OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_001.2.txt 0°/3 (9 V an A 2180 [JG WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING=TUM PHI. MONDAY, FEB. 6, 2006 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 VOLUME CIX, NUMBER 14 inside Baseball breakdown Though Februaiy has just begun, it’s already time to start thinking about base- ball season. Tom Bush examines this year’s team on page 3. The truth defense Tempers flare over our weekly Behind Bars col- umn. The Phi tests the first amendment and lis- tens to reader feedback on page 6. Getting some play Controversial but criti- cally acclaimed Vagina Monologues come to campus. Abri Nelson takes you into the action on page 4. A Fatah mistake Pa1estine’s new Hamas leaders were elected _ primarily because Fatah neglected the Palestin- ians’ needs. So al- leges new columnist Jennifer Sutton on page 7. ticket Battle of the Bands Washington and Lee’s fin- est musicians face off on Friday, Feb. 24. The event begins at 8:00 p.m. and will be held in Doremus Gym. ADVERTISEMENT = (‘rat . . K», ..m<:r: to visitors; fa él3§_}E{:3e€Il.:43«i...i...§?f.fi‘£‘ I ,Zi%,:'i: .>~. .m:a.e f":;;mé’r:r>:':.* {,.l:ieI.s=;.s;al ,4“e,sé.ars 0iIé§C<‘.".’~l"§ ht": Wicst Wa.shimgt’c>r2 «z-<::«} a rent? it er; Carla-sex» €.lr.§:.~r'i-rigrcx r 3!): t Dropped at the door High percentage of Greek participation increases exclusivity SORORITY RUSH STATISTICS By Jessica Shaw REPORTER During rush, freshman girls have 45 minutes to sell their ap- pearance, charm and personality to hundreds of upperclass girls. Enticing videos, ridiculous skits and infinite sorority songs leave girls torn between friends, team- mates and morals. As each girl makes the long trek back across the footbridge, thoughts of insecurity, rejection and dread overtake them. In a matter of days, they will find out their future in Greek life, a com- munity comprised of 76 percent of women on this campus. With such a com- manding presence at Washington and Lee, certain expectations and stereotypes ac- company this organiza- tion. This year, only 82 percent of women who registered ended up pledging a sorority. The re- maining women were either rejected or withdrew. “I strongly think that Greek life isn’t for everybody,” said As- sistant Director of Student Activi- ties and Greek Life Kristen Powell. “Our campus Greek life is extremely inclusive. To have 76 percent participation rate is al- most unheard of.” Powell also said that this high percentage brings with it negative aspects. Women not affiliated with a sorority are more likely to feel out of place. Several freshman girls were interviewed for this article. They all wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitve nature of pub- licizing these comments. “It creates and reinforces the high school cliques and social boundaries [that] institutions such as the speaking tradition are meant to break down,” a fresh- man girl said. Some women said they never would have considered a soror- ity at a larger university. Because of its dominant presence at W&L, some said it was almost unavoid- able. “I hadn’t given rush a lot of thought before it actually began‘ those first couple of weeks of winter term,” a freshman girl said. “But, I thought that since Registered « Cut by all withdrew Received bids % Pledged (bids/registered) Quota Depart rate (wlt‘lzdrew4- released / attended) uluoilolmoonoIonaOQDIDJIOUIQIcocoaOCOIIIQIIIOOIooIooIIIOO0uO§ioooooo¢O Greek life was something most people were involved in, I would naturally go along with it.” During rush week, women visit each of the five sorority houses. At the end of the night, women rank them according to preference, and the sororities do the same for the women. “The girls were sweet, and it was fun to see some people I don’t get to see very often,” a freshman girl said. “It is weird to me, though, that those girls I talked to at rush had a different agenda than merely talking to me. “At that moment, they were seeing if I fit in; if I was some- one they wanted.” In the fall, each freshman hall was assigned a Rho Gamma. These girls assisted freshmen during the recruitment process and provided emotional support. Powell also met with freshmen who needed extra advice. “One of my roles is to be that guidance counselor to help them develop their leadership skills and personal skills,” she said. The Rho Gammas stressed 1995 168 114 67.9% N/A 17% 2000 178 9 I 14 142 79.8% 32 13% 17 9 Ivotiooootto0noonoolusoolonoo00ooooooanoduvooooonooooobotnodoloolooolo ooooooccocoon-o-aoooonaoounooouooooonooouocuooooonooaoo-cocoon-oooooo keeping an open mind going into rush. Powell said the Panhellenic Council emphasized the fact that nobody has a normal recruitment process. “I think rush puts a lot of pres- sure on girls, although I don’t think I would say it is all nega- ' tive,” Rho Gamma Laura Byme said. “Overall, I think rush is a great experience for girls to meet each other, but I definitely see the pressure building as the week goes on.” This aside, many students found this advice tough. “While freshmen are encour- aged not to go in with precon- ceived ideas about the various so- rorities, sororities go in with a clear and distinct idea of what they want,” a freshman girl said. “With many of the sororities, this idea is based on superficial char- acteristics.” ' Ethnic diversity is also an is- sue with sororities at W&L. Powell said she would like to see a better representation and see students actively seeking changes. 188 89.5% 2005 210 2006 214 l\D <1 w l---* :43 176 82% 39 5% O0 -4! 10.6% not-oouoooooconcoc-oooooouooooouooootuoeuoonnoooooooooaucoosoeooon-one “I wish they were a little more dissatisfied with some things,” she said. “I think our students _I accept some things because they have always been done that way. There are things our students need to challenge and improve. I would love to see our sororities be morerepresentative of our campus.” Though larger universities may boast a smaller Greek per- centage, many students feel this scenario is an even stronger pres- sure. This year, just over ten percent of those registered did not join a sorority. This number, however, is relative to a small student population. “The exclusivity of it bothers me,” a freshman girl said. “I just don’t like that it has the potential to hurt girls, and it makes the girls going through rush think that they have to mea- sure up to something. Obviously, I know a bunch of Greek girls, and they are such great people. I love the girls, I just don’t like the system.” DUIS on the decline Drunk driving rates have gone down among students at Washington and Lee, according to the stu- dent health center’s annual health survey. Though an alarming number of students, 25 per- cent of those surveyed, re- ported driving drunk in the last year, W&L actually has a student drunk driving rate ' that is five percent lower than the national collegiate average. I ~ “DUI numbers seem to be dropping, which I’m , pleased about,” said Lex- ington Police Chief Bruce Beard, “but we’re still con- cerned about the issue.” According to statistics compiled by Mike Young, director of Campus Secu~ rity, eighteen students have been arrested in each of the last three school years, while 23 were arrested dur- ing the 2001-2002 session. Of the 77 arrests, fourteen were laws students and the rest were undergraduates. “DUIS by our students and the time spent by local police dealing with them have diminished consider- ably,” Young said. “Eigh- teen during a school year is just two a month, and when you consider that we have about two thousand‘ stu- dents partying three times a week for thirty weeks, eighteen arrests isn’t too bad.” I _ K , However. if the university’s student health survey accurately records the behavior of W&L undergrads, approximately 400 students have drove drunk during the last ‘ twelve months. Only four percent of them were caught by Lexington police officers. i W&L’s strike system also appears to show more responsible drinking be SEE ‘VSTUADENT’ ON PAGE 2 New Greeks strive for change Historically black fraternities and sororities and SigEp take a difierent view on Greek life By Sarah Kientz REPORTER Five organizations are work- ing to attract diversity and prove that not all Greek life revolves around the keg. Assistant Dean of Students Tammy Futrell is the adviser for all the historically black orga- nizations that have chapters on campus, which includes the fra- ternities Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma and the sorori- ties Delta Sigma Theta and Al- pha Kappa Alpha. According to Futrell, the his- torically black Greek organiza- tions are fairly new on campus. “Last year at this time we had no Greek letter organizations of this type on campus, so