The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, A pril 2, 2008
Volume CXLIII, No. 43
Wing hopes to fly as new BioMed dean
U. admits 13.3 percent, setting a new record
C o m e to g e th e r
By Joanna Wohlmuth Senior Staff Writer
Cancer studies potential target for Alpert gift By George Miller Senior Staff Writer
Incoming Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Edward Wing formally introduced himself to the Brown community Monday, saying he plans to continue the rapid rise in recent years of the medical school and other programs. “Our programs have risen like rockets,” Wing said, speaking at a press conference in the Maddock Alumni Center. He was introduced by President Ruth Simmons and Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98, who chose Wing from a list of five names selected by an advisory search committee. Simmons praised Wing for the “breadth of experience and expertise that will make him effective” in the Division of Biology and Medicine, saying he was well-acquainted with the National Institutes of Health — the primary source of funding for medical research at Brown — and with federal funding processes. Wing came to Brown from the University of Pittsburgh 10 years ago as a professor and chair of the Department of Medicine, a position he will leave July 1 when he takes over from the current BioMed dean, Eli Adashi. He will also give up his physicianin-chief positions at the Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital, along with his other positions at Brown’s affiliated hospitals. He told The Herald he will shift roles in July, becoming no longer connected to the hospitals, but representing all aspects of the division, which includes, as Simmons described it, everything from introductory biology classes to its assorted doctoral programs. Associate Professor of Medicine Stephen Gregory is Wing’s research partner and has known him for 20 years, ever since Wing recruited him first to Pittsburgh and then to Brown. Though his primary responsibilities have since drifted toward the administrative, Wing “absolutely turned around research” at Brown, Gregory said. He said he has seen research growing in the Jewelry District during his time here. “Ed Wing had a lot to do with that,” he said. Gregory watched from his office in the Jewelry District as the building at 70 Ship St., once the home of the Spiedel watch band company, was turned over to Brown and became the home of molecular medicine labs. Gregory worked with Wing on researching the immune defenses of the liver — which clears most of the bacteria entering the bloodstream — in responding to the bacterium Listeria, using that pathogen as a model. continued on page 6
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HIGHER ED
No Boys allowed Harvard sets aside specific women-only gym hours, irking some
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Rahul Keerthi / Herald
Felipe Luciano opened Latino History Month with an impassioned speech.
The University set a record low admission rate of 13.3 percent Monday, admitting 2,187 applicants through regular decision. The increase in the number of applicants made this year’s admissions process the most competitive the University has ever seen, said Dean of Admission James Miller ’73. A total of 20,604 applications were read for regular and early decision admissions slots, an 8 percent increase over last year’s pool of 19,059. “This was the most difficult year to be admitted in history, statistically,” Miller said. Among those applicants beating the odds was Sydney Ember, who was visiting relatives in Connecticut over her high school’s spring break when she tried to log on to the admissions Web site around 5:15 p.m. on Monday night. “I could not figure out the Brown Web site,” Ember said. “I spent 20
minutes thinking I had the wrong password.” After locating the proper page, the senior at the Harvard-Westlake School in North Hollywood, Calif., learned of her admission to the class of 2012. “I’m really excited,” she said. “I’m pretty sure about (attending) Brown.” Between 12,000 and 14,000 applicants logged onto the site on Tuesday night, Miller said. The rest are expected to go on over the next few days or wait until the official letter comes in the mail. Though the University admitted around 2,700 students — 555 of them through early decision — it expects about 1,500 students will matriculate, Miller said. The CIS Help Desk had staff on hand to help applicants who had trouble using the admissions site. “Right when the decisions are released people are panicking because they can’t continued on page 6
See Campus News, page 5
Int’l Affairs funds 14 UTRAs for this summer said. “They helped fund these 14 awards, which made it possible for us to make further awards in non-international competition,” she said. “The idea is that there are a lot of good international programs that are already taking place,” said Director of International Affairs Vasuki Nesiah. “This is one of those examples.” The stipend provided to international UTRA recipients has increased by $500 — to $3,500 — because of the increasing cost of
By Jenna Stark Senior Staff Writer
The number of international Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards has increased for this summer, with the Office of International Affairs funding 14 new stipends for foreign research. Overall, 238 UTRAs have been granted for this summer — a 20 percent increase from years past. The International Affairs funding enabled both the creation of the new awards and helped the general expansion of the program, Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron
continued on page 4
Chris Bennett / Herald File Photo
The Office of Admission read a total of 20,604 applications, 8 percent more than last year, for this year’s applicant pool.
Haynes ’85 explains Dylan film ‘I’m Not There’ at RISD By Cameron Lee Staff Writer
Todd Haynes ’85 didn’t “aim to educate or give a primer to (Bob) Dylan for people” in “I’m Not There,” his film about the many personalities of Dylan. “I wanted to preserve the genuine weirdness of Bob Dylan,” Haynes told an audience at the RISD auditorium Monday night. “We forget how weird (his) stuff is and how radical it was at the time.” The screened film, which refers to everything from Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” to Billy the Kid, uses six different actors to portray six different aspects of Dylan’s life. These characters include such disparate examples as a young black boy who calls himself Woody Guthrie, an adult male who goes from protest singer to gospel singer and an older
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CAMPUS NEWS
man called Billy the Kid living in a Though he knew it would be diftown in the Wild West. The charac- ficult to obtain the rights to make ters and their storylines are intercut, a movie about Dylan, he said he creating a mosaic of Dylan’s life as enjoyed developing the story so a whole. much he didn’t care if the movie Cate Blanchett was nominated was actually made. for the Best Supporting Actress OsDylan’s son Jesse acted as a car and won the Golden Globe for liaison between Haynes and Bob Best Supporting Actress for her por- Dylan, and the elder Dylan approved trayal of Jude, Haynes’ script a portrait of via Jesse. “(Bob ARTS & CULTURE Bob Dylan in Dylan) gave me the 1960s. everything, basiFollowing the screening, Haynes cally. ... I had a tremendous amount answered questions from the au- of freedom,” Haynes said. “There redience, primarily about “I’m Not ally were no creative guideposts.” There.” In response to an audience memThe roots for the film came from ber who said he felt the film was “a his days in high school listening series of cliches,” Haynes said he to Dylan, Haynes said, but he did intentionally used genres from the not come up with the idea until he biopic tradition for the film. He said rediscovered Dylan while writing that while not every genre would be the script for “Far From Heaven.” to every audience member’s liking,
UC-What? The Herald poll shows many students are unaware of or uninterested in UCS’s work
11
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Boldly SECOND-RATE Tyler Rosenbaum ‘11 thinks Brown’s drive to be like other Ivies may cost it its soul
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he hoped that people could latch onto some of the stories. Haynes also said he used icons such as Billy the Kid, Arthur Rimbaud and Woody Guthrie intentionally in the film. “I wanted to honor and characterize the specific literary and cultural influences that defined parts of (Dylan),” he said. The Billy the Kid story accounted for Dylan’s work that reflects an identification with outlaw ideology, Haynes said. When asked about his use of voiceover in “I’m Not There,” in light of the disdain it often receives, Haynes said he loves the technique. “I think even the cheesiest voiceover immediately situates you,” he said. “It’s a device. All of filmmaking is a device.” Haynes said he did not think of continued on page 4
tomorrow’s weather We’re about as likely to get rain as your friend in high school is to get into Brown. Ouch.
