Daily Herald the Brown
vol. cxlv, no. 56 | Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Sledgehammers in hand, Med School breaks ground TWC
By Alex Bell
Senior Staf f Writer
An abandoned jewelr y factor y
seemed an odd venue for a gath-
ering of University officials, poli-
ticians, alums and lab-coat-clad
medical students on Monday after-
noon. The old factor y’s floor was
hidden under sheets of cardboard
taped together, and the bright or-
ange spray paint on the walls stood
out against the white sheetrock.
But with a few swings of a
sledgehammer by President Ruth
Simmons and Dean of Medicine
and Biological Sciences Edward
Wing, the building was on its way
to becoming the new home of the
Alpert Medical School in Provi-
dence’s former Jewelr y District.
The groundbreaking celebration
itself was held in what is to be-
come a lecture hall, though you
wouldn’t have guessed it from
being there.
“The importance of this build-
ing really can’t be overstated,”
said Wing, who presided over the
groundbreaking celebration. “We
haven’t had a home.”
The building is expected to be
transformed by August 2011.
In addition to providing newer
art f or sa l e
At Saturday’s RISD Spring Art Sale, students hawked examples of
their art.
inside
News.....1–2
Spor ts.....3
Metro.....4–5
Editorial....6
Opinion....7
Today........8
www.browndailyherald.com
resources for the Med School, the
building will allow each class to
grow from 96 to 120 students.
The new home will also enable
the school to institute an academy
system, in which each student is
assigned to an academy of 40 stu-
dents from differing years for the
purposes of mentorship and fos-
tering a sense of community.
Simmons agreed that the
building has been a long time
coming.
“When I first arrived at Brown,
I had a wonderful meeting with
the medical students and they said
one thing to me,” Simmons said.
“And that is: We need a home.”
In explaining how that goal is
being realized and reflecting on
her recent trip to India, Simmons
emphasized the impor tance of
strong community partnerships.
“We have a partnership here
in this countr y where private
donors, public of ficials, corpo-
rations, foundations — so many
different individuals — see the
need for outstanding education
and they come together to make
it happen,” Simmons said. “We
understand the value of that here
at Brown.”
Simmons added that the Uni-
Max Monn / Herald
Sports, 3
roaring rebound
Baseball team splits games
with Big Green, stays tied
for Ivy division lead.
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
To the beat of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” President Ruth Simmons
takes a swing at a wall in an abandoned jewelry factory that the Alpert
Medical School will soon be able to call home.
versity is “delighted” to bring jobs
to the community and support the
economy.
Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65
agreed that a project such as the
University provides
local flood relief
By Sarah Julian
Staf f Writer
In the wake of severe flooding
earlier this month in Rhode Is-
land, Brown has been working
on coordinating a multifaceted
relief effort. President Ruth Sim-
mons asked Marisa Quinn, vice
president for public affairs and
University relations, and Russell
Carey ’91 MA’06, senior vice presi-
dent for corporation affairs and
governance, to gather a team in
Amendment hits legislators close to home
By Claire Peracchio
Senior Staff Writer
An amendment requiring state law-
makers to immediately begin paying
15 percent of costs for their state-
provided health care plans was tabled
in the early morning hours of April 14
after members of the state House of
Representatives expressed concern
that voting on the amendment was
an ethical violation.
Legislators are currently not re-
quired to contribute to their health
care.
Metro, 4
Second Life
David Quinn GS serves on
Seekonk school committee
when not in the Rock.
Alex Bell / Herald
new Med School is “always a part-
nership of many pieces,” and he
said the state also hopes to see a
continued on page 4
order to coordinate a response
to the flooding. They met with a
group that included faculty, staff
and a student in order to organize
and facilitate University response
efforts.
According to the most recent
community-wide, flood effort–
related e-mail from Carey and
Quinn, the University is offering
assistance in several ways.
First, Brown is providing dona-
continued on page 2
The General Assembly has been
criticized for passing legislation re-
quiring full-time state employees to
pay at least 15 percent of the cost of
their plans beginning July 1, while
METRO
legislators — who are part-time state
employes — are not required to make
any contributions to their health care
costs. State employees are currently
required to pay 13.5 percent of their
health care costs.
The amendment, proposed by
Opinions, 7
Final words
Anthony Badami ’11 offers
departing seniors advice
for life after Brown.
director
takes leave
By Ana Alvarez
Senior Staf f Writer
Dean Karen McLaurin ’74 an-
nounced Monday that she will step
down from her position as direc-
tor of the Third World Center on
June 30.
McLaurin, better known to the
Brown community as Dean K, will
take a year-long leave to care for
her father’s ailing health, according
to an e-mail to be sent to the com-
munity Tuesday by Vice President
for Campus Life and Student Ser-
vices Margaret Klawunn and Senior
Director for Student Engagement
Ricky Gresh. According to the e-
mail, McLaurin plans to “transition
into a new role at Brown” after her
leave.
Klawuun said there are “no
plans” so far for finding McLau-
rin’s replacement, but regardless
of what decisions are made, the
strength of the TWC will be “pre-
served and grown.” A plan for “in-
suring continuity, program support
and leadership” of the center will
also be announced in the coming
weeks, Klawunn and Gresh wrote
in the e-mail.
McLaurin, who has ser ved as
director of the TWC for 17 years, di-
rected the center during a period of
“significant growth and expansion,”
Klawunn and Gresh wrote. Beyond
her work at the center, McLaurin
“has built a commitment among
Brown students to advancing issues
of diversity at Brown and beyond,”
according to the e-mail.
“Dean K is a Brown institution,”
Klawuun said. “She is a treasure,
and her departure will be a big loss
for Brown.”
McLaurin said she looks for-
continued on page 3
Rep. Karen Macbeth, D-Cumberland,
would have been added to the supple-
mental budget intended to address the
state’s $220 million budget shortfall.
While the amendment did not make it
into the supplemental budget passed
by the House, changes to the budget
by the state Senate on April 15 mean
the House must now approve a new
supplemental budget — which could
still contain the amendment — before
the end of this fiscal year.
State legislators currently receive
continued on page 5
The blog today
Today on the blog
Napping in JWOWW,
wasting time and some
major attitude.
herald@browndailyherald.com
Page 2 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Tuesday, April 27, 2010

