OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030113/WLURG39_RTP_20030113_001.2.txt I BY CALEY ANDERSON I\ssIsT.»\i\‘T‘ NEWS EDITOR Another rush has come and gone at Wash- ington & Lee University, and an estimated total of 377 new pledges will be joining W&L frater- nities or sororities this year. While numbers from this year’s rush do not differ significantly from last year’s, there are some notable differ- ences between the number of students who chose to pledge each individual fraternity. The most obvious difference was in the pledgeship at fraternity Phi Gamma Delta. While Fiji reaped 13 pledges last year, an astonishing 25 freshmen chose to pledge Phi Gamma Delta in 2003, making them the fraternity to gain the largest number of pledges in 2003. The frater- nity that had the biggest dropoff in number of pledges from last year was Kappa Alpha, which dropped to 10 pledges this year from 20 last year. Overall, the fraternities that took in the fewest pledges in 2003 were Sigma Nu and Phi Kappa Psi, each of which took in four pledges each. On "the sorority side, the biggest gainer this year over last was Pi Beta Phi, who took in 27 pledges, six more than last year’s total, though Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta gained the most overall new members, at 38 each. On the whole, the sorority that took in the fewest pledges as compared to last year was Chi Omega, who took in one less from last year ’s total of 37. The sorority which took in the few- est pledges overall was Pi Beta Phi. Overall, nine Greek organizations gained more pledges this year than last, eight gained fewer pledges this year than last, and three remained the same. An interesting development was the num- ber of sophomores who pledged sororities this year. Under the Panhellenic Council’s rules, sororities may take a quota of 36 new pledges each year. However, each sorority is also al- lowed sophomores who do not count towards this total. This rule was implemented to allow a more easy process of pledgeship for sophomore women. As of press time, three of the five so- rorities had taken advantage of this rule; Kappa Kappa Gamma took two new sophomores, Kappa Delta took one, and Kappa Kappa Tlfeta took three. In the class of 2006 as a whole, approxi- mately 80 percent of freshman men pledged a fraternity, whereas 72 percent of freshman women pledged a sorority; these are approxi- mately the same percentages as those of upper- classmen who belong to a Greek organization. Both numbers are up from the 2002 rush, when 78 percent of the male freshman class pledged, and 71 percent of the freshman women pledged. As is the case during every year, the IF C and the Panhellenic Council oversaw the pro- cess to ensure a fair rush process for both the rushees and the Greek organizations involved. The rushing duties of these supervisory orga- nizations, whose leaders and members often work late into the night during Rush week to ensure an optimal pledge placement, will now focus on overseeing the two-month long pledgeship period. Unofiicial New Member Totals: Fraternities- Phi Gamma Delta 25 +12 Sigma Alpha Epsilon 18 +11 Chi Psi 14 +10 Pi Kappa Phi 17 +4 Beta Theta Pi 17 +1 Sigma Phi Epsilon 14 +1 Kappa Sigma 15 0 Lambda Chi Alpha 14 0 Phi Delta Theta 18 -1 Sigma Chi 1 1 -2 Phi Kappa Psi 4 -4 Sigma Nu 4 -5 Phi Kappa Sigma 10 -6 Pi Kappa Alpha 10 -7 Kappa Alpha 10 - 10 Sororities- Pi Beta Phi 27 (0 soph) +6 Kappa Kappa Gamma 38 (2 soph) +1 Kappa Alpha Theta 38 (3 soph) +1 Kappa Delta 37 (l soph) 0 Chi Omega 36 (0 soph) -1 (The first number after each Greek organi- zation reflects the number of students joining. ' The" second number indicates the change in number pledging from last year.) .4 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY « NG-TUM The iiizdem‘ mice of Wtiihzhgioii mm’ Lee Univeriiiy Time 7897 CD On/he at: phz'.u//tiedu ___ELiMIDATF. . Freshmen men lookat the first four rush date lists in the Graham-Lees breezeway Monday night. Pledge numbers vary from 25 LEX ABLAZE . Firetrucks rush down Main Street in response to a three-alarm fire at the Robert E. Lee Building in downtown Lexington. The fire broke out in a tenant’s apartment at 10:45 p.m. on Friday. No injuries were reported and the tenant was not in his room when the blaze occured, but Lexington Fire Chief Robert Foresman reported that there was smoke damage to the second floor and nearly all the occupant’s personal belongings were destroyed at an estimated cost of $25,000. Preliminary inspection indicated that the room’s smoke alarm was ' not activated. According to Foresman, the building is not required to have an active sprinkler system under city fire code. Officer Mark Reilly, who was first on the scene, reported that all the residents were evacuated to the first floor and all traffic on Main Street was blocked until after 12:30 am. The cause of the fire is unknown, yet both Reilly and Foresman have reason to believe no foul play was involved.