Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxliv, no. 75 | Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
In DNA, a distant cousin discovered By Emily Kirkland Contributing Writer
A research team led by a Brown professor has shed new light on the evolutionary history of bilateral organisms. In a study published last week, the team, led by Assistant Professor of Biology Casey Dunn, used a San Diego supercomputer and new DNA sequencing techniques to establish Acoelomorpha flatworms as our most distant bilateral relatives. This collection of tiny, soft-bodied worms has puzzled researchers for decades. Like humans, flatworms are bilateral: Their body plans are symmetric. Scientists had struggled, however, to determine just how closely these flatworms are related to us and to all other bilateral animals. The team’s research proved that these flatworms represent the first creatures to split from a long-dead ancestor common to all bilateral animals. Though previous researchers had posited that Acoelomorpha might have been the first to branch off from the bilateral group, no one had ever marshaled enough data to make a definitive statement. The team, which included 17 researchers from six different countries, used a technique known as expressed sequence tags to examine 1,487 genes — ten times more than previous studies of Acoelomorpha’s ancestry. In order to analyze such a large number of genes, the team needed new software, which was written expressly for the study. The researchers also needed the help of the supercomputer, which logged more than 2.25 million processor hours on the project. When the study began, the researchers knew the topic was a difcontinued on page 3
Targeting Asia, U. finds big bucks abroad By Sydney Ember Senior Staff Writer
The University is aggressively seeking support in India, China and the rest of Asia as part of the Campaign for Academic Enrichment’s international fundraising effort. With the help of regional advisory councils established in 2007, the University has surpassed its international fundraising goals. Despite otherwise grim economic
reports in the past year, international fundraising has been “quite successful,” said Vice President for International Advancement Ronald Margolin, adding that the positive gains are a direct result of continued overseas outreach efforts. “We’ve been doing great in fundraising,” he said. “We’ve been raising more every year.” The aggressive international push has raised $90 million, more than doubling its original goal of raising
more than $40 million before the end of the Campaign, Margolin said. The overall campaign, which surpassed its $1.4 billion goal earlier this year, wraps up in 2010. “We have had great success in international fundraising,” Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98 wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. The regional advisory councils — along with President Ruth Simmons’ “aggressive international travel schedule” — have fostered more di-
A ll tied u p
rect connections with alumni, parents and corporations abroad, Margolin said. Their establishment coincided with an effort by the University to raise its international profile. “We’ve used the councils as a sounding board for ideas,” he said. “Internationalization is remaining a very strong component for the University.” In March, the University will continued on page 4
Film project brings alums back to R.I. By Monique Vernon Staf f Writer
It represents a homecoming of sorts. “Tanner Hall,” a film set amid Rhode Island’s picturesque landscape and historic architecture, brought its creators — Francesca Gregorini ’90 and Tatiana von Furstenberg ’91 — back to the birthplace of their friendship.
FEATURE Jesse Morgan / Herald
tunities for young women and to promote their voices in culture, politics and the community.” Saint-Vil said she has been a fan of the Miss America pageant for a long time and used to watch it with her grandmother. She had always planned on competing when she got older, and the state competition was her entrance into the pageant
The independent film is the brainchild of the two best friends and filmmakers. Filmed in various locations throughout Rhode Island, the film tells the coming-of-age stories of four girls at a boarding school. The movie was “a great excuse for us to go back to a place we love,” Gregorini said. “It felt amazing to come full circle.” To capture “the natural beauty and architectural value” essential to creating a timeless movie, producer Julie Snyder suggested the filmmakers look toward Rhode Island, von
continued on page 2
continued on page 2
The Bears tied two games in double overtime over the weekend. See Sports, page 5
Saint-Vil ’10 wins Rhody’s tiara By Kate Monks Contributing Writer
Many things come to mind when one thinks of Brown: the New Curriculum, esteemed professors and trendy clothing among others. Beauty pageants aren’t usually in that list — but they soon may be. This past year, two undergrads — Deborah Saint-Vil ’10 and Caitlin Gorham ’10 — made appearances
in local pageants in Rhode Island. Saint-Vil came away from this summer’s Miss Rhode Island pageant with a $1,000 scholarship. The pageant — which consists of an interview, talent competition, swimsuit and evening gown showings and onstage questions — is a part of the larger Miss America pageant, which, according to the organization’s Web site, “exists to provide personal and professional oppor-
Panels compare abuses of humans, animals By Nicole Boucher Contributing Writer
Zhuo’er Wang / Herald
inside
Posters on the Main Green compare animal cruelty to human rights violations.
News.....1-4 Sports.......5 Editorial....6 Opinion....7 Today........8
www.browndailyherald.com
The image of a seal being clubbed by its captor seemed out of place under the bright sun on the Main Green Monday afternoon. The panel, one of many such scenes, is meant to connect past human mistreatment and ongoing animal exploitation through images that shock — and oftentimes disturb. The exhibit, called the “Animal Liberation Project,” is sponsored by the Brown Animal Rights Club and is on display until Oct. 1. The panels
were developed by a youth outreach sector of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, peta2, that travels to college campuses across the nation to advocate for animal rights. On display are 12 panels showing graphic images that suggest abuse of animals is comparable to human rights violations. One panel depicts nearly identical images of a human hand and an animal paw grasping a fenced-in enclosure with the word “imprisoned” running between the two. Another panel shows a dog stretched out on a table, cut open
and connected to wires. The panels explicitly parallel the mutilation and bondage of animals to similar abusive treatment of people. The members of peta2 hope the exhibit will “break down the barriers between species” and spur increased animal rights advocacy, according to their press release. BARC brought the exhibit to the center of campus with the intention to educate students on animal abuse. “We hope that people go away understanding that we are all the same in continued on page 3
Higher Ed, 3
Sports, 5
Opinions, 7
hands to yourself Tufts passes a regulation to ban sex acts when a roommate is present.
splitsville The women’s soccer team had mixed success in its weekend matchups.
negotiation time Simon Liebling ’12 urges students and faculty to speak out for BDS benefits.
