OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970210/WLURG39_RTP_19970210_001.2.txt . .'.“ Mr’ I I 5,. VOLUME , NUMBER 1 7 GENERAL NOTES SAC HOLDS BLUE BOOK FORUM: The Student Affairs Committee will hold an open forum 7 p.m. Wednesday in Northern Auditorium to gather student input on the new Blue Book. The Blue Book creates a new Student Judicial Committee to replace the Student Conduct Committee and was approved by the SAC in January. The faculty will consider the Blue Book in March. Copies of the Blue Book are available in the library and on the SCC homepage. Questions prior to the forum should be U112 i.Pttng—tum 1311' WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY JAMES G. LEYBURN LIBFIA ‘ WASHINGTON 1 LEE own/:nFz'rv LEXINGTON, VA 1640! FEB 11 1997 Bulk rate us Postage PAID Pennlt No. 7 Lexington. VA FEBRUARY 10, 1997 D-hall workers arrested for drugs BY KATHRYN MAYURNIK PHI STAFF WRITER Two weeks ago the Washington and Lee University Dining Hall workers performed “Sister Act” for the Lip Sych Contest. But the act was over Tuesday for Vera Merchant, and assistant manager at the Dining Hall and mother of a thirteen-year-old boy, when she was arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana. Dining Hall cook Shawn Brown was also arrested for possession of marijuana. Members of the Rockbridge Regional Drug Task Force confiscated cocaine and marijuana from Mer- chant, two former catering employees, and a juvenile in her apartment over City Steaks and Subs on Sept. 5, 1996. The Rockbridge grand jury indicted Merchant and the others Monday after the Task Force produced the lab results. ‘~ Merchant and Brown continue to work at the Din- ing Hall. “This week the Personnel Services will determine what will be done,” Director of Dining Services Gerald Darrell said. The arrests were the result of a six to nine month undercover Task Force investigation, which ended in 27 arrests on 46 counts. Charges include possession and distribution of cocaine and marijuana, and posses- sion of various prescription medicines. The undercover investigation was prompted by complaints by local residents who suspected their neighbors were either dealing or using drugs. Two or three drug “rings” were broken up by the arrests. “We think we got them all,” Chapel said. “But the usual scenario is that once one is taken out, another one fills his shoes right away.” The Rockbridge Regional Drug Task Force is a cooperative effort between the Lexington and Buena Vista Police Departments, the Rockbridge County Sheriff’ s Office, and the Virginia State Police Bureau of Investigation. Since 1994, the Task Force has seized $754,296.00 addressed to SAC members (Sandy Hooper, Robert Covington, Anthony Mazzarelli, Sara Benson, Dan Campbell, or Eliza- beth Cox). I RELIGION DEPT. HOLDS LECTURE: Religion students will want to attend a lecture by James L. Peacock, former president of the American Anthropological ‘ Association, 7:30 p.m. Monday in Northern Auditorium. I Peacock is currently Kenan Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and has served as visiting professor at Princeton, Yale and University of California at San Diego. He is the author of numerous books and articles and will present “Belief Beheld—-Again: The ‘ Emergence of the Interpretive Perspective in the Study of Religion.” The lecture will be sponsored by the Phillip F. Howerton Fund for Special Programs and is open to the public. Peacock ,, will also lead a faculty seminar during his stay at W&L. CONSORTIUM OFFERS PROJECTS: The Keck Geology Consortium will provide opportunities for eight research projects to students at member universities this summer. Six of the four to six week projects will be offered to rising seniors and two to rising juniors. The projects will include an analysis of the valley and ridge landscape in Virginia with W&L Assistant Professor David Habor and a study of volcanism and tectonics on Earth, Venus and Mars, taught by W&L Professor Sam Kozak and Visiting Professor Martha Gilmore . The consortium includes 12 of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges and receives its funding from the W. M. Keck Foundation. STUART PUBLISHES 14TH BOOK: Professor of English Dabney Stuart has published his 14th collection of poetry, “Lone Gone.” It has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, the fourth such nomination for Stuart. Stuart joined the W&L faculty in 1965 and became the poetry and review editor of “Shenandoah,” the university’s literary review, in 1966. He was named editor in 1988 and I; served in that capacity until 1995 when he returned to full- time teaching in the English department. STUDY IN ENGLAND: The head of Advanced Studies in England, a study-abroad program, will be on campus to talk with interested students 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 in Fairfax Lounge. of narcotics and has made 299 drug related arrests. Director Spike Lee to speak at Lee Chapel contact, Glasgow March 5. In support of the event spon- Endowment Committee and W&L Film Society bring Hollywood to Lexington W&L Film Society will present four of Lee’s films: “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X,” and “Get on the Bus.” W&L has never had a director visit before, and Contact thought it was about time. “They