OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_001.2.txt #winning The Jerz crew is coming to Lex? V Threewords: A Gym.Tan. Laundry. OPINIONS / page 2 MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012 wisiiimro~i_~n_ JEE umsm THE RING-TUM PHI. ll.‘ IRE SIIIIEHTS AID FBI THE STUDENT! SIIIICE Ill? VOLUME CXV,NUMBiER16 SPEAK Day embraces Green Dot Kathekon works with the Green Dot strategy by encouraging students to speak up against sexual assault By Happy Carlock STAF F wn ITE R As students walk between classes on March 15, they will make the conscious effort to speak to one another and ex- change friendly smiles. Although these are already daily occurrences on cam- pus, the Speaking Tradition will be ac- tively celebrated this Thursday as a part of SPEAK Day. Washington and Lee’s student alum- ni organization, Kathekon, organized SPEAK Day as a way to uphold Rob- ert E. Lee’s ideals of civility and honor, manifested in the Speaking Tradition. Beau Dudley, Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, has helped Kathekon promote this event over the years. “The Alumni Affairs Office started this tradition some years ago, and we’ve been in a partnership with Kathekon since it started about ten years ago,” Dudley said. “One day a year we have identified as SPEAK Day, and the Kath- ekon members act as on-campus am- bassadors for the Speaking Tradition. Historically, they have given a sticker to recognize anybody who simply speaks that day on campus as part of that pro- gram.” This year, Kathekon decided to in- volve the Green Dot Strategy in SPEAK Day as a way to create awareness about its cause and about sexual abuse. Dudley originally came up with the idea of inte- grating the two organizations. “We got the idea in a conversation that I had with Jen Sayre, the head of the Green Dot Strategy, who deals with is- sues of sexual violence and awareness,” Dudley said. “I went to a presentation that she put on about Green Dot, and she went around the room and asked every- one to think of one or two ways that they could help embrace the program.” Christina Lawrence ‘I2 and Thomas Meric ’l2, Co-chairs of Kathekon have been involved in organizing this event and advertising the integration of Green Dot. “This year, we decided" to integrate Green Dot into SPEAK Day as a way to bring together old traditions with current issues on campus,” Lawrence said. “We thought Green Dot would be a good out- let for this, and rather than just focusing on speaking on campus, we have added an element of ‘speaking up’ so that it ap- plies to the Green Dot program.” As on-campus leaders, Kathekon members will show their support of the Green Dot Strategy by actively encour- aging students to speak up. “One of the core principles of Green Dot is simply to speak and not remain silent when you see or hear something that is headed in the wrong direction,” Dudley said. “SPEAK Day is basically going to be a subtle yet powerful way to do two things at once: Number one, we will absolutely continue with the Speak- ing Tradition, but also, while we’re at it, by having a sticker that says ‘SPEAK’ that is green and, quite literally, a green dot, we will be promoting the Green Dot program.” Assistant Director for Alumni En- gagement, Jen Utterback, sponsors Kathekon and helped with the planning ' of SPEAK Day and its involvement of Green Dot. “I am so happy Kathekon has cho- sen to show support for Green Dot on SPEAK Day,” Jen said. “They are a wonderful group of students.” Along with the Kathekon members Speaker connects mind ByTommy Kent smrr warren John D. Dunne, an associate profes- sor of religion from Emory University and founder of the Center of Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, came to Washington and Lee to speak on the topic of “Contemplative Science” last Thursday in Parrnly 307. Contemplative Science, as explained by Dunne, attempts to bring together a scientific approach of study of the mind with the ideas of Eastern religion, specif- ically those concerning Buddhist medi- tation. “Understanding the nature of the mind comes from many perspectives. Those different perspectives give us different roots into the mind and cogni- tion,” said Dunne. Throughout the lee- ture, Dunne elaborated on the Buddhist concepts of mindfulness and reification in the context of scientific study. Ac- cording to Dunne, mindfulness empha- sizes paying attention in the moment in a particular way while reification refers to ' a presentation of conceptual content as salient and real. V Advanced Tibetan monks, some of whom have meditated for 30,000 hours in their lifetime, self-induce high-am- plitude synchronized gamma waves in their left pre-frontal cortex when they meditate. Dunne said that when the sci- entists who were testing the monks saw the data, “they literally almost fell out of their chairs, the signal seemed so high.” Dunne, who emphasized that he is not a scientist but a member of an inter- disciplinary team, said there is currently a lack of an operationalized method to study contemplative science while there is also a lack of understanding of medita- tion in general. “Clearly it has generated a lot of excitement, but there is a little bit of the emperor without its clothes, a bril- liant vessel that is hollow on the inside. The problem is we have no idea what it means,” said Dunne. The method that Dunne advocates is that of neurophenomenology. This method would align first-person reports, highly refined phenomenological data gathered from the meditators themselves, with third—person analysis of data, scien- tific tracking of gamma signals through electroencephalography. When these studies have been performed, a high correlation of .69 is shown between the verbal reports of the meditator with the gamma wave data. In the lecture, Dunne said he wants to represent all of the different styles of mindfulness which “has no univocality in religion.” The primary dimensions of mindfiilness include object selec- tion, meta-awareness, which refers to a simultaneous awareness of the cognitive background and the sensory foreground, and reification. The secondary dimen- sions include effect, aperture, and clar- ity/intensity. According to Dunne, the study of mindfulness and meditation can be ap- plied in varied ways to improve the health of minds. Mindfulness can be applied to human perception, interpreta- tion, intention, and action, with the effect of reversing our own distortions on real- ity. For example, a clinically depressed person may view another person’s look as an affront. In actuality, this view is a faulty interpretation of experience. Us- ing mindfulness, our own interpretations can become more accurate, our actions will cease to be dysfunctional, and our minds will become healthier, Dunne mentioned how color itself is a product of our own perception. Dunne said, “Color is not a thing in the world, it