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T oday Page 2
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Menu
But Seriously | Charlie Custer and Stephen Barlow
Sharpe Refectory
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Lunch — Falafel in Pita with Cuke Dressing and Tahini, Cornish Pasty, Barley Pilaf, Cauliflower, Green Beans & Peppers
Lunch — Steak and Pepper Fajitas, Vegan Roasted Vegetable Burritos, Mexican Corn, Pasta, Sauces, Meatballs, Mediterranean Eggplant Saute
Dinner — Golden Eggplant Curry, Baked Stuffed Pollock, Red Rice, Savory Spinach, Zucchini, Carrot & Garlic Medley
Dinner — Lemon Broiled Chicken, Tomato Basil Pie, Savory Rice Pilaf, Whole Green Beans, Sizzling Cuban Stir Fry
Sudoku
Free Variation | Jeremy Kuhn
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Enigma Twist | Dustin Foley
© Puzzles by Pappocom
RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Los Angeles Times Puzzle C r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd
Vagina Dentata | Soojean Kim
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Paper quantity 5 Attentive 9 Sky support? 14 It opens with thunder and lightning, in “Macbeth” 15 Wrinkly citrus 16 Fraud 17 Make an unalterable decision 20 “Roots” hero __ Kinte 21 Assist, in a way 22 Zip 23 Gardner of film 25 LAX listing 27 Emphasized items on a list, say 36 1975 Wimbledon winner 37 Giants pitcher Barry 38 Fishing boat net 39 One more than thrice L 40 Isn’t an outsider 42 Island garland 43 Not commit 45 Wagner’s Earth goddess 46 Yemenia Airways destination 47 Filled appetizer 50 Ariz. neighbor 51 Mazatlán Mrs. 52 Tubes on the table 55 Unaccounted-for GI 59 Like some whiskey 63 Therapeutic technique, and what this puzzle is an exercise in? 66 Mill input 67 Fashion initials 68 QED part 69 Works with flour 70 Biased interpretation 71 “Pirates of the Caribbean” star DOWN 1 Ruin’s partner
2 Tan shade 3 Heaps 4 Goof 5 Unpaved road feature 6 Turkish bigwig 7 Commoner 8 Run out of gas 9 Alert after a heist, maybe 10 Destination of many a disappearance? 11 Nuts 12 Poetic time reference 13 Seasonal song ender 18 Bullpen stat 19 Sch. near the 50Across border 24 Axe relative 26 Kids 27 Dash dials 28 Lake land 29 Scold 30 Pie-eyed 31 Pac. coast base until 1994 32 Ballet leg bend 33 Silents star Nita 34 Many a junior high student
35 David’s weapon 40 “I’ve Gotta __” 41 Pinup’s asset 44 Most like venison 46 Protected, as a home 48 Test 49 __-dieu 52 Parts of weaving moves 53 Cross letters 54 Relieved letters
56 Tight bundles 57 Like a GI peeling potatoes 58 Legal scholar Guinier 60 “Able was __ ...” 61 Easy job 62 Internet address opener 64 Liberation movement issues: Abbr. 65 MD for women
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
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4/2/08
War and Peas | Linda Zhang and Eli Jaffa
T he B rown D aily H erald By Sean O.F. Smith (c)2008 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
4/2/08
If you do one thing on College Hill today... Buy a $5 ticket and see the up-and-coming Belcea String Quartet before they head to Carnegie Hall later this week. 8 p.m. in Alumnae Hall
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H igher E d Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
CDC: 1 in 4 girls have STIs College health educators not surprised at results By Melissa Shube Staff Writer
Kim Perley / Herald
Students working out at the Emery-Woolley gym. In January, Harvard designated certain gym hours women-only.
Uproar over man ban at Harvard gym By Leslie Primack Staff Writer
Light streams through floor-to-ceiling windows in Harvard’s Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center on a Monday afternoon, hitting a battalion of elliptical machines. A less noticeable detail of this gym, however, is its most controversial: the absence of Y chromosomes. A few months ago, Harvard became one of a handful of colleges to set aside specific gym hours for women only, a policy that has sparked indignation and debate at Harvard and on other campuses across the nation. In response to requests from six female Muslim students wishing to exercise without the constraint of burqas and hijabs, on Jan. 28 Harvard designated six hours a week in one of its gyms as women-only. “This trial program is in keeping with a long tradition at Harvard of working collaboratively with our students to address issues as they arise,” Judith Kidd, Harvard’s associate dean of student life, wrote in an official statement. “The program will be reviewed at the end of the semester.” Many Harvard students have criticized the decision, labeling it anti-feminist, an example of political correctness gone wrong and a new form of segregation. Others defend the policy as one that promotes women’s health. Harvard junior Nick Wells said that when he walks by the gym during women-only hours, he often sees only two or three women using the facility. He said the times allotted for women — early Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Monday afternoons — are inconvenient for anyone living in the religious houses far away, but are peak hours for residents of the Quad like himself. “If they want to help (female Muslim students) out, at least try to do it in a genuine way that’s practical for them or practical for us,” he said. “I think you need to be economical about it.” In a Feb. 20 column in the Harvard Crimson, Wells criticized the policy’s lack of transparency and the inconvenience it causes male residents of the Quad who regularly use the gym. Dozens of students and alums agreed with him in online responses to the article. “My religion dictates that I work out in an empty building alone for eight hours a day. How does Har-
vard plan to accommodate me?” quipped one student in an online comment. Atena Asiaii ’08, a member of Brown’s Muslim Student Association, said she feels Harvard’s policy has been cast as a religious issue, when it is in fact a women’s issue. “I actually think the issue itself has been mischaracterized in the media,” she said. The issue of women-only gym hours has never come up at Brown, said Director of Athletics Michael Goldberger. Asiaii, a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, long sleeves and long pants, routinely uses the Brown gym without feeling encumbered by her clothing. She said she does not mind co-ed gym time, though she believes many women feel more comfortable lifting weights without men present, simply because they’re “embarrassed that they can only lift a 20-pound or 10-pound weight when there are guys right next to them lifting 100 pounds.” “I would feel more comfortable in a gym with only women,”
she said, “but it’s not because of a religious conviction, and I think many women share this sentiment regardless of religious background and belief.” Asiaii disagreed with sentiments that women-only gym hours reinforce the stereotype of women as weaker and less athletic than men, adding that the hype surrounding the issue does not stem from a concern that the policy is anti-feminist. “Unfortunately I feel like the big hype that’s been drawn out of this isn’t really because people are concerned about feminism,” she said. “I think it comes out of a more xenophobic attitude toward Muslims.” Kalamazoo College, a small liberal arts school in Michigan, has had a similar policy, though less publicized and less controversial, for three years. “Women in the Weight Room” arose for purely secular reasons: a female student began the program to encourage
Been for a spin in Israel?
continued on page 4
A March 11 study by the Center for Disease Control estimated that close to 1 in 4 girls ages 14 to 19 are infected with human papillomavirus, chlamydia, herpes and/or trichomoniasis, and some health education officials at universities say they aren’t surprised. Brown Health Services Educator Naomi Ninneman said she wasn’t shocked by the numbers. “It’s another number to remind people that it’s important to think.” She added that there are “probably similar numbers among the Brown community.” Students working in sex education weren’t too shocked either. “There’s certainly a lot of sex that goes on at college,” said Johanna Jetton ’10, a member of Peer HIV/ AIDS Sex Education, a group that teaches sexual education to students in Providence. But the numbers are still important. “I’m not sure why it doesn’t get more press,” said Laurie Johnson, health educator at the University of Rhode Island. “This is huge.” When race is factored into the equation, the statistics are more jarring. According to the study, sexually transmitted infections were more prevalent among African-American girls, with a 48 percent infection rate, compared to a 20 percent infection rate for Caucasians. While the findings have not spurred new health education programs at Brown, health educators at a number of schools — including Rutgers University and the University of Rhode Island — hope the study will remind students to be careful and to take precautions regarding their sexual behavior, including using condoms, talking to sexual partners about STIs and getting tested. Rutgers’ health education stresses “significant protection from condoms,
significant protection from monogamy,” said Ed Lifshitz, director of health services at the university. At Brown, condoms cost 15 cents and are available to students on their Resident Peer Leaders’ doors. At URI, where condoms are free, about 60,000 are given out each year, Johnson said. Planned Parenthood recommends that sexually active individuals get screened for STIs every six months, said Jennifer Smith, a representative from Planned Parenthood in Rhode Island. Health educators at all of the universities interviewed by The Herald also recommended the Gardasil HPV vaccine as another form of STI protection. In addition to physical protections like the vaccine, Johnson stressed the importance of healthy relationships and communication. Ninneman said she hopes that, between informative table slips, sex jeopardy and the recently revamped Health Services Web site, students will stay informed about sexual health. “The more that we can keep having these conversations on campus, and the more that people can be aware of the resources that do exist ... the better,” Ninneman said. Though students agree that the CDC findings underscore the importance of safer sex, Meredith Curtis ’10, a Women Peer Counselor, said she thought the numbers were probably different at Brown. “I don’t think that percent really applies to Brown women, but I think it’s something we should be aware of when choosing our sexual partners, because there are STIs on campus, ” Curtis said. “It’s better to be safe then sorry,” she added. Jetton said the numbers were consistent with her experience working with pregnant teens in Providence. “It was a shockingly high number, but I wasn’t necessarily surprised by it, having seen how much misinformation there is and how reluctant people can be to get tested,” Jetton said. “They don’t think it can happen to them.”
