OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20070910/WLURG39_RTP_20070910_001.2.txt ,‘ ‘ I V F, E E i Defense ishrutsf o ijuriior Tom; PapEcco'»' she » I ’,Gpe»neraEs sh,ut_'o?u . i&M E E E E E E call to Greeks: Stand together Fight for fair student treatmentfby-Rlockbridge County residents and the police instead of cheering over which frat got busted this weekend. - Page 3 WASIGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY I I THE RING-TUM PHI. MONDAY,SEPTEMBER10,2007 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 iatfareell ) Ir “T” .rruttatE at By Grace Wang ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Thirteen sophomores who planned to join Kappa Sigma last year have now taken residence in Gaines Hall, far from their now-empty fraternity house in Davidson Park. Kappa Sigma fraternity (Mu Chap- ter) had its charter revoked by Kappa Sigma National on July 13, 2007. This decision came after investiga- . tion of two separate hazing incidents, one occurring in 2004 and another earlier this year. It will no longer be a recognized fraternity at Washington and Lee University for the 2007-2008 academic year, according to a press release from Director of Campus Ac- tivities, Jason Rodocker. Former President of Kappa Sigma George Hunter said, “We cared about Mu Chapter. That was always what was most important to us. It will al- ways be what is most important to us. It is a shame that we cannot carry on with the backing of Kappa Sigma.” . When allegations of hazing viola- tions surfaced in Feb. 2007, Kappa Sigma had already been placed on probation, or trusteeship, for similar violations committed earlier in 2004. “Mu Chapter had not worked their way off trusteeship, and members knew that Kappa Sigma National and W&L both have zero tolerance policies on hazing, including specific written explanations of what is haz- ing,” Rodocker said. In 2004, allegations of hazing vio- lations were reported directly to Na- tionals. At that time, Nationals con- . ducted an investigation and found that the alleged violations were indeed committed and placed Mu Chapter on probation. In 2007, the new charges were heard and deliberated upon by the lnterfratemity Council (IFC), an orga- nization which is composed entirely of W&L fraternity men. After deter- mining that Mu Chapter had violated rules against a specific type of haz- ing, members of the IFC assigned the “We never found out the relationship to our chapter of the person who made the allegations or the alle- gations themselves. We heard them through the IF C, like a game of telephone. ’ GEORGE HUNTER, former Kappa Sigma president penalty of critical probation. W&L’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC), composed of half student leaders and half faculty and staff, echoed the IFC’s decision. While Hunter admitted that the chapter had been guilty of hazing, he argued that significant discrepan- cies surfaced during the IFC trial. “We did not haze in a man- ner that was absolutely consistent with the questions that were being asked,” he said. “We never found out the relationship to our chapter of the person who made the allegations or the allegations themselves. We heard them through the IFC, like a game of telephone.” After critical probation was as- signed, Kappa Sigma National de- cided to conduct its own investiga- tion. Rodocker said, “During that process, W&L officials consistently urged Kappa Sigma National not to suspend Mu Chapter’s charter and that the critical probation penalty imposed by the IFC was sufficient.” However, Nationals proceeded under its own authority and visited Mu Chapter for a formal investiga- tion in May consisting of a member- ship review. “We were unequivocally open with the university and with Nation- als about the process, the details of the hazing and exactly what the hazing consisted of,” Hunter said. “However, they required as part of their membership review not only information about the hazing, which we proffered in filll, but exactly which brothers took part in the haz- ing.” Because Nationals viewed the chapter’s response during the membership review as uncoop- erative, the chapter was asked to attend a hearing with the Kappa Sigma National Supreme Execu- tive Committee this summer. Sev- eral Mu Chapter members attended the conference, which was held in Miami, Fla. At the conference, Nationals decided to revoke Mu Chapter’s charter on grounds of hazing vio- lations, lack of cooperation during formal investigation and member- ship review and existing probation- ary status. In retrospect, Hunter said he believes he and his brothers made the right choice in taking