OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_001.2.txt Arr !37&75§ R552 \/.l07 no.1? c/2.. WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING=TUM PHI. NINDAY, JANUARY 24, 2005 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 THIS ‘ISSUE “W To our readers, subscribers, and the Washington and Lee community, At this point in our University’s history, the Ring-tum Phi wanted to communicate to our readers that we are a paper of journalistic integrity, dignity, respect, and Washington and Lee history. Out of respect to our heritage, we reverted to the original, 1897 masthead, complete with the original slogan, “by the students and for the students.” While we look back with the traditional masthead, we have also incorporated a new, sleek contemporary design that we think will appeal more to our readers. In this moment of great transformation for the Ring-tum Phi, we also made staff changes. Chris Lauderman is promoted to Co-Editor- in—Chief because of Erin’s firm belief in surrounding herself with the best and brightest. Marshall Rule is taking the reigns as Managing Editor and Emily Hulen, the woman with the redesign vision, is promoted to Layout Editor. We’re proud of our newspaper and we are proud to be a part of Washington and Lee’s written heritage. We hope you enjoy reading the Ring—tum Phi as much as we enjoy producing it. Sincerely, Erin Julius and Chris Lauderman Editors-in-Chief .HOT’TICKET’ I.oseyu:n:sa1.f inthemnic Students anticipate the wildly popular Lip Sync competition in which groups of students perform at the Pavilion. Jan. 28, 9:00 p.m., tickets sold at the door. 2:ig1a'sR:ilJjs “Mrs. Kemble’s Tempest” by W&L’s own Tom Ziegler plays in the Lenfest Center’s Johnson Theater. Wed., Jan. 26, and Thurs., Jan. 27, 8:00 p.m. mazing Grace Spanish film “Maria FuH of Grace” runs with subtitles in the Commons. Fri., Jan. 28. and Saturday, Jan. 29, Free. QUICK“l-IITS‘ -Freshman guys we rushed who pledged elsewhere, don't come to our parties, we don’t want you. MZeQfid{H2l.t8: T 8. V QUICK» POLL- Q:l2)yO.1th:lnkthafr$IIar1 pliinnlxaedinfin ad .I. Hi I. . .3 II 131.32 I. bafiozethesl-'HB? 51 students polled, 26 male. 25 temale. Poll has 95% confidence in a +/- 5% margin ot_ error. Lex heads to Washington W&L, VMI students go to Inauguration B_(mnJ.i1jna EDI‘TER- IN-G-HE“ Local students braved wintery weather, a long drive and heightened security checks to watch the Presidential Inaugural parade in Washington D.C last Thursday. Dane Boston, ’08, said he enjoyed spending the day in Washington, “the parade was wonderful, it was neat to see the different parts of the country come together,” he said. For Boston, the importance of the day made the trip worth it, “I felt a connection to the democratic process, to the history of the event,” he said. “Even if you didn’t feel a connection to the party in power, you feel a link to the office of the President and the history of the republic.” Estimates show that 150,000 people may have attended the parade and as many as 265,000 attended the swearing—in ceremony. Camille Allen, ’07, said she was impressed, “to see how many people support the President, and how many people are so proud to be a part of this.” The Virginia Military Institute sent its Corps of Cadets to march in President Bush's Inaugural parade, and 50 cadets from the VMI Regimental Band appeared on the Fox and Friends show Thursday morning. ' The corps marched in overcoat, full dyke with arms. “It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience to march that close to the President. It was worth all of the practice parades and uniform inspections by being the best looking group there,” said Will Durkee, ’06. Over 1000 Cadets took 26 charter buses to Washington and spent three hours moving through security checkpoints before the parade. “It was an honor to be there, it was a lot of work and a lot of marching on cold days but it was well worth the practice. The Corps will remember it for the rest of our lives,” said Aaron Childers, the Regimental S-3 Operations Captain in charge of writing the parade planning orders for the Corps. On the way back to Lexington, one of VMI’s buses broke down while two more were in a fender—bender on Route 66 in Fairfax. One Cadet broke his nose in the accident and another knocked his teeth out on his rifle. “It was an honor to be there, it was a lot of work and a lot of marching on cold days but it was well worth the practice. The Corps will remem- ber it for the rest of our lives.” — Iaixnchildas, lkgiiutnls-3q:aadanCutammda:mdwdfimd2;a:xhplaxfirumh3firdnOJ;s EMILY HULEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER fialnimflayfiaadmslnrsmmgzirhatdnnaidzfiflkagntim mBrxn1'eFw1?elps1arvavea'IE:a5 flag. SPE to instal idea frat Bydnislaiiiieintaii EDI’ICR~lN-Ci-{DEF A frat from the past is recolonizing at W&L. Sigma Phi Epsilon, which had their charter revoked in the summer of 2003 by their national chapter, has been approved by the Inter Fraternity Council, the faculty, and the administration to return to campus. But the same SPE will not be returning. The new SPE will share the national chapter’s view of the future which was not always consistently shared by the former chapter. “The future direction is a chapter built around sound mind and sound body,” Greg Barra, Director of Recruitment for SPE, said. Unlike other fraternities at W&L, SPE has a program entitled the “Balanced Man Program.” According to Barra, this is a four-year professional development program where men go through no new member education. “We want all undergrads on a single-tiered membership,” Barra said. He pointed out that needs of a senior are different from needs of a freshman. As a result of these differences, freshmen SPEs will attend study skills sessions and go on campus tours and seniors will learn how to dress and prepare for a job interview. According to Barra, these‘ workshops will radically improve the undergraduate experience. He emphasized that there would be no hazing. “There will be nothing detrimental to lifetime development,” said Barra. “That is the bedrock of what our chapter is built on.” SPE will be submitting a proposal on April 30 that will outline their plan for recolonization at W&L. According to Kevin Weaver, Interim Director of Student Activities and Greek Life, the proposal has to be approved by SAC, the Student Activities Committee. Once the proposal is submitted, the university and SPE will work on a time for the chapter's return. The discussion has not yet begun. After the national headquarters revoked SPE’s charter at W&L, many of the members eventually found their way to Phi Kappa Psi. Barra said that having former SPEs on campus is not a determinate factor for when they recolonize. “That’s not going to have as much effect as our conversations with the administration,” Barra said. Barra said that SPE would abide by all regulations for recruitment. As of now, SPE has no plans of bringing in freshmen before formal rush begins for the other fraternities. SPE intends to have a new chapter development team come to Lexington to perform one—on-one recruitment with the campus community. Recommended upperclassmen will become SPEs inthe fall and help the new chapter development team build membership in the winter. STEVEN MAFHNOS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pn:fias:rS:&s, afiiziiarp:es.iihtc£C!1<, qaealcsatdnomwxatiai. ODK initiates nlraaldeflflfi STAFF WRITER Large snowflakes coated Lee Chapel as the 2005 ODK candidates were initiated on Wednesday January 19. Omicron Delta Kappa is a prestigious society founded on the principles of service, leadership and scholarship. The society began at Washington and Lee in 1914. Today, ODK’s influences and ideals have expanded to 285 active circles and now include 226,000 members. The tradition of excellence continued this year with the induction of 9 law school students and 21 undergraduates. Jill Waity, the current president of ODK, said that these students not only contribute to the college community but that they are “contributors of a better society”. Taylor Sanders, history professor and former president of ODK, closed the ceremony by reflecting on individuals who, throughout the history of Washington and Lee, have played a major role in maintaining the university’s success and standards for centuries. This year’s ODK initiates, like the individuals before them, are expected to help to further ensure the existence of these ideals for centuries to come. WLD refines its mission firEfin.]fl.‘l.i.B HJl’KR- IN-G-EEF Washington and Lee for Dubyanell, a research group founded by Brent Beshore, ’05, has refined its mission as it has tackled its first issue, the question of alcohol consumption on campus. The six—member Board consists of recent alumnus K.C. Schaeffer, staff members Burr Datz, Mimi Elrod, and Harlan Beckley and current students Celia Landgren and Lloyd Wilson. Washington and Lee for Dubyanell is currently in the research phase for the first issue it is examining, alcohol consumption. “We want to find all the information we can get our hands on,” Beshore said. “We will then distill that into a report, or publication.” Schaeffer is heading up the research and development and said he plans to utilize surveys, both of Washington and Lee’s campus and others. To study other schools, Schaeffer said the coalition will, “use contacts through students we already know.” Once the coalition’s report is released, “anybody who cares can look at the information, it is not filtered through the Administration or any other campus groups.” Washington and Lee for Dubyanell will not make recommendations for how to resolve campus issues, but states its goal as, “impact through information,” Beshore said, “we want to increase communication and get more information out there,” he said. “We’ll take all of the school’s data and look at that, then conduct our own research and studies to gauge where we are,” Beshore said. “Then we’ll look at what other schools have done and fill in the gaps [of - infoiination].” Beshore formed the coalition earlier this year because of, “displeasure with the direction things were going,” he said. “There was a period of time earlier in the year when there was growing miscommunication and no one really knew what was going on.” Washington and Lee for Dubyanell is independent, and not looking for funding. OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_002.2.txt latch . .