Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Daily

Herald

the Brown

vol. cxlvi, no. 65

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Since 1891

BUCC heats up over ROTC, sports cuts

After delay, S&J center director to be named

By Ben Kutner Senior Staff Writer

By Joseph Rosales Senior Staff Writer

The reinstatement of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and the possible elimination of several athletic teams were the two hot issues at Tuesday’s meeting of the Brown University Community Council in a standing-room-only Kasper Multipurpose Room.

Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron presented the final report of the Brown Committee on ROTC, which was made public Sept. 7. In the report, the committee “recommends that the president engage in conversations with the Department of Defense to learn how Brown students might participate in Naval or Air Force ROTC programs currently unavailable to them.”

The committee was divided six to four on this point, Bergeron said.

“Why does it need to be decided on so quickly?” asked Julian Park ’12, a member of the Coalition Against Special Privileges for ROTC, during public comment time. Transgender opportunities in ROTC need to be brought up in continued dialogue across campus, Park said.

“Any steps to bring ROTC would be divisive,” he said.

Simmons said there were extensive opportunities to comment before the report was published and added that people may still comment and discuss the matter with her.

Discussion of athletic teams also evoked emotion from members of the gallery.

“No decision has been made yet as to what we will do,” Simmons said, adding that this meeting was the first opportunity for a more general discussion since the athletics review committee’s report was published in April.

The teams currently recommended for elimination are men’s and women’s fencing, women’s skiing and men’s wrestling. The report also recommended a review of coaches’ salaries, $10 million in athletic facilities improvements and a reduction of 30 admissions slots for athletes from the current 225 set aside, said Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Mar-

participated.

But she remains skeptical of the ranking system, she wrote in an email to The Herald, because the formula puts strong emphasis on an institution’s financial assets.

“Nevertheless, Brown’s ranking at number 15 is very strong and an enviable position,” she wrote.

Brown has held roughly the

The University hopes to name a director of the center for the study of slavery and justice this fall, five years after the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice recommended doing so. The decision should be announced within four to six weeks, according to Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughin P’12.

The creation of the center, one of the initiatives recommended by the committee in 2006, was approved by the Corporation in 2007 but has stalled in the absence of a director. The search process had to begin anew when the candidate originally chosen rescinded the University’s offer.

“It’s been immensely frustrating that it has taken so long,” President Ruth Simmons said.

Though it has taken nearly four years, the University is getting closer to completing the recom-

continued on page 3

continued on page 3

news....................2-4 editorial...............6 Opinions................7

No news in U.’s US News ranking

By Lucy Feldman Senior Staff Writer

Brown and Cornell share the worst U.S. News and World Report ranking in the Ivy League this year, according to the 2012 rankings released online Monday.

The report — which calculates rankings based on metrics such as academic reputation, retention rates, class size, financial resources

and selectivity — ranked the two schools 15th in the nation.

Harvard and Princeton tied for first place, with Yale at third.

About 15 percent of the ranking is determined by college presidents’ participation in a peer assessment survey, according to the company’s website. Though overall participation by college presidents dropped to 43 percent this year, President Ruth Simmons

Miller, Metcalf to house first-year doubles

By Greg Jordan-Detamore and Caitlin Trujillo Senior Staff Writers

Planning for next year’s housing overhaul is well underway. Administrators are moving forward with the creation of clustered firstyear residential communities on Pembroke campus and in Keeney Quadrangle.

Existing singles in Miller and Metcalf halls will be converted to doubles to accommodate more first-years on Pembroke. Minden Hall and the Graduate Center are also slated for renovation during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years, respectively.

Renovations of the Sharpe Refectory are also “part of the master plan,” said Dick Spies, executive vice president for planning and senior adviser to the president.

Renovating residences

Renovation of Miller and Metcalf will begin next summer and should be complete by August 2013, said Stephen Maiorisi, vice president for Facilities Manage-

Crime scene Start of school brings dorm thefts, kitchen caper Campus News, 8

ment. The work will be comprehensive, encompassing not only mechanical systems but also flooring, furniture, kitchens and bathrooms.

“Every aspect of those two buildings needs to be renovated,” said Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential and dining services. He compared the renovations in Miller and Metcalf to those of the New Pembroke residence halls, which were recently overhauled as well.

The final configuration of rooms is still under consideration, and some single rooms will remain.

About 100 new beds will be added to the residential system next fall, partially compensating for the temporary loss of beds due to the renovations, Bova said. 315 Thayer St., which is currently undergoing renovation, will house 60 students, and 42 will live on the first floor of Wayland House after the Office of Residential Life moves to Grad Center. The closing

Greg Jordan-Detamore / Herald

continued on page 4

Metcalf Hall (top) will be renovated beginning in summer 2012, and renovations to the Graduate Center (above) will begin the following summer.

