The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, N ovember 5, 2008
Volume CXLIII, No. 106
Since 1866, Daily Since 1891
OBAMA’S NIGHT
U. to freeze staff hiring, cut expenses Simmons speaks to broad reaction to financial crisis By Jenna Stark Senior Staff Writer
The University will freeze hiring of staff and administrators as part of a broad response to the current economic climate, President Ruth Simmons said in an e-mail to the Brown community and in the monthly faculty meeting Tuesday. “Beginning immediately and lasting through January, we are pausing hiring for ALL administrative and staff positions that are now vacant or that may become vacant during this period as a result of voluntary turnover,” Simmons wrote in the e-mail. Simmons’ e-mail and remarks to professors include plans for a careful review of faculty hires, operating budgets and capital projects. She signaled students should not expect a large increase in tuition and that officials will put an increased focus on fundraising. With respect to the staff hiring freeze, a Vacancy Review Committee will decide which positions need to be filled with temporary employees, consultants and independent contractors, the e-mail said. The administrative and staff freeze will not end faculty searches and hiring, Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98 said in the meeting. In accordance with the faculty expansion proposed in the Plan for Academic Enrichment, faculty searches will go forward, he said. Simmons warned professors, however, that the searches will be “carefully reviewed” to ensure that new hires are both necessary and a great asset to the University’s teaching and research abilities. The hiring freeze is just one of the steps the University is taking to deal with a tight budget after the global economic meltdown. In light of the poor economic climate, the University needs to prepare for families who are unable to pay the bills and donors who cannot follow through on their pledges, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Elizabeth Huidekoper told professors. Last weekend, Kertzer sent an e-mail to students informing them the University would waive a restriction on registering for classes among some students with outstanding balances. “Revenue sources across the board are expected to be constrained, if not declining in the near term,” Huidekoper wrote in a presentation to the faculty, adding that tuition and fees, gifts, state support and the endowment are all expected to decrease. “We need to adjust to a new base and take it seriously.” continued on page 13
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CAMPUS NEWS
Kim Perley / Herald
Jubilant students swarmed the steps of Faunce House last night in response to Obama’s success.
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by Michael Bechek News Editor
In a historic victor y, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president Tuesday, demonstrating the broad base of suppor t from Americans excited by his message of change and worried about the economy. The young Illinois senator, the first black candidate to win a major party’s nomination, soundly defeated his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain. Holding on to ever y state that voted for his par ty in the last election, the Democrat ran up a convincing electoral margin by winning traditionally Republican states such as Virginia, Colorado and Indiana. Two more states, Missouri and Nor th Carolina, were too close to call early this morning. With 91 percent of precincts reporting nationally, Obama had received 52 percent of the popular vote to McCain’s 47 percent.
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*Montana, Missouri and North Carolina’s results undecided at press time.
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Pages 8 - 9 Color photos from election night on campus browndailyherald.com Video interviews at the polls and dozens of photos
Sixty million Americans voted for the Democrat, while 54 million chose the Republican. As the night went on, Obama racked up victory after victory in states McCain had said he needed to win — including successes in Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania. Though McCain trailed badly throughout most of the night, it was not until polls closed in West Coast states that television networks declared Obama the winner. Brown students, many of whom had supported the Democrat throughout his campaign, celebrated on the Main Green in droves after networks called the election for Obama around 11 p.m. Hundreds of students gathered around the flagpole — shooting of f flares, loudly congratulating one another and, in some cases, taking off their clothes and sprinting across the Green. continued on page 4
Students storm onto Main Green By Hannah Moser Staff Writer
Many Brown students had waited nearly two years for this. President-elect Obama swept the West Coast around 11 p.m. last night, essentially clinching the 44th presidency and propelling hundreds of exuberant students onto the Main Green. They sang the national anthem, shot hand-held firecrackers and raised a flapping Obama banner at the south end of the Green. About 15 even stripped down to show their support for the Democratic candidate, who won the election in a landslide. Around midnight, as Obama continued on page 6
RISD student assaulted outside Benevolent St. party By Colin Chazen Senior Staf f Writer
Providence Police arrested George Brennan ’11 for assaulting a Rhode Island School of Design student outside a party on Oct. 26. Police are also investigating an additional assault of a Brown student at the same party. Around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, police were dispatched to the corner of Benevolent and Thayer streets for reported as-
Election Action Rhode Islanders headed to the polls yesterday for a historic election
www.browndailyherald.com
Long road ends in landslide
Electoral vote totals*
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HIGHER ED
saults, according to a Providence police report. Upon arrival, police learned one of the victims, a RISD student, was at Brown Health Services and proceeded to interview him there. The victim stated that he had been at a party at 95 Benevolent St. when a fight broke out and a white male with no shirt on punched him several times in the head, the report stated. The victim then fled the scene. A crowd of people from the party chased him, and about one block
BREAKING down barriers American universities are communicating more with schools in Iran
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away, the same male began punching and kicking him, the victim told police. The victim sustained a laceration above his left eye and was later transported from Health Services to Rhode Island Hospital. Police also spoke with a Brown student who was assaulted at the same party. He told police a white male with brown hair and brown eyes had assaulted him, according to the report. The student sustained moderate injuries to his hands and forehead. He was treated at Health
i heart huckabee Joshua Kaplan ’11 thinks all politicians should be as candid as Huckabee
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
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Services and then released. That assault was transferred to detectives for further investigation. Two witnesses told police that they saw their friend, the RISD student, get punched by an unknown subject. They and their friend were able to flee. But they were followed down Benevolent Street by the same subject and a crowd. The subject then punched continued on page 4
Equestrian takes first Women’s equestrian team rides to the top spot in the regional standings
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