The Brown Daily Herald T hursday, M arch 6, 2008
Volume CXLIII, No. 29
Poorer U.’s struggle in aid race
Since 1866, Daily Since 1891
Med students mistreated, poll says
OF TROLLS AND MEN
But nature of abuse is unclear
By Joanna Wohlmuth Senior Staff Writer
With America’s richest universities waging a financial aid war, some are concerned that colleges and universities with smaller endowments may not be able to remain competitive. Less-wealthy institutions “are scrambling for additional sources of funding ... but are not going to have blanket programs. They are going to have to target much more narrowly at students they really want,” said Donald Heller, director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Pennsylvania State University. This could decrease the resources available to aid lower-income families, he said. The pressure among elite universities to remain competitive with each other, along with the pressure Congress is placing on wealthy universities to spend a greater portion of endowment earnings, has caused many schools to review their policies and make changes, Heller said. Critics worry that wealthy institutions’ expansion of financial aid to middle- and upper middle-class families may make it harder to maintain socioeconomic diversity, Heller said. When universities with large endowments offer more financial aid and the number of applicants from middle-income families increases, it could mean that fewer low-income students will be accepted because of the “strong correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement,” he said. At the same time, institutions with smaller endowments will be unable to appeal to students from middleincome families because they cannot offer competitive aid packages, he said. Dean of Admission James Miller ’73 said colleges have always been spread across the economic spectrum and competition for students exists in many arenas other than financial aid. “I don’t think that huge numbers of schools will divert aid from low-income students,” Miller said. “I don’t see institutions’ priorities changing.” Over the last 10 years, there has been a national shift from need-based aid toward merit-based aid, Miller said, but it’s unclear whether some schools’ policies will exacerbate this trend. According to Haley Chitty, a spokesman for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the new policies could eventually mean an increase in government funding for higher education. “It shows that institutions are having to make up for the lack of federal and state aid,” he said. This is especially true for lesswealthy schools, which may have trouble competing in the aftermath of heavy increases in financial aid spending among the wealthiest schools. Following Harvard’s lead, Brown and a number of other universities announced financial aid
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POSTmeets RISD students, cures hangovers and has tantric sex
By Brian Mastroianni Senior Staff Writer
tion and educational experience of someone who grew up labeled ‘disabled,’” Mooney said. He then traced his personal history along a “journey beyond normal” in which he learned to cast aside the myth that something was wrong with him and replace it with a self-concept that celebrated the way he thinks and behaves. Mooney, the author of “The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal,” said Brown changed that journey. “This is an institution that forever altered my conception of myself, forever altered what I thought about learning and what an education should be,” Mooney said. But growing up in Los Angeles, Mooney said he was “one of
Nearly 25 percent of Brown medical students have experienced some form of mistreatment during their time in medical school, in comparison to a national average of only 12 percent. These statistics, which come from a 2007 poll conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges, annually administered to fourth-year medical students, have concerned some students and officials affiliated with the Alpert Medical School. The survey asked students several questions about their experiences in medical school, some of which addressed physical, verbal and sexual mistreatment. “In situations like this, we have to be careful in how we analyze the data,” said Philip Gruppuso, associate dean of medicine. In polls conducted by the Med School, zero percent of Brown students revealed issues of sexual mistreatment, mistreatment over sexual orientation and public belittlement, Gruppuso said. In similar findings by the Med School, 98 percent of Brown students surveyed reported that they were aware of a policy to handle cases of student mistreatment — versus only 77 percent nationally, Gruppuso said. There is a disparity between the statistics gathered from the AAMC and Med School surveys. “There are some students out there who have an axe to grind at the Medical School,” Gruppuso said of the disparity between the two surveys. But Gruppuso said that some students may not feel comfortable talking to University officials about their problems. “When I was in my
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Courtesy of Brian Gaston
Norwegian play Peer Gynt runs from March 6 to 9 and March 13 to 16 in Stuart Theatre.
Mooney ’00 tells ‘beyond normal’ tale By Alex Roehrkasse Senior Staff Writer
Dyslexic writer and disability rights activist Jonathan Mooney ’00 told a Salomon 101 audience Wednesday that his alma mater made a “progressive, courageous and innovative” move by inviting him to speak. In his lecture — titled, “Freaks, Spazzes, and Gimps: Disability Rights, Pride, Community and Culture” — Mooney identified an educational culture that champions normalcy and compliance and regards learning differences as defects. He called on individuals and institutions to reject that paradigm by realizing the value of cognitive diversity. “My job with you tonight is to immerse you into the social, emo-
Meara Sharma / Herald
Jonathan Mooney ’00, a dyslexic writer and disability rights activist, spoke at Salomon 101 Wednesday.
RISD students make tattoos come to life in horror flick By Connie Zheng Contributing Writer
Down a corridor plastered with posters of half-human, half-plant faces, a door opens to a room displaying winged resin figurines and books on ever ything from Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mu-
FEATURE cha to Star Wars. At the Rhode Island School of Design’s Center for Design and Business, hundreds of printouts of gritty alleyways and abandoned warehouses are scattered across tables. In this room, students from RISD, employees of a local animation studio and a local director
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have teamed up to begin work on an animated horror film. The office belongs to the local studio, called The Story Hat, which is pioneering an effort to create the first completely computer-animated horror film in the industr y. “It’s a brand-new genre,” said Kevin Mowrer, Stor y Hat’s CEO. Rhode Island producer and director Michael Corrente, the RISD students and Story Hat have already star ted preproduction work for the movie, “Bloodline.” Set in a rough, urban neighborhood in a coastal town based on Providence, “Bloodline” tells the tale of a tattoo artist whose creations come to life and then terrorize their bearers.
jo’s goes greens Salad bar debuts at Jo’s, boasting hundreds of combinations
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Corrente and Mowrer said they are hoping to complete the movie 18 to 24 months from now and to release it by the end of 2009. Fifteen to 20 RISD illustration students were selected through an application process to do preproduction work for the film, said Wil-
the shame diet Adam Cambier ‘09 weighs in on the childhood obesity epidemic
cloudy, 49 / 36
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www.browndailyherald.com
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
liam Foulkes, the executive director of the Center for Design and Business, a RISD department that connects businesses with RISD students, faculty and alums. The chosen students, Mowrer said, are continued on page 6
tomorrow’s weather We could be more precise if we had the nifty calculators the University gave to Hope High Students
News tips: herald@browndailyherald.com
T oday Page 2
Thursday, March 6, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Menu
But Seriously | Charlie Custer and Stephen Barlow
Sharpe Refectory
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Lunch — Chicken Fingers, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Vegetable Calzone, Zucchini Yianchi
Lunch — Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich, Stuffed Shells with Sauce, Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar
Dinner — Portuguese Vegetable Casserole, Strawberry Jello, Creole Eggplant, Chourico, Potatoes and Onions
Dinner — Roast Loin of Pork, Vegan Paella, Au Gratin Potatoes with Fresh Hebs
Dunkel | Joe Larios
Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
Vagina Dentata | Soojean Kim
© Puzzles by Pappocom
RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 6, 2008
C r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Los Angeles Times Puzzle
Opus Hominis | Miguel Llorente
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Get by 5 Very close 10 Puts two and two together 14 All in favor 15 Kick out 16 Hungry person’s request 17 Guatemalan volcano named for a flood it caused in 1541 18 Rags-to-riches author 19 Words before uproar or instant 20 Christmas decorating chore? 23 Soothe, in a way 25 Once-sacred snakes 26 Running bowline, essentially 27 Accepted postulate 29 Serv. branch 32 Need some spice? 35 Basic language lesson word 38 May birthstone 39 How some stocks are sold 42 Org. funded by FICA 43 Dental success? 45 Dost own 46 Hardly chic 47 Like some pretenses 51 Wine town near Turin 54 Small cells 55 Divulge likely candidates? 59 Girl lead-in 60 Showed wonder 61 Jazz phrase 64 Agitated state 65 Without breaking 66 Carbon compound 67 Title film character thought to be based on Hearst 68 Really good 69 Glimpse
DOWN 1 Tax whiz 2 URL ending 3 Anti-inflammatory dressings 4 Actor Morales 5 Schnozzes 6 Yellow-flowered perennial 7 Enlists 8 First name in fashion 9 Reagle of “Wordplay” 10 Córdoba cohort 11 Hawaiian crooner 12 Mild oaths 13 Common thing? 21 City west of Boise 22 Like Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” 23 Lacking color 24 They may be final 28 Creole vegetable 30 Center of authority 31 Drawing intro 33 Contemporary of Dizzy and Billie 34 Palms, perhaps
35 Pool microorganism 36 Deerskin products 37 Japanese port 40 Prank 41 1974 CIA spoof 44 Hides 45 In the know 47 Holder of spirits 48 Blue Cross competitor
49 Like 35-Across 50 Pacific ray 52 Tuckered out 53 Lingerie item 56 Support, with “for” 57 Chaplin spouse 58 Shoe insert 62 Coxcomb 63 Something in the ointment?
