By Anne Speyer

Arts & Culture editor

David Sedaris wants to hear your jokes the raunchier the better. Dont be afraid of a filthy joke, he told his audience at the Brown Bookstore Wednesday night. It cant be too dirty for me.

Sedaris, a humorist and author known for his deadly satire and a delightfully dark streak, visited the bookstore as part of a tour to promote his book Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, a collection of animal-themed essays. He explained that, while on tour, he often picks one topic or question to ask all of his audiences the theme of this lat-est tour has been to ask everyone he meets for a joke. As part of the reading, he shared some of his fa-vorite fan-provided jokes, cracking up right along with the audience seated on the bookstore floor.

What is the difference between an erection and a Camaro? he asked. I dont have a Camaro.

Sedaris also read The Moth-erless Bear, one of the essays in Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. The Motherless Bear tells the story of a bear who loses her stepmother and milks the situation for all the sym-pathy she can get before an ill-fated

By nicole Boucher

senior stAff Writer

The University should pressure companies to monitor the origin of their raw materials to avoid purchasing conflict minerals, said Ali Wolfson 12, a member of the anti-genocide student group STAND, during community time at the general body meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students Wednesday night.

Since 1994, the Democratic Re-public of the Congo has been the site of the deadliest conflict since World War II, Wolfson said. Vio-lence erupted after the militia re-sponsible for the Rwandan genocide spilled over the border. These mili-tia groups now control the majority of mines in the Congo, essentially using Congolese citizens as slave labor to make a profit, said group member Elizabeth Karin 13. Com-panies use these natural resources in electronic devices such as iPods, computers and cellphones.

In the short term, STAND seeks to gain student and administrative support in urging companies to monitor the origin of resources. While the recent Wall Street reform bill encouraged these measures, the

www.browndailyherald.com 195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island herald@browndailyherald.com

News.....12Metro.....35Sports.....69 Editorial....10Opinion.....11Today........12 Metro, 5

Dems dominate

insi

deDaily Heraldthe Brownvol. cxlv, no. 110 | Thursday, November 11, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891

SportS, 7 opinionS, 11

Hockey hero Going greenDemocrats win big in Rhode Island midterm elections

Field hockey star Hyland 11 named athlete of the week

Lawrence 11 urges everyone to help environment

Libraries union approves 4-year contractBy Alex Bell

senior stAff Writer

Library union members voted 25 to 14 Tuesday to accept an agreement reached at the end of Mondays bargaining session, according to Karen McAninch 74, the unions business agent.

Under the new contract, workers will pay 7 percent of their health insurance premium costs beginning in July 2011, an increase from the current 6 percent. That figure will rise to 9 percent in July 2013 and to 12 percent when the contract runs out Sept. 30, 2014.

Though the previous contract covered only three years, McAninch said Brown and the union agreed to a four-year contract because the University sought a guarantee that workers would eventually contrib-ute 12 percent of health premium

costs. The union could not agree to that large of an increase over just three years, she said.

Wage increases accompanied the premium share increases. Li-brary union workers will see an increase of 2 percent in their base wages for each of the next four years, effective Oct. 1 of this year. In addition, workers are set to re-ceive a 1.5 percent increase July 1, 2013 and a 1 percent increase on the contracts expiration date, when health insurance contributions rise to 12 percent.

The agreement also calls for more frequent meetings of a joint union-management committee to study proposals for further job train-ing for union members in the hopes of preserving union work, she said.

When asked why the vote was

early applications nearly steadyBy lindor QunAj

senior stAff Writer

A week after the Nov. 1 applica-tion deadline, Dean of Admission Jim Miller 73 said that he expects the final number of early decision applicants to the class of 2015 to be just over 2,765, a drop of 70 to 80 applications from last year.

The slight decrease in applica-tions, however, is not indicative of a broader trend in admissions, Miller said. When considering a pool of roughly 30,000, 70 to 80 less is not a big deal one way or another, he said.

He added that it was also im-portant to realize that the num-ber of early decision applications last year represented a 20 per-cent increase over the previous years.

While admissions of ficers sometimes worry about changes in the applicant pool from year to year, this falls pool has been virtually identical to last years, Miller said. The proportion of international applicants remained constant at about 11 percent and the fraction of total students ap-plying to the Universitys eight-year Program in Liberal Medical

Education remained at 12 per-cent, a consistency that Miller called fascinating.

Miller added that overall, this cycles pool looks to be very strong and very deep.

One preliminary trend Miller has observed is an interesting uptick in the physical sciences and applied math. But he added that the increase was nothing dramatic.

In any other year, the Of-fice of Admission would have been flooded with thousands of

Bucking national trend, campus supports obamaBy KAtherine SolA

stAff Writer

Despite President Barack Obamas growing unpopularity in the U.S. and Republican victories in the midterm election, Brown students continue to support him. A recent

Herald poll showed that three out of four undergraduates approve of Obamas job performance, as many as did last year.

Among those polled, 18.5 per-cent said they strongly approved of how Obama is handling his job and 59 percent said they some-what approved. A total of 17.9 per-cent said they strongly or some-

what disapproved. Nationwide, only 45 percent of voters approve of the presidents performance, according to exit polls from last weeks election.

Countrywide, those between the ages of 18 and 24 made up 10 percent of the voters in 2008 breaking for Obama by a 21 margin but only 5 percent of the voters this year, according to exit polls. But this political apathy does not fully extend to Brown students, wrote Katerina Wright 11, president of the Brown Demo-crats, in an e-mail to the Herald.

Brown Democrats officially registered over 250 students this semester, she wrote, esti-

Julien Ouellet / HeraldDespite national dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama, undergraduates overwhelmingly approve of his job performance.

obama approval rating among undergrads

continued on page 2

continued on page 2continued on page 2

Sedaris talk pretty yesterday

Alex Bell / HeraldAfter weeks of negotiations and protests, library union members approved a new contract Tuesday increasing both wages and premium shares.continued on page 2

continued on page 2

Group: U. must avoid conflict minerals

ArtS & culture

the herAld poll

sudoku

George Miller, PresidentClaire Kiely, Vice President

Katie Koh, TreasurerChaz Kelsh, Secretary

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serv-ing 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 member 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 2010 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

editorial phone: 401.351.3372 | Business phone: 401.351.3260Daily Heraldthe Brown

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010THE BROWN DAILy HERALDPAGE 2

Campus news See complete poll results from this semester and past onesthebdh.org/polls

not closer to unanimous adoption of the agreement, McAninch said concerns still lingered that cost of living increases could outpace pay increases over the term of the contract. She also said some members felt that the issue of preservation of union work had not been adequately addressed.

Though only 39 of the 65 union members participated in the quickly organized vote dur-ing work hours, McAninch said, she has not heard any complaints from members who did not vote.

Were pleased that library

union and university negotia-tors were able to reach a fair and competitive agreement in a timely manner, wrote Vice President for Public Affairs and University Rela-tions Marisa Quinn in an e-mail to The Herald.

I want to add that Brown is so fortunate to have such a dedicated community, wrote Executive Vice President for Finance and Admin-istration Beppie Huidekoper in an e-mail to The Herald. These are extremely challenging times and Browns employees have been ter-rific at working together to ensure that Browns students get the best experience possible.

Contracts approved in library worker debate

mating that about 400 Brunonians are registered to vote in Rhode Island. Brown students are more informed, and consistent, reliable voters and they were enthusiastic about volunteering for local cam-paigns, making 1,600 phone calls the night before the election, she wrote.

Enthusiasm for inspiring Dem-ocratic candidates is clearly not a passing phase here at Brown, she added.

Sean Quigley 10, former presi-dent of the Brown Republicans and Herald opinions columnist, wrote that as a conservative, I cheer whenever the youth vote is small because a nicer form of commu-nism characterizes most youth votes.

Quigley added that he wasnt surprised by the low youth turnout.

Max Chaiken 09, former Stu-dents for Barack Obama coordina-tor and Herald opinions columnist, expressed a similar view, writing that the low turnout wasnt surpris-ing because young people vote in higher numbers during presidential elections and there was so little to be enthusiastic about this year.

Associate Professor of Politi-cal Science Wendy Schiller had a similar explanation, writing in an e-mail to the Herald that midterm elections always have low turnout

and this elections hot-button top-ics did not get students attention.

The issues that were empha-sized in the campaign, like health care, taxes and the federal deficit are not of the greatest concern to college-age voters, she wrote.

Wright identified the stimulus package and health care plan as reasons for continued support for Obama on campus. Chaiken ex-plained that although many pro-gressives have been disappointed, he found it hard to be frustrated by the bigger picture of the adminis-trations achievements.

Brown Republicans President Terrence George 13 wrote in an e-mail to the Herald that he un-derstood Obamas lack of national support.

As with most relationships, the countrys infatuation with President Obama has faded with time, wrote George, a former Herald opinions columnist. Nowhere in the past year have I seen liberal activists with half the enthusiasm of the Right.

