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Light & Verity
November
2000
A
Trans-Atlantic Link for Online Courses
Yale,
Oxford, Princeton, and Stanford universities announced in September
that they have each invested $3 million in an alliance to provide
online courses and other distance education tools to their alumni.
The new nonprofit venture, known as the University Alliance
for Lifelong Learning, hopes to offer not-for-credit courses
to the schools' 500,000 combined alumni by the latter part of next
year.
Former Merrill Lynch
& Co. president Herbert M. Allison Jr. '65 has been named president and CEO
of the Alliance. President Richard Levin will chair its board of directors, which
includes representatives from each university. Besides Levin, the directors include
Priceline.com chief financial officer Heidi Miller '79PhD and venture capitalist
G. Leonard Baker '64, who recently joined the Yale Corporation.
The members of the
new alliance will spend the fall and winter determining the content and method
of delivery for the courses. "Our offerings will be shaped by our alumni, whom
we'll want to be involved early on," says Allison. Faculty, too, will be consulted
about how to best structure the material, he says. "We want to intrude on their
time as little as possible while still creating worthwhile courses for the alumni."
The Association of
Yale Alumni has been working on a pilot online learning program over the past
year, and AYA president Jeffrey Brenzel '75 says the lessons learned from that experience and from similar programs at the other universities will be incorporated
into the Alliance's work. Levin expects the Alliance to "play an important role
in setting the standard for distance education in the arts and sciences. By cooperating,
we believe we can contribute far more than could any one institution alone."
Branford
Moves In With Much Undone
Branford College
students anticipating their return from exile in the "swing dorm" got an unpleasant surprise as the school year began: The
student rooms in the newly renovated college were ready to be occupied,
but work on most of the public spaces -- including the dining
hall, common room, library, and master's house -- was not to be
completed until well into the fall term. A small makeshift kitchen
and dining tent in the college's courtyard allowed students to have
continental breakfasts and occasional dinners together, but students
transferred to other colleges for most of their meals.
The renovation
of Branford began in the summer of 1999 and was scheduled to be
done before students returned. While unforeseen construction problems
and labor shortages contributed to the delay, University officials
said the contractor, Barclay
White, Inc., was also responsible. "Even acknowledging the problems
they ran into, we were not satisfied with their performance," says
Arch Currie, director of project management in the Office of Facilities.
But Barclay White president Edwin Jorden says the delays were inevitable, especially given changes Yale made late in the process. "Everyone
involved has responsibility," says Jorden, "but to point the finger
at Barclay White is not fair."
Because of the delays,
the University scrapped its plans to award Barclay White the contract
for the renovations of adjacent Saybrook College -- actually the
second phase of what was conceived as a single $100 million project.
Instead, the Saybrook phase has been provisionally awarded to Fusco
Management Company, the New Haven contractor that built Yale's swing
dorm and the Lanman Center at Payne
Whitney Gymnasium. Currie says that the Saybrook renovations
have been set back by the change in contractors, but that Fusco
took the job with the understanding that it is to be completed by
the end of next summer.
A
Semi-Good Word for Tobacco
Most schizophrenics
are heavy smokers, and in recent studies, Tony P. George M.D., an assistant professor
of psychiatry, has shown both why they are so addicted to tobacco and how to help
them break the habit. "Schizophrenics often say that smoking helps them be more
alert and deal with stress," says George. "Our findings support the idea that
they might be using nicotine for self-medication."
In the July issue
of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology,
George and his colleagues at Yale and at the Connecticut Mental Health Center
reported on an experiment in which rats were subjected to electric shocks to their
feet, a regimen thought to mimic the conditions prevailing in the human brain
during stress. "The typical response is that the animals freeze, just as we do
when we hear a car backfire," says George.
The freezing is caused
by shock-induced changes in the regulation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that
in part governs movement, but when the researchers gave the rats nicotine, "they
froze less." Dopamine, working in concert with brain chemicals called endogenous
opioids, is also involved in cognition, and when George gave the rats naloxone,
a substance that blocks opioids, the animals performed less well. "We found that
nicotine can have cognitive enhancing effects," said the scientist.