Supersize

Should we reconsider our eating habits? opinions, 7

No holds

The case for criticizing Obama

opinions, 7

weather

inside

continued on page 2

Emily Gilbert / Herald

While Brown fell from the top spot to third place in the Princeton Review’s happiest students ranking earlier this year, the University retained its 15th-place position in the U.S. News and World Report rankings.

t o d ay

tomorrow

84 / 63

75 / 47

2 Campus News

The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 14, 2011

calendar Today

September 14

11 a.m.

ToMORROW

September 15

11:30 a.m.

Blood Drive,

“Get the Scoop” on Study Abroad,

Kasper Multipurpose Room

J. Walter Wilson Lobby

9 p.m.

7 p.m.

The Distilled Motion Show,

The Amazing Race: SciLi,

Cable Car Cinema

3rd Floor Sciences Library

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH Italian Beef Noodle Casserole, Asparagus Quiche, Chocolate Krinkle Cookies

Beef and Vegetarian Tacos, Spanish Rice and Vegan Refried Beans, Chocolate Krinkle Cookies DINNER Castle Hill Inn Pork Spare Ribs, Vegan Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, Fudge Bars

Rotisserie Style Chicken, Sweet and Sour Tofu, Corn Cobbets, Fudge Bars

Sudoku

Glenn Lutzky / Herald

The Brown University Community Council’s latest meeting heard appeals from athletes hoping to save their teams.

Athletes argue against cutting teams continued from page 1 garet Klawunn.

There was no scientific method for choosing teams to be eliminated, said Dick Spies, executive vice president for planning and senior adviser to the president.

The committee considered the teams’ past records and positions

in the Ivy League, among other factors, he said.

During public comment time, Assistant Professor of Biology William Fairbrother said removing any part of the University that directly impacts students is drastic. Athletics are an important aspect of some students’ college experiences, he added.

Members of the teams up for elimination were in attendance at the meeting, and several gave emotional presentations for their cases.

“The proposal is a betrayal of Brown’s ideals,” said Billy Watterson ’14, adding that many athletes would not have matriculated at Brown if not for their sports.

Concentration change nominal, admin says continued from page 8

Cr ossword

While most independent concentrations require “multiple

Daily

the Brown

phases of formulation and approvals,” these four pre-approved tracks do not.

When asked about the status

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change, Anthony Cokes, professor of MCM and the department’s director of undergraduate studies, characterized the move as unremarkable. “They were always intended to be small concentrations for students who had intense interests in both languages and culture and media studies,” he said.

The move does not compromise the quality of undergraduate education, Bergeron wrote.

“We value intellectual diversity, and we also want to ensure that students have good information in order to make good choices.

Some students have a high degree of success when left to work independently. Others prefer to be in an environment with many other students, so that they learn from others.”

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Campus News 3

The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Diverse goals for ‘center for inquiry’ continued from page 1 mendations, which included an on-campus memorial to the slave trade and outreach and support for Providence public schools.

The memorial oversight committee also hopes to name an artist within the next nine months, according to Jo-Ann Conklin, director of the David Winton Bell Gallery and a member of the memorial oversight committee.

Near completion

For Simmons, the pace of the process has been trying. “It’s been an odyssey,” she said.

The University offered the directorship to a candidate a few years ago. The candidate accepted the offer but later reneged due to personal circumstances. Now the University is in negotiations with a second final candidate, hoping for better results.

Simmons said the potential director, whom she did not name, envisions a center with a wide purview.

“With regard to issues of justice, this person would like to have not only a center that is the site for discourse on these issues worldwide, but also the locus for discussions on the campus,” she said.

Academically, the center would house researchers with a variety of interests, including leading scholars on slavery and justice — who would hold temporary appointments at the University — and postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

The candidate also hopes the center develops a relationship with the Providence community through programs for the public, something the original recommendation did not focus on, Simmons said.

Though Simmons has not been happy with the amount of time spent planning the center, she said the wait has had its benefits. She has seen an increase in exhibits and discussions on slavery from a variety of organizations, from the Smithsonian Institution to the United Nations.

“We started all this before that happened, and yet, now, I think what we’re doing reaps the benefits of the worldwide attention that’s been paid,” she said. “I think the establishment of this center is today even more timely than when the committee first recommended it.”

‘A space for contemplation’

According to former Chancellor Artemis Joukowsky ’55 P’87, who sits on the Memorial Oversight Committee, the memorial recalling the University’s history with slavery poses particular challenges.

“We don’t want to make anyone feel offended or guilty or victimized,” Joukowsky said.

The committee’s initial artist selection recently fell through, Conklin said, forcing it to restart its search and redefine what its members were looking for in a memorial.

“The report on slavery and

justice was very clear that this should not be a memorial that elicits guilt,” Conklin said. “They wanted it to be a learning process and that it should be a space for contemplation and learning.”

