Wednesday, February 15, 2006 by The Brown Daily Herald

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006

Volume CXLI, No. 16 THE BIZARRO BROWN John Brown University expels its only opnely gay student over violations of its community covenant CAMPUS WATCH 3

GENDER DEFENDER Courtney Jenkins ’07: Brown students should consider shopping oftenoverlooked gender studies courses OPINIONS 11

DOUBLE THE FUN Sarah Demers ’07: A former two-sport athlete looks back on her experiences competing on two teams SPORTS 12

partly cloudy 49 / 41

BY TARYN MARTINEZ STAFF WRITER

What do most Brown Medical School students do in their few hours of spare FEATURE time each week? Catch up on sleep, hang out with friends, call family members back home and battle Rhode Islanders’ obesity. Or that might just be Rajiv Kumar ’05 MD ’09, chairman of Shape Up Rhode Island, a nonproﬁt initiative in which citizens of the Ocean State will compete to lose weight. “Ever since I started med school, I’ve become increasingly interested in obesity and its effect on society,” Kumar said. “It’s one of the biggest problems affecting us today.” Kumar’s initiative seems to be just in time. Rhode Island’s obesity statistics show an overwhelming need for better

Activists from all over the state, including members of the Brown Democrats and Queer Alliance, assembled at the State House yesterday to “get engaged” in the ﬁght for marriage equality in Rhode Island. Politicians and citizens alike expressed support for the legal recognition of samesex marriage at the Valentine’s Day rally, which was spearheaded by Marriage Equality RI. Student groups including the Brown Democrats marched demonstrators down to the State House early in the afternoon. The rally took place in the main atrium of the State House and began with a musical lineup that included such Valentine’s Day standards as The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love.”

Jean Yves Chainon / Herald

Members of Queer Alliance and the Brown Democrats gathered Tuesday evening in the State House to advocate for same-sex marriage legislation.

Mild weather, conservation lessen energy cost overruns by $500,000 An unusually mild winter and efforts to conserve energy seem to be paying off, as University energy costs did not meet original projections made in the fall. “We were originally projecting our energy costs to be over budget by $3.6 million. It now looks like we will be closer to $3.1 million over budget,” said Elizabeth Huidekoper, executive vice president for ﬁnance and administration. Rising oil prices during the summer and fall prompted the University to expect a total spending increase of at least 10

TOMORROW

Rajiv Kumar ’05 hopes to “Shape Up R.I.”

BY HANNAH MILLER STAFF WRITER

BY THI HO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TODAY

partly cloudy 49 / 31

Rhode Islanders team up to lose weight

Brown Dems, Queer Alliance turn out in support of same-sex marriage

see RALLY, page 8

www.browndailyherald.com

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

percent early in the school year. In an Oct. 20 University-wide email, Provost Robert Zimmer and Huidekoper estimated a near 50 percent increase in energy costs for the academic year. “In dollar terms, our energy costs will rise from $12.5 million last year to approximately $18.1 million for the year ending June 30, 2006,” they wrote. In an attempt to decrease energy costs, University administrators and the Environmental Task Force, a group created to inform students about energy consumption, tried to recruit short-term help from students. They advised students to turn off lights and appliances not in use and to put their computers

Jean Yves Chainon/ Herald

The construction of the Life Sciences Building and rising oil prices were some of the factors that ran the University’s energy costs over budget by $3.1 million this year. Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260

in sleep mode. Administrators also fixed thermostats at 68 degrees for the winter season. Huidekoper partly attributes the decrease in energy costs to these energy-saving measures. “We are, so far, very pleased that the conservation efforts, combined with the relatively mild weather this winter, are likely to result in significant savings this year, “ she said. Energy is measured by a metering system that shows how much electricity is being used at the University, said Kurt Teichert, resource efficiency manager and adjunct lecturer in environmental studies. He said he hopes for more comprehensive energy conservation efforts in the future. Teichert said the University will turn to more long-term energy-saving solutions aiming at more energy-efficient systems. “One of the key things we face is in the older buildings that still run on steam. Steam is very hard to control because ait doesn’t allow us to control temperatures,” Teichert said. “We’re also increasing efforts at investing in electrical efficiency,” he said. Energy conservation is not a new concern at the University. “These are all things that have been ongoing. The key thing is to continue,” Teichert said.

health — 56 percent of adult Rhode Islanders are overweight or obese, according to a 2004 study by the Centers for Disease Control. Even with those numbers, though, Kumar said Rhode Island isn’t one of the worst states in terms of obesity. “But it’s still not good enough!” he added. “Obesity is an epidemic now,” said Ray Rickman, chief advisor for Shape Up R.I. and president of the non-proﬁt Adopt A Doctor, which he co-founded with Kumar. “It’s not just a lifestyle issue, it’s a health issue. The stats say that we’re going to have the ﬁrst people in America that don’t live longer than their parents.” “We have to reverse this trend,” he added. Kumar’s challenge was to create a program that not only helped people lose weight but see SHAPE UP, page 6

Two March forums set for plus/minus discussion BY CHLOE LUTTS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

At its meeting yesterday, the College Curriculum Council scheduled a University-wide forum for March 9 to discuss the possible addition of pluses and minuses to the grading system. The forum will follow an additional forum hosted by the Undergraduate Council of Students scheduled for March 2. The council passed a resolution “to recommend to the Dean (of the College) that the CCC … will work with UCS so UCS can set up a meeting to discuss (changes to the grading system) with as many students as possible,” said Lecturer in Education and Vice Chair of the CCC Luther Spoehr. The members of the CCC will attend this discussion, and faculty members will also be invited. “In the interest of having the kind of discussion this place needs to have, we need to have more than one” meeting, Spoehr said. Jonathan Waage, professor of biology and senior advisor to the Dean of the College, said a preliminary meeting run by UCS would be valuable to hear viewpoints “that have not been heard before” and give students the opportunity to discuss the issue before the University-wide forum and “to try and clarify … how the students see it.” The CCC considered whether discussion on the issue should revolve around pluses and

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

minuses or encompass a wider debate about all possible changes to Brown’s grading system. However, the council did not come to any conclusions on this issue. Waage, who raised the issue, said, “I am not suggesting a radical change in course. Let’s just be really clear about what we are discussing here.” CCC member Freya Zaheer ’06 supported the idea of two forums. Another member, Shyam Sundaram ’08, agreed the UCS-sponsored meeting could allow students an opportunity to formulate and “categorize” their views before the University-wide forum. In addition to making their concerns heard at the meeting, “students need to make a very concerted effort to reach out to their faculty members,” Zaheer told The Herald. Sundaram added that students should “encourage them to come to the forums.” Waage echoed this point, saying that individual conversations between students and faculty members provide the most important avenue for discussion, a point that was also emphasized at the CCC’s last meeting. Spoehr said he believes the “primary rationale for changing the grading system is clarity, precision and ultimately honesty,” not controlling grade inﬂation, which he said he thinks is “almost inevitable” due to other elements of the grading see CCC, page 4

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

THIS MORNING THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 2 Jero Matt Vascellaro

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS GREAT WRITERS LECTURE: WRITING THE LYRIC ESSAY 6:30 p.m., (MacMillan 117) — Come listen to John D’Agata, professor of English from the University of Iowa, the third of four writers brought to Brown this year by the Expository Writing Program in the Department of English. DOES YOUR DENOMINATION DEFINE YOU? 7 p.m., (Brown Hillel) — This panel-style discussion will address topics about the major denominations of Judaism.

“TRUDELL”: A FILM 7 p.m., (Smith-Buon. 106) — This ﬁlm chronicles the life of the activist, actor and poet John Trudell. Presented by the Native Americans at Brown 2005-06 Media and Performance Series. ORIENTATION WELCOMING COMMITTEE 7:30 p.m., (Wilson 205) — Learn how to be involved in welcoming the class of 2010 to Brown.

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

MENU Deo Daniel Perez SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Beef and Broccoli Szechwan, Sticky Rice with Edamame Beans, Polynesian Ratatouille, Paprika Potatoes, Cappucino Brownies, Raspberry Sticks, DINNER — Pork Chops wtih Seasoned Crumbs and Applesauce, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Chives, Peppers Stir Fry, Oregon Blend Vegetables, African Honey Bread, Apple, Oatmeal Crisp

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Squash Bisque, Turkey and Wild Rice Soup, Chicken Pot Pie, Pizza Rustica, Vegan Tomato Rice Pilaf, Fresh Sliced Carrots, Cappuccino Brownies DINNER — Vegetarian Squash Bisque, Turkey and Wild Rice Soup, Roasted Honey and Chili Chicken, Egg Foo Young, Sticky Rice, Green Peas, Vegetables in Honey Ginger Sauce, African Honey Bread, Apple Oatmeal Crisp

Cappuccino Monday Christine Sunu

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, February 15, 2006

CR O S Daily SWO RD Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 No longer out 6 Side (with) 11 Melodic syllable 14 Prepare to chat, maybe 15 New Zealand native 16 Zero in 17 Writer with a well 19 “Be prepared” org. 20 Smeltery byproduct 21 Old knife 22 Pub orders 23 Ones who tell you when your slip is showing? 27 Caesar’s __ calendar 30 Navy noncoms 31 Imitating 32 Bind 37 16th-century date 38 Prefix with active 39 It’s a ball 40 Young Mozart, e.g. 43 PETA spokeswoman Apple 45 Spanish snack 46 Evangelist’s target 47 One who knows the score 52 “That’s a surprise!” 53 __ Bator 54 “NFL Live” airer 58 Bud 59 Reservoir, and hint to puzzle theme found in seven long answers 62 Last Greek consonant 63 Maker of the MDX SUV 64 False handle 65 Kyoto capital 66 Profundity 67 Crossword puzzle inventor Arthur DOWN 1 Landon and an extraterrestrial

2 Scarf material 3 Océano contents 4 Big cheese 5 Tolkien woodland creature 6 Kind of proteinbuilding acid 7 Thief, in slang 8 Rodeo participant 9 “Maid of Athens, __ we part ...”: Byron 10 Freudian article 11 Cookbook amount 12 Choir’s platform 13 Collect 18 “... unto us __ is given”: Isaiah 22 Stirs 24 Duster 25 Dolphin’s navigation aid 26 Likely 27 Doorway part 28 High style 29 2003 winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor 32 Turner or Williams

33 Mineral suffix 34 Lab’s warning 35 Caen’s river 36 Alpine lift 38 Cell messengers 41 On one’s guard 42 Go (for) 43 “Tsk, tsk!” 44 As a rebuttal 46 RR schedule list 47 All wet 48 Thumbsucking, e.g.

