T H U R S D A Y APRIL 7, 2005
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Volume CXL, No. 44
www.browndailyherald.com
An independent newspaper serving the Brown community since 1891
LIONS-GATE Publication of Columbia U. report on professors’ bias against proIsrael students gets mixed reactions C A M P U S WATC H 3
GREAT OUTDOORS W. throwers, jumpers a force to be reckoned with at S. Florida meet, the start of track’s outdoor season S P O R T S 12
SPAM POLITICS Nicholas Swisher ’08: John Kerry’s post-election e-mails a depressing window into Democrats’ strategery O P I N I O N S 11
TODAY
TOMORROW
mostly cloudy 64 /47
rain 56 / 38
Robinson ’66 wins Pulitzer for ‘Gilead’
Theologian’s talk kicks off Pride Month BY SUCHITA MATHUR STAFF WRITER
Oppressed peoples should encourage communication within groups to avoid being pitted against each other and taken advantage of by larger institutions, the Rev. Irene Monroe said in Wednesday’s convocation for Pride Month 2005, “Moving Beyond Recognition: Images of Resistance.” Monroe, a religious columnist and black feminist theologian, appeared in front of an audience of approximately 60 in Salomon 101 for a lecture titled “Intersectionality: Our Multiple Identities Searching for a Common Ground.” Monroe engaged the audience through participation and comic irony. Describing the difficulties in reconciling her “multiple identity” of being a lesbian and black, she said, “I came back from Wellesley (College) and I told my then-fiancé, ‘I think I’m gay.’ And he said, ‘You can’t be a homosexual, you’re black.’ ” Other black ministers told Monroe early on that her attempts to fight racism, sexism and heterosexism simultaneously were weakening the black civil rights movement, she said. They were advocating a “hierarchy of oppression,” she said, with racism on top, followed by sexism, classism and heterosexism as successively less important. “People say, if you address other issues (besides racism), you weaken the discourse,” she said. “But when you limit the discourse, you remove three-quarters of the demographic and you have patriarchy.” Monroe suggested people instead view bigotry and prejudice as a “wheel of oppression” that gives each group more space to communicate. “I’m not saying that if you’re a white gay boy you’re as oppressed as a black gay woman,” Monroe said. “What I’m saying is there
Third alum in three years to win award in fiction or drama BY STEPHEN NARAIN STAFF WRITER
Mark Cho / Herald
Black feminist theologian Rev. Irene Monroe spoke about religion’s influence on the public perception of sexual orientation as part of the Gay Pride Month convocation in Salomon Wednesday night.
Admins propose hike in late registration fee at UCS meeting Faith forum to tackle religious intolerance
see PULITZER, page 8
BY LAURA SUPKOFF STAFF WRITER
Dean of the College Paul Armstrong and University Registrar Michael Pesta made a presentation in support of a proposed raise in the late fee for class registration at the weekly Under-graduate Council of Students meeting on Wednesday. The proposed change would increase the charges for late preregistration to $100 and first-time registration during the first four weeks of classes to $150, both from the current $15 students are required to pay. In addition, $50 will be required to add a course after the end of the two-week shopping period. The proposal originated in the
see MONROE, page 7
Registrar’s Office, and has been endorsed by the College Curriculum Council and the Graduate Council. To take effect, the Brown Corporation must approve it, but Armstrong said this raise is something that should not be rushed — it is “something you do very deliberately.” The proposal is in response to the excessive violation of deadlines surrounding registration that occurs each year. According to the Registrar’s Office, 794 students failed to preregister for classes this fall, and there were 2,680 late adds. Currently, three students have not see UCS, page 5
Garlic butternut squash risotto cake medley wins gold Greene urges Iron Chefs to ‘take on Johnson and Wales’ BY ANNA ABRAMSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Sharpe Refectory was transformed into a veritable Kitchen Stadium Wednesday afternoon, with about 20 Brown students vying for, among other titles, that of “most original Ratty Iron Chef.” The competition challenged students to utilize a typical selection of dinner food and condiments in the preparation of a unique entrée or dessert. An eight-person panel of judges assessed the dishes on a scale from 1-5 based on factors including taste, texture, appearance, balance, nutritional value and creativity. Awards were given out in the categories of entrée, desert, overall culinary performance and most original. The event was organized by Jonathan Raphael ’08, University administrative dietician Bridget Visconti, Floor Manager Chris Pollock, and Production
Marilynne Robinson ’66 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction Monday for “Gilead,” her elegiac novel about a dying Congregationalist priest in Iowa as he relates his life in a letter to his young son. Robinson becomes the third alum in as many years to win the award in letters or drama. Boston Globe reporter Gareth Cook ’91 also won a Pulitzer this year, in explanatory journalism for his coverage on the “complex scientific and ethical dimensions of stem cell research,” according to the prize’s Web site. The Pulitzer board praised his “clarity and humanity” in covering the politically charged issue. Cook graduated with degrees in mathematical physics and international
Manager Elizabeth Mersereau. The judges included Executive Chef John O’Shea, Assistant Catering Manager Laura Lee Radtke, Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene, Assistant Manager of Retail Operations Leanne Evangelist, Assistant Director of Dining Services Claire Sidla and student judges Hari Khalsa ’05 and Michael Ennis ’08. The chiming of a triangle signaled the beginning and end of the 20-minute period allotted for dish preparation. At the sounding of the start signal, contestants, all of whom were wearing traditional white chef’s hats, scattered in all directions. “I had no idea of the energy that was going to be put in (to the food preparation),” Merseau said. Organizers agreed that the students’ enthusiasm and precision exceeded expectations. One student demonstrat-
Editorial: 401.351.3372 Business: 401.351.3269
see IRON CHEF, page 7
Chris Bennett / Herald
Wednesday evening’s Iron Chef event at the Ratty deemed Josh Ziperstein ’05 the winner of the culinary competition.
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
BY JANE PORTER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Undergraduate Council of Students is currently working on creating a community-of-faith forum that will discuss the issue of religious intolerance on the Brown campus, an initiative to which some students of faith have responded with skepticism. The forum, spearheaded by Schuyler von Oeyen ’05, UCS’s alumni liaison, will meet for the first time before the end of the month to examine how students in various religious groups can feel better integrated into the overall Brown community. “I feel it is an issue that often does not get talked about,” von Oeyen said. “Many of the people who are the problem aren’t even aware of it. We want to raise awareness through this forum.” UCS members hope that by creating this small, deliberative group, they can begin to identify the issues of religious intolerance of concern to students at Brown. “There are lots of people who feel silenced on this campus,” said Ashley Harness ’05, a member of the Multi-Faith Council, an interfaith student group. “Some feel psychologically marginalized, some feel institutionally marginalized.” On an individual level, religious intolerance is exhibited by inappropriate peer interactions or in classrooms where students may feel they are described categorically or in stereotypical terms, said the Rev. Janet Cooper-Nelson, University chaplain. “I have observed a large territory of ignorance about religion,” she said. see FAITH, page 6 News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com
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THIS MORNING THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 · PAGE 2 Coreacracy Eddie Ahn
WORLD IN BRIEF Thousands more descend on St. Peter’s BY GLENN FRANKEL The Washington Post VATICAN CITY — Hundreds of thousands more pilgrims descended upon St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday for a last chance to view the body of Pope John Paul II, as the College of Cardinals announced that the conclave to select the new leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics would hold its first session on April 18. The cardinals, meeting for the third
day since the pope’s death, chose the date after hearing John Paul’s spiritual testament, said the Vatican spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls.The will, in effect John Paul’s last message to the faithful and the world, will be released publicly on Thursday. President Bush and Laura Bush paid respects before John Paul’s body Wednesday night, after coming directly from Rome’s airport.
Jero Matt Vascellaro
TO D AY ’ S E V E N TS CUBAN HIP-HOP NIGHT 7 p.m. (List 120 and The Underground) — Screening of “Inventos: Hip-Hop Cubano” a documentary of the Hip-Hop movement in Cuba with a question and answer session with director Eli-Jacobs Fantauzzi and special guest, from Havana, Cuba, Ariel Fernandez (DJ Asho). The afterparty with DJ Asho and special guests will be at The Underground.
