The Brown Daily Herald M onday, S eptember 17, 2007
Volume CXLII, No. 69
Since 1866, Daily Since 1891
Displaced history professors adjust to life in Metcalf
Fellowship through the fast
By Caitlin Browne Staf f Writer
By Matthew Varley Staf f Writer
After a weeklong move of 450 feet, the Peter Green House found a new home at 79 Brown St. on Aug. 7. Home to part of the Department of History, the house traveled to the northeast corner of Brown and Angell streets from its former location next door to the rest of the history department in Sharpe House. It is expected to reopen by early 2008. In the meantime, 13 histor y professors and four administrative staff members have reshuffled to the third floor of Metcalf Laboratories. “It’s a little odd to walk over here and have the smell of formaldehyde hit your nostrils. Historians aren’t used to that smell,” said Associate Professor of History Amy Remensnyder. She said that while she hasn’t met any new colleagues, working in another part of campus has made her realize “how separate certain parts of the faculty are from certain other parts.” Assistant Professor of History Ethan Pollock said the move was “fairly well-organized,” even though the building could have been better prepared. Pollock said that for
At sunset last Thursday, many Brown students were enjoying their second or third meal of the day at the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall. Just down the hall, in the Brown Muslim Students’ Center in the basement of Champlin Hall, approximately 60 others were eagerly anticipating their first. Noor Najeeb ’09, president of the Muslim Students’ Association, weaved through the lively crowd, offering fresh dates and almond milk, the traditional first course of the Ramadan evening meal, the “iftar.” It was just after 7 p.m., and the students had been without food or drink since before sunrise — which came at 5 a.m. on Thursday. “We have people from literally ever ywhere in this room right now,” Najeeb said as she handed out the fruit. “So I think the one thing that bonds us all is the dates. Ever yone eats the dates, that’s pretty staple.” The MSA will be hosting an iftar every night for the holy month of Ramadan, which began Thursday and ends around Oct. 12. Many Muslims use the month as a time for prayer, reflection and community in addition to daily fasts. After the customary consumption
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Chris Bennett / Herald
Over the summer, Peter Green House was relocated to the corner of Angell and Brown streets.
FEATURE of dates and almond milk, a number of students assembled in the rear corner of the room to pray the “maghrib,” the fourth of five daily prayers in Islamic practice. Rumee Ahmed, the Muslim chaplain and associate University chaplain, led the worship with a melodic prayer that included recitations from the Quran in Arabic. After the communal prayer, it was time to eat. The much-anticipated feast came from Shanghai on Thayer Street. “Every night we have a contract with a different restaurant,” said Ayesha Ahmed, Rumee’s wife, as she dished out rice, lo mein, spring rolls and stir-fry. Ayesha Ahmed, who frequently works with the MSA and is coordinating the nightly iftar during Ramadan, said students contribute unused meal credits to a fund for the dinners. The Office of Student Life and various community groups have also contributed to the program, she said. “Ramadan is a time for community and family, and all these people are away from their families. ... So it’s important, I think, to have continued on page 4
Students of the U. unite 17 first-years vie for contested UCS rep positions By Ross Frazier News Editor
“Grammar is classist — and subjective, too!” yelled Will Emmons ’09, breaking the bit of tension that momentarily captured the crowd. The disagreement was over the charter language for the newly formed SUBU — Student Union of Brown University — and no one at its inaugural May 3 meeting
Ne
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in Alumnae Hall’s Crystal Room could quite agree whether decision-making is one word or two. For the record: It’s one word, but hyphenated. Given that sort of disagreement, the logic of collective bargaining for consumers and the union’s somewhat vague purpose, students like Zachary Reiss-Davis ’08 quickly discounted SUBU.
By Franklin Kanin Senior Staf f Writer
continued on page 6
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Chafee ’75 leaves the GOP behind Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee ’75, currently a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, has left the Republican Party. Records available on the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Web site show that Chafee is currently an unaffiliated voter. Rhode Island law allows voters to register as Democrats, Republicans, other or as unaffiliated with a party. Chafee, a moderate Republican Chris Bennett / Herald File Photo and former mayor of Warwick, was elected to a full term in the Senate in Lincoln Chafee ’75 2000 after being appointed to fill his father’s seat in 1999, when Sen. John Chafee died. In 2006, Chafee was defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse after a grueling Republican primary against then-Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, a conservative. Chafee was backed by the national party in that race. “It’s not my party any more,” Chafee told the Providence Journal in an article Sunday, citing ideological differences between himself and the national GOP as the reason for his departure. Chafee also told the Journal that he had changed his affiliation sometime in June or July, but that no one had asked him about his move until the news broke this weekend. — Sara Molinaro
INSIDE:
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ARTS & CULTURE
www.browndailyherald.com
A SECOND LIFE An MCM class has taken Brown into the popular Second Life world with an interactive art museum.
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CAMPUS NEWS
Voting is now underway for freshmen class representatives to the Undergraduate Council of Students — the first foray into the politics of the University’s student government for the class of 2011. Many first-years seemed generally disinterested as campaigning began Friday evening, but the 17 candidates vying for five seats on the council worked full-throttle throughout the weekend to rouse interest in the election and garner votes from their peers. The freshmen candidates are running on a variety of platforms, all outlined on a dedicated MyCourses Web site managed by UCS. Some of the more popular platforms include Banner reform, renovations to and maintenance of freshmen dorms and changes to the meal plans and dining halls. Ideas to improve campus dining halls include extending their hours, revamping menus and changing the meal plans. Mike MacCombie ’11, a UCS hopeful from Cleveland who lives in Everett House, has proposed a new “hybrid meal plan” that combines the on- and off-campus meal plans. “It would use the off-campus meal plan and include some on-campus meals,” MacCombie told The Herald. “It would have some meal credits or something in partnership with some downtown places.” Keisuke Yanagawa ’11, who lives in Keeney Quadrangle, said if elected, he aims to increase interaction SQUEAKY CLEAN Facilities Management is now cleaning the bathrooms in dorms over the weekend.
Chris Bennett / Herald
UCS campaign fliers cover doors throughout campus.
among minority student groups at Brown. “Brown is known for its diversity, but I feel there are too many groups that kind of segregate each other,” he said. Not all the candidates have specific goals — instead, they view the council as a powerful tool to effect change and represent their peers.
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OPINIONS
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
ORGAN DEBATE REDUX Hope Henderson ‘08.5 continues the debate over organ sales with a strong vote for selling kidneys.
Jerry Cedrone ’11 sees UCS as an opportunity to get involved in campus life. “One of my goals in coming here was to get really involved in the campus community and in student life at Brown and in the community in general,” Cedrone continued on page 4
12 SPORTS
m. SOCCER ON A ROLL The men’s soccer team defeated URI Sunday afternoon, improving its undefeated record.
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