—-Andrew Latirner / staff writer PHI VOLUME CV, N0.XV1 MoNDAY,]ANUARY 13, 2003 jiais Biioo / 1/29R/rig-tu21l’i to four for the men and 38 to 27 for the women. Womens’ recruitment quota was 36 this year. Winter welcome week provides Greekalternative BY Km WASS STAFF WRITER As an alternative to fraternity and sorority recruitment, Each day of the last week, students had a chance to participate in Winter Welcome Week. The event included activities ranging from a comedian to free dessert and coffee to laser tag. This is the first year that Washington and Lee has had an official Winter Welcome Week, although last year Susan Slopek also organized activities through the Games Club during rush week for those not participating in recruitment. However, the series of events were “nothing of this magnitude,” said Jeffrey Meriggi, one of the organizers of Winter Welcome Week. The events were also organized by Slopek, Outing Club co- ordinator James Dick and Director of University Activites Teresa Glassman. The events took place during the week of January 6-1 1. The activities, which were open to the entire student body, included comedian Rich Ragains performing on Monday night, with free dessert and coffee at the GHQ, then movie night at the State Theater on Tues- day. Any W&L student received free ad- mission to a movie that night by showing his ID card. The International House hosted a band party on Wednesday night with Right On. Freshman Halin Bareke said it was, “a cover band with a Motown theme.” Thursday the Outing Club helped open a high elements rope course in the pavilion followed by s’mores and hot chocolate at their house in Davidson Park. One of the highlights of the week was laser tag on Fri- day night in Salem. Dean Courtney Penn played with his son and a upperclass stu- dents. Bare e said there was also a game room where tudents could play mini-golf and Wheel- f-Fortune. He said the night was, “pretty fun.” On Saturday night, the Winter Welcome Week organizing commit- tee sponsored “Neon Nights” bowling at Lexington Lanes, followed by late night pizza and a movie. Bareke also noted that it was mostly upperclassman who participated, since the ma- jority of freshman spent a very busy last week at the sorority and fraternity houses during for- mal recruitment. Additionally, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, nights, dinner was moved to the GHQ from the D-hall, which closed for the Winter Welcome Week events. Meriggi said that “for the whole week the meals are sort of stepped up or made more interesting where possible.” The monotony-breaking meals in- cluded themes like Mexican night and Wok night. The events provided an excellent oppor- tunity for students who were not participat- ing in rush week to have fun by providing them with alternate social opportunities, Bareke said. W&L alum collapses, dies FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORSTS Charles P. Monroe, Ar1ington’s first black circuit court judge died Saturday afier suffering from a brain aneurysm during his first meeting as chairman of the Arlington County Board. Monroe, a native of northern Virginia, graduated from Washington and Lee Univer- sity law school and was a lawyer with Alexan- dria-based Duncan and Hopkins. “He was one of the kindest, fairest people I think any of us ever met,” said Vice Chairman Paul Ferguson. “He loved Arlington County, his job and his fami1y...He approached every issue with an open mind.” Monroe was responding to a resident’s concern at the Board meeting when he repeated a sentence, fell silent and then slumped to one side in his chair. Paramedics took him to Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington, where he was pro- nounced dead at 12:07 p.m. Saturday. “Serving on the County Board for Charles was about service to the county, not for any personal political ambition,” said Dan Steen, chairman of the Arlington Democratic Commit- tee. “This is a shock to all of us. . . . He had plans to serve the county in so many ways.” Monroe was 46 and a human rights activ- ist. He planned to get rid of Ar1ington’s 50 most dilapidated properties. He was also a member of the Arlington Human Rights Commission and the Arlington Housing Corp. board. The Washington Post contributed to this report. OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030113/WLURG39_RTP_20030113_002.2.txt .rAMr:;c 3. rmrzzmr ;_r«2s.i.=.re-._.r wasumnsovr & . .. if?‘-i.7‘,"1."‘?""‘-iZ?<,’~;f . ‘-5,; -j>m,a_qu,;; JAN 1 42883 MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2003 -.....-flu. 5 Sllrlll5l3liiEDlTORlAL Whence the Mollenhoff tree? The Phi, more than any other organization on campus, welcomes the new Reid Hall. Fu- ture Phi staffers, journalists and writers of ev- ery type will be well-served by its ceramic tile lobby, space-age desks and giant flat screen television. We’re also very excited that with the completion of the John W. Elrod University Commons, the 99 year-old plan to create a sec- ond colonnade will become a reality. However, all is not rosey as W&L nears the end of its “For the Rising Generation” construction binge. In 1993, The Ring-tum Phi planted a tree on Stemmons Plaza behind Reid Hall to me- morialize journalism Professor Clark R. Mollenhoff. In the days before we had our es- teemed competition, he lead our inexperienced team of writers to (then twice weekly) turn out a paper of record of which W&L could be proud. Sadly, there is no longer a Mollenhoff Me- morial tree behind Reid Hall to lend shade to passing students; only a flat, featureless lawn remains. Where has the Mollenhoff tree been taken? And what symbols of our treasured past will