OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080317/WLURG39_RTP_20080317_001.2.txt Pre are to miss class: Ma Ma ness is Neill ‘mupari has walted all week for the brackets to come out. Now he's breaking down fire hasffirst ‘ I _ round matchups and giving you a look at who can make a run to the Final Four. “J Sports / Pagans”, ASHINGTON LEEUNIVERSITY RING-TUM PHI. STUDENTS AND MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 BY THE FOR THE STUDENTSISINCE 1397 VOLUME cXI,NUMBER 16 Organizations work to eradicate racist, homophobic language By Allison chopln and Wes 0’Dell ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER A law school student organization is asking the university to ban ‘hate speech.’ The group, Outlaw, works to pro- mote awareness and acceptance of Gay-Lesbian-Bigendered-Transsexu- al (GLBT) individuals. Executive Chair John Martin re- cently went before the Student Af- fairs Committee>(SAC), an organiza- tion of students, administrators and faculty, to lay out his plan. Said Martin in a prepared state- ment: “Basically, I have asked SAC to create a policy that would prohibit a narrow class of extremely degrad- ing and dangerous verbal conduct at the University.” Martin calls these terms “hate speech,” and his proposal would ban “the use of slurs, epithets, and clearly derogatory and degrading language” that can be considered harassment on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. His proposal as it stands would include a ban on using “the n-word for African-Americans or the c-word in reference to women, among other things,” he said, calling this only “a working definition.” Martin added that he and the SAC will likely “tighten up” the definition to specify what exactly qualifies as hate speech. sual” use of homophobic and racial slurs on campus. “[The common use of slurs] has created an environment at W&L where in the past harassment and even violence have taken place,” said Martin. According to Martin, “an envi- ronment pervaded by hate speech” “People don ’t understand the connotations of [ cer- tain ‘hate speech ’] words...we live in a very conser- vative and homophobic campus. ’ THERESA DOUGHERTY, Gay-Stralght Alllance Treasurer “The final policy will probably implicitly take context into account as well,” he said. Martin characterizes his proposal as a way to “close the gap” in W&L’s harassment policy by “prohibiting hate speech even if it is not directed at a particular individual.” The genesis for the plan was what Martin describes as the “almost ca- 1 has cultivated a mindset that sees no problem with this type of derogatory language. He would like to show “in a very public way” that this behavior is not acceptable. While Martin’s has only had in- formal discussions with Outlaw’s undergraduate counterpart, the Gay- Straight Alliance, the GSA promises to support the policy should SAC adopt it. “People don’t understand the con- notations of [certain ‘hate speech’] words,” said GSA Treasurer Theresa Dougherty. “We live in a very conser- vative and homophobic campus.” Martin agrees: “There may be some students who oppose the policy because they often use hate speech... The policy aims to end this kind of behavior, and these students will have to face the reality that hate speech is not acceptable here.” While he concedes student reac- tion is hard to predict, Martin is con- fident his plan will garner the support of the campus. He also warns against inaction, stating that the refusal to create such a policy “could set the stage for a slow erosion of existing policies that could set the ‘University back ten years in terms of public image, recruiting, and campus climate.” Martin predicts that nothing will change unless a rule is enacted. Sim- ply educating students with the tra- ditions of honor and civility has not been effective. “We must address this issue through policy because students are not ending this behavior on their own, and education is valuable but has be- gun to reach the limits of its audience and its efficacy,” he said. Dougherty, however, believes that the students themselves are capable of making a difference, with or with- out a policy in place. While SAC ’s deliberations contin- ue, she encourages students to make hate speech socially unacceptable. “You can discourage your friends from using homophobic speech. If someone makes a joke about some- one else being a ‘fag’ or something being ‘gay’...the association is that ‘gay’ is bad. That’s something we’re working to eliminate,” she said. Dougherty also encourages stu- dent to participate in GSA’s upcom- ing “Gay? Fine by me” campaign. The GSA will be handing out free t- shirts bearing the slogan in late April to promote tolerance on campus. Said Dougherty: “That’s kind of putting yourself out there as a sup- porter of the GLBT community—and showing that ‘gay’ is not a derogatory word.” ‘ Journalism majors, do not despair! NPR Managing Editor envisions future of news, broadcasts hope By Robert Wason STAFF WRITER teresting web strategies” will be vital for the success of modern news pro- grams. Because of the convergence of print and broadcast media with the Internet, websites often incorporate writing, au- dio, and video segments, and the role of the journalist has become much more complex. Duffy suggested that above all, it is important for journalists to “think news industry. _Duffy began his lecture by address- ing the “changes that have been wreak- ing havoc in newsrooms.” While denying the widespread be- lief that today’s younger generation “just does not read,” Duffy explained that the age group “is reading in dif- ferent ways.” The Internet, which has had a tre- mendous impact on the process of mass communication, is forcing ma- - jor news programs to re-examine their strategies ‘for producing high quality material that is also engaging. Duffy reassured the audience in saying, “We shouldn’t despair. There presents many p0sSjbj[j[jes_ ” is an interest; we just need to be more creative.” Although admitting that “[the in- dustry] does not know what is going to happen next,” Duffy emphasized his belief that the fate of the news will story require,” and then “tell the story ultimately be determined by the Inter- in that way,” rather than insisting on net. incorporating multimedia elements Although he dismissed the idea that that might not fit with the story. “the New York Times will be com- According to Professor Brian Rich- pletely electronic in five years” as an ardson, head of the journalism de- exaggeration, Duffy asserted that “in— partment, the rise of the Internet has had a profound effect on the process of journalism education. He shared that Washington and. Lee developed a “fully multimedia” program ten years ago in order to meet the demands of the changing field. Richardson emphasized the influ- ence that the Intemet has on the cur- rent state of the news. “A fair number of [W&L] grads are headed to news programs with websites,” he said. journalism students will work in the future. However, Duffy expressed mixed feelings about the lntemet, calling it “the social media genie [that] is out of the bottle.” 