OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060504/WLURG39_RTP_20060504_001.2.txt V, .~.. .7»... »- “-- WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY TI-IE RING=TUM PHI. THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 VOLUME CIX, NUMBER 19l l ttainside The inbox is full Students, professors and administrators respond to last ,week’s letter to the editor which questioned Washington and Lee’s admissions standards for minority students. Pages 4-5. Teen drowns in Maury Drowning is fourth death in four years near the low rise dam at Jordan is Point By Jacob Geiger NEWS EDITOR Special coverage for special visitors Wondering where your favorite alumni will be hanging out this weekend? Check inside for full coverage of Alumni Weekend, including a schedule of important events and student reactions to the influx of visi- tors. Page 6. Cops crack down at Foxfields Fexfields has come and gone, and police officers from around the state followed through on their promises to crack down on the event’s rampant underage drinking. Check inside for full coverage of the event’s wining, dining and racing. Page 2. tiatticket Tickets are not actually re- quired for this event, but the women’s tennis team, currently ranked first in the NCAA’s Division III, takes on Mary Washington University on Saturday, May 6. The Gener- als’ match begins at 10:00 a.m., and No. 12 Carnegie Mellon takes on No. 18 Swarthmore at 2:00 p.m. The winners from Saturday’s matches will play on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. If the team wins on both Saturday and Sunday, it would advance to the NCAA National Cham- pionships at the University of Califomia-Santa Cruz. UVa saga continues The 17 students who were arrested after their sit-in at UVa’s administration build- ing, Madison Hall, appeared before the University Judiciary Committee on Monday, May 1. According to The Cavalier Daily, the students were or- dered to write letters apologiz- ing to and thanking several groups on campus. They were convicted by the committee on three counts of violating the committee’s standards. The charges are: unauthorized entry into or occupation of UVa facilities, intentional disruption of UVa activities and failing to follow directions of UVa of- ficials acting to enforce any of the other standards of conduct. The students must write to the University police department, the university administration and several employees whose schedules were disrupted by the sit-in. as sea readers A2'K°f,M’Z~ The Phi will return to news- tands on Monday, May 15 with our penultimate issue of the 2005-2006 school year. Lexington resident and certi- fled scuba diver Charles Volpe drowned at Jordan’s Point last week. He is the fourth person to drown at that spot on the Maury River since 2003. Volpe, a 16-year-old sopho- more at Rockbridge County High School, was swimming upriver of the darn around 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 23 when he and Bryc Talley, a friend who was with him, were both swept over the dam. Talley was able to escape the dam’s un- dercurrent, but Volpe was pinned under the surface by the force of the water. Lt. Steve Crowder of the Lex- ington Police Department refuted rumors that the boys had been playing on the top of the dam. “After speaking with witness- es who were on the scene, I’m adamantly convinced they were swimming upstream and were washed over the dam.” Crowder, who coordinates di- saster management for the Lex- ington police, was called just after 4 p.m. and told Volpe had drowned. The officer immediate- ly called Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management, which provides logistical support — div- ers, helicopters, Red Cross assis- tance — to local departments. “The local divers were there pretty fast,” Crowder said. “The State Police called and couldn’t initially provide support, but they worked out some details and were able to come with a helicopter in about 35 minutes, which is excel- lent response time.” The Rockbridge Country Sherilf’s oflice has two divers, and there is a Swifi Water Res- cue group based in Buena Vista. Crowder also said divers from WestVaCo, a paper company, came over from Covington, Va. to assist the search teams. Volpe’s body was discovered JACOB GEIGEVR / News Editor Family and friends of Charles Volpe gathered at Jordan’s Point for a memorial service on Sunday, April 30. The Rockbridge County High School jazz band, in which Volpe had played tenor saxophone, performed at the service. just below the dam by a cadaver dog from the Blue and Gray Search Dog Company. The group works with the state’s emergency management department. Divers from the Augusta Country Sher- iff’s Department were then able to find the body underwater. The search took nearly 24 hours. According to his obituary, Volpe was a member of the high school’s jazz band and tennis team. He also held seven certifi- cations from the National Associ- ation of Underwater Instructors, a group that certifies scuba divers. At 4 p.m. on Sunday the Mau- ry River was moving past the U.S. Geological Service’s stream flow gage at 1,630 cubic feet per second. ‘ The average stream flow during this week of April fluctu— ates between 600-700 cubic feet per second. The nearest gage is located in Buena Vista. There are hundreds of dams like the one at Jordan’s Point scat- tered across the country. Most were originally designed to pro- vide electrical power for small School names women deans Female students and faculty say school must still do more By Jessica Shaw STAFF WRITER On July 1, newly appointed Deans Janet lkecla and Elizabeth Knapp will join an all-male ad- ministration in Washington Hall. The announced resignation of Dean Ellen Mayock on Feb. 28 marked the departure of the only female member of the academic administration. In the controver- sy surrounding her resignation, many faculty members and stu- dents have taken a stand in clear contention with the lack of diver- sity in the administration. “I think it’s subtle. It teaches male and female students that there’s something unusual about women who want to be in charge,” Associate Professor of Politics Robin Leblanc said. “It can often cast a negative light on ambitious women on any level.” Leblanc is only one of the fac- ulty members challenging this situation. In the 24 hours following Mayock’s announced resignation, junior Paten Hughes compiled a petition containing 311 signatures protesting the lack of women in the academic administration. “I didn’t know what else do, and I wanted there to be a way to voice my concern, my friends’ concern, other students’ concern,” Hughes said. Even with the addition of Ikeda and Knapp, the school’s ef- forts to reach gender equilibrium among students since 1985 are not reflected in the diversity of its academic administrators. Many faculty and students view this as a problem on several levels. “I feel like it’s hard as a wom- an on this campus to feel like I can be successful where I don’t see women being promoted, and I don’t see their successes being honored,” Hughes said. “Without women in these positions, how can we feel like we belong in those positions?” There are other concerns with the shortage of women in posi- tions of power. According to Mayock, many young women seek her out for advice regarding sexual abuse and other private matters. She said that being the sole female this year was tough because there was no other outlet for guidance. Mayock also added that as the solitary female voice in meetings and decision-making, it was easy for her expression to be muffled. “It has become very clear to me that if you have only one or two [women], the voice is not heard,” she said. “You need more women at the table. I do not believe that our administration purposefully ignores women, [but] if it’s only one woman, it’s a tough road.” Functioning in the academic administration for two full years, Mayock said she noticed some subtleties in male behavior. She said men tended to ask about her children repeatedly, offer hugs instead of handshakes and un- dermine her decisions carried out with the proper authority. “For every behavior, I under- stand the genesis of the behavior, and I truly believe that it’s out of a desire for human contact. How- ever, the reality of this type of be- havior creates a huge obstacle for women.” Because the presence of men is so dominant, Leblanc said they are not forced to interact with women