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vol. cxliv, no. 118 | Friday, December 4, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
tale of smaller cities RIPTA each month according to James Der Derian, pro-
fessor of international studies, who
said he has looked through the col-
By Caitlin Trujillo and be allowed to develop their By Talia Kagan each month. lection.
Staf f Writer own cores. These concentrated Staff Writer Under the statewide UPass pro- “He had one of probably the best
towns and cities would be linked gram started in September 2007 conventional libraries of international
The iconic monolithic city often by expanses of empty space, Two years after University affiliates the University pays an undisclosed relations that I’ve come across,” Der
sits in our imagination as a soci- such as woods and forests, and first started receiving free bus and flat rate for every ride by a Univer- Derian said.
ety’s great achievement. But with unchecked suburban sprawl would trolley rides from the Rhode Island sity community member. Der Derian directed a documen-
megalopolises come suburban diminish. Public Transit Authority as part of But despite the free ride, most tary titled “Human Terrain,” focus-
sprawl. “We need to reinforce and re- the agency’s contract with Brown, University employees drive to work ing on the Human Terrain system
Cities instead should be allowed build the small,” Krier said. just under a quarter of faculty, staff
to develop, mature and ultimately Krier also talked about the in- and students take advantage of it continued on page 4 continued on page 3
duplicate before they overextend tersections of urban plotting and
into monolithic urban cores and
space-filling suburbs, renowned ar-
chitect Leon Krier told a crowd in
architecture. He explained the
concepts of classicism — archi-
tecture and planning that is often
Herald to welcome 120th editorial board
Salomon 101 Thursday evening. systematic, monumental and or- By Yuan Na’in-Tien
Krier, author of “The Architec- nate — and the vernacular, which Seniors
ture of Community” and “Get Your is characterized by a smaller scale
House Right: Architectural Ele- and a greater focus on functional- The Herald will introduce the 120th
ments to Use and Avoid,” spoke for ity than aesthetics. editorial board and a new slate of lead-
an hour and a half on the problems Classicism and the vernacu- ers in the organization at the annual
of modern urban planning, namely lar are two ways to classify both staff banquet tonight at Cav Restaurant
the use of architecture and urban- urbanism and architecture, Krier downtown.
ism in ways that create huge cities said. With the calendar year of Herald
with suburban sprawl problems. In some cases, such as the Ro- production coming to an end today, the
Krier called this urban expan- man Forum, the two styles can new leadership is effective Jan. 1.
sion a “bloody disaster,” specifi- coexist. But Krier said the worst Leading next year’s group will be
cally mentioning Manhattan and mix, to be avoided at all costs, George Miller ’11, who will serve
the proliferation of skyscrapers on was the combination of classical as editor-in-chief and president of The
the urban skyline. urbanism, with its neatly ordered Herald. The Fairfax, Va. native, who
“Cities often look like storage plots, and vernacular architecture, has served as metro editor over the
areas for buildings,” he said. with simple and plain buildings — past year, boasts a breadth of experi-
Instead, Krier said, planners the typical style for the average ence as a reporter and as an editor
should limit the growth of cities suburb. both on and off campus, and hopes to
so that they form concentrated, Krier took questions after his Kim Perley / Herald be the steady hand on the tiller in 2010.
controlled urban centers. New cit- Left to right: Sophia Li ’11, Seth Motel ’11, Ellen Cushing ’10, Joanna We know he will do a good job — we
Wohlmuth ’11 and George Miller ’11 (horizontal) at 195 Angell Thursday.
