Tuesday, September 6, 2011Daily Heraldthe Brown

Since 1891vol. cxlvi, no. 59

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Campus News, 3

All QuietBsR loses signal and goes online only

welcome, class of 2015

eDitoRs’ Note, 10 wea

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By NAtAlie villAcortASenior Staff Writer

President Ruth Simmons will keep her promise to give every member of the class of 2015 a hug, she said at her welcome speech on the Main Green Sunday. As she has done in the past, Simmons addressed her oration to the “most beautiful class to ever enter Brown.”

While warm and light-hearted at times, her message was also one of humility — something not fre-quently touted in the halls of aca-demia, she said. “Humility is not always easy to nurture,” she said. “But nurture it if you can because it will open doors for you that oth-

erwise will remain closed.”Simmons reminded incoming

students that, though academic achievement is important, it is only one way to advance society.

She encouraged the new stu-dents to be constantly open to learning. “It’s almost impossible to learn well if you believe you have all of the answers already,” she said.

Simmons mingled with stu-dents and their parents before the ceremony began, getting a jump-start on her promised hugs and posing for photos. Apple Liu ’15, who posed for a picture

Promising hugs, Simmons welcomes the class of 2015

By AsHley McDoNNellSportS editor

Football fans love a big hit. But when that hit is a helmet-to-helmet collision, it can have major con-sequences: a concussion or even the possibility of long-term brain damage.

To reduce the risk of head in-juries, the Ivy League announced July 20 that it will slash the number of full-contact practices its football teams can hold each week. Under NCAA rules, teams can have up to five full-contact practices per week, but the Ivy League will now only allow two full-contact practices per week.

Out of concern for head inju-ries, the Bears had already vol-untarily limited their full-contact practices to the levels permitted by the new rules, said Head Coach Phil Estes.

Since 2007, the football team has been playing with sensors in most players’ helmets that mea-sure how hard, how fast and where impacts occur. “We’re going to put that together to see if it’s the num-ber of hits or if it’s the impact” of

Ivies limit full-contact practices

By AlexANDrA MAcFArlANeStaff Writer

Deep in the heart of the former Jewelry District and burgeoning knowledge district, the new home of Warren Alpert Medical School is making Providence stronger, said Ed Wing, professor of medi-cine and dean of medicine and bi-ological sciences, at the building’s opening ceremony last month.

Though the building, located at 222 Richmond St., housed an of-fice complex only sixteen months ago, the renovated space now fea-tures anatomy labs, classrooms with advanced technology and a sun-lit atrium dominating the center of each floor.

“Believe it or not, 222 Rich-mond St. gives us medical stu-dents a reason to be excited about studying,” said Jenna Lester MD’14, who spoke at the Aug. 15 ceremony.

At the event, Wing said stu-dents played a significant role in designing the building.

The classrooms are specifi-cally designed for current and incoming students, with lecture halls compatible with the new-est technology and anatomy labs customized with natural lighting and ventilation to simulate doc-

Med School sets up shop in Jewelry District

By BeN KutNerSenior Staff Writer

The Third World Center appointed Mary Grace Almandrez as its new director this summer after a year-long search process. Almandrez, who took office July 1, was joined by Oscar Perez, the TWC’s new assistant director for diversity ini-tiatives.

The TWC, which aims to rep-resent minorities by supporting cultural groups and activities on campus, was under the interim

leadership of Associate Protes-tant Chaplain Reverend William Mathis after the unexpected depar-ture of Karen McLaurin-Chesson ’74 last summer due to a family emergency.

“People really connect with (Almandrez),” said Ricky Gresh, senior director for student engage-ment and a member of the search committee for the new TWC direc-tor. “People felt like she was really already part of Brown.”

The search committee included faculty, students staff and alums.

Almandrez has the necessary experience to lead the TWC, Gresh said. She has founded diversity-related programs at three other schools.

“I fell in love with the students,” Almandrez said of Brown. She ex-pressed admiration for “the level of thoughtfulness and care and love the students had” for the TWC.

“My first year will really be spent working with the commu-nity,” she added. “I’m looking to

TWC appoints new director

By MicHAel DANielewiczContributing Writer

Tropical Storm Irene hit College Hill more with a whimper than a bang Aug. 28, with the limited damage cleaned up by the time first-years arrived for Orientation Saturday.