next fall to the cold steel of progress in a bulldozer’s blade? Will the Cy Twombly Pool be paved over and those memories fade, too, like so many escaping ripples? Will Wilson Field be replaced with nameless AstroTurf and the recollections of games won and lost sodded over like dam- aged turf? We are the first ones to welcome the mod- ernization and improvement brought by the new construction. But let’s not forget our past in our zeal to embrace the future. They may take our tree, but they’ll never take our memories. GONE , BUT NOT FORGOITEN .Prof.r Mollenhoff from the 1981 Calyx. ’l‘ll_l?. R.ir\éo~m«r Prir PINIONS A .1 .BRErrKirrrriN OPINIONS EDITOR EMAH; KlR\ll’rlNB@\ltIlJJ3DL' PAGE 2‘ Trent Lott s moron, no a racist As a conservative, I sometimes won- der about the Republicans’ proclivity for fiatricide (no, fiatricide does not mean “mur- dering fraternity members”). The latest ex- ample has come in the form of the Incred- ible Shrinking Senator, Trent Lott. Of course, Sen. Lott’s wounds were largely self-inflicted: he waxed nostalgic and publicly wished that then-segregation- ist Strom Thurmond had become President in 1948, so “we wouldn’t have all these problems today.” Since the Dixiecrat platform was a little light on issues such as national defense and economic stimulus (unless you count 1 I1 - RIGHT creased c govem- OHN HEATH 04 men, in_ vestment on the construction of separate schools and water fountains as economic stimulus), it might be logical to assume that Sen. Lott wished to return to the Jim Crow days. Lott’s mortal sin, as the media so fondly repeats ad nauseum was blatant, unapologetic racism. Or was it? The now- infamous remarks were delivered on the occasion of Sen. Thurmond’s 100“‘ birth- day; Sen. Lott was merely attempting to pay tribute to an institutional icon. After the usual hyperventalations of the main- stream (read: liberal) media and Jessie J ack- son-types, this mini-scandal might have withdrawn quietly into the night. The force keeping this story alive, however, was the conservative media. If the liberal chattering class was will- ing to let go, why did the likes of the Na- tional Review and The Weekly Standard persist? The answer is bigger than a birth- day party faux pas: Trent Lott has always had an uneasy relationship with the Re- publican Party. His unwittingly pr0-segre- gationist comments were merely the straw that broke the camel’s back. Sen. Lott’s sup- port in the party was wide, but shallow; as others have said, there are no “Trent Lott Republicans.” As a Republican leader, Trent Lott never struck the right balance. He achieved the double feat of angering conservatives by appearing too eager to strike deals with the big—govemment Democrats, while at the same time projecting a scary, neo-con- servative image to the suburban Republi- can moderates. And when the opportu- nistic Senator Jim Jeffords announced that he was going to side with the Dems and rob the Republicans of the control of the Senate, Sen. Lott appeared flummoxed and flabbergasted. And while it is unfair to lay the blame for Sen. Jeffords’ party-switch at Trent Lott’s feet, his babe-in—the-woods act didn’t sit well with many conservatives, who wondered how the leader of the Sen- ate could be so soundly asleep at the wheel. For the majority of Republicans and conservatives who had tentatively for- given, but not forgotten, the Jeffords fi- asco, Sen. Lott’s preening after his Thurmond comments was too much to bear. When the media began piling on, Sen. Lott caved, and effectively dug his own grave. In an interview on BET, he had an opportu- nity to provide a legitimate, non-racist de- fense for opposing affirmative action pro- grams (there is definitely such a defense). Instead, Sen. Lott continued his pander-thon by pronouncing his desire to strongly pro- mote the program. As Jon Stewart jokingly said, “It’s bad enough Sen. Lott’s a racist, now we find out he’s a liberal!” With the opportunity to choose a new leader for the first time in six years, the GOP Senators faced a historic opportunity to choose a more effective Senate leader. The economic conservatives desperately wanted Lott to be replaced with supply- side aficionado Don Nickles, but his role as Brutus in the palace coup prevented any ascension to Majority Leader. Instead, the Republicans have settled on Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Dudley Doright dujour of the GOP, to pull the Senate majority out of the Lott quagmire. Sen. Frist proved his ability to stumble into good headlines as the physician provided medical attention to victims of a car crash just days before his ascension to Majority Leader. If Sen. Frist can stand fast by the bedrock prin- ciples of the Republican party, the Senate should recover quickly from this unusual institutional skirmish. te of the Week “. . .we’ll tumthe citadel of impeialists into a sea of fire.” ~RodongSinmun,Noith Korea’soflicial newspaper, refening to the U.S. THERiNG‘-TUM‘PHi Editor in chief Opinions Editor Arts & Life Editor Photo Editor Asst. News Editors Katie J. Howell Brett Kirwan Catherine Guy J eb Brooks Megan Morgan Caley Anderson Erin Julius Tallie Jamison Paul Seifert Thomas Worthy Henry Grimball McQueen Calvert Matthew B. McDermott Imran Naeemullah Andrew A. Latimer Sports Editor