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
herald@browndailyherald.com
Page 2
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
C ampus N EWS
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
“When you get out and don’t find your footing right away, don’t panic.” — Francesca Gregorini ’90, filmmaker
Alums come of age with local film continued from page 1 Furstenberg said. Drawn to the women’s vision of an enduring coming-of-age story, Snyder, whose earlier film jobs included finding locations to shoot films, used her skills to hone in on settings that would fit the criteria of the movie, she said. “What is great about Rhode Island is that you can get any look you want,” Snyder said. The East Side’s Nathan Bishop Middle School, constructed in 1929, was a prime location because it provided architectural details they were looking for, Snyder said. They also filmed in Pawtucket, Newport and Pascoag, according to the Providence Journal. Rhode Island “was a really nurturing place for first-time filmmakers,” Snyder said. “The Rhode Island film office was extremely accommodating,” von Furstenberg added. Not only did the Ocean State have the ambiance they were looking for, but the state also gave them a tax credit, she said.
The filmmakers aimed to make a “folktale, timeless … this-couldhappen-to-anyone” kind of movie, von Furstenberg said. To achieve that effect, they used furniture and costumes from four decades so time-specific trends would not define the timespan of the entire film, she said. Teen dramas like “American Pie” “stereotype the adolescent experience in a shallow way,” von Furstenberg said.“It is a very deep and complex time in the human experience,” she added. “The emergence out of childhood into adulthood … is a time we are both nostalgic for.” “I think coming of age is such a universal theme,” Gregorini added. In addition to young and teenaged girls, middle-aged viewers and senior citizens can also relate to the film, because it “reminds them of their youth,” Snyder said. Connecting on College Hill Both Gregorini and von Furstenburg attended boarding schools in England , but their paths didn’t cross until they arrived on College
Hill. It wasn’t until Gregorini, the more extroverted of the two, and the studious von Furstenberg met through a mutual friend that their friendship flourished. While at Brown, both Gregorini and von Furstenberg studied theater arts. Von Furstenberg also concentrated in semiotics — since incorporated into the Department of Modern Culture and Media. “I really like storytelling, … character creating, creating a world,” von Furstenberg said. Screenwriting and acting classes “really taught (me) to think and to be as creative as possible,” Gregorini said. “I found it invaluable.” The film didn’t just reunite Gregorini and von Furstenburg but also reconnected the two with their former theater teacher, Professor of Theatre, Speech and Dance Lowry Marshall, whom they cast in the role of headmistress. “She was very intimidating when Francesca and I were students,” von Furstenberg explained. Dancers from Brown also appeared in the film. Gregorini said she hopes that,
Courtest of Francesca Gregorini
Writers and directors Francesca Gregorini ’90 and Tatiana von Furstaberg ’91 direct dance students for a scene in their film.
after their movie is picked up, they will have a screening at Brown. Coming of age Both Gregorini and von Furstenberg took a winding road back to Rhode Island. Since graduating from Brown, von Furstenberg has worked as a journalist, created a board game that was never produced, had a daughter, opened a store — and she’s now a filmmaker. “Really it has been a very mixed bag of things. … I really think I finally found something that com-
bines all aspects of who I am,” von Furstenberg said. “I feel so fulfilled through it.” After her graduation, Gregorini joined a band, with which she later split to pursue a solo career in music. Before “Tanner Hall,” Gregorini and von Furstenberg created multiple shorts, and Gregorini shot a pilot for HBO. The lesson of their lives is that there is time to explore and find a calling, Gregorini said. “When you get out and don’t find your footing right away, don’t panic.”
Pageants prove more complex than stereotypes for Miss R.I. continued from page 1 scene. The pageant “really helped me develop into a better person,” she said, adding that she thinks the interview and onstage competition helped her with her confidence and in overcoming some of the reserve she had as a child. Gorham was the first runner-up
in another pageant — Miss Rhode Island USA. Beauty pageants may seem a far cry from art history and international relations, Gorham’s two concentrations. But she wanted to challenge herself and try something new, she said. To prepare for her first pageant, Gorham hired a Miss Maryland winner as her coach. The former pageant champion taught her what to
sudoku
Daily Herald the Brown
Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 Stephen DeLucia, President Michael Bechek, Vice President
Jonathan Spector, Treasurer Alexander Hughes, Secretary
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each members of the community. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2009 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
expect and the skills she would need in the competition, including posing, answering interview questions and walking on stage. As the pageant approached, Gorham’s preparations became more superficial — she perfected her look with eyebrow waxing and spray tanning. Overall, she said the pageant was “nerve-racking,” especially when the steamers lost her dress and found it only an hour before the pageant. But it was also “really fun,” she added.
The media often depicts beauty pageants as filled with blunders — Miss Teen South Carolina Lauren Upton’s infamous onstage speech about “the Iran,” for one — and overwhelming stage mothers. Not so, said Saint-Vil, who said her experience was “nothing like TV.” “From the surface people may think it’s all about women who are obsessed with their looks,” she said. “It’s more about developing your character.”
Gorham, too, found more in the pageants than big hair and attitude. “I even believed the stereotype going into it,” she said. Instead, she found that being in a beauty pageant took more than just looking the part. The girls she saw in the pageant were “willing to accept a challenge.” Not only had they mastered their walk, but they had mastered something else as well, she said. “It takes inner strength to put yourself out there,” she said. “It takes a lot of courage and confidence.”