Conklin said the committee hopes the piece will be finished by 2014, in time for the University’s 250th anniversary. She also said the memorial will cost the University under $500,000.

Initially, the committee hoped to find a location for the memorial near University Hall — records show that four slaves belonging to University donors helped with its construction, Conklin said. But due to lack of space, the committee is now looking at locations near the Walk and the current location of the Plant Environmental Center next to Hunter Laboratory.

The Plant Environmental Center is scheduled for demolition in fall 2013.

Wherever the location, the committee is focused on choosing a piece that best represents the University, Joukowsky said.

“What will represent Brown well 50 years or 100 years from now?” he asked. “We’re very, very careful of what we put out.”

Slow and steady

Two Brown initiatives in the Providence public schools that came out of the report continue to expand, albeit slowly.

Currently, the Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence, which awards grants to local schools, has an endowment of $1.26 million, according to Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar ’87 MA’90 PhD’09, assistant to the president and a former member of the committee overseeing the fund.

The initial recommendation called for the fund to be endowed with $10 million, but its progress toward that goal has been slow.

“Given the economic context right now, it’s kind of hard,” she said. “If you look at the documents from the slavery and justice report, the response and the charge of the committee, it was always assumed that this was going to take time.”

The fund has given around $250,000 to schools in the Providence area, Joukowsky said.

“We try to find — and this is the most important thing — we try to identify contributions to public education that directly impacts the students,” he said.

The grants are intended to “give them the opportunities that their predecessors could not have had,” he said.

The Urban Education Fellows program, the other educational initiative to come out of the report, also continues to help local students, according to Kenneth Wong, professor of education and chair of the department.

The program allows a handful of graduate students to gain master’s degrees in either teaching or urban education policy for free in exchange for three years of service in local schools upon graduation.

Wong said he has seen fewer

applicants from the teaching side of the program because of the recent financial turmoil in the Providence school system and its attendant consequences for job security.

But Wong said he still feels the program is beneficial to both the students and the schools they go on to help. “We hope these graduates are going to be leaders in the future,” he said.

Continued responsibility

Though the implementation of the committee’s recommendations has progressed tardily, Simmons sees a silver lining in the delays.

“Throughout the period of time, people have remained committed to the effort, and it’s given us time to think about space for the center and all of the mechanics of it,” Simmons said. “So I think in some ways if the person who has the offer says yes, he’ll get off to a faster start because we’ve actually had time to get things organized better.”

A university like Brown has a duty as a “center of inquiry” to bring up topics like these, Joukowsky said.

“The University has to play a special role to make people aware of many things that they don’t think about all that much,” Joukowsky said. “If the University does not think about these, who will?”

Emily Gilbert / Herald

Brown’s 15th-place U.S. News and World Report ranking is “very strong,” wrote President Ruth Simmons in an email to The Herald.

U.S. News ranking remains stable continued from page 1 same spot in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings for the past eight years. The University has dropped two spots since it was ranked 13th in the nation in 2005. “(Rankings) matter for public perception, which impacts the quality of applicants and visibility of the school,” said Maureen Sigler, lecturer in the Department of Education. “Do I think it matters? Yes. Do I think it’s subjective? Yes.”

Rankings did not affect Sachi Yokose’s ’12 decision to attend Brown. “Brown is a good school.

I know to take ratings with a grain of salt,” she said.

“I think that Brown’s undergraduate program and quality of the education we provide is unsurpassed. We are always working to improve, not for the sake of rankings but to make Brown an ever more significant and valuable university,” Provost Mark Schlissel P’15 wrote in an email to The Herald.

4 Campus News

The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Admins outline preliminary schedule for dorm renovations continued from page 1 of the Saunders Inn at Brown also created 46 new student beds in Vartan Gregorian Quad this fall.

Renovations may be scheduled so that Miller and Metcalf are closed during different semesters, Bova added.

Consolidated communities

The conversion of many singles to doubles in Miller and Metcalf will be a first step toward the University’s goal of creating first-year communities.

“Having a core where firstyears live … allows us to provide services in unique and different ways for them,” Bova said. Original plans for the renovations were put on hold due to the economic recession, Maiorisi said.

With the creation of more firstyear rooms on Pembroke, dorms like Perkins Hall that currently house first-years may be used for upperclassmen instead.

“Perkins is a unique facility,” Bova said. He suggested with a new room configuration, it could be used as upperclass housing — an idea that has also been discussed by the student Residential Council.

Alexander Zamudio ’12, who lives in a single on the first floor of Metcalf, said he initially opposed the plan because the Metcalf and Miller singles are prime options for upperclassmen. But he said he sees the benefits of a potential net gain of beds, which could limit temporary housing assignments.