According to Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and Uni-versity relations, the storm’s effect on campus was mostly limited to damage to trees. Campus was lit-tered with downed leaves and tree branches, which the Department of Facilities Management “began addressing as soon as it was safe to do so,” she said.

By Saturday, most of the fallen trees and leaves that had littered campus had been removed. The City of Providence has been work-ing since the arrival of the storm to clean up city streets, removing trees from roads and placing them on sidewalks for later pickup.

For many Rhode Islanders, Irene’s most lasting effect has been the power outages left in its wake. Roughly 325,000 Rhode Islanders were left without electricity, ac-cording to a press release issued by National Grid. The utility an-nounced that it hoped to have all

In Irene’s wake, College Hill largely unscathed

Glenn Lutzky / HeraldSydney Island ’15 and Jacy Anthis ’15 carried their class banner down the steps of Faunce House Sunday ahead of President Ruth Simmons.

Katrina Phillips / HeraldDebris littered Patriots Court after Tropical Storm Irene swept through campus.

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City & state, 12

No-GoRipta proposes service reduction

Football

continued on page 2

power restored to its Rhode Island customers by Sunday night, but as of press time a map on its website still displayed a small number of power outages in the Providence area. The outages have delayed the start of the school year in some Rhode Island communities.

According to Quinn, a few buildings on campus lost power, prompting emergency generators to kick in. She said many members of the Brown community also lost power and water in their homes. The University opened its facilities, including the Olney Margolies Ath-letic Center, to affected members of

the Brown community in response to the outages, Quinn said.

Irene adversely impacted some campus programs, like Brown Out-door Leadership Training’s planned hiking trip in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Though the trip was planned to begin Monday, Aug. 29, the departure was initially de-layed until the following day. But because parts of the White Moun-tain trails remained closed that Tuesday, the group stayed on cam-pus an additional day. BOLT par-ticipants left Brown last Wednesday and hiked along the Appalachian Trail in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts instead of the White Mountains. Participants

spent two nights in the wild — two fewer than originally planned.

Despite the changes to the BOLT schedule, Max Song ’14, a participant, called the experience “fantastic.”

“It opened my eyes to the steril-ity of the human-centric world we normally inhabit,” Song said.

Christopher Piette ’14, a resident of Greenville, R.I., said the storm was “really hyped up.”

“Power went out for half a day, which is inconvenient at most,” he said.

Jing Wang ’15 of Cranston said people in some areas of her city ex-perienced power outages, downed trees and some basement flooding.

Governor Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 announced Saturday that he would ask President Obama to de-clare Rhode Island a disaster area because “the cost of the response effort, such as personnel overtime and other emergency services, is beyond the state and local recovery capabilities,” according to a press release issued by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. The president has since followed through on Chafee’s request. The state is now eligible for a 75 percent reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for approved recovery costs such as debris removal and repair of public facilities.

Ben Schreckinger, PresidentSydney Ember, Vice President

Matthew Burrows, TreasurerIsha 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 Fri-day 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.

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Campus news2 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

1 P.m.

Pick Up Sports and Tie Dye,

Main Green

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On-line Course Registration Begins

all Day

First Day of Classes

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Convocation,

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SHaRPE REFECtoRy VERNEy-WoollEy DINING Hall

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Vegan Chow Mein, Chinese Fried Rice, Sesame Chicken Strips with

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FEMA to help pick up tab after Irene hits Rhode Island

Katrina Phillips / HeraldTropical Storm Irene felled trees, like this one on Patriots Court, across campus Aug. 28.

continued from page 1

Campus news 3the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

tors’ offices.The three academies — lounge,

study, food and storage areas for smaller groups of 40 to 45 stu-dents — create the most student-friendly aspect of the building. The groups will serve as the social and academic centers for students, Wing said. The model was first introduced at Harvard.

Doors connect the academies to one another to encourage col-laboration across the school. The building also features “physical space where students can talk to advisers,” Wing said.

Ted Apstein MD’15 is most excited about the “identity fac-tor” of the academies. It is “our space where we become doctors,” he said.

