OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090330/WLURG39_RTP_20090330_001.2.txt Drink UP! Smartwater proven to make Sratrow cheers. I WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING-TUM PHI. MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 Pi Phi not the same as...Pi Phi Confusion over stickers and ‘ mixers finally cleared up By Katrina Rogers 3 TA F F w R I T E R Pi Phi and Pi Phi are two distinct Greek-letter organizations, according to anonymous sources within Panhellenic and the IFC. This confirms the recent rumors that the Pi Phi to which men belong is not the same as that to which women belong, which were fueled by the tendency for Pi Phi men not to buy the pink and blue, arrow-covered picture frames and I post-it notes at the bookstore. “I just felt like the sticker with the light blue stripes and the curly lettering didn’t look right on my laptop,” a Pi Phi man said in defense of hisrejection of the really cute sticker he could have bought. “It didn’t accurately reflect, to me, what it means to be a member of Pi Phi.” Similarly, Pi Phi women were conspicuously absent from Pi Phi’s recent mixer with ADPi. When questioned, they said no mention had been made of the mixer in chapter meeting the week before. 7 Some have suggested that, in the wake of the fire at the Pi Kappa Phi house, the two organiza- tions merge; others have refused to believe they were ever anything but one and the same. One prospective student who recently stayed for an over-night confused matters by swearing on his life he’d been “to the coolest Pi Beta Phi house - Thunderlodge baby!” However, the explanation of Pi Phi and Pi Phi being separate organizations clears up sev- eral other conundiums, such as the two Pi Phi houses-and the mysterious middle letters. I Pi Phi women identify themselves as mem- becs of Pi Beta Phi, while Pi Phi men are in Pi Kappa Phi. These middle letters are rarely used and prob- ably:don’t mean anything important, but the dis—. parity was a telling clue that there is more than one Pi Phi on campus. “Yeah, we’re totally not the same,” said a Pi Phi. “One is for girls and one is for guys.” This news follows the recent revelation that Sigma Chi and the Lodge are indeed one frat: Sigma Chi Psi. At least, judging from who are the last 20 guys on the Late Nite dance floor they’re the same. W&L to be renamed in 2010 Ruscio docsn ’t expect much will change, actually. By Mltch “The M|ss|le” McDonogh and Ryan “wrlnger” Wllllams STAFF WRITERS In 1749, what would eventually become Washington and Lee University was established roughly 20 miles north of the little city of Lex- ington in Rockbridge County, Va. Its purpose was to teach the lost arts of hon- or and integrity and to insure that the handful of men who graduated were the best southern gentlemen in the nation. They succeeded. But on September 9, 2010, Washington and Lee University will be renamed “Top Gun University,” after a unanimous decision by the Board of Trustees, the deans of the College and the Williams School and Paramount Pictures. “We’re up there with the best of the best, we might as well let ‘em know it,” said Aviator-clad University President Ken “Cobra” Ruscio. “Today, we call it Washington and Lee. To- morrow, we call it Top Gun.” University officials say the proposed change, which will take effect beginning the 2010-2011 academic year, will cost an estimated $15 mil- lion. The cost will include construction of a new flight school, Cougar Hall, to support sev- en new major programs, including Flight Stud- ies and Insubordination. “For those less academically inclined, the Maverick major will provide ample preparation for students who hope to hone their skills at us- ing good looks and charm to get ahead in life,” said Professor Sam “Merlin” Wells, before ex- ecuting a sick double high five. The athletics department will retire its “Gen- erals” apparel as all university sports teams adopt their new title — the Wingmen. “A good Wingman is compelled to evalu- ate what’s happened, so he can apply what he’s learned,” said men’s lacrosse coach Tom “Ice Man” Kazansky ’86. “Up there, we gotta push it. That’s our job,” he said. Changes will occur in all aspects of campus life. The university’s new Johnson Scholarship Program will be renamed the Bradshaw Schol- arship Program, in honor of Lt. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw ’86, the best damn pilot this place has ever seen. adopt the military alphabet. Organizations such as Sierra Alpha Echo and X—Ray Oscar will re- main a hallmark of the TGU social landscape. New Member Education programs will now in- clude mandatory sessions with towel whips and awkward shower moments. Student response to the broad—sweeping changes has been overwhelmingly positive, mostly because this school is stuck in the ‘80s. “Real slick, my man,” high—fived Tripp “Danger” Douglass IV ’ll. “Real slick.” “The Maverick major will provide ample preparation for students who hope to hone their skills at using good looks and charm to get ahead in life. ” Sam “Merlln” Wells, professor In Bradshaw’s memory, Lee Chapel will be rechristened Goose Chapel. The new Goose Chapel attire will call for sunglasses and leather jackets for men and string bikinis for women. The Traveller Safe Ride Program will be renamed Tomcat, the W&L Swing will be re- placed with Kenny “Stinger” Loggins’ “Danger Zone.” Aviator sunglasses will become a man- datory part of the Williams School curriculum. Oh, wait...done. All intramural sports will be fused into a yearlong beach volleyball round-robin touma— ment, with winners getting the girl and losers biting the dust. Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity greet- ed the news with enthusiastically before book- ing Snackbar Jones for the 80th time this term. The Greek System, one of the purest and proudest traditions at what is now W&L, will All courses in the humanities, including art, music, theater, English, religion, and philoso- phy, have been ejected. This will afford profes- sors the opportunity to incorporate new courses, such as “The History of Top Gun” and “Motor- cycle Fashion.” Professor Mike “Viper” Metcalf sees noth- ing but opportunities in the revised course of- ferings. In preparation for the transition, Viper will teach a course this fall entitled “Too Close For Missiles, I’m Switching to Guns: A Com- prehensive Survey of Instinct and Aerial Com- bat Tactics.” “You don’t have time to think up there,” he said. “If you think, you’re dead.” Also, the Williams School will also intro- duce it’s “Risky Business” term abroad starting in 2010. VOLUME CXII, NUMBER 18 . Student challenges Cadavers Senior Briana Gapsis demands payment for catching a member of the society By Jeremy Halllson uuozncovenunrsnn Briana Gapsis hopes unveiling more Cadavers will help pay for medical school. Gapsis, a senior at Washington and Lee, has publicly stated her intention to “take on” the Cadavers, a secret society at W&L, for a second chance to have her medical school tuition paid for. “I just think it sucks that I unveiled a Cadaver once already, and so far, they have yet to make good on their sup- posed obligation to make me a member and pay for my medical school tuition,” Gapsis said in an exclusive interview with the Ring-Tum Phi. “That’s why I plan to take them on a second time.” Gapsis claims she successfully chased down and unveiled a member of the Cadavers society two weeks ago with the help of a friend, sophomore Sam Gilleran, who put down the masked man with a blunt blow to the sternum. “It’s not like I play football, but when I saw that guy coming at me like a freight train I just followed my instincts and stiff-armed him,” Gilleran said. “It veiling a Cadaver, whom she did not recognize but claims she could identify in a line-up. Despite posting two cam- pus notices on March 17 and 18 an- nouncing her successful unmasking of a Cadaver, Gapsis said she did not receive “I will unmask one of their members each week until I am either inducted or compensated... This is a small campus, and I ’m a pretty fast runner: I caught them once, and I can do it again. ’ I Brlana Gapsls, senlor pre-med student was pretty sweet until the other Cadav- ers ganged up on me and started pum- meling me.” Gilleran said he still has the bruises to prove it. Now Gapsis wants her due for un- so much as a bird’s skull from the secret society. That’s why she plans to send them a message they will hear. “If I do not hear from the Cadavers soon, I will unmask one of their mem- bers each week until I am either induct- ed or compensated. Even secret societ- ies should honor their commitments,” Gapsis said. Though Gapsis is confident she can take down one Cadaver a week, she is keeping her methods a secret to main- tain the element of surprise. She did indicate the ambush would happen at night, when Cadavers tend to roam the W&L campus drawing their distinctive skull logo on sidewalks and cars. “This is a small campus and I’m a pretty fast runner. I caught them once, and I can do it again,” Gapsis said. In support of her crusade, Gapsis’ friends have created a Facebook group, “To Catch a Cadaver,” which will pro- vide updates of Gapsis’ raids on mem- bers of the secret society. Philosophy professor James Mahon, dean of students Dawn Watkins and di- rector of religious life Burr Datz are all backing Gapsis’ cause. “That girl has spunk—if anyone can do it, Briana can,” Mahon said. “But she’ll have a hard time of it, to be sure. Those Cadavers are elusive, like lepre- chauns, only they don’t make ridiculous offers to lead you to pots of gold when you’re trying to get home after a late night out. Jerks.” Watkins said the deans are collec- tively behind Gapsis: “We think that this kind of proactive attitude is exactly what the W&L student body needs to see. You go, gir .” For his part, Datz has personal rea- sons to support Gapsis. “Those punks stole my Martin back in 1974,” he said. President Ken Ruscio, Provost June Aprille and the board of -trustees have remained silent on the issue. Figures. OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090330/WLURG39_RTP_20090330_002.2.txt lW!