OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050307/WLURG39_RTP_20050307_001.2.txt j V / THE RING=TUM PI-II. ‘*4 rm :- . 37 6.755 A552. V-I47 llC~23 C2. WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY 2.5 /07 M(NDAY,MARCH7,ZI5 BY THE STUDENTS AND FDR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 VOLllIlIECVI,MlVIBE?22 WHAT’S INSIDE 5 The envelope please... And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for... the Fancy Dress theme revealed on page 2. Friday night fights Eight bands faced off on Friday night with a thousand bucks at stake. Check out page 4 for a rundown on who rocked and who did not. HOTTICKET The British are coming Everyone’s favorite British dame returns in the zany “Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason,” which will be playing in the Commons Theater on Mon., March 7, at 7:00 p.m., and Tues., March 8 through Fri., March 11, at 9:30 p.m. Back by popular demand “J acob’s Ladder” returns to the stage to bring back the bluegrass music I that secured their Battle of the Bands victory last Friday. The band will play at Jordan House on March ll at 8:00 p.m. ‘ Secret garden Zach Braff’s trippy “Garderi~State” / runs in the Commons Theater ‘at 7:30/ p.m. on Fri., March 11, and on Sat., March 12. Admission is free, but contributions are welcome. SIMPLE LIFE Feng—Shui your Room Create a peaceful place to escape from the everyday stresses of life. Though these are small steps, in doing them, you will be inches closer to reaching the Tao of W&L. I Try some green: A bamboo plant brings prosperity and grows neatly in a glass bowl with water and marbles. I Don’t cut comers: According to the Feng—Shui belief, this leaves room for bad spirits in your space. I Let in the light: Try to open your blinds and let the sun shine in for at least a few hours each day. Also, try hanging a crystal in each window. This helps dispel evil before it can enter the room. A creative study space can help you improve your grades. Remember, everything’s better when everything’s zen QUICK POLL Q: Have you engaged - in premarital sex at any time, including any time prior to your coming to W&L? Man: 72 students polled, 36 male. 36 female. Poll has 95% confidence in a +/- 5% margin ol error. W&L tojump on sate ite bandwagon By Chris Lauderman M EDITOR-IN-CHIEF /' Consideration of a Was ington, D.C. satellite campus that will provide W&L with a physical presence in the nation’s capital, increasing the school’s visibility, somewhere in the next two to ten years, was announced in the strategic plan. I I The administration selected Washington because of the critical mass of W&L people in the city, its international position, and its interdisciplinary nature. Students can be exposed to many elements such as policy, art, and science. Both the city and northern Virginia suburbs are being considered for the location. Joe Grasso, Vice President for Administration, sees the program starting as a pilot program where we lease a space. But Provost Thomas Williams said that is not the only option. Buying a building in DC, where real estate is booming, might be a better investment for the University than stocks or other investments. The site would have an on-site director. An idea is to have room for approximately 30 student residences and two to three efficiency apartments for faculty, alumni, and guests. One key question is whether the university can create a curriculum for students to be at the DC center for as long as a full semester. Williams said his immediate vision for the center is not one where students would spend a semester,‘ but that is a possibility down the road. The Law School has the most expansive plan for utilizing the DC center at this time. In fact, the idea of a satellite campus came up six years ago in a separate law school plan. The initial idea is to give students the chance to take specialized courses and have internships in a metropolitan area, not unlike Cornell Law School and others. Law School Dean David Partlett said that the DC center gives W&L a chance to expand its curriculum in the areas of administrative and constitutional law. According to Williams, potential uses by the undergraduates at the DC center include the journalism department allowing students to intern for six credits. Three credits would be given from a journalism professor teaching in a classroom and three credits would be given by a newspaper such as the Washington Post. V Teacher education students, because of W&L’s location, cannot do a practicum or student teaching in a private school. The DC center would give students achieving their education certificate a place to stay and teach in an urban district. Currently, the Washington Term program uses classrooms in another university’s D.C. -center. A Washington center would give the department classroom space and a place for students to stay while interning in the spring. Shepherd students would also have the opportunity to live in the center while they worked in their summer placements. University of California, Stanford, William and Mary, Amherst, Boston University, and others all have a satellite campus in the DC area. Grasso and Williams both said that there are many models on which to build the program in DC. According to the administration, having a satellite campus is becoming more and more common, especially for a school in a rural area. “It is not unusual anymore for a school of our quality,” Grasso said. This proposal, like all others in the strategic plan, is not set in stone. “This should be widely discussed and carefully considered,” Grasso said. Despite the fact that it is not yet permanent, the DC center is a high academic priority for the school. “DC is not just the center of govemment,” said Larry Peppers, Dean of the Williams School. “We see it as a ‘resource we can tap into regardless of discipline.” WANTED: Student input The administration made clear in a press conference held last I week that student input is wanted in the strategic pianning process. _ Students have several different options to express their views to the administration. There is__a drop‘ box oirlineat http:// strategicpl‘an.wlu.edu.