First-year students who would live in Metcalf and Miller would benefit from access to the Pembroke first-year community, Zamudio said.

General renovations to the residence halls would also be welcome, as Zamudio’s room is

showing signs of age — the wall paint is peeling badly, and his window sticks when he tries to open it, he said.

Though Metcalf resident Kyle Wynter-Stoner ’13 thinks consolidating first-years makes sense, he said Metcalf and Miller provide quiet living spaces for the upperclassmen who need them.

Planning for the future

A complete construction schedule has not yet been worked out, but preliminary plans call for Minden to be renovated from summer 2013 to summer 2014, with Grad Center following from summer 2014 to summer 2015, Maiorisi said. Grad Center’s renovation could be phased so that not all towers are closed at once.

Minden “needs a complete overhaul,” Bova said. Due to a reconfiguration of rooms during the renovation, the residence hall would gain beds.

In Grad Center, the renovations would replace one single bedroom in each suite with a common room, making it “much more livable and much more desirable by students,” Maiorisi said.

Currently, Grad Center — constructed in 1968 — “does not effectively use space or create a sense of community,” Bova said.

The renovations of Miller, Metcalf, Minden and Grad Center are part of “a bigger strategic plan for residence halls,” Maiorisi said. Such a plan could potentially include the construction of new residence halls. In the past, sites that have been proposed include the parking lot next to Barbour Hall, the current location of East Side Mini-Mart and the parking lot behind 315 Thayer St. Any project, if approved by the Corporation, would take several years to complete, Maiorisi said.

“There’s no question about the need.”

There has long been interest and discussion among administrators and Corporation members about the possibility of new residence halls, but “everybody knows we’ve got to raise some money,” Spies said. Fundraising ability depends on whether or not donors “can be excited about residence halls.”

The University is “continuing to study it and think about alternatives,” he said, with an understanding that adding to the housing stock is necessary to reduce overcrowding.

More news about the University’s residential plans should be available after the Oct. 20-22 Corporation meeting, Bova said. He said the renovations were “absolutely not” a step toward increasing enrollment.

From bed to breakfast

Also important to residential life is the dining experience. While there are not yet official plans to renovate the Ratty, administrators have their eyes on such a project for the future.

There is broad agreement that the building needs “significant renovation” within the next several years, as its mechanical systems are “near the end of their useful life,” Spies said. Such upgrades will

Greg Jordan-Detamore / Herald

Minden Hall (bottom) is tentatively scheduled to undergo renovations beginning summer 2013.

provide the University a great opportunity to overhaul the entire building, he said.

Bova evoked Verney-Woolley Dining Hall’s renovation as an ex-

ample of what could be in store for the Ratty.

“Food is an important part of the residential experience,” he said.

“The Ratty is an institution.”

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5

The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 14, 2011

News in brief Today in University history On Sept. 14, 2001: A candlelight vigil mourned the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks while a panel of faculty discussed the United States’ options moving forward. At the panel, Watson Institute Research Professor Nina Tannenwald, now a lecturer in political science, cautioned against a course of action that involved “flattening Afghanistan.”

On Sept. 14, 1981: It was the day before the first day of school. The Sept. 15, 1981, Herald reported that for the first time since the program began in 1975, white students were allowed to participate in Third World Transition Week, now called the Third World Transition Program. None did. First-year Alexis Egan ’85, who moved in the day before, painted “a Sunkist-colored mural” on her wall and spread out a rug the color and texture of “Astroturf.” Headphones for a Sony Walkman were advertised for $29. Campus policeman Al Phillips told The Herald that “‘everything’s running smoothly so fah,’ as car horns honked furiously around him outside the West Quad” — now known as Keeney Quadrangle.

On Sept. 14, 1971: West Quad opened Bronson and Jameson Houses to co-ed living for the first time. Female students remarked on the hastily painted “WO-” additions to bathroom doors but were otherwise pleased with the new living arrangements. Dean of Academic Counseling Barrett Hazeltine, now professor emeritus of engineering, advised first-years to “strongly consider exercising the Satisfactory/No Credit option” while exploring the New Curriculum, which was at that point only one year old.

— Katherine Long

Student bike stolen in Jewelry District continued from page 8 bike was not registered with DPS. 2:40 p.m. Student stated he left his bike in front of 222 Richmond St. Sept. 3. When he returned Sept.

5, he found his bike seat was missing. He was informed by the guard at 222 Richmond Street that the theft occurred Sept. 4 by males on bikes. The theft was not reported to police as the victim was not known at the time and was cap-

tured by cameras in the area. The case is under investigation.

8:06 p.m. Officers observed in plain view one student carrying a 30-pack of beer and another carrying a bottle of wine. The officers asked to see the students’ ID cards.