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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
‘Total queer filmmaker’ 20 percent more UTRAs awarded discusses ‘I’m Not There’ continued from page 1
continued from page 1 specific actors while writing the script for “I’m Not There,” aside from Charlotte Gainsbourg, who plays Claire, “a hybrid of women in Dylan’s life.” He also said he knew he wanted a movie star for the Billy the Kid character — a role ultimately filled by Richard Gere. “I wanted someone who carried in his face a miniature version of American cinema,” Haynes said. “It was all about the past.” The character was reflecting on all the other characters in the film, and America as well, Haynes said. He said he also wanted a woman to play the male role of Jude, which eventually went to Blanchett. “It wasn’t a random choice ... It was wanting to get to the core of what made that period of (Dylan’s) life so risky,” he said. “I wanted the strangeness to be evident in the physical state of Jude.” Haynes also said of all the characters in the film, he was captivated most by Jude while writing the script because it was a dramatic turning point. Associate Professor of Modern Culture and Media Lynne Joyrich asked the last question, inquiring whether Haynes would describe himself as a queer filmmaker. “Shit yeah,” Haynes replied. “I’m a total queer filmmaker ... queer as two cents.” “I know that my films are unique in some ways in American film today and that they can be described in all kinds of ways as queer — in their approach, in their fetishistic curiosity
with popular culture, with high and low art,” Haynes said. “Formally and strategically and aesthetically, this film is still queerist.” Haynes also discussed his admiration for his producing partner Christine Vachon ’83, whom he called a “queer champion.” He said he was encouraged by the fact that 2007 was a watershed year of sorts for director-driven cinema, citing the Coen brothers’ “No Country for Old Men,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” and Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” “All of a sudden I feel like something broke,” he said. “I didn’t feel so alone and unique.” Katie Lamb ’10, an organizer of the event and head chair of the Queer Alliance, noted in her introduction that the Haynes event kicked off Pride Month, which will run through April. The event was sponsored by the Malcolm S. Forbes Center for Culture and Media Studies and the Department of Modern Culture and Media, Pride Month, and the Cogut Center for the Humanities, Lamb said. Joyrich placed the event in the context of the Modern Culture and Media Department’s Media Fetish Series. She said that Haynes’ media fetish was demonstrated through his films, noting the examples of “Velvet Goldmine” and its ties to music videos, “Far From Heaven” and its ties to 1950s melodrama and “I’m Not There” and its ties to documentaries and Westerns, among other genres.
traveling abroad, Nesiah said. The eight winning student-faculty teams proposed projects stemming from a wide range of studies, such as the social sciences, physical sciences and humanities, according to a press release from the Office of the Dean of the College. The international UTRA recipients will travel to countries including Spain, France, Scotland and Ethiopia. Among this year’s recipients are Cornelia Wilkinson ’09 and Finn Yarbrough ’09, who will travel with Keith Brown, associate professor of international studies, to Macedonia to research the impact of non-governmental organizations on transitioning countries. “I’m delighted to receive the UTRA,” Brown said. “A really great thing is that there is funding available not just for the summer, but also for the fall semester. It’s a very inductive and expensive process so being able to involve students at the back end, as it were, is fantastic.” But there is “still some fund raising to do to allow the students to come
abroad,” he added. Wilkinson, an anthropology concentrator, said she was “thrilled” to receive the award. The project will give her “a first hand view as to what an anthropologist does,” she said. “It is also an interesting opportunity to work with a professor and see what they do outside of teaching.” Other student-faculty projects include writing articles for the “Homeric Encyclopedia,” studying hyperbolic geometry and examining terrestrial ecosystems through fossils preserved in sedimentary rocks. The most important factor in choosing the projects is the collaboration between the faculty member and the student, said Carolyn Denard, associate dean of the College for undergraduate teaching and research. “We want to make sure that the students and the faculty member will be working together, whether they are on Brown’s campus or they are in Macedonia.” “Students learn so much more from international UTRAs because they get the understanding of living in
a different country,” Denard added. The Office of the Dean of the College plans to continue increasing the number of UTRAs granted again next year through budget changes and fund raising, Bergeron said. “The more evidence that we have of the good work that our students are doing, the more we’ll be able to find funding for it,” she said. In addition to increasing the number of UTRAs, the Office of International Affairs is also helping increase the number of Swearer International Service Fellowships and the amount of funding they will receive, Nesiah said. Bergeron said she is happy to receive the additional support for UTRAs from those pursuing the University’s internationalization effort. “The more, the better,” she said. “I think it’s wonderful that the Office of International Affairs is putting itself immediately into the priorities of the College this way.” “Hopefully this will encourage more students to see what internationalization could mean for the core of their work,” Nesiah said.
U. has no plans for female-only gym hours continued from page 3 women to try out the weight machines without feeling intimidated by men nearby. The college’s only gym does not have adjustable weight machines with pins, so it is “very difficult and time consuming to shift the machine from our 230-pound stereotypical big guy athlete to someone
like me,” explained Sarah Westfall, Kalamazoo’s vice president for student development and dean of students, who said she regularly attends the women-only hours. Hannah Masuga, a junior at Kalamazoo who runs the program, is in charge of asking men to leave at the beginning of the women-only hours. “It’s almost always awkward,”
she said with a laugh. But she added that she’s “never had actual men protesting” the program. While most men apologize and leave, she said, some try to bargain for more time or leave in a huff. “I think that if men wanted men-only hours,” Westfall said, “we would institute it. It’s more of a convenience factor than a philosophical or equity-based argument.”
C ampus n ews THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Page 5
Student opinion on UCS remains mixed
Puerto Rican activist: Now is ‘no time for separation’
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
THE HERALD POLL
By Chaz Kelsh Senior Staff Writer
Students still don’t have much of an opinion about the Undergraduate Council of Students, a recent Herald poll found. The poll found that 39.6 percent of students strongly or somewhat approve of UCS, virtually unchanged from 39.3 percent last semester, while 35.1 percent didn’t know or had no answer, also similar to last semester’s 31.6 percent. The Herald poll was conducted from March 12 to March 14 and has a 3.6 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. A total of 643 Brown undergraduates completed the poll, which was administered as a written questionnaire to students in the University Post Office at Faunce House and in the Sciences Library. The poll found that 4.8 percent of students strongly approved of UCS, while 34.8 percent somewhat approved. On the negative side, 18.8 percent somewhat disapproved and 6.4 percent strongly disapproved. 35.1 percent didn’t know or had no answer. “I don’t really read into these too much at all,” said UCS President Michael Glassman ’09. “I don’t think there’s a significant enough change, saying we did something really well or something bad.” Glassman said the result “more reflects our communications and the fact that (students) don’t know what we’re doing.” UCS “always struggles” with informing the student body about its actions, he said. “A lot of people don’t know and should know specifics about the projects we’re working on,” he said. Glassman said he would have expected the numbers to increase slightly from last semester, since students have had more chances to be exposed to UCS. But he didn’t “think that reflects too much at all,” he added. Clay Wertheimer ’10, at-large representative and chair of the UCS Assessment Task Force, said the task force’s proposals to reform UCS could help interest more students in the council. The task force proposed abolishing class representatives and allowing anyone to join UCS by collecting signatures and attending two meetings. The student body will
By Nandini Jayakrishna Senior Staf f Writer
be able to cast online votes on the changes later this month. The task force is “very much aware that in the status quo UCS is either not very well known or not very supported,” Wertheimer said. “Our hope is that we’re going to be changing those numbers.” “We’re trying to make it easier for people to get involved,” he added. He added that UCS needs to take more visible credit for its successes, such as the DVD collection in the Friedman Study Center and the flex meal plan. Students agreed that UCS could do a better job informing the student body about its actions. “I think a lot of people don’t really understand what UCS does,” said Emily Tursack ’11, adding that UCS doesn’t make itself “well-known.” “It’s just hard to have communication between the student body and UCS,” she said. The poll results are “just saying they don’t have that much of an impact” on student life, said Jordan DePetrillo ’11. But DePetrillo added that he didn’t think UCS was “letting us down” by not informing students of its efforts. “If they’re doing stuff that affects us in a good way, do we
still need to know about it?” Glassman also said part of the problem is that much of UCS’s work isn’t controversial. “I can barely remember anything that we take a controversial stance on within the student body,” he said. In general, he said, UCS’s actions are “not something to disapprove of,” referring to UCS members as “members of a club that instead of doing something else is working on making Brown better.” Kelly Trout ’08 agreed that UCS’s actions rarely make headlines. “I guess sometimes I’ve had the impression that UCS isn’t involved in that many critical decisions that affect me,” she said. Evan Alterman ’08 said UCS seems “distant” from the student body. “I guess the biggest impact they’ve had was during the whole plus-minus debacle,” he said, referring to a 2005 College Curriculum Council proposal to add pluses and minuses to the University’s grading system, which UCS strongly opposed. Glassman said UCS has “limited manpower” compared to other student governments, impairing its communications efforts.
