Thursday, November 11, 2010

Daily Herald the Brown

vol. cxlv, no. 110 | Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891

Sedaris Libraries union approves 4-year contract talk pretty yesterday By Alex Bell

Senior Staff Writer

By Anne Speyer Arts & Culture Editor

David Sedaris wants to hear your jokes — the raunchier the better. “Don’t be afraid of a filthy joke,” he told his audience at the Brown Bookstore Wednesday night. “It can’t be too dirty for me.”

Arts & Culture Sedaris, a humorist and author known for his deadly satire and a delightfully dark streak, visited the bookstore as part of a tour to promote his book “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk,” a collection of animalthemed essays. He explained that, while on tour, he often picks one topic or question to ask all of his audiences — the theme of this latest tour has been to ask everyone he meets for a joke. As part of the reading, he shared some of his favorite fan-provided jokes, cracking up right along with the audience seated on the bookstore floor. “What is the difference between an erection and a Camaro?” he asked. “I don’t have a Camaro.” Sedaris also read “The Motherless Bear,” one of the essays in “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.” “The Motherless Bear” tells the story of a bear who loses her stepmother and milks the situation for all the sympathy she can get before an ill-fated continued on page 2

Library union members voted 25 to 14 Tuesday to accept an agreement reached at the end of Monday’s bargaining session, according to Karen McAninch ’74, the union’s business agent. Under the new contract, workers will pay 7 percent of their health insurance premium costs beginning in July 2011, an increase from the current 6 percent. That figure will rise to 9 percent in July 2013 and to 12 percent when the contract runs out Sept. 30, 2014. Though the previous contract covered only three years, McAninch said Brown and the union agreed to a four-year contract because the University sought a guarantee that workers would eventually contribute 12 percent of health premium

costs. The union could not agree to that large of an increase over just three years, she said. Wage increases accompanied the premium share increases. Librar y union workers will see an increase of 2 percent in their base wages for each of the next four years, effective Oct. 1 of this year. In addition, workers are set to receive a 1.5 percent increase July 1, 2013 and a 1 percent increase on the contract’s expiration date, when health insurance contributions rise to 12 percent. The agreement also calls for more frequent meetings of a joint union-management committee to study proposals for further job training for union members in the hopes of preserving union work, she said. When asked why the vote was continued on page 2

Early applications nearly steady Group: U. By Lindor Qunaj Senior Staff Writer

A week after the Nov. 1 application deadline, Dean of Admission Jim Miller ’73 said that he expects the final number of early decision applicants to the class of 2015 to be just over 2,765, a drop of 70 to 80 applications from last year. The slight decrease in applications, however, is not indicative of a broader trend in admissions, Miller said. “When considering a pool of roughly 30,000, 70 to 80 less is not a big deal one way or another,” he said.

Obama approval rating among undergrads

He added that it was also important to realize that the number of early decision applications last year represented a 20 percent increase over the previous years. While admissions of ficers sometimes worry about changes in the applicant pool from year to year, this fall’s pool has been “virtually identical” to last year’s, Miller said. The proportion of international applicants remained constant at about 11 percent and the fraction of total students applying to the University’s eightyear Program in Liberal Medical

Despite President Barack Obama’s growing unpopularity in the U.S. and Republican victories in the midterm election, Brown students continue to support him. A recent

The Herald Poll

inside

Julien Ouellet / Herald Despite national dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama, undergraduates overwhelmingly approve of his job performance.

www.browndailyherald.com

Education remained at 12 percent, a consistency that Miller called “fascinating.” Miller added that overall, this cycle’s pool “looks to be ver y strong and very deep.” One preliminary trend Miller has observed is “an interesting uptick in the physical sciences and applied math.” But he added that the increase was “nothing dramatic.” In any other year, the Office of Admission would have been flooded with thousands of

Herald poll showed that three out of four undergraduates approve of Obama’s job performance, as many as did last year. Among those polled, 18.5 percent said they strongly approved of how Obama is handling his job and 59 percent said they somewhat approved. A total of 17.9 percent said they strongly or some-

must avoid ‘conflict minerals’

By Nicole Boucher Senior Staff Writer

what disapproved. Nationwide, only 45 percent of voters approve of the president’s performance, according to exit polls from last week’s election. Countrywide, those between the ages of 18 and 24 made up 10 percent of the voters in 2008 — breaking for Obama by a 2–1 margin — but only 5 percent of the voters this year, according to exit polls. But this political apathy does not fully extend to Brown students, wrote Katerina Wright ’11, president of the Brown Democrats, in an e-mail to the Herald. Brown Democrats “officially registered over 250 students this semester,” she wrote, esti-

The University should pressure companies to monitor the origin of their raw materials to avoid purchasing “conflict minerals,” said Ali Wolfson ’12, a member of the anti-genocide student group STAND, during community time at the general body meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students Wednesday night. Since 1994, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been “the site of the deadliest conflict since World War II,” Wolfson said. Violence erupted after the militia responsible for the Rwandan genocide spilled over the border. These militia groups now control the majority of mines in the Congo, essentially using Congolese citizens as “slave labor” to make a profit, said group member Elizabeth Karin ’13. Companies use these natural resources in electronic devices such as iPods, computers and cellphones. In the short term, STAND seeks to gain student and administrative support in urging companies to monitor the origin of resources. While the recent Wall Street reform bill encouraged these measures, the

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Bucking national trend, campus supports Obama By Katherine Sola Staff Writer

News.....1–2 Metro.....3–5 Sports.....6–9 Editorial....10 Opinion.....11 Today........12

Alex Bell / Herald

After weeks of negotiations and protests, library union members approved a new contract Tuesday increasing both wages and premium shares.

Dems dominate

Hockey hero

Going green

Democrats win big in Rhode Island midterm elections

Field hockey star Hyland ’11 named athlete of the week

Lawrence ’11 urges everyone to help environment

Metro, 5

SPORTS, 7

Opinions, 11

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

herald@browndailyherald.com

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Campus News

Thursday, November 11, 2010

See complete poll results from this semester and past ones thebdh.org/polls

Contracts approved in Obama popular at Brown, falls nationally library worker debate continued from page 1

continued from page 1 not closer to unanimous adoption of the agreement, McAninch said concerns still lingered that cost of living increases could outpace pay increases over the term of the contract. She also said some members felt that the issue of preservation of union work had not been adequately addressed. Though only 39 of the 65 union members participated in the quickly organized vote during work hours, McAninch said, she has not heard any complaints from members who did not vote. “We’re pleased that librar y

union and university negotiators were able to reach a fair and competitive agreement in a timely manner,” wrote Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn in an e-mail to The Herald. “I want to add that Brown is so fortunate to have such a dedicated community,” wrote Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie Huidekoper in an e-mail to The Herald. “These are extremely challenging times and Brown’s employees have been terrific at working together to ensure that Brown’s students get the best experience possible.”

