Tuesday, March 22, 2005

T U E S D A Y MARCH 22, 2005

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 37 THE LITTLEST STUDIO CITY Rhode Island offering come-hither tax credits to TV and filmmakers to consider production in Lil’ Rhody METRO 3

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891 THE CASE FOR THE FACE(BOOK) Adam Nelson ’06: Thefacebook.com is the new lifestyle accessory, and you are not too cool to use it O P I N I O N S 11

EQUINE-AMITY Riders looking ahead despite bad horses, judging at disastrous show loss to rival UConn S P O R T S 12

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Porter will be first black chief in R.I. BY ERIC BECK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Diversity in Rhode Island law enforcement passed a new milestone Friday with the University’s appointment of Mark Porter as Brown’s chief of police and director of public safety. When Porter begins his duties in April, he will become the first black police chief at Brown — and the first in Rhode Island. “He is the first black police chief this state has ever seen. … This is a pivotal point for the entire Rhode Island police community. It is history in the making,” said Lt. Charles Wilson of the Rhode Island College Campus Police. Wilson is the president of the Rhode Island Minority Police Association and vice president of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers. Upon hearing of the University’s selection of Porter, Wilson informed national minority law enforcement leaders. Officers from around the Northeast are planning to travel to Brown for Porter’s swearing-in, he said. Wilson said Rhode Island law enforcement agencies have fewer minorities than those of other states, but Brown’s force is unusually diverse. Of the 75 Department of Public Safety employees, 21 are minorities, including 18 who are black. Four of the 10 sworn line supervisory officers — holding the rank of sergeant, lieutenant, captain or colonel — are minorities, according to DPS. By comparison, Wilson said, he is the only racial minority on RIC’s 22-person force. The Community College of Rhode Island has two black officers, and the University of Rhode Island has none. Statewide, about 300 of Rhode Island’s 6,500 law enforcement officers are racial minorities, and only 11 are in leadership positions above the rank of sergeant, he said.

“It is most important that the police department be reflective of the community it serves,” said Capt. Emil Fioravanti, DPS interim chief. “Where it has not been reflective, it has caused problems.” The diversity at DPS “has typically been above the mainstream,” Wilson said. Porter said he sees the makeup of the DPS force as evidence of the University’s effort to improve diversity in the department. “Diversity is always an issue. It is a challenge to recruit law enforcement minorities — especially women and officers of color,” he said. “Brown really works hard to ensure that they have a diverse pool” for hiring DPS employees, Porter said. “Clearly Brown is doing something right, and the numbers reflect this.”

“(Having a diverse police department) lends credibility with the minority community if there were issues of bias,” Fioravanti said. Wilson stressed the importance of having minorities in police forces, especially in administrative positions. “Every agency will benefit from hiring officers of color. … When you have people who look like you, come from the same places as you and have the same experiences as you, the community as a whole is well-served,” he said. “We look for honesty and commitment to professionalism and community,” Wilson added. “In law enforcement leaders of color, we look for their commitment not only to professionalism but for their commitment in making law

Art Street, a Boston-based organization aimed at using art to bring communities together and inspire social change, held a recruiting meeting Monday night in the Lower Blue Room. Although there were only about a dozen attendees — most women — Robert “Sidewalk Sam” Guillemin said he was impressed by their creativity and enthusiasm. Guillemin, a graduate of Boston University who also attended Boston College, became “Sidewalk Sam” after being a copyist at the Louvre, where he said reproducing “Mona Lisa” made him feel like he “climbed Everest.” Since then, he has traded the world of the studio for the sidewalk so he can use art to connect with ordinary people. “Something is wrong when artists become egomaniacs. Art needs to be there in order to serve others. … Artists have to sink down to day-to-day meetings with people and let art become a way to

see ART STREET, page 7

see VOLUNTEER, page 4

Gabriella Doob / Herald

Ariane Helou GS gave a solo performance on the recorder with the Brown Chamber Chorus Monday night as part of Henry Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas.”

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they get a chance to just create. The sidewalks just ruminate with energy,” Guillemin said. This is just one of the projects this summer for which Guillemin was recruiting Brown students. With help from the city of Boston and sponsorships from various companies, Gullemin hopes to see this project spread to cities outside New England. “The city of Boston helps to get these ordinary persons to celebrate their own creative genius. That’s what we need. We need to shift art’s focus from a few high priests as creators to where everyone can create,” Guillemin said. Guillemin, whose work has been featured on the “Today” show and “Good Morning America,” has also gained international attention. Art Street Warszawa in Poland was inspired by the Boston-based program and “creates multilingual community art and music projects to bring together our growing global world,”

see POLICE, page 4

SPRING SING

find solutions for society’s ills. I’m here to help kids launch their own careers (by doing) astonishing things with art,” Guillemin said. Guillemin hopes students at Brown will be involved with Art Street’s summer programs in Boston, and possibly implement similar community initiatives in Providence. Art Street’s projects range from environmental advocacy and promoting racial harmony to simply making art more accessible to local communities, Guillemin said. During the third week of August, Art Street holds “Chalk One Up,” an event where various corporations get together with Boston non profit organizations and create chalk drawings together on the sidewalk. “We give hundreds of corporations the most gorgeous box of pastels and have (their) accountants, lawyers, secretaries, CEOs and interns get down and draw on the sidewalks. These are the quiet people who do not get to express themselves, but

Brown, R.I. volunteerism down, surveys say The Princeton Review characterizes the Brown University population as a “Birkenstock-wearing, crunchy, granolaeating, non-flushing, tree-hugging crowd,” and calls Brown “an ‘activist’ place where ‘everyone wants to change the world.’” But has Brown been living up to its reputation? A survey of recent graduates conducted by the Career Development Center indicates that participation in volunteerism at Brown has decreased, according to Peter Hocking, an assistant dean of the college and director of the Swearer Center for Public Service. Only 51 percent of respondents from the Class of 2003 indicated they participated in community service while at Brown, compared to 65 percent of the Class of 2002. Hocking suggested that any decline reported by the CDC might simply reflect the conservative mood of the country. “I suspect it’s a national trend,” he said. “President Clinton really pushed public service,” said Hocking — there was a spike in volunteerism under Clinton, who in 1994 became involved in the development of AmeriCorps, a network of national service programs that engage more than 50,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health and the environment. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Bush administration has proposed cutting funding for AmeriCorps next year. Hocking also said that in his 17 years at the University, he has never noticed a decline in student volunteerism, emphasizing that students are continually energetic and motivated to help the community. Participation in Swearer Center programs has been consistent for the last 10 years, with about 900 to 1,000 students actively involved in community service initiatives through the Center every semester, he said. The Swearer Center maintains ongoing relationships with approximately 200 community organizations. Hocking noted that the data collection methods used by the CDC have changed over the years, perhaps influencing their figures. Allison Lombardo ’05, who coordinates a mentoring program called Citygirls through the Swearer Center, said she has not felt a change in students’ willingness to volunteer their time, and added that as Citygirls has developed, the coordinators have become even better at recruiting volunteers. Other student coordinators of Swearer Center programs noted similar experiences. While Hocking believes the conservative politics of the 21st century may have dampened volunteer efforts, others say they feel the opposite — that if anything, President Bush’s reelection has brought on a surge of community involvement, inspiring people to get on their feet and help the disenfranchised. Associate Director of the Swearer Center Claudia Decesare said she

Art Street organization hopes to democratize art BY STEPHEN NARAIN STAFF WRITER

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THIS MORNING TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 · PAGE 2 Coreacracy Eddie Ahn

W O R L D AT A G L A N C E Sudanese VP calls for more world pressure on rebels in Darfur page 5 New EPA mercury rule omits conflicting study page 5 Despite congressional intervention, Schiavois parents unlikely to win, lawyers say page 9 Gunman kills 9, himself in Minn. page 9 Jero Matt Vascellaro

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS A’LELIA BUNDLES LECTURE 4 p.m. (Salomon 001) — Lecture by journalist and author A’Lelia Bundles, the great-greatgranddaughter and biographer of Madame C. J. Walker, America’s first black female millionaire.

JAZZ COMBO CONCERT 8 p.m. (Grant Recital Hall) — The Department of Music presents a free jazz concert including Sanfillipo, Tomassi, Mason and Zinno combos.

