Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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vol. cxliv, no. 34 | Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891

Edwards: ‘Where is America?’ By Ben Schreckinger Senior Staff Writer

Max Monn / Herald

Former Senator John Edwards called on the United States to lead the way in fighting global poverty.

Global poverty “is not an economic issue,” former Senator John Edwards told a full Salomon 101 last night. “It’s a moral issue.” Speaking of the need to confront poverty in the developing world and to protect the environment, Edwards called on the United States to “lead aggressively, not cautiously.” “Who will speak for them? Who will be their voice?” Edwards said of the poor. “They need us. They need you — they need me.” Edwards, who cancelled a fall speaking engagement here after admitting to his involvement in an extramarital affair, titled last night’s lecture “Beautiful America.” The Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee in 2004, Edwards is known for invoking “the two Americas,” a phrase he used to describe the divide between rich and poor during his bids for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.

But last night his focus was global poverty, he said, calling domestic and foreign problems “completely intertwined.” “Over the long term, what happens in the rest of the world has such an enormous impact on what’s happening to us that you can’t really separate the two,” Edwards said. Edwards told the story of a woman who could not afford to heat the home she shared with her four children. He said the woman told her children each day, “Please don’t tell anybody at school about what’s happening here because they will take you away from me.” Still, Edwards said, this deprivation pales in comparison to the absolute poverty found in much of the rest of the world. Edwards, spoke of a visit he made to Delhi. He described finding children on a cracked concrete floor covered in blankets, the air reeking of open sewage. Edwards discovered he had found a school. The children were “bright-eyed” and “talkative,” Edwards said. But “I

walked out of that place asking, ‘Where is America? Where are we?’” Global poverty is also a matter of national interest for the U.S., Edwards said. “What we do cooperatively with the rest of the world — that will decide what happens to us, what happens to the planet.” Edwards said the U.S. should review trade policy, foreign aid and problematic agriculture subsidies in order to address global inequality. He also suggested that European countries might invest in biofuel agriculture in Africa as a means of confronting energy dependence and poverty. After speaking for about 30 minutes, Edwards opened the floor to questions. He said his future plans include “whatever I can do to have the most impact on helping the poor,” whether inside of government or out. When asked about companies’ resistance to environmentally sustainable practices during an economic continued on page 2

Renovated R.I. Hall on track for fall By Anne Simons Senior Staf f Writer

Rhode Island Hall is currently being completely gutted in a project costing the University $12 million. But the interior renovations are scheduled to be completed by this fall, according to Mike McCormick, assistant vice president of planning, design and construction. “We’re trying to get back to the spirit of the original building,” McCormick said, which featured open spaces and lots of natural light. “When you enter into the building, it will be a new atmosphere.” Rhode Island Hall, Brown’s first natural sciences building, was

home to an assortmentof University services, including the Office of International Programs, Psychological Services and the Writing Fellows program, McCormick said. Most of those services have now been consolidated into the newly renovated J. Walter Wilson building. The renovated building will be home to the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, which has been at 70 Waterman St. since the program’s inception in 2004. McCormick called the project a “good combination of facilities needs meeting the academic needs.” It had been recognized as an “underutilized” building, he

said. The renovation process meant “completely scoop the building out,” McCormick said. The building’s interior has been gutted and will be completely redone. After initial demolition, all that was left were stone walls and a high ceiling. It looked “pretty dramatic,” he said. The University is also taking this opportunity to bring the building up to code, install an elevator and more stairs and update the mechanical systems, he said. Over the years, the building had become ver y cluttered and closed off, so the original light continued on page 3

New Rock study space to open in April By Kristina Fazzalaro Contributing Writer

inside

Renovations to the main floor study room of the Rockefeller Library are underway and slated to be done in April, according to University Librarian Harriette Hemmasi. The goal of this renovation — which is part of a broader plan to improve the Rock — is to open up most of the first floor to students. The space previously housed some of the library’s microfilm and microfilm readers. Now, the space will be completely opened

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up and converted into a unstaffed student space. The main priority is to make the space comfortable for students, Hemmasi said. The wall facing College Street has been converted into a wall of windows looking out over downtown Providence. Three small study rooms will line this wall, making the space especially attractive for study groups, Hemmasi said. “We know that the Rock gets a lot of use, and it is important for students to have space to study in which they feel comfortable,” she said.

The space on the main floor has been walled off since before winter break. But with major construction now completed, the library is just awaiting new furniture so that the area can be officially opened. Hemmasi, who oversaw much of the project, said she is open to suggestions on furniture from students. There will be couches, chairs, desks and lamps in the renovated area, but she is willing to make changes based on student input. Hemmasi said she would love to continued on page 3

Jesse Morgan / Herald

Frankie Martinez ’10 stands out as the lone male member of Brown’s cheerleading squad — but that doesn’t bother him.

For Brown cheerleader, it’s gimme a ‘Y’ (chromosome) Additionally, he enjoys the close relationships he’s built with the rest of the team. “It’s good to connect with a lot of Frankie Martinez ’10 is the only man on Brown’s cheerleading squad, but the girls,” he said. bring it on — he doesn’t The team, which mind. cheers from September FEATURE Martinez, a commuthrough mid-March, nity health concentrator from Fresno, practices three a week and cheers for Calif., said he didn’t cheer in high one game a week during the football school but joined Brown’s squad after season and two games a week dura friend encouraged him to. ing the basketball season. The team’s “I just really liked it,” he said. “It continued on page 2 was good people and lots of fun.” By Ellen Cushing Senior Staff Writer

Higher Ed, 5

Sports, 7

Opinions, 11

What’s up, Doc? Doctors and medical administrators took home top salaries in academia.

when bears attack The men’s tennis team won 7-0 and 6-1 in their last two match-ups.

bilking brown Simon Liebling ’12 thinks Brown should prioritize people, not new buildings.

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

“I want to spend my life working on the core issue that I’m most passionate about, which is helping the poor.” — Former Sen. John Edwards

Q&A with John Edwards Before his lecture Tuesday, former senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards spoke with The Herald about poverty, life after his 2008 presidential run and his plans for the future. The Herald: What have you been doing since the primaries? Edwards: A variety of things. Speaking at venues like this. I have continued to work with the Poverty Center at the University of North Carolina, which I started a few years ago. I have been talking to and working with folks who are interested in doing entrepreneurial work in the area of poverty. Could you elaborate on that? Sure. People have wanted to seek investors and investments in socially responsible companies and investments. That’s basically what I’ve been doing. And I’ve left out the most important thing, being with my family and my children and making sure they’re taken care of. Going forward, do you see a return to electoral politics or issue advocacy? Where do you see yourself? I want to spend my life working on the core issue that I’m most passionate about, which is helping the poor, and that

means both dealing with poverty in America and addressing the issue worldwide. In December I spent some time in Haiti working in the slums outside of Port-au-Prince, or in Port-au-Prince actually. Cities like Cite Soleil. These are the kinds of things I care the most about and I want to focus on. Do you have any specific plans you could tell us about regarding poverty issues? No, I’m going to continue to do the things I’m doing, continue to work with organizations about this issue and we’ll see what develops. This is where my energy and passion is and this is where I’m going to be focused. Does that mean you will not be returning to electoral politics or is that still up in the air? It’s hard for me to see me doing electoral politics. What I want to do is — I want to help the poor in whatever way I can have the most positive effect. If that means working in poor communities in America, then it will be that. If it means working with organizations that help the poor globally, it will be that. Whatever, working in the government, it will be that. It doesn’t matter to me. For example, I think Vice President Gore — who I’m not comparing myself to — Vice

sudoku

President Gore has shown very clearly what is possible for somebody to accomplish outside of government in the area that he cared deeply about, which was the environment. Do you feel that the stimulus does enough to help keep people out of poverty or do you feel it’s too focused on bailing out the financial sector and big business? Well I think that President Obama’s stimulus package has good structure. I think he’s focused on the right things. Some of the things he’s proposing are some of things I myself proposed when I was running for president. This is easier for me to say because I’m not president, but I think that what may be necessary is more, not less. Being more aggressive, not less aggressive. I think it’s really important that we stay ahead of the curve. There was a column by Paul Krugman in the Times yesterday about falling behind the curve. I worry that the problem is sufficiently serious that if we get behind the curve it’s going to be hard for us to get back in front. So, I would personally do more and be more aggressive, but I think conceptually what he’s doing is very good. Is now the time to re-look

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The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2009 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

Why did you decide to come to Brown, and why now? I love coming to universities, particularly public-minded universities who are interested in public policy and who are interested in America and the world. In the extent that I can add anything to the public debate and discussion of these issues, I want to help and I also want to hear from students. I think it’s really valuable for students to ask questions and speak their mind about these things.

