Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxliv, no. 61 | Thursday, September 10, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
In ‘horrendous’ year,
endowment fell $740m
By Nicole Friedman
Senior Staf f Writer
The University’s endowment lost
$740 million in the 12 months end-
ing with June 30, falling to just over
$2 billion, President Ruth Sim-
mons said at a faculty meeting on
Wednesday. But the discouraging
endowment picture was tempered
by relatively robust fundraising,
Simmons said.
In fiscal year 2009, the endow-
ment lost 26.6 percent of its market
value. During that period, the en-
dowment paid out $132 million and
the University received $44 million
in endowment gifts, Simmons said.
On June 30, the endowment was
worth $2.038 billion.
The endowment’s real asset in-
vestments, such as real estate and
commodities, fared worst, falling
almost 40 percent in the year, Sim-
mons said. In contrast, the endow-
ment’s fixed income investments
increased 7 percent.
“I’m happy to say that things
are going ver y well,” Simmons
told the faculty, adding that worst-
case economic scenarios had been
avoided, both worldwide and for the
University.
“We did not have to cancel (facul-
ty) searches or do some of the more
No anger,
just let-down
at the new
Blue Room
By Ellen Cushing
Senior Staff Writer
With Faunce House under con-
struction all year, the Blue Room
has reopened in temporary quar-
ters in the old mailroom. But stu-
dents say it’s just not the same.
“Two years without focaccia
(expletive) sandwiches?” asked
Carolyn Brown ’11, who visited the
new cafe recently but didn’t make a
purchase. “That’s just wrong.”
In fact, if all goes according to
plan, the popular eatery will have
a new permanent home one year
from now, President Ruth Simmons
announced in her Convocation wel-
come Tuesday.
For the interim, the Blue Room
settled into its new space and offi-
cially reopened Aug. 31. The cafe
will have slightly shorter hours —
opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 4
inside
News.....1-4
Metro........5-6
Spor ts...7
Editorial..10
Opinion...11
Today........12
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draconian things being done” at
peer institutions, Simmons said.
The endowment’s value at the
end of June roughly matches the
administration’s “working assump-
tion,” announced in January, that
the once-$2.8 billion endowment
would be worth roughly $2 billion
when the turbulent fiscal year was
over.
Administrators will meet with
members of the Corporation’s
committee on the financial crisis
on Friday “to get their advice about
the next steps,” Simmons told the
faculty. “We’ll keep you informed
and involved as much as we can.”
Fundraising strong in down
year
The “odd thing,” Simmons said,
is that “in spite of a horrendous year
otherwise” for the University’s fi-
nances, the school raised $193.4
million — an all-time record for total
cash giving.
The Campaign for Academic En-
richment also reached a landmark in
2009, exceeding its $1.4 billion goal
more than a year ahead of schedule.
The drive had raised $1.421 billion
as of August 28, according to the
campaign’s Web site.
continued on page 4
The Blue Room, in its temporary location, has a limited food selection.
p.m., rather than 5 p.m.
The new version is smaller and
has different equipment, so it will
not be carrying any food that needs
to be prepared on-site — including
soup, freshly made breakfast sand-
wiches, or the focaccia sandwiches
for which it was famous. (The new
cafe does not have an industrial-size
oven on site for making fresh bread
and muffins.)
Instead, the new cafe will have
Metro, 5
Assault at Fish Co.
Bar shut down for three
days in August following
assaults and an arrest
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
Members of the class of 2013 lined up to undertake a Brown rite of passage. After a procession through the
Van Wickle Gates, President Ruth Simmons and Professor of Biology Johanna Schmitt welcomed new students.
Simmons welcomes class of 2013
By Heeyoung Min
Staff Writer
President Ruth Simmons officially
opened the University’s 246th year
Wednesday afternoon, formally wel-
coming new members of the Brown
community.
Following tradition, incoming
students marched through the Van
Wickle Gates to the Main Green as
Kim Perley / Herald
a wider selection of pre-made sand-
wiches, wraps and salads, as well
as the pastries and bagels offered
in previous years.
Students said they were dis-
appointed by the lack of focaccia
sandwiches in particular.
“I wish they made sandwich-
es like last year — the foccacia
things,” said William Strecker-
continued on page 2
parents equipped with camcorders
and cameras joined other onlookers
cheering from the sidelines. The
class of 2013, in turn, forwarded the
ovation to faculty members sport-
ing colorful robes as they walked
down the aisle to take their seats.
The ceremony took a mirthful
tone, but President Simmons’s
speech did not overlook the reali-
ties of the economic times.
U. eyes purchase of
former highway land
By Lauren Fedor
Senior Staff Writer
The University will have the oppor-
tunity to acquire up to 36 acres of
land in Providence in coming years,
according to a report released last
week by the governor’s office,
the Rhode Island Department of
Transportation, the Rhode Island
Economic Development Corpora-
tion and the city. And the University
has expressed interest in doing just
that.
The report, “Rhode Island Inter-
state 195 Relocation Surplus Land:
Redevelopment and Marketing
Analysis,” cited the University as a
potential buyer of new lands that will
be opened as part of the state’s on-
going “Iway” project to relocate the
junction of I-95 and I-195 downtown.
The Iway project will be complete
and the reclaimed land will be ready
for use by the end of 2012, according
to the Department of Transportation
Web site.
Prepared by a team of consul-
Sports, 7
Youth Movement
The men’s soccer team
may be young, but they
have a taste for success
Kim Perley / Herald
“This year, the fallout of the fi-
nancial crisis will continue,” Presi-
dent Simmons said.
But while University services
may be slower and events “less lav-
ish,” Simmons said, the University
will preserve “things of greater val-
ue.” For example, last year a donor
contributed $30 million in support
continued on page 4
tants, the report identified more
than 20 parcels of land that will be
made available for sale. The parcels
comprise 36 acres of newly cleared
land in the Jewelry District, Old Har-
bor, Fox Point and College Hill, ac-
cording to a press release from the
Department of Transportation.
The state’s Economic Develop-
ment Corporation will manage the
disposition, or sale, of the land, ac-
cording to the release.
The report highlighted three
objectives that officials hope will
come from the re-use of the land:
increased tax revenue, economic
development — which will draw in-
dustries and jobs to the area — and
urban revitalization.
The report pointed to both Brown
and Johnson and Wales University
as prospective buyers of the land,
suggesting that allowing the insti-
tutions to expand would support a
“knowledge-based” economy in the
area.
continued on page 5
Opinions, 11
Unhealthy haste
Ivy Chang ’10 urges caution
in the rush to vaccinate
against swine flu
herald@browndailyherald.com
Page 2 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Thursday, September 10, 2009

C ampus N EWS

Kim Perley / Herald

Where aisles of mailboxes once stood, the Blue Room has made a temporary home. The new space offers more
space but no kitchen, and the resulting loss of certain favorite menu items has frustrated some students.

New Blue Room gets mixed reviews

continued from page 1
Kellogg ’10.
Molly Cousins ’11 was sad-
dened by the disappearance of fresh
soup.
Even the absence of full kitchen
amenities should not be an obstacle
to fresh, delicious soup, Cousins
said. “I think it would be reason-
able to get a hot plate for soup,” she
said.
Nanaho Kamei ’10, a supervi-
sor at the Blue Room, said the lack
of custom-made sandwiches had
disappointed some people, noting
that workers can’t accommodate
requests for special condiments or
vegetarian versions of sandwiches.
“There’s been no anger per se,
but a lot of frustration and disap-
pointment,” Kamei said.
Kamei also said there has been a
bit of confusion as student workers
and professional staff get used to the
new setup. “A lot of us are trying to
orient ourselves,” she said.
Aaron Zick ’11, another supervi-
sor, agreed. “Things are going to
be less efficient while supervisors
figure everything out,” he said.
There do appear, however, to
be some upsides to the new setup.
Kamei said the new muffin tins are
shallower and wider, resulting in
pastries with a higher proportion of
the much-loved muffin top.
Zick said he had tried one of the
new sandwiches and was satisfied
with it. “The pre-made sandwiches
are pretty good,” he said, noting that
they are made fresh every day by
Brown Dining Services.
Kamei also said the new Blue
Room’s space — a sun-filled and
spacious multipurpose room with an
outdoor patio — was better than the
location administrators originally tar-
geted as a temporary headquarters,
the lobby of the Salomon Center.
“It’s a lot better than Salomon
lobby,” she said. “We actually have
space and aren’t on top of each
other.”
“It’s a poor alternative, but it
could have been much worse,” she
added.
Allie Gips ’10 said she was happy
the new space had room for seating.
“I’m pleased they managed to pre-
serve a space on campus for people
to come together — a community
space.”

