OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090914/WLURG39_RTP_20090914_001.2.txt Arr 1 "Alt. r~?:.*3l {Q-552. an I I3 ‘ll-L‘); 5 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY Using “Libertarian” too liberally’? , 133 OPINIONS / page 3 3; I I I l ' THE RINo—TUM PHI. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14,2009 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINACE 1897 VOLUME CXIII, NUMBER 1 University hires ombuds Adrninstration welcomes a new addition to provide » consultation and mediation By Eleanor Kennedy STAFF WRITER » Washington & Lee just added another mem- ber to its administration, Jane Ellen Reid, the new University Ombuds. According the University web site, Reid’s duties will be to mediate work-related conflicts, issues and other on-campus concerns. A seven-person team of faculty and staff appointed by President Ruscio recommended the creation of the position after discussions with faculty at W&L and’ at other universities. jl ' The web site lists the duties of the ombuds as “providing impartial, Cxnfidential consultation to all employees, helping .-iIployees and supervisors resolve conflicts, teaching skills for dispute resolu- tion, providing mediation, and helping employees understand and interpret policies and procedures.” “As an ombuds, I relish the oppor- tunity to work with parties, to help them discover their own capacity to address difiicult conversations and to resolve conflict. ” JANE ELLEN REID, University ombuds W&L is “fortunate to have someone with Jane Ellen Reid’s expertise to provide this new resource for W&L faculty and staff,” Ruscio said recently. “Her background in informal conflict resolution is a perfect fit and will serve our campus community well.” Reid received a B.A. in history from the Univer- sity of Vermont and an M.E. from Northern Arizona University. Her professional experience began at the Western Pinal County Literacy Program in Casa Grande, Arizona, where she worked for four years. Reid served as the director of the Academic Sup- port Center at Central Arizona College from 1992 to 2006. During this time, she also took on the roles of chair of the college advisoryicouncil, faculty devel- opment coordinator, and both developer and direc- tor of the college ombudsman program. Reid moved to Virginia in 2006, and started co- teaching in the Center for Justice and Peace Build- ing Master’s Program at Eastern Mennonite Univer- sity in Harrisonburg.,The following year she began working as director of University Accord, EMU’s mediation, facilitation and job-coaching program for faculty, staff and students. Reid also works‘ at Bridgewater College as a teacher of conflict transformation. She is also cur- rently working on her Ph.D. in conflict analysis and resolution at NOVA Southeastern University. 0 Reid says that her interest in conflict resolution initially stemmed from “growing conflict at one place of employment.” Reid goes on to explain that in response to this conflict, she and several of her peers came together. “[We] collaborated to create an oversight group and a declaration of civility, and to outline positive and professional behaviors expected of all employ- ees,” she said. “This experience was the beginning of my commitment to the usefulness of conflict in- tervention.” Reid’s hopes are high for her new role at W&L “I hope that my fundamental belief, that each of us has the ability to name and communicate our needs to others, is evident in my practice,” Reid said. “As an ombuds, I relish the opportunity to work with parties, to help them discover their own capacity to address difficult conversations and to resolve conflict. Coaching individuals in the art of productive communication is one of the most satis- fying aspects of my practice.” The gender experiment W&L breaks convention as both boys and girls live side—by-side on Davis second floor By Lizz Dye smrr WRlTER Washington & Lee has recently initiated a big push towards improv- ing gendenrelations with a new ex- periment: a co—ed residence hall in a section of Davis Hall. Are co-ed resident halls the an- swer to improving gender relations? Can men and women co-exist on a daily basis and still maintain a sense of inter-gender comradery and close- ness? Morgan Harris, graduate of the class of 2009, believes this is pos- sible. He came up with the initial idea for co-ed halls his junior year because he felt the residence halls barred healthy, natural relations be- tween men and women. On this endeavor, Harris worked alongside Katt Corr, also a gradu- ate of the class of 2009. According to Harris, Corr lived right above him in Davis throughout their first year at W&L, but the two did not end up meeting until the spring term of their sophomore year. “Now Kate is one of my best friends,” Harris said. “Looking back, had we lived on the same hall or had the chance to live closer to one another, we could’ve have become friehds earlier in our lives.” When men and women are living together with their respective genders on a hall, Harris says, they begin to adapt the gender stereotypes associ- ated with the sexes, which obviously leads to problems. He approached President Ruscio and Dean Watkins with the idea, and they in turn presented the idea to the Board of Trustees. Last fall, during Harris’s senior year, things began to come together. Davis residence hall is home to the first-year experimental co-ed halls. Twelve men and thirteen women inhabit the newest addition to W&L’s push to improve gender relations. The brainchild of recently graduated Morgan Harris, the co- ed halls aim to promote healthy and natural relations be- tween men and women. The co-ed hall is set up so that men and women have rooms next to one another. There are 12 men and 13 women total, and a male and fe- male RA on the ends of the hall. Residents indicated whether or not they would like to live on a co-ed hall on their living residence preference sheet. Hall meetings may comprise the whole hall or be gen- der-specific, depending on the topic. Sophomores Kate Gibbs and Ste- phen Wilson are the hall’s two Resi- dent Advisors. l When asked if male and female residents’ behavior seemed different than those who live in same-gender hall, Gibbs said that “we are still building a sense of community, but we seem like a very typical hall.” Gibbs also said it is “too early to - tell” whether or not gender relations will be improved by men and wom- en living together, but that “if we all feel a certain responsibility for the other members of the hall regardless of their gender, we can all help im- prove gender relations. ‘ First-year Katelyn Daugherty is one of the 13 female residents on the hall. She said she living in a co-ed hall because she feels like she has “a built-in family with brothers and sisters.” Daugherty also says it makes it easier to meet a lot of different male friends quickly because the boys who already live on the hall will in- troduce their other friends. See “co-ed hall” on page 2 Taking precautions against swine flu School ofiicials raise awareness about HINI, stressing