the pun- ishment as a house. He said, “It was mistakes we had all made. I thought it was strong of all of us to not better our own positions at the expense of anyone else.” Nationals and W&L want to bring Kappa Sigma back but will likely wait until all current mem- bers have graduated, said Rodock- er’s press release. Matthew Bott, Kappa Sigma National’s Assistant Executive Di- rector, said, “We’ve been on cam- pus there for over 100 years. We know we’ll be successful when we retum.” Based on IFC trials from previ- ous years, Womom believes that the Greek system is moving in the . by,;,slat§. E10 Kappa Sigma is charter suspended for hazing violations right direction. Although losing Kappa Sigma is certainly not positive for W&L, Rodocker said valuable lessons, such as developing a healthy relationship with a Greek house’s Nationals and revamping New Member Education to be a positive experience, can be drawn from this event. He said, “The perception that bonds of brotherhood are formed through group suffering is incor- rect. Several healthy methods exist for developing brotherhood that is pure and productive - hazing is not one of them.” Kama sigma E Ieonrrobattunrb 3 A Feb-.2007-E0. . . iiiii ' V tpiaeesgxappa sigma any 13,1667?-. V p-a*Slgm:a’s cha MICHAEL KEENAN / Sports Editor The Kappa Sigma fraternity house on Nelson Street sits empty after the frat’s charter was revoked In July for hazing violations. A damning description Princeton Review study labels W&L as a party culture lacking diversity Bywes 0’DeIl STAFF WRITER The Princeton Review (TPR), a New York-based test preparation company, re- cently released its latest round of college rankings in its annual publication, “The Best 366 Colleges”. In it, TPR surveys about 325 college stu- dents at each of the 366 campuses and asks them about their college experience in terms of academics, social life and student body. The results are then used to rank these in- stitutions in 62 separate categories. This year, W&L ranked first in the cat- egory “lots of hard liquor,” second in both “little race/class interaction” and “major frat/srat scene,” fourth in both “homoge- neous student population,” and “lots of beer,” and ninth in “altemative lifestyle not an altemative” (measuring acceptance of the gay community). Several members of faculty and adminis- tration find fault with this methodology. “The Princeton Review thrives on cari- cature,” said University President Kenneth Ruscio. “It profiles institutions based on selective or incomplete or inaccurate data. As a result, some features of campus and academic life at particular colleges—not just Washing- ton and Lee-—get exaggerated or placed in a context that aligns only roughly with the more complex reality.” Associate Dean of Students Tammy Futrell called TPR’s methodology “flawed” and said that W&L had “suffered some un- “T he Princeton Review thrives on caricature. It profilerrinstitutions based on selective or incomplete or inaccurate data. As a result, some features of campus and academic life at par- ticular colleges—-not just Washington and Lee——get exaggerated. ” KEN RUSCIO, unlverslty president fair ratings at its hands, and our diversity rat- ing is no different.” She pointed to the success of Black Greek Letter Organizations and increased multicultural student enrollment and reten- tion as clear evidence of progress. The negative stereotype these rankings breed is a plague to the Admissions Office. As far back as 2004, the oflice published a scathing brochure calling TPR “disreputa- ble and commercially driven” and attacking its methodology as “so suspect that it ren- ders [survey results] meaningless.” According to Associate Dean of Admis- sions Jonathan Webster, “little is said about the high-quality programs and academics we have, and we’re made out to be some sort of anti-intellectual caricature of ourselves. It certainly doesn’t help us in recruiting stu- dents. . .I admit I sometimes wonder how prospective employers and graduate school admission officers regard us and our alumni on seeing that sort of stuff in print.” Senior Editor of “The Best 366 Colleg- es Adrina Kelly, defended its See “Ruined” on page 2 VOLUME CXI, NUMBER 1 OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20070910/WLURG39_RTP_20070910_002.2.txt l' X. 04 Vrc . 