‘ This student ' forum has already been used by about aidozen students and the I information has been taken in by the administration. If there is student interest, more open forums can be held to discuss the different task force ‘reports. In the preliminary stages of planning, however, students did ‘ not take advantage of this option. A third option is to e-mail Provost Williams directly. ‘ “Students should, indeed, take this information, seriously,” Williams said earlier in an interview . with the Phi. “We want to know student views on all these proposals, ' and want as well to have original ideas from the student body.” —- Chris Lauderman Phi Beta Kappa honors new members By Katherine Shell ASSISTANT N/IEWS EDITOR / Phi/Beta Kappa welcomed 44 new members into its chapter in Thursday’s Lee Chapel ceremony. Robert Wilson ’73, the editor of Phi Beta Kappa’s The American Scholar, was honored as the speaker for this induction. The scholars are selected for their “dedication to education and involvement in support of [W&L’s] liberal arts mission,” said Brian Richardson, head of journalism department, in his welcome speech. The society was chartered on W&L’s campus in 1911 in recognition of excellent scholarship on campus. Richardson also said that these students promote W&L’s ideals of excellence and scholarship, and give the “assurance that reputation will endure.” Three students were honored in abstentia from the class of 2004: Ellen Carothers, Jackie Green, and Jaime Muscar. Twenty-two seniors were added to represent the class of 2005 in Phi Beta Kappa: Sarah Berhalter, Kristen Brown, Hans Carlson, Derek Colla, Laura FarreH, Wflham Fox, Courtenay Glisson, Edward Irby, Tiffany Jenkins, Wesley Kimmel, Christopher Lee, Chia-I Lu, Elizabeth Murphy, Tom Pickering, Anne Rochfort, Kim Sanford, Kiersten Schmidt, Norman Senior, Liz Tessier, Timothy Waddell, Katie Wall, and Emily Wolfmg. One senior was absent on a job interview, and one graduated in December. Four seniors who were elected last year, but were abroad during the Convocation, were honored this year: Wesley Bell, Richard Busby, Peter Djalaliev, and Kelley Magill. Twenty-three juniors were also elected: Ligia Medina, Vanessa Amess, Halin Bareke, Melissa Clarke, Jonathan Cochran, Elizabeth Davis, Jessica Good, Stephanie Hannon, Courtney Harrison, Amanda Hughes, William Huntington, Adam Jarczyk, Angela Kim, Matthew Layton, Nikita Liarnzine, Amy McCarnphill, Matthew Null, Christie Palazzolo, Jon Philipson, Lee Rasamny, Benjamin Skrodzki, Elizabeth Twentyman, and Emily White. Several were studying abroad during convocation and will be honored during next year’s ceremony. Sergey Kvasnyuk was given the Phi Beta Kappa Sophomore Award, given to the sophomore with the highest academic average during the V first four terms at W&L. Wilson was inducted as an honorary member and spoke to congratulate the new members. Catron and fellow models learn the proper stance the night before the show. EMIL HULEN / STAFF PHOTOGRAP Fl Beautiful inside and out By Katherine Greene STAFF WRITER It takes a special kind of woman to turn her own personal suffering into a successful foundation to help others. Heather Owens, an abuse victim, is the founder of Beauty Revue Against Violent Encounters (BRAVE), which held its premiere events at the sorority houses and Evans Hall this Saturday. “We decided we needed to make a difference,” said Owens, “and our goal is to raise awareness, not just money.” Owens got started on this mission a year ago, after years of hearing the heart- wrenching stories of her clientele at A Positive Image Spa, her business on Main Street. “Over 75% of the women coming into my spa had [abuse] stories they were willing to share,” Owens said, “It’s overwhehning how many of these women there are.” Lindsey Duran, ’06 Law, helped to organize the BRAVE events this weekend, including the Day of Beauty and the Fashion Show. She said, “In [Owens’s] line of work, she has seen a lot of abused women...it just ran the gamut of people in bad situations.” Owens, a former makeup artist from New York City, says that women don’t just come to her to feel relaxed. “They come to feel better about themselves,” she said, “because their self- esteem has been destroyed.” “People had no place to turn,” said Owens, who accuses both the community and authorities in Lexington of denying the problem and refusing to help victims EMILY HULEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Above: Owens gives a local woman a make-over at the Theta house on Saturday. Below: Khady Mbaye, ‘O5, struts the runway. SAHAR KAMALI / STAF PHOTOGRAPHER of domestic abuse. “These women are unable to stand up comfortably and not feel ashamed. . .the abuser should be made to feel ashamed, and the law in this town won’t help.” The Day of Beauty event took place at the sorority houses, a location which was chosen for its convenient proximity to both campus and so many women. Fitness classes, including a basic self-defense course, were held in the Kappa Kappa Gamma house and a silent auction of donated gift baskets was held at Kappa Delta. Both Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Beta Phi hosted local aestheticians including Owens herself as they gave massages, manicures, and makeup lessons. The fashion show, held later in the evening, featured items donated or borrowed from several boutiques in Lexington, as well as some in Charlottesville and Staunton. Bethany Catron, ’O5, participated in the fashion show as a model. “[Heather] has a lot of experience,” she said, “and she makes us feel a lot better about [being in front of everyone].” Owens said, “This has become a turning point in my life,” of the events on Saturday. “W&L has been such a great help to my cause, in a community that has the attitude that abuse doesn’t happen here.” Launching BRAVE to a national level is Owens’s next course of action. She is slated to attend conferences in Philadelphia and Las Vegas in the coming months, ready to tell her story, and the stories of the women she has tried to help. Heather Owens may be the kind of woman it takes to make it happen. OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050307/WLURG39_RTP_20050307_002.2.txt was (3. LEYBURN t.lul-om A VASHINGTON & LEE umvansm LE.‘(ti\§f3.TOz‘\l. VA 24450 2 -THERING-TUMPHI HA? 1 6 2005 THE WORKING POOR David Shipler, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and Washington and Lee University Woodrow Wilson Fellow, ' addressed the University Community Thursday, March 3, in Lee Chapel and is pictured with Professor Harlan Beckley. He spoke on his latest book, The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Following his speech, he signed books at the University bookstore. Shipler addressed several classes while he was on campus, ranging from journalism to economics. He also ate every breakfast, lunch and dinnervvith students inthe Marketplace. 