Issuu

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD M ONDAY, F EBR UAR Y 12, 2007

Volume CXLII, No. 14

Since 1866, Daily Since 1891

Students support early admission, afﬁrmative action, Herald poll ﬁnds BY STU WOO FEATURES EDITOR

Students overwhelmingly support the College’s early admission program and largely favor considering racial diversity in the admission process, a recent Herald poll found. Though Harvard and Princeton universities made headlines last fall when they announced plans to drop their early admission programs, most Brown students believe the University should continue to offer the program. Seventythree percent of Brown undergraduates polled said they support having an early admission program, while just 15 percent said they oppose having one. Most respondents — 53 percent — said they support consid-

Har vard names ﬁrst female president BY MICHAEL SKOCPOL SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ering race and ethnicity in the college admission process to promote campus diversity, while 30 percent said admission should be based solely on merit. But when students were asked if preference should be given to children of alums, 57 percent opposed doing so, while 23 percent supported it.

Harvard University named Drew Gilpin Faust its 28th president Sunday. Faust, a Civil War historian and current dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, is the ﬁrst woman to hold the post.

CAMPUS WATCH

THE HERALD POLL

students who had previously preferred to study elsewhere. “I wouldn’t study in the SciLi if it weren’t for the Friedman Study Center,” said Neerav Parekh ’09. “It’s nicer than any other study space at Brown.” Juli Thorstenn ’09 agreed. “I used to never come to the SciLi,” she said. “Now I come every day.” Several students said the use of natural lighting was their favorite feature. “I come

The announcement followed Faust’s unanimous conﬁrmation by Harvard’s alumni Board of Overseers at a special meeting Sunday. Word of the impending appointment had been circulating for days, and the university’s student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, broke news of the appointment late Thursday night. Faust is an accomplished historian who has served as the dean of the Radcliffe Institute since 2001. The Radcliffe Institute is a research institute with a focus on gender and women’s studies that is the smallest of Harvard’s 12 schools. In a statement yesterday, Faust said she is honored by the appointment and stressed the importance of collaboration and breaking down barriers. James Houghton, the member of the Harvard Corporation who chaired the search committee, called Faust “an inspiring and accomplished institutional leader, a superb scholar, an outstanding teacher and a wonderful human being” in an e-mail sent to members of the Harvard community Sunday afternoon. Early in the search process, President Ruth Simmons’ name was linked to the position. She never emerged as a serious candidate as the search progressed, though her name was reported to have been on a list of 30 candidates submitted by Harvard’s search committee to the Board

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The poll, conducted from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, has a margin of error of 4.7 percent, except for a question about on-campus needs, which has a margin of error of 5 percent. When asked what they thought were the University’s most pressing on-campus needs for improvecontinued on page 6

Chafee ’75 to call for progress in Israel tonight BY MICHAEL BECHEK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Christopher Bennett / Herald Student reaction to the functionality of the Friedman Study Center is mixed .

In his ﬁrst major speech since losing his re-election bid last November, former Sen. Lincoln Chafee ’75 will speak tonight about the prospect of peace in Israel, and he says he’ll try to resist the temptation to talk too much about a certain other country in the region starting with the same letter. “It doesn’t do any good to look back,” Chafee — the only Republican senator to have voted against the Iraq war — told The Herald. “Right now we have to look forward. And I think a big part of the missing debate on Iraq is this important aspect to our success in Iraq, that any progress in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process will help us in Iraq.” Tonight, in the 76th annual Ste-

Students praise Friedman Study Center despite lack of ‘warmth’ BY JOY CHUA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Friedman Study Center opened to much fanfare two weeks ago and has garnered rave reviews from students and administrators. But how useful is it as a place to, well, study? Some students say they like its long hours, bright lighting and cafe, but others criticize an ambiance that they say simply doesn’t feel like a library. The center has attracted

Christopher Bennett / Herald

Lincoln Chafee ‘75

phen A. Ogden Jr. ’60 Memorial Lecture on International Affairs, Chafee said he will “focus on the missed opportunities to fulﬁll the president’s vision of a viable contiguous Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with Israel.” continued on page 4

A look at the University’s animal testing BY STU WOO FEATURES EDITOR

In an episode of the “The OC” that aired late last year, Brown first-year Summer Roberts gets suspended after she is caught breaking into science labs to free rabbits in an attempt to save them from inhumane experiments. Though writers of the Fox drama may have been exaggerating Brown students’ liberal activism, they were right about one thing — the University does keep animals, from fruit flies to sheep, for research. University officials say they do their best to ensure the research animals’ safety, but the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals claims that Brown researchers have been conducting cruel and ineffective studies. The Brown Animal Care Facility currently has three operational sites, wrote Mark Nick-

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3 ARTS & CULTURE

el, director of University communications, in an e-mail to The Herald. The main site is a ﬁve-story, 59,000-squarefoot center in the Bio-Medical Center, and sat-

FEATURE ellite sites are located in Hunter Laboratory and the Laboratories for Molecular Medicine at 70 Ship Street. A fourth site, in the Sidney Frank Hall for Life Sciences, is not yet operational. The sites house animals as small as frogs, turtles, rats and mice and as large as sheep and pigs, according to Nickel. There are usually about several dozen species at the facility, he added, with rodents accounting for more than 90 percent of the animals. A Bio-Med facilities pamphlet on the Alpert

“HOUSE OF GOLD” As part of the Brown Literary Arts New Plays Festival, Greg Moss’ play takes an interesting look at a sexualized suburban setting

www.browndailyherald.com

5 CAMPUS NEWS

Medical School Web site said the animal facility has an aquatic room — mostly for frogs, Nickel wrote — a quarantine space for rodents from noncommercial sources, a rodent housing suite and a biohazard rodent housing and procedural suite with “features surpassing (Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention) Biosafety Level 2 criteria.” There are also three well-equipped animal surgical suites. The facility is in compliance with government regulations on animal welfare and, since 1971, has been accredited every three years by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care.

BROWN-BLOODS More than 300 members of the Brown community turned out last week and donated 284 pints of blood

11 OPINIONS

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

Most of the research conducted on the animals occurs in Brown laboratories outside the facility, Nickel wrote. But to ensure the animals’ safety, all experiments must follow research protocol set by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, chaired by Professor of Medical Science Donald Jackson. Though faculty researchers are personally responsible for animals in their own experiments, researchers cannot modify the protocol without the committee’s approval. Veterinarians from both the committee and the animal facility can suspend experiments if protocol is

OBAMA, FAUST ALL HYPE? Nick Swisher ’08 asks whether Sen. Barack Obama and Harvard President Drew Faust can capitalize on their recent turns in the public eye

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12 SPORTS

M. TENNIS WINS TWO The men’s tennis team swept two matches at home on Saturday to increase its winning streak to six since the spring season started

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TODAY THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

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WE A T H E R

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

WBF | Matt Vascellaro

TODAY

TOMORROW

scattered ﬂurries 36 / 11

mostly sunny 24 / 20

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

LUNCH — Pulled Pork Sandwich, Comino Chicken Sandwich, French Onion Soup, Vegetarian Corn and Tomato Soup, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Rainbow Cake

LUNCH — Shaved Steak Sandwich with Mushrooms, Garbanzo Bean Casserole, Chicken Gumbo Soup, Vegetarian Vegetable Barley Soup, Mexican Succotash, Snickerdoodle Cookies

DINNER — Roasted Honey Glazed Chicken, Lemon Rice, Belgian Carrots, Focaccia with Mixed Herbs, Lemon Chiffon Cake

DINNER — Chopped Sirloin with Onion Sauce, Tofu Parmesan, Carberry Wild and White Rice Pilaf, Mashed Butternut Squash, Wax Beans, Lemon Chiffon Cake

How to Get Down | Nate Saunders

SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Deo | Daniel Perez

12 Pictures | Wesley Allsbrook

CROSSWORD

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 NFL ball carriers 4 A lot, to Luís 9 Harsh, as criticism 14 Debtor’s letters 15 Newton with laws 16 Ring swinger 17 Interjections from Rocky 18 Wilderness Road pioneer 20 Run __: get credit at the pub 22 Good forecast for a picnic 23 Uncooked 24 Popular leisure pants 28 Tiptop 29 Good place to keep a fox out of 30 More insolent 32 Driver’s oneeighties 34 Hip-hop artist Elliott 35 Supper cutter 39 Disburse 41 Chimney buildup 42 Window over a door 45 Hamlet’s love 50 Multi-vol. references 51 Nintendo critter since 1981 53 José’s hooray 54 Tug at the fishing line 55 Flow with force, as from a broken pipe 56 Big name in cake mix 61 Theater support gp. 62 Milk source 63 Mild epithet 64 It’s pumped at an island 65 Campeche coins 66 Scarlett’s love 67 CPR provider DOWN 1 Saudi Arabia’s capital 2 Tot’s tootsy cover

3 “Valley of the 35 Streets with no 48 Trouser leg Dolls” author outlet measurement Jacqueline 36 Roadside oases 49 Shocked 4 Prefix with 37 Eccentric one 52 Stable outburst summer and 38 “Uh-uh” 54 Happy hour stops winter 39 Got off the chair 57 Business VIP 5 “Surfin’ __” 40 Opening piece 58 38-Down, in 6 Is able to 43 Norse war deity Dundee 7 Israeli seaport 44 Child bearer 59 July hrs. in 8 Pacific and 46 Heart chart, for Jamestown Atlantic short 60 Former JFK 9 E.g., e.g. 47 Smoking room lander 10 Lover’s murmur 11 Free from evil ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: spirits 12 Gives a new title to 13 Beer producer 19 Kudrow of “Analyze That” 21 Maker of the Cristal pen 25 Pitchers’ places 26 Sign up for 27 Olympian’s sword 28 “Like, no way!” 31 Horseshoe maker’s workshop 33 Next yr.’s college freshmen 2/12/07 xwordeditor@aol.com

Jellyﬁsh, Jellyﬁsh | Adam Hunter Peck

Homefries | Yifan Luo

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The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown demic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Ofﬁces are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2007 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

ARTS & CULTURE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

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PW’s “A Doll House” subverts tradition BY ELISABETH ZEROFSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The first clue that Production Workshop’s “A Doll House,” by Henrik Ibsen, intends to be unorthodox is the Brazilian samba simpering in the background before the play begins. Director Tara Ahmadinejad’s ’07 choice to use “The Girl from Ipanema” as a sonorous thread lends itself to some curious parallels. It is difficult to imagine Ibsen’s protagonist, the dutiful housewife Nora Helmer, as “tall and tan,” as the song goes, but she is certainly “young and lovely.” Nora is strong-willed and stubborn, though childish, a fact emphasized by the energetic performance by Alice Winslow ’08. In a play lauded as one of the first cries of feminism in modern dramatic literature, Winslow’s Nora uses the weapon of feminine charm as she sees fit. She seduces, elicits pity and plays the innocent as she navigates the constraints of social acceptability in a man’s world. “I can’t get anywhere without your help!” Nora cunningly cries to her husband Torvald (Adam Mazer ’08) at a moment particularly thick with dramatic irony. The audience knows, unlike Torvald, that Nora is distracting her staunchly moralistic husband from opening a letter sent by his associate Krogstad. The letter will inform him of Nora’s illegal financial activity that she has kept secret from him for many years. In order to save her ailing husband’s life, Nora forged her father’s signature to borrow money from Krogstad. In Nora’s eyes, this constitutes a noble act. In Torvald’s eyes, it cuckolds his status as breadwinner and violates the civil law he upholds. After all, Torvald is in the process of firing the corrupt Krogstad from the bank where they work. Despite this seemingly somber unraveling of events, Ahmadinejad’s production is in many ways a comedy, which she es-

tablishes in the first seconds of the show. A bit of dramatic lighting and the pulse of a samba accompany Nora as she stumbles into the enormous white kitchen holding a toppling stack of shiny Christmas presents. She is heralded by a mysterious clan of black-clad figures who flit around the stage for the entire piece.

