Wednesday, April 26, 2006

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006

Volume CXLI, No. 57

www.browndailyherald.com

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

PASSING JOINTS, RESOLUTIONS Students at the University of Maryland have approved a referendum seeking to relax the school’s marijuana policies CAMPUS WATCH 3

LIFE, DEATH... AND TAXES? Administrators insist the Brown Bookstore pays taxes, but records of that payment seem to be missing METRO 5

BLACK ELK, KLONICLES BID ADIEU Hugh Murphy ’06 riffs on cycling and Kate Klonick ’06 looks at retirement in the two seniors’ final Herald columns SPORTS 16

TODAY

TOMORROW

sunny 60 / 41

mostly sunny 60 / 40

Harvard may court Simmons, but concern on campus not high

BY STU WOO CAMPUS WATCH EDITOR

After six years at Smith College, President Ruth Simmons left the Northampton, Mass., school in 2001 to assume the top spot at Brown. After six years on College Hill, will she be tempted to leave for the same position at Harvard University?

Simmons’ refusal to comment about her interest in the presidency of Harvard, which just launched its search to find a successor to current President Lawrence Summers, has led some students at Brown to fear Simmons may be eyeing the Harvard position. This is especially so in light of the fact that other candidates mentioned as strong contenders

for the Harvard job — including the presidents of three other Ivy League schools — have ruled themselves out for the position.

But several leaders in the Brown community are not concerned about the president’s silence.

Wendy Strothman ’72, who said she sees Simmons up close as secretary of the Brown Corporation, said she and other Corporation members have no worries about Simmons’ commitment to her job.

“My assumption is that she’s extremely happy … at Brown,” Strothman said. “From what I observe on phone calls and with her at meetings is that she

Jacob Melrose / Herald

Kate Brockwehl ’08 announced the results of the UCS and UFB elections at 12:30 a.m. on the steps of Faunce House Wednesday. Tristan Freeman ’07 was elected vice president of UCS, and Cash McCracken ’08 was elected UFB chair in an uncontested race. There will be a runoff election between John Gillis ’07 and Zachary Townsend ’08 for the UCS presidency.

see SIMMONS, page 6

Science Cohort changes course

BY SARAH GELLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Following concerns raised by several members of the faculty, administrators have slowed their efforts regarding the proposed Integrative Science and Engineering Program, formerly named the Science Cohort. A new faculty committee will oversee future work on the program and will focus on developing its curriculum rather than planning for its implementation, said Provost Robert Zimmer.

“We still hope to move forward,” wrote Deputy Provost Vincent Tompkins in an e-mail to The Herald, “but we will be working with science faculty to discuss possible modifications to the program that would be cognizant of concerns that were expressed this spring about various aspects of the program.”

Tompkins chaired the Science Cohort Committee, which developed the original proposal.

The original plan for the Sci-

ence Cohort, which was announced last semester, called for a program in multidisciplinary science education that would admit its first batch of 60 students in 2008.

“The current situation is one of ongoing evolution and has been from the beginning,” said Zimmer, who helped develop the original proposal. The first step of the new faculty committee will be to develop “multidisciplinary, team-taught sciences courses,” he added.

“I think the idea is to get these courses in place before we go much further,” Zimmer said.

Both Zimmer and Tompkins agreed these courses were at the core of the program’s mission.

“The goal was to create a structure which would allow many faculty to create teamtaught multidisciplinary science classes so one would have a constant input of energy from a broad array of faculty,” Zimmer said. The purpose was not to create “another fixed curriculum.”

Zimmer continued: “We want to get the courses in place first so we have more stability. We’re sequencing things in a slower way rather than doing it all at once.”

After the program was introduced in the fall, it drew opposition from some faculty members.

One main concern was housing, already an issue for the University. Adding 60 more students, some professors said, would exacerbate this problem.

Zimmer said the program will not yet be accepting students directly into the program, in response to concerns from the faculty and others. The committee will wait until infrastructure issues such as housing are addressed before considering accepting additional students into the program, Zimmer said.

Zimmer added that he hopes see COHORT, page 6

Gillis ’07 and Townsend ’08 to compete in runoff for UCS presidency Freeman ’07 elected UCS vice president

BY OLIVER BOWERS AND TAYLOR BARNES STAFF WRITERS

Tristan Freeman ’07 will be the next vice president of the Undergraduate Council of Students, having defeated Joshua Teitelbaum ’08 in elections that ended last night. None of the three candidates for UCS president earned a majority of the vote, leading to a runoff election between At-large Representative John Gillis ’07 and current Vice President Zachary Townsend ’08 that will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. Voting for the runoff election will end at 10 p.m. on Friday, and the results will be announced later that night.

Cash McCracken ’08, currently a UCS and Undergraduate Fi-

nance Board representative, will be next year’s UFB chair, having run unopposed for the position. A runoff election between Alex Rosenthal ’08 and Will Cunningham ’07 will determine next year’s UFB vice chair.

Last night’s announcement of election results, which took place on the steps of Faunce House, also revealed that Vernissia Tam ’09 will be next year’s UCS treasurer and Brian Becker ’09 will be chair of the council’s Campus Life Committee.

Candidates assuming uncontested positions include Sara Damiano ’08 as chair of the Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee, Sara Gentile ’09 as chair of the Admissions see ELECTIONS, page 11

Leaving the ‘happiest’ Ivy for other colleges Students transfer from Brown, but in small numbers

Black students’ Commencement tradition endures since 1970s

BY JANE PORTER STAFF WRITER

On the morning of this year’s Commencement procession, LaToya Strickland ’06 will walk through the Van Wickle Gates wearing an African kente cloth around her neck, a gift given to her and black seniors by the Inman Page Black Alumni Council. Strickland, who is chair of Onyx, a black student organization composed primarily of seniors, will march at the head of the procession with fellow black students in continuation of a tradition dating back to the 1970s.

“I can’t break this tradition,” Strickland said. “I care too much about my culture to let that happen.”

Strickland and other black students will arrive at the gathering spot where seniors meet to begin their procession in the early hours of Commencement morning. “Black seniors have always made it a priority to wake up however early they have to and get first in line,” said Lisa Raiola ’84, campaign deputy director and former vice president for alumni relations.

In 1975, when Denise Bledsoe

Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260

see TRADITION, page 4

BY ILA TYAGI STAFF WRITER

Though roughly 200 students transfer to Brown each year, a small number of Brunonians choose to leave FEATURE the University — which the Princeton Review reports has the “happiest students” in the Ivy League — and pursue their undergraduate educations elsewhere.

About 10 students transfer from the University each year, most often to Harvard or Stanford universities, though Columbia and Yale universities are “distant” third and fourth draws, according to Robert Shaw, executive associate dean of the college.

“Students are often applying

to colleges they didn’t get into the first time,” Shaw said, adding that beyond the four most common choices, students transfer to a wide range of institutions.

But a few more than 10 apply to transfer each year. Rejection from their choice schools is “rare,” Shaw said, adding some potential transfers simply decide to remain at Brown.

The number of students transferring out is a small fraction of those entering Brown as sophomore or junior transfers from other institutions. So why do Brunonians choose to leave in the first place? In addition to transferring to what was their first-choice school when they originally applied to college, Shaw said students might want to attend a smaller institu-

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

tion or might not feel Brown is the right place for them, perhaps because of the University’s “political orientation” or “academic character.” But Shaw said family and personal issues are the most common reasons students decide to leave College Hill.

Many of the students who leave are also athletes, though whether they transfer because of the athletic program is unclear. The Department of Athletics does not monitor how many student-athletes leave Brown or why they do so, only that they are no longer playing for the University, wrote Joan Taylor, senior associate athletic director, in an e-mail to The Herald.

Of those students who do see TRANSFERS, page 4

News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

THIS MORNING THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 2 Jero Matt Vascellaro

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS “SURVIVING KATRINA: THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN RACE AND CLASS” 3 p.m., (Urban Environmental Lab) — Beverly Wright of Dillard University will give a talk.

“BOOTS ON THE GROUND” 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. ( 201 Washington Street) — A 90-minute play that incorporates the words of soldiers and others involved in the war in Iraq. College student reception before the 7 p.m. show.

“SENTENCED HOME” 7 p.m., (Wilson 102) — A documentary about the life of three Cambodian-American refugees will be followed by remarks from the Providence Youth Student Movement and a refugee currently facing deportation to Cambodia.

CHRIS BUCKLEY LECTURE 7:30 p.m., (List 120) — Chris Buckley, political satirist and the author of “Thank You For Smoking,” will lecture on American politics, writing and what it’s like being the son of William F. Buckley.

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Polynesian Chicken Wings, Vegetable Egg Rolls with Duck Sauce, Stir Fried Rice, Green Peas, Grilled Breakfast Sausages, Home Fries, Meatball Grinder, Vegetarian Cannellini Bean Soup, Tomato Soup, Vegan Stir Fry Vegetables with Tofu, Chocolate Frosted Eclairs, Apple Turnovers DINNER — Salmon Provensal, Mushroom Risotto, Greek Style Asparagus, Steamed Vegetable Melange, Oatmeal Bread, Meat Tortellini, Cheese Quesadillas with Sour Cream and Salsa, Grilled Cheese, Lime Jello, Caribbean Rum Cake

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

Deo Daniel Perez

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Cream of Tomato, Egg Drop and Chicken Soup, Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwich, Vegetable Strudel, Green Peas, Mini Eclairs

DINNER — Vegetarian Cream of Tomato, Egg Drop and Chicken Soup, Quarter Pound Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, BBQ Chicken, Fire Roasted Garden Patties, Macaroni Salad, Cucumbers in Orange Sauce, Oatmeal Bread, Caribbean Rum Cake

Homebodies Mirele Davis

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Los Angeles Puzzle C Times R O SDaily S W Crossword ORD Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Main meaning 5 Italian cookie flavoring 10 Italian wine region 14 Sports MD’s specialty 15 Clementine’s father, e.g.

16 Way to go 17 One with his soles in the coals 19 ER tests 20 Goes over in detail 21 Cornball 22 Punk rock innovators, with “the” 23 Breck rival 25 Light switch settings 26 Weeping conduit 29 Cohort of Crackle 32 Went public with 33 “On the double!”

34 Curse 35 Synonym for the first words of 17and 54-Across and 11- and 31Down 37 TV drama set in Vegas 38 Grogshop choice 39 Giant in chips 40 Contrast word 41 Pitcher’s gem 43 Corp. money manager 45 Thespian 46 Midsummer Classic participant 50 __ Island 52 “By all means!”

53 Diane who played Flo in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” 54 Unforeseen difficulties 56 Mythical Hun king 57 Kind of door or row 58 “Battle Cry” novelist 59 Question of time 60 Treats soil, in a way

61 Comic actor Jacques

29 Stretch across 30 Start of a plea meaning “I am unwilling to contend” 31 Part of a chopper?

32 Showy annual 35 Simple song 36 A big fan of 40 Eject 42 Stuck at a ski resort, perhaps 43 Chin indentations

44 Nick or chip 46 By oneself 47 __ cotta 48 Allow to enter 49 Vermouth bottle name 50 Cat’s scratcher 51 Swear words 52 __ Penh, Cambodia 54 Grey Cup sports grp.

55 Old shipping nickname

DOWN 1 Succeed in life 2 Skating medalist Slutskaya 3 NFL Hall of Fame coach Hank 4 Chicago business district 5 Awes 6 He married Daphne, on ANSWER TO PREVIOUS “Frasier” 7 Liquids in wells 8 Get the picture 9 Not get the picture?

10 Ancient 11 Hard-hat’s meal 12 Buster Brown’s dog 13 __-bitsy 18 Ed or Keenan of film 21 Buffalo groups 23 Danger 24 Actress Charlotte and explorer John 26 Race official 27 __ Nostra 28 Womb-mate xwordeditor@aol.com

Freeze-Dried Puppies Cara FitzGibbon

PUZZLE:

Mission Delicious Rebecca Case

4/26/06

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4/26/06

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CAMPUS WATCH THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 3

College Roundup Harvard novelist acknowledges ‘unintentional’ borrowing Kaavya Viswanathan, the Harvard University sophomore who recently published a widely acclaimed chick-lit novel, acknowledged Monday that she copied material from another novelist.

But Viswanathan told the New York Times that the copying was “unintentional and unconscious,” according to an April 25 article. She said she was surprised to find that passages from her book, “How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life,” were similar to those in two books by Megan McCafferty.

Viswanathan told the Times she had read the two books and is a “huge fan” of McCafferty.

“I wasn’t aware of how much I may have internalized Ms. McCafferty’s words,” she said.

The Harvard Crimson reported 13 similarities between the novels of Viswanathan and McCafferty in an April 23 article, but the Times counted at least 29 passages that are “strikingly similar.”

A representative of Little, Brown, the book’s publisher, said future printings of the novel would contain an acknowledgement to McCafferty.

Viswanathan’s novel is about Opal Mehta, a high school senior with impeccable grades and extracurricular activities who seeks admission to Harvard but is hindered in this quest by her lack of a social life. McCafferty’s novels, “Sloppy Firsts” and “Second Helpings,” are about Jessica Darling, a New Jersey girl who wants to get into Columbia University.

Hundreds of drug offenders denied financial aid A federal law that went into effect six years ago has resulted in hundreds of college students from northern New England being denied federal financial aid because of past drug offenses or their refusal to answer questions about drug convictions.

Financial aid was denied to 669 applicants out of 356,394 students in Maine, 541 out of 322,761 in New Hampshire and 204 out of 172,625 in Vermont due to drug-related offenses, according to the Associated Press.

