The Wellesley News
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WELLESLEY COLLEGE WELLESLEY, MA 02481 • ESTABLISHED 1901
wellesleynewsonline.com
Science Center cafe now
open for business
By LINDSAY HASKELL ’14
Contributing Writer
A new AVI/Wellesley
Fresh café opened in the
Science Center on Feb. 3.
The College decided to
build the café in response
to requests from the
Science Center community,
according to Cathy Summa,
the building’s director.
The café features six
round tables and an island
bar. Six coffee canisters
and a cappuccino machine
top the island bar, which
sits in the middle of the
building’s focus. The island
is decorated with blue metal,
sharp-edged bars and nuts
and bolts of different sizes.
Students cannot currently
use their Flex points at the
new café, but they can use
dining dollars, cash or credit
cards instead. This week the
café is open from 8 a.m. to
4 p.m., but the hours will be
extended to 11 p.m. starting
next week. The café will be
closed on weekends.
“It’s very busy in the
morning and around lunch
time,” said AVI employee
Rosi Alfaro.
Lunch options include
two types of hot soup that
change daily, and the cold
sandwich and salad options
that AVI also provides at
the Emporium Café in the
Campus Center. These
options include roasted
vegetables on a multigrain
baguette, chicken Cesar
salad and cups of yogurt.
Packaged foods, including
cereal, potato chips, cookies
and Clif Bars, are also
available. The café sells
Below: The new cafe is located in the Science Center focus. The offices that formerly filled
this space have been moved to the building’s atrium.
SECTIONS Barbara Bush, former
first-daughter, backs
Features . . . . . 5 gay marriage
Opinions . . . . . 7 To what extent do a parent’s
political views influence
Arts . . . . . . . . . 9
their children’s? (Opinions,
Sports . . . . . . 11 page 8)
cold beverages such as
Naked juice and bottled
Starbucks frappuccinos.
The café serves Pura Vida
Coffee, which is Fair Trade
Certified™, organic and
shade-grown. Customers
can chose from House
Blend, Hawaiian Hazelnut
or French Roast in a to-go
cup.
The café also features a
counter with a microwave
and toaster for customers’
use.
Students will soon have
the opportunity to determine
the café’s name in a naming
contest. Summa expressed
her hope to “find something
that is uniquely Wellesley
science and that fits this
space.”
Summa hopes the new café
will highlight the science
that goes on inside the
Science Center through new
installations. According to
Summa, the Science Center
community “wants science
students doing their science
in a very visible way.” It also
wants to attract non-science
majors. “It’s important to
know something about
science and technology in
this day and age, so we want
to help facilitate that,” she
added.
“People hang out over
a cup of coffee or have
lunch together,” Summa
said. “Research groups are
meeting, for instance, to talk
about their research projects
here, now that we’ve created
a space for them to do that.”
Frequent Science Center
visitors enjoy the café’s
CAFE, page 3
LINA TORRES ’13, Photography Editor
New beer class stresses
“quality, not quantity.”
A look into Jim Olson’s
extracurricular class, “The Beer
Necessities.” (Features, page 6)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 Volume 110, Issue 14
JAYA STENQUIST ’13, Contributing Photographer
Snowstorm devastates greater Boston area
Exchange bus, Wellesley-Babson-Olin shuttle, Health Services all forced to halt operation
By CHARLOTTE KIANG ’13 running the next day due to inclement early announcement was “intended
News Editor weather. For some students, this to give students as much time as
simply posed an obstacle to getting possible to cancel or re-schedule any
At 10 a.m. last Tuesday, Feb. 1, into the city, while for others, it commitments they may have had
students logged onto FirstClass necessitated changing their entire that depended upon the Exchange
received an announcement that the spring semester class schedule. Bus and/or the Wellesley-Olin-
MIT Exchange Bus and Wellesley- Peter Eastment, Director of Housing
Olin-Babson Shuttle would not be and Transportation, said that the SNOWSTORM, page 2
Wellesley Square sees huge turnover in shops, businesses
By MARY JOHNSON ’13 She has lived in Wellesley for more five years of being in Wellesley.
Staff Writer than thirty years. “I can’t believe it’s “It’s sad because it’s making the
gone now.” town look so empty,” said Kim Harr,
After being in Wellesley Square Ann Taylor is just one of several the website manager of Abigail’s
for more than fourteen years, Ann stores in Wellesley Square that have Children’s Boutique, located at 93
Taylor, formerly located at 73 closed over the past few months. Central Street.
Central Street, sold its last pair of Right across from Ann Taylor, Some Wellesley residents
dress slacks when it closed this past at 63 Central Street, The Body and employees attribute the
week. The store announced at the Shop also shut its doors this past disappearance of Ann Taylor and
end of December that it would be November. The Body Shop had been other chain stores to the fact that
closing, but the store manager did in Wellesley for more than a decade. many Wellesley residents tend to
not offer an explanation. A block away, Clark's Shoes, located shop at the Natick Mall.
“I’ve been going to Ann Taylor for on 67 Central Street, sold its last pair
many years,” Betty Simonides said. of heels at the end of January after VILLE, page 2
NEWS IN BRIEF was witnessed, the fatality appears to be
self-inflicted.
The deadline to hand in cross-registration
forms for MIT classes is this Friday, A student at Masssachusetts Bay
Feb. 11. Forms must be signed by MIT Community College in Wellesley Hills
instructors and handed into the MIT was arrested last Thursday, Feb. 3, for
registrar’s office at room 11-120. carrying a concealed semi-automatic
weapon into his school’s registrar office.
An error within the AVI computer system The student, 18-year-old Darryl Max
occurred at the beginning of the semester, Dookhran, violently resisted arrest.
causing each student’s remaining flex Dookhran’s attorney has since stated that
points from the fall semester not to roll his client did not know the weapon was
over into her balance for this semester. in his backpack.
The error has since been corrected, and
AVI Fresh Director Cheryl Walker has Feb. 6 marks the beginning of the
confirmed that flex points always roll RecycleMania competition, in which
over from the fall to the spring, albeit not colleges compete to see who can recycle
from the spring to the fall. to most in eight weeks. The competition
runs through Apr. 2.
A man was hit and instantly killed by a
commuter rail train near the Wellesley ~Charlotte Kiang, News Editor
Farms stop last Sunday, Feb. 6. The
train was traveling outbound from South Asha Albuquerque ’14 contributed
Station to Framingham. As no foul play reporting.
Portrait of an Oscar Basketball team thrives,
nominee: Colin despite small numbers
Firth’s rise to glory The basketball team
Mr. Darcy is about to win his first overcomes challenges as
they continue on their road to
Oscar. (Arts, page 10)
NEWMACS. (Sports, page
11)
2 The Wellesley News NEWS February 9, 2011

