M O N D A Y MARCH 10, 2003
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVIII, No. 32
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
BAA no longer backs off-campus Senior Nights
Underground opens doors, with changes
BY LOTEM ALMOG
BY LOTEM ALMOG
Senior Nights and Senior Week in 2003 will face imminent changes, thanks to a revamping of the Brown Alumni Association’s policies regarding senior class events. As a temporary policy, some off-campus senior events will no longer be sponsored by the BAA, wrote senior class presidents Benjamin Dalley ’03 and Mumal Hemrajani ’03 in an e-mail to the class sent late Sunday night. The issue of transportation to these events has not yet been resolved, Hemrajani told The Herald. Over the past 10 years, the senior class has formed a relationship with the Alumni Association where the two organizations work together in planning events during the year as well as Senior Week, said Lisa Raiola ’84, vice president for Alumni Relations. In the past, the BAA provided busing for students to off-campus bars and clubs, Dalley told The Herald late last week. The policy originated in the hopes that busing would minimize the risk of drunk driving and thus provide a safe environment for Brown students to commune, Raiola said. The BAA began to reevaluate this policy following an incident at a club night last November. Senior class officers organized a senior night at Hot Club in downtown Providence. When the club closed around 1 a.m., a fight broke out among some Johnson and Wales students at a nearby bar, Dalley said. The fight grew in scope until the altercation ended up in front of Hot Club and the Brown students waiting to be bused back to campus, Raiola said. “It was like in a movie where everyone is outside fighting,” she said. Raiola added that some students were removed in handcuffs. Shortly thereafter, another altercation ensued between one of the bus drivers employed by the BAA and some Johnson and Wales students in a Jeep. The result was a minor automobile accident in which no one was injured, Dalley said. Following these incidents, the BAA decided the liability risks were too severe to continue sponsoring such off-campus events. The BAA will not sponsor off-campus events that involve alcohol, such as bar and club nights, Hemrajani said. “We were lucky that no students were injured, and you have to ask yourself how long our luck will last,” Raiola said. “Do I want to be in a situation where I have to call a parent the next day and say ‘Sorry, your son or daughter was hurt last night — or worse, even killed.’” The BAA is a completely independent organization from the University and does not have the same coverage policies the University does, Raiola said. Hemrajani said the senior class will use funds from an independent account to provide for senior events not sponsored by the BAA. She said senior officers plan to continue the tradition of Senior Nights to compliment events held through the BAA.
The Underground opened its doors for the first time in 2003 on Friday night, but not without some drastic changes in policy and atmosphere. The Brown administration allowed the Underground to reopen on the condition that only patrons aged 21 and above would be permitted to enter, according to Underground manager Ally Dickie ’03. Four bands performed at the Underground on Friday night as part of a show sponsored by Brown Student Radio. By the time the second band took the stage, there were about 30 people in the bar. Most of them, however, were either band members or Underground employees. When asked why he chose to come to the Underground Friday night as opposed to some other establishment, a student said, “because a lot of my friends work here.” The student added that he enjoys the familiarity of the Underground. “It’s home base — I don’t have to bring a gun.” The exclusion of underage students at the Underground will present a challenge in attracting customers, Dickie said. “The students were very opposed to limiting entrance to students who are 21 plus,” she added. In the past, the Underground was open to all students, with those 21 and over wearing wristbands that allowed them to purchase alcohol. On Friday, students were asked to pres-
Photo courtesy of Rishi Sanyal
At Saturday’s SASA cultural show “Zamana,” Seema Vora ’06 and Neha Mehrotra ’05 dance to a medley of Bollywood songs.
