OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090518/WLURG39_RTP_20090518_001.2.txt f\TCl-\ *.-.va.'r«:.~u IQ gag.-is Hf- Growing a musical fig? e eeret arden,” is irteeltend ARTS 8. LIFE / page WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING-TUM PHI. MONDAY, MAY 18,2009 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1397 VOLUME CXII, Securing the nation F ormer head of CIA and FBI speaks at Lee Chapel By Diandra Spicak NEWS EDITOR Sponsored by the Contact Committee, Judge William H. Webster, chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and the only American to serve as director of both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), spoke at Lee Chapel last Tuesday. Webster’s untitled speech focused on many topics, but the overall theme of security rang throughout. “I didn’t want to provide a title for the speech,” he said. “I wanted to keep the atmosphere lighter, rather than giving it a serious tone right off the bat.” “I said this once before, and it still holds true. Order protects liberty, and liberty protects or- der. ” Judge William H. Webster, chairman of Homeland Security Advisory Council Divided into three sections, Webster hit many a controversial topic stemming from national security. His speech detailed his career as a judge, director of the FBI and director of the CIA, along with providing slight histories of both organizations. His illustrious career in public service began with his appointment as a judge of the United States of District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. In 1973, he found himself elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed Webster as the director of the FBI, where he served until 1987 when President Ronald Regan chose him as director of the CIA due to his successful coups against the New York mafia. He led the CIA until retiring from public office in 1991. Due to his status, Webster took opportunities throughout his speech to talk about national security issues ranging from the Patriot Act to Homeland Security. His devotion to security shone through his answers, as he responded to the hotly contested issues: Webster repeated throughout that security is essential to the populace, citing Lincoln’s suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. “I said this once before, and it still holds true,” Webster said. “Order protects liberty and liberty protects order. It is up to local, state and national headquarters to keep our citizens safe and secure. Webster practiced law at the Washington office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. Although he retired in 2005, Webster remains active in the practice of law. Judge Webster was named in 2006 as the chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council which provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary on matters related to homeland security. In 1991, Webster was presented the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Security Medal. He is the recipient of the 2001 Justice Award of the American Judicature Society and the 2002 ABA Medal, its highest honor. He is listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” and has also received NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal. Webster earned bachelor’s degrees in history and political science, as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, from Amherst College. He received his law degree from Washington University. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy in World War II and again in the Korean War. But for Webster, security cannot come from the national organizations alone. He advised all of the undergraduates in the audience to “set aside time for service for your country -- for duty, for honor, for security.” EC aflirms sexual violence breaches community ’s trust By Allison Chopin MANAGING eonon Following ongoing concerns from students that the Executive Commit- tee holds and ambiguous position on sexual assault cases, the EC released a statement condemning sexual vio- lence as an act that undermines the trust of the entire community. According to a press release sent to campus publications on May 6, the EC voted unanimously to pass the following statement on Tuesday, May 5: “Sexual violence is unacceptable in society and is especially discor- dant with Washington and Lee’s cul- ture of honor and civility.” At the student body meeting on May 4, several students who spoke before the EC said they did not un- derstand why sexual violence is not explicitly called an “honor viola- tion” and why a separate judicial body, the Student-Faculty Hear- ing Board (SFHB), exists to handle these cases. ‘ “The Executive Committee re- tains jurisdiction over all activities that the Student Body deems dishon- orable,” the statement reads. The statement also says that the The SFHB can impose various pun- ishments, including dismissal. Dis- missal from the university is the only sanction when forced sexual inter- course is found to have happened. EC Secretary Bill Larson said in {K t was clear..that students are interested in gain- ing a better understanding of the SFHB and work- ing to reduce incidents of sexual violence. I hope our statement will be a step forward in meeting 1 those goals. ’ Bill Larson, EC Secretary SFHB is “a specially trained forum with specifically designed proce- dures to adjudicate such matters.” Moreover, the statement explains that when alleged sexual violence cases are brought before the EC, the EC can choose to either hear these cases or refer them to the SFHB. an e-mail that the EC decided to pass this statement because fighting sexu- al violence is a priority of the EC. He said that the EC has been working on this statement for at least four weeks, so the student body meeting was not the only reason for its release. The statement was passed the day after the student body meeting, but