T H E O L D E ST C O L L E G E DA I LY · FO U N D E D 1 8 7 8
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012 · VOL. CXXXV, NO. 38 · yaledailynews.com
INSIDE THE NEWS MORNING EVENING
RAINY THUNDER
65 67
CROSS CAMPUS
RACE MEETS SEX WHY WE LIKE WHAT WE LIKE
LAST COMIC
FOOTBALL
CATHOLICS
Bowers, Arieh-Lerer will perform at the YCC’s Fall Show
BULLDOGS LOOK TO END FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK
Controversial theologian speaks at St. Thomas More
PAGE B3 WEEKEND
PAGE 5 NEWS
PAGE 12 SPORTS
PAGE 7 NEWS
Ginsburg visits campus
She belongs with us. One hardcore Taylor Swift fan has launched an online petition urging the country sensation to headline Spring Fling, which the petition claimed would reach its full potential only if Swift performed as the headlining act. As of Thursday night, the effort already garnered 100 supporters, all of whom signed a pledge dubbing Swift the “lyrical songbird of our generation.” No word from Swift yet, but will the sparks fly?
BY MATTHEW LLOYD-THOMAS CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Already in the midst of restructuring, Connecticut’s public higher education system was thrown into turmoil last Friday by the resignation of Robert Kennedy, president of the State’s Board of Regents for Higher Education. Under pressure from Conn. Gov. Dannel Malloy, Kennedy resigned last week after spending a week trying to explain his illegal approval of a series of raises to staff members totaling $260,000 as well as accusations of attempting to push out the presidents of the state’s 12 community colleges. Board of Regents Executive Vice President Michael Meotti, who was given a $47,000 raise, resigned last week as well. Former University of Connecticut President Philip Austin, who was recommended to serve as interim president by the Board of Regents following the resignations, will replace Kennedy.
Tear down this wall! Saybrook
College held a dedication ceremony Thursday night in celebration of a new wall installed in its dining hall that separates the serving area from the dining area — effectively cutting off sugar-craving students’ access to soda as they complete their late-night studies in the Saybrook dining hall. It remains unclear how Saybrugians feel about the new barrier, but for now, it seems the Great Wall of Saybrook is here to stay.
Write out loud. A group of Yalies held an “interactive protest” on Cross Campus Thursday afternoon, urging passersby to contribute to the effort by writing messages on a collective dry-erase board. The messages — which included “love is powerful” and the word “protest” — would then be chanted in unison by the demonstrators, who displayed drums, white boards and colorful clothing. But, when one student wrote “silent protest” on the board, the chanting abruptly stopped. Closing the gap. Senate
candidate Chris Murphy (D) has pulled ahead of Linda McMahon (R), according to the latest poll conducted by the University of Connecticut and the Hartford Courant. Of the more than 500 likely voters polled, 44 percent said they would support Murphy while 38 percent said they would vote for McMahon.
Ballot bust. After a referendum was accidentally left off New Haven absentee ballots to be used in the upcoming election, Elm City officials have started working to reprint and re-mail the ballots. The cost of the effort is still unknown, but officials say monetary factors are secondary. “Democracy costs money,” said Alderman Doug Hausladen to the New Haven Register. Snail mail. The U.S. Postal
Service will shave off two hours from its daily weekday operations at the New Haven post office station, moving from eight hours of operation on Mondays to Fridays to just six. The normal weekend hours will remain unchanged.
THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY
1942 The University’s “apple pickers” meet to help “save the local apple crop.” All available men are asked by the Connecticut Farm Replacement Bureau to contribute to the effort. Submit tips to Cross Campus
crosscampus@yaledailynews.com
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CT education leadership in flux
[The change in leadership] is a big distraction from delivering higher education to Connecticut. ROBERTA WILLIS State representative, Connecticut
Distinguished Lecture in Women’s Rights at the Yale Law School on Friday in Battell Chapel. During the talk — moderated by Davenport Fellow Emily Bazelon, a senior editor at Slate Magazine and a senior research scholar at the Yale Law School — Ginsburg
The change in leadership comes just as the state’s public higher education system adjusts to a newly consolidated structure. The Board of Regents, which is comprised of 15 voting members, was created in 2011 to combine oversight of Connecticut’s four state universities, 12 community colleges and one online community college. “I’m discouraged,” Higher Education CoChair Representative Roberta Willis said. “This is a big distraction from delivering higher education in Connecticut.” Kennedy, who could not be reached
SEE GINSBURG PAGE 4
SEE INVESTIGATION PAGE 4
JOYCE XI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg spoke about recent rulings at a Davenport Master’s Tea Thursday. BY ALEX EPPLER CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told the audience at a Thursday Davenport Master’s Tea that if she had not entered the field of law, she would be a “great diva.” Before nearly 100 students and
faculty members, Ginsburg discussed topics ranging from her early career at the American Civil Liberties Union to her role as a leading female figure in the field of law. Ginsburg, who became the second woman ever to be appointed to the nation’s highest court in 1993, is currently on campus to deliver the inaugural Gruber
Veterans’ programs expanded
Malloy vows no new taxes BY JESSICA HALLAM CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
The state of Connecticut is implementing changes to how veterans are treated in the criminal justice system this month. The Act Concerning Pretrial Diversionary Programs, a bill that expands veterans’ access to programs supporting mental health services and alternatives to incarceration, came into effect at the start of this month after it was passed by the state legislature in May. The legislation was developed by the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, an organization that provides legal assistance to veterans, and the Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic. “The concern was that manifestations of [major depressive orders] would result in criminal behavior or criminal arrest of veterans, and we wanted to be sure that as a society, we are helping people get help rather than punishing them for their service,” said Margaret Middleton, the executive director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and a visiting lecturer at the Yale Law School. According to the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center as of February 2012, 21 percent of Connecticut veterans met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder and an additional 22 percent met partial criteria for the disorder, but fewer than half these veterans ultimately seek treatment. The center also said that Connecti-
With his promise last Thursday to keep tax rates at their current level, Gov. Dannel Malloy drew disparate reactions from state legislators — Democrats support Malloy’s tax plan while Republicans allege it is indicative of the governor’s future political ambition. Malloy made his pledge during a speech at the University of Hartford Construction Institute’s 18th annual State of the State event on Oct. 11, where he discussed his plans for Connecticut’s economic development. During his address, Malloy promised not to raise taxes in 2013— a welcome assurance to Connecticut residents who saw the biggest tax hike in the state’s history last year. Members of the Connecticut General Assembly, however, are in conflict over the solidity of Malloy’s promise. Some legislators and political observers claim the Governor’s new fiscal pledge may be politically and economically unfeasible, in practice only serving his long-term aspirations to public office. “I’ve come to the conclusion watching this governor fly all around the world — to Halifax, Beijing — it seems as if he has some sort of broader political motivation for himself,” said Gary Rose, chairman of the Department of Government and Politics at Sacred Heart University. “I talked to a state lawmaker not long ago who said on no uncertain terms this guy is already running for president.” Republican State Senator Len
SEE VETERANS PAGE 6
SEE MALLOY PAGE 6
BY DIANA LI STAFF REPORTER
CREATIVE COMMONS
Gov. Dannel Malloy said last week in his State of the State address that he will not raise taxes in 2013.