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Free Variation | Jeremy Kuhn
xwordeditor@aol.com
3/6/08
Classic Deep-Fried Kittens | Cara FitzGibbon
T he B rown D aily H erald By Jack McInturff (c)2008 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
3/6/08
If you do one thing on College Hill today ... Relax your soul with yoga at the Wellness Cafe 4 p.m. in Arnold Lounge
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M etro Page 3
Thursday, March 6, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Panel debates solutions to Rhode Island’s budget crisis
U. continues Hope High calculator program
Simon van Zuylen-Wood Senior Staff Writer
It’s been a little more than a year since Brown began the Algebra in Motion program to donate Texas Instruments calculators to Hope High School, but the project is still going strong as the University looks to evaluate its progress so far. Last February, the Office of the President worked with Texas Instruments and the Swearer Center to donate 350 calculators to students at Hope High. Along with the calculators, TI also provides a trainer to help Hope’s eight participating teachers “think about how to integrate the graphing calculators into their lesson plans,” Tehani Collazo ’91, Brown’s director of education outreach, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. “The combination of the calculators and the professional development from trainers from TI will result in kids engaging in math at a higher level,” Collazo said in a phone interview. President Ruth Simmons, who is on TI’s board of directors, “heard of a model program in Texas where Texas Instruments gave graphing calculators” to “struggling classrooms,” said Hannah Watson ’08, who became involved with Algebra in Motion last spring and is one of the program’s coordinators. Much of the program’s funding comes from donations, so Collazo doesn’t have a specific figure of how much it has cost so far, she wrote. In fact, more than half the calculators in the program came from a Brown donor, according to a Herald article last year. “This par tnership aims to build opportunity for all students to achieve these standards” that exist in today’s schools, Simmons said in a May 8, 2007, University press release. “Students meet high standards when they are engaged and inspired, when they have the
On Wednesday night, Rhode Island’s budget crisis came to Brown — for a couple of hours, at least. The Taubman Center for Public Policy held a panel discussion in front of about 50 people in MacMillan 117 that examined strategy for reducing the Ocean State’s deficit, which is projected to be nearly $400 million by the end of the 2009 fiscal year. The panel was divided about how the state government should lower this amount, with speakers issuing strong arguments about the merits of Gov. Donald Carcieri’s ’65 proposal to balance the state budget. Political Science Professor Darrell West moderated the panel, which consisted of Gary Sasse, the director of the state’s Department of Revenue, Linda Katz, the policy director of Rhode Island College’s Poverty Institute, Paul Choquette Jr., the chairman of Gilbane Inc. and Bob Walsh, the executive director of the National Education Association. Panel members each made remarks before opening up the floor for questions. West introduced the topic by saying that “three-quarters of the people in the state believe Rhode Island is headed in the wrong direction.” Panel members agreed that Rhode Island’s current budget was on the wrong route, but differed on finding a plan that reduced the deficit and also promoted social programs and a healthy business atmosphere. Sasse argued that Carcieri’s plan would be effective in balancing the budget, even if its implementation would mean less funding for social programs like Medicaid. Katz advocated for higher taxes in some areas and for the state government and local communities to work together to address social needs. Chouquette proposed that the state’s economy would be best served by promoting in-state commerce and cutting taxes. Walsh spoke out against cutting taxes and certain social programs, including health care for children. Sasse, whose exper tise was
praised by panel members throughout the night, said that Carcieri’s plan was fiscally sound in general for the long term, arguing, “I think the direction is right. I think as the legislature debates the governor’s proposals, the devil will be in the details.” Though he said he was in favor of promoting social programs and business opportunities, Sasse argued that neither of these would be possible before balancing the budget. “Until we solve this structural problem, we will not have the resources to make these investments,” he said. Katz argued for tax raises despite Rhode Island having income tax rates that are already among the highest in the country. She said that under Carcieri’s plan, 7,400 people would lose health care and up to 10,000 could lose health insurance. Katz said she welcomed a “balanced approach to solving the deficit,” but didn’t give a detailed plan besides her advocacy for increased communication between government and local community. In the question-and-answer portion of the discussion, several members of the audience scoffed aloud when Katz said, “You can’t tax your way out of this problem, and you can’t cut your way out of this problem.” Chouquette argued for new business opportunities in Rhode Island, a state that young citizens no longer wished to live in, he said. “We are now faced with an economy that is flat and declining,” Chouquette said. “This puts us in a precarious position not just for now but for our future and children. I only have one child out of all five living in Rhode Island.” Specifically, Chouquette promoted tax cuts for the wealthy, and said their presence in the state contributes to strong business and philanthropy. “Philanthropy could be a real loser if we see some of these high-income taxpayers move out of state,” he said. continued on page 7
By Rachel Arndt Metro Editor
tools to ask questions and satisfy their own curiosity.” Similar programs in Ohio and Texas have been successful, according to the press release. There are over 12 undergraduate students helping with Algebra in Motion through work with the Swearer Center, according to Collazo. Watson said the “idea is that Brown students have had more experience with graphing instruments than teachers,” so they can bring their experience to the students at Hope. Before the program began, the teachers at Hope “weren’t ver y versed with the calculator,” Watson said. Last year, graduate students from Brown conducted a preliminary evaluation of the program, which included inter viewing teachers. This year the evaluation process will include student focus groups, Collazo said. The evaluation is important “so we can assess what’s actually working,” Collazo said. The University will use the results of the evaluation to help decide the next steps for the program. Still, the underlying goal — “to bridge basic skill development with ... conceptual understanding” — re-
Meara Sharma / Herald
Calculators like the versatile TI-83 have been donated to Hope High School.
mains in place, Collazo said. For the next part of Algebra in Motion, the University is trying to find an outside math teacher to work with Hope on the calculators. This, combined with last year’s donation, would “enhance what teachers are already doing” at the school, Collazo said. The program helps about 500 students, Collazo said. “Hope High is really struggling and made a lot of gains,” Watson said. The “idea is that Brown students can be part of the solution.” Algebra in Motion is part of a broader effort to “leverage Brown’s resources effectively,” Collazo said. “This program provides an ideal opportunity to do that.” — With additional reporting by Joy Chua
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Poorer U.’s face aid competition continued from page 4 initiatives that make higher education less expensive for students from low- and middle-income families and reduce student debt. Most schools eliminated or reduced loans and did away with parental contribution if a family’s income falls below a certain level — usually $60,000. Some of the wealthiest schools, such as Harvard and Yale, went a step further by offering additional tuition breaks to students of families making as much as $200,000. Trying to compare the details of each program “can be like comparing apples to Volkswagens,” Miller said. “Each institution has put together a financial aid initiative that is appropriate for it. ... Harvard, Yale and Princeton’s initiatives are a function of their resources.” Miller said though other schools’ initiatives were an “accelerant,” Brown has made a series of financial aid policy changes over the last six or seven years that led to the most recent initiatives. The new program is “bigger than a lot but smaller than some,” he added. Since the initiatives were announced after applications for the class of 2012 were submitted, it is impossible to predict how admissions and enrollment will be affected, Miller said. Hopefully, more talented students from middle- and low-income families will enter the applicant pool, he said. Brown’s new policy “seems in line with what other institutions are doing,” Chitty said.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
A quarter of med students report mistreatment, poll finds continued from page 1 residency, I was hit by a surgeon and didn’t tell anyone. None of us can really put ourselves in the students’ shoes under these circumstances.” In order to address these concerns, fourth-year medical students were invited to a focus group meeting at Butler Hospital on Feb. 28. Led by Laura Levine and Gerard Gagne, clinical assistant professors of psychiatry, the meeting was designed so that students could “participate in a discussion about student mistreatment and harassment during their four years at the Medical School,” according to an e-mail sent by the professors to fourth-year medical students. Only four medical students attended the meeting, along with Gagne and Levine, said Anita Chu MD’08, one of the attendees. Though what was specifically discussed during the meeting is confidential, Chu said she feels there are still many unanswered questions. “No one really knows what this mistreatment is — med students are
always at the bottom of the hierarchy, and sometimes have to perform ‘scut work,’ and sometimes will get good teaching for their residencies. I guess the main question is whether or not Brown students are too sensitized and politically correct,” Chu said. Because of privacy concerns, The Herald was not allowed to attend the focus group. Chu said the meeting may have been difficult for students to attend because she and her classmates also had a department dinner the same night. “It has been a real challenge to have a single, comprehensive calendar with all the Med School events listed,” Gruppuso said. “I can guarantee you that this scheduling issue was not the intent of the Med School, or Drs. Levine and Gagne.” Though few attended the meeting, Chu said it was helpful to discuss issues facing Brown students. “There was definitely some disagreement at the meeting, but that is always a good sign, showing that people are allowed to show differing opinions. Those who attended were open and
trusting, and Drs. Levine and Gagne made sure to tell students that they did not have to worry about any form of retribution,” she said. The focus group meeting was not new for Brown medical students. “It was part of a regular lecture series about professionalism dilemmas that occurs every six weeks,” Gagne told The Herald before the meeting. “It will give students a chance to raise concerns about their experiences during these past four years.” Worries about medical students’ mistreatment have surfaced nationally in the past. According to a Jan. 26, 1990, New York Times article, “Abuse and mistreatment of medical students are widespread and often leave long-lasting emotional scars that may affect their care of patients as physicians.” Citing surveys conducted on a dozen medical schools comprising 10 percent of American medical schools, the Times reported that 80 percent of fourth-year students claimed some sort of abuse. Though evidence of abuse may
be shown in broad, national statistics, University Chaplain Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson said she finds it surprising that Brown had nearly twice the national average in terms of signs of mistreatment. As a teacher in a doctoring requirement course at the Med School, Cooper Nelson said she gets to know Brown medical students on a different level. “I have been here since 1990, and I have gotten to know a large number of Brown’s population,” Cooper Nelson said. “We don’t hear of many cases of mistreatment at all. The care and nurture and support of people here is at a very high level — we are unusually attentive to students’ needs at Brown,” Cooper Nelson said. “This matter deserves the proper amount of attention and follow-up,” she said. “We would be better off listening to students to find out what is not working; I’m very confident that the medical deans will do this. However, this is not something we can back away from. It has to be done.”