'He ultimately suggested that, if properly monitored, the web could become the dominant source for news information that is both accurate and entertaining. He lamented that most of the content found on the lntemet is in- ferior and unreliable when compared to that of a “good newspaper.” He said that the public, however, is willing to sacrifice quality in favor of a free, fast, and interactive media experience. Although Duffy stated that there are no good examples of news orga- nizations that are currently “getting it right,” he did express optimism. “All the industries are trying to go to the same place,” he said. According to Duffy, while the fu- ture of news is uncertain, creative ex- perimentation and dedication to the re- sponsibilities of journalism will yield the best results. . While journalists around the coun- try are despairing over the future of journalism,’ National Public Radio Managing Editor Brian Duffy isn’t buying into the doom and gloom. _ If Duffy is correct, the comments will surely come as a relief to the stu- dent journalists who spend each spring fretting over whether they’ll be able to find a job after graduation. Duffy delivered the keynote speech for Washington and Lee’s 45thInsti— tute of Ethics in Journalism on Friday. He spoke to students, professors, and media professionals about “Divin— ing a Brighter Future for News.” Duffy, who took over at NPR in October, spent nearly 20 years at U.S. News and World Report. He was the magazine’s editor from 2000 until October. He has also worked at the Washington Post and Wall Street Jour- nal as investigations editor. Following a humorous introduc- tion from Professor Edward Wasser- man, Duffy presented his opinion on the present and future conditions of the “We shouldn ’t despair. These is an interest [in news]; we just need to be more creative... The Internet BRIAN DUFFY‘ Natlonal Publlc Radio Managlng Edltor about the story,” ask “what does the In relation to journalism educa- tion, Duffy said that is necessary to “teach journalists to think about what the story requires, and then put it in a place where it is accessible and enter- taining.” “The lntemet [presents] many pos- sibilities,” he said in response to where OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080317/WLURG39_RTP_20080317_002.2.txt 2 ° THE RING-TUM PHI 0 uulvensmr UBRARY wasnmaron a. use umvensmr “WM iAE23“175flflR MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 opinions Don’t force apology Forgive the “Bracket” writers but don ’z‘ forget To the university community, I write in response to “The Bracket,” a recent column in the Distractions section of The Trident, and the community’s response to it. First, I applaud the response, by senior administrators to the column. While they justly excoriated the authors and their edi- tor, they do not call for external control or sanction of The Trident. In refraining from doing so, they recognize the necessity for a free, vigorous and unfettered press in any community, even when its practitioners in- dulge in wretched excess and pointlessly hurtful behavior. If ever there were an occasion for senior_ administrators to be tempted to exert exter- nal control over student media, it would be in the face of a column that, at the least, flirts with the legal torts of libel, invasion of privacy and intentional infiiction of emo- tional distress. That our president, provost and deans have responded by appealing to conscience rather than control is laudable. Second, while a free press and free ex- pression are the cornerstones of democracy both nationally and on an intensely local level, whether what happened is either le- gally defensible by those who wrote and edited, or legally actionable by those they harmed, are both beside the point. There is a difference, recognized by practically all working journalists, between what we can do and what we ought to do. That is a first principle of our teaching in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications; like others in this community, we live in hope that Washington and Lee’s indepen- dent student media will honor it. From the First Amendment arises a pro- fessional obligation for journalists to moni- tor our institutions of power, to provide a forum for those who speak truth to power and to provide the truthful information that is the lifeblood of democratic self-deterrni- nation. In doing so, journalists frequently cause harm to those they monitor. In the service of their audiences, journalists employ a calcu- lus that measures the harm they do against the necessary information they provide. In their obligation to those about whom they write, they attempt to determine how vital ‘information can be published and harm minimized. Such reasoning presupposes the freedom to exercise judgment as moral actors rather than constraint by powerful external forces. As journalists we are not in the business of defending the indefensible. It is easy to defend the sanctity of free expression; it is impossible to defend The Trident column. By any measure of public necessity, it fails. By the calculus of harm versus bene- fit, it fails. By the moral obligation to mini- mize damage, it fails. As careful reporting, it fails. As satire, it fails. (That its few de- fenders have variously tried to argue that it is both factual reporting and satire negates either claim.) It clearly is not journalism. But, un- fortunately, to say that such work sprang parentless from some fertile sophomoric imagination is inaccurate. Our airwaves and the intemet are full of so-called pro- fessionals indulging in politically polar- ized food fights passed off as journalism; sadly, the