self-treatment and prevention Bynuoenie Wong STAFF WRITER With thousands of college stu- dents returning to campus this week and no vaccine available until mid- October, Washington & Lee Univer- sity officials are emphasizing that students protect themselves against the HINI virus by regularly washing their hands, befriending a flu buddy and practicing good hygiene. “I would encourage people to think about universal precautions. Every contact you’ve had with an- other person, or the environment that other people have been in, is a po- tential source of infection,” said Dr. we were all, internationally, dealing with an unknown element. We now all know what we’re dealing with.” Watkins, who heads the universi- ty’s Emergency Management Team, said that the timing of spring term could have contributed to the last outbreak. Students, returning from their spring break, may have brought back the virus from other states. ' A Respiratory Illness Survey dis- tributed to the campus community last spring also revealed that many students were sharing their drinking cups with each other. “I think we are prepared as any university could be. It was different in the spring because we were all, internationally, dealing with an unknown element. We now all know what we ’re dealing with. ” DAWN WATKINS, VP of student affairs and dean of students Jane Horton, the university’s director of health services. This is the latest effort against the rapidly spreading HINI virus, also called the swine flu, in a college that already had an outbreak last spring. At least 14 students were infected with the virus during spring term, making W&L the first college to experience a swine flu, outbreak in Virginia. “I think we are prepared as any university could be,” said Dawn Watkins, the vice president for stu- dent affairs and dean of students. “It was different in the spring because - 1 But the virus isn’t just spread- ing throughout W&L. The Ameri- can College Health Associationisays nearly three-quarters of the country’s higher learning institutions are now reporting students with flu-like symptoms. The association reported 4,045 new cases of suspected HINI influ- enza, at 149 of the 204 participat- ing schools for the week of Aug. 29 through Sept. 4. Unlike the seasonal flu, the virus has hit younger people and people with an underlying health condition harder than it has the elderly. To protect themselves from get- ting infected with the virus, the uni- versity is encouraging students to take precautions such as_ using their own food utensils, properly covering up a cough or sneeze and staying at least 6 feet away from a person in- fected with the flu. 4 Advertisements throughout the campus and a web site about the swine flu are also part of the univer- sity’s efforts to raise awareness and prevention. With only 10 beds available in the health center, and one nurse and one physician on" call, the university is placing more emphasis on self-treat- ment and prevention. “We would be completely over- whelmed if we ended up with a big outbreak and everyone felt like they needed to be seen [by a doctor],” said Dr. Horton. Last spring, when information about the virus remained relatively unknown, the Virginia Department of Health was testing students for the HINI virus. Those with the vi- rus were kept isolated in the student health center. This fall, students who experi- ence flu-like symptoms most likely have the HINI virus, because the seasonal flu season doesn’t begin un- til later in the year, said Dr. Horton. The good news, she said, is that the new strain of flu doesn’t appear any more severe than the seasonal flu. Students with a fever less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit probably do not need to see a doctor unless they’re V experiencing -more seri- ous symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains. Those with the flu are recom- mended to self-isolate themselves at home until theirfever is gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medi- cine. They should also have a flu buddy to bring them food and their school assignments so they reduce the pos- sibility of infecting other students and staff members on campus. While the Virginia Department of Health is no longer testing for the HINI virus, it recommends that everyone get both the seasonal and swine flu vaccines once they become available. “We’re expecting that this vaccine will be pretty effective, but we never know until after the fact exactly how effective,” said Dr. Mark Levine, the department’s deputy commissioner for emergency preparedness and re- sponse programs. Levine said that the department expects everyone in Virginia who wants to get vaccinated against the HINI virus to be able to once the vaccine is distributed. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090914/WLURG39_RTP_20090914_002.2.txt 'UNlVERSll'Y LIBRARY WASHINGTON 8: LEE UNIVERSITY LEXlNGTON, VA 24450 2 ° THE RING-TUM PHI 35? l 5 2l_ll_l§ M 0 N DAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 IIGWS olonnade under construction Newcomb shows‘ signs of renovation, new grant oflers more funds for updating the hall is interior and classrooms ‘V By Valaree Tang STAFF WRITER A recent grant will go toward the continued renovation of Washington and Lee’s cherished Colonnade. ‘ The university began its Col- onnade renovation after gradua- tion last year, staring with New- comb Hall, in efforts to provide a better learning environment for the most used building on cam- move into the 28 faculty offices located inside Newcomb. The remodeled space will also have two classrooms and three semi- nar rooms, which hold 12 to 15 students each. The classrooms will have fiat screen monitors as part of an audio-visual package. While the exterior of New- comb Hall will remain the. same, We are all anticipating having an environ- ment which will allow for the most modern classroom technologies and for opportunities to meet informally with eachother and with our students in our new lounges. DAVID NOVACK, Head of Sociology and Anthropology Dept. pus. Enabling work on Newcomb Hall began in April. Newcomb, the home of the history and soci- ology and anthropology depart- ments as well as the teacher-edu- cation program, is the first of the five buildings on the Colonnade to undergo renovation. Construc- tion is expected to last for 14 months, ending in July 2010 and totaling $10 million. These improvements include maintenance endowment, tech- nology and furnishings. Con- struction and renovation of the rest of the Colonnade is expected to continue for five years. . Following the completion of Newcomb Hall, faculty will the interior will undergo “reha- bilitation”, according to Thomas Kalasky, director of design and construction. The renovation includes cre- ating' student lounges and bring- ing the buildings up to code. This means that an elevator will be built in Newcomb, while the his-' torical architectural features of the building will be preserved. David Novack, head of the department of sociology and anthropolgy, said, “We are all_ anticipating having an