98th Fancy Dress Ball theme revealed Chairs unveil “In the Shadow of the Sphinx’? theme ByErinJulius EDlTO3HN-CHIEF Washington and Lee’s 98”‘ annual Fancy Dress Ball, themed “In the Shadow of the Sphinx,” will be held March 19 in the Warner Center. Johnny White and the Elite Band will perform in Doremus gym, with a DJ as entertainment Standard features i§IE.Ai%L;l§FE::; in the smaller gym. Johnny White and the Elite Band is a 10—piece show and dance band known for its Motown medleys. The Fancy Dress Committee, co- chaired by Amanda Jones and Catherine Turner, revealed the “In the Shadow of the Sphinx” theme last night. The ball is scheduled for 9 p.m. — 1 x *s‘st.:;r§e s§:aris’esi. sargaggea, gag; $g;:g§§..§=‘:,r'§;Iz,E* set}. fimla. s:rs:§§%%iars.:.sr2j serge serxsg. .3, life: .§::.‘+ §i’°:i:ra“§ a.m. Ticket’ prices for this year’s ball are $35 per person, $40 at the door. This year’s memorabilia package, which includes a ticket, t-shirt, shot glass, poster, playbill and cups costs $50. This year’s Fancy Dress was scheduled later than normal in an effort to accommodate law students, who are currently on spring break. Sciurs “Pars trlcs” purrhase amrienra ............................... r. means its baggie, tie hassle. 3’ 1:: .« 13-?‘ 4 §”"\ ) .;..llsl éaiieéati vfééaevs»-as E33 stares ‘rain sis: seaaksrs, imiudéng tea: ta"asi;srs and firs»-::.~=.a.'t§ Eeaasd ifiraatassisg: cassette and ZEN gs-sagas i%i"i§§~»§s.'srL:,i~:? erases 9‘ Fraser a;i:r:eesr's, %§r3r.:.:lts, and arstséafa as-.rrers 3 Mess’, tz==,.,BEE-:asi§;as- Faaaertrsia: a¢a:rran%’%g* Gender Relations Committe forms Group aims to educate campus on what constitutes sexual assault ByKalherineShell A§STN\lTl\EV\ISE|JTO? The newly-formed Gender Relations Committee held an organizational meeting last Tuesday to open itself to student involvement. The GRC intends to “coordinate the educational and preventative efforts of various campus groups currently dealing with sexual misconduct,” according to the W&L News Office. According to committee member Mary Jacob Rankin ’O5, a major purpose of the group is to form “education and even ground for everyone on campus what is consent, what is sexual assault.” Dean of Students Dawn Watkins and President Thomas Burish asked the Panhellenic Council and the Inter- Fraternity Council to address the issue of sexual misconduct. As such, the committee is made of students from fraternities and sororities, most of whom have held positions within their own affiliation, Panhel or IFC. The group will be a “permanent group allying faculty, staff, and students,” said member Susan Somers ’05. However, students who are not Greek-affiliated should not feel as though they cannot be a part of this committee. “This group should bridge and extend to all areas of life,” not just Greek life, Rankin said. One goal of the GRC is to form “action teams to deal with specific challenges,” Somers said. These subgroups, based on various aspects of gender relations on campus, include Activities and Gender Interactions, Male and Female Outreach Curriculum, Academic Curriculum Infusion and Judicial Review. Activities and Gender Interactions, led by Somers, would seek to promote social activities that are not alcohol—based. The student organization One in Four is a starting point for the Male and Female Outreach Curriculum, headed by John Gaffney ‘O6. During the past few weeks, One in Four has been traveling to every fraternity on campus to educate other men about sexual assault. As of now, they plan to be part of Freshmen Orientation next fall. Curriculum Infusion Education would seek to “organize ways for gender issues to be incorporated into classroom settings,” said Tom Pickering ‘05, head of the action committee and former IFC President. “We would collaborate with the faculty,” he continued, and the committee would seek to allow on campus issues to be part of classroom discussion. The Judicial Review Action Team, led by Katie Henderson, the student chair of the Student Faculty Hearing Board, which hears cases dealing with sexual assault, would “evaluate reporting procedures to make students more comfortable,” said Henderson. They would also seek to “make sure procedures and policies fit within W&L culture right now. Somers states that the GRC is “hoping before the end of the year to make a lot of changes.” Seniors on the committee all plan to see specific changes as a result of this formation before their graduation. The GRC’s co—advisors Jan Kaufman, director of Health Promotion, and Jennifer Sayre, counselor, are working closely with the group to ensure faculty support. .1, OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050307/WLURG39_RTP_20050307_003.2.txt 1 1 ‘i THE RING-TUM PHI - 3 Ginder sets pace for team a Courtesy Sports Information -Ni:iml(§irhr “I usually swim my best when there ’s someone that’s faster than _I am in the lane next to me. I ' don’t like to lose, so I push myself even harder when I ’m swimming against someone fast” order to gain a strong education while pursuing swimming. In addition, his father attended and swam for W&L. “As I was growing up, he used to tell me stories from his college years. I knew I wanted to swim in college, but also wanted a balance between athletics and academics,” Ginder explained. A competitive spirit and a desire to win motivates Ginder to swim his best. “The thing I enjoy most about swimming is probably racing. I usually swim my best when there’s someone that’s faster than I am in the lane next to me. I don’t like to lose, so I push myself even harder when I'm swimming against someone fast” said Ginder. Although he excels in many aspects of swimming, Ginder’s area of expertise is freestyle. “My favorite race has to be the 200 free. I like this race best because it’s stiH considered a sprint race but there’s room for some minor mistakes.” He has had continued success in this race. “I also placed 4th at the NCAA DIII Nationals meet last year so that’s a big part of why I like the event so much.” Ginder’s favorite moment of the season was the 400 meter free relay at Conferences. The relay team was seeded third for the last event of the meet. After being behind for much of the race, Ginder, who was