— Ben Schreckinger and Jenna Stark

continued from page 1 downturn, Edwards called such thinking “fundamentally stupid,” drawing applause from the crowd. “I think it shows no vision for any company to say, ‘We need to keep doing what we’re doing because these are bad economic times,’” Edwards said. The former senator cited the recent troubles of American automakers as a case where disregard for environmental concerns has had negative economic consequences. In response to a question on his future role in healthcare reform, Edwards said, “It’s a huge issue for me because it so affects the poor.” But “it’s not my central issue.” “Honestly I think my wife is a better voice on this than I am,” said Edwards, whose wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer. “Because of her own personal health issues she has a personal effect on people.” A Brown student and past Edwards volunteer asked the former senator whether he felt the public should hold politicians to a higher moral standard, a seeming allusion to Edward’s admitted extramarital affair in 2006. “I don’t think it’s for a candidate to decide what’s appropriate and what’s not appropriate” in evaluating politicians, Edwards said. “I would never suggest that I have some corner on what people ought to be able to consider,” he said. “I have my own view, which I’m going to keep to myself tonight.”

Lone male cheerleader ‘adds strength’ to squad continued from page 1

the Brown

at trade policy and see how it’s affecting the working class people and the manufacturing sector? I’ve been very clear about my views about trade. I think that it is very important for us to trade, but trade in the right way with real environmental and labor standards that America actually enforces. I think we also — you didn’t ask me this, but it’s a more controversial area — there’s a real question about farm subsidies. Particularly farm subsidies that taxpayers are providing for ... multimillionaire and corporate farmers. It doesn’t make any sense to me. And it completely undermines our capacity to help the poorest places in the world.

Edwards: My top issue is helping poor

small size — 15 during football season and seven during basketball season this year — also facilitates bonding. Because the squad travels to nearby football games in addition to spending three or four nights a week together for most of the year, Martinez said the team is very close, adding that they regularly go out to dinner as a group and recently had a squad sleepover. He even lives with two of his teammates, Slki Hong ’10 and Han Cun ’10, in a suite in Young Orchard. Along with friendship, Martinez provides much-needed strength for the team’s stunts, in which some squad members hold or toss others in the air. “Guys can do more stuff in terms of stunting,” Hong explained. “Frankie can be part of lots of different stunts, and he adds a lot of strength to the team.” In fact, Hong and Cun said, the team is limited by its lack of men and has been actively seeking more like Martinez. “Right now, we don’t have that male strength to do the really cool stunts,” Cun said. “We try at the activities fair to recruit girls and boys, but guys never come to the tryouts,” she added. Cun and Hong said the last time the squad had more than one man was

during basketball season 2006-2007, when there were two. But Martinez was not on the team then. Those two men graduated in 2007, Martinez said. Martinez is the only male on Brown’s squad, but nationally, he is not alone. “If you look at squads across the nation, the girl-to-guy ratio its pretty much equal,” Cun explained. Indeed, Hong said Harvard’s squad boasts five males, and the University of Kentucky’s team — which won the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s National College Cheerleading Championship this year — has 23 men on its 46-person squad. Furthermore, Martinez said he also cheers for a local team, where he is one of several men. Still, he said, “guys are kind of novelties in the cheerleading world,” and he tends to get recognized around campus as Brown’s only male cheerleader. “I meet so many people who are like, ‘Oh, you’re the guy cheerleader,’” he said. “Everyone — athletes, students, security guards — recognizes him,” Cun said. In fact, Martinez said he has formed a relationship with Green Horn Management event security guards, who have seen him at games and now recognize him around campus and at parties.

Martinez said, in general, his presence on the team doesn’t garner too much controversy. “Here it’s not that big of a deal — Brown is so open and fluid anyway,” he said. And though Hong said she believes many students are uninformed about male cheerleading and the squad in general, she thinks most of the attention Martinez gets is positive. “I feel like there’s a negative connotation with guys being on a cheerleading squad,” she said. “But I think Brown loves him.” For his part, Martinez is just happy to be part of the team, contributing to Brown’s school spirit. “I’m there to lift people up,” he said. “I think we’re a much-needed contribution to lifting the spirit of the crowd” — which, he said, can be difficult given Brown’s notorious lack of school spirit. “It can be discouraging being in a completely empty gym,” he said, adding that Brown sports tend to bring in much smaller crowds than other local teams, like the University of Rhode Island’s teams. “For me, it’s just my way of getting involved with the school and to try to infuse spirit in people,” he said. Cheer coordinator Shirley Corio said Martinez has a great attitude and “contributes a lot to the team.” “He can perform all the skills, and he can put on the show,” she said. “He’s the whole package.”

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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Speaker: gov’t jobs can be ‘cool again’ By ANISH GONCHIGAR Contributing Writer

A new generation of bright and motivated young people need to enter the public sector, Vice President at the Partnership for Public Service John Palguta told a group of about 30 people in Salomon 101 Tuesday. “It’s an exciting time to be around government,” he said. During the talk, called “How to Make Public Service Cool Again: Federal Workforce Challenges and Opportunities for the Obama Administration,” Palguta emphasized the importance of placing the right people in the right positions for government to be most effective. Palguta was drawn into public service by President John F. Kennedy at a time when federal jobs were not popular, he said. There has been a resurgent interest in government jobs due to the current economic crisis, he said, and the Obama administration has promoted a new attitude toward the role of government and the importance of public service. “There is an unprecedented level of interest in working for the federal government,” Palguta said. He expects the number of civilian government employees to rise from 1.9 million to 2.1 million by the end of Obama’s term, he said. Palguta said it was wrong to think that the “best and the bright-

est” should enter the private sector in order to make profit. “Demands on the government are increasing along with demands for accountability and results,” he said. The government is an increasingly graying workforce — the average age of federal employees is 47 — that needs younger workers to be as efficient as possible, he said. According to a Universum survey of ideal employers that Palguta cited, the government is the first choice for jobs among undergraduates, and five of the top 15 ideal employers are federal agencies. But the survey also showed that students have high base-salary expectations for government jobs, and technical majors are generally less interested than liberal arts majors in pursuing careers in government. The event was sponsored by the Taubman Center for Public Policy and the Career Development Center, which recently began collaborating to promote government employment at Brown. “I thought it was a productive talk in that it showed the scale of government opportunities,” said Garrett Adler ’09, adding that he was surprised more people did not show up to the event. Melissa King ’08 GS also found the talk helpful. “I think it filled a sort of niche interest,” she said.

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“It’s an exciting time to be around government.” — John Palguta, vice president at the Partnership for Public Service

Journalist: photograph an ‘enduring document’ By Kevin Pratt Contributing Writer

Digital record keeping offers journalists a means of countering attempted government fabrications of events in nations with restricted presses, C.J. Chivers, foreign correspondent for the New York Times, told an audience at Brown/RISD Hillel last night. Before the lecture began, audience members received copies of a photograph of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili pushed to the ground, surrounded by men in plainclothes and guards in black flack jackets carrying assault rifles. Chivers, who ser ved as an infantry officer in the Persian Gulf War, chronicled the August 2008 journey of that image’s photographer into Georgia in the days after RussianGeorgian hostilities broke out. The success of the photograph as an “enduring document” of the conflict, Chivers said, depends only upon the photographer’s skill in that moment of crisis. Good journalism in war-torn nations is still “just journalism, just the basics,” Chivers said, adding that reporting comes down to asking a “series of ver y basic questions.” A former Moscow bureau chief for the Times and reporter for the Providence Journal who has covered wars in Georgia and Afghanistan, Chivers compared his foreign assignments to his earlier local work with the Journal, saying that both depended on talking to wellconnected sources and asking them

Min Wu / Herald New York TImes foreign correspondent C.J. Chivers spoke about the importance of digital record-keeping in journalism to counteract attempted government fabrications.

what did and did not happen. Holding up a compact digital camera, he called digital recording devices “the most important tool” available to journalists. Recording devices, Chivers said, had taught him “to listen more and talk less.” Keeping an extensive audio-visual record on a camera or phone allows a reporter to leave a country with an extensive body of facts with which to write a story, Chivers said. Chivers wrote a story on marine doctors in northeastern Afghanistan operating on a shrapnel-wounded man almost completely from his digital record, which allowed him to remain quiet during the hour-long operation, he said. “When you finally get into a good place,” Chivers said, “just listen.” The tight hold that foreign governments have over the free exercise of press “is frustrating,” he said. Journalists are often obli-