is a phenomenon, an entity that occurs in experience. Stuff is not blue; it is pho- tons of a certain wavelength that causes us to see blue.” Through sensory experience, we con- vert the non—conceptual into conceptual schemes in our mind, fitting things into general “universals”. Dunne said the capacity to use concepts is even pres- ent in pigeons, demonstrating that such concepts are not high-level. Using the act of exclusion, we differentiate the non—conceptual in the construction of concepts, recognizing sameness. Dunne also mentioned two additional features of this process: the idea of approach and avoidance as the framework for all concept formation, and the identification or fusing of the image with the object is supposed to represent, referred to as im- putation or “making one”. Dunne said, “Conceptual cognitions need to seem real to us.” Dunne said our ability to “skipthrough the repre- sentation to the object itself” could be evolutionarily beneficial as it enables us to quickly make inferences on the sense data around us. If the philosopher mouse paused to consider the misinterpretation of the lion’s roar as being the lion itself, he would already have been eaten. It is only because the mouse can recognize a roaring sound as a representation of a lion, that the mouse can be saved. Dunne said, “Our capacity for rep- and Alumni Affairs directors, many alumni have also influenced the celebra- tion of SPEAK Day because of their dedication to the Speaking Tradition that has extended past their days at W&L. “They are the ones asking us, once they graduate, ‘How is the Speaking Tra- dition? I’ve heard it’s dying. What do you think?’” Dudley said. “They care a great deal about it, and that’s one reason why we’re so happy to promote a program like SPEAK Day because, although it is cultural and it’s been around for a long time, with the advent of cell phones and people being busy and marching from class to class, we think it is smart to do a few things to raise the profile and remind people that we speak to each other here.” On Thursday, students can get in- volved simply by acknowledging one another on campus, while Kathekon members will hand out green stickers that say, “I Spoke.” “SPEAK Day does not require much from students but for them to continue to spread the Speaking Tradition and be honorable members of the community by speaking up when they find it neces- sary,” Lawrence said. SPEAK Day also coincides with the Kathekon application process, which is taking place from now until March 23. “We would certainly be glad to get applications from any rising juniors or seniors who think they want to take a more active role in SPEAK Day and oth- erwise,” Beau said. Above all else, SPEAK Day is essen- tially a reminder of respect that serves as a founding ideal of Washington and Lee and is constantly upheld bye the com- munity. _ “I’m anxious to tell you more from the heart that the best description I have heard of the Speaking Tradition came from a senior professor not long ago, and he described it as the first step on the road towards respect,” Dudley said. “No matter who you are, what you look like, where you came from, how old you are, or anything else, if we are being civil and speaking to each other, we’ve taken the first step towards a welcoming place. That rings true with all of our alumni, and I hope with today’s students.” and meditation resenting the world conceptually has developed so much that we can project ourselves far and beyond.” We pay at- tention to anomalies in our environment by attaching salience, produced in terms of approach and avoidance. An experiment directing individu- als to push a button to send away im- ages of delicious food framed in red and to push a button to bring closer images of delicious food framed in green was performed. At first, the difference in reaction time was great, as the partici- pants hesitated to send away the image and quickly reacted to bring the image closer. Dunne said that this difference was drastically reduced when the par- ticipants were simply told to “remember that what you are seeing are pictures and not food,” demonstrating how they had set-aside their “effectively charged sa- lience”. Dunne mentioned how eliminating this attached salience could help to make minds healthier. The process of de-rei- fication, the capacity to drop one line of thought in favor of another and remove the salience, “is an innate human capac- ity that can be trained further.” Dunne said that the approach/avoidance frame- work could be reconfigured through compassion. Dunne asked the question: “Can the ‘story’ be retold?” ' When the discussion opened up to questions form the audience, Dunne was asked by visiting philosopher Andy Clark whether or not “we are dealing with two levels of experience.” Clark asked, “Would you story change dramat- ically if that two level was available?” Dunne mentioned other practices tar- geting reversal of the distortion of per- ception. Dunne said the processing of the philosopher mouse locating himself in spatial/temporal terms is a false claim and thus distortion. Dunne said that stories about the self, the future and the sense of agency are illusions and he then began to discuss mind-wandering and the moment of de-realization upon snap- ping out of a daydream. Dunne added that mediation could be furthered to the extent that practices could be designed to enable one to see through the illusion of subjectivity. Dunne’s responses to questioning got to such a point that he said, “I can see I’m losing you. I’m losing myself already.” More of an explanation into the role and origin of contemplative science can be seen by the work of Dr. Francisco Varela, a prominent Chilean neuroscien- tist, who, according to mindandlife.org helped to create “the unique form of in- depth dialogue between Buddhism and science that has grown into the Mind & Life Institute.” The Dalai Lama and also Dunne have attended the Mind and Life Institute biennial conferences, which ex- plore various questions concerning the mind and new areas of research. Dunne is currently working with oth- ers to prepare an article on the neurosci- ence °of mindfulness, which will attempt to elaborate on the neurophenomenolog- ical approach. Dunne said, “Part of the reason we are trying to write the article is to settle on one term. Is there an experi- mental program?” Peer tutors offer aid in writing centers By Drew Carlos STAFF warren Help in writing is readily available to Washington and Lee students. ' The Writing Center, located in Ley- bum, gives students the ability to talk with a student tutor about their papers. The center does not edit work. In- stead it helps students to, as the Center website states, “recognize and correct their own errors.” Professor Kary Smout said that the main goal is to “help the students gain confidence, write better papers, and get higher