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88
Daily
By talia kagan featureS editor
the Brown
Herald
Since 1891
Simmons recommends Occupy protesters against cutting teams close bank accounts
By Dan alexanDer Senior editor
Seven Bank of America customers closed accounts at the Kennedy Plaza branch yesterday as part of an action organized by Occupy Providence, according to Trish Phelan, an Occupy protester who has been living in Burnside Park since Saturday.
Phelan, who canceled her account, said the action came partly in response to new fees announced by the bank, which she pointed to as part of a pattern of corporate greed. Though the movement has no formal leadership, Phelan said she was involved in organizing the account cancellations through a working-group structure. Occupy Providence is organized around these working groups, informal committees that help manage various aspects of the movement including media relations, logistics and direct action. The cancellations occurred in three waves, at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. About 20 to 25 people showed up to each morning event to support the cancellations, she said, and just over a dozen protested at continued on page 5
After nearly six months of contentious debate over the prospect of cutting the ski, fencing and wrestling programs, President Ruth Simmons recommended yesterday that the Corporation, the Universitys highest governing body, keep all three programs this year. In a report sent to the Brown community yesterday at noon, Simmons wrote that the continued presence on campus of the three programs initially targeted for elimination by the Athletics Review Committee in April should be dependent on the teams ability to raise enough money over the next year to be self-funded. Simmons wrote that the teams should cover no less than 100 percent of their budgets with existing contributions from the Department of Athletics and new donations from alums and other outside sponsors. I think its fabulous, said Direc-
tor of Athletics Michael Goldberger, who called the recommendations balanced. In her report, Simmons not only made recommendations on the three programs, but also expounded on an overarching vision for the future of the athletics department. Simmons also proposed that admissions slots for athletes which currently constitute about 13 percent of each matriculating class should be reduced from 225 to 205 slots, a 9 percent decrease. But Simmons also recommended increasing the amount of money budgeted to matching financial aid offers from other Ivy League universities. The two recommendations, if implemented together, would make it easier for Brown coaches to recruit athletes that might be attracted by better financial aid packages at other Ivies, but would restrict the number they could recruit. Obviously as a coach and someone that feels that a student-athlete
Teams will be able to seek funding through gifts and pledges to meet Simmons proposed financial terms.
is like any other student on campus, its a shame, said wrestling Head Coach Dave Amato. But at least were only losing 20 (spots) instead of 30. In April, the review committee proposed reducing the number of spots for recruited athletes to 195, continued on page 2
Moments after President Ruth Simmons released her response to the Athletics Review Committee Report yesterday, mens fencing captain Andrew Pinteas 12 phone started buzzing. Though he was in a meeting, he left to see what the texting frenzy was about. I had to check immediately, he said. Pintea said he was incredibly happy to find that Simmons recommended no teams be cut this
year. In her response, Simmons calls for the mens and womens fencing teams, the mens wrestling team and the womens ski team to find ways to raise no less than 100 percent of their annual operating budgets by next year. It does not specify what will happen if they do not meet that goal. The announcement was met with enthusiastic approval from representatives of the teams. I think (Simmons) came up with what is a pretty brilliant compromise, said Michael LeBlanc,
head coach of the ski team. Former wrestler Hudson Collins 11.5 said he was pleased Simmons took many different community members concerns into consideration in forming her response. Wrestling Head Coach David Amato echoed that approval I think the big thing is that President Simmons listened to alumni and our student athletes, he said. Atilio Tass, head coach of the fencing team, said his team is optimistic about achieving the goals continued on page 2
Rhode Island legalized civil unions for same-sex couples in July, but lawmakers and lawyers have found that the legislation does not bestow all of the benefits of marriage. In particular, gay couples do not qualify for estate tax exemption and cannot file joint income taxes.
Rep. David Cicilline 83, D-R.I., is facing a tough reelection contest in the race for Rhode Islands first district following a controversy over charges of financial mismanagement during his time as mayor of Providence.
