has already surpassed its goal for the number of shoes it wanted in stores on its launch date, Pierpoint said.

The shoe’s sensor works by measuring the distance to a small magnet at the bottom of the shoe, taking 1,000 readings a second. A small microprocessor capable of making five million calculations per second processes the information. The shoe then adapts with a motordriven cable system that spins at 6,000 rpm, faster than the blades of a helicopter. The motor then gradually adjusts the cushioning of the shoe.

“It’s the most advanced sporting shoe on the market,” see SHOE, page 8

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005

Fusion continued from page 3

Mark Cho / Herald

Clifford Voigt ’05 and Connie Wu ’05 performed in a number of dance acts during Fusion Dance Company’s 22nd annual dance show, which will continue through Sunday night.

Some dancers have extensive training, while others have none.

Yet each is unique and gives “a little something extra,” Nave said. “(Our) different experiences come together.”

Students expect high quality jazz and hip-hop pieces from Fusion, like “Serve Yourself,” a dance battle choreographed by Cliff Voigt ’05 and guest starring breakdancers Yasuhiro Takayama ’04.5 and Ken Miki ’06.5, Nave said.

However, this year’s 19 pieces reach beyond that expectation to include spoken word, gospel and belly dancing pieces.

Lynnette Freeman ’05 choreographed an energetic Jamaican piece combining folk dance and dancehall, as well as the musicless “seven:fiftytwo,” featuring four dancers rotating around, leaning upon and reaching out to one another. “(I) enjoyed hearing the raw energy of breaths and leaps as the dancers performed,” said Caroline Mailloux ’07 about “seven:fiftytwo.”

“Freeman reminded us that we often push people away to lessen our dependence upon them, but in the end we will always be there to support each others’ weight.”

The “emotionally intense” pairing of co-coordinator Audrey Lan McIntyre’s ’05 “Walk Away” and “Love’s Journey” by Connie Wu ’05 gave Needham “the chills,” he said.

The audience gave mixed reactions to Wu’s piece. A drastic transition from high-energy music to a slower song with intimate caresses between two male-female pairs elicited mocking “aw”s from the crowd.

The dance won applause when Voigt brought Wu onto his back with a strong lift.

Another standout is “The Wreckoning” by Cheryl Allen ’07, a sexy and edgy modern ballet piece in pointe shoes — a first for Fusion.

“I’ve never seen ballet like that,” Mailloux said.

The process of bringing “The Wreckoning” to the stage illustrates what Allen and Nave described as Fusion’s mission “to bring dance to the people.” As a student group, Fusion has neither priority nor rights to Brownowned vinyl flooring necessary for Allen to safely perform her piece. Fusion elected to invest in special-ordered rubberized pointe shoes rather than give up “The Wreckoning.”

The lack of supplies and space available to performers at Brown troubles Nave, Allen and Needham. This absence leaves companies struggling with the Student Activities Office and often competing with one another to obtain use of spaces such as Ashamu and TF Green, Nave said.

Despite resource issues, Fusion dancers continue to perform to make their audiences “feel great,” Nave said.

When Freeman introduced Wednesday’s show, she encouraged the audience to be responsive by reminding them, “This is not a tea party.”

Saturday night’s performance promises to be the least teaparty-like of all five showings.

Zealous Fusion alums are expected to be present in the audience.

If you miss Fusion’s performance this weekend, you can also catch them at Attitude’s May show or even at their company auditions April 17. Just remember to bring the Fu.

Kelly continued from page 3 But in taking that risk, Kelly says he has garnered very favorable reactions. His experience with “Homegrown Beginnings” has been very helpful, he said.

The developmental reading, in which the theater employs professional actors and an audience critiques, allows the playwright to use one interpretation of the play to guide what direction it should follow. Kelly now has the option of submitting the play to any theater.

Jean Coleman ’06, who has taken a number of playwriting classes with Kelly, was there to witness the developmental reading. “This is a really good accomplishment,” she said, noting “the play raised a lot of interesting issues in a really artistic way.”

Emily O’Dell GS, a former professor of Kelly’s, said it is hard to classify his style. He is “intensely lyrical, profoundly absurd, very ambitious” and his characters are “complex with surprises and secrets.”

“I do intend to continue writing plays,” Kelly said. “I think there’s a whole lot to be performed … and a lot of issues that society is facing that need to be presented in more than one way.”

Kelly is currently working on a set of 10-minute plays with Jennifer Silverman ’06 and Dora Ruiz ’06, which they hope to produce on campus this semester.

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7

Matrimony continued from page 3 side the city hall in Cambridge, Mass., were juxtaposed sharply against the hate-filled words and banners carried there by picketers from Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. Split into different sections to address the various issues surrounding gay marriage, such as “What’s the Fear?”, “What is Marriage?”, “What About God?” and “Politics,” the filmmakers achieved their purpose of making the audience think for themselves about where they stood on the subject.

The Pohls and Sher conducted numerous interviews with politicians, religious leaders and same-sex couples with children in order to evaluate and define the meaning of marriage, love and relationships. Screen time was also dedicated to analyzing the root of the fear that seemed to pervade the anti-gay-marriage camp.

Porter continued from page 1 has provided exemplary leadership at the highest professional level and has made a lasting contribution to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth community.”

Porter has spent his entire career policing college campuses. “I’ve had opportunities to go to the municipal side, but I found the campus environment more satisfying,” Porter told the Herald.

