OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090928/WLURG39_RTP_20090928_001.2.txt I Mourning aloss Columnist Keaton Fletcheris outraged at the removal of the flowered seating area inthe Quad. opinions / page 2 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY ' THE RING-TUM PHI. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 BY THE sruoenrs AND FOR THE STUDENTS’ SINCE 1897 VOLUME CXIII, ‘ Wea ’ o as , New federal policy sends shock waves Students convicted of drug possesion couldlose federal financial aid By Frank cullo smrr wrunzn Some students may have been startled two weeks ago when they received an inbox message detailing a new federal policy on drug usage that affects federal financial aid. Students convicted of either possessing or dealing illicit drugs are liable to lose any form of federal financial aid. Drugs have never really taken the forefront of issues at Washington and Lee. Alcohol and gender rela- tions, yes, but not drugs. Students have little reason to be alarmed. The new policy is not a university one, but mandated by the government. Furthermore, the policy only deals with forms of federal financial aid, such as Federal Student Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Fed- eral Grants and even Federal Work Study, but not university loans. According to the Financial Aid office, about 65 percent of the student body is on some form of financial aid. They do not release what type of aid students are receiving, however, so that only provides some reflection of what percentage of the student body is affected‘ by this new policy. The government is not preoccupied by univer- sity infractions. If a student is cited on campus for any type of drug violation, it is still handle in- ternally in compliance with Virginia and federal laws. The university is not required to report these violations on behalf of the recipient of federal fi- nancial aid to the body that oversees it. The only type of drug violation that activates this policy is a court conviction of a drug posses- sion or dealing charge. In this situation a student is likely to lose one year of federal financial aid for possessing and two for dealing, with additional time padded on for secondary violations. Take heart, however, because even if a W&L student finds himself or herself in this predica- ment, it is possible to receive federal financial aid again before the one-year term is up. With suc- cessful completion of a Title IV drug rehabilita- tion program and by successfully passing two un- announced drug tests, a student can again receive aid from the government. There is no new university equivalent for with- holding aid to drug users. The university has its own policies in place with regards to the strike system when it comes to drug violations on cam- pus. Even so, most publications about problems on campus almost never deal with drugs, most likely because beside the occasional dorm bust drug problems are not very prevalent on campus. Associate Dean Brandon Dotson does not fore- see this new policy being a problem for W&L stu- dents.. In fact, in his four-year tenure at the univer- sity there has not been a single conviction in court of a W&L student with regards to drugs. He sees the policy as the federal government “taking a pro- active step to curtail drug usage among students.” In the fateful war on drugs this is just another non-issue in the way of combating the real dangers among drug usage in the country. For W&L stu- dents, however, whether on federal financial aid or not this new policy should not be anything more than another email in the inbox. 0 correction: in last week’s edition of the Phi, due to technical difficulties, we published a headline on the cover that simply read “Assault.” The actual headline should have 'readI,'f*StainpirIg.;tout assauIt.r ' tially" po.logize.l.fo‘r this patch .60 Goodbye, University Scholars? After undergoing academic review last winter term, the program may be disbanded By Mary Huerster STAFF WRITER The University Scholars program, an academic honors program within the Washington and Lee community, may be discontinued in its_present form in the upcoming academic year. A review process was initiated last winter term, and while the offi— cial findings of the committee (four faculty members chaired by Profes- sor William of the Physics Depart- ment) have not yet been released, the report is expected within the next few weeks. There is a sufficient likelihood that it will be disbanded, but Dean of the College Hank Dobin has assured current Scholars that they will be able 'to graduate with University Scholars honors even if the program is phased out before that time, to which end he has offered to serve as their advisor. Dobin explained that the program came under review during winter term of last year as part of a routine process to which all academic pro- grams are periodically subjected. Such reviews have essentially a dual purpose: to ascertain whether or not a program still