swimming the anchor leg, was able to bring them into first. They ended up winning by .67 seconds. The win put them at 800 points, which was a goal of the meet, and enabled the team to come home Conference champions. Ginder attributes much of his success to goal-oriented coaching. “Joel did a great job of motivating us to put everything we had into every race this season. We had a great second season under his coaching finishing the season 6-2.” Known as “Golden Boy,” Michael Ginder has shown himself to be a consistent and motivated swimmer. With speed, determination, and a true love of the sport, Ginder promises to be a star on the swimming team for the rest of his W&Leareer. Hollins, Washington known to provide stiff competition to the Women’s tennis team in recent years, upcoming matches with teams outside the ODAC will prove challenging. Next weekend’s match at Dennison College is one of those matches. “Everything this week will culminate with Dennison,” said Wortham. “We lost last 4-5 last year and it was a heartbreaker.” Looking to turn last year’s loss around, the team has remained focused and maintained an intense standard of training since the beginning of the season. Though recent snowfall and bitter cold days have added extra challenges to the already demanding practice schedule, the women have found ways to continue to workout. Each practice consists of an hour of conditioning and an hour of actual play. “It’s a new level of focus, but we have big goals,” said Wortham. “When we do well and work hard it’s kind of a good feeling.” DOMINATINGTHEOOURTS ' Jon Roger Sail Photographer LedbyNo.25PaulMoClureandNo.20DavidShay,theNo.10Mens’Tennis team defealed No.18WashingtonOollege6-1 on March5. Women laxers pull off 9-8 victory in final seconds Team improves record to 1-1 with win over No. 14 Franklin and Marshall Kristen Foster (Denver, Colo./Kent Denver), to take a 4-2 advantage with 13:19 remaining in the first half. W&L junior attacker Amanda Strickler (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge County) notched an unassisted tally at the 19:27 mark to cut the deficit to 4-3, which was the score heading into halftime. The Generals trailed 5-3 just 3:10 into the second half, but would score the next three goals to take a 6-5 lead with 15:58 remaining in the game. Freshman attacker Christine Bender (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) scored the first of her three goals to give W&L the lead. F&M replied with two goals to take a 7-6 lead and the Generals responded with a pair of l #1 Spring Break Vacations! Cancun, Jamaica, Acapulco, Bahamas, Florida & Costa Rica. 110% Best Prices! Book Now & Get Free Parties & Meals! Group Discounts. Campus Reps Wanted! 1 800 234 7007 endlesssummertours.com goals to go up 8-7. The Diplomats tied the game at 8-8 on a free position goal by sophomore midfielder Brenna Dolphin (Wilmington, Del./Archmere) with 5:33 left in the .garne, which set up Hoobchaak’s game-winner. Hoobchaak notched one goal and two assists in the game, while sophomore midfielder Kelly Evans (Lexington, Va./ Rockbridge County) added a pair of goals. F&M was led by Foster, who had three goals and an assist. Senior attacker Alexis O’Meara (Millersville, Md./Sevem School) also notched three goals. W&L freshman goalkeeper Sarah Tilbor (West Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) made nine saves, while Diplomats MG‘lDAY,MARCH7,ZIJ5 \ THIS WEEK '. MONDAY, MARCH7 - -Baseball vs. Villa Julie; 3:00 TUESDAY, MARCH8 -Women’s Tennis at Sweet Briar'4 30 By K“! - v STAFFWRITER WENESDAY,MARCH9 IMen’s LAX vs Elizabethtown; 3230 Using powerful Strokes’ a desire to , -Women’s LAX vs. Frostburg 4:00; win, and his secret dorsal fin, Michael . Ginder swam his way into the record 11-uRsDAY,MAficH1o books at the Bluegrass Mountain -Baseball VS_ S. Virginia; 3:00 Championship. The sophomore from Jacksonville, Florida dominated the freestyle events coming in first in the 50, FRDAY MARCH11 ’ A ’ 100 and 200 meter freestyle races. He set -Track at NCAA,S TBA a school record in the 200 free, and led -Women’s Tennis at MWC 4:00 two relay teams to two more records. Ginder’s outstanding performance _ SA-rURDAY!MARcH12 was rewarded with Co-Swimmer of the -Women’s Tennis at R—MC 9200 Meet honors. In addition, Ginder qualified -Mews Tennis at R_MC 9:00 for ‘NCAA Division III Swimming & _ Diving championships in all five events. -Track W&L Inv. 10:00 p The most important outcome for him, .Women,S Tennis VS. Guilford 10:00 however, was the second straight W&L win at the Bluegrass Mountain -Baseball R—MC 12:00 Championship -Men’s Tennis vs. Denison 12:00 Ginder began Swimming when he, was eight years old for a neighborhood Iwomcn 5 LAX at CUA 1300 summer club team. He continued to swim -Men’s Tennis vs. VWC 3:00 through high school. He chose W&L in -Women’s Tennis vs. VWC 3:00 'Men’s LAX vs. F&M 6:00 GCIICIH S SWEEP -Women’s Tennis vs. Denison 10:00 IBaseball vs. HSC 12:00 -Women’s LAX at Lynchburg 2:00 ' SPORTS BRIEFS BySadiBloom W&LMen’sLacrosseDawns 5”“‘F““"‘ E” Th t h re of fo Senior attackman Jack Murray scored d fie was an‘; mlgsp C d Gus a career—high four goals and assisted an Con 1 ence as _ as mg_t0n, a_n Lee on another to lead eighth-ranked defelited botg fiI°HmS_ Umvirslty and Washington and Lee to a 9-8 win over was mgton 0 egg this Wlae slid’ The Sixtbmnked Gettysburg on Saturday Generals walked away victorious in every afternoon at the W&L Turf Field. mam‘ Play“ _ , , . . “Everyone just dominated,’ said _ sophomore Ginny Wortham. T“Dw&L I'%:|b Coach Curt Speerschneider has developed a game plan with a week by Washlhgtoh and Lee S€h10T Chris week breakup of the team’s short and long- C°lhY and S0Ph0m0f€ Mlchael term goals. “This week was the first week Glfldfif haV€ qualified f0f the NCAA where we really aimed to focus on our DlVlSlOIl lVlCIl’S and playing,” said Wortham. The team Diving Championships held at the currently has an undefeated record and Holland Community Aquallc Cfihlfif number three doubles team Katie in Hollflnd, Mich-. fr0m Thu‘: M31 Kingsbury and Kelly Will have yet to lose 17-53% M31 19- a game in competition. Though the ODAC has not been W&LFieldHookeyEamsNFHCA Academic Honor(3l'3) The Washington and Lee field hockey team has been cited by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) for its team grade-point average (GPA), the association announced on Wednesday. W&LSporlsHelease W&L Men’sTennisDefealsNo.18 seofirsrronwmow Washington, 6-1 (3f5) V The Washington and Lee men’s tennis Sehlol mldfleldeh Natalya team improved to 4.4 Overall with 3 6- Hoobchaak (Barrington, Ill./Loyola 1 win Over 18th_ranked washington Academy) scored off an assist from senior College on Saturday evening. mldflelder Maggie Speasmakef _ _ _ (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield) W&LBaseba|lPickedSIxlhrn with 22 seconds left in the game to lift ODAC Pd|(@2) No. 20 Washington and Lee to a 9-8 The Old Dominion Athletic victory over N o. 14 Franklin and Marshall Conference released its baseball in Women’s lacrosse action on Saturday preseason poll on Wed. and W&L was afternoon at Watt Field. picked to finish sixth among the 10 The Generals (1-1) led 2-1 with conference teams. 