- MGDAY,JAM!ARY 24,215 Eating disorders plague W&L National College Health Assessment finds W&L women twice as likely to have anorexia or bulimia Byxamerineshel A$Sl'N\l'|'l\£VVSEDTCR Last spring’s National College Health Assessment reported that Washington and Lee women “are more likely to report having anorexia, bulimia, or any eating disorder” than the national average, with women reporting suffering from bulimia at twice the national average for college-age women. According to Christy Barongan, a psychologist at Counseling Services, this maybe linked to the image that W&L students are forced to accept. “Although we cannot tell exactly why, this school is one in which image and appearance are important,” Barongan said. Also, the ideas of perfection and control that most W&L students strive for can be a cause of eating disorders, where control Students call for assault website Bymasnalnuie N|PNP(3\GE]l'CFi Due to the recent discussions of sexual assault on campus, some students are calling for an anti-sexual assault website similar to the anti-hazing website already in place. The anti-hazing website, created earlier in the school year, aims to curb fraternity hazing during pledgeship. Students can send reports of hazing through the website, while at the same time stay anonymous to the student body. A proposed anti-sexual assault website would operate in a similar way. However, the website, like the anti- hazing website, is being met with pessimism. Some students argue that a website would just lead to frivolous and false allegations in order to get revenge on an ex-boyfriend or friend. Dean Watkins dismisses these fears by saying that it is often easy to determine the serious complaints from the hoaxes. According to Watkins, the anti-hazing website is working well, and they have already received a legitimate complaint that they are looking in to. Another problem that the supporters are running in to is the difficulty of investigating a sexual crime without the victim’s full involvement. While it is possible to investigate someone suspected in sexual assault and still allow the victim to remain anonymous, it is much more difficult. In an informational meeting last week with one fraternity about the school’s new alcohol enforcement, Watkins responded to a question regarding sexual assault by saying, “Some victims are scared that if they come forward, they will have a whole fraternity hating her.” Watkins explained that many victims don’t come forward because they think that if they go to the authorities, all of the suspect’s fraternity brothers will be mad at not only the victim, but also the victim’s sorority or organization. Supporters of the website say that the website will be a remedy for this problem. By providing a way for victims to come forward without fully exposing their identity, the school will, hopefully, be able to lessen the problems of sexual assault on campus. Whether an anti-sexual assault website is created or not, many students are happy with how far Washington and Lee has come in addressing the problem. “I am excited to see that the Washington and Lee community is taking the issue of sexual assault as serious as it is” says SJC secretary Jeb Brooks. “I am thrilled in the progress we have made and hope to continue this progress in the future.” is often the underlying problem. According to the Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center, “tendencies to be perfectionistic and to set rigid standards for oneself ”can cause the development of an eating disorder. Barangon also links eating disorders to the idea that “W&L students are especially high achieving and perfectionistic.” Meghan Joss, a member of the LIFE team which offers support for those suffering from eating disorders, agrees that “the student body has the predisposition and temperament that are most at risk.” A reason that diagnosing and treating people suffering from eating disorders can be difficult is not because of resources offered on campus and elsewhere, but instead, the fact that very few people who have eating disorders will admit a problem to themselves or other GRAB LIFE BY THE BALL people. “Secrecy and denial are common with eating disorders, and those folks with the problem often resist diagnosis and treatment,” said Jane Horton, Director of Health and Counseling Services. According to Joss, “Eating disorders and addictions in general are cunning because they are the diseases that tell the sufferer they don’t actually have a problem.” Though the assessment showed that W&L students are more likely to develop an eating disorder, the National College Health Assessment did not find this as one of W&L’s main three problems. Those problems were “frequency of alcohol abuse, negative impact of mental health and social concerns (which could be linked to eating disorders and perceptions on campus) and sexual violence experienced by women,” according to Jan Kaufman, the Director of Health Promotion. Despite the statistics showing bulimia as a problem twice that of the national average, the focus after the Health Assessment has been on sexual assault awareness on campus and the enforcement of the alcohol policy. The problem of eating disorders is familiar to some students. A poster last year in the bathrooms in the Commons asked students who threw up to please clean up after themselves. Despite being overshadowed by other issues, there are many ways on campus for those suffering from eating disorders to seek help, as well as those whose friends and peers suffer. “At W&L, we try to use a team approach to treatment and support, using resources in the Counseling Center, the Student Health Center, coaches and trainers for athletes, friends, parents, etc.,” said Horton. Also, Overeaters Anonymous meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 in R. E. Lee Episcopal, though, according to Joss, it has “an unfortrmate name since it is applicable to people with all levels and all forms of compulsive eating/undereating.” National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 28-March 4, and the speaker coming on March 3 will be a good source of information for students who are concerned about a friend or unsure how to approach someone with a possible eating disorder. Any counselor or physician in Student Health and Counseling Services would also be happy to talk to a student with concerns,” said Horton. Also, though its main focus is sexual assault on campus, the Day of Dialogues sponsored by Panhel next Saturday will offer women the ability to talk about their own concerns for W&L, with eating disorders as one of many subjects that can be discussed. JON ROGERS I STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PiKappaPhitookonthefacullyintheDodgebdlTwnnrnentfimlsattheWomen’sBaskefladlgane|astTuesday. Thefindsweretuobedecidedbywinringzoutofsgimes. PiPhiwon thefirstgamemdwasabouttowintheseeondgammrarmeannwmasforcedmemumrnemmoanemmmdsomewumncwldresuneplay. Pro—choice group forms on campus [Group plans to educate the campus about women’s health options Bysudamniay DENSEIJCR . .. g N A new pro—choice group formed Tuesday with the intent to educate the campus aboiito women’s health options and to support legislationaaffecting reproductive rights. “We need to foster both sides of the discussion on campus,” said Caitlin Mullen ’05, the president of Students for Choice. The first meeting was a chance for participants to air their concerns about the student body’s attitudes towards reproductive rights. Members expressed worry that this university in particular presents opposition to those rights, an idea that is troublesome to many in light of pending legislation to remove the “morning-after” pill from Virginia coilege campuses. ,“I think the opposing clubs will be able to help educate and increase awareness in the com-— munity so they can make a more informed decision on where they ,stand* onthis issue.” -— AiexaMoina:ers,snidmtsforl£ePresR1em The move by the legislature is seen by pro-choice advocates as an attempt to blur the line between abortion and contraception. Opportunities for participation in Students for Choice include scheduled demonstrations on important dates, such as the anniversary of Roe v. Wade last Saturday. The group will also be taking a bus to Richmond Feb. 3 for Virginia Pro- Choice Lobby Day, a chance for concerned citizens to show their support for womerfs rights and to speak with legislative aides. , Students for Choice willwork in collaboration with Planned Parenthood » of Blue Ridge to achieve its objectives. While it is a student-um group, members include professors and physicians as ‘well as Lexington.resideirts.~ ‘It i as a counterpartto the Students for Life , C group, which regularly sponsors speakers such as the national‘ president E of Feminists for Life. , if a r i “I think the opposing cinbs wiil be able to heip educate andiinczease awareness in the community so theyocan . make a more informed decisionion owhetegthey stand on this issue,” said ‘ A Studenfsiorelsifelpresident Aiexa MonteveIis"06. A .,w- . Mulien agrees. “I would love to getadebatc going. The reason I.st‘artec_i this is because [Students for . this discussion.” E 3351 No collaboration between Students for Life and lstudents for . Choice has butivlotitevelis andMu}len hope to ayoid » ~ rhetoric” . and “offensive, lhurtfui IaI18l'1age.”