also wanted some- one sort of educa- tional,” Film Soci- ety member Alex Christianson said. BY KATHRYN MAYURNIK PHI STAFF WRITER What do you have to do to meet Spike Lee, a man whose cinematic expertise shed new light on race relations, urban America and Malcolm X? Go to the one of the most homogeneous and conserva- tive universities in the nation, of course. Spike Lee will speak at Washington and Lee University on Wednesday, criticisms about American society Women take over Delt house City council approves conditional-use request BY ERICA PRossER PHI STAFF WRITER The plans to put sorority women in the former Delta Tau Delta fraternity house, 106 Lee Avenue, are almost complete. Dean Leroy “Buddy” Atkins attended the Lexington City Council meeting last Thursday, to present a public response to the plan to council members. The univer- sity is in the process of obtaining a permit to use the Delta house for sororities. The permit request projects use of the house for five years while plans get underway for full sorority housing. for events. sored by the student group Contact, the ' mother, but that an up’pe‘r'-'clIass“ House Manager, like and RA, would live there and that they would use the dining area for ca- tered events and other functions. The house, which as been vacant for the past few years, has been used by sororities, Women’s Fo- rum, and other university groups According to the proposal sub- mitted to the council, W&L “re- leased the Phi chapter of Delta that will be educational to students.” Christianson doesn’t think that Lee is theantithesisofW&L society. “I think that people peg Spike Lee as far left when he really isn’t. Ithink he deals with racism in a fair way that most Hollywood directors don’t.”_ Lee’s visit will highlight“Hollywood comes to Lexington,” a week-long event sponsored by the Glasgow Endowment Committee, Contact and the W&L Film “Lee deals with historical issues and Society, Michael Medved, film critic and co-host of PBS’s “Sneak Previews” will kick of the event with a lecture in duPont Auditorium on Feb. 27. The Film Society will being showing Lee’s films throughout the week at the following times: “She’s Gotta Have it,” Friday, Feb. 28; “Do the Right Thing,” Saturday, March 1; “Malcolm X,” Fri- day, March 7; “Get on the Bus,” Satur- day, March 8. All showings will begin at 7:30 p.m. A The co-sponsored “Hollywood comes to Lexington” week is a debut event. “The Film Society suggested the idea, and we are always looking for something to appeal to a broad audi- ence,” Vice Chairman of Contact Joshua Heslinga said. “The week-long event should encourage debate about cur- rent issues... and also be fun for students.” FI hot Next year twenty sorority women will live in the fo’rnl1eeII- 0 Delta Tau Delta house across from the post office. W&L ENTERTAINMENT: D-KGB IN THE H0 The Delta house sleeps 20, so four girls from each of the five sororities will live in the house next year. The sororities choose which girls would live there. Atkins outlined the house’s use, saying that they girls would probably not have a full-time kitchen or a house- Tau Delta from its lease agreement... and removed recognition from the fraternity” on Oct. 10, 1996. The proposal continues that the Panhellenic Sorority created in the house would “promote a cooperative Panhellenic spirit among the five sororities.” The proposal outlines facilities and rules for the house and mentions parking conditions would be those approved when the Delts still lived there: three spaces conditions were fine while the Delts were around and that neighbors remembered the fonner fraternity favorably. The D.C. reggae band D-KGB will perform in the GHQ at ‘I 9 p.m. Tuesday night. Free admission. ——COMPILED BY PEGGY Srumz ‘ . FOPINION D-hall reveals new menu, Betsy can't come up with an idea and President Clinton's budget makes the wrong sacrifices. 5 FEATURES IA drought symbolizes ' Lizze Curry’s future until 7 “The Rainmaker" enters herlife. Comet Hale-Bopp *returns to W&L from deep space. Students learn Pol- ish folk dancing. "Larry Flynt’’ portrays ‘the struggles of a porn mogul. PSPORTS Women’s basketball upsets Randolph-Macon. An- other tough overtime loss for men's basketball. The Big Fan takes his last stand as sports editor. it Dreams deferred for W&L black students BY AARON FOLDENAUER PHI STAFF WRITER optimistic. Some of Miles’ professors have said “really ignorant” comments directed to- ward her race, she said. Miles also must deal with similar comments made by students. “I was walking one night behind the ‘quad, and I heard someone yell out ‘Hey, you nigger!’ I would have to assume that it was directed towards me,” she said. Austin, who was shocked at “all the confederate flag-waving garbage” at W&L, has been shunned by stu- ' dents on numerous occasions. He . has also had problemswith W&Lsecu- ‘ rity, who have questioned and asked 4. him for identification when he was '5 - playing basketball in the gymna- - _ it sium. ' “Iamconcentratingon my edu- cation,” said Austin. “That’s the only thing that I can control. I don’t even know if we can have effective change.” Austin said that he is treated reasonably well most of the time, but when bad things happen, they usually “come in bunches.” “Being black on this campus is not a bad thing, but rather it’s a mixed bag,” said Taylor. “There are people at this campus who will give blacks the cold shoulder, but I have never experienced blatant racism. I have experienced south- ern hospitality.” Most W&L students look toward the Greek system for social outlets, but black Blacks are neglected and mistreated and have few social outlets on campus, according to several Washington and Lee University minority students. “This place to me is not a healthy place for black students to be and have as a college experience,” said Senior Brian Austin who is looking forward to gradu- ation day. leaving. Ithinklhavebeen through I the worst of times already. Right ‘ now, I'm on the backstretch.” Senior Robert Taylor chose W&L because of its size, its academic reputation and the generous financial aid pack- age that he was offered. “Looking back, I probably » should have included more param- eters in my selection,” saidTaylor, who now realizes he didn’t look closely enough at the social life of black W&Lstudents. ‘‘I consider myself part of the mainstream but not part of the Greek social system It worked out, but it was not easy my freshman year.” Sophomore Tiffany Miles classifies W&L’s social scene as “miserable.” “After you have done all of your study- ing and things, you’ve got to have some- thing to do,” said Miles. “And that is where this school is really lacking for _ me, as an African-American.’’ ' She says that the administration needs to work on this problem, but she isn’t Please see BLACKS, pg. 2 Economics professor signs petition against Balanced Budget BY B.J. WALKER PHI STAFF WRITER One of the most debated, and popu- lar, initiatives of the 105th Congress is the proposed Balanced Budget Amend- ment. Supported by practically all of the GOP majority and a large portion of the Democrats, the Amendment is almost assured passage. To most Americans the proposal seems like a good idea-—preventin g the government from engaging in the reckless spend- ing of the Reagan-Bush era. Some economist are, however, doubtful. At the recent meeting of the Ameri- can Economic Association, over 1,100 leadingeconomist, including 11 Nobel laureates, signed a petition, which has been reprinted in full-page ads in most leading papers across the country, eon- demning the measure as “unsound and unnecessary.” On the list was Washing- ton and Lee Professor Art Goldsmith. “l’m opposed to simply because its not prudent,” said Goldsmith. His opposition is grounded in the belief that a required budget, especially in times of economic recession, would be disastrous to the economy. “The government has set up auto- matic stabilizers (unemployment in- surance, welfare, etc.) that protects the economy. When people loseltheimw--public7e consciousness, but it would be jobs, the stabilizers keeps them up. The amendment would force expendi- ture to follow taxes. When the economy slows down, taxes would fall. That’s the time the government most needs to be spending. The government would have less to spend on stabilizers and the economy would only worsen.” “The more important issue is the composition of government expendi- tures, not the amount. If government is spending on infrastructure, education, training, and things like that, down the road, we will be much more produc- tive.” One likely explanation for the strength of the current American economy is the large investments that corporations made at the beginning of the decade, during a recession. Another oonoem is with government bonds. Goldsmith feels if the Balanced Budget Amendment were to get rid of govemmentbondsmany peoplewhomight use such bonds to safely save for college would no longer be have this option. “There aretimesasurpluswilloccur, just as a debt will at times occur. Both are natural and possible in the future.” As for Congress’ fascination with the issue, Goldsmith notes “it may be good politics, but it’s bad economics. 1,100 economists agree.” He does look favorable on the debate over the issue. ‘‘I think all the debate has been healthy because it’s raised the unwise to offset the good that the gov- ernment can do in times of recession.” OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970210/WLURG39_RTP_19970210_002.2.txt PAGE 2 First black student recalls W&Llife BY AARON FOLDENAUER PHI STAFF WRITER Dennis Haston, raised in Lexington and now a high school mathematics teacher, broke the racial barrier that encompassed Washing- ton and Lee University for decades. The first black undergraduate who attended W&L in the 20th century, Haston matriculated in 1966 and left in 1967. Theonly black before him wasJohn Chavis, who attended the College in the late 18th century. “Washington and Lee was more challeng- ing academically than socially,” Haston said in a recent telephone interview. “I struggled. I had roughly Cs and D5. In certain areas, I was not ready for the challenge.” Haston, who lived off-campus at his home, said he was generally treated well but had a few problems. “I sensed sometimes that I was not wanted,” he said. ‘‘I also thought I was discriminated against by one of my professors. The way he talked to me, graded my papers, the whole atmosphere. But back then I didn’t retaliate. I just went with the program.” For a variety of reasons, he decided to transfer to Bluefield State College. But