Friday, January 28, 2005

F R I D A Y JANUARY 28, 2005

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 3

An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891

WAVE OF SUPPORT Campus groups mobilize in effort to provide aid to victims of South Asian tsunami disaster CAMPUS NEWS

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SOCIAL STUDIES Herald columnists take on Social Security, the “ownership society” and, you guessed it, George Bush O P I N I O N S 11

ELI ELI OH W. hockey hopes to keep 16-year win streak against Yale alive tonight at Meehan Auditorium SPORTS

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TODAY

TOMORROW

sunny 21 / 1

sunny 30 / 13

State to decide Hope High’s fate next week BY ROBBIE COREY-BOULET METRO EDITOR

Sometime next week, Rhode Island Education Commissioner Peter McWalters will decide whether state intervention is necessary to improve conditions at Providence’s troubled Hope High School, ending a delibMETRO eration process that began with a five-day series of public hearings in mid-December. McWalters has said he will choose between taking over the school or allowing the Providence School Department to continue its internal improvements, which have recently drawn criticism from community leaders for yielding lackluster

results. According to Elliott Krieger, a spokesperson for the state education department, concern over low test scores, a high dropout rate and a high rate of suspensions prompted McWalters to issue an order of reconstitution last July mandating that the district submit a “corrective action” plan. In that order, McWalters said he would convene a hearing to decide whether to accept the district’s original plan, propose a modified version of the plan or begin state intervention. Should the state intervene, Hope might be replaced with a group of smaller, independent schools, an approach several

community leaders have supported. Krieger told The Herald last week that McWalters would announce his decision Thursday evening. But the ruling has since been delayed, he said Wednesday. At a public hearing Dec. 15, the Providence Educational Excellence Coalition recommended McWalters shut down the school, which consistently tests well below state and national standards and has the highest dropout rate among Providence high schools — 52 percent. The coalition features members from a variety of local youth and faith-based organizations, including representatives see HOPE, page 4

U. partnership with NIH part of “strategic plan” BY JONATHAN HERMAN STAFF WRITER

Brown and The National Institutes of Health will offer a joint graduate neuroscience program next fall for five students, according to Mary DeLongue, NIH’s director of graduate partnerships. “Brown University has a supreme undergraduate and graduate neuroscience program, and neuroscience is one of the major strengths of the NIH. So it would be reasonable for an institution like NIH to partner with an institution like Brown,” DeLongue said. The neuroscience partnership is “part of the strategic plan of the Brown community — enhance partnerships with other institutions, because Brown is a relatively small school,” said Karen Newman, dean of the graduate school. The University is currently pursuing a similar interdisciplinary partnership between the Division of Engineering and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Newman said. Brown formed a partnership in summer 2003 with Marine Biological Laboratories at Woods Hole, Mass., to broaden its depth in biological research and course offerings. Brown and RISD also formed a joint committee last year to consider an array of new cooperative possibilties, in addition to current collaborations in digital media and art history, Newman said. The joint program with the NIH is intended to benefit both graduate students and scientists. Graduate students will be exposed to two research environments, guided by mentors in two different fields, and will learn how to form collaborative projects in their future careers, DeLongue said. Students accepted by the program will take classes at Brown during their first year, then choose between laboratories at Brown and the NIH for their second through fourth or fifth years. Scientists involved in the joint program will also form new collaborations between the NIH and the neuroscience department. “As they co-mentor a student and start bringing their own research to mentor the student, they see collaborations and there is an added value because it see NIH, page 4 Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3269

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Indy among student groups feeling budget squeeze BY MELANIE WOLFGANG ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

The College Hill Independent, a weekly publication produced by students from both Brown and RISD, suffered a 4-percent budget decrease for the current semester. But what on the surface appears to be a minor cutback may actually signal a pressing funding problem for well-established student groups at Brown. Undergraduate Finance Board Chair Adam Deitch ’05 said UFB’s budget had to be stretched last April when funding decisions were made in order to accommodate a growing number of new student groups. The UFB budget is comprised of each student’s $136 annual student activity fee. “Every group is incurring some degree of financial hardship right now,” Deitch said. UFB reduced the Indy’s budget by almost $1,000 this year, amounting to a cut of about $465 each semester. While the Indy’s total budget comes in at over $10,000 per semester, the 4-percent budget cutback this year is the difference between producing 11 and 12 issues per semester, said Indy Business Manager Chris Hu ’06. “The more issues, the more chance that Brown students have to write for us and get experience writing for a publication,” Hu said. Last semester, the Indy closed shop before Thanksgiving break in November due to the budget decrease. “We’d prefer to be a presence on campus all semester,” Hu said. “Part of it was the fear that if they cut one issue that they would continue cutting it.” Deitch explained that UFB had to cope with a 20-percent rise in the number of student groups — which now number 116 — and a student activities fee that did not increase to compensate for that growth. The Indy is also a publication that has “seemingly easy avenues to pursue funding,” Deitch said. In response to repeated calls by UFB

Gabriella Doob / Herald

Students scurry in between Salomon and Sayles on the second day of class.

see INDY, page 3

Minden visitors’ lot may ease parking crunch BY LISHAN SOH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Over winter break, the University’s Transportation Office permanently converted the staff parking lot behind Minden Hall into a pay-by-the-hour visitors’ lot to accommodate the needs of admission and departmental visitors. According to Abigail Rider, director of Brown’s real estate and administrative services, the change is part of a longrange plan to accommodate the University’s expansion while reducing congestion on College Hill. Inadequate parking has long been a pressing issue on campus. Brown had been the only Ivy League school without a parking lot to accommodate visitors to

the Admission Office, Rider said. The peak season for prospective student visits, usually starting in mid-February each year, has consistently strained parking around the Admission Office and Main Green in years past. The University’s Web site currently advises visitors that “circling the block, a good supply of quarters, and lots of patience will make looking for a spot a relatively painless experience. Good luck.” Departmental visitors have also expressed frustration at the inability to find parking space during their visits, which has made them late for meetings, Rider said. The new visitor parking lot, which is

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

monitored from a new booth in the corner, has 55 spaces and is reserved for anyone who has the occasional need to drive to campus but does not wish to incur the cost of an annual parking permit. The rates for this academic year range from $4 to $12 depending on the number of hours parked if visitors have a department-validated ticket and $9 to $16 if they do not. Overnight parking is not allowed, according to the transportation department’s Web site. Cars not removed by 8 a.m. the following day will be towed. Located on Brook Street, the lot was chosen primarily because of its location. It is near both the Rhode Island Public see PARKING, page 6 News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THIS MORNING Friday, January 28, 2005 · PAGE 2 Coreacracy Eddie Ahn

WO R L D AT A G L A N C E Iraqi sheik struggles for votes, and against religious tradition page 5 Indonesian government, rebels may restart talks page 5 Over three dozen whales die in Carolina beachings page 5

Jero Matt Vascellaro

Iraqis scramble to prepare for election lockdown page 5

TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2005 CONVOCATION 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Salomon 101) — Featuring keynote speaker Brenda J. Verner, alumni speaker Joseph Edmonds, a musical contribution by Shades of Brown and Johnny Braithwaite. A reception will follow at the Third World Center.

Penguiner Haan Lee

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Roasted Herb Potatoes, Carrots in Tequila,Vegan Lightburgers, Onion Rings, Fire Roasted Veggie Gardenburgers, Chicken Jambalaya with Bacon, Rhode Island Quahog Chowder, Vegetarian Vegetable Soup DINNER — Fried Scallops with Tartar Sauce, Cranberry Wild & White Rice Pilaf, Mashed Butternut Squash, Italian Green Beans, Pueblo Bread, Manicotti Piedmontese, Chocolate Cinnamon Cake Roll

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Soup, Roasted Corn Chowder with Bacon, Chicken Fingers, Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Sandwich,Whole Kernel Corn, Butterscotch Brownies. DINNER — Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Soup, Roasted Corn Chowder with Bacon, Baked Stuffed Pollock, Mexican Cornbread Casserole, Red Rice, Fresh Vegetable Melange, Sugar Snap Peas Pueblo Bread, Chocolate Cinnamon Cake Roll.

Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Co. with plants 4 Some nesting sites 10 Customer: Abbr. 14 Project extension 15 Figure out which way is up, so to speak 16 “The Wizard of Oz” actor 17 Flashy ballplayer? 19 Supercomputer maker 20 Transparent fabric 21 He plans to resign 3/9/2005 23 Clue room 24 Gossip bigwigs? 27 Bag 28 Grant of “Father Goose” 29 Old Dodges 30 Court label 33 Reasons for some 911 calls 34 Dog jaws? 36 Fox home 39 Most people root for it 43 UN leader 44 Double-helix molecules 45 Sundial number 46 Jail replicator? 48 “It’s a Wonderful Life” director 50 Backs 51 Reluctant prophet 52 Jai __ 53 Moses, perhaps? 57 “Love __” 58 White weasel 59 __ Miguel, largest of the Azores 60 Part of NAACP: Abbr. 61 Happenings 62 Jay’s announcer DOWN 1 Will Smith movie, initially

2 Political debate 32 “__ días” 44 Cozumel bread topic 33 Dot-__ 47 Impersonated 3 Alter, as a 35 Icy crystals (with “as”) photograph 36 One third of a 48 Hacks it 4 Like Richard pencil game 49 Prop- ending Scarry’s worm 37 Facilitates 51 “Sappho’s 5 Shallowest Leap” author 38 Diamond Great Lake groups 52 Physician’s 6 Agency exec. 40 Sweep org. 7 Congeal 41 Featherbrain 54 “__ crazy?” 8 Vim 42 Farrow of “See 55 Stray, maybe 9 Frozen daiquiri No Evil” 56 Casting need accompaniment ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 10 Faust, for one H A R D C A M E L B A B Y 11 Leans while moving A B A T E E U R O O V I D 12 Guitarist Byrd B O S T O N B R U I N S T A R 13 Test P A R T I A T O N E O W E 18 Rx instruction T E A I T O 22 1912 Olympic A L T E R N A T I V E W O R D Games star T A R A S E E B U E N A 23 Oakland-to-San S A T A N T I L E R I N D Diego dir. P L A T T H E I R A G O 24 He coined the M I N E R A L R E S O U R C E term N O M E R S “horsepower” F A U L T B O A 25 Mythical weaver D R A M A R O W I N G I M P L E M E N T 26 Reptilian A R E T E A L T O A B E T warning 28 Mention T E N O R S T O P B O D Y 31 Dental problem xwordeditor@aol.com 01/28/05

Homebodies Mirele Davis

Raw Prawn Kea Johnston

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01/28/05

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CAMPUS NEWS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005 · PAGE 3

Search for director of Humanities Center continues BY JANE TANIMURA STAFF WRITER

A permanent position as director of the Humanities Center was recently offered to a yet-to-be-named candidate. The Center, part of President Ruth Simmons’ Plan for Academic Enrichment, was launched in the fall of 2003. Because the search for a director is ongoing and the candidate has yet to accept, any information about the candidate is confidential, said Carolyn Dean, professor of history and the center’s current interim director. A list of candidates revealed in September 2004 contained only choices from outside the University. Dean has served as interim director since Jan. 1. The center, which was launched in the fall of 2003, aims at closing the gap among the humanities departments and encouraging interdisciplinary and cross-cultural work. Provost Robert Zimmer announced a $5 million donation for the Humanities Center at a faculty meeting in December. The name of the donor and how the donation will be used have not been made public.

“My job as interim director is to help to showcase the excellent humanities departments at Brown and encourage collaboration across the disciplines,” Dean said. Dean replaced former interim director Mary Anne Doane, professor of modern culture and media, who is on leave this semester. Previously, the position was offered to well-known feminist theorist and University of CaliforniaBerkeley professor Judith Butler. Butler turned down the position because she did not want to leave California for Rhode Island, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The search committee is still waiting for a response from the candidate and hopes to have a director in place by July 1. Dean said the board of the Humanities Center is distributing funds to faculty groups with the aim of encouraging collaboration across the humanities and supporting “innovative projects that bring intellectual excitement and visibility to our campus.” A permanent director will help shape the center’s identity, she said.

Brown students accounted for after tsunami BY CAMDEN AVERY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In the wake of the Dec. 26 tsunami that struck countries on the Indian Ocean, the Brown community confirmed the safety of its students abroad and began raising money to send to the affected regions. According to Kendall Brostuen, assistant director of Brown-sponsored international programs, 27 students were studying in countries that border the Indian Ocean, including Tanzania, Madagascar, India and Thailand. The safety of all of these students has been confirmed, Brostuen said. “They were accounted for shortly after the tsunami” by Brown’s on-site colleagues and resident directors at international study programs in the four countries involved. All programs were “very, very diligent” about confirming student safety and contacting the University, Brostuen added. The University also attempt-

Indy continued from page 1 for independent fundraising, the Indy is now accepting outside advertising. ‘We’d prefer not to have advertising,” Hu said. “But we’d

ed to contact students with overseas addresses in the affected region to confirm their safety and the safety of their families. No reports of casualties among Brown students or alumni have been reported, but the Office of Campus Life and Student Services and the Office of Alumni Relations continues to check on their status, President Ruth Simmons wrote in a Jan. 26 message to the Brown community. Simmons urged students, faculty and staff to contribute “direct and ongoing support” to relief efforts. In the vein of Simmons’ message, student organizations have arranged a variety of fundraisers since arriving back on campus. Wednesday night, a Sigma Chiorganized party at downtown club Lot 41, RELIEF, raised over $3,000. This was more than $2,000 over the goal, fraternity member Xaykham Khamsyvoravong ’06 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

Funds will be targeted to victims in Sri Lanka and India, according to posters promoting the event. The Student Activities Office is working with campus groups including the South Asian Students Association, Brown Key Society and the Brown Band to organize a relief benefit for the night of Feb. 26 in Alumnae Hall. Organizers plan to have swing and jazz music and a silent auction, SASA President Preethi Guniganti ’05 said. This Saturday, around 15 members of Brown Tae Kwon Do will travel to the Smithfield dojang of Peter Lee M.D. ’05 and Song Park ’93 to participate in a “Kick-a-thon” fundraiser, according to club President Sharon David ’06. Members have raised money from friends and family. Any funds raised for the American Red Cross International Response Fund will be matched by CVS, David said. The club will be asking for additional support in the Post Office today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

much rather put out the regular number of issues.” Hu noted that other larger, older student groups were being “squeezed” financially by younger student groups now obtaining Category III funding, essentially splitting the fiscal pie into ever-smaller pieces. The Undergraduate Council of

Students determines the categorization status of all recognized student groups. Category III student groups can receive thousands of dollars in funding from UFB, while Category II groups are eligible for only a small social activities stipend and Category I groups receive no funding.

PAGE 4 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005

Hope continued from page 1 from the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade, the Federal Hill House community center and the Urban League of Rhode Island. The coalition received six years of funding in 2002 from the Schools for a New Society Initiative, sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The coalition spent two years researching conditions at Hope and sponsoring events meant to engage parents and students in the area, according to Mary Sylvia Harrison, president of the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade. Such activities included “kitchen talks” with neighborhood parents and community-wide discussion circles. This research culminated in a January 2004 summary of the group’s findings, which stressed the need for improved quality of instruction, fostering a healthier school “culture” and reviewing the current curriculum, Harrison said. At the Dec. 15 hearing, the coalition presented a set of recommendations to McWalters that included the closure and restructuring of Hope and the hiring of an “independent master to objectively guide all the players” involved, Harrison said. The construction of small schools could be “a good strategy” so long as they generate more “personalization” among teachers, students and parents, she said. Though the Providence School District has made attempts in recent years to address Hope’s problems internally, Harrison said the coalition has “no confi-

dence” that these efforts will lead to tangible improvements. “The system has failed,” said Dennis DeJesus, executive director of the Federal Hill House and a coalition member. Despite the district’s attempts, DeJesus said the percentage of students who have attained reading and math proficiency remains in single digits, a fact “that’s just not acceptable.” DeJesus said he hopes McWalters heeds the coalition’s advice in making his decision, though “he hasn’t tipped his hand either way.” The coalition is one of several groups to submit recommendations to McWalters, according to district superintendent Melody Johnson, who said she has worked closely with McWalters during the deliberation process. McWalters’ final decision will take all of these recommendations into consideration, she said. Johnson commended the coalition’s efforts to include parents and students in the decision-making process, calling the group “a voice that needs to be heard.” The policy debate surrounding Hope has undergone intense scrutiny from local politicians and community leaders who believe attempts to repair the system may serve as a “bellwether” that can be applied to other schools, said Ward 7 City Councilman John Igliozzi. Though Hope currently has the highest dropout rate among Providence high schools, Igliozzi said the school “is the rule and

