M O N D A Y APRIL 14, 2003
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVIII, No. 50
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
www.browndailyherald.com
Archer ’02 remembered as sincere and loyal friend BY LOTEM ALMOG
Friends remembered Michael Archer ’02, who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm on April 3, as one of the most sincere and loyal people they had ever met. “You looked in Courtesy of Katie Barry his eyes and all Michael Archer ’02 you saw was genuine kindness,” said friend Melissa Iachan ’03. “He was, without a doubt, the most genuine person you could ever meet. He put his (fraternity) brothers before himself. He thought of his friends before himself. He would answer a phone call at 3:30 a.m. and not question what it was about and help you out no matter what,” added Archer’s Theta Delta Chi fraternity brother, Tim Goobic ’04. An economics concentrator, Archer also played football in his first two years at Brown as a defensive lineman and served as vice president of Thete Delta Chi his sophomore year. “He had a great life and did everything as hard as he could — from school, to football, to a Sunday Dave Binder concert,” said Archer’s sophomore-year roommate Ihsan Speede ’02. Appropriately, Binder paid tribute to Archer at his Spring Weekend concert on Sunday. “This song goes out to all the friends of Michael Archer,” he said as he sang his rendition of “Lean on Me.” A number of concert attendees cried as Binder sang. “He was the sweetest, most wonderful person I’ve ever met. He was an angel on
Lisa Mandle / Herald
SPRING WEEKEND REVELERS, BEFORE AND AFTER Students on Wriston took advantage of the weekend’s precious few hours of sun amid a sea of red plastic cups and aluminum cans.
BEAN students work toward an eco-friendly office supplier BY LISA MANDLE
Students from Brown Environmental Action Network are working with Vice President for Finance Ellen O’Connor to create environmentally responsible specifications for Brown’s next office supply vendor. They hope to agree on the specifications by the end of the academic year. Brown’s three-year contract with Boise Cascade Corporation, worth
see ARCHER, page 6
Pulitzer Prizes for Brown graduates cause for celebration in English dept. BY JOANNE PARK
The Pulitzer Prizes for fiction and drama recently awarded to Brown graduates Jeffrey Eugenides ’83 and Nilo Cruz M.F.A. ’94, respectively, are cause for celebration for many within Brown’s Department of English and creative writing program. “I am thrilled and excited. I think there’s justice in this world. … I adore (Cruz’s) work and I adore him,” said Seaver Professor of English and 1998 Pulitzer Prize for drama winner Paula Vogel, who taught Cruz during his two years as a graduate student in the creative writing program. Cruz, who is currently working on the production of his new plays, “Lorca
in a Green Dress” and “Ybor City,” said he has yet to register the shock of hearing the Pulitzer Prize announced for his play “Anna in the Tropics.” “Certainly my life has changed. I think I’m completely in another world,” Cruz said. “In 24 hours, my life has changed.” “Anna in the Tropics,” set in Ybor City, Fla., in 1929, explores the lives of a family of Cuban-American cigar makers. Inside the factory where all of them work, a lector takes on the responsibility of reading to the workers, and chooses to read Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.”
approximately $1 million, expires this year, O’Connor said. Under the contract, Boise is Brown’s preferred supplier of paper, pencils, furniture and other office supplies. With a preferred vendor, Brown benefits from better pricing, delivery and automated service, she said. Bidding will begin this summer for the new contract, O’Connor said. BEAN began campaigning last fall for Brown to end its contract with Boise when it expires. “It’s our University and our tuition that is supporting a company most students would not support if they knew about its practices,” said BEAN member Noah Fulmer ’05. “(Boise) has shown consistent disregard for the environment,” he said. Boise’s current harvesting of oldgrowth forest is one of BEAN’s complaints against the supplier. Fulmer said he believes Boise’s definition of what constitutes old-growth forest is inadequate. Boise maintains its definition of oldgrowth forest — a forest of 5,000 acres or more with trees predominantly 200 to 1,000 years old — is based on the most commonly accepted definition of old-growth forest, said Boise spokesman Ralph Poore. Poore said Boise is phasing out oldgrowth harvesting by 2004, but is
Reduced budget means shorter Senior Week BY ZACH BARTER
Budget cutbacks mean this year’s commencement proceedings will include a shortened Senior Week with no honors convocation. Senior Week will run one day shorter than usual this year, the result of budget and staffing constraints in the Office of Alumni Relations, said Lisa Raiola ’84, vice president for alumni relations. The events, which in past years have taken place between the last Friday of finals and the Wednesday before commencement, will instead end on the Tuesday before commencement. see SENIORS, page 6
Saturday concert draws small crowd With student enthusiasm dampened by poor weather and a change of location, Saturday’s Spring Weekend concert in Meehan Auditorium drew about 2,000 students and community members — far fewer than in previous years, said Ellen Bak ’04 of Brown Concert Agency.
see PULITZER, page 4
see BCA, page 6 see PAPER, page 4
I N S I D E M O N D AY, A P R I L 1 4 , 2 0 0 3 Walter Feldman career retrospective shows the evolution of an artist, in Bell arts & culture, page 3
Director Todd Haynes ’85 talks about his artistic influences and upbringing arts & culture, page 5
Chris Senio ’04 thinks the Iraqi Information Minister needs his own reality show opinions, page 11
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T Brian Rainey ’04 thinks the purpose of the Easter holiday should be reconsidered opinions, page 11
Men’s tennis sweeps Penn and Princeton to remain unbeaten in league play sports, page 12
mostly sunny high 59 low 42