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vol. cxliv, no. 34 | Thursday, March 12, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Harambee survives recruitment scare By Mitra Anoushiravani Senior Staff Writer
Courtesy of Leann Barnes
Zeta Delta Xi will open its Spagfest event to the public again this Spring Weekend, but it hopes the event this year will resemble 2000’s more sedate affair — seen here — and not the raucus food fight that broke out in 2007.
Spagfest: Come one, come all By Kelly Mallahan Staff Writer
This year’s Spagfest, hosted by Zeta Delta Xi, will be open to the public, which may be good news for students who were disappointed when the annual Spring Weekend spaghetti party was restricted last year to members and friends of the co-ed fraternity. But Zete members hope this year’s Spagfest will not devolve into an alcohol-fueled food fight like 2007’s party, said Zete President
Katie Lamb ’10. Two years ago, Lamb said, Spagfest “kind of exploded a little bit,” as intoxicated students threw spaghetti at one another and spilled out of the party’s outdoor tent. Things got so out of hand that “people kept comparing it to Sex Power God when Bill O’Reilly came,” Lamb added. Though Lamb said Zete didn’t get into any trouble with the University for the incident, it decided independently to tone down Spagfest last year. “Safety is our first priority,” she
said. “When you are using spaghetti and garlic bread and alcohol as an arsenal, it can become unsafe.” This year’s party co-coordinator Sara David ’11 said Spagfest two years ago was “a disaster,” and that last year’s party, which was limited to Zete brothers, alumni and guests, was “solely for ourselves” and didn’t help promote Zete’s presence on campus. “We basically want to find a middle road between the two,” continued on page 2
Alum reaches youth with musical education
inside
musicians came together through Community MusicWorks, a nonprofit organization started in 1997 By Caroline Sedano by Sebastian Ruth ’97 as a way to Senior Staff Writer transform an urban community through musical education. Ruth Sitting on the very edge of her seat, and the other members of the back straight and violin tucked Providence String Quartet played snugly under her chin, 17-year-old and taught music in Providence, Sydney Argueta plays the sharp laying the foundation for an organiopening notes of Mozart’s Quartet zation that would later expand into in G Major, K. 156. She messes up much more than Ruth’s initial via little bit, slumps her sion. CMW now enrolls back and frowns. The so many students that FEATURE other three members it required the formaof her quartet tease her some, and tion of a more advanced ensemble their teacher, Chloe Kline, rolls her of players — the quartet Argueta now plays in. chair over to help. “Guys, we have to be serious,” The quartet’s young members Argueta says, jokingly reprimand- were forced to find a new outlet for ing the other teenagers, who chat their musical interests after budand laugh while she works on the get cuts left their schools without sheet music. music programs about eight years Despite the giggles, jokes and ago. For them, CMW does not just the occasional car honk outside, the members of the group takesthe provide after-school music lesmusic seriously. They discuss the sons — it gives them a network notes, sing their parts’ melodies of support they would not have and play the same bars over and otherwise. over. This quartet of dedicated young continued on page 4
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A situation of complacency According to Nikkisha Smith ’10 and Fedna Jacquet ’10, both former Harambee House heads, one of the reasons the house struggled to survive was the ebb and flow of membership. “I think it really depends on the personality of the freshman class,” Jacquet said. Smith said she noticed a decrease in first-years at club meetings that use Harambee’s lounge and at Harambee sponsored parties. “With Harambee, we have so many continued on page 2
Cicilline ’83 to seek third term
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Despite briefly being in danger of losing its program house status, Harambee House, which offers housing to those interested in African culture, has managed to increase its membership for the next school year to 39 people — 17 more than the 22-person minimum it needs to survive. Over the past year Harambee’s membership dwindled and the condition of its space in Chapin House deteriorated to the extent that days before the March 3 deadline for program house applications, Harambee did not have enough people planning to live their next year. At one point, the program house definitively had only four returning members, and 11 members in total, said Terry Addison, Harambee House faculty liaison and associate dean of Student Life. But a large recruitment and refurbishment effort has saved the house from probation or disbandment. A program house needs 22 members, of which at least five must be returning. If it does not, it is put on probation, which includes loss of some lounge and kitchen privileges. In order to save Harambee, House Heads Marc Howland ’11 and Lindsay Priam ’11 intensified their
recruitment efforts. “Once they started counting heads and understood that they would be at a low number, Marc and Lindsay really took it upon themselves to put on an aggressive marketing campaign,” Addison said. “I give them all the credit in terms of getting the word out.” By the deadline, Harambee had recruited 28 freshmen for next year, Howland said, adding that the firstyears were instrumental in “getting the word out” and networking on Facebook. “It’s great for Harambee because we need young leaders,” he said. There is currently a waiting list of students wanting to live in the house.
By George Miller Metro Editor
Providence Mayor David Cicilline ’83 announced Tuesday that he will seek re-election to a third term in 2010, ending speculation that he might run for governor.
METRO Announcing his decision in a YouTube video, Cicilline said he had brought $3 billion in new investments to the city, attracted new businesses and reduced crime. But he acknowledged tough economic times and other challenges ahead. “I know that continuing our work is the key to putting Providence in the strongest position possible, poised for exciting new opportunities when the recession ends,” he said. Cicilline, a Democrat, said improving schools, redeveloping land along the planned I-way corridor and improving public transit were on his agenda for a third term. “I started this job to clean up continued on page 6
Eunice Hong / Herald File Photo
Providence Mayor David Cicilline ’83, seen here speaking to students in Petteruti Lounge, will not run for governor of Rhode Island.
Inside
Metro, 5
Opinions, 11
reviews student activism at Brown and goes to Downcity on a Monday night.
Rice wars Providence Place food court restaurants spar over the right to sell rice
spring forward Jeanne Jeong ’12 prepares for Spring Weekend with the help of Wikipedia
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
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“The minute someone throws food, they’re done.” — Zete President Katie Lamb ’10 on this year’s Spagfest
Less throwing, more 1,870 opt out of housing lottery eating at ’09 Spagfest By Talia Kagan Contributing Writer
continued from page 1 she said. This year’s Spagfest will be held in Zete’s Marcy House lounge rather than in an outdoor tent, though the fraternity’s patio will also be used to increase the party’s capacity. David estimated that this year’s party will hold about 130 people. Zete will sell tickets in advance and have a limited number of tickets available at the door. Lamb said the outdoor tent rented for 2007’s Spagfest accomodated about 500 people. Lamb said she hopes Spagfest can return to its pre-2007 roots as “a raucous spaghetti party” and not a food fight. Students said they had enjoyed Spagfest in the past and look forward to it this year. Zete member Leann Barnes ’09 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that Spagfest in years past was a
place where people joked, danced, drank “and stuffed themselves on spaghetti and garlic bread.” It was a “dinner party … not a food fight.” “I was expecting it to be more of an eating situation than a food fight situation,” said Rachel Weiler ’10.5 of her experience at 2007’s party. Though she wasn’t wearing appropriate clothes for a food fight and did not stay long, “it looked like people were having fun,” she said. Opening the party back up to the public was important for Zete because “a wider group of people gets to experience the vibe of our house,” Lamb said. She said she hopes this year’s Spagfest will promote “the universal joy of spaghetti and love.” But Lamb warned that food fighting will not be tolerated. “The minute someone throws food,” she said, “they’re done.”
