YALE DAILY NEWS · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015 · yaledailynews.com
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“Recognize yourself in he and she who are not like you and me.” CARLOS FUENTES MEXICAN WRITER
CORRECTION TUESDAY, FEB. 17
A previous version of the article “With new research, toasting to health” misstated the recipe for the vodka cranberries used in this study. The drink was made not with four parts vodka to one part sugar-free cranberry juice, but rather three parts cranberry juice to one part vodka.
Foreign language enrollment examined BY EMMA PLATOFF STAFF REPORTER Language course enrollments may be dropping across the country, but many of Yale’s foreign language departments have held on to student interest. Last week, the Modern Language Association — a scholarly organization that promotes language and literature study through publications and advocacy work — released a survey that measured foreign language enrollment at American colleges and universities, comparing trends across languages like Korean and Russian. Language enrollment nationwide fell nearly 7 percent between 2009 and 2013 despite multiple periods of growth since 2002. While overall enrollment in Yale College foreign language courses has also dropped since 2009, many other trends summarized in the report do not hold true at Yale. “It could be that with the ever-increasing use of English globally, students may see less of a need to study a foreign language,” Director of Undergraduate Studies for French Christopher Semk said. “Especially now that more students and parents see college as a means to a highpaying job, they don’t necessarily see the influence of language study — especially when you can do work abroad in English.” On a similar note, MLA Executive Director Rosemary Feal told the Chronicle of Higher Education last week that the decrease could be explained by increased student enrollment in career-oriented subjects, such as business, which leave little time for language classes. Still, others said it is difficult to know what is behind the trend. “I have no idea what accounts for these broad shifts — if, in fact, they are taking place — nor does anyone else,” East Asian Languages and Literatures DUS Seth Jacobowitz said, noting that the subject has drawn increased attention of late. Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl, director of Yale’s Center for Language Study, said it is hard to say whether these numbers
reflect an ongoing trend or mere fluctuations in language enrollment. Jacobowitz added that Yale students often enter college with strong language backgrounds — something that both the study and Spanish DUS Susan Byrne corroborated — so small declines in elementary courses do not necessarily indicate less overall interest. Still, despite the overall decrease, numbers for individual language courses have fluctuated at Yale and beyond. The MLA survey indicated increased enrollments in languages such as Korean, American Sign Language, Portuguese and Chinese. In the case of Korean, this increase was as large as 44.7 percent. Yale’s Korean enrollment, meanwhile, has shown an overall positive, if erratic trend since the 2009–10 academic year. Portuguese enrollment has also been unpredictable. Portuguese DUS David Jackson said registration numbers generally hover around 60 per semester, but spiked to 120 two years ago before returning to normal levels this spring. But other languages saw decreased interest nationally. Ancient Greek enrollments, for example, have fallen 35.5 percent nationwide since 2009, but, according to Classics DUS Emily Greenwood, ancient Greek enrollments at Yale have been “modest but steady” during the same period. And though it remains the most-studied language at Yale and in the United States, Spanish has seen an 8.2 percent fall in nationwide enrollment. Russian enrollments have decreased about 18 percent since 2009, according to the survey, but Slavic Languages and Literatures Senior Lector Irina Dolgova said beginning Russian enrollments are about 30 percent higher at Yale this year. The increased interest, she said, could be due to Russia’s recent prominence in political news. This MLA report is the 23rd of its kind to be released by the association. Contact EMMA PLATOFF at emma.platoff@yale.edu .