49 Clown 50 Tip off 51 Abraham’s wife 55 Media slant 56 Strategy 57 Org. whose first ticker was installed in 1867 59 Green roll 60 Bandage brand 61 Detroit-based labor org.

Goldﬁsh Dreams Allison Moore

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Homebodies Mirele Davis

xwordeditor@aol.com

2/15/06

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is published Monday through Friday dur-

Business Phone: 401.351.3260

ing the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once

Robbie Corey-Boulet, President

please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage

during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. POSTMASTER

2/15/06

David Ranken, Secretary

paid at Providence, R.I. Ofﬁces are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $179 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2005 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

CAMPUS WATCH THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 3

Columbia researchers dissect university e-mails for a year BY KRISTINA KELLEHER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Two Columbia University researchers recently completed a behavioral research study that analyzed over 14.5 million email messages sent among over 43,000 students, faculty and staff at an unidentified large, private university. The study, which appeared in the Jan. 6 issue of “Science,” analyzed one year of e-mail contacts to research how social networks are formed and how they change and evolve over time. This was the first study of its kind to compile empirical data of this scale and detail, according to a report from the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia, which conducted the research. “The idea of studying network formation over time isn’t new — what’s new is the ability to actually do it empirically, particularly on such a large scale, and therefore to put quantitative measures on what were previously qualitative concepts,” said Duncan Watts, a professor at Columbia and the lead researcher for the study. “We can’t resolve all the interesting questions with this particular dataset, because there were some limitations on what we could collect, but we are making a start.” Their findings coincide with what many expected. For example, in the formation of social networks, sharing a single class has roughly the same effect as sharing a single mutual friend. However, additional mutual friends count for more than additional shared classes. Also, shared activities and friends are more important than shared attributes like age, cohort or gender, according to the ISERP report. A Jan. 20 eWEEK.com article reported that the university used in the experiment was Columbia itself, but researchers would not identity which university was the subject of the study. “We never said that the email logs came from Columbia University. … It is common

practice, when using human subjects’ data obtained from some organization, not to identify the organization,” said Gueorgi Kossinets, a graduate student involved in the study. The researchers had no access to the content or subject lines of the e-mails. Instead, they analyzed the timestamp and senders’ and recipients’ addresses, Kossinets said. Senior information technology personnel at the university where the data was collected processed their server logs for the researchers and encrypted all e-mail addresses, giving each address a unique code so researchers could not see the actual addresses but could nonetheless identify e-mail users, according to Kossinets. The research involved cross-referencing the e-mail data, timestamps and senders’ and recipients’ addresses with information provided by the university about personal attributes such as class year, gender and age of the individuals. In addition, the university provided researchers with information about who attended and taught each class, Watts said. “That way it was possible for us to tell, for example, whether two persons who communicated by e-mail also were in the same class, but it was impossible to recover the real names of the individuals or what class that was,” Kossinets said. According to an ISERP report, past studies have shown that email communication is strongly correlated with face-to-face and telephone interactions; therefore, e-mail exchanges are considered reasonable proxies for underlying social ties. Although individuals use e-mail differently, the large scale of the study means that individual idiosyncrasies will average out and leave only general trends, according to the report. Students at Columbia had mixed reactions to the study. “I’m indifferent. Had the researchers used the real names and messages the study may see E-MAIL, page 5

UMass implements new drinking regulations to clean up rowdy ‘Zoo Mass’ image BY JEAN YVES CHAINON STAFF WRITER

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is trying to shed its “Zoo Mass” reputation. Students at the university returned to campus after winter break to discover campus police vigorously enforcing new rules that, among other things, prohibit kegs, beer bongs and all forms of drinking games on campus. “These changes represent our continued efforts to reduce underage and binge drinking,” said Jo-Anne Vanin, dean of students at UMass Amherst. Gatherings of more than 10 people in a room with alcohol present are also prohibited, and students over 21 may not possess more than 24 cans of beer, two bottles of wine or one bottle of hard liquor. No alcohol or alcohol containers are allowed at any time in “dry rooms,” or rooms occupied by underage students. Additional campus police will patrol residence halls, but the university’s new policies have no jurisdiction over students living off campus. UMass Amherst’s Director of News and Information Ed Blaguszewski said it was not “one precipitating issue” that led to the reforms, but the overall build-up of drinkingrelated problems. “We’re recognizing there’s an issue,” Blageszewski said. The

resort to medical assistance by adopting the “Good Samaritan Protocol.” “Students run no risk of penalty when reporting a situation in which emergency medical help may be required when someone is severely intoxicated or is seriously injured as a result of drinking,” Vanin said. “All these rules are in place to protect public safety and health of students,” Blaguszewski said. “Our ﬁrst message: get medical attention if needed.” A similar policy was recently instituted as a state law in Colorado after Bailey’s death in 2004. Blaguszewski said there has been some student opposition to the new regulations, but there has been no widespread protest. The new drinking rules at UMass Amherst are particularly relevant to Brown, as University ofﬁcials are currently reviewing alcohol policies in wake of the Queer Alliance’s Sex Power God party last semester, in which several students were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. But while Brown students may worry about increased drinking regulations in the future, Blaguszewski thinks Brown students have nothing to worry about. “We know all those Brown students just drink sarsaparilla, right?” he joked.

The other Brown University: JBU expels lone openly gay student BY JOSH TOBIAS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A prospective student searching for the University on Google might come across another Brown University — John Brown University. But despite the similarities in namesakes, the school atop College Hill has little in common — at least at ﬁrst glance — with the small Christian college in Siloam Springs, Ark.

Harvard president faces another noconfidence vote In light of recent criticism for forcing out the university’s top dean, Harvard University President Lawrence Summers is facing a noconfidence vote from Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences for the second time in a year. Members of the FAS, which encompasses the university’s undergraduate college and three other schools, will vote on the resolution at their Feb. 28 meeting. Unlike the previous noconfidence motion, which passed last March by a 218-185 vote, the new one calls for intervention from the Harvard Corporation, the only body with the power to fire Summers. “The president should resign,” said Judith Ryan, the professor of German and comparative literature who first introduced the motion on Feb. 9. “He had been given one year of notice that he should try to turn things around … and he hasn’t been able to. I think his time is up.”

new policies aim at reducing “the real dangerous part of this, when people get into binge drinking,” he added. One event that highlighted drinking problems at the university occurred in May 2003 during a pre-graduation party that attracted around 1,500 Amherst students. The party developed into a full-fledged riot against police forces, which led to 15 injuries among the Amherst police and 45 arrests, as well as several upturned cars and fires. Similar dramatic incidents across the country have prompted reviews of drinking policies within universities. In 2004, University of Colorado freshman Lynn Bailey died from an alcohol overdose, and two weeks ago, two fraternity students were suspended at Coastal Carolina University after a weekend party that led to two alcohol-poisoning comas. Though the new regulations are mainly designed to curb drinking, Blaguszewski said they have educational benefits as well. “We are working with town officials and with all students to educate them about alcohol issues,” he said. “You can legislate punishment, but you can’t legislate good behavior.” While strengthening drinking preventive measures and restrictions, the university also reinforced student incentives to

The new vote comes in the wake of the Jan. 27 resignation of FAS Dean William Kirby, whom some believe was forced out of office by Summers, Ryan said. She added that many other top administrators have resigned “allegedly at the urging of the president.” A Feb. 6 Boston Globe article reported that more than half of Harvard’s major deans and top administrators have resigned or announced their intent to resign since Summers became president in July 2001. While the first no-confidence motion was triggered by comments Summers made last year that suggested women are innately inferior to men in the sciences, the new vote comes out of concerns about Summers’ leadership skills, Ryan said. —Stu Woo

On Jan. 13, JBU expelled an openly gay student, Michael Guinn, for violating the “community covenant.” A university spokesman declined to elaborate on the expulsion. “There were particular behaviors that were substantial and incredible,” said Andrea Phillips, director of communications at JBU. “There were behaviors that obviously broke the principles of the community covenant.” Although there is no mention of homosexuality in the community covenant, the university argued that it is implicitly banned by nature of the covenant. A statement released by the university compared expelling Guinn to kicking a smoker out of a hospital or detaining a person who threatens violence in an airport. Though the university did not specify to media sources if a speciﬁc event brought about the expulsion, Guinn said he was expelled shortly after a student complained about photos Guinn had posted of himself dressed in drag on Facebook. com, even though the pictures were taken before he enrolled at JBU. “I was told I was expelled for … breaking too many rules regarding my lifestyle,” Guinn

said, adding that administrators speciﬁcally mentioned the photos. He added that he did not think his expulsion was fair. Guinn was expelled despite following strict restrictions placed on him due to his sexual orientation. Upon enrolling at JBU, Guinn was advised not to “advertise” his sexuality and also had to abide by a special set of rules, according to newspaper reports. Guinn was told not to dress in drag, hug other men, shake their hands for too long or act “ﬂamboyantly.” He told the Springdale Morning News that he did not violate the rules forbidding homosexual activity at JBU. Although he was the only openly gay person on campus, Guinn said there are other gay students at JBU. He added that they feel community pressure to keep their sexual preference quiet. Administrators claim that the community response has generally been supportive of the university’s decision. Lindsey Larsen, coordinator of media relations at JBU, said students “liked Michael as a person” but generally agreed that the administration’s actions were necessary in order to maintain the standards of the community. see JBU, page 7

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006

CCC continued from page 1 system. Spoehr solicited feedback from student representatives on the CCC regarding what they want potential forums to address and what segments of the University’s population they think should participate. He said the faculty needs to ﬁnd out, through any means of communication, why “this is such a big issue” for many students. Lynne deBenedette, senior lecturer in Slavic languages, said she thinks students see

this change as closely tied to the open curriculum in a way that faculty don’t seem to. Though the council did not make any decisions about the format of the University-wide forum, members did discuss having a “small panel of faculty and students who would voice opinions (and) avoid the town meeting” format that the council seemed to agree rarely leads to productive dialogue. The scheduling of the two meetings allows for discussion of the results of the UCS-led meeting at the faculty meeting scheduled for March 7, two days before the Universitywide forum.

