Monday, March 20, 2006

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006

Volume CXLI, No. 37

www.browndailyherald.com

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891 PROVIDENCE PROMENADE A walking tour of downtown concludes The Herald’s series on the state of Providence today METRO 5

SHTETL HOUSE ROCK Klezmer groups from Northeast, Chicago join Brown’s Yarmulkazi for first ever Klezmerpalooza ARTS & CULTURE 3

No clear answer to spotty cell phone service

NOT IN TIME M. lax makes strong showing with return of two injured players, but team still falls to No. 7 UMass Minutemen SPORTS 12

TODAY

TOMORROW

sunny 38 / 23

mostly sunny 45 / 29

U. approves divestment blacklist, lifts Israel travel ban

A MODERN MAJOR MUSICAL

BY ANDREW JACOBS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Steve Greene ’08 isn’t happy with his cell phone service. “In my room, I can only talk in the corners,” the FEATURE Sears House resident said.

“I swear, only in corners. I can’t just stand against the wall — I have to physically lean into the corners,” he added.

Greene’s complaint is not unique. Last month, 52 percent of 1,749 respondents in a WebCT poll from the Undergraduate Council of Students reported they needed “better signal strength.” But figuring out which service is best depends on who you ask and what they might be selling.

While the UCS poll ranked Cingular first in customer satisfaction, with 61 percent of users satisfied, Dana Harris, manager of the year-old Brown Wireless store at 220 Thayer St., tells a different story.

Harris said his store used to sell Cingular but chose not to renew its contract with the provider after receiving a large number of complaints from students about dropped calls.

Brown Wireless now offers only T-Mobile, Nextel and Boost Mobile. Of these,

BY ERIC BECK NEWS EDITOR

already enjoy the space; I think there’s a way to make better use of it.”

Unlike proposed renovations to Faunce House, changes to the Bear’s Lair and the other potential spaces will not create more common and lounge space. They will instead be focused on adding suitable venues for student parties.

The lounge adjacent to the exercise equipment, which contains a bar, is currently underused and would serve as an ideal party space, McDonald said.

The Brown Corporation’s Advisory and Executive Committee Friday endorsed a list of six companies doing business in Sudan to be excluded from the University’s direct investments in response to ongoing genocide in the country’s Darfur region. The endorsement of the list makes it official University policy.

The A&E committee also approved a revised undergraduate international travel policy that will allow students to study or travel abroad in locations on the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning list, including Israel.

The six companies to be excluded from the University’s investments are ABB Ltd., Alcatel, PetroChina, Siemens, Sinopec and Tatneft.

The Corporation first approved divestment at its Feb. 25 meeting. Administrators worked in conjunction with the University’s Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investing and the group Students Taking Action Now: Darfur to develop the list of companies to be excluded from the University’s investments.

Prior to the Corporation’s decision to divest, the ACCRI recommended divestment from nine companies it determined provided revenue to the Sudanese government. Three of those companies were removed from the blacklist endorsed by the A&E committee, with approval from the ACCRI, according to Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Elizabeth Huidekoper. The three companies were Marathon Oil, Total SA and Petronas.

“The ACCRI was included in the process of gathering additional information on the nine companies. By the time the final rec-

see BEAR’S LAIR, page 4

see CORPORATION, page 4

Jacob Melrose / Herald

Brown University Gilbert and Sullivan presented “The Pirates of Penzance” over the weekend.

see ARTS & CULTURE, page 3 Harris said T-Mobile is best: “It’s better reception, and a better deal for your money.” He estimated that 80 percent of the Brown students he deals with end up buying T-Mobile.

Unlike Cingular, T-Mobile’s Web site provides a detailed coverage map. The area of campus bounded by Bowen, Hope, George and Prospect streets earns a four on a scale that ranges from zero to five, with five being the best rating. Most

other areas of campus rate a 3, including Keeney, Wriston and Vartan Gregorian Quadrangles and Barbour Hall.

Despite Harris’s praise and optimistic coverage maps, T-Mobile still fails to satisfy a majority of its Brown subscribers, according to UCS poll results. This frustration with service, T-Mobile or otherwise, can sometimes lead to one place — see CELL PHONES, page 4

Bear’s Lair may become social space

BY SARAH GELLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In response to the recent report of the University’s Ad Hoc Committee to Review Social Events Policy, the Bear’s Lair in the Graduate Center and other areas may be renovated for use as social spaces.

The committee, which was created in November following hospitalizations and media coverage related to Sex Power God and a party the preceding night at which shots were fired, sought to evaluate social functions and related University policies. One of its major recommendations was to “identify and create additional social event space,” according to the committee report, which was released earlier this month.

Among other recommendations, the

report called for more venues for smaller functions drawing between 75 to 100 or 150 to 250 people and suggested that historic spaces such as Sayles Hall not be used for certain events.

“The renovation of the Bear’s Lair as a social space is the most likely and feasible change,” said Kevin McDonald ’08, a member of the Campus Life Committee of the Undergraduate Council of Students who is working on recommendations for proposed changes to the Bear’s Lair.

Other spaces being considered for renovations are Andrews Dining Hall, the meeting room in the Inn at Brown and the Ivy Room, according to David Greene, vice president for campus life and student services. “The Bear’s Lair has been considered as a good possible social space,” Greene said. “Students

James Sattin / Herald

The Bear’s Lair is one of several on-campus areas identified by the University as a potential space for social activities.

Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260

Man drives car into Andreas

BY SIMMI AUJLA SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A man drove his car into the main entrance of Andreas Restaurant early Friday evening after the owner of the restaurant had asked him to leave, causing minor damage.

The man, who seemed intoxicated, entered the Thayer Street restaurant around 5 p.m. and began “mumbling and ranting” to customers, according to Manager Shaina Brais. When Andreas’ owner asked the man to leave, he became belligerent.

The suspect left the restaurant and got into his car, a Ford Explorer, according to Brais. He proceeded to reverse out of a parking spot outside of Shanghai and drive into the entrance of Andreas on the corner of Thayer and Meeting streets, according to Brais.

He then reversed away from the restaurant and drove down Thayer Street. Passersby and restaurant patrons took note of the license plate

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

number and reported it to the Providence Police Department.

The car shattered the glass in the front door and damaged the doorframe, Brais said. She said she did not know if there was any damage to the restaurant’s foundation or how much repairs would cost. A temporary wood covering is in place until further repairs can be made.

Brais said the suspect was in a wheelchair and was approximately 40 years old. She said she had seen him on Thayer Street before and remembered that the man had visited Andreas last summer. At that time, he mumbled under his breath while he ate at the restaurant and was “a little belligerent,” she said.

“We kept an eye on him and he left (after his meal),” Brais said. On Friday the man did not eat at the restaurant.

As of Sunday evening, the PPD had not found the suspect or his car, Brais said.

The PPD could not be reached for comment.

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

THIS MORNING THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 2 Jero Matt Vascellaro

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS “INVISIBLE CHILDREN” 12 p.m., (135 Thayer St.) — R.V.s are driving across the country to bring the documentary “Invisible Children,” a rough-cut film, to high schools, colleges and places of worship in every major city.

RICK RASHID OF MICROSOFT GUEST LECTURE & RAFFLE 4 p.m., (MacMillan 117) — Rick Rashid, senior vice president of research for Microsoft, will lecture on the growth of Microsoft’s research, the impact it has had on the computer science community and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the technology field.

BROWN-YALE HEALTH POLICY FORUM 6:15 p.m. , (Sayles Hall) — The Brown-Yale Health Policy Forum will provide the opportunity for students to present a policy on HIV/AIDS and state health care to leaders and experts in the health policy world.

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

CLOSING PANEL ON DOCUMENTARY FILM AND HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS 8 p.m. , (MacMillan 117) — Three panelists will discuss fimmaking and activism at the culmination of the Human Rights Film Festival.

M for Massive Yifan Luo

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Vegan Vegetable Couscous, Vegan Patties, Steak Fries, French Onion Soup, Vegetarian Corn and Tomato Soup, Comino Chicken Sandwich, Tuscan Stuffed Breads, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Lyonnaise Potatoes, Turkey Breakfast, Sausages, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Rainbow Cake, French Taco Sandwich DINNER — Grits Souffle, Lemon Rice, Rabe, Roasted Honey Glazed Chicken, Lemon Rice, Belgian Carrots, Focaccia with Mixed Herbs, Lemon Chiffon Cake, Roasted Honey Glazed Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Focaccia with Mixed Herbs

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Vegetable Barley Soup, Chicken Gumbo Soup, Shaved Steak Sandwich, Garbanzo Bean Casserole, Mexican Succotash, Snickerdoodle Cookies DINNER — Vegetarian Vegetable Barley Soup, Chicken Gumbo Soup, Chopped Sirloin with Onion Sauce, Tofu Raviolis with Sauce, Cranberry Wild & White Rice Pilaf, Crinkle Cut Carrots, Wax Beans, Focaccia with Mixed Herbs, Lemon Chiffon Cake

Homebodies Mirele Davis

RELEASE DATE– Monday, March 20, 2006

CR O S Daily SWO RD Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Lover of Tramp 5 That is, to Caesar 10 When Hamlet dies 14 Hosiery shade 15 Reese of “Touched by an Angel” 16 Fruit center 17 Copter 19 Lion’s warning 20 String quartet member 21 Old aviation comic strip “__ Jack” 23 Galoot 25 The Daily Planet cub reporter 28 Writer __ Rogers St. Johns 29 Use an eggbeater 31 Film that continues a story 33 Hi-speed connection 34 Lucy’s blankettoting brother 36 Out of shape 38 Schoolroom contest 42 Spot on a tie, say 43 Arm bones 46 Part of CST: Abbr.

49 Hurts, like a headache 52 Bluesy James 53 Jigsaw puzzle bit 55 Precise 57 Critic Reed 58 News write-up 60 Embroidered mat 62 Object of worship 63 Shy nondancer at a dance 68 AMEX rival 69 “__ by land ...”

70 Price of a cab ride 71 Many C-notes 72 Traditional battlers 73 Beginner DOWN 1 Kareem, formerly __ Alcindor 2 Oberhausen “Oh!”