GoLocalProv poll released in late September found that 51 percent of registered voters in Cicillines district view him unfavorably. The latter poll had a margin of error of 6.8 percentage points. Cicillines likely Republican challengers share conservative outlooks and law-and-order backgrounds. John Loughlin, whom Cicilline narrowly defeated last November, currently serves as an aviation logistics adviser to the Iraqi Army Aviation Service and is scheduled to return in December. Loughlin is expected to announce continued on page 4
Despite a 17 percent approval rating, Rep. David Cicilline 83, D-R.I., holds a clear campaign fundraising advantage over his opponents.
weather
inside
Pizza to Pita
Thayer Pita Pockets is the new eatery on the block
City & State, 4
Bad Deal
t o d ay
tomorrow
67 / 53
66 / 62
2 Campus news
C ALEnDAR
TODAY 4:30 p.m. Liszt in the World, Granoff Center 8 p.m. Middle East Talks with Barney Frank, Salomon 101 5:30 p.m. Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem, John Carter Brown OCTObER 18 TOmORROW 2:30 p.m. Reading by Jed Berry, McCormack Family Theater OCTObER 19
MEnu
SHARpE REFECTORY Linguini with Tomato and Basil, Curried Chicken Saute, Italian Meatball Grinder VERNEY-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH Buffalo Wings with Bleu Cheese Dressing, Zucchini Parmesan Sandwich, Swiss Fudge Cookies
DINNER Artichoke and Red Pepper Frittata, Carne Gizado, Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Magic Bars Roasted Honey and Chili Chicken, Fettuccine with Baby Greens, Creamy Polenta, Magic Bars
SuDoku
After raising about $700,000, the fencing team will live to fight another day.
CR oSSWoRD
well. According to LeBlanc, that means the ski team will lose one of its two recruitment slots every other year. But, he said, I think we can deal with it fine. Thats one sacrifice were willing to make. Amato, the wrestling coach, ex-
pressed disappointment over losing admissions spots for recruits, saying student-athletes are just as worthy of being admitted as nonathletes. But he said the reduction in admissions spots and the fundraising challenge will work out.
Daily
the Brown
Herald
Matthew Burrows, Treasurer Isha Gulati, Secretary
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2011 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
edITORIAl
BuSIneSS
When Andrew Winters, former assistant to the vice president for student affairs at the University of Rhode Island, resigned his post in June under controversial circumstances, faculty members, alumni and local organizations rose to his defense. Winters, who worked at URI for 17 years and served as adviser to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Programs and Services beginning in 2001, resigned four months after receiving a critical letter in March from Kathryn Friedman, the associate vice president for community, equity and diversity appointed by the university in January. A group of faculty members convened in defense of Winters immediately after he received the
Vince Biagiotti 14 samples fare from Thayer Pita Pockets, which offers a mixed bag of wrapped foods.
way upset about Toledo going, said Isabel Harvey 12, who lives across from Thayer Pita Pockets. I think on College Hill there is a great demand for quick sandwiches with fresh ingredients. So it depends on the ingredients and the people in charge, said Tom Deighton 13. Grace Wu 13 does not eat at either pita pocket venue, but said her attitude is the more the merrier. Thayer Pita Pockets should keep its pizza cones, said Chris
Shikaso, a Providence local who visited the restaurant with a friend for dinner. I dont know anywhere else you can find it in the area. Many added that the new eatery should introduce more sandwich deli menus or a salad option. Thayer Pita Pockets is also serving menu specials with fountain drinks for $5 to $6. I want to give the students a little break, Najab said of the deal. He is planning a grand opening for the new eatery in the near future, he added.
Cones wear different hats at Thayer Pita Pockets, serving as containers for pizza toppings and receptacles for salads.
Protesters have been camping out in Burnside Park since Saturday evening.
Michael Wuertenberg
Seven Bank of America accounts in Providence have been shut down so far as part of the occupy protest. Above, the banks CEo Brian Moynihan.