< ’ =1 . ‘ 4 OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_003.2.txt % A MGDAY, JAMJARY 24, Z15 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 3 SD01 lS t THIS WEEK TUESDAY, JAN.25 -Womens’ Basketball at Emory and _ Henry, 7:00 Y,JAN% -Mens’ Basketball at Emory and Henry, 7:00 -Wrestling at Southern Virginia, 7:00 TFIFSDAY, JAN.27 I Open FRDAY, JAN.28 -Track at Christopher Newport, TBA SATURDAY, JAN3 -Mens’ Swimming at Hopkins, 10:00 IWrestling at Apprentice, 10:00 -Womens’ Basketball vs. Roanoke, 4:00 .Womens’ Swimming at Marymount, 5:00 -Mens’ Basketball vs. Roanoke, 7:00 'Track at Christopher Newport, TBA SLNDAY, JANJI) I Open wresuingatlvlooanielouad Ca1oe||ed(1l21) The wrestling team’s meet at the McDaniel Quad against Ursinus and McDaniel scheduled for Saturday, January 22 had been cancelled. The meet will not be rescheduled. Sw'I'rIn'l1gSpliIs MeetAgainst Gt‘-'WSbUI9(1/15) The men’s and women’s swimming teams were both in action against Gettysburg on Saturday afternoon at Twombley Pool. The men improved A to 5-1 with a 1'41"-64 victory, while '3 the women dropped to 7-5 with a 141-64 defeat to the Bullets. FormerGeneralTauenin MLL DraltbyBayhawks(1l21) Former men’s lacrosse player Tommy Melanson ’03 was taken in the Major League Lacrosse Supplemental Draft which was held at the US Lacrosse Convention last weekend in Philadelphia, Pa. TwoGenerdsNa'nedIONSCAA Scho|aAll-Amen'caTeam(1/17) The 2004 NSCAA/Adidas East Region Men’s Soccer Scholar All- America Team was recently armounced and Washington and Lee had two players represented on the team. Senior defender Peter Miller (Towson, Md./Baltirnore Lutheran) earned second team accolades, while senior midfielder Justin Mygatt (Marietta, Ga./Woodward Academy) garnered honorable mention status. Womens’ basketball d BySaahBloom SENG7iSPCF{TSWFITER The stands were filled Friday night for the Washington and Lee Women’s basketball game at Southern Virginia University. The wildly supportive away crowd didn’t faze the Generals, however. After a heartbreaking loss to ODAC rival Bridgewater on Tuesday (64-61), the Generals played an intense game, defeating SVU 71-55. Emotions ran hot on Tuesday as the Generals took on rival Bridgewater. An early five point lead quickly turned to a 12 point disadvantage for the Generals in the first half. The Eagles returned with a strong start to the second half, but the Generals gathered strength and played stronger, catching the Eagles when freshman Kristen Krouchick scored on a lay-up, tying the game 59-59 with a minute remaining on the clock. In a tight final minute of play, the Eagles scored a three-point basket. W&L responded with a lay-up by sophomore Jessica Hunsinger, making the score 62- 61 with 17 seconds left in the game. Marsha Kinder of Bridgewater sank two free throws, giving the Eagles a stronger edge. The Generals made a final attempt to again match the score, but junior Louisa Feve’s three-point attempt fell short just as the buzzer sounded to end the game. “The loss against Bridgewater was definitely a tough loss,” Said Krouchick. “It’s hard to bounce back from a loss like that, but we just had to come out that much harder against Southern Virginia.” The Generals did bounce back in the SVU game. Husinger and Feve each recorded double-digit scores in two stat categories and claimed season-high records in scores to lead the team to victory. The game started out a little rough, with the Generals missing their first eight shots and trailing SVU early in the game. But the women quickly found their groove and outscored the Knights, entering the half with a score of 31-24 in the Generals favor. In an eerie twist, the Knights came back to tie the game with only 16 minutes left in the game. Familiar with this situation, the Generals reclaimed the lead with a pair of free throws by Feve. From this point on, the Generals never let the Knights within a ten point cushion. Freshmen Krouchick and Amanda Kane led the Generals in both scoring and steals. Despite being new to the team, the freshmen feel prepared for the intensity of season-play thanks to the upperclassmen. “The upperclassmen give good advice in some game time situations from their own experiences,” said Kane. “They’ve just been really supportive and have really helped my transition to college basketball,” added Krouchick. The win over SVU bumped the General’s win record above the win total for last season. “We are definitely a stronger team this year,” commented Feve. “Our women’s basketball program is starting to establish ourselves as a competitor in the ODAC” Bethany Darmelly added. “We are able to compete with the top teams and hopefully we will be able to pull out some wins against some ominates CORBIN BLACKFORD / PHOTO EDITOR PIayersoonvergea'oundthegoalduringtheGeneral’swinoverSVU. of these top teams as the regular season winds down. . .I think we will be expecting to advance in the ODAC tournament this 17 year. NCAA already getting exciting Bymashalnule |\AN\lN3\GEJ'|'O? It may only be January, but it sure feels like March Madness. In this week alone college basketball has seen upsets, game winners, and tough losses. And in a much too early attempt to get in the mood for the Final Four, I am going to recap the » week of College Hoops for you by letting you in on all the big stories of the biggest four games of the weekend. Kansas vs. Villanova — On College Garneday Saturday morning Digger said that Villanova was going to beat Kansas. I laughed and realized that the man is finally off his rocker. After going to breakfast during the first half, I came back to see that Villanova did not just win, they blew out the Jayhawks. It’s only fitting that Villanova is the team that stopped the Jayhawks undefeated streak. It’s hard to call the Wildcats a Cinderella team, but that’s exactly the word that comes to mind when watching the fans storm the court. Pitt vs. UCONN— Ifthere has ever been one team besides UNC that I love to see lose it is UCONN. It looked as if Connecticut had the game in hand, but the second half belonged to Pitt. Chevon Troutrnan had 4 points in the first half, and finished with 29. Two losses in two weeks for the Huskies. UCONN seems to be having just a little bit of trouble in conference play, which is understandable considering the talent in the Big East. Unfortunately for Husky haters, UCONN’s time always comes in March, and come tournament time, they will be ready to try to repeat. GA Tech vs. VATech — Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you get unlucky. Consider Virginia Tech VERY lucky. Up by one with a few ticks left, Isma’il Muhammad missed both free throws and his teammates missed two easy put backs. Georgia Tech is not quite the same team as they were last year. Can you say overrated? The Yellow Jackets have dropped three straight, and four of their last six games. Things aren’t likely to change this week either when they play Wake Forest. LSU vs. Kentucky — Kentucky blew out LSU. LSU isn’t even a competitive team. Why did I throw this game in you ask? Because none of the other games really matter. Kentucky is going to win it all. They got (arguably) the best freshmen class this year with Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris. But these guys are just for show. The real power in the Wildcat lineup lies in Chuck Hayes and Patrick Sparks. If you haven’t seen Panick Sparks play you haven’t lived. He single handedly brought the Cats back from a major deficit against Louisville earlier in the season. The gniy makes plays at both ends of the court and will lead Kentucky to its first championship since the glory days of Padgett, Magloire, and Turner in 1998. Laugh now, but I will be the one laughing come tournament time. CORBIN BLACKFORD / PHOTO EDITOR AGeneral |ooksforapassduringtheteam’s Iosstowrginiawesleyan. Mens’ basketball falls to Virginia Wesleyan 63-53 Four Generals reached double digits as teams’ record falls to 2-15 Sporsfielease SPO3TSN:U'-WIATKN Sophomore forward Brandon Adair (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) tallied 23 points and eight rebounds to lift Virginia Wesleyan to a 63-53 win over Washington and Lee in ODAC men’s basketball action on Saturday afternoon at the Warner Center. The Marlins (13-4, 7-4) led 36-24 at the break, but saw the Generals slice the advantage to just five points (39-34) with 14 minutes remaining in the game. VWC responded with a 9-0 spurt over the next 3:52 to go up 48-34 with 10:08 left. W&L slowly chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 55-50 at the 1:53 mark, but the Marlins sealed the game at the foul line in the final minute. Virginia Wesleyan held a 40-22 advantage in rebounding, including grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. W&L (2-15, 0-10) placed four players in double figures led by freshman forward Greg Bienemann (Chathain, N .J ./ Chatharn), who totaled 15 points on 5-of- 5 shooting from the field. Sophomore guard Chris Halkitis (New Port Richey, Fla./Ridgewood) notched 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, while senior guard Mike Stuart (Warrenton, Va./ Fauquier) and freshman guard John Mumper (Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman) added 10 points each. For Virginia Wesleyan, sophomore forward Marcus Riley (Olney, Va./ N andua) supplemented Adair’s effort with 10 points. Junior guard Thomas Sumpter (Hampton, Va./Bethel) chipped in with eight points, six rebounds and five assists. Washington and Lee returns to action on Sunday as .