As most students prepare for the housing lottery in early April, 1,870 undergraduates will not participate in the lottery altogether, according to Associate Director of Residential Life Natalie Basil. Students wishing to opt out of the lottery — mostly for program, Greek or off-campus housing — had to submit a form to ResLife by March 3, this year’s Super Deadline Day. Just over 1,000 of these students will live off-campus this year, Basil said. 575 students, 24 fewer than last year, will live in Greek or program houses next year, the majority of whom are new members, according to Basil. This means that next year, roughly 12 percent of all students living on campus will reside in a Greek or program house. About 35 students requested special interest housing, just over half of whom requested quiet housing, Basil said, adding that substance-free housing was the second most popular request. An-
other 130 students opting out of the housing lottery will be Residential Peer Leaders and Minority Peer Counselors, and some additional students applied through Disability Support Services. Basil, who has worked for ResLife since October 2007, said these Super Deadline Day numbers are “standard” in comparison to recent years, adding that there is always some minor fluctuation. “We had a large first-year class this year, which may change the numbers slightly,” she said. According to Greek Council Chair Adam Kroll ’09, the number of new Greek members, 187, is similar to recent years’ numbers. About 57 percent of students who will be living in Greek or program housing next term are new members, according to Basil. The high percentage is due to returning members’ option to live off-campus or in other dorms. The majority of new members to these houses are rising sophomores, she said. For example, roughly half of Kappa Alpha Theta’s members live in house, said its president Ellen Loudermilk ’10, and three quar-
ters of those in-house members are new. St. Anthony Hall, which has the biggest pledge class they’ve had “since the mid-90s,” has nearly twice as many new members as returning members House President Alice Rha ’09 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. According to Buxton House President Claire Vergerio ’10, nearly half of next year’s 60 Buxton members are new, in part due to the large outgoing Buxton senior class. It is the largest program house, and with around 130 applicants, it was also one of the more selective houses. “We spent like 20 hours deliberating,” said Vergerio, who said she enjoyed the application process because it allowed her to meet “almost one-tenth of the freshman class.” Julie Sophonpanich ’12, who was accepted to Buxton, said that even though some found the process stressful, “it was just fun for me.” Students who participated gave good reviews to the Greek recruitment process. continued on page 4
Harambee fixes up house, adds members continued from page 1
sudoku
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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.
doubles so you really have to fill it in with new sophomores, and part of the problem this year was that not enough freshmen were interested,” Jacquet said. “If you don’t have freshmen filling up the doubles, juniors are in a position where they might get doubles and that’s not convenient for them,” Jacquet said. “I think every once in a while this happens,” she said. “You kind of need to reinvigorate the population of color here at Brown, because people get complacent. You always have to light a fire under people because its assumed that everything will always be there.” Addison agreed that the freshman class this year did not seem as enthusiastic about Harambee as past classes, but also pointed to the large number of seniors leaving and sophomores and juniors going abroad or living off campus as other reasons why membership was low this semester. Miles Craigwell ’09 and Jonathan Edwards ’09, the house heads before Jacquet and Smith, said many members of the black community at Brown were choosing to become Minority Peer Counselors instead of living at Harambee. Ana Almeida ’12, a future member of Harambee, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that she considered being an MPC before ultimately choosing to live in Harambee. Spring cleaning The physical condition of the house also needed to be improved to make Harambee a more inviting place to live. “Our goal was to get the house in order and for everything to be set at a high standard,” Howland said. With the help of the Department of Facilities Management, curtains
Kim Perley / Herald
A late recruitment drive has kept Harambee House off probation.
were installed, the hardwood floors were stripped and waxed, the carpets were professionally cleaned, the fireplace was repaired and the library and kitchen were thoroughly cleaned and reorganized. “It certainly is refurbished. As a matter of fact, I was impressed,” Addison said. “The house definitely has a different feel and look to it,” said Howland. “I’m excited about what we’ve done so far and I’m excited about the future.” Howland said he and Priam plan to keep the house clean and well maintained by creating new leadership positions within the Harambee community. “Having elected positions will make people feel like they have a stake in the house and it gives them a sense of responsibility,” he said. Recruiting push But without an intensive recruiting push, refurbishments might not have been enough. Howland and Priam’s most successful event was the Harambee Open House, which “put some students over the edge and made them want to live there,” Howland said.
A slideshow of memorable moments from life in Harambee was shown in the lounge, which was “set up to resemble a home-like living room,” Priam and Howland said in a statement to The Herald. Addison and past members of Harambee gave speeches talking about the benefits of living within the Harambee community. Howland and Priam were aided by on-campus organizations such as the Brotherhood, a society of AfricanAmerican men, and ASHE, a group involved in social activism through the creative arts. “ASHE’s involvement included helping to design and distribute flyers at various events and tableslipping for the Harambee Open House,” wrote Kristin Jordan ’10, a past member of Harambee House and a member of ASHE, in an e-mail to The Herald. Besides planning the Open House and other events, including the Black Diamond party, Howland and Priam created a Facebook group, sent out e-mails and tableslipped about Harambee. Howland said many freshmen changed their Facebook statuses or sent out Facebook messages to their friends to encourage them to join Harambee.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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Cuts jeopardize data overhaul By Luisa Robledo Staff Writer
The University’s main data center, which houses crucial information ranging from course syllabi to payroll information, is slated for an array of infrastructure improvements, but some are now in doubt after University officials announced last month that the financial crisis had left funds scarce for the project. University computing officials have identified more than half a dozen projects that could bolster the data center and reduce the risk of service disruptions. But in its February meeting, the Corporation identified postponing improvements to the data center as a way to save money on capital projects with the University facing millions in budget cuts over the next five years, The Herald reported last month. Shoring up the aging data center is a priority University officials identified in recent years, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie Huidekoper told The Herald after the Corporation’s February meeting. But the current financial crisis means that other capital projects deemed more essential will need to proceed first. The data center’s more than 750 computers are used to run and store information for Brown’s computing network, the Banner Web site, MyCourses, e-mail services and payroll
Frederic Lu / Herald
The economy will delay an overhaul of the University’s data center.
