OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20040517/WLURG39_RTP_20040517_001.2.txt I Arch 5378.755 @552 v./J7 no.4 c . 2.. THE WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY i. T ° t t A * STREET CLSED pt . BY CHRIS LAUDERMAN ing the station. Old brick is not ' J, MANAGING EDITOR as strong as modern brick. Mod- ~ em masonry work had to be done A 121-year-old, 375 ton to ensure a safe moving day. Lexingtonlandniarkfoundanew Fifty-eight tons of steel and K home last Wednesday. The Lex- wood combined to support the fie ington Train Station, built in 1883, moved about 400 feet into its new location in the Gaines Overflow lot. The move cost Washington and Lee approximately $500,000. The move has taken months of planning. Erik ~ Eshleman, program manager for I the Washington and Lee project pointed out the difficulty of mov- station during its move. Four- teen dollies, each containing eight tires, held the station as it was pulled by two special tow- ing trucks across McLaughlin Street. Precautions were taken to guarantee the safety of the his- torical features of the interior of the building. The interior wood (1 across str wainscoting that paneled the former segregated waiting room has been taken down and num- bered. The doors and other or- narnentations have also been re- moved. “We wanted to move it to a credible place,” said Tom Contos, University Architect. The Gaines Parking Lot actually sits on the old railway line. Contos said that the University was considering putting some salvage rail on one side and park- ing on the other. The University plans on bringing new life to the train sta- tion which last served passengers in 1969.. The primary purpose of the station over the past 30 years has been storage. Vice President for Administration, Joe Grasso, said the best use for the building would be a place where groups from the University and the com- munity could come together. If the right buyer came along, the University would consider sell- ing it as well. NG-TUM The rtndent none of Washington nnn’ In Uninenth Jttttt 7897 R PEI et, arking a problem ai A-SAC affi'ms Beta’s one-year suspension It BY KATHERINE SHELL SENIOR STAFF WRITER . . . _ On Friday May 14, the Student Affairs Committee resolved that ‘L Beta will in fact be suspended from campus next year. The SAC re- 0 viewed the case submitted by the IFC and determined that Beta had performed incidents of hazing including “repeated forced consump- tions of concoctions intended to cause nausea, exposure to the ele- A - ments, and the forced consumption of alcohol.” Beta is now referring their case to President Burish. After a lengthy appeal process, the case went before the SAC last week, said Dean Watkins. Members of the SAC reviewed every aspect of the accusal submitted by the IFC. In response to those who ' .1 question other fraternities engaging in the same activities, the SAC responded that “Contrary to what some think, and even what some have written in the student newspaper reports, there are no reported hazing incidents as egregious as those admitted by members of Beta.” , ‘ . However, the SAC also wrote that “The Beta situation is a most unfortunate one. There are no winners in it—— neither the pledges, the upperclass students, the House Corporation, the national organiza- tion, nor the University.” Alumni have been helpful as well in recom- mending Beta to be allowed back on campus as soon as possible. A “Our alumni, faculty advisor, and general fiaternity are all very dedi- cated and have been a huge support throughout this process,” says Seth Martin, current President of Beta. Beta’s advisor, Prof. Chuck Phillips, was not available for questions or comments. Hazing is defined as any activity, voluntary or involuntary, im- posed on pledges. The SAC works to promote all life at W&L, includ- ing our current Greek System. They are working to further a “a healthy and vibrant Greek community.” After reviewing all incidents of hazing submitted this winter, they have determined that Beta is the only fra- -4 ternity to have acted in such an extreme manner. However, appeals to the president and the work of many concerned with Beta returning to campus may result in Beta being a part of life at W&L again. The SAC believes that this response to incidents of hazing is concurrent with actions of the SAC in the past. VVith the Gaines Overflow lot and the Lenfest Center Fan Lot gone, students are con- cerned about the already tight parking situation. The Univer- sity commissioned a study on parking last month. Grasso said EC cuts loose Trident BY ERIN JULIUS EDITOR—IN-CHIEF In a press release, printed at right, the Executive Committee re- leased itself of any responsibility for The Triz1ent’s financial situation. “We wanted to make it very clear that anything that happens is between them and the Business Of- fice and not with the EC,” said EC -President Marie Trimble. The EC wrote the press release because, “one of my initiatives as president was better communication between the EC and student body,” Trimble said “Iknewtherewas thepotential thattheBusinessOflicewillshutThe Twnfs account and I wanted to inform students,” she said The EC wanted to inform stri- dents because ‘Rve believe the Busi- ness Office will take action in some way,” said Justin Arnold, EC Secre- tary. In 2002, The Trident, normally independently financed, asked the Fgrecutive Committee for fimds in or- der to get out from under increasing debt. When The Trident again asked forfundsin2003,theEC,“gavethem thebenefitofthedoubt,”Tiimblesaid Intheirrequest, The Tridentalso presentedalistofwaysinwhich they could reduce production costs and make money, including increases in . subscriptions and a reduced nurn— ber of pages, she said In their second request, The Trident made a presentation repre- senting that they would be able to pull themselves out of debt with the request they made, Arnold said. “They haven’t done any of these things they said they would do,” Trimble said, “and they’ve had more than enough time.” “We’ve been trying to ad- dress it, and we addressed it quite successfully this winter,” Walotsky said. “By the end of next year, it would be very reasonable to think we could be out of debt” “We are currently taking the appropriate measures to alleviate our financial situation,” said Donny Banks, The Trident Business