this was a coincidence, according to Larson. However, he added that the EC was happy to find support in some of the students who attended the meet- ing. “It was clear from the student body meeting that students are inter- ested in gaining a better understand- ing of the SFHB and working to reduce incidents of sexual violence on our campus,” he said. “I hope our statement will be a step forward in meeting those goals.” This statement will be posted on the EC bulletin boards and Web site, and first-year students will receive a copy during orientation. Learning how to live well W&L hosts first annual national Women is Health Week By Eleanor Kennedy STAFF WRITER This past week, Washington and Lee played host to the national Women’s Health Week. The Tau Omega Chapter of Delta Sigma The- ta Sorority, Inc., which is comprised of women from W&L, Ronaoke Col- lege and Hollins University, spon- sored the week. The theme was “It’s Your Time.” Events throughout the week focused on promoting healthy living through physical fitness and mental well- ness. Junior Beri Ndifon, one of the co- ordinators of Women’s Health Week, has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated for six months. According to Ndifon, this was the first time Washington and Lee hosted a week like this one. Ndi- fon said that she and the other mem- bers of Delta Sigma Theta “hope to continue to celebrate the week every year.” Ndifon said that since the week’s events were taking place on a col- lege campus, the events “focused on issues that were most pertinent to the female college demographic.” In or- Jane Horton MD, the director of Stu- dent Health and Counseling Servic- es, gave a talk entitled “Your Body, Your Life, Your Choice: Exploring the Correlation Between Drug and Alcohol Use and Sexual Health.” On Tuesday, students wishing to partici- “[ T he week] focused on issues that were most per- tinentto the female college demographic. ’ I Beri Ndifon, Iunlor der to celebrate the week, Delta Sig- ma Theta coordinated both speakers on important issues and fun physical activities to bring a needed focus to women’s health issues. The week kicked off with a speaker in Stackhouse Theater. Dr. pate in this celebration of women’s health attended “Zumba With the Divas: ‘Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!” in the Warner Center. Dr. Jennifer Sayre, clincial psy- chologist and university counselor spoke in Stackhouse on Wednes- day night. Her speech, “Mind Over Matter: Surmounting The Pressures of An Academically Competitive Atmosphere,” dealt with the stress students may face in their academic lives and how they might overcome it. The dance studio in Doremus Gym hosted “Chillaxation Time” on Thursday, a time for female Gener- als to take a break to relax without being disturbed by the pressures of collegiate life. The week concluded with a char- ity cookout hosted by Delta Sigma Theta on Canaan Green. Donations were collected at the event for the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic. The clinic is a non-profit healthcare pro- vider for uninsured and underinsured residents of Rockbridge County. NUMBER 21 OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090518/WLURG39_RTP_20090518_002.2.txt umvrasrrv Llaailfili WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VA 24460 JLITAY '5 ‘:3 “mi? 2 - THE RING-"I"IJM PHI MONDAY, MAY 18, 2009 Responsibility is key SJC leadership calls for new responsibility system We talk a lot about honor at Washington and Lee. We advertise it to prospective students. We discuss it amongst ourselves, in semi- nars and in journals such as this one. More importantly, the student body elects stu- dents, and students alone, to guard it. It is the “moral cornerstone” of our University. Our commitment to this cornerstone guarantees the primacy of ordinary morality in the conduct of our affairs ~ in our school- work, our extracurricular commitments and our personal lives. Despite our emphasis on honor, we do not always live up to its demands. We have little lying, cheating or stealing (despite the dramatic increase in the Executive Commit- tee’s caseload this year), but there are many incidents of drunk driving, sexual harass- ment and other dishonorable behaviors. Unfortunately, they appear to be on the rise. The number of conduct incidents re- ported to Dean Brandon Dotson by local law enforcement, Residential Life staff and Public Safety has risen this year. Addition- ally, incidents brought to the Student Judi- cial Council have in increased in number and seriousness, most notably drunk driv- ing. The prevalence of these behaviors is incompatible with the essence of honor and its significance to our community. Honor, normally defined, is similar to integrity; it is a commitment to ordinary morality. According this definition, lying is dishonorable. The same goes for cheating and stealing — traditional dishonorable be- haviors within our system. As noted above, drunk driving, sexual harassment and phys- ical assault also easily qualify as dishonor- able under this definition. However, within our System, we do not consider such behaviors technically dis- honorable. The reason is one of definition. According to the White Book, we define a dishonorable behavior as a “breach of the Community’s trust.” Traditionally, the Stu- dent Body has not considered such behav- iors breaches of trust. Thus, conduct policy, rather than the Honor System, adjudicates such cases. Of course, almost all conceptions of ordinary morality acknowledge that drunk driving, sexual harassment and physical as- sault are just as immoral (or dishonorable, per the normal definition) as lying, cheating or stealing. In fact, they are probably worse in many instances. Drunk driving endangers lives, whereas academic cheating does not. Yet they are not accorded the same stigma in our community because they are