The Week in Brief

Law prof nominated for top national post

Law School Dean Anthony T. Kronman issued a statement in support of Koh: "The Yale Law School community is very pleased that Professor Koh has been appointed for this critically important position. We are proud of him and happy for him, and we regard his nomination and eventual confirmation as a tremendously positive event for both our country and the world."

Renowned for his advocacy of human rights, Koh is director of the Orville H. Schell, Jr., Center for International Human Rights at the Law School and a member of the executive committee of the Yale Center for International and Area Studies

"If confirmed, I will give my all to help our government to advance the causes of democracy, human rights, and labor," Koh promised. "Many years ago, this country gave my family refuge. I hope to start repaying a priceless debt by working vigorously to promote the values that drew us here."

—E. Tammy Kim

Farmington Canal trail wins Yale approval

"We support the Rails to Trails project, we hope that it can be built, and we are happy to contribute to the success of a recreational asset to be enjoyed by the entire community," he said.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH The future site of the Farmington Canal trail runs through Yale property near Prospect Street.

Since 1988, the Farmington Canal Rail to Trail Association has faced Yale's reluctance to offer land which may be used in future construction. Yale and members of the association now have the chance to develop an area which will link surrounding communities with New Haven and the Yale campus.

Anne Lightbody, JE '99, a member of the Yale Student Environmental Coalition (YSEC), commented, "It will be a huge asset to Yalies and members of the surrounding communities who love to be outside."

On Thurs., Sept. 24, the City of New Haven, the architectural firm of Milone and MacBroom, and the Student Rail to Trail Association held a meeting in Linsly-Chittenden Hall to discuss the design plans for the trail with the public.

—Cole Stevens

Professor to design mountain rescue vehicle

"Autonomous vehicles [are] a particular direction that I hope to contribute to in the future," Morse said. He described these vehicles as "control systems that are smart," meaning they are able to make the necessary calculations to perform complex tasks, such as rescue missions along steep slopes.

In recognition of the contributions he has made to the field of control systems, Morse will be awarded the 1999 Control Systems Award by the Institute of Electrical Engineers and Engineering later this month.

—Abbi Phillips

Law students challenge U.S. sweatshop policy

Graham Boyd, director of the Workers' Rights Project, attributes poor enforcement of minimum wage and overtime laws, particularly in the garment industry, to sweatshop workers' fear of deportation. "The large majority of federal wage and hour investigations depend on voluntary worker complaints, but [immigrant] workers are silenced by the threat of action by [the Immigration and Naturalization Services]," Boyd said.

Shayne Stevenson, student director of the group, called the U.S. policy a "gag order on immigrant workers." Mike Wishnie of the ACLU Immigrant Rights Project explained that the petition "simply calls on Clinton to keep his pledge to all of the workers in this country."

—Elizabeth Wright

Seminars to examine sexuality, human rights

Series coordinator Margaret Homans described the significance of the workshop: "Yale is part of a global culture, and, in a time of widespread ethnic and national conflicts and an era still characterized by repressive political regimes, scholars and activists here need to educate themselves about how gender and sexuality affect people's experiences both in ongoing situations of oppression and in times of violent crisis."

The series will explore the relationship between gender and human rights, focusing on the effect of violent conflicts on women. Seminars will meet Wednesday afternoons and will include brief readings and some documentary films.

—Adrienne Lo

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