Disability rights activist speaks on ‘myth of the normal’ continued from page 1 those kids” who hung out with the janitors and hid in the bathroom to avoid having to read aloud in class. Finding no respite at home, where his father called him a “retard” on a nightly basis, Mooney dropped out of school by the sixth grade and was contemplating suicide. In high school, Mooney recalled, he was told he’d end up flipping burgers at best, but more likely find himself in jail. The common message of all this criticism was that Mooney was “de-
fective” and had to “fix himself” to get back on track, he said. It was only when he recognized and rejected the “tyranny of normalcy” that he appreciated his situation as amanifestation of cognitive diversity. “Dyslexia was not my problem,” Mooney said. “My problem was ‘disteachia.’ ” Mooney emphasized that the persecution of those who think differently extends beyond the classroom. He noted that the first state-sanctioned Nazi extermination efforts targeted mental “defectives.”
The American eugenics movement in the early 20th century forcibly sterilized 40,000 citizens deemed unfit for procreation on account of their cognitive differences, Mooney said. Brown had a eugenics department at one point, he noted. Such a deplorable past should not belittle the dangerous present state of disability rights in American society, Mooney said. “We have a system that is constantly trying to identify who is normal and who is not,” Mooney said. He went on to describe what he regards to be a warped social concept of “good kids” and “bad kids.” “In our culture, the myth of the normal is that good kids sit still,” Mooney said. “If you open your eyes, do you realize how sick that is?” Mooney recalled the virtual impossibility of staying still in class. This inability is frequently attributed to a deficit of attention when it should really be understood as a surplus of interest, he said. Mooney cited recent research that suggests physical movement activates cognition and argued that when kids are told to turn their bodies off, their minds shut down, too. “I spent most of third grade watching squirrels build a nest,” he said. Mooney also talked about the ways that labels of cognitive difference don’t accommodate a broader
concept of intelligence. He recalled a “mentally retarded” Fox Point High School student he worked with while at Brown, who would hug each of his classmates on a daily basis. “Robert had the emotional intelligence of Jesus ... the spiritual I.Q. of Ghandi,” Mooney said. Mooney’s work with Fox Point High School students spawned Eye to Eye, now a nationwide grassroots organization that partners students who share different learning styles. Mooney noted that popular measures of intelligence seem to have no bearing on whether people can succeed, citing himself as a prime example. Though he was a Rhodes scholar finalist and is the author of two books, Mooney proudly admitted he still reads in the 12th percentile and spells like a third grader. Rebecca More, director of the Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, which hosted the event, said Mooney’s message fits perfectly with the center’s mission to “provide stories that help us understand better the richness of people’s experience.” In introducing Mooney, she evoked the famous behavioral neurologist Norman Geschwind, who argued that disabilities “are merely an anomaly.” “Across the spectrum of learning, we all are disabled, if that’s the word you want to use,” she said. “We all learn differently.”
C ampus n ews Thursday, March 6, 2008
Jo’s goes green, debuts premium salad bar By Max Mankin Senior Staf f Writer
Leaving the grill and soup stations looking lonely, students eagerly lined up last night at Josiah’s to order salads from the long-awaited Cutting Board. The Cutting Board, which took the place of the deli, is a salad bar that has been in the works for several months, Josiah’s Manager and Director of Retail Dining Operations Jacques LaRue told The Herald. Prior to the Cutting Board’s debut, Jo’s menu lacked healthy options, LaRue said. “The food was good but not necessarily healthy,” LaRue said. “We needed healthy options.” Creating a salad station was not just for health reasons, he added. “It was also to do something new.” With three types of greens — baby spinach, mesclun mix and romaine — 26 toppings, ten premium toppings, 11 dressings, the option of chopped or tossed and the option of a bowl or a wrap, the station’s create-your-own salad feature provides plenty of variety, said LaRue. The menu boasts 965,250 combinations. Most diners chose to have the salad bowl instead of the wrap. On top of the $5.75 base charge,
Student dressed as commando enters CIT Samurai swords confiscated, cash box stolen from P.O. By Max Mankin Senior Staf f Writer
Meara Sharma / Herald
Josiah’s Cutting Board salad station has 36 toppings, 11 dressings, wraps and three types of lettuce. The menu boats nearly 1 million combinations. at $.75 for each topping and $1.25 for each premium topping, students’ salads can get pricy quickly. Toppings include bacon bits, black bean salsa, feta, cheddar and parmesan cheeses and lo mein noodles and, for diners willing to shell out more, premium toppings include sundried tomatoes, snow peas, smoked turkey and grilled chicken. “It’s upsetting that it’s not less than a meal credit but I like that there’s a lot of choice,” said Mike Johnson ’11, while waiting for his salad. Six “featured” salads — Caesar, Greek, Cobb, Chef, Santa Fe and Asian — range from $6.25 to
$6.75. Student reviews of the salads were mostly positive. “It’s pretty good,” Ambika Roos ’11 said. “I appreciate the fact that they’re trying something new.” Those who chose to try something new last night usually got their salads four to five minutes after ordering them. The Cutting Board was a “joint venture between (the Undergraduate Council of Students) and Dining Ser vices,” said Brian Becker ’09, who worked on the project when he was UCS’s campus life chair last year. “Who doesn’t want to create their own salads?” he asked.
Mock trial headed to nationals By Susan Kovar Contributing Writer
This year, the Mock Trial team has reached greater heights than ever before, as two of three teams qualified for Silver Nationals from recent regional tournaments, which will be held March 15 to 16 in Tucson, Ariz. “This year has been a spectacular one for Brown Mock Trial,” said senior captain Nathaniel Miller ’08. “Much of the team is composed of novices and first-years, so to qualify two teams was a significant win.” Both of the teams qualified for one of five national tournaments, called Silver Nationals. From there, 60 teams will qualify for Gold Nationals, which will be held in Minneapolis, Minn., April 4 to 6. Mock Trial is an intercollegiate competition run by the American Mock Trial Association, which chooses a case for all teams to argue, Miller said. This year the case was a criminal case in the sentencing phase. In the case, a known drug user suspected of child abuse, pled guilty to assaulting a children’s advocate who poorly announced his or her entrance into the defendant’s house. Teams argue for varying sentencing arrangements, alternating between defense and prosecution in each round. Some members of the team act as lawyers — interrogating witnesses and giving opening and closing statements — while others portray those witnesses being questioned. The tournaments are commonly judged by law students, attorneys and professional judges, Miller said. Miller’s team earned its spot by placing fifth at the Boston University
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Courtesy of Hiro Tanaka
Two of Brown Mock Trial’s teams are headed to Silver Nationals. Regional Tournament which was held Feb. 8 to 10. The other team, led by senior captain Hiro Tanaka ’08, qualified by ranking third at the Greater New England Regional Tournament at Roger Williams University later in February. Brown’s third team, led by senior captain Tor Tarantola ’08 placed tenth at RWU but did not qualify for nationals. Many team members earned individual honors at these tournaments. At the Boston Tournament, Daniel Sprecher ’09 won recognition as an All-Region attorney. Tor Tarantola won the same award at the Greater New England Tournament. Additionally, at RWU, Mollie Javerbaum ’11, Matt Corritore ’09 and Tarantola won honors as All-Region witnesses. Tanaka said he hopes the teams get to Gold Nationals — to do so they need to place in the top three at Silver Nationals in Arizona. In past years, only one team has qualified for nationals, but Tanaka said he hopes the team does better this year. The team is coming off a strong season, routinely placing in the top ten at competitions held at Harvard, Yale, Brandeis and Wake Forest universities. Tanaka said they were hoping to score even higher at the regional tournaments to earn a first round bye at Silver Nationals. “It was
tough — if we had won our last trial we would have got it,” he said. But he added he believes the teams are competitive for Gold Nationals. There are 22 students on the team, including 11 freshmen who joined after a competitive tryout process. They form three teams for competitions, each headed by a senior captain. Miller said he is proud that the teams are of about the same skill level. Of the teams that qualified, “both placed higher than Harvard’s,” he said, adding that he was fairly sure no other Ivy League team yielded three even teams. The team is self-coached and largely self-funded, though Miller said it is seeking additional funding from the Undergraduate Finance Board as well as various departments and organizations. Traveling to and competing at Silver Nationals will cost about $17,000, he said. Though expensive, Miller says he hopes everyone will be able to travel to Arizona. “It would be nice — we’ve all worked hard,” he said. There are three senior captains: Miller, Tanaka and Tarantola. They, along with an executive board run the team. The executive board is comprised of Tanaka, Tarantola, Sprecher, Herald Opinions Columnist Michael Ramos-Lynch ’09 and Herald Sales Manager Lily Tran ’10.