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Minestrone Soup, Spinach Pie, Chicken Fajitas, Paprika Potatoes, Kielbasa, Vegan Rice and Jalapenos, M&M Cookies, Liberty Chocolate Cake

DINNER — Porkloin with Green Apple Dressing, Wild and White Rice Pilaf, Stir Fry Carrots with Lemon and Dill, Brussels Sprouts, Tortellini Angelica

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Corn and Tomato Soup, Bean and Bacon Soup, Shaved Steak Sandwich, Linguini with Tomatoes and Basil, Sunny Sprouts, Magic Bars DINNER — Vegetarian Corn and Tomato Soup, Bean and Bacon Soup, Pot Roast Jardiniere, Vegan Rice and Beans, Roasted Yukon Potatoes with Shallots, Oregon Blend Vegetables, Asparagus Cuts with Lemon, French Bread, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

How to Get Down Nate Saunders

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Dummy, in bridge columns 6 Isinglass 10 Ottawa-based law enforcement gp. 14 Love to pieces 15 Bell-ringing company 16 Skin soother 17 Oscar nominee for the 1947 film “Crossfire” 19 Tall tale 20 Like many thick soups 21 Found out 23 More desperate 26 Ruckus 27 Donkey 30 Big, heavy book 31 Hedy of “Algiers” 35 Bryn __ College 37 Immediately following 39 Ike’s wife 40 Pennsylvania port 41 Spooky 43 Kind of tide 44 Church notice of a marriage 46 Tear to bits 47 Not fooled by 48 Lansbury or Bassett 50 Breakfast staple 52 “Can’t Help Lovin’ __ Man” 53 Was on the ballot 54 God 56 Take unfair advantage of 60 Beethoven’s Third 64 Big poem 65 Comedian who said, “When I eventually met Mr. Right, I had no idea that his first name was Always” 68 Elevator man 69 Once again 70 39.37 inches, in England 71 Agnew’s plea, briefly

72 Ship stabilizer 73 Vegas machines

28 It’s a wrap 29 Try to hit the ball 32 Change, as a law 33 Lasso 34 Move a fern, e.g. 36 “Tin Cup” actress 38 Hint of color 42 More nervous 45 Starter for happy or dash 49 Arctic jacket 51 Plays lightly

55 Tyrolean refrain 56 Peasant worker 57 __-the-minute 58 “Bubble, bubble, __ and trouble ...” 59 Largest digit 61 Division word 62 Part of CPA: Abbr. 63 War god 66 Golf ball holder 67 Piercing tool

DOWN 1 Catcher of pushers 2 Smell 3 Post-shower wear 4 Tire pattern 5 Recluse 6 Disfigure 7 __ League 8 Christmas ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: stocking punishment 9 Toughen by heating, as glass 10 Comic whom “everybody loves” 11 Highlands family 12 Additional 13 Remain undecided 18 Actor Power 22 Alan Arkin’s son 24 Middle East bigwig 25 Longtime New York Observer film critic 27 Tiny life form 03/22/05 xwordeditor@aol.com

Homebodies Mirele Davis

Raw Prawn Kea Johnston

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METRO TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 · PAGE 3

R.I. lawmakers working to pass tax incentives to help put Lil’ Rhody on the big screen BY PHILLIP GARA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In an ongoing effort to bring film and television projects to Rhode Island, local government officials have been working to pass legislation that would give outside production companies and in-state investors tax credits for producing films and television shows in the Ocean State. The announcement of the bill — sponsored by House Speaker William Murphy and Senate President Joseph Montalbano — came at a recent gathering involving members of the Rhode Island General Assembly along with film and television luminaries. At the function, local talents Bobby Farrelly and Michael Corrente welcomed TV creator Blake Masters and his Showtime series “Brotherhood” to the state. Speakers at the event cited the series as evidence of the state’s renewed commitment to the on-screen arts. Farrelly is known for his work on hit films including “Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary” and “Me, Myself & Irene.” Corrente directed “American Buffalo”

and collaborated with Farrelly on “Outside Providence.” Recently, “Brotherhood” received what the Providence Journal labeled a “clandestine” $300,000 donation from municipal officials. Masters, who shot the series’ pilot last year, will film the series entirely within the city. According to Steven Feinberg, director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, “The plan is to create incentives for film producers from outside the state to come to Rhode Island and for investors from within the state to invest on films made in Rhode Island.” The incentives include a 20 percent labor employment tax rebate that gives production companies 20 cents for every dollar spent on certain expenditures. These include rebates for in-state hires, hotel tax credits and sales and use tax exemptions that waive taxes on money spent in Rhode Island for a production that spends over $300,000. However, the biggest incentive may be a tax credit aimed at investors and motion picture companies. The credit gives up to a 25 percent rebate for pri-

vate investors in Rhode Island films as well as a credit against the business corporate tax for motion picture companies coming into the state. Ultimately, the tax incentive plan aims to make Rhode Island more competitive with the other 27 states that have passed similar legislation, as well as Canadian markets like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto that offer similar rebates. According to Feinberg, becoming more competitive for film and television production is quite lucrative and is in the state’s best interest. “The federal formula is (a multiplier of three) so that a million dollars spent has a $3 million impact on the economy,” he said. Feinberg added that, even with the large tax credits, increased film and television production will ultimately bolster the economy. “Millions of dollars are going to be coming into the state that otherwise wouldn’t have,” he said. Film and television production inherently creates a tricksee ENTERTAINMENT, page 9

Bill promotes publicly financed elections BY PHILLIP GARA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In conjunction with local politicians and public interest groups like Common Cause Rhode Island, Brown’s chapter of Democracy Matters continues to actively support the recently proposed Clean Elections Bill, a measure that promotes the public financing of political campaigns. District 3 State Sen. Rhoda Perry P’91 sponsored the bill in the Senate, and District 3 State Rep. Edith Ajello introduced the same measure in the House. The bill is awaiting hearings in both chambers. Clean Elections is a campaign finance reform bill that promotes government-funded campaigns instead of campaigns funded privately. Similar versions of the bill have been introduced in Arizona and Maine. Herald Opinions Editor TePing Chen ’07 has been a driving force behind these efforts. Chen, an Oakland, Calif., native who worked in support of publicly financed elections in Berkeley last summer, said the movement is centered on the idea that privately funded elections distort the Democratic process. “It is an issue of equity. Years ago, we had a poll tax for voting,” Chen said. “What you see now in campaign fundraising is that it prevents a lot of people from running for office.” Because of privately funded campaigns, elected officials have become increasingly homogenous as minorities and women

are underrepresented, Chen said. Phil West, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, was contacted by Chen last February and has worked in conjunction with Democracy Matters ever since. “What typically happens now is that campaigns are largely funded by lobbyists who want something from the government,” West said. “There is enormous pressure with officials to cooperate with those who give to their campaign.” A proposal for the bill — drafted by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and reworked to fit the language of Rhode Island law by West and Common Cause — received sponsorship from Perry and Ajello as a result of the combined efforts of Chen and Democracy Matters. The bill allows those running for office to decide whether they want to fund their campaigns with private or public money. If they choose to accept public funding, candidates need to receive a certain number of $5 donations in order to prove their candidacy is legitimate and worthy of public funding. “Currently candidates need to get signatures in order to run. This (clean elections) makes you have a higher degree of credibility,” West said. “Five dollars, while it is not a lot of money, is a reasonable enough amount of money so that people wouldn’t flippantly give it away.” If the Clean Elections bill was passed, a politician’s decision to

forgo public financing in favor of private funds might garner a negative reception from the public, West said. Different positions require a different number of $5 donations to receive funding: fifty donations are necessary to run as a state representative, 100 as a state senator, 2,500 for governor and 1,000 for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state or general treasurer. According to the plan, politicians who receive public funding only have a certain amount of time to fundraise for larger amounts, rather than a whole election cycle. They must still comply with rules restricting the amount one can donate. The money given by the government to campaigns — estimated to total about $7 million, according to Ajello — would be distributed as follows: Candidates for the House of Representatives would receive between $8,000 and $12,000, prospective state senators would receive between $16,000 and $24,000, candidates for governor would receive between $1.5 and $2.25 million and other general officers would receive between $600,000 and $900,000. According to Ajello, the Clean Elections bill benefits the public by relieving the legislature of pressure from special interest groups. In addition, politicians themselves do not have to spend as much time fundraising and campaigning. “The thing I least like to do is raise money for my campaign,” see ELECTIONS, page 4

R.I. House and Senate to hear medical marijuana bills BY MARY-CATHERINE LADER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As two bills in support of medical marijuana use approach hearings in the state legislature, sponsors say the current incarnation of the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act has garnered greater support than in any previous year. The bill’s stated purpose is “to protect patients with debilitating medical conditions, and their physicians and primary caregivers, from arrest and prosecution, criminal and other penalties.” Qualifying medical conditions include cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and illnesses that cause severe symptoms alleviated by marijuana use, such as nausea or seizures. Sufferers and their caregivers would be allowed to acquire and cultivate the drug as well as possess relevant paraphernalia. District 3 State Sen. Rhoda Perry P’91, a Democrat who has been a continual proponent of the measure, introduced the bill in the Senate Feb. 17 along with four other sponsors. It will be heard before the Judiciary Committee, on which she sits, in mid-April. Nine states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington — currently allow the use of medical marijuana. If the legislation passes, Rhode Island will join Vermont and Hawaii as the only states to change the law legislatively rather than through voter initiative. Although marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, 99 out of 100 marijuana arrests are made under state law. The bill states that for this reason, “changing state law will have the practical effect of protecting from arrest the vast majority of seriously ill people who have a medical need to use marijuana.” Similar bills sponsored last year failed to pass in either chamber of

the state legislature. This year, Perry said she is “somewhat sanguine of its passing our committee with more than 50 percent” of the votes, but she was reluctant to explicitly predict its ultimate success. In the House, District 10 State Rep. Tom Slater, a cancer survivor himself, is the lead sponsor of an identical bill. Introduced March 1, the House bill has the support of 50 of 75 assembly members. Slater and Perry said increased legislative support was partly due to a 2004 Zogby poll that found 69 percent of Rhode Islanders in favor of the legal use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. “The majority of people in Rhode Island feel medical marijuana should be up to individual patients and his or her physician and the Department of Health,” Perry said. Trevor Stutz ’07, president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said evidence of overwhelming support in Rhode Island warrants the bill’s passage. If a voter initiative is required to pass the bill in Rhode Island, “then it would be an utter failure of the political system to carry out the wishes of its people,” Stutz said. No legislators have publicly spoken against the measure since its introduction, but the opposition of a few legislators is known within the capitol, Slater said, adding that most of those against medical marijuana are law enforcement officials. “They think it will open up the market (for drugs) to everyone,” Slater said. But Perry said there is evidence that the tides of opposition in the Senate may be changing. “In past years, we have had some opposition from … (two) former members of public safety,” Perry said. “It’s interesting that this year I have both those people see MARIJUANA, page 4

