Tuesday, October 4, 2011

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vol. cxlvi, no. 79

By Tony Bakshi News Editor

inside

Two undergraduates and a member of the Undergraduate Council of Students Executive Board will be selected by Oct. 20 to the Campus Advisory Committee to advise the Corporation’s search process for the University’s 19th president, said Samuel Gilman ’15, a spokesman for UCS. UCS President Ralanda Nelson ’12 released the student application to the Brown community in an email Monday morning. An email sent earlier that morning

by Chancellor Thomas Tisch ’76 outlined the Corporation’s initial plans for the search. Simmons announced her decision to step down at the end of the academic year Sept. 15.

In his email, Tisch announced the formation of two separate committees — the Presidential Search Committee of the Corporation, which he will chair, and the Campus Advisory Committee. The campus committee will be composed of faculty and students from the College and the Graduate School, as well as representatives from Alpert Medical School.

A member of the UCS Executive Board will also be appointed to the campus committee, though Gilman did not comment on the selection process within UCS. The deadline for the undergraduate application is Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m. Gilman said he could not anticipate how many applications UCS would receive for the positions.

“We will get this process done fairly and swiftly by Oct. 20 so that the committee can move forward with its work,” Gilman said.

The search for a new University president “will emulate in many respects that which led to Ruth’s appointment” 11 years ago, Tisch wrote. The Corporation is aiming to name members of both committees by mid-October.

In 2000, the campus committee that ultimately selected Simmons consisted of 13 members, including three undergraduate students. The Corporation committee consisted of 17 members.

news........................2 CITY & State............5 editorial.............6 Opinions................7 SPORTS....................8

Since 1891

Cash gifts exceeded goal last year

By Mark Raymond Senior Staff Writer

The University raised a total of $162.8 million in cash gifts last year, exceeding its goal of $140 million but falling short of the $167 million raised in the previous fiscal year.

New gifts and pledges rose by about 24 percent to $167.5 million for fiscal year 2011, up from $135.3 million raised in fiscal year 2010.

“In a slowing economy the second half of the year, cash giving of $162.8 million was something we had to feel pretty good about,” said Steven King ’91, senior vice president for University advancement.

The University collected gifts from just under 33,000 donors.

The Annual Fund, which raises funds that contribute to around 6 percent of the University’s operating budget, raised $35.4 million from 31,793 donors, according to

Kyle McNamara / Herald

Samuel Mencoff ’78 P’11 P’15, cochair of the Annual Fund.

Beppie Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance and administration, wrote in an email to The Herald that the University “essentially reached all of its goals” for the last fiscal year.

The most recent fiscal year was the first opportunity for the University to test its fundraising might after the completion of the Campaign for Academic Enrichment Dec. 31, 2010. The fundraiscontinued on page 2

Senate approves I-195 commission

By Daniel Sack Contributing Writer

The Rhode Island Senate voted Monday night to confirm Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s ’75 P’14 nominees to the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission. Real estate developer Colin Kane will serve as chair of the committee, which will include Barrett Bready ’99 MD’03, Barbara Hunger, Diana Johnson

MA’71, John Kelly, Mark Ryan and Michael Van Leesten.

The committee is charged with the task of allocating the land made available by the relocation of I-195.

The University has expressed interest in developing the land.

Bready, an adjunct professor at Alpert Medical School and president and CEO of the biotechnology company NABsys Inc., stressed the commission’s potential. “It’s not

what we are,” he told state senators.

“It’s what we can be.”

The new land could put the state “on the verge of technological boom,” he added, suggesting that the development focus on encouraging research in the life sciences.

The state’s political leaders have pointed to the land ­— more than 40 acres in Providence’s Jewelry District — as an engine for muchneeded economic growth.

News in brief Providence Equity sets up on Lincoln No, the circus is not coming to town. The tent currently occupying the lower half of Lincoln Field will house an event for Providence Equity Partners, a private equity investment firm based downtown, according to Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations.

A representative for the firm referred to the event as a “private function” but declined to comment further.

Providence Equity Partners, founded and led by Jonathan Nelson ’77 P’07 P’09, a fellow of the Corporation, Glenn Creamer ’84 and Paul Salem ’85, requested a space on campus earlier this year for the event.

“They wanted to have the event at Brown because they credit much of their success as civic and business leaders” to their Brown experience, Quinn wrote.

Nelson donated $10 million to the University in 2004 for the new Nelson Fitness Center.

The University “often” allows organizations to hold events on campus if space is available and the event does not interfere with campus life, Quinn wrote.