Taking pride in Latino heritage and appreciating and uniting with other ethnicities can take the countr y’s Latin American community for ward, poet, journalist and community activist Felipe Luciano told almost 100 people in Salomon 101 last night. The event, sponsored by the Third World Center and the Brown Lecture Board, kicked off Latin American Histor y Month. Dressed in a pale blue sweater and khaki pants, Luciano talked to the audience informally before the event began. He asked for chewing gum, posed questions about Latin American histor y and urged Latinos in America to overcome their internal divisions. “We all are South American, not just Puerto Rican,” said Luciano, who is of Puerto Rican decent and was born in New York. Latin Americans must “find a way to speak to each other with respect and admiration,” he said. He also urged Latinos living in the United States to embrace it as their country. “My family has been here a hundred years,” he yelled. Patricia Ybarra, assistant professor of theater, speech and dance, introduced Luciano and said his success in the entertainment and literar y fields should inspire firstgeneration college students who might be discouraged from pursuing the arts. Luciano was the first Puerto Rican news anchor for WNBC and has won two Emmys. He contributes regularly to publications in New York, including the New York Times. At the beginning of his speech, Luciano warned the audience that his lecture would be “a bit profane, a bit vulgar.” “I hope those who can’t take certain language would just bear with the message and not the messenger,” said Luciano, whose frequent profanity surprised some in attendance. “There’s a lot of stuff that I say that may be impulsive, but I would hope that you would listen ... and then take in what I’m really saying.” Luciano began his speech with a poem dedicated to Puerto Ricans who, he said, are often accused wrongly for not strongly resisting
Spanish rule. Speaking for over an hour, Luciano said groups that have experienced struggles — in particular, Latinos, African-Americans and Jews — must be sensitive to one another and recognize their cultural similarities. He also called on young Latinos to show more pride in their family values and “rich histor y.” “Get out of self-hatred, Latino,” he said. “You are beautiful.” Luciano also encouraged students to read voraciously. “If you’re not reading, you’re not learning,” he said. “You cannot conquer America until you read its literature. You want to find out about American white men, read Faulkner.” Since Luciano emphasized unity among Latinos, an audience member asked how Mexicans, Cubans and Puer to Ricans in America could unite despite their var ying concerns. Luciano said the diverse Latino communities should focus on their similarities and not their different national backgrounds. “Stop allowing other people’s definitions of you,” he said. “Define you.” Gabriel Kussin ’09, who attended the event, told The Herald that Luciano is one of his “personal heroes.” “I’m a Jewish Latino,” he said, adding that Luciano’s speech was “almost geared to me.” After the event, Luciano told The Herald that rising levels of high school drop-outs, teenage pregnancies, divorces and gang violence are problems facing the Latino community in America today. But he added that education and a strong “value system” are key to the community’s progress. Applauding Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, Luciano told The Herald that Obama, if elected, “will herald in a renaissance of people of color who will be integrated not only in their (own) culture but also in the mainstream culture.” Jennifer Gomez ’08, the Third World Center’s Latino Histor y Month programmer, said Luciano’s speech set the tone for the rest of this month’s events. “He didn’t just talk about Laticontinued on page 7
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
BioMed dean replacement search finished continued from page 1 He said Wing told him a month or two ago that he was being considered for the dean position but that with the added responsibilities, Wing “wasn’t really interested” in the job. When he was offered the position and took it, though, Gregory said Wing told him of his earlier comment: “I was just joking.” Wing told The Herald he has no specific plans yet, but will have “a rapid strategic planning process” to decide how to use the $100 million gift to the medical school from the Warren Alpert Foundation. He said Brown’s cancer research is one likely recipient of the money. His first task, though, will be to find a replacement for his old position, the medicine department chair. He said he will announce an interim replacement by July 1, though his successor will likely take on some of his or her new responsibilities before then. The search for a permanent replacement should take about a year, he said, since he is “aggressive” in terms of recruitment and plans to use his connections to find a replacement.
Wing also said his role as dean will include using his position as a “bully pulpit” to speak out on health care issues nationally. “I’ve always been in a political role to some extent,” he said. “But I welcome that.” Wing said the Alpert gift represents a “tremendous opportunity” for the medical school, which he noted has risen in the U.S. News and World Report rankings over the course of Adashi’s tenure, from 43 in 2004 to 34 in 2007. He said he plans on maintaining that momentum. Simmons said at yesterday’s press conference that the internal search that resulted in Wing’s selection was also intended to keep that momentum. Some within the BioMed division criticized the search, which ended this week only three months after it began because of the need to find a replacement for Adashi, who announced his resignation, effective July 1, in December. The ninemember search committee had no students or clinical faculty. But Kertzer said an internal search was the right decision and that the dissenters were only a few
Courtesy of Brown.edu
Incoming Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Edward Wing
people out of a division with hundreds of members, most of whom supported the process. He said the committee “consulted very broadly” in its search. Simmons told The Herald that she respected that people won’t always agree, but that Kertzer and the committee made every effort to solicit views and ask questions. She said the process worked well. “The test is in the result,” she added.
Yet another banner year for Ivy admission continued from page 1 find the sheet we sent them with their username and password,” said Help Desk Consultant Erick Olson ’10. “Most problems are on the user side, not with the Brown site.” The majority of the calls come in a “sudden rush” within three hours of the release, Olson said, requiring additional staff at the Help Desk. Other selective schools — including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia and Dartmouth — also received record numbers of applications and admitted fewer students than ever this year. After eliminating its early action program and revamping financial aid, Harvard admitted 7.1 percent of applicants in order to avoid overenrollment, and may admit more students from their wait list than usual,
15
Applicants admitted (%)
Page 6
12
2008 undergraduate admission rates 13.3
13.2
9
9.5
8.7
8.3 7.1
6
3
0
Brown
Columbia Dartmouth Harvard
Harvard’s dean of admission told the Harvard Crimson. Yale admitted 8.3 percent of applicants. Applicants faced stiff competition at Stanford,
Stanford
Yale
where 9.5 percent were admitted. Columbia admitted 8.7 percent of applicants, and Dartmouth 13.2 percent.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Soldiers weary of more war in Afghanistan By Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post
GARMSIR, Afghanistan — Perched on the banks of the Helmand River, this desolate town occupied by British forces marks Afghanistan’s de facto border: Beyond here, the Afghan government is powerless and Taliban insurgents hold sway, their ranks replenished by recruits who enter unchallenged from Pakistan. “Everything you see to your south ... that’s all enemy territory,” said Lt. Nicholas Moran, a platoon leader from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, using binoculars to survey Taliban fighters from the roof of a mud-brick compound east of Garmsir. Seconds later, he ducked as a rocket-propelled grenade whistled overhead. A small contingent of British troops here is manning a cluster of dusty hill forts, several of them built by the British more than a century ago during the Anglo-Afghan wars. On this stark front line, they wage war against hundreds of insurgents dug into bunkers and ditches running between minefields in the canal system below. Since 2006, Garmsir and other parts of Helmand province have
Luciano: Minorities should reject divisions continued from page 5 nos,” she said. “He talked about different cultures, religions, how we’re interconnected.” “Aside from the profanity, (Luciano) was ver y passionate,” said Karen McLaurin-Chesson ’74, associate dean of the College and director of the Third World Center. McLaurin-Chesson said she hopes Luciano’s message “will resonate with the students” who attended the event. Students “need to talk to and communicate with each other as students of color, regardless of their ethnic and racial identity,” she said. Ken Estrellas ’10, co-chair of the Filipino Alliance, said he was impressed by Luciano’s “sensitivity (to) and knowledge of the struggles of other cultures.” “It takes an impassioned speaker to talk about issues like the concept of identity, racism in society, problems of nationalism not evolving into multi-nationalism,” Estrellas said.