REVIEW At times posing as the Helmer children, the household ser vants, and even adopting a Greek chorus-like mimicr y of the stor yline’s emotional undercurrent, this ensemble ser ves to make explicit the repressed emotional fabric that is often a hallmark of Scandinavian drama. Indeed, melodrama is something Ahmadinejad plays with ingenuously. Her characters often give in to intense physical manifestations of their inner turmoil, entering and exiting the stage through the gigantic cabinets, as though Nora’s entire world springs from the stifling domesticity of her native habitat. Thankfully, Lizzie Vieh ’07 provides much-needed solemnity in the role of Nora’s estranged childhood friend, Kristine. Vieh’s subtle negotiations between the sadness and the humor of her character’s tragic situation make for a strong dramatic force and a glint of naturalistic comedy that tempers the whole work. Ahmadinejad’s directorial hand is a heavy one. Her seemingly abrupt ending leaves audience members in a daze, questioning the viability of the actors’ performances. Still, as the final scene of the show fades from view like a still in a Fellini film, Torvald stands alone against a panoramic of white, black and red, while Nora’s voice echoes in the emptiness. The impact of the message, no matter what the content, is strikingly accomplished. The last performance of “A Doll House” is tonight at 8 p.m.

Couresy of Mark Turek Jonathan Horvath (left), Cory Hinkle (center), and Piper Goodeve in the interrogation scene in Greg Moss’“House of Gold.”

Play explores highly sexualized, disturbing suburban world BY MARIELA QUINTANA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The stage is blushed pink and dimpled with teddy bears and scattered dollies — a classic suburban playroom, a little girl’s dream. An ominous black and white screen hanging on the back wall of the stage bursts the bubblegum sweetness of the room. The jarring juxtaposition, contrasting saccharine-sweet facades with bitter innards, sets the tone for Greg Moss’ GS “House of Gold.” Last Friday’s premiere performance was part of the Brown Literary Arts New Plays Festival. With searing dialogue and audacious visuals, “House of Gold” is a testament to Moss’s unabashed talent and bold originality. “House of Gold” spins a wild and piercing tale resembling a ﬁctional postscript of the JonBenet Ramsey scandal. Taking a salacious knife to the juicy tabloid tale, the play exposes the seedy underbelly of the household setting — rife with wanton sexuality and unrestrained and unsatisﬁed lust. All aspects of the play throb with suppressed sexual dreams and nightmares. The characters vainly attempt to mask their illicit and poisonous desires but fail miserably in their attempts to squirrel away their poisonous fantasies. The play takes on a sinister humor that evokes Vladimir Nabokov’s disturbing but undeniably

fascinating portrait of Humbert Humbert and Lolita. Driven by his sense of entitlement, the father of Moss’ pseudo-JonBenet sees the cheeky and flirtatious daughter as a fleshy extension of himself. As the play spirals, wild snippets of their relationship play out. The two waltz eerily across the stage in matching pageant gowns to tinkering music. The young girl’s mother, a cold Nurse Ratchet-like figure, asserts a feigned self-confidence and matronly sex appeal while hiding her disappointment and self-hatred. This toxic mix fuels jealousy and resentment of her daughter.

REVIEW She maintains a disturbed life as her husband’s sexual partner and as an overwhelming mother. She literally wishes to subsume her daughter in a futile attempt to reclaim the youth the girl has stolen from her. The characters in “House of Gold” ﬁnd themselves unable to ward off the alluring power of the young girl’s prepubescent purity. The pageant princess, however, does not wish to be a sultry siren. Instead, she seeks only to abide by her parents’ rules and live up to their expectations. Completely submissive to the wills and wishes of her parents, she becomes vulnerable to their manipulation. In doing so, however, she unknowingly falls into a licentious role as an ever-

obedient sex symbol. Moss’ main character begins to second-guess her parents’ ostensible truths when she meets Jasper. An aspiring boxer, this gangly, tube socksclad adolescent models himself after Muhammad Ali. He intrigues the sheltered JonBenet figure with his awkward attempts at rhythmic vernacular and haughty handshakes. Despite his contempt for her family, Jasper, in the end, is no different from the rest. He is unable to resist the girl’s pristine whiteness. In one of the play’s more cautious and subtle scenes, Jasper and the girl face an unsettling revelation. Despite their guises, the two characters must face reality. Victims both of their own self-ignorance and of the expectations of others, Jasper and JonBenet continue to flounder around in futile attempts to find themselves and their sexuality. As the play unravels, the plot’s incestuous threads become entangled. Like the pulsating fantasies of JonBenet, the snarled scandal swells. Tensions run high and in the play’s final scene, a Pandora’s box of venomous terror explodes. In this horrifying and awesome montage of violence, abuse, sex and sodomy, bacchanalian dance and cultish chants fill the stage. Strikingly assertive and confident, JonBenet stands in the spotlight, testifying the crimes and wrongs against her, like a white dove of hope.

Singers in sample “Songs for a New World” capture audience’s attention BY DANIEL RODI PEREZ C ONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Feb. 6 performance of Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World,” directed by Teaching Associate in Music Douglas Kevin Wilson and Noreen Yarwood, abounded with an emotional power matched only by the skilled performances of the cast. A few black boxes sufﬁced for a set, and the actors dressed in black. The only embellishment came in the form of a few projected images displayed on a screen at the back of the stage. Yet once the actors began to sing, nothing else was needed. The show was composed of a series of musical vignettes, with a thematic contiguity rather than a narrative holding the work to-

gether. Each of the songs presented a totally new context and plot. In “King of the Worlds,” Andrew Suzuki ’09 shone as a young man haunted with remorse, and Julian Cihi ’09 portrayed the ﬂagging strength and unyielding devotion of an imprisoned idealist

REVIEW in “King of the World.” Monica Willey ’07 played both a suicidal housewife and later a murderous one to great effect in “Just One Step” and “Surabaya Santa,” while Emily Borromeo ’09 dazzled the audience with “I’m Not Afraid.” Brown’s writing created a dichotomy between youth and idealism and mediocrity and decay.

“I’m Not Afraid,” performed by Borromeo, exempliﬁes the bravery the show advocated. Though describing a bleak and often terrifying world, the song relates a message of hope. By not idealizing the world, the song’s optimism became more realistic and all the more powerful. In contrast, fear complicated an otherwise over-the-top romance in “The World Was Dancing.” Suzuki and Borromeo sang a duet about collegiate love. The piece was seemingly a story of two lovers on the eve of their wedding. Yet, at the end of the piece, the audience realizes that this couple never reached the altar as this duet was made up of two remembrances. Suzuki’s character sang from years later, recounting the happiness of his

past love and lamenting his decision to leave her, while an institutionalized Borromeo sings only in perpetual anticipation of someone who could never return. This vision of life made the optimistic note on which the play ended even more climactic.

Brown implored his audience to choose life and bravery in the face of tragedy and conformity. Beauty dies, love fades, “and dreams get burned down overnight,” as one of the songs goes, but “Songs for a New World” suggests they merit a gamble.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

Chafee ’75 to deliver first speech since Senate defeat continued from page 1 President Bush stated that goal in a June 2002 speech and later developed the “Roadmap to Peace” with Russia, the United Nations and the European Union, but little progress has been made. Chafee’s speech is titled “Mideast Roadmaps: An Unkept Promise,” and he will speak as part of a Spring Forum sponsored by the Undergraduate Council of Students. The speech will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Sayles Hall. President Ruth Simmons will make opening remarks on the state of the University and will introduce Chafee. Chafee also told The Herald that he wants to see a return to “real meetings, real progress” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the United States as a crucial moderator. He criticized President Bush for having so far “declined — despite the rhetoric — to be active in the peace process.” “It’s a vision that we have to put some effort behind,” he said. He said the conflict in Iraq, a war that has “turned out worse than I ever could have imagined,” has resulted in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict being pushed aside by the Bush administration, which simultaneously agitated for peace in Israel and regime change in Iraq. “They’ve done one, but they haven’t done the other,” Chafee said.