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005

Marijuana continued from page 3 not only on board the bill but signed on as sponsors.” Perry said permitting medical use of marijuana is not part of a larger agenda. “I don’t agree with legalizing marijuana,” Perry said. “When you’re smoking that substance for pain, it’s very different. You don’t become an addict.” The Department of Health would evaluate patients’ eligibility based on medical records and subsequently issue them a “registry identification card,” thereby protecting them from arrest for marijuana use. Neither Perry nor Slater would speculate on what action they expect Republican Governor Donald Carcieri ’65 to take. When the bill was last presented to the legislature, Carcieri said he would neither veto nor sign the bill. Perry hopes this year’s bill will pass with three-fifths support from the legislature — the total necessary to override a possible veto. Support for the bill extends beyond the Statehouse, thanks in part to the effort of Brown students. Nathaniel Lepp ’06, executive director of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, has been gathering support among the state’s medical community and patient advocacy organizations. The resulting RIPAC coalition now includes the R.I. State Nurses Association, R.I. Medical Society, AIDS Project R.I. and the American Association for Family Physicians. “One of the main purposes of RIPAC is to rally supporters who are willing to testify,” Lepp said. Testimony may come from patients who would benefit from

the drug, doctors in support of prescribing it and an administrator from Oregon involved in the implementation of similar legislation. SSDP has supplied RIPAC with volunteers and assisted in soliciting this testimony, Stutz said, adding he has called Rhode Island doctors and asked them to support the bill. Both Perry and Slater said the greatest public response to the bill has come not from their constituents, but in e-mails sent in opposition from out of state. These e-mails, which follow a single format and contain the same language, argue the act will increase use among adolescents. To address the concern of increased adolescent use of the drug, a subsection of the bill specifies that patients under 18 can only qualify for use if their parents consent and then serve as caregivers, monitoring dosage and frequency. For many of its sponsors, the legislation has personal significance. “(This bill) means relief,” Slater said. “I have cancer myself. I know the effects, and when people say there’s not much pain, well, they don’t know what they’re talking about.” Perry said her advocacy of medical marijuana was largely triggered by her nephew’s struggle with AIDS. Perry said both she and her sister suggested he use marijuana, but that her nephew refused. “When you are dying like my nephew was, to be released from horrible throes of nausea allows a person to interact with his environment, to interact with loved ones and to take part in life,” Perry said.

Police continued from page 1 enforcement responsive and responsible to the community.” According to Wilson, diversity is especially important for the success of community policing — a program the University intends to implement under Porter’s leadership. Under the proposed community policing program, officers are assigned to specific regions of the campus and encouraged to interact with people who live or work in their region. “Diversity and community policing go hand-in-hand,” Wilson said. As the highest-ranking black police officer in the state,

Elections continued from page 3 Ajello said. “I would much rather talk about problems and solutions. Time spent on fundraising could be much better spent.” Ajello also notes that many of Rhode Island’s elected officials work multiple jobs and that the legislature is citizen-based, so it is even harder to fund campaigns because of time and economic restrictions. Opponents of Clean Elections point to its socialist qualities and the tax burden it may create, according to the Providence Phoenix. Ajello said the bill would require an extra $7 million of government revenue to finance. But for Chen, Democracy Matters and many of Rhode Island’s pub-

Volunteer continued from page 1 could see both sides. “I can see that students might feel like the problems are so big that they don’t know how to get involved,” she said, “but I can also see that they might be inspired to take action.” According to Decesare, students these days are interested in literacy and school-based volunteer work. Students also seem

Porter will be catapulted into a leadership role for minorities in Rhode Island law enforcement, Wilson said. “Whether he wanted to be or not, Chief Porter is going to be the senior statesman for minority police in Rhode Island,” he said. Wilson added in an e-mail to The Herald, “Not only must he provide leadership for (his) own agency and the community it serves, he will also be called upon, and indeed expected, to be a leader in the community outside the environs of the campus. … As the senior law enforcement officer of color, we will look to him for strength and guidance, knowing that if he is allowed to fail then we all will fail in our purpose.” Porter’s colleagues are quick to point out that Porter is a

capable leader ready to handle any challenges that face him. “I think it is a wonderful appointment. I think Brown is fortunate and Providence is fortunate,” said Col. Dean Esserman, chief of the Providence Police Department. Esserman said the PPD and DPS have increasingly worked together and forged a successful partnership over the last two years — a trend he looks forward to continuing with Porter, he said. Wilson said of Porter, “I have found him professionally and personally to be very personable, down to earth and approachable. … He is going to be an excellent chief, a good friend to the community and someone the Brown community will be exceptionally proud of.”

lic interest groups, the price seems well worth it. The biggest hurdle Chen and Democracy Matters face is trying to convince legislators to pass the bill, a formidable task considering Rhode Island does not have voter initiatives. The bill essentially increases the competition for office by leveling the campaign finance playing field. Ajello says her support for the bill is based on a “larger responsibility to look out for the good of the state and not to maintain my position in the legislature. It is about having a legislature that truly represents its constituency.” Ajello, West and Democracy Matters are looking for the reform to be passed eventually and understand it is unrealistic for the bill to pass in the next year. “We are in the phase of reaching out to other groups. We are in

the process now of building the coalition that will win this thing. We will not win in one year, we will win in a few years,” West said. In efforts to build support, Caroline Colesworthy GS has taken on the responsibility to try to get other public interest groups to support the bill. Her logic is that “any group working in the public interest for individuals will benefit by this bill passing.” After Arizona and Maine passed the similar bills, the governments have become increasingly diverse and more representative of the population, according to the Road to Victory Report, an executive summary report distributed by the Clean Elections Institute. Arizona elected its first publicly financed governor along with 38 other publicly funded officials in 2002.

to prefer work that has a beginning and an end, providing a tangible sense of completion. According to a 2004 study by the Points of Light Foundation and Indiana University, Rhode Island ranks 47th among U.S. states for rate of volunteerism — in 2003, 23.2 percent of the state’s population participated in volunteer activities, below the national average of 28.8 percent. “I’m not surprised to hear that statistic,” Decesare said, “There are a lot of poor people here, and when you’re struggling

to satisfy your own basic needs, it becomes difficult to donate your time.” Despite Rhode Island’s low volunteer rate, a study published by the Volunteer Center of Rhode Island indicates that college-age students in Rhode Island “volunteer at a rate equal to the national norm.” Hocking pointed out that volunteerism is virtually impossible to measure accurately — people do not always report their community work, and definitions of volunteer activity differ from place to place. According to Decesare, “Everyone’s interpretation of effective volunteerism varies. I’ve come to regard every level of civic participation with high esteem. It’s all important.” While the Swearer Center offers students a variety of programs to choose from, many students prefer to make their own arrangements, or work with professors on individual projects in and around the community. Community service at Brown, once seen as purely extracurricular, has even made its way into the classroom. One group independent study project, spearheaded by Professor of American Civilization Matthew Garcia, encompasses a service component through which students spend afternoons volunteering at local schools. While some statistics suggest a drop in volunteerism, the Swearer Center has noticed no change in Brown students’ interest in volunteering their time to the community.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 · PAGE 5

Sudanese VP calls for more world pressure on rebels in Darfur BY EMILY WAX THE WASHINGTON POST

KHARTOUM, Sudan — Sudan’s First Vice President said the international community must put more political pressure on Sudanese rebel groups to lay down their guns before lasting peace can be achieved in the warshattered western region of Darfur. In a two-hour interview with The Washington Post, Ali Uthman Mohammed Taha said his government had received an unfair balance of the blame for the war in Darfur, which has displaced two million villagers and killed tens of thousands in the past two years, mostly through hunger and disease. “We need a strong, unequivocal message that the rebels have to honor the cease-fire,” said Taha, 57, who heads a government task force aimed at ending the Darfur crisis and who is considered the most powerful man in Sudan. “They started this war by attacking police stations and the airport. ... What is needed at the moment is for them to have pressure from Europe and the U.S. to stop.” Taha reiterated earlier statements by Sudanese authorities denying international allegations of genocide in Darfur. The Bush administration has said the widespread deaths there amounted to genocide. A U.N. commission stopped short of using the term but found that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed. “We do understand and appreciate people having sympathy with the victims of Darfur,” said Taha, who called the situation a “sad chapter” in Sudan’s history. But he added, “this was not genocide, but an unfortunate internal conflict … that has nothing to do

with ethnic cleansing. We urge people to see the difference between the innocents caught in the middle and the rebels who are escalating their claims to gain sympathy.” Taha’s comments came three months after a peace accord was signed in a separate civil conflict between the Khartoum government, represented by Taha, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, a rebel group in southern Sudan led by John Garang. That agreement gave religious and political autonomy to the southern region. Taha said he was optimistic about peace lasting in the south. He called the pact “a real landmark” in Sudan’s recent history and said it “paves the way for a new horizon for the Sudanese people.” The two-decade long civil war, which pitted the Islamic government against rebels based in the mostly animist and Christian south, left 2 million people dead, primarily from famine and disease. Under the accord, which was backed by the Bush administration, the south will have a six-year period of self-rule, then vote on whether to remain part of Sudan or secede. The agreement also calls for Garang to replace Taha as first vice president. The conflict in Darfur, in contrast, has resisted solution. It broke out in early 2003 when two largely African rebel groups attacked police stations and military outposts to protest what they called discrimination by the mostly Arab governing elite. The U.N. and human rights groups accuse the government of arming and supporting a militia, called the Janjaweed, to crush the rebellion, see DARFUR, page 6

