The Brown Daily Herald M onday, N ovember 12, 2007
Volume CXLII, No. 108
Since 1866, Daily Since 1891
Two years after O’Reilly, SPG stays calm
i v y leag u e champio n s !
By Sophia Lambertsen Staff Writer
Courtesy of Stephen Sawyer ’09 The men’s soccer team celebrated a victory over Dartmouth Saturday night at Stevenson Field that clinched the Bears’ Ivy League championship title. See Sports, Page 12
Hotel growth may ease Commencement crunch
Orthodox Jews combine secular and religious life at U. By Cameron Lee Staf f Writer
With hotels already filling up for this year’s Commencement weekend in May, it may seem like those who wait to make reservations won’t have a place to stay or a table at a Federal Hill restaurant. But the recent expansion of several Providence hotels means rooms may be easier to come by this year, and restaurant owners say most people don’t make reservations for Commencement weekend until the spring. Though he could not provide a figure for the actual financial impact of the weekend, Neil Schriever, vice president of sales for the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that Commencement — like Parents Weekend — has historically generated a boost in business for
Orthodox Jews do not activate electrical devices, write or drive on Shabbat, which lasts from sundown on Friday until Saturday at sundown. For Brunonians who practice Orthodox Judaism, that means limited homework and no card access to dorms for 24 hours each week. But Orthodox Jews at Brown say practicing their faith in college is about more than a list of restrictions on their Saturday activities. Fewer than 20 students selfidentify as Orthodox Jewish, compared to the roughly 1,400 Jewish students enrolled at Brown, said Megan Nesbitt, associate director of Brown Hillel. On a national level, the latest figures put Orthodox Jews at 5.6 million people, or about 8 percent, of the American Jewish community, according to Michael Satlow, associate professor of Judaic Studies and Religious Studies. Because of the challenges Or-
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By Debbie Lehmann Senior Staff Writer
thodox Jewish students encounter at secular universities like Brown, those who do choose to come to College Hill are self-selective, Nesbitt said. Whereas Orthodox Jewish students at some universities form their own somewhat separate religious communities, Brown’s Orthodox community is smaller and less able to do so,
FAITH ON CAMPUS
fourth in a series on religious life at the University
Nesbitt said. But Brown’s small Orthodox Jewish community and students’ appreciation of “being challenged to think,” create a more integrated community for Orthodox Jews at Brown than other colleges, said Nesbitt, who also worked at the University of Michigan Hillel. “The (Orthodox Jewish) students that come here are the students that can or are able to take leadership in forming their own religious experience at Brown,” she said. Sam Schmelzer ’11 said that when he was growing up, his
By Blair Hickman Contributing Writer
Project CARES — Condom Accessibility and Responsibility for Every Student, an on-campus research study of student sexual health — will launch this spring under the direction of Ben Colburn ’10. Student participants will receive 42 condoms in their mailboxes over the span of three months and will take two online surveys to provide information on student sexual health and the University’s current condom distribution system. The project’s goal is to determine the most effective way to encourage safe sex on campus. The lack of information on
Chris Bennett / Herald More than a dozen dogs frolicked on the Main Green Friday afternoon as part of “Heavy Petting,” a relaxation event sponsored by Health Education.
INSIDE:
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family was moving toward Orthodox Judaism. But his decision to become an Orthodox Jew was a personal one, made after exploring the reasons behind his beliefs. Schmelzer, who calls himself a “moderate Orthodox Jew,” said he believes that the Torah is divinely inspired and that oral law, including the Talmud, is equally important. “I have an obligation to follow what is written in that text,” he said. “Because the text can be vague and ambiguous ... we have the concept of what is called the oral law, which was passed down by word of mouth.”
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CAMPUS NEWS
INSIDE ORWIG The Herald takes a look at the Orwig Music Library’s extensive collection of sheet music and recordings.
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U.S. News to honor Simmons tonight By Michael Skocpol Senior Staff Writer
safe sex among college students is alarming, Colburn said. Nationally, adolescents ages 18-25 report an average condom usage rate of 50 percent, according to Colburn and Naomi Ninneman, a University health educator specializing in sexual education. They said, however, such statistics generally do not exist specifically for college campuses. Colburn said his previous research with the Global Alliance to Immunize Against AIDS — a local NGO that also has an on-campus branch to promote HIV awareness — has suggested that Brown students are not fully aware of the
For President Ruth Simmons, November is turning out to be quite a heady month. U.S. News and World Report will honor Simmons as one of “America’s Best Leaders,” the magazine announced today, making it the second national publication in as many weeks to honor Simmons with an award. Earlier this month Glamour, the popular women’s magazine, named the four female presidents of Ivy League schools — Simmons, Harvard University’s Drew Faust, Princeton University’s Shirley Tilghman and the University of Pennsylvania’s Amy Gutmann — among its Women of the Year for 2007. This time around, Simmons doesn’t have to share the spotlight with as many of her Ivy League peers — Tilghman is the only other university president to make the U.S. News list this year. Other recognizable names among this year’s 17 honorees include movie-star-turned-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and
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CAMPUS IN DISORDER Kathryn Boonstra ‘09 says Brown’s high-pressure environment contributes to eating disorders.
IVY LEAGUE CHAMPS The men’s soccer team defeated Dartmouth on Saturday to take the Ivy League championship.
Free condoms in the mail to study safe sex on campus
STRESS RELIEF
PIANOS FOR PEACE Palestinian-Israeli pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar ARTS & CULTURE spoke and performed on campus this weekend.
Kim Perley / Herald
Sam Schmelzer ’11
Security at this year’s Sex Power God was so strict that God himself — in fact Ben Struhl ’09 dressed in a sheet and a long white beard — was denied entry for not having valid identification. Struhl said he snuck into the Queer Alliance party for the past two years “to make fun of people,” but this year he was turned away. “People take SPG way too seriously. It’s just a party, you know?” he said. “Why do people make such a big deal of it?” But the increased security and safety measures, first introduced last year in response to the raucous 2005 dance, seemed to be a success. Only five students across campus required Emergency Medical Services attention Saturday night, said Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life. That number is down from 14 last year and 24 in 2005. “We received compliments from EMS saying that Sex Power God went better than they’d ever seen it,” said event co-coordinator Katie Lamb ’10. The coordinators attributed the dance’s success to their experience with previous dances. At Sex Power
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T oday Page 2
Monday, November 12, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
But Seriously | Charlie Custer and Stephen Barlow
We a t h e r Today
TOMORROW
sunny 47 / 38
rainy 61 / 35
Menu Sharpe Refectory
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Lunch — Curried Tofu Scramble, Brown Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms, Chicken Parmesan Grinder, Savory Chicken Stew, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lunch — Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Enchilada Bar, Butterscotch Chip Bars
Dinner — Macaroni and Cheese, Creamy Rosemary Polenta, Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms, Roast Beef au Jus, Chocolate Pudding
Dinner — Italian Meatballs with Pasta, Pizza Rustica, Italian Couscous, Italian Vegetable Saute, Broiled Stuffed Tomatoes, Stir Fry Station
Aibohphobia | Roxanne Palmer
Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Octopus on Hallucinogens | Toni Liu and Stephanie Le
Classic Deep-Fried Kittens | Cara FitzGibbon
RELEASE DATE– Monday, November 12, 2007 © Puzzles by Pappocom
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
C
o ssw or d Lewis Edited by RichrNorris and Joyce Nichols
ACROSS 1 Swear, informally 5 Curved part of a foot 9 Bravery in battle 14 “I’ll treat!” 15 Regulation 16 Kind of acid in protein 17 Let go 18 “Moonstruck” actress 19 Flood barrier 20 Widely fluctuating fortunes 23 Third planet 24 Styrofoam cup topper 25 Still sticky, as paint 28 Newspaper staffers, briefly 29 Iowa’s Cedar __ 33 Film 34 Mortise insert 35 Line from the heart 36 Pretentious display 41 Blow one’s top 42 Encourage 43 Sea dogs 44 Strand on an island 46 Butting bighorn 49 Amber brew 50 Project, with “out” 51 Bizet’s “Carmen,” e.g. 53 Dream-world excursion 58 Figure of speech 60 Woody’s son 61 Great Salt Lake state 62 Bounce off the rail 63 A stone’s throw from 64 Fit to be tried 65 Foe 66 Skillful 67 It precedes jr. high
5 With the bow, to 38 Can’t-miss 52 “Play” button’s Isaac Stern 39 A diva has a big alternate 6 German one function, often 54 Appear industrial region 40 “Give it __!”: 7 Musical staff “Try!” dramatically insignia 44 Make faces at 55 Genealogist’s 8 Miami the camera chart newspaper 45 Reachable 56 Patron saint of 9 Still in force 46 U-Haul van, for Norway 57 Oater defense 10 Parishioner’s “I example agree!” 47 Mysterious structure 11 Electrician’s 48 Havoc 58 Cubes in a bucket concern 50 Force open with 12 Latish lunch hour a crowbar 59 Dapper guy? 13 Future fish ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 21 Menacing statement 22 Prefix meaning “wrong” 26 __’acte: intermission 27 Pekoes, e.g. 30 Raggedy girl 31 Pea jacket? 32 Reason out 33 “Walking in Memphis” singer Marc 34 Cough medicine amts. 35 Many 36 Greek salad ingredient 37 River to the Caspian Sea 11/12/07 xwordeditor@aol.com
Classic Deo | Daniel Perez
Classic How To Get Down | Nate Saunders
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DOWN 1 Drink during a break 2 Like a brand-new book 3 Finger-paints, e.g. By Fred Jackson III 4 Dost observe
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A rts & C ulture Monday, November 12, 2007
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Music and the Middle East: Ashkar performs By Helena Anrather Contributing Writer
World-famous Palestinian-Israeli pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar joined Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron and Michael Steinberg, director of the Cogut Center for the humanities and professor of history and music, in a public conversation on Friday about the ability of music to communicate across cultural or political boundaries. His visit to Brown also featured a solo recital in Sayles Hall on Saturday night, followed by a master class on Sunday. The panel discussion featured the world premiere of the film “Listening to the World: Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at Brown,” a documentary produced by the Cogut Center on the conductor Daniel Barenboim’s visit to Brown last December with members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. With the late Palestinian writer and critic Edward Said, Barenboim created the orchestra to bring Arab and Israeli musicians together to play classical music. Roughly half of the orchestra is Arab and half is Jewish. In the film, Barenboim calls the orchestra “a forum for the different people of the Middle East to have a dialogue with each other — a project for people to think and reflect,” using the common language of music. “Music teaches you so much about how to live in society, about how to think about it,” Barenboim said later in the film. “You can learn so much if you really learn to think in music.” In the discussion following the film, Ashkar spoke about music’s ability to bring people to a common understanding. “It’s the intensity of