Chafee said a dialogue must be pursued, regardless of the current leadership of the countries involved. “It’s certainly much more difﬁcult with the election of Hamas — we all know that,” he said, referring to the group’s victory in the January 2006 Palestinian elections. Hamas has refused to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and is regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and others. “But nonetheless, this is the ground that we have to play on,” Chafee said. “My own world view is formed by growing up in the Cold War,” he added, “and that in this era of nuclear weapons, you have to talk to everybody, whether it’s reaching out with Ping-Pong teams to China or detente with Russia. The proven results are you can avoid armed conﬂict through a dialogue.” Chafee represented Rhode Island in the Senate from 1999 until his term expired this winter, and he served as chairman of the Middle East subcommittee on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He often clashed with the leadership of his own party, frequently voting with the Democratic minority, notably on the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. In 2004, Chafee told the Providence Journal he would not rule out switching parties if George

W. Bush was re-elected. He has remained a Republican. Despite his moderate approval ratings, Chafee was defeated by Democratic challenger Sheldon Whitehouse last November, and he accepted a position last month as a distinguished visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, where he is leading an undergraduate study group on foreign policy. Last year’s Ogden Lecture was given by Chafee’s former colleague, Sen. Jack Reed, DR.I., who addressed Iraq, Iran and President Bush’s strategy for ﬁghting global terror in a speech titled “President Bush and the Long War: Are Slogans Enough?” Tonight, Chafee will call for the Bush administration to keep the promise of working toward peace in Israel, even if the process moves forward slowly. The conﬂicts in Israel and Iraq are intricately linked, he said, and the peace process must be picked up again in Israel to have any hope of a peaceful Middle East. “When (Secretary of State) Condoleeza Rice said, ‘What we’re seeing are the birth pangs of the new Middle East,’ there’s never been an articulation of what this new Middle East looks like,” Chafee said. “And I asked frequently at hearings, ‘Share it with us. What’s this new Middle East look like?’ and there’s no satisfactory answer to that.”

Friedman Study Center draws mixed reviews from students continued from page 1

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here often because of the windows and the light,” said Jessie Hopkins ’08. “Every other building on campus has barely any light, making it hard to study.” “The natural lighting of the center really adds to the ambience,” said Ysabel Gaspar ’07. “It puts people in a good mood.” Students also praised the modern, minimalist decor of the center, describing it as a comfortable environment for studying. “The furniture is retro but new age. It’s contemporary retro,” said Vincent Paulino ’07. The collaborative workrooms are Zindzi McCormick’s ’09 favorite feature — she said Brown’s campus had previously lacked spaces for groups to meet, and the new rooms give students a space for that purpose. But Paulino had one criticism of the rooms. “They’re often taken up by just one person,” he said. “Nobody is willing to go in and tell them to leave the space for groups.” Kelly Glaser ’10 said she likes a lot about the center, including the furniture, layout of the space and the Friedman Cafe. But she dislikes that the center has the same institutional feel as other study spaces at Brown. “Plus, the cafe closes too early,” she said. The cafe is open until 1 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. The Friedman Cafe has met with approval for its practical layout. “There’s much more choice in the cafe here, compared to that

(in) the Rock,” said Gaspar, who added that she likes how students can eat in the center, unlike in the Rockefeller Library, where food is only allowed in the lobby. But students say the center is not without its ﬂaws. Many students have complained about the bathroom facilities. “They’re awful,” said Alyson Ahearn ’08. “There is often not enough soap or toilet paper, and there is only one stall in the women’s bathroom.” Some students also criticized the center’s use of space. “There could be more tables, more working nooks,” said Landon Kuester ’07. “I don’t think they divided up the space very well.” Dev Ratnan ’09 said he is concerned that there aren’t enough computers. “Every time I come, it seems someone is waiting to use a computer,” he said. Ratnan added that, although the whole modern design of the center is “cool,” it doesn’t seem to suit a library. “A library should be warm,” he said. “The Friedman Center has so much space that it doesn’t seem like a library.” Danielle Sheridan ’10 agreed. “The Friedman Study Center is modern, but it’s not warm,” she said. “I think it would help if they put up some artwork on the walls. Art would give the space warmth.” The center is still a work in progress and will undergo improvements, said Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, interim vice president for campus life and student services.

“As with other projects on campus, we will continue to assess how facilities and programs are working and adjust them as necessary,” he said. “The primary goal of the center was and still is to greatly increase the amount of 24-hour study space, and we’ve done that.” The popularity of the Friedman Study Center has drawn students away from other spaces on campus. “I went to the Rock the other day, and there was barely anyone there,” Ahearn said. Paulino is another convert. “I used to go to the Rock often, but now I come here instead,” he said But computer science concentrators may still prefer to use the Sun Lab in the Center for Information Technology, and many students say they expect the popularity of the center to be shortlived, as they say novelty is its biggest draw. “Like anything new, it’s popular right now, but I’m sure it will change,” Kuester said. Ahearn said she thinks the hype will likely die down in a couple of weeks. Carey said it’s too early to tell how popular the center will be. “It usually takes about a semester to see how people use a facility and how they feel about it,” he said. In the meantime, floods of students are filing into the center’s three floors to study, eat and socialize. “I love the Friedman Study Center,” Glaser said. “I feel more comfortable here than in my room. It is by far my favorite place to go, on or off campus.”

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CAMPUS N EWS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

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Dean of the College restructures office The Office of the Dean of the College will be restructured as two executive associate deans depart, Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron announced Saturday in a campus-wide e-mail. The two deans set to leave their posts at the end of the academic year are Perry Ashley and Jonathan Waage, who is a professor of biology. Ashley, who has been at Brown for 29 years, has served as the primary pre-law adviser for undergraduates and the coordinator of the Resumed Undergraduate Education and Brown-Tougaloo exchange programs. He is leaving “to pursue other opportunities at Brown next year and beyond,” Bergeron wrote in her e-mail. Waage, who has been a member of the faculty for 34 years and an adviser to the dean of the College for five, will return to full-time teaching and research after a scheduled sabbatical next semester. Waage sits on the Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards planning committee and has served on the College Curriculum Council and various faculty committees. Waage and Ashley’s departures follow those of associate deans of the College Armando Bengochea and Joyce Foster MA’92 PhD’97 and Assistant Dean of the College Sheilah Coleman. Bergeron intends to use the departures as an opportunity for a fresh start— she wrote in her e-mail that her plan to reorganize her office developed as a response to the departures of Bengochea, Foster, Waage and Ashley. “These developments required a rethinking of the structure of duties in my office; and so in October we invited two consultants to campus to offer their professional perspective,” she wrote. Bergeron wrote that she plans “a new emphasis on sophomore advising, advising in the concentrations, post-baccalaureate advising and academic standing, broadly conceived,” and “a new focus” on writing competence, undergraduate research and tutoring. The University will implement those changes by hiring three new deans — a deputy dean of the College, a dean for diversity programs and an associate dean for curriculum. Based on job listings in the Chronicle for Higher Education, the University is looking externally to fill at least two of those positions. — Ross Frazier

Blood drive exceeds goal Last week, about 300 Brown students, faculty and staff stopped by Sayles Hall to give a total of 284 pints of blood to the Rhode Island Blood Center. The three-day drive, held Wednesday, Feb. 7 through Friday, Feb. 9, exceeded the organizers’ goal of 90 pints per day and drew 338 participants, wrote Peter Hanney, donor recruitment manager at the center, in an email to The Herald. Campus blood drives have been held at the University since 1979, Hanney said, noting that Brown’s drive is the largest in the state. The blood drives are now held twice each semester and once over the summer. Last week’s event was sponsored by the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sorority, Health Services and the Health Promotion Committee and operated by the Rhode Island Blood Center. Of the 338 community members who volunteered to give blood, 54 were turned away and not allowed to give blood. Hanney said 9 percent of willing donors are usually deferred due to travel to some countries, particular medications, medical reasons or failure to meet the minimum weight requirement. At last week’s drive, 16 percent of Brown donors were deferred. Hanney said the higher deferral rate was likely due to participants’ international travel. LeAnne Edwards ’07 gave blood on Friday afternoon for the 15th time in her life.“It was a chance to do something I was afraid of,” she said of her ﬁrst experience giving blood.“It’s fulﬁlling every time.” The blood is supplied to hospitals in Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The next blood drive will begin at the end of April, Hanney said. — Kate Taylor

Stewart ’88 gives “The Most” advice BY TAYLOR BARNES STAFF WRITER

While making copies at an MTV ofﬁce, a researcher complained aloud that she did not graduate from Wesleyan University to do such menial work. Alison Stewart ’88 looked at her and demanded 60 copies. Emmy Award-winner Stewart, currently anchor of the MSNBC show “The Most,” delivered the keynote speech of Career Week Saturday. She has anchored for or contributed to the news divisions of ABC, CBS and MTV. She reported on the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, covered Hurricane Katrina and traveled with actor Tom Cruise on his worldwide publicity tour for

the movie “War of the Worlds.” After graduating from Brown, Stewart worked stuffing promotion packets for A&M Records. She earned $75 for each of her three-day workweeks. Stewart cautioned students that they might be dissatisfied with their first jobs. “At some point, around day eight, you’re going to feel that this is beneath you,” she said. She had a simple response to that sense of frustration: “Tough.” Stewart also said women face challenges in any career field. She said women must “be really good” at what they do to be competitive continued on page 7

Courtesy of Brown.edu Alison Stewart ’88, the anchor of MSNBC’s “The Most,” was the keynote speaker at Career Week this Saturday.

Festival Ballet Providence heats up stage BY CATHERINE GOLDBERG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This weekend, Festival Ballet Providence performed “Schéhérazade” and “El Amor Brujo” — two sultry pieces about the passions and powers of love. The sets were relatively unadorned and the costumes simple — the dancing was the true decoration.

ARTS & CULTURE REVIEW The show was performed Friday through Sunday at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium Arts and Cultural Center in downtown Providence. For the Feb. 9 performance, choreographer Gianni Di Marco created dances involving harem girls, slaves, gypsies and soldiers. A beautiful visual array of movements, both on the ﬂoor and in the air, graced the stage with effortlessness and sizzled with seduction. The ﬁrst piece, continued on page 7

Courtesy of Thomas Nola-Rion Leticia Guerrero played a young gypsy girl in Gianni Di Marco’s “El Amor Brujo” at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium Arts and Cultural Center this weekend.