The following summary includes all major incidents reported to the Department of Public Safety between Feb. 21 and Feb. 27. It does not include general service and alarm calls. The Providence
CRIME LOG Police Department also responds to incidents that occur off campus. DPS does not divulge information on open cases that are currently under investigation by the department, PPD or the Office of Student Life. DPS maintains a daily log of all shift activity and general service
calls which can be viewed during business hours at its headquarters, located at 75 Charlesfield St. Thursday, Feb. 21: 11:19 a.m. An officer was dispatched to speak with a student about two incidents in Andrews Hall. The student stated that on Sunday Feb. 17, she and a friend were in her room talking and the door to the room was ajar. At about midnight, the door was pushed open and a tall male with an athletic build who appeared to be about 20 years old entered her room. When he saw that the room was occupied he stated, “Oh, wrong room,” and left. At around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 20, the student was again in her room. The door was closed but unlocked. There was a knock on the door and she said, “Come in.” A male of continued on page 7
January@Brown will bear half-credit in ’09 By Chaz Kelsh Senior Staff Writer
January@Brown courses will be available for half-credit next year, Rakim Brooks ’09, academic and administrative affairs chair of the Undergraduate Council of Students, announced at the council’s general body meeting Wednesday evening. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron supported the change to the Corporation and the Academic Priorities Committee after this year’s program went well, proving that the program was “sustainable,” Brooks said. “All accounts are that (this year’s program) was an enjoyable experience,” he said. “If the program had failed, then it wouldn’t have been offered for credit.” Brooks added that Bergeron “was very enthusiastic about” offering January@Brown for credit. But not all courses will be offered for credit, Brooks said. The new credit program will be administered by the Office of Summer and Continuing Studies. In other break-related news, this year’s program increased stu-
dent interest by adding courses that were more “practical” than in previous years, Brooks said, such as a course that allowed students to make up work for CHEM 0330: “Equilibrium, Rate, and Structure.” At the meeting, Admissions and Student Services Chair Jane Zhang ’10 announced that her committee has again selected Space Station for summer storage of students’ belongings. The company is offering lower rates, which will vary based on the amount stored, Zhang said. “They did a pretty good job last year,” Zhang told The Herald. “I don’t think there were many complaints from students.” After the Corporation approved a $18-increase in the stuent activities fee, UCS also debated and passed a motion to increase the per-semester stipend for Category II groups from $90 to $200. Some members felt that UCS should wait to change the fee until the UCS and Undergraduate Finance Board task forces give their respective recommendations. “We continued on page 7
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Davis ’10: Kobe Bryant may very well be the new MJ continued from page 12 his competition. After the Heat won in 2006, many basketball fans pinpointed Heat guard Dwyane Wade as the league’s best player. Where has D. Wade gone since then though? Kobe has been the model of consistency since he entered the league. He has been on every AllNBA team since 1999. True, he has never won a Most Valuable Player award, but then again, Dirk Nowitzki won it last year, and how far did he take his team in the playoffs? Oh, right, a first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors. Impressive. So, as anyone who knows anything about NBA basketball already knows, that leaves us with only two other options: Tim Duncan and LeBron James. The former is difficult to compare to Bryant because he plays a different position, but we shall see when the Spurs and Lakers meet this year in the Western Conference Finals. As for the latter ... Comparable in playing styles, athletic ability and drive to be the best in the game, Kobe and LeBron make for an interesting and everchanging discussion. Right now, and for at least the next few years, Kobe clearly has the edge.
One very important and often overlooked advantage Kobe has is his defense. Kobe has seven AllDefensive selections, all but two of them on the first team. LeBron has never been selected to the All-Defensive team. “When Kobe focuses in, he’s a good defensive player. When he decides he’s not going to give any player anything, he will be the best,” said NBA coach Jim Cleamons, who played on the 1971-1972 Lakers championship squad. Kobe’s intangibles are the best in the league. He’s extremely clutch. Ask anyone in the league in whose hands they would want the ball at the end of a game, and the answer is unanimously Kobe. He has the ability to take the game over completely within any phase of his game. We know he can score. Just ask any fan of the Mavericks, the team he continually embarrasses (although admittedly, that’s not that hard to do). Just last Sunday, Kobe burned the Mavs for 52 points, along with his 11 rebounds, four assists and most importantly, one victory. (How’s J. Kidd working out for you guys, by the way?) I mean, for God’s sake, he put up 81 points against the Raptors in January of 2006 in one of the greatest scoring performances in NBA history. In
2007, he became only the second player in league history to score 50 points in four straight games. In January of 2005, he averaged 43.4 points, the highest average over a month’s span by anyone other than Wilt Chamberlain. But what makes Kobe the best player alive is that he has discovered he doesn’t need to score like that every night. As former teammates Derek Fisher and Rick Fox, respectively, wrote on JockBio. com, “He has the ability to take the game over,” but “he doesn’t make his game a personal game anymore.” This maturation has been the key to the Laker’s recent success. All Kobe wants is to win, and that’s what he does. Kobe has three championships to LeBron’s zero. Yes, I know, those wins were with Shaq, and LeBron is younger, but the only reason the Cavs can compete at all is because they play in the embarrassingly weak Eastern Conference. Just look at Jeff Boyd’s ’10 column (“The NBA’s East has the NBA’s Least,” Feb. 29). Kobe has been able to take his team to the playoffs single-handedly for the past two years in the West. And now that he has some help, Kobe is poised to capture his fourth ring. The Lakers are tied for the best record in the West, and are only gain-
ing momentum with the addition of All-Star forward Pau Gasol, who has helped them to a 15-2 record since the beginning of February. The bottom line is, beyond all of the stats and records, Kobe is the best player in the league because he can will his team to win. His competitive drive is unmatched. He has learned to make everyone on his team better. Phil Jackson, who has coached both Kobe and Jordan, recently compared the two in their abilities to make those around them better. While studs like LeBron can compete with Kobe on a purely athletic level, when it comes to defense, will to win, knowledge of the game and ability to simply dominate every part of the game, they are no match for Mr. Bryant. NBA agent Am Tellem once said of Kobe, “If there’s a player in the NBA who has a chance to be Michael Jordan, I believe this is the one player. He combines the talent with the same incredible work ethic.” Well, I guess he turned out to be right. It may not be long now before we’re all wondering who the next Kobe Bryant will be.