music-making and rehearsing heat that melts everybody together,” he said. He spoke of the way music pushes people to work in harmony, towards a common goal, saying “there is something about concerto-playing that is dangerous if you approach it with the consciousness of the ego — that ‘I have something to say.’ ” The conversation concentrated mainly on music, refraining from political discussion other than some lighthearted jokes. In searching for the word ‘nucleus’ Ashkar said, “I don’t mean nuclear. That’s in Iran. Was that a politically incorrect joke?” Even though it is called the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the orchestra plays only Western classical music. Though half of the orchestra speaks Arabic, its main working language is English, along with Hebrew and Spanish, the other languages Barenboim speaks in addition to German. Despite the orchestra’s focus on dialogue between the Arab and Western worlds, Ashkar said that classical Arabic music plays no part in the orchestra’s project, and that, in his own musical career, Arab music has no conscious influence. “They are two separate worlds, I must admit,” he told The Herald. Ashkar was born in Nazareth, Israel, in 1976. The piano first entered his life when his father traded a rusty pickup truck for a piano with a neighbor who wanted to leave Israel. Ashkar began to play after a distant relative from Lebanon came to stay with the family during the 1982 war in Lebanon and would entertain Ashkar by playing the piano. Ashkar commented on the remarkable connections between
events in Palestinian-Israeli history and milestones in his history with the piano. “Almost every step of my development has something to do with (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict),” he said. Jokingly noting the role of coincidence in his life, he added that if his father hadn’t exchanged the truck for a piano, “I would be a truck driver — but with passion. Totally committed.” Though he is Palestinian, Ashkar’s young career as a pianist embedded him in Israeli society, each musical milestone or competition bringing him increasingly within an Israeli infrastructure. He left Israel to continue his study of music at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Hochschule fur Musik in Hannover, Germany, but collaborated with Barenboim and Said in the West-Eastern Divan. He is also involved in the music school his brother started in Nazareth, still committed to using music to bridge the Palestinian and Israeli communities. “I feel very lucky to be in touch with something that matters so much,” he said of the Divan and of his brother’s school. Roommates Reem Yusuf ’09 and Roxanne Horesh ’08 attended the panel discussion together. Yusuf is a Palestinian from Ramallah and Horesh is a British-Israeli from Tel Aviv, and the two became friends at Brown. Yusuf was pleased that
Chris Bennett / Herald
Palestinian-Israeli pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar.
Ashkar was able to come to Brown, saying “usually Israeli-Palestinian stuff that takes place at Brown is merely political and creates a misrepresentation of Palestinian culture that they have no sense of education or art.” Horesh added that the talk underlined that “two people (from different cultures) can be best friends and really rely on each other, or that two countries can rely on each other.”
Ashkar’s stay at Brown took place in conjunction with Palestinian Solidarity Week, although it was not considered part of the week’s program. His recital on Saturday night drew a considerable crowd to Sayles Hall, where he played a selection of Schoenberg, Haydn, Mozart and Brahms. This is Ashkar’s second visit to Brown — his first was with the West-Eastern Divan last December.
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Monday, November 12, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Free condoms make their way to mailboxes continued from page 1 most effective means of safe sex. He said he noticed a lot of anxiety at an on-campus AIDS testing he attended last year. “I heard a lot of interest in people wanting to know their (infection) status,” Colburn said. “They felt they were safe because they were in the Brown bubble, but also saying, ‘I think I may have been doing something that might put me at risk.’ ” Curiosity piqued, Colburn administered a survey on the next test date to explore students’ perceptions of safe sex, HIV transmission and general sexual activity. His sample of 61 participants was not statistically significant, he said, but the data hinted at practices of unsafe sex on campus. Most survey participants were able to identify high-risk sexual activities, but confusion existed over which body fluids transmitted HIV. Participants also reported a condom usage rate on par with the national average of 50 percent for people ages 18 to 25. Colburn is now taking his preliminary research to the next level with his official on-campus study, Project CARES. The group consists of Colburn, seven friends and three mentors: Ken Mayer, a professor of medicine who also works at the Fenway Institute in Boston; Cynthia Rosengard, a sexual health specialist at Lifespan and Rhode Island Hospital; and Matthew Mimiaga, a biostatistician and post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health. Project CARES is funded by Youth Venture, a group that invests
in socially conscious youth startups, and GAIA. Designed to learn more about men’s attitudes and behaviors surrounding safer sex, Project CARES targets biologically male Brown undergraduates. Though they would like to include males and females, Colburn’s small, low-budget study could not handle the necessary 204 members of each sex needed to make his research statistically significant, he said. Literature suggested the study would have more impact with males as the target group, according to Colburn. Additional requirements include that participants be between the ages of 18 and 25 and will be on campus for the spring semester. Colburn said he prefers subjects be sexually active. “If you have tons of sex without condoms because your girlfriend is on the pill, that’s fine,” Colburn said. “We just want to get baseline information to see what the general sexual health is for Brown.” To accomplish this, Colburn plans to administer a series of online surveys. Participants will complete the first questionnaire during the last week of January and will then receive seven condoms in their mailbox every two weeks for three months. At the end of May, they will complete another survey to determine any changes in sexual activity. The study’s success depends largely on its participants, said Colburn, who so far has gathered about 17 subjects through table slips, advertisements in The Herald and on Facebook, talking to fraternities and word of mouth. He said he hopes an incentive program offer-
ing free tea, coffee, barbecues and gift certificates to Miko’s Exotic Wear will encourage students to recruit their friends. “I have 5 boxes of 10,000 condoms sitting in GAIA’s downtown offices that I want to get rid of,” Colburn said. Participants’ honesty is also important, he said, since data depends solely on their answers. “We’re not going to ask them to send condoms back to us,” Colburn said. “In any social science, it’s pretty imprecise, and ultimately you have to depend on people that they’re telling the truth.” Honest answers are the only way Colburn can test the University’s condom distribution system, which is one of the largest components of the study. Currently, Health Services supplies Durex condoms in their first- and third-floor bathrooms and relies on Residential Peer Leaders to pick up condoms to supply their residence halls. Under an honors system, students pay 15 cents per condom. But Colburn’s preliminary research suggests that this system needs improvement. The 15-cent price tag is a problem, according to Colburn. He said 15 cents is an awkward denomination and that students believe they should be receiving condoms at no charge. “People are resentful because other schools get them for free,” he said. “They feel like Brown is ripping them off.” “There are definitely issues with it,” said Eva Kolker ’10, a Residential Counselor in Wayland House. She said in many cases, charging for public condoms is a way to indicate high quality. “But here we’re using Durex, and people know it’s good quality,” she said. “I understand health ed wants (the price) as a token, but the point is we want people to have safe sex. So why not just let people take?” Kolker said if the University abolished payment for condoms, the system would be more effective because students would take condoms for precautionary measures. “If you’re right in the moment, you don’t want to run out to your RC’s door,” she said. “Especially dealing with first years. They still think the rules matter,” she laughed. “You don’t want them to have to hesitate by charging.” Jason Ma ’10 was indifferent to the price tag on a condom. “It would be great if they were free,” he said. “But if I need a condom, I’m going to get a condom.” Accordingly, students seem to abide by the honors system. “People actually do pay me,” Kolker said. “I’ll notice condoms gone, and then a few days later, I’ll have money in my door.” Ninneman agreed that in general, the honors system is a success. She said that though RPLs often sound surprised when students drop off money, the fact is that they
are bringing money in. “We don’t get 100 percent of the money,” she said. “But we come pretty close.” Besides the price for protection, Colburn said the condom distribution system’s logistics create problems. Participation in the program is not mandatory, and an online survey of RPLs suggested that many are “too lazy or too tired” to walk to Health Services to replenish their dorm’s supplies, he said. Ninneman, however, noted that Health Services recently held an open house for RPLs and said she tries to remind RPLs to check supplies. Yet another issue, Colburn said, is the public display of protection. Condoms are kept on counselors’ doors, and many students feel the system is intimidating. “Think about Keeney, where it’s hallways for miles, and if someone sees you, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re having sex,’ ” Colburn said. “It’s very stigmatizing.” Ma said he has never used the University’s condom distribution system, but that he believes students should not be uncomfortable getting a condom from such public areas. “I mean, you’re having sex,” he said. “We’re legal, we’re grown. Just do it.” Condoms in the first- and thirdfloor bathrooms of Health Services offer an alternative. But Colburn said he believes this does not solve the whole problem. “If you go to Health Services, it’s not like you have to say to a 55-yearold nurse, ‘I’m about to engage in vaginal intercourse, may I have a condom?’ ” said Colburn. “But just like RPLs don’t want to walk across campus, students don’t want to go to Health Services to get a condom.” Colburn said he hopes Project CARES will address these issues and more concerning sexual health at Brown. Ultimately, he said he wants students to practice safe sex. Though lack of funding is an obstacle to collaboration, Ninneman said Health Services is definitely interested in Colburn’s results and shares his ultimate goal. She said Health Services has an extensive sexual education program, including lectures, programs, table slips, RPL training, counseling and a sexual education Web site. The Web site is a “huge resource” that many students aren’t aware of, according to Ninneman. “We get lots of hits, but not as many from Brown campus as from off of Brown campus,” she said. “I get questions from people who are not Brown students.” Ninneman, who assumed her position as health educator in August, said promoting the Web site is one of her goals. She wants students on campus to be aware of the best way to protect themselves and believes that Colburn’s study will contribute to these efforts. “We’re on your side,” Colburn said. “We want you to be sexually safe.”