Republican and Democratic student leaders agree that cam-pus politics are unlikely to change because of the Universitys his-torical liberalism. George wrote that though support for Obama is lackluster everywhere, he had not observed an influx in card-carrying, hard-line conservatives on campus.

Similarly, Quigley wrote that he had little hope that there will be a shift toward Republican candidates because the base of both the GOP and its coalition partners is just not represented at an institution such as Brown.

By contrast, Wright wrote that Democrat David Cicillines 83 cam-paign identified Brown as the tier one of tier ones, a reliable source of both votes and volunteers.

Outside of Brown, George is optimistic about the Republican chances with the youth vote in 2012. He wrote that passion drives politics, and with the Lefts inability to galvanize its base, 2012 is going to be a good year.

Schiller wrote that the Republi-cans appeal to youth would depend on the partys platform because if they cut spending on education, that will hurt young people. But if they argue for a more solvent federal government for the next generation, they might reach more young voters, she added.

The Herald poll was conducted Nov. 12 and has a 3.0 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence. A total of 915 students completed the poll, which The Herald distributed as a written question-naire in the University Mail Room in J. Walter Wilson and the Stephen Robert 62 Campus Center during the day and the Sciences Library at night.

obama popular at Brown, falls nationally

continued from page 1

encounter with a performing bear gets her muzzled for life. As with many of the stories in Sedaris new book, the animals in The Mother-less Bear are honest, cringe-in-ducing reflections of the best and worst in human nature, depicted with Sedaris trademark combina-tion of humor and pessimism.

Sedaris explained to the audi-ence that he first started writing sto-ries for Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk about seven years ago when he was given a collection of South African folktales. I thought they were just awful, he said. I said, Hell, I could do better than that. Since then, he has written several animal stories each year and ultimately chose 16 to include in the book.

Sedaris also read aloud a story that did not make it into Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk but is included on the audio book a joyfully nasty

story in which two flies talk over a lunch of vomit in a bus station. He read the story with gusto, relishing in the groans and disgusted squeals of the audience.

While the crowd of students, professors and community mem-bers were presumably at the book-store to hear Sedaris read from his new book, he seemed to have the most fun telling jokes from previ-ous tour stops and reading random observations from his diary.

Copies of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk were sold along with tickets to the reading, beginning on Oct. 21. Only 250 tickets were sold, which Director of Bookstore Administration Steven Souza said reflected the maximum number of people allowed in the upstairs mez-zanine of the bookstore according to Rhode Island fire codes. Despite the limited space, the event was held at the bookstore at the request of organizers of Sedaris book tour,

which Souza said required the rear-ranging and clearing out of chairs and furniture from the upstairs space.

Souza said the event ranks among the biggest events the bookstore has hosted, possibly second only to former President Bill Clintons visit in 2005. Before the event, Souza told The Herald he anticipated there being much more than 250 present, as even those who had not purchased a ticket were able to attend a book-signing ses-sion following the reading.

Everyones invited, he said. Sedaris has a reputation of staying to meet his fans. As long as students are willing to stay, as long as hes willing to stay, were going to stay.

Sedaris followed the reading with a brief question-and-answer session before moving down to the first floor of the bookstore to meet fans, sign books and, of course, learn some new jokes.

pages of paper applications, but following a transition to an elec-tronic system this summer, all applications are being read and evaluated on computers. Miller said the change would not affect students at all, noting that almost all students in last years cycle submitted electronic versions of their applications.

The new method will also avoid the potential issue of not having enough space to store the huge number of files expected

once regular decision applica-tions come in. Last spring, The Herald reported that administra-tors had to open a satellite office in Alumnae Hall to accommodate the 30,136 applications for the class of 2014.

Though the admissions office intends to ultimately enroll a class of about 1,500, Miller said it was not possible to say how many of those students would come from the early pool.

We dont know yet. Well have to see, he said. It will be a func-tion of the quality of applications.

continued from page 1

reforms lack teeth, Karin said.From its position of purchasing

power, Brown has a social responsi-bility to make sure it does not sup-port these purchases, Wolfson said.

Also at the meeting, Chris Col-lins 11, chair of the councils Admis-sions and Student Services Commit-tee, said the committee met with the Residential Council to discuss

installing LaundryView into dorm machines. LaundryView connects machines to the Internet, providing information about which machines are occupied. Funding is going to be the roadblock, he said, though the council seemed enthusiastic about looking into it further.

The Committee on Campus Life recently spoke with SafeRide repre-sentatives to discuss improvements to the system including potential

reverse routes and adding more specific maps on the signs or online, said committee chair David Rattner 13. He also said the committee is working to move the Farmers Mar-ket normally on Wriston Quad to the Kasper Multipurpose Room in Faunce House during the winter months.

The Council also appointed Ana Olson 14 to the Energy and Envi-ronmental Advisory Committee.

continued from page 1

continued from page 1

Computer system eases early app process

UCS looks into online laundry view service

Sedaris entertains at Bookstore talk

continued from page 1

Chafees election renews hope for r.I. gay marriage movementBy AMy rASMuSSen

Contributing Writer

For the past 13 years, annual legisla-tive efforts to pass a marriage equality bill in the General Assembly have met with opposition from Rhode Islands heavily Roman Catholic population and by the eight-year term of a governor opposed to gay marriage.

Following the recent gubernato-rial election of self-proclaimed gay-rights champion Lincoln Chafee 75 P14, the 2011 political stage is finally set for the passage of a same-sex mar-riage bill in Rhode Island.

Rhoda Perry P91 a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate and the sponsor of several failed mar-riage equality bills said that after more than 10 years of advocacy, she plans to act quickly and decisively to collaborate with the new governor on the issue.

While Perry acknowledged that the positions of some of the newest members of the legislature remain somewhat unclear, she expressed confidence that Rhode Island would soon join its New England neighbors as a state that both recognizes and performs same-sex marriage.

We are very serious, we are tena-cious and we feel that well be victori-ous, she said.

Although Rhode Island is the most Catholic state in the union at 45 percent of its population Perry expressed little concern that one religious lobby would impede the passage of the bill.

This state is also a state of inde-pendent-minded people, she said. Many legislators feel that it is their job to represent all of Rhode Island and all religions.

on the moveFor the past year and a half leading

up to the election, Marriage Equality Rhode Island has been everywhere in the Ocean State literally.

According to Kathy Kushnir, the executive director of Marriage Equal-ity Rhode Island, the group has can-vassed in neighborhoods across the state, knocked on over 30,000 doors and engaged in an extensive postcard campaign all to ensure the election of a pro-marriage equality governor.

As for the Nov. 2 results, she said, the leadership of the group couldnt be happier.

Governor-elect Chafee is not only pro-equality he has made that a priority. He has said that he is not

interested in delaying that process, Kushnir said. He is ready to have all of Rhode Islanders treated equally under the laws.

According to a recent poll con-ducted by Greenberg Quinlan Ros-ner Research and available on the Marriage Equality website, voter sup-port for gay marriage in 2010 was 59 percent statewide, representing a 10-point increase in just two years.

By and large, this shift is a result of increased dialogue, Kushnir said. More people are discussing what equality means to them and the ef-fects are showing.

For the past several months, Seth Magaziner 06 a former president of the Brown Democrats has been working with Marriage Equality to spread the word about gay rights.

Our primary goal is to make sure that the legislators hear from our sup-porters who maybe in the past were unsure but who have now decided that the time is right, he said.

Though Magaziner said that same-sex activists and legislators alike would take civil unions over nothing, he emphasized that equal marriage rights are the ultimate goal.

Weve seen time and time again that separate but equal is not equal, he said. When people are catego-rized as different, it leads to ostra-cization.

According to Magaziner, increas-ing support for marriage equality has become a matter of time.

When I look at the legislators that were there four or five years ago when I was at Brown I see a whole lot of people who have gone from opposing marriage equality to supporting it, he said. I dont see a single person who has gone the other way.

Kushnir said it was important for new legislators to understand that a gay marriage bill would not require religious establishments to recognize or perform same-sex marriages.

Fringe benefitsChristopher Plante the ex-

ecutive director of the Rhode Island Chapter of the National Organization for Marriage said that given Rhode Islands economic woes, he does not want the General Assembly focusing its energy on a marriage bill.

But marriage equality will help drive our economic recovery, as cou-ples who want to marry will move to the state, and people and businesses who would thrive in a tolerant en-

vironment will do the same, Jesse Towsen 12, the elections and advo-cacy chair of the Brown Democrats, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. This is an argument Chafee made continually throughout the cam-paign, including during the debate at Brown.

Plante said that marriage equality is an issue that affects a minority and the state ought to prioritize issues that affect all Rhode Islanders.

I have gay and lesbian friends, but this is an idea that only applies to them, he said of the push for equal-ity. This law is for a tiny fraction of the Rhode Island population.

Though Plante acknowledged that the issue cannot be ignored, he advocated a more direct resolution of the issue. Give the vote to the people, he said.