QUEER WINDOW: THE LGBTQ FILM/VIDEO FESTIVAL 7-11 p.m. (Cable Car Cinema, 204 South Main St.) — 14 screenings of queer cinema, from April 7-10 at the Cable Car Cinema . Tickets for students are $4 per show; six show pass for $18; tickets for the general public are $5 per show; 6 show pass for $24. See the full schedule at www.provqueerfilm.com.
Chocolate Covered Cotton Mark Brinker
MENU SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH — Chicken Fingers with Dipping Sauces, Hawaiian Pineapple Brown Rice, Zucchini Yianchi, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Washington Apple Cake.
VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH — Vegetarian Eggplant, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Mulligatawny Soup, Hot Turkey Sandwich, Stuffed Shells with Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, California Blend Vegetables, Chocolate Chip Cookies. DINNER — Vegetarian Eggplant, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Mulligatawny Soup, Roast Loin of Pork, Vegan Paella Italian Roasted Potatoes, Belgian Carrots, French Style Green Beans with Tomatoes, Five Grain Bread, Washington Apple Cake.
DINNER — Chicken in the Rough, Cajun Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, Cauliflower in Dill Mustard Sauce, Five Grain Bread, Fruited Strawberry Jello, Chocolate Vanilla Pudding Cake.
How to Get Down Nate Saunders
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Weary from overuse 5 Part of USMC 10 Sitar music 14 Couple’s word 15 “... __ of many colors” 16 Cheese burg 17 Mesopotamia’s locale, today 18 Inaptly named critter of verse 20 Yup’s opposite 21 View from Acadia Natl. Park 22 Blunt weapons 23 4.0 requirement 28 Back on board 30 Hold back 31 ASCAP rival 34 Spanish missionary __ Junípero 35 Wine holders 36 Not very bright 37 Precarious moments (and this puzzle’s title) 40 Mount near Catania 41 Stumble 42 Set down 43 Yule tradition 44 Chanteuse Edith 45 Leno employee 46 Side order with a twist? 48 Paper pile 51 Director Howard 52 Make lace 55 “The Children’s Hour” poet 59 Birthday secret 60 Melodic wind 61 Sixth-day creation 62 Tylenol target 63 Flower shop purchase 64 Diner choice 65 __-Ball DOWN 1 Team up with
2 Pervasive quality 3 Sweatpants feature 4 Lawyer’s letters 5 Comfy cover-up 6 Eyes 7 Peri’s “Frasier” role 8 La __ 9 Barnyard home 10 Signs on again 11 Roofer’s tool 12 Enjoy stars 13 Tan and Irving 19 Help to withdraw 21 Deck out 24 __ cotta 25 Please 26 Excited 27 “__ consummation devoutly ...”: Hamlet 28 Gray 29 Defense gp. formed in Manila 31 Halloween carrier? 32 Ray of the sea 33 “Peer Gynt” dramatist 1
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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: W A R P C R E A K A B B A H E N C E D O O M E R I E O O Z E L I S T S E R V E R P I N K O S T A K E A W A Y B I E N C L A I R A P P E N D D R U M S E T S P E O N S V E T B O O S T C H E C K C I N E A L I T B O A R S G R E T E B A N D O O W O P A R T H O U S E B E L L E M E T S S E L L T O F I N I S H U P M A R K A N T O N Y U R A L B L E E D I G O R L E N O S E E Y A E S S O A S K S
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35 Like measles 36 Sad song 38 The poky 39 Creator of Dan’l, the jumping frog 44 Pastry shell 45 Kind of industry 46 Evasive 47 Do a bakery job 48 Feed, as pigs
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CAMPUS WATCH THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 · PAGE 3
Columbia report addresses anti-Semitism charges BY GABRIELLA DOOB STAFF WRITER
Following months of controversy and a nine-week investigation, an ad hoc faculty committee at Columbia University released a report Friday on student charges of intimidation in Middle Eastern studies classes. The grievance report found no proof of anti-Semitism but cited one instance of inappropriate behavior by a Middle Eastern studies professor. The report also criticized Columbia’s inadequate grievance procedures. The debate over students’ claims that they had been intimidated or harassed for defending Zionist positions began with the release of a film called “Columbia Unbecoming,” which was produced by the David Project, a pro-Israel group based in Boston. The film consisted of student testimonials about their experiences of intimidation by professors in the department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures who disagreed with their positions. The film focused in particular on professors Joseph Massad, Hamid Dabashi and George Saliba. Many students have voiced dissatisfaction with the report, claiming that it minimized the problem by finding only one credible incident of unacceptable behavior. Bari Weiss, a pro-Israel sophomore at Columbia and cofounder of Columbians for Academic Freedom, said that by focusing on specific grievances, the report avoided addressing the crucial question of why the incidents had occurred to begin with. “These grievances didn’t happen in a vacuum,” she said in an interview with The Herald. “These students were intimidated because of their ideological positions, a fact that was willfully neglected in the report.” The incidents described in the film were addressed in the ad hoc committee’s grievance report. One such inci-
dent involved an accusation lodged against Massad by a Barnard student, Deena Shanker, who took his class, “Palestinian and Israeli Politics and Societies,” in the spring of 2002. In her testimony, Shanker said she raised her hand to ask whether it was true that Israel sometimes gives warning before bombing certain areas to allow civilians to escape without injury. She claimed that Massad yelled in response, “If you’re going to deny the atrocities being committed against the Palestinian people then you can get out of my classroom!” The ad hoc committee found this account credible, though there are students who deny that the incident took place. Many students were outraged by the transgressions described in the film. Others were put off by the way these students’ grievances were aired. Sophomore Joseph Anzalone was so appalled he called into a local radio show Friday to express his opinion. “Many students at Columbia share the opinion that the film was an extreme and inappropriate way of getting these voices heard,” he told The Herald. “These students seemed to be trying to cause controversy rather than to solve problems.” Eric Posner, an undergraduate from Jerusalem and a former member of the Israel Defense Forces, said he saw the film as the deliberate attempt of an angry minority to manipulate students. “These individuals are conjuring up notions of anti-Semitism to serve their narrow-minded and extremist political agenda,” he said. “I can’t understand for the life of me why Columbia hasn’t been tougher about dismissing this as a load of garbage.” After the film’s release, Posner became the central figure in an effort to collect testimonies from students in support of the MEALAC department and its professors. He then submitted this material to the ad hoc committee, which was established by Columbia President Lee Bollinger in
December. Among the more than 20 students who gave testimonies, several defended the teaching methods of the three professors who have been most criticized. Students praised Massad for his “tone of critical scholarly inquiry,” his welcoming of diverse interpretations of the assigned material and his willingness to answer questions “calmly and thoroughly” even when it was clear that the questions were meant to provoke argument or call into question his credibility. One student said: “I am Jewish. I am not a Zionist. Joseph Massad is a man who understands the distinction and does not attempt to conflate the two around a vague connection with Israel.” Weiss, the sophomore who is dissatisfied with the committee’s report, said she never had an incident with Massad when she took his class, but disagreed with the claim that he encourages diverse points of view. She cited his “inability to entertain other perspectives” as her biggest criticism of his course. “A student can leave his class without being able to articulate why a thinking, moral person might believe the Zionist state had a right to exist,” she said. Instead, Zionist students were “made to feel like pariahs.” Though Weiss criticized “Columbia Unbecoming” for “conflating issues” and for making vague and often unfounded accusations, she said it should be seen for what it is: a group of testimonials by students who felt that they had gone unheard. “It’s not meant to be a documentary,” she said. Rather, it was a way for students to share grievances that had might have been ignored. “The David Project replaced what the University should have been doing,” she said. For Weiss, the controversy is not only about the immesee COLUMBIA, page 5
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 5
Columbia continued from page 3 diate issue of student intimidation but also about the larger one of academic freedom. As a cofounder of Columbians for Academic Freedom, she said she considered herself a strong defender of the right to voice dissent as well as a supporter of rigorous intellectual debate. She cited critics of the David Project’s funding of “Columbia Unbecoming” as examples of those who wish to silence debate on heated issues. “When the NAACP or the (American Civil Liberties Union) steps in, no one bats an eyelash,” she said. “When the David Project gets involved, people get all up in arms.” Weiss also criticized a faculty forum on academic freedom on Monday for presenting a single perspective and for shying away from debate. “There is a fear of true debate with people who have perspectives very different from their own.” Posner and students who have supported the MEALAC department also believe that debate has been stifled, but in a somewhat different way. Posner said he was explaining the events on campus to a friend in Israel who interrupted him, confused about why this had become such a controversy. “What are you talking about?” his friend asked. “Half of my professors deny the legitimacy of the Zionist state.” “In free countries this kind of debate is allowed,” Posner said. Though he said he doesn’t reject the claims of students who feel they have been intimidated, Posner is frustrated by what he calls the “narrative of persecution among my people.” Posner, also a former student of Massad’s, said that the professor was a passionate lecturer but never found him to be offensive. “I was used to that level of intensity of debate,” Posner said. “Did I always agree with him? God, no.” Nonetheless, Posner declared his major in the MEALAC department. “Being a Jew and an Israeli,
I felt comfortable enough to declare my major in this department. I served in the army, my mother and sister live in Israel, but nobody calls me a baby killer when I go to office hours,” he said. Posner said that he is not alone in this experience. The students from whom he collected testimony and many others, including many Jewish students who have taken classes with Massad, believe the accusations are unfounded, he said. Along with holes in the testimonies of students against Massad and others, Posner emphasized the role of outside influences like the David Project in agitating students and encouraging them to play the “informant game” and to “tell us how they’ve been hurt, even if they’re not sure they’ve been hurt.” “This was not a case of massive student dissatisfaction,” said Professor of English and Comparative Literature Bruce Robbins. “It was a case of outside organizations latching onto student complaints.” According to Posner, these outside organizations had already identified the targets of their attacks a long time ago. He cited opinion pieces by Ariel Beery, president of the School of General Studies Student Council and a former member of the Israel Defense Forces, printed in the Columbia Spectator over the past two years as examples of prior attacks on the scholarship of professors like Massad. “People have been gunning after these guys for years,” Posner said. Like Weiss, Posner is dissatisfied with the committee’s report. “It’s such a fluid document. … Anyone could read anything they want into that document,” he said. However, he said that the issue of student intimidation cannot be dismissed. Instead, he thinks a pervasive examination should be conducted to determine if student claims of intimidation are valid. “It’s hard to have a fact-finding mission on the word of five or six people,” Posner said.