Photographer Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Circulation Director Advertising Assistant Contributing Editors The Ring-tum Phi is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee Univer- sity, Lexington, Virginia. The Washington and Lee Publi- cations Board elects the Editors in chief, but The Ring- tum Phi is otherwise independent. The Ring-tum Phi welcomes all responsible submis- sions and letters. All submissions must be e-mailed to phi@wlu.edu or in the University Center mailbox by 5 p.m. Friday to appear in the following week’s edition. The Ring-tum Phi reserves the right to edit submissions for con- tent and length. Letters and columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Ring-tum Phi Editorial Board. Ad- vertising does not reflect the opinions of The Ring-tum Phi or its staff. This newspaper observes current court defini- tions of libel and obscenity. The Ring-tum Phi Mailing Address: University Center Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia 24450 Street Address: 31 Washington Street Lexington, Virginia 24450 Telephone: (540) 462-4060 Fax: (540) 462-4059 Email: phi@wlu.edu http://phi.wlu.edu Lee’s dream lives on Honor system applies to 215‘ century questions, but needs tweaking Finally, I have returned to MetroLex where honor matters and our honor sys- continues to guide the lifestyles and inform the de- cisions of the student body. ing merchant who would rather not break the law, no matter how out—dated and .tem,a1beit.an.imperfectone. .. Si11y.th..¢ S.13»,tllIC.ITJ2l)Lb.t3.,H.,iS.. dishonor put both him and the merchant at risk and is inexcusable, as well as un- This differs necessary. from China RIGHT THE AISLE If this stu- where the dent really mosthonor— BRETT KIRWAN ‘O4 needed a ablethingan b e e r , official can do is mercilessly oppress dissidents. Alas, in our University’s never-ending discussion and reinterpre- tation of what “honor” is, there seems to have arisen some disagreement. Chiefly, students seem to be unhappy with the honor system when it inconve- niences them. Michael Denbow wrote in The Trident that using a fake ID shouldn’t be grounds for expulsion. Nor does the prevailing opinion seem to be that sexual crimes should fall under the purview of the EC. Students are eager to enjoy the benefits of the system, such as unproctored exams and the freedom to leave one’s door unlocked, but no one is willing_to step up and accept even the minor de- mands honor makes on our daily lives. One would hope, in fact, that the call to live an honorable life would be met and recognized as its own reward, not criti- cized as an overly broad stricture on a 215' century student’s hedonism. As such, the EC was absolutely correct to expel foruse of a fakelD—it’s sim- ply lying. There is no room for interpretation. The stu- dent was willfully attempt- ing to deceive a law—abid- couldn’t he have found one at his favorite fraternity house? This, of course, leads to a discussion of the regu- lar underage drinking that occurs with, from Dean Watkins’ point of view, dis- tressing frequency. But, such consumption is not an honor violation because all parties involved are fully aware of what is taking place. The underage stu- dent knows he is underage and the bartender knows that the student is under- age. There is no lying in- volved. The disrespect done by both parties to a silly and paternalistic state authority is certainly not dishonorable. Another major area of concern is the downloading of music from the internet. Using Kazaa or similar pro- grams is also not an honor violation. Similarly, neither is taping music from the ra- dio, borrowing music from friends, or checking out CD’s from the library. Only if one profits from others’ works by selling compila- tions of downloaded music would this behavior be dis- honorable, much as plagia- rism is. Perhaps most impor- tantly, the SFHB should pass on convicts to the EC. ‘ Few acts are more dishon- orable or display a grosser lack of character than the abuse of a lady. Frankly, the fact that there isn’,t a gen- eral outcry from the student body for these lowlifes to be cast from our midst is both surprising and disappoint- ing. Another question that had been raised is the fit- ness of EC members who may have committed honor violations in the past. Natu- rally, they are under no com- punction to acquit those who may come before them. We, students, elected them to administer the honor code regardless of past mistakes. Finally, the above is not to demonstrate that the honor system is perfect. Brett Burns raises an excel- lent point when he calls for more transparency in EC proceedings. The EC should publish more com- plete reports of its deci- . sions, listing the votes of each member and his rea- son for deciding the way he did. All of the Supreme Court’s deliberations and questions are also private, but afterwards, the public knows why the justices ar- rived at their decision. This is especially important when elections occur. Stu- dents deserve a record of how their representatives discharged their most im- portant duty. I would venture to say that the honor system, unique for its history, effi- cacy and pervasiveness, at- tracts and retains many stu- dents. Let us not be made lazy by the common permis- siveness and nonjudgmentalism of our time. General Lee would re- quire nothing less. 0 Java @ the GHQ Every Monday 8:30 - Midnight January 13: PRIDE- J .G. Bocella ,,,..,,...;?»