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Thursday, September 10, 2009
C ampus N EWS
Creators at a loss to explain Mocha outage
By Brigitta Greene
Senior Staf f Writer
The night before classes began
brought even more stress than
usual.
Mocha — the student-developed
Web alternative to the University’s
online course catalogue — suf-
fered technical difficulties and was
unavailable to students for much of
the evening, causing widespread
frustration as hundreds tried to
access the site to plan the first day
of shopping period.
The service, which is hosted by
an outside company, went down
early Tuesday afternoon and be-
gan working again at some point
Wednesday morning, said Daniel
Leventhal ’07, one of the four origi-
nal creators of the service. He said
the problem resolved itself after
they restarted the ser ver, though
it is still unclear precisely what
went wrong.
“It happens,” he said. “It has
gone down in the past. In this
case, we don’t really know what’s
Service month engages staff in local aid
By Caitlin Trujillo
Staf f Writer
As students return to classes, Uni-
versity faculty and staff are heading
to walkathons , farms and food
banks as part of a new program
to get them more involved in the
community. As part of the “Brown
Gives 30 Days of Service” program,
volunteers will log community ser-
vice hours in the Providence area
from Sept. 12 to Oct. 11.
Amy Umstadter, the chair of the
President’s Staff Advisory Commit-
tee, said the committee arranged
to send volunteers to organizations
that were particularly in need of
help. For example, said Umstadter,
when the SAC learned that the
Rhode Island Community Food
Bank was facing low food reserves,
the food bank led the SAC to the
Community Farm Group and to
farms in need of volunteers.
Volunteers will also paint fences,
help run a walkathon for Hasbro
Children’s Hospital, hold a campus-
based food drive and work in the
garden at School One, an indepen-
dent Providence high school.
Umstadter, the assistant direc-
going on.”
But students looking for last-
minute course and scheduling in-
formation were not so equanimous.
Angr y Facebook statuses and
tweets across campus told tales
of frustration and confusion.
“It was the single most impor-
tant day for Brown students to
have Mocha,” said Gabe Paley ’12,
who tried unsuccessfully to access
the Web site as early as 3 p.m. on
Tuesday. He said he used the hard
copy of the course announcement
to plan out his classes, costing him
time and scheduling confusion.
“It’s like living in the stone age,”
he said.
Mocha was created in 2006 by
undergraduates in the Depar t-
ment of Computer Science. It is
not supported by the University
and is still maintained indepen-
dently by its creators, Leventhal
said. The site allows students to
plot out their course schedule vi-
sually and provides reading lists,
professor information and further
course details.
tor of stewardship and events in
the Office of Biomedical Develop-
ment, said she did not know how
many people have signed up for
volunteer activities so far. Though
the farms and School One all re-
quested a set number of volunteers,
the walkathon and the food drive
both lack volunteer caps.
“Our goal is just as many people
as possible,” Umstadter said, add-
ing that the group would report
numbers at the charge’s conclu-
sion.
The initiative, she said, was
born of the current economic cri-
sis. President Ruth Simmons and
the SAC created “Brown Gives”
as a way to help the local com-
munity.
A sur vey conducted in June
showed that many faculty and staff
members expressed an interest in
service work. Umstadter said they
believed people would be more
likely to volunteer if a channel for
service opportunities existed. The
SAC began organizing with ser-
vice providers while publicizing the
event to faculty and staff in Brown
Morning Mail, including links to
sign-up pages.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3
“It’s like living in the stone age.”
— Gabe Paley ’12, on coping with the Mocha outage Tuesday night
“It happens. It has
gone down in the
past. In this case,
we don’t really
know what’s going
on.”
Daniel Leventhal ’07
Mocha co-founder
Although Brown does of fer
Banner — its own online course
registration and catalogue site
— “Mocha is much more user
friendly,” said Haley Kossek ’13.
She added that freshman are un-
accustomed to both ser vices and
were less frustrated by Mocha’s
absence.
Leventhal said he did not think
any problems were related to Mo-
cha’s heavy usage before the start
of classes, noting that Mocha has
sur vived many other registration
periods. He said he does not expect
a similar crash to happen again.
The initiative was not open
to students this year, Umstadter
said, because other opportunities
are available to them through the
Swearer Center. Transportation
considerations were also a factor,
she added.
“We’ll see if next year, if we get
a really overwhelming response, if
we might open it up to students,”
Umstadter said.
The SAC may also collaborate
with other Brown committees in
the future to organize community
ser vice.
The SAC has worked with Serve
Rhode Island to encourage Brown
community members to sign up for
ser vice opportunities with Ser ve
Rhode Island, particularly if they
are unable to par ticipate in the
“Brown Gives” initiative directly,
Umstadter said.
For now, however, Umstadter
views the initiative as a chance for
University faculty and staff to help
forge a stronger connection to the
community around them.
“People should take this oppor-
tunity to connect with each other
and the community in which we
live,” she said.
Page 4
C ampus N EWS
Big losses tempered with fundraising Recession, selection themes
continued from page 1
Though new gifts and pledges
to the campaign dropped 25 per-
cent from last year, Brown still
fared better than its peers. New
gifts and pledges fell an average
of 33 percent among peer schools,
Marisa Quinn, vice president for
public affairs and University rela-
tions, wrote in an e-mail.
The Brown Annual Fund fin-
ished the fiscal year with nearly
$35 million, 0.4 percent below last
year’s total. The Parents Annual
Fund’s total was 48 percent greater
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
“Ruth looked like a baller in her hat and robe.”
than its total last year.
“One wonders where we would
be if not for the campaign,” Sim-
mons said.
Wednesday’s faculty meet-
ing was the first for Professor of
Physics Chung-I Tan as the new
chair of the Faculty Executive
Thursday, September 10, 2009
for Convocation speeches
continued from page 1
of financial aid, she said.
Simmons also cited current and
upcoming construction projects as
evidence that the Brown community
had rallied in the face of economic
challenge and that campus progress
has not abated.
Following President Simmons,
Professor of Biology Johanna Schmitt
marked the year of Darwin’s 200th
birthday by invoking a variety of evo-
lutionary metaphors to welcome new
students to campus. Schmitt drew on
her expertise in evolutionary ecol-
ogy for the subject of her keynote
speech, entitled “Natural Selection
in an Age of Global Change.”
Although 245 classes have pre-
ceded this year’s freshmen, Schmitt
told the first-years that they had ar-
rived at Brown in an “extraordinary
year.” Beyond the historically poor
economic climate, Schmitt said this
year was special because of Darwin’s
birthday.
Schmitt told the class of 2013
that while there is “overwhelming”
evidence and consensus within the
scientific community in favor of evo-
lution, the theory remains a “social
controversy,” especially in religious
circles. She prompted students to ac-
cept or reject the theory of evolution,
or any theory they encounter during
their college careers, by examining
the evidence with a critical eye.
Schmitt also addressed Dar-
blogdailyherald.com
— Max Potkin ’13
win’s theory of natural selection in
a contemporary context. Describ-
ing Darwin’s original theory that
the essence of evolution is pure
life-or-death competition between
individuals as “overly simplistic,”
she implored students to work col-
laboratively, cautioning that selfish
