OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030331/WLURG39_RTP_20030331_001.2.txt -it BY KATIE HOWELL EDITOR IN CHIEF “I haven’t got a preference yet,” President Thomas Burish said Thurs- day morning of the recently proposed options for reforming Washington and Lee’s imdergiaduate academic calendar. The President’s Advisory Commit- tee chaired by University Provost Laurent Boetsch presented a summary of months of‘ ‘the discussions related to course-load and calendar issues” on Monday to Burish and the W&L community. “The student reaction—I was surprised by the severity. I was sur- prised by the conclusion of many of the students who assumed a decision had already been made to have a 14/ 14 calendar system,” Burish said. The comrnittee’s report, in fact, lays out three different academic calen- dar models. The report then debates the options with regard to six parameters Burish outlined for the committee in the challenge he gave to the it last fall. The first option calls for the cur- rent calendar to remain in place with a six-course teaching load for all fac- ulty members and a requirement of 40 courses to graduate. The second option requests a two-semester calendar with a six- course teaching load for all faculty members and a 32- (or 36-) course graduation requirement. The last option also calls for a two—semester calendar, but requests a five-course teaching load for all fac- ulty and 32- (or 36-) courses per stu- dent for graduation. Boetsch described the second option as the “most feasible” during a student-adrninistration forum held Wednesday night iI.l.L€I1f¢$.t_C€nt€f- After receiving the recommenda- tions and summary from the President’s Advisory Committee, Burish conducted a faculty meeting on Tuesday afiemoon to discuss the situation with all the academic depart- ments. He then held the student fo- rum Wednesday night. He plans to host two more such student forums on March 31 andApril 3 in Lee Chapel. He stated that neither the adrnin- istration nor the faculty have come to a conclusion about how to alter the current calendar, course-load and fis- cal quandary. “The power of our job is to gener- ate alternatives, if we can,” Burish said. The reasons why: Before his death in the summer A of 200 1 , late University President John Elrod decided to reduce faculty teach- ing loads from seven to six courses per year. During the student forum, Burish said, “Several years ago, the school felt it could not continue attracting the best faculty with our current teaching loads. In an attempt to be more competitive, the administration changed the course load from seven to six.” In addition to this decree, the administration decided to make this change over the course of three years as to reduce the amount of visible strain seen on individual departments, classes and class sizes. “Unfortimately, there’s no finite mechanism to implement this,” Burish said. “One-seventh of the classes will be gone—that’s over 100. We have no good plan to make this wor .” Currently, the teaching load re- ductions are being phased in over three years. Burish said faculty will alternate years teaching seven and then six courses each year. In addi- SEE INSERT FOH SPECAL APRIL FOOLS EDITION To SPRING OR NOT To SPRING. (left) President Thomas Burish addresses students and fa tion, the University allocated $200,000 to hire temporary adjunct faculty over the next three years to help counter- act the effects of a large-scale course reduction. “Unfortunately, this is a short- term solution,” Burish said. Burish said that in order to maintain the same number of classes currently offered and to the College; I KNOW STUDENTS LOVE SPRING TERM, BUT JUST TO SAY WE WANT A 12-12-6 Law School, Larry Peppers of the Will- iams School and Thomas Williams of professors Brian Murchison of the Law School, Michael Evans of the mathematics department, Lad Sessions of the philosophy depart- ment. Suzanne Keen of the English de- partment, Michael Pleva of the cheni- istry department, Barbara Browrr of the library, Cecile West-Settle of the avoid a drastic CALENDAR WITH NO romance lan- increase in CHANGES \yoN’T WORK....IT guages dePa‘""' course sizes, the , merit, Harlan Universitywould WON T BE IDENTICALR BUT Beckley of the need to hire 25 IN MANY WAYS \X/ILL BE Sheperd Program new faculty at a cost of $2.5 mil- lion per year for salaries and start- up packages. The University would also be forced to pay $3 million to move the faculty here and construct a new building to house offices for all these new people. “We don’t have that money,” Burish said. “I don’t know the an- swer.” He said the school is currently in a “delicate financial situation.” The endowment is down seven percent, the school has no excess money, and the school is increasing tuition “ag- gressively” to counteract these finan- cial problems. “W&L won’t be W&L if we have the second-best faculty,” Burish said. “Over time, it’s going to be more diffi- cult to attract the best faculty if we don’t fix some things.” Burish’s challenge: “I found several unsolved prob- lems waiting for the new presidential office,” Burish said in his speech last Wednesday. In early fall 2002, he challenged the President’s Advisory Committee (com- prised of Deans David Partlett of the i_,..r~.;vs briefs to - - Mock Con announces Kick-off bands North Mississippi Allstars and The Lost Trailers will be the two bands to play at Washington and Lee’s Mock Convention Spring Kick-Off May 10, Noah Rhodes announced at the Mock Con Steering Com- BETTER. UNIV. PRES. THOMAS BURISH and religion de- partment, Arthur Goldsmith of the economics de- partment and Robert Strong of the politics depart- ment; and associate deans David Millon of the Law School, Elizabeth Oliver of the Williams School and Jeanine Stewart of the College) to “study these issues [the University’s current finan- cial status with regard to ensuring the University’s continued progress] and to propose ways that the University might effectively deal with them.” Burish framed the charge by pro- viding six guidelines for the commit- tee to use in their discussions. They are: 1. The teaching load will be no more that 6 courses per year, 2. We should seek to enhance collaboration among the College, Williams School and Law School, 3. We should seek to strengthen interdisciplinary and international education, 4. The current student/faculty ratio will be main- tained (assume up to five permanent faculty hires), 5. Resource reallocation is probable, but there will be no sig- nificant infusion of new resources for the addition of faculty, and 6. Keep the calendar structured by making sure students take two courses per mittee meeting last night. According to The Lost Trail- ers Web site, www.thelosttrailers.com, the band is “an American rock band based in the Southeast.” Lucinda Williams said of North Mississippi Allstars, “The North Mississippi Allstars have taken the best of Delta blues and Southern rock and blended them to create their own sound that is honest, raw, sensual, very powerful stuff. They are important because they are bridging a gap by bringing blues to a whole new crowd while still staying true to the primitive sounds of the Delta. You could call it swamp rock. I love them!” Visit North Mississippi Allstars at their Web site www.nma11stars.com. JEB BROOKS / The Ring-Inn: Phi culty Wednesday/s student forum After a short presentation by Burish and Provost Laurent Boetsch, students took the opportunity WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY « NG-TUM The ilnnlnnt none of Washington nnn’ Len Uninnniih since 7897 (D On/inn nl: phzln//n.enln spring term. Under this charge the Committee proposedthe three options listed inthe first section above. Under each option, however, the committee found viola- tions of Burish’s guidelines. These vio- lations are all listed and thoroughly de- scribed in the summary posted online at hgp://registrar.wlu.edu/calendars/ AdvisorvCommRecs2003 .htm. Boetsch, however, did comment that the committee found the second option, calling for two-semesters, a six-course teaching load, and 32- to 36-course graduation requirement for students the most feasable, voting 12-0-2 (with two absences) in favor of a two semester calendar. The history: While many think the recent de- velopments regarding the University calendar, teaching loads and curricu- lum reform have been sprung on the W&L community at the last rriinute, the calendar has been in question over the past few years. During the 2000-2001 school year, a faculty com- mittee conducted a study of two cal- endar models: one with two 14-week semesters similar to the current Law School calendar and the other was the current 12-12-6 calendar. This cornmit- tee finished its work in February 2001, and the faculty subsequently debated whether to keep the current 12-12-6 calendar or to switch to a 14- l 4-week system. The faculty vote was in favor of the current situation 127 to 64 (66.5 percent to 33.5 percent) votes. The faculty, however, were concerned about the quality of a six-week term. They acted upon these concerns by forming a Spring Term Renewal Com- mittee (STRC) which “was assigned the task of providing the administra- tion with a set of recommendations to strengthen the Spring Term by the end of the 2001-2002 academic year,” ac- cording to the STRC report. After a year of debate and consideration, the Grasso named first-ever VP Administration Joseph E. Grasso has been named to Washing- ton and Lee University’s newly-created position ofVice President for Administration, effective July 1. Grasso joins W&L from the University of Virginia, where he serves as associate dean of planning and opera- tions in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sci- €I'lC€S. W&L President Thomas Burish praised Grasso’s ap- pointment and the selection process leading up to it. “The Search Committee put a tremendous amount of time PE VOLUME CV, No.XXV MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2003 STRC presented its report in May 2002. This report suggested the admin- istration establish a standing commit- tee to examine all proposed courses for Spring Term, require that Spring Term courses be unique to Spring Term, keep Spring Term class sizes small and Seminar-style, encourage off-campus, unique and interdiscipli- nary courses and begin work on a number of programs including Fresh- men Seminars, new faculty workshops and summer grants. The STRC pre- sented its findings to then acting- President Boetsch, who declined to react to them since Burish was assum- ing