New EPA mercury rule omits conflicting study BY SHANKAR VEDANTAM THE WASHINGTON P OST

WASHINGTON — When the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a rule last week to limit mercury emissions from U.S. power plants, officials emphasized that the controls could not be more aggressive because the cost to industry already far exceeded the public health payoff. What they did not reveal is that a Harvard University study paid for by the EPA, coauthored by an EPA scientist and peer-reviewed by two other EPA scientists had reached the opposite conclusion. That analysis estimated health benefits 100 times as great as the EPA did, but top agency officials ordered the finding stripped from public documents, said a staff member who helped develop the rule. Acknowledging the Harvard study would have forced the agency to consider more stringent controls, said environmentalists and the study’s author. The mercury issue has long been the focus of heated argument between utilities and environmental advocates. Health advocates say mercury

is so harmful to fetuses and pregnant women that steps are needed to sharply control emissions; industry groups and the Bush administration have warned that overly aggressive measures would impose heavy costs. Announcing the new rule last Tuesday, officials used charts to emphasize that most mercury toxicity in the United States comes from foreign sources, and they used their cost-benefit analysis to show domestic controls had minimal impact. Asked about the Harvard analysis, Al McGartland, director of the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics, said it was submitted too late to be factored into the agency’s calculations. He added that crucial elements of the analysis were flawed. Interviews and documents, however, show the EPA received the study results by the Jan. 3 deadline, and that officials had been briefed about its methodology as early as last August. EPA officials referred to some aspects of the Harvard study in a briefing for The Washington Post on Feb. 2. The Harvard study conclud-

ed that mercury controls similar to those the EPA proposed could save nearly $5 billion a year through reduced neurological and cardiac harm. Last Tuesday, however, officials said the health benefits were worth no more than $50 million a year while the cost to industry would be $750 million a year. “They are saying if they fail to regulate mercury from power plants at all, it really wouldn’t make a difference,” said John Walke, clean air director with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. “To acknowledge the real benefits would be to raise the next question: Why didn’t you go further?” James Hammitt, director of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and co-author of the study, agreed: “If you have a larger effect of the benefits, that would suggest more aggressive controls were justified.” Mercury is a toxic metal emitted by industrial sources. U.S. power plants emit 48 tons a year, and the new rule establishes an emissions-trading see MERCURY, page 7

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005

Equestrian continued from page 12 point riders of the day. Since this process occurs before anybody has been given her individual horse assignment, the success of the final decisions depends largely on luck. “It is sort of a crapshoot. I mean, somebody can look really cute on a simple horse and end up doing really well. If the horse is strong though — well, then its rider can start falling apart even if she’s pretty skilled,” Gilbard said. Brown’s team appears to have made some unlucky point rider selections Saturday. After the first fiasco on her assigned bronco, Gilbard was granted a re-ride by the judges and show staff. Unfortunately, she was placed in the same class — albeit on her new, better-behaved mount — in which Peddy was supposed to compete. Gilbard ultimately placed ahead of Peddy with a third-place finish, but her success did not help the team because Peddy had been selected to serve as the point-rider for Brown in the Open division. Only Peddy’s points would contribute to Brown’s total tally for the day. “Peddy’s horse was tough, too, and it was giving her a really hard time. The horses were just not having a good day,” Gilbard said, laughing. “I think the Johnson and Wales horses are predominantly dressage horses, so they were a bit perplexed by the jumping element, and just by the different style of riding, in general,” Gilbard said. “We had some people do really fantastic, but they weren’t our point riders,” Gilbard said. “The team is very consistent, but this weekend seemed like it was just not meant to turn out in our favor.” In addition to troublesome horses and unlucky point rider decisions, co-captain Galyn Burke ’05, an Intermediate division rider, attributed the Bears’ substandard performance to poor judging. Peddy and Gilbard both

described the judging on Saturday as suspect. “What was really unfortunate about the weekend is that everybody rode really well, despite some difficult circumstances, and there were some really — how do I say this? — interesting judging choices,” Gilbard said. With an additional year of experience, Jennifer John ’06, a consistent winner in the WalkTrot division, has been unstoppable. Yet, this past weekend, John’s horse was unfriendly and skittish, forcing John to circle repeatedly during the class. “Even though she looked the best, she still ended up sixth,” Gilbard said. Overall, the show was an unexpected disappointment. “We’ve had a really, really great season, and this past show was really the only show we’ve had that has been a disaster,” Gilbard said. “All of our other shows — especially those during this semester — have been great. This weekend was unfortunate, but hopefully we’ll be able to make a comeback.” To make up for the point deficit, Brown will have to change its routine a bit. “This next weekend we’re likely to change our strategy, mainly in terms of who we choose to show,” Peddy said. “Normally we keep people from pointing up — that is, accruing enough points in the last shows of the season to qualify for a spot in the next highest division — so that we can use them in Zones and Nationals in the division they are used to and more likely to win.” But given the circumstances, Peddy said, “This weekend we’ll probably throw some people in their usual division, no matter how many points they have totaled during the season — people that we would have otherwise saved for the Zone Championship and Nationals in order to try to win the region.” Also, the team members have some additional practices scheduled in one last attempt to perfect their already strong riding skills and make any last adjustments to their techniques before

the upcoming show deciding their fate. “I feel like we have consistently shown that our team is the most talented one in the region, and it was just heartbreaking to watch the events that unfolded this past weekend. … There wasn’t much we could have done differently — it was an unlucky sequence of events,” Burke said. “All we can do now is show up this weekend with everything we have and try our best to come back from behind. I just wish there were a few more shows to help us come back — because I feel like cream does rise to the top — but there aren’t,” Burke added. Peddy is leading the region by 12 points in the Open division, a margin large enough to ensure Peddy’s invitation to compete at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s National Championships in Ohio May 5-8. Peddy will contend for the prestigious Cacchione Cup, a special event that combines a flat and a fences phase and for which only the top 25 Open riders in the nation are invited to compete. “Essentially, regardless of how this weekend turns out for us, I’m looking forward to watching some exciting rides in the postseason from my teammates,” Burke said. “I know that even if Brown doesn’t get to go on as a team, these individual riders will represent the University and prove the excellence of our equestrian program.”

Water polo continued from page 12 State University, the Bears fought their way through a 3-3 tie at halftime and outscored the Spartans 3-0 in the third quarter for a 6-3 advantage. Michigan State would get it to within one, but Brown held on for a 7-6 win. The Bears had incredible balance on offense, getting their seven goals from six different players. Blaxberg was the high-scorer with two goals, while Elizabeth Balassone ’07, Fahey, Claire Angyal ’07, Lansing and Palmer scored one each. The total team effort on

Darfur continued from page 5 and by bombing villages where they said rebel supporters where hiding. Taha, interviewed in the National Palace, called the Janjaweed bandits and said they were beyond the government’s immediate control. He said those who broke the law or committed atrocities would be punished, but that the rebels had to stop fighting and turn in their arms before the government could go after the Janjaweed. “In Darfur there has been a huge influx of weapons from the Chad conflict, from instability in the Central African Republic and from the south of Sudan,” Taha said. “This phenomenon of lawlessness and the habit of looting and attacking have made conditions very tough.” He said the report issued earlier this year by a U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which found that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed in Darfur, was based on “weak evidence and political judgments, rather than legal findings.” The U.N. Security Council is considering whether to impose economic sanctions on Sudan because of the Darfur conflict. Taha said that such sanctions could exacerbate the crisis and that the government did not have enough money to develop the region.

offense is something Brown will look to draw upon as the season winds down. “People don’t have to play the entire game for us to be successful,” Gall said of the advantages of a deep offense. “If someone gets injured or in foul trouble, we have someone on the bench that can take that player’s spot and we won’t miss a beat.” The Bears suffered their one lopsided loss of the weekend in their final game, against No. 7 Loyola Marymount University. The Lions outscored Brown 112 in the first three quarters on the way to a 13-4 win. Wyatt, Angyal and Lansing scored for Brown, while Sade Bonilla ’08 led the team with three ejec-

He said the Darfur conflict had historical roots and had not been planned by the government. He said there had been tensions and periodic violence among regional tribes for decades over access to water and grazing areas. He said he plans to set up panels to address the root causes of the conflict. Taha said he wants to see the Darfur issue resolved quickly. He said the government is willing to be patient in seeking peace with the rebel groups, and is currently practicing a policy of “selfrestraint,” when it comes to fighting the rebels. However, he said Sudan would not agree to U.N. appeals for a “no-fly zone” over Darfur. Taha visited Darfur in late 2002 to discuss the needs of the local populace. He said the visitors were told “there was need of fresh water, health care and primary schooling. … We agreed with that.” But just a few months later, Taha added, “the response was shooting by the rebels” and “other tribes felt insecure as well.” The government had “no intent to go on a military track,” he said. “But to a certain degree we had to combat rebel attacks.” He said there had been a misunderstanding by critics who said accused the government of arming the Janjaweed. He said officials had called up the Popular Defense Forces and that volunteers who responded “were individuals from different parts, not only the Arabs.”

