Around the Globe

`I do': now do me

At Hedonism III, a Jamaican resort known for its wild ways, eight nude couples plan to say "I do" on Valentine's Day. But their plans have caused long-distance uproar: a dozen pastors from the Caribbean-American Clergy Coalition demonstrated outside of the resort company's New York offices, urging preventative measures against the event. The Jamaican government fears the event will portray the country in a way "contrary to the image that we consider appropriate for the destination."

Illegal U.S. elephant immigrants

Unlike the illegal immigrant who stayed with Linda Chavez, Benny the Elephant went the opposite direction when he crossed into Mexico to work for the Vazquez Brothers circus. Benny's owner put him in a large wooden crate and paid off Mexican customs officers to allow him across the border. The Mexican police discovered the elephant soon after his arrival. As Ramon Vazquez commented, "We needed an elephant, and they're not exactly easy to come by in Mexico."

A capital pudding

Last week, Utah made headlines by declaring Jell-O the official state snack. The decision comes with Salt Lake City's distinction of having the highest per capita consumption of Jell-O in the world. An official Jell-O Week has been planned to celebrate the city's victory. Joining in the festivities was Bill Cosby, who said, "You have said you are a state that brings family wherever you go." The comedian was made an honorary citizen of the state. Senator Ron Allen (R-UT) cast an opposing vote to the decision, saying, "The suggestion that Jell-O is the glue that keeps families together has pushed me over the edge."

—Compiled by Orianne Dutka from drudgereport.com, cnn.com, and bbc.co.uk

The Week in Brief

Yale doctors reach out to third world

Johnson & Johnson recently became the sole sponsor of the Yale School of Medicine's International Health Program (IHP). Founded in 1981 by Drs. Michele Barry and Frank Bia, the program sends American doctors-in-training to developing nations provide their services.

Ruth Edelson, a member of the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Contributions Committee, said in a press release that the program "has sent the skills of Yale's well-trained medical residents to under-served areas of the world, contributing much needed medical care."

The program will fully fund its Yale participants, while also allowing residents from different medical schools to take part through a national competition. IHP will also initiate a sabbatical program for physicians who want to work with patients in developing nations. With these additions, the program will become a national model.

Dr. Anu Gupta, a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Yale, conducted a study of program participants and found they were more likely than non-participants to offer care later in their careers to substance abusers, patients infected with HIV, and patients receiving public assistance. "We are very excited by the opportunity to expose physicians to international health experiences at a formative stage in their medical training," she said.

The program currently sends residents to hospitals in Haiti, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Russia, Cuba, and India for four- to eight-week sessions. Administrators would like to expand to include Vietnam and Nepal.

—Alexis Ortiz

Art, architecture, and architects

Yale's arts area complex already boasts the names of Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn, the famed architects of the Art and Architecture (A&A) building and the Center for British Art, respectively. David M. Childs and Richard Meier, ARC '67, will soon be added to this distinguished list. Yale recently announced that Childs will undertake the renovation of Rudolph's A&A building and Meier will design plans for a new art history building abutting the modernist structure at 200 York St. Construction is projected to begin in the fall of 2002 and to be completed in mid-2004.

The interior of the A&A building was destroyed in a 1969 fire and never fully restored. Childs' task in renovation will be "to come as close as possible to Rudolph's original design, within the limits of new code requirements," University Planning representative Pamela Delphenich said. Meier's art history building will be the new home of the Arts Library and the Visual Resource Center, as well as classroom and office space for the art history department.

The A&A building and the art history building will share some facilities, reflecting the interconnect-edness of the two disciplines. "The primary crossover use between the two buildings will be the library," Arch Currie, director of project management in the Office of Facilities, said. Delphenich added that there "is a good synergy" between the two building projects. "[Childs] and Meier are genuinely enthusiastic about working together," Delphenich said. "They know each other personally and have collaborated on projects before." —Katie Rigney

Smarty pants getting baggier

The Yale Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise (PACE) is set to open this month. Endowed with over $7 million in research grants and contracts, the center aims to disprove the commonly held theory of innate intelligence.

Professor Robert Sternberg, the director of the center, led the way in the field of psychology with the theory of successful intelligence. Unlike the traditional notion that intelligence is fixed throughout a person's life, Sternberg believes that while people may excel in certain areas of intelligence, other abilities can be developed and enhanced.

The center will be comprised of over 20 researchers whose projects include, among other things, a study of the acquisition of leadership skills, application of the theory of successful intelligence in a California charter school, and a study on how to generate an environment in schools that is conducive to increasing intelligence.

A dedication ceremony is set for Mon., Feb. 19, starting with a colloquium to be delivered by Professor Endel Tulving of the Rotman Research Institute. The talk is entitled "What Kind of Intelligence Does it Take to Build a House of Intellience?" Additionally, a ribbon-cutting at 340 Edwards St. is scheduled to take place following Tulving's talk.

—Josh Lockman

Swinging MC and ES on a string

Housing committees from both Morse and Ezra Stiles met last weekend to discuss where students from these colleges will be housed when Vanderbilt Hall is renovated during the 2002-03 school year.

The issue that concerns many students is whether freshmen or upperclassmen from these colleges will move into Swing Space.

The discussions came after Morse and Stiles College Council meetings last week, in which students from both colleges voted in favor of putting freshmen in Swing Space.

The housing committees from the two colleges, which met with Morse and Stiles Masters and Deans, as well as Yale College Dean Richard Brodhead, BR '68, GRD '72, echoed this sentiment.

The final decision, however, is not yet clear. "Contrary to the impression that [reports have] created, there hasn't been a resolved Administration position on this matter," Brodhead said.

But Brodhead stressed the importance of student input on this matter. "We have wanted to take soundings and work toward the fairest decision...I've conveyed the Council's thinking to the President, who will discuss the matter with the Yale Corporation, which is coming to town this weekend. I expect a decision very soon thereafter."

—Anna Arkin-Gallagher

Heard

"A one-pound circumcision would be one hell of a clip job." —Lawrence Manley, Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances

"Dogberry essentially adopts the philosophy of the Yale Police Department—short of rape, murder, pillage, and looting, it's not worth meddling with." —Lawrence Manley, Shakespeare: Comedies and Romances

"Miles Davis not only led you to the bedroom door; he also took you inside and showed you what to do." —Ken Burns, documentary film-maker, at a Pierson Master's Tea

Yale Index

1. Number of cards exchanged on Valentine's Day: 1,000,000,000
2. Percent chance that a man views Valentine's Day as a Hallmark conspiracy: 99
3. Percent of men 18-24 who want to receive flowers on Valentine's Day: 79
4. Percent of men that give flowers on Valentine's Day: 19
5. Percent of men that have received Valentine flowers from a woman: 40
6. Percent of men who make plans for Valentine's Day more than a week ahead: 30
7. Percent of men who wait until Valentine's Day to make plans: 30
8. Percent of Yalies who plan to get lovin' on Valentine's Day; 88
9. Percent of Yalies who actually get lovin' on Valentine's Day: 18
10. Percent chance that Yale goggles are involved in this 18 percent: 29
11. Number of marriages performed in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day: 2,600
12. Years it would take for Yale to match one day of Las Vegas lovin': 1.85

—Compiled by Alison Smith

1, 4) cnn.com 2) eavesdropping in Morse dining hall 3, 5) www.floramex.com 6, 7) www.eagletribune.com 8) conservative conjecture 9) Yale Herald purity test 10) generous conjecture 11) www.lasvegassun.com 12) Math 101

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