OCR::/Vol_089/WLURG39_RTP_19900524/WLURG39_RTP_19900524_001.2.txt gjfiffqéat A-cc-or.d\Om4-3 9 O 4 D O 4 F C «.1170! .9 maflftb 6‘ Fe 1 /Art 4 578.755 #552. \/.-%’/l no .’2'l Q. 2 i.-vs; EH‘. ‘»t~ol'vi-..r~:.*.i‘I‘~.r "N Ztifiwnr‘, ,gV.~4 it, *".‘-3!’ l“=.«'.‘.'1~7’.‘.'~‘, \/A _. i A City may hunt down student cars --- see page 4 C112 fling-tum ifllit VOLUME 89, NO. 26 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA MAY 24, 1990 PiKA continues reorganization By Brian Root and Andrew Waters of The Ring-tum Phi’ staff Washington and Lee’s Pi Kappa Alpha chapter has been given six months to reorganize itself, after the ' personal negotiation of W&L Presi- dait John Wilson with the national fraternity, according to the newly- elected house vice—presideni. “In six months, they (the national fraternity) will come in and give us a review and let us know the state of the house," said Richard Perry. “We would have lost our charter if Wilson had not stepped in and negotiated.” The reorganization of the chapter has not “progressed as well as was hoped,” according to the executive director of the national fraternity. “It (the reorganization) was not going like we, the university, or some members of the chapter thought it should," said Kevin Virta, PiKA’s executive director. “We’re just trying to service a chapter that is not meet- ing the needs of its members. As a result of this reorganization, PiKA elected another group of house officers Tuesday night, according to PiKA member John Miller. After the house's operations were temporarily halted in January by the national fraternity, a new group of officers was appointed, rather then elected, which led to resentment among some members. According to Perry, Wilson asked that the latest round of elections be held to better include the house in the reorganization process. “Wilson wanted to have the offi- cers elected,” Perry said. “So that everyone felt they had played a part and had influenced something.” Virta said the national fraternity is “working closely with the university to help the chapter fulfill all the needs of its members.” Virta said the chapter had “v- iolated some of the fraternity’s stan- dards and policies,” which led to the effort to remake the chapter. “We are basically a service or- ganization,” he said “That’s what we’re trying to do, is service one of our chapters that needs assistance.” However, Virta would not say what standards were judged to have been broken. “We believe that this a matter that is best handled just between us, the chapter, and the university," he said. “We weren't close to PiKA na- tional standards,” said Perry. “Lots of things had happened in the past.” Virta said that it was possible, al- though not likely, that the W&L chapter could lose its charter from the national fraternity, which would eliminate the chapter from any con- nection with PiKA’s national. “Whenever you’re looking at a chapter that’s not performing up to speaks with Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder during VMl’s gradu- Wilder skirtsVM| coed issue Coeducation an issue for courts to decide, Governor says Virginia Military Institute Superintendent Maj. Gen. John Knapp ation, held last Saturday in Cameron Hall. Wilder delivered the commencement address. Photo courtesy of the News-Gazette. By Brian Root Editor Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder Satur- day assured the newest graduates of the Virginia Military Institute that, while he opposes all forms of discrimination, he will not intervene in the issue of possible coeducation at the all-male school. “Let me put it simply, VMI has been too good for too long for me to intervene now,” said Wilder to a crowd of over 3,000 in VMI’s Cameron Hall Saturday morning. Wilder, who made his remarks during his commencement address at VMI, also said in his speech that he expects both the students and faculty of VMI to respect and obey any ruling by the courts. “My charge to you is to stand prepared to accept that decision, whatever it may be,” Wilder said. “To uphold the law you have come to cherish, and to remain loyal to VMI, whatever its structure.” In the speech, Wilder, as he has since the issue was raised, refused to say whether he thinks VMI’s admissions policy is discriminatory. The govemor’s only official stance has been to say that the matter should be settled by the courts, although the U.S. Justice Department has named Wilder in its lawsuit against the state. Former Governor Gerald Baliles, when the issue was first raised by the Justice Department, had threatened to appoint members of the VMI Board of Visitors who would support coed- ucation. Wilder, however, told the audience that he imposed no such litmus test. “I recently reappointed four members to your Board of Visitors,” said Wilder. “I asked none of them about their position on coeducation. I will ask only that they (future appointees) dis- charge their responsibilities to the best of their ability.” Following Wilder’s remarks, VMI Superinten- dent Maj. Gen John Knapp said that VMI would follow any eventual court ruling concerning the school. “Govemor Wilder, let me assure you that we will observe the power of loyalty,” Knapp said. “You can expect that from VMI men.” The Justice Department has alleged that the male-only admissions standard denies women an equal opportunity to a military-based education. ' In reply, the state has said that other state- supported schools, such as Virginia Tech, offer ROTC prograrris that give women equal opportu- nity, thus allowing the state to fulfill its constitu- tional obligations. Arguments for the case will