Week in Brief

JULIA PAOLITTO/YH WE WON'T GO: On Tues., Feb. 9, the Graduate Employees and Students Organization protested the Administration's unwillingness to discuss reform outside the Hall of Graduate Studies.

Kamal, who has served on U.N. committees of disarmament, trade, and human rights, sees the U.N. as a necessary but "sick" institution. According to Kamal, many of the U.N.'s problems stem from errors that date back to its founding, such as the permanent membership and special veto power the victors of World War II awarded themselves. He also pointed to the "cockeyed" nature of the institution's charter, which makes amendments nearly impossible.

Vice-President for Student Debate of the YPU, Holland Sullivan, TD '00, agreed with Kamal's conclusion. "The U.N. has failed miserably in its management of several crises," he said. "It's time to look at what is inhibiting its success."

--Emily Bell

Yale logos to debut in Europe
Yale and Harvard have announced that they will license their logos from the 1930s and '40s for a line of clothing to appear in European stores. The T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baseball caps bearing the logos will not be immediately available in America.

An op-ed in last Sunday's New York Times criticized the licensing plan. But Helen Kauder, Yale's director of licensing, said it makes sense for Yale to capitalize on its image. "The fashion industry, notably Ralph Lauren, has been making money on the Ivy League look for years," she said.

--Adrienne Lo

New FCC proposal benefits local station
New Haven may soon get at least one new radio station. La Nueva Radio Musical, a local Hispanic radio station, has been broadcasting illegally because it cannot afford to pay for a Federal Communication Commission (FCC) license. But a new FCC recommendation would offer inexpensive licenses to "microradio" stations for less than $1000.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has been meeting with representatives from La Nueva Radio Musical since last spring and supports the proposal. "Allowing small, low-power stations to broadcast increases competition and improves diversity on the airwaves," she said. "Communities benefit from stations providing information of unique local concern."

Ward 15 Alderman Kevin Diaz is also enthusiastic about the recommendation. "La Nueva Musical may soon legitimately be able to provide the valuable cultural and educational services it is currently illegally transmitting to many of New Haven's Hispanic residents," he said. --Abbi Phillips

City to cut down on underage tobacco sales
The New Haven metropolitan area has received $90,000 from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discourage underage tobacco sales. The grant is part of a nationwide FDA campaign. It will subsidize print, radio, billboard, and television advertisements reminding area retailers to check buyers who look younger than 27 years of age for photo identification.

New Haven is the only Connecticut city out of 33 cities nationwide participating in the $7 million campaign. The Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, which oversees the state's sale of tobacco and alcohol products, has also agreed to do more random checks of area retailers to ensure they are complying with FDA regulations.

Glenn Greeberg, the owner of the Owl Smoke Shop in New Haven, said he has received literature and signs about the initiative, but it will not affect the store's practices. "We've always been enforcing these rules," Greenberg said. "We'll be sure to continue carding people now that we've been reminded again."

--Liz Oliner

Mellon leaves British Art Center $75 million
Paul Mellon, Class of 1929, made Yale University the second biggest benefactor of his will, leaving the British Art Center (BAC) $75 million of his estate along with 130 works of art. Mellon, who passed away on Mon., Feb. 1, funded the BAC's creation in 1966.

"It's a magnificent bequest," BAC director Patrick McCaughey said. "The real effect is that the BAC will continue to operate at its current level without imposing on Yale in any way."

--Sumit De

Students discuss lack of Asian Studies at Yale

JULIA TIERNAN/YH LET'S TALK: The Asian American Cultural Center was the site of this recent discussion.

According to the Asian American Students Association (AASA), Yale currently offers only one class related to Asian-American studies. The University of California at Berkeley offers 32 Asian-American-related courses. To discuss possible remedies for this inequity, AASA held a town meeting on "Asian Americans and Academic Diversity at Yale" at the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) on Mon., Feb. 8.

The meeting opened with an impromptu speech by Assistant Dean Mary Li Hsu, director of the AACC. She emphasized the importance of studying the role of Asian-Americans in the development of the West, as well as the injustices they have faced. "How can you discuss who an American can be today without studying who couldn't be an American in the past?" Hsu said.

The 36 students who attended the meeting then split into four groups to discuss why Yale should have an Asian-American studies program. "It was a definite step in the right direction," said Alexander Jhin, JE '01, AASA Political Action Committee co-chair. "Now that we have gotten the communication going, we are hoping for action." AASA plans to start a letter-writing campaign to University officers as well as inform students about the lack of Asian-American course offerings.

--Sumit De

Back to News...