Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxlv, no. 98 | Tuesday, October 26, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Obama visits R.I. factory, thanks local workers Library contract talks stall By Brigitta Greene Metro Editor
President Obama toured the American Cord and Webbing factory in Woonsocket, R.I. Monday, praising workers on their ability to “buckle down” and persevere through rough economic times. The factory makes, among other things, buckles. “It’s small businesses like this one that are the bricks and blocks — the cord and webbing if you will — of our economy,” Obama said. “Across the country, the small businesses that were once the cornerstones of their communities are now empty storefronts that haunt our communities.” His short speech — just over 10 minutes — emphasized the administration’s recent efforts to encourage job growth through small businesses. Last month, Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act, extending loans to small business owners and accelerating a chain of
tax cuts. The law is a final effort to stimulate the economy before next week’s midterm elections. “The government can’t guarantee your success,” he said to the workers. “But government can knock down some of the barriers that stand in the way of small businesses.” Although optimistic about new tax cuts and lending options for small businesses, Obama said he is frustrated by the level of partisanship in Congress. “I hope that my friends on the other side of the aisle are going to change their values going forward,” he said. “You can’t just focus on the next election, you have to focus on the next generation.” Obama decided earlier in the day not to endorse a candidate in the Rhode Island governor’s race. His decision, based on respect for his friend Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 angered Democratic candidate Frank Caprio, according to a Providence Journal blog post. Former U.S. continued on page 4
By Alex Bell Senior Staff Writer
istering for RISD courses, complaining of the challenge of fitting RISD classes into an otherwise Brownfilled schedule, as well as issues of actually getting into over-subscribed RISD classes. Current students’ experiences taking RISD classes vary. Linnea Blaurock ’13 is currently taking an introductory photography course for non-majors at RISD. In an e-mail to
Bargainers for the University and the libraries union sat back down Monday to an unproductive star t of another week’s contract negotiations, Karen McAninch ’74, the union’s business agent, told The Herald. Last week’s negotiations ended Wednesday with both sides coming to an agreement on the process the University could use to change workers’ shifts. McAninch also said the University agreed last week to hire a union door guard at the Sciences Librar y during the day. Negotiations did not continue past Wednesday last week because the federal mediator who has been working with both sides was not available, McAninch said. The mediator was present for Monday’s negotiations. Despite last week’s progress, McAninch said Monday’s discussion about contract language regarding health providers was “disappointing.” Based on a meeting last week with Vice President for Human Resources Karen Davis, McAninch said she was expecting the University to agree to maintain the
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Max Monn / Herald
Pres. Obama delivered a ten-minute speech to a Woonsocket factory Monday.
GISPs gain Cross-registration gives new perspectives student support By Rebecca Ballhaus Senior Staff Writer
By David Chung Contributing Writer
As the Nov. 5 deadline for Group Independent Study Project proposals nears, students are busy again creating syllabi, advertising to their peers and recruiting faculty members to sponsor them. Participation in GISPs has declined since they were implemented as part of the New Curriculum. But an information session last week sparked a standing-roomonly audience. Interested students filled the Faunce Memorial Room, and some even stood in the hallway to listen. Thirty-five GISPs have been proposed so far this semester, as compared to 20 last spring, and there is still time for students to create new ones, according to the GISP program’s blog. Students must submit a syllabus listing readings and assignments, an explanation of the validity of the course and a sponsorship statement from a faculty member. Each proposal is reviewed by the College Curriculum Council. Most GISPs are approved, according to Arthur Matuszewski
inside
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News.......1–4 Metro..........5 Editorial......6 Opinion.......7 Today..........8
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The proximity of Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design has long been a selling point for both schools. In the early stages of applying to Brown, prospective students are frequently reminded of the possibility of taking classes at both schools. In fact, RISD’s website boasts that students can take “anything from foreign language
to political science to anatomy” at Brown and simultaneously satisfy the design school’s liberal arts requirements. The question is whether the process is quite as easy as it would seem — and whether students take advantage of it.
FEATURE Mix paints, blend schedules In past years, Brown students have lamented the difficulty of reg-
Rail line to offer service to T. F. Green Airport BY Sarah Forman Staff Writer
Starting this fall, travelers in Providence will be able to get to T. F. Green Airport with only a $2.50 train ticket, providing an alternative to pricey taxi services and crowded shuttles.
METRO A ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow will officially open the Interlink, a transportation hub that will soon offer commuter rail transportation to Providence. The new line and station are the result of a collaboration between the Rhode Island Department of Transit and
the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said project manager James Eng, and the rail line will eventually connect Boston, Providence, Warwick and North Kingstown. The exact date that service to the airport will begin is “still up in the air,” Eng said, but it will be some time in late November or December. Initially, trains will run a half-dozen trips between Providence and the Warwick airport each day. By the spring, there will be eight round trips per day, after additional work is completed. Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority buses currently connect the airport with downtown
ra l ly in g f or wor k ers
Alex Bell / Herald
Students protested on behalf of the library workers outside of President Simmons’ speech on Saturday.
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Tech trouble
Cone it
Silly season
CIT upgrades cause slowdown for some on lab computers
New restaurant offers a variety of food in a cone
Sarah Rosenthal ’11 examines the latest campaign ads
News, 2
metro, 5
Opinions, 7
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