SASA show wows crowd BY DANA GOLDSTEIN
With the exuberance of a pep rally and the talent and beauty of a full-scale theatrical production, “Zamana,” this year’s South Asian Students Association Cultural Show, blew away a sold-out crowd Saturday in Salomon 101. Celebrating the religious ARTS & and cultural traditions of CULTURE South Asia, dozens of stuREVIEW dents performed a variety of dances, readings and guitar improvisations. The evening’s theme, “Zamana” (“generation,”) was reflected through modern and traditional music and dance styles, as well as commentary on growing up South Asian in the United States. Masters of Ceremony Mumal Hemrajani ’03, Arjuna Kuperan ’04 and Ashwin Cheriyan ’04 skillfully juggled the evening’s rapid-fire switches between farce, showmanship and serious social commentary. Well-dressed and well received, the three proved adept at the all-important job of stalling during costume changes. Their talents were best displayed in a series of hysterical videos. One depicted the emcees surveying Thayer Street denizens on their knowledge of Indian dance. Another, interspersed throughout the show, was entitled “Brown” Date and mildly critiqued parental matchmaking. Dance was the primary medium of “Zamana,” and a diversity of styles was presented. “Raas — That Stick Dance,” the first number of the show, drew its power from the rhythmic hand acrobatics of couples striking sticks together. Other stand-out dances performed by large groups included “Hubba Hubba …
Hawa Hawa!” a couples’ dance that recreated the drama of Bollywood love and “Apna Sangeet, Apna Shaan,” a bhangra, or dance style, from the Indian state of Punjab that displayed amazing gymnastics reminiscent of a co-ed cheerleading squad. For pure spirit, both the senior and first-year classes must be commended for the numbers that closed the first and second acts. With as many as 20 dancers filling the stage with glittering costumes and oversized movements, the larger dances often showcased more activity than an audience member could properly take in. “Hypnatyam: Dheem ta Dare,” a performance of the ancient South Indian dance style Bharatanatyam and set to contemporary Carnatic music, was able to steal the show with its slower, more precise choreography. The number featured Praveen Basaviah ’05, Medha Devanagondi ’05, Leena Sastry ’03 and Seema Vora ’06. It was choreographed by Basaviah and Sastry, who did an excellent job of creating neat, geometric formations for the dancers to fill. Another highlight was “Kaahe Chhed Mohe (Why do you tease me?),” performed by Herald Senior Editor Kavita Mishra ’04. The North Indian classical dance form Kathak features a blend of Hindu and Muslim cultures. Beginning with a narration by Mallika Mendu ’04, the dance portrayed a somewhat flirtatious relationship between the Hindu god Krishna and his childhood friend Radha. Mishra was able to deftly illustrate the story using her hands, facial expressions and beautifully swirling red
see UNDERGROUND, page 4
Panelists discuss ethnic studies and student activism BY ALEX PALMER
A group of five panelists discussed the definition of ethnic studies and the role student activism plays in the fight for ethnic studies at a Friday event of the “Race, Globalization and the New Ethnic Studies” conference. The visibility of activism for ethnic studies has moved in cycles throughout the years, said Professor of Africana Studies Rhett Jones M.A., Ph.D. ’72, who came to Brown in 1969 and has continued to be an active part of the community. He said the structure of ethnic studies has become more conservative over the years. “It looks more like pre-1968 now,” Jones said. Panelists said an established student organization is necessary to combat the lulls in activism caused by students perpetually graduating, said Miabi Chatterji ’02. Several panelists, including Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College Tony Affigne ’76 M.A. ’91 Ph.D. ’92, agreed more student organization was vital to the efforts of activism on university campuses. Chatterji and panel chair Nikhil Laud ’03 said student activism is still a part of the ethnic studies agenda. “Much of what
see SASA, page 4
see SENIOR NIGHTS, page 4
see ETHNIC, page 5
I N S I D E M O N D AY, M A RC H 1 0 , 2 0 0 3 “Six Characters” proves a worthwhile show of wild antics and interpretation arts and culture,page 3
Sanders Kleinfeld ’03 says he sees flaws in the arguments against affirmative action opinions,page 7
Schuyler von Oeyen ’05 says Bush should be certain we have backup before war in Iraq opinions, page 7
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Men’s hoops sets school record with 12-2 record in the Ivy League and has a chance at NIT sports, page 8
Equestrian team finishes strong season placing first in Regional I Zone I sports, page 8
mostly sunny high 29 low 14