Hotel growth a boon for Brown parents continued from page 1 local shops and restaurants and created “sell-out opportunities” for local hotels. Last year, the University awarded over 2,000 degrees, and Director of University Events Cynthia Schwartz said over 11,000 people attended the Commencement festivities. The University expects to award roughly the same number of degrees this year, Schwartz said. Though Commencement weekend still promises to stimulate the local economy, visitors to Providence may have an easier time finding a hotel room this year. The Westin Providence recently added 200 additional rooms, and the new 274-room Renaissance Providence Hotel opened downtown over the summer, Schriever said, adding that other hotel expansion projects are in the works and that hotel availability will increase further for Commencement 2009. Still, several local hotels are already booked for Commencement, which is the weekend of May 24 and 25, 2008. The Westin has no availability for the nights of May 23 and 24, and the State House Inn — a bed and breakfast with only 26 rooms — started receiving reservations last May and is also entirely sold out for the weekend. The Providence Biltmore has reserved over half of its 300 rooms, but doesn’t expect to fill to capacity, said reservation agent Eunice Tazares. “Sometimes people call frantically and say, ‘Can I book? I heard you’re all sold out,’ ” Tazares said. “They have the impression that it sells out, but it usually doesn’t, especially because Brown has a different commencement day than Providence College.” Restaurants, on the other hand, almost always fill up during Commencement weekend. But owners say they don’t start getting reservations until January, with most coming in April and May. Lexi Dantzig, the office manager for Al Forno, said the restaurant does not start taking reservations for Commencement weekend until January, but added that she has already received requests from five or six parties. Each year the restaurant receives about 10 calls before January and then receives about one call every other week until the spring. “We usually end up being totally booked for that weekend,” Dantzig said. Blue Grotto, a restaurant on Federal Hill, has already taken a couple of reservations for Commencement Weekend, and bookkeeper Amanda Nichols said May is the restaurant’s second busiest month after December. “Brown’s Commencement usually falls on a weekend where our local customer base may be headed away for Memorial Day, so we appreciate the economic impact it brings,” said Mark Danahy, the restaurant’s owner. But Danahy added that the rate of cancellations and no-shows during the weekend is “much higher than any other time of year” because many families make reservations at multiple restaurants for the same night. The emergence of menus, reviews and information about restaurants on the Internet will “hopefully tame that somewhat,” Danahy said. Commencement becomes the main focus of the Office of University Events after Parents Weekend, though Schwartz said planning is “a year-round process.” Schwartz said the office is currently updating the Commencement Web site and will post the schedule of several Commencement events as well as an updated frequently asked questions page within the next few weeks.
C ampus n ews Monday, November 12, 2007
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
REMEMBERING OUR VETERANS
Orwig boasts rich musical collection By Matthew Lawrence Contributing Writer
If you ask Brown students where they find great music, most will probably direct you to the iTunes online store or LimeWire. Few students realize, however, how expansive and accessible the Orwig Music Library is. Located at 1 Young Orchard Ave., the library opened in 1988 and contains approximately 100,000 music items, including Western classical music, jazz and popular music recordings and materials. The library houses 24,000 scores, 1,100 videos, 25,000 CDs, 21,000 books, 250 journals and around 15,000 LPs as well as manuscripts and music periodicals. “We have a very rich collection of music from all over the world,” said Music Librarian Edwin Quist. The Orwig library was not always as prestigious as it is today. According to David Josephson, associate professor of music, the University’s music library began as a small collection of books, scores and LPs at the
Rockefeller Library, and a smaller one at the former Pembroke Library. It was overseen by a librarian who specialized in Russian studies and during the 1970s its budget never exceeded $4,000. With the arrival of Merrily Taylor as University librarian in 1981, the budget began to expand. Josephson arrived at Brown in 1979 and raised $2.5 million in the early 1980s to expand the holdings and make it today “the best music library in New England, after Harvard and Yale” universities, Josephson said. The library’s extensive resources are used mainly by Brown students and faculty rather than by outside scholars. Quist said the library is a working collection rather than a research library and is used by music students, Brown’s foreign language departments and the Department of American Civilization. Despite its vast resources, the library continues to add nearly 4,000 items each year. Quist said students often request new materials, which continued on page 6
Chris Bennett / Herald Two veterans observe the day of remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in downtown Providence on Sunday.
No cracks about it: Brown students satisfied with their MacBooks By Marc Mayes Contributing Writer
Despite complaints from some MacBook owners dissatisfied with cracked plastic casings, Brown students with the Apple laptops seem content with how their plastic laptop casings are holding up. Complaints of MacBook casings spontaneously cracking have been recurring on Apple’s MacBook user discussion forum and other blogs since 2006. Still, students who own MacBooks seem comparatively happier about owning MacBooks than Dell or other notebook PCs. “Better, prettier, greater resistance to viruses,” said Emily Silverman ’09 of her new MacBook. Silverman had owned a Dell Inspiron since 2005, but she switched to a MacBook after her Dell crashed multiple times. Silverman described her experience with Dell’s customer ser vice as “awful” and said her friends’ satisfaction with their MacBooks and Apple’s customer ser vice helped her decide to buy a MacBook. Her only complaint with her MacBook laptop’s gleaming white case was that it showed smudge marks “pretty obviously.” “I like my MacBook 724 times better than my last computer,” said Ben Mishkin ’08. Mishkin bought his MacBook in December 2006 after owning a Dell Inspiron 5150. Mishkin said he experienced problems with his Dell’s keyboard. He mentioned that a small splinter of plastic broke free from the casing near his MacBook’s touchpad, but that he considered it “no big deal.” Computer consultants at the Brown Computer Store expressed similar sentiments. “The MacBook and MacBook Pro are solid machines,” said Bob Geake, staff assistant and computer consultant
at the store. “There’ve been a few MacBook case defects that I’ve seen, but Apple is generally good at taking care of the problems.” “Sometimes (MacBook) cases can discolor from heat and handling, but I haven’t seen a lot of cracked cases,” said Elliot Fleming, the lead computer consultant at the store. “The one obvious case crack I ever saw was close to the (MacBook)’s wrist pad.” Fleming said a cracked laptop case is relatively unimportant, noting that, “Cracks in the cases are cosmetic issues. But if you lose your hard drive, you lose your work.” Geake and Fleming have occasionally dealt with complaints surrounding hardware components of early MacBook models. Geake said some early MacBooks had problems with their motherboards and overheating. Fleming mentioned that some Seagate hard drives were unreliable in some early MacBook computers. But both agreed that hardware and software problems are not uncommon with either Macs or PCs. “We regularly do maintenance and repair work on Macs and PCs in about a 50-50 ratio,” said Geake, who recommended that if students do find problems with their computers, they should be cautious in taking on repair jobs themselves. “If you tr y and handle a problem
yourself, you can very easily void your warranty,” Geake said. As for complaints about cracked casings, “Apple is more responsive to individuals in some cases,” Fleming said. “If you’re worried about your laptop casing, tr y contacting Apple yourself,” he said. “(Apple) decides what to do about case defects via one-by-one determinations.” Many of the complaints about MacBook casing defects on Apple’s Web site come from MacBook owners who were unable to get their cracked cases replaced. These customers tended not to mention in discussion posts whether their computers were still covered by the original warranty or whether they had bought the AppleCare Protection Plan. The AppleCare plan is an allinclusive warranty package that covers hardware and software problems on new Apple products ranging from iPods to desktop computers. The plan’s terms and conditions explicitly state that the plan does not cover cosmetic damage “that does not other wise affect (computers’) functionality” but does not specifically mention plan coverage terms for cosmetic defects. “The AppleCare plans that we continued on page 7
Austin Freeman / Herald
The Orwig Music Library contains over 100,000 items.
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Orthodox Jews make life at Brown work continued from page 1 The Talmud and other works of Jewish law began to arise in the period of the rabbis, from 70 CE to 640 CE, Satlow said. Orthodox Jews believe their tradition “goes all the way back to Moses,” he said. But even among Or thodox Jews, there are differing beliefs, Schmelzer said. “Even if you meet two people of the same sect, they may have very different opinions about political or philosophical issues,” he said. “It’s ver y individualized in terms of how you approach certain things.” Satlow agreed, adding that there are various responses to Jewish law. “There are different strains of people who call themselves Orthodox,” he said. For example, non-modern Orthodox Jews tend not to emphasize higher secular education as much as modern Orthodox Jews and may be less likely to decide to attend Brown, Satlow said. “You most likely won’t find them on this campus by definition,” she said. Schmelzer said his lifestyle and beliefs made his decision to come to Brown especially difficult. “I do not see it as the most comfortable or ideal place for an Orthodox Jew,” he said. “(But) upon coming here, I think it’s a lot easier than people realize.” Though Schmelzer was initially worried about accommodating his dietary requirements at Brown, the kosher meal plan the University offers has so far suited him just fine. While other students swipe their ID cards with Jose or Gail at the Ratty, Schmelzer trades his ID card for a key to the kosher kitchen, where he picks up his meal. “Food is a main worry,” he said. “The kosher meal plan makes things a lot simpler.” The plan, which is run out of the Ratty and offers food prepared by a local caterer, provides students with kosher food ranging from macaroni and cheese to hot dogs. Schmelzer said there are also many packaged goods at Jo’s, the Blue Room, and the Gate which are kosher as well. “Then again, different people have different criteria for what is kosher,” Schmelzer said. As for following the laws of the Sabbath, Schmelzer said he believes there are 39 general categories of work, all of which are forbidden on the Sabbath. “Generally speaking, when the Talmud speaks about Jewish laws they tend to speak in more general terms. It’s not like ‘can you light
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candles’ it’s like ‘can you start a fire.’ There’s kind of a debate between various Orthodox sects and various non-Orthodox sects as for how to approach some of these ideas and new technologies,” he said. Brown-RISD Hillel aids Orthodox Jewish students by keeping certain parts of their building Shabbat observant, Nesbitt said. “People come here to study on Shabbat,” she said. “There’s a couple of rooms that are not electronic, and we ask people, ‘Don’t use your laptops in that space.’ ” Hillel also accommodates the needs of Orthodox Jewish students by supporting the kosher meal plan and helping students who need to take holidays off, Nesbitt said. Though Hillel does not offer services for every Orthodox obser vance, they do hold regular Shabbat services on Friday nights as well as meditation services. During Orthodox ser vices, men and women pray on opposite sides of a mechitza, a separating structure. “The physical qualities of this physical separation will differ,” Schmelzer said. “It could be really high and made out of wood where you don’t even see (the other gender). It varies in height and opaqueness.” Compared to non-Orthodox circles, where men and women serve equally according to whomever wants to do what, Schmelzer said religious life in Orthodox circles is often dominated by men. “I feel there is a limitation to the amount a woman can participate in certain areas of Jewish life, just as I feel there is a limitation to the amount a man can participate in certain areas,” he said. Schmelzer does not attend services at Hillel, but rather attends Shabbat ser vices Friday night and Saturday in a Providence synagogue not far from Brown’s campus. He said Providence’s Orthodox Jewish community has been “extremely accommodating.” He has been invited to the homes of other synagogue members, a particularly welcome invitation during the holidays, he said. But at Brown, Schmelzer sees an opportunity to combine his religion with his secular education. “There is a value given to secular education,” he said. “As a Jewish person you’re supposed to bring Jewish values and influence into those realms when you’re dealing with them. In that sense I’m trying to fuse both halves of who I am.”
