Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxliv, no. 23 | Tuesday, February 24, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Gov. Carcieri ’65 at new popularity low The poll showed mixed support for some of Carcieri’s specific proposals to close the state’s at least Only 34 percent of Rhode Islanders $357-million budget deficit. While approve of the job performance of 78 percent of Rhode Islanders were Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65, accord- in favor of possible consolidation of ing to a recent Brown survey by some public services to lower costs, the Taubman Center for Public 71.8 percent opposed cutting aid to Policy. local schools. Carcieri’s approval “People are reratings — which peaked ally hurting,” Orr said. METRO “They are anxious and at 63 percent in 2004 — have declined five percent since some of them may very well be the Taubman Center’s last poll in angry. When people are feeling September. that way they tend to point an acOne reason for the decline could cusing finger at those who are in be the worsening economic situa- charge.” tion in Rhode Island, said Marion Accordingly, approval ratings Orr, professor of political science were down for all state officials, and director of the Taubman Cen- Orr said. ter. However, Ray Sullivan, com“My sense is that when people munications director of the Rhode look at government performance, Island Democratic Party, said comthey actually think about their eco- paring the approval ratings of more nomic situation,” Orr said. Rhode low-profile local politicians to those Island currently has a large budget of the governor is not valid because deficit and one of the highest un- the latter has a “bully pulpit and employment rates in the nation, greater (media) exposure.” he added. Carcieri’s numbers have deTwo-thirds of the survey’s re- clined because “his priorities have spondents said they knew a friend been out of step with mainstream or family member who had recently Rhode Islanders,” Sullivan said, lost a job. citing Carcieri’s opposition to the A representative from the govercontinued on page 3 nor’s office declined to comment. By Sara Sunshine Senior Staff Writer
Qidong Chen / Herald
After a change of plans for a new building, the Urban Environmental Lab (above) will be left in place on Angell Street.
Brain building reverse a boon to UEL By ellen cushing and Ben Schreckinger Senior Staff Writers
The Corporation’s decision this weekend not to pursue construction of a new brain science building has provided a reprieve for the Urban Environmental Lab, which sits on the lot that had been designated for the new structure. President Ruth Simmons wrote in an e-mail to the Brown community Saturday that given the University’s current financial situation, the Corporation has “endorsed efforts to explore renovation of existing buildings” instead of pursuing new
ResLife finds dirt, though more swept under rug By Talia Kagan Contributing Writer
inside
Almost a quarter of rooms inspected by University staff this semester were found to have health and safety violations. The inspections, directed by the Office of Residential Life, were conducted in 830 rooms from Feb. 10 to 12, with 200 rooms receiving citations for offenses including illegal extension cords, possession of candles and excessive trash. Coupled with inspections from last October and November, the office has inspected a total of 1,534 rooms, according to statistics from ResLife. Of all rooms inspected this academic year, 18.5 percent received violation notices. Almost 26 percent of the recorded violations — not including alcohol- and drug-related infractions — involved illegal power strips and extension cords. The second most commonly recorded violation was for “excessive wall decorations,” which accounted for a little over 20 percent of the total violations. Other common violations were blocked
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exits and damaged or obstructed fire safety equipment. The number of violations received in different residence halls varied widely, even for similar dorms. For example, during the October inspections, 22 percent of rooms visited in Vartan Gregorian Quadrangle B received violations, while only 1.8 percent of those visited in Quad A did, according to the ResLife data. Of all dorms inspected this year, Marcy Hall was the only one that did not have a single room with a violation. A total of five notices were given for “evidence of pets,” though that does not mean inspectors necessarily found hordes of furry creatures running around residence halls. According to Richard Hilton, assistant director for operations for ResLife, having cat food visible in your room counts as evidence of pets. Not all rooms in inspected dorms were visited, said Thomas Forsberg, associate director of Housing and Residential Life. “We
Room violations in 2008-2009
1,534
Total number of rooms inspected
284
Number of rooms with violations
87
Power strips or extension cords
14
Evidence of smoking / incense
69
Excessive wall decorations Source: Residential Life data, since Oct. 2008.
continued on page 4
construction. “It’s great that we’re going to be able to stay in this building and keep the garden,” Administrative Manager for the Center of Environmental Studies Patti Caton ’92 MA’02 said Monday. Caton, who said she had collected signatures to save the Lab, said the building is the most energy-efficient one on campus. Students had also mounted a campaign against building the so-called “Mind, Brain, Behavior” building on the property, posting signs on campus. Like Caton, Professor Emeritus Harold Ward, who helped found the Center for Environmental Studies now
housed in the UEL, reacted positively to the Corporation’s decision. “I am pleased that the potential for conflict between (brain science building) interests and environmental faculty and students has been eliminated,” Ward wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. He wrote that this decision removed the “immediate threat to the UEL.” Caton said the garden in front of the UEL provides a space for members of the Providence community to garden on Angell Street. A proposed future location for the Lab on Cushing Street could not have accommodated continued on page 2
Alum to advise Treasury on bailout of U.S. automakers by Lauren Fedor Senior Staf f Writer
As stock markets continued to plummet and uncertainty about the economic stimulus package lingered, President Obama appointed another Brown alum to his administration. Steven Rattner ’74 P’09, a prominent Wall Street financier and member of the Brown Corporation, will serve as a top adviser to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the difficult task of rescuing America’s troubled “Big Three” automakers, multiple media sources reported Monday. Last month, President Obama was considering Rattner for the unprecedented position of “car czar,” in which the private equity mogul would have supervised the government bailout of the automobile industry. But last week, Obama instead selected a Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, to be led by Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence
Summers. The Task Force — described in a White House press release as a cabinet-level group — was set to include the secretaries of Transportation, Commerce, Labor and Energy, as well as representatives from other groups, including the NEC and Environmental Protection Agency. The committee convened on Feb. 20 to discuss requests from two of the car companies, Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp., for additional bailout money, according to the release. In December, the government gave the two auto giants loans amounting to $17.4 billion. Last Tuesday, the companies requested an additional $14 billion in bailout money. Though the White House statement did not name Rattner as a member of the Task Force, both the Associated Press and the New York Times reported yesterday that he will join the committee as continued on page 3
Metro, 3
Sports, 5
Opinions, 7
windy city Nar ra g ansett moves forward with plans to build wind turbines.
losing streak ends Men’s hockey edges Quinnipiac, getting back in the win column.
An Nc beats a c Jared Lafer ’11 thinks NCs should appear on external transcripts.
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