“I’m very interested in campus communities, especially in an urban environment, and I really want to get more entrenched in Brown’s community.”

In the spirit of community policing, Porter plans to establish an open door policy, integrating ideas from any of the approximately 10,000 members of the Brown community, in addition to collaborating with the Providence Police Department. While he

“Education and awareness are two of our main goals,” Noah said.

The film effectively portrayed some aspects of the debate which have been overlooked in the public debate. Two of the interviewees had lost their longtime partners on Sept. 11, 2001, but their compensation and social security benefits were awarded to their deceased partners’ families, who had disowned them and did not even attend their memorial services.

The extremity of opinions from the anti-gay-marriage camp, and the lack of moderate opinions regarding the issue, was where “Mission to Matrimony” failed to achieve its stated purpose of being impartial.

The normalcy of the lives that homosexual couples led in the film — they regaled the audience with stories about falling in love, having and raising children, fitting into their neighborhoods — effectively humanized them and dehumanized those against gay marriage because the latter were frequently porpromises to cultivate a flexible rapport with the campus, Porter plans to make his mark by “fine-tuning the procedure” and “injecting innovative ideas into the current plan” for community policing and arming, he said. Both the arming and community policing initiatives he championed at UMass-Dartmouth went smoothly, he said.

“We wanted our officers to be able to respond to any emergency,” he said. “We’re very in favor of giving our officers adequate tools so they can do what they were hired to do.”

Hunter said he is confident that under Porter’s leadership the transition to an armed DPS will have no complications. “He is absolutely the right person at the right time,” he said. “He’ll do a spectacular job leading the department and help make the University a safer place.”

— With additional reporting

by Senior Staff Writer Ben Leubsdorf

trayed as unreasonable, bigoted and extremist. It might have been more productive to examine the concerns of the many heterosexual — and even homosexual — couples in America who are on the fence regarding gay marriage.

Still, the film was well received by the audience — attendees applauded long and hard when the credits rolled.

Michael Morgenstern ’08 was moved to tears at points. “It was incredible,” he said.

David Guttmann ’07 was impressed by how well the filmmakers managed to ground the film in reality, citing the example of homosexual partners not having the right to Social Security benefits in the event of their partner’s deaths, or how a gay woman was not allowed into the delivery room to see her partner give birth to their child.

The filmmakers fielded questions from the audience and acknowledged that there were still a good “two to three months of hard work” to go before the final product was ready. They have plans to submit it to film festivals as well as pitch it to network television.

In this controversial, constantly evolving debate on gay marriage in which both sides are fuelled by so much passion, it is almost impossible to present an unbiased representation of events and opinions. Yet, the Pohl brothers and Sher make a laudable effort to present them as rationally as possible. With more editing and fine-tuning, “Mission to Matrimony” has an undeniable potential to become an influential and powerful documentary.

Honors continued from page 1 tration adviser in the Department of Environmental Studies believes that everyone, regardless of honors, should write a thesis. Her department requires a thesis to graduate even with the non-honors concentration. “In my personal opinion, all students would benefit from writing a senior thesis,” she said. Senior theses allow a student to synthesize his or her academic knowledge and apply it to a specific problem, she explained.

Honors theses are usually a yearlong project, with a semester of research and a semester of writing. Some departments, such as the Department of History, have a pre-thesis seminar to teach research methods and develop a topic. Others, like the departments of International Relations and English, have a concurrent senior seminar to help honors concentrators through the thesis writing process.

Students also gain practical experience from writing a thesis or capstone paper, Karp added. “Many students find their first job is in an area pertaining to their thesis,” she said.

Armstrong, however, insisted that a thesis is not a good idea for every student. In some concentrations, like computer science, scholarly ideas change so quickly that a thesis is not a practical way to contribute to the field, he said. He also argued that a thesis would prevent students from taking more courses outside of their concentrations to broaden the scope of their education.

Alexandra Coria ’05, who is currently writing an honors thesis in Environmental Studies, agreed that theses prevent seniors from branching out academically. “People can lose interest in what they are studying. My interests have shifted just this year and now I would rather not write a thesis and take more community healthy classes,” she said.

Writing a thesis is a useful academic exercise, because it allows you to delve deeply into a topic, but it shouldn’t be a requirement for everyone, she added.

Most students who do decide to write a thesis are proud and satisfied with the process, said Kenneth Sacks, the honors concentration adviser in the Department of History. “In an ideal world, it would be great if all history concentrators could write a thesis, but with 160 concentrators, it isn’t possible,” he said.

BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005

W. lax continued from page 12 have nerves, and we’re not really coming together as a team in games.”

Despite the disappointing loss, Staley is confident that the team has progressed beyond its focus issues and that the coming weeks should bring more success to the young team.

“We have a really young team

and it is going to take us a little while to jell,” she said. “It’s a lot about having a good mentality.”

The Bears’ next chance at redemption comes this Saturday at noon, when they take on Monmouth University at the Erickson Athletic Complex.

“The team did a lot of talking today, and I think it will be a different story on Saturday,” Staley said. “It’s going to improve a lot from here. As far as I’m concerned the real season begins on Saturday.”

Nexus continued from page 12 like Sports Christmas. I might as well have been in my jammies.

Instead, I donned my green “Claddagh Cotton” shirt, which has a shield with three clovers on it on the left breast. The shirt’s origins are unknown, but it is, without a doubt, perfect St. Patty’s Day attire. Nothing else in my wardrobe could quite match my pale, pale complexion, my red hair and my occasional Boston accent. I was now legally Irish.

