OCR::/Vol_102/WLURG39_RTP_19990920/WLURG39_RTP_19990920_001.2.txt ‘K VOLUME 102, NO. 7 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIvERsiTY’s WEEKLY NEWSPAPER LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 ‘Community .of trust’ in I question Assault on student spurs concern, action on the part of students and administration 1 By Heather McDonald & Max Smith STA FF WRITERS Sleepy little Lexington is the place that many Washington and Lee Uni- versity students feel safest. However, many members of our community are questioning campus safety after an in- cident that happened over a week ago. Sunday, September 12, a W&L stu- dent was assaulted when leaving Leyburri Library around 9:30 p.m. Her attacker pulled a knife on her and cut her, but she managed to escape. The attacker is still at large; he is described as a college-aged white male, 5’8" or taller, who wore a dark-colored base- ball cap, a blue shirt and blue jeans. The victim described the knife used as a black-handled pocketknife. “I definitely didn’t think something like this would happen on campus,” freshman Teddie Arnold said. Junior Beth Myers agreed with Arnold. “I took my safety for granted. Now you have to look over your shoulder; you hate not having someone with you. In response to the attack, the Women’s Forum sponsored a Campus Safety Walk last night. The march throughout campus began at 9:50 p.m., exactly a week after the victim sought help following the attack. About 40 stu- dents, mostly women, showed up for the walk. Participants were led by Women’ s Forum chairs Nancy Reinhait, Anne Sharrett and Melissa Sills, and Dean David Howison joined the march- ers as a faculty representative. The walk began at Leybum Library and made a circular route through campus, until it ended at the site of the attack outside the library roughly an hour later. At the end of the march, partici- pants signed a petition demanding bet- ter lighting and a blue-light phone sys- tem similar to VMI’s. “It was great to see so much sup- port,” Sills said. Reinhart agreed. “Taking an active stance is the way things will change,” Reinhart said. One of the few male participants, freshman Mike Jayson, said that he participated for personal reasons. “Five of my closest female friends have either been attacked or raped,” Jayson said. “Seeing the attitude on carn- pus, Ithough it was importantto come.” . « :4 ,' photo by Emily Barnes/Photo Editor TAKING BACK THE NIGHT: Sunday night’s vigil, organized by the Women’s Forum, walked the campus in protest of safety problems brought to light by last week’s assault on a freshman girl. As participants marched through campus, they invited passersby to join them. However, some of the passersby made derisive comments, which notice- ably upset and disturbed some of the marchers. Howison made reference to this at the end of the march. “It takes a critical mass to challenge negative attitudes when they come up,” Howison said, following the march. Earlier today, Howison met with the rest of the administration at a breakfast meet- ing and said he would discuss the peti- tion and the march. “I’m confident we can make these changes,” Howison said last night. photo bymEmily Blames/Photo Editoi' I THE NEW LEXINGTON SKYLINE: The five new Sorority houses come a little closer to completion each day as the builders work towards a Fall 2000 deadline. Whitebook Review "Committee selected By Ann Whitham STAFF WRITER After a week of interviews and de- liberation, the Executive Committee announced the nine students who will comprise the 1999-2000 White Book Review Committee. The Com- mittee includes members from each undergraduate and law school class. Rob Bailey ’00L will serve as 1999-2000 committee chairman. =. Other committee members selected Friday include: Jorge Aguilar ’O0L, Daniel Grattan ’00, Kelly Sewell ’00, Mary Elizabeth Whipple ’00, I“ Caroline Sozzi ’0l, Allen Jones ’02, I A Shelby McGrain ’02 and Cory Tuck ’03. Commissioned every three years to keep Washington and Lee’s honor system handbook, the White Book, attuned to the current student body’s opinions, the Committee will spend the next few months survey- ing students and faculty. Using the ideas they gather as a guide, the members will present their revisions to the Executive Committee in Janu- ary. Few major changes are usually made to the White Book, but there always seems to be one issue that requires particular attention during the review process. Three years ago that issue was fake I.D.’s, as alum- nus and former committee member Nate Tencza ’99 remembers well. “It was a painstaking process,” Tencza said. “We were often in there for hours going over every last pe- riod and comma.” This year the hot-button issue is a throwback to a controversial honor violation case from last year. After a student was dismissed for misrepre- senting himself by repeatedly using