Man- agen ‘ ’ Walotsky said that The Tn’- dent averages $400 in advertising revenue each issue, which is, “sig- nificantly up this year.” According to a Business Oflice report printed on May 6, The Trident was $5372 in debt The Business Office con- tacted the EC, out of concern for The Trident’s continued debt, said Justin Arnold, “the Business Of- fice said we have a situation, what do you want us to do.” According to Walotsky, The Trident is requesting that the Busi- ness Office carry over the debt to next year so the paper can continue to operate. Should anything happen the Executive Committee is trying to,“clarifythatitwasn’ttheECshut- ting them down, but their own fi- nancial mismanagement,” said Trimble. that in the Fall there will be new or altered parking lots. The plan to make the train depot a community center is go- ing to be postponed until at least August 2006. The train station will now be outfitted with plumb- (*7? VOLUME CVIII, NO. 4 MONDAY, MAY 17, 2004 ' PHOTO COURTESY PROFESSOR TED DEIANEY MAKING ROOM. The train station was moved to the Gaines parking lot to make room for a new building. ing, electricity, and telecommu- nications equipment. It will serve as the construction head- quarters for the new 60,000 square foot art and music build- ing projected to open in August 2006. A press release from Dear W&L Community, academic year. money for future allocations. Office decisions. Sincerely, THE EXECUTTVE COMMITTEE ofTHE STUDENT BODY According to the rriission statement of The Trident, the paper has been independently run and financed for the past decade. However, over the past two academic years, The Tri- dent has accumulated a mounting debt, and as a result, re- quested financial assistance during Executive Committee Bud- get Allocations in the VVinter Term of 2002-03. The Committee responded to their request with an allocation of $3,240. In the Fall Term of 2003-04, The Trident once again asked for financial assistance. At the time, The Trident was $8,921 in debt and requested $15,000 in order to reduce debt and expand the paper. The Trident stated that this was a special request, and that the paper did not plan to ask for money in the future. The Committee allocated $5,000 to The Trident with the under- standing that the paper would increase subscriptions, collect more advertising revenue, and eliminate their debt during this The Trident has not substantially improved its financial situation and is currently $6,788 in debt. The Executive Com- mittee has tried repeatedly to aid The Tridentby responding to its budget requests, while viewing their requests in light of other student organization needs. However, The Tridenfs cur- rent debt is continuing to adversely affect every student orga- nization at this University because The Tridenfs bills are paid with money from the Student Activities Fund, resulting in less It is the official position of the Executive Committee that it is The Tridenfs responsibility to remedy its financial prob- lems directly with the University Business Office. Therefore, any further actions affecting The T rident’s financial standings, such as the closure of the paper, will be the result of Business The Executive Committee of the Student Body: Marie Trimble, Cristin Nunez, Justin Arnold, Marc Granger, Dannel Duddy, Thomas Worthy, Noble Stafford, Wheeler Sparks, Charlie Yates, Lane Morgan, and David Colman. Nabors holds sixth annual day of service A Panel explores Brown ‘ BY KAELA HARMON the leadership that Washington SENIOR STAFF WRITER and Lee produces an ideal per- son to speak on the desegrega- - . Its been 50 years since the tion process. 1, Supreme Court made the decision Other panelists include inthe BrownvBoard of Education William Perry, a former school case and changed the face of principal from Waynesboro, . American education. Washington former NAACP Vice President V’ and Lee is celebrating that land- from Roanoke, Reverend E.T. ' mark decision with a panel discus- Burton and several other citizens -1 sion on integrationthatwill feature from the surrounding area who W&La1umnusandformerV1rginia played a role in integrating GovemorLinwoodHolton. schools throughout the state. The panel was organized ‘ by Professor Theodore DeLaney of the History Department, and Bach panelists has a unique per- spective to bring and will share reflections on how integration im- is part of a grant he recently re- pacted their community. _ V ceived from the Virginia Founda- The discussion will be held * tion for the Humanities. Profes- today Monday the 17 at 7:30 p.m. sor DeLaney said that former Governor Holt was an appropri- ate decision for several reasons. _Holt was the first Republican in Lee Chapel. It follows a series of films on desegregation that have been shown every Wednes- day for the past three weeks. i ‘L governor in Virginia in the 20"‘ While the movies were not very century but he was a moderate well attended Professor DeLaney on race. Inthe 1970s, he decided is hoping that the panel discus- to take a stand against segrega- sion will bring out a number of . 1 tion and set an example for his people. “I wouldbevery pleased state by enrolling his children in an all black school. Professor DeLaney felt that these actions made Holt a perfect example of to look out into the audience and see a large number of people in the audience but for now I'm keeping my fingers crossed.” projects. mates as a way to honor him. to be walked.” FROM STAFF REPORTS Washington and Lee students showed the Lexington com- munity their generosity Saturday afternoon during Nabor’s Ser- vice Day. Over 200 students signed up for the event. On the actual service day, which began with a kick-off in the Commons, about 180 students took part in 20 different service-oriented The SPCA, Mayflower nursing home, Rockbridge Area Transport Services and Habitat for Humanity are just some of the area agencies where students worked. “I was very satisfied with the people who came and how the day turned out,” said Nabors Service Day co-chair Jessica Hunsinger, ’07. “We made a pretty big contribution.” Tom Borda, ’06, co-chaired the event with Hunsinger. This year marked the sixth annual service day,’ held in memory of Jonathan N abors. Nabors, who would have graduated in 2002, died in a car wreck his freshman year. The N abors Service League and Nabors Service