Sitting in class for the next hour, shivering uncontrollably, my thoughts wandered to my bracket, pints of Guinness and whether or not Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire would end up in a caged deathmatch by day’s end. This was all so good.

One day? Really? Could I spread this out over a month?

The class came to a merciful close and I raced back to Minden. I checked ESPN to see that the hearings had started, but that the players — Canseco, McGwire, Rafael Ralmiero, Sammy Sosa, Frank Thomas and Curt Schilling — were not yet involved. Instead, politicians were going through strangely mechanical motions, both laying out the planned proceedings and pretending that the issue’s priority on the national agenda isn’t the least bit comical. Clearly, it is: Dennis Kucinich and Sammy Sosa were in the same room.

In light of this, I took a ride to Best Buy to purchase MVP Baseball 2005, the newly released baseball videogame for X-Box. I had been putting this off for days, and it only seemed right that I would make the inevitable purchase yesterday.

When I got back to my room and fired it up, I saw something that froze time: The EA Sports intro featured a montage of people at Fenway Park. One of the clips included about 10 people, standing outside of the Green Monster at night, screaming at the camera.

“Good God,” I yelled. “I’m in the game!”

The footage was of people waiting outside of Fenway overnight for tickets to Game 3 of the ALCS. I was there, and I had screamed into the camera like a lunatic who hadn’t slept in 20 hours, who would eventually wind up not getting tickets.

Well, at least I got this: I’m in the game. Deal with it.

I then went to class at 1 p.m., and returned with the first games of the tournament winding down, and the players about to deliver their opening statements. I grabbed a Guinness from the fridge. I not only wanted it, I think that, clinically, I needed it. I was so overwhelmed at this point that fainting seemed plausible.

To add to the hysteria, I found that both Alabama and Pittsburgh were about to lose, which all but crushed my hopes of winning the pool I had entered. My bracket was now as reliable as Byung-Hyung Kim’s slider, or Ron Artest’s compo-

Shoe continued from page 5 Pierpoint said. “There is not another product that exists like this.”

The company expects early buyers to be avid runners or shoppers who like to stay ahead of the trends. The company will release the shoe in selected stores around the country.

sure.

But it didn’t matter: The players were about to speak.

The steroids publicity stunt was coming to a head.

McGwire was wearing a green tie, saying to me: “I’m at the heart of a national scandal, yet I have time for festivity.” ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack was also wearing a green tie, which said to me: “I’ve been drinking.” This was it. This was what I had been waiting for. As Pedro Martinez once said, reading from a cue card, “I live for this.”

And … nothing. Well, almost nothing. Canseco and McGwire pled the Fifth. Palmiero and Sosa’s interpreter denied using steroids. Schilling and Thomas agreed that steroids were, in fact, bad. This wasn’t supposed to happen on March 17. I wanted fireworks. The nexus of the universe promised fireworks.

Mildly disappointed, I took a swill of the Irish Nectar, and flipped to the Penn-BC game.

CBS was just coming back from commercial and the first thing they showed was a disheveled man with thinning hair, a thick mustache and the eyes of someone who hasn’t slept in days, pounding a cup of Gatorade. I mean, really just housing it.

“Is that the team drunk?” my friend Matt asked.

“I think so,” I said.

It was Penn’s head coach.

The madness of March 17, rest assured, was still alive.

Charlie Vallely ’06 has more excuses than there are twists on “The O.C.” Deal with it.

The Columbia, Md., location of Dick’s Sporting Goods has received 25 pairs of the new shoe and expect it to sell pretty well, but associate Taylor acknowledged that the price may too steep for some customers. Taylor is a runner, but won’t be buying the shoe.

“I think once the word gets around, people will buy it,” Taylor said. “I’m not going to spend $250, but it’s a great concept.”

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

McGwire continued from page 5 superstars, including Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco and Curt Schilling, who testified about performance-enhancing drugs before the House Government Reform Committee. A Capitol policeman was called in to keep order among the dozens of photographers, scores of reporters and hundreds of baseball fans who showed up — some five hours before the hearing — in hopes of glimpsing the all-star witnesses. Lawmakers vied to one-up each other in the recounting of baseball stories of their youth and their love of the national pastime. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., led off his questioning of Hall of Famer Jim Bunning by asking: “What was that pitch that you threw to Mickey Mantle where he hit the ball to right field, the home run?”

The ballplayers were the day’s headliners, but their testimony — full of equivocations and retreats behind the Fifth Amendment — was something of a sideshow to a suddenly fierce battle between Major League Baseball and members of Congress, who believe that baseball lied to them about its new steroids policy. Committee members accustomed to attacking each other set aside all partisanship and produced a unified show of contempt for Bud Selig, who represents the baseball owners, and Don Fehr, who represents the players association.

Baseball’s “arrogance,” said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., “has done more to unite Republicans and Democrats in this Congress than anything else that’s happened in the last 18 years.”

That hardly seemed an exaggeration. The committee chairman, Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., praised the ranking Democrat, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., for his persistence in urging Davis, who admitted he was “initially reluctant,” to act on the baseball problem. Waxman praised the testimony of Bunning, a baseball hall of famer, now a GOP senator from Kentucky. After Souder, the drug policy subcommittee chairman, spoke, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., the subcommittee’s ranking member, declared that “for the first time, I wanted to associate myself with the words of my subcommittee chairman.”