ies would then spring up nearby continued on page 4
continued on page 2
inside
C ampus N EWS
Matches around the corner New leadership for Herald in 2010
By Dan Alexander Women’s hockey continued from page 1 editor from Manhattan Beach, Calif., be Columbus, Ohio’s Dan Alexander
Senior Staff Writer The Bears will face ECAC leader rounds out the 120th editorial board ’12, a senior staff writer who has trav-
Cornell (7-4-1, 6-1-1 ECAC Hockey) feel it in our bones. as a senior editor. Leaving no stone elled the Eastern seaboard covering
The Herald is done for the semester, on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Ithaca. The Chaz Kelsh ’11, a former news unturned in her quest to uncover the the football team this fall. A tough in-
but Brown sports aren’t. Below is a Big Red come into this weekend off editor, will return from a semester dirt on Providence and Rhode Island, terviewer who remembers how long
list of each team’s can’t-miss games of a 2-1 loss to Niagara, but the Bears abroad in Stockholm to serve as man- Wohlmuth knows how to get to the a team’s losing streak is, he’s a coach’s
over break. haven’t won since Oct. 25. aging editor. Kelsh, from Philadelphia, bottom of a story and produce A- worst nightmare. Providence’s own
is an expert on the inner workings plus copy. You’ll also see her lead the Andrew Braca ’10, the outgoing
Men’s basketball Wrestling of the University and its mysterious women’s water polo team in “forced editor, will stay on as an assistant with
The men’s basketball team (4- The wrestling team has been in Las governing body, the Corporation. A ejections” (it’s a good thing). Oak Park, Ill.’s Han Cui ’10.
5, 0-0 Ivy) will face cross-town ri- Vegas since Tuesday, and they will sharp editor, he also brings his trade- The editorial board will be Leading the arts and culture sec-
val Providence College (7-2) at the hit the mats in the Las Vegas Cliff mark wit and reporterly confidence. backed up by a strong slate of tion are two more senior staff writers.
Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Monday Keen invitational this weekend. He will also serve as secretary of The section editors. Anne Speyer ’12, a Manhattanite
at 7 p.m. The Bears will be looking to The meet will include 50 teams Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Helping the edit board keep track with an encyclopedia knowledge of
avenge a 86-62 loss last season. from all over the country, includ- Sophia Li ’11, The Herald’s fea- of the day-to-day on-campus happen- Jay-Z lyrics, has covered dozens of
ing four of the teams that finished tures editor, will join the editorial board ings as news editors will be California metro and campus life stories in her
Men’s hockey in the top 10 nationally last season. as a deputy managing editor. Li, who girls Sydney Ember ’12 and Nicole day. Suzannah Weiss ’12, from
Coming off their first two wins hails from Cheshire, Conn., Sacra- Friedman ’12. Ember, a senior staff Syosset, N.Y., has been The Herald’s
of the season, the Bears (2-7-1, 1-4-1 Gymnastics mento, Calif. and many indeterminate writer from Los Angeles, leads the eyes and ears at UCS meetings this
ECAC Hockey) will host two ECAC The gymnastics team opens its sea- locations in between, has successfully league in interviews conducted, pages semester, and has bravely covered the
opponents this weekend. Princeton son in a four-team meet at South- brightened these pages with off-the- proofed and gumption-to-body-size swine flu outbreak without contracting
(3-5-1, 2-4-1), who beat Brown in a ern Connecticut on Jan. 16. beaten-path stories, personalities and ratio. Friedman, from Piedmont, Ca- the disease.
1-0 overtime season opener, will organic farming operations for the lif., also a senior staff writer, knows Putting the paper together every
play in Meehan Auditorium at 7 Fencing last year and boasts an unmatched more about faculty governance than day will be three design editor hold-
p.m. tonight. And No. 6 Quinnipiac The fencing team will compete in knowledge of Brown history. the faculty does. They both insisted overs — Saint-Mammes, France native
(12-1-0, 7-0-0), who stands atop the three meets over break, none of Also joining the editorial board as a on editing this paragraph. and house-music aficionado Julien
ECAC standings, takes the ice in which will be in Providence. deputy managing editor will be Emmy Leading next year’s city and state Ouellet ’12, Manchester, N.H., starv-
Providence on Saturday at 7 p.m. Liss ’11, a former features editor who coverage as metro editors will be the ing artist and ginger enthusiast Mar-
Squash will return from a semester abroad in alliterative pair of Brigitta Greene lee Bruning ’12 and White Plains,
Women’s basketball Both the men’s and women’s squash Barcelona. A Mill Neck, N.Y., native ’12 and Ben Schreckinger ’12. N.Y.’s Anna Migliaccio ’12, tolerator
The Bears (4-5, 0-0 Ivy) will open team will travel to Princeton, N.J., to and the Herald’s No. 1 cheerleader, Greene, from Westfield, N.J., has taken of antics in-chief.