C ampus N EWS
U. volunteers pitch in for flood relief BASEBALL

Bears split
continued from page 1 “really low key, but I think it was a The second project took place mer work, primarily through the

tions to relief agencies. In the im-

mediate aftermath of the flooding,
the University donated $50,000 to
the Rhode Island Flood Recovery
Fund, which was established by
the United Way of Rhode Island.
According to Clay Wertheimer ’10,
president of the Undergraduate
Council of Students, the benefit
of giving to an organization like
the United Way is that, as an es-
tablished organization, it has low
overhead cost and thus aid goes
directly to the community.
In addition to this donation,
student groups are working on
more fundraising efforts. Colleen
McDonald ’12, the student repre-
sentative on the group that met
with Quinn and Carey, said she
and UCS Vice President Diane
Mokoro ’11 made an announce-
ment on stage at Saturday’s Spring
Weekend concert asking for dona-
tions. UCS volunteers then passed
baskets around the crowd, collect-
ing a total of $350.
McDonald said it was meant to
be just a “drop in the bucket.”
Wertheimer said this event was
nice opportunity to remind people
and get them engaged.”
A lot of students want to help,
but are “not exactly sure how,”
according to Wertheimer. He said
the main goal of UCS is to help
“keep them informed about other
opportunities.”
An additional $200 were raised
in donations taken at the past two
men’s lacrosse games, according
to Patrick Walker, travel and pro-
motions coordinator for the Athlet-
ics Department.
Other efforts have aimed at
gathering groups of volunteers.
The University has been involved
in two projects through Ser ve
Rhode Island. First, the organi-
zation asked for a group of four
individuals to provide assistance
to elderly residents in Olneyville,
Quinn wrote in an e-mail to The
Herald. “Given the time and
the limited number of individu-
als needed, we asked Facilities
Management if there would be
individuals interested.” Twenty
staff members from Facilities ex-
pressed interest, and four assisted
with the project.
in Westerly, R.I. Twelve students
and staf f members traveled to
Westerly, where they were as-
signed a street that had suffered
significant damage. They went
from house to house of fering
assistance in cleaning out base-
ments and yards. McDonald, one
of the student volunteers, said the
project was “easy with a group of
people” but that she could see
how it would be overwhelming for
residents to have to sort through
their water-damaged items and
throw them away. She said that
some residents helped her group
with the cleaning, but that others
were not present. “Some people
preferred not to really deal with
it,” she said.
McDonald has also been con-
tacting student groups about or-
ganizing other fundraisers and
group service events. Details have
not been finalized, but McDonald
said she has spoken with Greek
organizations, athletic teams and
program houses about potential
projects.
The University is also encour-
aging students to undertake sum-
Swearer Center, to assist in the
recover y. “In terms of summer
efforts, there have been a few stu-
dents expressing interest so far,
and a few preliminar y ideas for
possible projects,” Roger Nozaki
MAT’89, associate dean of the col-
lege and director of the Swearer
Center, wrote in an e-mail to The
Herald. According to Nozaki, the
goal is to ensure that projects are
driven by what the community
needs, which means gathering in-
put before undertaking projects.
“The students who’ve come
for ward to date regarding the
summer haven’t proposed ideas,
but were just expressing inter-
est if projects came together,” he
wrote.
The e-mail from Quinn and
Carey also said the University
hopes to respond “to needs that
the governor’s office identifies
as important.” The governor’s of-
fice is working with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency
to coordinate statewide responses.
Once these needs are evaluated,
Carey and Quinn wrote, “we an-
ticipate that there will be much
help needed in the coming weeks
and months.”
Finally, Carey and Quinn men-
tioned Brown efforts to help em-
ployees and families impacted by
the flood. “The Emergency Grant
committee has streamlined the
application process to make seek-
ing funds as simple as possible
and has put information about the
new process on the web. Several
applications have been made to
date and all have been approved,”
they wrote in the community-wide
e-mail.
weekend
doubleheader
By Tony Bakshi
Sports Staff Writer
After two wild back-and-forth battles,
Brown and Dartmouth’s baseball
teams are still deadlocked atop the
Rolfe Division of the Ivy League.
The Bears (12-25 overall, 9-5 Ivy)
and the Big Green (19-13 overall, 9-5
Ivy) split two games at Brown’s Mur-
ray Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Dartmouth eked out a victory, 7-6, in
the first matchup. But Brown came
back to take the second, 9-5, behind
a strong performance from starting
pitcher Will Weidig ’10, who stepped
up on a day when he said the team
“really needed the win.”
Dartmouth 7, Brown 6
Bruno had victory in its grasp,
but could not hold on in the final
inning. Brown took a 5-3 lead into
the seventh frame, helped by Kevin
Carlow’s ’13 strong pitching and
Matt Colantonio’s ’11 third-inning
grand slam.
But the Dartmouth bats pounced
on Carlow’s reliever, Matthew Kim-
ball ’11. A leadoff walk and some
shaky play in the infield by Ryan
Zrenda ’11 loaded the bases with one
out. Dartmouth third baseman Ezra
Josephson cut the lead to 5-4 with an
infield hit, and the Big Green then
took the lead on Brett Gardner’s two-
run single. Centerfielder Jake Carl-
son drove in Gardner with a single
of his own, capping Dartmouth’s big
continued on page 3