« January 20: Southern Comfort & General Admission January 27: Catch -a Fire Letter to the Editor KEWL calls for women in administration Tovtlfe 'adin;in‘islf"ra'tii(")ifo’f if Washington and Lee University: Washington and Lee University has an incom- parable history. The mem- bers of KEWL (Knowledge Empowering Women Lead- ers) think the University can be unparalleled, pend- ing some major changes. The University has made great strides in overcom- ing some of the negative aspects of its history. Yet while W&L has improved, it remains a work in progress.’ Ethnic, socioeco- nomic, racial and gender diversity increased steadily over the past eigh- teen years, along with the recruitment of students from all across the United States and the world. Un- fortunately, our administra- tion, faculty and staff do not reflect a similar pattern of diversity. Reservatio As representatives of a significant portion of the student body, the KEWL organization asks that you help make the University a more diverse communigl by v -v,-rr "5'-e““».'1,:_"‘ J5 seriously considering it qualified women and other ‘ minorities while filling the five vacant positions in the upper administration and staff. We recognize that women are underrepresented in a num- ber of departments within the University, on the Board of Trustees, in higher level staff positions and at the top level of the admin- istration. This problem is detrimental to the Univer- sity in several ways: our fe- male students lack adequate role models within the ad- ministration; our male stu- dents do not have the op- portunity to observe women and other minorities in executive positions; and every student suffers from an unintentional male bias within the administration. We wonder if this situation also affects our overall ap- peal to potential faculty and students. Many of our stu- dents receive an erroneous message that the predomi- nantly white male adminis- tration reflects the make-up of society. Therefore, as the \go‘rl‘_(‘l beyond 3W(,as,.hington_ and Lee University is diver- sifies in gender and ethnicity, Washington and Lee cannot afford to be left behind. The officers, members and advisors of KEWL strongly urge the placement of one or several qualified applicants who embody gender and racial diversity for the following positions: Dean of the College, Vice President of Administra- tion, Dean of Students, Di- rector of the New Univer- sity Commons and Head Librarian. If our University is determined to commit to its agenda of coeducation and diversification, then this goal must be reflected in the administration. Sincerely, The Officers of KEWL Natalie Diebel ‘04, Pres. Devin L. Dickson ‘04, VP Susan Somers’05, Sec. Jennifer Miller ‘04, Treas. ns recommeiided at Casaai dress welcomed *’Ci1ilCll‘€Il’S menu available A OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030113/WLURG39_RTP_20030113_003.2.txt MONDA1’,jAN'UARY" 13, 2005 192mg : opoooggwz ‘gp ,,_,,Jm¢e. nop!Qouoopooo;_ »g[QqQpIl§0D; uJonnQQoQ9oo¢oo- a o o o o o no o o o o o o o no o o o o o o o n o o o o o co O~OOO«O Qqopggpgopuoptigggo m ooQoo3wonooio gooQqooogogogoaoooogopoqor -q-. T°Y'°" I Q':i.OOIOOIC.O .35.»; 5345545;...;;ua.;a..;s;;s;.;.@asa...w....¢.§.a o o o o o o o o o o o 000910500000 o o o o o 00' o o o o out Kappa Alpha Theta proudly p re 5 e n ts a n cl w e | co m e ~‘ .i ou r new mem be rsfor 200 3! Virginia Baird Katie Goodrich Margaret Batten Christina Griesemer Caroline O’Keefe Jane Beall Stephanie Hannon Ashleigh Overly \ Nazo Burgy Courtney Harrison Lauren Peters Mary Flynn Detlefs Meredith Hibbard Patty Roberts Elizabeth Eisenbrandt Mary Holloway AmandaRobinette Alexis Fernandez Emilee Hopkins Julianne Shelley Louisa Feve Kynai Johnson Amanda Strickler Susan Gaillard Kate Lester Leigh Anna Thomure Karry Giblin Jessica Lloyd Rachel Wallick Taylor Gibson Lisa Mabry Kyle Wass Christine Gladysz A hl Met I ff Emily White Jess Good Christina Zanotti Amaya Moure OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030113/WLURG39_RTP_20030113_004.2.txt MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2003 te[yn Zczwyrucfia fleafiqe C[a55 Catherine Alexander Alex Battey Emily Bisso Cole Boyle Blair Brading Sarah Beth Campbell Mary Christopher Taylor Cooper Laurie Costello Erin Coughlin Brianna Derr Jessica Druce Kathleen Glaser Emily Haight Ryan Hale Paige Halter Susanna Johnson Leah Kershaw Mary Hammon Lee Rebecca McRae Meg O'Brien Caroline Osborne Lauren Painter Elisabeth Putney Elizabeth Raulston Congratulations to the 2003 Pledge Class of Kappa Kappa Gamma!!!!! Heather Rogers Emily Sanders Rachael Seidenschnur Justine Small Paige Smith Kirby Thornton Lauren Toole Rachel Turner Gina Von Sternberg Caitlin Williams Rachel Williams Julia Woodward OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030113/WLURG39_RTP_20030113_005.2.txt Ti-IE RTNO-Ti.:;ii MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2003 BY HAYNES KING TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT During Winter Term at W&L, many students need a break from the pressure 3 of the semester and the monotony of campus life. If you are looking for something new, you might want to take a look to our northern neighbor, Charlottesville. Here