At that time the students disclosed to the officers that they were not of legal drinking age. The alcohol was seized and the case has been turned over to the Office of Student Life.

Herald file photo

Returning teammates say newer defensive linebackers have “shown they can definitely handle the task.”

Defense primed to ‘surprise’ continued from page 8 Cruz described Rettig as “just a force down there.”

“I don’t think anybody’s going to just put one guy on him,” he said. Rettig became a starter last year, playing in nine of 10 games and making 29 total tackles.

Peyton and Cruz also said they

expect big things from Stephen Fox ’13 and Matthew O’Donnell ’12, who both had breakout seasons last year.

“Our linebackers will surprise a lot of people,” Peyton said.

“They haven’t started before, so they have the chance to show a lot of people what they can do.

They don’t have as much experi-

ence, but in preseason … they’ve shown they can definitely handle the task.”

“All around, at each position, we have a lot of guys who can put a lot of pressure on the quarterback,” he said. “The quarterback will be getting rid of the ball real quick. (It) makes (the secondary’s) job a bit easier.”

comics Fraternity of Evil | Eshan Mitra, Brendan Hainline, and Hector Ramirez

6 Editorial & Letter Editorial

The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Editorial comic

by sam rosenfeld

Put the brakes on campus corporatization College students are aggressively pursued by corporate America.

From clothing retailers and technology firms to beer companies and banks, corporations are intensifying their efforts to make lifelong customers of us. This week, the New York Times reported that oncampus marketing has proliferated at American colleges, involving sponsored shopping trips, student “brand ambassadors” and free food and gear. Far be it from us to stand between students and free stuff — or Brown and easy money — but we must voice our concern over the gradual commercialization of higher education.

One of the most prominent new ways marketers are reaching potential customers is through student “brand ambassadors,” who use personal connections and popularity, product giveaways and local knowledge to sell their employers’ products and brand.

Other stores team up with administrators and orientation committees to organize freshman shopping trips — 66 universities and colleges featured trips to Target this year. Red Bull uses its “brand managers” at 300 schools to push its products and sponsor events and lectures.

These new tactics make good business sense. After all, students are likely to form lifelong purchasing habits while in college and tend to exert influence on what their families and friends purchase back home. Indeed, marketers are unlikely to be satisfied with their current campus foothold.

The commercialization of higher education must be curbed, preserving universities and colleges as a refuge for thought amid an impatient culture of mass consumption. Already we have seen the first steps of commercialization at Brown: Samsung charging stations at the Sharpe Refectory, the Gate and the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center; drink companies and clothing retailers promoting their brands in dining halls and dormitories; and, most recently, Bed Bath and Beyond setting up shop beside Apple in the Brown Bookstore. (Despite appearances, the Brown Bookstore is independent of the University.)

After their installation in 2010, the Samsung chargers were judged an eyesore by students. One student told The Herald that the brand’s “infiltrating” of the Sharpe Refectory was “shameless promoting for Samsung” (“Samsung jolts campus with charging stations,” Feb. 11, 2010). We agree.

Shameless or not, commercialization carries certain benefits for both the University and students. Employed students gain pay, free gear and work experience, for example, and Brown earns money from corporations. (Samsung pays Brown $4,500 per year to host the charging stations.) That being said, bringing branding to campus also carries serious risks. The campus should engage in a discussion over the extent to which it is willing to allow corporations to expand before it is too late. It would be a shame for future students to attend “Kraft Presents the Culture of Nutrition” taught by the J. Crew chair of anthropology in Motorola Hall.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

letter to the editor Johnson ’14 too quick to criticize marriage counter-rally To the Editor: While Garret Johnson ’14 makes a valid point about Brown’s lack of political diversity in his opinions piece (“A different kind of diversity,” Sept. 13), when he describes the events of March 23 he makes the error of conflating the Brown student response with an “intolerance of conservative political views.” The fact is that the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property did not just come to Brown to declare their views on gay marriage legislation — they also distributed pamphlets including moral descriptions of homosexuals as “sick individuals” who were going straight to hell. Johnson condemns Brown students for their “fierce reactions” to this group,

calling them liberal hypocrites. It is true that some students exhibited “terrorizing” behavior that was highly inappropriate. Yet the entire counter protest he speaks of was not a matter of liberal versus conservative political views. Rather, it was an understandable reaction to persecution, from a campus that has made a point to be hospitable and welcoming toward LGBTQ students. To condemn these students for protesting against a group that sought to perpetuate injustice and inequality is not hypocritical, nor should it be attributed to political divisions. The equal treatment of all students, regardless of their sexualities, should be a societal goal rather than a liberal or conservative one.

Yvonne Yu ’13

quote of the day

“The Ratty is an institution.”

— Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential and dining services

See Renovations on page 1.

