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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
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by GeorGe Miller
Metro editor
Under the shadow o the Craw-
ord Street Bridge in downtown
Providence, just eet rom where
a riend died earlier this month, a
ew homeless people are living in a
camp o three or our tents to raise
awareness o their plight.
And because there is saety
in numbers.
Though several organizations
operate shelters in the city a
ew within walking distance o
the tents many o the roughly
15 people here preer to sleep
outside.
Down here, I know the com-munity. I know the people, said
Ernest Alther, a Vietnam veteran
living here since Sunday, a day
ater the camp was set up.
The tent city is a project o
the Homeless Peoples Action
Committee, a group o homeless
and ormerly homeless people,
and receives support rom the
Brown student group, Housing
Opportunities or People Every-where, or HOPE. The camp,
www.browndailyherald.com 195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island [email protected]
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CHeCKiNG oUT
Funding issues have set up
a battle for the citys public
library system
Metro, 5
liberal sCieNCes
Nick Hagerty 10 thinks the
humanities are more PC
than science corses
Opinions, 11
inside
DailyHeraldthe Brown
vol. cxliv, no. 7 | Thursday, January 29, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
M B,
b by MiTra aNoUsHiravaNiSeniorStaffWriter
Brown ranks 12th on a new college-
ranking list published by U.S. News
and World Report, beating out two
ellow Ivies.
This single-variable list, released
online on Monday, uses yield the
percentage o students accepted that
enrolls at a college to determine
the most popular colleges, according
to Robert Morse, the director o data
research at the magazine.
Brown stands higher on U.S.
News new Most Popular Collegeslist than on its more established list o
the Best Colleges, on which it places
16th, behind all o its Ivy League coun-
terparts.
In U.S. News popularity ranking,
Browns 56 percent yield placed it
ahead o both Dartmouth and Cornell.
Harvard which saw 79 percent o
the students it admitted matriculate
topped the list. It also topped U.S.
News more prominent list in 2008.
This list shows how prized some
o these acceptances are, Morse
said, adding that the yield is a statis-
tic based mainly on student choice
and is thereore not a very strong
academic actor.Dean o Admissions James Mill-
er 73 said he did not give too much
weight to the list, characterizing it as a
silly survey that was not representa-
tive o much o anything.
But, he added, Any survey where
were among the best colleges in
the country Im delighted to be
there.
U.S. News stopped using yield as
one o the actors in its widely looked-
to Best Colleges list because it is not
a reliable statistic, Morse said.
Miller agreed yield was unreliable.
Im not saying anyone manipulated
it, but it can be easily manipulated,he said.
Morse also mentioned other prob-
lems with using yield to rank schools.
Religious schools such as Brigham
Young University and Yeshiva Univer-
sity ranked in the top ten on the Most
Popular Colleges list mainly because
they have a unique relationship with
their applicants, he said.
Yield or some schools, he said,
is impacted by early decision. It is
articially boosting the yield.
Military academies also have very
high yields because o their lengthy
application processes and ree tuition.
State and public schools rank high
because they are cheaper and closer
to home or most students, Morse
said. In the current economic climate,
more public schools will make the
list simply because students cannot
aord out-o-state or private colleges,
he added.
Mz
by CHrisTiaN MarTell
StaffWriter
Sarah Kay 10 considers hersel
an adventurous traveler, but even
she couldnt have imag-
ined the experiences she
would have in Prague,
which included getting to know lo-
cal artists and meeting a man who
made wooden marionettes.
And now Kay will have the
chance to share the stories she
picked up while studying abroad
last all, thanks to National Geo-
graphics Glimpse Magazine.
Started by Nick Fitzhugh 02 in
2000, the print and online magazine
oers rsthand accounts o young
people living abroad.
In the spring o 2007,
Glimpse moved rom its
original Pawtucket oce to its cur-
rent Washington, D.C. location in
National Geographics headquar-
ters, said Glimpse Editor-in-Chie
Cortesy of Sarah Kay
A giant pillow fight broke ot in Old Town Sqare in Prage.
? bby eTieNNe Ma
StaffWriter
The sideline is nothing new to
Coach Jesse Agel.
With 20 years o experience
coaching Division I mens bas-
ketball two years under his
belt as an assistant at Brown and17 years at the University o Ver-
mont and multiple
NCAA tournament ap-
pearances to show or
it, Agel has much to draw rom in
his rst year as head coach.
Having worked with his play-
ers or two years under the pre-
vious head coach (and now rst
brother-in-law) Craig Robinson,
Agel was ready to hit the court
running in his new role.
The transition has been very
smooth, he said, adding that his
players have done a great job.
They have a tremendous will-
ingness to learn and a great desire
to be successul, Agel said. So
that has enabled everything to
work very smoothly or us.
The respect was mutual,
as each o the teams captains
praised their new coach.
Hes done a phenomenal
job so ar, said tri-captain Chris
Skrelja 09. Its always tough to
transition into a new system
new plays, new assistant coaches
but hes been doing a great
job.
Im just upset that its my
last year here, and that I wonthave more years to succeed in
his system, Skrelja
added.
Coming into the
season, Agel had a number o
goals or the team as well as
changes he wanted to eect.
One goal was to win the Ivy
League championship, regard-
less o what the Bears chances
looked like at the beginning o
the season.
You have to shoot or the
top, he said. That certainly is
our goal, and will be our goal ev-
ery year.
The Bears have a 6-10 record
overall, including an 0-2 mark in
the Ivy League ater back-to-back
losses to Yale.
But his oremost concern is to
continued onpage 3continued onpage 7
George Miller / Herald
Nearly 15 homeless locals have set p a tent city nder the Crawford Street Bridge downtown.
A ,
continued onpage 6
sPorTs
by MiTra aNoUsHiravaNi
SeniorStaffWriter
President Barack Obama announced
more than a dozen key appointees
Wednesday to a top executive branch
oce among them three Brown
alumni.
Norman Eisen 85, Karen Dunn
97 and Katherine Shaw 01 were
named to the Oce o the White
House Counsel, which is respon-
sible or providing legal advice to
the President.Eisen, a classmate o Obamas at
Harvard Law School, was appointed
Special Counsel to the President
or Ethics and Government Reorm,
a position rom which he will help
advance the Presidents agenda
to change Washington politics. A
philosophy concentrator at Brown,
Eisen was a partner at Zuckerman
Spaeder LLP, a D.C. law rm, and
most recently held the position o
Deputy General Counsel to the Tran-
sition, where he served as lead eth-
ics advisor. Eisen is also a co-ounder
o the good-government watchdog
group Citizens or Responsibility
and Ethics in Washington.Dunn, a political science con-
b 3
continued onpage 3
FeaTUre
post- is a naughty girl witha bad habit, and babyweve got a brand newbag
Inside
-
8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
2/12
sudoku
Stephen DeLucia, President
Michael Bechek, Vice President
Jonathan Spector, Treasurer
Aleander Hughes, Secretary
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serv-ing the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Mondaythrough Friday during the academic year, ecluding vacations, once duringCommencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown DailyHerald, Inc. POSTMASTERplease send corrections to P.O. Bo 2538, Provi-dence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Oces are locatedat 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail [email protected] 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.
et Phn: 401.351.3372 | bun Phn: 401.351.3260
DailyHeraldthe Brown
THE BROWN DAILY HERALDPAGE 2 THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009
CAMS wS We dont want to seem like a bnch of kids coming offthe hill and being charitable. Raisa Aziz 11
F ISDby briaN MasTroiaNNiSeniorStaffWriter
Beore winter break, Caitrin Wat-
son 13 had a 13-hour cram session
with her riends or an introductory
art history course. But Watson was
not taking the same popular art
class taught here, and her riends
were students at the Rhode Island
School o Design not Brown.