The University is not spending money on the event.

The tent will be removed Wednesday afternoon.

— David Chung

Symbol of love stands silent after 107 years

By Caitlin Trujillo Senior Staff Writer

Glenn Lutzky / Herald

The renovations to the Carrie Tower clock and staircase could cost $500,000, according to Stephen Maiorisi, vice president for Facilities Management.

Higher Ed

Grad student numbers drop nationwide Higher ed, 3

When the Carrie Tower first rose above campus in 1904, it stood as one of the University’s tallest and most striking buildings, a symbol of devotion and love from a grieving husband. But over 100 years later, the tower stands silent and in disrepair as a much-needed restoration proves slow-coming.

Renovations to the limestone base of Carrie Tower, which is nestled on the Quiet Green, will wrap up Oct. 14, but the tower still needs further construction to be completely restored.

Though the tower’s clock needs refurbishing and the staircase is deteriorating, making the tower inaccessible, a large-scale project would be too expensive for the University to undertake, said Stephen Maiorisi, vice president for Facilities Management. Instead, the Department of Facilities Man-

Hard Times Food Crisis State sees significant increase in poverty

city & state, 5

Famine in Somalia requires action

OPINIONS, 7

weather

Three undergrads to serve on presidential search committee

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

agement is breaking up the necessary renovations into multiple projects, he said.

Efforts to repair, replace and clean the tower’s deteriorating base began in late June, and construction that began about three years ago included the replacement of the stone at the top of the tower, Maiorisi said.

The renovations to the tower’s limestone base cost about $200,000, Maiorisi said. Fixing the clock and staircase was last estimated to cost $500,000, but that estimate is five years old, he said.

The Carrie Tower was constructed in 1904 as a memorial to Caroline Brown, the great-granddaughter of one of Brown’s founders, Nicholas Brown Sr. When Carrie Brown died in 1892, her husband — an Italian diplomat and industrialist named Paul Bajnotti — donated money to fund continued on page 4

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2 Campus News calendar Today

october 4

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TODAY IN UNIVERSIT Y HISTORY

ToMORROW

october 5

5 p.m.

Hydrodynamics of Manta Ray

“French Capitalism Under Stress,”

Swimming, Barus and Holley 190

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8 p.m.

8 P.m.

“The Current Economy,”

Free Cookies and Milk,

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Caswell Hall

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VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH

Spinach Quiche, Mediterranean Orzo, Grilled Tuna Sandwich with Cheese, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Shaved Steak Sandwich, Falafel in Pita, Mandarin Blend Vegetables, Chocolate Chip Cookies

DINNER Vegan Chow Mein and Tofu with Chow Mein Noodles, Sesame Chicken Strips, Magic Bars

The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Roast Pork Ouvert, Pastito, Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Brussel Sprouts, Magic Bars

Sudoku

On Oct. 4, 1991: The University held an inauguration ceremony for New Dorm, which had been completed over the summer.

Alums and Corporation members who attended the event were given a tour of the new facility. Alva Way ’51, a member of the Corporation, said, “We had electricity, as I recall, in ’51, but nothing like this.” An official name for the dorm had not been announced at the time.

On Oct. 4, 1981: John Lennon lithographs were on display at Sayles Hall, a day after they were shown in Alumnae Hall, as music by Lennon and the Beatles filled the space.

The lithographs had previously been displayed at the Providence Civic Center before being pulled because city officials were concerned about the sexually explicit nature of the work and the center’s accessibility to children. The artwork was deemed acceptable for the Brown community, and the two-day event drew more than 200 people on the first day. Chris Granada ’83 said, “Compared to modern art standards, it wasn’t at all obscene.” John Lennon had been killed the year before, on Dec. 8, 1980.

On Oct. 4, 1951: Alexander Meiklejohn 1893 MA1895, former dean of the College and professor of philosophy, held a talk entitled “Free Speech” at Manning Hall. A proponent of free speech and its importance in a democracy, Meiklejohn said, “Those who govern the country today talk freedom but preach repression.” Calling the situation “deplorable,” he argued that, by prescribing certain ideas as “dangerous,” the Justice Department had violated the freedoms of speech and of peaceable assembly guaranteed by the Constitution. “Whatever the dangers involved, the minds of men must be free,” he said.

Safet y first

Cr ossword

Glenn Lutzky / Herald

Students nab condoms on the Main Green as part of Consent Day.

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Annual Fund sees second most successful year ever continued from page 1 ing effort, officially launched by President Ruth Simmons in 2005, raised a total of $1.61 billion.

