Daily
Herald
the Brown
vol. cxlvi, no. 75
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Since 1891
Employees put off retirement to retain health care
Lagos urges higher taxes for Latin America By katherine Long Senior Staff Writer
Former Chilean president and Professor-at-Large Ricardo Lagos addressed a packed Joukowsky Forum last night about the “two epochal changes” facing Latin America — income distribution inequalities and a rapidly growing middle class — as it emerges relatively unscathed from the 2008 financial crisis. Lagos’ talk was given against a backdrop of unrest in Chile, where university students have taken to the streets protesting the country’s growing economic inequality and demanding changes in education, transportation and energy policy. Lagos, who held office from 2000 to 2006, was the first socialist president elected since 1973, when General Augusto Pinochet seized power from President Salvador Allende. The protests are symptomatic of an increasingly diverse middle class that, in the wake of Latin America’s economic growth over the last 20 years, has become accustomed to a great amount of social mobility, Lagos said. He described a need for new arenas of political expression to give voice to the interests of the expanding middle class, which is continued on page 2
By Jordan Hendricks Senior Staff Writer
Glenn Lutzky / Herald
College Hill has more tree cover than lower-income areas of Providence, according to a student study released in May.
With more trees, city looks to go greener By Natalie Villacorta Senior Staff Writer
Fall brings out the beauty of trees. But in many cities, including Providence, there is not enough foliage to compete with the concrete and asphalt. As a result, urban areas are much hotter than their surroundings areas — a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. In a report released last May, the spring 2010 class ENVS 1920: “Analysis and Resolution of Environmental Problems and Case Studies,” found that areas of Providence with fewer trees are hotter than greener neighborhoods. Trees
are crucial to human health and happiness in a variety of ways — they remove pollutants from the air, provide shade and add beauty to their surroundings. Providence has been steadily warming, a foreshadowing of hotter summers that will tax residents’ health and the city’s infrastructure. By the close of this century, Providence could experience two to four weeks of temperatures over 100°F, according to the class’s research. ‘Essentially tree-less’
The environmental studies students used satellite data to find a correlation between vegetation cover and surface temperature in
Providence neighborhoods. Downtown Providence, Federal Hill, Upper South Providence and Lower Olneyville and Valley — the least vegetated areas of the city — had the highest summer surface temperatures. The students also found a clear correlation between tree coverage and asthma cases. Fewer trees “means more hospital trips as a result of asthma,” wrote Cecilia Springer ’11 in an email to The Herald. Springer contributed extensively to the class’s final report, “Trees and the Urban Heat Island Effect: A Case Study for Providence, continued on page 3
Simply Ruth: Campus reflects on losing an icon She has been compared to Jackie Robinson, Santa Claus and Morgan Freeman. She has been called a “badass.” She is remembered for her red power suit and the hugs prom-
Feature
inside
ised to first-years at Convocation. And while President Ruth Simmons is the leader of the University and a revered academic, to many she is known simply as Ruth. During her tenure at the University, Brown’s 18th president has developed a undeniably cult-like following, inspiring apparel and posters bearing her visage for sale
news....................2-5 editorial.............6 Opinions.............7
on the Main Green. The adoration is nothing new — “We love Ruth” T-shirts date back to her 2001 inauguration. When Simmons announced Sept. 15 that this would be her last year at the University’s helm, the community lamented the loss of its venerated leader. “She is an icon at Brown, and we will lose a mascot,” said Sarah Weingarten ’15. Painted as an icon
Simmons’ beloved status is reserved for few. “My friends at other schools don’t know their presidents,” said Michael Quinn ’13. But at Brown, those who do not continued on page 5
Landlines on Call The allure of room phones still rings true for students Campus News, 8
Rachel Kaplan / Herald
continued on page 4
Simmons’ upcoming departure has sparked diverse gestures of appreciation.
For Sale?
The cost of education could use some adjustments opinions, 7
A-Grade
A holistic approach to student evaluation opinions, 7
weather
By Alexandra macfarlane Staff Writer
As university health care costs around the nation continue to increase, Brown faces lower costs than some of its peers because it does not subsidize health care for retirees older than 65. But many faculty and staff see the lack of retiree health plans as a reason to delay retirement. The University has sought to “keep costs from rising too dramatically” without “diminishing the benefits” for employees, said Drew Murphy, director of benefits for human resources. Because the University has not subsidized over-65 retiree health care since 1994, it has not found itself as overwhelmed as other institutions that offer more extensive retirement health care plans. Harvard, for example, is facing a $812 million liability for retiree health benefits alone, according to a March Boston Globe article. But at the same time, the University’s lack of retiree health benefits poses “a huge obstacle to faculty and staff when they get into that age bracket,” said Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin P’12. Elizabeth Doherty, senior associate dean of the faculty, wrote in an email to The Herald that “virtually all (faculty members) express concern about the cost of health care coverage and wish that Brown provided this benefit to retirees.” Faculty and staff who retire after the age of 65 can choose between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, but they must pay premiums on their own, Murphy said. Neither plan is subsidized by the University. Employees who retire between the ages of 55 and 65 with at least 10 years of service to the University can receive an early retirement health care plan, which offers an $83-per-month subsidy with the rest of the premium paid by the retiree. Karen McAninch ’74, business agent for the United Service and Allied Workers, which represents University library and facilities staff, said the University contri-
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