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
C ampus N EWS higher ed news round-up by ellen cushing, sarah husk and sydney ember senior staff writers
Aid assistance boosts college enrollment among low-income students A lack of awareness about the availability of financial aid and the perceived difficulty of applying for it hinder low-income students who might otherwise attend college, according to a study released last week. The study, conducted by four economists — Stanford’s Eric Bettinger, Harvard’s Bridget Terry Long, the University of Toronto’s Philip Oreopoulous and the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Lisa Sanbonmatsu — paired some low- and moderate-income high school students and their families with a tax preparer to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Those who received help were significantly more likely to apply for financial aid, received aid at a higher rate and received more aid than other families, all of which translated into an increased percentage enrolling in college. There was virtually no benefit to another group of families that was simply informed about the kinds of financial aid they were eligible to receive, the study found, underscoring the importance of hands-on assistance. A control group received no assistance whatsoever. Researchers hope to track the success of these students in college in order to understand whether providing assistance with completing the form makes students more likely not just to enroll in but to graduate from college. Kim ’82 inaugurated as Dartmouth president Dartmouth is the first Ivy League school to be led by an Asian-American president after Jim Yong Kim ’82 was inaugurated last week. Kim is the first non-white male to lead an Ivy League institution. In his inauguration speech, Kim urged students to unite as a generation to seek and implement change, according to a Dartmouth press release. He spoke of the transformative power of education, describing his experiences working in struggling communities with Partners In Health, the organization he co-founded with Paul Farmer. Before coming to Dartmouth, Kim was a professor at Harvard and headed a global health division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Urging students to cultivate both “passion and practicality,” Kim said that both would be integral to finding solutions to contemporary social problems. Kim affirmed his commitment to maintaining Dartmouth’s focus on undergraduate teaching and praised the college’s liberal arts program for uniquely preparing students to be leaders in driving for change. Tufts attempts to eliminate awkward dorm-room sex Students at Tufts University may not have to worry about unwanted nighttime guests any more, thanks to a new stipulation in the school’s residential life office’s guest policy. The provision forbids any sexual act in a dorm room when a roommate is present, stating that any such act must not interfere with a roommate’s privacy or ability to study or sleep. “There were incidents that occurred last year, and in the past, where residents of rooms started to feel uncomfortable with what their roommates were doing in the room,” Carrie Ales-Rich, assistant director for community and judicial affairs, told the Tufts Daily on Thursday. “This happened more often than we’d like.” But Ales-Rich said the policy was not put in place so his office could regulate behavior. Instead, he said his office was encouraging roommate communication to prevent potentially awkward situations. “When roommates share a room, they have to talk about it and compromise about how the room is utilized,” Ales-Rich told the Daily. “We don’t want to let a conflict get to a point where someone from ResLife has to intervene and have that conversation.”
Page 3
“I think it’s absurd to compare the keeping of slaves to the branding of cattle.” — David Winer ’13
Human origins found in flatworms continued from page 1 ficult one. In fact, that was why they chose it, Dunn said. Previous studies had indicated that Acoelomorpha would be the “hardest (animals) to place,” he said. Because the researchers planned to use new computing technology in such an unprecedented way, they wanted a difficult problem, Dunn said, to demonstrate the power of the new tools. Understanding the evolutionary tree is crucial to understanding similarities and differences between
groups of animals, he said. The field has expanded in recent years due to rapid declines in the cost of DNA sequencing. “Sequencing prices probably dropped more than a hundred-fold from the beginning to the end of the study,” Dunn said. Sequencing used to be laborintensive lab work with more than a little bit of “guesswork,” Dunn said. Now, new technologies allow scientists to sequence enormous numbers of genes, while powerful software helps them select those worthy of further study, he said.
Courtesy of Eric Rottinger
Brown scientists established a connection between flatworms and humans. first evolutionary split within the group of bilateral animals.
‘Liberation Project’ calls for end to animal abuses continued from page 1 our capacity for suffering,” said Claire Miller ’11, president of the Animal Rights Club. “Liberation Project” Coordinator Adrianne Burke said the display challenges the legitimacy of the “might makes right” philosophy in our society, which she says has been central to animal mistreatment throughout history. The exhibit offers a proactive solution to avoiding animal mistreatment: vegetarianism. This solution emphasizes that animals have many attributes similar to humans, includ-
ing the capacity for “acts of altruism” and “organized resistance.” The display has received a “huge response” so far, Burke said, adding that some students have taken vegetarian starter kits from the display table. While looking at the images on display, Alex Hartley ’10 said, “They’re pretty truthful. Most of it is stuff we know but try not to think about.” Still, Hartley said the exhibit would not change her eating habits. The display did not resonate with all students. Some found the comparison between animal and human
suffering too extreme and exaggerated. “I think it’s absurd to compare the keeping of slaves to the branding of cattle,” David Winer ’13 said. Sara Powell ’11 said that while the display was visually attractive, she didn’t like how peta2 relied on “sensational images” to attempt to further their animal rights cause. “Humans are very different from animals,” she said. The “Liberation Project” panels will be on display during the day until Thursday — World Vegetarian Day — when a closing discussion will be held.
