OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20020930/WLURG39_RTP_20020930_001.2.txt ‘F I V» Worst rate in 5 years, says Student Health Center BY MCQUEEN CALVEKT AND KATIE HowEu. STAFF WRHER AND EDITOR IN cnnar Student drinking rates are at an all-time high for the month of September, campus health care officials said, based on increased numbers of infirrnary and hospital visits. As of Sept. 25, 23 students have vis- ited the Washington and Lee Health Cen- ter since freshman orientation activities began earlier this month, said Dr. Jane Horton, director of health services. Ofthose23,18werefreshmen.Bothnum- bers reflect higher students drinking rates than any other September in the past five years. The influx of freshman drinking-related infirmary visits is due to pressure from up- perclassman students, Horton said. “It is more of an upper class problem because of the environment they surround the freshmen with,” she said. Last September, five freshmen of 18 students visited the infirmary during. The previous September, 10 freshmen of 11 stu- dents went to the infirmary in September for alcohol or drug-related problems. Interfraternity Council advisor Matt Jacobs attributes the rise in freshmen drink- ing incidents to the number of parties thrown on and off campus. Fraternities threw 12 parties on- campus during the first week of school, ' Jacobs said. “The increase in the amount of fresh- men visits to the Health Center is (also) due to the increase in the amount of off- campus parties, which the IFC does not have authority to regulate,” Jacobs said. Upperclass students agree that the so- cial situations at W&L intensify freshman drinking health problems. A JuniorErinJohr1son neverdrankinhigh school. She said that she began drinking at W&L bec rlise beer was “always there.” WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY NG-TUM }—+ PHI V0LUMECV,N0.IX MONDAY, SEPIEMBER 30, 2002 The rtrrrlcrrt none of Wellington and Lee University since 7897 (0 Online at: jrlrrlrrr/rr.rrlrr September ;; it Student yisits 3 FR ALL ER 0 FR 2002 “Looking back, the fall of my fresh- man year was the most excessive drinking of all my time at W&L, simply because it was so available, and even though I never felt pressured to do it, I still drank in ex- cess,” Johnson said. Sophomore Anne Bounds agreed that W&L’s social scene encouraged her to drink excessively as a freshman. “Drinking made it easier to meet people early on, but you stayed better friends with people who you did more stuff with, and who weren’t simply social friends,” Bounds said. Health officials do not blame the fra- ternity system itself, but rather the drink- ing traditions at W&L for the upsurge of freshman drinking problems this year. “Freshmen come here, often with no Political atmosphere College Republicans largest chapter per-capita in Va. BY ANDREW LATIMER NEWS EDITOR To Washington and Lee’s College Republicans, the Grand Old Party just got even grander. Membership numbers for the campus’ largest political organization topped 607 students this year, representing about 34 percent of the undergraduate population. The total is up from roughly 200 last year. College Republicans Executive Direc- tor Megan Zingarelli ’05 remarked, “That makes us the largest club per capita in the country and the second largest in the state.” A She added, “Only UVAbeat us in vu- ginia with about 800 members, but they have thousands more students than W&L.” According to CR President John Heath ’04, the average College Republi- can chapter can claim about 5 to 15 per- cent of the student body. The boost most likely is the result of an excellent retention rate, as well as a sig- nifrcant influx of interested freshmen. The news comes as little surprise to some students, as the University was EC releases allocation data FROM STAFF REPORTS The Executive Committee of the Student Body appor- tioned $350,773.85 after hearings last Wednesday and Thursday. The Pavilion received $44,835.64; the E.C. Re- serve, $7,452; E.C. Honor Reserve, $2,0()0; and the Stu- dent Body Working Reserve, $l8,0()0. The remaining $278,486 was divided among 49 clubs. Seven clubs received no funding. “This is the first year in history that the Calyx is inde- pendent of university funding,” said senior Neal \lV1lletts, editor of the school yearbook. LIFE, which historically received no EC fundings, was given $1,000. “The money is for ‘A Night to Remember, not the clu ,” said LIFE officer Jennifer Parks. named “most nostalgic for Reagan” by the latest edition of The Princeton Review. - CR Chairman Benjamin Bryant ’03 stated, “I think it is awesome that Princeton Review is finally giving us recognition for what we students have always known here on campus.” He added, “President Reagan was a great leader of great character, and the fact thatweasacampuslookuptohimwith great nostalgia is truly a tribute to the nature of the character of students here at W& Organization members hope to re- bound from last year’s defeat of Republi- can gubernatorialcandidate Mark Earley. Despite the canvassing of dorms and nu- merous awareness—raising activities on and off campus, Democrat Mark Warner trounced Earley in Lexington by an over ‘ 30-percentage point margin. Under Va. Law, students are eligible to register to vote in local and state elec- tions. There is currently no data on how many students opt to reregister in Lexing- ton. The deadline for registration is Oct. 7. This year CR has thrown its support behind 24"‘ district House of Delegates candidate Benjamin Cline. Heath said, “Additionally, we’re concentrating on ex See REPUBLICANS, page 2 ALL 1 998 alcohol-related intirmary visits FR = Freshman intirmary visits ALL = Total student intirmary visits A ER = Totai student emergency room visits ER FR ALL ER FR. 1999 ALL 2000 EH. FR ALL ER 2001 Ncciumrc1n'KmE Homr. / TlxRr'vg4trrrrPl2z; nmotrxnnrsr OFWWW.295GUYS.COM/ cormrmarnuaornasmir. experience of drinking or even the