Governmental role is seen in protests BY MOHAMAD BAZZI NEWSDAY

DAMASCUS, Syria — Someone was trying to whip up Islamic fervor in the Syrian capital. Unsigned leaﬂets and cell phone text messages circulated across the city on Feb. 3, claiming that Danes would be gathering in Copenhagen to desecrate the Quran. “The unbelievers plan to burn our holy text in their public squares, as a protest against the Muslim boycott of their products,” the text message said. “Pass on this message and you shall be rewarded in heaven.” At Friday sermons throughout the city, preachers attacked satirical cartoons of the prophet Muhammad as blasphemy and urged Muslims to defend his honor. Entrances to the AlMurabit mosque were strewn with Danish, Israeli and American ﬂags so worshipers could trample them as they entered for prayers. Outside the mosque, banners called for a boycott of Danish, European and U.S. products “until Denmark is brought to its

Skiing continued from page 12 realized that her ski brake had broken in the crash, hindering her subsequent restart. Johnson was as surprised as everyone else upon seeing a skier out on the course in the middle of the run. “Every team is responsible for smoothing out the course (inbetween runs),” Johnson said. “After I had started my run, I went over the pitch (the crest of the hill) and I could see a guy in an MIT jacket out on the course, not looking at what was going on above him. Then I screamed something at him too terrible to print in the paper.” Johnson was well into her

www.browndailyherald.com

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com.

knees, regretting this farce called freedom of expression.” The next day, thousands of protesters gathered in a main square. Under the watchful eye of plainclothes security agents, they chanted rhythmically, “We will sacrifice our souls and our blood for you, dear prophet.” They then marched to the Danish and Norwegian embassies and set them on fire. When it began two weeks ago, the wave of worldwide Muslim protest against the cartoons was relatively peaceful. Yet, remarkably, the first acts of violence happened in Syria, an officially secular country where outward signs of political Islam are forbidden. The Syrian regime fought a bloody war against an Islamist uprising in the 1980s. Normally, anyone chanting religious slogans in the middle of Damascus would have been arrested immediately. In a country like Syria, where the government controls all political activities — especially expressions of religious fervor — many say these protests could not have happened without

the approval or even active encouragement of President Bashar Assad’s regime. Some see the hand of Syria’s intelligence services, the mukhabarat, as instigating Islamic militants to attack the embassies. “That type of violence in Syria just doesn’t happen unless the mukhabarat is involved,” said Eugene Sensenig-Dabbous, a political science professor at Notre Dame University in Beirut. “It was the government, and the mukhabarat, using the Islamic extremists to make a point.” Events in Syria illustrate how some Middle East governments even provoked violence. These autocratic regimes have fanned anger over the cartoons for their own political purposes: to burnish their Islamic credentials, to settle scores with European countries, to redirect popular anger toward external targets and to undermine internal reformers, whose quest for change is often identiﬁed with Western calls for democracy. “This is an effort to keep

run when she came upon the uninvited guest, but somehow stopping did not enter her mind. Instead, she attempted to continue her run by squeezing past the man on the course to make the gate he was blocking, but she ended up ramming into him in the process. “I guess the smart decision would have been to try and stop since I had a legitimate excuse,” Johnson said. “I thought maybe I could get between him (and the gate). … He took the brunt of the collision but somehow he managed to get out from under me and I kept going into the fence.” Her teammates were impressed with both Johnson’s ability to bounce back and the strangeness of the circumstances. “It was unbelievable,” said

Meaghan Casey ’08. “This kid was just out on the course and Jamie had no idea. She had to walk all the way back up the hill (to race again) and she would have done even better her next run but … her ski just wasn’t turning.” Despite the disappointing weekend, Brown is still committed to turning its season around at the regional competition the last weekend in February. “This President’s Day weekend is going to be good for us,” Johnson said. “We will be able to get out and train Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at Waterville Valley — where Regionals will be held — and we can get to work on some things.” The Bears will be back in action this Friday at the Colby Sawyer Carnival held at Mt. Sunapee, N.H.

see SYRIA, page 9

CAMPUS NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 5

THE HERALD POLL

BUCC supports Sudan divestment proposal

Little surprise that Brown is a mostly blue campus

Council also discusses SLA proposal on Bookstore apparel

BY KYLE MCGOURTY C ONTRIBUTING W RITER

The leaders of Brown’s partisan organizations were not shocked by the results of a Herald poll released last week showing that the University is a predominantly Democratic campus. According to the poll, which asked students what political party they were most likely to identify with, 62.8 percent of students consider themselves Democrats, while only 5 percent consider themselves Republicans. Students selecting the “Independent and Other” option comprise 20.3 percent of undergraduates, and 4.8 percent consider themselves Greens. It is common knowledge that Brown attracts more liberal-leaning students, said Craig Auster ’08, vice president of the Brown Democrats. “Brown enrolls many students from states like New York, Massachusetts and California, which tend to be more liberal,” Auster said. President of the Brown Greens Marc Carrel ’07 saw the poll in a different light. “What’s interesting about the poll is the number of students who chose ‘Independent or Other,’” he said. “We believe people who chose that group are more to the left but might not know enough about the Green Party,” he added. Carrel added that he sees hope for increasing enrollment in the Brown Greens. “The values of the Green Party are those of the majority at Brown,” he said. President of the College Republicans Evan Pettyjohn ’06 was somewhat surprised by the poll results. “I thought the numbers were a little low,”

E-mail continued from page 3 merit some concern,” said Isaac Silverman, president of the class of 2008 at Columbia College. But, he said, “it does not seem to have been at all intrusive. I’m glad some scientiﬁc material was generated out of studying basic social interactions, whether the interactions took place at Columbia or elsewhere.” Columbia senior Zachary Bendiner was more concerned. “While researchers may not have had access to the actual substance of emails, it does unnerve me that they apparently did not consult with students and faculty,” he said. “Prior notiﬁcation probably would have caused a hubbub, but it’s best to err on the side of transparency when privacy issues are concerned.”

he said. “I would estimate (oncampus Republicans actually number) somewhere between 10 to 15 percent.” Regardless of the actual ﬁgure, Pettyjohn believes a lack of political diversity detracts from political debate on campus. “People deﬁne their beliefs better when encountering opposition,” he said. “Many Brown students don’t look for opposition when it comes to political beliefs or just won’t encounter opposition at Brown,” he added. Pettyjohn said he would like to see more conservative professors brought to Brown to increase the diversity of ideas represented in political discourse. Pettyjohn sees the current state of academia as an obstacle to more conservatives becoming professors, as “academia tends to appeal to liberals while business attracts more conservatives.” The University’s liberalleaning political makeup is not unique. A November poll by the Stanford Daily reported that 58 percent of Stanford University students consider themselves liberal, while only 7.8 percent consider themselves conservative. A poll taken on Election Day 2004 by the Daily Pennsylvanian, the student newspaper at the University of Pennsylvania, showed that 68 percent of Penn’s student body voted for Sen. John Kerry, D.Mass., while 19 percent voted for President George W. Bush.

browndailyherald.com: It’s the opiate of the masses.

BY BRENNA CARMODY STAFF WRITER

At its ﬁrst meeting of the semester yesterday, the Brown University Community Council discussed two proposals — one on the University’s possible divestment from companies conducting business in Sudan or with the Sudanese government and another from the Student Labor Alliance urging the University to purchase apparel manufactured under the Designated Suppliers Program. The BUCC addressed these issues at its last meeting in November, though members decided then that both warranted further discussion. Professor of Economics Louis Putterman, chair of the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investing, provided an update on that committee’s Feb. 1 meeting that resulted in a recommendation in support of divestment from companies tied to Sudan. The ACCRI proposal was unanimously supported by the BUCC and will be addressed at next weekend’s meeting of the Brown Corporation. The companies named in the recommendation include PetroChina, the ABB Group and the Marathon Oil Corporation. All of the companies have previously been targeted for divestment by Amherst College, Dartmouth College and Stanford University. “All the members of the (ACCRI) were unanimous that Brown should take this position and announce this position in order to make some sort of difference in Sudan,” Putterman said. The ACCRI’s proposal falls short of the recommendations of Students Taking Action Now Darfur, a national group of which Brown’s Darfur Action Network is an afﬁliate. Regarding investments held indirectly by the University, Putterman said that STAND had suggested sending

a letter to the fund managers threatening to change managers unless they guarantee that money will would not be invested in the blacklisted companies. Putterman said the ACCRI had been told that this would be a “difficult and costly” process. Instead, the ACCRI has suggested sending a letter to the managers “advising them this is Brown’s position” but not “including specific threats,” Putterman said. Amherst recently used the same tactic in dealing with its indirect investments. Elizabeth Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance and administration, said the University’s aim is “more about public relations and raising awareness” on the issue. “We won’t cripple (the blacklisted companies) with Brown’s endowment but it will get the ball rolling,” she said. The council also discussed the potential adoption of a proposal from the SLA under which the University would purchase apparel manufactured solely in Designated Suppliers Program factories. The Herald reported in November that the University currently purchases about $700,000 worth of apparel sold in the Brown Bookstore that is manufactured in as many as 560 factories. In addition, Brown’s athletic programs purchase between $200,000 and $300,000 worth of apparel, according to Vice President for Administration Walter Hunter’s November estimates. The University currently purchases from licensors that agree to uphold the code of conduct outlined by the Worker Rights Consortium. However, Chris Eaton ’06, an SLA member, told The Herald in November that it is difficult to ensure that licensors comply with the code. The WRC recently voted in favor of the DSP. Hunter will be attending a WRC conference Friday in Washington, D.C. to discuss the proposal.

DSP factories adhere to a code of conduct under which their workers belong to a union and receive living wages. At yesterday’s meeting, Hunter raised several concerns regarding the University’s adoption of the SLA’s proposal. These included whether the University could ﬁnd enough DSP factories to meet its production needs, the possible effect on competition among various licensees, potential job losses for current workers, possible union corruption and concerns about how workers would be selected. Hunter said the University needs to evaluate whether “a program like this (would) help the very people who are in severest straits right now,” adding that he “would like to improve conditions for workers who are currently manufacturing for Brown.” It is unknown if more skilled workers would be hired in the designated factories, thereby forcing current workers to go “from poverty to starvation,” Hunter said. A committee of students, faculty and administrators has been formed to address these questions. “(The committee) really seems to be dedicated to coming up with an intelligent situation … instead of a raw motion,” Hunter said.