fulfills its origi- nal purposes and goals, and whether or not those goals are still relevant given changes that have taken place in the University since the program’s founding. In the case of the University Scholars, this was in 1984. These goals, as identified in the University Scholars constitution, are to “encourage active rather than pas- sive forms of learning, to emphasize interdisciplinary studies, and to facil- itate opportunity for discourse among our most prepared students.” Current University Scholars make it clear that the program is, as far as they are concerned, more than fulfill- ing its objectives. Senior Emily Coyle, who was featured in last week’s edi- tion of the Ring-tum Phi for the sex- ual assault prevention workshop she designed via the University Scholars Program, gave an example from her own experience. ‘ “The University Scholars program has taught me that the best way to ap- proach a question is from a variety of angles,” she said. “[It] was what I learned in [a University Scholars class] that will impact the rest of my career. thesis or capstone project required for graduation from the Program. O’Brien mentioned that the Uni- versity Scholars program takes care to seek out students willing to com- plete all aspects of the program dur- ing their recruitment process. However, he said, even among this self-selected group many find themselves too busy or otherwise re- luctant to devote the time necessary to this major undertaking. “The University Scholars program has taught me that the best way to approach a question is from a variety of angles... Whatl learned in [a University Scholars class] will impact the rest of my career. ’ I EMILY COYLE, senlor University Scholar “I am presently applying to de- velopmental psychology phD pro- grams, in large part because of an interest sparked in me by a Univer- sity Scholars anthropology course my sophomore year. If that does not embody the 1I‘llSSl011 of the University Scholars program, I’m not sure what does.” One significant concern about the program, however, is itslow comple- tion rate. Dobin mentioned that this was a serious issue the faculty coin- mittee came upon during the review process. According to University Scholars President Elliott O’Brien, the schol- ars themselves had been aware of and concerned about the low completion rate well before the review board. Both he and Coyle suggested that the main reason for this was the senior Another troubling issue for mem- bers of the program—though not necessarily for the review committee ——has been its small size, which is a double-edged sword. While it allows for a closer feeling of community than would otherwise be possible, the program’s conse- quent exclusivity is an unfortunate side effect, O’Brien said that one of the most difficult responsibilities of his role as president is serving on the student- run committee for admission into the program. Out of about 200 students (almost half a graduating class) with the minimum qualifying GPA of 3.5, he said, the program can take approx- imately forty. Harder still is the realization that some students who do not meet the GPA requirement would nevertheless have been worthy additions to the . program. O’Brien remembered in particu- lar a student who was not invited to apply because a difficult transition to college had lowered his GPA, but went on to become one of the most successful students in his class. Non-University Scholars are free to take UNIV-designated classes (classes approved for University Scholars credit), but are not truly part of the program community. The main objection of the faculty review board, however, was that as W&L has grown as an institution since 1984, the program has become increasingly less necessary. “Developments over time-such as the creation of many interdisci- plinary programs and the newer First- Year Seminar program, a much ex- panded and more varied curriculum across the departments and programs, and the [many] new and innovative courses being designed for the new spring term fulfill many of those original goals,” said Dobin. Dobin was very clear that, no matter what the future of the Program assuch, the University will continue to support its goals of interdisciplin- my study and “fostering a sense of intellectual community.” Local correctional center closed Budget cuts cause loss of jobs, relocation of juveniles and costs W&L an outreach program By Vergll Parson s TA F F w R IT E R The closing of Natural Bridge Juvenile Correctional Center will cost Rockbridge county a hundred jobs, relocate dozens of kids to much harsher facilities and lose Washing- ton and Lee a fruitful outreach. In an attempt to make up a budget shortfall of 1.35 billion dollars, Gov. Tim Kaine’s office released a plan de- tailing cuts and belt-tightening mea- sures. Among these is the closing of Natural Bridge Juvenile Correctional Center (NBJCC). The plan states that savings will total 1.2 million dollars and result in 68 layoffs. Bridge, the jobs lost