behavior may only have “short-term
benefits.”
“Cooperation and altruistic be-
havior will benefit you as well as
the people around you,” she said.
“So think about that during organic
chemistry.”
Schmitt jokingly promised “gra-
tuitous” advice at the start of her
speech, and she kept her word.
“Structure your niche at Brown,”
she encouraged the new students.
“I challenge you to evolve into the
person you want to be.”
Several students said that, while
they found Schmitt to be passion-
ate about her field, they had dif-
ficulty personally connecting with
her speech.
“I am not a science person so
it didn’t resonate with me,” Maya
Harjo ’13 said.
All students interviewed, how-
ever, were enthused by President
Simmons’ presence.
“Ruth looked like a baller in her
hat and robe. She just looks awe-
some up there. I’m a fan thus far,”
said Max Potkin ’13. “I got more
excited for Brown after hearing her
speech.”
Metro
The Brown Daily Herald
New restaurants, including Shark Sushi Bar and Grille, above, opened on
Thayer Street this summer.
Sharks, sneakers headline
Thayer summer openings
By Sara Sunshine
Senior Staf f Writer
As a new fall semester begins, new
restaurants and stores have begun
to pop up on Thayer Street, though
some shuttered windows remain.
Shark Sushi Bar and Grill, at 275
Thayer, opened about two months
ago and has enjoyed “excellent”
business, said owner Ray Hugh.
The restaurant, which prominently
houses a tank with a five-foot shark,
sees customers from “all walks of
Report: U. targeted as buyer
for newly vacant ‘I-way’ land
continued from page 1
The University has already
expressed interest in purchasing
many of the parcels, said Richard
Spies, executive vice president for
planning and senior adviser to Presi-
dent Ruth Simmons, in an interview
Wednesday.
“Brown has had an interest in
this area for some time,” he said.
“When the study was underway and
the consultants were going around
and talking to people, we said we
would definitely be interested.”
Spies added that the University
has taken a particular interest in
property in the city’s Jewelry Dis-
trict, where the University already
owns—and plans to renovate—an
existing building for use by the Alp-
ert Medical School.
“We identified some parcels that
are most adjacent to the property we
already owned,” he explained.
But Spies added that the Uni-
versity’s interest in the land is not
necessarily related to an expansion
of the Med School.
“It is a space where the Univer-
sity can expand, that’s valuable to
the University over time,” he said
of the area. “What would actually
happen there would depend on the
needs and opportunities as they
“I want to cater to everybody.”
— David Douros, owner of Baja’s
Thursday, September 10, 2009 | Page 5
Fish Co. assault leads to alum’s
arrest, three-day shutdown
By George Miller
Metro Editor
The popular off-campus nightspot
Fish Company shut its doors for
three days last month as pun-
ishment after altercations at an
April party sent two patrons to
the hospital, including one who
was punched by a bouncer.
The bouncer, former Brown
football player David Howard ’09,
was charged with simple assault
by police after escorting Paul Lil-
ley, of Southborough, Mass., out-
side and allegedly punching him
photo / Herald
several times in the face, accord-
ing to a police report. The report
says Lilley and a witness identi-
fied Howard as the attacker.
Another victim, Thomas Kass,
was beaten unconscious by an
older white male whom police
could not locate. Kim Perley / Herald
Popular student nightspot Fish Co. was closed for three days in August
after a bouncer, a former Brown football player, was charged with sim-
life,” including many students, continued on page 6
ple assault.
Hugh said.
Next door, Baja’s, serving Tex-
Mex cuisine as well as Philly chees-
esteaks, opened recently next door.
Owner David Douros, who has four
other restaurants near the Univer-
sity of Rhode Island’s campus, said
he is accustomed to serving a stu-
dent population.
“I want to cater to everybody,”
Douros said. “People come in with
continued on page 6
arise over time.”
And in light of the University’s
current financial situation — many
previously planned construction
projects have been modified, post-
poned and in some cases cancelled
— Spies said the Corporation and
other University officials would be
obligated to seriously consider the
costs of acquiring the additional
land.
“Those constraints are very real,”
he said of the University’s finances.
“It would certainly be part of the
discussion, and those are issues we
will have to wrestle with if and when
we get to that point.”
Spies pointed out that, though
discussions about land acquisition
are ongoing, no definitive decisions
have been made about any of the
parcels.
“It is yet to be determined wheth-
er we will acquire any of that prop-
erty at all,” he said. “There are a lot
of unknowns.”
But despite these unknowns,
Spies said there is reason to be
optimistic about the possibility of
purchasing the land.
“If we were to go forward, it re-
ally would be an investment in the
future,” he said. “The hurdle is real,
but I think there’s reason to be op-
timistic.”
Page 6
M etro
Fish Co. assault shuts
down clubs for 3 days
continued from page 5
The bar was filled with Br yant
University party-goers who had
paid $20 for tickets that offered
“all they could eat and drink,” as
attendees told the police. Howard
removed Lilley from the bar after
he complained about being told to
pay for drinks.
When police arrived, they found
Kass on the ground and both Kass
and Lilley, who were seniors at
Br yant at the time, bleeding from
the face. Both were taken to Rhode
Island Hospital.
Police shut down the party after
deciding the club was overcrowded
and some patrons appeared to be
underage.
The club, located at 515 S.
Water St., is responsible for the
conduct of its patrons inside and
outside the building, said Maxford
Foster, assistant solicitor for the
city, who represented police at the
August hearing at which Fish Co.
agreed to close for three days. That
oversight did not happen in this
case, he added.
The city law department and
police met with Fish Co. to work
“One person will say they want a healthy vegetarian burrito and the other will say, ‘I
out the agreement, said Andrew
Annaldo, who chairs the Board of
Licenses, under whose pur view
the hearing took place. The board
agreed that the three-day closure
was an appropriate punishment,
he said.
The city will soon adopt “more
stringent requirements” regulating
bouncers, including registration,
training and background checks,
Annaldo said. The changes, which
must be approved by the City
Council, are not a response to any
particular incident but an “overall
effort to improve how establish-
ments handle nightlife,” he said.
Jay Kern, the owner of Fish Co.,
did not respond to phone messages
requesting comment. The Provi-
dence Journal reported in August
that Kern told the Board of Licens-
es that he admitted to the facts in
the police report, saying that the
situation got out of control when
many more patrons than expected
showed up.
Howard, the bouncer, pleaded
not guilty to one charge of simple
assault, the Journal reported on
Aug. 21, and his case was pending
in court.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Thursday, September 10, 2009
want something with meat.’” — David Douros, owner of Baja’s Restaurant
Restaurants abound on new-look Thayer
continued from page 5
their friends … and one person will
say they want a healthy vegetarian
burrito and the other will say, ‘I
want something with meat.’”
Baja’s unusual combination
of cuisines was inspired by the
economy, Douros said. Having two
operations under one roof reduces
overhead and expands the client
base, he said.
Baja’s also offers soft-serve ice
cream and frozen yogurt — for
post-dinner snacks, according to
Douros.
Meanwhile, at 290 Thayer,
Beadworks has relocated and
been replaced by Sneaker Junk-
ies, which opened Aug. 1.
The shoe store, which also
has a downtown location, chose
to expand to Thayer because of its
“good traffic,” said owner Maher