Lets go for it, lets be American and let the votes fall where they will, Plante said.

The smart thing the logical thing in the face of our economic crisis is to put it on the ballot, he said. Legislators are tired of this annual wrangling when there are so many more pressing issues at hand.

Marriage Equality, along with the Brown Democrats and other gay mar-riage supporters throughout Rhode Island, stand strongly opposed to a ballot initiative.

We cant leave minority rights up to the vote of a majority who already enjoys those rights, Towsen wrote. History shows that civil rights are advanced into law when bold lawmak-ers do the right thing.

With bated breathOn the night of Nov. 2, as votes

were tallied around the country, sev-eral groups on College Hill waited for state election returns with bated breath.

We were terrified because (Re-publican John) Robitaille and Chafee were super close, said Gabriel Schwartz 13, a member of Queer Action.

Though the other two candidates for governor were also supporters of same-sex marriage, Schwartz said the group was thrilled by Chafees win.

It would have been a lot harder to hold (Democrat Frank) Caprio and (Moderate Ken) Block to their campaign promises, he added. It would have been a popularity issue, as opposed to with Chafee, its a policy and moral issue.

According to Katerina Wright 11, the president of the Brown Demo-crats, marriage equality is the groups first priority this year.

The pro-equality combination of Chafee and Speaker of the House Gordon Fox, D-Providence, is just one of many indications that Rhode Island is finally ready for change, she said.

In an e-mail, Terrence George 13, president of the Brown Republicans, declined to comment.

Queer Action and the Brown Democrats have collaborated with Marriage Equality on letter-writing campaigns and helped with voter registration on Election Day. In the months leading up to the opening of the legislative session, both student groups plan to continue the campaign

for same-sex marriage. If this process and debate is con-

ducted openly in the public and is well-covered in the press, Towsen wrote, it will be very difficult for law-makers to take any position except that which Rhode Islanders believe is fair and just.

We really do need to continue pressure and not have this be what it was for Obama, who has yet to fulfill his campaign promise to repeal the militarys dont ask, dont tell policy, Schwartz said. Both sides have recognized that this is the next battle state and this is the most likely place for marriage equality.

The groups that oppose gay mar-riage in the state, Schwartz acknowl-edged, often have more organization, more experience and more funding than their opponents.

I think thats what (the National Organization for Marriage) is count-ing on, but I think theyre going to face a really tight-knit group that val-ues the ideals of their communities in Rhode Island, Schwartz added.

Though Schwartz said he is hope-ful a marriage bill will be passed within the next six months, he em-phasized that its passage would not end the effort for equal rights.

The legal issue is the first step and the next step is getting over the reason it was there in the first place, he added. How to go about approach-ing really changing peoples minds about how they view and interact with the LBGTQ community is going to be an issue that goes on for the rest of our lifetimes.

MetroThe Brown Daily HeraldTHuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010 | PAGE 3

He is ready to have all of R.I. treated equally under the laws. Kathy Kushner, executive director of Marriage Equality Rhode Island

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010THE BROWN DAILy HERALDPAGE 4

Metro Its almost impossible to be right on target with that. RIC Prof. Emeritus victor Profughi, on election pollsBlock party is just getting startedBy cAitlin trujillo

senior stAff Writer Though Moderate Party founder and candidate for governor Ken Block finished fourth at the polls last Tues-day, he gained enough votes to keep his party on the ballot and may soon find himself in a position of influence on one of his favorite issues the efficiency of state government.

Block netted 6.5 percent of the votes last Tuesday on Election Day, more than the 5 percent needed to secure his partys place on future ballots.

Polls conducted prior to the election predicted Block would receive just 2 percent of the vote. One of these was an NBC 10-Quest Research poll conducted in late Oc-tober with Rhode Island College, local news affiliate WJAR and the American Democracy Project.

The discrepancy between the poll results and election returns was probably due to sample size rather than a late surge in support, said Victor Profughi, professor emeritus of political science at Rhode Island College, who conducted the poll.

Its almost impossible to be

right on target with that, Profughi said.

Block said he felt confident throughout the campaign that he would get the necessary 5 percent and knew intuitively that the polls did not reflect the full extent of his support.

This years gubernatorial race proved especially difficult for the introduction of a new party, Block said. During the last month of the race, several Rhode Islanders ap-proached Block and told him they would vote for him if the race be-tween the leading candidates were not so tight, he said. But voters ex-pressed concern that rather than helping Block, the primary effect of voting for him would be to harm a more viable candidate whether it was Democrat Frank Caprio, inde-pendent Lincoln Chafee 75 P14 or Republican John Robitaille.

There was a very large num-ber of people playing that game, Block said.

Block was not the only candidate the Moderate Party fielded this year.

It ran one other candidate for statewide office, Christopher Little, who garnered 14.4 percent of the

vote in the attorney generals race.Block said the next plan on his

partys agenda is to field candidates for the General Assembly in 2012. He has already heard from potential candidates who have expressed in-terest in running for the Moderate Party in that cycle, he said.

Block has not decided if he will run in any future elections, he said.

Since the election, a represen-tative in the state legislature has called on Governor-elect Chafee to exploit Blocks expertise in his administration. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, D-Woonsocket, submitted a recom-mendation to Chafee that he work with Block on saving the state mon-ey, according to a General Assembly press release.

Baldelli-Hunt said in the release that Block might be able to help Rhode Island the same way he helped the state of Texas, which uses a software system Block helped develop to track welfare and food stamp transactions. Texas saved about $1.2 billion annually for four years in the 90s by cutting down on fraud and wasteful spending us-ing the software, according to the release.

Blocks expertise could help Rhode Islands Department of Hu-man Services and other depart-ments save money if the current systems could be upgraded, Baldelli-Hunt told The Herald. State employ-

ees deserve the technology that would allow them to work more ef-ficiently and eliminate the backlog of tasks they must execute, she said.

The idea occurred to her as she listened to the gubernatorial debates and heard Block reference his attempts to curb wasteful spend-ing, she said.

Block said he would be more than willing to work with the

Chafee administration in such a ca-pacity. But, he said, it would require a series of initiatives and a team of hyper-specialists to implement, he said.

Mike Trainor, Chafees campaign manager, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that Chafee was considering many options in closing the defi-cit and would consider any advice Block might propose to him.

Courtesy of Ken BlockModerate Party founder Ken Block, with former President Bill Clinton and wife Jennifer Block, said he is more than willing to work with the legislature.

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010 THE BROWN DAILy HERALD PAGE 5

Metro Rhode Island bucks the trend across the board. Associate Professor of Political Science Wendy SchillerDemocrats beat back national tide to stay dominant in r.I.By clAire perAcchio

senior stAff Writer

Frustrated with a struggling econ-omy and politics as usual, voters in the midterm elections last Tuesday handed Republicans major gains nationwide. But in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans 4 to 1, Rhode Island Democrats remained domi-nant, preventing Republicans from winning any of the states top federal or statewide offices for the first time in 35 years.

Rhode Island bucks the trend across the board, said Wendy Schil-ler, associate professor of political science. She said the states choice of Democrats and independents parallels results from fellow New England states Massachusetts and Connecticut, which also resisted major Republican inroads this elec-tion cycle.

While some contests showed un-usually narrow margins of victory for left-leaning candidates, outcomes favored Democrats despite unprec-edented efforts by the state GOP to attract support for conservative and moderate candidates.

In a four-way race that turned the conventional link between party affiliation and political ideology on its head, Lincoln Chafee 75 P14 beat back an election night surge from Republican John Robitaille to become the states first independent governor. Democrats won both U.S. House races and the four other state-wide contests for lieutenant gov-ernor, secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer.

Chafee, a former Republican U.S. senator and mayor of Warwick, ran to the left of his opponents, advocat-ing a 1 percent sales tax increase to close the states budget shortfall and garnering support from the states

powerful teachers unions. Chafees victory means that for the first time in 15 years, the states top executive will not be a Republican.

Rhode Islanders elected Mayor David Cicilline 83 in the first con-gressional district and incumbent Jim Langevin, D-R.I., in the second. Cicilline will be one of four openly gay legislators in Congress.

The competitive race between Cicilline and Republican John Loughlin was seen as a bellwether of surging Republican strength in historically Democratic areas.

In races for the General Assem-bly, the state Republican-sponsored Clean Slate initiative backed a coali-tion of Republicans, independents and Moderates aiming to loosen the Democratic stranglehold on the Gen-eral Assembly. The initiative picked up seats for eight Republicans and one independent, and helped bring Republican representation in the General Assembly from 10 to 18 seats out of 113.

Republicans have not held a ma-jority in either house of the state legislature since 1958.

The Republican Party in the state does not have any organiza-tion really to speak of, and in terms of party identifiers, the percentage is extremely small, said Victor Profughi, Rhode Island College professor emeritus of political sci-ence and director of the polling firm Quest Research.

