Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxliv, no. 82 | Friday, October 9, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Students demonstrated Wednesday to support Dining Services workers in contract negotiations with the University.
Representatives from the University and the workers’ union will meet over the weekend. The contract expires Monday.
Rallies continue, BDS deadline looms
By Alexandra Ulmer
Senior Staf f Writer
With Dining Services workers’ con-
tract with the University set to expire
Monday and negotiations on a new
deal ongoing, public demonstrations
in support of the workers intensified
this week.
Industry leaders debate pros,
cons of Rx drug regulation
By Nicole Boucher
Contributing Writer
The government’s role in the
pharmaceutical industry — either
highly regulative or uninvolved,
leaving the industry to police it-
self through competition — was
the subject of a Janus Forum-
sponsored debate Thursday night
before a half-full Salomon 001.
The event, “Doing Good or
Doing Well: Responsibility in the
Pharmaceutical Industr y,” fea-
tured two medical professionals
with opposing views on regula-
tion. Marcia Angell, a senior lec-
turer in the department of social
medicine at Harvard and the first
female editor-in-chief of the New
England Journal of Medicine, ar-
gued that drug companies primar-
ily ser ve their own interests of
profit-making with little regard to
fulfilling “social responsibility.”
The other panelist, Mar y Ru-
wart, who ser ved as a research
scientist for 19 years with Upjohn
Pharmaceuticals, suggested gov-
ernment regulations force compa-
nies to raise drug prices in order
to sustain the costs of research
and development.
inside
News.....1-6
Ar ts........7
World.....8-9
Editorial..10
Opinion...11
Today........12
www.browndailyherald.com
On Wednesday, students oppos-
ing changes to workers’ required
contributions to their health-care
plans presented a petition to Presi-
dent Ruth Simmons. On Thursday,
protesters marched from outside
the Sharpe Refectory to put on a
show outside J. Walter Wilson, with
the University depicted as a giant
Angell spoke first, basing the
majority of her argument on the
claim that the industry’s “aim is
almost always to make sales,” so
it is not responsive to community
health needs.
In response to the industry’s
argument that high prices result
from the heavy cost of research
and development, Angell cited
statistics showing that the major
pharmaceutical companies spend
much more on marketing than on
they do on research.
She also refuted the argument
that high prices are necessar y
for innovation. She referred to
a study between 2000 and 2007
showing that drugs that were
both innovative and reflected
improvement over a placebo in
trials constituted only 11 percent
of total Food and Drug Adminis-
tration approvals.
Because the FDA approves
drugs by comparing their ef-
fect to a placebo, she said, a new
drug simply “has to be better
than nothing” to be released. As
a result, “me-too drugs,” which
are “trivial variations” on exist-
continued on page 2
Sports, 6
PasSing fancy
Football expects to rack up
passing yards against Holy
Cross this weekend
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
Claire Huang / Herald
man-puppet clutching dollar bills
in its fists and roaring about the
importance of its chief investment
officer.
A short time later, administra-
tors presented information about
the University’s recent endowment
continued on page 5
Author Jeffrey Toobin headlined a 25th anniversary celebration for the
Taubman Center for Public Policy Thursday in Salomon 101.
Toobin: Conservative
justices hold sway
By Seth Motel
News Editor
Americans can expect conser va-
tive Supreme Court justices to
practice their brand of “judicial
activism” in the coming years,
CNN senior analyst and author
Jeffrey Toobin told a Salomon 101
audience Thursday night.
Toobin, a CNN commenta-
tor on American legal issues, is
For a select squad,
an anti-gang vigil
By George Miller
Metro Editor
After school Wednesday, three
students are hanging out outside
Gilbert Stuart Middle School in
Providence. It’s been an hour or
so since
classes let
out for the SPOTLIGHT
day, but
they’re standing around talking
to a grown man — a streetworker
with the Institute for the Study and
Practice of Nonviolence, which
aims to combat youth violence in
the city. Two other streetworkers,
Tony Kim and Ali Amoure, pull up
to the curb in Kim’s car.
“Why aren’t you home yet?”
Amoure asks one of them, whom
he recognizes as a student at
Bridgham, another middle school
nearby that he watches over daily.
He gets no definitive answer.
Tuesday, a student was ar-
rested at Bridgham after trying
to attack another student with a
broken bottle, Amoure says. Four
streetworkers were called to the
Nick Sinnott-Armstrong / Herald
also a staf f writer for the New
Yorker and author of the 2007
bestseller “The Nine: Inside the
Secret World of the Supreme
Cour t.” He told the audience
that he wrote his latest book be-
cause he thought the high court
should be an “institution for all
of us” despite its largely private
workings.
continued on page 6
Arts, 7
Art History
A new book chronicles 125
years of RISD’s history in
words and photos
scene.
The streetworkers and the stu-
dents talk about who’s in what
gang. The Bridgham student
denies being in one — he says
they just think he is because he
hangs out with them sometimes
— but the
streetwork-
ers remain
convinced
he’s a member. The gangs recruit
at a young age, Amoure says.
The students tell him about
another fight and another arrest
today at Bridgham. Amoure is un-
derstandably upset. He asks when
it happened. It was lunchtime —
he was in a meeting then.
Even though they work at it
every day, the Institute’s street-
workers can’t stop every fight.
Struggling for peace
The Institute traces its roots
back to 2000, when the South Side
murder of Jennifer Rivera moved
members of St. Michael’s Church
continued on page 4
Lakes key
to climate
change study,
scientist says
By Kristina Klara
Contributing Writer
Climate change is difficult to pre-
dict. But trying to deduce historical
precipitation patterns may help
us build a model for the weather
patterns of the future, geologist
Wallace Broecker told a full Mac-
Millan 115 audience Thursday
afternoon.
Broecker, a renowned scien-
tist often credited with coining
the phrase “global warming,” dis-
cussed his recent examinations
of lakes and cave stalagmites to
measure ancient climate cycles
in a colloquium sponsored by the
Department of Geology.
A professor of geology at Co-
lumbia, Broecker is working with
a team of scientists to gather data
about the past climate patterns
of various isolated “closed-basin”
lakes‚ from which water can exit
only by evaporation and enter only
continued on page 2
Opinions, 11
CHe Sera, SERA
Will Wray ’10 questions
Brown students’ love for
a famous revolutionary
herald@browndailyherald.com
Page 2 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Friday, October 9, 2009

C ampus N EWS
Scientist studies lakes for climate
continued from page 1
by precipitation.
The growth and shrinkage
of these lakes, such as Utah’s
Great Salt Lake, may provide
a good indication of the hydro-
logic cycles of the past. Lakes,
Broecker said, are some of the
most “unexploited archives on
the planet.”
By studying these hydrologic
cycles, Broecker and his team
have tried to piece together the
histor y of climate change. They
plan to plug their historical data
into existing computer models
of climate change, and in doing
so will test the accuracy of the
models in extrapolating histori-
cal patterns.
If the models can make
sense of the ancient data, they
may allow researchers to make
predictions about the effects of
global warming on future climate
change.
“This study may turn out to
be useless in the future,” Broeck-
er said. “But perhaps we’ll learn
something.”
Broecker and his team have
been researching lakes in rela-
tion to climate patterns for only
two years. Thus, although results
may be in the offing, “there is an
awful lot more to do,” he said.
Broecker began his talk by
recalling his initial exposure
to geology decades ago. After
Broecker gave a lecture in Los
Angeles, a man with cowboy
boots, a cowboy hat and a “big
fat pipe” approached him.
“Kid, I can see you know a
lot about math and physics,” the
man said. “But you don’t know
much about the ear th. Come
with me for three weeks, and
I’ll change your life.”
So, on a whim, Broecker went.
He collected his first geological
sample on the trip — to Pyramid
Lake in Nevada — and has been
in the field ever since.
Broecker, a scientist at Co-
lumbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth
Obser vator y, said he was ex-
cited to be spending his days
researching climate change with
energetic young people and “all
their new tools.”
But he said he still felt able to
keep up with the up-and-comers,
even though he has been a pro-
fessor for more than 50 years.
“I still have enough wit to be
more than a fossil on its shelf,” Nick Sinnott-Armstrong / Herald
he said. Geologist Wallace Broecker spoke Thursday about his work on lakes and caves.

sudoku
Forum looks at FDA role in drug industry
continued from page 1

ing marketable drugs, arise. Many

of these variations are created for
“vague, chronic” conditions — like
erectile dysfunction, acid reflux or
shyness.
For those drugs that are innova-
tive, she said the majority of break-
throughs come from labs funded by
the National Institutes of Health.
Drug companies then develop the
drugs and “expect to be rewarded
as if they were the source of the
innovation.”
Ruwart countered Angell’s de-
piction of drug companies as solely
profit-driven, saying that both the

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the Brown

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“stockholders and society” must
be accommodated. She said FDA
regulations drive up prices of devel-
opment and force rapid increases
Stephen DeLucia, President Jonathan Spector, Treasurer
in drug expenses.
Michael Bechek, Vice President Alexander Hughes, Secretary
“There is a direct correlation be-
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serv-
ing the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday
tween what we pay in the pharmacy
through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during and what the pharmacy pays in re-
Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily search and development,” she said.
James Sedgwick / Herald
Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each members of the community. Without FDA regulations, projec- Marcia Angell, former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medi-
POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI
02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195
tions show, pharmacy prices would cine, argued for more regulation of drug companies in a debate Thursday.
Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. be 85 percent lower.
World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. “When we look at social respon- proval of drugs. Ruwart disagreed, saying that
Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. sibility,” Ruwart said, “we also need By suggesting Congress legis- government regulation must be
Copyright 2009 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
to look at the environment in which late regulations “requiring compa- limited before prices can be low-
it works.” Owing to government nies to compare” new drugs with ered.
regulation and long development existing drugs, Angell said more re- “Competition is a better regula-
periods, she said, “some people sources would then be diverted to tor than Congress or the FDA,”
literally die waiting” for FDA ap- new drug research for approval. she said.
Friday, October 9, 2009 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3

C ampus N EWS “The phrase ‘It’s not secure without U’ is not just catchy,
it’s true. — Patricia Falcon, IT security coordinator

CIS helps improve where the free thin g s are

Brown’s cyber smarts

By Ana Alvarez
Contributing Writer
In recognition of National Cyber
Security Awareness Month this
October, Computing and Informa-
tion Services will be hosting several
events to promote cyber safety in
the Brown community. Presented
by the Information Security Group,
the events are organized to educate
and help protect students from cy-
ber crimes like online scams and
identity theft.
CIS kicked off Cyber Security
Awareness Month on Oct. 1 with
a booth in the “Be Safe at Brown”
event run by the Department of Pub-
lic Safety. Students were able to play
“Cy Bear Street Smarts” and win a
variety of prizes. Other events in-
clude online tutorials, games, tools,
protect Brown’s network “everyone
must do their part as well.”
David Sherry, chief information
security officer, said that participat-
ing in Cyber Security Awareness
Month will promote secure think-
ing among students. “If we have
people thinking safely that is our
best defense,” he said.
Some students have experienced
on-campus network security prob-
lems recently. A hacking incident oc-
curred in Perkins Hall last weekend,
Craig Chan ’13 said, adding “just a
few days ago other computers were
being attacked in our dorm.”
But student awareness of Cyber
Security Awareness Month is low.
Rahul Banerjee ’10, a student Alex Bell / Herald
manager of the help desk consult- On the Main Green yesterday, Brown Film distributed free tickets for an 8 p.m. showing Monday night at Providence Place
of “Where the Wild Things Are.” Those who missed out can wait in a stand-by line outside the theater at 7 p.m. Monday.
ing program, said, “I don’t know
any more about Cyber Awareness