\¥fi3ll*?tlHM.!V WASHINGTON & use umtytasjisv, LEXINGTON, VA, 24459. APR 0 1 mg 2 0 THE RING-TUM PHI WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 Male student could be a Vampire Students spot a mysterious blood-thirsty, attractive man around campus, but maybe he is just weird By AnnaBella Bach ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Rumors circulating last week report sightings of a pale-skinned, angry male student at Washington and Lee who, ac- cording to several women on campus, must certainly be a vampire. “There aren’t any emo or goth kids at W&L,” an unidentified sorority mem- ber was overheard saying during dinner this week. “The only other option is a vampire.” Other students provided what they claim is concrete evidence that a vam- pire is attending school here. “I see him at parties, standing in the comer and staring at girls,” said a stu- dent who was reluctant to indentify her- self and only gave her name as Jessica. “He’s creepy, but he’s really at- tractive! I just wish I wasn’t scared of him.” Jessica described this man’s appear- ance as tall and thin, with a fair com- plexion, dark piercing eyes and tousled dark hair. “Pale, skinny guys are hot,” she added. Sources could not provide a name for this mysterious figure. “Does he even go here?” asked another student. “He only wears black. Like, who does that?” Others recalled having seen him, but without approaching them. She said his expression turns angry and frightened whenever someone tries to talk to him. “Once I saw him on the hill. He was yelling at this girl for no reason,” she said. “She must be afraid that he is go- ing to kill her or turn her into a vam- “He 3 creepy, but he is really attractive...I ’ve never seen him eat real food, and he looks too young to be in college...hasn ’t anyone read “Twilight?” Its all in I there. ’ Jesslca, anonymous student they couldn’t give specific details when asked. “I think he might be in my fraterni- ty, but I’m not sure,” said junior Blake Harris. Jessica claims this man must be a vampire because she has witnessed him looking longingly at other people Trident moves to Twitter Lack of money, writers and any real interest in reading news forces stafi’ to post one-sentence By Allce charlottes STA F F W R IT E R pire.” Other students are less sure that this man is actually a creature of the under- world. First-year Elizabeth Carter said she thinks he is probably just depressed. “He’s not a vampire,” she said. “He’s just really weird.” By Wyatt Heaton STAFF WRITER But others hold that this person has displayed nearly all of the defining fea- tures of a typical vampire. Jessica reported that she and oth- ers have witnessed him staring at her friends nervously, lifting heavy objects, driving too fast down Main Street and even walking around in the woods be- hind campus. “I’ve never seen him eat real food, and he looks too young to be in college,” she said. “Clearly he is only pretending to age. Hasn’t anyone read “Twilight?” It’s all in there.” Another anonymous female student claims to have seen his eyes change color from day to day. She suspects this happens because he is thirsty for blood. “He’s in one of my classes, and sometimes he disappears for days at a time,” said this same source. “No one knows where he goes, but I know he must be hunting. He probably kills animals to drink their blood. I’ve never heard of him killing a human, but I’m still afraid of him.” Harris said he doesn’t think this man ever sleeps, and other sources confirmed that this too is a vampiric trait. “I’ve heard he is a really good musi- cian, and everyone knows that Edward Cullen plays the piano,” said Jessica. Sophomore Nicole Allen said she has seen this man surrounding by a group of similarly pale, good-looking young people on campus and at parties two or three times. “They’re the only ones I’ve ever seen talking to him,” she said. “They must be his vampire family, like the Cullens in ‘Twilight!”’ While most students admitted they are glad they have never had to talk this student, Allen said she regrets he is shy. “I wish he would talk to me,” she said. “My friends make fun of me, but I think he’s really cute.” No one would comment who has actually been in contact with this per- son, and the admissions office refused to state whether there is a policy against admitting students who are vampires. Two poverty majors face arrest ~ With charges of assault and kidnapping, two unnamed students face up to 29 years in prison A few weeks after the editors of the Trident decided to move online because of overwhelm- ing debt, the paper may be forced to abandon the Web site and turn to Twitter to deliver the news. The staff was optimistic about moving to the Web the first time around, but it turns out that there aren’t even enough money, resources or staff members to maintain the Web site. So instead of producing full-sized news stories and photos, the editors will simply post brief headlines and lead paragraphs to the Tri- dent’s page at Twitter.com, where readers can easily “follow” the updates and stay informed. This may seem like a bizarre solution to the newspaper’s troubles, but editor Alexandra Scaggs said she thinks it’s the perfect idea. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of it be- fore,” she said. “We’ve just been wasting time and the money We didn’t have putting out a newspaper and then a Web site. It’s so much easier to just post a sentence or two from my Blackberry.” Some traditional news consumers may be outraged by the idea that they will not be able to read full news stories, but a member of the journalism department said that this old-fash- ioned perspective is just not practical for the fast-paced media world we currently live in. “People want news on demand, and they don’t have the attention span to open a news- paper, click through a Web site or even read a whole paragraph,” said this professor. “The industry has to change to meet these new needs, and the Trident’s got the right idea by switching to Twitter.” Junior Jake Richards, a writer for the Tri- dent, is relieved that creative thinking, outlining and actual writing will no longer be needed for him to report on the news. “No one reads it anyway, so why should we bother?” he said. Scaggs agrees that she and her staff are only keeping up with the demand, or maybe even staying ahead of the game. “When the nation’s newspapers are folding and moving to the Web, it’s obvious that we need to be constantly adapting to a new me- dium,” she said. “When’s the last time that any college student actually read a newspaper any- way? Print is obsolete.” So are complete sentences, it seems. If the we’re keeping up with the need for speed, what’s next? Some suggest that information projected directly into consumers’ minds is the industry’s next goal. As for the Trident staff, if Twitter doesn’t work, the editors will resort to sending news reports as text messages to approximately nine readers each week. They figure no one will re- ally notice. The Ring-Tum Phi has learned the Lexington Police Department will make two arrests of Wash- ington and Lee students this week. The two students facing arrest are Shepherd Poverty Program majors, but are yet to be named. The announcement of the names and arrests will be covered exclusively by W&L’s Rockbridge Re- port which aires on local channel 18. The inforrna— tion is expected to be made public around 2 p.m today. The arrests will result from two assaults and kid- nappings which took place on the night of March 2. Two government insiders have confirmed that the kidnapping began outside Parrnly Hall and ended in the Doremus Gyms saunas, where two students were eventually found and then hospitalized for three and four days. Alyson Chalmers was the W&L Facilities Man- agement employee who found the two beaten stu- dents, Chip Gordon II and Kate Elizabeth Arnold, with their hands and feet bound in the sauna. “When I found them they were shriveled to rai- sins and beaten like stray dogs. It was horrific to come upon. I’m still unable to get the image and the smell out of my head.” The two sources intimate with the case agreed to speak to The Phi on record but refused to allow attribution to their names. The sources work for the Lexington Police Department. Other sources con- firmed the story off-the-record. The Phi would always prefer to give name at- tribution but cannot in this case due to the sources proximity to the case. The incident stemmed from when Gordon II and Arnold insulted the social prevalence and validity of a school-wide Shepherd Poverty display dealing with rural homelessness, according to Gait Cum- mings, a friend of Gordon 11 and Arnold. Rural homelessness is a rampant problem in Rockbridge and the surrounding counties. 