Snowstorm creates unnavigable POLICE BLOTTER

conditions on campus
SNOWSTORM, from page 1
Babson Shuttle being in service.”
Eastment added that the chief
concern in determining whether
or not to run the bus is “always
safety, and [last] Wednesday’s
road conditions were not safe.”
Students without access to cars
were forced to call taxi services
for transportation to Babson
and Olin, while those with
classes at MIT were left with the
MBTA Commuter Rail as the
only financially viable option.
However, as the Commuter Rail is
designed for those working a nine
to five day, scheduling a midday
trip into town proved difficult.
With only four trains leaving
Wellesley Square between 9:30
a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday,
the schedule was insufficient
to accommodate most course
schedules. As a result, some
students were forced to relinquish
spots in classes, as MIT classes
with “lotteried” enrollment require
that students be present for the
first meeting to have any chance of
being selected.
Those with room for the trip
in their schedules faced a trying
“The situation [might have
been] slightly different for classes
that meet only once or twice a
week. If it had been my seminar
I missed, then I would have tried
to reschedule,” Coleman said.
“[But,] come to the end of the
semester I will have taught what I
wanted to [in CHEM 341.]”
Last Wednesday’s storm is
not the first time the College has
chosen to halt non-academic
services during the semester,
forcing faculty from the Boston
area to cancel class if they cannot
drive in, as the Exchange bus is not
an option. Eastment confirmed that
the decision to take the Exchange
Bus out of service for a “full day”
has been made multiple times in
recent years. Despite this, classes
have not been cancelled during the
regular semester at Wellesley since
2007, Julia Wagner '11 recalls.
“There is no ‘typical’ winter
in New England, but this is a
particularly snowy one, with the
big problem being the lack of
time between storms for thorough
cleanup,” said Coleman of this
year’s conditions.
Coleman affirmed that faculty
“can cancel class if they feel it is
2/1/11 Ambulance call 12:08
p.m. Keohane Sports Cener.
The Reporting Person (RP), a
Wellesley College (WC) staff
member, called to report that a
student was not feeling well and
may require medical assistance.
Officers were dispatched to
evaluate and assist. Wellesley
Fire Department (WFD) and
AMR also arrived on scene.
The student was conscious and
alert and signed a patient refusal
form. WCPD transported the
student to Health Services as a
precaution. Report filed. Case
closed.
2/2/11 Theft 11:13 a.m. Munger
Hall. The RP, a WC student,
reported her boots were taken
from outside of her room. An
officer met with the RP. Report
filed. Case under investigation.
2/3/11 Intoxicated person 10:57
p.m. Wang Campus Center. The
RP, a WC student, called to
report another WC student was
in need of medical assistance.
Officers were dispatched to
assist. Upon arrival it was
determined that the party was
intoxicated. WFD and AMR
were notified and responded.
The student was transported to
MetroWest Hospital in Natick.
Report filed. Case closed.
2/4/11 Motor vehicle accident
7:26 a.m. College Rd. A WPD
dispatcher called to report a
motor vehicle accident with no
injuries involving a
tractor trailer that scraped the
side of a car. Officers were
dispatched to assist and
facilitate the exchange of
insurance information. Report
filed. Case closed.
2/4/11 Ambulance call 5:33
p.m. Bates Hall. The RP, a
WC student, called to request
assistance for a student in
need of medical assistance.
Officers were dispatched to
assist. Officers requested AMR
to respond. WFD and AMR
were notified and responded.
The student was transported
to Metro West Natick. Report
filed. Case closed.
2/5/11 Intoxicated person 12:24
a.m. Alumnae Hall. The RP,
WCPD officer, called to request
an ambulance to respond to
Alumnae Hall for an intoxicated
female. WFD and Medics
were notified. The student was
transported to Metro West
Medical Center in Natick.
Report filed. Case closed.
2/5/11 Unclassified 2:10 a.m.
Babson College. The RP, a
Wellesley Police Officer, called
to report that a WC student
was found intoxicated at the
Boston Sports Club located on
the Babson College campus.
The student was subsequently
transported to the Newton
Wellesley Hospital. Report
filed.Case closed.
2/5/11 Well-being check 3:25
a.m. Severance Hall. The RP,
a WC staff member, called to
request an officer to assist her
with a well being check. An
officer was dispatched. The
officer located and spoke with
the student and then cleared the
area. Report filed. Case closed.