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
S ports
Baseball Panel discusses concussion research, policies
team makes
comeback
continued from page 2
four-run inning.
That insurance run turned out
to be huge, as the Bears made their
own comeback effort in the bottom
of the seventh. Zrenda ripped a triple
to right field to lead off the inning
and later scored on a groundout by
Daniel Rosoff ’12. But the Bears
could not muster up another run
and fell by a one-run margin, 7-6.
Brown 9, Dartmouth 5
In the second game, the Bears
got out to another early lead, and
made sure to keep it until the final
pitch was thrown. Brown led, 4-0,
after two innings, due to home runs
from Pete Greskoff ’11 and Chris
Tanabe ’10.
They added four more in the bot-
tom of the fifth, grabbing a com-
manding 8-1 advantage on a solo
home run from Mike DiBiase ’12
and a two-run single from Cody
Slaughter ’13.
The Big Green bats were quiet
until the bottom of the ninth inning,
due to Weidig’s dominance on the
mound. Weidig hurled eight innings
and was charged with just three
earned runs.
“I was able to mostly just a throw
a fastball to both sides of the plate
and keep them off balance that way,”
Weidig said. “With the offense get-
ting us out to a big lead, it’s easier to
go out there and pitch to contact.”
But again, when Brown went to
its bullpen in the latter stages of the
game, Dartmouth was able to mount
a rally. The Big Green scored four
runs total in the ninth, but left-hand-
er Brad Kottman ’13 was finally able
to shut the door. Kottman struck
out pinch-hitter David Turnbull to
end the game, ensuring that the two
teams would be tied in the standings
until the second set of doublehead-
ers on Wednesday.
“If we stay within our abilities,
then we should be in good shape
to have a couple of good games,”
Weidig said.
McLaurin
to take
year off
continued from page 1
ward to her return to Brown and
the center’s future under new lead-
ership.
“I have high hopes for the
growth and development of the
center,” McLaurin said. “The TWC
can and will, hopefully, remain in
the hearts and minds of the Uni-
versity.”
According to the e-mail, details
of a celebration of McLaurin’s
achievements at Brown, to be
held in early May, will soon be an-
nounced.
By Chan Hee Chu
Spor ts Staf f Writer
Chris Nowinski, once known as the
only Harvard graduate in profes-
sional wrestling, spoke as part of a
panel in front of an almost full Salo-
mon 101 Monday night. Nowinski
spoke to both the personal effects
and scientific research concerning
concussions at Monday’s event,
which was part of a colloquium
on the danger of concussions in
sports.
Nowinski had his professional
wrestling career cut short after
sustaining six concussions and
then became the co-founder and
president of Sports Legacy Insti-
tute.
The other speakers were Rob-
ert Cantu, a leading medical ex-
pert on concussions; Professor
of Orthopaedics J.J. Trey Crisco,
a researcher in athletic concus-
sions; Sean Morey ’99, a current
NFL player and the co-chair of the
NFL Players Association Traumat-
ic Brain Injur y Committee; and
Alyssa Blood ’11, a former basket-
ball player at Brown whose career
was cut short by concussions she
sustained while playing.
“Where do you start?” Nowin-
ski said. “I think when you look
at brains, it’s the end game. You
look at these guys in their 30s and
40s, and they have ruined their
lives.”
Nowinski first became seri-
ously interested in the potential
harm caused by concussions after
learning of former NFL star Andre
Waters’ suicide at age 44. Believing
that the player’s depression was a
www.browndailyherald.com
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3
“I think when you look at brains, it’s the end game.”
— Chris Nowinski, president of Sports Legacy Institute
result of head trauma sustained
during Waters’ NFL career, Now-
more scientific perspectives on
concussions.
for everyone.
Agreeing with Cantu’s ap-
inski began to research the subject Despite the increase in concern proach, Crisco proposed the pos-
and speak out about the dangers of about concussions over the last sibility of limiting the number of
concussions — eventually testify- few years, Cantu said there was traumatic hits in contact sports
ing before Congress on the NFL’s a relative lack of knowledge con- as pitch-count limits have been
policies on concussions. cerning concussions. enforced in Little Leagues across
The other panel members cred- “Statistics say there are two the country.
ited Nowinski’s efforts as helping to three million each year but we Crisco also spoke of the need
to persuade the NFL to adopt new don’t know,” Cantu said. to better understand what exactly
rules to better protect players and Though Cantu conceded that causes concussions — a question
take responsibility for the harms concussions and head trauma var- he hopes his research involving
caused by the game. ied greatly on an individual basis, athletes at Brown and elsewhere
Blood and Morey told their per- he still advocated extreme caution will help to answer.
sonal stories about concussions
to a crowd that included Brown
athletes, coaches and members of
the local medical community.
“You don’t need to play football
to get concussions,” Blood said. “I
had concussions playing tennis,
softball and basketball. I guess it
goes to show that although the re-
search is geared towards football
and boxing, it is a huge problem”
across all sports.
In light of the increasing infor-
mation demonstrating the risk of
taking hits, Morey spoke of his
current efforts to better protect
NFL players. Morey recently met
with the NFL competition commit-
tee at the NFL Combine to discuss
possible rule changes designed to
limit dangerous blows. Still, de-
spite the inherent risk involved,
Morey said eliminating concus-
sions altogether is unrealistic.
“Contact spor ts provide an
opportunity to learn leadership
skills, accountability,” Morey said.
“It builds character.”
In contrast to the personal
accounts provided by Blood and
Morey, Cantu and Crisco gave
Metro
The Brown Daily Herald
Attending — and governing — the schools
By Anne Artley
Staf f Writer
David Quinn GS is leading a dou-
ble life. A Brown graduate student
currently earning his Master of
Education by day, he serves on the
Seekonk, Mass. school committee
by night.
He was elected on April 5 in an
uncontested election. To win the
position, he had to run a “sticker
campaign” in which voters filled in
his name in a blank space on the
ballot, Quinn said. Quinn received
over 350 votes.
“I was immersed in my stud-
ies and never thought of running,
but when I heard two people had
stepped down I thought it would be
a good opportunity,” Quinn said.
Quinn, a Seekonk native, also
student teaches at Seekonk High
School and has worked as a behav-
ior intervention coordinator and as
a baseball coach at Hurley Middle
School in Seekonk.
Quinn said that his dual roles
allow him to apply material from the
classroom to a real-world setting.
Studying while serving on the
school committee creates a “symbi-
otic relationship,” he said. The prin-
ciples he is learning in his EDUC
1130: “Economics of Education”
class with John Tyler, associate
professor of education, economics
and public policy, have been espe-
cially useful in planning the school
funding formulas, solving budget-
ar y issues and spending money
efficiently.
Quinn described his platform for
the school committee as a three part
plan to cost-effectively bring 21st
century education to the schools,
to ensure programs have “clear and
measurable results” and to serve as
a bridge for ideas between taxpayers
and school administrators.
“My goal is to eventually become an administrator, but not until I
really know what makes a good teacher” — David Quinn GS
As a newcomer to local politics,
Quinn got his name out to Seekonk
voters by reaching out to local me-
dia, going door to door and putting
up signs. He also handed out stick-
ers bearing his name on Election
Day so voters would remember his
name to write it in on their ballots.
“I had to run as if there was
another candidate,” he said. “The
write-in puts you at a disadvantage
because people have to remember
your name to vote for you.”
Fran Creamer, who also serves
on the committee, said that as a grad
student, Quinn has already proven
himself to be a valuable asset to the
board.
“He’s only been on the board a
short time, but there have already
been at least two different occasions
where he has brought back things
he has learned through his studies
at Brown,” she said.
