OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_001.2.txt NEWS / page 2 WASHINGN LEE UNIVERSITY HE RING-TUM PHI. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 VOLUME CXII, NUMBER 22 Q; ’ Rockbridge Rapids to open season Brand new baseball team, including W&Lfs Chuck Davidson, starts on June 5; will play home games at W&L ‘I By Will Dorrance SPORTS EDITOR After many months of plan- ning, the Rockbridge Rapids, a new team in the Valley Baseball League, are set to begin their in- augural season on June 5. The Rapids will play all their home games at Washington and Lee’s Captain Dick Smith Field. Founded in 1923, the Valley Baseball League (VBL) is de- signed to give top-level college baseball players ‘ an opportunity to play competitive baseball dur- ing the summer. The Rapids will play in the South Division, along with the Covington Lumberjacks, Har- risonburg Turks, New Market Rebels, Staunton Braves and Waynesboro Generals. The teams comprising the North Division include the Fauquier Gators, Front Royal Cardinals, Haymar- ket Senators, Luray Wranglers, Winchester Royals and Wood- stock River Bandits. Jim Crothers, a 1966 W&L graduate, serves as the team’s president. He explained why the team joined the league. “The Val- ley League is very prestigious, is well-established, and has good credibility and history,” he said. Known as the “Gateway to the Majors,” the league has devel- oped far more than l,000 profes- sionals in its extended history. In January, the team an- nounced the hiring of Mark Mace as the head coach. Mace, currently the head coach at East- ern Mennonite, is a Rockbridge County native. He said he is excited for the season to begin. “It’s just a wonderful opportunity for me on the coaching end and having an extra bonus of being home,” he said. Mace, Crothers and general manager Ken Newman jointly re- cruited all 32 players on the ros- ter. Mace shared his strategies throughout the recruiting process. “My goal was to recruit a young team and a team that was fast,” he said. “That’s what the Rapids are going to look like.” A 1971 W&L graduate, New- man said they considered more than baseball talent when search- ing for players. “We were looking summer, he said, “It was an op- portunity I couldn’t pass up. It allows me to keep playing com- petitively over the summer, play with some of the top players around the nation and contribute to a top-level organization.” Each Rapids player will be “It allows me to keep playing competitively over the summer, play with some of the top players around the nation. ” chuck Davldsoni W&L Iunlor rlfiht-hander and Rapids player for good ballplayers, individuals who represent themselves. We feel very strongly that we want to have the right type of players on and off the field.” W&L’s junior right-hander Chuck Davidson is the only Rap- ids player from a Division III school. Looking forward to the paired with a host family for their two-month stay in Lexington. According to Newman, in addi- tion to nullifying lodging costs, the housing program serves other benefits for the players and the organizations. ‘ “It’s an important part of the program because with having our players stay with families, they learn a lot about our community,” he said. On the field, the team expects to be vying for a top spot in the VBL standings. Mace said his goal for the season is to be one of the eight teams to make the playoffs. “Once you get into the playoffs, then you have a second season. You can worry about that then,” he said. Crothers agreed with this comment. “We were at a team meeting on Thursday, and... everyone talked about wanting to ‘kick each others’ butts,’ and that’s what we want to do.” He continued, “We plan to be competitive, and we think we’ve got some really good players. We recognize, on the other hand, that we don’t have the long-term con- nections with the big boys in col- lege baseball, such as Miami and LSU.” Mace is excited to start the team’s first season. “The Rapids’ being an expansion team is an advantage for us because the tone we set this year will kind of be echoed for years to come. I think the kids are going to buy into the responsibility of the Rockbridge Rapids. Hey, the way we play is going to be the way the Rapids are,” Mace said. Crothers and the rest of the Rockbridge Rapids are ready to finally get the season under way. ‘‘I anticipate it’s going to be fantastic. The buzz on the street and the word from community groups, from sports fans, families throughout the community has been outstanding. We’Ve had ter- rific support from our sponsors,” he said. “I’ve said this many times: [baseball] belongs in places like Lexington.” OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_002.2.txt UNIVERSIW LIBRARY WASHINGTON & LEE umveasnv LEXINGTON. VA 24450 2 - THE RING-TUM PHI TUESDAY, MAY 26,2009 MAY 2 8 Zillfl Goshen continued from page 1 the economy of the selected location” because of the number of visitors it attracts. The Lexington City Council voted in April to support the BSA’s efforts to move to Goshen be- cause of the potential for positive economic im- pact. To confront some of these issues, the Rock- bridge Area Conservation Council (RACC) held an informational meeting and community forum at Rockbridge County High School on May 13. The meeting allowed representatives fiom the BSA to speak and community members to voice their opin- ions. The meeting brought up the major concerns of Rockbridge County residents and the BSA: the safety of the dam, availability of water, water qual- ity, sewage, traffic and emergency evacuation. The development will also require the construc- tion of several roads and a system for trash remov- al, among other necessary facilities. One community member at the meeting was especially concerned with the problem of dealing with an emergency during the Jamboree. He does not think the area will be properly prepared. “My fear is that Scouts are going to die as a result,” he said. But Kary Smout, an English professor at W&L who helped organize the forum with RACC, em- phasized there are lots of mixed opinions on both sides of the issue and that no decision has been made yet. The BSA will spend time studying the area before deciding how to act, and if the prob- lems cannot be solved, the Jamboree will not be held at the chosen location. Goshen may be the BSA’s top choice, but Sm- out said the decision is “absolutely not a done deal” and “very much still in process.” He acknowledged that Rockbridge County residents have reason to be concerned, but he said there is nothing to panic about yet. The Jamboree has previously been held at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County, near Richmond. The next Jamboree after the location change is scheduled for 2013, but the BSA said the date will probably be pushed back because of the criticisms being raised. Recognizing outstanding Generals Five seniors win the Ring-tum Phi award for their leadership and contributions to the Washington and Lee community By Findley Merritt and Jessica Strait STAFF wrursns An involved recruiter Dima Slavin displays W&L pride through several activities; read an interview with this devoted and well- rounded tour guide and fraternity brother What do you think you have contributed to W&L? My contributions are varied. I don’t think I have done a single thing that the school couldn’t have found someone else to do. However, it would have taken a lot of different people to do all that I’ve done, since I have been involved in so many different things. Someone from my fraternity would have had to take up the massive work, stress and time commitment of being president. Someone from the SRC would have to take on the work commitment of being a co-chair, along with com- mitments in various other organizations. I am sure that those people could be found, but by being around, I managed to fill all those roles and keep many diflerent wheels at this University turning. What are your plans after graduation? Where else were you accepted? I am going to Yale Law School next year where hopefully I can continue a lot of what I have been doing at W&L (especially theater). My acceptance list is long (14 law schools) but I chose Yale most immediately over Harvard and Columbia Law Schools. What have you learned at W&L? It would take pages to describe everything I’ve learned in my four years. To sum it up in one word: service. I have been amazed by the willingness of W&L students to help each other, the school, the com- munity and the world. In every class I have taken and activity I participated in, there have been people willing to step up to leadership positions because they felt like working for others. A lot of these people - whether they are recruitment chairs or house managers of fraternities or secondary leaders of our many charitable organizations - never get any kind of recognition around campus. I have never been around so many such people, and I think I picked up a lot from my fellow students and professors of this mindset. What else are you involved in on campus? I have gotten involved in W&L Theater this year after being amazed with the work that our actors and actresses and crew do. I