UCS continued from page 1 completed their registration for this semester, Pesta said. “This pattern is not good for students’ academic success,” Armstrong said. “It doesn’t seem to me … and my colleagues to be conducive to good academic planning.” The goal of the fee increase is not to raise money and will not affect students if they meet all deadlines. “In the best of all worlds, this fee would actually bring in no money,” Armstrong said. The current fee no longer serves as a real penalty for late registration, as it has not been raised since 1975. If adjusted for inflation, the fee today would be $55, which is lower than those of many peer institutions. “For a lot of students, ($15) is pizza money. Registration needs to be taken seriously,” Pesta said. “If the fee is there to encourage that, and it’s a meaningless fee, what’s the point?” UCS members expressed many concerns about the proposed increase. “I think the council overwhelmingly would not support what they are saying,” said UCS President Joel Payne ’05. Wednesday’s presentation
Four thousand coveted tickets to see Bill Clinton on April 26, as well as 1,500 tickets to the simulcast, will be distributed the day before the former president’s appearance. was intended to obtain feedback, but Payne noted that “they should have been more openminded to strategizing with us,” explaining that there are other options that he thinks the council would find more appropriate for solving the problem. The current nature of preregistration was a major sticking point for many members, such as Vance Monet ’08 who said he believes preregistration needs to be made “more effective before charging for such a fee.” Armstrong also called the preregistration system “antiquated” and agreed “we need to be working on that, too.” He noted that the expected switch from paper to online registration, which would allow for various limitations on class composition and size which are currently ignored, might help increase the importance of preregistration. The goal for a complete switchover is April 2006. “We decided that there are cultural issues here that need to be intervened on now,”
Armstrong said. “It may be, too, that changing the registration fee now … may ease the transition to the electronic registration system.” Many UCS members still voiced concerns about making the switch when preregistration is soon to change drastically. They also hold concerns about difficulties in registration for seminar classes which meet only twice during shopping period, as well as extra spots which open up in classes initially overfilled. Payne also said “those that don’t have the ability to pay will be proportionally more affected.” Also at the meeting, Payne said that 4,000 coveted tickets to see Bill Clinton on April 26, as well as 1,500 tickets to the simulcast, will be distributed the day before the former president’s appearance. David Beckoff ’08 said that after meeting with President Ruth Simmons, a program of not-for-credit courses provided free to students has emerged as a favorite proposal for a possible winter break J-term.
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PAGE 6 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005
Faith continued from page 1 Von Oeyen is currently in contact with the Chaplain’s Office and the Multi-Faith Council to discuss the logistics of the UCS forum. Some members of religious groups have expressed skepticism about working with UCS, particularly because the MultiFaith Council was turned down when applying to become an official UCS group last year. “There is one problem with bureaucracy,” said Sushil Jacob ’05, co-founder of Interfaith House. “They often try to reinvent the wheel.” According to Jacob, the Multi-Faith Council has been looking at similar
issues for a number of years. UCS is currently discussing incorporating the Multi-Faith Council as an official student group this year, though it has not yet reached a decision. Categorization as a UCS group opens the possibility of receiving space for meetings and in some cases, funding. “When the Multi-Faith Council went to UCS to get funding, they were told they were redundant,” Cooper-Nelson said. She said she believes this rejection has left religious groups somewhat incensed about collaborating with UCS. But this year’s UCS members are looking to reconnect with religious groups and hope the community of faith forum will be a first step in this direction. “We want to clean up some of
the relations from the past and show them that we are here for them, supporting them, just as we would any other student group,” said UCS President Joel Payne ’05. Payne said UCS’s forum will be different from Multi-Faith Council and other interfaith groups on campus. “This body is going to work more on integrating groups of faith into the larger campus community,” he said. “Multi-Faith Council serves as a way for different religious groups to interact with one another.” Recognizing intolerance Existing interfaith groups such as the Multi-Faith Council and Interfaith House have already considered a number of issues with respect religion at Brown.
Understanding Islam is one such concern, Jacob said. “There is a palpable need for people to understand this religion today,” he said, explaining that after Sept. 11, 2001, Islam was “often pursued with a lot of stereotypes.” Another issue is the marginalization of people of faith as antiintellectual. “If you don’t address religion, that is absurdity and then to say that it is anti-intellectual … you’re not going to come to robust conclusions,” Jacob said. Jacob suggested the most effective way to address this issue is by sponsoring more provocative lecturers to speak on such issues at Brown, rather than simply creating small deliberative groups that discuss the problems. “For religious intolerance to be combated, we need to have a set of goals,” he said. “We need to open it up to debate and sponsor controversial speakers. That’s a really good way to start. It’s much more accessible to a broader range of people.” Some religious group members said that a tension between Brown’s liberal atmosphere and the treatment of religion is one source of intolerance on campus. “Being liberal doesn’t mean being anti-religious,” Jacob said. “We are not saying Brown should be less liberal. … We need to redefine what the parameters of liberal are.” “I think (religion) is something we don’t really know how to talk about on a big level,” Harness said. “It’s a category of diversity that needs to be addressed. It comes bound up in whole cultural systems that are tricky to navigate.” UCS is hoping to help the Brown community address religion more openly, looking at religious intolerance with the same consideration that sexual and racial intolerance have received at Brown, according to von Oeyen. “Religious intolerance is definitely a huge issue on campus,” Jacob said. “It is not necessarily directed at a certain group, but
is more an intolerance of religious people in general.” But specific groups do face some forms of intolerance on campus, Jacob said. “Christian fellowship groups set up on the Main Green and talk to people and lots of people don’t like this,” he said. “They find it too provocative.” The result, Jacob said, is that some students may make negative assumptions about a particular faith based on brief interactions they have with these groups. “Personally, I think that it may be is a struggle, but it’s not something that is unique to Brown,” said Jamie Witmer ’05, a member of College Hill for Christ. Witmer is skeptical of the potential effectiveness of an interfaith group on religious intolerance. “How much accommodation of different views and prevention of marginalization can actually occur without debunking religion?” Witmer said. “There seems to be a kind of conflict of interest between what College Hill for Christ is about and this idea of opening a dialogue.” Cooper-Nelson believes that though it is important to look at issues of intolerance, it is necessary to open up conversation rather than stifle it. “Often people report intolerance when what they may be feeling is disagreement,” she said. Tamilla Mamedova ’07, vice president of the Muslim Students Association, said she thinks the University can benefit from such an open dialogue on the issues. Though she is not familiar with UCS plans for the community of faith forum, past experiences in which the Muslim Students Association met with students of other faiths have been valuable experiences, she said. “I think it is an amazing idea,” Mamedova said of increasing interfaith dialogue on religious issues at Brown. “We don’t necessarily know a lot about each other’s faith, and in today’s environment, you can’t afford to do that.”