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006

Shape Up continued from page 1 also educated them on how to continue losing it. The Shape Up R.I. model has been tried and tested in 20 other states, beginning with Lighten Up Iowa. The Iowa program has had great success. Last year, its 20,000 participants lost a total of 95,000 pounds, Kumar said. More important than the

initial weight loss, Kumar said the program has “created a mindset where people in Iowa are thinking more about their health.” “I’d like to see the same thing happen in Rhode Island,” he added. So in September of last year, Kumar began planning Shape Up R.I., which is scheduled to begin March 1. Teams of participants will compete until June 21 to either lose the greatest percentage of

gallery.hd.com

Brown Med student Rajiv Kumar ’05 co-founded Shape Up Rhode Island, a program aiming to reduce obesity in the Ocean State.

collective team weight or log the most hours of physical activity, or both, according to the Shape Up R.I. Web site. Kumar said the program’s benefits are many. “Aside from the health aspects, I think it has a lot to do with mental health, (and) getting together with friends and co-workers to exercise,” Kumar said. To help foster healthy competition between teams, Shape Up R.I. will also provide prizes from random drawings and a grand prize that has yet to be announced for the winning teams. Beyond the competition, Kumar said the initiative will be educational. He cited Shape Up R.I.’s weekly newsletter, which will have different health experts writing about topics such as physical activity, mental health and the importance of sleep. “We hope that will also be a great benefit — people just learning more,” he said. Additionally, the program has a philanthropic aspect, Kumar said. The proceeds made from Shape Up R.I. go to support local non-profits dedicated to improving health care here and abroad. “Rhode Island is one of the least charitable states in the nation, yet Providence has the largest concentration of nonprofit organizations,” Kumar said. “We like to think people just haven’t been given the opportunity (to contribute).” Both Kumar and Rickman are participating on teams, with Kumar joining other first-year Brown medical students. Shape Up R.I. has garnered

the attention of people from all walks of life, as evidenced by the four co-chairs of the program: R.I. Democratic Congressman Patrick Kennedy, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospital Joseph Amaral, WPRI News Anchor Karen Adams and Rhode Island House Majority Leader Rep. Gordon Fox. “They’re all prominent community leaders, so we’re excited to have them on board,” Kumar said. “People know them.” And at least one of the chairs, Amaral, is going to participate on a team of his own. Nearly 450 people have registered so far, Kumar said. “We’re hoping for a thousand participants. But I think it has the potential to double, if not triple, every year,” he said. For those currently registered, Shape Up R.I. seems to have already made a big difference in their lives even before the competition begins. Kumar said eager participants have contacted him through the initiative’s Web site, ShapeUpRI.org. “It’s been amazing the response that we’ve gotten,” he said. “(People) e-mailing us saying (the program) ‘is going to save my life’,” Kumar said. Rickman emphasized the point, saying, “We’re literally going to save people’s lives. That’s why we’re doing this.” While Shape Up R.I. is impressive on its own, this isn’t Kumar’s ﬁrst time helping others. As an undergraduate at Brown, he helped to start the non-proﬁt organization Adopt A Doctor, which aims to “reverse the brain drain that’s drawing doctors away from the poorest countries,”

Kumar said. Adopt A Doctor provides doctors in Malawi, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Haiti with monthly salary supplements, and, in exchange, the doctors agree to stay and practice medicine in their home country. “We give them $100 a month, but it doubles or triples their income,” Kumar said. With one initiative going strong and another just starting, it might seem like Kumar has no time to actually be a student. “It’s mainly a time-management problem,” Kumar said. “If you organize your time well, you can make time.” Still, “I don’t get a whole lot of sleep,” he added. Despite that, Kumar feels that his activism keeps his life interesting. “I think I’d be miserable if I was just a med student,” he said. “This makes me energized.” To others, though, what Kumar has already done in his young life is worthy of praise. “He’s a remarkable human being,” Rickman said. “Rajiv’s just a committed person, particularly when it comes to helping others. He’s just wonderfully driven to try to make a difference.” Kumar remains modest about his inﬂuence, ultimately crediting results to those who participate in his programs. As far as whether Rhode Islanders will be slimmer and healthier come June, Kumar said it’s up to them. “People have to take their own initiative,” he said. “We’re giving them the opportunity, but they have to take initiative. That’s the key to success.”

WORLD & NATION THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 7

Lawyer in hunting accident suffers mild heart attack BY JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS BALTIMORE SUN

WASHINGTON — Harry Whittington, the 78-year-old hunter accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney, was back in intensive care Tuesday after suffering a mild heart attack, as questions continued to swirl around the White House’s handling of the incident. Doctors treating Whittington said a shotgun pellet that lodged in his chest had triggered what they described as a “silent heart attack.” He was reported in stable condition at the Corpus Christi, Texas, hospital where he has been treated since the shooting on Saturday. Cheney, who has yet to comment publicly on the shooting, was quoted in a statement from his office as saying that he had spoken with Whittington after learning of his condition and that “his thoughts and prayers are with” the Austin, Texas, attorney. Doctors who briefed reporters at an afternoon news conference outside Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus ChristiMemorial said that Whittington did not experience chest pains or other classic symptoms of a heart attack. They said the pellet, which they decided to leave in place, had caused inflammation of the heart muscle that caused a temporary blockage of blood flow. David Blanchard, chief of emergency medicine at the hospital, said doctors were “very, very optimistic” that Whittington would make a full recovery. Still, the heart attack revealed that Cheney’s misfire, first regarded as more embarrassing than life-threatening, had potentially put his victim’s health in greater danger, after doctors and White House officials initially had described Whittington as on the mend from minor injuries. It also derailed a concerted White House effort to move past the hunting episode, which has tarnished Cheney’s image and highlighted his penchant for secrecy, while thrusting Bush’s top aides, including press

secretary Scott McClellan, into a tug-of-war with the media. Cheney’s office — under blistering attack for failing to make a public announcement about the shooting — reversed course and issued a detailed statement about his concern for Whittington. It recounted a phone call Cheney made to Whittington after learning of his condition, in which the vice president wished him well “and asked if there was anything he needed,” the statement said. Cheney “said that he stood ready to assist,” it added. Doctors said Whittington was expected to remain at the hospital for a week for treatment and observation. Doctors in Washington, whom Blanchard described as White House physicians, have been consulting with cardiologists at Christus Spohn on Whittington’s care, Blanchard said. He said they had agreed that it would be in the elderly patient’s best interests to treat him with “medical therapy,” rather than surgery. The vice president learned of the change in Whittington’s condition Tuesday morning and watched part of the televised hospital news conference, the statement from his office said. After that briefing, the release added, Cheney placed a call to Whittington. Even as the White House struggled for a second straight day to defend its handling of the shooting, McClellan continued to withhold certain details. He was informed of Whittington’s heart troubles before his televised briefing and before the Corpus Christi news conference in which they were disclosed, but he did not mention the developments during the 27minute exchange, which was dominated by questions about the hunting accident. “You’re welcome to continue to focus on these issues,” McClellan told reporters. “I’m moving on.” McClellan later said he did not reveal the change in see HUNTING, page 9

Iran deﬁes global limits on uranium program BY MOLLY MOORE WASHINGTON POST

PARIS — Iran announced Tuesday that it had resumed uranium enrichment efforts in defiance of international pressure to curb its nuclear program and said it will no longer comply with voluntary measures designed to give international inspectors broad access to its nuclear facilities. “The order to resume uranium enrichment has been issued,” Javad Vaeidi, deputy head of Iran’s Supreme National security Council, told reporters in Tehran, according to Iranian news agencies. “The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization has restarted the process.” Monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed during inspections Tuesday that Iran had begun the first small-scale steps in the years long process of enriching uranium that could be used for nuclear power, or eventually, weapons production, according to a Western diplomat close to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. The diplomat spoke on the condition of anonymity because the monitoring team’s report will not be released officially for several weeks. Although Iranian officials said Tuesday that they are years away from being able to produce atomic fuel on an industrial scale, the decision to restart uranium enrichment represents a significant escalation of the political crisis between Tehran and foreign governments. “They’ve now walked across the line in such a blatant way that it’s hard to see where any other red line could be drawn,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, an analyst with the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London and a former U.S. liaison to the IAEA in Vienna. “Now they’ve done what everybody was afraid of.” Iran’s announcements and the IAEA monitoring team’s findings increased pressure on the U.N. Security Council to take action against Iran for breaching international agreements on its nuclear program, diplomats in Vienna said. The 35-member IAEA

governing board, which includes the five permanent members of the Security Council, reported “serious concerns” about Iran’s nuclear intentions to the Security Council on Feb. 4. Diplomats agreed that the Security Council would not take action until the next IAEA board meeting on March 6, when the agency’s director general, Mohamed ElBaradei, is scheduled to present an update on Iran’s actions. ElBaradei’s report will include the finding of IAEA monitors that Iran last weekend began feeding uranium hexafluoride gas into a handful of centrifuges, which spin the material at supersonic speeds to create enriched uranium, a Vienna-based diplomat said. “This means the IAEA will have to produce a report that is quite negative with regard to Iran,” said Fitzpatrick. “The director general would have been looking to produce a report that described ways in which Iran was cooperating. ... Iran is not giving ElBaradei anything to work with here.” In Washington, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Iran was “continuing to choose defiance and confrontation over cooperation and diplomacy.” The IAEA team, after its inspection of Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility about 150 miles south of Tehran, reported that Iran is using fewer than five centrifuges, the diplomat said. Vaeidi, the Iranian national security official, said during comments to reporters Tuesday that Iran needed 60,000 centrifuges for large-scale enrichment, adding, “We need some time to reach that.” Iranian officials Tuesday also said they would end voluntary compliance with an addendum to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that allows IAEA inspectors access to any nuclear facility within two hours of their requests and grants the IAEA greater access to certain documentation and information about its nuclear programs. “We are in the transition state and the inspectors will work

More than 115,000 Chinese disciplined for corruption BY EDWARD CODY WASHINGTON POST

BEIJING— The Chinese Communist Party disciplined more than 115,000 members for corruption and related violations last year and turned more than 15,000 of them over to the courts for prosecution, the government reported Tuesday. The numbers, from a year-end compilation by the party’s Central Discipline Inspection Commission published in the official press, provided a high-level hint at the breadth and depth of the corruption that has arisen in China during a quarter-century of economic liberalization. The issue has become a serious liability for President Hu Jintao’s government. The commission, which said it also expelled 24,000 of the party’s 68 million members, did not estimate what

percentage of the total number of corrupt officials its investigations had uncovered or how the 2005 figures compared to past years. But the number of those on the take in villages, towns and counties has grown so large that many Chinese assume bribes play a role in almost all decisions by local officials, particularly regarding land confiscations for development. Their suspicions have been a major factor in peasant unrest sweeping the Chinese countryside during the past two years. The commission took particular note of its campaign to force local officials to relinquish their shares in private coal mines, which have suffered a series of accidents that killed almost 6,000 workers in 2005. In many cases, investigators found, the mines were operating in unsafe conditions because local officials assigned to enforce regulations were paid to look the other way — or were

themselves part-owners of the dangerous mines. More than 4,800 officials acknowledged they owned shares in coal mines despite party rules to the contrary, with capital amounting to $91 million, the report said. By the end of 2005, it added, $69.4 million worth of shares were sold off at the urging of party inspectors. “A campaign to make government officials and leaders of state-owned enterprises give up their shares in coal mines has achieved initial success,” said the annual accounting of commission activities. The report included a promise to further strengthen enforcement of party anticorruption rules in 2006 by “improving the current system to stem corruption at its sources” and “publicizing good examples and bad examples,” according to the official New China News Agency.