Watson is one o the 13 students
currently enrolled in the pilot
Brown-RISD dual degree program.
Now in her second semester at
RISD, Watson plans to combine
her love o art and academics in
the ve-year program that will al-
low her to graduate with degrees
rom both schools.
Art is my passion, but I have
also always done well in academ-
ics, Watson said. This is the per-ect program or me.
As the dual degree program
between Brown and RISD enters
its second semester, students said
it has been both successul and
challenging.
Through the dual degree pro-
gram, students live at RISD during
their rst year o college, and at
Brown in their second year. Ater
their rst two years, students can
live at either school, and have the
option o living o campus in their
last two years.
Currently, all o the dual degree
students live in the same residence
hall at RISD, helping them bond,
said Beth Soucy 13, another stu-
dent in the program.
We have all become really
close this year, Soucy said.
But she admitted she didnt eelas connected to the college she will
live at next year. I wish we had
more interaction with the students
on Browns campus, she said.
For this rst class o dual de-
gree students, the transition to
RISDs rigorous course load has
been intimidating. Students oten
spend entire days working in the
rst-year studio oundation class-
es, working on their own projects
while observing others work and
taking ew breaks, Soucy said.
But they had been warned. At
the RISD orientation last all the
students had been told that they
could expect to get little sleep in
their rst year, Soucy said.
At Brown, the students will
S f bby alexaNdra UlMer
StaffWriter
Four Brown students are launching
Providences rst micronance bank
in Olneyville next month to give
loans to poor entrepreneurs and
to immigrants looking to become
permanent residents and citizens.
Mollie West 09, Andy Posner GS,
Raisa Aziz 11 and Nabeel Gillani 12
started the Capital Good Fund proj-
ect last month in the predominantlylow-income, Hispanic community o
Olneyville. The neighborhood, one
o the citys oldest, is located near
Federal Hill.
In the absence o a micronance
bank in the area, many entrepre-
neurs were turning towards loan
sharks who werent really ocused
on advancing social good, Gillani
said.
The project assumes that people
have the skills they need to get out
o poverty but need the capital,
Posner added.
Stressing the need to respect
eisting community networks, the
students held discussion sessions in
Spanish or Olneyville residents and
worked with local organizations to
learn about the amilies needs.
Participants in the groups voiced
entrepreneurial ideas such as creat-
ing day-care centers, selling booksin Spanish and starting a print de-
sign company.
We ound that there was a huge
demand or banking services or the
working poor, West said.
To nance the idea, the students
wrote grant appeals and contacted
similar banks at Harvard, Yale and
Rutgers University. The project
received $5,000 rom the Swearer
Centers Social Innovation Initia-
tive, $2,000 rom the Clinton Global
Initiative and $3,000 rom private
contributions.
The students goal is to make
the project sel-sucient and com-
pletely integrated into the Olneyville
community, Aziz said.
We dont want to seem like a
bunch o kids coming o the hill and
being charitable, she said.
Initially, the pilot project, which
will run rom Februar y to October,plans to oer two or three $2,000
loans or small businesses and ve
$900 loans to cover application ees
or permanent residency and citizen-
ship. Many actors will be examined
beore the loans are given out, such
as likelihood o achieving citizenship
or character recommendations.
Qinn Savit / Herald
For stdents (left to right), Raisa Aziz 11, Mollie West 09, Andy Posner GS and Nabeel Gillani 12 plan to
start a microfinance bank in Olneyville.
continued onpage 3
continued onpage 3
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CAMS wSTHuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PAGE 3
Kerala Taylor 02. Though Taylor
and Fitzhugh rst presented theiridea to National Geographic in
2002, it took almost ve years to
make the original magazine and
Web site part o National Geograph-
ic, Taylor said.
The rst our years were spent
bartending, she added, and try-
ing to urther establish the maga-
zine.
In the all o 2008, Fitzhugh and
Taylor launched the National Geo-
graphic Correspondents Program,
Taylor said. Kay was one o eight
correspondents chosen to partici-
pate in the pilot program.
In order to receive the $600stipend and the chance to be pub-
lished in the print magazine, cor-
respondents must complete two
stories in video, photo or written
orm, as well as a written eature
on a resident o the region and 20
tips or uture travelers to the area,
Taylor said.
The purpose behind the pro-
gram was so that Glimpse would
have an elite group o writers that
would produce high-quality con-
tent or the print magazine, Taylor
said.
Though the program may have
given Glimpse ready-to-publish
writers, Proessor Emeritus o En-gineering Barrett Hazeltine said
the magazine was proessional rom
its start as an independent study
project he oversaw in 2000.
Glimpse started o with high-
class content provided by students
not just rom Brown, but rom other
nearby colleges, Hazeltine said.
Im proud Nick was able to merge
Glimpse with National Geographic
as early as he did.
That National Geographic seal
o approval was key to Kays insider
look into a oreign land.
Being a National Geographic
correspondent was like having an
all-access pass (to the Czech Re-
public), Kay said.
While in Prague, Kay realized
how nice and helpul Czech people
could be. That is, ater they de-
cided they liked and could trust
you, she said.
The best thing about the pro-
gram was that the National Geo-graphic name gave you legitimacy,
but by not being a big-time journal-
ist, people didnt reak out around
me, Kay said. I probably just
seemed like a naive and impres-
sionable American girl to them.
This accessibility to people
abroad is what she liked best about
the program and what led her to
her wildest adventure the pur-
suit o a rock that some claim is
Supermans Kryptonite.
My mom is kind o a rock en-
thusiast and told me about a certain
rock that can only be ound in the
Czech Republic, Kay said.
Bits o a meteorite that hit Ger-
many years ago merged with the
Earth to orm the green-colored
rock, moldavite, Kay said. It eventu-
ally traveled by river to the Czech
Republic, now the only place it can
be ound.
When Kay set out to look or
the rock, which some believe holds
metaphysical powers, she met an
entire village and ound hersel ask-
ing its inhabitants whether people
made the connection between mal-
dovite and Superman.
No, thats a made-up stor y,
was the only reply she received,
but that made-up story will reach a
world o readers through Glimpses
pages.
Cortesy of Sarah KaySarah Kay 10 stdied abroad in the Czech Repblic and will write abother experiences for National Geographics Glimpse magazine.
continued frompage 1
encounter less rigid degree re-
quirements. We only have to take
roughly 16 classes at Brown or our
degree, which is denitely not as
stringent as our requirements at
RISD, said Alison Rutsch 13.
Though it may be dicult to
balance the dierent course loads
at their two colleges, the dual de-
gree students are capable o ris-
ing to the challenge, said Joanne
Stryker, dean o oundation studies
at RISD.