Although smoking
may help schizophrenics feel sharper mentally, the cigarette habit is nonetheless
deadly. However, in a paper in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry,
George and his colleagues turned their newfound understanding of brain biology
into a more effective strategy for smoking cessation. Several newly developed
antischizophrenic drugs work by providing better regulation of the dopamine systems,
and when these medications were used in combination with nicotine patches in a
study involving 45 patients with schizophrenia and nicotine dependence, "the drugs
seemed to compensate for the effect nicotine had been having," said George. "They
quit smoking at nearly three times the expected rate."
An
Online Home For Anxious Frosh
The summer before
freshman year can be a time of anxiety, as students -- many of whom do not know
anyone at Yale -- face questions about courses, socializing, and the logistics
of dorm life. Brad Rosen '04 of Rockaway, New Jersey, was just such a student.
Not content to wait
until September, Rosen took the initiative and created www.yalies2004.com,
a Web site that helped freshmen get to know each other and answer
questions about Yale.
The site,
unaffiliated with Yale and hosted by the consumer server Tripod,
quickly became a hit this summer, thanks to what Rosen calls "wicked
word of mouth." Starting with five e-mail addresses he collected
at Bulldog Days, a spring event for admitted students, Rosen spread
the word and ended up with a quarter of the class registered at
his site.
On the site's discussion
groups, entering freshmen asked for help with questions such as which English
class to take and whether to bring a bicycle. Students also used the site to chat
with their suitemates and students with like interests.
Rosen thinks the
success of his site indicates a need that Yale would be wise to fill. "Yale inundates
freshmen with so many different forms from different departments," says Rosen.
"The site helped sort out questions. It made freshman year a less scary experience."
"Regret"
Over Seized Magazines
After rejecting
three formal complaints related to the removal of copies of the
conservative publication Light & Truth from freshman
mailboxes a year ago ("Light
& Verity,"
Sum.), Yale College dean Richard Brodhead addressed the matter in
a letter to the Yale Daily News in September, expressing his regret
over the incident.
The editors of the
magazine filed complaints in the spring against three University officials -- Ezra Stiles dean Susan Rieger, assistant dean of student affairs Edgar Letriz-Nunez,
and deputy director of public affairs Thomas Conroy -- over their alleged roles
in the matter. Brodhead said the complaints against the deans were "ineligible
for consideration" because of a rule that grievances must be brought within 45
days of an incident. (Conroy, whom the editors said made misleading statements
to the media about the affair, is not subject to the dean's disciplinary system.)
But the Light & Truth editors say Letriz-Nunez discouraged them from
making such a complaint, assuring them they would be allowed to send their fall
"Survival Guide" issue to freshmen over the summer. Letriz-Nunez says the idea
was discussed but that no promises were made. The editors had also charged that
Rieger threatened them when they complained about the incident, telling them "Don't
forget, I write recommendations," a charge Rieger denies.
Brodhead wrote in
the letter that the counselors removed the magazines in accordance with a policy
designed to "restrict student organizations from contacting and soliciting freshmen
during the first few days after their arrival." He blamed "confusion" among counselors
about this policy for the episode. "However much it may have resulted from a misunderstanding,"
Brodhead wrote, "the removal of Light & Truth without making another
arrangement for its distribution was a violation of University principle. As the
person ultimately responsible for the administration of Yale College, I express
my regret to the editors of Light & Truth and to the community for
this occurrence."
In an
op-ed article in the next day's News, Light & Truth editor Justin
Zaremby '03 said that the Dean's ruling on the complaints had been
appealed to the Yale Corporation. Zaremby also stood by the magazine's
allegations about Rieger and Letriz-Nunez.
Co-op's
Partner Calls It Quits
After
surviving the loss of its quasi-official
status to Barnes & Noble three years ago and a subsequent
move to the Chapel Square Mall, the Yale Co-op took another blow
this fall when Wallace's Bookstores, Inc., the Lexington, Kentucky
retailer that had agreed to manage the Co-op in 1998, backed out
of the deal, leaving the 112-year-old member-owned cooperative.without
a partner and with an uncertain future.