operations, among other functions. The center is located in the basement of the Computing and Information Technology building. But though the data center has filled the University’s needs so far, some of its components are outdated, and Brown’s storage demands are growing, officials said. “These pressures are driving the need to increase the reliability and capacity of our data center space,” wrote Terri-Lynn Thayer, assistant vice president and deputy chief information officer for Computing and
Information Services, in an e-mail to The Herald. Some features of the data center also leave it vulnerable to the possibility of service disruptions. “It’s a risk point,” said Director of Infrastructure Services Linnea Wolfe. “There’s weak links there.” The center itself takes up 7,250 square feet in a windowless room full of consoles, cables and air conditioning units and is monitored 24 hours a day. According to Paul continued on page 9
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Thursday, March 12, 2009
“Community MusicWorks has shaped who I am today.” — Kirby Vasquez, cellist
First-years Community MusicWorks inspires students fill program houses continued from page 1
“Community MusicWorks has shaped who I am today,” said Kirby Vasquez, the quartet’s cellist.
continued from page 2 “Greek Council has been trying to push for a better rush season,” Kroll said, adding that it “went very well” this year. Greek Council distributed a newly comprehensive rush calendar and also held a “Greek-wide” open house on Wriston, a new event according to Kroll. But he added that most recruiting is done by the houses, who did “a great job.” Greek Council also ran a oneday “New Member Education” event to “orient students to Greek life,” Kroll said. The new program included party manager training, sexual assault prevention training and discussions on diversity, according to Kroll. Many students emphasized the importance of community when picking a program house, as well as the draw of shared interests. Rha said she thinks people “are drawn to St. Anthony Hall because of the environment — it’s a very energetic, creative atmosphere.” Some students had their own reasons. Ted Orf ’12, a new Delta Tau member, said he has not visited the fraternity or attended any recruiting events, though he has met some of the current members. He said joining the fraternity is “just a way to avoid the housing lottery.” As for what draws applicants to Buxton, Vergerio said the reason was twofold. Firstly, “the sense of community,” she said, and secondly, “the parties.”
The opening notes Ruth founded CMW after he graduated as a way to “explore how a string quartet could play a role in community life.” “From the beginning I didn’t want Community MusicWorks to seem like a missionary effort where music is the answer to everything,” Ruth said. “I really wanted to embed ourselves into the community and grow with the community.” Ruth, who played in a string quartet at Brown, spent his senior year teaching at schools in the South Side of Providence. The idea for CMW came from a desire to combine his two loves: music and community service. “Right from the start he had a passion for education and the arts,” said Lois Finkel, teaching associate in music and Ruth’s instructor during his time at Brown. Ruth decided early on that he wanted to create a program to provide arts education to youth who might not have had it otherwise, she said. With the help of a $15,000 public service fellowship grant from the Swearer Center, Ruth was able to begin CMW in 1997. In the beginning, he taught 15 students in the West End Community Center. Ruth was somewhat nervous about jumping into the Providence community, he said, but he found that collaborating with the community center was the organization’s first step to integration.
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“With (the community center’s) validation, the larger community accepted us as a valuable program right from the start,” Ruth said. “Families saw this as a genuine offering and that we really cared about their kids. They accepted us, not just for our mission, but as sincere people.” Ruth and the other teachers’ decision to become part of the neighborhood helped them take their work beyond their day jobs. “What’s the significance of a student running into their violin teacher at the grocery store? Or being able to call their cello teacher when times are tough at home?” Ruth said. “If we are in tune with the community then we will have more authentic performances and community events that are more tailored to the community.” Over the next decade, CMW evolved into much more than Ruth’s initial vision. With a budget of $591,000, it now has 115 enrolled students and a variety of programs, including lessons, mentoring programs and performances. “We sometimes joke,” Ruth said, that “I’d written out a weekly schedule the first week, and it took seven years to get to Saturday.” Finding a forte Two years ago, four of CMW’s most committed students — Argueta, Vasquez, violist Josh Rodriguez and violinist Luis Ortiz — created the ensemble that still plays together today. For the foursome, the new project is a culmination of many years of learning and self-discovery through CMW. “Being involved in this program is tons better than anything else,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve improved musically, and as a person.” Rodriguez said his time at CMW has made him more confident, social and considerate of others — traits relevant to his life outside of music. Ruth said cultivating this culture of respect, learning and improvement is what sustains the CMW community. “New students join with habits of peer groups in school — sarcasm
is the norm, clowning around is the best way to win approval,” he said. “But they quickly see, not through reprimands from teachers, but through (the) behaviors of the other kids, that that’s not the best way to succeed.” As much as the students help one another, the relationships they have formed with their music teachers are just as fundamental to their growth. Vasquez’s instructors are “more like a family than a school,” she said. Many of the instructors at the school attribute this close-knit community to the respectful and personal way they interact with their students. “I think just having someone taking the time to sit down and make you a priority is a really powerful thing,” said Sara Stalnaker, a resident musician and mentor program coordinator. A few years ago, one young musician confided in an instructor and brought up a desire to join a local gang, Ruth recalled. The teenager was searching for a sense of belonging somewhere, Ruth said. But ultimately, the student chose not to join the gang — the young musician recognized the supportive family that CMW already offered. Another way to play CMW’s supportive family still extends to the campus that Ruth left in 1997, though the Swearer Center has no official relationship with the organization. Over 15 Brown students mentor CMW’s young musicians, giving them additional weekly lessons. The younger students benefit from practicing with people closer to their age, Ruth said. But for both groups of students, the program has grown into more than just mentoring. The student Bonni Brodsky ’09 has mentored for three years often hangs out with Brodsky and her roommates. “Half the time I feel like she mentors me,” Brodsky said. “She’s so insightful, considerate and I’ve learned so much.” Some students, like Tyler Lu-
cero ’10, have come across unexpected challenges in mentoring the younger musicians. Lucero, who plans to continue teaching after graduation, said he realized the mentoring program helped him realize that “passion isn’t enough.” “You have to make it digestible and meaningful, which takes a whole other dimension of your knowledge,” he said. Lucero’s experience as a mentor has transformed his perspective on his own education, he said. “I think it’s invaluable for Brown students to see a Brown graduate ... come back after going out successfully into the community and discuss that transition,” said Roger Nozaki, director of the Swearer Center for Public Service. One of Ruth’s goals is to foster collaboration between College Hill’s temporary residents and the larger Providence community, he said. “Providence, like most cities, tends to be a divided city where people don’t necessarily feel comfortable leaving their neighborhoods,” he said. “One of our ongoing goals is to give students access to new ideas and bigger possibilities that they may have imagined.” Striking a chord At the end of the day, the music itself challenges, invigorates and inspires the lives of those it touches. Sarah Schuster ’11, who mentors a student from CMW, said the program gives the student’s children an experience that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. “It adds something to her life and gives her a minute to breathe,” Shuster said. “It’s something she really wants for her kids.” Argueta and the rest of the quartet spend an hour piecing together Mozart’s music, note by note, measure by measure. They pay close attention to each note’s pitch, to every shift in melody. Completely engrossed in the opening bars of music, they all pause for a moment when they are finally satisfied. “That was cool,” Rodriguez says, resting his viola on his lap. “It gave me goosepimples.”