NIH continued from page 1 extends their horizon,” DeLongue said. “We would certainly like to see (the partnership with the NIH) continue and possibly see it expand,” said Jerome Sanes, professor of neuroscience. “We think it’s an allpositive situation.” Joint programs like the one created with Brown are part of the NIH’s goal to foster indisciplinary science. “Where science is right now, it has become evident that the

not the exception” in the district. Central High School, for instance, has a dropout rate of 49 percent. Johnson said she believes too much attention from area leaders can hinder the school’s progress. “They have to live under a microscope,” she said. “Everything that happens there is done publicly.” Despite this pressure, Johnson said Hope has made recent gains in academic performance. The school met every performance target for English and language arts in 2004, just two years after failing to meet any of these goals, she said. Though the school has a history of low achievement, there are also positive elements at Hope, DeJesus said. “The sad thing is that there are a number of very good teachers and administrators,” he said. “Is it 100 percent? Probably not.” Alykhan Karim ’06, who founded Students Teaching Students last year to organize tutoring efforts at Hope, said there is a “lack of motivation” among some faculty members. But the district also suffers from a lack of “manpower, time and resources,” he said. Harrison said she believes McWalters “may be at the point of realizing” that a “disinterested party” is necessary to oversee Hope’s improvement efforts. Whatever his decision, Johnson said she is optimistic McWalters’ ruling will lead to significant gains for the school. “I hope we can put the last 15 or 20 years of turmoil … to rest,” she said.

leaps of understanding will occur in the crossroads of two fields,” DeLongue said. For example, she said, the invention of the artifical heart valve represents the union of engineering and physiology. The NIH is funded and run by the federal government, with 27 institutes and centers. It includes a vast array of 1,250 scientists specializing in medical-related fields and provides much of the funding for biological research in U.S. universitites. Brown is one of 13 institutions with which the NIH has formed partnerships to offer Ph.D. training, DeLongue said.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WORLD & NATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005 · PAGE 5

Iraqi sheik struggles for votes, and against religious tradition BY ANTHONY SHADID THE WASHINGTON POST

YUSUFAN, Iraq—In the tribal meeting hall known as a diwan, on the edge of a forest of irrigated date palms in southern Iraq, Sheik Adnan Aidani grasped a stack of leaflets touting his underdog campaign. He had printed 2,000 of them. On any day, he extols the virtues of voting for him to dozens of skeptical followers, as they sip tea under portraits of his ancestors who led the tribe. His six sons said they corral anyone they meet. Their plea: Choose our father’s list. Soon after, his mobile phone rang, a call from one of his 12,000 tribesmen. “God salute you,” Aidani bellowed. More banter followed, then the sheik got to the point. “I’m on the list that’s numbered 234. Don’t forget it. The number is very simple— 2, 3, 4.” “I’m counting on you and our friends,” he added, an order that sounded more like an entreaty. Afterward, Aidani looked up, a bit discouraged, and shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t guarantee everyone in the tribe will vote for me,” the sheik said.

Aidani is a minority within Iraq’s Shiite Muslim majority, running on a small campaign list opposed by the United Iraqi Alliance, a coalition that has the tacit endorsement of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the country’s most prominent religious leader. In a region famed for its dates and poets, along the Shatt al Arab waterway that flows to the Persian Gulf, he confronts a constellation of forces that hold sway in Iraq’s fiercely traditional countryside and that may prove decisive in Sunday’s election for parliament. Uphill might be too simple a word to describe Aidani’s struggle; it is more like climbing a steep mountain. In this village, politics are reflected through a religious prism, and many people see the vote as a turning point in a centuries-long Shiite narrative of oppression and disinheritance. More often than not, Sistani speaks for them, and the posters of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the communists and the constitutional monarchists dwindle as the road stretches from Iraq’s second-largest city of Basra to a countryside stitched by a lattice of canals and still scarred by memo-

Anthony Shadid / Washington Post

Kifah Mahmoud, a grocer in Yusufan, with pictures of Shiite ayatollahs Ali Sistani, Ruhollah Khomeini and Mohammed Sadiq Sadr. Of Sunday’s elections, he said,“The Shiites have been waiting eagerly for this moment, the moment that we can seize our rights.”

ries of a Shiite uprising after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. While sentiments are by no means universal in this village, and Allawi enjoys a degree of admiration even in Yusufan, voters still mention the past before the present, the sacred before the worldly—and the sheik is left on the outside looking in. “Some people stick with the list of the sayyid,” Aidani said, using an honorific for Sistani, as he sat under World War I-vintage rifles hanging on the wall and a family tree tracing his genealogy back 33 generations. “They won’t listen to anything else.” “To them,” he said, shaking his head, “it’s only the sayyid.” The sheik is what goes for temporal authority in Yusufan, a warren of mud-brick and concrete huts bisected by a canal and laced together by dirt roads. Home to about 25,000 people, it lacks the bustle of Basra, a half-hour drive away. Sleek wood boats still ply canals, and children play marbles on the dirt banks of the Shatt al Arab, which joins the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The town’s dense palm groves, withered by war and environmental degradation, produce one of the world’s most famous varieties of dates, Al-Barhi. Sheltered as it is, Yusufan is still suffused with the talk of Sunday’s election, and the worry of what it might bring. “People say we’re going to cast our votes but we’re going to die,” said Raed Amir, who owns a small grocery store, its door adorned with portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the godfather of Iran’s Islamic revolution, and Moqtada Sadr, the young Iraqi cleric and nemesis of the U.S. occupation. “I’m 90 percent sure there will be a bomb, with everyone there together.” In big cities like Basra and some neighborhoods in Baghdad, the degree to which people acknowledge the threat of violence is matched only by their determination to vote. It is no different in Yusufan. Nearly all of the men gathered around the store, built of mud, palm trunks and tin, nodded their heads yes when asked if they would walk the two miles or so to the school to cast their votes. “We have to participate,” said Amir, standing before a shelf lined with small packets of cardamom, pepper, sesame,

BAGHDAD, Iraq — As fast as butcher Shakir Salman can hang the skinned, headless sheep from hooks in his shop, customers scurry away with armloads of fresh meat. Housewife Manar Shumari is frantically stocking up on diapers for her 2-yearold. “I bought some yesterday, but I came again today, just to be sure,” she said. At Medical City in Baghdad, doctors are dragging mattresses into their offices and bunking in vacant nursing-home beds, preparing for a giant slumber party of sorts. Amid excitement and fear over Sunday’s election, ordinary Iraqis are in a mad rush to prepare for an unprecedented three-day national lockdown, part of the emergency security measures imposed by Iraqi and U.S. security forces. Starting Saturday, borders will be sealed and the airport will be shut down. Government offices and most companies will take a three-day holiday. Nightly curfews begin at 7 p.m. and last until 6 a.m. In addition, cars will be banned from roads unless occupants have special election badges or in cases of medical emer-

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono offered separatist rebels in the tsunamidevastated province of Aceh an amnesty and greater autonomy in exchange for a cease-fire on the eve of new peace talks in Helsinki. “We are coming with an olive branch,” said Andi Mallarangeng, a presidential spokesman. “Let’s move forward to rebuilding Aceh within the framework of the Republic of Indonesia.” The government’s offer stopped short of granting Aceh full independence, long the principal goal of the Free Aceh Movement rebels, known as GAM. Analysts in Indonesia said that both sides benefited by being seen as willing to talk, especially while international attention is focused on Aceh following the Dec. 26 tsunami, which killed about see INDONESIA, page 6

Over three dozen whales die in Carolina beachings Navy sonar probed as possible cause BY MARC KAUFMAN THE WASHINGTON POST

down are preparing for the worst. “Many people are scared,” said Ahmed Abdullah, a taxi driver who charged double his usual fare this week. “But so what? For one reason or another, we’ve been scared all our lives.” Similar stockpiling occurred shortly before the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. But widespread road closures are rare in Iraq, last occurring in 1997 during a one-day national census. Anticipating a rush this week, Salman — who has owned his Baghdad butcher shop since 1962 — packed his freezer with lamb chops, steaks and whole chickens. For those customers seeking fresh meat over the weekend, there’s a fluffy, white specimen tethered to a post outside his shop, ready for slaughter. “I’m going to try to open, but I don’t know if many people will be out shopping,” Salman said. Preparing Iraq’s hospitals and healthcare facilities pose a unique challenge. If violence rises during the election, the need for doctors and nurses will soar. But the logistics of transporting staff to work amid the security lockdown will be diffisee ELECTION, page 6

see WHALES, page 9

Iraqis scramble to prepare for election lockdown gency. Already Thursday, traffic in Baghdad appeared to be down by half. Road closures and police checkpoints made navigating the capital difficult. Many drivers said they wouldn’t risk the roads in the coming days, noting that insurgents had threatened to attack anyone attempting to vote or assisting in the election. “I’m staying home,” said Ali Mohammed, a government employee who was filling plastic jerrycans with black-market gas. “We don’t know what’s going to happen.” Though he won’t be driving, Mohammed said he needed the gasoline to run a home generator to make up for chronic electricity failures. Demand for gas, food and emergency supplies has spurred a temporary price surge. Black-market gas prices have doubled from $1.30 a gallon last week to $2.70 a gallon Thursday. Potatoes that sold for 22 cents for a little more than two pounds on Monday sold for 55 cents Thursday. Long lines snaked out of bakeries. Grocery stores were selling out of water, eggs, canned food and rice. Iraqis who over the past two decades have grown accustomed to hunkering