MCAT glitch irks students A computer glitch on the Medical College Admission Test has caused some test-takers to choose between canceling their scores and accepting possibly lower ones. On Jan. 27, the MCAT — required for students seeking admission to medical schools — was administered electronically for the ﬁrst time. An error in the verbal reasoning section affected 787 of the 2,378 test-takers. Those examinees faced questions about songbirds after reading a passage about robotic ﬁsh. The Association of American Medical Colleges, which runs the MCAT, has said it “will be able to provide valid scores” despite the glitch but has not explained how the tests will be scored. The AAMC will allow affected test-takers to cancel their scores and receive a full refund, in a departure from regular policy. Typically, students can only cancel the MCAT on the day of the test. Test-takers affected by the January glitch can cancel their scores up to Feb. 15, and the test will not be counted against the annual limit of three exams. Daniel Sonshine ’07, who encountered the error on his exam, said he thinks his performance may have been hurt by the mistake. He later received a letter from the AAMC assuring him his test would be accurately graded and informing him of the cancellation option. Sonshine, who said he spent hundreds of hours preparing for the exam, wrote a complaint to the AAMC about the situation but decided not to cancel his score. Still, Sonshine is upset with the AAMC. “How hard would it be to write an apology?” he asked. — Ian Nappier

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Simmons’ approval rating remains high, poll ﬁnds continued from page 1 ment, 35 percent of respondents said student ﬁnancial aid, 21 percent said on-campus housing and 11 percent said hiring more faculty. A smaller number of students thought the University should improve social spaces, athletics facilities or classroom and labs. President Ruth Simmons’ approval among students remains enviably high. Eighty-one percent of students said they approve of how she is doing her job, versus 4 percent who disapprove. Still, her approval rating is slightly lower than it was a year ago, when a Herald poll found 87 percent of students voicing their approval of Simmons. The poll also found that only 44 percent of students said they were aware of the University’s new alcohol and drug policies, versus 53 percent who were unaware. The new policies were recommended by two University committees — an ad hoc committee to review social event policy, which was created in November 2005 and completed its work in March 2006, and the permanent Campus Life Advisory Board Subcommittee on Alcohol and other Drugs, which produced a report on the University’s alcohol and drug policies last August. The committees’ recommendations included requiring a per-drink charge at parties, prohibiting re-entry into some social events and requiring further

training for party organizers. Though every Ivy League institution except for Brown requires students to study a foreign language, most Brown students oppose such a requirement, with 70 percent against it, compared to 27 percent who said they favor a requirement. Only 44 percent of students said they believe the University’s English requirement, which requires students to “demonstrate competence in writing” in order to graduate, is fulﬁlled by all undergraduates, versus 38 percent who said they didn’t believe the requirement was met. The Undergraduate Council of Students continues to enjoy modest support among its constituents, with 46 percent of students approving of the way it is handling its job, a slight increase in support since last fall’s Herald poll found 38.9 percent approval for the council. Twenty percent disapprove of how UCS is handling its job, and 34 percent of students said they didn’t have an opinion of UCS, compared to 42 percent who said they didn’t have an opinion last semester. Most students leave College Hill at least once a week, the poll found. Thirty-three percent of students venture down the Hill once a week, 20 percent do so several times a week, 31 percent said they leave a couple of times per month and 15 percent said they leave only a couple of times each semester.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

H E R A L D POLL RESULTS Do you approve or disapprove of the way Ruth Simmons is handling her job as president of Brown University? Strongly approve: 45 percent Somewhat approve: 36 percent Somewhat disapprove: 3 percent Strongly disapprove: 1 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 15 percent Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) is handing its job? Strongly approve: 7 percent Somewhat approve: 39 percent Somewhat disapprove: 15 percent Strongly disapprove: 5 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 34 percent About how often do you leave College Hill to dine, shop, work or travel in the rest of Providence? Several times/week: 20 percent About once/week: 33 percent A couple of times/month: 31 percent A couple of times/semester: 15 percent Never: 1 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 0 percent Which comes closer to your view about evaluating students for admission into Brown University? Applicants should be admitted solely on the basis of merit, even if that results in few minority students being admitted. OR: An applicant’s racial and ethnic background should be considered to help promote diversity on campus, even if that would mean admitting some minority students who otherwise would not be admitted. Solely merit: 30 percent Race/Ethnicity, too: 53 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 17 percent Do you generally favor or oppose giving preference to children of alums in admission to Brown? Favor: 23 percent Oppose: 57 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 21 percent Do you believe Brown should offer an early admission program to the College? Yes, should offer one: 73 percent No, should not offer one: 15 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 12 percent Have you been aware of recent changes to the University’s alcohol and drug policies (such as requiring Class F parties to charge per drink, anti-pre-gaming measures, etc.)? Yes, have been aware: 44 percent No, have not been aware: 53 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 3 percent

Do you believe all undergraduates at Brown should be required to learn a foreign language? Yes: 27 percent No: 70 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 3 percent Do you believe the University’s English requirement, which mandates “competence in reading and writing,” is fulfilled by all undergraduates? Yes: 44 percent No: 38 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 18 percent What do you believe is the most pressing on-campus need for improvements? Improving student financial aid: 35 percent Improving on-campus housing: 21 percent Improving classrooms and labs: 5 percent Improving athletics facilities: 8 percent Improving study and social spaces: 9 percent Hiring more faculty: 11 percent Other: 5 percent Don’t Know/No Answer: 6 percent About the poll: Written questionnaires were administered to 439 undergraduates in the Registrar’s Office in University Hall during the first full week of shopping period, from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2. The poll has a margin of error of 4.7 percent with 95 percent confidence, with the exception of the final question — the most pressing need for oncampus improvement — which has a margin of error of 5 percent with 95 percent confidence. The sample population generally matched the undergraduate population on campus as a whole. The poll’s sample was 52 percent male and 48 percent female. Twenty-three percent of respondents were first-years, 34 percent were sophomores, 20 percent were juniors and 23 percent were seniors. The low percentage of juniors in the poll is likely due to the relatively high number of juniors studying away from campus, and sophomores were over-sampled in the poll. The racial/ ethnic breakdown was as follows: 65 percent white, 8 percent black, 9 percent Hispanic, 18 percent Asian, 0.5 percent American Indian and 0.5 percent Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. An additional 5 percent declined to answer the question. The categories add up to more than 100 percent due to the 6 percent of respondents who selected more than one race or ethnicity. The poll was overseen by Metro Editor Sara Molinaro ’09 and Features Editor Stu Woo ’08.5 and was conducted by Herald section editors and senior staff writers.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

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Ballet performs two pieces about love

It’s ofﬁcial: Obama dives into ‘08 race

continued from page 5

that made the audience members feel as if they were peeking in on an intimate moment between two lovers. Not quite as sultry as “Schéhérazade” but just as visually appealing was Di Marco’s adaptation of Spanish composer Manuel de Falla’s 1915 work “El Amor Brujo.” The story is the tale of a young gypsy girl (Leticia Guerrero) who desperately wants to devote herself to her lover (Gleb Lyamenkoff) but struggles to escape the ghost of a previous lover (Maxime Podshivalenko). When the comfort of friends proves insufﬁcient to escape the ghost of her past, the couple eventually seeks the help of an older gypsy woman (Carolyn Dellinger) to get rid of the

ghost. Di Marco’s choreography in the second piece was as complex as those in “Schéhérazade.” Guerrero moved quickly and sharply when dancing with the ghost, while with her lover she danced tenderly and sensually — expressive of the different sentiments she has for these two ﬁgures. There is also an inﬂuence of traditional gypsy dancing, as Guerrero and her accompanying friends alluringly twisted their hands and arms in front of their faces. Di Marco and the dancers he choreographed showed both talent and range, offering audience members the opportunity to experience an array of emotions, each a pleasure to watch.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Los Angeles Times) — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., formally launched his bid for president Saturday, his eyes on history and feet rooted in the frigid Midwest as he pledged a new generation of leadership to end the war in Iraq and banish “the smallness of our politics.” In a speech that recalled his soaring remarks to the 2004 Democratic National Convention — the speech that launched his political rocket ﬂight — Obama sought to set himself apart from not just the large Democratic ﬁeld of White House hopefuls, but also the Washington establishment he joined two years ago as a U.S. senator. He cited a familiar litany of woes: poverty, underperforming schools, soaring health care costs, hard-pressed wage earners, reliance on foreign oil and the Iraq war. But the larger problem, he suggested, was a rancid political system that perpetuates those ills rather than solves them. “What’s stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics, the ease with which we’re distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points,” Obama said.“The time for that kind of politics is over,” he added. “It’s time to turn the page.”

“Schéhérazade,” tells the story of a rich sultan’s new young wife, Zobeide (Jennifer Ricci) and the slave (Alexander Akulov) with whom she falls in love. When the sultan leaves his palace for a hunting trip, Zobeide and the slave unite, and together have a passionate love affair. The eight-minute love scene between Zobeide and the Golden Slave speaks to Di Marco and the lead dancers’ talents. Ricci moved with both ﬂuidity and strength while Akulov’s athleticism dazzled as he simultaneously exuded dignity and grace. But it is the two together — their absorption in one another and their incredibly sensual movements —

Petraeus takes command of U.S. forces

W. hoops rips Lions to halt losing skid

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Los Angeles Times) — Army Gen. David Petraeus took control of U.S. forces in Iraq on Saturday with a grim assessment of the situation he is inheriting from the outgoing commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who predicted that Iraqi troops would be in charge of the country’s security by fall. In a brief ceremony beneath a massive chandelier in the marble and mosaic rotunda of one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces, the two leaders’ contrasting styles stood out. Petraeus warned that Iraq was doomed if U.S. and Iraqi troops did not bring sectarian violence under control, while Casey suggested that American forces had done plenty of heavy lifting and that it was up to Iraqis to take over.

Putin blasts U.S. foreign policy MUNICH, Germany (Washington Post) — Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the United States Saturday for acting in a unilateral, militaristic fashion that he said “overstepped” its role and made the world a more dangerous place than during the Cold War. “Nobody feels secure anymore, because nobody can take safety behind the stone wall of international law,” he told an international security conference here attended by dozens of foreign and defense ministers and other ofﬁcials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a congressional delegation. He said Russia would pursue an independent foreign policy, and defended his country’s arms sales to Iran as a way of reaching out to that Middle Eastern power, which is under pressure from the United States and Europe to curtail its nuclear program. Russia has supplied some air defense weapons to Tehran, he said, because “we don’t want Iran to feel cornered,” he said.

Stewart ’88 offers advice on ﬁrst jobs continued from page 5 employees and that they also must resist shyness. “If you want a job, make sure somebody notices it,” she said. Stewart admitted that she had been a workaholic for about a decade. “I missed birthdays. I missed friends’ kids being born,” she said. She advised students to remember their childhood ambitions for guidance on their career path. “I apparently used to sit with a tape recorder and interview myself when I was a child,” Stewart said, recalling stories from her parents. While a student at Brown, Stewart was the programming director for WBRU. Growing up in a “small bedroom community,” she was eager to get involved with radio broadcasting when she arrived on College Hill, she said. She said the most valuable part of her Brown education was learning to write well. Her years at the University helped her to overcome her timidity, Stewart said. “It gave me a great deal of conﬁdence, my undergraduate experience.” In its sixth year, Career Week took place last Wednesday to Saturday. About one hundred alumni panelists and 1,200 students were registered to participate in the event, according to Career Week 2007 co-director Eve Formisano.

continued from page 12 ted out four first-years to start the game. Fitzpatrick, Johnson, Lee and Lindsay Walls ’10 all started the game for the Bears alongside McAfee. “That group sparked us against Cornell,” Burr said. “They played really aggressively toward the end of the game.” One player who duplicated her strong performance from Friday was Johnson, who was relentless in going to the basket in the first half. The Lions had a difficult time stopping her drives, and she capitalized with 11 points in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting. Even with Johnson’s inspired play, both teams played evenly in the first half. Neither team led by more than five in the first 20 minutes. Brown continued to play well in the second half. Walls established herself in the post and the Lions had no responses for her.