“It was always the plan to raise the bar and create a new level of fundraising success and sustain that going forward,” King said.

This was the second most successful year for the annual fund since its inception, Mencoff said.

“The amount was slightly below our goal, but at Brown we always set our aspirations very high,” he said. The goal for fiscal year 2011 was $36 million, which is equal to the record total raised in the previous fiscal year.

Mencoff said the most important conclusion to be drawn from the Annual Fund’s latest year is the trend toward increased participation in the effort.

The annual fund raised $15 million in 2001, he said, meaning it has increased 236 percent since Simmons came to the University. “She has joked that the Annual Fund is the first thing people should think about in the morning, the thing they should think about when they brush their teeth,” Mencoff said.

King said Simmons’ leadership has enhanced the University’s ability to raise large sums of money.

“She’s obviously done an incredible job as our leader,” he said. “Her Plan for Academic Enrichment has resulted in Brown believing it can do more.”

King said he does not expect a major dip in fundraising due to the completion of the campaign or the transition to a new president.

“There are external factors beyond our control, but I think in terms of our engagement and efforts over these years, we’re positioned to be in a strong position going forward,” he said.

“The last thing we want to do is have a big drop-off in fundraising and have that impact the transition that will take place,” he added.

“We’re going to stay focused and continue to do business as usual in support of University priorities.”

—With additional reporting by Erin Kilduff

Read Postmagazine Thursdays in The Herald

3

The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Higher ed news r oundup

by Mark Raymond senior staff writer

T h e M ag i c T o u c h

Graduate schools see decrease in enrollment Enrollment in graduate schools dropped 1.1 percent in 2010, according to a report issued by the Council of Graduate Schools.

According to the report, the last time enrollment dropped was in 2003. The report also states that the average annual growth in new graduate school enrollments has been 3.3 percent since 2000.

According to an article from the Chronicle of Higher Education, this drop does not follow the historical trend of increased grad school enrollment during difficult economic climates.

“The bottom line is, it’s about money,” Deborah Stewart, president of the council, told the Chronicle. She said the unwillingness of employed individuals to leave a job and cutbacks by companies that previously funded employee education were major contributors to the enrollment drop.

Christie approves Rutgers medical school merger New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has given “preliminary approval” to a committee finding that calls for the merger of Rutgers University with portions of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, according the Chronicle of Higher Ed. The aim of the measure is to merge the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the School of Public Health and the Cancer Institute of the University of Medicine and Dentistry with Rutgers to make for a competitive research institution, according to a press release issued by Rutgers after the committee issued its findings.

The proposal to merge the schools, which has been rejected several times in the past, was praised by Rutgers administrators in the press release.

The union representing employees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey expressed concern over the lack of detail surrounding the financial impact of the merger, according to an article on northjersey.com.

Lydia Yamaguchi / Herald

Olivia Linden ’12 tests out the University’s new touch screen platform in the Blue Room yesterday.

t h e g a m e o f lo v e

Cause of URI administrator’s departure remains unclear Andrew Winters, who served as the assistant to the vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island, resigned at the end of June, prompting questions about the circumstances leading to his departure.

Winters was known for his advocacy for LGBT issues and was the adviser to a group of gay and lesbian students who organized a sit-in with university chaplains in February, according to an article in the Providence Journal.

Shortly after the sit-in, Kathryn Friedman, the newly appointed interim associate vice president for equity and diversity, sent Winters a critical letter that prompted Winters’ resignation, according to the article.

The exact circumstances surrounding Winters’ resignation remain unknown, though URI President David Dooley said Winters simply retired, according to the article.

A group of URI faculty members are requesting an investigation into the matter.

Rachel Kaplan / Herald

Students participated in a dildo ring-toss on the Main Green as part of the nationally celebrated Consent Day to raise awareness about sexual assault.

Seton Hall to offer early action students discount on tuition Seton Hall University will begin offering top-tier early action candidates a discounted tuition next year.

Students who meet a set of academic qualifications and are accepted through the early action admission process will be eligible for a $21,000 discount off the $31,440 tuition fee, according to the New York Times.

The Times reported that the discounted tuition will make tuition at Seton Hall competitive with Rutgers University, New Jersey’s flagship public university.

Alyssa McCloud, vice president for enrollment management, told the Times that 16 percent of current Seton Hall freshmen would have met the academic requirements to receive the discounted tuition and suggested that the tuition incentive could encourage more highly qualified students to apply next year.