regularly, and therefore lack some of the skills necessary to maintain a professional rela- tionship. “Professional women have to work with men. They learn to See “CAMPUS WOMEN” on page 2 towns or factory complexes, but many do not fill those functions any longer. “The dam serves no purpose that I know of,” City Manager Tim Ellestad said. “There are a lot of dams on the Maury. They dammed the river to allow barg- es to go up river. Jordan’s Point used to be Lexington’s industrial center.” Low rise dams can be as tall as 25 feet or as small as six inches, according to the Miami (Ohio) Conservatory District. The dams, because of their low height, ap- pear harmless, but dangerous cur- rents below the dam can easily trap swimmers. “The area below the dam is particularly diflicult to deal with because of cascading, swirling water,” Ellestad said. Ellestad and Crowder both said the area has sufficient re- sources to deal with disasters of this nature. “In a rural area it’s particularly See “UNDERCURRENT” on page 3 By Jacob Geiger N EWS EDITOR On March 31 Washing- ton and Lee named two new members to the Board of Trustees. The two men were chosen at a February meeting, and their terms be- gin this month. Robert Balentine and Benjamin Gambill are both graduates of the university. Balentine graduated in 1979 and Gambill in 1967. Philip Norwood, Rector of the Board of Trustees, said the board is always on the lookout for new mem- bers. “We sort of keep a roster of people we’re interested in based on their geography, background, vocation, in- terest and ability to advance the agenda of Washington and Lee University,” Nor- New trustees ]o1n board Two alumni bring variety of experiences to new position wood said. A subcommittee of the board, the Trusteeship Committee, nominates new members when openings occur. Several administra- tors, including the univer- sity president, serve on the subcommittee in a non-vot- ing role. Norwood also said both of the new trustees bring valuable experiences to the board. “Both have terrific ex- perience in business and leadership in non-profit organizations,” he said. “Ben Gambill especially brings experience in educa- tion, since he served on the board of a private school in Nashville.” Gambill, a resident of Nashville, has served on the See “BOARD” on page 3 OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060504/WLURG39_RTP_20060504_002.2.txt 2 ~ THE RING-TUM PHI ;y‘hMEt': G. Lt~.’YldUl~‘.N Uurt. ‘vASl~l§N.GTON 5. LEE UN i ,r:t.~.v;?\lGTON, VA 24450 .,:-law 0 5.2g, 6: THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 BD BARS Here ’s the latest up- date on who ran afoul of the law during the last few weeks. We took a peek at this weeks police reports to see what you ’ve been up to... Pit bulls run amok Local resident Thomas Sloan, Jr. was charged with allowing a pit bull to run at large. The charge was issued at 8:25 a.m. on Fri- day, April 14. He was also charged with not having a rabies vaccine for the dog or a city dog license. Yet another DUI Joseph West, a resident of Midlothian, Virginia, was charged with a DUI on Thursday, April 20. He was stopped at 1 a.m. and also charged with failure to obey a highway sign. Do the cops have a quota or something? Michael Trani was arrested on Sunday, April 9 and charged with public drunk- enness. Trani, a Covington, Virginia resident, was ar- rested around 11:15 p.m. Wild and reckless Caroline Beda was charged with a variety of trafiic of- fenses on April 24. When stopped around 9:30 p.m., she was charged with failure to maintain control of her vehicle, reckless endan- germent and traveling the wrong way on a one way street. Police prowl Foxfields Ofiicers crack down on underage drinking as college students turn out in droves By Sarah Kientz STAFF WRITER Increased security at the Fox- field horse races on Saturday re- sulted in a more controlled event, police said. Lieutenant John Teixeira of the Albemarle County Police De- partment said the department’s goal was to “create a safer atmo- sphere” at Foxfleld. The police increased their ranks from 50 to 250 officers pres- ent at the event, Teixeira said. “In the past several years we have not been on the inside, but this year we took over the interior ground,” Teixeira said, referring to the area within the circular horse track where most students spend time. Teixeira estimated that there were 20,000 people at Foxfleld, 70 percent of which were college students. The increased security mea- sures were intended to keep stu- dents in line. “In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of disorderly conduct, fights and indecent exposure,” Teixeira said. “It was really getting out of hand and that’s why we increased the number of officers.” Before the event, the Albe- marle County Police and Virginia State Police distributed green fli- ers throughout Washington and Lee’s campus, warning that “po- lice will be observing patrons upon their arrival by chartered buses and in their personal ve- hicles. Patrons entering the race will be monitored for intoxication and legal age requirements, and those found to be violating the law while entering the event will not gain admittance.” Sophomore Kathy Garman said she saw those threats in ac- tion upon arriving at the field. “Within the first 20 minutes of being at Foxfields I saw at least four people being taken away by cops right as we walked in,” Gar- man said. “There were bike cops riding through traffic looking for open containers and security at the gate when you walked in was checking bags.” Although over 100 arrests were made at the event, Teixeira said he felt the heightened secu- rity achieved its goal. “The number of fights and dis- orderly conduct dropped dramati- cally,” Teixeira said. “A majority of students had a good time and acted appropriately, but unfortu- nately there was still that minor- ity who thinks it’s a place to get drunk and get out of hand.” Teixeira added that only one % “Quay Students drink and socialize during the Foxfleld races. W&L student was arrested at Fox- fields and charged with underage possession of alcohol. The student was released on summons. The arrested student did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Freshman Tommy Pignatelli said he was upset that the W&L student was arrested though be- having responsibly. Pignatelli said there was more outrageous behavior throughout the event. “A lot of people didn’t really watch the horses. Most people just sat around, ate and drank,” Pignatelli said. “There were a lot of drunk people making out with each other and throwing up.” Meanwhile, Garman, who at- tended the event last year as well, said she felt students acted more appropriately this year at Foxfield because of the increased number of police. “In some respects people toned it down from last year,” Garman said. “People were still drinking, but it was in moderation. There were less people being belligerent and falling down drunk.” Garman also said she had more fim at this event because there was less drinking than the year before. She said, “I had more fun this year because people were not quite as ridiculous and you didn’t have to worry about taking care of people as much.” Pignatelli, however, said that he felt the event was only fun for those who were drinking. “I thought it was boring,” he said, “but that could have been because I was a sober driver.” Junior Kelly Price said the behavior seen at past events war- Phto cortsey of Sarah Kientz ranted increased security and that the added officials will make the event safer in the future. “They’ve had problems in the past with underage drinking, and having more security at the event is a good idea,” Price said. “Hav- ing more police there will make it safer.” Heightened security will de- crease drinking at Foxfield next year, Price said, “because inevita- bly people are going to be getting in trouble.” Teixeira also said he hoped that this year’s law enforcement at Foxfleld will set an example and act as a warning for students in years to come. A change in behavior, Price said, “depends on whether or not people take the threat of increased security seriously and realize there is a real chance that people drink- ing underage will be arrested.” The high brought low On April 21 Max Sandler was formally charged with possession of marijuana. Sandler originally ran into trouble on Jan. 7, when Lexington Police officers entered a room he was in around 1:20 a.m. The