drink- ing environment,” Horton said. “It isn’t because we have an especially rowdy group of freshmen, just that they are be- ing put into this environment and don’t know how to behave.” Freshmen agree that the social cul- ture at W&L increases their opportunities to consume alcohol. Freshman Bo Root said, “(The drink- ing scene at W&L) is awesome!” “If you are not drinking at a party, you do feel kind of out of place simply because of the massive amounts of upperclassmen and freshmen who are drinking,” agreed freshman Alex Battey. Freshmen, however, are not the only students increasing their visits to the Stu- dent Health Center. ’ " 0‘ ‘ According to the Student Health Cen- ter records, upperclassmen have also fre- quented the infirmary more this month than in previous Septembers. The statistics show seven sophomores and five juniors receiving medical care at the infirmary this month, while no sophomores and one jun- ior visited it last September. For more sta- tistics, see the infographic above. The Princeton Review also noted W&L’s tendency toward alcohol in its re- cent survey. Among the 337 U.S. colleges and universities reviewed, it reported W&L as third place in the “biggest Greek scene” category, fourth place in “amount of hard liquor” consumed and fifth place in “amount of beer” consumed. See DRINIQNG, page 2 .. heats up on campus Cline, Elrod vie for state delegate seat as school is torn 4.4" ' '>'. (IXJKIJESYCX3 ARRIVAL Elroddescends into athrongofwell- wishcrs at the announcement of her candidacy. BY DREW DAVENPORT STAFF wrnnr In just over one month, voters in 24th district of Virginia will elect a replacement for House of Delegates Speaker S. Vance Wilkins Jr. The Nov. 5 special election will determine who represents Virginians from Rockbridge County and parts of Amherst and Augusta Counties in the Virginia House of Delegates. After serving for 24 years, Mr. Wilkins resigned in June due to controversy aris- across party lines, personal connections to both candidates ing from allegations that he sexually ha- rassed former office worker Jennifer L. Thompson on more than one occasion. After the allegations surfaced, Mr. Wilkins paid Ms. Thompson a $100,000 settlement. Competing for the seat is Democrat Mimi Elrod, Director of W&L’s Summer Scholars program and wife of the late former W&L president John Elrod. She is running against Republican Ben Cline, former Chief-of-Staff for U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte and son of W&L Williams School professor Philip Cline. “This part of Virginia lost a great ad- vocate and a lot of clout in Richmond when Vance Wilkins resigned,” Cline said. “The representative needs experience and knowledge of government progress to make sure this area gets an appropriate level of representation in Richmond.” Cline, a Lexington native who gradu- ated from Lexington High School in 1990, grew up with a strong community service emphasis, he said. He volunteered for or- ganizations such as Meals on Wheels, See ELECTION, page 2 cm nro\1nn)Ex'niEr:>osURE iously await the KRISPOLLINA04 wealth of wisdom accompanying their advent, which some rriight even overzealously refer to as “the second coming of Christ.” It’s always unduly insightful to hear how recent alums utilize or reject what they learned in college, and how W&L measures up in the proverbial “real world.” (On a side note, I think we’ve reached the legal lirriit on articles arguing that W&L is not an ac- curate reflection of the “real world,’’ an assertion that is not only unoriginal, but painfully superfluous.) Although hearing about how it sucks to wake up to go to work- as opposed to waking up for an early class— does not provide any real good knowledge, on occasion, they do impart some timeless wisdom. With- out further mindless introduction, nor conducting any more word counts, here are the top 10 things I’ve learned from recently graduated Washington and Lee alumni: (I’ ve had little encounters with the older crowd, so their scope of advice arguably might differ slightly in both content and form.) 1.) If you hook up with a boy and it snows the night before, his fraternity brothers will chase you off the porch and throw snowballs at you. 2.) If you fall on the porch, everyone will laugh. 3.) There are two types of girls: those who stay and those who scamper. 4.) No one goes out in Manhattan before 11PM. 5.) The freshman fifteen is counteracted by the “l5’ year out of college 15 drop.” Apparently it results from a Frosted Flakes and Ramen diet. 6.) Alumni still are in touch with W&L gossip and receive popular forwards. 7.) They secretly miss getting campus notices, if only to delete them immediately upon receiving them. 8.) It’s easier to get a job if you do things like accounting and business stuff. 9.) Al u m s forget how eco- nomical East Lex and the Palms are. (Irish car bombs cost $40 at any other bar.) 10.) L A Lights got banned from the NBA. The first three were gems I absorbed last Alumni Weekend that still apply to college life. It’s such a nice thing to do, for a grad , to be all inforina— " tive. coUmsyoFWW.cooc.i£coM which is CHEAPER HERE. Upon leaving W&L, why when they everyonc’sfav01ittd1inkbec0tI1csp1ice)I all come this weekend, we should display acute appreciation for everything they have to offer and listen carefully. After all, one day we will be in the same position to look at younger people and have free range to talk about college with charming nostalgia. We should take good notes. (Another useful tip that applies to college life. I delight myself with such linguistic du- alities.) “My boyfrien .” —Adrienne Norwood ‘O5 “Abram ‘DJ J onas’Trosky.” -Cristin Nunez ‘O5 OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20020930/WLURG39_RTP_20020930_004.2.txt PAGE 4 Tolerance of homosexuality lacking at W&L “You did WHAT?!” Suppose you woke up one morning. You’re late for class, you haven’t had breakfast, your hair is a mess and you