Zachary Heiden of the Maine Civil Liberties Union told the AP the law discriminates against the poor because it does not affect students from affluent families that can pay for college without financial aid and because students convicted of other crimes remain eligible for aid.

“You can literally get away with murder,” Heiden said.

The law states that the first offense for drug possession results in one year of federal aid denied, the second offense results in two years and subsequent offenses result in indefinite denial of aid. The first offense for selling drugs makes the offender ineligible for aid for two years, while subsequent offenses result in indefinite ineligibility.

—Stu Woo

www.browndailyherald.com

Maryland students vote to ease marijuana penalties

BY ZACH BARTER STAFF WRITER

Students at the University of Maryland, College Park joined a growing national movement this month when they approved a referendum calling for a relaxation of the school’s marijuana policies.

The referendum, which was included on the ballot for student government elections, urges administrators to penalize marijuana possession the same way as alcohol violations. Nearly two-thirds of students supported the measure, though only 4,500 of the school’s 25,000 undergraduates voted in the election.

The vote carries only symbolic weight, as students have no power to change the school’s drug policy. But administrators said they will examine the issue.

“All actions taken by our student government are taken seriously,” said Millree Williams, director of university communications. “The university will give it consideration, as it does any student initiative.”

In recent years, students at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, the University of Texas and Florida State University have passed similar proposals, though the efforts have not yet prompted any of the schools to revise their policies.

Maryland senior Damien Nichols, president of the school’s chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the leader of the referendum campaign, said he recognizes the referendum is not a “quick fix” to the school’s drug policies, which he described as “awful” and said were responsible for an “epidemic” of arrests and evictions on campus.

“The referendum was one step of many,” he said. “Now it’s time to get our nose to the grindstone.”

In the months ahead, Nichols said he and his supporters will be drafting specific proposals and lobbying administrators to change the current policy.

But while advocates for reform can now claim to have student support behind them, their prospects for success are far from certain.

“They have an uphill battle ahead of them,” said Devin

Ellis, a Maryland senior and chief of staff of the school’s Student Government Association. “Really, the people who they’re going to have to go after are the state-level decision-makers.”

Still, Ellis said he thinks Nichols and his supporters made a good move by gauging students’ opinions on the issue.

“They’ve really gotten very organized this year,” he said. “They knew exactly what they wanted and exactly how to go about getting it.”

Nichols decided to push for the referendum after he was contacted by a representative of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, a Denver-based non-profit that promotes marijuana as an alternative to alcohol. In November 2005, SAFER achieved its biggest victory to date when Denver residents voted to decriminalize the possession and consumption of less than one ounce of marijuana.

But even as the movement to relax drug policies gathers strength at schools across the country, Daniel MacCombie ’08, president of Brown’s SSDP chapter, said he does not anticipate replicating the actions of his Maryland counterparts.

“Brown students are pretty satisfied right now with how the University deals with drug abuse,” MacCombie said, describing the school’s policy as “reasonable” and “equitable.”

In addition, MacCombie said, Brown currently does not have a mechanism for the type of referendum passed at Maryland, though he said it might be possible to demonstrate student support for potential reforms by pressuring the Undergraduate Council of Students to pass a resolution on the issue or including a question on a WebCT poll.

MacCombie said the preponderance of evidence is on the side of those who support the relaxation of marijuana laws.

“All the scientific evidence has shown that the negative consequences of marijuana are equal to, if not less than, those of alcohol,” he said. “Current differences between alcohol and marijuana punishments are due to politics, not science.”

Diversity leads to more thorough group decision-making, study finds

BY STEPHANIE BERNHARD SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Racial diversity in a group discussion leads to more thorough decision-making processes, according to a recent study by Samuel Sommers, an assistant professor of psychology at Tufts University.

Sommers designed an experiment in which 29 sixperson mock juries, of which 14 were all-white and 15 were mixed-race, watched a videotape of a trial of a black man accused of injuring white victims. The jury members cast initial votes over the guilt of the defendant before deliberating in their group. Each jury eventually decided whether to convict or acquit the defendant, or else remained hung.

Though the final decisions of the all-white and mixed-race juries were similar, the voting attitudes of white participants changed when they were part of a diverse jury. Just over half of the white participants on allwhite juries voted to convict the defendant, compared to only 34 percent of the white participants in diverse juries.

Sommers, who is white, attributed the trend not to the alternative perspectives that black jurors introduced to juries, but rather to white jurors’ increased will not to appear racist.

“A lot of differences result from white jurors acting very differently in a diverse setting,” he said. “Diversity serves as a reminder for white people that they want to be fair and objective.”

More important than the actual votes, Sommers said, was the content of the deliberations of the all-white and mixed-race juries.

“The most interesting results had to do with the ways in which the discussions in the two groups were different,” he said. Sommers explained that the diverse juries tended to deliberate for a longer period of time before reaching a decision. He attributed the increased duration to more thorough discussions of the case, pointing out that factual inaccuracies were more likely to be challenged and corrected by diverse juries.

Though he was reluctant to prescribe diversity as a miracle cure to improve all group decision-making, Sommers was enthusiastic about his results.

“Saying a decision is ‘better’ is hard … but our diverse juries were more thorough and more accurate, more open-minded to discussing racial issues than the all-white juries,” he said.

Joachim Krueger, associate professor of psychology at Brown, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that few concrete conclusions could be drawn from Sommers’ study. Krueger wrote that Sommers’ findings provided “a good review of the conflicting findings of the recent past” but added he is unsure how much can be read into the results.

“Because the final outcomes did not differ, I think Sommers makes too much of the differences in deliberation content,” Krueger wrote.

Sommers said he believes the results of his experiment could eventually lead to changes in the way people form groups to make decisions, both in the legal system and outside.

“There are implications for society more broadly.

Whether it’s a discussion in a classroom or a boardroom, it’s a reasonable hypothesis that diversity has an effect,” Sommers said.

He acknowledged that his study was neither perfectly flawless nor complete. The mock juries included, for example, only black and white members; no other races or ethnicities were represented. Therefore, the study could not observe the broader effects of diversity based on race, nor could it observe the effects of diversity based on age, gender or socioeconomic class.

In Sommers’ study, “there is no all-white jury judging a white defendant, and there is no all-black jury judging a black or a white defendant,” Krueger wrote. “In experimental research it is important to provide comparisons in order to make sense of the judgments seen for the most interesting cases.”

For now, Sommers said he hopes only that his findings will help improve the fairness of the justice system.

“Anything that makes a jury less diverse should be remedied,” he said. Sommers also stressed that the benefits of diversity extended to white participants because the introduction of diversity changed their behavior extensively.

“Diversity seems to affect everyone in the group, not just the racial minority,” Sommers said.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006

Transfers continued from page 1 transfer from Brown, Shaw said one or two choose to come back. Most transfers deal with academic and social transitions when moving from one institution to another, and some believe that “the stress is not worth the benefits,” he said.

Ryan Roark ’05, who transferred from Brown to Harvard and back again, was one such student. Even though she “really liked Brown” when she first came and “knew it was a good fit,” Roark said she transferred to Harvard for the first semester of her sophomore year largely because of the university’s academic resources.

But in retrospect, Roark said her double transfer was “probably not the most well-reasoned thing.” She knew there would be little difference in the quality of education offered by the two Ivy League institutions, she said, but the additional resources and library collection tipped the scales in Harvard’s favor. Upon reaching Cambridge, however, she regretted her decision.

“As soon as I got there, I wanted to return,” Roark said.

She said she had underestimated the value of the University’s resources and the friendliness of the advisers and administrators she had met at Brown. Opportunities offered

by Harvard on paper proved to be difficult to attain in practice, she said, especially as an undergraduate.

“I had to struggle in order to take a graduate-level French course,” Roark said. Her advisers at Harvard could not understand why she wanted to take the class when they believed she should focus on her concentration, she said.

Roark, who earned an A.B. with a double concentration in mathematics and comparative literature and an Sc.B. in biology, said Harvard’s one-concentration restriction was not appropriate for her. Roark is now a Marshall Scholar engaged in

cancer research at Cambridge University, an opportunity she said “wouldn’t have happened if I had stayed at Harvard.”

The social scene, however, proved less of an adjustment for Roark than might be expected.

Harvard’s system of residential houses, in which students eat in their house’s dining hall rather than in a campus-wide cafeteria, helped Roark get to know her housemates, and she said she liked most of the people she met while at Harvard.

Like Roark, Janaki Kibe spent her first year at Brown and transferred to Harvard as a sophomore. But unlike Roark, Kibe is staying there.

“I did not feel I was maximizing my academic career at Brown,” Kibe wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “I am interested in economics and really wanted to attend a school where I could pursue more economics-related activities both in the classroom and out of the classroom.”

Additionally, funding readily available at Harvard provides for extracurricular opportunities like Kibe’s upcoming summer internship in Chile with an economics magazine, she said.

Students like Kibe and Roark illustrate a growing trend toward transferring once, and sometimes two or more times, during the course of an undergraduate education, said Sheilah Coleman, interim assistant dean of the college.

“Historically, the idea has been that you go to (one) college for your four years,” Coleman said. Now, “the abstract quality called ‘fit’” is becoming increasingly important to students, she said.

Despite this trend, Shaw said the number of students transferring from Brown, already a small number, has remained steady over the last 15 years.

Roark is happy she graduated from Brown. Having “seen the other side,” she now considers transferring to be “more trouble than it’s worth.”

“In a way, I’m glad,” she said of her decision to transfer twice.

“But I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.”

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.

Bush calls for inquiry into possible gas price gouging

BY JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS THE BALTIMORE SUN

WASHINGTON — President Bush, under pressure to address rising gasoline costs, called on regulators Tuesday to investigate possible price gouging, as Republicans and Democrats jockeyed to wring election-year advantage from the issue.

But even Bush’s economic advisers suggested there was no one quick fix to a problem the president acknowledges has left him with “no magic wand to wave.”

At the Federal Trade Commission, Bush’s call was the latest in a decades-long series of requests from elected officials, including the president, to be on the lookout for industry manipulation that might jack up prices at the pump.

For Americans paying more than $3 per gallon, however, there may be little relief. The agency’s conclusion in the vast majority of cases has been that price increases have less to do with industry gouging or windfall profits than with supply and demand in the complex oil market.

Still, a stampede of politicians are calling for investigations of dealings by oil and gas

Tradition continued from page 1 Slaughter ’75 MA ’77 and fellow black seniors decided to march at the head of the annual procession, the move represented a history of struggle and perseverance for black students at Brown.

But Slaughter, a member of the board of directors for the Inman Page Black Alumni Council, or IPC, told The Herald the tradition is one that is too often misunderstood or taken out of historical context.

“It’s part of a continuum,” she said of the tradition. “We didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to be at the head of the line.”

Marching at the head of the procession is linked to the Rites of Passage Ceremony, which is also called the Blackalaureate, that takes place the evening before the procession and celebrates graduating black students, their families, alums and faculty, Strickland said. This event and other related traditions are organized by Onyx.

Understanding the tradition Raiola said every year she hears from alums who are curious about why black students march at the front of the procession.

“After the Commencement you start getting the questions and calls with, ‘What is that all about?’” Many alums have the misconception that the administration plays a role in organizing the tradition, Raiola said.

For some, concerns about the tradition stem from misunderstanding, Raiola said.

“People have this reaction, ‘My God, this is Brown University. What are black people in kente cloths doing marching at the head of the line?’ People think it’s militant,” said Harold Bailey Jr. ’70 P’99 P’03, a trustee emeritus.

“My take is it brings people together more than anything.”

Javette Laremont ’80, a trust-

companies, whose high profits and lavish retirement packages make them an appealing target for lawmakers casting about for someone to blame.

As prices rise, polls suggest the cost of a fill-up is lowering voters’ opinions of their elected leaders. That has left politicians searching for ways to address the problem, or at least insulate themselves from blame.

Bush, laying out a four-point plan, said his administration won’t “tolerate manipulation. ...

We expect our consumers to be treated fairly.”

He repeated his call for Congress to allow oil-drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and asked his environmental chief to waive some clean-air rules that require the use of fuel blends in some places. Congress should also revoke an oil-industry tax break, expand incentives for purchasing fuel-efficient cars, and fund more research into developing fuel alternatives to oil, the president said. He also announced he would defer filling the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve until after summer.

None of the measures proposed by Bush or leaders in either party would do anything to lower the price of gas in coming months, experts say. But Con-

gress is eager to act nonetheless, fearful that to do otherwise will give their constituents a reason to throw them out of office in this November’s congressional elections.

That means adopting a gettough posture on price gouging, which industry analysts say is designed to placate voters, not bring down gas prices.

“The sad truth is that every time prices jump up, there is typically a call for the FTC to investigate,” said Vito A. Stagliano, an energy official under President George H. W. Bush. He said he could not recall “a single case” in which such a probe had uncovered wrongdoing.

The FTC will not say how many gas-price investigations it has undertaken, or what the results were, according to Mitch Katz, a spokesman. The FTC plans to report next month on the results of an investigation ordered by Congress last year on gas-price spikes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Deborah Platt Majoras, the FTC chairman, told Congress last year that “the vast majority of the Commission’s investigations and studies have revealed market factors as the primary drivers of both price increases and price spikes.”

ee and former president of the Brown Alumni Association, agreed the tradition is often misinterpreted.

“People … think it’s a negative thing — that it’s a militant thing — and it’s not,” Laremont said.

“The tradition starts from a sense of pride in celebration of this major milestone for many African-American students who potentially could be the first in their family to graduate from college.”