Hillel group explores sexuality, Judaism

videos and online contest quizzes
offered weekly on different cyber
safety topics, all available on ISG’s
Cyber Security Awareness Month
Web site. If students complete the
quiz correctly, they are entered into
a raffle to win a free iPod at the end
of the month.
Classes, called “Safe Computing
Brown Bags,” are also offered above
Cafe Paragon on Thayer Street. Stu-
dents are welcome to bring their
lunch and learn about different cy-
ber topics — with cookies provide
by ISG. Topics covered during the
month include laptop safety, virtual
street smarts and securing wireless
networks.
“The phrase ‘It’s not secure with-
out U’ isn’t just catchy, it’s true” said
Patricia Falcon, IT security policy
and communication coordinator.
Falcon added that each student has
an “obligation to protect shared
resources” and that while CIS can
Month than any other student
would.”
Students inter viewed by The
Herald have responded positively
to the online quizzes ISG offers,
saying that the opportunity of a
free iPod is a good incentive to get
involved.
Falcon said that ISG hopes to
raise student awareness through
“ads in (The Herald), slides in the
dining halls, Morning Mail mes-
sages and word-of-mouth.”
Created in 2001 in response
to a growing terrorist threat, the
Department of Homeland Security
along with the National Cyber Se-
curity Alliance began Cyber Secu-
rity Awareness Month in order to
encourage citizens to protect their
identity and the nation’s delicate cy-
ber infrastructure, according to an
e-mail Falcon wrote to The Herald.
It has been extended to universities,
businesses and home users.
By Julia Kim
Contributing Writer
Queer Hillel, a new group for LG-
BTQ Jewish students, gathered for
the first time on Tuesday.
According to Sarah Wolk ’10.5,
a co-coordinator of the group,
Queer Hillel had “been around in
the past,” but had disappeared for
one or two years.
Personal motivations, Wolk
said, were a big factor in her and
co-coordinator Anna Schnur-Fish-
man’s ’09.5 decision to reconstitute
the group, which is a subgroup of
Brown/RISD Hillel.
“We kind of just wanted to see if
there was interest because we were
interested,” Wolk said.
The pair wanted to make it
clearly known that “there is a wel-
coming space for queer students in
the Jewish community,” Fishman
said. “Queer people have been
scared off from religion.”
With only one official meeting
on the books, Queer Hillel is still
determining what its focuses and
activities will be. In an informal
poll taken during the first meet-
ing, which Wolk and Fishman said
was attended by about 20 students,
group members expressed interest
in hosting guest speakers, holding
discussion groups and studying
how gender and sexuality are rep-
resented in religious texts..
Older gay Jewish couples from
Providence might also come to
talk about different topics includ-
ing same-sex Jewish marriage and
raising children, Fishman said.
Queer Hillel is not the only stu-
dent group on campus to address
issues of religion and sexuality.
Queer Alliance, for example, has
a religion subgroup, Queer Faith,
and the Third World Center has its
own peer group, the Next Thing,
focused on race, religion and cul-
ture.
Queer Faith is “less focused on
one particular dogma,” said Aida
Manduley ’11, QA’s head chair.
Fishman said she considers
Judaism her “first language,” and
that her “queerness ... definitely
came later.”
But other members of the
group emphasize their sexuality
more, she said.
Queer Hillel is “definitely open
to anybody,” Wolk said. It’s “great
to have lots of different perspec-
tives.”