Tame SPG passes without incident continued from page 1 God in 2005, two dozen students received emergency medical attention, and a producer from Fox News’s “The O’Reilly Factor” who attended the event later aired footage from the dance on national television. New safety and security measures were enacted for last year’s dance and continued this year. These measures included an EMS room to quickly assist intoxicated students and the hiring of an outside security firm, Green Horn Management, to guard the entrances. The party was well-received by students waiting in line to get in, many of whom said Sex Power God is an attractive event because of its reputation. “It’s one of those emblematic Brown things,” said Andrew Ahn ’08. “I’m going to go in, hang out for five minutes, then go.” As a senior who had never before attended Sex Power God, Ahn said he felt he couldn’t miss his last chance to experience the party. Other students said SPG’s reputation drew them to the party. Susanne Evarts ’11, who describes herself as
a “mass enthusiast on nudity in comfortable places,” told The Herald that she had “layered intentionally” so she could later take her clothes off. The draw of a safe space to experiment was also attractive to students. “I paid $15, I really want to find out something new,” Evarts said. This year, a group of students who described themselves as “a mix of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and West House” stood outside the dance with positively themed signs. They said it was a response to a protest of the dance last year, when a group of men stood outside the dance with signs that “rated” women. “They were holding signs that said things like ‘take it off’ or ‘put it on,’ and it felt like they were really judging people who wanted to come by,” said post- columnist Amy Littlefield, ’10, who held a sign reading, “You all look great.” “We wanted to come out here with a totally positive message and really affirm people and say, ‘Congratulations for having the confidence to do something like this,’ ” she said. The group had no collective reason for not attending the dance
themselves, Littlefield said. They were asked by security to leave for “making a ruckus,” though last year’s hecklers were allowed to stay, she noted. “It was really cute and definitely totally appreciated,” Lamb said of the demonstration. “But we can’t have a policy that allows certain people to stand in front of the line and not others.” Lamb and co-coordinator Robin Peckham ’10 said a few students tried to sneak into the party, but they said this year’s event management was better than in past years. Klawunn said there will be a meeting between officials from the Office of Student Life and EMS and SPG student organizers to review the dance and “see if anything needs to be changed.” For Lamb, who started planning the dance with Peckham last semester, “it was really amazing that it did go really well.” “The most amazing moment was when the doors closed, and everyone was in there,” Peckham said. “I was up on the speakers looking down on everybody, and it was so many people having so much fun.”
U.S. News honors President Simmons continued from page 1 Parkinson’s disease activist Michael J. Fox and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. — also a 2007 Glamour Woman of the Year. Simmons will attend an event recognizing this year’s U.S. News honorees tonight in New York City, wrote Assistant to the President Marisa Quinn in an e-mail to The Herald. Leaders honored by U.S. News in past years have ranged from the staff of the New Orleans Times-Picayune to billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffet, Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs and media mogul Oprah Winfrey. U.S. News — probably best known among Brown students for its highly scrutinized annual ranking of America’s best colleges — said in a press release today that it teams up with the Center for Public Leader-
ship at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government to give the award in order to identify exemplary leaders at a time when “public confidence in American leadership” is “spiraling downward.” In today’s issue, U.S. News also reported the results of a poll undertaken with the Center for Public Leadership, which found that over three-quarters of respondents “believe there is a leadership crisis in this country,” the release said. U.S. News’ annual leaders issue is aimed at “highlighting the country’s finest leaders and exploring the critical elements of leadership in today’s society.” “These men and women have taken bold, positive steps to bridge the nation’s leadership gaps,” said U.S. News editor Brian Kelly in the release. “These leaders have embraced, challenged and defied convention to lead in authentic and effec-
tive ways and, in doing so, genuinely inspire the rest of the world.” The criteria considered in choosing the leaders included “the ability to inspire a shared vision, to challenge established processes and to achieve measurable results in their respective fields,” the release said. Selections were made by a series of committees organized by the Kennedy School center that were intended to be “nonpartisan and independent.” But Simmons may have had at least one partisan of her own on the selection committee charged with examining arts and humanities, religion and education — Rhode Island School of Design President Roger Mandle. A committee member, Mandle spoke glowingly of Simmons’ leadership qualities at a signing ceremony for a new jointdegree program between the two schools earlier this fall.
Orwig boasts impressive collection continued from page 5 Orwig librarians either borrow from other libraries or purchase using restricted endowments. “The interests of Brown students are so diverse that there is always something that we don’t have,” Quist said. This year, 10,000 seldom-used volumes will be moved to the Library Collections Annex located on the Providence-Cranston border. The library is also currently updating its world music collection, with a focus on Caribbean music so it can serve as a resource for the Department of Africana Studies. Students can also use the library’s two archives: The Walter Neiman Archive of Sound Recordings stores historical information on musical recordings in the 20th
century, with approximately one third of the archive devoted to opera music, and the James T. Koetting Ethnomusicology Archive catalogs published recordings, scores and videos from all over the world, as well as unpublished recordings and notes. Though students living in nearby Perkins Hall often use the library for both its musical resources and well-designed study rooms, Orwig’s location east of the main campus means that relatively few students take advantage of its offerings. Despite Orwig’s attributes, Josephson noted that some improvements are still necessary. Primarily, Josephson noted that the library could use another full time professional staff member, since Orwig is “too reliant on students” who work there part-time.
thanks for reading
Josephson also said the library could “always use more money for scores.” In addition, he said the library is running out of space to store the numerous collections that are constantly being acquired through purchases and gifts. The solution to the space problem, Josephson said, is to expand the stacks in the basement of the library and excavate part of the lawn outside the building without harming the landscape. Josephson further noted that Orwig needs to expand its acquisitions budget in order to account for the declining value of the dollar so that the library can continue to purchase musical scores from Europe. Other improvements include the implementation of task lighting and re-upholstering of the library’s chairs. But, he said, those are all fairly minor matters.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Early sex doesn’t lead to delinquency, study finds By Rick Weiss Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Researchers at the Ohio State University garnered little attention in February when they found that youngsters who lose their virginity earlier than their peers are more likely to become juvenile delinquents. So obvious and well-established was that cause-and-effect connection that it was already part of the required curriculum for federal “abstinence only” programs. There was just one problem: It is probably not true. Other things being equal, a more probing study has found, youngsters who have consensual sex in their early-teen or even pre-teen years are if anything less likely to engage in delinquent behavior later on. That new analysis, a reworking of the same data the Ohio team used, is one of several recent instances in which a more precise parsing of data has begun to turn longstanding societal presumptions on their head. By bringing evidence to bear on complex social issues, these studies are forcing individuals and policy makers to rethink such hot-button topics as the benefits of breast-feeding, the risks of teen child-bearing and, in the latest example, the harms long presumed to result from teen sex. Like many of the newer studies, the latest one — led by Paige Harden, a doctoral candidate in psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville — uses the powerful techniques of behavioral genetics. The field specializes in studies on twins, which can help tell whether behavioral traits are the result of genes or the social environment and which have periodically stirred controversy when they focused on the genetic underpinnings of criminality and intelligence. But the specialty’s analytic methods can also help tell whether one behavior, such as early sex, is merely correlated with or actually causes a second behavior that is often found with it, such as delinquency. If two behaviors often exist in the same people but are found not to be connected by cause and effect, then a third factor is likely to be causing both. That kind of finding can help identify better targets for prevention efforts, experts say. “Behavioral geneticists have long sought to establish causal links between genes and complex behaviors. So it’s fascinating to see them use the tools of their trade to dispute widely held beliefs” about the social roots of some of those behaviors, said Erik Parens, a senior research scholar who has tracked the field intensively at the Hastings Center, a Garrison, N.Y. science and ethics think tank. The latest example started when Dana Haynie, a professor of sociology at Ohio State, and her thengraduate student, Stacey Armour, published a study in February in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence. They analyzed data collected from more than 7,000 children as part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a federally funded survey that in 1994 began gathering information about the health-related behavior of U.S. school children who were then in grades 7 through 12. Haynie and Armour divided the children into three groups: Those who had sex for the first time when they were either younger, about the same age, or older than the age at
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which most of their local peers lost their virginity. (It varies by region, but on average, U.S. youngsters lose their virginity at age 16.) They also compiled information on graffiti painting, shoplifting, drug selling and other “problem behaviors” by those youngsters in later years. Their conclusion: One year after losing their virginity, children in the “early” category were 20 percent more likely than those who started sex at the average age to engage in delinquent behavior, even when several other relevant factors such as wealth, race, parental involvement and physical development were taken into account. Those findings supported the widely held notion that loss of virginity at a relatively young age appears to, as Haynie and Armour wrote, “open the doorway to problem behaviors.” Harden didn’t believe it. Looked at from a similarly high altitude, people might conclude that red meat is a health food, she said, since people live longer in countries where more is eaten. Only when the issue is studied within one country does red meat’s link to chronic diseases appear. Suspecting such an error in the Haynie study, Harden and three colleagues, including her advisor Eric Turkheimer, an expert in behavioral genetics, studied more than 500 pairs of twins in the same national survey analyzed by the Ohio team. Because twin pairs share similar or identical genetic inheritances (depending on whether they are fraternal or identical) and the same home environment, they are useful for seeing through false cause-andeffect relationships. The team looked at identical twin pairs in which one twin initiated sex younger than the other, then tallied subsequent problem behaviors. If sex really adds to the chances of delinquency, then earlysex teens should end up delinquent more than their later-sex twins. “It turns out that there was no positive relationship between age of first sex and delinquency,” Harden said. The way to reconcile that with the previous evidence of a link is to conclude that some other factors are promoting both early sex and delinquency, she said. In an e-mail, Haynie agreed. And the Virginia study, to appear in the March 2008 issue of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, offers some clues. It found that identical twins, who have the same DNA, were more similar to one another in the ages at which they lost their virginity than were fraternal twins, whose DNA patterns are only 50 percent the same — an indication that genes influence the age at which a person will first have sex. Other twin studies have found the same pattern for delinquency. Together, those findings suggest that some genes — perhaps, for example, those that increase impulsivity and risk-taking — may underlie both behaviors. “You need to have some appetite for risk-taking to be a delinquent.