will total 101. This blow comes to an area already hit severely by the current economic downturn. The county stands to lose more than the state stands to gain. By all accounts, Natural Bridge has one of the lowest rates of recidi- vism. The facility, the only fenceless correctional center in the area, acts as the reward for good behavior and a clearer glimpse of what life on the outside will be like. “I worry about what will happen to many of the residents when they are transferred to more high-secu- “Natural Bridge Juvenile Correctional Center had a great staff and did a lot of work to insure that resi- dents never re—entered the system. Once this facility is gone, I wonder who is going to step up and offer opportunities for youth who truly want to reform. ’ 1 ERIC HAMSCHER, junior and former tutor at NBJCC However, the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors issued a state- ment pointing out that the staff at NB- ICC won’t be the only ones affected. When including the auxiliary agen- cies that provide services to Natural rity facilities,” said W&L junior Eric Hamscher, who tutored at NBJCC. “I don’t think that they will get as much help with pursuing schoolwork and other activities that help reduce the risk of re-offending upon being re- leased.” A currentresident of NBJ CC who is working with Campus Kitchen echoed Hamscher’s statement, say- ing, “I don’t understand anything about what they’re doing.” He said the program shows what life outside the system is like and then “[they] pull it all away.” - Most of the kids at NBJCC have spent time at other facilities. Natural Bridge works to maintain an atmo- sphere far removed from the gangs and violence of those other correc- tional facilities; The young man men- tioned above recounted being called into an assembly on September 8 and listening as correctional oflicers in- formed the populace that they would all be leaving in a few weeks. Many consider the closing of NBJCC a bad idea because NBJCC makes a difference. Natural Bridge has a program in which it sends residents out to work at various jobs around the county. It has sent two interns to W&L’s Campus Kitchen. Both of these young men plan on coming back to Lexington in the fu- ture. Campus Kitchen has been very beneficial, both in providing thou- sands of pounds of food to the Rock- bridge area and introducing these two young men to rewarding, fulfilling work. “This is one of the best things I could’ve done,” said the young man mentioned above. “They could’ve put me in McDonald’s. I’m just wait- ing 69 days, and then I come back here.” , W&L did its part as well in help- ing the NBJCC. The Bonner Leaders program routinely sent students to tu- tor in SAT, ACT, or GED prep, and with class work. One of the NBJCC’s key tools is education~or, in their words, “to provide a full range of services for all wards to better prepare them for their return to high school, college or employment.” Apart from the extent of the eco- nomic detriment Rockbridge County will suffer, one has to wonder what will become of the population of Virginia juvenile offenders who will now sink back into the system. As Hamscher said, “NBJCC had a great staff and did a lot of work to insure that residents never re—en- tered the system. Once this facility is gone, I wonder who’s going to step up and offer opportunities for youth who truly want to reform. In fact, I worry that no one will be able to fill that void.” NUMBER 3 OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090928/WLURG39_RTP_20090928_002.2.txt UNIVERSITY LIBRARY WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY i.%EIi|IlGI‘i)N‘iIVi.@ 5° 2 0 THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 opinions Learning to live with the women’s rugby team As a new and surprisingly succ By Stockton Bullltt OPINIONS EDITOR I have to start with a dis- claimer. Yes, I am a member of the rugby team, and, yes, I am inherently biased towards this subject matter. However, it’s late September, which means the fourth floor of Graham-Lees hasn’t been men- tioned nearly enough to be noto- rious yet. Also, the school has blocked at the end of Spring Term last year, and I was not only sur- prised by the turnout, but rather impressed. On only ‘a couple of weeks notice, the girls already seemed ready to field a team. But again, I’m talking aboutVMI. That is to be expected. I mean, these girls enjoy shooting guns at targets in the woods. Why wouldn’t they guys from the Michael Jordan movie you saw when you were six. The girls I imagined would be oversized, probably have about four too many piercings, and would threaten to take my lunch money if I did not get out of their way. Basically, I thought they would be the bench of a WNBA basketball team. How many other clubs here were anywhere close to having this kind of success when they started? Can the Ultimate Frisbee team, a club with a much longer history, boast this kind of schedule and stability? the CoIlegeACB website (“pend- ing an internal