Rhode Island Hall, now gutted, to be finished this year continued from page 1 and beauty of the building were compromised, McCormick said. Entering the building before the renovations resulted in feeling “almost immediately lost” — which was not good for Psychological Services, he quipped. But the renovated building will use large skylights, windows and the natural light they allow in to give the new building a more open feel, McCormick said. Rhode Island Hall will also feature a large classroom with a retractable wall to expand capacity for larger events, increased faculty and graduate student office space, an archaeological lab and climate-controlled ar tifact storage space in the basement, said Susan Alcock, director of the Joukowsky Institute. The Joukowsky family has secured the loan of a collection of artifacts from Petra, Jordan, that will be displayed throughout the building, she said. McCormick compared Rhode Island Hall’s renovations to those of Pembroke Hall, with the similar intent to “bring back some of the beauty of the historic building.” The project has been particularly interesting because of the intersection of the work with the future occupants, McCormick

gated to print the official government reply, Chivers said, even when these are blatant distortions of facts — which he called a “tyranny of symmetr y.” Chivers was present one afternoon when a tank fired at a terrorist-occupied school in southern Russia in 2004, and he heard the shots. But the Russian government, he said, claimed the tank did not fire until evening. The best defense against these coverups is “more evidence,” Chivers said, and mentioned again his frequent on-the-job use of a digital camera and cell phone memor y card — to “vacuum up video” — as a “means to represent evidence to the government.” Gaining the trust of informants in nations with a restricted press is not a problem, Chivers said. Chivers reported on Umar Iscontinued on page 4

Rock takes cue from SciLi in renovations continued from page 1

Courtesy of Brown University

Rhode Island hall’s renovations include skylights and a large classroom with a retractable wall to expand capacity.

said. The process of gutting the interior has revealed artifacts and other matters of interest to the archaeologists who will soon call the building home. The building was originally built with stone rubble walls which were covered with stucco on the outside and plaster on the inside, McCormick said. A narrow strip of the original stone will be left exposed after the renovation as an homage to the historic nature of the building, he said.

Rhode Island Hall has an interesting history, Alcock said. As part of the University’s science program, the building used to be used for taxidermy, she said, and renovators found a taxidermied piece of skin. They also discovered a piece of human bone, another relic from the building’s days as a science lab, Alcock said. In the end, “it’s all about remembering Rhode Island Hall,” Alcock said. Students have been inspired by the history of the building and

have conducted in-depth studies of its story, using the renovations as a great opportunity, she said. “One of the best things about this project has been student engagement,” Alcock said. The plans were created with input from members of the Joukowsky Institute, Alcock said. While 70 Waterman Street has been a comfortable home, she said she looks for ward to moving because the Institute has outgrown it.

see improvements in the lobby, reading room and work stations, but there are currently no set plans for future renovations. The Friedman Study Center influenced the project, Hemmasi said, since students were able to have input to the design of the space. Hemmasi said she believes there have been no complaints from students concerning the renovations because most of the noisy construction was done during winter break. In fact, complaints seem far from some students’ minds when they hear of plans for the new study room. “If it’s going to be like the Friedman Study Center, I think it will be really cool,” said Eunice Kim ’11. “I feel like most people go to the SciLi now because of that,” she said. “It will be popular here too.” The project was made possible by an anonymous donation, Hemmasi said.

Thanks for reading.

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“(The) role of economic thinkers has been very front and center”

Amid market turmoil, economics enrollment up By Suzannah Weiss Contributing Writer

Enrollment in undergraduate economics courses is higher than ever this year, according to Andrew Foster, professor of economics and chair of the department. The total enrollment in undergraduate economic courses has been rising steadily since 2002, Foster said, adding that the increase is mostly due to increased enrollment over the past few years in ECON 0110: “Principles of Economics,” ECON 1110: “Intermediate Microeconomics” and ECON 1210: “Intermediate Macroeconomics.” Total enrollment in economics courses has risen about eight percent over the past year to 4,380 students, Foster said, though the enrollment for Principles of Economics has dropped by about 50 students. Enrollment in upper-level economics courses such as ECON 1540: “International Trade” and ECON 1620: “Introduction to Econometrics” has also increased — 61 percent and 70 percent, respectively. Although this year’s increase has coincided with a national economic downturn, Foster said enrollments are usually highest during favorable economic periods. “One of the reasons that people enroll in economics is that they want to get jobs in finance,” he said. Students are attracted to Wall Street and London, said Professor of Economics Ross Levine. “Over the

last 20 years the financial sector has hired many of the best and brightest from around the world, and Brown certainly has lots of the best and the brightest.” Still, given the economic conditions, the “role of economic thinking has been very front and center,” which may explain high enrollments during the current crisis, Foster said. “Economics provides a prism through which to understand a little bit better some of those issues,” Levine said, referring to the financial crisis, increased interest in global poverty and the rise of foreign powers like China and India. “Certainly if I was a college student coming to campus now, and there was a set of courses to help me understand these massive changes going on in the world, I’d want to take them,” said Professor of Economics David Weil. “These are more turbulent and interesting and scary times than I’ve seen since I’ve started studying economics,” Weil said. “I don’t understand how people can look at what’s happening in the world now without an understanding of economics. It must be terrible for them.” Taking undergraduate economics courses probably won’t help one “better weather the storm of what’s going on in the economy right now,” Weil said, but it will help students understand it. Economics is also a component of popular concentrations such as International Relations and Commerce,

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Organizations and Entrepreneurship, Levine said. Last year’s graduating class held 157 International Relations concentrators, an all-time high, which may explain the overall growing enrollment in Principles of Economics, said Assistant Director of Academic Programs Claudia Elliott, who advises I.R. concentrations. Students said they take economics courses to gain valuable understanding of the economy and to fulfill requirements. Carolyn Aker ’12 took Principles of Economics last semester to fulfill an I.R. requirement, but said learning about the economy is “very advisable just because we’re all going to be interacting with it,” she said. Aker said the course motivated her in taking additional intermediate courses in the future. “I took it because a lot of the classes I want to take have an economics prerequisite,” said Allison Courtin ’12, who took Principles of Economics so she could take certain sociology courses later. Erick Sam ’10, an economics and philosophy concentrator, said he was not sure an undergraduate who took a handful of economics courses would have any magic insight into the economic crisis, but economics remained a practical choice of concentration for him. It provides “the ability to read through the New York Times with a basic understanding of what’s going on,” he said.

— Andrew Foster, economics department chair

Prof. studies abstract thinking in frontal lobe of brain By Hannah Moser Senior Staff Writer

The brain’s frontal lobe may be organized in a front-to-back continuum, with concrete decision-making occurring toward the back of the lobe and abstract thought toward the front, according to a recent study conducted by Assistant Professor of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences David Badre. Badre was the lead author of the study conducted at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a postdoctoral fellow before coming to Brown in 2007, according to a March 1 Brown press release. “It tells us more about how the brain works and how it’s organized,” he told The Herald. The frontal lobe affects human behavior by controlling decision-making, planning and reasoning. According to the press release, the study, published in the March 1 issue of Nature Neuroscience, is among the first to show that different areas of the frontal lobe correspond with varying degrees of abstract thought. In addition to furthering understanding of human thought, these findings could have a range of applications, including advances in the treatment of strokes. The study was conducted over the course of two years because of the nature of patient studies, which are often lengthy processes, Badre said. He and his colleagues studied patients who had a suffered a stroke at least six months before being tested. The 11 subjects — seven men and four

women — ranged from 45 to 73 in age and had suffered damage to various areas of their frontal lobes as a result of their strokes. The patients performed four “response selection tests” that required the press of a finger in response to computerized cues. One such test, outlined in the University release, functioned through responses to colors. Red would prompt the subjects to press with their index finger, while blue would prompt the middle finger. By increasing alterations between fingers, the test became increasingly complicated. Badre said the other tests were more complex in format but still consisted of the same idea of progressing from simple to complex decisions. He said abstract thought is demonstrated when subjects have to make decisions based on other previous decisions. “If there is damage in a given spot, it will affect all higher (decision-making) functions but not lower functions,” Badre said in the press release. In the study, Badre and his colleagues found that damage to the anterior frontal lobe affected frontal abstract thought but left concrete decision-making, located in the back of the lobe, intact. To account for variance between subjects, such as their range of ability to perform such tests before suffering a stroke, according to Badre, researchers employed “within-subject comparison” to use subjects as their own controls. “All these little differences average out at the group level,” he said.