Computer system eases early app process continued from page 1 pages of paper applications, but following a transition to an electronic system this summer, all applications are being read and evaluated on computers. Miller said the change would not affect students at all, noting that almost all students in last year’s cycle submitted electronic versions of their applications. The new method will also avoid the potential issue of not having enough space to store the huge number of files expected

once regular decision applications come in. Last spring, The Herald reported that administrators had to open a satellite office in Alumnae Hall to accommodate the 30,136 applications for the class of 2014. Though the admissions office intends to ultimately enroll a class of about 1,500, Miller said it was not possible to say how many of those students would come from the early pool. “We don’t know yet. We’ll have to see,” he said. “It will be a function of the quality of applications.”

sudoku

Daily Herald the Brown

Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 George Miller, President Claire Kiely, Vice President

Katie Koh, Treasurer Chaz Kelsh, Secretary

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. Single copy free for each member of the community. 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 2010 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

mating that about 400 Brunonians are registered to vote in Rhode Island. Brown students are “more informed, and consistent, reliable voters” and they were enthusiastic about volunteering for local campaigns, making 1,600 phone calls the night before the election, she wrote. “Enthusiasm for inspiring Democratic candidates is clearly not a passing phase here at Brown,” she added. Sean Quigley ’10, former president of the Brown Republicans and Herald opinions columnist, wrote that “as a conser vative, I cheer whenever the youth vote is small” because “a nicer form of communism” characterizes most youth votes. Quigley added that he wasn’t surprised by the low youth turnout. Max Chaiken ’09, former Students for Barack Obama coordinator and Herald opinions columnist, expressed a similar view, writing that the low turnout wasn’t surprising because young people vote in higher numbers during presidential elections and there was “so little to be enthusiastic about” this year. Associate Professor of Political Science Wendy Schiller had a similar explanation, writing in an e-mail to the Herald that midterm elections always have low turnout

and this election’s hot-button topics did not get students’ attention. “The issues that were emphasized in the campaign, like health care, taxes and the federal deficit are not of the greatest concern to college-age voters,” she wrote. Wright identified the stimulus package and health care plan as reasons for continued support for Obama on campus. Chaiken explained that although “many progressives have been disappointed,” he found it “hard to be frustrated by the bigger picture” of the administration’s achievements. Brown Republicans President Terrence George ’13 wrote in an e-mail to the Herald that he understood Obama’s lack of national support. “As with most relationships, the country’s infatuation with President Obama has faded with time,” wrote George, a former Herald opinions columnist. “Nowhere in the past year have I seen liberal activists with half the enthusiasm of the Right.” Republican and Democratic student leaders agree that campus politics are unlikely to change because of the University’s historical liberalism. George wrote that though “support for Obama is lackluster everywhere,” he had not obser ved “an influx in cardcarrying, hard-line conservatives” on campus.

Similarly, Quigley wrote that he had “little hope that there will be a shift” toward Republican candidates because the “base of both the GOP and its coalition partners is just not represented at an institution such as Brown.” By contrast, Wright wrote that Democrat David Cicilline’s ’83 campaign identified Brown as the “tier one of tier ones,” a reliable source of both votes and volunteers. Outside of Brown, George is optimistic about the Republican chances with the youth vote in 2012. He wrote that “passion drives politics, and with the Left’s inability to galvanize its base, 2012 is going to be a good year.” Schiller wrote that the Republicans’ appeal to youth would depend on the party’s platform because if they cut spending on education, “that will hurt young people.” But if they argue for “a more solvent federal government for the next generation,” they might reach more young voters, she added. The Herald poll was conducted Nov. 1–2 and has a 3.0 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. A total of 915 students completed the poll, which The Herald distributed as a written questionnaire in the University Mail Room in J. Walter Wilson and the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center during the day and the Sciences Library at night.

Sedaris entertains at Bookstore talk continued from page 1 encounter with a performing bear gets her muzzled for life. As with many of the stories in Sedaris’ new book, the animals in “The Motherless Bear” are honest, cringe-inducing reflections of the best and worst in human nature, depicted with Sedaris’ trademark combination of humor and pessimism. Sedaris explained to the audience that he first started writing stories for “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk” about seven years ago when he was given a collection of South African folktales. “I thought they were just awful,” he said. “I said, ‘Hell, I could do better than that.’ ” Since then, he has written several animal stories each year and ultimately chose 16 to include in the book. Sedaris also read aloud a story that did not make it into “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk” but is included on the audio book — a joyfully nasty

story in which two flies talk over a lunch of vomit in a bus station. He read the story with gusto, relishing in the groans and disgusted squeals of the audience. While the crowd of students, professors and community members were presumably at the bookstore to hear Sedaris read from his new book, he seemed to have the most fun telling jokes from previous tour stops and reading random observations from his diary. Copies of “Squir rel Seeks Chipmunk” were sold along with tickets to the reading, beginning on Oct. 21. Only 250 tickets were sold, which Director of Bookstore Administration Steven Souza said reflected the maximum number of people allowed in the upstairs mezzanine of the bookstore according to Rhode Island fire codes. Despite the limited space, the event was held at the bookstore at the request of organizers of Sedaris’ book tour,

which Souza said required the rearranging and clearing out of chairs and furniture from the upstairs space. Souza said the event “ranks among the biggest” events the bookstore has hosted, possibly second only to former President Bill Clinton’s visit in 2005. Before the event, Souza told The Herald he anticipated there being much more than 250 present, as even those who had not purchased a ticket were able to attend a book-signing session following the reading. “Ever yone’s invited,” he said. Sedaris “has a reputation of staying to meet his fans. As long as students are willing to stay, as long as he’s willing to stay, we’re going to stay.” Sedaris followed the reading with a brief question-and-answer session before moving down to the first floor of the bookstore to meet fans, sign books and, of course, learn some new jokes.

UCS looks into online laundry view service continued from page 1 reforms “lack teeth,” Karin said. From its position of purchasing power, Brown has a social responsibility to make sure it does not support these purchases, Wolfson said. Also at the meeting, Chris Collins ’11, chair of the council’s Admissions and Student Services Committee, said the committee met with the Residential Council to discuss

installing LaundryView into dorm machines. LaundryView connects machines to the Internet, providing information about which machines are occupied. “Funding is going to be the roadblock,” he said, though the council seemed enthusiastic about looking into it further. The Committee on Campus Life recently spoke with SafeRide representatives to discuss improvements to the system including potential

reverse routes and adding more specific maps on the signs or online, said committee chair David Rattner ’13. He also said the committee is working to move the Farmers Market normally on Wriston Quad to the Kasper Multipurpose Room in Faunce House during the winter months. The Council also appointed Ana Olson ’14 to the Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee.

Metro The Brown Daily Herald

“He is ready to have all of R.I. treated equally under the laws.” — Kathy Kushner, executive director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Page 3

Chafee’s election renews hope for R.I. gay marriage movement By Amy Rasmussen Contributing Writer

For the past 13 years, annual legislative efforts to pass a marriage equality bill in the General Assembly have met with opposition from Rhode Island’s heavily Roman Catholic population — and by the eight-year term of a governor opposed to gay marriage. Following the recent gubernatorial election of self-proclaimed gayrights champion Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, the 2011 political stage is finally set for the passage of a same-sex marriage bill in Rhode Island. Rhoda Perry P’91 — a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate and the sponsor of several failed marriage equality bills — said that after more than 10 years of advocacy, she plans to act quickly and decisively to collaborate with the new governor on the issue. While Perry acknowledged that the positions of some of the newest members of the legislature remain somewhat unclear, she expressed confidence that Rhode Island would soon join its New England neighbors as a state that both recognizes and performs same-sex marriage. “We are very serious, we are tenacious and we feel that we’ll be victorious,” she said. Although Rhode Island is the most Catholic state in the union — ­ at 45 percent of its population — Perry expressed little concern that one religious lobby would impede the passage of the bill. “This state is also a state of independent-minded people,” she said. “Many legislators feel that it is their job to represent all of Rhode Island — and all religions.” On the move For the past year and a half leading up to the election, Marriage Equality Rhode Island has been everywhere in the Ocean State — literally. According to Kathy Kushnir, the executive director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, the group has canvassed in neighborhoods across the state, knocked on over 30,000 doors and engaged in an extensive postcard campaign — all to ensure the election of a pro-marriage equality governor. As for the Nov. 2 results, she said, the leadership of the group couldn’t be happier. “Governor-elect Chafee is not only pro-equality — he has made that a priority. He has said that he is not