-it hosts Randolph- Macon for a 2:00 pm contest. Mens’ lax ranked eighth Sporlsfielewe TGl BALTIMORE, Md. - Lacrosse Magazine released its Division I, II and III preseason polls on Wednesday afternoon and Washington and Lee was among those cited. The W&L men’s lacrosse team is ranked eighth overall in voting conducted by the magazine staff, collegiate coaches and media members. i Two-time defending national champion Salisbury sits atop the poll and is followed by last season’s runner-up, Nazareth. Middlebnry, Cortland, Washington College, ‘ Gettysburg, Ithaca, W&L, Tufts and — Hampden-Sydney round out the preseason Top 10. ODAC rivals Roanoke and Lyncliburg rank 1161 and 12th, respectively. V W&L returns five starters and 31 iettcrwinners from last season’s squad which posted a 14-4 overall record, won the ODAC Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals. I-Ieadlining the returnees is senior attackman Gavin Molinelli (Northport, N.Y./ Northport), a Preseason Honorable Mention All-America selection. ' Washington and Lee opens its 2005 campaign with a game at Washington College on Sat., Feb. 26 at 1:30 pm.’ ' hetp|eadthisyear’sean1paigi. OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI NUDAY,JAMJARY24,ZXJ5 artsslife BOOK REVIEW Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities Srat Girl claims book belongs withreality TV ByNathPn'nz STAFFWHITE? Often the number one reason not to read a book is that it has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. The Masses like it? Something must be wrong with it. Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, by Alexandra Robbins, is a perfect example of such a book. I would place it in the genre of “Real World” and “Who Wants to Marry My Dad”, more than in any relevant literary or journalistic one. Robbins is out to prove that sororities are groups within which intelligent, confident women turn into insecure clones, whose extremely bad behavior is a result of their sorority identity. Her stories hold the same interest that the worst shows on MTV do. She speaks of rampant eating disorders, affairs with professors and abusive hazing as if they were the norm. She also glamorizes these things she claims to abhor by speaking of how privileged all these girls are. She is not above dropping brand names either. Thus, she subtly undermines her argument by equating all the evil in these sororities with their (superficial) desirability. These girls aren’t just throwing up; they’re throwing up while wearing designer sunglasses. Well, now I want to read about them! For obvious reasons, no sorority knowingly allowed her to chronicle their secret rituals and behavior of its members. So Ms. Robbins took the honorable route: She went undercover and joined sororities while secretly recording all that took place in the houses she stayed in, including secret rituals! Unfortunately, she bases all her theories on three sororities, all seemingly similar in the type of girls they accept. She also picked only a few girls from each sorority, whose stories she tells in full. It is up to the reader to assume whether these girls are representative of the whole or not. She claims to have picked three different sororities. (One is athletic, one is more social.) However, these girls all seem to have similar value systems, interests, even ethnic and social backgrounds. The one minority student she follows is a partial pariah in her own sorority because of her background. I claim that she could have found a more diverse mix in the five rather similar sororities on our own campus. This sampling is what she bases her “serious” journalism on. However, her publisher gives her away. The cover of her book is demonstrative of exactly the audience she is looking for. The cover shows three very attractive girls, looking exactly the same, but with their distinctive features cut off. Is she hoping the fact that she reports on three very similar girls will escape our notice? Or is she trying to attract male readers with the nubile bodies on the cover? As a parting insult to the reader who is in a sorority, she gives away secrets that are central to almost every sorority. She disclosespatts of ritual and gives away secret passwords. What can be the value of that? In doing this, she undermines her own work. She feeds sensational, albeit useless information to the vicarious reader. Isn’t the idea of journalistic integrity to respect the subject and present only pertinent, relevant information? Don’t send her to Iraq!(or even a real interview for that matter.)Perhaps she feels going undercover means she is above a century of tradition, religious and moral values, and the secrecy that is integral to all sororities. Last question: why do none of these aspects come up in her book? Oh that’s right. She‘s not about serious information, So if you’re a serious or semi-serious, reader: skip this book! Bysammm-ay l\E\/VSEJTOFI JulimLedfordreadytoperformhisactIastFridaynig1tat OPEN STAGE 2005 Students take to the stage inithe’ first annual event Students entertained Lenfest audiences Friday with Open Stage, a series of monologues, dances, and musical selections ranging from original compositions to popular musicals such as Aida and The Phantom of the Opera. Members of the W&L community nearly filled Johnson Theater, much to the surprise and gratification of the performers. “I didn’t expect so many people to come out on a Friday night,” said Julian Ledford ‘06, who gave two vocal performances. The show’s style resembled a talent ‘show with short performances following one after another. Auditions were held only one week before the event itself, drawing more people with its low time commitment. Some of the performers, like Lisa Zevorich ’{}7, were returning veterans from the similar Student Showcase held in December. Zevorich, who was involved in theater in high school, returned to it only this year. After opportunities at Open Stage and Student Showcase to sing pieces Lenfest- JOHN ROG_EF!S/ AFF Pnoroemenen from Wicked and other works, she’s hooked once more. “My favorite type of theater is musical theater,” Zevorich said. As a member of Chamber Singers, General Admission, and Joyful Noise, Ledford was drawn to the musical aspect of Open Stage as well. He hopes to use his tape of the performance to apply for a summer program specializing in opera. His theatrical ambitions are not nearly as lofty. “If they_have musicals, then I take part,” Ledford said. “But I’m not really an actor.” Guy Next Door speaks ByJontIhmPmdnr TI-EGUYl\EXfIXX)=i Recently, I was approached by the engaging editor-in—chief of this fine publication about writing a bi-weekly column. Though grossly under—qualified, I accepted because, let’s be honest, this is my best opportunity to woo many feisty Minkettes with my witty prose and biting social commentary. Actually, that isn’t true. . .I just need another extracurricular activity on my resume. Whatever the case may be, away we go... , This past Thursday, the Corps participated in the Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. As a proud member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, I was thrilled when I heard that the entire Corps (minus some in- season athletic teams) would have the opportunity to march for President Bush. However, this initial excitement quickly turned into modest apprehension when the training schedule for the event was released. Countless uniform inspections, practice parades, and hours of logistical planning were required if the trip was to be a success. Mind you, all of this was in addition to our everyday routine: academic demands, ROTC requirements, and keeping Lex-Vegas’ adult beverage establishments in the black. As for the trip itself, overall it was a miserable experience which I will always remember fondly. In a few years, I will forget about the fact that we spent fourteen of the eighteen hours off Post sitting on a crowded bus and recall only those thirty seconds of a cold January day when I was twenty feet away from the most powerful man in the world. When we passed the reviewing stand, President Bush looked directly at me and nodded, as if to say, “Yes, Jonathan Proctor, I see you; furthermore, I approve of your superior marching abilities.” At least that’s what I’ll allow myself to believe. The other detail that I may not forget would be marching through piles upon piles of horse (ahem)...droppings. [How fitting, since we Keydets have grown accustomed to getting...relieved upon.] In the end, everyone returned safely (though two of our buses were involved in an accident, only a few teeth were lost) and hopefully we even made a few alumni proud. At least we were excused from classes on Friday. . .except, we weren’t, so that was fun. Well that about does it for this week’s installment; until next time, neighbors, keep on keepin’ on. Post—rush world not exciting Bymaychids ITS NOTYOU, ITS ME People always told me last semester that oh, man, after rush, a “whole new world opens up” to you. That you can go to girl’s houses, and pass the turkey baster back and forth like normal people while you partake in a little gourmet cooking, and stuff like that. That suddenly you are free to interact as you’ve always dreamed you could. So it’s after rush. I’ve been to girl’s houses, and it’s been fun to interact normally, but I’ll tell you a little secret. This “whole new world” that I’ve entered seems to be completely different from everybody else’s. You are probably one of the 1,700 that has seen that strange girl hobbling around school, usually carrying her crutches and looking very angry, and you think to yourself, “Hmm, that is odd. Normally one uses crutches, and propels oneself forward in space so as not to use a hurt foot. Why, then, does this strange girl carry them, and limp?” Well, friend, that strange girl is none other than yours truly. And I carry my crutclies because neither Washington nor Lee planned this campus with us handicapped in mind. Now I will acknowledge for once that it is a nice bonus that I live on the first floor of Gaines (the first floor bit being the bonus). I just wish those nine hundred stairs from this side of the street to the rest of campus (you know, the ones you see when you stroll to the Gym from your luxurious dormitory of Graham-Lees, or the ones you drive past as you laugh quietly to yourself, because