OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050509/WLURG39_RTP_20050509_001.2.txt A I32 #552. V/ W‘: 7 -755 xi . 7:’? <:..- 2... WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RINCi=TUM PHI. MONDAY, MAY 9, 2005 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE sruineurs SINCE 1897 /0 '.~‘ VOLUME Gil-‘H-I;-NUMBER 237 ;. WHAT’ INSIDE. I Baseball fans face an abrupt and untimely end... to their favorite season, that is. Check out page 2 for more details. HOT TICKET -' I ..-a Lady of the Rings Winner of four Academy Awards this year (Best Picture, Best Actress ' Hilary Swank, Best Supporting Actor Morgan Freeman, and Best Director cum Eastwood), “Million Dollar Baby” comes to the Commons theater on Mon. May 9 at 7 p.m., and at 9:30 p.m. on Tues. May 10, Wed. May 11, and Thurs. May 12. Sex studies The cast is great, the plot is provocative. Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Chris O’Donnell, John Lithgow, and Oliver Platt tell the story of a man who led a cultural revolution when he began studying sex in a culture where it’s a quite tabboo topic. “Kinsey” runs at 7:30 p.m. in the Commons theater on Fri. May 13 and Sat. May 14. NEW SERIES I Burr Datz and the Office of Leadership Development is hosting a Lessons in Leadership Series this spring term. Captain Robert C. Peniston, U.S. Navy (Ret.) will reflect on his leadership Tuesday, May 10. . Tuesday, May 17 Jerry Darrell, who has served at the Lexington/ Rockbridge County United Way Chairperson and_ originated LipSynch to benefit SARAH will speak. Dr. Robert Sinskey, a 1943 Washington and Lee graduate and pioneer in intraocular lens surgery will speak May 22. Karen Cohen, a professional business and performance coach and yoga teacher will conclude the series. All of these seminars will take place in Room 214 of the Elrod Commons at 6:30. SIMPLE LIFE Stay grounded So we’ve all heard the myth of spring term, that it’s easy and you sleep late and classes aren’t tough in the least. Note our choice of words: it’s a myth. Follow our tips to keep your relaxing spring term from becoming a cluttered mess of over-commitment, I Go running. It keeps your natural endorphins high, increasing mood and preparing your physique for the beach this summer. I Lots of reading for class? Bring it outside and take advantage of the gorgeous weather! And find something you love doing to bring along as well, like a good book, some mellow tunes on your iPod, or a sketchbook. That way you won’t get too bogged down in the “supposed to.” I Take it easy on the liver. Hangovers certainly won’t help you wake up feeling fresh and ready to face a long and productive day. I Go ahead and start spring cleaning. You’ll feel better and work more efficiently when you’re organized. N ader’s talk fills Lee Chapel Nader criticizes two-party system, apathy of young people, least—worst voting By Erin Julius EDITOR-|,N-CHIEF Former Presidential nominee and longtime activist Ralph Nader visited Washington and Lee Thursday. Brought in by Contact for a speaking fee of $17,000, Nader opened his visit with a meeting with students, dinner with Contact and a press conference with local media. Nader immediately localized his visit by issuing a warning in his press conference about two proposed nuclear power plants in Virginia, near Lake Anna, calling nuclear power, “a technology fraught with exorbitant costs, uncertainties and the potential of catastrophic risks.” ' He also said that such power plants pose a national security risk, as they are very vulnerable targets, and there is no 4 place to put the waste. Nader concluded his warning about nuclear power with a bit of humor, calling nuclear energy, “a very very complicated way to boil water.” Later in the press conference, L Nader implored Washington and Lee alumnus Senator John Warner to play a more important role in Congress, “Warner knows the enormous waste and fraud. . .in the budget,” he send. “He’s got to play a much more important role. . .he’s near the end of his career and that’s when he can demonstrate his greatest courage,” Nader said. As for his own political career, .Nader said it was too early to decide whether or not he will run in the 2008 Presidential race, but said he is, “very committed to trying to break up the two- party duopoly. . .we need more voices and , choices,” he said. In Lee Chapel, Nader spoke to a gathering of about 400 students, professors and local citizens. Speaking STEVEN MARINOS / PHOTO EDITOR “They have become very good, these Democrats, at electing very bad Republicans.” . against the two-party system, Nader said, “we have allowed our government to be taken over more and more by large multinational corporations. . .Mr. Bush has 41 corporate executives that have taken high government posts.” Nader, asked his audience to, “look at what we"re losing” to the corporations. He cited figures, saying that though the economy has doubled and production per worker has doubled, the majority of workers are making less and working longer hours than in 1973. “I H He also asked his audience to demand more from government. “We have to raise our expectation levels. . .become much more demanding of our political representatives,” he said. Nader also lamented the fact that young people do not vote, saying he remembered working hard to lower the voting age to 18, and the only reward was 30 percent voter participation for that age level. ‘‘It’s time to make apathy boring,” he said. Poverty was a central point in speech. Nader noted that child poverty has risen for the past four to five years and criticized the definition of poverty. “The definition of poverty is ridiculous...it is . 19,000 for a family of four, it should be 40,000 for a family of four——look at the cost of healthcare.” Insitituting a standard process for running for federal office was another issue Nader emphasized. “If they think you’re going to get any significant number of votes they tie you up in knots,” he said. Nader then described obstacles to Presidential candidacy he had encountered, including the use of a specific color paper and being forbidden to obtain signatures for his petition in public parks. Circling back around to his criticism of the two-party system, Nader said currently people vote in a least—worst situation. “We have to get over this idea of least-worst voting,” he said. “It assues that ever four years the parties will be worse...the candidates take you for granted.” Nader then garnered laughs when he called President Bush, “a corporation disguised as a human being.” Nader also criticized Democrats. “The one thing they [Democrats] don’t want is competition. That’s why they focus on the Green Party challenge. . .they have become very good, these Democrats, at electing very bad Republicans.” Discussing the war in Iraq at the end of his speech, Nader again tied the issue into criticism of the two-party system, “in our country you can come in second and still be our President——that’s why we lecture the rest of the world about democracy,” he said. Nader addressed his last remarks to the students in his audience. “You are entering your most creative decade——this is the decade you’re going to have a breakthrough about how you’ll make your mark. Don’t drift through your twenties—— look at them as precious years.” STEVEN MAFIINOS / PHOTO EDITOR The morale was high when W&L’s School of Law commenced Saturday at 11 a.m. The Honorable Roger L. Gregory, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit was the speaker, marking the School of Law’s 150th Commencement ceremony. (DB2 promotes diversity By Leah Kershaw SENIOR STAFF WRITER W&L’s newest fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., is eager to get involved in the Lexington community. Doug Allen, the vice president of W&L’s Beta Beta Nu chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc said that one of the chapter’s current goals is to “gain the reputation as a fraternity that is involved in the community.” The chapter plans to participate in Nabors Service Day and other local philanthropic events before the end of the school year, said Allen. Founded in 1914 at Howard University, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. is centered on the principles of brotherhood, service and. scholarship. Dean Futrell, W&L’s dean of minority affairs, said the process of bringing another fraternity to campus began a year and a half ago. Last fall a brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. ask about the possibility of starting a chapter at W&L, said Futrell. Keith Cook, a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., held an information session for W&L men who might be interested in joining the fraternity. All six men who came to the information session joined the fraternity, said Futrell. The Beta Beta Nu chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. officially announced its presence to the W&L community with a Probate Show April 215‘. The show, created by the new brothers, featured stepping because every member_ of the chapter is involved with music. Since the Probate show, the chapter has been busy taking care of the administrative duties that come with a new chapter and making sure that all IFC guidelines are being followed, said Allen. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. brings diversity to the fraternity system at W&L, said Allen. “We promote diversity by bringing a more diverse group of people to the IFC,” said Allen. Although it was founded as a historically black fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. welcomes people of all races. “We want to get as many interested pledges as possible,” said Allen. Students speak: KEWL supports female faculty Campus women’s group responds to last week’s faculty letter regarding hiring To the University Community, KEWL, Washington and Lee’s student organization promoting female leadership, would like to express our support for the faculty position regarding the “glass ceiling in W&L administration”. Attending a school that purports to value student input and leadership, we would like to convey our concerns regarding the discrimination experienced by women at W&L in terms of our mission statement. Knowledge. One of the most important qualities of any effective leader is the ability to compile and disseminate knowledge freely. We feel that the current administration has not done this. Students generally know little about how the adriiinistration is structured and what the administration does. How many students know that the search for the new Dean of the College came down to Interim Dean Jeanine Stewart and one other candidate? How many students know the qualifications of each candidate and how the “winning” candidate was chosen‘? Admittedly it is the students’ responsibility to actively seek this information, but it also the adrninistration’s duty to communicate its practices more clearly. Members of W&L’s student body need an administration that they can trust to keep them informed. Empowering. An effective leader empowers others. A Dean should inspire faculty and students with his or her willingness to listen to criticisms as well as praise, and to work toward positive change. The dean might not have a lot of direct contact with students, but he or she has a big influence on curriculum and on faculty hiring and retention. Dean Stewart’s esteem for the faculty and students of this university fostered an environment of empowerment and respect. Members of W&L’s student body need an ' administration that empowers others. Women. W&L is making great strides. The class of 2006 was the first class to reach 50% female enrollment. There has been an increase in the hiring of women and minority professors as well as a diversification of the Student Life staff, with Dean Watkins as head of Student Life. However promising, we are not yet finished. W&L still lags behind other schools in the percentage of women and minority faculty. Sadly, women have not yet made it to the top of the staircase; there are no women in permanent senior positions in the W&L administration. A little striking, isn’t it? Members of W&L’s student body need an administration composed of the best candidates for every position, not just the best male candidates. , Leaders. We call for the administration to demonstrate their leadership. We call for them to lead by educating themselves on the issues important to this campus, then dispersing this knowledge and knowledge of the activities of the administration to the community at large. We call for them to empower faculty and students to speak up about controversial issues on campus and for the administration to listen to those voices. We call for them to take on the “Statement of Diversity” adopted by the Board of Trustees and welcome women into the upper echelons of the administration. Members of the student body call for the administration of W&L to lead. We are not expecting diversity overnight. Nonetheless we feel that the rejection of Interim Dean Jeanine Stewart’s candidacy for the position of Dean of the College marks a large step backward for Washington and Lee. We ask that the policies and practices of the administration be examined and held accountable to the approved initiatives of the Board, and that these practices reflect the interests and input of the faculty and students. The Members of KEWL OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050509/WLURG39_RTP_20050509_002.2.txt \l'!\.”i'i"‘-‘J ‘l 2 0 THE RING-TUM PHI SIl0llS MONDAY. MAY 9. 2005 THIS WEEK FRlDAY,MAY14 -Women’s Lax NCAA’s TBA SATl.BDAY,MAY15 -Women’s Lax at NCAA’s TBA SPORTS BRIEFS W&LWomen’sTennlsDeleals CMU, 5-0, in NCAA2nd Round (5/3) The third-ranked Washington and Lee women’s tennis team defeated l5th- I ranked Carnegie Mellon, 5-0, on Sunday to advanced to the NCAA Division III Nationals held at Kalamazoo College on May 18-23. W&L Men’sTennis Fallsto Emory, 4-0 in NCAA2nd Round (5/3) The 13th-ranked Washington and Lee men’s tennis team fell to second- ranked Emory University, 4-0, on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament FourW&LBaseball Players NamedtoAl|-ODACTa'n(5/4) The Washington and Lee baseball team had four players named to the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference Team. Sophomore second baseman David Miller (Oak Hill, Va./ Oakton) and sophomore designated hitter Jordan Wesley (Winston-Salem, N .C./R.J . Reynolds) earned first team honors, while senior catcher Zach Bausch (Vienna, Va./McLean) and junior first baseman Taylor McConnell (Vestal, N .Y.Nestal) were named to the second team. FourGeneralsNamedlsoAll- ODAC Men’s LacrosseTeam (5/4) Four members of the Washington and Lee men’s lacrosse team have been named to the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference team which was released on Wednesday morning. If you are interested in writing sports for the Phi, email Marshall Rule at rulep@wlu.edu Baseball season ends earl Generals last two games cancelled due to weather, including Senior Nig t p By Kathryn Krall SENIOR SPORTS WRITER After a long season full of dazzling highlights and record-setting play, the Washington and Lee baseball team ended their season on a low note with the cancellation of the last two games. Because of a weather forecast that threatened rain, the games were cancelled, even though the days turned out to be fine. The team had looked forward to competing against St. Mary’s and #5 ranked Mary Washington. The elimination of these games from the schedule was especially disappointing to the seniors, who never had Senior Night, or even got to play a “last game.” . _ Senior Chris Chaplin, said, “It’s about the worst way I can think to end a season and a career. We were all pumped up to be playing the #5 team in the nation and when we heard theircoach had Second rounds ByMarshall Rule MANAGING EDITOR Both General tennis teams competed in the National Tournament this weekend on Washington and Lee’s home courts. The women’s teams advanced to the National Championship by defeating twenty-fifth ranked Swarthmore 9-0 on Saturday. The third ranked Generalsthen defeated Carnegie Mellon on Sunday 5- O. The National Championship will be held at Kalamazoo College in Michigan on May 18-23. The men’s team finished up their season after falling to second ranked Emory on Sunday. . On Saturday, they were able to defeat Carnegie Mellon in the first round 4-1. Top Generals players Paul McClure cancelled it, and on such a nice day, we were all shocked.” Senior catcher Zach Bausch had a feeling that the games were going to be cancelled, “Part of me knew after Wednesday that I had played my last game”. . Despite the disappointment of the last games, the season was very successful. The team posted an