These students are real pio-
neers, she said. As a group, theyare great they certainly have
their act together.
Stryker, a member o the Brown-
RISD Dual Degree Oversight Com-
mittee, comprised o both adminis-
trators rom both schools, said the
committee is keeping a close eye
on things. We are always tweaking
things, she said. Were always
looking or aspects o the program
to improve and r eview.
Stryker said she thinks the
greatest challenge acing the stu-
dents is to be able to eel a part o
both schools, as opposed to just
one or the other.For Rutsch, part o the chal-
lenge is getting used to the di-
erent environments on each cam-
pus and the contrast between the
teaching styles o Brown and RISD
proessors, she said.
At RISD, everything is much
more interactive, in studio classes
you are moving around the room
and looking at the work produced
in other classes, she said. At the
Brown reshman seminar that I
took, the classroom environment
was more reserved it was a com-
pletely dierent atmosphere.
Though some o the dual de-gree students have already en-
rolled in classes at Brown, they
will begin the majority o their
studies here net year when they
live at Brown.
As or the dual-degree class o
2014, selections will begin shortly,
Dean o Admissions James Miller
73 wrote in an e-mail to The Her-
ald. The committee waits to see
which candidates were admitted to
both schools independently, then
makes its selections rom that
group, Miller wrote.
For Miller, the continued
growth o the program is indica-tive o Browns need to evolve con-
stantly. This program is clearly
on the continuum o academic in-
novation that has characterized
Brown throughout its history, he
wrote.
Though she oten has to sacri-
ce sleep and her social lie to keep
up with her work, Watsons aith
in the program remains unshaken,
she said.
I will walk away with a degree
rom two great universities I
dont want anything other than
that, she said.
B B, ISD
continued frompage 2
Mz G
centrator in her undergraduate
years, will serve as an AssociateCounsel to the President. She pre-
viously worked on the Obama or
America campaign as the deputy to
Chie Strategist David Axelrod and
clerked or Supreme Court Justice
Stephen Breyer. She graduated
rom Yale Law School.
Shaw will also serve as an As-
sociate Counsel to the President.
She also worked on Obamas tran-
sition team and was a law clerk or
Supreme Court Justice John Paul
Stevens. Ater earning her Browndegree in gender studies and re-
ligious studies, Shaw went on to
Northwestern University School
o Law, where she was editor-in-
chie o the Northwestern Law
Review.
None o the appointees were
successully reached or com-
ment.
Alums ead to wite house
continued frompage 1
Clients who have been selected
or the pilot project will obtain
their loans in mid-March. They
will attend bi-weekly meetings
and receive training in business
skills.
Youre basically hand-held
throughout the project, Aziz said.
The second type o loan per-
mits clients to apply or a change
in their legal status, helping in-
crease their sense o belonging,
access to jobs and eligibility or
welare.
Its a very dierent, innova-
tive use o micronance, Aziz
added.I the plan is successul, the
bank will be sel-sucient and
oriented toward environmental
sustainability in ve years, said
Posner, who is writing his thesis
on green micronance.
The students said they became
interested in the subject ater read-
ing Nobel Prize winner Muham-
mad Yunus books and studying
and working or microinance
banks abroad.Gillani said the models they
studied helped the group decide
to ocus on individual loans rather
than the group lending model.
Alan Harlam, the director o
social entrepreneurship at the
Swearer Center, who has advised
the group since the beginning,
praised the students or their
extensive research on micro-
nance.
The (Capital Good Fund)team
has created their model to lever-
age the relationships and cred-
ibility o their community part-
ners, he wrote in an e-mail to The
Herald.The group said it will le or
nonprot status in March and
hopes to receive it in October,
beore giving out a new batch o
loans in November.
Aziz said she was excited or
the launch o the bank.
The our o us are pretty much
giving our lives to it, she said. It
consumes us.
Mf
continued frompage 2
I probably jst seemed like a naive and impressionableAmerican girl to them. Sarah Kay 10.
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THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009THE BROWN DAILY HERALDPAGE 4
CAMS wSB- by sHaNNoN obrieN
Contributing Writer
Students dreaming o riding a bike
around campus need wait no longer,
thanks to a new bike-sharing service
slated to begin soon.
The Brown Outing Club plans to
launch Bikes@Brown, a bike shar-
ing service with seven bicycles, in
early March.
The service, unded using let-
over money rom the clubs budget
rom last semester, will be based
in the old Undergraduate Finance
Board room in lower Faunce House,
said Carly Sie 09, who is in charge
o the program along with MichaelTeshima 11.
Brown students will be able to
borrow a bike, along with a lock and
key, or up to two days ater provid-
ing a $20 deposit and their student
ID number. When they return the
bike, theyll get the deposit back.
Students must pay a $5 ee, which
will be used or bike maintenance,
to participate in the program.
The oce in lower Faunce will be
open or one hour each day, Monday
through Friday.
Freshman year, I was sort o
shocked that it wasnt here, because
I eel like it really complements
everything Brown is about, Sie
said.
The outing club tried to create a
bike-sharing program last year, butit ailed because the club wasnt as
committed to the idea as it is now,
Sie said, adding that it couldnt nd
a space or the bikes.
The club made proposals to both
the Student Activities Oce and the
Undergraduate Finance Board last
year, but neither was approved, The
Herald reported in October.
Sie said she has received a lot o
positive reaction about the program
rom students and aculty alike.
With seven bicycles, the program
will start out small, but Teshima
hopes it will grow and we can e-
pand (its) hours and accessibility.The organization plans to eventually
have bikes available at the Sciences
and Rockeeller libraries so students
can check one out with a librarian
at any hour o the day.
I theyre famboyant, like, sick
bikes, people will notice them and be
like, Hey, I want one too, said Ariel
Shecter 10, a member o the Out-
ing Club. The bikes will be teal and
pink, ollowing the custom o most
bike-sharing programs, which use
signature colors both to publicize
their programs and prevent thet,
according to club members.
Bikes@Brown will try to become
independent o the outing club
sometime net year, Teshima said,
adding that the club also plans to
petition UFB or additional unding
or Bikes@Brown net week.
In March or April, Bikes@Brown
plans to launch a student-run main-
tenance shop where anyone with a
Brown ID can get a bike xed. Also
in the works are training sessions
on bike maintenance that would be
open to both potential maintenanceshop volunteers and students who
just want to know how to x their
bikes.
Some students said they were
ecited about the program.
Thats a service I would de-
nitely use, and more so because its
organized by Brown students, said
Ian Gray 12.
Others, like Frankie Nuzzo 09,
thought the program would be suc-
cessul even though he wouldnt take
advantage o it.Im not really a bike rider, he
said. But i I was a reshman or a
sophomore, I might have used it.
Frederic L / Herald
Memebers of the Brown Oting Clb Bike Co-op (L to R): Bao Ngyen12, Rokinto Abobacar 09, Michael Teshima 11 and Carly Sieff 09.
Fcut uffUCs n p-q
news inbrief
Members of the un-
dergradate Concil of
Stdents exective board
met with the Faclty Exec-
tive Committee Tesday to
present a proposal for halt-
ing Banners enforcement
of prereqisites. Bt at
Wednesday nights meeting
the general body learned of
the FECs rejection of the
reqest.