CT senators propose body cameras for cops BY STEPHANIE ADDENBROOKE STAFF REPORTER Nine Connecticut state senators, responding to national conversations about police brutality, have introduced a bill that would begin a pilot program requiring police officers to wear body cameras while on patrol. The legislation, introduced at a public hearing on Feb. 17, would create a oneyear program to study the outcomes when municipal police officers wear body cameras. According to the bill, the program would pilot in three cities, which are yet to be announced, of varying sizes with the goal of establishing a state-wide standard for when a camera should be turned on. The bill would also mandate an evaluation of the different available technologies. One of the senators introducing the bill, state Sen. Marilyn Moore, a Democrat representing Bridgeport, Trumbull and a portion of Monroe, said in an email that the bill has been introduced because of a “public outcry” against police brutality against minorities. Moore added that the use of body cameras has already proved successful in improving policing in cities across California, most notably in Rialto — a city 60 miles due east of Los Angeles, and so Connecticut should do the same. “Passing this piece of legislation would be beneficial for both parties involved; it serves as another form of protection,” she said. At the public hearing Tuesday, Mayor Toni Harp testified in favor of the bill. She said awareness of the camera and knowledge that a recording is being made can alter behaviors and prevent a situation from escalating to a point where force might be necessary. Furthermore, a recording of the circumstances, Harp said, would prove “invaluable” during follow-up analyses of events, providing a clear picture of what happened and when. Some police departments in Connecticut have been looking to use police cameras independent of both the legislation and unrest over police brutality in Fer-
guson, Missouri and Staten Island, New York. Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley said the Hartford Police Department has been looking into using body cameras since 2012. Currently, Hartford City Council members are deciding whether to enforce complete use of body cameras across the police force. While Foley said he does not know how these cameras would work if they were required for all department officers, reports and studies show that citizen complaints drop significantly after implementation. In Rialto, a study by the Police Foundation revealed that in the first year after the cameras were introduced in February 2012, the number of complaints fell by 88 percent from the previous 12 months. The use of force fell by almost 60 percent over the same timeframe. “In our community, if our citizens want us to have [body cameras], we should listen to them and explore the options,” he said. According to Yale Deputy Press Secretary Karen Peart, the Yale Police Department, along with the New Haven Police Department and police departments in nearby towns, has already started examining the utility of body cameras. She said the YPD began a body camera pilot program in 2013 and currently has 10 body cameras for its officers. On Dec. 1, 2014, a press release from the White House said President Barack Obama proposed a three-year investment of $75 million to increase the use of body-worn cameras across the nation. The investment would support a new Body Worn Camera Partnership Program, which would match 50 percent of funds to certain states and localities, which together could purchase over 50,000 body-worn cameras. On Dec. 18, Obama signed an executive order establishing the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which would advise the President on reducing crime while maintaining a level of trust between police officers and their communities. On Jan. 31, Police Foundation President Jim Bueermann, a California police
officer who has seen implementation of the cameras, testified in front of the task force. He said that while body cameras have many benefits, a lot more research needs to be done into their usage and potential. “It is important to remember that no single technology is going serve as the panacea to the tension that exists today between the police and many of the communities they protect,” he told the task force. Foley said there are many downsides to these cameras that have yet to be explored. He specifically said he does not know how the use of cameras could affect young training officers, for whom a recording of a moment of misjudgment could completely change their career options. Furthermore, he said citizens who wish to report a crime may feel less inclined to do so if they think their identity would be revealed through recorded video. However, state Sen. Gary Winfield, who represents New Haven and Hamden, an African-American man who grew up in the Bronx and one of the nine who introduced this legislation, said having body cameras will help make citizens feel that interacting with law enforcement will not end in a physical and potentially deadly scenario. “Every time I leave my home, even to take out the trash, I carry identification,” he said. “I carry this because of my experience growing up in New York where the same people we called on in times of need were the very people we were afraid to interact with: the police.” Harp encouraged those at the Tuesday hearing to experiment with the cameras, and support the pilot program introduced by the nine Connecticut senators. “Let’s underscore our commitment to the idea that municipal police officers, sworn to prevent crime as well as enforce the law, are an extension of our community, accountable to all its members, and willing to be on record about it,” she said. Contact STEPHANIE ADDENBROOKE at stephanie.addenbrooke@yale.edu .