Shops continue to close in Wellesley Square

commute. Zoelle Mallenbaum
’13, who is cross-registered for
an Economics class at MIT, left
campus at 2 P.M., only to arrive at
her 4 P.M. lecture minutes before
it began. Mallenbaum said she
appreciated the advance notice of
the Exchange Bus’s cancellation,
but that she felt a “shuttle to the
commuter rail, or other form of
transportation” would have been
helpful. In last Wednesday’s
conditions, the Commuter Rail
station was about a 30-minute
walk from the Campus Center.
Outside the realm of cross-
registration, the College’s decision
to keep classes in session raised
a maelstrom of other concerns.
Students described conditions as
unnavigable for morning classes,
as roads had not yet been plowed.
Donna Yee ’11, who fell down the
stairs after her 8:30 class in the
Science Center, said she wished the
College had “cancel[led] morning
class,” at least until something had
been done to improve walking
conditions.
Compounding the issue was the
decision of Health and Counseling
Services to cease operation
on Wednesday along with the
College’s transportation. Students
were notified via FirstClass at noon
on Tuesday that their only options
for medical care on Wednesday
would be the College’s on-call
M.D. and emergency counseling
line.
With the academic side of the
College remaining silent on the
issue, professors were left to
decide on their own whether or
not they wished to hold classes.
Professor Coleman of the
chemistry department chose to
cancel his CHEM 341 class after
experiencing a “real adventure”
upon his initial attempt to drive to
campus.
unsafe for them to come in,” and
that the College does not place
any pressure on faculty to make
up for missed hours of class time.
This policy notwithstanding,
Coleman expressed concern for
the college’s other employees,
such as dining hall and library
workers and janitorial staff, who
might potentially “risk life and
limb to come in” when they are not
granted excusal.
“Putting [students’ and
Professors’] safety, but also the
safety of those who maintain the
campus, at risk is a major issue,”
he said. “In my opinion, [the
College] should have encouraged
all employees on the ‘non-essential
list’ – that is, most everyone – to
stay home [last Wednesday.]”
Cheryl Walker, Director of
Wellesley Fresh Culinary Services,
confirmed that a number of AVI
fresh employees were housed at
the College Club overnight from
last Tuesday to Wednesday. Had
the decision to close the College
and cancel classes been made,
dining hall workers who had not
received on-campus housing
would not be required to come into
work.
Ultimately, students were
disappointed with the College’s
apparent complaisance.
“I don’t want to take anything
away from the people clearing
campus, as I’m sure that they
are working hard, but if it isn’t
possible to even keep steps clear,
we should not be encouraged to
go out and about,” said Wagner,
who experienced trouble with both
the Science Center steps and the
Munger staircase that day.
College Health Services
confirmed that as of Monday
evening, no students had visited
the infirmary for snow-related
injuries this semester.
VILLE, from page 1
“I think the large companies are
consolidating more,” said Anne
Marie Dangler, a sales associates
at Winston Flowers of Wellesley.
“They’re moving their shops to
the malls or to another location
where people shop more.”
But large chain stores aren’t
the only type of shops that seem
to be disappearing from the town.
A Different Drummer, located at
41 Central Street, closed at the
end of December after being in
business in Wellesley for over
30 years. The gift store sold a
variety of specialty items, ranging
from customized stationery to
handmade jewelry. Amy Law, the
owner of A Different Drummer
for the past fifteen years, posted
a note to customers outside the
storefront that stated “2011 will
be a new chapter for us.”
Meanwhile, the preppy clothing
boutique Trappings, which
had been in Wellesley for the
past seven years at 31 Central
Street, also closed up shop on
Jan. 1, although it is still taking
monogramming and special
orders. According to an article
that appeared in the Boston Globe
on Jan.13, the store’s owner,
Jennifer Casner, reported that the
decision to close was “a business
decision” because “the store was
not making money.”
“These are tough times for the
economy,” said Dangler on why
small, locally owned stores are
closing in addition to larger chain
stores. “I think that may be part
of the reason why some stores are
closing.”
“I think there are a number of
factors that have hurt the retail
in Wellesley,” said Faith Mori,
owner of Abigail’s Children’s
Boutique. “The most obvious is
economy. Although Wellesley is
an affluent town, people are still
very mindful of the economy
and therefore cautious in their
buying. Many of the landlords
in Wellesley have not adjusted
their rents to reflect the current
economic recession and so
many of the stores, including
many chains, have had to close
in Wellesley because it is not
profitable.”
Dangler and Mori also
commented on how a lack of
parking in downtown Wellesley
has affected business for many of
the stores.
“The Wellesley Square does not
provide many parking spaces and
so customers find it difficult to
shop in the center,” said Mori.
While some believe the poor
economy is largely to blame for
so many stores closing, Dangler
was careful to point out that
she believes this is not the only
reason.
“It’s not all recession stuff,” said
Dangler. “There are some owners
who are closing just because
they’re doing other things.”
Regardless of why they are
closing, many of the stores will
be missed by Wellesley College
students, while the loss of others
don't seem to concern the 2300
potention customers down the
street.
“I don’t really hang out that
much downtown, so it hasn’t
really affected me,” said Gerta
Malaj ’13. Malaj said that she
didn’t notice that Ann Taylor or
The Body Shop has closed.
“If Starbucks or Pete’s [Coffee]
closed, that would be deadly,”
said Donna Yee ’11. “But I
haven’t really noticed other stores
closing.”
Some of that obliviousness
is due to the new stores quickly
replacing old businesses. Lux
Nail Salon opened its doors this
past month and is located at 555
Washington Street. The salon
is featuring many introductory
discount offers, including a
manicure/pedicure spa treatment
for $25 for first-time clients.
Furthermore, the salon offers a
10 percent discount to Wellesley
College students.
Also coming to town is Old
School Pizzeria, which will
be located where the popular
College Square Pizza shop that
closed earlier this year once was.
The owner of Old School Pizzeria
reported that it will be opening
this spring.
In addition, a J.P. Licks ice
cream parlor will be moving
into where The Body Shop is
currently located and should be
open by the springtime, according
to a construction worker found on
site.
The addition of new stores has
brought hope to many Wellesley
residents and employees that
Wellesley businesses will
continue to prosper. As Dangler
concluded, “Wellesley is a great
town and a great location for
businesses…the addition of new
shops will definitely help to
revive the economy.”

