RISD
T H U R S D A Y
NEWS INSIDE
SEPTEMBER 11, 2003
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXXXVIII, No. 69
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
Student leaders call weekend assault a ‘hate crime’
More stringent visa regulations prevent some students from returning BY JOANNE PARK
An estimated four or five students were not able to receive their student visas in time for Brown’s academic year, according to John Eng-Wong, director of Foreign Students, Faculty and Staff Services at Brown. Universities have faced stricter rules governing their foreign students, including legislation requiring universities to register foreign students in a national database that keeps track of their movements within the United States. The recent legislation has led to delays for some students before they can enter the country to study. Taimoor Sobhan ’06.5 is no stranger to visa application issues. A citizen of both Italy and Bangladesh, he encountered problems entering the United States due to delays in the visa application process. “The day before I was about to leave for the States, (the embassy) called me up and said, ‘We’re not going to give you your visa,’” Sobhan said. Sobhan received his visa to study in the United States in November, almost half a year after he applied in June 2002. Brown allowed him to begin his first year in college in January, an option normally prohibited for other students. “Every time I land in the States, I am fingerprinted and photographed,” Sobhan said. “I have to make sure to tell INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) where I’m going, what I’m doing and all of my numbers.” Muslim nationals who are males between the ages of 16 and 45 are particularly at risk for visa delays, Sobhan said. “When I get my bags from the airport, there’s a card inside them, reading ‘The Department of Homeland Security has gone through your bags for your security,’” Sobhan said. The legislation and the ensuing delays are leading him to consider studying abroad outside the United States, in order to avoid further issues with visas. “I’m planning a year abroad in London, not necessarily because I want to, but because I do not want to deal with this for four years,” he said. “I didn’t know that it would get this ridiculous.” Meanwhile, Brown is trying to ensure foreign students receive their forms as quickly as possible in order to avoid delays and miscommunication, EngWong said. “Yes, there are problems,” Eng-Wong said. “It’s becoming a more extended process than it ever has before.” The extra measures have caught some foreign students by surprise, Eng-Wong said. “I think many people have gotten used to the regimen where you can walk in and the next day receive a visa,” he said. “Now in some countries there are extended delays because of additional
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deep reflection and wise decisions on America’s future pervaded Moseley Braun’s speech. She described America as being at a decisive moment in time, when the ship of state and the citizens who help row it must choose between two paths. One route leads to the end of public education, civil liberties and opportunity, the other toward the rebuilding of individual privacy, freedom and a tactful role in the international communi-
A Brown junior was knocked unconscious during an assault Saturday morning in what student leaders are terming a hate crime. The student was attending an off-campus party held by Brown students when she became involved in an altercation in which homophobic remarks were directed at the victim, friends of the victim said. Friends said the fight lasted about 20 minutes, at which time the victim left the event and was followed by a male partygoer. When she reached Charlesfield Street near Brook Street, the suspect came up behind her, yelled a homophobic comment and struck her on the right side of the face, according to a campus crime alert issued Monday by Brown’s Department of Public Safety. Friends said she was knocked unconscious and left in the middle of the street. She eventually regained consciousness, returned to her room and called DPS. Brown Emergency Medical Services transported the victim to a local hospital, where she was treated for eye and head injuries. The victim described the suspect as of “college age with a heavy build, dark eyes, short dirty blonde or brown hair wearing a collared shirt and khaki pants,” DPS reported. Some members of the Brown community are mobilizing in support of the victim. At least 20 students wearing T-shirts that read “hate crimes have happened here” were scattered across campus Wednesday passing out copies of the DPS incident report. “The University does not provide us with
see LECTURE, page 4
see ASSAULT, page 9
Allison Lombardo / Herald
Democratic presidential hopeful Carol Moseley Braun spoke passionately about the issue of gender disparity and the ways in which it fractures national solidarity.
Presidential hopeful Moseley Braun calls for physical renewal BY KRISTA HACHEY
Democratic presidential hopeful Carol Moseley Braun issued a call for a spiritual and physical renewal of America Wednesday afternoon in Salomon. The eighth speaker to take part in the Noah Krieger Memorial Lecture series, Moseley Braun spoke about the preservation of America’s long-cherished values of liberty and individual freedom and outlined ways in which her presidency would reinvigorate them. An urgency about the effects of
Fear of the “freshman 15” BY LELA SPIELBERG
Sara Perkins / Herald
Only in college is it acceptable to slurp up your soft-serve after every meal. But the dairy delicacies and confections dished up at the Ratty can prove hazardous. Many students think the “freshman 15” is always lurking nearby, hanging over first-year heads like a popcorn-chickened spectre. Fear of the “freshman 15,” an alleged weight gain that occurs in the early months of one’s college experience, grips nearly every first-year at some point. In fact, a study conducted by Cornell researcher David Levitsky found that the average freshman weight-gain was approximately half a pound a week. But Brunonians have options. Bridget Kay Visconti, Brown University Dining Services’ Administrative Dietician, is available, by appointment, for dietary counseling and nutritional information. Visconti helps students who are worried about their weight or interested in maintaining a specific diet. She recommends that students write down everything
Confronted with the wonders of all-you-care-to-eat, the “freshman 15” weight gain is no myth for many first-years.
see FIFTEEN LBS., page 7
see VISAS, page 4
I N S I D E T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 0 3 RISD Museum premieres a free exhibit of Japanese wood block prints RISD news, page 3
Kevin Bewersdorf, RISD ’04, to focus on his media company after graduation RISD news, page 3
Brown apps to law school remain constant, but more are taking the LSAT campus news, page 3
TO D AY ’ S F O R E C A S T W. soccer team gets closer to Ivy League Championship with win over Sacred Heart sports, page 12
The EPA isn’t protecting much of anything lately, says Michael Littenberg-Brown ’04 opinions, page 11
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