presidency in July 2002. Burish then established the new committee in September, and they have debat- ing since then. Both the 2000-2001 report and STRC reports are posted on the Uni- versity registrar’s Web site. Historically, Spring Term has only been in existence at W&L since 1970. Prior to 1970 the students had two 15-week semesters, took five courses each term and went to class on Saturdays. Administrators pointed out during the student forum that many liberal arts colleges employed alternative calendar systems during the 1970s and that all except W&L and Bates College in Maine have re- tained these sirnilar shorter terms. The administrators said, however, that Bates’s five-week term and W&L’s six- week term are not the same as current other school’s voluntary “January” or “May” terms. What will happen? Over the past week students, fac- ulty, administrators, alumni and prospec- tive students have all voiced their con- cerns and comments on the issues at hand Signs around campus, studentmass emails and numerous classroom discus- sions have been a common sight at W&L over the past week. Students and many them.” ante“? mt, ) UJ.L'.\'l'lL\'l'l().\' Br} EB BROOKS / The Rzn;-him Phi to question the administrators about the calendar issues and the future of Spring Terrrr A French class takes advantage of warm weather to work outside. \Will this still be a common sight if the current calendar is changed? faculty members have declared their un- dying affection for Spring Term. Burish responded, however, “I know students love Spring Term, but just to say we want a 12- 12-6 calendar with no changes won’t work because there won’t be enough classes for all the students to take.” Alumni and students alike have emailed and met with Burish throughout the week to present their concerns and suggestions for ways to improve the cal- endar. “We need to identify the most important elements in the whole aca- demic calendar—spring term and other tenns—and then help us think of cre- ative ways we can package those ele- ments to retain those essential elements,” Burish said. “The faculty are trying to find away to do it, and I’m trying to find a way to do it. Ithink that we can do it. It won’t be identical, but in many ways will be better—we’ll have a better and more competitive course-load for faculty.” Burish also added, “We have to keep in mind this report has only been out a couple of days. It is meant to generate interest and generate ideas.” Burish is optimistic about the ideas and thoughts that will be gained from the student forums, faculty meet- ings and one-on-one meetings with individuals of both groups. He said, “I’m delighted in the past few days people have changed their minds about the issues. I called a stu- dent last night for example who had writ- ten a pretty stinging email not to me- but it had been sent to me-—I called to let him know some of his information was inaccurate, and he said, ‘President Burish I was at the meeting [student forum] to- night, and I feel completely different, and I’ll work with you on alternatives. I still may not like the outcome. ’” Burish said students and faculty alike have approached him with ideas and suggestions. “There ’s no set formula to fix this,” Burish said. “We’re just going to have to get a lot of different perspectives before anything can be decided.” and effort into the Search and selection process, main- tained strict confidentiality, and helped bring the pro- cess to a most successful conclusion. I am grateful to The Search Committee was chaired by Steven G. McAllister, W&L’s vice president for finance and Univer- sity treasurer. It included William Hartog, dean of admis- sions and financial aid; David Partlett, dean of W&L’s School of Law; Larry Peppers, dean of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics; Mike Walsh, ex- Trustees. ecutive athletic director; Leanne Shank, W&L’s general counsel; and Burt Staniar, a member of W&L’s Board of OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030331/WLURG39_RTP_20030331_002.2.txt BRE'1TT.KlR\X/AN _ , OPINIONSEDHOR 3 337.. i P‘ " FMAH:wRWB@MU£DU 5 T. , MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2003> ‘ ._/‘ ~ '3.- I News comes before Fools This is the second year in a row that The Ring-tum Phi has been unable to print an en- tire issue dedicated to April Fool’s fun. Both times, President Burish has been the reason. The April Fool’s edition of 2002 was partially nixed because of the announcement of Tho- mas Burish’s ascension to the top spot at our fine school. Today, we print only an insert. W&L may be a bubble from reality, but news has trumped April Fools yet again. All majors have something to offer How many times has a C-School student laughed at someone studying the humanities? How many times have economics maj ors called future geologists “hippies?” How many times have philosophy majors scoffed at the voca- tional training offered in the C-School? Far too often, if you ask us. To judge a student based solely on what he chooses to explore while a wee undergraduate is short-sighted. The broad base of classes students take in the form of general education courses and (ahem) Spring Term courses ensures that every student has a good mix of courses. On the rare occasion that an employer hires someone