environ- ment which will allow for the most modern classroom tech- nologies and for opportunities to meet informally with each other and with our students in our new lounges.” Novack is also looking for- ward to rejoining his colleagues on campus after working from his office in the former. Baker Residence Hall. David Peterson, acting head of the history department also looks forward to returning to campus. Peterson believes that the improvements will comple- ment the History Department. “The history department has always prided itself on the qual- ity of its teaching. Having all new, state-of-the-art classrooms will clearly be an incentive to "continue our commitment to pedagogical innovation and the development of our classroom presentation skills,” said Peter- son. Newcomb Hall enhance- ments include infrastructure upgrades, such as wiring and air conditioning. However, the characteristic features of New- comb such as. its fireplaces and chalkboards will be main- tained. In addition to aesthetic changes, Newcomb is also being renovated to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental De- sign (LEED) qualifications. The teacher-education pro- gram was never located in Newcomb Hall before, and Lenna Ojure, directorof teacher education, said she is excited about the move. “This will be a new experience for us. We are looking forward to being in a building with more student traf- DIANDRA SPICAK / news editor Workers scale the exterior of Newcomb hall, updating the structure of the build- ing. Work began in the spring and is scheduled to be completed by July 2010. Newcomb is the first of the five buildings on the Colonnade to be rennovated, ‘C and the the other four’s rennovation should last five more years. Co-ed hall continued from page 1 Although she has enjoyed co-ed liv- ing so far, she also says there is a disad- vantage to seeing the boys all the time because she feels like they revert into the “typical guy” and perhaps say and do things they normally do when they are not around girls. Male resident first—year Nick Cianci- olo feels entirely differently about living with women. He believes that co-ed liv- ing has a shot at improving gender rela- tions; however, if he could choose to do it all over again, he would definitely live in an all-male hall. Cianciolo feels that his fellow male residents are missing out on the male comradery that develops between same- gender halls and that the residents are not “banding together” as they would if they did not live with girls. fic and more colleagues.” The Lettie Pate Evans grant provided $1 million toward the Newcomb Hall renovation. This grant is in addition to contribu- tions from alumni and trustees. Initial plans «for the renewal of Newcomb were brought on by a grant from the Getty Founda- tion. While the funding for the other buildings has not been provided yet, creative financing through tax credits, which pro- vides funding for a building that qualifies as a historical structure and follows interior qualifica- tions, may be implemented for work done on the following four buildings. The Lettie Pate Evans grant program emphasizes private secondary and higher educa- tion programs, arts and culture, museums and historic preserva- tion in Georgia and Virginia and provides grants for other public charities. Traditionally, the foundation gives priority to 0ne—time capi- tal projects and well-established organizations with extraordinary needs. Fund-raising for the renova- tion of the entire Colonnade is still on-going. The project is esti- mated to cost $50 million, taking at least five years to complete. Foundations continue to be an important part of the beautifica- tion of the Colonnade. Phase two of the Colonnade renovation, which includes the remodeling of Payne, Washing- ton and Robinson Halls are in the design phase. He also thinks that if he were not on the football team, it would be more dif- ficult to make friends because there is a smaller margin of men that he can see and talk to on a daily basis. Harris said that “the infrastructure of W&L is still fimdamentally flawed on many levels, but this co-ed hall is a clear step in the right direction and it will hopefiilly inspire future leaders at W&L to make it a better place to live and learn.” Harris ultimately stressed that he is not being negative in his criticism, but hopes that mixed halls will spark activ- ism to change more things the students can and should be responsible for. in shaping their college experience. According to Harris, it is the job of W&L students to change and shape the ' I four-year experience. New co-ed hous- ing could be built to accommodate up- perclassmen to further the gender inte- gration, he said. Write for the Phi. Writers, photo aphers, copy editors and artists are n ed. Contact phi@w|u.edu. The Phi: W&l.’s independent newspaper since 1897. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090914/WLURG39_RTP_20090914_003.2.txt MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 THE RING-TUM PHI '3 opinions Giving Libertarians at W&L the lesson they need Although it may be cool to be a Libertarian, true Republicans need to identify with their own party By Stockton Bullitt OPINIONS EDITOR It’s September and college life has finally returned. While some of us are new and most are getting back in the swing of things, we must all remember to avoid some dangerous pitfalls that harm most college students. Sometimes it’s okay to fol- low what everyone else is doing during college. You probably should be investing in Wendy’s and Natty Light instead of the much healthier but also more ex- pensive alternatives. You prob- ably should start going to classes and doing homework, if only to keep your parents at peace. And most importantly, you probably should follow that car full of first-year girls headed towards Pole Three. In those cases, fol- lowing the crowd can have posi- tive consequences. However, those are still ex- ceptions to the rule. Following the crowd can also be dangerous, especially when it comes to poli- tics. Ask most of the conservative and independent Obama voters how they feel about change and hope right now, and they’ll prob- ably register for a handgun to point at you. That is why I want you to be weary of following the political trend at Washington & Lee right now. I am warning you to please not become a Libertarian. For the last couple of years, Libertarians have become a rela- tive phenomenon. In fact, they have gotten so big that they have entered our cultural stratosphere. After Ron Paul made it on “The Colbert Report” and “Bruno,” being Libertarian officially be- came cool. If you walk around enough parties here, you will hear at least one or two guys trying to explain why Obama’s health care plan is fiscally irre- sponsible. These guys, who use CSPAN to get themselves laid, are guys you will see a lot more of now that econ class and par- ties happen the same day. I have a problem with these guys. This problem did not start with our generation. Fortunately, we can blame our parents for this one. When the Baby Boom- ers