investigation,” right...), so I don’t exactly have anything juicy enough to ap- ply to our campus at this given . time. Instead, I am going to write something that I want to write about. At the end of last Spring, VMI decided to add a women’s rugby team to their club repertoire. This made plenty of sense for two rea- sons: it helps fulfill their Title IX requirements, and the girls who willingly attend VMI without playing a varsity sport probably feel ready to hit someone. I saw the girls’ team practice enjoy beating the crap out of other girls? Before school started, the W&L Rugby coach, Tom Lovell, talked about trying to recruit some girls to join in with the VMI women’s rugby team. I, like most of the other guys who I talked to, responded by saying, “Look, I’m down with the whole Women’s Lib thing, but you will never get any girl here to play rugby. Period.” When I think of women’s rugby, I tend to imagine the Monstars from “Space Jam.” For ' those of you with lives, those were the animated monster bad ........................................................... .. VJASHINGTQN AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING-TUM PHI. MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITOR DESIGN EDITOR DESIGNER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS BUSINESS MANAGER DISTRIBUTION MNGR. MISSION STATEMENT: RING-TUM PHI to ace thoroughly report news and Lee community accountable. Through LEE CAMPUS. THE RIN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS. ALLISON CHOPIN DIANDRA SPICAK STOCKTON BULLITT STEPHANIE HARDIMAN BROOKE SUTHERLAND KATHERINE ROBERTS FRANK CULLO WILL DORRANCE LIZZ DYE KEATON FLETCHER NEVILLE FOGARTY MARY HUERSTER VERGIL PARSON STEPHEN PECK JONATHAN SALM HOLLY SUTHERS LEE TACKETT KATIE HATFIELD ALINA MARCINIAK CRISTINA BRATU STEELE BURROW STROCK MOORE ROB GEORGE it is the mission of THE urately, truthfully, and affecting the Washington for students, faculty, parents and alumni. Our goal is to look deeper into news affecting campus life and hold leaders our reporting, we aspire to spark discussions that lead to discovering information that prompts change. THE RING-TUM PHI IS PUBLISHED MONDAYS DURING THE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL YEAR. THE RING-TUM PHI IS A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA BOARD, BUT IS OTHERWISE INDEPENDENT. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PHI SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE EDITORS AT PHI@WLU.EDU OR TO THE MEDIA BOARD AT MEDIABOARD,@WLU.EDU. IS AN INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN EDITORIAL L OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WORKING WITH ALL MEDIA OUTLETS ON THE WASHINGTON & 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 OF THE RING-TUM PHI STAFF. THIS NEWSPAPER OBSERVES CURRENT COURT DEFINITIONS OF LIBEL AND OBSCENITY. THE MEDIA BOARD G-TUM PHI UNIVERSITY COMMONS ROOM. 341 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 TELEPHONE: (540) 458-4060 FAX: (540) 458-4059 EMAIL: PHI@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 The perception I had of most women at W&L was pretty much the polar opposite of my percep- tion of women’s rugby players. Because I am deathly afraid of getting tarred and feathered by the Women’s Studies depart- ment, let me say from the onset that both these preconceptions are false, and I have since seen the error in my ways. Anyway, I thought that girls at W&L would neither want to hit each other, nor would they want to get too dirty. Obviously, these preconceptions were blatantly false, which is readily apparent to I anyone who has attended the sto- ried powder-puff football games played every Spring Term. At club sign ups in early Sep- tember, I was stunned to see how many girls stopped by the rugby table and signed up to play. For every guy making sure his boys saw him sign up, there was a girl right there behind him, ‘pen in hand. Fine, I thought, there were girls with too much time on their hands, and they thought it’d be cute to try a club sport. Or may- be they saw some dashing young rugby player who they read about in the school newspaper and thought that by signing up, they would have a chance to win his affections. Or maybe I was completely wrong about those last two assumptions. With the astonishing number of signups for the women’s rugby team, there were enough players to field an entirely seperate team for W&L, instead of just adding to the VMI women’s roster. On the first day of practice, more than 15 girls showed up ready to play. Since they started practicing about a week ago, not only has their attendance been outstanding, but their dedication to practice has been also been commendable. When most of the men’s players, including myself, are bent over trying to catch their ‘women’s collective breath and regretting that seventh Natty from the night before, the girls are effortlessly running Indian sprints around the field. The team is now large enough to try and