another student’s ID card in the D- hall, there was widespread discontent and many are still calling for records of the trial to be made public. “I think breaching the closed trial rule damages the system,” says Tencza. “I hope students give some As proven by the march, the State ofsecurity on campus is an immediate issue for the administration. Director of Security Mike Young said last week’s attack is the first assault of this kind he’s seen in eight years of working here at Washington and Lee. “Situations like this heighten secu- rity awareness and create a certain con- cern and panic,” said Young. Young said the security office has received several calls of near panic over the incident. Since the assault, security officers have spent more time on foot patrol in the campus area. Young and other security officials are also planning a lighting tour with students and administrators. The light- ing tour is a walk through campus to determine what spots need better light- ing. Young pointed out that fall foliage makes campus darker than at other times of the year because it blocks out the lighting already on campus. Security and administration have been making “steady progress” on increasing light- ing for years now. Yet, Young said in- creased lighting can’t replace common sense and security awareness. SEE ‘ATTACK’ ON PAGE 2 3 Ultra iling-tum tam MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1999 Bond speaks NAACP Chairman addresses freshmen By Sara Lambert STAFF WRITER Noted civil right’s activist Julian Bond brought a new message to an overflow crowd at Lee Chapel last Wednesday, calling for continued white remediation for social, economic, and legal inequities -incurred against blacks throughout history. “Affirmative action is the just spoils of a righteous war,” said Bond, the chaimian of the NAACP. Bond’s speech, titled “2001: A Race Odyssey,” acted in conjunction with the topics discussed in this year’s freshman reading, Coming of Age in Mississippi, by Anne Moody. In his speech Bond reiterated Moody’s frustration with the deep and seemingly irreconcilable divi- sions between blacks and whites. Bond equated the situation to a foot- ball game where the white team is ahead 145 to 3, and had been cheat- ing the entire game. “All of a sudden the white quarterback, who feels badly about things that happened be- fore he entered the game, turns to the black team and says, ‘hey fellas can’t we just play fair?’,” said Bond. Though an even playing field has always been the goal of civil rights ac- tivists, Bond says this type of retribu- tion ignores the problem and mairitain- ing the racial injustices that still exist. “But fair in that game is double- speak for freezing the status quo in place; permanently fixing inequality as part of the American scene,” con- tinued Bond. “The opponents of fair- SEE ‘BOND’ ON PAGE 2 Sorority housesrise over skyline By Michael Crittenden NEWS EDITOR To anyone walking across the foot- bridge this fall, it’s hard to avoid notic- ing five new buildings that appeared out of nowhere this Summer. The build- ings, the future site of Washington and Lee’s sorority houses show marked improvement from the barren construc- tion site that students saw last May. “The houses are right on schedule,” said Panhellenic President Holly Shiver. “ The houses should be completed by next July and be livable by next August.” Part of W&L’s strategic plan for renovation, the project was approved by the Board of Trustees in order to give sorority members a place they could live together, eat meals, and hold chapter meetings. Currently the five so- rorities on campus hold chapter meet- ings in various campus buildings, and maintain sorority suites in Gaines Hall. “The sorority houses will finally give us a chance to call a place our own,” said Sorority Housing Committee mem- I ,» photo by Emily Bames/Photo Editor thought to their answers when they is THERE A FOOTBALL GAME TODAY? Scott Hudson and company relax at the tailgate preceding Saturday"s football game. are surveyed.” ber Elizabeth Holleman. “Up to this point there has been no opportunity for many members of one sorority to live together.” Located adjacent to Wilson Field, the houses are designed differently than the fratemity houses that students are used to. According to Holleman, who recently toured the largely fm- ished Chi-Omega house, the bottom floor consists of a TV room, a house mother’s suite, and a chapter room. The chapter room will contain room for so- rority meetings and an office for the president. The second floor will be reached by a master staircase and will feature the dining room, a study/sun room, and a large living room. The third floor will serve as the living quarters, with space for 20 women. “The houses are going to be both beautiful, and more importantly, very functional for all the sororities,” said