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 7
Iron Chef continued from page 1 ed extreme focus and concentration as he worked with headphones in his ears. Other participants exhibited culinary perfectionism, constantly rearranging elements of the dish and working on a symmetrical or colorful presentation. Andrew Kurtzman ’08 used orange juice to marinate the chicken. He then heated the chicken to absorb the liquid. “In order to survive,” Kurtzman said, “I’ve had to learn a few things.” Competitor Andrew Kim ’07 also employed a unique strategy, chilling his plate in the refrigerator. That way, by the time Kim’s chopping and arranging was complete, he was able to serve the dessert on a nicely chilled plate. Participants observed the following rules: no using equipment improperly (for example, no stir-fry on the panini grills); no outside ingredients allowed; no bribing culinary professionals; no non-edible ingredients; no entry behind the serving lines; no teamwork; rules of sanitation must be observed. After a long and suspenseful period of deliberation and calculating on the part of the judges, prizes were awarded. The first Ratty Iron Chef statue for most original dish was awarded to Ashley King-Bischof ’07 for “Peanut Butter Eruption,” which featured an ice cream cone placed in the middle of a brownie with an original peanut butter sauce “erupting” from both the ice cream cone and an apple on the dish. King-Bischof explained that the idea for a peanut butter sauce combined with ice cream and brownie came from past discussions with friend Lena McAfee ’07. “She and I thought of the peanut butter sauce,” King-Bischof said, “then worked with an eruption theme where the sauce exploded out of the
cone and apple.” She said that going into the competition she had a rough idea of the ingredients available but there was an element of surprise. Without peanut butter, she said, “we would have been ruined.” Awards were presented in gold, silver and bronze for overall culinary performance. Gold went to Josh Ziperstein ’05 for his creamy garlic butternut squash risotto cake medley. Silver went to Diana Toledo ’08 for her colorful and carefully presented chicken broccoli alfredo plate. Kim earned the bronze for “Ginger Ice Cream and Pear Napoleon,” which was composed of alternating layers of thinly sliced toast rounds with honey. The dessert, he said, was similar to a crispy honey cookie. Kim explained that he first toasted the bread, then sliced it in half and toasted it again, and used Ratty cups as cookie-cutters to achieve a uniform shape. Kim created ginger ice cream by mixing frozen yogurt with sliced pear chunks and ginger spice. He also used those ingredients to sauce the plate for presentation. In the entrée category, first prize went to “Rob’s Creation,” by Robert Tzong ’05, a spicy tofu meat combination dish. Second place went to Toledo, and third prize went to Jeff Hofmann ’08 for his “Extreme Quesadilla.” In the dessert category, Alyra Melchert ’08 came in first for her “Ratty Baked Apples a la Mode,” which consisted of microwaved apples, sugar, butter, honey and raisins. In second place was King-Bischof for “Peanut Butter Eruption.” The third-place prize recipient was Kim. The judges described different judging strategies. Khalsa said he was “thinking back to what I ate when I was on meal plan, which was pretty much veggie burgers and pasta, so I was using that as my baseline.” O’Shea, the executive chef, said his considerations included “creativity, balance, contrast, flavor, compatibility of flavors,
Monroe continued from page 1 should be interconnection.” The underlying forces of society ultimately act as the “spokes” for this wheel, Monroe said. “What we have to look at is what holds the wheel together, and this is what I call the axis of evil,” she said. Monroe cited patriarchy, capitalism, nationalism, religious intolerance and militarism as the five prevailing amount of food on the plate, if the ingredients are being overutilized (and) nutrition: protein, carbohydrates, fat, calories.” “I’m always ready for a free meal,” Greene said, noting that the food was of “a much higher quality” than he expected. Each dish demonstrated such impressive creativity, he said, that it was at times “difficult to discern” and have an idea of who should win. Mersereau also said she was impressed by the students’ energy level, which she characterized as “through the roof.” At the end of the events, Raphael said, “This was more than I imagined. I have not stopped smiling. This has been an absolute success.” Many organizers, participants and judges said they hope to see Ratty Iron Chef became an annual competition. But Greene took it one step further, saying, “We’ve got a lot of Iron Chefs at Brown — the next thing we need to do is take on Johnson and Wales.”
themes that fuel continuing oppression of all minorities. But she cautioned audience members not to passively accept the “hierarchy of oppression” as something that only affects minorities. Given the nature of the immigrant-based society in the United States, almost all ethnic groups experienced racism and bias at one point, at least until a new wave of immigrants entered the country, Monroe said. “Not knowing your history makes you dangerous,” she said. “You don’t
know that once you were the ‘nigger’ of society.” Joel Madrid ’05, coordinator of Pride Month, said Monroe was “really engaging, and came at things from a very different and interesting perspective.” “We wanted someone who could address a wide range of issues and make a lot of connections among different groups of people,” Madrid said. “During the whole month we really want to address different issues and speak to as wide an audience as possible.”
PAGE 8 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005
Vallely continued from page 12 their parent’s arms — except, of course, we were in the less comforting embrace of Ybor. The next morning, we headed for Clearwater — a suburb of Tampa — to watch David “Boomer” Wells start for the Sox against the Phillies at their spring residence. With the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky, Ybor looked far more hospitable. “This is where we were last night,” (Herald Sports Staff Writer) Matt (Nicholson ’07) said, in disbelief. “Tell me you’re not still scared.” We arrived at Bright House Field in about a half hour. Mike, again, applied enough sunscreen for all four of us. “You can never have enough,” he said. On cue, he put way too much all over his neck. We crossed the parking lot and climbed the steps to the stadium, entering what would end up being, far and away, the greatest facility we would visit. Home to the Class-A Clearwater Thrashers, Bright House Field had a sort of hacienda feel to it, with stucco walls and Spanish tile roofs. There is also an elevated promenade, lined with concession stands from which you have an unobstructed view of the field. With two pairs of tickets in different sections, we split up. While Mike and Hatty sat along the third base line, about 15 rows back, Matt and I found that our tickets – at $36 a pop – gave us access to a section of picnic tables, carefully guarded by two attendants. When we flashed our tickets, they showed us to our table, which was almost level with the field, and a yard from
the third-base line. We were also presented with armbands, which allowed us to fill up at a free buffet and buy $2 brews. We were kings. In disbelief, we went to the buffet, and filled our plates with ribs, mac and cheese and baked beans. While I’m usually opposed to using utensils at sporting events, I couldn’t disapprove of this. We brought it down to our table, as Mike and Hatty, I imagined, bought undercooked $5 hot dogs, struggled to fit in their seats and had beer spilt down their backs. The game had already started, and the Sox had failed to score in their first frame. Matt and I were only 30 feet from Manny Ramirez, as he lazily played catch with Mike Timlin. He was within shouting distance. Actually, I think he heard us when we used our inside voices. He was that close. Boomer looked less than sharp, giving up three in the first, hanging his curveballs high in the zone — which, of course, he didn’t correct for in his opening day start a week later. He hung one of those pitches to centerfielder Jason Michaels, who ripped it down the line in left — a few feet away from us. I screamed at Manny to get it in, but he lazily threw it to the cutoff man in his trademark nonchalance. I couldn’t get his attention. But someone did: Sitting to our left was an attractive woman in her late twenties, with bronzed skin and a boyfriend sitting with his arm around her waist. She shot Manny a few smiles, which he returned eagerly between pitches, licking his lips, grinning and, at some point, promising her a ball. When he had to look back towards home-plate — he was, in fact, playing baseball — he seemed agitated, as if it were a distraction from the task at hand. The boyfriend played with his girlfriend’s hair, probably
attempting to assert his dominance, but looked more like a 12 year old at a slumber party. He was no match for the World Series MVP. “Are you seeing this?” I asked Matt. I was barely watching the game; it seemed like no one in the leftfield corner was. This cat-andmouse game needed an ending. It came, but in a way that was wholly undesirable; that is, for everyone but Matt. As Manny hauled in the final out of the fourth inning, he began sidestepping back to the dugout, and tossed the ball in the woman’s direction. At the time, I was taking a few notes, looking down at the table, altogether unaware. “CLANG!” I looked up, my heart in my throat as the ball skipped off our table and hit Matt square in the chest. It rolled under the table, by Matt’s right foot. A minute later, Matt’s phone rang. “You better have that ball,” Hatty said. “I got it,” Matt said. The ball meant for the flirtatious young woman was in his possession. “Yo, do you think I could get him to sign it?” Matt asked me. “I don’t know, ask him next inning.” Matt did, screaming Manny’s name, like people do at spring training — when they’re 11 years old. Manny gave a series of hand gestures, pointing toward the dugout. He seemed to be indicating that he would sign it after the game; but since Matt was not the flirtatious woman, that meant never. The game came to a close with Matt and I drinking a few beers, Mike and Hatty being denied access to our seats as we tried the old ticket-switch, and Matt and I