enter into two major tournaments in the spring, and it looks like they can not only enter but also do quite well, despite the fact that none of them have ever played rugby before. Being able to field a team with no previous experience and only a couple of months of practice before a national tournament? Even Emilio Estevez had Charlie Conway when he coached Dis- trict Five to a championship over the Hawks. And, yes, that is two 15-year-old kids’ movie refer- ences and counting so far. But here’s the important thing about the advent of the W&L rugby team. They should not be revered for be- ing brave, strong, courageous, dangerous or any other specific adjective. This is not WUSA or the WNBA or even “A League of Their Own.” They are not the sorority in “The House Bunny” bravely fighting for attention against the evil blondes. In fact, their accomplishment isn’t really movie quality. Lud- acris is not going to narrate their documentary, as he did with the documentary “The Heart of the essful club on campus, the W&L women is rugby team has defied expectations Game.” They have achieved a feat much_more important and spec- tacular. They have created a fully ca- pable sports team out of thin air. They have a reliable practice schedule, a consistent turnout and an unparalleled enthusiasm for the game. How many other clubs here were anywhere close to having this kind of success when they started? Can the U1- timate Frisbee team, a club with a much longer history, boast this kind of schedule and stability? These girls aren’t by any means the Monstars. I would go on further describing how dif- ferent they really are physically from the Monstars, but my law- yers advise me to do otherwise. These are just normal col- lege students forming a stable, attended club, and that is their true accomplishment. They have altered my and others’ miscon- ceptions of the sport not through conferences, rallies, O-Week en- lightenment sessions or anything else like that. Instead, the women’s rugby club triumphed in the most bor- ing and unheralded way pos- sible. They signed up. The loss of the barrier in the BDG Quad is an absolute travesty A first—year shares his outrage at the demolition of the flowered barrier By Keaton Fletcher c o L o M N I sr If you have been anywhere near the quad within the past week, you may have noticed a rather troublesome physical change on our campus. Earlier this week, many liv- ing in Gilliam and Davis dormi- tories woke up to the sound of a bulldozer in the Quad knocking down the small triangular barrier containing an enjoyable flower- ing bush. Many students are at a loss as to why this ideal sitting place was demolished without no- tice, at least for the most part. I think it safe to assume that the bush was not worth water- ing, especially in comparison to grass. Even so, Generals are not mourning the loss of the plant but rather the seating area. Where else are we supposed to sit and explain to our parents that no, we are not getting in too much trouble? Where are we supposed to sit and wait for our select friends who have cars to come pick us up? Some might say that the two benches provided on the side walk are clearly ideal seating, especially compared to a decrep- it brick wall. But there are two main problems that are already noticeable about the new lack of seating. The first problem is just that: lack of seating. The other issue is the proximity to the street. Few students desire to sit next to the street while having an in- timate conversation or while try- ing to arrange an interview for an internship. arker S Wenson can . always improving. PrIc’)f1'1es in Leadership: Pi Kappa Alpha: Intramural Chair 8i Social Chair; Head Intramural Referee; Member of the CoInnIil't.ee for Student Su(:Ltes.s What energizes you about taking on the responsibilities of campus leader- ship? I was fortunate enough to find oppor- tunities I really enjoy. I have a passion for working with sports and with social events. Seeing other people having a great time energizes me to make every event or game better. I always think there are ways to adjust or alter past events to make them better, and I feel driven to make them the best I What has been one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership at W&L? My position as a referee has been far and away my most rewarding activity, I have grown to be more confl- dent in my capal'>ilities and believe I have helped make the intra- mural program a smootlier running at':tivit.y. Through the intramu- ral program I have met so many students and Iaculty on campus. It has helped me grow as an individual and develop not only my strengths, but helped me identify and improve my weaknesses. What legacy of leadership do you hope you've left for others at W&L? If anything, I believe I leave a strong voice, a passion for competition, a desire to win, and a Commitment to Any words ofadvice for those who follow? Find something you love and go after it. Always look for ways to improve and be open to suggestions from all angles. And ll’ you can have fun and make money doing it, then you'll never have to truly "worl<." Tomorrovv’s Leadership Seminar: Time & Stress Management Discover simple ways to balance the urgent things in life with the important things we hope to achieve, l(€‘C])lI'lg COTNUIILITICIILS ])I'l0I‘ltIZC(‘l VVltl'10l.lt drama. 