these days, he is looking for a char- acter who has this broad experience. The goal of a liberal arts education is to teach one how to think, not to impart to students a specific set of skills. As such, those who study something a little more “Newcomb,” as well as those in the C- School have options available. Recent gradu- ates with degrees from building on the Colon- nade have found themselves in professions ranging from Pastors to Professors and Com- modities Traders to Counselors. Remember, one’s undergraduate degree has little bearing on what one does with the rest of one ’s life. Math majors are not all dorks, science majors are not all mad, sociology ma- jors are not all worthless and politics majors are not all conservatives. Do not fall victim to labeling a fiiend (or enemy) by some ill-irrforrned conception of what he is studying. The diversity of disciplines available at Washington and Lee should encourage students to experiment with new fields of study, not pro- vide fodder for sophomoric teasing. THE RiNG—TI.lM PHI PINIONS PAGE 2 Burish needs to work to save Spring Term “I give you my word, a decision has not already been made,” said President Burish during a recent interview. He was obviously speaking about Spring Term. So what does one make of this? I have to believe the president when he says this. This University is founded on a tradition of honor and honesty, so if I cannot trust the University President at his word, then things are in a horrible state. Burish also said, “What surprised me is that students thought a decision on the issue had already been made.” The fact is that when the President’s Advisory Committee gave their report on a range of issues, including the calen- dar, Burish stated he truly expected one of the options that was to be presented to him to include the current calendar system. What students do need to understand is that Burish came to Washington and Lee, the past president, the late John Elrod, already having given the faculty the promise to reduce their teaching load from seven to six courses. Elrod had also already put many construction plans, such as the renovation of Reid Hall and the Commons, into the works. The University borrowed money for these projects, and they had to be paid for. Thus comes the Campaign for the Rising Generation. This campaign’s goal is to raise $225 million to pay for these and other things. In his short time here, Burish has already met $205 million of this goal. “Why can’t the University use part of this money to pay for new faculty and buildings that would be needed to keep the current calendar and reduce the current faculty’s course load?” He explained that while much of this money is in a sense, “already spent,” the fact remains that when someone pledges money to the school it is often not seen for five years. If a pledge is more than $1 million, that individual has ten years to pay it. Moreover, some pledges are in the form of trusts, and the University does not see this money until that individual has died. Thus, there is actually no current disposable income to pay for such a high number of new faculty members (estimated around twenty-five people). KEWL bakes up lies , ?????????????? NICK RAMSEY ‘O3 ‘ILE ' GoNE? Students wait for the Porta—]ohns at the 1993 Foxfield Races The end of SpiingTei:m couldmean the end of this tradition I also asked Burish how the proposed two-term cal- endar would affect the variety of a student’s education since it reduces the number of courses one takes in four years at W&L from forty to thirty-two. He said he feels the general education requirements do a good job of making sure students experience this type of variety already, and that tradition would be continued if we go to a different calendar. “Don’t you think it would benefit you to experience Spring Tenn before calling it into question like this?” His answer was simple. “I’ve not experienced Spring Term, but I know students love it. I do want to keep it if I can.” So what is one to make of all this? Clearly there are those among the student body who feel that Burish is on a crusade to get rid of our beloved six weeks. They are incorrect. But, this is not to say that the students should remain passive. There are too many things about Spring Tenn that provide students classes and opportunities that are unavailable at any other school. To quote W&L alumnus, past EC President, and cur- rent NYU law student Jeff Cook, “All the people I know who got their start in politics from Washington Term think doing away with Spring Term is a horrible idea.” Other problems that could arise from the abolition of Spring Term include internships, the Politics Department’s term on Parliamentary Politics in London, and the multiple seminar and specialized courses we have all come to love. Moreover, the Theater Department would be greatly hin- dered in its ability to do a musical. The school’s orchestra would have to fit all of its own engagements into two terms, leaving very little time for them to devote to a Spring Tenn musical. Moreover, “The Princeton Review” recently ranked our students as some of the hardest studiers in the nation. I think every student would agree to this since many of our friends at other schools cannot identify with the level of work that it