In a letter to Academic
and Administrative Affairs
Chair Tyler Rosenbam 11
and President Brian Becker
09, FEC Chair and Chair
of the Faclty James Dreierwrote the FEC does not
spport removing Banners
enforcement of prereqi-
sites We think instrctors
shold be able to have en-
forced prereqisites if they
want to.
After the meeting Rosen-
bam told The Herald It
was disappointing to me
not entirely nexpected.
I kind of wished I cold
have known how mch sp-
port there was among the
faclty, he added, noting
that he did not know if the
FEC rejected the uCS re-
qest overwhelmingly or if
a significant minority sp-
ported it. Were not jst
going to back down becase
weve experienced adver-
sity, he said.
The next committee
meeting of the Academic
and Administrative Affairs
Committee will be open to
the pblic and will concern
response to the FEC deci-
sion.
uCS also filled an at-large
vacancy on the undergrad-
ate Finance Board as well aselecting a uCS-uFB liaison
Wednesday night.
Benjamin Schrank 11
was elected from among
ten candidates as an at-
large member of the board.
Schrank told the concil
that he considered uFB
the lifeblood of stdent
activities here at brown.
Concil members pointed
to Schranks experience as
financial signatory for the
mock trial team and the
Brown Contemporary dr-
ing deliberation.
Rosenbam, a Herald
opinions colmnist, beat ot
fellow uCS members Brady
Wyrtzen 11 and Lcy Wang
12 to be elected uCS-uFB
liason. He told the con-
cil that he believes there
have been past instances
in which uCS did receive as
mch fnding as it shold,
and that on uFB he wold
vote for uCS interests.
I do my own taxes, he
added.
Ben Schreckinger
It really complements everything Brown is abot. Carly Sieff 09, on a bike-sharing program.
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MetroThe Brown Daily Herald
THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009 | PAGE 5
The city called for this. Tonia Mason, spokeswoman for the Providence Pblic Library.
F b b by laUreN Fedor
SeniorStaffWriter
The Providence Public Library sys-
tem, a private, nonprot organiza-
tion which serves nearly 75,000 reg-
istered borrowers, may be orced
to alter its operating strategies or
the coming year.
With an estimated budget decit
o $1.4 million, the librarys sta
and board o trustees have pre-
sented a proposal to the city that
would close ve o the librarys nine
neighborhood branches. But the
proposal aces resistance rom the
Providence Community Library, a
recently ormed nonprot seekingto take over all the neighborhood
locations.
The librarys board approved the
proposal on Dec. 18, according to
the PPL Web site.
The public librarys proposal
also calls or scaling back und-
ing or the Central Library the
large, downtown branch on Empire
Street and converting the ve
closed branches to city- or commu-
nity-owned neighborhood learn-
ing centers. Such centers would
maintain community activities, such
as ater-school programs, and the
system would be willing to donate
the buildings, content and supportservices, said Tonia Mason, direc-
tor o marketing and communica-
tion or the PPL.
But these buildings would not
operate as library buildings, Ma-
son said, because we would not
be able to sta them. At least 80
percent o operating costs go to
stang, she added.
The systems Olneyville, Wan-
skuck, Fox Point, Washington Park
and Smith Hill branches are acing
closings.
Mason said the librarys propos-al attempts to create a sustainable
or a ordable system.
There have been continuing,
growing gaps in the amount o und-
ing we receive versus what we actu-
ally need to run the system, she
said, adding that the librarys board
had agreed to und this years bud-
get gap while the library continues
its planning process with the city.
This is an ongoing process rom
the librarys perspective, Mason
said. The city called or this.
The library anticipates local gov-
ernment leaders to reach decisions
about the library as soon as March,she added.
Possible choices or the city, Ma-
son said, include postponing the
deadline or taking action, decid-
ing to und the librar ys anticipated
budget gap or next year or accept-
ing the boards sustainable system
proposal. She said the city could opt
to incorporate the library system
into a city department or even und
a third party to run the system.
The Providence Community
Library, meanwhile, seeks to gain
control o the library systems nine
local branches, while allowing the
PPL to maintain ownership o the
Central Library.In an opinion column in the
Providence Journal this month,
PCL President Marcus Mitchell
criticized the librarys sustainabil-
ity plan. The plan to close the ve
neighborhood branches, he wrote,
was neither necessary nor accept-
able.
Mitchell presented PCLs plans
or budget adjustments includ-
ing hiring ewer administrators and
engaging in more robust undrais-
ing and urged the city to end its
relationship with the PPL.City Council President Peter
Mancini said council members plan
to meet with Mayor David Cicilline
83 and other city ocials to exam-
ine the proposals o both the PPL
and the PCL. He said the meeting
will likely be held net month.
The PCLs proposal to take over
the nine neighborhood branches
sounds really good, Mancini said,
but there are details o the plan
especially undraising strategies
that must be eamined beore a
decision is made. We need to get
together and see i we can make
this work, he said.It is extremely important to
many o the city council members
to ensure that the local branches
stay open, Mancini said. Moreover,
it is not likely that the city will
take over the library branches, he
added.
As o Wednesday aternoon, the
PCLs online petition asking the city
to transer unds rom the PPL to
the PCL had more than 300 signa-
tures. The PCL held a public orum
Wednesday night at Knight Memo-
rial Library on Elmwood Avenue.
The organizations next com-
munity meeting will be held at the
South Providence Library on Feb.3.
Janine Cheng / Herald
The Providence Pblic Librarys bdget deficit may mean the closing offive of its nine neighborhood branches.
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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
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consisting o a ew tents, a couple
o lanterns and boxes o supplies,
is sandwiched between two roads.
A well-worn track o packed-down
snow leads down to the camp rom
the street, trodden down by well-
wishers and members o the me-
dia.
Roland Colpitts, a middle-aged
man wearing two coats and a white,
knitted cap, said the camp should be
a last alternative ater the shelters.
But or those who dont stay in the
shelters, its best to s tick together.We wanted to get together so
another one o us doesnt have to
die alone, Colpitts said.
Earlier this month, Paul Langlois
died under this very bridge. His
bedroll still lies here, undisturbed,
steps away rom the tents. A ser-
vice held Wednesday morning at
Benecent Church on Weybosset
Street honored him and 30 other
homeless people who died over the
last year.
To avoid another death, Colpitts
said, he and others have been mak-
ing rounds to places where other
homeless people sleep places he
says the police dont know to check.
Theyve had some luck getting some
to go to shelters, and those who
wont go to shelters sometimes
come join them in the tents.
Colpitts said residents o the tent
city take shits keeping watch over
one another.
Your backpack is your lie, he
said. You dont want to wake up
and nd its not there.
Many tent city dwellers say they
are ed up with shelter services
some or personal reasons, such as
dislike o crowds, others because
they have been barred rom shel-
ters beore.
Barbara Ferrara, who has beenstaying at the tent city since Satur-
day, said she cant stand the ghts
and drugs she ran into at shelters.
She said she was banned rom shel-
ters ater she let to rent an apart-
ment with roommates only to
be back out on the streets ater her
roommates were evicted.