Day were conceived by his class- Jenny Hau, ‘O7, worked at Arc Acres, a group home for the mentally retarded. Hau and her group painted a barn and did upkeep at the Arc Acres farm. “I’m already involved in some community service here, but I wanted to do Nabors to get in- volved outside of the W&L community," Hau said. Liz Juterbock, ’06, said she always participates in service. She worked at the SPCA because, “there werelots of sad puppies “I like animals . . . my friend signed me up and I’m really glad I did it,” she said, “I had a great time.” Nabors’ parents were in Lexington for the day, and toured the service sites with Hunsinger. HRISTINE GRAY HE ' . G—TUM I-H ANIMAL LOVERS. Sophomore Lizjuterbock walks a dog from the SPCA for Nabors Service Day . Over 200 students participated this year at 20 service projects. OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20040517/WLURG39_RTP_20040517_002.2.txt JAMES ti. i.E‘t’~“r3lllRN UBWARY wee-:moroNaiEuN%W ‘l r-iwvw.~.'rnM VA 24450 MAY 1939"“ PAGE 2 Registration for sections a must Registration begins tomorrow. We at the Phi want to know why we can not register for specific sections of a class. When we register for classes, we tell the registrar via the intemet what we want to take. Then we anxiously wait for the moment schedules are avail- able on-line. The problem with this sys- tem is that every student at W&L is unique. Some of us here at the Phi, for example, are night people while fewer of us are morning people. Different people perform better at certain times of the day. Since we do not know what sec- tion we are in until right before classes start, we have no time to change them. Often, professors will not even allow stu- dents to change class sections. Some of us have tried to change sections, but were told that we have to stay in that 8 a.m. class. Others who perform better in the morning get stuck in 3-5 p.m. classes. By the time you get out of class in the winter it is already dark. If registration changed to allow a choice of section, students could not com- plain about not making it to class because it was too early or too late. They also could not complain about the professor they are taking because they hand-picked Competition among faculty mem- bers to attract students would only im- prove teaching at Washington and Lee. For example, if no one is registering for Professor Jones’s section, he can ask the popular Professor Smith what he can do to improve his teaching and attract more students. We believe that a registration sys- tem where a student registers not only for a class, but also a section is the best alternative. Students who want to be in the 8 a.m. classes will be able to take them and those who want to take all their classes in the afternoon can as well. This market based approach would be more effective than a thou- sand class evaluations. (( te of the Week H “We are 900 miles over the moon.” ~Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, on the birth of his and his wife’s (Gwyneth Paltrow) daughter, Apple Blythe Allison Martin, mi: Rm G-TUM PHI CALEYANDERSON OPINIONSEDIIOR andcrs0nc@wluedu PINIONS Honor System nearly perfect A surprising number of students have raised their voices in favor of reappraisal of our cherished Honor System. Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, most of what has been written and said has added heat, not light, to an already fiery debate. Hopefully, increased interest in the work- ing of the Honor System will lead to a renewed un- derstanding of its counter—intuitive aspects, be- cause all the calls for “fundamental” reform betray a terrible misunderstanding of the system. Some students, who neglected to even at- tend the recent open forum, regard the Honor Sys- tem and the student body with depressing pessi- mism. Whatever their motivations, they imagine secret trials in which students are expelled on a whim and strike at the system’s most basic under- pinnings. Other students have addressed their com- plaints to the administration and seemingly forget the most alluring feature of the Honor System—~ that it is entirely student run. What we have learned so far is this: many students are confused by the EC’s recent actions but, most likely, increased discussion of the sys- tem has answered their questions. A small minority of the student body is deeply inimical to both the EC and the Honor System and wants to overhaul , both, but is going nowhere. The truth is the Honor System is near perfect in its design and the EC has worked mightily to protect the accused and please the student body. Criticisms of the system fall into three main categories. The first cites the EC for a lack of ac- countability and demands that the EC release greater information about the proceedings of honor trials. Calls for greater accountability arise from an underappreciation of the measures the EC takes to ensure the confidentiality of honor trials. Most investigations do not go to trial MONDAY, MAY 17, 2004 STEVE MARINOS / The Ringtum ACCOUNTABLE. The EC has made great strides to be more accountable, such as therecerit open forum. the accused and provide the student body with greater information about honor trials. Moreover, the EC has made significant efforts to provide students with more information about its proceedings. For example, all EC commu- nications are signed with the names of every mem- ber and the vote tallies in non—honor matters are published in campus notices and on the web. Also, honor postings now have greater detail, the EC held an open forum and is planning a platform de- bate for next year’s freshmen elections. The second category of criticism hits the EC for being insufficiently representative. The fact is, though, when the EC sits in judgment, it is NOT a representative body. No jury or and the vast majority of trials end RIGHT OF THE AISLE court, elected or appointed, is. in acquittals. Naturally, no student ‘ When they vote in honor trials, EC wants to be under a cloud of sus— BRETT KIRWAN members, like the justices of a state picion for the rest of his W&L ca- reer. Even if a student is convicted and chooses to withdraw, it is essential that his identity and the details of his case be. strictly guarded. The lack of publicity and the vagueness of honor postings work to ensure this confidentiality. Some students have called for the