Schiller also pointed to the im-portance of organization in party politics.

Big gains came in competitive states where Republicans were better organized with a better mes-sage, Schiller said.

In the race for governor, Schiller said the strong showing by Repub-lican John Robitaille was fueled by Democrat Frank Caprios shove

it comment. Caprio said President Obama could shove his endorse-ment after Obama declined to en-dorse the state treasurer out of deference to Chafee.

The bulk of the Robitaille surge came from Caprios comment about the president, Schiller said, adding that the comment caused moderate voters to view Robitaille as a viable choice and also pushed liberals to-wards Chafee.

Caprios rebuke to the leader of his party underscored the current state treasurers uneasy relationship with traditional Democratic inter-ests, a tension heightened by the Caprio campaigns focus on fostering business growth and confronting the states public employee unions to reform Rhode Islands ailing pen-sion system.

While Democrats failed to take the governorship, their wins in con-gressional races demonstrate the uphill battle Republicans face in this left-leaning state.

In the contest between Cicilline and Loughlin, polling on the eve of the election showed a tight race, though Cicilline ultimately defeated Loughlin by six points.

Profughi suggested Loughlin found himself swamped by the number of Democrats in a few ma-jor areas and said his opposition to health-care reform and the Congres-sional Democratic agenda did not

resonate in the Ocean State. He ran a campaign that would

run very well almost anywhere else in the country, but not here in the Northeast, Profughi said.

A weak showing by incumbent Democrat Jim Langevins grossly underfunded opponent, Republican Mark Zaccaria, is indicative of the challenges facing Republicans in the state, especially when challenging popular Democrats, Profughi said.

Though Republicans found them-selves without victories in races for the states major offices, strong showings from state Republicans indicate that voters are more willing to consider Republican candidates, said Daniel Harrop 76 MD79. Har-rop is the chair of the state Repub-lican finance committee and was an unsuccessful candidate for the District 3 seat in the state House of Representatives this year.

We raised more money for Re-publican General Assembly candi-dates than we ever had, Harrop said. Though Harrops performance against Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Provi-dence, was little better than when he ran against the 18-year veteran state legislator in 2002 and 2004, he said he would consider running again.

Ajello said she has never faced a competitive challenge from a Repub-lican. Her district, which includes Browns campus, is one of the most liberal in the state.

Ajello disagreed with the notion that voters are going to vote for Edie Ajellos opponent as opposed to her simply so that there will be more Republicans in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. She said Clean Slates message of defeating Democrats to restore the balance of power in the state had little traction in districts where constituents feel incumbents reflect their political beliefs.

But Democrats made an effort not to take the states tendency to favor the party for granted this elec-tion cycle, according to Rhode Island Democratic Party chairman Edwin Pacheco.

One of the things we really honed in on was that strength in grassroots politics for the party and for our individual candidates, Pa-checo said.

Tuesdays results indicate that while state Republicans lack this grassroots strength, the political dynamic in the state could shift. But whether state Republicans can increase their influence remains to be seen, according to Schiller.

If (Republicans) work on the ground and build off the momentum, it could change the balance of power in Rhode Island, but that requires a lot of time and effort and money, and its unclear that theyre going to devote those resources to that effort, Schiller said.

SportsthursdayTHuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010 | PAGE 6

The Brown Daily Herald

Late goal paces Bears to fourth overallBy SAM SheehAn

sports stAff Writer

It was the final game wearing Bruno brown for field hockey tri-captains Cassie Puhalla 11, Tacy Zysk 11 and Katie Hyland 11 Saturday afternoon on Warner Roof. The younger members of the team (6-11, 3-4 Ivy League) were determined to bring home a win for their senior captains.

Were all definitely playing for our seniors, said forward Leslie Springmeyer 12 before Satur-days game against Yale (11-6, 5-2). Were looking to take them down.

Thats exactly what Bruno did, besting the Bulldogs 3-2 in front of a home crowd packed with friends and family. It was Springmeyer who helped the Bears strike first, scoring on a pass from fellow for-ward Abigail Taft 12 for her 11th goal on the season.

It was just the start of an offen-sive-minded first half. Taft added a goal of her own her tenth on the season in between Yale forward

Erica Borgos two first-half goals, leaving the score at 2-2 going into halftime.

The second period was a tense one for the Bears, as they were out-shot 147. Yale also had an advan-tage in penalty corners, drawing eight in the period to Brunos two. But goalie Lauren Kessler 11.5 was not phased by the Yale offen-sive, as she notched six saves and combined with the teams backs to keep the Bulldogs off the board in the last 43 minutes of the game.

It was back Elara Mosquera 13 who provided the deciding goal for the Bears, ripping a pass from Hyland into the back of the net for the game-winner.

With only five minutes left on the clock, to score that was clutch, said Head Coach Tara Harrington 94. As soon as it hit her stick we all knew it was going in.

The score was Mosqueras fourth goal on the season and Hylands fifth assist.

But the game was not over. Bruno had to fend off a furious Bulldog counterattack including

back-to-back penalty corners with no time remaining on the clock. The staunch Brown defense an-swered by locking in and clear-ing the second corner, putting the game in the win column.

The victory moved Bruno into a tie for fourth in the Ivy League, the highest team finish in five years. Harrington credits the three cap-tains for the teams improvement this year and setting the tone for the future.

The three of them together with their leadership, their skill and their love of being a field hock-ey player have put this program back on a solid foundation, Har-rington said. A lot of our success this year was based on how those women chose to lead this team.

Hyland has been selected to play in the Senior Game, an honor for which only two other Ivy League players have been tapped this year. She also broke the school record for number of consecutive games played in a career with 68.

Zysk and Hyland end their ca-reers tied for 13th on the Brown all-time points list with 41. Spring-meyer and Taft will enter next year in the second and ninth position on the all-time goal list, respectively.

Field hocKey

Midfielder Katie hyland 11 having a field dayBy SAM ruBinroit

sports stAff Writer

Field hockey midfielder Katie Hyland 11 may be gone next year, but she will certainly not be forgotten. Despite playing the last game of her Brown career last weekend a 3-2 win over Yale in which she provided the assist on the game-winning goal the Mod-ern American History concentrator from Riegelsville, Pa., has solidified her place in the Brown record books.

After playing in all 68 games since her freshman year, Hyland earned a school record for most consecutive games started. She ends her four years as a Bear ranked fifth all-time for career defensive saves (4), ninth all-time for career assists (13), and 13th all-time for career points (41).

But Hylands success goes be-yond her own personal accolades. As a captain of this years squad, she led the team to its best record in four years, 6-11 (3-4 in the Ivy League). After opening this season with four consecutive losses, the team rallied to earn three consecutive victories and tie Columbia and Dartmouth for fourth place in the Ivy League.

This week, Hyland was one of three Ivy League field hockey student

athletes to be selected to play in the annual Senior Game, held this year at the University of Maryland on Nov. 20. For her ironwoman commitment during her four seasons at Brown, The Herald has named Hyland athlete of the week.

herald: What do you credit the teams three final consecutive wins to?

Hyland: Towards the end of the season, we were really determined to come out of the Ivy League not at the bottom anymore. We have had the talent, skill and the team cohesion, but for some reason something wasnt adding up. We had been working hard and the team never gives up on anything and so those consecutive wins were probably the best reward we could have had.

you havent had any injuries that forced you to miss a game. Why do you think that is?

I think it has a lot to do with the coaching staff and the regimens that they keep us on. Its not too taxing and I know some girls that have gotten hurt but the athletic staff

Athlete oF the WeeK

continued on page 9

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010 THE BROWN DAILy HERALD PAGE 7

SportSthUrSDay It was by far my biggest comeback ever. Scott Phillips 11Bruno tops Sacred heart for first winBy SudArShAn SrirAMAn

Contributing Writer

The womens ice hockey team regis-tered a decisive 5-1 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Saturday at Meehan Auditorium. Both teams were coming off a series of tough games the Bears (1-3, 0-2 ECAC) having lost the previous three on the road and the Pioneers (0-7) their previous six.

But Browns dominant perfor-mance ensures the team winning momentum as it prepares for a se-ries of games on home ice. Bruno is scheduled to meet Union at the Meehan on Friday.

With both teams anxious to reg-ister a win, the first 10 minutes of the game were frantic, with frequent deep incursions into the attacking zone by both teams undermined by equally frequent turnovers and of-fensive mistakes. Neither team was able to exert sustained pressure on the oppositions defense, and the few shots on either goal were comfort-ably dealt with by the goalies.

The Bears offense then began to take control, creating several op-portunities before forward Laurie Jolin 13 offered a fine scoring op-portunity to forward tri-captain Erica Kromm 11. Kromm duly obliged with a shot past the out-of-position Pioneers goaltender to give Brown the lead with about five minutes re-

maining in the period.Jolin was also involved in an en-

terprising short-handed shot that Pi-oneers goalie Alexius Schutt barely managed to keep out. Sacred Heart tried to stage a late counterattack in the last few minutes of the first period, but the Brown defense held firm despite the consistent pressure and the score remained 1-0.