4:50 gone-by in the first half, but the Diplomats (0-1) scored three straight goals, including two by 'junior attacker Elifte LOOKING To START A BIJSLNESS OR OWNING YOUR OWN HOME 2!! 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Halfway between lgxington and Slaunfon 0n I-81 /I-64 at air 205, Rankine. 4rm'Ies west on Romp Raphine Road. Located Ulla W0l'h'”8 fann iha: o_tfers "U-PICK " appariunitiesfor fresh fruit when in season. 'llies - Sat 10:00 - 5:00, Wed imtil 8:00 w OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050307/WLURG39_RTP_20050307_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI artsalife MG\DAY,MAFlCH7,ZI5 Freshmanbasks in the g oryof opp Bymarychias ITSBDTYCXJ. ITSME Being a freshman is a tricky thing. The world is before you — a sea of fun things cry your name and it’s your job to stand there and bask in the glory that is opportunity. You get here, you set your stuff up in your square inch of personal space, and the frat callscommence. Now it is rumored that one or two freshmen girls have all of a sudden taken to fancying themselves wonderful and beautiful, as a direct result of these said frat calls, and the boys consider themselves frat lords, because whenever they attend said parties they are lauded over and praised. “Man,” they think to themselves, “I must be like awesome, this guy thinks I am SO cool! They think I’m like the biggest partier, it must be true.” And thus we have the head inflation of another class of Washington and Lee graduates. But, my friends, the glory that is first semester freshman year is finite. First term I took such rigorous classes as Dance, Drawing and poetry. While all of these classes were magnificent in and of themselves, combined they provided me with the perfect opportunity to go out whenever I pleased and spend time as I saw fit. This term, however, my courses were significantly different. And I sprained NEWSBJTOCI After innumerable covers of Phish, Dave Matthews, Coldplay and U2 at Friday’s Battle of the Bands, the only band to perform all-original compositions took home the first-place prize of $1000. J acob’s Ladder, last to perform, received the most enthusiastic audience support after its set. Band members Dan Fassio ’05, Wheeler Sparks ’06, Pete Jones ’06 and Jared Meyer ’07 also won a spot on the program at Buffalo Creek this May. Second place and $500 went to another crowd favorite, Jon Bovi and the Afternoon Delights, whose vocalist announced, “I got a fever....and we’re going to fill that prescription with some friggin’ cowbell.” Spirited cowbell use drew cheers and laughter from a crowd numbed by dreary Oasis covers. Social Probation earned third place and $250 with its energetic covers of Madonna and The Darkness. I ’ve been to all of these cities and I can’t tell you what they look like because I slept through it, or sang through it, or was too dazed and confused to understand my own location. They put us on the bus, took us to a city, took us 0]?’ the bus, and told us to sing, like a herd of musical sheep. my foot, so I was late to all of them. But in any case, shifting gears from first to second term was nearly impossible. Please note that this is my first column since...2004. I slept through a few deadlines. And all of these classes that were breezy and fun last term have suddenly transformed into monstrous (interesting, too! Sorry, profs) juggemauts that consume as much time as I will allow them. During what I believe was Orientation week, we were herded to the gym to walk around in circles past tables of upperclassmen hoping to get our commitment to some kind of important charity or extracurricular. Being the wide- eyed and excitable freshmen that I was, I signed up at pretty ‘much every table I found. Pan—Hellenic fitness classes? Why sure! Cystic Fibrosis Ball? Sounds great! Interfraternity Council? Awesome! Obviously all of these commitments to which I committed myself have since fallen away. Just recently, the pledge class of my brand-new sorority and I decided our housing situations for the rest of our W&L careers. When we toured the country houses and all the rest, the map of Lexington spread out before us uncharted and full of hope. But alas, reality set in and suddenly the map was marked and flagged left and right ~ this one is a two- year lease, this one is taken for junior year, this one is taken for both years, this one is a five person house, are you going abroad? Suddenly my life was asking me to commit to everything all at once. Where do you want to live? Who will be your friends in three years? The control I relished at the beginning of the year is disappearing as I sign my life away for the remaining of my time here. Soon they will ask me for my major, and then husband and number of children. And these answers will be binding. And harkening back to the frat calls and praise of yore? Unfortunately, we have all pledged or not pledged. The rushing has ended. The boys are no longer lords of every frat; instead, they serve one and only one. The girls are not amazingly popular with every lunch date booked ‘till kingdom come; they are in but one sorority, or not. and receive not three, not two — nay. the frat calls of those golden days are now reserved only for the incomings in the fall. Over Feb. break, while many of you were sunbathing on beautiful beaches with sand and air and water and beautiful things. others of us were on nasty-smelling buses watching Mallrats and 8—mile over and over. That’s right. Jubilee/SoCo tour 2005. I think we managed about 24,733,901 cities in that week alone. And we paid to do it. It would have been glorious had 1 any idea