Professional Documents
Culture Documents
vol. cxlv, no. 5 | Tuesday, February 2, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891
Pictures and fliers line the walls of the Patrick Tardieu, the chief conserva-
hallway at Elmwood Avenue Church tor at Haiti’s oldest library — the
of God in Providence. There are pho- Bibliotheque Haitienne des Peres
tos of the congregation as they sing, du Saint-Esprit in Port-au-Prince —
pray and participate in other church is the John Carter Brown Library’s
and community events. newest visiting scholar. Tardieu ar-
rived in Providence Monday morn-
METRO ing after a two-week stay with family
in Montreal, where he sought refuge
Among these photographs and after the earthquake in Haiti.
posters, though, one letter stands But Tardieu’s responsibilities
out. It relays the news of the death of and status at the librar y remain
Elysee Joseph in the earthquake that unclear after the rush to get him
devastated Haiti last month. Joseph Courtesy of Jeopardy! Productions
here.
had been the coordinator of poverty Rebecca Maxfield ’13 competed in “Jeopardy!”’s college championship tournament, which will air Feb. 3. Tardieu managed to escape Haiti
relief efforts in Haiti for the Church to Montreal on Jan. 15 on a Cana-
of God, a Christian denomination to
which Elmwood belongs. In his life,
Joseph had visited the church —
Freshman’s ‘Jeopardy!’ bid airs Wed. dian relief plane’s return trip, he
said. A colleague of John Carter
Brown Librar y Director Edward
which serves 400 members of the By Ashley Aydin “Jeopardy!”’s latest college cham- game, and finally, last semester, Widmer put him in touch with Tar-
Haitian diaspora in Rhode Island — on Contributing Writer pionship tournament, which in- was flown to the taping in Cali- dieu, Widmer said.
multiple occasions. cluded participants from many fornia. “He’s not a refugee if he has a
As the largest Haitian congrega- Rebecca Maxfield ’13 has always universities around the nation. “I hadn’t been expecting it one home,” said Widmer, motioning to
tion in the state reels with the rest of been a fan of “Jeopardy!,” but she To get on the show, Maxfield way or another. I kind of forgot the library. “A network of people is
Rhode Island’s Haitian community at never thought she would actually said she first had to complete an about it actually, but it was really coming together now that has never
the unfolding crisis, many are find- compete on the show. She finally online test. After scoring high exciting when I found out,” Max- even existed.”
ing ways to move forward with relief got her chance in a show taped enough, Maxfield advanced to field said. Tardieu is living in housing pro-
efforts for their home country. Yet this winter and airing Wednesday an audition in Boston, where she The college championship vided by the library for its visiting
even as the Elmwood Church takes night at 7:30. had to complete another test. Soon
in donations of food and clothes for Maxfield competed in after, she practiced how to play the continued on page 2 continued on page 3
the survivors in Haiti, Rhode Island’s
Haitian diaspora must deal both with
News....1–3
Nation.....4
News, 2 Metro, 5 Opinions, 7 The blog today
Metro........5 AIDING HAITI ’TIL DEATH DO WE PART AN AmAZONIAN LAW JWW GETS A NICKNAME
Editorial..6 WBRU spun the tracks, R.I. domestic partners can Yue Wang ’12 doesn’t want Pop culture ruins yet
Opinion...7 listeners gave the cash now make the necessary to pay RI sales tax on her another American
Today........8 arrangements online textbooks institution
Daily Herald
“Jeopardy!”’s contestant pool to in- pating in trivia competitions such as “I thought it was incredible,” she
the Brown
clude more women, minorities and aired Quizbowl challenges against said.
students,” wrote Jeff Ritter, senior other academic teams in high school Bella said she was very excited
Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 publicist of “Jeopardy!,” in an e-mail and the New York state geography to be in the audience.
George Miller, President Katie Koh, Treasurer to The Herald. championship, in which she earned “You’re at the edge of the seat
Claire Kiely, Vice President Chaz Kelsh, Secretary The tournament included 15 stu- 11th place. the whole time because it’s not re-
The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serv- dents from universities including “She loves that stuff,” Bella ally like any one person dominates
ing the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday Penn, Yale, Columbia, the Univer- said. for the whole. It was lots of fun,”
through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during sity of California at Los Angeles and Maxfield said she didn’t study she said.
Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily
Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each members of the community.
other prestigious schools competing intensely for the competition. The tournament’s quarterfinals
POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI for a $100,000 cash prize. “I’m always on sporcle.com, a will air from February 1 to 5 at 7:30
02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 Maxfield said her experience trivia quiz site — which is what I’m pm on CBS WPRI-TV. Maxfield will
Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. wasn’t intimidating at all because on right now actually,” said Max- be on the February 3 show at 7:30
World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com.
Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily.
she had competed in Quizbowl in field. p.m. The tournament will run until
Copyright 2010 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. high school and still participates in She said she has always been a February 12 when a winner will be
Quizbowl at Brown. fan of “Jeopardy!,” but she did not announced.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Page 3
higher ed roundup
by heeyoung min
Haitian library creates link with JCB
senior staff writer
continued from page 1
www.diamondsandcoal.com
World & Nation
The Brown Daily Herald
R.I. Haitians offer hope, help for home Schiller attributed the “cycle
of veto and overturn” to the re-
but she stopped short of defining
the pre-registration bill in strictly
lationship between Carcieri, who political terms.
continued from page 1 needed help,” Wagnac said. But there is hope for Haiti, Wag- is prohibited by term limits from “I look at it not as a partisan
Gabriel expressed a similar senti- nac and Gabriel said, to come out of seeking reelection, and a Demo- issue but as an education issue,”
which he has not visited since 2002. ment. “It was a disaster before the the devastation of the earthquake cratic legislature emboldened by she said.
He has his own family here, but his disaster,” she said. stronger than before. Wagnac hopes the governor’s lame duck status. Rep. David Segal, D-Dist. 2,
aunts and uncles in Haiti were the Wagnac expressed concern that international help will spur the institu- Democratic support for the pre- lauded the changes for “encourag-
ones who took care of him when his although the aid that is now pouring tion of better building codes, marked registration bill was strengthened ing people to engage in the political
parents moved to the United States in in is welcome, it is not getting to the streets, and improved phone service by new evidence linking youth mo- process throughout their lives,”
the 1980s and he stayed in Haiti until people of Haiti. He recalls being con- on the island. Wagnac said with im- bilization to votes for Democrats, though he recused himself from
they could send for him. founded by an incident reported on proved regulations and more con- Schiller said. voting on the reform bills due to
Fortunately for Wagnac, his visit- CNN in which the medicine at a Hai- struction hopefully will come more Also a factor for the support for his prior work on behalf of FairVote
ing aunt was able to call the church tian airport sat around without being jobs to stimulate the economy. It will the Senate vacancies legislation at the national level.
and let them know she was fine. Other distributed to the sick. Gabriel feels take time, both said, but they remain was a rumor that when Department The pre-registration act had
friends and family members in the the international aid efforts could be adamant that the people of Haiti have of Defense Secretary Robert Gates passed in the General Assembly
United States told Wagnac that they better organized, including the differ- the resolve. resigns, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., multiple times in past years, but
had made contact with his loved ones ent local groups that are trying to help “It could take us a long time, will be a favorite to take his place, until recently, had always been
in Haiti, though he has not been able but should, in her opinion, collaborate but we will get out of it because we according to Schiller. Rhode Is- killed by a veto, Segal said.