going back to drinking, living the lives of Spring Training kings. After the game, the four of us had our only good game of catch in the grass parking lot, then piling into the Volvo, this time in search of the beach. We never found it, but Hatty did get into a minor fender-bender,
Pulitzer continued from page 1 relations, was named to the Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies and intended to join the foreign service before deciding to become a journalist, according to his biography on the prize’s Web site. He could not be reached for comment. Robinson, 61, is a professor at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She previously taught at Amherst College, the University of Massachusetts and the University of Kent in England. Her first novel, “Housekeeping”, was published more than two decades ago. During that time, Robinson wrote essays for Harper’s and the Paris Review, among other magazines. Commenting on everything from Calvinism to Freud to evolutionary biology, her 1998 collection “Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought” was critically acclaimed for its depth and breadth. “She has a curious mind,” said Forrest Gander, director of the program in literary arts. “Like Brown’s open curriculum, which fosters cross-disciplinary freedom, Marilynne’s work in the past has dealt with seeing connections.” It is this commitment to thought at its quietest and most reflective that seems to have won critics over with “Gilead,” which had previously won a National Book Critics Circle Award. Preoccupied with religion and the ideological polarity that exists in America, “Gilead” has been praised as a departure from the sensationalism that populates much of today’s literary landscape. “(Robinson’s) work has a glow of intense burning that keeps lit in the midst of the firecrackers going off all around her,” Gander said. “These fire-
and we did end up at the original Hooters (in Clearwater), and we did play Golden Tee in an open-air bar. It was, I had to imagine, a Spring Training Success. Sports staff writer Charlie Vallely ’06 was a blind poet named Homer in another life. crackers don’t really heat anybody. She’s more concerned with the glow that takes place in the dark of your soul.” Born in Sandpoint, Idaho in 1947, Robinson’s writing reflects her appreciation for the quiet and her commitment to the natural. Gander, who worked with Robinson at Iowa, remembered “taking long walks” through the campus and simply “talking about very serious things.” “She is a fierce moralist,” Gander said. “She manages to find a form that almost aggregates, slowly taking shape. Her mind is a mind that makes adventures.” Robinson and Cook are just two of many Brown professors and alums who have been successful in capturing major literary awards in recent years. “Two programs really stand out in the country: Iowa’s and Brown’s. Iowa’s tends to be more mainstream while Brown continues to produce some of the most innovative and important writers today,” Gander said. In 2003, Jeffrey Eugenides ’83 won the fiction award for his novel, “Middlesex,” a family saga of Greek immigrants in Detroit. Cuban-born playwright Nilo Cruz M.F.A. ’94 won the award for drama that same year for “Anna in the Tropics.” The Depression-era play set in Florida deals with the lives of Cuban cigar workers affected by Tolstoy’s classic, “Anna Karenina.” Literary Arts Professor Paula Vogel won the 1998 Pulitzer for Drama for “How I Learned to Drive.” Officially administered by Columbia University, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to American authors for exemplary works of fiction. First awarded in 1917, past fiction winners include William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison and Jhumpa Lahiri.
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 9
W. lax continued from page 12 contests is that the Bears have not quite completed the process of jelling that McDonald sees as being key. When Brown plays together, things go its way, as in its 11-4 victory over Monmouth University on March 19. However, when that unified mentality fails, the results have not been pretty, evidenced by the team’s 19-6 defeat at the hands of the Syracuse Orange on March 31. The fact that the Bears have at times struggled on the field is not surprising given the quality of last year’s senior class, which included co-captains Laurel Pierpont ’04 and Christine Anneberg ’04, who had 187 career points between the two of them. Pierpont was also great at scooping up ground balls, leading the Ivies and placing seventh in the nation in that category last season. The Bears do, however, return Staley, the team’s leading scorer, who has 81 career points and continues to lead the team this year in goals with 15 and assists with 3. She also leads the team in 23 ground balls and 22 draw controls. “Staley has great athleticism and ability to drive for the net,” McDonald said. Complementing Staley on the midfield line are Jen Redd ’07 and Amie Biros ’07. According to McDonald, Redd has “the best vision on our team in terms of
Golf continued from page 12 body who is going to pick up the ball for him.” The team came together in the fall at the Yale Invitational, where captain Robert Chen ’05, Larry Haertel ’08 and Lanny Benson ’07 had outstanding performances. “I think the Yale Fall Invitational was a pivotal tournament for us. We really competed well against the rest of the top teams in New England, and I think that opened some eyes of guys on the team that we could actually compete in this league,” Hanley said. It is early in the season, but Coach Hanley is optimistic about his team’s chances. He says that every team member has been contributing so far, and he expects the trend to continue. “Looking towards Ivies, I really think the team should be able to compete. This is the first year we’re going in with confidence. We’ve had a good spring so far in terms of practice,” Hanley said. “I
looking for the pass or being the cutter who is open,” while Biros “has a great shot, left or right (handed).” The most accurate, consistent scorer on the team with a 41.7 percent shooting percentage, Biros has been on fire lately, with five goals in the last two games. “Amy has definitely been doing a great job taking it hard to the goal and finishing,” Staley said. “She is finding her groove and that’s good for us.” On attack, the Bears run what McDonald describes as a “balanced attack” with a lot of motion that constantly forces the defense to shift, creating scoring opportunities. The group is led by Sarah Passano ’05 and Ashley Holden ’06. Passano is a dangerous finisher, who is capable of big games, pouring in five goals to outscore Monmouth by herself, then putting in three straight in Brown’s late rally in its 10-9 defeat against the University of California, Berkeley on March 25. The defensive group has arguably suffered the biggest offseason losses with the graduation of Emily Blanton ’04, Ashley Branca ’04 and Debbie Mendel ’04. The Bears do, however, return Meg Sullivan ’06, who is second on the team in ground balls with 19, and goalie Julia Southard ’05 who started 12 games last season, as well as Julie Clingan ’07 and Kathryn Collins ’07. The team has also added Herald Contributing Writer Anne Duggan ’06, who transferred to Brown from
Columbia and is tied with Sullivan with 19 ground balls. It is Duggan’s former teammates that the Bears will take on this Saturday in their first home Ivy League contest of the season. Brown is currently 0-1 in the league after dropping an 18-8 decision to No. 7 Dartmouth last Saturday. Bruno defeated Columbia 12-11 last year after Staley scored a goal with seven seconds left. In addition to another chance at breaking the Lions’ hearts, Staley is also looking forward to the Columbia game as a chance to compete against former high school teammates Carrie Anderer and Elyse Pultz. It just so happens that the two are the Lions’ leading scorers with 44 points between them. “Pultz is a finisher, while Anderer goes strong,” McDonald said. “It is a huge game for us.” Another game looming large for Brown is at Princeton on April 30. The Bears came one goal shy of knocking off the then No. 1 Tigers last year, falling 5-4. With McDonald on the opposite sideline this year, Bruno is hoping for retribution. “We came so close to beating them last year, and everyone wants to win that game this year,” Staley said. McDonald, meanwhile, stressed the importance of every Ivy contest, although she too is anticipating facing the Tigers. “Every Ivy battle is important,” she said. “I am looking forward to being back at Princeton, but I want us to play our best in every Ivy game.”
think the guys are looking forward to (the Ivy Championship) and are really ready to compete this year. I’m really looking forward to finishing really strong in Ivies this year.” This coming weekend the Bears are competing in the Yale Spring Invitational, which should be a litmus test of their skills. The women’s golf team has had a better track record in the past, finishing sixth at last year’s Ivy championships and scoring well in other competitions. This year might be a step back as the team copes with a small squad of only six players. “It is a very close-knit group — you have to like each other,” said Eleanor Thomas ’06. The team has no seniors after the departure of Amy Behrman ’05 and Jennifer Bley ’05 due to personal reasons. Bley was an erratic but occasionally brilliant player, and Behrman was strong and consistent throughout her Brown career. However, the first-year recruits both played well in the
fall and should have a strong long-term impact on the team. Blythe Crane ’08 and Tiffany Wade ’08 were both leading scorers in the fall and look to improve their play. “They are really talented and they have strong mental games and are dedicated,” Thomas said. The team’s four upperclassmen are all strong players. Elizabeth Fisher ’07 has been a leading scorer in the past and had a strong fall. Thomas was abroad in the fall, but should move back into the lineup with ease. Emily Washington ’06 and Monica Skeldon ’06 are journeymen players who will be very important this year. The Bears host the Brown Invitational this weekend. “If everyone plays their best, I think we could get third in the Ivies. It is a rebuilding year,” Thomas said.