Quinn has found that learning
to balance his studies with his new
responsibilities has been a smooth
transition and that the arrangement
has “worked out nicely,” he said.
After he finishes his master’s,
Quinn said he wants to continue
teaching in Seekonk or the sur-
rounding area.
“My goal is to eventually become
an administrator, but not until I really
know what makes a good teacher,”
Quinn said.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | Page 4
U., community partner in
new Med School building
continued from page 1
new nursing school built adjacent
to the new Med School to support
existing nursing programs at the
University of Rhode Island and
Rhode Island College.
Providence Mayor David
Cicilline ’83 said the new build-
ing would help the economy by
providing some 500 construction
jobs and 57 permanent jobs. He
also said it would help Providence
institutions compete for research
grants while encouraging compa-
nies like Isis Biopolymer to locate
in the area.
“There is now developing a
critical mass of new companies
that are coming into the Knowl-
edge District,” Cicilline said. “The
presence of this great medical
school from a spectacular uni-
versity will add to that signifi-
cantly.”
Patrick Worth MD’11, presi-
dent of the Medical Student Sen-
ate, called the new building an
“inspiration and a call to action,”
rather than a reward to be taken
for granted by future students.
Michael Sabitoni, president
of the Rhode Island Building
and Construction Trades Coun-
cil, praised the University for
utilizing the Building Futures
www.browndailyherald.com
Program for the Med School’s
construction.
The program stipulates that
Providence residents will per-
form 15 percent of the construc-
tion hours on the project, and
successful workers on the project
will be eligible to enter a build-
ing trade apprenticeship program
that will put them “well on their
way to a solid, family-supporting
career path in the construction in-
dustr y,” according to Sabitoni.
“Needless to say, Brown Uni-
versity’s commitment in these
difficult times is second to none,”
he said. “Brown is clearly dis-
tinguishing itself from its local
institutional peers by not only
continuing to invest in our econ-
omy — when it would have been
easier for them not to — but also
making an affirmative commit-
ment to use local labor and Provi-
dence residents on all of these
construction projects.”
After a shor t video, Wing
and Simmons had a surprise in
store. To the beat of Peter Ga-
briel’s “Sledgehammer,” they
each grabbed a sledgehammer
and — after Cicilline jocularly
handed Simmons a hard hat in
the spirit of safety — they got to
work on a wall of the abandoned
jewelr y factor y.
Page 5
M etro
Health-care amendment tabled for ethics concerns
continued from page 1
free health care, which can cost up to
$18,061 for a family and $6,463 for an
individual annually. Most legislators
willingly pay part of their health costs.
Lawmakers who choose to forgo state-
provided care may also choose to take
a waiver valued at $2,002.
After an April 19 Providence Jour-
nal article published the names of
lawmakers who receive free health
care, three legislators on that list have
decided to either contribute to their
care or accept a waiver payment.
This is not the first time legislation
to mandate that legislators contribute
to their care plans has been proposed.
A 2008 bill, which was introduced by
Rep. Amy Rice, D-Portsmouth, Mid-
dletown and Newport, and required
lawmakers to pay 10 percent of their
health care costs, passed in the House
in 2008. The proposal was not taken
up by the state Senate at that time.
Ethics of a vote
Legislators have cited concerns
about the ethical implications of the
amendment, particularly because its
language required that the payment
changes take effect instantly.
“The leadership agreed that we
should look into whether it affect-
ed us personally and therefore we
shouldn’t vote on it,” said Rep. Edith
Ajello, D-Providence. Ajello currently
contributes 10 percent of the cost of
her health insurance.
While the Rhode Island Ethics
Commission would have recom-
mended that any changes to benefits
for legislators take effect after the
November elections, ethical ramifi-
cations of a vote on the amendment
would not be subject to the commis-
sion’s punitive authority, according to
Jason Gramitt, a staff attorney with
the commission.
The commission lost this power in
a Rhode Island Supreme Court case
against former state Senate President
William Irons, who was accused of a
conflict of interest in his legislative
dealings regarding CVS, one of his
insurance clients. The court decided
that the state constitution’s “speech
in debate” clause prevented the Eth-
ics Commission from taking action
against lawmakers for their votes.
“In the wake of the Irons case, leg-
islators are free to vote on any kind
of proposal without worrying about
whether it’s a conflict of interest, with-
out regard to whether or not there
is a financial benefit for themselves
or their family members or business
associates,” Grammit said.
Members would likely have been
aware of this lack of jurisdiction be-
cause House Speaker Gordon Fox
has proposed legislation to offer a
referendum asking voters to choose
whether the power of the Ethics Com-
mission over the legislature should be
restored, according to Grammit.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
The verdict of the Irons case is
“widely reviled,” according to Rep.
David Segal, D-Providence, who pro-
posed a 2009 constitutional amend-
ment to restore the power of the
Ethics Commission and one of the
legislators whose name was published
in the April 19 Providence Journal
article. Segal has begun contributing
20 percent of the cost of his care after
his name was published as a legislator
paying nothing for care.
“I understand why people have felt
pressure to contribute,” Segal said.
He added that legislators can also
forgo perks such as parking spaces
and mileage reimbursement that add
to a sum comparable to voluntarily
contributing to health-care costs.
Segal said even though the Ethics
Commission can no longer prosecute
legislators for their votes, many law-
makers still make an effort to hold
themselves to the ethical standards
endorsed by the commisson. He said
he would support the amendment if
its changes took effect after statewide
elections.
To pass or not to pass
Both of the legislators represent-
ing College Hill — Ajello and state
Sen. Rhoda Perry P’91 — also said
they would support the amendment,
assuming it went into effect after the
November election. But the amend-
ment raises important issues for
both.
“We live in a political world.”
— Sen. Rhoda Perry P’91, D-Providence
“I think it’s kind of interesting that
Rep. Macbeth is introducing legisla-
tion that really wouldn’t affect her at
all because she is insured through
her day job as a school principal,”
Ajello said.
Prior to the publication of the April
15 Providence Journal article, Mac-
beth opted to take the waiver payment
even through she currently receives
full health benefits through her job at
a Woonsocket public school.
Macbeth has since announced that
she will no longer take the waiver
payment, according to Monday’s
Providence Journal.
Ajello said that politicians often
find opportunities to “make them-
selves look good in the public eye”
while failing to address systemic
problems that lead to inequities in
the health care system.
Perry — who currently voluntarily
pays 10 percent of her health care
plan costs — said she is not averse
to contributing 15 percent. But she
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
said that “in a position which is not full
time, it is hard to make an analogy”
between state employees and part-
time legislators who have a different
pay structure, she said.
“Nevertheless, we live in a politi-
cal world and I understand that it is
important for the legislature to try to
emulate the general public,” Perry
said.
Legislators’ response to the
amendment calls into question
whether the General Assembly is
serious about reforming how mem-
bers pay for health care, according
to John Marion, executive director
of Common Cause Rhode Island, a
nonprofit that advocates for transpar-
ent government.
“Instead of offering reasons why
this shouldn’t be done, this spurious
issue of violating the code of ethics
came up,” he said. “I don’t see that
there’s any desire on behalf of the
leadership of the General Assembly
to allow this vote to take place.”
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald

Page 6 | Tuesday, April 27, 2010

l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r

Crimes against Jews

shouldn’t justify crimes
against Palestinians
To the Editor:
I am an ethnic Jew from Budapest,
Hungary, where Theodor Herzl was
born. Reading Dr. Jack Schwartz-
wald’s column in Thursday’s Herald
(“Remembering Theodor Herzl,”
April 22) upset me in a number of
ways. Here is why:
Schwartzwald seems to think that
the existence of Israel is necessary
because of anti-Semitism. For in-
stance, there is a 17 percent-strong
openly racist and anti-Semitic party
in Hungary. Yet there is no institu-
tional anti-Semitism: Being Jewish
does not disadvantage us in any way.
Being a Roma would, so is there a
Nobel Prize in Literature for his book
“Fatelessness,” notably chose to live
in Berlin instead of in Budapest.
I disapprove of American youth
choosing Israel and the Tzahal as
their new home. The idea of Israel is
diametrically opposed to the idea of
the United States. The United States
is a country where people can find
their homes, regardless of their race,
ethnicity or religion. Israel wants to
be the state of ethnic and religious
Jews, even if it reluctantly accepts
the presence of others.
If there is anything that we
should take away from the Holo-
caust, the defining experience of
my grandparents who survived it, it E R I K S T AY T O N A N D E VA N D O N A H U E