And the same if you’re 13 and going to have sex for the first time,” Harden said. Efforts to prevent delinquency can hardly take aim at people’s genes. But the Virginia study also indicates that social factors — as yet unidentified but perhaps involving relationships with family and friends — have an even bigger impact than genes on whether a child will become delinquent. Those are the things that should be identified and targeted by delinquency prevention programs, said Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, co-director of Columbia University’s National Center for Children and Families. “I wouldn’t be focusing on early sexuality ... to alter rates of delinquency,” she said. Perhaps most surprising, the Virginia study found that adolescents who had sex at younger ages were less likely to end up delinquent than those who lost their virginity later. Many factors play into a person’s readiness for sex, but in at least some cases sexual relationships may offer an alternative to trouble, the researchers say. Even then, there are emotional and physical risks. Young adolescents, in particular, are less likely to use condoms and so are vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. But those are risks that other nations have mitigated with education, Harden and Turkheimer said, while U.S. educators wanting a piece of the nation’s $200 million “abstinence only” budget must adhere to a curriculum that links sex to delinquency and explicitly precludes discussion of contraception. The new study “really calls into question the usefulness of abstinence education for preventing behavior problems,” Harden said, “and questions the bigger underlying assumption that all adolescent sex is always bad.” Similar re-analyses have begun to undermine other conventional notions about health. A recent study by Scottish researchers asked whether the higher IQs seen in breast-fed children are due to the breast milk they got or some other factor. By comparing the IQs of sibling pairs in which one was breast fed and the other not, it found that breast milk was irrelevant to IQ and that the mom’s IQ explained both the decision to breast feed and her children’s IQ. In another example, Arline Geronimus, a University of Michigan professor of health behavior now at Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Studies, knew that babies born to teens are more likely to die in their first year of life than those born to older women. “But that is an apples to oranges comparison,” she said. In New York City, for example, far more teen mothers live in Harlem than on the Upper East Side, she said, and “there are a lot of differences between those groups.” So Geronimus looked more closely and got a different answer.
Wrestling opens season at Oklahoma tournament continued from page 12 other Bears placed individually. At 165, Chris Musser ’09 posted the second highest finish on the team at fourth place. Musser lost his first match narrowly to Rob Huffman from Bloomsburg University but rebounded to win all his subsequent consolation matches, before falling to Liberty’s University Chad Porter by one point in the third-place match to take fourth place. Head Coach Dave Amato praised Musser’s performance this weekend. “Musser did a great job. He moved up a weight class (from 175 pounds) from last year but wrestled really well,” Amato said. Three other Bears placed fifth. At 125, Greg Einfrank ’10 won three straight matches before losing in the semifinals. He won the fifthplace match against Kevin Smith from Buffalo University with a major decision, 11-3. In the 149-pound weight class, Mark Bloom ’09 lost to Scott Clymer from Liberty 6-4 in the second round after receiving a bye. But Bloom wrestled his way up the consolation bracket and eventually defeated Clymer in the fifth-place match with a 9-7 decision. Bloom was injured early in his freshman year and consequently missed the remainder of his fresh-
man year, as well as his sophomore year. In his first tournament back, Bloom equaled the number of matches previously wrestled in his entire college career. “I was a bit nervous going in, but I felt better the more I wrestled. It was exciting for me because the tournament was really close to my hometown and I had my family there cheering for me,” Bloom said. At 157, Lenny Marandino ‘09 was the victim of a bad draw and lost 10-4 to Chad Terry from Oklahoma, who eventually took first place in the weight class. In the consolation bracket, Marandino had a three-match winning streak before losing the third-place match. He defeated Army’s Chris Grill 9-6 to take fifth. Amato was pleased with these wrestlers’ performances this weekend, but thought the team gave only an average performance on the whole. “We were up from last year, but some of the guys lacked intensity,” Amato said. “They were a bit too cautious and conservative.” The team will compete in its next tournament, the Keystone Classic, Sunday in Philadelphia. It will be the first time this season that Brown will face Ivy League opponents, when they square off with Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.
Brown students fans of their Apple MacBooks continued from page 5 sell cover minor accidents, dings on the computer and many replacement parts,” Geake said. “(AppleCare) is probably a good idea for some students.” Holistically, Geake, a former PC and current Mac owner, has enjoyed his personal Apple products. “I got an iBook via a grant, and I never turned back (from Apple). The components in the system are really user-friendly — the iLife software packages give users a lot of things to play around with that often cost extra on PCs. Many new users are ver y satisfied with the new operating system, OS X Leopard. I think more computer users are considering Macs because of their dual core processors and because they can run both Mac
and Windows operating systems,” Geake said. Students who have recently bought MacBooks voiced similar enthusiasm for the new MacBook’s features and operating system. “It’s an awesome computer,” said Evelyn Limon ’11 of her MacBook, which she purchased Aug. 27. “I’ve had my (MacBook) for about two weeks, and I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” said Elisa Foster GS, a histor y of art and architecture graduate student. Whether or not cracked MacBook casings are a problem on College Hill, students and bookstore employees alike agreed that the significance of these minor cosmetic defects pales in comparison to larger problems that have occurred with both Macs and PCs.
Monday, November 12, 2007
M. soccer nabs Ivy League Championship continued from page 12 avoid at first. “Sometimes you just can’t play the prettiest style,” said defender Rhett Bernstein ’09. Bernstein’s play was instrumental in Brown’s ability to resist Dartmouth’s pressure in the first half. On numerous occasions he sent attempted through passes back the other way, preventing any serious chances for the Big Green. In the second half, co-captain defender Matt Britner ’07.5 stepped up and made a number of plays to lead a steady defense, which has been especially spectacular of late. The win was Brown’s fourth straight shutout and the team extended its goal-less streak to 375 minutes in the process. “Our backline hasn’t conceded a goal in a long time. I can’t even remember how long (it has been),” Noonan said. Brown had as much trouble penetrating the Dartmouth backline. The Bears’ best chance in the first half came with 10:58 to play when midfielder Nick Elenz-Martin ’10 slid a short pass across the 18-yard box from the right side. The Dartmouth
goalkeeper, who played aggressively throughout the match, made a sliding challenge and knocked the ball back out to the perimeter. Midfielder Chris Roland ’10 gathered the ball, pushed it to his left and then teed up a left-footed line-drive that had a chance to find the net until it hit a Dartmouth defender in traffic and deflected right to the keeper. Dartmouth stepped up its play in the second half, increasing its pressure on the Brown defense. At the same time, Brown got sucked away from its possession game and into the physical battle. David Walls ’11 and Howerton both picked up yellow cards in the second half. “We really played into their hands,” Noonan said. Just when it looked as though the game was headed for overtime, Brown broke through. When the ball went out of bounds on the left side of the field deep in Dartmouth’s zone, Howerton lined up for his trademark flip throw-in. The throw was from the edge of Howerton’s range on the extra-long throw-ins, and all afternoon the Dartmouth goalie’s range had rendered the move ineffective. But this toss came down in the penalty area directly onto the head of
Sheehan, who flicked it into the back right corner of the net. “Howie took the throw and I was wide open,” he said. “I flicked it, expecting someone to be on the back post.” Soon after, the team was racing onto the field after the final whistle, newly crowned Ivy League Champions. The win is Brown’s 19th overall Ivy title, and the eighth under Noonan. The win also gave Brown the Ivy League’s bid to the NCAA Tournament. “When the whistle blew, I was shocked,” Sheehan said. “It’s amazing. It was one of our top goals,” Bernstein said. “We put the effort in and got the result. Winning outright is important. When I was a freshman we won, but we split the title with two other teams. I didn’t get the same feeling.” Still, the team is keeping the achievement in the perspective of the entire season. The next step is finishing 7-0 in the league. “There haven’t been many undefeated teams in this league,” Noonan said. “We have an opportunity to do that next week.” The Bears will travel to Columbia next Saturday for the season finale.
