Kagame's Visit Sparks Protest, Controversy Kagame, Cohon
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Manage the job fair, CMU needs to initiate Miller Gallery opens its improve your résumé, learn community discussion presentation of city-wide about the new fall EOC about Rwanda program • A10 Pittsburgh Biennial • C8 CAREER WEEK FORUM PILLBOX thetartan.org @thetartan September 19, 2011 Volume 106, Issue 4 Carnegie Mellon’s student newspaper since 1906 Kagame, Cohon announce Rwandan program Kagame’s visit sparks SUJAYA BALACHANDRAN Rwanda. of the Carnegie Institute of Prior to the ceremony and Junior Staffwriter Kagame delivered his Technology. announcement in Rangos, protest, controversy keynote address to a packed Kagame’s visit was not met The Tartan interviewed Co- MADELYN GLYMOUR Although embroiled in crowd of attendees who un- without opposition, however. hon to obtain background lack of free speech in Rwan- Assistant News Editor controversy, Rwandan Presi- derwent security checks that A group of protesters clus- knowledge of the partnership da. dent Paul Kagame’s visit to included metal detectors and tered near the bus stop on between Carnegie Mellon and Last year, Reporters With- Carnegie Mellon last Friday pat-downs by security offi - Forbes Avenue, with shouts the new program in Kigali. Protesters gathered out- out Borders ranked Rwanda was a signifi cant event, as cials. The event, which was of “Kagame! Genocidaire!” al- Cohon noted that Rwan- side the University Center to 169th out of 178 countries in both he and University Presi- held in the University Center’s leging Kagame’s involvement da’s government, recognizing speak out against Carnegie its worldwide freedom of the dent Jared Cohon announced Rangos Hall, was hosted by in the murders of Congolese Carnegie Mellon’s strengths in Mellon’s partnership with press index. According to an the creation of a new Carn- Pradeep K. Khosla, the Dowd Hutus by Rwandan military information systems and tech- Rwandan President Paul Amnesty International fact- egie Mellon campus in Kigali, university professor and dean forces. nology, envisioned the univer- Kagame during Kagame’s ad- book from 2011, sity as a partner in advancing dress last Friday. during Kagame’s its goals. He explained that Administra- 2010 re-elec- Kagame had initiated the tors unveiled tion campaign, partnership himself. “Rwanda plans to open a he shut down stepped forward because of new center in President Kagame’s vision and Rwanda which See PROTEST, A3 said, ‘We want to be the center will provide for information and commu- graduate educa- nications technologies.’ And tion in information then that sent them on a path and communications of fi nding a Western univer- technology. University sity, an American university to President Jared Cohon be their partner.” called Kagame and his Cohon said that Carnegie dedication to the program Mellon accepted the partner- “visionary,” saying that ship because of the univer- Kagame’s leadership is one sity’s need for global outreach of the reasons that Rwanda to nations with lower levels of has been able to achieve socioeconomic development. peace and stability after the “Carnegie Mellon sees as part Rwandan genocide in 1994, of its mission not only becom- in which at least 800,000 ing a global university, but members of the minority Tut- having global impact. Africa is si ethnic group were killed a part of the world that really by members of the majority is in desperate need of higher Hutu ethnic group. education resources.” Cohon The protesters, however, also emphasized Rwanda’s believe that Kagame has exceptional economic prog- committed too many human ress among African nations. rights abuses for any partner- “Rwanda stands out among ship with or endorsement of Alan Vangpat/Senior Staff Audrey Alpizar/Staff him to be acceptable. One University of Pittsburgh student Kagame introduces the new partnership between Rwanda and Carnegie Mellon at Friday’s ceremony. See RWANDA, A4 concern they cited was the Ryan Branagan protests. Carnegie Mellon looks to build research, tech facilities in New York JACKSON LANE neering industries compared new digital media program in Senior Staffwriter to places like Silicon Valley. partnership with Steiner Stu- Carnegie Mellon has thus dios. As part of their effort to far submitted two proposals In an interview with The rally support behind building to the EDC. New York Times, Douglas a new applied sciences and The university’s fi rst pro- Steiner, chairman of the stu- engineering campus in Wil- posal, which was jointly sub- dio, explained that Carn- lets Point, the Coalition for mitted in partnership with egie Mellon’s programs in Queens is now reaching out New York University, the Uni- entertainment technology to universities that had pre- versity of Toronto, City Uni- will complement the studio’s viously expressed interest in versity of New York, and