THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2006
Volume CXLI, No. 56
www.browndailyherald.com
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891 DON’T CRY FOR ME, BROWN U. CHORUS Brown’s student chorus is taking its act to Argentina for its first-ever performances in Latin America CAMPUS NEWS 5
NO NEED TO FEAR, UNDERDOG IS HERE Thanks to a new tax credit, several films have recently been shot in the Ocean State, including Disney’s “Underdog” METRO 3
KING OF THE LINKS Larry Haertel ’08 took the Ivy League individual crown to lead m. golf to a thirdplace finish SPORTS 12
TODAY
TOMORROW
few showers 64 / 37
sunny 58 / 41
Minding the bookstore’s books
Spring Weekend alcohol and drug calls double BY ROSS FRAZIER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Over Spring Weekend, Brown Emergency Medical Services received 29 calls related to alcohol and substance abuse — more than double last year’s figure. Still, University officials and students involved in planning the weekend said concerted efforts to more effectively manage events kept the traditionally rambunctious Spring Weekend seemingly tame. Numbers released by Health Services late Monday show a 55 percent increase in total calls to EMS from last year’s Spring Weekend. EMS received a total of 41 calls over the weekend, and 17 students were taken to area hospitals. “I would say this was not a particularly abnormal Spring Weekend,” said Anne Barylich, supervisor for EMS, who was interviewed before Health Services released its statistics late Monday afternoon. Barylich said the University’s decision to hire a second ambulance alleviated the need to send some calls to Providence emergency officials. Other EMS volunteers on duty said the week-
The current relationship between the Brown Bookstore and the University — and how it might change with outsourcing BY ALISSA CERNY STAFF WRITER
Jean Yves Chainon / Herald
Brown EMS received more than double the calls related to alcohol and substance abuse over this year’s Spring Weekend compared to last year’s. end did not seem to get out of control, though they believe they received more calls Friday night than on Saturday night. Though private security firms have staffed Brown Concert Agency shows in past years, the University hired extra security staff for Saturday night’s Rage on Wriston as well as other events. There were also more student volunteers,
a greater administrative presence on campus and an additional ambulance for Brown’s use. Those changes were recommended by the Ad Hoc Committee to Review Social Events Policy and Procedures, which was created to review the University’s social events and alcohol policies in the wake of last fall’s Sex see SPRING WKND, page 7
A picture of activism at Brown As anti-war movement lags, community members discuss causes BY CHLOE LUTTS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Though student activists may describe the campus climate as less lively than the University’s activist-friendly reputation led them to exFEATURE pect, recent protests suggest Brown students are willing to stand in the cold for what they believe in. Back in December, six students cared enough about workers’ rights to get arrested for blocking traffic on a bridge during a protest. In February, 20 students attended a downtown rally to support aid for the homeless. On the Main Green two weeks ago, a small but loud 10-person protest against University apparel made in sweatshops drew curiosity and some mockery from onlookers enjoying the sunshine. Nearby, students sold bus tickets to a Sudan divestment rally in Washington, D.C. But while roughly 50 anti-war protesters gathered outside Meehan Auditorium before a recent speech by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Brown students were a minority of the individuals shouting slogans and waving signs bearing anti-war messages. As Brown students express interest in other causes, has the war in Iraq faded from the on-campus political consciousness? Shock, awe and discouragement Elizabeth Sperber ’06 has been involved in anti-war activism throughout her time at Brown. As a first-year, she belonged to the anti-war group Not Another Victim Anywhere, founded in reaction to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. The group shrank as the “situation got more bleak” over the years, Sperber said. As debates in Congress about the war
in Iraq heated up, Sperber couldn’t find a campus group dedicated to action against the impending war. In 2002, she founded Students Against the War in Iraq, a broad coalition that soon encompassed the Brown Democrats, the International Socialist Organization and NAVA, among other groups. SAWI sponsored a well-attended rally the day after war was declared, but its momentum, too, declined as the war continued. A national “move to electoral politics” in anticipation of the presidential election crowded out grassroots activity in 2004, Sperber said. Last semester, she co-founded Operation Iraqi Freedom to fill the void left by SAWI. Even as national opposition to the war has risen, attendance at OIF meetings has dropped over the academic year to less than a dozen people. “You don’t see the anti-war majority opinion expressed directly through antiwar activism on this campus. If you did we would be out there on the (Main Green) rallying right now,” she said. Anti-war activist and Professor of English William Keach said the movement was ahead of the “shock and awe” bombing campaign in the spring of 2003. But as the war dragged on, he added, a “predictable” feeling of defeatism “knocked the wind out of the anti-war movement.” One core member of OIF, Kelly Nichols ’09, said the absence of an anti-war group when she arrived at Brown last fall surprised and disappointed her. She agrees with others that the campus is overwhelmingly liberal but not especially radical, adding that students “are tired of the same old rhetoric.” “There needs to be more done,” Nichols said. “What, I’m not sure. (Just) protesting is not doing anything.”
Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260
Casualty to apathy Although many Brown students may not focus heavily on the anti-war movement, do they care about other issues, or have students become more apathetic in general? Yesenia Barragan ’08, a veteran of several activist groups, argues that Brown students have actually become more selfish. see ACTIVISM, page 8
Whether or not University officials decide to outsource the Brown Bookstore to an external vendor, they do believe it is possible to increase the store’s profitability. Administrators will, however, also consider other goals before making a final decision, including maintaining a “favorable textbook policy” and ensuring benefits for employees, according to Walter Hunter, vice president for administration. “The University will set the pricing and the service level. We will have our own goals and ensure, regardless of the model we select, that these objectives are met as a matter of policy or contract,” Hunter said. The March report of the Bookstore Review Committee listed among its goals maintaining the current level of financial support the University currently receives from the bookstore. “We believe we can improve the financial contribution of the bookstore to the University. Our main goal is to improve the store and the service — increasing the financial gains was never the overriding factor behind our considerations,” Hunter said. The bookstore’s existing model The bookstore is currently an auxiliary department of the University, much like Dining Services and the Parking and Transportation offices, Hunter said. The bookstore’s contribution to the University comes from three main sources: adminsee BOOKSTORE, page 7
Alcohol report will recommend policy changes this semester BY AIDAN LEVY STAFF WRITER
As part of an initiative to curb alcohol and drug abuse on campus, the Campus Life Advisory Board Subcommittee on Alcohol and Other Drugs is expected to release a report by the end of the academic year making recommendations for policy changes. “A shift in culture at Brown is what we need to all be considering,” said Nancy Barnett, chair of the SAOD and professor of psychiatry and human behavior. “Let’s provide alternatives, prevention programs, ways to keep alcohol from being the center of culture at Brown.” Recommendations could include increased training and a higher minimum age for peer counselors and extending alcohol abuse prevention programs for first-years beyond orientation, Barnett said. Other measures being considered include policies to discourage pre-gaming and drinking games, encouraging local establishments to check identifi-
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
cation more thoroughly and expanding the range of alcohol-free activities on campus, she said. The SAOD will make its recommendations to the Campus Life Advisory Board and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene, and the report will then be made public. The subcommittee is composed of 15 members, including administrators, faculty and students. It was formed in Spring 2005 to address concerns about drug use, but high levels of alcohol abuse this year heightened administrators’ concerns and brought the issue into the spotlight, Barnett said. Barnett noted the unusually large number of students referred to Emergency Medical Services at the Sex Power God party last November as well as the rising rate of drug- and alcohol-related EMS responses this academic year. So far this year, there have been 172 EMS responses to drug- and alcohol-resee ALCOHOL, page 8 News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com