3 Outdoor movies 4 Cosmonaut Gagarin 5 Pastoral poems 6 Lower in rank 7 Connecticut Ivy Leaguer 8 Camera type, briefly 9 Boys 10 Caustic 11 Sat on a sill, as a pie 12 Ways through the woods 13 With 26-Down, it occurs today at 10:26 AM PST 18 London lav 22 Surfing mecca 23 Leatherworking tool 24 __ Beta Kappa 26 See 13-Down 27 Longtime Georgia senator Sam 30 Diminutive dogs 32 Three after D 35 Irish or English dog 37 Cast prefix 39 __-di-dah 40 Old Italian coins

41 Door, e.g.

44 Supped 45 Tenor instrument, maybe 46 Arrival celebrated in this puzzle 47 Do a camp project 48 Remove from office 50 Golfer’s headache

51 Pooh-poohs, with “at” 54 Nat and Natalie 56 Up to, for short 59 Pairs 61 Artist’s place 64 Chemical suffix 65 Luthor of “Superman” comics 66 Goof 67 Olds creation

Freeze Dried Puppies Cara FitzGibbon

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Silentpenny Soundbite Brian Elig

xwordeditor@aol.com

03/20/06

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ARTS & CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 3

PW play offers absurd look at entrance to paradise

Humor-laden ‘Pirates’ features strong comedic acting

BY JEAN YVES CHAINON STAFF WRITER

“Eternity Placement Opportunity” recounts the stories of five unique candidates called upon for an eternal spot in heaven. Production Workshop’s REVIEW latest performance, directed by Brendan Pelsue ’08, carries the audience through a fast-paced, innovative comedy rich with eccentricities in only 20 minutes. The play’s fine-tuned rhythm and relentless humor sends the audience into delirious amusement.

The production, written by Rory and Brendan Pelsue, opens on an empty stage with the sound of tearing tape punctuating the background. A custodian appears and slowly crosses the stage, applying thick red tape across the floor. Halfway across the stage, he pauses, sneers at the audience and then resumes.

Two exceedingly uninterested employees, Blanche and Bill (Christina Perkins ’08 and Adam Keller ’06.5), follow the custodian with a large orange box, setting the scene for the Eternity Placement Opportunity Incorporation. Within the box is an audio instruction tape.

“The following is a brief disclaimer: Hello, and welcome to your final judgment,” Blanche announces matter-of-factly to the audience, reading from a “Final Judgment” brochure. She calls out five names: Simon Putrane (Henry Clarendon ’06), Gal Rivers (Kori Schulman ’08), Vicki Prouess (Rachel Cronin ’08), Edith McDune (Lizzie Vieh ’07) and Jeff Claxton (Kurt Roediger ’07). The lanky, gum-chewing Bill nonchalantly beck-

Klezmerpalooza 2006 rocks the shtetl

BY VERONICA YU CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Eternity Placement Opporrtunity” packs humor and wellacted performances into a brief production. ons the puzzled nominees behind the red line.

To gain entrance to the heavenly kingdom, each must follow the audiotape’s instruction: “Tell the story of a negative experience you have had and are generally unwilling to share with others.”

Thus, each character recounts colorful excerpts of embarrassing experiences. Simon Putrane narrates his late return to a whorehouse he frequented as a youth.

Gal Rivers is a mascara-smeared, destitute woman who once performed a provocative song-and-dance routine, called “Busted,” in front of her Church congregation.

Vicky Prouess, who is relatively naïve and obnoxious, recalls a trivial incident in a parking lot. This leads to one of the funniest and most surprising moments in the play, when a shrill scream suddenly and unexpectedly pierces the room. What ensues is a lightning-quick appearance of a short-skirted, hysterical woman who splatters the contents of a trashcan all over the floor before being wrestled off-stage by her husband.

The audience had just a few moments to compre-

Friday night’s performance of “The Pirates of Penzance,” put on by Brown University Gilbert and Sullivan, offered exceptional REVIEW comedic acting performances, resulting in a compelling version of the operetta that pleased the half-capacity crowd gathered in Salomon 101.

One of Gilbert and Sullivan’s more famous works, “The Pirates of Penzance” is about an apprenticed pirate, Frederic, the conundrums of his love life and his conflicting loyalties to his pirate comrades and his country.

Although the operetta’s plot ended suddenly and a little confusingly, the musical and comedic performances by all the cast members made up for this minor flaw. In particular, the male leads, Jonathan Ichikawa GS and Alexander Ebin ’07, displayed their wondrous singing and acting abilities as the Pirate King and Frederic, respectively.

Ichikawa’s deeper, more resonating voice complemented Ebin’s clear tenor.

The orchestra pit supported the actors with cheerful melodies showcasing fluttering winds,

see ETERNITY, page 8

see PIRATES, page 6

Jean Yves Chainon / Herald

From rape list to gender-neutral housing, film documents Brown’s activist history

BY NINA CRUZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BY STEWART DEARING STAFF WRITER

Bands with clever names like New Kids on the Shtetl, WildKatz and Brown’s own Yarmulkazi came from all over New England and from as far away as Chicago for Saturday’s Klezmerpalooza 2006, the first of what may REVIEW become an annual festival. The event, which was held at Alumnae Hall and took nearly a year to organize, showcased traditional and not-so-traditional selections of Jewish klezmer music.

New Kids on the Shtetl started the afternoon off with a talented clarinetist playing a complicated, high-pitched melody over a simple bass line, sedated drums and a keyboard. The musicians, who hail from the Eastman School of Music, presided over smooth changes in dynamics and tempo and took the audience through songs that were markedly different from the normal klezmer sound.

In “Zorn Diona,” a muted, stilted trumpet called out over a sinister bass line and the occasional cymbal roll.

The drums gradually picked up tempo as the trumpet

Alison Klayman ’06 and Julia Liu ’06, creators of a new documentary titled “Women’s Only,” hope to change the face of student activism at Brown by making current students more aware of their predecessors’ efforts. The film screened on Saturday at Wilson 102 to a half-capacity crowd of administrators, students and alums.

Funded by a C.V. Starr National Service Fellowship and the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women, the film chronicles the history of Brown student activism over the past 50 years, focusing especially on race and gender issues. It examines these themes through interviews with alums and administrators.

Klayman and Liu told the crowd they hope to inspire others to action with the film, as well as educate incoming students about Brown’s historical involvement in social activism.

The film begins with the story of black female activists at Pembroke College who staged a walkout in the early 1970s to protest the low number of black students enrolled at the college.

see KLEZMER, page 6

Through several interviews with participants of the walkout, the film explains the culture shock that these women faced at Pembroke. Their college made little effort to accommodate them, and as the film explains, did not understand why it should.

The activists also explain that they did not feel comfortable working within the confines of the administration’s complaint system because it did not acknowledge the legitimacy of their demands.

“The attitude of the administration was, ‘Why do you need help? You are lucky to be here,’” one activist says in the film.

The movie explains that during the walkout, female activists at Pembroke, along with black men at Brown, left their dorms and refused to return until both Brown and Pembroke pledged to increase their enrollment of black students to 11 percent.

The walkout drew national attention, but as the film states, only 7 percent of Brown’s class of 2009 identifies as black.

Jumping to the 1990s, the film then focuses on the efsee FILM, page 4

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006

Bear’s Lair continued from page 1 This area was formerly used for the Hourglass Café, which has since moved to the Underground in Faunce.

The changes required to turn the Bear’s Lair into a social space would be minor, according to McDonald. The University would need to install grates to protect the exercise areas, but no other major renovations would be necessary.

McDonald said this space would be ideal because it is on campus and close to student residences. The University would likely rent out the area for use by fraternities and sororities, student groups and even students who “just want to throw a party,” McDonald said.

None of the proposed renovations have been finalized, but McDonald said they could happen as soon as next fall.

McDonald explained these renovations are meant as part of an interim solution to meet students’ current need for social space. “The renovations are not supposed to be a permanent solution by any means. I know that UCS Campus Life would like to see a total overhaul of the Bear’s Lair and more social spaces,” McDonald said. But larger changes, he added, will take more time.

As a result of a lack of social space on campus, the report stated that students are often forced to throw parties in

their rooms, which are not big enough for large gatherings.

The report also found that few spaces exist on campus for large-scale social events and suggested the University try to remedy this problem in the future planning and design of on-campus construction and renovation projects.

Other renovations to the Bear’s Lair are being considered. These include aesthetic improvements and a re-organization of the space to expand its uses, according to UCS Campus Life Chair Deanna Chaukos ’08. McDonald suggested that the exercise machines could be rearranged to make the games room more accessible. These possible changes are unrelated to attempts to turn the Bear’s Lair into a party space.

Because these changes have not yet been determined, the cost is unknown and no money has been allocated.

Lauren Engel ’08, who is president of the Brown Band and often studies in the Bear’s Lair lounge, said she “would definitely be willing to use this area for party space if it were available.”

“This is one of the few open spaces on campus. It’s really nice,” she added.

Owen Washburn ’06, who works at the Bear’s Lair gym, said he believes the space is currently underused.

“My friends come here to play pool sometimes, that’s about it,” he said.

Washburn would like to see renovations to the Bear’s Lair.

“The lighting could be different, anything which would make it seem less like a big cement block.”

Both Engel and Washburn cited Grad Center and the campus’s overall structure as problematic.

“This is a difficult campus to work with,” Engel said, referring to the lack of adequate party space.

Washburn has similar concerns. “The underlying problem is that Grad Center is just terrible. It’s a horrible design.”

www.browndailyherald.com

Film continued from page 3 forts of student activists who used bathroom graffiti at the Rockefeller Library to protest the University’s lackadaisical sexual harassment policies. As the film explains, in 1991, women made a list on a bathroom wall of male students whom they accused of rape.

One of the students involved in this effort, Jesselyn Brown ’92, says in the film that the writing indicated the administration’s failure to take sexual assault seriously.

“The bathroom walls were a last resort for these women because the system wasn’t working,” she says.

The film also indicates that the lists became an issue of men’s rights as well because the accused were denied due process in the allegations.

The University painted over the lists several times, the film explains, pushing enraged students to action. A group of four

Cell phones continued from page 1 the top of the Sciences Library.

“Everybody says there’s a Cingular antenna up there, and that’s why their service is so good,” said Tess Bolder ’07, a “very dissatisfied” Verizon subscriber. Robert Perreira, associate director of computing and information systems, confirmed the rumor.

The SciLi antenna originally serviced AT&T Wireless, he said, but switched to Cingular when the companies merged in November 2004. But Perreira’s guess about the antenna’s origins is as good as anyone’s. “It’s been here longer than I have, and that’s all I know,” the five-year employee of the University said.

In addition to its seat atop the SciLi, Cingular also offers Brown students, staff and faculty special discounts as a result of a contract Brown signed with AT&T Wireless in 2004. The University chose to sign with AT&T over four other bidders because it offered the best prices and coverage, Perreira said.