up league play with back-to-back take on the Tigers on Saturday. Liss is a stickler for winning headlines, the lead in aggressively covering the Leading the copy desk will be Kelly
games versus Yale (3-5, 0-0) on Jan. clever ledes and features that shine. University’s finances and capital ex- Mallahan ’11, a Herald staff writer
15 and Jan. 25. The first contest will Swimming and diving She will probably try to recruit you pansion as a senior staff writer. Her from Seattle, Wash., currently studying
be in Providence. The men’s and women’s swim in the spring. dry humor takes some getting used to. abroad in Morocco. She will be joined
teams will go to the Bucknell Invi- Ellen Cushing ’10 will join the Schreckinger, from Belmont, Mass., by a new assistant copy chief, Highland
tational this weekend. board having seen multiple sides has been both a senior staff writer and Park, Ill.’s Jordan Mainzer ’12.
of The Herald. The Berkeley, Calif. a post- columnist, covering UCS, local Alyssa Ratledge ’11, from Mesa,
homegirl has admirably performed politics and fictional encounters with Ariz., will stay on as opinions editor in
double-duty as both a senior staff writ- Emma Watson ’13 alike. He plans to 2010. She will be joined next year by
er for the news side and the University “bro lightly” this weekend. columnist Michael Fitzpatrick ’12,
editor for post- magazine. Expect her Hannah Moser ’12, a friendly of San Antonio, Tex.
to continue her relentless pursuit of wildland firefighter and erstwhile The Herald also welcomes 11 new
the toughest stories about Brown’s senior staff writer from Canyonville, contributors who reached the rank of
darkest secrets. And no more post- Ore., takes over as features editor staff writer: Ana Alvarez ’13, Alex
naked pictures. along with Cheshire, Mass. native Bell ’13, Kristina Fazzalaro ’12,
News Editor Seth Motel ’11 also Brian Mastroianni ’11. Moser has Max Godnick ’13, Anish Gonchi-
steps up to the editorial board as a co-led the Herald poll and interviewed gar ’12, Sarah Mancone ’13, Claire
senior editor. The Lincolnwood, Ill. angry PLMEs, among other things. Peracchio ’13, Kevin Pratt ’10,
native, a former copy desk chief, has Mastroianni, who likes RISD and paint- Emily Rosen ’12, Jenna Steckel
sudoku also been the Herald’s poll czar for ing, has filed countless bylines from ’13 and Caitlin Trujillo ’12.
more than a year. He likes numbers, College Hill and beyond and brings Upstairs at 195 Angell, Marshall
crosstabs and hard news. He doesn’t his knowledge and keen sense for Katheder ’12 of Orlando, Fla., will
like mistakes. good stories. take over as editor-in-chief of post-
Joanna Wohlmuth ’11, the metro Taking over at the sports desk will magazine, the Herald’s alternative
weekly. Katheder, who was on the
reality TV show “Endurance” as an
adolescent, has served as post-’s film
editor. He has great fashion sense, and
his favorite movie is “Garden State.”
The editorial page board will also
see new leadership next semester,
as Matt Aks ’11, of Scarsdale, N.Y.,
takes over as the new editor of the
editorial page.
The Herald is also fortunate to have
two excellent new general managers
handling the business side of the or-
ganization next year.