love being around them, and I hope my performances are as enjoyable “I think the most important quality for a leader to have is selfless- ness. I have always taken as role models people who prefer to stay 1 out of the limelight but manage to change lives. ’ as theirs have always been for me. As for being president of my fraternity, I did it because someone had to, and I was willing to take on the responsibilities. I have also been involved with both Hillel and Reformed University Fellowship, embracing both my parents’ religion. Being a tour guide, and a leader in the SRC, is, like theater, a way for me to combine my love of talking with my love for W&L. What do you think makes a leader? Who do you look up to, on campus or off? As I said earlier, I think the most important quality for a leader to have is selflessness. I have always taken as role models people who prefer to stay out of the limelight but manage to change lives. Any professor who, rather than writing a letter to the editor, encourages a student to take action falls under this category. So do stage managers of shows and chiefs of staff of politicians. You’re involved with Student Recruitment Committee. What do you do for that, and why did you decide to become involved? I was, until a month ago, Co-Chair for Attendance and Special Tours. As such, I had to make sure that our tour guides showed up for their tour times, or found substitutes if they could not. I would also schedule tour guides for special tours such as school visits, Johnson Scholar week, Admitted Students Day, etc. Before that, I served for a year as Co-Chair for Special Projects. In both of those positions, I had the honor of being part of the team that chose new tour guides, and I am very proud of the guides we have chosen so far. Of course, I have also been a tour guide the entire time and that is the part of the job I have enjoyed most. Being such a small school, it is rare to meet new people at W&L, but being a tour guide, you always get to meet people new to Lexington and show them everything is wonderful at W&L. How has W&L changed you? Surprisingly, after four years of studying hard and doing the most concentrated learning of my career as a double major, my biggest changes is that I am more well rounded. I came in to W&L as a bit of a nerd, my only hobbies outside school were hockey and debate. Now I head to law school worrying that I will not be able to set aside enough time for academics with everything else I hope to do. My friends freshman year did a great job pushing me out of my shell, and not even Yale Law is going to be able to put me back in it. Becoming more aware Regina Mills seeks to shine light on sexual assault and women is health issues on campus You’re part of KEWL on campus. What do you think Love Your Body week helped to accom- plish? I have been a member of the executive board of KEWL since sophomore year. I have been a member since I first arrived.. Love Your Body Week has helped increase increase awareness and anger people about the things students, especially women, feel they must hide, namely the ubiquitous experiences of sexual assault, body image problems, etc. Students on this campus didn’t start asking about sexual ha- rassment - I’ve seen a couple of opinion pieces recently which have used that term and that is incorrect. they asked about the real problem of sexual assault. [Over 20 percent] of women on this campus have experienced “unwanted sexual touching,” which is not harassment. It is assault. I think we made people aware of the issues of reporting and made students think about where victims have to turn. “Those who make change care very greatly about the endeavors they undertake and I think they cause others to care about them and look for change as well. They are not afiraid to have their voices heard. ” What made you decide to become involved with KEWL? I received a letter in the mail over the summer from the KEWL leadership. Even though at the time I did not do anything or know anything about the status of women’s rights on this campus or in society in general, I was pulled to the idea of being surrounded by strong women who wanted to change things. Do you think the issues raised led to campus issues involving the EC and sexual harrassment? Does KEWL plan to do this again next year? A lot more questions have been asked about SFHB, CAIR, and other means by which the school deals with sexual assault. Thus, when the student body meeting was held, these issues dominated the discussion because they had been on people’s minds for a long time. I think some very important things were revealed, some uplifting, but many disheartening. I hope that the combination of LYBW and the student body meeting spurred some students to act. I know that I often feel like I got started on these issues too late because I didn’t know enough and didn’t know where to look until senior year. KEWL and the student body meeting helped some leaders on this campus by making sure they can skip these inforrnation-gathering steps and get to fixing the problems. LYBW is definitley planned for next year and I hope to hear about it - even when I’m in Phoenix. Do you hold any other leadership positions on campus? I’ve been on the Ladies’ Club Board as Health and Fitness Chair, served as the financial and corre- sponding secretary of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., served as vice president and president of KEWL , been the Culture and Education Director of WLUR 91.5 as well as a host of She Speaks radio show since spring term freshman year and volunteered at Project Horizon. What have you learned at W&L, and how has it changed you? I found my passion at W&L, which is dealing with issues of gender equity in every area of society. I never thought I’d find that passion here, since being a feminist or being an activist for pretty much any cause seems to raise eyebrows here. I didn’t come here either of those things, but I’m glad to be both now. I have learned that if you wait for someone to change something, you can’t expect anything to change. Also, very rarely can you get something done solely on your own. You need to build support systems and make people see how these issues affect themselves and those they care for. What did you major in, and what are your plans after graduation? English, Sociology and Anthropology, concentration in Women’s Studies. I will be leaving for Phoe- nix shortly after graduation to teach in underresourced schools through Teach for America. What do you think makes a leader? Passion and an activist spirit. Those who make change care very greatly about the endeavors they undertake and I think they cause others, though certainly not everybody, to care about them and look for change as well. They are not afraid to have their voices heard. Who do you look up to, on campus or off.’ I look up to so many people, especially on this campus: the professors in the English department, Professor Mayock in the Spanish department, the leaders (and fiiture leaders) of KEWL. Our campus has many admirable people. What changes do you hope for in future years at W&L? I hope that we create a campus climate more conducive towards reducing and reporting sexual as- sault. I hope we have a better system to deal with them, since right now the systems we have in place seem woefully inadequate. I hope that more women run for and are elected to the EC and that alcohol offenses, especially DUI’s, are taken more seriously and punished more justly than they currently seem to be. Of course, these are big changes -- but they are not impossible. OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_003.2.txt TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009 3 ' THE RING-TUM PHI Bringing and sharing laughter across the campus Morgan Harris ’s work with GAB, Wednesday Night Live and other organizations helps cheer W&L, community The trademark curly ‘fro is gone, but Morgan Harris still remains a household name around the Washington and Lee Community. The Ring-Tum Phi has decided to honor him with a “Phi Award” for his work starting GAB Comedy and Sig Ep, improving gender relations, and his involvement with Wednesday Night Live. A native of Maine and politics/sociology double major, Harris began his unwavering involvement with student life at the beginning of his freshmen year. With the promise of re-established Sigma Phi Epsilon, Harris decided to make the fraternity a “creative hub on campus.” “My friends and I had this wonderful opportuni- ty to bring something fresh to Greek life,” he said. Fresh and creative it is. The fraternity had the first student band night and continues to have mul- tiple members play in and form bands. Harris also took the initiative to bring other forms of entertainment to W&L. He single-handedly began GAB Comedy, which is responsible for bringing comedians, recently Bo Burnham, to W&L. “When I first arrived at school, I was confused as to why there were no comedy acts and only con- “My friends and I had this wonderful opportunity to bring something fresh to Greek life. ” Morgan Harrls, Phl Award wlnner certs for entertainment,” Harris said. He relentlessly petitioned for