Anne Nolan, president o Cross-
roads Rhode Island, an organization
that runs emergency shelters, said
that though occasionally, people
are barred or behavioral inrac-
tions or saety violations, nobody is
ecluded during bad weather.
We will not leave somebody
out in the cold in the winter, shesaid.
Meghna Philip 11, a member o
HOPE, does outreach or the tent
city, bringing ood and publicity.
She said the group wants to see
unding restored to programs such
as the Neighborhood Opportunities
Program, which provided unds or
construction and rent subsidies.
That program, and others, were re-
cently cut as Rhode Island struggles
to balance its budget.
HOPE plans to lobby the state or
a change to the program assuranc-
es, agreements between the stateand shelters run by Crossroads and
the Urban League o Rhode Island,
Philip says. The assurances, which
determine how shelters are run and
allow or complaints, are vague and
not enorced, she said.
Megan Smith 10, another mem-
ber o HOPE who volunteers at the
tent city, said she wants to see the
local government take more ac-
tion.
The city and the state have ab-
dicated their responsibility, she
said, adding that the city o Warwick
has adopted a 10-year-plan to endhomelessness. Wed like Provi-
dence to have the same oresight,
she said.
Meanwhile, the tent city has
received plenty o attention rom
newspapers, radio and television.
People have brought ood, blankets,
brand-new backpacks and tents. The
police have also been cooperative.
And Colpitts said he is not wor-
ried about ice and snow. He plans
to stay under the bridge or as long
as he needs to, until we can get
something done.
Ive woken up under a oot osnow beore, he said.
THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009THE BROWN DAILY HERALDPAGE 6
M We wanted to get together so another one of s doesnt have to die alone. Roland Colpitts, a homeless resident of the tent city nder a bridge b, b ,
continued frompage 1
George Miller / Herald
Many tent city dwellers say they wold rather sleep otside than in the shelters.
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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
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SportshursdayTHuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009 | Page 7
The Brown Daily Herald
Spot weeke wp-pby KaTie Wood
aSSiStantSportS editor
The Bears were well representedon the road last weekend, tak-
ing on teams rom all over New
England.
W. tnn
The womens tennis team
pulled out a tight 4-3 win over
Boston University on Sunday a-
ternoon. The match came down to
the winner o the doubles point as
each team split its singles match-
es, 3-3. At number one doubles,
Bianca Aboubakare 11 and Sara
Mansur 09 put together an 8-6
win. At number three, Kathrin
Sorokko 10 and Emily Ellis 10
ell 6-8 shortly ater the conclu-sion o the number one game.
Cassandra Herzberg 12 and
Marisa Schoneld 11 won a close
9-8 (4) decision to claim the deci-
sive doubles point or the team.
Aboubakare and Herzberg pro-
vided two key wins or the Bears
in singles at number one and two.
The Bears will look to continue
their success in the new year with
two home matches against Army
on Sat. at 11 a.m. and Bualo on
Sun. at 10 a.m.
M. wmmng n ng
Harvard remained undeeated
on the year as the mens swim-
ming and diving team dropped a169-119 decision to Brown on Sat-
urday. Daniel Ricketts 09 swam
to three victories on the day or
the Bears in the 50 ree (21.10
seconds), the 100 ree (46.37),
and the 100 fy (50.30). Conor
Carlucci 11 ollowed Ricketts or
second (51.99) in the 100 fy, com-
bining or a solid one-two punch in
the event. Carlucci also notched a
second-place nish or the Bears
in the 100 back (54.99). J.D. Pinto
10 led the way or Brown in the
200 back (1:53.81), recording
one o ve rst place nishes in
the meet. The Bears closed outthe meet strong, winning two o
the nal events. Ryan Kikuchi
11 won the 400 IM (4:04.62) and
the 200 ree relay team o David
Koweek 09, James Hunter 12,
Richard Alexander 09 and Car-
lucci nished o the meet also
with a win (1:27.44).
W. wmmng n ng
The Crimson also prevailed
over the womens swimming
and diving team as the Bears ell
M. tck n fMatt Jasmin 09 contined to excel in the 55-meter hr-
dles for the mens track and field team at the Boston
university Terrier Invitational, a meet which also saw
several strong performances in the field for Brown.
Tp Pfm
Jasmin: 55-meter hrdles, 7.70 s, 3rd place
Bryan Powlen 09: Shot Pt, 15.82m, 5th
Andrew Chapin 10: Triple Jmp, 14.15m, 6th
Jordan Maddocks 11: High Jmp, 1.89m, 6th
Wmn tck n fBrynn Smith 11 and Nicole Brns 09 led a solid effort
for Brown at the Terrier Invitational, with Smith post-ing a second-place finish in the shot pt, while Brns
trned in an impressive race in the 500-meter rn.
Tp Pfm
Smith: Shot Pt, 14.71m, 2nd
Brns: 500m, 1:13.92, 3rd
Danielle Grnloh 10: Shot Pt, 14.03m, 4th
Thelma Breezeatl 10: 55m, 7.19, 5th
Rachel Biblo 11: Triple Jmp, 11.40m, 7th
Mn fncngBrown went 5-1 as a team at the Northeastern Fenc-
ing Conference in the OMAC on Satrday, led by solid
performances from the foil and saber sqads. The team
defeated Tfts, Vassar, Dartmoth, Boston College, and
MIT, while losing to Brandeis.
Tp Pfm
Adam Pantel 10: 16-1 in foil
Jonathan Y 11: 15-3 in foil
Peter Tyson 12: 12-6 in saber
Wmn fncngThe womens foil sqad went 5-2 at the NFC, also de to
strong performances in foil and saber.
Tp Pfm
Linda Zhang 10: 7-1 in foil
Francesca Bartholomew 11: 12-3 in foil
Christina Salvatore 09: 14-7 in epee
Randy Alevi 10: 12-2 in saber
Compiled by Benjy Asher, Sports Editor
rcp th num
continued onpage 8
make the mens basketball programconsistently strong, rather than reli-
ant upon incoming and outgoing play-
ers. He plans to develop players who
do not have sucient experience or
eposure and put them in a position
to succeed.
Still, Agel said there is work to
be done.
Were a work in progress, he
said. We dont have all the pieces we
need to play the style that I oresee
us playing in the uture.
Tri-captain Scott Friske 09 echoed
Agel on player development. Our
teams not very deep, he said.
We have our guys in the top 10 inthe league in most minutes played,
Friske said, reerring to the teams
lack o support rom the bench.
The loss o All-Ivy players Damon
Human 08 and Mark McAndrew
08, two o the top scorers in Brown
history, last year hasnt make the
transition to a new coach any easier,
Friske said.
Another change has been the
complete re-vamping o the assistant
sta, with new assistant coaches La-
mar Barrett, T.J. Sorrentine and Kyle
Cieaplicki. Sorrentine and Cieaplicki
are ormer players o Agels rom
Vermont and have experience in the
NCAA tournament.Having the younger coaches re-
ally benets us, because they can
relate to us, tri-captain Peter Sul-
livan 11 said.
Because theyve been in the
NCAA tournament, you respect what
they say that much more, Skrelja
added.
Under Agel, the team has switchedrom Robinsons Princeton oense
which involved back-door cuts and
more perimeter play to a high-low
oense, where the players rst look
is inside at the post beore the ball
returns to the perimeter. With more
reedom in the oense, players have
room to be creative and use their
talents to be successul.