Claire Kiely ’11, of San Jose,
Calif., will serve as a general man-
Daily Herald
ager and vice president of the Brown
the Brown
Daily Herald, Inc. Katie Koh ’11,
of Coto de Caza, Calif., will serve as
Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 the other general manager as well as
Stephen DeLucia, President Jonathan Spector, Treasurer The Herald’s treasurer. Currently The
Michael Bechek, Vice President Alexander Hughes, Secretary Herald’s sales and finance directors,
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serv- respectively, Kiely and Koh will bring
ing the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday their enthusiasm and 184-point color-
through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during coded strategy to bear on the Herald’s
Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily
Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each members of the community.
balance sheet.
POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI Kiely and Koh will be joined on
02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 the business staff by directors Matt
Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. Burrows ’12, Christiana Stephenson
World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com.
Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily.
’11, Margaret Watson ’11 and Kelly
Copyright 2009 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Wess ’11.
Friday, December 4, 2009 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3
C ampus N EWS
Architect: Providence
lacks ‘really good square’
continued from page 1 When one person asked Krier
what role he thought public space
lecture and emphasized that one of played in urban planning, especially
the benefits of smaller cities and less in the city of Providence, Krier said
sprawl is the decrease in resource a big missing component was the
exploitation. If small-scale planning “really good square” in the urban
is reintroduced and encouraged, grid.
Krier said, we can also bridge the “I actually prefer cars (to build-
gap between the synthetic materials ings) in the public space because
currently used in planning and the they go away,” Krier joked. “There’s
more ideal yet costly natural ones. a scare of the void.”
Fifth symphony the charm for Mahler rick McGowan ’12 struts about
the stage in aviators and leather
boots, convincing as a music pro-
ized bodily movement and facial
expressions that imbue the lines
with a dynamism they might oth-
By Nicole Boucher “Before Beethoven came along, 1900s had “uncanny insight into ducer driven by the relentless pur- erwise lack.
Staf f Writer composers wrote plenty of sym- their time and understood that un- suit of profit. As Tyler writes in his director’s
phonies,” Phillips said. Yet with derneath material prosperity and In another of the play’s plot note, the play crosses space and
“The symphony must be like the Beethoven’s fifth, the model calm, the ear th was rumbling.” lines, King Ludwig II, also re- time and blurs the line between
world. It must embrace ever y- changed. Now, the fifth symphony This insight is clearly exhibited ferred to as the “Mad King” of reality and fantasy to “unite the
thing,” composer Gustav Mahler “tells a story increasing in size and in Mahler’s Fifth, he said. Bavaria, has an ear for Wagner’s three elemental couples” and “ex-
once said. scope,” he said. Mahler’s Fifth is “draining,” operas and an eye for Wagner amine the paradoxical nature of
Mahler’s Fifth Symphony will This weekend, Mahler’s and Josephson said. himself. The members of the romantic experience.” The stories
be highlighted at this weekend’s Mozart’s fifth symphonies will be “When you hear an orchestra court doubt their king’s sanity all suggest that the process of fall-
Brown University Orchestra con- performed along with a comple- play the piece, you hear an orches- and ability to rule as Ludwig falls ing in and quickly out of love is
cert and is one of five fifth sympho- mentar y piece, Max Bruch’s “Ro- tra struggle and then triumph,” more in love with the opera com- shared across different eras, as
nies being played over the course mance for Viola and Orchestra,” he said. “You’re made to jump poser. The two have a playful yet transcendent as music.
of this orchestra season. which will feature Andrew Nixon through hoops of ever y emotion unstable relationship that “bor- “Doris to Darlene” runs tonight
“As I was putting the season GS. Mozart’s piece, written when put together.” ders on immoderacy.” Unable to and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sun-
together, I thought it was time to the composer was nine years old, In contrast, Mozar t’s Fifth realize his fantasies, Ludwig at- day at 2 p.m. in Leeds Theater.
let the pendulum swing back to will ser ve as a short, welcoming Symphony is much simpler. It’s
more traditional music this year,” piece to the concert. “a charming little piece, but not the
said Paul Phillips, the conductor of Mahler’s symphonies “as pieces mature Mozart,” Josephson said.