Apstein also said he is looking forward to the new technology that will accompany the design and construction of the building. Textbooks, lectures, study tools and classroom aids will all be on iPads. “There are no books in the libraries,” Wing said. “It’s all com-puters.”

The newly renovated build-ing held up well in its first test — accommodating an overflow-ing crowd and withstanding a downpour. Wing and President Ruth Simmons cut the ceremonial ribbon, after speeches by Wing, Simmons, Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, Sen. Jack Reed, D-RI, Provi-dence Mayor Angel Taveras and a medical student.

The new home of the Med School, built as a jewelry factory in 1928, is “restoring an old strength of Providence,” Wing said at the ceremony.

The 134,000-square-foot building was purchased by the University in 2004 and used for office space until 2009, when the University decided to renovate an existing building for the new Med School home rather than construct a new building because of financial constraints.

Simmons has wanted to im-prove the Med School since she first took the reins as president of the University, Reed said at the ceremony. The transformation of 222 Richmond St. “affirms the success of the Medical School,” Simmons said.

Simmons blew an affectionate kiss during the ceremony to Herb Kaplan, CEO of Warren Equities, who helped provide funds for the building.

But it was to the medical stu-dents that Simmons dedicated the building. “This structure is for you,” she said. “It is about you. It is about preparing you to serve in an area vital to the public good.”

By louisA cHAFeeContributing Writer

Brown Student Radio lost its lease to the 88.1 WELH signal after 14 years of broadcasting, prompting a switch to online-only programming that started Aug. 1.

BSR previously leased the signal from the Wheeler School, a K-12 school located on Hope Street. But Wheeler “slipped in a clause” dur-ing the last contract negotiation al-lowing the school to terminate its contract with BSR with only 15 days notice, according to an interview with John Foley, BSR’s co-publicity director, published on media blog Radio Survivor. BSR received of-ficial word July 15 that its lease was ending, according to the blog.

Wheeler made a “free-market decision,” said Ryan Lester ’12, BSR’s station manager. Wheeler upgraded its signal to 4,000 watts a year ago, increasing its coverage to northern Rhode Island, parts of southern Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts, making the signal potentially more appealing to larger radio stations.

After the signal upgrade, Wheel-er began soliciting applications for a full-time operator — BSR had previously broadcast from eve-ning into early morning — so BSR “pulled together to submit an ap-plication,” Lester said. Though the signal 88.1FM was lost to a WRNI (Rhode Island Public Radio) station “with more political clout,” Lester said BSR’s application was “the only other application taken seriously.”

WRNI General Manager Joe O’Connor said in an Aug. 16 Providence Journal blog post that the move would result in a “vastly strengthened” signal for the station. Radio Survivor said WRNI is look-ing to lease the station for the next 10 years, starting on Oct. 1.

According to a statement from the Wheeler School, “this would be a once-in-an-institution opportu-nity to help bring high quality and publicly vital radio programming to a broad demographic across the entire state as well as bring the strength of Rhode Island and Na-tional Public Radio programming to our frequency.”

BSR’s loss comes in the wake of

several other recent sales of stu-dent free-form radio signals, in-cluding stations at the University of San Francisco, Rice University and Vanderbilt University, accord-ing to a June Chronicle of Higher Education article.

Lester said the transition from on-air to online programming has gone smoothly for BSR, despite some shows’ dependence on the terrestrial signal. Though the station will no longer be able to receive calls from listeners, BSR will be available to anyone with access to the website.

BSR intends to obtain its own signal in the future, which would allow station operators to have more control over the program-

ming, Lester said. While leasing from Wheeler, Lester said BSR had to maintain not only Federal Communications Commission standards but also Wheeler’s stricter standards. These restrictions were a “point of tension” and a “strain on BSR,” he said. Online, BSR will have only its own code of conduct to obey.

BSR receives funding from the Undergraduate Finance Board, donations and merchandise sales. Lester said the money previously set aside to lease the signal will be used to upgrade online infrastruc-ture, audio equipment and serv-ers to better accommodate online broadcasting.

After 14 years, BSR loses radio signalIn Jewelry District, office space becomes a school

continued from page 1

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Campus news4 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

“We will have to evaluate it as we experience it,” he said.