The second period began with Brown dominating the early ex-changes, maintaining consistent pressure in the offensive zone and launching a barrage of shots at the goal. Though Brown created several opportunities, none were convert-ed until a penalty left the Pioneers short-handed. Forward Kelly Griffin 13 exploited the opportunity, taking a pass from forward Erica Farrer 13 and shooting it past the goalie to give Brown a 2-0 lead. Defender Jennifer Nedow 14 also assisted on the goal.

But the Pioneers struck back soon after, as defender Caitlin Gottwald chipped a shot under goalie Katie Jamiesons 13 glove to find the back of the net in a rare mistake by the Brown defense. The momentum started to shift toward the Pioneers, who fired in several shots, all well-covered by the Bears defense.

With four minutes remaining in the period, Sacred Heart had a golden opportunity with two Brown players in the penalty box, leading to

some nervous minutes in the Brown camp. But the Bears defense per-formed admirably during the five-on-three penalty kill, clearing the zone several times and maintaining the lead into the third period.

The game was still in the balance going into the third period with the score at 2-1, but in pursuit of the elu-sive equalizing goal, the Pioneers defense began to crack. That was all the opportunity the Bears of-fense needed to break through and slam the door shut on a Pioneers comeback.

Farrer was especially dominant during this passage of play, scoring twice and also assisting on forward Jessica Hoyles 14 goal to build up a huge 5-1 lead. Despite being short-handed for much of the period because of three penalties, Browns defense continued its solid perfor-mance, denying Sacred Heart any further opportunities.

Though the final score suggests a crushing victory by Brown, Sacred Heart was competitive for the first two periods and much of the third. But the Bears strong defensive per-formance, particularly on the penalty kill, helped them claim their first win of the young season. With a tougher assignment against Union coming up on Friday, Brown will be hoping for a similarly assured performance on home ice.

Duelers wins big at Big one Invitational By Alex MittMAn

Contributing Writer

The fencing team returned trium-phantly from its first tournament of the season, winning the Big One Invitational with 10 medals overall.

The Big One, a single-elimina-tion, individual tournament that took place on Nov. 6 at Smith College, was crowded with Bears who medaled after finishing in the top eight, in-cluding five men and women in the top three in their events.

Kathryn Hawrot 14 took first in womens foil, finishing just ahead of teammate Avery Nackman 13. Cory Abbe 13 gave a fantastic showing in womens epee with a second place finish. Rounding out the womens team, Caitlin Taylor 13 achieved a third place win in womens saber.

Ben McDonald 14 also won third in his category, mens epee. Every other category at the tournament featured at least one Brown com-petitor in one of the top eight spots.

Scott Phillips 11 gained third in mens foil, beating out Massachu-setts Institute of Technology sopho-more Daniel Levine in a touch-and-go match that had Phillips down 9-3 with four minutes left.

My timing wasnt working, so I

had to be more aggressive, Phillips said, referring to his usual defensive style of parrying and waiting for his opponents attacks.

Phillips change in approach helped him bring the score to 9-8, but his opponent then got the next five touches and kept the lead out of Phillips hands. Phillips was within one point of a loss.

If I had made one simple mis-take, he would have won the bout, he said.

But Phillips rallied in the last min-ute and took the final five touches against Levine, winning 15-14.

It was by far my biggest come-back ever, he said.

Phillips previous bout had been with Jonathan Yu 11, one of the team captains, whom he beat out in a close bout 15-13 in the third round. Yu described the bout as predictable, saying the teammates know each others styles. Yu is a more aggres-sive fencer, according to Phillips.

Phillips confessed that these two hard-fought matchups prob-ably wore me out for my last bout against freshman Patrick Riley of Boston College.

Though Yu dropped to 16th after

FencingW. ice hocKey

continued on page 8

By SAM SheehAn

sports Columnist

Its funny how sometimes dreams can relate to things that happen in real life. Im not saying it happens all the time.

My recurring dream, after all, involves a Bat-man costume, Pop-Tarts and a struggle to ex-tract them from the toaster after I accidentally break it with the

batarangs. I dont think Ive ever been in a superhero outfit while prepar-ing toaster strudel, let alone Batman garb. (This dream probably has some meaning. Where are my Freud psy-chology majors at? It just means I like Batman? Oh. Psychoanalytic theory isnt as fun as it used to be.)

No, Im talking about the dreams that make you sit up in a cold sweat. For example, last Sunday I had a ter-rible nightmare that the Patriots were leading the NFL, but then they lost to a 2-5 Browns team. Their meat-head running back ran for 148 yards and 2 TDs on our laughably putrid defense. Our rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski dropped everything that hit his hands and ruined a kickoff. Cleveland Head Coach Eric Mangi-nis fat face had a piggy grin plastered to it like someone had brought him doughnuts and a tub of Crisco to eat. Tom Bradys hair was really long and

stupid-looking. It was terrible.Luckily, the Patriots are 7-1 and

didnt blow all of their momentum heading into the most important two games of the regular season, against the Steelers and Colts. (I stop, wipe my tears off of the keyboard and con-tinue typing.) Im going to continue to hope that Roethlisberger gets con-fused for a baby whale (same size, weight, and intelligence) in the next week and is sent back to SeaWorld.

As you can see, there are living nightmares in the sports world. Things so horrific for your team that you cant look away. Performances and grievances that are harder to watch than even the goriest scenes in Hostel. Maybe Halloween would have been a good time for this col-umn, but it was World Series time and I love writing about Tim Lincecum. Here are the most grotesque stories of the sports world this year.

the dallas cowboys: oops If you had told me two months

ago that halfway through the NFL season the Cowboys would have the same record as the Panthers, I would have assumed that the team bus careened off a cliff and the entire practice squad had to replace them. They lost Tony Romo two-and-a-half weeks ago to the ravenous Giants D-line, but they were doomed even before that. I cant think of a football team that has had more talent and lost so many football games. Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Demarcus Ware,

Roy Wiliams, Jason Witten. This is not a team that should be 1-7. Coach Wade Phillips just got his pink slip and Americas team is cellar-dwelling in the NFC East. Dont worry, Cow-boys fans, you still have Jon Kitna!

Im sorry. That was too mean.

Sabres coach lindy ruff: foot-in-mouth disease

It can be tough to be the Buffalo Sabres. It can be tough to win games when you dont have Ryan Miller between the posts. It can be tough to do better than last in the league when you dont win games. It can be tough to make the playoffs when you are last in the league. Luckily for head coach Lindy Ruff, he didnt do something stupid like guarantee that the Sabres would make the playoffs this year.

Oh, he did? Yikes. Well, at least the Bills are having a great season and can take the attention off of them.

Again, too mean. Im sorry.

the new orleans hornets: Fan Appreciation day becomes Fan Appreciation day

The 7-0 Hornets are the surprise team of the NBA this year. They be-came the second team to dethrone the mighty Heat in a shocking upset. Chris Paul is healthy, Emeka Okafor is blocking and getting rebounds, David West looks five years young-er than he is, Trevor Ariza looks at home and the bench is contributing. The only other undefeated team in the NBA is the defending champion Lakers.

In Tuesday nights game against the Clippers, the Hornets played in front of a full house and were cheered on by the uproarious crowd as they ... ha, just kidding. A third of the seats were empty and half of the crowd was probably texting all game. The

crowds reaction to Ariza buttering a three was barely discernible from someone watching a legislative hear-ing on C-SPAN. You could say that it was because of the Clippers, one of the worst teams in the NBA. Id then point out that the Lakers put nearly 7,000 more people in their seats in an equally lopsided match-up against the abysmal Timberwolves, with much more expensive tickets to boot.

For a superstar on the verge of leaving town, Chris Paul isnt exactly being given a lot of reason to stay. Hes practically getting pushed out the door, but CP3 is clawing at the framework and refusing to leave. Its worth noting that his sheer loyalty to the city is bringing him to Durant-esque worship levels in my book.

Its early, but if Paul stays in NOLA the Hornets are going to win a playoff series this year. I just dont know if anyone will be there to see it.

donovan Mcnabb: not in shape for a two-minute drill

I cant tell which wire disarms it! Ive never done this with a nuke, or Off comes McNabb, and here comes Rex Grossman to lead the two-minute drill to try and win the game!

Which of those quotes is scarier? I really dont know. Dont worry, thats the most terrifying thing I have to write about in this colu

tom Bradys hair: the horror AHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHH-

HHHHHH! Its like Mike Myers in Halloween! IT JUST WONT DIE!

Sam Sheehan 12 will be mailing pictures of Paul Millsap to Heat fans for the next few days. Ask sports ques-tions for his mailbag at sam_sheehan@brown.edu or follow him on Twitter @samsheehan.

