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vol. cxliv, no. 80 | Wednesday, October 7, 2009 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Simmons presses case against pending tax bills 2012, sophomores declaring
concentrations will be required
to include information on their
By Nicole Friedman Brown already contributes to the tax private colleges up to $150 per in 2003 to pay the city a combined writing abilities and experiences,
Senior Staff Writer local economy by creating jobs and semester, per out-of-state student. contribution of $2.4 million per year Bergeron told The Herald after
paying taxes on properties that are The other bill would let cities collect for 20 years in an effort to somewhat the meeting.
President Ruth Simmons, speaking not exempt. up to 25 percent of property taxes offset the revenue the city forfeits Bergeron said the CCC plans
at a faculty meeting Tuesday, reiter- The University is “working from nonprofits — which are usually because of the schools’ tax-exempt to collaborate with departments
ated the University’s opposition to closely with other colleges and uni- tax-exempt — whose holdings are status. The majority of Brown’s and concentrations to “help them
proposed state legislation levying versities to convey our opposition” valued at more than $20 million. properties — though not all — are work out a plan.” The CCC is cur-
fees on private universities for their to the two bills being reviewed in Both bills would cost Brown tax-exempt. rently working to make funds
out-of-state students and valuable the Rhode Island General Assembly, millions. In fiscal year 2009, the University available for faculty who want to
real estate. Simmons said. The four private colleges and create courses in their discipline
She also emphasized the ways One bill would allow cities to universities in Providence agreed continued on page 2 that would support the writing re-
quirement, she said.
Those courses, Bergeron said,
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3
C ampus N EWS —
“We were very well positioned to apply for these grants,”
Professor of Medical Science Kim Boekelheide, on Brown’s securing of stimulus money
C ampus N EWS —
“It does seem like there’s a trend upward.”
David Targan, associate dean of the College for science education, on women in sciences
effort to stay positive and work hard this conference victory in their two
By Tony Bakshi
Wideout Farnham ’10 decorated
Contributing Writer in each game,” Chun said. “My goals scheduled games this week. They
were just rewards that enabled us to face the University of Maine (4-4-2) in Wide-receiver Buddy Farnham ’10 picked up a pair of
The women’s soccer team (3-5-0, 1-1-0 reflect our hard work with wins on an away game tonight and come back honors after starring in the football team’s rain-soaked 28-
Ivy League) bounced back from an the scoreboard.” to the friendly confines of Stevenson 20 victory over URI Saturday, securing the Governor’s Cup
opening loss The Bears also received an out- Field on Saturday to face Princeton for the first time in his four years at Brown.
Brown 1 in league play standing performance from goalie (4-6-1, 0-2-0). Farnham was named the National Special Teams Player
Columbia 0 this weekend, Steffi Yellin ’10, who earned the shut- Time will tell if the Bears continue of the Week by The Sports Network and the Ivy League
pulling out a out with two saves off nine shots faced their climb up the Ivy League stand- Offensive Player of the Week.
1-0 victory over the Columbia Lions overall. The Lions ratcheted up their ings, but players agree that the win Among his five catches for 100 yards, Farnham snagged
in New York. offense in the second half — taking against Columbia was an excellent touchdown passes of 32 and 42 yards. His four punt
Joyce Chun ’11 scored the decisive six shots to Brown’s three — but start. returns for 97 yards, the third-best return yardage in school
goal once again, marking the second Yellin was up to the challenge. “This definitely puts us back in history, included a 67-yard return that set up another Brown
time in the last three games she has In the 57th minute, Yellin made the run for the Ivy (Championship),” touchdown. He also returned three kickoffs for 77 yards.
notched a game-winner late in the a diving save off a shot from Colum- Stone said. “It’s definite motivation for
second half. Chun capitalized on a bia midfielder Ashley Mistele. Later us to keep winning.” — Sports Staff Reports
through ball played by Gina Walker on, in the tense final minutes follow- “Last season we had a couple of
’11 in the 81st minute, and tucked the ing Chun’s goal, Yellin came up big opening losses, which hurt us,” she
ball into the back of the net before once more. She dove to her left and added. “This year, we’re hoping to Volleyball falls to Yale in Ivy opener, 3-0
Lions goalie Lillian Klein could come blocked Lauren Cooke’s blistering start winning in the beginning and
off her line. free kick to preserve the victory for keep going until the end.” The volleyball team lost to Ivy champion Yale, 3-0, on
Chun said she did not want to the Bears. Chun agreed. Friday in a rough start to its Ivy League season.
take too much credit for her recent “Steffi played really well,” said de- “Each Ivy League game is a 50/50 The Bulldogs (11-1, 1-0 Ivy) have lost only four sets thus
goal-scoring streak, attributing her fender Sylvia Stone ’11. “Columbia battle, but this team is probably the far in one of their best starts in school history. The loss
success to the overall effort of her plays a lot of direct soccer, a lot of long most talented team I’ve been on since drops the Bears’ record to 4-8 this season and 0-1 in the
teammates. balls over the defense, and Steffi isn’t my three years here at Brown,” she league.