be heard in the U.S. District Court in Roanoke on June 4. ' our standards, removing the chapter's charter is a possibility,” he said. “I’m not sure, but I think we would have eventually lost our char- ter,” Perry said. _ According to Miller, PiKA’s new officers are Eric Mutz, president, Richard Perry, vice-president, John Simonton, treasurer and Darren Brac- chia, secretary, Perry and Bracchia were reelected to their respective positions. The reorganization began in Jan- uary, when the national fraternity suspended all house operations. Sub- sequently, each of the 62 members of the house were interviewed by PiKA officials, including PiKA’s chapter consultant Scott Russell. Only 30 of those were invited to rejoin the new chapter. The remaining 32 were accorded “early alumni status,” which prohib- ited them from entering PiKA proper- ty for two years. Since then, said Perry, “16 or 17” members have been let back in through the appeals process. “Everyone is committed to saving the chapter and getting rid of hazing and vandalism that goes on in the houses,” said Perry. “Hopefully, PiKA will be the model for fraterni- ties in the next year or two. “We’ve been around for 98 years," Perry said. “We sure want to be around to celebrate our 100th anniversary.” Counselors raid dorms Freshman alcohol seized, ‘Gag gift’ draws criticism By Courtney Hall Staff Reporter Freshman dorm rooms were en- tered and searched for alcohol by five dorm counselors last Wednesday night, according to freshmen who said their rooms were opened without their permission while they were not present. Freshmen were asked to turn over any alcohol they had in exchange for being pardoned from serving hours, the regular consequence of being found with alcohol in the freshman dorms. According to Assistant Dean of Students Ken Ruscio, the search came after a lunch discussion at which the five counselors — Head Dorm Coim- selor Mary Alice McMorrow, Shawn Copeland, J. Wayne Burris, John Durant and Tom Brubaker — ex- pressed their desire to enforce the alcohol policy. Although Ruscio said that it is not typical for counselors to ask freshmen whether they have any alcohol, he also said, “It’s not really a change but an additional step” to the present policy. , Brubaker said he and the other dorm counselors covered 85 percent of the freshman roorris. The counselors asked freshmen present at the time of the raid to turn over any alcohol they had. Some freshmen who were not present at the time had their roorris and refrigerators searched. Several members of the Executive Committee voiced concern that dorm counselors may have used the Honor System in their search. “Using the Honor System to take care of disciplinary matters...is totally wrong,” said Senior EC Rep. David Radulovic at Monday night's EC meeting. , Ruscio agreed, but said “to use that in the context of this evening is very simplistic.” Ruscio asserted that if a dorm counselor has reason to believe a student has alcohol and asks about it, a student must respond truthfully. According to Ruscio, some fresh- men were upset by the fact that counselors entered rooms when no one was there. Durant said, “Some of the fresh- men were complaining that we had no probable cause, but on a Wednes- day night during spring term, that’s a probable cause." Ruscio said that student complaints were valid. “I will concede that some of the counselors went a step too far,” he said. Counselors are supposed to use their passkeys to enter locked roorris only in the case of an emergency, but Ruscio confirmed, “One counselor used his passkey twice [Pat evening.” I The alcohol collected by the coun- selors was “poured down the drain,” said Ruscio, although the dorm coun- selors initially intended it to be their “gag gift” to outgoing Dean of Students Lewis John at a reception later that week. Ruscio said that when the coun- selors were confronted with one-half to two—thirds of the roorris having alcohol in them, the gift “became obviously inappropriate.’ ’ EC Vice President-elect Raymond Welder told the EC that the action taken by the dorm counselors “should be equally offensive to this body.” Senior EC Rep. John Pringle said, “It seems like such an oppressive, authoritarian thing to do with people raiding roorris and searching refri- gerators." When asked how he felt about the results of the evening, Ruscio replied, “I feel badly as to what happened and thsfeelings that resulted, particu- larly for the counselors involved." Confetti’s bash generates profit By Rick Peltz Staff Reporter Trident told the Executive Com- mittee Monday night that it stands about $3,000 in the black for this weekend’s speaker and Confetti’s. Trident Chairwoman Alicia Hay reported that with 212 Confetti’s tickets already sold, revenues total over $l2,0()0, compared to the proj- ected expenses of about $9,000. Trident will cosponsor, with the Dean of Student’s office, speaker Victoria Bond, Virginia’s 1989 “Woman of the Year”in Lee Chapel, tomorrow at 4 p.m. EC President Willard Dumas read a letter from Associate Dean of Stu- . dents Anne Schroer-Lamont to Stu- dent Activities Board Chaiiman Char- les Conklin, asking that SAB’s con- certs on Friday afternoon be resched- uled so as not to conflict with Bond’s presentation. SAB scheduled Points or Cash, _ subdudee I net in the Snncrrnarket and Left Exit to perform in the pavil- ion for 45 minutes each, beginning tomorrow at 3 p.m., according to Conklin. Schroer-Lamont’s letter said that the Interfratemity Council understood that no other Springfest events were to be scheduled in conflict with Bond, but leadership of Springfest