War correspondent discusses technology, trust in journalism continued from page 3 railov, who detailed instances of torture by prominent political figures in Chechnya, and explained that Israilov had “no place to go with this stor y in Russia. ... (It) wouldn’t be published, wouldn’t go on the air.” Chivers said he spent extensive time ensuring that his published articles offered no avenue for governments to uncover the identity of his informants. The crossover between a journalist’s work and personal life is huge, Chivers said, citing his ground coverage of the September 11 attacks in New York City. Chivers said he took cover in scaffolding nearby the World Trade Center Towers as debris from the airliners’ collisions fell 80 stories into the street. For over a year, the sound of trains reminded him of the collapsing towers, he said. Recreating events at the occupied school in Russia in 2004, however, was a “fascinating intellectual struggle” that often involved a mechanistic distance from the emotionally trying forensic details, Chivers said. He kept returning to the school where 1,100 hostages were taken, he said, and compared pictures of the damage with interviews with survivors to determine

whether Russia had attacked the school. Chivers, whose articles often include detailed personal descriptions, told The Herald after the event that journalism should never be “inventive,” but that long-form articles allow journalists to write deeper, more descriptive paragraphs. Technological changes in journalism will not effect the public desire for news in the future, Chivers said in response to an audience question. But the big question is whether print newspapers’ current business model can survive, he said. Chivers does not engage in “prescriptive” journalism which attempts to steer the opinions of readers, he said, telling The Herald that his job was to cover, not influence, the news. Chivers graduated from Cornell in 1987 and was valedictorian at the Journalism School at Columbia in 1995. While reporting for the Journal, Chivers received a Livingston Award for his coverage of collapsing Atlantic fisheries. The lecture was presented by the Depar tment of English Nonfiction Writing Program and sponsored by the Shane Family Program Fund.

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Oxford not laughing at satirical student paper A controversial spoof edition of Oxford University’s campus newspaper has led to the resignation of two top editors at the paper. According to British newspapers, Oxford’s student paper, Cherwell, typically circulates a satirical issue among its editors at the end of every term. But this year, the issue, called Lecher, was leaked to the Oxford community, and many are saying it went too far. According to a Feb. 27 article in the article in the Guardian, the spoof issue mocked the Holocaust, employed racist epithets, made references to killing and sexually abusing babies and featured a digitally-manipulated image of a Cherwell editor wearing a Ku Klux Klan uniform and giving a Nazi salute. Oxford Student Publications Limited, which publishes Cherwell but did not publish Lecher, condemned the satirical paper in a statement. “The contents of the document Lecher are utterly deplorable, and OSPL condemns it in the strongest possible terms,” the statement read. Cherwell’s top editors, Sian Cox-Brooker and Michael Bennett, both resigned in the wake of the controversy. Though they were not Cherwell’s editors in November and do not claim responsibility for Lecher, The Times (of London) reported on Feb. 27 that “it is understood that those who are about to take over the paper’s reins are often involved in the traditional spoof.” In a joint statement announcing their resignations, Brooker and Bennett apologized for the content of the spoof issue. “The tone and content of Lecher was clearly intended to be satirical, and was received as such by its intended recipients,” the statement read. “We understand that satire can be misconstrued, and as this term’s editors of Cherwell we apologize for any offence which might have been caused, and have now resigned.” — Ellen Cushing

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | Page 5

Doctors top list of universities’ best paid By Gaurie Tilak Higher Ed Editor

Doctors topped the list of highestpaid employees at private colleges and universities during the 2007 fiscal year, according to a report published by the Chronicle of Higher Education last month. Of the 10 highest earners nationally, eight are doctors or medical administrators. The highest-paid university employee in the country was University of Southern California Football Head Coach Pete Carroll, who earned $4.4 million between July 2006 and June 2007. His salary was four times higher than that of the university’s president. According to the repor t, 46 medical school faculty members and administrators around the country made more than $1 million last year. Even for doctors, these salaries are atypical, said former Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Eli Adashi, who said he was “surprised at the magnitude” of some of the salaries the report listed. Adashi, currently a professor of obstetricsgynecology at the Alpert Medical School, made just under $500,000 as BioMed dean in 2007, The Herald reported in December. Columbia dermatologist David Silvers took home the second largest paycheck, $4.3 million, in 2007. Michael Johns, Emory University’s executive vice president for health

Highest paid people in higher education Pete Carroll, U. of Southern California Head Football Coach

$4,415,714

David Silvers, Columbia Clinical professor, Dermatology

$4,332,759

Michael Johns, Emory University Executive Vice President, Health Affairs

$3,753,067

Arthur Rubenstein, U. of Pennsylvania Dean, School of Medicine

$3,335,767

Zev Rosenwaks, Cornell Professor, Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility

$3,149,376

Cynthia Frost, Brown Chief Investment Officer

$1,351,639

Sources: Chronicle of Higher Education, Brown Daily Herald.

Compensation for 2007 fiscal year.

affairs, took home $3.8 million. “The whole salar y context in medical schools is different,” said John Curtis, director of research and public policy at the American Association of University Professors. Curtis said salaries tend to be higher on average at medical schools and doctors often earn additional income from clinical practice — a fact that only complicates the kind of comparison made by the Chronicle, he said.

Curtis said he was concerned the Chronicle’s report was unclear about whether clinical income was included in the salary figures referenced in the report. He said he felt the report was misleading and “frankly, kind of sensationalism.” Jeffrey Brainard, a senior reporter for the Chronicle and a coauthor of the report, declined to comment on the report’s content continued on page 6

Applications to tuition-free schools up amid recession By Ellen Cushing Senior Staf f Writer

Amid economic crisis, some tuitionfree colleges and universities have seen a dramatic spike in applications this year. The Cooper Union, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the United States Military, Naval and Air Force Academies all reported increases in applications this year, even as colleges and universities nationally have seen an overall drop in applications. Deep Springs and Olin Colleges have not seen a rise in applicants. Of ficials at several of the schools that have seen spikes said they believe the increase in applicants can be partially attributed to greater financial pressure on many families in the wake of the economic downturn. But regardless of the reasons behind the spike in applications, these schools stand to gain by becoming more selective. At Cooper — which offers degrees in architecture, fine ar ts and engineering and provides full tuition scholarships for all of its students — applications have increased by 13 to 15 percent, according to Dean of Admissions Mitchell Lipton. He added the number is likely to rise as the school continues to receive ap-

plications. Though Lipton acknowledged that the economic crisis may be spurring more high-school students to apply, he also credited what he saw as the school’s higher profile in recent years. Curtis, a conser vator y in Philadelphia, has also seen applications jump dramatically this year. The Institute’s applications rose “from the low 800s to almost 900” this year, admissions officer Chris Hodges said. “I think (Curtis) would certainly be more attractive in economic downturn times,” Hodges said, adding that the school’s communications office has been “getting the word out” about Cur tis’ full scholarships. The federal ser vice academies — whose students pay no tuition or room and board but are required to complete five years’ active militar y ser vice and three years in a reser ve component after graduating — also witnessed a spike in applications. Deborah Goode, a spokesperson for the U.S. Naval Academy, said the school had received 13,841 applications for 1,200 spots in the class of 2013 as of Dec. 9 — up from 10,042 for the class of 2012. Goode counted the economy as one of many factors that may encourage high school students to

attend the Naval Academy. “The decision to attend USNA is a personal one, based on a number of factors such as personal motivation and aspirations, the economy, the appeal of militar y ser vice and other issues which could potentially influence those applying to the Academy,” she wrote in an email to The Herald. At the U.S. Militar y Academy at West Point, applications have increased from 10,133 last year to 10,870 as of last month, according to spokesperson Francis Demaro. As of last week, the U.S. Air Force Academy had received 9,812 applications, an increase of about 800 from this time last year, spokesperson John Van Winkle told The Herald. Because applying to the Air Force Academy takes years of preparation and a recommendation from a member of Congress, Van Winkle said, it’s unlikely that students would choose to apply simply based on economic circumstances. “You can’t just wake up one morning and decide to apply to the Air Force Academy,” he said. The spikes these schools are seeing come even though none plan to offer additional spots next year. Both of ficials at the acadcontinued on page 6

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H igher E d

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

People at the top are “taking more than their fair share” — Patrick Callan, Pres. of the Nat’l Center for Public Policy and Higher Ed.