Holleman. While the construction continues on the houses, the committee in charge of the housing project still has many is- sues to deal with before implementation of the sorority houses is complete. The most important include the selection pro- cess of occupants for the 20 available spots in each house, and changing meal plan opportunities. “A lot of things are still in the plan- ning stages right now,” said Shiver. “Each sorority will probably have a unique way of detennining who lives in each house, and who eats there when.” Though the ofiicial University policy for the sorority houses has yet to be codified, according to Holleman, it will boil down to no alcohol, and no males on the third floor. These rules will be enforced by the house mothers and security. The houses will also not have parties like their fraternity counterparts, but will play host to receptions for spe- cial events such like Parent’s Weekend or Homecoming. One of the major issues surround- ing the new houses has been the ques- tion of whether or not they will create isolation and rivalry between members of different sororities. The lack of indi- vidual sorority housing has meant that sorority members often live with mem- bers of other sorority houses. Some members have raised concerns about the possible effects of the houses on their current friendships. Others, how- ever, have embraced the idea and are looking forward to the experience. “I think it will be a great bonding ex- perience and will help strengthen soror- ity identity,” said junior KD Erica Bahn. When asked if she foresees the houses creating rivalries and isolation between sororities, Bahn said She thinks relations will remain “friendly and open.” Panhellenic President Holly Shiver agreed, saying it will change things, but not for the worse. “I think they are a really good thing for this school. It will change the dy- narnic of the sorority experience, but I. think that will be a positive change.” W&LIFE: SPORTS: Close, but no cigar LAST WORD: (J11: Tiling-tum ifilti September 20, 1999 OPINION: . _ Waffle House, a dining sensation Junior Marvin concert & upcoming events Miss America in the feminist age PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 OCR::/Vol_102/WLURG39_RTP_19990920/WLURG39_RTP_19990920_002.2.txt \ .1 \ PAGE2 ‘ 9 P I @112 fling-tum flirts ‘ATTACK’ FROM PAGE 1 “After 32 years in this business,” said Young, “I’ve learned you can’t make night into daylight.” Associate Dean of Students and university psycholo- gist Anne Schroer-Lamont says that isn’t the issue. “We’re not asking for night to be turned into day. We want to address the issues of better lighting, security es- corts, and trimming back shrubbery.” She mentioned some poorly lit spots around campus, such as the track and the various paths to Woods Creek. She also called for the shrubbery around the entrance to the main part of campus from the Corral to be trimmed back or removed. “Ever since the first term women have been at Washing- ton and Lee, they have complained about those bushes,” said Schroer-Lamont. “We’re just waiting for something to happen.” She went on to explain that the administration has re- fused to touch the bushes since they are an alumni gift. Another facet of campus security called into question afier the assault are campus call boxes or “blue lights”. There are 13 boxes across campus. Some have blue lights on the top, others are built into a wall. Young says security rarely receives emergency calls from the boxes. He says some boxes have never even been used. Young insists that the boxes won’t work unless people use them. Some adminis- trators and students question the locale and number of boxes. “There are not enough blue light phones on this cam- pus,” said Dean Schroer-Lamont. She said call boxes are more prevalent at other schools. For example, at the College of William and Mary, one can see a call box within 20 yards of another from any point on campus. Student-run campus escort services are another security measure some administrators are calling for here at Wash- ington and Lee. These students would be available to es- cort other students at all times. According to Dean Schroer- Lamont, the College of William and Mary currently offers this program staffed by work study students. Chief Young said students need to be more aware of their surroundings and potential problems. He advises avoiding suspicious areas, going to places in pairs or groups, and calling security to act as an escort whenever needed. “There’s always safety in numbers,” said Young. In a separate interview, Dean David Howison echoed the need for students to exercise more caution on campus. “A tragedy like this shakes us up,” said Howison. “Since we live in a relatively safe community, many people. includ- ing me, take safety for granted.” Howison insisted that the administration is always open to