Nation & World

Compiled by The Wellesley News Staff
NATION WORLD

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing proposed a new initiative to give police officers and
firefighters deals on foreclosed homes for prices as low as $1,000. The initiative,
called Project 14, designated 200 city-owned, foreclosed homes for the effort. An
influx of officers in Detroit’s neighborhoods could discourage crime, according to
Mayor Bing. 50 officers are already willing to participate in the project.
A three-day-old infant is being treated for hypothermia in a South Carolina
hospital after having been left in an arena toilet after a circus show. The infant, a boy,
was allegedly born in the bathroom. Although security cameras were monitoring
the restroom, authorities can’t identify his mother. A custodian heard the child
crying after a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey performance. A police chief
noted that there were approximately 10,000 people in the arena.
Google Inc. executive and political activist Wael Ghonim was released on Monday
from government detention. Ghonim was allegedly detained for encouraging
Egyptian protesters to use technology in order to promote their cause. He
disappeared during the protests and was missing for more than a week. Based in
Dubai, Ghonim is a marketing executive for Google in the Middle East and North
Africa.
At least seven people were wounded after fighting erupted along the Thai
-Cambodian border. The two sides disputed over an ancient temple. The chairman
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations urged talks between the two sides.
The two sides agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday, but fighting soon followed.
Flooding in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces has left seven people dead
and almost a million displaced. Nearly 1,000 houses have been destroyed.
February 9, 2011 NEWS The Wellesley News 3

All photos courtesy of LESLEY THULIN ’14, Assistant News Editor.

Left: An elevator in Stone-Davis Hall often malfunctions. Above: The same elevator’s inspection certificate lists
a date indicating that it has been expired for six months.

“State” behind delays in elevator inspection certificates

By LESLEY THULIN ’14
Assistant News Editor
A student enters Stone-Davis
Hall, walks across the foyer and
arrives at the residence hall’s two
mirroring elevators. She turns to
the elevator on her left and pushes
the “up” button. But the door on
the elevator behind her opens.
A few minutes later, another
student exits the elevator on the
left. When it reaches the first
floor, its door opens more slowly
than the other’s. The certificate of
inspection in the elevator on the
left has been up for six months.
Approximately nine elevators on
campus need updated certificates
of inspection, according to
Manager of Maintenance Services
Ed Byrne. All residence halls have
updated certificates of inspection
except for Stone-Davis. The
certificate of inspection on one
of Stone-Davis’s elevators was
issued Aug. 17, 2009 and expired
a year later.
According to the College’s
director of operations Mike
Dawley, the elevators with the
expired certificates of inspection
do not present danger to
passengers. “There’s really no
safety issues,” he said.
Dawley attributes the delay
between the elevator certificate’s
expiration and the forthcoming
inspection to the Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety. “We
file for the state inspections in
June and once we file, it’s up to the
state to do the scheduling with the
elevator company,” he said. The
state used to complete inspections
by August but fell behind within
the last year.
“We were on demand,” said
Lenny Chase, an elevator
inspector for the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts. According to
Chase, there are approximately
40,000 elevators in the state of
Massachusetts. Until recently,
the state only had about 40
professional elevator inspectors
due to budget restraints. The
Department has now hired an
additional 15 inspectors.
“The gap is now closing very
quickly,” Chase said. “Public
safety is first and foremost.” The
Department of Public Safety
requires elevators to pass both
an inspection and a practical test
at least once a year. Operating
an elevator without a permit
or certificate of approval is
punishable by a fine of no more
than $500.
If an elevator does not pass
inspection, the inspector posts a
temporary certificate indicating
that the owner of the elevator has
90 days to bring the elevator up to
code, according to the Department
of Public Safety’s website. If the
elevator presents a safety hazard,
the inspector will disable the
elevator and post on its entrance a
notice of its dangerous condition.
Five of the College’s residence
halls (Tower Court West, Lake
House, Cazenove, Shafer and
McAfee) have temporary 90-day
certificates of inspection. Issues
that were unrelated to safety, such
as the functionality of the lights,
prevented these elevators from
passing inspection. “Usually it’s
minor things that don’t affect
the operation but need to be
addressed,” Dawley said.
Despite the delays with official
inspections, the College has a
regular service contract to check
the elevators in the interim. “We
still do monthly maintenance on
them,” Dawley said.
In his 29 years at the College,
Byrne has not seen a serious safety
issue with an elevator on campus.
Byrne tries to get all the elevators
inspected in August, so that the
inspections don’t interrupt the
school year. Both of Stone-Davis’s
elevators had been serviced
between three and four weeks ago,
according to Byrne.
But residents still experience
some issues in the elevator with the
expired certificate of inspection.
“I feel more annoyed than unsafe
in the elevators,” Lucia Perez ’14,
a resident of Stone-Davis, wrote in
an e-mail. “The one on the left is
nearly always broken and it takes
a long time to fix. They normally
run fine. They might pause for a
bit before moving, but it hasn’t
malfunctioned in a way to make
me nervous. I take it about four
times a day (always to go up), and
I very rarely have problems with
it.” Perez had been aware of the
elevator’s expired certificate of
inspection since the day it expired,
which was during Orientation.
Although Stone-Davis’s
Residence Area Coordinator Erin
Doherty “[doesn’t] know much”
about the elevator’s inspections,
she does know that “much of the
time only one is fully functioning,”
she wrote in an e-mail.