takes to get a sheepskin from this place. I, personally, have pulled at least ten all—nighters this term. Two of them were back to back, thus keeping me up for sixty-three hours straight. Thus, my argument from these facts is that we, as a student body, earn the relaxation and special oppor- tunities provided to us from Spring Term. This has always been a school that has been different. The stu- dent body has delighted in these differences. I think that the fact that an overwhelming majority of stu- dents prefer to keep a calendar that keeps us in school longer each year than the new proposed calendar speaks volumes. Funding issues and teaching loads aside, the real challenge I charge President Burish and the administra- tion with is, MAKE THIS WORK The clear advantages from our calendar far outweigh any disadvantages. While the word “change” is often frowned upon here for fiivo- lous reasons, this is one time that we as a student body need to remain united and make our voices heard. This time we are right. te of the Week “Screw theAmericans!” ~Canadian Senator Laurier L. LaPierre, in Senate debate on March 25 Founder J. Sam Slicer, 1898L Editor in chief Katie J. Howell Opinions Editor BrettT.Kirwan Arts & Life Editor Catherine C. Guy Photo Editor Jeb Brooks Sports Editor Erin Julius Asst. News Editor CaleyAnderson Photographers CodyGabbard Copy Editor Donny Banks Business Manager Circulation Director Advertising Assistant Thomas Worthy Henry Grimball McQueen Calvert 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 Editor 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 re- flect 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.wIu.edu Last Wednesday, Knowledge Em- powering Womyn Leaders (KEWL) and the Minority Student Association (MSA) held an “Equity Bake Sale” to bring the attention of W&L students to that scourge of our time, the gender wage gap. (One wonders why the Minority Student Association would spon- sor an event for women, a majority population.) Congratulations to the la- dies for donating all the proceeds to CancerCare; fie on them for perpetuating the thoroughly disproven myth that the gender wage gap is due to discrimination. There is indeed a gender wage gap. The statistics KEWL paraded about are true. On average, women do earn less than men. However, this is not due to any dis- crimination. It is, instead, due to genuine inequities in educational attainment, job ex- perience, age or occupation. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers flaunted by KEWL, according to the Inde- pendent Women’s Forum, compare only the “median wages of all men and all women in the work force, without regard to age, edu- cation, occupation, experience or working hours.” Even the National Council on Pay Equity, set up by labor unions and femi- nist groups to agitate in favor of higher wages for women, agrees that all of these variables are important factors that “are valid explanations for different pay rates.” Yet they ignore the true explanation so that RIGHT or THE AISLE they can score political points by complain- ing about nonexistent discrimination. In fact, “equal pay for equal wor ” has been the law of the land since the 1963 Equal Pay Act was passed. Discrimination in paying one’s laborers based on sex would land an employer in court and give the woman plaintiff a settlement so she would never have to work again. Moreover, if employ.- ers were indeed justified with paying their female employees only three-quarters of what they pay their male employees for the same work, all male em- ployees would be fired. Capitalists dis- criminate in favor of profit and if the gen- der wage gap were truly based on discrimi- nation, men would be sacked in favor of their 28 percent cheaper female counter- parts. According to the National Longitudi- nal Survey of Youth, also conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reveal that when childless 27-33 year old men and women are compared, taking into account their education, occupation and experi- ence, women earn nearly 98 percent the wages of men. No gap there. Another explanation for the wage gap is that many women voluntarily choose to work in lower paying jobs, such as clerical work, sales or education. There is no dis- criminatory boss that makes these jobs lower paying or forces women to choose them. Usually, the additional flexibility these types of jobs offer more than com- pensates women for lower wages. In 1970, only four percent of MBA’s were awarded to women. In 1996, 37 per- cent of these advanced degrees went to women. As women’s educational achieve- ments and training advance (women are now the majority on undergraduate cam- puses) we’ll keep seeing more and more women in top executive positions where they’re earning as much or more than their male counterparts. In fact, in 1973, women sat on the boards of only 11 percent of major corporations; in 1998, that percent- age had risen to 72. So, it turns out that, if one examines truly equal work, women earn just as much as men. There is no sexual discrimination _] EB BROOKS / The Rirrgtzrm Phi CHOCOIATE CHIP FALSEHOODS. KEWL promoted the sham that the genderwage gap is discrirninatory. on pay day. As much as it may displease the feminists among us, many mothers choose more flexible jobs with lower sala- ries so that they may raise their children. Since 4 out of 5 women will bear a child sometime in their lifetimes, this results in women working lower paying part-time and seasonal jobs in every sector of the economy. If KEWL truly wants to help women, they need to drop the political posturing and herald the great strides that women have made in the workplace in recent de- cades. Women do receive equal pay for equal work. Stop claiming victim status. But do keep baking cookies. The feminists of KEWL were surprisingly good at it. JAMES G. LEYBLJRN !,tBR.