grades.” Students can either sign up to work with a tutor on the website or simply show up. The tutors, two or three per night, are junior and senior writers from a wide variety of majors that “love to help [stu- dents] succeed,” Smout said. Even though the Center currently stays busy, according to Smout, he would love to see more students utilizing it. “We have an amazing satisfaction rate among students who have come,” Smout said. The Williams School Communica- tion Center is another place where stu- dents can find the help they need. “I like the Williams School Commu- nication Center because every time I go my writing improves,” said sophomore Victoria Bell. “In each session, we re- view the structure of my paper and talk about ways to make it better.” Bell also pointed out that this center is a great place to utilize if a student is struggling in a class. However, WSCC is only available for students working for a Williams School course, whereas the Writing Center is available to all students. WSCC, as stated on the frequently asked questions section of their website, is helpfiil because, “The consultants can help you to say what you have to say as well as you can, show you strategies for better revising and self-editing, and re- fer you to appropriate sources for help on matters that aren’t solved during the appointment.” Bell said that the best part of the ses- sion for her is reading the paper “aloud with the staff.” Like the Writing Center, WSCC will ‘not proofread papers. “It’s definitely an on-campus aca- demic asset...that more people should know about and use!” said Bell. The Writing Center is open Sunday through Thursday nights from 8 to 10. The Williams School Communica- tion Center is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6-10 in Hunt- ley Hall 118. ,.»- \ OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_002.2.txt uuivsnsmr LIBRARY WASHINGTON & us: umvsnsmr LEXINGTON, VA 24450 2 - THE RING-TUM PHI- %lIARl n run ‘T’ (UTE opinions MONDAY, MARCH 12‘, 2012 The best Sunda stress relief Feeling stressed, incapable, frustrated? Katie D ’Innocenzo ows one person who will always make you feel better You wake up and swear the Sahara desert has re- located into your mouth. Your head has an odd rhyth- mic drum- ming and your mud- caked cow- boy boots are still on your feet as you swing out of bed. Ok, now the drumming has turned to pounding as you attempt to stand. But you can’t think about finding Advil, you need water. Now. As the desert in your mouth becomes impossibly drier, you By Katie D’lnnocenzo co L u M N I sr Hydrocarbon security in Asia finally find a cup of water and choke it down like you’ve been deprived for years. Eventually you make your way to the medicine cabinet and take some Ad- vil, brush your teeth and wash your face (the last two are optional depending on how hungover you actually are). After meeting up with some friends for brunch (preferably in D-hall of course, since you can get breakfast and lunch out of the way in one sitting), you think about starting that pile of homework you’ve been cleverly avoiding all weekend with some “therapeutic” day parties. But you just don’t wanna. This is about the time you would convince your friend to watch a movie/drive to Roanoke/do anything with you so you don’t have to start that problem set, but she’s already halfway through it. Bitch. . What you need is a stress-relieving, motivational and semi-long distraction. You need to call your mom. Trust me- you can tell anything ~ so take advan- tage. You can bitch about how your pro- fessors don’t understand the importance Your mom is the one person to whom you can tell anything-- so take advantage. I know, you normally only call home if you need money (No seriously, mom, I NEED to get this movie from the 5-dol- lar binl), but your mom is the best person to talk to on a stressful Sunday aftemoon. Especially on those lucky Lexington Sundays when the weather is perfectly balmy, calling your mom can be a great excuse to spend some time in the sun. My suggestion? Grab your laptop and find a sunny patch of grass and Skype. Your mom is the one person to whom , of a quality social life, how finding a date for formal is too hard and you don’t want to try, and how the workload at W&L is quite literally endless. Besides basking in sun, which in itself is a pick-me-up, your mom can probably make you feel much better about all the stuff going on right now. She’ll remind you that you’re a smart, capable student and that while your looming biology test may feel im- possible, you can study and do well. She’ll also remind you that no matter Columnist Yates Wilburn describes a conflict of economics, politics, and interests The rapid economic growth ex- perienced by the economies of East Asia (particularly China, South Korea, and Ja- pan) has cre- ated a need for energy that is greater than ever before. In a region where uncontested hydrocarbons are more difficult to come by than in most, these three economic powerhouses must search abroad and in diplomatically gray areas close to home (most notably the South China Sea) to compete for hydrocarbon resources us- ing whatever means at their disposal. The By Yates Wilburn co LU M N I sr resulting dynamic has created a poten- tially dangerous political and economic situation as the governments of these nations look to hostile and/or less-than- reputable sources for the energy they so desperately need, placing their various economic and diplomatic interests (most notably those with the US and Europe) at odds with their energy interests. All three nations have placed a large amount of their hopes and faith regard- ing energy in questionable players and regions (again, the South China Sea) in the international arena, with Japan im- porting 9% of its oil from Iran, and South Korea importing 7% from the same, as well as a significant amount from Ven- ezuela, both regular international an- tagonists. China, steadily moving to pass the United States as the world’s lead im- porter of oil and natural gas since 1993, has taken the greatest risk in the com- MANAGING EDITORS NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS&L|FE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR STAFF WRITERS Wanumluolnunusrn THE RING-‘-'I‘UM PHI. JULIANNA SATTERLY DIANDRA SPICAK NEIL HAGGERTY CAMPBELL BURR PAIGE GANCE LEIGH DANNHOUSER JP BEALL HAPPY CARLOCK DREW CARLOS KATIE D’INNOCENZO HAILEY HARTLEY pany it keeps. With more than a third of its oil imports coming from countries like Angola, Sudan, Iran, Venezuela, and Kazakhstan (governments whose actions toward its people and the international community and/or stability regularly places them at odds with the intema- tional political and economic system), China’s energy strategy places it’s en- ergy interests firmly at odds with various international human rights and security efforts, not least of which is the