Page 4
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
C ampus N EWS
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Councils attract donors abroad continued from page 1
blogdailyherald.com
launch a regional advisory council in India as part of the ongoing effort to attract support from international donors, Margolin said. He said Simmons is in the process of asking 14 people to serve on the new council, though he said their names would not be released publicly until formal notifications were in place. Margolin is meeting with Simmons about the new council next Friday, he said. The University also intends to extend the model to Latin America in coming years, he said. Though no formal advisory council is yet in place in India, the University has been expanding their influence in the country for six years, Margolin said. The University has already established a series of summer internships through the Commerce, Organizations and Entrepreneurship program, which Margolin said was a joint effort with Vice President for Research and former Dean of Engineering Clyde Briant. And the outreach has been successful — Margolin said there were about 200 students from 90 different high schools in India who have attended or currently attend Brown since more tangible efforts began. The already-established advisory councils for China, and for Asia as a whole, have ratcheted up interest among international alumni, parents
and other potential donors by making the University more visible, Margolin said. One of the ways the existing councils actively generate support, he said, is through media attention. Councils often inform their countries’ major newspapers and television outlets about University events to get “people talking about Brown,” he said. The councils, Margolin said, consist of between 10 and 14 high-profile regional alumni and parents, such as University presidents and “CEOequivalent officials.” For example, he said, the council in China includes Wei Yang PhD’85, President of Zhejiang University, and Timothy Foo ’66 P’07, managing director of the Oak Hill Group. The council in Asia includes Ruby Shang ’71 P’12, regional director of the William J. Clinton Foundation in Singapore, and Choon Fong Shih P’91, a former president of the National University of Singapore who is now president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. According to the councils’ mission statement, members of the councils meet at least once a year to discuss Brown’s international programs and make recommendations to Simmons and the Corporation, help with undergraduate and graduate student recruitment, identify research partnerships that might benefit Brown
and identify various regional sources of funding. The University also communicates with members of the councils to spread the word about relevant University developments to procure funding support from targeted individuals. In addition to the new council in India, Margolin said there are plans on the horizon to create councils in Latin America, especially because the new Vice President for International Affairs, Matthew Gutmann, is significantly involved in Latin American studies; before his recent appointment, he was briefly the director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Before Brown can successfully propose a new council, “You want the University to have a plan and sort of a road map for what it wants to do,” Margolin said, adding that Gutmann’s position will now enable Brown to more seriously consider a Latin American council. Despite the economic downturn, Margolin said international funding — and the success of the two established regional advisory councils — has remained strong. “There are things that people can donate to at Brown that help them in their regions,” he said. “People understand that the problems of the world are going to be solved multi-nationally by building social bridges.”
SportsWednesday The Brown Daily Herald
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | Page 5
M. soccer finishes weekend with two ties By Katie Wood assistant spor ts editor
The No. 25 men’s soccer team (4-03) took on Santa Clara (2-4-1) and San Francisco (3-3-1) this past weekend, comBrown 1 ing away Santa Clara 1 with two 1-1 doubleover time Brown 1 ties. The San Francisco 1 Bears remain undefeated this season, but the trip to California was not completely satisfying, according to goalie Paul Grandstrand ’11. “It’s a tough situation,” he said. “Overall, we played well — but at the end of the day, we didn’t get the results we wanted.” Santa Clara capitalized on its chances early, as Eric Masch knocked home the rebound of a Grandstrand deflection for the game’s first goal in the 23rd minute. The one-goal deficit marked the second time Brown has trailed all season, but the team showed no signs of panic and fought its way back into the game with every possession. “We knew we were playing well, other than the finishing part,” said Dylan Remick ’13. “We were controlling the pace and played our game, but we couldn’t put one away.” The Bears ambushed the Broncos’ defense with a 7-2 shot advantage in the second half. The Bears’ overall fitness and offensive confidence kept them in the game, even though they were down 1-0 heading into the final ten minutes of play. Brown cleared the ball in the 82nd minute to Nick Elenz-Martin ’10, who drilled a shot to the right hand corner of the net from 25 yards out. Both teams continued to struggle through double-overtime before the game ended with a 1-1 tie. Ryan McDuff ’13 and Thomas McNamara ’13 each tallied three shots, as the Bears outshot the Broncos 15-8 for the game. Grandstrand (4-0-3) recorded three saves and allowed only the second goal by an opponent this season. Brown headed north on Sunday afternoon to take on San Francisco after completing a grueling 110-minute game against Santa Clara. The Bears started the game off slow, as the Dons compiled a 6-2 shot advantage in the first half — including a blow in the 18th minute when All-American Conor Chinn drove past two defenders and sent the ball to the back of the net. Unlike the Santa Clara game, the Bears’ spirits sank as they faced a one-goal deficit and a red-card penalty that ejected Rob Medairos ’12 at the 32:49 mark. “We had just played a hardfought overtime game two days before and were facing a 1-0 deficit with one man down — we kind of felt sorry for ourselves and let up
a little,” Grandstrand said. “That went on for a while, but we finally got our confidence back heading into the second half.” The Bears battled with the Dons as the physical level of play continued to escalate with yet another red card issued to McNamara in the 77th minute. With an additional man down and the end of regulation a mere 13 minutes away, the Bears stormed back into the game with a revised game plan that fit the team’s circumstances. “Since we were down a couple of players, we had to change the mentality of our play,” Remick said. “We would have to score in a different way and capitalize on corner and free kicks.” The Bears did just that. They held a 9-2 corner kick advantage in the game and scored the decisive goal on a free kick late in the second half. Jay Hayward ’12 placed the free kick perfectly in the box. Substitute goalie Brendan Roslund fumbled the ball, and Remick found himself in the perfect position to nail the ball into the goal. Once again, the Brown defense held its own for the remainder of the game, which ended in a 1-1 tie. “That was a huge test for our team. It could have gone a totally different way,” Remick said. “It showed our heart and focus. Nothing distracts us and we keep fighting.” Chinn added another three shots on goal to pace the Dons on offense, but Grandstrand stood tall in net with six critical saves that kept the Bears alive. Austin Mandel ’12, Remick and junior captain David Walls ’11 combined for the team’s six shots on goal with two apiece. Remick, whose second goal of the season placed him second overall in team points with five, received Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors for his efforts in California. “It was very encouraging to pull out the tie. It definitely shows that people are invested and committed to the team,” Grandstrand said. “It was the biggest battle of a soccer match that I’ve personally been a part of and will be a game that we will never forget.” The Bears return home to Stevenson Field on Wednesday night to take on No. 14 Boston University (6-2-1) at 7 p.m. The two teams played to a 0-0 tie last season and the same grudge match will be expected this year. Beating BU would boost Bruno’s RPI standings and the chance of a postseason birth. Brown will then begin Ivy League play on Saturday at Columbia (24-0). The Lions lost to BU, 1-0, on Sept. 20. “We want to continue to play the same game we’ve been playing — really stepping it up in the Ivy League — but it’s one game at a time, and BU is our next biggest test,” Remick said.