there is that strange girl hopping up the stairs one at a time like a two year old) had an elevator. If you want to know the background story, and I’m sure you’ve already heard it, especially if you are female and you were anywhere near me in a sorority house, I was attacked by an inebriated boy on New Years while I was dancing with him; he fell forward, taking me down too. The really nice bit is that he also hit my head on the stone fireplace, so I was convinced I had a concussion. Once he managed to get off of me and stand up, and I realized that I did not have any major brain damage, I got up and resumed dancing (without him). After a while I noticed a blinding pain in my foot. So I decided to stop dancing on it. The perpetrator of the crime felt marginally bad at this point and was trying to comfort me by patting my shoulder; I recommended that he find some ice. So he comes tromping back from the kitchen and ices my foot with a bag of frozen chicken. Seriously. Then the bag exploded, and the raw chicken flew everywhere. They found pieces of poultry under the couch the next day, and were very confused, but I digress. Apparently my foot is “sprained,” (I’ve had every possible diagnosis for this thing — break, fracture, contusion, sprain), which, as many people have informed me, is often times worse than a break. Awesome. So if you’re thinking, Golly, that girl has been walking around with that strange limp, and wearing a hospital boot for a long time, just check your calendar and see if it’s been 4-6 weeks since January 1. Yeah, that’s a long time. In addition to my foot not being up to par, I have contracted what is known as “Oh, You’re Sick Too?” It could be the flu, but it could be a “flu-like virus.” It doesn’t really matter to me which it is, because I still feel crappy, and half the school can identify with me on this one. So the appellation of Gaines as the “leper colony” or “hospital” has become a self—fulfilling prophecy. Perhaps I will soon become Nothing beats real people. Not even Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, and not even — this one is hard to i say — Napoleon Dynamite in all his glory. Siberian — because here I am, lonely as ever, appreciating to the fullest the fact that you’re not allowed to hang things on the wall or interact with other people. And it takes something MAJORLY important to get me to leave — I am crippled AND I am feverish, AND there’s snow (my boot has pretty poor traction). So for me, this “whole new world” that opened up after rush week — it’s the world of Staying at Home and Watching Movies When All Your Friends Are Out world. Don’t be misled by all the Hollywood glitz and glarnour— yes, I come into contact with a whole lot of celebrities this way, and appreciate their art, and feel more intelligent for it. But once you get past all the pretty faces and the flash of the paparazzi cameras, there’s something missing. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, because I’ve had a lot of free/feverish time lately, and as I type this on my deathbed I think that what’s missing is good old- fashioned human interaction. I had a grand total of FOUR visitors and SIX phone calls in two hours or so, and I think I got overexcited because I just passed out afterwards, but the point is that nothing beats real people. Not even Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, and not even — this one is hard to say — Napoleon Dynamite in all his glory. So when I’m better, and can walk again, I will leave this land of fantasy and wonder behind me and join the world of Oh-Pat-says-she, and where-the-flip-is- Traveller for real this time. i 1 OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_005.2.txt M(NDAY, JAMJARY24, Z105 “True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness.” FFEIIID-IIEIZSCI-E THE RING-TUM PHI ° 5 Imagine a W&L where peop e actually date ByEniyEdwads AFlTS&UFEEDlTOR With approximately 44 weeks of Washington and Lee college life behind me, I have reached the following conclusion: collegiate dating does not exist. Before you write me off as a bitter, cynical, loveless man-hater, hear me out. What is this phenomenon that we know as dating? It starts off in grade school. You know, girl meets boy, girl eats lunch with boy, girl and boy are now “girlfriend and boyfriend.” Parents see this as an “aw shucks, they are too cute for words” event. Someone send me a trashcan now. Then comes puberty and those awkward 7“‘ and 8"‘ grade dances in which girls stand on one side of the heinously— decorated gymnasium and boys stand on the other. Everyone whispers when that solitary girl makes her way into enemy territory and asks her “crush” if he wants to dance. The two “dance,” but it is more like two stick figures with their hands on each other’s shoulders swaying back and forth to the rhythm of a terrible Real McCoy song.High School. Not quite college, but definitely not middle school. Senior guys prey on “fresh meat.” Girls wear pounds of makeup to class in hopes of_ getting that much- coveted date to prom. You’ve got the holding—hands, making out in the car before curfew deal. Not really all that interesting. The end of high school and arrival in Lex Vegas. To be perfectly honest, when I exited I-81 on that sultry August day, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. My first drunken experience involved drinking a mystery substance out of a Jim Bean handle at the Barn. And no, it wasn’t Jim Beam. Jim E AGAINST THE MUSIC Beam isn’t pink. Sketchy late nights meant just that- sketchy late night. You stay up late? Wrong. I learned that frat basements are hook-up central. Making babies on the dance floor does not constitute a dating relationship, nor do the 20 or so girls who made their walk of shame back from Davidson Park on a cold Sunday morning last February. Yes, a friend and I sat out and watched them— it was rather amusing. I have often wondered how the social scene at W&L would be different if more students were in a monogamous relationship. You’ve seen them, the absolutely whipped guys who would do anything for their long-distance girlfriend. C’mon guys, the girls here are just as good, if not better, than state school plebs. Or what about the girls who refuse to go to a party because their jealous boyfriend might call? Girls, you need to Pictured wilhThomasWorthy ‘O5 and Ansel Sanders ‘O4 arethe 2004 Lip Synch champions. The Pi Beta Pmmmmmmmmnmmmn; rendition of Britney Spears’ smash hit, ‘Me Againstthe Music.” Mark yourcalendarsforthis years’ lip synch, benefitling Studer1lsAgainst RockbridgeArea Hunger. The eventvvill take place on January 28th at the Pavilion. It's not too late to organize ateam. Show off your school spiritwhile helping those lessforlunate. PHOTO COURTESY Pl BETA PHI A LOOK BACK... “ FEMALES: KNOW YOUR ROLE... This inflammatory satire appeared in the 1999 Summer Scholars newspaper. We can only hope it was a parody. What can you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nothing you’ve already told her twice. Whatever happened to the good ‘ole days when women were seen and not heard? Things have changed since then. Nowadays it seems all they do is talk, talk, talk. From my observations, many women seem not to care about their appearance. When did it become attractive to have jelly rolls or love handles? The truth is that women have gotten lazy and fat, and then they try to tell men that it is beautiful. That isn’t beautiful. It is disgusting. Men work hard all day and want to come home to a hot meal and an attractive, loving wife. What men are actually coming home to is quite different. We are coming home to microwave dinners and fat women who look like they ate the woman you married and who take your money and go shopping. This whole mess started because we were too nice to them. We never should have let them out of the kitchen in the first place. Now the house is a mess and the laundry is undone because they have a career to think about as well. Take Washington and Lee University for example. They are supporting the corruption of our homes with programs like Summer Scholars. Girls shouldn’t waste their summers studying Law or Pre—Medical Studies. They should take something they will actually use, like cooking or cleaning. If she really had her pretty little head set on working, maybe she could take a hairstyling course. Anything more should be out of the question. There are enough young men to fill America’s colleges. Women squander their fathers’ hard-earned money to go read feminist literature and “experiment” for four years. Listen, guys, we need to dig in our heels before we lose any more ground. Millions of dollars have gone to waste on liberal arts education for women. Instead of learning how to be a good wife to her husband, she is spending four years becoming a penis—hating lesbian. Don’t get me wrong now. Not all females are bad. Young infants that haven’t learned to speak yet are fine by me, as long as they don’t learn any time soon. Also, there is a small percentage of women who do know their role and are quite happy in it. This article is for the gold-digging leeches who feast on the blood of innocent men, who call themselves “independent women with a mind of their own.” Student and want to be with you.” W&L Bool;;oxby5p.m. Friclaytoappearinthetollovvvingi/veeksecitiori. 'lheFihg-turnPhireserves1he righttoeditsibrnissiorisforoontentaridlenglh. Lefiesaflodwnrsdoridneoessarilymfledteopinmdflwliiy-mmHfiEdmdalBoam. Adveitisirigdoesnotretlecxtheopinionsot 7heFthg-tumPrioritss1afi. Thisnevvspaperobsewesainemowndetinifimsotlibelandobsoemiy. 