8 “=""NGT0N. VA 24450 2 ' THE RING-TUM PHI ‘A n. '1 112%: 31:!" MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,2007 Ruined reputation continued from page 1 rankings claiming them “to be representative of the W&L experience.” When asked how TPR affects the admissions process, Kelly replied “No comment. Our mis- sion is to simply and unabashedly provide infor- mation [the prospective student] won’t get from the W&L brochure and the W&L website.” She defended the survey’s methodology while admitting it is a “self-selecting opinion poll.” A valid, unique W&L e-mail address is required to complete the W&L survey and the respondent must reply to a validation email at the end of the process. This prevents one or two students from D repeatedly voting and skewing the results. Similarly, she pointed to the satisfaction_ of students themselves as evidence that the process is fair. At the end of every survey, students are given a chance to rate the previous year’s pro- file of their college; “nationally, 81% rate them ‘very’ or ‘extremely accurate’,” she said. Kelly said TPR is a “big fan of W&L,” and it wants to provide an accurate snapshot of cam- pus culture to help prospective students decide if it’s “the right fit.” Student Recruitment Committee tour guide Dane Boston said he often faces questions from those prospectives based on TPR’s rankings. He reminds them that college guidebooks are designed to make money and that alcohol is a problem on all college campuses. His best coun- ter: “spend time on campus and talk to real stu- dents,” he tells them. Nonetheless, Boston does see an element of truth in the rankings—he points to a lack of so- cio-economic diversity and a “divisive” Greek system as real problems confronting the com- munity. Rather than shy away from these “deep flaws,” he simply tries to “communicate my hope that new generations of students will ad- dress the flaws while benefiting from the many things we do right as an institution.” Similarly, President Ruscio expressed confi- dence in the ability of the university community to “make our own judgments of our strengths and weaknesses.” TPR’s Kelly would agree. “Let us know if we’ve got it right or wrong,” she said, urging more students to participate at survey.review.com. \/\/Ejl_ Rl:1>l~:l2To12v DANCE COMPANY $100 million dollar man Donor of the recent gift revealed at convocatio By Jacob Gelger and Mlchael Keenan MANAGING EDITOR AND SPORTS REPORTER When Washington and Lee University President Ken Ruscio took office in July 2006, one of his first priorities was to visit Ru- pert Johnson, Jr. That visit, coupled with Johnson’s interest in help- ing his alma mater address one of its strategic goals, led to a $100 million dona- tion that Ruscio announced last spring at graduation. “I went out and spoke with [Johnson] early in July last year, right after I came on,” Ruscio said. “The first thing he said was that he wanted to do something that was a priority for the university.” Worried that the an- nouncement would over- shadow the Class of 2007’s accomplishments, Johnson choose to remain anony- mous until last Wednesday, when Ruscio announced the new scholarship plan at Convocation. ‘ Dennis Cross, W&L’s Vice President for Uni- versity Advancement said Johnson also wants to avoid the national media spotlight. “He always thought that at the right time we could AUDITIONS lol‘: W&L REPERTORY DANCE COMPANY & CEDAR LAKE DANCE PERFORMANCE Tues., Sept. 25,2007 4:40 - 5:30 pm duPont Dance Studio duPont Hall GUEST ARTIST CHOREOGRAPHY Fri, Sept. 28, 2007 7 pm duPont Dance Studio duPont Hall For more infonnation, contact daviesj@wlu.edu announce his name to the W&L community,” Cross said. Johnson, who graduated from W&L in 1962, is the Vice Chairman of Franklin Templeton Investments. His father started the group in 1947. Forbes Magazine esti- mated Johnson’s net worth at $4.6 billion, and he is listed as the world’s 172 richest person in the maga- zine’s 2007 rankings. Johnson did not return two calls requesting com- ment. Cross said Johnson had been a generous and active donor in the past. “It was clear that [John- son] was very interested in student scholarship and making sure the best stu- dents could attend W&L regardless of cost,” Cross said. The new program will certainly enhance that goal. $85 million will go directly toward need-based grants. Ruscio said the new program, when fully imple- mented, will increase the need-based aid budget by 25 percent. The Class of 2012 will have 44 John- son scholars, with a similar number entering each.year. Half of the students will hold merit scholarships VV 8514 THeaTeR similar to the old George Washington scholarship program, and half will hold new need-based grants. Dean of Admissions William Hartog canceled an interview to discuss the program, and other mem- bers of the admissions of- fice were either out of town or did not respond to re- quests for comment. Cross said the gift will be paid to the university over the next four years. 