The Week in Brief

In December, the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down the state's ban on ATM fees, ruling them unconstitutional. The city's major national banks—First Union, Fleet, and BankBoston—all began charging $1.00 to transfer customers.

Meanwhile, smaller banks in New England—including New Haven's Citizens Bank—have formed a coalition called the SUM Network. Network banks will waive fees for all of their customers.

"One of our goals in forming SUM was to give consumers flexibility in ATM surcharging, something big national banks can't always offer," Cheryl Calo, director of SUM Marketing Communications, said.

Nevertheless, though the network includes 254 financial institutions throughout the Northeast, customers of banks outside of the association will still have to pay surcharges on SUM Network ATMs.

—Andrew Heller

Crackdown on Crown Street clubs

Police have linked patrons of the club to several recent incidents on Crown Street which have involved firearms. However, a spokesperson for the New Haven Police Department claimed that the department is not trying to single out Platinum 2000. She added that the club, as with all other clubs and bars, has the right to operate as long as it complies with city safety laws.

Nevertheless, government and police officials are apparently tiring of the club's penchant for trouble. In the Register, Mayor DeStefano complained, "It has become an abusive and negative presence in that neighborhood."

Platinum 2000 manager Donald Glenn told the Register that he felt his bar and several others on Crown Street were being unjustly blamed, asserting, "I think we're being wrongly accused of things going on in that surrounding area."

—John Chin

Employee housing benefits New Haven

The program has been praised by administrators for bringing stability to New Haven's neighborhoods and increasing property values. "Studies have shown one very important way to strengthen neighborhoods is to increase the percentage of homeowners who have a stake in the community," Bruce Alexander, BK '65, head of Yale's Office of State and New Haven Affairs, said. He added that the program has accounted for nine percent of all home sales in New Haven over the past four years.

—John Chin

IN MEMORIAM: PAUL SIGLER

A renowned scholar and a beloved friend, Sigler will be remembered in part for his engaging personality. His knack for storytelling and excited manner made his love for his work contagious. A blend of intellectual curiosity and personal dynamism characterized Sigler's life and work.

Although trained as a physician at Columbia University following his undergraduate years at Princeton University, Sigler began to pursue a life of laboratory research following his residency, and joined a research team in Cambridge, England in 1967. He then spent more than 20 years on the faculty of the University of Chicago, where he studied the molecules that initiate and regulate protein synthesis.

In 1989, Sigler joined the Yale faculty. During his time at the University, Sigler focused on the chemistry of cellular regulation, and was extraordinarily productive in that role. His laboratory made major discoveries, including the determination of the structure of proteins that aid other proteins in folding into their structure. This molecular machine has provided new insights into a catalyzed process whose existence was unknown until very recently.

The pain that many feel at the loss of Paul Sigler reflects a community at Yale and beyond that was inspired by Sigler's positive worldview. As Tom Cech, President of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, urged: "Let us rejoice in the life of Paul Sigler, for it is a rare scientist who has made such a deep mark on so many students and colleagues, on the institutions he served, and on biology."

Sigler is survived by his wife, Jo, their five children, and his brother, Miles. A memorial service organized by Yale was held on Thurs., Jan. 13 at Battell Chapel. —David Wertime

Yale lags in early minority admissions

"A lot of students of color, because it's a binding decision, prefer to keep their options open," Shaw said. He added that the class of 2004 will offer a level of diversity consistent with previous classes.

Yale's policy differentiates it from Harvard, which released group-by-group percentages for students accepted early to the classes of 2003 and 2004. Asian acceptances alone totaled 19.9 percent, and non-Asian minority groups added up to 15.3 percent.

As to the early admits, who will make up about 40 percent of Yale's freshman class, Shaw said the number of qualified early applicants tends to coincide with admissions targets. "It's been fairly consistent over the years," he said. "It's at a level that I think is reasonable. We know through experience that we have another 10,000 applicants, plus there are going to be a lot of competitive students in that cycle."

Harvard admitted about 50 percent of the 2,000 students who are eventually offered admission—and around 75 percent of those who actually matriculate—through its early process this year. This growing number reflects the admissions policy that William R. Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, outlined for the Harvard University Gazette: "To be able to continue to respond to the best applicants whenever they apply."

—Orianne Dutka

FABIAN ROSADO/YH Hastled history majors shop yet another overcrowded class.

WORDS

—Jenny Edwards, Associate Director for Yale College Classes, explaining why prestige doesn't preclude having Class Day speakers from its own Corporation.

CR/D/F

YALE INDEX
1. Maximum textbook percent discount at bigwords.com	40
2. Maximum textbook percent discount at ecampus.com	50
3. Maximum textbook percent discount at efollett.com	50
4. Maximum textbook percent discount at textbooks.com	50
5. Maximum textbook percent discount at varsitybooks.com	40
6. Percent sales tax in Connecticut	6
7. Percent sales tax online	0
8. Number of discount stores found through bestbookbuys.com	28
9. Number of bookstores near Yale	5
10. Number of Yale bookstores with stranglehold monopolies	1
11. Maximum percent discount on textbooks at aforementioned store	20
12. Number of Barnes & Noble college bookstores	196
13. Number of universities getting a raw deal	196

—Compiled by Kushal Dave

Sources: 1-5, 7, 8) Da' Net; 6) Empty wallet; 7) Irate legislators; 9, 10) Kushal's perceptive abilities, 11) Ad at bookstore; 12) Counting; 13) Syllogism.

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