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4 Campus News

The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Copper toilet valves, Carrie Tower undergoes renovations laptops stolen continued from page 1

The following summary includes a selection of major incidents reported to the Department of Public Safety between Sept. 8 and Sept. 16. It does not include general service and alarm calls. The Providence Police Department also responds

CRIME LOG to incidents occurring off campus.

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. Sept. 12 Facilities reported that all of the copper toilet valves located in a women’s restroom had been stolen.

Sept. 12 A student reported that between 2:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., her laptop was taken while she was asleep in her unsecured room.

Sept. 13 Brown police were dispatched to meet with a Providence Police officer. The officer explained he was on patrol when he observed a bicycle leaning against an iron fence in a park. He then entered

the park to see who the bicycle belonged to. He observed two sets of legs hanging over the edge of a monument overlooking the city.

He instructed the two parties to meet him at the fence. The subjects were identified as Brown students and were cited for the city ordinance regarding the park curfew.

The park has signs posted that state it is closed from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

the project in her name, said Jane Lancaster, a University historian, who is working on a new history of Brown that will be published to coincide with the University’s sestercentennial. The memorial is inscribed with a dedication to Carrie Brown and the sentence, “Love is strong as death.”

Bajnotti also commissioned a fountain that stands in Burnside Park, next to Kennedy Plaza, Lan-

caster said.

A presidential report to the Corporation during the 190304 academic year said the Carrie Tower “serves no ‘useful’ purpose.”

Instead, the monument was meant to serve as a dedication “to undying memory” and show the “international attachment, which outlasts the years.”

But the tower’s bell — which, like the clock, no longer chimes — used to serve as the main bell at a time when the Quiet Green

was the center of campus, said University Curator Robert Emlen. The bell likely fell into disuse during the middle of the 20th century as the campus expanded beyond University Hall, he said.

Now, a bell atop University Hall announces the beginning and end of class periods.

The tower also houses a tunnel that leads into the basement of the John Hay Library and to Manning Hall, Emlen said. A slab of rock now seals the tunnel.

Sept. 14 A student stated between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 13 someone had taken a cell phone, bicycle light and a bicycle repair kit from a pouch on her bicycle that was locked to the bike rack.

While speaking with the student, a Sterling Security employee who works at 222 Richmond St. reported his cellular phone was taken as well. He stated he locked his bicycle to the bike rack, and when he went to retrieve his phone, he noticed his bicycle pouch was open and the phone was missing.

Sept. 15 A student reported his laptop was stolen from his backpack while he went to buy food.

Sept. 15 The reporting party stated he secured his bike to the rack and went to work. When he returned at 3 p.m., it was gone.

Greg Jordan-Detamore / Herald

The senate approved all the governor’s appointees to the committee that will allocate I-195 land for development.

See full coverage on page 1.

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City & State 5

The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 4, 2011

City & State news r oundup

by rebecca ballhaus City & State editor

State legislators to denounce Chafee ’75 Yesterday, four state representatives and two state senators released a joint statement announcing a press conference Wednesday where they will decry Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 for supporting a measure that will allow undocumented students in Rhode Island to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. The Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education voted to approve the measure last week. Chafee is attempting to “create law through his own system of Obama-like czars” and has “ignored the will of the people,” the statement reads.

Specifically, the legislators criticized the governor’s perceived marginalization of the General Assembly’s authority. Chafee’s office fired back yesterday afternoon, releasing a statement that read, “Any student of Rhode Island state government knows that constitutionally we have a strong legislature. Compared with other states, the executive branch has less authority.”

Federal grant to aid public school students in college process Rhode Island public school students — who, according to reports last week, are now taking the SAT in greater numbers than ever — will receive a boost in the college process in the form of a $3 million federal grant. The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs will provide up to $18 million over the next several years in the form of advisory services, scholarship support and college readiness programs. The College Crusade, an organization that aids students from low-income families with the college preparation process, will send a team of 24 full-time advisers to middle and high schools across the state. Three years ago, the state also received a $2.7 million award through GEAR UP.

Providence Hispanic unemployment rate among highest nationwide Providence and Hartford, Conn., have two of the highest unemployment rates for Hispanics, an Economic Policy Institute study found. In 2010, Hispanics in Providence were more than twice as likely as whites to be unemployed, while Hispanics in Hartford were over three times as likely to be unemployed. The two districts also ranked highest in Hispanic unemployment increases from 2009 to 2010. Though the institute’s research does not cover in any detail the factors behind the unemployment numbers, its brief suggested that construction — a field that employs a high proportion of Hispanics nationwide — is “probably less important” in Providence and Hartford.