Najjar.
Sneaker Junkies brings a “dif-
ferent look to Thayer Street …
adding a little variety for the aver-
age shopper,” Najjar said. Kim Perley / Herald
Down the road at 215 and 217 Baja’s offers “Tex” and “Mex” to cater to a wide audience.
Thayer, workers will soon begin
constructing the interior of the shop should open in a couple of Street that formerly housed Roba
Better Burger Company, said own- months, he said. Dolce remains boarded up, after
er Andy Mitrelis. The sandwich Not all Thayer businesses have the Italian cafe was evicted last
fared so well. The storefront on spring for apparently getting be-
the corner of Thayer and Angell hind on its rent.
Does this bohter you?
Come copy edit!
herald@browndailyherald.com
SportsThursday
The Brown Daily Herald
Youth movement sparks men’s soccer
By Katie Wood
Assistant Sports Editor
With 17 underclassmen on a roster of 28, the
men’s soccer team knew it would be young
and inexperienced coming into the 2009
season. But the past four years have been
among the most successful in the team’s
history, and the team’s returning players
are used to experiencing success.
Brown soccer fans will see a number of
new faces on the field this year. Many sopho-
mores gained valuable experience as the
Bears battled through injuries last season,
turning to freshmen to make an immediate
impact.
The same goes for the current freshman
class, which already put together a solid per-
formance on both the offensive and defen-
sive sides of the ball in the team’s opening
1-1 double-overtime tie against Lehigh on
Sunday.
“They’ve incorporated themselves into
the system here at Brown,” said Head Coach
Mike Noonan. “They complement the team
very well, and we expect them to continue
to make a strong contribution throughout
the season.”
Dylan Remick ’13 and Ryan McDuff ’13
have helped fill the hole in the defense left
by the departures of Rhett Bernstein ’09
and Stephen Sawyer ’09. Starting defender
Ian Smith ’11 is also out for the next several
weeks with a broken foot, but he has high
hopes for the defense.
“We have a talented freshman class and
everyone is feeding off of their energy,”
Smith said. “The new defenders are going
to have a huge presence on the team and will
have to be at the top of their game in order
for us to win close games.”
Evan Coleman ’12 and Sean McGrath ’11
will also add depth to a defense that will need
to step up in the absence of key players.
Co-captain David Walls ’11 remains as the
most seasoned defender on the back line.
Walls played the most minutes on the team
last year and has started all but one game in
his collegiate career.
The Bears lost forwards Dylan Sheehan
’09 and Darren Howerton ’09 to graduation,
but they return Jon Okafor ’11 and TJ Thomp-
son ’10 up front. Sophomores Sean Rosa and
Austin Mandel will also look to contribute on
the offensive side of the ball.
Co-captain Thomas Thunell ’10 will anchor
the midfield along with 2008 All-Ivy selection
Nick Elenz-Martin ’10. Rob Medairos ’12 and
Taylor Gorman ’12 will benefit from the play-
ing time they earned last season as they look
to make a contribution to the team.
In goal, the Bears lost Jarrett Leech ’09,
whose 0.87 goals against average was near
the top of the Ivy League. This year, Paul
Grandstrand ’11, Jarod Schlenker ’10 and
Sam Kernan-Schloss ’13 are all capable of
stepping into the goal and finding success,
according to Smith.
The biggest contribution of the under-
classmen is overall depth and competitive-
ness. Over the summer, Noonan set the bar
high for the team’s physical fitness. Every
freshman came to Brown in top shape and
passed the preseason fitness test, one of the
first times they have all passed, according
to Smith.
In the Lehigh game, Smith said the team
passed the ball with precision and created a
lot of scoring opportunities that did not come
as easily last season.
“We’re running a faster paced offense with
more combination play,” Smith said. “We’re
clicking on all cylinders right now, but we
need to add the finishing aspect in order to
do well this year.”
The Bears outshot the Mountain Hawks
27-8 in the game, but only converted on one
of the opportunities, when Okafor scored off
a pass from Rosa with under two minutes
remaining in regulation. Lehigh goalkeeper
Jonathan Nydell recorded nine saves in 110
minutes of play, which Smith called the “game
of his life.” Noonan also commended Lehigh’s
superb defense.
“It was a game where we would have liked
to score on our chances, but it came down
to the goalkeeper and the defense more so
than us converting,” Noonan said. “We played
well, but the defense was good.”
The Bears open up the Adidas-Brown
Classic on Friday at Stevenson Field against
Southern Methodist at 7:30 p.m. They close
the Classic with a 2:30 p.m. match against
Adelphi on Sunday.
“We picked up a lot of things from the
Lehigh game, including working on finishing
our chances,” Noonan said. “We’re going to
work hard to get better every day.”
Thursday, September 10, 2009 | Page 7
Women’s soccer
drops season opener
By Han Cui
Assistant Sports Editor
The women’s soccer team lost its season opener
to Boston College for the second straight year
Sept. 4, falling by a 5-0 score.
The Eagles, ranked No. 16 in the nation, domi-
nated offensively, outshooting the Bears 31-8,
while their defense kept Brown off the board.
Boston College struck quickly after the first
whistle blew. Just two minutes into the game,
Eagles forward Victoria DiMartino found a pass
off the rebound from a teammate and shot it
past Bears’ goalkeeper Brenna Hogue ’10 into
the net. DiMartino scored another goal, unas-
sisted, twenty minutes later to put the Eagles in
a comfortable position with a 2-0 lead.
The Bears had some chances in the second
half, but could not deliver a goal.
In the 61st minute, Sylvia Stone ’11 ran with a
loose ball into the Eagles’ box, but she shot high.
Another forward, Erika Lum ’11, narrowly missed
a scoring opportunity when her shot from outside
the box hit the goal’s crossbar.
The Eagles never eased their offense, as they
notched three more goals during the second half.
Steffi Yellin ’10 replaced Hogue, who saved seven
shots in the first half, after halftime and notched
six saves of her own.
The Bears will look for their first win of the
season this weekend at the Arizona Classic.
They will face off against host Arizona on Friday
night and the University of San Diego on Sunday
afternoon.
World & Nation
The Brown Daily Herald
Wolf hunt can go
forward, judge rules
By Kim Murphy
Los Angeles Times
SEATTLE — With four gray wolves
having been killed in Idaho since
Sept. 1, a federal judge has cleared
the way for legal hunting of the once-
endangered predators to proceed.
U.S. District Judge Donald W.
Molloy found there would be no ir-
reparable harm if the limited hunt in
Idaho and Montana were allowed to
go forward. But in continuing to list
Wyoming wolves under the Endan-
gered Species Act, the judge wrote,
“the (Fish and Wildlife) Service has
distinguished a natural population of
wolves based on a political line, not
the best available science.”
That finding suggested a coali-
tion of conservation groups would
have a good chance of prevailing
when its argument against delisting
the wolves gets a full hearing later.
Twelve of the predators were
killed in Wyoming between April
and July of 2008, when the law al-
lowed hunters and ranchers to
shoot them on sight, chase them
down with snow machines and tar-
get them near elk feeding stations.
That law prompted U.S. officials to
retain endangered species status for
the roughly 300 predators residing
there.
“It was basically just a free-fire,
more than a hunt,” said Louisa
Willcox of the Natural Resources
Defense Council in Montana.
“We’re disappointed, of course,
that the wolf hunts are proceed-
ing” in Idaho and Montana, she
said Wednesday, “but in the big
picture, we are optimistic about the
prospects.”
Conservationists’ big fear is
that -— although only 295 of the re-
gion’s 1,650 wolves can be targeted
by hunters this year — new federal
regulations allow the total number of
wolves to drop as low as 300.