overall record of 27 wins and 13 losses, recording a new record for wins in a season. Their achievements were due in part to the efforts of six graduating seniors, each of which played an essential role, whether it was pitching, catching, fielding, or providing leadership on and off the field. Adam Bullock, Warren Hunter, Zack Bausch, Ken Hackman, Chris Chaplin, and Brian Higgins have played their final games for the Generals. Brian Higgins reflected on what he will miss about W&L baseball, “I’ll miss just about everything about playing, but of tennis finish and David Shay won their matches against Carnegie Mellon. Emory won each of the three men’s matches that were played on Sunday defeating Jon Malooly 7-6, 6-0, Jordan Eichenberger 6-3,6-2, and Charles Anderson 6-1, 6-0. In men’s doubles the duo of McClure and Shay lost 8-1 while Jeff Lusk and Eichenberger were defeated 8-5. In women’s doubles matches Lindsay Hagerman and Ginny Wortham defeated Mona Iyer and of Carnegie Mellon 8-1. X Meanwhile Emily Applegate and Kristen McC1ung won their match 8-2, and Lora Fanis and Leah Weston defeated their opponents 8-4. Only two women’s singles matches were played. Applegate won her match 6-0,6-1. Weston also won in straight sets over her opponent 6-1, 6-0. OFF TO THE TOURNAMEN SP(F'|'SN=ORN|ATKX‘l OnFnday,May14theGeneralsWornen’sLacrosseteamheadstotheNCAA especially the team atmosphere. We were lucky to have a very close team. The time spent on the bus, in the locker room and at team dinners was priceless.” Chris Chaplin could not imagine life without the sport: “The hardest thing I think will be next year when spring rolls around and for the first time in 15 years I won’t be getting ready for‘ baseball.” These players have given so much of themselves to this sport, pouring in hours and hours of hard work that has taken a toll on their bodies. Bausch said thatithere is one thing that he will not miss: “The pain. Taking stairs slowly because the cartilage in my knees is wearing down. Wincing every time my arm comes around to throw a ball. Counting the welts on my arm from balls in the dirt I stopped. I won’t miss any of that.” Chaplin remarked that although baseball was not always easy, he would miss the entire experience: “I think I’ll end up missing even the down times.” Although every athletic season is full of ups and downs, the seniors of this team worked hard to ensure that the highlights far outnumbered the disappointments. ' They provided an environment that required hard work and serious competition, but also fostered teamwork and friendships. Chris Chaplin says he will always remember “having a great time playing baseball here for four years because of the atmosphere created by the coaches and players— we were intense when we needed to be but at the same time no one ever took themselves too seriously- it was a great time and a great experience.” Even though they never got a Senior Night, the underclassmen on the team, the coach, and all W&L baseball fans appreciate and admire the hard work, competitiveness, and skill of the six graduating players. Four ax p ayers make al —conference Sports Release SPORTS INFORMATION Four members of the Washington and Lee men’s lacrosse team have been named to the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference team which was released on Wednesday morning. Senior attackman Gavin Molinelli (Northport, N .Y./Northport) and senior defenseman Eric Koch (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) were both named to the first team, while senior midfielder Adam Chesbrough (Haverford, Pa./Haniton) and sophomore goalie Chris Lalli (Cranbury, N.J./Princeton) were named to the honorable mention squad. Molinelli garnered first team accolades for the second straight year after leading the Generals in scoring with 32 points on 15 goals and 17 assists. An Honorable Mention All-America selection last season, Molinelli has totaled 159 career points on 66 goals and 93 assists. His point total ranks 13th all-time at W&L, while his assist total ranks sixth all-time. Koch was named to the first team for the first time in his career after receiving second team laurels a season ago. He started all 14 games in 2005, scoring one goal and picking up 21 ground balls. For his career, he played in 51 games, tallying two goals and collecting 71 ground balls. More importantly, he has been a mainstay on a W&L defensive squad that has consistently ranked among the top in Division H1 in scoring defense during his career. Chesbrough gamered honorable mention honors as the team’s faceoff specialist. He tallied two goals and one assist, and won 114-of-196 (.582) faceoffs in 2005. For his career, Chesbrough won over 57 percent of his faceoffs, picked up 170 ground balls, and registered 10 points on four goals and six assists. Lalli was named to the honorable mention squad in his first season as a starter. He started all 14 games in goal and stopped 60.5 percent of shots faced, while allowing an average of just 7.46 goals per game. Washington and Lee finished the 2005 campaign with a 9-5 overall record, 4-2 in the ODAC, and a No. 21 ranking in Division IH. Ernst &Young Meet Employer Representatives Dave Levinson ’00 and Scott Meister ‘O1 TUESDAY, MAY 10 . Informal Question &Answer Session 2:00 — 4:00 pm Elrod Commons Living Room Talk to alumni who have “been there”. Bring ‘your resume and ask questions about the interviewing process. E&Y Information Session 7:00 — 8:00 pm Elrod Commons, Room 345 Learn about the exciting opportunities that Ernst & Young has to offer toumament. Led bysenior Kilt Murphey(above)and Freshman goaliesarah ‘filbortheGenerals hopeto oontinueto improveonlheiralready impressive14-3 reoord(8-Ointheoonference). Bydefeating Randolph Maoon6-5onApril24lhe Ga1eralswereab|etowinmeirmirdsuaigmconfera1cechampbnship.A1ter falling behindearly5-2 Washington and Leewasableto rally backtosoorefour unanswered goals. Murphey hadthreegoals inlhegameandTilbortallied sevensaves. 1'hemen’s lacrosseteamfelItoLynchburg10-6 intheODAC tournament in their lastgame. meyfinishedtheseason 9-5. BUSINESS ATTIRE ‘WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY CAREER©S-ERVICES careers @ wlu.edu 45 8-8595 http://careers.wlu.edu OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050509/WLURG39_RTP_20050509_003.2.txt 5. Y (I MONDAY,MAY 9, 2005 IIIIIIIIIIIIS THE RING-TUM PHI 0 STAFF EDITORIAL Contact: Where are the female speakers? Contact deserves praise for bringing in a keynote speaker that enthused students as much as Nader. After the seventeen speakers Contact brought in this year, however, one criticism remains: where were the . women? The only female speaker Contact participated in sponsoring was Angela Davis, and Dean Futrell’s office footed most of that bill. It is absolutely negligent that the committee charged with bringing in well-known and interesting speakers fails to bring in any women. When its mission states that, “Contact attempts to appeal to as many segments of the student body as possible” and yet they completely fail to hire female speakers, Contact is not fulfilling its duty. In fact, according to its website, Contact has not brought in a female speaker since 2000/2001. For planning purposes, it would be especially appropriate to bring a female speaker to campus during the month of March, which is Women’s History Month. We know that members of Contact are aware of this lapse and would like to sponsor female speakers, but seem at a loss for possibilities. We suggest a few possibilities for female speakers here, and encourage students to send their own suggestions into Contact members. Possibilities include: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson Christine Todd Whitman, Maya Angelou, Senator Elizabeth Dole, Senator Barbara Boxer, former Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun, Paula Zahn, Christine Amanpour or war correspondent Lorna Tychostup, Condoleezza Rice, Katie Couric, writer Alice Walker, Olympian Dominique Dawes, Jessica Lynch. UPS & DOWNS Opinions Editor Caley Anderson takes a break from the Spring Term high life long enough to hand down the rise and fall of a whole lot of stuff 0 Texas No offense, Texans, but your state recently did something that has me unhappy. httpf//www.live-shot.com/ species.shtrnl. That’s right, now you can hunt animals from your very own home using a turret you control online! Thank heaven the great state of California is here to protect us from such tomfoolery. 