vote totals, or even the way in which each EC member voted, to be released. Currently, the totals are known only to the EC president and vice-president and no one but the individual EC member knows how he voted. No one has yet devised a system to protect supreme court, rely on their experi— ence and good judgment and do not attempt to de- cide as their constituents necessarily would. On the other hand, when the EC is involved in more tradi- tional student government functions, it is a repre- sentative body and seeks, for example, to distribute student activities monies as most students would like to see them distributed. Those who insist that the EC “represent” the students when making deci- sions in honor trials or accuse the EC of perverting the students’ current understanding“ of honor rriis— ‘undefstand this impo'rtant‘distinction. The third criticism, by far the most de- pressing, is not of the EC, but of the Honor System itself. When students call for replacing the single sanction with a graduation system of punishments, they call for the end of the Honor System. What is a degree of honor? Similarly, can someone be 32 percent honest or 56 percent loyal? Imagine, for example, that someone is convicted of plagiarism‘ I - f ' A under a graduated system of punishments but re- mains a student at W&L. What professor would then permit take—home exams, unproctored finals or group work? If a thief were allowed to remain at ‘ ' - - school, would security leave the buildings open all night, would students leave their doors unlocked and their possessions unguarded in the library or the D-Hall? Without a single sanction, the Honor _ System falls apart. True to form, those who have cried most loudly for reform have failed to offer any solutions. The Honor System may be in need of tweaking. Perhaps guilty verdicts should require unanimity or the judicial and administrative functions of the EC should be split into two separate groups. The students who single-mindedly demand change, blinded by their hatred for the Honor System and the EC, are as devoid of ideas for reform as their criticisms are of merit. One hundred fifty-plus years of practice have given us a great" Honor System and time will show that the case for change is overblown. Resolution to boycott public schools lacks merit I recently read a news article Editor in Chief Managing Editor Opinions Editor Asst. Opinions Editor Acting Life Editor Photography Editor Asst. Sports Editors Erin Julius Chris Lauderman Caley Anderson Anne Finley Brett T. Kirwan Corbin Blackford John Hyland Chad Kiewiet de Jonge Emily Edwards Kelly Jo Larsen Vanessa Amess Catherine Swan Alexa Moutevelis Paul Seifert David Seifert Rob Rain Leggett Kitchin Stephen Lipscomb Production Assistants Copy Editors Business Managers Circulation Director Asst. Circulation Dir Distribution Dir The Ring-tum Phi is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee Univer- sity, Lexington, Virginia The Ring—tum Phi is a member of The Media Board, but is otherwise independent The Ring-tum Phi welcomes all responsible sub- missions 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 weeks 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 Room. 341 Washington’ and Lee University Lexington, Virginia 24450 Telephone: (540) 458-4060 Fax: (540) 458-4059 Email: phi@wlu.edu Subscription rate $40 from the Associated Press that struck me as being completely absurd. Two prominent Southern Baptists, T.C. Pinckney and Bruce Shortt, co- authored a resolution to be brought before the National Convention urg- ing all Christian parents to home- school their children or else enroll them in Christian schools. Calling U.S. public schools that claim to be reli- giously—neutIal “God- some conspiracy among the other 23% to gain control over all of the public schools and brainwash chil- dren into defying God? I can only assume that the au- thors of the resolution are referring to things like the teaching of evolu- tion and scientific explanations such as the Big Bang Theory for the cre- ation of the universe as a couple of the “Godless” parts of the educa- tional offerings. less” and “anti-Chris— THE BIG PICTURE , Also, explicitly tian,” the resolution ‘ stated, is an ex- appealed to the moral ANNE FINLEY treme aversion to obligation of parents to decide how their kids would be edu- cated instead of leaving the decision in the government’s hands. The resolution even saw fit to state that “just as it would be foolish ' for the warrior to give his arrows to his enemies, it is foolish for Christians to give their children to be trained in schools run by the enemies of God.” So nowlschools are not only “anti- Christian,” but they are actually run by enemies of God? The realities about our country simply do not sup- port such preposterous statements. Although the number has somewhat declined in recent years, the Ameri- can Religious Identification Survey still shows a whopping 77% of Ameri- cans identifying themselves as Chris- tian. Are they suggesting there is public schools “adopting curricula and policies teaching the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable”. I consider myself an ex- tremely open-rriinded individual, but try as I might, I honestly cannot find the logic behind these baseless fears. Vlfith regards to the teaching of evolution and other non-creationistic ideas in public schools, I cannot see why the Southern Baptist Convention or other denominations can or should see anything to fear. I believe that every person has the right to be edu- cated and presented with all available scientific and historical facts. As the church and state are and must remain separate, the churches have the right to instruct in moral and religious prin- ciples and truths while the schools have the same obligation and right to teach according to scientific and his- torical data. No religion should be scared of letting kids make fully—in— formed decisions about something as personal as faith. And the claim that public schools could be called “anti~Chris- tian” is simply preposterous. Cre- ationism, for starters, continues to be taught in many areas of the country. And when evolution is taught, at least in my personal experience, teachers almost always put out a disclaimer that you don’t have to believe them but you just have to know the material for the tests. Our