was transferred from IFC to SAB without that understanding. She asked that Conklin resched- ule the bands to begin at 5 p.m. Conklin told the EC that the cost for lighting if the bands ran after dark would increase, though he could not state the precise amount. Dumas instructed Conklin to meet with Hay, Schroer-Lamont and Dean of Students Lewis John to work out a solution. That meeting had not taken place as of yesterday. Dumas also said that he intended to meet with John in the hopes of making it unnecessary for students to obtain a noise permit for Confetti’s. Last weekend, said Dumas, Lex- ington police entered the Washington Dean Schroer-Lamont ..upset with Spring Fest scheduling and Lee campus twice to close soror- ity parties in response to complaints from the W&L community. At least one of those complaints, he added, came from a student. He said that Trident intends to secure a noise permit from the city for Confetti’s, but regrets setting the precedent that students need obtain such permits for parties “in the mid- dle of the university. “I think it's really sad that W- ashington and Lee students would call in noise violations against other Was- hington and Lee students,” said Du- Hill. Spring Fest this weekend By Pamela Kelley Entertainment Editor This weekend Washington arid- Lee fraternities, sororities, the Independent Union and the Minority Student’s Association will participate in Spring Fest, an event designed to benefit local charities. The proceeds of Spring Fest, which has been coor- dinated by the Student Activities Board and the Interfrate- rriity and Parihellenic Councils, will be divided between the American Cancer Society and .a scholarship to send a child to Yellow Brick Road PreSchool. According to IFC President Goodloe Lewis, each of the groups has contributed $300 in order to take part in this weekend’s festivities, which will begin Friday at 3:00 p.m. with a concert in the Student Activities Pavilion featuring W&L student bands Lost in the Supermarket and Cash or Points, as well as Left Exit and the Louisi- aria-based rhythm and blues band the Subdudes. Fraternity, sorority, MSA and IU members will gather at the law field to take part in the games, which will begin at 12 noon Saturday with three innings of softball for the males and powder puff football for the females. Other events will include an egg toss, bat relays and a pie eating contest for the males. The groups have been divided into three teams. Group A will include the Lee Ave. fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Chi Omega, and IU. Group B will include the Red Square fraternities, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and the MSA. Group C will include the Davidson Park fraternities and Kappa Alpha Theta. Schedule of events FRIDAY... 3-7 p.m. in the Student Activities Pavil ion — concert: Subdudes, Left Exit, Lost in the Supermarket, Cash or Points SATURDAY... 12 p.m. on the law field — 3 irmings of softball for male teams; “Powder puff’ ’ football game for female teams 2:30-4:30 on law field — group events, including egg toss, pie-eating contest, drag beauty contest (for fraternity members only) The event will culminate with the crowning of a Spring Fest Queen, who will be chosen during a beauty contest held for fraternity members in drag at 4:30 p.m. At that time, the donations will be presented to the Cancer Society and Yellow Brick Road, which is spon- sored by the United Way and located at the R.E. Lee Episcopal Church. The Spring Fest proceeds will aid in Yellow Brick Road's commitment to subsidize tuition to the school for area children, ages two to five years old, of low-incorne families. The acoustic band Derryberry and Alagia will perform throughout the day, beginning at 2 p.m. under a tent on the law field. Lunch will be served on the law field by the Dining Hall. OCR::/Vol_089/WLURG39_RTP_19900524/WLURG39_RTP_19900524_002.2.txt OPINION Tough times for the Spectator John Lennon once said (or sang). “mother always told me there’d be days like these.” We strongly suspect that to be the current attitude among the staff of the Washington and Lee Spectator. It’s almost amazing how one little article can bring out the hostility in readers, isn’t it guys? It would be easy to sit back and idly condemn the Spectator for its truly terrible reporting in the much- discussed article “Pride and Prejudice” that appeared in the Alumni Weekend edition. However, since we at The Ring-tum Phi have been known to occasionally blow a story, that seems pointless. Rather, today’s message could be summarized as “Welcome to the big leagues.” Rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly, when you put out a publication, you take on an enormous responsibility. The reading public expects you to do the absolute best job possible in every aspect of publishing. In the last edition of the Spectator, in their eagerness to run an eye-catching, thought-provoking story about faculty hiring, the magazine’s staff let everyone down. Because they didn’t take the time to confirm their information, the credibility of the story, the issue, indeed of the whole magazine, was damaged. That’s a shame. Whether you read the magazine or not, one must admire the staff of the Spectator for simply being able to publish, without any money from the university. In one year, they have managed to create one of the most-read publications on campus. You don’t have to agree with their political leanings to appreciate their success. Congratulations, guys. You’ve accomplished the easy part. However, the fact that you’re widely read does not by itself make you a good