When Davis and Waxman scheduled a joint appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, they raised questions about whether the hearing would be an exercise in grandstanding. But Bunning, the first witness, lent his credibility to the committee, raising the possibility of repealing baseball’s antitrust exemption, enacting federal drug-testing for pro athletes — and proposing that records achieved by

steroid users be “wiped out” of the record books. “The players and Major League Baseball must be held accountable for the integrity of the game. After all, it’s not their game, it’s ours,” the former pitcher said. In a second panel, parents of two young athletes who had killed themselves blamed the deaths on steroids — and professional athletes for glorifying the drugs. The members, armed with that emotional testimony, vented their anger on Elliot Pellman, baseball’s medical adviser, who had the misfortune of being on the same panel with the bereaved parents.

Pellman tried to argue that players who test positive for steroids often have made “honest mistakes” and suggested that baseball’s testing “compares favorably” with other sports. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., observed that he sounded like a tobacco industry official and called Pellman “pathetically unpersuasive.”

The heart of the order — a witness panel of McGwire, Sosa, Schilling, Canseco and Rafael Palmiero — was something of an anticlimax. Only Canseco admitted steroid use, as he did in a new book. McGwire, who appears to have lost 30 or more pounds since his playing days, when he was suspected of steroid use, took the Fifth.

The players set a conciliatory tone in their opening statements.

“My heart goes out to every parent whose son or daughter were victims of steroid use,” McGwire, his voice breaking, said to the parents who testified.

But it quickly became apparent that the players intended to give away nothing. Even Schilling, who had previously described an epidemic of steroids in baseball, recanted under oath. “The issue was grossly overstated by people, including myself,” he said. “I’m not sure I could have been any more grossly wrong.” The sportswriters in the gallery laughed out loud.

Questioner after questioner sought to pin the players down on how many big-leaguers use steroids. The witnesses could name hardly a one. “Nineteen years in the big leagues, I’ve never seen a syringe,” Schilling said. Similarly, questioners tried time after time to solicit the players’ support for a stricter drug policy. Only Canseco enthusiastically agreed. “A theater of the absurd is unfolding here,” observed Lantos.

It didn’t get any more sensible from there. All but Canseco said baseball was perfectly capable of solving the problem on its own.

McGwire offered to do “everything I can” to stop the scourge of steroids — a scourge that Schilling said didn’t even exist.

Finally, a lawmaker pressed McGwire on his support for tougher testing standards. “I’m retired,” he replied, producing the inevitable laughter in the gallery, “but if it can avoid another meeting like this, I’m for it.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Diamonds and coal A diamond to the unlikely partnership of Sydney Frank ’42 and Lil’ Jon. We look forward to seeing CRUNK!!! stocked in the Blue Room next to the Nantucket Nectars. YAYUHHHH!!!

Speaking of Nantucket Nectars, we’d give a diamond to Sid if he ever let us exchange Jägermeister caps for free stuff. Tom & Tom gave us a pingpong table for 820 caps. How much workstudy would Frank cover for our 72 Jäger proofs of purchase?

Coal to spring break being a whole week away. More coal to having to see everyone’s plans in Instant Messenger profiles when you don’t have any yourself.

A diamond to three-legged stool metaphors. An even bigger diamond to three-legged stools.

A cubic zirconium to the Harvard faculty’s non-binding vote of lack of confidence in President Larry Summers and the record turnout at its faculty meeting. In the words of one Harvard grad, we’re surprised so many bothered to show up.

Don’t they have tenure?

A diamond to file photos and the unintentional comedy they provide.

Coal to closing the biomedical ethics concentration. WHAT?!!!

A cubic zirconium to UCS’s resolution against the Patriot Act. Hey, guys, 2002 called — they want their activism back.

A diamond to the ski team, the second-best team in all the land. Coal to leaving your coach behind to rot in Idaho.

A diamond to speculating.

And 20 kilos of Colombian diamonds to Students for Sensible Drug Policy and their collaboration with Health Education to create a “drug education center.” We’ve been wondering how to make the most out of all that Sudafed we have lying around.

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 Stephen Colelli, Asst. 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 Business Consultant Rob McCartney, Senior Accounts Manager David Ranken, Senior Accounts Manager Kathleen Timmins, Senior Accounts Manager Laird Bennion, Senior Project Manager Elias Roman, Senior Project Manager Ryan Shewcraft, Chief Technology Officer 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

SHANE WILKERSON

LETTERS Clearing up misconceptions about Delta Tau To the Editor: After reading “Wrestling coach under fire from DTau for ‘ultimatum’” (March 16), I would like to take a moment and correct some of the misperceptions that Coach Amato may have.

In the wake of Sept. 11, Delta Tau has assumed a different role in the Brown community. We conscientiously made the decision to get back on campus by working our way into good standings with the University and disprove any misperceptions that were stuck to our name and lingering from the past.

We achieved part of our goal when the administration decided that we should be allowed back on campus in 2003 and recognized Delta Tau as an official community organization. We earned our house back through various community service events, proving that we hold a positive role within the Brown community.

Amato states that the wrestlers would be better off doing community service. Yet Delta Tau has participated in Safe Walk (in 2003 we received a Commendation from the BUPD for outstanding efforts), annually raised funds to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the “Pennies for Patients” drive, participated in

Providence Community Clean-Up events and served breakfast to the homeless at soup kitchens.