Typically, large numbers of
wolves are killed every year as a
result of poaching, accidents and
conflicts with livestock.
Molloy did not address that is-
sue. But he did find that the overall
population of wolves in the region
can sustain a year’s harvest “in ex-
cess of 30 percent,” which is greater
than the number targeted for this
year.
Legal wolf hunting opened in two
areas of Idaho on Sept. 1 and will
expand to most of the state by the
end of the month.
Apple’s Jobs makes surprise appearance
By Dan Fost and Alex Pham
Los Angeles T imes
SAN FRANCISCO — It was sup-
posed to be about Apple Inc.’s daz-
zling new products. Instead, the
company’s news conference on
Wednesday was about the man.
Grinning like a kid in a toy store,
Apple’s Chief Executive Steve Jobs
stole the spotlight with his first of-
ficial public appearance in nearly
a year. He received a liver trans-
plant about five months ago and
returned to work part time at the
end of June.
Hundreds greeted Jobs’ surprise
attendance with a standing ovation
at Apple’s product unveiling event
at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena
Center for the Arts.
“I have the liver of a 20-some-
thing person who died in a car
crash, and who was generous
enough to donate their organs,”
said Jobs, 54, who appeared mark-
edly thin and spoke in a scratchy
voice. “I wouldn’t be here without
such generosity, so I hope all of us
can be as generous and elect to be
organ donors.”
The intense focus on Jobs’ health
underscores his importance to the
Cupertino, Calif., technology com-
pany that he co-founded in 1976
Thursday, September 10, 2009 | Page 8
with Steve Wozniak. Jobs departed
in 1985, ousted by then-CEO John
Sculley, but returned in 1997 to
help the ailing company return to
profitability.
But in 2004, Jobs announced
he had pancreatic cancer. On Jan.
5, Jobs said he had a “hormonal
imbalance” and that the remedy
would be “relatively simple and
straightforward.” On Jan. 14, Jobs
said his health issues were “more
complex than I originally thought”
and that he would take a five-month
medical leave.
Apple’s shares fell $2.38 that day,
down 2.7 percent to $85.33.
Days later, the Securities and
Exchange Commission started an
inquiry into whether Apple appro-
priately disclosed the nature of his
illness. SEC has not commented on
the probe.
Jobs’ return to the public eye
signaled that the company’s chief
impresario was back in charge.
“It was a little moving for many
of us,” said Tom Conrad, chief
technology officer for Pandora, an
Internet radio company that makes
one of the most popular applications
for Apple’s iPhone. “He certainly
has played a critical role in design-
ing the future, and to see him back
talking about products is good for
the industry.”
Jobs, filling his familiar role as
master of ceremonies, unveiled sev-
eral improvements to the lineup
of iPods, a product that helped to
cement Apple’s place among the
decade’s most influential technol-
ogy companies.
Since launching the digital mu-
sic device in October 2001, Apple
has sold more than 220 million iP-
ods, compared with roughly 180
million Walkman players sold by
Sony Corp., according to Daniel
Ernst, analyst with Hudson Square
Research.
But sales of the device has
slowed in recent months as consum-
ers opted instead for the iPhone,
which does many of the same func-
tions of the iPod in addition to being
a mobile phone. Last quarter, sales
of the iPod declined 7 percent from
the same period a year earlier.
“This is one of his babies,” said
Tim Bajarin, a longtime Silicon Val-
ley technology analyst who also at-
tended Jobs’ presentation in 2001
when he introduced the first iPod.
“He’s saying that iPods are still
important.”
Aiming squarely at the pocket-
sized video recorder market domi-
nated by Cisco Systems Inc.’s Flip
camcorders, Jobs announced that
the new iPod nano would sport a
video camera, FM radio tuner, pe-
dometer and 8 gigabytes of mem-
ory. Apple also lowered the price
of its entry-level iPod Touch, with
Jobs highlighting the device as an
alternative to Sony’s PlayStation
Portable and Nintendo Co.’s DS
lines of handheld game consoles.
“It was all incremental improve-
ments,” Ernst said. “But those
subtle changes keep the company
leaps and bounds ahead of the
competition.”
Despite the rock ’n’ roll theme
of the event — which featured pop
diva Norah Jones on stage singing
two songs — Apple disappointed
legions of Beatles fans who had
hoped the company would at long
last put the Fab Four’s music on
the iTunes store.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
World & Nation
Patients offer mixed reviews of plan
By Philip Rucker
Washington Post
STAFFORD, Va. — The doctors
and the patients they treat at a
community hospital here in North-
ern Virginia’s exurban frontier
agreed with President Obama’s
assertions Wednesday that the
national health-care system is
broken, and most agreed that all
Americans should be covered.
But even as Obama presented
his ambitious health care reform
agenda in his clearest and most
urgent terms yet, he failed to
win over some people who for
months have opposed progres-
sive elements of his reform plan,
or who have been uneasy or plain
confused about others.
“We do need something,” Da-
vid Varrelman, a longtime police
officer from Stafford, said from
his hospital bed as he recovered
from gall bladder surger y. “But
they’ve got to come up with some-
thing that’s going to be paid for
and that’s not government-con-
trolled.”
Earlier in the day, Varrelman,
77, said he could support Obama’s
efforts if the president made some
bipar tisan compromises, such
as abandoning his proposal for
a government-run insurance op-
tion. Varrelman likened the public
option to “a camel with his nose
in the tent. If you let the camel’s
nose in, before you know it the
whole camel’s in the tent, the
whole (health-care system) will
be government controlled.”
The Staf ford Hospital Cen-
ter opened this Februar y in the
heart of Stafford County, a mostly
conservative jurisdiction some 45
miles south of Washington popu-
lated with suburban commuters
and rural farmers. The not-for-
profit hospital of fers a prism
through which to understand
some of the forces still plaguing
Obama’s health-care efforts.
In Stafford, as in other North-
ern Virginia exurbs, Obama had
Beatlemania 2.0: Fans snap up
video games, remastered albums
By Randy Lewis
Los Angeles T imes
LOS ANGELES — The 2009
version of Beatlemania had no
screams, no fainting, and little
hysteria. But there were plenty
of smiles on a wide range of fans
indulging their fondness for the
music of the Fab Four as “The
Beatles: Rock Band” and a batch
of new-and-improved CDs of their
complete catalog went on sale
Wednesday.
The release of the new Beatles
products are not only crucial for
the beleaguered music industr y,
which is in the midst of a long-
term decline driven by consum-
surprising electoral success dur-
ing last year’s presidential contest,
outperforming recent Democratic
candidates and attracting nearly as
many votes as Sen. John McCain,
R-Ariz. But Obama’s personal ap-
peal in the region has not trans-
lated into support for health-care
reform, according to an August
Washington Post poll showing that
voters here mirrored those nation-
ally in their divide on the issue.
Overall, 49 percent of residents
of Northern Virginia’s outer ex-
urbs called health-care reform a
worthy effort, and 48 percent said
it would do more harm than good.
Yet while a majority of voters here
said they were satisfied with their
insurance coverage and the quality
of health care they receive, Cen-
sus data show that roughly 15,000
residents of Stafford County, or
13.2 percent of the population,
have no health insurance.
This fact weighs on doctors at
Stafford Hospital Center, which
treats a steady flow of uninsured
patients in its emergency depart-
ment.
“The national health-care sys-
tem is already in place, and that
is to go to the emergency depart-
ment,” said Shin Sato, the hospi-
tal’s emergency medical director.
“A sore throat or bruised ankle
could easily be seen by a primary-