we’re sort of going through the grow- ing pains right now,” Futrell said. “It’s a new thing for stu- dents of color and for the cam- pus overall.” Futrell said historically black fraternities and sororities began on a national level to provide a support base for African Ameri- can students. “These organizations were started at a time when African Americans were not welcomed into majority organizations,” Futrell said. “They offered sup- port and friendship, and are not as focused on the social aspect but on community service and on bettering the lives of others.” Futrell also pointed out the benefit of historically black Greek organizations as draws for minority students to consider Washington and Lee. “It’s a great recruiting tool for students of color because they have relatives and parents in these organizations,” Futrell said. “It’s something they can identify with and an opportunity for them to join.” Senior Ted Archer of Phi Beta Sigma said he and his fraternity brothers are trying to establish themselves this year through community service. “Since this is our first full year of existence at W&L, it makes sense that the other Greeks are given more attention. The Greek system has been a part of this school for a long time,” he said. “I think the hard work that we put into trying to offer something positive and beneficial to the “We have to be care- ful not to treat black Greeks as some sort of ‘other’ category.” TED ARCHER, CLASS OF 2006 W&L community will speak for itself.” According to Archer, mem- bers of Phi Beta Sigma currently volunteer at Maury River Middle School and Natural Bridge twice a month. The fraternity also hopes to organize two other func- tions in 2006, including a W&L Talent Show in February and a White Party in April where they “hope to invite other Greeks from close by colleges and uni- versities.” Archer said historically black fraternities differ from the larger fraternities on campus in that in- volvement extends far past the college experience. “The main focus of most other Greeks is your four—year college career. For black Greeks, your commitment to your organiza- tion lasts most people their en- tire lives because of regional conferences, Graduate Chapters and Distinguished Service Chap- ters and so on,” Archer said. “The rich history of black Greeks, being that there are only nine really notable ones, truly makes them extraordinary when you think of some of the people who were black Greeks. People from Dr. Martin Luther King, to Langston Hughes, to James Weldon Johnson, to Emmit Smith, to even Rick James,” he said. Overall, Archer said the more attention given to historically black Greek organizations, the more they will become as widely accepted as the other Greeks on campus. “I think more exposure and more articles such as this one is the direction that we should stay in because historically black fra- ternities and sororities are a part of university life, a part of Ameri- can culture, a part of our rich his- tory as a country for that matter,” . Archer said. “We have to be careful not to treat black Greeks as some sort of ‘other’ category. There are some differences be- tween black Greeks and other Greeks but the fundamental prin- ciples are all the same.” Junior Jasmine Randolph, president of the historically black sorority Delta Sigma Theta, said that, like Phi Beta Sigma, the focus of her sorority is on com- munity service. Members of Delta Sigma SEE ‘GREEK’ ON PAGE 2 OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_002.2.txt tiwvlzzb J. I "'2 ' vnfli t!N:."%‘:'(3N 8: £55.53 :7 2 - THE RING-TUM PHI use _u.=.s umzvensrr _. ~'. ‘t";'~‘t. E4-’—$€§.‘) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 Greek options added CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Theta are currently involved in a tutoring and mentoring pro- gram with Highland Park Mag- net School in Roanoke. According to Randolph, the girls will be working with the Roanoke Alumnae chapter of DST on several of their national service projects. These projects include Delta GEMS (Growing and Empower- ing Myself Successfully), a pro- gram targeted at preparing teen- age African American girls for college, and Delta Academy, a tutoring and mentoring program aimed at African American girls in middle school. Randolph wishes more atten- tion were given to the histori- cally black fraternities and so- rorities. “I feel as if the historically black Greek organizations are often overlooked,” she said. “I think we really need to fo- cus on making more people aware of our existence on cam- pus and letting them know what these organizations are about.” Randolph and two other W&L students are involved in the Tau Omega chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, which is a joint chapter between students at W&L, Roanoke College and Hollins University. The chapter was chartered in V April 2005, and Randolph hopes that in the future Delta Sigma Theta will become more local- ized on W&L’s campus. “I hope that Delta Sigma Theta will grow in numbers on W&L’s campus in the future and will be more widely known about on campus,” Randolph said. “I also hope that W&L will be able to attain their own chap- ter of DST that is not joint with other schools, [and that] we will be able to become more in- “I think awareness is being raised, lots of ques- tions are being asked, and lots of people are cu- rious about AKA and the other historically black fraternities and sororities.” . WONNE COKER, CLASS OF 2008 volved with the current Greek system.” Like Archer, Randolph noted the difference between histori- cally black fraternities and the more popular Greek system on campus in that black organiza- tions stress the lifetime conunit— ment of being involved in ser- vice. “A major difference is that our sorority ties last a lifetime,” Randolph said. “We still partici- pate in the sorority even after graduating from college and be- cause of this we have a huge net- working basis.” The historically black soror- ity Alpha Kappa Alpha is also beginning its own chapter at W&L. Sophomores Yvonne Coker, Jessica Hopper and Quiana McKenzie are currently in- volved in establishing a charter here and hoping to begin the sorority next year. “I’ve always admired women I knew in AKA and saw them as hardworking, proud, outstand- ing black women and have as- pired to be one,” Coker said. Coker added that Futrell and Director of Campus Activities Margo McClinton, both mem- bers of AKA, have helped in- spire the girls to continue their efforts to establish the sorority. Right now, Coker, Hopper and McKenzie are focusing on the five target areas the president of the national AKA program has spearheaded. These goals include educa- tion, the black family, health, the economy and the arts. The girls are currently in- volved in community service through Roanoke’s Beta Chi Omega graduate chapter of AKA. Coker said that she is pleased with the attention AKA has re- ceived thus far from members of the W&L community. “I think awareness is being raised, lots of questions are be- ing asked and lots of people are curious about AKA and the other historically black fraternities and sororities,” Coker said. “It’s opened up dialogue and made people aware of our service and activities and are taking us more seriously because we do want to collaborate with other Greek life to create a community on cam- pus.” Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) is also returning to campus as a dif- ferent breed of fraternity. According to senior Drew Davenport, SigEp is re-coloniz- ing at W&L after its three-year absence. “We’re trying to return to W&L as a fraternity that focuses on the fundamentals of what frats should be about,” he said. This includes a “sound mind and sound body under the Bal- anced Man program,” Daven- port said. “On a national level, SigEp is trying to eliminate the ‘frat boy’ image of Animal House. We’re not a drinking club. We’re focused on sharing the ideals of ' being well-balanced and well- rounded,” he said. Although Davenport hopes SigEp will not be viewed as an Animal House type of fraternity, he also stressed that the frat will host campus-wide activities. “We’re not a dry fraternity, and we’re not prohibited from hav- ing alcohol,” Davenport said, “but we’re not going to squash money on parties.” Davenport said some of the activities SigEp has already planned include etiquette parties with the sororities, swing-danc- ing lessons and art museum vis- its. He added that he hopes mem- bers of the W&L community will accept SigEp’s philosophy, al- though it may take time. Davenport said the W&L chapter of SigEp needs to earn back its charter by gaining mem- bers and doing certain activities in order to prove that they will abide by the