0Texas (again) And oh yeah, Texans, your legislature just barmed “sexually suggestive” cheerleading. I mean, a- They didn’t define where that line even is, and b- Doesn’t your legislature have better things to do? Oitmerican Public New poll says that most Americans believe that “generally speaking,” Congresspeople act ethically. “Ha! That’s so funny I forgot to laugh! Excluding that first ‘ha.’‘’ 0 Family Guy Just while we’re on the topic. 0 Quotesfrom Wednesdayl Thursdaynigitpariies Me- “Rough night, huh?” Anonymous- “When the band starts playing at 3:30am, you know you’re going to be in trouble.” 0Runaway Bride Gotta suck to be the groom, too. ' 0 W&L“"l'raditions” After June, there will only be one on- campus class left that ate in Evans D- Hall and was “hazed” as opposed to “educated.” Good riddance. 0 KY Derby That was AMAZING 50-1 and 72-1 horse finish first and second, respectively. If you had confidence in Giacomo and Closing Argument, respectively, and put down a $2 exacta bet on them, well....the typical exacta pays between $100-$200 for a $2 bet. And this one was $9800. WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSI’l'Y EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR ASST. NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR A$T.UFEEDITOR PHOTO EDITOR LAYOUT EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER CIRCULATION DIRECTOR QDPY EDITORS THE RING-TUM PHI. ERIN ELIZABETH JULIUS MARSHALL RULE KATHERINE SHELL CALEY ANDERSON ANNE FINLEY BREE MELTON STEVEN MARINOS EMILY HULEN DAVID SEIFERT YINYAN LI ROHAN POOJARA AMANDA THOLKE VANESSA ARNESS SARAH MURRAY fl'IeWIg~amH1ispIbisiIedMmdaysdIIIhgiteu1deIgradIaIesdndyear atwasiingion and Lee University, Lexhglm, Wgnia. 77IeFi‘Ig4imPhisamerIberoi1TIeN|edaBoaId,wrid'IcanbeIead1edat me<:iaboaId@v»III.ed.I,bIIt'soIhevwis=e'rIdeperIderIt ' Alistbniissiorsmtrstbee-maiedtI)phi@\~Iu.eduoriniI'ieUniversityCeniermaboxby5p.m. Fridaytoappeariniheiollowirigiweeksediiori. flIeFIi1g-amfliresewesmerigmtoedtstbnissiasbroontemarxilengii. ' ~ -\_gI.et1ersandoo|unrIsdonotrIeoessaIi|yreflecttIIeopiI1ionc>f7'heFIhg-tImPhEdtoIiaIBoaId. \~\_ Advertisingdoesnotreflediheopiniorisot Theflhg-IImPhiori1sstafi. Tiiisrifiapergbsewescxineritootindefiniiiasofflaelaridotasoerily. UniversityConrnorsPoom.841 / WasIi'IgtonandLeeUriveIsity Lex‘ngIm,V|Ig'ia24450 TeIepmne:(54o)45s4oeo Fax(54o)45e4os9 Ermi:pIi@Wu.ed.I SIbscr‘piionrate$40 Faculty right- university needs female leaders BVVWIIHEVDIIII‘-‘V $‘EIAlLY§EAIQ‘G With the recent decision to hire Hank Dobin as Dean of the College, a great deal of discussion has been raised about the representation of women in Washington and Lee’s administration. However, in the heat of debate, we seem to have forgotten the underlying principle we are fighting for. Yes, there is an under—representation of women at the administrative level. Yes, this fact does need to change, but this article seeks to clarify why. In America, we tend to make the basic assumption that government should be reflective of society. Thus, we take this mentality with regards to the governing of our school. As a result, we view the under—representation or complete lack of representation of many demographics in the administration to be unacceptable. However, it must be clear that we do not seek to create a perfect mirror‘ image administration, for that would be impossible. What is needed is simply an administration that is more generally reflective of the student body as a whole. That being said, omitting a demographic that comprises approximately 50% of the student body is NOT reflective. The justification for this need for change needs to be clarified. Do not assume that female student’s interests will be better represented as a result of increasing the number of women administrators. University women are far too diverse a group to paint as a unified interest. The focus should not be on the interests of women (or minorities, for that matter), but rather - on the principle that both should possess equal access in theory and equal representation in practice. For a school that is desperately trying to revamp its image to be more “minority friendly,” there is a great need to turn that vision inward. It is an admirable, even vital, goal to diversify our student body and organizations, but it will never be achieved as long as students must answer to an administration that is not itself diverse. It seems that, in light of this, minority students attracted to the academic prestige of W&L would seriously question the administration’s depth of commitment to their success and the continued diversification of W&L. Until we have more female and minority administrators, and an environment where faculty feel secure signing their name to their opinion, the university’s goal of diversity will only be lip service. The rules— sketchiness and hook-ups at W&L defined aymarycnlds II’SbOTYCU.IT‘SNE Recently a lot of stuff has been going on. No, I know that you know that, because everybody does. Everybody’s heard about everything you could have heard about. The appellation of “Washington and Lee University” is a flagrant misnomer. We don’t go to college here. We go to a second high school. Earlier this year, some boy was talking to his friend and lamenting a situation he’d gotten himself into. By hooking up with this one girl, he now sees that he cannot hook up with any of her friends. I think what he said was, “lvIan, you ‘hook up with one girl in a sorority and you’re done. You’re done with that sorority, ‘cause it’s [all her ’ friends] . . So by that logic, a boy has approximately five total hook-ups in his W&L career. That estimate to me sounds a little low, so if you rework it, maybe it’s one per pledge class per sorority. That ups him to twenty, or 5 a year. Not to be a pessimist, but that sounds low to me too. And then factor into that some more realism; we all know that different frats hangout with different srats. I’d say at most, a frat will hang out with three srats. So there we knock our number down to twelve hook-ups per WLU boy, or 3 a year, or _one a term. And that’s just blatantly incorrect. Maybe it’s just Walker Williams bringing that average down, or maybe my friend was incorrect in his generalization that one hook-up kills your chances in the rest of that srat/srat pledge class. So that leaves ' you with these hook-ups that overlap and Intertwine and get incredibly complicated as the years progress. Everybody knows and accepts — and hey, even expects — hook-ups to happen with some regularity. And we are a community that cares, so we all want to know what our good friends did this weekend — or in the case of Spring Term, any day of the week. And in my analysis of the players on the field, in my research for this article, there are pros and cons to this closely monitored life-style here in at Fishbowl High... The only pro I have is knowing the background of every boy at my high school since he was born (there’s a good chance I know, or other people I know that will tell me so that I will know, his farni1y’s background and what his mom did that may or may not affect his relationships today). And sure, that might be micromanaging a I little bit, but there is certainly the upshot that no one can get away with dirty laundry for long. So if there’s a kid that you’re considering for whatever purpose, you know his qualifications. It’s like he’s submitting a resume. Well, if you recall, he hooked up with that girl a couple weeks ago and we all saw what happened to her. Maybe I should steer clear. His reputation will always precede him. And the downside to this is that this activity feels kind of sick. The fact that I’m so up in everybody’s business, that the whole world is, makes me a little uncomfortable. It’s like reading the tabloids about your friends. It’s just weird. And not only that but if you botch a weekend, if there’s a smear on your resume, it will reflect poorly on, you as an applicant; like going bankrupt and falling victim to debt, a desperate hookup will stick around far longer than desired. So the way I see it, there’s no way to fix this cess pool of a social scene without transferring to like Tech or something. And God knows none of us would ever do that. No, instead we can only remember my mother’s “Newspaper