suggestions from students to make Washington and Lee safer. “If there are legitimate ways to improve security, the money is less important than the end result." He also noted that the Honor System fosters a sense of security that can be violated. Upon arrival, he noticed many students 1efi..b.ooks and 0,ther..pQssessi0r1s. around campus. Save up to 40 “Our sense of safety comes from the Honor System and that’s the dilemma,” said Howison. “All of us feel liberated because of the Honor System, so we might not take the precautions we would in a different setting.” Schroer-Lamont also discussed the implications of the attack on the community. “Students need to be a bit more careful about being out in pairs,” Schroer-Lamont said. “Friends need to check on each other, and people need to be a little more conscious about their surroundings.” Furthermore, she suggested that men take the lead in watching out for their female friends. “Men do not have this night fear, and they cannot frilly understand how it feels,” Schroer-Lamont said. “It takes a lot of courage for someone to say, ‘Will you walk me home?,’” Sc_hroer_-Lamont said. She suggested that if a friend doesn’t want to walk home alone, even if you aren’t planning on leaving the party at that point, it is a gesture of trust and friendship to leave with that person in order to make sure they get home safely. However, Schroer-Lamont says that some people might read this request for company as an invitation for something more. “This is not an-invitation. Guys need to be particularly careful not to read anything into [the request],” Schroer- Lamont said. She explained that if a man uses a request for an escort as an excuse to initiate romantic activity, the woman may feel violated if she did not have romance in mind. Resident assistant Daniel Sozomenu, a junior, said that while he feels more safe than a female resident probably does, the new information about the knife makes the inci- dent more frightening to everyone. He said some of his residents expressed concern after information came out about the attack. “Most people are handling the situation well. It was an isolated in ident. Now it’s become something more of a curiosity or of intrigue. There’s no panic.” Sophomore Aubrie Mann, who participated in the Cam- pus Safety Walk, disagreed. “I don’t feel safe at all at night,” Mann said. “[The as- sault] has completely changed my perspective. I will not go to the library and that used to be my place to study. I won’t leave my apartment at night unless someone is picking me up or I’m with a large group offriends.” Mann, a resident of Woods Creek Apartments, said, “There is no good way to get home.” The library path to Woods Creek is not paved and not well lit, Mann said, and there are no call boxes. Mann went on to describe another pathway to Woods Creek, which runs underneath the foot- bridge. There are no lights and the path has a ravine on one side of it. “Probably the safest way [to Woods Creek] is to take the footbridge to the law school,” Mann said, “but even once you’ve reached the playing fields, it’s not well lit. One of the lights on the way has burned out.” Mann said that while the campus itself is aesthetically pretty, the curving pathsand trees which are so pleasing to the eye in the day create places to hide at night. “You can’t see and you can’t be fully aware ofyour sur- roundings all of the time [because of the campus design],” Mann said. When asked how the attack affected campus attitude, Mann said it seems that people are more afraid. “It has kind of inhibited the speaking tradition, by put- ting up a barrier,” Mann said. “People aren’t as friendly, and seem a bit shaken by the incident.” Sozomenu agreed that campus security could be in- creased. “I know call boxes are expensive but I think there needs to be more call boxes, perhaps on both sides of Woods Creek and also on the back side of the library,” Sozomenu said. “The idea of a campus escort service is a great idea. On larger campuses, it’s standard.” No matter what measures security or the administration take, the safety of students is not something that can be guaranteed. “We can’t ever ensure safety, although we can make the campus as safe as possible,” Dean Schroer-Lamont said. Mann said that while she thinks the campus will feel more safe once the attacker is caught, she doesn’t think the inci- dent will be completely forgotten. “The attitude of the campus won’t go back to the same level. Now people are watching out for themselves and each other a lot more. I don’t think it will go back to the same secure feeling at night. Our little W&L bubble burst.” ‘BOND’ FROM PAGE 1 ness speak evil while refusing to see it or hear it. They’re now promoting a racial version of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ they want us to become invisible in silence.” Bond also spoke