changed hands between the British and Taliban forces at least three times, largely because there have been too few British ground troops to hold captured territory. Despite Defense Minister John Reid’s early hope that 3,000 British forces could pacify Helmand without “firing a shot,” the British have lost 89 troops to fighting in the province, where violence surged 60 percent last year, testing NATO’s ability to stabilize Afghanistan’s ethnic Pashtun heartland. President Bush will attend a NATO summit this week where he hopes allies will pledge additional combat troops for Afghanistan. In Helmand, even an expanded British-led force of about 7,000 must now concentrate its efforts on the north, while the company in Garmsir controls a small segment of the southern front. “You can’t hold it against them for wanting to repel the invaders,” said Warrant Officer 2 Jason Mortimer, 37, manning a sandbag-lined bunker in the ruins of an old British fort here that comes under daily attack. Afghan fighters, he noted, sent the British “packing with a bloody nose” in three wars, starting in 1839. Today, many British forces here continued on page 8
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British soldiers assess war in Afghanistan continued from page 7 sleep in dirt-floored and mice-infested outposts where they eat boiled rations as well as eggs, chicken and livestock they butcher. The troops are fighting hard but are hindered by insufficient helicopters, intelligence and surveillance equipment, and armored vehicles, officers say. “Most British soldiers would say we’re absolutely knackered out after this and Iraq,” said Maj. Mark Milford, commander of Bravo Company, the main British force in Garmsir, which is far outnumbered by the
Taliban. Reinforcements are on the way. Beginning next month, Helmand will be a main destination for thousands of U.S. Marines dispatched to bolster the NATO effort in southern Afghanistan. But the Pentagon has stressed that the seven-month Marine deployment is an “extraordinary one-time” commitment, and British troops say it will not suffice to end the fighting in Helmand, where the population remains wary, local security is fledgling and the Taliban replaces its losses with recruits who pass freely over the Pakistani border about 75 miles
to the south. The shortage of ground troops has led to reliance on airstrikes and artillery barrages, complicating the goal of winning over civilians. Mortimer, who has been deployed to Iraq and Kosovo twice since 2000, sees political dialogue with the Taliban as the only way forward. “This campaign will drag on and on until we sit down at a table with the Taliban,” he said. Otherwise, “we’ll drop 1,000-pound bombs and make martyrs of a generation of men in a part of the world that needs its healthy young men.”
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Three grapplers defeated early on at NCAA tourney
W. lax turns late-game luck around
continued from page 12 tough competition in his drawing. His first match against No. 11 seed Mike Spaid from the University of Bloomsburg in the heavyweight class ended with a loss by fall in the first period. His second match opponent, Rashard Goff of Cleveland State University, scored a takedown in the first period and controlled the rest of the match, taking the win at 9-0. Although Mock didn’t fare as well as he had hoped, his four years of wrestling at Brown culminated in being recognized for the second time as an All-Ivy honoree with 123 career competitions. At the 133-pound weight class, Schell met the No. 8-seeded Mack Reiter of Minnesota in his first match, which he also lost by fall in the first period. The second match, in the consolation bracket, Schell wrestled another seeded opponent, No. 9 seed Zach Tanelli of Wisconsin. After a scoreless first period, Schell took control of the match in the second period, scoring a twopoint near-fall and building more than one minute of riding time. Going into the third period, Schell led 2-1, which quickly became 3-1 as he scored another point for escape. But Tanelli scored a take down and a three-point near fall to turn the tables around and sealed the match, 6-3. Unlike Schell and Mock, who both had experience in the championships arena, Gevelinger was in the competition for the first time. He met the toughest draw of the
three Bears when he faced No. 6 seed Raymond Jordan of Missouri in his first match, where he fell 23-8. In his second match, he wrestled Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro University. Although Gevelinger gave a good effort, he still couldn’t overcome Honeycutt and lost the match 4-0. Despite the early exit, Gevelinger thought the experience was “good overall.” “I view it as a learning experience,” Gevelinger said. “It was good to be there. The level of competition is another step up.” Gutnik said Gevelinger “was a little nervous, being his first time (at Nationals).” Having competed at the Championships, Gevelinger saw what it takes to be an All-American. “I saw how intense the All-Americans were, how intense the tournament was,” Gevelinger said. “You have to be there to understand.” Gevelinger had a successful season going into the championships, with a 17-12 record. With the championships over, Gevelinger has reset his goals for next year, both for himself and for the team. “The NCAA is another step up,” Gevelinger said. “Wrestling is both a team and an individual sport. As a team, we should be fighting for an Ivy League title. As for myself, I need to start training for next year, and hopefully go back with a few guys.” Gutnik is optimistic about Gevelinger’s prospects, saying, “He needs to work harder, and when he’s more mature, who knows what will happen next year?”
Baseball loses two games to Columbia, splits with Penn continued from page 12 cess,” Drabinski said. “That’s really what Ryan Murphy did last year, and he’s got to get back to it. He hasn’t been consistent with it yet, and hopefully he will be.” Against George Mason on March 27, the Bears scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at five, but Greg Karwaski ’11 allowed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning, to give Brown a 6-5 loss. After a much-needed day off, Brown’s Ivy League season began on March 29, and in the four games over the next two days, the Bears struggled to get anything going at the plate, managing just 11 total runs in the four games. “We had pretty good numbers, and a lot of the teams we played down South were impressed with us offensively, but for one reason or another, our bats did not show up in those four games,” Drabinski said. In the first game, Weidig struggled again, allowing six runs over six innings in a 6-3 loss. In the second game, the Lions easily defeated the Bears 11-2, despite a 4-for-4 day at the plate from Reardon, and two hits from Daniels and Punal. Reardon is second on the team with a .394 average, followed by Daniels, who is hitting .350. Drabinski, however, is concerned with the lack of depth in the lineup. “Right now some of our top guys are struggling offensively, and it’s tough when…we don’t
have enough guys consecutively hitting,” Drabinski said. “We need four, five, six guys getting hot at the same time.” The of fense struggled again on Sunday, but Silverman surrendered just one run to Penn in 6 1/3 innings, and Hallberg earned the save by recording the final two outs, to give the Bears a 2-1 win in the first game of the doubleheader, which is required to be only seven innings. “I was definitely getting ahead of a lot of batters,” Silverman said. “I was throwing a lot of strikes… and as a pitcher you have to throw down in the zone to be successful, so that was a key to my success against Penn.” The second game of the doubleheader was a traditional nine-inning affair and the trip ended with a 6-4 loss to Penn, despite a threerun first inning for Brown. Vita pitched four shutout inning before the Quakers struck for five runs in the fifth, and the Penn bullpen shut down the Bears, allowing just one run in eight-and-one-third total innings of relief. The team will look to bounce back in its six home games over the next five days, when they have doubleheaders against URI on Wednesday, Cornell on Saturday, and Princeton on Sunday. “The trouble we had could have been for a number of reasons,” Silverman said. “But I definitely have confidence that we’re going to be better as pitchers and as hitters in our next games.”
continued from page 12 luca and Alexa Caldwell ’11. “We just came out and played our game in the second half,” Caldwell wrote to The Herald. “In the first half we out-shot them by more than double their amount, we just weren’t scoring.” Brown tallied just three goals on 26 shots in the first half, but were more efficient in the second half, scoring 10 times on just 18 shots. Sandwiching a Brown goal, Marist scored three times to regain the lead, 9-8, with 12:21 remaining. Both teams traded goals several more times, tying the game for the fifth time in the half with 9:58 left, but the Bears took the lead for good at 12 with a goal from Kara Kelly ’10 with 3:25 remaining. Caldwell insured Bruno with one more goal with just two minutes left to play, making the final score 13-12. Spurred by the win, the Bears played similarly against No. 20 Dartmouth. Despite a slow start the team finished well on its way to an 8-5 win. Although Dartmouth started the scoring with a goal from AllAmerican candidate Kristen Barry, Brown responded with three goals of its own to take a 3-1 lead 18:59 into the game. Two more goals from Dartmouth before the break tied the game at three, but Brown made adjustments and once again came out with a new fire in the second half. “We are a second-half team,”
Caldwell said. “It takes us a while in the first half as we are feeling out our opponents, and by the second half we have discovered their weaknesses and know what works against them.” After winning the opening draw, Kelly Robinson ’09 scored to give the Bears a lead at 4-3 that would last them for the remainder of the
game. Dartmouth scored two more goals, but with four more goals on the Bears’ side it wasn’t enough for the Big Green. The final score of the game was 8-5 and Brown evened its Ivy League to 1-1. Brown travels to New York this weekend where it will face Columbia on Saturday at 1 p.m.