where in the world I was. For example, Ijust now learned from the tee-shirt that Lauren’s making that I was in Fort Worth. It was news to me. I’ve been to all of these cities and I can’t tell you what they look like because I slept through it, or sang through it, or was too dazed and confused to understand my own location. They put us on the bus, took us to a city, took us off the bus, and told us to sing, like a herd of musical PHOTOS BY STEVEN MAFIINOS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER s takes 2nd ortunity sheep. It was fun, and we loved to do it, but for Mary Childs, whose life has just recently been removed from her hands, it did not help her to orient herself and acclimate herself upon return. So not only have my classes attacked me ruthlessly, and not only has housing been locked for the next three years (granted, I’m pretty flipping excited about living with dragons and pandas and bears, oh my!), but also I have officially turned into a singing sheep. Or a lemming. Whatever you choose, because I’ve relinquished all control. Clearly any attempts on my part to control where I go or what I do are futile. Perhaps signing up for two plays was a bad idea; perhaps I shouldn’t have stacked my schedule this way. All of these thoughts, too, are just spinning wheels. But luckily I was told earlier that I will in fact float on alright, and hey, spring term is shining brightly at the end of this dreary semester. I can almost hold my breath that long. So the Orientation week glitter of opportunity, breezy classes and anything-you—want-to- do - mostly gone. Being a freshman is not the time to accomplish anything, to pursue your dreams — no, instead, it is a time to settle and a time to commit. Which is by no stretch a bad thing — but maybe they should put up a sign at the little Activities Fair that week just to give the wide-eyed frosh a heads up. (PS. I just remembered Fort Worth). Against the Grain By!(flsli1Evms noarsnusozm I believe that I am an optimist. I always try to search for the brighter ‘side of things, but lately my friends have been wearing 7 down my optimism. How, you might ask, by mentioning the awful c- word...co1nmitmeut.l Not just commitment but relationships in general. Something that I have been 3. fumed. to is less common than I thought on this campus." L In the past two weeks i have had so many friends complain to me am forgetst .... g about the dating scene on our campus that it made me take a second look at it myself. I was a little surprised by what I found. Washington and Lee is not a relationship school, though there are exceptions to every rule it is a “hook- up” school, as my friends angrily reminded me several times throughout the week. However, the lack of relationships on campus is not what took me by surprise. Relationships are rare, if everyone was in a fulfilling relationship, the dating services that practically attack nofe when I am online just would not exist. What puzzles me is the relationship etiquette on this campus. Honestly, I just do not understand it. Maybe I neglected to pick up my “Guide to W&L dating” handbook at my freshmen rnatiiculation because I am utterly confused. For example, since when has it been okay to take someone else’s boyfriend to a formal as your date‘? He may be 3 good friend of yours but he is someone else’s boyfriend. I was under the impression that this type of behavior was taboo (or at least it is in the rest of the country). I am not a jealous person and I do not think that people should be upset if their significant other does a friend a favor, but itiis the principle of the thing! Now I am not completely ‘ blaming the girl for asking in this example. She needed a date and if he agrees to accompany her, she gets what she wants. At the same time, I cannot completely blame the guy either. He did not want to be rude, she could just be a friend, and besides, she knows that he has a girlfriend anyway, right‘? WRONG! It seems like this is yet another case of political incomectness._ Neither party wants to offend, but at the same time both are wondering‘ what is really going on. Please do not pretend rah “Guide toW&L daing” like you haveinotwbeen in asimatiggm like this before. I know that you have. So maybe this explains the ,2 “casual dating” on our campus. It just seems easier. If you /are not in a relationship then you can do whatever you want whomever you want, period. I just 1iave\to wonder is that really what makes in happy? With so many of my fiiends complaining about this very thing, I am not ‘so sure anymore. My friends would say the / W&L way of dating is just destined ‘ if for disaster, but the truth is that some if people make it work. Like I said, I have to be optimistic. 7 1 . OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050307/WLURG39_RTP_20050307_005.2.txt t '1 1 XX‘ 4. I 4 K MGDAY, MARCH 7, Z15 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 5 “Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men. ”, —JosephOonrad AFlTS&L|FEEDfl'O3' Most of my friends at other schools are either skiing to their hearts’ content or soaking up the rays at sultry beaches. As for us, we have a month until that gap between classes and fun that the administration calls Spring Break. I don’t know about the rest of you, but snowfall shouldn’t happen in March, ever, unless you live in Antarctica. I find that a little online shopping helps to ease the pain of the winter blues, especially when it comes in the form of an awesome white jacket by Vince or a new pair of Theory pants. This spring’s trends are nothing we haven’t seen before. I wish a couple of them had never come back (or even started for that matter), but we’ll start with my favorites. White, white, everything white. White pants, white dresses, white tank tops... you get the idea. Nothing says spring quite like crisp white clothing. Everyone from J. Crew to Bergdorf has a great selection of the color not in the UV spectrum. Just don’t wear all white. It’s not sorority initiation, and the purpose of spring is so that we don’t , 4 have to look at snowballs. Shrunken jackets have been making their way‘ ' » into the limelight since late fall, first time in a couple of years. They’re adorable, if you don’t have hips. If you do have hips, stay away. " Otherwise, you’ll wind up looking like a pear on steroids. The Anthropologie catalog is full of adorable dresses and skirts sporting this trend. V