6 editorial
EDIToRIAL In favor of semesters at Oxbridge
Browns guiding principle is that students should be the masters of their own education. The Office of International Programs decision to disallow semester-long study abroad programs at Cambridge University and Oxford University is not in keeping with this basic value. The OIPs new rule reflects a we-know-best mentality thoroughly inconsistent with the Brown philosophy. Though spending a full year abroad might indeed be optimal, the OIP should not force students to do things its way. Spending a full year at Oxford or Cambridge is clearly valuable. But that does not mean that it is the only legitimate approach to studying abroad at these prestigious schools. There are a number of reasons students might prefer to spend only a semester abroad. First, the early application deadlines for both Oxford and Cambridge are far before many newly minted sophomores have even begun to consider studying abroad. The OIPs decision prevents students who decide in their fourth Brown semester when most study abroad applications are due from studying at Oxford or Cambridge. Second, taking an entire year off means missing twice as much Brown time. Not having that extra Brown semester means students might not be able to make as much progress toward their concentrations. It also materially interferes with extra- and co-curricular activities. Because many student groups change leadership in the winter, many juniors return from abroad in January to leadership posts. The OIPs new policy will deprive students in the Oxford and Cambridge programs of this opportunity. Furthermore, a year is a long time to be away from friends, mentors and the sense of home Brown provides. Each moment on campus is precious. We maintain that a single semester abroad spent at Oxford or Cambridge makes for a legitimate, scholarly, even exhausting experience. Though their terms duration might be shorter than other schools, their reading lists certainly are not. It is laughable to refuse to offer single terms at such elite institutions while encouraging semesters at schools more noted for their proximity to the beach. The well-defined harm that will come of the OIPs decision far outweighs any educational benefit. It might be good to remind the OIP that the New Curriculum gave students the right to choose, the right to fail and above all the freedom to direct their own education. We do not claim that we will always get it right, but we do insist on the right to direct our own education. editorials are written by The heralds editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
EDIToRIAL CARToon
by lo r e n f u lto n
Whats the point of a civil union if you cant get an unlimited marital deduction?
Susan Gershkoff, local estate lawyer see civil unionS on page 1.
Letters, please!
letters@browndailyherald.com
CoRREC TIon
An article in Mondays Herald (Simmons lauds parents at final Family Weekend, Oct. 17) incorrectly stated that President Ruth Simmons gave her address on Friday. In fact, she spoke Saturday. The Herald regrets the error.
t h e b r ow n da i ly h e r a l d
Editors-in-chiEf sydney ember Ben schreckinger editorial kristina Fazzalaro rebecca Ballhaus claire Peracchio talia kagan amy rasmussen tony Bakshi alex Bell ethan Mccoy ashley McDonnell sam rubinroit anita Mathews sam carter hunter Fast arts & Culture editor City & state editor City & state editor Features editor assistant Features editor news editor news editor sports editor sports editor assistant sports editor editorial page editor opinions editor opinions editor ManaGinG Editors Brigitta greene anne speyer sEnior Editors Dan alexander nicole Friedman Julien ouellet Business GEnEral ManaGErs Matthew Burrows isha gulati aditi Bhatia Danielle Marshak Margot grinberg lisa Berlin officE ManaGEr shawn reilly
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opinions 7
Meal plan gone moldy
students are getting $3,444 worth of food. For students who find that the Ivy Room, Blue Room, Josiahs and the Gate usually have better food than the Sharpe Refectory or the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall, literally paying in cash is a much better use of ones money, and doing so avoids issues associated with meal credits. For starters, meal credits cannot always be used, and the entire meal credit is lost reon its balance sheet. Accepted at over 20 locations, MunchCard provides assorted cuisines at reasonable prices. Most meals cost less than $7, and many have additional discounts and packages for users. At an average of $7 a meal, students could buy a whopping 594 meals for the $4,158 they would otherwise spend on meal plan for a year. That is around 300 meals per semester, or 20 a week during the school year. 150 points good as $150, saving 50 bucks but losing 130 meals sounds like a pretty raw deal. Yet the Flex 330 people have it good when you consider that the off-campus meal plan students are paying $1,352 for 500 points and 50 meals. Treating points like cash again, that comes out to a little over $17 per meal credit. I hate to break it to those poor souls who are already on the off-campus plan, but dinner at the Ratty only costs $14.25 if you wanted to just pay in cash for those occasions you decide to eat there. It is not that the food on meal plan is all that bad. In fact, I happen to find that some of the on-campus eateries, like the Blue Room, Ivy Room and Jos, stack up pretty well with their peers on Thayer. But when it comes down to money, paying for meal plan just does not make all that much sense. With MunchCard taking the campus by storm 250 students already signed up a month into the semester students finally have another meal plan option. Dining Services take note, because, unless you get your act together, a gastronomic revolution is coming to College Hill. Soon, it will not just be the food that is past its shelf life, but on-campus meal plans too. Ethan Tobias 12 is in no way being compensated by MunchCard for this column, but is on the plan and would very much like you to join him.