“My opportunities to score were afraid to come off the line at all.” said. “I truly believe we have a shot “The scores may not show it, but the girls fought all the
a result of the team’s collaborative The Bears will look to build on at winning this year.” way through the match,” said Head Coach Diane Short. “I
think it was a really good learning experience for the team.”
l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r
e d i to r i a l
A lopsided tradeoff
more reasonable to cut the program to save hundreds of its own students. Because the rate. On the other hand, if the study group
a few extra bucks after a couple of tough eco- new program offers many fewer courses, and caters to the most challenged in the group,
Jonathan
nomic seasons. That this is a decision devoid more students will be assigned to each tu- the study session will cease to be helpful for
Topaz of financial considerations exhibits extremely tor, hundreds of these Brown tutors are now the others.
questionable judgment. unnecessary. These students lost not only Every student is unique. Every student
Opinions Columnist
In a most lopsided trade, the University has a source of compensation, but also a major understands different things with different
“replaced” the Peer Tutoring program with the extra-curricular activity. The administration depth and at a different pace. Every student
The next time the Brown administration “Facilitated Group Study” program, a plan in is, plain and simple, throwing these students has a different learning style. Remedial tutor-
wants to cut an extremely popular program which “academic coaches” will oversee study under the bus. ing is lost in this new group study format.
that accommodates struggling students and groups of three to six students. Third, it is apparent that individual study Van Dam also points out that students who
employs hundreds of others, perhaps they The Peer Tutoring program offered indi- sessions are much more helpful for the stu- are struggling intensely will be less likely to
should take a simple poll first. vidual help for more than 200 courses, while dents who needed tutoring the most. “One-on- speak up in a group session. “In small group
This is the question that should have been the Facilitated Group Study program cur- one tutoring is needed to get to the root of the interactions, students who are in most need
posed to the Brown community: Would you of help are often so shy, demoralized or even
prefer to be tutored in a one-on-one context, or plain scared that they wouldn’t speak up and
in groups of three to six? On second thought, be intimidated by others who seem to them
though, perhaps the poll would be unneces- That eliminating the Peer Tutoring program is to be ‘getting it.’” This new group setting too
sary. The result would be too obvious. closely resembles a class or section in which
Surely anyone who thinks rationally would a purely academic decision exhibits extremely students are often intimidated to admit that
prefer to be given private lessons—in which
they would have their individual needs met
questionable judgment. they do not understand.
While the Brown administration stands
— than group lessons. One only needs to look by to see if this program works, students
at the free market for lessons in any context are struggling. At an institution that prides
(SAT prep, tennis, music lessons, etc.), and rently offers only 18. Furthermore, the new struggling student’s difficulty,” says Computer itself on independence and self-sufficiency,
they will invariably find that private tutoring program currently does not offer tutoring in Science Professor Andries Van Dam. Group the Peer Tutoring program was a valued and
is significantly more expensive than group any humanities or social sciences disciplines study cannot begin to replace the individual comforting resource for students who felt
tutoring. besides economics and is restricted to certain attention granted in a one-on-one setting. themselves slipping through the cracks. If
Neglecting conventional wisdom and public foreign languages, sciences and math. Much of the problem is that, in a group this new experiment is really about the budget
opinion, the Brown administration eliminated The new program is of course in its in- study, students are not all in the same place. problem, the Brown community deserves to
the Peer Tutoring program (“Peer tutoring fant phase, and will presumably dramatically Foreign language students who are in between know. If not, we deserve our Peer Tutoring
program axed, cited as ineffective,” Sept. 29) expand. However, as the first round of mid- levels and are looking to be tutored so they program back.
long a staple at our University. Dean Bergeron, terms start up, students are struggling now. can catch up to a level that Brown offers are
who notified the Brown community by e-mail While the administration has made provi- completely left out in this group study plan.
on Sept. 28, assured students and faculty that sions to allow individual tutoring on a very More to the point, though, group study
“this (decision) was not driven by the budget. selective basis, it seems impossible that the is simply an ineffective strategy for students Jonathan Topaz ’12 will probably be in
It is about maximizing resources.” Facilitated Group Study program can accom- who are truly struggling. When placed with desperate need for a tutor once he gets
This is more disconcerting than what I modate anywhere near 200 courses within students who understand course material bet- his first graded assignments back.
had originally thought. After a spring and the semester. ter, these students will be left in the dust as the He can be reached at
summer full of budget cuts, it would seem The University is effectively laying off study group progresses at a more accelerated Jonathan.Topaz@gmail.com
t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s
c a l e n da r comics
Today, october 7 Thursday, october 8
Vagina Dentata | Soojean Kim
11 am — Marrow/Peripheral Blood- 4 PM — “Doing Good or Doing Well?
Forming Cell Donor Drive, Sayles Ethics in the Pharmaceutical Indus-
Hall try,” Salomon 101
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Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
DOWN
By Lee Glickstein
1 Eve’s mate (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
10/07/09