money, and by his sophomore year, he was able to get three to five comedians, all of which have now become big-time comedic writers. But Harris has also been involved in correcting structural issues throughout campus, most notably working to improve gender relations by starting plans for the first co—ed floor as an option for first- year students. “We are one of the few schools that still have segregated floors,” Harris said. He developed the idea of a co-ed floor after rec- ognizing that gender relations could not be com- pletely fixed by simply organizing events. “We’re putting Band Aids on something instead of going to the source,” he said. The source, Harris thinks, is the living system. Therefore, he met with President Ruscio, Dean Watkins, Dean Leonard, among others in a series of meetings in which he lobbied for a “pilot” co-ed floor. Next fall, he will get his wish. But Harris is not without theatrical attributes. He’s been involved with the Theater Depart- ment, most recently Wednesday Night Live. “I’ve wanted to do theater,” said Harris, “but up until now, I haven’t had the time or opportunity. So, I made a resolution to perform this year.” As for next year? “I am 90% sure that I will be working in the Washington and Lee Communications Office for a student voice website, with the plan of developing a communication structure between the student body and various student organizations’ events.” It is just another way Harris is starting impor- tant dialogues, fixing problems, and bringing out W&L’s creative side. Building a sense of community from the dorms onward F our—year Gilliam resident Wesley 0 ’Dell ensures that freshmen and upperclassmen have a good stay You’re the head of the Resident Adviser (RA) program. What were your responsibilities? I’m responsible for overseeing staff operations for all 50 RAs in the first-year and upperclassmen residence halls. In that capacity, I’m a resource for RAs who need assistance or advice in carrying out their roles as counselors and university officers. One of my most important duties is planning and executing an intense, two-week training program in mid—August that combines classroom instruc- tion, field exercises, and leadership and team building training for the Residence Life Staff. Why did you choose to be an RA? I chose to be an RA, then called a DC, because it seemed the most direct path I could take to help build and protect the sense of com- munity that makes W&L a wonderful place to go to school. One of the things I got involved with very early on campus was the Student Recruitment Committee; it occurred to me one day when I was giv- ing a tour that I was making a lot of promises -- promises about a welcoming, open campus that was united by a common respect and decency that cut across secondary distinctions like Greek afiiliation or class year. I figured the best way to keep those promises was to work with freshmen to ensure that respect was built early on the hall level. What’s the best thing about being an RA? The best thing about the job is the people -- you get to be of some benefit to a new batch of fresh faces every year while working with a collection of some of the best and brightest our campus has to offer. The worst thing is seeing, year after year, new members of our community make the same mistakes that negatively impact their time here. Do you have any funny stories or experiences you’ll always re- member from your time spent as an RA? Funny stories? Well, there was the resident who got it into his head that his end-of-year goal was to take a picture with me while he was butt naked. I spent quite a few weeks dodging a large, nude freshman on my hall. All in good fun. Mostly. Of course, there are a bunch more that I can’t talk about. Hot pursuit of Health Center escapees is always a hoot. Move-in days are always interesting. Once I was carrying a young woman’s luggage up to her room and it slipped, spilling her bras out onto the floor and holding up the line of movers. I bent down to pick them up but I found that I couldn’t force them back into their drawer. So I started pushing down on them to cre- ate space. It was at this point that I heard a voice from behind me in the line: “Having trouble?” It was Dean Watkins. Watching me squeeze some girl’s bras. If I remember correctly, I stood and walked back downstairs in shame. The very next thing I randomly pull out of the car’s trunk in the quad: tampons. A giant box of tampons. Were you involved in any other leadership positions on campus? What do you think makes a leader? I served as Chairman of the Student Recruitment Committee for about a year and a half. As for what makes a leader, I’d say empathy and loyalty. You have to be able to put yourself in the “I ’ve learned that the greatest education ‘ you ’ll get in life is from the people around you and that the greatest privilege in life is 1 that of being around them. ’ shoes of those you’re leading. You also have to learn to be loyal to them, to those that lead you, and to earn their loyalty in return. What do you think makes you a leader? Who do you look up to, on campus or off? My first answer is the kind respect and patience of those who work with me! Their trust is absolutely vital. Changing student life through an array of positive influences Extremely involved in Traveller, residential life and theater, Rebecca Koval commits to improving student life through leadership You may know her as the girl who can really scream. But despite the YouTube links and Face- book groups dedicated to her booming vocal cords as displayed at Mock Convention last year, the Washington and Lee student body recognizes Rebecca Koval for her influen- tial impact on the quality of student life. Koval gets a Ring-tum Phi Award for her knew it was the place for me when I visited and saw how this university was so unique and charming,” Koval said. Indeed, her love for the W&L community has been reflected through all of her lasting impacts on campus. Koval became an RA her junior year be- cause she wanted to connect more with un- derclassmen. She had the “perfect freshmen “When I read about it, I was so skeptical of the Honor system. However: I knew it was the place for me when I visited and saw how this university was so unique and ' 1) charming. Rebecca Koval Phl Award wlnner work serving first-year students as a Resi- dent Adviser (RA) and Rho Gamma, lead- ing Traveller and being active in the W&L Theater Department. Now a graduating senior, Koval is an English major from Buffalo. She chose W&L because it was too “freakish” to be real. “It’s true. When I read about it, I was so skeptical of the Honor System. However, I year” and wanted to guide students through that transition so that they could have a sim- ilar experience. Closely linked to her work as an RA, Koval also became a peer counselor because she wanted to become more committed to student life. And by her senior year, she had been promoted to head peer counselor. The Rho Gamma position enticed Koval because it gave her the opportunity to have an even more open relationship with under- classmen on her hall. “Rush can be both terrifying and excit- ing. When I was completely disaffiliated, it was much easier for girls to communicate with me and not feel awkward,” she said. She began working with Traveller at the end of her freshman year, and she was pro- moted to a leadership position this year. “This program is such an incredible asset to our school. It just helps shed light on our campus’ uniqueness,” she said. Koval has also either been in or worked with a theater production every year. She’s performed in numerous “One Acts” as well as “Play it Again, Sam” and most recently, Wednesday Night Live. Clearly, her versatility and commitment to student life has made her worthy of this award. Her plans for next year? Koval will be volunteering with Ameri- Corps for one year living as a surrogate par- ent and residential life advisor for l2 other girls in a safe house. Something tells us she’s pretty qualified for that position. Who do you look up to, on campus or off.’ I look up to President Ruscio here on campus; he was the Head DC while he was here, and he’s always spoken to me about the job with the kind of understanding that you can only get from having done it yourself. What are your plans after graduating W&L? I’ll be spending next year at the University of Cambridge com- pleting a master’s degree in Modern European History. What have you learned from attending W&L? l’ve learned that the greatest education you’ll get in life is from the people around you and that the greatest privilege in life is that of being around them. Any RA habits you’ll carry along with you after graduating? An unshakable hatred of move-in days. What dorm that you lived in was your favorite? I have only lived in Gilliam, so...Yes, that’s all four years. Never been done before. I take a sick pride in that. OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_004.2.txt Celebmfing “:1 pin are like no o.tFser"" tulates the lass of longrv ccalaureitte iewice Wednesday, June 3 10:00 am. Colonnade in front of the Lee Chapel duation Thursday, June 4 10:00 am. Colonnade in front of the Lee Chapel celebrate this aoeoniplisllltlent with special remembrance giftl Satur ay,1vlay 30, 10:00 am. — 5:00 pm. Sunday, 1vlay31, 10:00 a.n1—5:00p.n1 Monday, June 1 through Thursday, June 4, 8:00 ELl'I'1. — 71:00 pm. Thank you for helping the University hwy using your UNIVERSITY STORE! All revenues go directly lLOWEI.t'[1S University scholarships, salaries and e W'asl1in,crton and Lee on eratina budget OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_005.2.txt ‘ Senior farewell: behave yourself TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009 THE RING-TUM PHI opinions In his final Phi article, Jacob Geiger talks W&L—Lex Po relations and frat fears By Jacob Geiger COLU M NIST I’ve spilled a lot of ink in these pages over the last four years, and I’m proud the work and coverage the Phi has provided to the school in the last four years. I’ve hit every section at least once: front page news, sports, a bushel of editorials and even a theater review. Yeah, I still don’t know if that theater review was any good or not. We’ve covered changes in fraternity life, the Pi Phi fire, dam safety at J ordan’s Point, the first open hearing in 12 years, the Bracket controversy and now the effort by W&L students to finally push the Executive Committee down the path to more open government. These are all key issues, and they’ve all been talked to death at one time or another. As I head towards graduation and—gulp—the real world, there are two pressing issues that our student body needs to address next year. The first issue is student relationships with the local police. Frankly, there is no relationship right now except one of mutual disdain and dislike. Both sides are to blame here. Too many of the younger officers are jerks who are rude and arrogant around students. Officer Condry, I’m looking at you specifically. And it seems like the Lexington Police Department has been on some sort of no—tolerance kick, breaking up partiers earlier and clearing out houses more aggressively. The real shame of this behavior is that it obscures the wonderful work of officers like Lt. Bucky Smith, who has been going out of his way to be a friend to W&L students since most of us were in elementary school. The students share half the blame, of course. We’re too often loud, rude and disrespectful. We yell at the oflicers when they break up parties and some bozos even enjoy throwing beers at their squad cars. I’m not entirely sure how the student—police relationship went so sour in Lexington. I just know that if anyone wants to see things improve, it’s up to ordinary students to start building relationships with the relationships will hurt us far more than they hurt the police. The other issue that students- and note that I didn’t say “students and administrators”- must address is the rash of fraternity suspensions we’ve seen in the past two years: Kappa Here is the potential problem. If fraternities are afraid that any parties in their house could land them in hot water, things will move out to the country increasing the risk of drunk driving. police. Groups like the Campus Community Coalition have certainly made a big impact around Windfall and the Pole Houses, but in town a one- group approach isn’t going to work. If things don’t change, relationships are only going to get worse, not better. And since the cops are the ones with the handcuffs, worsening Sig in summer 2007, SAE last spring and now Phi Psi this winter. During that same span both KA and FIJI came right to the brink of being thrown off campus. There is no misunderstanding the school’s message. If you get caught hazing, you’re probably on your way out. If you can’t keep a close reign on parties, you’re going to get busted. Here’s the potential problem. If fraternities are afraid that any parties in their houses could land them in hot water, things will move out to the country. That means putting more strain on Traveller and increasing the risk of drunk driving. After working so hard in the past decade to dramatically cut down on drunk driving, we cannot afford to see those trends reverse themselves. And it would also be a shame to see some of the nicest fraternity houses in the nation wasted or kept empty. W&L didn’t spend millions of dollars on renovations to have two or three houses empty all the time. This year the university scrapped the much-despised Student Affairs Committee and allowed appeals of IF C decisions to be heard by the University Board of Appeals, which is made up of an equal number of students and faculty. That was a small step in the right direction, but it was still disheartening to see the school appeal the reasonable IFC decision in the Phi Psi ease up to the UBA, which voted for suspension. I wasn’t in either the IFC or UBA hearings, but it is clear that the school does not fillly trust the IFC to police the fraternity system, hence the appeal. These are important issues, ones worth debating about and caring about. And the Student Body meeting this spring showed that you can actually get results if you get students to overcome their apathy. But whether or not these problems solved in the next year, it’s important to realize that W&L isn’t perfect. Never has been, never will be. Despite the inevitable flaws and imperfections, however, this is still a wonderful school and one I’m proud to be graduating from. I ’m glad that I’ve had the chance to write about the key issues facing this school, both as a reporter and as a columnist. Mostly, though, I’m glad you’ve taken the time to read my work. Thanks for reading. Senior farewell: challenge yourself In her final Phi article, Grace Andrews shares what she wishes she knew earlier By Grace Andrews COLUM NIST When I was asked to write an article for the senior farewell of the Phi, I wanted to write something articulate, deep, and moving. I wanted to enlighten readers while bidding them adieu for the final time in the appropriate amount of hilarity. That was an unsuccessful mission. I decided to abandon that completely and just offer some advice that I wish I would have gotten along the way. So, for starters, respect the speaking tradition. Just say hi; it really is not that diflicult. When you do say hello, it makes someone’s day. It makes mine, and then I’m a happier person. Second, do not take seats that are not yours. When you are in a class and you know that little Gracie Lou Freebush sits in the second desk left of the professor every Tuesday and Thursday, DO NOT take her seat. That is rude and should violate some sort of unspoken classroom regulation. 1 don’t know how many times this has happened either to me, or to someone in a class of mine, and the result is always the same—~unhappiness! Next, clean up after yourself. No matter where you are, if you make a mess, clean it up. Do not leave it around for others to clean because, once again, that is rude. This extends for the dining hall and into real life as well. If I see another plate or cup in the Marketplace for the workers to clean up, I may have to start finding those responsible myself. Leaving your trash behind is not sexy, nor is it the latest new fad. CLEAN UP! Following cleaning up for yourself, do not break in line. It is one of my biggest pet peeves and makes me extraordinarily upset. When I see people breaking, it makes me want to turn big and green like the Hulk and throwing things around. Also, be sure to volunteer. Helping others helps you feel good about yourself. Sometimes, this is extremely beneficial, especially after midterm or final grade time. Instead of defining ourselves by our GPA, maybe we should define ourselves by in a book and paint something extraordinary for myself. Some may say you don’t have time; I say make the time. ‘ Next, uphold the honor tradition and become young activists. Honor and civility are Instead of defining ourselves by our GPA, maybe we should define ourselves by the service work that we do and the people that we help. the service work that we do and people that we help. Get a hobby. My four years here have consisted of minimal leisure reading and painting, which are my hobbies. My life IS NOT better for it. I should have made the time to let my imagination run wild vital in daily life, but kindness and humility also go just as far. As we attempt to remain honorable, may we shake off the bonds of apathy and really begin to care about our fellow students and humans. If you care about a topic, let people know (in a polite way) and discuss it accordingly; that is the only way to learn Speaking of caring, read the news every day. The world is a big place, and small important things happen to people halfway across the world daily. You should know about it. Also, learn something new every day. Whether it’s through Wikipedia or some random local encyclopedia, look up everything that comes to mind, and remember as much of it as you can. My last piece of advice is to enjoy life at W&L. Whether you are miserable or happy, try new activities and make new friends. I played volleyball in high school and was extremely involved in my high school theater. When I got to W&L, I decided that I would take a different path to graduation. I joined