authors of The Trident piece can readily find a kind of role model among those grown-up practitioners. That does not excuse their behavior; they should have known better than to emulate such dreck. Finally, I offer an observation on the heart and soul of this wonderful but bruised community. In response to the column, many have cited President Lee’s values of civility and honor, and wonder where in this incident those values can be recognized. I submit that honor lies in our belief as a community that those who caused the hurt should be trusted now to do the right thing, rather than be forced to. I submit that civility lies in our embracing the value of redemption. I believe President Lee would agree; he was allowed to set our course as a com- munity only because those who sat in judg- ment of him believed that redemption was appropriate. Sincerely, Brian Richardson, Department Head Journalism and Mass Communications To the Washington and Lee community, We would like to support the recent statement made by the Student Executive Com- mittee regarding the adjudica- tion of sexual assault on the Washington and Lee campus. We are encouraged that this statement indicates sig- nificant progress on the issue of sexual assault and that it re- iterates there is zero tolerance for perpetrators of sexual vio- lence within our community of honor and trust, We hope that the student body knows the range of re- sources available on our cam- pus for victims of sexual as- sault. Numerous women and men have been sexually assaulted over the past few years, but no survivors have brought cases to the EC or SFHB (Student- Faculty Hearing Board) for adjudication. Students who wish to move forward to a formal proceed- ing should know that both the EC and SFHB have jurisdic- tion over sexual assault cases, and both bodies hold the pow- er to dismiss a student found guilty of committing sexual Speak, fight rape End Sexual assualt with EC trials assault. The decision to go to a for- mal proceeding is an incredi- bly diflicult one, and there are other ways to achieve infor- mal resolution (i.e., speaking with a CAIR). It is our sincere wish that we continue to move forward and grow into a community where women and men do not feel silenced on speaking out about sexual assault. The values of honor and civility that our community holds dear should apply to all arenas of life as a student at W&L: all students within this community of trust deserve to feel as if they can speak out against a sexual assault without risk of social conse- quences. May this step encourage discussion and awareness in our community so that one day there is an end to sexual assault at W&L. Please email us with any questions or concerns (lar- sonw@wlu.edu and hughes1@ wlu.edu). Bill Larson, ‘O8 Paten Hughes, ‘08 Co-Chair, lin4 President, SPEAK ' V1 C) LEN (‘E and Lee University MCCAULEY—BENNER refuse to choose V_gomgn Deserve Better than Abortion l"IEI\/\Il\lIS"I'S I”‘()I{ I.IFI:'.<)r5_; OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080317/WLURG39_RTP_20080317_003.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 THE RING-TUM PHI ° 3 opinions . Beware the company People assume your friends (or political advisors) represent your feelings, ideas 0 By Grace Andrews STAFF WRITER For those of you who do not know, it was recently revealed that Sen. Barack Obama’s preach- er, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, gave a questionable sermon the Sun- day after Sept. 11 that suggested Americas had brought terrorist attacks upon themselves by act- ing as terrorists in other nations and supporting injustice (i.e. Hi- roshima and apartheid South Af- rica.) Wright has also given other sermons in which he has con- demned the U.S. for treating minorities as second-class citi- zens. More recently, he compared Obama to Jesus and criticized Sen. Hillary Clinton. As a result of the public out- cry concerning these teachings, Obama has openly criticized Wright’s statements and removed him from his presidential cam- paign. Despite the fact that Wright is no longer a part of Obama’s cam- paign, Obama states that Wright remains a close family friend whose opinions aren’t represen- tative of how he [Obama] feels. He stressed Wright’s champion- ing against homophobia and sex- ism in the black community and focus on community service. Sadly, this same situation has occurred before. Geraldine Fer- raro, a speaker at this year’s Mock Con, was criticized for making a statement that said Obama would not be ahead in the race for the White House if he were not black. As a result, she stepped down and is no longer an aide to Clinton because of a fear that she would bring bad publicity to the campaign trail. The fact the Ferraro herself was a trailblazer and advocate for minorities in politics has been quickly forgotten and replaced with a new “racist” image, re- gardless of her attempts to dispel such ideas. Ferraro’s dismissal was requested by many in the party and came after Obama ex- pelled unpaid foreign policy ad- visor Samantha Power after she was quoted by Scotland’s nation- editorial University cannot force-feed tolerance Students should engage in dialogue to change campus values on hate speech John Martin, president of the Washington and Lee Law School group, Outlaw, wants the Student Affairs Committee to ban what he calls hate speech. The proposed.ban would make it illegal for students to use racial or sexist slurs. The words are certainly offen- sive in the extreme. No student should ever be on the receiving end of such hateful language. The words are also protected under the First Amendment. W&L, as a private university, is not obligated to extend free speech rights to students, but if the university wishes to be taken seriously in the academic world, this proposed ban will never be- come law on our campus. Martin should remember that the Supreme Court has long frowned upon laws that restrict unpleasant or unpopular speech and actions. In National Socialist . Party of America v. Skokie (1 9 7 8), the court ruled that a small Illinois village could not ban the Ameri- can Nazi Party from holding a march through the town. Texas v. Johnson (1989) said that flag burning, an act most of us find repugnant, is a protected form of speech. Unfortunately for Martin, ra- cial and ethnic slurs ~ unless they directly incite violent action — are also protected speech. al