We have held community outreaches on various subjects ranging from drugs and alcohol, nutrition, eating disorders and date rape.

What does Coach Amato’s complaint of being “dragged” down to the police station say for his respect for the BUPD’s investigation of the fall 2003 assault? That incident was a tragic event, and every single person that was in the general premises was called in and willingly helped to further the investigation with any knowledge or information that they possessed. DTau was only called in to help with the investigation and had no part in the assault. The party was at an off campus house hours after the DTau on-campus party concluded.

The problem with the wrestling team is not and has not ever been DTau. The problem with the team is the coaching staff and its overall negative attitude. Maybe some self-reflection will help them understand why so many wrestlers (fraternity and non-fraternity members alike) quit the team. You cannot pin that statistic on Delt.

John Csuka ’04 March 17

C O R R E C T I O N The March 17 article “Inaugural BUCC meeting to set new group’s agenda” misstated Christen Decker’s ’07 role on the Brown University Community Council. The article states that Decker holds a non-voting position on the council. Deck is in fact an alternate member who would become a member only if a BUCC undergraduate member resigned.

Manoj Bajpai, Night Editor Katie Lamm, Shirley Lo, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Camden Avery, Alexandra Barsk, Eric Beck, Mary-Catherine Lader, Ben Leubsdorf, Jane Porter, Stu Woo Staff Writers Marshall Agnew, Justin Amoah, Shawn Ban, Zachary Barter, Danielle Cerny, Christopher Chon, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Kate Gorman, Jonathan Herman, Leslie Kaufmann, Aidan Levy, Allison Lombardo, Ari Rockland-Miller, Stephen Narain, Joel Rozen, Chelsea Rudman, Jen Sopchockchai, Jonathan Sidhu, Lela Spielberg, Robin Steele, Kim Stickels, Laura Supkoff, Stefan Talman, Jane Tanimura, Anne Wootton Sports Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Zaneta Balantac, Ian Cropp, Justin Goldman, Bernie Gordon, Katie Larkin, Matt Lieber, Helen Luryi, Shaun McNamara, Chris Mahr, Madeleine Marecki, Ben Miller, Eric Perlmutter, Jilane Rodgers, Marco Santini, Charlie Vallely Accounts Managers Alexandra Annunziato, Zaneta Lei Balantac, Steven Butschi, Jennifer Kuo, Ashfia Rahman, Joel Rozen, Rukesh Samarasekera, Mitch Schwartz Project Managers In Young Park, Libbie Fritz Design Staff Geolani Dy, Deepa Galaiya, Gianna Giancarlo, 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, Leora Fridman, Allison Kwong, Katie Lamm, Suchi Mathur, Cristina Salvato, Sonia Saraiya, Lela Spielberg, Zachary Townsend, Jenna Young

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

CO M M E N TA RY P O L I C Y The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 · PAGE 11

Save the republic GUEST COLUMN BY TESS LANTOS The nuclear option. It is conveniently vague and probably conjures up memories of the Cold War more than the terrifying possibility currently winding its way through our Senate. On Tuesday, Henry Reid, the Senate minority leader, made a plea to the American public to protect the right of free speech in the Senate. His announcement was a direct response to increasing efforts by conservative senators to pass what has been known as “the nuclear option,” a rewriting of congressional procedure that would permit terminating a filibuster with just a majority vote.

When discussing this possibility, it is important to understand the role and function of Congress. The founding fathers created a bicameral legislature not for speed or efficiency, but rather as a place where intelligent debate could take place between people of many different ideological persuasions. They designed the system in order to protect the rights of not only the winners, but also the losers not in the majority. While many people speak of filibustering as frivolous or obstructionist, it has been an important part of the American political process since the beginning of our country. It has been a tactic used during every period of U.S. history, by the right and the left. Filibustering allows senators to speak for as long as they see fit and draw attention or add time to the issue at hand. Sixty votes are necessary to end the standstill, a margin the Democrats barely, but loudly, maintain.

CNN reports that the Democrats have promised to slow or stop most Senate business if Republicans move to unilaterally change the rules. Yet Bill Frist, the senate majority leader, continues to campaign in favor of the change.

He has relied on a strategy that presents the Democrats as unwilling to move the country forward by confirming the President’s judicial appointments. In fact, 95 percent of President Bush’s judicial appointments have been confirmed, a significantly higher percentage than was given to President Clinton.

Furthermore, since his ‘sweeping’ victory in November, Bush has reintroduced 20 controversial judges who were denied positions during his first term.

The senate should not be an extension of the executive branch. The separation of powers demands the autonomy of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The nuclear option challenges two of these three.

The campaign of the right to fundamentally alter the constitution is not only dangerous, but a radical departure from any conservative motivation.

Despite their appeals to conservative voters, they are attempting to tamper with the most conservative document of all. Rewriting over 200 years of procedure to protect their current ideological position threatens the independence of the senate, one of the most important aspects of U.S. democracy. In order to have a true and trustworthy republic, we must protect the voices of dissent. If we do not speak up to protect the senate as it stands, we might as well live under a dictator.

Tess Lantos ’07 continues to write to whitehouse.gov.

JOHN BROUGHER

Sacrificing ROTC Words and images flash across the screen. The ad calls out to me. “Every generation has its heroes,” it explains. The picture of a group of Marines hoisting the flag over Iwo Jima appears. The Web-based ad then poses a question to me, seemingly plumbing the depths of my soul: “Will you answer the call?”