one can find many V opportunities to keep busy. The trip includes a breathtaking drive through the Blue Ridge over Afion Mountain If you are lucky enough to be traveling on a clear day, I would suggest stopping at an overlook. If you are a photographer, stop to take photos of this view. Better yet, if you’re looking to impress someone, this atmosphere will I make you appear sensitive and romantic. My trip included a tour of Thomas J efferson’s own Monticello and James Monroe’s Ashlawn-Highland. If you want to waste your time and money, go ahead; take a look at Monroe’s house. I did not find the tour or the house impressive; however, if you do have the time to kill, I guess there is no V’ reason not to see it. The highlight is the picturesque front drive lined with oak trees. I do recommend a trip to Monticello. Jefferson designed the house himself, and it is listed on the United Nations World Heritage List,as the only personal residence on the renowned list. You can take a tour of RT S “St LIFE A “ Charlottesville provides change of pace in BROO Tl IE RlNCr'l‘Ul\l PHI PRESIDENTIAL DwE1_uN<;s : Monticello and Ashlawn-Highland (inset) are just two of the many attractions to be found in charming, historic Charlottesville, Virginia the house, along with its plantations and gardens. After you have finished your tour, there is a nice walk from the house back to the parking area. On this trail, you can see the graveyard of Jefferson and his family. Also in the area is Jefferson’s University ofV1rginia Althoughan inferior institution of higher learning when compared to W&L, J efferson’s design of the Rotunda proves a statuesque building. The downtown area provides quaint shops and eateries. I would suggest the Irish Pub. I enjoyed classic fish and chips. But if someone else is paying for your meal, the Michie Tavern is delectable. This restaurant serves a traditional l8‘“ century buffet including fried chicken, black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, and apple pie for dessert. The tavern has a general store and gift shop to purchase many souvenirs for adults and children. Tours of the 1784 tavern are available. Although Charlottesville is similar to historic Lexington, the size offers a great escape on a Saturday. Bottom line, Charlottesville gets 4 out of 5 stars for a day trip with friends. But as a date with someone you want to impress, it gets 5. The scenic drive and charm of quaint Charlottesville makes it a wonderful out of town date. '” Reflections by Dean David Howison A journey anticipated In childhood dreams So gladly, eagerly, impatiently, Should cover all there is. Ornitting nothing created or dreamed of. There should be time for all of life. ‘I Before its end. And no regrets. No aches of doubt No symphony unfinished. Race the shadow. He will not stay Nor time forgive Those who hesitate to live. This powerful poem was written by Cullum Owings’ paternal grandmother Helen Cullum Owings. It opened “A Celebration of the life of S. Culltun Owings” held at the Cathedral of Christ the King Church inAtlanta on December 5. For those of us who were privileged to attend this memorable, heartbreaking event, Mrs. Owings’ eloquent words captured the spirit of Cullum, his wonderful family, and his many friends from Westminster and Washington and Lee. CATHERINE C. GUY ARTS & LIFE EDITOR FMAT; OwO@wiDEDu PAGE 5 Rush Week exemplifies best, worst of W&L There’s no question about it. Out of the 30 weeks we spend in Lexington each school year, the most important is Rush Week. For fraternities and sororities, it represents the climax of an entire term of behind-the- scenes work and endless discussions. For freshmen, it represents the beginning of their second life at W&L, as they officially enter the fabled Greek System that makes this school what it is. But what on the surface seems so simple is, in reality, the most dramatic series of days of the school year. The routine of Rush Week tests every personality and evokes every emotion imaginable. For one stressful week, the Greek System takes control of the entire university and shows us all ' the best aspects and worst features of life in Lexington. The horrors of Rush Week are certainly not pretty... Consider the potential for psychological damage inherent in the Rush Week process. Essentially, each fraternity and sorority takes a vote on whether or not a candidate is acceptable enough to share their company. This, in itself, is nauseating. But when this is considered with the knowledge that the Greek System is about all we have in Lexington, we realize that the outcome of our votes reflects more or less our decision on the course of a candidate’s entire life at W&L. Disgustingly, we decide for them how their college experience will turn out. In some cases, students have transferred after not getting accepted into any houses — tragically, fraternity or sorority members basically decided that such a person was not fit for W&L. The outcomes of Rush Week should not be underestimated; for some people, it represents a quite crucial turning point in the entirety of their lives. But this fact becomes even more ridiculous in the face of the thought processes that are prevalent in bid sessions. Thousands of factors determine your acceptability to Greek members — the way you look, the