Corporation continued from page 1

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.

ommendation was forwarded to the A&E committee for a vote, the ACCRI was in agreement with the list,” Huidekoper wrote Sunday in an e-mail to The Herald.

The University is not currently directly invested in any of the six companies, so the divestment

students who spearheaded the protest movement were interviewed by the New York Times and appeared on the Phil Donahue Show.

National media attention caused the University to re-examine its sexual assault policies, but the film argues more needs to be done.

The final portion of the film focuses on the efforts of students lobbying for gender-neutral housing for first-years.

The University initially agreed to place a statement on its firstyear housing requests providing gender-neutral housing as an option, according to the film. Yet, as the film shows, a few weeks before the forms were sent to enrolled students, the University removed the option and replaced it with a statement of its non-discrimination policy.

The film indicates, however, that the form still encourages transgender students to speak with the administration if they have specific housing needs.

Activists involved in this cause note that national media atten-

tion detracted from their effort.

Luke Woodward ’04 states in the film that a Times article may have made the new policy more difficult for Brown to accept.

Throughout, the film stresses the continuing nature of activism at Brown as both a frustrating and rewarding endeavor.

Gail Cohee, the current director of the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, emphasizes in the film that the nature of a four-year institution makes activism difficult to sustain.

“It is frustrating because you see students come in with the same problems year after year, but at the same time they are all part of the continuum of activism,” she says in the film.

By sharing these stories, the creators of “Women’s Only” hope to rectify this problem facing activism at Brown, keeping the memories of successes and failures alive. The student creators said at the event they hope the film will become a part of the standard program for both new students and administrators.

The discounts, which are available through a link on the Web site for Computing and Information Services, include $25 online credit, a 50 percent discount on phone accessories and free shipping on phones.

Still, not everyone is happy with Cingular. “I have a lot of trouble with Cingular — especially in buildings, really any building,” said Casey Pearlman ’09.

Perreira said such complaints are not uncommon. “Most of the campus has very good Cingular service, but when you get into the buildings it gets spotty,” he said.

“The lower you go, the lower the signal.”

To solve this problem, Perreira suggests that students make more use of their dorm phones, using them “to call other students and for pizza.”

Though Brown equips each room with one phone jack and free local calls, the prevalence of cell phones has led to decreased use of room phones, as evidenced by the mere 40 percent of dorm phone numbers that have voicemail accounts. “I never use my room phone, and I don’t know anyone that does,”

Pearlman said.

The combination of student resistance to ground lines and inevitably imperfect cell phone service can put the average on-campus phone user in a bind. George Washington University, located in Washington, D.C., has come up with a partial solution to this problem.

In the summer of 2004, GWU hired a private company to test the signal strength of six different service providers in all campus buildings. Since then, students have had available to them a detailed map of the results.

“I can’t really make calls from my dorm that much, but I know exactly where I can go to get a good signal,” Jeff Stricker, a sophomore at GWU, said. “My service is far from perfect, but at least I know what to expect.”

But whether a refined coverage map would help Brown students remains questionable. “I don’t need a map to tell me where I get good service and bad service, I already know that,” Greene said.

For now, Greene said, he’d just like to use his cell phone somewhere other than in the corners of his Sears double.

decision only means that the University’s investment managers will be directed not to invest University funds in these companies in the future.

The divestment decision only affects direct investments, leaving the possibility that the University could be invested in blacklisted companies through mutual funds. “We will immediately inform all of our managers of the Corporation vote and in-

form those managing commingled funds of our concern and encourage them to divest or not invest in any of these companies,” Huidekoper wrote.

Administrators will continue to research other companies and will add to or revise the divestment policy with the A&E committee’s approval, Huidekoper wrote.

In other business, the revised international travel policy approved by the A&E committee will allow students to study abroad in countries listed on the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning list.

Previously, the University would not allow the transfer of academic credit from programs located in countries on the warning list.

According to the new policy, “(the) University does not recommend that students travel to countries where a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning is in effect,” but travel to these countries may be approved if students and their parents sign a supplemental waiver in addition to the existing waiver required from all students studying abroad.

CAMPUS NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 5

Students plan to devote summer to MIT synthetic biology competition

BY KYLE MCGOURTY STAFF WRITER

Studying genetically engineered cells might not be everyone’s ideal summer activity, but a group of Brown students may spend their summer doing just that. John Cumbers GS, a native of Great Britain and graduate student in the Department of Bio-Med, is currently recruiting students to participate in a nine-month research competition in the field of synthetic biology that will end in November.

The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition at Massachusetts Institute of Technology concludes with a “jamboree” of scientific presentations. Thirteen teams competed in 2005, but this year over 25 are interested in competing. Previous winners have been published in Nature, a scientific journal.

As of today, Brown’s team is composed of 13 undergraduates and two graduates, all of whom will stay at the University this summer to participate in the research.

Synthetic biology is a new field within the scientific community, and its most prominent collegiate competition, iGEM, only started in 2003.

“Now that we have mapped out the genome, suddenly biology becomes mathematical, and

it obtains an aspect of engineering,” Cumbers said.

The goal of the competition is to construct a biological machine to test iGEM’s hypothesis that “Simple biological systems can be built from standard interchangeable parts and operated in living cells.”

One member of the team, Megan Schmidt ’08, described its task as “trying to build a machine, but instead of using nuts and bolts, we use nucleotides and proteins.”

Gary Wessel, professor of biology and iGEM team faculty adviser, described synthetic biology as “making use of the cell to do new activities.”

“It’s creative biology,” he added.

Faculty members will play an integral role in the iGEM team’s research by offering intellectual support and laboratory assistance, Wessel said. He will be working with the team over the summer.

“Our only limitation is creativity,” he said.

The team has already enlisted the support of 14 faculty members from over eight departments. The team’s faculty liaison, Victoria Lattanzi ’07, emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary research in the project. The team’s 15 students represent nine concentrations, ranging from compu-

tational biology to electrical engineering to commerce, organizations and entrepreneurship.

The iGEM team is currently in the process of soliciting financial support. “We are hoping for money from different departments within the University,” Lattanzi said.

Cumbers said he would like to see $40,000 raised for the competition. “Keep in mind that $27,000 of that is going towards student stipends for their summer residence,” he said.

The team plans to financially support eight of its current 15 students over the summer. An application for these eight spots will be formulated by the iGEM team’s faculty board.

The team is also looking for donations from alums and others, Lattanzi said. The squad is also searching for funding from private organizations outside Brown, but members would not disclose the names of any potential sponsors.

Even as they solicit funding, team members are still debating what machine they will attempt to build over the summer.

“We have about 10 ideas so far,” Schmidt said.

A few ideas are receiving more consideration than others.

Cumbers specializes in the study of aging. He wants to develop a project in which a cell’s age see BIOLOGY, page 6

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

Left behind to catch up in a big way Reflections on a walking tour of the ‘Renaissance City’

BY ANNE WOOTTON METRO EDITOR

Many streets in downtown Providence are narrow, flanked by five-story buildings that leave lasting imPROVIDENCE pressions of their stately TODAY: 19th-century Last in a series architecture.

Wa l k i n g down Westminster Street earlier this month with Providence Journal columnist David Brussat and Ward 1 City Councilman David Segal, I passed a modern furniture and home décor store, a brand-new outpost of the Los Angeles-based retailer American Apparel, an upscale boutique promising “hot shoes for cool people” and the construction site for One Ten, one of several high-rise condominium towers currently planned for downtown Providence.

None of this was here 15 years ago. Back then, Rhode Island architect Bill Warner was still putting the final touches on plans to pull up the bridge over the river that runs along the bottom of College Hill and which today is straddled by the looming Providence Place Mall. In fact, according to Brussat, the plan to uncover the river was an afterthought of an entirely different plan conceived in 1978 to help revitalize downtown.

“The fact that the river was

opened up was really quite marvelous, because basically it was an aesthetic piggy-back on a transportation project,” Brussat said.

The federal government paid over 80 percent of the cost of moving the bridge, leaving the state to come up with the rest.

But aesthetic aspects of the project, such as the cobbled river walks and pedestrian bridges, were funded entirely by the federal government — and Providence acquired, at no cost, the most visible element in an urban revitalization process that drew national attention over the next decade.

Providence’s so-called “Renaissance” came in the wake of a prolonged economic depression in the city that lasted for much of the 20th century. Mills and cotton plants left Providence for the South in first part of the 1900s, and residents migrated to the suburbs.

“There was just nothing going on in downtown Providence,” Brussat said. “Whereas a lot of other cities that had more diversified economies basically ripped up their downtowns — and had enough money to — Providence didn’t have enough money even to (match the federal government with funds for special nationwide urban revitalization programs).”

Brussat continued, “(Providence) had gone through the

Depression (and) World War II years with no maintenance — a lot of it looked like crap. It just hadn’t been up-kept.”

Still, he said, “there are few places that I know of this size that have this type of fabric.”

Much of downtown Providence is included on the National Register of Historic Places, and the city offers one of the most generous tax credits in the nation for development in historic buildings.

In 1959, the city hired consultants to come up with an extensive plan for downtown development. The program, called “Providence 1970,” included plans to tear down City Hall, the train station and numerous other buildings, in addition to putting aluminum facades on the classical buildings that help make downtown Providence what it is today.

Though the former Providence Journal building on Westminster Street was, in fact, covered in aluminum until 1984, and Westminster itself was converted to a pedestrian mall for several decades, most of the plans of “Providence 1970” were fortunately never realized.

“There was no money to demolish anything, (and) there was no money to put anything up once you’d demolished it,” Segal said. see PROVIDENCE, page 6

Some faculty still wary of Science Cohort proposal

BY NAOMI SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Though faculty and administrators seemed to agree with the overall mission of the newly proposed Integrative Science and Engineering Program, several raised concerns about its implementation during a forum held Thursday afternoon in Salomon 001. Around 60 faculty members attended the forum, which was moderated

by Professor of English Leonard Tennenhouse and aimed to encourage open dialogue about the pros and cons of the program as well as possible alternatives.

Provost Robert Zimmer opened the discussion by outlining the original aims of the program, which he said operate on three levels. In addition to creating “an educational program that reflects the evolution of science in a multidisciplinary direction,” the program also aims “to widen the hype for science students at Brown” and “use our capacity for innovation in this area to increase our attractiveness and distinctiveness to science students in high school,” he said.

The program, which has not been approved and has received mixed faculty reaction since it was proposed last semester, would admit its first batch of 60 students in 2008 to a program in multidisciplinary science education. In addition to a set of new introductory courses, students in the program would be guaranteed at least one summer research opportunity.