not in- terpreted as breaches of the community’s trust. Why do we have this dichotomy? The stigma surrounding traditional hon- ot violations is a principal reason why there is relatively little lying, cheating and steal- Don't miss this last week ! Choose the day that works for you. "S UR VI VAL KIT" Everything you always wanted to know about getting and keeping a ing. The stigma supplements our ordinary moral aversion to these behaviors and de- ters members of our community who may otherwise feel tempted to engage in them. This isn’t merely wordplay: institu- tions can reaffirm, even change, values. We hold each other accountable in this regard. Furthermore, the promotion of the Honor System attracts prospective students who appreciate our commitment to honor. The heavy emphasis placed upon the Honor System during First-Year Orientation fur- ther entrenches our commitment. Because drunk driving, sexual assault and physical assault are just as destruc- tive to our community, we should accord them the same stigma. If the values of our ity would include most behaviors that are prohibited by current conduct policy and which are inconsistent with our common values. The SJC would hear these Personal Responsibility violations and the EC would continue to hear traditional HVs. In fact, the SJC often charges accused students with “Conduct Unbecoming of a Washington and Lee Student.” The SJC would retain its option of multiple sanctions (rather than the single sanction) to properly adjudicate its diverse caseload. Addition- ally, it would gradually gain more indepen- dence from the faculty and administration as students acclimated to the maintenance of the Personal Responsibility System. To the naysayers of student self-gover- By establishing a System of Personal Responsibility, we can significantly discourage behaviors such as drunk driving and sexual harassment that unfortunately figure so prominently 0l’l OLII” campus. namesakes George Washington and Robert E. Lee offer any guidance, such behaviors should be as discouraged as much as tradi- tional HVs. Some have proposed that the EC should hear such behaviors as HVs, but this is both problematic and insufficient for sev- eral reasons. F irst, it would be difficult (and unpopular) to interpret many dishonorable behaviors as technical breaches of the com- munity’s trust (e.g. vandalism and physical assault). Second, the single sanction is not adept at adjudicating certain cases. It seems unjustifiable for a student to be dismissed for a .10 BAC DUI, despite the egregious- ness of such behavior. Third, the EC is al- ready very busy. Therefore, to avoid said difficulties, re- solve the false dichotomy and truly safe- guard honor at our University, I recommend the establishment of a System of Personal Responsibility parallel to the Honor Sys- tern. Along with honor, personal responsi- bility (although encompassed within the aforementioned normal definition of honor) should be raised to a moral cornerstone of the University. This is not a radical idea, as personal responsibility is already coupled with honor throughout documents such as The White Book or the Student Handbook. We must further incorporate this value into the ethos of our university. Under the proposed System, honor would continue to bear its narrow defini- tion, and violations of personal responsibil- nance, the century-long administration of the Honor System has incontrovertibly dem- onstrated our competence. Furthermore, our advertisements to prospective students, the language in our documents, and the structure of Freshman Orientation would incorporate the dual Systems of Honor and Personal Responsibility. Importantly, the Executive Committee would continue to serves as the Student Government. This proposal is not merely an attempt to semantically reconcile the language of val- ues at our University, nor is it a challenge to the authority of the Executive Committee or the primacy of the Honor System. By estab- lishing a System of Personal Responsibility, we can significantly discourage behaviors such as drunk driving and sexual harass- ment that unfortunately figure so promi- nently on our campus. The incorporation of personal responsibility as a cornerstone of our community is paramount. A policy change is insufficient to radically affect be- havior. However, it’s a start. By Chris Tutor ‘09 (fmr. SJC Secretary) Signed, Chris Tutor ‘09 Crighton Allen ‘ll (SJC Chair) Caitlin Cottingham ‘ 10L (SJC Secretary) Riley Barnes ‘09 (frnr. SJC Chair) Prcfiles in Leadership: A sincere and special thanks to these seniors for their many leadership contributions to our community: Garrett Clark for his work with Campus/ Community Coalition jennifer Lysenlzo for serving as president of ODK; jenna Walls and Hunter Branstetter for their unsung kindness; Regina Mills for her work with KEWL and women’s issues; Grace Andrews for her abundant energy and wit; Hammond McEver, Chris Tutor, David Vaught andjulie Petersen for their witness of faith; Melissa Caron and jacob Geiger for their journalistic excellence; Morgan Harris and Dana Statton for their photographic eye; Riley Barnes for his work on the Student Judicial Council; Alex Utsey, Ellie Hanson, Rich Cleary and jack Stanton for their service on the Executive Committee; Allison Gionta andjenniferjanes for their service on the Student Faculty Hearing Board; Helen Coupe for her dra- —— ———————————— ——~ WASHINGTON up Lu: Umvsxsm THE RING -TUM MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITOR ALLISON CHOPIN DIANDRA SPICAK CODY BEAUCHAMP STEPHANIE HARDIMAN WILL DORRANCE KATHERINE ROBERTS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANTHONY BALLOR MEGAN DAILY RACHEL DENNISTON LIZZ DYE NEVILLE FOGARTY ELEANOR KENNEDY DESIGN EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGER DISTRIBUTION MNGR. 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