Raaj Parekh ’13 takes a RIPTA bus every day to his internship in Central Falls. “Cutting RIPTA’s ser-vices would significantly decrease the feasibility of Brown students volunteering, interning or work-ing any significant distance from campus, which would be a regret-table loss,” he wrote in an email to The Herald.

Rhode Island residents expressed concerns about the looming cuts. Many residents rely on RIPTA as “their main mode of transportation to and from work (and) school,”

wrote Woonsocket native Laura Moynihan ’13, in an email to The Herald. “Cuts to RIPTA’s services would have significant negative consequences,” she wrote.

Seventy percent of RIPTA’s riders have “no other options,” Odimgbe said.

Matt Leon ’14, a resident of the Bristol County area, said he fre-quently uses some of the RIPTA bus routes slated for elimination. He also often takes RIPTA buses after 10 p.m. “I am going to have to get rides from family and friends,” he said.

“Carpooling will be a big thing,” he said, but, as a student, he it is difficult to find a ride.

Students are often out late at night, Leon said, and the lack of bus service after 10 p.m. could cause Providence to lose business from non-residents who come into the city at night.

“There is a lot of disappointment in the community,” Spies said. The financial shortfall is simply a result of the “tough times we are in,” he added.

RIPTA Riders, a group focused on raising community involvement in the transport authority, began or-ganizing protests in July to advocate

increased state funding for RIPTA. The group distributed information sheets about the cuts, urged riders to attend board hearings and obtained over 1,000 signatures on a petition that members delivered to the of-fices of state leaders, said member Julian Park ’12.

“The budget crisis isn’t made by the board, but is passed down to the board by the state,” Park said. “The state has set up a self-defeating funding mechanism.”

The creation of additional hear-ings and the postponement of the

decision reflect the success of public opposition to the proposal, Park said.

The RIPTA Riders “have been a great resource and provide us with unique insights into rider perspec-tives,” wrote Odimgbe.

“The goal is to try to minimize the level of service adjustments we will end up doing,” he wrote. The board is scheduled to address the issue at its Sept. 27 meeting.

— with additional reporting by elizabeth Carr

RIPTA cuts down the road, reduced service on horizoncontinued from page 12

Campus news 5the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

with Simmons, said she appreci-ated Dean of the College Kather-ine Bergeron’s speech. Bergeron discussed “Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China” by Leslie Chang, which all incoming students were given this summer. The book tells the story of two migrant workers to Dongguan, one of many new in-dustrial cities in China. Liu, who hails from China, said she thinks it’s important for American stu-dents to learn about China and said she liked that the book was

written from the perspective of a Chinese-American.

Ralanda Nelson ’12, the presi-dent of the Undergraduate Council of Students, gave the class of 2015 three “gifts.” First, she welcomed them to their new home. Second, she encouraged them to embrace Brown’s diverse community. And third, she dared them to “be bold” and to “engage in a love affair with this University.”

Jeremy Perlman ’15 listened to Simmons’ speech with his par-ents, Art Perlman ’80 and Claire Gutekunst ’80. “I hear she has a cult following, and I can see

why,”the younger Perlman said. His father agreed: “She embodies the spirit that we were so enthused about when we were here,” he said.

Sydney Island ’15 and Jacy An-this ’15 — who arrived early to get front-row seats for the speech — were chosen to represent the class of 2015 by accepting the first-year banner. “She’s amazing,” Island said of Simmons. “She’s kind of a pioneer for a way of thinking at these big academic institutions.”

“I think the class of 2015 is go-ing to be really awesome,” Anthis said. “You guys better watch out for us.”

By sAHil lutHrASenior Staff Writer

A recent graduate of Alpert Medi-cal School was charged with forg-ing and illegally distributing pre-scriptions for drugs, including Vicodin, Adderall and Percocet, at Rhode Island Hospital.

Robert Villarreal ’01 MD’05, an orthopedic surgeon, faces charges of forgery, drug distribution and conspiracy. Villarreal and federal prosecutors are currently working to reach a plea agreement, accord-ing to an Aug. 23 report by WPRI. Villarreal had previously appeared in federal court Aug. 3 and was released on a $50,000 bond, ac-cording to the Providence Journal.