Patrick Davis ’10 is not the next Kobe Bryant
RISD students help bring tattoos to life for film continued from page 1 currently enrolled in a “sponsored class,” a studio course designed to generate material for “Bloodline.” Until the movie is released, the students are not allowed to discuss any aspects of the film other than what Stor y Hat has already released publicly, RISD Illustration Department Head Nicholas Jainschigg wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. All the students will appear in the film’s credits, Corrente said. With his two par tners, Rob Travalino and Anthony Lucci, Mowrer founded Story Hat in 2000. The three are former Hasbro employees, and their past projects include work on the G.I. Joe cartoon and re-launching the Transformers line. Story Hat’s collaboration with RISD students and professors is the result of Mowrer’s vision of what he calls an “open-source” project, which allows potential audience members to involve themselves directly in its development. “The students who are working on (the movie) are actually the audience,” Mowrer said. “That’s who the movie is targeted at — the 17- to 35-year-old. The core is a college-aged student.” The RISD-Story Hat partnership came about naturally, Foulkes said. “It was really a no-brainer,” he said. “What he’s doing, and the network he’s creating and the partnerships that he has fit so well with what we’re trying to do with the Center, with RISD.” The students also provide input on the script, which was written by Travalino. The music of “Bloodline” will be partially “open-source” as well, Corrente said. He added that he and the other members of the movie’s production team will likely open five or six major scenes for a local band to write scores for. While Corrente and Mowrer declined to reveal a precise budget for the film, calling it their “secret weapon,” Mowrer did say they plan to bring a “very well-known” street artist onto the project. Mowrer also said he would also like to open up spaces to Brown computer science students to work on the project. Corrente and Mowrer joined forces last summer when Mowrer suggested that they create a computer-animated horror movie together. Then, Mowrer said, the idea of a tattoo artist whose tattoos come to life began to pick up momentum. “We were sitting over at the restaurant down the street from here,” Mowrer said. “He overheard me telling someone about an idea that we had ... of this tattoo artist who has extraordinarily abilities. And he just leapt up and said, ‘That’s it, that’s it!’ ”
Thanks for reading.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
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Haunted House-promoter Some groups enters CIT dressed for war to get more
West leads open forum on Rhode Island’s budget crisis
Thursday, March 6, 2008
continued from page 5 average build around 20 years old entered. He seemed to be nervous and said he was looking for the Residential Counselor’s room. The officer informed the student that she should always keep her room door locked and that she should move the mirror that was blocking the peep hole in the door. 1:04 p.m. An employee reported that her laptop was taken from her office at 70 Ship St. sometime between 11:55 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. She reported that an unknown male was seen leaving the third floor just prior to the time at which she realized that her laptop was gone. The male exited a room connected to the hallway where her office is located. The employee reported that she left her office to speak with the secretary in the hall, near the elevator. She also spoke with another person near the elevator when the unknown male walked by. The male stopped to speak with a student before he left the area. When she went back to her office, she found that her laptop was gone. She had left her office door ajar. Officers checked the building and the surrounding area but the suspect was not located. Friday, Feb. 22: 11:02 a.m. Police units were dispatched to respond to reports that someone in army fatigues wearing a gas mask and carrying a satchel entered the Center for Information Technology. Upon arrival, witnesses stated that the individual went onto the elevator but were unsure where the individual exited. Officers searched all floors of the building and the person was located in a classroom and was found to be a student. The student stated that there was a group getting together at the Sharpe Refector y after class in costume to advertise a haunted house. The dean on call that day was contacted, and the student was told by DPS that the group could not advertise at the Refectory. The matter has been turned over to the Office of Student Life. Saturday, Feb. 23: 11:49 p.m. Officers were dispatched for a report that people were breaking exit signs in Emery Hall. Upon arrival, they noticed a large party on the second floor. Many room doors were propped open and there was a crowd of about 40 people, which the officers began to disperse. One room contained a large amount of alcohol and was occupied by minors. There were signs and boxes set up for collecting money for the alcohol. When questioned about the contents of his room, the room’s resident became evasive and would not identify himself. Officers also found a beer pong table and a bong that had a fresh scent of marijuana in plain view on a table. The case has been turned over to Student Life. Tuesday, Feb. 26 11:16 a.m. Students were working at a table in the Post Office selling tickets for an event. The students reported that there was a group of four males sitting outside on the stairs on the south side of the Post Office. Several of the stu-
dents came into the building a few times, but then went back outside. A short time later, one male held the door open while a second male came in and took a cash box from the ticket table. The males then fled the scene. DPS apprehended two of the suspects. The suspects were positively identified by witnesses and were turned over to PPD for charging. 12:25 p.m. While conducting health and safety inspections, University employees noticed a set of three samurai swords on a desk in an Emery Hall room. The swords were confiscated and transported to DPS for safekeeping. Wednesday, Feb. 27: 3:08 p.m. Officers were dispatched in response to a report by Dining Services employees that they were following an individual they had witnessed shoplift from Josiah’s. The suspect was taken into custody by DPS and taken to 75 Charlesfield St. for processing. He was found to be in possession of narcotics and other drug paraphernalia. He was turned over to the PPD for charging. 4:22 p.m. A student stated that while in the lavator y around 1 p.m. in the Sharpe Refectory, he took off his class ring and placed it on the counter while washing his hands. He left without his ring. He returned approximately 10 minutes later to discover that his ring had been taken from the counter. 11:49 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Perkins Hall in response to reports of a suspicious male. The reporting student stated that she noticed a suspicious male walking down the hall on the third floor. She observed the male exit via the south staircase. Officers searched the interior and exterior of the building but the suspect was not located.
U. funding
continued from page 5 are in the midst of reform, and this is a transitional year,” said Stefan Smith ’09, the UCS representative on UFB and chair of the UFB task force. “I don’t think we can live in a dormant state, just waiting for stuff that may or may not come,” said Student Activities Chair Drew Madden ’10, speaking in support of the increase. At-Large Representative Clay Wertheimer ’10 said UCS should increase the stipend to carry through on its promise to the Corporation, when it said that it would use an increase in the student activities fee to increase support for student groups. In the end, the motion passed without objection. The council also considered a motion to provide Category I groups, which receive no funding, with a one-time $100 stipend but tabled the proposal without voting. Brooks also said that he will chair the elections board for the upcoming UCS elections, which will take place from April 15 to 17. Informational sessions for potential candidates will be held from March 17 to 19 and after spring break. Candidates must present petitions with the required number of signatures, 400 for UCS officers and 100 for representatives, on April 4, and a debate will be held on April 8. Brooks also proposed petitioning the University to include a student representative on the Academic Priorities Committee, which makes recommendations about academic programs at Brown to President Ruth Simmons. “Students are represented on every committee that reports to the APC, but not on the APC itself,” Brooks said, a claim that was disputed by other UCS members.
continued from page 3 Walsh countered Chouquette’s position, saying, “I don’t see how giving a tax break to people who are already here makes incentives for new jobs.” He argued against tax cuts and for increased education funding, but agreed with Chouquette that “spending has exceeded revenues.” While he did not explicitly promote raising taxes to the extent that Katz did, Walsh told the audience half-jokingly, “We’ve become very funny as Americans. ... Paying taxes to me is a patriotic thing.” Few Brown students attended the event. Jonathan Bogard ’09 was
in favor of raising taxes to balance the budget, saying Rhode Island’s “marginal tax rate is not outlandish.” Libby Kimzey ’09.5 said she “didn’t really expect quick answers” from the panel. There weren’t many quick answers Wednesday night, and as the discussion came to a close, Sasse reminded the crowd that the process of balancing the budget would be arduous. “We’ll know who’s right in six or eight months,” he said. “There’s no reason to be optimistic that we’re going to find more resources for some of the programs and some of the cuts.”
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Softball loses M. tennis will face No. 19 Michigan at Pitz on Saturday close games at tourney continued from page 12
continued from page 12 Bears fell short again. Strong hitting efforts from Asay, (3-for-4 and one run) and Wilson (1-for-2 and two runs) did not seal the win for the team. The Bears evened out a 4-2 score in the top of the seventh with doubles from Anderson and Wilson and an RBI single to left from Chin going into the final at-bats for Oakland. But the Grizzles prevailed, scoring one run to finish the game on top, 5-4. Chaddock started off the game for the Bears on the mound pitching 3 1-3 innings, and allowing four runs, only one of them earned. Moses turned in another solid relief effort, allowing only one run while striking out seven in 2 2-3 innings. Designated hitter Anderson received all-tournament accolades for her 8-for-10 performance over the weekend, including two RBIs. She hit especially well against the Oakland pitchers, going 4-for-5 with one RBI. “We’re young and we know we’re going have some bumps along the way,” Maguire said. “We hope to improve on this weekend — that’s our focus.” The Bears travel to Baltimore this weekend for the Dawg Pound Tournament at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where they will compete in four games over three days.