Football beats Dartmouth in 56-35 rout continued from page 12 a touchdown. Sewall was responsible for 141 of those yards, on 18 catches, but his contributions extended far beyond receiving. With the Bears operating out of a shotgun and five-wide set on nearly every play, Sewall often motioned into the backfield to receive handoffs, and it paid off. Sewall finished with 144 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 15 carries. In addition, Sewall showcased his passing skills on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Buddy Farnham ’10 on a trick play seconds before the end of the first half. “Bobby Sewall went out there and did everything, from running the football, to catching the football, to throwing for a touchdown and then finished the last play on defense,” Estes said. “If that’s not a complete game I don’t know what is.” Sewall’s touchdown pass came with just 20 seconds remaining in the first half after linebacker Frank Nuzzo ’09 forced a fumble and lineman Joseph McPhee ’09 dove on the ball. On first down at the Dartmouth 41, Sewall took a handoff on a fake reverse from Dougherty and found Farnham streaking down the right side of the field with a step on his defender. Sewall’s pass led Farnham perfectly for the touchdown. The score capped off the Bears’ 28 unanswered points in the first half. The game started disastrously for the Bears when a hit jarred the ball loose from Paul Raymond ’08 on the opening kickoff. Dartmouth took over at the Brown 12, and a 1-yard touchdown run gave the Big Green a 7-0 lead only 1:49 into the game. Bruno’s first offensive drive resulted in a punt, and Dartmouth answered with a 59-yard drive, ending with a 4-yard touchdown run to put the Bears behind by 14. The frustration continued when kicker Steve Morgan ’08 failed to convert a 32-yard field goal attempt, but on their next possession the Bears started to roll. Dougherty found Sewall and Farnham with short passes over the middle, and Brown moved the ball
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all the way to the Dartmouth 4-yard line. On 1st-and-goal, with Dougherty in the shotgun and Sewall lined up in the backfield, Dougherty faked the handoff to Sewall, drawing the defense to the left, and ran the ball to the right and straight into the end zone to cut the deficit to 14-7. After the defense forced Dartmouth to punt, Brown got the ball back at its own 8, but the Bears moved the ball quickly when Raymond caught a short pass from Dougherty and bounced to the outside for 45 yards. Dougherty continued to find open receivers: a 20-yard completion to Farnham, two 6-yard passes to Sewall, and two completions over the middle to tight end Colin Cloherty ’09 moved the ball to 1. A draw play to Sewall tied the game at 14. On Brown’s next scoring drive, Dougherty was perfect, completing all eight of his passes for 76 yards including an over-the-top throw to Farnham down the right sideline for a 24-yard score. Just 26 seconds later, Farnham caught his second touchdown pass of the day, this time from Sewall, who played quarterback in high school, to give Bruno a 28-14 lead heading into halftime. Farnham finished with 12 catches for 159 yards, both career highs. “I’m always on call, I’ve played a little quarterback,” Sewall said. “I practice throwing the ball a little bit, so when the situation calls for it, I’ll be able to make a play.” The Big Green got things started in the second half with a 72-yard drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown run, cutting Brown’s lead to 7 points, but Dougherty and the offense picked up right where they left off. Beginning at the Brown 36, Dougherty found Sewall and Farnham open on slant routes over the middle, and Brown moved the ball to the Dartmouth 2-yard line in only six plays. From there, Sewall took the handoff and ran a sweep into the end zone to increase the lead to 35-21. “If they’re going to play soft coverages, and give us all the un-
derneath stuff, we’re going to keep taking it,” Dougherty said. “As long as we stay consistent, and take what the defense is giving us, we really can’t be stopped.” On Brown’s next drive, Dougherty continued to complete short passes, and Sewall broke off an 18-yard run on a draw play to put the Bears at the Dartmouth 19. With the ball on the 10, Dougherty almost found the end zone on a keeper, but was brought down on the 1. Brown turned once again to Sewall, who scored his third rushing touchdown of the day on a 1-yard draw. With 10:07 left in the game, the Big Green cut the lead to 42-28, but Brown answered only 21 seconds later. Raymond returned a kickoff 43 yards, and on the first play from scrimmage Sewall found a hole up the middle and sprinted 44 yards into the end zone for his fourth rushing touchdown of the game. “I wasn’t sure I was going to get this many carries, but the holes were there, and the line did a great job,” Sewall said. “A lot of that was predicated off our passing game, if you throw for that many yards, it’s easy to set up the run.” After Dartmouth scored again to cut the lead to 49-35, Brown moved the ball down the field and then turned to fullback Tyler Rowley ’08 in the final home game of his career. With a 1st-and-10 at the Dartmouth 14, Rowley carried the ball for rushes of 2, 5, and 6 yards before plunging into the end zone from the 1 for the first touchdown of his collegiate career. The touchdown made the score 56-35, where it stayed for the rest of the game. Brown’s 56 points are the most points ever scored by any team against Dartmouth. “Last week was really disappointing (a 17-7 loss at Yale), so last night and even this morning, we were talking about putting up 50 (points),” Dougherty said. “We really meant it, we wanted to break records and put up a ton of points, and we just wanted to dominate offensively.” The Bears will travel to New York next week to play Columbia (1-8, 0-6 in the Ivy League) in its final game of the season.
M. hoops splits games on season-opening road trip continued from page 12 “We did a great job of controlling the tempo of the game,” McAndrew said. “We really ran some good actions offensively and created some good shots for Damon and myself. We showed a lot of energy and it was an all-around great effort from ever ybody in terms of communication.” Before the season began, Robinson said he was going to rely on his returning starters to play most of the minutes in the early part of the season. He was true to his word in the Eastern Michigan game, as McAndrew, Huffman, Friske and Skrelja each played at least 33 minutes. But Robinson did take advantage of the blowout to play all 15 players on the team, and nine players ended up scoring. “I was happy with the veterans — they did what they were supposed to do,” Robinson said, adding that he was also very impressed by the freshmen. After leaving Eastern Michigan’s campus in Ypsilanti, the Bears traveled to Ann Arbor to play the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday. The game against the Big Ten foe was a much different story. The Bears struggled to defend the offense of new Michigan coach John Beilein, who moved from West Virginia University in the offseason, and had trouble containing freshman phenom Manny Harris, who scored a game-high 22 points. “We just got off to an awful start,” McAndrew said. “I think Michigan came out and made six
out of their first eight shots, while we had only taken two shots.” Robinson said the Bears’ eight firsthalf turnovers — “way too many for us,” he noted — didn’t help either. Behind the strength of their three-point shooting — Michigan made 12-of-24 treys for the game — the Wolverines ran out to a 37-21 halftime lead. The Bears pulled within 13 after Huffman’s own three-pointer with less than four minutes left, but the Bears couldn’t make it any closer. Huffman led the way again for the Bears with 17 points, while McAndrew had 16. Tri-captain center Mark MacDonald ’08 added 13. “Big Mac was in foul trouble in the Eastern Michigan game and bounced back (Sunday),” McAndrew said. “He showed some great moves and he showed he’s the big man that we’re going to need him to be.” The Bears will next play the University of Rhode Island on Wednesday in their home opener at the Pizzitola Sports Center. Robinson said he expects URI to put more pressure on the Bears than either Michigan team, but he added that he wasn’t going to change anything in practice because he likes how the team is developing. He said the team’s first two games were “very good.” McAndrew agreed. “I definitely think this is positive because we now know, as a team, what we need to do to take it in the next level,” McAndrew said.
E ditorial & L etters Page 10
Monday, November 12, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Staf f Editorial
Sex Power Passe? As another Sex Power God passes without major incident — only five students required emergency medical attention on Saturday evening, far fewer than the 24 at 2005’s bash — we can’t help feeling that the event has become somewhat passe. Sure, the dubious appeal of a “booty box,” free lubricant, consensual-sex patrols and “sex techno” can’t be overlooked. But there’s a sense among many of us who have seen past Sex Power Gods come and go that things have become a little tamer, a little less lamer and, well, a little less like a raucous sex riot and more like a demilitarized party zone. Security guards at the gate and sobriety tests at the door — no matter how effectively they’re administered — take away much of the event’s exhibitionism and unreality. The video of the 2005 event that played on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” might have embarrassed the University’s more prudent patrons and parents. But it also turned Sex Power God into a rallying point for many students, a ‘look-how-bad-we-are’ badge of merit rather than an uninhibited space to explore sexual boundaries. As this year’s freshmen, most of whom were barely 16 when the O’Reilly segment aired, flocked to Sex Power God as eagerly as they trotted through the Van Wickle Gates, we realize the party’s controversy has cemented the party’s place as a Brown tradition, deserving or not. So, with that in mind, here are the top five reasons we didn’t go to Sex Power God this year.
jEE HYUN CHOI
Letters
5. Because we’re already having plenty of consensual sex — and only in public when preferred, not when pounded. 4. Because Thanksgiving is only a week away, and we want to be able to honestly look our relatives in the eye and say we didn’t go to that “sex party” they’ve heard so much about. 3. Because, despite what well-meaning ‘protestors’ had to say outside Alumnae Hall on Saturday night, you don’t all look good naked. 2. Because $15 is too much to pay for awkward college mistakes. 1. Because we went freshman year. Look, as much as we may criticize, Sex Power God has dubiously become a Brown tradition. Treating it as one more experience to check off a list of things to do at Brown isn’t the point, and few attendees probably realize the event was named after a lecture given on campus in the 1980s. But exploring boundaries of any kind and experiencing new (and maybe surprising) things is part of your Brown education. That’s right. Just keep in mind: exploration does not necessitate medical attention at the end of the night.