magazine. After all, somewhere out there are millions of people who read The National Enquirer and think that Elvis is living in their basement. The Spectator now must prove to everyone that it deserves all the attention it gets. How does it do that? It’s simple. If the editors want to report news, they need to do a much better job of getting the facts straight. One of the most basic rules of reporting is to confirm information, particularly on a story of the magnitude of the faculty hiring article. When you run a story of that importance, you better have information from more than one source, or you can get in a lot of trouble. Believe us, we know. The Phi Awards This year, The "Ring-tum Phi will make four presentations to individuals of the Washington and Lee community. Stacy Morisson and Gregory Euston, Editors for the ‘89-‘90 year, chose four outstanding individuals for The Ring-tum Phi . Awards who are generally unrecognized and have excelled in their endeavors. Keith Shillington was chosen for lending a unique character to the chemistry department and the university. Jim Stagnitta was chosen for leading the men’s lacrosse team to its first winning season since 1987. . Michael Holton was the only current student chosen. Mike exemplifies the student-athlete that Washington and Lee strives to include. Todd Smith, ‘83, was a reporter for The Tampa Tribune until he was murdered earlier-this year in Peru. Smith was covering the drug trade in Latin America. His award will be presented to his parents. Quote of the Week Go home. Go home now. I mean it. Go home right now! -_Kimber1y ‘Booth, the president of Kappa Alpha Theta, pohtely explaining to attendees of the sorority's “Spring Fhng, that the event had drawn to a close. Cilia filing-mm ifllri THE STUDENT VOICE OF WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY Founded September 18, 1897 Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patricia Lopes, Brian Root Associate Editors Alesha Priebe, Andrew Waters Assignment Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cathy Lopiccolo Editorial Page Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Euston . . . . . . . . . o . . . Senior Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Kelley Entertainment Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pamela Kelley Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jay Plotkin Associate Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Laney Photo Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Leiphart Editorial Cartoonist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Woodland Editorial Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joshua Manning Business Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anne Dysart Advertising Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Mark and John Miller Circulation Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan Litvak, Clint Robinson The Ring-tum Phi is published Thursdays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. Funding for The Ring-tum Phi comes primarily from advertising, but also from a portion of the student activities fee. The Washington and Lee Publications Board elects the chief editors and business manager, but The Ring-tum Phi is otherwise independent. Letters and other submissions must be in the Phi office, Room 208 of the University Center, by noon on Tuesday to appear in that week's edition. This newspaper observes current court definitions of libel and obscenity. e The Ring-tum Phi Post Office Box 899 Lexington, Virginia 24450 The Fllng-tum Phl, May 24, 1990 lBEw/i P rue! _l%..€9R.EA._r.v__0_:_7's. Wwwaé . ' 1 — /4 , .._'/;_‘7/A9, 4\r\‘ 0 ect MY VIEW By Jennifer Spreng "1 am going to talk of controversial things. I make no apology for t ' ..." — Ronald Reagan, A Time For Choosing Quite a few people seemed very pleased about the most recent issue of the Washington and Lee Spectator. They seemed pleased not because the issue was good reading or because they agreed with the magazine's editorial ideology. No, they were pleased that some of the stories contained some factual errors that gave those students “j- ustification” to blast the magazine and embarrass its editors. Those are not emotions about which any of us ought to feel especially proud. Frankly, to those who felt that way, I say “for shame!” It is easy to be a critic. Theatre critics who haven’t enjoyed a show since Shakespeare are legendary on almost every city newspaper. Critics expose everyone else’s weaknesses, but they never have to reveal their own for scrutiny. They wrap themselves up in self-satisfaction and blast away at everyone else’s frailties and insecurities. Wliaf ‘isn't s‘o"efa'§3'?“is'”to”cre’ate' anew enterprise L cori-'i'pl'e°tely frorri J, *1 adrrrire‘iPa.ul9Lagar‘de and Ray Welder for their bravery in starting out with just a few friends supporting them, into an unknown jungle of challenges, problems, and traps. / '1” ./4AA:V-‘}~_‘ V. '11 or critics miss o When the first issue of the Spectator was not all that is could have been and certainly not all they had hoped, they accepted the criticism quite good- naturedly and made honest attempts to improve. I am very certain that 99 percent of their classmates would have quit right then, but that is because Paul and Ray are more dynamic and courageous than most. Most of the Spectator's critics have probably never done anything so dynamic or creative in their whole lives. While .the Spectator staff is out taking the risks that go along with dynamism and creativity, its critics are living their lives of quiet desperation. Most are probably