2008 US Census Estimates indicate that there are as many as eight thousand men, women and children living amongst nature in this portion of the state. Cummings confirmed that his friends questioned the display in the Commons, where they publicly ridiculed the student leaders responsible for the Shepherd Poverty display. Cummings and other students present at the lam- basting affirm that some of the Shepherd Poverty Program members became livid with raged and vowed for revenge. It is at that point that the details become less clear. At some point on the night of March 2, Gor- don II and Arnold were subdued outside of Parrnly Hall. They were found 7:37 a.m. the next morning by Chalmers. Gordon II is a member of Phi Kappa Theta, Wil- liams Investment Society, Sigma Society and the Men’s Basketball Team. Arnold, who has since transferred, was a key player for the Women’s Ten- nis Team, a C-School Major, a Peer Counselor and a Fancy Dress Chair. She was, of course, a Kappa Kappa Gamma. Both refused to comment due to their role in any possible trial. Phi cancels A ril Fools’ issue Editors cite having real news for the first time, ike, ever, with apathy as reason for cancellation By chrls Bukkakuson DOES ANYONE EVEN READ THESE? In an editorial decision sure to draw sharp criticism from Washington and Lee’s eagerly waiting student body, Ring-tum Phi Managing Editor Allison Chopin announced today that the Phi will not be creating its annual “April Fools’ Issue.” The issue, usually considered to be the most anticipated social event of W&L’s school year, was scrapped last minute due to staff apathy say sources. In an unprecedented moment, the Phi also confirmed they had actual news to report. Chopin confirmed that the two factors were the basis for her decision to cut the issue. The Phi’s “April Fools’” issue, which ALWAYS falls on April 1st, has not missed a yearly appearance since, like, 2003 probably. Phi Business Manager Strock Moore was unavailable to help us sort through the back issues to find out, and all the other editors were “too clueless” about “how to sort through this stuff,” report insider sources. When reached for comment, Opin- ions Editor Cody Beauchamp expressed outrage that the editors were being de- nied their one opportunity to foist bad- pun-riddled headlines and only mod- erately bemusing jokes about W&L’s frattiness upon the student body. “Dammit. I guess I’ll go back to assigning stories for next week,” said Beauchamp before picking up a dart and throwing it at a board with sections labeled “Attack Frats,” “Praise Frats,” “Administration,” and “Diss D-hall / Co-Op.” News Editor John Henderson ex- pressed disappointment at the news, but also noted that “without those fake pages, I might actually get to spend a little of Sunday outside of that office. Wow...I...I wonder what that’s like... free time. . .wow. . .Henderson out!” Arts & Life Editor Celeste Cruz- Carandang did not respond to repeated phone calls seeking comment, prob- ably because she was too busy taking as many pictures of random C-School photo galleries as possible in the hopes of actually getting people to read her section. Sports Editor Will Dorrance was un- available for comment, as he was sin- gle-handedly covering a women’s field hockey game, both lacrosse games, the Phi Kap—FIJI IM basketball game, foot- ball spring training, a competitive ping pong match, two baseball tournaments, some kind of swimming thing, a 1,023- cup game at Fallout and SAE’s weekly Sunday trip to golf. Design Editor Lara Jordan was also unavailable for comment. Sources con- firm she simply walked out of the Phi’s oflices after the twentieth time an editor asked her to change a page’s design. She was last spotted heading towards Goshen like a normal person. The Phi has no Copy Editors to con- tact (anyone want a resume stuffer?). The cancellation came as a huge dis- appointment to administrators, who are confirmed to wait for each year’s issue with great anticipation. “Oh, I love it,” said President Ruscio in an exclusive interview. “I just love it when undergrads make up ridiculous quotes I’m supposed to have said, all in the name of satire,” Ruscio said be- fore screaming “f"‘** tha police! Eyze tha mayne dawg, doncha be forgettin it thug!” and hanging up the phone. Provost June Aprille said she will miss the jokes about the University of Richmond taking over W&L. “I’ve been hiring no one but old U of R peo- ple all year,” Aprille said. “C’mon Phi! I was looking forward to see another round of those jokes.” One journalism professor who wished to remain annonyrnous stated that the cancellation came as a “huge blow to fans of dry humor every- where.” Rumors are also circulating that the cancellation has something to do with next year’s freshmen class. One rumor held that they are so damn cool they’ve actually already bought the Phi so that they have the media on their side when they arrive on campus in the fall. They are the best class ever. Like, of all time. They make the rest of us look like the four week spring terrn--not as fim, pointless, though still pretty hot. Director of Greek Life Clay Coleman has reportedly been considering resig- nation following the Phi’s announce- ment. “I simply don’t know how I can keep doing my job without the once-a- year gag article saying the frats have all been kicked off,” Coleman said in a statement to the Phi. When asked whether next year would see the return of the April Fool’s edition, Chopin expressed doubt. “The reality is that issues like that are usually just excuses for over-worked, under-funny people to make a bunch of in-jokes because they’re secretly jeal- ous of the Trident’s complete disregard for any kind of quality,” said Chopin. “And those kind of self-referential in-joke filled, unfunny articles will nev- er run in the Phi,” she added. *Smirk* OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090330/WLURG39_RTP_20090330_003.2.txt WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING-TUM PHI. MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 VOLUME CXII, NUMBER 18 Blazing the career Jobs may be scarce but W&L students have a competitive advantage, Career Services says. By Holly Suthers STAFF WRITER The job market is more competitive than ever, but W,&L, students are _wel_l_ ‘. positioned to get offers, Career Services director Beverly Lorig said. Because of this year’s economic cri- sis, fewer job positions are open to grad- uating seniors. From areas of finance to social work, landing a job is competitive. Not only are college graduates compet- ing with each other, but also with more experienced applicants. The National Association for Col- leges and Employers has reported that companies are hiring 22% fewer gradu- ates this year than in 2008. They found that the largest drop off was in finance with a 71% decrease in job openings. Students majoring in finance and journalism may have a particularly hard time finding a job. Both markets have been significantly affected by the economy, making large cuts to both job forces. Laura Sanders is a senior journalism major hoping to work in television news as a reporter or a producer. At this point, Sanders said she is willing to take the first offer she gets. She has sent resumes to 10-15 different stations and plans on sending out more. "“My philosophy is, beggars can’t be choosers. In this economy I’ll probably Washington and Lee’s strong alum- ni network is aiding students in leads, placements and recommendations. Some students have said that the sup- port from alums and professors is part of what makes W&L unique. “Do not lose sight of your senior year. Continue to make the most of it. Make good connections with fac- ulty, focus on close relationships and have a good time. You are going to be in the job force for a long time and will always need this support. ” Beverly Lorlg, Dlrector of Career Servlces be more inclined to take whatever is of- fered to me first,” said Sanders. While times are touch, getting a job is not impossible. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the areas of health care, biosciences and technology will create the most new jobs this year. The government is also creating thousands of jobs targeted towards students. “The professors and alums have been really great! They all want me to sue- ceed. It has been really nice to utilize some of the connections they have in the business world, too,” Sanders said. Beverly Lorig, W&L’s Director of Career Services, said seniors ought to know that jobs are available, and that career services has the resources to help. According to Lorig, alums this year are volunteering to help and support students more than ever. Even the alums that are working in volatile areas continue to be supportiveand encouraging. Walter Robertson, class of 1976 and President and CEO of Scott & Stringfel- low, spoke to a group of students several weeks ago in Richmond. He encouraged students to be persistent and productive when applying for a job. “Every hire that a company makes this year is going to be significant,” said Robertson. Robertson believes that while the job market is very competitive, W&L students are up too the task. He said the caliber of W&L students continues to get better each year and that they are some of the most educated and prepared students in America. For some of the seniors that met with him in Richmond, his words served as a comfort to them. Some said the gloom of the lack of jobs has prevented them from recognizing that they are among the best college graduates in the job market. For students looking to prepare for a job interview, Lorig believes demon- LENORA NUNNLEY / Staff Photographer Career Services director Beverly Lorig talks to first-year Amber Cooper in the career services office. strating oral and written skills, the abil- ity to work collaboratively, and the abil- ity to quickly learn new information is very important. ‘ “Motivation and determination is going to be important in students who assume new jobs. Employers will have higher expectations from the start,” said Lorig. Lorig advised students to be realis- tic when searching for a job and to use the W&L outlets to help create multiple plans. The job search could take longer than expected, she said. “Students are saying why should I bother, well you are going to have to find a job one way or another. Prepare now or suffer later,” she said. Lorig also had this advice: “Do not lose sight of your senior year. Continue to make the most of it. Make good connections with faculty, fo- cus on close friendships and have a good time. You are going to be in the job force for a long time and will always need this support.” , Camille Allen ‘O7 battles cancer Despite a serious diagnosis, Allen puts her best foot forward with help from friends By Vlctorla Taylor surr wnnzn Camille Allen, Washington and Lee class of 2007, has been diagnosed with stage four squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, the second"-most common form of skin cancer. Since Allen’s diagnosis in February, current and former W&L students have shown their support by starting a scarf and ponytail drive on campus to raise awareness for Allen and other women battling cancer. Her personal story has been a driving force behind the effort. Allen was ac- tively involved in many aspects of cam- pus life during her time at W&L. She was president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, head Peer Counselor, a tour guide, a Volunteer Venture leader and a member of the College Republicans. After graduating from W&L in 2007 , Allen moved to Washington D.C. to work for Cvent, an event planning soft- ware company. In January, she went to the company’s Indian office on a tem- porary assignment to mentor and train other sales personnel. While overseas, what was once a small ulcer on her tongue turned into a larger, painful sore. A doctor in Gurga- on, India performed a biopsy and found that Allen had squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, a type of skin cancer. A pathologist in her hometown of Jackson, Miss. confirmed the finding and Allen was diagnosed with cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that forms in the flat cells that make up the skin’s surface. Accord- ing to the National Cancer Institute, it is the second most common form of skin cancer. Allen has already undergone one round of chemotherapy at the M.D. An- derson Cancer Center in Houston and is scheduled for five more rounds before i having surgery in May. In response, Allen’s friend and soror- ity sister Katherine Shell launched the Crush Chemo website on March 22 to help raise awareness for Allen as well as the scarf and ponytail drive. “Camille is an amazing, amazing person. She has always been such a good friend to me and everyone that I know. ” Katherlne Shell, Crush chemo creator Shell recently sent out a campus notice through dean of students Dawn Watkins with information regarding these efforts. “I’m just really trying to get the word out,” Shell said. “Just raising awareness and expressing interest means a lot.” Shell said Allen is the type of person who is able to “reach across groups.” “Camille is an amazing, amazing per- son,” Shell said. “She has always been such a good friend to me and everyone that I know.” Allen is helping to raise awareness by making regular contributions to her online journal on a Web site set up by her sister, Courtney. “I talked to her today and she’s sick but she still has a good attitude about it,” Shell said on Wednesday. Cruch Chemo represents a joint effort to help women undergoing chemo treat- ments by organizing scarf and ponytail donations. The hair donations are set up through the Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign, which encourages women to grow out, cut and donate their hair to be used for wigs for cancer patients. In addition to Shell, who cut off her ponytail on Wednesday, eleven other women have pledged to donate their locks in honor of Allen. The group in- cludes a mother and daughter from Lou- isiana who were touched by her story without knowing her personally. Shell is also encouraging people to donate large scarves and hats. She said that those that do not go to Camille will be donated to the American Cancer So- ciety. On campus, students have already started getting involved with the ef- forts to help and support Allen. Emily Whipple, the president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said the sorority is planning on doing a scarf drive during Spring Term. The seniors in the sorority sent Allen a care package with letters and magazines to show their support. Kappa also reg- istered a Relay for Life team in Allen’s name. “Since Relay for Life is alumni weekend, we are hoping to get some ad- ditional support from Camille’s friends and pledge sisters and really make our part in that event special for Camille and her fight against cancer,” Whipple said. Allen’s sister Courtney has set up a page on the CaringBridge website, which is designed to help friends and family stay connected to loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery. The site includes a blog that Allen’s family updates almost daily and guestbook in which visitors can leave messages. The site already has almost 40,000 hits. ' For more information, visit the Crush Chemo website at http://sites. google.com/site/crushchemo/Home or visit Allen’s CaringBridge page at http:// caringbridge.org/visit/camilleallen. OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090330/WLURG39_RTP_20090330_004.2.txt 2 0 THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 By Monica Chlnn FROM THE ROCKBRIDGE REPORT Associate Supreme Court Jus- tice Clarence Thomas told Rock- bridge County residents Monday to “eam the sacrifices” of their forefathers and “preserve liberty for future generations.” Thomas, the nation’s second black Supreme Court justice, urged students and community residents gathered at Washington and Lee University’s Lee Chapel to hold tight to their optimism to achieve that goal. Thomas’ March 16 speech was sponsored by the the Contact committe. “This is a challenging time. All times are challenging, really, but somehow you’ve got to be positive,” Thomas said. “Treat people the way you want to be treated. Be humble — we’ll all be a bit better off.” i ‘It was a rare speech for Thom- as, who is known for refusing in- terviews and shying away from public appearances. Following a messy and lengthy confirmation hearing process in 1991, which included allegations by a former co-worker of sexual harassment, he faded from the limelight, be- coming one of the high court’s quietest members. But what most listeners took away from the conservative jus- tice’s hour-long remarks was not what he said, but how he said it. “I was just so impressed with what a sense of humor he has,” said Lauren Santabar, a W&L se- nior. “He’s so warm not what you think of when you hear ‘Su- preme Court justice.’ ” Thomas prompted laughter in the chapel as he cracked jokes several times throughout the night. On judges’ opinions: “They just make them up.” On amicus briefs: “They should just call them the ‘Let’s just get ourselves involved briefs.’ ” On his college days: “I don’t have an iconic view of the ’60s. I’mjust glad I survived.” An “originalist” interpreter of the Constitution, Thomas con- siders the words of the document with the framers’ intentions in mind. While a staunch support- er of this approach, he admitted that he did not have answers to tough issues such as abortion or the death penalty. That impressed Jacque Lin- ton, a W&L senior. “He is obviously smart enough to know to say that he’s not an expert," Linton said. Contact, a W&L student-run committee that invites speak- ers to campus, brought Thomas to Lexington. President Robin Wright said committee members set their sights on the justice be- cause his position in the judicia- ry system attracts international renown. He arrived at Lee Chapel to find a waiting audience that in- cluded many local supporters. County resident Loretta Simp- son called Thomas one of her heroes. She said she admires the justice’s dedication to standing up for what he believes in and would be happy to hear “any- thing out of his mout .” Another local admirer who braved the rainy weather was Natural Bridge resident Wil- liam Mack. Mack, who had read Thomas’ best-selling book “My Grar1dfather’s Son,” made his way to the chapel on crutches, to hear what the justice had to say. Mack said he once traveled to Washington, D.C. to see Thomas on the bench. “I sat listening to cases all day,” Mack said. “He spoke, but only one time.” Thomas talked to his audi- ence about the importance of seeing the big picture, which he said involves observing people from afar. That quality was something he said his grandfa- ther, Myers Anderson, stressed to him when Thomas was a boy growing up in Georgia. Thomas described how his grandfather told him to see op- portunity amid racial ridicule while attending primary school in Savannah and during his time at both the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and Yale University Law School. He said he attended both schools during the era of Affirmative Ac- tion begun by presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. John- son. » v -r - l Today, Thomas said, he keeps the big picture in mind by tak- ASHINGTON AND ‘H Ur1iver.s O celebrnmzg "a place like no arisen’ DO YOU T FOR BREAK? Store ‘H [l11¢le1*g1*:atluate Students F ire 17.-111.91! .Ex:rr:u.s'? Bgforrr Zatifi.‘-Piiilg’ crarrgms; bring _)3'01H’ banks to the ITNIVERSITY STORE Textbook Buyback! . . . Get caizli (up to :Fi)‘?~*t» of 'v:;rl1.1e ofibookfi . . . Help yollr St.0l‘i3§l'l:1'V£E Inore 1_1serl and cl1eape1r*books for fliture selnestersi 8 Days in the Elrod Commons’ Atrium Tl1111*sday' &. Frirlay', April 2 & 3, 9 a.m. — 6 p.m. Satiirdajs, April -1, 10 a.m. — p.m. Monday - Friday, April 6 — 10, 9 a.m. — 6 pm. Preserving the Constitution S. C. Justice Clarence Thomas draws a crowd of students and local residents to Lee Chapel Photograph courtesy of university photographers Patrick Hineiy and Kevin Remington. Supreme court Justice Clarence Thomas, who Is thought to be the most private of the justices, made himself acceslbie to students during a re- ception in the Hotchkiss House following his speech In Lee Chapel. ing annual trips to the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pa., with his court clerks. The visits remind his team that while they spend all day trying to discern the intention of the men who wrote the Constitution, they play just a “bit part on the big stage in the preservation of liberties.” Thomas said he uses that sense of humility whenever he hears a case. While the public often glorifies the justices’ work, they are not special, Thomas said. They are not all-knowing and they are not charged with deriving new truths from the Constitution, only interpreting what is already there, he said. “I’m not going to cook gour- met meals with your Constitu- tion,” he said. .3 OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090330/WLURG39_RTP_20090330_005.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH 30,2009 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 5 opinions totheetilior Loved “Love Your Body Week” The President of Knowledge Empowering Women Leaders sense gender relations change is close Love Your Body Week began as a mere idea, thrown out at of one of our meetings by Senior Jackie Burns two winters ago. As a group, KEWL has grown quick- ly from its modest beginnings. Though perhaps not one of the most well-known organizations on campus, our e-mail list currently includes 95 members. As a group, we are fiercely-committed and intelligent female students who per- ceive injustices in our community and strive to fix them with action. We seek to empower women to become leaders in the community, both at W&L and in greater society. Our vision for Love Your Body Week was two-fold: to empower and create solidarity among women, and to educate and galvanize our school into addressing issues which are so crucial to our being, but which are continually swept under the rug and forgotten — is- sues of body image and self-esteem, re- productive health, and sexual assault. Despite the continued efforts of the administration and various student groups, people too rarely stop to ponder the negative consequences facilitated by the social climate at this school. Upon enrollment as a first-year, one is almost force-fed the unique cul- ture that has been characterized by the Princeton Review as “Major Frat and Sorority Scene” and “Lots of Hard Li- quor.” True, some students may have cho- sen W&L because of its “Work hard, party harder” attitude; but a lot of us, myself included, were initially over- whelmed with the social scene, and completely oblivious to the underlying problems embedded in such a culture. Students’ quiet acceptance of the warped social scene, especially of the degrading hook-up culture and exces- sive under-age drinking, is extremely disturbing. This apathetic mentality, which is shared by so many, perpetuates a culture which erodes the slightest sem- blance of a normal male/female interac- tion, objectifies both males and females to unacceptable levels, and brews feel- ings of inadequacy. As we well know, Leadership team for Campus Kitchens ; these feelings of not being gorgeous or skinny enough pave the road for much graver problems, such as eating disor- ders, anxiety, and depression. These deeply-entrenched self-image problems are difficult to dislodge, but not impossible. We hope that our post- ers, games, cut-out women, and Post Secret campaign shed light on the dark- er recesses of college life in a meaning- ful and productive way. We hope that, as a result of our eflbrts and those of SPEAK and Voices for Choice, we have stimulated introspection among W&L students and that discussion about these core issues will continue even when Love Your Body Week has ended... We also hope that the positive, life-aflirm- ing secrets that we shared as a campus serve as a beacon of hope and begin the healing process, both individually and collectively. This process, however, has not been easy. Our efforts were met with shock and resistance at the beginning of the week. Some believed that content de- picted on our Post Secrets were too graphic and offensive to visitors of the university, particularly prospective stu- dents and children. There was discus- sion as to whether our “Sex and the me- dia” poster displayed in Cafe’ 77 could be interpreted as pornographic, though the pictures were cut out of Cosmopoli- tan Magazine, which can be purchased in the Bookstore. Sexual assault posters were torn down and thrown away by our peers. The tour guides were informed not to enter the library through the front en- trance because we had displayed W&L’s sexual assault statistics. The admis- sions office was afraid that these sober- ing statistics would frighten prospective students and their parents away, and not give the university a proper chance to explain. And although they eventually realized the error of their ways, a larger message was sent regarding what we value on this campus: silence. However, thanks to support and en- couragement from faculty members, most