interested in delaying that process,” Kushnir said. “He is ready to have all of Rhode Islanders treated equally under the laws.” According to a recent poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and available on the Marriage Equality website, voter support for gay marriage in 2010 was 59 percent statewide, representing a 10-point increase in just two years. By and large, this shift is a result of increased dialogue, Kushnir said. More people are discussing what equality means to them and the effects are showing. For the past several months, Seth Magaziner ’06 — a former president of the Brown Democrats — has been working with Marriage Equality to spread the word about gay rights. “Our primary goal is to make sure that the legislators hear from our supporters who maybe in the past were unsure but who have now decided that the time is right,” he said. Though Magaziner said that same-sex activists and legislators alike would take civil unions over nothing, he emphasized that equal marriage rights are the ultimate goal. “We’ve seen time and time again that separate but equal is not equal,” he said. “When people are categorized as different, it leads to ostracization.” According to Magaziner, increasing support for marriage equality has become a matter of time. “When I look at the legislators that were there four or five years ago — when I was at Brown — I see a whole lot of people who have gone from opposing marriage equality to supporting it,” he said. “I don’t see a single person who has gone the other way.” Kushnir said it was important for new legislators to understand that a gay marriage bill would not require religious establishments to recognize or perform same-sex marriages. Fringe benefits Christopher Plante — the executive director of the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Organization for Marriage — said that given Rhode Island’s economic woes, he does not want the General Assembly focusing its energy on a marriage bill. But “marriage equality will help drive our economic recovery, as couples who want to marry will move to the state, and people and businesses who would thrive in a tolerant en-

vironment will do the same,” Jesse Towsen ’12, the elections and advocacy chair of the Brown Democrats, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “This is an argument Chafee made continually throughout the campaign, including during the debate at Brown.” Plante said that marriage equality is an issue that affects a minority and the state ought to prioritize issues that affect all Rhode Islanders. “I have gay and lesbian friends, but this is an idea that only applies to them,” he said of the push for equality. “This law is for a tiny fraction of the Rhode Island population.” Though Plante acknowledged that the issue cannot be ignored, he advocated a more direct resolution of the issue. “Give the vote to the people,” he said. “Let’s go for it, let’s be American and let the votes fall where they will,” Plante said. “The smart thing — the logical thing — in the face of our economic crisis is to put it on the ballot,” he said. “Legislators are tired of this annual wrangling when there are so many more pressing issues at hand.” Marriage Equality, along with the Brown Democrats and other gay marriage supporters throughout Rhode Island, stand strongly opposed to a ballot initiative. “We can’t leave minority rights up to the vote of a majority who already enjoys those rights,” Towsen wrote. “History shows that civil rights are advanced into law when bold lawmakers do the right thing.”

With bated breath On the night of Nov. 2, as votes were tallied around the country, several groups on College Hill waited for state election returns with bated breath. “We were terrified because (Republican John) Robitaille and Chafee were super close,” said Gabriel Schwartz ’13, a member of Queer Action. Though the other two candidates for governor were also supporters of same-sex marriage, Schwartz said the group was thrilled by Chafee’s win. “It would have been a lot harder to hold (Democrat Frank) Caprio and (Moderate Ken) Block to their campaign promises,” he added. “It would have been a popularity issue, as opposed to with Chafee, it’s a policy and moral issue.” According to Katerina Wright ’11, the president of the Brown Democrats, marriage equality is the group’s first priority this year. The pro-equality combination of Chafee and Speaker of the House Gordon Fox, D-Providence, is just one of many indications that Rhode Island is finally ready for change, she said. In an e-mail, Terrence George ’13, president of the Brown Republicans, declined to comment. Queer Action and the Brown Democrats have collaborated with Marriage Equality on letter-writing campaigns and helped with voter registration on Election Day. In the months leading up to the opening of the legislative session, both student groups plan to continue the campaign

for same-sex marriage. “If this process and debate is conducted openly in the public and is well-covered in the press,” Towsen wrote, “it will be very difficult for lawmakers to take any position except that which Rhode Islanders believe is fair and just.” “We really do need to continue pressure and not have this be what it was for Obama,” who has yet to fulfill his campaign promise to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, Schwartz said. “Both sides have recognized that this is the next battle state and this is the most likely place for marriage equality.” The groups that oppose gay marriage in the state, Schwartz acknowledged, often have more organization, more experience and more funding than their opponents. “I think that’s what (the National Organization for Marriage) is counting on, but I think they’re going to face a really tight-knit group that values the ideals of their communities in Rhode Island,” Schwartz added. Though Schwartz said he is hopeful a marriage bill will be passed within the next six months, he emphasized that its passage would not end the effort for equal rights. “The legal issue is the first step and the next step is getting over the reason it was there in the first place,” he added. “How to go about approaching really changing people’s minds about how they view and interact with the LBGTQ community is going to be an issue that goes on for the rest of our lifetimes.”

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Thursday, November 11, 2010

“It’s almost impossible to be right on target with that.” — RIC Prof. Emeritus Victor Profughi, on election polls

Block party is just getting started By Caitlin Trujillo Senior Staff Writer

Though Moderate Party founder and candidate for governor Ken Block finished fourth at the polls last Tuesday, he gained enough votes to keep his party on the ballot and may soon find himself in a position of influence on one of his favorite issues — the efficiency of state government. Block netted 6.5 percent of the votes last Tuesday on Election Day, more than the 5 percent needed to secure his party’s place on future ballots. Polls conducted prior to the election predicted Block would receive just 2 percent of the vote. One of these was an NBC 10-Quest Research poll conducted in late October with Rhode Island College, local news affiliate WJAR and the American Democracy Project. The discrepancy between the poll results and election returns was probably due to sample size rather than a late surge in support, said Victor Profughi, professor emeritus of political science at Rhode Island College, who conducted the poll. “It’s almost impossible to be

right on target with that,” Profughi said. Block said he felt confident throughout the campaign that he would get the necessary 5 percent and “knew intuitively” that the polls did not reflect the full extent of his support. This year’s gubernatorial race proved especially difficult for the introduction of a new party, Block said. During the last month of the race, several Rhode Islanders approached Block and told him they would vote for him if the race between the leading candidates were not so tight, he said. But voters expressed concern that rather than helping Block, the primary effect of voting for him would be to harm a more viable candidate — whether it was Democrat Frank Caprio, independent Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 or Republican John Robitaille. “There was a very large number of people playing that game,” Block said. Block was not the only candidate the Moderate Party fielded this year. It ran one other candidate for statewide office, Christopher Little, who garnered 14.4 percent of the

vote in the attorney general’s race. Block said the next plan on his party’s agenda is to field candidates for the General Assembly in 2012. He has already heard from potential candidates who have expressed interest in running for the Moderate Party in that cycle, he said. Block has not decided if he will run in any future elections, he said. Since the election, a representative in the state legislature has called on Governor-elect Chafee to exploit Block’s expertise in his administration. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, D-Woonsocket, submitted a recommendation to Chafee that he work with Block on saving the state money, according to a General Assembly press release. Baldelli-Hunt said in the release that Block might be able to help Rhode Island the same way he helped the state of Texas, which uses a software system Block helped develop to track welfare and food stamp transactions. Texas saved about $1.2 billion annually for four years in the ’90s by cutting down on fraud and wasteful spending using the software, according to the release. Block’s expertise could help Rhode Island’s Department of Human Ser vices and other departments save money if the current systems could be upgraded, BaldelliHunt told The Herald. State employ-

Courtesy of Ken Block

Moderate Party founder Ken Block, with former President Bill Clinton and wife Jennifer Block, said he is “more than willing” to work with the legislature.

ees “deserve the technology” that would allow them to work more efficiently and eliminate the backlog of tasks they must execute, she said. The idea occurred to her as she listened to the gubernatorial debates and heard Block reference his attempts to curb wasteful spending, she said. Block said he would be “more than willing” to work with the

Chafee administration in such a capacity. But, he said, it would require a series of initiatives and a team of “hyper-specialists” to implement, he said. Mike Trainor, Chafee’s campaign manager, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that Chafee was considering many options in closing the deficit and would consider any advice Block might propose to him.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

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“Rhode Island bucks the trend across the board.” — Associate Professor of Political Science Wendy Schiller

Democrats beat back national tide to stay dominant in R.I.