Zimmer said though he believes in the program’s ultimate goals, its realization has been marred with infrastruc-

ture concerns such as housing constraints, which he called “already critical.” He said halving the number of students admitted to the program might impose less of a problem for the University.

“But I think Brown has the opportunity and the capacity to make a really bold educational statement,” he said.

“If we don’t, we’re just leaving the field open for somebody else to do it.”

Professor of Biology Anne Fausto-Sterling agreed with Zimmer on this point. “I think I can speak for all of us in saying that there is a great opportunity to do something great with science education at Brown,” she said.

But she added the proposal itself is “exceedingly vague” in how exactly it aims to “widen the pipeline for sciences at Brown.” She suggested alternatives that could make use of Brown’s existing resources, such as backing the “half-dozen small, undersupported multidisciplinary concentrations.” She also suggested that the University “dedicate (itself ) to developing two or three really stellar introductory science courses that are available to most students.”

Many other faculty members shared the view that the proposed Integrative Science and Engineering Program had identified important goals for the sciences at Brown, including increasing science recruitment and retention, but that there may be other ways to achieve them.

One such faculty member, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “Why stop at 30 or 60 students? Let’s make it 120. Let’s give fellowsee COHORT, page 8

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006

Providence continued from page 5 Traffic exiting off Interstate 95 merged straight from the highway to Memorial Boulevard, culminating in an intersection known at the time as Suicide Circle.

“It had, like, seven streets heading into it,” Brussat said.

“There are a lot of traffic patterns (in Providence) that are noticeably insane in a lot of spots,” Segal said. He mentioned as a possible cause the city’s former traffic engineer, a “favored secretary” of former Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci.

“He decided one day to make her traffic engineer without any credentials — I don’t think she went to college at all,” Segal said, adding that she is “probably responsible for the deaths of dozens of people over the last 20 years.” The city has since hired a traffic engineer with proper credentials, he said.

“Buddy was a good politician,” Brussat said. “When the federal government wanted to offer him $140 million he used to say, ‘Am I going to stand in the way of this, or am I not going to stand in the way of this?’”

Brussat, like many, acknowledges that Cianci was “partly good” for the city because “he was a very good salesman for the things that he wanted to

Biology continued from page 5 can be determined by its color.

After adding certain genetic sequences, “the cell would emit a different color light each time it divides.”

Lattanzi is interested in a project in which cells harness the production of alkane, “which is a potential energy substitute,” she said.

The team is forming a journal club to narrow down its proposal. “The journal club will discuss previous publications and try to narrow down our project’s focus for this sum-

do.”

“But even those things that he wanted to do, he would put up so many subterranean road blocks — he was always, ‘You gotta hire this person as the landscaper, you gotta do this, or you gotta do that — you gotta give money to my campaign,’” Brussat said.

He called the pace at which Buff Chace’s early downtown developments proceeded as “glacial” because of Cianci’s machinations.

“Buddy’s influence was simply to preside over a structure that made things very difficult to happen. Instead of one-stop shopping you’d have to go into various fiefdoms and you’d have to hire someone who understood the fiefdom, and by one stratagem or another you’d have to promise to hire this guy to do the electricity,” Brussat said.

Machinations or not, downtown Providence is experiencing a development boom. Brussat credited developers for taking risks in the first place that made today’s market possible.

Segal was quick to point out the tremendous rewards that developments like Chace’s could bring in the future.

“So maybe he’s forwardthinking, but it is a huge risk,” Brussat said. “Everyone says, ‘When’s the real estate bubble going to break?’ — well, maybe it’s not going to break, maybe it’s just going to stagnate. But if it does burst, all this is just dead weight.”

mer,” Schmidt said. “We are not committed to any project at this point,” she added.

Past iGEM projects include E. coli photography, developed by the University of Texas, Austin. In this project, E. coli was engineered to respond to light, enabling researchers to create photographs using bacteria.

Certain ethical questions are attached to the field of synthetic biology, and one position on Brown’s iGEM team will be dedicated solely to studying the ethical implications of its research, Cumbers said.

“We will develop responsible research and be aware of possible consequences,” he added.

Top U.N. members try to break stalemate on Iran

BY COLUM LYNCH WASHINGTON POST

UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council’s five permanent members and Germany will hold a highlevel meeting Monday in New York to try to break an impasse over the international response to the Iranian nuclear crisis.

The meeting comes as U.S. and European diplomats have failed during two weeks of negotiations to overcome Chinese and Russian objections to a Security Council statement demanding Iran stop its nuclear-enrichment activities and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. R. Nicholas Burns, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, and top foreign affairs officials from the five other governments are expected to attend.

U.S. and European officials say they will try to assuage Russian and Chinese fears that the adoption of the statement will inevitably lead to harsh punitive measures against Iran. “We’re not hellbent on going to war, we’re not hellbent on imposing sanctions,” said a senior State Department official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are supposed to be confidential. “We’re hellbent on having the Iranians return to the negotiations, like the Russians and the Chinese want.”

Moscow’s opposition to a Security Council declaration has hard-

Klezmer continued from page 3 struggled to emerge, and the fragmented sounds of all the instruments swirled together into a surprising melody, building up to a crescendo that immediately began to fade into the end of the song. They finished their set with “A Hot New One.” Filled with trumpet, clarinet and drum solos, the song followed a quick tempo all the way to the end, finishing on a high note — literally.

The Jewish Music Trio from the New England Conservatory took the stage next.

Though the program stated the group was composed of two trombones and an accordion, the actual combo was one trombone and one accordion. Many of the songs were meant to sound mournful, and the feeling was palpale. Like two old friends, the instruments complemented each other well. The accordion played slow, penetrating, emotional sounds, wallowing in unforgetta-

Pirates continued from page 3 pizzicato and trumpet and oboe solos. The pit and singers performed as an ensemble, never drowning one another out and always playing together.

The other main characters, Major-General Stanley and Mabel, played by Samuel Baltimore ’05 and Michelle Menard ’06, respectively, also impressed the audience with their vocal abilities. Baltimore sang his song, titled “I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General,” with incredible speed and articulation while maintaining his Brit-

ened in recent weeks as senior U.S. officials, including Burns, have publicly threatened to press for targeted sanctions against Iran’s rulers if they ignore the 15nation council’s call for a freeze on the nation’s uranium-enrichment activities.

Russian diplomats say they are concerned that a U.S.-backed European draft, which sets a twoweek deadline for Tehran to stop enrichment activities and agree to more intrusive U.N. inspections, provides too little time to test Iran’s cooperation. Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Andrei Denisov, mockingly told the Associated Press on Friday: “Let’s just imagine that we adopt it and today we issued that statement — then what happens after two weeks? In such a pace, we’ll start bombing in June.”

Monday’s meeting, which will be held at the British mission, was scheduled in response to a request

by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to hold talks outside the Security Council to map out the United Nations’ long-term strategy for persuading Iran to scale back its nuclear activities.

An evening meeting, which will include the U.N. ambassadors for the six governments, will focus on reaching a deal on the presidential statement.

A second senior Bush administration official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, denied an AP report Saturday suggesting that Britain was consider-

ing proposing Monday to resolve the standoff through talks among the council’s five veto-wielding members, Germany and Iran. “The report is absolutely false,” the U.S. official said. “We checked with the Brits and they were stupefied by that report, and they never heard of it. No one has made that proposal and we wouldn’t accept it.”

The standoff hinges on whether the Iran crisis should be handled by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency or the Security Council, which can impose sanctions or use force. Russia and China have insisted that the IAEA take the lead, while the United States, France and Britain say that Iran will stop its activities only if faced with the threat of sanctions.

Some council members say the European proposal for a two-week deadline for IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to report to the council on Iran’s cooperation is too short. China prefers four to six weeks. Russia opposes any report until the IAEA meets in June.

China said Friday that it would accept a continuing role for the U.N. council in managing the nuclear crisis. U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said he had offered a compromise to bridge the gap between Russia and the council’s three major Western powers.

Under the plan, ElBaradei would report on Iran to the 35-member IAEA board and the Security Council.

ble sadness, while the trombone acted as the hopeful will to carry on — bringing up the tempo, breaking off on tangents and trying to make the accordion forget its sadness for a while.

WildKatz, a klezmer band from Northwestern University, boasted the only bassoon and the first vocalist of the day. The group played what it called “old-school klezmer,” which was very lively. Vocalist Raysh Weiss was not the central element of the songs in which she performed; rather, she was another instrument in the WildKatz ensemble. The audience clapped along to several of the group’s songs.

During the WildKatz set, some of the young children in the audience formed a sort of hora-style line and danced up and down the aisles, couples waltzed in the back of the room and a barefoot guy danced by himself in a very animated fashion.

Finally, Yarmulkazi took the stage. The group performed songs in mixed time signatures, one in 1/7 and another, called “Say You Are a Woodcutter” by Alan Gordon ’06, in 1/13, a fast time sig-

nature. In one song, “Bessarabian Honga,” the group substituted the drum set for a conga. The flowing melody was punctuated by short, staccato notes on the violin, trills on the flute and an engaging electric bass line. “Der Alter Tsigayer” was folksy with fun vocals sung by Anna SchnurFishman ’09. Yarmulkazi finished up its performance with “The Epsteins,” a song that sounded pleasantly like the entire band was tumbling down a mountain.

At the end of the performance, which also signaled the end of Klezmerpalooza 2006, all of the bands took the stage together to play “We Are All Brothers.” And what’s louder than one person playing klezmer music? Seventeen people playing klezmer music. Luckily, other musicians successfully managed to stay out of the way of the four trombonists, and the song was an energetic end to a fun concert.

The event was supported by Brown Hillel, the Creative Arts Council and the Department of Music.

ish accent. Menard, despite her petite stature, out-sang everyone else on the stage with her amazing range and clarity.

Generally, the entire cast acted well, with each member adding its own bits of humor to each dramatic scene — characteristic of a Gilbert and Sullivan production. For instance, when the pirates held the Major hostage, one pirate outstretched his hand and gently stroked the Major’s bald head. These comedic touches elicited even more laughter from the audience than the silly dialogue.

As director Ron Beimel ’06 explained, “Being one of the top three most famous Gilbert and Sullivan productions, it has

been done several times and has acquired many traditions.

So I wanted to take these traditions and do them differently.

My goal was to make the show as funny as possible.”

Beimel fulfilled his goal, playing a particularly instrumental role in the success of the production: in addition to serving as director, he was also conductor and musical director.

The operetta concluded on an ironically happy note, a common characteristic of Gilbert and Sullivan productions, as every pirate physically carried away a wife for himself. The audience left the theater in high spirits, much like the marauding swashbucklers themselves.