notably Dr. Robin Le Blanc, our faculty adviser, and the administration, we were able to keep our posters and Post Secrets alive and up for all to see. Public announcements were made to elicit support for our campaign and its objectives. Provost Aprille even offered to help sell KEWL t-shirts! The contin- ued applause of our campaign and en- couragement to pursue and unveil these uncomfortable realities only makes me more optimistic that W&L may be “be- hind the times” in some ways, but is now on the brink of change. As I stood over the staircase this week and witnessed my own peers pon- dering the proclamations of sexiness, dark insecurities, and other never-been- told secrets of real W&L students, I could not help but think that there was an energy in the air, which was very different. A fundamental impasse had been torn down, and I am so proud to have been a part of it all. Grace Wang President of KEWL What is the cost of rape, sexual Violence? Profiles Student Consulting and currently work- 1n ing with a group on a project for Hoof- _ beats riding center; Outing Club trip leader for the past three years; Service . Chair for Kappa Alpha Theta. E11111)’ Deddens ODK member and volunteer as a men- tor in the Lexington community. What energizes you about taking on the responsibilities of campus‘ leadership? “I have enjoyed taking positions which allow me to more fully become a member of the community at Washington and Lee and in Lexington. To me, being a community member en- tails participating in activities which bene- fit the community at large.” What has been one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership at W&L? “Leading Appalachian Adven- ture trips has been one of my most re- warding activities in college. Being part of their experience as new freshmen enter W&L each year is always excit- ing and helping to introduce them to the school has been very reward- ing for me.” What legacy of leadership do you hope you've left for others at W&L? “I hope I have shown people that it is not enough to simply enjoy the benefits of the community in which you live but that you must also do things to continually improve that community.” Any words of advice for those who follow? “I have found that participating in a few carefully chosen activities is both more en- joyable and more meaningful than trying to do everything, even if this means giving some things up.” Tuesdays with Leadership: Leadership Without Easy/Answers 12:15 and 6:30 PM, Room 214 Elrod Common: Adaptive leadership requires revitalization of civic life, such that technical solutions to complex issues no longer suffice Career Services Quick Questions comes to you... Stop by The Fitness Center, Commons Living Room. or Leyburn Library to have your resume, cover letter, interview, networking, internship, and job search questions answered. March 30"‘ - April lO*" 2-3 pm Tuesdays in the Marketplace ll:30am-lpm KVASHINLTETON .M'dl)I.l31"-L UNIVi§RSIT’i” CAREER®SERVICES Reactions to shocking sexual assualt stats show W&L is hypocrisy I am an English major. I feel the need to state this up front because I do not deal with emotions. I deal with the thoughtful and reflective articu- lation of emotions. Thus, it is a great aberration for me to utter “repugnant,” “deplorable,” and “unconscionable” with red face and wildly gesticulating limbs. Such was my reaction to in- formation I received regarding responses to KEWL’s “Love Your Body Week” in conjunction with SPEAK’s Take Back the Night rally designed to give voices, strength, and solidarity to those of us who have been judged and abused by a culture that applauds the merits of men while degrad- ing the value of women. Then I overheard the follow- ing from my seemingly well-edu- cated first-year male peers: “Dude, what are cards?” “They’re so fat chicks with low self-esteem can feel better about themselves.” The responses to the cards and the posters on display through- out campus have ranged from concerns over the welfare of the Common’s walls to pomograph- ic displays to the reputation of W&L in general. To these ends, I question the following: How does the cost of repairing the shattered con- fidence of a woman raped by a trusted friend compare to the cost those of a coat of paint? How can one oppose vehemently the “pomo- graphic” display of women’s bod- ies cut from the pages of Cosmo and defend the sale of Maxim in the University Bookstore? How does one remain mindful of the future with a provincial attitude that endorses sweeping issues under the rug to retain the appear- ance of gentility rather than sup- port students actively engaged in making the campus a better and safer place to live? And to those of you concerned about the supposed material in- appropriate for children, I would like to remind you, as my good friend so eloquently phrased it, that the Commons is not a civic center. If we cannot express ourselves freely in a building de- signed to bring our community- not the greater Lexington com- munity—together, will there ever be a safe place for the necessary albeit controversial discourse of students hoping to enter the real word as free-thinking adults? I am sure no one would coun- ter me in stating W&L is hardly a campus of activists; therefore, it amazes me how a few posters commenting on the reality of life at W&L can cause such an uproar. To enact real change re- quires provocative ideals along- side incontrovertible fact, both of which were embraced in the con- struction of this campaign. From an institutional stand- point, W&L expects to be taken seriously by peer colleges, and I completely understand the neces- sity of maintaining strong public relations. But does anyone really believe that the way to do this is to hide behind a facade of student eflicacy when, in reality, our at- tempts are thwarted? Yes, these statistics and im- ages are terrifying and offensive. But what is even more offensive is the unwillingness to accept the empowering message behind them all in an effort to make W&L safer, not just for women, but for everyone. If we are to deny these realities, then let us stop pretending to be anything other than an apathetic and rep- rehensible student body. No well-rounded, intellectual, and innovatively—minded pro- spective student would make a decision on an institution of high- er education without first gather- ing all the information pertaining to his or her future safety. Although a subsequent apol- ogy was issued, tour guides were commanded at the beginning of the week to avoid the front doors of the library at all costs because parents would become alanned, and the guides just would not have the time or the infom1a- tion to explain everything. Of course. How does one explain a rate of sexual assault that is two times the national average on a campus that professes slavish devotion to honor and accountability? I am bound by confidential- ity as a result of my position as a Peer Counselor, but I can tell you that W&L’s rate of sexual assault is not twice the national average. It is much greater than that, but we will never have a conclu- sive statistic to validate my asser- tion because ours is a culture, like everywhere else in America, of underreporting. It is demoraliz- ing to see those around me dem- onstrate such hostility to women struggling for validation to over- come the wrongs that have been done to them simply because they did not have the good fortune of being born a man. To those of you as enraged as I have become this past week, I urge you to initiate the ongoing dialogue that the uninformed among us have tried so imma- turely to stymie. Why? Because the outline of my body is now strapped to a tree with statistics to which the traumas of my friends have contributed. Because my story is on one of those cards that you, dear first-year male, derided with such swift dismissal. I will not be belittled. I will not be ig- nored. And I will certainly not be silent. Yours, Rebecca A. Koval Class of 2009 W&L must act to curb sexual Violence The time to create student-lea’ anti-sexual assualt policies is now In the turbulence and excite- ment of the aftermath of Love Your Body Week, a campaign that would have been impos- sible without the wide-ranging encouragement and support from numerous student organizations, concerned students, faculty, and staff, I am left wondering: what next? As I have walked up and down the stairs in the Commons, I have been saddened, angered, empow- ered, and inspired — but most of all, I was impassioned. In one short week, we were forced to confront the statistics, the cold, hard facts about our nation and most importantly, our commu- nity. Through the secrets that we shared, we brought these facts to life. We saw that the jokes about the hook-up culture are not jokes to many of us, men and women alike. That, although the SFHB hardly