As the debate over the Reserve Officer Training Corps rages over campuses across the nation, I ponder the answer to that question. Will I answer the call? Like columnist Jack Sweeney-Taylor, I have reservations about a law like “No Child Left Behind” that undercuts education while simultaneously attempting to recruit more lower-class, undereducated Americans to serve in the armed forces. Like SweeneyTaylor, I don’t think ROTC programs belong on campus. I believe we shouldn’t host them, however, because their discriminatory policies against lesbian, gay and bisexual soldiers run contrary to the mission of an educational institution.

What should a university be? Regardless of our political beliefs, we want a university to be liberal — and by liberal, I don’t mean fight-the-man liberal so much as “tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broadminded,” as the American Heritage Dictionary states. We want a university to be a place where alternative dialogues are embraced, where we seek out knowledge and not dogma and where the worst possible crime is to silence other viewpoints.

Brown, like many colleges across the United States, has not always done a perfect job of fostering such openness. Liberal bias tends to force moderates and conservatives either underground or to the left, while those that remain publicly conservative can sometimes resort to needlessly inflammatory displays (like the controversy over excampus radical David Horowitz’s ad in The Herald a few years ago), attempting to gain attention and discredit the left.

But embracing the closed-minded conservative policy of the ROTC would not solve Brown’s problems with creating a genuinely liberal atmosphere. According to the program’s regulations, those “who formalize

their conviction in homosexual activity after enrollment into the Advanced Course or the ROTC Scholarship Program will apply for disenrollment from ROTC and will be considered for discharge from USAR (the US Army).” ROTC rules prohibit homosexual activity, implying its abomination or inherent wrongness. Can you imagine what would happen if we allowed such broad and sweeping generalizations to exist at a university without argument? The allowance of such a program on campus would be a tacit endorsement of such a policy, and at a truly liberal institution, such assumptions cannot be allowed. Whether or not homosexuality is “wrong” should, at the very least, be the subject of debate on a campus, not an accepted higher truth from the military. If we endeavor to avoid simplistic opinions like “America is bad” or “the war in Iraq is good,” then the University should not encourage, however subtly, the approval of a belief that is tantamount to military dogma.

Brown shouldn’t condone the military’s discriminatory policies I concede that such a line of thinking runs dangerously close to not tolerating intolerance, and I’m not trying to hold ROTC hostage until they enact policies that I personally believe in. While intolerant viewpoints casn be instructive, I think the problem with ROTC is more the mindset behind its homosexuality policy. I think a policy mandating absolute political correctness (demerits for not using words like “Congressperson” or “Latino-American”), although more in tune with my personal politics, would be equally as damaging to an educational institution. Again, the problem is that such a hard-and-fast rule about something like homosexuality tends to squelch conversation and debate, which is

exactly what a university is should foster.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying that ROTC’s presence would suddenly sweep through the campus and cause a fundamental shift in the way people think at Brown or the way the community thinks of Brown. Over-emphasizing ROTC’s importance would be silly, but its presence here would be a symbol of Brown’s acceptance of ROTC and its policies, and symbols are important. Legislation and rules may change legal statuses, but symbols change minds and change viewpoints — in many ways, symbols are just as powerful. If symbols weren’t important, people wouldn’t be fighting over the placement of the Ten Commandments on state property and there wouldn’t be a controversy over the recent sale of a flag that flew over the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

I also understand that denying ROTC to any Brown student disproportionately affects lower-class students who would benefit more from the scholarship money that ROTC offers. And although I consider class diversity a major problem at Brown, I think what Brown gains by continuing to deny ROTC hosting is more substantial than what Brown loses in financial aid. Hosting ROTC runs completely contrary to Brown’s steadfast dedication to a liberal education, and there are other ways to increase class diversity without undermining Brown’s liberal atmosphere.

Although my tone may indicate otherwise, I plan to serve in the military, and consider the defense of our nation one of the noblest careers available. But I must wholeheartedly oppose the ROTC program coming to Brown and to any other university that supports a liberal curriculum and a liberal mindset. Until the U.S. military takes a more open-minded stance on homosexuality, those of us who want to answer the call should wait until after college to do so. Let colleges continue to strive to be the centers of learning and discourse we want them to become. After all, there’s plenty of time to be a hero.

John Brougher ’06 wants U...niversity

SAMANTHA PLESSER

An end to “Ratty rage” There is a new syndrome going around campus. It strikes both male and female, first-year and senior, humanities concentrator and biology nut. It’s called “Ratty rage “ and it’s sweeping across Brown in epidemic proportions.

First, we snap at someone when they are trying to find a clean bowl. Then, we push people out of the way as we attempt to grab our drinks. Finally, in phase three, we become one-man wrecking balls, forsaking all rules of decorum and politeness in a vain attempt to get our food and sit down. No one — neither tiny old men nor small children — is safe from our wrath during phase three.

I feel that as a senior on meal plan (yes that’s another issue), I am qualified to give the student body some tips on how to prevent this rage from cropping up.

With only a small amount of consideration from the student body and staff, noon at the Ratty can become much less like New Years Eve in Times Square.

First, and this is my pet peeve, do not talk in front of high traffic areas. By high traffic areas, I mean the egg line, I mean the drinking station, I mean the salad bar.

People, please! Use your heads. There are already massive amounts of people des-

perately trying to crowd into these tiny little crevasses. Take the conversation about the hot boy you met at Sigma Chi to another location, or better yet, talk about this stuff at your table.