don’t really have time for a shower. In the middle of hopping on one foot to put your socks on you realize you never actually finished that big paper that’s due (when else?) today. Oh, yes. Typical college day. Typical, except for one thing: you’re gay. At Washington and Lee, that’s anything but ordinary. I’m a freshman. I’m also an inter- national student. Both these things together add up to a very limited amount of knowledge about Ameri- can college culture. I came here with the ‘land of the free’ ringing in my head, which meant expectations about openness and liberal mindedness. In some respects, I was dead—on right. In others, I could not have been more wrong. One of my major mistakes was thinking that most American college students are tolerant and open when it comes to homosexuality. Sadly, as most of you probably know, that’s definitely not the case at W&L. My first inkling of this came when I decided to join the Gay—Straight Alliance. I’d always been interested in this kind of organization, but I’d never had the chance to join because my school never had one (it was re- ally very small). I eagerly signed up and was mildly surprised to see I was the only freshman on the list. I de- cided I’d single-handedly correct that and proceeded to state the innumer- able reasons TroNAL’S INSIGHTS Why We should all LIGIA ABREU ‘06 Join the GSA to anyone who would listen. Strange looks (a mixture of disgustand fear), doors- shut-in—my—face and exclarnations of “You did what?! Are you gay?!” were some of the most encouraging reac- tions I got. Last Wednesday, Sept. 25”‘, I at- tended my first meeting of the GSA. I had a chance to actually talk about some of these issues with people as willing and eager to discuss them as I was. I was pleased, if a bit surprised, to see members of the faculty (includ- ing the GSA’s faculty advisor Prof. Julie Woodzicka) and administration present. All in all, there were about thirty people there, which was a ‘good tum—out’ in a 2,000-plus people cam- pus. After a little chatting and a lot of pizza, the formal part of the meeting began. The three co—chairs (Rian Lewis, Herman Hoying and Kelly Jo Larsen) made one thing clear: the GSA is here to stay, and we’re going to let people know. I finally worked up the nerve to ask the question that had been nagging at me for a while: how many students are openly gay on carn- pus? Answer: Zero. Zero undergradu- ate students are openly gay. Zero. In my opinion, that number says a lot more about how tolerant and open- minded the majority of our students are than about how many homosexual students actually attend Washington and Lee. On a more positive note, the cam- pus has actually become noticeably more open during the past few years. Dean Howison (who attended the meeting and absolutely blew me away with his willingness to fully support the GSA) mentioned that a few years ago, a meeting like the one held last week wouldn’t even have been pos- sible. Clear (not to mention encour- aging) evidence that our school is actually becoming progressively open to homosexuality: an openly gay stu- dent, Jeff Cook, was elected President of the Executive Committee just a few years ago. I’m definitely ecstatic about that fact, but then again, how many gay students are in the EC now? Frankly, I don’t know what the problem is. You’re gay or you’re straight; you’re human. You deserve to be taken seriously and to be ac- cepted as you are, no questions asked, because you’re an individual with something valuable to give: you are unique. I understand fear, I under- stand ignorance and intolerance, but I don’t understand it in a community of people as highly educated and in- telligent as ours. I’m sure that most students are hesitant to join the GSA on the grounds that they might be considered gay themselves; so what? It’s no one’s business whether you are gay, straight, bisexual, or lesbian. What is everyone’s business, right and responsibility is to foster a toler- ant, open and welcoming environment to individual diversity, be it racial, eth- nic, religious or sexual. It’s about time ‘gay’ stopped be- ing a derogatory term for everything that’s lame or stupid, or a hush—hush whisper about so-and-so’s activities last weekend. It’s about time being gay on this campus stopped being a car- dinal sin and became ordinary. This is not a black and white world. Open your eyes and celebrate the differ- ences. And, if you feel like it, drop by the next GSA meeting and let us know. N ote: It’s the Gay—Straight Alli- ance. You don’t have to be gay to join. Anyone who’s willing to pro- mote a tolerant environment for ho- mosexual and bisexual students, fac- ulty and administration is welcome to sign up. LIBERALISM: denies reality and depends on status quo RELIGION, from page 3 The question is, How does this ap- ply to our lives? There are two realms which are relevant to us: one is life at Washington and Lee, and the other is our lives as ordinary Americans. As a group, W&L students tend to be con- servative—minded, if not necessarily in their social conventions (ie., this is not a socially conservative school in the sense that Bob Jones University is), then cer- tainly in their approach to tradition and the status quo. Those who have read my columns over the past year realize I am something of a traditionalist when it comes to W&L affairs, and I am gener- ally opposed to frivolous changes and antagonistic activist groups, because I see them as detracting from the quality of life which makes W&L such a unique institution of higher learning. Unfortunately, on certain issues, such as the one of “diversity,” the trend is to increasingly marginalize and dis- criminate against conservative thought, and to shift the spectrum of debate so that the definition “nomral” is somewhere around “moderately liberal” and that mainstream conservative thought be- comes extremist, to say nothing of ultra- ri t—wing views (which I will admit are sometimes