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Corrections An article in Tuesday’s Herald (“Rohde ’90 to return to Little Rhody,” Sept. 13) misspelled the name of journalist David Rohde ’90. The Herald regrets the error.

A front-page article in Thursday’s Herald (“ROTC committee issues final report,” Sept. 8) incorrectly asserted that the report of the Committee on the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps “states that (President Ruth) Simmons can discuss possibilities for ROTC programs with the Department of Defense when she receives input from the Brown community in support of such programs.” In fact, the report does not mention input from the Brown community as a prerequisite to such discussions. The Herald regrets the error.

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Opinions 7

The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Should we eat that much?

By Jan Cao Opinions Columnist

My roommate, who works the closing shift at the Friedman Cafe, called me up Friday night and said, “Would you mind coming to (the Sciences Library) and taking a couple of the leftover muffins for us? It’s so sad to see them going into the dumpster. I feel like a rampage killer.” I went there and took four muffins home, gave one to the lady at reception and threw the rest of them away. The total death toll was 54 bagels and 28 muffins. My roommate said later that closing cashiers have been throwing away around 50 bagels every single night of the week. What’s even worse is that, as cashiers, they are not allowed to give them away by Brown Dining Services policy. I used to work as a cashier at Friedman, the Rockefeller Library and Barus & Holley last year, both opening and closing shifts. I told the person who delivered baked goods every morning that we throw away too many of them at the end of the day. After a year, cashiers are still given the same amount of baked goods. It seems that the BuDS officers believe that we should eat a lot more than we do now.

Americans have, indeed, overestimat-

ed their ability to consume food. It seems impossible to finish a spicy cashew chicken at the Cheesecake Factory, and I usually share a burrito bowl with a friend at Chipotle for lunch. In Germany, I could not even find a cup as big as the supersized milkshakes I have seen here — except a beer mug. The deep buckets of chicken and wheel-sized burgers sold in fast food chains look like weapons of mass destruction to me, but every day millions

be normal?

Let’s admit it: Restaurants and supermarkets have made us believe that we need that much food to survive, so that we consume more. We live in a country where corporate health is favored over human and environmental health. In order to expand food sales, companies lobby government agencies, market to children and advertise junk food as healthy. To get people to buy their products, fast food

In Germany, I could not even find a cup as big as the super size milkshakes I have seen here — except a beer mug.

of kids and adults just walk into those restaurants, devour some burgers and walk out with their super-sized bodies. Everything seems perfectly normal. According to visualeconomics.com, an average American purchases almost 2,000 pounds of food per year. Every year, we consume 29 pounds of French fries, 53 gallons of soda — about a gallon per week — 24 pounds of ice cream and 24 pounds of artificial sweetener. That is a diet of 2,700 calories per day. How could that possibly

companies spent $4.2 billion on marketing in 2009, according to a report by Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Their market share has been continuously growing since McDonald’s and other restaurants introduced dollar menus and specifically targeted children and low-income families. I’m not saying we should blame these companies for everything.

After all, they represent good value for people on a budget and provide children a relatively safe place to hang out. What is

really dangerous to our health and the environment is the eating habits we have developed throughout the years under their influence.

What’s even worse is that, after years of brainwashing, eating and wasting too much food has almost become part of the American culture. Every time people try to raise money, they bake brownies and cookies. The University provides students with all-you-can-eat meals, as do most American colleges. Student groups and clubs on campus always capitalize “FREE FOOD” on their advertising materials to attract people. Is it not weird that we are not even paying for what we eat? Food is no longer respected: It is so easy to get and so cheap to purchase that we do not even want to spend time on it. People buy without thinking, eat without thinking and throw things away without thinking.

I don’t think that anyone really wants to waste food — we are just given too many opportunities and sometimes even forced to do so. Nobody judges you when you dump the food you cannot finish into the garbage, because we have all been in the same situation. Sometimes, wasting is no longer just a choice. It has become a must.

How sad is that?

Jan Cao ’13 is a comparative literature and German studies concentrator from Nanjing, China. She can be reached at jieran_cao@brown.edu.

Lesser of two evils not that important

By Daniel Moraff Opinions Columnist

Everyone on campus currently being paid six figures to give political advice to President Barack Obama, raise your hand.

No one? Okay. Obama has a team of operatives older and richer than we are, dead inside though they may be. He pays them a whole lot of money to tell him what will hurt him politically and what will not. The very last thing that Barack Obama needs is a crack squad of unpaid political advisers proclaiming that any given position he might take would be “politically unwise” or some such thing.

But that’s exactly what he has.

Mention that the president has continued many of the worst Bush-era civil rights policies and dollars to doughnuts — whatever that might mean — and a wise and pragmatic Brown student within earshot will wisely and pragmatically explain that no matter how much they might agree, we simply must understand that the president is doing his best, and that in today’s political reality, we simply cannot expect ideological purity from our elected officials.