the track team and started doing volunteer work. I decided to tweak high school Grace and make her new and improved for college. I maintained my personality while doing something I’d never had the opportunity to do before. This is exactly what I would recommend for those reading this article. Every day that you are alive is precious, so treat it so. Live outside of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to do something that you may be bad at. The worst that could happen is that you’re no good at it—and who cares about that, as long as you try? Track and Field has been stressful, difficult and downright challenging for me. BUT, it’s been such a reward. The things I learn about myself are invaluable, and now, I can call myself a “thrower.” Put a pep in your step and challenge the opinions you don’t believe in (respectfully, of course), make friends with students you do not know, and don’t be afraid to fail. Failure only happens when you stop trying to succeed! Keep your friends close, your enemies closer Obama shows ruthlessness, By Abel Delgado corummsr If there are people out there who still do not recognize President Obama’s political genius, then they obviously have not been paying attention. Regardless of who you voted for, you should give the man his fair share of credit—not for turning the country around, but for doing his best to dismantle any and all opposition. When he saw a leadership vacuum in his opposing party, he made sure it was filled by someone who would keep independent voters away. Thus, he crowned Rush Limbaugh the Republican leader. When he saw an increasing divide between center-right pragmatists and conservative idealists, he recruited moderate Republicans to his cause. He also made sure his own party offered viable moderate alternatives such as Kristen Gillibrand. When he is confronted with a polarizing issue like abortion, he tries to “tone down the rhetoric” in a way that is condescending to both sides and still makes him look like a peacekeeper. And, finally, when he realized there was a young, likable centrist who could actually have a chance of putting up a fight in 2012, he exiled him to China. Okay, so appointing Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., as U.S. Ambassador to China is not exactly the same thing as exiling him~but for political purposes it might as well be. As Ambassador, Hunstman will do an exceptional job of solving crucial issues involving trade, to the environment, and concerns over North Korea and Taiwan... while receiving absolutely no limelight or credit. The fact Huntsman accepted the job speaks to his character. aisle can agree that Hunstman is the most qualified person for the job.Alongwithbeingasuccessful two-terrn governor, Hunstman has served as Deputy Commerce We would be naive to think President Obama picked [Republican Utah Gov. Jon Hunts- man] just because of his qualifications. Since when has President Obama cared much about experience? He is a faithful American public servant before he is a faithful Republican. In this situation where those two roles contradict, he chooses the former. Those on both sides of the Secretary, U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and Deputy US. Trade Representative. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and served as a missionary in Taiwan. Hunstman’s sense of duty would not allow him to turn down the job. “When the president of the United States asks you step up and serve in a capacity like this,” he said, “that to me is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation to rise to the challenge.” But we would be naive to think President Obama picked him just because of his qualifications. Since when have President Obama and his entourage cared much about experience? The Obama team recognized that the Utah governor was quickly becoming the popular leader of the moderate wing of the Republican Party. The Obama team does not want there to be a moderate wing of the Republican Party. This is why they worked to convince Senator Specter to switch sides. This is why they planned a photo op savvy in recruiting moderate Republicans to help him with Florida Governor Charlie Crist to infuriate conservative Floridians. This is why they did not want the hugely popular and chiefly pragmatic Governor Huntsman to present a viable Republican alternative to Obama’s policies. The Obama teams knows it will have a much easier time defeating the far-right than it will defeating the center—right, and an even easier time defeating both by driving a wedge between the two. If only our president was as good at uniting our country in order to actually solve our problems and restore our nation’s economy as he is dividing and dismantling the Republican Party. Then one party rule would not seem as frightening as it does now. - 5 OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_006.2.txt 8 ' THE RING-TUM PHI TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009 opinions ............................................................ .. WAsHLqG*j0N AND LEE Umvgpsuy THE RING -T UM MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR COPY EDITOR ALLISON CHOPIN DIANDRA SPICAK CODY BEAUCHAMP WILL DORRANCE STEPHANIE HARDIMAN KATHERINE ROBERTS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS GRACE ANDREWS PATRICK CONLEY KEVIN CORN ABEL DELGADO JACOB GEIGER NEVILLE FOGARTY KATIE HATFIELD FINDLEY MERRITT JESSICA STRAIT LEVI THROCKMORTON ALDEN WICKER DESIGN EDITOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER BUSINESS MANAGER STROCK MOORE DISTRIBUTION MNGR. ROB GEORGE MISSION STATEMENT: it is the mission of THE RING-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. LARA JORDAN MORGAN HARRIS THE RING-TUM PHI Is PUBLISHED MONDAYS DURING THE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL YEAR. THE RING-TUM PHI Is A MEMBER or 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 MEDIAIaoARD@wLu.EDU. THE MEDIA BOARD Is AN INDEPENDENT, STUDENT—RUN EDITORIAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WORKING WITH ALL MEDIA OUTLETS oN THE wAsHINGToN & LEE CAMPUS. ALL INQUIRIES 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 or THE RING-TUM PHI STAFF. THIS NEWSPAPER oBsERvEs CURRENT COURT DEFINITIONS OF LIBEL AND OBSCENITY. THE RING-TUM PHI UNIVERSITY COMMONS ROOM. 341 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 TELEPHONE: (540) 458-4060 FAX: (540) 458-4059 EMAIL: PHl@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 Don’t bash Bo Burnham Although some take offense at Burnham, he is still funny By Levl Throckmorton c o LU M N I sr Last Monday night, one of the hottest young comedians in the world today gave a memorable performance at W&L. Bo Burnham, whose upcoming Comedy Central special will make him the youngest comedian to have one, performed to a packed Marketplace——he’s too big to put in Stack- house. The root of the problem, however, does not lie in Bo’s irreverence, for Bo does not re- strict his impudence to any one group. His “racist” jokes hit “rich white people” as well as black people; his “sexist” jokes are directed towards both men and women with equal bite and satire. The problem arises when people refuse to understand that comedy is just that—-com- edy. Bo Burnham’s jokes are not meant to be Bo Burnham is jokes are not meant to be taken as expressions of his own beliefis, but rather as pure, unadulterated entertain- ment: satire at its best. ...Bo is simply very good at finding ridiculous situations in life and exaggerating the insanity. For most of the audience, Bo could do no wrong. Every joke was delivered with aplomb, every wink and sideways glance perfectly timed; in short, Bo Burnham was at his peak. For some crowd members, however, Bo’s performance was memorable for the wrong reasons. Bo Burnham’s comedy is extremely ir- reverent. From poking fun at Christianity in general and Catholics specifically to making light of the fact that his “whole family thinks [he’s] gay,” Bo Burnham knows no taboo subject. Any topic can be turned into a song full of intricate puns and witty banter. Some people have problems with that. The level of irreverence cuts too close to home. taken as expressions of his own beliefs, but rather as pure, unadulterated entertainment: satire at its best. If I may use myself as an example, the song “I’m Gay For Jesus” should prob- ably cause me (someone who believes in the Christian doctrine of Jesus) to explode with rage. “How dare he suggest that he have homosexual feelings for the Savior of the world?” When I realize, however, that the point of B0 Burnham’s comedy is to exploit the ridiculous in order to make fim of it, I can at least enjoy Bo’s lyrical cleverness if not laugh along with it. The question that the offended audience member raises is then: “Why do we laugh at the racism jokes? Why do we laugh at the sexual assault jokes? After all, racism is not fimny, nor is sexual assault.” This is the message that our school has pounded into our brains since we arrived on campus, and they’re completely right. The point is, we know this. We don’t think racism is funny; we don’t think sexual assault is fun- ny. We laugh at the idea of someone