draconic and out of line). This, of course, merely reflects what is the increasing norm in'American media, but is alarming at a traditionally rational institution like Washington and Lee. The view taken by certain campus groups which advocate radical change is that if their solutions are adopted as policy, then all will be the same save for the happier new existence. In other words, they believe that Washington and Lee will remain the same charming and impressive institution it is even if their changes are implemented. Sometimes, they are right; however, many of the changes proposed at W&L of late (and which will surely be increasingly popu- lar in the years to come), will eventually cause the rock that is W&L’s founda- tion to shift. We can take our cherished traditions for granted because W&L has changed relatively little all things con- sidered (coeducation, for allof its irn— pact, merely added a gender and has not dramatically affected the student body’s political demographic), but if radi- cal changes become the norm, then it will be difficult to maintain these tradi- tions when increasingly large propor- tions of W&L students are unfamiliar with them and unwilling to leam them. We must be on guard to ensure that the changes necessary to keep W&L com- petitive and to mold students who are prepared for the “real world” are merely what is necessary, and not what is fool- ish. The same view applies to society as a whole. Much as America is like Washington and Lee in that it is great and its principles and traditions are un- rivaled, there is only so much change that can happen before its rock of sup- port begins to shift. Changes that lib- eral groups constantly and increasingly advocate in society will eventually cause our moral fabric to crumble. Pres- ently, the cautionary tales of some con- servatives to the contrary, America is an overwhelmingly moral country. We are generally an honest, hard—working, and decent people; yet, we must remem- ber that we adhere to these values be- cause they have been passed down to us from our ancestors. If we fail to en- sure that the present young generation (that means us, folks) understands and strives to fulfill the ideals which make this country great, then we will be liv- ing on borrowed capital. The Europeans are a prime example of this: having suffered the tragedy of two terrible wars on their continent in the space of only a few decades, their societies were so severely tested that their traditional moral fabric crumbled and gave way to a new, post—modem order. While this is not to say that Euro- pean society does not still retain many traditional aspects (particularly in the countryside), the cities increasingly re- flect a new Europe that is frighteningly undemocratic and places far too much trust in remote central governments with immensely bureaucratic methods of governance. As Rod Dreher recently wrote in National Review, the Dutch are a people who are dependent on the moral splen- dor of their glorious past to provide sus- tenance for the future. Fortunately, tra- ditional Europeans (who remember all too well the decidedly authoritarian and freedom—hating governments of their past) are increasingly organizing and protesting against the eerily similar ideas of many of their governments. The dan- ger lies in the pendulurn’s swinging too far to the right, and eliminating the de- gree of liberalism necessary to prevent society’s stagnation; this is why liber- als must regulate themselves, in order to prevent a chaotic breakdown in the social order that can only result in some form of bad government. Liberalism is no bad thing; it is simply an ideal its adherents must realize comes with an adaptation George Santayar1a’s famous disclaimer: those who are unaware of and do not honor the heritage of their ideals are condemned to destroy them. 6,5 FUN CARDS - APRiL CORNELL CLOTHING - PURSES ~ 121 W. Nelson Street Lexington, VA 24450 540.464.5002 www.shoppumpIcinseeds.com lg) ECLECTtC .¥EWELRY - CANDLES - GIFTS GALORE - FRAMES 9&3 SLVH 0 SdVOS 0 SC)il.E‘-IWSOO WOO18 - )6.-lVEl 80:! SGNH enema C3’ MITTENS 0 STATIONERY 0 HOME ACCENTS V 1 SELL SPRING BREAK TRIPS ALL THE FUN & ALL THE PROTECTIONS AMERICAN EXPRESS WORLDWIDE GUARANTEED BEST BUY IFREETRIPFOR EVERY 10 PAID OR CA$H STARTING WITH FIRST BOOKING YOU SELL — WE COLLECT PAYMENTS WORLD CLASS VACATIONS 1-800-222-4432 Alain--Beatriz Spring Break 2003 with STS America’s #1 Student Tour Operator Sell Trips earn cash Travel Free Information/Reservations 1-800-648-4849 or www.ststravel.com Well, it’s election time in Wash- ington again and things could not be much worse. I was watching Fox News Charmel last night and they had a couple of talking heads on arguing about whether or not Republicans and Democrats should be politicizing the war. Neither really seemed to have a problem with it, but one was blaming the Republicans for whining about things and an- other was blam- ing the Demo- crats for whining about things. Is this really what is so important? I have to say with my sister being a Navy Ensign who could be shipped across the planet at any time, I really hope discussions on the possi- bility of war are about a little more than constituents’ votes. But what’s curious is how little the American public already knows. This past week when British LEFT or CENTER NICHOIAS RAMSEY ‘O3 babe is being blbudbd by MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2002 - Lack of Iraq data dismaying tack any country. . .. ever. And what is the rush? Iraq is not going anywhere. In 1990 the Sen- ate took five months after Iraq invaded Kuwait before launching the Gulf War. That was then and now Iraq is not even harming anyone else at the moment. If the American and British govemment wants to send our soldiers into a coun- try to start a war, I would like to at least no for sure what they have. Moreover, the de- members of both parties over politics. Our Republican President is trying