way you dress, the car you drive, the amount of money your parents have, the friends you keep, or even the state (or country) you come from. Its not tough to see that the voting process boils down to one simple truth: your entire experience at W&L can be subject to the decision of one superficial jerk. It doesn’t get any easier on the Greek side of things. There are rivalries between houses. There are rivalries within houses. Bid sessions can resemble the atmosphere of the stock exchange floor — all sorts of ABs6iniE‘iFRA“Ti6RD TIM SMITH ‘04 deals are made concerning the possible “investments.” Tears are shed. Punches are thrown. Houses can split apart and come together several times in one simple four-hour period. Through it all, the IF C works behind the scenes to make sure that rules are kept and to attempt to find a home for every person (big props to Matt Jacobs and the IFC for your time and effort). Fraternities and sororities certainly aren’t immune to the superficiality and self-consciousness either, as each house asks if it is good enough to attract an impressive group of new guys or girls. Sometimes these feelings reflect temporary fears, but often Greek members are left considering their own personal failures. With the right attitude, however, there can be a light at the end ofthe tunnel. First ofall, it should be said that despite all the criticism it receives, the Greek System of W&L is possibly the most inclusive on the planet. Each house is so different that there is virtually a place for anyone. The bid process in itself could easily be considered elitist, but there are certainly houses that are willing to extend many opportunities. For the houses, the result of all the debates is a new class of recruits that every member agrees are worthy of their house. There might be lingering doubts, but the period of bonding that follows Rush Week reminds us all of what being in a Greek organization is all about. In cases when a person does not get accepted anywhere, there is some clear good to be extracted from the rejection: its not that you aren’t good enough — it means simply that there are aspects of your behavior or personality that seriously need reflecting upon. Every person has their own faults, and though we’d prefer to not have them pointed out so dramatically, the key is to make an honest effort to correct them. Maybe our lives would be easier if Rush Week didn’t exist. Maybe if we couldjust pick names out ofa hat, we could bypass all the stress and emotion that can take us to the edge. But then there would be no feeling of accomplishment, and Greek life would be meaningless. Indeed, with all its positives and negatives, Rush Week shows us many of the important things about being a student of W&L. Yet, even more importantly, Rush Week reveals features of our own personalities and motivates us to improve ourselves. Student Rentals Best Seller Apartments: (2) -2 BR apt.’s in town. Available June 1. Laundry provided. $550/Mo. Call Nancy-James Wm. Moore Real Estate. 463-7080. # 1 Spring Break Vacations! Cancun, Jamaica, Acapulco, Bahamas, Mazatlan, Florida, SPadre. 110% Best Prices! Book Now & get Free Parties & Meals! Group Discounts. Now hiring Campus Reps! 1-800-234-7007 endlesssummertours.com Fraternitiesjsororities clullsflstullenllirouns Earn $1 ,000-$2,000 this semester with a proven CampusFundraiser 3 hour fundraising event. Our programs make fundraising easy with no risks. Fundraising dates are filling quickly, so get with the program! It works. Contact CampusFundraiser at (888) 923- 3238, or visit www.campusfundraiser.com Classes starting soon! For April 26, 2003 Test Date Chem 2 2 2 - MCAT Strat ames Madison University Phys Chem I Verbal ‘ 1 Org l Bio 1 1 1 Phys Verbal] Org I 2 Harrisonburg, VA Phys Test PS Phys Chem Org I Bio F 1 3 3 3 3 Verbal‘ Bio ! | Test P8 P8 2 3 Wed Mon 2/5 2/10 6pm 6pm Mon 2/17 6pm Wed 2/1 2 6pm Lexington, VA Tues Thur 2/4 2/6 6pm 6pm Thur 2/ 1 3 6pm Thur Tues Sat Thur . 2/27 3/4 3/8 3/6 6pm 6pm 8am 6pm Thur 3/13 6pm Thur 3/20 6pm Tues 3/1 8 6pm Tues 3/11 6pm Tues 2/25 6pm Tues 2/11 6pm Call or visit us online today to enroll! 1-800-KAP-TEST kaptest.com AOL keyword: Kaplan ‘ *MCAT is a registered trademark of the Association of American Medical Colleges. OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030113/WLURG39_RTP_20030113_006.2.txt PAGE 6 ms Rl;\”?G~'l‘tll\lil Pi-ii PORTS dfeats CU, sw ERINJLHUS SPORTS EDITOR ]UlIUSE@\lllLI.lDU ' Com’ ABE.-\RD / T/Je Ring-tum P/Ji ZPE D0. Eric Ritter dives into the pool during the W&L’s latest swim meet, against the Catholic University of America. Womens’ hoops ffer defeat BY ERIN Juuus SPORTS EDITOR Washington and Lee’s Women’s Basketball team lost to Lynchburg 62-49 in a game played at home on Saturday. Lynchburg dominated the game, winning 25-20 at the first quarter and 37-29 at the half. The loss brought the Generals’ record to 1-8, 1-6 in their District. Lynchburg’s overall record is 9-3, with a 7-1 ODAC record. Junior Sarah Michaels was the Generals’ top scorer, with 19 points. Freshman Louisa F eve wasright behind Michaels, with a total of 13 points. F eve also logged the most time on the court, with 38 minutes and was responsible for a three-point shot, a steal and an assist. Senior Captain Elizabeth Igo was also responsible for an