Oversized ; ‘ bags are in. I W h e t h e r they’re in a n o r In a 1 color, such but with g as green or lightweight pink, or materials, PHOTOSCOURTESV or NEIMANMARCUSCOM in a hot they’llbe huge in metallic spring. Paired with a cute James Perse tank top and some Antikjeans, they’ll have you whistling a bright tune in no time. Full Skirts are reappearing for the shade, these bags are hot. They’re good for carrying everything from your chemistry lab manuals to your walk of shame necessities. No matter if you have the coveted Lolli bag or a cute Phi investigates Glad ByErriyEdwads ARTS& UFEHJITOH In the past 24 hours I have learned many useful things. First, Z-rated tires are no match for a snowstorm, the theater in Buena Vista does not accept debit cards, and Glad has done it again. During Thursday’s repeat episode of The OC, an advertisement for a new product by Glad aired on TV. This product, Glad Press ‘n Seal, promised to take away all my spillage worries. All my spillage worries? Something must be wrong with it. They showed Gladware containers that were useless without their lids. They showed sectionless plates. They showed coffee cups. And Glad promised that their new product, when used as a Saran wrap , of sorts, would eliminate spills. But does it? I bought myself a roll of Press ‘n Seal at our neighborhood Wal-Mart for the amazing price of $4.46 for approximately 150 ft. of wrap. I will admit, I was skeptical of this uber- American, self-proclaimed life-changing product. Armed with some paper towels and a pile of leftovers, I tested Press ‘n Seal in my Woods Creek apartment kitchen. If you desire the same thrills, I highly recommend it. First on my list was the lidless Gladware container. I filled it with milk (sour, perhaps) and applied Press ‘11 Seal. According to the instructions, the container’s rim must be dry. Check. After thoroughly sealing the container, I carried it to the sink, and flipped, shook, and tipped the container. Nothing happened. And by nothing, I mean not a drop leaked out. Next up was the sectionless plate. I spooned out some salsa, pasta, and rice It’s not that far to East Lexington... where your FD flowers aw l60i3iNoiWe*é‘Fiiyhway\ 540.463.9841 thejefferson@ade|phia71et, www.thejeffersonfloristandgarden.com 7“ ‘ii , florist@garden Easy Access off Furrs Mill Road. ‘i Spring Fashion update i Shrunken jackets among this season’s trends Prada tote, a nice spring bag helps to understate the cold weather. The final trend is the wedge shoe. Can you walk in wedge shoes? I attempted in eighth grade and failed (ehem, fell) miserably. Some of these shoes are reminiscent of the Steve Madden platfrom era, God help us. But, nevertheless, everyone ‘ from Nine West to Kate Spade and Jimmy Choo are cranking out multiple wedge styles. So, if you’re looking to spruce up your wardrobe for the upcoming season, here are just a few of my picks. Take them or leave them. With the exception of the treacherous wedge, I’ll definitely be wearing these items. roduct onto the plate. Now, if you’re as anal as I a.m, you don’t enjoy your food touching each other. Thisis a problem with leftovers. Once again, I applied the wrap to the plate, and pressing it in between the different sections of food, I created sections. I repeated the Gladware experiment again, shaking, turning, flipping and tipping the plate. Nothing moved. Now, if for some reason, you’re worried about your frat cup spilling at the next band party, don’t use Press ‘n Seal. PHOTO COURTESY OFVGLADC It miserably failed the cup tests. Using coffee cups, frat cups, ‘ glasses, and a Pyrex measuring bowl, I was unable to make use of my miracle product. I guess we’ll just have to keep using sippy cups. Out of the realm of food, Press ‘n Seal has many uses, from a lint remover to a makeshift table cloth (attractive, I know). You can visit Glad’s website for many more wonderful hints. If only my Michelins were as useful as Press ‘n Seal. Student poetically argues for snow days layianoicirnson srAi=FwPm3a' Not Rain nor Sleet nor snow nor hail Shall ever close mighty W&L Though Students fear th’ icy car trip In schedule changes it will never slip An hour or two, maybe no more A Stoic Tim Kolly Announces at th’ door No pity here shall you ever seek Should late to class this weather make This cold uncaring and unfeeling giant V Is really acting all quite defiant Don’t they know the consequences When winter blizzard doth intenses? From screeching wheels to cmnching crash Or slipping feet from classward dash The broken skull cannot repair Nor can the leg that tendon tear The lucid ice that covers the ground It does not discern from student or town All shall face Sir Jack Frost’s wrath When Mr. Kolly puts them in his path The lawsuits! Oh see how they fly! God help us if someone should die! But lucky are you who on broken ground lie For there is a lawschool right nearby! And if this incident should cause attention Then god forbid someone goes to prison Although convenience is at our door As VMI is our vigilant Neighbor As things seem now, as it would stand If rain of fire swept cross the land Tim Kolly would contact us through mail “School will be open, even through hell” And so sorry stands our state of affairs That we question if our beloved school cares Our hardworking staff that could use a break But never from our time schedules take So Administration please listen up good Lest we think you cold hearted and rude And take from me these words of advice, My, wouldn’t a snow-day sure be nice’? stand-un comerlv also teaturing - cnris walker - 8:00 |IIn Kalli sllellnutl - 8:15 xalr Ilauscll uresents tonlalnsamlrin Imllm amarlrrlrnnlltalrt OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050307/WLURG39_RTP_20050307_006.2.txt 6 OTHERNG-TUMPHI NKIDAY, MARCH 7, E15 IIDIIIIIIIIS Planning ideas Because student input is an essential part of the strategic planning process, The Ring—tum Phi will put across a few ideas regarding the Communications report, which is concerned primarily with Washington and Lee’s national reputation and narne— recognition.. Within the Communications strategic recommendations, several excellent ideas are put forth. A satellite uplink seems to be a solid way to I‘ facilitate a huge amount of press coverage for the University. The report also proposes to “Change the Conversation Around Robert E. Lee.” Because Lee truly did make important contributions to the field of