THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2006
Volume CXLI, No. 23
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An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
RAISE THE RUTH The Providence Newspaper Guild’s 33rd annual Follies featured dancing joints and a stripping faux Ruth Simmons METRO 3
TUNING IN Brown is one of six schools nationwide using iTunes U, which lets students listen to lectures on their iPods CAMPUS NEWS 5
THE OTHER ‘BIG RED’ Te-Ping Chen ’07: The Communist Party’s “greatest revolution” has escalated development in China OPINIONS 11
TODAY
TOMORROW
sunny 31 / 17
sunny 35 / 25
Main Green leak costs U. around $300k
Advising in IR bottlenecked by high number of concentrators
Snowstorm of two weeks ago an unlikely ally in solving problem
BY ANNE WOOTTON METRO EDITOR
In addition to being one of the most popu-lar concentrations offered at the University, the International Relations Program is also arguably the broadest. Its four concentration tracks include courses in economics, political science, anthropology, religion and foreign language departments, among others. But when it comes time to file a concentration in international relations, only one person at the University can sign the forms: Claudia Elliot Ph.D. ’99, an adjunct lecturer in international relations and concentration adviser to the entire program, which includes between 250 and 400 students at any given time. Elliot’s job at the University is unique: in addition to her normal responsibilities as a faculty member, she is paid specifically to spend 20 hours per week as an adviser, meeting with and answering questions from international relations concentrators. “It’s doable in the sense that students meet with me for half an hour, so the reality is that I can see all the students (concentrating in international relations),” Elliot said, though she added that the large number of concentrators “does put a strain on the advising process.” Some international relations concentrators complain that it is difficult to make a significant connection with an adviser in just 30 minutes. “It’s hard to develop a personal, oneon-one relationship with your concentration adviser in the international relations (program),” said Rita Cidre ’07, a double-concentrator in French and the politics, cultures and identity track of the International Relations Program. Cidre referred to an advising meeting during which Elliot discouraged her strongly from writing a senior thesis, citing this as one reason she believes advising within the international relations concentration is not as supportive or involved as advising in other concentrations. “The conversation I had with (Elliot) basically narrowed down to her telling me that it was very hard to do a thesis and very competitive,” Cidre said. “I really think that if anyone is willing to undertake such a big project, (that person) should have faculty support. I don’t think it’s important if you have five B’s and four A’s in the track — a student should have the faculty support and the tools available to get it done,” she added. Owen David ’08, who filed his international relations concentration form last week, expressed sentiments similar to Cidre’s. “(My experience) has been very, very bureaucratic in nature — it took me three, four weeks to schedule an appointment with (Elliot),” said David, who ultimately felt like his meeting with her was cut short. “In the end, I only got half an hour with Dr. Elliot, and that’s not really adequate time,” he said. “All these big questions that should be asked when you’re declaring see IR, page 8 Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260
BY KYLE MCGOURTY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Practice,” one of two required seminars for the concentration. The course is currently being taught by Jeffrey Poland, an adjunct professor hired to fill in for Brock. The other required seminar, BE 150.1: “Topics in Biomedical Ethics: Objectivity and Its Loss,” was offered by Poland last fall. Poland is the acting adviser for the concentration and one of several parttime professors who has worked over the last four years to teach the required classes. The suspension of the biomedical ethics concentration was “not due to a lack of student interest,” Poland said, “but was a departmental issue.” The department’s current arrangement works for many students, said Associate Dean of the College Carolyn Denard, who oversees independent
About two weeks ago, Cody Campanie ’08 chose to not shower for three days because of hot water loss in Caswell Hall. During that stretch, Campanie played two rugby practices and lifted weights. “I didn’t have much contact with girls Monday through Wednesday,” he added. The outpouring of steam near Sayles Hall, which began Feb. 8, was caused by a rupture in a segment of the high temperature hot water piping near Manning Chapel. The cause of the leak is still unknown, but officials from Facilities Management suspect corrosion and old age were potential causes. The total cost to the University has been roughly $300,000 to $350,000. This number is expected to rise as concrete that was removed to reach the leak is replaced, said Stephen Maiorisi, vice president of Facilities Management. Workers from Facilities Management logged nearly 240 overtime hours during the repairs process. Workers first noticed the leak on Feb. 8 when gauge readings indicated the main system was losing water. “We immediately assembled a team to address the problem,” said Carlos Fernandez, director of engineering for Facilities Management. Contractors hired by the University excavated the site near Sayles to fix the pipe. The water in the pipe is between 250 and 320 degrees Fahrenheit, Fernandez said, so the pipe’s hot water had to be shut off to ensure workers’ safety during construction. An inability to locate the source of the leak then prolonged
see ETHICS, page 7
see HEATING, page 6
Courtesy of Facilities Management
Some buildings on campus had their heat turned off to protect workers from high temperatures while repairing steam pipes under the Main Green, such as this one outside Manning Chapel.
Biomedical ethics on the way out despite student interest BY SPENCER TRICE STAFF WRITER
Students wishing to concentrate in biomedical ethics are running out of options this semester, though opportunities for those interested in the field have not altogether disappeared. The biomedical ethics concen-tration has drawn attention since Dan Brock, the last full-time professor in the discipline, left the University four years ago. The administration officially suspended the concentration last year after a decline in faculty and departmental support. The administration reviewed the concentration and decided to phase it out over the 2005-2006 school year, closing it to new concentrators. Spring 2006 will be the last opportunity for students to take BE 150.1: “Topics in Biomedical Ethics: Controversial Issues in Mental Health
Sweet success: Warren Brown ’93 flourishes in cake-baking BY STEPHANIE LEE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Warren Brown ’93 has made good use of his Brown history degree — as a full-time cake-baker and FEATURE owner of the Cakelove bakery in Washington, D.C. In addition to running the bakery and the Love Café, which serves breakfast, lunch and desserts next door, Brown is now the star of a culinary TV show. Brown hosts “Sugar Rush,” a program dedicated entirely to desserts of every kind, each week on Food Network. With the first season almost complete and a second forthcoming, Brown is making headway as a TV personality and dessert aficionado. Brown’s days on College Hill and his decision to concentrate in history did not prepare him for his eventual career path, but they served him well when he was a public defender in the United
States Department of Health and Human Services. While in Providence, he served as a student government leader and participated in other extracurricular activities, as well. And though his collegiate career gave little indication that he would eventually pursue culinary arts, Brown said his activities outside of the classroom had some connection to his current occupation and plans for the future. The chaos of event-planning and leadership gave him some insight as to what it would be like running his own business, he said. Other elements of life in Providence provided more obvious ties to his current occupation. “I cooked a lot at Brown,” he said. “I used to live in Slater, and we all chipped in money for dinner. …We made everything from roast turkey, to breakfast burritos and pasta.” Toward the end of his four years in Providence, Brown said he
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
spontaneously purchased a 500-page cookbook from the Brown Bookstore. He also found inspiration for Love Café on campus. Brown said the atmosphere he strived to emulate was “a combination of the (Rockefeller Library) on the second floor … and see CAKELOVE, page 6
www.cakelove.com
Warren Brown ‘93 hosts “Sugar Rush” on the Food Network.
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