Metro The Brown Daily Herald
Proposed FY2010 Budget (in millions) Total Spending by Function Public safety $446.6 Transportation $483.3
Natural resources $96.6
Human services
General government
$2,773.2
$1,744.2 Education $2,071.3
Julien Ouellet / Herald
Source: Governor's 2010 Budget briefing
Carcieri ’65 announces new budget proposal By Sophia Li Features Editor
Facing one of the largest budget deficits in Rhode Island history, Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 unveiled his plan for a balanced state budget Tuesday. Carcieri’s budget recommendations for the next fiscal year rely on funds from taxes and the federal stimulus package to fill the anticipated gap — more than $860 million over the next two years. He has also proposed to increase state spending by about 10 percent in 2010. Under Carcieri’s proposals, the state would spend a total of $7.62 billion in the next fiscal year. The governor’s plan for the next two years also relies on more than $300 million from the federal government to cover the state deficit. While the stimulus money includes $110 million from a “state fiscal stabilization fund” to be spent on education and aid to local communities over the next two years, the governor’s proposed budget also eliminates a revenue-sharing program that gave $31 million in state aid to cities and towns in his revised 2009 budget. The revenue sharing program, which started in the 1990s, sets aside a portion of state tax revenue for aid to cities and towns. The governor’s budget recommendations also alter the state’s income tax structure, increasing the earned-income tax credit for lowincome households while raising taxes for some Rhode Island couples and individuals making less than $75,000 annually. Carcieri’s proposed budget also includes a five-year phase-out of
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the corporate income tax. It would raise the state’s cigarette tax by $1 and slash funding for RIteCare, the state’s subsidized health insurance. Those cuts would leave 38,000 parents without dental coverage, according to the Providence Journal. But Carcieri — whose approval rating among Rhode Islanders recently hit a low of 34 percent, according to a poll by the Taubman Center for Public Policy — will have to get his budget through the state’s Democrat-dominated General Assembly. The legislature will debate the Republican governor’s proposal over the next few months before creating its own revised budget for his approval.
An Indian restaurant without rice would belike a “hamburger without a hamburger bun.” — Yogi Sood, Gourmet India owner Thursday, March 12, 2009 | Page 5
A food fight at Providence Place By Melissa Shube Senior Staf f Writer
Diners at Providence Place Mall’s food court may wonder why Gourmet India’s basmati rice is dyed yellow. The answer: a four-year legal battle with neighboring Chinese eatery Cathay Cathay, whose contract grants guarantees it a monopoly on white rice in the food court. The conflict began when Gourmet India moved into the mall in 2005. Cathay Cathay, which opened at the mall in 2001, has a lease giving the chain the “exclusive right” to ser ve certain listed items including “white rice — boiled or steamed,” according to a Rhode Island Supreme Cour t decision filed Jan. 9. Cathay Cathay’s owner told the Boston Globe that he pays $35,000 a month in rent — more than twice what Gourmet India pays — for the right. When Gourmet India arrived, the mall gave owner Yogi Sood a list of items he was prohibited from selling, including “white rice or fried rice” as well as any other “oriental style food,” according to the decision. But, a clause in the contract stated, the “sale or use of Basmati rice as a side dish or ingredient shall not be deemed a violation of the prohibition of the sale of rice.” Basmati rice “is a special type of rice which is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas,” Sood said. He said it differs from white rice in texture and flavor, noting that an “Indian restaurant cannot operate without rice.” “It’s an integral part of our cuisine,” Sood said. An Indian restaurant that did not serve rice would be like a “hamburger without a
Kim Perley / Herald
Gourmet India in Providence Place Mall is in a legal battle — over rice.
hamburger bun,” he said. Soon after Gourmet India opened, Cathay Cathay took legal action against it, seeking damages for its use of rice. In court, Cathay Cathay offered the testimony of Irving Lemack, a “qualified expert in food analysis,” who, “upon examining Gourmet India’s rice organoleptically” — that is, eating it and looking at it under magnification — declared that it was white rice colored yellow, according to the court decision. Noting that basmati rice could be both white and brown, the food expert offered no opinion on whether the rice in question was basmati. But the 2006 decision determined that Gourmet India was within its rights to sell basmati rice. The court ruled that “traditional Indian cuisine could not reasonably be construed as a subcategory of ‘oriental style food.’ ”
The case was brought to a superior court again in January, and the court ruled that Gourmet India was within its rights to sell basmati rice. On the question of whether Gourmet India’s contract violates Cathay Cathay’s lease, the court ordered another trial. Cathay Cathay intends to pursue this retrial and also sue the mall, according to the Globe. The legal conflict has had one visible change in the food — the distinctive yellow color of Gourmet India’s rice, which contains saffron and yellow food coloring. Sood owns several other restaurants, but the Gourmet India in the food court is the only one to feature yellow rice, he said. “We’re just doing it because I don’t want any hassle,” he said, adding that he would love to be continued on page 6
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“I think we would have picked the restaurant based on the food, not the rice.”— Sarah Hartman, a Gourmet India patron
Tensions high in mall food court continued from page 5
finished with the legal proceedings. “It interferes with my ability to conduct my business properly, and it’s a big distraction. I would rather spend my time on other things,” he said. The mall has paid his legal fees so far, he said. Four years and two court rulings after the dispute first arose,
little has changed, with Cathay Cathay selling white rice and Gourmet India selling yellow-tinted basmati rice next door. Food court patrons told The Herald they were surprised to learn about the legal struggles behind their lunches. Maria Cebollero, who came to the mall from Boston, said she didn’t normally eat Chinese food but had a craving for it that day. She said she didn’t see the
Thursday, March 12, 2009
need for Cathay Cathay to “monopolize” rice. Sarah Hartman, also a resident of Massachusetts, bought food from Gourmet India for lunch. “I think we would have picked the restaurant based on the food, not the rice,” she said. Chris Hartman, her husband, who had a helping of Gourmet India rice in front of him, said it was “fine” but added that he found the yellow color “odd.”