Poverty on the rise in R.I.

By Hannah Loewentheil Contributing Writer

New census figures indicate poverty in Rhode Island increased sharply from 2009 to 2010. Statistics from the American Community Survey released late last month revealed that the poverty rate in Rhode Island rose from 11.5 percent to 14 percent, and the percentage of children under 18 in poverty rose from 16.9 percent to 19 percent.

John Logan, professor of sociology, who has studied neighborhood change and individual mobility in American cities, said though the figures show a dramatic increase in poverty in Rhode Island, it is important to view this change in the context of national and international trends. According to the U.S Census Bureau, the national poverty rate rose from 14.3 percent in 2009 to 15.1 in 2010. Between 2009 and 2010, the poverty rate for children under age 18 increased from 20.7 to 22 percent.

“People usually use the term Renaissance to describe Providence,”

Logan said, adding that downtown Providence is a far cry from the rundown urban landscape it was 20 years ago. But while downtown has certainly experienced a resurgence, sizeable wealth disparities persist, he said.

“Providence has been industrializing over the past decades.

But today, much of the industry is closing down,” Logan said, noting Rhode Island’s old role as a silver manufacturing state. He said he often compares Providence to Washington, D.C. Both cities have suffered from high poverty rates for decades and have large minority populations, but they are now gentrifying and have seen an increase in the cost of living. At the same time, an increasing degree of inequality exacerbates the increasing poverty. “Increasing wealth is in the hands of relatively few,” Logan said.

The most obvious explanation for the surge in poverty is unemployment, said Austin Nichols, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.,

think tank that examines social and economic issues. He explained that child poverty in particular used to be associated with changes in the family structure, such as the breakdown of the two-parent household.

Today, poverty is most associated with job loss, he said. Rhode Island has historically lagged behind neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut in terms of post-secondary educational attainment among its residents, a disadvantage that Nichols said is responsible for its higher unemployment rate.

Logan linked Rhode Island’s poverty rate to deindustrialization. Low-wage jobs fuel economic growth, and Logan explained that the United States competes with low-cost production in other countries. A smaller part of the U.S. economy is technologically advanced and reliant on skilled, educated labor. “The labor force is polarizing,” Logan said. The highest earners are becoming wealthier, and unskilled workers have seen their economic security deteriorate, he said.

comics Chester Crabson | Tess Carroll

Carbernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman

Gas prices plummet At $3.589 per gallon, the price of gasoline in Rhode Island hit its lowest mark since March yesterday, dropping another nine cents per gallon, according to AAA Southern New England. Though the price has fallen by 14 cents in the last two weeks, drivers in the state still pay 17 cents more per gallon than the national average.

Andrea Tremblay, an employee at Au Bon Pain on Thayer Street, said she does not waste her time on Rhode Island gas prices. “I drive to Massachusetts to get my gas. It’s 30 percent cheaper there,” she said, calling Rhode Island’s prices “way too expensive.” The price of a gallon of gas in Rhode Island in October 2010 was $2.699, 89 cents cheaper than the current average.

New taxes on drugs, smartphone apps to start Saturday A new batch of sales taxes is slated to go into effect in Rhode Island Saturday, raising the price on non-prescription drugs, sightseeing tours, smartphone applications and downloadable software. The taxes will provide the state — which faced a $331 million budget shortfall this spring — with an estimated $22 million in annual revenue. Legislators said the additional taxes are on par with policies in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

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

6 Editorial & Letter Editorial

The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Editorial cartoon

by lo r e n f u lto n

Making room in R.I. for undocumented students Last Monday, the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education voted unanimously to approve a measure that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Rhode Island public colleges and universities. The discounted rates will only apply for individuals who attended a state high school for at least three years and graduated with a high school or equivalent GED degree. The decision, which was endorsed by Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, has reignited the statewide debate on the treatment of undocumented immigrants.

We applaud the board and its chair, Lorne Adrain, for helping to make higher education accessible for all high school graduates, regardless of citizenship status. In a phone interview with the editorial page board and an op-ed in Sunday’s Providence Journal, Adrain explained the board’s decision and addressed the complaints of the opposition.

It is imperative to respect and care for undocumented residents, many of whom did not willingly choose to immigrate to the United States in the first place. This policy is an important step in, as Adrain writes, pursuing a policy of openness and equal opportunity for an increasingly marginalized group of people. Rhode Island institutions will undoubtedly benefit from exposing its students, faculty and administrators to people from different cultures, backgrounds and, as Adrain puts it, “different struggles” than their own. This is ultimately a test of our compassion and our willingness to permit undocumented residents the ability to both achieve their individual goals and play a positive and impactful role in the greater Rhode Island and national community.