of- ficers had been advised of a complaint that people were smoking marijuana in the room, and, alter informing W&L security oflicers of the complaint, the police entered the room. Police Chief Bruce Beard said three bongs were in plain sight on a table. The three month de- lay in filing charges occurred because the bongs were sent to a crime lab for testing. Jefferson Street jaunt Natalie Mackie, age 47, was arrested on April 18 and charged with being drunk in public. Officer Fred Smith saw Mackie, a native of Smithfield, Virginia, walking on Jefferson Street. The officer said Mackie was showing signs of public intoxication. Don't make them visit twice Adam Thomas Lotts was charged with simple assault on April 19. Officers reported to 525 Maury Street after a woman called and said Lotts had grabbed her around the neck and forced her arm behind her back, dragging her towards the house. The woman also complained that Lotts was drunk. The oflicers left the scene and went to obtain a war- rant, but shortly after they left the woman called to say Lotts had become violent again. The officers returned to the house after the woman’s second call. continued from page 1 think men are like them. But some men, especially the senior men at this institu- tion, have not been forced in the same way to experience women as like them,” she said. Leblanc said W&L ofien runs into difficulties recruit- ing women in part due to its geographic location. Lexing- ton may not offer an appeal- ing environment for single women or those trying to raise children. It also may not provide decent jobs for both spouses in a marriage situa- tion. “Recruiting single males or females can present a chal- lenge to a small, rural com- munity,” Acting President Harlan Beckley said. Much of this year was ded- icated to celebrating women for their 20-year legacy on this campus. Mayock, as the sole fe- male academic dean, played a large role in organizing these events, planning speakers and designing a calendar. “The positive feedback has come from men in older classes, some of whom didn’t favor the concept of co-edu- cation, but have been pleased by the positive results.” Such events took months of planning and dedication. As a woman in the adminis- tration, Mayock could devote a lot of her time to issues that may be overlooked by her male counterparts. Because of the image she upheld, many faculty mem- bers were greatly affected by her resignation. LeBlanc said, “When Mayock was ‘encouraged’ to step down, it just made me feel lesser.” LeBlanc said that she had a day when she was embar- rassed in front of her students, because she said they had seen “that the women were in leadership roles and they could be thrust aside with ease. I thought my students would see me as a second-rate member of the faculty.” Sometime this month, Hughes will present a revised Campus Women call for change in W&L culture version of her petition to the Board of Trustees. " “I think the biggest prob- lem with regard to gender re- lations on our campus is that we don’t view it as a prob- lem,” she said. Alumnus Chris Wood (’89) has been in correspon- dence with the administration concerning his displeasure with the hype of Celebrating Women. In his letter, however, Wood claims he certainly em- braces the presence of wom- en. He merely disapproves of their isolation by means of celebration, and said that many alumni agree. “In my opinion, it is much more important to have the - right people in the position, whatever [race or sex] they may be,” he said. Ikeda said she feels more confident having women pre- decessors who have paved the road for her. As associate dean, she said a huge role she will be fulfill- ing is that of a listener. “What is important to me is not only bringing the per- spectives of women to the table, but also to tap into more diverse viewpoints rep- resented on campus for men and women,” she said. Despite the controversy, Mayock said she is pleased with the overall progress of W&L through the nine years she has been on campus. “I have seen a lot of prog- ress. I’ve been here a full nine years. I credit hiring more women, the women’s studies program and bringing the en- rollment of men and women to parity.” Beckley is optimistic in terms of increasing women in the administration. “It’s my belief that the W&L administration, as it seeks a new Provost and new deans within the next few years will do everything [it] can to recruit qualified fe- males and do everything [it] can to make them feel wel- come,” he said. “I anticipate we will have a woman in one or more of these positions in four to five years or earlier.” OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060504/WLURG39_RTP_20060504_003.2.txt THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 THE RING-T’UM PHI 0 Sewing up controversy Bizzare Kathekon interviews raise questions about alumni intent By Jacob Geiger and Jesslca Shaw NEWS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER Students are raising questions about the tactics used in Kathek- on interviews. According to several students who went through the process a few weeks ago, these were not or- dinary interviews. “It’s people that come into a room, and you get asked some goofy questions,” Kathekon mem- ber Walker Williams said. “Some questions are geared towards how you would act around alumni, how much you know about the school and how much you care about the school.” Some applicants said they knew that these interviews would be unusual while others said they were caught off guard. “It’s not testing what you think you’re going to be interviewed about,” a new member said. One applicant, who asked to remain anonymous, described her interview. “I was standing on a stool danc- ing, and I had to seduce a copy machine. I wasn’t uncomfortable, but I could see how it would make others uncomfortable.” The applicant said the inter- view was designed to be intimi- dating. “This guy pretended to be a drunk alum, and I had to sit in his lap, and I had to say how I would make him happy.” Tripp Onnen, advisor to Kath- ekon, said the the interviews are designed to measure a candidate’s ability to handle tough questions from alumni. “You get the odd question about co-education or the speak- ing tradition,” Onnen said. “You get questions from people who haven’t been back in five years or haven’t been back in 20 years and say ‘show me what’s new.’” When asked about the anony- mous students’ statements, On- nen said he found the applicants’ statements “a little surprising.” “I can’t speak to that,” he said. “I did my best to monitor those interviews.” Kathekon President Olivia Mansfield said she tailored her questions to each individual. “I’d only ask silly questions to someone I knew,” she said. “I wouldn’t ask people if I didn’t know them or what they were comfortable with; it comes back to the all important situations you find yourself in. You have to be diplomatic and responsible.” Many new members declined to answer any questions about the process. “They told us we weren’t al- Undercurrent traps Volpe under dam continued from page 1 difficult to have resources there quickly,” Ellestad said. “In a normal situation with the river we have some good local re- sources, but none of that mattered in this situation,” he said. “If there was a rescue squad five minutes away it wouldn’t have mattered because the boy was dead just a few minutes after he went over the dam.” In July of 2003 a local fisher- man also drowned in the Maury River near J ordan’s Point. Two local children drowned upstream of the dam in August of 2004 after jumping out of a tree into the river. Despite these incidents, there are no signs around Jordan’s Point warning swimmers of the danger the dam poses. Crowder estimated the current was flowing at 12 knots when the boys jumped into the water. He also estimated that the wa- ter was as "much as ten ‘feet deep directly underneath the dam. “The only signs up,” Lt. Crowder said, “are what the city put up to prohibit people from jumping out of that tree the two kids jumped out of.” Crowder said the tree the two boys jumped out of in 2004 is lo- cated on the river’s north bank. The tree has branches that ex- tend out over the river. The park and playing fields at Jordan’s Point are located on the south bank. “Water’s a wonderful rec- reational resource,” Lexington Vice Mayor Tim Golden said. “If you have water people are go- ing to get into it.” Golden said