BY ELLEN NAKASHIMA THE WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — At least 37 whales beached themselves and died along the North Carolina shore earlier this month soon after Navy vessels on a deep-water training mission off the coast used powerful sonar as part of the exercise. Although the Navy says any connection between the strandings and its active sonar is “unlikely” — because the underwater detection system was used more than 200 miles from where the whales washed up — it is cooperating with other federal agencies probing a possible link. Government fisheries officials, as well as activists for whales, say the fact that three species of whales died in the incident suggests that sonar may have been the cause. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists “are looking at all the possible causes of this stranding, which was a significant one,” spokeswoman Connie Barclay said. Although the number of whales that came ashore is far from a record for mass strandings, Barclay said that “it’s very curious to have three different kinds of whales strand, and a number of possible causes are being examined. Sonar is certainly one of them.” The possible connection between naval sonar and the deaths of whales and other marine mammals has become an increasingly controversial issue since the Navy acknowledged that the loud blasts of its sonar helped cause a mass stranding of whales in the Bahamas in 2001. Since then, critics have accused the Navy of involvement in numerous mass strandings in U.S. and international

see IRAQ, page 7

BY EDMUND SANDERS LOS ANGELES TIMES

Indonesian government, rebels may restart talks

PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005

Indonesia

Election cult, officials said. Health Ministry officials ordered the nation’s hospitals on emergency alert beginning Saturday, and to prepare by stockpiling extra oxygen, blood, water, gasoline and cash. “We’re prepared for all eventualities,” said Dr. Amer Mukhtar, general director of Medical City, a giant complex of teaching hospitals and medical facilities in Baghdad. More than 500 elective surgeries were postponed to keep hospital beds free. Nearly 1,000 employees, from surgeons to blood bank workers, will camp out at the facility rather than commute each

day. As medical personnel, they are exempted from the travel ban, but most prefer to sleep at work for the three-day lockdown. Hospital officials had to scramble to find beds and supplies to house the employees. A nearby restaurant is standing by to help prepare 3,000 extra meals a day, Mukhtar said. Even after the elections are over, medical professionals predict the national lockdown could trigger a lasting health impact for Iraq: an electionrelated baby boom in about nine months. With citizens banned from the roads, a 7 p.m. curfew and spotty electricity making it difficult to watch TVs or read, Iraqis may search for other methods to occupy their time. “It will be interesting to see,” Mukhtar said with a smile.

mi. Military commanders insist that there is no “offensive operation” underway against GAM and that any attacks are defensive, aimed at rebels who are disrupting the relief effort. The rebels say the military is trying to provoke them into reacting, but that they are under orders not to respond. Resentment of the military and police is strong among residents of Aceh because of the long-running military operation and restrictions imposed by martial law and the subsequent civil emergency, said Otto Syamsuddin Ishak, an Acehnese sociologist and program director for Imparsial, a Jakarta-based human rights group. The Indonesian parliament granted Aceh special autonomy

in 2001, with greater powers of self-rule and a larger share of its own revenues. The move was aimed at quelling desires for independence. But implementation has been weak, and many Acehnese say they still feel exploited by Jakarta. M. Syafii Anwar, executive director of the International Center for Islam and Pluralism, who recently returned from Aceh, said he had found that “on the one hand, people still want to be part of Indonesia.” On the other, he said, “they strongly criticized the Indonesian government for not being sensitive to Aceh’s development needs. They think that Jakarta is corrupt. They feel the Jakarta elite look down on the Acehnese.”

Parking

said the 50 percent subsidy available to Brown ID holders on RIPTA tickets and monthly passes has been extended to June 30. Other measures include a carpooling and guaranteed ride home program. These programs will only be available to staff members and employees. The department has also allocated two more shuttle buses on the BrownMed/Downcity Express route. Rider said she hopes these programs will encourage more staff and employees to take public transport. Managing the supply of parking spaces is part of a more longterm plan, Rider said. While still in the plan’s early stages, the department is working hard at making provisions for parking in the future.

continued from page 5 continued from page 5 100,000 in the province at the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sumatra island. “Since there’s nothing left practically to fight about — Aceh is completely devastated — what are they fighting for?” said Wiryono Sastrohandojo, a retired Indonesian diplomat and the government’s former chief negotiator in the peace talks. “So maybe, at least for the time being, they’d like to concentrate on rebuilding the place. That’s the challenge, really.” The Indonesian government delegation is led by the chief security minister, Widodo Adi Sutjipto, accompanied by Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin and Information Minister Sofyan Djalil. The GAM team includes Malik Mahmud and Zaini Abdullah, leaders of an exiled government that has been based in Stockholm since the 1970s. The conflict began in 1976, with the rebels’ goal being independence from Indonesia. Since martial law was imposed in May 2003 and then softened to a state of civil emergency a year later, more than 2,000 alleged rebels have been killed, according to the military. The day after the tsunami, GAM announced a unilateral cease-fire, and government officials said they would cease offensive operations. But in the month since then, the military has sent thousands more troops to Aceh and continued to attack and kill rebels. On Sunday, a military spokesman said that 208 rebels had been killed since the tsuna-

continued from page 1 Transit Authority trolley route and the BrownMed/Downcity Express shuttle route. Although it is several blocks from the Admission Office, Rider said that visitors would be able to “take a walk through Lincoln field, the prettiest part of campus,” to get there. The transportation department has adopted a twopronged plan targeted at managing the demand for and supply of on-campus parking spaces. The department is trying to reduce the demand for parking by offering alternative methods of transport to campus. Rider

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7

Iraq continued from page 5 shredded coconut and baking soda. “We don’t want to feel regret in the future that we didn’t participate.” A customer, Munir Ahmed, jumped in: “We wish the election was today, not tomorrow.” Along a wall across the street were the slogans that color the talk in the village’s streets. One declared, “Yes, yes to Islam.” Another voiced support for Sadr’s militia, known as the Mahdi Army. Next to it was a plea for God’s mercy on the men killed in March 1991, when the Shiite rebellion began in Basra after the Gulf War and spread through southern Iraq. In place of the election posters that clutter Baghdad and Basra were more religious slogans down the street. “No honor for Baathists and no honor for communists.” Or, more bluntly: “All of Iraq proclaims that Islam is the glory of our country.” The slogans give voice to the sentiment at Amir’s store and in the streets around it. The sheik may be a village leader, and he enjoys their respect, but to Amir and his customers, authority goes to those who speak in the name of religion. “Three-quarters will vote for Sistani’s list,” Amir predicted. “As for the other quarter, I don’t know what’s in their hearts.” Basra, with its centuries of urban culture, often looks down on its rural counterparts. The countryside is seen as steeped in the traditions of Shiite faith — the stories of Ali, seen by Shiites as the successor of the prophet Muhammad, and his sons Hussein and Abbas, who were killed in a 7th-century battle in Karbala. While secular and nationalist candidates wax optimistic about their chances Sunday in Basra, they lament that they will fare far worse in villages such as Yusufan, which taken together are more populous. “They consider Imam Hussein and Abbas the first and the last,” said Ahmed Khudheir, a Communist Party spokesman in Basra, sitting next to a painting of Lenin. “It’s not a political process there, it’s religious passion.” Conversations in Yusufan, though, tend to defy the stereotypes. Allawi, running as an incumbent, often generates praise, and at the very least, respect. To some, he’s seen as formidable, drawing on Iraqi admiration for toughness. Many view him as capable, relaxed, unburdened by the rhetoric of the past and unhindered by ties to Iran fostered by some Islamic groups. A few note that he sprinkles his language with Arabic from the south, in contrast to the heavy dialect of Tikrit spoken by ousted president Saddam Hussein.