case for a Roma state? is that when we start differentiating

Even if anti-Semitism were threat- among people based on religion,
ening us, it would be immoral to race, ethnicity, sexuality and so e d i to r i a l
choose to live in Israel at the price of on, we get very, very bad results.
causing more suffering to Palestin-
ians. There are plenty of alternatives
The long history of anti-Semitism
and racism should teach us that we
Talking tenure
to Israel. If I really felt threatened should not commit crimes against On April 14, faculty members and administrators beginning, we argued that departments should take
in Eastern Europe, I could always Palestinians. gathered to discuss a set of proposed changes to the a more proactive role in soliciting student feedback.
choose to emigrate to countries like University’s policies governing tenure. At this meeting, Now, we want to offer another suggestion: Tenure
the United States or Germany. Imre Daniel Prinz ’13 four undergraduates were kicked out because they candidates should have to get letters of support from
Kertész, survivor of Auschwitz and April 24 attended without permission, The Herald reported. a handful of former students and advisees.
Buchenwald, who was awarded the It is unfortunate that these students did not have the The tenure review process already relies on input
opportunity to voice their concerns and learn more from many sources, and we see no reason to exclude
about the proposals under consideration. We too are students. Our suggestion would allow tenure candidates
worried that students’ interests are not being taken to demonstrate that they have made a positive impact on
t h e b r o w n d a i ly h e r a l d into account as the University updates its process for some students while avoiding the problems associated
granting tenure. with anonymous feedback forms. We imagine that in
Deputy Managing Editors Senior Editors
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor The recent meeting focused mainly on a report most cases, the student testimonials will be positive and
Chaz Kelsh Sophia Li Ellen Cushing
George Miller issued in March by the ad hoc Committee to Review serve to further document Brown’s excellence.
Emmy Liss Seth Motel
Joanna Wohlmuth Tenure and Faculty Development. The committee’s Of course, teaching is one of several criteria to be
editorial Business recommendations touched on many aspects of the considered. The professor’s research and scholarly
Anne Speyer Arts & Culture Editor General Managers Office Manager
Claire Kiely Shawn Reilly tenure review process, including the timeline and the work are of primary importance to a university that
Suzannah Weiss Arts & Culture Editor
Brian Mastroianni Features Editor Katie Koh roles of relevant administrative bodies. The report strives to be among the best in the world. Nonethe-
Hannah Moser Features Editor Directors also highlighted the importance of teaching as one less, some tenure candidates will have been at Brown
Brigitta Greene Metro Editor Kelly Wess Sales
Ben Schreckinger Metro Editor Matthew Burrows Finance of several criteria in determining a faculty member’s for as long as eight years. If a candidate cannot call on
Sydney Ember News Editor Margaret Watson Client Relations suitability for tenure. just a few former students for support, then it should
Nicole Friedman News Editor Christiana Stephenson Alumni Relations
Dan Alexander Sports Editor “As teachers, candidates should have a strong re- raise a red flag.
Zack Bahr Asst. Sports Editor Managers cord of effectiveness in the classroom and evidence of The committee clearly appreciates the notion of a
Andrew Braca Asst. Sports Editor Arjun Vaidya Local Sales commitment to mentoring students,” the committee “university-college” and the importance of preserving
Han Cui Asst. Sports Editor Marco deLeon National Sales
Aditi Bhatia University Sales wrote. We liked the committee’s vision of Brown as a faculty that is dedicated to undergraduate education.
Graphics & Photos Jared Davis University Sales a “university-college” that “prizes both graduate and Indeed, this ideal is central to Brown’s identity as an
Stephen Lichenstein Graphics Editor Trenten Nelson-Rivers Recruiter Sales
Alex Yuly Graphics Editor Maximilian Barrows Business Operations
undergraduate education and strives for excellence in institution. As the process moves forward, we just want
Nick Sinnott-Armstrong Photo Editor Jilyn Chao Business Analytics teaching as well as research.” to see a concrete improvement that codifies respect
Max Monn Asst. Photo Editor Danielle Marshak Credit and Collections
Yet, none of the committee’s specific proposals for students’ interests and input.
Jonathan Bateman Sports Photo Editor Alexander Carrere Special Projects
Kathy Bui Staff pertain directly to ensuring that newly tenured pro-
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Opinions
The Brown Daily Herald
ANTHONY
BADAMI
Opinions Columnist
I first encountered the work of Noam Chom-
sky, professor of linguistics at the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology, as a wide-eyed
freshman in high school. My inchoate intel-
lectual views were just starting to take shape,
and I had developed a keen interest (nay, an
obsession) with political philosophy and for-
eign affairs. When reading the Economist or
skimming the pages of the New York Times,
I felt that I had my finger on the pulse, the
pumping lifeblood, of global society.
One banal day of literary perusing, I stum-
bled upon a copy of Manufacturing Consent in
the current events section of my local library.
I had heard the name “Chomsky” somewhere
before but could not place it. After reading just
a few pages, I was hooked.
My intellectual journey since has been
tumultuous indeed. From Chomsky, I moved
on to other thinkers, both public and academic.
But I always returned, especially when jaded,
to lap up what refreshment I could from his
reviving commentary.
I am sure that many in the Brown commu-
nity have a special place in their hearts and
minds for Chomsky. There is no need for me
to preach to the choir, to beat a dead horse,
to implement a hackneyed metaphor. Brown
students get it.
Or not.
As I sat through the question and answer
period of last week’s lecture (featuring you-
know-who), I was appalled, startled and ut-
Kshitij Lauria
Opinions Columnist
In the last few weeks, the Brown community
was faced with several issues that are con-
nected by a single thread, and barely a day
goes by when a glance through The Herald
does not turn up something that economic
thinking could greatly clarify. This alone does
not surprise me, for, like the ancient Chinese
game of Go, in economics one can find a meta-
phor for every aspect of life. And, quite like Go,
even though the general problem of econom-
ics remains unsolved, we have been able to
develop strategies and techniques that offer
insights in almost any given situation.
Put very simply, economics addresses the
problem of the allocation of scarce resources.
The beauty of economics lies in the fortunate
fact that we can draw substantial conclusions
even from abstract assumptions, which then
apply to a wide range of situations. Sometimes
the assumptions capture most of the essential
aspects of what we’re trying to study, and
then we are in luck. But the usefulness of
economics lies in the fortunate fact that we
can be wiser by its application even when the
fit is not perfect. In today’s column, I discuss
perhaps the least controversial issue for which
economics has good answers.
Consider tableslips. The Undergraduate
Finance Board recently voted to end funding
for tableslips in dining halls (“UFB will end
funding for tableslips after break,” March
I am embarrassed
terly embarrassed: Is this all that the Brown
intellectual population can offer?
The exchange, if it can be called that, was
littered (pun intended) with uninformed,