Pre-Law rebuilding presence on campus

Society aims to fill void
for students interested in
careers in law
By Parker McClellan
Contributing Writer
If you don’t know much about
Brown’s Pre-Law Society, chances
are you are not alone.
Over the past few years, the
society has had a relatively weak
presence on campus, but that may
change soon.
The Society has two roles, said
Billy O’Neil ’10, co-president of the
society’s executive board. First, it
works with the Office of the Dean
of the College to host activities and
provide information about the ap-
plication process, LSATs and other
parts of the law school admissions
process. Secondly, because Brown
has no law school, the society tries
to “fill that void” by building aware-
ness of and fostering an interest for
law and legal issues on campus,
O’Neil said.
Pre-law advising received mixed
reviews after adviser Perry Ashley
was replaced by Andrew Simmons,
associate dean of the College for
health careers and pre-law, and
Linda Dunleavy, associate dean
of the College for fellowships and
pre-law, neither of whom had ex-
perience with pre-law upon taking
the position. But O’Neil says the
problem has never been with the
quality of advising but rather with
the group’s publicity — or lack
thereof.
The Society just has not been
“a force on campus,” said O’Neil.
A bit unorganized, the group had
to discover what was effective and
go through a “trial and error” pro-
cess, he added.
When asked about the society’s
past presence on campus, its other
co-president, Ben Bastomski ’10,
said, “There was sor t of a void
there.”
Brown has enough students
interested in pre-law that there
needs to be a ser vice provided,
he added.
Although the Society is still in
a “rebuilding process,” it is defi-
nitely “gaining steam,” Bastomski
said.
O’Neil, who learned of the soci-
ety as a sophomore when he saw it
advertised on a table slip, said the
group is tr ying to become more
accessible. For example, this year
was the first time the society had a
booth at the Activities Fair.
Society executive board mem-
ber Christie Louie ’12 said par-
ticipation has increased from last
semester.
Aside from a monthly newslet-
ter, the society also holds various
events, such as question-and-an-
swer panels with deans and lecture
series to “foster legal discussion”
on campus, O’Neil said. Last se-
mester, the society hosted a forum
on gay rights and the Constitu-
tion.
Louie said the society is tr ying
to get a better sense of the needs of
the students with pre-law interests
by asking for more student feed-
back on the advising process.
The society is tr ying to expand
its membership to include people
who aren’t necessarily interested
in law school but merely have a
passion for law or a particular legal
cause, Louie said.
The Pre-Law Society will be
holding its first general body meet-
ing on Oct. 19.
Page 4
C ampus N EWS
On former turf, streetworkers combat gang violence
continued from page 1
to try to stop the violence in their
neighborhood. By September of the
next year, they had raised enough
money to hire Teny Gross, now the
Institute’s executive director, part-
time.
The streetworker program, one
of five run by the Institute, started in
2003. Now there are 17 streetwork-
ers in the city, and Gross says they’re
hiring three more soon.
As the Institute continues to
grow, it plans to move to a new loca-
tion in South Providence, a convent
the Institute purchased from the city
for $1. The new building will give
the organization more space for the
services it offers to kids: tutoring,
performance space, yoga and access
to computers.
Some of the streetworkers are
former gang members, and some
have been involved in murders.
Kim fits both categories. He spent
seven years of his life behind bars,
convicted of manslaughter.
The streetworkers’ goal is to be
proactive, Kim says. Once a fight
or a shooting actually happens, the
work is that much harder.
So they tr y their best to stop
fights before they break out, wheth-
er they hear about it ahead of time
or physically step in to break things
up.
But they also visit victims in the
hospital, or talk to those involved
in a fight afterward to calm things
down. They stop by schools during
the day to mediate conflicts between
students referred by the principal or
a counselor, and they go at dismissal
time to watch out for any spontane-
ous trouble.
Today, Kim expects some.
“Today is a nice day, so most like-
ly something will pop off,” he says.
Still, he says, it’s important to
remember that not all the kids are
bad — not even all the kids in gangs.
Many of them feel that violence is
the only way for them to survive,
he says.
“It’s a battle for them, all day,
every day,” Kim says.
First, they have to plan a route to
school that won’t get them jumped
— and once they’re at school, they
have a new set of dangers to watch
out for. They’re distracted by the
threat of violence, he says — not
to mention whatever situations they
may face at home — and the teach-
ers come down on them for acting
unfocused.
But Kim has one advantage in
talking to these troubled teens and
pre-teens: He was once in their posi-
tion himself, both as a Providence
student and a gang member.
“They can never tell me that
I don’t know what they’re going
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
— Tony Kim, Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence streetworker
The Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence will soon have a new center for after-school programs.
through,” he says.
Born into violence
Kim has been surrounded by
violence since he was in the womb.
His mother fled violence in Cambo-
dia in the 1970s, and he was born
in a refugee camp. After he came
to the United States in 1979, he was
“robbed, abused, jumped, beat” by
people of all races, he says.
“That’s when I started thinking I
have to be violent,” he says.
“It’s a battle for them, all day, every day”
He was recruited to PSB, the
Providence Street Boys, as a middle
schooler at Bridgham. It’s an age and
an environment when students are
susceptible to the idea of joining a
gang, he says — when kids are “lost”
and trying to decide what group they
want to run with.
“That’s when you feel like you
always have to prove yourself,” he
says.
He got a reputation as “a bully’s
bully,” he says, turning the bullied into
gangsters who could fight back.
But in the end, it wasn’t gang-
related violence that landed Kim in
prison. At 17, he shot the man who
raped his sister and was sentenced
to prison for 30 years, 20 of which
were suspended.
In prison, Kim says, “I found my-
self.”
Though he found out about the
Institute after getting out of prison,
it took a while before he signed up.
Gross, the Institute’s director, says
he visited him at his auto parts shop
to recruit him.
The Institute was having trouble
reaching Asian gangs, and Gross had
heard of Kim. He found an “intro-
verted” man but a “strategic thinker,”
he said, the kind he could use on the
streets. And he was a hard worker.
“He takes his work very, very seri-
ously, almost to the risk of his own
health,” Gross says.
In fact, Kim was hospitalized last
year after he was stabbed and beaten
when he tried to break up a fight at
a nightclub, not during his work
hours, according to the Providence
Journal.
Kim says he can now turn his
past experience into a positive thing.
Gross calls it a “human capital envi-
ronmental movement” — recycling
people.
“I don’t want anybody else to go
through what I went through,” Kim
says.
Against the odds
Now, on a daily basis, Kim finds
himself coming into a war. One in
which, he notes with understanding,
it’s always the other side’s fault.
The streetworkers aren’t just
fighting against gangs, Amoure
says — they’re also fighting against
a culture of violence in movies, on
Friday, October 9, 2009
Kim Perley / Herald
TV, in the newspapers.
Two years ago, Kim was working
with three students to help them get
their GEDs and find jobs. He was fol-
lowing up with them, working to get
them something to hold on to so they
didn’t need to resort to violence.
Then one day he was called to
the hospital. The three students had
killed somebody, beaten him with a
pipe, after they were jumped by cars
full of gang members.
Kim has more stories. On the way
to Gilbert Stuart Middle School, he
points out the spot where his friend
was murdered, walking from his
house to a corner store on the same
block.
“You know these kids — now
they’re doing life,” he says. “You know
these kids — now they’re dead.”
Still, Kim says he thinks he can
make an impact, even if it’s hard to
notice a lack of violence.
“We don’t know what we’ve pre-
vented,” he says.
But there are success stories. One
involves a student from Kim’s alma
mater, Bridgham. Kim convinced him
to leave the gang he was in. But when
the student was “jumped out” by the
other gang members, a fight that is
part of the process of leaving, he was
reported by a teacher. Kim was able
to explain the situation to the teacher
and principal, and now the student is
studying at the University of Rhode
Island.
Kim is on call 24/7 and works at
least five days a week to stay in the
loop with Providence’s youth. He
drives slowly past Classical High
School, nearby Central High and
the new Career and Technical Insti-
tute. Crowds of students are talking,
joking, waiting for buses. A police
officer is parked nearby, and though
Kim recognizes her, he says he won’t
call out. He would lose the trust, the
reputation he has worked to create
with the students.
If the students thought the street-
workers were working with police,
“we might as well shut the program
down,” he says.
There are no signs of disturbances
as Amoure jumps out of the car to
check up with a student he knows.
Kim’s prediction that the nice weath-
er would lead to fights has, at least
so far, not come true.
Friday, October 9, 2009
C ampus N EWS
As contract expiration
looms, talks continue
continued from page 1
losses — nearly $800 million since
summer 2008 — to union negotia-
tors and Brown Dining Ser vices
workers as part of ongoing nego-
tiations for a new contract.
The increased activity comes
as negotiations head into a crucial
phase ­— the current contract’s ex-
piration looms at the end of the long
weekend. Bargaining sessions are
scheduled for Friday, Sunday and
Monday in the hopes of reaching
an agreement, union officials told
The Herald.
It remains unclear whether an
agreement can be reached by Mon-
day — and what might happen if
the deadline passes without a new
pact.
Union officials this week did not
rule out the possibility of a strike if
weekend negotiations fail to produce
an accord, but workers could also
work without a contract or agree to
temporarily extend the current one
to allow bargaining to continue into
next week.
Under their current contract,
all BDS workers pay 6 percent of
their health care premiums. The
University has proposed changing
this flat rate to a “sliding scale” un-
der which contributions would be
contingent on an employee’s sal-
ary. The proposed system would
mean a minimum contribution of 5
percent for the lowest-paid workers
and a maximum contribution of 16.5
percent for those near the top of the
salary ladder.
Also on the table, according to
officials on both sides, is a proposal
from the University to adjust retire-
ment benefits for all future hires.
Wages may be still another point
of contention, according to Roxana
Rivera, the chief negotiator for the
Service Employees International
Union, Local 615, which represents
all of the nearly 200 workers. The
union has asked for a 4 percent an-
nual wage increase, she said, but the
University, which has yet to respond
to the proposal, has not yet ruled out
a wage freeze, she added.
Mark Nickel, the University’s di-
rector of media relations, confirmed
to The Herald last week that health
care and retirement changes were
under discussion, but said he did
not know the status of wages in the
negotiation.
Focus on the endowment
Led by the Student Labor Alli-
ance, Thursday’s protest outside
J. Walter Wilson lampooned the
University’s use of a damaged en-
dowment as an excuse to justify
changing BDS workers’ health-care
plans.
“Why do you want to take away
employees’ health benefits?” SLA
members yelled at the giant puppet,
manned by five students. “Why are
you still building while you want to
take away your employees’ health
care?”
Demonstrators — some of whom
brandished posters reading “We can
only rise together” and drawings of
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 5
“I think we’ll get a contract done.”
— Valter Soares, member of the Dining Service bargaining committee
Faunce House with a $22 million
price tag attached — congregated
an hour before the University’s
presentation about the endowment
losses.
The theatrical protest was in-
tended as a “comedic parody” of the
University’s position, SLA member
Will Lambek ’10 said Wednesday. It
was also meant as a counterpoint
to what Lambek said would be a
“patronizing” presentation to BDS
workers.
Standing among the mass of
chanting students were five of the
BDS employees on the union’s bar-
gaining committee, who were taking
a break from negotiations, which all
five described as “tough.” Rivera,
who was also present, said the en-
dowment’s condition was frequently
mentioned by the University during
the talks. Claire Huang / Herald
“Management still is holding on Dining Services workers’ current contracts will expire at the end of the long weekend. Students demonstrated in
support of the workers in front of J. Walter Wilson on Wednesday (above).
to its take-away proposals,” Rivera
said. “But just because the economy
is bad doesn’t mean values go out
the door.”
Beppie Huidekoper, executive
vice president for finance and ad-
ministration, led Thursday’s pre-
sentation, which drew primarily
on information available on a Web
site University officials have set up
about the financial crisis.
“It went well, and I think there is
a greater understanding among all,”
Huidekoper wrote in an e-mail to
The Herald. “I will leave it at that.”
During the presentation, Rivera
told the Herald, she asked how
much the University projected it
would save if all its proposals — on
health care contributions, retire-
ment benefits and wages — were
implemented.
Initially, Rivera said, Huidekoper
and the management committee said
they hadn’t calculated an estimate
yet. After further questions, Rivera
said they described the projected
savings as “minimal.”
Huidekoper, contacted Thurs-
day evening, declined to comment “I think we’ll get a contract ised to read the petition and thanked
on Rivera’s characterization of the done,” said Valter Soares, a worker Petitioning the president the SLA for their efforts.
meeting. at The Gate who is on the bargain- The SLA and other students After the group exited, Simmons
“Standards (for) labor negotia- ing committee. “It’s what we want have seized on the health-care is- told The Herald that employee sat-
tions are clear,” she wrote in an e- as a union.” sue, which was the focus of a rally isfaction was her primary concern.
mail to The Herald. “The details Despite their optimism, however, last week that drew nearly 200 par- “Brown is always trying to provide
are to be addressed between the the five workers from the bargaining ticipants. the best care,” she said. “I’m con-
two parties.” committee present at Thursday’s The organization deposited 1,155 cerned about all employees.”
The parties are aiming for a “fair protest expressed dissatisfaction signatures opposing the proposed While Strecker called Simmons’
and equitable agreement,” Director with the University’s proposals, and health-care changes to Simmons attitude “respectful,” he said he was
of Labor Relations Joseph Sarno several said they failed to see the outside her University Hall office disappointed with what he described
’91, the lead negotiator for Brown, link between the endowment and on Wednesday. The SLA representa- as a lack of response. Conversely,
wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. the proposed changes in health care tives — who all wore SEIU badges Strecker said, student response
He also declined to comment on contributions. that read “Stronger Together” — has been strong — the 1,000-plus
specific issues being discussed in “Food services itself does not de- said they expected to present the signatures in support of the BDS
the negotiations. pend on the endowment,” said Steve large pile of signatures to Simmons’ employees were collected over just
“It is our sincere hope and belief Derderian, a cook at the Verney- assistant. four days, he said.
that a successor bargaining agree- Woolley Dining Hall. “I’ve been here But Simmons herself entered “Pretty much ever ybody im-
ment will be resolved at the bar- 20 years. It’s the first time I’ve felt the first-floor lobby to accept the mediately signed,” he said. “I don’t
gaining table in a fair and equitable threatened that I won’t be able to petition from the hands of Jesse think it’s fair for people not to be
manner,” he wrote. afford medical coverage.” Strecker ’10. able to afford health care because
If an agreement is not reached A hike in Claudia Rojas’ contri- “I heard you were here so I came our endowment isn’t doing as well
by Monday, Rivera said, the union’s bution to health care would affect out,” she said. as it should.”
options include extending the cur- her daughter, who is asthmatic, said “We’re going to continue fighting The debate will continue at the
rent contract temporarily or calling Rojas, a worker at the Faculty Club to make sure everyone at Brown has negotiating table this weekend, with
for BDS workers to vote on a pos- and member of the bargaining com- affordable health care,” Strecker both parties aiming for a satisfactory
sible strike. mittee. told her. resolution.
But union negotiators said they “I need to buy medication,” she “People should have health “We’ll go as late as we need on
hope to avoid any of those out- said. “Being a single mother, it’s a care, I agree with you,” Simmons Monday night to get a contract,”
comes. big, big issue.” answered, nodding. She then prom- Rivera said.
Friday, October 9, 2009 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 6

C ampus N EWS “He believes change comes from politics.”

— Political commentator Jeffrey Toobin on Obama’s judicial philosophy

Pass to come in handy against Crusaders

By Dan Alexander
Senior Staf f writer
Quarterback Kyle Newhall ’11 will
likely have a sore shoulder Sunday
morning. And wide receivers Bobby
Sewall ’10 and Buddy Farnham ’10
will probably be sore all over.
The Brown passing attack
should be in full force for the
Bears’ match-up against Football
Championship Subdivision No. 19
Holy Cross (4-0) in Brown Stadium
on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
In last year’s Bears-Crusaders
matchup, the teams’ quarterbacks
combined for a total of 956 pass-
ing yards.
Only one of those quarterbacks
will be in Saturday’s game — Cru-
sader Dominic Randolph. Ran-
dolph, a two-time Patriot League
Offensive Player of the Year, has
already amassed 1,286 yards and
11 touchdowns in four games this
season.
Brown Head Coach Phil Estes
thought he was done dealing with
Randolph after last year. But the
senior was granted a medical red-
shirt, allowing him to return for
another senior year.
“I was hoping that Dominic
Randolph would have graduated
last year, but he’s back,” Estes
said. “He has really been tough
for us — just an outstanding quar-
terback that can really pick a de-
fense apart.”
With Randolph under center
once more, the Crusaders have
aired it out all season. Their lead-
ing running back has only 37 car-
ries through four games.
“They’re not going to hide it —
they’re passing like 80 percent of
the time,” said Brown co-Captain
Jimmy Develin ’10. “They have a
few run plays they put in just to
keep you honest.”
After losing his top two receiv-
ing targets from last season, Ran-
dolph will likely spread out his
attack to a number of receivers.
Although Randolph has completed
98 passes this season, only one
player has over 20 receptions.
Sixteen players have at least one
reception.
SPORTS
The Bears’ Assistant Head
Coach and Defensive Secondar y
Coach Abbott Burrell said the de-
fense is going to keep their game
plan simple against Holy Cross’s
high-powered offense.
“We’re not trying to develop any
new schemes or any new blitzes or
anything like that,” he said. “We’re
just going to play our stuff.”
Burrell said his defensive backs
know they are going to be tested.
But “they like the challenge.”
In last year’s match-up, Brown
quarterback Michael Dougherty
’09 passed for 526 yards, more than
any Ivy League quarterback has
passed for in histor y.
The two biggest questions for
the Brown offense on Saturday will
be: How often will Newhall have to
pass? And how well will he do it?
Estes said he is going into the
game with a set number of rushes
he hopes the Bears can run against
Holy Cross.
“Last year, we went to the pass
because we got down 21 points at
one point and just felt like we were
playing catch up,” he said.
Estes said that, no matter how
often he has to turn to Newhall, he
is confident in the first-year starter,
who leads the Ivy League in pass-
ing yards with 662.
“No matter what we do, I think
Kyle can handle that,” Estes said.
“There’s something ver y special
about Kyle Newhall.”
“He doesn’t get rattled. He’s
ver y calm, cool, and collected —
always keeping his eyes down-
field.”
Newhall will have one of the
most highly-touted receiving corps
in the nation downfield. Farnham
was named Offensive Ivy League
Player of the Week last week after
he had five catches for 100 yards
and two touchdowns against URI.
He also won the Sports Network
National Special Teams Player of
the Week for his punt and kickoff
returns.
Sewall is also among the top
receivers in the Ivy League, with
18 receptions for 164 yards and two
Jesse Morgan / Herald File Photo
touchdowns on the season. Kyle Newhall ’11 leads the Ivy League in passing yards, which will help
Newhall will tr y to have a simi- him Saturday in what is expected to be a pass-heavy game.
lar performance as Dougherty’s
last year, but he’ll be hoping for Cross, 41-34. nificance for the seniors.
a dif ferent final score. Despite This year’s senior class has “I have a good feeling about this
Brown’s 562 yards of total offense never beaten Holy Cross. Develin week,” Develin said. “We have a
a year ago, the Bears fell to Holy said that gives the game extra sig- ver y good game plan.”