peta2 applauds campus animal rights efforts To the Editor: In response to a recent opinions column (“Brown’s vegetarian dining options fall short,” Nov. 9), it was wonderful to see that the Brown Animal Rights Club is interested in working to expand the vegetarian and vegan selection on campus. As the article mentions, Brown was nominated to peta2’s list based on the feedback we receive from students, as well as research into the options listed on the school Web site. If Brown is not following through with the cuisine promised, this would certainly be a great opportunity to amend that. Of course, even if a school is one of the best in the country in terms of offering healthy and humane food choices, there is always room for improvement. Certainly nobody looking for these options wants to risk supporting companies that torture and slaughter animals for
food, so it is important that the students hold the school to the standard they expect. With an ever-increasing vegetarian population, particularly among students (one in four list vegan options as very important to them), it is crucial that the schools respond by meeting the needs and requests of their students. The voting for the “Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges” contest is still running on peta2.com/College until Nov. 13, so make sure to get yours in before the deadline. By showing that there is support for delicious cruelty-free cuisine at Brown, the options will only continue to get better and better. Ryan Huling College Campaign Coordinator, peta2.com Nov. 9
T he B rown D aily H erald Editors-in-Chief Eric Beck Mary-Catherine Lader
Executive Editors Stephen Colelli Allison Kwong Ben Leubsdorf
Senior Editors Jonathan Sidhu Anne Wootton
editorial Lydia Gidwitz Robin Steele Oliver Bowers Stephanie Bernhard Simmi Aujla Sara Molinaro Ross Frazier Karla Bertrand Jacob Schuman Peter Cipparone Erin Frauenhofer Stu Woo Benjy Asher Amy Ehrhart Jason Harris
Arts & Culture Editor Arts & Culture Editor Campus Watch Editor Features Editor Metro Editor Metro Editor News Editor Opinions Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor
photo Christopher Bennett Rahul Keerthi Ashley Hess
Photo Editor Photo Editor Sports Photo Editor
To the Editor:
Business Mandeep Gill General Manager Darren Ball Executive Manager Dan DeNorch Executive Manager Laurie-Ann Paliotti Sr. Advertising Manager Susan Dansereau Office Manager production Steve DeLucia Catherine Cullen Roxanne Palmer
Design Editor Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor
post- magazine Hillary Dixler Melanie Duch Taryn Martinez Rajiv Jayadevan Sonia Kim Matt Hill Arthur Matuszewski
Focus on productive climate change solutions
Managing Editor Managing Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Features Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor
I appreciate the efforts of University community members combating the policies and pollution contributing to climate change (”Global warming rallies heat up,” Nov. 5). I was particularly excited to read that Brown’s efforts will include community-based responses. In Europe, carbon offsets and emissions trading have become the most popular response to climate change. While the United States failed to get on the Kyoto bandwagon, we can learn from Europe’s failures regarding the shortcomings of carbon offset solutions. At 4 p.m. on Nov.
16., Larry Lohman, an upstanding author, activist and lecturer from the United Kingdom, will be speaking in the Urban Environmental Laboratory about the social and economic consequences of carbon trading and the ways European carbon markets have reinforced troublesome neoliberal policies. As one of Lohman’s goals includes more community-based approaches to the climate crisis, I look forward to a productive discussion of all of our climate change solutions. Sarah Wald GS Nov. 8
Wudan Yan, Alex Unger, Steve DeLucia, Designers Tyler Rosenbaum, Rafael Chaiken, Jenna Stark, Laura Straub, Copy Editors Rachel Arndt, Debbie Lehmann, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Rachel Arndt, Michael Bechek, Irene Chen, Chaz Firestone, Isabel Gottlieb, Nandini Jayakrishna, Franklin Kanin, Kristina Kelleher, Debbie Lehmann, Scott Lowenstein, Michael Skocpol, Nick Werle Staff Writers Stefanie Angstadt, Amanda Bauer, Brianna Barzola, Evan Boggs, Caitlin Browne, Sam Byker, Zachary Chapman, Joy Chua, Patrick Corey, Catherine Goldberg, Olivia Hoffman, Chaz Kelsh, Jessica Kerry, Sophia Lambertson, Cameron Lee, Sophia Li, Christian Martell, Taryn Martinez, George Miller, Anna Millman, Sonia Saraiya, Andrea Savdie, Marielle Segarra, Gaurie Tilak, Simon van Zuylen-Wood, Matt Varley, Meha Verghese, Joanna Wohlmuth Sports Staff Writers Andrew Braca, Whitney Clarke, Han Cui, Evan Kantor, Christina Stubbe Business Staff Diogo Alves, Emilie Aries, Beth Berger, Steven Butschi, Timothy Carey, Jilyn Chao, Ellen DaSilva, Pete Drinan, Dana Feuchtbaum, Patrick Free, Sarah Glick, Alexander Hughes, Claire Kiely, Soobin Kim, Katelyn Koh, Darren Kong, Christie Liu, Philip Maynard, Ingrid Pangandoyon, Mariya Perelyubskaya, Viseth San, Paolo Servado, Kaustubh Shah, Saira Shervani, Yelena Shteynberg, Jon Spector, Robert Stefani, Lily Tran, Hari Tyagi, Lindsay Walls, Benjamin Xiong Design Staff Brianna Barzola, Chaz Kelsh,Ting Lawrence, Philip Maynard, Alex Unger, Aditya Voleti, Wudan Yan Photo Staff Oona Curley, Alex DePaoli, Austin Freeman, Emmy Liss, Meara Sharma, Tai Ho Shin, Min Wu Copy Editors Ayelet Brinn, Rafael Chaiken, Erin Cummings, Katie Delaney, Jake Frank, Jennifer Grayson, Ted Lamm, Max Mankin, Alex Mazerov, Ben Mercer, Ezra Miller, Seth Motel, Alexander Rosenberg, Emily Sanford, Sara Slama, Jenna Stark, Laura Straub, Meha Verghese, Elena Weissman
C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy 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. C ommentary P O L I C Y The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. L etters to the E ditor P olicy Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. advertising P olicy The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
O pinions Monday, November 12, 2007
Page 11
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Brunonian culture plays a role in eating disorders BY KATHRYN BOONSTRA Guest Columnist I would like to express my deep appreciation to the staff at The Herald and the faculty and students who shared their personal experiences in the recent article “Too skinny for Brown” (Nov. 8), which shed important light on the issue of eating disorders at Brown. I noticed the frightening prevalence of disordered eating, negative body image and unrealistic expectations regarding weight just weeks after I arrived on campus more than two years ago. I have been cognizant of the problem since then and have become increasingly convinced that Brown’s high-pressure, high-achieving culture pushes young men and women to be constantly aware and critical of their bodies to such an extent that eating disorders can easily and quickly develop, and that the weight that we place on physical image in our everyday discourse and behavior exacerbates this tendency. I commend the group of students who have designed a Group Independent Study Project to evaluate the resources that Brown provides for students with eating disorders, and I support them fully in their efforts to improve these services. It is absolutely critical that students struggling with disordered eating (which I define here as an obsessive, irrational and unhealthy relationship with food, that can include behaviors such as calorie-counting, excessive exercise and strong feelings of guilt associated with eating), poor body image or illnesses such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa have professionals to support them and services available to guide them in recovery. Equally important, I believe, is bringing the issue out into the open and initiating an open dialogue both within the student body and with faculty.
The Herald’s article and the changes sought by the student GISP are important first steps in that direction. I do wonder, however, if the culture at Brown is such that these measures (such as a new dean’s position and a clinic and counseling available for students with eating disorders) will have little effect on the root causes, and thus the overall prevalence, of the problem. Students who are drawn to Brown have accomplished a tremendous amount in their lives, are used to pushing themselves to achieve perfection and feel a strong sense of control over their future and their success. This is part
and Leslie Roos ’09 agreed that social life at Brown “led (her) to see how girls viewed their bodies and how their bodies were judged and viewed by guys.” The gendered divisions commonly associated with eating disorders are rarely black and white: responsibility cannot be placed solely on men for fostering poor body image among women, nor is disordered eating restricted to the female population. Roos cites disturbing comments she heard from male friends regarding girls’ weight and their attractiveness, and I have heard many similar remarks myself, but I have also witnessed the many ways in which
There is a culture of perfectionism and competition here at Brown that has expanded beyond the realm of academics and affected our relationships with our own bodies. of what makes ours such a brilliant, motivated and inspiring student body. But it also contributes significantly to the widespread feelings of poor body image that afflict so many men and women here. I cannot cite any statistics about the relative severity of the problem at Brown as compared to other college campuses, particularly highly selective schools, but from my own experience and understanding of disordered eating, I would say that it is rampant here. Both women interviewed by The Herald stated that their illnesses began when they arrived at Brown,
female friends create and enforce impossible standards for their bodies. The “diet/workout buddy system” that Roos mentions is just one example. I have also seen women compete openly or silently with each other over who can eat less at the Sharpe Refectory, who can resist the frozen yogurt at the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall, who can work out for longer and who looks better in a pair of skinny jeans. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are illnesses that need to be treated and approached without stigma just like other illnesses, but I am also quite certain that they have very real social
causes that we ourselves contribute to. We all recognize the deleterious effects of mass media on self-image, but we do not give enough attention to the ways in which we perpetuate unrealistic expectations through our everyday conversations, judgments and behaviors. When we discriminate against people because of their weight (consciously or not), when we vocalize the guilt we feel for eating certain foods, when we laud others for their unnatural weight loss or when we make chauvinist remarks, we are actively contributing to the problem. There is a culture of perfectionism and competition here at Brown that, though we may prefer to deny it, has expanded beyond the realm of academics and affected our relationships with our own bodies. If we can pull all-nighters, juggle dozens of extracurricular activities, get straight A’s and still have healthy social lives, we seem to believe that we can also achieve the “perfect body.” The pressure we exert on ourselves and our peers to achieve the impossible creates a culture prone to unhealthy self image and destructive behaviors. When we’re surrounded by such an attitude among our peers, and we live in world where image can make or break our success, I can understand how body image can quickly plummet and obsessive, destructive behaviors take control. I fully support efforts to improve services available for students struggling with disordered eating, but I doubt if these steps will affect the atmosphere that cultivates these problems. Breaking the silence on disordered eating and becoming fully aware of our own conscious or unconscious involvement and complicity in our high-pressure and increasingly imageobsessed culture is an essential first step in making progress against this illness.
Kathryn Boonstra ‘09 feels good to be a gangster.