12:15 and 6:30 PM ~ Room 216 ~ Elrod Commons The semi-isolated feeling that the old brick wall seating provided was much preferable. But, instead of reminiscing in the years (or in first-years’ cases weeks) gone by with ideal seating in the quad, perhaps we should look toward the future. —Maybe the new triangle of grass that has been planted, once it takes root, could be host to a new set of benches for more comfortable and intimate seat- ing. Or perhaps we could have a more natural themed seating, i.e., rocks or logs. , This _might be an idealistic view of some wide-eyed fresh- man, but isn’t this our campus? If we care enough about the loss of seating we should bring this to the attention of admin- istration. We have shown the power of students in years prior by making changes, such as a shift toward local produce and the institution of Campus Kitch- ens. If there is enough interest in bringing change about on this campus, we have the power to do it. Now, Generals, the only question is having to sit on the steps of Gilliam to simply have a conversation awkward enough? Do you feel so uneasy sitting alone on a bench by the street at midnight that you feel the need to request a change? If so, take control of your situation and come up with an incentive for administration to give you what you want. Play for prizes! BINGO Pick up bingo card’: in fire Fifacr: deafen- Comple re rows fa be elfigrb/e for prizes! Vigil: the Filttaea Cenlcet 0;’ see Patti ColliI:orI. for 11.‘.I.DYE iiaicinnalzion Co1l.itonjg@wl\1 eclu 456-3967 O OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090928/WLURG39_RTP_20090928_003.2.txt O MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28,2009 THE RING-TUM PHI -3 opinions I Facebook, Twitter and the future of communication F acebook and Twitter are now powerful entities in the Internet universe, but Jonathan Salm questions their legitimacy By Jonathan Salm STAFF‘ WRITER With the rise of the social net- work and interconnectivity on the internet, a number of institu- tions have come to dominate how people communicate. Friendster, MySpace and Facebook all launched in suc- cessive years from 2002 to 2004, and the Internet was transformed from a largely unorganized col- lection of people, ideas and ar- ticles to an interrelated forum where these people, ideas and articles could all be linked to- gether. Coupled with the rise of per- sonal blogs, as well as websites such as Wikipedia and Youtube, the Internet entered its second era formally beginning after the dot-com bubble burst. The term Web 2.0 was coined, ushering in the era of the interconnected in- ternet. While both Friendster and MySpace rose and fell in popu- larity sequentially, Facebook has come to dominate the social networking scene, boasting over 200 million users——1argely due to a clean, uncluttered interface, the ability to easily share photos and comments and the recently added chat feature. One of Facebook’s marquee features is the ability to publish a ‘status’ for all friends to see. This status is a short message that appears at the top of a user’s page. What began as a question of “What are you doing?” now reads, “What’s on your mind?” Basically, the status is a 160- character micro-blog. While yes, I do use Facebook, and yes, I do occasionally pub- lish a status for my friends to see, I believe the Facebook status to be more trouble than it’s worth. Facebook’s strengths lie in its innovative photo tagging fea- ture as well as its ease in adding friends. Both of these features were marquees of the website ’when it first launched. Being able to connect with hundreds (and thousands, for some) of people while also being able to cull through years of online pho- tos lies within the heart of the F acebook’s convenience. HoweverubiquitousFacebook is among students, young adults, and recently—gasp—adults and professionals, its status feature invites a critical existential ex- amination. Can 160 characters, the same amount allowed in one text message, truly describe someone’s life? I find Facebook statuses to be uninteresting, often point- less, and somewhat disturbing. When I log on to F acebook, I don’t particularly care to know that a recent graduate of my high school is having a good enough time at college to warrant inces- santly quoting the Asher Roth hit “I Love College.” The essential issue with F ace- book statuses has carried over into the most recent, and possibly most pointless way people com- municate with the world—Twit- ter. And boy, do I hate Twitter. As Facebook came to surpass both Friendster and MySpace a seem, it is transforming the land- scape of both online social net- works