Toobin predicts ‘judicial activism’ from Court’s conservatives

continued from page 1
Toobin said he expects the
Court to be evenly divided in Jus-
tice Sonia Sotomayor’s first term
— consisting of four conservatives,
four liberals and frequent swing-
vote Justice Anthony Kennedy. But
Toobin said the Court’s June 2008
decision in D.C. v. Heller, uphold-
ing a lower cour t’s decision to
strike down gun-control laws in
the nation’s capital, showed that
conser vatives on the Court were
willing to practice judicial activ-
ism and step into state and federal
matters.
Toobin also said President
Obama’s biography provides hints
about his judicial philosophy.
Even though Obama was presi-
dent of the Har vard Law Review,
Toobin said, he did not even apply
for a Supreme Court clerkship. “He
is not someone who believes that
change comes from the courts,”
Toobin said. “He believes change
comes from politics.”
For the first time in histor y,
Toobin noted, all nine of the jus-
tices are former federal appellate
cour t justices. But even though
Obama chose Sotomayor, a judge
on the Second Circuit Court of Ap-
peals, to replace the retiring David
Souter, Toobin said the president
might look to a different source if
he has a chance to appoint another
justice.
“Obama is someone who be-
lieves that you need diversity in
all things,” Toobin said.
He said Director of Homeland
Security Janet Napolitano, a former
U.S. attorney and Arizona gover-
nor who was on Obama’s short list
to replace Souter, would be a likely
option if another vacancy was cre-
ated during Obama’s tenure.
Toobin’s speech on the Su-
preme Cour t ranged primarily
from the 1960s to the present. He
pointed to the mid-centur y War-
ren Court as the last example of a
“unified ideological force” on the
bench.
President Nixon appointed four
new justices, but they did not move
the Cour t ver y far to the right,
Toobin said.
That these “Goldwater Repub-
licans” differed from today’s con-
ser vative appointees “illustrates
a theme in American histor y that
goes well beyond the cour ts,”
Toobin said — “and that is the evo-
lution of the Republican Party.”
In the 1980s, Toobin said, Presi-
dent Reagan brought in a group of
young conser vative lawyers — in-
cluding future Justice Samuel Alito
and Chief Justice John Rober ts
— who argued for a “conser va-
tive agenda” to dismantle issues
such as abortion rights and civil
rights.
But Reagan’s controversial
nominee for an open seat in 1987,
Robert Bork, caused a significant
debate about the ideologies of the
Supreme Court members. “Really,
for the only time in our lifetime,
the nation had a conversation —
a national conversation — about
what the Constitution meant, be-
cause Robert Bork was brilliant,
he was pro-life, he was ethical and
he was ver y, ver y conser vative,”
Toobin said.
Bork did not gain confirmation
in the Senate, leading to Reagan’s
nomination of the more moderate
Kennedy.
The Cour t was fairly evenly
divided through the duration of
1990s, with Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor often providing the
swing vote in 5-4 decisions, Toobin
said. But the landmark 2000 case
of Bush v. Gore was a turning
point.
“What’s the most interesting
thing about Bush v. Gore was the
effect it had on the Court,” Toobin
said. “From 2000 to 2005, the Court
moved to the left.”
On issues ranging from the
death penalty to gay rights to
prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, the
Court in the first part of the decade
narrowly sided with the liberals,
due in part to O’Connor’s new vot-
ing patterns, Toobin said.
O’Connor was alienated by
many of the policies instituted by
President George W. Bush and
Attorney General John Ashcroft,
Toobin said, but one case had a
par ticular impact on her: Terri
Schiavo.
O’Connor was unhappy in 2003
when Congress suddenly became
involved in the issue of who deter-
mined the rights regarding the
woman, who was in a persistent
vegetative state. O’Connor thought
Congress’ move challenged judi-
cial independence, and was also
affected personally because her
husband was suf fering from Al-
zheimer’s disease, Toobin said.
In 2005, O’Connor retired be-
cause of her husband’s failing
health and Chief Justice William
Rehnquist died, leaving two seats
for Bush to fill with justices “in the
mold of” Justices Antonin Scalia
and Clarence Thomas — Roberts
and Alito.
In response to an audience
member’s question about personal
dynamics on the current Court,
Toobin said Roberts wanted to set
precedents on race and affirmative
action, as with the landmark 2007
case of Parents Involved in Com-
munity Schools v. Seattle, striking
down race-conscious re-balancing
plans in public schools.
“He is determined to put his
mark on the Court, which is the so-
called ‘color-blind Constitution,’”
Toobin said.
When the questioner asked
how Rober ts’ philosophy would
play out next to the first black
presidency, Toobin said he has
not seen Obama interested in de-
fending affirmative action.
“One of the paradoxes of the
Obama presidency is that his elec-
tion as president of the United
States is making racial preferenc-
es harder to defend politically,”
Toobin said.
In an inter view with The Her-
ald after the lecture, Toobin said
the Court’s biggest case this term
will be McDonald v. Chicago,
another gun-control case. If the
Court decides to apply the Second
Amendment to the states, Toobin
said, we may see “the end of gun
control.”
Toobin’s lecture capped off the
day’s events celebrating the 25th
anniversar y of the Taubman Cen-
ter for Public Policy. Earlier Thurs-
day, the center hosted a panel with
faculty members discussing public
policy research, and another dis-
cussion featuring alums from the
depar tment talking about their
experiences in the field.
A. Alfred Taubman, the name-
sake of the center who sat next
to President Ruth Simmons and
Chancellor Thomas Tisch ’76 dur-
ing Toobin’s speech, said the an-
niversar y events were “terrific.”
When asked his thoughts on
how the center had turned out 25
years after its founding, Taubman
told The Herald, “It’s been a ver y
successful trip.”
Arts & Culture
The Brown Daily Herald
RISD puts its
history on display
By Alex Bell
Contributing Writer
Students at the Rhode Island School
of Design’s Fleet Library may have
noticed nostalgic displays around
the building of yellowing newspaper
articles from the turn of the cen-
tury, tattered yearbooks and even a
copy of the school’s Act of Incorpo-
ration. And what is that photograph
of the RISD Designers, the all-male
RISD football team that certainly is
no longer around today?
After 125 years of fine arts and
design education, RISD decided it
was time to take a look at its roots.
The product of that endeavor is
“Infinite Radius: Founding Rhode
Island School of Design,” the
school’s first historical anthology,
parts of which are on display in
the library.
“The book spun out of our
125th Anniversary Celebration in
the 2002-2003 academic year,” said
Andrew Martinez, RISD’s archivist
and curator for the exhibit, who
co-edited the book with Dean of
the Division of Architecture and
Design Dawn Barrett.
The idea for the anthology came
about when Martinez and Barrett
hosted a Founder’s Day Forum
for the anniversary celebration in
which eight speakers presented re-
search on various aspects of RISD’s
founding and early years.
“After the symposium, we
thought this material deser ved a
wider audience,” Martinez said.
The book also includes material
from the archives, much of which
has never before been published,
including course catalogues from
the 1890s and hundred-year-old
class photographs.
Like the many successive 19th
century groups that tried to found
a school of design in Rhode Is-
land, previous committees formed
to compile RISD’s histor y have
also suffered their share of false
starts.
“Once the committees started
... they realized (the projects) were
more involved than they thought,”
said Mar tinez, who wrote the
book’s first chapter, titled “A His-
tory of RISD’s Histories.”
“Infinite Radius” takes its title
from a RISD founder, the 19th
centur y educator and activist —
and founder of Pembroke College
— Sarah Doyle, who, according
to the book’s preface, was often
asked to address what the appro-
priate “sphere for women” should
be. On such occasions, the book’s
preface says, “Doyle was known
to remark that the sphere of so-
called women’s work could only be
understood as a sphere were it one
with an ‘infinite radius.’”
RISD’s founders succeeded
where others had failed, Martinez
said, because “RISD was backed by
women, who seemed a little more
devoted to the cause.”
“I think (RISD’s founders) set
their goals a little lower, and had
more realistic ambitions and day-
to-day, hands-on management,” he
added.
The book describes how the
school’s plans came together on a
whim — RISD was founded when
a group of women raised extra
funds for the 1876 World’s Fair,
then known as the Centennial Ex-
position.
“On that cold Thursday morn-
ing, almost four dozen members of
the R.I. Women’s Centennial Com-
mission gathered to decide what
to do with the $1500 remaining in
their treasury,” wrote design histo-
rian Nancy Austin in her contribu-
tion to the anthology.
With the World’s Fair over, the
commission was looking for a me-
morial to commemorate its fund-
raising success. The decision was
down to either investing the money
or building a drinking fountain in
Roger Williams Park, but neither
option could win a majority of mem-
bers’ votes.
Then Helen Metcalf, whose son
donated Brown’s Metcalf Research
Laborator y, offered the winning
proposition: The group eventually
voted to use the relatively modest
sum of money to plant the seeds
for a school of design, banking on
community support to follow the
modest donation. Austin quotes
the group’s secretary, Eliza Man-
chester, writing in a front-page
newspaper article defending the
group’s controversial decision:
“We all know what a beginning
is worth — that a nucleus soon
draws to itself what is necessar y
to its successful growth. Our $1500
shall be that nucleus. Will not the
lovers of art in Providence supply
the material which shall make its
completeness?”
A public launch celebration for
“Infinite Radius” will take place
Saturday as part of the RISD by
Design weekend event for alumni
and parents.
Friday, October 9, 2009 | Page 7
One decade later, a dramatic
return to ‘Laramie’
By Luisa Robledo will be putting on what they think “simple reading of the text to al-
Staf f Writer is one of the few undergraduate- low people to focus on the story,”
driven readings of the play. Neal she said.
In 1998, playwright Moises Kauf- directed what she calls a “still per- “We feel really fortunate and
man traveled to Laramie, Wyo. formance of the text” — a staged excited to participate in an event
— where gay 21-year-old Matthew reading — that will take place in that connects us and communi-
Shepard had died after being bru- Leeds Theatre at 8 p.m. on Mon- cates across the country,” Gozan-
tally attacked because of his sexu- day. The free performance will be- sky said.
ality — to talk to the town’s resi- gin with an introduction by actress She added that bringing “The
dents in the wake of the crime. The Glenn Close and Judy Shepard, Laramie Project” back into the
interviews he collected became the Matthew’s mother, transmitted by national conversation would help
backbone of “The Laramie Proj- webcast from Tectonic’s produc- people see that “this can happen
ect,” a play that emerged as one tion at Lincoln Center in New York anywhere.”
of the most important dramatic City to performances all over the According to Tyler, who saw
works of the last decade. country. At the end, actors from the play when he was in sixth
Eleven years later, Shepard’s the original production will answer grade, ever yone has been mar-
death still resonates. questions via Twitter. Proceeds ginalized in one way or another,
As an intern at the Matthew from audience donations will go to so Shepard’s stor y is “linked to
Shepard Foundation last summer, the Matthew Shepard Foundation everyone else’s story.”
Lauren Neal ’11 paged through and Brown’s LGBTQ Resource “It’s the simple fact that being
article after article on the event, Center. who you are could cause people
preparing them for digitization. Neal’s won’t be the only read- to hate you,” he said. “Matthew
While reading the stories and see- ing of “The Laramie Project: Ten Shepard was denied understand-
ing the faces of people who had Years Later” being presented in ing, acceptance — he was denied
known Shepard, Neal said, “I kept Providence on Monday evening. life.”
trying to imagine how I would feel Shana Gozansky GS, a student “It’s incredible that one isolated
if something like this happened to in the Brown/Trinity Repertory incident could enact such change
someone I knew. I just couldn’t.” Consortium, is directing a perfor- or spark conversation that causes