“The history itself kind of got lost,” Slaughter said. “The traditions remained, but there were all kinds of questions.”

Marching at the head of procession grew out of a resistance to the turmoil black students faced at college campuses across the country in the 1970s, according to Bailey.

Bailey was one of the seven black men to graduate from his class when this tradition was still unheard of at Brown. “You can’t have a tradition if you don’t have anyone there,” Bailey said of the small black population in his class. “It was extremely lonely,” he said of his time at Brown. “I didn’t have a sense of who I was and my culture.”

Slaughter said the tradition began on the heels of the 1975 student takeover of University Hall, which occurred “because of the dearth of minorities in the student body and … faculty across the board.” There were only two black tenured faculty members at Brown in 1975, Slaughter said.

“The empowerment that we felt basically played out in our movement from invisibility to the head of the line.”

The tradition also emerged following the lack of media coverage of black students graduating from Brown in 1973, the first “large black graduating class,” according to Elmo Terry-Morgan ’74, associate professor of Africana studies and theatre, speech and dance.

Terry-Morgan remembers marching with fellow black students during the Commencement procession the following

year. “We had to prove the skeptics wrong in a public way and lay a foundation of success so that there would be Black generations to follow us,” TerryMorgan wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

But the tradition for these alums really stretches back to 1877, when Inman Page and George Washington Milford because the first black students to graduate from the University.

“If you look at African-American students, where they first came in numbers of one and two, now they are coming in hundreds,” said Laremont, the trustee who marched at the head of the procession during her graduation over two decades ago. “It’s paying homage to the sacrifices that these pioneers made to get to Brown.”

The tradition has a contemporary relevance for students as well, said Brenda Allen, associate provost and director of institutional diversity. “The fact that these African-American students still pull together for this tradition shows they still face some struggles here at Brown,” she said. “It serves a purpose for some, but not every African-American student will walk there.”

The tradition is practically unheard of among students, Strickland said. “Communication is the main problem at Brown,” she said. “Even black students don’t know about it.”

For Strickland, walking through the gates with other black students also means a sense of community. “People on the track team hang together and it’s OK. People on the soccer team hang together and it’s OK. But when you get a group of minority students together, it’s not really looked at that way,” she said.

“Graduating and celebrating with people who have been most involved in your experience at Brown is important,” Allen said. “We want to embrace this and encourage it amongst all students.”

CAMPUS NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 5

Tax status of bookstore remains unclear, fuels City Council debate

Brown brothers’ rivalry focus of new book Lecture audience questions author’s approach

BY ROBIN STEELE STAFF WRITER

BY MARY-CATHERINE LADER FEATURES EDITOR

The Brown family’s connections to slavery and the slave trade are not just the focus of the University’s ongoing historical inquiry — correspondence between brothers John and Moses Brown about slavery prompted one Los Angeles-based journalist to write a book about their relationship.

Last night, Charles Rappleye, author of “Sons of Providence: The Brown Bothers, the Slave Trade and the American Revolution,” recounted a sibling rivalry he argues illustrates Rhode Island’s debate over the slave trade in the era of the American Revolution.

A former editor of alternative news magazine LA Weekly and author of “All American Mafioso: The Johnny Roselli Story,” Rappleye addressed community members and some students in Salomon 001 as part of the John Hazen White lecture series sponsored by the Taubman Center for Public Policy.

A drive past the historic Nightingale-Brown House on Benefit Street first sparked Rappleye’s curiosity about the Brown family.

Rappleye’s brother, NBC 10 television news reporter Bill Rappleye, relayed the story of the Brown brothers and their opposite positions on slavery. While John Brown was involved in the slave trade, his abolitionist brother Moses sought to end the slave trade and slavery in Rhode Island.

Though the Brown family’s ties to slavery would soon surface in the national media after the 2003 creation of the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, Rappleye said he was unaware of the University’s own inquiry into the subject and signed his contract with Simon and Schuster one week before the committee was announced.

“When I first heard the story of the Brown brothers, I didn’t know there was a slave trade (in Rhode Island), and I found it really fascinating,” said Rappleye, who spent two years researching the book.

Despite the coincidental timing of the committee’s creation and Rappleye’s book deal, the two projects concentrate on distinctly different aspects of the Brown family’s story. Instead of focusing on the University’s ties to slavery, Rappleye’s book examines the brothers’ personal relationship.

“What I found most compelling was the story of two brothers, sharing the same background, same values and still coming down in two opposite poles over the issue of slavery,” he said.

Rappleye described John Brown’s associations with the slave trade as a “purposefully conscious legacy” and said a 1786 letter from John to Moses Brown demonstrated John Brown “clearly believed the slave trade was his best and only avenue” for paying off debts in Europe.

“If slavery was a moral crime, John Brown was certainly guilty,” Rappleye said, though he add-

Jacob Melrose / Herald

After speaking in Salomon 001 on Tuesday, investigative reporter Charles Rappleye signed copies of his new book, “Sons of Providence.”

It tells the story of John and Moses Brown and their rivalry over slavery. ed John Brown’s investment in the slave trade was not unusual or particularly large in historical context.

“Were it not for his brother Moses, John’s role in the slave trade would have been all but forgotten,” he said, adding that Moses’ efforts to end the slave trade in Rhode Island “ignited a heated rivalry” with his brother.

“It’s hard to escape the notion that (John Brown’s) motivation was more personal than political,” Rappleye said as he detailed the brothers’ competing efforts on the slavery issue. “(John) simply could not abide the idea that Moses would set the tone of moral discourse in Rhode Island.”

But during the question-andanswer session, Rappleye faced pointed questions from some audience members skeptical about his research and decision to focus on the sibling rivalry.

Assistant Professor of History Seth Rockman, who has helped coordinate student research for the slavery and justice committee, said Rappleye’s illustration of the Brown brothers’ sibling rivalry as a driving force of the conflict over slavery in Rhode Island was limiting.

“Those aren’t the facts that academic historians are interested in,” Rockman said. “It’s great he has this strong narrative and a great hook, but for academic historians interested in structures and in the complexity of human experience, (his explanation of sibling rivalry) wouldn’t be accepted as viable or plausible.”

But Rappleye said his book is not an exercise in historical scholarship.

“I’m a storyteller, I’m looking for stories that resonate with people,” he told The Herald. He said he expects historians will respond to “a book like this” with criticism.

Still, he urged readers to check his

sources and verify that he knows what he’s writing about.

Ray Rickman, a former state representative for College Hill and self-described amateur historian, said he helped Rappleye locate “hidden sources” for the book.

“I think he knows his stuff about the Brown family,” Rickman said of Rappleye, “but that’s as kind as I wish to be.”

Moses Brown’s writings suggest he held a more complicated view of blacks than Rappleye’s talk might have suggested, Rickman said. “(Moses) didn’t have a high view of black people,” he said.

Three direct descendants of the Brown brothers sat in the audience and politely commented to each other about the speech.

Angela Brown Fischer, who lives in Newport, said she had not read the book but found Rappleye’s talk a fair account of the brothers’ story.

Rappleye’s lecture made only minimal reference to the slavery and justice committee and included little discussion of the University’s history.

“I have to say, I tried to stay away from that,” Rappleye told The Herald.

Though lectures on slavery and the University’s founding family are typically sponsored by the slavery and justice committee, Darrell West, professor of political science and director of the Taubman Center, said Rappleye’s book related to “public affairs,” the focus of the White lectures.

Despite Rappleye’s focus on the brothers, he said their story illustrates the complexity of slavery’s history in early America and enriches broader discourse on the topic.

Referring to the content of past lectures sponsored by the committee, Rockman said, “I’ll be darned if we haven’t that conversation 15 times over.”

A recent Providence City Council resolution encouraging the University to keep METRO the bookstore independent foundered as some members argued outsourcing the bookstore to a for-profit company might raise more tax revenue for the city.

At an April 6 City Council meeting, Ward 1 City Councilman David Segal sponsored a resolution encouraging the University “to maintain an independently-owned and operated bookstore.” But the resolution met with opposition from Ward 7 City Councilman John Igliozzi.

Igliozzi said he was concerned that if the bookstore were to remain independent, it would continue to be exempt from generating revenue from property taxes for the city. Property owned by institutions of higher learning is exempt from property taxes under state law.

“Independent is the wrong word,” Igliozzi said. “(It is a) fullfledged business that competes with other businesses, but pays no taxes,” he said.

After a brief dispute over parliamentary procedure, the resolution was referred to the Committee on Rules for further consideration — just as Segal said he expected.

“I introduced (the resolution) knowing it would go to committee,” Segal said.

Segal added that he thinks it is important to figure out what taxes are currently being paid on the bookstore’s property and compare that to what taxes have been paid in the past, citing “conflicting information” as a source of confusion.

Does the bookstore pay taxes?

Richard Spies, executive vice president for planning and senior advisor to the president, said concerns that the bookstore doesn’t generate tax revenue for the city are unfounded because the property is already being taxed by the city. “(Brown put) the ownership of the property in a separate corporation called Farview, so if you went to the city tax records, you would find that Farview owns the property and pays taxes,” he said. Spies said the taxes on the property come to $47,000 or $48,000 a year.

Farview is owned by the University and was created to consolidate Brown’s taxable property, Spies said. He noted that, aside from the bookstore space, the rest of the building that

houses the bookstore is tax-exempt because it contains University offices.

Lawrence Carr, director of bookstore and services, said he budgets and pays money for real estate taxes each year to Farview, which then pays the taxes to the city. Carr said the current property tax paid out per year is around $47,000.

The Herald, however, was unable to locate tax records confirming that the University pays property taxes on the bookstore space. A listing of Thayer Street properties from the Providence Tax Assessor’s online database did not include the 244 Thayer St. location occupied by the bookstore.

The database does include some tax-exempt properties owned by the University as well as a single tax-paying property owned by Farview. That location, at 300 Thayer St., houses Photo Studio, a branch of the U.S. Postal Service and Salon Persia. A listing of Farview-owned properties also includes properties on Brook, Benevolent, Power and Angell streets.

A listing of properties on Angell Street indicates that the building containing the bookstore and the Brown Office Building is owned by the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corp.

Igliozzi said he was also unable to locate any record of taxes paid on the bookstore through the City Tax Assessor’s office, listed under either the University’s or Farview’s holdings.

As of press time, the University’s Department of Real Estate and Administrative Services could not produce records of property taxes paid on the bookstore.

Carr said he does not know why the records could not be found through the city tax assessor’s database nor “where the record-keeping problem is.” It is “a mystery to me,” he said.

Spies said Brown pays taxes on properties that are not used directly for educational purposes but are instead run as businesses, such as the bookstore.

“In most respects the bookstore owned by Brown looks exactly like a bookstore owned by Barnes and Noble” or any independent bookstore as far as taxes are concerned, he said.

“What I hear people say is, ‘Oh God, it’s just Brown once again competing with local business, doesn’t pay any taxes, takes things off the tax roles,’ ” Spies said. “There are lots of issues at stake here in terms of the bookstore, but not (property taxes). This is a red herring.”

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006

Cohort continued from page 1 his departure from Brown to become president of the University of Chicago will not hinder the progress of the program.

Zimmer acknowledged his role in developing the program but also said “it was always the case that if the program was going to succeed the faculty would need to be behind it.”

Zimmer said he hopes his successor and the science faculty will continue to pursue the program in his absence. An additional issue will be finding students who have a multidisciplinary interest in the sciences along with faculty who are interested in the program, he added.

The University’s newly stated focus on undergraduate education will also play a role in the future of the program, according to Robert Pelcovits, professor of physics and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee.

Zimmer and President Ruth Simmons announced in February that the University would turn its attention to the undergraduate College, citing five areas on which to focus, including science education. Pelcovits said a task force will be assembled to address each of the areas, and, as a result, undergraduate science education will receive renewed attention from the University in the near future.

Though Zimmer and Tompkins have said aspects of the program, such as the development of courses, are moving forward, Pelcovits acknowledged the program “is conceived as being on the back burner.”

“Nothing at the moment is being implemented,” he added.

In addition, the program has not come before the faculty for a vote, Pelcovits said.

Pelcovits said he believes the issue of science education is likely to be dealt with in the context of the proposed science task force. Although the University planned to have the five task forces in place by the end of the semester, Pelcovits said the provost’s decision to leave the University has slowed down this process.

Pelcovits said he does not believe, however, that the provost’s departure from Brown would hinder the original intention of enhancing undergraduate science education.

“His leaving does not in any way derail this effort to improve science education at Brown.

The idea of pursuing something general like this is not dead,” Pelcovits said.

Some of Pelcovits’s own concerns about the original Science Cohort proposal were related to its focus on multidisciplinary education. He is skeptical high school students are likely to be interested in multidisciplinary studies.

“A better solution would, in part, be not to over-emphasize multidisciplinary investigations, since it’s not clear to me that you’re going to attract students with that kind of track. Once they’re already here you can entice them with that kind of education,” Pelcovits said.

Pelcovits added that the large number of goals of the program was another concern.

“There were so many things it was trying to address, attracting more science students, improving curriculum, adding diversity — it wasn’t clear to me that a single program could deal with all that,” he said.

Another worry of the professor’s was that the development of the program was taking precedence over the development of its curriculum. Pelcovits said this concern has since been allayed by the new focus on creating courses before any overarching program is implemented.

Although the Integrative Science and Engineering Program may be altered from its original form or developed more slowly, undergraduate science education will remain a priority for the University. Pelcovits said he hopes the next dean of the college will have an important role in improving undergraduate science education.