Rule" — “everything you do could be in the newspaper the next day” (follow up: would you be comfortable with that?) and live accordingly. Our other option is to ignore histories and pasts and stop gossiping — an idea that I find fantastical at best. But it is definitely important to remember — write this down — that the things you do tonight will stick around tomorrow. Moral hang—over’s bad, sure, but black spot on resume is worse. As a good friend _said_ to me yesterday, we go around doing all this stuff and affecting each other and weaving these dirty little webs and you have to remember that. You have to keep it in mind that your actions DO and WILL affect other people, and that you can’t just dismiss your own transgressions with a smile, because after the grace period, after you’ve worn out your welcome and compiled some significant baggage yourself, it’s going to get heavy enough to slow you down and you'll start to lose things, like friends, and people to make out with. So write on your hand, NEWSPAPER, because anything you do, I could write about, and there it would be, in the Phi on Monday. Would you be comfortable with that’? ' " OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050509/WLURG39_RTP_20050509_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI “The only thing better than a beer is two beers. After two, it just gets really silly.” -QUO'fEOFTHEWEEKmemeaumsmuayntg¢ MONDAY, MAY 9,‘ 2005 Anderson continues strategic plan review, finds the good in the task force reports ByCdeyAnderson |VCIE3ATE'SM.8& In my last article, I discussed those parts of the strategic plan I thought it would be better off without. This week, I’m going to talk about parts of the plan that I thought were particularly good ideas. The Law School’s task force came up with the idea of creating a program to help repay the loans to law graduates who end up taking relatively low—paying public interest jobs as public defenders, law advisors for charitable organizations, and so on. I like this idea, it’s an affirmative statement that we’re not afraid to graduate lawyers who don’t go on to make millions of dollars with huge firms, and that we care about contributing to public interest law. The C—Scho0l task force came up with a few great ideas— one was the Letter to the Editor adoption of a New York spring term program for business majors along the lines of the Washington term that exists for politics majors. The C-School is also looking around for more space; among their options are construction of a new building, adding on to the current building, or the annexation of the old co-op and bookstore by the C—Scho0l. Ifd urge the University to adopt this last option- while it will only provide office space (being too small for C-school labs), space currently used in Huntley Hall for offices could easily be repurposed at a low cost (at least comparatively speaking when you consider the costs of yet more new construction). The Academics task force came up with the idea of renovation for the Colonnade and the library. When professors’ doors are falling off their hinges due to termites, I can only say that this idea is long overdue. More importantly, the Academics people also recommended a satellite campus in Washington. This is simply a brilliant idea that would give students and faculty a greater chance at D.C. immersion while also establishing a presence for the University in the nation’s capital, a presence that might get us some of that sweet name recognition. Student Affairs recommended separate facilities for club and intramural sports, facilities that would not be subject to the “superior needs” of Division IH, athletics. As the President of Club Fencing, it would be impossible for me to understate my appreciation of this sentiment. Club sports and intramurals have a place in our University just as important as Division III teams. The Communications task force, which has a few questionable ideas, came up with a decidedly non-questionable one to “change the conversation around Robert E. Lee.” Yes, the man was THE hero of the Confederacy. That, however, is not why his name is part of our University. His name is on this University because of his exceptional leadership and vision during his years as President. I need not remind most readers that he laid the foundation of the honor system, created the’ journalism school, and unified the college with the law school. He was responsible for turning W&L from just another college into an exceptional one. That is why it’s Washington and Lee, and that is what we should tell people who ask. The Athletics task force echoed the idea of providing separate club and intramural facilities, but they also thought that the P.E. classes needed review, including reducing the GE requirement for Phys Ed. The typical academic class at W&L (this is just based off my own experience) meets for three or four hours a week and is worth three credits. The typical PE class at W&L (again, based on my own experience) meets for two hours a week and is worth one—fifth of one credit. PE takes up 66% of the time of a typical academic class (before you count studying, homework, etc.), yet is only worth 7.5% of the credit. And to make it worse, you HAVE to take all five PEs. Either scrap the massive number of PE classes we have to take for general education, or increase the credit we get for it. All in all, the strategic plan is mostly full of solid ideas, but it’s still in need of considerable review and debate. Sophomore argues in defense of historically black greek organizations, points out many benefits Dear Editor, Over the past several weeks, much attention has been given to historically Black Greek letter organizations having a presence on campus. Instead of being welcomed with open arms and mutual respect, as I had hoped, these organizations have been faced with skepticism, and a lack of both respect and understanding. What is missing in virtually all of the previously printed articles is factual information about the very obvious differences between traditional Greek letter organizations and historically Black ones. Put simply, the reason historically Black Greek letter organizations exist is because African Americans were prohibited from joining traditional fraternities and sororities. With no other resort, African Americans grouped together and created their own Greek system, based off of the traditional Greek model but also combined with both African and African American influences. Historically Black Greek intercollegiate fraternities and sororities have been existence for almost 100 years, with the oldest being Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated which was founded in 1906. African Americans along with many other ethnic groups are now accepted into fraternities and sororities that have traditionally been predominately White, and those who choose to join enjoy their membership in these organizations. However, this does not mean that African American students should be forced to give up the Black Greek system that has developed rich traditions and culture for nearly a century. An obvious difference between the two Greek systems is the importance community service plays for historically Black Greek organizations. Because the organizations were formed during a time when Blacks were being systematically disenfranchised, the organizations also have a deep rooted commitment to theuplifting of the Black community. Both of these goals are achieved a variety of ways. Many have mentoring programs, clothing, food and voter registration drives, and scholarship programs as well as other projects to meet their community service requirements. The organizations stress community service, usually at the expense of social events, which also explains why Black Greek organizations are not preoccupied with obtaining a communal house. While Black Greek organizations do have parties, dances, banquets and other social events these are usually used as a way to fundraise in order to fund the organization’s community service projects. The parties are quite different from the ones held by other Greek organizations. There is usually no alcohol served as those in attendance usually prefer dancing to drinking. The social outlets also allow the Black Greek organizations to show off their hard work and dedication to their organizations. Another obvious difference