this brief stint at W&L wasn’t the only first for Haston. “When I came to Winchester in 1970, I was the only black in the whole system,” Haston said. “I was the first black to do a lot ofthings. You just can’t give in.” NEWS / FEATURES BLACKS. from page 1 participation and involvement in the system is much lowerthanthatof the general studentbody,according toAssociateDeanofStudents Lenoy“Buddy”Atkins. About 50% of black men go through nrsh, while over 90% of all freshmen men decide to enter a fraternity. Hardly ever does a black woman go through rush. Atkins said the lack of black participation in the Greeksystemisnotsurprisinggiven thesmall number of minoritiesoncampusinthefirstplace. Hesaidthat the college is doing everything properly to recruit moreblacks. Only fourblacksareinthisyear’sfreshmanclass. “Ithink we just hadabad yearinthe Admissions Office landing the people we offered admission to,” Atkinssaid. “l thinkwewill haveabetteryearcoming up based on where we are with early admissions and applications.” He added, “We are still in a struggle to hold our own.” But forthcoming changes and improvements are too late for some students like Austin. “My time in Lexington is done,” Austin said. “whenlpassthrough here, itmightbejustto get gas.” The Black History Month display in the campus bookstore invites students to‘ read books by and about A frican-Americans. Photo by Mark Slomiany .--*-"""“"""‘—:~ FEBRUARY 10, 1997 EDITORS, from page 3 The Southern Collegian, according to Resmer, is more of a Mad magazine than a Mother Jones. “It’s a humor magazine with a vari- ety of short stories, poems, journalism, and comedy.” said Resmer. The magazine’s first female editor, Resmer paired up withvco-editor Alex Christensen to inject diversity and cre- ativity into the world of campus publi- cations. Efforts such as Winter Rush and the Fridays! Committee, in Resmer’s opinion, are attempts by the university to artificially spawn creativ- ity. Such creativity needs to come from within; hence, the Collegian. Her magazine seeks to provide a forum where students can thoughtfully discuss controversial matters instead of shouting back and forth at each other on the Op-ed page of The Trident. Her personal editorial philosophy is to cel- ebrate diversity while simultaneously preserving W&L’s conservative heri- tage. Although she wants to rid the campus of a climate of hatred, she's opposed to the sophist arguments of political correctness. It is not her aim to transform the university into Oberlin, Part II. Jenkins took over as editor-in-chief of the Spectator last March after a year in which the magazine took a low pro- file. “Our purpose is to put out commen- tary on campus issues and relevant na- tional issues,” said Jenkins. “Our con- servative slant is a reflection of the nature of our staff and what we believe needs to be discussed.” The magazine has opposed Winter Rush and infringements upon student autonomy. It is known for pokingfunat Dean Anne Schroer-Lamont and controver- sial campus organizations such as G&L. Jenkins believes it is wrong for students to take themselves too seriously. According to Jenkins, no campus organization, including the Spectator, is above public scrutiny. Jenkins uses his magazine to stand behind Greek life on campus. Fraterni- ties and sororities, according to Jenkins, help provide structure for the students, especially freshmen who might other- wise fall through the cracks. “Pledgeship is a good thing,” said Jenkins. “A healthy, reasonable pro- gram inspires self-confidence and im- proves solidarity.” Like most freshmen, both Resmer and Jenkins underwent a culture shock of sorts when first arriving in Lexing- ton. But both believe their four years ‘at W&L have changed them for the better. , _ “As a freshman, I felt like an out- sider,” said Resmer. “I learned that the best way to deal with that was not to shut myself out of the system but to work within it. W&L trained me to be a better activist because I live with the people who oppose my ideas.” According to Jenkins, his first six months were a tough transitional time /as well: “I was immature four years ago, but now I feel like I’ve developed person- ally. I've increased my knowledge, my self-confidence, and my sense of professionalism.” Above all, Resmer appreciates the civility among W&L students. In her opinion, this is unique to the school. On most other campuses, she believes, rational discussion of controversial is- sues is obstructed by a lack of respect among peers. Jenkins agrees. The campus is a, place where informative exchanges can occur without the weight of political correctness. He believes this is the difference between W&L and other top liberal arts schools. Armed with conviction and enthusi- asm, both Resmer and Jenkins are poised for greatness. Next year, Resmer will be working in Chicago for the Fund for Public Interest Research, an environmental and consumer lob- bying group. Jenkins will be in New York City working as an investment banker for what was Morgan Stanley before the merger with Dean Witter last week. In twenty years, Resmer sees herself as a celebrated author and poet; Jenkins sees himself in the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives. And, despite the gulf of differences that will continue to sepa- rate