preven- tion of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. This is a huge risk for political, economic, or even (in the most pessimis- tic and extreme scenarios) military con- flict as China attempts to protect these regular enemies of international peace and stability in an understandable effort to ensure energy security. These countries are engaged in their own unique balancing acts. On one end, the Asian governments’ attempt to avoid So with all ofthis hype circling Snoo- ki and her unborn pounders away from all of the same girls who could be found at Aruba Tan who are now all greased up and ready to go, putting on ev- future political/economic risk and to sat- isfy the diplomatic needs of the United States and Europe (the key to their eco- who you ask to formal, they’ll want to go because you are just SO pretty and awe- some (Ok, she kind of has to say that, but it’s still nice to hearl), that you are in fact not a total loser for falling every 5 minutes in geology lab (no one even noticed, I’m sure!), and that no matter how stressed you are about whatever is going on, you can figure it out and find a few hours to watch that movie with your friend. After she gives you a much-needed pep talk, you will feel ready to tackle that calculus, find a formal date, and even throw in a load of laundry. Being outside will also help your mood, and before you know it you’ll be done with your work and laughing uncontrollably at Will Fer- rell in “Anchorman” before heading to bed at (wait for it) a reasonable hour (i.e., midnight). oil and gas, regardless of their moral and political cost. Until the Asian economies protect themselves with less risky energy The resulting dynamic has created a potentially danger- ous political and economic situation as their govern- ments look to hostile and/or less-than—reputable sources for energy nomic success the Chinese govemment’s “most important economic and political relations”) by diversifying their energy portfolios away from countries they find undesirable (US and EU), most recently Iran (in favor of more stable, though not necessarily morally superior, pro- Western sources). On the other, they are forced to take advantage of any and all opportunities to develop new sources of portfolios, these conflicting dynamics have the potential to end poorly (given Japan’s past record for breaking away from US diplomatic strategies) for the US and EU when the Asian governments are forced to choose between diplomacy and economic survival. Snooki comes to Lex What happens when the Jersey Shore gang visits Lex Vegas? are ready to hit the town. Naturally, they get little meatball/Juice- head Gorilla, we figured we would write about one of the finest cultural institutions of our time — Jersey Shore. So we’ve seen them country club? Snooki wants to know two things: what the hell is a Barbour and why is everyone dressed like they are old people going to a STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER BUSINESS MANAGERS DISTRIBUTION STAFF TOMMY KENT STEPHEN PECK ANDREW RENALDO BRIDGET ROONEY ALLIE WEISS YATES WILBURN BELLA ZUROSKI COY FERRELL MATT GOSSETT DAVID WILSON DILLON MYERS BRIAN SIMPSON KANE THOMAS MISSION STATEMENT: It is the mission of THE RING-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, which can be reached at mediaboard@w|u.edu, but is otherwise independent.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: PH|@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 work their magic in Seaside, Miami, and even Italy, but Bella lzumslii and there’s one metrop- Bfidget R°‘°'”eY olis they haven’t C D L U II III 5 TS visited yet — Lexing- ton, Virginia. What would happen if the crew came to Rockbridge County? One can only imagine... It’s pretty obvious where they’d stop first~ Aruba Tan. One of the highest class beauty institutions in Rockbridge County, it’s hard to imagine them skipping out on this hot spot. If they can manage to sneak an appointment in between the herds of girls running there be- fore Fancy Dress and Spring Break, a quick encounter with the tropical rays of Aruba in the city limits of Lex will ensure they get that perfect golden glow for their visit. Next, the juiceheads will need to get swole at the nearest gym — Doremus. Hopefully Coach Schall will have his heaviest weights ready for Ronnie, and can steal some five “toning” their arms in preparation for FD (gotta look good in that strapless dress!) for the Situation, Vinnie, and Pauly-D (and now that we think about it, maybe J-Woww too). If we’re lucky, we may even be able to catch a glimpse of Snooki on the stair stepper! We’ll be able to find Sami whining in the co-op. They’ve already hit two out of the three components of GTL, and they need to look fresh for their night out, so they head to the laundry rooms around campus. Everything’s going smoothly until they come to the awful realization that absolutely none of the dryers work - a problem they’ve never encountered in Seaside! Ronnie has to be restrained by se- curity guards, Larry and Mrs. Datz, due to his immense rage. After all of that hard work, the gang is bound to be hungry. At this point, the big question is Frank’s or Salemo’s? After realiz- ing the undeniable superiority of the calzones at Frank’s, the choice is clear. Mangia! Night falls, and the kids from the Shore ery piece of Ed Hardy clothing within a ten- mile radius. Vinnie goes to armounce that the “cabs are heahhh,” but is confused when a white mini bus pulls up instead. As they go to get on Traveller, they notice they are receiving a hefty amount of judgmental looks. Snooki wants to know two things: what the hell is a Barbour and why is everyone dressed like they are old people going to a country club? Alter a full night out, our esteemed guests are ready to call it a night. This is where they start encountering some problems. Deena is having some trouble keeping her balance (as usual), and the LexPo aren’t having it. How- ever, after a beautiful, intelligent, and elo- quent display of reasoning by Snooks and J- Woww, they decide to cut their girl D a break. The next morning, the cast stops at Niko’s for some breakfast and swings by the Cabins to pick up Snooki’s underwear before heading out of town. They had fun, but they’re glad to be headed out of the land of pearls, Barbours and blazers and back to the Dirty Jerz. ' LEXINGTON LIMOUSINE 6. TRANSPORTATION LLC www.IexingronIimo.net (SIIO) lI6|-IIl7 IexingIonIimo@gaIIoo.com (SIIO) 464-LIMO SERUING ALL AIRPORT, AMTRACK C. BUS LOCATIONS WE ARE THE ONLY LOCALL‘l OWNED (.1 LEGALLY OPERATED I TRANSPORTATION BUSINESS IN THE AREA Licensed |IISlIl'E(| BDINIEU DMlI#g829 OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_003.