Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxlv, no. 59 | Monday, July 26, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Corp. approves engineering school at May meeting
PRE-SORTED STANDARD Non-Profit org. u.s. postage paid
By Sydney Ember News Editor
permit no. 2475 Providence, r.i.
The Corporation approved the establishment of a new School of Engineering and authorized renovations to the Metcalf Chemistry and Research Laboratory at its meeting on May 28. Members of the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, also attended a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on additions to Brown’s athletic facilities, including the new fitness and aquatics centers. The Corporation also elected continued on page 9
Hicks ’11 killed on biking trip By Brigitta Greene Metro Editor
Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, wrote in an April 12 e-mail to The Herald that University officials “acted appropriately in this matter.” The e-mails reveal that Carey and Simmons were in communication with the female alum’s father regarding her complaints about McCormick several days before she told administrators that McCormick raped her, and that Simmons saw the female alum in person the day before the alleged rape occurred. Simmons turned down requests from McCormick and his mother to speak on the phone and in person,
Paige Hicks ’11 was killed July 20 while leading a cross-country bike trip, raising money for affordable housing. Hicks, of Chesterfield, Mo., was struck by a tractor trailer on U.S. Highway 18 near Vetal, S.D., said Lt. David Berkeley of the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Hicks had pulled over on the side of the road to check messages on her cell phone. Berkeley said she had stopped in an area of rolling hills, near the badlands region of the state — “kind of out in the middle of nowhere.” The tractor trailer was hauling a combine, and though the driver, Scott Wenzel, tried to swerve out of the way, he did not see Hicks in time, Berkeley said. He said a final investigation of the accident is not yet complete, but charges against Wenzel are unlikely. Hicks was serving as a group leader for Bike and Build, a nonprofit
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Katie Wilson / Herald
As the Corporation approved construction of new fitness and aquatics facilities, construction on another capital project — the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts — continued on Angell Street.
Oil spill Alum’s father e-mailed U. officials brings alums into fray By Ben Schreckinger Metro Editor
By Nicole Boucher Senior Staff Writer
Two Brown alums found themselves making headlines after oil began spilling into the Gulf of Mexico in late April. While one graduate garnered attention for attacking the federal government’s response, the other would sink below the surface of recognition in the wake of her early resignation following the spill. After the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ’91.5 gained national attention for criticizing the federal government’s response to the accident, citing its failures to prevent the spill and stating that Louisiana would forge its own path to recovery. But Liz Birnbaum’s ’79 involvement began long before the explosion and ended soon after. At the time of the accident, Birnbaum was director of the Minerals Management Ser vice, a government agency responsible for overseeing BP’s inspections and regulations. When MMS became mired in controversy over its allegedly lax regulatory practices, Birnbaum resigned her high-level position as director after being appointed the previous year. Through this resignation, Birnbaum became the earliest high-level government leader to resign following the incident. “It’s been a great privilege to ser ve as Director of the MMS,” Birnbaum said in a statement of resignation on May 27. “I’m hopeful
inside
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E-mails disclosed by the University as part of William McCormick III’s lawsuit against it show that his accuser’s father was in contact with senior University officials in the days before and following the female alum’s allegation in 2006 that McCormick had raped her. The University disclosed e-mails exchanged among the father, President Ruth Simmons, Senior Vice President for Corporation Affairs and Governance Russell Carey ’91 MA’06 as part of the discovery process in McCormick’s lawsuit against the University, a female
member of the class of 2010 and the female alum’s father. The Herald is withholding the name of the female alum because she may have been the victim of a sex crime. McCormick’s complaint — which is proceeding in the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island — maintains that the allegation was made falsely and that he was treated unfairly and forced out of Brown in the first weeks of freshman year because his accuser’s father is a significant donor and fundraiser for the University. The female alum’s attorney maintains that McCormick did in fact rape his client, and Marisa
Chipotle to bring locally grown flavor to Thayer By Brigitta Greene Metro Editor
The competition for Mexican food on campus is about to spice up. Chipotle Mexican Grill is set to open a Thayer Street location around November, said Chris Arnold, public relations director for the company. The restaurant will move into the space previously occupied by Roba Dolce on the corner of Angell and Thayer streets. The new location will be the third Mexican-style eatery on the short stretch of Thayer Street nearest campus — joining Gordito Burrito and Baja’s. But Arnold said that because of its commitment to locally grown produce and high-quality ingredients, the “nature of competition is not all that relevant.” Chipotle is the only national restaurant chain to maintain a strong commitment to ser ving locally grown produce — a philosophy that
the company has deemed “Food With Integrity,” he said. “What people will see different in Chipotle than in other restaurants is a very strong commitment to food and food quality,” Arnold added. Though the menu will be the same as in other locations, there “will certainly be some outreach for college students,” Arnold said. “Students are good, loyal customers for us all over the country.” The national chain — which planned to open a location at the corner of Thayer Street and Euclid Avenue before controversy over zoning permits led it to call off the project — will most likely be welcomed by the Brown community, but some students remain skeptical as to the quality of the product. “The whole thing is that they are massive burritos and they are pretty cheap,” said Jess Daniels ’12, a member of the Sustainable Food Initiative. “I don’t know if I would say it was healthy,” but “it’s cool that
Katie Wilson / Herald
After one false alarm, Chipotle plans to begin selling its locally-grown burritos across from the Brown Bookstore in November.
it’s quick food with ingredients you can recognize.” Currently, the closest Chipotle
Metro, 5
Opinions, 11
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Race to the finish Candidates of all stripes battle for governor in this year’s election
GLOBAL MADNESS Mike Johnson ’11 explains why you should care about the World Cup
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editor’s note This is The Herald’s only summer issue. We will publish one issue during orientation and will resume daily publication on September 1. Check browndailyherald.com and blogdailyherald.com for updates. herald@browndailyherald.com