and people’s daily com- munication techniques. Via text messages, instant messages, and other web-based applications ' (including, yes, Facebook) users publish mes- sages known as “tweets.” These tweets can even be messages per- sonalized to certain users via a reply command, signed by @ and followed by their usemame. The existential dilemma with- in Facebook’s status is the exact same within Twitter—only twen- While yes, I do use F acebook, and yes, I do occasionally publish a status for my friends to see, I believe the F acebook status to be more trouble than its worth. few years ago, Twitter intends to do the same to Facebook in the next few years. Launched in 2006, Twitter is essentially Facebook’s status fea- ture without Facebook’s photo publishing, friend adding, wall writing, applications, games, or any other features. However simple Twitter may ty characters shorter. With 140 characters at a tweeter’s disposal, Twitter reduces a user’s day-to- day to a few short sentences. Is this any way to live? I emphatically “NO!” While I do recognize that tweets are to be constantly updat- ed, as to only reduce an hour or declare, Dear Students, I didn’t know Jeanne Clery. der. No one knew. crimes are reported to the public. ton and Lee University. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. pus crime. tour guide will tell you about it. To The Editor: and Medicare recipients alike. real?” life and times? immLh& l\l{rl(:)1 ,, ‘R‘€ i‘r profile. My profile picture showed an 18 year-old me drunkenly dancing with a plastic panda. Fortunately, my interviewers ignored this interesting peek into my personal life and instead asked me about some of the quotes I had put in my profile and why I felt they were significant. Now, four years later, I have just started law school. In 1986 she was a 19 year-old freshman at Lehigh University who was raped and murdered while she was asleep in her campus residence hall. Neither Jeanne, nor her family, nor the Lehigh student body knew that 38 violent crimes had hap- pened on campus in the three years before her mur- Out of Jeanne’s death came the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. This ensures that all campus But no one is reporting sexual assault at Washing- None: that’s how many sexual assault cases have been reported to W&L Public Safety in 2007 and 2008 and were included in the Clery Report on cam- The previous issue of the Phi contained a fasci- nating article about one of the hallmarks of our gen- eration. A trend that started in academia, confined to college campuses, and then spread to grade-schooler It is a force so powerful that Time Magazine in- cluded it in its interestingly generic 2006 Person of the Year dedication to the “You” generation. Staff writer Gozi Egbuonu asked an important question in her profile on the social networking phe- nomenon Facebook. Egbuonu asked: “Is Facebook Does this cyberspace snapshot of your existence really have any correlation to who you really are in the temporal plane? Does this interwebs profile that flies through Senator Ted Steven’s electric tubes give citizens of far away nations a realistic portrait of your And, most importantly maybe, does it matter? I had a stark realization of how my Facebook per- sona may make me appear to others one day in Oc- tober of 2005. I was a sophomore at American Uni- versity in Washington, DC. I was interviewing for an internship at a prestigious DC think tank. The lead interviewer took out a thin manila folder and opened it. Inside I could see my application ma- terials, writing sample, resume, et cetera. Then she turned the pages over and I was horrified at what she had in her hand: a printed out copy of my Facebook so of each day to 140 characters, I refuse to be confined to such a limited paradigm. Despite my aversion to Twit- ter, it seems that it is here to stay. In fact, it is rapidly climb- ing the social networking ech- elon, intimidating Facebook with its stripped—down simplic- ity and minimalism. (Note that Facebook’s own simplicity and minimalism contributed to its rise over rivals Friendster and Myspace.) From February 2008 to 2009, Twitter’s user base grew over 1300 percent, whereas Face- book’s grew nearly 230 percent. While this may be attributed to Twitter’s novelty and innovation or simply the fact that Web 2.0ers tend to gravitate to the newest and hippest trends, it is nonethe- less a poignant fact. Just this week, Facebook rolled out two new features in response to Twitter’s rise. Face- book’s own @ command mirrors Twitter’s reply command (they both even use the @ symbol). Facebook also launched a new “lite” version of the site meant for emerging markets and those with slower Internet connections. Both social networks are im- mensely popular, and because of totheecitor A call to speak about assault Class urgues victims of sexual assault to finally speak up the interconnectivity bred out of Web 2.0, it seems that both are here to stay. If Friendster and MySpace are any