IBM, plans to build a new fi lm building such a facility in New primarily entails providing school in the Brooklyn Navy York City. research support for a campus Yard. On March 17 this year, 27 expansion at New York Uni- After reviewing all the institutions, including Carn- versity. “Expressions of Interest,” the egie Mellon, submitted letters “We may have a small EDC will release requests for to New York City in response physical presence, but cer- letters, and then the inter- to an announcement from the tainly not a campus,” clarifi ed ested universities will have city’s Economic Development Richard McCullough, Carn- until Oct. 28 to draft their Corporation (EDC) saying egie Mellon’s vice president plans for development. By the that the city is prepared to of- for research, as quoted in The end of the year, the EDC plans fer as much $100 million to Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “Our to have decided on which of aid in the construction of a faculty would help them to the proposals to fund, but in new applied sciences and en- get research dollars, and we the meantime, there is still gineering campus. would get some of those re- a question over where a new While the city is a leader search dollars.” facility or campus should be in fi elds such as fi nance, en- In a second, separate pro- built. tertainment, and art, it has posal, Carnegie Mellon ex- relatively small tech and engi- pressed interest in creating a See RESEARCH, A5 Joe Medwid/Staff Campus Design relocates playground as part of building restoration EMILY DOBLER ing can offi cially begin. Each Hall] will temporarily relocate Donner Ditch is a more open News Editor phase of the project relies on their playground to Donner space than the previous loca- completion of the other; the Dell.” tion next to the tennis courts; Carnegie Mellon’s depart- overall restoration is expected Brennen Garrison, a gradu- because many student groups ment of Campus Design and to take 12 to 18 months, ac- ate student in the School of use Donner Ditch as an area Facility Development began cording to Campus Design. Architecture, has been an in- for their events, Campus De- working last May — alongside Campus Design stated that tern for the campus design de- sign made safety a priority. Perfi do Weiskopf Wagstaff and the primary reason for under- partment since June. He has “As usual the children will Goettel Architects — to restore taking the restoration project been highly involved with the be monitored by multiple the façade of Margaret Morri- was previous water seepage Margaret Morrison Carnegie teachers and aides when they son Carnegie Hall. behind the building’s bricks Hall restoration, including the are on the playground,” Garri- During the second week of that caused damage to the Children’s School playground son further explained. “When August, crews began the fi rst masonry. Campus Design and relocation. the playground is fi nished, phase of the construction: re- Facility Development staff “This location was selected there will be a fence surround- locating the Children’s School also planned to reconstruct in coordination with the senior ing it with limited gate access playground to Donner Ditch. the third-fl oor balustrade by leadership at the Children’s to keep intruders out. On the Construction has been ongo- installing a through-wall to School and with the Offi ce of outside of the fence there will ing since. protect it from future water Student Affairs,” Garrison said be grasses planted to help Jendoco Construction initi- damage. in an email. “It provides for the screen the sight of the fence ated the second phase of the According to its website, children the safest and most and to keep people from com- project last Tuesday by erect- Campus Design and Facility suitable site proximate to the ing directly up to the fence. ing scaffolding on the west Development “plan[s] to re- school.” Months of planning The fence and grasses will façade of Margaret Morrison place current hot water risers went into designing and re- help separate the playground Carnegie Hall. According to for perimeter heat, as well as locating the playground. The from the remainder of Donner the construction crew, erect- install separate hot and chilled project team has been work- [Ditch].” ing the scaffolding is expected water risers for future HVAC ing on it since the end of last Campus Design and Facility to take two to three weeks. capabilities. In order to ac- semester. Development’s website keeps Once the installation is com- commodate the work site, the The children’s safety was a a blog of the project, contain- Nicole Hamilton/Comics Editor pleted, the main work to re- Children’s School located in concern in the relocation and ing construction and restora- Construction continues on the new playground in Donner Ditch. store the exterior of the build- [Margaret Morrison Carnegie re-design of the playground.