*-.ny' -'.'7'IS‘iTY WASHINGTON & Lt: - ,. LEXINGTON, vi APRfl22fl03 Letters to the Editor Lack of student input “unconscionable” Dear Editor, I have recently become aware that the President’s Ad- visory Committee has proposed altering W&L’s academic calendar, removing Spring Term. 1 was surprised to hear such news, since I believed that any such proposal had died as a result of a faculty vote in 200lsupporting the current calendar. Even more so, I was dismayed to learn that the student body had not even been appraised of what the committee was considering. I strongly support Spring Term as a unique and invaluable aspect of W&L’s education. Even more so than the value of Spring Term, 1 value W&L’s tradition of student self-govemment. These re- cent events have undermined this crucial aspect of the ethos of W&L. To consider revising an aspect of the Uni- versity that affects every student without even the cour- tesy of letting it be known is to me unconscionable. Sincerely, ' Marshall Woodworth ‘02 Spring Term important to alumni Dear Editor, The W&L experience, the one remembered so vividly by so many alumni, is more than just an academic one. On the issue of eliminating Spring Term, President Burish should try not to think solely like an administrator because it is a far more complex issue than simply juggling resources and schedules. In addition to larger classes and temporary teachers, eliminating Spring Tenn would eliminate a common thread that connects so many generations of W&L students. We are hosting a party for accepted students in Charlotte in a couple of weeks and I usually never pass up the opportu- nity to extol the virtues of W&L to anyone who wants to listen. With the prospect of Spring Tenn disappearing, I really don’t have nearly the same enthusiasm to do so. I’mremindedeachtimeIreceivemyarmualfi1ndma.ilingthat my connibution helps keep tuition down while allowing the cur- rent students to have the same opportunities and experiences we had By eliminating Spring Tenn, Burish is not only eliminating an experience we alumni know current and future students would cherish and look back on fondly if given the opportunity, but he is relinquishingus offl1e“respor1sibilit}?’tofinanciallysupportsome- thing that is no longer there. Do not underesfimate the importance of those six weeks in Spring in developing the lifelong attachment we have to the school, the same attachment that gets our check- books out each year for the armual firncl And so, while “I come back to this campus often, sometimes physically, other times in my mind’s eye,” my yearly contribution won’t in the absence of Spring Term That is extremely difiicult to say for someone who currently serves on ouralumni chapterboardstill gets alurnp in my throat when I hear “Shenandoah.” Sincerely, Justin Dardani ‘96 Prospective eager to experience Spring Term Dear Editor, As a prospective student and George Washington Honor Scholarship flnalist, I was deeply disheartened to learn that the University was reconsidering its current undergraduate academic schedule. The opportunities provided by Spring Term are instru- mental to the institution’s mission and ongoing success. Spring Term is a uniquely W&L tradition that not only sets the Univer- sity apart but also attracts fixture students. In the fiercely competi- tive world of selective college admissions, any special character- istics of an institution promote its success. Eliminating Spring Term threatens Washington and Lee’s enviable admissions selec- tivity and commitment to continually improving classes. Eliminating Spring Term concunenfly detracts fiom the uniqueness and competitiveness of the institution. I greatly hope to join the (three term) Washington and Lee community this fall. Sincerely, Matt Godfrey —Prospective Spring Term crucial to W&L’s character Dear Editor, Decisions like the one to end Spring Term are not made in a static environment; they will affect aspects of campus too numerous to fully mention in a letter. Eliminat- ing Spring Terrn seems to me as drastic a change as mov- ing campus to Richmond or ceasing to offer history classes. Instituting a “regular” school calendar would destroy one of the truly unique attributes of a school which seems to be losing its uniqueness with each passing year. In the University’s efforts to mimic the perceived virtues of other schools, perhaps it should realize that every single alum- nus in its history declined to attend any other school. I am truly grateful to have attended Washington and Lee when it offered the wonderful experience of Spring Term. In the University’s myopic efforts to be all things to all people, it is rapidly becoming nothing whatsoever to this alurrmus. Sincerely, Andrew Cary Simmons ‘0l ‘I OCR::/Vol_105/WLURG39_RTP_20030331/WLURG39_RTP_20030331_003.2.txt cniimu-Akin. bur ARlS&I.IPEEDll0R FMAr;Gu1t@wIIurrJ MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2003 THE R}?