too cowardly to mold something of their own and set it before the public at large. I suspect that the real reason that some in the student body and faculty are so vocally critical of the Spectator has very little to do with an inac- curate interview printed naively as fact in the Alumni Weekend issue. The real reason lies in those lonely moments between when we tum out our lights at night and when we actually fall asleep. Those are the moments when we can no longer hide from our true souls with the masks of rhetoric, bravado and self-righteousness that we wear during the waking hours. Those are the moments when we come face to face with our personal success or failure at living lives that_areb_ true and noble. Those are moments of frightening honesty. The “problem” with the Spectator is that it strips away many of our security blankets. It says -_ x '_ x}. \ . ~.\ \ > \_x . \._. many of the things that many of us would rathe, go unsaid. Though the articles sometimes are t brazen, contain numerous factual and rhetoric blunders and carry otherwise thoughtful argument to their lowest common denominators, I know tha I certainly cannot help but to admit that man articles in the magazine ring alarmingly true. I suspect that the real rea- son that some in the stud- ent body and faculty are so vocally critical of the Spec- tator has very little to do with an inaccurate interview printed naively as fact. The article which received the most criticisr in the past issue, “Pride and Prejudice: Affirm: tive Action at Washington and Lee,” did contai an alarnring number of errors. What is mos unsettling to most of us is that even though on« example in the article is now obviously inaccurate the thesis of the article is still substantiated b other, solid evidence. For those of us who fee some concern over, these issues, it is. certainly lence and ethnic representation may exist, bu 3 unwelcome news that this _tradeoff between excel! because of the article, we are left with the nagging Cl Please see spnenc page 3' I Student objects to dorm search It’s great to see our senior dorm counselors exercising their appointed authority with such thoughtful regard for freshmen. I can rest safe knowing that our ODK-recognized leaders have resorted to tactics employed by such well- respected figures as ABC agents, Lexington’s Finest, and the SS. Threatening freshmen with the Honor System is a very classy move indeed. What a great way to earn the respect of your peers. I only wonder what other questions asked by dorm counselors are prefaced by “On your honor...”? “...are you a virgin?” “...were you at that party on your hall last night?” « “...did you make fun of me behind my back?” ” “...did that girl/guy stay in you room?” “...were you reading that Playboy before I used my pass key to barge in?” “...does your fraternity haze?” “...have you ever used controlled substan- ces?” “...did you perform those hours I gave you cheerfully and vigorously?” What a great place Washington and Lee has become. Bargain prices for beating up flag-burners I could not help but notice in last week's edition of your newspaper that Mr. Hill - a self described conservative, interestingly enough — wrote that it is unconstitutional to make illegal the desecration of the United States flag. O.K., fine; now that the U.S. Constitution and all the other federal dictates firmly apply to the states, I suppose that Mr. Hill is correct. But I urge the states, the best representatives of the people, to strike back at the colossal power of Washington, D.C., albeit circuitously. The federal government no longer allows the states (isn’t that curious to write considering it was the states that allowed the feds. to exist in the first place?) to pass legislation outlawing the destruc- tion of the federal flag. If that's what the District of Columbia wants to do, so be it. But I think it’s time for states to enact a different LLETTERS type of law; a law that might put a stop to the various professional protesters who own just enough brainpower to articulate their treasonous thoughts by destroying O1‘ Glory and, at the same time, sidestepping the supreme power of the Supreme Court. I say make the fine for physically assaulting someone desecrating the United States flag $1, and $1 only. Then patriotic Americans can show their love for the U.S. in two ways: by beating to a pulp any flag burner that may show his ugly head and, in doing so, donate $1 to state coffers. I have a feeling that after the bums get their noses bloodied, they'll think again before setting fire to the symbol so many Americans died for. Most Sincerely, Ray Welder '91 Cartoonist regrets error in last drawing Last week, I drew a cartoon of the Spectator as Don Quixote. I also included a Klarisman’s hood. The cartoon was drawn as a reaction to the article “Pride and Prejudice: Affmnative Action at Washington and Lee," by J. Cameron Hum- phries and Scott McCoy. I believe that article is slanted against minorities and completely mishan- dles the thorny issue of affirmative action. However. when I reviewed past articles in the Spectator (specifically the interview with Walter Williams), I realized that this particular story represents only one end of a spectrum of articles that have appeared in the magazine. Therefore, in portraying the Spectator with a Klansman's hood, my cartoon was inaccurate. I apologize to anyone I offended with my mistake. Sincerely, Woody Of sophomores and spectators While visiting the Washington and Lee carn- pus during my 30th class reunion, I picked up and read a copy of a magazine called the Washington and Lee Spectator. So