he thought the City Council would discuss the idea of putting up signs. “No, we don’t have any signs up there,” Ellestad said. “I’d anticipate this will be a point of discussion.” Original Italian Restaurant 2055 Magnolia Ave Buma Vista, VA 244-16 264-0029 F DELIVERY with $10 min order Stromboli-Pizza~Subs- Pasta-rEtc. Open Monday thra 'l"hursd.ay: '1 ‘I. AM-- '1 0PM. Friday & Saturday: 1. IAM-1 1PM Sunciay: ‘ij2P_‘:_\/I»-IOPM lowed to answer questions about the interviews,” new member Kelly Harvey said. “Tripp [On- nen] said to refer all questions to him.” member Ted Williams said. Though some of the appli- cants were uncomfortable with the process, most of them agreed that Kathekon is different from Harvey said these instuctions were deliv- ered at a meeting after the interview process was complete. Mansfield said Kathekon was like most organizations on campus wanting to maintain confidential- ity with its interviews. However, she said that members were not forbidden from talking about their interview. “No one has ever been told ‘don’t say anything ever, don’t talk about Kathekon,’ she said. “We’ve been on a big PR cam- paign this year to educate people on what Kathekon is. We had Speak Day in the fall and are hav- ing another one this spring.” Mansfield, Onnen and other members stressed that the inter- views try to gauge how students would react in awkward situa- tions with alumni. “I do think that the interview process is telling of how a can- didate would perform under cer- tain circumstances during Alumni Weekend or Homecoming,” new “This guy pretended to be a drunk alum, and I had to sit in his lap, and I had to say how I would make him happy. ” ANONYMOUS, Kathekon applicant most other campus organizations. “I would have never been put in any of those situations with an alum, but to some extent, it’s necessary,” sophomore applicant Betsy Chaplin said. “A regular sit—down interview talking about why you want to be in Kathekon is not enough.” Chaplin said she was prepared for the interview and nothing made her uncomfortable. One student said she wondered if the situations presented in inter- views are realistic. “I would be a little scandalized if W&L alums were expecting the behavior that was asked of the ap- plicants in their interviews,” she said. Board prepares to tackle big issues Continued from page 1 board of Montgomery Bell Academy since 1982 and was chairman of that board from 1997 until 2005. Both Gambill and Balentine have plenty of business experi- ence as well. Gambill was the CEO and president of Baird Electric Company for 32 years. “They have good business acumen,” Norwood said, “and the financial side of the school is really a big part of our respon- sibility. A business background is a plus but not a requirement for board members.” Balentine was chairman and CEO of an investment consult- ing company that he helped co- found. The firm, which began in 1987, was acquired by anoth- er company in 2002. “Balentine built and ran a large business,” he said. Balentine, who served as a co-chair of the Mock Conven- tion Planning Committee and was a member of Phi Delta Theta while at W&L, addressed what he said were some of the issues facing the board. “One thing is completion of the strategic plan that we’ve been looking at the last few years,” he said. Balentine said he thinks new President Ken Ruscio will be heavily involved in the imple- mentation of the plan. “As the finishing touches are put on, Ken will have his finger- prints on [the plan],” Balentine said. Balentine also addressed the role of the Greek system at W&L the university. “The Greek system has cer- tainly been an integral part of W&L... it will evolve and change with the times.” The majority of the members of the board are alumni, Nor- wood said, although it is not a requirement. “W&L has a wonderful alumni network that shares a common bond and culture” Bal- entine said. “The friendships and business relationships that are formed are very important. The fact that Ken is an alum- nus and that alumni are so pas- sionate will strengthen for the school.” When asked to recall a favor- ite memory of the school, Bal- entine picked one appropriate for this time of year. “Well I met my wife, who was at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, while I was here,” he said, “and we spent a lot of time at Goshen. Spring term at OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060504/WLURG39_RTP_20060504_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 IIIIIIIIIIIIS The April 24 issue of the Phi included letter from a “Concerned: Parent” that raisedgsorne questions about Washington and Lee admissions polieie,s.IIn_his letter, the parent attacked plans to _ increase rrninority recruitment programs. He said that these prograh:ishelp'one group of people “by hurting another.” The letter didinot in entiretyideelto its extensive length. Responses tolthe follow. Neitherthe Original letter, nor the . responses, necessarily reflect the opinion‘ of the Phi. editor Admissions dean clarifies statements To the Editor: Ordinarily I would not write to address statements made by an anonymous author. I will in this case, however, because the author, the Concerned Parent, is known to me and has ap- parently misunderstood my previ- ous correspondence with him on the topic of Washington and Lee’s admission practices with respect to legacies, athletes, minority stu- dents and, indeed, all students. If I was not misunderstood, then I have been misrepresented. Either way, I feel it important to com- ment. This winter the Concerned Par- ent wrote me to question W&L’s admission practices as they relate to minority students. His query included statements reflecting his belief that minority students admitted to W&L are less quali- fied than other students who gain admission. Further, he tried to bolster this mistaken belief by citing a brief conversation we had earlier that fall, the same one he cites in the Phi. Whether he misunderstood our conversation or sought to mis- characterize my comments in his query, I do not know, but his letter to the Phi last week contains the same inaccurate account of our exchange. This bothers me greatly, be- cause I wrote him a personal letter setting the record straight about what I did and did not say and il- lustrating that all students admit- ted to W&L are qualified for that distinction. It appears my letter was too subtle. Now that the innuendo- laden statemen, “it is the only way we can get them in,” has been incorrectly attributed to me a second time (and this time pub- licly), I feel I must be more ex- plicit: I never said that, nor did Iimply it. Further, I did not use the word “preference” to describe our treat- ment of any segment of W&L’s applicant pool. That is his word, not mine. Instead, I described that our admission staff weighs a variety of academic and per- sonal qualities to decide which students, among a large group of well-qualified applicants, will gain admission. It appears the Concerned Par- .............................................................. .. WASmNGTgN AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING-TUM PHI. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS & OPINIONS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ARTS&LIFE EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGN DIRECTOR BUSINESS MANAGER KATHERINE GREENE JACOB GEIGER TIM LIVINGSTON KATHRYN KRALL DAN HARRIS MADELINE GENT STACEY GRIJALVA SARAH KIENTZ JILL MORRIS JULIE PETERSEN JESSICA SHAW NEIL SHEAFFER MELISSA CARON DAVID SEIFERT THE RING-TUM PHI IS PUBLISHED MONDAYS DURING THE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL YEAR AT WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY, LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA. MEMBER OF THE MEDIA BOARD, WHICH CAN BE REACHED AT MEDIABOARD@WLU.EDU, BUT IS OTHERWISE INDEPENDENT. THE RING-TUM PHI WELCOMES ALL LETTERS. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE E-MAILED TO PHI@WLU.EDU OR IN THE UNIVERSITY CENTER MAILBOX BY 5 P.M. FRIDAY TO THE RING-TUM PHI IS A APPEAR IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK'S EDITION. THE RING- TUM PHI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT SUBMISSIONS FOR CONTENT AND LENGTH. LETTERS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINION OF THE RING-TUM PHI EDITORIAL BOARD. ADVERTISING DOES NOT REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE RING-TUM PHI OR ITS STAFF. THIS NEWSPAPER OBSERVES CURRENT COURT DEFINITIONS OF LIBEL AND OBSCENITY. THE R/NG-TUM PHI UNIVERSITY COMMONS ROOM. 341 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 TELEPHONE: (540) 458-4060 FAX: (540) 458-4059 EMAIL: PH|@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $40 ent wishes to concentrate on SAT scores, yet no college I know of relies on scores as heavily as he suggests W&L should. Such an approach would cer- tainly guarantee higher test scores in our student body, among all demographics, but it would also ensure myriad unfulfilled enroll- ment priorities and, most likely, a dismal social environment lack- ing the characteristic richness that has made W&L a life-changing experience for generations of stu- dents. Strong as W&L is, in my view there is still room to improve it. Each of us has a role to play in that pursuit. My own is to continue work- ing to attract and enroll an ever broader student population, one that contains as wide a range of talents, perspectives and aspira- tions as possible. Every single member of the W&L family has a mark to leave, and every single student admitted to W&L was chosen because of their potential to do so. Jonathan A. Webster Associate Dean of Admissions To the Editor: The letter from the Con- cerned Parent that appeared in the April 24 edition of the Ring- tum Phi troubles me deeply be- cause it implies that our African- American and Hispanic students are unqualified. Additionally, the writer de- mands evidence that will prove his point. The Afn'can-Ameri- can student population is both hurt and insulted by the letter as well they should be. This attack on their academic ability is un- fair and unwarranted. The letter is also unfair to Washington and Lee adminis- trators and admissions officers because it contends that they are both unfair and devious. More important, the letter tends to drive a wedge into our com- munity in an attempt to raise the contentious issue of aflirmative action as it casts aspersions on both school policy and students. I cannot pretend to have in- side information on W&L ad- missions policies because I do not. Yet, no one knows any better than me how slowly racial prog- ress came to southern colleges in general and W&L in particular. My earliest affiliation with this university was in 1963 when I was a few months shy of my twentieth birthday. The only places for African-Americans at W&L in 1963 were dining ser- vices and janitorial work. The university did not recruit and ac- cept its first black student (since John Chavis) until August 1966. After one year he transferred to a historically black college. Forty years later we have only 78 black students in the under- graduate population. How can the writer allege that their presence implies unfair Professor against unfairness of letter Skin color is irrelevant in the classroom, W&L grad says No one knows any better than me how slowly racial progress came to southern colleges in general and Washington and Lee in particular treatment for white students? Frankly, I find very little dif- ference between the ability of the white and black students I teach. I have strong students and poor students who belong to both races. Allow me to share a little of my own academic history. I became a full time W&L student in 1983 at age 40. I had graduated from a segregated high school in 1961, and my SAT scores were very old when I en- tered. They were also irrelevant because I had been a part time W&L student for three years be- ginning in 1980, and used those courses to prove my ability. I graduated in 1985 with a GPA of 3.375 for which I make no apologies. During those years I was husband, father, PTA president, treasurer of the Rockbridge Re- gional Library, secretary of the Board of Elections, a member of the Rockbridge Mental Health Clinic Board, a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church pastoral council and a member of a host of other organizations. Com- munity service was dear to my heart, and I studied hard. W&L took a chance on me, and I refuse to believe that my own admission kept a single more deserving white student out of the college. Today I have a Ph.D. and am a member of the faculty. I feel strongly about the worthiness of every potential student to earn a W&L degree. And guess what! W&L has never limited admission to SAT scores and grade point aver- ages——not even during the Jim Crow Era. Would you want to be a student at this university if everyone was a study “geek?” If W&L ever limits admissions to academic achievement only, so- cial life will drastically change. Think about it! I am also troubled that the Ring-tum Phi does not share the same policy as most profession- al newspapers—not to publish anonymous letters. I have the moral courage to own everything I write, and others should do the same or refrain from entering public fo- rums. Unfortunately, the edi- tors also bear responsibility for anonymous letters and readers can rightly assume that the Con- cerned Parent’s views reflect those of the Ring-tum Phi—as much as I hope that is not true. It is a university newspaper for all members of the W&L com- munity including Hispanic and African American students. Theodore C. DeLaney Class of 1985 Associate Professor of History Director of African American Studies Student responds to parent Senior says admissions department should continue to look beyond test scores To the Editor: I am very concerned about Washington and Lee University. After four years of being a stu- dent here, I am confident we have made strides in the right direction when it comes to diversity, multi- culturalism and gender relations, but it worries and saddens me to read letters like the one sent by a Concerned Parent to the Phi last week. Among other things, the parent in question seems to believe it is unfair that the Admissions Office encourages minority students to apply by offering them exclusive incentives that are not offered to majority candidates. In my opinion, if there has been a historical disparity in the proportion of applications re- ceived from particular groups (as measured against their share of the general population, or as mea- sured against application numbers at other comparable institutions) then there is a presumption that the school has not been marketing itself to those groups. The Admis- sions Oflice, therefore, is simply making efforts to correct that his- torical error. Please note that this is a marketing effort; it is not the same as actually admitting a stu- dent simply because he or she is a minority. In fact, the parent her/him- self quoted several admissions officers as saying that minority students at W&L are as academi- cally qualified as their major- ity counterparts, and that race is only considered when “separating equals,” much like athletic ability or legacy status would give an ap- plicant an edge only when he or she is as academically qualified as the other students seeking admit- tance. Now, this parent seems to be- lieve that minority students can- not possibly be as academically qualified as their counterparts because, statistically, their SAT scores are likely to be lower than majority students’ scores. He or she thinks that the admissions of- fice cannot possibly be “separat- ing equals” when it is likely that SAT scores for black students are more than 100 points below SAT scores for whites. Sir or Madam, I hope you understand that SAT scores and even GPAs are not the definitive yardstick by which we hope to measure prospective students’ ability. Some students from dis- advantaged backgrounds, from marginalized communities or from difiicult home circumstanc- es have overcome obstacles that students from more comfortable backgrounds may never even have imagined. A reasonable case can be made that a student who has come a long way, overcoming numer- ous obstacles and disadvantages, but with slightly lower numbers, is of equal or greater merit than another student who has led an entirely privileged life. A reason- able case could similarly be made that the disadvantaged student has an equal or greater potential to succeed at the school than a privileged applicant with oth- erwise slightly higher numbers. Judgments of this sort are hard to make, require great care and benefit from the lessons of expe- rience The admissions process should be holistic, looking at the entire candidate’s file in the context of the incoming class as a whole. It is