Wallace's vice president
Tim Prather said the Co-op's "financial deterioration" (it is currently in Chapter
11 bankruptcy) was the reason for the company's decision. But Matthew Nemerson
'81MPPM, president of the nonprofit group that owns the Chapel Square Mall, says
that Wallace's didn't follow through with their marketing plan, which called for
the Co-op to become a "crossover store" serving both Yale students and downtown
workers. "It ended up being Yale bookstore Lite," says Nemerson.
The store was scheduled
to close on October 31 unless a new management plan was approved by a creditors'
committee and the bankruptcy court before that date. Mike Thompson, president
of the Co-op board of directors, said that the store's staff was preparing a proposal
under which the store would be managed by its employees. The board was also expecting
proposals from vendors to operate the Co-op's medical branch on York Street.
Sophomores
See The City Up Close
Orientation isn't
just for freshmen anymore. After a year of getting comfortable with their "home
base" of Yale, a small number of returning sophomores now take advantage of a
weeklong Dwight Hall program called FOCUS that is designed to broaden students'
perspectives as residents of New Haven.
"We want students
to get excited about New Haven," said Alice Ricks '01, who coordinates the program
along with Deirdre Lehn '01 and Quinnie Tan '01. Sponsored by the Office of New
Haven and State Affairs, FOCUS was held this year from August 25-31, with 65 sophomores
and 24 upperclassmen leaders participating. The sophomores toured neighborhoods
far from Yale's shadow and heard local leaders discuss issues such as homelessness
and education. They volunteered for a one-day cleanup event along the West River
and performed physical labor for nonprofit organizations.
"In choosing projects,"
said Ricks, "our primary goal is to find agencies that need us to provide useful
work." This year, the students' tasks ranged from painting murals to clearing
land for community gardens.
The program lasts
only a week, but students say its benefits are long-term. Some take away an increased
interest in activism or community service, while others are pleased simply to
learn how to use public transportation. "Overall," Tan said, "I think it's fair
to say that everyone leaves FOCUS liking New Haven better."
Football
Team Wins Number 800 (and 801)
While Yale's recent
success in the small pond of Ivy League football has been satisfying, one seldom
sees nationwide superlatives applied to the Bulldogs anymore. But in this year's
opening game against the University of Dayton, Yale earned national attention
by doing something no other college team had ever done: It recorded its 800th
win, 128 years after its first (against Columbia) and just two weeks ahead of
Michigan. Immediately after the win, the game ball was sent to the College Football
Hall of Fame, where it is on display accompanied by a plaque with the names of
all the Yale players in the game.
The 42-6 win over
Dayton at the Bowl was more than a historic milestone, though. While Dayton was
not expected to be a strong opponent, the Bulldogs had an outstanding day on offense.
Going into the season, the biggest question mark in the otherwise experienced
Yale offense was quarterback Peter Lee, a junior transfer from Wisconsin who must
fill the shoes of Joe Walland '00. Lee performed well, completing 19 of 23 passes
for 193 yards and two touchdowns. For his part, senior running back Rashad Bartholomew
rushed for 201 yards on 23 carries and scored three touchdowns.
The convincing win
over Dayton was followed the next week by a heartbreaking last-minute loss to
Cornell in Ithaca. With two minutes remaining in the closely fought game, the
Big Red scored a touchdown to go ahead 24-23. Yale answered with a swift 65-yard
drive into Cornell territory, setting up a 32-yard field goal try with two seconds
left on the clock. But the attempt by the usually sure-footed kicker Mike Murawczyk
'01 was inches to the left. Bartholomew had another strong day, though, rushing
for 180 yards and becoming the eighth Eli to rush for more than 2,000 career yards.
Back at the Bowl on September 30, the Bulldogs scored a 33-27 victory against
non-Ivy opponent Holy Cross, but not before the Crusaders threatened what had
seemed like a comfortable 19-point halftime lead.
While Yale may continue
to lead the nation in number of victories for a bit longer, it is unlikely the
Bulldogs will be the first to hit 900. Michigan plays 11 games a year (12 if they
make a bowl appearance) compared to Yale's 10. But the milestone that matters
to this year's Bulldogs is another Ivy championship, which will be a challenge
after the loss to Cornell, the team picked in preseason polling along with Yale
to win the title.  |