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH l2, 2012 3 - THE RING-TUM PHI- pinions Hank: the purr-feet candidate‘? e The Virginia - race for the U.S. Senate is on, with one of the youngest can- didates in his- , tory running for V election. This ‘ _ candidate is nine V“ years old, an in- dependent, and a firm proponent i‘ I _ W of the belief that By Amewdss dreams should COLUMN!“ not be limited by age, appear- ance. . .or species. Hank is a cat from Fairfax, Virginia. He is running against Tim Kaine (D, hu- man) and George Allen (R, human). His platform is focused on job creation, be- cause Hank knows what it is like to be ter; however, with no prospect of being saved, they faced every day with the fear that they would be killed. Fortunately, Animal Allies, a volunteer rescue group, Finally, the ad asks, does Virginia really want an- other fat cat in politics? homeless in America. Before he clawed his way into the gritty world of politics, Hank was a kitten of a broken home. According to his Facebook page, Hank was born to a single mother, and lived his earliest days on the harsh streets of Virginia. It wasn’t long before he and his family were brought to an animal shel- saved Hank, and he was eventually ad- opted by a loving family. His campaign has made Hank a You- Tube sensation. His 35-second ad centers on the American dream of unlimited op- portunities and family values. Recently, though, his good name has been dragged through the mud by catty opponents. A smear campaign has been launched, claiming that Hank has never released his birth certificate or his tax returns, and has furthermore never responded to the claim that he is a long—time user of cat- nip. Hank has claimed that he’s gone to the vet, but, as this ad points out, there is no record of his services in any military branch. Finally, the ad asks, does Virgin- ia really want another fat cat in politics? To add to his troubles, it appears that Hank cannot serve in Congress, as there are blatantly speciesist regulations which prevent animals from being elected. But there is hope for Hank yet, as America has been making progress in recent years towards eliminating its prejudice against pets. In a small Kentucky town called Who is Tim Kaine and George Allen s_ furry competitor in the Virginia Senate race? ColumnistAllie Weiss tells all Rabbit Hash, Lucy Lou serves as mayor. Lucy Lou is a border collie who is vehe- mently opposed to the small-mindedness that keeps animals out of office and out of stores. Her first step towards making a change has been to lift the ban against animals in the General Store. With such an inspiration leaving her paw print in history, animals like Hank can now as- pire to bigger things than the shiny coats and youthful energy that superficial ad- vertisements have limited them to in the past. These days, it seems like feline lib- eration is in the air. ‘' Evaluatin the tax system Columnist JP Beall reviews the Unite There is no point more sorely abused in x politics than taxes. I can hear the readers now, moaning and asking them- selves why in the name of all that’s good and holy would I decide to bore Washington and Lee with what some consider to be a flat topic. Not to worry, reader on the Right, certain incumbents’ ideas will still get ripped to shreds, and to the reader on the Left, there will still be a discussion of what can be considered a social issue tied to rights that all humans are born with naturally. To the Occupiers out there, go directly to jail, do not pass the Social Security Of- fice and do not collect $200. Truthfully though, it is, or should be, pretty hard not to have an opinion about an issue so closely tied to the concept of liberty in this country. Liberty, now there’s a word American government has forgotten! By the end of this article, I hope all of you will find yourselves questioning what it means to be an American, and what the ByJP Beall COLUMNIST concept of taxes mean to you. Over the past one hundred years, the idea of taxes has been attached to a sick- ening amount of qualities, not among the we see very little of that money come back to us in the form of relevant servic- es. The fact is that what once was a sim- ple acknowledgement that nothing, even I ’d like to know what [Obama] thinks is his fair share, because it seems the “change” he promised . has not left his wallet yet. least being that it can be used as a tool for some high-minded moralistic pur- pose and as a regulation. At base though, a tax as the founders long ago and many Americans still today understand it is as the basic responsibility that every American has to keep the government that secures our freedoms and provides us with safety operating smoothly. As W&L alum and 1924 Presidential candi- date John W. Davis said, “Taxation can justly be levied for no purpose other than to provide revenue for the support of the government. To tax one person, class or section to provide revenue for the ben- efit of another is none the less robbery because done under the form of law and called taxation.” Status check folks, for all the money we spend in taxes, the gov- ernment can barely stay solvent much less concentrate on protecting our liber- ties. For all the money we spend in taxes, our liberties and government, is free has now become a legally sanctioned form of redistributive theft, and all that began with the Constitutional Amendment for income tax. ' From that point on, it seems that the public sector needed no justification to take money from its citizens. That is a pretty dangerous notion anywhere, in a person or a government. To be fair, we can all acknowledge that there are those among us in this country that are in need, but in systems of redistribution, alleviating financial need in one place only creates need someplace else in a land where all are supposed to be equal before the law. Indeed, it is a system that forces dependence little by little in a land where independence was once valued. It is a system that can so vastly distort someone’s work schedule to remain in a favorable bracket in a land where “Protestant work ethic” is some- thing everyone shared in regardless of religion. Here I can hear the reader on the Left cry out in shock, terror, and in- dignation, that no one should be trying to dodge taxes, that we should all be pay- ing our oft—cited “fair share.” But my re- sponse is simple. Where does anyone get off deciding what exactly someone’s fair share is? Queen Elizabeth I remarked that it is unfitting and impossible to cut windows into men’s souls. Is it any dif- ferent to cut into men’s pocketbooks? To quote Abraham Lincoln in a way he usu- ally isn’t, “You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strength- en the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot brifig about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage pay- er down. You cannot further the broth- erhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking people’s initiative and inde- pendence. You cannot help people per- manently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.” Ultimately