The Week in Brief

Baltimore mayor addresses urban issues

Urban revitalization was on the agenda when Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, DC '71, delivered a speech, "Managing America's Cities: The Next Generation of Challenges." The Rhodes Scholar and former Carter staffer spoke at the School of Management Leaders' Forum on Thurs., Nov. 5.

Schmoke described Baltimore as a "tale of two cities," citing the gap between the prosperous harbor area and poorer surrounding areas. He emphasized his "responsibility to both cities, the wealthy and the economically depressed, to keep the economic engine alive and to aid the poorer regions." Schmoke has been successful in increasing literacy, improving public housing, and revitalizing downtown Baltimore. He stressed the importance of establishing a solid relationship with the business community to accomplish such goals.

--Melissa DePetris

Students rally at City Hall for the homeless

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Members of YHHAP gathered at City Hall on Mon., Nov. 2. to support opening city shelters earlier.

On Mon., Nov. 2, members of the Yale Homelessness and Hunger Action Project (YHHAP) rallied on the steps of City Hall with members of the homeless advocacy group We the People. The purpose was to demand the opening of the city's homeless overflow shelters as soon as severe temperature drops occurred instead of the city's slated Tues., Dec. 1 opening date.

The rally, which kicked off at 5 p.m. to coincide with the end of the work day for City Hall employees, attracted numerous Connecticut social action groups and over 25 Yalies. Featured speakers included Andrew Levels, head of We the People, Les Williams, coordinator of the Connecticut Food Bank, several members of Mothers for Justice, and YHHAP Co-Coordinator Deborah Dinner, CC '00.

YHHAP Secretary Anika Singh, BR '01, believes the rally made an impact. "It really raised awareness of the problem," she said. Singh hopes all the attention will force the Board of Aldermen to place the issue higher up on its agenda.

--Sheela V. Pai

FCC resolves to reform tenure

In response to protests by the Student Coalition for Diversity and the Tenure Action Coalition, the Freshman Class Council (FCC) passed a resolution endorsing tenure reform on Sun., Nov. 1.

"The FCC's primary focus is for the Administration to realize the importance of its commitment to a diverse faculty, so they can develop ways to emphasize that commitment," FCC Vice-Chair Mukul Bakhshi, JE '02, explained.

The resolution, authored by Issues Committee Chair Elizabeth Wright, ES '02, encourages Yale to open dialogue with concerned students and faculty, commit itself to curriculum diversity, articulate its stance on tenure reform, and form an outreach fund to aid departments in granting tenure.

FCC Chair Tony Quackenbush, BR '02, said that the resolution "represents the beginning of a forum for debate. It is a first step, but only a first step." The resolution has been sent to Yale College Dean Richard Brodhead, BR '68, GRD '72, President Richard Levin, GRD '74, and Provost Alison Richard. Brodhead has invited FCC representatives to discuss the issue further.

--Marissa Leung

Berkeley Div School installs new dean

University leaders gathered at the Divinity School on Fri., Oct. 30, to introduce R. William Franklin as dean and president of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, an affiliate of the Divinity School and one of the nation's leading Episcopal seminaries. Franklin, a history professor and former associate dean of the General Theological Seminary in New York, said he is looking forward to the potential change in location of the Berkeley School.

"The proposed move of Berkeley into the newly rebuilt Sterling Divinity School quadrangle at Yale symbolizes the return
to the original setting of Episcopal education at Oxford and Cambridge," Franklin explained. "It was a major incentive to my
coming here." Franklin specializes in Christian humanism and the modern ecumenical movement and has written extensively on both subjects.

The Berkeley Divinity School became associated with the Yale Divinity School in 1971 but maintains financial independence. It is the only Episcopal seminary affiliated with a major university. "The Episcopal Church's relationship with Yale is crucial to providing excellence in the training of members of the church," Franklin said.

--Melissa Barton

Latino Society brings recruiters to campus

Morgan Stanley. Harvard Medical School. Boston Consulting Group. These were among the high-profile recruiters in attendance at a career forum sponsored by the Professional Society of Latinos on Sat., Oct. 31. Over 400 students attended the event, which was held in conjunction with the weekend's Black Solidarity Conference.

According to Chairperson Sandra Castejon, SY '00, the event was intended to allow students to "interact with professionals, including actual analysts and medical students." She explained that while the forum was aimed primarily at minority students, non-minority students also attended.

The Society will host banking and consulting symposiums on Tues., Nov. 10, and Tues., Nov. 17, respectively. Castejon said that the group will use money generated from this semester's events to target other career fields next semester. "We plan to contact prominent speakers from politics, doctors, and other professions," she said.

--Sangeetha Ramaswamy

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