While she was at the founda- mance that will take place at the change to happen,” he added.
tion, Neal heard about a new effort Pell Chafee Performance Center Gozansky echoed Tyler, say-
spearheaded by Kaufman and his at 7 p.m. the same night. Gozan- ing, “If we want to bring about
group, the Tectonic Theater Proj- sky brought together 16 first-year change, we need to demand it.
ect. To commemorate Shepard’s MFA acting students to put on a We are all part of this.”
death, Tectonic went back to Lara-
mie to conduct more inter views
and created a 70-minute epilogue
to Kaufman’s original play. The
piece, “The Laramie Project: Ten
Years Later” will premiere simulta-
neously in more than 100 regional
theaters across the countr y on
Monday.
“It’s a unique opportunity to see
the impact of this single event,”
Neal said. “It’s a huge interactive
event.”
Over the summer, together
with James Flynn ’11 and Chris
Tyler ’10, Neal started planning a
reading at Brown.
“The three of us thought, ‘It’s
realistic to make this happen at
Brown,’” Flynn said. “It’s an in-
teresting play for people our age
to be doing.”
Along with 20 other Brown
students, Neal, Flynn and Tyler
 World & Nation
The Brown Daily Herald
September retail sales rise slightly, but doubts remain
By Andrea Chang and
Don Lee
Los Angeles Times
Retailers last month posted their first
uptick in sales in more than a year,
providing a hopeful sign for the in-
dustry and the broader economy as
the crucial holiday shopping season
draws near.
Although nagging concerns re-
main about consumers’ willingness
to spend, retail sales in September
turned out better than expected: Major
department stores J.C. Penney, Macy’s
and Nordstrom beat analysts’ expec-
tations, while some chains including
Kohl’s, TJX and Ross posted healthy
increases.
The news helped push the Dow
Jones Industrial Average up 61.29
points, or 0.6 percent, to 9,786.87.
Although the outlook remains un-
certain, some economists say that if
stocks hold up and the housing and
job markets don’t worsen, Christ-
mas holiday sales could surprise on
Obama seeks $40 billion boost to Pell Grant funding
By Nick Anderson and
Daniel de Vise
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — After three years of
major increases in federal Pell grants
for needy college students, President
Obama aims to boost the aid further
with $40 billion in funding over the
next decade. But even that influx
might not ensure that the grants will
recover and sustain the purchasing
power they once held.
Experts agree on the reason: soar-
ing college costs.
In the late 1970s, the maximum
the upside.
And that might prove to be criti-
cal for the economy. If consumers are
beginning to spend again, companies
might start to hire, which could help
speed a recovery.
“Most companies are very worried
about consumers, and they’ve been
reluctant to hire and invest because
they believe consumers will trounce
the economic recovery,” said Lynn
Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma
Nazarene University in San Diego.
“If they see signs that consumers are
coming out of their holes, they’ll be
more encouraged.”
Whether September’s sales will be
part of a trend is not clear. The increase
over 2008 was just 0.6 percent -- and
last year was a terrible year, when sales
plunged amid the shock of a finan-
cial meltdown. In addition, Labor Day
fell further into September this year,
pushing more back-to-school spending
into the month. Nationally, consumer
confidence has ticked higher in recent
weeks, but rising unemployment and
Pell award covered more than two-
thirds of tuition and fees for a public
four-year university. In the 1980s, it
covered roughly half of such expens-
es. In the last school year, it covered
about a third.
“There is an increasing gap that
students have to cover on their own,”
said Sandy Baum, a senior policy ana-
lyst for the College Board, in New
York. “It’s obviously a problem for
students. They’re working more;
they’re borrowing more.”
Through grant increases, lawmak-
ers have sought to ease the burden
for millions of students such as Linda
tight credit have kept many potential
spenders on the sidelines.
“We don’t think retailers are out
of the woods by any stretch,” said
Ken Perkins, president of research
company Retail Metrics Inc. Largely
because of the later Labor Day and
delayed start dates for schools around
the country, September numbers were
inflated by about 3 to 4 percent, he
said.
“There’s no clear-cut sign yet that
consumers are opening up their purse
strings.”
After last year’s dismal perfor-
mance, another grim Christmas would
be devastating for retailers, leading to
business bankruptcies, higher mall
vacancy rates and store closures.
But it would have even greater
implications for the broader financial
picture: With consumer spending ac-
counting for about 70 percent of eco-
nomic activity, a turnaround hinges
on shoppers’ willingness to turn out
and spend freely.
So as merchants put away the back-
Abdulle. She faces higher tuition in
her fourth year at Trinity Washing-
ton University than when she first
enrolled. The bill is up 9 percent,
to $19,360. But Abdulle’s Pell grant
has risen 32 percent in that time, to
$5,350.
The larger Pell grants have helped
Abdulle, 20, and her mother, a man-
ager at a fast-food restaurant, who rely
on an assortment of scholarships and
loans to pay for the private Washing-
ton school. Abdulle’s contribution has
dwindled from about $400 a semester
to $200. “Every little penny that you
get really counts,” she said.
U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.,
chairman of the Education and Labor
Committee, said that a student aid bill
the House passed last month would
strengthen the Pell program with $40
billion in additional funding, indexing
it for the first time to inflation, but that
it would not erase questions about
spiraling tuition and fees.
“This is a very important round
of resources to be made available to
students and families,” Miller said.
“But clearly, for a host of reasons,
the costs continue to rise faster than
families and the federal government
can keep up with them. ... We’ve ar-
rived at a point where we have to, in
a most serious vein, ask about what’s
the future for financing higher educa-
tion in this country.”
The grants, launched in 1973 and
named for Claiborne Pell, a longtime
Democratic senator from Rhode Is-
land, have become the bedrock of
undergraduate aid. Coupled with state
and school awards, Pell grants deter-
mine how much needy students must
work or borrow to pay bills.
This school year, according to the
Obama administration, about 7 mil-
lion students from low- and moderate-
income households will qualify for the
grants through the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid. The average
award will be $3,611, and the maxi-
mum, $5,350. The total federal outlay:
Friday, October 9, 2009 | Page 8
packs and school supplies and bring
out the holiday merchandise, they are
expected to offer deep discounts to
attract wary consumers. They’re also
bracing themselves by hiring fewer
seasonal workers and cutting back
on inventory.
“We’ve seen so many stores close,
so many stores move out; it’s just kind
of make or break,” said Ashley Heaton,
a sales associate at accessories bou-
tique Jennifer Kaufman in Los Ange-
les’ Beverly Center. “We feel a lot of
pressure.”
Industry experts carefully look at
results from the back-to-school sell-
ing period as an indicator of how the
holiday season will perform.
Many of the strongest performers
in September were sellers of mid- or
low-priced goods, according to Thom-
son Reuters’ tally of 30 major chain
stores. Twenty-one of those stores did
better than analysts expected, and four
did worse. Teen retailer Aeropostale
saw year-over-year sales rise 19 per-
cent, and off-priced chains Ross and
$25 billion.
The maximum Pell award has
jumped since 2006 after it was frozen
for several years at $4,050.
Skeptics say the grants give
schools an excuse to raise tuition
and fees, often at a rate well beyond
inflation, at a time when state revenue
shortages and endowment losses are
squeezing universities.
“When you look at the overall
trend, it is very clear that colleges
and universities eat up all of this
money, eventually,” said Neal Mc-
Cluskey of the Cato Institute, a public
policy research foundation. “It sort of
gives them a constantly increasing
budget.”
But proponents say the program’s
aim is to help poor and low-income
students who otherwise would be
unable to attend college. “The person
that we’re trying to help here is the
person who’s on the brink,” said Chris
Lindstrom of U.S. PIRG, a public inter-
est advocacy group. “Folks who are
one car breakdown away from not
being able to go to school.”
Two-thirds of Pell recipients have
family incomes of $30,000 or less, ac-
cording to a College Board analysis.
Two-fifths are surpassing their par-
ents by entering college, and one-
tenth are single parents, according
to federal statistics.
Sarah Pollard, 20, raised by a single
mother in Silver Spring, Md., is the
first in her family to go to college. She
works part time at a Nordstrom, stud-
ies full time at Montgomery College
and draws the maximum Pell grant.
The aid “enabled me to do everything
that I’m doing today,” Pollard said.
Dylan Winslow, 24, transferred
to the University of Maryland this
fall from Temple University. To cover
$8,000 a year in tuition and fees, he
holds two part-time jobs, earning
$8.50 an hour as a lab assistant in
the geography department and $25
an hour as a bouncer at a bar. He also
has a student loan and the maximum
TJX posted increases of 8 and 7 per-
cent, respectively. Sales at mid-level
department store chain Kohl’s rose
5.5 percent. All four retailers raised
the projections for how much they
would earn.
Abercrombie & Fitch continued to
struggle, posting an 18 percent decline,
although that was better than the 21
percent drop analysts had predicted.
American Apparel saw sales fall 15
percent, and luxury retailer Saks said
sales fell 11.6 percent.
The National Retail Federation pro-
jected this week that sales during the
November-December period would fall
1 percent, to $437.6 billion, compared
with a year ago. That’s significantly
worse than the 10-year average of 3.4
percent holiday season growth.
“We know that a lot of Americans
will be pulling back on the holiday sea-
son because they have to,” Ellen Davis,
the retail trade group’s vice president,
said in a conference call with reporters.
“This will be the holiday season of the
blue jean instead of the Blu-ray.”
Pell grant. “Any extra dollar will help,”
Winslow said.
Under the House bill, the grants
would rise with the consumer price in-
dex, plus one percentage point, start-
ing in 2011. The estimated maximum
award in 2019 would be $6,900. To
fund the increase, the bill would end
subsidies to private student loan pro-
viders and establish the government
as the direct lender for the entire fed-
eral student loan market as of July 1.
The nonpartisan Congressional Bud-
get Office projects that the lending
overhaul would save $80 billion over
a decade. About half of that would be
channeled into Pell grants.
The House passed the bill Sept.
17 on a largely party-line vote, 253
to 171. Republicans criticized what
they called a government takeover of
lending and said the bill would cost
more than advertised. The Democrat-
led Senate is expected to take up a
similar bill soon.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chair-
man of the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions, said
his proposal for Pell funding would
mirror the House bill’s. “This is one
that goes directly to students based
on need,” Harkin said. “After all these
years, we’ve got good data to show
that increasing the Pell awards en-
courages low-income students to go
to college.”
Despite partisan divisions over the
student aid bill, many Republicans
also back the Pell program.
“It helps people, no question,”
said Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon,
R-Calif., a senior member of the Edu-
cation and Labor Committee. “There
are people having a hard time who
can benefit from it. It’s more money
in their pockets.”
But McKeon said the government
should prod colleges to contain costs,
perhaps through the threat of with-
holding funds from those that jack up
tuition the most. That, he said, would
“address the root problem.”
Page 9
World & Nation
In patient’s suit against insurer, a
glimpse into health care challenges
By Lisa Girion
Los Angeles T imes
Ephram Nehme was gravely ill
when Anthem Blue Cross of Cali-
fornia agreed to pay for a liver
transplant his physician said he
needed to survive. Then, his condi-
tion went downhill fast.
The news from his doctor was
bad. The word from his insurer
was worse.
Nehme’s doctor told him he