Science Center cafe to be named by student contest

CAFÉ, from page 1 has “made life much
more convenient,” he
Akert said. “I can get
coffee in the morning
60 SECOND SENATE
Courtesy of Wellesley College Government
convenience. In the said. It also provides and a sandwich at
past, when Professor a more “collegial lunch. Walking to [the PARLIAMENTARIAN Night with alumnae from · Wellesley Arab Women is
of Chemistry Nolan atmosphere” that Lulu Chow] Wang • Senate is looking for a new every decade since the 1940’s. hosting a talk on the situation
Flynn forgot to bring faculty members can’t [Campus Center] parliamentarian. in Egypt during community
his lunch to work, experience if they eat caused me to lose a • Anyone who has ever been CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES time.
he had to go out to a alone in their office. lot of work time.” to one senate at Wellesley is · The Administrative Liaison
dining hall or the Ville “It’s wonderful,” allowed to run for the position position has not been filled DEAN’S CORNER
to find something to Professor of Lesley Thulin ’14 • Parliamentarian is a neutral in four years, so it’s not seen · The college is still working on
eat. The new café Psychology Robin contributed reporting. position in charge of making as vital to CG. However, you the plans to change/add some
sure that senate speakers should bring this up to your architecture around the school.
Below: Students can remain productive while enjoying snacks from the follow Robert’s Rules of constituents and see if any feel As a part of these efforts, the
Science Center cafe. Order and keeping time during that this position is vital to the school will be looking at Caz,
senate college. Bates and Tower closely to
LINA TORRES ’13, Photography Editor • The parliamentarian · It was originally created to study changes that should be
will serve on the steering help CG and the elections made or things that should be
committee of senate and meet committee with any problems kept. A focus group will be
with the CGP, Sec Treas and they may have had during created later on.
CGVP once a week. elections because special ·There will also be an initiative
• Statements of intent are circumstances at the time had to review the CWS; the Deans
due on Friday to the College called for it. will be looking to senate for
Government and Student input later in the semester.
Senate conferences. OPEN DISCUSSION · An alum very interested
· This semester CG will be in raising awareness for
ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION continuing with the Senate environmental issues has
• Christine Kurtz from Summit, and it is mandatory donated funds towards this
Alumnae Association visited that each senator attend at initiative, and any student can
Senate. least one. petition for funds from this.
• Alumnae Achievement · There was mention by · The college is conducting
Awards will occur on Thurs multiple senators about a self-study related to the
Feb 17th at 5:30 p.m. in DCW putting more emphasis on NCAA. The deans want to
• For the first time, 20 seats at coming up with solutions to include another student in the
the catered, sit down dinner problems as a whole, not just process. 
with the winner and family/ in Ad Hoc committees.
friends will be awarded to · There was also emphasis CABINET ANNOUNCEMENTS
students selected through a put on explaining CG and · There will be a panel in
simple application process the roles senators and cabinet Pendleton 239 to discuss
• Contact CKurtz or ex 2336 members play to the entire Arizona political discourse;
w/any questions. college community so that all Profs. Burke, Cushman and
• Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Tower students are aware of what we Han will be speaking.
will be Special Memories do.
4 The Wellesley News NEWS February 9, 2011