hit college in the ‘60s, they hated their parents and wanted to see the world drastically change. That’s when liberalism got big. However, when the Baby Boom- ers hit college, they also wanted to get laid. That’s when liberal- ism got annoying. When you think of the 60s you think of tie-dye, drugs and some fun music. What you don’t think of is that guy in “Animal House” playing folk music on his guitar to a bunch of girls... that is, un- til John Belushi came down the stairs and obliterated the guitar. John Belushi was making a state- ment in that scene: occasionally it’s okay to be a Free Love Lib- eral, but please don’t use it for the wrong reasons. Being the offspring of the Baby Boomers, we still have that same anger for what our parents A ~ WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY I THE RING-TUM PHI. MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGN EDITOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER BUSINESS MANAGERS DISTRIBUTION MNGR. LEE CAMPUS. ALLISON CHOPIN DIANDRA SPICAK STOCKON BULLITT STEPHANIE HARDIMAN BROOKE SUTHERLAND KATHERINE ROBERTS ANDREW BONDS ALEISHA BUTLER ADAM CANCRYN ABEL DELGADO ALEX CUMMINGS LIZZ DYE NEVILLE FOGARTY ELEANOR KENNEDY REBECCA MICKEL VALAREE TANG QUEENIE WONG KATIE HATFIELD RYAN ELSEY STROCK MOORE ROB GEORGE MISSION STATEMENT: It is the mission of THE RlNG—TUM PHI to accurately, truthfully, and thoroughly report news affecting the Washington and Lee community for students, faculty, parents and alumni. Our goal is to look deeper into news affecting campus life and hold leaders accountable. Through our reporting, we aspire to spark discussions that lead to discovering information that prompts change. THE RING-TUM PHI IS PUBLISHED MONDAYS DURING THE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL YEAR. THE RING-TUM PHI IS A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA BOARD, BUT IS OTHERWISE INDEPENDENT. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PHI SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE EDITORS AT PHI@WLU.EDU OR TO THE MEDIA BOARD AT MEDIABOARD@WLU.EDU. IS AN INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN EDITORIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WORKING WITH ALL MEDIA OUTLETS ON THE WASHINGTON & ALL INQUIRIES WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. THE RING—TUM PHI WELCOMES ALL LETTERS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT SUBMISSIONS FOR CONTENT AND LENGTH. LETTERS AND ADVERTISING DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE RING—TUM PHI STAFF." THIS NEWSPAPER OBSERVES CURRENT COURT DEFINITIONS OF LIBEL AND OBSCENITY. THE RING-TUM PHI UNIVERSITY COMMONS ROOM. 341 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 TELEPHONE: (540) 458-4060 FAX: (540)458-4059 EMAIL: PHI@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 THE MEDIA BOARD represent and the same energy for changing in the world. Sadly, we don’t have liberalism to turn to because our parents already stole that idea. Instead, we went back the other way... to the dark side. We became Republicans. George Bush didn’t make it easy by making a couple of, uh, questionable decisions in his pe- relevant or dim-witted. In a lot of cases, they actually have a point. But with that overall philosophy, anyone with a C in microeco- nomics can make himself appear intelligent to an unsuspecting first-year girl. By now, most of the liberals reading this piece are either nod- ding their heads with a smile or are furious because this media Some students seem to mix up being a Libertarian and being a Republican. If you are in love with lais- sez faire economics and small government, you are a Republican and NOT a Libertarian. riod. Plus, being Republican was so 1950. We wanted something better, something cooler and something that got us laid. That’s where Libertarianism comes into play. Libertarianism is awesome because basically you are saying that the government should play the same role in your life as The Trident: something that is tech- nically there, but doesn’t affect your life whatsoever. All the work is already done for you because there’s nothing that you really have to work for. Basically, you are just a resident at the Player Hater’s Ball. Now, I don’t want to say that what Libertarians are saying is ir- outlet has not mentioned them nearly enough, and I’m guess- ing the Republicans reading this piece are unanimously mad at my audacious attack on their kind. But just stay with me a little while more, Republicans. Trust me, I don’t hate you or your kind all that much. The main problem is that some students seem to mix up being a Libertarian and being a Republican. If you are in love with laissezfaire economics and small government, you are a Re- publican and not a Libertarian. You can say that maybe you are fiscally Republican and socially Democrat, but even that combi- nation does not mean you are a real Libertarian. You need to go a little fiirther. Libertarians are an indepen- dent party and to like anything independent, you need to like it a little too much. To be into indie music, you need to really like music. To follow independent and smaller leagues like the CFL or the MLS, you need to like that certain sport more than you should. To choose RC Cola over Coke or Pepsi, you should... get a CAT scan because you probably need a helmet. Still, you get the point. Going outside of the mainstream is hard work, and you need to care about being Libertarian a little too much. Since I don’t hate all Liber- tarians, just the ones who have no idea what they are talking about, I have come up with some ways of knowing if your love for Bob Barr and Ron Paul is legiti- mate. If you knew who Ron Paul was before April 2008, you prob- ably know what you are talking about. If you know anything about the Libertarian platform besides their basic ideals, you should not have any issues. Most importantly, if your choice of political party has somehow increased your number of friends or hookups, you are not a true Libertarian. In high school, I had two friends who decided early on they wanted to be in independent parties. The first was a hardcore Green Party member. He cam- paigned heavily for Nadar and would talk about seatbelts to anyone who asked. Needless to say, that did not get him far with the opposite sex, so eventually he just gave up, became a Democrat and joined the rest of society. My other friend, who was a Libertarian, never got the memo and ended up staying with his independent party. And while his friends were out making mis- takes during their senior spring, he was in his room watching Ron Paul interviews. These are two extreme cases and most likely if you are a Lib- ertarian, you will not lose friends. That being said, to follow some- thing you claim to like so much, you need to put in some effort. So all I ask is that if you are not willing to put in that effort (it’s 2009, the next real election is three years away... don’t put in the effort), then just man up and tell people that you are a Re- publican. It’s not hard: all you are doing is getting rid of one syllable and defending George Bush a little more than you would like to. Trust me, you’ll be able to sleep better at night. A proper welcome to the Class of 2013 Senior Aleisha Butler gives the incoming first-years some important advice By Aleisha Butler C O L U M N I S T Ladies and Gentlemen. . .. Welcome to another year at Washington & Lee. Fall is in the unseasonably cool air. Perhaps because we started at an oddly late date in September, or per- haps just because. Once again, deep into the night, music is pumping all along Randolph Street and the scents of Natural Light and authentic Burberry perfumes waft out of the doors of the Pole Houses. Whatever the reason, we know that W&L is back in business. I’d like to welcome the newest class of students. 