By ETHAn ToBIAS
opinions Columnist
Something is rotten at Brown Dining Services, and it is not just the food (Campus eateries found selling expired food, Oct. 13). Dining Services forces its mediocre food upon us at exorbitant prices while many students have no choice in the matter first-years are required to participate and while others would like to cancel their plans, they can only do so in person during the first three weeks of school. It is not exactly the model of convenience. The entire system is driven toward forcing students onto meal plan. Students are automatically enrolled and re-enrolled in meal plan every year, adding a glaring $4,158 the cost of the Flex 460 plan or the 20 meals a week plan on top of the $40,000 or so that we already pay to come here. Somehow, after writing a check for nearly $50,000, an extra few thousand does not seem like very much. Yet hiding the cost of meal plan should not prevent us from seeing what a rip-off meal plan really is. First and foremost, the meal plans offer students a combination of credits and points totaling a lesser value than the cost of the plan. For Flex 460, taking the going rate of $6.40 per meal credit and adding it to the 500 points, one would find that
When it comes down to money, paying for meal plan just does not make all that much sense.
gardless of whether one rings up a dollars worth of food or the whole $6.40. Paying in cash eliminates losses from unused meal credits and provides an extra level of flexibility. Cash has an added bonus it is accepted everywhere. For too long, the shackles of meal plan have limited Thayer Streets myriad options limited to special occasions and that rare weekend meal for those living on Pembroke trying to make do while the V-Dub closes. Finally, however, students have an opportunity to do something about the situation. MunchCard, released this summer, offers students a way to vote against Dining Services policies where it counts
And MunchCard is an even better deal for students on smaller meal plans. For the $3,914 one might pay for Flex 330, which only entitles the purchaser to 330 meals and 350 points per year, MunchCard users will find that they can afford over 550 meals at the $7 per meal rate. MunchCard currently has no minimum payment and students can add money at any time that never expires. Meanwhile, in the complicated world of Dining Services pricing, students will find that the best deal is always to pick the largest meal plan. As was illustrated by Flex 460 and Flex 330, spending about $200 less on a meal plan cuts out 150 points and 130 meals. Seeing as how
All in all, Brown students frequent the Rock and the SciLi for different purposes so that different types of study, not students, set the tone for each.
Rock is not just the library on Prospect Street where you go to check out materials for your humanities or social sciences courses, just as the SciLi is not simply the multi-story building that is open 24 hours, five days a week. The Rock and the SciLi are pre-packaged concepts of study that we adhere to, criticize and help to maintain. For instance, lets think about the schemata we have built around them. First is the Rock, with its low-key atmosphere, mood lighting in the lobby area and somber, some-
catch up on the latest gossip and perhaps get a bit of work done in the company of other people. I will not deny that some of these assumptions are anchored in careful observations of what actually takes place in these two libraries. Yet I am bothered by Lebovitzs assertion that the Rock exists for a certain type of student the studious one whereas the SciLi is built to welcome its counterpart the social one. While it is true that these two libraries might impose a certain code of be-
W. GOLF
m. GOLF
The last two tournaments for the womens golf team were marked by both success and frustration the team placed second at the Richmond Invitational Oct. 10 and 11, and stayed in contention for the win for the majority of the tournament. But the teams string of successes, dating back to a second-place finish at the Princeton Invitational Sept. 24 and 25, ended in tough conditions this past weekend at the Harvard Invitational. The team made a strong showing at the 54-hole Richmond Invitational, shooting 917 for the weekend and coming close to forcing a team playoff. We had a great start, said Head Coach Danielle Griffiths. True team effort for second place thought we might have been tied for the win. Stephanie Hsieh 15 turned in a standout performance for Bruno, earning medalist honors for the tournament after birdieing the first hole of an individual playoff to give her the lowest overall score of the weekend, a dazzling one-under-par 215. It was definitely crazy, Hsieh said. I hadnt played that well in my life. Tried to focus on one shot at a time and not focus on future shots thats when you trip up. In her first year on the team, Hsieh has already proven herself a contender in every tournament. (Hsieh) made our team better in just one season, Griffiths said. Were very happy that shes here and leading us in our scores. Hsiehs strong play was complemented by the impressive play of the teams upperclassmen. Heather Arison 12 placed 12th individually with a 231 and Captain Megan Tuohys 12 233 earned 18th. Carly Arison 12 carded a 239, and Michelle Chen 15 shot 246. Cassandra Carothers 15, who played as an individual and whose score did not count toward the teams score, placed eighth individually with a 229 in her season debut. It was (Carothers) first tourna-
Courtesy of dspics.com
Megan Tuohy 12 hopes to lead the Womens Golf team this year.