Egyptians struggle for democracy against President Hosni Mubarak

By SARAH MAHMOOD ’14
Contributing Writer
Tunisian street vendor Mohamed
Bouazizi’s whole life has been
spent struggling to provide for
his five siblings, mother and
uncle. Government officials made
this task even more difficult by
routinely shutting down his fruit
kiosk on a whim. It was the final
time, when he was slapped and
spat upon, that sent him over the
edge. He walked to the governor’s
office, and when he was refused
an audience, he set himself on
fire. It was his self-immolation
that ignited a wave of unrest and
protest in his native Tunisia, and
then in Egypt.
The protests against Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak began on
Jan. 25. The “Day of Revolution”
had been loosely organized on
Facebook by pro-democracy and
opposition groups, who described it
as a protest against unemployment,
poverty, corruption and torture.
The protest initially started out
small, but swelled to large numbers
throughout the week, topping a
million on Jan. 28.
“After the revolution in Tunisia
happened, they immediately
started the Facebook event. I was
thinking that it was something
that they were trying to emulate;
it wasn’t something genuine. I
thought it would be something
small and it would pass. But we
were surprised, when they showed
the number of people protesting on
TV... It was amazing,” said Sarah
El Massery, an exchange student
from Egypt.
“Egyptians saw, through Tunisia
and other historical events, that
change won’t just come around if
you wait. The youth in Egypt have
become more empowered and they
Making a Difference.
unofficially organized a protest
that turned into a massive Egyptian
voice,” said Sana Saiyed ’12, who
was studying abroad in Egypt and
had to leave prematurely due to the
protests.
“My Egyptian friends were
right in Tahrir Square and
Mohandeseen, protesting with
their fellow Egyptians. These
were people that I’ve been living
with and around for five months,
fighting for their fundamental
rights that we as Americans should
consider inherent...[They] were
forced to protect their families and
neighborhoods because the police
abandoned their people,” she
continued.
The protests had been mostly free
of large-scale violence until Feb.
2, when pro-Mubarak supporters,
arriving in buses and on camels,
began fighting the protesters
as well as foreign journalists in
Tahrir Square. Their uniformity,
weapons and sudden appearance
has led people to believe that the
supporters are actually forces
hired by Mubarak to intimidate the
protestors.
Previously, the government had
shut down Internet service in Egypt
for almost a week, restoring access
on Feb. 2. Cell phone service
was also shut down for almost
a weekend and the government
had used its emergency powers to
force cell phone companies like
Vodafone to send text messages
to customers asking “honest and
loyal men to confront the traitors
and criminals and protect our
people and honor.”
“It was awful knowing that my
extended family members were
potentially unsafe and that there
was no way of reaching them,”
said Mona Elminyawi ’14. “I
finally got an email response a
couple days ago from my cousin in
Egypt saying that she’s just ‘really
tired,’ but thankfully okay.”
Rania Mamdouh Abdel Naeem,
an exchange student, had family
and friends in Egypt who were
participating in the protests. “It
was very hard because I wasn’t in
contact with them for more than a
week. I was unable to reach them
by any means,” she said.
The communications block did
not achieve the desired result,
however.
“[It] had no effect on the protests
themselves. That’s how powerful
the Egyptian voice is,” Saiyed said.
The 30-year reign of Mubarak,
who succeeded Anwar Sadat
after his assassination, has been
marred by corruption, injustice
and poverty. Nearly 20 percent of
Egyptians live below the poverty