2013, you’ve chosen an interesting, demand- ing place to go to college. W&L offers some of the na- tion’s most premium education, It is about and the social scene here is one that, if filmed, would make a fan- tastic sequel to “Animal House.” Or maybe a documentary on the Discovery Channel. I’d like to welcome you all to this thrilling, challenging place, and offer yet another challenge to you: maintain your selves. Grow, learn, thrive and maybe even change throughout your college experience, but do not lose your- selves. Your eccentricities are fantas- tic. Your distinct personalities, necessary. And your diverse pas- sions are crucial for developing the vivacity of our school. While you are here, be open to and embracing of others. Ev- eryone makes mistakes, learns crucial lessons, and decides who and what they will be during their time here. The point of college is to get a higher education. Falling victim to narrow-mindedness is anything but educated behavior. Question the beliefs you came here with, and certainly question the ideas, behaviors and norms that are presented to you here. You will be pushed to look at the world through fresh eyes. Whther it be a topic in class, in a social situation or in one of my articles, if you encounter some- thing that at first seems shocking or provocative, I hope that you will stop, think about it, and take the opportunity to see it from a new angle. That being said, I welcome the opportunity to discuss your opinions with you, as I hope to challenge some perspectives in upcoming articles. My email is butlera10@mail. wlu.edu. Send me your thoughts, good, bad or in-between. Finally, remember that W&L will be what you make of it. It is no more illustrious, admirable or respectable than the men and women who are part of it. time for seniors to grow up Abel Delgado takes President Ruscio is Convocation speech to heart By Abel Delgado co LU M N I sr As I sat in front of Lee Chapel for Convocation listening to Pres- ident Ruscio give a timely and necessary speech, one thought kept going through my head: ‘I wish more upperclassmen were here to hear this.’ While most of the students in the audience were first-years, the message to the up- perclassmen was clear. In much kinder and more elo- quent words, President Ruscio elaborated on a message some of us needed to hear: grow up. It is some of us upperclass- men, after all, who have failed to show anything remotely ap- proaching appropriate behavior for our age. The President, a former W&L student himself, rightfully called us out on it. President Ruscio mentioned two problems we upperclass- men are accustomed to being lectured about: sexual assault and hazing. We can all agree that there should be no incidents of sexual assault in an intellectual commu- nity like ours that prides itself on its honor and integrity. But let’s be honest, the rea- son the sexual assault rate is as high as it is because some of us believe that imbibing ridiculous amounts of alcohol guarantees us the right to act ridiculous and that we should not be held responsible for anything we do while drunk and blackout. Sexual assaults will go down when the students, especially we male students on this campus, stop believing that Natty erases responsibility, or that the Honor System goes away at night. There was one topic the Pres- ident addressed that caught my attention the most. “Malicious words anony- mously posted on intemet sites are cowardly and shame all of us,” Ruscio said. Cowardly is a good way of putting it; patheti- cally immature is another. A few weeks ago, my friend sent me a link to an open discus- In much kinder and eloquent words, President Ruscio elaborated on a message some of us need to hear — grow up. That same resurgence of re- sponsibility could help to end hazing, as well. We spend most of our first winter term quietly complaining to our friends about how rough we have it, and then we go about the next three years ensuring everyone who comes after us has it just as bad. This is notjust illogical, but also petty and immature. sion on the Class of 2013 Face- book group. Like many upper- classmen, I had given the group page a glance-over once or twice but I never got the urge to open a fake account so I could ridicule other organizations and people on campus. The discussion my friend showed me regarded what up- perclassmen were posting on an- other site, ridiculing the entering class even before they arrived on campus. The freshmen were rightfully upset. Anonymous jerks had giv- en them a rather poor impression of what it meant to act honor- ably. We’re better than this. At least, we should be. What may seem as harmless fun online can have some pretty nasty results. Rumors spread like wildfires on social networking sites, and the damage done by false ones is often unfixable in small communities such as our own. I’m of the mind that if you’re going to ridicule someone, you should at least have the decency to face him or her directly in per- son. That way, the person can respond. These cowards, who signed the same card during their fresh- men year that we all did, promis- ing to follow Lee’s one rule, have failed to act like gentlemen. We may not know who they are, but they know. And if they care in the least about what’s makes this school “a place like no other,” then they will take Presi- dent Ruscio’s words to heart. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090914/WLURG39_RTP_20090914_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, arts&|ife O-Week concerts rock Tunes tempt students to rock hard before the grind of daily classes takes hold First-years, listen up! Sage advice for starting college with class By Stephanie Hardlman ARTS & LlFE EDITOR After a week at W&L, you might think you’ve got it all figured out. You’re wrong. Navigating the minefield of the first year is an art and one that re- quires more than just a sweet posse and Daddy’s credit card. exciting and opens up a new chap- ter of freedom in your life. But call Mom once a week and tell her you miss her. Let Dad know you wish you were watching the football game with him. You never know when you might need to make bail, “When you get drunk and pee yourself on Windfall or do something unprintable at Late Night, some- one will be there to notice, and then they will tell EVERYONE. ” The pattern you set this year will pave the way for the rest of your college career. As a good Samaritan, I’m providing some tips to make sure you come out on top: Don’t get over-involved — It’s easy to get wrapped up in the e-mail lists and beckoning of the obligatory Domino’s dinners at evening meet- ings. But no one can be a star mem- ber in every club, and eventually people learn they can’t count on you because you’re spread too thin. Pick a few things you’re really commit- ted to, be involved, stick with them, and maybe in a year or two you’ll be made the group’s president. Know your place — No one likes the know-it-all first-year whose sole aim is to show up other students and impress the prof. As President Ruscio said during my first O-Week, “90 percent of you were in the top 10 percent of your class. In 12 weeks, only 10 percent of you will be.” So get off your high horse and learn some humility. You may have been Christ lncamate in high school, but here no one cares. We were all that person. We’ve been here longer than you have. Earn your keep. Stay on your parents’ good side — Being away from Mom and Dad is and good relations with the ‘rents are always in style. Don’t be a fool — One ofthe perks of winter rush is that upperclassmen get to know you before extending a bid. When you get drunk and pee yourself on Windfall or do some- thing unprintable at Late Night, someone will be there to 119.108, and then they will tell EVERYONE. And then you will be known by an inap- propriate nickname instead of your given name (or your middle name if you’re one of “those” people). Enjoy this time you’re given ~ This is a time of blissful unaware- ness. You don’t yet have to worry about bills, fraflsrat drama, applying to grad school, degree requirements, deciding if you should marry your college sweetheart or finding a job. Some day it’ll be May of senior year and you’ll be one of the 15 mil- lion unemployed people out there, thinking maybe you should’ve just become a police officer like Steve from high school because at least then you’d have a job. And you’ll think back on this time fondly, sigh, - and head to the Palms to drown your sorrows. Let this be a lesson. — TOP: Baltlmore-based Can't Hang (above) performed on Can- nan Green Monday night. The concert was sponsored by the First-Year Orientation Committee and the Generals Activity Board. A BOTTOM: W&L students comprise Rikki Tikki Tavi (left) who performed on Cannan Green Friday night. The Department of Campus Activities sponsored the performance. 3 DMNDRASHCAK/NewsEwmr Crossword puzzle of the week O-Week by Neville L. Fogarty For the solution to this puzzle, visit phicrosswords.tumblr.com. ACROSS 1 Org. for attorneys 4 Onus after nine months 9 Often thin soup ingredient 14 Operating system loading info is kept there 15 Overjoy 16 O'Reilly on M*A*S*H 17 Overly proud types 19 Oasts 20 "Over the Mountain" singer 22 Occupies quarters 23 O-shaped-food topper 24 Overseer of ROA 27 Offenses 28 Over-eager speed 31 Onetime Deputy Chief of Staff Rove 32 Orange—eating African antelope 33 "Outrage," e.g. 35 Operated by the property holder. as a business 39 Order to leave the stage, in a script 40 Of great worth 41 One entering high school, typically 42 out 44 "O Vater. allmachtiger Gott" composer 48 Or : union 2: __ : intersection 49 "'0' is for Outlaw" author Grafton 50 Outgoing venture 51 Overstock.com offerings 55 Omery river dweller 58 Occupies as a military post 59 __—office memo 60 Often annoying voice type 61 Oriental language 62 Oreo, perhaps 63 Optics lawmaker 64 One of many in Switzerland I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 lb ll ll 1 l4 l5 lo 17 I8 [9 EU 27 28 35 36 37 39 4E 44 48 49 5 ii 56 $7 59 6! (32 {)4 DOWN 32 Outfielder Griffey, Jr. ‘, _ 34 One stat on a dashboard 1 Oaks homes 35 Ones with pull‘? 2 Obtuse breed of dog 36 O td _ W 3 Otrera, Hippolyta, or Antiope 37 Oud Om nuisance 4 Ole Kirk Christiansen's bricks 38 Or er nim if VA 5 "Oh no!" 39 Ol{gD”d W eyi 6 Obtrusion on a fishhook 43 O aid1_k h _ . f ,, . _ c ,, . versees. 1 e a monarc ; gigging mm Splder Mm 44 Oglers’ targets, in slang 9 Oli.nville's borough :: 8f“"n“pl‘: “C:"”“d ”‘p‘1":i 10 Opine wildly in favor of 47 of _e 1: y’ dé tmw C E6 11 "_ on a Grecian Urn" 49 0] >1: mgllgmi . 1 12 Outdoorsman‘s color Chiiacferimlu ‘Ir 6” m C 13 one AM and three PM 50 Ornamental things 18 Open rooms in schools 51 Oil OM61 21 other name with Sears 52 Oven-baked flatbread of India 24 One above the rest, in slang 53 01 d World language 25 Outbackdike 54 Of the mouth 5 26 Oktoberfest drink 55 Old What.§_ face 28 Offensive 56 Overnioht s; 29 Ongoing Commotion 57 Orv th:t meets in school 30 One Bolivian capital c,,,'f’,,O,,,,,,,s 31 Ornamental carp SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090914/WLURG39_RTP_20090914_005.2.txt MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 THE RING-TUM PHI ' 5 sports _ Volleyball shows strength against SVU Generals close out W&L Invitational at 3-1 to open the season, team hopes for a ninth ODAC championship By Adam Cancryn smrr wrmsn A thrilling five-set victory over Southern Virginia University salvaged a tough opening weekend for Washington & Lee’s women’s volleyball team. After suffering two losses on the first day of the W&L Invitational Tour- nament, the Generals dominated SVU’s front line with power hitting and solid blocking to notch their first win of the season. ' Junior middle blocker Louise Brooks led the team with 20 kills and sopho- more middle blocker Lindsey Dee add- ed 10 kills, providing a steady offensive presence throughout the back-and-forth match. W&L jumped on SVU from the start, taking an early 10-3 lead. Overmatched at the net, Southern Virginia could not respond to the Generals’ multiple hit- ting options. Led by Brooks, Dee and senior outside hitter Rachael Phillips, W&L grew the margin to 10 before cruising to a 25-14 victory. However, a markedly improved SVU defense stalled W&L’s offense, allowing SVU to respond and take the second set, 25-19. Southern Virginia looked primed to take the third set as well after opening with a 10-4 lead, but a string of great blocks led to an 11-3 Generals run that put them ahead for good. Pushed to the brink, SVU rallied for a 25-21 fourth-set victory to force a de- cisive final set. Early in set five, Brooks overpow- ered SVU’s defense with two outside kills, giving W&L an apparent 8-7 edge as the teams switched sides. But after a brief delay, oflicials determined that the Generals had served out of rotation, ' a penalty that cost them a point and the lead. ‘ Suddenly down, W&L responded by tying it with a kill from sophomore out- side hitter Megan Daily. Though SVU took the lead late at 15-14, the Generals’ said. “We stayed aggressive and [SVU] didn’t I thought that was a big key.” The Generals finished the weekend 1-3 following a 3-0 Saturday evening loss to top-ranked Emory University. But Snider said W&L’s tomnament play met his expectations. “This is our first weekend playing, and all of the other teams have already played,” he said. “I was pretty