to sell the war against Iraq during election time to draw attention away from two things: the lack of suc- cess against the war in Afghanistan and the wavering economy. When is the last time you heard the White House mention our soldiers still fight- ing al Qaeda? Secondly, did you no- tice as well that the Dow fell by nearly 3!! Prime Minister, Tony Blair, armounced three hundred points on Friday? that Iraq has M e a n — weapons of mass while, Tom destruction and Daschle is soon will have pissing and nuclear war— moaning over heads, he offered the ridiculous no new evidence. statement Bush When the press made early last i asked the Presi— week. Bush ac- dent how Blair cused Senate knewthesethings, Democrats of he stated that not caring about their sources American’s secu- would need to be ammo, WGOOQECOM rity. Whilethis is protected. Thus, 'I‘Hra(:RYnABY.SenDasclrlcmrusuallydrrew merely playing just like Bush Sr. 21 feigned hissy fit on the Senate floor. politics, it is truly the public is al- a stupid, stupid ready having the blinders put on them during this “time of war.” It is quite remi- niscent to the Persian Gulf when re- porters were only allowed to know what the Pentagon and the White House gave their stamp of approval. But what is the big deal here? Well, human lives to be truthful. If the United States launches an attack on Iraq, American men and women will be sent across the world to begin the first preemptive attack in the entire 213—year history of this country. No American President has ever been the first to at- accusation. Meanwhile, Daschle is ask- ing for an apology. As for someone speaking his mind, that wouldbeAl Gore. Like what he has to say or not, the man is actually giving a real opinion backed by a real argument. More politics comes into play as Republicans run to the, “you’re against the President, you’re un-Ameri- can! ! !” defense. I-low original. Instead of all this, Washing- ton should sit down, look at the issue and give the public the resources to appreciate an informed decision. WE CAN DO IT! Repairs ~ Contacts COOL FRAMES! HOT LENSES! SHADES! THE NEW @W’il@li£lE£|§ 20 years serving Rockbridge at 203 N. Main Street, Lexington 463-7440 102 W. Washington St. 463-5383 WELCOME ALUMN Blue Blazers Woolrich Duckhead Lacoste Shirts Red Wing Boots Tuxedo Rentals & Sales W&L Belts, Ties, Sandals, Dog Collars Homecoming Special Suits & Sportscoats 20% Off Open Sunday, October 6th at 9:00 a.m. Since 1963 Master Card Student Charge OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20020930/WLURG39_RTP_20020930_005.2.txt i 4 CAlllFl{lNEC.GLT )lWi":l.ii. R.ll‘si(_i*"iii:iKi i}? Aju3&L1FEEDm)R RT :[Fl 3 EMiH_‘(;UYC@\l0IL‘.El)E Pil‘GE 5 ’ __J MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2002 Bands 1‘0 mug 1-Bxingt BY SHARYN REGAN STAFF WRITER A plethora of bands came to nu- mbrous frat houses at Washington and Lee last weekend, providing good, clean fun for students every- where. I Five—man student band Geor- gia Avenue kicked off the week- end with a show at Phi Psi on Fri- day night. The crowd was rela- tively small due to the early show time, but listeners seemed to en- . joy mildly what they heard. It served as background music to the chit-chat that took place in _ c'i>wds clustered around comfort- able couches. The band has been traveling the East coast and Mid- west playing over one hundred shows a year to audiences at col- leges and clubs. They have a funky sound, and they performed their own music for a while until someone requested they play a fntw covers. Georgia Avenue was not loud or terribly energetic, but instead, according to the biogra- phy on their website “combine[d] the earnest soundscapes of Csoldplay and Travis with the songwriting brilliance of the Counting Crows, Wilco, Train and Five for Fighting.” in J innnie’s Chicken Shack, a band based out of Annapolis, MD, one of the more famous bands to perform on our campus, played Friday in the basement at PiKA and drew an ex- ceptionally rowdy crowd. In fact, a male in a pale yellow collared shirt started a mosh pit, thereby forcing all girls to the back of the room and moving that the music was quite ap- preciated. The highlight of the con- cert came when Jimmie’s Chicken Shack played their famed single “Do Right” and popped in cuts from iSfi1blime’s “Smoke Two Joints.” Many W&L students were given the opportunity to visit with the band af- ter the show, including Freshman Erin Wascom, who said of the band, ‘”'l'hey..were really nice andlchill. I love their song -“High” and how they mixed Sublime into their line-up. The rapper featured added a kick. They are just a great live band.” On Saturday afternoon, Chi Psi whipped out the beer and the slip- n-slide and had a Hootie and the Blowf1sh—like band from North Caro- lina called Weekend Excursion play. The band set up stage on the front lawn of the frat house and ‘ j ammed’_ , in the most mellow sense of the word. Their sty1e..I;e.nded toward a melodic, hook—laden rock. Viewers lounged on carpets and couches Clockwise from top left: Graham Colton (wwwgraharncoltorrcom), ]immie’s Chicken Shack (wwwgarbageofedencorn), Georgia Avenue (wwwgeorgiaavenuecorn), Weekend Excursion while the group played a few famil- iar covers, such as “Johnny. Be Good,” and their own more obscure songs. The songs featured impres- sive guitar solos and a tambourine (always a crowd—pleaser). , Snackbar Jones, a well—known favorite among drunken W&L stu- dents, performed last Saturday evening at Phi Psi. Aband from Vir- ginia Beach, Snackbar Jones has been playing together since 1996. Snackbar consists of four musicians and a female lead singer. Popular on college campuses along the east coast, Snackbar Jones specializes in hip—hop, 70’s, 80’s, alternative and modern rock. Their ability to mimic the bands they cover is uncanny, thereby sending young listeners into a frenzy of dancing and practi- cally forcing them to sing along. All in all, the