the construction of the income tax system is flawed, and it is completely impossible to fix. It is based on a completely un—American premise that has altered the mindset of American individuals. Come April 15, the free citi- zens of this country become the hunted, tates tax system and encourages classmates to do the same frantically scurrying to finish the paper- work and smearing lamb’s blood on the doorpost before the IRS Angel of Death spirits away their first-bom in the night. Rule by fear is not the American way; it’s what built Lenin’s unholy kingdom brick by brick. The Left can justify itas a good cause all they want, but this has to be the only charity I know of that accom- plishes its goals with threats, because the ones that do go out of business. be- fore Obama will ever convince me other- wise, he’s going to have to lose his hard earned distinction as the President who hosts $35,000 per plate fundraising din- ners while Rome bums. He has hosted I91 fundraisers already, more than any other President. Personally I’d like to know what he thinks is his fair share, be- cause it seems the “change” he promised has not left his wallet yet. The stakes are high on this issue and on several others, and the important thing is that regardless of party, we are involved in discourse. Think about what America means to you, and honestly ‘ask yourself if that idea is being acted out. Even more important, we must vote. If you don’t, than you have no one to blame but yourself. Job Opening Undergraduate Admissions Counselor The Washington and Lee Office of Undergraduate Admissions announces an opening for Admissions Counselor. include managing a recruitment territory and travel schedule, conducting group information sessions and interviews, and evaluating admission applications. Other duties will be assigned based on the selected candidate’s background and skills. work is expected during the academic year, especially during peak application reading and travel seasons. A Bachelor’s degree, a valid driver’s license, and the willingness to commit to the position for a minimum of two years are required. Strong communication skills and demonstrated organizational abilities are expected. The successful candidate will be both willing and able to work as part of a highly successful admissions team, yet will be capable of creative self-direction. Preference will be given to W&L graduates and to candidates with proven writing skills and social media savvy. Interested candidates should apply for the position through W&L’s Human Resources website (http://go.wlu.edu/jobs) no later than Sunday, March 25, 2012. A W&L Employment Application, a cover letter, résumé, and the names and contact information of three references are required. EOE. Responsibilities Evening and weekend Premium lotul burgers, fresh doughnuts, fries, Homestead Creamery mill: shakes, daily soups and slews...on|y the good stuff. "Pure Euls is lexinglon’s newest slice of heaven." mnuasm -ll» llfasbingtmfast (Imam: «mun lucehouluzom/Pureinlsium luamuupiiuulmu-1 unique: hurl Career Services Upcoming Programs Explore four Career Option: Though Informal Conversations with Professional; Tuesday, March 20 a Alana DeJoseph ‘92 Con versarrians with En virvnmenralirr and Film Producer Wednesday. March 21 Shane Wilson ‘O8 fummer Opportunities in Latin America Tuesday. March 27 Julia Burclajewicz Con versan-‘on: with a Painting: Conservator Monday. April 2 Davis Franklin ‘ll fucceeding as a Classroom Teacher Call or come by to register for Individual Appointment or Lunch Careerservices OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_004.2.txt 4 - THE RING-TUM PHI - MONDAY, MARCH 12,2012 inions Words from the wise Opinions Editor Campbell Burr asks seniors to reflect on their four years at W&L and ofler underclassmen advice The seniors ‘V are less than 100 ‘i '. days from grad- uation, moments away from kiss- ing goodbye the best four years oftheir life. The real world is dif- ferent from Lexington. One-bedroom apartments will replace country houses, cubicles will replace Carrels, and Star- bucks will replace LexCo. Regardless of how hungover you feel, spandex and an oversized-tee will not be acceptable work attire. If you leave your apart- ment door unlocked, you are one word: screwed. When you go to parties, don’t expect 90% of the attendees to be excel- By Campbell Burr OPINIONS ElZllTDll Favorite class: Field Botany Favorite mixer theme: Rep Your Hometown (Nu Joisey!) One thing every student must do before graduation: Tube the Maury River One thing you would change about W&L: LexPo- Upwards of 40 citations during 0-Week is out of hand! If you could redo your time at W&L, what would you do differently? Uppercut a punkass [Editor’s translation: get in a fight] Favorite class: Philosophy of time travel (Spring ‘10) Favorite mixer theme: 205 Speak Easy One thing every student must do before graduation: Streak the Colonnade! One thing you would change about W&L: I would make the EC gender ratio the same as on campus If you could redo your time at W&L, what would you do differently? Been honest with myself and majored in theater from the start. I would have had time for so many other interesting classes! Favorite class: Brain & Behavior Favorite mixer theme: Caveman One thing every student must do before graduation: Streak the Colonnade One thing you would change about W&L: We need Five Guys, Chipotle and Chick—fil-A If you could redo your time at W&L, what would you do differently? Drop the books and go out more 012 5 www.alvindcr1nis.com I-1-ll£llll¢:5~[L| i:tIl_LLn1u:sl lent swing-dancers (unless these parties are W&L weddings, of course), or the majority of 20-somethings to be conser- vative. After a fun night out, don’t make the mistake of boarding a public bus and requesting that the driver play a song, or stop in the middle ofthe highway so that you can get off in front of your house. Bummer. Public transportation is not nearly as cool as Traveller. Patrick Smith Matt Gosse I lllllillll ll .il’llJl:lill . '51 1‘-lll'\(.lH"~ \'\l'tIll |. "slltll-l‘~nll'i l-is. piitwlu .m Elm Ll mi"--. lll|nl!«' Dirt - fiertrtia, glut- WINNER OF THE TOREFRONT DECORATING COMPETITION FINE MEN'S AND LADIES" APPAREL TUXEDO RENTALS 3: SALES STUDENT CHAF-EGE INC-COUN’liS CARRY FEARROUF? l INF K: Ml")F?F 540.463.5383 Do-vwon ~........., _. _. . . When you enter the real world, you will be surrounded by muggles, who do not understand the magical worlds of Graham-Lees and Windfall. So when your obnoxious coworker (the one with retainers and acne) asks you—for the fifth time— to describe your favor- ite class at “William and Mary,” take a deep breath and remind yourself that he couldn’t have gotten in ifhe had applied. Take a look at seniors’ reflections of their time at W&L. We love the senior class and will miss them. They better re- turn to Lex over Alumni Weekend! 