Shahim, one villager said in describing him — decent and noble. “We’re not looking for a Sunni or Shiite,” said Ali Hussein Jaafar, a day laborer. “We’re looking for someone who is going to run the country.” His hope: “I want him to arrest all the criminals in the country and get rid of them.” But like the sheik’s, Allawi’s writ runs only so far before running up against Sistani, who is known in Arabic as the marja. “I salute Ayad Allawi,” said Abdel-Wahhab Abdullah, a farmer. “But I obey the marja.” Shiite Islam is distinguished by the authority wielded by its most established clerics, such as Sistani. The reclusive, white-bearded ayatollah is the first among equals in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, and his edicts carry the force of law among the devout. He has yet to formally endorse the United Iraqi Alliance, but his portrait adorns its posters, and in written statements, he has “blessed” its candidates. His involvement has taken some by surprise — Sistani, in his seventies, is known as a member of the quietist school, which seeks to keep politics out of religion — and has angered opponents of the list, such as the sheik, who understands well the power Sistani’s opinions carry in the countryside. “We follow our marja,” Abdullah said, near a patch of tomato plants. “We will choose the list he recommends.” A narrative of suffering runs deep in Yusufan, both ancient and modern. In the village, it is a story of symbols. While posters in Basra promise to end the smuggling of oil, build a democratic state, end corruption and bribes, or ensure justice, equality and dignity, the few posters in Yusufan, outside the village’s sole mosque, tell another story. One pictures mass graves in southern Iraq and victims of chemical weapons in the northern town of Halabja. “So that we don’t repeat the tragedy,” it reads, “vote for the list of the United Iraqi Alliance.” Another urges support for the list because “it has gained the acceptance” of Sistani. Another symbol, one that’s older: A poster to get out the vote quotes Sistani as arguing that a woman’s participation in the election is like the role that the prophet Muhammad’s granddaughter, Zeinab, played in the battle of Karbala. “Frankly speaking, we have suffered,” said Kifah Mahmoud, a grocer. “We were destroyed in 1991.” Hardly a conversation about history in Yusufan passes without a mention of the 1991 rebellion. Convinced of U.S. support, the rebels seized cities and towns all the way to the approaches of Baghdad. That support never came, though, an unforgivable

betrayal to many here. Saddam soon exacted his revenge, with his troops leveling historic swaths of Shiite towns, bombarding shrines in Najaf and Karbala and executing thousands on the spot. Perhaps as many as 100,000 were massacred in reprisal killings. Mahmoud, a deserter, took part in the rebellion. When the army returned, he said, he fled — first to Basra, then by car and foot up the Tigris to Nasiriyah, to Hilla and finally Baghdad. Months later, he said, he returned a fugitive, hiding in a room of a relative. “Only God knows where I was,” he said. “If I stayed here,” he added, “you would have found me in the mass graves by now.” In his store, named after Imam Ali’s sword Dhu al-Fiqar, bags of sunflowers, peanuts, pistachios and watermelon seeds were stacked near crates of tomatoes, oranges and potatoes. Mahmoud stood nearby, smiling as he spoke. “The Shiites have been waiting eagerly for this moment,” he said, “the moment that we can seize our rights.” At the sheik’s diwan, where a satellite receiver sat near longnecked Bedouin coffeepots, the campaign ground on. Aidani’s list, known as the Islamic Vanguard, is no less religious than Sistani’s. One of its banners reads: “The constitution is the holy Koran.” Unlike the United Iraqi Alliance, it boasts that it is “100 percent Shiite.” Aidani sprinkled his conversations with Koranic passages, promised to represent the south and spoke darkly about the Iranian influence that many see behind the alliance list. To guests, all of whom made a beeline to greet him first, he insisted that Sistani hadn’t actually endorsed the alliance. “It doesn’t represent the Shiites, it doesn’t represent Sayyid Sistani, and it doesn’t represent the south,” he told one. “Sayyid Sistani said he is not supporting any list. He said he blesses all the lists. Whomever you trust, you should vote for them.” Guests nodded, sharing a lavish meal of chicken, rice, pickled vegetables and dates, even if they were unconvinced. And a while later, after the meal broke up, the 51-year-old sheik offered up his own pessimism. “The people here listen blindly to the marja,” he said. “The people think that by voting for this list, they are obeying God.” He dragged on a locally made Miami cigarette and finished the amply sweetened tea that traditionally follows lunch. “The truth hasn’t reached them yet,” he said. “I’m the only one here who can tell the people in the area. It’s a big village, and there’s a lot of distance to cover.” He shook his head. “You need at least two hours to change their mind.”

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9

Whales continued from page 5 waters, and federal environmental officials have concluded in some instances that the loud pulses from active sonar cannot be ruled out as a cause. The North Carolina strandings could be especially problematic for the Navy because it hopes to establish a 500-square-nauticalmile underwater sonar testing range off that coast. The Navy says a draft environmental impact statement is near completion, and officials have said the range is a high priority. Most of the animals that died in the latest incident were pilot

W. hockey continued from page 12 revenge after a first-round playoff loss to Brown last year. If the teams remain close in the rankings, another playoff series is an exciting possibility. A hardworking, energetic Princeton team got the best of the Bears in their last meeting on Nov. 12, a 3-2 Brown loss. The Tigers, much like Brown, have had a respectable but shaky season thus far, going 1-1-1 in their last three games. The Bears, who have been plagued by injuries all season, will be playing without forward Krissy McManus ’05, who is sidelined with a groin injury. Brown will also be without the services of Margaret Ramsay ’06, who has been out since early November with a leg wound. The puck drops against Yale on Friday at 7 p.m. at Meehan Auditorium. Saturday’s contest against Princeton begins at 4 p.m.

W. hoops continued from page 12 adjustments until we build up her confidence. Until that we will try to work it for what is best for the team to use her versatility.” On Saturday night, the reigning league champion Quakers will come to town at 7-6 looking for revenge. It was at the Pizzitola last February that Brown dealt Penn its first Ivy loss of that season, 8575. This is a different, albeit no less dangerous, squad. Gone are Head Coach Kelly Greenberg, who departed for Boston University in July, and last year’s Ivy League Player of the Year, forward Jewel Clark, who graduated in May. With Clark gone, Penn will rely on its shooting and defense in an attempt at retribution. The game will present another tough assignment for Robertson, this time in the form of Jennifer Fleischer. The 6’3” junior center’s 9.1 rebounds per game are just behind Robertson’s league-leading rebound average of 9.2. “(Robertson) has some good matchups this weekend,” Burr said. “She has dominated her game this year, and this is the type of challenge you want and look forward to.” The Bears are hoping to estab-

whales, which stranded around the Oregon Inlet of the Outer Banks on Jan. 15. One newborn minke whale also beached at Corolla that day, and two dwarf sperm whales came ashore at Buxton on Jan. 16, locations about 60 miles north and south of the inlet. Six of the pilot whales were pregnant when they died, Barclay said. None of the three whale species is considered endangered, though NOAA officials say their populations are relatively small and little understood in the Atlantic. But other endangered marine animals — including right and humpback whales and numerous species of sea turtles — regularly migrate through the waters off North Carolina. Navy officials said that the USS Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group, based in Norfolk, was conducting an anti-submarine exercise about 240 nautical miles from the Oregon Inlet on Jan. 14 and 15. In e-mailed answers to questions, the Navy said a review of activities following the strandings concluded that “no Navy ships were using active sonar within 50 nautical miles radius” of the inlet on Jan. 15 or the four days preceding—although one ship not associated with the strike group did use sonar for seven minutes about 90 nautical miles south-southeast of Oregon Inlet. The strike group was on its way to a deployment after the training exercise, the Navy said. Sonar acts as the underwater eyes and ears of the Navy, and intermittent bursts are often used in transit to detect potential enemies and other dangers. In addition, Navy officials increasingly believe that inexpensive quiet submarines from hostile nations pose a potential threat and want to upgrade sonar tracking systems to protect against intrusions into U.S. coastal waters. The Navy now uses mid-frequency sonar for its tracking but wants to deploy a new generation of low-frequency sonar that travels much farther underwater and is more powerful.

lish Robertson in the post, but more importantly avoid double teams down low and find the open shooters on the perimeter. “We have struggled if we look too hard to her,” Burr said. “There are teams we have faced that have tried to triple-team her, and they forced turnovers when she got the ball. Now, (those turnovers) are turning into assists. The insideoutside game has been a strength for us.” Bruno will also have to watch out for Karen Habrukowich on the perimeter. The senior has scored over 1,000 career points and leads the Quakers in scoring at 10.8 per contest. Both games this weekend are shaping up to be defensive battles, with Princeton and Penn being one-two in scoring defense in the league. Brown is not far behind at fourth. Burr says that for Brown to continue its fourgame win streak, the team has to set and maintain the pace of both games, which begins with stingy defense. “Our offense is our defense,” Burr said. “(Robertson) has been consistent about intimidating and stepping up in the lane … and Sarah Hayes (’06) will push the tempo for us.” “We are very athletic and very scrappy defensively. We cannot give up easy baskets against Ivy teams,” Burr said.