7heRhg4iml=h“ UniversilyConmonsRoorn.341 Wash'nglmandLeeUriversily Lex'ngm,Virg‘nia24450 Teiephone:(540)4584060 Fa>c(540)458-4059 Emal'phi@w|u.edu Subsor'ptionrate$40 As I pondered this definition in an attempt to locate the source of my frustrations, I realized that tradition has become a crutch. I remembered the many times that I asked questions like “why there is an ‘old south’ party” and how the only response I was offered was “it is tradition.” In that moment I discovered that this thing called tradition is no longer acceptable. Tradition creates indifference. Instead of debating and proving a point, one simple word explains it all. My biggest fear is that the reason tradition is the answer is the fact that no one knows the true answer, or that everyone is afraid to say what that answer really we must be careful how we use tradition; if we are not, tradition will become no more than a word. If you keep traditions but carmot explain why and if you ignore the meaning of your traditions at their core and inception but continue to follow them, you are contributing to the demise of tradition. You are degrading something that could have meaning. So examine your traditions, make sure that they have true meaning. If not, you are just another sad individual, peeking out from behind a shallow argument when you use tradition as an explanation and I warn you now, be prepared to defend yourself. OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_007.2.txt MG‘DAY,JA|\UAHY 241,315 “I wanted to be a cool mom.” — QUOTE OF THE WEEKACo|oiadorriotherwhoheldorgypai'tlesforher THERING-TUMPHI 0 7 _ Cadets deserve W&L’s respect Life at VMI proves much harder than most of us think ByCdeyAnderson It/If"-lATE’SNlS‘% In the vicinity of a weekend party not too long ago, I was witness to a very strange spectacle, a conversation between two people. On the right, a fratty—haired guy wearing jeans, whom I know fairly well. On the left, a guy with close-cut hair, wearing an immaculate suit and khakis, and wearing a gigantic ring. It will be evident to veterans of the big Lex that this was a conversation between a W&Ler and a Cadet. It was the tail end of the conversation, and the W&L student was saying something to this effect- “N o offense, but I really think that life at VMI can’t be that hard. I mean, you have those military trappings, but really it’s just a public school, the academic load can’t be as heavy as it is here.” I think that neither school in Lexington gives the other the respect it deserves, but I think the problem is worse on this side of Letcher Avenue, so this column will be a two-part look at how they do things over there, because VMI and W&L definitely change their students in different ways. The first part of this look at the school across the way will examine the rigors of the first year at VMI, as well as the incredible stress that all the cadets take on through their four years. Few appreciate how difficult the freshman year at VMI really is. There is a protective shield of levity that surrounds the rats, so it’s often tough to ascertain how rough they really have it. They are called rats, and they are rats. They are literally inferior human beings. They must salute, they must walk an imaginary line, the “ratline,” on the outside corner of the barracks’ halls. Their life is one that makes most frat pledgeships look comic. They are terrorized by most of the rest of the Corps from day one, continuing on for about five months, day in, day out. Their life is a hell of push-ups and screaming faces, of sweat parties and waking up before dawn. “Privacy” and “Free time” do not exist. For this reason, a typical VMI freshman class suffers attrition of around 20%- sometirnes even the most physically fit rats quit because they can’t handle the mental pressure. But friendships are formed between classmates that are unbreakable. Faced with an almost insumiountable stress, the freshmen turn to each other for support. Men in their 60s have referred to each other as “brother rats,” for the bonds that are created in such stress are difficult to strain. The life of a freshman at W&L is not comparable. I’m not saying that either is preferable, that’s an individual choice, but I think that when you say that W&L is more challenging, you’re ‘making an apples to oranges comparison. And the academics are certainly n_ot easy. VMI is the nation’s leading public liberal arts school for a reason. At W&L, our unofficial motto is “Work hard, play hard.” The VMI equivalent might be “work hard, then work some more, and then more.” The academics may or may not be as challenging as W&L’s, but in combination with the fact that there’s little or no down time because of the military life, and the grinding schedule gets to a lot of people. Classes have graduated from VMI with less than half the students they began with; the majority of students in such classes simply feel crushed under the weight of their obligations and the largely gloomy world they inhabit. Next week, a look at the scheduled life of a cadet, their Honor System, and various other VMI J sundries. Abortion still a moral horror But on Roe V. Wade anniversary, pro—life movement making progress ByTheresaDoug1ei1y O’l\fl*SWHTER This past Saturday, January 22, marked the thirty-second anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal in the United States. This Monday, thousands of people, myself included, will be marching on the Supreme Court to protest the decision that, to date, has ended the lives of 46 million unborn children. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The language that Jefferson uses here tells us that all are created equal, not born equal. Thus those that have already been created and not yet born should be entitled to these same rights that those that are outside the womb have: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Abortion is a clear violation of each of these fundamental rights: it robs the unborn of life, thus depriving its chance of ever experiencing liberty or happiness. Just because we outside the womb already enjoy these rights does not give us the power to deny them to others. Many in the pro-choice movement would argue that it is a woman’s body and the state should not interfere in the decisions that she makes regarding her body. I believe this is absolutely true — the state should not interfere with a woman’s body. However, this does not apply to abortion, as abortion clearly involves two ‘distinct bodies: that of the woman and her child. The government has made many laws regarding how individuals can and cannot interact with each other. You may get into an argument with a person, but you may not strike, rape, or kill them. Once a decision affects more than one person, privacy is breached and the government can become involved. In regards to abortion, the government should become involved, because it ends in the destruction of at least one person’s life. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” Here, the preservation of human life should be more important than the right to privacy. The last article that I read in the Ring-Tum Phi about the abortion issue was from a pro-choice angle, and made the argument that since women will always be getting abortions, it’s better to keep them safe and legal. To me, this argument does not stand at all. Well, stealing will always happen, so why don’tvwe stop selling alarms so the burglars can get in and out unnoticed? Murder will always happen, so why don’t we give out knives or guns with silencers to make it easier? I also have heard the argument that if abortion is made illegal or parental notifications required for abortions, then more women will resort to hurting themselves to end an unwanted pregnancy, possibly ending in the death of both individuals. To me, this is more of an issue having to deal with the lack of support in the social structure rather than a problem stemming from abortion itself. Abortion is a symptom of the greater social problem of discrimination against women and the lack of resources available to them. There is no such thing as an unwanted child: there are plenty of women out there incapable of having children of their own or singles and couples who want to adopt. It also disgusts me that some people believe that abortion is alright if you discover your child has a disability or genetic disorder or if your child was conceived through rape. As someone with two genetic diseases, I am offended that someone would see me in the womb and think they have the right to end my life. Having at least one person in my life who was conceived through rape, I am again offended by the thought that someone would think it was acceptable to end her life. I do not know what it is like to be raped, but I would guess that the emotional trauma of the actual rape followed by the decision to have an abortion could only inflict further emotional, physical, and mental harm on the woman. I too am pro- choice: the difference is that I believe abortion should not be a choice. The pro—life movement has won two huge victories in the past few years. First, President Bush signed into law the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, finally outlawing the cruel and unusual procedure that ends the life of unborn children by vacuuming out their brains. Several states ' . are fighting this law, and Nebraska’s was recently overturned due to the fact that it did not include an exceptions clause for the life of the mother. In addition, Laci ~ ‘ and Conner’s Law was passed, which recognizes the death of two individuals when a pregnant woman is murdered. This is a huge step forward because this law acknowledges the two distinct individuals victimized by the crime. Science proves that when a woman is pregnant, there are two separate beings, two different DNA codes, and two »; different hearts beating. To deny this and ’, allow abortions to continue is to deny a simple common moral and natural law: thou shalt not kill. To end, this quote is from a woman named Norma McCorvey, ‘ whom most would know as Jane Roe in - the Roe v. Wade decision: “I am dedicated to spending the rest of my life undoing the law that bears my name.” Effort must be made at W&L to improve int’l learning Dear