Chafee ’75 considering run for governorship continued from page 1 our city government and grow our economy, and I intend to complete it,” he said in the video. The announcement makes Cicilline’s name the latest to drop off the list of potential candidates to replace Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 in 2010. Former Republican mayor of Cranston Steve Laffey recently announced that he would not seek the governorship. Among those still potentially in the gubernatorial ring are General Treasurer Frank Caprio, Attorney General Patrick Lynch ’87 and Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts ’78, all Democrats. Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee ’75, a visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, told the Providence Journal last week that he is “very, very seriously” considering a run. Those potential candidates, unlike Cicilline, have all held statewide office and so would have an edge in the governor’s race, said Marion Orr, director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy. Thirty-eight percent of voters statewide rated Cicilline’s performance as “good” or “excellent” in a recent Taubman Center poll. The
center has not conducted any polls of city voters only, but observers may look at Cicilline’s statewide numbers and wonder whether his popularity within the city is any better, Orr said. A successful gubernatorial bid would have been “a difficult climb” for Cicilline, he added. Mayors of central cities seldom advance to statewide office, Orr said, partly because of the different demographics of cities, which tend to have more minorities, and states. Problems mayors deal with may also put them at odds with the rest of the state, Orr said. “It’s a long haul from city hall to the governor’s mansion,” he said. It’s unclear whether a fellow Democrat might challenge Cicilline in the mayoral primary, Orr said. David Talan, chairman of the Providence Republican Party and a former mayoral candidate, said Cicilline will definitely face a Republican opponent in 2010, though “whether that will be me, I can’t say.” Cicilline, he said, “needs an opponent.” Talan said any Republican candidate would run on a platform of holding down spending, not raising taxes and improving schools.
SportsThursday The Brown Daily Herald
Thursday, March 12, 2009 | Page 7
A glove of fool’s gold
Big victories for w. tennis, equestrian
Defense matters. Or at least that’s how the theory goes. But how do you tell what teams and players are actually good or bad at defense other than the Jonathan Hahn s h i n y ( a n d Sports Columnist hor rendously biased) Gold Gloves or the oftenused “they didn’t make errors” side commentary? Just because Manny Ramirez makes a great catch, high fives a fan, throws out the runner and makes ESPN’s Top 10 Plays doesn’t mean that he’s a good or bad fielder (he’s terrible). You can’t find good measures on a box score that adequately capture the true defensive ability of a player. Sabermetricians like to use different statistics that are based on the theory that each fielder on a team has a “zone” which they cover. The statistics theoretically measure the ability of a fielder to convert balls hit to this “zone” into outs, ultimately collecting a season’s worth of data to figure out how good a player is on defense. A widely accepted metric that’s easily available is the Ultimate Zone Rating, which essentially measures a fielder’s comparative ability to prevent runs. Does the theor y that defense breeds success hold? More and more teams are realizing the importance of defensive ability as both a contributor to success and a quick fix to their problems (see: Seattle’s 2009 outfield, with Ichiro Suzuki, Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez). Both of the 2008 World Series teams, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays, tied for the Major League Baseball lead in team UZR (aggregate individual fielders’ UZR) with 74.3 runs above average. Looking at the other 2008 playoff teams, we find that the Boston Red Sox finished 4th overall with a 36.8 UZR, and that the Milwaukee Brewers (14.7 UZR), Chicago Cubs (9 UZR) and Los Angeles Angels (1.7 UZR) all finished above average when it came to converting outs. Six out of eight playoff teams with a positive team UZR (16 teams in 2008 had a positive UZR) would seem to suggest that defense definitely plays an important part in reaching the postseason. For those wondering, the Chicago White Sox finished 19th with a -14.1 UZR (blame your outfield) and the Los Angeles Dodgers finished 27th with a -42.7 UZR (blame everyone). Even going back three years, when front offices began to shift emphasis toward defense in constructing their teams, we see that 17 out of 24 of playoff teams finished with a positive team UZR. But what about measuring individual defense? Does Derek Jeter truly play superb defense and rightly deserve his three Gold Gloves? He doesn’t, and his season average UZR of -5.7 (-39.8 over the past seven seasons) means he was actually a below-average shortstop
Sports Staff Reports
continued on page 8
Baseball The baseball team was swept by Auburn in a four-game series over the weekend, dropping Brown’s record to 1-5. In the first game of the series on Friday afternoon, pitcher Will Weidig ’10 gave up seven runs from four homers in the first inning to put the Bears in the hole. Though Weidig, a co-captain, settled down and allowed just one run over the next four innings he pitched, the damage had been done. Brown took an 11-2 loss. The following day, the Tigers held a 7-0 lead at the end of the fifth inning. Though the Bears made a dent in the lead with three runs in the eighth inning, the comeback bid fell short and Auburn pulled out a 9-4 victory. Third baseman Rob Papenhause ’09 led the way with three hits in the loss, while shortstop and cocaptain Matt Nuzzo ’09 and centerfielder Steve Daniels ’09 followed with two hits each. Later on Saturday, an RBI single by right fielder Nick Punal ’10 gave Brown a 4-1 lead in the top of the third, but the lead was erased by three runs in the bottom of the inning for the Tigers. They rallied for a 6-4 win over the Bears. Punal led the team with three hits, while Nuzzo, Daniels and designated hitter Mike DiBiase ’12 all had two hits. In a slugfest to close out the series on Sunday, shortstop Graham Tyler ’12 had three hits — including a home run — and drove in three runs. Punal registered a
four-hit game, but Brown came up just short with a 10-9 loss in 11 innings. Women’s tennis The women’s tennis team earned a pair of victories over the weekend, with a dominant 6-1 win over West Virginia on Saturday, followed by a hard-fought 4-3 win against Maryland. Against Mar yland, Bianca Aboubakare ’11 and Cassandra Herzberg ’12 rolled to straight-set wins at No.1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Catherine Stewart ’12 pulled out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) win at No. 6 singles to secure the win for Brown after the Bears won the doubles point. This Saturday, the Bears will return to the court to take on St. John’s and the University of Albany at home. Equestrian The equestrian team had a strong performance at UConn on Saturday, compiling 39 team points to tie for first with Johnson and Wales. The team edged out host UConn (36) and URI (23). Two freshmen rode to wins for Brown, with Rebecca McGoldrick ’12 winning the Novice Flat and Kelsey MacMillan ’12 taking first place in the Walk Trot. The Bears were also strong in the fences division. Liz Giliberti ’10 clinched a spot at the IHSA National Championships with a win in Open Fences, and Emma Bogdonoff ’10 got the win in Intermediate Fences. This Saturday, the team will compete in continued on page 8
Justin Coleman / Herald
Cassandra Herzberg ’12 had a straight set win at No. 2 singles in the women’s tennis team’s 4-3 win over Maryland last weekend.