partygoers that attended Snackbar Jones’ show reacted posi- tively. “I’d love to see them again,” said Freshman Ashley Warren. The ladies loved Graham Colton, who performed at Kappa Sig on Saturday night. The singer from Oklahoma City and his band played a few cover‘ songs along with some of their own, which, ac- cording to sophomore and W&L hflife hardcore fan Christina Kolock, fea- ture “amazing lyrics.” Graham Colton played side shows for The Dave Matthews Band all summer and will be going on tour with the Counting Crows in a few weeks. Kolock raved, “I think he is amaz- ingly-talented and incredibly down to earth. I can’t believe W&L got him to play here considering his recent successes.” American learns lesson in haggling Capitalism is alive and flourishing in modern China, as student sees firsthand Luckily for the Chinese, Deng Xiao Ping implemented “Qpening reforms” in the mid—1980’s. Gone were the com- munes and white elephant state—owned-enterprises, here to stay are Schlotzky’s Deli and lkea. N o more green and brown Mao suits, but designer clothing from CrocoPolo (a cross between Ralph Lauren and Lacoste) and Play- lfioy (or at least a shockingly similar bunny). China’s success could truly be called a rniracle— it was recently reported that China is now a more attrac- tive market for foreign investment than the United States. eijing’s streets are choked with Volkswagons, Audis and Buicks while the skyline is punctuated by construc- tion cranes sprouting in every direction. Like Britain during the Industrial Revo- , T lution or America’s Reconstruction period, (Ehina’s economy is now growing incredibly fast and somewhat chaotically, because the government has not yet implemented the regulatory con- trol present in more mature economies. Every street—side git seller and journeyman construction worker, every ‘ancier and industrialist is looking to make his fortune today- and he just may. There are a few things, though, that still need to be ironed out. . Unemployment is an immense problem. It’s tough to ‘find jobs for nearly a billion workers, so every store, no matter what size, is crawling with service personnel. At least one is posted in every aisle and a every display case. None of them are particularly focused on service, however; the job seems to involve a lot of standing around and gawking at foreigners. ! Construction is done almost en- tirely by hand, by workers, usually migrants from the countryside, who live on site. Unlike here, excavation oesn’t involve backhoes and steam shovels, but pickaxes and jack ham- mers (most of which seem to have congregated outside my window). Laying concrete doesn’t call for a tlruck, but an endless line of two- wheeled pull-carts. The most obvious place where a visitor will re- ally notice that the many Chinese are scrambling for jobs, though, is at any tourist site, no matter how insignificant. Every one, from the Great Wall to the smallest art museum is jammed with a mob of vendors. My experience at the Great Wall is instructive. We ttaveled three hours northeast of Beijing to an isolated section of the wall, nonetheless, dutifully stationed near LIVE FROM CHIN.-\ BRETT KlR\‘t:N:0_4l THE IRI(:E AND NFNER G() <)\'I«:R, N() MA’I'I‘F.R WHAT H.~\PPl<‘.NS. IT TURNS our TH;\'l‘ I’M w.\Y T()() NICE. I’M :\ (I()i\IP].ETF. S()l*TIl£ AND A ’r<)'I2»\I. PUSHO\’l£R. P.T. B.~\RNU.\I S.\ll) ’I'HERE’s .\ SUCKER BORN EVERY .\IINUI‘E; I’M AT LEAST TEN .\IINL"I'I<«;s’ W()RTl~l. the path to the wall was a platoon of vendors, like so many leeches. They had been lounging, but as we passed, they jumped up at the sight of thirty Americans. They each picked a student to follow around, like snipers pick- ing their marks. From then on, we each had a shadow, a vendor hawking books, postcards, and “I Climbed the Great Wall” T—shirts. In fact, I wanted to buy each of these items, and did, but being assaulted while attempting to enjoy the grandeur of the Great Wall was terribly annoying. More annoying, though, is the fact that I am a totally inept bargainer. (Mom and Dad: Send more money!) Although a refined art in China, the average American is completely unprepared to haggle, wheedle, prevaricate, plead and beg just to buy a T-shirt. I gave it the old college try, though. She said 100, I said 30. She said 90, I said 35. She said 90, I said 40. We went back and forth, but then, she broke out the heaviest artillery— she started to cry. “I’m just a poor farmer,” she whim- pered, “There is a drought and I have no job.” No job but fleecing poor exchange students, that is. This is when I lose, every time. The key to effective bar- gaining is to decide what you think is a fair price and never go over, no matter what happens. It turns out that I’m way too nice. I’m a complete softie and a total pushover. P.T. Barnum said there’s a sucker born every minute; I’1n at least ten minutes’ worth. So, the vendor cried, and we agreed on 70 RMB, about nine dollars, for a book and some postcards. One of my classmates got the same book for 40 RMB. At the base of the mountain, similar books sold for 20 RMB. Last weekend, I went to a small art museum displaying the works of a Communist-sympathizing painter. There were three Americans and two Chinese visitors. At least a half-dozen vendors clamored outside. They outnumbered the tourists! They can’t be escaped and all seem to know that I’m an easy mark. In modern China, so long as one doesn’t criticize the government too publicly or pass out Bibles, people are more or less free to chase after the next renminbi. It will be very interesting to see whether all this eco- nomic freedom ever translates into freedom of a more important variety. Students make Colonnade Club goal, not tradition BY TIM SMITH ST.