Pelcovits supports the plans to develop the core multidisciplinary courses and believes this action will lessen other faculty’s concerns about the program.

“I think that no matter what we do, those are very valuable efforts, whether or not it turns into a program,” he said.

Softball continued from page 16 Stags put a run on the board in the first inning and were primed to score more in the third when they put runners on second and third with no outs. They added another after a sacrifice fly to left scored the lead runner. The next batter then singled to center field, seemingly continuing the rally. Centerfielder Kari Best ’09, however, came up throwing and gunned down the Stags’ base runner at the plate. The next batter popped up to end the threat.

The Bears responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning when shortstop Mary Seid ’06 doubled down the right field line to start the inning. After rightfielder Kelsey Wilson ’09 walked, third baseman Melissa Ota ’07 drove a two-run double to right center to tie the game at two.

Fairfield took the lead again with two runs in the fifth inning.

Starting pitcher Michelle Moses ’09 surrendered five consecutive hits after causing the leadoff batter to pop out. Fortunately, she was saved by another clutch defensive play: With the bases loaded, Ota fielded a ground ball and fired it home to Anderson, who threw it to first for the 5-2-3 double play to end the inning.

Kristen Schindler ’09 came in to relieve Moses and shut down the Stags in the final two innings, giving the Bears a chance to rally.

In the sixth, Brown tied the game after a sacrifice fly by Seid scored

Simmons continued from page 1 seems utterly engaged in what she’s doing at Brown.”

Professor of Geological Sciences James Head Ph.D. ’69 said he hasn’t heard any faculty concern about Simmons’ lack of comment, and he isn’t concerned himself. Though he said “Harvard would be stupid not to be interested in” Simmons, Head believes she is committed to Brown.

“It’s not unreasonable for someone to have no comment on these things,” he said. “I think it’s a personal choice.”

Stephen Nelson, an author who studies college presidents, said Simmons seems to be a private person and believes Simmons’ silence is a matter of personal preference.

“My guess is that this is, stylistically, her way,” he said. “I think she is really a ‘less said, the better off’ kind of person. … Her ‘no comment’ doesn’t tell us anything, one way or the other.”

Nelson is an associate professor of educational leadership at Bridgewater State College and author of a book about college presidents. He is also affiliated with Brown’s Leadership Alliance.

Nelson said he believes Simmons is “taking the high road” with her lack of comment on her interest in Harvard. He said Simmons has a lot of ties to Harvard and does not want to hurt anyone on the Harvard Corporation, the university’s governing body that will select the school’s next president. If everyone withdraws from contention for the spot, Nelson said, it might appear as if Harvard had to resort to its sixth or seventh choice when the

pinch runner Meghan Andrews ’08 and designated hitter Kaitlyn Laabs ’09 doubled to drive in pinch hitter Amy Baxter ’08. In the final inning, Anderson, who re-entered the game for Andrews, drove a 2-1 fastball to right, bringing in Ota. Laabs, Ota and Anderson had two hits apiece to lead the Bears, and Schindler picked up the win in relief.

Brown had to come from behind again in the second game of the doubleheader, but this time it did not wait until its last gasp. Wilson started and struggled on the mound, giving up three consecutive singles, then walking in a run in the second inning. Wilson escaped after allowing only three runs despite facing nine batters, thanks to two more throws by Ota to force runners at the plate and a called strike three to end the inning.

Brown adjusted to Fairfield’s hard-throwing right-hander, Cagney Ringnalda in the third inning.

Fleitell started off the inning with a successful swinging bunt. Seid then reached on an error by the pitcher/centerfielder Natalie Hewitt ’08 grounded out to move the runners up. Wirkowski, who had been unlucky on two hard-hit line drives in the first game, drove a high 2-1 fastball over the fence in left center to tie the game at three.

“I was just trying to hit the ball hard,” she said. “I was more trying to find a hole because I had hit the ball right at people in the first game.”

After her shaky second inning, Wilson settled down and allowed

only one more unearned run in the fifth. She went the distance, giving up six hits and walking four over six innings.

“She is a total competitor,” McCreesh said of Wilson’s effort.

“Even though things weren’t going her way early on, I knew she was going to battle back.”

Fairfield’s lead was short-lived because Brown scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Seid got things started with a double down the left field line and moved to third on Hewitt’s sacrifice bunt.

Wirkowski then hit a slow roller to second base to score the tying run and beat out the throw when the second baseman glanced home.

“I am always excited when I hit the ball on the ground because I like to beat them out,” Wirkowski said. “I was surprised because I thought she was going to go home with it, but I was definitely happy to beat it out.”

After Wilson walked and Ota flied out, Baxter, who was now catching, hit a bloop single to center to score Wirkowski with what would prove to be the eventual winning run.

The doubleheader sweep was the second this season for the Bears, who continue to show signs of improvement.

“You have to protect the home field,” Wirkowski said. “I knew that our senior year would be full of home games, so it is nice to win as many as you can.”

Brown travels to Boston University Thursday to take on the Terriers, before returning home for its season finale with Yale Saturday.

search committee finally selects its president. Thus, Simmons’ silence may be out of respect for Harvard, where she received her Ph.D. in romance languages.

The withdrawal of other candidates for the Harvard job has put some peer pressure on her, Nelson added, but he said other candidates who have explicitly denied interest in the job faced altogether different circumstances than those confronting Simmons.

Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman, University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger and Tufts University President Lawrence Bacow have told the student newspapers at their universities that they are not interested in the Harvard presidency.

Nannerl Keohane, the former president of Wellesley College and Duke University, said in a March 15 Boston Globe article that she too is not interested in the position.

But Gutmann is relatively new to Penn, Bollinger was apparently the runner-up to Summers during the previous Harvard presidential search and Keohane considers herself in retirement, Nelson said.

Neel Shah ’04 M.D. ’08, president of the Brown Medical School Senate, echoed Nelson’s words, saying the other candidates had “nothing to lose” by declaring their commitment to their universities. He said he also believes Simmons’ silence reflects professional courtesy and is not concerned about her lack of comment. He added he does not think Harvard will tap Simmons.

Another student leader, Undergraduate Council of Students President Sarah Saxton-Frump ’07, said some students have ap-

proached her about the prospect of Simmons leaving, though she added she believes the level of concern is fairly low.

“There’s definitely been some curiosity,” Saxton-Frump said.

“But there’s been no panic.”

Saxton-Frump said students would be “heartbroken” if the president left for Harvard because so many students believe that “she is ours.”

“She’s great, she’s well-spoken, she’s warm, she cares about the school,” Saxton-Frump said.

“So many people identify her with the school, so many would be heartbroken” if she left.

At least one student leader is concerned that Simmons has her eyes set on the Cambridge, Mass., university.

“It’s scary, quite frankly,” said Ari Savitzky ’06, co-president of the senior class. “It’s pretty clear that our campus is in mad love with Ruth and how she has done as president.”

Of her silence, Savitzky said: “It seems as if she’s not saying (anything) for a reason; otherwise, why wouldn’t she come out and say something?”

Of course, there is the possibility that Simmons won’t even be chosen by the Harvard Corporation. Though she appears to be a top candidate for the job, according to several academics and media reports, she may face competition from two Harvard insiders: Elena Kagan, dean of the university’s law school, and Drew Faust, dean of the university’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Nelson said the biggest factor that will go against Simmons is her age. She will be 61 in July.

“If Simmons were 10 years younger, I’d say she’d be at Harvard tomorrow,” Nelson told The Herald shortly after Summers resigned in February.

CAMPUS NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 7

Changes to English concentration spark mixed reaction

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX

BY OLIVER BOWERS STAFF WRITER

Austin Freeman / Herald

Alexis Saccoman ’04 delivered a lecture titled, “Getting what you want out of sex: Do what you desire, not what you’re just OK with,” in MacMillan 117 Tuesday. He emphasized that everyone has the right to feel comfortable in sexual situations, a fact reinforced by his research on assuring assent and the seven stages of sexual desire.

Miller continued from page 16 from Monday’s Philadelphia Inquirer mentioned that at least three other men with Penn ties were also leading candidates.

Lehigh University’s Billy Taylor, who coached under former Quaker Fran McCaffery at the University of North CarolinaGreensboro, and Cornell head coach Steve Donahue, who was an assistant under Dunphy for 10 years, were also labeled top candidates by various sources.

The final candidate considered was Penn assistant coach Dave Duke.

But in the end, Miller was selected for his impressive track record of success. In the press release, Penn President Amy Gutmann outlined what qualities made Miller the top candidate.

“First and foremost, the next men’s basketball coach would have to embrace the Penn ethos of scholar athletes. … Second, our coach would have to excel in teaching and developing both basketball techniques and skills alongside with character. Third, we wanted a coach that would continue Penn’s dominance in the Ivy League,” Gutmann said in the release. “In Glen Miller, we believe we have found a coach that fits the bill.”

Mike Martin ’04, a former player and an assistant coach under Miller this past season, echoed those comments.

“The biggest thing that stands out about Coach Miller … is his drive and his passion to win,” Martin said. “He had a large effect on his players while they were basketball players at Brown and after they graduated and entered the working world.”

While Miller’s name had been linked to several open coaching positions in the past few weeks, the timing of the announcement came as a surprise. Second team All-Ivy small forward Keenan Jeppesen ’08, while aware of the rumors circulating in the past

few days, said he was coming out of class when he received messages on his cell phone directing him to read the articles about Miller online.

“I think generally everyone on the team was a little surprised,” Jeppesen said. “The general feeling was that the rumors had subsided a little bit. The feeling this morning was that this was kind of sudden. The first article I read was the one from the Inquirer online that just mentioned him as a leading candidate. But when I read (Providence Journal sports columnist) Kevin McNamara’s piece — a person I know to be a reliable source — it sunk in.”

With the team in the middle of its spring workouts, the squad was scheduled for a weight room session Tuesday at 4:15. At that time, Miller met with his now former players to inform them of his reasons for leaving and express his enjoyment of his time at Brown.

“He explained to us the rationale of his decision-making process,” Jeppsesen said. “I don’t think anyone could blame him for making a decision he felt would better his career and his family.”

Director of Athletics Michael Goldberger has scheduled a meeting with the team tomorrow to discuss the coaching vacancy and the immediate future.

Jeppesen explained that a committee would be established to conduct the search and that he believed a few of the upperclassmen would have a role on it, though he did not know who those players might be.

If the past is any indication, Brown will perhaps be looking for a top Division II or III coach to fill its vacancy. Miller came to Brown after six seasons at Division III Connecticut College, leading the Camels to the NCAA Tournament in his final two seasons.

Ironically enough, in the last game Miller coached at Brown, the Bears took Ivy champion Penn to overtime before succumbing 74-68.

The close of the year will bring with it the end of the traditional introductory sequence for the Literatures and Cultures in English concentration. Following changes approved by the College Curriculum Council in September, the three broad lecture courses, previously a mainstay of the concentration, will be replaced by a new set of smaller courses addressing more specific topics for the Fall 2006 semester.

According to Kevin McLaughlin, professor of English and chair of the department, though some students like the existing lecture courses, many do not.

Most students have reacted positively to the change, he said. But some professors and students say the changes will create a less thorough introduction to the concentration.

The courses that will no longer be available are EL 21: “Introduction to Medieval and Early Modern Literatures and Cultures,” EL 41: “Introduction to the Enlightenment and the Rise of National Literatures and Cultures” and EL 61: “Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Literatures and Cultures.”

The courses — which have been open to concentrators and nonconcentrators — survey three periods, introducing students chronologically to major literary works from the sixth century to the contemporary period.

Concentrators in Literatures and Cultures in English will now be required to take any two courses in each of the three periods formerly covered in the introductory sequence of lecture courses. Under the old system, students took the three lecture courses and one additional course from each period. Juniors and sophomores will be able to graduate under either the new system or the old, though EL 21, EL 41 and EL 61 will no longer exist in their current form.

Some of the new courses planned include EL 21, Sec. 2: “The Romance of Travel,” EL 41, Sec. 1: “Devils, Demons, and Do Gooders” and EL 61, Sec. 4: “Postcolonial Literature.”

The new courses are designed to present material based on topics or historical problems, McLaughlin said. The idea is to provide broad courses covering a time span similar to the current larger lectures, but the new courses “don’t have to cover everything,” he added. “We thought this was a better way to do it.”

The courses will also decrease from about 100 students per class to around 30 per class, thereby turning the courses into discussions and allowing professors to “calibrate to where the students are,” McLaughlin said.

“The main reason (why we are doing this) is that we have a larger English faculty than we did when the old requirements were put in place,” McLaughlin said.

“We have enough to break down the course size.”

The current introductory se-

ries was set up as three large lecture courses when it was introduced in the late 1990s because of the small size of the department’s faculty at the time, he said.

The English department has increased its faculty by at least five members over the last five years, largely because of initiatives included in the Plan for Academic Enrichment, McLaughlin said.

Professors and students offered mixed views of the changes.

One advantage of the new system is that smaller class sizes will allow students to participate more in discussions, said Beth Bryan, associate professor of English.

She said one consistent criticism she received when she taught EL 21 two years ago was related to the course’s lecture format.

Hillary Dixler ’08, an English concentrator, and Jonathan Ford ’08, an economics concentrator currently enrolled in EL 21, agreed that smaller classes are a positive change. “The material is much more engaging when it’s not taught in a strict lecture,” Dixler wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

Ford also said he would prefer a smaller discussion course to a larger lecture course. “I would be more willing to take (another class in the introductory series) if it were smaller. Now I don’t feel we discuss as a group as much,” he said.