W. soccer splits weekend matches By Tony Bakshi Contributing Writer
The women’s soccer team experienced a week of mixed success with a dramatic victory followed by a disappointing conference loss. Brown 1, Army 0 Last Thursday night at Stevenson Field, goalie Brenna Hogue ’10 led the Bears to a 1-0 shutout over Army. Hogue’s quest for her ninth career shutout was in danger early in the game, as Army midfielder Elizabeth Betterbed stung a shot past the goalie off a corner kick in the 29th minute. But Sylvia Stone ’11 was in position on the goal line, and she blocked the shot to keep the score at 0-0. After an evenly-matched first half, the Brown offense began to dominate the field in the final 45 minutes, outshooting their opponents 14-9. The Bears’ constant, pressing attack paid off just three minutes before the final whistle, as Joyce Chun ’11 came up big with her first career goal. Sarah HebertSeropian ’12 started the deciding rush when she intercepted an Army pass and delivered the ball to Marybeth Lesbirel ’12. Lesbirel crossed to Chun, who booted the ball past Army’s Alex Lostetter. Head Coach Phil Pincince was proud of his team’s ability to pull out the win. “We were very happy with the team on Thursday against Army,” Pincince said. “We battled the entire time, and I thought it was going to be a real close game. We found a way to win.” Dartmouth 3, Brown 1 The Bears went into their Ivy
Jesse Morgan / Herald
Women’s soccer pulled out a victory against Army before falling to Dartmouth later in the weekend.
League opener against Dartmouth on a winning streak, coming off the late winner against Army and two straight shutout victories. But the team was unable to continue their winning ways on a slick Stevenson Field Sunday afternoon. The Dartmouth women came out firing, outshooting Brown, 8-0, in the first 18 minutes. Despite pulling ahead on a Stone goal in the 21st minute — just the Bears’ second shot — Brown continued to struggle on the offensive end. They were outshot 26-8 by the Big Green overall, who scored the tying goal just three minutes after Stone’s goal, helping Dartmouth to a 3-1 victory. “I don’t think we brought our A game,” said Pincince. “We didn’t match the intensity or emotion that
Dartmouth brought to the table. All in all, on Sunday against Dartmouth, they were the better team.” The Bears (2-5-0, 0-1-0 Ivy League) can’t linger on their tough loss for too long, as they travel to Columbia (4-4-1, 1-0-0 Ivy) on Saturday for another key conference matchup. Pincince noted Columbia’s recent result, a 1-0 victory over Cornell, as an example of the overall competitiveness in the Ivy League this season. “When you get into conference, anything goes,” he said. “The Ivy is so tight this year. (Columbia’s victory) just goes to show that everything is going to be so close. If you don’t show up to play, there’re gonna be upsets all through the year.”
Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald
Page 6 | Wednesday, September 30, 2009
l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r
Most popular, not the best To the Editor: Anish Mitra’s ’10 suggestion in his recent column (“The best we’ll ever have,” Sept. 28) horrified me so much that I had to take time out from writing two essays to respond to it. Topping his own previous record for bad advice given in an opinion column (last spring, when he suggested that Brown cultivate exclusionary elitism on campus to compete with schools like Princeton), Mitra complains that featured artists at past Spring Weekends haven’t, in effect, been Top 10 pop stars, or as he puts it, “A-list performers.” Setting aside the huge and relevant distinction between an “A-list performer” in commercial terms and artistic ones, the acts who have been featured at Spring Weekend have almost all been accomplished, talented, and thought-provoking artists with interesting and inspiring approaches to music and lyrics. I don’t think artistic
and commercial success are by any means mutually exclusive, but it would be a shame to pass over more original, thoughtful and creative musicians in favor of an actor-turned-singer whose claim to fame is a No. 2 hit record that boasts all of one note, uninspiring autotuned vocals, a sterile, unsexy beat, and lyrics such as “We can do it real big/Bigger than you ever done it” and “I want this forever, I swear I can spend whatever on it.” I agree with Mitra that we “need somebody with true talent. Brown is certainly a place of eclectic tastes, and thus, we need a versatile performer that all Brown students can enjoy, regardless of musical preference.” This is precisely why we should not pull out all the stops to “lock Drake in” to a Spring Weekend performance. I certainly hope that we don’t spend whatever on it. Michael Bleicher ’11 Sept. 28
Debate is alive and well To the Editor: I was delighted to see Anthony Badami’s ’11 recent column (“A forum for intellectual pugilism,” Sept. 21) extol the virtues of campus debate; even going so far as to encourage a debate tournament among the Brown student body. However, I would be remiss if I did not tell Brown students who are not aware that the framework for student debate is already in place in the form of the Janus Political Union, an arm of the Janus Forum solely devoted to student debate on all sorts of politically relevant issues, such as the legalization of prostitution and
Israeli security strategy (both debates that JPU hosted last academic year). If the desire for such a tournament is evident in the student body, JPU would be more than delighted to organize and run it. Our first debate is this Thursday and will ask whether a public option is necessary for substantive health care reform. I look forward to hearing arguments put forth by the Brown student body, though I hope it’s for more than just argument’s sake. Chris Havasy ’10 Director, Janus Political Union Sept. 27
t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d Editor-in-Chief Steve DeLucia