She converted two jump-hook shots in the first five minutes of the second stanza to help Brown build its biggest lead, 42-36. “Lindsay’s improvement has been amazing,” Burr said. “She is such an important player for us. When she establishes herself in the post, it opens up so many other options in our offense.” However, whenever Brown built a bit of a cushion, the Lions always seemed to answer with a three-pointer. With 7:57 remaining, Brown went on a 7-0 run to extend its lead to 53-44. However, Columbia answered with a three to cut its deficit to a more manageable six. On the next trip down the floor, Johnson converted a layup to give Brown an eight-point lead. However, Columbia knocked down another three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the lead back to five. “We tried to keep the ball out of the middle as much as possi-

ble,” Burr said. “They did a good job drawing our defense and kicking out to their perimeter shooters.” Brown led 57-54 with seven seconds to go. The Lions had to travel the length of the ﬂoor and the tough Brown defense forced a turnover with no time on the clock to seal the victory. Against Columbia, Johnson led Brown with 16 points on 8of-14 shooting. Walls also had a solid showing, netting 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting. “Winning again feels so good,” McAfee said. “Now that we have all the Ivy teams a second time, we can make the necessary adjustments and be more competitive in the league.” Brown now hits the road for four straight games starting with Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend. Brown returns to the Pizzitola Center March 2, in the last games at home for the class of 2007.

Q & A W I T H A L I S O N S T E WA R T ‘ 8 8 After delivering her remarks at Career Week Saturday, Alison Stewart ’88 spoke with The Herald about her career in broadcast journalism. The Herald: When you were an undergrad, what did you see yourself doing after graduation? Stewart: I originally wanted to write for Rolling Stone magazine. I wanted to be in music journalism, and I couldn’t crack Rolling Stone. You hear of certain places where people talk about, “How can I get into there? How can I get in there?” I hadn’t done an internship there. I didn’t know anyone there. I just couldn’t get my foot in the door. So that was my original thought. And then I realized that MTV — I think it was our senior year — had started a news division, which was doing all pop culture news, music news, and Kurt Loder, the editor of Rolling Stone, was their anchor, and I thought, “Okay, this is what I want to do. This is perfect. I’ve found the TV thing. I’ve done the radio thing. It’s broadcast, it’s news. This is made for me.” So that was the job I wanted. It took me a couple of years to get to that department. I was at that very entry-level job that I mentioned for a long time. How did you get your ﬁrst break into broadcasting?

There was a show that was on MTV that was being canceled. Nobody wanted to work it anymore since it was being canceled. And I volunteered to work on it, because I thought, well, I can’t kill it, and it gives them an opportunity to see what I can do. … The second one was a signiﬁcant one, which really launched my more mainstream career, which was being asked to be the political producer for MTV News. I just knew I liked politics, and they had asked me to do a couple test pieces where I had to explain something very complicated to an MTV audience. And with that assignment, that was really the breakthrough for me. That just put me on the map, professionally, as a producer. Given that you’ve worked with many different programs, has changing jobs so often been challenging? I was also doing pieces for “20/20” and also for “Good Morning America” (while working for ABC News), so that’s more a stack thing. I have changed places that I work almost every two or three years. I think in the current environment, that is the one way to advance. It’s not sort of a straight slope up at one place — it’s kind of a staircase, you know, go some places, take a step up at the next place. … I could have stayed at

MTV. I had the sweetest deal — I had an assistant, I had stylists. I could have stayed there. I didn’t want to stay at CBS. When I got to ABC, I was anchoring the overnight news show; I was a network news anchor. But, then, I wanted to do something else. Every time I’ve moved on, it’s been something that’s been a little more challenging. You mentioned in your speech that you were a workaholic for at least 10 years. Do you now regret or value the sacrifices that you made then? I embrace it in one way because I was able to accomplish a lot professionally. I had a really fast track, but I was also working 50 percent more than a lot of people. I was working weekends. I was sleeping at the office. I was doing the whole bad-for-you nine yards. What are the specific challenges of being a woman in your career field? Finding mentorship, because none of the major news networks have a female president. None of the cable companies have a female president. Where I work there is a female vice president, which is pretty amazing, and she’s only 42. So finding people who are higher up who you can talk to about is-

sues of being a woman without feeling like you’re crying about it or whining about it. … I think that’s a challenge, trying to ﬁgure out what you can say to a female candidly. I was up for a couple of morning show jobs, and I didn’t have a child. And one of them — it wasn’t a news job — was open about it, like “We’re looking for a mom.” And the other was a news show, and I said, “I spent all this time going around the world — and I don’t have a kid? Is that going to keep me from having this?” And I was like, “That is the craziest thing,” but that’s what they wanted. You can get into a cocoon like Brown, but there are still certain stereotypes about nuclear families. What has been the most interesting topic for you to cover? I went to Jordan for a piece about young women in the Peace Corps in Arab countries. Most of the young women that would do this are real barn-burners, but when they get to these countries, they have to dress head-to-toe and they can’t go out without a male chaperone — just what that’s like to make that exciting trip, that exciting life choice for two years, and you end up in a culture that is so different from everything you’ve been born and bred and everything you’ve decided to be.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

Faust selected as ﬁrst female Harvard president

U. keeps animals for research

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continued from page 1 of Overseers. She explicitly disavowed any interest in the job in a statement last month. Simmons was traveling over the weekend and could not be reached for comment. Faust succeeds Lawrence Summers, a former secretary of the treasury, who resigned the post a year ago after just ﬁve years on the job. Summers’ administration was marked by controversy and ended abruptly amid intense faculty criticism focused on his brusque leadership style and comments he made suggesting that intrinsic differences between males and females could contribute to the under-representation of women in the sciences. Harvard senior Will Marra, who until recently led the Crimson’s coverage of the search as the newspaper’s president, said the lack of interest from high-proﬁle institutional leaders like Simmons and other more seriously considered candidates may indicate that Harvard’s presidency is not the “plum job” it was once considered — perhaps a consequence of the tumult that marked

Summers’ administration. Simmons’ denial was accompanied by similar statements from Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman and University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann — the two other women currently presiding over Ivy League universities — and leaders at Stanford and Cambridge universities, among others. Reports had identiﬁed Thomas Cech, a Nobel-prize winning scientist and president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, as a serious contender, but he too withdrew himself from consideration in recent weeks. Harvard’s provost, Steven Hyman, and law school dean Elena Kagan had also been considered candidates. Despite lacking the high-level administrative experience of other candidates — the Radcliffe Institute accounts for just $16 million of the roughly $3 billion annual budget she will now oversee as president — Faust has a reputation for being an effective leader and working well with other faculty members, Marra said. Professor of History Omer Bartov, who worked with Faust

as a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute during the 2002-2003 academic year, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that the announcement was “delightful” and that he is confident that she will be “an excellent president.” In her prepared remarks for a press conference yesterday afternoon, Faust alluded only indirectly to her status as the first woman to lead Harvard in its 371-year history. “I hope that my own appointment can be one symbol of an opening of opportunities that would have been inconceivable even a generation ago,” she said. Asked at the press conference about the milestone, Faust acknowledged the “tremendous significance” of her appointment but indicated she would not be defined by her gender. “I’m not the woman president of Harvard. I’m the president of Harvard,” she said, according to a report posted on the Crimson’s Web site. Faust will take office on July 1, exactly one year after Summers’ departure. The job has been held on an interim basis this year by Derek Bok, a former Harvard president who left the post in 1991.

continued from page 1 violated. The University tries to “provide the best possible care for animals used in research,” and the facility provides around-the-clock care for the animals, he wrote. “Continuity of care in all (animal care) facilities is among the University’s highest priorities,” Nickel wrote. But Alka Chanda, a senior researcher at PETA, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that the labs at Brown “have been on PETA’s radar.” “Several experimenters at Brown University expose rhesus monkeys, mice and rats to a variety of addictive substances including marijuana, alcohol and nicotine,” she wrote. Chanda described those studies as “very cruel” and the research has been criticized for being inapplicable to human conditions, she wrote. “Often animal addiction studies simply reiterate what is already known about addiction through observation on humans,” she wrote. But one study using primates helped Professor of Neuroscience John Donoghue develop his groundbreaking BrainGate system that enables quadriplegics to con-

trol prosthetic limbs and electronic devices with their brains, according to a 2002 University news release. Whether or not the studies are controversial, University officials remain tight-lipped about the facility to protect its 16 employees. Veterinarian James Harper, director of the animal care facility, declined to be interviewed for this story because he and his family have been threatened by animal rights activists in the past. A senior animal technician at the facility also declined to comment, saying that employees were not allowed to speak to the press. The University’s Web site contains little information about the facility. Except for the Bio-Med facilities pamphlet, the animal care facility is only listed among other research facilities on the Med School Web site and appears in an Encyclopedia Brunoniana article about the Bio-Med Center. “There’s information that you might normally find on a Web site that we won’t give because (we) have to protect the people” that work in the facility, said veterinarian Larry Hulsebos, assistant director of the facility. Many students seem to be unaware of the animal care facility’s existence. Most students approached by The Herald did not know about the facility. “It’s surprising that it exists and no one knows about it,” said Tess Bolder ’07, who said she was unaware of the facility even though she lives less than a block away from the Bio-Med Center. Paul Cotter ’09 said he heard about the facility through friends who worked with animals on campus. “I’d like to say it bothers me, but it doesn’t,” he said. “It’s bad to say that the ends justify the means, but I think the research that professors are doing more than outweigh the costs.” He pointed to Donoghue’s BrainGate system as an example. Elias Sarris ’09 did not know the facility existed, but he echoed Cotter’s sentiments. It’s different when researchers use animals to test cosmetics, he said, “but if it’s for the cure of cancer, then I think it’s worth it.” Melanie Carver ’08.5 said though a few of her friends also worked with animals, she was unaware of the University’s animal facilities. She said she understood why Brown professors would experiment with animals but worried about the animals’ welfare. “I worry a little about what they do with the animals after the experiment,” she said. Carver also said one of her friends worked with a rodent that was bred with a mental disability, “which in my book is a definite form of cruelty.” It is unclear what Brown does with research animals after experimentation. In 2005 Brown lobbied against a state bill that would have banned euthanizing animals with carbon monoxide gas. The University supported the bill after its sponsor modified it to exempt local colleges and universities. The bill was approved and became law. The history of animal testing at Brown stretches back at least four decades. Allan Schrier, a former professor of psychology who studied under primate research pioneer Harry Harlow, established the Primate Behavioral Laboratory in Hunter Lab in 1964. It remained open until his death in 1987, said his widow Judith Schrier. An animal care facility opened in 1969 with the Bio-Med Center, according to Encyclopedia Brunoniana.