country, quite simply, is in great part dominated by Chris- tianity. You don’t see American schools teaching African, East—Asian, or Native American creation myths for instance. For the most part, Judeo- Christian values are interwoven into all areas of society, including politics and education. I do not mean to say that this is a problem or that it should be changed, but simply that the claim that U.S. education is “Godless” could not be farther from the truth. As for the stated concern that public schools teach the acceptabil- ity of the homosexual lifestyle, why must this be such a problem? First of all, why is tolerance of other people who are fundamentally just like us in every way but sexual preference con- sidered un—Godly or Un-Christian? Is A point of legalizing sarne-sex marriage not the basic precept to love one an- other and show compassion? But re- gardless of whether teaching accep- tance goes against the teachings of the church, the authors of the resolu- tion and all Christians simply have, once again, nothing to fear. As two renowned visitors to our campus this year both said, (James Carville at Mock Convention and Judy Shepard in her presentation against hate crimes), tolerance of gays even to the will not threaten a strong marriage. And it follows that it should have nothing to do with shaking a strong faith. Faith has nothing to fear from a liberal education. And nothing radi- cal has to be done to keep the faith in U.S. education because it never left. One of the authors of the resolution says that if all Baptist parents would comply with the essential—boycott of public schools the entire system would probably collapse and “I think that would be one of the finest things that can happen in the United States”. A _ - Well, I for one say the public school system is fine the way it is and should V not be changed. Christians may make up a majority in this country, but our nation was nonetheless founded on freedom of religion for all and-our - voices should not speak louder sim- ply because of greater numbers. Letter to the Editor Article blamed women for assault DearEditor, I was happy to see that the issue of sexual assault on our campus was included in last week’s edition (May 10, 2004) of the Ring Tum Phi. This is an important issue in need of dis- cussion among the students. However, after reading the article in its entirety, I feel as if the article blames the “victim” for this assault. The title “Co-ed speaking outs would solve problem of sexual assault” immediately struck me as vic- tim blaming. First, I saw this in your discussion of fraterni- ties and balling girls for refusal to have sex. The article reads, “I’m not sure who is more pathetic in this situation: the boy who is so desperately horny that he has to threaten girls in order to get them to I have sex with him: the girl who is so insecure and whose self—esteem is so nonexistent that she would actually subrriit to such abuse...” There is abso- lutely no question of who is more pathetic. The woman is not pathetic at all. This sounds as if the woman had fuH control over the situation and could have just “resisted.” Women should not even be in this situation in the first place. Your portrayal of the “girl” in this statement oversirnplifies sexual assault. If sexual assault could be stopped by “girls” simply resisting, this would not be a problem. Furthermore, it seems as if the solution to sexual assault is simply victims coming out and sharing their story. Are men not responsible too? What good will it do if we talk to those who experi— . enced sexual assault, yet never deal with the ag- gressors? Yes, this would help awareness, but is far from the solution. After a woman has been as- saulted, she feels as if her power has been robbed. Thus, it is insensitive and ignorant to suggest that -‘ l a woman will/should voluntarily share her story. This would essentially re-victirriize the woman, es- pecially because of our less than understanding campus regarding assault. Finally, the picture of the Spice Girls trivializes the issue of sexual assault. Statistically, one in four women is a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. Therefore, most likely one of them has been assaulted. And how would we know? Your article just explained the problem of women not talking about the problem. What makes the Spice Girls any different from other women? Sincerely, Ashley Trice ‘O5 OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20040517/WLURG39_RTP_20040517_003.2.txt _encompassing PAGE 3 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse symp of problems in Iraq The impact that the pictures from Abu Ghraib will have on our mission in Iraq can hardly be over- stated. Why did those soldiers abuse the Iraqis? The common answer is that they were a few bad apples; and they ought to be punished for their ac- tions. This is what George Bush has said. But look at the pictures. The Americans are smiling and giving the thumbs up, as a deep—sea fisherman might triumphantly pose before a 10 foot Marlin once back on dock They were treating the prisoners just like spoils of victory; as less than human, as objects. These Americans are not sadistic sociopaths; for one thing (and lucky for us) sociopathic tendencies only arise in a minute percent- age of the overall population. The likelihood that doz- ens of sociopaths managed to join THE RlNG~TUM Put CAIEYANDERSON « OPINIONS EDIIOR andersonc@wlu.edu PINIONS lions. Oveatenthousandofthesepaidcontractorsareat workinlraq. Sevexaln1onthsago,Cong1essaskedR1n:rtsfe1d to tell them what the contractors were doing in Iraq. Rurnsfeldrepliedwithaletterlisting“allcompaniesinIraq and their Rumsfeld failed to mention two con- tractingfirmsthathappenedtobeinterrogatingprisoners in Abu Ghraib. A few of these employees have rather colorful backgrounds. South Africans who fired-bombed Apartheid political opponents’ housesinthe 1980’s. Chil- eanswhoworkedasPinochet’sarmedthugs.'lhesepeople arebeingpaidbythePentagontorepresenttheUnited States in Iraq. AbuGlnaibistheresu1tofbadplanning. Gmeral Shinselci wanted real soldiers performing occupation du- ties, like guarding prisoners. Donald the same battalion seems auifle un- OUT IN LEFT FIELD Rumsfeld and the neocons had a bet- likely. Back to the “bad apple” the- ‘ teridea. They thought they could fight sis of George