them, both will always remember W&L fondly, knowing that their ef- forts here helped to preserve an insti- tution they love. 0/93 VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION Remember Valentine’s Day Friday, February 14 Winter Red Dot Clearancesale Come by and check out Lexington’s Best Kept Secret PEEBLES DEPARTMENT STORE Valentine Joe Boxers for Men and Women Men’s Silk Boxers in solids and prints All Calvin Kline fragrances, including CK One and CK Be Save and Extra 3% off any item with a RED DOT y, 1 OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970210/WLURG39_RTP_19970210_003.2.txt F in ' I ‘C Fnsmmy 10, 1997 “The Rainmaker” storms into Lenfest BY ANDREA EWING PHI FEATURES EDITOR Today is your last chance to see the Lenfest Center make rain. Yes, it does rain, but this is not the most impressive ele- ment in the Washington and Lee Theatre Department’s in- terpretation of N. Richard Nash’s play “The Rainmaker.” Professor J. D. Martinez di- rects the play, which is set in “a western state on a sum- mer day in a time of drought,” according to the playbill. No specific setting is given: a set giving the il- lusion of a house with no solid walls could be any house. However, the charac- ters are not just any characters. The characters define the ac- tion, and a finely written text allows the actors to explore the inner drive of each. Lizzie Curry, portrayed by Maria Hardin, is a plain girl with no self-confidence. Hardin comments on the character in the “Curtain Call:” “Lizzie doesn’t know how to be a woman - she isn’t comfortable with who she is - and that makes it difficult for her to be roman- tically involved with a man.” Hardin gave a convincing per- formance displaying an excel- lent understanding of the char- acter. Her expressions said more than the delivered lines. The Rainmaker, Bill Starbuck, is a lively and bois- terous con man who promises the Curry family a thunder shower in exchange for $100. Starbuck knows the human heart and plays off emotion to achieve his goal. Drew Higgs, as Starbuck, enters proclaim- ing that even if he is crazy the family must believe or rain will not fall. Higgs has matured as an actor, and the depth presented in Starbuck reflects this new maturity. These two main characters come into conflict when Lizzie’s father, H. C. Curry played by Tommy Spencer, hires Starbuck. Lizzie knows W&life he is a con man, but his talk of dreams seems to make a drab reality glitter. Lizzie’s simple dreams seem as unattainable as the grand claims made by Starbuck. The remainder of the family consists of two brothers: Dan Tipton is the older brother, Noah, a harsh, highly critical man who runs the ranch, and Sam Levine plays the dim-wit- ted but endearing younger brother, Jimmy. Joe Merlino as File the Deputy Sheriff, a man facing the reality of a failed marriage, and Brian Prisco as Sheriff Tho- mas round out the cast. A blend of well-casted ac- tors and excellent set appear- ance bring the performance sen- sual appeal. Live harmonica music played by Lee Sauder lends a “down-home” feeling to the play. The music adds feeling to scenes and character, yet it is so understated that it does not overpower the perfor- mance. Nash writes about love and the power of faith in oneself. “The Rainmaker” allows the audience for a time to enter the lives of a family where miracles can happen. Martinez brings this family to life on stage. a en es uiblici ‘P1100 “Tell me you’re beautiful:” Starbuck (Drew Higgs) and Lizzie (Maria Hardin) find romance in W&L’s presentation of “The Rainmaker.” Editors shore role of cho lenging schoo PAGE 3 BY DAN ODENWALD PHI STAFF WRITER Cathy Resmer and Tim Jenkins both wear green corduroys, listen to classical music and drink coffee. And that’s about where their similarities end. Resmer edits the Southern Collegian, a student magazine with a decidedly “1ib'e'ral"beii’t; JeiiI<'ifi§”éEiit’s"tl1"é"S'”peE7iiio'r”,"’ the Collegian ’s conservative counterpart. Both Washington and Lee seniors use their publications to spark debate on campus and to expand the political dis- course. In the age of so-called Genera- tion X-er slackerhood, Resmer and Jenkins buck the stereotype. Indeed, whether they choose to realize it or not, they are activists in the truest sense of the word: those who take vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political goals. Resmer, an English major from Eastpointe, Michigan, hasn’t always been a liberal feminist. In high school, she considered herself a conservative Re- publican. “I just didgwhat my parents did“,’_’.she “§aiEi’." " "‘“Tl"{e'fi,"l"vV6lEé”up' and began to think for myself.” Since then, Resmer has championed traditionally liberal causes. In 1992, she campaigned for presidential candidate Bill Clinton, canvassing for votes in her neighborhood. She’s pro-choice, anti- death penalty, and supports gay rights. She believes Ronald Reagan was an “im- age president” who set our country back. Her heroes include consumer advocate Ralph Nader, Madonna, and folk singer Ani DiFranco. Typically dressed in black Doc Martens and baggy flannels, Resmer speaks with the intensity of someone who’s convinced she’s right. Jenkins, a senior European history and politics major from Rochester, Min- neusota, has always been a conservative Republican. He jokes