of historically Black Greek is the lack of a rush process. V The membership intake process, as it is called, features a series of informational meetings where attendees are given an introduction to the specific organization, its current members, as well as information on the chapter’s programs and various policies. Because there is no rush process, typically only those who are serious about joining a particular Black Greek organization show interest and attend the informational meetings. Many of the organizations require aspirants to have obtained a certain number of college credits before obtaining membership. This results in a more dedicated membership pool. Membership is not limited to undergraduate students. Graduate students and adults are able to join historically Black Greek organizations through Alumnae Chapters. Because of this, those who join historically Black Greek organizations display a unique A sense of dedication and are members for life and upon death members obtain a mons L Fax— X4059 Write for the Phi! The Phi is currently seek- ing writers for news, opinions, sports, and life. Interested parties should contact phi@Wlu.edu Phi phone- X4060 Office— Room 341, Com- to it - J)” :_ Orchardside Yarn Shop Knitting Specialty Shop 273 Raphine Road . Raphine, VA 24472 540-348-5220 ° 1-877-NIT-YARN Knitting cottage nestled along the creek which carries a fabulous selection of basic and novelty yams, kits, needles and accessories. Customer service from start to finish with your projects. Mail order and lmemet accessibility made easy. __Calforwor'kshop&dssinfonmtlon. Halfway betwéeit lainglon and Staunton On 181 / I-64 at exit 205. Raplline 4miIe.t west on Route 606. Raphine R044 /M/fr/M a working farm that aim "U-PICK" opportunities for fresh fruit when in season. 'llres-Satl0:tl)-5:00,Weduntil8:00 m special posthumous status. Historically Black Greek letter organizations, called The Divine Nine, are also deep rooted in tradition. Each organization has their own signature colors, symbols, calls, handshakes and party walks, each having their own secret meaning known only to members of that particular organization. The sense of tradition also permeates the membership intake process where a major component consists of learning extensive history on the organization. Each organization has special ways of honoring their founders and incorporators, as well has those who have had major impacts on the organization’s development. During the intake process, members are required to lmow and retain extensive knowledge of their organization’s history. These aspects attest to the high amount of reverence members have for their respective organizations. Traditionally, historically Black_ Greek letter organizations also do not fall under the jurisdiction of the IFC or Panhellenic Council. Instead, they follow the guidelines set forth by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Formed in 1930, the NPHC is composed of the nine Black fraternities and sororities and according to its website the organization “promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and ftmctions.” All of these reasons represent how students could be more attracted to the historically Black Greek system. “With its dedication to community service, uplifting the Black community, emphasis on Brotherhood and Sisterhood, many of the principles these organizations espouse are ones that continue to attract Black students on majority Black campuses and predominately White ones alike. . Upon gaining membership, people are joined with Martin Luther King Jr, W.E.B. DuBois, Hattie McDaniel, Medgar Evers, and other prominent leaders within the Black community who were also Black Greeks. Instead of criticizing the introduction of historically Black Greek letter organizations on campus, we should embrace the differences in philosophy these organizations have. Black Greeks are not a phenomenon unique to Washington and Lee; rather the allure of the Black Greek systems has, and will continue, to attract members who seek lifelong membership in an organization dedicated to the betterment of all mankind. Sincerely, Marcas Banks, ‘07 life? you find it. greater (540) 864-5750. Creating solutions, changing lives. SUIVIIVIER CBIVIP IOBS Looldng for the best surnrner of your Easter Seals Virginia can help We are committed to helping people vvith disabilities gain independence. dedicated. tearn this surnrner at Caxnp Easter Seals Virginia in Craig County. We have job openings for camp ~—couEL§é1oi'§""’“ and —- program leaders (aquatics. horseback riding, music. nature. sports and more). Room, board and salary provided. infonnation, contact Deborah Duerk at dduerk@va.ea.stersea1s.com Visit our website to learn how you can make a djflerence. wvvvv.va.eastersea1s.com ‘fir-A-2-e Join out For 01' at OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050509/WLURG39_RTP_20050509_005.2.txt MONDAY, MAY 9, 2005 THE RING-TUM PHI summer madrai collection. Jacket $200, skirt $92. , By Bree‘MeIton ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR There I was dressed to the nines in my black and white gown, standing on the red carpet, invitation in hand, ready for Dreaming and Dueling to begin. It was a full house, and I know everyone came to see me. I was the star of the show after all! Nobody asked for my autograph at the beginning of the show, but that was alright. I knew that after they watched the movie, I would be swarmed by adoring fans. I wish it had occurred to me to bring a security detail - people as important as me need bodyguards. I’m only kidding, of course. I was dressed in formalwear, as were many of the other attendees. It wasn’t required, but many of us who were apart of the movie thought it would be fun. How many other occasions to you get to walk down the red carpet in ball gown and tux? The entrance to the commons theatre was packed with people, Lexington residents and students alike. There were a couple of photographers snapping pictures while the movie—goers buzzed in anticipation. Then the doors opened and we filed in. I wasn’t really sure what to expect as many of the people who had worked on the movie couldn’t tell me fully what it was about. I knew that I was in it as a ' "cheerleader, but I didn’t know to what end. So I waited. By.Emily Hulen LAYOUT EDITOR I find every frat boy sporting it around campus. I found it rampant in every store during a recent shopping spree. After ' seeing all this, my mission became quite clear: to discover why the infamous madras plaid is making such an explosive comeback this spring. The earliest origins of this colorful plaid can be traced back to the seventeenth century in Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu in India. The city’s famous plaid fabric, usually used for sarongs, kept their trade industry afloat when it was first a British settlement. But the trend resurfaced in full force in the 1950s and 1960s, mainly in New England. And now, the phenomenon has once again swept the preps of the east coast. Prints are big this year, that’s quite clear — it’s splashed all over Vogue and Vanity Fair. But madras plaid? I can’t help thinking that I would basically be donning a patchwork quilt. That or President Burish’s notorious jacket... But Siobhan Gilbride, owner of our very own Pumpkinseeds, reminds me that it has very preppy spring look that tends to look good on everyone. Her appreciation for the print shows. It has its own rack full of madras pieces featured in her store on Main St. You can also find it in Lexington at The College Town Shop, or elsewhere at Gap, Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, Eddie Bauer, and of course, J. Crew. Even Oprah gave the print a thumbs up. And if seersucker has madeva big comeback, why shouldn’t madras? It seems these vintage, aH-American preppy styles are back with a vengeance. Paul Wasserman, the director of merchandising for Haspel, told the Associated Press that “I think once it starts, it’s just going to take off. It’s colorful, you can wear it with T—shirts, jeans, khakis. It crosses over‘to many occasions, and it’s very fresh. It hasn’t been around since the ‘S05-‘60s so it’s ‘new’ to this generation.” And maybe in 20 years, we’ll all look back and say, “Oh my gosh, why was I wearing that outrageous patchwork quilt?” But hey, it’s a trend, along with everything'else we’re.sporting