Editor, All of us remember where we were on September 11th, 2001. I had just begun my college career at W & L, and on my way back to the dorms after a geology class, my friend Mike Kearney told me a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers. I remember getting back to my room, sitting on my couch, and watching in disbelief as the second plane struck the other tower. For all of us, whether we realized it or not, the world changed that day. We soon learned that instability in a country as distant and remote as Afghanistan could affect our own security. Republicans and Democrats agreed: America had a new role to play in the world. But I believe the challenge is broader than that: all Americans have a new role to play in the world. We now have the responsibility to understand other cultures and help them understand our own. In the future, global peace and prosperity will depend on that. Despite this new challenge, only 20 percent of Americans even have passports. At W & L, less than half of all students have had a significant international experience, with most of those occurring over the shortened spring term or the summer months. Those figures are as dangerous as they are disheartening. Yet, I believe our university—our community—can do something about that, first by creating a chapter of Americans for Informed Democracy (AID) on our campus. AID is a non—partisan 501 (c)(3) organization working to raise global awareness on more than 175 U.S. university campuses and in more than 10 countries. AID fulfills its mission by coordinating town hall meetings on America’s role in the world, hosting leadership retreats, and publishing opinion pieces and reports on issues of global importance. Through these efforts, AID seeks to build a new generation of globally conscious leaders who can shape an American foreign policy appropriate for our increasingly interdependent world. A chapter of AID at W & L will also harness the experiences of our students who have studied abroad and our international students, enriching our campus and inspiring other students to travel overseas. Beyond that, I hope our administration will make study abroad a new university priority and perhaps consider making it, in the future, a requirement for graduation. Recognizing the new challenges the world faces, President of Harvard University, Larry Surrirners, said at a recent speech: “I hope we’ll be able to look forward to the day when in one way or another, over the summer or during the term or between semesters, every Harvard student will have had a significant international experience.” I believe Washington and Lee should contribute to that effort and share its concepts of civility and honor, not just with this region or this country, but with the entire world. If you are interested in starting this - new organization, please contact Matt Yohe at yohem@wlu.edu. Sincerely, Matt Yohe ‘05 Reader points out APA inaccuracies Dear Editor, In Monday’s paper, under the article “Fact or Fiction - The Greeks”, the myth that Alpha Phi Alpha was moving into the Beta house was cleared up. While I’m grateful that this rumor was dispelled, I was deeply troubled at the author’s description of APA as a “newly formed African-American fraternity”. The reason behind this is because APA was established in 1906 and has continued to thrive on other campuses since then. While this may seem as a minor mistake, you have to understand that the reason there is so much resistance to bringing the Alphas" on campus is because people are under the impression that this organization has been developed recently so that blacks have their “own frat” to join. It also disturbs me at the lack of research that has gone into any story concerning the Alphas. I do believe that all good journalists must research a topic before publishing a story _ and not base their articles on hear-say. If you would like to know more about Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. please visit this website : : /www.al hial ha.net/. Also could you please issue a correction and maybe if you find the website helpful, have a staff member take the time to write a comprehensive article on the Alphas. I you and have a wonderful day. Sincerely, Cherrelle Moser Ever since I was a youngster growing up in the 1960s, I have considered the Reverend Dr. Martin America’s greatest heroes.‘ He dedicated his life to setting people free from discrimination and to promoting equality massive non—violent protest and civil disobedience, he was more responsible than any other single individual for defeating Jim Crow segregation in the South. A wellspring of inspiration and bedrock of support for the civil rights movement in the South were the black churches. Rev. King understood and articulated so eloquently the simple truth that we are all God's children and as such have an innate and equal dignity that is deserving of respect. During a time when Americans of African descent in the South were legally prevented from attending the same schools, swimming in the same pools, eating at the same lunch counters, and using the same public toilets as white people, the black church provided a safe haven from pervasive humiliation. Everybody who entered its doors was somebody. What gave Rev. King the calm and inspiring courage to face imprisonment, attacks by assassination was his unshakeable faith in the righteousness of his cause and the confidence he had in eventual victory. In the end, Rev. King gave his life in the pursuit of liberty and equality. Thirteen organizations and university departments agreed to commemorate Rev. King’s legacy by pooling their resources to invite Angela Davis to speak in Lee Chapel. I believe that this decision was a mistake. Ms. Davis’ political activism originally emerged in reaction to the same abhorrent conditions of segregation and oppression that Dr. King witnessed; however, she chose a much different path to follow. Imbibing in the atheistic, existentialist writings of J ean-Paul Sartre in Europe in the 1960s, she subsequently returned to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies with the doyen of U.S. academic Marxists, Herbert Marcuse. Davis accepted the Marxist world view, which had its roots in nineteenth-century atheistic materialism. She joined the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), which to this day remains committed to working-class revolution. Communism in the Soviet Union, China, and elsewhere was horribly repressive and Luther King, Jr., to have been one of of opportunity. Following the path of police dogs, and the threat of responsible for the deaths of tens of Bringing-Davis a mistake millions of its own countrymen in the ‘ i twentieth century, and we know today that the CPUSA received substantial funding from the Soviet Union. 5 Evidently, Ms. Davis found much to emulate in the communist world. Davis aclmowledges that she was a member of the CPUSA but seems reluctant to mention that she twice ran for U.S. Vice President on the CPUSA ticket. In 1980 she and long—time CPUSA leader Gus Hall received just under 44,000 votes (in comparison to more than 79 million cast for Reagan and Carter combined). Undaunted, Hall and Davis ran again in 1984 and saw their vote tally drop to just over 36,000. Davis never seemed to ‘grasp the irony that she could run as a communist in the U.S. but that countries that had communist governments refused to hold free elections. When communist Poland broke the mold and allowed the democratic Solidarity movement to field candidates in June 1989, the communists there did little better than Hall and Davis. They lost every seat in the Polish Sejm, which Solidarity was allowed to contest. Those Polish elections marked the beginning of the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe. Ms. Davis received $15,000 (not counting expenses) for her visit to W&L. I wish that that money had been spent in any of a number of other ways to commemorate Rev. King. It could have been given to my friend and colleague ' - ‘ Dr. Ted DeLaney to give him a higher profile for telling the story of desegregation in Virginia, including his own. Dr. DeLaney grew up in Lexington ‘ I but could not attend W&L right after high school because of the color of his skin. Instead, he worked for a while in our chemistry lab washing test tubes. Later, however, he graduated from W&L and is now a tenured member of the History Department and an esteemed campus leader. The money might have been devoted to expanding upon his oral ’ I .' history of school desegregation in this ' « area. As an alternative, in the spirit of Rev. King’s concern for lifting up the poor, it might have been devoted to Dr. Beckley’s Shepherd Poverty Program. Or maybe to those who have been i ‘ ravaged on a distant shore — to the tsunami survivors. I’m confident that Rev. King would have supported all of f ~ ‘ these endeavors. Sincerely yours, Richard Bidlack History Department OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050124/WLURG39_RTP_20050124_008.2.txt 8 0 THERNG-'l1MP|'I MGQDAY, JAMJARY M215 Iastword l\ -Let’s break out the booze and have a ball, if that’s all there is. -Will Lewis leads a double life....ask him about it. -Brett was our savior last night. When Domino’s was closed, he was there. Thank you, Brett. Enjoy your snack cakes. IWaiting over 30 minutes for takeout sushi = not cool. How long does it take to roll an Alaska roll? -Biggest letdown of the year: Blizzard 2005. Laaaaaame. -“Think again” -Who else misses pledge costume day? -Don’t you just love hazing? 