Bryan expressed some concern that the courses would be switching from survey to topicoriented courses. “One regret that I personally have is that we no longer have a course number that is dedicated to a comprehensive literary history survey,” she said. Topic-oriented classes have their benefits, she added, but “there is a difference between a topic-oriented survey and a survey that is trying to interrogate literary history.” However, Bryan said she is not particularly concerned about the changes.

Dixler wrote that she would prefer to take EL 61 as a survey rather than a topic-oriented course.

“I did not have a high school English (literature) curriculum that taught in any chronological order, so I have very little sense of bigger trends in the history of the development of literature,” she wrote. “I don’t feel that I should learn about narrow topics without a broad understanding of that time period first.”

In a letter to The Herald that appeared on Feb. 16, McLaughlin wrote that concerns about whether the new courses will be too narrow in scope are the result of “misinformation.” Each new course will cover the same breadth of literary history as the lecture courses were designed to encompass, he wrote. “The new concentration requirements in English were in fact designed to more effectively … provide students with a broad-based knowledge of literature written in English throughout the entire history of the language.”

The English concentration was last changed in the late 1990s when a series of four courses — two covering British literature and two covering American literature — were replaced by the current sequence of three courses that provides a more transnational focus, integrating American and British literature. Brown was among the first to develop a transnational English concentration program, though many other universities nationwide have since developed similar programs, McLaughlin told The Herald in October.

The new courses are another step in this direction, McLaughlin said in a recent interview.

English concentrator Andrea Korb ’08 agreed. A lot of students have opted out of concentrating in English “because of how bad those courses were,” she said.

WORLD & NATION THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 9

Canada restricts coverage of war dead

BY DOUG STRUCK WASHINGTON POST

TORONTO — A day after Canada’s newspapers carried front-page photos of the flag-draped coffins of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan, the Conservative government slapped a ban on news media coverage of the coffins’ return home to Canada on Tuesday.

The order, and an earlier decision by the government not to lower the national flag to half-staff to mark the soldiers’ deaths, brought criticisms that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is trying to muffle reaction to Afghanistan casualties.

“What is the prime minister trying to hide by dishonoring fallen soldiers?” Jack Layton, leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, demanded in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

“We should not be trying to hide these things,” echoed Bill Graham, leader of the Liberal Party.

Harper insisted the government is protecting the privacy of grieving families, and Conservative officials said the flag has traditionally not been lowered for war casualties.

But the debate underlined the public’s qualms over Canada’s beefed-up role in Afghanistan, and the govern-

ment’s nervousness about uncertain support for that operation.

Canada now has 2,300 troops in Afghanistan and has recently moved its operation from Kabul to the more dangerous Kandahar region in the south. The four soldiers, killed Saturday in a roadside bomb blast north of Kandahar city, brought the Canadian death toll in Afghanistan to 16, including a diplomat. The nations’ papers were filled with stories about the four fallen men. The attack was the deadliest by insurgents against Canadian troops since they deployed to Afghanistan.

Harper, who took office in January, is a strong supporter of the military mission. But the most recent public opinion poll found Canadians evenly split on having troops in Afghanistan.

The redeployment to Kandahar and the casualties have led to “a series of rude awakenings for Canadians,” said Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute, which runs a veterans’ awareness project. That unease is increased by Canadians’ strong opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and to the Bush administration, he said.

“It’s a very fine balancing act the prime minister has to manage, communicating to Canadians that Af-

ghanistan is not Iraq,” Griffiths said.

As reports of Afghan civilian and Canadian military casualties mount, “it’s going to transfer that negative image of a bungled enterprise, of hopelessness, from (President George W. Bush) to Stephen Harper.”

The comparison came quickly Tuesday after the government ordered journalists away from the Trenton, Ontario, air base when the coffins of the four soldiers arrived.

“Mr. Bush instituted the policy of not allowing the caskets to be open to the media, and now Mr. Harper has lifted a page from George Bush’s book,” Ujjal Dosanjh, a member of Parliament and the Liberal Party’s point man on defense, said in an interview from Ottawa. “This is absolutely unacceptable and un-Canadian. You don’t build support with Canadians by trying to hide casualties.”

But Harper’s defense minister, Gordon O’Connor, noted that the somber ceremony of the coffins’ departure from Kandahar had been widely photographed.

“The government is not trying to hide anything,” he said in Parliament. “The media have full access to our forces in Afghanistan. We are going to allow the families to mourn privately.”

Iran raises stakes in nuclear dispute

BY MOLLY MOORE WASHINGTON POST

PARIS — Iran is prepared to begin exporting its nuclear technology, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday, in an escalation of warnings to Western countries attempting to curb its nuclear program.

Other Iranian officials said the Islamic republic would hide its nuclear program and curtail its oil production if foreign governments take harsh actions against Iran for failure to restrict its nuclear activities.

Khamenei and other senior authorities issued the statements ahead of a Friday deadline set by the U.N. Security Council for the International Atomic Energy Agency to deliver a report on the status of Tehran’s nuclear program. A report confirming Iran’s claims that it is continuing and expanding uranium enrichment efforts would likely prompt a Security Council debate as early as next week over whether to exert new pressures, including the possible sanctions against Iran.

“The nuclear capability of Iranian scientists is one example of the numerous scientific movements in the country,” Khamenei said Tuesday, according to state television, “and the Islamic republic is ready to transfer this experience and the technology and knowledge of its scientists.”

Western officials have expressed strong concerns over the spread of nuclear technology to countries or terrorist organizations that might couple such knowledge with clandestine materials to make crude nuclear weapons.

Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, also warned Tuesday that Iran’s nuclear program could become covert. Iran now allows IAEA inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities, though the agency has complained frequently that Iran has not provided it with sufficient information, and the United States has alleged that some

secret facilities may exist.

“Military action against Iran will not lead to the closure of the program,” Larijani told reporters during a nuclear energy conference, the official IRNA news agency reported. “If you take harsh measures, we will hide this program. Then you cannot solve the nuclear issue.”

The United States and some European countries have accused Iran of using its nuclear energy program to camouflage a covert effort to develop nuclear weapons; Iran says its program is exclusively aimed at electric power generation. The IAEA has reported that it has found no evidence of a weapons program, although inspectors also say they cannot verify that such a program does not exist.

Larijani repeated earlier threats from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran could bar IAEA monitoring of its nuclear program, adding, “You may inflict a lesson on us, but you will lose also.”

In Athens, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: “The Iranians can threaten. But they are deepening their own isolation.”

Rice, speaking after a meeting with her Greek counterpart, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, also attempted to reassure other nations — including key Security Council members Russia and China — that are wary of U.S. intentions toward Iran.

“The president of the United States doesn’t take any of his options off the table,” Rice said in an interview with Greek State Broadcasting.

“But we understand that Iran is not Iraq. This is a very different situation and we believe that the diplomatic course and the many, many tools that we have on the diplomatic side will ultimately succeed.”

Even so, the escalating tension between Tehran and Washington is contributing to record high oil prices.

Larijani on Tuesday reiterated warnings that Iran, the world’s fourth-largest crude oil producer,

could cut oil production as a penalty for sanctions. “Iran will not start a crisis,” Larijani said. “But if we are subjected to radical measures, that will automatically have important consequences for oil.”

That threat, combined with continued violence by guerrilla separatists in oil-producing Nigeria, kept world oil prices Tuesday at almost $73 a barrel for June deliveries.

Preparing for possible financial sanctions, the Iranian Oil Ministry announced Monday that it would cancel a $1.2 billion deal with companies from France, Germany and South Korea to build a petrochemical plant in Iran. A ministry statement said domestic contractors would build the ethylene production facility.

Iranian officials have announced that they have successfully enriched uranium and plan to install enough centrifuges in coming years to begin industrial-level production. The officials recently reported that 164 centrifuges were in operation, a fraction of the tens of thousands needed for mass production. Large quantities of highly enriched uranium or plutonium are needed to build a nuclear weapon.

While some of Iran’s largest trading partners, including China, Russia and India, have expressed growing concern over Iran’s nuclear intentions, they also have voiced fear that the United States might take military action against Iran.

“We believe, in the current stage, there is still room to resolve this issue through negotiations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters Tuesday in Beijing.

“Confrontation must be avoided at all costs,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Even Rice’s Greek host, Foreign Minister Bakoyannis, told reporters after Tuesday’s discussions that “our goals concur to a great degree, but we don’t always have identical views on how to achieve them.”

Nepalese celebrate victory against king

BY MATTHEW MCALLESTER NEWSDAY

KATMANDU, Nepal — Hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets of the capital Tuesday to claim victory on the morning after King Gyanendra announced he would recall parliament.

The celebrations came on a day when the alliance of the seven main democratic parties announced their choice for interim prime minister and the country’s rebel Maoists rejected the king’s statement, claiming the parties had broken their agreement with the Maoists.

There were signs, however, that the Maoists might be posturing rather than swearing to continue the armed conflict that has cost 13,000 lives since it began. In a statement, the Maoists demanded elections to an assembly that would be charged with rewriting Nepal’s constitution. The goal is also paramount for the democratic parties, leaders said Tuesday. There were further indications of a possible path to peace when leaders of those parties said that the interim government no longer would refer to the Maoists as terrorists and that the armed forces would initiate an immediate unilateral cease-fire against the Maoists.

The alliance also wants the Maoists to participate, democratic leaders said. The first session of the recalled parliament is set for Friday. “They’ll listen,” said Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the nation’s second-largest party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). “We expect them to be part of the interim government.”

As the political maneuvering got under way Tuesday, those who took to the streets were at pains to remind the politicians that Nepal’s mostly nonviolent uprising had been driven by the people.

In the morning, party leaders gathered at the secluded home of the man they quickly decided to nominate as the next prime minister, Nepali Congress Party leader Girija Prasad Koirala. In a narrow alleyway outside the house were dozens of young men and women and, each time a party leader emerged from the front yard, the crowd surrounded them.

“Be warned,” many shouted at politicians who in the past have proved corrupt and inept. “You leaders, be warned.”

The nature of the warning was clear: Bring about a constitutional assembly or face mass protests again. A rewritten constitution could result in the abolition of the monarchy.

In the streets of Katmandu, massive crowds formed numerous rallies. Even though there was jubilance at the king’s about-face on parliament, there was no let-up in widespread yearning to get rid of him altogether.

“Gyanendra, don’t leave Nepal before you are held to account,” one group chanted.

“He has time and again betrayed the people,” said Narayan Sharma, a student. “He can’t stay at all.”

The State Department urged the king to assume “a ceremonial role in his country’s governance,” but it remains to be seen whether the majority of Nepalis will tolerate his remaining even as a constitutional figurehead.

In downtown Katmandu, an area until now out of bounds to demonstrators, large metal signs proclaiming the bland, absurd banalities of the king have loomed over passersby for years. Tuesday, they took a hammering.

“We are committed to a multi-party democracy,” read one saying of the man who seized absolute power in February 2005. Young men climbed onto the sign and kicked and twisted and hammered until it came off. The crowd roared.

“I wish no Nepali to die of hunger and that they enjoy social, economic and political rights,” read another sign — a statement from the king who reigns over this poverty-stricken nation while living in luxury. A young man took a pot of black paint and brushed over Gyanendra’s name, then over an image of his crown and finally over the words “His Majesty’s Government.” Then the demolition crew got to work again, and down came the sign.

Another four suffered the same fate as rows of police watched passively from a distance, perhaps wondering who their ultimate boss was now.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 11

Elections continued from page 1 and Student Services Committee and Hugh Livengood ’07 as chair of the Student Activities Committee.

According to Kate Brockwehl ’08, chair of the UCS Election Board, 2,234 students voted in this year’s election, up from last year’s total of 1,866. A few positions were decided by only several dozen votes, Brockwehl said.

Gearing up for run-offs Prior to run-off elections, candidates will be permitted to continue soliciting votes, though campaigning tactics will be somewhat restricted. Due to the “limited ability to produce campaign material in a runoff,” Townsend said he will take a personal approach by “door-knocking” and “talking to friends.” Similarly, Gillis said he will also pursue “person-to-person” strategies.

“I think we owe it to the students to allow them to know about the differences in our positions,” said Townsend, who proposed a “publicized debate” between him and Gillis, which Gillis said he would also like to pursue. Townsend reiterated his belief that “UCS needs to be more

confrontational with the administration,” while Gillis called for “a UCS that has its agenda set not

by UCS but by the students.”

Rosenthal said he hopes to create transparency within UFB and increase the accountability of UFB representatives. “Student groups want to see change,” Rosenthal said. Cunningham, who is studying abroad this semester, also hopes to bring accountability and transparency to UFB, according to his online platform.

McCracken said he looks forward to working with the new members of UCS, adding his ability to collaborate with Freeman will lead to “a great working relationship between UFB and UCS.” Freeman said newly elected officials will need to “fight to make sure that we can restore the faith in the Brown community and UCS.” Mateo Mancia ’07 expressed disappointment with the small number of candidates vying for positions on UCS and UFB. “It was difficult (to vote) because it seemed that this election was apathetic,” he said.

Michelle Beaulieu ’08 said “name recognition” was important for her when deciding who to vote for. She added that e-mails she received “concerning issues from my student organizations” also influenced her decisions.

Homeland security to begin background checks for port workers

BY MEREDITH COHN BALTIMORE SUN

The Department of Homeland Security will begin checking the names of about 400,000 longshoremen and employees of port facilities against federal terrorist watch lists, the agency announced Tuesday — six weeks after an Arab company’s thwarted efforts to work in U.S. ports heightened concern about who should be allowed on American

docks.