E ditorial & L etters Page 10
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Staf f Editorial
Ambitionalization It’s not hard to find students who think Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards are just about the greatest thing since popcorn chicken. The awards, which fund student-faculty research partnerships, support much of what gives Brown its unique academic culture. At a time when many researchers are having trouble obtaining funding and students are demanding more solid academic direction and closer connections with professors, expanding the UTRA program is an excellent way to serve individuals’ needs while also benefiting the University’s international and research profile. And, while the newly formed Office of International Affairs begins to set a course for Brown’s international ambitions, directing its resources toward supporting existing undergraduate programs is an ideal way to start fulfilling its mandate. UTRAs and Swearer International Service Fellowships are natural fits for a more international component because the important research and service opportunities these programs provide are augmented by the unique challenge of living abroad. The additional funding is a step forward and a good use of resources. We hope, however, that doling out money for a few already-successful programs is only a minor part of what Brown’s internationalizers plan to achieve. Piggy-backing on popular programs can give the internationalization effort, which feels like it has been slow off the starting block, a needed boost. But ultimately, if Brown wants to transform into a global university, the Office of International Affairs should also pursue larger ideas designed to further its mission. After all, the University could have added international components to the UTRA and Swearer programs without hiring administrators and declaring a dramatic shift in course had been made. Spending time and treasure to hire a prestigious leader to head the internationalization effort implies sustained, significant changes that seriously affect the Brown experience. We’re eager for those changes to begin. Whether it be making the Watson Institute more accessible, starting a centralized program for student and faculty exchanges or directing Brown research to the problems faced by developing nations, there are many ways a more worldly Brown can improve the quality of our education. Some items that would lend Brown the mark of a global university, however, require investment and effort that is probably beyond the capability of the still-small, still-new Office of International Affairs. For example, creating a mandatory abroad experience for undergraduates, turning the Watson Institute into a major research center, building new infrastructure for visiting faculty and, most immediately, establishing need-blind international admission would all require a broad commitment from alumni, faculty, students, donors, trustees and the president. We hope Vice President for International Affairs David Kennedy ’76 is not only helping improve existing programs, but also aggressively lobbying the University’s movers and shakers on the merits of more ambitious programs.
FRANNY CHOI
Letters McCarthy leaves warm wishes To the Editor: Just a short note to let you know I will be away for awhile. I hated to just disappear without saying good bye because all of you have become such a big part of my world! I am having a total knee replacement next week. I will not be back to work until early summer. Good luck to all the seniors, I hope you have lots of happiness and prosperity! Everyone else, have a fun
summer! See you in September! And thank you to the freshmen swim team for including me in their housing lottery video, I had my 30 seconds of fame and I had lots of fun! Fondly, Gail McCarthy Cashier, Brown Dining Services April 1
T he B rown D aily H erald Editors-in-Chief Simmi Aujla Ross Frazier editorial Arts & Culture Editor Robin Steele Andrea Savdie Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Debbie Lehmann Higher Ed Editor Chaz Firestone Features Editor Olivia Hoffman Asst. Features Editor Rachel Arndt Metro Editor Scott Lowenstein Metro Editor Michael Bechek News Editor Isabel Gottlieb News Editor Franklin Kanin News Editor Michael Skocpol News Editor Karla Bertrand Opinions Editor James Shapiro Opinions Editor Whitney Clark Sports Editor Amy Ehrhart Sports Editor Jason Harris Sports Editor Benjy Asher Asst. Sports Editor Andrew Braca Asst. Sports Editor Megan McCahill Asst. Sports Editor
Senior Editors Taylor Barnes Chris Gang Stu Woo Business Darren Ball General Manager Mandeep Gill General Manager Susan Dansereau Office Manager Alex Hughes Sales Manager Lily Tran Sales Manager Emilie Aries Public Relations Director Jon Spector Accounting Director Claire Kiely National Account Manager Ellen DaSilva University Account Manager Darren Kong Recruiter Account Manager Katelyn Koh Credit Manager Ingrid Pangandoyon Technology Director photo Rahul Keerthi Meara Sharma Min Wu Ashley Hess
Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Sports Photo Editor
post- magazine production Steve DeLucia Production & Design Editor Chaz Kelsh Asst. Design Editor Catherine Cullen Copy Desk Chief Adam Robbins Graphics Editor
Matt Hill Rajiv Jayadevan Sonia Kim Allison Zimmer Colleen Brogan Arthur Matuszewski Kimberly Stickels
Managing Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Features Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor
Herald misrepresented sexual assault statistics To the Editor: I feel that the sexual assault article published in The Herald (“Task force: U. can better address sexual assault,” March 31) was grossly misleading. The horrible nature of sexual assault at Brown, a violent crime that goes unreported, underplayed and unprosecuted, lies in how the University has incentive to report as few sexual assaults as possible. The numbers reported in the article (in the range of zero to seven sexual assaults per year) are prominently displayed, with little explanation as to what the numbers actually mean (are they the number of sexual assaults reported, those who go through the judicial system, those who get convicted?) and no discussion of their accuracy or what happened to
the culprits. According to the Department of Justice, 20 to 25 percent of college women are sexually assaulted while at college. From anecdotal reports from friends of mine who have been raped and friends who have been involved in student movements against sexual assault, I cannot accept the numbers presented in this article as fact. It is journalistically dishonest to present these numbers as fact without discussion of the issue of underreporting, and the omission of what happens to the culprits is painfully glaring.