an art; otherwise, machines would do it. It is the Admissions Office’s responsibility to admit an inter- esting, thoughtful, diverse and academically qualified incom- ing class that will bring credit to the school by its commitment to learning, and, later, by its accom- plishments in as wide a variety of fields, endeavors and locales as is possible. The class should be as diverse as possible in every way—along class, ethnic, racial, national and geographic lines, as well as in terms of the disciplin- ary and extracurricular interests that they are likely to bring to the school. By doing this, the Admissions Office not only creates a more interesting and educational envi- romnent for current students, but also increases the value of stu- dents’ diplomas (if you want the economic argument) by creating future networking opportunities and enhancing the school’s repu- tation.There is another reason why minority recruitment “is nec- essary to enrich the educational experience of all.” W&L is both an academic in- stitution and a community. The greater the diversity of our stu- dent body, the richer the environ- ment in which students will find themselves as they grow into adulthood. For many, this will be the first time they encounter people very much like themselves in some ways (academic aptitude, commit- ment to learning), but very differ- ent from them in others, whether it be in terms of ethnic, national, cultural or religious backgrounds, or of disciplinary or extracurricu- lar interests. I realize that this letter could go on for pages, so I will stop now and just say this: to suggest that thereshould be an end to the promotion of diversity at W&L, to suggest that the careful con- siderations of merit and promise of each and every candidate be cast aside, and that the growth in geographic, social and disciplin- my reach of W&L’s reputation be stunted—all for the sake of a few index numbers—is short- sighted, extreme and certainly not in the best interests of the school, its student body or your son or daughter. Ligia Abreu Class of 2006 OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060504/WLURG39_RTP_20060504_005.2.txt THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 THE RING-TUM PHI ' editor Dean sets record straight To the Editor: I would like to set the record straight. All Washington and Lee students are qualified to be here or they would not have been ad- mitted. No concession in admissions standards has been made to enroll any students. If one looks at all the elements The overwhelming num- ber of students at Wash- ington and Lee with a demonstrated need are provided assistance re- gardless of race, gender or ethic background of the admissions process in their totality (grades, test scores, es- say, recommendations, etc.), our minority students are every bit as qualified as the rest of the student body. Our goal of increasing the number of minority candidates with credentials appropriate to our student body has brought to our community students who have excelled in the classroom and enriched the university in ex- tra- and co-curricular life. Since it has been implied that minority students take financial aid away from other students, it is important to state unequivo- cally that that is not the case. The overwhelming number of students at W&L with a demon- strated need are provided assis- tance regardless of race, gender or ethic background. Twenty years ago, women students became an integral part of undergraduate life at W&L. Just as there is no question now of the wisdom and ben- efit to W&L of co—education, the same is true of our efforts to bring more diversity of thought and experience to the W&L stu- dent body. A classroom and a commu- nity with varied experiences and backgrounds is a better learning space than one made up of a ho- mogeneous population. We be- lieve in the wisdom of a diverse university community and will continue to embody that belief in policy. We at W&L grow socially and intellectually because of the diverse contributions of every single student on campus, with- out exception. Bill Hartog Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid submitted by Tim Kolly Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications Beckley responds to parent’s letter To the Editor: Dean Bill Hartog states the policy of our Admissions Oflice in his letter in this issue of the Ring-tum Phi. My statement that follows affirms and reinforces our total commitment to that policy. Washington and Lee recruits only applicants who possess the intellectual capacity, talent and skills to flourish academically and contribute to the vibrancy of our educational community. We admit only the most qualified among these appli- cants considering all criteria for admission. These criteria include grades, test scores, personal essays, rec- ommendations and a variety of attributes that indicate the ap- plicants will thrive at W&L and contribute to the community. We seek students fiom a va- riety of backgrounds and with a wide array of skills, intellectual specialties and interests. Some of these students are racial minorities, from urban public high schools, from dif- ferent nations or from families with meager financial means. Some of them are athletes, musicians, actors or artists. Others display promise to be government leaders or service leaders. These students are from Virginia, California, Maine and Texas. Some will study science and others will study philosophy, history, journalism or business. All of these groups are wel- come at W&L and are quali- fied not merely to survive but to thrive. The combination of all of these groups of students make us a richer moral and intellec- tual community. We actively recruit students from these groups and others in order to maintain a community and educational environment that will prepare all of our stu- dents to contribute to the world in which they will live. We deplore and renounce recent insinuations in letters to the Ring-tum Phi that some W&L students are less deserv- ing of an education here than others. We are proud that a student like Ligia Abreu, whose letter is published in this issue of the Phi, was attracted to come from a middle class family in Santo Domingo to W&L. Abreu is the Head Dorrni-‘ tory Counselor this year and will attend Yale Law School in September. She is not alone among our students of color. They, and students from other groups, make our univer- sity a better place. We will continue to recruit and welcome applicants from many different groups whose character, talents and academic credentials qualify them to contributeto W&L and to so- ciety. ' Harlan Beckley Acting President We deplore and renounce recent insinu- ations in letters to the Ring-tum Phi that some Washington and Lee students are less deserving of an education here than others. Let’s address journalistic professionalism. True: most newspapers outside of alternative weekly publications refuse to print anonymous letters to the edi- tor. Most newspapers don’ op- erate in a culture of fear. ’ Make no mistake, we ha /e the First Amendment here, but the community is either too scared or too lazy to ex- ercise it. When one submits their opinion to a newspaper, they are using one of the most pure and basic American rights. They are also entering the public forum. This means that they should also represent them- selves truthfully, if they ex- pect to be trusted. But the people who write letters to newspapers are gen- erally part of the active com- munity in which the newspa- per is distributed. The Phi editors recognized last week’s Concerned Parent letter as one that would ruffle feathers on campus. The man who wrote the letter does not live on campus, and is not obligated to have any form of daily interaction with its citizens. His daughter, does. His daughter would be the person forced to deal with the feedback from this letter. With this in mind, the Phi agreed to respect his request for anonymity. We also printed every re- sponse to his letter in this week’s issue. As stated every week in our staff box, the opinions printed in letters to the editor are not the opinions of Phi staff mem- bers. however, st tfeditorial Newspaper and community Phi defends right of Concerned Parent to express opinion in open forum If you don’t believe us, look over at page four and read the box for yourselves. We reserve the right to print anything a reader sends—so long as we present it to the community