WORLD & NATION THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 7

Where scrap yards are gold mines

BY DON LEE LOS ANGELES TIMES

YONGKANG, China — About once a month, Ying Guangwu tucks some cash inside his black shirt, slings a knapsack over his back and hits the road.

The square-jawed 33-year-old doesn’t always know where he’s headed or when he’ll return. But he knows exactly what he’s looking for: tons of scrap metal.

A pen-shaped magnet in his pocket helps him determine the quality of some metals. In December, Ying spent two weeks in Guangdong Province, a 20hour bus drive away, rummaging through factory warehouses and scrap yards. He bought 10 tons of tin ingots, lead cables and imported scrap, shipping them by trucks to his wife, Lin Li. She sorted the stuff inside their two-story home before reselling it to metal traders and recyclers in town.

Ying and Lin, high school graduates, earned about $25,000 last year — more than what many Chinese doctors and lawyers make.

“I didn’t want to do this when I was young. It seemed stupid to me,” says the second-generation scrap collector, whose sun-burnt face bears the mark of 10 years on China’s dusty streets. But his father took the right path, Ying says. “This is turning trash into treasure.”

China’s voracious appetite for metals is convulsing the world.

It has led to economic booms in some nations and crime waves in others by so-called urban miners who steal metals from houses and public buildings. China’s runaway economy needs the metals to build railroads, office towers, cars and appliances.

The Middle Kingdom is now the world’s biggest consumer of copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, steel and aluminum.

China’s hunger has boosted mineral-rich nations, from copper-laden Chile to Australia, which has vast iron deposits. Prices of new and used lead, copper, nickel and other metals have tripled or more in the last few years, triggering a worldwide scramble for the commodities.

Chinese state-owned mining companies are prowling the planet for fresh supplies, while armies of people like Ying and Lin spend their days hunting for castaway metals from typewriter letterheads to 30-foot-long aluminum missile casings.

Nowhere in China is the craving for metals more evident than Yongkang. This landlocked city in southeast China’s Zhejiang Province calls itself the hardware capital. With a population of about 530,000, Yongkang boasts some 10,000 hardware businesses, nearly all of them private family enterprises.

Yongkang is legendary for itinerant tinkerers who mended pots and pans for a living.

Today, countless homes, storefronts, junkyards and factories

carry on that tradition, buying, selling and recycling more than 600,000 tons of scrap metal every year. The city’s streets are teeming with tractors, trucks and bicycles hauling metal rods, coils and sheets.

Many head for Yongkang’s scrap-metal market, an outdoor bazaar. More than 400 garagesized warehouses are filled with scrap collected from across the world: crushed beer cans from Japan, fuel pumps and used car parts from the West, air-conditioning condensers from northeast China.

On a recent afternoon, Ying Sufang sat stooped outside Stall 287, meticulously separating printers’ lead pieces no bigger than grains of rice.

The lead was shipped to her from her husband, who was foraging for scrap about 1,000 miles away — not far from the Vietnam border. Last year Lin and her husband earned more than $7,000, their best take in 10 years.

“That’s not bad,” says the 44year-old.

But it has come at a price. Ying, who is unrelated to Ying Guangwu, grumbles about the grimy, sometimes punishing work.

She has never become accustomed to her husband being away for long stretches. He has been gone for the last month, leaving her and their middleschool daughter at home.

“I chose this business because 60 percent to 70 percent of people in our village are doing this,” she says. “This is how we make money. ... I don’t know what else to do.”

Across the Pacific, George Adams Jr. is also cashing in on one of the greatest commodity booms in modern times. He is the owner of Adams Steel, a scrap metal dealer in Anaheim, Calif., that shreds used cars, washing machines and dryers down to the size of a wallet. The crushed metal is loaded onto trucks and containers that are shipped to traders across the world. Much of it winds up in China, in the hands of millions of scrap traders like Ying.

Adams’ annual sales now exceed $100 million. Last year he bought scrap yards in Southern California, installed more shredding equipment and added 70 employees to boost his workforce to 500.

He has a lot of competition.

Thieves have ripped apart ballpark fences in Des Moines, Iowa, and stripped copper from cathedral domes in Cleveland. In Buenos Aires, people have made away with bronze plaques on boulevards and copper wires from utility companies. And from England to India to Malaysia, tens of thousands of manhole covers have vanished.

“They’re taking copper out of brand-new houses in Southern California,” says Carl Clark, Adams Steel’s plant manager. Such stolen copper pipes and wires don’t need to be recycled; they

are bundled together and sold to brokers who send them all over the world, where they fetch triple the prices of a few years ago.

“An actual copper penny today is worth more as scrap than its face value,” Clark says. (The one-cent piece today is made of zinc and copper.)

The crime spree has resulted in deaths as people have fallen down manholes, and has caused such concern that countries like Argentina placed restrictions on the export of scrap metals.

The price of iron ore, a major ingredient in steel, jumped 71 percent in the last year alone, sharply cutting steel producers’ margins. But with China accounting for one-fourth of the world’s steel production last year — and half of all iron ore imports — Beijing is demanding that iron ore exporters put a lid on prices.

“The Chinese are flexing their market power,” says Ruth Stroppiana, an economist at Moody’s Economy.com in Sydney. “The China factor,” she adds, “has been absolutely huge” for Australia, Brazil, Chile and other resource-rich nations.

Chinese towns like Yongkang also have benefited, although the metal boom has taken a heavy toll on China’s environment and workers. Pollution-spewing metal factories have degraded rivers and lands.

In Yongkang, government officials have shut down dozens of the 1,000-plus smelters in the city, say plant managers. Authorities also have toughened rules on imported scrap metals, prohibiting car motors, for example, if they have oil in them, says Du Huanzheng, a metals expert at Zhejiang Institute of Industry and Commerce.

Still, China’s imports of scrap metal surged nearly 30 percent last year, Du says, and the trend is not likely to abate soon, least of all in Yongkang.

Ying Zhiang’s family has been in the scrap metal business for several generations. About 20 years ago, Ying collected scrap as he traveled the country fixing scales for merchants. “Even though products can get old and useless, the metal in them still has value,” he said.

Now 52, Ying runs Yongya Copper Industrial Co., one of China’s leading copper producers and recyclers. His company ships 100 tons of the metal a day.

He buys most of his scrap copper from dealers in town and the nearby port city of Taizhou.

In Yongya’s warehouse, redcapped workers moved bales of scrap wires, and others in street clothes picked up the smallest of loose copper on the ground. Ying says he is considering collecting scrap himself again, because prices have soared beyond belief.

A decade ago, he was buying a metric ton of copper in China for about $625. Now it costs 10 times that amount.

“The numbers are out of this world,” he says.

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Supreme Court will confront two Sixth Amendment cases

BY DAVID G. SAVAGE LOS ANGELES TIMES

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appears poised to make it far harder to prosecute cases of domestic violence when victims are unwilling or unable to testify in court.

On Monday, the court will hear the appeals of two men who were convicted of assaulting women based, in one case, on a recorded 911 call, and in the other, on a police officer’s testimony of what the victim told him.

Over the past two decades, prosecutors in domestic-violence and child-abuse cases have relied heavily on testimony by police officers and counselors who interviewed the victims when those victims could not or would not appear in court.

But those prosecutions have a formidable foe in Justice Antonin Scalia. He insists the Constitution guarantees all defendants a right to confront their accusers in court, and he sees no basis for an exception in cases of domestic violence or child abuse.

Two years ago, Scalia wrote an opinion for the court that all but barred the use of out-ofcourt statements at trials when the victim fails to testify.

The only sure test of whether “testimonial statements” are reliable, Scalia concluded, “is the one the Constitution actually prescribes: confrontation.”

As he noted, the Sixth Amendment says, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right ... to be confronted with the witnesses against him.”

His opinion in that case, Crawford v. Washington, sent a bolt through prosecution units around the nation.

“It had a huge impact,” said Victoria Adams, the deputy

who heads the Family Violence Division for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. “In most of our cases, the victims are reluctant or afraid to testify.”

Since the Crawford decision, she said, prosecutors have relied more on recorded 911 calls and on “spontaneous” statements given to police officers who arrive at a crime scene.

The theory is that these statements — which some refer to as a “cry for help” — are uniquely revealing and distinct from formal testimony and, therefore, should be allowed in court.

But the Supreme Court appears ready to close that option in the pair of cases to be heard Monday. Scalia spoke for a 7-2 majority in the Crawford case, and the two dissenters — Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — are now gone.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence and several women’s rights groups filed a brief that warns the court about the dire impact of requiring incourt testimony in all cases.

“This would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to prosecute the vast majority of domestic violence cases,” said Joan Meier, a law professor at George Washington University, who helped write the group’s brief. The victims are “traumatized and terrorized by the defendants themselves, and they can threaten them so they don’t testify,” she said. One study found that many victims are threatened with having their children kidnapped if they testify, she said.

Prosecutors in 27 states have joined with the Bush administration in urging the court to permit the use of 911 tapes and crime scene statements in domestic violence cases. see COURT, page 8

PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006

Eternity continued from page 3 hend what had happened before the screams resounded again from offstage, provoking another wave of laughter.

The audience’s uproar and the play’s tension culminate with Edith McDune, an “emotional goal counselor” who is a playwright in her spare time. She possesses a fierce stare and overdone graveness, rapidly seducing the audience. The effect is doubled when she calls on three audience members to participate in the performance of one of the plays she has written. She distributes roles varying from an “emotionally troubled former drug-addict” to a presumably autobiographical character named Paula, who is also an emotional goal counselor.

This episode ends with Edith McDune kicking out

Cohort continued from page 5 ships to all science students entering Brown, and let’s stop there.”

However, some faculty said they believe this solution does not address the multidisciplinary demands of science today. Professor of Chemistry Peter Weber said a global problem such as energy “falls between disciplines, and this is what Brown stands for. We are stepping up to the task; we need to move boldly forward.”

Professor of Biology Jona-

W. polo continued from page 12 percentage on the year.

The win will give the Bears some momentum heading into a difficult West Coast swing over Spring Break. The trip will pit Brown against nationally ranked foes such as No. 14 ranked University of California, Davis and No. 6 University of California, Berkeley. Bruno

one of the participants for his “poor performance,” once again eliciting laughter from the audience.

“Eternity Placement Opportunity” had only one dark spot: frustratingly, it lasted only 20 minutes.

Claxton’s story is omitted as Blanche shuts off the audiotape and the lights dim out inexorably over his whining figure caught between the whitebloused Bill and Blanche, shrieking one final “Goddamn it!” His final judgment has been pronounced: he shall not enter heaven.