Gardner ’09 grabbing the victory against the No. 53 nationally ranked team of Sebastian Serrano and Enrique Olivares, 8-6. The duo, which trailed throughout the match, had a turning point when, tied at 5-5, the long-time friends stepped up their net-play and displayed a sixth sense type of communication. The intensity continued to build as the Bears headed into their team huddle to prepare for singles play. Knowing the Buccaneers liked to stay at the baseline, Kohli said Bruno wanted to play to their strengths and attack the net in order to set the pace of play in their favor. “We knew we had to continue to play aggressive,” Kohli said. “ET State liked playing from way behind the baseline and getting into long points, we wanted to attack them and not let them settle into any rhythm.” And so the baseline battles began, as the singles matches became a power struggle of who could hit the hardest and maintain their patience and composure on the court. And once again, victories came to the freshmen, with Jon Pearlman ’11 winning 6-3, 6-1, followed by Kendrick Au ’11 in a three-set victory, 7-6, 3-6, (1-0) at Nos. 3 and 5 singles, respectively. “I think it says a lot about the growth of this freshman class since the fall semester for both of us to grab the only singles victories,” Au said. “We’ve come a long way with these wins, but we still have a long way to go in harvesting all our po-
tential.” While the freshmen were victorious, the upperclassmen were put to work during a dramatic performance of their own. With close line-calls, overrulings by judges, coach interferences and frustrated players on both sides, it was easy to lose focus on the match. “It’s unfortunate when things like that occur because it challenges the integrity of the game,” Lee said of the upperclassmen’s matches. “We can learn from all the things that happened in the matches yesterday, but there is no way we can blame losing on stuff like that.” And while shenanigans cannot be blamed entirely for the losses, they still affected the outcome of the match. Lee played a hard match at No. 1 singles that was closer than the final score indicated, dropping 6-4, 6-4 to the No. 69-ranked Olivares. Meanwhile, hysterics abounded. At No. 4 singles, Ratnam dropped his match, 6-4, 6-3, followed by Garland narrowly losing his first set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-2) and then falling 6-1 in the second set. The longest match of the day came at No. 2 singles, where Kohli played over three extreme hours that included five player arguments, four line-judge challenges, three sets, two medical time-outs to treat cramps and one regurgitation on the court. In his third set, tied at 4-4, the cramps became so intense, Kohli doubled over in the middle of the point. After losing the game, you could see the pain in his body as he hobbled from side to side of the baseline, ultimately losing the match
5-7, 6-4, 6-4. “It was a tough match between the bad calls, and the opposing coach,” Kohli said. “But after four years of college, you get used to it. The cramping didn’t help, and if it hadn’t been for that, I would have won, but being fit is part of the game. I thought I played well, but sometimes playing good just isn’t enough.” Gresh wants the team to refocus with another important opponent coming up. “I feel that we needed to keep our composure through the match better,” Gresh said. “It is something
that we’ve discussed with the guys. We want our rackets to do the talking and let us stay focused on the task at hand.” The Bears will next take on No. 19 Michigan this Saturday at 2 p.m. With another ranked team scheduled around the corner, the Bears have the opportunity to beat a top-20 ranked team on their own courts. “Overall, we are improving as a team,” Lee said. “We are playing very tight with ranked teams, we are just about to turn that corner and start coming out on top of these matches.”
E ditorial & L etters Page 10
Thursday, March 6, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Staf f Editorial
Anomaly@Brown Last semester, 25 students decided they hadn’t had enough of school. Before leaving campus in mid-December, they decided to come back to campus for classes in January. They chose from five classes, ranging from “Persuasive Communication” to “Chemistry 33T,” and looked forward to participating in scheduled activities and making new friends. It sounds a little like summer camp, but who says that’s a bad thing? Since its inception, January@Brown has seemed like an anomaly@ Brown. The idea of paying a fee to hang out on campus during break and to learn simply for the sake of it — and not for credit or a grade — hasn’t really caught on. Students would rather spend their breaks traveling, volunteering or simply lounging at home. But Brown also prides itself on giving students choice, and January@ Brown, in its current form, gives the small minority of students who want to come back to campus to learn during their breaks the chance to do so. Last night, a UCS chair announced that Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron supports making January@Brown courses worth half a credit. “All accounts are that (this year’s program) was an enjoyable experience,” the chair said. “If the program had failed, then it wouldn’t have been offered for credit.” The students who have participated in January@Brown for the past two years certainly seemed to enjoy it. Those who haven’t participated have criticized the program for not offering credit, as other universities do. We’re glad members of UCS and Bergeron are thinking about what Brown students want. But they should think a little more about what Brown students need. Credit-bearing courses offered during break should be as rigorous as classes offered during the semester, and it’s hard to see how a course that takes 10 days to complete, no matter how rigorous, could be as educational as a half-credit class that spans three-and-a-half months. One-credit summer classes at Brown usually meet two or three times a week — and last seven weeks. Perhaps January@Brown will last more than 10 days next year, in order for students to cover an entire course’s material? But the longer the course gets, the less it will appeal students. Some of us may complain that a month is too long for break, but we’re not complaining that much. Students do need some easy classes to even out their course loads during the semester. But any class that ends up on a student’s transcript should be taken seriously. Easy classes shouldn’t be offered simply to lure students to a winter program that hasn’t succeeded. Instead, more types of classes might attract more students. With the S/NC option, Brown already gives students the chance to take a challenging course without the pressure of grades, and January@Brown, in its current form, also gives students the opportunity to educate themselves simply for that purpose.
T he B rown D aily H erald Editors-in-Chief Simmi Aujla Ross Frazier editorial Arts & Culture Editor Robin Steele Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Andrea Savdie Higher Ed Editor Debbie Lehmann Features Editor Chaz Firestone Asst. Features Editor Olivia Hoffman Metro Editor Rachel Arndt Metro Editor Scott Lowenstein News Editor Mike Bechek News Editor Isabel Gottlieb News Editor Franklin Kanin News Editor Michael Skocpol Opinions Editor Karla Bertrand Opinions Editor James Shapiro Sports Editor Whitney Clark Sports Editor Amy Ehrhart Sports Editor Jason Harris Asst. Sports Editor Benjy Asher Asst. Sports Editor Andrew Braca Asst. Sports Editor Megan McCahill
Senior Editors Taylor Barnes Chris Gang Stu Woo Business Darren Ball General Manager General Manager Mandeep Gill Susan Dansereau Office Manager Alex Hughes Sales Manager Lily Tran Sales Manager Public Relations Director Emilie Aries Jon Spector Accounting Director Claire Kiely National Account Manager University Account Manager Ellen DaSilva Darren Kong Recruiter Account Manager Credit Manager Katelyn Koh Ingrid Pangandoyon Technology Director
A L exander sayer gard - murray
Letters The virtues of the primary system To the Editor: Tyler Rosenbaum’s ’11 column (“Five problems with primaries,” March 5) tries to evaluate primaries as if they were the general presidential election and, in doing so, labels many advantages of the primary system as defects. Chief among these “problems,” according to Rosenbaum, is that the delegate selection process is so lengthy, and he suggests instead that voting should take place on just one day. General elections take place after months of campaigning when the entire nation is bombarded with news, debates and advertisements from both major candidates. The candidates have the massive funds needed to travel the country and hire hundreds of
staff. If primaries were to take place on one day, they would be a blatant popularity contest. Only candidates with significant name recognition or personal wealth would prevail. Under the primary system, which starts with two small states, candidates need little money to connect with the voters and influence their votes. By winning or just doing well in a small state a candidate can build up the name recognition and funds necessary to compete through the rest of the states. With a national primary Bill Clinton would not have won in 1992, and John McCain would not have had a chance this year.
Joshua Kaplan ’11 March 5
photo Rahul Keerthi Meara Sharma Min Wu Ashley Hess
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post- magazine production Steve DeLucia Production & Design Editor Chaz Kelsh Asst. Design Editor Copy Desk Chief Catherine Cullen Adam Robbins Graphics Editor
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Steve DeLucia, Designer Ria Ali, Anne Fuller, Tarah Knaresboro, Ted Lamm, Copy Editors Sophia Li, Alex Roehrkasse, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Sam Byker, Nandini Jayakrishna, Chaz Kelsh, Sophia Li, Emmy Liss, Max Mankin, Brian Mastroianni, George Miller, Alex Roehrkasse, Caroline Sedano, Jenna Stark, Joanna Wohlmuth, Simon van Zuylen-Wood Staff Writers Stefanie Angstadt, Caitlin Browne, Marisa Calleja, Noura Choudhury, Joy Chua, Sophia Lambertsen, Cameron Lee, Christian Martell, Anna Millman, Evan Pelz, Leslie Primack, Marielle Segarra, Melissa Shube, Catherine Straut, Gaurie Tilak, Matthew Varley, Meha Verghese, Allison Wentz Sports Staff Writers Peter Cipparone, Han Cui, Lara Southern Business Staff Diogo Alves, Steven Butschi, Timothy Carey, Jilyn Chao, Pete Drinan, Dana Feuchtbaum, Patrick Free, Sarah Glick, Soobin Kim, Christie Liu, Philip Maynard, Mariya Perelyubskaya, Paolo Servado, Saira Shervani, Yelena Shteynberg, Robert Stefani, Lindsay Walls, Benjamin Xiong Design Staff Jessica Calihan, Aubrey Cann, Serena Ho, Rachel Isaacs, Andrea Krukowski, Joe Larios, Joanna Lee, Alex Unger, Aditya Voleti, Pete White Photo Staff Oona Curley, Alex DePaoli, Erik Maser, Kim Perley, Quinn Savit Copy Editors Ria Ali, Paula Armstrong, Kim Arredondo, Ayelet Brinn, Aubrey Cann, Rafael Chaiken, Stephanie Craton, Erin Cummings, Katie Delaney, Julianne Fenn, Jake Frank, Anne Fuller, Josh Garcia, Jennifer Grayson, Rachel Isaacs, Joyce Ji, Jenn Kim, Tarah Knaresboro, Ted Lamm, Alex Mazerov, Seth Motel, Lisa Qing, Alex Rosenberg, Madeleine Rosenberg, Elena Weissman, Jason Yum
Corrections Monday’s editorial, (“A ‘global university’?”, March 4) said that, according to the Office of Institutional Research, students from Mexico did not attend Brown in 2006. The information actually came from the Office of Admission’s Web site and applies to the current student body. A photo caption accompanying an article in Monday’s Herald (“Recycling race baffling Bruno again,” March 4) stated that Brown came in 69th place in a nationwide recycling competition. The competition does not end until April 5. C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy 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. C ommentary P O L I C Y 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. L etters to the E ditor P olicy 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. advertising P olicy The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
O pinions Thursday, March 6, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Page 11
The shame diet ADAM CAMBIER Opinions Columnist It’s hardly a secret that Americans are fat. This is the land of the Big Mac and the midnight snack. Portions at restaurants are liable to outweigh newborn infants, and we pretty much bathe in corn syrup. If we are cut, we do not bleed; rather, we dispense ketchup from our wounds. Our Brobdingnagian butts have made us the butt of many a joke across the world. None of us is above reproach. For instance, though I try to eat well, my ringtone features the jingle from my favorite pizza restaurant, which offers a $3.99 all-you-can-eat buffet. Fortunately, enterprising lawmakers in Georgia have come up with the perfect solution to the burgeoning obesity epidemic. The State Senate recently passed a law that mandates biannual weigh-ins for elementary school students across the state. Combined with the students’ height data, each school will be required to calculate an aggregate body mass index (or BMI). These average BMI values will be posted online for the world to see, inviting comparisons between rival schools. It’s like Friday Night Lights for the under-10 crowd, with the lights in question more akin to the heating lamps at Wendy’s than stadium spotlights. How, you ask, do these aggregate values curb the obesity epidemic? Through the pure and utter humiliation of impressionable young minds. Sure, sure. With public officials must put up with an unwritten requirement to be
politically correct, the new law was written with student privacy in mind. The weigh-ins in question would take place one at a time in the seclusion of the school’s office. “Sally, step into the office, step onto the scale, that’s about as invasive as it gets,” remarked State Senator Joseph Carter in a Feb. 29 interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Carter, a Tifton Republican, sponsored both this bill and a failed 2006 counterpart that would have increased physical education requirements in elementary and middle schools.