Opponents decried the decision-making process, saying that no other state has adopted the same policy without its passing the state legislature. But Adrain notes that the board has the explicit authority to make decisions with respect to tuition. Even though this is a highprofile decision, and even though it has implications for the status of undocumented immigrants, it is ultimately a tuition decision. Adrain also noted the 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, in which the court cited the Fifth Amendment and the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment to strike down a Texas law that allowed districts to withhold local funding to educate illegal immigrants. Therefore, Adrain asserts, states are required to teach undocumented students, regardless of cost.

The board is also on the right side of the economic argument. While critics believe that decreased tuition will decrease revenue for Rhode Island public universities and colleges, the board’s internal projections are “cautiously optimistic.” With cheaper tuition, the schools are likely to see an increase in demand, which should subsequently boost class size and therefore increase revenue. Further, Adrain points to an obvious systemic point that his critics willfully ignore — educating more state residents will invariably increase the human capital and “earning power” of these individuals. Even if the system sees a small economic loss at the outset — which is unlikely to begin with — Rhode Island is sure to benefit economically from educating more of its residents.

We are heartened and inspired by the board’s decision. We hope that making educational opportunities more realizable for undocumented residents will be a boon for both students and the state and that it will set an example of constructive policy for other parts of the country.

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

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Office Manager Shawn Reilly

letter to the editor

A solution for expensive textbooks To the Editor: A column in Wednesday’s Herald (“Calculus and pirates,” Sept. 28) on the exorbitant price of calculus books, especially James Stewart’s book, is excellent. In fact the author is, if anything, too generous about this very widely used book. Calculus instructors could use the following perfectly legal procedure to greatly lower the cost to the student and incidentally choose their favorite text and author: Find an edition which is out of print, perhaps even copyright-expired, and ask our bookstore to

get the publisher’s permission to make copies of just the chapters and sections needed, rather than of the whole gargantuan text. I have done this numerous times with good results and so have a few colleagues in math. Costs have been more like $25 than the current $180, and the pages have been much easier to carry around. Authors such as Thomas or Flanders wrote much better books than Stewart’s, but out of print Stewart editions could be used if one wishes.

Bruno Harris Professor Emeritus of Mathematics

quote of the day

“People usually use the term Renaissance

”

to describe Providence.

— John Logan, professor of sociology See poverty on page 5.

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Opinions 7

The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The golden age?

By Nikhil Kalyanpur Opinions Columnist College is consistently and, quite frankly, too frequently heralded as the time of our lives. We are constantly reminded to appreciate these four years before we set out into the real world. It is the golden age of our own time. I find this exalted distinction far too disconcerting. When we graduate, we are around the age of 22. It is perpetually implied by our elders that it is all downhill from there — which I do not believe. This phenomenon can be better understood through modern-day media.

There are few Jewish men who know how to truly satisfy, or at least that is what my friends say. There are certainly exceptions, none more so than Woody Allen. Few have his power over deadpan wit. Few possess his miraculous ability to portray the ambiguity and eccentricity of what we call love. Although many feel that his standards have declined, this summer’s “Midnight in Paris” would have made even his biggest critics nostalgic.

Tackling another existential plot, Allen stimulates the viewers’ intellect and philosophical desires, making them question where they honestly want to be in life.

Set of course, in Paris, the movie follows the life of Gil Pender (Owen Wil-

son), a self-described “Hollywood hack who never gave real literature a shot,” as he struggles to write his first novel while handling his trifling fiancee. As coined by his pompous, cravat-wearing adversary Paul (Michael Sheen), Gil suffers from “golden age thinking” — the notion that a different time period is better than the one we are living in.

simply a procrastination tool. We slowly zone out and tilt our heads up and to the right as our minds get filled with a series of dreaded what-ifs. We each have our romanticized images and time periods. I, like Pender, am a fan of Paris in the ’20s as I picture myself in a cafe in the Latin Quarter, smoking a pipe, with a Marion Cotillard-like companion by my side.

We are constantly reminded to appreciate these four years before we set out into the real world. It is the golden age of our own time. I find this exalted distinction far too disconcerting.