By Claire Peracchio Senior Staff Writer

Frustrated with a struggling economy and politics as usual, voters in the midterm elections last Tuesday handed Republicans major gains nationwide. But in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 4 to 1, Rhode Island Democrats remained dominant, preventing Republicans from winning any of the state’s top federal or statewide offices for the first time in 35 years. “Rhode Island bucks the trend across the board,” said Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science. She said the state’s choice of Democrats and independents parallels results from fellow New England states Massachusetts and Connecticut, which also resisted major Republican inroads this election cycle. While some contests showed unusually narrow margins of victory for left-leaning candidates, outcomes favored Democrats despite unprecedented efforts by the state GOP to attract support for conservative and moderate candidates. In a four-way race that turned the conventional link between party affiliation and political ideology on its head, Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 beat back an election night surge from Republican John Robitaille to become the state’s first independent governor. Democrats won both U.S. House races and the four other statewide contests — for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer. Chafee, a former Republican U.S. senator and mayor of Warwick, ran to the left of his opponents, advocating a 1 percent sales tax increase to close the state’s budget shortfall and garnering support from the state’s

powerful teachers unions. Chafee’s victory means that for the first time in 15 years, the state’s top executive will not be a Republican. Rhode Islanders elected Mayor David Cicilline ’83 in the first congressional district and incumbent Jim Langevin, D-R.I., in the second. Cicilline will be one of four openly gay legislators in Congress. The competitive race between Cicilline and Republican John Loughlin was seen as a bellwether of surging Republican strength in historically Democratic areas. In races for the General Assembly, the state Republican-sponsored Clean Slate initiative backed a coalition of Republicans, independents and Moderates aiming to loosen the Democratic stranglehold on the General Assembly. The initiative picked up seats for eight Republicans and one independent, and helped bring Republican representation in the General Assembly from 10 to 18 seats out of 113. Republicans have not held a majority in either house of the state legislature since 1958. “The Republican Party in the state does not have any organization really to speak of, and in terms of party identifiers, the percentage is extremely small,” said Victor Profughi, Rhode Island College professor emeritus of political science and director of the polling firm Quest Research. Schiller also pointed to the importance of organization in party politics. “Big gains came in competitive states where Republicans were better organized with a better message,” Schiller said. In the race for governor, Schiller said the strong showing by Republican John Robitaille was fueled by Democrat Frank Caprio’s “shove

it” comment. Caprio said President Obama could “shove” his endorsement after Obama declined to endorse the state treasurer out of deference to Chafee. “The bulk of the Robitaille surge came from Caprio’s comment about the president,” Schiller said, adding that the comment caused moderate voters to view Robitaille as a viable choice and also pushed liberals towards Chafee. Caprio’s rebuke to the leader of his party underscored the current state treasurer’s uneasy relationship with traditional Democratic interests, a tension heightened by the Caprio campaign’s focus on fostering business growth and confronting the state’s public employee unions to reform Rhode Island’s ailing pension system. While Democrats failed to take the governorship, their wins in congressional races demonstrate the uphill battle Republicans face in this left-leaning state. In the contest between Cicilline and Loughlin, polling on the eve of the election showed a tight race, though Cicilline ultimately defeated Loughlin by six points. Profughi suggested Loughlin “found himself swamped by the number of Democrats in a few major areas” and said his opposition to health-care reform and the Congressional Democratic agenda did not

resonate in the Ocean State. “He ran a campaign that would run very well almost anywhere else in the country, but not here in the Northeast,” Profughi said. A weak showing by incumbent Democrat Jim Langevin’s “grossly underfunded” opponent, Republican Mark Zaccaria, is indicative of the challenges facing Republicans in the state, especially when challenging popular Democrats, Profughi said. Though Republicans found themselves without victories in races for the state’s major offices, strong showings from state Republicans indicate that voters are “more willing to consider Republican candidates,” said Daniel Harrop ’76 MD’79. Harrop is the chair of the state Republican finance committee and was an unsuccessful candidate for the District 3 seat in the state House of Representatives this year. “We raised more money for Republican General Assembly candidates than we ever had,” Harrop said. Though Harrop’s performance against Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, was little better than when he ran against the 18-year veteran state legislator in 2002 and 2004, he said he would consider running again. Ajello said she has never faced a competitive challenge from a Republican. Her district, which includes Brown’s campus, is one of the most liberal in the state.

Ajello disagreed with the notion that voters “are going to vote for Edie Ajello’s opponent as opposed to her simply so that there will be more Republicans in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.” She said Clean Slate’s message of defeating Democrats to restore the balance of power in the state had little traction in districts where constituents feel incumbents reflect their political beliefs. But Democrats made an effort not to take the state’s tendency to favor the party for granted this election cycle, according to Rhode Island Democratic Party chairman Edwin Pacheco. “One of the things we really honed in on was that strength in grassroots politics for the party and for our individual candidates,” Pacheco said. Tuesday’s results indicate that while state Republicans lack this grassroots strength, the political dynamic in the state could shift. But whether state Republicans can increase their influence remains to be seen, according to Schiller. “If (Republicans) work on the ground and build off the momentum, it could change the balance of power in Rhode Island, but that requires a lot of time and effort and money, and it’s unclear that they’re going to devote those resources to that effort,” Schiller said.

SportsThursday The Brown Daily Herald

Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Page 6

athlete of the week

Field Hockey

Late goal paces Bears to fourth overall Midfielder Katie Hyland By Sam Sheehan Sports Staff Writer

It was the final game wearing Bruno brown for field hockey tri-captains Cassie Puhalla ’11, Tacy Zysk ’11 and Katie Hyland ’11 Saturday afternoon on Warner Roof. The younger members of the team (6-11, 3-4 Ivy League) were determined to bring home a win for their senior captains. “We’re all definitely playing for our seniors,” said forward Leslie Springmeyer ’12 before Saturday’s game against Yale (11-6, 5-2). “We’re looking to take them down.” That’s exactly what Bruno did, besting the Bulldogs 3-2 in front of a home crowd packed with friends and family. It was Springmeyer who helped the Bears strike first, scoring on a pass from fellow forward Abigail Taft ’12 for her 11th goal on the season. It was just the start of an offensive-minded first half. Taft added a goal of her own — her tenth on the season — in between Yale forward

Erica Borgo’s two first-half goals, leaving the score at 2-2 going into halftime. The second period was a tense one for the Bears, as they were outshot 14–7. Yale also had an advantage in penalty corners, drawing eight in the period to Bruno’s two. But goalie Lauren Kessler ’11.5 was not phased by the Yale offensive, as she notched six saves and combined with the team’s backs to keep the Bulldogs off the board in the last 43 minutes of the game. It was back Elara Mosquera ’13 who provided the deciding goal for the Bears, ripping a pass from Hyland into the back of the net for the game-winner. “With only five minutes left on the clock, to score that was clutch,” said Head Coach Tara Harrington ’94. “As soon as it hit her stick we all knew it was going in.” The score was Mosquera’s fourth goal on the season and Hyland’s fifth assist. But the game was not over. Bruno had to fend off a furious Bulldog counterattack including

back-to-back penalty corners with no time remaining on the clock. The staunch Brown defense answered by locking in and clearing the second corner, putting the game in the win column. The victory moved Bruno into a tie for fourth in the Ivy League, the highest team finish in five years. Harrington credits the three captains for the team’s improvement this year and setting the tone for the future. “The three of them together with their leadership, their skill and their love of being a field hockey player have put this program back on a solid foundation,” Harrington said. “A lot of our success this year was based on how those women chose to lead this team.” Hyland has been selected to play in the Senior Game, an honor for which only two other Ivy League players have been tapped this year. She also broke the school record for number of consecutive games played in a career with 68. Zysk and Hyland end their careers tied for 13th on the Brown all-time points list with 41. Springmeyer and Taft will enter next year in the second and ninth position on the all-time goal list, respectively.