Physicians, administrators top list of highest-paid university employees continued from page 5 and methodology. The highest paid university president in 2007 was Gordon Gee, then-president of Vanderbilt University and now president of Ohio State University — who earned a total compensation of $2.1 million. But Gee, a former president of Brown, earned less than two medical administrators at Vanderbilt, where Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs Harry Jacobson earned $2.6 million and former Executive Vice President of Clinical Affairs Norman Urmy earned $2.4 million. Physicians who draw high salaries usually generate a lot of income for their schools, Adashi said. Typically these physicians perform expensive or highly technical procedures, he said. Tony Pals, director of public information at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, an advocacy group, agreed. “The salaries largely reflect market trends,” Pals said. “There is a significant demand for highly

qualified market professionals.” He said because many of these doctors would earn even higher salaries if they chose to work in the private sector, schools need to offer incentives in order to retain top talent. Of the six highest paid employees at Brown, two were medical administrators — both Adashi and then-Chair of Medicine Edward Wing, who has since replaced Adashi as BioMed dean, made about $500,000 in 2007. The only Brown employee to earn more than $1 million was Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Frost, who made $1,351,639 in fiscal year 2007. The Chronicle reported that two of the top 10 earners were specialists in reproductive medicine. Zev Rosenwaks, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at Cornell, made $3.1 million in 2007. Adashi, a specialist in reproductive medicine himself, said doctors like Rosenwaks often perform expensive procedures, such as in-vitro fertilization, which generate a lot of income for the school. Adashi said that the center at Cornell performs

over 2,500 in-vitro fertilization procedures every year. According to the center, one in-vitro procedure costs around $8,900. “Physicians that build these kinds of centers are internationally recognized and are in high demand,” Adashi said, but added that multi-million-dollar salaries are rare. “I’m not used to physicians that are earning in excess of $1 million.” Administrator salaries ‘drift upwards’ In regards to medical administrators, however, high incomes are harder to justify, Adashi said. Academic leaders don’t necessarily generate income for schools the way physicians do, he said. Although the job of an administrator is certainly difficult, “running Emory is not any more difficult than running the University of Utah,” Adashi said, adding that it was difficult to explain the variability in incomes for medical administrators because most have similar job responsibilities. Curtis agreed it is difficult to justify high salaries for medical administrators, as did Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, an advocacy group. Emory and Vanderbilt were the only two schools represented in all three of the top-10 lists published by the Chronicle. The lists compiled the highest paid employees in three categories: general faculty and staff, chief financial officers and chief academic officers. Pals said this reflected both schools’ attempt to improve their national profiles and gain a more competitive position among their peer institutions by hiring highly

skilled professionals. “There’s been a drift upwards in administrative salaries,” Callan said, noting that the schools with the highest-paid presidents also have other highly compensated administrators. “It’s not a coincidence,” Callan said. “If you have $1 million presidents, pretty soon you will have $800,000 provosts and $500,000 deans.” Increasing administrative salaries are a problem, Callan said, and “people are losing confidence in higher education.” The National Center regularly sponsors surveys to gauge public opinion about higher education. Callan said that, while people rarely complain about doctors’ salaries, university presidents and coaches are often perceived as overpaid. The issue will be difficult to resolve, he said. “It’s a matter of judgment of boards of trustees,” he said. People at the top are “taking more than their fair share” while students and faculty don’t see the benefits. Most colleges and universities are non-profit organizations, Callan said. “People don’t think of higher education as a field you enter to be a millionaire.” The Chronicle’s report was compiled from certain Internal Revenue Service tax forms from each private institution, which are public for all private, non-profit institutions. According to the report, the data include only the five highest-compensated employees, plus the financial and academic officers, at each of the 600 institutions. Money that coaches receive from outside endorsements is not necessarily reflected in the data, as colleges are not required to report those figures.

Tuition-free schools see more apps continued from page 5 emies, where enrollment is controlled by Congress, and at tuitionfree private schools, which must carefully control the number of students whose tuition is being covered, said that enrollment will stay steady even in the face of rising numbers of applicants. Cooper is expecting to of fer approximately 300 students admission from a pool of over 4,000, Lipton wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. Hodges said Curtis will continue to admit between 160 and 170 students for admission this fall. Some tuition-free schools, however, have experienced no such rise in applicant numbers. At Deep Springs College in California, which offers full scholarships to its student body of approximately 26 men, applications have dropped since 2006-2007, said Charles Pletcher, a second-year student who works on the school’s recruitment committee. Pletcher said his office is currently investigating the reasons behind the drop, but he also noted that because Deep Springs has such a small student body, even slight fluctuations in application figures can lead to large statistical variations. The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass., which offers full tuition scholarships for all students, has not seen a rise in applicants this year either, said Charles Nolan, vice president of external relations and dean of admission.

SportsWednesday The Brown Daily Herald

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | Page 7

Records fall, but so does Men’s tennis serves up two more wins m. swimming and diving By Erin Frauenhofer Spor ts Staf f Writer

By Andrew Braca Sports Editor

The men’s swimming and diving team broke eight school records and set a host of personal bests en route to a seventh-place finish at the Ivy League Championships, held at Princeton’s DeNunzio Pool Thursday through Saturday. Daniel Ricketts ’09 posted three top-three finishes to lead the team. Brown scored 616.5 points to finish comfortably ahead of Dartmouth (426) for seventh place out of the eight Ivy schools. Princeton secured the Ivy title in its own pool, finishing with 1663.5 points, followed by Harvard (1311.5), Cornell (1095), Yale (1033.5), Columbia (862.5) and Penn (808.5). The Bears posted 21 times that cracked the top 10 in the history of the program. “I think that as a group, we were over 90 percent personal best lifetime times,” said Richard Alexander ’09. “I think as a small team we should be proud of where we finished. We’re not necessarily at the top of the pack, but considering the resources we’ve been given and being a small team, I think that we did a pretty good job this year.” The Bears did not head into the meet with lofty expectations, according to C.J. Kambe ’10, after beating only Dartmouth during the regular season. “Looking back at our times and our scores from the season, I think we had pretty realistic expectations for what we were going to do, and then we ended up exceeding those,” he said. Day One On Thursday, the Bears got off to a fast start in the 200 free relay, as Ricketts, Tucker Wetmore ’10, Trent Huxley ’10 and Benjamin Zlotoff ’09 combined to post a time of 1:20.87, a Brown record good for fifth place. Two Brown swimmers faced off in the B final of the 200 I.M., as Alexander took 12th place with a time of 1:50.43, while Ryan Kikuchi ’11 followed 0.58 seconds behind in 15th. Ricketts then set the first of his four school records by posting a time of 19.77 in the 50 free, good for third place in the meet. “He definitely had a very strong meet, probably one of the strongest performances of a Brown swimmer in the last decade,” Alexander said. Kambe followed with Brown’s best result of the day, scoring 290.95 points to take second place in the 1-meter dive. Jonathan Feldman ’12 placed 14th with a score of 243.25. The Bears ended the day with a fifth-place finish in the 400 medley relay, as Zach Levko ’10, Conor Carlucci ’11, Alexander and Ricketts combined to finish in 3:17.14, another school record. Day Two Friday began with a seventh-

place finish in the 200 medley relay, as Levko, Carlucci, Alexander and Zlotoff posted a time of 1:31.57. Sam Speroni ’11 touched the wall in 9:43.43 to finish 20th in the 1,000 free, while Kikuchi placed ninth in the 400 IM in 3:56.03. Two seniors posted strong results in the 100 fly. Ricketts secured his second third-place finish with a time of 47.04, while Alexander finished in 49.05 take 14th. In the 200 free, Wetmore placed 14th in 1:41.37, while James Hunter ’12 followed 0.10 seconds behind in 15th. The Bears closed out the day with a pair of seventh-place finishes. Levko finished the 100 back in 50.06, while the 800 free relay squad of Ricketts, Alexander, Wetmore and Hunter finished in 6:39.15. Day Three Speroni led off Saturday for the Bears, placing 19th in the 1,650 free in a time of 16:20.81. Kikuchi followed by finishing the 200 back in 1:47.33, good for ninth place. Ricketts then took second place in the 100 free. His time of 43.17 set his fourth school record of the meet. “We knew he was going to be a big scorer,” Kambe said. “He’s been doing really well (this season), he did really well at last year’s championship. But I think he exceeded even our high expectations for him.” Carlucci followed with a 19thplace finish in the 200 breast in a time of 2:03.26. But the 2:03.05 he posted in the preliminaries set his second school record of the meet. Alexander notched his best result of the meet in the 200 fly, touching the wall in 1:48.72 to earn eighth place and cap a strong showing. “Every time I got on the blocks I set a lifetime best,” Alexander said. “I just missed two school records in the (200) IM and the (200) Fly by less than a second, but it’s still nice to be second on the all-time list. … I made a championship final on the last night, which was pretty awesome.” Kambe closed out the diving portion of the meet by scoring 256.05 points to place 13th in the 3-meter dive. Ricketts, Huxley, Wetmore and David Koweek ’09 closed out Brown’s seventh-place finish by finishing the 400 free relay in 2:59.74 to place sixth. Now the Bears will turn their attention to a future that Kambe said has been brightened by the looming prospect of a new pool being built to replace the current temporary practice bubble behind the OlneyMargolies Athletic Center. Alexander said he believes the team will be in good hands without him and the rest of the seniors. “We definitely have a lot of strong leadership coming up in the program, and we have a strong recruiting class,” he said. “We’ve always had a very tight-knit group of guys on the team.”