Many around me have echoed this sentiment in recent days. Brown’s honeymoon period is quickly fading as this week marks the start of midterms for many students. The Whiskey Republic and Finnegan’s Draft House are starting to lose their crowds as first-years start to prematurely couple up. The Graduate Center barely smells like cannabis, and even Josiah’s has stopped playing Flo Rida on repeat.

With the mountain of work awaiting, it is hard not to question what the point of assignments are, even if doing so is

Maybe the media truly is to blame. As HBO and AMC thrive, they deliver quality historically based entertainment. The only reasonable conclusion as to why I must have a scotch everyday after lunch is “Mad Men”, while my need to maintain a mistress can be chalked up to the same.

The appreciation of the present is certainly much easier said than done. The seniors I know are all harried by the pressures of the job search, spending hours of both sobriety and inebriation ranting about the market they are soon to enter.

My fellow juniors, before having even

settled into a class routine, are focusing on information sessions about investment banks and consulting firms. Brown is said to be the epitome of liberal education, giving us the opportunity to hone our skills and knowledge in any area we choose. But I cannot help but feel we are prioritizing security over satisfaction.

As I mentioned earlier, I have had a particularly robust relationship with the what-ifs in my life. I spent my freshman year at Georgetown, and I do not regret it because of some of the friends I made.

For the most part, I was sincerely happy. Yet there were several what-ifs that plagued me and eventually pushed me to transfer to Brown, where I assumed many of those doubts would be silenced. It returns to the notion of whether happiness is at the mercy of environment.

Our incapability to be content with what we have is one of the banes of human nature. As commonplace as it may be, the grass is greener on the other side.

We have our fair share of optimists and romantics here at Brown, and I pride myself for being among their ranks. Yet it is plausible that Pender had it right when he said, “Maybe the present is a little unsatisfying because life is a little unsatisfying.”

Nikhil Kalyanpur ’13 is a environmental studies and economics concentrator from Dubai. He can be reached at Nikhil_Kalyanpur@brown.edu.

Let’s not forget about Somalia

By LucIa Seda Opinions Columnist It is early summer in the year 2011, yet it feels like 1992 to the oldest residents of Somalia. For the second time in 20 years, a succession of days without rain has drained the soil and their hopes. The outlook is as bleak as ever. Family members are forced to pack their few belongings and abandon the place they once called home. The southward journey is long and ripe with uncertainties, but is there room left for choice? Extreme weather conditions and physical hardships are in store for those willing to risk the little they have for a second chance at life. Some family members will never make it. And the few that are still standing may not be able to do so for much longer. With any luck, one of them will make it safely across the border and into a protected area.

This is the familiar story of many immigrants who have fled their home countries in search of brighter opportunities and the promise of a better life. Without a doubt, this narrative still holds true for countless immigrants around the globe.

Yet when this harrowing portrait acquires the face of the 1,500 human beings who cross the Somali border over to Kenya every day to escape a deadly famine, the rest of the world needs to act. And start acting now.

The east African nation of Somalia is living one of the worst chapters in its

recent history. The United Nations estimates that more than half of the Somali population is now in “crisis” as a result of a widespread famine caused by a prolonged drought — the worst in 60 years.

Currently, 12 million people are in critical condition, 750,000 of whom will be under immediate threat of death by famine over the next four months. Women and children are by far enduring the worst of the tragedy. It is no surprise that the “trian-

third-largest city in Kenya, is not only a refugee camp populated by thousands of Somalis, but it is also the largest refugee camp in the world.

It may seem like the solution to a famine is to pour in aid in the form of food supplies and medicines. That is a start — and one we can embrace with diligence.

Yet we must also keep in mind the broader panorama that is at stake. A famine is not just a shortage or a complete lack of

We do not need — and, in fact, we cannot afford — to wait until the situation reaches record-breaking levels of famine and death to mobilize ourselves and reach out to the Somali population.

gle of death” has now become the working metonymy for the geographical area of Somalia, Ethiopia and northern Kenya known as the Horn of Africa.

For centuries, Africa has been the theater of multiple wars and political coups, not to mention instances of civil unrest and human rights abuse. Yet here we have a humanitarian crisis of an unprecedented magnitude. This time, it is not the Somali pirates who are making headlines in Western newspapers, but the millions of starving Somali citizens who desperately flee from misery. As of today, Dadaab, the

food — it is a deeper problem that can metastasize and tear down the infrastructure of any nation. Somalia has already begun to see this happen in the poverty-stricken areas that are becoming even poorer, in the massive exodus of Somalis that totals in the millions and in the skyrocketing rates of crime and violence that further exacerbate the existing tensions along the Somali-Kenyan border.