under the NPT,” Mohammad Saeedi, deputy of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said on state television, referring to the treaty. “We will not do anything beyond our commitments to the NPT.” Western diplomats in Vienna said Iran’s refusal to comply with the additional voluntary agreements will impede the IAEA’s ability to monitor Iranian activities. “It is very difficult for us to provide assurance that there is no parallel or secret program happening,” one diplomat said. Iranian officials describe their decision to move ahead with uranium enrichment as an act of independence in the face of criticism and mistrust on the part of the United States and other Western countries, which Iran accuse of trying to hobble its efforts to produce nuclear energy. Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, Iran’s parliament speaker, said during a visit Tuesday to Caracas, Venezuela, that U.S. opposition to Iran’s nuclear program was “only a pretext.” He added, “They are worried that we want to be independent.” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated in a televised speech Saturday that Iran was trying to develop nuclear technology for fuel in the face of dwindling oil supplies. “We ask them why they are against our nuclear technology,” Ahmadinejad said in the speech. “They answer: Because they do not trust us.” “We say, what a surprise!” he continued. “Do you expect us to be stupid enough to believe you?” Iranian officials have scheduled a meeting with Rus-sian authorities on Feb. 20 to discuss the proposal.

JBU continued from page 7 But one student, who requested anonymity, said many students were initially angry that the university had expelled Guinn. Many were particularly upset upon ﬁnding out that Guinn was obligated to abide by a special set of rules while a student at the university, the student said. However, there were also many students who defended the expulsion. “Most of the response was mixed,” Guinn said. “But there was also a lot of support for me.” The incident has opened up the debate on homosexuality at JBU, forcing students to confront the issue in a direct way. Guinn said his experience has changed many people’s opinions on homosexuality and Christianity. Get The Herald in your inbox every morning: www.browndailyherald.com

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006

continued from page 12 Could I have been better at a specific sport had I focused on just one? Should I have spent my spring working on my flip-turns instead of trying to perfect my left-handed cradling? They do say practice makes perfect. But I prescribe to a slightly different school of thought. I believe if you are passionate about something, do it, no matter what the sacrifice. And trust me — there are sacrifices. I came to Brown to swim. After the six-month swim season of my first year ended, I decided I was still not ready to give up lacrosse. So I walked onto the team. I

had missed all of preseason and already a few of the spring games. I hadn’t held a stick in a year and I didn’t know any of my teammates’ names, the plays they ran or the shots they liked to take. But I knew lacrosse and I had missed it. I rode the bench all that season and I was not a stand-out on the swim team, so a lot of people questioned my sanity. More than a few people asked why I was putting myself through all the travel, all the early mornings, all that commitment to two teams when I was juggling my ﬁrst full year of college schoolwork and meeting new friends as well. To be honest, I enjoyed the challenge. I simply enjoyed competing at the highest level in two sports that I loved, continuing what I had done every year since I

was little — being in the pool in the fall, on the ﬁeld in the spring. But in college, the season never ends. Everything is yearround. Football players end their season in the fall and then gear up for winter workouts and then spring practices. Runners are outside training when the leaves turn, when they fall off the trees and when they bloom again. Swimmers are in the pool perfecting their strokes and working on their turns from September until school lets out in the spring. And most of these athletes stay here in the summer to continue training so they stay in peak condition for the upcoming season. You cannot always make every meeting or workout for each sport. You will not have gotten as many repetitions as other players, nor will you have spent as much time building chemistry and trust with your teammates and coaches. You will always have to re-introduce yourself to a sport when you come back. Although I only did the twosport deal my ﬁrst year and am now just focusing on swimming, I will always be a two-sport athlete at heart. If it were at all possible, I probably would have tried to play three sports here. There are few two-sport athletes in college anymore, let alone in Division I. As a one-sport athlete you surrender certain opportunities, like afternoon classes or making plans on the weekends. But as a two-sport athlete you must really love what you do, because it is too much of a commitment not to. There are many athletes here that are incredibly successful at both of the sports they play, which is an extraordinary accomplishment given the challenges they must overcome. I, sadly, was not one of them. But in my heart of hearts, I still wish I was coming out in the spring to play both the sports I love.

Rally continued from page 1 MERI passed out pink carnations, stickers and postcards addressed to state legislators, thus encouraging attendees to contact their government representatives to show support for the pending legislation in the Senate. MERI also passed out heart-shaped posters with a variety of messages ranging from “Married for 42 years” to “How does my marriage affect the sanctity of yours?” This year, a bill known as DOMA, or the “Defense of Marriage Act,” was submitted in the General Assembly. If passed, the DOMA would prohibit same-sex marriages in the state and also prohibit the state from recognizing samesex marriages officiated in other states. A bill that legally recognizes same-sex marriages has also been introduced. The marriage equality bill has six sponsors so far, whereas the DOMA currently has three. “We still don’t have the support of the governor or of the leadership in the House or the Senate,” said Jenn Steinfeld, the co-chair of MERI’s campaign. The campaign first began in November of 2003, and MERI has held rallies every year since then. This is the first one to take place on Valentine’s Day. “This is by far the largest turnout we’ve ever seen,” Steinfeld said, estimating that between 600 and 700 people attended the rally. The lineup of speakers included District 3 State Sen. Rhoda Perry, a Democrat, Reverend T. Michael Rock of the United Church of Christ and speakers from the Providence Youth Student Movement and Youth Pride, among others. Nancy Rose, a longtime gay

and lesbian rights activitist from South County, R.I. was the ﬁrst speaker. “It’s gonna happen,” she said. “And people are going to be embarrassed just like your parents and grandparents are ashamed now when they look back on slavery and the Holocaust.” Seth Magaziner ’06, former president of the Brown Democrats, spoke on behalf of the College Democrats of Rhode Island, emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the ﬁght for marriage equality. Other speakers encouraged attendees to go out and contact their legislators and stressed that marriage equality is a fundamental civil right. Several speakers noted the relevance of the marriage equality rally in the wake of civil rights activist Coretta Scott King’s funeral. Supporters came from all over Rhode Island to show support for MERI’s cause. Beth and Russ Milham, longtime supporters of LGBTQ civil rights, drove to the State House from their home in Newport and said that they were “energized” by the large crowd. The Queer Political Action Committee, a subset of the Queer Alliance, also organized students to walk to the event. “Some of our members are marriage supporters, and others are not,” said Josh Teitelbaum ’08, co-president of the Queer Alliance. Carolyn Mark, a mother from Providence, attended the rally with her husband and two children, ages four and seven. “Marriage equality is the easiest thing to explain to children,” she said, “They have friends with two dads and friends with two moms and they understand the basic desire to want a family.” “The youth of America has completely decided this issue,” said U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, who attended the rally along with his Democratic opposition, Secretary of State Matt Brown. “Nobody should have to live in the shadows,” Whitehouse said. Marriage equality “is a logical next step in our civil rights struggle,” said Peter Quesnel, who is one of 35 members of MERI’s coordinating committee and has attended the MERI rally for the past two years. “Each year the crowd gets bigger,” he added, also noting that the “Valentine’s Day spirit” contributed greatly to the celebratory attitude of the event this year.

www.browndailyherald.com

Athletes

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Hunting continued from page 7 Whittington’s condition because “it’s not appropriate for me to” do so. “I’m not his doctor; that’s for his doctor to talk about.” He also said there were “privacy issues” preventing him from commenting on the matter. As the focus turned to Whittington’s health, new details continued to emerge about what took place on the 50,000-acre southeast Texas ranch where the accident occurred. Katherine Armstrong, a lobbyist whose family owns the ranch, indicated in interviews that she and other members of her family, not Cheney, had decided it was necessary to inform the public about the incident. After making that decision over breakfast Sunday morning, she and her mother, Anne Armstrong, a former top Republican ofﬁcial, “ran it by” Cheney, Katherine Armstrong told the Dallas Morning News. She added that Cheney “said something along the lines of, ‘You all do whatever you are comfortable with.’” Katherine Armstrong has lobbied the Bush administration on agriculture issues and lobbied the White House last year on South Korean policy on behalf of South Korean clients, according to federal records.

W. icers continued from page 12 Yale freshman Crysti Howser one-timed a pass from Kristin Savard from just to Stock’s left. It was a measure of revenge for Howser, who was forced off the ice two different times due to injury. The goal was indicative of some questionable officiating throughout the game. The officials seemed to waver back and forth between calling the game close and allowing contact throughout. Murphy expressed her frustration with the officiating throughout the contest and afterwards. “It’s awful,” she said. “It took away from our flow and we’re a flow team. When our flow is disrupted, we get frustrated. We’re not even a physical team.” Savard one-timed home a pass from Deena Caplette off a faceoff in Brown’s end to increase the lead to two before the Bears finally re-awakened. Although the Bears picked up their intensity after finding themselves running out of time, two debatable calls on Rylee Olewinski ’08 kept them at a man disadvantage and unable to get a solid forecheck going. Zucker’s first-period goal came while her team was playing much more aggressively. When Yale attempted to clear the puck to change lines, Stock came out of her net and passed to Zucker, who stickhandled through a crowd of Yale players into the offensive zone. Bearing in on Love from the right side, Zucker skated across the ice and fired a pretty wrist shot over the goalie’s right shoulder. Despite the three goals, Stock played well between the pipes, running her scoreless

The sheriff’s office in Kenedy County, where the Armstrong Ranch is located, issued a news release about Saturday’s incident saying “there was no alcohol, or misconduct involved,” and that “this department is fully satisfied that this was no more than a hunting accident.” Carlos Valdez, the district attorney who prosecutes criminal cases in Kenedy County, said he had yet to speak with the sheriff’s officials but is satisfied with what he knows of their investigation. In Corpus Christi, doctors said they had performed a cardiac catheterization on Whittington, a procedure used to discover whether arteries around the heart are blocked and there has been damage to heart function. Johns Hopkins University cardiologist Rick Lang said the patient likely had a good prognosis. This kind of problem usually resolves on its own within one or two weeks, he said. Doctors were unsure of precisely where the birdshot near Whittington’s heart had lodged, Blanchard said. Mandeep Mehra, chief of cardiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said the pellet might have ended up in the pericardium, the heart’s protective covering. If so, it could have inflamed this covering; this inflammation can also spread to the heart’s chambers.

streak to 171 minutes and 28 seconds before allowing the tying goal. She made 22 saves in all, including 10 in a stellar second period in which she stopped a couple from pointblank range. Stock was in net for semi-regular starter O’Hara Shipe ’08, who was hit by a car Feb. 6 and only began practicing Monday of this week. The Bears now sit in fourth place at 9-4-3 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League (11-9-4 overall, 4-2-3 Ivy). However, their next three games are against the trio ahead of them: No. 2 St. Lawrence, No. 8 Clarkson and No. 5 Princeton. The ﬁrst two come to Meehan Auditorium this weekend.