tions drawn. Overall, the weekend went just as Brown had envisioned it going in. “That was what was expected of us,” Gall said of the 2-3 weekend. “We knew that beating Michigan, Indiana and LMU were a stretch. We just didn’t know what the wins and losses were going to be like.” With one of their higher hurdles out of the way, the Bears have two weeks in which to hone their game for the ECAC Championship at Bucknell University April 2 and 3. “(We have to) maintain our defensive focus and also (improve) our offense. We had a tough time scoring goals this weekend,” Gall said.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7

Mercury continued from page 5 program that is expected to lower emissions to about 31 tons by 2010 and to about 15 tons by 2026. The Harvard analysis was based on similar targets in President Bush’s “Clear Skies” legislative proposal. In most cases, mercury toxicity results from eating fish: Industrial emissions fall from the air into water and are taken up by fish. Because the metal does not break down, it moves steadily up the food chain to species people consume. A major reason for the dramatic difference in the health benefit estimates was that the EPA looked only at the effects of reducing mercury levels in freshwater fish, but most of the fish Americans eat comes from oceans. “Some very large share of mercury exposure comes from tuna,” Hammitt said. “And while it’s true that our power plants have less effect on tuna than on (freshwater) northern pike, if you ignore the saltwater pathway you’ll miss a lot of the benefit.” Even though U.S. power plants contribute only about 1 percent of the mercury in the oceans, reducing even that small amount makes a difference, he said. The EPA has said ocean species such as tuna, pollock, shrimp and halibut account for two-thirds of the mercury Americans consume,

Softball continued from page 12 Nova was able to plate one more run to round out the scoring. Marissa Berkes ’05 went six innings for the Bears, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits in the loss. Over the weekend, Brown left a total of 14 runners on base while only amassing nine hits. “We have some hitting

Gymnastics continued from page 12 improvement. Baughman finished second for the Bears on the beam with her 9.000. “Mandi started beam off for us. She has a sprained ankle, but she continues to gut it out. It’s extremely impressive, and she did a great routine,” Forziat said. Tri-captain Maya Vadiveloo ’05 also performed well. Despite having a two-and-a-half-hour span between her warm-up and her event, she scored an 8.925 on the beam, good enough for third on the team.

while catfish, the largest source of mercury among freshwater fish, accounts for only 3 percent. Hammitt’s analysis also factored in recent evidence that mercury causes heart attacks among adults. The EPA said other studies contradicted that finding and therefore it quantified only the impact of mercury’s better-known neurological hazards. Spokeswoman Cynthia Bergman called Hammitt’s cardiac analysis “flawed.” The EPA’s McGartland, an economist, said the preliminary Harvard results sent to the agency Jan. 3 were inadequate, and the full study did not become available until February. He questioned the Harvard findings about marine mercury, arguing ocean levels of mercury do not easily change. No EPA draft of the rule ever discussed the Harvard results, he said. But the EPA staff member involved with developing the rule said the reference deleted from rule-making documents would have told the public about the Harvard results. “The idea was to say Harvard School of Public Health had quantified these (cardiac) benefits and the amount of these benefits was — ” a blank to be filled in with a figure in the billions once the final report became available, said the staff member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. EPA scientist William Farland, who is the agency’s

mechanics to work on, but the season is not won or lost in the first two games. These two games provided a great foundation for us, and the more we play the better we’ll be. We just need to keep playing games so we can gain more experience, which will help us in the long run,” McCreesh said. The Bears will look to get their first win of the season against Central Connecticut State University on Wednesday afternoon in New Britain, Conn.

Carver-Milne called Vadiveloo’s performance a huge individual improvement. “Maya especially (performed well). She only competed beam for us a few times before, and she hit her routine,” she said. The Bears head into their final team meet of the season, the ECAC Championships at James Madison University, Saturday. The team aims to end this challenging season with a positive attitude. “I am personally looking forward to competing with this group one last time. This team has the most heart of any of the past teams I’ve been on here at Brown,” Forziat said. “It will be bittersweet.”

deputy assistant administrator for science in research and development, said he had not seen the Harvard analysis and could not comment on its quality. He said the EPA had not quantified the cardiac costs of mercury because “the science is just not strong enough at this point.” While mercury could well damage the heart, he said, that harm might be offset by the known cardiac benefits of eating fish. Harvard’s Hammitt, who was cautious in describing his findings, readily acknowledged the uncertainties in such analyses. But he questioned the EPA’s decision to ignore a study that the agency had paid for and that agency scientists Jacqueline Moya and Rita Schoeny had reviewed. “If they think there is no significant effect of U.S. power plants on the marine fish we eat, they ought to make that case as opposed to just ignoring it,” he said. The Harvard study was commissioned through EPA grants to an independent nonprofit organization of northeasternstate governments that works on regional environmental issues. Praveen Amar, director of science and policy at the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, said the EPA provided about $270,000 in funding for the project. Amar said scientist Glenn Rice, Hammitt’s coauthor, is an EPA employee who had been given time to work on a doctoral thesis at the Harvard center.

Art street continued from page 1 according to their Web site. The American Embassy in Warsaw also helps to organize the American Days Festival with Art Street Warszawa, when hundreds of people turn out to draw stars on the city’s sidewalks. “Students need to read the newspaper and ask ‘What can I do?’” Guillemin said. “We need to go to Third World countries … and troubled spots like Northern Ireland and Palestine and find a place in the community to create artwork and show what is possible.” Guillemin also encouraged the use of art in bridging the ideological gap between “red states and blue states.” “This kind of problem has existed before in America in the 1780s after the Revolutionary War. … We need a band of artists that can show the common spirit of America (through art),” he said. Guillemin suggested going into “one-silo towns in Iowa” and inspiring people to recreate Michelangelo and Van Gogh. “We could make videos of how people respond to art and prove once again (art’s) power to just bring different parts of our country together.” A dynamic aspect of the discussion centered on the role of art in our society, and the risks today’s artists are willing to take. “Artists were once rebels. … They found problems in society and disrupted the status quo. It’s time artists went into the toughest parts of town and created murals that expressed positive

values, (inspiring) solutions that police departments can never come up with.” One student suggested the use of public art in upcoming spring events at Brown on the Main Green. Herald cartoonist Mirele Davis ’07, Brown’s liaison for Art Street, expressed the need to expose disadvantaged children to art. “We need to get inner city high school students involved with Shakespeare,” Davis said. Guillemin said he has encountered “visceral responses” from students in Boston-area schools working with Art Street. “So far we’ve worked with students from Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis, Emerson, Simmons, Emmanuel, and even Wellesley, Smith and Harvard,” Guillemin said. “The power will come by organizing new, young, creative energy that understands the viability of (using art for change). We have to discover in ourselves this inner voice and shout it for all to hear.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Despite congressional intervention, Schiavo’s parents unlikely to win, lawyers say BY DANA MILBANK THE WASHINGTON P OST

WASHINGTON — Even with the intervention of Congress and President Bush, Terri Schiavo’s parents have only a slim chance of convincing federal courts that their daughter should be kept alive indefinitely, constitutional lawyers said Monday. Sunday’s unusual action by Congress gave the parents of Schiavo the right to sue in federal court over the withdrawal of life support from their severely brain-damaged daughter — trumping the judgments of Florida courts and the wishes of Schiavo’s husband-guardian. Although the move raises a wide range of complex constitutional questions, and could ultimately require the Supreme Court’s involvement, Schiavo’s parents face a daunting array of legal obstacles in convincing federal courts to involve themselves in an area of state authority. “There are so many substantial hurdles that the case has to get over that it’s hard for them not to trip on one,” said Michael Dorf, a constitutional law professor at Columbia University. Alan Meisel, who directs the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Bioethics and Health Law, called it “very, very unlikely” that Schiavo’s parents will prevail. The difficulty showed itself immediately Monday when lawyers for Schiavo’s parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, filed their request for an injunction in U.S. district court. They argued that the federal court should rule that the Florida judge’s

order to remove Schiavo’s feeding tube “violates and continues to violate” her constitutional rights of religion and due process. But that request is at odds with the law signed early Monday by Bush directing the federal courts to consider the case de novo — without taking into account the state court’s findings. The judge assigned to the case, James Whittemore, expressed skepticism about the Schindler’s lawsuit. “I think you’d be hard-pressed to convince me that you have a substantial likelihood” of success, he said, declining to give an immediate order to restore the feeding tube. The lawyers for the Schindlers need to weave their way around some difficult Supreme Court precedents. The 1990 Cruzan case made clear that a person in a persistent vegetative state had a constitutional right to be removed from a feeding tube. In a 1997 ruling, Chief Justice William Rehnquist affirmed that the Cruzan case assumed that “the due process clause protects the traditional right to refuse unwanted lifesaving medical treatment.” And in the 1995 Plaut ruling written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court struck down an effort by Congress to direct courts to reopen final judicial judgments. Thus, even if the case goes to the Supreme Court, some of the conservative justices who might have the most sympathy for the Schindlers’ claim have in the past sided with the states on similar cases. “I don’t think the chance is much above zero” that this will change now, said Bruce

Gunman kills 9, himself in Minn. BY P.J. HUFFSTUTTER AND STEPHANIE SIMON LOS ANGELES TIMES