The somewhat abrupt ending may leave the spectator wishing for more, with a stomach still aching from laughing so hard in the previous scenes.

In the end, the play gains more than it loses from this concise structure, which keeps audience members on the edge of their seats.

than Waage, formerly a “vocal critic” of the proposal, concurred that the faculty now has the opportunity to move forward with the proposal, making it an exercise in “collaborative research and collaborative learning.”

More pragmatic concerns about science recruitment and retention at Brown were emphasized by Associate Dean of the College David Targan and Dean of Admission Jim Miller ’73. Miller said Brown needs “a program that is distinct and differentiates us from other institutions. We need to be able to define as clearly as we can the place of science at Brown.”

will also face some stiff competition in Santa Clara University, Pacific University and Sonoma State University, with doubleheaders against the latter two.

“Everyone is really excited to mix it up out in California next week and beat some teams that aren’t expecting it,” Deggelman said.

After the break, the Bears will face the Crimson again in their much-anticipated home opener April 8.

Find out what’s in store for you... without picking up the check

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Voting machine whistle-blower faces theft charges

BY HEMMY SO LOS ANGELES TIMES

LOS ANGELES — A whistle-blower to some people, a thief to others, Stephen Heller says he’s a regular guy, not an activist or a member of any political group.

But charged last month in Los Angeles with three felonies for allegedly stealing damaging documents about voting-machine manufacturer Diebold Election Systems, Heller has become a hero to digital-rights and political activists who say he helped expose a threat to the election system.

“My wife would never describe me as someone on the front lines of anything, and I wouldn’t either,” Heller said in a recent interview. “I’m not politically active, except I’ve voted since I was 18.”

Prosecutors say Heller, a 43-year-old actor and resident of Van Nuys, a neighborhood northwest of downtown, took more than 500 pages of Dieboldrelated documents, including memos from the company’s attorneys at the Jones Day law firm. The memos suggested that the company might have broken state law by providing Alameda County with voting machines that had not been certified by the state.

“This case is not about whistle-blowing. It’s about theft of attorney-client privileged material from an attorney’s office,” Los Angeles County district attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.

But activists and bloggers — including the California Voter Foundation; Black Box Voting, an electronic voting group; and the liberal www.huffingtonpost.com Web site — say the

Court continued from page 7 In most states, trial judges permit the use of “spontaneous statements” given to a police officer at a crime scene. Other states specifically allow the use of “excited utterances,” such as an emergency call to a 911 operator.

Civil libertarians and criminal defense lawyers in briefs filed with the court urged the justices to uphold the confrontation right set out in the Constitution.

In 1980, the high court opened the door to using “hearsay” statements in court when they were judged to be “reliable.” A tape recording of a crime victim’s words, for example, would be considered reliable.

But shortly after joining the court in 1986, Scalia disagreed and began arguing that the Sixth Amendment requires a “faceto-face confrontation” in court when a witness accuses a person of a crime. He dissented whenever the justices upheld special rules that allowed children who were said to have suffered sexual abuse to testify behind screens or on closed-circuit television.

Liberal justices, including John Paul Stevens, and conservative Clarence Thomas, who joined the court in 1991, agreed with this view, and by 2004, Scalia had built a large majority for his opinion in the Crawford case.

purloined documents, some of which turned up on The Oakland Tribune’s Web site, helped spur a state crackdown on Diebold.

“People should be thanking Stephen Heller, because ultimately he helped our secretary of state stop illegal acts by Diebold,” said Cindy Coen, legal director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital-rights group based in San Francisco.

Heller has pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony access to computer data, commercial burglary and receiving stolen property. Although state law protects whistle-blowers from retaliation by employers, it does not preclude criminal prosecution.

On the advice of his lawyer, Heller declined to discuss the facts of his case, but he agreed to talk more generally. Brought up in a small dairy-farming town in upstate New York, Heller moved to Los Angeles in 1997 after years of waiting tables and performing in small theaters in Chicago.

Heller said he had stopped just short of finishing a theater degree at DePaul University to dedicate himself to an acting career.

In Los Angeles, he managed to land a few small roles on television shows and in commercials.

But acting failed to pay the bills, so he brushed up on his typing skills and found work as a word processor.

He lives in a one-story home with his wife, an actress and writer who also works as a word processor.

Heller began a three-month stint as a temporary worker at the Los Angeles office of Jones Day in December 2003. One of his assignments was transcribing an attorney’s tapes on legal issues facing a major client: Diebold.

The name was familiar thanks to media attention surrounding the company and its new touchscreen voting systems. Heller, a news junkie, said he had had no prior dealings with the company.

Bev Harris, founder of Black Box Voting, told investigators that Heller met her in a park in Ventura County in early 2004 and slipped her the documents, which she turned over to the secretary of state and The Oakland Tribune.

“What Stephen did was the best of citizenry,” Harris said.

Harris and fellow activist Jim March, later joined by the state attorney general, had sued Diebold in 2003 for allegedly failing to certify the voting system.

The lawsuit gained traction when Diebold’s touch-screen systems failed in March 2004.

Because of a battery drain, the screens could not display the proper ballot, and poll workers in San Diego County had to turn away some early voters. Alameda County residents had to use paper ballots.

Diebold eventually settled the lawsuit for $2.6 million. The state banned use of its machines, but the ban was reversed this year and the machines were certified for use in 17 counties.

Gibbons said Heller’s theft had nothing to do with either the attorney general’s lawsuit or a later investigation of Diebold by the secretary of state’s office. Members of a state commission considering the ban on Diebold, however, did question witnesses about the leaked documents.

Jones Day sued The Oakland Tribune over the leak, but later dropped the case and referred the alleged theft to authorities.

Diebold declined to comment on Heller’s prosecution.

“In this country, we haven’t allowed people to be prosecuted based just on what someone said to a cop on the street,” said University of Michigan law professor Richard Friedman, who is representing one of the two men whose cases will be heard Monday. “There is not a domestic-violence exception to the Constitution.”

He has proposed that the court adopt a simple rule: A statement made to a police officer or a government agent accusing someone of a crime is “testimonial” and cannot be used in court unless the accuser appears to be cross-examined.

In Crawford v. Washington, the court overturned the assault conviction of a man who was found guilty based on his wife’s recorded statement at a police station. Scalia said such “testimonial statements” may not be used against a defendant if the witness refuses to testify, but he did not define what was a testimonial statement.

The court agreed to hear the two new cases to resolve that question.

In first case to be heard Monday, a recorded call to a 911 operator near Seattle provided the testimony that convicted Adrian Davis of violating a restraining order. “He’s here jumpin’ on me again,” a woman later identified as Michelle McCottry told the operator. Her ex-boyfriend was there, she said, and “he’s using

his fists.”

She failed to appear at the trial, but a prosecutor played the tape for the jury. “She left her testimony on the day this happened,” the prosecutor said. “It is right here in her voice.” The defense lawyer objected, saying Davis had a right to cross-examine the witness in court.

The Washington State Supreme Court upheld Davis’ conviction and said that an emergency report or an “excited utterance” is different from the “testimonial statements” Scalia referred to in his Crawford opinion.

The second case began when two police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call in Peru, Indiana. At first, Amy Hammon appeared too scared to talk.

But when one officer took her to the front porch, she said her husband, in a rage, had thrown furniture and a lamp at her and had shoved her into the broken glass on the floor.

She, too, did not testify, but based on the officer’s account of her words, Hershel Hammon was convicted of domestic battery. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld the conviction and said the crime scene report was not a “testimonial statement.”

After hearing arguments Monday in Davis v. Washington and Hammon v. Indiana, the justices will meet behind closed doors and vote on the outcome. Announcement of the rulings is expected by June.

MONDAY, MARCH 20 , 2006 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Savino continued from page 12 have and I will not forget it.”

In his first match on Thursday, Savino wrestled against Matt Lebe of West Virginia University, the tournament’s fourth seed. After falling behind early when Lebe scored two takedowns in the first period, Savino tried to mount a comeback late but could not close the gap.

He eventually succumbed by a score of 10-2.

Savino fell behind early in part because of his relative inexperience at such a major competition. The event, held in the 20,000-seat Ford Center, draws large, enthusiastic crowds each day. With nearly 860 matches to complete over four days, eight matches are held simultaneously on mats stretching from one end of the floor to the other. For a first-time competitor, it can take a bit of time to adjust to the whirlwind atmosphere.

“I was a little overwhelmed at first,” Savino said. “With 16,000 people there I think my nerves got the better of me. I think I could have wrestled better (against Lebe). I just didn’t go out and wrestle my game and I froze up a bit (after falling behind). … I wish I would have been here last year (so I would know what to expect).”

Savino rebounded nicely, however. He received a bye into the round of 24, where Oregon State University’s Tony Hook, the nation’s 16th-ranked wrestler, awaited him on Friday. In

M. lax continued from page 12 away. Brett Garber scored two of his four goals in the quarter, and the UMass defense clamped down, allowing just a goal from midfielder and cocaptain Will McGettigan ’06 in the quarter. The Minutemen outscored the hosts 3-1 en route to the 13-9 win.

“We took good shots and good possessions,” Nelson said of Brown’s performance.

“They just grouped together goals more than we did with those two little gaps in the first and fourth quarters. They had a couple spurts that were too long and too productive.”

With Buckley and Madeira healthy and pacing the attack, Bruno’s offense should be a force to be reckoned with the rest of the season. The attack could improve even more once the younger players gain experience down the road.

“I think they’re coming along really well,” Buckley said of the younger attackmen. “Dave and I have some experience, so we have that advantage of teaching them. It’s going to take some games for those guys to figure out what Division I lacrosse is, and I think we’re going to be fine once that happens.”

The defense did struggle at times Saturday, allowing 13 goals, but it was not an entirely dismal performance. The Bears struggled mainly with fast breaks, but they did not struggle with defending the Minutemen’s base offense.

“They scored the majority of their goals in transition,

what has been the theme of Savino’s season, though, he ended up dropping a hard-fought match, 8-7, in the waning seconds. After he broke a 5-5 tie with a two-point takedown with 30 seconds left, Hook recorded a reversal and a takedown with under 10 seconds to go to seal the victory.

Throughout the year, Savino has encountered one bout of bad luck after another. He dropped three matches this season by a single point in regulation, and he dropped three more in overtime.

“There were five points scored in the last 30 seconds but it just didn’t go my way,” Savino said. “It was disheartening.

I’m still pretty bummed about it.

I wrestled great. … For the fans, it was a great match to watch.”