pleased in general. You never like to lose, but I thought the girls played hard and ex- ecuted a lot of the things that we’re try- "We knew it ’d be tough and thats why we brought these teams in here. We stayed agressive and [S VU] didn ’t...I thought that was a big key. ’ BRIAN SNIDER, Head Coach overwhelming hitting power carried the team to a 20-18 win that clinched the match. The win showed serious improve- ment from their opening round, 3-0 losses to both Christopher Newport and second-ranked Juniata, said head coach Brian Snider. “We knew it’d be tough. The com- petition was extremely tough and that’s why we brought these teams in here,” he ing to do.” . ’ W&L is looking to capture its ninth consecutive ODAC Championship. Though the team lost a few key play- ers, the pieces are still in place for the veteran team to make a run through the conference. Phillips, the reigning ODAC Player of the Year, teamed with Brooks to re- cord 78 kills in four matches. Add in the increased influence of Dee, who regis- RYAN ELSEY/ staff photographer The volleyball team lost to Christopher Newport, Juniata and top-ranked Emory but defeated SVU in the season's opening Invitational. tered more kills over the weekend than she did all of last year, and W&L can gain the front-line advantage over most other teams. ‘ But the key will be the play of the back line following the institution of a new defensive system. Snider said that he wants to limit the movement in the back and give his players the freedom to go after the ball. Much of the new strategy’s suc- cess will hinge on the performance of W&L’s only first-year starter, libero Cameron Hill. In addition to acting as a defensive specialist, she must coordi- nate the entire team’s defense. “We’re putting a lot on her, respon- sibility-wise,” said Snider. “But she took huge steps forward this week- end.” W&L will face Randolph-Macon on September 16 in its first confer—. ence match. ° First-years lead at W&L Invitational Both the mens and women is cross country teams looked strong in the season opener this weekend By Rebecca Mickel and Alex Cummings STAFF WRITERS “Run like you stole something.” ‘That was the phrase that pushed Washington & Lee runners to the finish line as they opened_ their cross country season with the Washington and Lee In- vitational on Saturday and it was good enough to steal some victories. The season opener, hosted at the Dick Miller Cross Country course, showed promising expectations for the upcom- ing season. The women’s team completed the 5K with an average time of 21 :34.20, while the men’s team completed the 8K with an average time of 29:23.20. Both the women’s and men’s teams finished the meet in second place, los- ing out only to the University of Mary Washington. The men’s team was led by first-year Harrison Tucker who took first place with a time of 28245. Junior Joe Stusek finished fourth with a time of 29:22, fol- lowed by first-year Tyler Gehrs in sev- enth with a time of 29:30. F irst-year Lauren Schultz was the top runner for the women’s team, turning out a second-place finish with a time of 20:41. Senior Kat Telfeyan‘ also turned “It’s so helpful to have an upperclass- man as a mentor to work out with and run next to during practice and meets,” "Its a lot of fun this year. We have a really great group dynamic, and we hope to continue working well together. I wouldn’t trade this for the world. ” ROSEMARY KELLEY, senior in an impressive finish for the Generals, coming in fourth with a time of 21 : 14. But for the W&L cross country coaches, more focus is being placed upon group effort, rather individual suc- cess. In her seventh year as the head wom- en’s cross country coach, Kris Hoey, has placed emphasis on the buddy strategy, inspiring this year’s fairly young team with the motto “Partners in Crime.” So far, the strategy seems to be working. said Schultz. After losing four of last year’s top seven runners, the team is looking to make the most out of its new runners. And in the first meet of the season, the newcomers proved they could handle the pressure, with a first-year runner leading both the men’s and women’s teams. “The freshmen did a great job step- ping up and recognizing the spaces that needed to be filled,” said senior captain Dorothy Todd. While Todd and fellow captain Kath- erine F enwick are currently injured and were unable to race this weekend, their enthusiasm was in no way diminished. “It’s good to be able to turn them on from the sideline, and it also gives a dif- ferent perspective about what needs to be done,” said F enwick. With practices six days a week, the team focuses on developing race pace and uses tempo training to increase speed and to strengthen endurance. But then strenuous schedule does not com- promise the teammates’ overall sense of camaraderie. “It’s a lot of fun this year,” said se- nior Rosemaiy Kelley, who finished in 13th place with a time of 22: 12. “We have a really great group dy- namic, and we hope to continue work- ing well together. I wouldn’t trade this for the world.” ‘ Next on tap for the men’s team is the Guilford Invitational next Satur- day. Both teams will be back in action the following weekend at the Roanoke Invitational in a preview of the ODAC Championship course. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090914/WLURG39_RTP_20090914_006.2.txt MONDAY,iSEPTEMBER 14, 2009 6 0 THE RING-TUM PHI sports WED TI-runs FRI SAT SUN - vs. Greensboro Football College 1 n.m at at new chrlstoper Catholic Hockey Newport 2 p.m. 6 p.m. at at l , Southern Shenandoah Mon 5 Soccgr Virginia 2 p.m. 4 p.m. vs. . vs. wo‘m°n_s sweet Virginia soccer Brlar Wesleyan 5 p.m. 3 p.m. at vs. Virginia Randolph weswya" Volleyball Macon 11 a.m. 7 p m vs. Gettysburg 3 p.m. at Men’s X0 Guilford invitational Women's X0 Men’s , Tennis " Women's Tennis Men’s Go|f Elizabethtow lnvitatlonalnl numbers 17 The age of Melanie Oudin, the 70th—ranked player from Marietta, GA who became the youngest U.S. Open quarterfinalist since Serena Williams in 1999. Oudin lost to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. 1 $3.1 million The total value of NBA Star Allen |verson’s one—year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. lverson, a 10—time All-Star who has scored more than 23,000 points in his NBA career, earned nearly $21 million last year playing for the‘Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons. 270 The number of consecutive starts for 39-year-old Brett Favre. In his de- but for the Minnesota Vikings, Favre was 14 of 21 for 110 yards in the Vikings’ 34-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. 4, 1, 1,2 The stats for Washington & Lee senior defensive lineman and team captain Matt Cassilly in the Generals’ 31-13 victory over Sewanee on Saturday. Cassilly had four tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and two interceptions. “box ”We’re getting ready to get on the bus today and I see Tate walking out. All of a sudden he says, ‘Oh, I forgot to brush my teeth!’ That's what he’s thinking about when he’s getting ready to go to the Big House.” University of Michigan head football coach Rick Rodriguez on freshman quarterback Tate Forcler. Forcier helped Michigan make its way into the AP Top 25for the first time since the end of the 2007 season with a 38-34 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday. Courtesy of espn.com. "I used to have a real temper, and I’ve gotten a lot better. So I know you don't believe me, but I used to be worse. Yes, yes indeed.” Serena Williams in her post-match press conference following her 6-4, 7-5 semifinal loss to Kim cli sters. Williams lost the match after she was penalized on match-point or using expletlves and shaking her racket In the direction of an official who called a foot fault against her on the previous point. Courtesy of espn.com. W&L football bounces back Generals improve to 1-1 with a 31-13 victory over Sewanee Saturday By Andrew Bonds smrr wmn-zn The Generals (1-1) recovered from their close 29-27 loss to Franklin & Mar- shall in last week’s home opener with a decisive 31-13 victory over long-time ri- val Sewanee. The Generals’ offense put them ahead on the scoreboard, but the true story of the game was Washington & Lee’s defensive performance. With seven combined turnovers between the two teams, senior captain defensive lineman Matt Cassilly led the defensive effort, re- cording four tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a game-changing touchdown‘ with 13:04 left in the second quarter. “Cassilly was unreal,” said fellow senior defensive lineman Beau Craparo. “His performance today was one of the best I have ever seen since I have been playing football here. As a team 1 think we played really well. Our offense is still evolving, but overall I think it was a solid game.” , Cassilly’s strong play was comple- mented by senior defensive back Donavon Sawyer’s eight tackles and one intercep- tion, and senior defensive lineman Rick Barron’s seven tackles. Offensively, the Generals continued to utilize the spread option, with sophomore quarterback Charlie Westfal leading the team on the ground, rushing for 70 yards and a touchdown. With the loss of Stuart Sitterson, one of the most statistically ac- complished players in W&L football his- 3 tory, the Generals have added shotgun sets to their offense as they look to throw the ball more than last year. However, sopho- more running back Jonathan Clemo has already stepped into his new role, running for 50 yards and two touchdowns. interception. W&L began the game with a touchdown on a seven-play, 33-yard drive. The Generals effectively protected Although from a statistical standpoint the Generals’ offense did not dominate the game, they did manage the clock effec- tively, impressively cashing in a field goal at the end of the first half coming off an the ball as the game continued, as the last of their three turnovers came with 13:14 left in the second quarter. W&L was held scoreless in the second half, but limited Sewanee to only one touchdown as well, RYAN ELSEY/ staff photographer Top: Sophomore running back Jonathan Clemo attempts to avoid a tackle. Bottome: Junior running back Jason Zelesnik fights to break away from a Sewanee defender. and overcame a late game drive by the Ti- gers to win the game. “Today was a big game for us, espe- cially after last week,” said sophomore tight end Jake Tunney. “Sewanee was a good team, but we just outlasted them and made more plays late in the game.” Simply making more plays when it counted seemed to be the theme of the game, as the defense was able to force more turnovers than the offense gave up, in large part because of Cassi1ly’s one- man show. Coming off of the first win of the sea- son, the Generals will face Greensboro College next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. on Wilson Field. W&L will look to continue to improve and build on its early success as it gets ready for league play. - Field hockey keeps ‘heads held high’ W&L field hockey player Lizz Dye takes us behind the scenes of this weekends opening games against Johns Hopkins and McDaniel By Lizz Dye surr wrmza Nothing in sports brings more antici- pation, excitement, adrenaline, and fear than the first game of the season, espe- cially when your first opponent is No. 11-’ ranked Johns Hopkins University. On a cool Friday evening under the lights we, the Generals Field Hockey Team, played Johns Hopkins University in an exciting well-fought game. We had only played together as a team for two weeks before we had to face the Blue Jays, who were already 2-0. But we knew from previous experience that we were going to bring our best to the field. From the beginning, each team played with heart. The drive to win was evident on both sides. The Blue Jays struck first: a little over 13 minutes into the game, Johns Hopkins senior forward Gabi Henn scored the first goal of the game off an assist from fellow senior forward Andrea Vandersall. Standing on the sideline, I could tell that we were frustrated by the goal, but the cheers from our team and our fans kept our heads held high. Five minutes later, the Blue Jays managed to score again with an unassisted goal by their first-year forward Meghan Kellett. We suffered an- other blow when junior midfielder Emmy Mathews was taken out by ‘a yellow card for five minutes near the end of the first half, and we were forced to play one down against the formidable Blue Jays. But despite the setbacks of the first half, we overcame our initial first-game jitters and held Johns Hopkins scoreless in the second half. Head Coach Wendy Or- rison told us that there was a noticeable improvement in intensity from the first half to the second. She also said that al- though we lost, she thought we played a great first game of the season and should now only look forward and start prepar- minutes into the game, senior forward Sal- lie Armstrong scored an unassisted goal to give us a 1-0 lead. We kept that lead head- ing into halftime, but we knew the fight was not over yet. McDaniel battled back with an unas- sisted goal from sophomore forward Lind- say Riordon 48 minutes into the game. But even with the score now tied at 1-1, w.e did not give up hope. In a corner with The mantra for the 2009 Generals field hockey team is, “We will protect this house, ” and we did just that against McDaniel. ing for the game against McDaniel that we had the next day. The mantra for the 2009 Generals’ field hockey team is, “We will protect this house,” and we did just that against McDaniel. Excited to prove ourselves af- ter the loss to Johns Hopkins, we headed into the game with the same intensity we brought to the second half of the Hopkins game. Crisp,'sharp passing was one goal we had set before the game and it became a major factor in our overall success. 33 seven minutes left, the Generals executed a tremendous play perfectly, sending in a game-winning goal from senior Alex Caritis off an assist by sophomore Chris- tina Benedetti. Other highlights included four saves by senior goalkeeper Caroline Habliston. With two games down, now we can focus on our Friday match-up against Christopher Newport. -