these days; we have to be forgiving. And besides, give it a few more years, and I’m betting it’ 11 be back in style. JCFlEW.COM Men’s rnadras sportcoat can be found at J. Crew for $228. lack depth W&L Theater Dept. ’s first ever film falls short of expectations Professor Martinez, the director of Dreaming and Dueling, climbed the stairs to the podium and started the film, and the audience grew quiet. The movie opened to Pink Floyd playing while two people clashed swords in a dreamlike sequence. ’Dreaming while dueling, go figure. It turns out the main character, Joel, played by Andrew West Lee, has this fantasy that he’s an eighteenth century So I came away from I “Dreaming and Duelling” wanting more... m French swordfighter named Valarian, defending justice and avenging the honor of ladies. His best friend Eric, played by Michael Wagoner, is in the fencing program at school along with Joel, and after an amazing sparring session, Joel decides to reveal his fantasy to Eric. When Eric learns of Joel’s secret fantasy, he wants to be a part of it too. The love interest of the film is Louise, played by Sarah Orvin. She is a beautiful girl disfigured by a purple birthmark across her face. She is very self- conscious about it, and yet still attracts the attention of both Eric and Joel, as well as jock Skelly, played by John Bamwell. Over all, I felt the movie had great potential. My little part as a cheerleader, and it turns out eye candy, could have had a little more air time, but I understand. Too much of a goodthing is not always great. The storyline was very interesting, but I felt the length of the movie did not do the character development justice. There were some homosexual undertones and many sexual innuendos. And I felt the final fight scene was a little anticlimactic. The acting was trite at times, but the actors were trying to develop so much of their characters and their relationships in so short of time, I don’t see how it could have been any other way. So I came away from Dreaming and Dueling wanting more. I wanted more character development, especially from Skelly, Louise, and Coach Thorpe. At one point Coach Thorpe says to Joel, “I’ve been there.” What was that about? There was potential for an even deeper connection between student and teacher, I felt. And Skelly, coming and apologizing shows he has so much more to him than just being a jerk. Then there are the relationships between Louise and Eric and Eric and Joel. They were so intense, and yet that couldn’t really be explored in the short hour and a half that the movie ran. And of course, I would have liked to seen more of myself. But hey, at least I’m in the credits! LIFEGUARDIS/POOL MANAGERS Now hiring for summer 2005 NoVa areas! Competitive Pay! Call now or visit website! www.premier411.com 1_877lSEE POOL Warning If you are under 30 or otherwise suffer from severe Mass Media Syndrome DO NOT read Bob Fussell’s (W&L class of ‘64) MY GREAT LIFE wvvw.mygreatlife.net without approval of your mental health provider OCR::/Vol_107/WLURG39_RTP_20050509/WLURG39_RTP_20050509_006.2.txt 6 - THERNG-TUMPI-"ll I . word MONDAY, MAY 9, 2005 By Bree Melton B R E KA For the many social events you‘ will have to attend while at W&L, Breka would like to offer you some advice. First off, the not so obvious Lee Chapel wear. I mean, we though it was understood that - ' guys wear coat and tie and the ladies wear the equivalent. But...this does not mean a Lilly dress. Let’s face it, that’s Foxfields and lawn party gear and you know that. So what is appropriate for Lee Chapel, business meetings, and interviews? There are these things called...business clothes — they don’t show your cleavage, most don’t involve large flower prints, and they can be conveniently found at your local Ann Taylor. If all else fails, wear black pants and a button down, and you should own at least one suiting jacket — it is a staple. And just a tip: pinstripe can be very slimming. Now on a less serious note: how do you read a girl’s agenda. when she’s out? Is it in her eyes? Oh no, that’s not the way. You’re not listening to what I say. If you warma know what she’s gonna I do, it’s in her clothes. Yeah, that was cheesy, oh well. So she told you it’s just a nice night out with the girls? Enjoy the band, go home, watch a movie, and go to bed, right? But she’s in that sparkly top. . .the one that never fails. . . .she’s got an entirely different agenda in mind. You wore a nice pair of jeans, a tank, and some flats that won’t be ruined by frat sludge. She’s looking to get some tonight. ‘ And maybe not just on the dance floor. Boys are attracted by the sparkly top, but : then stick around when they notice she’s got a short skirt and tall heels. She knows what she’s doing. The By Marshall Rule THE POTATO MAN First off this week, let me start by giving a shout out to the best looking mom on campus this weekend. May I just say . _ it was a pleasure getting to know you and I look forward to seeing you next time you’re in town. You may be a huge fan of mine, but I am definitely your biggest admirer. The MILF of the year award has now officially been claimed. Speaking of mothers, I have learned some valuable lessons about Mother’s Day ._.this year. When I was little I used to cut up little pieces of paper and write chores on them to give to my mother. You know, the whole “return this coupon to have me do the dishes.” Or “this coupon is good for one big bear hug.” This gift worked so well that I continued to do it for way too many years. When I was eight or nine years old my ‘ mother thought it was cute. ‘But when I continued doing it until I was 19 it got a little old according to my mom. So this year was the first time I . have actually had to get her a real gift. Being that Lexington is not exactly a shopping metropolis, I was forced to be creative in my gift this time around. Of course I didn’t realize that 1 Mother’s Day was coming up until about Wednesday, so I was a little pressed for time. So I went down to the stores that she drags me into when she visits me. After living with her for 20 years, I figured I would be able to get her something she would like for the house. Walking into the stores, it was easy to find many things that would have I ' I ‘ worked perfectly. As I walked up to the counter with an armful of little Fashion this skirt and heels accentuate her legs, the push—up bra helps to draw attention to her...other assets. But if you do chose this particular agenda and are successful, how appropriate are the stilettos the next morning? You could opt for borrowing his clothes, but the stilettos make it really obvious that you’re not just an early morning jogger. You could just wear the clothes from the night before home, but — well, what seemed like a good choice the night before (and hey! it worked, maybe it was a good choice!) now just makes you look like a hooker. So maybe you should, instead of going home with the kid, give him your number, get his, and plan for a date. Yes a date. So what do you wear to said date? Something you feel comfortable in and in which you can be yourself. Again, cleavage is probably not a wise choice, but do wear a flattering neckline. Now if you decide you want to take advantage of the GRC’s date night next week (ahem, shameless plug) and you should, where are you two going on this date? If it’s Wilson Walker or the Sheridan, I would suggest wearing a skirt. Perhaps something_ just above the knees and a pair of low heels. If you’re just going to Sweet Things and the movie, maybe you can get away with a pair of pants or some nice jeans. And please make sure your shirt fits. This means no midriff baring, please. You’re on a nice respectable date, you should look the part. What it all comes down’ to is what do you want to achieve in life? Do you want to be a business woman or a business wife? There’s a lot to be said by what one wears. So make your choice, set your goals, and dress the part. I Another cheap present for Mother’s Day from Marshall knickknacks I was pretty happy with my selection. That was, of course, until, the store owner told me the total. One hundred and fifty dollars was a little too much for a bunch of small items, especially when I had about 15 dollars to my name at the fime. . So I slowly eliminated one item at a time and the total slowly dwindled. One by one another item was eliminated until there