5 But Johnson’s gift goes beyond simply paying stu-‘ dents’ tuition. The remain- ing $15 million will create two new professorships, establish a lecture series and symposium and gives rising seniors the opportu- nity to pursue leadership development “Ken outlined in pow- erful terms the need for professorships and sympo- siums,” Cross said. One of the new profes- sors will teach in the Col- lege of Arts and Sciences, studying how individuals and ideas can shape his- tory. The second professor will teach in the Williams School, focusing on leader- ship and entrepreneurship. Ruscio has a history of studying and teaching lead- ership. Before becoming W&L’s 26”‘ President, he Peltommce Dates: Sept. 28. 29. 2007 opn/Iottnsonstoge JOi‘NSON STAGE - OCI. 28. 2007 AT 2 ant-, rettintnmnef = ' TICKEFS ARE R£l3;ll.RI:l1.~'ti0k (1? served as Dean of the Uni- versity of Richmond’s J ep- son School of Leadership. As Ruscio pointed out at Convocation on Wednes- day, university presidents have spent more and more time in recent years deal- ing with fundraising and alumni relations. “A lot of my job is talk- ing to alumni and support- ers of the university, but it’s not always talking about a donation,” Ruscio said. “It’s about their connec- tions to the university.” Johnson’s $100 million gift certainly helps W&L address one of the major priorities of its new stra- tegic plan, Ruscio said the school still has about $600 million worth of spending built into its plan for the next 10 years. Asked what he would do if another donor offered up $100 million, Ruscio said the gift could go to a number of places. ‘‘I’d want to find out what in the strategic plan is meaningful to that [do- nor],” Ruscio said. “Maybe it’s the Colonnade, maybe the replacement for Du- Pont Hall, or maybe it’s more money for improving faculty salaries. We try to match the donor’s interest with the plan.” For the ttcmtlm. mom can lmmm oexaooz or mermsopeeeedz EST Hfdi htatflihatesxkszata - Clonmons FOR.‘ 4. _1'he.totat» glftls V V .:.-wattle smoomililon V pjfanpd will he paidtover _tfaiurYaars. . . s_85em::lion trumpet »fgirt.yvi2I go towards ,!m.provingj~W&|..’s 5' e .pships;;jwit the.:g‘ra;it ;,j ‘ f ev_e:1txial!y¥»mr:re:-is-V‘ .- E 5 icing tl2_e.aeed~bas”ed.“e R "63". . .. N ‘1'lie'rema,t-nliig‘ $.15 R A n_1fi!iionittle’p D _ . " ,_gra;nt wilt fund‘ two‘! ‘ , _",RneW,9f0fes§orsh‘l’ps .injthe*coi!ege and-one in the Wll-= Y -{lama Sel:ool.1'heIg; a $15" malionmll arse /create a [symposium gand lecpture se'ries:;r"=:j;e g3ohnsrmt,a.1962- 4,; S A graduate. from W&L, X . fives In San Mateo, P California, and is] Yiceechairman of » .; [Franklin Templeton 7 ttinvestments. SnoeeeSHowease 2007 HIGHLIGHTHZG (lCTORS,Dtl7lC€RS,Sll7G€RS l Sun, Sept. 9, 2007 5 - 8 pm Johnson Theatret Lenfest Hall Olnelle, , 7 He moon or Vemee Mon, Sept. 10, 2007 Tues, Sept. ll, 2007 7- 10 pm Keller Theatret Lenfest Hall ° For more information, contact mcelhannonc@wlu.edu OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20070910/WLURG39_RTP_20070910_003.2.txt I If‘ MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 3 ,0IlIII|0IlS Greeks need to fight problems as one We ’re only shooting ourselves in the foot. Instead of always fighting each other: band together By Cody Beauchamp co LU M NIST Schadenfreude — n. A mali- cious satisfaction obtained from the misfortune of others. Over the summer, Kappa Sig had its charter revoked. Dur- ing orientation week, Phi Psi”s Fallout, was busted and shut down. Just this weekend, I had to sneak back to campus in a mass of people because Lexington po- lice managed to scare the Pikas at Aquavelva into shutting down. Since all fraternities compete to throw the best parties and impress the same rushees, I get a distinct feeling of schadenfreude every time I see another house’s parties get shut down. I secretly~-heck, openly—smile whenever I hear a freshman swear they’ll “never go back to that house; they get busted.” Really though, why should I celebrate? All Greeks like to entertain the notion that our houses are unique, that what troubles one house won’t affect all ofus. We couldn’t be more naive. Would it help frat A’s rush if competing frat B has their parties continually shut down? Of course it would. But are frat A’s long- area community has made no se- cret about how much they hate the Greek system, ergo a majority of W&L students. The city and county have con- tinually honed laws and ordinanc- es towards ever more effective forms of student discrimination. Last year the county seriously considered cracking down on country parties because of com- plaints from local residents who