OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20031208/WLURG39_RTP_20031208_001.2.txt (sieves R552 1 ‘I’. /Gé me. !:> R WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY G-TUM liiestndent voice ofWasbington and Lee University since 1897 VOLUME Clill,l\lo.\llH I5 lknDARInEnnER&2dB Mys erious hief swipes several ex books from he C-school BY KAELA HARMON STAFF WRITER Recently, there has been a rash of thefts in the Commcerce-school. One victim, Akshat Shah, a senior economics major, returned to campus from Thanksgiving break, he discovered that three of his textbooks were missing from his storage cubby on the third floor of the C—school. His first thought was that he had simply mis- placed them but by Monday afternoon the Associ- ate Dean of the C—Schoo1, Rob Straughan, had re- ceived several other reports of missing books, and it became apparent that Shah was not alone. Dean Straughan said that he had received at least seven reports of missing textbooks. Most of them are the accounting book used in University hopes to use Co-op, Dupont Professor Elizabeth Oliver’s intermediate account- ing class, however a Math Economics book, a statis- tics book, and a management informational systems (MIS) book have also been reported as missing. With the accounting book itself selling for $106.25 used and $141.50 new that’s well over $500 in stolen books. In response to the reports, Dean Straughan sent word to students and faculty in the C—Schoo1 via e- mail making them aware of the problem and asking that students report any missing to security and to professors. “Stuff like this happens from time to time”, Straugh said. In the mean time, “we’ve tried to make copies of the material.” Because her class was most affected, Professor Oliver contacted the publishing company’s repre- sentative about replacing the books. Professor Oliver said that the publishing company was kind enough to send complimentary copies of the ac- counting book. The books arrived Friday. As of now there are no solid leads as to who might have taken the books although politics Pro- fessor Bill Connelly did recall that around the time that the books had been reported stolen a man came by his office, introduced himself as a book buyer and asked him if he had any books he wanted to sell. “All Iknow is that I had never seen him before, and my offiee is just a few doors down from where [ I understand] the books were stolen. Hence I re- ported my suspicion and a description to Mike Young.” Young, head of security said that he does not believe that the culprit is a student or anyone closely associated with the school who knows and respects the Honor System. Executive Com- mittee President, Helen Hughes, shares Young’s opinion. “It’s hard for me to believe it could be a student [but] if it is a student stealino the books it would be considered an Honor Viola- tion,” said Hughes. At this point Young has said that security is doing everything that they can and asks that all missing books be reported to security. He also asks that any suspicious looking people be reported. “Students have to remember that we have a large number of visitors on the campus and that they [students] shouldn’t leave expensive items lay- ing around. The best way we can protect ourselves is you have to protect your sniff,” said Young. Snow hits Lexington campus ‘opens for business,’ Physical Plant workers ‘scramble’ to clear paths for more classroom space BY CHRIS LAUDERMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER Rumors of the co-op’s de- mise have been spreading across campus in the past few months leaving students con- fused and upset. According to Tom Contos, University Architect, however, that is not the case at this time. The future of both the Co—op and Dupont Hall re- main in question. “Academic uses are our main focus,” stated Contos. The Co—op was built in 1911 and has a wood frame with a brick exterior. The origi- nal purpose of the co—op was to house a 120 seat dining hall on the first floor and bedrooms upstairs for the kitchen staff. The back section of the build- ing, facing Graham Lees was added in the 1960’s to house the bookstore. A few years ago, the Uni- versity looked into converting the Co—op into additional classroom space for the over- crowded Williams School. Washington and Lee also looked into building an addi- tion on to the Williams School to house additional class- rooms. Both options, however, were too costly and the Univer- sity decided to rework the space in the C School and take the large library of the school and con- vert it into two classrooms and a smaller library instead. Renovations for this project took place over the summer. Dupont Hall was built on a tight budget in 1954. The school built Dupont Hall in the cheapest way possible by using a concrete block con- struction instead of steel. This makes re-designing the space nearly impossible. The University has con- cluded that the core of the campus needs to be reserved for academic use. This means that administrative offices would need to be moved off of the Colonnade and the Plaza. Ideally, this would mean that both the Co—op and Dupont Hall would be used for an academic function. The academic function of the Co—op would most likely be offices while the function of Dupont Hall would be of- fices in addition to new, “smart” classrooms. The University is experi- encing an office crunch as a result of the hiring of new faculty, on-leave faculty, and phased retirement. The smart classrooms in Dupont Hall would create better classroom space. Possible demolitions are being looked into for the most effective use of space. Wash- ington and Lee is getting ready to hire an architect and engineer to do a feasibility study of the two buildings. A report to the board on these two buildings is expected to be given in February. FILE 1 Dupont. One day, this hall will offer “smart classrooms” to students BY JEB BROOKS EDITOR IN CHIEF Students, faculty and staff woke up on Friday morning to a snow covered Lexington. By the time most of the campus com- munity first saw the snow, ad- ministrators had made the deci- sion to open for “business as usual.” Provost Tom Williams, Vice President Joe Grasso and Direc- tor of the Physical Plant Scott Beebe met early on Friday mom- ing to make a decision regard- ing the opening of campus. Beebe had been in touch with Physical Plant workers who worked all night to stay on top of the effects of the snowfall. According to Williams, who drove in from west of town, “the local roads were more than just passable.” Administrators checked weatlier.com as well. The call to keep the campus up-and-running was made be- tween 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The campus community was alerted by a broadcast email that was sent at 7:39 a.m.; the email called on everyone to “use your best judgment of your 10- cal circumstances when making a decision to come to campus.” VVi1liams said that, “not getting here is a forgivable offense.” That mercy extended to students, faculty and staff. The cost of the snow event to The University is, “built into budgets,” according to Williams. According to Williams, “Washington and Lee rarely shuts down for snow.” Williams remembers the campus closing for a storm that hit Lexington seven years ago. The closure lasted two days. There was a travel danger related to the blizzard, but the real rea- son for the closure was that, “Vir- ginia power asked us to cut power in any way we could.” The storm caused a rolling brownout in the area, and Washington and Lee was consuming too much. power. Williams speaks of one local legend regarding the closure of campus. President Coles, who came from the University of Georgia, cancelled classes af- ter a gentle snowfall. He sub- sequently suffered years of condemnation by the board of trustees and other campus offi- cials. Decision makers ever JEB BROOKS/ THE RING TI/MPH1 Working hard. Maintenance workers arose early Friday morning in order to clear safe paths for students all over campus. One worker called the nasty Winter ahead “job security.” since have been weary of clos- ing the colonnade because of weather. Physical Plant worker Alan Black referred to the forecasted bad winter ahead as “job security.” Worker files complaint of unsafe working conditions BY ERIN Juuus NEWS EDITOR Since the construction of the Elrod Commons, some stu- dents and employees claim to have felt tremors within the building. A formal complaint was filed by a University em- ployee with the Occupational Safety Hazard Act/Adrr1inistra— tion. The complaint listed sev- eral objections to the new con- struction, the most serious be- ing that the Commons is sub- ject to tremors and is just gen- erally poorly designed. According to University Safety Officer Paul Burns, the Commons was monitored