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M. tennis comes up big with wins over St Stony Brook, Colgate continued from page 12 Fehri 6-2, 6-2. At fourth singles, Pasanen defeated Shvartz 7-5, 6-3, and Noah Gardner ’09 dominated Smith to take a 6-1, 6-0 win at sixth singles. Kohli got off to a slow start at second singles, dropping the first set 6-3, but he fought back to take the second set, 6-3. Kohli carried that momentum into the third-set super-breaker, which he won 10-3. “Saurabh Kohli had a great come-from-behind win against Stony Brook,” Harris said. “We always like to see that.” Meanwhile, at fi fth singles, Joe Scott ’08 found himself locked in a three-set battle of his own. After winning the first set 6-1, Scott dropped the second set 6-1, then edged out Markovich 13-11 in the third-set super-breaker.

Even though Brown swept the Seawolves, the match lasted four hours on Saturday — and the Colgate match was still to be played. “It’s tough to keep going from noon to night,” Thomas said. Showing no signs of fatigue, the Bears picked up right where they left off. Brown began the match against Colgate by taking the doubles point from the Raiders. Hanegby and Kohli teamed up at ﬁrst doubles to defeat Chris Innes and Marshall Wheeler 8-3. At second doubles, Lee and Pasanen earned an 8-3 victory. The third doubles duo of Thomas and Gardner narrowly dropped 8-7 outcome to Tyler Deck and John Nogueras, but the loss was inconsequential because Brown had already taken the doubles point. “Colgate always brings lots of ﬁre,” Harris said. “I’m happy with

the way we responded in doubles and singles.” Singles action began with Hanegby’s win at ﬁrst singles, where he defeated Innes by a score of 6-3, 6-4. “I’m improving every match, trying to work on new things,” Hanegby said. Thomas showed improvements of his own at second singles, overpowering MacIntyre 6-2, 6-2, despite the lingering effects of wrist and shoulder injuries. The singles and doubles wins Thomas accumulated over the course of the day advanced him past Tim Donovan ’89 into ﬁ fth place on Brown’s list of all-time combined wins. At third singles, Pasanen defeated Wheeler 6-4, 6-2 to give Brown its fourth point and seal the victory early. “Zack Pasanen had one of his

best days of the year,” Harris said. “His energy level was high all day long.” Lee and Gardner also kept their energy levels high at fourth and ﬁ fth singles, recording wins by scores of 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-1, respectively. Brown’s only loss was at sixth singles. Scott dropped his match 6-3, 7-6. “We had our areas that we didn’t sustain,” Thomas said. “Some matches got close in areas that shouldn’t have been close. But we can win when we need to win.” The Bears will travel to Blacksburg, Va., next weekend for a match with the University of Louisville on Feb. 17 and a match against Virginia Tech on Feb. 18. “We’re improving,” Hanegby said. “We’re working our way up.

M. icers drop two to Clarkson, St. Lawrence in New York continued from page 12 Up to that point, Rosen had made 40 consecutive saves in the contest. “He’s just so consistent,” Prough said of the goalie. “With Dan, you know what you are going to get and you never have to worry about him. Almost always, if we play to our ability, we’ll win with him back there. He gives the team conﬁdence … and we can just play and let him take care of the rest.” A late rush by Prough and McNary almost restored the Bears’

lead with just seconds left, but regulation expired just as Prough and the Bears were bearing down on the goal, sending Brown into its ninth overtime period of the season. “We just couldn’t ﬁnish,” Poli said. “We had them where we wanted them and were playing well, but instead of going after the win, we stepped back and let up. At the end especially, we kind of hung Rosen out to dry, so they scored and we just couldn’t get it back in time.” McMonagle nearly tallied his second goal of the game with 3:11 remaining in overtime, but his

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shot clinked off the post. It was picked up by a Saints’ player and carried down the ice for a St. Lawrence goal, just nine seconds after McMonagle’s initial shot at the opposite end. Rosen ﬁnished the game with 46 saves. “The game was kind of a heartbreaker for us,” Prough said. “We were up the whole time. I think we just kind of sat back on our heels and tried too hard to protect the lead instead of playing our game like we did at the start. So they just took it to us.” “Sean Hurley has been playing some great hockey lately,”

said Head Coach Roger Grillo. “Prough and McNary are always assets to have, and Devin Timberlake (’10) too. There were about six or seven guys who really work hard and help us out every shift. Everybody else needs to follow.” With the regular season drawing to a close, the Bears return home this weekend to face Dartmouth on Friday and Harvard on Saturday. Grillo hopes his team will rebound after a disappointing weekend. “We didn’t play … like we need to at this point in the season,” he said. “We’ve got to step up, be a little better, a little sharper.”

happy birthday mother

E DITORIAL & L ETTERS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

PAGE 10

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

STAF F EDITORIAL

Bring back the Mezz The newly opened Friedman Study Center certainly alleviates the lack of an adequate 24-hour study space on campus. Just two weeks after its opening, the Friedman Center seems to be a good addition on account of its bright furniture, airy spaciousness and the simple fact that it was so necessary. But despite the center’s usefulness, its current incarnation creates an isolating study atmosphere, in stark contrast to its predecessor in the Sciences Library — the beloved Mezzanine. We know the University will tweak the center’s layout, and so we hope administrators will remember the Mezz’ legacy. The Friedman Study Center has met the need for late-night study spaces but hasn’t addressed the lack of social study space. There is no reason the expansive and expensive center can’t cater to both needs. Large public gathering areas like the Mezz play an important role on our campus in the absence of a student or campus center. Small groups could gather in the Mezz to brainstorm for projects or study for upcoming tests without fear of being reprimanded for talking too loudly or a sneaking suspicion that everyone was eavesdropping. It was one of the few campus locations where students could read, bump into friends and stop to chat for a while. The Friedman Study Center has much the same feeling as the Rock — talking above a whisper seems inconsiderate and odd decibel signs give an abstract indication of appropriate volume levels. Of course, the new space is so wildly popular with students that group study rooms are hotly contested and all the computers are typically in use. We’re grateful for the new center, but we hope its quiet and modern atmosphere will soon be balanced by a lively, revived Mezz just upstairs.

Guide us somewhere other than Wall Street For three days each year, students with both fledgling and fixed career interests can learn from alums who have met with success in fields ranging from entertainment and the arts to law or public policy. Though the registration figures for Career Week often outpace the number of those who actually show up, those students who do roll out of bed early on a Saturday to hear alums expound on various and varied career paths reap real benefits. But beyond the three-day event, students without computer science skills or an interest in finance are too rarely the beneficiaries of career services e-mails. With its strength in the liberal arts and a reputation for activism and public service, Brown’s campus is rife with students not inclined to join the investment banks and consulting firms that descend on College Hill twice a year. Though the Career Development Center’s employees are available year-round for students whose ambitions range from relief work to public policy research, the center’s organized activities too often tend toward setting Brown students up in brand name cubicles rather than helping students search for unique challenges. It’s all too easy for Brown students to gravitate to a convenient and methodical, if challenging, interview process. But instead of reluctantly contemplating professional paths that had never before entered our dreams for the future simply because of convenience, we hope career services will help us learn from the diverse expertise of Brown alums more than once a year.

T HE B ROWN D AILY H ERALD Editors-in-Chief Eric Beck Mary-Catherine Lader

Executive Editors Allison Kwong Ben Leubsdorf

BUSINESS

Arts & Culture Editor Arts & Culture Editor Features Editor Features Editor Metro Editor Metro Editor News Editor Opinions Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor

PHOTO Eunice Hong Christopher Bennett Jacob Melrose

Photo Editor Photo Editor Sports Photo Editor

General Manager Mandeep Gill General Manager Ally Ouh Executive Manager Darren Ball Executive Manager Dan DeNorch Laurie-Ann Paliotti Sr. Advertising Manager Ofﬁce Manager Susan Dansereau PRODUCTION Design Editor Steve DeLucia Copy Desk Chief Chris Gang Graphics Editor Mark Brinker Graphics Editor Roxanne Palmer Web Editor Luke Harris POST- MAGAZINE Hillary Dixler Melanie Duch Taryn Martinez Rajiv Jayadevan Mindy Smith

LETTERS Banner project owner calls for campus cooperation To the Editor: I have talked with hundreds of individuals in my role as leader of the Banner implementation project over the last year about what Banner is and how it works. As one might expect on a campus like ours, reactions are as diverse as our community membership. There are features of Banner that some individuals like, features that some individuals dislike, and disagreement about which features are positive and negative. To some extent, our satisfaction with pre-registration in Banner this April — and add/drop next fall — depends on how we approach the next several months. Understanding what Banner is and how it works is the ﬁrst step. The project team worked with faculty and academic departments last semester so that they could describe their course offerings with Banner in mind. UCS has scheduled student forums next week and the Banner project team has planned demonstrations of the software the last week in February and the ﬁrst two weeks in March. As the project team completes more and more elements of the implementation, the project website (http://brown.edu/web/intranet/banner/) will become an increasingly useful resource; next week, for example, we will post our spring calendar and launch an interactive FAQ page. We trust that community members will use these resources to learn about Banner. In addition, and as Wednesday’s editorial (“Calm down about Banner,” Feb. 7) astutely reminds us, the project team must

work proactively to assure that faculty, staff and students know how to use the Banner system, and a variety of training initiatives are planned for late March and April. The second step is for students, faculty, advisers and deans to engage one another in discussing how to use Banner pre-registration to support academic planning. In my experience, faculty and students share common ground on one point: the value of the Brown curriculum and its core principles. After spring break, when the community has had an opportunity to review the Banner course catalogue and class schedule and deans’ ofﬁces are actively guiding advising processes, we all have an opportunity to think creatively and generously about how best to use Banner. Finally, after pre-registration and again in the fall, we will need to assess our experience — to identify what worked well and what needs improvement. Individually and collectively, we can expect to make some errors in our ﬁrst pre-registration. But if we start with sound information, work together to use the technology to support our educational goals, and share constructive feedback, we will build processes that serve the curriculum, students and faculty. Nancy Dunbar Associate Provost Feb. 7