Brown’s orchestra. “It does seem of music are pure genius,” said As- Phillips explained the choice of
like a way to unify the season.” sociate Professor of Music David Mozart’s Fifth as a warm-up piece
Ever y year, Phillips uses in- Josephson, who studies the Euro- that maintained the focus on fifth
put from his orchestra students pean musical tradition. “As social symphonies.
to choose a theme around which documents, they are magnificent After all, he said, playing “four
the concerts revolve. The decision expressions of modernism at the fifth symphonies over the course of
to focus on fifth symphonies this turn of the centur y in central Eu- the season didn’t seem right.”
year emphasizes the significance of rope.” The orchestra performs this Fri-
the fifth symphony in a composer’s He added that composers such day at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.
body of work. as Mahler who wrote in the early in Sayles Hall.
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald
l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r
Flu misconceptions
must be corrected
To the Editor: different about the 2009 H1N1 strain
is that it is hitting younger popula-
As a teacher of immunology and tions harder than usual, and Brown
vaccine science at Brown, I am quite undergraduates are squarely in the
pleased to read of the popularity of age range that has seen an elevated
the H1N1 vaccine among undergrad- level of infections, hospitalizations
uates (“Students go hog-wild over and deaths.
vaccine,” Dec. 3). I am compelled, “It would be inconvenient to
however, to address certain quotes get sick, but I’m sure I could man-
in the article as they echo common age.” You might feel differently if
misconceptions about influenza and you got sick the night before a final
the vaccine. exam. And even if you can manage,
“They just came out with this vac- think about the people you could
cine and I don’t think it’s very well pass the infection to who might have
understood.” While it is true that a harder time with the virus. Like a
this strain of influenza is new, the friend with asthma or some other
vaccine itself is produced in exactly chronic disease. Or an elderly rela-
the same way that seasonal influenza tive when you go home for winter
vaccines have been produced for break. And don’t forget about your
P aul tran and richard stein
many years. In fact, that’s one of professors!
the main reasons for the current “I’ve never gotten the flu in the
shortages of the H1N1 vaccine, past.” Then you are extremely for-
since the vaccine manufacturing tunate. But by the same logic, would e d i to r i a l
infrastructure takes many months you not put on your seat belt because
Rites of passage
to ramp up to full production and you’ve never been in a serious car ac-
we got a late start with this strain cident? Or not look both ways when
of the virus. you cross the street since you’ve
The swine flu is “a lot like other never been run over by a bus? Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School is on track tunate precedent for future University decisions.
flus, so I’m not worried about it.” In short, influenza vaccines are to implement a new standard that will bolster its rising After widespread student outcry, the administration
Most people don’t realize how seri- safe, effective and they save lives. status. After careful consultation with the Medical Cur- scaled back this policy, and now PLME students who
ous seasonal influenza is. In fact, Protect yourself and the people riculum Committee, which includes medical students apply out only risk deferral from Alpert rather than
the Centers for Disease Control es- you care about — please get vac- and undergraduates in the Program in Liberal Medi- outright rejection.
timates that in a “typical” year there cinated. cal Education, the school’s officials have advanced a Superficially, the new standard resembles the
are at least 200,000 hospitalizations proposal to require Alpert’s students to pass Step 1 misguided proposal for the PLME admission option,
and 36,000 deaths related to influ- Richard Bungiro PhD ’99 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination because it may become official policy after some
enza infections in the United States, Lecturer in Biology before graduating. They are already mandated to medical students have made their decision to attend.
mostly among the elderly. What is Dec. 3 take Step 1 and Step 2, though not to pass them; the Certainly, some of the administration’s perpetual de-
final step follows during their first year as residents. tractors will grumble that the new standard is unfair.