Second, focus on the task at hand, namely to get your food and find a place to sit. After a certain amount of time watching someone examine every single green bean in the desperate attempt to find the perfect one while the line is out the door, I feel like I am entitled to grab the tongs out of their hands and help them help themselves. All of the baked potatoes are the same. The grilled cheese sandwiches are all basically equal in fat content and grease. I’m not saying to choose the food that you put on your plate blindly, but come on people, a chicken finger is a chicken finger.

My third suggestion goes out in part to the Ratty staff, with whom I think I am on friendly terms. I know that you guys have a job to do. I know that it must really suck at times to be around a bunch of hungry, inconsiderate students. At the same time, we are trying to eat in a relatively relaxed and pleasant fashion. When there is a mad rush to the salad bar that is not the time to clean it up. Refilling the olives

when there is no lettuce is probably not the best call to make. And please don’t pry The Herald out of my hands and throw it away when I’m reading it.

While we’re discussing general cleanliness, students: Do your part. Just put your tray away. Take a napkin and wipe up the coke (or, in my case, grapefruit pulp) that inevitably flies all over the table. Use the tongs in each station where they were meant to be used. I know it doesn’t matter if you grab a mushroom with the pepper tongs, but the Ratty staff put different tongs in different stations, and we could at least respect them enough to maintain that order. A little consideration on both sides makes the dining experience that much more pleasant.

Just think: If we all invested just a little of the immense amount of brain power we apparently have in carrying out some of these simple suggestions, Ratty rage, that frothing-at-the-mouth angst we all feel amidst the chaotic frenzy of the Sharpe Refectory, could become a thing of the past.

Samantha Plesser ’05 has learned the secrets of the Ratty.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS WEEKEND MARCH 18, 2005 · PAGE 12

No. 17 m. lax faces No. 7 UMass in NE showdown

BY BERNIE GORDON SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The No. 17 men’s lacrosse team, sitting at 2-0 on the season, will face its toughest challenge yet this season when it travels to Amherst, Mass., on Saturday to face No. 7 University of Massachusetts.

“They are very good — they have a lot of talent,” said Head Coach Scott Nelson.

“We have to play very smart (to beat them).”

UMass (2-2) will be out for revenge Saturday, having lost 10-5 to the Bears last year at Harvard. The defeat capped a three-game losing streak that most likely kept the Minutemen out of the NCAA tournament, meaning they will be looking for vindication this year.

“It’s always interesting (going into a revenge game) — they’re going to come out on fire,” said co-captain Dan Spinosa ’05. “But we’re coming up there prepared.

It’s a business trip and we are going to take (their fire) away from them.”

The Minutemen have a high-scoring offense, led by preseason All-American Sean Morris, that is averaging just over 11 points a game. After last year’s embarrassment, in which it was shut out for two quarters, UMass will be looking to put up some big numbers on offense.

“They have a couple very talented offensive people … and keeping their powerful offense down is very big,” Nelson said.

The Bears have been very strong on defense so far, a trend that will have to continue for them to knock off UMass.

Led by Spinosa and Reece Pacheco ’05, the defense has been much better than last year’s unit, and has kept the Bears in games during slow periods for their offense.

“We’ve been preparing all week — we know what they are going to do,” Spinosa said. “We need to do exactly what we did in the past.”

Offensively, the Bears have been very successful thus far, anchored by co-captain Chazz Woodson ’05, who leads the Bears with six goals, and Kyle Wailes ’06, who has dished out seven assists.

“I think if we do a lot of the same things we’ve been doing — shooting the ball well, getting quality shots … we’ll be fine,” Nelson said.

One area that the Bears are looking to improve on against UMass is turnovers.

Brown has always been a very active team, but in the opening games, that energy has sometimes led to taking too many risks with the ball. This weekend, the Bears hope to take better care of the ball and not give the Minuteman offense a chance to gain momentum.

“We were a little sloppy in the second half (last game), and we need to clean that up,” Nelson said. “We need to take better care of the ball.”

With all of their preparation, the Bears feel confident that they can earn the win, but UMass will not make it easy for them.

The game starts at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Ashley Hess / Herald

Kyle Wailes ’06 leads the Bears in points with eight and assists with seven.

W. lax blitzed by BC’s secondhalf rally, falls 15-8 to Eagles

BY BEN MILLER S PORTS E DITOR

For the second straight game, the women’s lacrosse team wilted in the face of a second-half surge, falling to Boston College 15-8 in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday night. The young Bears are now 1-3 on the season and are struggling to assimilate a multitude of underclassmen and a new coaching system at once.

“We’re working on putting together a full 60 minutes together,” said Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00. “When we do that it will be great. Players realize that it takes a lot of work both physically and mentally.”

The Bears struck first against the Eagles, taking the lead less than two minutes in off a goal from co-captain Kate Staley ’06. Bruno then doubled its lead with less than eight minutes gone on a score by Amie Biros ’07.

The Eagles (2-1) responded with a free position goal a third of the way through the half, and then added two more over the next five minutes, taking a 3-2 lead at 15:15.

For the second game in a row, the Bears weathered a 3-0 run to retaliate with a rally of their own. Brown reclaimed the lead with 3:05 left on a goal from Ashley Holden ’06 after Mimi DeTolla ’08 had tied the score a few minutes earlier on a free position shot.