W. track continued from page 12 Distance Coach Rick Wemple was pleased with the results. “All four of them did a good job getting out there and being aggressive,” he said. “Anna led 1000 meters of her race, so I did not expect her to run her best, I just expected her to get out there and compete well. If they run aggressively, their times will come down.” In the 400-meter hurdles, Emily Lewis-LaMonica ’06 returned from an injury that took her out of indoor compe-
tition, posting a time of 1:04.26. “I was nervous the full 24 hours leading up to the meet,” she said. “It had been so long but it felt great to get back out there.” With several personal bests and a NCAA Regional qualifying performance, the meet was a successful start to the Bears’ outdoor season. Wemple believes the team is ready for next week’s University of Connecticut Invitational, where almost the entire team will compete. “We will be using the upcoming meet as a tune-up to get ready for the home meet on
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
EDITORIAL/LETTERS THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 · PAGE 10 S T A F F
E D I T O R I A L
A matter of faith The Undergraduate Council of Students’ community of faith forum was created with good intentions. It’s not a bad idea, either — faith-based student groups agree that many students feel marginalized because of their religious beliefs. But at the same time, the forum’s creation represents a reversal of the process UCS should take in addressing campus issues. UCS is meant to keep a finger on the pulse of the campus, fielding student concerns, opinions and ideas. When an issue is raised and there is no channel in existence by which that issue might be addressed, it makes sense for UCS to create something to fill that role. But the new forum’s creation seems indicative of a flaw in UCS’s agenda-setting: When the Multi-Faith Council approached UCS for student group status, they were rejected — ironically, for being “redundant” — only to see their issue taken up by UCS with little provocation a year later. Why now and not then? Now, there are established forums for discussion, making the proposed UCS forum a bureaucratic imposition. Sushil Jacob ’05, co-founder of Interfaith House, likened the creation of the forum to trying to “reinvent the wheel.” On the other hand, UCS President Joel Payne ’05 says the community of faith forum will be different from Multi-Faith Council. “This body is going to work more on integrating groups of faith into the larger campus community,” he said. The Multi-Faith Council has been considering issues affecting students of faith on campus for several years, including the issues of integration, marginalization and intolerance. The Multi-Faith Council established Interfaith House in 2003 to “create a safe space at Brown to foster discussion, understanding, inter-religious dialogue and respect for people of faith and those without a religious background.” The house regularly hosts events open to the entire Brown community. If indeed there was a need for a UCS forum to continue the conversation — and we think that this forum has potential — Multi-Faith Council and other faith-based student groups should have played a more central role in its creation, including providing much of the impetus. We’ll look forward to the forum, but UCS must realize it is not the best solution to every problem.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD EDITORIAL Jonathan Ellis, Editor-in-Chief Sara Perkins, Executive Editor Christopher Hatfield, Senior Editor Lisa Mandle, Senior Editor Meryl Rothstein, Arts & Culture Editor Melanie Wolfgang, Arts & Culture Editor Justin Elliott, Campus Watch Editor Stephanie Clark, Focus Editor Kira Lesley, Focus Editor Robbie Corey-Boulet, Metro Editor Te-Ping Chen, Opinions Editor Ari Savitzky, Opinions Editor Chris Mahr, Sports Editor Ben Miller, Sports Editor Stephen Colelli, Asst. 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 Lisa Poon, Marketing Manager Abigail Ronck, Senior Business Consultant Rob McCartney, Senior Accounts Manager David Ranken, Senior Accounts Manager Kathleen Timmins, Senior Accounts Manager Laird Bennion, Senior Project Manager Elias Roman, Senior Project Manager Ryan Shewcraft, Chief Technology Officer 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
Aamir Khan, Night Editor Katie Lamm, Lela Spielberg, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Camden Avery, Alexandra Barsk, Eric Beck, Jonathan Herman, MaryCatherine Lader, Ben Leubsdorf, Jane Porter, Stu Woo Senior Sports Writers Bernie Gordon, Jilane Rodgers Staff Writers Justin Amoah, Shawn Ban, Zachary Barter, Danielle Cerny, Christopher Chon, Stewart Dearing, Gabriella Doob, Jonathan Herman, Leslie Kaufmann, Aidan Levy, Allison Lombardo, Ari Rockland-Miller, Stephen Narain, Joel Rozen, Chelsea Rudman, Jen Sopchockchai, Jonathan Sidhu, Lela Spielberg, Robin Steele, Kim Stickels, Laura Supkoff, Jane Tanimura, Anne Wootton Sports Staff Writers Kathy Babcock, Ian Cropp, Justin Goldman, Katie Larkin, Matt Lieber, Helen Luryi, Shaun McNamara, Chris Mahr, Madeleine Marecki, Ben Miller, Eric Perlmutter, Marco Santini, Charlie Vallely Accounts Managers Alexandra Annunziato, Zaneta Lei Balantac, Steven Butschi, Jennifer Kuo, Ashfia Rahman, Joel Rozen, Rukesh Samarasekera, Mitch Schwartz Project Managers In Young Park, Libbie Fritz Design Staff Geolani Dy, Deepa Galaiya, Gianna Giancarlo, Annie Koo, Allison Kwong, Jason Lee Photo Staff Marissa Hauptman, Judy He, Matthew Lent, Nick Neely, Bill Pijewski, Kori Schulman, Sorleen Trevino Copy Editors Chessy Brady, Jonathan Corcoran, Leora Fridman, Allison Kwong, Katie Lamm,
NICK SCHADE
LETTERS Front-page placement of Taormino’s photo was misguided To the Editor: Like many students at Brown, I have long accepted the doctrines of moral relativism and cultural tolerance. I came to campus as a wide-eyed kid from rural Pennsylvania, eager to engage in discussions with diverse groups of people and interrogate my most basic assumptions. That said, my disappointment in the editorial decision to conspicuously place Tristan Taormino’s picture above the fold (“The New Pornographer,” April 6) does not stem from any kind of rigid and imposed judgment about “feminist pornography.” Instead, I am more fundamentally concerned about the responsibility with which editors and publishers are charged in a society that values the free press. In my erstwhile days as a newspaper editor, my main criteria for including stories and images on the front page were two simple questions: “Is the story newsworthy and relevant?” and
“Is the picture arresting?” As far as I can tell, “The New Pornographer”— a simple picture of a woman standing behind a podium — was neither. It appears that The Herald has fallen into the trap of yellow journalism and tabloid media, and chooses to ask the question, “Is it sensational and provocative?” I am not suggesting that The Herald should refuse to cover provocative stories — that would be a massive infringement on the flexibility of the free press. Nor am I suggesting that The Herald’s decision to cover Taormino’s speech was imprudent. But I do question the editor’s motivation to give the story page-one status instead of relegating it to the more reasonable Campus News section. Is The Herald in the business of covering the news or generating needless controversy? Patrick Clark ’07 April 6
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
OPINIONS THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2005 · PAGE 11 NICHOLAS SWISHER
Stop e-mailing me, John Kerry In the weeks leading up to the 2004 presidential election, I signed up for both John Kerry’s and George W. Bush’s e-mail newsletters. Following Bush’s victory, the emails from his camp slowly dwindled until they were completely replaced in my inbox by messages urging me to increase the size of my penis or alerting me I had won a free iPod mini. The e-mails from John Kerry headquarters did not cease, however. In fact, their frequency actually increased post-election. Contrary to my belief that a failed candidate’s campaign headquarters building is ritualistically incinerated on Nov. 3, Kerry emails inexplicably continued to flood my inbox. The content of the first few messages were predictable — Kerry thanked his supporters and congratulated them on a job well done even though the Oval Office was not in his future. He finished his e-mail by promising to “hold the Bush administration accountable.” Hmm, I thought. Hold the Bush administration accountable? Since Republicans dominate the White House, the Senate, the House, governorships, state legislatures and the Supreme Court, Kerry’s message seems to be incredibly important. Apart from perhaps Hillary Clinton, John Kerry is the most visible and therefore the most influential Democrat in the Senate. If anyone were to “hold the Bush administration accountable,” it certainly would be Kerry. Kerry’s e-mails continued to barrage my inbox. I was looking forward to the unfolding of his grand scheme, to see how he could be a roadblock to the Bush administration and offer sensible policy alternatives in the face of a Republican-dominated legislature.