’11 having a ‘field’ day By Sam Rubinroit Sports Staff Writer

Field hockey midfielder Katie Hyland ’11 may be gone next year, but she will certainly not be forgotten. Despite playing the last game of her Brown career last weekend — a 3-2 win over Yale in which she provided the assist on the game-winning goal — the Modern American History concentrator from Riegelsville, Pa., has solidified her place in the Brown record books. After playing in all 68 games since her freshman year, Hyland earned a school record for most consecutive games started. She ends her four years as a Bear ranked fifth all-time for career defensive saves (4), ninth all-time for career assists (13), and 13th all-time for career points (41). But Hyland’s success goes beyond her own personal accolades. As a captain of this year’s squad, she led the team to its best record in four years, 6-11 (3-4 in the Ivy League). After opening this season with four consecutive losses, the team rallied to earn three consecutive victories and tie Columbia and Dartmouth for fourth place in the Ivy League. This week, Hyland was one of three Ivy League field hockey student

athletes to be selected to play in the annual Senior Game, held this year at the University of Maryland on Nov. 20. For her ironwoman commitment during her four seasons at Brown, The Herald has named Hyland athlete of the week. Herald: What do you credit the team’s three final consecutive wins to? Hyland: Towards the end of the season, we were really determined to come out of the Ivy League not at the bottom anymore. We have had the talent, skill and the team cohesion, but for some reason something wasn’t adding up. We had been working hard and the team never gives up on anything … and so those consecutive wins were probably the best reward we could have had. You haven’t had any injuries that forced you to miss a game. Why do you think that is? I think it has a lot to do with the coaching staff and the regimens that they keep us on. It’s not too taxing — and I know some girls that have gotten hurt — but the athletic staff continued on page 9

Thursday, November 11, 2010

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

S ports T hursday

w. ice hockey

Page 7

“It was by far my biggest comeback ever.” — Scott Phillips ’11 fencing

Bruno tops Sacred Heart for first win Duelers wins big at Big

By Sudarshan Sriraman Contributing Writer

The women’s ice hockey team registered a decisive 5-1 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Saturday at Meehan Auditorium. Both teams were coming off a series of tough games — the Bears (1-3, 0-2 ECAC) having lost the previous three on the road and the Pioneers (0-7) their previous six. But Brown’s dominant performance ensures the team winning momentum as it prepares for a series of games on home ice. Bruno is scheduled to meet Union at the Meehan on Friday. With both teams anxious to register a win, the first 10 minutes of the game were frantic, with frequent deep incursions into the attacking zone by both teams undermined by equally frequent turnovers and offensive mistakes. Neither team was able to exert sustained pressure on the opposition’s defense, and the few shots on either goal were comfortably dealt with by the goalies. The Bears’ offense then began to take control, creating several opportunities before forward Laurie Jolin ’13 offered a fine scoring opportunity to forward tri-captain Erica Kromm ’11. Kromm duly obliged with a shot past the out-of-position Pioneers goaltender to give Brown the lead with about five minutes re-

maining in the period. Jolin was also involved in an enterprising short-handed shot that Pioneers’ goalie Alexius Schutt barely managed to keep out. Sacred Heart tried to stage a late counterattack in the last few minutes of the first period, but the Brown defense held firm despite the consistent pressure and the score remained 1-0. The second period began with Brown dominating the early exchanges, maintaining consistent pressure in the offensive zone and launching a barrage of shots at the goal. Though Brown created several opportunities, none were converted until a penalty left the Pioneers short-handed. Forward Kelly Griffin ’13 exploited the opportunity, taking a pass from forward Erica Farrer ’13 and shooting it past the goalie to give Brown a 2-0 lead. Defender Jennifer Nedow ’14 also assisted on the goal. But the Pioneers struck back soon after, as defender Caitlin Gottwald chipped a shot under goalie Katie Jamieson’s ’13 glove to find the back of the net in a rare mistake by the Brown defense. The momentum started to shift toward the Pioneers, who fired in several shots, all well-covered by the Bears’ defense. With four minutes remaining in the period, Sacred Heart had a golden opportunity with two Brown players in the penalty box, leading to

some nervous minutes in the Brown camp. But the Bears’ defense performed admirably during the five-onthree penalty kill, clearing the zone several times and maintaining the lead into the third period. The game was still in the balance going into the third period with the score at 2-1, but in pursuit of the elusive equalizing goal, the Pioneers’ defense began to crack. That was all the opportunity the Bears’ offense needed to break through and slam the door shut on a Pioneers comeback. Farrer was especially dominant during this passage of play, scoring twice and also assisting on forward Jessica Hoyle’s ’14 goal to build up a huge 5-1 lead. Despite being short-handed for much of the period because of three penalties, Brown’s defense continued its solid performance, denying Sacred Heart any further opportunities. Though the final score suggests a crushing victory by Brown, Sacred Heart was competitive for the first two periods and much of the third. But the Bears’ strong defensive performance, particularly on the penalty kill, helped them claim their first win of the young season. With a tougher assignment against Union coming up on Friday, Brown will be hoping for a similarly assured performance on home ice.

One Invitational By Alex Mittman Contributing Writer

The fencing team returned triumphantly from its first tournament of the season, winning the Big One Invitational with 10 medals overall. The Big One, a single-elimination, individual tournament that took place on Nov. 6 at Smith College, was crowded with Bears who medaled after finishing in the top eight, including five men and women in the top three in their events. Kathryn Hawrot ’14 took first in women’s foil, finishing just ahead of teammate Avery Nackman ’13. Cory Abbe ’13 gave a fantastic showing in women’s epee with a second place finish. Rounding out the women’s team, Caitlin Taylor ’13 achieved a third place win in women’s saber. Ben McDonald ’14 also won third in his category, men’s epee. Every other category at the tournament featured at least one Brown competitor in one of the top eight spots. Scott Phillips ’11 gained third in men’s foil, beating out Massachusetts Institute of Technology sophomore Daniel Levine in a touch-andgo match that had Phillips down 9-3 with four minutes left. “My timing wasn’t working, so I

had to be more aggressive,” Phillips said, referring to his usual defensive style of parrying and waiting for his opponents’ attacks. Phillips’ change in approach helped him bring the score to 9-8, but his opponent then got the next five touches and kept the lead out of Phillips’ hands. Phillips was within one point of a loss. “If I had made one simple mistake, he would have won the bout,” he said. But Phillips rallied in the last minute and took the final five touches against Levine, winning 15-14. “It was by far my biggest comeback ever,” he said. Phillips’ previous bout had been with Jonathan Yu ’11, one of the team captains, whom he beat out in a close bout 15-13 in the third round. Yu described the bout as “predictable,” saying the teammates “know each others’ styles.” Yu is a more aggressive fencer, according to Phillips. Phillips confessed that these two hard-fought matchups “probably wore me out for my last bout” against freshman Patrick Riley of Boston College. Though Yu dropped to 16th after continued on page 8

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

S ports T hursday

Thursday, November 11, 2010

“If we lose to anyone, it’s good for it to be ourselves.” — fencer Kathryn Hawrot ’14

The good, the bad and the ugly ... minus the good W. fencing scores three medals By Sam Sheehan Sports Columnist

It’s funny how sometimes dreams can relate to things that happen in real life. I’m not saying it happens all the time. My recurring dream, after all, involves a Batman costume, Pop-Tarts and a struggle to extract them from Sam Sheehan the toaster after Badly dressed I accidentally Irish sports fan break it with the batarangs. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a superhero outfit while preparing toaster strudel, let alone Batman garb. (This dream probably has some meaning. Where are my Freud psychology majors at? It just means I like Batman? Oh. Psychoanalytic theory isn’t as fun as it used to be.) No, I’m talking about the dreams that make you sit up in a cold sweat. For example, last Sunday I had a terrible nightmare that the Patriots were leading the NFL, but then they lost to a 2-5 Browns team. Their meathead running back ran for 148 yards and 2 TDs on our laughably putrid defense. Our rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski dropped everything that hit his hands and ruined a kickoff. Cleveland Head Coach Eric Mangini’s fat face had a piggy grin plastered to it like someone had brought him doughnuts and a tub of Crisco to eat. Tom Brady’s hair was really long and

stupid-looking. It was terrible. Luckily, the Patriots are 7-1 and didn’t blow all of their momentum heading into the most important two games of the regular season, against the Steelers and Colts. (I stop, wipe my tears off of the keyboard and continue typing.) I’m going to continue to hope that Roethlisberger gets confused for a baby whale (same size, weight, and intelligence) in the next week and is sent back to SeaWorld. As you can see, there are living nightmares in the sports world. Things so horrific for your team that you can’t look away. Performances and grievances that are harder to watch than even the goriest scenes in “Hostel.” Maybe Halloween would have been a good time for this column, but it was World Series time and I love writing about Tim Lincecum. Here are the most grotesque stories of the sports world this year. The Dallas Cowboys: oops If you had told me two months ago that halfway through the NFL season the Cowboys would have the same record as the Panthers, I would have assumed that the team bus careened off a cliff and the entire practice squad had to replace them. They lost Tony Romo two-and-a-half weeks ago to the ravenous Giants D-line, but they were doomed even before that. I can’t think of a football team that has had more talent and lost so many football games. Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Demarcus Ware,