about his G.O.P. bathroom, which is plastered with Re- publican campaign posters. A bust of President Reagan sits on his television. His heroes include his family, George Washington, and Robert E. Lee. In 1996, he voted for Bob Dole because he thought Dole was the best man for the job. He says he doesn’t like abortion but supports a woman’s right to choose, supports capi- tal punishment, and opposes “special rights” for homosexuals. Jenkins looks and sounds like the pro- totype of the Washington and Lee gentle- man: tall, well-groomed, and articulate. His voice is deep and resonates like that of a tenor. Jenkins epitomizes W&L grace —- someone who can balance a cocktail and hors d’ouerve in one hand while firmly shaking handswiththeother. What separates Resmer and Jenkins from most students on campus is their choice to enter the foray -— to speak up for what they believe in. As editors of their respective publications, both hope to disseminate their views, influence oth- ers, and to get people talking. Please see EDITORS, pg. 2 Comet Ha e-Bopp brightens BY DAVID BALSLEY PHI FEATURES EDITOR Star-minded students of Washington and Lee Uni- versity will have a new subject to which they can turn their attention during the next few months. Comet Hale-Bopp will be visible over the eastern horizon throughout February, March and April. According to The Washington Post, Comet Hale- Bopp’s rare appearance has excited some astrono- mers. Because Hale-Bopp travels a path which ex- tends out of our local solar system, into interplanetary space and back again, it visits Earth only once every four thousand years. In addition, Hale-Bopp promises to be one of the more visible comets to pass Earth. “If it lives up to its billing, it should be more obvious than most comets of this century,” said Pro- fessor Reese, Professor of Physics. “Halley’s Comet was pathetic in comparison.” Hale-Bopp will be visible to the naked eye. Reese suggests that students who would like a closer view of the comet forego the use of telescopes. Instead, students should use binoculars to view Hale-Bopp. According to Reese, telescopes would allow students to only see a part of the comet, whereas binoculars would allow students to view Hale-Bopp in its entirety. STUDENTS LEARN PIILIEH FIJLK DANIIINE BY WILLIAM OVERBAUGH PHI STAFF WRrrER Put on your dancing shoes and dance the Polonaise? Well, not exactly! On Sunday, the International Club hosted the Micha’s Polish Folk Ensemble. The group, which consists of ten dancers from the Norfolk area, has been dancing for about a decade. Although the folk ensemble concentrates on Polish folk dancing, their reper- toire also includes many dances from around the world. The program began at 3:00 p.m. with a description of the costume information! Vega Summer Triangle Altair j 20 degrees l Dorob Hale- 3099 East used in the show. Next, the en- semble performed dances from several folk regions of Poland, then finished by teaching the au- dience dances from Poland, Is- rael, Germany, French Canada and the United States. The Michas Ensemble is the first of a series of folk dances which the International Club will host this year. The next program will be Hungarian Dancing, hosted on March 2. In addition to dancing, this group will feature live village music and a multimedia presenta- tion of Hungarian folk traditions. Keep reading the Phi for more The early bird gets the comet: Students interested in seeing Hale-Bopp should look to the eastern morning sky. “It’s really best viewed without a telescope,” said Reese. Reese has offered to allow students of W&L to use the university’s binoculars to look at the comet. If the weather prediction for the next day is good, students should see Reese to sign out the binoculars that afternoon. Comet Hale-Bopp can be seen before sunrise (at about 6:00 a.m.). Reese advises that students look due morning skies east for three bright stars in a triangular pattern located twenty degrees above the horizon. (When you look straight up into the sky, you are looking up at an angle of ninety degrees. The three stars, then, should appear about one-fourth of the way into the sky.) These stars consist the Summer Triangle. Comet Hale-Bopp should be visible along the line which connects the bottom two stars. Comet Hale-Bopp will look like a little smudge, with its tail trailing vertically above it. Including its tail, Hale-Bopp is about the same size as the Moon. You will be better able to see Hale-Bopp if your surroundings are fairly dark. According to Reese, the main campus of W&L is too brightly-lit to afford a good view of the comet. Reese reccomends that students go to Liberty Hall and look to the mountains in order to see Hale-Bopp. Also, the comet will be more visible if the Moon is in a dark phase. Starting next month, Reese will help groups of students see the comet. “Some time in March, we’ll drag out one of our portable telescopes so students can look at the nucleus,” said Reese. Until then, Reese reccomends that students ask astronomy students to help them find Hale-Bopp. Take a break from your all-nighter to look at Comet Hale-Bopp. You only get a chance like this once every few thousand years. BY DAVID BALSLEY PHI FEATURES EDITOR In addition to opening doors and purchasing meals, your l.D. card can now win hearts and donate to charity. Kappa Alpha Theta is cur- rently sponsoring a rose sale, the proceeds from which will be donated to the American Heart Association. The roses will cost $4.50 each, or three for $12.00. You may be pleased to learn that the cost can be charged home. "Larru Flynt" depicts porn moguls struggles izrikitihr of 4 stars; hillarious and relevant The pitch: “lt’I| be like ‘Ed Wood’ meets ‘Ca|igu|a.”’ BY ALEX CHRISTENSEN PHI MovIE CRITIC Rarely has a movie seemed so out of place in the market- place. It’s being hyped like a big—budget “issue movie,” much like “Dead Man Walking” was, or like such older, sort of dopey but well intentioned efforts like “Gentleman’s Agree- ment” or “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Fair or unfair as that categorization might be to those films, it’s downright weird when applied to “The People vs. Larry Flynt.” First of all, Larry Flynt does not succumb to anything like the kind of “nice,” emasculated storytelling that makes everybody feel good. The issue it’s supposed to address is censorship and the First Amendment, and it does, sort of, but that’s not the crux of the story. The real story is a great, twisted love/hate affair between Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson) and the United States of America. How does this country, which praises free speech and morality in public while con- demning pornography, but buys pornography by the millions in private, deal with a native son who wants to be acknowl- edged as legitimate in public? Does standing up for free speech and freedom of action mean endorsing perversity? How does a capitalist society praise Flynt’s entrepreneurial spirit without condoning his views? Milos Forman, one of only two working directors to have won the Best Director Oscar twice (for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Amadeus”), along with Oliver Stone, “Flynt’s” producer, takes the tactic of telling Larry Flynt’s saga like a documentary, while at the same time using a sort of simplistic symbolism to portray the forces at work in America at the time. In Forman’s schema, Larry Flynt is the quintessential American. All he wants is to get ahead and to live his life with no compromises. His wife Althea Leasure Flynt (Courtney Love), represents the libertine who becomes a victim of her own destructive instincts, succumbing to drug addiction and falling victim to AIDS after years of sexual promiscuity. The forces of good line up on the opposite side. Charles Keating (James Cromwell) represents the hypocritical capi- talist who panders to another mass taste which happens to differ from Larry Flynt’s, but is essentially the same force. Flynt gives them unthinking sex; Keating, unthinking anti- sex. Jerry Falwell (Richard Paul) represents the complete hypocrite, preaching love while inculcating a visceral hatred for sexuality which doesn’t follow his rules. One of my favorite scenes is when some of Falwell’s students bring him theHustler parody which mocks Falwell— he never asks the pertinent question: “How did you find this?” It reminds me of when my sister used to tell on me for having my eyes open during family prayers. The perfect defense: “How does she know?” The most potentially fascinating character is Ruth Carter Stapleton (Donna Hanover Giuliani, yes, the New York City mayor’s wife), Jimmy Carter’s evangelical sister, who pro- poses liberating sexuality from the world of smut and Chris- tianity from the prudes. This development is violently inter- rupted, as all great movements are. All of these competing ideologies and forces are never reconciled, which is painfully obvious from looking at Ameri- can society today. People are still hysterical over other people’s sexuality. Congress is locked in some kind of sexual frenzy, prematurely legislating all over the House floor. Falwell’s ilk have hijacked the Republican Party, making it impossible to nominate a presidential candidate who can be elected. The movie has no easy answers, but it certainly raises all the right questions. And the best thing is Harrelson’s performance. If Larry Flynt has a soul, Harrelson has captured it on film. To take a person as unlikable as Larry Flynt and make you root for him is sheer magic. With every movement, every word, Harrelson leads us there. While Courtney Love’s performance is not quite the triumph some critics have hailed it as, it certainly remains amazingly true to character. It makes the point that however ugly sex can be, and however unlovable a person can ’be, it is love that makes things bearable. But the real point of the film is America’s own hypocrisy. Larry Flynt is a native son. America buys millions of his magazines a year. But he shouldn’t be anybody’s hero. The man admits having had sex with a chicken, for heaven’s sake! It’s hard to come back from that to hero status. Why did America make Larry Flynt a martyr, then, by persecuting and prosecuting him just for holding up a mirror to our society? We’ve got some serious issues to deal with. The roses will be on sale Mon- day, February 10, and Tuesday, February 11. Students can order roses in Dining Hall during lunch and in front of the Co-Op from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Roses will be delivered on Wednesday, wrapped in ribbon and