Kerry’s first order of business? A hokey “Fire Donald Rumsfeld Now!” chain letter delivered to my inbox, the contents of which a restill posted on his Web site, johnkerry.com. I was horrified. Was this the best a U.S. senator could do? Rehash tired talking points and childishly call for the resignation
of lingering bitterness over the outcome of the election.” Rice’s qualifications should never have been in doubt. Democrats could use their time and energy in better ways than mindlessly voting against anything Bush. One might argue that Democratic senators were simply doing their job by debating
Contrary to my belief that a failed candidate’s campaign headquarters building is ritualistically incinerated on November 3, Kerry’s e-mails inexplicably continued to flood my inbox. of a political enemy? How was this holding the Bush administration accountable? It seemed that after the election, John Kerry was even more determined to embarrass himself and fellow Democrats. Kerry displayed no tact or foresight, a trend that continued to plague him in the coming weeks. In his next e-mail, Kerry spelled out his second grand measure: smear the name Condoleezza Rice during her Senate confirmation. Kerry’s cause was also adopted by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., whose public interrogation of Rice was excessive and unneeded, rehashing tired talking points as part of a partisan agenda. Don’t be fooled — the debate over Rice’s confirmation certainly was not some brave stand against the supposed tyranny of the Bush administration. As Sen. John McCain quipped, “I can only conclude that (the Democrats) are doing this for no other reason than because
the Rice confirmation in such a manner. However, what do Democrats really gain by such unnecessary, harsh debate? Nothing, except they turn themselves into members of the “anti-Bush party,” a weak shadow of true Democratic identity. Perhaps Democrats should take their cues from Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, whose ability to reach across the aisle while still supporting the Democratic platform won over voters and politicians alike. What John Kerry and Democrats need to realize is that the only way they can hold the Bush administration accountable is by rearticulating the values that define the core of the Democratic Party: social welfare, multilateralism, civil rights, progressive taxation, reproductive rights and environmentalism. The last time I checked, the Democrats are not supposed to be a tinfoil opposition party. They belong to a political
party with a successful and important heritage whose vital message has been eroded by simpleminded partisanship. Kerry began to understand this in his most recent series of e-mails, in which he coined his most recent measure, “Give Voice To Our Values.” He asked families in the United States to call a toll-free number and tell their story in order to explain how universal health care would benefit them. Kerry promised to play some messages aloud when the Senate convened. An excellent way to articulate Democratic ideals, but just imagine all the prank calls they must have received: “Is there a Senator Seymour Butts on the Senate floor?” Holding the Bush administration accountable is not about partisanship. It is about presenting a viable, attractive alternative to Republican short-sightedness. Ultimately, by refusing to step out of the spotlight and continuing to pigeonhole Democrats as the ‘Bush Opposition Party,’ John Kerry is damaging his party’s chances in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Think Kerry was wishy-washy and lacked a message during his campaign? Just wait until that image gets projected upon all Democrats in the coming months — which is what will happen unless John Kerry and the Democrats change their tactics. Why should any voter believe in John Kerry, or any Democrat for that matter, if their deepest conviction seemingly is to simply disagree with the president? Until you answer that, John Kerry, stop e-mailing me. Nicholas Swisher ‘08 wishes spamdigest@brown.edu would catch Kerry’s emails, too.
A solution to poor education and high property taxes GUEST COLUMN BY MIGUEL LUNA, DAVID SEGAL AND BERT CRENCA Rhode Island’s taxes are among the most regressive in the nation, and our state’s school funding structure — or the effective lack thereof — is to blame. An increased income tax tied to decreases in local property taxes would make our tax code more fair and solve the school funding dilemma that plagues mayors, councils and school boards across our state. According to a 2003 study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Rhode Island is fifth-harshest in its taxation of the poor, with tax structures having grown significantly more regressive since the mid-1990s. The study shows 8.6 percent of the 2002 incomes of the wealthiest 1 percent of Rhode Island households going to state and local taxes, down from 10.7 percent in 1996. The next-wealthiest 4 percent were paying 9 percent of their incomes, down from 10.2 percent. Meanwhile, the burden on middle-class and poorer Rhode Islanders is higher, and largely unchanged since 1996, with the poorest fifth losing 13 percent their incomes to state and local taxes. This shift is the result of a declining progressive income tax and increased regressive municipal property taxes. The trend towards higher regressivity has likely continued since 2002, as property taxes have shot up in individual cities and towns. This trend is not an accident — it is the consequence of consistent, conscious underfunding of our schools by Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 and that portion of the legislature that supports, or declines to actively oppose him. It is driven by the misperception (and hope) that taxpayers and
voters will not understand the connection between decreased state aid for education and increased property taxes — and that voters’ retribution will fall on city and town officials. According to Education Week, the most recent national data indicates that the average state government pays for 49.5 percent of education costs. In 1996, Rhode Island picked up 40.2 percent of education costs. But presently, the state only pays for 36.6 percent of the costs of educating Rhode Island’s children — and that ranks us 43rd among the 50 states. When the state shirks its responsibility
transportation and even kindergarten? Or do we instead hike those despicable and stifling property taxes which make new development less attractive, force the elderly and those on fixed incomes to dip into their savings or sell their homes, raise rents and put a dispoportionate financial burden on the middle class and the poor? Over the last two years, Providence has both made millions of dollars in cuts and raised taxes by more than 11 percent. But Providence is not, and has not been, aberrant in its rate of school funding — among big New England cities, we’re right in the middle of the pack. For instance, our
The state government has consistently and consciously underfunded our schools. When the state shirks its responsibility, cities and towns must make up the difference. to fund education, cities and towns must make up the difference. The only significant tax that we have the power to levy — as dictated by the same state officials who fail to fund our schools — is the property tax. Of the 50 states, Rhode Island is second-highest in its reliance on property taxes to fund education. Rhode Islanders pay more in property taxes than in sales and income taxes combined. And so we are faced with the decision: Do we decrease the quality of education that our children receive? Do we take the ludicrous steps of reducing or eliminating arts, music, sports, counseling, nursing,
per-pupil spending is thousands of dollars lower than in Hartford — the only city outside of the South that matches our child poverty rate, which is the third-highest in the nation. Cambridge spends nearly $15,000 per year on each of its public school students. Mayor David Cicilline ’83 negotiated and the Providence City Council ratified a new fiscally responsible contract with our teachers that has them contributing to the costs of their health insurance. We’re carrying fewer and fewer teachers, nurses, counselors and coaches, and are poised to lay off dozens more.