actually being that racist, the idea of someone actually justifying sexual assault. As previously explained, it is absurd to suggest that Bo Burnham is either a racist or a sexist. (By the by, if we want to argue that we shouldn’t hire racist comedians, then Jasper Redd, whose routine was laced with racist jokes, should never have been on this cam- pus.) B0 is simply very good at finding ridicu- lous situations in life and exaggerating the insanity. In a sentence, my point is simply this: when it comes to comedy, lighten up. Stop taking every joke that you don’t like as a personal attack, and don’t assign attri- butes to a comedian who doesn’t possess them. Great comedy is meant to be entertaining, not inciting. Bo Burnham is a great comedian. What’s so funny about rape, the Klan, homophobia and B0? The GAB shouldn ’t have used E C-allocated funds to bring a comedian who mocks issues W&L struggles with yearly By Stephanie Hardlman ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Everyone likes a good joke. “Good” being the key word in that statement. After all, that’s why I went out to B0 Burnham last Monday. I didn’t know anything about him—I just went on the sugges- tion of a friend—and I dragged my roommate along. She hap- pens to be black. I apologized to her about three minutes into Bo’s act be- cause of how embarrassed I was that her race and people ’s history were mocked. The song about the “Klan Cookout” was awkward to say the least. Jokes about Holocaust victims made me cringe. And laughing about sexual assault didn’t seem right either. We all know there’s a line when it comes to comedy, and I think most of us know when it has been crossed. I, and I’m sure countless others besides the peo- ple that actually had the nerve to walk out, am pretty sure that line was crossed. I couldn’t help but look around at the people laughing at the joke about how the adage “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” was really about rape. And I couldn’t help but think that there were a lot more people there to laugh about rape than there were to question the operations of the Student Faculty Hearing Board at the student body meeting just a few weeks ago. Sexual assault and rape are two issues that our campus deals with daily. I didn’t think it was very funny to laugh about it, and I’m sure the one in four women who are harassed on our campus didn’t think it was fimny either. There were some witty quips that I did enjoy—-smart ones that made me think and didn’t neces- sarily make anyone uncomfort- able. I think Bo’s lyrical prow- ess is commendable. But I didn’t understand why high school sex humor and ver- bally bashing Christians, Jews, blacks and everyone in between to a bloody pulp had to take cen- ter stage. Maybe it’s because he uses shock value to make up for the fact that he’s not really that fun- ny? So who made Bo’s visit pos- sible? It was the General Activi- ties Board—-an Executive Com- mittee-funded club on campus. So essentially school funds paid to have someone mock the is- sues that our campus struggles with and causes pain to many of your friends, sorority sisters and classmates. As incoming chair of the Contact Committee, another club (or another Phi columnist) isn’t going to tell me how to spend my group’s EC-allocated fimds. And that’s not what I’m trying to trying to do to GAB. However, if Contact brought a speaker to campus that nega- tively affected and perhaps exac- erbated the pain and tribulations of fellow students ——-and perhaps of the University community as a whole,- then I hope someone would take me aside and set me straight. I agree wholeheartedly with Chris Tutor that enacting policy changes would only be a start to fixing the dishonorable conduct of many W&L students. It’s of course striking that our statistics for alcohol abuse and sexual assault are signifi- cantly higher than the national average. This leaves us with two op- tions——either the students came into W&L already exhibiting such behavior, or it was learned since being at W&L. I’d like to assume that our students aren’t naturally more inclined to em- ploy this unhealthy and dishon- orable deportment than students at other schools of our caliber, so that leaves us with the sec- ond premise—that this behav- ior is created. If our school’s infrastructure is such that when left to reign free, it produces these kinds of problems, then we need to make fundamental changes to the institution as a whole. It is obvious that the two most pressing infrastructural problems facing W&L are lack of adequate on-campus housing, and overabundance of fraterni- ties. It’s a potent combination that significantly detracts from the overall college experience of many students. Much of our gender relations issues come from the fact that men and women are completely separated after freshman year. Without the organic daily in- teraction provided by a residen- tial community, men are much more inclined to treat women as objects. Also note that W&L has roughly the same number of fraternities as it did when we were an all—male institution. Now we have half the amount of men due to co-education, which has artificially doubled the supply of fraternities rela- tive to the number of males. This, combined with the changing student demograph- ics, leads to a situation that causes many students to join a system they never would have been part of otherwise. I’d es- timate that only about half of totheetitor The Greek life is suffocating us Senior Morgan Harris suggests scaling back the number of fra/ts is needed each class’s first-year males are 100 percent sure they want to join a fraternity. The rest of those who join do so “just be- cause [they] have to.” It’s a self-fulfilling cycle that ensures an almost complete void of al- ternative life on campus. As a liberal arts university, Washington and Lee says in its very mission statement that it seeks to develop “engaged citizenship in a global and di- verse society.” The potential for diverse cultural and intellec- tual cross-pollenization exists within the student body, but our flowers are trapped in confine- ment due to the stratification caused by an overabundant Greek system, single-sex on- campus housing, and isolating off-campus housing. Building up—to-date co-ed dorms that students actually wouldn’t mind living in (unlike the ancient pieces of junk cur- rently available) and requiring students to live_ on campus for three years would allow much greater interaction between stu- dents of varying cultural and in- tellectual persuasions, and cre- ate a refreshingly vibrant and exciting campus community. Isn’t that the goal of a liberal arts university? Let me be clear—I am not in favor of weakening the Greek system or restraining the party scene. The changes I propose, in fact, would only strengthen the Greek system and make partying easier. Having every- thing in closer proximity would ensure more time spent actually partying and less time spent waiting for and riding Traveller or, worse, driving drunk. (But don’t fret; staples like the Pole Houses and Windfall would still of course be available). And by lowering the amount of fraternities to under ten, only those students who truly want to be part of Greek life would participate. Each fraternity would have a significantly larg- er and more committed and ac- tive membership, and the Greek community as a whole would be more cohesive. At the same time, an equally active and com- mitted non-Greek population freed from the time constraints of fraternal life would bring fresh air to a previously suf- focating campus. And the few houses that used to be fratemi- ties could be turned into co-ed social houses. This would help both Greek and non-Greek stu- dents interact together in cam- pus-centric and fraternity-cen- tric events, enabling everyone to enjoy the greater diversity and strength of extracurricular pursuits available to them. The tough part is actually en- acting these changes. There are many potential ways of going about it, but before it happens the students must be aware and supportive of the rationale- which, as outlined above, is simply to make the university a better place for a wider vari- ety of its bright and passionate students.I don’t claim to have any guaranteed tactics, and in- deed there won’t be a pain-free solution. I understand why many in the /W&L community are so fervent about not letting W&L change. Change is always a scary proposition, as venturing into the unknown means leav- ing the familiar comfort of the status quo. But when we speak of tradi- tion, we must bear in mind the true ideals of George Washing- ton and Robert E. Lee. Both of these men were leaders of mon- umental change, and ultimately did what was in the best interest of the people and institutions they served. In the spirit of our founders, it’s time to fix the widely acknowledged problems plaguing our beloved school. Sincerely, Morgan G. Harris, ‘09 OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_007.2.txt TUESDAY, MAY 26,2009 THE RING-TUM PHI - 9 sports ' Crowning of King James Conley argues that Lebron James is the King of the NBA By Patrlck Conley c o L u M N zsr This NBA postseason