Managing Editors Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors Rachel Arndt Michael Bechek Nandini Jayakrishna Isabel Gottlieb Chaz Firestone Franklin Kanin Scott Lowenstein Michael Skocpol editorial Business General Managers Office Manager Arts & Culture Editor Ben Hyman Rosalind Schonwald Arts & Culture Editor Shawn Reilly Alexander Hughes Features Editor Sophia Li Jonathan Spector Metro Editor George Miller Metro Editor Joanna Wohlmuth Directors News Editor Ellen DaSilva Seth Motel Sales News Editor Claire Kiely Jenna Stark Sales Sports Editor Katie Koh Andrew Braca Finance Asst. Sports Editor Jilyn Chao Han Cui Asst. Finance Asst. Sports Editor Christiana Stephenson Alex Mazerov Alumni Relations Asst. Sports Editor Katie Wood Graphics & Photos Chris Jesu Lee Graphics Editor Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Photo Editor Eunice Hong Kim Perley Photo Editor Jesse Morgan Sports Photo Editor production Ayelet Brinn Copy Desk Chief Rachel Isaacs Copy Desk Chief Marlee Bruning Design Editor Jessica Calihan Design Editor Asst. Design Editor Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor Julien Ouellet Neal Poole Web Editor Post- magazine Arthur Matuszewski Editor-in-Chief Kelly McKowen Editor-in-Chief
Managers Kelly Wess Kathy Bui Alex Carrere Matt Burrows
Local Sales National Sales University Sales Credit and Collections Opinions
Alyssa Ratledge Sarah Rosenthal
Opinions Editor Opinions Editor
Editorial Page Board James Shapiro Editorial Page Editor Matt Aks Board member Nick Bakshi Board member Zack Beauchamp Board member Debbie Lehmann Board member William Martin Board member
Julien Ouellet, Gili Kliger, Anna Migliaccio, Designers Jenny Bloom, Ariel Pick, Madeleine Rosenberg, Copy Editors Sydney Ember, Anne Simons, Night Editors Senior Staff Writers Dan Alexander, Mitra Anoushiravani, Ellen Cushing, Sydney Ember, Lauren Fedor, Nicole Friedman, Brigitta Greene, Sarah Husk, Brian Mastroianni, Hannah Moser, Ben Schreckinger, Anne Simons, Anne Speyer, Sara Sunshine, Alex Ulmer, Suzannah Weiss, Kyla Wilkes Staff Writers Shara Azad, Emma Berry, Alicia Chen, Zunaira Choudhary, Alicia Dang, Juliana Friend, Anish Gonchigar, Sarah Julian, Christian Martell, Heeyoung Min, Jyotsna Mullur, Lauren Pischel, Kevin Pratt, Leslie Primack, Luisa Robledo, Dana Teppert, Gaurie Tilak, Caitlin Trujillo, Monique Vernon, Senior Business Associates Max Barrows, Jackie Goldman, Margaret Watson, Ben Xiong Business Associates Stassia Chyzhykova, Marco deLeon, Katherine Galvin, Bonnie Kim, Cathy Li, Allen McGonagill, Liana Nisimova, Thanases Plestis, Corey Schwartz, William Schweitzer, Kenneth So, Evan Sumortin, Haydar Taygun, Webber Xu, Lyndse Yess Design Staff Gili Kliger, Jessica Kirschner, John Walsh, Kate Wilson Photo Staff Qidong Chen, Janine Cheng, Alex DePaoli, Frederic Lu, Quinn Savit Copy Editors Sara Chimene-Weiss, Miranda Forman, Casey Gaham, Anna Jouravleva, Geoffrey Kyi, Frederic Lu, Jordan Mainzer, Madeleine Rosenberg
A le x yuly
e d i to r i a l
Placing the memorial Two years ago, the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice recommended that the University build a public memorial to commemorate Brown and Rhode Island’s ties to the slave trade. The Herald reported Friday that the University’s Public Arts Committee is considering placing the memorial on or near a bridge that would span the Providence River and connect the extreme southwestern edge of Brown’s campus to the new site of the medical school in the Jewelry District. This idea is an ambitious one with the potential for profound symbolism. The memorial’s location at the center of a bridge between Brown and downtown Providence would highlight the fact that both the University and the state share a common history with regard to slavery. And if placed over the water, the memorial would recall the ships that carried slaves to America and earned profits for some of the earliest members of the Brown Corporation. Unfortunately, this proposed location has its drawbacks. Most Brown students only occasionally travel to that corner of campus, and even fewer visit the Jewelr y District on a regular basis. Students who do go downtown are far more likely to use the bridge on College Street. Further, tours of Brown focus on the main campus area — the closest campus tours get to the proposed location is Keeney Quad, nowhere near the bridge under consideration. When the Medical School moves to its new location on Richmond Street, pedestrian traffic near the proposed site for the memorial might increase, but the vast majority of undergraduates would still rarely visit the area. Perhaps most importantly, the area now known as the Quiet Green is the one part of the University that dates back to the time when the slave trade was still operative. Indeed, according to the Committee on Slavery and Justice’s 2006 report, slaves played a role in the physical construction of University Hall. The Quiet Green would therefore also offer a powerful backdrop for a memorial, and the location would
certainly receive ample pedestrian traffic. Jo-Ann Conklin, a member of the University’s Public Arts committee, told the Board that the Quiet Green was indeed another location under consideration. The Quiet Green location has one major disadvantage. Unlike the bridge location, a memorial on the Quiet Green would not immediately suggest Rhode Island’s historical connection to the slave trade. This, however, seems like an especially important point to convey. The Committee on Slavery and Justice’s report noted that for the entire history of the slave trade in America, about 60 percent of the slave trading voyages departed from Rhode Island. Ideally, the memorial could represent the University’s and the state’s common history without being placed in an area that students and visitors sparsely pass. The Public Arts Committee has a number of competing considerations to weigh. All things equal, we believe the memorial should be placed prominently on the University’s Main Campus, in a location where students and visitors pass by frequently. The Committee should only consider opting for the bridge location if it is confident that the design for the memorial is spectacular enough to attract substantial pedestrian traffic. The value of the bridge location also depends on the University’s plans to develop the medical school area and form connections between that campus and the main campus. As more discussion ensues, we encourage the Committee to look for creative ways to balance opportunities for symbolism, the goal of promoting historical awareness and the fact of shared history between the University and the state. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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 editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page 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 clarity 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.