on Wednesday. “Nearly all the items were resolved or deemed not to be a violation," said Joe Grasso, Vice President for Administration. A high noise level in the dish-washing area was one of the complaints listed. After Wednesday, OSHA official de- termined that the noise levels were not up to an “action” level in the dish-washing area. As for the noise level in the Cafe Emporium it wass, “no— where near what would cause us ’ to take action,” said Burns. Burns blamed the noise level, “on dishes clinking together,” he said. Poor design of equipment in the Commons was another complaint, but this is not an OSHA issue. Burns said the University would continue to address this issue with employees. The com- plaint of a broken glass panel at the salad bar was also deter- mined not to be an OSHA issue. The Commons Elevator was cited as malfunctioning, which Bums says is, “always a poten- tial problem” with new buildings. Tremors in the building, per- haps the most serious issue re- ferred to in the OSHA complaint, did not turn up a citation. “I myself haven't felt any- thing like that,” said Burns. Ac- cording to Burns, buildings move after they are built and such a phenomenon is not an OSHA is- sue. The only possible OSHA violation was in regards to the floor drains. This complaint has, “been addressed previously by the school and the contractor,” said Burns. OSHA states that its mis- sion is to, “to save lives, pre- vent injuries and protect the health of America’s workers. To accomplish this, federal and state governments must work in partnership with the more than 100 million working men and women.” Traveller’s services tailored to your needs BY KATIE HENDERSON TRAVELLER PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR Traveller changed its driving routine for the period sparming from Thanksgiving break to Christmas break. The Traveller Committee launched a two-week trial period as an attempt to make the current system more effective. Now, any student can call the Traveller number at 458-8900 seven nights a week from 10pm until 2am and a car will be dis- patched to the student’s location. Vans traveling on the set route will still run on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The Traveller committee hopes this period will be a better use of its resources. The committee’s primary goal is to best serve students’ needs. Please contact any of its members with any questions, con- cerns or suggestions. Traveller also implemented a first-ever program for Christmas Weekend. Students pledged not to drink or drive for the weekend and were entered in a drawing to win a surprise personal celebrity sober driver. CORBIN BLACK}-‘ORD / Tl-IERINGMP Vroom. Traveller vans are well-known by Washington and Lee students for providing a welcome sober ride during prime party hours. The program was considered a success with 320 participants and Traveller thanks Dean of Students Dawn Watkins for participat as the driver. The winner of the drawing was Senior BJ Conrad. Traveller is planning several more campus—wide events for next term. OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20031208/WLURG39_RTP_20031208_002.2.txt miss a. more no.» s WA&‘lNE§*\i.t94' ii witt,fi’~ri“:"/ ."r?‘.*e, V"! DEC I i PAGE 2 MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2003 Applebome discusses ‘ intense competition’ BY SARAH MURRAY STAFF WRITER Peter Applebome, deputy metropolitan edi- tor of The New York Times, came to Washington & Lee last Tuesday to address the effects of the Jayson Blair scandal on news media. i Jayson Blair, formerly a New York Times re- porter, became famous in May 2003 when the newspaper’s management announced that the 27- year-old had plagiarized the work of others, “fab- ricated comments” and “concocted scenes” dur- ing his four years with the paper. “He’s been depicted as a tragic figure, this brilliant young journalist on the way up,” Applebome said. “He was never a brilliant young journalist. He was just a loveable screw- up.” In discussing “The Press After Jayson Blair”, Applebome made it clear that no new problems have been created for news media. The chief effect of Blair's deception was to draw attention to problems that already existed as a result of intense competition and arrogance. “Pressure to succeed and stay ahead of the pack is incredibly intense,” said Applebome of the ever-increasing competition among media for readers and viewers. The upshot: an aggres- sive, achievement-oriented newsroom in major papers such as the Times, with the pressure for results falling on reporters’ shoulders. Blair received respect from his Times col- leagues because he seemed to be a driven re- porter who put in long hours. In reality, he never Bonners give 900 hours of service Interdepartmental 101, Introductory to Poverty, Shepherd Poverty will sponsor their involvement in the Shepherd Alli- ance summer program. “It is an honor to work with such talented, dedicated, thoughtful and re- BY SARAH MURRAY STAFF WRITER With major service groups such as Nabors Service League, S.A.R.A.H., and Alpha Phi Omega on campus, it’s simple enough for Washington and Lee students to serve their community. Now, however, there is another option. Few students visited many of the locations listed in his by- lines, nor did he interview many of his ‘sources’. Much of his information was lifted from the Internet, some directly from other journalists’ work. Applebome knows now that in response to a high-pressure environment, the young re- porter “imbibed the gospel of achievement to this perverted degree.” “We talk a good game of family values and ‘it’s important to have a life’ ,” Applebome admit- ted. “But the guy who works 8 hours does better than the guy who works 4 hours. And the guy who works 16 hours is pretty hard to beat.” A In attempts to gain a larger audience, media of- ten focus on scandals or popular celebrities, some- times for weeks at a time. Coverage this narrow damages the quality and comprehensiveness of the news. According to Applebome, today’s news culture is like a pa- rade with elaborate floats, such as O.J. Simpson’s trial, President Clinton’s impeach- ment, or the death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. Each float commands the public’s entire attention un- til the next spectacle appears on the horizon. While ambition provided a motive for Blair’s actions, conceit allowed it to happen. “The big- gest sin of the media, top to bottom, is just arro- gance,” Applebome said. Several major newspapers employ an om- budsman who acts a liaison between the paper’s “The biggest sin of the media, top to bottom, is just arrogance,” PETERAPPLEBOME audience and its editors, handling readers’ con- cerns and questions. The Times never took this step, believing that its reliability was regulated in other ways. While magazines employ fact- checkers, this method is impossible at a newspa- per with a daily or weekly deadline. Editors and sources alike must put their faith in the integrity of reporters. “This business is, to a certain extent, based on trust,” noted Applebome. In this case, that trust was taken too far. The Jayson Blair story is underscored with the fact that signs of his falsification appeared long be- fore his dismissal and were ignored. Most no- tably, his record of correc- tions was three times higher than the Times av- erage. How could nobody have noticed? Certainly some editors did, but the highest levels of Times management paid no at- tention to their observations. Then-metro editor Jonathan Landman even sent a memo to other mid-level editors which stated, “We have to stop Jayson from writing for the Times. Right now.” No action was taken. In light of this knowledge, suggestions have been raised in the media that Blair's African—Ameri- can heritage prevented his dismissal. Applebome firmly denied this, calling race “a very small part of the Jayson Blair story. He had a better chance of getting in the door because he’s black. That’s all.” in media In a Times staff meeting after the scandal broke, editor Howell Raines admitted that he might have given Blair “one chance too many” out of a desire to uphold the paper’s “commitment to diversity”. The Blair scandal eroded the 7imes’traditional pride, and significant changes have been enacted since then to minimize the paper’s weaknesses. A new member of staff, the public editor, now plays an ombudsman-like role in what Applebome calls “a huge effort...to be more responsive to readers”. Raines and his managing editor Gerald Boyd have been replaced. In the wake of these l1igh—level per- sonnel shifts, management training has dramatically developed to foster the idea of the Times as a corpo- rate enterprise. In the newsroom itself, editors take more care to inquire after sources and facts. Ac- cording to Applebome, “Jayson