Banner may end “don’t ask, don’t tell” registration policy To the Editor:

Senior Editors Stephen Colelli Sonia Saraiya

EDITORIAL Lydia Gidwitz Lindsey Meyers Stephanie Bernhard Stu Woo Simmi Aujla Sara Molinaro Ross Frazier Jacob Schuman Michal Zapendowski Peter Cipparone Justin Goldman Sarah Demers Erin Frauenhofer Madeleine Marecki

PETE FALLON

Managing Editor Managing Editor Managing Editor Features Editor Features Editor

Steve DeLucia, Designer Karen Evans, Chris Gang, Copy Editors Senior Staff Writers Rachel Arndt, Michael Bechek, Oliver Bowers, Zachary Chapman, Chaz Firestone, Kristina Kelleher, Debbie Lehmann, Scott Lowenstein, James Shapiro, Michael Skocpol Staff Writers Susana Aho, Taylor Barnes, Evan Boggs, Alissa Cerny, Irene Chen, Stewart Dearing, Nicole Dungca, Hannah Furst, Sarah Geller, Thi Ho, Rebecca Jacobson, Tsvetina Kamenova, Hannah Levintova, Christian Martell, Taryn Martinez, Zachary McCune, Jennifer Park, Nathalie Pierrepont, Kam Sripada, Robin Steele, Spencer Trice, Sara Walter, Allissa Wickham, Max Winograd Sports Staff Writers Amy Ehrhart, Kaitlyn Laabs, Eliza Lane, Kathleen Loughlin, Megan McCahill, Marco Santini, Tom Trudeau, Steele West Account Administrators Emilie Aries, Alexander Hughes Design Staff Aurora Durfee, Christian Martell Photo Staff Stuart Duncan-Smith, Austin Freeman, Tai Ho Shin Copy Editors Ayelet Brinn, Catherine Cullen, Erin Cummings, Karen Evans, Jacob Frank, Lauren Levitz

When the Banner enrollment system is implemented, I fear that some of the openness of the current enrollment system will be lost. Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences Professor Steven Sloman, who teaches a course on decision-making, probably knows the implications of the “stickiness” of the Banner system’s default options better than any other Brown faculty member. That is why I found it ﬁtting that he noted that the Banner enrollment system would help him enforce prerequisites during course enrollment (“Banner launch pushes ahead amid mounting student criticism,” Feb. 7). During my years at Brown, professors have treated prerequisites according to what amounts to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. This has enabled me to take ﬁve

or six courses either without having taken the prereqs or before I had reached the “appropriate” class year to take a seminar. In all of these courses, the ability to do the work and available space turned out to be the only important factors for enrollment. With Banner, however, I fear that professors will let previously unenforced entry requirements prevent able and interested students from taking their courses — not out of a strong desire to enforce those requirements, but merely because enforcement will be the default option.

David Wishnick ‘07 Feb. 7

CORRECTION A photo caption in Friday’s Herald (“Protest Rite,” Feb. 9) incorrectly stated that the photograph was taken on Thursday. It was taken on Wednesday. To clarify, the students — both undergraduates and medical students — at the rally sought to restore health care coverage for those children who had previously been eligible for the program and were removed by new rules at the beginning of the year, not all Rhode Island children. CORRECTIONS POLICY The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. COMMENTAR Y POLICY The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reﬂect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reﬂect the opinions of their authors only. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. ADVER TISING POLICY The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

O PINIONS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

PAGE 11

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

The rise of the identity candidates NICHOLAS SWISHER

OPINIONS COLUMNIST

There were two groundbreaking presidential announcements over the weekend, and two opportunities for liberals to celebrate — but for good reason? The first: on Saturday morning in Springfield, Ill., Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., officially announced his presidential candidacy. The second: newspapers announced that Drew Gilpin Faust, professor of history at Harvard and dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, would become Harvard’s 28th president. Comparisons abound. First, both offer hope to an embittered constituency by aiming to reform an unmanageable bureaucracy. For Obama, this has become a major — and at this moment, sole — campaign theme. “Politics has become so bitter and partisan,” the Illinois Democrat announced weeks ago, “so gummed up with money and influence that we can’t tackle the big problems that demand solutions.” Obama’s emphasis on bipartisanship contrasts with the blunt demeanor of President Bush, as well as that of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., whose polarizing image would likely exacerbate political partisanship in Washington if elected. Obama wants you to know that he’s a uniter, not a divider. (But where have we heard that before?) A Faust presidency at Harvard, much in

the same vein as Obama’s presidential campaign, promises to alleviate tensions and engage in institutional reform. Emphasizing this, an editorial in Harvard’s student newspaper, the Crimson, recently remarked, “Harvard is, after all, in dire need of reform. The new president cannot afford to sit idle while undergraduate education slides into confusion under the watch of an indecisive faculty.” Faust, who has a tremendous talent in “consensus-building,” according to the Crimson, seems capable of reforming

other hand, Obama’s proponents have argued that his lack of political experience is, in fact, a distinct advantage. The junior senator from Illinois is not beholden to the Washington political elite, unlike his more experienced opponents. The announcement of Faust as Harvard’s president-elect occurred too recently for critics to have yet emerged, but we can surely expect criticisms identical to those lobbed at Obama. Faust, though a noted historian and administrator, has no experi-

Both Obama and Faust must make it clear to their respective constituencies that there’s more to them than just hype from identity politics. the stodgy Harvard administration. The similarities continue. As of late, many critics, while acknowledging Obama’s abundant charisma, have questioned his actual capability to be an effective president. Obama’s experience in national politics is scant — apart from academic, literary and brief electoral achievements, his resume for the position is short. His legislative record is undistinguished. (Newspapers across the country have seemingly ﬁlled these holes with adoring biographical factoids — a recent AP article actually traced Obama’s genealogy to George Washington.) On the

ence running a university, let alone Harvard. However, like Obama, her inexperience could easily be spun as an asset. After ﬁve weary years under Larry Summers, who at the beginning of his tenure was considered eminently qualiﬁed for the job, installing a career academic at the helm might be exactly what Harvard needs. Noting their lack of experience, however, begs the question: if not for their experience, then why are Obama and Faust so embraced by their respective constituencies? For some, it may be a means of absolution. Some national columnists have posited that

white voters support Obama largely because of his race, in a sense hoping to apologize for historical under-representation of blacks in American politics. (Ironically, some black voters and leaders are wary of Obama, since the senator, who is part Kenyan, does not share a direct cultural heritage with most African-Americans.) Similarly, much of Faust’s support undoubtedly comes from those who opposed the comments made by Summers in 2005, when he insinuated that women may be inherently less talented in math and science than men. Naming a female president at Harvard makes public amends for Summers’ assertion. There also is the issue of historical “firsts.” Obama could prove to be the first African-American U.S. president; Faust will be the first female president of Harvard. These are both significant achievements and certainly causes for excitement. But should this excitement compel our support? Ultimately, we have to ask: would such a craze surround Obama were he not AfricanAmerican? Would Faust have been picked were she not a woman? The answers remain unclear. In the coming weeks, both Obama and Faust must make it clear to their respective constituencies that there’s more to them than just hype from identity politics. Let’s support them for their personal talents and skills — not just for the social agendas their respective elections promote.

Nicholas Swisher ’08 thinks Barack Obama should market his own cereal: O-Bamas.

Brown can lead the way in the fight against global warming BY IRA MAGAZINER, STEVE GLENN, JAN HARTKE AND NOAM ROSS GUEST COLUMNISTS We are writing this as Brown alums who are involved in the struggle to fight global warming. Over the past several years, scientific studies have proven beyond a doubt that the earth’s atmosphere is warming at a very rapid rate and that human generated greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, are the primary cause. Since greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for as long as 100 years once emitted, their rapid rise creates a cumulative, accelerating effect. Recently, human generation of carbon dioxide from electric power plants, industry and transportation has increased rapidly due to population growth and economic development. We are also destroying the forests that absorb and store carbon dioxide. Without appropriate and urgent action, global warming will accelerate at an alarming rate in the near future. Though nobody knows for sure all that will result from climate change, it is clear that the consequences will be serious for human civilization. In a few decades, many coastal cities around the world could be flooded, drought could increase in many inland areas threatening agriculture, destructive storms could become even more severe, tropical diseases could spread to temperate climates and threaten public health and millions of animal species could go extinct. As the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report explains, the threat of climate change is immediate. Today’s Brown students will likely see its most disastrous effects transpire during their lifetimes. The solution to this problem is within our reach. We can and must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 to 80 percent over the next few decades. We can do this

by using less energy and by using cleaner energy. The necessary technologies to do so already exist — it is only political will that is lacking. We are writing this letter to appeal to the Brown administration, faculty and Corporation to take a leadership role among American universities by becoming climate neutral — by generating less carbon dioxide than it helps absorb. The University can do this by making its buildings more energyefficient, by using more energy efficient vehicles and appliances and by using clean, renewable fuels to satisfy its electricity and heating needs. Since it will be impossible to sufficiently

is to become climate-neutral by using all of the means described above. Climate neutrality can be achieved immediately through the purchase of carbon offsets and investment in off-campus projects, which must be complemented by a concerted effort to reduce on-campus emissions, ideally by 80 percent before 2050. We believe in the powerful voice that our alma mater carries in society. Brown’s achievement of climate neutrality would send a clear message to other larger, wealthier organizations that action is imperative and possible. Other institutions, most recently the University of Pennsylvania, have already announced their intention

Brown’s achievement of climate neutrality would send a clear message to other larger, wealthier organizations that action is imperative and possible. stop generating greenhouse gas emissions immediately, the University should sponsor projects that reduce its net emissions. This can be accomplished by buying carbon offsets on ﬁnancial exchanges that now exist for that purpose, directly subsidizing projects to prevent the destruction of tropical forests and funding initiatives that cut energy use or create sources of clean energy. Investing in these programs would help to diversify our nation’s energy portfolio and spur growth in new industries that will play a critical role in our response to global warming. To this end, we support the efforts of emPOWER, the student campaign for a climate-neutral campus, and agree that the best way for Brown to take moral responsibility for its contribution to climate change

to achieve climate neutrality in the near future. Yet Brown can still play a leadership role in the field by proving that even smaller institutions with more limited resources can achieve climate neutrality and can do so immediately. Among our group are environmental professionals who specialize in large-scale sustainability efforts undertaken by both governments and private organizations. From our experience in the field, we have confidence that by taking action now, Brown could avoid financial difficulties that will surely arise as more stringent government regulations are passed in the future. Efficiency upgrades will also help lower electricity costs, and renewable energy use will allow Brown to avoid growing price volatility in fossil fuel markets. Furthermore, as

Brown invests in offsets and purchases renewable energy for on-campus operation, it will be able to trade credits for these activities on the market — for proﬁt. Over the past few decades, Brown has rightfully earned a reputation as a progressive university at the forefront of important social issues. The New Curriculum has emphasized an integration of academic study with the real life problems being faced by human society. There is no more important issue that our society will face over the next several years than the threat posed by global warming. Universities, as centers of scientiﬁc inquiry, bear a responsibility to lead society towards a solution to this problem. We believe that Brown, as a University that encourages engagement with the world beyond its campus, should take a leadership role in this effort.