had moved near party homes. These houses had become infa- mous for loud parties long before their neighbors moved in. What did these people expect - study sessions at Downfall? The implicit threat of an or- dinance being put on the books still lingers for the country. Some neighbors! They moved to where we are and we’re in trouble. Go down to the police sta- tion to obtain an amplified sound pennit. as I did with a fraternity brother last week. If you walk in and introduce yourself as the president of the local gun club, explain you’re having a club BBQ, and ask for a permit, you’ll get it without much hassle. Introduce yourself as the So- cial ('hair of a fraternity and you’ll suddenly be required to (We know that We’re essential- ly denying you a basic permit, but sorry Mr. Fratman, you haven’t jumped through this especially re- served hoop yet!) The anti—Greek sentiment is ridiculous. Our frats and srats give hundreds, even thousands, of hours of community service each year. They also represent most of the student body, a student body that adds intelligence and talent to the community. W&L is the reason, obviously, over a hundred of brilliant profes- sors live in Lexington, again add- ing to the quality of life. If nothing else, the Greek houses pump tens of thousands of dollars into the local economy. But nobody seems to care. The community simply sees us as a bunch of spoiled rich kids looking to get drunk; never mind the blood-drives, the charity 5Ks or the carnivals for kids. Never mind the millions of dollars pumped into the local economy because of the school, an entity made up of nearly 80% Greek students. Even the exces- sively large police force gets to justify size by citing us. Unfortunately, the administra- tion and their proxy—or should I say pawn?—the IFC don’t do es is both unfair and enough to terrify the most stalwart deans. The IFC though, as the very students discriminated against, has no excuse for its passiveness. If the members really are rep- resentative of the fraternities, they should be protesting them- selves sick every day about how unequally the frats and srats are treated. Are there possibly underaged kids drinking at these parties? Sure. But can the police magically bend the rules of due process/sus- picion just because people are vis- ibly young? No. The IFC should be advancing that protest like it’s their job. Be- cause—are you listening gentle- men?——it is. That’s what advo- cates do. Greeks at W&L have to start standing up for each other. Collec- tively we have to start demanding that the community, law enforce- ment, and other authorities treat us without prejudice. If a city or- dinance made it more diflicult for black people to assemble peace- fully, do you think it would pass without protest? No. Why then do we stand by idly when We’re discriminated against for being students or in a frat or srat? Schadenfreude may be fun staffeditorial Stop Si 3I_'€SSll1g‘ over Princeton Rankings don ’t matter High schoolers are ravenous for information about their prospective colleges. Cheery pamphlets sent from admission offices are well and good, but they fail to convey the truth of student life. The annual Princeton Review says it tries to provide a true picture of W&L life to prospective students. We’re ranked No. 1 for lots of hard liquor, No. 7 for lots of beer and No. 2 for having a major Greek scene. True, the admissions office does not advertise that side of the school, but that’s also because these are opin- ions. The review admits is doesn’t use scientific methods. It surveys hundreds of students to rank the schools rath- er than using hard data. Every year the administration makes it a point to mention Princeton Review because they know students and parents have seen the rankings. But why do they bother? If people rely solely on Princeton Review, do we re- ally care? Any student worth admitting will do his re- search or visit the campus. Parents who are concerned should also do their research and not just read one re- view. Princeton Review panders to concerned parents. Do we really want our school to be defined by opinions of . term interests served? Absolutejy show that you’ve registered with much as advocates. in the short-run. a select few? not W&L, or you might be told that I shouldn’t blame the admin- But in the long run, we’re all But at the same time, the administration’s obses- Consider thiS_the Lexington- you won’t be given a permit until istration. The legal liabilities they being busted up, arrested and ha- sion with attacking and belittling the review makes the officers meet with the IFC. face for our extracurricular choic- rassed. school