Although Savino walked away from the last match of his collegiate career with a loss, simply qualifying for nationals was a longtime goal of his. Additionally, among the close losses Savino suffered this year, he also boasts a victory over the wrestler who took fifth at nationals this year. The 11th-ranked wrestler in the nation, Lehigh’s Derek Zinck, knocked off the third, fifth and ninth seeds on his way to fifth. However, at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships, Savino bumped Zinck from the winners’ bracket with a 3-2 victory.

“That was a huge win for me,” Savino said of the victory over Zinck. Watching Zinck’s run through nationals further validated what Savino already knew. “It just shows that I was

right there with (the top wrestlers). If a few matches here or there go the other way, who knows? I know what it’s like to be on both ends of close matches.”

Despite having to deal with difficulties trying to get from Providence to Oklahoma, including odd travel times and a lack of direct flights, Savino described his experience at collegiate wrestling’s premier event in glowing terms. About 20 alums gathered to cheer Savino on, and the New Jersey native’s parents also made the trip to the Midwest. Additionally, each wrestler is provided with a small gift bag that Savino said was, to say the least, well stocked.

“First off, it was a surreal experience,” he said. “The gifts … and the free t-shirts were cool, and it was great just to be out there among the best (wrestlers) in the nation.”

Now that his trip to nationals is complete, Savino will not, in fact, be headed to Disney World. He is off to Jamaica for the first spring break trip of his collegiate career to relax after the long season. However, he said his trip to nationals is something he will always remember.

“Wrestling my first match, someone from Oklahoma (University) was wrestling next to me,” Savino said. “He must have done something well because this big roar went up from the crowd. Normally, I’m pretty focused in during my match but I heard the cheering that time … (the national competition) was awesome to be a part of.”

but we didn’t have too much trouble with their settled offense,” McGettigan said. “Our coaches have been stressing that the middies pick up their guys from the inside-out and not look at the ball, which is something we’ll work on in practice.”

Nelson said he was surprised at the speed of the Minutemen’s transition offense and will make sure to be more prepared next time he faces that type of offense.

“UMass didn’t have that

kind of transition the last time we saw them,” he said. “A couple of their goals came off the faceoff, which we haven’t seen a lot of this year. We have to make sure we’re getting back and picking up better.”

Over spring break, the Bears travel to the Midwest for their final two non-conference games of the season against the Ohio State University on March 25 and the University of Notre Dame on March 29. Bruno begins its Ivy season at Yale on April 8.

M. tennis continued from page 12 Kumantsov.

The third and fourth singles matches were pushed to three sets, but Thomas and Ratnam both lost their third sets 6-2 to give the Islanders the match.

The only singles win was a 63, 6-2 victory by Kohli at fifth singles.

The Bears lost their last match of the tournament to South Alabama, again by a score of 4-2. The doubles point went to Brown, with Charm and Lee taking the first doubles match 8-5 and Thomas and Garland powering by their opponents 81 at third doubles.

But the doubles point again proved insufficient, as the Jaguars won four of the singles matches.

Hanegby gave up the first singles match 6-3, 6-4 to Monte Tucker, and Charm dropped the second singles match 7-5, 6-2 to No. 94 Jack Baker.

Thomas found himself in

a familiar position during his three-set match at third singles, but this time he emerged with the win, taking the tiebreaker set 6-2. The fourth and fifth singles matches were also extended to three sets, but Kohli and Lee ultimately fell.

“All the matches we lost were really close,” Kohli said. “We planned the points well, but we didn’t execute them as well as we would have liked.”

Getting right back into the swing of things, the Bears will play three southern opponents over spring break. Sunday, they travel to Richmond, Va., to play No. 26 Virginia Commonwealth University, a finalist in the Blue/Gray Classic. Following that, they will face No. 22 North Carolina State University and No. 31 Wake Forest University on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

According to Gresh, the team needs to work on its transitions from the baseline to the net and focus on coming to the net more. “We need to stay more aggressive,” he said.

EDITORIAL/LETTERS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 10

STAFF EDITORIAL

Cohort caveat Back in October, The Herald first reported on the University’s plans to market its science offerings to top high school candidates from diverse backgrounds. If approved, the program, which has since been named the Integrative Science and Engineering Program, would serve as part of an effort to address the trend of top science students switching to other fields upon arriving at college — an issue President Ruth Simmons referred to in September as “a national problem.”

Concern for national higher education trends aside, Brown also stands to gain considerably from successful implementation of the ISEP, a point underscored several times during a forum held Thursday afternoon regarding the program. In addition to making “a bold educational statement,” the ISEP — a multidisciplinary program that would require students to complete a set of introductory courses and guarantee them coveted summer research funding — would “widen the hype for science students at Brown” and “increase our attractiveness and distinctiveness to science students in high school,” according to Provost Robert Zimmer.

We see this as a logical goal that is seemingly in line with other University initiatives. The Division of Biology and Medicine, which includes the Brown Medical School, received a 14.5 percent budget increase during the most recent meeting of the Brown Corporation in February. It is no secret that administrators are looking to market Brown as a science-friendly institution that can rival other longstanding science strongholds.

But as Brown makes these initial forays into what will presumably become a long-term focus on scientific programs, poor planning could derail such ambitious aims before they even get off the ground. Zimmer and several faculty members, seem well aware of this possibility. The program, which would admit 60 additional students in 2008, would enhance the burdens already placed on the University’s infrastructural resources, most notably its current housing shortage.

We see Zimmer’s suggestion that the number of students admitted under the ISEP be cut in half as somewhat shortsighted.

Though this approach might circumvent immediate problems, resource-related issues will only resurface, particularly if the University’s initiatives to expand the sciences prove successful.

Instead, we hope the University will consider the suggestions of Professor of Biology Anne Fausto-Sterling, who argued that the University should make use of existing resources like “under-supported multidisciplinary concentrations” in expanding its presence among top science universities.

The University seems enthusiastic about drawing attention to its progress in the sciences. But if initiatives like the ISEP are not well thought out from the beginning, such exposure might highlight Brown’s shortcomings instead.

ROX A N N E PA L M E R

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CO R R E C T I O N An article in Friday’s Herald (“RUE group forms board to enhance presence on campus,” March 17) incorrectly stated that Teresa Tanzi ’07, the former president of the Resumed Undergraduate Students Association, stepped down to give birth to her fourth child. Tanzi stepped down to give birth to her first child.

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OPINIONS

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 11

Show me the money Liberals should emphasize the economic benefits of progressive policies in the existing capitalist system

BY MAHA ATAL

OPINIONS COLUMNIST In his March 6 lecture on class in America, New York Times columnist David Brooks emphasized the importance of cultural factors in structuring social mobility. He described a new economic elite of bourgeois-bohemians who pass on their hyper-ambition and social skills to their children, creating a hereditary meritocracy. The economically poor cannot become the economically rich because they lack cultural and social capital that, paradoxically, they are barred from accessing by their economic status.

Brooks is not the first to make this claim. In the 19th century, the theory that economic failure came from a lack of necessary cultural values was invoked by apologists for class disparity. The morally deserving, according to this school of thought, would rise naturally to the economic top. But the need for changes in values simultaneously justified social and cultural philanthropy on the part of bourgeois progressives. They harnessed a conservative claim to legitimate a liberal cause.

While Brooks dealt specifically with class in America, the notion that culture is the driving force behind economic class has global implications. Cultural differences can explain the “class” of

nations in the global economy. Brooks described the lack of social trust that thwarted attempts to move post-Soviet Russia to capitalism. He cited culture as the reason “the Jews and the Chinese seem to succeed wherever they go.”

But cultural determinism often becomes an excuse to write off nations deemed culturally unfit to succeed. Such an argument underlies America’s consistent reluctance to intervene on behalf of human rights in cases of war crimes or

American investors.

Economically successful nations must be rational economic actors. But does “rational” commitment to economics mean that nations where culture is thwarting economic development, or where dictatorial or corrupt governments are enforcing “uneconomic” culture, have to be left behind?

Liberal humanitarians often argue against this logic from a moral, altruistic perspective. In a recent discussion of the Darfur genocide, humanitarian activist John Prendergast urged Brown students to get politicians behind American intervention in the Sudan on moral grounds, to “shame” them out of their economic rationalism. But why does liberal humanitarianism have to run counter to economics?

Nineteenth century liberal philanthropists used economic rather than moral language. Liberal internationalists today are often derided as idealists whose “touchy-feely” rhetoric is incompatible with realpolitic. Leftists who think economically, notably Marxists, do so by valorizing a shift away from the existing capitalist system. I wonder, though, if we can frame humanitarian aid or intervention as furthering our economic goals within the existing global capitalist system, culturally improving the “class” of nations and thus the global economy.

For example, education for women in

Does commitment to economics mean that nations where culture is thwarting economic development have to be left behind? government oppression. In the 1990s, the American government’s refusal to intervene in the Rwandan genocide was an economic choice: intervention was expensive and largely agricultural Rwanda seemed unlikely to successfully join the world economy and “pay for itself” in the long run.

Today, the case of the ongoing Darfur genocide, presents a similar problem. Where the culture of the mass populace seems distant from modern capitalism, where the nation presents little economic incentive in the way of access to resources or contracts, the oppressive government is an important partner for

the Islamic world is economically valuable to both these nations and to the West because it lays a cultural value system of prizing the economic potential of all members of society. A more equitable society would allow these nations to maximize their human resources and become more valuable contributors to the global economy.

A similar case could be made for Western involvement to promote human rights or improved health care systems in areas of Asia or Africa that don’t seem valuable to us now but might be made so by the cultivation of social capital. Cultures that value individual life tend to value individual livelihood too. This is a brand of aid that is economically beneficial to both donors and recipients and that will continue to generate interest in the long term.

What is needed is liberal altruism with an economic rationale that emphasizes the economic benefits of gender equality and public education instead of merely promoting Western ideas as moral goods in themselves This logic of liberal capitalism can go beyond economics to global geopolitics. The final victory in any “war on terror” will come with the eradication of the incentive among individuals to join such networks, an incentive that stems at present from a perceived lack of economic opportunity, a sense of being left behind. Bringing the lower “classes” of nations along on the economic ride is the key to national security.

Maha Atal ’08 is a bleeding-heart liberal with a stone-cold conservative brain.