higher education, we fully support the idea of highlighting these very positive facets of his character. We also fully support the idea of asking national figures to serve as commencement speakers. We firmly believe this is the easiest way for our school to garner national attention. At the end of the report, the Communications task force points to the necessity of a Visitor’s Center. This idea makes perfect sense, as currently the closes thing to a Visitor’s Center that Washington and Lee has is Lee Chapel, which certainly does not help to “Change the Conversation Around Robert E. Lee.” The Communications report does make one unfortrmate proposal. The University does not need to alter the Trident to make it look “less ominous and reminiscent of a swastika.” Our Trident looks no more like a swastika than the New York Yankees’ symbol. And anyway, why change something as inherent to our school’s image as the Trident when the end goal is as vague as looking “less ominous”? ‘ ‘ UPS & DOWNS Opinions Editor Caley Anderson has recovered from the plague to give you his take on what rose and fell this week at W&L and around the world. 0 Mach ‘ In like some sort of twisted lion-lamb hybrid, probably out in the same way. 0 Gwstatuehcommons I was showing around some girls from Hollins who were visiting for an athletic event, and when they saw the statue they were like “ohhhh....that is terrible.” Thing was meant to be seen from a distance. OTrident Logo Administrators- you really can’t take it away. a- everyone loves it, who cares if it looks vaguely ominous? b- you’d have to spend a lot of money painting over things and getting letterheads redone. Our tuition is high enough. 0 Honor System Only one person has left the school because of an alleged HV so far this year. Very low. 0Prof. Diette Dear Econ Dept.— Now is the time to stop the perpetual revolving door for visiting profs who teach intro courses. Hire this man. No. this has nothing at all to do with my midterm on Tuesday. ‘_ 0ExamWeekaMonthAway Please, whoever makes this decision...please bring back free soda week during exams. Don’t make me beg now. 0 The Brick Getting orders out noticeably faster now. Still, could they serve soda in _L_ __‘s_o_rnetIiing OTHER than frat cups? 0 Nader It’s “Presidential Election Footnotes” year for Contact, apparently. Not that I’m complaining, Pol major that I am. 0 Baseball Nothing warms this Little League umpire’s heart like the smell of a freshly-tended field and the sound of the crack of a bat. Go Padres! Belief in premarital sex on the decline at W&L and elsewhere ByBeckyLeMo'ne TI-ELHEFIALVEW Sex is usually regarded as a taboo subject, yet is also one that seems to consume our popular culture. We see sex in movies, TV, and music videos, hear about sex in songs and stories, and read about it in books and magazines. Indeed, sex seems to be everywhere. When it comes to engaging in premarital sex, if people were to simply follow the examples of popular culture there would be little question about it: the majority of media have given two big thumbs up to premarital sex. ~ According to a Gallup poll taken in May 2003,58% of respondents said premarital sex is morally acceptable, a figure that just one year prior was five points lower. Views on premarital sex seem to differ greatly based on political ideology, gender, education, race, age, and other factors. For example, in the survey, 42% of conservatives supported premarital sex, compared to 64% of moderates and 80% of liberals. Men were more likely than women to support premarital sex, as were the college- educated, young adults, whites, and people who attended religious services rarely or never. In addition, the number of cohabiting couples has increased nine fold since the beginning of the “sexual - revolution." In the summer 2003 issue of Youth Culture Today, figures showed that the number of cohabiting couples increased from half a million couples to more than 4.5 million between 1960 and 2000. A Gallup survey of 13 to 17 year olds also showed that 70% of teens say they approve of couples living together before marriage. Even at Washington and Lee, a random sampling of students revealed that a majority have engaged in premarital sex, especially among males. So what does this say about our society? Those opposed to premarital sex argue that it degrades the moral values of our culture, and counters the values instituted in many religions. They feel that the increasing support for premarital sex is only further evidence of the corruption in society. However, those in support often argue that premarital sex has no serious repercussions and that, since sex often plays a key role in relationships, premarital sex is helpful in choosing a lifelong partner that will satisfy the sexual aspects of a » marriage. While there are valid arguments on both sides of the issue and the emotional effects of premarital sex still remain highly contested, certain facts are difficult to ignore: an increase in premarital sex leads to an increased risk in the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy. People who practice abstinence until marriage are less likely to bring a sexual disease to a marriage, whereas people who engage in sex with multiple partners before marriage are more likely to have contracted a sexual disease that could possibly cause severe pregnancy complications. Therefore, if the trend continues, premarital sex could present serious physical consequences for our society. Whether or not you approve of premarital sex, there is no denying that our society is gradually discarding the ideals of the past and moving into a future that embraces a new set of moral values. Yet, this is not an unfamiliar story. Each generation must face a degradation of previous ideals and learn to adapt to the popular ethics of modern culture. Even though virginity until marriage is not quite dead, it is certainly notvon the rise, and that is an issue that we must face personally as well as collectively. WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING-’l‘UM PHI. 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ERIN ELIZABETH JULIUS CHRIS LAUDERMAN MARSHALL RULE SARAH MURRAY KATHERINE SHELL CALEY ANDERSON ANNE FINLEY EMILY EDWARDS ' CORBIN BLACKFORD CHAD KIEWIET DE JONGE EMILY HULEN DAVID SEIFERT YINYAN LI ROHAN POOJARA AMANDA THOLKE V Blogs an excellent new fron- tier for news and opinion BYWNIMWDUNEV (£\ERAI..LYS’EN