forced everyone to rethink their assumptions about their colleagues.” “If we don't protect our own house, we won’t have one, or at least we won’t have one worth living in,” Applebome added. Applebome believes that today’sTimes com- bines these new measures with long-estab- lished quality to maintain a top-notch newspa- per. “People do their jobs with a rigor and a dedica- tion that is almost scary.” Applebome, a native of New York, has writ- ten for The Dallas Morning News and has been head of the Atlanta bureau of The New York Times. His books include Dixie Rising, which examines the effect of the South on the nation’s culture and politics, and Scout’s Honor, a de- scription of his experiences in the Boy Scouts with his son. Hidden Hero: Daniel Vos tutors, Works with employment services Vos has volunteered all around the world, from Richmond to Tanzania know of it and fewer can get into it-—the Bonner Leaders are the unseen service organization on campus, but their pres- ence in the community is as strong as any other. Bonner Leaders are facu1ty-recom- mended students who engage in two years of concentrated s_ervice—900 hours, between 8 15 per weekéand are recognizedwith scholarships from the university and from Americorps Educa- tion Awards. The program is highly se- lective—only 1600 students nationwide are members of Bonner Leaders or its sis- ter program, Bonner Scholars. “As the program develops further, the Shepherd Program anticipates Bonner Leaders becoming a recognizable force on campus,” said Avery Gholston, Com- munity Service Coordinator and adviser for the Bonner Leaders program. The program, a child of the Bonner Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, places each member with specific service oppor- tunities. Students work only at one or two sites in order to maximize the posi- tive changes they produce. Since ser- vice continues year-round, most partici- pate in one local program during school and another during the summer. Programs include Head Start, Project Horizon, and Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding Center, among others. If members have taken THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE RING- TUM PHI WILL BE PRINTED JANUARY 12, 2004 ‘Me Cutting Edge Complete if air Care for Men anti‘!/1/omen Styé Cuts Cfipper Cuts Complete Qotfy Care {Manicure (Pedicure Waxing 117 W Welson St. Lexington, ‘V/'4 463-9588 flective students,” said Gholston. BY JORDAN ANDERSON Vos is a Classics ma- Sophomore Sarah Weil, who works STAFF WRHER jor, and he plans on us- primarily at Hoofbeats and Head Start, ing this major to assist in has found the experience to be en1ight- Senior Daniel Vos is a student who his goal of teaching inter- ening. “When I come back after volun- has found many ways to help the com- nationally, particularly in teering, I am grateful that I only have to worry about writing a research paper or studying for a test,” Weil said. “The stress of college is a privilege compared to worrying about living with a physi- cal, mental, or emotional handicap.” Weil has been ‘named 12003 Vo1un- pi p , teer of the Year by Hoofbeats Riding Center. ‘ 27 schools sponsor a Bonner Lead- ers program, including Princeton, Ber- keley, Rutgers, and UCLA. At each of these programs, six ideals form the ba- sic philosophy: social justice, spiritual exploration, diversity, civic engage- ment, community building, and inter- national perspective. Students who show themselves to be committed to these values receive semester-based scholarships as well as payment for summer internships, all of which are sponsored by the Bonner Institute but funded by individual universities and Americorps. There are currently eight Bonner Leaders at Washington and Lee. Ap- proximately five more openings have been made available to applicants this year. Bonner Leaders are selected at the beginning of Winter Term. The process requires a faculty recommen- dation, an application, and an interview. munity locally and internationally through his various efforts in service. He has spent much of his free time helping others and exploring the ar- eas around him to get a local and in- ternational feel of community. ' Following his freshmen A year, Daniel spent his summer in Tanzania‘ with his Church doing service through construction and educating the com- munity there. This seemed to spark his interest in actively helping those in need. He has spent the past two sum- mers working in a volunteer program through the Shephard Poverty Pro- gram in Richmond. There, he worked directly with refugees from around the globe, including places such as Af- ghanistan. Through this experience he got to know many of the people he was helping, including the Sudanese refugees he spent the summer shar- ing an apartment with and helping to educate. Currently, Daniel continues to show a desire to help people by tutor- ing students in need in the Rockbridge area, as well as working with the Rockbridge Supported Employment program, which assists people in find- ing jobs. a place like Tanzania. Vos chose to major in Classics solely out of interest; however, he feels that it represents “‘the best thoughts that people have thought I through, the ages.” ' He mentioned Pro- fessor Beckley’s courses on poverty as well as In- troduction to Political Philosophy taught by Professor Velasquez as some of the best classes that he had experienced. After college, Daniel, a Detroit native, plans first on working with the “Teach for America” pro- gram, which arranges for qualified in- dividuals to teach in underprivileged schools. He hopes to teach in the ar- eas around Detroit for at least two years, before pursuing his intema- tional teaching goals. VV1th regards to his international focus, he encourages all to “think outside the box, have a big vision of the future, and to educate yourself about the world.” He stressed that just by going outside W&L you can INSPEREH or our sons, soars meet people you wou1dn’tnorrnally meet. Vos’s biggest complaint about Washington and Lee was just that the student body does focus inward a lot. However, he also said that the professors challenge this tendency quite a bit. Though his life is hectic at the moment, the biggest piece of advice for everyone — especially seniors — was to simply “take time to relax.” Seats fire, has 53 strain feet of cargo space, and is auaiiaéhie with 1183 hp and 3 5-sneer: manual shift. Eran evolution sari’! fatty explain it. $332 TE’-l".';£i.i%. i.£35fi.... 3533. iii‘? Cflise to Campus Q’rqfessiona[.S'albn witli a (Persona[‘Toucfi! EEG P?ii'i.‘-l.UilES . .ii.i.*E? éiifiiiilitéiifi 5&1. E1*s.€li.}3ES .. Eiifié r’1!.'-iii? §i3;i§rifil.ii?é’ ?§E§i>lé.Eii Fifi WY ‘t3‘tE‘i. *1. OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20031208/WLURG39_RTP_20031208_003.2.txt MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2003 S’: ‘ :E~’.rx-2::~':t,tvri’t~r: AFF EDITORIAL Use caution when posting campus notices Campus notices are apublic fomm for sharing information. Many students, fac- ulty and staff reap the benefits of the sys- tem. It is a great venue for getting ir1for- mation out about what gets lost over the weekend. It is not a great venue for commenting on what fellow students have lost. By writing notices about no- tices, submitters only detract from the effectiveness of the program. Too many notices are not a good thing. The benefits to campus organiza- tions are endless. The ability to quickly and easily make the entire Washington and Lee campus aware of important in- formation is fantastic. It only works, however, if groups release only critical information. Campus notices must be a secondary system. If an email list of group members exists, use that before concerning the entire campus with club- related problems. The effects of the deterioration of campus notices have finther implications. Broadcast emails, sent to everyone’s email account have increased When the Executive Committee or some other group wants to send critical information they bypass campus notices because stu- dents do not read them. Instead of us- ing a single email for all information, some groups have to resort to further clogging of student inboxes. Don’t get us wrong, we love the oc- casional side-splitting addition to ourmorn- ing routines just as much as the next guy. Our concern lies with the wasted notices that provide no benefit to readers. In short, campus notices must be brief and provide relevant information only. “I’d like to be able to check in to the Paris Hilton.” -SNLCastMember Jimmy Fallon on the hotel in Paris, and certainly nothing else. "'."""'-\j‘«'r\. ‘:7’ .