Ira Magaziner ’69 is policy director at the William J. Clinton Foundation and chairs the Clinton Climate Initiative, which advises the 40 largest cities in the world on how they can reduce their contribution to global warming. Steve Glenn ’87 is founder and CEO of LivingHomes, a company that produces affordable “green” housing and whose flagship home was recently awarded the highest platinum rating from the U.S. Green Buildings Council. Jan Hartke ’68 is the former attorney general of Arizona and founder of EarthVoice, a firm responsible for securing thousands of acres of rainforest for protection. He is currently an executive officer of the Clinton Climate Initiative. Noam Ross ’06 is the alumni coordinator for Brown Environmental Action Network. EmPOWER will be presenting their preliminary plans for a climate-neutral campus tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Leung Gallery before an open meeting of the Brown University Community Council.

S PORTS M ONDAY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2007

PAGE 12

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

M. icers drop two on long N.Y. road trip BY ELIZA LANE SPORTS STAFF WRITER

If the challenge of one of its longest road trips of the season wasn’t daunting enough, the men’s ice hockey team also had to face a pair of the best teams in the nation on its trip to upstate New York this weekend. The trip turned out to be a disappointing one as the Bears lost to No. 10 Clarkson University, 5-3, on Friday, and to No. 16 St. Lawrence University, 2-1, in overtime on Saturday. The losses dropped Brown back to the cellar of the ECACHL standings with a record of 5-10-3 (9-11-5 overall). “If there was a theme this weekend, it was that we just couldn’t ﬁnish,” said forward Chris Poli ’08. “We had these little let-downs that added up and hurt us. This late in the year, teams are just too good to be doing that and expect to win.” On Friday night, Brown received a gift just a minute into the game when the Golden Knights took two penalties eight seconds apart. Brown capitalized on the

Golden Knights’ generosity with a power-play goal at 1:13. Forward Jeff Prough ’08 passed the puck to defenseman David Robertson ’08 at the left point, and Robertson sent it to fellow defenseman Sean Hurley ’08 at the opposite point. Hurley scored with a shot from the top of the right face-off circle. Clarkson fought back to tie the game at 1-1 four minutes later with a power-play goal of its own. At 10:17, the Golden Knights jumped out to a 2-1 lead, but 27 seconds later, Prough buried a shot from the top of the right circle to even the score again. Forward Sean McMonagle ’10 and forward Brian McNary ’08 earned assists on the goal. During the second period, however, the Golden Knights exploded, notching three goals while the Bears struggled to kill ﬁve penalties. Brown spent almost half the period in the box, and Clarkson remained penaltyfree. The ﬁrst Clarkson goal of the second period beat goaltender Dan Rosen ’10 at 13:03 on a power play. Then, 1:42 later, the

Golden Knights dumped the puck into the Brown zone, and the puck struck along the boards and ricocheted into the net for what proved to be the game-winner. Down two, Brown kept fighting to climb back into the game. Forward Eric Slais ’09 scored with just 1:52 remaining in the game to narrow the gap to 5-3, but that was as close as Brown would get. The following night, against St. Lawrence, Brown held a 1-0 advantage after the first period but it would be the last tally it managed on the night. Almost 10 minutes into the period, McNary cut off a St. Lawrence pass in the Bears’ defensive zone creating a two-on-one with McMonagle. McNary threaded a pass to McMonagle, who converted the feed. The goal was the first of McMonagle’s career. With time winding down, it looked like Brown might escape New York with a split. But with only 2:42 left, the Saints managed to slam a shot past Rosen. continued on page 9

No. 61 m. tennis rocks Stony Brook, Colgate BY ERIN FRAUENHOFER ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Jacob Melrose / Herald File Photo Dan Hanegby ’07 won all four of his matches for the men’s tennis team on Saturday. He won at ﬁrst singles and ﬁrst doubles in against Stony Broook and Colgate.

SPORTS SCORE BOARD FRIDAY, DAY FEB. 9 DAY, M. BASKETBALL: Cornell 61, Brown 59 W BASKETBALL: Cornell 68, Brown 59 W. M. HOCKEY: Clarkson 5, Brown 3 W. HOCKEY: Brown 6, Union 0

M. TENNIS: Brown 7, Stony Brook 0; Brown 6, Colgate 1 W. TENNIS: Kentucky 7, Brown 0 WRESTLING: Brown 28, Franklin and Marshall 10; Boston University 22, Brown 12; Harvard 27, Brown 15

SUNDAY, DAY FEB. 11 DAY, SATURDAY, ATURDAY FEB. 10 ATURDAY, M. BASKETBALL: Columbia 77, Brown 68 W BASKETBALL: Brown 57, Columbia 54 W. GYMNASTICS: 4th of 4 at UNH Invitational M. HOCKEY: St. Lawrence 2, Brown 1 (OT) W HOCKEY: Brown 4, RPI 1 W. M. SQUASH: Yale 9, Brown 0 W. SQUASH: Yale 8, Brown 1

M. FENCING: W-0, L-3, Ivy South W. FENCING: W-1, L-2, Ivy South W SKIING: at Boston College Carnival-Slalom, results unavailable M. SQUASH: Cornell 5, Brown 4 W. SQUASH: Brown 7, Cornell 2 W. TENNIS: Boston University 5, Brown 2 W. WATER POLO: 1st of 4 teams, Ivy Tournament W

Six matches into its spring season, the men’s tennis team not only has yet to be seriously challenged — it’s hardly lost any points in each match. On Saturday, the No. 61 Bears recorded another pair of decisive victories, defeating Stony Brook University, 7-0, and Colgate University, 6-1. Thanks to two wins on the day, co-captain Eric Thomas ’07 moved into fi fth place on Brown’s all-time combined wins list. “We came out a lot better than we did two weeks ago,” said Head Coach Jay Harris. “The guys have been working their tails off in practice, and I’m proud of how they fought for every point of every game.” In the first doubles match against Stony Brook, the nation’s 25th-ranked doubles team of co-captain Dan Hanegby ’07 and Chris Lee ’09 trounced Nihal Advani and Quirijn Van Veen 8-1. At second doubles, the No. 15 team of Thomas and Basu Ratnam ’09 routed Youssef Fassi-Fehri and Alex Markovich by a score of 8-3. Saurabh Kohli ’08 and Zack Pasanen ’07 rounded out the doubles domination with an 8-3 win over Ilan Shvartz and Jon Epstein at third doubles. “We improved in doubles, which was pretty weak two weeks ago,” Hanegby said. The Bears also showed improvement in singles play, taking four of the six singles matches in straight sets. At first singles, Hanegby made quick work of Advani by a score of 6-1, 6-2. Thomas had a similarly easy victory at third singles, overpowering Fassicontinued on page 9

Jacob Melrose / Herald Christina Johnson ’10 tied a career high with 16 points in Brown’s win over Columbia.

First-years lead the way in w. hoops victory over Columbia BY JUSTIN GOLDMAN SPORTS EDITOR

The women’s basketball team’s losing streak stretched to five Friday night with a 68-59 loss to Cornell, but the team snapped the streak the following night with a 57-54 victory over Columbia. Brown played the Big Red tough in the first half, not allowing Cornell a lead larger than four points in the first 12 minutes of the game. With 8:36 remaining in the first half, Annesley O’Neal ’08 made a layup that cut Cornell’s lead to two, 18-16. But the Big Red outscored the Bears 11-4 to end the half and push its lead to nine. Cornell came out firing in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Big Red’s stifling defense and hot shooting enabled it to build a 17-point lead with 10:09 remaining. Brown had a difficult time stopping the inside tandem of forwards Moina Snyder and Jeomi Maduka. The duo scored 14 of the Big Red’s first 17 points of the second half. With 7:55 remaining and the score 52-37, Brown finally began to build some momentum. Head Coach Jean Marie Burr went to her bench and found the right combination of speed and quickness that flustered the Big Red. The quintet of Courtney Lee ’10, Christina Johnson ’10, Shae Fitzpatrick ’10, co-captain Lena

McAfee ’07 and Herald Sports Staff Writer Amy Ehrhart ’09 sparked the Brown defense. Over the next 3:46 of game action, Brown went on a 15-3 run to cut its deficit to three, 55-52. The run was capped by a fastbreak layup by Johnson. During that stretch, Fitzpatrick, who was playing point guard, knocked down two three-pointers to give Bruno some much-needed momentum. “It was a pressing (defense) lineup,” Burr said of the five that helped bring Brown back into the game. “They really made good decisions on the court. They played well together. They dug deep, overcame a tough start and gave us an opportunity to win.” With 1:07 to go and Brown trailing by five, the Bears forced Cornell to face a tough three-point shot with the shot clock winding down. But Brown couldn’t corral the rebound, which careened to Maduka. She was subsequently fouled and knocked down two free throws to push the Big Red lead to seven, 63-56. The Big Red converted 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch en route to the 68-59 victory. “We always play hard in the last four minutes,” McAfee said. “It just took us too long to figure out how to beat them.” On Saturday night, Burr trotcontinued on page 7