Balanced Man phi- losophy. Although SigEp currently has 11 members, Davenport says they will not regain the charter until next year. Freshman Taylor Embury is one of the seven freshmen plan- ning to join SigEp. Embury said he saw SigEp as a middle ground between being independent and joining one of the more popular fraternities. “I felt that with other fratemi— ties you were trying to fit your- self into a mold, and I likedthe idea of starting from scratch [with SigEp],” Embury said. “Everybody feels they have to give into the traditional fraternity image or be independent, but we want to be a middle ground,” he said. These organizations realize that the social scene will be dif- ficult to change, but they are working to give students a choice. BEHIND BARS Here is the latest update on who ran afoul of the law during the last few weeks. News editor Jacob Geiger took a peek at this weekk police reports to see what you ’ve been up to. Lip-synch gone bad Many freshmen enhance their dancing skills at Lip Synch with some alcohol. Dana Statton, unfortunately, didn’t quite make it all the way home. Instead she was arrested near campus and charged with DIP and underage possession of alcohol. Since Lip Synch is all for a good cause, maybe the judge will let her off light. That makes three issues in a row For the third time in as many weeks, Behind Bars features the Lexington labyrinth, better known as one—way streets. This week’s victim ran afoul of the maze while sober. W&L student Alex Duckworth was ticketed at 3:01 a.m. last Sunday morning for the by now routine offense of driving the wrong way on a one- way street. Is Behind Bars missing something here? Has someone gone and ripped down all of the one- way signs in the city? Or does the problem start with the city itself? Why is Preston Street a one-way for one block? We think the man is trying to keep us down. Headlights return to haunt While the Lexington Police Department issued 53 DUI citations last year, DUIDs are far rarer. The acronym means “Driving While Under the Influence of Drugs,” and Adam Stubblefield was arrested for just that on Dec. 1. As is so often the case, Stubblefield was betrayed by his darkened headlights as he drove around at 2:30 a.m. When the smoke cleared, the twenty-two year old was charged with a DUID, driving without headlights and the possession of marijuana. Family affair On Dec. 9, Lexington police solved the theft of a Toshiba laptop and a set of stereo speakers. The items had been stolen from an apartment on East Washington Street on Nov. 22. Brandon Southers, Paul Southers and Earl Montgomery, who range in age from 18 — 22 years, were each arrested and charged with one count of grand larceny and one of burglary. The Southers brothers live in Lexington. Montgomery’s address was not listed in the arrest docket. I Student CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 haviors. Though the num- ber of first strikes issued last year, 129', was the highest total over the last four years, the number of second strikes issued has fallen from 14 during 2001-2002 to just one last year. Both Young and Beard credited the Traveller shuttle system for cutting downdrunkdriving. “Trav- eller is available through reasonable hours, and that’s had an impact on the drop in drunken driving rates,” Young said. “We really want to thank the staff and students over at W&L for the programs they’ve put in place,” Beard added. “They’ve worked out very well, and I hope the programs can continue.” W&L’s Traveller pro- gram has been student-run since it began operation. The group’s steering com- mittee is currently led by senior Katelyn Giarratana. , ,C,urrently, Traveller of-W fers two services: dispatch" V and express. The expfess” ' service consists of four shuttle buses that follow a set route from 10:00 pm. until 2:00a.m. on Wednes- day, Friday, and Saturday nights. The buses follow a set route that visits the freshmen dorms, the frater- nity and sorority houses and several popular off campus party sites such as Windfall Hill and the Pole Houses. 'l‘raveller’s dispatch sys- tem operates seven nights a week; dispatch drivers will take people to houses not on the regular bus route or pro- vide transit when the buses are not running. Beard’s department made 53. DUI arrests last year, an average of between four and five a month. Lex- ington officers made five ar- rests during December and three in January. The Rockbridge Country Sheriff’s office reported making 60 DUI arrests dur- ing that same time span. Beard, whose depart- ment receives state grants for DUI enforcement, said that every winter Lexington’s officers partici- pate in a statewide drunk driving crackdown called “Safe, Smart and Sober.” The program, which runs from mid—Noven1ber until January, is designed to dis- courage dmnk driving dur- ing the holiday season. According to the Na- tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Virginia had 925 driving death in 2004. Of those deaths, 39 percent in- volved at least one person with aBAC greater than .02, and 33 percent involved at .. least one person with a BAC above the legal limit of .08. Further contributing to the problem is the fact that more A than half of the people killed in Virginia accidents were not wearing a seat belt. Nati0na_1lly,40percentof I ’ fatal" accidents involve at DUI arrest rates drop least one person who has a BAC above .01, whereas in 1982 60 percent of fatal ac- cidents made the same claim. While total auto—related fatalities in Virginia have remained constant over the last thirty years, their fre- quency has diminished. While 1975 saw 2.87 deaths per million miles traveled in Virginia, 2004 statistics re- ported a ratio of only 1.17 deaths per million miles. Though W&L students drive drunk far less often today than they did ten years ago, undergraduates and law students still receive DUIs each year. Aside from the legal. ramifications associated with a DUI conviction, stu- dents also face action from the Student Judicial Coun- cil (SJC). Though SJC guidelines suggest a suspen- sion for students convicted of charges, over the last two years the council has chosen alternative punish- ments-. ,M°s.t DUI punish- ments_liave_ a strike —— sometimes with the fine, sometimes without ~ social and conduct probation and between 100-200 hours of community service. Some- times the SJC requires that a certain portion of the hours be completed inside Rockbridge County. In at least two cases last year, the SJC was forced to deal with a senior only weeks away from gradua- tion. In both incidents the council assessed 150 hours of community service while requesting that the adminis- tration withhold the student’s diploma and deny him/her the right to walk at graduation. Though the SIC has sug- gested guidelines for pun- ishment, the council consid- ers every case individually and decides on an appropri- ate punishment. Some stu- dents also choose to with- draw after DUI charges, so the SJC does not see every case involving drunk driv- ing. _. Almost every year the SJC also hears cases where underage students have i, been arrested for driving with a BAC between .01 and .08. The council has usually found those students not guilty of drunk driving but guilty of violating the university’s alcohol poli- cies.‘ Those students are usually assessed a strike and a smaller amount of com». munity service. Thoughthe S.lC’s DUI caseload has remained rela- . ’ tively constant over the last four years, Beard and Young both feel.that‘W&L students’ aregfinally getting the mes-B sage about drunk driving and taking advantage of safer means of transporta-. tion. “I remember 15 years ago DUI rates around here 2 were twice what they are _ now.” Beard said. “Stu- dents really seem to bedo-, . ing a good job this year.” OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_003.2.txt MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 Slllll l THE RING-TUM PHI 0 3 " .ru‘a‘”s DAY’ Li W E D N E s D A Y Men's — _ Riding basketball ._befs_ketl)al.l @ Randolph- @ Emory & Henry '3 V *'i$oi1tl1ernv7 I Macon Women's College, 7:00 , l_(iiIfgin_ia*~ , _ _ . Col|ege/ p_m, I ' Lynchburg Men's tennis 4 . college vs. Lynchburg College, 4:00 p.m. Women's tennis vs. Lynchburg College, 6:30 p.m. basofiyvi FRIDAY Invitational By Mike Fahey STAFF WRITER It’s been a record setting week for the Washington and Lee women’s basketball team. Last week, the girls de- feated Emory and Henry, scoring a school—record 89 points. The Roanoke game see- sawed throughout the first half, and the Generals found themselves down by two at the start of the second half. After Roanoke went on a 10-0 run in the first six n1in— utes, W&L stepped up its play and came back to take the lead with nine minutes