\;';‘v’ ' Editor in chief Jeb Brooks Assistant Editor Kyle Wass News Editor Erin Julius Opinions Editor Caley Anderson Arts & Life Editor Megan Morgan Photography Editor Cody Gabbard Asst. Sports Editors John Hyland Chad Kiewiet de Jonge Hilary Henry Emily Edwards Alexa Moutevalis Kate Zawyrucha Sarah Beth Campbell Vanessa Amess Aubrey Miner Production Assistants Copy Editors Editorial Director Katie J, Howell Business Manager Paul Seifert Circulation Director Hem-y G1-imball Distribution Dir. Thomas Worthy The Ring—tum Phi is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. The Ring-tum Phi is a member of The Publications Board, but is otherwise independent. The Ring-tum Phi welcomes all responsible sub- missions and letters. All submissions must be e-mailed to plri@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 content and length. Letters and columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Ring-tum Phi Editorial Board. Advertising does not reflect the opin- ions of The Ring-tum Phi or its staff. This newspaper observes current court definitions of libel and obscenity. The Ring-tum Phi University Commons Rm. 341 Washington and lee University Lexington, Wrginia 24450 Telephone.‘ (540) 458-4060 Fax: (540) 458-4059 Email: phi@wlu.edu CAIEYANDEsoN OnN1orsEr>n0r mm m Sweatshops PAGE 3 LONG A CRUSADE OF COLLEGE CAMPUSES, A NEW UPSWELL OF SUPPORT FOR SWEATSHOPS HAS AWAKENED IN RECENT YEARS. TODAY, THE PHI ASKS: Yes TRAN KIM, ‘O5 She starts work at about 6:30 in the morning and doesn’t get off until 7 at night with only a half an hour for a lunch break in the middle and does this six days a week. While working, she has injured herself twice when needles went through her hands. This is the experience of one woman interviewed by New York Times journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryle WuDurm in an article titled “Two Cheers for Sweatshops.” Yet she is grateful for her job. As appalling as the conditions faced by workers in the sweatshops are, I am against boycotting them for the purpose of ending them altogether. First, sweatshops bring globalization and progress to developing coun- tries. If China’s 30 provinces were counted as individual countries, then the continent would have had 20 of the fastest growing countries in the world between 1978 and 1995. So far, its per capita output has been doubling every 10 years. In addition, many of the vibrant parts of the country are located in what is called the “Sweatshop Belt.” The World Bank has also confirmed growth from sweatshops in industrial nations such as China, South Korea,.Indonesia, and India and projected that Asia’s share of global domestic product will rise from 55% to 60% by 2025. To put these figures into perspective, that is roughly the West’s share at its industrial peak half a century ago. Secondly, sweatshops provide poor people in industrial nations with jobs they would not otherwise have and enable them to acquire a better life that they would otherwise not have. George Apenteng, the director of Ghana’s Institute for Economic Affairs, said, “People here want into the global marketplace; they know it’s the only way out of poverty.” The International Labor Organization in a report titled “Labour Practices in the Footwear, Leather, Textiles and Cloth- ing Industries” found that the sweatshop industries in Asia and South and Central America have been a major source of employment for women in low-wage economies. For an impoverished Indonesian or Bangladeshi woman with a handful of kids, $1 or $2 a day makes a huge difference in her ability to provide for her children. Thirdly, if sweatshops were to be shut down, then what would happened to the people employed by them? These individuals would have to resort to other means of getting financial stability, and one of the tragic consequences has been child prostitution. In many third world nations parents from low income families sell their children into child prostitution to get money and to decrease the number of mouths they must feed. In these areas, there aren’t many options but the sweatshops do offer an option. Another point we need to consider is that the lifestyles to which we’re accustomed are foreign to those living in third world nations. They can live on $1 or $2 a day whereas we can’t even survive one hour on that kind of money. However, I do not fully support sweat- shops. On the contrary, I think many reforms are in order, but boy- cotting them in an attempt to force closure is not the answer and is more harmful than helpful. The people living in third world nations need more help than guilty Westerners refusing to buy goods from Nike and Reebok. Until they get that help, sweatshops provide a means of survival. Rebuttal from Anderson Sweatshops do not help the people they employ economically. It is true that the third world countries that have sweatshops experience general economic progress, but as I mentioned in my primary argu- ment, this growth largely goes to urban centers and the middle class by creating confidence in more advanced business in outside inves- tors (i.e., the tech boom in India) rather than actually helping the unskilled lower classes who work in the sweatshop. And without the wages they need, they’H never “graduate” to higher callings. The argument that the poor people who work in sweatshops would perish or be forced into horrible tragedies such as child prostitution is null and void because this happens very, very often even to people who already work in sweatshops. True, $1 or $2 is better than noth- ing, but not by much. The average need for income from Tran’s impovershed Indonesian or Bangladeshi woman with a handful of kids is at least $7, according to United Nations research. While sweat- shops do keep people from being unemployed, this is little comfort when they resort to selling their children anyway because their wages aren’t enough. » The claim that third world nation residents can live on $1 or $2 a day is not backed up by any sort of hard evidence, and additionally, is simply false. As I have repeatedly cited, the United Nations, as well as the various labor departments of these poor nations’ govern- ments, puts the need for income of the average sweatshop worker at a minimum of $6 I, like Tran, don’t want to eliminate light industry in developing countries completely. But the large conglomerates that own sweat- shops do need to be persuaded that wages must be raised, maltreat- ment must end, and hours must be reduced if these poor individuals are to be given what they need to participate in an advanced economy- a little spending money, their dignity and security, and time for edu- cation. Do SWEATSHOPS REALLY MAKE SENSE? No CALEY ANDERSON, ‘O6 Sweatshops, on the smface, have the very plausible benefit of improving the host nation’s economy. People point to U.S. History, and how sweatshops “improved the economy. Thisispmfiallymre,butasIwfllshow,sweatshopstomoremhindereconr> miesthanhelpthem. WhileIdon’tthinktheyshouldbeelin1inatedaltogether,Ithink they should undergo so much reform as to not desave the natne “sweatshops” any- 11118. Itstandstoreasonthatifsweatshops didindeedallowfortheadvancetoahigh— tech industry and service economy, sweatshops would be non-existent or rare in First Wodd countries. Butthisis notthecase. Sweatshops arejustas prevalentintheG8 (the largest at Western econonries) as they are in the poorest nations of the world Let’s take our very own United States, and let’s pick as an industry textiles, a typical sweat- shopindustry. lheU.S.Depar1mentofLaborestirrratesthatoutofthe22,0(X)orso sewingshopsintheUnitedStates,atleast l1,000areingrossviolatiorrofminirmnrrwage and overtime laws. At least 16,000, the Dept. ofLabor says, are in gross violation ofbasic safetyandhealthlaws. Whatdoesthatmakethoseshops? Sweatshops. Andthey comprisemor'etlranlra1foftlreU.S. textileindustry. Infact,theU.S.transitiontoan advancedeconomymflycameAFIER[xogressivemfmmsmflreeafly20mCennny actually outlawed sweatshop conditions and improved education So, while sweat- shops may indeedbe very good forthe higher—ups in a developing economy, who can taketheirprofitofexploitationanduse ittoinvestinmoreadvanced economic pursuits, the lower-downs sufia even worse. India, for instance, seems to be growing a high-tech jobmarket. But forthe poor, it’s fool’s goldThehigh-tech jobsarebeingtakenbypeople whowerealready’ 0 members} oftheupperclasses,mosto_fthemresidenq tsinrnajorlndian cities. wee probably financed (directlyorindirectly) by the lower class’ sweatshop economy. One might assume that with more high-tech jobs comes fewer sweatshops, but this is wrong. The lower classes suffer even more. The number of sweatshopsinlndiahas actuallyincreasedby 32% since2000, by admission ofhrdia’s owngovemrnent AIlthisdoesisprovidea“bettereconom)?’fortlrerichwhilemakirrg it even worse for the poor. Sweatshop proponents also add that the workers are “fme” with the wage they are paid, since they are used to