It was BC, however, who ended the half on top, putting two between the pipes in the last 1:10 of play to go into the intermission up 5-4.

“We were the better team out there,” said Staley. “We should have capitalized better. Our attitude wasn’t right. A lot of people weren’t doing what it takes to win.”

The lack of focus continued into the second half for Bruno, as BC started with a bang, scoring in the first 28 seconds to extend its lead to 6-4.

Again, the Bears battled back, tying the game at 6-6 with goals from Jen Redd ’07 and Sarah Passano ’05. But the Eagles took over the game for the next 13 minutes, scoring six straight goals to double the score at 12-6.

“As they went up, the fire wasn’t there for us,” Staley said.

Staley added a goal for the Bears to cut the lead to five, but three more Eagle

March 17: Nexus of the sports universe About 10 days ago, I was sitting at my coffee table, enjoying my second of three grilled cheeses that would be made that afternoon, flipping through the CHARLIE VALLELY C’EST LA V sports section of the Boston Globe and watching a mid-major college basketball game with limited interest. It was more or less business as usual, and I was taking care of that business, but also edging perilously close to taking a nap.

But then, suddenly, I was wide awake. My heart began to race, and my mind struggled to keep up. My grilled cheese dropped to the floor in slow motion. As my eyes shifted from the newspaper, to the television, to the green soles of my Rod Laver tennis shoes, I realized something that surely signaled the apocalypse: On March 17, the congressional steroid hearings, the first day of the NCAA Tournament and

St. Patrick’s Day were all scheduled to take place.

I felt like Angela Lansbury, solving a triple homicide in the waning seconds of “Murder, She Wrote.” Everything came together: the stars aligned, the final piece of the puzzle fit in snuggly. It was all so clear. This was, it seemed, the nexus of the sports universe.

Could this really be happening? Was this a dream? Would there be enough time on March 17 to fit all of these blockbuster events? Shouldn’t something be rescheduled? Why was I sweating so much?

To verify all of this, I took a ride down the Information Superhighway.

Sure enough, it was all true: March 17 would be the day to end all days. And, as if there weren’t enough already scheduled, I found that Round 2 of Shaq vs. Kobe was also on the calendar.

Being a Thursday, it also meant that “The O.C.” would be in the mix. (That’s right, I watch “The O.C.” Deal with it.)

The door of my suite swung open,

and I turned to see my roommate Mike saunter in, clearly oblivious to the gravity of the moment.

“Mike, you’ll never believe this,” I said, presumably still sweating. “The steroid hearings, St. Patty’s day and the first day of March Madness are all happening … on the same day.”

He looked back at me, somewhat bewildered, and then at the basketball game, still on in the background. He seemed even more confused.

“You mean to tell me,” he said, pointing at the TV, “that this isn’t madness?”

“No, Mike,” I said. “The madness has only just begun.”

March 17, of course, was yesterday.

I awoke at 8:40 a.m. for my earlymorning section, feeling refreshed and excited even though I had only managed six hours of sleep. It didn’t matter.

I had waited 10 days for this. This was see NEXUS, page 8

Ashley Hess / Herald

Amie Biros ’07 had two goals in Bruno’s loss to BC. She is third on the team in scoring with four goals on the season. goals put the game out of reach with six minutes left. Biros added a final goal for Bruno in the waning minutes to provide the final margin.

Despite giving up a sizeable number of goals for the second consecutive game, McDonald was not worried about her defense.

“I’m not concerned with (the defense),” she said. “They are aware of what they need to do. They just have to come together … and play as a unit and with the intensity that I know they are capable of playing with.”

Unlike Saturday’s game at Maryland, in which the Terps dominated the Bears in nearly every statistical category, Brown was neck and neck with BC in shots, ground balls, saves and draw controls.

“The stats were pretty even,” McDonald said. “It was just a difference in hustle in the second half.”

For the fourth time this season, Staley led the team in scoring with two goals.

She currently leads the team in points.

Biros also added a pair. Holden had the Bears’ lone assist.

“I would like to see more goals off passes,” McDonald said. “Our offense revolves off of every player in our attacking unit being able to score and assist.

That is a direction we are heading in.”

“In practice we definitely (have a lot of assists),” Staley said. “It has a lot to do with the fact that we have freshmen who see W. LAX, page 8 BROWN SPORTS SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, MARCH 18 Women’s TENNIS: Boston College, 3 p.m., Pizzitola Center WRESTLING: at NCAA Championships, St. Louis, Mo. SATURDAY, MARCH 19 Women’s LACROSSE: vs. Monmouth, 12 p.m., Providence, R.I. Men’s TENNIS: vs. Hofstra, 10 a.m.; vs. Boston College, 3 p.m., Pizzitola Center Men’s LACROSSE: at No. 7 UMass, Amherst, Mass.

WRESTLING: at NCAA Championships, St. Louis, Mo. SOFTBALL: at Villanova Tournament, Newton Square, Pa. Women’s WATER POLO: at Michigan Invite, Ann Arbor, Mich.

GYMNASTICS: at New Hampshire with Towson, Durham, N.H. EQUESTRIAN: at Johnson and Wales, Providence, R.I. SUNDAY, MARCH 20 Women’s TENNIS: vs. Virginia Tech, 10:30 a.m., Pizzitola Center SOFTBALL: at Villinova Tournament, Newton Square, Pa. Women’s WATER POLO: at Michigan Invite, Ann Arbor, Mich.