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010THE BROWN DAILy HERALDPAGE 8

SportSthUrSDay If we lose to anyone, its good for it to be ourselves. fencer Kathryn Hawrot 14 The good, the bad and the ugly ... minus the good

his match with Phillips, he had in the previous bout bested one of the tour-naments top fencers, sophomore Stuart Holmes of Sacred Heart, the first seed at the invitational. Yu de-feated him in a close match, 15-13, after a series of back-and-forth ties and lead changes.

Womens foil did well across the board, advancing three medalists, including the event winner Hawrot. When Hawrot and Nackman were asked about their match in the fi-nals, both agreed that there was no animosity between them.

Nackman, who won the tourna-ment last year, said that their final bout was not extremely angsty and not as competitive since Brown would come out on top either way. Hawrot noted that they were talking to each other as friends before the bout started.

If we lose to anyone, its good for it to be ourselves, Hawrot said.

Two walk-on members of the womens team, Andrea Sassenrath 14 and Lauren Rojas 14, made their collegiate fencing debuts, placing 39th and 55th after one bout each in the elimination round.

Rojas said she had mostly played team sports before coming to Brown. But she still managed 15 touches in her qualifying matches, pitting her against Tracy Dion of the University of Florida in the first elimination round. Dion went on to finish 10th overall.

Sassenrath, though she said being at her first tournament was intimidating, won three out of six of her qualifying matches and went on to face Monica Herrera, also of Florida, who later took 26th place.

Head Coach Atilio Tass said that though the results do not change the teams NCAA ranking, he thought the tournament was a great chance for team members to work on their personal tactics and strategy.

Most of the team members agreed that this tournament was a useful preparation for the rest of the year. Hawrot said it was a good lead-in and Nackman called it a warm-up for the 201011 campaign.

w. fencing scores three medals

Sam SheehanBadly dressed Irish sports fan

continued from page 7

Check out

Herald sports online

browndaily

herald.com

/sports

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010 THE BROWN DAILy HERALD PAGE 9

SportSthUrSDay The team is a connection for life. Katie Hyland 11

is also amazing making sure we get back out there and just being smart about your training.

how hard was it to come in as a freshman and start every game?

It was intimidating, especially coming in for preseason where I didnt really know what to expect. My freshman year didnt go so well we went 1-16 but the team was really welcoming and as I got more comfortable with the team, on and off the field, it just sort of flowed and I found my niche within the team. Then, as the years progressed, I sort of fell into my role, and now in my senior year I felt like I had the op-portunity to learn a lot of things from a lot of people.

What do you think the hardest thing about field hockey is?

I would say just keeping up with wanting to better your fundamentals every day. You need those for every aspect, and people get a little blind-sided with the flashy play, but its the fundamentals that you definitely have to work really hard at and then it will pay dividends.

how did you first get involved in field hockey?

I started playing in middle school, in the sixth grade. I was really just

more into basketball. I thought that I was going to play basketball in col-lege. But then I was encouraged to play field hockey, and I joined a club team in high school and we played through the winter and the spring and it just sort of became life.

Why did you choose Brown?First and foremost, it is a great

opportunity to get an Ivy League edu-cation. Secondly, the girls here on the team I felt like were my family from the moment I met them. The people here that I met on my official visit were amazing, and then the coaching staff I knew I would be in good hands as a freshman and throughout my career with their guidance.

Who were your sports role models growing up?

I would have to say Diana Taurasi was definitely one of them because I was a big basketball fan. I looked up to her a lot as a leading female athlete. She was pretty much my idol.

Why do you think field hockey isnt more popular in the u.S.?

Heres a fun fact: It is the second-most-played team sport in the world, behind soccer. But it is not really a big deal in the U.S. because we are not very good at it as a national team in comparison to Australia or the Neth-erlands. Kids just arent getting into it as young as in other countries. I

started in the sixth grade, and if you went to a foreign country, kids would be starting when they are seven or eight.

how does it feel knowing that you have played your last official game with Brown?

Its definitely a bittersweet feeling. I dont think it has hit me yet since it is only Day Two of non-athlete life. The team is a connection for life theyre stuck with me and Im stuck with them. Playing the last game was definitely emotional, but it was some-thing that I will never forget. I will definitely value all of the memories I had here.

how did it feel going off with a game-winning assist?

That was definitely unexpected. It was a great play, and I will definitely remember that moment forever. Just the way that we won was so memo-rable, by one goal. And to have that assist in the record books is just a wonderful feeling.

What classes are you taking next semester?

Next semester, I am signed up already for five. I am probably going to continue with some history and then take some fun classes. Maybe some anthropology classes or a sci-ence class. I have yet to take a science class at Brown, so we will see.

you have the record for most consecutive starts, 13th all-time in points, ninth in assists, fifth in saves. Which record means the most to you?

Probably the consecutive starts. Not to be immodest or anything, but definitely just having that title, real-izing that there are 68 games. They just flew by so fast. You look back and I dont want to say I took it for granted, but that is a feat that nobody can ever take away from me.

What do you see for the team

next year?I see them just shattering the re-

cord we had this year. This is the best record in the past four years, and I can just see them working really hard to just put it to shame and to be in the top three of the Ivy League.

What advice do you have to incoming freshmen or girls in general who want to play field hockey?

I would say that it might seem like a lot of work, but the work will definitely be worth it.

Katie hyland 11 named athlete of the weekcontinued from page 6

Jesse Morgan / HeraldThe Herald named Katie Hyland 11 athlete of the week for her exceptional performance on the field hockey team.

editorial & LettersPAGE 10 | THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010

The Brown Daily Herald

L O R E N F U L T O N

Main course

C O R R E C T I O N S P O L I C YThe Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Correc-tions may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

C O M M E N T A R Y P O L I C YThe 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 E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R P O L I C YSend 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 authors identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.

A D V E R T I S I N G P O L I C YThe Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

letter to the editor

editorial

There is a class at Harvard Science of the Physi-cal Universe 27: Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science where students, instructed by math and physics professors as well as professional chefs, apply scientific principles to the culinary arts. As much as we hate to toot Harvards horn, we cant help it. This class sounds awesome.

According to the Harvard Crimson, the class is taught by an applied math professor, a physics profes-sor and a host of well-known chefs, including Ferran Adria, whose restaurant in Spain is considered by many to be the best in the world. On Thursday, the Harvard professors take turns explaining scientific concepts, and on the following Tuesday, the chefs speak about the practical implications of the scien-tific principles in the culinary arts. And of course theres lab, where students get to taste the science themselves, making ceviche, spherified chocolate syrup and molten chocolate cakes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the class has been very popular. More than 700 students tried to sign up for the class, forcing a lottery to fill the classs 300 seats, the Boston Globe reported.

The class is part of Harvards General Education program, which seeks to connect a liberal arts edu-cation to life beyond college, according to Harvard Magazine. The class will finish with a science fair, where a panel of local chefs will judge the students final projects. The winning group gets a free trip to Barcelona to work on a project with Adria at the Alicia Foundation, a nonprofit organization that studies food and science. This part seems a little Project Runway

to us but maybe were just jealous. While we dont expect to be flown to Europe, we do

think Harvard is on to something with their hands-on food science class. After all, what better way to learn about abstract scientific processes than to eat them?

Given some of our current course offerings, it wouldnt be too much of a stretch for Brown to in-troduce a science of food class. We already have a number of similar classes, and some that encourage reflection on food and cooking this year Brown offers BIOL 0190H: Plants, Food, and People, HIST 1975C: Eating Cultures: Food and Society, ENVS 1560: Sustenance and Sustainability: Exploring the Nexus of Agro-Food Systems, Society, the Environ-ment, ANTH 1680: Foragers, Farmers, Feasts, and Famines: An Anthropology of Food and POLS 1740: Politics of Food. But we love that Harvards class mixes hard science with a practical, edible theme and would really like to see Brown do the same.

We also think a class like this might ease the divide between science and humanities. Many students go four years without taking a single science or math class arguably a serious problem in an economy that greatly values graduates skilled in science and technology. A class like Harvards that takes an in-terdisciplinary approach to the hard sciences might help to bridge the gap, encouraging both science and humanities students to step outside their comfort zones. We hope the trend catches on.

Editorials are written by The Heralds editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

hillel event not about palestine to the editor:

As a member of Queer Hillel, one of the groups that organized gay Israeli musician Ivri Liders visit to Brown, I was saddened to read Malcolm Shanks 11.5 guest column (Keep my liberation out of your occupation! Nov. 8), in which he spins the event as a nefarious plot to pinkwash the campus and distract attention from controversial Israeli security decisions. Our ac-tual motivations for organizing the event were decidedly less dramatic: We are a queer Jewish group, so we brought a queer Jewish per-former to campus. This was not an event about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.We offered an opportunity for queers and allies of all back-grounds to come together to listen to the music and the inspirational story of a successful queer Jewish artist who has benefited from the progressive rights and protections offered to him by his country. The feedback we received from the over 110 students and community members who actually attended the event was uniformly positive.

