T H U R S D A Y APRIL 28, 2005
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 58 BARD ON THE RUN Shakespeare rediscovers out-of-theway courtyards and lawns as performance spaces in annual fest A R T S & C U LT U R E 3
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An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891 REPROGRAMMING WWASPS Michal Zapendowski ’07: Torture and abuse of teenagers in discipline camps net cruel industry millions O P I N I O N S 15
BOOSTER STREET Sunday’s 5k run honors “Mr. Brown” Dave Zucconi ’55, a former rugby player and lifetime Bruno fan S P O R T S 16
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McNamara argues for empathy in fighting nuke proliferation BY PHILLIP GARA STAFF WRITER
“The indefinite combination between human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to their use and the destruction of nations. For God sakes, think about it,” former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara said Wednesday. In a passionate and reflective lecture to a packed MacMillian 117, McNamara contrasted recent nuclear concerns with his own Vietnam-era failure to address the same political issues. He stressed the importance of communication and empathy in contentious foreign affairs, as well as within the U.S. government, to prevent nuclear proliferation. McNamara spoke as part of a three-part lecture series sponsored by the Watson Institute for International Studies to commemorate milestones in the Vietnam War. Although much maligned during his tenure as secretary of defense under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, McNamara has recently softened his image by examining what he describes as his past mistakes. In his 1996 book “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam,” McNamara began his efforts to uncover and analyze communication and policy failures at the highest level in order to find solutions for problems of nuclear proliferation and conflict in the 21st century. Ultimately, MacNamara said, during Vietnam, “the greatest failure was the failure
Juliana Wu / Herald
Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara reflected on the Kennedy and Johnson administrations’ mistakes during the Vietnam War as part of a three-part lecture series sponsored by the Watson Institute to commemorate milestones in the Vietnam War. to talk. They wanted independence; we wanted assurance that the South Vietnam would not be used as a stepping stone to extend Communism across eastern South Asia.” More recently, McNamara joined Professor of International Studies James Blight and Adjunct Associate Professor of International Relations Janet Lang on the
After five years, BSR awaits FCC decision on Providence frequency BY HANNAH MILLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Since filing a bid with the Federal Communications Commission five years ago to operate its own signal, Brown Student Radio, the oldest student-run radio station in the country, is awaiting a final verdict from the FCC. After 69 years of local broadcasting, BSR still does not own its own signal, in part due to the red tape surrounding the FCC’s allocation of low-power FM licenses to grassroots radio stations nationwide. “BSR’s goal is to be able to control a station 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said BSR General Manager Shauna Duffy ’04. BSR currently rents seven hours per night from a station owned by the Wheeler School, and broadcasts from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the academic year. However, Duffy said, “The Wheeler School is very conservative. Having our own station would allow us more freedom on the air.” The Wheeler tower is located in Seekonk, Mass., about 6 miles outside of Providence. The distance reduces the quality of the signal at Brown. “BSR is hard to pick up from the
dorms on campus,” Duffy noted. An LPFM license would enable BSR to control a Providence-based signal that would better serve Brown’s population and the larger Providence community, she said. In 2000, the FCC authorized a new, affordable low-power FM radio service designed to enhance community-oriented educational radio broadcasting. BSR was among 15 groups that applied for permission to run 96.5 FM — a Providence-based frequency. In order to qualify for a license, organizations must have a local presence and a two-year history prior to filing for a license, and must promise to create local educational programming. Since the initial application five years ago, a number of contending groups have been eliminated from the running, either due to flaws in their applications or loss of interest, leaving BSR to negotiate with four other groups competing for the station — Zion Bible College, Ephese Haitian Church, Casa de Oracion and Providence Community Radio. None of the competing groups could be
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see BSR, page 6
2001 book “Wilson’s Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing, and Catastrophe in the 21st Century.” Blight and Lang also served as advisors on Errol Morris’ documentary “The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara,” in which McNamara examined issues faced in Vietnam and modern conflict. In his speech, McNamara described current nuclear anxieties and the importance of finding effective solutions to nuclear warfare now. “As we sit here, we, the U.S., have 6,000 nuclear warheads deployed. Each one on average has about 20 times the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb. And of the 6,000, 2,000 are on hair-trigger alert to be
EDITOR’S NOTE This is the last print issue of The Herald this semester.
AHEAD ON THE WEB WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM • Clinton coverage: A special online edition, available Saturday, recaps former President Bill Clinton’s visit to campus. • Web updates: Visit browndailyherald.com for breaking news and sports reports. AHEAD ON NEWSS TANDS • Guide to Providence Dining: Profiles of 32 Renaissance City restaurants. • Commencement Issue 2005: What will Brown look like in 25 years?
see MCNAMARA, page 8
UCS recaps successes, looks to future University committee appointments process sidetracked BY LAURA SUPKOFF STAFF WRITER
At its final scheduled meeting of the year, the Undergraduate Council of Students pushed to finish pressing business by passing resolutions, certifying elections and presenting recommendations for next year’s council. However, the University committee appointments process, which was to conclude with approval of 49 appointments to 12 committees at the Wednesday meeting, was postponed due to a potential violation of the UCS code of operations. An additional meeting will be held Saturday to further discuss all committee appointments before certifying them. Brendan Hargreaves ’06, a current member of the Residential Council and
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chair of the lottery committee, brought his concern to UCS “that the appointments (to ResCouncil) were made unfairly.” Hargreaves, who was selected to be a member of next year’s council, said he was concerned about the lack of interviews for applicants, and said that only the third question on the application, which was about the problems facing the lottery and ways that it can be improved, is representative of what ResCouncil actually does. In addition, Hargreaves said ResCouncil faces many other issues of which applicants were not made aware. Appointments Chair Will Cunningham ’07 said there were applicants currently on ResCouncil “that did not take the application seriously.” Seventeen applicants applied for 13 voting and four alternate positions on the council. Three of the four chosen to be alternates are current ResCouncil members, including one see UCS, page 9 News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com