about the birth of the Civil Rights movement and the events that he witnessed and took part in. “Less than ten years after [the Civil War] ended, the nation sided with the losers and agreed to continue black subjugation for almost a hundred years,” stated the activ- ist. “We’re asked to believe that no permanent damage was done to the oppressors or the oppressed.” Dr. Bond’s speech and the ensuing question and an- swer period provoked a mixed reaction from Washington and Lee students, although most agreed he was an effec- tive speaker. “I thought he was a very good speaker,” said freshman Emma Thomas. “The way he related to the audience was good.” Thompson’s classmate Karl Kuersteiner agreed, say- ing the speech “gave an interesting twist to the notion of racism.” “I think it shows a lot ofguts. I am sure he didn’t come in here thinking there would be a lot of NAACP fans,” added Kuersteiner. SEPTEMBER 20, 1999 E-mail General Notes to 2-. ’phi@wlu.‘edu I" W&L receives $1 1 .9 million gift Washington and Lee University has received a bequest . worth $1 1.9 million from the estate of Mr. & Mrs. J. Edward ' Lewis. The gift, which will be used for scholarship support for students from West Virginia, is the second-largest one- time gift in W&L history. “We are profoundly gratefiil to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis for). this marvelously generous gift to the University’s scholar- ship endowment,” W&L president John Elrod said. Mr. Lewis, a native of Oak Hill, W. Va., graduated from W&L in 1929 and went on to a successful banking career. He passed away in 1971. His wife, Elizabeth, passed away on June I, 1999. She was a graduate of Marshall University where the school’s college of business is named in her honor. Following her husband’s death, Mrs. Lewis generously supported the J. Edward Lewis Scholarship Fund on an: annual basis, helping a number of West Virginia students‘ attend W&L. The recent bequest will be used to endow that fund. Nominations for Who’s Who Anyone who wishes to nominate a member of the cur- rent undergraduate senior class for selection to Who ’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges may do so by submitting the name and qualifications of l“ that student to David Howison, Dean of Students, in Payne Hall 9 by October 1, I999. Criteria for Who ’s Who include 1) scholarship, 2) partici- pation and leadership in academic and extracurricular ac—} tivities, 3) citizenship and service to Washington and Lee, and 4) potential for future achievement. “Touch of Evil” to show at Troubadour J‘ Washington and Lee University’s Film Society will show “Touch of Evil” (USA, 1958), directed by Orson Welles Sep- tember 24 and 25 in the Troubadour Theater on Henry Street. The film will be shown at 8 p.m., which is a change p- from the normal 7:30 p.m. viewing. There will be no charge for admission, although contributions are very welcome. This re-release of Welles’ 1958 masterpiece of film noir is considered the “director’s cut” — more closely resem- bling the f1lmmaker’s original intentions. Adapted by Welles ‘ from a pulp novel called “Badge of Evil,” the film tells a sordid story of murder, corruption, and intrigue along the Mexican border. The cast is a marvel in itself, including Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Marlene Dietrich and Welles I himself. Already a cult classic, the reappearance of “Touch of Evil” is ensuring its place as one ofthe masterpieces of American cinema. ' ‘ ' Your Online College Bookstore % on new textbooks. Get them in 1-3 business days. Guaranteed: JAE-.l.!?S G. I.E‘r"9t_I.'—=..\ .=_:.'-2:...-*.._,-,.-: vv.'\el-+m<.3ro==r a. LEE UNNEFISITY LEXINGT ON, VA 24450 00 *Books delivered in no more than three business days or your shipping is refunded. Some restrictions apply. See www.varsitybooks.com for details. L I OCR::/Vol_102/WLURG39_RTP_19990920/WLURG39_RTP_19990920_003.2.txt PAGE 3 he Itiing-tum lfllri PINION Loyal customer extolls virtues of “scattered, smothered...” I was a little disappointed with last week’s quote of the week. I don’t care what anybody says, Waffle House is a great place. You can go any time, day or night and enjoy quality food and service. Perhaps the best way to capture my love of Waffle House is to explain where it all began. I had my first Wafile House experience about six years ago. I was in Atlanta with my family and for some reason, we decided to stop at one of the hundreds of Waffle Houses down south. From that day on, my loyalties definitely were with Waffle House. Where else can you get waffles, hashbrowns, T-bone steaks, and fast and friendly service? I can’t really say what it is that draws me to Waffle House, but it definitely is something. Words cannot do justice to the feeling that I got when I saw the Waffle House sign in Lexington. My mom sent me an article last year telling about the