OCR::/Vol_101/WLURG39_RTP_19980921/WLURG39_RTP_19980921_001.2.txt Washington and Lee University VOLUME 101, NUMBER 2 Ultra ‘tiling-tum lfilii Bulk Rate US Postage PAID Permit No. 7 Lexington. Va. Monday SEPTEMBER 21, 1998 Sorority houses set for fall 2000 Hill unveils new housing plans BY POLLY DOIG News EDITOR It took Washington and Lee Uni- versity 237 years to decide that co- education was the way to go. Thirteen years later, with females now making up 45 percent of the stu- dent body, the decision to build so- rority houses has been made, and the plans unveiled. The drawings have been presented to the Lexington Plan- ning Commission, who will take action at its next meeting on Sept. 24. When W&L’s master plan was given approval last spring, it was with the understanding that the sorority houses would be constructed simul- taneously with the planned parking deck and pedestrian bridge. However, both the parking deck» and the pedestrian bridge are be- hind schedule, so W&L decided to go ahead with the sorority houses. W&L officials hope to have the houses open by the fall of 2000. Designed in the style of the Colon- nade, the five houses will be located on the backside of campus, to the west of Woods Creek. There is space for an additional house, should the need arise. Each house has space for 20 girls, therefore increasing overall university housing by 100 beds. According to Dean of Students David Howison, this will expand the campus housing avail- able to upperclassmen, as most sorori- ties mandate that their officers live in the houses. . “Though we’ve been fortunate in that everyone who wanted housing has gotten it, this will certainly increase accessibility,” Howison said. Reaction from the sorority commu- nity to the house plans is extremely positive. “I’m just very, very excited. I think its going to be a great opportunity for members of our sorority. It’s a going to be a great place for girls to meet and gather, and Ithink it will be a very beau- tiful addition to university hous- ing,” Pi Beta Phi sophomore Allison Harvey said. “We’re just really excited about it because it’s going to mean a while new level of sorority involvement. The houses are absolutely beautiful; they’re uniform, yet still different enough to keep separate identities. I’m sojealous that I’m not going to be here to enjoy them,” Kappa Alpha Theta president Mandy Stallard said. Lex police create new task force BY ESZTER PADOS STAFF WRITER Increased incidents of violent beat- ings, thefts, robberies and V’MI riots are serving as signs of the times for the Lexington Police Department. Lexington residents and students alike are losing the luxury of leaving their doors unlocked and taking mid- night strolls around town. The LPD is responding with a pro- fessionally trained special response team to deal with unexpected emergency situations within the city limits. The infamous VMI “mini-riot” last fall, which deteriorated into extreme destruction of property and vandal- ism, prompted the idea for the special unit. VMI Post Police and LPD recog- nized their limited authority and lack of readiness for such extreme cases. The team, which will consist of eight trained professionals, will cooperate with the drug task force to handle cri- sis situations in Lexington. Lexington has long enjoyed the luxury of safety within its borders, and the majority of students and lo- cals don’t realize the rising nation- wide trend toward violence and crime.Lt. Steve Crowder, special team commander, recognizes that the presence ofa group resembling a military unit is unusual in a small town like Lexington. Yet he points Stay off the brown grass! BY POLIY DOIG to increasing small town violence and crime across the country, which contradict the “nothing will ever hap- pen here” attitude common to the area. Although the unit is geared toward the rare emergencies and dangerous situations in Lexington, the commu- nity as a whole, including students, will benefit from the team’s expertise. Students themselves are often the vic_- tims of violence. Campus-wide prac- tices such as university cards and honor codes do not insulate students from victimization. There are more than 7,000 residents of Lexington who are not bound by an Honor Code. Ac- cording to Sgt. Torben H. Pedersen of the LPD, last year Washington and Lee students were the victims of “two random beatings, as well as various break-ins and thefts by outsiders.” Mike Young, Director of Washing- ton and Lee Security, added that the special unit “wouldn’t necessarily in- volve students. They will primarily deal with drugs, people who are armed, lost children and other such cases.” Despite the fact the Lexington has not experienced the same magnitude of problems common in other towns, Commander Crowder believes that the unit’s response time and qualifications will guarantee efficient, fast and up- to-date safety measures. BEARING A DISTINCT FIESEMBLANCE TO the University ’s main colonnade, the five sorority houses pictured here will be completed by/iugust of 2000. PICTURE PRO VIDEI) BY PAYETl'I;' AssoC1A TES F ljl chapter at MIT charged with alcohol-related death of pledge State brings manslaughter charges against organization rather than its members BY HOLLISTER HOVEY T-——-— EXECUTIVE EDITOR With manslaughter and hazing charges handed down Thursday, Phi Gamma Delta became the first national fraternity ever charged with homocide. No individuals were charged in last year’s drinking death of Massachu- setts Institute of Technology freshman and Fiji pledge, Scott Krueger, so the organization will most likely face a fine. According to The Boston Globe, Krueger drank beer and Jack Daniels whiskey until he became nauseated. Two brothe,rs..br.ought him to his room, put him on his stom- ach, gave him a trash can and left. Ten minutes later, he was uncon- scious and covered in vomit. After emergency medical techni- cians came, Krueger was blue in the face and had a blood-alcohol level of .401. He died 40 hours later. _ MIT took action after the death by kicking the Fiji chapter offcampus and attempting to curb on-campus drinking. “The student body has had to deal with radical changes imposed by the university as a result ofthe incident, including new rules that impose cam- pus policelofficers at dormitory and Greek parties as well as changes in the resident selection process,” MIT junior Murthy Mathiprakasam said. Freshmen will be requited to live on- campus by 2001. Currently, they are required to decide their Greek affilia- tion and/or living plans the first week of school. The universtiy has also made efforts to increase alcohol aware- ness. But like with Washington and Lee’s BYOB policy, MIT students have found loopholes in the system. “Lets be honest, if a student wants to drink, ‘ he or she can almost always find some- one willing to buy them alcohol,” MIT senior Mike Parkins said. “So now in- stead of drinking at parties, there are more people drinking before the par- ties and just showing up drunk.” Many students and Krueger’s