The men’s tennis team added two more wins to its record (12-4) after sweeping Fairleigh Dickinson University, 7-0, on Saturday and trouncing Marquette, 6-1, on Monday. The Bears were happy to have captains Chris Lee ’09 and Noah Gardner ’09 back in the lineup after having to fill the gaps left last week when the players were injured. “Going into the Fairleigh Dickinson match, my legs felt extremely tight,” said Gardner, who suffered a full body cramp last week against Binghamton. “This is the end of the winter part of the season, where I’ve been particularly susceptible to injury. I’m also battling with a shoulder problem. But it was very good for me to play both against Fairleigh Dickinson and Marquette. I was by no means 100 percent, but as long as you’re not making things worse, it’s good to get on the court and work on what you can control.” Justin Coleman / Herald Men’s tennis beat Farleigh Dikinson University, 7-0, and Marquette, 6-1.

continued on page 8

W. water polo scores big at Marist Invitational By Meghan Markowski Contributing Writer

The women’s water polo team went 3-1 this weekend at the Marist Invitational. The Bears beat St. Francis, 14-4, Marist, 9-8 and Iona, 13-7, but lost to Wagner 8-6 in a close game. Lauren Presant ’10 had an exceptional weekend, tallying 17 goals and 11 steals over the four games. “Our success this weekend was possible because of our great defensive play,” Presant wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “Additionally the low number of ejections against us revealed how we trusted our teammates to pick up the drives when we were behind. Trust, a motion offense and our conversion on power plays were the keys to our success.”

The Bears (8-4) began the weekend strong with the 14-4 drubbing of St. Francis College. Presant was the leading scorer with seven goals, followed by Sarah Glick ’10 with four. Rita Bullwinkel ’11, Katherine Stanton ’11 and Samantha Ryu ’12 each scored one goal. The team was able to generate great momentum against Saint Francis, according to Presant. “It was exhilarating,” Presant wrote. “Our teamwork really showed through as we played solid defense and managed counter-attacking in such a small pool. A great surprise during the game came from a counterattack goal from freshman Sam Ryu. Additionally it was great seeing (Bullwinkel) become a real offensive threat on 6-5 during the

Iona game.” On Saturday night, the Bears faced Marist, the team they beat last weekend for the ECAC Championship title. Brown was able to shut down Marist again in the final minutes and capture the win, 9-8. Presant and Glick led the offense with five and three goals, respectively. Stanton and goalie Stephanie Laing ’10 made strong contributions on defense. Presant and Glick “are so creative and have a knack for finding each other,” wrote Head Coach Felix Mercado in an e-mail to The Herald. “There is no question they are a powerful 1-2 punch. No matter what the other teams would tr y to do, they were able to find the back of the net. But I think it continued on page 8

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

S ports W ednesday

W. water polo wins three at Marist over the weekend continued from page 7 is important to say that they are as good as they are because of each other.” Brown defeated Iona on Sunday morning, 13-7. Glick had four goals and five assists, while Bullwinkel had three goals. Later that night, Brown played Wagner but was unable to clinch the win. The Bears came out strong, scoring two goals within eight minutes of the game. They registered one more goal to hold a 3-2 advantage over Wagner at halftime. But Wagner didn’t give up and came out strong in the third quarter, putting the ball in the back of the net four times to gain a 6-3 lead. Presant answered back with two goals to end the third quarter, 6-5.

In the fourth quarter, Brown tied it early with a goal by Glick, but Wagner responded by netting two unanswered goals for the 8-6 win. “Obviously we wanted to win all the games, but considering we were missing Ror y Stanton (’09) the entire weekend, I will not complain too much,” wrote Mercado. “Wagner came into the game with a game plan for us, while we came into the weekend just to play well. ... They did a good job of shutting our offense down, but I feel that (with) a couple of breaks going our way we would have pulled out a win. But no doubt I was very happy with our play. I’m excited for the rest of the season.” The Bears will play again this weekend against Colorado College, the New York Athletic Club and Har wick.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

“Obviously we wanted to win all the games” — Felix Mercado, w. water polo head coach

Healthy m. tennis team squashes Marquette continued from page 7 Brown 7, Fairleigh-Dickinson 0 The Bears made winning look easy Saturday as they swept doubles matches against the Knights to jump to a 1-0 lead. Gardner and captain Sam Garland ’09 led the way at first doubles, defeating Matt Gordon and Andrew Denny by a score of 8-6. Meanwhile, at third doubles, Skate Gorham ’10 and Charlie Posner ’11 wrapped up their victory against Alex Jorne and Markus Bolinder by an identical 8-6 score. “Charlie, who rotates with (Kendrick Au ’11) at the third doubles spot, is playing some very skilled and smart doubles,” Gardner said. “Those two guys make everything easier with the tremendous depth they provide.” At second doubles, Lee and Jonathan Pearlman ’11 overpow-

ered Marco Jermersic and Ankesh Bhargava, 8-4. “Fairleigh-Dickinson was a good match for us,” Gardner said. “Our doubles held up nicely, and everyone played smart enough to win in singles.” Pearlman earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over Gordon at first singles and Gorham overwhelmed Denny at second singles with a score of 6-2, 6-2. “I was particularly proud of Skate,” Gardner said. “He’s been doing some pretty exceptional work in terms of how consistent he is.” At third singles, Gardner won the first set in a tiebreaker, then dropped the second set before triumphing in the third-set superbreaker for a final score of 7-6, 5-7, 1-0. “It was great to see Noah step up and win his match with a tiebreaker,” said Assistant Coach Nestor Bernabe. Garland also battled through a tiebreaker in the fourth singles match, notching a 6-3, 7-6 win. At fifth singles, Au trounced Diego Benavent, 6-2, 6-1, and at sixth singles, Jimmy Crystal ’12 soundly defeated Dominic Hemy by a score of 6-3, 6-3. Brown 6, Marquette 1 The Bears had a “great Sunday night practice” before their Monday match against the Golden Eagles, Bernabe said. “The team came out and played great against Marquette,” he said. “Sunday’s practice was a high energy, ver y intense practice. We worked out some things that might become an issue in our upcoming matches, and it paid off against Marquette in a very big way.” The Bears clinched the doubles point with wins at second and third doubles. Lee and Pearlman defeated Stephen Shao and Dusan Medan, 8-5, at second doubles, while Au and Gorham edged out Mark Rutherford and Jonathan Schwerin for a 9-8 victory at third doubles. “It’s the second time this year that Kendrick has clinched a doubles point in a tiebreaker, and that says a lot about a guy playing his first year in the doubles lineup,” Gardner said. “He’s improving so much. I wish I had a couple more years here to see where it all takes him.” Gardner and Garland dropped the first doubles match by a score of 8-5, but the victories at second

and third doubles were enough to give Brown a 1-0 lead. “We had a huge win in doubles,” Garland said. “We all came into the singles feeling very motivated. We also had Chris Lee back (in the singles lineup), which is an enormous presence on court.” At first singles, Pearlman took a 6-3, 7-5 win over Trent Hagan. At second singles, Lee outlasted Medan in three sets for a final score of 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. “Chris Lee clinched the match with a ridiculous running forehand winner,” Gorham said. “It felt good having our typical starting lineup against Marquette with Chris back in singles, and his addition to the team was obvious.” Bernabe agreed, saying, “It was a great match to see a senior step up, play and win in a huge moment. He did his trademark Roger Craig — old 49ers running back — high knees after the match when his opponent’s volley went long,” he said. Gorham also had a three-set battle at third singles, but he ultimately fell to Niko Boulieris, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. “In singles play against Marquette, everyone played at a high level,” Gorham said. “Although I took a loss at singles in a close three-set match, ever yone else won and played great.” At fourth singles, Garland overpowered Shao, 6-2, 6-3. “Sam’s consistency and aggressiveness completely wore his opponent down and shut down a big part of their team,” Gardner said. Gardner and Au defeated their opponents at fifth and sixth singles, respectively, by identical scores of 6-3, 7-6. “This was a great team match,” Bernabe said. “Our doubles is becoming a solid foundation, and the singles are coming together. The Marquette match was the first match where we had guys that could come in off the bench if needed. It was the first time that everyone was healthy to play.” Brown will compete against Bryant on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at home. The Bears are also setting their sights on matches the following week against the University of Portland and Wake Forest, which Bernabe called “solid teams.” “It is clear that our games are getting sharper, which is good news going into some matches against some good teams,” Gorham said.