many fresh- men were involved in its publication that it seems ironic to find it so blatantly sophomoric. Sincerely yours, Jolm S. Hopewell ’60 Student defends magazine article on faculty hiring After the recent flood of accusations against and criticisms of the latest issue of the Washing- ton and Lee Spectator, I feel it necessary to point out that the focus of the story in question, “Pride and Prejudice," was not necessarily the one isolated incident that everyone has foimd fault with, but rather the general hiring policies of the university. The article states that President Wilson “emphatically expressed his frustration at the failure of various departments to hire an ap- propriate nurnber of minority and women faculty members" on March 6, and Dean Peppers wants to “work as hard as we can to hire outstanding women and outstanding minorities.” (I tend to believe these points, because if they were wrong, somebody would have corrected them by now.) Hiring outstanding women and minorities I have no problem with; in fact, I'm all for it. Hiring women because they are women and minorities because they are minorities, though, is racism. That’s right, racism, against the white male populafion. For the record. I’m not a racist, and I am a white male. This policy of hiring, then, not only at Wash- ington and Lee but at universities across the country, quite simply turns my stomach. In the unlikely case that the school had applications from two different but identical candidates, one a white male and one a black or woman, I have to admit that I would probably, as most people. choose the black or woman candidate in an effort to achieve some degree of demographic diversity. But honestly, how often does this situation arise? The simple fact is that, judging from several comments from different administrators, the school seems to be willing to sacrifice teaching excellence to meet a quota of culturally diverse faculty. 1 am not saying that there are no excellent minority or women profes- SOTS; indeed. the school already employs some. I am saying, however, that, in the coming decade, when the administration will have to replace a large percentage of the faculty, the people doing tlrehiririgneedtolookforandhireonthebasis of excellence, without regard to color or gender. As Dean Peppers says, there are in fact trade- offs in everything we do. But sacrificing quality of education at W&L for racism cloaked as affir- Vmagave action doesn't seem to me to be a fair tra . Sincerely, ’ Brad Martin '92 u~n.,n.u.n-;.\o§.Q§w§,t-v Cu fifi OCR::/Vol_089/WLURG39_RTP_19900524/WLURG39_RTP_19900524_003.2.txt t 4 9 4 C n.safoaI‘p»".o*n gatxavfal? ,9 W?‘9 OPINION The Ring-tum Phl, May 24, 1990 ST Dorm alcohol raid ignored Constitution MY VIEW By J. Cameron Humphries The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or ajfirrnation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized. — Article IV, The Bill of Rights When last Wednesday night, May l6, 1990, head dorm counselor, Mary Alice McMorrow asked me if I had any alcohol I wished to turn over to her, I thought she was joking. _ “Sure," I replied, “I bought a case just last night. Here, take it.” “No, I'm serious. It's Alcohol Amnesty Night.” My entire hall had a good laugh as she explained that for tonight only, we freshmen could rid ourselves of our alcohol without receiving any hours. (I suppose we could turn over our Bibles as well, but that's another matter.) However, I should not say the entire hall laughed or in any way imply that all living on the hall were present, for a few minutes later other dorm counselors started searching empty rooms and Alcohol Amnesty Night was not so funny anymore. It was disheartening. I carmot say that I have ever experienced any breech of privacy which equalled the Gestapo—like search and seizure activity which occurred last Wednesday night. And I say this although my room was never searched. I suppose it requires a great deal more personal strength or substance to look someone in the eye while you search their possessions than the dorm counselor who combed my hall had. But that did not stop some. Rooms were searched while people were sleeping, studying, or heaven knows what else. But most importantly, rooms were searched while people were absent -- locked doors did not prevent this Gestapo from entering rooms. I can only guess, but I bet they were an invitation for a search. And what was the purpose of this raid? Though the dorm counselors delivered a wide—range of explanation from merely “I’m just real sorry” to the more noble goal of allowing freshman to clear their guilty consciences, the real motive had absolutely nothing to do with the welfare of the freshman class. The senior dorm counselors were playing a joke. The following afternoon the University held a reception honoring Dean John. Several student groups were invited and each were asked to present the retiring Dean of Students a gag gift. “Ha, ha,” certain senior dorm counselors thought, “we'll raid the freshman dorms. To hell with the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or General Lee’s instructions ending unannounced searches of the dormitories.” Or so someone must have thought. I say someone for I do not in any way mean to implicate all dorm counselors in this crime, or even all those in the senior class. Mary Alice McMorrow, for example, even turned down my offer to look in my room. This raid did not even have the support of all those who conducted it. And none of the dorm counselors claimed responsibility for instigating it. Unfortunately, the question facing the Washington and Lee