Homeland Security has been under increased pressure to check those handling millions of tons of goods that come through the ports to U.S. store shelves since Dubai Ports World dropped plans to work in about two dozen ports last month.

In announcing the interim name checks Tuesday, Homeland Security officials described them see PORT, page 12

Best & Worst continued from page 16 Best Comeback: The softball team’s nine-run seventh-inning rally with two outs to beat Harvard 11-10 on April 15, which was capped by a walk-off home run by designated hitter Kaitlyn Laabs ’09.

Back from the Dead ... Almost Award: The men’s hockey team, which nearly upset fifth-seed St. Lawrence University in the first round of the ECACHL playoffs.

After finishing the ECACHL season in last place with a record of 3-14-5, the Bears took the Saints to overtime in the third and deciding game before falling 5-4.

On the season, Brown was 0-6-6 in overtime games.

No Respect Award: The men’s tennis team, which on more than one occasion moved down in the rankings after winning all its matches during a given week. For example, after beating Dartmouth and then-No. 69 Harvard, the Bears dropped from No. 65 last week to No. 70 this week. Don’t ask us how that works, because we have no idea.

Best Upset: The men’s crew team’s upset of Harvard on the Seekonk River April 8. The Harvard crew had been undefeated over the previous three years entering the race. The No. 4 Bears face another tough challenge this weekend at No. 1 Princeton. (Note: we say “best” upset rather than “biggest” because Harvard was ranked third and Brown seventh at the time.)

Believing Doesn’t Mean Seeing Award: Both the men’s and women’s crew teams, which are ranked in the top 10 nationally — the men are fourth, the women ninth — probably get the least fan support of any Brown team.

Of course, having to compete on a river makes spectator convenience a non-consideration.

Wait ’Til 2008 Award: Larry Haertel ’08, who won the Ivy League Golf Championship last weekend with a three-round score of 212 (4-under). Haertel is the first Bear to win the individual title. The team finished in third place; the only other time Brown has placed that high was 1994.

Missed It By That Much Award: The women’s ice hockey team, which led Harvard 3-1 in the first period of the ECACHL Championship before eventually falling 4-3. The loss came after the thirdseeded Bears upset Princeton, the second seed.

Pure Domination Award: Brittany Grovey ’06 and Jake Golenor ’06, who blew away their competition at the Indoor Heptagonal Championships. Golenor won the shot put by more than two feet, as did Grovey in the triple jump.

“I Am a Real American” Award: Grovey, the members of the distance medley relay — Naja Ferjan ’07, Akilah King ’08, Kelly Powell ’06 and Anna Willard ’06 — and skier Kelly O’Hear ’07, who all earned All-American honors this winter.

Not Quite Edwin Moses Award: Diver Jessica Larson ’06, who went undefeated through the

dual meet season and set the school record in the 3-meter dive.

She faltered a bit late in the season, narrowly missing a spot in the NCAA Championship by finishing second in the 1-meter dive at Zones.

Willis Reed Award: Men’s squash member Breck Bailey ’06, who shared the Skillman Award for the nation’s top player despite injuring his knee at the Hoehn Cup. All in the Family Award: Ed ’08 and Megan ’08 Cerullo and Patrick ’07 and Breck ’09 Haynes, the squash program’s two pairs of siblings. It’s worth noting that Chester Hall ’08 is a cousin of the Hayneses whose sister, Letitia ’02, also played for Brown.

“Bullet Bob” Hayes Award: Paul Raymond ’08. Widely rumored to be the fastest player on the football team, the wide receiver joined the indoor track team over the winter. He won the 60-meter dash at Indoor Heps with a time of 6.85.

Snake-bitten Award: The baseball team’s starting pitcher, Shaun McNamara ’06, who, despite having a 4.08 ERA in his four Ivy League starts, has gone 1-2 in those games.

Graduation Award: The fencing teams, who competed in the Ivy League for the first time this season. The men and women picked up one win apiece.

Into the Sunset Award: All the graduating Brown student-athletes. Thanks for giving us here at The Herald Sports Desk most of our subject matter.

Senate GOP introduces border security measure

BY NICOLE GAOUETTE AND MAURA REYNOLDS LOS ANGELES TIMES

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Tuesday introduced a $2 billion measure to add extra agents, surveillance equipment

and detention facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border, raising fears that the move may undercut efforts to reach broader immigration reform.

The new Senate bill came as House leaders reiterated their opposition to a Senate propos-

al to create a guest-worker program and legalize many undocumented immigrants. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., indicated he too disagreed with the legalization elements of the Senate proposal, which he helped broker.

But that compromise measure, which also includes enforcement provisions, received a boost from President Bush on Tuesday as he summoned a bipartisan group of senators to the White House and encouraged them to pass a bill by Memorial Day. The $2 billion for enforcement measures is being added to a must-pass supplemental spending bill for Iraq and Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

While it may convince conservatives that tougher security can co-exist with a guest-worker program, Democrats warned that the additional spending should not be considered a replacement for a broader reform effort.

“Whatever we do on the supplemental dealing with border security will make our job less difficult ... as it relates to the guest-worker provision,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, R-Nev. “I think if the majority tries to get out of (broader reform) by passing border security only ... it would be not only a bad decision substantively, but it would be a terrible decision politically.”

With lawmakers deeply divided, senators have urged Bush to take a clearer public stand in see SENATE, page 12

PAGE 12 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006

Senate continued from page 11 favor of the compromise to sway conservative Republicans.

“We could use some help now,” said Sen. Arlen Specter, RPa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

After meeting with the senators, Bush offered support for the Senate proposal in general terms.

“There is a common desire to have a bill that enforces the bor-

der ... (and) also recognizes we must have a temporary-worker program,” Bush said, arguing that “somebody who is working here on a legal basis has the right to get in line to become a citizen.”

Despite Bush’s lack of specifics, Tuesday’s meeting seemed to energize the lawmakers present. The Senate is expected to resume debate on immigration, possibly by May 8, after negotiations foundered in early April over procedural bickering. Reid said he and Frist would work to resolve those disagreements.

Specter also was upbeat.

“While the president did not endorse the Senate committee bill that came out of Judiciary, there’s no doubt that when he talks about a comprehensive bill ... he’s talking about the ingredients of the Senate bill,” Specter said. “And after this meeting, I’m confident we’ll get it done.”

With the intense public scrutiny surrounding immigration, senators are uneasy about voting on politically risky legislation only to see it radically changed during attempts to align the Senate legislation with the House bill, Specter said.

Those worries took on added weight with comments Tuesday

by House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. “This idea that was being kicked around the Senate about providing some sort of amnesty for those who have been here five years or more, I just think it was a very big mistake,” he said. “You are just inviting more people to come. Until you strengthen the borders and begin to enforce the laws, we’re not making any progress.”

But one leading GOP conservative, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, says in a report to be released Wednesday that he supports granting visas to illegal immigrants currently working in the United States and in some cases offering them a path

to citizenship.

According to an advance copy of his white paper, Gingrich said that in addition to enhancing border controls and stiffening sanctions on those who employ people here illegally, “we must have a humanitarian period of transition as we replace an illegal pattern of immigration with a legal one.”

But unlike the Senate compromise, Gingrich’s proposal would make all workers return to their home countries before applying for work visas. “Anything less than requiring people who are working here illegally to return home to apply for a worker visa is amnesty,” he said.

Port

simultaneously complete the work to implement a secure national transportation worker credential.”

Union representatives said Tuesday they remain concerned that the watch list check could ensnare workers who are not terrorists.

“As the maritime TWIC pro-

gram is implemented, it must focus on rooting out true security risks and not be used to fire workers from the industry for a bad decision made years ago that has nothing to do with security,” Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO’s transportation department, said in an e-mail.

continued from page 11 as a step toward more thorough reviews and the eventual rollout of an identification card. A 2002 federal law mandated such cards, called the transportation worker identification credential, or TWIC, as well as background checks, for all airport, port, rail and pipeline workers after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. About 2 million airport workers have had background checks over time, but those for port workers and others are now about two years overdue.

“It is fundamental that individuals who pose a security threat do not gain access to our nation’s ports,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement Tuesday. “The namebased checks will provide an immediate security boost while we

SPORTS EXTRA THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 13

W. tennis falls to Dartmouth, Harvard over Spring Weekend

BY BART STEIN SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The women’s tennis team entered this past weekend’s matches against Dartmouth and No. 18 Harvard hoping to ride the momentum of its inspiring 4-3 triumph over Columbia a week earlier. Unfortunately for the Bears, the magic faded fast: Bruno lost handily to the Big Green, 5-2, and then was utterly dominated by the Crimson in a 7-0 shutout, dropping the Bears to 1-5 in Ivy League play and 5-12 overall.

The weekend kicked off on Friday versus Dartmouth on the Varsity Tennis Courts. By the time the match had begun, the temperature had dropped below 50 degrees and the wind was swirling, creating conditions that affected both sides.

Dartmouth adjusted better to the weather and, as a result, seemed more comfortable than Brown on the Bears’ own court. The Big Green opened up

Murphy continued from page 16 one knows that Lance has a lower resting heart rate than a Kenyan marathon champ from all the drugs he soaks up, but that’s not what makes the Europeans mad.

They’re red-assed because they’ve been letting him win for years.

Why? Because when a rider wins the Tour they’re supposed to celebrate. Since the European has the least amount of rhythm of any creature on God’s green Earth, this celebration can be a harrowing experience. Europeans might smoke the competition over a grueling 100-mile course, but as soon as they cross the line and try to let loose, it looks like they’ve been shoved down a long flight of stairs. A simple fist pump or high-five is nearly impossible for a continent of people who truly believe that David Hasselhoff is the sexiest man alive.

Sadly, Lance and I have always had some beef, and it’s not just because Sheryl Crow calls out my name at night. No, our animosity is over those damn yellow bracelets he pushed on us.

Livestrong my arse! Mine broke the first time I put it on!

The bracelet Lance rides with was produced by BALCO and leaks Human Growth Hormone.

by grabbing the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead. In the singles draw, it was more of the same. At first singles, Daisy Ames ’07 lost a tough 6-4, 6-4 match, and at second singles Amanda Saiontz ’07 left everything out on the court but was overcome in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 4-3 (7).

Ashley Pariser ’08 also lost at third singles in straight sets to give Dartmouth the victory. She is the only member of the starting lineup yet to capture a win in Ivy play.

One bright spot for the Bears was the play of Brett Finkelstein ’09. She picked up two of Brown’s three wins on the day — one at fourth singles and another at third doubles with Ames. Finkelstein plays a gritty style that has quietly moved her up the ladder from sixth to fourth singles. Head Coach Paul Wardlaw said Finkelstein’s game has been steadily improving all season.

“Brett has settled in well and adjusted to college tennis,” he said. “She has all the athletic

tools to become a very good college player.”

Finkelstein agreed with Wardlaw’s appraisal.

“I have become more patient and comfortable, and less nervous. I am a smarter player now (than I was at the beginning of the year),” she said.

The Harvard match played out much like the Bears’ loss to Dartmouth, and Finkelstein was, once again, one of the few Bears who managed to win her match. She and Ames picked up an 8-4 victory at third doubles.

Unfortunately, the win did not factor in the match since Harvard captured the other two doubles matches.

The contest with the No. 18 Crimson was a bleak affair, with only Michelle Pautler ’07 playing a competitive match. She lost in three sets.

Brown travels to Yale today to play its final match of the season. The Bears were 2-5 last year in Ivy play and can match last season’s mark with a win.

The ones we bought were made in a sweatshop next to the Oprah apparel. I’m not sure exactly which sweatshop, but I suspect it was run by the most ruthless man in the business… Santa.

Elves are people too, you whitehaired monster!

Before any of you begin calling me a hypocrite, yes, I have biked before. However, there is a huge difference between people who ride their bike as a mode of transportation and people who feel the need to pedal 100 miles to justify the neon spandex they’re wearing.

Cycling is just something that you don’t want to be too good at. It’s like juggling. How often do you watch the jugglers on the Main Green and wonder, “What were these people not doing while they were becoming such great jugglers?” I have my guesses, but that’s just wild speculation, and I like to keep things very professional.

I actually had the best workout of my life with my bike. I was about two miles out on the East Bay Bike Path when a tire blew out. I carried the hunk of crap all the way back to the “reputable dealer” who sold it to me. When they refused to refund my money, I simply lost it. “Time to pay the Piper, you corporate trash!” I didn’t think I was capable of such atrocities. When it was all said and done, I had single-handedly

cost the store thousands of dollars in hospital bills and damage.

Those greedy executives had to learn: you can’t keep stepping on the little guy. Next time, the Salvation Army will think twice about selling me an item they don’t stand behind 100 percent.

Every time I get into an argument with one of my biking friends, things end poorly. Out of pure concern, I like to send them studies about the dangers of long-term biking to one’s sexual health. They mistake my heartfelt concern for mockery. I often get hit with such fighting words as, “I once rode 700 miles in a week! What have you ever accomplished?”

Well, my friend, I once coined the words “sketchy,” “random” and “awkward” and they seem to be doing pretty well now, aren’t they?

I shouldn’t make fun of biking. It’s a real sport with real people, and some of those real people are my friends… friends who I only pray have not spent too many hours sitting on a bike seat, for the sake of their family trees. Support Bike and Build!

Hugh Murphy ’06 has covered swimming, gymnastics and women’s track for The Herald in addition to writing his column, “Black Elk Speaks.” He also throws the javelin on the men’s track and field team.