Bush: So if they’re G1‘-BE CHAPMAN this war with fewer soldiers, and for not sociopaths, what are they? Undisciplined, for one thing; Since the begin- ning of military operations, the U.S. has imprisoned about 42,000 Iraqis. Whereto putthem? The U.S. chose the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, known in Saddam’s time as the site of particularly gruesome atrocities. The A Iraqis probably appreciated the symbolic significance as Americans led them into this notorious symbol of Saddam’s regime. Now, here’s where strategic plan- ning comes into play. Prisons require lots of guards, and prisons are part of stabilizing a country after its leadership has been deposed. General Shinseki said we needed 200,000 troops for the occupation. Rurnsfeld said not nearly that many, and Shinseki was fired and then publicly insulted. So Rumsfeld got his way and we sent 140,000 troops. Since we haven’t been receiv- ing the flowers that Rurnsfeld thought we would, we’ ve had to call up the reserves. In fact, the 372"“ Military Police Company — the unit that was assigned to man- age Abu Ghraib ~ is a reserve unit. You may remember the Anny Reserves from the TV commercials which advertise, “Only two weeks per year’s commitrnent!”. These people were sent to manage thousands of unco- operative prisoners at Abu Ghirab and elsewhere. Their deployment was extended repeatedly. Difficult assignments require discipline. Disci- pline is won through training. These people had, es- sentially, zero training. None of them had gone through the special training normally required for prisoner—guard duty. They were not familiar with the Geneva Conven- tion. They were people picked off the street. Or, in the case of the young girl you’ve seen in the pictures, Pfc. Lyrmdie R. England, picked out of a trailer park These people are not soldiers. But Donald Rurnsfeld felt they were good enough to guard prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Not good enough, apparently, to interrogate them. For that, Rurnsfeld has hired mercenaries. Doz- ens of private contracting firms are being paid by the Pentagon to perfonn logistical support and other opera- less money, and guess what? The private sector and the market had a solution! They would hire private compcmies to do the job betterand cheaper. What we are getting is the result of people who are unaccountable and whose level of training are unknown to us. Or, in the case of the reservists, their level of training is known to those in charge, and those in charge just don’t care. The costs of Abu Ghraib will be dire indeed. Don’t let this administration throw up its hands and say, “Ah, it was just a few bad apples; don’t worry, we’ll punish them good!” This is a strategic failure, a failure to plan adequately, a failure to provide the re- sources necessary to get the job done right. This is absolutely the Secretary of Defense’s and President’s fault. If they don’t plan properly, then the results of poor planning are their fault. This is how executives are held accountable. If we don’t hold them accountable for their planning, then how would we ever find them at fault? Otherwise, they can always point to someone lower on the food chain and say, “they are respon- sible.” Don’t forget that the needs of the occupation were anticipated before the war even started A huge report was prepared by people inside the Pentagon on just what the problems would be and how to address them. Donald Rumsfeld told them to shelve it. He didn’t even glance at it. What was done atAbu Ghraib is symptomatic of a larger problem. Why isn’t the Pentagon bothering to count civilian deaths? Independent estimates peg the numberatwell over 20,000. Ifwe don’tcountthem, then we’re saying they don’t frilly count as costs of war. That is the message that is sent. Thought the F*CK IRAQ parties were funny?'Ihenyou’repartofthe prob- lem too. President Bush made jokesatadinnerinWash- ington recently. They showed a picture of him peering underneath the Oval Office desk. He said, “Where are those WMDs, anyway? I guess not there!” He laughed. MONDAY, MAY 17, 2004 PHOTO (.OUR‘I'ESYOF arrmated preys COSTS. The soldier on the right is weeping for a dead friend. Occupier and occupied are both strained. Media’s efforts in exposing U.S. POW abuse Vital Did the media go too far this time? This is perhaps one of the most dominant issues political discussions at the moment as a result of the extensive coverage of the treatment of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu G h r a i b Americans affairs, P r , S 0 I, , TRAIN or THOUGHT Sometimes TRANK]Mt05 the media %————-——— does over- information loop. Sometimes, these hush-hush policies are necessary for maintaining an advantage in international especially those concerning national security, out of the have truly been effective? Would that have caused the same concern and outrage? I would say no for several reasons. There is that common phrase, a picture says a 1000 words, and in this case, these pictures speak beyond that. There are few words that can express the depths of the cruelty endured by these prisoners. A written article or a broadcast report could never but at other times, these policies simply aim to cover up s h a m e f u l incidents that sensationalize issues that are irrelevant and waste time that could be spent on more critical issues, but that is not the case with the media’s current coverage of the Iraqi prisoners, despite what some media critics would argue. Though the American government adopts an open- book policy in regards to its actions, it does not always follow this policy, leaving would infuriate the public. This is one of the latter instances. In such situations, the media serves as a necessary check on the government’s actions. Some say that the media could have informed the public effectively by simply reporting on the humiliating conditions faced by these prisoners without releasing their images, but would that have elicited the same emotions as the visual reports. Not only would an anecdote not capture the extent of these atrocities, it also would leave too much room for interpretation. One reader might read the report and not think twice about these offenses, considering them to just be another normal day in prison life. But these images leave no room for interpretation, no room for