skinny students know, and it’s humiliating. God willing, it’s humiliating enough to force the kids to make a change. Of course, whinier members of the Georgia Senate have raised concerns about the role of the government in enforcing such a proposition. The Journal-Constitution reported that State Senator Preston Smith, a Republican from Rome, remarked that “the long arm of the government should stop reaching into people’s private lives” during a heated discussion of the bill. He argued that if the long arm of the obese
There is very little mystery when it comes to the question of which students are bringing up the school’s average BMI. It’s the elephant in the room, so to speak. Privacy, my ass. Though the classmates of the one in three Georgia children who are obese may not get to see a precise number when it comes to the weight of their porkier peers, there is very little mystery when it comes to the question of which students are bringing up the school’s average BMI. It’s the elephant in the room, so to speak. The skinny students know. The fat students know that the
wanted to reach into the bottom of an empty bag of Lay’s to finish off the last oily dregs of crushed potato chips, that is their God-given right and it’s not the place of the government to tell them otherwise. He also questioned whether the new weigh-ins would place undue pressure on children and would subject them to increased stigmatization, despondent over the possibility that school officials might say,
“‘Come on, pick it up fat kid, we’re not going to get money if you don’t!’” Although he may have a point about the role of the government in mandating healthy habits, I’d like to point out to Smith that stigmatization of the obese is nothing new, especially among the young. Kids are mean, and they say what’s on their minds. To think that kids pussyfoot around the issue now is hopelessly naive. Fortunately, when Smith left the chamber podium without opening himself up to debate a fellow legislator demonstrated to him precisely how the bill is supposed to work. “Chicken!” shouted State Senator Renee Unterman, a Buford Republican and supporter of Carter’s bill. Despite his witty rejoinder of “I’m rubber and you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you,” I wouldn’t hesitate to imagine that Smith will think twice next time he wants to wimp out of an argument. That’s exactly how public humiliation is supposed to work; the jibes of our more jejune peers are supposed to make us change our behavior. Is it damaging? Probably. But the victims of the humiliation this bill proposes will undoubtedly be better off in the long run; it’s better to have one’s heart figuratively scarred for what would be a long, healthy life instead of literally clogged with cholesterol and plaque. Teasing victims may not have an emotional leg to stand on, but that’s still an improvement over losing a leg to diabetes. Our nation is getting bigger, and this is one case where bigger isn’t better. Only by wreaking some serious emotional havoc can we reverse the trend.
Adam Cambier ’09 really regrets the time he ate a QuadrupleStuf Oreo
U.S. public mental health care under-funded, not malicious BY VIVEK CHELLAPPA Guest Columnist I found the recent column by Renata Sago ’10 (“U.S. public mental health care system as unstable as its patients,” Feb. 28) troubling for its broad generalizations and lack of research. Sago describes public mental health care (PMH) in harsh terms, criticizing it as “antiquated” and “ineffective,” and deriding it for “its crippling incompetence.” Although this is a defensible position, Sago fails to offer a single piece of evidence to support her conclusions. At a basic level, Sago groups PMH, which is independently run by each state, as a “system,” without appreciating the differences and problems individual states may have in addressing the challenges of PMH. Sago offers incredibly biased views of public mental health care, suggesting that public mental health patients are “subjects of experimentation instead of individuals.” Her description of the system as being “paralyzed by apathy” further vilifies PMH and its goals without an ounce of support for the reasons behind her condemnation. Sago seems to suggest that public mental health is somehow designed to pry on its patients, which is a gross exaggeration of a $29.5 billion system that serves 6.1 million people, and an affront to the hard work that understaffed nurses and social workers face amid funding shortages, particularly in inner cities. Sago mentions that the system discredits war trauma for soldiers, but post-traumatic stress disorder is diagnosable as an Axis I disorder. Unfortunately, military funding in mental health services has been lacking and resources are strained, leading to rushed evaluations and errors, but that is separate from suggesting a systemic discrediting of soldiers’ welfare. On the issues of poverty and race, research has documented that ethnic
minorities are less likely to seek mental health care and that the incidence of psychopathology is increased among the poorest in our country, but briefly mentioning that the system discredits those populations is an oversimplification of complicated issues. Furthermore, Sago demonstrates a misunderstanding of the purpose of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a set of diagnostic criteria used by mental health professionals. The DSM was first published in 1952, and has been revised five times, most recently in 1994, with a slight revision published in 2000. Even a perusal of the 800-page DSM should reject Sago’s
which include schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder because treatments for these patients tend to be much more successful. Even a normal person with the flu would have a DSM-IV diagnosis, on Axis III, which assesses acute medical conditions and physical disorders. The idea that every personality trait represents a disorder indicates a misunderstanding of a complicated classification system, meant to be used by trained professionals who assess a broad range of criteria before assigning diagnoses. Normal personality traits will not bring about a diagnosis of psychopathology, and a series of abnormal traits are required
Regardless of what Tom Cruise may say, PMH has helped millions of patients improve the quality of their lives. notion that “every personality trait is a ‘disorder.’” The DSM-IV groups diagnoses into five different axes, which, when combined, help mental health professionals in a wide range of purposes, including clinical, research, administrative and educational, according to the American Psychiatric Association. One of these axes represents personality disorders and mental retardation, which are considered separate from most psychopathology, partially because these are chronic long-term conditions that have practically no effective treatments. These diagnoses are rightfully separated from Axis I diagnoses,
for personality disorder diagnosis. The key point is that DSM classification is only meant to be used by trained professionals. It’s very likely that there are professionals who are inadequately trained, but again, that problem points towards funding shortages, rather than a systemic failure of PMH. Sago’s comparison of asylums to jail is unfair. Due to the severity of some patient’s psychopathologies, there will always be a need to institutionalize a percentage of patients because they present a risk to the safety of themselves and others. Recently, practitioners have recognized that institutionalization is
not required for most patients. In the 1950s, institutionalization was far more widespread, with 600,000 patients confined in mental health institutions, whereas the confined patient population by 2001 had dropped to 60,000. The balance of patients is usually treated with community mental health programs, a proven treatment strategy, but funding shortages prevent adequate care from reaching many patients, leaving them in the dark. Sago also writes that “the mentality of the system is that these individuals do not have the potential to attain stability.” It’s not clear how Sago would have insight into the mentality of all state-run PMH services. Regardless of what Tom Cruise may say, PMH has helped millions of patients improve the quality of their lives, and most states pay most, if not all, treatment costs for lower income patients. Mental healthcare may never be able to treat everyone with psychopathology, but until funding for proven modern treatment programs is drastically increased, hundreds of thousands of veterans, low-income residents, and homeless patients will be left behind. We are fortunate to live in an age where science has significantly increased our understanding of mental illness. Modern advances in all aspects of treatment strategies have increased our ability to help more patients improve their lives than ever before. The DSM-IV has its flaws (until 1974, homosexuality was listed as a disorder), but the DSM system is constantly being revised to account for new research, with a new edition to be published in 2012. Failures in PMH should not be attributed to some generic “system” that provides “little assistance to patients” and creates “the illusion of deinstitutionalization” as Sago suggests, but rather to inadequate funding, as well as the stigma toward asking for mental care.
