M O N D A Y NOVEMBER 11, 2002
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVII, No. 110
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
Simmons hopes to raise $1 billion during 10-year presidency BY CARLA BLUMENKRANZ
Beth Farnstrom / Herald
RIGHT ON CUE Local pool sharks gathered at the Graduate Center Bar Sunday night for their championship match.The bar hosts the Providence Pool League championships yearly.
Focus on leadership, Alcoa Chief Belda tells students Belda, a Brazilian national, delivered the keynote address for International Scholarship Week on Saturday BY JUAN NUÑEZ
Alain Belda, CEO of Alcoa, the world’s largest U.S.-owned company, discussed the importance of strong leadership in the contemporary world at the keynote address for the International Scholarship Week Saturday in Solomon 001. Belda, a Brazilian national, heads the 110-year-old, $23 billion-a-year organization, which is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. “People like me are waiting for people like you — the next wave of leaders,” he said. Belda said three things are necessary to keep a company together: vision, underlying principles and leadership. He frequently supported his conclusions with anecdotal evidence, and he used his own experience to illustrate his beliefs. “Vision is what gets everyone together,” he said. He added that in Alcoa’s case, the purpose is to be the best company in the world, guided by a quest for excellence and profitability. “Underlying principles is a system that aims for perfection,” he said. In Alcoa’s case, Belda mentioned the importance of maximum output at lowest cost. Belda discussed the convergence of these two factors as a catalyst for creating a successful company. “What makes a company is people who give their hearts and brains to their work,” he said. When speaking of leadership, Belda stressed the necessity of humility in a leader. “Leadership is a concession given to you by your followers,” he said. Belda added that a good leader is both driven by an aspiration to greatness and can help other people achieve their own level of greatness. Among the questions posed to Belda during the ques-
tion-and-answer session was his opinion of a leader’s role in the teaching of values. He replied that the only way to articulate values in a secular society was by living one’s values and serving as an example for others to follow. Belda said students must resist “the temptation of dispersion,” given all the opportunities one is afforded at an institution such as Brown. “Resist the temptation to spread yourself too thin,” he said. Belda was also asked where he received guidance and which leaders he found inspirational. He replied that “no one has the whole answer” and that the only way to measure a leader is by seeing how they respond to particular situations. Belda said General Electric CEO Jack Welch had done a great job in overlooking the transition from a mature industrial company to a financial institution. “It’s like cooking — you can buy the recipe, but the result will vary depending on who cooks it,” he said. A leader, Belda said, acknowledges there is no such thing as a new idea, only “combination(s) of two old ideas that intersect at the right moment.” A member of the predominantly international audience asked Belda his opinion on “brain drain,” or the flight of the educated classes from their native, less-developed countries to more developed ones. Belda, who has been offered and has declined the position of Brazil’s secretary of state on various occasions, said people must ask themselves how they can improve a situation by being involved in it. He said he felt his commitments to his own company and his lack of qualifications for the secretary of state position would have prevented him from doing the best job he could. “Think of the best you can do for humanity and yourself,” he said. “Don’t forget where you came from, but also be aware that you have to live your own life.” Herald staff writer Juan Nuñez ’03 can be reached at jnuñez@browndailyherald.com.
I N S I D E M O N D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 2 New coffee table book provides glimpse into year in the life of Brown University page 3
‘Toward Uncertainty’ debuts to much delight at David Winton Bell Gallery review,page 5
Adam Stern ’06 says society should reexamine its obsession with fitness column,page 11
President Ruth Simmons broadly laid out plans for an ambitious presidency, encompassing a capital campaign to raise about $1 billion and the development of new, interdisciplinary graduate programs, in a recent interview with The Herald. Simmons’ plans were first reported by a Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo, following her October acceptance of an honorary doctorate from Ewha Women’s University in South Korea. She plans to hold the University presidency for about 10 years because “that would be enough time to accomplish some of the things that need to be done,” she said. Simmons’ predecessor, Gordon Gee, served from 1998 to 2000 and holds the record for the shortest Brown presidency. The longest-serving University president was Francis Wayland, who held office from 1827 to 1855. During those 10 years, Simmons plans to spearhead a major capital campaign, which is currently in the planning stages. Though she said the University probably will not set a target for the campaign for at least another year, Simmons expects to raise about $1 billion, as reported by the Korean press. “In the last five years, most university campaigns have been in the billion-dollar range,” she said. “So I think it’s a safe assumption that Brown’s campaign will be in that range.” Universities that completed or are currently conductsee SIMMONS, page 4
600 high school students join Brown Model U.N. for mock conference BY CASSIE RAMIREZ
Over 600 high school students from across the United States became international diplomats and statesmen this weekend as part of a three-day mock conference sponsored by Brown Model United Nations. Students participated in one of 15 committees, each chaired by a Brown Model U.N. member with experience in that area. Committees included NATO, the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the U.N. Security Council. In one simulation, student delegates to NATO were faced with Chechen rebels who took an international school hostage in Russia. Delegates voted on amendments, submitted proposals, held caucuses and were monitored by two chairmen. “The chairmen were amazing,” said Nadan Sehic, a high school sophomore from Kingston, Pa. “They were very educated.” Sehic represented Russia in the NATO simulation. “Compared to the other conferences I’ve been to, Brown’s was definitely the best,” Sehic said. “It’s been really fun,” said Sarah Isquick, a high school junior from Beechwood, Ohio. “You get to meet a lot of difsee CONFERENCE, page 4
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Kate Schrire ’06 says being pro-choice is about preserving bodily control for women column, page11
Football continues winless season with loss at home to Yale University sports, page 15
windy high 73 low 48