Games continued from page 16

www.browndailyherald.com

Men’s track at the Heptagonal Championships, May 5 & 6 — With a well-balanced stable of throwers, jumpers and runners, the team could be a threat to sneak into one of the top three spots at Heps. The X-factor could be the performance of thrower Jake Golenor ’06, who was thought to

Klonick continued from page 16 him over $5 million when the Lions sued for breach of contract. Since retiring, Sanders has gone on to become one of the youngest inductees to the Hall of Fame and still holds the team record for career rushing yards. Young and at the top of his game, Sanders clearly had plenty left in him when he bowed out from professional sports, leaving only the question of how much more he had to give.

Conversely, you don’t have to fall into complete obscurity to overstay your welcome.

Jerry Rice’s skills had just begun to decline when he left football after 20 years in the NFL, but it was a sharp dropoff, and his reputation as “The Greatest” threw his rapidly deteriorating ability into stark relief. It was painful to watch the talents of a hero like Rice diminish, but when he cried at his retirement announcement, it didn’t make the moment tender, only a little more agonizing for everyone who had to watch.

And then there are the retiring athletes that fall between ending their careers too quickly or not getting out in time. These are the guys that put on their socks and shoes, go to their car and then come back for one more goodnight kiss. Such players’ fickle indecision consistently ruins the romanticism of retirement.

If there was one man who ever encapsulated this vacillation, it would be Roger Clemens, although he might be coming back to borrow cab fare rather than give a goodnight kiss.

Clemens began his brilliant career with the Boston Red Sox, winning two Cy Young Awards, and went on to win two more Cy Youngs and two pitching triple crowns (league leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts) with the Toronto Blue Jays before being traded to the New York Yankees in 1999. The Rocket set most of his career records with the Yankees and finally earned his elusive 300th win in his last season with the Bombers in 2003. But perhaps most importantly, Clemens earned a World Series ring — two, in fact. This was the one piece of the puzzle he claimed to need before retiring. So after an anti-climactic end to the 2003 season, the Rocket kissed the Babe goodnight in Yankee Stadium and hung up his mitt. Or so we thought.

be done for the year after suffering an ulcer but is attempting a comeback.

Men’s lacrosse vs. Princeton, May 6 — Princeton is once again a national title contender and will likely come to Providence with the Ivy crown on the line. A Bears upset could deny the Tigers the Ivy League crown and the automatic NCAA tournament berth.

Less than two months into that offseason, rumors began circulating on Texas radio stations and various Web sites that Clemens was considering reversing his retirement and signing with the Houston Astros. A local Houston car dealership offered to give Clemens a free Hummer if he signed with the team, and less than four months after “retiring” from baseball, Clemens was suiting up for another squad.

Similarly, Michael Jordan is another standard of the sporting world that specializes in drawn-out goodbyes. His brilliant career with the Chicago Bulls first ended abruptly in 1993. Less than a year after retiring from basketball, Jordan decided to pursue his childhood dream of playing baseball. Assigned to the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team, Jordan spent a rather pathetic year in the minors, finally deciding to salvage his reputation the only way he knew how: basketball.

Returning in 1995, Jordan played again for the Bulls, ending his career four seasons later with a perfect 20foot jumper in the closing seconds, giving the Bulls their sixth championship in eight years. It was one of the greatest finales in sports history, but it only served as a finale for three years.

In 2002, Jordan returned to basketball yet again, this time with the Washington Wizards.

After two injury-prone and anti-climactic seasons, he retired for the third time.

The drama of a perfectly tied-up sports career is certainly compromised by the onagain, off-again retirement. At the same time, it’s hard to fault Clemens or Jordan for taking advantage of such a seemingly endless wealth of talent.

The missteps of Jordan, Clemens, Sanders and Rice can be lessons for all on how and when to take an exit. As I move into my own retirement from The Herald, I am reminded of what watching these athletes has taught me not to do in the next few years: I will not try to play minor league baseball. I will not sell out my grand finale for a Hummer. I will not flake out on a million-dollar contract. But most of all, I will not cry. Because there is no crying in baseball columns.

In four years at The Herald, Kate Klonick ’06 has covered squash and written athlete of the week features and baseball columns.

Women’s track at the NCAA East Regionals, May 26 & 27 — Triplejumper Brittany Grovey ’06 and the distance medley team (Akilah King ’08, Anna Willard ’06, Kelly Powell ’06 and Naja Ferjan ’07) were named to the indoor track All-American team after taking ninth and eighth in their respective events at Nationals in February. To match that feat in the outdoor season, they will need strong efforts at Regionals in order to qualify for Nationals in June.

EDITORIAL/LETTERS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 14

STAFF EDITORIAL

Science slowdown Since preliminary descriptions of the Integrative Science and Engineering Program — formerly named the Science Cohort — were unveiled last semester, the program has generated a high level of concern among some faculty members, particularly those in the sciences. Administrators behind the original proposal envisioned the University would begin admitting its first batch of 60 students to participate in the multidisciplinary science program as early as 2008. However, when it became clear that key aspects of the program’s implementation had not been sufficiently planned out, many began to view this timeline as unrealistic.

Though it is tempting for administrators behind such innovative proposals — which are designed to boost the University’s national and international prestige — to push for their quick implementation, it is ultimately the faculty who must execute their specific components and cope with problems that arise as they evolve. The Integrative Science and Engineering Program is a prime example of this, as Provost Robert Zimmer, a key figure in the program’s development, will leave Brown to become president of the University of Chicago this summer.

We commend administrators for convening a new faculty committee to thoroughly examine crucial components of the program, a move that seemingly signifies a new approach to the planning process and an acknowledgment that hasty implementation of such a complicated initiative would be unwise. It makes sense to fully develop the program’s curriculum before solidifying plans for its implementation. The complicated nature of the program’s mission has been central to faculty concern and mandates a thorough consideration of the many forms the program might ultimately take. As Robert Pelcovits, professor of physics and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee, told The Herald, “There were so many things it was trying to address, attracting more science students, improving curriculum, adding diversity — it wasn’t clear to me that a single program could deal with all that.” Providing more chances for faculty input will allow concerned professors to air their concerns and exert influence over a program they’ll have to live with for years to come.

But the program’s somewhat troubled existence also highlights obstacles facing the University that can’t be solved with the formation of a faculty committee. One commonly voiced concern dealt with an element of the program more fundamental than its broader curricular mission: where would its extra students go?

It’s clear the University is facing a housing shortage. Even if administrators can figure out where to place extra students coming to Brown to participate in the Integrative Science and Engineering Program, basic housing and infrastructure issues will likely complicate other projects and initiatives in the coming years.

Though the process might be cumbersome, such shortcomings will have to be addressed if similarly ambitious initiatives are to ever get off the ground.

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

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

D A N I E L L AW L O R

LETTERS Outsourced bookstores damage academics To the Editor: An article in Monday’s Herald about the Brown Bookstore (“Minding the bookstore’s books,” April 24) included statements by a Barnes and Noble spokesman and his ally that are illuminating for what they omit.

A marketing manager for Barnes and Noble mentioned his company’s lucrative operations at Harvard and Yale, and a business officer at Columbia exulted that the Barnes and Noble at her university “has become more successful each year I’ve been here.”

As it happens, those three Barnes and Noble branches compose a notorious case study, in which chain store “success” is paid for by academic failure.

At the three campuses instanced, chain store provision of syllabus titles has been so inferior that faculty members have flown to independent bookstores in the neighborhood.

Those independent stores have important stories to tell, and I urge anyone reading this with a stake in the matter to talk to Labyrinth Books in Manhattan, or its sister shop in New Haven (formerly Book Haven) or the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, which is proudly “Independent and family run since 1932.”

Or, please, read last week’s Herald article “The outcome of outsourcing” (April 17) in which professors at the University of Chicago, Barnard and Brown tell stories of faculty frustration with chain stores.

Said Taylor Carman of Barnard in that article, “Most professors don’t do business with the Columbia bookstore because the selection is so bad.” Evidently a marketing manager’s success is a scholar’s failure.

Peter Sprake ’07 Brown Bookstore employee April 25

Don’t be forgotten in the sands of time, like the great

woolly mammoth before you. Let your thoughts be known and your memory persist through the ages.

Send a letter and bribe to The Herald at: opinions@browndailyherald.com Now accepting travelers’ checks!

CO R R E C T I O N S An article in Monday’s Herald (“After initial concerns, committee draws few questions from alums,” April 24) incorrectly referred to Russell Carey ’91 as secretary of the Brown Corporation. Carey is vice president and secretary of the University and the administration’s liaison to the Corporation.

Gabriela Scarritt, Allison Kwong, Night Editors Chessy Brady, Taryn Martinez, Copy Editors

An article in yesterday’s Herald (“Alcohol report will recommend policy changes this semester,” April 25) incorrectly referred to Nancy Barnett as a professor of psychiatry and human behavior. Barnett is an assistant professor.

Senior Staff Writers Simmi Aujla, Stephanie Bernhard, Melanie Duch, Ross Frazier, Jonathan Herman, Rebecca Jacobson, Chloe Lutts, Caroline Silverman Staff Writers Justin Amoah, Zach Barter, Allison Erich Bernstein, Brenna Carmody, Alissa Cerny, Ashley Chung, Stewart Dearing, Kristina Kelleher, Hannah Levintova, Hannah Miller, Aidan Levy, Taryn Martinez, Kyle McGourty, Ari Rockland-Miller, Chelsea Rudman, Kam Sripada, Robin Steele, Spencer Trice, Ila Tyagi, Sara Walter Sports Staff Writers Sarah Demers, Amy Ehrhart, Erin Frauenhofer, Kate Klonick, Madeleine Marecki, George Mesthos, Hugh Murphy, Eric Perlmutter, Marco Santini, Bart Stein, Tom Trudeau, Steele West Account Administrators Alexandra Annuziato, Emilie Aries, Steven Butschi, Dee Gill, Rahul Keerthi, Kate Love, Ally Ouh, Nilay Patel, Ashfia Rahman, Rukesh Samarasekera, Jen Solin, Bonnie Wong Design Staff Adam Kroll, Andrew Kuo, Jason Lee, Gabriela Scarritt Photo Staff CJ Adams, Chris Bennett, Meg Boudreau, Tobias Cohen, Lindsay Harrison, Matthew Lent, Dan Petrie, Christopher Schmitt, Oliver Schulze, Juliana Wu, Min Wu, Copy Editors Chessy Brady, Amy Ehrhart, Natalia Fisher, Jacob Frank, Christopher Gang, Yi-Fen Li, Taryn Martinez, Katie McComas, Sara Molinaro, Heather Peterson, Lela Spielberg

CORRECTIONS POLICY The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible.

Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

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OPINIONS

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2006 · PAGE 15

New alcohol policies backfire Increase in EMS calls over Spring Weekend illustrates failings of alcohol policy “reforms”

BY MICHAEL MORGENSTERN GUEST COLUMNIST

When I learned that the drug- and alcohol-related Emergency Medical Service calls doubled this Spring Weekend, I was in no way surprised or shocked. In fact, the change in tone of the weekend seemed perfectly clear to me the moment I arrived at Friday’s SpagFest party. The blowout party hosted by Zeta Delta Xi the Friday of every Spring Weekend is considered by many to be the highlight of the weekend’s festivities. This year, however, everything was different.

After Bill O’Reilly’s coverage of Sex Power God, the Brown administration scurried to respond to the negative attention and instituted a host of new rules such as requiring houses to charge per drink and start parties later. These rules were created in an honest attempt to make our social events safer.

Last year at SpagFest, there was no charge per drink, and the party began at 1 p.m. Students arrived sober in anticipation of drinking as much as they wanted.

This year, drinks were sold at $1 per drink, and the party began later, at 4 p.m. Like they do for most Brown parties, students pre-gamed with large amounts of cheaper alcohol in advance of the parties.

Many in the crowd had already begun drinking when the party started, and countless others snuck alcohol in. By 5 p.m. many were already more intoxicated than last year. The previous SpagFest began with two hours of calm eating and drinking, but this year the eating area was barely utilized and many were kicked out for unruliness.

The enlightened Brown policy on alcohol

up until last year had a simple premise: keep drinking on campus in a controlled environment and make students comfortable asking for help. The Brown social scene is largely on campus, and students here have a rare trust in authorities that allows us to be open and safe as we enjoy ourselves.

These policies, while enlightened, do not look as good in a fearful world where celebrity journalists seek to publicize the terrors of Ivy excess. The administration

the administration by those running SpagFest, and while individual administrators tried to negotiate some kind of happy medium, there was no getting around those ironclad laws.

These changes brought people into the party who were already under the influence of alcohol, and the crowd quickly became unruly. The common room had to be emptied, and aggressive control was necessary to deal with the situation. Within

safe, they must encourage safe drinking, not discourage drinking entirely. There are many examples of mistaken approaches to safety. Kegs slow down alcohol distribution, whereas cans can be distributed faster. But kegs have a negative image, so they have been forbidden. Parties with unlimited alcohol sound like drunken orgies, but they generally have long lines and distribute alcohol slower than parties where paying students are guaranteed quick service.

Parents and the media deserve input into the discussion, but the final policy has to be realistic.

There are many possible changes to Brown’s alcohol policy that can make a real difference in student safety. To the administrators: Ensure that food is always provided with alcohol, as it was at SpagFest, and students will not get as sick. Allow groups throwing parties the autonomy to decide their pricing structure and management policies, and you will find they know best what will keep a student on campus. Change the culture of pre-gaming, not the culture of drinking, because in that endeavor you will be much more successful.