excuses, and no room for comments like “Oh, it can’t be all that bad.” Another reason is that these abuses have been taking place for some time, though it has only been reported to the public now. The report issued by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, the key player inexposing this scandal, documents alleged incidents that took place as far back as the summer of 2003. The following is an excerpt from his report: Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees; pouring cold water on naked detainees; beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair; threatening male detainees with rape; allowing a military police guard to stitch the wound ofa detainee University Cleaners 7 North Jefferson Street Lexington, VA 24450 463-3622 University Cleaners offers full service storage for all your winter clothing and bedding. Each item is cleaned and stored, ready for pick up in the fall. Regular cleaning charges apply and are billed to your home address in July. Storage is free. It couldn't be easier, bring in your clothing this spring and pick it up in the tall, clean, pressed, and ready to wear. Eliminates the need to carry it all home over the summer. Call or stop in today for addictional information. Free Summer Storage of all winter clothes and bedding Celebrate Spring Time Father’s Day Brides ~ Graduation Witha Relaxing Massage by Kelly Harris (540)264-0063 Gift Certificates, Packages Speaking Engagements Certified through VA Board of Nursing who was injured after being slammed against the wall in his cell; sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick, and using military working dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting a detainee. In addition, (as though this were not enough), the Red . Cross had raised concerns over prison conditions after visiting them in January of this year. So why are we only beginning to address this issue just now, nearly one third of a year after the fact? What is most concerning is that if the media had not released these pictures and thereby set off a chain reaction of furor and condemnation, how much ALL AUTO SERVICES Brakes — Exhaust - Tune-up A/C Services - Oil Change — Engine & Transmission Replacement/Rebuild General Service & Repair Car Wash In/Out & Detailing U-Haul Truck & Trailer Rentals 10% STUDENT DISCOUNT!! federated l Car Care $‘li"L:S.3~'A‘.$ longer would these conditions have persisted? Would the government truly step out of its self—interested zone and alert the public to these incidents through an apologetic confession? Would the abuses and the quasi—torturous interrogations have been stopped? From Bush’s response to these incidents in failing to make an immediate apology to America, the Arab nations, and to the world, I highly doubt it. From my personal observations, the American government has not had such a great record of acting honorably in these situations, and it is only because of the actions of the media as a watchdog that the truth was brought to light. If the media had not gone too far as some think, how much further would the government have gone? Blue Ridge Auto Center 1973 Magnolia Ave. Buena Vista, VA 24416 (540) 261-9377 OPEN Mon-Fri. 8 — 5pm Sat. 8 --Noon OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20040517/WLURG39_RTP_20040517_004.2.txt JOHNHYIAND _ W Rt E‘ 13 t AssrrANrSPo1nsED1'1oR .. \ r 11.1 E 3 L. hy1mdib@Whmdu O R S MONDAY, MAY 17, 2004 I PAGE4 A if i 1.. .. A ,1. 1. STEVEN MARINOS / THE RU\IG—TUM PH7 SHOOT T0 SCORE. Senior midfielder Richard Williams takes a shot in the mens’ lacrosse 12-8 victory in the second round of the NCAA tournament over Messiah College. W&L LAX heads to Maryland Wednesday 1 Men’s lax advances in NCAAs with weekend Win Team defeats Messiah 12-8 in second round, will face tp ranked powerhse alisbury on Wednesday ~ STAFF REPORTS who recorded a goal and two assists, Martin, and freshman midfielder Jim Ryan who each added two goals. Junior midfielder Mike Baracco, in addition at The W&L men’s lax team improved their to helping Chesbrough win acommanding 17 of 24 record to 14-3 and advanced to the NCAA faceoffs also chipped in some offensive heroics Quarterfinals on Saturday witha 12-8 victory over with a goal and an assist. W&L also won the Messiah College in the final game on Wilson Field groundball war by a commanding 49-32 margin. The , before it is uprooted and replaced for next season. Generals defense was its usual stellar self, particu— ‘k The visiting Falcons entered the game 13-3 larly in the second half, in shutting down a very after winning the Middle Atlantic Conference. They potent Messiah attack that came in scoring almost scored early in the game to take a 1-0 lead but the 14 goals a game. The defense was led by senior Generals answered with two quick goals of their goalie Ansel Sanders, the ODAC player of the year, ;_ own from midfielders Dustin Martin and Pat Collins who recorded 12 saves. T to take the lead. The Falcons responded by going The Generals, seeded fourth in the South on a 4-1 run to end the first half and tooe a 5-4 lead Region of the tournament will now travel to heading into halftime. The Generals appeared rusty Salisbury to face the top-seeded and top-ranked after not playing since winning the ODAC champi- Gulls, who are undefeated and the defending na- J‘ onship against Roanoke two weeks ago. However, tional champs. While this is a tall order for any they came out firing in the second half as junior team, the Generals match-up well, having won 12 Adam Chesbrough won the opening face off and games in a row and possessing one of the top de- ledaface break, findingacutting Mike McNamara fenses in the country that could potentially neu- who finished the goal to tie the game at 5. The tralize ahigh powered Sali_sbury Offense. The team senior attackman broke the tie just 1:41 later when seems to agree. “I think it will be a close game, we he connected on a rocket from the top of the box are peaking at the right time and they have yet to off apass from classmate Mark McLewee. The Gen— play a defense as good as ours,” Chesbrough said. J erals broke open the game in the third quarter, Game time is yet to be determined but it will sure to ‘T ' outscoring the Falcons 5-1 to take a 9-6 lead enroute be a battle between the teams with the two longest to the 12-8 final. winning streaks in Division III. The teams last met In addition to McNamara, the Generals’ of— in the 2000 NCAA Semifinals with Salisbury edg- fense was paced by senior attackman Matt Fink ing W&L 10-9. LOOKING AHEAD. Senior midfielder looks to pass down the field with a Messiah defender in pursuit. J}, 3 Women’s tennis . We See Rams team advances to aeansezeczedro fis*eeatereeinga3~66 . - ~ 2 . ‘T . .. gradeqaotnt average as aChem- strikeouts (232),, V M _ , . _ N C f 1 c03[DAAcade;m¢A[]. F istry trlajor. He led the Generals record re: career ERA.,(a2s} A A qu3__’[_'tC]f lfla S » _i T F ' 1 . 