The new oense suits the team
much better, Sullivan said.
On the deensive end, the Bears
now use a man-to-man deense that
makes opponents uncomortable,
instead o the zone deense that they
had used under Robinson, Skreljasaid.
Because the teams style has
changed so much, so too have the
practices.
One o the most welcome chang-
es has been the rescheduling o 5:30
a.m. practices to the aternoon.
Those were rough, Skrelja con-
essed with a laugh.
My philosophy about practice is
you want to keep it resh, Agel said.
You want to be in a positive work
environment, (where) people tend
to do their best.
But while the same reedom
aorded to them in games is also
allowed in practice, the aternoon ses-
sions have still been really intense,
really stressing a lot o deense,
Skrelja said.
Even so, Sullivan said, You enjoy
playing basketball, rather than prac-
tice being a chore and you wake up
ecited to practice.
Agel wants the Bears to be known
as the team in the Ivy League thatworks the hardest, Sullivan said.
He wants us to be a real physi-
cal team he always wants us to
play hard, Sullivan said. He always
stresses playing harder than our op-
ponents always be the rst guy on
the ground or the loose ball.
Last season, which saw the Bears
nish second in the Ivy League, set
the bar high or this years team.
But the sub-.500 record, the cap-
tains agree, is not refective o the
progress the team has made. In
non-conerence play, Brown aced
up with teams like Virginia, North-
western, George Mason, Holy Crossand Providence tough teams that
are expected to beat us, Sullivan
said.
Our record may not show the
strides that were making this year
just because were playing some
tough teams, he said.
From Agels perspective, the si
wins are signicant the ourth-
highest non-conerence win total in
the history o the program. Things
dont get easier immediately as the
Bears ready themselves or nearly
a month without a home game, but
Agel thinks the hostile road environ-
ments will benet the team in the
long term.Its a good place to go to grow
up, Agel said. We play in ront o
the (opposing) teams ans.
I you want to be champions, you
have to be able to win both home and
away, he said.
A, . continued frompage 1
Jn Th H!Info sessions at 195 Angell St.
Mn, Fu 2 @ 8 p.m.Thu, Fu 5 @ 8 p.m.sun, Fu 8 @ 8 p.m.
Reporting, photography, bsiness,design, opinions and more!
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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
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THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009THE BROWN DAILY HERALDPAGE 8
SSwkD
199.5-99.5. Allyson Schumacher
12 tallied the Bears rst vic-
tory on the day in the 200 ree
(1:52.09). Candice Sisouvanvi-
eng-Kim 11 swam a 24.21 in the
50 ree to notch the second win
or the team. The ree proved to
be a strong event or Brown, as
Kristen Caldarella 12 claimed
the 100 ree title (53.36). Kelley
Wisinger 11 notched the nal
victory in the pool or the Bears,
as she led her team to a one-two
sweep in the 200 back (2:07.44) as
Sage Erskine 11 ollowed closelybehind in second (2:09.76). Sisou-
vanvieng-Kim, Caldarella, Susan-
nah Ford 10 and Schumacher led
the way or Brown in the relays as
the team combined or a second-
place nish in the 200 ree relay
(1:39.02).
M. quh
The no. 14 mens squash team
came away with their third con-
secutive victory as they handed
Bowdoin an 8-1 deeat. Adrian
Leanza 11 began the day or the
Bears with a solid 3-0 win at num-
ber one, helping the team gain
the momentum it carried into the
remainder o the match. Adam
Greenberg 10 at number three,Brad Thompson 12 at number
our, Patrick Davis 10 at number
ve, Tucker Bryan 12 at num-
ber seven and Brett Camarda
09 at number nine ollowed up
Leanzas perormance with ve
3-0 decisions o their own. The
Bears will look to continue their
success on into their Ivy League
match-up with Dartmouth on
Saturday.
W. quh
The no. 10 womens squash
team equaled the men in their
perormance, deeating Bowdoin8-1 or their third straight victory.
Charlotte Steel 09 catapulted the
Bears to a strong showing on the
day with a 3-0 win at number one.
Breck Haynes 09 lost a hard-
ought ve-game match, alling
3-2. Ater the close loss, Brown
did not turn back and won the
net seven matches. Kali Schel-
lenberg 10 at number ve, Nikoo
Fadaiard 12 at number six, Caro-
lyn Tilney 11 at number seven,
Sarah Roberts 10 at number
eight and Charlotte MacMillan
09 at number nine each notched
3-0 victories or the Bears. The
team will ace Dartmouth andStanord on Saturday.
M. q
continued frompage 7
S B b I, CAC by beNJy asHer
SportS editor
Jarred Smith 12 had a breakout per-ormance or the mens hockey team
this weekend that earned him the
ECAC Hockey Rookie o the Week
Award. In Friday nights 4-1 win at
Colgate, Smith notched the rst goal
o his collegiate career to break a 1-1
tie late in the second period.
Though Brown struggled on Sat-
urday night at Cornell, Smith came
through or the Bears again, tallying
the only goal o the night or the
team in a 5-1 loss.In a narrow 57-55 loss to Yale,
Matt Mullery 10, who was named
to the Ivy League honor roll or the
week, shone or the mens basket-
ball team. Mullery scored 22 points,
grabbed nine rebounds and regis-
tered six blocked shots. Mullery has
established himsel as one o the top
post men in the league this season,
with averages o 16.3 points, 5.6 re-
bounds and 1.9 blocks per game,
all o which rank in the top 10 inthe league.
The womens basketball team
struggled in its 71-37 loss to Yale,
but Sadiea Williams 11 was in top
orm. Williams was named to the Ivy
League honor roll, ater leading the
team with 12 points, ve rebounds
and our steals.
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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
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ditorial & LettersPage 10 | THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009
The Brown Daily Herald
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may be submitted up to seven calendar days ater publication.
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It almost seems that the recent spate o harsh weather in Providencewas intended as a metaphor or the Universitys dire nancial state.
President Ruth Simmons recent e-mail to the Brown community regard-
ing the Universitys budget painted a bleak picture o our present scal
situation and outlined some drastic measures in response.
The gures listed in Simmons e-mail are alarming: The Corporation
estimates that Browns endowment will be worth $2 billion at the end o
June, down $800 million rom last year. Simmons noted that undraising
or the net two years could drop by as much as 10 percent. In the ace
o these revenue shortalls, Brown will have to slash spending by $60
million or the upcoming budget and postpone major initiatives that
were part o the Plan or Academic Enrichment, including increases in
graduate school enrollment and the size o the aculty.
Faced with an almost 30 percent loss in the endowment, the Univer-
sity will have to make painul adjustments. Simmons e-mail presents a
pragmatic approach that we can grudgingly appreciate while wistully
dreaming o the perorming ar ts center and permanent swimming poolthat we thought would materialize during our time on campus.
Browns commitment to meeting students ull demonstrated nancial
need displays a laudable concern or many amilies recent nancial
diculties. Brown also deserves praise or its decision to cut jobs and
other budget items in areas which will have a minimal impact on teach-
ing aculty and academic departments.