parents are not satisfied with the charges and the university sanc- tions. According to the Kruegers’ lawyer, they are considering law- suits against the university, the fra- ternity, and individual fraternity members. “There have been many allogations from those who do not know the facts of the situation that the brothers in the house in effect murdered Scott Krueger,” Parkins said. “I know a lot of the guys from Fiji and I knew Scott, and I firmly believe that no one forced him to drink that night. Fiji is guilty of providing an atmo- sphere where drinking was encour- aged, of not telling Scott he had had enough and I would go so far as to say they are guilty of letting him die. “But I cannot stomach the accu- sations I have heard that they killed him. They are not evil men. While it most likely should have, the result ofthat night probably never entered their mind as a possibility,” Parkins added. “They liked Scott, or else they would not have pledged him. He was their friend, and they will have to live with his death and their inaction for the rest of their lives.” Senior encounters Amityville horror BY HOLLISTBR HOVBY -—j——— EXECUTIVE EDITOR Beta Theta Pi senior Brian Elliott passed Amityville on North Randolph - Street early Thursday morning when a stranger came out of nowhere and punched him in the eye. According to Lexington Police Of- ficer Mike Hess, Francis Johnson, 19, of Lexington, was having an argument with another party and walked away angry. He needed to hit sorrieone, and Elliot happened to be there. Amityville resident, Maggie Maher, who was walking in front of Elliot, heard the blow and called the paramedics. Elliot’s cut warranted six stitches. “I don’t know why it happened. I was wearing neutral gang colors,” said Elliot. “Thank God for my good friend Denny Collins and the girls at Amityville for helping me.” A neighbor identified Johnson, and police arrested him at his home later NEWS EDITOR It’s tradition: lazy, late summer days topped off with Frisbee games or quiet study beneath a tree with the sce- nic backdrop of the Colonnade. Forget about it. The Front Lawn is currently suffering from a bad case ofthirst and feeling the side effects of Fall Convocation- related trampling. This, combined with a hot, dry summer and the breakdown of the irrigation system in July, has resulted in the closing of the Front Lawn to all through. traffic. Pedestrians are asked to stay off the grass for the duration of Fall Term. “This unfortunate combination of bad circumstances has caused us to take immediate action to preserve and protect our historic Front Lawn,” said Scott Beebe, direc- wt of the physical plant at Washington and Lee Univer- sity. “We have put a system in place that we are confident will result in a deep, lush, bluegrass carpet come spring.” The physical plant will use a combination ofirrigation, reseeding, herbicides and fertilizer in order to rejuvenate the lawn, and in addition, will attend a special meeting on turf management at Virginia Tech. “We understand the inconvenience and unhappiness that these steps -will create,” Beebe said. “But after we have this program in place and the lawn has had time to heal and to grow we don’t foresee having to limit access to the Front Lawn.” (D Sophomore housing frenzy in full swing: What’s the rush? CD TALKBACK: If you were president and had an intern PAGE 2 U. LAST WEDNESDAY AMITYVILLE ( pictured here) was the scene of the unprovoked and cow- ardly attack against Beta senior Ryan Elliott. PHOTO BY CHRISTIE PHlI.I.Il’S/PHOTO EDITOR Lu Boys vs. Girls: how some BY IVIICHAEL CRITTENDON freshmen decorate their rooms : (13 Remodeling ideas from w students who live off-campus E PAGE 3 that morning on a charge of malicious wounding. Johnson’s bond hearing is sched- uled for today. This is not the first incident involv- ing Amityville. Besides the attack, Amityville resi- dents have seen some strange incidents with some people in the neighborhood. “One night a man came to our door and asked for $5,” junior Childs Cantey said. This was not their only encounter with an odd solicitor. “Another time a little girl came to the door and said, ‘Mam, do you got any stamps?” junior Lane Cates said. “When I said, ‘no,’ shejust stood there for awhile and then went home. She didn’t go to any other houses.” Townies also loiter on the Amityville wall and others like to use their back- yard as a shortcut to Stop-In on beer- runs. Fiji misses cook PHOTO EDITOR When the brothers of Phi Gamma Delta returned to Lexington this fall, they were saddened by news of the death of their cook, Gary L. West. West died Aug. 7 of complica- tions stemming from surgery to re- pair a collapsed lung caused by lung cancer. Upon learning of West’s death, brothers expressed deep regret at the loss of such a beloved member of the Fijifamily. Gary West was a member of a band called the Rarely Herd, a crowd favor- ite around Lexington in the past few years. West was also an avid collector ofNative American artifacts, specifi- cally arrowheads. Before working at the Fiji house Gary was the cook at the Kappa Al- pha house for two years. Following the closing of the KA house last March, West filled the open posi- tion at the Fiji house. Upon starting as new cook, West quickly became a beloved member ofthe house, not simply as a cook, but as a friend to many of the brothers. “He was a great guy and really cool to hang out with after hours at the house,” said Fijijunior Rich Isolde. “Even though he was he was one ofthe employees, it was almost like he was one of us,” Fijijunior Greg Nouza said. “You could go and talk to him anytime and hang out. He was a lot of fun.” In response to West’s death, the Fiji brothers donated $500 to his family to help with the cost of his burial. For those whom West fed and befriended, he will be well re- membered and missed. Women’s soccer anihilates Hollins, beats VA Wesleyan CD Football (0-2), men’s soccer (1-1) both fall to 0-1 in ODAC PAGE 4 OCR::/Vol_101/WLURG39_RTP_19980921/WLURG39_RTP_19980921_002.2.txt ii -- -""'~r‘ pinion ditorial PAGE 2 SEPTEMBER 21, 1998 1749 1999 change W&L community Once upon a time, about 250 years ago, a few guys gathered in Augusta County to take classes at a small school, with nary a white col-A } umn in sight. The school changed its name a 3; few times, and eventually its location, to a town 2‘, called Lexington. It was on the verge of finan- . E cial ruin when a President of some newly United States put a check in the mail (so that they could get themselves a Colonnade, and thus, have a place to streak). Even though what became known as Mock Con wasn’t yet around to pre- dict his ascendence, they nevertheless, in his honor, put a “Dubyuh” in their name and took a week off to celebrate his birthday. Some years later, a defeated general rode into town on a gray horse, built a church and a house, and, sensin g the future need for more mass quan- tities of lawyers, added a law school. Used to giving orders, the general dictated that students ~ would greet each other, as well as refrain from , things such as lying, cheating and stealing. 