Roy Wiliams, Jason Witten. This is not a team that should be 1-7. Coach Wade Phillips just got his pink slip and America’s team is cellar-dwelling in the NFC East. Don’t worry, Cowboys fans, you still have Jon Kitna! I’m sorry. That was too mean. Sabres Coach Lindy Ruff: footin-mouth disease It can be tough to be the Buffalo Sabres. It can be tough to win games when you don’t have Ryan Miller between the posts. It can be tough to do better than last in the league when you don’t win games. It can be tough to make the playoffs when you are last in the league. Luckily for head coach Lindy Ruff, he didn’t do something stupid like guarantee that the Sabres would make the playoffs this year. Oh, he did? Yikes. Well, at least the Bills are having a great season and can take the attention off of them. Again, too mean. I’m sorry. The New Orleans Hornets: Fan Appreciation Day becomes Fan “Appreciation” Day The 7-0 Hornets are the surprise team of the NBA this year. They became the second team to dethrone the mighty Heat in a shocking upset. Chris Paul is healthy, Emeka Okafor is blocking and getting rebounds, David West looks five years younger than he is, Trevor Ariza looks at home and the bench is contributing. The only other undefeated team in the NBA is the defending champion Lakers. In Tuesday night’s game against the Clippers, the Hornets played in front of a full house and were cheered on by the uproarious crowd as they ... ha, just kidding. A third of the seats were empty and half of the crowd was probably texting all game. The

crowd’s reaction to Ariza buttering a three was barely discernible from someone watching a legislative hearing on C-SPAN. You could say that it was because of the Clippers, one of the worst teams in the NBA. I’d then point out that the Lakers put nearly 7,000 more people in their seats in an equally lopsided match-up against the abysmal Timberwolves, with much more expensive tickets to boot. For a superstar on the verge of leaving town, Chris Paul isn’t exactly being given a lot of reason to stay. He’s practically getting pushed out the door, but CP3 is clawing at the framework and refusing to leave. It’s worth noting that his sheer loyalty to the city is bringing him to Durantesque worship levels in my book. It’s early, but if Paul stays in NOLA the Hornets are going to win a playoff series this year. I just don’t know if anyone will be there to see it. Donovan McNabb: not in shape for a two-minute drill “I can’t tell which wire disarms it! I’ve never done this with a nuke,” or “Off comes McNabb, and here comes Rex Grossman to lead the two-minute drill to try and win the game!” Which of those quotes is scarier? I really don’t know. Don’t worry, that’s the most terrifying thing I have to write about in this colu … Tom Brady’s Hair: the horror AHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHH! It’s like Mike Myers in “Halloween”! IT JUST WON’T DIE! Sam Sheehan ’12 will be mailing pictures of Paul Millsap to Heat fans for the next few days. Ask sports questions for his mailbag at sam_sheehan@ brown.edu or follow him on Twitter @ samsheehan.

continued from page 7 his match with Phillips, he had in the previous bout bested one of the tournament’s top fencers, sophomore Stuart Holmes of Sacred Heart, the first seed at the invitational. Yu defeated him in a close match, 15-13, after a series of back-and-forth ties and lead changes. Women’s foil did well across the board, advancing three medalists, including the event winner Hawrot. When Hawrot and Nackman were asked about their match in the finals, both agreed that there was no animosity between them. Nackman, who won the tournament last year, said that their final bout “was not extremely angsty” and “not as competitive” since Brown would come out on top either way. Hawrot noted that they were talking to each other as friends before the bout started. “If we lose to anyone, it’s good for it to be ourselves,” Hawrot said. Two walk-on members of the women’s team, Andrea Sassenrath ’14 and Lauren Rojas ’14, made their collegiate fencing debuts, placing 39th and 55th after one bout each in the elimination round. Rojas said she had mostly played team sports before coming to Brown. But she still managed 15 touches in her qualifying matches, pitting her against Tracy Dion of the University of Florida in the first elimination round. Dion went on to finish 10th overall. Sassenrath, though she said being at her first tournament was “intimidating,” won three out of six of her qualifying matches and went on to face Monica Herrera, also of Florida, who later took 26th place. Head Coach Atilio Tass said that though the results do not change the team’s NCAA ranking, he thought the tournament was a great chance for team members to work on their personal tactics and strategy. Most of the team members agreed that this tournament was a useful preparation for the rest of the year. Hawrot said it was “a good lead-in” and Nackman called it “a warm-up” for the 2010–11 campaign.

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S ports T hursday

Page 9

“The team is a connection for life.” — Katie Hyland ’11

Katie Hyland ’11 named athlete of the week continued from page 6

is also amazing making sure we get back out there and just being smart about your training. How hard was it to come in as a freshman and start every game? It was intimidating, especially coming in for preseason where I didn’t really know what to expect. My freshman year didn’t go so well — we went 1-16 — but the team was really welcoming and as I got more comfortable with the team, on and off the field, it just sort of flowed and I found my niche within the team. Then, as the years progressed, I sort of fell into my role, and now in my senior year I felt like I had the opportunity to learn a lot of things from a lot of people. What do you think the hardest thing about field hockey is? I would say just keeping up with wanting to better your fundamentals every day. You need those for every aspect, and people get a little blindsided with the flashy play, but it’s the fundamentals that you definitely have to work really hard at and then it will pay dividends. How did you first get involved in field hockey? I started playing in middle school, in the sixth grade. I was really just

more into basketball. I thought that I was going to play basketball in college. But then I was encouraged to play field hockey, and I joined a club team in high school and we played through the winter and the spring and it just sort of became life. Why did you choose Brown? First and foremost, it is a great opportunity to get an Ivy League education. Secondly, the girls here on the team I felt like were my family from the moment I met them. The people here that I met on my official visit were amazing, and then the coaching staff — I knew I would be in good hands as a freshman and throughout my career with their guidance. Who were your sports role models growing up? I would have to say Diana Taurasi was definitely one of them because I was a big basketball fan. I looked up to her a lot as a leading female athlete. She was pretty much my idol. Why do you think field hockey isn’t more popular in the U.S.? Here’s a fun fact: It is the secondmost-played team sport in the world, behind soccer. But it is not really a big deal in the U.S. because we are not very good at it as a national team in comparison to Australia or the Netherlands. Kids just aren’t getting into it as young as in other countries. I

started in the sixth grade, and if you went to a foreign country, kids would be starting when they are seven or eight. How does it feel knowing that you have played your last official game with Brown? It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling. I don’t think it has hit me yet since it is only Day Two of non-athlete life. The team is a connection for life — they’re stuck with me and I’m stuck with them. Playing the last game was definitely emotional, but it was something that I will never forget. I will definitely value all of the memories I had here. How did it feel going off with a game-winning assist? That was definitely unexpected. It was a great play, and I will definitely remember that moment forever. Just the way that we won was so memorable, by one goal. And to have that assist in the record books is just a wonderful feeling. What classes are you taking next semester? Next semester, I am signed up already for five. I am probably going to continue with some history and then take some fun classes. Maybe some anthropology classes or a science class. I have yet to take a science class at Brown, so we will see.

Jesse Morgan / Herald

The Herald named Katie Hyland ’11 athlete of the week for her exceptional performance on the field hockey team.