'Tcmorrow is National Booty Call Day...enjoy! II figured it out — Tom Burish is just Adam Hutchison’s puppet for turning this school as gay as Williams or Amherst or wherever he went. -If I don’t make it to the gym this week to work off this freshman fifteen, someone please smack me with a frat boy’s paddle. -On my way to class I overheard one student exclaim, “Vicious tit!” in response to the weather. -Jeb, we’re sorry we rolled you out of the office, now you see why. -Contrary to popular belief, the sandboxes outside every door are not trash cans disguised as ashtrays. They're just ashtrays. .Falcon boy... why did you leave me? Iln response to the attacks on Andrew Rothey...suck it up; they’re just opinions! II feel like a truck hit me, then reversed and hit me again...crazy night -Jeb Brooks, aka. Lady's Man, Man’s Man, Man About Town .Hangover: The wrath of grapes. -There’s a strange boy sleeping on the floor of our den... -Ice skating = one of the worst choices I made at W&L -The professors at the Palms were laughing at me '1 hope the wind does not blow [away my lingering euphoria from last night lSex is one of those essential needs. . .like air, water and chocolate -I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals. I’m a vegetarian because I hate plants. -Apologies to everyone I poured beer on while dancing. -1 feel like I look. IWho put up my last away message? II’m not sure she even has real‘ human feelings. '1 would rather share one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone .My life kicks ass. -MCAT, I’m going to whoop your ass. ICarbon Leaf is going to be in Charlottesville on Friday. I“It’s just really sexy chemistry.”- Dr. Uffelman -My grandmother said you were very pretty and she’s glad we’re friends -I will stop grounding myself when the bruises I don’t remember getting have healed. -Erin “Ring-tum Sexy” Julius... we didn’t Sély it, the Trident did -Hey, I have a small mouth. 'How are those boots working out for your new life? IIt’s not vengeance, it’s just a good idea inspired by someone else’s misery. -Walker and David totally put the God in Godwin. ILaw students throw the best pants- optional parties. IGo Eagles! IHow does one have sex like a volcano? IYou better check yo’self before you wreck yo’self. .Lindsey Hagerman is the life of EVERY party. llack Handy — It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. ILansing Michigan law — If dwarf tossing becomes a spectator sport you must obtain a permit. IA mother has been arrested on charges that she gave crack to her 4-year-old son to “calm him down." llohnny Carson died Sunday morning at the age of 79. I‘”I'ed, strange things are afoot at the Circle K” - .99 percent of lawyers give the rest apbad name. IBeing 21 is so dominant.... No matter what anyone says, it never gets old. -It’s amazing how many people forget to bring their ID to band parties. IThe Palms bartenders are still talking about Erin Julius’ blowjob shot. ' ITo the concerned KA at Shitkickers, it was very nice to see you looking out for us girls. The Phi welcomes your anonymously submitted Quick Hits, 1 rants, raves, and tales of drunken debauchery sent to phi@ulu.edu Proactive action needed to promote sleep Byxrisuneeary NILKN\DCl-EESEGlFl This week I am going to write about a topic near to EVERY college students life — Greek or independent, drinker or non-drinker, freshman or senior: sleep. Sleep, for most of us, is a sacred and cherished activity. However, in our super- busy, work-filled, fun-filled lives, often we don’t get enough of it. Sometimes, we even starve ourselves of the zzzzzz’s, and the results of that are simply painful. I know that in my own personal experience that as I lose more and more shut—eye to the demands of Washington and Lee, I find myself depending more and more on caffeine to stay awake during the day. Formerly, I was anti-coffee and anti- pop. (Yes, I say “pop.” I am from the Midwest, and that is how we say it there. No matter how long I live in Virginia, I refuse to reform. Go ahead and laugh.) Then exam week happened. And although I have yet to resort to caffeine pills or Red Bull, I can no longer forgo this crutch. Actually, it’s almost a requisite to stop by the co-op at least once if I plan to make it past eleven o’clock at night. Because I am a nerd, I decided to do some detective work for this article. I turned to the American Beverage Association and Google to find out just how much of my lifesaver is contained in some of the nation’s favorite drinks. In fact, thanks to my research I can finally solve the biggest debate of the century. While Diet Pepsi has 37 mg per 12 ounces, Diet Coke has 45. Clearly, we have a winner. AMP Energy Drink has 75 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, which is trounced by Red Bull, which rings in with an astounding 80 mg. A Starbucks coffee Frappuccino has 83 mg of the good stuff. Utilizing my math skills, I quickly calculated my own caffeine intake. Houston, I think we have a problem! Unfortunately, being new to the game, I know I am not nearly as dependent on coffee and pop (I wrote it again! Ha! Take that!) as the next person. So, clearly, we have a campus-wide crisis. Frankly, I think the administration is being hypocritical. The deans are spending so much time and effort trying to eliminate student alcohol usage while ignoring what is clearly a far more pervasive problem — a student body wide addiction to a drug that can cause the shakes, mess with one’s circadian rhythm, and cause indigestion —to put it nicely- problems. I call for action to be taken. Proactive board members like ours surely cannot ignore our plight. They, to remain in good conscience, must work to alleviate the factors influencing our drug dependence. And luckily for them, I have taken the time to come up with a solution to what is clearly a debilitating disease. First of all, W & L should institute a campus-wide naptime. I personally would prefer it to be scheduled from 1 to 3, but I am definitely open to negotiations. Secondly, “I was too tired to come to class” should be an acceptable excuse for missing any lecture course scheduled before noon. And “I studied so long that I didn’t make it to bed until 3 am” should qualify a student for at least a few points of extra credit. On the same note, “I was up all night writing but I just couldn’t fmish this” should be good for at least a weeklong extension. Finally, until our bodies are well rested, we shouldn’t be expected to give up our reliance on caffeine. Quitting cold, turkey could cause severe withdrawal symptoms. So, in remedy, I suggest that dining services let Starbucks coffee flow freely into our wide-open and receptive mouths. Serious actions must be taken to solve a serious problem. But I am really too tired to think about it anymore. Maybe after I’ve finished my nap. .. Marsha Bynrasrunue FOTATOIWW “This is the biggest mistake you have ever made in your life.” It always warms my heart to hear my own mother say that. While I know she is exaggerating about the gravity of my error in judgment, it did make me think about the other mistakes I have made in my life. and trust me, there have been many. My mistake this week cost my mother a hundred dollars. While one hundred dollars isn’t a lot of money (especially to the W&L student body as a whole), my mom lost more than that. She went on about trust and responsibility and something else... I don’t know, I wasn’t really listening. Instead of listening, I was thinking about 7th grade. I was thinking about getting the invitation to a Halloween Party from the 8th grade popular girl. She was older, smarter, more beautiful, and more experienced than those 7th grade girls, and I was in love with her. I had never been to a big party before, and made sure to ask my best friend about what might happen at this party. I My friend was not invited to this party, and felt it necessary to ruin my chances with a girl that was almost in high school. He told me the party would be lame, and I screws up again should hang out with him and watch scary movies instead. I, for some unknown reason, listened to my friend, and stayed away from the party. When I got back to school Monday, I had learned the extent of my mistake. This party had it all. It had dancing, a 3:1 girl to guy ratio, Truth or Dare and even Spin the Bottle. And instead, I had spent my night watching a movie in my friend’s room. The love of my life walked up to me that Monday, said she missed me at the party, and then walked out of my life forever. Now that was a mistake. That was a missed opportunity. That mistake is right up there with dropping an interception in a high school football game that would have taken us to the State Championship game. That is up there with forgetting to wear underwear to work out. Now these are real mistakes. Mistakes are waking up Sunday morning and having to sneak out of your room before the stranger in your bed wakes up. Mistakes are what you wore to school 8 years ago. Mullets are mistakes. Over the last few days I have had memories of mistakes randomly pop into my head. Every time I think that I have remembered all of my mistakes in life, another one pops up. It has reminded me just how stupid I can be sometimes. Sometimes I do the dumbest things. There was a period of a few weeks in middle school where I was too lazy to brush my teeth. I would just throw some Listerine in my mouth, scrape off the plaque with my fingernail and be on my way. There was also a period of time in elementary school where I didn’t use soap in the shower (if you hadn’t noticed, before high school, I ‘was the smelly kid...what arnl saying, I still am the smelly kid). My mom is still a little mad at me, but not because I cost her a hundred dollars. She is mad because sometimes I don’t think straight. Sometimes, I, just like any other living organism, make mistakes. And she doesn’t let me settle for being a normal living organism, that’s why I love her. And in two days she'll forget all of this and won’t even remember the hundred dollars. But I will always remember that girl in middle school. So, Ashley, wherever you are. if the offer’s still on the table, let’s go hang out. l’ll bring the empty bottle, and you bring your four closest girl friends. EMILY HULEN I STAFF ILLUSTRATION