9 Grateful, they added to the “Dubyuh” a “nell,” A and interred him in his church. They made the horse stay outside. Following a Greek invasion, Dubyuhnell de- . cided tobanish them to places like Red Square and Davidson Park, so that they could conduct their odd chugging rituals at somewhat of a dis- tance. Later, sensing the need for a little play » with their work, students decided that a modest soirée would be good. They called it “Fancy Dress,” and it stuck around. Dubyuhnell never was a place to change with —g the times; it usually lagged at least a few de- E cades behind. Certain that things like minori- ties and coeducation would never last, it waited a good century or so to be sure that they weren’t simply passing fads (like those freshmen bean- ies). Even the automobile never really caught t on until the addition of the tailgate. So, on this, the 250"‘ anniversary of our , Dubyulmell, we can all smile fondly at our fine ~ traditions, and rest safe in the knowledge that ~ after another 250, they’ll still be wearin’ those ' damn khakis. flip: iiiing-tum Iflhi Executive Editors Tarah Grant Hollister Hovey Copy Editors Sarah Meldrum Meredith Mlynar News Editors Polly Doig John Stewart w&Iife Editors Ginger Phillips Erica Prosser Stephen Pesce Frances Groberg Brendan llarrington Kevin Mcl\'lancmin Opinion & Editorial Editor Sports Editors Last ward Editor Photo Editor Mike Crittcnden Christie Phillips Online Editor Tom W adlow Layout Assistant Stephanie Bianco Jill Jarnicson Jason Williams Business Manager Managing Editor The Ring-tum Phi is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA. Funding for The Ring-tum Phi comes primarily from advertising and subscription revenues. The Washington and Lee Publications Board elects the Executive Editor and Business Manager, but The Ring—tum Phi is otherwise independent. The Ring-tum Phi welcomes all responsible submissions and letters. All submissions must be in the Phi office, room 208 of the University Center, by noon on Saturday to appear in that week’s edition. The Ring-tum Phi reserves the right to edit submissions for content and length. Letters, columns and “Talkback" do not reflect the opinion of The Ring-tum Phi Editorial Board. Advertising does not reflect the opinions of The Ring-tum Phi or its staff. This newspaper observes current court definitions of libel and obscenity. The Ring-Iunr P/ii 208 University Center Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 24450 Telephone: (540)462-4060 Fax: (540) 462-4059 E-mail: phi@wlu.edu /1lIp.'//ll’/ll.(fdll/~[)/1/ After two weeks at Washington and Lee, it is clear to me that honor and civility are very sacred to both the the entire W&L community does a fine job of uphold- ing these sacred traditions. Some extremely shaky ar- eas in the university’s behavior, however,.do not re- flect honor as they should. . Honor seems to disappear, or at least fade into the background, upon entering W&L’s rather aggressive party scene. True, I Webster’s Dictionary defines sonal reputation; integrity.” What then can be said for those who drink illegally and solicit sex knowing it will thisjust “partyin’ hard” or should the university take a hard look at what the word “honor” pertains to?" for parties. - Honor should extend to social life student body and the administration. For the most part,’ have yet to see any overt lying, cheat- Poison catalysts. the university should take ing or stealing; but is that all that ‘P , » an eniphatic stance and implore stu- counts’? M1ke:Agnd1°. 02 dentstorefrain from such activities. honor as “high regard or respect; per- 7 2 q ' ingly breaking the law not dishonorable? The univer- be easier because the other person is intoxicated? ls, gabadoney ‘ . , . V. , _What-l leavefthereader to ponder is this: Is the gen- eral debauchery that pervades campus social life dis- honorable?,0nejonly has to go to any fraternity party to seethe answer. Until both students and administra- , etors decideto amend the situation, we are left with the , iuncfertainty of whether or notour honor system is as 1 extensive as we thought... ] :' During the Executive Committee’s honor system ori~ E entation, Elizabeth Formadoni said honor wasvin no, way exclusive to lying, cheating or stealing. Last tithe-; '_ I checked, the honor system did not include adisclaiimer , (The students are not the only ones -at fault for-the duplicity of the honor system. During the freshmen meeting with the IFC, an administer blatantly told stu- kients that, though he preferred that they do not drink gunderage, they should exercise discretion and good judgmentiif they choose to drink. It seemed as if he were giving up on telling the studentsnot to drink al- together. Is this the message a knowledgeable admin- ister should 'be sending to youthful college students? With binge drinking incidents on this campus and others acting as T 0 steal a candy bar at the Co-op is a serious honor violation. To be ar- rested for intoxication or sexual assault is not? Is know- sity loathes, changing tradion; even if that tradition is Sophomores in uproar over housing Everyone is talking about it - at least, everyone in the sophomore class is talking about it. No, unfortunately I am not referring to the upcoming Responsibility Sympo- sium, but to the housing situation for next year’s junior class. Housing paranoia has invaded the Class of 2001, and my fellow sophomores are literally rushing out in throngs to grab up all the available houses and apartments in the Lexington area. Now, ifthere is a specific house that you have a burn- ing desire to live in, it makes perfect sense to want to be first in line for the lease signing. Perhaps there is a particular place that generations of your family’s W&L graduates have called home. Or maybe there is an apartment that is so fabulous that no other apartment could possibly compare (even those in the same complex with the same architectural design). lfthis is the case, then I say go for it, and fast. Many people are so afraid of being homeless for the duration of their junior year at W&L, however, ‘ that they are rushing out and signing leases for whatever places are imme- C C diately available. Maybe this is the appropriate time to interject the old adage “Fools rush in.” A lot of things can and will change before next year, and what may seem like the right action now could turn into regret next September. Deciding where to live next year is an important decision that requires more thought than “This one’s available. Let’s snatch it up before someone else does!” It takes time to find the right place and to ask all of those necessary questions. Some houses and apartments will not even be available until the first part of next year, so binding yourselfinto a contract now may mean missed opportunities in the future. ., .. . Sometimes you might find out more information about what it’s actually like to live somewhere from the current residents rather than from the landlord. Unfortunately, most juniors have only been living in their present homes for about one month and cannot passjudgment on their living condi- tions in such a short amount oftime. They may not be able to tell you about those annoying leaky faucets or the bad insulation because they don’t know about them yet. {{ uote of the week: I squeezed that sperm until a strange sort of insanity came OVCI‘ me. —— Herman Melville }} Havel i.opiniori?I, Let us: ~.Jc1fiow’.”,; email us at phii.