Students talking action now: Darfur Supporters of intervention in Darfur lack concrete policy proposals behind their rhetoric

BY LAURA MARTIN OPINIONS COLUMNIST

Supporting “action” in Darfur is now the fashionable thing to do on elite liberal campuses, yet what do people really mean when they ask for action from the United States government? The United Nations has already taken decisive action in Sudan, including the passing of multiple Security Council resolutions. If resolutions 1556, 1564, 1590 and 1591 have proven ineffective, then what options are left for the United States government? The United Nations has already called for the government of Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed militias and bring justice to leaders, implemented a military flight ban over the Darfur region and established a United Nations Mission in Sudan consisting of up to 10,000 military personnel and 715 civilian police who are meant to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan. College campuses, with their nebulous calls for action, have not defined what exactly U.S. government “action” should be. Perhaps U.S. military action is the best option, but campuses are afraid to promote this viewpoint, due to their antipathy for President Bush and the Iraq war.

President George W. Bush met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan this February to discuss the need for more peacekeepers in Darfur. Since then, Bush

has called to double the size of the NATO force in Sudan. The Senate followed suit by passing Resolution 383, calling for NATO involvement in the region. Bush also requested $123 million for peacekeeping in Darfur, which would go towards maintenance of airlift, fuel and camps. On March 2, the Senate unanimously called upon the president to initiate a NATO no-fly zone to help deploy a NATO bridging force.

Organizations such as the Darfur Action Network call for an immediate response from the U.S. government. They request further NATO action in the area, increased no-fly zones, at least $200 million for African Union peacekeepers operating in the area and passage of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act. The DPAA calls for increased U.S. funding of NATO and peacekeepers, blocking assets and restricting the visas of Sudanese officials and Janjaweed militia commanders and denying port access to ships carrying Sudanese oil.

To further complicate the situation, many Sudanese citizens are against a U.N.

presence. On March 8, thousands of people marched through Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, to protest against U.N. plans to take over peacekeeping operations in Darfur. Protests were encouraged by violent rhetoric in Islamic newspapers. Many believe the country’s sovereignty is at stake, and militia groups have warned of a holy war. Mohamed Elsamani, Sudan’s minister of state for foreign affairs, said Sudan is unwilling to accept the presence of

government need to be clearer with what the definition of “action” really is. It is obvious and that the world must respond to horrible human-rights atrocities that are occurring in Darfur. Yet Bush and the U.S. armed forces are left unable to take decisive action because of the lack of political support for the war in Iraq.

The United Nations has already passed numerous resolutions against the Darfur genocide, yet these have not proven effective means. Military action in Sudan, if it is to happen simultaneously with the war in Iraq, must be fully backed by U.S. citizens. This situation seems unlikely, given the current administration’s plummeting popularity. If those calling for action against genocide are only proposing that America issue a few meaningless paper statements with disapproving rhetoric, consider it done. Talking about the importance of human rights is the easy part. But if global citizens really care about stopping genocide, heavy-handed military intervention must be considered before it’s too late.

People are afraid to promote U.S. military intervention in Darfur due to their antipathy for President Bush and the Iraq war.

Western troops in any U.N. intervention, stating, “Regarding the bad conduct or treatment of some, whatever linked with the UN or individual countries like America, how it is treating people in Guantanamo, how the allies are treating people in Iraq, in Abu Ghraib prison, or killing civilians — it is not a process which will be accepted in Sudan.”

Those calling for action from the U.S.

Laura Martin ’06 thinks “Peace Corps” is an oxymoron.

SPORTS MONDAY THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · MARCH 20, 2006 · PAGE 12

Minutemen too quick, m. lax falls 13-9

BY CHRIS MAHR SPORTS STAFF WRITER

Despite hat tricks from attackmen Alex Buckley ’07 and Dave Madeira ’07, the men’s lacrosse team was unable to upset No. 7 University of MassachusettsAmherst, falling to the Minutemen 13-9 Saturday at Stevenson Field.

It was a hard-fought contest, as each team appeared to be at the top of its game. In the end, however, UMass was able to utilize its experience and blazing speed to drop Brown to 2-3 on the season. Despite the setback, the Bears seemed satisfied with their performance and believe it was the latest step in their rapid improvement.

“I thought we actually played very well and showed that we’re getting better. We didn’t make a whole lot of mistakes except allowing some transition goals,” said Head Coach Scott Nelson.

“If that’s the seventh-ranked team in the country then we’re not that far away from being that good.”

Bruno had both Buckley and Madeira healthy for the first time this season, and their impact was felt from the opening faceoff. Buckley, playing in his first game of the year, opened the scoring with his first tally of the season and then assisted on Madeira’s eighth goal of the year, putting Brown up 2-0.

Following Madeira’s score, UMass showed why it deserves its high ranking. Taking advantage of their superior quickness, the Minutemen scored four unanswered goals — most of which were in transition and generated from faceoffs — and finished the period with a 4-2 advantage.

Both Buckley and Madeira scored in the second quarter as well, reinforcing the effect their presence had on the offense.

“I had a pretty good preseason and played well in the fall, and (this) being

W. water polo tops rival Crimson in 32 defensive battle

BY AMY EHRHART SPORTS STAFF WRITER

vis ’07. Unfortunately, the Bears could not get the elusive tying goal. UMass showed off an impressive man-up unit, converting on both its opportunities in the period and netting an even-strength goal as well. Co-captain Kyle Wailes ’06 scored midway through the period, and Madeira scored his third goal of the day toward the end, making it 10-8 after 45 minutes.

The final period belonged to the visitors from Amherst, who finally pulled

The women’s water polo team avenged a season-ending loss to Harvard last year with a 3-2 win against the Crimson Saturday in Cambridge. Bruno improved to 4-9 on the year and is now ranked sixth in the Collegiate Water Polo Association poll, two spots ahead of Harvard, which fell to 6-5. The top six are all pretty close, and playoff placement is still very much up in the air.

Harvard drew first blood, but the Bears rebounded quickly off of two goals by Paige Lansing ’07 in the second quarter. Her tallies gave the Bears a lead they would not relinquish.

“It meant a lot to beat our number one rival,” Lansing said.

Her first goal came on a four-meter penalty shot drawn by Caitlin Fahey ’07, and the second was a counterattack on a cross-court pass from Rory Stanton ’09. Lansing leads the team in goals with 21 and is tied with Fahey for the team lead in assists with nine.

Fahey got the Bears’ third and game-winning goal in the third quarter off of a Stanton rebound that hit the crossbar.

“We executed our game plan very well, especially on defense. Paige played really well and Caitlin stepped up. We’re looking to work more on our offense in the next few weeks,” said Elizabeth Balassone ’07.

Anne Deggelman ’08 had another superb effort in goal. She stopped eight shots to add to her excellent 0.457 save

see M. LAX, page 9

see W. POLO, page 8

Ashley Hess / Herald

Alex Buckley ’07 scored three goals in his first game back from an injury. my first game back, I wanted to make an impact,” Buckley said. “After I (got by) my man once I figured I might as well keep going.”

However, UMass netted three scores of its own in the quarter. The Minutemen attackers often ran right around the Bears’ defenders on their way to the goal. Once they neared the net, UMass’ excellent passing led to easy looks and goals.

Down 7-4 at the break, Brown came out strong after intermission with goals from Buckley and attackman Will Da-

Savino ’06 doesn’t leave NCAAs It’s 4-2 déjà vu for m. tennis at empty-handed, despite losses Alabama’s Blue/Gray Classic

BY STEPHEN COLELLI SPORTS EDITOR

While most of the country watched the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday and Friday, the NCAA was holding another, less publicized championship tournament.

The Division I Wrestling Championships were held in Oklahoma City, Okla., over the weekend, and they included a rep-

resentative from Brown. Capping off his collegiate career, 157-pounder Michael Savino ’06 went 0-2 at the national competition, but not without making one of the nation’s best grapplers sweat.

“No one likes losing, least of all me,” Savino said. “It was a great honor to compete at nationals though. It’s an experience that a lot of guys will never see SAVINO, page 9

Ashley Hess / Herald

Michael Savino ’06 made his first trip to the NCAA wrestling championships last week, barely losing an 8-7 match to the 11th-ranked wrestler in his weight class.

BY ERIN FRAUENHOFER SPORTS STAFF WRITER

Last week was “Tennis Week” in Alabama, and the men’s tennis team was a part of it, competing in the Blue/Gray Tennis Classic. No. 53 Brown fell 4-2 to No. 32 Boise State University in the first round on Thursday before losing by the same score to No. 73 Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on Friday and the No. 33 University of South Alabama in the consolation round on Sunday.

“We played good doubles, but we needed to play more intensely in singles,” said Assistant Coach Jamie Gresh.

After rain delayed Thursday’s match against Boise State, the players jumped straight into singles play. The doubles matches, usually played first, would only be played if the Bears and the Broncos were tied with three singles victories each.

But Boise State took the four singles victories it needed to win the match, making doubles play unnecessary. Co-captain Phil Charm ’06, Saurabh Kohli ’08 and Chris Lee ’09 dropped their matches in straight sets at second, fifth and sixth singles, and Eric Thomas ’07 lost his match at third singles, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to Clancy Shields.

Brown did, however, get a great performance at first singles from No. 70 Dan Hanegby ’07, who faced off against the other Shields brother, No. 23 Luke. Despite the difference in ranks between the two, Hanegby defeated Shields in straight

sets, 6-4, 6-4.

The Bears’ other singles victory came at fourth singles, as Basu Ratnam ’09 overpowered Steve Robertson 6-3, 6-1.

“We messed up towards the end,” Kohli said. “We lost some crucial points. We didn’t close the match.”

The next day, the Bears faced Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the consolation round. The match started with promise, as Brown took the doubles point. The Bears’ second doubles pair of Hanegby and Kohli and the third doubles pair of Thomas and Sam Garland ’09 soundly defeated their opponents 8-4.

In singles play, however, the Islanders pulled out four wins to take the match. At first singles, Hanegby fell to No. 43 Raul Morant-Rivas 6-2, 6-4. Charm also lost to a ranked player, dropping his match at second singles 6-3, 6-2 to No. 125 Andrey see M. TENNIS, page 9 BROWN SPORTS SCOREBOARD FRIDAY, MARCH 17 W. LACROSSE: Temple 16, Brown 11 M. TENNIS: No. 73 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, No. 53 Brown 2 W. WATER POLO: Brown 3, Harvard 2 SATURDAY, MARCH 18 EQUESTRIAN: 1st place (at Johnson and Wales) M. LACROSSE: No. 7 UMass-Amherst 13, Brown 9 M. TENNIS: No. 33 So. Alabama 4, No. 53 Brown 2 SUNDAY, MARCH 19 GYMNASTICS: Yale 189.225, Brown 188.075, URI 187.425, Southern Conn. 183.525 W. LACROSSE: Delaware 9, Brown 8 (OT)