The Navy has sometimes been slow to acknowledge that its ships were in an area where strandings occurred and has accepted responsibility only in the Bahamas event. Environmental activists said that track record makes them skeptical of the Navy’s statements about the North Carolina strandings. “The circumstances are troubling,” said Michael Jasney, a lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has sued the Navy on other sonar-related issues. “After so many whale deaths caused by sonar, these latest strandings are a red flag. ... Unfortunately, the Navy has a long history of denial.” The Outer Banks area is quite close to the Norfolk base, and on the general course to where the exercises were held. Most of the stranded whales were dead when they were found, and NOAA scientists are conducting necropsies of many of the animals to try to determine a cause of death. Although pilot whales travel in herds and are prone to strandings, the other two whale species are not, officials said. Pilot and dwarf sperm whales are both deep-diving animals that feed off the ocean floor and slopes of the continental shelf. The other whale strandings linked to sonar use have also involved deep-diving species, such as the beaked whale. Researchers have theorized that the loud sounds of sonar can damage the whales’ sensitive hearing system and cause them to surface too quickly from fright. After another stranding off the Canary Islands in 2002, researchers found unusual gas bubbles in some whale organs — leading them to conclude that the animals suffered from a form of decompression sickness similar to the bends. The Navy’s plan for an East Coast underwater sonar testing range were first announced in 1996. Since then, the plan has been discussed internally and work on an environmental impact statement has proceeded, with some input from NOAA.

Patriots continued from page 12 pliment. It’s not like I got here (as a third-round draft choice out of Arizona in 1996) and learned to be this (ultra-competitive) way. I’ve always been this way … When the going gets tough, grit your teeth and don’t run away from your problems.” Bruschi, who recently admitted he once had a drinking problem, and has always owned up to be a bit of a hellion in his youth, says that his on-the-field motivation has changed. “Now it’s a motivation to make my family proud,” Bruschi said. “I have a wife and three young sons. My motivation is to let my sons know that daddy is doing everything he can to make them proud of me.” But how does he stay motivated for his fourth Super

Bowl? Does going to so many in such a short time make for a ho-hum experience? “Absolutely not,” Bruschi said. “This is my fourth Super Bowl, and every one is special. You’ve got to cherish it. You don’t get here every year, even though our first- and secondyear players don’t know that. I enjoy it very much. It’s a big celebration of America’s most popular sport … It does get a little overbearing at times, but that’s because it’s the biggest spectacle in sport.” But while the Patriots will be center stage in ten days on Super Bowl Sunday, they will try to remain on the fringes of the weeklong madness before the game, staying at an undisclosed hotel. Bruschi, accustomed to being sequestered before a game, said he didn’t care. “As long as there are film projectors in our hotel room, and places we can get our physical conditioning done,” he said, “that’s all we need.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL/LETTERS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005 · PAGE 10 S T A F F

E D I T O R I A L

Diamonds and Coal A light dusting of coal to the Blizzard of ’05, which delayed flights worldwide but fell short of expectations and the Blizzard of ’78 record. We already have better SATs than our parents, but we fear that with so-called “global warming,” we’ll never beat their Snow Accumulation Totals. Diamond to ViaVia IV for staying open for “business” during the first night of the blizzard, and to Antonio’s, Tealuxe, Store 24 and everyone else who valiantly earned their profits last weekend feeding our slushy, starving selves. A nutritional coal to subsisting on pizza, pasta and peanut butter, though. Cubic zirconium to the 16,800 aspirants to the class of 2009. We love that your blood, sweat and personal statement sob stories will raise Brown’s selectivity and our U.S. News ranking, but the fact that the class of 2006 was the least selective in the last decade has us looking over our shoulders — a lot. Diamond to the Proofpoint spam filter. A torrent of tiny, annoying coal pebbles to fetish porn, that smug jerk who has a Rolex, and the fact that the entire campus doesn’t have the filter yet. … A tiny, guilty diamond to our friends at Cheating Housewife Services. To the creators and promoters of the Georgia textbook sticker: a lump of coal. If you keep it in the same place you’ve been keeping your heads since the Enlightenment, maybe it will evolve into a diamond.

H E R A L D S TA F F

LETTERS

speak out

A diamond to one Oklahoma legislator’s crusade to revive cockfighting with boxing gloves and snappy electronic vests for the roosters. We’re all for laser tag Perdue-style. Diamond to circling the block with a roll of quarters. Diamond to Chris Gomez ’05. We’re thrilled to push another good man into the seedy world of pro athletics, and not only because we’d like an excuse to support the sad, slumping state of American professional soccer.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Jonathan Ellis, Editor-in-Chief Sara Perkins, Executive Editor Dana Goldstein, Senior Editor Christopher Hatfield, Senior Editor Lisa Mandle, Senior Editor Meryl Rothstein, Arts & Culture Editor Melanie Wolfgang, Arts & Culture Editor Justin Elliott, Campus Watch Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet, Metro Editor Stephanie Clark, Features Editor Kira Lesley, Features Editor Te-Ping Chen, Opinions Editor Ari Savitzky, Opinions Editor Chris Mahr, Sports Editor Ben Miller, Sports Editor PRODUCTION Peter Henderson, Design Editor Katie Lamm, Copy Desk Chief Lela Spielberg, Copy Desk Chief Matt Vascellaro, Graphics Editor Ashley Hess, Photo Editor Juliana Wu, Photo Editor

BUSINESS Ian Halvorsen, General Manager Daniel Goldberg, Executive Manager Mark Goldberg, Senior Financial Officer Robert McCartney, Senior Accounts Manager David Ranken, Senior Accounts Manager Kathleen Timmins, Senior Accounts Manager Lisa Poon, Marketing Manager Ryan Shewcraft, Technology Officer Abigail Ronck, Senior Business Consultant Laurie-Ann Paliotti, Sr. Advertising Rep. Susan Dansereau, Office Manager POST- MAGAZINE Fritz Brantley, Editor-in-Chief Adrian Muniz, Executive Editor Sarah Gordon, Calendar Editor Abigail Newman, Theater Editor Josh Cohen, Design Editor Marissa Hauptman, Photo Editor Ruthie Baron, Features Editor Jeremy Beck, Film Editor Paul Levande, Assistant Film Editor Jesse Adams, Music Editor

Imtiaz Punjabi, Night Editor Allison Kwong, Zachary Townsend, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Camden Avery, Alexandra Barsk, Eric Beck, Mary-Catherine Lader, Ben Leubsdorf, Jane Porter, Stu Woo Staff Writers Marshall Agnew, Kathy Babcock, Zaneta Balantac, Zachary Barter, Hannah Bascom, Danielle Cerny, Christopher Chon, Stephanie Clark, Robbie Corey-Boulet, Lexi Costello, Ian Cropp, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Justin Elliott, James Feldman, Amy Hall Goins, Dana Goldstein, Bernard Gordon, Kate Gorman, Krista Hachey, Jonathan Herman, Leslie Kaufmann, Kate Klonick, Kira Lesley, Allison Lombardo, Chris Mahr, Ben Miller, Eric Perlmutter, Meryl Rothstein, Marco Santini, Jen Sopchockchai, Jonathan Sidhu, Lela Spielberg, Stefan Talman, Jessica Weisberg, Brooke Wolfe, Melanie Wolfgang, Anne Wootton Business Staff Alexandra Annunziato, Steven Butschi, Jordan Elkind, Joel Rozen, Rukesh Samarasekera Design Staff Eric Demafeliz, Deepa Galaiya, Allison Kwong, Jason Lee Photo Staff Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Ashley Hess, Matthew Lent, Nick Neely, Bill Pijewski, Kori Schulman, Sorleen Trevino, Juliana Wu Copy Editors Chessy Brady, Jonathan Corcoran, Eric Demafeliz, Leora Fridman, Allison Kwong, Katie Lamm, Suchi Mathur, Cristina Salvato, Sonia Saraiya, Lela Spielberg, Zachary Townsend, Jenna Young

write letters letters@browndailyherald.com we welcome your comments our job is covering the Brown community. let us know how we’re doing. herald@browndailyherald.com 401.351.3372