could die waiting for an organ in
California and urged him to go
to Indiana, where the waiting list
was shorter. But Anthem Blue
Cross said no. It would not pay
for a transplant in Indiana.
Nehme, a Lebanese immigrant
with a rags-to-riches story, could
afford to buy himself a new lease
on life and did -- going to Indiana
and paying $205,000 for a liver
transplant there.
But he remains angr y with
Anthem and sued the company,
accusing it of putting its bottom
line ahead of his medical needs.
“I hope I can change it for other
people,” said Nehme, 61, who runs
produce markets in Southern Cali-
fornia’s San Fernando and Simi
valleys. “If somebody doesn’t have
a nickel in his pocket, what hap-
pens? He’s dead.”
The case offers a rare glimpse
into the life-and-death decisions
insurers make behind closed
doors and illustrates one of the
most emotional questions in health
care: Who should decide what is
best for a patient -- doctors or in-
surers?
“This is a tremendously impor-
tant issue because most people
aren’t savvy enough about how to
work this system, and it is totally
stacked against them,” said Bryan
Liang, director of the Institute of
Health Law Studies at California
Western Law School in San Diego.
“The insurers make sure they get
the results they want. They hold
all the cards.”
Insurers say their pre-autho-
rization reviews of big-ticket
procedures, such as transplants,
perform important services: en-
suring that patients get the care
they need, when they need it, and
keeping a lid on costs.
In Nehme’s case, Anthem says
it did nothing wrong. It contends
that his policy made it clear that
transplants were covered only at
certain contracted hospitals, and
that he was not sick enough to
qualify for an exception.
“Mr. Nehme was placed on a
waiting list by his treating physi-
cians for organ donation at UCLA
but sought approval for transplant
services at a different facility that
was not within our transplant net-
work,” WellPoint Inc., Anthem’s
Indianapolis-based parent com-
pany, said in a statement.
“Upon additional third-party
review,” the company said, “it was
determined that Mr. Nehme’s con-
dition did not present medical ur-
gency to require an emergency
(out of network) transplant.”
Nehme begs to differ. When
he needed a liver, the median wait
time at the University of California,
Los Angeles, was more than two
years. At the Clarian Transplant
Center in Indianapolis where he
had his operation, it was about six
weeks. Waiting for a liver at UCLA,
Nehme believes, would have been
a virtual death sentence.
“I shook my head and said I bet-
ter do what I have to do now, and
I’ll fight (the insurance company)
later,” he recalled.
Born in Beirut on Christmas
Day 1947, Nehme grew up in a
two-bedroom house with seven sis-
ters, two brothers, a grandmother
and his parents. He moved to New
York City after high school, pay-
ing his way through accounting
school by pumping gas and selling
umbrellas.
He worked for several compa-
nies but yearned to be his own
boss. He also missed the mar-
kets in Beirut where he remem-
bered his mother fighting with
other women for the best piece
of fruit.
So, in 1992, after working for
others for 20 years, Nehme and
his wife, a pharmacist, scraped
together $90,000 in savings and
opened Valley Produce Market,
now located in Reseda in the San
Fernando Valley. He opened a sec-
ond market four years ago in Simi
Valley. He employs more than 170
people.
In the 1970s, Nehme contracted
hepatitis from a blood transfu-
sion. He managed the condition
for years with medications. But
by the fall of 2006, Nehme had
run out of options. His longtime
physician, Sammy Saab, a board-
certified liver disease specialist
at UCLA, told him it was time for
a transplant.
In an effort to ensure that or-
gans go to the neediest patients,
U.S. transplant centers rank pa-
tients waiting for livers on a scale,
and the harvesting region gets first
dibs, according to United Network
for Organ Sharing guidelines.
Both sets of rules worked
against Nehme. His condition in-
cluded problems that aren’t fac-
tored into the ranking system. To
make matters worse, California
has a higher ratio of needy patients
to organs than other parts of the
country. As a result, in California
waits are longer and more people
die waiting than in other parts of
the country.
There are no rules against
relocating for transplants and
patients often do. Notably, Apple
Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs traveled
to Tennessee this year for a liver
transplant.
Joseph Tector, an Indiana
University surgeon and medical
director of the Clarian center in
Indianapolis, testified that Nehme
“was extremely unlikely to receive
a liver transplant in sufficient time
back in California at UCLA.”
Nehme contends that Anthem
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
considered none of this.
His lawsuit accuses the insurer
of reflexively denying his request
for an Indiana transplant, then
rubber-stamping that decision in
a series of hasty and inadequate
reviews conducted by physician-
employees without training in
transplant specialties.
A nurse in Anthem’s transplant
department who reviewed the re-
quest made an internal recommen-
dation that Anthem authorize it,
court documents show.
“Due to the increased wait time
in California, and the rapid pro-
gression of his disease I am recom-
mending for this member approval
for going ‘oon’ (out of network) for
his liver transplant,” wrote Pamela
Adelman, the nurse.
The next day, however, Anthem
denied the request.
Anthem physician-employees
involved in the decision acknowl-
edged in depositions that they nei-
ther physically examined Nehme
nor discussed his condition with
his treating physicians at UCLA
or Indiana University.
One of the employees, a family
practitioner by training, testified
that she reviewed 25 to 40 treat-
ment denial appeals a day for An-
them.
“They went out of their way
to find a way to not pay for the
transplant,” said Nehme’s lawyer,
Scott Glovsky.
Anthem defended its process,
saying in a statement that its policy
is to review all transplant requests
“on a case by case basis by a medi-
cal expert. If determined that a
transplant is required on an imme-
diate, emergency basis, Anthem
care managers assist members in
finding the most appropriate (net-
work) facility for treatment. If no
in-network facility is identified to
provide these necessary services,
out of network transplants are ap-
proved and coordinated.”
The company declined to dis-
cuss Nehme’s accusations in de-
tail. The case is set for trial Oct.
14 in Los Angeles.
In 2006, Nehme was too sick to
fight, so his wife called and begged
Anthem to reconsider. While the
appeal was pending, Nehme’s doc-
tor convinced him that waiting too
long could be disastrous.
“I waited and waited and wait-
ed,” Nehme recalled, “until Dr.
Saab said, ‘How are your finances?
What are you waiting for?’ ”
Then Anthem called his wife
to say it was upholding its earlier
decision.
“They never saw me, and they
are making a decision over the
phone that it’s not necessary for
me to have the surgery,” Nehme
said.
He moved to Indianapolis and
wired more than $200,000 from his
bank to the hospital there.
Two months later, on Jan. 13,
2007, Nehme under went a suc-
cessful liver transplant.
“If I hadn’t,” he said, “I’d be
gone.”
House OKs measure to
make anti-gay violence
a hate crime
By Richard Simon
Los Angeles T imes
WASHINGTON -- A long-debated bill
to strengthen the federal hate-crime
law to cover violence against gays
was approved by the Democratic-
controlled House on Thursday, the
first major expansion of the law in
more than 40 years.
The measure, which is expected
to go before the Senate within days,
had faced a veto threat from Presi-
dent George W. Bush but has Presi-
dent Barack Obama’s support.
White House spokesman Tommy
Vietor said that the president looked
forward to signing the bill.
“As the president said back in
April, the hate-crimes bill takes on an
important civil rights issue to protect
all of our citizens from violent acts
of intolerance, while also protecting
our freedom of speech and associa-
tion,” he said.
“It’s a very exciting day for us
here in the Capitol,” said House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., not-
ing that she has pushed for strength-
ening the law since her arrival in
Congress 22 years ago.
“What makes these crimes so bad
is they are not just crimes against
individuals; they are crimes against
entire communities,” openly gay Rep.
Jared Polis, D-Colo., said during the
debate.
Passage of the measure, however,
drew objections from a number of
Republicans and other opponents,
who have argued that existing laws
cover hate crimes.
“Violent attacks on people are al-
ready illegal regardless of the motive
behind them,” said Rep. Mike Pence,
R-Ind., warning that the legislation
would “put us on a slippery slope of
deeming particular groups as more
important than others under our
system of justice.”
Republican legislators also ob-
jected that the hate-crimes measure
was attached to a $680 billion defense
policy bill, which included a 3.4 per-
cent pay increase for the military and
authorization for the development of
a new engine for the next-generation
jet fighter, among other items.
The measure passed by a vote
of 281-146, with Republicans com-
plaining that they had been put in
the politically awkward position of
voting against a defense bill.
“We should not be doing social
engineering on this bill,” Rep. Dan
Burton, R-Ind., objected. To the
Democrats, he added: “Shame on
you.”
In July, the Senate overcame a
Republican-led filibuster on a version
of the hate-crime legislation by a 63-
28 vote, virtually ensuring its passage
when it returns to the chamber.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., accused
Democrats of hijacking the bill to
“push their partisan agenda.”
“It sends a terrible message to
our military that this provision has
been shoved into this bill when it
does nothing for our military families
or our national defense,” he said.
Friday, October 9, 2009
“Democrats should stop using our
troops and their families as a vehicle
for their political games.”
The hate-crime legislation would
expand the law to cover acts of vio-
lence motivated by a victim’s sexual
orientation, gender, disability or gen-
der identity. Existing federal law de-
fines hate crimes as those motivated
by bias based on religion, race, na-
tional origin or color.
The measure would also give fed-
eral authorities more leeway to aid
state and local law enforcement in
investigating and prosecuting hate
crimes. It also makes grants available
to state and local communities to
combat hate crimes committed by ju-
veniles and to train law enforcement
officers in investigating, prosecuting
and preventing hate crimes.
The bill also creates a new federal
crime for attacking members of the
military because of their service.
House approval of the measure,
long championed by the late Sen. Ed-
ward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., comes
as Obama prepares to address the
Human Rights Campaign on Satur-
day.
The gay rights group will pres-
ent an award to Judy and Dennis
Shepard, whose gay son, Matthew,
was brutally beaten, tied to a fence,
and left to die 11 years ago in Wyo-
ming. The legislation is named after
him and James Byrd, a black man
who was dragged to death behind
a truck in the east Texas town of
Jasper, also in 1998.
The president’s address will be
followed on Sunday with a major
march on Washington by gay rights
supporters.
A number of Republicans assailed
the measure as “thought crimes”
legislation, contending it could lead
to a prosecution of a pastor delivering
sermons against homosexuality if
one of his church members commit-
ted a hate crime. They have hinted
at a constitutional challenge.
“Congress should protect all
Americans equally and not provide
special protections to a few politi-
cally favored groups,” Tony Perkins,
president of the Family Research
Council, said in a statement. “It vio-
lates the principle of equal justice
under the law and also threatens to
infringe on the free speech rights of
the American people.”
The bill’s supporters, however,
say that they added language to the
measure to protect freedom of reli-
gious expression.
“There are ample safeguards in
the bill for constitutionally protected
speech,” said Brian Moulton, chief
legislative counsel of the Human
Rights Campaign.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said:
“It is remarkable that, at this late
date, hate crimes legislation should
remain a controversial idea. The
idea that someone could be singled
out for a crime of violence due to
his or her actual or perceived race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity, or disability is simply
repugnant.”
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Friday, October 9, 2009