-\I<'I" \l'Rl’l‘F.R This is my first printed article since my glory days when I co- wrote a piece in the Back Page with former roomie, Michael Denbow. I don’t claim to be the orator that he is, but I’ve been known to spout some fortune cookie wisdom in my day, and hopefully you will see that here. So without further adieu: Our beloved school is rich in history and rife with traditions that, unfortunately, may be seeing their dying days. We’ve already suffered the tragic departure of tailgating, that magical experience that defined halftime as a game break for players and chance for spectators to pass out from nine gin & tonics. And beer pong, that fabled contest that de- fined the nature of competitive drinking, has faded from the base- ments and dining rooms of our fra- ternity mansions. Certainly, life in Greek Central feels a little emptier now that these frat rituals have faded into memory. But fear not, frat lords and so- rority lasses. They might have taken our ping pong balls and our Satur- day morning Beam & Cokes, but a few traditions have held on, to re- mind us what life is all about. Ever constant, those crazy Cadavers con- tinue to paint that wretched un- sightly face all over the campus. In addition, a few adventurous souls occasionally dare to explore W & L’s catacombs, maintaining the legend- ary tradition of tunneling. These traditions are all sacred in their own right, but there is one tradition, above all others, that represents the pinnacle of Greek life - indeed, it may be the highest achievement for all fraternity and sorority members. Of course, I’m talking about the en- trance into the fabled Colonnade Club. Acertain sophomore guy, when asked about the Colonnade Club, re- plied “Isn’t that a sandwich?” A tragically wrong answer. Perhaps he was uninformed, or perhaps he was just hungry, but his response re- veals a disturbing campus-wide ig- norance of what the celebrated so- ciety is all about. Simply put,.the Colonnade Club is a collection of students who have pulled off the most stunning ambitious feat our campus offers - they have, by the grace of God and Robert E. Lee, suc- cessfully “hooked—up” in each of the five buildings in the Colonnade. That’s right - they have whimpered in Washington, been touched in Tucker, felt passion in Payne, been naked in Newcomb, and railed in Robinson. Beyond question, there are doubters out there who ridicule such suggestions, claiming that no man or woman could pull off such a tremendous accomplishment. But rest assured, they are out there, eat- ing at the Co-op, studying in Leyburn, and sitting next to you in history class (smiling, since you are sitting in the desk they fooled around on). They know who they I UFO H.IUr\ B) A NDREW All. [ER fig are, and they bask silently in the glory that only they share. They have lived their college lives to the fullest, and to them, W & L means just a little bit more. But before you rush off to join them and share the ultimate fulfill- ment of Greek life, remember: this is Washington and Lee, and the Honor Code does apply. Be discrete and be respectful. While you and your partner in glory are “working it,” other students are actually working, and these diligent individuals al- ways have the right—of—way. Fur- thermore, security guard Rexrode (though he is definitely da man) and the other guards don’t get paid enough to suffer the trauma of see- ing students “bumping nasties” on their shifts. And please please don’t try breaking into Washington Hall at night - such a violation would negate any progress towards enter- ing the Club (anyway, the locked doors add the challenge of hooking up during the day). Also, I should say that President Burish’s office is Off-Limits - give the guy a break, he just got here. Finally, and this should go without saying, I quote the words of my father: “Don’t make any babies.” So remember to visit the Student Health Center before you embark on your quest to achieve the unimaginable and to fi- nally discover what college was cre- ated for. Good luck with your efforts, and if you want any free strategies for your mission, feel free to call #463- 1160. OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20020930/WLURG39_RTP_20020930_006.2.txt PAGE 6 BY ANDREW LATIMER NEWS EDITOR If jazz has a definite fault, it is that the entire genre tends to take itself too seriously. As a novice listener, I could not help but stare dumbfounded at articles or liner notes by pretentious reviewers who peppered their text with name after name, each one more obscure than the last. Any attempt I made at appreciating an artist or album, somehow, some way I would end up discouraged because I did not already pay proper homage with a collection of at least 500 rare records and my required transcendental ex- perience listening to Thelonius Monk in a hazy Parisian cafe. Perhaps this stems from its reputation as “America’s music,” or the fact that its history is so enmeshed with the struggle for civil rights due to its distinctly African-American roots. The field is so ex- clusive that I felt like a square like me simply could not have any part of it. What did I expect going into Saturday night’s Sonoklect modern music performance by the Glenn Ferris Trio? Expert musicianship and some profes- sional solos, to be sure. But being an outsider, I did not anticipate much of a connection with one self—indulgent, gymnastic musical passage after an- other. So out strides this Zappa-esque trombone player, a double-bassist and a cellist. Yes, a cellist. And no, there were no drums, no piano, no guitarist or saxophone in sight. One question: where did the jazz band go? Now I just wanted to see if this trio could even get off the ground. What Ferris, bassist Bruno Rousselet and cel- list Vincent Segal unleashed in the next hour was ARTS as; L Glenn Fes blows audiene a MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 20062 1 W -E cI)IIRiE.wGLE~IvFEIzRIsTRIo(iIn<(IIINmE(il)co\I=R nothing short of astounding. The interplay be- tween the two string players, the sheer imagina- tion of it, prevented Ferris from completely steal- ing the show. But when the eccentric Ferris exercised his