Syria continued from page 4 people occupied and distracted from the country’s internal problems,” said Yassin Hajj Saleh, a secular opposition activist who was imprisoned for 16 years by the Syrian regime. The cartoons lampooning Muhammad did spark genuine anger among the world’s 1 billion Muslims. Clerics and Muslim governments condemned the 12 caricatures, first published in September in a Danish newspaper. The drawings reinforced a widespread notion among Muslim masses that the West is quick to denigrate their religion. European and Muslim officials are worried that the widening anger could help fuel new attacks by militants against Western targets. The controversy also comes at a time when relations between the West and the Muslim world are strained by the victory of the militant group Hamas in Palestinian elections and a showdown with Iran over its nuclear research program. Demonstrations in some Muslim countries have remained peaceful. Protesters in Egypt — including members of the Muslim Brotherhood — have gone out of their way to explain that they are not angry at the Danish people, but rather at Denmark’s government and the newspaper that first published the drawings. “They committed a crime when they violated our prophet’s sanctity,” Mohammed Abdel-

Fencing continued from page 12 the year,” Adler said. “It was quite remarkable for Cohen to beat (Cross). He fenced very intelligently.” The women fell by 21-6 counts against both teams. Livoti led the way with a 2-1 record in the Harvard loss. Schneider turned in her only 3-0 performance of the day against Penn, which was sandwiched between 1-2 records against Harvard to start the day and Yale to ﬁnish it. Despite her 5-4 record on the

Qaddous, a prominent Egyptian writer, told a forum last week in Cairo organized by the Muslim Brotherhood. “But if we set their embassies on fire, as happened in Syria and Lebanon, we will then be responding to their crime with another crime.” Then why did the violence crystallize in Syria? “Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this for their own purposes,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week. “And the world ought to call them on it.” Iran has been under intense pressure for its defiance of U.N. restrictions on its nuclear research. Syria is under scrutiny for its meddling in neighboring Lebanon, where a U.N. investigation has implicated top Syrian officials in last year’s assassination of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. After Hariri’s killing, Syria was forced to withdraw thousands of troops that it had kept in Lebanon for 29 years. Both Iran and Syria had relied on European support to head off U.S. criticism, but they steadily lost European backing over the past year. Usually, the Syrian government keeps a tight lid on all political activity. On Jan. 31, a group of Syrian opposition activists wanted to hold a news conference about human rights. They chose a public square not far from the one where the cartoon protesters would gather four days later. But as soon as the 20 activists showed up, they were surrounded by police officers and plainclothes mukhabarat agents. Within minutes, they were forced

to disband. “They shut us down before we could even say a single word,” said Riad Seif, a former member of the Syrian parliament who was arrested in 2001 along with nine other activists in a crackdown on democracy forums. Seif and four others were released last month. Asked if he thought the government had a hand in the cartoon protests, Seif laughed. “Are you joking? How can anything like that happen without their knowledge?” he said. “They’re ready when 10 or 20 of us want to hold a press conference. How can they not be ready for a protest of hundreds or thousands?” Syrian leaders apologized to Denmark and Norway for the attacks and denied any role in provoking the rampage. They also beefed up security around other Western embassies in Damascus. But the next day, the state-run Syrian media blamed Danish leaders for the violence. “Denmark’s government could have avoided reaching this point simply by issuing a sincere apology,” Al-Thawra newspaper said in an editorial. A day after the rioting in Damascus, Sunni Muslim protesters in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, set ﬁre to a building that houses the Danish Embassy. Many Lebanese suspect Syria’s intelligence services had a hand in instigating the rampage, during which protesters also ransacked a Christian neighborhood and threw stones at a church. Of the 200 people arrested by Lebanese security forces, ofﬁcials said 76 were Syrians, 35 Palestinians and the rest Lebanese.

day, Schneider currently sits in a tie for the fourth-best record for her weapon at 12-6, guaranteeing her second team All-Ivy honors. However, Schneider had more important things on her mind after the match. “I think it would be great to make ﬁrst team All-Ivy. … (Being named to the ﬁrst team) would show we belong in the Ivies,” Schneider said. “But I’m more focused on the New England (Championships) right now.” Princeton was unable to make the meet, held at Columbia University, due to the snow, so All-Ivy honors will not be decided until the Tigers’ matches with

Harvard, Columbia and Yale have been made up. As things stand, two losses by Harvard’s Jasmine McGlade (11-4) in her three bouts or a record of 4-5 or worse by Erin McGarry of Princeton (81) in those matches would bump Schneider up to the ﬁrst team. This weekend, Brown will take part in the New England Championships held at Wellesley College. Both squads expect to fare well. “Traditionally, we do very well in the New Englands, and I hope we will do the same this year,” Schneider said. “I think we deﬁnitely have the chance to win.”

EDITORIAL/LETTERS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 10

STAFF EDITORIAL

Small notation, big issue At yesterday’s meeting of the College Curriculum Council, Luther Spoehr, lecturer in education and vice chair of the CCC, said the faculty must, through any means, find out why the addition of pluses and minuses to the University’s grading system “is such a big issue” for many students. In response, CCC member Lynne deBenedette, senior lecturer in Slavic languages, made a valid observation: many students see the issue of pluses and minuses as tied to the open curriculum in a way that faculty don’t seem to. Many students will try to convince faculty of this point at the two March forums scheduled by the CCC to discuss pluses and minuses. We believe, however, that professors questioning the significance of Brown’s grading system need only drop by the Rockefeller Library or the Sciences Library on a Friday evening — there won’t be many students around. This is not because Brown students aren’t diligent; we just aren’t, in general, transcript- or career-obsessed, and the New Curriculum makes a hyper-competitive academic atmosphere impossible. Travel to the libraries at the University of Chicago or Johns Hopkins University, schools that have stronger preprofessional cultures, and you would probably be more likely to find pallid, sun-deprived undergraduates hunched over books on a Friday evening. So what does the ABC/NC grading system have to do with this? Not only is the current system in fact part of the New Curriculum — it was ushered in with the other 1969 reforms collectively known by that name — but it also helps achieve the same ends as the lack of a core curriculum and the policy of not displaying NC’s on transcripts. Especially given that C’s accounted for less than 5 percent of grades awarded last year, the ABC/NC grading system, in the spirit of the New Curriculum, de-emphasizes the importance of a rigid system of evaluation in learning. Students are more likely to expand their horizons and take a course they might not otherwise because they know hard work will probably earn them an A or a B, regardless of their background in the subject matter. The ABC/NC grading system means there is less anxiety in the weeks after exams when students are waiting for the registrar to post their grades. It also means that students are more likely to help each other and less likely to have a breakdown over a few points on an exam — though the paradox is that many Brown students will work just as hard. The imprecision of the current system has definite pressurereducing effects, and, in the end, faculty members will have to decide if they want to give that up in return for heightened clarity.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Robbie Corey-Boulet, Editor-in-Chief Justin Elliott, Executive Editor Ben Miller, Executive Editor Stephanie Clark, Senior Editor Katie Lamm, Senior Editor Jonathan Sidhu, Arts & Culture Editor Jane Tanimura, Arts & Culture Editor Stu Woo, Campus Watch Editor Mary-Catherine Lader, Features Editor Ben Leubsdorf, Metro Editor Anne Wootton, Metro Editor Eric Beck, News Editor Patrick Harrison, Opinions Editor Nicholas Swisher, Opinions Editor Stephen Colelli, Sports Editor Christopher Hatﬁeld, Sports Editor Justin Goldman, Asst. Sports Editor Jilane Rodgers, Asst. Sports Editor Charlie Vallely, Asst. Sports Editor PRODUCTION Allison Kwong, Design Editor Taryn Martinez, Copy Desk Chief Lela Spielberg, Copy Desk Chief Mark Brinker, Graphics Editor Joe Nagle, Graphics Editor

PHOTO Jean Yves Chainon, Photo Editor Jacob Melrose, Photo Editor Ashley Hess, Sports Photo Editor Kori Schulman, Sports Photo Editor BUSINESS Ryan Shewcraft, General Manager Lisa Poon, Executive Manager David Ranken, Executive Manager Mitch Schwartz, Executive Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Manager Susan Dansereau, Ofﬁce Manager POST- MAGAZINE Sonia Saraiya, Editor-in-Chief Taryn Martinez, Associate Editor Ben Bernstein, Features Editor Matt Prewitt, Features Editor Elissa Barba, Design Editor Lindsay Harrison, Graphics Editor Constantine Haghighi, Film Editor Paul Levande, Film Editor Jesse Adams, Music Editor Katherine Chan, Music Editor Hillary Dixler, Off-the-Hill Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor

Gabriela Scarritt, Allison Kwong, Night Editors Taryn Martinez, Chessy Brady, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Simmi Aujla, Stephanie Bernhard, Melanie Duch, Ross Frazier, Jonathan Herman, Rebecca Jacobson, Chloe Lutts, Caroline Silverman Staff Writers Anna Abramson, Justin Amoah, Zach Barter, Allison Erich Bernstein, Brenna Carmody, Alissa Cerny, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Phillip Gara, Hannah Miller, Aidan Levy, Jill Luxenberg, Taryn Martinez, Ari Rockland-Miller, Jane Porter, Chelsea Rudman, Sonia Saraiya, Kam Sripada, Robin Steele, Kim Stickels, Nicole Summers, Laura Supkoff, Spencer Trice, Ila Tyagi, Sara Walter Sports Staff Writers Erin Frauenhofer, Kate Klonick, Madeleine Marecki, George Mesthos, Eric Perlmutter, Marco Santini, Tom Trudeau Account Administrators Alexandra Annuziato, Emilie Aries, Steven Butschi, Dee Gill, Rahul Keerthi, Kate Love, Ally Ouh, Nilay Patel, Ashfia Rahman, Rukesh Samarasekera, Jen Solin, Bonnie Wong Design Staff Ross Frazier, Adam Kroll, Andrew Kuo, Gabriela Scarritt Photo Staff CJ Adams, Chris Bennett, Meg Boudreau, Tobias Cohen, Lindsay Harrison, Matthew Lent, Christopher Schmitt, Oliver Schulze, Juliana Wu, Min Wu Copy Editors Aubry Bracco, Jacob Frank, Christopher Gang, Taryn Martinez, Katie McComas, Sara Molinaro, Heather Peterson, Sonia Saraiya, Lela Spielberg