ment, and she had a top-10 finish, Griffiths said. It was a great team showing. But the Harvard Invitational was a different story, as the team faced a talented field amid unfavorable conditions. The wind was blowing hard and the greens were tough, Griffiths said. Hardly anyone broke 80. Harvard shot 331 (Sunday) they havent shot that in almost five years. The 36-hole tournament proved to be the toughest of the fall thus far. The teams 658 for the weekend left them a sixth place finish for the tournament. The conditions were rough, Tuohy said. There was no place to miss. We had to be very accurate with our shots. Though Tuohy found the course difficult, she led the team for the weekend, shooting 158 and placing seventh individually.
Shes a great leader on and off the golf course, Griffiths said. Shes one of the best players in the Ivy League, and (Hsieh) is up there as well. Hsieh had the teams next best score of 164, followed by Heather Arison at 167 and Carly Arison at 173. The squad will finish its season at the Lehigh Invitational Oct. 22 and 23, competing in a field absent of Ivy League competition. I see (Hsieh) and (Tuohy) leading us at this tournament, Griffiths said. You know theyre going to play well, and it makes the other girls on our team more consistent as well. Tuohy said she believes the team is well prepared for the tournament and will look to end the season on a high note. We hope we can use this weekend to learn and improve, and look forward to a course that is well-suited to our team, she said.
The mens golf team concluded its tumultuous fall campaign last weekend, ending on a disappointing note at the Classic at Shelter Harbor. The team carded a 36-hole 633 at the Shelter Harbor Golf Club in Westerly, earning a 13th place finish in the field of 15. This weekend was disappointing under any circumstances, said Head Coach Michael Hughes. Though the team did not finish in the top half of competitors, it outshot Cornell, an Ivy League rival. We all threw away shots at some point, said Captain J.D. Ardell 13. All of our rounds could have been better. The team stuck with the young lineup it has used for most of the fall campaign. Justin Miller 15 posted another team-leading round of 156, and placed 31st individually in the tournament. I couldnt be happier with the way hes playing, Hughes said. Hes going to be a force to be reckoned with. Peter Callas 14, who did not participate in the Philadelphia Big 5 Invitational the previous weekend, was right on Millers tail, finishing with 158 for the weekend. Ardell turned in another solid round, shooting 160. John Grebs 15 164 and Kyohei Itamuras 14 172 rounded out the scoring. But Hughes said the underwhelming weekend, though at first worrisome, does not put a damper on his high expectations for the young team the roster is predominately made up of underclassmen. Were a young team, Hughes
said. Were going to get better as we get more seasoned and get used to the courses. Building on a season that has featured the lowest score in Brown mens golf history, as well as a last place finish at the Big 5, Hughes viewed the season as a true spectrum of how the team can play. We played a good event, then we played a clunker, Hughes said. We have to look at the entirety of the season. The fall campaign is a good learning experience, Ardell said. We get to compete against Ivy League teams and see how we compare to them, see their weaknesses and strengths stacked against ours. The ultimate goal is getting to the NCAA tour. The most likely way for the team to make it into the NCAA Division I Mens Golf Tournament is by winning the Ivy League Tournament during the spring season. Hughes said the team will take what it learned during the fall and tweak its game accordingly in order to pursue a berth in the spring. The fall season was overall a success, Hughes said. But were looking to getting back at it (in the spring) and get right on top of our game. Ardell echoed his coach. The big thing for us is going to work on our weaknesses and turn them into our strengths, he said. Though full of ups and downs, the fall season provides the team insight into what to work on for the spring. Both Ardell and Hughes see Brown as a team that can make its presence known in a perennially top-heavy Ivy League. Wait for the spring season, Ardell said.
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