102 W. Washington St. 'Itu'l1'ti ‘Innis! Favorite class: Latin Dance Technique Favorite mixer theme: Chalupas and Cholos One thing every student must do before graduation: Eat at Taco Bell One thing you would change about W&L: Taco Bell on campus If you could redo your time at W&L, what would you do differently? Have eaten more Taco Bell Favorite class: Lincoln Seminar, Orthodoxy & Heresy, Pov. 101 Favorite mixer theme: 905 One thing every student must do before graduation: Go hiking somewhere besides House Mountain One thing you would change about W&L: Make cross—country travel easier— a private airport If you could redo your time at W&L, what would you do differently? I wouldn’t have double majored Favorite class: Hist 397: The Freedom Ride Favorite mixer theme: Rep Your City One thing every student must do before graduation: Get a strike and/or go to Das Klub One thing you would change about WSIL: Outlaw bowties and pastel colored clothing If you could redo your time at W&L, what would you do differently? Do less homework OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_005.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH_12, 2012 5 - THE RING-TUM PHI- arts&|ife Scholarship finalists flood W&L Candidates for the Johnson scholarship con/zpete for a full-ride By Cynthia Lam 5 TA F F w R IT E R Snowmen and sunshine were just a few of the many pleasant surprises of the annual Johnson Scholarship Competi- tion, which brought I62 students from all over the country and around the world to campus from Sunday through Tues- day. During these jam—packed days, the finalists led busy schedules filled with interviews, classes‘, open house sessions and receptions. According to WLU Admissions, the finalists were chosen from a pool of nearly 2650 applications in a highly se- lective review process. Many boasted 4.0 GPAs and top SAT scores, in addi- tion to impressive resumes and extracur- ricular activities. The group of finalists were comprised of class valedictorians, all-star athletes, student body presidents, award-winning musicians, published au- thors and talented researchers. Over the course of their visit, the students had interviews with faculty members, current Johnson Scholars and admissions officers to compete for the generous full-ride merit scholarship. At the same time, they were given the op- portunity to experience dorm life, attend classes, talk to professors and meet cur- rent students. Each finalist was paired with a first-year or sophomore host, who facilitated the stay by offering a first- hand glimpse of W&L. Said first-year Lisa Stoiser: “I signed up to host a Johnson for two reasons: number one, my first W&L experience was hosted by... the perfect host: hos- pitable, helpful, not-too-motherly. [She] let me learn what W&L meant first-hand; I wanted to offer that same kind of ex- wI.un VlllI'l'EII no I 2 OPEII AIH wAv£s VIIIIIIEHS GIIAIID PRIZE 'l'anner llewsy . . , Ist Place,-_'lanner llewsy : Honorable; Mention - 'l'he Vlashinstones , SOLO MIISIG I st Place - Scotty Groth ‘I 3 ' I :2 ntIfPlace**:-itSara-lane Mclbonaltl 3r¢lPlace (tie)- Lucille l.ancry 3rd Place (tie) - Richard I I Marmorstein ‘ I 4 Honorable Mention - Alex Minor ‘ I 5 srouan wonb Ist Place - Drew Martin ‘ I 3 Honorable Mentions - Amira Hegazy ‘ I 5,, Ben Odclo ‘ I 1 perience to a new prospee. Number two, recruitment is fun baby! I love meeting new people and seeing fresh faces.” First-year Austin Pierce said, “I want- ed to host a Johnson so that I could of- fer them a good first impression of W&L and to aid the Johnson program, which has given me so much liberty. It definite- ly fulfilled my expectations... I felt ex- hilarated to have such an amazing group of kids on campus, and they constantly impressed me.” ' In addition to the regularly scheduled activities, many hosts took this chance to really get to know their prospective stu- dents through insightful conversations about college life. “The highlight of the experience had to be the chats that [we] had after we came home from Old House,” said Stois- er. “After a day of experiencing both the classroom and social scene, the Johnsons had a lot ofquestions about what it really meant to be a part of this campus... The honest discussions that took place about the pros and cons of W&L really made me appreciate my place here.” For many of the finalists, this was their first time visiting and staying on campus, which was an eye-opening ex- perience. “My favorite part of W&L was the active thinking that seemed to go on in every classroom and every social group... [but] I was surprised that Lex- ington had so much partying going on!” commented Paul Crookston, a finalist from Tampa, FL. Said Dani Rosenthal, a finalist from Berkeley Heights, NJ: “I come from up north, near New York City, where you Wish you were doing this... ...instead of this? cannot leave anything" in public and strangers are entirely indifferent to you. At W&L people couldn’t be more polite, helpful or honest. I had at least 6 people who stopped and helped me around cam- pus when I was hopelessly lost, and ev- eryone said good morning and held open doors for each other. The environment was beyond what I hoped for!” Several students also noted the won- derful surprise of the snow storm. Noted Eli Kresta, a finalist from El Campo, TX: “The highlight of the trip was waking up to snow on Monday and getting to make snowmen and run around the campus. I love how everyone walks around with a smile on their face and seems genuinely happy to be here.” Time fora cheerme-up... Official Spring Term countdown: 42 days! Getready for Derby Days, tubing, streaking, going abroad and band parties! OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_006.2.txt 6 - THE R|NG~TUM PHI - R MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012 F r Congratulations to the Class of 2012! GRAD FAIR 3-DAY ANNUAL U.G. GRAD FAIR Wednesday, March 14"‘ — Friday, March 16"‘ 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Atrium, Elrod Commons The time to celebrate the end of your four year journey is fast approaching! 5‘ From the moment you first stepped on campus, you knew you were entering a most special place. The defining traditions of Washington and Lee University.‘ academic rigor, student self governance and lives measured by truth and integrity will mark you as honorable men and women and leaders of the future. As your journey comes to a close and as you celebrate your graduation day on May 24th, enjoy the memories of campus life, afternoons spent at Goshen, hikes up House Mountain, Fancy Dress and the many friendships you have made. Celebrate with family and friends this special day! ORDERING YOUR ‘ CAPS & GOWNS! This is the ONLY opportunity to be A fitted for your environmentally 1 “green ” caps and gowns! :. . (Purchase price is $50.00) Washington and Lee University Engraved Chairs Arm Chair or Rocker “a lasting memory ” 2012 Graduation photos (Each graduate will be photographed as they receive their diploma from the University . I . V Pres ‘dent. Photos may be purchased at The Officlal Class Rlng lPhotoStore after graduation) Seniors! Quality , lined _ order in‘ time to wearfor gmduationj with a mat embossed with the University name and crest are available at the Grad Fair and the Washington and Lee A B l i t’ 'll b . . a four representa zve wz e Umverslty Store available to fit you for this handsome ring. if pholmdu \ \ \ ‘ \\ \\ R \ \_/ OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120312/WLURG39_RTP_20120312_007.