newspaper, calling Clinton “a monster”. To be quite fair, I’m almost sure that every single one of the statements I’ve discussed has to be heard in its proper context to accurately understand what the speaker was trying to say. While that is not a luxury af- forded to those who play the the candidates at all, it’s impor- tant to see the roles that friends, advisors and aides can play. Now, the question is, “Do they truly represent the ideas and feelings of the presidential candidates?” Let’s put it into practice here at W&L. How many of us have that friend who is always saying the wrong things to anything and To be quite honest, I have a few friends that I may need to ‘dismiss ’ from the campaign known as ‘my life ’or even fire them as social advisors and keep them as personal advisors. game of politics, is it one we af- ford each other in our daily lives? Even though these respective in- dividuals are no longer involved in the campaign, they are still active in the lives of the candi- dates. Regardless of how much you like either candidate, if you like hopes to see. The proposal ignores a valu- able lesson: you can’t dictate mo- rality to college students. Ihat’s why curfews, single-sex dorms and other old-fashioned traditions have been left by the wayside. it’s our hope that this campus can also leave offensive and in- sulting language by the wayside The proposal ignores a valuable lesson: you can ’t dictate morality to college students. That 3 why curfews, single—sex dorms and other old-fashioned traditions have died out. Again, W&L does not have to grant students full First Amend- ment protection. But the univer- sity should realize that an outright prohibition, even on obscene and offensive words, will not create the change in attitude that Martin New in Career Services U‘P‘Da‘l'fE you are on: “‘v’\IA.SHI".NGT().N Ahli} EJ'N'I'V’f?.‘RS_IT"t’ CAREERQSERVICES as well, but Martin’s proposal is not the right way to change the current atmosphere. The problem on our campus is that too many students stand qui- etly aside when a peer uses racist, sexist or homophobic language. everything that has breath and can be offended? Do these indi- viduals represent you in every ca- pacity? If so, how much of what they say should affect you? Let me take you back a few years. Imagine a Baby Grace, just as sassy, but a little lighter and shorter with pigtails and miss- Few students are willing to con- front a peer and say that some- thing is offensive. W&L likes to portray itself as a school that’s in the business of developing well-rounded stu- dents, people who do well in the classroom but also embody vir- tues like tolerance, honesty and courtesy. That’s a fine goal, but the uni- versity should realize that those values cannot be force-fed to. students. The values can only emerge if the entire community stands behind them. Martin’s right. We do have a culture of homophobia and intol- erance on this campus. We salute his efforts to change that culture. We cannot, however, support a regulation that will stifle student speech, no matter how offensive the speech. Change will come through honest and open discourse, not another restriction that the Stu- dent Affairs Committee sends down from above. wag. "t—ll«£;;9‘:"tt;"ff. emcee ts o efircts li‘~JlKcll 20, 21,22, 2008 . 7:30 . I0l’rt:SGt’tl%€lh’KE LEljfE"STltIrLL 2008 .» fl/‘’l?E Its”? ‘l7_}X£;"CTC'~r<’.S Lauren Sapikowski, ‘O8 Helen Coupe, "09 Gabrielle dc Courcy, ’09 Tabitha King, ‘()9 Lisa Rcppeil. ‘09 you keep ing teeth sitting at one of those delightfully small grade school desks that elementary schools have. Now, imagine some other Baby (insert the name of grade school here) talking to Baby Grace (BG), instead of doing his/ her work. A All of a sudden, the teacher asks Baby Grace to go to time-out for talking. The only problem is that BG wasn’t talking, only sit- ting close to ‘O1 Baby Big Mouth (BBM) and slightly listening. Is it really fair for BG to get punished for what BBM did? I think not. Maybe BG should have told BBM to shut the heck up before she pushed him off of the monkey bars during recess. To be quite honest, I have a few friends that I may need to “dismiss” from the campaign known as my life or even fire them as social advisors and keep them as personal advisors. Doesn’t that sound a bit laughable? Honestly, I’m not quite sure what my stance on the issue is, but I think that we may want to scrutinize our own lives as closely as we do the lives of the presiden- tial candidates. If it’s unaccept- able for them to have individuals around them making question- able comments, then maybe the same should apply to us. I completely recognize that politicians operate in a bigger forum and have a greater range of influence, but are such double standards fair? We’re all humans and make mistakes, but maybe the saying “birds of a feather flock together” is true, and, then again, maybe it should be “birds of different and similar feathers sometimes flock together but aren’t actually rep- resentative of individual birds in the flock or even the flock as a collective unit.” So maybe that would be too long to actually become a saying, but I implore all of my readers to ponder the questions that I have raised. Maybe the old adage of “be- ware the company you keep” is still applicable in today’s world; then again, maybe it needs a modern interpretation. — »-~—-—— «-~———- WASHINGTON AND LEE Umvnzsmr THE RING-TUM PHI. MANAGING ASST. MANAGING NEWS ASST. NEWS OPINIONS ARTS&L|FE SPORTS EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR EDITOR COPYEDITORS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGN EDITOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS BUSINESS MANAGER DISTRIBUTION MNGR. JACOB GEIGER JESSICA SHAW GRACE WANG ALLISON CHOPIN STACEY GRIJALVA SACHA RAAB MICHAEL KEENAN WILL DORRANCE ANDY RUBIN GRACE ANDREWS KEVIN CORN ADAM LEWIS AMOR NEILL THUPARI ROBERT WASON RUSS WEEMS LARA JORDAN LENORA NUNNLEY MORGAN HARRIS CHARLES PERSONS STROCK MOORE MISSION STATEMENT: It is the mission of THE R/NG—TUM PHI to accurately, truthfully, and thoroughly report news affecting the Washington and Lee community for students, faculty, parents and alumni. Our goal is to look deeper into news affecting campus life and hold leaders accountable. Through our reporting, we aspire to spark discussions that lead to discovering information that prompts change. THE RING-TUM PHI is published Mondays during the undergraduate school year. THE RING—TUM PHI is a member of The Media Board, but is otherwise independent. Questions or concerns about the Phi should be addressed to the editors at phi@wlu.edu or to the Media Board at mediaboard@w|u.edu. an independent, student—run editorial oversight committee working with all media outlets on the Washington & Lee campus. will remain confidential. THE RING—TUM PHI welcomes all letters. We reserve the right to edit submissions for content and length. Letters and advertising do not necessarily reflect the opinion of THE RING—TUM PHI staff. This newspaper observes current court definitions of libel and obscenity. The Media Board is All inquiries THE RING-TUM PHI UNIVERSITY COMMONS ROOM. 341 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 TELEPHONE: (540) 458-4060 FAX: (540)458-4059 Mirror) Etltti M22’ .e‘tir.