care physician, but we see them,
and it overwhelms the emergency
system.”
Thomas Ryan, the hospital sys-
tem’s chief medical officer, said
the health-care system is “bro-
ken,” but the challenge is fixing
it in an affordable way. He said
he was encouraged that Obama
was including tort reform in his
proposal.
“We wholeheartedly support
universal access to medical care,
but we have to determine if it’s an
MRI for every time a patient has
an ache in their knee or a CAT
scan of their head every time they
have a headache,” Ryan said. “We
cannot take the expectations of to-
ers’ switch to digital downloads,
but also the video game business,
which has seen its rapid growth
of the past few years disappear in
the current recession. The game
in particular represents a major
investment of tens of millions of
dollars by Viacom Inc. to boost
the fortunes of its money-losing
“Rock Band” brand.
A spokeswoman for Harmonix,
the division of MTV Networks
that created the game, said the
company won’t release sales fig-
ures. But a steady stream of cus-
tomers at a Los Angeles Best Buy
indicated the new products are
being greeted enthusiastically.
Customers came to Best Buy
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
day’s health-care system and hand
that to 46 million new people.”
In the emergency waiting room
on Wednesday night, patients
had mixed reactions to Obama’s
speech. As Obama told stories
about people who languished with
no health insurance, Maureen
Schmied, waiting with her injured
teenage son, grew agitated. The
42-year-old mortgage broker said
she fears that a government-run
system would be more inefficient
than the current system.
“My blood pressure is up,”
Schmied said. “I’m livid. For every
story he tells about somebody who
does not have insurance, there’s
one you can tell about somebody
who wouldn’t get treatment be-
cause the government wouldn’t
allow it. For ever y tic, there’s a
tack.”
Asked midway through the
speech whether she agreed with
any elements of Obama’s plan,
Schmied shrugged: “Not yet.”
“He sounds good and is trying
to paint a pretty picture, but it’s not
an exact science,” Schmied said
later. “How is the country going
to pay for it? We’re still knee-deep
in the recession. We haven’t fixed
the economy, but here we’re going
to take on more debt.”
Upstairs on the hospital’s sec-
ond floor, meanwhile, a young cou-
ple celebrated the birth of their
daughter Makia, but lamented that
they rely on Medicaid for cover-
age. The girl’s father, Aquan Chap-
man, 18, said he supports Obama’s
agenda.
“I think about it sometimes,”
he said. “If I get in an accident,
will somebody pay for it and help
me out?”
Cecil Nelson, 46, a Staf ford
contractor who opposes Obama’s
reform efforts, watched Obama’s
speech in its entirety as his wife
saw a doctor about pain in her
side.
“He explained a lot of things,
yes,” Nelson said. “But as far as
changing my mind? Not really.”
stores nationwide in “unprece-
dented numbers,” said Gar y Ar-
nold, senior entertainment buyer
for the chain.
Amoeba Music in Hollywood
had 90 boxes of the catalog of
Beatles albums presented in
monaural format that they went
through by 1 p.m., after opening
early for customers at 10 a.m.,
and by late afternoon the store
had only 40 sets left out of 200
of the stereo box set.
Such sales appeared to par-
allel those of online retail giant
Amazon, where at different points
during the day, the entire top-
10 list of best-selling music was
Beatles albums.
Preacher is arrested in
aborted plane hijacking
By Tracy Wilkinson
Los Angeles T imes
MEXICO CITY — An evangelical
preacher acting on what he said
was a divine revelation inspired by
Wednesday’s date — the ninth day
of the ninth month of the ninth year
of the century — attempted to hijack
a Mexican airliner from Cancun. But
he was quickly arrested after landing
here, and all 104 passengers aboard
the jet were freed and unharmed.
Armed with a Bible and a fake
bomb made of juice cans, the would-
be hijacker threatened to blow up
Aeromexico Flight 576 bound for
Mexico City unless he could speak to
Mexican President Felipe Calderon,
a security official said. He wanted
to warn Calderon of an earthquake
that he said will devastate Mexico,
national public security chief Genaro
Garcia Luna said.
The preacher, identified as Jose
Marc Flores Pereira of Santa Cruz,
Bolivia, who has lived in Mexico for
17 years, acted alone, contrary to
earlier reports, and is now under
arrest, Garcia Luna said in a Wednes-
day evening news conference.
“He said he was a preacher, and
he said he was a drug addict and
alcoholic,” Garcia Luna said. “He
will be checked to determine his
state of mind.”
No one was hurt Wednesday in
what turned out to be a brief, bizarre
internationally televised incident
that mobilized hundreds of Mexi-
can security forces and transfixed
media and the public but ended in
a bloodless rescue.
After the national security chief
spoke to a crowd of reporters at
an airport hangar, the handcuffed
suspect was paraded before TV
cameras. He smiled, chewed gum
and darted his eyes back and forth
ner vously. Flores, 44, attempted
to shout something to the report-
ers, but his heavily armed guards
bundled him away.
A few minutes later, a govern-
ment microphone put before him,
Flores somewhat breathlessly ram-
bled that “We are living the end of
the end” and that he needed to an-
nounce to the world that “Christ is
coming.” He said his “bomb” was
two cans filled with dirt and attached
to a small light.
“What I wanted was that my
words be heard,” he said.
Calderon, who delayed a planned
flight because of the airport alarm,
later described the attempted hi-
jacking as an important “test for us
all” and he congratulated security
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Page 9
forces for their swift action. “Scary,
no?” he said.
About an hour into the early-after-
noon flight from the popular beach
resort, Flores made his demands
known to members of the crew, who
radioed the threat ahead to air traffic
controllers in Mexico City. He also
said he wanted the plane to circle
the Mexico City airport seven times
before landing.
Flores did not cause a ruckus
onboard and many passengers, who
included Mexican and foreign na-
tionals, later said they had not real-
ized that anything was amiss.
The Boeing 737 landed at the
Mexico City International Airport
and taxied to a remote, secure zone.
Hundreds of masked federal police
backed by military forces quickly
surrounded it, while authorities
began negotiating with the assail-
ant, the pilot serving as interlocu-
tor. After about 45 minutes, Flores
agreed to allow women and children
to disembark, and he too descended.
Security forces immediately took
him into custody; at that point, he
claimed to have three accomplices
still on board.
That led authorities to inspect
all of the male passengers, and lead
away seven in handcuffs. The seven,
including a local congressman from
a leftist political party, were eventu-
ally cleared and released.
Other passengers were ordered
to sit briefly on the tarmac and then
taken to hangars for debriefing. Ex-
plosive experts detonated Flores’
luggage.
Passenger Rodrigo Padilla said
he noticed one man onboard wear-
ing a white shirt -- apparently Flores
-- who repeatedly rose from his seat
and checked his bags.
Other than that, he said, every-
thing seemed normal. “There were
no weapons, no shots,” he said. “No
one threatened us.”
Passenger Adriana Romero also
noticed the man who kept rising.
“He didn’t seem a bad guy,” she
said. “He had a nice shirt and a
good watch.”
Garcia Luna said Flores, once in
custody, said he’d had a divine rev-
elation that the world was in trouble
after he realized the date was Sept. 9,
2009, or 9-9-9, which, upside down, is
6-6-6, symbol of the devil. “So far, we
have no indication that he is involved
with any terrorist activity,” Garcia
Luna said. “The threat was he had
an explosive and was going to blow
up the plane...and that he was going
to crash the plane if he wasn’t given
control of it.”
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Thursday, September 10, 2009