to talk to them himself so far. instead of working alone. are strong,” Gabriel said. “We have land legislators would like to avoid Opponents of the legislation
But even knowing friends and fam- “It’s wonderful to see how many faith.” the messy and protracted Senate were concerned that allowing
ily are alive, the situation for Rhode countries are willing to help Haiti,” Wagnac and Gabriel say they are vacancy struggles like those that pre-registration would add a new
Island’s Haitians remains distressing. said Gabriel, “but we don’t know driven by faith and religious deter- took place recently in Illinois and category of voters that could be
Marie Gabriel, the founder and presi- who’s in charge.” mination, even when faced with the New York, she said. manipulated for the purpose of
dent of the Rhode Island-based Haiti Still, Gabriel emphasizes that the denouncement of fellow Christians. Ari Savitzky ’06 — the chair- fraud, according to Segal. But the
Charity Hope Foundation, said she aid is “a blessing,” and Wagnac said Neither of them heard Pat Robert- man of FairVote Rhode Island, an positive results of similar legis-
has siblings in Haiti now sleeping in he is pleased to see so many parties son’s remarks that Haiti was suffering organization that supported both lation in states such as Florida,
the streets. The house her sister lived working together. Their own groups as a result of long ago signing a “pact electoral reform bills — hails their North Carolina and Hawaii have
in was damaged in the earthquake. — the Elmwood Church and Gabriel’s with the Devil” directly, though they recent passage as “a great thing for largely assuaged those fears, he
Although it has not collapsed, Gabriel foundation — are putting together have heard the general idea. Wagnac Rhode Island’s democracy.” said.
said her sister feared it was not safe. efforts to aid Haiti. Wagnac spent last said he found the remarks tasteless. Being registered to vote is “On the whole, the reforms
A school next to the site where some Saturday morning and afternoon col- “I’m not saying he’s lying about one of the most important deter- should encourage people’s faith in
of her family members live did col- lecting all of the donations that have it, I’m not saying he’s making it up,” minants of electoral participation, governance structures and encour-
lapse in the earthquake, leaving all poured in from other churches and Wagnac said, “but this is not the right especially for young people, and age participation,” Segal said.
of the children buried inside. Gabriel organizations, who have dropped off time to say those things while people
said reports from Haiti indicated that food and clothing with the Elmwood are hurting, and it might prevent cer-
rescue workers had yet to search the Church. However, he still needs an- tain people from helping out.”
rubble. other container for storing all of the Wagnac does, though, maintain
The Haitian government, Wagnac donations that have poured in, and that God works in “mysterious ways”
and Gabriel both said, is corrupt and someone to handle the items’ ship- and should be a source of comfort for
has failed its citizens by not creating ping. those grieving.
the infrastructure needed to deal with Gabriel, for her part, is concerned “We have no right to question
a disaster of this caliber. that the necessary resources are not him,” he said. “By praising and wor-
Haiti had been struggling with available to continue building — or to shipping him, we find joy even with www.blogdailyherald.com
poverty and corruption before the
destruction wrought by the earth-
reconstruct — the foundation’s proj-
ects in Haiti, including an orphanage
this disaster. That’s what God’s there
for — to give you joy.”
www.diamondsandcoal.com
quake. Though Wagnac and Gabriel for children. She and the foundation Gabriel said they must learn to
both praise the international relief are organizing fundraising events forgive Robertson for his “ignorant”
efforts, both expressed their belief — including one with the Elmwood remarks, saying they were inappropri-
that Haiti’s inability to cope with the Church over a week ago — and she is ate coming from a fellow Christian.
disaster is a consequence of the coun- working to put together a plan to visit “Why don’t you go give people the
try’s preexisting circumstances. Haiti in late February, with at least two gospel?” she said. “We need support.
“Way before that earthquake, we mission trips planned thereafter. We need prayer.”
Editorial & Letters
The Brown Daily Herald
l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r
corrections
E R I K S T AY T O N A N D E VA N D O N A H U E
In a column in Thursday’s Herald (“In defense of Ruth,” Jan. 28), an incorrect
value was given for the losses to the Brown endowment over the course of
the current financial crisis. In fact, the endowment lost $740 million over e d i to r i a l
the 12 months ending June 30.
t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s
1 3 2
c a l e n da r comics
Today, February 2, 2010 tomorrow, February 3, 2010 Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline
menu
Sharpe Refectory Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
Lunch — Chourico with Potatoes Lunch — Tomato Quiche, Italian
and Onions, Linguini with Tomato and Vegetable Saute, Coconut Crescent
Basil, Chocolate Oatmeal Squares Cookies
crossword