vague and repetitive questions. Had no one
read a single work, article, book or interview
of Chomsky’s before the lecture? Do we re-
ally need to be asking a commentator of his
stature, “What can we as students do?” Must
this question be asked twice?
Yet this is not the worst part. Not a single
Brown student asked a challenging, provoca-
tive or formidable question. Brown Students
As I sat through the question-and-answer period
of last week’s lecture, I was appalled, startled
and utterly embarrassed: Is this all that the
Brown intellectual population can offer?
for Israel, are you asleep at the wheel? Did you
have a mandatory meeting running concur-
rently with the lecture? The man said that he
doesn’t believe Israel should exist. You should
be haranguing!
I do not reserve my criticism solely for
the questioners — I take serious issue with
Common Ground as well. Applause for secur-
ing arguably the most important intellectual
alive, but could you not give this deity a more
stimulating introduction? It was dry, colorless
and minimal.
Furthermore, the question-and-answer
session was sloppy and unorganized. Tip:
When a speaker has finished speaking, it is
The case for markets
17). Tableslips are a useful but flawed way
of advertising events on campus: they are
disproportionately useful to underclassmen,
who often have no other good ways of find-
ing out; they are environmentally unfriendly
and costlier than electronic alternatives; they
require no action on the part of the advertisee,
who literally sees them next to the napkins;
and so on.
Economics suggests that the best solution
is usually not all or nothing — there is likely
a happy medium between the two extremes.
There are those that benefit from tableslips:
Without knowing any more about the situation,
I can make two quick predictions: that the cost
of tableslipping is likely too low, and that the
people who benefit from it aren’t the ones who
are paying.
underclassmen, asocial people, student groups
that target them, people who like making paper
airplanes from tableslips, etc. There are oth-
ers that derive no benefit from and may even
object to tableslips: upperclassmen, people
off meal plan, people concerned about the
environment (although worrying about ta-
bleslips is a spectacularly inefficient use of
your time and energy), student groups that
target them, etc. The same group of people
may have different opinions at different times:
a frat might not care about tableslips except
when it throws a party; I won’t care about
them next semester, but I certainly support
your job to man the mic and direct questions.
Chomsky was left up at the podium, uncom-
fortably and awkwardly, for nearly a minute
before anyone even got in line for questions.
How deflating.
And I will not go into the shameless bit
of political self-promotion that occurred as
well — the crowd spoke for itself. Suffice
to say, it exemplified the general tone of the
night — do not criticize, do not inquire, try
to protect your hide and let this batty old nut
speak his deranged message.
When Chomsky exits this earth, we will
certainly have a prolific collection of political,
social, economic and philosophical commen-
tary left behind. But all of this is accessory.
Chomsky often wrote on unfashionable top-
ics, and much of his political writing will be
irrelevant centuries from now. However, what
can endure, if we let it, is his spirit of tireless
critique of power and privilege, which will
always exist.
I have myriad differences and disagree-
ments with Chomsky’s work, especially his
Manichean treatment of foreign affairs and his
unelaborated opinions on morality, which he
seems to take for granted. But I still respect
his ability to transcend traditional academic
them now. And of course the UFB would like
to spend its money as wisely as possible for
the benefit of all.
In short, there are preferences and there
are resources. Without knowing any more
about the situation, I can make two quick
predictions: that the cost of tableslipping is
likely too low, and that the people who benefit
from it aren’t the ones who are paying. Let’s
take these one by one.
What does it mean for the cost of tableslip-
ping to be “too low”? There is of course the
actual monetary price. This gives us a great
tool for limiting tableslipping to desired levels
by charging for the privilege (analogous to
the tax on cigarettes). This policy tool is both
simple and flexible: we can tweak things as
the time and place demands. But my bigger
concern here is the cost of not using that
money elsewhere. Other uses could range
from close substitutes — other forms of ad-
vertisement — to entirely different things,
like pizza for meetings. In the worst case, the
opportunity cost is zero — that is, if there is
special funding earmarked for this use only.
There is then no incentive to be prudent, and
no way for a student group to make wiser
Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | Page 7
structures, both in breadth and depth, to offer
powerful evaluations of the way that power
operates.
For our departing seniors, much from
Chomsky can be applied here. As you escape
the embrace of Brown, you will face, most
likely for the first time, the need to provide
for your own subsistence, your own survival.
To gain income, to feed yourselves and your
families, you will need to play an institutional
role, whether it be for a law firm, a financial
company, academia, a non-governmental or-
ganization, the government, etc.
But you need not relent totally: Be aware
of the implications your institutional actions
can have on the personal lives of real people.
You may be able to justify your transgressions
on the small scale, in the short run, but just
know that, once upon a time, you were a wide-
eyed freshman as well, and you too had ideals
and principles.
I end, of course, with a quotation from
Professor Chomsky:
“To speak truth to power is not a particu-
larly honorable vocation … It is a waste of
time and a pointless pursuit to speak truth
to those who exercise power in coercive in-
stitutions.”
Why? They already know the truth, as do
you. Thus, I charge you always to question
those who claim to know absolutely, whether
it be in a million-dollar board meeting or a
college lecture hall.
Au revoir, seniors. It’s been real.
Anthony Badami ’11 is a political theory
concentrator from Kansas City, Mo. He
can be reached at anthony_badami@
brown.edu
spending decisions by weighing alternative
uses for each spent dollar.
Once we adjust the opportunity cost of
tableslipping to more accurately reflect reality,
we have also partially shifted the burden of
payment to where it more properly belongs.
Now the tableslip fund is no longer “free
money”; instead, each student group spends
in proportion to the benefit it perceives in
tableslipping. The other side of the equation
is the student body that is being served by this
whole business and that pays for the whole
thing. While there are good arguments to
be made for students not being the ultimate
decision-makers for every dollar that is spent
on their behalf, we should have that power
where student groups are concerned. In a
very egalitarian way, we can then vote with
our pockets to encourage behavior we like,
and vice-versa. It also gives student groups
valuable information: it tells them precisely
who wants them the most, and what they want
from them.
You have now seen in action yet another
meta-benefit of economic analysis: it is fair,
presupposes nothing, and values no viewpoint
over another. It allows us to turn unproductive
discussion about morals into a productive
one about preferences and resources. And
although its conclusions are positive (“what
is”), they are invaluable in making judgments
that are normative (“what should be”).
Kshitij Lauria ’13 supports Doing Things
Right™.
 Today 3 Bears and Big Green split doubleheader to day to m o r r o w