e d i to r i a l

Scaling back
There is no question that Brown losses in the endowment. The Uni-
could use more money. Over the past versity says the measure has nothing
several weeks, The Herald has re- to do with the endowment, and that
ported huge losses in the endowment, similar changes had been proposed
suspension of scholarships and the re- before the economy collapsed.
moval of academic support programs. There are misunderstandings on
But regardless of the financial state both sides of the bargaining table, and
of the University, the chance to save it is up to Brown to straighten them
money is no excuse to make health out. If the sliding scale will really ben-
care less accessible to the workers efit BDS workers, the University must
who make our campus run. make those benefits more transparent,
The contract for Brown Dining Ser- outlining the effects for employees at
vices workers expires next week, and each end of the pay spectrum. If it is
the University has proposed changes really a matter of fairness, the Uni-
in the insurance system to achieve versity should renegotiate contracts
“flexibility” in structuring costs. Under with library and facilities management
the current contract, BDS employees employees as well.
pay 6 percent of their health insurance Whatever the case, the University
premiums. If the University gets its must realize that its endowment is not
way, that system will move to a “slid- the only fund feeling the effects of the
ing scale,” with higher-paid workers economic crisis. Dining services work-
paying a higher share of their insur- ers and all the other employees who
ance costs. keep our campus running have surely
A sliding scale system is already taken a hit as well. As the University
in place for non-union employees, and negotiates a new contract with BDS, alex yuly
the University maintains that the pro- we hope they will remember that these
posed changes to the BDS contract are are hard times. Workers are especially
a matter of consistency and fairness. A vulnerable right now, and the Universi-
spokesperson for the University also ty must take extra measures to ensure l e tt e r to th e e d i to r
told The Herald that such a system that changes to the insurance system
eases the burden on the lowest-paid do not leave employees digging into
workers and protects them against
rising national health care costs.
their savings.
Given the economy, the University Nothing to fear from marijuana dispensaries
But BDS workers are not so sure. could certainly use some more flex-
At a protest this week, union members ibility in structuring costs. But BDS To the Editor: Due to the rigor and competition of the application
declared that BDS employees “have workers probably need that flexibility process, Rhode Islanders are very likely to end
affordable health care, and Brown more than Brown does. We hope of- Regarding last Thursday’s editorial (“The canna- up with a compassion center to be proud of, and a
wants to change that.” Food service ficials keep this in mind when they bis question,” Oct. 1): I am disappointed to see that model for other states.
workers at the rally expressed worries sit down at the bargaining table next you have been swayed by law enforcement’s talking If legislators were to rescind and re-draft the bill,
that they would have to cut back and week. points on the issue of medical marijuana dispensa- it would delay patients’ safe access to their medi-
make difficult choices in order to pay ries (“compassion centers“ in the bill’s language) cine. Such measures are not necessary, because
for medication. They condemned the Editorials are written by The Herald’s in Rhode Island. Apparently, you share the concern contrary to law enforcement’s talking points, issues
University for making them pay for editorial page board. that “the bill makes no provision for protecting the such as security have been carefully considered,
dispensary from robbery and preventing sales to are provided for by the bill and will be given an in-
casual users” and (ironically) fear that compassion depth treatment in both the Department of Health’s
th e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d
centers might “endanger patients’ supplies.” These regulations and the ultimately successful application
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors
worries are completely unfounded. As provided by for a compassion center license. Not only that, but
Steve DeLucia Michael Bechek Nandini Jayakrishna Rachel Arndt
Chaz Firestone Franklin Kanin Isabel Gottlieb the bill, the Department of Health is currently draft- robbery will remain illegal; if law enforcement is
Michael Skocpol Scott Lowenstein ing regulations to govern the compassion centers. worried about thefts to compassion centers, they
editorial Business The law was set up this way so that public health should oppose the opening of new pharmacies as
Ben Hyman Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager
Rosalind Schonwald Arts & Culture Editor Alexander Hughes Shawn Reilly professionals, with input from patients and the well. It will also remain illegal for non-cardholders
Sophia Li Features Editor Jonathan Spector public, could deliberate and decide how compassion to buy marijuana. The intense scrutiny that com-
George Miller Metro Editor
Joanna Wohlmuth Metro Editor
centers should be run. To satisfy the requirements passion centers will undoubtedly face should keep
Directors
Seth Motel News Editor Ellen DaSilva Sales set forth by the bill, these regulations must include them in line; if not, their license will be revoked.
Jenna Stark News Editor Claire Kiely Sales minimum oversight, security and record-keeping Again, an analogy can be made: Law enforcement
Andrew Braca Sports Editor Katie Koh Finance
Han Cui Asst. Sports Editor Jilyn Chao Asst. Finance requirements. doesn’t oppose the existence of liquor stores on the
Alex Mazerov Asst. Sports Editor Christiana Stephenson Alumni Relations Additionally, after releasing those regulations, grounds that they might sell to minors.
Katie Wood Asst. Sports Editor
the Department of Health will consider dozens, It seems that the opponents of medical marijuana
Graphics & Photos Managers possibly hundreds, of applications for compassion in Rhode Island are hoping that their audience
Chris Jesu Lee Graphics Editor Kelly Wess Local Sales
Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Kathy Bui National Sales
center licenses. Initially, only one will be successful; will take their statements at face value instead of
Eunice Hong Photo Editor Alex Carrere University Sales applications for the second center will be accepted checking the bill itself or thinking critically about
Kim Perley Photo Editor Matt Burrows Credit and Collections beginning in mid-2011. To have a chance, applicants the ways we usually prevent crime at other high-
Jesse Morgan Sports Photo Editor
must include “proposed security and safety mea- inventory businesses and health service locations.
production Opinions
Ayelet Brinn Copy Desk Chief Alyssa Ratledge Opinions Editor sures which shall include at least one security alarm It is unfortunate that you have helped make this
Rachel Isaacs Copy Desk Chief Sarah Rosenthal Opinions Editor system for each location, planned measures to deter strategy viable.
Marlee Bruning Design Editor
Jessica Calihan Design Editor Editorial Page Board
and prevent the unauthorized entrance into areas
Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor James Shapiro Editorial Page Editor containing marijuana and the theft of marijuana, Henry Harrison ’09
Julien Ouellet Asst. Design Editor Matt Aks Board member
as well as a draft employee instruction manual ... Executive Director, Rhode Island Cam-
Neal Poole Web Editor Nick Bakshi Board member
Post- magazine Zack Beauchamp Board member “An applicant that hasn’t given due consideration paign for Informed Marijuana Policy
Arthur Matuszewski Debbie Lehmann Board member to these important issues will not be awarded a Oct. 8
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Opinions
The Brown Daily Herald
ADRIENNE LANGLOIS
Opinions Columnist
It’s hard to go anywhere without encounter-
ing some sort of celebrity gossip. Most of it is
pretty frivolous; the sun will still rise and set,
regardless of whether Brangelina and Jennifer
Aniston get into another spat tomorrow.
Yet every once in a while, the gossip tidbit
of the day is a little more sobering — some-
thing with real relevance that crosses over
into the mainstream media. On Sept. 28, the
celebrated Polish film director Roman Polan-
ski was extradited in Switzerland for fleeing
the United States in 1971 on the eve of a sen-
tencing hearing.
The crime? Unlawful sex with a 13-year-old
girl, who repeatedly said “no” as Polanski
violated her.
The facts of the case are clear-cut; Polan-
ski himself does not deny them. But many
people, celebrities and pundits alike, took it
upon themselves to exonerate the director.
They used arguments that varied from stat-
ing that as a Holocaust survivor, Polanski had
already suffered enough (Anne Applebaum
of the Washington Post) to describing the
crime as not “rape-rape,” but “something else”
(Whoopie Goldberg on the View).
I’m not going to use this column to dis-
sect the issue of whether Polanski should
be retried and imprisoned; countless others
have written about and debated this issue in a
much more eloquent manner than I possibly
could. What I will say is that the passage of
WILL WRAY
Opinions Columnist
You may know him from Robert Redford’s
hagiography “Motorcycle Diaries.” You may
have inherited a little secondhand respect from
Johnny Depp’s medallion, Angelina Jolie’s
tattoo or Rage Against the Machine’s deeply
confused, anti-authoritarian lyrics. Jean-Paul
Sartre called him our era’s perfect man; Carlos
Santana considers him a paragon of love and
compassion.
Failing all of this, you have seen his face
bobbing around on the torsos of ingenuous
Brown students, with a poet’s beard, a revolu-
tionary’s locks and an idealist’s gaze.
I write, of course, of Che Guevara, one of
the most baffling figures “peace-loving” Brown
students have chosen to embrace. Walter-
Duranty-esque biographers have touted Gue-
vara as a compassionate liberator; however,
Che more closely resembles his own notion
of a revolutionary as a “cold killing machine
motivated by pure hate.”
Che is romanticized as a scholar-turned-
warrior-by-dire-need, a real-life Atticus Finch.
His medical degree is enough to earn respect
from any Brown student who has heard of or
experienced first-hand the terrors of organic
chemistry. That he was not only a fierce war-
rior and an idealist, but an intellectual, is basis
for at least a grudging respect, right?
Strangely, there exists to this day no record
Got something to say? Leave a comment online!
Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.
Not a funny column
time does not and should not change the facts
involved in any legal case, and that this issue
should be discussed much more seriously
than it has been.
At Brown, we’re lucky enough to be in an
environment with many forums to talk openly
about sex and relationships. We have MSex
and FemSex; every RPL has condoms avail-
able on his or her door. Every year, Alexis
Saccoman ’04 gives his famous talk about the
seven stages of sexual desire. And of course,
we have SexPowerGod, the party that’s made
Sexual assault and relationship abuse are much
more common than we think, whether we want to
think about it or not.
us the object of Bill O’Reilly’s ire.
Unfortunately, all of these things a uto-
pia do not make. While Brown students are
educated and talented, that doesn’t mean that
relationship abuse and sexual assault don’t
happen here. It’s important that we acknowl-
edge that fact and take active steps to prevent
it. Therefore, in the wake of what seems to
be international amnesia regarding the basic
facts of sexual assault, I’d like to posit some
reminders about the nature of this crime, as
well as that of relationship abuse.
Abuse or assault can happen to anyone,
regardless of age, size, gender, sexual orienta-
tion, class, education level, race or any other
A simple kind of man
of Che’s medical degree. Before jumping to
conclusions, we should consider that records,
especially in such turbulent times, could be
lost, destroyed or stolen. After all, in January
of 1959 after entering Havana, Guevara himself
ordered the mass burning of over 3000 books.
Luckily, in this case, we can go right to the
source: Che himself admitted on the record
that he was not a doctor.
Upon returning from Africa, famously egali-
tarian Che wrote that “blacks are indolent and
fanciful.” Time Magazine heralded that Rolex-
That Che Guevara was not only a fierce warrior
and an idealist, but an intellectual, is basis for at
least a grudging respect, right?
wearing Guevara had “disdain for material
comfort and everyday desires.”
Che fixed his residence in a beach-side
mansion complete with yacht harbor, a huge
swimming pool, seven bathrooms, a sauna, a
massage salon and five television sets, one of
which had a screen ten feet wide. After Cuban
journalist Llano Montes wrote in the state
newspaper that “Comandante Che Guevara
has fixed his residence in one of the most
luxurious houses on Tarara beach,” he was
factor. Both men and women, whether they
identify as straight, gay, bisexual or pansexual,
can be abusers and abusees.
Abuse isn’t just physical. If you or someone
you know is in a relationship with someone
who says things that make you feel worthless,
threatens to hurt you physically or tries to
prevent you from spending time with other
friends, seek help.
No one deserves to be abused or assaulted.
It doesn’t matter how suggestive someone’s
outfit or dance moves are, or if he or she has
a reputation of being a slut; nobody deserves
the physical, psychological and emotional
repercussions of abuse.
False accusations of rape happen. But
that doesn’t mean every report of assault or
abuse should be treated as if it were false;
rather, each instance should be investigated
as carefully and confidentially as possible.
There’s still a very strong cultural stigma
against rape, abuse and assault —hearing an
official or friend not take a claim seriously
could make a victim feel that the abuse was
his or her fault.
Abuse, assault and rape are not just “femi-
nist issues” — they’re issues that concern
imprisoned by three of Che’s armed guards,
brought to the island resort and threatened
with execution by Che himself.
After his first kill — a point blank shot into
the skull of a fellow Castro rebel, an unarmed
prisoner ­— Che wrote to his father that “I’d
like to confess ... at that moment I discovered
that I really like killing.”
During a five-month tenure in charge of
the regime’s political prison, La Cabana, Che
ordered at least 700, though by Che’s own
estimate, several thousand executions. How
can Brown students respect a man who said,
“I don’t need proof to execute a man — I only
need proof that it’s necessary to execute him”?
How can they even grudgingly admire a man
that famously said, “Judicial evidence is an
archaic bourgeois detail.”?
At least some of his prisoners were only
barely conscious while facing the firing squad
— it was established practice in La Cabana to
drain five pints of blood (about half of what
the average person has) from the unmedi-
Friday, October 9, 2009 | Page 11
everyone. Chances are you know someone
who has survived one of these situations.
In one survey, 20 percent of college women
and 4 percent of college men answered yes
to the question, “In your lifetime, have you
been forced to submit to sexual intercourse
against your will?”
These are just the statistics for sexual as-
sault reports; they don’t include reports of
verbal or non-sexual physical abuse in intimate
relationships, and most importantly, they don’t
recount non-recorded instances of these trage-
dies. Sexual assault and relationship abuse are
much more common than we think, whether
we want to think about it or not.
The people you saw running a condom
water balloon toss on the Main Green on
Sept. 24 are right: Consensual sex IS hot. A
physical encounter in which the participants
are comfortable and communicative is more
likely to be enjoyable for all involved. Whether
you’re in a long-term relationship or just hav-
ing a one-time fling, make sure you trust your
partner. Not only will you be safe, but you’ll
have more fun!
That’s all. Look out for yourself and your
friends, and if you need help, get help. Just
because US Magazine doesn’t know how to
talk about these sticky issues doesn’t mean
that it’s okay for us Brown students to avoid
them. We’re too smart not to do this the right
way.
Adrienne Langlois ’10 is a History
and Latin American Studies concentrator
from Asheville, NC.
cated prisoners prior to their death. Their
lifeblood was sold for 50 dollars a pint to North
Vietnam.
Is it possible to concede all else — his
cruelty, his lack of scholarship, his material-
ism — and remain in awe of his skill in battle?
The stubborn facts: The casualties of Che and
Castro’s two-year war amounted to 182. Che’s
famous December 1958 “Battle of Santa Clara,”
about which the New York Times claimed
he “turned the tide ... and whipped a Batista
Force of 3,000 men” leaving “1000 dead,” was
greatly exaggerated. Every account of the
battle, including Che’s own — other than those
gleaned from Castro’s press briefings — puts
the casualties at no more than five.
To his credit, Che did receive a serious
wound during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Af-
ter being decoyed 300 miles from the actual
invasion site by a single, unmanned rowboat
filled with fireworks, smoke, mirrors and a
tape recording of battle, Che somehow shot
himself in the face with his own pistol.
The above facts show in stark relief the
portrait of a vicious, megalomaniacal brute: the
Beria of the Cuban regime. Yet he was praised
again and again by the New York Times, the
Washington Post, Time and several other
(allegedly) reliable news sources. His iconic
visage is plastered on dorm room walls, vodka
bottles and t-shirts.
Why?
Will Wray ’10 loves archaic, bourgeois
details.
 Today 7
to day tomo r r o w
New history of RISD on display
The Brown Daily Herald