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Sunday, Sept. 13
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e d i to r i a l

College confidential
Brown began assigning summer reading three not only first-year faith in the advising system, but
summers ago at the behest of Dean of the College also the student body’s belief in the administration’s
Katherine Bergeron. All incoming first-years read commitment to their welfare. Spying on someone’s
the same book, “How Proust Can Change Your Life,” private correspondence is profoundly intrusive
and wrote letters to their advisers discussing the and cannot be justified by the need to improve his
book and their academic goals at Brown. Freshmen writing skills.
and their advisers had every right to believe these While Bergeron’s tactics were inexcusable, her
t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d letters were private correspondence. In reality, goal was worthwhile. The writing requirement
the letters were screened, without the students’ is, to some extent, at odds with the New Curricu-
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors
knowledge or consent, in order to identify the least lum: The latter is compromised when students are
Steve DeLucia Michael Bechek Nandini Jayakrishna Rachel Arndt
Chaz Firestone Franklin Kanin Isabel Gottlieb proficient writers in the class and encourage them compelled to take writing classes and the former
Michael Skocpol Scott Lowenstein to improve their writing. is unenforceable for those students who use the
editorial Business The way in which the University went about New Curriculum to avoid any course with a written
Ben Hyman Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager
Rosalind Schonwald Arts & Culture Editor Alexander Hughes Shawn Reilly evaluating first-years’ writing was dishonest and component. Evaluating first-year writing samples is
Sophia Li Features Editor Jonathan Spector counterproductive. A discussion of academic goals a novel solution to both problems. It ensures that
George Miller Metro Editor Directors
Joanna Wohlmuth Metro Editor Ellen DaSilva Sales Director
— the subject of the letters — might naturally unpracticed writers from all departments receive
Seth Motel News Editor Claire Kiely Sales Director have included sensitive details (about upbringing, feedback and also advises students on how to im-
Jenna Stark News Editor Phil Maynard Sales Director
Andrew Braca Sports Editor
learning disabilities or academic background, for prove their writing before remedial classes become
Katie Koh Finance Director
Han Cui Asst. Sports Editor Jilyn Chao Asst. Finance Director example) that students might have omitted had the only option.
Alex Mazerov Asst. Sports Editor they known about the extra set of readers. As a But dishonesty impeded the program’s effective-
Graphics & Photos Managers
Chris Jesu Lee Graphics Editor
result, we expect that many students will be less ness. The policy — assign a book that many students
Kelly Wess Local Sales
Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Kathy Bui National Sales forthcoming with their advisers this year, and with aren’t interested in reading, add in an essay require-
Eunice Hong Photo Editor Alex Carrere University Sales good reason. ment and remove any predictable consequences
Kim Perley Photo Editor Christiana Stephenson Recruiter Sales
Jesse Morgan Sports Photo Editor Matt Burrows Credit and Collections The University’s decision to inform freshmen for slacking off — was a perfect recipe for sloppy,
production Opinions about the screening process starting with the class unrepresentative samples. And indeed, Associate
Ayelet Brinn Copy Desk Chief Alyssa Ratledge Opinions Editor of 2013 strikes us as too little, too late. Bergeron Dean for Writing Kathleen McSharry confirmed that
Rachel Isaacs Copy Desk Chief Sarah Rosenthal Opinions Editor
Marlee Bruning Design Editor
owes the student body an apology and a credible the essays improved after the University disclosed
Editorial Page Board
Jessica Calihan Design Editor James Shapiro Editorial Page Editor
promise that student privacy will be respected in the its true intentions.
Anna Migliaccio Asst. Design Editor Matt Aks Board member future. If administrators hope to earn back students’ We hope that the fallout from Brown’s covert
Julien Ouellet Asst. Design Editor Nick Bakshi Board member
Neal Poole Web Editor trust, they should answer the following questions: letter-screening program will serve as a potent
Zack Beauchamp Board member
Post- magazine Debbie Lehmann Board member First, has the University recently intercepted other reminder that honesty is usually the best policy,
Arthur Matuszewski Editor-in-Chief William Martin Board member undergraduate communications without notice or and that Brown students should be consulted about
Kelly McKowen Editor-in-Chief
prior warning? Second, under what circumstances important curricular changes, even those that seem
Marlee Bruning, Designer
are University employees allowed to look at student like self-evidently good ideas.
Ayelet Brinn, Jordan Mainzer, Copy Editors
Sydney Ember, Seth Motel, Night Editors
correspondence? Third, how will Brown hold its
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Opinions
The Brown Daily Herald
BY IVY CHANG
Opinions Columnist
The start of the school year brings with it the
usual anxieties about moving in, shopping for
classes, meeting roommates and more. This
fall, fears of swine flu are added to the mix.
To combat a possible epidemic, federal
health officials are considering a course of
three flu vaccinations — two to combat swine
flu in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine.
If approved, this plan will be the first in the
United States to recommend more than one
flu vaccine per year.
A recent “Report to the President” about
swine flu preparations estimated that about
half of the population might be infected by win-
ter, with up to 90,000 swine flu-related deaths.
There was also a call to “accelerate production”
of the vaccine. So far, the federal government
has spent $1.15 billion on 195 million doses
of the vaccine and is also considering a $4.8
million promotional campaign.
The Department of Health and Human
Services has granted legal immunity to private
pharmaceutical companies rushing to create
and test the vaccine. The European Medicines
Agency has even allowed pharmaceutical com-
panies to shorten testing periods in order to
start its vaccination program in August.
These panicked efforts are eerily reminis-
cent of the swine flu scare of the 1970s. Due
BY MICHAEL FITZPATRICK
Opinions Columnist
This summer, the students of the incoming
freshman class were told to read “The Beak of
the Finch” by Jonathan Weiner in preparation
for their entrance into Brown University. The
book tells the story of Rosemary and Peter
Grant, evolutionary biologists whose research
with Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Is-
lands has brought a modern understanding of
evolutionary theory back to the place where
it all began.
As a former Perkins resident, I jokingly
thought that I could sympathize with the dif-
ficulties of working on an island (figuratively
speaking). Still, after just reading the sum-
mary, one may wonder why “The Beak of
the Finch” was chosen for this year’s read-
ing assignment. The Grants did give a lec-
ture here last year, and the book anecdotally
references Brown University in chapter 16.
But the minor connections between the book
and our university are icing on the cake; the
book itself tells a story that any freshman in
any college across the country could benefit
from reading.
The book itself is a delightful read. Wein-
er’s writing is elaborate and richly detailed,
whether he’s talking about history, adaptive
landscapes or Tribulus mericarps — the
spiked seedpods of a plant native to the Gala-
pagos. Each chapter offers a unique viewpoint
Got something to say? Leave a comment online!
Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.
Balancing facts and fear
to worries of a possibly deadly pandemic, 40
million Americans were injected with a vaccine
that was rushed through production and safety
trials. The feared pandemic did not occur,
but hundreds of cases of the inflammatory
nerve disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome and
25 deaths cost the government millions of dol-
lars in damages and resulted in a huge public
backlash against the “health bureaucracy.”
The current health care reform debates
do not need to be further exacerbated by a
“The government has a compelling interest to see
people vaccinated, but it will be unfair if a glossy
media campaign and exaggerated estimates of
death rates are all the public has to help decide
whether or not to receive the vaccine.”
vaccine scandal. The government must act
with more caution and deliberation this time
around, and also make sure to provide the
public with unexaggerated, up-to-date infor-
mation about H1N1. Hundreds of swine flu-
related deaths occurred in Mexico before the
Mexican government knew how to react. We
cannot afford the slow spread of important
new H1N1 information.
The White House advisory panel’s alarming
90,000 estimate is “on the high side,” according
A beak critique
on some part of the evolutionary tale: some
focus rather intensely on the Grants’ research,
while others discuss evolutionary science in
a broader scope. These discussions are more
than ordinary textbook arguments; they are so
frequently injected with historical anecdotes
and vivid metaphors that it can become dif-
ficult at times to remember where the discus-
sion left off. Yet, it is precisely these tangents
that make the story uniquely engaging. Much
like the robust Tribulus and its seeds, each
“Even insignificant birds on a remote archipelago
in the vast Pacific Ocean can be the inspiration
for a captivating and thought-provoking tale.”
anecdote carries an insightful comment or two
that makes its inclusion worthwhile.
For a book that primarily focuses on evo-
lutionary research for over 200 pages, I was
most impressed with the final section of the
book — “G.O.D.,” a tongue-in-cheek acro-
nym for “generation of diversity.” This section
expands from merely discussing research
and history to tackling the consequences of
evolution from a philosophical point of view.
After all, mankind is more than a casual ob-
server; we are both participants and agents of
Thursday, September 10, 2009 | Page 11
to officials at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the National Center for
Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The chairmans of the panel variously de-
fended the estimates, saying they were a “dose
of reality” at a time of public “complacency.”
However, prevention should not be focused
only on inciting fear and dependence on a
rushed vaccine, but also on letting people
know exactly what sort of threat they’re fac-
ing. Each year in the United States there are
about 36,000 deaths from the seasonal flu;
the government needs to provide information
about how swine flu compares to seasonal
flu, how it is transmitted and risk factors for
serious illness.
Observations of swine flu cases in the
Southern Hemisphere have revealed that
the pandemic itself is “moderate” according
to past WHO estimates. This means that most
of the infected recover without medical care
and that H1N1 infection levels are similar to
selection in the “existential poker game” (as
Professor David Rand so poetically words it)
called survival. Weiner concludes his book by
contemplating this unique niche that human
beings fill in the environment — a reflection
that is profoundly summed up in the book’s fi-
nal chapter, “The Metaphysical Crossbeak.”
Even insignificant birds on a remote ar-
chipelago in the vast Pacific Ocean can be
the inspiration for a captivating and thought-
provoking tale, one that is particularly appro-
priate for incoming college freshmen. Beyond
the romanticized retelling of Darwin’s voyage,
Weiner reveals the uncertainty and distress
that Darwin felt while formulating his radical
theory. Underneath the detailed discussion
of the Grants’ work, he relates the difficulties
and frustrations that can bother even the most
dedicated researcher.
These accounts teach a lesson in character
from which we can all learn. As college stu-
dents or as scientists, but as Brown students
especially, we all share the quality of perse-
those of regular seasonal flu. But the phrase
“moderate pandemic” in and of itself is unset-
tling if left unexplained. As of now, it seems
that all hope for prevention lies in the frantic
production of a vaccine, while all the public
can do in the interim is rely on hand sanitizer
and a vague sense of foreboding.
Perhaps a greater fear is that the system of
healthcare in the United States will have a very
difficult time dealing not only with outbreaks,
but with the associated panic as well. Most
people rely on mass media for quick informa-
tion, and the media is often fond of blowing
things out of proportion. Will hospitals be able
to deal with frightened patients flooding in at
the slightest sign of discomfort?
The first 40 million doses of the swine
flu vaccine will be available by October. The
government has a compelling interest to see
people vaccinated, but it will be unfair if a
glossy media campaign and exaggerated es-
timates of death rates are all the public has
to help decide whether or not to receive the
vaccine.
To ensure that history does not repeat
itself, the vaccine cannot simply be rushed
through clinical trials just to make a deadline.
We need to take responsibility and do our own
research before we get our shots.
Ivy Chang ’10 is from Los Angeles,
California. She can be reached at
ivy_chang@brown.edu.
verance. We are always pressing forward, in
spite of the obstacles and setbacks. Darwin
boldly published his theory despite significant
self-doubt. Through droughts, storms and
mountains of data, the Grants boldly continue
their groundbreaking research. As Brown
students, we are also reminded to be bold — in
our studies, our pursuits and our spirit.
Although the general purpose of sum-
mer reading is to broaden horizons, provoke
thought and provide a common experience
through which freshmen can connect, I
would like to think that it also sets a theme
for the first several weeks of college. As a
freshman, I remember my first few weeks
as a period of immersion, exploration and
discovery, themes that played large roles in
my own summer reading book, “The Places
in Between” by Rory Stewart. Judging from
the sentiments and ideas presented in “The
Beak of the Finch,” I predict the fall of 2009
will be a period of struggle and adaptation
for some, diversification for others and self-
discovery for the rest. This fall, a freshman
at any other college might see matriculation
as simply crossing the threshold into adult-
hood. I hope that the class of 2013 sees it as
leaving the nest.
Michael Fitzpatrick ’12 strongly
recommends shopping BIOL 0480:
Evolutionary Biology. He can be
contacted at
michael_fitzpatrick@brown.edu
 Today 3
to day to m o r r o w
Mocha on the fritz
The Brown Daily Herald