Villarreal is accused of forg-ing signatures of several acquain-tances and using several people to fill prescriptions on his behalf on at least 50 occasions between October 2009 and May 2011, ac-cording to a court affidavit filed by Special Agent Todd Prough of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Villarreal’s as-sistant, Gary Menissian, allegedly aided Villarreal.

In the affidavit, Prough said Villarreal admitted to using up to 20 Adderall pills in a day and occasionally performing sur-

gery while under the influence of drugs.

Villarreal is also charged with distributing medications to eight other hospital employees, accord-ing to the Providence Journal.

Both Villarreal and Menissian have lost their hospital privileges. In a statement released Aug. 3, hospital officials said Villarreal was always under supervision while performing surgery.

The hospital will cooperate in the investigation, said Gail Carvelli, a hospital spokeswoman.

After graduating from Alpert Medical School, Villarreal com-pleted a residency at Rhode Island Hospital, where he also finished a trauma and orthopedic fellow-ship in June.

Until recently, the University’s directory listed Villarreal as an administrator in the Division of Biology and Medicine. In an email to The Herald, Mark Nickel, Brown’s interim director of news and communications, called the listing “a professional and colle-gial courtesy” during Villarreal’s training at Rhode Island hospital. Villarreal was not an administra-tor, but had access to some Uni-versity services, such as libraries and email, due to his affiliation with the Med School.

Villarreal ’01 MD’05 charged with drug fraud

Simmons, Bergeron welcome first-yearscontinued from page 1

Campus news6 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

each hit that contributes to brain damage, Estes said.

The new league rules only al-low teams to hold full-pad sessions during both sessions of two-a-day practices once during the pre-season. The league also reduced the number of allowed full-contact practices in the spring from eight to seven.

Estes said he hopes other NCAA conferences will follow the Ivy League’s example. “I think it’s something that we need to do, as a league, to show other leagues,” he said. “I think the Ivy League is at the forefront.”

The changes came in response to a study of three Division I foot-ball teams published last year in the Journal of Athletic Training, which found that — though players take more hits to the head per game than per practice — they suffer more overall hits during practice because teams practice more fre-quently than they compete.

Following the study’s release in the periodical’s November-Decem-ber 2010 issue, the league formed an ad-hoc Concussion Committee in December, which conducted its own investigation. The committee was composed of football coaches, athletic trainers, directors and ad-ministrators, as well as team physi-cians, medical experts and two Ivy

League presidents.Estes and former Brown football

player Sean Morey ’99, who played in the National Football League and is now co-chair of the NFL Play-ers Association’s Mackey-White Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, served on the committee.

There is growing concern that big hits lead to long-term brain damage, Estes said. This concern, coupled with the study’s findings, led the committee to limit the num-ber of full-contact practices for the safety of the players, he said.

Offensive lineman Luke Land-ers ’12, who said he doesn’t think he’s “played a down of football at Brown without one of those sensors in (his) helmet,” expressed support for the league-wide change.

“I think it’s definitely awesome that they’re trying to protect us as best they can and most importantly educate us and keep us healthy as players,” he said. “Whenever you know better, you do better.”

But the new rules will present new challenges for coaches. In ad-dition to the limitations now set on full-contact practices, the league is also urging coaches to emphasize proper tackling.

“We need to keep the head out of the tackling and out of the block-ing as much as we possibly can,” Estes said. “You must do a better coaching job.”

“It’s not the same game we

played 30, 40 years ago, where more contact was better,” Estes said. “We used to have steak and potatoes before a game. We didn’t digest that well, but that was the thought, that it would make you play better. We’re going to see the game of football changing. I think that’s a good thing.”

But football is still a sport that requires grown men to tackle one

another. “I definitely think that head injuries aren’t going any-where,” Landers said. “Big hits are a part of the game of football. People will still have concussions. But I think using different rulings like this will definitely reduce the number of big hits and will make players a lot more conscious of the decisions they’re making on the field.”

Ivy League limits hard-hitting practices

Herald file photoPlayers take more hits to the head in practices than in games during a season.

build upon the good work that folks have already done.”

Almandrez said she wants to partner with all people concerned with social justice at Brown, not only students of color.

The University also appointed Oscar Perez as the TWC’s new as-sistant director for diversity initia-tives when Anjali Sridhar stepped down from the post after taking maternity leave, Perez said.