line, and another 20 percent live
close to it. Food prices have gone
up amidst rampant inflation and a
shortage of fuel.
Another point of contention
is Mubarak’s institution of
emergency law, which has allowed
the government to arrest and detain
people without any charges.
“No one was feeling safe lately,”
said El Massery. “A lot of people
were being tortured in the last
couple of months.”
A terrorist bombing in
Alexandria on New Year’s Day
had also unsettled Egyptians.
“People were angry at our
government that they allow such
kinds of terrorist attacks to happen.
It wasn’t the first terrorist attack
to happen in Egypt. There was
another one in 2009,” said Rania.
Adding to the tension were
Egypt’s fraudulent elections in
November, where the President’s
party won nearly all of the 500
seats in Parliament, leaving less
than 20 for the opposition party.
“The people have been angry for
30 years, really. It is not something
new for us to be angry with
him,” said Sarah. “After the last
elections, the National Democratic
Party, which is the party that
Mubarak is from, was able to carry
out a fraudulent election. It was
one of the highest percentages
for any party in the world to win
an election; it wasn’t realistic
whatsoever.”
Mubarak has tried to pacify the
protesters, by appointing a vice
president, firing his cabinet, and
promising not to run for election in
September.
The members of the Steering
Committee of the General
Secretariat, the highest decision-
making body of Mubarak’s
political party, including his son,
Gamal Mubarak – who some
believe was poised to take over
after his father – have resigned as
well. Such reassurances have done
little to appease the protesters,
however. The protesters want
Mubarak to leave immediately.
“The Egyptians... want their
dignity, their respect and their right
to be governed by a government
that they consent to and that is not
imposed upon them in the current
form of dictatorship. They want
their basic and universal human
rights,” said Dana Al-Jawamis ’14.
As the protests aren’t organized,
there aren’t any leaders poised to
take over if Mubarak resigns. Both
Mubarak and President Obama
are offering Vice President Omar
Suleiman as a choice. On Sunday
Feb. 6, Suleiman met major
opposition groups and agreed to
allow freedom of the press, release
the people who had been detained
since the protests started and also
end emergency powers as soon
as possible. He also endorsed a
plan creating a committee to study
constitutional amendments that
would institute term limits on the
presidency, and also allow more
candidates to run for the office.
Others are rallying around
opposition activist Mohamed
ElBaradei, former Director
General of the United Nation’s
International Atomic Energy
Agency and Nobel Peace Prize
winner.
“There is no specific person
that we want to take over after
Mubarak. We want fair elections,
to choose what we want or who we
want,” said Rania.
To discuss the future of Egypt,
as well as the current situation,
the Wellesley ArabWomen’s
Association (WAWA), along with
Al-Muslimat, hosted a forum on
Feb. 3.
“We wanted to make people
aware of the cause and what other
people in other countries suffer
from,” said Sarah.
“Al-Muslimat wanted to support
WAWA and other Arab students
who this was affecting. Many
of our members were awed by
what was going on in Egypt,
because it was such a powerful
and beautiful moment of solidarity
for the Egyptian people. I think
their fight for democracy was
something many people found
inspiring and could identify with
as a common human struggle,”
said Sarina Bajwa ’11, president of
Al-Muslimat.
“The event was definitely a
success because it gave these
students a chance to share their
experiences and it humanized the
experience for a lot of people who
just saw this as another event in the
news,” she said.

