M O N D A Y NOVEMBER 4, 2002
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 105
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
Simmons honored by NAACP, speaks to local chapter about education,diversity BY CASSIE RAMIREZ
Beth Farnstrom / Herald
ROCK ON Brown Concert Angency sponsored a concert series Sunday night at Production Workshop.
President Ruth Simmons announced the University will unveil plans to support education in Rhode Island Friday night at “Freedom Under Fire,” the NAACP’s Providence branch’s 93rd Annual Freedom Fund Dinner. Simmons, who was honored with an award at the event, spoke about education, diversity and Brown’s place in the academic world. The best defense against terrorism, she quoted NAACP Chair Julian Bond as saying, is an affirmation of American values. “To insure ourselves against intolerance. We must educate ourselves as much as possible,” Simmons said. Simmons said the basic civil right of all children is the right to the highest quality of education available. “After all, knowledge is freedom,” she said. With the lack of proper education comes the inability to remain a “peaceful, orderly society, Simmons said. “What can we do? We are at a threshold of tremendous opportunity,” she said. She said that improving education is a process that must involve everyone, including students and staff at Brown. “We have a moral obligation to work with the community and civil leaders,” she said. Simmons also offered the University’s expertise “where it’s appropriate to act in this area.” In the coming months, she said, the University will reveal a number of steps it is taking to support education in Rhode Island. “We’ve got to invest to make a difference,” she said. see NAACP, page 6
Health Services seeks to expand offerings with limited fund increases With only a small budget increase at Health Services, students will have to wait until next year for Brown’s medical provider to offer longer hours BY MARIA DI MENTO
As the costs of health care swell, Health Services will not see a notable increase in its annual budget next year despite efforts to expand hours and services. Health Services’ budget for Fiscal Year 2003 is $4,493,246, a small increase from its 2002 budget of $4,259,520, said Barbara Fields, Health Services director for administration and planning. The roughly $4.5 million covers significantly more than patient care and office expenses at Andrews House, where Health Services is located. Health Services’ budget acts as an umbrella fund, providing financial support for Psychological Services and the University’s Emergency Medical Services, and Fields said a small portion of the budget gets rolled into funding for the Office of Student Life, which works closely with Health Services. Health Services recently conducted health education programs in campus residence halls, and is looking to find more efficient ways to accommodate students. “My guess is that in five years, we’ll probably function in the same student-based way that we do now, but we’ll be open longer hours,” said Director of Health Services Dr. Edward Wheeler. Wheeler said students have been asking for extended hours of operation beyond Health Services usual 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. weekday hours. Both Wheeler and Fields
said that as part of Health Services’ plans for the future, they will continue to provide walk-in care, but along with extended hours, they eventually hope to move toward allowing students to set up same-day appointments. But Wheeler said this is not something that is going to happen immediately. To provide longer hours of operation and scheduled appointments, Wheeler and Fields agree that Health Services needs an adequate increase in staffing, but will need to stay within budget. One of Health Services’ newest improvements is the expansion of its Web site last year and this year’s newly added health education site. The health education site provides students with information about alcohol and drug use, nutrition, sexual issues, general health and related links. Wheeler said the new Web site is part of a growing trend that appeals to students who prefer to get their information over the Web. It saves money because Health Services can cut down on costly printed brochures now that so many people are using the Web site, Wheeler said. The new site helps Health Services reach more people than in previous years, and Wheeler and Fields attribute some of this to the privacy the Web site offers. As Brown departments work to consider how President Ruth Simmons’ Academic Enrichment plan will determine various areas of funding in the future, Wheeler and Fields said they don’t think Health Services will experience any drastic changes in funding, and Wheeler said he doesn’t think the auxiliary enterprises will be affected. Wheeler acknowledged that if Health Services is worried about anything, it’s the ability to fund a future increase in staffing. “Even if we have to tighten our belt a little, we support the president’s plan,” he said.
Panelists say pressures on interracial couples come from wide variety of sources BY JULIA ZUCKERMAN
Students debated the sources of and responses to challenges facing interracial couples at the forum “Interracial Dating, Interracial Desire” Friday evening. Seventeen panelists on two consecutive panels responded to comments from members of the audience and questions posed by facilitator Barbara Tannenbaum, professor of theater, speech and dance. The lively and vocal audience filled the seats and aisles of Salomon 001. The panelists said interracial couples face special pressures, but disagreed as to whether those pressures are externally or internally imposed. “My decision to date a person outside of my race does not mean I completely understand that person’s culture,” said one audience member. “I’m always cautious of people dating me because I’m a black male, or because they want to understand what being black means.” Another audience member said she was suspicious of people who see interracial dating as a way of “crossing cultures or crossing boundaries,” or showing that they’re open-minded. “Exotification is a part of it,” said panelist Chanda Brown ’05. “I dated a white male who would refer to me as his ‘black girlfriend,’” she said. Panelist Rey Gomez ’04 said he tries to ignore racial categories in personal relationships, and said society imposes the label of “interracial” on the relationship. Parental disapproval “definitely makes the relationship
I N S I D E M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 0 2 Fifth annual Raagmaala show dazzles audience with classical Indian music page 3
Sunday’s ‘Transfigured Worlds’ features romantic and classical music and poetry page 3
Students say rewarding on-campus jobs are hard to find but worth the effort page 5
see INTERRACIAL, page 6
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Sam Hodges ’04 calls for arming Brown Police and training officers to deal with diversity guest column, page 11
Football loses to dominant Penn offense, continuing losing season sports, page 12
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