chance of Waffle House coming to Lexington. At the time there was a large dispute about the Waffle House sign, but thar1k- fully any and all problems were worked out. One of my most memorable visits -to a Waffle House was in Smithfield, NC. I was with my mom and sister. We had ordered and were in the middle of eating our waffles when my mom read on e of their many signs. “No personal 'checks accepted.” My mom looked around nervously and quietly told my sister and me that she had no cash, only - her checkbook. We were scared that we were going to have to do the dishes to pay for our food. My mom called Cecil Rook over, a Waffle House chef that will never be forgotten, and told him that we had no money. She asked A’ Rook if she could write him a check and he could pay LETTERS TO Ultimate frisbee team needs and deserves practice field Dear Editor, I’m a senior here and have been working on an ulti- mate frisbee team at Washington and Lee for three years. Most folks just don’t think of ultimate as a major sport. I assure you it is. It will be a medal sport in the 2001 World Games. While I’ve been putting a team together for three years, we’ve played other colleges, and even won a few times. But this year they took away our field. We’ve got no place to play or practice. They gave it to the field hockey team since they are trying to become a varsity ' sport. I talked to Coach Lyles, but he’s already having trouble trying to fit all the club sports, law sports, and IMs on two fields. I understand (I think) the massive paperwork needed for club sports. Yet all these years we always tried to be good guys; always sharing the field if I saw club lacrosse, field hockey, softball, rugby or law sports needing some space. Hell, we even shared it with the wrestling team. We understood there was limited space and we just had to share. And yet here we are, the ones who get screwed. We can try to move the game to the Colonnade , but that grass won’t last long, and besides, a lot of students just like to relax there and enjoy the day. Hey - I’ve even tried to get VMI to give me some space. There’s got to be some way, especially with the addition of the Louie Blue Carly Blake1ock"01 Waffle House, but unfortunately he couldn’t help us. In_— stead, Cecil told us to finish our food and leave. He said that he would just trust us to come back to Waffle House and pay him then. My mom told him that we were just passing through and wouldn’t be back to that part of the state for weeks. He said that we could take as long as we wanted. He knew that we would be back. My mom never forgot Cecil and sure enough a few weeks later we stopped by and paid our bill and left a little something extra for Cecil. Now that’ s something that doesn’t happen ev- eryday. Waffle House not only ranks high on my list because of its food, but also because of its versatility. You can play “Waffle House” songs on the jukebox, find Waffle House t-shirts all over town, or try the newest prepared way to eat them hashbrowns. My roommate found a nice Waffle House t-shirt with the quote, “Eat my grits...and eggs...and waffles...and chicken” that I will wear with pride. Some- times you can even be blessed enough to be given one of those charming paper hats or borrow one of the Waffle House employees’ bandana head pieces. Waffle House is a place to grab a quick bite to cat by ordering in the hashbrown lingo, “scattered, smothered and covered”, a place to socialize with friends, or enjoy a lovely view of Lexington. So, please, if you haven’t visited the Waffle House in Lexington, make it a point to do it this weekend. Go any- time, they’re always open. Have a waffle, some hashbrowns, the best coffee in America. Just try it once, and I’m sure you’ll go back for more! THE EDITOR new baseball stadium, that field space can be found. I walk around the fields and I often see some empty - but unus- able to non-varsity sports. I’m not going to say something cheesy, like it’s not in accord with Washington and Lee ethics, it’s just tough sh**. But that doesn’t mean we have to take it sitting down. I ask students and the admin- istration to see if those fields may be used more efficiently. Thanks, Andrew Hartnagel ’00 Freshman dissatisfied with political “lecture” Dear Editor, When I read about the address to the freshman class by Mr. Julian Bond (entitled “2000: A Race Odyssey”), I expected a thought-provoking analysis of the current state of race relations in America. What I got instead was a superficial, politically motivated tirade that was long on assertions but short on real analysis. The only two themes I was able to decipher were “Affirmative Action is good” and “Republicans are bad.” He provided nothing but an- ecdotal evidence for the necessity and effectiveness of Affirmative Action. He also implied that anyone who wanted to end Affinnative Action must be a dangerous