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH12, 2012 7 .THE R|NG—TuM pm. sports S'l‘EPIlEN PECK ANIDREW RENALIIO At a tearful press conference last week, Owner Jim Irsay and Peyton Manning jointly armounced that the star quarterback would not be back next year for the Indianapolis Colts. It was the end of an era in Indy. Since 1998, Manning racked up 141 , had hinted that such a move was imminent, yet it still came as a iegulaf 5935011 Vl°t°Tie5» Passed f0? 55,000 Yards and 399 t0\1°hd0WI1S, shock. Peyton Manning is a lock for the hall of fame, and quar- won a Super Bowl, and collected four NFL MVP awards. terbacks of his caliber are rare; when a team gets its hands on one, For many years, Peyton was the face of the League. Number 18 was, The Indianapolis Colts recently released franchise quarterback Peyton Manning, signaling their intent to rebuild the franchise around (presumably) Andrew Luck. Jim Irsay, the Colts’ owner, ::.‘:;tq:;S:.:;"*t g“".‘i‘5..f;“%.¥LS.f.;’.i.‘;‘:‘:‘.“‘..ii The Colts recentlrreleased Peron infavor ?:i‘.t‘.?;.i?:.’::g:‘:::tiEi.i’.?:‘::°:::f“ , nrn p a _ _ - g ~ - , . does not seem ‘right. Peyton Manning should have remained an ofthe upt was It Professional sports are a business. ‘I Indianapolis Colt until heretired. ra eglc or lus P an S P1 ‘ It’s one of many overused cliches in sports today, but it was the de- lrsay’s main reasoning for releasing Manning was his question- . J. , _ - _ _ I g _ fining characteristic in regards to the Peyton-Colts situation. able health. Manning missed the previous season with a damaged 1 3tePh€f1 and Andrew glVe You their takes-1 Here are the variables that factored into Irsay’s decision to let Pey- nerve and underwent several neck surgeries in an attempt to fix the V _ ton go. problem. He had a single-level cervical fusion in September after ‘ ’ I ’ Manning recently had his fourth neck surgery, an operation that experiencing weakness in his right arm. Doctors have since cleared sidelined him for the entire 2011-12 Colt’s campaign. With Manning Manning to play, saying the chances of sustaining a serious injury are actually pretty low, The on the sidelines holding a clipboard, Indy trotted out a hilarious rotating cast of hapless quarterbacks issue, then, is that Manning may not fully recover the strength in his right arm, and may lack the (household names like Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky). Not surprisingly, the team went 2-14. Now by same range of motion in his neck. losing so incredibly, the Colts won. By owning the worst record in the NFL, they receive the first pick Manning’s release is therefore defensible, but it still comes across as very cold. Manning’s in this year’s draft. And it just so happens that Andrew Luck, the most hyped quarterback coming out of Colts were consistently among the best teams, in the NFL for a full decade and ran one of the most college in a while, will be available for Indy to drafi first overall. And one more thing; Peyton was set to . impressive offenses. Manning became the archetype for quarterbacks seeking to control the game receive $35 million in Salary next year if he played. at the line of scrimmage by reading defenses and making pre-snap adjustments. Though he did And since Peyton had no interest in retiring and riding off into the sunset, Irsay could either keep not win as many Super Bowls with the Colts as people expected, his consistent dominance of the Peyton, drafi Luck, and have around $50 million tied up in the quarterback position. Or he could release regular season was incredible. And the fact that the 2011 Colts, largely unchanged since the 2010 Manning, and hand over the reigns to Luck immediately for a much more manageable sum of something team that posted a 10-6 record, went 2-14 without Manning speaks to the man’s enormous impact. like 10 to $12 million next year. ' Manning spent 13 seasons with the Colts and never missed a game before missing the 2011 season The jury is still out as to whether or not Peyton can even perform at the same Pro-Bowl level he did with a scary neck injury. And the woeful Colts, clearly indebted to his services over the years, re- for so many years prior. He is 36 years old, playing in a league that does not treat aging quarterbacks spond by cutting him? I get it. Football is a business, This was not personal, It is time to rebuild, _ very kindly. And do not forget the fact that he has had four(!) neck surgeries to repair damaged nerves. But Irsay made his decision in the moment and conveniently avoided the broader context. The A report came out a few months ago that Peyton was barely throwing at half of his former level of arm decision to stay or go should have been Manning’s, as he had earned his tenure with the Colts. That strength. All this is incredibly disconcerting for me, and I can’t imagine how disconcerting it must be for Irsay made the decision for him reeked of disrespect and ingratitude. Irsay, who would potentially be paying Peyton $35 million next year for damaged goods. Besides leaving Manning in a predicament, Irsay has crushed Colts fans’ spirits by getting rid Some team desperate for a quarterback will pay money like that for Peyton’s services next year, but of the star that was supposed to spend his whole career in Indianapolis. The NFL’s fairly equitable the Colts are fortunate. They have a ready-made replacement in Andrew Luck at a much lower price tag, revenue sharing makes it easier for a small-market team like Indianapolis to retain its best players, just waiting to start throwing passes for Indy. Luck could very well be a colossal bust, but scouts haven’t but it still seems like a special, idyllic situation when an elite player remains with a small-town been this high on a quarterback prospect in a long while. If Luck turns out to be even a poor-man’s ver- .' team Just like Brett Favre had a unique relationship with Green Bay (before ruining it through sion of the signal-caller he is compared to the most, John Elway, then the Colts will be in very capable his own poor judgment), Manning had a special connection with Indianapolis. And for sports fans hands. in general, it is awkward and depressing to see a great athlete play for a different team. Michael Nowada)/S, F00l