The Week in Brief

DC Mayor-elect talks urban politics

Donning the bowtie that made him famous, Washington, D.C. mayor-elect Anthony Williams, SM '79, spoke to an audience of about 60 on Mon., Nov. 13. Williams addressed the topic of "Urban Politics" as a guest of the Yale College Student Union

"In urban politics, you have to be concerned with what your parents--the people and government which preceded you--left you," Williams said. "The federal government is a financial mess, so they were horrible parents to Washington." In 1995, Williams was appointed D.C.'s chief financial officer of the by then-mayor Marion Barry. As the inheritor of one of the worst urban financial situations in American history, Williams engineered the fastest and most extensive economic recovery of any city in America, moving Washington from a $75 million debt to a $185 million surplus in under a year. On Tues., Nov. 3, Williams stunned the capital by becoming the first candidate for mayor to win every individual precinct in the city.

--Alan Schoenfeld

NSP parties for a good pause

On Sat., Nov. 14, National Student Partnerships (NSP), a fledgling organization to help the unemployed, hosted its kickoff event at the LoRicco Ballroom. The event featured live music, an open bar, and dancing. "We wanted to bring people in to learn more about our organization in an unintimidating manner," NSP co-founder Kirsten Lodal, DC '01, said. "I think we were very successful in attracting a wide range of people, especially because I think people from every sector of the Yale community were present." Lodal stressed that the event was not merely a social function. Recruitment was an important purpose as well."We passed out pamphlets to everyone who came inside, reinforcing the idea of our cause," she added.

NSP was founded by Lodal and Brian Kreiter, DC '00, this fall. The program seeks to remedy unemployment and analyze the social factors that prevent individuals from finding work. NSP will operate on both a regional and national front by handling local social and business concerns and hopefully expanding to other educational institutions.

--Melissa DePetris

Security guards struggle at Harvard

When Kim A. Roberts, Harvard's new labor negotiator, was introduced to the school's union of security guards on Tues., Nov. 17, "The meeting evolved into more than a simple get-acquainted affair," according to Harvard spokesman Joe Quinn. The guards discussed several ongoing disputes and agreed to continue discussion concerning their contracts without involving a mediator.

The 60-some guards have been without a contract since they formed an independent union in fall 1995. At Tuesday's meeting, Union Chief Steve McCone questioned Roberts about Harvard's long-discussed buyout plan for experienced guards. The union also rehashed old beefs about being underpaid and underappreciated, Quinn said. But Roberts referred to the meeting as "both cordial and productive," confirming that the "dialogue will continue without a mediator at this time."

--Liz Oliner

History prof didn't misuse federal money

Charges that History Professor Ben Kiernan misappropriated State Department funds were dropped on Thurs., Nov. 12. The U.S. Department of State cleared Kiernan when a six-month federal investigation failed to uncover evidence to support allegations that he had misused funds which had been allocated for the Cambodian Genocide Project (CGP).

The accusations, which originated anonymously, were publicized by U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) in May 1997. History Department Chair Robin Winks, however, was suspicious of their credibility from the outset. "I cannot believe anyone thought they were true," he said. "Accusations by anonymous sources do not pass the historian's requirement for provenance, attribution, and sourcing."

Throughout the investigation, "Yale was marvelously supportive," Kiernan said. Kiernan's colleagues in the history department are glad the project will be able to continue under his direction. "[Kiernan] is probably doing the most important work in the entire department because he is doing so much to help victims of genocide," Professor Robert Johnston said. Established in 1994, the CGP seeks to document crimes against humanity and to compile historical evidence for possible prosecution of former members of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge.

--Janey Lewis

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