left. Roanoke kept the game close until the final minutes, trailing by only one point with 1:28 left. In the final 1:05 of the game, freshman guard Bethany Ridenhour iced the win, hitting five of six free throws in the last minute. Senior center Jessica Hunsinger became just the sixth General to reach the 1,000 point mark, scoring a team-high 23 points in the win. Senior guard Louisa Feve added a season—high 21 points. Feve also led the team in assists with six. Feve was excited about defeat- ing Roanoke for the first time in Records fall in b-ball Women’s basketball moves up in ODAC standings with key victories school history, saying, “It was an awesome win.” Hunsinger said, “In all honesty, the reason why the E&H game had a record setting score was a direct result of Emory and Henry’s style of playing. They play a very fast paced game with quick shots which allows for more pos- sessions and thus more scoring.” Hunsinger was pleased with the team’s play, saying, “The fact that we were able to keep up with their pace is respectable. We also played pretty good defense which kept them below their 86.6 scor- ing average per game.” Another school record was set when W&L had three players notch double—doubles. Feve scored 16 points to go along with her 10 rebounds and six assists. Hunsinger added 15 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks. Feve said, “Our season has had some ups and downs, but things seem to be going pretty well right now. Hopefully these games mark the start of lots of wins to come.” Hunsinger echoed her feel- ings, saying “This season has had its rough points but we have been working extra hard off. “I have high hopes for the next six games and have full confidence that we can win every single one of them,” she said. Lax looks promising Women’s lacrosse ranked sixth in pre-season By Elliott Walker surr warren The women’s lacrosse team posted their best season in school history last year. They had an overall record of 15-4, 8-0 for con- ference games, won their third straight ODAC title and won their first-ever NCAA tournament game. The team was ranked 13 in the nation by Lacrosse Magazine is preseason poll. Unfortunately, not all the news is good. The team lost eight starters from last season. Some wonder if that loss will hinder the team’s performance this year, but it doesn’t seem to faze this team in the least. Our goals are the “same as every year,” said junior Avery Lovejoy. She and team captain Kate Lester said the team’s goal is to win ODACs again and get even further in the NCAA touma- ment than last year. “That would be spectacular,” said she. The team has four returning all- ODAC performers from last sea- son, two of which serve as cap- tains alongside Lester. Amanda Strickler and Rachel Wallick, con- sidered to be offensive and defen- sive powerhouses, respectively, were both chosen for first team honors. Strickler and Wallick are two of 18 returning players. “The diversity of players who are scor- ing threats this year is at an un- precedented high level,” said Strickler. The team has also gained six freshmen. “This year has a lot of poten- tial,” Lester said. The team plans to play several out of conference games against some of the top- ranked Division III teams. “Will- iams is always a big one,” said Lovejoy. They’re ranked sixth by La- crosse Magazine. In addition, the team will tackle other nationally ranked opponents St. Mary’s, Franklin & Marshall and Colorado College, one of the final four teams in 2005. Playing some of the best schools in D—HI lacrosse is some- thing that Lester says makes the team stronger. Lovejoy also mentioned that the team has added several Divi- sion I drills to their practice rou- tine to up their level of play. The team also boasts extreme team unity. “If everyone decides to pick it up as a team, then the results are much easier to come by,” Sarah Tilbor, a sophomore, said. Their ability to work so well together is something Strickler believes has enabled the team to win ODACS for the past three years. The women’s lacrosse team isn’t planning on going anywhere but up this season. Their first game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25 at St. Mary's. Their first home game will follow on Wednesday, March 1. “If everyone decides to pick it up as a team, then the results are much easier to come by.” SARAH TILBOR, CLASS OF 2008 Outlook bright as opening day nears Baseball team looks to build on previous successfiil years By Tom Bush STAFF WRITER Expectations are high for this year’s baseball team. The Gener- als are coming off a 27—win sea- son, one short of a school record, and are returning with nearly ev- ery starter. The Generals failed to win the ODAC tournament, fall- ing to Hampden-Sydney and Lynchburg in the semifinals. “This year our goal is to win the [ODAC] tournament, and move into NCAA play,” says se- nior outfielder and team captain Dave Mackenzie. “Anything less would be a disappointment.” The Generals return an excep- tional pitching staff. The rotation is led by junior right-hander Clayton Edwards. Edwards com- piled an 8-4 record last season, with a 2.52 ERA in 71 innings. “He was huge for us last year,” says junior outfielder/second baseman David Miller. Behind Edwards is a pair of southpaws, junior Johnson Brownlow and sophomore John Parker. Brownlow was second on the team in innings pitched and strikeouts, throwing 56.1 frames and blowing away 40 batters. Parker, despite a sub—75 MPH fastball, found success during his freshman season with excellent control, walking just three batters in nearly 52 innings. In addition, says Mackenzie, “We need our young sophomore pitchers to become more mature and fulfill leadership roles on the team.” The sophomores he is referring to include Tim Livingston, Steve Marcott, Myke Mulhem and Jeff Pharis, a group which will be ex- pected to solidify the bullpen and consistently close out games. “Marcott and Livingston were two guys who showed flashes last year and could, end up filling (a closing) role,” said junior out- fielder Richard Garland. The Generals will also count on what Edwards calls an “ar- mada” of freshmen pitching, in- cluding right—handers Brendan Clark, Andrew Henderson and Chris Sherwin. Junior catcher Jordan Wesley believes the pitching staff will “have to lead us through the tough games.” The Generals’ lineup will also look very familiar to a year ago. Gone is catcher Xak Bausch and third baseman Adam Bullock, but replacements Wesley and Edwards (when not pitching), should have little problem filling their shoes. Wesley hit .347 with 30 RBIs a year ago, starting 32 games at catcher and designated hitter. “I’ll have to play solid behind the plate,” says Wesley, “It’s some- thing I’ve directed most of my fo- cus to.” Also returning to the lineup are seniors Mackenzie, Taylor McConnell and Scott Gosselink, as well as juniors Garland and Miller. First-basemen McConnell ex- ploded last year, setting season records for hits (67), doubles (24), RBI (56) and total bases (114). His .427 batting average and 7 home runs were both team highs as well. McConnell is expected to anchor the lineup again this year. Miller hit .391 in a school—record 161 at- bats, and was a First team All- ODAC selection his sophomore year. Garland should continue to provide power to the heart of the lineup, as he hopes to build on the success of last year (.326 BA/4 HR/30 RBI). Gosselink, who hit .349 and led the team in runs and stolen bases a year ago, is expected to move to second base this year. The shift will open up room for junior Ray Sweeney to play shortstop and provide defensive help on the left side of the infield. “Ray will be one of, if not the best fielding shortstop in the ODAC,” stated Miller. Rounding out the lineup is Mackenzie. He’ll return to centerfield, where he started all 40 games a year ago. PLAYERS TO WATCH Taylor Mcconnell FIRST BASE 2005 Single-season school records “There are no weaknesses,” says a confident Edwards. Now in his 20'“ season, Head Coach Jeff Stickley is optimistic, but says it is a little early to tell. “We did lose a good catcher and solid third baseman from last year,” says Stickley, “But I feel like the guys can step in and do a good job.” Stickley maintains that the players’ experience and ability to play several positions will be ex- tremely positive attributes to this year's team. A three-time ODAC Coach of the Year, Stickley has had enor- mous success over the past seven seasons, tallying a record of 158- 87. Players say that his laid back attitude is a big reason why. “He lets us play, because he knows we can, but gets on us if we let up any,” says Wesley, “It’s a great environment and he keeps the game fun, which is key at such a demanding academic