-rum: P& IE PAGE 3 Announcing the W&L student Spring Term fundraiser There’s a war going on.’ And this one ain’t in the Middle East. Before Burish rolled into Lex Vegas, the faculty had already voted to keep spring term and had also agreed on some ideas on how to reduce their torturous course load. Then Burish moves into Lee House and promptly armounced that W&L is not as cash-money bling—blingin as we thought. That notorious money-grubbing venture, “The Campaign for the Rising Generation,” might as well be called “The Campaign In Which We Receive Pledges ' Of Eventual Money from Rich Alums From Which We Will Build New Beautiful Buildings While Simultaneously Changing W&L As We Know It Entirely.” Then again, that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like the current phrase. But‘ for whatever vague, conveniently unidentified reason, we can no longer financially afford Spring Term, or at least the faculty-approved improved more efficiently I'l1I1 Spring Term. We can have all the forums we want. We can complain and write billions of nasty emails. We can publish an infinite number of scathing editorials. We can even pretend to be liberals and hold protest marches in the name of preserving this great and glorious aspect of W&L life. But will any of that make Spring Term any ABSOLUTE FKATLORDE I easier or more practical to save?? Of course not. And so, we find ourselves feeling collectively helpless and frustrated as our beloved Spring Term is swept away forever. But wait. Maybe we aren’t helpless. Maybe there is something we can do after all. It’s all about the money, right? Then, all we have to do is raise 55 million dollars to save our favorite term, right?? If that’s so, then let me be the first to armounce the inauguration ofthe Save Spring Term Fundraiser. . .. Considering the essentially unilateral position that ’ students have against the removal of Spring Term, I’m sure that everyone would be willing to contribute in some way. I’d be willing to donate half of the money to my name (tl1at’s right, all 60 bucks of it) if it would help preserve the current , calendar. And then after we contribute out of our own pockets, we could call alums, who certainly wouldn’t want us to take this lying down, so would gladly contribute. Then there are our parents, of whom many would also be more than willing to keep the school as we like it best. Even faculty members might be inclined to contribute, since many of them are just as concerned with keeping spring term as we are. Obviously, individual donations would not be enough to keep Spring Term afloat Inevitably we would be forced to look at more creative fundraising options. Here are a few ideas: 1) Alumni Weekend: lets milk the alums for all their worth. Explain it clearly. . .its not a campaign for the rising generation, it’s a campaign for OUR generation. Certainly some of them will join the cause. 2) Buffalo Creek: Get student bands that will play for free (i.e. Drunken Rusty — a blatant plug, of course) but have all in attendance throw down a 10-spot in the name of keeping the calendar how we like it. We’d all be more than willing to help, considering an end of spring term would also be an end to Buffalo Creek as we know it. 3) The Spring Term Phone—a—thon: During the Mock Con Spring Kickoff, we can use the national media exposure to host the Save Spring Term Phone-a-thon. Political Chair Michael Denbow and Phil Walotsky can be the erncees and can use a combination of American patriotism and idle threats to secure donations fi'om across the country. 4) The Surgeon’s Generals: The Surgeon’s PR representative, Zach McQ11igg, can TIM SMITHfl‘£_ capitalize on the growing international popularity of the Surgeon by appealing to professional athletes around the globe. While the Surgeon showcases his innumerable abilities which will invariably carry him the Heisman, future trophy buffer (Ben Jones) and the token Lambda (yours truly) can collect financial donations from Danny Wuerflul, Charlie Ward, and other former Heisman winners. 5) Kentucky Derby: After contacting horse-racing experts around the world, we can pool our collected donations and place a huge bet on the Derby which we are bound to win. And if by some freak accident we lose, we can use the rest of our money to place an even bigger bet on the Preakness. Thus, we are bound to come out on top, helping our chances to save Spring Term. 6) Fundraising Jar at the Palms: Naturally, the greatest night- life establishment in Lex Vegas stands to lose if Spring Term goes down the crapper. Thus, we can place collection jars at the Pahns and at other Lexington establishments so that those faithful to the cause can give as much as they wish. These are just a few ideas. We can raise money in FILE PHoro/ THE RlN(3—1l'.