{_ior tff‘rt;%r.2’it I£i.‘rt.r*rfs. " Tirribar Ridge _Auto Center iii E 9 ‘lv"alley l’ilr{?:igt3 arid? fmmestit: Rep.airs tfliil. ttl'ti’:t3§;_';C aritl lube, A.=-’C.‘, €L‘omptrt'er ftiiagnostics, :2‘ .{i1tgi'a-e Reptiir, Brakes, Feet Et‘§jt3€~ii£}i’E f”_i£:1"t=‘l€Z{f, '"l”ransai*aission Service, (T,?a<::l21.n4t .l?3s.1.*~,;.lri, Mirror anti M:»;=i:j(:si“ Tur'3t*< -tt}_)E">. ’-Wszr trait p:‘mr.it'§t: factor}; ae§'.li0r'i;:eti maintenance w§tE3.ctt1t ’is‘{.1l<.lit‘t 3,3; yatrr mtmtt.fa.e'tat»t:’s warranty. repterl OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080317/WLURG39_RTP_20080317_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI ' MONDAY, arts&|ife DJ Paul and Juicy] rocked a crowd of W&L students, as well as local Rockbridge highschool students, Wednesday night. The popular hip hop/ rap group from Mem- phis, Tennessee, has won both Grammy and Academy awards and has released 11 albums, two including guests, since 1994. They have a new album coming out June 1. They even have their own television show, “Adventures in HoIlyhood.” Many students joined the singers on stage, dancing in the background and showing their enjoyment. Happily, Three 6 Mafia managed to get our name correct this year, as op- posed to Busta Rhymes’ “William and Lee!” The group definitely received an enthou- siastic welcome from the students who attended. W&L taken over by the Mafia Students flocked to pavillion to see popular Three 6 Mafia MORGAN HARRIS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER’ Correction 0!! Exchange & Lube Last week's article , 3'°°""“‘e Ch‘ 754 North Lee Hwy. Omega Chili cook- off reported that Across from Tractor Supply the event raised $1 2,000. The event raised $1,200. The Phi regrets the error. 540-463-5020 Save $1.00 — Show W&L ID GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY l Washington Pro experience and Georgetown academic credit this 5'. in June 2—August 9, ain experience that can help launch your legal career this in Washington, D.C. Enroll in Georgetown University's Semester in Washington Program in Law and see the legal and public policy process from the front row j;a§,anVinte‘rn on Capitol Hill, in other areas of government, or at a law firm, corporation, a lobbying firm, or non-profit organization in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. In the process, you'll gain academic credits while you ‘study the legislative process and explore ethics, leadership, and social justice as they relate to the law. You're invited to join a community of achievers in Washington this summer and open new doors to opportunities for your future career. 0 Work as a legal inter politan Washington, D.C. Georgetown University. ENROLL TODAY Visit scs.georgetown.edu/washington or call 202.687.8200 to enroll or find out when a representative will visit your campus. GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Setnester.,i_n,.. . Washington Program = y In Lavv Get Washingtoni.internsh’p experience and Georgetown academic credit this summe June 2—August»_9.,, 200 ain experience that can help launch your legal career this summer in Washingtoh,..0.:C. Enroll in Georgetown University's Semester in Washington Program in Law and see th ' legal and public policy process from the front rowas an intern on Capitol Hill. in other area“ , of government, or at a law firm, corpor t’ n, a l”ol:ihying firm, or non-profit orgariizialion in i the metropolitan Washington DC. area. I be rocfess, you'll gain academic credits while you study the legislative process and explore th s lead. ship, and social just-ice as they rééli e to the law. You :. .. I ° ' A 0 ’ summe and .0F1en new doorst A A ENROHO v Visit scs.georgetown.edu/washington or call 202.687.8200 to enroll or find out when a representative will visit your campus. Position Announcement Undergraduate Admissions Counselor The Washington and Lee Office of Undergraduate Admissions an- nounces an opening for Admissions Counselor. Responsibilities include managing a recruitment territory and travel schedule, conducting group information sessions and interviews, and evaluating admission applica- tions. Other duties will be assigned based on the selected candidate’s background and skills. Evening and weekend work is expected during the academic year, especially during peak application reading and travel seasons. A Bachelor’s degree, a valid driver’s license, and the willingness to commit to the position for a minimum of two years are required. Strong communication skills and demonstrated organizational abilities are ex- pected. The successful candidate will be both willing and able to work as part of a highly successful admissions team, yet will be capable of ore- ative self-direction. Preference will be given to W&L graduates. Interested candidates should complete a W&L Application for Employ- ment, available at http://humanresources.wlu.edu/forms, and e-mail it to jobs@Wlu.edu along with a cover letter, resume, and the names of three references no later than Wednesday, March 26, 2008. MARCH 16, 2008 Semester pp OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080317/WLURG39_RTP_20080317_005.