@wlu,éd call at (540)-162-49060 A Few Loose Marbles Ginger Phillips ’01 The madness has already begun, and there may be no way to stop it now. Due to the influx of sophomore house hunters, many juniors are being forced by their landlords either to re- sign leases now or to start making other housing arrange- ments for next year. Most other upperclassmen are amazed at the insanity that is grip- ping our class. They never under- stood why we camped out in droves for classes last year, and they do not understand why we are so concerned about our living arrangements now. Most of them didn’t make housing decisions until at least halfway through their sophomore year, and unless l’m mistaken, the local shelter is not filled with members of the junior class. As many sophomores are now discovering, friendships also change over time. A once ideal roommate situation currently might be forcing you into hibernation in Leybum Library or camping among the Ruins. Many sophomores chose to share their new abodes with different people than they lived with last year as fresh- men. It only makes sense, therefore, that roommate preferences might also alter in the lengthy amount oftime between now and the beginning of ourjunior year. Donn counselors and RAs are not cho- sen until December, which poses a prob- lem for sophomore applicamsrwvho fear committing to anything before they know the outcome of this competition. Study abroad plans are often not finalized until 7) Spring Tenn. Situations such as these can cause future problems for people whose changing plans could interfere with their hasty housing decisions. While my advice would normally be to calm down, wait a while, and avoid making the wrong housing arrangements, I feel that my appeal is too late. The madness has already begun, and there may be no way to stop it now. Wa||ace’s death sparks interest in racegrelations This week, another story besides the late unpleasant- ness in our nation’s capital has been recognized by the media: the death of former Alabama governor and noto- rious segregationist, George Wallace. Hearing about ‘ t\}i\1/.alll(ac:’s lileaihflgot me Blows in mg a ou e cur- . rent state of race in the db EIDPHE national mindset. How Ta1aMcCookO2‘ far have we as a nation come towards true tol- erance of cultural and ethnic diversity? Needless to say, the 19905 are a much more enlight- ened time than the l950s. We no longer condone legal segregation, and a scene such as then-Governor Wallace standing in the door ofthe University ofAlabama block- ing the admission of African—American students simply would not happen ‘ C today. But while racism Are we really a in the eyes ofthe law SOCl€ty that accepts has long since been people for who they eliminated, has it re- ally been deleted area or do We have from the mentality more ground to cover of the general pub- lic? before we truly be- Come, West come tolerant of wrote in 1993, in his Others‘) book Race Matter, ofa time in Manhat- 9) tan when he was re- fused rides repeat- edly by cab drivers when attempting to catch a taxi. One of the cabbies even stopped to pick up a white woman standing next to him, but denied him. incidents such as this, when even an educated, obvi- ously upper-clags black man is denied a cab in favor ofa white woman, make me wonder ifracism is really all that removed from American society. In school, we are taught that segregation by race is wrong, and that our society does not condone racism in any way, shape, or form. But in this day and age, I have to wonder about the accuracy ofthat statement. . Are we really a society that accepts people for who they are, or do we have more ground to cover before we truly become tolerant ofothers? In my opinion, we have miles to go before we can soundly sleep on this issue. “ 1» . *3‘ r . iv//' \ I l at! ._ i;1 g fix anintem... “l’d make sure she was good looking.” —Mike Hodge ’02 JAMES G. LEYBURN LIBRARY W/\SHlNGTON & LEE umvgn LEXINGTON, VA 24450 Sm’ SEP 2 91998 ‘‘I’d work her ass offto make my life “l’d buy her a box of Cuban ‘‘I’d buy her a gift certificate easier.” ’ cigars.” to the cleaners.” __’[‘jffany Frieda] ’()7_ —Jeff Bahl ‘O2 —Car|ing Dinkler ‘O2 *1’ .,. OCR::/Vol_101/WLURG39_RTP_19980921/WLURG39_RTP_19980921_003.2.txt You want tips? We got tips I. w‘« SEPTEMBER 21, 1998 ‘home away from home’ In the dorms, freshmen decorating splits down lines of gender BYELIANNAMARZJANI STAFF Wnnnz The inevitable has happened: The class of 2002 has arrived and settled into the luxurious freshman dorms of Washington and Lee University. For many, this is under- standably a huge adjustment. How do freshmen set up house in rooms that are prob- ably teeny compared to their cosy bedrooms at home? Do all of the newest future W&L alumni handle their new, cramped situations in the same way? Of course not. In fact, there are very clear style divisions, and they run along gender lines. Freshmen women seem to employ three main devices in their room-expanding endeavors: minis, space savers, and room makers. All ofthese are available at stores like Wal-Mart® or K—Mart®, and are relatively inexpensive for the services they provide. Minis are compact versions of usually—larger items. Examples include mini irons and ironing boards, blow dry- ers, alarm clocks, fans, refrigerators and almost anything else imaginable. The idea behind minis is this: the smaller the toys, the more toys one can have. In their room-filling philosophy, W&L women seem «to advocate that more, rather than bigger, is better. Space savers bend the laws of physics by allowing several items to occupy nearly the same space, leaving more room open to create the illusion of roominess in a small room. Some popular, space-saving examples are plas- tic containers with several sections and clothes hangers that can hold multiple items. Room makers were by far the most popular means of coping used by the freshmen women. These are devices that create room by often employing that most concise of philosophies, “Build up.” “We used wall hooks, shelves, shoe racks, and rolling drawers to create more room,” freshman Megan Lott said. “Our room is small, but I think we arranged it really well.” Some of the most common room maker methods in- clude stacking bunk beds, putting beds on cinder blocks, installing plastic shelves and hooks’ on walls and putting vertical shoe racks in closets. Some women installed shelves, put crates on the shelves, and then put books and frames on top of the crates, thereby tripling or quadrupling the amount of “stuff” that could be crammed into the room. Hanging hooks and towel racks are used to make sure that not even those three inches of space between the closet door and the clothes inside go to waste. Room savers operate on the same principle as sky- scrapers: a lot ofstuffin what is reallyjust one square foot offloorspace. Judging by the decorating differences among W&L freshmen, one could easily believe that men are indeed from Mars and women from Venus. For all the organizing tech- niques being used by the interviewed women, few space- saving trends prevail among the men interviewed. Some men used CD towers, crates or cinder blocks to save space. “My roommate and I bunked our beds, which gave us extra space to put in a couch,” freshman Brandon Herd said. The efforts generally end there, however, and precious space under beds often goes un- or under-utilized. Usually books are not neatly stacked, but rather shoved into a corner or crate that also plays host to a towel and a bag of chips. In some rooms, crumpled-up clothing, luggage and food vie for the same space in a corner. Not surprisingly, not a towel hanger in sight. Why the organizational differences between the fresh- men we interviewed? Some women speculate that men use fewer space-saving techniques because men generally bring less stuff to college than women do. Whatever the reason, freshmen men seem to stress com- fort, rather than neatness. Their belongings are found in ap- parently arbitrary locations around the room because that’s where the men like them, not because the locations are effi- cient or aesthetic. Freshman women, on the other hand, seem to stress that comfort comes from neatness. Thus, all their items are neatly stacked and shelved in out-of-the-way places. As different as these philosophies are, one should remem- ber that neither is necessarily wrong. So if any gender wars are to begin this year, they won’t come from dorm decorating. _ NOT EVERY. . ROOM is asaézit‘ “Y and tidy a.g,«Collvin: L 5‘ E Gleason ’s, but each student’; abode: I I I V has a personality; I I Students, employfla wide range of V decorating styles. - E and toeach I ‘ student, the style makes it a home.‘ ‘ Check out the " . interesting [clog]; ;,* on the nightstand.‘ Paoro BY CHRISTIE. PHILLIPS/PHOTO EDITOR BY ERICA PRossER Fmums Eorroa Whether this is their first year away from home or their last year of college living, most students can benefit from a little advice about living and learning at Washing- ton and Lee University. Here’s a handy list ofthings that might make everything about the college experience that much more comfortable. 1. Organize. It doesn’t matter what your method of organization is as long as you have one. You can sleep longer if you don’t have to spend twenty minutes searching frantically for your chemistry notebook be- fore class. - 2. Get as much sleep as you need. Ifyou absolutely have to pull an al|—nighter, fine, but do yourselfa favor and try to avoid it. You’ll feel much better, and you’ll have a much better chance ofretaining the information you study if you aren’t fighting to keep your eyes open. 3. Keep your place relatively clean. This doesn’t mean being obsessive and spotless, of course. But a dirty place (dust, bread crumbs, empty drink contain- ers, etc.) invites insects and other fun critters to make a home where you do. 4. Eat well. Try to maintain a somewhat balanced and regular diet. This can be hard on a college schedule, but it’s healthier for you, and you’ll have much more energy if you take care of youself. 5. Talk to the profs. That’s what they’re there for, after all. Don’t be afraid to go to your professor’s office and ask questions. Be friendly and polite, and remember: these people will be writing your letters of recommendation some- time soon. It would help ifthey knew your name. 6. Budget your time and money. Both ofthese can run out when you least expect it, and a little planning can save you a real headache. Keep your checkbook and your cal- endar balanced. 7. Winter is coming, but don’t expect snow days. In the Blizzard of 1996, three feet ofsnow fell on Lexington, and W&L closed for all of two days. Since then, the school has not closed for inclement weather, and the chances ofa closing for anything less than another blizzard are slim. Usually, if Buildings and Grounds can get the walkways clear (and they always do), the school opens, regardless of road conditions in the area. 8. Have fun. This is college, not prison. Get the work done, but play a lot, too. We’re supposed to look back at these years as the best of our lives, so make ‘em count. Regarding the map Last week, this newspaper ran a map of downtown Lexington, complete with locations of a handful ofbus1- nesses. Most of the map was transferred directly from a similar map given to freshmen last year in a book pub- lished by the University. The editors of this paper made every effort to include the establishments freshmen tend to use the most so as to make the map useful to the new students. It was naturally impossible to include every single downtown business on the map, but if any mer- chants were offended by the publication, we apologize. The Ring—tum Phi sells advertising space in which mer- chants can publish their telephone numbers and wares, information that was not provided on the map in ques- tion. Any inquiries or comments can be directed to The Ring-tum Phi at 462-4060. Hey, you! Do you like to write? Do you like to see your name in lights (or bylines?) Write for the Phi! To write features, contact Erica at 464-1806 or Ginger at 462-4291 and say: ‘‘I wanna write for the Phi!” W&life Turning your dorm into a I PAGE 3 FROM TIE-DYE to tiny lights, this and other collegiate residences give students the chance to express their creative, domestic or wacky sides. PHOTO /tl’ MIKI5 CRIt'l‘I;‘NI)l~.’N Off campus living: home is where the disco ball hangs Upperclassmen flee the dorms and carve niches in Lexington BY CAROLYN PRBSLY STAFF Wanna Forget campus donns and frat houses . . . the Wash- ington and Lee University upperclassmen know all about the finer points ofliving away from home. From familiar childhood furniture to eclectic garage sale finds, those who live off campus are in college, so that’s close to home. The wooden dresser I have now was from when l was little,” she said. To bring some extra personality to their house, she and her roommates bought old lamps and tried to make them tasteful. “They were so hideous, so we repainted them said, laughing. Senior Shane Dever is no stranger to furnishing with off-the-wall flavor, either. “I have a signed picture ofMr. Rogers in my room, since I met him when I was little,” he said. “And I still have my childhood bed that looks like a race car, but my feet hang a foot off the end. How- !a7 Coyle on the inside track of tasteful living and funky decoration. Move _over, Martha Stewart. » . When W&Ljuniors Liz Gay, Noelle Gamble and Erin Eggers moved into their house at Cedar Creek, their ideas for decoration were as far