Perez received his doctoral de-gree in the Department of Portu-guese and Brazilian Studies in May. His research related in part to the work of the TWC, according to Gresh. Perez, who has also worked at nonprofits in the Providence area, assumed his post March 14 after a selection process that began in January.

“I think that this is a really ex-citing time for the TWC,” Perez said, adding that he will work to make the TWC more visible to the graduate community. “We’re really interested in creating more col-laborative projects.”

New faces at Third World Center

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7the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

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Campus news8 the Brown Daily heraldtuesday, September 6, 2011

any testimony. Common Cause initially got

involved because the group felt that bill’s original draft violated the state’s constitutional separa-tion of powers. Once this was fixed in subsequent drafts, Com-mon Cause turned its attention to the “unbridled power of the commission,” Marion said.

Daisy Schnepel, the president of the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, said the original

Senate version of the bill did not make Providence and the state equal partners in managing the land. Though the property be-longs to the state, its location within the city affects Providence residents directly, Schnepel said.

“It stands to reason that people in other parts of the state wouldn’t be as concerned,” she added.

The association sought to change the bill by urging mem-bers to send Fox a personal mes-sage alongside an official state-ment outlining the legislation’s

perceived flaws, Schnepel said. Other neighborhood groups like the Jewelry District Association and the College Hill Neighbor-hood Association also expressed opposition to earlier versions of the bill, she said.

But after the bill was amended and passed by the General Assem-bly, the Fox Point Neighborhood Association issued a statement to its membership via email stat-ing that the final draft included “substantial improvements.” In addition to the equal division of

appointees granted to the city and the state, the bill now requires that the commission abide by Providence’s zoning ordinances, which Marion said was another improvement.

The bill also prohibits the con-struction of a casino on the I-195 land. Chafee’s administration had already promised that a casino would not be built, Marion said, but the clause ensures that it will not happen.

Still, Marion added, the need for a commission is debatable. He

questioned why a “quasi-public” mechanism for developing the land is needed, saying that a com-mission not directly accountable to citizens “really gets away from the democratic ideal.”

Residents will at least have the power to press for good nomi-nees to the commission, he said. “The best thing people can do is be watchdogs.”

— with additional reporting by Sahil Luthra and Amy rasmussen

Commission named to allot land freed by I-195 movecontinued from page 12

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have all of the answers already.”— President Ruth Simmons

see SimmonS on page 1.

E D I TO R S’ n OT EDear class of 2015,

Welcome to Brunonia. Lucky for you, you can expect to spend your next four years sleeping in nicer dorms, working out in better gyms and studying with smarter classmates than any Brown student before you.

But as the Brown experience comes to have more and more to offer, the responsibility to spend your four years wisely grows. So go to a naked party (at least once), try to brush your teeth before passing out at night and, when it comes to classes, shop ’til you drop.

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By JAKe coMerSenior Staff Writer

Five nonprofits associated with Brown lost their tax-exempt sta-tuses May 15 after failing to file the proper paperwork three years in a row.

Delta Phi Fraternity’s Beta Chapter, Sigma Chi Fraternity’s Providence Alumni Chapter, Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Beta Rho Chapter, the Brown Football As-sociation and American Friends of the Hakluyt Society — which supports publication of historical material and is affiliated with the John Carter Brown Library — are included on a list released June 9 of Rhode Island nonprofits whose tax-exempt statuses were revoked by the Internal Revenue Service.

Unless the organizations ap-ply to have the status reinstated, donations to them will no longer be tax-deductible.

According to the IRS website, about 275,000 organizations throughout the country had their tax-exempt statuses automatically revoked after failing to complete the appropriate paperwork for three consecutive years.

Prior to 2007, nonprofits with yearly revenues less than $25,000 did not have to file paperwork with the IRS. But in the past three years, the IRS required organiza-tions receiving less than $25,000 per year to fill out a new form, the 990-N e-Postcard. Nonprofits

that failed to fill it out three years running saw their tax-exempt sta-tuses automatically revoked.

Many of the nonprofits af-fected are no longer in existence or have merged with other orga-nizations. Sigma Chi’s Providence Alumni Chapter has been inac-tive for some time now, said Fred Monroe, controller at the Sigma Chi International Headquarters in Evanston, Ill.