school.” Garland agrees, saying, “He trusts his players’ abilities, (and) knows when he needs to do some- thing to get us going.” So how does the coach himself attribute his great success? “Certainly we have had good Edwards Clayton PITCHER players over the last several years, and the attitude and work ethic has regenerated itself from year to year,” says Stickley, deflecting the attention from himself. “As you know, good players make good coaches.” The Generals kick off the sea- son Feb. l3 against Piedmont in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite a diffi— cult non-conference schedule, the Generals believe the lofty expec- tations are justified. “I think 30 wins is a reasonable expectation from this team,” re- marks Garland. Here’s to hoping he’s right. OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_004.2.txt 4 ° THE RING-TUM PHI arts&life MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 By Abrl Nelson STAFF WRITER The word still makes you blush. And now, The Vagina Monologues are coming. Although views of femininity have changed positively in recent years, society still has a long way to go, according to a coali- tion of students here at Washington and Lee. These students have been rehearsing for perfor- mances of the intemation— ally acclaimed show The Vagina Monologues, to be performed later this week. The Vagina Mono- logues is part of an inter- national campaign, known as V-Day, to combat vio- lence against women and girls. Stephanie Yost, Vice President of the Women’s Law Students Organiza- tion (WLSO), has been working since July to ‘The Vagina Monologues’ help students think INSIDE THE bring the show back to campus in conjunction with the campus—wide cel- ebration of 20 years of women at W&L. The show consists of a series of monologues by playwright Eve Ensler, that are performed at hun- dreds of colleges around the United States every year. WLSO sponsored the first showing of the mono- logues at W&L two years ago. There are plans to continue performances of the show every other year, according to Yost, who re- cruited fellow law student Kristal High to direct the show. Senior Kristine Holda became involved in the show through her interest in theater and after finding out that it was coming back to campus early last month. She saw the per- formance as a sophomore and became even more in- trigued when she read the monologues for class. Each monologue fo- cuses on a specific transi- tive moment in the lives of women. The monologues have been described as provocative and challeng- ing because they address women’s issues head on. According to Holda, “these monologues show how delicately powerful the female body, mind and soul really are. . .when women don’t understand their own bodies or their sexuality, that becomes a deep personal problem.” The cast and crew of the show are very excited to have the opportunity to bring the show back to campus. Third—year law student Jillian DiLaura, di- rector of the show two years ago, said, “It’s very easy to become isolated in Lexington and forget about other issues.” Those involved are eager to chal- lenge students to think and to examine the way they think about women and how they should act. “My hope is that audi- ences here at W&L will earnestly engage with the show,” said assistant direc- tor and second-year law student Wes J arrell. “They may find themselves re- evaluating assumptions they didn’t know they had, and. . .the fact that they have that dialogue within themselves or with others will make the show a suc- cess.” However, the show is about more than just rais- ing awareness; it is also about raising money. Each year V—Day picks a differ- ent issue to fund and ad- dress directly. The rest of the money raised goes to support local Women’s is- sue efforts. This year’s issue high- lights the plight of “com- fort women” exploited by the Japanese military in World War II. The rest of the money from the tickets and t- shirts being sold in the Commons will go to sup- porting Safehome Systems in Covington, Va. WLSO is also collect- ing supplies for Project Horizon, an advocacy group and shelter for abused women and girls here in Rockbridge County. “The show is really an eye-opener and not really what you expect it to be,” said Holda. “It says all the things that most women are afraid to say.” Performances will be in the Johnson Theater on Feb. 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in the Commons and at the Law School Brief Stop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this week. OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_005.2.txt MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 THE RING-TUM PHI 5 PHOTO: LEE SHUBERT Breaking the tension, sophomore Libby Moore mocks the social conventions that govern their lives. The fall of the house ofA lba ‘Alba’ selected to showcase the talents ‘of a predominantly female theater department By E.J. Boyer STAFF WRITER Although Washington and Lee remains one of the few universities in the nation where male students outnum- ber female students, there is one place on campus that most of the men avoid, and it isn’t the srat houses. It is the stage at the Lenfest Center. The ratio of actresses to actors on our campus is “Nine or ten to one,” says Thomas “T” Anderson, the Theater Depa1tment’s Tech- nical Director. That imbal- ance presents a particular challenge to the Theater De- partment: finding plays with mostly female roles. That challenge is height- ened, said Anderson, by the fact that “modem drama underserves women.” Theater Professor Kim- berly Jew says that Lenfest’s current drama, The House of Bernarda Alba, represents that rare dramatic produc- tion—a play featuring an all female cast performing what Jew, the director, calls “meaty roles.” The play, framed by death and family conflict, turns on the oppressive reign of the widow Bernarda Alba over her five daughters. After the death of her husband, Bemarda imposes an an eight—year mourning period on the household, forbidding her daughters, aging towards spinsterhood, to have any in- teraction with men—even in conversation. It is a lifestyle they resent. Although the play takes place in a rural Spanish vil- lage during the early 20th century, the actresses are cos- tumed in clothes from differ- ent eras as a means of em- phasizing what Jew calls the “archetypal experience of women.” Bernarda, the over- bearing mother, is dressed in full Victorian garments, in- cluding a corset, to highlight her oppressive, frozen-in- time personality. In the course of the play, Bernarda’s daughters display different degrees of rebellion against their mother, which is illustrated by their dress. The oldest daughter, Angustias, is the most influenced by her mother, and dresses therefore in “quasi-Victorian” clothes that gives her a close resem- blance to Bemarda. The sec- ond daughter, Magdalena, appears in empire—waist dresses that were popular around 1900. Bemarda’s middle daughter, Amelia, is costumed in flapper—style dresses, from the 1920’s that feature dropped waistlines. The fourth daughter, Martirio, wears l930’s style clothing. The youngest and most rebellious daughter, Adela, is placed in the l950’s, on the edge of rock- and roll, and even appears in a bright green dress despite her household’s strict moum— ‘ ing period. Costume designer Jessica Miller said this cos- tume scheme “showed that as the characters got younger in age, they also got younger in time.” Anderson suggests that the costuming from different eras illustrates a political point: the “problems that women suffer really haven’t . changed.” Jew touches on this in the director’s note of the pro- gram. She wrote that the play “presented the entirety of the Women’s experience—her youth, middle years, and ma- turity—asking us to consider. . .a society that twists and deforms the most V basic human impulses and re- lationships we possess.” If it all sounds a bit like a Gender’s Studies exercise, it is not wholly the fault of the Theater Department. Blame it on the Lenfest—shy men of W&L. _ By Kate Shellnutt "S{l'AF¥ WRITER A, Speak Week, a re- ’ vival of the campus speaking tradition, be» i -‘gins today as a part of Kathekon’s effort to in- crease school spirit. The organization no- ticed the negative effects of cell phones, iPods and student self-conscious- .;ne.ss on the strength of the speaking tradition. It planned Speak Week to ‘encourage students to adhere to the tradition despite these ‘changes in campus culture. . “I do think we have to L be intentional in our ef- forts to keep the speak- ‘ ing tradition alive,” said Kathekon member Meghan loss, senior. “Of the many traditions that make our campus unique, it is among the most important to pre- serve.” loss considered the speaking tradition’s 213‘ century threats. , “Especially since the cellphone issue has been brought up, I think students are making a concerted effort. . . when they are walking and talking on the phone,” she said. “The iPod, on the other hand, need- lessly impedes ‘speak- ing."’ Junior Laura Pekman agreed. . “Since I've bee here, I haven ’t seen dras- tic changes in the speak- ing tradition—~the same amount of people are on cell phones, the "same amount of people are , rushing. It should be better, but I don’t think it’s on a decline,” she said. Although cell phones and iPods are modern phenomena, fear over the speaking tradition’s decline is not. The Ring- tum Phi began printing letters to the editor con- cerning the status of the speaking tradition as far back as 1928. At that time, an As- _ similation Committee strictly enforced the speaking tradition, along with other established practices like wearing “freshmen caps,” dress- ing up for class, and not ‘Walking on the lawn. These traditions made up the “honorable be- havior” advocated by President Robert E. Lee the century before. The committee of up- perclassmen reported and fined students who did not comply. No such . committee exists today, but the responsibility of upholding the speaking tradition still relies on upperclassmen. » f“It would be awk- ward if you forced people to say hi,” said sophomore Chony Lu. a “Most peopie try to do peaking radition still alive Speak Week promotes courtesy it, and I think that’s enough to show the school's friendliness.” This friendliness can help ease freshmen into their first semester at Washington and Lee. “Being from the north, any sort of speak- ing tradition would‘ phase me for a while. After visiting my friends at other schools, I real- ized how nice it is to have the speaking tradi- tion here,” said freshman Shreya Durvasula. No other institution has a historically estab- lished speaking tradition comparable to W&L’s. A 1941 Ring-tum Phi editorial claimed the tra- dition “helps make the difference between two schools like Washington and Lee and the Univer- sity‘of Virginia.” Duke Univcrsity’s student newspaper, The Chronicle, even ran a column last month advo- cating the school adopt a similar tradition. “The much-admired ‘Speaking Tradition’ at Washington and Lee University was imple- mented by Robert E. Lee - L 200 years ago and is still 7' S upheld today,” writes Jane Chang. “I hereby officially propose we es- tablish a speaking tradi- tion of our own.” The Student Recruit- ment Committee finds the speaking tradition’s uniqueness a point of in- terest for prospectives on tours. It shows how the school values com- munity. “(The speaking tradi- tion] is a simple act but one whose meaning and value we should not un- derestimate,” said late President John W. Elrod in his 1995 Inaugural Address. “We are fortu- nate, indeed privileged, to live in such a commu- nity where the dignity and value of each person is incarnated in commu- nity—defining traditions and which calls upon each of its members to relate through them.” For many, the exist- ence of these values at W&L will perpetuate the practice of the speaking A tradition. “Every year, doomsayers report that the Speaking Tradition is _ dying away. Granted, it is no longer strictly en- forced, but this special tradition has proved its durability,” said writer losh Manning in a 1990 Ring-tum Phi article. “The faculty and stu- dents make W&L what it isacademically, the di- verse variety of activities make it what it is so- cially, the Honor System makes it what it is ethi- cally. The Speaking Tra- dition, however, makes W&L a home.” OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_006.2.txt 6 0 THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 IIIIIIIIIIIIS feditorial A journalistic approach Like predecessors, the Phi uses truth to defend the reporting behind weekly news feature on student arrests Recently, the Phi achieved something most newspapers only dream of. People have been reading to page two. What they find there, among advertisements and secondary news stories, is the truth. The truth is, we are college students who make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes result in a ticket, or an arrest. In our weekly news feature, Behind Bars, we report briefly on local police reports——which, more often than not, include many student arrests. Not only are these reports a simple matter of public record, which could be easily accessed by any caring citizen, but also, they contain something every journalist hungers for: news. In 1735, Andrew Hamilton successfully argued truth as a defense for this. Today, many of the student arrests could easily provide the Phi with material for a front—page news story. Realizing the sensitivity to social exposure on campus, we’ve reduced them to second- page briefs. In an attempt to provide some level of anonymity for embar- rassed students, we also chose to print only the students’ initials. (You’ll notice we have begun printing full names. This is based on recent legal advice.) There is a phenomenon—-or should we say phobia?--at this school: people pack their skel- editor “The Phi did not drink six shots of vodka and then try to drive home. You did those things...the Phi is holding you responsible.” etons neatly away in their clos- ets, until the closet is full and the stench is unbearable. In short, you are afraid of the truth. A clause of our mission state- ment, publshed Jan. 16, states our desire to hold you accountable for your actions--and we’re do- ing just that. Some students have ques- tioned the journalistic integrity of printing these news briefs. True: the style of the briefs—— Police blotter supported by facts To the Editor: A letter in last week’s Phi complained of the sassy com- mentary attached to the police briefs in “Behind Bars,” suggest- ing that the writer of this weekly feature would likely be ashamed to show it to W&L’s journalism professors. We professors in Reid Hall prefer to keep our judgments on student publications quiet, out of respect for their autonomy and hoping for robust, uninhibited student journalism. But I will say that the writer of “Behind Bars” has nothing to be ashamed of. These items come from open records, your basic police blot- ter available for all to see — with the full names of those charged rather than the initials, which the Phi chooses to use for some rea- son. It’s great to see actual report- ing being done. As for the com- mentary, of course this isn’t the style of police—blotter news in a typical newspaper. But the Phi is a campus paper. This is fair comment, perfectly legal and in keeping with the broader tradi- tions of journalism. I’d much rather see attitude with good re- porting than attitude without re- porting, which seems to pre- dominate in the weaker campus papers across the land. And what more important issue is there for commentary, in the realm of stu- dent life here, than the excessive and underage drinking that ac- counts for most of the semi- anonymous student cases that end up in “Behind Bars”? Doug Cumming, Ph.D. Prof. of Journalism Reid Hall How to stop assault To the Editor: I want to applaud the staff of The Ring-tum Phi for openly coming out in last week’s issue and condemning the prolific sexual assault that occurs on this campus. Both papers have put together informative articles on the most recent statistics released from the Health Surveys, but the staff of The Ring-tum Phi took it a step further, and it heartens me to know that there are still people on this campus who are willing to show that they have a conscience. There’s more to life than drinking and hooking-up; there are some severe problems that plague this campus. My only fear is that last week’s Phi article will amount to nothing more than fiery rhetoric, effectively rousing our passions for a short while, only to allow them to wither into apathy once more. In my three years here, I have witnessed a conspicuous lack of action on the part of students; we are guilty of saying one thing,‘ but doing another, or more likely, doing nothing. I want to issue a challenge to every student on this campus who feels passionately about an issue: Put your money where your mouth is. If, in this instance, you are tired of hearing about sexual assault and how Washington and Lee consistently experiences twice the usual incidence of sexual assault, then do something about it. We are . fighting a culture that has for decades not overtly supported, but tacitly allowed this egregious behavior to be perpetrated with virtual impunity. Perhaps we want to label this “tradition,” though I hardly think anybody would want to claim sexual assault as this institution’s legacy. Regardless, this is a learned