living in conditions of abject poverty. This is an out-and-out lie, and the people who tell it are either malicious or ill-inforrned. Yes, they CAN live on much less per day. But not that much less. Let’s take the average Haitian who works at a Disney factory located in Port-Au-Prince. According to the United Nations, their pay per day is $2.15. Their living expenses (for themselves, not counting their families) are more than $6. So what’s the solution? The large conglomerates like Nike have the power to simply end it right now. All they have to do is keep the middleman (the guy who owns the factory) from exploiting the workers. While a wage rate of $5/hr. is out of the question (since workers CAN live on less in those countries), they should earn at least the living wage for their own expenses, and maybe a little extra for savings and their family. $10/day (or $1/hr) seems fair. And are unsafe working conditions and maltreatment of workers just to cut costs really neces- sary? I’m sure that Nike will survive the slight decrease in profits that they will suffer by treating people humanely. So, as you can see, light industry does have a place in developing econo- mies. But sweatshops as they exist today are merely wringing economic viabil- ity from the worker and giving it to people who don’t need it. Reform, massive reform, is called for. Rebuttal from Kim Simply because a practice benefits one group disproportionately more than another group does not mean that it is wrong. Unfortunately, that is economics. But the little money that does go to the little people does help them, and that fact cannot be denied. If you worked in high school, you might remember that you probably did much more work than your superi- ors and earned far less, but simply because your boss got 20 times more than you did doesn’t mean that the amount you got wasn’t helpful. We can argue about how unfair that situation is until we’re blue, but the reality is that you were better off with whatever little pay you got rather than nothing at all, and the typical high school worker eventually gets a better job. I am arguing that that is the situation for most of the people working in the sweatshops. lhemgrmremflratsweatshopsmebadbecauseonegroupberrefitsfartoomuch fmrnitisweakmxiiflogicalifdecmualcmwenrisfmflrewefl-bdngoffiremrpovcrished peoplemflresenafimrs.IdnnkIcanmasmrablyassrmreflntmostofmewmkersm Westemsweatslmpsmefllegalmmigrantswhomnnmoderwisefindemploynmnt becauseoftheirlackofdocumentation Myfatherandlwereonceinthatsituation becausewewereiHegalahmsmCambodiawlnlewewmeescapingfiom\6euramas refugees,andlcanassmeyouthatwhatevermeagajobthatwecouldgetrmderthe tablewasbetterthannothing. Afierhavingspokentomydad(whoisfiomV1etnam, the horneofmany sweatshops itself) aboutthis issue, Icansaythatthepeople who work in the sweatshops are thankful for the opportunity regardless of how difficult the work may be. They have little understanding of economics, and I do point this out to say that they are not aware of their “suffering.” It is the responsibility of informed citizens like us to orchestrate an inter- national effort to reform sweatshops if we truly care, but not to end them. I agree that change needs to happen, and I don’t know what the right approach is and how we get the corporations to reform, but I know that it requires a strategy in which the corporation sees the improved conditions as beneficial to their financial endeavors. So I hope and pray that the situation changes for the better and that we will be a part of this effort. OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20031208/WLURG39_RTP_20031208_004.2.txt PAGE 4 MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2003 Self-discovery happens on campus rnorooouarrsro qumty. GE1‘ INVOLVED. These students are becoming involved in a typical manner- talking to a professor. College is a lot of things. It’s a time for fun, excitement, independence, education, and preparing for a future ca- reer. But it is also and most importantly a time for personal growth and finding out who you are. Take a long look at yourself, don’t be afraid to find both strengths and faults, and go about changing what you don’t like. It’s easy to say, “just be yourself’ and not worry about bettering your- self. I’m often guilty of this myself- and use it as an excuse when I don’t feel like doing something I should. But college is the time when you get to decide who you will be— and what it will mean to be you. Be like Descartes and question every- thing. Put all of your actions, attitudes, and beliefs under scrutiny and make your own decisions about what is right. From a very young age, we are all instructed in how to act and what to believe. We go to our parents’ church or synagogue, listen to their reactions to politics and debates on T.V. ., and are confronted with the views from their generation. They, naturally, underwent the same process when they were growing up. When my grandmother recently came to visit, I was surprised and mildly irritated when she told me to have dinner ready when my dad wanted it: because our schedules were not as important as his. Times really have changed from the days of the proper fifties’ housewife, and rightly so! And times should keep on changing. We live in a more politi- cally correct and tolerant world and I am proud to be a part of it. But we still have a ways to go, (our fine institution being no exception). For starters, let’s be politically correct in our hearts- not our heads. Carefully picking what words and titles to use tonot offend people is a step in the right direction but is over—emphasized. Show kindness in your actions— not words. Keep up with politics and dare to have an opinion S1'$'l‘RAVEl..C_OM a %“:::»-“= aware mam swam mm: THE BIG PICTURE ANNEF1NI.EY‘07 Letter to the Editor Anderson mistaken in criticizing Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore that goes against your parents or peers. Think about things and decide where you really stand. If you be- lieve something— ask yourself why. If it’s just because it was what you were always taught and had taken at face value, then perhaps its time to consider it more carefully (or perhaps for the first time). While you’re at it- you might even reflect on levels of drinking and partying. A‘ Hint: if you are failing one or more classes, you might consider more work and less play in the every popular (and admittedly catchy) “work hard play hard” scenario. Find what is important to you and apply yourself in those areas. If you wish W&L had more diversity, join the MSA or Hillel; if you lament our reputation as being intolerant of alternative lifestyles, join the GSA; and if you want to give back to the community, help out with the Nabors Service League. There are so many options to get involved at our school but not enough people take advantage of them. Don’t just leave it to someone else- practice what you preach. Don’t accept things that are wrong. Make them better, or else you have no right to complain when they aren’t the way you would like. I’m indifferent to the Spring Term issue, but I know many people who are heatedly against its removal. Yet, I hear that only an embarrassing few actually attended _ the student hearings. That says it all. Nothing really important happens effortlessly. Too often we choose the easy way out: always picking fun over work, only making friends with people who are like us, condoning things we know to be wrong, and believ- ing things just because the idea of doubting them is too , unsettling. We are no angels. We all have to consciously choose to do the right thing and craft ourselves into the person we want to become. oward of the Week Today, we feature the Man in the Cloth Mask: Michael Jackson BY OPINIONS EDITOR CALEY ANDERSON You have, of course, heard of Michael Jackson’s latest venture into legal trouble, if not, welcome back from that cave you’ve been in- habiting. It’s the usual charge that J ackson, during one of the more interesting nights at his bizane Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, Cali- fornia, made inappropriate sexual advances and actions towards a minor. This is, of course, not the first time this has happened, and it’s is all a part of Jackson’s de- clining career. Throughout the 1990s, the once, but not future King of Pop (“I hate pop music.” -Michael J ackson) has seen his career spiral from stardom and reverence for his musical skills into disappointment at his latest album, “Invincible,” and fixation on his bizarre behavior, which we can only speculate was a textbook case of some- one who snapped under the spotlight of fame. J ackson’s response has predictably been (according to his lawyer) that the 12 year—old boy and his family are nothing more than gold- digging lawsuit abusers, and that the