MINNEAPOLIS — A student on a remote Indian reservation burst through the metal detector at his high school on Monday and shot dead five classmates, a teacher and a security guard before turning the gun on himself, authorities said. Before his rampage at the school, the student shot and killed his grandparents at their home on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, authorities said. His grandfather, Sgt. Daryl Lussier, had served for more than 35 years on the Red Lake police force. “The boy took his grandfather’s duty belt with the guns. That’s what he used,” said Roman Stately, the Red Lake fire director. It was the deadliest school shooting since the carnage six years ago at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. In that incident, two students killed 12 classmates and a teacher before committing suicide. Stately described a devastating scene at the small high school in Red Lake. The security guard, who was unarmed, was dead at the front door. The slain students and teacher were bunched in one classroom, along with several wounded teenagers. The gunman, an underclassman, had shot himself in the face. His body lay near those of his victims. Authorities said as many as 15 students were injured. “It was just so sad to see the children lying on the floor like that, lying on top of each other. Just a terrible sight,” Stately said. “I’ve seen a lot of bad scenes in my time, but nothing like this.” The FBI, which is investigating the shooting with tribal police, would not speculate on a motive. “It will probably take the rest of the night to put it all together,” FBI Special Agent Paul McCabe said. “We still have a lot of work to do.” Though rumors swirled through the shaken reservation, few could even attempt to explain the bloodshed. “I don’t understand it,” said Darrell Seki Jr., a security guard at nearby North County Regional Hospital,

where six of the victims were taken. Seki attended Red Lake High School; his father is the treasurer of the tribal council. “We can’t believe what’s going on,” Seki said. “I can’t think right now, I’m so shocked.” Darrell Seki Sr. said he arrived at the high school shortly after the shootings. “All I saw was kids running around crying, hugging each other, parents crying, teachers crying,” he said. “A tough, tough day.” School officials were herding some kids onto buses to send them home. Others refused to leave, said local newspaper editor Molly Miron, who arrived at the school soon after the shooting. Many students were too traumatized to talk, she said. One teacher told her that she had heard gunshots and shouted to her students: “Get out, run out, get out.” Miron, editor of The Bemidji Pioneer, said she then hurried to Red Lake Indian Health Services Hospital. The scene there was equally chaotic. “The lobby was jammed,” she said. “People were in a panic, not knowing who was hurt. Everyone here knows everyone out here, and everyone is related to everyone somehow.” Miron identified the gunman as Jeff Weise, a student at the school. Authorities could not be reached for confirmation late Monday. “I have no idea what this is going to do to that town,” Miron said. “This is like a quarter of the class that’s dead or injured.” Though rattled, the younger Seki said he had always half-expected violence to break out at the high school, which has about 300 students. “It’s just the kids up here,” he said. He paused, trying to find the words to describe the sense of despair he thought might lead to a violent outburst. “It’s poverty,” he finally said. “That would be part of this situation, too.” Poverty and unemployment have long gripped the reservation in northern Minnesota, about an hour’s drive from the Canadian border. The land is rich in natural bounty, famous for wild rice beds, peat bogs and world-class walleye and crappie fishing.

Fein, a constitutional lawyer and columnist for the Washington Times. Article Three of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to send a case to federal courts particularly if a person’s constitutional rights have been violated. But it is not clear that Congress can dictate guardianship rules to states. “I don’t think any power Congress has under the Commerce clause or other powers gives them the authority to make federal guardianship laws,” said Mary Cheh, a law professor at George Washington University. As to the substance of the Schindlers’ case, their lawyers cited Terri Schiavo’s rights under the first and 14th amendments and under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 1983. They said the state trial judge denied her a fair trail and did not make “reasonable accommodations to Terri’s sincerely-held religious beliefs.” Columbia’s Dorf said these claims are weak. He said due-process claims against a judge are “very hard to win.” The claim that the judge violated her free exercise of religion, he said, is equally difficult to establish. “You have to show that the government targeted you because of your religion and did not apply a general law or principle to you,” he said. A better argument, Dorf said, would be to assert that Schiavo’s husband was wrong to claim she is in a vegetative state and that removing her feeding tube violates her right to life. Even then, he said, “it’s very implausible that they would win.”

The Schindler’s success may hinge on their ability to disqualify the judgment of Schiavo’s husband, Michael. Their complaint Monday made some effort to do that, noting that he “abandoned his marriage to Terri in 1995 by cohabiting with and having two children by a woman other than his wife.” But to convince the courts that Michael Schiavo is acting in bad faith as her guardian would require a federal court to reach a finding on the medical evidence that is different from the state court’s. “If the Florida courts are doing their jobs, it’s inconceivable the district court would find anything different,” Meisel said. “If there had been a problem, somebody would have caught it.” The case has been in Florida courts for 12 years. In the lawsuit filed Monday, Terri Schiavo is both the plaintiff and the defendant, represented by her parents as plaintiff and by her husband as guardian. That creates an unusual situation: If the federal courts recognize Michael Schiavo as guardian, then the federal proceedings requested by her parents could violate her constitutional rights. “Can they force her to re-litigate a right she has won?” Cheh wondered. “That may be a violation of her due-process rights.” Cheh said she, for one, is happy not to be the one to answer such odd questions. “If I were the judge who got assigned to this by the computer, I’d flee the country,” she said.

Entertainment

Gary Glassman, founder of Providence Pictures, said Rhode Island needs to encourage production companies to come to the state permanently through improved tax incentive plans like rollover and tradable tax credits, which allow production companies more flexibility in utilizing their incentives. “What created the renaissance in Providence is the ability to sell tax credits,” Glassman said. “If I were able to sell my tax credits I would be creating a production company and media arts center here.” Ultimately, Glassman hopes better reforms will help Rhode Island build the infrastructure needed for a self-sufficient, more productive and more attractive film industry. Feinberg said he hopes Rhode Island will be able to retain more of its local talent and provide a Brown or RISD film student with quality job prospects and career opportunities after graduation. In addition, Feinberg also sees film and tel-

continued from page 3 le-down economic effect that causes increases in tourism, patronage of local businesses and job creation. Every episode of “Brotherhood” will have an estimated $2.2 million impact on the economy. Feinberg and local government officials say they hope this legislation will allow Rhode Island to reclaim much of the business recently lost to the rising Canadian markets, which benefit from their own incentive plans. According to Montalbano, “Toronto will have no more advantages on us once the legislation is passed.” Feinberg said he is seeking to “make sure that Rhode Island stories are set in Rhode Island.” Montalbano said Rhode Island’s variety of settings in a small radius make the state appealing to filmmakers. “You have everything that you want in a small area; the ocean, the historical buildings in Providence and Newport, countryside, city settings and everything is within 20 minutes of each other,” he said. According to Farrelly, a Rhode Island native, the state continues to be an attractive location for his own productions because of its cultural and natural resources. “It’s been a tradition where every time we do a film we try to do at least a little part of it in Rhode Island,” Farrelly said. “You can get great locations to shoot at, especially if the season is right.” But for Farrelly, Rhode Island possesses more than just an array of diverse settings. “There are a lot of characters in Rhode Island that are probably really odd in other places,” he said. “There is something about us that lends ourselves to humor.” Nevertheless, for Farrelly and other local film producers, writers and directors, Rhode Island has to do more than provide tax incentives for film companies in order to attract production beyond location shooting. “There needs to be soundstages, sophisticated editing facilities, a welltrained local crew base and all of the other things that go along with filmmaking,” Farrelly said.

“There are a lot of characters in Rhode Island that are probably really odd in other places,” Bobby Farrelly said. “There is something about us that lends ourselves to humor.” evision as a way to promote other artists. “Why don’t we put local artists’ paintings on television and movie sets, so local artists can say my painting was on this series? We want to keep the people, talent and jobs here.” Increased production may improve Rhode Island’s public image, Farrelly said. “If more movies keep coming, it will depict Rhode Island as a favorable place to go,” he said. When asked whether he plans to shoot in Rhode Island in the future, Farrelly said, “I’d love to be around here shooting a whole film. I’d rather be here. It’s more fun and the restaurants are better.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Search completed Some search committees fail to satisfactorily meet the needs of the entire community — with more candidates, more time and more money, we could have gotten the one we really wanted. But the search committee for the new Department of Public Safety chief appears to have avoided any such problem, perhaps because no one had to compromise in selecting Mark Porter. With the new DPS community policing program underway and, more importantly, its ongoing arming preparations, the selection of DPS’s new chief was not a task to be taken lightly. Porter, who has enacted similar initiatives as chief at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, provides Brown with a leader who has unique experience that makes him a perfect fit. Porter’s commitment to transparency and communication will be valuable in helping these initiatives succeed, but is also necessary if the process is to be legitimate. If the University is too secretive about the arming process, it could be seen as occurring at the expense of the community, not for its protection. A publicly available arming timeline would prove just how committed Porter and DPS are to keeping the community informed. Porter’s experience with the process may have been the search committee’s primary criterion given Brown’s particular circumstances. However, Porter’s selection, which makes him the first black police chief in Rhode Island’s history, has numerous other benefits. First, his selection adds credibility to the arming process. Much of the apprehension about arming DPS officers came from concerns of racial insensitivity and profiling. While having a black chief will not suddenly make these issues disappear — DPS is not a one-man force — it shows that the University is serious about addressing these concerns. Porter also steps into a much larger role, as a leader among black and minority police in Rhode Island and the Northeast. Brown’s force is easily the most diverse in the state, but the rest of Rhode Island’s police force is abysmally homogeneous — 300 of the 6,500 law enforcement officers are racial minorities, with only 11 in leadership positions. Porter will be looked to for leadership in increasing the minority presence in the state’s police departments, whether he wants the attention or not. We hope Porter will not be overburdened by this responsibility. The departure of former Director of Public Safety Col. Paul Verrecchia for warmer climates hasn’t left the University in the cold — the search committee has turned it into a resounding positive. We look forward to watching Porter lead DPS through a crucial point in its history.

