The Week in Brief

Women's Center town meeting proves timely

LIZ OLINER/YH

"Every case sends a message about what's acceptable," Women's Center Co-Coordinator Tassi McKay, TD '00, said. McKay emphasized that the way the Admin-istration handles this incident will serve as an example. Co-Coor-dinator Rachel Deutsch, ES '00, agreed that the time is ripe for change. "We need to take action, because fundamental attitudes need to change," she said. "It's bigger than this one problem."

By creating a setting for discourse, the meeting's organizers hoped to foster rational analysis of sexual assault issues. "These issues are so difficult to talk about," Maren Oberman, CC '99, added. "There's so much hesitancy to bring them up."

McKay outlined its three goals for the meeting. "We wanted to have people air their experiences, to talk about the fact that it does happen and make people aware in a casual setting. We wanted to talk about the roots of the problem, the things about Yale culture or American culture that encourage such behavior and allow it to happen. And we wanted to talk about what we're going to do about it beyond our personal reactions. We need to take action to prevent [sexual assault]."

--Molly Ball

Police bumper stickers support Flodquist

Officer Robert Flodquist shot and killed 21-year-old Malik Jones's after a car chase from East Haven to New Haven last April.

Shortly after several patrol cars began displaying the stickers, Malik Jones' father, James E. Jones, LAW '71, DIV '83, began writing letters of protest to New Haven officials and religious leaders. "I think it's fairly outrageous for taxpayer money to be used in this way," Jones said. "As a father, I'm hurt."

Police Commission Chairman Robert Nastri did not condemn the officers who are displaying the stickers. "I just think that the policemen probably didn't think," he explained. "I'm at my wits' end with this whole thing."

When asked whether he supported the bumper stickers, an East Haven officer who refused to give his name said, "All of us do, otherwise they wouldn't be there."

--Will Mauldin

U.S. Airways opts for larger planes at Tweed

The switch to 37-seater planes will take effect on Wed., Feb. 11, in time for Yalies' spring break travel. The change will enable more than 180 people to travel the route everyday, an increase of over 50 people.

The decision coincides with a new "Fly Tweed" advertising campaign and a larger "Fly Connecticut" program.

--David Schuchinski

CNN analyst gives first Fryer Lecture

Tom Conroy, deputy director of the Office of Public Affairs, said that Greenfield offered "telling insights about the media and its role in national public debates." Students found that Greenfield also showed a sense of humor. Characterizing himself as "one of those people who watches C-SPAN for erotic diversion," Greenfield spoke on the changing state of domestic politics and the expanding role of the media.

Greenfield believes the public has lost interest in substantive political issues because people rarely feel personally affected. As a result, the media attempts to grab people's "visceral interest rather than that in public policy matters," he said.

--Anika Singh

Yalies eager to 'buy' clean air in dining halls

Each year, the government specifies "pollution allowances" for the nation's major polluting companies and industrial plants. One permit allows a company to emit one ton of sulfur dioxide, a primary cause of acid rain. Under the 1995 Clean Air Act, companies can trade these permits.

In the dining halls last week, students could "buy" 16 lbs. of sulfur dioxide with one dollar. With the money collected, YELA and YSEC plan to buy sulfur dioxide permits on the open market.

"Students seemed genuinely interested. This is a novel program, so people really stopped and listened," YSEC chair Emma Tsui, TC '99, said.

Each permit costs approximately $125. YELA and YSEC raised enough money to purchase at least three permits, the equivalent of three tons of harmful sulfur dioxide that might otherwise have been released into the environment.

--Emily Liebert

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