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Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Wednesday, March 11, 2009

e d i to r i a l

The party’s crashing us The Brown Concert Agency’s Wednesday announcement of this year’s Spring Weekend line-up was, as always, a surprise worth waiting for. With hip-hop icon Nas and indie super-group Of Montreal headlining, the weekend promises to be memorable — if you managed to get tickets, that is. As reported in yesterday’s Herald, BCA’s new online ticketing system helped sell out the initial release — 3,000 tickets for each show — in an astonishing 12 hours and 16 minutes. And yet, despite rapid ticket sales, students don’t seem too enthusiastic about the BCA’s selections. If the Daily Jolt is any indicator, students think that while Nas was a solid choice, Of Montreal may not have been. The Jolt’s forum is littered with comments like this one, posted by “milk chocolate” last Thursday at 2:13 am: “I like Nas, but Of Montreal… not so much.” The problem seems to stem from a feeling that the Athens, Ga. group is just “too indie.” We here at the Brown Daily Herald are a bit perplexed by this sentiment, Brown being the hipster hotbed that it is, but think heightened familiarity with the group’s work might mitigate apprehensions. First things first, if you’ve never listened to Of Montreal, head over to YouTube and check out “Requiem For O.M.M.2.” The track’s catchy refrain and simple guitar riffs push it closer to the “pop” end of the indie-pop spectrum, rendering it accessible to even those without a taste for indie rock. Though the song fails to display the band’s more experimental side, it serves as a good starting point for unfamiliar listeners. It’s probably worth picking up the new album, “Skeletal Lamping,” as it will most likely constitute the majority of the band’s Spring Weekend set. Even if you don’t get the chance to, though, make sure you hear “Gallery Piece.” This bass-heavy dance anthem has the electro-funk vibe of MGMT’s “Electric Feel” and is sure to be a hit come Spring Weekend. As for Nas, Stephen Hazeltine ’09 said it best: “(he) speaks for himself.” There’s no doubt that the critically acclaimed lyricist will put on a great show. We advise anyone that hasn’t heard his new album, “Untitled,” to check it out. A meticulously composed meditation on racism, Untitled is a marked departure from the fiery street anthems of his youth. In regards to the BCA’s goal to make this year’s concert better than last’s, we think they’ve got it in the bag (so long as no one lets Of Montreal use a gunshot sound-bite). Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d Editor-in-Chief Steve DeLucia

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Senior Editors Rachel Arndt Catherine Cullen Scott Lowenstein

Business General Managers Office Manager Shawn Reilly Alexander Hughes Jonathan Spector Directors Ellen DaSilva Sales Director Claire Kiely Sales Director Phil Maynard Sales Director Katie Koh Finance Director Jilyn Chao Asst. Finance Director Managers Local Sales Kelly Wess National Sales Kathy Bui University Sales Alex Carrere Recruiter Sales Christiana Stephenson Credit and Collections Matt Burrows Opinions Opinions Editor Sarah Rosenthal Editorial Page Board James Shapiro Editorial Page Editor Nick Bakshi Board member Zack Beauchamp Board member Sara Molinaro Board member William Martin Board member Post- magazine Arthur Matuszewski Editor-in-Chief Kelly McKowen Editor-in-Chief

Marlee Bruning, Anna Migliaccio, Leor Shtull-Leber, Qian Yin, Designer Halie Rando, Sara Chimene-Weiss, Copy Editors Brigitta Greene, Ben Schreckinger, Caroline Sedano, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Mitra Anoushiravani, Colin Chazen, Ellen Cushing, Sydney Ember, Lauren Fedor, Nicole Friedman, Britta Greene, Sarah Husk, Brian Mastroianni, Hannah Moser, Ben Schreckinger, Caroline Sedano, Melissa Shube, Anne Simons, Sara Sunshine Staff Writers Zunaira Choudhary, Chris Duffy, Nicole Dungca, Juliana Friend, Cameron Lee, Kelly Mallahan, Christian Martell, Heeyoung Min, Seth Motel, Jyotsna Mullur, Lauren Pischel, Leslie Primack, Anne Speyer, Alexandra Ulmer, Kyla Wilkes Sports Staff Writers Nicole Stock Senior Business Associates Max Barrows, Jackie Goldman, Margaret Watson, Ben Xiong Business Associates Stassia Chyzhykova, Misha Desai, Bonnie Kim, Maura Lynch, Cathy Li, Allen McGonagill, Thanases Plestis, Corey Schwartz, William Schweitzer, Kenneth So, Evan Sumortin, Haydar Taygun, Webber Xu, Lyndse Yess Design Staff Sara Chimene-Weiss, Katerina Dalavurak, Gili Kliger, Jessica Kirschner, Joanna Lee, Maxwell Rosero, John Walsh, Kate Wilson, Qian Yin Photo Staff Qidong Chen, Janine Cheng, Alex DePaoli, Frederic Lu, Quinn Savit, Min Wu Copy Editors Sara Chimene-Weiss, Sydney Ember, Lauren Fedor, Casey Gaham, Anna Jouravleva, Geoffrey Kyi, Frederic Lu, Jordan Mainzer, Kelly Mallahan, Allison Peck, Madeleine Rosenberg Web Developers Jihan Chao

ale x yuly

l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r s

The Spring Weekend bait-and-switch To the Editor: With great excitement, I logged on to the Brown Student Agencies Web site at 7:55 a.m. on Monday to purchase two packages of tickets for the Spring Weekend concerts. As in years past, there was a discount offered to those opting to purchase tickets to both concerts. As anyone else who logged on early quickly realized, the Web site was not designed to handle the load. Indications that the Web site was poorly conceived began with a very prominent (but innocuous) grammatical error — the site’s designer apparently did not know the difference between “You’re” and “Your”— and ended with the site refusing to respond as I entered my credit card information. Imagine my disappointment when, at 8:05 a.m., the site finally let me submit my order only to inform me that the packages I selected were sold out. Members of

the BCA blamed this on an extremely limited number of packages because of the cost of providing financial aid. I call it a bait-and-switch fraud. Bait-and-switch is when a group lures customers by promising an unprofitably low price (in this case, because of the financial aid), only to reveal to customers at the last minute (after entering credit card information) that the advertised good is not available, suggesting a more expensive substitute. The BCA should offer the package discount to all members of the Brown community who woke up early to sign on the site and purchase tickets, not just the few with orders the under-equipped Web site deemed worthy enough to process. Pete Gilligan ’09 March 9

Right to bear arms is serious business To the Editor: Michael Fitzpatrick’s column on firearms (“Fight fire with firearms,” March 9) caught my attention, as I was surprised that a student at my notoriously liberal alma mater might actually support a conservative cause. While the article began somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it devolved into a poor lampoon of the gun-ownership issue. Rather than debate the column in its entirety, I will just make two points: 1. The .40 caliber Glock Model 22 is the favored police model; there is not a “Glock .22” and Glocks

are not shiny. 2. I am sure that a number of students at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech are perturbed that only criminals can bring firearms to campus. If you do not want to carry a gun, then don’t. But don’t ignore the numerous times that a lawfully armed citizen has defended himself and others from criminal attack. You never know, the life that person saves could be yours. Jonathan Bastian ’89 March 10

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Opinions The Brown Daily Herald