We should bear in mind that Brown is not suering alone. The Univer-
sity luckily escaped the allout rom Bernard Mado s Ponzi scheme, the
collapse o which has taken a toll on many other universities. Brandeis,
or example, has been orced to close its Rose Art Museum and sell
6,000 artworks in an attempt to recover, and may have to cut 10 percent
o its aculty. Yale, Harvard and Princeton all epect their endowments
to all by 25 to 30 percent by the summer. These schools, with larger
endowments than ours, have proposed cost-cutting measures similar to
what President Simmons outlined in her e-mail.
As stakeholders in the University and its uture, we understand Browns
conservative outlook. The recession demands sacrices, and the Univer-sity has chosen to lower spending prudently. Once the economy starts to
turn around, we trust that Brown will bounce back bolder than ever.
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Two views on liberals and partisanship
lettersto the editors
T th et:
Within the rst two paragraphs o Jonathan Topazs
12 column (The dirty c word, Jan. 27), I read this curi-
ous phrase: ... (Matt Taibbi) makes his points without
excessive ire and without raising his voice, pointing out
idiocy and hypocrisy with restraint and tact.
I then wondered i Topaz had ever actually read an
article by Taibbi. Taibbis articles are so laden with
insults and proanity (routinely reerring to Republicans
as c*cksuckers and the candidates or the 2008 Repub-
lican ticket a collection o second-rate buoons; airly
tame remarks or Taibbi) that his anger towards and
loathing o the GOP practically eplodes o the page.
Even liberal Rolling Stone readers write requently to
the magazine to condemn his language and writing
style. Its almost a joke to see tact and Taibbi in the
same sentence.
an Zck 11
Jan. 28
Room for conservative views in discourseT th et:
Positive letters to the editors are rare in most pub-
lications, but Id like to applaud Jonathan Topazs 12
column (The dirty c word, Jan. 27). I sel-identiy as
let-o-center politically, but on many issues I hold views
that are much more conservative than what youd expect
to nd at a liberal university like Brown.
I have nothing but respect or the openness this
school osters when it comes to issues o gender, race
and identity. But when it comes to politics, theres the
ever-present ear o creating a chilling eect. What i
you say something that doesnt t the mold? Theres an
incentive, in other words, to keep non-liberal opinions
to yoursel.
The class Mr. Topaz mentions, which elt at times
more like an Obama rally than nuanced discussion,
strikes a chord with me because I think I was in it.
Intolerance or other ways o thinking is not a conserva-
tive value, nor is it a liberal value. But it always nds
its voice when we put our brains on autopilot and let
partisanship take over the conversation.
I sincerely hope President Obama, his sta and, most
importantly, his supporters can nd a way to put aside
the hateul nonconstructive partisanship o the past
decade. To borrow a phrase rom one such partisan
organization, its time to move on.
ec Jhnn 11
Jan. 27
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8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
11/12
THuRSDAY, JANuARY 29, 2009 | PAGE 11
pinionsThe Brown Daily Herald
What are liberal arts? Besides paintings by
gay-married terrorists who happen to like
arugula or unsubstantiated claims o sel-in-
duced abortions by Yale art students.
Many Brown students might respond: lit-
erature, languages, history, philosophy, polit-
ical science and anthropology. (Economics is
typically disqualied because it is thought to
guarantee its concentrators uture housing
conditions better than those o a rerigerator
carton.) Math and science are o course in an
entirely separate category.This would be quite a shock to students
o the rst Western universities, those in Eu-
rope during the Middle Ages. Their artes
liberales consisted o the trivium gram-
mar, rhetoric and logic and the quadriv-
ium geometry, arithmetic, music and as-
tronomy. Yes, ully hal o the original liberal
arts were what is now known as math and
science.
Curricula have evolved, entire social sci-
ence disciplines have sprung up, and arith-
metic is now taught to elementary school
children. But even in our time, the liberal
arts are commonly considered the oppo-
site o pre-proessional education. A liberal
arts education involves studying a range o
elds not or their immediate relevance tojob placement, but or the intrinsic appeal o
learning and the development o general in-
tellectual capabilities.
Ater all, most people work in jobs unrelat-
ed to their undergraduate major. In the long
term, the abilities to think critically, analyze,
communicate, adapt and learn independently
are more conducive to career success thanthe memorization o a narrow body o knowl-
edge that will be obsolete in 10 or 20 years.
These attributes are easily recognizable
in disciplines like English, art history and
sociology. Ecellent maniestos espousing
the value o humanities and the study o the
seemingly useless have appeared on this
page. It is indeed rustrating when science
and engineering concentrators at Brown
look down upon, or reuse to take courses in,
the supposedly too-sot elds that comprise
the humanities and social sciences.
But more widespread than chemistry con-
centrators who never dabble in the humani-
ties (over our years, a dicult eat!), are in-
ternational relations or literary arts concen-
trators who declare math and science irrele-
vant to their academic lives, vowing that high
school was the last time they would ever
take a math or science course. Somehow it
is more politically correct at Brown to ignore
the sciences altogether than to permanentlystay cooped up in Barus and Holley and the
CIT.
This attitude is disappointing and mis-
guided. The natural sciences and mathemat-
ics are not only absolutely relevant to a liber-
al arts education but equally valuable as sub-
jects more concerned with human creations.
For one thing, the natural sciences at anundergraduate level are almost as impracti-
cal proessionally as humanities and social
sciences. Siteen courses hardly make an e-
pert, so there are ew jobs in which science
concentrators are qualied to directly apply
their particular discipline without etensive
graduate work.
Just as medical schools do not require a
biology concentration, not all biology con-
centrators plan to become doctors. Interest
in, or eample, the coevolution o Mesozoic
reptiles and erns is as immediately useless
as the works o Cervantes or Foucault, and
potentially as rewarding.
More important than the particular sub-
ject under study much o which students
will orget within a ew years are the quan-
titative reasoning, logical analysis, abstract
thinking and problem-solving skills learned
through math and other sciences. Its no co-
incidence that Wall Street was the largest em-
ployer o theoretical physicists in the 1990s.But the knowledge and intuition gained
in science courses is immensely useul in ev-
eryday lie. The more science you know, the
more oten you can answer yoursel when
you think, I wonder why. You can more
easily understand medical treatments and
new technologies.
A basic grasp o science is also crucial oreective participation in democracy. A sur-
prising number o political issues, rom stem
cells to climate change, require etensive sci-
entic knowledge or a truly inormed vote.
The halls o Congress overfow with lawyers,
but we sorely need leaders and policymakers
with scientic sensibilities.
More romantically, the natural sciences
are the purest epression o intellectual cu-
riosity. Since antiquity they have aspired to
eplain our surrounding universe, rom the
wondrously intricate workings o our own
bodies to the origins and motion o celestial
bodies millions o light-years away. The hu-
manities may ponder the human condition,
but only the natural sciences can place it in ameaningul contet.
So i you are a humanities or social sci-
ence concentrator who hasnt taken a course
in science or math since high school, try
one! I you dont remember much biology,
take BIOL0200: The Foundations o Living
Systems. I you have some calculus back-
ground, look into PHYS0160: Introduction
to Relativity and Quantum Physics. For
something new, try GEOL0010: Face o the
Earth. Even psychology or cognitive sci-
ence courses can work i you want. I you are
worried about the diculty, thats precisely
what S/NC is or.