Mention that the president’s unabashedly nonsensical rhetoric on how government is like a family, a wise and pragmatic et cetera, et cetera.

This will often lead into someone pointing out that Obama is basically a good president — the best we have had in 50

years, maybe. Optional is a quick rundown of how crazy Michele Bachmann is and how much worse off we would be if she were president. If they are really into it, they will shake their head and sigh deeply.

The first problem is this assumes there is a mostly fixed political reality and our behavior should conform to that reality. But political realities are fluid. They come from somewhere. The president cannot, say, criticize Israel in any real way because he knows that an organized and determined group of people will stand up to

out to them that at least he wasn’t Satan.

We would have gotten nowhere because, as the next few years showed, that is not how one makes change in American society.

Our only job is to decide what we believe in and, if so inclined, to work for it.

That is how political realities are going to shift. This work can take the form of supporting candidates in primary and general elections (sort of effective), talking to people (sort of effective when not annoying) and working within organizations and in our neighborhoods and all that good stuff

We are not deciding whether Obama gets into Judeo-Christian heaven or whether he gets to be our best pal at summer camp.

him. American pro-Israel activists did not waste their time worrying about election silliness, and that is why political reality on Israel policy is what it is.

Now it’s obligatory concrete example time. In 1960, there was a presidential election between a candidate who was not particularly interested in civil rights and a candidate who was essentially Satan.

Imagine if everyone involved in the civil rights struggle had accepted they would, for the time being, have to operate within that framework. Imagine if, whenever anyone criticized Kennedy, they had it pointed

(more effective). It is very much not our job to compare the status quo to Michele Bachmann before we do anything.

Secondly, we do not need to make a final judgment of Barack Obama. We are not deciding whether Obama gets into Judeo-Christian heaven or whether he gets to be our best pal at summer camp. He’s a politician. He’ll do some good things, some bad things, some terrible things and some things that are just okay. Good president, bad president, whatever — when he’s wrong, he’s wrong and should therefore be criticized and fought. Unless you view pol-

icy-making as one long presidential election, talking about Obama’s overall performance is a massive non sequitur.

No one is saying to go vote for Ralph Nader. Well, some people are saying that.

Sometimes you see them in magazines.

But I am not saying that, because that misses the point. It’s an election. If you think the strategic thing to do in that election to advance your agenda is to vote for Barack Obama, fine. Voting behavior in a presidential election is not the point, because it’s not the main thing or the only thing that matters.

A few of us have very little idea of what effect our actions, in the end, will have. The rest of us have no idea. We are too young and too dumb. The only way to gain this kind of knowledge is omniscience. Barring that, the only way to possibly approach some rough idea of this kind of knowledge is through extensive study, even-headedness and bitter experience, which, being 20 years old and still relatively hormonesoaked, we do not have a whole lot of access to.

All we can know is, from labor rights to civil rights to women’s rights, change happens when we work for what we believe in.

The rest of it — the fortune-telling and political theorizing — is not particularly useful. It’s intellectual wankery and a lousy substitute for actually fighting for something.

Daniel Moraff ’14 is an urban studies concentrator from Lexington, Mass.

He can be reached at daniel_moraff@brown.edu.

Daily Herald the Brown

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

football

Secondary leads defense, linebackers bring on the blitz

By Ashley mcdonnell Sports Editor

Every Ivy League team will have returning quarterbacks this season, said Head Coach Phil Estes at the 2011 Ivy League Football Media Day Teleconference. According to cornerback AJ Cruz ’13, this could pose a challenge for Brown’s defense.

“I think it’ll be interesting,” he said. “I know we had one of the best pass defenses last year — I think we were first. … (But the quarterbacks are) going to be better this year, so hopefully our defense can step up.”

Last season, the Bears had a total of 23 sacks for a loss of 134 yards against these quarterbacks.

In comparison, Bruno’s opponents only managed to log 10 sacks.

Though the seasoned quarterbacks will only improve this year, the Bears’ defense is chock-full of talent and experience, Cruz said.

In 2010, Cruz earned First Team All-Ivy Honors, tying former defensive linebackers Andrew Serrano ’11 and Chimso Okoji ’11 and free safety Stephen Peyton ’12 for the team lead in interceptions, with two. He made 33 tackles on

the year, 20 of them solo hits.

Cruz also contributed on special teams in 2010, returning 13 kickoffs for 295 total yards.

Estes said Cruz “is just one of the great corners in the league,” but the coach also recognized cornerback Mel Farr ’12. “(Farr) played a little bit last year and has a shot to do great things this season,” said Peyton, adding that Farr is just returning from a preseason injury. Last season, Farr racked up 19 tackles and added an interception.