Top performers Baseball • Nick Punal ’10, baseball: .400 batting average (8-20) • Matt Nuzzo ’09, baseball: .333 (8-24), 6 RBI, .625 slugging percentage • Steve Daniels ’09, baseball: .308 (8-26), 4 RBI, 4 runs, 3 stolen bases
Women’s Lacrosse • Jesse Nunn ’09: 6 G, 1 A, 7 ground balls • Katelyn Caro ’12: 4 G, 1 A • Lauren Vitkus ’09: 4 G, 1 A, 10 GB • Isabel Harvey ’12: 9.67 GAA, .463 save percentage
Page 8
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Thursday, March 12, 2009
S ports T hursday
Hahn ’10: Gold Glove needs polishing continued from page 7 in the field. Blame the media and large market bias, blame the ignorance of the voters, blame sports highlights or blame “I’ve seen it with my eyes.” Whatever the excuse is, Gold Gloves are a joke. When 2008 Gold Glove outfielder Nate McLouth (-13.7 UZR) of the Pittsburgh Pirates dives to make a close play because he’s too slow on a play that Cleveland’s (now Seattle’s) Franklin Gutierrez (21.7
UZR) would have lazily made as a routine fly, it doesn’t take a genius to see that something is wrong with how managers and coaches are haanding out Gold Gloves. Who are some of the other terrible or laughable 2008 Gold Glove winners? Angels outfielder Torii Hunter (-11.3 UZR), Texas shortstop Michael Young (-2.6 UZR) and McLouth should have been replaced by Toronto outfielder Alex Rios (23.1 UZR), White Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera (16.4 UZR)
and Philadelphia outfielder Jayson Werth (20.6 UZR). So next time you praise the defensive abilities and superb play-making of your favorite player, stop and think. They might ultimately just be a scrub who flashed a moment of brilliance. Or a high five.
Jonathan Hahn ’10 is training hard this spring to improve his Ultimate Columnist Rating.
Skiing takes 10th at weekend tourney continued from page 7 its last show of the regular season at Johnson and Wales. Women’s lacrosse The women’s lacrosse team improved its record to 2-1 with a 1312 home win over the University of Albany. After Albany cut Brown’s lead to 7-6 in the first minute after halftime, the Bears scored three unanswered goals to gain a 10-6 advantage. Katelyn Caro ’12 scored two goals and assisted another during that stretch. The Great Danes came back to tie
the score at 12 with just under five minutes remaining. But with 1:18 to go Molly McCarthy ’10 sent a pass to Lauren Vitkus ’09, who buried the game-winning goal for Bruno. Caro and Kelly Robinson ’09 each scored three goals for Brown, while goalie Isabel Harvey ’12 made ten saves in the victory. Skiing At the U.S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboard Association National Championships, the skiing team finished in 10th place, with Krista Consiglio ’11 and Kia Mosenthal ’12 earning All-America honors.
Consiglio’s two-run time of 2:12.67 placed her 12th in the giant slalom. Emily Simmons ’12 wasn’t far behind, earning 36th in giant slalom with a time of 2:17.81. Blaine Martin ’11 finished 64th in the event in 2:35.94. Mosenthal was Brown’s top finisher in the slalom, placing fourth in 1:25.65. Consiglio followed in 31st with a time of 1:32.42 and Elisa Handbury ’10 came in 42nd in 1:34.74. Mosenthal was named a firstteam All-American in the slalom, while Consiglio earned second-team All-America honors in the giant slalom and combined events.
Page 9
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
C ampus N EWS
Thursday, March 12, 2009
“Community MusicWorks has shaped who I am today.” — Kirby Vasquez, cellist
Funding poses hurdle for effort to revamp U.’s aging data center continued from page 3 Kelleher, director of the data center, there are around 6,000 informationstoring tapes in the center, which holds “terabytes and terabytes of information.” The data center is connected to the University network by redundant feeds, which means that if “one goes down, there’s still another one,” he said. The center also runs on two power feeds, one of which is an “uninterruptible power source” backed up by a series of batteries, Thayer said. But the other is simply the building’s “house power.” “In the future, we are looking to
build a facility where both power feeds are (uninterruptable),” Thayer said. The CIT building was built 20 years ago, and some of the equipment in the data center is original to the building. The computing room air conditioning units, for example, are “way beyond their useful life,” Wolfe said. “They could, at any point, fail,” Wolfe said. To address concerns about the data center’s vulnerability, the University has been contemplating a range of projects. Two years ago, the University “began intensive planning studies” to find a location for a new data center, Thayer wrote in
her e-mail. According to Wolfe, the University is currently planning eight or nine projects to ease concerns about the data center, some of which are already under way. But others may not begin soon, and with some still unfunded the financial crisis may prevent comprehensive upgrades from proceeding quickly. “It’s a question of getting funding and looking at different options. We will be making some of those (improvements) over the next few years,” Wolfe said. The project that will affect the center soonest is an upgrade to a generator that serves both the CIT and the Sciences Library. Facilities
Management will complete that upgrade in June, Thayer wrote. “With this generator, the data center will have additional power backup,” Kelleher said. In December, the University also hired Marsh, a risk advisory company, to make recommendations about a “business continuity plan” to allow Brown to continue functioning should something go wrong at the data center. An engineering and design firm, idGroup, is currently preparing recommendations about how to shore up the facility over the next five or ten years. “The idGroup recommendations will be available this spring and will
be integrated with the Marsh recommendations serving as the basis for a proposal to the University senior administration and Corporation,” Thayer wrote. According to Thayer, the best way to secure the information in the data center would be to duplicate servers and storage now in the CIT and store them at another facility off-campus. But that option is unlikely, Thayer said. “Clearly this is a very expensive proposition,” she wrote. “It is unrealistic to assume that all data processing conducted by CIS would be ‘essential’ during a limited-time disruption.”
Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald
Page 10 | Thursday, March 12, 2009
e d i to r i a l
A scalpel, not a hatchet
Brown is facing a contraction of its staff, but for now the damage is likely to be modest. By the end of the fiscal year in June, Brown will have eliminated roughly 60 staff positions, part of an initiative to cut an estimated $80 to $90 million from the budget over the next five fiscal years. President Ruth Simmons’ administration is asking for student input on the process and receiving general guidance from the Organizational Review Committee, which represents University employees. Students and professors should be grateful for the way the University has gone about this task so far. Current plans for expanding the faculty will continue, though in years to come hiring will likely suffer some reductions. While tuition is set to rise 3 percent, financial aid will be boosted by almost 11 percent, cushioning the students most vulnerable to the world’s dismal economic conditions. Some staffers are taking on a considerable new load to help finance that cushion. Others will lose their jobs entirely, and the administration should follow through on existing offers of career counseling to soften the blow. As many as 35 of the slots slated for elimination are currently empty and will have their associated responsibilities divvied up among the remaining staff. But even the unfortunate cases in which employees will be laid off are unlikely to have a major academic impact: The Department of Facilities Management’s Planning, Design and Construction Office, one possible victim of the layoffs, will most likely shrink along with the projects it oversees. Some offices may even benefit from adapting to a smaller staff, helping them offer more techsavvy and streamlined operations to current and future students. The flip side is that the proposed cuts won’t make much of a dent in the current budget shortfall. Eliminating positions that would not have been filled will offer only nominal savings, and employees who take on new responsibilities will have to receive higher salaries. Generous severance packages and counseling costs to help laid-off workers navigate the rough job market are dictated by conscience, but they will also reduce the resultant savings. The administration is wisely keeping its options open, and deeper cuts may be coming down the line. Students should take every opportunity to let the University know their ideas for the budget process — not just the Undergraduate Council of Students, but anyone with an opinion on how to help Brown weather the economic storm. And they should keep an eye on the administration to ensure that it makes the most efficient adjustments possible. 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
Managing Editors Michael Bechek Chaz Firestone editorial
Arts & Culture Editor Ben Hyman Hannah Levintova Arts & Culture Editor Features Editor Sophia Li Features Editor Emmy Liss Higher Ed Editor Gaurie Tilak Higher Ed Editor Matthew Varley Metro Editor George Miller Metro Editor Joanna Wohlmuth News Editor Chaz Kelsh News Editor Jenna Stark Sports Editor Benjy Asher Sports Editor Andrew Braca Asst. Sports Editor Alex Mazerov Asst. Sports Editor Katie Wood Graphics & Photos Graphics Editor Chris Jesu Lee Graphics Editor Stephen Lichenstein Eunice Hong Photo Editor Kim Perley Photo Editor Justin Coleman Sports Photo Editor production Kathryn Delaney Copy Desk Chief Seth Motel Copy Desk Chief Marlee Bruning Design Editor Jessica Calihan Design Editor Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor Julien Ouellet Asst. Design Editor Neal Poole Web Editor
Associate Editors Nandini Jayakrishna Franklin Kanin Michael Skocpol
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
Jessie Calihan, Jessica Kirschner, Julien Ouellet, Designer Kathryn Delaney, Sydney Ember, Adrienne Langlois, Copy Editors Mitra Anoushiravani, Ben Schreckinger, Sara Sunshine, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Mitra Anoushiravani, 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
chris jesu lee
l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r s
Spring Weekend ticket scales are no scam To the Editor: We would like to thank Pete Gilligan ’09 for his thoughts about the Spring Weekend ticket sales process in his recent letter (“The Spring Weekend baitand-switch,” March 11). However, some clarifications should be made. Gilligan’s suggestion that the package offer is a “baitand-switch fraud” is inaccurate. The Brown Concert Agency traditionally offers a limited number of tickets, about 10 percent of the total, as packages in order to promote the shows. After these go, students can buy tickets at the discounted student price. We understand the frustration of students who woke up early, logged on to the Market Place by 8 a.m. and still were unable to purchase tickets at the package price. We did not expect tickets to go this fast, and they never have before. For this reason and others, we will evaluate a uniform ticket price for all students for future concerts. In addition to the online sales, we made several changes to our ticketing procedure. For the first time, we sold tickets exclusively to the Brown community and enforced a policy that limited purchasers to two tickets per show. Also for the first time, students who
cannot afford tickets can apply for them from a financial aid allotment (by emailing Julie_Schmidt@brown.edu before April 2). Regarding the quality of the Web site, most programmers would agree that a simple typographical error in an image is not indicative of the quality of the code. Erik Nazerko’s ’11 Web site handled wonderfully and was slowed only slightly by the servers hosting it. We are excited that BCA is now able to offer tickets to students so conveniently, and any suggestions for improving the system are welcome at brownconcertagency@ gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you at the concerts! Daniel Ain ’09 Booking Chair, BCA Stephen Hazeltine ’09 Administrative Chair, BCA Matthew Garza ’11 VP for Marketing and Promotions, Brown Student Agencies Erik Nazarenko ’11 Brown Student Agencies March 11
Subscribe to Herald Mail, enter to win David Sedaris tickets! Sign up by March 20. browndailyherald.com/raffle C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. C ommentary P O L I C Y The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. L etters to the E ditor P olicy Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. advertising P olicy The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
Opinions The Brown Daily Herald
Thursday, March 12, 2009 | Page 11
Spring Weekend, Wikipedia-style JEANNE JEONG Opinions Columnist I think I was in the seventh grade when I first heard “I Can” by Nas on the radio. Other than that, I’m pretty sure I couldn’t name another one of his songs. Of course, this should mostly be attributed to the fact that I am musically illiterate, something I try to hide by making sure no one sees my iPod playlists. Ever. But my lack of familiarity with this year’s Spring Weekend lineup may not be so unusual. The night the lineup was released, numerous Facebook statuses reflected the general ambivalence and even disappointment of Brown students who actually knew something about music (or at least pretended to). At this point, I still wasn’t exactly sure if the artists were simply unpopular, untalented, unhip or all of the above. So I did the next logical thing. I Wikipedia-ed. Of the three, Nas, not surprisingly, has the most in-depth page. I won’t go into the history of his albums because that’s kind of boring, but I found that Nas has a “campaign against (Bill) O’Reilly.” Apparently, O’Reilly criticized Nas on Fox, calling his lyrics and criminal record inappropriate for a concert at Virginia Tech in 2007 with John Mayer, Phil Vassar and Dave Matthews Band. Since O’Reilly has already once denounced Brown’s administration as consisting of “pinheads” and the student
body as a bunch of moral degenerates, I assume O’Reilly will be less concerned with Nas’s influence on Brown. I guess I’m sold, as I may be brainwashed to automatically dislike O’Reilly by just being a Brown student. Not that I needed more reason than a few minutes of watching “The O’Reilly Factor.” Further, according to the all-knowing Wikipedia, indie-pop group Of Montreal derives its name from frontman Kevin
Spring Weekend audience. Spring Weekend act Santigold, I learned, is one person, not a band. Her real name is Santi White, formerly of the stage name Santogold. Interestingly, Santi/Santogold/ Santigold went to what many may consider to be our smaller, more liberal, more rural counterpart, Wesleyan. We’re off to a good start. Further, some anonymous Wikipedia contributors claim she sounds like M.I.A., so perhaps those nostalgic for last year’s
The night the Spring Weekend lineup was released, numerous Facebook statuses reflected the general ambivalence and even disappointment of Brown students who actually knew something about music.
Barnes’ past relationship with a woman from Montreal. How sentimental. When I first listened to their music, I realized all of their songs sound strangely similar — at least the two I made it through. Once again, I reiterate, I know nothing about music, but as the Wikipedia page describes the influence of “psychedelic music” on their melodies, I feel their songs may speak to the
lineup can simply enjoy Spring Weekend’s non-music related festivities enough that it all seems the same. Those who are still unimpressed may like to know that one of her singles placed second to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).” That’s a pure sign of artistic talent if you ask me. As for Sharon Jones, I was doubtful when
I read that, despite attempts at an early career, she only gained fame in middle age. That’s rarely a good sign. But at least her soul/funk sound adds to the diverse mix of styles for Spring Weekend. Fun fact: Jones played a small role alongside Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters. I know that’s not musically related, but its notable. It’s Denzel Washington. There’s also some local band called Deer Tick. I didn’t think there would be a Wikipedia article on it, but after 10 minutes of discovering many interesting facts about Lyme disease, I found their page. Since the article was short, I gave it a glance, but unfortunately, there’s nothing too interesting to note. Though I appreciate the attempt to bring some Providence culture to Brown, I would like to note that if I had a particular desire to see Deer Tick, they would be right down the hill. The artists may not be as well known as MGMT and Justice or as notoriously laughable as Limp Bizkit, but rumors aside, the line-up is set. I suggest at least brushing up on the lyrics — or in my case, learning them from scratch — just in case, though knowing every word to every Nas song may damage your credibility in musical taste. But then again, you can’t trust everything on Wikipedia, and maybe the weekend won’t be so bad.