from gingham and lace as_ one could get. “We brought the jungle theme in from Gaines last year to deco- rate the living room,” Gamble said. “I painted my room ‘pukey’ green,” Gay said amidst fits of laughter. “I guess Ijust wanted it to be different . . . various shades of puke!” Eggers’s room ap- pears to be equally ever, since l’ve matured, l’ve given up the Speed Racer® comforter in fa- vor of satin sheets and a disco ball that hangs from the middle ofmy room.” Despite these many interior design pioneers, some stu- dents, like junior Scott Moses, lack the propen- sity for extreme decor. Moses prefers to furnish his room with sports and movie post- ers, memorabilia from home and souvenirs from the trips he has taken. “And you’ve al- ways got to have that one picture from your guy friends back home,” he said, com- pleting the list ofdeco- unique. “I’m in a loft with- out a door,” she ex- plained, “so I installed an oriental screen that makes it more private. And I have a quilt that makes my room feel homey.” Eggers’s friend, junior Deirdre Coyle, moved into her place on Marble Lane and also furnished her room in a way that made it feel more comfortable and familiar. “All the furniture in my room was used by my sister IN THIS ROOM, colorful lanterns brighten the surroundings while expressing a unique character. P1-/om /1}’ CHms77/5 rative necessities. With tastes ranging from “jungle meets the , Orient” to “Mr. Rogers meets ‘Boogie Nights, the upperclassmen are old pros at making their living quarters seem more I ike home. In furnishing their rooms with decorations tailored to their own personal whims, these creative off-campus resi- dents succeed in making their environments reflect the fa- miliar, the funky or the fantastic. 1” Weléotnegto Washington and Lee University! Stay- ... , ngcampus—on the weekends may be fine, but get- ;i’ 5 and having fun can be much better. But in ii ounlittle corner ofVirginia, there isn ’t that much to do fC,l0sé,by (no, really?/). So here 's a guide to interesting 5-destinations no more than a few hours away from good old This week: Desti- nation Williamsburg. _ V Got a hankering for history, good cooking or just, interesting shopping spots? Then Colonial Williamsburg is for you. It’s just a few hours (and cen- turies) away. Colonial Williamsburg is part of the bigger city of Williamsburg, Virginia, home to the usual attrac- tions like dining, shopping and camping. To experience Colonial Williamsburg, though, you must buy a ticket at the Visitor Center, take a short bus ride into the past and prepare to do some walking.’ Along the way, you will see re-enactors in period costume, shops full of homemade goodies, soldiers maintaining a camp and craftspeople . . . well, crafting. It’s strange how fascinating the old buildings and travel through time products can be, especially if you’re from Lexington. Williamsburg is a Revolutionary War-era spot, quite re- moved from the Civil War-era style of Lexington. Just the change of brick color should be welcome. Williamsburg features shows and demonstrations daily, and each week traces the progress of the colony from British rule to independence. And don’t forget: The College of William and Mary isthere, too. To get to Colonial Williamsburg, head east on _ Interstate 64 to exit 238 (mid- way between Richmond and Norfolk). Follow the green and white signs to the Visi- tor Center. Tickets vary based on access and length of stay. The basic pass is $26 for one day and does not include some of the houses (such as the Governor’s Palace). The Colonist’s Pass is $30 for two days and allows slightly more access, although not every building is accessible. The Patriot’s Pass, $34, is good for a whole year and includes full access and discounts on shop- ping, dining and entertainment in the area. This is by far the best value, especially ifyou plan to return. — compiled from staff reports OCR::/Vol_101/WLURG39_RTP_19980921/WLURG39_RTP_19980921_004.2.txt ‘PAGE 4 Volleyball spikes again Freshmen come up big in contests BYSmHEGxMm STAFF Wizrnaiz Coming into Sunday’s match against Greensboro College, the Gen- erals had not dropped a game since their match against Coatholic in the Washington and Lee Invitational. Sunday was a different story. W&L pulled out a five game nail-biter (6-15, 15-13,15-6,14-16,15-10)tobringtheir overall record to 7-1. The first two games saw the Generals dealing with a lack of com- munication and confusion around the court. Greensboro frequently capitalized on the quick middle at- tack and a big block, both of which W&L lacks in their arsenal. Freshman Lindsay Ruckert showed tremendous leadership around the court and was com- pletely dominant offensively. Ruckert definitely appears to have secured a very important role on this year’s team already into the season. Nancy Reinhart also made an im- pressive showing offensively in this grudge match. Ruckert and Reinhart were offensive staples for the Gener- als that were good for a quick side- out and power plays. During the critical second game win for W&L, Tori Hayes played spec- tacular defense coupled with smart hitting that kept W&L alive in the match. Hayes, Ruckert, Reinhart, and the sets of sophomore Katherine Kline set the tone for W&L’s win. The fifth and final game of the match was a tight rally-score game brought on by Greensboro’s come from behind win in the fourth. W&L led at 12-2 in the fourth game and gave up 11 unanswered points. The Generals lineup looked tired through the tough previous three games. However, during the fifth game, the fresh legs of freshman Ricka Hildebrand came through with tre- mendous hitting and blocking. “I was just excited and ready to beat them in five,” Hildebrand contended. I The Generals’ 1998 season contin- ued with the winning trend set at last week’s W&L Invitational. Thursday, Hollins College was the latest oppo- nent to fall to the Generals. The 15-8, 15-1, 15-10 sweep brought W&L’s sports FRESHMAN LIZZY SWANN spikes a ball in Sunday 's match against Greensboro. The Generals are now 6-1. Howsrizk HOVERY/EXECUTIVE EDfl'0R overall record to 6-1, and their ODAC record to 2-0. The flexibility of the Generals’ ros- ter, their deep bench, and the combi- nation of experience and a talented freshman class once again proved to be the winning factors. Head Coach Terri Dadio was able to work 13 play- ers into the lineup at some point in the match. The Hollins match “was a good chance to have the other players get the experience,” Dadio said. In a show ofthe impact of W&L’s freshman and upperclass talent, Snodgrass and. Hildebrand lead the team with five kills apiece, both off of the setting of sophomore Pam Saulsbury. “The Hollins game was really good because we have a tendency to play down to the level of our op- ponent, but we didn’t do that in that case,” Snodgrass said. The various combinations of players and winning attacks in this early part of a difficult season ap- pears to be the crucial element that Dadio and the Generals need to combat the loss of the