accompa- qrnppn ownn cinnn sponsops post Sflii Orders nied by a Valentine. can be delivered to students who live on or off campus. “We really want a lot of people to do it because it’s for charity,” said Jennifer Owens, Theta Social Chair. “Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day: do some- thing nice for someone else.” February 12, OCR::/Vol_097_098/WLURG39_RTP_19970210/WLURG39_RTP_19970210_004.2.txt PAGE 4 OPINION FEBRUARY 10, 1997 President’s budget cuts other critical programs President Clinton’s State of the Union address last Tuesday, outlined the major focus for his next four years: education. He has one—upped the so-called “education presi- dent” George Bush and proposed a dramatic new initiative to improve our nation’s schools. On Thursday, Mr. Clinton backed From the Right Jason Zacher ’98 Ring-tum Phi Editorial Editor this proposal in his budget, increasing edu- cation spending by 13 percent, but at what cost? There are few in this nation who would say our education system is not in trouble. Like some of the Washington and Lee stu- dents at this school, I went to public schools that had good teachers, but poor facilities. With better facilities, my high school, which already had the best test scores in the public schools in my area, could have beat out many more private schools also. All it takes is a little funding. Clinton’s first proposal of national stan- dards for education is overdue. Though it is clearly the states’ job to fund and run educa- tion, many states do not make education a priority, whether it is because of rising prison and entitlement spending, or because of a general cultural aversion to education. Some national standards that school districts need to meet is the first step toward equalizing public education. His second proposal, to find and certify the best teachers, and remove those who do not measure up, is also overdue. Teaching is America’s most important profession, especially in the coming decades. The in- credible influence the teachers’ unions in this country prevents the poor teachers from being fired— hopefully Clinton will weaken the teachers’ unions through this action and districts can remove these bad teachers. The third and fourth proposals focus on education for children. It is a travesty that in our great country there are people who cannot read. Parents need to help educate their children, and we need to go back now and help those who have fallen through the cracks. The next few proposals are full issues in themselves. He has adopted the tradition- ally Republican school choice issue and also called for school uniforms, zero tolerance for drugs and guns in school, and abroad tax credit for college education (up to $10,000 a year after high school). Finally, there is the challenge of linking all schools to the Internet and $5 billion for school improvements. Both are good pro- posals. Like the national standards pro- posal, these two will also help level the playing field among public and private schools. The improvements in education that our country needs so desperately come at what cost to other programs? First, true to Demo- cratic form, Clinton slashed our defense spending by another 3.4 percent. This de- spite the warnings of our current and past Joint Chiefs that the spending has gone too low, and we cannot fulfill our missions anymore. The biggest mistake he makes is a $2.9 billion decrease in modernization spending. Has he forgotten what a differ- ence modernization spending makes? Many of our technologies from the Gulf War are being rendered obsolete before our own eyes. Our military advantage is steadily decreasing due to his cuts. The other major program that suffers is the infrastructure program that even the Washington Post says we desperately need. To keep our economy the best in the world, we need the best infrastructure. Clinton is abandoning his ambitious plans by slashing spending on airports, bridges, roads and railroads. Like the defense spending cuts, these also hurt our country’s competitive- ness in the international arena. If these were the losers in the budget battle, what were the winners? Well, if a Democraticpresidentholdsthe White House, you guessed it: Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare spending is slated to increase by 8 percent, and Medicaid will increase by 7.4 percent. In what is becoming the story of the Clinton presidency, some areas he gets so right, and others he gets so very wrong. It is time for the Democrats to follow the Repub- lican lead and realize that some very tough decisions are going to have to be made about the entitlement spending in this country. Without a major tax increase, something is going to have to give. Unfortunately, Presi- dentClinton sees ourinternational competi- tiveness as the price. Maybe, just maybe, with aRepublican congress, this budgetwill correct itself. If we want to continue our entitlement spending we will have to get it under control, which will hurt people. But instead of hurting a few Americans, Clinton would rather hurt our country and its international standing as the only super- power in the world. Bu.r'r'i T05 Dessu-T Beve ra. 38 _§_ To0\o~y‘5 Menu. H as in Browns 5o~u»TéeoL Mushrooms Chee se but r3_e.r5 French Fr';'e5 D0~k€ i P01-ot.J'oe5 .5Pec,ia.l “5ue3oJ"‘P0-c.i