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 THE RING-TUM PHI ° 5 sports Umpires are heroes amidst corruption Though negativity pervades sports and politics, baseball referees provide glimmer of hope for disadvantaged children By Adam Lewis c 0 L u M N I s T As good as the Daytona 500 and the Kentucky Derby are, they don’t come close to matching the race that has taken over American news in the past several months: T “Sports figures vs. Politicians: . §Who can cheat more?” Recently, ithese two American realms have {boasted the most corrupt people ; since Enron’s last board meet- f ing. Between Roger Clemens, the Patriots and Kelvin Samp- 3 son in sports, and Mark Foley, ' James West and now Eliot Spitzer ‘in politics, news headlines are ‘ clogged with corruption, and it’s almost become a race to see who f; will cheat next. “Right now, it ‘ looks like politics has just nudged L COLUM NIST I’m going to be honest, we cut it extremely close to ‘press time ' given the 6:00pm start to CBS’s , Selection Show on Sunday night; 7 nevertheless, in the following few paragraphs I hope to give you a : brief glimpse of what to expect in 3 the 2008 Men’s NCAA Division-I ; Basketball Tournament, an event * that year-in and year-out proves V itself as one of the most captivat- ingly special sporting events in . I the world. No one can argue about . the pure passion, raw excitement, 3 and unadulterated human emo- _ tion that are annually exhibited 3 in the NCAA Tournament. With ‘ that being said, let’s take a look i at some contenders, Cinderellas 1 and intriguing matchups to look _ forward to in the Big Dance: { The Contenders: 1. Each No. 1 seed: These teams . ; each earned a No. 1 seed for a its way into first with the old ‘El- iot Spitzer sex scandal’ technique coming around the turn, but sports is right on its tail, just waiting for the final-stretch push of a future Congress investigation. It could be a photo-finish!” Anyway, what I’m driving at is that sports and politics (particu- larly sports, being that this is a sports article) have been poisoned with negative media to the point where the “good” stories, when they exist, are overshadowed by the aforementioned corruption- centered ones. It is for this reason that I am taking the opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of a group of people who make a liv- ing by arbitrating cheating, and who have painted the concept of reason. Each team won its confer- ence tournament and possesses the talent and depth to make a legitimate run for the National Championship. Taking a look at the bracket, East No. 1 UNC shouldn’t have trouble until at least the Elite Eight with either Louisville or Tennessee, but ei- ther -way the Heels should have more than enough firepower to win. In the South, Memphis should quickly run through teams, including a weaker than normal, but always Izzo-prepared Michigan State squad. Texas, in a “neutral” location of Houston, poses a big threat, but Memphis has beaten big time opponents be- fore. Ben Howland’s UCLA team looks prime for a third consecu- tive Final Four coming from the West bracket, and I’m not so sure Duke, Xavier, Drake, or any other team can match the Bruins on both ends of the floor. Big 12 win- purity with a “BLUE” stroke. Last Wednesday, “BLUE for Kids,” a charity organization founded by Major League Base- ball umpires, hosted the 2008 World Series of Bowling in Tam- pa, Fla. This event featured vari- ous celebrities, umpires and other baseball people as bowlers, in an effort to provide 1,000 at-risk or seriously ill children with a once- in—a-lifetime baseball experience, in which they would have the opportunity to attend a baseball game, meet players, take pictures and receive autographs. In general, BLUE, which stands for “Big League Umpir- ing Experience,” operates as an experience-based charity orga- nization, much like a “Make-A- ner Kansas headlines the Midwest bracket and really shouldn’t get tested until fairly deep in the tour- nament by a seasoned George- town team, plus Coach Bill Self will once again be looking to get the March Madness monkey off 0 his back. 2." Louisville: Pitino’s boys are back in top form after finally get- ting healthy‘and bringing back David Padgett and Terrence Wil- liams into the lineup. You can’t underestimate how good the Car- dinals are, winners of nine out of their last 11, including wins over Pitt, Notre Dame, Villanova, and Georgetown. Assuming they can beat a tough Tennessee team in the Sweet 16, the numbers say they could run with the Tar Heels and at least give them a good fight for a spot in San Antonio 3.Texas: No Durant? No prob- lem. Say hello to arguably the best scoring point guard in the Wish” foundation, for baseball. During the season, participating umpires host groups of typically ill, underprivileged or orphaned children for a behind-the-scenes look at the job of an umpire (ob- viously neglecting the occasional spit or profane action). And for kids who may be unable to enjoy a game first-hand, these umpires travel to nearby hospitals visiting children, often providing them with specially-made gifts. Over- all, BLUE combines the help of. numerous umpires and baseball- affiliated people to enhance the lives of kids in need, if just for one day, through baseball. Not to discredit all the other charities associated with sports, because there are a number of nation, DJ. Augustine. Between him and his supporting cast of Connor Atchley and A.J. Abrams, the fans in Austin are excited about the prospects of a Final Four. Big wins away from home include dominating performances at UCLA and on a neutral court against Tennessee, meaning that they are battle tested if Memphis comes calling later on. Potential Cinderellas you may see on the second weekend: - l.Winthrop: After shocking Notre Dame in the first round of last year’s tourney, the Big South Champs retum~ once again to a familiar spot, matched up against a major conference stalwart and No. 4 seed Wash. St. The Eagles return veterans Michael Jenkins and Taj McCullough, who have plenty of tournament experience, so don’t be too surprised if they shock Wazzu and then beat the winner of Notre Dame/George Eliott O’Brien Recreation Dane Boston Religious Life Aw*ards Gala Wcd1resrlay,lVIa1‘°cl1 l9tl1 6:30 PM Lee Chapel Receplioii 3.: Mllsirt will follow in the Elrotl Colnlnons Living Roorn excellent ones, but I find BLUE to be the most unique. In an age when athletes are making more money than ever, it is the umpires who step into the forefront to sup- port this noble cause. In an age when athletes are given as many advantages in life as the President of the United States, it is the um- pires who use their limited lever- age in sports to provide these kids with a life-enhancing experience. And in an age when athletes are regarded as gods and goddesses to young children, it is the umpires who emerge as the true heroes. I am not blaming every sports figure for lack of commendable action, because many are in- volved in ways that are extremely respectable. And I’m not blaming Mason. 