Jeanne Jeong ’12 is a first-year from Ashburn, Virginia. She can be reached at Jeanne_Jeong@brown.edu
R.I. should invest in community supervision DAN DAVIDSON Opinions Columnist As Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 officially accepted Rhode Island’s share of the stimulus money last week, lawmakers and state officials were still trying to figure out where it should go. Rhode Island is facing a plethora of fiscal challenges, including an unemployment rate of over 10 percent. The state’s primary focus should be creating jobs in a variety of sectors. Policymakers should pay particular attention to criminal justice. The connection between criminal justice issues and the economy may not be obvious. But I believe that the state can promote its economic goals if it dedicates stimulus money to hiring more probation and parole officers. Doing so would provide more jobs for Rhode Islanders. According to stimuluswatch.org, of the eight public safety projects already planned in the stimulus package for Rhode Island, only one would actually bolster employment. Creating jobs is not the sole purpose of the stimulus, and hiring more officers is also a sound investment strategy for the state. A larger force of probation and parole officers would help the state curtail spending on corrections, which is unnecessarily draining Rhode Island’s limited resources. The state already spent almost $200 million
on corrections last year, and a Pew Center on the States report projected that the prison population will increase by 21 percent by 2017 and will cost upwards of $300 million. When someone is on probation or parole, he must meet periodically with an officer. Not showing up to a meeting can result in prison time. Sending people to prison for violating their probation or parole in this way harms the state’s economy. Incarceration is far more expensive for the state than community supervision. In Rhode Island it costs over $46,000 on average to lock someone up for a year, but the
neighborhood. Ideally, officers would be able to pursue these options in an effort to address the situation without issuing a warrant. But in Rhode Island, a generic probation officer handles an average of 236 probationers. With so many people to keep tabs on, it is impossible to give all individuals the level of attention required to prevent their arrest if they miss a meeting. The state saves tens of thousands of dollars every time it keeps a probationer out of prison for a year. Over 20,000 Rhode Islanders are on probation or parole, and many
Hiring more probation and parole officers would help solve two of Rhode Islands largest problems, unemployment and runaway corrections spending. average annual cost of probation barely exceeds $1,000. Here’s how more probation and parole officers can save the state money. When probationers or parolees go missing, an officer has two choices. He can inform a judge and have a warrant issued, or he can attempt to locate his charge. This could be as simple as calling a few relatives, neighbors and friends, or it could involve something more time-consuming, like actually searching the
of them could stay out of prison if the state hired more probation and parole officers. Unfortunately, the federal government has not taken the initiative on this issue by encouraging states to hire more probation and parole officers. Only two projects in the stimulus bill even deal with probation, and both focus exclusively on juvenile offenders. Some states, like our neighbor Connecticut, have recognized the potential cost-sav-
ings of investing in community supervision. In 2004, Connecticut started a pilot program aimed at lowering caseloads for probation officers that a 2005 analysis concluded would “lower incarceration rates for probation violators” and save money if implemented statewide. Carcieri has a poor record on reform of the criminal justice system. But hiring more probation and parole officers would help solve two of Rhode Island’s largest problems, unemployment and runaway corrections spending. Mayor David Cicilline ’83 should press the governor to commit stimulus money for more probation and parole officers. It is encouraging to see the mayor not only creating an advisory committee to help steer stimulus money to where it’s most needed and useful, but appointing the police chief as a member. Hopefully, they will both recognize the importance of hiring more probation and parole officers in Providence, where roughly a third of the state’s probationers and parolees live. In the current economic climate, Rhode Islanders need jobs and a state government that does everything it can to cut unnecessary spending. Using stimulus money to help hire more probation and parole officers can satisfy both these needs.
Dan Davidson ’11 is a political science concentrator from Atlanta, Georgia. He can be reached at Daniel_Davidson@brown.edu.
Today The Brown Daily Herald
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Scurtinizing the Gold Glove awards
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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Inside... 03 feature
BACK TO THE FUTURE \\ sonia kim
3
04 film and television
WORTH WATCHING WATCHMEN \\ gabriel doss STEREOTYPES AND HANDSPRINGS\\ tanmay misra
05 music
c a l e n da r MARCH 12, 2009
MARCH 13, 2009
12 P.M. — Howard Dean lecture free ticket distribution, J. Walter Wilson
6 P.M. — Screening of The Troupe by Rabeah Ghafarri, Lyman Hall, Room 219
8 P.m. — Fusion Dance Company’s Annual Show, Alumni Hall
NEW WEIRD AMERICANA \\ eva kurtz-nelson
07 sexpertise
IT’S COMPLICATED \\ allie wollner LISTENING TO THE DANCE \\ arthur matuszewski
08 from the hill
MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS\\ audrey fox FOOD IS SEXY \\ ted lamm & alex logan A SHAMELESS PLUG FROM PW
8 p.m. — Fusion Dance Company’s Annual Show, Alumni Hall
menu Sharpe Refectory
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Lunch — Falafel in Pita, Hot Turkey Sandwich with Sauce, Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic
Lunch — Ginger Chicken and Pasta, Shoepeg Corn Casserole, Mandarin Blend Vegetables
Dinner — Pumpkin Ravioli with Cream Sauce, Rice Pilaf with Zucchini, Braised Beef Tips
Dinner — Roast Turkey with Sauce, Vegan Roasted Vegetable Stew, Pasta Veggie Chicken Stir Fry
comics Enigma Twist| Dustin Foley
Inside...
crossword
03 feature
BACK TO THE FUTURE \\ sonia kim The One About Zombies | Kevin Grubb
04 film and television
WORTH WATCHING WATCHMEN \\ gabriel doss STEREOTYPES AND HANDSPRINGS\\ tanmay m
05 music
NEW WEIRD AMERICANA \\ eva kurtz-nelso
Socrates | Sephen Lichenstein and Adam Wagner
07 sexpertise
IT’S COMPLICATED \\ allie wollner LISTENING TO THE DANCE \\ arthur matusze
08 from the hill
MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS\\ audrey fox FOOD IS SEXY \\ ted lamm & alex logan A SHAMELESS PLUG FROM PW