And no, ENGN0090 doesnt count.
Nick Hagerty 10 is a biological physics
and economics major from
Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at
T b
Two words: Rod Blagojevich. For those o
you who were abroad this past winter or
simply reuse to watch the news, Blagojevich
is the still-governor o Illinois who allegedly
tried to trade Barack Obamas ormer senate
seat or campaign donations and lucrative
private-sector jobs.
Blagojevich promised not to appoint
anyone to the seat ater the public learned
o his misdoings, but wound up sending
ormer Illinois Attorney General Roland
Burris to Washington anyway. This gave
Senate Democrats days o hear tburn. They
promised not to seat Burris but capitulated
shortly thereater.
While selling a Senate seat is probably
the worst scandal involving a gubernatorial
appointment in recent years, it is not the
only one. Ater Frank Murkowski appointed
his daughter to the Senate seat he vacated
when he became governor o Alaska, voters
punished him in the subsequent election by
voting or a little-known mayor named Sarah
Palin in the Republican primary. The back-
lash rom a nepotistic appointment helped
Palin rise to power.
So how does this aect the Ocean State?
I one o the Rhode Islands senators vacates
his seat, the governor appoints someone
to take his place. So what can the voters
do? They must wait until the next round
o ederal elections to pick their senator.For up to two years, an appointed senator
can vote however he pleases and author
whatever legislation he chooses, ostensibly
representing the Rhode Island citizens who
had no choice but to accept the gover nors
decision.
Beore 1913, U.S. senators were selected
by state legislators apparently, voters
were incapable o picking their own rep-
resentatives. The 17th Amendment went
a long way toward expanding democracy
by allowing voters to pick their senators in
general elections, but made no such provi-
sion or lling senate vacancies. As a result,
governors have the power to ll vacancies
in many states.
Rhode Island governors have recently
made use o this undemocratic power. In No-
vember o 1999, Governor Lincoln Almond
appointed the mayor o Warwick, Lincoln
Chaee 75, to ll the seat o his late ather,
John Chaee. Lincoln Chaee was arguably
the best choice. He was mayor o Rhode
Islands second largest city and was alreadyan announced candidate or the upcoming
election. But his appointment raises ques-
tions about the legitimacy o the process.
Is it air that, as a U.S. senator, Lincoln
Chaee had the ability to raise more money
and attract additional media attention? In
the next election, newly minted incumbent-
Chaee had substantial electoral advantages
over his Democratic opponent because the
governor decided that he should.
Thankully, Chaees appointment may
be the last o its kind. One organization,
FairVote Rhode Island, is working to institute
special elections. When I spoke with Matt
Sledge 08, the groups eecutive director,
he said he elt optimistic about the likeli-
hood that a bill mandating special elections
would pass.
When David Segal, D-Dist. 2 introduced
this legislation one year ago, voters and
reporters paid little attention. The House
Judiciary Committee simply recommended
that the measure be held or ur ther study. I
hope that Illinois provided all the additionalinormation that they needed.
Perhaps some good can come rom
Blagojevichs corruption. People have -
nally decided to take a look at this issue,
Sledge said. Letting a governor make an
appointment to a ederal elected oce is a
problem. And it is a faw that is ver y easily
corrected.
All it takes is one bill, and Chris Fierro,
D-Dist. 51 has already introduced legislation
in the State House similar to Segals mea-
sure. A U.S. Senate seat is too important
to be appointed by any one person, be they
Democrat or Republican, Fierro told me in
an interview. Time and time again, senators
shape national policy by placing holds on
legislation, even relatively uncontroversial
bills involving land protection. That is ar
too much power or any unelected man or
woman to hold.
Fierro also said that the image o Rhode
Island as corrupt has kept some businesses
away rom the state. By reorming the ap-
pointment process, Rhode Island can clean
up its image and attract new jobs in the
atermath o the Blagojevich scandal.
Jeremy Feigenbam 11 is a political
science concentrator from Teaneck,
New Jersey. He can be reached at
I I
An appointed senator can vote however she
pleases and athor whatever legislation she
chooses, ostensibly representing the Rhode
Island citizens who had no choice bt to accept
the governors decision.
Somehow it is more politically correct at
Brown to ignore the sciences altogether than topermanently stay cooped p in Bars and Holley
and the CIT.
BY NICK HAGERTY
opinions coluMnist
BY JEREMY FEIGENBAuM
opinions coluMnist
-
8/14/2019 January 29, 2009 Issue
12/12
THUrsday, JaNUary 29, 2009 PaGe 12
Today5
7
Teaser text abot section of the day
Teaser text abot sports of the day
The Brown Daily Herald
38 / 19
JaNUary 29, 2008
7 P.M. Common Grond: Jstice
and Equality in Palestine/Israel,
MacMllan 117.
4 P.M. Institutional Transformation
and Women in the Sciences, Smith
Bonanno 106.
JaNUary 30, 2008
7 P.M. W. basketball v. Cornell,
Pizzitola Center.
7 P.M. M. ice hockey v.
Qinnipiac, Meehan Aditorim.
ACROSS1 Unit of
capacitance6 Three-time NFL
MVP11 Noel contraction14 Agave fiber15 Hamburger
helper?16 Harry Potters pal
Weasley17 Landmark
birthday, informally19 Notable flag-
raising site, briefly20 Street where the
air is sweet21 Finished22 Nibble
persistently23 Retreat25 Garlicky sauce27 Gives strict orders32 Cant Help
Lovin __ Man33 Go astray34 State bordering
Arizona35 Some investment
accts.37 On the double39 Full of life40 Live-in employee43 Chickadees
cousin45 Canon camera46 Bird who loved
Horton in
BroadwaysSeussical
50 ... could __ lean51 Trading post item52 Butlers last word54 Not to56 Part of a biblical
miracle60 Actor Wallach61 Hot-weather rash63 HVAC abbr.64 Handle65 Saint-Sans __
Macabre66 Jerrys adversary67 Fabulous fellow?68 Foul moods
DOWN1 Is just right2 Tennis star who
won each grandslam tournamentexcept theFrench Open
3 Hwys.4 Capital near
Troy5 Martian moon6 Stentorian, in
music notation7 Like areas with
arroyos8 Costar with
Lucille9 Prepares a third
draft of10 That, in Toledo11 Lemon Tree
singer, 196512 Davenport site13 Reception
problem18 Crystalline stone22 Quiet valleys24 Metal band with
the 1999 tripleplatinum albumIssues
26 Discoverers cry27 Law of the Lash
star, 194728 In short supply29 Penned30 __ con pollo31 Behavior32 How TV screens
are measured:Abbr.
36 Beelzebub38 Unlikely hero41 NYC subway42 Enjoy the wild, as
animals44 Immune system
lymphocyte47 Fishing boats48 Pink and golfer
Raymond?49 Dweller in the
Uintas52 Net worth factor
53 Violists clef55 Quadri-
doubled57 Start of an
ancient boast58 Bridge position59 Fr. holy women61 Do you know
where yourchildren are? isone: Abbr.
62 Keystonebumbler
By Gareth Bain
(c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.01/29/09
01/29/09
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