community is... when another such student sponsored violation of personal liberty will occur. When The Ring Tum Phi quoted. EC President Willard Dumas as stating “We go to a private institution, so we don't have all of our constitutional rights,” I admit I did not take him seriously. Yet, someone here at Washington and Lee did. But in a larger sense, Wednesday night's activities are indicative of an even more significant change occurring at Washington and Lee. As if the current disregard for Lee’s legacy has not been enough to keep him perpetually spinning in his grave, the presumption by certain students that they are not students, but administrators, signals just how far Washington and Lee has strayed from General Lee’s expectation of this University. Whatever gave certain senior dorm counselors the notion that they had the authority to invade freshman rooms is little different from the false sense of authority that caused the EC to close its doors, the constitutional revisions committee to recommend a reduction in the accountability of Publications Board to the BC, or students in an ad hoc committee to recommend the establishment of a committee like the CRC. Unfommately, the question facing the Washington and Lee community is not only why the alcohol arrmesty raid occurred, but when another such student sponsored violation of personal liberty will occur. SPRENG from page 2 doubt that it does. When we won- der if our school, about which most of us care deeply, is doing the right thing, the Spectator arrives to plant that seed of doubt, and also to point out that we have no way of stopping the world so that we can consider the options. The Spectator wants to blast us from our far too comfortable reverie of conventional wisdom. We prefer to sit back, call the Spectator writers “neofascist pigs” and hope they go away. Unfortunately for our peace of mind, they keep returning. You see, even if they don't have the God’s truth, they do genuinely appear to have a point. That is what we can- not accept. The Spectator is that often un- welcome reminder of the costs of change at Washington and Lee. Everytime I want to pretend that those costs don’t exist, or that change isn’t really occuring, the Spectator forces me to accept the reality. But I can imagine that even those who favor change," and the destruction of the uniqueness of the school ' light of day, are not quite so brave in the darkness right before the sleeep hits. They have the Spectator there to remind them that they are destroying a one-of-a-kind form of education so that others who might value it more than they, will never have the opor- tunity to experience it. The Spectator forces the relativist to recognize in these lonely moments that he is inherently closed-rninded, unable to respect and value the opin- ’ ions of the more absolute. The Spectator reveals all of our little intellectual dishonesties, the protective coverings that we use to mask the difference between what is said and what is done. Like the emperor who loathes the message, so he kills the messenger, we prefer to insult the publication and its editors instead of accepting By Karsten Amlie Richard Poll, ’90, Newtown Square, PA — “Life sucks if your’re not in the right frame of min .” ‘ publication and its} - the challenges to our conventioal wis- dom that the magazine presents. As its editors could surely sub- stantiate, I have been one of the Spectator's most persistent critics in its first year in print, but I believe that my criticism has been in good faith, borne from an inherent respect , for the ladies and gentlemen produc- ing the magazine and a cornmittment to the entrepreneurial dream it re- presents. I’m embarrassed that I cannot say the same for many of my colleagues. What I am not ashamed about is the magazine itself. I'm proud to show it to friends and relatives and to say, “look at what Washington and Lee students can do with a little drive and initiative.” Like the emperor who loathes the message, so he kills the messenger, we prefer to insult the. editors instead of ac- cepting the challenges to our , conventional wisdom the magazine pre- sents. Certainly when all of the Spec- tator’s critics have been left in the dust, its ambitious editor will still be out blazing new trails, exposing more of our insecurities, and encouraging more young men and women to ac- cept greater intellectual and entre- preneurial challenges than they ever thought possible. EDITOR'S NOTE: Jennifer Spreng, a senior, is listed on the masthead of the Spectator as a “Contributor." Hey S Kathy Morrison, '90, Seaford, VA — “I‘ can't believe there aren’t more parking spaces. I also can't believe we're spending millions of dollars on fraternity renovation when there is no where to park.” Next question, please Composer Robert Stewart fields a question klect, which was held on campus from May Lee Chapel last Friday night about the new music festival Sono- from the audience in 14-19. Joining Stewart were_(left to right) composer Chinary Ung, Washington and Lee music professor Margaret Brouwer and Freund. W&L photo by W. Patrick Hinely. composer Don MY VIEW By Leslie Lenkowsky This spring, 59 students at Rutgers University's Douglass College are participation in a pilot program, designed to test the feasibility of adding a community service requirement to the school's curriculum. Each is working nine hours per week for a variety of agencies at Rutgers and in the surrounding community, while also attending a series of lectures and discussions on citizenship. If the course proves successful, additional tests will occur next year. By the 