D A N I E L L AW L O R

LETTERS Ris ’05: Segal’s personal attacks distasteful To the Editor: I was shocked and disgusted by the vile, personal attack printed in Monday’s edition of The Herald (“Segal supporters: Funny money funds Ward 1 opposition,” Feb. 13). David Segal and his campaign have truly reached a new low of negativity. My reasons for running for the Providence City Council in Ward 1 are simple: I love my community, and I want to be involved in its government. Providence is my adopted home, the city where I have spent my entire adult life. I have served my community as a student leader, as a Mayoral Fellow in City Hall and as a public high school teacher, and now I want to continue my service in the City Council. I have no interest in personal rivalries, with Segal or anyone else. Segal’s record speaks for itself: in three years on the Council, he has accomplished nothing for Ward 1 or for Providence. I have challenged Segal to debate any issue affecting Providence, and I will debate him as many times as he wishes between now and the election. But I will not participate in personal attacks. I am running because of my feelings for Providence, not Segal. The Segal camp has criticized me for accepting donations from Washington, D.C. My parents live in

Washington. The donors to whom Segal’s supporters refer are my family’s friends. Many have known me since I was in diapers. They are good people, and they gave me money because they know me and believe in me; they have no personal gain in doing so. If Segal begrudges me because of my friends — people he has never met in his life — that says far more about Segal than it does about me. Judge me on my priorities, my leadership qualities and my integrity. I can think of no other factors that would be relevant to this election. Segal’s conduct toward me and my supporters has consistently been invasive and inappropriate, starting with his efforts last spring to bully me out of the race through threatening emails and phone calls to my friends. I will not allow him to deﬁne me with personal attacks, nor will I be intimidated by his tactics. My candidacy is about the issues, effective leadership and my passion for our city and its government. Segal and his campaign can write all the hateful letters they want, but they will not change that fact. Ethan Ris ‘05 Feb. 13

Alarmism by Townsend ’08 harms UCS To the Editor: The Medical Student Senate often works with the Undergraduate Council of Students on issues of mutual importance to students at Brown. For this reason, I was distressed to read UCS Vice President Zachary Townsend ’08’s characterization of the administratrion in yesterday’s Herald column (“UCS is done playing games,” Feb. 14). Based upon my own extensive involvement in administrative affairs at Brown, I question what substantiates his implication that there is a movement toward emphasis on the Graduate School over the College, and where his claims of “surreptitious attacks on Brown’s culture and our administration’s effort

to make us a poorer Harvard” stem from. Moving forward, it is critical that UCS engage both the student body and the administration. However, using alarmist language and hyperbole to garner legitimacy with already disillusioned consituents is not the way to go. Moreover, it is a path that the Medical Student Senate would be reluctant to follow. Neel Shah ’04 MD ’08 President, Medical Student Senate Feb. 14

CO R R E C T I O N A letter in yesterday’s Herald (“Respect for others outweighs free speech,” Feb. 14) incorrectly identiﬁed the class year of one of its authors, Eli Braun. Braun is a member of the class of 2006.

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. C O M M E N TA R Y 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. LET TERS 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. A DV E RT I S I N G P O L I C Y The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

OPINIONS

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 11

Mr. Bush goes to Washington Democrats should not let their aversion to President Bush prevent them from productive cooperation BY MATTHEW LAWRENCE OPINIONS COLUMNIST

From President Bush to CNN, and all the way out through the blogosphere, everyone seems to agree that Washington, D.C. is poisoned. Senators once enjoyed a fruitful spirit of cooperation and held friendships across the aisle despite political differences, but this has now been supplanted by partisanship. Everyone seems to know about it. Washington has united in agreeing that it is no longer united. President Bush addressed this issue Jan. 31 in the State of the Union Address, proposing avenues for cooperation and reform. He made overtures to Democrats, asking for pro-gress on a variety of issues and highlighting the necessity of bipartisan compromise to find effective solutions to our nation’s problems. On the blog of the Brown Democrats, Zach Rynar ’06 wrote just before the State of the Union: “The Oil President is going to talk about how we’re dependent on oil. The Abramoff party is going to stand and clap for reform. I don’t know if I can watch.” Rynar’s prejudgment is representative of how many Democrats felt about Bush’s conciliatory tone in the State of the Union. From what I’ve heard on the

“Blast the Right” podcast, a show which is more left-leaning than most, Bush is awful, awful and awful. He is so awful that anything he says is tainted by this awfulness and must be likewise insincere and awful. One need not bother dealing with the substance of new proposals in which he is involved. After all, if Bush made them, they must be awful.

A nuclear Iran, a terrorist (and democratic) Palestine, a health care system that doesn’t work and an energy crisis are all looming ominously over the United States. Bush’s recent health care failure and the continuation of America’s energy crises in spite of Bush’s comprehensive energy plan have shown that the Republicans cannot handle these domestic issues themselves. The changes they require are too great, and the solutions they necessitate too creative, to be pushed through without Democratic cooperation. And the United States must provide a united front if it is to lead, or even be a player in, diplomatic solutions to the problems with Iran and the IsraeliPalestinian conﬂict. Supposedly, Wayne Gretzky once said that “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” His comments are applicable to many Democrats’ views about cooperating with Bush. If Democrats refuse to remain open to the possibility of cooperation with the Bush administration, they guarantee it will not happen. There is no cost to remaining open to the idea. In fact, Democrats might appear more legitimate and less biased when criticizing him if they refrain from saying he’s the Anti-christ. And, who knows? The cooperation might

The challenges facing our nation are too great, and the solutions they necessitate too creative, to be pushed through without Democratic cooperation. But if cooperation has stagnated lately in Washington, how can anything get done? Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your side of the fence) for America, the inability of Republicans and Democrats to cooperate has not kept things from happening. Simply put, Republicans have used their monopoly of the legislative and executive branches to govern without cooperation. They’ve had some success: two Supreme Court Justices, continued tax cuts, an aggressive foreign policy and often-intrusive counter-terrorism measures have all been put in place in spite of vocal objections from Democrats.

work. Even if you do think Bush is evil or an idiot, and that his calls in the State of the Union Address for cooperation were insincere, there is nothing to be gained by rejecting his ideas from the outset. Second to cooperation, what are the options? Fight angrily (and usually unsuccessfully) against Bush until his term is up, hoping that in 2009 whoever comes into office will bring a new way of doing things in Washington, D.C.? If so, then taxpayers whom our inefficient health care system fails might have to wait three years for a solution. Iran and Hamas would no doubt be happy to wait three years for a united America to stick its nose in their plans. Exxon would love to enjoy three more years of record-setting profits. But what does it hurt the opposition to push aside the anger and leave itself open to the possibility of meaningful cooperation before 2009? The Democrats can yell about Iraq, call for impeachment for wiretapping and shake their fists at Karl Rove all they like, but they should try to prevent their feelings on these issues from preventing them from cooperation elsewhere. Next time you hear a Bush proposal, try to consider it in light of its merit, not the person proposing it. There is little to lose and a great deal to gain.

Matthew Lawrence ’06 knows that sharing equals caring.

Gender Studies unappreciated Much-maligned Gender Studies is a rich academic discipline from which everyone can beneﬁt BY COURTNEY JENKINS OPINIONS COLUMNIST

Now that it’s finally over, I think it is safe to say that shopping period always brings out the best and worst in stereotypes. Whether you shop departments like it’s the biannual sale at Nordstrom’s or you have got your next two years of classes set in registrar stone, you’re bound to at some point find yourself discussing the merits of departments, faculty and ending up in Friday classes before noon. In this way, however, we are all guilty of jumping to conclusions. I may not have any background in geology past living on the San Andreas Fault and driving carefully around “Caution: Falling Rocks” signs, but after over two years here I can easily tell you what Quakes for Flakes entails. But try bringing up taking a gender studies class to your average Ratty table and there is utter silence. We might understand quantum physics and “Anna Karenina,” but few of us really pause to think about gender studies. In all honesty, what kinds of people would you initially assume take a course called “Advanced Feminist Theory?” To some it might be a stereotypical vision of the combat-booted, flannel-suited “feminazi” sitting around a table with other women plotting the demise of man. To others it might be an equally caricatured figure – an activist, a tree-

hugger or a radical liberal. However you slice it, it’s an unfair and unfounded image of a completely legitimate discipline continuously perpetuated by these negative conceptions of feminism and gender studies in American academia. And with the political climate increasingly pushing women back into the private sphere while eclipsing their public rights, it should only make sense that a ﬁeld like gender studies would be considered paramount to understanding and interpreting current events. But why isn’t it? Why don’t we consider taking an intro to Gender Studies as integral to a wellrounded education just as we would a class on international relations? Either we’re too scared of showing up or too ignorant to even think about these issues. I’m here to convince you otherwise. In fact, just thinking about it, a little under a year ago our campus was abuzz over the production of “The Vagina Monologues.” Students lined up in droves to see it — artists, athletes, musicians, activists and scientists. The crowds were diverse in interest, in background and in thought processes. And the discussions afterward in the Gate, at Antonio’s and the next day on the way to class were inspiring. Whether they hated it or loved

it, somehow everyone had something to say on issues of genital mutilation, orgasms, domestic abuse and abortion. No one probably asks your average economics major what he thinks of sex trafficking on a day-to-day basis, but it’s about time someone did. This is where gender studies classes come in. Far more than just an open forum for whining about the plight of females, I can honestly say that I’ve witnessed some of the most eye-

game theory or the 1848 revolutions. Rather, I felt like my Brown education had come full circle. I was synthesizing two years of college level thinking into this class, applying theory from all walks of academia into my comments during discussion and bringing what others had said on topics ranging from pornography to women in science into my life. But at the same time, I’m not satisfied with these amazing classes consisting of a small group of passionate intellectuals who, on the whole, are just like me. We’re all pretty liberal, we’re all pro-choice, and we’re predominantly women. It’s not surprising that some days I felt like we were just preaching to the choir, never really impacting anyone beyond ourselves. And that’s where you come in. In order to make these classes true forums for intellectual debate and growth, and to eventually dispel the aforementioned pejorative connotations of gender studies itself, there has to be more diversity of thought and background within these courses at Brown. So go ahead and shop around; you might be surprised by what you find inside.