Benedict Mills ’10 March 31
Chaz Kelsh, Designer Catherine Cullen, Erin Cummings, Jennifer Grayson, Madeleine Rosenberg, Copy Editors Sam Byker, Caroline Sedano, Michael Skocpol, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Sam Byker, Nandini Jayakrishna, Chaz Kelsh, Sophia Li, Emmy Liss, Max Mankin, Brian Mastroianni, George Miller, Alex Roehrkasse, Caroline Sedano, Jenna Stark, Joanna Wohlmuth, Simon van Zuylen-Wood Staff Writers Stefanie Angstadt, Marisa Calleja, Noura Choudhury, Joy Chua, Sophia Lambertsen, Cameron Lee, Christian Martell, Anna Millman, Seth Motel, Evan Pelz, Leslie Primack, Marielle Segarra, Melissa Shube, Catherine Straut, Gaurie Tilak, Matthew Varley, Meha Verghese, Allison Wentz Sports Staff Writers Peter Cipparone, Han Cui, Meagan Garza, Lara Southern, Nicole Stock, Katie Wood Business Staff Stephanie Cheung, Veronica Yu, Jay Guan, Jennifer Chang, Jamie Phinney, Anna Reisetter, Kartika Chourdhury, Serena Ho, Akshay Rathod, Galen Cho, Maryrose Mesa, Van Le, Maura Lynch, Grant LeBeau, Jacqueline Goldman, Dana Feuchtbaum, Geraldo Guanaes, Lauren Presant, Lindsay Walls, Lucy Wang, Ruyi Jiang, Saul Lustgarten, Diego Gomez, Laura Sammartino, Ava Amini, Charley Chen, Lee Chau, Rory Stanton, Oliver Bowers, Katherine Richards, Alison Greenberg, Lilia Royanova Design Staff Jessica Calihan, Serena Ho, Rachel Isaacs, Andrea Krukowski, Joe Larios, Joanna Lee, Alex Unger, Aditya Voleti Photo Staff Oona Curley, Alex DePaoli, Erik Maser, Kim Perley, Quinn Savit Copy Editors Ria Ali, Paula Armstrong, Kim Arredondo, Ayelet Brinn, Aubrey Cann, Rafael Chaiken, Stephanie Craton, Erin Cummings, Katie Delaney, Julianne Fenn, Jake Frank, Anne Fuller, Josh Garcia, Jennifer Grayson, Rachel Isaacs, Joyce Ji, Jenn Kim, Tarah Knaresboro, Ted Lamm, Alex Mazerov, Seth Motel, Lisa Qing, Alex Rosenberg, Madeleine Rosenberg, Elena Weissman, Jason Yum
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 Wednesday, April 2, 2008
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Boldly Brown is hardly Harvard BY TYLER ROSENBAUM Guest Columnist While I was in Boston last week, I had a chance to stroll through Harvard Yard. I was reminded of the subtle irony of an incomparably exclusive institution removing a longstanding barrier to entry by generously expanding its financial aid. This year, Brown implemented a relatively modest increase in tuition and fees to $47,740. Nevertheless, students’ reactions to the tuition hike ranged from indignation to palpable outrage. After all, the expansion in financial aid, while certainly better than nothing, left much to be desired. When contrasted with massive supplements to already generous programs at other schools, Brown’s expanded aid seemed meager or inadequate to many students. The Corporation stepped in to prevent other schools from one-upping us, but the reaction was mixed, and the success equivocal. We attend a world-class Ivy League university, but it is important to bear one critical thought in mind: Brown is not Harvard Lite. Being “boldly Brown” does not mean attempting desperately to ape other, wealthier schools and inevitably falling short. Our institution is fundamentally different from its competitors. Not only are there concrete and obvious distinctions regarding financial resources and the share of attention devoted to graduate programs, but there are also Brown’s more abstract (and arguably more important) peculiarities: Our mission, academic climate and our attitude come to
mind. I don’t think it is necessary to articulate here how we differ in these aspects. Following in the footsteps of the other Ivy League schools may work against Brown’s interests. It makes little sense to assume that what’s best for a large, research-oriented University that concerns itself almost exclusively with its graduate programs is also best for an institution like Brown that cares far more about the quality of its undergraduate experience. Though we generally imagine our competitors and “peer institutions” to be
overlapping priorities should be incidental and should not stem from an uncritical compulsion to keep up with the Joneses. The University’s renewed emphasis on expanding financial aid, for example, is laudable, and it certainly shows a desire to combat inequality of access to higher education. Nevertheless, it would have been far better and far more genuine if it had not come on the heels of, and as an apparent reaction to, Harvard’s and Yale’s announcements. In addition to having different priorities,
Brown is not Harvard Lite. Being “boldly Brown” does not mean attempting desperately to ape other, wealthier schools and ultimately, inevitably falling short. other members of the Ivy League, we actually have more in common with smaller, liberal arts colleges, and no wonder: Ivy Leaguestatus is a somewhat arbitrary and antiquated designation. Brown ought to have different priorities as it moves forward. While a number of our goals will coincide with other schools’, any
Brown also has fewer resources than other Ivy League schools. To put it bluntly, we just do not have as much money, and current trends suggest that we probably never will. Brown’s endowment of about $2.8 billion comes out to a ratio of nearly $350,000 per student, whereas Harvard’s ratio is $1.8 million per student and Princeton’s is an astonishing $2.2 million.
Harvard, Yale and Princeton have reached the point where the interest on their endowments could theoretically cover 100 percent of their budgets; at Brown, the figure is less than 50 percent. Anything Brown does to mimic these institutions’ policies and goals will necessarily fall short, given how dependent our budget is upon tuition. Similarly, while financial aid increases at Harvard and Yale, for example, merely slow the rate at which their astronomically large endowments grow, at Brown they trade off with improvements in facilities and undergraduate education. We have to choose between better professors and smaller classes; between dignified, attractive buildings and cheaper college. Quite simply, what’s feasible for other schools may be unrealistic for us, and we should restrain our impulse to keep up with them. None of this is meant to disparage Brown or to argue against expanding financial aid. Rather, it is meant to illustrate how absurd it is for Brunonians to measure ourselves against other universities, or to align our priorities with their objectives. In 1969, Brown became the first university to institute an open curriculum. Nobody wants to eliminate the New Curriculum simply because Harvard and Yale have not seen the light. In a similar vein, we should not feel constrained to meekly follow the path set for us by the tired old hands of the Ivy League. Rather, we should boldly blaze our own trail, unencumbered by pressure from our peers.
Tyler Rosenbaum ’11 is not at all insecure about the fact that Brown isn’t well-endowed
Paterson’s admission was the right call BY DAN DAVIDSON Opinions Columnist Many New Yorkers’ hearts must have dropped last Tuesday as they watched brand new Governor David Paterson admit to extramarital relations. It must have seemed to many people that revelations that the new governor carried on affairs with several different women, including a state employee, were just about the last thing New York needed to hear, with the Eliot Spitzer saga still in the headlines. Although it was an unpleasant beginning to the new administration, Paterson deserves commendation for his honesty, even if it was merely a strategic maneuver. Politicians with personal baggage should learn from his example; coming clean early and unprompted is the best way they can prevent personal matters from crippling them later on. Adultery is wrong, no doubt about it. But whether or not it is a viable metric for political worth is debatable at best, and I would contend that it is a highly unreliable way to determine whether or not someone will govern or legislate in an admirable manner. Unfortunately, time and again we see politicians get killed in the media and the court of public opinion after revelations of adultery or other matters that are strictly lapses in personal judgment, not necessarily indicators of an inability to lead. Often the hits they take are not simply over the scandalous action but are focused on attempts to hide the truth through lying or a refusal to disclose information until confronted with it by the media. By coming forward quickly and unprompted, Paterson sacrificed any chance of a glowing
start to his governorship, but at least will spare himself the distractions of scandal later in his tenure. It is disheartening for New Yorkers to learn that their new governor has engaged in scurrilous behavior as they try to put Spitzer behind them. New York, however, with its budget issues and other legislative stalemates, cannot afford to have scandals cripple the governor’s ability to lead. Recall how the McGreevy scandal tem-
be able to avoid distraction, despite taking a shot to his character and personal integrity. The response of Paterson’s colleagues to his admission is a good indicator of how upfront honesty can spare politicians later damage. One might expect Paterson’s actions to provoke a backlash from his political opposition. While he almost certainly would have been attacked with vigor by opponents if he had not come forward early and on his own,
By coming forward quickly and unprompted, Paterson sacrificed any chance of a glowing start to his governorship, but at least will spare himself the distractions of scandal later into his tenure. porarily derailed New Jersey state government and how the Monica Lewinsky debacle created a major distraction for the Clinton presidency. Preempting the potential media field day that would occur if Paterson’s affairs came to light well into his term will probably prove to be a sound decision in the long run, as he will
the way he revealed his affairs appears to have succeeded in allowing him to move on to the challenges of the governorship without having to deflect attacks from his colleagues. Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, Republican Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco and other Republicans acknowledged that the issue is a private matter and
that it is important for the state not to become distracted by it when serious work needs to be done. As Republican State Senator Dean Skelos said, Paterson, after coming clean, “will be able to govern. It’s about the budget. It’s about the issues facing the State of New York. And he has to deal with his own personal life.” Obviously, simply disclosing personal information before campaigns or inaugurations is not always effective and is far from a universal solution to the distractions of personal drama in politics. It is simply a tool that can potentially reduce political fallout and should be used more frequently. Many politicians deservedly meet their fate when they lie, cheat, steal and otherwise act in ways counter to the best interest of the state. In cases where they are dealing with strictly personal issues, however, unfortunate consequences can await them if they don’t act properly. Luck may spare some politicians from their colleagues, the press and the public, but they should stop operating under the delusion that even their most personal issues can be kept secret for the duration of their service. Disclosing personal matters that could come back to haunt them is a sacrifice that more politicians should be willing to make early in their service. It would be great if we could always feel confident that the people we vote for have strong moral fiber, but this is obviously a far-fetched notion. So while it is unfortunate for voters to have to face the behavior of their elected officials, early admissions can at least spare leaders future political disasters.