The relatively recent advent of the 990-N requirement for small nonprofits took some organiza-tions by surprise.

“As far as I am aware, AEPi at Brown has not lost its tax exempt status, even though at some point last year we might have been at risk of losing it if we hadn’t tak-en the appropriate steps,” wrote Leslie Maazel ’12, president of Brown’s AEPi chapter, in an email to The Herald.

But AEPi at Brown is listed among the Rhode Island organi-zations whose tax-exempt statuses were automatically revoked this year.

The American Friends of the Hakluyt Society lost its tax-exempt status due to a “lack of understanding the process,” wrote Maureen O’Donnell, the society’s secretary, in an email to The Her-ald. She said the IRS notification that Hakluyt was no longer a tax-exempt nonprofit caught her by surprise. But she learned quickly that the same had happened to thousands of small nonprofits across the country, and that the IRS was providing them the op-

portunity to reapply for their former status. Hakluyt sent their application in early August, and have yet to hear back from the IRS. O’Donnell said she is not worried that Hakluyt’s application will not be accepted.

“I really can’t see any problem with it,” she said.

Jon Land ’79, alumni president of Delta Phi at Brown and alumni adviser to the Greek system at Brown, said he doesn’t believe many people know about the change in DPhi’s tax status. “I’m not even sure the University is aware of it,” he said.

Similarly, Davies Bisset ’85, executive director of the Brown University Sports Foundation, said he wasn’t aware the Brown Football Association had lost tax-exempt status. Bisset said he does not know why the appro-priate forms were not filled out, but the change should not make a significant difference for the football program.

“Having (the Brown Foot-ball Association) set up as tax-exempt is not critical,” he said, because the association doesn’t receive many donations. Most of the money received by the team comes through the sports founda-tion, not the football association, he said. The Brown Football As-sociation is more concerned with coordinating volunteer fundrais-ers and alumni relations than with collecting money, he said.

“Their work is more impor-tant than their (tax) status,” Bisset said. “We think we’re just fine.”

Daily Heraldthe Brown

City & Statetuesday, September 6, 2011

By cAitliN truJilloSenior Staff Writer

Providence and Rhode Island gov-ernment officials have chosen seven members to serve on a pow-erful commission designated to oversee the development of land made available by the relocation of Interstate 195. The commission will determine who will acquire and develop the land.

Governor Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 signed the bill establishing the commission in July after the Rhode Island General Assembly passed it June 30, at the tail end of its regular legislative session.

The House and Senate amend-ed a previous draft of the bill to include provisions giving Mayor Angel Taveras more power in the appointment process. The legis-lation allows Taveras to recom-mend a list of at least six people for Chafee to narrow down to three potential commissioners. In line with the legislation, Chafee selected Women and Infants Hospital nurse Barbara Hunger, Meeting Street School President John Kelly and lawyer Mark Ryan

from Taveras’ picks, who were announced in an Aug. 23 press release.

The legislation also provides Speaker of the House Gordon Fox, D-Providence, with the opportunity to contribute three names for consideration, from which Chafee selected one per-son — Kelly, who also made Fox’s list — as a nominee.

Chafee chose the remain-ing four commissioners, two of whom have affiliations with the University — Adjunct Assistant Professor of Physiology Barrett Bready ’99 MD’03, who is also the president of Jewelry District biotech company NABsys, and Diana Johnson MA’71, an art consultant and past director of the David Winton Bell Gallery. Chafee’s other nominees include Michael Van Leesten, the CEO of the Rhode Island branch of non-profit organization Oppor-tunities Industrialization Center, and Colin Kane, a real-estate de-velopment principal and Chafee’s pick for the commission’s chair.

The nominees are now sub-ject to the Senate’s approval. The

vote should come before the fall special session commences in Oc-tober, said Senate Press Secretary Greg Pare. Though no date has been set for the nominees’ con-firmations, Senate Corporations Committee will review the nomi-nees and conduct public hearings during the month of September before making a recommendation to the full Senate, Pare said.

The amendment changing the distribution of nominations was one of many to make the bill more palatable to those who feared the commission would grant too much power to the state, said John Marion, executive director of the advocacy group Common Cause Rhode Island.