has given us numerous storylines: how the Houston Rockets managed to push the Lakers to seven without two All- Stars and without a player above 6’9”; how the Celtics and Bulls turned in what may be the greatest first round series we have ever seen, with Derrick Rose and Raj on Rondo battling for the status of “next great point guard”; even the unfortunate feud between Kenyon Martin and Mark Cuban, filled with enough “blogged” apologies and racial slurs for everyone. The major story so far, however, has been the play of LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. Play- ing with Magic’s vision (averaging over 6 dimes a game through 10 games in the playoffs), Pippen’s defensive intensity (guarding the other team’s best player and reject- ing Dwight Howard’s Game 1 dunk in such a nasty fashion that Super- man asked for his cape back), and Jordan’s ability to will the outcome of each game (34 ppg, as well as a few backbreaking dunks and maybe even a game-winning shot), James makes it appear as if it is only a mat- ter of time until we finally crown our new King and his dynasty begins. This is not to say that he has had no challengers. While the Cava- liers made the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks look like a bunch of lost AAU teams (sweeping each series in four games while winning each game by at least 10 points), the Magic have been giving James a run for his money. They took Game 1 of the series (at the Q, where Cleve- land was previously 43-2 this sea- son), and took everything the Cavs threw at them; James may have had the most complete game of his post- season career, dropping 49 points (a career best and on 60 percent shoot- ing no less) on the league’s best defense. The Magic drew James away from the team concept that has made Cleveland so successful, and the Cavs paid the price when they could barely get a shot off at the end of regulation. With one second left in Game 2, the Cavs looked about//done. Hedu Turkoglu had just hit what should have been a game-winner, and Cleveland could only hope to ad- vance the ball and put up a prayer. This, however, is where James showed that Jordan-esque tendency we’ve all been waiting for, his refus- al to lose a game. James ran to the top of the key and launched a high, arcing shot that splashed into the net long after the buzzer sounded, giv- ing his team the victory. “The Shot”? What Shot? The only “Shot” Clevelanders are going to remember from now on is LeB- ron putting his team on his back and bringing them right back into the mix. Whether or not the Cavs lost home court, they have sent the se- ries back to Orlando with the Magic shaking their heads. It’s the kind of psychological warfare that we expect from the best player in the game. Assuming that the James gang wins 3 of the next 5 games against Orlando, they’l1 face competition from either the Nuggets or the Lak- ers, two teams battling it out in their own heavyweight series. Neither team is going to roll over and die in the Finals, either. On the one hand, you have the Lakers. You have Kobe trying to prove himself to still be the best player in the world, trying to prove that he doesn’t need Shaq to win the Larry O’Brien trophy (although Ga- sol and Odom aren’t exactly chopped liver). You have the Zen Master Phil Jackson trying to get one for his oth- er thumb, the elusive 10th ring that even Red doesn’t have. And both of these men, along with the rest of the Lakers, are playing with a sense of urgency that cannot be underesti- mated. Kobe, now in his 30’s, has weathered the storm of D-Wade, LeBron, Carmelo, CP3 and all the other young guns for a while, but he doesn’t have much time left in his prime, and these young players are about to enter theirs. Phil’s mind is the same as it ever was, but his hips and back have become so bad that he has to sit in special chairs on the bench to keep pain from affecting his judgment. The Nuggets are a different story, less glamorous but no less interest- ing. It took the addition of Mr. Big Shot Himself to get these Nuggets out of the first round, but so far it has worked wonders; you have Nene cleaning up the glass and not missing shots, the Birdman swatting shots into the fifth row, and K-Mart providing the swagger. And, of course, you have Carmelo. Some- one who has gotten into a fight on the court (at MSG no less), who has told Baltimore youth to “stop snitchin’.” This often overlooked anti-hero of the class of 2003 has been brilliant thus far in the play- offs. Melo has scored at will during the first 10 games, garnering praise for his tough defense and growing up in front of basketball fans every- where. Either team would present a tough and exciting matchup for the Cavaliers. However, when it comes down to it, you just cannot over- look what James has done this sea- son. Playing in fewer minutes per game, he has upped all of his per- 40-minute averages while shooting at a better percentage in all three cat- egories; now in the playoffs, James has turned his speakers to “eleven.” He plays with the kind of two-way intensity that makes teams want to roll over and die. His help is better than it has ever been. To top it all off, James is hungry. When a 6’9”, 275 pound man is hungry, you don’t get between him and his meal. The rest of the league will figure that out sure enough. W&L plays in NCAAS Tabb, Caire fall to Denison in quarterfinals NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Individual Championships Collins Hill Athletic Club Lawrenceville, Ga. Friday, May 22 Doubles: Senior Katie Tabb and Junior Lauren Caire (W&L) def. Junior Brittany Berckes and Sophomore Natasha Brown (Amherst) 6-4, 6-2 Singles: Senior Katie Tabb (W&L) def. Junior Brittany Berckes (Amherst) - 6-0, 6-1 F irst-year Amanda Wu (Carnegie Mellon) def. Senior Katie Tabb (W&L) 6-3, 0-6, 0-6 Ploy Suhijindawong (St. Scholastica) def. First-Year Ellen Yeatman (W&L) 3-6, 2-6 Saturday, May 23 Doubles: Sophomore Kristin Cobb and Junior Marta Drane (Denison) Senior Katie Tabb and Junior Lauren Caire (W&L) 2-6, 6-3, 4-6 WASHINGTON AND LEE Q’ University Store Q’ Celebrating “ct place like no other” U ndergraduute Students DO YOU WANT CASH FOR SUMMER? Finished Exams? Before leaving campus, bring your books to the UNIVERSITY STORE! . . . Get cash (up to 50% of value of book)! . . . Help your store have more used and cheaper books for future semesters! 6 Dzws in the Coimnons’ Atrium Thursday F1*i(la};?, M:1y28 & 29, 9 ani. — 6 pm. Saturday & Sunday, Nliljy’ 30 & l\»tIay 31, 1021.m. -5 pm. Monday & Tuesday, June 1 & 2,] 9 am. — 6 pm. Textbook Buyback! OCR::/Vol_112/WLURG39_RTP_20090526/WLURG39_RTP_20090526_008.2.txt TUESDAY, MAY 26, 2009 10 - THE RING-TUM PHI sports ‘ numbers 108 The number of career doubles wins for senior tennis player Katie Tabb. She tied the school record on Saturday when she and junior Lauren Caire beat an Amherst team to advance to the NCAA quarterfi- nal round. Tabb and Caire lost to Denison Sunday. 0 The number of times before the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cava- liers match-up in the Eastern Conference finals that the first two games of a NBA playoff series have both been decided by one point. 4th Senior Stacy Doornbos's finish at the NCAA track and field champion- ships in the women's heptathlon, naming her an All—American. .195 Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz's batting average enter- ing Monday. While Ortiz hit his first home run Wednesday since Sep- tember 2008, he has gone O-for-12 since then. Manager Terry Fran- cona benched Ortiz May 15-17 against the Seattle Mariners. sbox “If I could handpick a replacement of a football guy, I would cast a net and drag in Jon Gruden. He is the two things you most want — smart and funny -- and has the two things I don’t — good hair and a tan.” Former Monday Night Football commentator Tony Kornheiser on ESPN’s decision to hire former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden as his replacement. Kornheiser resigned after three years, citing his fear of flying in planes. Gruden was flred by the Bucs after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs In 2009. Courtesy of cbssports. com. “That was the biggest shot l’ve made in my ca- reer.” Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James after he hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer Friday to beat the Orlando Magic 96-95 in game two of the teams’ NBA Eastern Conference finals. Courtesy of espn.com. “If he plays well, he’ll have more time.” Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson on center Andrew Bynum’s criticism of the team’s defensive schemes. Bynum was pulled at the start of the second half of game two of the Western Conference finals for a play where he lacked intensity. Courtesy of nba.com. “I don ’t feel the need to go, actually. I don't feel like it’s that big a deal to me.” Pittsburgh Steeiers linebacker James Harrison on the team’s visit Thursday to the White House for winning the Super Bowl. Harrison also skipped the Steelers’ 2006 visit to Washington when they won Super Bowl XL. Courtesy of cbssports.com. “I'm done. I’m retiring. I miss being with my fam- ily every day. I knew when the season ended, but I wanted to leave and get home first, and not make a big deal of it. A player is what I was. Now I'm a husband and a father.” New Jersey Devils center Bobby Hoilk on his plans to retire after an 18-year NHL career. Courtesy of nhl.com. 582 P1 IL’ 3l]],E W&L’s year in review ' Dorrance counts down the year is top 10 W&L sporting events By Will Dorrance sporzrs EDITOR With the conclusion of the track and tennis seasons this past weekend at the individual NCAA championships, the year in Washington and Lee sports has come to a close. And with that, my time as sports editor of the Ring-Tum Phi also ends. I have wit- nessed and reported on some unforgettable moments in an- other exciting year of Gener- als’ athletics. With so many games to remember, I count down the top 10 best W&L sporting events of the school year: 1 Sept. 27, 2008: The ° women’s soccer team fell to then nationally first-ranked Messiah 4-3 on a goal with just eight seconds left in overtime. The Gener- als led for much of the game. Afterwards, head coach Neil Cunningham said, “The game was by far the best game I’ve been involved with coaching wise you can’t get any one as good as this game for the spectacle of soccer.” 9' the first-ever night game at W&L, the football team topped neigh- boring Southern Virginia 35-28. Senior running back Stuart Sitterson tallied two touchdowns in the final 5:57 to give the Generals the lead. The Knights then put together a nice drive in the games final minute, but junior defensive back Donavon Sawyer ended the game with an interception in the endzone. Sawyer re- called catching the ball, “For some reason I was zoned out, and it was somewhat of a sur- real experience. I seriously didn’t realize what happened until I reached the sideline.” Sept. 20, 2008: In 8 Feb. 15, 2009: ' Amassing 1,010 points, the women’s swimming team crushed its ODAC competition, winning its 19th conference title. See- ond-place Randolph-Macon finished with 303 less points than the Generals. Senior Lindsey Strachan was named the ODAC Swimmer of the Year for the second straight season. Senior Jule Miata spoke of the team’s accom- plishments. “Winning the 19th ODAC championship my senior year was a great way to finish, and only added to the bittersweetness of a college athletic career ending. The girls all swam fantastic, and we proved to everyone once again, that one champion- ship taken away 2 years ago, will not leave us sour for too long.” 7' women’s cross coun- try team came in first place in the ODAC champi- onship for the fifth consecu- tive year. The team outscored Roanoke, the second place team, by 25. Senior Jess Shaw won the race and was named ODAC Runner of the Year. Referencing the team’s national ambitions, senior Elizabeth Webb commented on the conference race, “We made sure not to lose sight of the fact that we needed to de- fend our ODAC title first. Ev- eryone truly came through and contributed in a big way.” beating Bridgewa- 6. ter earlier in the day, the volleyball team defeated Lynchburg 3-0 in the ODAC championship for its eighth straight title. The Generals did not lose a game in the three-match conference tour- nament. Senior right-side hit- Nov. 1, 2008: The Nov. 8, ‘2008: After ter Jess Ulrich said she was confident throughout the tour- nament. “There was no doubt in my mind that we’d win the championship again.” women’s track and 5. field team won the ODAC indoor championship with 120 points, just four points ahead of Roanoke. It was the program’s first-ever indoor ODAC title. On the day, the team garnered seven conference champions and three championship meet re- cords. Senior Stacy Doombos recounted the race’s final mo- ments. “We were in third go- ing into the last three events. We did well in the shot put, rocked the 5,000 and brought home the 4x400 relay to win. I run the last leg of the 4x400 relay, and it was an incredible race. Everyone was crowded around the track screaming and yelling.” Feb. 27, 2009: The 4 April 20, 2009: ' Coming into the last day down six strokes, the golf team stormed back to shoot its best round of the ODAC tournament in rainy conditions to beat Guilford by five strokes. It was the Generals’ second consecu- tive conference crown. Junior Brad Watts later commented on the team’s strategy heading into the final round. “Being down six, we really wanted to get off to a good start and put pressure on the rest of the field from the beginning. [Senior] Andrew Green did a tremen- dous job of this by posting a great score (75) early that re- ally set the tone for the rest of the team.” 3 ° men’s basketball team advanced to the ODAC finals for the first time Feb. 28, 2009: The since 1989 when the Generals beat Bridgewater 77-67 in the conference semifinals. Senior guard Chris McHugh compli- mented his team’s response to adversity all season long, in- cluding the playoffs. “If I’ve learned anything about our team over the last four years, it is that we will never quit.” May 3, 2009: The men’s la- 2 crosse team beat Ro- 0 anoke 15-14 in over- time of the ODAC championship. After blowing a three-goal lead with three minutes to go, W&L scored just 38 seconds into the extra frame when senior midfielder Harry St. John found the back of the net. St. John later said, “I’ve always dreamed of scor- ing a goal like the one against Roanoke. I’m so happy our senior class can graduate with an ODAC title. Hopefully, it is just one of many in the next several years.” April 26, 2009: The baseball team won its first-ever ODAC 1 championship by C beating Virginia Wesleyan 10-6. The Generals came into the touma- ment as the lowest seed. Ju- nior pitcher Chuck Davidson was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player after giving up no earned runs in 15 innings. Third baseman Jim Plantholt recalled the moment W&L won it all. “It was the best feeling in the world after that last out. The pile-up in the middle of the field was like a dream — unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced in sports.” Doornbos places at NCAAs Doornbos finishes fourth in heptathlon, namea’All-American By Kevin Corn STAFF warren While in Marietta, Ohio, over the weekend, Washington and Lee senior Stacy Doom- bos managed an impressive fourth place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division III track and field championships in the women’s heptathlon. With 4,764 points, Doom- bos earned All-America hon- ors, as well as a new school record. Added to her finishes at the 2008 outdoor champi- onships in the same event and the 2009 indoor champion- ships in the pentathlon, Door- nbos completed her career with earning these accolades for a third time. “It was great to finish my track career as an All-Ameri- can,” commented Doombos. “The NCAA meet is always an exciting atmosphere to compete in and so to have it be my last meet was a great experience.” This great experience be- gan with strong finishes dur- ing the first day of the hep- tathlon, when the competitors completed four events. In the 100 meter hurdles, Doombos set another school record with éiifiroup I0/13/08 18393 " a time of 14.82. Then in the high jump, her leap cleared 1.55 meters. In the shot put, Doombos tossed 10.38 meters and then crossed the finish line in the 200 meter dash in a time of 26.22. With so many events in- cluded in the heptathlon, order to do my best I need to concentrate on each event one at a time.” Doombos maintained this concentration and her mo- mentum during the second day with equally strong finishes in the remaining three events. In the long jump, she leapt 5.24 “The time I spent practicing and compet- ing during my four years here at W&L has been a huge blessing in my life. It is so sad to see it coming to an end, but] have so many awesome memories fiom my W&L track years. ” Stacy Doombos, senior combined with the fact that it is stretched over two days, Doombos was able to show true athleticism not only with her results but also with her mental preparation. “Staying focused and motivated during the seven events and two days is part of the multi-event,” commented Doombos. “I know that in meters. Then in the javelin, Doombos tossed 30.23 me- ters. Lastly, in the 800 meter run, Doombos finished the race in a time of2:23.15. Always a gracious athlete, Doombos wanted to recognize those who came out and sup- ported her through the meet. Apparently, her team made sure to express their support by any means possible over the course of the meet. “I would also love to say thank you to all my coaches and teammates,” re- marked Doombos. “It was so great to have teammates call- ing me, e-mailing me, and some even driving up to Ohio to watch me compete. It was motivating to have everyone cheering me on.” Looking back on her career, Doombos expressed gratitude and nostalgia for her experi- ences on the track team. “The time I spent practic- ing and competing during my four years here at W&L has been a huge blessing in my life,” commented Doombos. “I have made life-long friends and learned so much through my experiences on the track team. It is sad to see it coming to an end, but I have so many awesome memories from my W&L track years.”