racist. When Dean Dalhouse made the introduction, he in- SEPTEMBER 20, 1999 formed us that Mr. Bond was a member of the Georgia legislature and a professor at UVA. What we heard was too much of the politician and not enough of the intellec- tual. That same talk could just as easily have come from the mouth of Jesse Jackson or Bill Clinton. The freshman orientation handbook described the ad- dress as a “lecture.” It was only a lecture in the sense that a parent might “lecture” his child,'ending with “Because I told you so.” Will Martin ’03 Dalhouse responsible for freshman service project Dear Editor, We wish to correct an inaccuracy in the sub-title of Sara Lambert’s informative and excellent story in last week’s Ring-tum Phi. Although students from the Shep- herd Poverty Program assisted Dean Mark Dalhouse in planning and executing the program, the pre-orientation week was initiated and planned by Dean Dalhouse. We applauded Dean Dalhouse’s efforts and supported him in small ways, but the Shepherd Program did not fund, plan, nor manage this excellent program for freshmen. We are grateful to Dean Dalhouse, to Sara Lambert, and to the Phi for the event and the prominent story. We hope this will be the first year in a tradition for new freshmen at Washington and Lee. - Harlan Beckley Director, Shepherd Poverty Program Lucy Baldwin Volunteer Coordinatory, Shepherd Poverty Program Women’s forum urges admin- istration to reaccess safety Dear Editor, A female student was attacked outside of Leybum Library on Sunday September 12, I am sure that we all heard this “news”. But did we really listen? This incident should be a clear signal to every mem- ber of this campus that Washington and Lee is not the bubble world we often make it out to be. Crime and sexual assault have been very real issues on campus since co- education in 1985. Unfortunately, only physical manifes- tations as these force us to face and discuss these often silenced issues. As co-chair of Women’s Forum, I find it particularly alarming that we lack several basic characteristics of a safe campus, such as adequate lighting and convenient security phone system. Students in both Woods Creek Apartments and the law school have sent us concerns about these problems. While these concerns are not new, hopefully they will now be addressed. In response to the attack, Women’s Forum held a walk around campus last night. We carried a petition request- ing increased lighting and security phones in several dangerous areas across campus. We strongly hope to see prompt administrative action regarding these con- cems. Sincerely, Nancy L. Reinhart Co-chair Women’s Forum Clip: Zfling-tum iflhi Executive Editor Associate Editor News Editor Opinions Editor W&Life Editors Polly Doig Hollister Hovey Michael Crittenden Stephanie Bianco Ginger Phillips Elianna Marziani Frances Groberg Steele Cooper Kevin McManemin Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Last Word Editor Copy Editor Heather McDonald Photo Editor Emily Barnes Assistant Photo Editor Lisa Lin Online Editor Ali Soydan Layout Editor Neal Willetts Circulation Director Leo Brown The Ring-tum Phi is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA. Funding for The Ring-tum Phi comes primarily from advertising and subscription revenues. The Washington and Lee Publications Board elects the Executive Editor, but The Ring-tum Phi is otherwise independent. The Ring-tum Phi welcomes all responsible submissions and letters. All submissions must be in the Phi office, room 208 of the University Center, by noon on Friday to appear in that week’s edition. The Ring- tum Phi reserves the right to edit submissions for content and length. Letters and columns do not reflect the opinion of The Ring-tum Phi Editorial Board. Advertising does not reflect the opinions of The Ring-tum Phi or its staff. This newspaper observes current court definitions of libel and obscenity. The Ring-tum Phi 208 University Center Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 24450 Telephone: (540) 462-4060 Advertising Office: (540) 462-4049 Fax: (540) 462-4059 E-mail: phi@wIu.edu htrp://wlu.edu/~phi Annual subsription rate: $30 Player to students: Two halves to football Coming out of the locker room at halftime of Saturday’s football game reminded me of why its so hard to be an athlete at Washington and Lee. Down only twelve points to Guilford, we came out for the second half looking to improve on our first half mistakes and win our home opener. Pumped and ready to go, we ran . ,_ —"""""—"‘—"“"“ out _ onto Bad In order to cut down on the record number of com- plaint letters 771eLasf Ward received last year, we've de- cided to include this handy- help you decide whether or not to continue reading lest you find something offen- sive. insulted this week: '——beauty queens ———New J erseans ——North Dakotans ——Bowman’s VirginiaVodl