We don’t just read feminist texts; we unpack, analyze and internalize them to produce an empowering web of knowledge and theory. opening, thought-provoking discussions on campus in these classes. We don’t just read a Simone de Beauvoir text; we unpack, analyze and internalize it using our knowledge from other classes — one day I counted references to biology, history, philosophy, computer science and ethics in just 50 minutes — to produce an empowering web of knowledge and theory. So when I walked out of the Smitty-B classroom doors last spring after each and every feminist theory discussion, I wasn’t just set with a page of notes on

Courtney Jenkins ‘07 wears heels.

SPORTS WEDNESDAY THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · FEBRUARY 15, 2006 · PAGE 12

Olympics Update: Murphy hoping for more Brown gold With ﬁve of her former players competing in the Torino Olympics, women’s ice hockey Head Coach Digit Murphy is keeping a close eye on the Games. After Tuesday’s game, she reﬂected a bit on the alums competing. The two Olympic veterans from Brown, forward Katie King ’97 (United States) and defenseman Becky Kellar ’97 (Canada), both have Olympic gold from the 1998 and 2002 Games, respectively. Murphy said she’d like to see a win by the United States so that three Olympic rookies — forward Kathleen Kauth ’01, forward Kim Insalaco ’03 and goaltender Pam Dreyer ’03 — can get a taste of the gold. “Those three weren’t ‘golden children’ when they came here. They worked their

Ashley Hess / Herald

Women’s hockey Head Coach Digit Murphy recruited and coached all ﬁve Brown alums in this year’s Winter Olympics.

butts off to get where they are. They’re true Brown hockey kids,” Murphy said. With Canada and the United States likely headed for the gold medal game after sweeping their respective pools, it would seem that Murphy will have an alum at the top of the medal stand no matter what. “Brown wins either way,” she said. United States, Canada finish round-robin play undefeated Team USA overcame an early 3-1 deficit against Finland with the help of Katie King ’97. King’s goal 1:28 into the third period tied the game at three, and the United States tacked on four more over a five minute, 20-second span later in the period to close out the Finals. The United States finished with a 3-0 record in Group B. Defenseman Becky Kellar ’97 and the Canadian women’s ice hockey team defeated Sweden 8-1 to clinch the top seed out of Group A. Kellar again had no points but had a plus-2 rating to give her a plus-8 for the tournament’s first three games. The wins send both teams onto semifinal matches Friday and keep the two squads on a collision course for the gold medal game Feb. 20. Team USA will square off with Sweden. The Canadians, arguably the gold medal favorites after outscoring their first three opponents 36-1, will play Finland. — Chris Hatfield

Love of competition pulls collegiate athlete two directions BY SARAH DEMERS SPORTS STAFF WRITER

This column is part of an ongoing series documenting two-sport athletes at Brown. Sarah Demers ’07, a member of the women’s swimming team, also played on the women’s lacrosse team her ﬁrst year. Part of her wishes she still did. We live in an age of specialization. By the time they turn seven, many kids have already made a decision on what one sport they will focus on, have gone to all the camps, own all the gear and already know what college team they plan to play for. I speciﬁcally chose not to specialize. I remember walking into swim practice in middle school with dirt smeared over my legs and bruises on my arms from soccer practice. My coach would just look at me and laugh.

I would go to basketball practice with my hair frozen from the cold because I didn’t have time to dry it from the pool. All my friends were swimmers or soccer players or played tennis. I wanted to do them all … so I did. I continued through high school participating in three sports. I was never the best at anything and I usually pulled a muscle when I ran that ﬁrst suicide at lacrosse practice after spending the previous two months in the pool, but I never regretted not focusing on one thing. I was having too much fun to stop. Soccer let me hit people. The water was my second home. Lacrosse provided the incomparable thrill of catching the ball on the run and taking off towards goal. Why give all that up just because of college? see ATHLETES, page 8

Yale steamrolls w. icers in third period to take 3-1 win BY CHRIS HATFIELD SPORTS EDITOR

While the rigor of the regular season can be tough on a college team, it also becomes a familiar routine for players to have two games every weekend. After getting this weekend off from games, it was clear Tuesday night that the women’s hockey team was not right. Its three-goal, third-period collapse led to a 3-1 loss to Yale, the first time in 38 meetings that the Bulldogs have beat the Bears. Head Coach Digit Murphy said that her team did not seem to bring its usual focus to the Meehan Auditorium last night. It showed, as the Bears were unable to hold on to an early 1-0 lead courtesy of Keaton Zucker ’06 and failed to match the visitors’ intensity in the final period. Yale’s whooping and hollering on its way to the ice to start the third period could be heard in the stands, and the players that started the frame on the bench immediately started pounding the boards and Plexiglas. The noise created by the Bulldogs had an immediate payoff, as they came out of intermission firing. During a scrum in front of the net just 0:16 into the period, Jenna Spring knotted the game at one by poking a rebound past goaltender Nicole Stock ’09. The quick tally shifted the momentum to Yale and submarined Brown’s confidence. “Yale came out with so much steam in the third period,” Zucker said. “They had a little more energy than us.” The Bulldogs took the lead about

In the first half of the Ivy League Championship last week, the women’s fencing team took the spotlight for Brown’s contingent, picking up its first-ever Ivy League win by upsetting Princeton. On Sunday, it was the men’s turn, as they beat Yale 16-11 to pick up their first victory. The men, who finished 1-5 for the round-robin tournament, had defeated the Bulldogs at the Brandeis Invitational 15-12 in December and felt confident entering the rematch. The foil squad led the way, winning eight of nine matches. Jeremy Zeitlin ’07 and Nick Bender ’09 both went 3-0, while Jeremy Moore ’06 won his two matches. The saber squad went 6-3, with Jeremy Adler ’06, Dan Mahoney ’07 and Sam Levine ’08 all

posting 2-1 records. Epeeist Adrian Martin ’06 also went 2-1. “It’s a morale boost,” Adler said of the win over the Bulldogs. “It also makes us feel like we belong in the Ivies.” The women’s team hoped it could also pull off a win against Yale over the weekend but was unsuccessful in its bid, falling 18-9 to also finish with a 15 record. The saber squad was able to ease the pain of the loss a bit by winning 5-4, with Charlotte Gartenberg ’08 and Deborah Gorth ’09 taking two of three matches and Olivia Partyka ’06 adding the fifth win. Epeeist Christine Livoti ’08 turned in Brown’s other 2-1 record. “It just didn’t really come together,” said All-American Ruth Schneider ’06, who thought the Bears suffered due to their long wait before competing in their first match. “I think the scheduling might have thrown us off a bit.”

nine minutes later. Taking advantage of a delayed Brown penalty to pull goaltender Sarah Love for an extra skater, see W. ICERS, page 9

Skiiers overcome obstacles to post 3rd-, 5th-place finishes BY STEPHEN COLELLI SPORTS EDITOR

During the course of a ski race, it is a given that a few of the competitors will fall. Whether it is a result of difﬁcult conditions, bad luck or the loss of one’s edge in the snow, skiers fall all the time. A fall is almost never the result of a person wandering out onto the course. Almost. However, that is exactly what happened in Sunday’s giant slalom race in the Boston College Carnival at Ascutney Mountain, Vt. Jamie Johnson ’06 wrecked in her ﬁrst run when a skier wandered out onto the course after Johnson had burst out of the starting gate. She was granted a restart,

Foilists power m. fencing past Yale; women battle top three powers but come up empty BY CHRIS HATFIELD SPORTS EDITOR

Ashley Hess / Herald

Keaton Zucker ’07 scored Brown’s lone goal in last night’s 3-1 loss to Yale. It was her 10th goal of the 2005-06 campaign.

Neither squad fared well against Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, Brown’s other opponents at the championships. The men fell to those squads 21-6 and 23-4, respectively. Adler and Martin were the only Brown fencers with winning 2-1 records against the Crimson, and foilist and Herald photographer Toby Cohen ’09 and epeeist Pat Culhane ’06 picked up the other two victories. No Bear was able to win more than once against Penn, with Adler, Martin, Culhane and Bender each defeating one opponent. Cohen’s win was the most impressive of the day for Bruno. He knocked off Harvard’s Sam Cross at the third foilist position after Cross had already beaten Brown’s No. 1 and No. 2 competitors. “That was our biggest upset of see FENCING, page 9

but the unusual circumstance was yet another strange twist in what has been a challenging season for Brown. “We really haven’t gotten any breaks thus far,” Johnson said. “Whether it’s been equipment issues, skiers not returning to the team (or) injuries. Last year we had eight girls we could always count on and right now we have six, so it’s been tough.” The Bears had two races this weekend, competing in the giant slalom on Saturday and the slalom on Sunday. On Saturday, Brown finished third, placing four skiers in the top 13. Sophie Elgort ’08 paced the team with a 1:25.45 run, good for sixth place. The Bears also took the 11th through 13th spots with co-captain Kelly O’Hear ’07, followed by Janet Marley-Mauzy ’07 and Mallory Taub ’08, respectively. “I was happy with the run,” said Elgort, who is still recovering from surgery on her right knee to remove scar tissue. “I didn’t really care about the place (I finished in) because the people in front of me had done well. The last week of training, I have felt a lot better.” Sunday’s race was hampered in part by the Nor’easter blanketing New England, making for a slower course than normal. Three Brown skiers failed to finish — O’Hear among them — which knocked the Bears to fifth place in the team competition. Elgort again led the way for Bruno on Sunday with a 13th-place finish. The most impressive performance of the weekend unquestionably belonged to Johnson. She recovered from her crash to take 19th place in the 65-skiier field and might have finished even higher if she had see SKIING, page 4 BROWN SPORTS RESULTS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 W. HOCKEY: Yale 3, Brown 1 M.SQUASH: Trinity 9, Brown 0 W. SQUASH: Trinity 9, Brown 0

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Published on Feb 15, 2006

The February 15, 2006 issue of the Brown Daily Herald

browndailyherald

Similar to

Popular now

Just for you

Go explore