2.Drake: I know they’re a No. 5 seed, but they still have to run through potentially UCONN, UCLA, and Duke in order to make their first ever trip to the Final Four. The Bulldogs play extreme- ly disciplined basketball under guard Adam Emmenecker, and they would love to get a chance to — prove themselves against the big guns of college basketball Unfortunately due to lack of time, I’m only going to have to mention other potential glass slip-. per candidates in St. J oseph’s (N 0. ll in the East), St. Mary’s (No. 10 in the South), and my bracketolo- gist Mike Daly’s special: West Virginia (No. 7 in the West). Intriguing First Round Matchups: 1. No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Kansas St.: 0.]. Mayo vs. Michael Beas- ley. Two dynamic freshmen lead- ing their overwhelmed coaches into the Big Dance. Maybe we Many Awards such as the UnSung Hero and Decade Award will be presented. Everyone is welcome to attend. ‘ All Student organizations are welcome to present awards. Email bgardner@wlu.edu to confirm. S'L1lZJII'1ll'.}F0UI‘ votes for the UnSung Hero Award @ litta:.=’}*’www,wlu.edi_1;":»:Si‘92-’l.§rrnl lloting Ends March 17", 2008 at noon media sources for seemingly cov- ering only the negatives of sports ' when clearly positive aspects ex- ist, because let’s face it, big news is often bad news. But I am writ- ing to expose the great accom- plishments of people in sports, hoping that by chance, news or- ganizations will do the same. I think it is very fitting that in a world filled with cheaters, those who regulate fairness in sports are the ones who are taking ac- tion. And to properly recognize this, I think we all should take our masks off, walk three feet in front of home plate and twirl our point- er fingers around twice, indicating that the effort of these umpires is undoubtedly a “home run.” real bracket: a quick look at the 2008 NCAA tournament 9 , By Neill Thupari should just ask to see 40 minutes of One-on-One between the two of them. The winner would have a tough test against a relentless Wis- consin team in the next round. 2. No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 Vil- lanova: Two big time schools from big time conferences. There will most definitely be conference pride on the line. Each team could spark a deep tournament run with a hot start here,‘ so beware. Once again, due to time con- straints, a few probable and likely matchups to look forward to down the road: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 2 Tennessee with the winner fac- ing No. 1 UNC, No. 2 George- town vs. No. 1 Kansas, and just for the heck ofit, No. 3 Xavier vs. No. 1 UCLA. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more in depth in my glance at the tourna- ment, but rest assured l’ll be back to discuss the tournament in com- ing weeks. Enjoy the Madness. OCR::/Vol_111/WLURG39_RTP_20080317/WLURG39_RTP_20080317_006.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 sports deck MoN Tues WED Tuuns FRI SAT Sun vs. 3* Baseball SW "°""°"° 3:00 pm. (DH) 12:00 pm. at V3. V8- at vs. Men’: Randolph Roanoke M300“ l-lampden- C8m°8|9 T°'“"‘ 4:00 p_m_ 4:00 p_m_ moo p.m. Sydney Melon 3:30 p.m. 10:00 vs. "3' Macon/ wmmm,‘ ClandoIph/ sac ‘ronnls arr Wasq 4:00 p_m_ 4:00 pm: V3. V8. w0m°n’s Roanoke Mary Wash I-“F0380 4:00 p.m. 2:oo p.m. 5 In c’VIlle at ugh.’ vs. Greensboro: Wooster 12:00 p.m. Lacrosse Too P m Frl-lay - Sunday 3°” Jekyll Iluand collegiate at Track 5'“°'V lnvltatlona March 20-22 3“""""""3 NCAA mu meet numbers 61 Points scored by Austin Carr of Notre Dame against Ohio in the 1970 NCAA tournament, the most ever by a player in a NCAA tournament game. 41 Personal fouls committed by Dayton against Illinois in the 1952 tour- nament, the most ever by a team in a NCAA tournament game. .29 Number of players used by Arizona State and Loyola Marymount in their 1980 NCAA tournament game, the most ever by two teams in the tournament. 3 Number of Utah State players who scored against San Francisco in their 1964 NCAA tournament game, the fewest players to score in a tournament game for a single team ever. 2 The number of games the University of Georgia won Saturday during the SEC tournament after a tornado hit the Georgia Dome Friday. The Bulldogs beat Arkansas Sunday to win a spot in the NCAA tournament. box “I obviously did not expect to take that shot or any other shot at the end of the game. It came to me, and I knew time was running out. Iput it up and it went in.” Arkansas Razorbacks’ center Steven Hill on his game-winning shot against Tennesse. The basket was Hill's only score of the game, from espn.com. “If you can’t get the ball, you can’t score. Wisconsin guard Michael Flowers on his defense of Michigan State’s Drew Neltzel, from espn.com. “I don't know. I'm not in the room. I’m not on the committee. Wherever we're seeded, we'll go play. ” Tennessee Volunteers’ men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl on how his team's seml-flnal loss In the SEC tournament will affect their seeding, from espn.com. 6 ° THE RING-TUM PHI Smashing successes Men is tennis stays undefeated in ODA SPORTS EDITOR s1ty. MICHAEL KEENAN / Sports Editor Senior Nat Estes returns a shot against Mary Wash- lngton’s Randy Loden on Saturday. C, notches first non-conference win By Michael Keenan * g The Washington and Lee men’s tennis team had its best week of the season, maintaining its undefeated record in the ODAC by defeating Lynchburg College on Wednesday and recording its first non-conference victory over Denison Uni- versity on Friday before seeing its four-match winning streal‘ snapped on Saturday by 8th-ranked Mary Washington Univer- On Wednesday, the Generals cruised past the Hornets 9-0. After the duos of seniors Tim Ross and Stuart Sanford, seniors Nat Estes and Seth Feibelman and senior Nelson Bunn and sophomore Alex Brooke swept the doubles portion, the under- classmen got their chance during the singles competition. Freshman Morgan Hopson won the No. 1 singles match without dropping a game to Kristian Richardson. Sophomore Brent Meyers only dropped two games en route to his two-set victory over