daily herald the Brown
vol. cxxii, no. 73
INSIDE
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Global RAs Undergrads travel abroad through pre-college program Page 4
Election recap Ciclline and Warren lead slightly in the polls
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Need a lift? Summer dorm renovations will add elevators to Keeney today
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tomorrow
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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
since 1891
EMS transports drop as U. targets underage drinking By EmmaJean Holley Contributing Writer
There was a decrease in the number of students transported by Brown Emergency Medical Services during orientation and the first weekend of classes compared to the same period last year, said Margaret Klawunn, vice president of campus life and student services. The drop comes in the wake of new initiatives by administrators to reduce underage alcohol purchasing. There were eight undergraduate EMS transports involving alcohol, six of which were first-years, Klawunn said. This marked a slight decrease from last fall, when there were 10 transports total, three of which were first-years. A new initiative introduced this year placed joint forces of the Department of Public Safety and the Providence Police Department
outside local liquor stores as a way to combat the anticipated trend of binge drinking during orientation. The approach DPS employed was mainly one of “presence,” said Paul Shanley, deputy chief of police for DPS. “Our goal here was two-fold,” Shanley said. “We want to prevent people from entering who may be thinking about purchasing alcohol underage, and also to make sure that stores are complying with liquor laws and doing their part.” But there was also a more confrontational aspect to the strategy. “If someone came out who appeared underage, they were approached and asked to show identification,” he added. According to Shanley, the most common indicator of an underage alcohol purchase lies in numbers. “If one person is holding a case of beer and / / EMS page 3
Merone Tadesse / HERALD
CareerLAB celebrated design renovations — including a new color scheme and a more open layout — last Friday. SEE PAGE 3
Changed requirement calls for second WRIT course Central Falls mayor pleads guilty to corruption By Kate Nussenbaum Senior Staff Writer
Despite an email last March from Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron describing changes made to the University’s writing requirement, many students remain unaware of the new policies. The changes, which apply to the class of 2015 and beyond, require that students take an English, comparative literature, literary arts, Writing Fellows or WRITdesignated course within their first four semesters at Brown and upload proof of the course’s completion to the Advising Sidekick website. In their next four semesters, students must take another approved course or upload proof of writing improvement “by another means,” according to the email. The idea of a University writing requirement has persisted “for as long as writing has been called out as an important part of a liberal education,” Bergeron said. Developing “nuanced communication skills” is an invaluable part of a college education, she added.
“All along, we’ve had a writing requirement in place, but we have not clearly articulated how it’s implemented and what it actually means,” said Douglas Brown, director of the Writing Center and the Writing Fellows Program. In 2008, the Task Force for Undergraduate Education found the existing requirement insufficient. Before the College Curriculum Council changed the requirement last year, professors gave students whose writing they found substandard a writing check on their internal transcript. In order to graduate, those students had to set up individual plans with the director of the Writing Center, Bergeron said. The writing check system is still in place, but the new requirements ensure all students will work on their writing in both the first and second halves of their college careers, Bergeron said. With the new requirements, students who fail to take a writing course in their first four semesters will also receive a writing check. Even before the change, Bergeron said the University’s / / Writing page 2
By Sona Mkrttchian Senior Staff Writer
Sydney Mondry / HERALD
Many sophomores are unaware of a new policy that requires students to take a writing-intensive class both as underclassmen and upperclassmen.
m. soccer
Bruno heads West and brings home gold By Alexandra Conway Sports Staff Writer
The men’s soccer team took home the Husky Classic title with two wins at the University of Washington this weekend, proving its long cross-country trip worthwhile. On Friday, the Bears defeated Washington (5-3-1) in dramatic fashion in overtime for a 4-3 victory, and Sunday they shut out Portland (2-4-1) with three goals to secure their triumph. The victories improved the Bears’ season record to 7-1-0. “The opportunity to play against two quality teams from the West Coast is one that we were excited to take on,” said Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. “Travelling across the
country and picking up two wins is very difficult. It was also a good trip in that we were able to connect with some of our West Coast alumni and enjoy some time with them.” In the opening game of the Husky Classic on Friday evening, it looked like the Bears were in for a tough fight. “We were up against a very talented and experienced UW that was looking for a big home win,” Laughlin said. The Huskies netted the first goal less than eight minutes into the game and extended their lead to 2-0 in the 26th minute. But after the break, Bruno put on a lot of pressure up front and began to successfully capitalize on their oppor-
tunities. Forward Voltaire Escalona ’14 scored his first collegiate goal just eight minutes into the second period, assisted by midfielder Thomas McNamara ’12.5. Shortly after, Kevin Gavey ’13 headed the ball into the net off a cross by Benjamin Maurey ’15 to even the score 2-2. The Huskies took back the lead in the 78th minute, but the Bears responded quickly when Daniel Taylor ’15 scored his first college career goal off a deflected shot in front of the goal to equalize the score. The game was pushed into overtime where Maurey tallied the game-winner in the 93rd minute off another assist by McNamara to end the game, 4-3, and shock the Huskies on their home turf. Laughlin said the team showed
its true colors in the second half and overtime. “The team played some of our best soccer of the season on Friday night. In the second half, we were the dominant team and showed very well,” Laughlin said. “For us to score four goals from the run of play and come back twice to tie before winning it in overtime was outstanding. All of the players involved played at a high level of focus and concentration.” “It was a hard-fought game and we didn’t give up. Not only did we come back from a deficit, but we came back twice when they went up 3-2,” Maurey said. “We have relied on our defense a lot, but this game our offense is what won it for us.” / / Soccer page 3 After an
Former Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau pleaded guilty to corruption charges in federal court Sept. 19, only hours after submitting his resignation to the city. Moreau faces time in federal prison for a deal he arranged between the city and his personal friend, Michael Bouthilette, a contractor hired by Central Falls to board up foreclosed or abandoned buildings, according to a Sept. 19 Providence Journal article. An investigation led by the Providence Journal in 2010 revealed Bouthilette received almost $2 million and numerous personal bonuses for the contracted services. At the time, Bouthilette was receiving over five times the going rate for similar services in cities across the state. In return, Bouthilette helped Moreau renovate his home in Lincoln for free. The charges are based on Moreau’s evasion of competitive bidding practices and his creation of unnecessary projects in the city. Bouthilette will return around $400,000 to Central Falls for grants to “redress the harm caused by the defendant’s criminal conduct,” according to the plea deal. Central Falls, Rhode Island’s smallest municipality, went bankrupt in 2011 with a $5 million structural deficit and $80 million in unfunded pension liabilities. Earlier this month, the state-appointed receiver for the city’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing un/ / Mayor page 2 veiled an exit