powerful Class of 1998, and to maintain their ODAC dominance. - Tuesday, W&L was given no trouble in handily defeating Guilford 15-7, 15-5, 15-4. This match marked the first of the Gen- erals’ 10 ODAC matches. A Guilford was the only ODAC loss for the Generals in 1997; after this win for W&L and the win over the Quakers in the semi-finals of last week’s invitaional, redemption has been served. Junior Nancy Reinhart, 1997’s ODAC Player of the Year, led the Gen- erals with nine kills and 12 digs. Reinhart’s ODAC experience will be crucial for W&L in the weeks to come, as the Generals head further into their schedule and closer to the ODAC tournament at Bridgewater. Wednesday begins a three-game stint on the road for W&L as they travel to Randolph-Macon Women’s College for their third ODAC match. Women’s soccer wins again Team breaks record in 14-0 one game in their 14-0 rout. Scoring throughout the game was fast and furious. The rout of Hollins BYHwwmCmmmc SPORTS FHTOR If there were any questions about the women’s soc- cer team living up to last year’s standards, they were silenced last week. The Generals defeated their sec- ond and third opponents to improve to 3-0 for the season and in the ODACs. On Saturday against Virginia Wesleyan, senior forward Ginny Jemigan netted her fifih goal of the season during the second half to put the team up 1-0. The score remained 1-0 at the final buzzer as the Generals won their third straight game. Senior Stephanie McKnight and sophomore Lauren Harris combined for their third straight shutout in goal. “It was a good, close game,” Jemigan said. ‘‘It was the first time this season that we had been challenged, and we were struggling a little bit with recovery defense all over the field. Overalll, we played a lot better than we had been.” Thursday’s contest against Hollins was anything but a struggle. The Generals set a school record for most goals in team posted six goals in the first 19 minutes of the game, including three in a span of 1:40. Two more goals in the". period sent the team into halftime with an 8-0 lead. The scoring didn’t end there. The Generals jumped right into the second half, scoring another six goals in under 15 minutes. The score remained 14-0 until the final buzzer. “Despite the huge margin on the scoreboard, it wasn’t a team effort out there,” Jemigan said. “It wasn’t the team we ended last year’s season or the team we had been working to be this season. We played as individuals, and all in all, it was not a comforting victory.” » Eight different Generals recorded points in the rout, in- cluding Jemigan, who tied a Washington and Lee record with four goals in one game. Senior co-captain and all‘-time leading scorer Karin Treese had three goals and two assists, and freshman midfielder Kate Bidwell recorded her fust ca- reer hat trick in the contest. Other goals were scored by sophomore midfielder Liz Olson, sophomore midfielder Courtney Nolan, freshman for- ward Lauren Wendell, and freshman midfielder Drew Pow- ers. . The Generals will try to extend their run Sunday at 2 p.m. against Greensboro on the Liberty Hall Fields. W&L. .__g(')’ 9 AVa;1Wesleyan 3 _ . 4 ‘Guilford 27 l sponrs BRIEFS W&L dance team selects new members Try-outs for the W&L’s dance team, R.E. Belles, were held on Saturday. The new team members are: Cyndi Johnson (captain), Sybil Prince (lst lieu.), Bethany Petrofsky (2nd lieu.), Charron Hodges, Bentley Knight, Denise Mayo and Ashley Tyson. Riding team gallops towards competition On Saturday, the riding team will compete at Hollins College. The competition starts at 10 a.m. and lasts all day. The riding team currently has 35 riders either actively competing or training for a place in the competition lineup. All members will participate Saturday. SEPTEMBER 21, 1998 Guilford stuns Generals Team drops to «s 0-2 after heart- breaking third quarter BY BRENDAN HARRINGTON SPORTS EDITOR For the second week in a row, turnovers and a lack of a solid run defense proved to be the Generals’ downfall as Guilford downed Washington and Lee 27-20 on Saturday afternoon in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Generals committed five turnovers, four of them by Christian Batcheller, on their way to a heartbreaking loss. Batcheller threw two interceptions and fumbled twice. “You can’t turn the ball over and expect to win football games,” head coach Frank Miriello commented. “We didn’t make the big plays when we needed to, and that was the I difference in the ball game.” The Generals once again had problems stopping the run, as the Generals gave up 255 yards on the ground. Leading the Quakers was senior running back Dwayne Cherry who finished with 153 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. “We got a lot of young guys out there on our defense and at times it can be a little scary,” Miriello said. “But the big improvement from the Hopkins game is that the de- fense made some great plays down the stretch that gave our offense two opportunities to win.” Despite the five turnovers, the Generals still had nu- merous chances to tie or win the game down the stretch. After Dwayne Cherry scored on a 35-yard touchdown run to make the score 27-20, Batcheller was hit from behind on the ensuing drive, forcing a fumble. Terrance Wilson re- covered for Guilford at the Generals’ six-yard line with 7:26 left in the game and it looked as though that would be the game. But the defense stepped it up and kept the Quakers out of the end zone, stopping senior running back David Heggie twice on the one-yard line and forcing a unsuc- cessful 20-yard field goal attempt that kicker Matt Daly hooked to the left. The Generals took over on their own 20 with just over five minutes left to play and drove the ball all the way down to the Guilford 24-yard line before Batcheller coughed it up on a botched option play with 1 :29 left in the game. But once again the defense came through in the clutch when it looked as though all hope was lost. The Generals’ defense then forced Guilford to go three and out. W&L got the ball back on the Guilford 49-yard line with 31 seconds left in the game following a short punt by Heggie. On first and ten, Batcheller threw an incomplete pass intended for senior wide out Chas Chastain that was nearly intercepted at the Guilford 20-yard line. On sec- ond and ten, Batcheller threw long into double cover- age looking for J.T. Malatesta, but the ball skipped off Malatesta’s outstretched hand five yards deep in the end zone and the pass fell incomplete. On third and ten, Batcheller threw to sophomore running back Hanley Sayers on a screen play, and Sayers took it down all the way to the Guilford 24. The clock stopped with three seconds left to move the chains after the first down yardage as Batcheller lined up the offense for one last play. On the final play, Batcheller threw to the back left comer of the end zone looking for Chastain, but the ball was batted down and it fell harrn— lessly to the turf as time expired. Batcheller finished the day 16-25 for 194 