Providence officials have struggled with this dilemma for years. But the state has let the problem grow so bad that we’re not alone anymore. As evidenced by articles and editorials in the Providence Journal, communities across the state have reached the breaking point: Chariho expects to be sued for not meeting state standards; North Kingstown has postponed all maintenance for a year; South Kingstown closed a school; Newport is considering closing one or more elementary schools. Woonsocket, Bristol, Coventry and others have also joined Providence in laying off important personnel. According to the Rhode Island Policy Reporter, restoring income taxes to their 1996 level would raise $100 million. If coupled with a commensurate decrease in property taxes, something like 90 percent of Rhode Islanders would pay the same taxes they pay today, or less. The 10 percent of taxpayers who would pay more are largely the greatest beneficiaries of President Bush’s tax cuts. Our schools are starving statewide, so a property tax reduction equal to the income tax increase might not be possible this year. But a significant decrease in property taxes certainly is, and our tax code would be fairer for it. The state should increase income tax revenue, tie municipal aid to lower property taxes and bring our school funding in line with the rest of the country’s. David Segal serves Ward 1 and Miguel Luna serves Ward 9 on the Providence City Council. Bert Crenca serves on the Providence school board and runs AS220.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
SPORTS THURSDAY APRIL 7, 2005 · PAGE 12
Spring sports preview: part 2 of 3 W.track jumps out in solid W. lax ready for Ivies after big offseason outdoor season opener BY KATIE QUINLAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The women’s track and field team began their outdoor season against 25 other schools at the University of South Florida Invitational this past weekend. Despite competing with a limited squad, the results are a good preview of what to expect in the upcoming outdoor season. The throwers came out in force as Laura Dudek ’07 won the javelin with a 141 feet, 1 inch throw. Co-captain Jill Lynch ’05 took seventh in the shot put at 44-10 1/4, and Sarah Groothuis ’08 and Jennifer Donahue ’05 placed fourth in the discus and hammer throw competitions, respectively. “Sarah really performed well in her first collegiate meet with a six-foot personal best in the discus,” said Throws Coach Michelle Eisenreich. “The top two were post-collegiate competitors, so she was second among her peers.” The throw put her third all-time for Brown.” Throwing and jumping performances were especially impressive considering the 45 mph winds that swirled around the track during the weekend. Rothenberg said the winds posed a challenge to her athletes, who were given a “reminder of the new dimensions that you must face out-
doors,” after the indoor season. Standout triple jumper Brittany Grovey ’06 placed second at the meet and qualified for NCAA Regionals in her event. Her jump of 44-10 1/4 matched her season best from last year’s Heptagonals. Naja Ferjan’s ’07 time of 4:33.21 earned her second place in the seeded section of the 1500-meter race and marked her fastest performance in the event by four seconds. “I thought I was going to die after the race. I couldn’t even do my cool-down,” Ferjan said. “I sat down for ten minutes and then walked a little. I think that I was tired because of the strong winds.” Ferjan, however, recovered just in time to complete her leg of the 4x400m relay. “After I ran the 4x400 I felt like I was going to die again. I have felt that way only two times in my life. The first time was my first cross country race and the second time was on Saturday.” Racing in the unseeded section of the 1,500 were Michol Monaghan’07, Anna Willard ’06 and Kelly Powell ’06. Monaghan’s second-place finish in 4:45.8 was a personal record. “I felt relaxed and controlled at the beginning and my goal was to set a PR,” she said. see W. TRACK, page 9
Ashley Hess / Herald
Mimi DeTolla ’08 and the rest of the women’s lacrosse will take on Columbia this Saturday at 11 a.m. in their Ivy League home opener. BY BEN MILLER SPORTS EDITOR
After posting a 7-8 record last year, including a sixth place finish in the Ivy League, the women’s lacrosse team has a new look this year, but a familiar face at the helm. In an off-season full of turnover, the Bears lost seven seniors to graduation, including their second and third leading
Annals of Spring Training, pt. III: Ybor, romance and much more Editor’s Note: This is the third in a four part series in which Charlie Vallely relives heading to baseball’s ultimate vacation desination: Spring Training. If we were going to die on this trip, this seemed like the most likely time for it to happen. After the 8-7 victory over the Pirates, we stumbled CHARLIE back to VALLELY the ’97 C’EST LA V. blue Volvo sedan. It was two hours to our hotel in Ybor City, and I was all but convinced that somebody would fall asleep at the wheel, the car would swerve into a ditch, and we would die unceremoniously with 12 unused spring training tickets in our possession. Needless to say, we avoided that. Instead, we arrived in what BROWN SPORTS SCOREBOARD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 BASEBALL: Brown 8, URI 3; Brown 8, URI 5 THURSDAY, APRIL 7 SOFTBALL: at Central Connecticut (DH), New Britain, CT
the directions said was Ybor City. But, as we coasted down the city’s main strip, what we saw was far from what we expected: The streets were dirty and abandoned; the buildings — most of which had a second-story balcony — looked run-down; and the descending sun made it all look a little unsafe. “Is this where we’re staying?” Mike (Yamartino ’06) asked. “I guess so,” I said. To be honest, I think we all expected the Floridian Tourists ‘Paradise — palm trees, swimming pools and smiling faces. But, it seemed that we were now driving through a cross between New Orleans’s red-light district and an Old West movie set. Or, as Mike said, if “ghetto” were a country, Ybor would be that country’s representative to Epcot. After a few wrong turns, we found the hotel and breathed a sigh of relief. The drive was over. We could rest, watch some March Madness, shower and change for the first time in 32 hours. Wouldn’t that have been nice? We stumbled into the lobby, victoriously dropped our bags and I approached the front desk. I gave my name, spelling it out carefully,
expecting the worst. “How do you spell that?” I gave the woman behind the desk my passport, just to be sure. “I’m sorry, I don’t see a Mr. Vallely.” I had predicted this on the ride down. The first rule of this trip was that absolutely nothing could go smoothly. I paced up and down the hallway to gain my composure. Hatty (Herald Senior Editor Chris Hatfield ’06) screamed bloody murder. The woman behind the desk double-checked the computer. Turned out, a Mr. Vallely did have reservations — for tomorrow. This almost seemed worse: we had a hotel, but when we needed it most, it wasn’t ours. I was sure that someone was about to cry, and all I could only hope that it wouldn’t be me. Then came our first turn of good luck. Seeing us in our desperate state, the woman behind the desk moved our reservations back a day. We were now free to drink a few Coors Lights, watch an episode of “Law and Order” and fall asleep like a child at a baseball game, in see VALLELY, page 8
scorers and the majority of their starting defensive unit. The biggest change for Brown, however, was the firing of then-Head Coach Theresa Ingram, whose contract was not renewed after going 35-51 in six seasons. Taking her place is one of her former players, Keely McDonald ’00, who started at midfield and attack for Brown for four seasons
and was an assistant for a Princeton squad that went to the NCAA Championship game last season. McDonald, who finished her college career with 86 points and was named Second Team All-Ivy in 2000, brings an upbeat and enthusiastic mentality to the squad, stressing the need for team unity as a path to success. “I really don’t set any specific goals,” McDonald said of her coaching style. “Our main philosophy is to play your best in every minute, both in practices and in games. We hold everyone accountable to their mentality and their hustle.” “Keely stresses the need to have a positive attitude and a mental edge,” said co-captain Kate Staley ’06. “We’re really close to getting there. No matter what adversities happen we are able to deal with what happens.” The ability to handle adversity has been especially important during the early part of the season, as the unranked Bears have faced No. 7 Dartmouth, No. 9 University of Maryland, College Park and No. 17 Syracuse University in the opening weeks of the schedule. The road will not get much easier for the 2-6 Bears, who still have dates against four other teams in the top 20. One thing that has become clear from these tough early see W. LAX, page 9
Golf hits the links Men win in Fla., women start this weekend BY KATHY BABCOCK SPORTS STAFF WRITER
The men’s golf team had a very successful outing to Florida over spring break, winning several matches in their annual training trip. “We had a really good outing against Johnson and Wales Miami,” said Head Coach Ed Hanley. “We won four out of the seven matches and tied one of the matches, which is excellent considering Johnson and Wales is a year-round program and we are just getting into our spring season.” Some of the standouts in Florida were not among those who are regularly strong performers, which suggests the team won’t be dependent on one or two stars. “The whole team came up big. It was a training trip and everybody worked hard and we had a great time as well as honing our abilities. It really worked out well for the camaraderie of the team,” Hanley said. “As far as individuals working out, Aaron Telch (’07) played superbly, (and) Chip Virnig (’06) had a very good outing that day. (The) entire team played really well.” The team has very high
expectations this year based upon their depth and their strong performance in the fall. “I think our strengths right now are the personalities of every individual player, (which) have really created confidence,” Hanley said. “Also I think the guys really enjoy each other and they are not afraid to go out and tee it up, and if one guy doesn’t play well, there now exists somesee GOLF, page 9
DSpics.com
Blythe Crane ’08 was Bruno’s top first-year this fall, finishing eighth at the Bucknell Fall Classic.