honestly, the way we received it. But presenting something honestly is far from endorsing it, as several readers have sug- gested. ' It is disappointing and in- sulting that several commu- nity members have accused the Phi staff of composing the letter ourselves. It is not uncommon for parents and alumni to include the Phi in their conversations with the administration. It is our right and duty to print these conversations in an open forum. The Concerned Parent let- ter is no different. The Phi is available inthe most non-discriminatory way possible on campus: it’s free. And each student, parent, faculty member, staff mem- ber and alumnus/alumna has the right to read it and submit a letter commenting on their community. The Phi does not see along race lines, or divide the stu- dent body into socioeconomic groups. If we did that, we would be dividing ourselves. As Professor DeLaney points out in his letter this week, we are a publication for everyone in the Washington and Lee community, includ- ing students from many back- grounds and many countries. Outside of ethnic diversity, the Phi is also representative of students from different eco- nomic groups. Also included in this com- munity of readers are the par- “We reserve the right to print any- thing a reader sends—so long as we present it to the community hon- estly, the way we received it. ” __.—.—:..—._____._.___ ents, who are just as entitled to their opinions and have the same rights to voice them. If you disagree with the Concerned Parent, we wel- come you to stand up and say so, as six readers have. It is the opinion of this edi- torial board that not enough of you care. Too often, W&L students look the other way and ig- nore issues that drastically af- fect your lives. It is easier to worry about your grades than to try and address the deep is- sues that come with attending a largely homogenous college in rural Virginia. Recently, the Phi has print- ed letters to the editor sup- porting the Posse program. We have also run two sto- ries covering the campus’s positive response to minority recruitment initiatives. The Phi first entered this debate on Feb. 27 with our staff editorial on the Posse program. But now, when we run a letter showing a dissenting opinion, the community is outraged. Be fair. The Concerned Parent’s opinion may repre- sent a certain section of the Washington and Lee popula- tion. If he does not, as the many response letters suggest, then the Phi has simply served its purpose as a forum. If we were to only print our opinion, and censor everyone else’s, then we would be a pro- paganda machine, no different than the official newspapers of the Chinese government. The editors of the Phi do not decide right and wrong. We do not decide whether these admissions policies are worth the financial initiatives, and we do not determine the worth of each student admit- ted. That job is left up to you, the citizen. The Phi serves merely as a place where everyone can dis- cuss it publicly. One of the most beautiful features of newspapers is the microphone they provide to the everyday citizen. They provide a place where not only public officials, but also any caring citizen, can come forward and be repre- sented. One citizen did just that-- and his right to speak up has been summarily attacked. We will not allow that to happen. We will not take sides. Represent yourselves in this discussion—write letters. Care, and don’t take of- fense when someone else who cares disagrees with you. We are begging you. The above represents the majority opinion of the edito- rial stafl of the Ring-tum Phi. Senior offers views on admissions To the Editor: I would like to respond to a letter written by a Concerned Parent in last week’s issue of the Phi. This anonymous contributor opposes preferential admissions practices based on any criteria other than ‘merit,’ which the author implicitly defines as a combination of SAT and GPA scores, though, conspicuously, they only mention the SAT. “Unequivocally, if a student of any race is the best academi- cally qualified and merits a po- sition I salute him...skin color should not be a factor, one way or the other.” If GPA, SAT and perhaps standard—fare extracurricu- lars were the only valid basis for evaluation of candidates, wouldn’t each new class appear exceedingly dull and uniform? The fact is, as a private insti- tution, it is the university’s pre- rogative to compose each class as it sees fit, employing what- ever criteria it wants. Does anyone really want a class picked from the top 1,200 SAT scores out of the 3,900 ap- plications received? Some might say, “yes, obvi- ously,” but for those of us who can still clearly recall the na- ture of that test, I should hope the answer is, “no, obviously.” Why? Because it tests a very nar- row subset of the mind’s capa- T he fact is, I suspect this parent would like to see the Posse Foundation ‘summarily rejected’ because they are worried one of the Posse members might ‘take ’their childis‘ spot. bilities, and leaves out many that are relevant to succeeding in college and in life. Moreover, richer people can prepare for it better — not only through many years of superior schooling, but also through ex- pensive preparation courses, and even, in some cases, per- sonal coaches. The Concerned Parent men- tions a personal visit by Jona- than Webster, Associate Dean of Admissions, to Glenelg Coun- try School, a private institution with which the parent is (pre- sumably) connected. Firstly, I cannot help but point out that a Dean of Admis- sions from W&L did not visit my high school — presumably Glenelg enjoys a closer relation- ship to W&L than most of the high schools represented here. One can only imagine the benefit Glenelg’s reputation confers in the admissions pro- cess. The concerned parent men- tions their high school sopho- more. Does this child attend Gle- nelg? Will they enjoy the benefits of intense and expensive SAT preparation? The parent advises that the Posse Foundation’s proposal (to admit a group of intercity stu- dents using special, unconven- tional criteria) should be “sum- marily rejected.” Does the parent mean that this proposal should be rejected out of hand, without being given serious consideration? Why should we take the par- ent’s concerns seriously, if they refirse to entertain alternative views on admissions criteria? Presumably, the parent would profess that they intend a ‘true meritocracy. ’ Surely this entails ‘need blind’ admissions, since ability to pay is not a component of academic merit. But the availability of the early decision option is directly contradictory to the spirit of need—blind admissions policies. Why? Because only very rich peo- ple can comfortably commit to a college before getting a finan- cial aid package. Poorer students are explic- itly discouraged from applying early decision. ‘Full-pays’ are at an advan- tage in the admissions process, and this is the best-kept secret of the ‘need-blind’ admissions lie. Early decision is a thinly dis- guised means for the rich to tele- graph their financial strength to the university, even while finan- cial documents are ostensibly kept separate. The fact is, I suspect this par- ent would like to see the Posse Foundation ‘summarily reject- ed’ because they are worried one of the Posse members might ‘take’ their child’s spot. Moreover, I would suggest their supposed indicators of ‘real merit’ are precisely those which people in their social position have succeeded in mastering. One-hundred points on the SAT costs $1200. That is the going rate. This parent feels threatened by alternative schemes of candi- date evaluation; let them be. Do they have W&L’s best interests at heart, or their own self-interest? Let us reaffirrn our universi- ty’s right to compose each class as it sees fit, and not be a slave to a narrow set of criteria. Gabe Chapman Class of 2006 OCR::/Vol_108/WLURG39_RTP_20060504/WLURG39_RTP_20060504_006.2.txt 6 - THE RING-TUM PHI THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2006 arts&|ife Remembrance of things past An event-filled weekend awaits alumni who make the journey back to their alma mater Alumni from across the country return to W&L to reunite with friends, reminisce about the past and attend events and parties. While changes have taken place since they left, they plan to revisit favorite places and people. By Stacey Grljalva STAFF wn ITER It is that time of year when the green lawn