instru- ment like some extension of his body, I could not help but pay attention. Writhing and bending almost parallel to the ground, in some passages he barely whispered into the mouthpiece, only to follow that a minute later by wielded his trombone like a demented shoulder-mounted aural bazooka. Selections like “The Life,” “Boy Boy” and “Blues Forever Blues” stood out from the pack, yet there was rarely a moment I felt like the trio was experimenting at the expense of the audience. The hour was a straight, taut set that came from a group that had a most remarkable chem- istiy. The second half of the show was reserved for the second trio of the night, which Glenn Ferris dubbed “Chrominance” and featured Ferris, Rousselet and drummer Jeff Boudreaux. Their set was easily up to par with the first, yet lacked the former’s sheer audacity. With their soulful yet playful style, both trios invited me to appreciate all the ability and ver- satility that is jazz at the hands of four engrossing performers. Segal and Rousslet both hail from France, and indeed Sonoklect director and professor Terry Vosbein discovered Ferris and company in Paris. It stunned me to find out that it was their first performance in the United States, not to mention that their CD’s are impossible to find stateside. Everyone who experienced the Glenn Ferris Trios owes Vosbein a hefty debt of grati- tude, and those who missed out should be kick- ing themselves. Investment society bankrupts coffers, morals BY BRYAN EARLY STAFF WRITER LEXINGTON (Rooters) - With the stock market’s steady decline over the past 18 months, the possi- bility of war with Iraq, and continued uncertainty of whether President Bush can formulate an economic pack- age that does not involve the words “tax cuts,” the Williams Investment Society was forced to hold an emer- gency meeting of its Executive Board September 16 to reappraise its fiscal solvency. The Executive Board met at 7 AM for a planned 7-hour session to assess the current value of its securi- ties, reevaluate its investment strat- egy, and brainstorm new capital—rais- ing techniques. When the Board sum- moned its Chief Financial Officer to review its balance sheet of invest- ments, it was shocked to find that it was left with only $11.59 in assets. As malnourished Board Member Der- iick Wheellee dourly noted, “It wasn’t even enough to cover pizza for lunch.” “According to our financial state- ments from one year ago, even tak- ing iiito account stock market turmoil, we should still have millions left,” stated the CEO Wendell Williams LXVH, citing the Williams Investment Society’s painstakingly documented financial statements that had been signed off on by Arthur Anderson. “It’s‘not like we had acted irre- sponsibly by investing in risky tech stocks. We meticulously researched our investments and only had secu- rities in reliable securities such as Enron, United Airlines, Tyko, Adelphia, and sports bets on the Chi- cago Cubs. 1 mean, honestly, who could have predicted that Cubs would totally cop out? This really was sup- posed to be their year,” Williams stated in a press release. The Board decided that it needed to take drastic steps to recover enough assets to effectively return to squandeiing them again. After a 3-hour brainstorming session, the William’s Investment So- ciety formulated a daring new capital reacquisition program based upon Write for the Phi! 0nyat:’_ Mats and WomerfsiSport$W§ar,tI.,,. Outerwear, and NowAvailablel in Lexi, Fraternitiesflsororities clubs 0 student ttrnulls Earn $1 ,000-$2,000 this semester with a proven CampusFundraiser 3 hour fundraising event. Our programs make fundraising easy with norisks. Fundraising datesiare filling quickly, so get with the program! It works. Contact CampusFundraiser at (888) 923- 3238, or visit www.campusfundraiser.com W&L STUDENTS Look YOUR BEST Fan HoMEcoMme! Come by and see Skip, Marla, Connie and Wilson. SKIP THOMPSON’S little—known passage in the Lexing- ton City Charter back to the Civil War that allowed “Generals of the Southern persuasion” to seize what- ever resources necessary from the citizenry in the “contest against Northern ag- gression.” T h u s , WIS began its “From a De- clining Gen- eration” Capi- tal Drive to mug, shake- d o w n , swindle, and scam every se- nior citizen in the greater Lexington area. The plan utilizes a combination of Account- ing majors armed with clubs and Management majors armed with pil- lowcases full of doorknobs to “en- courage” local residents make “do— nations” into the WIS’s coffers. Williams announced that WIS was proud to be following in hun- dreds of years of proud tradition, “Televangelists, PBS, the Alumni Association, and the Collectible Plate Division of the Franklin Mint THE LAST WORD: A MORI-i HUMOROUS, 1«IrrrIoNAI . SIDE or THE RING—TUM PH1’s ARTS & LIFE SECTION have known for years that the elderly are an excellent source of money. Th€ best part is, 90% of the time they don’t miss or even remember that it’s gone.” While the WIS’s plan has met with some opposition from member; of the EC who have questioned the honorability of racketeering and armed rob! beries, the Will- iams Investment Society has de- fended its cut’ throat capitalism by saying that nowhere in the Honor Code does it mention “pillowcase full of door. knob” violations. As CEO Williams explained to a group of Washington & Lee Trust- ees whom he was holding up at th time, “We needed a quick fix to our financial problems and after careful consideration we decided that this plan would be the most satisfactory course to the greater Washington and Lee community, with exception to the History Department. Now give me your wallets.” .I..F..\'l;\I(}T(). BARBER SHOP Reel Time Fly Fishing &,0utfitt¢;_v’ f’ 23WestWashington Stiff .’ ILexiI1§Ion.VA 24450 .. - ’ 1 " I 462-6100"!-E www;reeltimeflyfisliingxom .-If/r?(Jt?.IIi'1"a"‘y (.'u.uri;J5:z'I3_4y- 22 S. 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