The Brown Daily Herald T uesday, N ovember 6, 2007
Volume CXLII, No. 104
Since 1866, Daily Since 1891
Keeping the faith at Brown
Kessler ’81 critical of Rice By George Miller Staff Writer
Washington Post diplomatic correspondent Glenn Kessler ’81 presented a critical portrayal of Condoleezza Rice’s tenure as national security adviser and secretary of state Monday afternoon in a lecture at the Watson Institute for International Studies. The talk — part of Kessler’s tour to promote his new book, “The Confidante: Condoleezza Rice and the Creation of the Bush Legacy” — attracted a crowd of about 30 to the Joukowsky Forum. Kessler drew heavily on anecdotes from covering diplomatic meetings and speaking to Rice and her aides to present his book’s main argument: Rice is “a smart, sophisticated diplomat,” he said, “but she lacks a strategic vision.” He detailed what he called Rice’s
failures in Iran, North Korea and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how her actions as national security adviser during President Bush’s first term added to her problems as his secretary of state in his second. Kessler argued that Rice has missed numerous diplomatic opportunities during the past seven years, in refusing bilateral talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and in other situations. At the same time, he said, she has more power than her predecessor as secretary of state, Colin Powell, because diplomats are aware of her close relationship with the president. She also has the highest approval rating of any administration official, he said. Kessler recounted one stor y about Rice after another, including scenes illustrative of her struggles continued on page 4
Interfaith groups and dialogue have taken root on College Hill By Debbie Lehmann and Scott Lowenstein Senior Staf f Writers
When University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson learned that this year’s Brown-Harvard football game — the first night game in Harvard Stadium’s histor y — was scheduled to take place on the first night of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, she was disappointed. The “rude” scheduling, she said, sent a bad message to both Jewish students and the larger campus community about the importance of religion in Chris Bennett / Herald
Washington Post diplomatic correspondent Glenn Kessler ‘81 spoke on his new book, about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at the Watson Institute Monday afternoon.
With the future of the Urban Environmental Lab in jeopardy as the University moves forward with its physical expansion plans, the Center for Environmental Studies that has been housed in the UEL since 1981 is searching for a new director. Professor of Biology Osvaldo Sala
announced he is leaving the post that he has held since 2005 . Sala said he plans to step down in July 2008, by which time the position should be filled. The CES includes Brown’s environmental studies program and community environmental initiatives, such as its community garcontinued on page 7
By Franklin Kanin Senior Staff Writer
More than six months after the Banner registration and course directory system debuted, most students say they still prefer to use the student-created Web site, Mocha, according to a poll conducted last week by the Undergraduate Council of Students. The poll, which was available through MyCourses last week from Tuesday through Thursday, covered a range of topics including advising, student activities funding, University services and course registration. UCS Communications Chair Gabe Kussin ’09, who oversaw the poll, said he was surprised at the level of dissatisfaction with advising among the poll’s respondents. “It’s something I hope we look at over the coming semester,” he said. Student responses about Ban-
first in a series on religious life at the University
ner and Mocha use were also of interest, Kussin said. “Students are overwhelmingly in favor of Mocha and (in favor of) more support when it comes to Banner,” he said. The majority of respondents, 74.1 percent, were “very satisfied” with Mocha, but only 11.3 percent of respondents were very satisfied with registration through Banner, according to the poll results. One question about Banner asked students what “most immediate change” to Banner they would want to see implemented. The choices were “standardization of course restriction override system,” “layout/design,” “elimination of course restrictions,” “better accessibility to course descriptions,” “no opinion” or “no changes necessary.” Just over 29 percent of respondents said they would like more accessible course descriptions.
university life. Ten years ago, she said, it’s unlikely that anything would have changed. But last fall, after Jewish alums and fans raised concerns about the scheduling, coaches from both schools agreed to move the game to the next day. “Now, people say, ‘That’s right, let’s fix that,’ — even people who aren’t religious,” Cooper Nelson said. “In 1990, what I’m saying might have prompted more argument.” It is this spirit of heightened awareness and dialogue that defines the campus religious environment today. “On some college campuses there is a lot of stigma involved in discussions about religion,” said Noor Najeeb ’09, president of the Muslim Students’ Association. “But we are on a different level here.” Though Brown has always been religiously tolerant since she arrived here 18 years ago, Cooper Nelson said she has seen an increase in religious knowledge, understanding and interfaith dialogue among students — a trend she said is “very uneven” on college campuses across the nation. Brown’s interfaith com-
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Center for Environmental Surprise! Students prefer Studies seeks new director Mocha, UCS poll finds By Scott Lowenstein Senior Staff Writer
FAITH ON CAMPUS
Ho ’01 on the myth of the ‘model minority’ By Joanna Wohlmuth Staff Writer
Tai Ho Shin / Herald File Photo
A search is underway for a new director of the Center for Environmental Studies, currently housed in the Urban Environmental Lab on Angell Street.
INSIDE:
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Waterfire doused? Private donations to WaterFire have recently slowed, forcing the city to chip in more money.
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Entertaining the Salomon 101 audience with instructions to “deface his face” on the event pamphlet and think of Southeast Asian winners of their favorite Bravo reality shows to consider Southeast Asian stereotypes, keynote speaker Lam Ho ’01 spoke Monday on “Defiance: The Struggle for Self-Definition” at the Southeast Asian Heritage Week Opening Convocation. Ho’s speech focused on the role defiance plays in overcoming obstacles. Economic and social problems that plague the Southeast Asian community can only be solved if Southeast Asians seek to embrace their heritage and deny Yurdin a Year Later This week marks a year since Seth Yurdin was elected to the city council from Ward 1.
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OPINIONS
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
the “myth of the model minority,” which portrays Asians — particularly immigrants — as obedient and silent, Ho said. Southeast Asians must defy friends, family and cultural values in order to push beyond the roadblocks that hold them back. “We must remember the history of struggle in summoning our collective voice,” said Ho, who was on the Third World Center staff while a Brown student. “We should speak loudly of the circumstances and experiences of how we and our families came to the United States.” Members of the Southeast Asian community in the United States faces extreme poverty, lack of educational opportunities and violence. taiwan’s future Two guest columnists take up the debate over the future relationship between Taiwan and China.
Domestic violence is common, but the rate of reporting incidents is very low compared to the national average, Ho said. Sexism, racism, classism and homophobia are also common within the community. Even though he now works to help abused women, Ho cited the shame he faces knowing that he did not help his mother when she was being abused by his father. He also mentioned the experiences of Lisa Ok, who spoke at the convocation earlier in the evening. Ok, a 16-year-old CambodianAmerican high school senior and youth coordinator of the Providence Youth Student Movement, was the convocation’s Youth Activist Speakcontinued on page 8
12 SPORTS
new york sweep The volleyball team blasted New York state’s Ivy League schools in two wins over the weekend
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