Vivek Chellappa ’09 meant this to be a letter to the editor
S ports T hursday Page 12
Thursday, March 6, 2008
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Softball falls short on 1-3 opening weekend
Kobe is the ‘next Jordan’ “I see a lot of myself in him. No doubt about it.” – Michael Jordan on Kobe Bryant
to finish out the game with a victory. Browne started the inning off with a single and Baxter earned a walk. After Wilson’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, Linnea Anderson ’08 brought Brown home with a single, and the next batter, Chin, drove in the go-ahead run. Chin started the game, allowing 10 hits and four runs while striking out four batters over 4 2-3 innings. Moses came on in relief and delivered, striking out four times in 2 1-3 shutout innings. “It was our first day together playing,” said Anderson. “Some of us were in new positions, so the scores didn’t tell the entire story of the weekend. We need to turn the one-run losses into one-run wins.” In the consolation game with a rematch against Oakland, the
Vince Carter. Tracy McGrady. Kobe Br yant. Dwyane Wade. LeBron James. What do all of these names have in common? Besides all being NBA superstars and prominent pop culture icons, they have all been compared at one point in their careers to Michael Jeffrey Jordan. As heir apparent to the Jordan Throne of Supremacy, these players have faced incredible pressure to perform and succeed. All but one have failed in their charge to become the “next Jordan.” Only one has earned his right to be uttered in the same breath as such greatness. His name is Kobe Bryant. Since the discussion about Kobe’s place in history is one that should occur at the end of his career (which is certainly not now), right now I shall only discuss his place in the game today. Quite simply, it’s on top, above all the rest. Kobe Bryant is the greatest and best player in the NBA today, hands down. First, let’s begin with some of his stats and records. Kobe currently holds 29 Lakers franchise records. Now, considering all of the Laker Legends like Kareem, Magic and Worthy, that’s pretty impressive. He was the youngest player to reach 20,000 career points. And with 10 All-Star and nine All-NBA selections, clearly he’s at least one of the best. But, why is he the best? To answer that, let’s first discuss
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Patrick Davis Davis’ raves
By Katie Wood Spor ts Staf f Writer
The softball team got off to a sluggish start in Charleston, S.C., this weekend, losing to Charleston Southern, 9-1, as well as dropping two close games to Toledo, 8-7, and Oakland University, 5-4. But the Bears (1-3) did come out of the South with its first win, beating Oakland, 5-4. The Bears entered the Lady Bucs Invitational with only one day of outside practice under their belt but were more than ready to begin their long-awaited season, Assistant Coach Janet Maguire said. Bruno dropped its first game on Friday to Charleston Southern, as Brown was outhit 14-3. Jessica Iwasaki ’10 pitched for the Bears for 3 1-3 innings, giving up 14 hits and nine runs while striking out two batters. Andrea Browne ’10 scored the lone run and finished 1-for-3 in the game. In their second game of the day, the Bears started off hot against Toledo, scoring five of their seven runs in the first three innings. “It was nice to see production throughout the lineup from top to bottom,” Maguire said. “We saw a big improvement in our performance as a team from game to game.” Co-captain Amy Baxter ’08 hit the team’s first home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
Ashley Hess / Herald File Photo
Captain Amy Baxter ‘08 went 5-for-10 with five runs scored in the softball team’s four games over its opening weekend in Charleston, S.C. In the third, Baxter followed up her long ball with a free pass to first base after being hit by a pitch. With a runner on board, co-captain Kelsey Wilson ’09 singled up the middle, and with two on, Amanda Asay ’10 singled to center. With the bases loaded, the Toledo pitcher hit Kristie Chin ’11 to give Brown its second run of the game. Lindsay Rice ’11 singled to score two more runs, and Chin stole home to score the fourth run of the third inning. Toledo came back to score eight runs over the next four innings ,while the Bears could muster up only two more to fall just short of the win. Michelle Moses ’09 took the mound for Brown pitching 5 1-3 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs. Emily Chaddock ‘11 relieved Moses and gave up four runs in 1 2-3 innings. The Bears defeated Oakland,
5-4, in a close game on Friday before losing to them by the same score in the consolation game on Saturday. Both teams started off slow on Friday as neither was able to score a run in the first two innings of play. Baxter ignited the offense in the third when she singled to left. Wilson singled as well and advanced the runner. Rice sent the ball to left field for a two-out single, scoring Baxter. Asay hit a single to score Wilson, putting the Bears up 2-0. The Grizzlies scored one run in the bottom of the third to pressure the Bears, but in the top of the fourth, Baxter continued her hot hitting with a double to rightcenter, and Wilson reached base again on a Toledo error as Baxter made her way home. The Bears fell behind 4-3 after Oakland picked up two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth, but Brown scored two runs in the sixth
Sports
i n
Brief
M. tennis loses hysterics-filled match Fencing qualifies three sophomores for NCAA Championships
By Meagan Garza Sports Staff Writer
As the rain fell on the roof of the fourth floor of the Pizzitola Center Tuesday night, it was clear the water wouldn’t be able to wash away the bitter taste left in 4 Bruno’s mouth E. Tenn. 3 by No. 56 East Brown Tennessee State, which narrowly defeated the Bears, 4-3. It was a hard-hitting match, and Bruno hunkered down from the beginning, knowing that it was going to be a very long, intense night of play. “A tennis match in the Pizzitola Center can take up to six hours,” Assistant Coach Jamie Gresh said in an e-mail to The Herald. “Our team cannot afford to let up our enthusiasm and energy at all, we have to work hard to be the best team we can be!” The Bears needed the energy, as it uncharacteristically took more than an hour to finish the pro-set doubles matches. Victory came for Bruno as the No. 3 doubles pairing of co-captain Saurabh Kohli ’08 and Charlie Posner ’11 grabbed the first win, 8-6, followed by a strong showing for the No. 1 doubles team of Basu Ratnam ’09 and Chris Lee ’09, who dropped their match, 8-5. The deciding match came at No. 2 doubles with Sam Garland ’09 and co-captain Noah continued on page 9
Ashley Hess / Herald
Co-captain Noah Gardner ‘09 was part of a doubles tandem, along with Sam Garland ‘09, which upset the nation’s No. 53 doubles team in a match against Eastern Tennessee State.
Randy Alevi ’10, Adam Pantel ’10 and Adam Yarnell ’10 are headed to Ohio State on Tuesday for the NCAA Fencing Championships after securing three bids for Brown. After the Northeast Regionals at Vassar last Sunday, Alevi and Pantel earned outright bids in the women’s sabre and men’s foil, respectively, while Yarnell earned an at-large bid in men’s epee yesterday when the field of 144 fencers was announced by the NCAA Fencing Committee. Brown fencers have shown great endurance in previous championship tournaments. This year’s spans four days, two longer than most tournaments. Brown has competed in this year. Alevi will be looking to improve on her 12th place finish from last year, in which she earned an All-American Honorable Mention nod while Dan Mahoney ’07 took 21st. In 2006, All-American Ruth Schneider ’06 took 24th. Pantel finished fifth at Regionals, three spots higher than his given seed for the tournament, and he also earned Brown’s highest rating of 86.46 for the competition. He finished the season, 65-20. Alevi was seeded and finished ninth, but got placed in the championship-qualifying eighth-spot when Columbia had to give up one of its spots because it had too many fencers qualified in one event. Alevi finished the season 82-30 with First Team All-Northeast Fencing Conference and Second Team All-Ivy honors after winning the IFA Championship Feb. 24. Yarnell placed tenth after being given the 15th seed, boosting his chances for an at-large bid that was determined after Regionals. His team-best 183-95 season record earned him a First Team All-NFC award. This tournament is not the average championship bracket, with 64 teams qualifying. Only the top eight (and sometimes nine) fencers in each event qualify for the championships along with two at-large bids, and a school cannot send more than two fencers in the same event. The tournament uses a round-robin set-up of five-touch bouts, with the top four fencers in each event advancing to direct elimination 15-touch bouts to determine the top four spots. Last year Brown placed 19th after qualifying just two fencers. Deborah Gorth ’09 narrowly missed qualifying, finishing tenth right behind Alevi in the women’s sabre. Gorth, Christine Livoti ’08 and Robyn Thvedt ’09 received at-large recommendations along with Yarnell, but were not awarded bids. Livoti and Thvedt finished 11th and 12th in women’s epee. — Amy Ehrhart