M O N D A Y MARCH 14, 2005
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 32
www.browndailyherald.com
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
MAYHEM WITHIN Get your complete men’s Division I bracket — and enter The Herald’s Bracket Challenge INSIDE 9
LOOK WHO’S SMILING Neale Mahoney ’05: Would you sell out your buddy for some cheap DVDs at Wal-Mart? O P I N I O N S 11
QUINNIPIAC SENT PACKING M. lacrosse team doubles up on the Bobcats 14-7, advancing its record to 2-0 SPORTS
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TODAY
TOMORROW
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partly cloudy 41 / 21
Frank Hall architect Duffy intrigues University officials BY SONIA SARAIYA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The architect chosen to design Sidney E. Frank Hall, the future home of the Department of Cognitive Sciences and Linguistics and the Brain Science program, brings a reputation for flexibility and ingenuity to the project. Roger Duffy, a partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, is “not characterized by a particular style,” said John Fawcett ’85, a spokesman for SOM and for Duffy, who could not be reached. “Every project is unique.” The team’s focus at Brown will be to create a building that allows students and faculty to have a unique experience related to its function. Fawcett further said Duffy and the company are exploring the “possibility for enhanced perception” and “engaging with scientific inquiry.” The design of the approximately 60,000 sq. ft. building will have to accommodate two different needs for those using the building, what Fawcett refers to as a “binary context.” On one hand, “labs will require isolation of sound, light and vibrations” — particularly in a proposed virtual reality lab — but the first floor of the building will be devoted to a large auditorium, as well as to public spaces, classrooms and offices. Vice President for Planning Richard Spies said billionaire donor and liquor
importer Sidney Frank ’42 “was intrigued” by the public component to the building. Students will find many uses for the building, he said, “even if you have no interest in CogSci.” Construction should start “fairly early in the 2006-2007 academic year,” Spies said, and may end in time for the 2008-2009 school year, though it is “too early” to know for sure. According to Spies, the selection of the architect was the responsibility of a committee, which used proposals, interviews and tours of sites to determine which architectural firm would get the contract.
Spies said SOM was “very open to a range of solutions that fit the problems of the site.” Members of the committee that chose Duffy had nothing but praise for him. William Warren, a professor of cognitive science and linguistics, said that other sites Duffy has designed were “built with an intellectual mission in mind,” adding that he was “inspired” by Duffy’s work. Duffy demonstrates “enthusiasm in rethinking everything about design,” said Frances Halsband, creator of Brown’s see FRANK HALL, page 4
SOUL-AR ‘ECLIPSED’
City trips give students a change of pace New York vs. Boston: The debate goes on BY ELIZA LANE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The University provides an environment that many students affectionately call home. However, Brown students find themselves, from time to time, looking elsewhere for comfort — seeking diversion, away from campus and its many reminders of things still to be done. Students at universities throughout the country occasionally trek home on weekends, or visit nearby campuses for a day or so: Brown students are no exception. After all, too much stress is self-destructive and should be alleviated at times — hence students’ sporadic urges to get off campus for even just a few hours. “Although I don’t have much free time because I run track, I try to get away from campus whenever possible — usually on weekends. It’s important to get outside the tiny bubble we all live in at Brown so we don’t forget what it’s really like outside, in the real world,” said Anna Willard ’06. This sentiment is not limited to athletes whose time is constrained by competitions and training. It is echoed by students of all interests attending the University — and other colleges, too. “Getting away is good for all students, no matter where they go to school,” said Alicia Young ’06. “It enables us to get a slice of life that isn’t Brown life, which is important every once in a while.” Because of its proximity, Boston is a popular destination for students escaping the see CITIES, page 5 Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3269
Jane Tanimura / Herald
Kate Moller ’05 and Rose Weaver MFA ’00 performed in “Eclipsed,” a multi-media presentation created and directed by Raina Rahbar ’05 in celebration of Women’s History Month.
Ris ’05 pondering City Council run BY ALEXANDRA BARSK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
With graduation approaching, Brown seniors are struggling as they decide what they’d like to do next. Ethan Ris ’05 thinks he might like to become your city councilman. Though he has not yet made a final decision, Ris said he is thinking “seriously” about the possibility of running for Providence City Council in 2006. “I am very much still a student — I’m focusing on graduating. While getting involved in local politics is something I’ve thought about, I definitely haven’t made any decisions about what I’m going to do,” Ris said. “I’m just talking to people in the neighborhood and in the city government, getting a sense of the situation and also of whether this is something that I’d really want to do.” Ris said he expects to make a decision by the end of the summer. Over the summer, in preparation for a potential campaign, Ris will have to file papers through the state declaring himself as a potential candidate, start raising money and appoint a treasurer to oversee fundraising. If he does decide to enter the race, he will run as a Democrat in Ward 1, representing the College Hill and Fox Point neighborhoods, a position currently held by David Segal of the Green Party, who was elected in 2002. Last summer, Ris, a former president of the Brown Democrats, was given a three-month-long mayoral fellowship at Providence City Hall in the Department of Operations. He said the experience made him excited about what could get done in a city like Providence but also made him frustrated about what was not getting done. “Things seemed to move at a glacial pace, and a lot of times, people have good ideas that never get heard by the right people,” he said. One of Ris’ main issues is the divide see RIS, page 4
Conservative author D’Souza, Dartmouth grad, to speak tonight Dinesh D’Souza, author and fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, will give a lecture tonight titled “In Defense of American Empire,” at 8 p.m. in Salomon 101. D’Souza was one of the first editors of the cutting-edge conservative publication the Dartmouth Review during his years at Dartmouth College in the 1980s. He was senior domestic policy analyst at the White House from 198788 under President Ronald Reagan, and has done extensive research on higher education, civil rights, cultural issues and politics and the economy and society, according to D’Souza’s Web site. He has published a number of books, including “The End of Racism,” “Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus” and “What’s So Great About America?” In tonight’s lecture, sponsored by the College Republicans, D’Souza will
address post-Sept. 11 foreign policy from a broad perspective and will focus heavily on the topics of “What’s So Great About America?” his most recent book, according to Christopher McAuliffe ’05, president of the College Republicans. D’Souza draws heavily on his experiences at Dartmouth and reflects on his perspective as an Indian immigrant to argue against affirmative action and for the global supremacy of Western institutions, McAuliffe said. D’Souza argues that the reality of the American dream and the United States’ emphasis on individualism make it the easiest society for any minority to succeed. D’Souza is known for his pro-global capitalism, pro-colonialist point of view, McAuliffe said. D’Souza defends Western culture and values to the rest of the world and believes that their
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spread across the globe is beneficial to all. In “Two Cheers for Colonialism,” one of the most controversial chapters in “What’s So Great About America?,” D’Souza writes that colonialism was degrading to those who were colonized, but that descendants of colonialist societies ultimately gain from the incorporation of Western institutions, law, education and ideals of opportunity into their lives. McAuliffe said he chose to invite D’Souza because he was personally inspired by D’Souza’s compelling arguments regarding the dominance of Western institutions. McAuliffe hopes that people will attend the lecture not only because D’Souza is a high-profile speaker but also because of his academic perspective. The lecture is free and open to the public. — Nicole Summers News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com