ever hears a sexual assault case, members of our community have been indeed been assaulted and raped by our peers and only felt comfortable exposing it anonymously. As a community, we recognized our problems, and many of us refused to be si- lent about these crucial issues for any longer. As I stood in a room of at least 20-25 people making outlines of their beautiful bodies, I think we crossed a threshold. It was painful, it was hard, and some of us had to be pushed. But we did it. But what next? Those secrets on the walls are only a step in the healing process, both for each survivor and for our university. We cannot choose to stay com- placent any longer... We should not ask to hear more stories like these before we act. Once should be the last straw. We cannot only engage in meaningful, produc- tive conversation and action one week a year. If we truly love and respect ourselves, we will act and we will act now. I have never seen our campus so vibrant as it was March 23“- 27“‘. I never felt more alive, more powerful, and more confident in myself and in the student body. I can honestly say that I loved my- self and everyone else who real- ized the importance of the Love Your Body Week message. As a senior leaving in only two months, I am hopeful. How- ever, the road is long and we have just begun the journey. As a school that supposedly prides it- self on self-govemance, we must reassume our power. We must institute student-created policies on sexual assault and the danger- ous substance abuse, which feeds into our deplorable rate of sexual misconduct. When I and the rest of the class of 2009 leave, this is your campus. While the administra- tion and admissions have a vested interest in our campus image, it is we, the students, who are raped and perpetrate those rapes. It is our responsibility to bring honor into the system in a way that we have frankly been unwilling to in the past. We must look beyond Post Secret to our future. Let’s go be- yond being “not unrnindful of the future” — let us be active partici- pants in our future, shaping it, not being shaped by it. My first year, I vowed to help leave this school better than I found it. I believe I have fulfilled that goal. As I prepare to leave W&L, I hope to be leaving my alma mater in capable hands. Be- cause I refuse to come back to a campus where the rates of sexual assault and rape are higher than the national average across the board (for both women and men). I will not tolerate an apathetic student body. I will not toler- ate more of the same. There are some traditions that are simply not worth keeping and our collec- tive inaction is one of them. We’ve recognized the prob- lems, but that is not enough. We must search for solutions. Regina Mills ‘09 OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090330/WLURG39_RTP_20090330_006.2.txt MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 inions Hffman two-faced New EC President shows his beliefs in campaign e-mails By Jacob éelger C 0 LU M N I S T When Eric Hoffman, a second—year law student at Washington and Lee, campaigned for the post of Executive Committee president, he told undergraduates that he was just another W&L student, albeit one who happened to attend classes on the other side of Woods Creek. The message was clear. Hoffman wanted undergraduates to understand that he would conduct EC business in an evenhanded way, not favoring one side of campus or the other. Over on the Hill, Hoffman ran as someone who could relate to all members of the student body. Sadly, he was running a very different campaign over at the law school. In a campaign E—mail forwarded around by law students, Hoffman outlined three reasons those students should vote for him. The first was budgeting for the Student Bar Association, far and away the most important organization on the law side of campus. Hofiman said law students should help elect him so he could “make sure that the SBA gets as much money as possible.” The SBA is a worthy, important organization, of course, and it deserves to be fully funded. But shouldn’t Hoffman be running because of a desire to protect and promote the Honor System, not so he can become appropriator-in-chief for a law student organization? Sadly, things go downhill from there in points two and three. Hoffman wrote that he should be elected so the law school could control five of the 13 seats on the EC. “This would make a huge difference when it comes to Closed Hearings, because the law students can provide a more informed and mature point of view,” Hoffman wrote. Wonderful! The incoming EC President thinks undergraduates are immature and incapable of providing a fully informed perspective on honor cases! The third plank of Hoffman’s platform is quite simple. If he’s elected, he thinks the law delegates can make sure nothing will be passed by the EC that he and other law delegates don’t think is in the law school’s best interest. Sadly,'the arrogance over on the law school side of campus doesn’t stop there. Rick Hallenback, the SBA treasurer, urged law students to elect Hoffman so that there would be “a more mature and more tempered voice on the issues facing our school.” ~Again,7 the insinuation is clear: undergraduate leaders "are not“mature enough or experienced to handle the weighty issues of student self-govemance. Ryan Germany, the EC’s outgoing third-year law representative, added that having a law student as president would help with SBA budget allocations and ensure that major issues facing W&L “are deliberated maturely and thoughtfully.” Let’s stop and examine this whole question of maturity An explanation is needed, Eric If Hoffinan can tjustzfiz his e—mails to the undergrads, he should resign and thoughtfulness. The current EC is led by President Rich Cleary and Vice President Ellie Hanson. Cleary was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most prestigious graduate awards in the entire world and one that looks heavily at a student’s leadership skills and ability to deal with deep, complex issues. Hanson is a Boren National Security Fellow. The fellowship helps facilitate research and analysis of important issues surrounding American national security. Yep, those don’t sound like thoughtful undergraduates to me. And we don’t need to stop at the academic qualifications of our current EC leadership. I’ve dealt extensively with both Cleary and Hanson over the last four years, and they — like every other EC undergraduate leader I’ve ever met or worked with — put an enormous amount of I ’m not sure whats more disappoint- ing: Hoflman s arrogance, or the fact that he ran such different campaigns on the two halves of our campus. thought and consideration into their jobs on the EC. W&L has had strong EC leaders come from the law school before. Last year Josh Payne and Jane Ledlie, two law students, provided excellent leadership as the student body president and secretary, respectively. But Payne and Ledlie treated undergraduates like valued colleagues. They made real, _honest efforts to build meaningful ties on both sides of campus rather than focusing on what was best for the law school. It’s possible that Eric Hoffman will manage to figure out that his job is to rise above issues like getting more money for the Student Bar Association. It’s possible that — in his third year on this campus — he’ll finally drop his arrogant belief that law students are necessarily more thoughtful and mature when it comes to ruling on the fate of a student or discussing the key issues facing our community. It’s possible, but I’m not holding my breath. I’m not sure what’s more disappointing: Hoffman’s arrogance, or the fact that he ran such different campaigns on the two halves of our campus. ' Hoffman told undergraduates that he was running as a leader for all of us. But he told law students that he was running to get them more money and protect them from immature undergraduates holding the reins of power. W&L students aren’t supposed to lie. But who was getting the truth about Hoffman’s plans during the elections? The undergraduates, or the law students? Transcripts Hoffman campaign emails . From Eric Hoffmamseeond year law representative on the EC, candidate for presi- dent: S ’ ' The BC serves as the student government and administers the Honor System forthe entire University —~ so the BC is in charge with budgeting for ali student crganiia- tions appointing students to student-run committees, meeting with faculty, the ad- ministration and alumni, and overseeing any investigation or Closeflearing related’ I to any alleged Honor Violation. If the EC President is a law student this is beneficiai to the law school in a few ways: . I "5 I l. SBA Budgeting: The EC decides how much money SAB gets for their entire bud-I _ get every year, and it would be very helpful and beneficial for this process to