The Week in Brief

ITS has been testing a procedure to block Napster since mid-January, when ITS noticed jumps in outgoing Internet traffic. Files being downloaded from computers on the network running the Napster software, which acts as a server for MP3s, turned out to be taking up as much as 10 percent of Yale's Internet bandwidth during peak times and pushing it to maximum capacity. In turn, Internet communication was slow and interrupted. Since Napster is founded on users sharing their files, constant usage by many Yalies has become excessive.

"[Our plan] seems to solve the problem," Joseph Paolillo, director of Data Network Operations, said. "We're marshalling; we're husbanding an important, dear resource, but the measures are not draconian." To Pao-lillo, a complete ban would be counterproductive, since students would just try to circumvent the blocks.

C|net reported on Thurs., Mar. 23 that Indiana University has worked with Napster to revise the software so that it first searches the school's own network to avoid clogging its Internet connection—something which new Napster clones also attempt to do. "Schools are all over on this," Paolillo said. "It's mutating weekly."

Upcoming technologies will allow ITS to limit how much each user can transmit, a tactic that may be pursued in the future. Paolillo says present measures are just temporary. But as Yale enters its period of heaviest network utilization, a broader span of blocked hours may be necessary. "This is the tip of the iceberg," Paolillo said. "At some point, I think we all need to look at what constitutes appropriate use."

—Kushal Dave

No spring break for Connecticut politics

"I think this result is important because with the withdrawal of Bradley from the race, it allows Democrats across Connecticut to unite behind Gore for us to make a strong bid for the presidency," said Stuart Allen, JE '02, a student director for the Connecticut for the Gore Campaign.

In the senatorial race, incumbent Joseph Lieberman, MC '64, LAW '67, easily took the Democratic nomination. He will square off with Republican candidate Richard Green this November. Popular incumbent Rosa DeLauro (D-3) does not yet have any opposition in her bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.

—Averill Harrington

Students find a voice in dining hall unions

The current goal is to have a student steward in every dining hall, ensuring that union provisions are met for all student workers. The position is voluntary and pays no salary, but accords the authority to act as the union's mouthpiece in the dining hall. According to Victor P. Corona, DC '03, who is one of the student workers involved in the search for student steward recruits, the stewards will prove "critical in ensuring that student workers' rights in the dining hall are respected, and that unions at Yale remain strong."

—Andra Waniek

And you thought `Greed' was good

Perkins participated in a December 1998 casting call, but gave up hope after failing to hear anything from the show for over a year. But out of the blue, Perkins finally received a telephone call asking her to come to a taping on Thurs., Feb. 17.

Perkins hadn't flown since she contracted meningitis in 1979. The infection left her with ear pains that high altitudes painfully aggravate. Nevertheless, Perkins overcame her aversion for the sake of a shot at fame, money and prizes—and the rest, as they say, is history.

As news of her victory spread, Perkins became a celebrity among her colleagues. She told the New Haven Register, "I have a strong faith. And the whole experience took a leap of faith for me to get there."

—Jane Gao

DAVID GEST/YH Award-winning writer David S. Broder spoke at a Morse Master's Tea on Thurs., Mar. 23.

Around The Globe

Reach out and touch someone...eew
In Tbilisi, Georgia, a young woman recently faced the problem of missing her 75-year-old father's funeral. Relatives quickly arranged for her to use her cellular phone and a loudspeaker so she could participate in the Datireba ritual. This unique funeral custom entails propping the corpse upright so it can greet the funeral guests. The family then engages in uncontrollable wailing, shouting at and scolding the deceased for leaving them. The young woman scolded her father for dying and also for, "Like, never getting me a car even though I'm totally old enough and super responsible." In rebuttal, the father was characteristically reticent.

Would you like gel in that?
Police have arrested eight people on prostitution charges at Le Salon Sex Symbol in Quebec, Canada, where stylists stripped, performed exotic dances, and talked dirty as they clipped clients' hair. Interestingly enough, Quebec law permits the existence of erotic hair salons—but without touching. New Haven city government has closely watched this development, labeling it "Downtown Revitalization: Plan B."

—Compiled by David S. Wertime from Bizarre News.

CR/D/F

YALE INDEX
1. Size of Yale University, in acres	200
2. Size of Yale University, in square kilometers	.809
3. Number of students at Yale University	11,017
4. Students per square kilometer at Yale University	13,618
5. Size of India, in square kilometers	2,973,190
6. Population of India, in people	1,000,848,550
7. Number of people per square kilometer in India	336
8. Viable population of India, with Yale's population density	40,488,901,420
9. Number of residential colleges having room draw	12
10. Number of Indians having room draw	0
11. Number of U.S. Presidents visiting India	1
12. Number of would-be presidents disavowing Yale	1
13. Number of would-be presidents disavowing India	0

—Compiled by Kushal Dave

Sources: 1) Yale's Self-Study; 2) Megaconverter.com; 3) Yale's Office of Institutional Research; 4, 7) Math; 8) Unreasonable extrapolation; 9) My frequent nightmares of getting last pick again; 10) A strong desire for contrast; 11) The newspaper; 12) Shame and hurt; 13) Educated guess

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