Santa Bar- bara District Attomey’s ofiice is a haven for racism). Now, don’t get me wrong, Michael Jack- son has created some really great and enjoy- able songs over the years. “Bad,” “Beat It,” and"1‘hriller” areallapartofhis popular, roclcin’ oeuvre. I personally recall with fondness his musical feud with MC Hammer (during which I rooted for The Hammer, but I enjoyed MJ’s side of it all the same). , But let there be absolutely no doubt about my feelings on this matter- pedophilia is com- pletely inexcusable under any circumstance. This isn’t even a case of 17 year-old “jailbait” pedophilia, this is a 12-year old boy, and it seems to be a particular issue with Mr. Jack- son. A more serious 1993 case was dropped when the wimess refused to testify out of fear of J ackson’s wrath. Jackson himself admits he has a “speci ” relationship with children in his recent interview with the news media. Al- though he says it’s “non-sexual” and that it’s “very sweet,” I have my doubts about that. I’ll reserve my judgment on whether or not Jackson is guilty until the court renders its decision, but let’s talk about what Jackson has done so far. He has started a huge campaign in the press through his lawyers to smear the accus- ing child as greedy. You might recall that this is the same thing he did to the alleged victim in 1993. Now, it’s easy enough to defame the character of one accuser, but when several of them start to come forward (Santa Barbara au- thorities have 100 leads on other individuals Jackson may have abused), I, at least, begin to become suspicious. And what’s this nonsense about racism? Jackson blames a lot of things on racism- his flagging record sales, his criminal allegations, and generally everything that is wrong with his life. It’s just a strawman for him to attack hi this case, a false scapegoat that really has noth- ing to do with the issue at hand. So, for maliciously atiacking the many chil- dren who have accused him of molestation, Jackson earns my vote as Coward of the Week Unconstitutional judges are one thing, but I hope you’re with me in coming down on this alleged pedophile. am; , 5 (E: :2! new may On-tempos Raps In your article, You claim in your last paragraph that Justice Moore “is a traitor to the ideals of the Constitution.” This could not be further from the truth. What Jus- tice Moore is trying to do is chal- lenge the prevailing Supreme Court ruling on the establishment clause and overturn it to what he and many others feel is a more construction- 2-800~6:$3~:%8&‘9 1 wv:w.st:tta:rc-Lzcm ist and constitutionally sound one. First of all, theestablishment clause was meant to prohibit the United Tom James Company Interviews? Internship? Special occasion? Let us help you look and feel your best!! Custom and Ready Made Suits and Sports Coats Shirts, pants, shoes and all accessories Student Packages & Gifl Certificates Available States government from creating an American church, a la England. Un- fortunately it has now been twisted to mean “separation of church and state,” a phrase that comes from a letter by Thomas Jefferson in the A ,1800’s. However, Thomas Jefferson did not aid in writing the Constitu- tion, he was in France at the time, his letter was written decades after the Constitution came into effect, and he was not advocating for this policy, but merely pondering it. Anyway, “separation of church and state” was not what the founders intended, we know this based on notes from the Constitu- tional Convention. In fact, certain members were worried that the 1st Amendment would be viewed that way, but others assured that it was impossible to misconstrue(ha!). When the Constitution was com- pleted, George Washington called for a day of prayer and thanksgiving and thanked God for the opportunity to create the document. In fact, some of the first acts of Congress were to publish Bibles for the Northwest Ter- ritories and to provide for a chap- lain. Does this sound like the cre- ators of the Constitution intended for the document to be read as “sepa- ration of church and state”? Even to- day Congress is opened with prayer. The Constitution makes it illegal for the government to establish (or create) its own religion and to prohibit the free ex- ercise of religion. It does not prohibit any semblance of religion existing any- where in public life as the Courts these days seem to preposterously rule. The 1st Amendment means freedom OF reli- gion, not freedom FROM religion. This perversion of the Constitution is what Justice Moore is trying to call attention to and correct. On side notes: —Your refusal to capitalize “God” shows deference toward this atheistic view of law. -You said it is people like Justice Moore that are “responsible for the degradation of America into a [sic] apathetic voter wasteland” however, isn’t he doing just the opposite? He’s rallying those who agree with him, and in AL it is a con- siderable amount, to get out and vote and fight for what they believe in. -You say that Justice Moore has “no respect for the law’’ and that he vio- lated the “separation of church and state” interpretation by the Supreme Court as if the law and the Supreme Court’s interpretations of it are always correct. Remember that the Court up- held slavery, segregation, and Japa- nese internment camps, among other cases. -Any angry Alabamians write in yet? (ed. note- no, Alexa, but check the last issue of the Trident to check out an Alabamian’s response, and pick up this coming Wednesday’s issue to see my response to these criticisms in the form of a letter to the editor -Alexa Moutevelis Get real-World sales, marketing and management experience Phi Business is currently looking for new staff Call Paul Seifert at 458-4060 or phi-business@wlu.edu Contact Adam Wflliarns for an appointment or with questions 540-815-4557 AdamWflliarns@tomjarnesretafl.com 637 Waddell St. Lexington, Va. 24450 (540) 464-9042 Fax (540)464-6360 #1 Spring Break Vacations! Cancun, Jamaica, Acapulco, Bahamas, 69 Mazatlan, Florida, SPadre. 110% Best Prices! Book Now & Get Free Parties & Meals! Group Discounts, Now Hiring Campus Reps! 1-800-234-7007 endlesssummertours.com SPORTSWEAR OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20031208/WLURG39_RTP_20031208_005.2.txt J(}NHY1Al\D . AssrrANrSi>onsEoi10R FMAi;HY1ANo@wiiiE1)U MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2003 Generals earn first ODAC Victory after droppin JOHN HYLAND ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR After dropping their first three de- cisions, the W&L basketball team has won two out of their past three games. Last week, the Generals earned their first ODAC victory against Guilford on Wednesday then dropped a tough non- conference contest to Chowan on Sat- urday. In the Generals road victory against Guilford (2-4, 0-1 ODAC), they got off to a slow start and were down « 33-25 ‘heading into halftime. The Quak- ers would extend their lead to as much as ten points at 37-27, two minutes into the second half but their good fortune would end there. The Generals went on a 16-3 run over the next eight minutes and held a 43-40 lead with 9:26 remain- ing. Guilford would trim the lead to 45- 43 with just under five minutes remain- ing but it was close as they would get as the Generals preserved their lead en route to a 59-50 victory. Despite being outrebounded 40-35, the Generals stingy defense was clearly the differ- ence in the game. The Generals allowed just six second half field goals and for the game, held the Quakers to 29% shooting from the field, while shooting 47% themselves. Another key stat was W&L’s foul shooting, going a perfect 12 for 12 in the second half. Individu- ' ally, sophomore swingman Phil Landes’ 15 points and freshman guard Chris Halkitis’ 14 points led the Generals. Se- nior point guard Michael Denbow paced W&L on both ends of the floor, contributing 6 assists and 5 steals. In Saturday’s home loss, W&L let their third straight victory slip through their fingertips. The game was close throughout, with Chowan assum- ing a 37-34 lead at halftime. However, the'Generals got hot midway through the second half and went on a 15-5 run, taking a 66-64 lead on a pair of Landes free throws with 2:46 remaining. The Generals would be shut out for the remainder of the day. On the next possession, Chowan sunk a three-pointer, clos- CODY GABBARD / RINGTUM PHI BRING rr ON. Freshman forward Alex White takes on a Chowan defender in the tearn’s non—conference Saturday loss. PAGE 5 g three a ing the game on an 8-0 run to down the Generals 72-66. In the loss, W&L was led by frshman guard Coleman Lyons ’ 16 points. Halkitis chipped in 1 1 points while sophomore forward David Will added 10 points. Freshman forward Alex White had a solid all-around game, contributing 8 points and 8 rebounds. The Generals were once again