1992-93 academic year, all of the school's 8,000 undergraduates will be ex- pected to take part. Although none has yet been as ambitious as Rutgers, colleges throughout the U.S. are increas- ingly encouraging their students to serve as volun- teers with charities and other civic groups. Many offer course credit for doing so. The National and Community Service Act which recently passed the Senate will likely give these efforts a boost by creating a $25 million program to foster school based voluntarisrn. Far from building altruism and civic responsi- bility among students, these programs are likely to have the opposite effect. Such practices may, for example, tell undergraduates that they should not donate their time unless they get something in return. Developing the voluntary spirit depends upon freely choosing it, not merely exercising it. Including community service in the college curricu- lum risks turning it into just another phase of academic life, like freshman writing class and the senior thesis, to be endured and then forgotten. For many years, colleges have increasingly defined their role as providing all kinds of service to society. While the results have generally been beneficial, there have been costs as well. Schools and faculties have fragmented, missions have become blurred and undergraduate education has suffered. Now “community service" is to be added TALKBACK eniors, SPOUT OFF! Debbie Grove, ’90, Winchester, VA — “It's about time we got a dam sno-kone machine. ' ’ TX- smart people.’ ’ Photos by Erik Bertlesen John Schneider, ’90, Houston, “I liked Washington and Lee better before they let in the Voluntarism-.. should be a voluntary to the long list of what universities and colleges should do. This is less a formula for reviving higher education than a confession of how much it is suffering. 4 Students should volunteer and colleges can - and should — encourage and even assist them in doing so. Personally and educationally, much can be gained from helping others. But s:hools should stop short of requiring, or giving credit, for such work. Throughout their lives, students will have much time to be volunteers and gain exposure to the “real world.” However, they will normally have little time for deep and sustained study except in their college years. And without that sort of experience, they will have much less to give to their communities later on, both as citizens and as volunteers. - _ Lenkowsky is the President of the Institute for Educational Affairs. This column was distributed by the Collegiate Network and reprinted with permis- sion from The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Alan Heinrich, ’90, Marelton, N.l— “Sorry, I'm all spouted out. I've been spouting off for the last four years.” OCR::/Vol_089/WLURG39_RTP_19900524/WLURG39_RTP_19900524_004.2.txt surr‘-9’ I law school, Blackmun urged them to be interested in current events and the “glory and shame" of lustory. The graduates were also asked to consider becoming a judge, although Blackmun admitted it is a difficult profession. “Despite the fact it is sometimes a depressing job to judge a person or between people, it can also be a rewarding one," Blackmun said. Blackmun said he hoped the graduates liked people and would never abuse the power they hold over them. “Always remember human sentiment and humility. There are By Cathy Lopiccolo Assignment Editor Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun addressed the members of the Washington and Lee School of Law Class of 1990 Saturday morning in Warner Center. Speaking to the ill new juris doctor recipients, Blackmun offered his hopes for the graduates as they move out of school and “return to reality.” Recalling world events that occurred while the graduates were in ._;_.,.,..v..-« .-4a.:-2-1.2.-.< raw-.-.v. .».~.-u.-.-.-.~.-.-. arrogant people in law, and even worse, there are arrogant judges,” Blackmun said. Despite the competition in law, Blackmun told the students not to be easily discouraged or to resent the wcrld. "The knowledge that comes with age isn't from formulas, but from touch, sight, sound, victories and failwes, from human experiences and emotions,” Blackmun said. The 20-year veteran of the Supreme Court said he had only one demand for the new graduates. “Do not succumb to the lure of 3.. pr» 1- A . o't . . \ ‘\.'F.‘\'u‘\“. ~.~:«.':.- ~.-C‘-' ..._ ,,.,.i,,. _. .».- .- .-he .- .~ .~ .- ,.,._i-,...,.._ .<~(c. . Graduation weekend Last weekend saw both the W&L law school graduation and the graduation for Virginia Mili- tary institute. At left, one atten- dee’: pet is wearing the proper mood clothing for the comm- encement address by Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun. Below, some of VMl's gradu- ates check out their diplomas. Photo at left by W. Patrick Hinely. Photo below courtesy of the News-Gazette. ..———_.———__———___—_ Happy Graduation W&L... R.L. Hess & Bro. Watchmakers, Jewelers, Silver, China and Crystal A large selection of Gift Items 121 5. Main St. Lexington, VA 24450 (703) 463-2s3a WM. L. HESS, Jr. Owner -ea-Willi iii?‘ 463-8448 .- .- rt-maria::u:azJ.1.a.r.~.a.s.r..*. ~.*,*.*.'~.‘.‘.‘ . . E 1st Floor Reid Hall Come to your Printing Center for: - FLYERS 8- POSTERS Custom RESUMES 8: letters - Copying & printing - Transparencies - Programs ‘ - Brochures 8. Booklets - Newsletters - Scanning The Printing Center has added a Macintosh llx, Scanner, and Laser- Writer II to its service. The Macintosh will read MS-DOS disks. We can add scanned images to add to your posters orliyers. Stop by and pick up a pamphlet about this equlpment’s capabilities. oppogotQQ