Monday, November 17, 2014

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BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 111

Rally aims to fuel library workers’ negotiations Friday protest pushes for increased wages and professional development opportunities By LINDSAY GANTZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER

While University officials and administrators, including President Christina Paxson, attended a private dedication of a new reading room at the Rockefeller Library Friday evening, about 100 students, staff members and community members rallied on the library’s steps to support unionized library workers’ demands in ongoing contract negotiations with the University. The dedication preceded a public celebration of the Rock’s 50th anniversary. Negotiators representing both sides of the dispute met Friday afternoon to discuss both parties’ comprehensive proposals for a new contract for unionized library employees. Since the previous contract expired Sept. 30, the group has met over a dozen times, said Karen McAninch ’94, business agent for the library workers’ union. A federal mediator specializing in labor negotiations attended three of these meetings, she added. But negotiations have remained stagnant, with workers seeking opportunities for professional development, lower health insurance contributions, higher wage increases and union growth. The mediator asked both parties to come to Friday’s meeting with a new comprehensive proposal, she said. “The University has offered proposals on staffing issues for the union to consider, particularly of professional

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Janus Forum sexual assault event sparks controversy

RUGBY

development opportunities,” wrote Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, in an email to The Herald. Mark Baumer, a library guide at the Sciences Library and member of the negotiating team, said the University’s suggestions contained “nothing really major on staffing, and they left all their cutbacks on the table.” Representatives from the University’s side of negotiations have agreed to several of the union’s demands, including spreading out health care costs for employees who work nine months out of the year and allowing Annex employees more flexible hours. McAninch said union workers are frustrated that the University has not yet filled all open staffing positions — there are five open positions and the University has not agreed to fill two of them with permanent, unionized employees. One position will be filled by a permanent, but seasonal employees at the circulation desk of the Rock, she said, and the University offered to fill another position temporarily for four years — a proposal the union finds unacceptable, McAninch said. In response, the union is proposing to shorten the contract to a one-year agreement to help address current delays in the process of filling vacant positions, McAninch said. “We’re not getting any real progress on the staffing front,” she said. McAninch will meet individually with Paul Mancini, director of labor and employee relations, and the mediator on Tuesday, McAninch said. “Staffing decisions must take into » See PROTEST, page 2

Students create alternative events as Paxson condemns speaker’s argument

ORLANDO LUIS PARDO LAZO / HERALD

The women’s rugby team dominated its opponents all the way to the ACRA Round of 8, but finally met its match in Quinnipiac Sunday afternoon.

Spotless season ends with playoff defeat After rolling Navy, Bears fall to Quinnipiac in Round of 8 for first loss since jump to varsity By LAINIE ROWLAND SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The women’s rugby players began their season as a first-time varsity squad, crossing their fingers that they could beat Harvard in their opener and earn a place in history as the winners of the first Ivy varsity rugby match. They topped the Crimson and have not looked back since, sprinting to the head of the Ivy League with an undefeated regular season. But after being crowned conference champions, the Bears reached the end of their season this weekend, faltering in the Round of 8 in the

national American College Rugby Association tournament. Bruno defeated Navy in the Round of 16 Saturday before losing to a tough Quinnipiac squad Sunday. Despite the season-ending loss, this year’s team has earned its place in rugby history and reasserted its position at the forefront of the national collegiate rugby scene. “No one expected us to make it this far in our first varsity season,” said co-captain Oksana Goretaya ’17. “The most important and impressive thing we did this weekend was that we played as a team. We’ve been playing that way this entire season, and that’s why we got this far.” Saturday: Brown 41, Navy 7 The Bears entered ACRA Regionals seeded first, facing the » See RUGBY, page 8

By CAMILLA BRANDFIELD-HARVEY AND CAROLINE KELLY SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

A Janus Forum debate titled “How Should Colleges Handle Sexual Assault?” that will take place in Salomon 101 Tuesday has incited controversy among some students, prompting a community-wide email from President Christina Paxson this weekend and the creation of alternative events. Some students have voiced opposition to the nature of the debate between visiting speakers Jessica Valenti and Wendy McElroy, whom Janus Forum fellows director Dana Schwartz ’15 said were chosen as representatives of conflicting viewpoints on campus sexual assault and rape culture. Their opposition sparked the staging of two additional events — at the same time as the debate, a faculty member will present research on rape culture in Wilson, and BWell Health Promotion will host a “safe space” for emotional support in Salomon. Valenti founded Feministing.com in 2004 and has written five books, including “The Purity Myth” and “Full Frontal Feminism.” McElroy is a controversial » See JANUS, page 5

Four U. Majority of undergrads oppose reserving spots for athletes Most varsity athletes favor studies under Varsity athlete recruitment admission slots, which Do you approve or disapprove of admission slots being enable teams to compete federal set aside for recruited varsity athletes? with peer squads, they say 36% investigation 35 percent U.S. House committee to determine whether research projects deserve NSF funds

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By KATE TALERICO

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By SARAH PERELMAN

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Varsity athletes disagree with the majority of other students on the University’s policy to reserve admission slots for recruited athletes. Among athletes, about 84 percent approve of the practice, while nearly 59 percent of non-athletes disapprove of the policy, according to a Herald poll conducted Oct. 22-23. Just 23 percent of non-athletes support the practice, while 18 percent expressed no opinion. In total, the majority of undergraduates — nearly 54 percent — disapprove of admission slots being reserved for varsity athletes. Thirty percent of the student body approves of the policy, and 16 percent reported having no opinion. “I can see why so many students would disagree with the policy,” said

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Commentary

Science & Research CPR training gives students an opportunity to learn the simple, life-saving procedure for free

Watson project elucidates war’s toll on the economy and soldiers’ health

Janus Forum: Paxson should not promote one form of discussion over another

Rotenberg ’17: Libertarian outlook may justify intervention to combat Islamic State

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Four research projects led by Brown faculty members are under investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, as part of a series of inquiries into grant selection details ­— including the names of peer reviewers — related to about 60 different National Science Foundation grants. » See INQUIRY, page 4

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STAFF WRITER

Shandell Scott ’17, a recruited track team member. “From their point of view, it’s unfair.” But, she added, recruiting is necessary to ensure that teams are competitive. “It’s a smart idea on the part of the school to (ensure) that an athlete has a spot there. It wouldn’t make sense for a coach to pursue someone, and then they don’t get in,” Scott said. Ben Maurey ’15.5, captain of the men’s soccer team, echoed Scott, noting “it would be hard to compete at a national level if we didn’t recruit.” Maurey, who is a two-year captain and starter, said that players like him wouldn’t have considered coming to a school like Brown if they hadn’t been recruited. Scott said she was not even aware of Brown before the recruitment process began. The University reduced the number of admission spots reserved for athletes from 225 to 205 over the last three years, as part of a series of measures to change the athletics department that former President Ruth Simmons proposed in » See ATHLETES, page 2 t o d ay

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