THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2006
Volume CXLI, No. 58
www.browndailyherald.com
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
DEEPER INTO SCIENTOLOGY Cults, conspiracy theories and religious wankery — oh my! post- delves into devotion INSIDE
WHILE YOU WERE DRINKING The police log for Spring Weekend includes multiple laptop thefts and a bias-related incident near the OMAC CAMPUS NEWS 5
TIPPING HIS HAT Longtime editor Chris Hatfield ’06 reminisces about his years writing for The Herald SPORTS 24
Slight increase in EMS calls reported for the year
TOMORROW
mostly sunny 57 / 40
Chaos and management failures marred Sex Power God
U. officials aware of O’Reilly intentions before party
BY MELANIE DUCH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Although calls to Brown Emergency Medical Services were up slightly this year compared to previous years, those familiar with these statistics told The Herald the increase is nothing out of the ordinary. EMS responded to 653 calls this school year as of March 31, 172 of which were alcohol- or drug-related. Of this total, 158 — or 24 percent— involved alcohol only, while five involved other substances and nine involved both alcohol and other substances. Though the number of alcohol-related calls increased this year, this increase was proportional to the increase in total calls, said Richard Lapierre, manager of EMS. Last year’s statistics indicated that 23 percent of calls to EMS were alcoholrelated, according to a Feb. 24, 2005 Herald article. “Every year we get more and more alcohol calls, but if you look at it in relationship to total runs, it stays the same,” he said. “25 to 27 percent are alcohol- or drug-related and that pretty much tracks the same across country. It’s not as though Brown has this unique problem.” Lapierre added that local fire departments also experience an increase in the number of calls each year. “I think it’s very similar to what happens to other communities,” said Amy Sanderson-Roderick, an EMS supervisor. “It gets a lot more exposure each year and people are more likely to utilize it knowing it’s there. (At Brown) there is a pretty big campaign to get students to call EMS when their friends are intoxicated.” A large portion of calls to EMS comes in September and April because of eager first-years and Spring Weekend, Lapierre said. “Being away from home for the first time, the restrictions of living at home are
TODAY
mostly sunny 62 / 40
BY ERIC BECK NEWS EDITOR
Austin Freeman / Herald
Emergency Medical Services, which is based at Andrews House, had responded to 653 calls this year as of March 31. Of these, 172 were alcohol- or drug-related. Despite an increase in calls from last year, University officials said they are not concerned.
see EMS, page 12
Slavery and the Brown family: an alternative history Book by direct descendant of Browns will tell different story BY ALEXANDRA BARSK STAFF WRITER
Though the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice was expected to submit its report to President Ruth SimBROWN mons this spring, it CONFRONTS is unclear when the SLAVERY report will be subLast in a series mitted or whether it will be released publicly before summer. In this, the last in a series on the committee and its work, The Herald interviews a Brown family member currently at work on a book about her family’s history. As the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice investigates the University’s historical connections to slavery and the slave trade, one direct descendant of the Brown brothers hopes to tell another part of her family’s story. More than two centuries after the University was named after Nicholas Brown, Sylvia Brown, who resides
in London, began working on a book about her family’s history. Her research focuses on the years between 1740 and 1840, a period that saw the University’s founding in 1764, the American Revolution and a debate over the slave trade in Rhode Island — though this last element is not central to her work. Though the slavery and justice committee has researched the Brown brothers’ ties to the slave trade, Sylvia Brown hopes her account will redress what she called an “imbalance” in the portrayal of her family. “(I’m) not trying to deny anything. (I’m) simply saying that there is a much better story to tell, but it’s been neglected,” she said. After some initial research, Brown realized that her family’s engagement in the slave trade played a smaller part in its legacy than recent media focus on the Browns might suggest. The committee acknowledges University benefactor John Brown was not a prominent see S & J, page 9
The inability of student event managers, University administrators and Department of Public Safety officers to adequately respond to a series of unforeseen complications led to a breakdown of event management at Sex Power God in November, the year-end report of Queer Alliance’s dance committee and interviews with QA student leaders and University officials show. Sex Power God, which was held by QA in Sayles Hall Nov. 12, resulted in 24 students requiring emergency medical care and attracted national attention when it was featured on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” Nov. 14 and on O’Reilly’s syndicated radio program “The Radio Factor” the following day. University officials learned the day before Sex Power God that O’Reilly had been tipped off about the party by a number of “conservative students” and intended to send a producer to film the event, said QA Co-President Josh Teitelbaum ’08, who coordinated and staffed the party. Teitelbaum met that day with student activities administrators to discuss how to prohibit cameras and handle a rumored protest by the same conservative students who contacted the Fox News pundit, but “by the end of that day, we were told that the University news office had talked the producers out of doing (the segment).” In the aftermath of Sex Power God, see SPG, page 14 EDITOR’S NOTE This is the last print issue of The Herald for the semester. Web updates: Visit www.browndailyherald.com for breaking news and sports updates.
U. embarks on $41 million renovation of utilities Project will include water pipe replacement BY KYLE MCGOURTY STAFF WRITER
Construction began Monday to replace the University’s high temperature hot water distribution pipe, commencing the first phase in a 10-year renovation of utilities that will cost Brown over $41 million, according to administrators. The replacement of the high temperature hot water distribution pipe will interrupt traffic on four College Hill streets, according to Facilities Management’s construction plans. The plans call for replacing the piping that runs from the central heat plant at 135 Lloyd Ave. down Hope Street, along Cushing Street and across Thayer Street. In addition to replacing piping, the Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3260
utilities upgrade will include installing regional chilling plants and replacing electrical transformers and wiring. The regional chilling plants will provide airconditioning for campus buildings including the J. Walter Wilson building, the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center and the new Life Sciences Building. The deterioration of the University’s infrastructure was visible in February when a leak in the high temperature hot water distribution pipe necessitated emergency repairs on the Main Green. But the University is not upgrading solely because of the February leak, said Richard Spies, executive vice president for planning and senior advisor to see PIPING, page 12
Ross Frazier / Herald
Following repairs on the Main Green in February due to a leak in the high temperature hot water distribution pipe, the University has begun the first phase of a 10-year, $41 million plan to renovate utilities on campus.
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