was only one left, and I realized that I might be a little too poor to shop in Lexington. - I left the boutique with empty hands and began to brainstorm ideas that I might be able to afford. Then the words that every student loves to hear rang through my head. . .”Swipe it home.” I quickly found a jacket that she had been asking me to get her for a long time and realized I should probably get a card to go along with it. Yes, I am so cheap I didn’t even buy the card. Iswiped it home. Well, at least I paid for shipping ri t? Wrong. Thanks to the good folks at the bookstore they offered to not only gift wrap it for me, but also toss it in the mail. So my total cost for this year’s' Mother’s Day gift.... 37 cents (I mailed the card separately). Well, at least it got there in time right? Wrong again. It seems that it takes longer than two days to ship something I across the country. I guess the only thing that was good about my present was that it didn’t involve coupons. So, Mom, since you are going to end up paying for your own present and it’s not even going to get there in time,‘ I am using my article to wish you Happy Mother’s Day. Yes, I have successfully found a different way to give you another free gift. Thanks to the».g"ood /folks at the bookstore they‘ ofiered to not only gift wrap it for me, but also toss it in the mail. So my total cost for this year’s Mother’s Day gift. 7 cents lt’s Pittsnogle time West Virginia baller Kevin Pittsnogle is fixture of America ByHughTrout THE FISHERMAN It is no secret that this country is going through some tough times right now. In fact, it has been a few years of tough times and as a concerned citizen I feel obligated to offer a suggestion as to what could restore the good times and prosperity we knew in the 90s (man. . .those Shaq movies were good). While some may feel that we must focus on the economy, and others on social issues, I believe the answer to all of America’s problems is actually one man. Who is this amazing soul who could heal a nation and solve the issues that concern every day Americans? Kevin Pittsnogle. For those who don’t know who this amazing maverick is, he is a 6’ll” basketball player from West Virginia. And his last name is Pittsnogle. ‘ Now, many may agree that Pittsnogle is a great guy but for the wrong reasons. Some will rightly point out that he took his team much farther than anyone ever thought they would go, and drained some nice threes along the way. This is all true, however, irrelevant to the discussion at hand. I There is a more nuanced and sophisticated point to be made in the case for him: his last name is Pittsnogle. That’s amazing. But how can Pittsnogle help the U.S.A. if he is only some college player from West Virginia? Well, turns out he isn’t going to be one for long. In an act that has the heavens crying with sheer joy and euphoria, Kevin Pittsnogle declared for the NBA draft. A development of this magnitude hasn’t graced the human race since the discovery of penicillin. We will now be able to watch Pittsnogle in the comfort of our own homes throughout the entire NBA season. But more importantly, I hope, Pittsnogle will enter the American vocabulary as an everyday word. The connotations to such a word are truly endless. For example, a nice shot on the beer pong table could lead one to trash talk: “Man, I just Pittsnogled all over you on that one man”. Or, “I just went Pittsnogle up in this right therr”. It could be used as yet another euphemism for sexual activity: “yeah, things were going good and then her dad called and she got all upset over something. It sucks, too, cause I’m pretty sure I was gonna get some Pittsnogle that night”. It could be a really cool dance like the raise the roof. Think of it: “yeah man, we were in this random club and it was so funny cause Jon was with this really hot girl and I looked at him and he started doing the Pittsnogle and I was laughing ‘pretty har ”. It could be one of those words that doesn’t really having a definition but in the context of a conversation everyone would know what you meant. “Hey, I think you got a little Pittsnogle on your tie, there” or “I hate it when it gets all gray and rainy and Pittsnogle like this in Lexington”. A word like Pittsnogle could unite the American people and help remind us that while we may have one political position or another, we all can unite over the common goal of patriotism and working to improve this great land of ours. That, and having fun saying Pittsnogle. Who is this amazing soul who could heal a nation and solve the issues that concern . every day Americans? Kevin Pittsnogle. HIT. hat a great place Kristine explains for the last time why she picked W&L By Kristine Early THE MILK AND CHEESE GIRL Because I’ve had to justify my decision to transfer to Washington and Lee 1,329 times in the last nine months (just an approximation), I’ve had plenty of reason to evaluate just what makes our school different and special. There are a wide variety of things that separate our wonderful little university from Amherst and Bates, from Vanderbilt and Morehouse: the Honor Code, the exam policy, the excellent faculty, the Speaking Tradition (or the myth that is the Speaking Tradition), the lovely, artsy town of Lexington, the horse and carriage tours that pass by the Colonnade, the close proximity to VMI, spring term and tadah. . .the DRAMA. Forget “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Don’t bother to tune into “The Young and the Restless.” Just show up at Washington and Lee from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. any Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday for love, lust, betrayal, and hot, steamy scenes of passion. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll pass out under the beer pong table. Yes, what separates W & L from William and Mary and from Bowdon, ladies and gents, is excitement. I True, there is little to a town with a population of 6,000: two bars, a few restaurants appropriate for rush dates and quick Sunday lunches and some quaint little shops where one can find X—mas gifts for Ma and Grams. (Oh, and don’t forget Wal to the Man. You can frolic through the aisles for hours if in desperate need of amusement.) But despite the fact that LexVegas isn ’t Las Vegas, we still manage to have a good time. See, we’re industrious like that. Look at our SAT scores. If we can master analogies, surely we can entertain ourselves. Especially if handed a case of Natty Lights. I’ve analyzed the social scene fairly closely (See, I’m really doing research when I go out, mommy.) and I have come to a conclusion: anything and everything is possible when the lights are low and the music is pumping. And that “anything and everything”. will be the topic of next moming’s 9 a.m. class. We here at W & L direct, star in, and produce our own soap opera. And then we present reruns the next morning. Think about it. We have fantastic wardrobes. Our hair is perfectly coifed. (Coifed! Such a great word! I bet it was on the SAT.) Our nails are professionally done. And everyone has kissed everyone else. Clearly, we deserve a spot on daytime TV. Heck, I think if we hire a good camera crew (Want to strike a deal, Party Pics?), we’d be up for a Golden Globe. And hey, I doubt the students at many other colleges could afford Armani and Versace to wear down the red carpet. Yes, I love W & L. The rumor mill has made us all unfortunate victims at one time or another. But when the gossip isn’t mean—spirited and rather the “Well, he was walking down the street when he heard sirens and for some reason decided it would be smart to hide behind the bushes...” or the “And then she made out with a roadie thinking it was the lead singer...” type, well, frankly, the scandalous stories can be down right fulfilling. And if recall of last night’s events doesn‘t secure an avid audience we have the satisfaction of knowing that once 10 p.m. rolls around again we’ll have a whole new set of tales to share. ' When I graduate from Washington and Lee I’ll have more than just a solid education and a meaningful degree: I’ll have a treasure chest full of stories. Not only are we making ridiculous fools out of ourselves while starring in “The Lilly and the Polo Shirts,” we’re making memories. Memories that will last us a lifetime. I bet no one at Middlebury has a story like mine about that time I...