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 | Page 11

On overcompensating SIMON LIEBLING Opinions Columnist The firings have come. Last week’s news says that the University is holding a list of about 30 staff members deemed most expendable, but the administration is going to keep the secret a little longer and wait to deliver the sentences while staff wonder nervously if they’re going to have to hunt for work in the worst job market in memory. And administrators say that with those first 30 “terminations,” they’re just getting started. So let’s step back and take a look at the last month. Tuition has been jacked up 3 percent. Thirty campus staff members go about their work unaware that their names have made it onto a hit list sitting in some administrator’s filing cabinet. The rest anxiously eye the shadows of the axes left yet to fall. But the new Faunce is still happening. The Creative Arts Center is still going to be built from the ground up. Same story for the shiny new swim center. And let’s not forget the tens of millions already poured into the Walk and purely cosmetic projects like exterior renovations on Wilson Hall. (To those who think those buildings come free, the donations earmarked for these projects only cover a fraction of their cost.) The University had a choice. On the one hand, the administration’s dreams of glass and gloss. On the other, the well-being of the community members who would work and study and live in those pretty structures. Roll-

ing out miles of Building Brown banners, the administration and the Corporation elected for the former. Forced to cope with a budget gap, the administration levied the burden on fired staff and suffering students when it could have delayed or cancelled wasteful construction projects that have not yet begun. It ignored the plight of students forced to assume massive debt or withdraw from school, of employees struggling to find jobs when none exist just so they can support their families. It picked

them. We’re clamoring for lower tuition and better financial aid. Staff are fighting to not get fired. So for all the assurances that the administration is going to consume fewer resources through the crisis and Ruth’s promises that University Hall will bear the brunt of economic difficulty, these extraneous construction initiatives reflect their interests, not ours. Now, I will readily say that all these new facilities would be nice to have, and Brown could only be better with them. But since cuts have to be made, it would take a truly

For all the assurances that the administration is going to consume fewer resources through the crisis and Ruth’s promises that University Hall will bear the brunt of economic difficulty, these extraneous construction initiatives reflect their interests, not ours. buildings over people. And it’s hardly as if those projects have a significant impact on life at Brown or the human experience here. If there’s someone on campus excited to be without a student center for a year so that Faunce — sorry, the Stephen Roberts ’62 Campus Center — can be a little bit shinier, I haven’t met them. All these plans — the blueprints, construction vehicles and scaffolding, the huge tourfriendly TVs in J. Walter Wilson — they’re administration pet projects. We didn’t ask for

heartless soul to prioritize those buildings over saving people’s jobs and educations. If the primary purpose of the University is to fulfill its educational mission and support the members of its civic community, we shouldn’t even be thinking about more luxuries when one staff member is laid off, or one student has to think about leaving for good. So let me propose a narrative, under which the people who conceive of these ambitious projects aren’t operating with the same idea of Brown’s purpose as we are. Building Brown

and similar initiatives only incidentally improve the experience of students, faculty and staff at this school, especially when considering the costs — both human and financial — incurred to complete them. Instead, the aim, like that of so many other universities in the age of US News rankings, is to improve the stature and perceived image of this University in relation to its institutional peers. The real idea is to transform Brown into an international research university of prestige and renown — Harvard South. The administration subordinates its educational mission and the interests of students and staff to this hopeless march to build Brown in the image of the rest of the Ivy League, viewed now as antagonistic rivals for money, applicants, faculty and fame. Endowment expenditures, for example, are not determined in order to save enough for future generations of students, as some proposed in response to my last column. Instead, they’re limited to ensure that the endowment is as large as possible at the end of the year for the sake of rankings and the regard that comes with sitting on a huge stack of cash. The administration could spend more for students and staff, but it doesn’t because it’s locked with the rest of the Ivy League in immature competition over meaningless figures and indicators of status, like adolescent boys armed with some rulers and too much free time. But it’s not the size of your endowment — it’s how you use it.

Simon Liebling ’12 is from New Jersey. He can be reached at simon.liebling@gmail.com

The leading ladies BY JEREMY FEIGENBAUM Opinions Columnist Leadership is for men only. Unfortunately, anyone looking at the current leaders of our student body, our state or even our country might think that were true. The problem starts at the top. While I am thrilled that the United States finally elected its first black president, it distresses me that, as of 2009, we still have yet to elect a woman to the highest office. The nation may have come closer to sending a woman to the White House than ever before, but close is not enough. President Barack Obama will be dealing with a congress that is male-dominated. Although Nancy Pelosi made history by becoming the first female Speaker of the House, women comprise a mere 17 percent of the House, and the same percentage in the Senate. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international organization that promotes representative democracy, America ranks 71st among global democracies in electing women to the national legislature. Our record is pitiful compared to the rest of the world. This raises questions about the federal government’s ability to adequately represent its citizens. Research conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund indicates that male and female legislators often have

different priorities. The fact that female representatives may have a different perspective on certain issues suggests that 50 percent of this nation’s citizens are not exerting enough influence. This problem is not limited to the federal government. Rhode Island is a depressing example. Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Roberts ’78 is the first woman in Rhode Island to hold that position and is the only woman currently serving in an elected statewide office. This fundamental inequality is also evi-

though roughly 52 percent of Brown undergraduates are women, few are in charge of the leadership decisions that affect every student. I am not blaming the institutions on campus or beyond. I do not think that UCS and UFB discourage female participation. And some women have almost risen to the top in politics, serving as governors or as Speaker of the House. The real problem, as anyone who has taken a class with Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Lawless can tell you, is that we do not tell female candi-

Many women do not see themselves as qualified to hold leadership positions. Unless we can counter this self-doubt, everyone will lose out.

dent at Brown. While students like to think of Brown as an egalitarian school, a review of our most powerful student groups undermines that notion. Six of the nine students on the executive board of the Undergraduate Council of Students, including the president and vice-president, are male. The situation on the Undergraduate Finance Board is even worse. Although the president is female, nine of the 12 members are male. Al-

dates to run. As Lawless and co-author Richard Fox write in their book “It Takes a Candidate,” women can win when they run for office. But many women do not see themselves as qualified to hold leadership positions. Unless we can counter this self-doubt, everyone will lose out. Not only will women miss major opportunities, but men will have to choose from a smaller pool of candidates.

I am not advocating a system-wide change. I do not believe that this university or this country should institute quotas mandating that a certain number of women serve on boards or in the legislature. Rather than change our institutions, we need to change our own stereotypes. My message to women interested in running for leadership positions is simple: Do it. You are as qualified as men and just as deserving. But men must also change in order to achieve greater gender parity. In Lawless’s research, she found that men more frequently reported that they were encouraged to run for political office than similarly situated women. Men in leadership positions, from Obama to the board members of UCS and UFB, should encourage women to run for office. Everyone needs some motivation, and women have not received as much of it. So if you serve as leader of a club, whether a political group or a dance team, be sure to encourage some women to run to replace you at the end of the year. If you have a friend who is thinking about serving on UFB, tell her to run. Although the small actions we take now will not help send a woman to the White House in the immediate future, students at Brown will grow up to become leaders in their communities. We must ensure that both the men and the women at our school leave this campus believing that they can lead. Jeremy Feigenbaum ’11 is a political science concentrator from Teaneck, New Jersey. He can be reached at

Today

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Oxford student paper’s joke goes awry

The Brown Daily Herald

Tennis and water polo victorious

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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the news in images

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11 a.m. — Howard Dean Lecture Free Tickets Distribution, JWW PO Ticket Office

6 P.M. — Panel on Immigration in Europe, List 120

7:30 P.M. — Reading by Lori Baker, McCormack Family Theater

a n i n t e rv i e w w i t h j o h n e d w a r d s

Looking ahead See Q&A, page 2

Before he addressed a packed Salomon 101 last night, former Senator John Edwards spoke with The Herald about his plans for a future outside of public office.

8 P.M. — Fusion Dance Company’s Annual Show, Alumni Hall

menu Sharpe Refectory

Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Cheese Enchiladas, Polynesian Ratatouille, Beef Tips with Curry

Lunch — Pulled Pork Sandwich, Pizza Rustica, Raspberry Sticks

Dinner — Macaroni and Cheese with Avocados and Tomatoes, Pork Chops with Seasoned Crumbs

“It’s hard for me to see me doing electoral politics,” Edwards said. “I want to help the poor in whatever way I can have the most positive effect.” The former vice presidential nominee cited Al Gore as an example of someone who succeeded in making an impact advocating for a particular issue after holding public office.

Dinner — Pot Roast Jardiniere, Stuffed Spinach Squash, Red Potatoes with Fresh Dill

crossword comics Enigma Twist | Dustin Foley

The One About Zombies | Kevin Grubb

Classic Freeze-Dried Puppies | Cara FitzGibbon