\I PHI A TRADITION IN DANGER: Buffalo Creek is an annual student-s onsored event at which numerous bands P perform over a Spring Term weekend for the student audience at Zollrnan’s Pavilion. This beloved event, along with numerous others, could be in danger of annihilation if Spring Term ceases to exist in the next few years. millions of other ways, so long as we make the millions to keep the school as we like it. Obviously the odds are stacked against us, but it’s also obvious that almost every student on campus feels strongly about keeping the calendar as it is. Few outsiders can understand how we feel. President Burish knows his finances, but what he can’t grasp fully is how spring term can define our experience as students at Washington and Lee. Truly, only those who have lived through it themselves realize how special it is. Unfortunately, we may not have any control over the situation. Indeed, even Burish or the faculty may not have any control over the situation. They make the decisions, but their decisions might just as well be determined by factors outside of their control. But if we did something about it, like a Spring Term Fundraiser, we can at least say that we tried. Without a doubt, 55 million dollars is a sum that 1800 students can’t possibly collect. But if we start a fundraiser, and it fails, we can use that money to throw the largest party this school has ever experienced. That way, we can say goodbye to Spring Term the only way that most of us know how — by saying goodbye to sobriety. Orchestra and Sonoklect give W&L students a magical, musical experience “There is a lot more restriction playing in an orchestra than playing as a soloist — restrictions such as tempo, style, interpretation, etc. The goal of each section is to make it sound unified, so there is a lot less freedom in one’s own interpretation. However, when all of those factors come together, it can leave chills up your spine.” —Celia Landgren, s t u d e n t concertrnaster. Last Saturday, Ihad the pleasure of attending the University Shenandoah Symphony Orchestra and Sonoklect ' concert with a special World Premiere by Professor Terry Vosbein and the star performer Jesus Morales on the cello. Three orchestral pieces were played, yet I was personally impressed by Professor Vosbein’s piece “Masque for Cello and Orchestra” and its cello I * solo by the talented Jesus Morales. A ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, W long-standing fiiend of ON THE ARTS AURA LEIGH BIRDWELUO3; e n 0 w n e d Professor Vosbein’s, Mr. Morales is a world— violoncelloist and the current Principal Cellist of the Orquesta Sinforrica de Puerto Rico. As I watched him play, Mr. Morales maintained such a pleasant face during the entire performance and played so effortlessly that I did not even consider how difficult his piece truly was. He made it seem so simple. Celia Landgren agreed with me, but also emphasized that it was a “very, very, very difficult” and technical piece to play. And for a musician who considered attending a university music conservatory to state such praise says much about Morales, not to mention the master of the symphony itself, Professor Vosbein. The orchestra also performed a lovely piece entitled “Circus Polka” by Igor Stravinsky and Charles Ives’ “Symphony No. 2.” Overall, the music itself was lovely ~ not overwhelmingly passionate like the Romantic composers, not so traditional and technical as a Bach piece, but also not so modem that the audience couldn’t quite relate (as often happens with modern music). It was somewhere in-between — lighthearted and pleasant, yet original nonetheless. As I listened to the orchestra play, my mind began to wander...l started thinking about how undeniably difficult it must be to play a complicated piece not only flawlessly, but so flawlessly that each person’s music is in complete harmony with the 80 or so other instruments being played! It’s all about the timing ~ or so they say. Each musician in the orchestra plays the beat withinthe realrnofhis ownmind: “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3.”Andyet, amazingly enough, it is impeccably melodious with everyone else’s mind — it must be, or else the music would, well, not be music. l’ve forgotten much of my other thoughts (next time, I’ll be sure to bring a pen) while listening to the concert, but I did notice one aspect of the performance, common among all orchestral pieces: each musical instrument represented some aspect of the symphony as a whole, relating it to the overall theme. One could just imagine, in “Cirmrs Polka” for example, the quick, airy sounds of the woodwinds representing the goofy activity of the clowns, while the deep and heavy drumming represented the walk of an elephant. Likewise Professor Vosbein says of his piece, “I came upon the idea of a Masque. . .a party of , guests wearing costumes. Full of intrigue and romance. ..full of possibilities.” I couldn’t quite identify the exact representation of each instrument (I mean, hey — that’s what music classes are for, right?) and carmot fully explain how Vosbein’s piece was able to perform such a task. But somehow, it did — somehow, in hearing “Masque for Cello and Orchestra” as my mind wandered from thought to thought, I thought about parties and masks, playfiilness and merriment. arias: 3 hours: ®c....e...mpus 51.000 —- 53.000 your fludem Group tic-lluage fl.Il‘rIIll:‘Il‘5—él“=*;g ma-fie Simple, Side" and 1'-"«'n.-2-9.. Mtdiipfe timidraisisig milaifirv. Ne He mffias. 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