YALE DAILY NEWS
State senators have introduced a bill that would establish a pilot program requiring police officers to wear body cameras while on patrol.
Blumenthal, immigrants denounce Texas court decision BY MRINAL KUMAR STAFF REPORTER Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal LAW ’73 slammed the Texas Federal Court’s recent decision to halt President Barack Obama’s immigration reform during a Wednesday morning roundtable discussion with New Haven immigration activists and undocumented immigrant families. On Nov. 20, 2014, Obama
announced an executive action that would provide deportation relief to up to 4.4 million people nationally. He implemented the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program to protect certain parents of U.S. citizens and expanded eligibility for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects undocumented youth who came to the country as children. On Tues-
day, the Texas Attorney General, joined by over 20 states, secured a temporary injunction on DAPA and the DACA expansion, dealing a major blow to national immigration reform. The first applications for the expanded DACA program were to be accepted yesterday. “The Texas court decision is wrong,” Blumenthal said at the roundtable discussion in New Haven. “This decision unfortunately is the result more of the bias
MRINAL KUMAR/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
A national survey found language class enrollment is on the decline.
than the facts of law. I’ve encouraged the administration to appeal, and I will support that appeal.” According to Blumenthal, the Texas court judge hearing the decision has previously said Obama’s immigration policies endanger America and enable criminals to enter the country. Blumenthal stressed that the court decision is just a temporary delay in the push for permanent immigration reform and reflects a setback in the court process. Many local immigrants, accompanied by their families, shared their stories at the roundtable discussion. Jose Piscil, a New Haven factory worker currently going through deportation proceedings, said the ruling has the greatest impact on youth immigrants. “All of our children are American citizens,” Piscil said as he pointed to his three babies. “They have the right to live here as an American would. I am very angry that this happened, and I will fight because this is something that came out of racism.” Luis Luna, a member of the local immigrant rights group Unidad Latina en Acción, came to the U.S. in 1997 when he was 13 years old. He said he was fortunate enough to legalize his status, but he intends to fight for the millions of families whose rights are being impeded by the court order. He emphasized the need to battle
what he called “hateful rhetoric and hateful action.” Kica Matos, the director of Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice at the national Center for Community Change, said she fears that undocumented immigrants would be deterred from applying to programs like DACA because of the court’s decision. “We need to instill a sense of confidence that the law is on our side,” said Matos. “We need as many people that are trustworthy and leaders in our community to spread the word.” Matos’ sentiment was echoed by several other activists at the table, including Maria Praeli and Junior Sierra, members of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation. They are also Dreamers — the term used for undocumented immigrant youths. Praeli, who met with Obama earlier this month to discuss immigration reform, stressed the need for immigrants to move forward and apply for DACA despite the threat of possible deportation. She said Obama told her that increasing the number of people who apply for DACA would make it harder for congressman or judges to invalidate the program. Ingrid Alvarez, Connecticut state director of the Hispanic Federation, said the fear of deportation deters immigrant fami-
lies from fighting for their rights. She said Connecticut needs a task force to create resources, education and training for immigrants to ensure that they are not exploited. Connecticut has long been a leader in immigration reform, according to Megan Fountain ’07, a ULA organizer. In 2013, Connecticut became the first state to pass the TRUST Act, which allows state agencies to submit to Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s request to detain an individual only if there is a serious felony conviction. Police in New Haven were instructed not to query about immigrant status, so that immigrants could feel safe seeking police protection. Currently, the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance and the ULA are working with state legislation to improve the TRUST Act. Blumenthal pledged his best effort to keeping Connecticut at the forefront of immigration reform. “I will do whatever it takes to encourage more families to apply, to protect them from fraud and exploitation, to urge federal authorities to pursue these remedies as quickly as possible and to speak with my colleagues so that they understand what is really at stake here,” Blumenthal said. Contact MRINAL KUMAR at mrinal.kumar@yale.edu .