You have the record for most consecutive starts, 13th alltime in points, ninth in assists, fifth in saves. Which record means the most to you? Probably the consecutive starts. Not to be immodest or anything, but definitely just having that title, realizing that there are 68 games. They just flew by so fast. You look back and I don’t want to say I took it for granted, but that is a feat that nobody can ever take away from me. What do you see for the team

next year? I see them just shattering the record we had this year. This is the best record in the past four years, and I can just see them working really hard to just put it to shame and to be in the top three of the Ivy League. What advice do you have to incoming freshmen or girls in general who want to play field hockey? I would say that it might seem like a lot of work, but the work will definitely be worth it.

Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Thursday, November 11, 2010

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

Hillel event not about Palestine To the Editor: As a member of Queer Hillel, one of the groups that organized gay Israeli musician Ivri Lider’s visit to Brown, I was saddened to read Malcolm Shanks’ ’11.5 guest column (“Keep my liberation out of your occupation!” Nov. 8), in which he spins the event as a nefarious plot to “pinkwash” the campus and distract attention from controversial Israeli security decisions. Our actual motivations for organizing the event were decidedly less dramatic: We are a queer Jewish group, so we brought a queer Jewish performer to campus. This was not an event about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We offered an opportunity for queers and allies of all backgrounds to come together to listen to the music and the inspirational story of a successful queer Jewish artist who has benefited from the progressive rights and protections offered to him by his country. The feedback we received from the over 110 students and community members who actually attended the event was uniformly positive. When American gay rights activists speak at Brown, do we demand that they espouse certain political

views about, say, America’s controversial war in Afghanistan? No, because we recognize that the issues are completely separate and deserve to be treated as such. Portraying Lider’s efforts on behalf of the Israeli gay rights movement as anti-human rights propaganda is an unjustified insult, both to the artist and to the numerous accomplishments of the movement he represents. I feel lucky to attend a university where my assumptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are constantly challenged by thoughtful and vigorous debate, but politicizing cultural events that bring communities together is divisive and unhelpful. Instead, I would encourage our campus to move beyond the polarizing rhetoric that takes two heterogeneous societies with millions of members — each with their own cultural, economic, spiritual and political struggles — and reduces them to unified blocks of terrorists, victims, colonizers and martyrs. Gene Goldstein-Plesser ’11 Executive Vice President, Brown-RISD Hillel Nov. 10

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Main course There is a class at Harvard — Science of the Physical Universe 27: “Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science” — where students, instructed by math and physics professors as well as professional chefs, apply scientific principles to the culinary arts. As much as we hate to toot Harvard’s horn, we can’t help it. This class sounds awesome. According to the Harvard Crimson, the class is taught by an applied math professor, a physics professor and a host of well-known chefs, including Ferran Adria, whose restaurant in Spain is considered by many to be the best in the world. On Thursday, the Harvard professors take turns explaining scientific concepts, and on the following Tuesday, the chefs speak about the practical implications of the scientific principles in the culinary arts. And of course there’s lab, where students get to taste the science themselves, making ceviche, spherified chocolate syrup and molten chocolate cakes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the class has been very popular. More than 700 students tried to sign up for the class, forcing a lottery to fill the class’s 300 seats, the Boston Globe reported. The class is part of Harvard’s General Education program, which seeks to connect a liberal arts education to life beyond college, according to Harvard Magazine. The class will finish with a science fair, where a panel of local chefs will judge the students’ final projects. The winning group gets a free trip to Barcelona to work on a project with Adria at the Alicia Foundation, a nonprofit organization that studies food and science. This part seems a little Project Runway

to us — but maybe we’re just jealous. While we don’t expect to be flown to Europe, we do think Harvard is on to something with their hands-on food science class. After all, what better way to learn about abstract scientific processes than to eat them? Given some of our current course offerings, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Brown to introduce a science of food class. We already have a number of similar classes, and some that encourage reflection on food and cooking — this year Brown offers BIOL 0190H: “Plants, Food, and People,” HIST 1975C: “Eating Cultures: Food and Society,” ENVS 1560: “Sustenance and Sustainability: Exploring the Nexus of Agro-Food Systems, Society, the Environment,” ANTH 1680: “Foragers, Farmers, Feasts, and Famines: An Anthropology of Food” and POLS 1740: “Politics of Food.” But we love that Harvard’s class mixes hard science with a practical, edible theme and would really like to see Brown do the same. We also think a class like this might ease the divide between science and humanities. Many students go four years without taking a single science or math class — arguably a serious problem in an economy that greatly values graduates skilled in science and technology. A class like Harvard’s that takes an interdisciplinary approach to the hard sciences might help to bridge the gap, encouraging both science and humanities students to step outside their comfort zones. We hope the trend catches on. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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Opinions The Brown Daily Herald

Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Page 11

Saving investment responsibility from death by boredom BY IAN TRUPIN Guest Columnist Organization theory posits that when a group no longer has a reason to exist, constituents of that organization will find new purposes for it to pursue. If this is the case, then it is high time for the body of Brown’s Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies, or ACCRIP, to review its mandate and consider finding something new to do with itself. Though ACCRIP and its predecessors have existed since 1978, the last two years have seen a marked decline in the accomplishments of this group. ACCRIP is mandated by its charter to accomplish two main tasks: to recommend courses of action on moral issues regarding Brown’s investments and to hold proxy votes on shareholder resolutions. The last time ACCRIP exercised the first right was in April 2009, when it decided to ask President Simmons to write a letter expressing her concerns about possible labor rights abuses at HEI hotels, a private equity company in which Brown invests. As for the second right, ACCRIP has not voted on a single proxy resolution in two years. Prior to 2008, ACCRIP received proxy resolutions from Brown’s Investment Office whenever a moral issue was brought up in a shareholder resolution, such as whether or not a company should conduct an environmental impact survey. These shareholder resolutions were sent to the University ev-

ery year by the companies in which Brown was invested. And then one day they just stopped coming. Purportedly as a response to the financial crisis, the University liquidated all of its direct holdings of publicly traded stock, which previously amounted to nearly ten percent of the endowment’s value. In the years since, not only has Brown not reinvested in direct holdings, but it has dropped its subscription to a service that it once used

ity at American colleges and universities), that Brown’s ACCRIP “makes recommendations on proxy voting for environmental and social resolutions” in the present tense is somewhat disingenuous. Brown scored an “A” for its investment policy on the report card, but at least partly for a mechanism that does not function. So what can be done to improve this situation? The decision to buy stock as direct holdings again lies with Corporation mem-

For the University and for the sake of our consciences, not to mention keeping the good people of ACCRIP busy, it is time to recognize that for our investments, simpler may be better.

to gather information on shareholder resolutions. Clearly decision makers on the Corporation’s Investment Committee have no immediate plans to reinvest in direct holdings, but rather intend to continue investing in commingled funds and other asset classes. This development is significant because it makes the role of ACCRIP and the future of socially responsible investment policy at this school unclear. To claim, as Brown did on this year’s College Sustainability Report Card (an independent survey of sustainabil-

bers, whose rationale for not doing so is inscrutable. But does this mean that ACCRIP should be resigned to a new, limited mandate? Should ACCRIP remain as a vestige of a time when Brown’s fiduciary responsibilities were subject to its ethical standards, conveniently visible so that it could be touted in every College Sustainability Report Card as an example of Brown’s progressive policies? Or, as Haley Kossek ’13 suggested is the case in her guest column (“A call for investment integrity,” Oct. 27), should it continue as nothing but a forum to which

student activists concerned about investment ethics may endlessly be directed and redirected? ACCRIP should not be limited to the possibilities above. The wake of the financial crisis of 2007-2008 presents an opportunity for a group like ACCRIP to investigate and constructively critique investment policy as has not been done before. The management policies toward which Brown is leaning have lost us hundreds of millions. In the recovery since then, it is now apparent that it is public equity holdings, and not the inherently non-transparent hedge funds and mutual funds, that have had the best returns. Perhaps now is the time to think about returning to direct holdings with which Brown can be a social and environmental activist shareholder, by voting on resolutions and maybe even (gasp!) letting ACCRIP write its own. For most of the history of the endowment, asset classes like hedged strategies, which now dominate Brown’s portfolio, were not to be found. Returning to a focus on direct holdings in publicly traded equities would not be a radical departure, but rather a return to tradition that could guarantee the utility of a group like ACCRIP. For the University and for the sake of our consciences, not to mention keeping the good people of ACCRIP busy, it is time to recognize that for our investments, simpler may be better.