Sneakers and sharks on Thayer

5
Thursday, September 10, 2009
66 / 56 68 / 58
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t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s

1
c a l e n da r i n s i d e to day
Today, september 10 tomorrow, september 11

5 p.m. — New Teaching Assistant 2 p.m. — Auditions for

five
Orientation, Sharpe Refectory “Leavittsburg, Ohio,” Stuart Theatre

7 p.m. — Town Hall: Health Care, panel 3 P.M. — “Service & Community:

weekend
discussion with Professor Anna Aizer, Finding Both at Brown,” Swearer
Dr. Richard Besdine and Center
Dr. Jeffrey Borkan, Salomon 001

post-
menu
Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Zucchini and Parmesan

Sandwich, Pasta With Eggplant and
Lunch — Sloppy Joe Sandwich,
Falafel in Pita Bread, Cauliflower au 1Post- Open House
Fri. 5 p.m. ● 195 angell St.

2
Olives, Chicken Cutlet Parmesan Gratin, Swiss Fudge Cookies
Sandwich
Smoked Salomon:
Dinner — Roast Turkey with An A Capella Extravaganza
Dinner — Cheese Tomato Strata, Sauce, Shells with Broccoli, Mashed Fri. 8 p.m. ● Salomon 101
Spiced Rubbed
DATE–Pork ChopsApril 21, 2009 Potatoes, Butternut Apple Bake

3
RELEASE Tuesday,

Los Angeles Times

c r o sDaily
s w Crossword
o r d Puzzle Wild Rockstar Party Girls
thurs. 10 p.m. Viva
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ●

4
ACROSS 4 Theatrical 40 Cul-de-__ 55 Chill-inducing
1 Shopping center travelers 41 One of the Bx. 57 Salvage ship
5 Letter-routing 5 Corrosive Bombers equipment HM Naqvi Reading
letters compound 42 Not at home 58 A bit, informally Fri. 5 p.m. ● Brown Bookstore

5
9 Confronts 6 Windshield glare 43 One of a 59 Fencing swords
14 A long way off reducer reporter’s five W’s 61 Butterfingers’ cry
15 Firenze farewell 7 Dash devices 48 Comfy footwear 62 Abound (with)
16 Signs of decay 8 Useless 49 Spellbound 63 Memorable Old Higher Keys ArchSing
17 “The Flintstones” 9 Precedes 51 Record West lawman Fri. 9 p.m. ● Wayland arch
pet 10 Mideast port on collector’s 64 NASCAR
18 Ruler division its own gulf platters advertiser
19 Find a new 11 Cause of coughs 52 Serve a sentence 65 As __ instructions
tenant for and sniffles
20 Nearby, on a 12 Before, of yore ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
country road 13 Old fast plane:
23 When prime time Abbr.
ends in Middle 21 Abbr. for people
Amer. with only two
24 Counterfeit coin names
25 Sonoma Valley 22 Prickly case comics
container 26 Islam’s God
28 Irish homeland 27 In a foul mood
31 Mug shot view 29 Snitch
33 Electrical unit, 30 Moose relative Alien Weather Forecast | Stephen Lichenstein and Adam Wagner
briefly 32 Web site help
36 Malty brew sect.
38 Countesses’ 33 Second or sixth
spouses president
39 Is completely 34 Gourmet
uninformed mushroom
44 Impressive 35 “Catch a Falling
grouping Star” singer
45 “What an idiot I 37 Call a halt to xwordeditor@aol.com 04/21/09
am!”
46 Inclined to avoid
the spotlight
47 “Heavens!”
50 Snitched
53 Sneaky
54 Super-duper
56 Deputized group
60 Row house porch
64 Frighten, as
horses
Kittens and Dick | Jeff Olshan
66 Field of expertise
67 Memo phrase
68 Arizona State’s
city
69 Docking site
70 Chess ending
71 Nonpoetic writing
72 Office fill-in
73 Prominent
periods

DOWN
1 Angry with
2 In flames
3 Talked a blue
streak By Gail Grabowski
(c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
04/21/09