Daniel Civis. Junior Jamie McCardell won No. 3 singles by default. Sophomore Cliff Gaddy and freshmen Tim Watson and Will Hall rounded out the sweep for the Generals. On Friday, the Generals knocked off Denison 6-2. The Generals took a commanding 3-0 lead after sweeping the dou- bles competition. Ross and McCardell teamed up to win No. doubles 6-2, Feibelman and Estes took No. 2 doubles 8-3 and Brooke and Sanford completed the sweep winning 8-5. In the singles competition, Ross won convincingly in No. 1 singles, defeating Jordan Buehler 6-1, 6-4. The other matches were much closer. Estes and Sanford both lost in third, set tie- breakers which allowed Denison to get on the board. How- ever, Fiebelman and McCardell won third and fourth singles by scores of 6-4, 6-4 and 6-4, 7-6, to secure the 6-2 victory. Saturday was a different story. The Eagles of Mary Wash- ington came in ranked 8“‘ in the country and lived up to their rating. The Eagles took two of three in the doubles competi- tion and five of six in the singles competition. The Generals didn’t go down without a fight, though. The duo of F eibelman and Estes won second doubles, defeating Evan Goff and Bryc‘ Parrish 8-4 and Meyers recorded the only singles victory by defeating Kaz Murata 6-3, 6-2. Three of the singles match- es went to a third set and the other two were decided by two games or less in each set. The Generals return to action Tuesday when they travel to- Randolph College to take on the Wildcats at 4 p.m. Women crush No. 9 Denison, sweep ODAC opponents By Michael Keenan sponrs EDITOR The Washington and Lee women’s tennis team im- proved to 8-0 this week with victories over ODAC oppo- nents Hollins University and Lynchburg College as well as 9th-ranked Denison University, its first non-conference foe of the spring season. The Generals posted two victories on Wednesday, de- feating Hollins, who is currently tied for 2nd in the ODAC and Lynchburg. Neither team posed much of a threat as the Generals swept both matches 9-0. Four seniors — Kelly Will, Leah Weston, Rebecca Tim- mis and Katie Duncan — and two juniors — Katie Tabb and Meg Spalitta — traveled to Roanoke to down Hollins. All won in straight sets, with four winning 6-0, 6-0. Back in Lexington, seniors Rhodes Proctor and Lau- ren Cook, sophomore Lyndsey Johansson, and freshmen Virginia Dickinson, Catherine Reed, Crystal Spencer and Lauren Dorsey blanked the Hornets for the team’s second win of the day. The Generals surrendered only two games in the nine matches. On Friday, the Generals faced a top 10 team for the first time this spring when they took on Denison. The Generals were more than up to the challenge, sweeping the doubles competition and then taking five of six in the singles com- petition. In doubles play, the No. 1 and No. 2 matches were very close. Tabb teamed with sophomore Lauren Caire to defeat Denison’s top duo of Marta Drane and Kristin Cobb, 8-6. Weston and Reed played extra to defeat Meghan Damico and Kendra Murray in a tiebreak, 9-8. In No. 3 doubles, Will and Dickinson cruised to an 8- 2 win over Erin Gorsich and Kristina Beilinson. On the singles side, Tabb won the first set convincingly before dropping the second set 6-1 but came back to take the third set 6-4, winning the match. Tabb’s win was followed by straight set wins from Will, Caire, Weston and Spalitta, leading to the General’s 8-1 win. The women return to action Wednesday when they take on Mary Washington University at home and then travel to Randolph College to take on the Wildcats. MICHAEL KEENAN / Sports Editor Freshman Virginia Dickinson serves during her 6-0, 6-0 victory over Lynchburg’s Elizabeth Eckert on Wednesday. F&M steals victory with late OT goal ' Men stomp Hood but drops second game to ranked opponent in overtime By Russ Weems STAFF wnmzn Another week, another heartbreaker for the men’s lacrosse team. The team travelled to Hood College Monday and took on Franklin and Mar- shall on Saturday at a neutral site. On Monday, the Generals blew out Hood College. The game was overwhelm- ing one siding from start to finish, with the Generals dominating nearly every facet of the game. The Generals got out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first quarter, never relin- quished and ended up with a 15-1 victory. The Generals nearly completed a shutout. Hood didn’t get on the scoreboard until there was 41 seconds remaining in the contest. 10 W&L players scored and three had multiple goals. » The Generals dominance was lead by a balanced attack. Will Englehart and Ned Rider paced the team with 3 goals. Seth Fishman recorded two. Harry St. John, Drew Koeneman, Kevin Feeney, Deets Hoffman, Justin Donati, Mark Wachtmeis- ter, and Tyler Lenczuk also found the back of the net for the Generals. Four Gener- als had multiple assists. Connor Locke played the first three quarters in goal in the victory, saving 10 shots and allowing 0 goals. The final period was split between Jason Lumpkin and Ned Lundvall.‘ The Generals faced the Diplomats on Franklin and Marshall Saturday in what turned out to be a thrilling game. The Gen- erals started the game strong, opening up a 2-0 lead by first quarter goals by Will Kei- gler and Kevin Feeney. F&M responded strongly, scored 4 of the five goals in the second and third quarters, giving them a 4-3 lead going into the final period. The fourth quarter was hotly contested and‘ exciting, featuring four ties and one lead change. Neither team led by more than one goal. For the first part of the quar- ter, the two teams traded goals, leaving the score at 6-5 with 7:30 to play. W&L then had a big stretch, outscoring the Diplomats 2-0 in the next four minutes, leaving The Generals with a one goal advantage with 3:16 remaining in the fourth. Diplomats’ attackman Mark Hild responded with a goal with 2:31 to play, sending the game to overtime. At the end of the first over-_ _ time, Hild scored again leaving the Gener- als with a tough 8-7 loss. The Generals were led by some strong individual performances in the loss. Ned Rider and Will Englehart both recorded two goals. Tim Skeen and Will Keigler each had one goal and one assist, while_ Harry St. John added two assists. Con- nor Locke played the duration in goal for W&L, stopping nine shots. W&L returns to action on Wednesday when they take on the College of Wooster at 7:00 p.m. at St. Anne’s-Belfield in Char- lottesville, Va. O