Four Outstanding Women,

One Day.
Marilyn Crandall Reena
Jones ’70 Raggi ’73
Physician, Geneticist, Healer Courageous Jurist,
of Children Generous Teacher
• Art History major • History major
• First physician to be president of 3 important • Won the gameshow Jeopardy while a student
organizations simultaneously: the Western Society • Chair of her junior show
for Pediatric Research, American College of Medical • Won the Bollard Prize in Constitutional History her
Genetics, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Assoc. sophomore year
• Travels to Tijuana, Mexico monthly to provide • Appointed to the Federal bench by President Reagan
genetic care for children • Youngest appointee in the history of the district and
the first woman.

Sarah Milledge Susan Wunsch

Nelson ’53 Rice ’67 CBE
Archaeologist, Scholar, Socially Conscious Banker,
Feminist Arts Advocate
• Bible Studies major • Biology major
• Before her career as an archaeologist, she traveled to • Published in Nature magazine
Germany, became fluent in German and published a • A college dean at Yale and Colgate
book on German castles • First woman to lead a clearing bank in the UK and
• Ground breaking work on Neolithic Korea the only American
• In addition to writing 150 publications, she has also • Chair of the Edinburgh International Book Festival
written 2 archaeological novels

2011 Alumnae Achievement Awards

Thursday, February 17, 5:30 pm, Alumnae Hall
RSVP: www.wellesley.edu/alum/rsvp
Questions: alumnae@wellesley.edu
Disabilities: jwice@wellesley.edu More info.: www.wellesley.edu/Alum/Awards