DANIEL L AWLOR

LETTERS Anti-Patriot Act resolution was timely To the Editor: While the Brown ACLU recognizes that Friday’s “cubic zirconium” (“Diamonds and Coal,” March 18) is a good-natured joke about the timing of the ACLU’s Patriot Act Resolution, we’d like to clear up any possible misconceptions about the resolution and its timing. The resolution was introduced this year because we wanted to introduce it at roughly the same time that many parts of the Patriot Act will come up for renewal (December 2005) and also in part to inform Brown students about the Patriot Act so that they may take further action, such as voicing their concerns to their local representatives, well before the December 2005 “sunset” date.

Also, the implication that UCS acted slowly is false; in fact, we were all very impressed by the responsiveness and speed of UCS after our initial proposal. The Brown ACLU would like to thank, in particular, Joel Payne ’05, Emily Blatter ’07, and Charley Cummings ’06, as well as all of UCS and the hundreds of students who signed our petitions either at ACLU meetings or in the Faunce mailroom. Tristan Freeman ’07 President, Brown ACLU March 18

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

Allison Kwong, Night Editor Chessy Brady, Kate Worteck, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Camden Avery, Alexandra Barsk, Eric Beck, Mary-Catherine Lader, Ben Leubsdorf, Jane Porter, Stu Woo Senior Sports Writers Bernie Gordon, Jilane Rodgers 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

Media nullifies theory of local politics To the editor: While I appreciate the democratic spirit of Jack Sweeney-Taylor’s column (“Small and separate,” March 21), his idealism falls short due to the very ideas that he himself calls “dated.” When Alexis De Tocqueville wrote his comment on the “striking physiognomy” of America, the telegraph had not yet been invented, and it was appropriate to view individual communities as distinct “laboratories of democracy.” In today’s era of hysterical 24-hour news media, however, the actions of one community can immediately be known and judged throughout the rest of the country — a process the rightwing media has exploited for its own sinister purposes. As the recent Terri Schiavo frenzy has demonstrated, seemingly local decisions can have dramatic national consequences. When formulating strategy, we liberals must remember that there are decent Americans who believe that they are not bigoted or backwards for being uncomfortable with “gay rights” such as

adoption and equal marriage, but nonetheless still consider the Republican Party too reactionary. If we want our progressive agenda to succeed, we have to include them in the broadest, most populist tent possible — which means holding to a social agenda that more, rather than fewer, people can agree on. But, as the 2004 Kerry campaign demonstrated, we cannot just reluctantly and contemptuously resign ourselves to “appeasing the bumpkins,” either. We must enthusiastically embrace a platform that respects the concerns and views of our diverse constituents, including those liberals and moderates who do not necessarily agree on every social issue. Sweeney-Taylor says that he’d “like to think this isn’t how democracy works.” Well, so would I, but I’d rather play the game and have a fighting chance of winning than forfeit for the moral high ground. Jesse Adams ’07 March 21

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. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. ADVERTISING POLICY The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

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OPINIONS TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005 · PAGE 11 WILFRED U. CODRINGTON III

Corporate culture in the White House The go-it-alone philosophy of the current administration coupled with the selfish rule of the business elite makes the correction of major world problems

ing an executive’s previous tenure determines his next job; hence the concern with short-range, seemingly drastic accomplishments. It is because of this corporate-

The rule of the business aristocracy will, by necessity, prove to be adverse to the overall interests of the citizenry. almost impossible. By the end of the current presidential term, this generation will know the effects of a large-casualty war: a massive deficit, a thinly stretched military and alienation from other world powers. The rule of the business aristocracy will, by necessity, prove to be adverse to the overall interests of the citizenry — the objectives of business and government are incompatible. The goal of the government is long-term sustainability and the wellbeing of its citizens, but corporate heads like Vice President Cheney (Halliburton), Secretary of State Rice (Chevron), Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld (General Instrument Corp.), Treasury Secretary Snow (CSX Corp.) and new Commerce Secretary Gutierrez (Kellogg Co.) were trained to focus on near-future profits while the company is under their leadership. Government officials tend to seek multiple re-elections and pursue higher offices, but corporate executives will spend four to seven years with a company before seeking leadership positions in another. The success of the company dur-

style governance that we see the shortsighted solutions to long-term problems: taking federal funds to apply to the private school system instead of truly funding and revamping the public education; drilling in arctic preserves and relying on foreign oil instead of funding and encouraging alternative energy supplies; and declaring war on sovereign and resource-rich nations instead of truly combating the expansive problem of global terrorism. Corporations compete with others in similar industries, whereas in dealing with issues such as terrorism and nuclear proliferation, cooperation is needed. Cooperation, however, does not come free. Dubya and Condi have been tagteaming the world, globe-trotting to gain support for action and policy against Iran and North Korea because, as we learned last time, executing a military intervention without greater support can cost lives, dollars and political support from the rest of the world. Their approach, however, seems no different than what happened before the invasion of Iraq. In the run up to our last war, numerous attempts were

made in front of the United Nations and world allies to have them join a then divided America in dismantling a country for possession of weapons of mass destruction that were to never surface. How can the head of another nation justify sending troops and treasure to maintain peace in an Iraq now more dangerous then before the “end of major combat” when they are excluded from financial benefits of the postwar rebuilding efforts? Not only do policies like no-bid contracts for companies with strong ties to the administration lessen the likelihood of assistance from major European and Asian countries, but they alienate the Middle Eastern nations most integral in dealing with terrorism. The problems for an electorate facing

the president’s term. Of course impeachment is a possibility, but the chances of that occurring are always slim, as people are afraid to change leadership during war. Even more, this government has the uncanny ability to deftly manipulate the weak spots of the electorate — most notably religion — to keep the country divided on enough fronts to ensure its political stability. What better way to retain the support of the biblical zealots of the Midwest and rural South than to make it seem as if the display of the Ten Commandments or an official ban on gay marriage is of the greatest national priority? If we are looking forward to a fate similar to the WorldComs, Enrons and Tycos of

In the event of an abysmal financial situation, corporate shareholders can convene to discuss the removal of the executives they deem responsible. these disadvantages in leadership style come without the benefit of oversight traditionally associated with the shareholders of a public corporation. In the event of an abysmal financial situation, shareholders can convene to discuss the removal of the executives they deem responsible. With the government, even if there is some catastrophic event that changes the nation’s state of affairs, no transition would take place, at least until the end of

the world, we are on the right track. Until the day when the majority can dismiss particular government officials with the small inconvenience of a healthy severance pay, the rule of the nation should be left to politicians who are able to put the well-being of the nation before their personal stake in policy. Wilfred U. Codrington III ’05 sells the president’s stock short.

ADAM NELSON

Time for Thefacebook.com hold-outs to give in In my last column, I mentioned that my door lock could easily be picked with a wire hanger. Soon after, employees from Facilities Management inspected my door and have subsequently ordered all doors in my dorm (and, I’ve been told, in five other dorms on Wriston) to be examined and, if necessary, replaced. I mention this story for two reasons: First, to acknowledge that, even though it was not my desire to implicate Facilities Management or the Office of Residential Life for being negligent in my last article, they certainly showed that they quickly address any safety issues; and second, to explain why I’ve since lost all of my best friends. At 9 a.m. the next morning, Facilities Management began examining the doors and drilling to remove faulty ones (i.e., all of them), which meant that, even though they were being very polite and trying to be as quiet as possible, most of my friends were awakened as a result. This has now happened on four different occasions and, besides the wake-ups, four friends have gotten locked out of their rooms since they can no longer break in. Basically, my friends now hate me. To my chagrin, almost immediately after the first 9 a.m. wake up call, the “We hate Adam Nelson” Facebook group appeared. This group is not for people who just generally dislike me — although I imagine there are many — but for those who were my friends but were pestered

because of my previous column. The interesting thing is not the content of the group, but instead the speed with which it was created. The whole situation made me wonder, “Where would we be without Thefacebook?” It was a year ago that Thefacebook.com

City” group if you’re from Long Island. It means poking, even though you don't quite know what that is or what it does. But with all of those procrastinationenablers aside, Thefacebook does offer a very useful arena for Brown students to recognize each other. There was a time

First you had just 10 friends and would check it once a week, but eventually it became a 10-time-a-day obsession trying to decide whether that guy to whom you once gave a pencil to in your physics class is worthy enough to become your 567th friend. first showed up at Brown. First you had just 10 friends and would check it once a week, but eventually it became a 10-timea-day obsession trying to decide whether that guy to whom you once gave a pencil in your physics class is worthy to become your 567th friend. Now it means difficult decisions like which Jose from the Ratty you would like to support with your group preference and whether or not you should join the “Brown Students from New York

when Brown students would have to look through the first-year class album to locate people they knew, hooked up with, thought were attractive or stalked. This system not only took too long, but risked the dejection of finding the person you were looking for with only a bear above his or her name. As a result of Thefacebook, the entire campus’ self esteem has gone up because most everyone chooses to make themselves look

cooler and more attractive in their photo, so that everyone can be happier — about people they hooked up/are going out/are friends with, and about themselves. Of course, the rising star of Thefacebook almost immediately created a counterculture. For when many people find one thing fun and cool, there will inevitably be a group who deem it “uncool” and decide not to participate. They look down their noses at members of Thefacebook. But I urge those nay-sayers to give Thefacebook a try — not because it's cool and not because you necessarily need any other way to procrastinate, but because it makes it that much easier to find people at Brown and to enable people to find you. It’s like cell phones; sure, people got along fine before cell phones came around, but they just make life easier. And eventually, you’ll find that Thefacebook makes life more fun; just like when you first got your cell phone for “emergencies only” and then found yourself three months later text-messaging in class like a maniac. So resisters, stop resisting, and give yourself the chance to become “friends” with people from your middle school whom you’d hoped you’d never see again … you'll be glad you did. Adam Nelson ’06 dedicates this column to people he has known, hooked up with, thought were attractive or stalked.