The real, other Che Guevara

11
Friday, October 9, 2009
65 / 55 66 / 41
Page 12

a n e w hop e d i a mo n d s a n d c o a l

A diamond to the hardy souls at both sides of the negotiating table who will be working all the
way through the long weekend haggling over a new contract for Brown Dining Services workers,
and to the various students who have gotten worked up over the process. We’re looking forward to
the warring factions, charges of paternalism and cries of exploitation. And you thought we weren’t
going to celebrate Columbus Day.

Coal to the local “innovation council” for its plan to award $100,000 in grants to stimulate the
“knowledge-based economy” in Providence. Thanks, guys, but when it comes to the economic
outlook in Providence, ignorance is bliss.

1
A diamond to the big thinkers who conceived of building a multimillion-dollar streetcar system
to connect College Hill to downtown. It’s retro, environmentally friendly, deceptively pricey and
will frequently be found on the RISD campus. Give it an ironic paint job, fixed gears and an ashtray
and you’ll have your first million hipster riders in a week.

c a l e n da r Coal to the faculty, which shrank this year for the first time since 2003. (Our bio professor can’t
see over the lectern anymore.)
Today, OCtober 9 tomorrow, October 10
A diamond to the fact that Brown ships off 200 gallons of used frying oil each week from the
8 PM — The Jabberwocks First Annual 10 AM— Dash for Diabetes, Prospect VDub to be converted to biodiesel. We’ll sleep easy knowing that people somewhere in California
Leif Erikson Day Concert, MacMillan St. and Barnes St. are commuting to work on buses that run on Cuban Stir Fry.
117
8 PM — Brown New Music Presents: Coal to the International Scholars Program, which offered twice as many grants for its second
8 PM — 4x4: 4 New Plays by 4 MFA Atonal Responsibility, Grant Recital summer, only to find declining interest from students. As anyone who has been to a Buxton party
Playwrights, Rites and Reason The- Hall knows, Brown’s internationally minded students prefer that you play hard to get. (Preferably while
ater smoking aloofly with your friends Didier and Sven outside Viva on a Thursday night.)

menu A diamond to the professor teaching 261 enrolled students in a room with 140 seats, who noted
that his students are more involved and engaged. Very true — it’s hard to fall asleep at your laptop
Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall when there’s an 86 percent chance someone is sitting on your lap.

Lunch — Hot Turkey Sandwich with Lunch — Chicken Fingers, Vegan A diamond to the Brown football team, which brought home the Governor’s Cup by beating
Gravy, Broccoli Au Gratin, Zucchini Nuggets, Corn Cobbets in-state rival URI last weekend. But unless you want to see the University taxed off College Hill,
Burgers you better bring us the governor’s veto pen, too.
Dinner — Plum Good Pork Chops,
Dinner — Saturday Night Jambalaya, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Spinach Finally, a cubic zirconium to the administration for coming up with the idea to pinch pennies
Red Potato Frittata, Pound Cake with Stuffed Tomatoes by combining a new gym and a new pool into one building. We like your creativity, but why stop
Peaches and Whipped Cream there? We’d like to introduce you to our brainchild: The MindBrainBehavior Pool-Gym and Campus
RELEASE DATE– Friday, October 9, 2009
Center for the Creative Arts, complete with luxury suites, could be grafted onto the side of Grad
Los Angeles Times
c r o sDaily
s w oCrossword
rd Puzzle Center by early 2011.
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 3 Like glowing 30 Library volumes? 48 “Peachy keen!”
1 Heartless coals 31 Avian 49 “For Me and
5 Run in a traffic 4 Hall of Fame homemaker My __” c om i c s
jam? second baseman 33 Hook (up) 50 Bay window
9 “__ fan tutte”: Bobby 34 False god 53 Wildebeests
Mozart opera 5 Stern with a bow 35 Brute 54 Indian Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
13 Hodgepodge 6 Chain that serves 36 Weapon in Clue mausoleum city
14 Aquarium the Grand Slam 38 Hardly at all 55 Flue coat
clapper breakfast 42 “When I’m ready” 57 Dallas cager,
15 Be silent, in 7 Fall behind 44 The King briefly
music 8 “Strange Magic” 45 Lathered up 58 He’s next to
16 Tropical fruit that band 46 Food fowl Teddy on Mount
grows 9 Bay of Naples 47 Battery terminal Rushmore
underground? isle
18 Autobahn autos 10 Continental ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
19 Exceeded, as a divide?
budget 11 Baseball
20 Ankle-swelling commissioner
cause since the ’90s
21 Church game 12 “__ big deal”
played with cans 15 Military
and bottles? higher-ups
24 Workout unit 17 G.I. ration
27 More cunning 20 Witnessed
28 Not away visiting
32 Michigan college 22 Enduring opus Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline
town 23 Navel buildup
37 Italian cheese 24 Bailiff’s request
from the Florida 25 Compound
Keys? containing a
39 Snobs hydroxl group
40 Fictional author 26 Spitting sound
of “The World 29 Giant great who
According to wore #4 xwordeditor@aol.com 10/09/09
Bensenhaver”
41 Spot to get off
43 Grant opponent
44 Fled what was
once Zaire?
51 Body shop
offering
52 SWAT team
supply
56 Jet trail
57 Jargon of ancient
Yucatán? Hippomaniac | Mat Becker
59 Nanos and minis
60 Drive the
getaway car for,
say
61 Prefix with dollar
62 Last word sung
with champagne
in hand
63 Presidential
power
64 Future J.D.’s
hurdle

DOWN
1 Designer Chanel
2 Patron saint of
Norway By Dan Naddor
(c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
10/09/09