Dan Davidson ’11 is searching high and low for faithful New York governors
S ports W ednesday Page 12
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
W. lax into Ivy win column after strong play 11 games in nine days
wears out baseball team
By Whitney Clark Sports Editor
After three one-goal losses, the women’s lacrosse team finally came out on the winning side in its last two games. Over the break, the Bears fell to Harvard, 14-13, in their most recent one-point loss, but came out strong against their next two opponents, Marist and Dartmouth, winning 13-12 and 8-5, respectively. The turnaround bounced Brown’s record up to 4-5 and 1-1 in the Ivy League. Bruno started the break with its Ivy League opener against Harvard at Jordan Field in Cambridge, Mass. Although the Bears started off the scoring 2:21 into the game with a goal from Jesse Nunn ’09, the first half was back and forth between the teams. The Crimson responded about three minutes later but Brown came back with two of its own from Nunn and Krystina DeLuca ’09, grabbing a 3-1 lead 9:35 into the game. However, three straight Harvard goals from Sara Flood, Kaitlin Martin and Natalie Curtis sent the Crimson ahead, 4-3, for the first time in the game at 16:10. The two teams traded goals for the remainder of the half but it was Harvard that came out on top before the break, leading by one at 9-8. Just 1:35 into the second half, the Crimson started off the scoring and foreshadowed the outcome of the game. Despite a back and forth game, where the teams tied three times, a late spark by Harvard sent the team ahead for good. The Crimson tied the game at 12 with 14:13 remaining and seized the lead with a goal from Lauren Bobzin with 9:59 left to play. Fewer than three minutes later Jess Halpern scored her 17th goal of the season, which proved to be the game winner. Brown found the net once more to put the score at 14-13 but after a clutch draw control in Harvard’s favor, the Crimson held onto possession for the final minutes of the game.
Sports
By Benjy Asher Assistant Spor ts Editor
Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
Midfielder Lauren Vitkus ’09 was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts in helping Bruno to a 2-1 record last week. “Losing is hard and losing by out a 13-12 victory. one is even worse,” Vitkus wrote The Bears trailed 6-3 at the half, in an e-mail. “But we learned from but like most of their games so far, our mistakes, which fueled us in our Bruno came out with renewed innext two games over break.” tensity after the break. Nunn led the team with four “Despite the score at halftime goals, while Vitkus followed close we were dominating the game behind with three goals and two throughout its entirety,” Vitkus assists. The Bears started off their said. “In the first half our shots Ivy League campaign in a 0-1 hole, just weren’t falling and we weren’t while Harvard improved its record being as smart with the ball as we to 6-1 overall and 1-0 Ivy. should have. At halftime we refoAfter the team’s third one-point cused and then stepped out onto loss of the season, the Bears took the field ready to step up our play on the mentality of ‘stop playing and regain the lead.” not to lose and start playing to The Bears tacked on four goals win,’ according to two players who from four different players in the were quoting Assistant Coach Meg first 6:14 of play in the second half, Miller. giving them a 7-6 lead. Goals came Brown took that attitude into its from Vitkus, Mimi DeTolla ’08, Degame against Marist, and it put the continued on page 9 team over the edge, as Brown eked
i n
Brief
Women’s golf falls in spring opener
Despite several outstanding individual performances, the baseball team struggled to find consistency in its 11-game-in-nine-days road trip over the break, going 4-7 in the stretch. The trip concluded with a disappointing opening to Ivy League competition, in which Brown lost both of its games to Columbia, before splitting the next two with the University of Pennsylvania. The team’s record now stands at 7-11 overall, with a 1-3 mark in league play. The trip began March 22 with a game against a Hartford team that was finishing out its own road trip, playing its eighth game in seven days. The Bears capitalized on Hartford’s tired pitching staff as well the Hawks’ eight errors to come away with a 25-9 win. Bruno got at least two hits from each starter, including designated hitter Conor Reardon ’08, who led the team with four hits, and catcher Matt Colantonio ’11, who drove in four runs. Colantonio currently leads the team with a .421 batting average, and brought home Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors for his performance during Brown’s spring trip. The next day, the team split its two games in a doubleheader against UNC-Asheville. In the first game, Will Weidig ’10 struggled on the mound, allowing five runs in four innings in a 9-3 loss. With the starting pitching rotation still yet to be set, the team hopes that Weidig, one of the definite starters, will return to top form, as he did in his eight-inning, two-run performance against Florida on March 8. “Hopefully Will can pitch the way he did down in Florida, and we can get him going again,” said Head Coach Marek Drabinski. “We have a lot of guys that need to get better in the next four or
five days.” In the second game, the Bears built a 7-0 lead in the second inning, but the Bulldogs got to Alex Silverman ’08 for five runs in the bottom half of the frame. Brown expanded the lead to 11-5, but another four runs from UNCAsheville in the bottom of the sixth made it a two-run game again. But the Bears held on to win 13-12, behind a seventh-inning homer from first baseman JJ Eno ’08 and solid relief efforts from Anthony Vita ’08 and tri-captain Rob Hallberg ’08. Centerfielder Steve Daniels ’09 led the offense with four hits and four runs scored. Brown grabbed a 2-1 lead early on against Campbell University on March 24, but Jeff Hoffman pitched five-and-two-thirds shutout innings out of the bullpen for the Camels, who rallied to win 5-2. “We just didn’t show up to play ... and that was ver y disappointing from a coaching standpoint,” Drabinski said. Bruno’s woes continued in their next game on the following day, a 7-6 loss to Duke. The Bears led 6-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the Blue Devils tied the game, and went on to win in the tenth on a walk-off single off of Hallberg. Brown rebounded the next day in a 16-7 rout of Richmond, behind four hits from Daniels, and three hits apiece from Colantonio, right fielder Nick Punal ’09, and tri-captain left fielder Ryan Murphy ’08. The team hopes to get more consistent productivity out of upperclassmen like Murphy, who is hitting just .286, one season after leading the team with a .410 average. “In college baseball, where 80 percent of pitches are middle to away, if you can hit the ball the other way and trust your hands ... you’re going to have a lot of succontinued on page 9
Wrestlers eliminated on day one at NCAA By Han Cui Spor ts Staf f Writer
More than five months after the end of fall competition, the women’s golf team got off to a rocky start in its spring season opener. The Bears traveled to the Salt Creek Golf Course in Chula Vista, Calif. to square off against host San Diego State. The Aztecs were up to the challenge, however, besting Bruno with a cumulative score of 310, 39 strokes better than the Bears. Brown was led by Sarah Guarascio ’11, who shot 11 strokes over par for a score of 83, good for fifth in the field. Right behind her were classmates Julia Robinson ’11 and Susan Restrepo ’11 who finished tied for seventh and in ninth place with scores of 87 and 89, respectively. Brown will look to shake off the early season dust this weekend in Cape Cod, Mass., in the Dartmouth/Harvard Triangular.
Five men and five women were awarded Academic All-Ivy status for the winter season for their outstanding performances on the field and off. To receive the award, the student-athlete must contribute significantly to his or her team and have a GPA of at least 3.0. On the men’s side it was all seniors in their final season of competition who qualified. The honorees were No. 1 squash player Ed Cerullo ’08, freestyle swimmer Brian Kelly ’08, All-Ivy basketball player Mark McAndrew ’08, tri-captain heavyweight wrestler Levon Mock ’08 and men’s hockey assistant captain David Robertson ’08. On the women’s side, free-style swimmer Dillon Delaney ’08 and epee fencer Christine Livoti ’08 were the seniors who were honored. The three juniors receiving honors were sprinter Nicole Burns ’09, gymnast Jen Sobuta ’09 and hockey goaltender Nicole Stock ’09, a Herald sports staff writer.
Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
For the three Brown wrestlers who competed in the NCAA Championships last week, the tournament came to an early end on March 20, the first day of competition. It was also the last day of wrestling as Brown athletes for senior captains Jeff Schell ’08, Levon Mock ’08. But for Matt Gevelinger ’09, the only junior qualifier, it was an experience which he says will motivate him to go back and do better next year. Schell and Mock both had qualified for the NCAA Championships before. Schell qualified his freshman year and Mock went back after competing in last year’s championships. “For Schell, it was a big step up, because he hasn’t gone to NCAAs since his freshman year,” said Assistant Coach Ed Gutnik. “I was proud of (Schell and Mock). I think they expected a little more out of themselves. I hope they are proud of themselves, too.” Mock, like his teammates, met
—Jason Harris
Jeff Schell ’08 just missed upsetting his opponent in the consolation bracket at the wrestling NCAA Championships on March 20.
continued on page 9
10 Bears receive Winter Academic All-Ivy Honors