The first component of the USMLE tests students’ But virtually all graduates pass Step 1 already, and
application of scientific concepts, and scoring well is those who are heading into a PhD. program rather
t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d
essential to securing sought-after residencies. than aiming to get their license are eligible for a waiver
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors
Official approval is expected early next semester, of the requirement. And any hypothetical underachiev-
Steve DeLucia Michael Bechek Nandini Jayakrishna Rachel Arndt
Chaz Firestone Franklin Kanin Isabel Gottlieb and Alpert’s graduating class of 2014 will be the first ers whose plans would be seriously disrupted by the
Michael Skocpol Scott Lowenstein to be officially mandated to pass. The new require- change might want to reconsider their career path
editorial Business ment is primarily a symbol of the progress that the — no matter how leisurely they dawdle through the
Ben Hyman Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager
Sophia Li Features Editor Alexander Hughes Shawn Reilly University’s young and burgeoning medical school licensing process, they will be facing plenty of shifts
George Miller Metro Editor Jonathan Spector has made. Re-established in 1975 after a hiatus of more that will make Step 1 look like a cakewalk.
Joanna Wohlmuth Metro Editor
Seth Motel News Editor
than a century, in years past the school has suffered The new mandate is a sound decision arrived at
Directors
Jenna Stark News Editor Ellen DaSilva Sales from lagging rates of Step 1 passage among graduates. through diligent deliberation and close consultation
Andrew Braca Sports Editor Claire Kiely Sales The new requirement demonstrates confidence in the with those who are in the best position to understand
Han Cui Asst. Sports Editor Katie Koh Finance
Alex Mazerov Asst. Sports Editor Jilyn Chao Asst. Finance diligence and intellect of Brown’s future doctors, and its impact: students. Its implementation will serve as
Katie Wood Asst. Sports Editor Christiana Stephenson Alumni Relations will serve to further motivate those few who might a reminder not only of the Medical School’s progress,
Graphics & Photos Managers
otherwise fall behind. It also signals to potential staff but of the generally — though far from exclusively
Chris Jesu Lee Graphics Editor Kelly Wess Local Sales
Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Kathy Bui National Sales and students that Alpert is a serious institution that is — high quality of University decisions. Seeking out
Kim Perley Photo Editor Alex Carrere University Sales gaining ground on its more established peers. opportunities to work with administrators tends to
Max Monn Asst. Photo Editor Matt Burrows Credit and Collections
Jesse Morgan Sports Photo Editor The initiative is doubly welcome in the wake of be much more constructive than simply waiting to
production Opinions a misguided attempt last month to strip PLME un- pounce on their missteps.
Ayelet Brinn Copy Desk Chief Alyssa Ratledge Opinions Editor dergraduates of their currently guaranteed spot at
Rachel Isaacs Copy Desk Chief Sarah Rosenthal Opinions Editor
Alpert if they apply to other medical schools as well. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board.
Marlee Bruning Design Editor
Jessica Calihan Design Editor Editorial Page Board This would have started with the class of 2011, thus Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor James Shapiro Editorial Page Editor constituting a violation of trust and a deeply unfor-
Julien Ouellet Asst. Design Editor Matt Aks Board member
Neal Poole Web Editor Nick Bakshi Board member
Post- magazine
Arthur Matuszewski Editor-in-Chief
Zack Beauchamp
Debbie Lehmann
Board member
Board member correction
Kelly McKowen William Martin Board member
Editor-in-Chief
Due to a reporting error, an article in Tuesday’s Herald, (“Med School mulls new requirement,” Dec. 1) incor-
Anna Migliaccio, Jessica Calihan, Katie Wilson, Gili Kliger, Designers rectly stated that Associate Dean of Medicine Philip Gruppuso told The Herald that federal guidelines require
Nicole Boucher, Joe Milner, Carmen Shulman, Copy Editors students to pass the USMLE Step 1 exam. In fact, Alpert Medical School students must only take the Step 1
Dan Alexander, Nicole Friedman, Ben Hyman, Hannah Moser, Seth Motel, Night Editors
exam. The article also erroneously stated that Gruppuso told The Herald that students are not required to take
Senior Staff Writers Dan Alexander, Mitra Anoushiravani, Ellen Cushing, Sydney Ember,
Nicole Friedman, Brigitta Greene, Sarah Husk, Brian Mastroianni, Hannah Moser, Ben the Step 2 exam. Students are in fact required to take the Step 2 exam.