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. For the Quakers, quaterbacks Brian Foulks and Jon Hardy were a combined 9-25 for 133 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Malatesta led all receivers with 53 yards on four catches. “We have a tough schedule,” Miriello said. “We just have to keep focusing on the positive aspects of these games and try not to dwell on the losses.” Men’s soccer falls to 1-1 Generals can’t score in first ODAC contest BY Tor) '\WiiiiAMs STAFF VVRITER In their first ODAC game of the season, the Generals failed to score in their 3-0 loss to Virginia Wesleyan. The defeat sends the Generals to 1-1 and 0-1 in the ODAC con- ference. The Blue Marlins, ranked 17th nationally in Division III standings, led the Generals at halftime by a score of 1-0. Daniel McVey, a junior forward from Virginia Wesleyan, scored with a sharp volley from the comer to give the Marlins a lead with 4:01 remaining in the first half. Two sophomore forwards from Virginia Wesleyan each added a goal in the second half. Vincent Sciullo headed one past General goalkeeper Andrew Grimes during a Gen- eral defensive breakdown approximately ten minutes into the second half. Saturday was the first time that Grimes, a freshman, has stepped in front of the net for the Generals. Justin Hauck followed suit later in the half with another header past Grimes to give the Marlins the 3-0 lead that would later become the final from Liberty Hall Field. “I was glad to get into the game,” Grimes said. “But it just didn’t come out the way anyone wanted. They were a tough team, but we had our own mistakes.” Washington and Lee head coach Rolf Piranian knows that the Marlins are “definitely one of the best teams in the conference,” and he says the Generals have “a lot of work ahead of them.” “We’re a good team, but we’ll have to see how we respond [to the loss],” Piranian said. “Hopefully, we’ll come back and work harder this week and turn this around.” Senior Sam Chase, who set a school record for most goals in a game in last week’s contest against Catholic, said that he didn’t feel much additional pressure entering Saturday’s game, other than the fact that Virginia Wesleyan is one of the league’s top teams. 1 “They’re a good team, and we got some bad breaks,” Chase said. “But aside from that, I don’t think we played all that badly.” Like Piranian, Chase said he hopes the loss will serve as the team’s wakeup call. “I think we can turn this loss into a positive,” he said. “That was our second game, and we’re not match-fit yet. Once we get a couple more games under our belt, we’ ll be fine. Hopefully we’ll even see them in the tournament.” Prior to Saturday’s kickoff, W&L athletic director Mike Walsh honored Chase for setting the record for most ca- reer goals by presenting him with the game ball. “I feel quite honored that they did that for me,” Chase said of the presentation. “I wish I CO.lld give the ball to all the guys who’ve given me the passes for the past four years.” Chase promptly gave the ball to his parents, Sam and Nancy Chase, who were present for their son’s second game as a senior. The Generals will travel to Emory to face Emory & Henry College on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. SOPHOMORE COURTNEY NOLAN dribbles easily past a Hollins player towards goal in the 14-0 rout. Nolan scored a goal as the Generals set a record for goals in a game in the contest. ZEENIE GINWALLA/PH! STAFF 'Thursday Men’s soccer @ Emory & Henry Friday Volleyball @ Maryville UPCOMING zvznrs . VVednesday Volleyball @ RMWC Saturday Football @ Centre Riding Team @ Hollins, 10 a.m. Cross Country @ Dickinson Men’s soccer @ Goucher Volleyball @ Maryville Sunday Women’s soccer vs. Greensboro, 2 p.m. OCR::/Vol_101/WLURG39_RTP_19980921/WLURG39_RTP_19980921_005.2.txt SEPTEMBER 21, 1998 RESPONSIBILITY LECTURE CONTINUES Princeton University Professor Amy Gutmann will give a talk titled “Religious Liberty and Civil Responsibility” on Thursday. She has served on the faculty at Princeton since 1976, and in 1996 she wrote “Color Con- scious: The Political Morality of Race” with Anthony Appiah. Harvard University Professor Charles Hallisey will deliver a responsi- bility lecture next Monday. His talk, titled “The Sense ofCivil Responsi- bility in Contemporary Buddhism,” will focus on the lack ofengagement with concrete legal issues by contemporary Buddhist intellectuals. All ofthe responsibility lectures will take place in the Science Center ' Addition, Room A214 at 7:30 p.m. FILM SOCIETY BRINGS SNOW TO TROUBADOUR The next presentation ofthe the W&L Film Society will be “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” (Denmark, 1995), directed by Bille August. The sus- penseful thriller, which is based on a best-selling novel by Peter Hoeg, revolves around a possible murder in Copenhagen, but it is much more fascinating as a character study of Smilla Qaavigaaq Jesperson, a bitter half-Inuit woman, powerfully played by Julia Ormond. Screenings will I _ be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Troubadour Cinema. CROCKETT WRITES BOOK ON DURRENMATT German Professor Roger Crockett has written a comprehensive overview ‘ of one of Switzerland’s most talented and scandalous playwights. In his book, “Understanding Friedrich Diirrenmatt,” Crockett examines Diirrenmatt’s dra- matic and narrative oeuvre as well as his failures. He notes that the latter is often as revealing about an author as the former. The book is now available in the University Bookstore. WRITE FOR THE RING-TUM PHI . The Ring-tum Phi invites freshmen and other students interested in work- ing on the newspaper to attend our weekly meetings 7:30 p.m. Tuesday nights. « You can control the time commitment: Write one article a month to have writing samples for job interviews or talk to one of our editors about an assis- tant editor position and spend every weekend in the office. MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ED HAMER A memorial service for former Washington and Lee romance languages professor Ed Hamer will be held on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Lee Chapel. Hamer passed away on Aug. 13 while traveling abroad with the W&L Alumni College. Hamerjoined the W&L faculty in 1954 and taught at the school for 42 years before retiring in 1996. MARTY LECTURES IN LEE CHAPEL Dr. Martin E. Marty, one of America’s most respected authors and scholars in the field of religion, will speak on the issue of “Christianity ‘ Among the Religions: The Global Scene at the (End of the Millennium” 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Lee Chapel. . ' —'—'e-mail General Notes to phi@wlu.edu ;f,Lyn Cook. I_EwINsKY OFFERED MODELING JOB IN ITALY ftreithat killed him and injured several others. Authorities had no com- Too much homework can be bad for you, according to two acadeIn- P ics from London University. A study paper produced by Dr. Susan Hallam ting daily. I _STARR’S DAUGHTER JOINS CHELSEA ' ‘MISS VIRGINIA CROWNED MISS AMERICA 9 , E I Roanol