assist and two steals. Sophomore Emily Barker recorded a layup , as did Michaels. Michaels was also responsible for a steal. The Generals out-rebounded the Hornets; this effort was led by Igo with a team-high of 11 rebounds and Senior Austin Calhoun, who collected ten. The Generals had a strong opponent in Lynchburg’s Erika BY ERIN Julius SPORTS EDITOR In a home meet on Saturday, Washington and Lee’s Women’s swim team beat Catholic University of America 135-70 while the men’s team beat CUA 145-50. Both the Women’s team and men’s team won the 400- yard medley relay, with times of 4:28.70 for the Women’s A team and 3:42.42 for the men. Both the Women’s and men’s team also won the 400-yard Free relay, with times of 3 :54.74 and 4:01 .65, respectively. W&L won 16 of 18 individual events. For the women’s team, senior and Captain Blair Huffman won the 1000-yard Free event with a time of 1 1:31.36, the 200-yard Individual Medley with a time of 2: 1 9. 10 and the 200-yard Fly event with 2: 18.00. Senior and Captain Kelli Austin won the 200-yard Free event with 2:02.99. Freshman Kristine Holda won the 50-yard Free event with a time of 25.92 and the 100-yard Free event with 55.74. Sophomore Eleanor Williams won the 200-yard Back Stroke event with a time of 2:23 .37. Junior Mandi Kimble placed second in that event with a time of 2:24.60. Freshman Beth Sauer won the 200-yard Breast Stroke event with a time of2:39.18. eeps relays MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2003 For the men’s team, Freshmen Clark Barrineau and y Andrew Lloyd took first and second in the 1000-yard Free event with times of 10:48.22 and 10:56.77, respectively. Barrineau also won the 500—yard Free event with a time of 5:12.90. Senior and Captain Patrick Frankfort won the 200- ' yard Free event with a time of 1:53.08, while Freshman Reed Evans took second in the event. Frankfort also took second in both the 200-yard Back Stroke event and the 500-yard Free event. ,, Senior and Captain Zach Fake took first in the 50- yard Free with a time of 22.25 while Junior Jonathan James took second. Fake also placed first in the 100-yard Free with a time of 50. 1 7. James also placed second in the 100- yard Free. V Junior Eric Ritter won the 200-yard Individual Med- ley with a time of2: 10.63, while Sophomore Chris Colby took second in the event. Ritter also won the 200-yard Back Stroke event with a time of 2:09.63. Colby also won the 200-yard Fly event. Junior Drew Catanese took sec- ond in the 200-yard Fly. Sophomore Michael Lee placed second in the 200-yard Breast Stroke event. The Generals’ next meet will be Sunday, January y A 19 at home against the University of the South. FROM STAFF REPORTS Washington and Lee wrestling traveled to the Knight Tournament at Southern Vir- ginia University in Buena Vista last Saturday. W&L placed third at the match with 47 points, behind Carson Newman (89.50) and Belmont- Abbey (76.50). Virginia Tech (28.50), Rich- mond University (21.50), Southern Virginia (15.50) and Radford (1 1.50) finished behind W&L. Senior John Polena, Sophomore Brian Avello and Freshman Ben Everett each fin- ished second in their weight classes. Polena won 7-5 in overtime against Vir- ginia Tech’s Russel Tebelef and reached the finals after defeating Belmont-Abbey’s Josh Kline 7-6. Polena was defeated in the Cham- pionship 11-5 by Carson Newman’s Cody Humphrey. Avello reached the finals but was pinned in 4:41 by Belmont-Abbey’s Daniel Black. Everett was pinned in the finals by Belmont- Com GABBORD / T/ye Ring-tum P/ii CALHOUN . “\l(/e need to play a full game of basketbal1...we do play with a lot of intensity and heart,”said Calhoun. Whitten, who had a team-high of 17 points and a game-high of five steals. Seven other Hornets contributed to the scoring effort. The Generals travel to Hollins for a game Tuesday night. Their next home game will be Friday, January 24 against Hollins. Wrestling takes third at SVU tourney Abbey’s J .P. McDonald (2:52). The Generals’ next match will be Saturday, January 18, at 10 am, when they host the W&L Invitational Basketball loses toiRoanoke Roanoke College defeated Washington and Lee 65-53 on Saturday in a game played at home. The loss dropped the Generals’ record to 3-5’ (0-4 in the District). The Generals were losing 30-22 at the half, then assumed a 45-44 lead before Roanoke made a 21-8 run in the last nine minutes of the y. game. V W&L’s center Mark F ranceski led the team and tied a career-high with 13 points. Sophomore guard Mike Stuart was right be- hind Franceski with a total of 12 points. Senior’ forward Scott Hetterrnann totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds. W&L’s next game will be played at 24th- ranked Mary Washington on Monday. , Sarah- Arison Liz Bidinger Lanier Brooks Laura Byrne Whitney Doss Molly Drake Ingrid Easton pledgeclass of Julie Anderson Karen Blackburn Melissa Draggett I Charlotte Marie DuPre Connor Esworthy to the new Kappa De1ta!! Katherine Fischer Courtney Fitzgerald Meg Garner Bailey Hardin Stacey Henderson Christina Innamorato Carrie Lee Olivia Mansfield Natalia Maxwell Lisa Miller Laura Neller Emily Nethero Lizzie Newland Leigh Otey Anna Rainey Lissa Sale Beth Sauer Lauren Scharstein Ashley Sims Meg Strother I, 1 Brooke Taylor Erin Teichgraeber Sarah Tumlin Katie Waites Ashely Warren