1- ‘ A » e A 1 to»a21.~I6overall'record,an1l~7¥ ; Last _ season 1}) ya 'l€tiC Conference and ‘£1 runner-’ DlStI‘lClI S W against Williayns was much closer 1 , _ A “P-iPQ5i?i,°‘_‘i‘1i the ODAC T0313 4 TAFF RITER for Washington and Lee, but a j, Wa5hi3g§°“,i, 3“ C ‘ A “Afteran early season loss bit of a heanbreaker. VV1lliams .h3“§i¢¥ Bet¢5V3-/ A 1; 3 ODAC PitCh‘.5Y and to Denison, I think lots of teams took the victory 5-4. Scorers for .3am6si?\/iétdison) was one of 1 Baseball Scholar Athlete of the wrote us off for nationals,” said the Generals included Hagerman, P1333“ _5¢1¢°ted.t° ‘he.-12% Year? 93311 Pitched 3 563891“. sophomore Lisa Mabry. “But we McClung, freshman Katie vA¢ademi¢2"&13*DiSiri¢‘.¥11 g ,1“3¢°1'd 38-2 inning‘ £91" 64 knew we were serious about mak- Kingsbury, and doubles partners 5* ban Team’ alm°u.n°ed 0” Thurs“ it jsixikfouts’ 32-33 ERA» a‘3,Ch°°i‘ 4 ing a statement that we were still Hagerman and Wortham. Espe- day aftemomf T53 team was "‘3¢°1Td fhree Sh‘3{°“tS and 3 inthe game.” The Generals g1adu- cially touching was senior Liz selected by the College e51v10IT5_ A , S€h001‘T3°°Td for Vi.“-Ories in 3 ated three strong seniors last year Law’s last match. “She played a Informatiou . Dimléfs '°f 5335011 (9*2)- 19 3ddi.fi°n: he set and are competing with a really great match for 3 hours and 20 R (GOSH-’A)~ V. _ » 1115 ODAC ma$kf01‘.C3f€C1"‘WinS< young team. minutes,” said teammate Lisa A Dean 57‘-‘ms 3 59°: 0” ‘he V WM‘ 3 2937 *3 t331''1'°C°1'd» the After a stellar showing in Mabry. “She was a great doubles A A the first two rounds of NCAA partner and teammate, I’m really Division HI Nationals competi— going to miss her next year.” , * ». . _ T , in , tion, the women’s tennis team The team ended the year lk t 6 M if if A qualified to compete in the strong; however, tying the Wasmugtoniand Le.e-lmniorga 1 quarterfinals in Memphis, Ten- school record for the most wins iM°C1.m:e (Mf’m1’1‘“.s° Tefn” , V, ; nessee. Atn'p to Graceland added in a season at 24. “The freshman M¢mPh1$ Umvermy. Schoo some extra fun to the trip. really stepped up this year,” said A V ?“d 3.0-p.h°m°r°. fjfavild ishay 4 Ranked second, Washing- Mabry. “Everyone expected this i(Mmm6z’ C73‘! Pref’) 1 2 ton and Lee first faced number to be a building block year, but have both 3dV3“°?'~1;‘° nine Gustavus Adolphus in the we knew from the beginning that quanerfinals 9f. the.N_CAf$‘ D1“ quarterfinal round. The Gener- it was going to be much more. ViSi»~°n,fm MW,“ Tani-S 31”” , als walked away victorious, de- We’re looking forward to yet an- )- , Cham9i°nS1,”p S at _B‘?“’=SV feating Gustavus Adophus 5-3. other good year next year. ” - V A C°3.15g¢' 1 1 - 1 A C 1 Scoring for the Generals Individually, the Generals Bah Shay». were junior Lindsay Hagerman, also had a strong showing. 1 ._ V _ *A:m.¢*‘1°?=’ f’.°1?°t by freshman Kristen McClung, Se- McClung won her first match, but _ T reacfmglmeiequmfif nior Elizabeth Law, and freshman was defeated in her second .9°m‘?gm° Ge“°ml_S" {Wt Ginny Wortham. In doubles, match against Kristen Raverta of ‘?“‘“4°* An'.Am°n°"‘}f Hagerman and Wortham and Law Amherst. Hagerman, seeded Robby McNaughton. . ~ ‘ . 1 3 and Lisa Mabry teamed up to second, advanced in singles. V . Mficmmadvaficéd. 1° score for the Generals. Again, she earned All-American jr a paint by idefeating M i.Af.e¢ The team advanced to honors; this being the third time compete in the serni-final round in her college tennis career. against defending national cham- Doubles partners pion, Emory. The Generals faced Hagerman and Wortham con- off with the Eagles in mid-April, tinue to compete in Memphis at A suffering a loss of 8-1. Unfortu- Rhodes College. They have ad- ‘ 1 -_ , , - _ nately, this match went similarly vanced to the quarterfinals I V _ “ 1 E ~i /A >1 V ~ 1 A T ‘3‘°."?"*”%35“5’5°¥"“. .INF‘°m.“nON ..°?3“l”g»’°'?"f‘ (7 A 64) ‘hag. for the Generals with Emory tak- round. Competition continues P““iMF91?¥? . V downfld 1 5-‘ ing the match 5-0. until late Monday. OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20040517/WLURG39_RTP_20040517_005.2.txt BY CHRIS LAUDERMAN MANAGING EDITOR Hair created a phenomenon when it hit New York City in 1968 and will probably create the same phenomenon at Washington and Lee over 35 years later. The material in the production was controver- sial in 1968 because of language and themes of the musical. The production was a landmark play. There are no stars or leading roles. Everybody in the “tribe” performs in all numbers. The curtain call is not traditional, everyone comes out at once be- cause the play belongs to the whole cast. The director, Jere Hodgin, said that he tried to set Hair in a way that everyone can experience the .3” values of the 1960s, even if you did not live through the decade. According to the director, without Hair, plays like Jesus Christ Superstar would not have existed. Rehearsals have been an interesting process for everyone involved from the director to the cast. First, Hair is usually performed with over 30 cast members. The Washington and Lee cast has 21 members. Second, the cast and crew has had only one month to prepare. The director and the chore- ographer, Leslie Owens—Harrington, said that they were used to doing a production in a month, but usually with seven hour practices instead of the three hour practices that they have been holding. The choreographer pointed out that the content is different for W&L actors. Not only do they have to Featuring A and “YOU Afld /pi’ A Enhanced CD features exclusivelive & behind-the-scenes footage A “Beautiful Ways” i’ 5'21 55?? patmcgeeband.com warnerbrosrecords. com HIE + May 20 |\|0I'lIa in not-nun ’ May 21 Brown's Island inliichmond May 22 9:30 club in Washington In: BREIT T. KIRWAN ACTING ARis&lirEEDrroR l