When American gay rights activ-ists speak at Brown, do we demand that they espouse certain political

views about, say, Americas con-troversial war in Afghanistan? No, because we recognize that the is-sues are completely separate and deserve to be treated as such. Por-traying Liders efforts on behalf of the Israeli gay rights movement as anti-human rights propaganda is an unjustified insult, both to the artist and to the numerous accom-plishments of the movement he represents.

I feel lucky to attend a univer-sity where my assumptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are constantly challenged by thoughtful and vigorous debate, but politiciz-ing cultural events that bring com-munities together is divisive and unhelpful.Instead, I would encour-age our campus to move beyond the polarizing rhetoric that takes two heterogeneous societies with millions of members each with their own cultural, economic, spiri-tual and political struggles and reduces them to unified blocks of terrorists, victims, colonizers and martyrs.

gene goldstein-plesser 11Executive vice President,

Brown-RISD HillelNov. 10

Kyle Mcnamara, nora orton, julien ouellet, leor Shtull-leber, Katie Wilson, Designers

david chung, Shefali luthra, Copy Editors

nicole Boucher, Kristina Fazzalaro, Sara luxenberg, Ben Schreckinger, Night Editors

Senior Staff Writers Ana Alvarez, Ashley Aydin, Rebecca Ballhaus, Alexander Bell, Nicole Boucher, Fei Cai, Kristina Fazzalaro, Sarah Mancone, Claire Peracchio, Lindor Qunaj, Mark Raymond, Luisa Robledo, Caitlin TrujilloStaff Writers Anna Andreeva, Anne Artley, Anita Badejo, Casey Bleho, Amy Chen, Alicia Dang, Sarah Forman, Miriam Furst, Max Godnick, Thomas Jarus, Abby Kerson, Julia Kim, Kristina Klara, Leonardo Moauro, Emily Rosen, Bradley Silverman, Anne Simons, Alexandra ulmer, Qian yinSenior Sales executives Katie Galvin, Liana Nisimova, Isha Gulati, Samantha WongSales Associates Roshni Assomull, Brady Caspar, Anna Cook, Siena deLisser, Begum Ersan, Tommy Fink, Ryan Fleming, Evan Gill, Debbie Lai, Jason Lee, Katie Lynch, Sean Maroongroge, Zahra Merchant, Edjola Ruci, Webber XuSenior Finance Associates Jason Beckman, Mae Cadao, Adam Fern, Krystle OnibokunFinance Associates Lisa Berlin, Mahima Chawla, Mark Hu, Jason Lee, Justin Lee, Kevin Lynch, Jennifer Morgan, Sam Plotner, Nicholas Robbins, Dan Seder, Daniel Slutsky, Emily Zhengdesign Staff Rebecca Ballhaus, Caleigh ForbesWeb Staff Warren Jin, Claire Kwong, Adam Zethraeusphoto Staff Alex DePaoli, Emily Gilbert, Katie Green, Freddy Lu, Glenn Lutzky, Evan Thomascopy editors Ted Burke, Corinne Cathcart, David Chung, Olivia Conetta, Carrie Craven, Max Ernst, Jenny Kaplan, Abby Kerson, Juhee Kwon, Claire Luchette, Sahil Luthra, Shefali Luthra, Katie MacDougald, Alexandra Nuttbrown, Elizabeth Orr, Katrina Phillips, Amy Rasmussen, Winnie Wang, Emma Wohleditorial page Board Members Anita Mathews, Melissa Shube, Gaurie Tilak

the brown daily herald

Anne SpeyerSuzannah WeissSara luxenbergBrian MastroianniBrigitta greeneBen SchreckingerSydney embertony BakshiAshley Mcdonnell

Stephen lichensteinAlex yulyStephanie londonMax Monn hilary rosenthaljonathan Batemanjesse Morgan

Graphics EditorGraphics Editor

Photo EditorPhoto EditorPhoto Editor

Sports Photo EditorAsst. Sports Photo Editor

Graphics & photos

BuSINESS

Kelly Mallahanjoe Milnerdan townejulien ouelletgili Kligerleor Shtull-leberKatie Wilsonneal poole

productionCopy Desk Chief

Asst. Copy Desk ChiefAsst. Copy Desk Chief

Design EditorAsst. Design EditorAsst. Design EditorAsst. Design Editor

Web Editor

EDITORIAL

Arts & Culture EditorArts & Culture Editor

Features EditorFeatures Editor

Metro EditorMetro EditorNews Editor

Sports EditorAsst. Sports Editor

editor-in-chief

george Miller

senior editors

Ben hymanSeth Motel

deputy ManaGinG editors

emmy lissjoanna Wohlmuth

ManaGinG editor

chaz Kelsh

OPINIONS Michael FitzpatrickAlyssa ratledgeMatt Akstyler rosenbaum

Opinions EditorOpinions Editor

Editorial Page EditorEditorial Page Editor

BLOG DAILy HERALDMatt KlimermanAnne Simonsdavid Winer

Managing EditorManaging EditorManaging Editor

General ManaGersclaire KielyKatie Koh

office ManaGerShawn reilly

directorsKelly WessMatthew Burrowsdanielle MarshakMargaret Watsonchristiana Stephenson

ManaGersisha gulatiArjun Vaidyarajiv iyengarAditi Bhatiajared davistrenten nelson-riverslauren Bossojilyn chaoMargot grinbergAlexander carrereKathy Bui

SalesFinance

Asst. FinanceClient Relations

Alumni Relations

Local SalesLocal Sales

National Salesuniversity Salesuniversity SalesRecruiter Sales

Business OperationsBusiness Analytics

Credit and CollectionsSpecial Projects

Staff

POST- MAGAZINESam carterKate doyleMarshall Katheder

Editor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-Chief

THuRSDAy, NOvEMBER 11, 2010 | PAGE 11

opinionsThe Brown Daily Herald

Organization theory posits that when a group no longer has a reason to exist, con-stituents of that organization will find new purposes for it to pursue. If this is the case, then it is high time for the body of Browns Advisory Committee on Corporate Respon-sibility in Investment Policies, or ACCRIP, to review its mandate and consider finding something new to do with itself.

Though ACCRIP and its predecessors have existed since 1978, the last two years have seen a marked decline in the accom-plishments of this group. ACCRIP is man-dated by its charter to accomplish two main tasks: to recommend courses of action on moral issues regarding Browns invest-ments and to hold proxy votes on sharehold-er resolutions. The last time ACCRIP exer-cised the first right was in April 2009, when it decided to ask President Simmons to write a letter expressing her concerns about pos-sible labor rights abuses at HEI hotels, a private equity company in which Brown in-vests. As for the second right, ACCRIP has not voted on a single proxy resolution in two years.

Prior to 2008, ACCRIP received proxy resolutions from Browns Investment Office whenever a moral issue was brought up in a shareholder resolution, such as whether or not a company should conduct an environ-mental impact survey. These shareholder resolutions were sent to the University ev-

ery year by the companies in which Brown was invested.

And then one day they just stopped com-ing. Purportedly as a response to the finan-cial crisis, the University liquidated all of its direct holdings of publicly traded stock, which previously amounted to nearly ten percent of the endowments value. In the years since, not only has Brown not rein-vested in direct holdings, but it has dropped its subscription to a service that it once used

to gather information on shareholder reso-lutions. Clearly decision makers on the Cor-porations Investment Committee have no immediate plans to reinvest in direct hold-ings, but rather intend to continue investing in commingled funds and other asset class-es.

This development is significant because it makes the role of ACCRIP and the future of socially responsible investment policy at this school unclear. To claim, as Brown did on this years College Sustainability Report Card (an independent survey of sustainabil-

ity at American colleges and universities), that Browns ACCRIP makes recommenda-tions on proxy voting for environmental and social resolutions in the present tense is somewhat disingenuous. Brown scored an A for its investment policy on the report card, but at least partly for a mechanism that does not function.

So what can be done to improve this sit-uation? The decision to buy stock as direct holdings again lies with Corporation mem-

bers, whose rationale for not doing so is in-scrutable. But does this mean that ACCRIP should be resigned to a new, limited man-date? Should ACCRIP remain as a vestige of a time when Browns fiduciary responsi-bilities were subject to its ethical standards, conveniently visible so that it could be tout-ed in every College Sustainability Report Card as an example of Browns progressive policies? Or, as Haley Kossek 13 suggest-ed is the case in her guest column (A call for investment integrity, Oct. 27), should it continue as nothing but a forum to which

student activists concerned about invest-ment ethics may endlessly be directed and redirected?

ACCRIP should not be limited to the pos-sibilities above. The wake of the financial cri-sis of 2007-2008 presents an opportunity for a group like ACCRIP to investigate and con-structively critique investment policy as has not been done before.