Opinions The Brown Daily Herald
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | Page 7
SAFRA and the most important unknown statistic DAN DAVIDSON Opinions Columnist During last week’s meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, former President Bill Clinton revealed what he says is “the most important unknown statistic out there.” “In the last eight years,” Clinton said, the United States “went from first to tenth in terms of the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds holding a bachelor’s degree.” Indeed, America is in danger of losing its academic edge. If we let our education system continue to slip, we will be feeling the economic repercussions for years to come. It is clear that, like it or not, our economy is necessarily moving in new directions. This week’s G-20 summit is being held in Pittsburgh in part to highlight the city’s attempt at reinventing itself. Pittsburgh is developing many new “green” initiatives as part of a broader effort to move beyond its outdated, Rust-Belt economy. The city’s unemployment rate is below both the state and national averages. Our country needs the human capital that college education creates to revitalize the economy through innovations like those on display in Pittsburgh. One cause of the United States’ decline in education is the rapidly rising cost of college. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education reports that, since 1982, college tuition and fees have risen 439 percent, while the median family income has only increased 147 percent. More federal student loans will not solve this fundamental price issue. Nor do they address other failures of our education system,
most notably in our public schools. But student loans do go a long way in helping Americans afford college. In fact, two-thirds of students borrow money to help pay their way through school. Student loans are particularly critical during recessions, when many more high school graduates need help to continue their education as their families struggle to make ends meet. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which recently passed the House of Representatives, will help ease the burden of college tuition for many young Americans and their families. The bill would end the federal government’s subsidizing of private lenders
students and federal loans by subsidizing private lenders is inefficient. The Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of SAFRA found that eliminating the middleman would save “an estimated $86.8 billion over the 2010-2019 period.” About half of these savings will then be used to increase Pell Grants. Currently the maximum Pell Grant is $5,350. If SAFRA passes, that amount will be $6,900 by 2019. In spite of all these benefits, SAFRA is not assured passage in Congress. There are two camps of opposition, one rooted in a philosophy of blanket rejection of the majority’s proposals and the other guarding parochial
The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act will help ease the burden of college tuition for many young Americans and their families. to deliver student loans. Switching to direct lending would save nearly $8 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. These savings would be used to invest in community colleges and early education programs and, most importantly, to increase student aid through larger Pell Grants. The economic crisis demonstrated the danger credit freezes pose to student loan availability. Congress bailed out lenders to keep student loans flowing when they couldn’t raise capital on their own. Robert Shireman, the deputy undersecretary of education, told the New York Times that SAFRA will “make sure that loans will be available regardless of the credit markets.” SAFRA will also save the federal government money. Inserting a middleman between
interests. Representative Michele Bachmann, RMinn., summarized the arguments of the first group in a blog post entitled “Government to Take Over All Student Loans.” She calls SAFRA “the public option for higher education.” Bachmann’s assertion makes no sense. If a public option were created in the health insurance industry, the government would offer insurance policies it currently does not. In the student loan industry, the government already provides money and backing. Instead of providing them directly to students, however, it doles out subsidies to private lenders. Bachmann’s faulty logic is indicative of the philosophy guiding much of the Republican opposition to this bill. Drawing links to health-
care legislation that don’t even exist is merely a tactic to kill SAFRA, not on its weaknesses, but by tapping into general discontent with government. Joining Bachmann in her opposition are lawmakers like Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who are blocking the bill to protect jobs in their states. Nelnet, one lender that would stand to lose business under SAFRA, is based in Lincoln, Neb., and employs roughly 1,000 people. It’s strange that someone trying to defeat SAFRA would even mention Nelnet, as Nelson has. A 2006 audit by the Department of Education’s Inspector General found Nelnet guilty of defrauding the government of at least $278 million. Sadly, lawmakers who stand to suffer personally from SAFRA’s passage — Nelnet is one of Nelson’s top campaign contributors — can’t be expected to support the bill, no matter how strong the arguments are in its favor. Perhaps even more dismaying, however, is the almost universal Republican opposition to the bill based not on policy but on politics. SAFRA does not represent a government takeover of the student loan industry. Instead, it represents an end to a corporate welfare policy that wastes money better spent expanding student aid. Seldom does Congress consider legislation as blatantly beneficial as SAFRA. Let’s hope some Senate Republicans recognize SAFRA’s merits. Prospective college graduates everywhere will stand to gain from the bill’s passage.