Ian Trupin ’13 is concentrating in commerce, organizations and entrepreneurship. He can be reached at Ian_Trupin@brown.edu.

Environmental sustainability: the 21st century challenge BY spenCer lawrence Guest Columnist I recently read some above-average graffiti in a bathroom stall: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Props to Socrates and the lawless student who rewrote it 2,500 years later. Let us apply it, for now, with an environmental lens. Every object we see around us came from the earth: this newspaper, the various materials that compose that building over there, the sandwiches we enjoy from the Blue Room. Unfortunately, our methods of harvesting, processing and transporting these materials simply aren’t sustainable, and if we hope to continue to enjoy them, we need to adjust. Even a small sampling of statistics presents an alarming picture. At least 36 U.S. states could face water shortages within the next three years. Some estimate that up to 80,000 acres of forest are cleared each day. Biodiversity hotspots that once covered 16 percent of the Earth’s surface now cover less than three percent. Environmental degradation has been a serious issue since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and has grown exponentially in the last 60 years. Achieving an environmentally sustainable society will prove to be the greatest challenge of our generation and of the 21st century. To help us Brunonians get started on our quest, we can break down our impact and make it more manageable conceptually. The majority of our environmental impact as individuals comes from four ar-

eas: our use of energy, water, materials and food. By focusing on these four, we can make a realizable commitment to making our own lives zero-, or at least lesser, impact. Many of us do make and follow through with such commitments on a daily basis. This is absolutely essential, but it is not enough. To make real change, we need to work together. We need to communicate, organize and act. You don’t have to consider yourself an environmental activist to make a difference. This movement has a place for ev-

as well as emerging international conflicts over scarce resources such as water and oil. Chemists might discover new ways to remove pervasive toxins from our ecosystems. Teachers can pass this knowledge on to their students and inspire the next generation. Are you an engineering student? Some of the most exciting breakthroughs in the 21st century will revolve around improving clean energy technology. Environmental issues are not just for bleeding-heart liberals who want to do good for the world and save a couple of

Environmental issues are not just for bleedingheart liberals who want to do good for the world and save a couple of trees.

eryone, and the movement needs everyone. Perhaps you’re thinking of going into film or media; consider the impact that “An Inconvenient Truth” had on bringing environmental issues into living rooms across America, and ask yourself, can you uncover the next “Inconvenient Truth”? Perhaps you are thinking of applying to medical school; what are your thoughts on America’s obesity epidemic and ways to combat it? Political science and international relations concentrators know the increasing salience of these issues in national debates,

trees. These are serious opportunities to design innovative products, energy-efficient buildings — and to make money in the process. COE concentrators and our more business-minded students would do Brown’s alumni coffers wonders by setting up shop in what will be one of the largest industries in the 21st century: the clean energy economy. John Rockefeller P’1897 and Andrew Carnegie made it big with oil and coal, because energy is one good that is, has always been and always will be in high demand. Clean energy is the next frontier;

which of us might fill their shoes? Climate change, despite what some deniers may believe, is not to be trifled with. High-speed rail, solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles: these are elements of the clean energy economy that will come to dominate in the 21st century. The U.S. is currently lagging behind China, Germany, Spain and other countries in developing them. It’s up to us to change that (and make millions and solve global warming along the way, NBD). Brown has a wealth of intelligent and driven student minds, combined with a world-class faculty. We all share these common problems — or should I say opportunities? The issues are current and urgent. The task at hand is great; it will require a combined effort from all of us. There are many groups on campus that are working on these issues: some impart environmental education to children (OLEEP); do environmental consulting (SCP); promote local food options (SuFI); deal with climate change, composting, water and advocacy through environmental coalitions (such as emPower); and many others. I encourage everyone to check out one or more of these groups or contact them to start your own project. If we communicate with each other, organize with each other, and act together, we can and we will create an environmentally sustainable society.

Spencer Lawrence ’11 is excited to work with you on these issues. He can be contacted at spencer_lawrence@brown.edu

Today The Brown Daily Herald

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Democrats continue to dominate in R.I.

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Fencing wins big at weekend tournament Thursday, November 11, 2010

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Today

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ToMORROW

1 inside the herald

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2:30 P.M. Debate: Burma Elections,

Romanticism & the Question of

Petteruti Lounge

Community, Pembroke Hall 305

7:30 P.M.

8 P.M.

A Performance by Digital Artist Joerg

Pippin: A Musical Presented by Sock

Piringer, McCormack Family Theater

& Buskin and TAPS, Stuart Theater

Post- magazine, inside today’s paper

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

Post- has 99 Problems, shot-

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

guns a Four-Loko, and has

LUNCH Vegan Tofu Ravioli with Sauce, Grilled Ham & Swiss Sandwich, BBQ Beef Ribs, Sweet Potato Fries

an unreal poregasm.

Hot Roast Beef on French Bread, Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

DINNER Asian Dinner Special featuring Shanghai Sushi, Sustainable Salmon Teryaki, Red Thai Chicken

Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce, Tomato Quiche, Mashed Sweet & White Potatoes

a c r o s s to b e a r ACROSS Animal Collective by Jonah Kagan ‘13 Ukr., once Word with turtle or trial 8 Popular slip-ons brand 12 Freud’s home 14 Home to two top football clubs that share the same stadium 15 Children’s game that consists mostly of looking at things 16 One of 16 UN-designated Decade Volcanoes 17 Musician who plays the violin, mandolin, guitar, and glockenspiel and whistles 19 Band with the album “Menos el Oso” 21 ___ you can’t 53 “Is There a 10 Juan Williams 38 “In ___” scratch Ghost” band firer (Nirvana 22 They may come 57 “White Winter 11 Barrett of Pink album” in through the Hymnal” band Floyd 39 Bootay window 60 Gillette razor 13 Pan-fry 40 [as written] 26 Anti-socialist? 61 Get bored (of) 14 Class you 43 PO’d 27 Dogfish Head 62 Is of ___ (helps) might have to 44 Some salads signature 63 “The ___’s factor in 46 3-Down’s variety: abbr. Tower” (Sufjan 18 Unit ___ goal 30 It may be found Stevens song 20 Fish often 49 Crab-like in a well on his album served baked Pokémon 31 Prevalent lingua “Illinois”) at the VDub 51 Just for sh*ts franca: abbr. 23 “Bad and giggles 32 Aquatic weasel 64 Tear’s partner 65 “99 Luftballons” Romance” 52 Terribly relatives pop group album, with 54 Hit, for 35 Will’s love 66 Drive on them: “the” marijuana interest on abbr. 24 “___ and Eric 55 Beasts of “Glee” Awesome burden 36 “Ocean DOWN Show, Great 56 Ivy Room Breathes Salty” 1 Derogatory Job!” falafel wrap band slang for a trans 25 Mex. Mrs. component 39 “Now!” woman 27 “___ simple as 57 Online 41 Go down on 2 Audited, as a that” expression of 42 Apple product course 28 Trivial enthusiasm with a metallic 3 One on a joint 29 Suit in a 58 Tell it like it taste? ticket medieval isn’t 45 Brownfml. 4 Ho Chi ___ court? 59 Epoch com and 5 Ye follower spottedatbrown. 6 Chicken or beef 33 Drive off it 34 Trivial amount com, e.g. Jo’s offering Solutions and 37 Party 47 Neighbor of Isr. 7 Hit with one’s archive online at beverage 48 Link’s mount leg acrosstobear. ready for 50 Start of an act 8 Produces sound wordpress.com consumption 52 Ovary served in waves, say Email: brownpuzzles the Ratty 9 “___ Lay Dying” @gmail.com 1 4

comics Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

Dr. Bear | Mat Becker

Bat & Gaz | Sofia Ortiz