The truth about the Israeli-Palestinian ‘peace process’ BY JAKE HESS Guest Columnist I first visited occupied Palestine in 2003, shortly after the U.S.-sponsored “road map” plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace was introduced. I was traveling with a British journalist, who was reporting on the Middle East for his paper. Everywhere we went, he asked Palestinians if they saw any promise in the proposal, which was presented to world public opinion as a grand new opportunity to resolve the 60-yearold conflict. Sharif Omar, a farmer-activist from the West Bank village of Jayyus, gave a typical answer. “How can Mr. Bush speak of peace,” he asked, “while Israel is separating us from our farms?” He waved to the scene below us, where Israel’s notorious Wall was being built between the village and the land it used to depend on. “If you want to know the chances for peace, look at the situation on the ground.” As the Annapolis, Md. conference on the Israel-Palestine conflict draws near, one would do well to heed Omar’s admonition. The New York Times has characterized the upcoming meeting as the Bush administration’s most “serious effort” for Middle Eastern peace “in six years.” Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently declared that “all the fundamental questions and substantial problems will be on the table at Annapolis.” Yet, hundreds of pages worth of reports by international, Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations show that the opposite is true. Beneath the charade of the “peace process,” Israel is systematically destroying
the possibility of a truly independent, viable Palestinian state — and, by extension, a peaceful settlement. Last July, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published a major study on Israel’s occupation policy in the West Bank. It found that nearly 40 percent of the territory currently consists of illegal Israeli settlements, “outposts, military bases and closed military areas, Israeli declared nature areas or other related infrastructure that are
non-viable fragments,” which “continues to be implemented at a growing pace” and has “removed the possibility of Palestinian territorial contiguity in the West Bank.” Five years ago, Israel’s leading human rights organization, B’Tselem, noted that “the drastic change that Israel has made in the map of the West Bank prevents any real possibility for the establishment of an independent, viable Palestinian state as part of the Palestinians’ right to selfdetermination.”
Until the United States and Israel decide that Palestinians are entitled to the same human rights as every other people on Earth, talk of ‘peace’ will amount only to a cruel joke. off limits or tightly regulated to Palestinians.” The rest of the area has been “dissected into dozens of enclaves,” all of them “geographically separated from (each other) by some form of Israeli infrastructure.” Amnesty International confirms the general picture, deploring what it characterizes as “Israel’s policy of dividing the Occupied Palestinian Territories into disconnected and
Supporters of Israel constantly cite Palestinian “terrorism” to justify the occupation. According to this logic, Israeli attacks would decrease if Palestinian ones did. In 2006, there were fewer suicide bombings than there were during any year since September 2000, according to Human Rights Watch; according to Amnesty International, the overall number of Israelis killed by Palestinians decreased by half.
Nevertheless, the same year, the number of Palestinians killed by Israel actually increased three-fold. Hamas has been barred from the Annapolis meeting on the basis of its refusal to unambiguously meet the three demands imposed on it by the “international community”: recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by all previous agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Of course, Israel is exempt from the same conditions, as the above shows. Instead, the “international community” is silent as Israel dismembers the West Bank, turns Gaza into what B’Tselem has called “the largest prison on earth,” and escalates its relentless violence against a colonized people. And far from subjecting Israel to a vicious sanctions regime, as the U.S. government has done to the Palestinians living under Hamas, Washington increased military aid to Israel by 25 percent last August. As for the Annapolis summit, Condoleeza Rice has privately declared her refusal to impose any conditions on Israel “that will not be acceptable to it,” according to Israel’s most prestigious newspaper, Ha’aretz. So much for the “honest broker” myth. Simply put, the “situation on the ground,” to use Omar’s phrase, belies the media optimism surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian “peace process.” Until the United States and Israel decide that the Palestinians are entitled to the same human rights as every other people on Earth, and that Israel should be subject to the same legal standards as every other state involved in armed conflict, talk of “peace” will amount only to a cruel joke.
Jake Hess GS welcomes feedback at JakeRHess@gmail.com.
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Monday, November 12, 2007
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
M. soccer defense denies Dartmouth, takes Ivy crown By Jason Harris Assistant Sports Editor
Rarely in Ivy League soccer do two teams ranked first and second in the conference meet head-to-head so late in the season. The men’s soccer game against No. 22 Dartmouth on Saturday was in effect a conference championship game, and at the conclusion, sounds of soccer celebration could be heard across College Hill. As the packed stands cleared after Brown’s 1-0 victory, the men’s soccer team screamed, “Ole, ole, ole,” in a joyous circle, celebrating its Ivy League Championship. The No. 2 Bears (14-1-1, 6-0 Ivy) clinched the Ivy title with a goal from Dylan Sheehan ’09 with just over eight minutes to play. The team’s undefeated record in the league with one game to play places them out of the reach of the 4-1-1 Big Green, who dropped to 10-4-2 overall on the season. With the conference crown up for grabs, an overflowing crowd in addition to senior day ceremonies helped create an excited atmosphere at Stevenson Field. Prior to the game, the crowd, led by the PA announcer, heartily sang the national anthem after the recording malfunctioned. From the opening whistle, Brown flashed the skill that has pushed it up the national rankings. The Bears mounted a number of attacks in the opening minutes which culminated in multiple unsuccessful crosses and corner kicks. The game then settled into a contrast of style. Brown attempted to play a possession game that involved working the ball up the field with good, crisp passes. Dartmouth opted for a more physical game based on athleticism. The result was a match that took Bruno off its game at first. “We fell into the trap (of playing physical),” said Head Coach Mike Noonan. “They put us under a lot
Mixed results for m. hoops on Michigan road trip By Stu Woo Sports Editor
only to be pushed down again, leading to Carroll getting slapped with a yellow card. The rough style of play was something the Bears couldn’t
Before the men’s basketball team’s two-game road trip to Michigan, Head Coach Craig Robinson emphasized that the team was taking the trip to win, despite playing schools with bigger, more heavily recruited players. Robinson met his goal — halfway, at least. The Bears outshot Eastern Michigan University en route to a 74-55 win in their season opener on Friday, but they couldn’t find their shooting stroke in a 72-57 loss to the University of Michigan on Sunday. “I came away thinking that Friday we played a lot better than I thought we would, and (Sunday) we played a lot worse than I thought we would,” Robinson said. “I’m pretty happy with where the guys are at right now.” The Bears started slowly in both games, but were able to break away in the first half against Eastern Michigan, which plays in the MidAmerican Conference. Down 24-18 with 8:29 left in the first half, the Bears went on a 27-4 run to head into halftime with a 45-28 lead. They increased the lead in the second half, and a lay-up by Scott Friske ’09 with less than nine minutes remaining gave the Bears a 64-41 lead. Tri-captain point guard Damon Huffman ’08 started the game hot, hitting his first six three-pointers, and he finished with a game-high 24 points. Tri-captain shooting guard Mark McAndrew ’08 added 22, and Chris Skrelja ’09 had a near tripledouble with eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
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Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
Dylan Sheehan’s ’09 sole goal in Saturday’s game against Dartmouth clinched the Ivy League Championship for the Bears.
pressure.” The Big Green’s physicality was on display with 25:15 left to play in the first half when midfielder Darren Howerton ’09 was fouled at midfield. He attempted a quick re-
start but Dartmouth’s Matt Carroll quickly stepped in front of the ball. The two exchanged words as they headed up-field, and a few seconds later Carroll shoved Howerton to the ground. Howerton recovered,
Wrestling opens season Sewall ’10 steals the show in football’s rout at Oklahoma tournament By Han Cui Spor ts Staf f Writer
Facing stiff competition in its season-opening tournament on Saturday, the wrestling team finished eighth out of nine schools and far behind No. 19 the University of Oklahoma. The team did see strong individual efforts across the board and recorded its highest-ever point total in the Brockport-Oklahoma Gold Classic. The team racked up 63.5 points, 22 points more than its total at last year’s invitational at Brockport, N.Y. Five wrestlers out of the 10 weight classes placed individually, and co-captain Jeff Schell ’08 led the way with a second place finish. Despite these improvements and accomplishments, the coaches and the wrestlers still see a lot of room for improvement in the coming season. “It was our first real tournament of the season, and we expected errors,” Schell said. “It is much better to see the errors early and have the coaches help us to analyze and correct them. But I saw a lot of good wrestling from
the team. A lot of the guys did not give up and eventually came up from behind.” In his first-round match at the 133-pound weight class, Schell breezed past his opponent, 14-2, then took down Kent State University’s Clayton Stark by a score of 7-3. But Schell had closer matches as he advanced through the bracket. Schell faced William Simpson of the United States Military Academy in the semifinal round and scraped by his opponent 3-2 to reach the final. In the final, facing the nation’s 12th seed, Dan Mitcheff of Kent State, Schell lost by a margin of 2-1. Schell was pleased with his performance but still thought he could have wrestled better. “As a senior and a captain, I expect myself to be a high-performance leader — to lead by example,” Schell said. “As far as this weekend goes, I had a lot of close matches. I think I wrestled really well, but I still made a few errors. I finished second but I really wanted to win the tournament.” Following Schell’s lead, four continued on page 7
By Benjy Asher Assistant Sports Editor
The football team had a particularly miserable opening 10 minutes against Dartmouth on Saturday. Brown managed to fumble the opening kickoff and miss a field goal, spotting the Big Green a 14-0 lead in the process. But the Bears woke up midway through the first quarter of its final home game. Brown’s offense, led by its wide receivers and in particular Bobby Sewall ’10, exploded to turn the game into a 56-35 rout. Quarterback Michael Dougherty ’09 had his best game of the season, and Sewall had a performance to remember. “It’s not the best way to start a game to spot the other team 14 points. When we woke up and we played, I thought it was just one of the most incredible performances I’ve seen in a long, long time,” said a pleased Head Coach Phil Estes. Brown bumped its record to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in the Ivy League with the win. Dougherty played nearly flawless football, completing 41 of 50 passes for 403 yards, while also rushing for continued on page 9
Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
In Saturday’s 56-35 win over Dartmouth, Bobby Sewall ’10 finished with 144 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 15 carries.