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

OPINIONS FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2005 · PAGE 11

NEALE MAHONEY

A political MadLib In their campaign to sell the privatization of Social Security, the Right is using a script borrowed from the invasion of Iraq. Remember how the Bush administration packaged the war? Iraq was an imminent threat to American security; apocalyptic imagery of weapons of mass destruction abounded. Its savior-to-be: freedom, capitalism, and democracy. Just as before, the White House is drumming up fear. Social Security’s problems are pressing and urgent. The Bush administration frames Social Security’s future shortfalls as an imminent threat to the American people, much as it painted the Baath regime. Actuaries at the Social Security Administration are playing a role once assigned to United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix. Like Blix before them, the government actuaries are countering ideological fear-mongering with reasonable analysis. They project that the Social Security system will deplete its reserves no earlier than 2042. In their optimistic scenario, Social Security will stay solvent until 2080. Unlike Saddam, Social Security problems can’t generate nuclear fallout. But don’t expect a decrease in apocalyptic rhetoric. A bombardment of “train wrecks,” “bankruptcy” and “trillion-dollar shortfalls” characterizes the tone of the Bush campaign. This will surely continue. To sell Iraq, neo-con strategists played up the transition from oppression to freedom and tyranny to democracy. This time, the ideological paradigm is the transition from an “entitlement society” to an “ownership society.” We flattened Fallujah to free it and one should expect similar ironies with the new ideology. How about an administration that takes no ownership for the staggering deficit while removing social safety nets to promote an “ownership society?” When it comes to comparing the invasion and privatization, the parallels run deep. Not only does the wrapping paper come in the same color and print, the profiteers from Iraq are eerily similar to those looking to gain from the “Conservative New Deal.” Remember how Halliburton et al. scored juicy no-bid government contracts in Iraq? This time, the predatory stockbrokers and executives of Wall Street are drooling at the mouth. After Margaret Thatcher privatized pensions in the United Kingdom, costs and fees imposed by mutual funds reduced individual savings by 20 to 30 percent. The Goldmans, Fidelitys, and Citigroups are looking to skim similar amounts over here. Frighteningly, the Bush presidential strategists believe they’ve found a magic formula. I can picture Karl Rove huddled over a political strategy MadLib at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., inserting a new imminent threat, a new apocalyptic disaster, and a new ideology into the same old recipe. Let’s hope we’ve refined our pallette. Neale Mahoney ’05 is a wrapping paper aficionado.

NATE GORALNIK

What’s wrong with Social Security Imagine you’re a 35-year-old earning an average income, and someone is trying to sell you a federal insurance plan that promises you regular checks throughout your golden years. Call it Social Security. You have more than a few reasons to be skeptical of the scheme. To begin with, you have options. The premiums that you pay into the system are funds that you could be saving and investing yourself, so you have to ask yourself: What makes this insurance policy a good investment? Why should the government manage my money? That’s a good question, because if you’re a 35-year-old earning an average income, you’re likely to pay around $135,000 more than you’ll ever receive in benefits. That’s an outrageous loss, tantamount to a stock market crash for most people’s retirement plans. The difference is that the stock market offers potentially huge upside risk, whereas most people are guaranteed to lose money in Social Security. Where is all that money going? First of all, the Social Security system gives some people who could be working a free ride. Working-class women, for example, are forced to subsidize the retirements of wealthy stay-at-home wives who collect benefits as dependent spouses. More fundamentally, Social Security is essentially a pyramid scheme, with each generation paying for the previous generation’s retirement. Pyramid schemes work fine as long as there is a ready supply of fresh blood, as in the 1970s, when children outnumbered senior citizens by two to one. By 2050, however, there will be a grandma and grandpa for every school-

child. Money will start bleeding out of the Social Security trust fund much more quickly than it can be replenished. The system also creates perverse incentives. The way to plan for a major generational turnover like the baby-boomer retirement is to invest money in valuable assets, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate. Money invested in the stock market, for example, doesn’t just beef up a 401(k) — it also provides funds for business investment, so that the economy can support the needs of an aging population. But Social Security removes the stake

Social Security cheats African Americans. that individuals would otherwise have in the future by making seniors reliant on a promise: The government will take care of you. Thus, instead of providing an engine for savings and investment, American retirement planning consists of workers sending money to the government, which then promptly spends it. Nowhere in the process does anyone have an incentive to save — not surprisingly, the personal savings rate recently reached record lows. And then there are the ghastly distributive consequences. Because the Social Security tax only applies to the first $87,900 of income, it places a disproportionate burden on the working class. Warren Buffet famously pointed out that his secretary winds up in a higher effective tax bracket than he does. Workers

who cannot afford health insurance pay a higher percentage of their income to the federal government than the world’s most celebrated investor. Perhaps even more disturbing, Social Security cheats African-Americans by transferring their income to wealthier whites. Due to their shorter life expectancy, African-Americans receive significantly fewer benefits from the system than do whites, so that the system transfers up to $20,000 per person from blacks to whites. Contrast the present system to private accounts, which allow workers to build a nest egg that they can invest and pass on to their children, and to private pension plans, which use financial rewards to encourage hard work and fair play. Instead, we have a system that encourages people to retire early, consume irresponsibly, and rely on society to support them in retirement — mostly at the expense of the working class. Disturbingly, the entire system rests on a single proposition: that people aren’t smart enough to manage their own money. Proposals to reform Social Security will have to be evaluated on their merits, but there is no question about the need for reform. President Bush’s “ownership society” is not a right-wing conspiracy, but an effective summary the American Dream: the dismantling of a system that steals from the poor and rewards mediocrity, and its replacement by a system that gives individuals the freedom to work hard and prosper.

Nate Goralnik ’06 transcribed this article from previously unreleased Biggie tracks.

JACK SWEENEY-TAYLOR

Ownership society? “In America’s ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence,” President Bush said in his Jan. 20 Inaugural Address. His glib tribute to the virtues of American freedom and self-reliance included an appeal to build an “ownership society” with the hope of “preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society.” That the president should plan for an ownership society with a push to privatize Social Security comes as no surprise from an administration that’s been encroaching upon public benefits with a flurry of tax cuts and big business courtesies over the last four years. Wall Street would love to see privatized accounts replacing tax dollars that, for 70 years now, have guaranteed retirement checks for the elderly. But the nation’s grip on an ideology of self-reliance, adopted under the reassuring tone of Bush’s voice, may test notions of societal responsibility that traditionally have balanced out American individualism. Since when did we decide that our interest in liberty and autonomy needed to occlude social welfare? Reagan wouldn’t have known. The claim that is rousing so much commotion over Social Security now was familiar to his administration. Back in 1983, actuaries foresaw crisis in the retirement of the baby boomer generation and the collective aging of the nation, which would result in fewer tax dollars going to a larger pool of retirees. So the Reagan Administration, recognizing the political

necessity of keeping Social Security afloat, decided to bolster the Social Security Trust Fund, initiating a hike in payroll taxes that has brought the fund up to its current ledger at $1.5 trillion. That trillion and a half will likely double by the time Social Security runs into deficit in 2028, and taxes should continue to cover 73 percent of the system’s cost after the fund runs out in 2042. Those are the more pessimistic figures from the Social Security Administration, and even then the difference after the fund expires could be made up by a 1.89 percent increase in the payroll tax — a cost comparable to the expense of making Bush’s first-term tax cuts permanent. Analysts have estimated that the cost of privatization could be as high as $1 to $2 trillion over the next decade. What is most troublesome about the debate on changing Social Security is that it ignores the demographic gap that informs Americans’ ability to access the stock market and its treasures. Even at the peak of our financial prosperity, according to a Federal Reserve study in January 2000, the bottom fifth of American earners had fewer assets than they did in 1995, due to enormous household debt. Middle-class Americans already have a grasp on the “New Economy” — a college degree, expendable assets, fluency with the internet and familiarity with digital technology — and can easily access information on the market and utilize resources such as financial advisors.

Meanwhile, the majority of low-income Americans have to struggle against structural constraints to realize the benefits of investment. So what is the case the White House is making? Some describe privatization as a matter of political philosophy. Peter Ferrara, a senior fellow at the Institute for Policy Innovation, says the primary motivation for privatization isn't economic, but ideological: “We don't want the government controlling that much investment.” Privatizers in Washington are claiming an opportunity to rid the nation of what they call “the entitlement society.” The aim is to instigate a fundamental shift in the mindset of Americans, to get people to think like investors and manage their own resources. The proposition upholds the centerpiece of the American dream: Anybody can secure their future with the right initiative, regardless of their background. The political magic of such a proposition follows: Allow the nation to shift its demands and expectations of politicians onto the market, create a democracy that centers around the Dow, and with its assets drifting on the tides of business, watch it thank Uncle Sam for gracefully bowing out. America can only create an ownership society by demanding accountability from the White House. After all, they own it. Jack Sweeney-Taylor ’06 bows out gracefully.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS FRIDAY JANUARY 28, 2005 · PAGE 12

W. icers return home, look to halt three-game losing streak BY HELEN LURYI SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The women’s ice hockey team is back at Meehan Auditorium this weekend to face ECACHL and Ivy League rivals Yale and Princeton on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, respectively. It is a welcome homecoming for the Bears, who have played just once at home since Dec. 3 and are coming off a tough road trip that included visits to both sixth-ranked Harvard and topranked University of Minnesota. Despite its current threegame losing streak, Head Coach Digit Murphy says the team will make no changes in its style of play. “We’re going to stick to the game plan,” Murphy said, referring to Brown’s traditional defense-based system. “There’s no secret. We just need to focus on the execution. The team is continuing to learn and jell, and I think they’re ready to get into rhythm.” With two-thirds of the regular season completed, Brown has a record of 7-5-0 in the ECACHL and 10-8-1 overall. Although the Bears remain above .500, at the same point last season they were 8-1-1 in the ECACHL and 12-5-2 overall. While Brown finds itself behind last year’s pace, the season is far from over. This weekend’s games could prove decisive in determining the course of the rest of the season. After this weekend, only eight games remain before the ECACHL playoffs in March. Two of those games are against powerhouse

Ashley Hess / Herald

Forward Hayley Moore ’08 and the women’s ice hockey team face off against Yale and Princeton this weekend. Dartmouth (19-1-0, 12-0 ECACHL), which was ranked second in the nation this week in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll. Traditionally, a game against

Women’s Hockey FRIDAY, JANUARY 28 YALE BULLDOGS SATURDAY, JANUARY 29 PRINCETON TIGERS Both games at Meehan Auditorium Yale has been the perfect way for Bruno to break out of a slump. The Bears have dominated Yale, winning every game against the Bulldogs for the last 16 years. Brown continued the streak in this season’s previous matchup on Nov. 13, winning easily, 4-1.