Schreckinger, Anne Simons, Anne Speyer, Alex Ulmer, Suzannah Weiss, Kyla Wilkes
Staff Writers Shara Azad, Emma Berry, Alicia Chen, Zunaira Choudhary, Alicia Dang,
Juliana Friend, Anish Gonchigar, Sarah Julian, Matt Klebanoff, Etienne Ma, Christian C O R R E C T I O N S P olicy
Martell, Heeyoung Min, Jyotsna Mullur, Lauren Pischel, Kevin Pratt, Leslie Primack, Luisa The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Correc-
Robledo, Dana Teppert, Gaurie Tilak, Caitlin Trujillo, Monique Vernon, tions may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.
Senior Business Associates Max Barrows, Jackie Goldman, Margaret Watson, Ben Xiong C ommentary P O L I C Y
Business Associates Stassia Chyzhykova, Marco deLeon, Katherine Galvin, Bonnie Kim, The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily
Cathy Li, Allen McGonagill, Liana Nisimova, Thanases Plestis, Corey Schwartz, William
reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.
Schweitzer, Kenneth So, Evan Sumortin, Haydar Taygun, Webber Xu, Lyndse Yess
L etters to the E ditor P olicy
Design Staff Rebecca Ballhaus, Caleigh Forbes, Gili Kliger, Jessica Kirschner, Leor Shtull-
Leber, Nicholas Sinnott-Armstrong, Kate Wilson Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for
Photo Staff Qidong Chen, Janine Cheng, Alex DePaoli, Frederic Lu, Quinn Savit length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may
Copy Editors Jenny Bloom, Brendan Burke, Sara Chimene-Weiss, Miranda Forman, Sarah request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.
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Opinions
The Brown Daily Herald
Sticky fingers
and Shoots line spelunking for pumpkin ravi- things stolen, lock your door. Unfortunately, It is important not to blame the victim in
oli. So why, then, do backpacks lie unattended the time of “The Scarlet Letter” has passed, all cases. If people weren’t sinking to the low
BY MIKE JOHNSON in chairs, waiting to be plucked by the sticky and thieves don’t walk around prominently level of selling others’ belongings to make a
fingers of a vagrant? If the goal is to reserve displaying a giant “T” on their chests. As a quick buck, this wouldn’t be an issue. But un-
Opinions Columnist a table (which is exceedingly necessary on result, the materialistic Brown student who fortunately, there are those who are cowardly
pumpkin ravioli night — those things are affords certain sentimentality to his or her enough to steal and graft, and it is a fact of
If you’re like me, you look forward to the delicious) then a jacket suffices, or perhaps a belongings is forced to suspect everyone. Who life. It may never be known what possesses a
crime updates that the Department of Public friend can watch the group’s belongings until knows what will happen while we carry our person to stumble across a door that is closed
Safety sends us. Perhaps it’s a healthy dose of one of them returns. laundry down the four flights of stairs, outside, and test it to see if it’s locked. Still more per-
schadenfreude, but the Campus Safety reports According to the campus safety e-mail up- and then back inside to the laundry room, as plexing is what possesses that same person to
are much more interesting to read than Morn- then open the door, chancing that the tenant
ing Mail messages, as they practically embody of the room is still inside. Does the thief have
an e-mail version of “Cops,” minus the trailer a line such as, “Oops, this isn’t the lounge!”
park drama. But something that’s been making prepared for that contingency?