seem embarrassed by its reputation. Every poli- tics major knows that the best way to give a rumor cred- ° ° 9 ° ibility is to respond to that rumor. e S g t If the administration doesn’t put any weight in the _ . _ '_ ‘ . N review, it shouldn’t spend so much time attacking it. Individual strengths of the Republican candidates key to 08 campaign The admissions officers have a,t<>ushi<>b- They hate ‘ to attract students to W&L in an increasingly competi- By wes Little His conservative background Thompson. strong addition to the ticket of a tiV€ college market- . c o L u M N l sr would make him a strong addi- Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty candidate like Rudy Giuliani, who But gét real. W€’rC adlnifting 1€SS than 0116 in three bates, this affable former Southern evidently recognize the people’s port of McCain’s campaign could help bring the religious right and M A N A G | N 3 E D n 0 N jAc 0 3 G 5| 5 E R governor has vaulted himself into strong respect for this former deter the other candidates from the Republican base around to a the fringes of the first tier in the POW. choosing him. divisively moderate nominee. N Ew s E D 11' o R 1 E s s | c A s H Aw fight for the nomination. While Despite the concern over However, the lingering doubts A s s T _ N Ew s E |) |'|' 0 R G R A c E wA N G denying that his interest in run- McC‘ain‘s advanced age (72), he South Carolina Gov. Mark over Perry’s leadership on critical o H N | o N s E |) [1 o R 5 TA c EY G R | J A |_vA ning, Huckabee has continued to would bring significant national Sanford issues and Texas’ position in the A R 1's 3. LI F E E D H o R s A c H A RAA B . coyly make it clear that he would security gravitas and experience This solidly Southern conser- solidly Republican colurrm dilute s P 0 R 1' s E D II 0 R M I c H A E L K E E N A N definitely consider the offer if it to a ticket headed by Mitt Rom- vative and lifelong opponent of his potential effectiveness as a C 0 FY E D IT 0 R c AT H E R I N E CA R L 0 c K came at the appropriate time. ncy, Mike H uckabee or Fred government waste would make a candidate. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CODY BEAUOHAMP K E VI N C O R N B R I A N D E VI N E - S A R A H K I E N T Z L€X1I1gtOI1 0 was urn: - ~ Lexm ton Animal Hospital AMOR NEILL THURAPI Q U E E N I E W O N G Welcomes You Art Gallery DESIGN EDITOR LARA JORDAN and Your Pet}! DESIGNER CATHERINE ANDERSON THOMAS JENKINS .‘ ' STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS HIIIIIITIIIIIIIENYEL featuring hand made The selection of a vice presi- dent with appeal to key demo- graphics, ideologies and regions will be incredibly important to the Republican party. With such an ideologically diverse group of presidential aspirants for 2008, each contender would likely want different things in their running mate. The following vice presi- dential candidates all have their own strengths. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee With his strong performances in the recent Iowa Republican straw poll and the past several dc- tion to the ticket of a moderate like Giuliani or McCain, espe- cially Considering the fact that Huckabee could help to fortify the South against the encroaching Democratic gains in the region. Arizona Sen. John McCain Some would question whether this veteran senator and former frontrunner would consider the position described by former Vice President Garner as “not worth a pitcher of warm piss”. McCain would likely find the offer to continue his long service to our nation hard to resist. With the other candidates’ recent com- pliments paid to McCain, they This conservative Midwest- emer has long been considered a possible Presidential or Vice Presidential selection. Pawlenty’s national visibility has been elevat- ed considerably by his leadership during the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse and the fact that the 2008 Republican National Convention will be held in the Twin Cities. His region of the Midwest has become increasingly important to the Republican electoral math, and his presence on the ticket could help win his blue state’s 10 electoral votes as well as keep Iowa and Indiana red. However, Pawlenty’s early and vocal sup- is often viewed as a northern big- govemment moderate. Sanford could make a mark if he endorsed the eventual winner of the South Carolina primary and the nomina- tion. However, Sanford’s limited national exposure and lack of true signature accomplishments limits his viability. Texas Gov. Rick Perry While Perry’s connection to the legacy of President Bush makes a national run unlikely in this cycle, Perry continues to receive mentions as a possible candidate. With a staunchly conservative re- cord over his seven years in Tex- as’ executive branch, Perry could first visit with this ad. New clients only/ limit one per visit. Ex- pires 06/30/2008 Dr. Sheryl H. 