behavior. Maybe I’m just being hopeful and not wanting to believe that this university would admit an inordinately high number of sexual predators into its ranks, but I think it’s hard to argue against the assertion that the environment of this school plays a significant role in creating problems such as sexual assault. The question, then, If you are tired of sexual assualt and its myriad of problems, then do something about it. is how do we change things? The answer, it seems to me, is a matter of greater personal accountability. First off, students must be cognizant of their own actions, especially in situations where sexual assaults are most likely to occur, namely at parties. Alcohol is a contributing factor in a vast majority of sexual assaults, and this appears to be one of the easiest problems to remedy. I’d like to see more men and women stand up for their friends at parties: chastise them if they are too drunk and about to make a stupid hook- up, cock-block on all accounts, resort to public humiliation if necessary, but do whatever it takes to keep your friends out of potentially dangerous sexual situations. Secondly, students should educate themselves about this topic. Each year, the university brings in speakers to talk about these subjects, but frequently the audience is sparse and filled with the same people time and again. Three times a year, Project Horizon holds volunteer training to prepare individuals who want to volunteer at their shelter, and this experience provides invaluable information on the issues of domestic, dating, and sexual violence. Lastly, get involved! If you really are tired of sexual assault and its myriad problems, then do something about it. Men, join 1 in 4 and become an active member in an organization that is working hard to put an end to this problem. Women, join SPEAK, a new women’s group designed to educate women about the issue of sexual assault. Men and women should look into the Gender Relations Committee or LIFE, two organizations that are also working together to combat the problems of sexual assault. There is certainly no shortage of outlets for positive action. My point in this letter is to show that words are often not enough to precipitate change. It’s time for students to follow up their rhetoric with actions, and for those actions to align with what is being said, lest we become hypocrites. Matthew Loar Class of 2007 with dry witticisms from the re- porter--is not something found in USA Today. Also true: this is a college newspaper. There are no children in our audience. We don’t have to hold your hand like a small child and we don’t have to make things easy for you. The “joumalistic integrity,” then, comes from the acquisition and publication of knowledge which is pertinent to campus. questions , I-In syncn L behavior a I To thefiditor: ’ , In responsegjto the A I }“ staff‘-editoriai ‘Of 30"" ‘V -concerning’ drunken 7 jg. at Lip‘ Synch: I ‘ V if-"To .ju’stiry;aa’1egai*i-CanefV.‘ "urih¢ait¥1y actrritr lbeeause‘it':aises‘1tro:iey 1‘ , F "for aiworthy cause is . aeronsf‘ ; ‘?'.mi<1er~ ,1: jidinlg;-‘The’ enddoes A '~110’.-"i¥*.“ifY the mé2ns« If i I it did, ’fuiid tai_sing1.=f" ‘_ .wou}_d be mucireasier: V. ’_ one:’p'_ou1djust'steal they r » ’moirey. '£‘here_ is V s absolutely, no logical r ,ar£11mentTi:"tjhat ’:can rationalize the behavior - - I I exhibited’ at}I.ip Syneh. ' ;=l~7 I MWLU has manjrflfigle ii-f';: tra_.d‘1‘tions.rAad- it has , ”maay'appailin‘g ones as I l 2 w¢1LWes¢¢mfoho¥don.«.. ' 'them. all 'e‘qua1_ V ever» f.Asso¢.‘ Pmf.-Jot’-Musié =" j « - ,.;aaeon:,,Han A . FINE LINGERIE Br'mo$*Youfi.7now ends Whafetoméoret Feline Hanky Panky Coeabeiia Le: Myfitfire Arienne Honeydew 21 W. Nelson St. 463-6963 Mon ~ Fri 1.0-5:30 Sat I{.i~5 “semper ubi still ubt‘ " The original American news- papers were created to stir people up. The Phi is not interested in starting a revolution, or stirring things up. We just want to open the win- dows and air out this stuffy place. I The Phi does not stand alone. An Atlanta newspaper, Cre- ative Loafing, runs the same kind of stories under the heading “Bad Habits.” A Rockbridge County news- paper prints every ticket and ev- ery arrest weekly. We have the First Amendment and numerous court precedents to support us. With this assurance, we will continue to fulfill our purpose. The purpose of journalism is to provide an audience with the information they need to be a citi- zen. Rather than suggest rumors, devoid of any truth, the Phi re- ports what happened. As you open up Groupwise and prepare to write scathing let- ters to the editor-—all of which will be printed next week--please keep in mind that the Phi did not drive the wrong way down Preston Street. The Phi did not drink six shots of vodka and then try to drive home. You did those things. And you are being punished for them. ' The Phi is holding you re- sponsible. The above represents the ma- jority opinion of the Phi edito- rial stajf «rev WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY ~—— —« —-— THE RING-TUM PHI. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS SPORTS OPINIONS ARTS&LIFE COPY EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGN DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHER WEBMASTER BUSINESS MANAGER KATHERINE GREENE JACOB GEIGER AMANDA THOLKE TIM LIVINGSTON KATHRYN KRALL DAN HARRIS E.J. BOYER TOM ausn MIKE FAHEY JACOB GEIGER SARAH KIENTZ TIM LIVINGSTON ABRI NELSON JESSICA SHAW KATE SHELLNUTT JENNIFER surron ELLIOTT WALKER EMILY HULEN LEE SHUBERT ROB ARMSTRONG DAVID SEIFERT The Filnglum Phi is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year at Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia. The Ring-tum Phi is a member 01 The Media Board, which can be readied at mediaboard@wlu.edu, but is otherwise independent. The Ring-rum Phi welcomes all letters. All submissions must be emailed to phi@Mu.edu or in the University Center mailbox by 5 pm. Friday to appear in the Iollowing week's edition. The Hingtum Phi reserves the right to edit submlssi for content and length. Letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion oi The Fling-rum Phi Editorial Board. Advertising does not reflect the opinions of The Ring-tum PM or its stafl. This newspaper observes current ooun definitions oi libel and L nny. The Fling-tum Phi University Commons Room. 341 Washington and Lee University Lexington. Virginia 24450 Telephone: (540) 458-4060 Fax: (540) 458-4059 Email: phi@wIu.edu Subscription rate $40 'I‘I1c I\).ICIlIl1(')i!LI I.iaIIcl ‘.IlIII'l .33 A‘; rain Illk \., I Ci‘ “‘.\-l'tI. i\iI.i£v. ii :I.]II['.‘ .11 j.=.rI'r. Ikt.‘II\ l’ I.i.|I..'{’1Il K. OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_007.2.txt MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 THE R|NG—TUM PHI 0 Undemocratic democracy Palestinian politics need to escape tyrannical agenda of terrorism to gain power; reach peace in the Middle East By Jennifer Sutton C 0 L U M N IS T In a world where radicalism reigns, the election of the politically-extreme Hamas comes as no surprise. With signs of stability after riding the storm that ensued from Israel’s disengagement plan in the Gaza Strip, things finally begin to look up for a region marked by years of conflict and tragedy. It seems wrong to point fingers at the Israelis for their recent reforms and the Bush administration’s road—map to peace. But this nice facade had no role in repairing a defunct system that had corrupted the Palestinian people for years, the Fatah Movement. There have been various historical issues with the land (issues which have resulted in overt aggression by the Arab League on numerous occasions). These problems in Gaza and parts of the West Bank (which began with Israeli acquisition in 1967) were exacerbated when Clinton and Yitzhak Rabin, the late Israeli Prime Minister, “This undoubtedly corrupt terrorist organization did something everyone else failed to do: it recognized the Palestinians’ domestic issues.” JENNIFER SUTTON, CLASS OF 2009 revived the formerly ousted revolutionary terrorist Yasser Arafat from the outskirts of Tunisia. ‘ Perhaps they felt compelled to find a fitting leader for the Palestinian people. Instead, for lack of better options, they aimed at converting a bona-fide terrorist whose prior claim to fame was the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). This organization was comprised to wreak havoc on Israelis world-wide until they became extinct or were thrown into the sea, which ever came first. In retrospect, this decision was clearly erroneous. At the time world leaders felt that Arafat’s secular outlook was a comparable neutralizer to Hamas’ radically religious fundamentalism. My objective here is not to criticize Clinton because Rabin held