The Brown Daily Herald

4
Building med school will be community effort

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

54 / 36 53 / 38
Page 8

t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s comics

Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman

1 Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

c a l e n da r
Today, April 27 tomorrow, April 28

4 P.M. — Douglas Blackmon — A 12 P.M. — Applying to Law School

Persistent Past: Grappling with out Infor mation Session, Career
Troubled Racial History in the Age of Development Center Library
Obama, Sayles Hall

7 P.M. — “Jihad for Love” Film and 9:30 P.M. — LGBTQ Grad/Undergrad
Discussion, List Art Building 120 Social, Graduate Center Lounge

Hippomaniac | Mat Becker

menu

Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall

Lunch — Green Chili Chicken Lunch — Shaved Steak Sandwich,

Enchiladas, Vegan Tacos, BBQ Chicken Bruschetta Mozzarella, Sunny
Pizza, Magic Bars Sprouts, Magic Bars

Dinner — Orange Turkey, Acorn Dinner — Pot Roast Jardiniere,

Squash with Curried Rice and Linguini with Tomato and Basil, Curry
Chickpeas, Au Gratin Potatoes Chicken Saute, Parsley Rice

Island Republic | Kevin Grubb

crossword

Classic How to Get Down | Nate Saunders

Never miss a day.

comics.browndailyherald.com