V have a law student at the helm, to make sure that the SBA getsas much money as possibie. A I ‘ ’ ‘ I t 2. Greater representation for the law school. Ifl am elected EC president, that leaves s I another spot open for our class to have a representative position. Because Bili I Larson,.a first-year law student, won for EC Secretary, that would mean that a Win for me would bring total law school representation on the EC to five out of ‘ 13 (the rest being undergrads), instead of three out of 13. as we have now. This I . can make a huge difference when it comes to Close[d] Hearings, because the law students can provide a more informed and mature point of view - and since we’re talking about expulsion fi'om school, this can be a pretty big deal. 3. Great awareness of Law School issues on the BC: In the same vein, having-more law students on the EC means that every decision that the EC makes affecting student life will be fully aware of how it would atfcct the law school, and I think , ; this would. mean that itwould most likely beiu the Law School ’s best -interest, or it wouldn’t pass. From Rick Hallenback, Student Bar Association Treasurer To:.Law Class of 2009, Law Class of 2010 You may not realize it, but everything the SBA does depends very heavily on the EC for funding. In the spring, our new President and Treasurer will attend the EC’s " budget hearings to ‘secure funding for all of the events sponsored by the SBA,,the individual classes, and the law school’s organizations. It’s sometimes‘ easy to see the EC as an undergraduate entity, but makes decisions that truly affect the live of all of W&L’s students, inciuding law students. I .1 ur[g]e you all, therefore, to take this opportunity to have an active rolein shap- ing the EC. It is important that law students participate in the process because we ' have a more mature and more tempered voice on the issues facing our school. It is imperative that we have effective and strong representation on the EC to make that voice heard. ‘ . .. More representation on the EC means our concerns and interests are more adequately addressed. I ure you all to come out and support your fellow law students, your SBA, and the EC by voting today. s I I I i From Ryan (irennany, 3rd year law representative on the EC To: Law Class of 2009 Having a_ in student as ac rresidem is obviously greatfor“the‘»law scseoi 4 it . ensure that issues facing the law school get the attention they deserve and it also helps with SBA budget allocations. In addition to representing the law school well, Eric has shown that he puts just as much time and thought into issues facing just I the undergrad campus or the University as a whole. Having a law student moderate the discussion of these ensure that they are deliberated maturely and thoughtfuliy. Thanks for your time, and please remember to vote today. I f By Cody Beauchamp OPINIONS aonon It’s time for Eric Hoffman to consider one of two courses of action. Our new EC President either needs to explain some of the emails that originated from his campaign for president, or it’s time for him to resign. Yes, you read correctly—-resign. I won’t belabor the point and re—explain the predicament Mr. Hoffman is in. If youare unaware of what has happened, I’d encourage you to read Jacob Geiger’s excellent piece on this page entitled “Hoff- man Two-Faced” I agree with Geiger that, when he was campaigning, Hoffman had tried to convey that he “was someone who could relate to all members of the student body.” I also agree with Geiger’s sense that “Hoffman wanted undergraduates to under- stand that he would conduct EC business in an evenhanded way, not favoring one side of campus or the other.” All the more reason for why Mr. Hoff- man absolutely owes the undergraduate stu- dent body an explanation for his emails and those written on his behalf. Both the transcripts of the emails and Jacob’s article give you the emails’ ‘great- est hits.’ Ungrads aren’t “mature” enough to helm the EC. The Student Bar Associa- tion should receive “as much money as pos- sible.” If a policy proposal is not in the law school’s best interests, it shouldn’t pass. Eric Hoffman is the candidate for all these problems, etc., etc., etc. To be fair, let’s not rush to conclusions. I can speak from experience—experience as a columnist for this paper, in fact-—when I say that words can be misunderstood. Something written with harmless intent can be takenout of context. I’ve been ac- cused of being everything from racist to so- cialist because people have misread unclear writing of mine in the past (I’d like to think I’m neither racist nor socialist, by the way. I certainly don’t intend to be either). So I don’t want to accuse Mr. Hoffman of being a “carpetbagger,” as one friend la- beled him upon reading his emails, at least not yet. But my patience and hesitation to judge will be limited. All of us undergrads should expect an explanation from Hoffman soon. If we don’t get it, we should become ac- cordingly upset. If you’re reading this, Eric, I’ll even make you an offer——use the Phi’s opinions pages. I’ll even set aside some prime space above the fold. Feel free to get into touch. I’m sure a lot of my fellow undergrads are looking forward to your response. We’ll at- tempt to be patient and mature about this. Of course, if an explanation for these emails doesn’t materialize soon, all of the undergraduates should be upset. The emails were, frankly, very patronizing. Jacob used the word “arrogant” to describe their tone. It fits. I’m not saying that Eric Hoffman isn’t mature, maybe even just as mature as the other candidates he ran against. One of Hoffman’s opponents that I spoke with (who has been granted anonym- ity due to the delicate nature of this issue) said that Hoffman was “one of the brightest, most articulate people I ever worked with on the EC.” Candidate X even said he wanted Eric to win the position if he didn’t (which, obvi- ously, happened). But simply being bright and articulate is no excuse for also being arrogant and pa- tronizing, especially not when the person in question holds such a powerful and influen- tial position. Hoffman is the figurehead of a system based upon mutual respect and trust. His emails suggest that he neither respects, nor trusts the undergraduate population of Washington and Lee. The Honor System is also one which should not be political. Some politicking is necessary to get elected, of course. That politicking is‘ distressing I suppose, but only, for instance, in the same way the poli- ticking that goes into electing a new Pope is distressing. What I mean is, you kind of want to point out that the nature of the job should prohibit anyone who would desecrate its purpose by making it something political. And all of this completely ignores the other distressing portion of Hoffrnan’s emails—the money. Hoffman, I can only believe, will have tremendous sway in de- termining where EC funds get allocated. And I believe he actually will stick to his campaign promise to bring the pork home to the Student Bar. Not that the Student Bar doesn’t serve a great purpose, and not that they couldn’t justifiably use greater funding. But that type of one-minded allegiance to the Law School disturbs me because I have to won- der if Hoffman can say “when” when it’s enough. Or will equally valid organizations like Students for Life, K.E.W.L., G.A.B., the G.S.A., and others suffer financial cutbacks in the name of more SBA events? The bottom line is that Hoffman needs to justify what he and his advocates said on one part Woods Creek to the people on the other side. The undergrads Hoffman has not expressed much respect for compose 4/5ths of his constituency. He is responsible to us, whether he particularly likes us or not. So if he cannot justify what he said—if he has no excuse for implying that under- grads are immature, or planning on bring- ing all the pork he can back home to Lewis Hall, he needs to resign. It’s nothing personal, of course. It’s just that it would be shockingly hypocritical to have someone who doesn’t respect most of the school at the head of its Honor Sys- tem (remember that whole mutual respect thing?). If Hofiman cannot explain his seemingly condescending views of 4/5ths of Washing- ton and Lee, he should at least prove he’s mature by stepping aside and letting some- one who actually respects both sides of our University have a shot. : TH E HEN ii invites you to enjoy 2 TWILIGHT DINING '€£"Monday through Thursday evenings until 6:30 p.m. enjoy three courses of inspired Shenandoah cuisine for $35 reservations strongly recommended 11 E. Washington Street Lexington 540-464-4401 www.redhenlex.com OPEN Mon. - Fri. fbr lunch £9 dinner Saturday dinner 8 Sunday brunch gecéy it Qectcwmt P.El)Al. CAR DINER &. Tn: Tor Carr; Order from our complete menu Ur Join usfor one of our.-