However, Yale may not remain a pushover for long. Bulldog Erin Duggan is the reigning ECACHL Player of the Week, and under coach Hilary Witt, the Bulldogs (10-10, 8-3 ECACHL) are off to their best start in school history and are a surprising third in the ECACHL standings. Yale’s reputation may still be considered lowly, but “especially in women’s hockey, you get stereotypes that stick for teams, (even when they no longer apply),” said Murphy. The Brown-Princeton rivalry has been more evenly matched in recent years. The two teams are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the ECACHL standings, and the Tigers (10-5-3, 4-4-1 ECACHL) are looking for see W. HOCKEY, page 9

Princeton, Penn pose strong tests to w. hoops BY BEN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

The women’s basketball team (105, 2-0 Ivy League) will face its toughest challenge of the young Ivy season this weekend with big games against Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania. Up first for the Bears are the 8-5 Tigers, led by newcomer Meagan Cowher and veteran post player Rebecca Brown. The Friday night contest will be the first Ivy game for Princeton, which has won six straight games and has already improved upon last season’s 7-20 record. A major reason for the turnaround has been the play of Cowher, who leads her team in scoring at 12.9 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.4 boards a game. Performances such as her 28-point outburst against Saint Peter’s College have not gone unnoticed by the league, which has awarded Cowher four out of the seven Rookie of the Week awards thus far. Despite her on-court efforts, Cowher still remains best known as the daughter of longtime Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher. Her basketball genes, however, come from her mother. Kaye Cowher played college hoops at North Carolina State University before pursuing a pro career with the New York Stars of the Women’s Professional Basketball League. “She is from a very athletic background,” said Brown Head Coach Jean Marie Burr. “She has earned respect and has been playing extremely well. She has a great jump shot. Cowher has really made a difference as a freshman.”

These six Patriots share a special bond BY ALAN GREENBERG THE HARTFORD COURANT

FOXBORO, Mass. — He is one of six Patriots left from the team that went to the 1997 Super Bowl. Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Ted Johnson, Ty Law and Adam Vinatieri are the others. “We call ourselves the fourtimers,” linebacker Tedy Bruschi said Wednesday. “We have a special fraternity. We recall that first Super Bowl, then going rock-bottom (5-11 in 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season). And then we dug ourselves out.” Have they. After a three-day break following their 41-27 AFC Championship Game victory in Pittsburgh Sunday, the Patriots returned to Gillette Stadium Thursday to start preparing for Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles Feb. 6. The Patriots will be attempting to win their third Super Bowl in four years, something only the Cowboys did (1993,

’94, ’96). While players rested, the Patriots coaches, their bodies older but less bruised, have been assembling the outline of their game plan. “We’re going to get a little bit of it (Thursday),” Bruschi said. “But you don’t want to get yourself too excited and two geeked up yet. We’ve still got to go down to Jacksonville (Sunday) and then we’ve got a whole week left.” The Patriots went to Philadelphia in week two last season and beat Donovan McNabb and Co., 31-10. It was a good day for most of the Patriots, although linebacker Rosevelt Colvin broke his left hip in the first half and missed the rest of the year. It cleansed the sour taste in the Patriots’ mouths after the Bills crushed them 31-0 at Buffalo in the season opener, five days after Belichick dumped four-time Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy when

Milloy refused to take a pay cut. That seems like a long time ago. Then, the Patriots were a team adrift, wondering which team they were more like — the one that won the 2002 Super Bowl or the mediocre, defenseless bunch that finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs the next season. Now that that question has been answered, someone asked Bruschi how his Patriots compare to other dynasties such as the Steelers of the 1970s, the 49ers of the ’80s and the Cowboys of the ’90s. Bruschi, who grew up in northern California, talked in brief generalities about the Cowboys and 49ers. But when asked about the Steelers — who won four Super Bowls in six years — he said, “They’re before my time. You’re asking me about the Patriots. I’ll let some team in the next decade talk about us.” But he didn’t shy away

when asked about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who, according to Sports Illustrated, had a 103-degree fever and chills Saturday and had to be administered fluids intravenously. “Joe Montana is the best quarterback of his day,” Bruschi said. ”I think we’ve got the best quarterback of today.” For an undersized linebacker (6’1”, 247 pounds) who some never thought could survive a 16-game season as an NFL starter, Bruschi is truly in his glory days. Not only was Bruschi AFC Defensive Player of the Week for forcing two Colts fumbles in the divisional playoffs, he was profiled in Sports Illustrated before that game and on the magazine’s cover last week. Asked about being increasingly regarded as the public face of the Patriots, Bruschi called it “a tremendous comsee PATRIOTS, page 9

Winter Sports Pullout coming Tuesday

Princeton’s other offensive threat is Brown, a 6’3” junior who should provide a good matchup for Brown’s 6’5” center Holly Robertson ’05. “Brown is really strong with her back to the basket, so we have to match (Robertson) up with that,” Burr said. “Princeton has billed her as one of the top centers in the league, so it should be a pretty good matchup.” Meanwhile, co-captain Andrea Conrad ’05 will match up on Cowher, although as Burr points out, Brown’s style of defense is

Women’s Basketball FRIDAY, JANUARY 28 PRINCETON TIGERS SATURDAY, JANUARY 29 PENNSYLVANIA QUAKERS Both games at the Pizzitola Center team-oriented. “We have to do a good job putting pressure on the guards so that it won’t be easy to get the ball to Cowher or Brown,” Burr said. Both teams also feature solid contributors who are recently returning from injury. For the Tigers, sophomore Casey Lockwood had a double-double in Princeton’s victory over Brown last season. As for the Bears, they will continue to work guard Colleen Kelly ’06 back into the lineup in what will be her second game back after missing a few weeks with an ACL injury that threatened to end her season. Kelly is averaging 12.7 points per game, third best on the team. “Her jump shot may have gotten even quicker,” Burr said of Kelly’s play upon her return. “Her game has really stepped up a notch. We just have to make a few see W. HOOPS, page 9

B ROW N S P O RTS S CO R E B OA R D Friday, January 28 Men’s Ice Hockey: at Yale, 7 p.m., New Haven, Conn. Men’s Basketball: at Princeton, 7 p.m., Princeton, N.J. Men’s Squash: at Williams, 5 p.m., Williamstown, Mass. Women’s Squash: at Williams, 5 p.m., Williamstown, Mass. Wrestling: at Army, West Point, N.Y. Saturday, January 29 Men’s Tennis: vs. Hartford, 10 a.m., Pizzitola Men’s Tennis: vs. Lehigh, 3 p.m., Pizzitola Fencing: Northeast Fencing Conference #2 Men’s Ice Hockey: at Princeton, 7 p.m., Princeton, N.J. Men’s Basketball: at Pennsylvania, 7 p.m., Philadelphia, Pa. Women’s Swimming: at Cornell with Columbia, 12 p.m., Ithaca, N.Y. Gymnastics: at Yale, 1 PM, New Haven, Conn. Men’s Track: at Harvard with Cornell, Cambridge, Mass. Women’s Track: at Harvard with Cornell, Cambridge, Mass. Wrestling: at Lehigh, Bethlehem, Pa. Sunday, January 30 Men’s Squash: vs. Trinity, 12 p.m., Smith Swim Center Men’s Squash: vs. Bowdoin, 4 p.m., Smith Swim Center Women’s Squash: vs. Trinity, 2 p.m., Smith Swim Center Women’s Squash: vs. Bowdoin, 4 p.m., Smith Swim Center