outrebounded, 33-27. Their solid field goal defense in the Guilford game eluded them as Chowan shot 52% to their own 46%. The Generals appear to have re- bounded from their early season los- ing streak that included a defeat to Di- vision I Citadel. Clearly, much of those woes can be attributed to unfamiliar- ity, as there are a lot of new faces in the Generals’ program. W&L is under the direction of first year head coach Adam Hutchinson, an Amherst College gradu- ate, who comes to Lexington from Case Western Reserve University in Cleve- land. In addition, the Generals lost their top two scorers from last season and the roster features only two juniors and two seniors and six freshmen. The Gen- erals will rely on senior captains Denbow and forward Hamil Jones to lead the underclassmen. Already, it ap- pears that the younger guys are re- sponding. So far this season, Halkitis and Will are the Generals’ leading scor- ers while as aforementioned, freshman Landes, Lyons and White have all turned out solid performances in recent games. The Generals’ success this sea- son will depend on how quickly these diaper dan- dies can adjust to the college game. W&L returns to ODAC action when they travel to Bridgewater in their last contest before Christmas. Swim teams compete in invitationals Over the weekend Women place third in Randolph-Macon invitational ALLISON PERRY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR The womens’ swim team traveled to Randolph-Macon where it placed third out of eight teams in the two-day invita- tional. Placing ahead of the women’s team were Marymount with 423 points and Randolph- Macon with 409 points. The Generals finished with 375 points. Helping Washington and Lee in its third place finish was sophomore Kristine Holda, who came in second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 56.43. Holda also came in second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:05.05. Junior Laura Westerman placed second in 200 IM at 2:27.84 and fourth in the 200 but- terfly at 2:35.82. In the 100 breaststroke, fresh- man Abbie Sauter finished third with atime of 1 : 16.46. SeniorEiin Dougherty also contributed to the Generals’ score with a time of 20:42.95 inthe 1650 freestyle, plac- ing her at third in that race. The women’s team now has a record of 6-2, 3-0 in the ODAC. They do not compete again until January when they travel to Randolph-Macon on the tenth. Golf Etiquette tip of the week: A relaxed grip will always work better than a firm one on dis- tance shots. Men place fifth in Franklin & Marshall invitational W&L Sponrs RELEASE The Washington and Lee men’s swimming team finished in fifth ‘place at the three-day Franklin & Marshall Invitational, concluded on Sunday in Lancaster, Pa. The Generals scored 793.5 team points, while invitational champion Mary Washington scored 1,632 team points. Spring- field (1,200) finished second over- all, followed by Ithaca (1,142), Gettysburg (958.5), W&L, Franklin and Marshall (575.5), McDaniel (340.5) and Saint Mary’s (111). Washington and Lee’s day- three efforts were paced by se- nior Eric Ritter (Birmingham, Ala] Mountain Brook), who won the 200 Back with a national “B-cut” time of 1:55.04. The victory marked his third top—place finish in the invitational. On day two he won the 50 Free with a time of 21.64 and touched the wall first in the 100 Back with a national “A-cut” time of 5 1.40. Freshman Mike Ginder (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal) concluded the weekend with a strong day-three performance. Ginder finished second in the 100 Free with a time of 47.67 and com- bined with Ritter, senior Drew Catanese (Southampton, Mass./ Suffield Acadamey) -and junior Chris~Colby (Ossining, N.Y./ Archbishop Stepinac) for a sec- ond-place time of 3: 15.64 in the 400 Free Relay. Washington and Lee returns to action on Saturday, January 3, when the Generals travel to the Florida Atlantic Invitational. Meet time is 10:00 a.m. GENE RALS’ ATHLE 11C5 Phi-Sports €323? §.*?i§§§ ‘fear? 323.521 Spits}: ‘E’-ears i.$$§.¢¢¢4>¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ Career Services armounces Scholarship for Professional Development in Media Triple Nine Society Founded 1978 Extraordinary camaraderie in a" $500 tt d d’ nf . ' 4 ' international society of peers. to a 6" a me la C0 creme 99.9th percentile: ' ' - - , old SAT 1450, new SAT 1520, Applications due January 6, 2004 , . uaran ee or your money back" see complete list at: wvvw.tr1'p|enine.org Prepare for the April MEAT with Kapaan here an eampm at W&L” Visit careerservices.wlu.edu for more information Submit your anonymous University Cleaners classes begin Jeawary 10. 1034. Enrnll flctaber 3131 and receive THE CLEANEST or THE CLEAN. on-vllrw 36mm Ravi!-W FREE! 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Tc; in: -eilgllzle ‘tartar; affiar. year must be errrmaad in flamers“-3 ma claaemuim. §.uturle.ra*., oer Mum mama in mrtltm. yciizmaat girerumt an otileial of _1yIc'3ia5" more and aoulwnlt mart mama rrrrabnriale ’airilt’rlr.'1 so Great Service to First—Rate Quality 7 North Jefferson Street 463-3622 dry cleaning, laundry, alterations OCR::/Vol_106/WLURG39_RTP_20031208/WLURG39_RTP_20031208_008.2.txt PAGE 8 TrrElLil’ MBZANMORGAN AEis&Iii=EEDrroR l:‘MAiL-MoReuwii@rirJH1J MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2003 Date Economics at Washington and Lee — Importing is Best A long time ago, before the first female stu- dents matriculated in another Great Leap Forward of university lore, importing was a way of life. From Sweetbriar, Hollins, Randy—Mac Womens College, Mary Baldwin, and of course, the dreaded South- em—Sem, the girls would flock to Lexington on the weekends to get a little taste of the frat life and accompany their favorite frat lord to wild date func- tions. Fraternity boys would buy their booze, get their bands, and the ladies would just roll in. Then girls came to W&L. No big deal. Then came the sororities. Guess it had to happen sometime, with such a Greek-ori- ented place. And then, while no one was paying _ attention, the entire dating scene at W&L changed completely when sororities began to dominate the dating scene of this school. At first glance, this doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. After all, isn’t it the fraternities that throw‘ the parties? Aren’t the date functions all fraternity events? It’s the guys that ask out the girls, right? Perhaps, but as every fraternity boy under- stands, the sororities determine where the fraterni- 'P{E§6L"urI="EXfr6r“D" ties stand in W&L life. Naturally, frat guys are as- sessed partially on who they get fratty with, spe- cifically the girls that can be found at their houses. Would the Big Four (if such a thing exists) be so big if they didn’t have hot sorority women flock to them in numbers? Would the “lesser” houses be less sensitive if they could mix with the top—o-the—line sisterhoods? Certainly there will be critics re- sponding with something like “you’re overreacting Tim — sorori- ties don’t make certain houses cool and other houses less cool.” Well why are fraternities compelled to mass-pro- duce T—shirts that proclaim to the world that they pimp sorority chicks like gods. You gotta just love those “Mixer Shirts” — my favorites are the ones that displayed to anyone with the power of sight that a fraternity mixed with two sororities in the same weekend. Did you guys want a prize, other than a lame T—shirt, for being pirnp—daddies? Why else would these shirts exist if not to broadcast that so- rorities really do affect where fraternities stand here on campus. Thus, we’ve concluded that sororities do mat- ter. Ifyou’re a frat boy, you’re in some way affected by this weird sorority-fraterrrity dynamic. What can you do? Maybe we should look back to our past for the answer. I’m fortunate to have friends in the various schools close to Lexington. Anytime I’ve brought an “out- sider’ ’ girl to frat functions, I’ve always been refreshed by hanging out with someone who wasn’t already molded by the Greek culture at W&L. Before I go fur- ther, I should say that I’ve always been a big supporter of our school and the way it is — for all the negative idiosynchrocies we can find in our Greek system, I’ve never seen or learned of a better fraternity/sorority cul- ture anywhere. But once you get into it, there’s no getting out. It’s tough to be a student at W&L and not see things inthe black and white of Greek life. I have to believe that before sororities came to W&L, people were less concerned about what house they belonged to and who was better or worse, and were more worried about which girl school girl they were going to try to mack it with over the weekend. Why not get back to that? Imported girls have no concept of which houses are the supposed “cool” houses. They’re just here to party. Through the passing of legends, they know that W&L is a marquee party school — they come for the fun, for the magic. They certainly don’t come to hook up with Joe Schmoe from Fraternity X because his house is the downright coolest on earth. I have no problem with sorority girls. I just happen to know girls in sororities. I like pretty much all of them. And they haven’t done anything wrong. It’s all a product of our environment. By default, W&L girls have been W&L-ized. It doesn’t make them any less fun to have for date functions. But, just once in a while, it’s fun to bring in someone who’s not a part of the system. Someone who doesn’t have all the Greek pretentiousness that we can never seem to separate ourselves from. Some- one who knows nothing about Lexington. Some- one who just wants to have fun. Those frat lords of the past didn’t have much of a choice. Nowadays, we have our own ladies to contend with. But think about all those poor souls around the world who haven’t yet experienced a W&L party. They deserve a chance. Import one over — you may be pleasantly surprised. Wa - ons “D77 '~ uuwuu onda.com I 6 k-‘ riven: What do W&L undergrads drive?” Data provided by University Security. Margin oferror +I- six percent. uutumtoyota . co m Golden Rule-family secret to success, act as BY MARSHALL RULE STAFF WRITER Delayed flights. Lost luggage. Missed connec- tions. They are all a part of travel, especially during the holiday season. Approximately 36 million people traveled over Thanksgiving in order to be with fiiends and family. With that many people flying, there are bound to be problems and inconveniences for fliers. All these inconveniences left many fliers, includ- ing myself, frustrated, annoyed, and angry. But is it ‘ - right to take out all of our anger on the attendant be- hind the desk, or on the voice on the other end of the phone? While sitting at the gate feeling sorry for myself about my delayed flight, I noticed countless people yelling and threatening the attendant. I began to feel sorry for the poor fellow behind the desk who was getting blamed for all of the airlines problems. People seemed to think it was his fault that the plane didn’t pass inspection earlier in the morning. The poor guy is a customer service representative, not a mechanic. Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a valuable lesson I learned from my family many years ago. The lesson is how to solve problems and get what you want by acting like a true, yet slightly manipulative lady or gentleman, whichever applies _to you. I was taught that you can’t always get what you want by forcing other people to help you. In order to get what you want or need, you must operate delicately. This is my family’s secret to success. By following these simple instructions, you will not only be a step closer to get- ting what you want, but you will also avoid looking like a malevolent jerk. No one wants to look like a malevolent jerk. 1. The first thing you must do is find a customer service agent of the opposite sex. You may have to allow other people in line to go ahead of you in order INFOGRAPHIC BY KATIE HOWELL / THE RING-TUM PHI genuine manipulative gentleman to accomplish this, but trust me, it is well worth it. 2. Learn these words: “I have a problem and I need your help Practice these words until they roll off your tongue. Guys, let’s be honest, when a girl says they need our help we get all excited for the chance to be a knight in shining armor to some little hottie. And girls, you too get excited to be able to show some conceited, egotistical pig that he needs women to make it through the day. It also never hurts to throw in a couple of compliments, such as, “Wow, you sure do strike that keyboard with masculine authority.” (Note: guys do not use that line on women. A woman would not find that that remark as complimentary as a man might). It’s that simple folks. Acute face, some key words, and a bit of manipulation. That’s all that stands be- tween you and everything you ever wanted. After seeing your puppy dog face, the airline worker, bank teller or even police officer may just go a little above and beyond to help you out. Maybe even the cashier at a grocery store just may spot you that extra quarter for your six pack of Budweis-—I mean soda When you are nice to people, they will be nice to you. When you act like a sadistic madman, that’s ex- actly what you are going to get in retum. It isn’t the attendant’s fault that the plane’s girder on the rotary belt is broke. Nor is it the cashier’s fault that you can’t afiord a six pack There is a saying that, ‘you can’t control what happens to you, you can only control your reaction to it.” So don’t be that guy standing at the counter yelling and screaming that because of a cancelled flight you are going to miss “Friends” on NBC. Instead, put on that sad desperate face, and work my family’s magic. After all, there is a reason that I have been pulled over five times and have never received a ticket. The knowledge is yours now. Share it with your family and friends, but not too many. We need to keep this family secret a little bit quiet. UIT Q Despite all the money the school spent on air conditioning to keep the classrooms frigid in the summer, the penny-pinchers in Washington Hall certainly aren’t wasting any money warming cam- pus now that it’s winter. Q Compared to all of the other houses, the Christ- mas lights at SPE are a little lacking. Q The best part of the Main Street parade was the drunken elf running through it. Thanks, buddy. Q The more educated a woman is, the less likely it is that she’ll marry and have children. Q Women smile more than men. Q Fraternity men really ought to do a better job telling dates what to wear at their events. Q Wow! Wasn’t Traveller’s personal celebrity sober driver the best idea to rock this campus in a long time? Thanks to Dean Watkins for giving up her time. Congrats to winner BJ Conrad. Q Hey Sam Walton: not selling Hanukah paraphanalia at Wal~Mart is discriminating. Q Can anyone tell me what war the Salvation Army fought in? Q Three cheers to Right Food Red for playing “Hava Nagila” at Lambda Chi this weekend. Way to mix up the set list. Q As I was jamming my fork into the toaster, my friend said he didn’t think it was a good idea. So I said, “Yeah? Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be a loser, just like you!” He tried to say something else, but I was laughing too hard to hear him. Q I am being naughty for the rest of the year. I would do anything for Cole in my stocking—- Cole Boyle that is. Q C—Money, quit feeding the geese before dinner. Q Why are the italicized urnlauted U’s (U) com- ing, who really cares. and why is something killing trees to inform us? Q Grendel has had an accident. So may you all! Q If somebody ever calls you pretentious, a nice comeback would be to say, “Pretentious!?! Moi?” because you’d dispel the unwarranted accusation and at the same time show your knowledge of French. Q How many licks does it take to get to the cen- ter of a Lalli Pop? Q TFC: It’s almost 2004, you guys should start looking at the newest Lexus SUV models. Q If there is anyone interested in indexing 1700+ students, please e—mail the Calyx at calyx@wlu.edu. Q What will be declared “rights” next? Is there a . human right to a comfortable bed, a car, free health care, and a college education? Q Please remember, in December, to giftwrap your member. Q If the police ever catch you stealing a rare dia- mond, I bet a funny thing to say would be that your dog had told you to do it. How would they know what your dog said? Q With all the effort to remove them from cam- pus, you’d think dead leaves were the Brides of Satan or something. Q Is it just me, or are the Cadavers slacking? Q When lifting a cow, even one only one—week— old, always lift from the knees. Q Throwing snowballs or any other missile at a passing car is a felony. Q The best lineup for the men’s basketball team includes three freshmen and two sophomores. Q It’s not a good idea to order Dornino’s pizza if you plan to pass out before it arrives. It’s an espe- cially bad idea if you pay with a credit card because they still get the money and you don’t get any pizza. Q Who took the time to attach bells to all of the W&L Life condoms? Talk about a waste of Univer- sity resources! Q Snow hiking is a fun pasttime and should be enjoyed as long as the snow lasts. Q Snowflake, a rare albino gorilla, has died in the Barcelona Zoo. We mourn her passing. Q The Commons smells like a hamster cage. Q The student who asked Dean Futrell to Christ- mas Weekend would like her to know he is heart- broken that she didn’t accept his invitation. Q E—mail your anonymous Quick Hits and fun stories from Christmas break to phi@wlu.edu. x.-In