The management policies toward which Brown is leaning have lost us hundreds of millions. In the recovery since then, it is now apparent that it is public equity hold-ings, and not the inherently non-transparent hedge funds and mutual funds, that have had the best returns. Perhaps now is the time to think about returning to direct hold-ings with which Brown can be a social and environmental activist shareholder, by vot-ing on resolutions and maybe even (gasp!) letting ACCRIP write its own.

For most of the history of the endow-ment, asset classes like hedged strategies, which now dominate Browns portfolio, were not to be found. Returning to a focus on direct holdings in publicly traded equities would not be a radical departure, but rather a return to tradition that could guarantee the utility of a group like ACCRIP. For the Uni-versity and for the sake of our consciences, not to mention keeping the good people of ACCRIP busy, it is time to recognize that for our investments, simpler may be better.

Ian Trupin 13 is concentrating in commerce, organizations and entrepreneurship. He can be

reached at Ian_Trupin@brown.edu.

Saving investment responsibility from death by boredom

I recently read some above-average graffiti in a bathroom stall: The unexamined life is not worth living. Props to Socrates and the lawless student who rewrote it 2,500 years later. Let us apply it, for now, with an environmental lens. Every object we see around us came from the earth: this news-paper, the various materials that compose that building over there, the sandwiches we enjoy from the Blue Room. Unfortunately, our methods of harvesting, processing and transporting these materials simply arent sustainable, and if we hope to continue to enjoy them, we need to adjust.

Even a small sampling of statistics pres-ents an alarming picture. At least 36 U.S. states could face water shortages within the next three years. Some estimate that up to 80,000 acres of forest are cleared each day. Biodiversity hotspots that once cov-ered 16 percent of the Earths surface now cover less than three percent. Environmen-tal degradation has been a serious issue since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and has grown exponentially in the last 60 years. Achieving an environmentally sus-tainable society will prove to be the great-est challenge of our generation and of the 21st century.

To help us Brunonians get started on our quest, we can break down our impact and make it more manageable conceptu-ally. The majority of our environmental impact as individuals comes from four ar-

eas: our use of energy, water, materials and food. By focusing on these four, we can make a realizable commitment to mak-ing our own lives zero-, or at least lesser, impact. Many of us do make and follow through with such commitments on a daily basis. This is absolutely essential, but it is not enough. To make real change, we need to work together. We need to communi-cate, organize and act.

You dont have to consider yourself an environmental activist to make a differ-ence. This movement has a place for ev-

eryone, and the movement needs every-one. Perhaps youre thinking of going into film or media; consider the impact that An Inconvenient Truth had on bringing envi-ronmental issues into living rooms across America, and ask yourself, can you uncov-er the next Inconvenient Truth? Perhaps you are thinking of applying to medical school; what are your thoughts on Ameri-cas obesity epidemic and ways to combat it? Political science and international rela-tions concentrators know the increasing salience of these issues in national debates,

as well as emerging international conflicts over scarce resources such as water and oil. Chemists might discover new ways to remove pervasive toxins from our ecosys-tems. Teachers can pass this knowledge on to their students and inspire the next gen-eration. Are you an engineering student? Some of the most exciting breakthroughs in the 21st century will revolve around im-proving clean energy technology.

Environmental issues are not just for bleeding-heart liberals who want to do good for the world and save a couple of

trees. These are serious opportunities to design innovative products, energy-effi-cient buildings and to make money in the process. COE concentrators and our more business-minded students would do Browns alumni coffers wonders by setting up shop in what will be one of the largest industries in the 21st century: the clean en-ergy economy. John Rockefeller P1897 and Andrew Carnegie made it big with oil and coal, because energy is one good that is, has always been and always will be in high demand. Clean energy is the next frontier;

which of us might fill their shoes? Climate change, despite what some deniers may be-lieve, is not to be trifled with. High-speed rail, solar panels, wind turbines and elec-tric vehicles: these are elements of the clean energy economy that will come to dominate in the 21st century. The U.S. is currently lagging behind China, Germa-ny, Spain and other countries in develop-ing them. Its up to us to change that (and make millions and solve global warming along the way, NBD).

Brown has a wealth of intelligent and driven student minds, combined with a world-class faculty. We all share these com-mon problems or should I say opportu-nities? The issues are current and urgent. The task at hand is great; it will require a combined effort from all of us. There are many groups on campus that are working on these issues: some impart environmen-tal education to children (OLEEP); do en-vironmental consulting (SCP); promote lo-cal food options (SuFI); deal with climate change, composting, water and advocacy through environmental coalitions (such as emPower); and many others. I encour-age everyone to check out one or more of these groups or contact them to start your own project. If we communicate with each other, organize with each other, and act to-gether, we can and we will create an envi-ronmentally sustainable society.

Spencer Lawrence 11 is excited to work with you on these issues.

He can be contacted at spencer_lawrence@brown.edu

environmental sustainability: the 21st century challenge

Environmental issues are not just for bleeding-heart liberals who want to do good for the world

and save a couple of trees.

For the university and for the sake of our consciences, not to mention keeping the good people of ACCRIP busy, it is time to recognize

that for our investments, simpler may be better.

By SPENCER LAWRENCEGuest coluMnist

By IAN TRuPINGuest coluMnist

thurSdAy, noVeMBer 11, 2010 PAGE 12Today 5 7

Democrats continue to dominate in R.I.

Fencing wins big at weekend tournament

The Brown Daily Herald

49 / 37

Animal Collective by Jonah Kagan 13ACROSS1 Ukr., once4 Word with turtle

or trial8 Popular slip-ons

brand12 Freuds home14 Home to two top

football clubs that share the same stadium

15 Childrens game that consists mostly of looking at things

16 One of 16 UN-designated Decade Volcanoes

17 Musician who plays the violin, mandolin, guitar, and glockenspiel and whistles

19 Band with the album Menos el Oso

21 ___ you cant scratch

22 They may come in through the window

26 Anti-socialist?27 Dog sh Head

signature variety: abbr.

30 It may be found in a well

31 Prevalent lingua franca: abbr.

32 Aquatic weasel relatives

35 Wills love interest on Glee

36 Ocean Breathes Salty band

39 Now!41 Go down on42 Apple product

with a metallic taste?

45 Brownfml.com and spottedatbrown.com, e.g.

47 Neighbor of Isr.48 Links mount50 Start of an act52 Ovary served in

the Ratty

53 Is There a Ghost band

57 White Winter Hymnal band

60 Gillette razor61 Get bored (of)62 Is of ___ (helps)63 The ___s

Tower (Sufjan Stevens song on his album Illinois)

64 Tears partner65 99 Luftballons

pop group66 Drive on them:

abbr.DOWN

1 Derogatory slang for a trans woman

2 Audited, as a course

3 One on a joint ticket

4 Ho Chi ___5 Ye follower6 Chicken or beef

Jos offering7 Hit with ones

leg8 Produces sound

waves, say9 ___ Lay Dying

10 Juan Williams rer

11 Barrett of Pink Floyd

13 Pan-fry14 Class you

might have to factor in

18 Unit ___20 Fish often

served baked at the VDub

23 Bad Romance album, with the

24 ___ and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

25 Mex. Mrs.27 ___ simple as

that28 Trivial29 Suit in a

medieval court?

33 Drive off it34 Trivial amount37 Party

beverage ready for consumption

38 In ___ (Nirvana album

39 Bootay40 [as written]43 POd44 Some salads46 3-Downs

goal49 Crab-like

Pokmon51 Just for sh*ts

and giggles52 Terribly54 Hit, for

marijuana55 Beasts of

burden56 Ivy Room

falafel wrap component

57 Online expression of enthusiasm

58 Tell it like it isnt

59 Epoch

Solutions andarchive online at

acrosstobear.wordpress.com

Email: brownpuzzles@gmail.com

dot comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

dr. Bear | Mat Becker

Bat & gaz | Sofia Ortiz

post- magazine,

inside todays paper

Post- has 99 Problems, shot-

guns a Four-Loko, and has

an unreal poregasm.

7 11calendar

Menu

across to bear

the news in iMaGes

coMics

57 / 40

today toMorrow

ins ide the herald

7 p.M.

Debate: Burma Elections,

Petteruti Lounge

7:30 p.M.

A Performance by Digital Artist Joerg

Piringer, McCormack Family Theater

2:30 p.M.

Romanticism & the Question of

Community, Pembroke Hall 305

8 p.M.

Pippin: A Musical Presented by Sock

& Buskin and TAPS, Stuart Theater

ShArpe reFectory Verney-Woolley dining hAll

lunch

dinner

Asian Dinner Special featuring

Shanghai Sushi, Sustainable Salmon

Teryaki, Red Thai Chicken

Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce,

Tomato Quiche, Mashed Sweet &

White Potatoes

vegan Tofu Ravioli with Sauce,

Grilled Ham & Swiss Sandwich, BBQ

Beef Ribs, Sweet Potato Fries

Hot Roast Beef on French Bread,

Baked Macaroni & Cheese, Oatmeal

Butterscotch Cookies

todAy noVeMBer 11 toMorroW noVeMBer 12