I’m not upset about my own personal experience with parties. I am upset that the administration believes it is necessary to micromanage parties to keep them safe.

We all know why our liberal alcohol policy works, and few of us would take O’Reilly’s party management tips at face value. There are smart ways to keep students safe, and there are ways that look good. The administrators have always been our friends in running social events. Let’s hope we don’t lose our voices in the discussion.

Liberal alcohol policies don’t look good in a fearful world where celebrity journalists seek to publicize Ivy excess, but the alternatives are ineffective. has therefore found new policies that look better but are ineffective practically. At first glance, a charge per drink appears to lower drinking to safe levels. In practice, though, the policy pushes drinking further underground and entices students to pre-game as much as possible before parties. Excessive pre-gaming was the exact factor that increased EMS calls at Sex Power God. In the same vein, while a party that begins later looks safer to outsiders, the change is actually negative. Last year, the party ended at 5 p.m., and students had about four hours to eat dinner, shower and take a break. This year, many parties began at 9 p.m., so students who began to drink kept on drinking. The change promoted pre-gaming and didn’t allow for a break from drinking.

All of these issues were brought up to

hours, the crowd control and a pause in the alcohol distribution cleared out the party. Students left — to their rooms, to barbecues or to bars to drink more — and Spagfest was left a shell of its former glory.

The party was just as fun, but the rules of the game had drastically changed.

Still, some of the new alcohol policies are right on track. The Late Night Fund that gives money to sponsor non-alcoholic events has the potential to transform the party culture of the campus if used properly. The increased officer presence made the weekend run more smoothly than last year.

Our open EMS policy is commendable, and we are immeasurably grateful to those who put it in place for the countless lives they saved. However, the current administration must understand that to keep the parents happy and the children

Michael Morgenstern ’08 had a great time at SpagFest, thank you very much.

Between a rock and a hard place A Democrat critiques Chafee’s progressive apologists

BY BRIAN MCGUIRK GUEST COLUMNIST

On a personal level, I really like Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., I think he is a good and honorable man, and in his heart, he truly wants to do what is best for Rhode Island and the country at large. I think he is properly ashamed of what his party has become and probably loses sleep thinking about what his father, the legendary Senator John Chafee, R-R.I., would think or do in his situation. Chafee has one of the worst jobs in Washington. His personal and political existence is defined by the dilemma of having to choose, pretty much every single time he votes, between doing what he feels is right and voting with his party. Solving this dilemma would rack the brains of any powerful idealist-at-heart, but Chafee, being a smart guy, a Brown guy, has found it: he’ll do both.

Indeed, Adam Perry ’08 was correct in his column in yesterday’s Herald: Chafee does have a progressive voting record (“Red and blue makes green,” April 25). On the final votes on the Senate floor, Chafee does vote against many of the bills that a sizable majority of Rhode Islanders and progressives would rightly find repulsive. But the fact that Chafee votes against these bills on the Senate floor belies his lack of effort to prevent regressive legislation from reaching the Senate floor in the first place. Chafee’s

deal with the Senate Republican leadership is this: given the small Republican majority in the Senate, Chafee allows bills and amendments that are controversial, regressive and that he personally opposes to get to the Senate floor anyway, and, after that, he’s free to vote as he wishes while the Republican majority passes the legislation. It’s Sen. John Kerry’s, D-Mass., “I actually did vote for

while his membership in the Republican majority yields untold (and largely unseen) benefits for Rhode Island.

I understand Chafee’s strategy and realize it’s the best one he can employ without leaving his party or consigning himself to utter irrelevance. The crux of my problem with Perry’s argument lies in his statement that “Issues should be far more important than political affilia-

Do you want an environmental issue or do you simply want to save the environment?” Sen. Chafee can talk all he wants about all of the “issues,” but he only votes for them after guaranteeing, by allowing regressive legislation to reach the Senate floor, that his progressive vision will never be realized.

Personally, I want someone who’s not only progressive on all these “issues” but who is actually going to get something done for them. Chafee only offers half that equation. A Democrat, however, offers it all. None of the Democrats running would “sacrifice key issues” if they were elected in Chafee’s place.

They would contribute to a larger, more solid Democratic voting block in order to enact real change. This is particularly important if the Democrats manage to win back the Senate.

At the end of the day, we should look at Chafee’s possible defeat in the general election more as a favor to him and the things he believes in than as a disservice.

He’ll no longer have to bite his tongue.

He’ll no longer have to consort with people in Washington that make him visibly ill.

And he’ll have the comfort of knowing, late on the last of those sleepless nights, that he had tried to do the best he could but that the country and the people of Rhode Island were in better hands, now.

Chafee allows regressive legislation he otherwise opposes to get to the Senate floor, and, after that, he’s free to vote as he wishes while the Republicans pass the legislation. the $87 billion before I voted against it” writ large.

In exchange, this strategy earns Chafee scraps from the profligate Republican feast, like money for negative advertising against his primary opponent. This help is essential for re-election. Chafee’s tacit deal with the Republican leadership permits him to come off to Rhode Islanders as just as progressive as any Democratic contenders,

tion to the idealistic voter,” yet the most idealistic thing for Chafee to do would be to leave his party or to scream and protest himself into irrelevance.

I can’t help but think of the old Lyndon Johnson line, in response to a jab against his Senatorial pragmatism, “Listen, do you want a housing issue or do you want houses?” We can modernize Johnson’s rhetoric by perhaps saying, “Do you want a deficit issue or do you want to reduce the deficit?

Brian McGuirk ’06 is a former vice president of the Brown Democrats.

SPORTS WEDNESDAY THE BROWN DAILY HERALD · APRIL 26 , 2006 · PAGE 16

Penn’s job is mightier The best (and worst) than Bears’ for Miller of Spring 2006 sports

When is the right time for retirement?

BY STEPHEN COLELLI SPORTS EDITOR

Sports retirements, like bad hookups, often generate unfulfilling climaxes that fail to live up to hype.

Careers are either over too soon, leaving questions of unfilled potential, or athletes don’t retire quite soon enough, making you go KATE KLONICK coyote ugly in KLONICLES the morning as you wonder why you ever wore a player’s jersey.

Barry Sanders perfectly exemplifies the former case. At the time of his sudden disappearance from pro football in 1999, he was just 1,457 yards away from breaking the NFL career rushing record. Sanders’ retirement was an unforeseen decision, coming two years before his contract expired with the Detroit Lions and costing

BY CHRIS HATFIELD SPORTS EDITOR

The men’s basketball games between Brown and the University of Pennsylvania for the next few years just got a lot more personal.

Glen Miller, now the former head coach of the men’s basketball team, will be introduced today as the 17th head men’s basketball coach in Penn’s history.

He leaves Brown after compiling a 93-99 record (54-44 in the Ivy League) and turning the Bears’ program around. Under Miller, Brown went from Ivy doormat to title contender. The Bears finished second in the conference three times from 2001-2004 and were invited to the National Invitational Tournament for the first time in school history in 2003.

“I am honored and thrilled to have been asked to be a part of the program here at Penn,” Miller said in a Penn press release issued Tuesday evening.

After Penn’s previous coach, Fran Dunphy, left the Quakers to

The spring athletic season may not be over quite yet, but with The Herald wrapping up publication Thursday, it’s time to look back at the highlights and lowlights of the spring semester in sports.

DSpics.com

Glen Miller will leave his job as head coach of the men’s basketball team to take the same position at Penn. take over for John Chaney at Temple University earlier this month, it was rumored that Miller was on the short list of leading candidates to replace him. However, reports see MILLER, page 7

Best Break-out Season: Men’s basketball’s Keenan Jeppesen ’08, who averaged 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game during the 2006 Ivy League season after averaging just 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds his first Ivy season. He was named to the All-Ivy second team.

Most with the Least Award: The women’s basketball team, which tied with Dartmouth and Princeton for the Ivy League title despite having a far less talented team on paper. Chalk it up to good defense, great coaching and Ivy League Player of the Year Sarah Hayes ’06. Speaking of whom…

Biggest Smile Award: Hayes, who was featured in a Herald photo grinning ear-to-ear after cutting down the nets at the Pizzitola Center in celebration of the team’s championship.

Best Streak: Softball shortstop Mary Seid ’06, who had a 15-game hitting steak from March 12 to April 1. The Bears’ leadoff hitter leads the Ivy League with a .469 on-base percentage and 12 stolen bases and is third in the Ancient Eight with a .406 batting average and 29 runs scored.

Worst Streak: The baseball team’s season-opening 12game losing streak. To be fair, the first six contests were against then-No. 6 Florida State University and Vanderbilt University, who was then unranked but now is No. 21 in Baseball America’s poll. see BEST & WORST, page 11

see KLONICK, page 13

Games to watch over the rest of spring

BY STEPHEN COLELLI SPORTS EDITOR

As the last Herald of the semester will be published tomorrow, here is a list of games to watch in the next few weeks.

Men’s tennis vs. Yale, April 26 — A victory over Yale would give Brown its second straight Ivy championship and third in five years.

Baseball vs. Yale, April 28 & 29 — With its Ivy League playoff hopes on life support, the baseball team takes on the Bulldogs in its home finale. The games at Brown will be the final home contests for the class of 2006.

Men’s crew at Princeton, April 29 — The Bears bested one of the fastest boats in the country when they edged Harvard by five-tenths of a second on April 8. They get a shot at the fastest when they head to Princeton, which is currently ranked first in the nation, on Saturday.

Women’s crew vs. Yale and Northeastern, April 29 — The last home race of the season is also the last chance for the Brown boat to work out any kinks before the races that count begin.

The Eastern Sprints and NCAA Championships take place in May. Women’s lacrosse vs. Princeton, April 29 — The final home game

of the season for the team has Ivy title implications for the visitors.

Softball vs. Yale, April 29 — Though Princeton has already clinched the league crown, the season finale gives Bears fans a chance to check out the squad’s talented first-years and give the four seniors a rousing send-off.

Women’s water polo at the Eastern Championships in Providence, April 29 & 30 — The team will host its biggest tournament of the year at the Smith Swim Center. Perhaps a home crowd will carry the Bears to victories over the top teams in the East. see GAMES, page 13

Cycling: as annoying as Dr. Phil The weather is finally warming up here in Rhode Island. The trees are budding, the birds are chirping and, unavoidably, the bicyclists have hit the roads.

It’s a phenomenon that affects every region of the c o u n t r y.

Bright and early each Sa t u rd a y morning, HUGH MURPHY millions BLACK ELK SPEAKS of weekend warriors dress up like hyper-flamboyant superheroes and pedal their enormous, overly efficient hearts out.

I became fascinated with this whole scene last year during the Tour de France. Everyday I would rush home, grab some snacks, turn on the tele-

vision and watch eagerly for that Tour nonsense to be over.

I would then flip to Dr. Phil and fume with such a roiling fury that I became blind to the value of life for three or four hours. A 10-minute soak in warm water finally got my clenched fists to loosen up. Keep talking, Phillip. My sword is sharp and my resolve is steadfast. Your reign of terror is coming to an end.

But anyway… biking…

You might think this biking column is ill-timed. It’s not that warm out yet, and the Tour is still months away.

Well, my friend, when you’re as cool as I am, you simply live life by your own rules.

Now put that in your Camelpak and smoke it.

When I talk about bikers, I obviously mean ‘bicycle riders’ and not ‘motorcycle riders,’ like those guys who can ride just well enough to get their

spotless bikes to Thayer Street, where they park, stare shamelessly at underage girls and criticize people who are parallel parking.

“Yo, yo — just turn the wheel, no, yeah, just a little more — yo dude, this chick has no idea what she’s doing! Yo, I coulda done it way better.”

Yes, yes, I’m sure you could have, buddy. Now hurry home before your overly tan and excessively loud wife gets mad and throws out your Derek Jeter jersey. Oh wait, you’re wearing it. Never mind.

The popularity of biking in the United States can be attributed to one man, Lance “I swear I’m not on drugs” Armstrong. A cancer survivor and six-time Tour winner, Americans love Lance. Bitter Europeans, however, do not. Everysee MURPHY, page 13

Ashley Hess / Herald

Tri-captain Jaimie Wirkowski ’07 went 3-for-3 at the plate and knocked in four runs in Brown’s 5-4 game two victory over Fairfield on Tuesday.

Softball fares well against Fairfield, sweeps two

BY JUSTIN GOLDMAN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The softball team displayed some perseverance in a pair of come-from-behind, 5-4 victories against Fairfield University at home Tuesday. The Bears had their second walk-off win this season in game one when catcher Linnea Anderson ’09 hit an RBI single to right field to bring home Kari Best ’09 in the bottom of the seventh. In the second game, which was called midway through the sixth inning due to darkness, second baseman and tri-captain Jaimie Wirkowski ’06 had four RBIs, including a threerun home run, to propel Brown

to victory. “(Our players) have so much heart,” said Head Coach Pam McCreesh. “They fight until the end and feel that they are never out of any game.”

In the opening contest, the see SOFTBALL, page 6 BROWN SPORTS SCOREBOARD TUESDAY, APRIL 24 BASEBALL: Brown 7, Marist 6; Marist 5, Brown 1, (5 innings — rain) SOFTBALL: Brown 5, Fairfield 4; Brown 5, Fairfield 4, (6 innings — darkness) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24 W. LACROSSE: vs. Harvard NO. 70 M. TENNIS: vs. Yale, 2 p.m., Varsity Tennis Courts W. TENNIS: at Yale