a recurring appearance in these crime reports Unfortunately, the time of ‘The Scarlet Letter’ But whatever twisted logic a thief uses to
is fairly disturbing. No, not rogue roller-blade has passed, and thieves don’t walk around drive his detestable actions, it is possible to
gangs that knock over innocent pedestrians, deter him with simple steps. Travel in packs
but rather laptop theft. prominently displaying a giant ‘T’ on their chests. — vigilant, aware packs that don’t leave laptops
Now, my laptop has my life on it. In the lying around the Ratty and V-Dub. Invest in
cyber age, we need laptops to send and re- an alarm system for your computer (many of
ceive e-mails, write papers and, obviously, which are free, especially if you have a Mac-
Facebook-stalk anyone and everyone we’ve dates, 25 laptops have been stolen in October some New Pembrokers are forced to do? Book) or a Lo-Jack device. Definitely register
ever met. By no means am I unsympathetic and November alone. Twenty-five. Yet only I know of some students who are so pru- your devices with DPS. These steps could
to victims of laptop theft — those little boxes three of the seven in November were victims dent as to lock their doors when they leave to prove invaluable in recovering your belong-
of circuits cost much more than they probably of ill-advised seat saving in dining halls. In go use the bathroom. This is perhaps a little ings should they be stolen. But most of all,
should. But the reason a theft victim feels October, 12 of the 18 purloined laptops were overzealous, but, on the bright side, they still fellow Brunonians, lock your doors, and don’t
distraught about his or her loss is the exact pilfered from residence halls. This is especially possess their laptops. However, I know others leave your stuff lying about, unless you aren’t
reason a thief’s grubby little fingers sweat perplexing, because everyone’s room comes who still don’t lock their doors when they go incredibly attached to it.
at the thought of nabbing a laptop: They’re with a door with a lock on it, standard, for no to sleep. This is very, very bad. Not only does
worth a lot of money. additional fee. it allow prank-playing neighbors to sneak into
I think it’s safe to assume that no Brown It’s a fairly simple causal relationship, and their rooms to move the furniture around, it
student would leave $2,000 lying on a table in yet it’s one the students of Brown seem not also allows malicious burglars to steal what- Mike Johnson ’11 isn’t bitter at all about
the Ratty while wandering around the Roots to have grasped — if you don’t want your ever shiny things they come across. the laundry situation in New Pembroke.
a w e s o m e b lo s s o m diamonds
A diamond to the fact that early decision applications to Brown were up 21 percent in a year of economic
turmoil. Dean of Admissions James Miller ’73 adorably chalks this up to the fact that Brown is a “good
value,” but we have to credit the rising profile of Brown’s up-and-coming Watson Institute for International
Studies. Google hits for “Watson + Brown” have been through the roof this year.
A diamond to the swine flu. Sure, it’s a deadly pandemic that has taken thousands of lives, but here on
College Hill it was a nice change of pace from the capitalist pigs that usually haunt Brown students.
A diamond to Brown’s third-place 2009 football team. We’ll always take bronze over brains.
A diamond to the city of Providence, which banned indoor prostitution, threatened to cancel all
5
Brown parties and tried to tax students $150 per semester. Despite all of that grumbling, you did legal-
ize marijuana compassion centers, and if Brown wasn’t the city’s largest dispensary, we might not be so
gosh-darn happy.
A diamond to some of the semester’s big speakers: Pervez Musharraf, Patrick Kennedy and ... OK,
c a l e n da r the second one wasn’t really a big speaker. And coal to the first one.
Today, december 4 saturday, december 5 Speaking of which, a diamond to our favorite lecture hall. Our staffers have fond memories of the
many compelling lectures we’ve covered in a “half-full Salomon 101” — the only room on campus that’s
8 pm — “Doris to Darlene,” Leeds 7 PM — Men’s Ice Hockey vs. never half-empty.
Theatre Quinnipiac, Meehan Auditorium
A diamond to President Obama, whose inauguration fell on the same day as our first Herald issue of
11 pm — Chattertocks and Yale Duke’s 10 pm — Brown Concert Agency the year. Since then, you may have won a Nobel prize, saved the economy and appeared in a really cool
Men Concert, MacMillan 117 Presents Speakeasy Sessions Vol. slow-motion football advertisement — but at least we have an exit strategy.
II, Grad Center Lounge
Lastly, a diamond to you, dear reader — it’s been real. Everyone gets a diamond this week, but you
don’t need to take yours with a grain of salt. Thanks for putting up with 12 months of bad puns — you’ve
menu been very gourd sports.
crossword