an equally responsible role in Arafat’s revival. It is important to take note that Clinton’s administration did little to mitigate the harm caused by Arafat’s anival. There were the much-touted Oslo Accords, which failed miserably, due in part to Arafat’s refusal to take the steps necessary to achieve peace. This deal resulted in Ehud Barak offering an obscene amount of land and Arafat blatantly rejecting it, which resulted in the second intifada. Then of course, there was Hilary Clinton’s infamous gaffe where she kissed a corrupt Suha Arafat who had just accused Israelis of poisoning the milk of Palestinian babies. No one, not the world community or the US held, Arafat or Fatah accountable for their behavior. Thus, there is no doubt that prior presidential administrations and world-leaders played a role in reviving the terrorists whose wide- spread corruption was a catalyst for Hamas’ recent win. Instead of attempting to aid the Palestinian people who he claims to have fought for, Arafat spent years funneling aid money, meant to feed and educate impoverished children and rebuild infrastructure in war-tom parts of the West Bank and Gaza, to his family and their cronies. While Suha lived the high-life on the Charnps—Elysee, millions of Palestinians remained without proper health-care or aid. Yet one is forced to ask where the UN, America and the Western world were during those formidable years. Nowhere in sight evidently because there was clearly no regulation of the billions of dollars being sent to the corrupt PLO, who was quickly siphoning it away. Ironically, the only people who allegedly seemed to ‘help’ these forgotten people was Hamas, a militant Islamic group whose primary objective is to destroy the state of Israel. They provided health-care, education, summer-camps and other forms of infrastructure to the Palestinian people. These summer-camps teach children to throw grenades, glorify and encourage martyrdom, and employ textbooks which neglect to recognize the existence of Israel Furthermore, they promote rampant propaganda and anti- Seinitism, implying they too had an agenda. This undoubtedly corrupt terrorist organization did something everyone else failed to do: it recognized the Palestinians domestic issues and sought to effectively fix their welfare. Unfortunately, for Abbas and Bush’s sake, their time to reign came far too late. Bush, who would not deal with Arafat, and Abbas, who was the first Palestinian leader to make actual strides on the road—map to peace, when presented with huge road- blocks, did too little, too late. Now the tables have shifted from the optimism that beset the region only months earlier. Hamas is now running the show, Fatah is officially defunct, Bush is continuing to promote democracy in regions where radicalism prevails and Ariel Sharon is essentially comatose after revamping Israeli politics. Is there any way to rectify the major mistakes of the past? The Westem—world is finally trying, after years of criticizing the Israelis (excluding America) and sitting on the sidelines taking jabs at the Prime Ministers of Israel. The Big Four have agreed to freeze aid to the region until Hamas revamps its political charter, but this is only a first step in fixing the issue. This is a wake-up call to the Fatah movement, showing them that their war-lord ways have reached an end, and it is time to either step up to the plate or allow radicalism and propaganda to ruin whatever hope is left in the region. ADVERTISEMENTS Need clips? Wriie for The Phi. Contact us today of phi@w|u.edu. WANTED: Summer Scholars Counselors June 28 ~—~ July 29, 2006 Are you looking for a Way to spend an excit.ingE3uly iii Lexington while positively affecting high school stiiderzts and getting paid? Working as 21 Summer Scholars Counselor creates for you that oppciirturiity by allowing you to work with approximately 120 rising high school seniors for four weeks in July. 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CARE Medi.ci.m=:;‘Su rge ry.fDer:t'istrjy'i!}xiar£Itrig/Grorirniiig is ymrr pat alone w.in"Ie you are at cixtsaes or sports? Bring your pet to our (Iayc'zire.' We fore the Cihiterais ’ pets! 10% OFF F’I'RS'I‘ VISIT WITH THIS (Z‘(}[§’P(}N Route 1] Ni>rt§i_, lcfi mile beyond Walsiriart «Sc Imwes 463-261 5» OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060206/WLURG39_RTP_20060206_008.2.txt 8 THE RING-TUM PHI word MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2006 Catering‘ Attaiioiiie For To Facebook or not to Facebook Despite thewaste of time, benefits abound 1 By Tim Livingston opuuous zones I Facebookis probably I would estimate that the cumulative weekly hours wasted staring at this intricate and master— j fully organized friend syndicate would be I somewhere around one million hours for Wash ington and Lee alone. Trust me, I’ve done the . . . E tion that an experienced Facebooked (yes that’s a the worst thing to hop stalker would also check word) the girl and found oi’? any 3 -tutti é'&i‘¥y tat? E pen to college GPA’s out wall messages and that she liked a band .gjy§~fi§r'.gg§ 3' n—gvne,«;»» 5;’ order of since beer took over probably take a quick from her hometown that 3 g 5535 M» I gjgggg ma» Eidflii :3?’ 3 campuses nationwide. peek at your photos. nobody has ever heard mamv mom‘ mama t" i calculations. Why do peoplespend so much time on Facebook? The answer lies somewhere between the relationship status for anyone at our school to view. That’s not to men- Is the Facebookan invasion of privacy or just guilty of wasting hours of the student body’s precious time? My outlook insists that the Facebook is harm- less, and that the afore- mentioned “stalking” is innocuous as well. The activities are generally positive in that they promote continued relationships and en- courage new ones. People .spend hours When he returned to asafe and non—re'siden— ‘ tial location he quickly of. This man then found the band’s website, rush or- dered one of their t—shirts and had it on in class the next day. The shirt obviously struck the girl’s eye, and he explained how he saw them randomly over the break and loved their music enough to buy a t- shirt. I This ploy obviously was successful as they Renaissance . (540) 26Zl-7992 Fax: {5?‘~i0_I 26-i~l6§3% 1814 Magnolia Auguste Beretta Vista, VA 2é416 Any {){3£Z*(32ii£)Il~3 We Serve tire Fi2t.tf+at Itzziérrzt Fooci in Roefehridge {.?ozrrtiy;* Appetizers, (Even. iiailsed Dishes, Seafooci, Rihejge, lilhielren Qisizeai Pasta Dishes 0 en 6 tin: s A Weeizi . . 1) Hmivgp with our Fariimrs Ev1f.zirrrra:‘a ' V " ‘” Sauce or A.I.:l'redo E?ia‘u.t%el Closed Stmcfiay ‘ ' ildbrzday M Thursd(2y.* 1 Jam, -~ .1 ("team Pizzas’ bum Friday ems? 8zrI‘ztrti::t3,~': I lam M 3 Jpn: A8. {,1 on 1'-{remisea ~» Z.t>i3’l-L’ Moat? ffredit‘ iifarcia rleeepted Only 6 miles east of Lexington w. ...»..<.» M ...~» .~» we-~ ww r. §$i:£..s S San w «-.- n.v«r«-»w<-I%».§n~ ~ean>eoo««/'4 a«-.m»..;...-.»m«x Why rent a tuxedo for $89 when you can buy one tor $78? natural human trait of curiosity and the other more prevalent desire to eavesdrop. I guarantee that if forced to pledge on his or her honor, not one stu~ dent at our small institu- tion would claim they’ ve never taken part in f‘Facebook stalking.” _ Do others find it strange that I could de« duce your entire life story through the various clues on Facebook with» out ever meeting you? ‘ We list our interests, favorite movies, Greek ; organizations, even our procrastinating by checking out how their friend at Montana Poly- technic A&M State is doing. Equally exciting is have been dating ever since. While we all have the tendency to blame I Facebook when it is four o’c1ocl( in the morning becoming fast friends and that lab report still with another person at is not done, it is crucial their school without ever to remember that having to meet them. Facebooking is an en- Perhaps the most in- tirely voluntary activity. novative use of But at the end of the Facebook stalking came day, perhaps it will be from a friend I have at a the Facebook relation~ large public school on ship that you renewed the West Coast. with your best friend He was in a 500—per- from third grade that son lecture class and was means more to you than sitting two rows behind a grade on an assign- a hot young damsel. ment; Ilirect from the factory! SIIllSfrom$98iSP0flTI30ATSfroInS4E§TllXEIll8froIn$7II£lllIESSSI|IlITSfIom$llI.91I’%T|EStromS9.99 Q) SamsFactoryOutIet crossroads Mall, Roanoke of Roamm Inc‘ (540)255-9630 IInIIIII.samsfaotoryout|et.I:om Vl&L Alumni Owned *il¥**-,._;t @ TOYOTA ANY NEW TOYOTA OF YOUR IOIIOIOEI AS A OOLLEOE OBAII. YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE! »- ‘NOT ALL CUSTOMERS WILL QUALIFY. 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