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' OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20070910/WLURG39_RTP_20070910_006.2.txt 6 ' THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 suorts BHOTO COURTESY OF STACY DOORNBOS Junlor Michael Welsh won the Washington and Lee Invitational in a time of 28:39 to help the men's team secure first place. XC off and running Michael Welsh wins first collegiate race on 21 st birthday Men win team title, Telfeyan leds women to second place By Kevin Corn STAFF WRITER The men’s and women’s cross coun- try teams began their competitive sea- sons with great runs at the Washington and Lee Invitational. The men’s team finished first while the women’s team claimed second place, with both compet- ing against 13 other teams. The men’s performances were high- lighted by three finishers in the top ten of 124 runners. Junior Anthony Ives round- ed out the top 10 with a time of 30:23, junior Vance Berry took fourth with a time of 29:26, and junior Michael Welsh finished first with a time of 28:39. As a result, Welsh celebrated both his first collegiate win and his twenty-first birthday on the same day. Thomas Brower, senior captain of the men’s team, commented on Welsh’s win, “I can’t think of a better birthday pres- ent for Welsh than his first collegiate vic- tory.” The women’s team finished well, es- pecially with individual performances by sophomores Kat Telfeyan and Dorothy Todd. Telfeyan finished sixth with a time of 25 :29, while Todd took ninth after fin- ishing in 25:39. The performances on Saturday by our cross country teams have set them up for a strong year. Before the meet, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference released its 2007 preseason coaches poll which named both of W&L’s teams as the fa- vorites to win the ODAC championships this year. “We got the win despite holding out two of our top five run- ners, which gives us a lot of confidence moving forward The the country in very warm conditions. ’ freshmen ran very well on one of the most difiicult courses in } TOM BROWER, Men's cross country captain When asked about how the teams have reacted to the results of this poll, Brower remarked, “I don’t think the poll itself places any pressure on us. Between returning our top 12 runners and adding eight new runners, we expect that we are the team to beat. Our position in a poll doesn’t change how much we want to keep the ODAC title in Lexington for a fourth consecutive year.” Jessica. Buckingham, senior captain of the women’s team, added, “While the women’s team has won the ODAC for the last three years, I think we are cer- tainly capable of defending our title this year. I am pleased and honored we have been picked to win the conference title, because it gives us something to work toward throughout the season. Being picked first does not mean the title will automatically be handed to us this year. After placing second to Roanoke in the invitational, we learned that this title is going to be something we need to fight for. Being picked to win provides us with this goal.” So what do Saturday’s results mean for the teams as they continue with the rest of their season? Brower observed, “We got the win despite holding out two of our top five runners, which gives us a lot of confidence moving forward. The freshmen ran very well on one of the most difficult courses in the country in very warm conditions, plus it was their first ever experience with 8000 meters. It’s a lot to ask.” For the ladies, Buckingham noted the strength of Roanoke, “I think coming in second place to the Roanoke girls will motivate us to work even harder through- out the season. Though I think we all would have preferred to win our opening invitational, this hopefully will serve as a reminder to us all that Roanoke is go- ing to be a dominant force in the ODAC this year and that we are going to have to work hard to beat them in the conference championship!” Overall, the teams are off to a strong start and as senior captain Andrew Fris- ki said, “Everyone went out and did their best. No one could have asked for more.” After this fantastic start, the cross country teams will return to action this Saturday at the New York University In- vitational. (540) 464-4215 - 2l5 Main Street, Lexington on Women's services. on Men's services Present this ad to receive your discount. SALON I D/wst<