“Everybody’s goal is for this land to be developed for the city and state to maximize their po-tential,” Marion said. But the city and state have slightly different primary objectives. Given the city’s dire budget situation, its officials are concerned about gen-erating additional revenue from property taxes, while the state is chiefly focused on job creation, Marion added.

“This needs to be a partner-ship,” he said, “not a tyranny from the state.”

The law also mandates that if tax-exempt institutions like Brown purchase any of the land, they must either enter into an agreement with the city to make payments in lieu of taxes or pay the full value of property taxes. The University has expressed interest in developing the I-195 land, which neighbors the Jewelry District and its recently-opened Warren Alpert Medical School.

University administrators hope the “knowledge economy” anchored by the Med School and affiliated hospitals will continue to thrive, said Marisa Quinn, Brown’s vice president of public affairs and University relations.

But University Hall has not been approached to play a role on the commission, Quinn said.

The bill further grants two parcels of land to Johnson and Wales University. It states the school is potentially the sole party interested in the land due to the parcels’ small sizes and their close proximity to other property

owned by Johnson and Wales. Community members ex-

pressed concerns about the potential negative impact of al-lowing tax-exempt institutions to purchase the I-195 land at a June 29 House Finance Commit-tee hearing. But Richard Licht, the state’s director of administra-tion, testified during the hearing that institutions like Brown could further transform the area into a science and technology cluster, spurring economic development.

There was additional concern that the bill’s authors worded the text so that it would benefit po-tential land developers before Providence residents, Marion said. An initial draft of the bill included a clause allowing in-dividuals affiliated with poten-tial buyers of the land to serve on the commission. Quinn said University officials had no hand in drafting the bill, adding that University representatives might have attended public hearings on the commission in an unofficial capacity — and without offering

Commissioners appointed to allot I-195 land

By sArAH MANcoNeStaff Writer

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority has proposed a 30 per-cent service reduction, including the termination of all service after 10 p.m., in response to its massive budget deficit.

RIPTA held public hearings throughout the state during July and August to address proposed cuts. The transit authority was slated to decide on a proposal by Aug. 22, but the decision was postponed “to give RIPTA more time to consider public comments, incorporate any suggestions and review other pos-sible alternatives,” wrote RIPTA CEO Charles Odimgbe in an email to The Herald.

RIPTA faces a $4.6 million short-fall for fiscal year 2012 — a result of reduced revenue from the state gas tax and high fuel costs for its fleet. In past years, the General Assem-bly and the governor have allotted RIPTA funds, but given the state’s dire financial situation, no such solution has been made available.

Proposed cuts include elimina-tion of routes and route segments and reduced service. If enacted, the proposal would eliminate holiday bus service, all “Flex” services in Narragansett — which offer pas-sengers the option of calling a ride — and some “Park n’ Ride” services, which provide free parking lots for commuters taking mass transit.

The cuts would affect 39 bus routes and 35 communities.

This is not the first time RIPTA has enacted major cuts. In 2008, the transit authority made service

reductions affecting 47 routes and eliminating 20 bus drivers’ jobs.

The cutbacks would not change the University’s agreement with RIPTA allowing students, faculty and staff to ride for free.

Proposed reductions should not have a significant impact on students, wrote Elizabeth Gentry, assistant vice president of financial and administrative services, in an email to The Herald.

“Many of the routes that pass through College Hill are well-trav-eled and, at initial glance, don’t ap-pear to be proposed for elimination or service reduction,” Gentry wrote, though she did note that the elimi-nation of all bus service after 10 p.m. could affect students.

The University reimburses RIPTA at a fixed rate per ride, an arrangement that will continue re-gardless of changes made to the ser-vices offered, she wrote. The Brown community uses RIPTA services approximately 32,000 times per month, with half that volume com-ing from student use.

“We will minimize as much as possible any negative impact” on riders, Odimgbe said. The transport authority plans to base its cuts on the services riders say impact them most during the hearings, he added. “I do not believe we are going to leave anyone hanging out to dry.”

Brown does not currently have any plans to change transportation services in response to the proposed reductions, said Richard Spies, ex-ecutive vice president for planning and senior adviser to the president.

RIPTA proposes 30 percent service reduction

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CAMPUS NEWS

IRS revokes tax-exempt status of five Brown-affiliated nonprofits