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SPORTS TUESDAY MARCH 22, 2005 · PAGE 12

Tumblers take third in season finale BY MADELEINE MARECKI SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The gymnastics team took on the University of New Hampshire and Towson University in Durham, N.H. on Saturday in the final meet of the regular season. As has been the story all year, the team entered the competition with little depth due to injury. The squad toughed it out, but finished third with 181.250 points. UNH won the meet with 193.275 points, while Towson finished with 192.450 points. Disaster struck Bruno even before the first event began. During the warm-up period, the team’s top all-arounder, Amber Smith ’06, severely injured herself while practicing on the uneven bars. Smith over-flipped during a release move on the bars and failed to catch the bar, hurting her elbow on the subsequent fall. This apparent ligament injury not only took Smith out of Saturday’s competition, but also ended her season. With Smith out, her scoring position in all four events had to be filled by various teammates. Furthermore, every gymnast had to hit her routine on bars, vault and floor exercise, since only five athletes were scheduled to compete in those events. The top five gymnasts’ scores count toward the final team score.

“Everyone’s minds were on whether or not Amber was okay,” said Head Coach Sara Carver-Milne. “The team did a good job of pulling together and doing their performances for Amber.” Tri-captain Melissa Forziat ’05 echoed a similar sentiment about the team’s attitude. “This meet was a test of our mettle. People were stepping up from exhibitioning since we were asking them to hit,” she said. Leading the way for the Bears was Forziat. The senior tallied the highest score in the meet for Brown with her 9.675 effort on the floor. She also finished first for the team on the beam with what tri-captain Kelly Moran ’05 said was “one of her best beam routines of the year.” Forziat scored a 9.375 in the event. Moran also had a strong day. She was the Bears’ top scorer on the bars with a 9.300, and competed well on the floor with a 9.350. Jess Pouchet ’06, the team’s lone all-arounder, was the Bears’ top competitor on the vault, scoring a 9.300. Yet, the highlights of the meet came from the athletes who found themselves in the new role as scorers, especially Caryn Levanthal ’07, who scored a 9.050 on the vault.

BY JUSTIN GOLDMAN S PORTS S TAFF WRITER

Ashley Hess / Herald

Caryn Levanthal ’07 scored a 9.050 on the vault Saturday. “Caryn Levanthal hit her vault although she has been having knee issues,” Forziat said. “She has been working so hard to make her vault faster, stronger and better. We were all very proud of her.” Forziat also pointed to the performance of Mandi Baughman ’06 as an important see GYMNASTICS, page 7

Equestrian’s postseason hopes take a big hit with 12-point loss to UConn

Judy He / Herald

Equestrian’s chances of winning the region were greatly diminished with a 12-point loss to rival UConn on Saturday. BY ELIZA LANE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Saturday, the equestrian team competed at Johnson and Wales University in its second-to-last show of the season. The horse show featured all of Brown’s usual regional competitors, including Wesleyan University, Salve Regina University and, most importantly, the University of Connecticut — Brown’s only truly threatening opponent. This particular day, UConn was a force to be reckoned with, significantly diminishing Brown’s likelihood of extending its competition into the postseason. Entering the show, Brown was leading the region in seasonal standings, with UConn ranked second. However, Saturday’s competition ended with UConn taking a 7-point lead — an astounding

12-point swing in one day. The substantial spread by which Brown was defeated left the team with a significant point deficit that the women must now overcome in order to overturn UConn’s supremacy and gain the title of regional champions. “It was just a terrible, terrible show,” said co-captain Jamie Peddy ’06. “It was just really unfortunate.” UConn’s seven-point lead is now the difference between the Bears’ season ending after this weekend’s competition and going on to compete in the post-season Zone Championship. While overcoming a sevenpoint spread is hardly impossible, it does presents a challenge. Peddy and the rest of the Bears remain hopeful. “It’s definitely possible to make up the points we lost this past weekend, but we only have one chance, because this weekend’s show is our last of the season, so it will be a struggle,” Peddy said. The Bears’ lack of success at Johnson and Wales was due to a number of related factors. For one, the horses assigned to Brown’s riders were less than cooperative. “My class was apparently a rodeo class, because all my horse did was buck,” said cocaptain Alexis Gilbard ’06. “It was a flat class, and it just got to the point where I realized that it just wasn’t safe to keep

Softball loses first two games of season at Villanova Invite

showing. So, I just stood in the middle of the ring and waited until the class was over,” Gilbard said. Gilbard explained that each morning before the day’s show even begins, the women and their coach discuss who to use as the see EQUESTRIAN, page 6

Due to New England’s unfortunate weather, the women’s softball team was unable to play any games until this weekend. Finally gracing the field at the Villanova Invitational in Newtown Square, Pa., the Bears dropped two tough games on Saturday, first to perennial top 25 power University of Massachusetts — Amherst, and then to host Villanova University. There was not much rust on the Bears in their first two games, as they were able to make both contests competitive, especially in their game against UMass. The Minutewomen prevailed, 3-2, in a hard-fought contest. “They are a top 25 team and we were with them for seven innings,” said Head Coach Pam McCreesh. The Bears showed incredible resolve against the Minutewomen as they battled back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game, only to lose in the final inning. UMass got on the board early when Jenna Busa hit a two-out solo home run over the left field fence off Uchenna Omokaro ’05 in the first inning. The Bears had their first scoring opportunity in the fourth inning when Sarah Wilson ’06 captured Brown’s first hit of the game. Rachel Fleitell ’06 was then hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second. The threat fizzled, however, when Omokaro grounded out to end the inning, stranding runners on second and third. After Bruno put runners on base but failed to score in the top of the fourth, UMass went up 2-0 in the bottom half of the inning when first-year Stacy Cullington hit her first

career home run. The Bears finally got into the scoring column in the top of the sixth inning when Mary Seid ’06 led off with an infield single and Courtney Jenkins ’07 reached on an error two batters later, putting runners at the corners. Amy Baxter ’08 then drew a walk to load the bases. With the bases full of Bears, Melissa Ota ’07 hit a double to right field, tying the game at two. UMass persevered to get the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Pam Sulick hit a single and was then sacrificed to second. A single and a walk later, the bases were loaded, and senior Denise Denis drew a walk to end the game. “I was very happy with our effort. The only people that knew that this was the first game were the players on the field. The spectators had no idea that this was our first game of the season,” McCreesh said. Omokaro pitched six and two thirds innings, giving up three runs on six hits. In Brown’s second game of the day, the Bears found themselves behind Villanova 4-0 after five innings, a hole that proved to be insurmountable. “We played well in our second game, but we struck out three times in the first inning, which really set the tone for them,” McCreesh said. After five innings, Bruno was finally able to get a run home when Seid drew a walk and then advanced to second and third on wild pitches. Jenkins then hit a double to bring Seid home and cut the Wildcats’ lead to 4-1. In the final inning, see SOFTBALL, page 7

W. polo goes 2-3 in Michigan thanks to improving defense BY CHRIS MAHR SPORTS EDITOR

Facing some of its toughest competition of the season, the women’s water polo team took more away from its five games at the Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor than its 2-3 record would indicate. “The overall results were expected, but the fact that we were able to compete well against those (tough) teams was something I was hoping for,” said Head Coach Jason Gall. “The team realizes they’re better than they thought they were.” The gauntlet began Saturday when the Bears took on host University of Michigan in their first match. The going was tough against the No. 11 Wolverines, as Brown was outscored in all four quarters en route to an 8-3 defeat. Captain

Diana Livermore ’05, Ally Wyatt ’08 and Caitlin Fahey ’07 found the net for the Bears. Livermore also had three steals and drew three ejections in the loss. Brown rebounded in its next match against California Lutheran University, notching a 9-5 victory. As was the case last weekend, several underclassmen stepped up to carry the offense. Roxanne Palmer ’08 was particularly impressive, leading the way with three goals. Emily Schwartz ’08 scored two goals, while Alexis Blaxberg ’08, Paige Lansing ’07 and Wyatt added one each, with Livermore rounding out the scoring. Another fast-improving firstyear, Anne Deggelman ’08, did the job in net, recording eight blocks. In their final match of the day, the Bears found themselves up against No. 9 Indiana

University. Despite falling behind 4-0 early, Brown refused to let the game get out of hand, shutting out the Hoosiers the rest of the way. Livermore and Wyatt recorded their third and second goals of the day, respectively, but the comeback came up short, as the Bears fell, 4-2. Deggelman had a tremendous game in goal, tallying ten saves and spearheading a defense that has gained some muchneeded intensity since yielding 18 goals in a loss to Hartwick College last weekend. “We definitely played much better defense,” Gall said. “We weren’t blown out against any of the teams we played.” Brown looked to keep its momentum going heading into its two Sunday games. In their first match against Michigan see WATER POLO, page 6