Dan Davidson ’11 is a political science and music concentrator from Atlanta, GA. He can be reached at daniel_davidson@brown.edu
Stand up for Dining Services SIMON LIEBLING Opinions Columnist Brown students could stand to learn a lot from their peers at the University of California. Across the UC campuses last week, thousands of students walked out of classes alongside faculty and staff to protest the tuition hikes, budget cuts, furloughs and firings imposed by the administration in response to the economic crisis. Students were driven to the streets by the threat of a $3,000 tuition hike. Professors said they joined the walkout to protest the academic impact of the budget cuts imposed by UC regents. But both stood in solidarity with the university employees’ strike called for the same day, refusing to cross the picket lines of staff members locked in a contentious contract dispute with the UC administration — the same administration that provoked the student and faculty outcry. “Our problems are connected,” one student organizer told the Daily Californian. “Our struggles have the same roots. ... Our solidarity cannot be cut.” The students at the University of California are discovering what our international contemporaries have known all along — that in times of economic difficulty administrators don’t turn to tuition hikes, firings and budget cuts because they must but because victimizing students, faculty and staff offers the path of least resistance. Students and faculty are rarely
adequately organized to mount a meaningful response, while staff are usually sufficiently estranged from the rest of the community that firing them doesn’t elicit much in the way of outrage from anyone else. What students, faculty and staff all have in common is that we’re easy targets for financial recrimination during a recession, which is the foundation for the unity exemplified by the UC walkouts. Even those students able to say that their university experience has not meaningfully changed over the last year — that is, those students sufficiently privi-
ate a contract set to expire on Oct. 12. The University administration is trying to force through terms that would make a significant percentage of Dining Services employees pay more out of paycheck for health care while excluding all future hires from the current retirement plan afforded to Dining Services employees. The union also expects the University to demand a wage freeze, even though wages over the previous contract term failed to keep up with inflation. The last time Dining Services contracts were up for negotiation in 2006, community
The administration seems eager to exploit the estrangement of Dining Services employees from the rest of the community. leged to be unconcerned about tuition hikes and inadequate financial aid packages — are driven to the coalition. They know that if they do not act, their disinterest and contentment empowers the University administration to victimize others, safe from any popular reaction. So even though we’re all fighting back against different administrative initiatives, the connection between those proposals impels a similarly unified response. Here at Brown, the opportunity to mount that response will come over the next week, as Brown Dining Services workers renegoti-
solidarity with Dining Services employees was ultimately critical in winning favorable terms for dining workers. Rallies in support of Dining Services drew hundreds of community members, while the city council passed a resolution admonishing the Brown administration to deal more fairly with its employees. About 100 BuDS student employees committed to honor Dining Services’ threat to strike over Parents’ Weekend, a possibility that proved embarrassing enough to compel the administration to capitulate. The ongoing negotiations have yet to re-
ceive even a fraction of the popular attention they saw in 2006, and this time the administration seems eager to exploit the estrangement of Dining Services employees from the rest of the community. That changes on Thursday at 4 p.m., when students, Dining Services workers and other community members will rally on the Main Green to demand that the Brown administration respect its employees’ rights to health care and a living wage. In the meantime, take a moment to resist the administration’s effort to keep its workers in the shadows and talk to one of the people who serve you food every day. Ask how they feel about their contracts and how the administration is treating them. And ask what it would mean to them to have you backing their efforts. The administration thinks that it can demand concessions from Dining Services workers because it believes it can treat them poorly with impunity, without any retaliation from the rest of the Brown community. We are all common victims of an administration that continues to put buildings before people because it faces no organized opposition to its priorities. Step up and support the Dining Services on Thursday to show our administration — as University of California students showed theirs — that the community is unified against their selfishness. Next time they won’t be so quick to demand concessions from the rest of us.
Simon Liebling ’12 is from New Jersey. He can be reached at simon.liebling@gmail.com
Today The Brown Daily Herald
3
Tufts outlaws third-wheel dorm sex
6
Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline
c a l e n da r tomorrow, october 1
12 pm — Fall Career Fair, Sayles Hall
2:30 PM — A Reading by Jen Bervin and Joshua Beckman, McCormack Family Theater
5:30 pm — Providence Latin American Film Festival, List Art Center
8 pm — Brown University Theatre Presents Tartuffe, Leeds Theatre
menu
Hippomaniac | Mat Becker
Sharpe Refectory
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Lunch — Cheese Enchiladas, Beef Tips with Curry, Polynesian Ratatouille
Lunch — Pulled Pork Sandwich, Grecian Zucchini Bake, Fresh Sliced Carrots
Dinner — Chicken Stir Fry, Macaroni and Cheese with Avocado, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Chives
Dinner — Sesame Chicken Strips with Mustard Sauce, Egg Foo Young, Sticky Rice
RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, September 30, 2009
c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Los Angeles Times Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Used a spade 4 “Look what I did!” 8 Accident 14 Fertility lab eggs 15 Baghdad’s country 16 Francia neighbor 17 *Evil Asian doctor in Sax Rohmer novels 19 Contaminates 20 Blow, as one’s lines 21 “There oughta be __” 23 South American mountain chain 24 Second largest planet 26 Scalawag 28 Seek damages 29 Category 30 Polish Nobelist Walesa 33 Workout aftereffects 36 “We’ll always have __”: Rick, to Ilsa, in “Casablanca” 38 “Get off the stage!” 39 Satisfied laugh 41 Transfers to a central computer 43 Whisperer’s target 44 Smooths, as wood 46 Wetlands bird 47 Compact __ 49 Sheet on the road, perhaps 50 Cartoonist’s frame 51 Like steamy prose 53 Ogden native 57 Alexander of “Seinfeld” 59 Truth stretcher 61 Daffy 62 Thunderstruck 64 Each answer to a starred clue is a type of this 66 Wall Street worker 67 Yemen coastal city 68 “__-Tiki” 69 Tijuana snooze 70 Lean to one side, at sea 71 Lay down the lawn
DOWN 1 Tips in a gentlemanly manner 2 Soft palate dangler 3 Full range 4 Main element in pewter 5 Mysterious 6 Wonka’s creator 7 Sea-life displays 8 Queens ballplayer 9 Violinist Stern 10 __ cord: chiropractor’s concern 11 *Scooter feature 12 Pot starter 13 Student’s permission slip 18 Maligning sort 22 *Tusked mammal 25 Deteriorates, as iron 27 Hop along happily 31 Programmer’s output 32 Emcee 33 Served perfectly 34 Indian spiced tea 35 *Trotter’s footwear item
36 *Eyebrow cosmetic applicator 37 Hard rain? 40 Café lightener 42 Dakota Native American 45 Point in math class? 48 Froggy chorus 50 Foiled villain’s shout 52 First stage
54 Pawns 55 Cold sufferer’s outburst 56 Incessantly 57 Setup punches 58 Prefix with culture 60 Bavaria-based automaker 63 Musical syllable 65 “The Closer” TV station
Live Longer Now! | Ricker, Seiden, Pruitt et al.
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Birdfish | Matthew Weiss
xwordeditor@aol.com
09/30/09
STW | Jingtao Huang
By Chuck Deodene (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
09/30/09
64 / 42
63 / 44
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
comics
Today, september 30
to m o r r o w
Popular artists not always the best
unleash the beasts
5
to day
Page 8