Since Cruz, Farr and Peyton all started last season, Cruz said the secondary is one of the defense’s greatest strengths. He said he has particular confidence in Peyton, who, as the Bears’ last line of defense, made 79 tackles last year, the most on the team and seventh-best in the Ivy League. “(Peyton) has a whole lot of experience that’s going to increase his game play,” Cruz said. “He really progressed last season. With that experience, … there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best safety in the league.”

“The guy that really is the quarterback of the defense, Steve Peyton … is really just a kid that

Herald file photo

Stephen Peyton ‘12 (left) made 33 tackles — 20 of them solo hits — in 2010.

can run, and he’s very physical at the point of attack and just a tremendous player for us,” Estes said.

“Quarterback of the defense” is a title usually reserved for the

middle linebacker. But as the leader in tackles and interceptions on the team who earned Second Team All-Ivy Honors, Peyton has proven worthy of the title. Against

The following summary includes a selection of major incidents reported to the Department of Public Safety between Aug. 22 and Sept. 8.

It does not include general service and alarm calls. The Providence Police Department also responds to incidents occurring off campus.

Crime Log DPS does not divulge information on cases that are currently under investigation by the department, PPD or the Office of Student Life.

DPS maintains a daily log of all shift activity and general service calls, which can be viewed during business hours at its headquarters at 75 Charlesfield St. Glenn Lutzky / Herald

Construction continues on the Nelson Fitness Center, Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center and David Zucconi ’55 Varsity Strength and Conditioning Center, slated to open in March.

Four concentrations made independent Four rarely studied concentration tracks have been re-categorized as pre-approved independent concentrations as of this academic year.

The College Curriculum Council has placed tracks or concentrations that had zero or one concentrator over the past three years in a “special Independent Concentration status,” wrote Dean of the College Kath-

erine Bergeron in an email to The Herald.

The move affects the German, French and Italian tracks within the Department of Modern Culture and Media and the statistics concentration within the Public Health Program. All four have had consistently low numbers of concentrators, according to Bergeron.

“If one of these concentrations continues to attract no concentrators for a sustained period, even as an independent concentration,

continued on page 5

Table, chairs stolen from dorm kitchen

By e by e , b u bb l e

By Dan Jeon Contributing Writer

the University of Rhode Island in the Governor’s Cup game last year, he had a career-high 20 tackles and recovered a fumble.

For his physicality and heads-up play in this game, he was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week. Now, it is Peyton’s responsibility to make the calls and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Despite the efforts of Peyton and the rest of the defense, the Bears lost the Governor’s Cup in overtime 27-24. But this year, the Bears should have plenty of adrenaline pumping through their veins when they take on the Rams: The game will be Bruno’s home opener and the second-ever night game held at Brown Stadium.

In addition to the secondary, the defensive line promises to be a brick wall, with Clayton McGrath ’11.5 and co-captain Kyle Rettig ’12 at the forefront. McGrath led the league last year in tackles for a loss, with 13.5, forcing Bruno’s opponents backward 41 yards. He also led the Bears’ pass rush with six sacks, enough for third overall in the league.

the CCC will probably recommend removing (it) from the list of (pre-approved) options,” she wrote.

The re-categorization will have little impact on students concentrating in these tracks, Bergeron wrote. Because of the dearth of concentrators, students pursuing these tracks would essentially complete them independently regardless of the re-categorization, she wrote. continued on page 2

Sept. 3 12:28 p.m. Two students reported their laptop computers had been taken from their residence in the early morning hours. They reported they had filed a report with the PPD. They stated persons unknown entered an unlocked room and took two computers.

They stated they were in the house overnight and reported there had been people visiting.

Sept. 5 12:47 a.m. DPS was dispatched at the request of the PPD for a large party and excess noise. Upon arrival, people were starting to leave the party which was located in the backyard. There were approximately 200 people in attendance. Six kegs and numerous

plastic cups were found in the backyard. Brown and Providence Police officers began dispersing the crowd. The PPD also spoke with the three students responsible and advised them that they were in violation of Providence’s loud noise ordinance, and they were issued a summons.

Sept. 6 11:32 a.m. Student reported her laptop was stolen from her unlocked room while she was in the bathroom. The time frame was less than five minutes.

Sept. 7 8:25 a.m. Custodian stated that when she left work Sept. 6 at about 3 p.m., there were two small kitchen tables and eight lime green kitchen chairs in Room 101, the kitchen. When she arrived to the same area at about 8 a.m. on the following day, one table and four chairs were missing. She stated she had already checked all the common areas in the building, but the table and chairs were not located.

Sept. 8 11:50 a.m. Student reported she locked her bike to the bike rack outside Emery Hall Aug. 4 at 1 a.m. When she returned to the bike rack Sept. 8, she noticed her bike was missing. She stated that her bike was locked with a cable lock, which was also missing. Her continued on page 5