invites people to lie on it and alumni swarm the campus for one glorious week- end to relive old memories. Honoring the graduates of 1951 to 2001, the weekend offi- cially starts today with activities planned for the Class of 1971. For some, the trip will be mixing business with plea- sure. The spring meeting of the Alumni Board of Directors will continue through the weekend. Special tours will be given to highlight the changes the cam- pus has undergone, especially the introduction of women to Washington and Lee. One female alumna said she was grateful for the school’s recognition of the choice to go co-ed. “As a woman at W&L in the early to mid 1990s, I didn’t feel By Jill Morris STAFF wnmzn With both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Princeton Univer- sity, there is no question that Professor Marc Conner is a force to be reckoned with in the classroom. He is a force to be reckoned with in the realm of martial arts as well. Professor Conner has been involved in different forms of martial arts for the past 15 years. He has obtained two first- degree black belts and one sec- “It is nice to stucbi the Eastern arts because my teach- ing is focused on the Western world. ” MARC CONNER, Professor of English ond degree black belt. Master H. David Clements, Conner’s Karate Master at an Amherst, Va. karate school, reported that only one in 1,000 Karate students move on to achieve the black belt, accord- ing to a Washington and Lee press release. Conner’s accomplishments are not easy to achieve. In Master Clements’s career he has only awarded about 20 second- degree black belts. Conner asserted that the challenge of receiving his black belt was made easier for him by his love of learning. Seven years ago, Profes- sor Conner began his karate career. Karate is his favorite of the martial arts forms he has a part of a minority in any way,” said Shelley Milligan, co-chair for the Class of 1996. Any strain felt by the female students then came not from their male counterparts but from the women previously bussed in. “There was still a bit of ten- sion between W&L women and those from neighboring women’s colleges who would visit Lex- ington during the weekends,” said Milligan, who worked at W&L after graduating. “I think that the influence of women from nearby places was pretty much gone from W&L by the early 2000s. Sure, some still visited, but not in the masses that they came during my fresh- man year, for example.” A presentation in Lee Chapel on Friday will be about the his- tory of coeducation. At the pre- sentation will be John Delane Wilson, the president of W&L from 1983-1995, who oversaw mastered because of the phi- losophy behind it and the dis- cipline it requires. “It is nice to study the East- em arts because my teach- ing is focused on the Western world,” said Conner. He is accomplished with many weapons including bow staffs, nunchucks, knives and swords. Self-defense is also a part of the martial arts. Professor Conner is ca- pable of defending himself against attackers who come at him by hand, with knives and even with guns. His skills are demonstrat- ed in exhibitions and competi- tions. Karate is also a hobby that Conner shares with his fam- ily. He has three sons, two of which are already involved in karate. When he is no longer phys- ically able to practice karate, he sees himself returning to his previous hobbies of car- pentry and fly-fishing. Conner said, “As I became more involved with martial arts, I gave up my other hob- bies because I knew martial arts would be a hobby I could do with my children.” Now Professor Conner is also a karate instructor, which allows him to spend even more time with his sons. Since he is an easygo- ing professor, most students would not guess that Conner has the ability to break boards or wield nunchucks. Teaching English to college students and teaching karate to younger students has its simi- larities and its differences. Conner said, “There is a good distinction between the two. Teaching here is definite- ly my passion, even though I can’t make English students do push-ups.” the integration of women. Also in attendance will be Jenny Stratton, the first female president of the Alumni Board of Directors and a member of the first class of women. Alumni can roam the cam- pus, participate in any of the college’s many open houses, or even learn a foreign language in mini, 20-minute classes. For those who arrive late, a barbeque bash at Zollman’s for the six most recent reunion classes will be the first chance to catch up on life changes. The party will continue as the band Right On provides entertain- ment. “For some reason, no matter how far removed we get from W&L, Zollman’s is always a draw,” said Milligan. For those who awake early, Acting President Harlan Beck- ley will be at a breakfast in Ev- ans Dining Hall. The new presi- dent, Ken Ruscio, who is also celebrating his thirtieth reunion, will be the breakfast’s special guest. Following the breakfast, Milligan and Margaret “Kippie” Griffin will receive the school’s Distinguished Young Alumna Award. Given to alumni who have shown service and loyalty to the school and community, the award was meant to recognize Conner demonstrates the skills that enabled him to test for and acquire his the extraordinary young alumni for their achievements. Many of the people traveling to W&L this weekend are not only coming for their memories but because of their commit- ment to the school. “The people coming are all the people that I would have expected to come,” said Townes Pressler, co-chair for the Class of 1986. “Most were very in- volved with the school when we were there and stay involved.” Over the years, classmates have spread out all over the na- tion, but Pressler said the dis- tance will not make a difference in the numbers attending. “The ones that were commit- ted when we were in school are still committed,” he said. “I do not think that a three—hour flight is much different than a three- hour drive for the others.” Milligan agreed that other life factors would be why some alumni would not come back. “It’s a busy season for many of us, some with young chil- dren, demanding jobs, etc,” she said. “Most everyone I’ve talk- ed to wants to come back, but for some it’s just not feasible at this point.” The draw may be seeing friends for some alumni, but for others, it is the school and the memories it holds. “I think what I remember most fondly is the way W&L fosters community,” said Mil- ligan. “I loved faculty who declared that their spring term class met on the Colonnade un- der a certain tree, and if it was raining, no class.I loved mid- night breakfast breaks in the D-hall during exam week. . .‘I loved special events like Fancy Dress, Mock Convention and all the great speakers that would come.” “In general, I look back on those four years so fondly and hope that today’s students are enjoying all that W&L ofiers.” Dudley '74, 791.. nasium/Warner center tours of the sorority houses Thurs. 8:30 p.m., Reunion 2006: Opening As- sembly Lee Chapei —- Come early and browse, Lee Chapel Museum opens at 7:30 pm. ODK Spring initiation and Keynote address by Executive Director of Alumni Affairs waiter ‘I’. Fri. 11:30 am. -1:30 p..m. Aiurnnl Luncheon cannan Green: All alumni, students, faculty and guests invited. Rain plan - Doremus Gym- Fri. 4 p.m. Special campus Tour: Alumni House Tour will showcase the impact women have had on W&L since coeducatlon, including Where the boys [and girls] are: the President: All Alumni Breakfast Evans 7 Dining Hall. You're invited to shake off the morning eobwehs and enjoy a hearty breakfast ‘ " with remarks by Acting President Harlan _ Beckiey and our special guest, Presidenbeiect. 1, V, Kenneth P. Rusclo "I6. ' ’ sat. 6 - 11 pan. Reunion 2006: Alumni cei- ebratloni Front Lawn: A festive evening of merriment, music and diningi Enjoy an array of music from our own W&L comrnunity, including W&L's student a cappella groups General Ad- mission, Jubilee and Southern Comfort. Dinner served from 6:50 - 8:45 pm. . Information from aiumniapps.w|u.edu Sat. 9 — 10:15 a.m. Green Eggs & Ham with The writing and fighting Irish English professor accomplished in martial arts has black belt and surprising skills second-degree karate black belt this past January. Photo courtesy of Marc Conner ADVERTISEMENT rs tits; t-isii:cir.5: film 3.} emf -E3i<£.§~~ rcia E E mrruritii fi jlxrt {::‘°rér:e-aizz. l’:n.msiture f:..in::2?.