So far, the UN’s World Food Programme, Oxfam, the Red Cross, UNICEF and several other humanitarian organizations have taken the first steps toward

helping the Somali refugees in Kenya and those who are still in Somalia. But there is always more that can be done. And here at Brown, we can do our part.

Although the University’s latest Plan for Academic Enrichment report anticipates the creation of a cultural year with a “Focus on Africa” in the near future, some action has to be taken now. We do not need — and, in fact, we cannot afford — to wait until the situation reaches record-breaking levels of famine and death (if the numbers are still not alarming enough) to mobilize and reach out to the Somali population. Just as the Brown community’s response to the natural disasters in Haiti and Japan was speedy and effective, our response to Somalia must reflect our long-term commitment to this cause. Food drives and fund-raising events, such as benefit concerts and cultural workshops, are accessible ways in which Brown students can contribute their part and motivate fellow students to get involved. Lecture series and panels can very well raise awareness on the severity of the Somali tragedy and encourage dialogue among professors, students and other members of the Brown community.

In the end, no effort, however small, is wholly negligible. So let us not forget about Somalia. We are citizens of the planet, and it would be a terrible injustice to do so.

Lucia Seda ’12 urges you to care about Somalia now. She can be reached at Lucia_Seda@brown.edu.

Daily Herald Sports Tuesday the Brown

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Field Hockey

Bruno bled dry by Crimson for third straight loss By madeleine wenstrup Sports Staff Writer

The field hockey team fell to Harvard, 4-0, Saturday in Cambridge, extending their winless streak in Ivy League play to three.

The Bears (1-8, 0-3 Ivy) stayed close to their opponents in the first half, but three second-half goals by the Crimson (6-3, 2-1) sealed another defeat.

The first period was dominated by Bruno as they outshot Harvard 10-5 and earned four corners to Harvard’s one. But the Crimson did not need many chances to capitalize. At 15:20, with Harvard’s second shot on goal, Katelin Wahl found the back of the net on a backhand to put Harvard up, 1-0.

The first goal gave Harvard enough momentum to dominate the next 10 minutes of play. They put up three shots on goal while the Bears struggled to recover.

But in the last five minutes, Brown went back on attack, taking half of their first period shots in the final minutes. Forward Haley

Alvarez ’15 almost put Bruno on the scoreboard with a penalty stroke, but a save by Harvard goalie Cynthia Tassopoulos ensured that Brown would be down at the half.

“We started with the ball and wanted to immediately attack,” said Tri-captain Leslie Springmeyer ’12.

But Harvard had the same idea.

Just 18 seconds into the second half, Noel Painter scored on a pass from Catriona McDonald that had slipped through Bruno’s defense.

“We were depleted,” Springmeyer said. “We had wanted to do that, and they were able to steal the ball and do it instead.”

The Bears were never able to recover from the Crimson’s quick strike and had just two attempts on goal in the final half.

“We played pretty well in the first half, so I think that when Harvard scored at the very beginning of the second half, it was hard for us to keep our composure and things got a little disjointed and frantic,” said Tri-captain Bridget McNamara ’12.

For the next 18 minutes, Harvard dominated on offense, taking shot after shot until their seventh attempt put them at a three-goal advantage.

The attack on Bruno’s defense continued, and the Crimson managed to put one more past goalie Shannon McSweeney ’15 before the whistle blew, putting the final score at 4-0.

The Bears will take on Quinnipiac University (6-4) at home in a non-conference game at 4 p.m. today. According to McNamara, their hope is to take their experience with Harvard into today’s game.

“We need to work on how we react to setbacks within games,” McNamara said. “That’s definitely the number one take away from Harvard and heading into Quinnipiac. Because we’re still developing, mistakes will happen, and that’s fine. It’s how we carry ourselves afterwards and respond to adversity within games that will make the difference against Quinnipiac and in the rest of the season.”

Jesse Schwimmer / Herald

Clayton Christus ‘15 has made a large impact during her first season despite the team’s losing record.

S at u r d ay n i g h t l i g h t s

Emily Gilbert / Herald Emily Gilbert / Herald

John Spooney ‘14 ran for a career high 97 yards in the Bears’ win over URI Saturday night.

Generations united to tailgate before the Bears’ second-ever night game at Brown Stadium Saturday.

Jesse Schwimmer / Herald

President Ruth Simmons joined the Women’s Crew Team on the field of Brown Stadium at halftime during Saturday’s Governor’s Cup game against URI as the team was honored for their 2011 NCAA championship win.