example, each network has a niche it can thrive on. Friendster has the Asian market cornered, and MySpace is still tops for mu- sic. Despite my aversion to the Facebook status and Twitter as a whole, I remain yet another connected being—if only via Facebook. What exactly does this mean about the future of online social networking, and more broadly, communication as a whole? It seems that brief, bite-sized communication is the way of the future. This shift from face—to- face communication to quicker and more effective means is nothing new. Over the past hundred and fifty years, communication has evolved from telegrams to wired telephones to wireless telephones to cell phones to email and finally to online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. This transformation repre- sents a prime example of social Darwinism—adapt or die out. Remember sending letters through the mail? I don’t either. It happens. And we don’t talk about it. No reported cases._ We all know there were more. We all know a roommate, a friend or a classmate with a story. We have stories of our own. It’s time for W&L students to reclaim their voices. lt’s time for us to have a reporting system that works, that we understand, that we want to go to, that will stop this act of violence and truly be a part of a com- munity of honor and respect. The Student-Faculty Hearing Board review com- mittee will be having an open forum Wednesday at 7 pm. in Northen Auditorium. This is our chance to show what we want and what we need out of our university. I will be there. We will all be there. of sexual assault. If you were to apply to W&L today, you would not know that sexual assault is an issue on campus. It’s not in any college guide book and no admission’s Sincerely, Our strength is in our numbers. Our strength is in our voices. We are survivors. We will not rest until there is not one more case Stephanie Hardiman The Pink Team, WGS 296A Facebook does have impact Roddy Flynn reflects on F acebook’s effect on job market impression on some rather intimidating professors. complete fool). (Or short of quasi-good, just trying not to appear a Reading Egbuonu’s article, I paused to think about Facebook, the Internet and the kind of signals we, as ’ a generation, are sending out. Now more then ever, law students and undergradu- ates alike need to be very careful about the kind of information they put out for the world. As much fun as a funny picture of a keg stand; a snarky Tweet; or a glib, insulting blog post or news- paper article may be to hoist in front of our friends: maybe think twice before putting your images or writ- ings into a permanent, public and easily searchable archive of our communal thoughts. It is always fun to be a polemic, a’ clown or a fire- brand. (Or perhaps, at times, all three). But it is also important to be sure the self-portrait you are painting of yourself is not one that will embarrass you down employers. the line; maybe to your friends, classmates or future Such advice has always been well established, but it is far more important since the older generations have caught on to this new Internet fad. You may, months or years from now when look- ing for a summer associateship or internship, Google yourself and think, “Hmm, this doesn’t really repre- sent who I really am. These are just some meaningless tweets or posts on message boards.” But peers and employers do not care. They read what you write and take it at face value. The last thing The job market is horrific, l’m meeting a slough of new people, and I am trying to make a quasi-good any of us should want to appear to our comrades or bosses as is a fool. We could all stand to be more careful of what we commit to writing and place into the public forum. Because trust me: people are watching. Roddy Flynn ‘ 12L OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090928/WLURG39_RTP_20090928_004.2.txt 4 - THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 arts&life Dancing the night away for charity W&L is third dance-a-thon, “Dancing with the Stars, ” raises over $2, 000 for the March of Dimes and booksfor kids By Holly Suthers sm=r wrmsn So you think you can dance? How about for 10 hours straight? campus last week to participate in the event and to raise money supports the March of Dimes, which aims to improve the health CRISTINA BRATU / Staff Photographer Pi Beta Phi junlor Victoria Taylor does the macarena in support of her sorority, the March of Dimes and local literacy projects. Pi Beta Phi sorority and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity challenged the endurance of dancers Friday night at their 3rd Annual Dance- A-Thon in Elrod Commons. Members of these two Greek organizations sold tickets all over for the March of Dimes and local literacy efforts. Zaq Lawal and Samara Fran- cisco organized the event, and said that they surpassed their goal of raising $2,000 for these chari- ties. Half of the money raised of babies. In the past, the other half has gone to buying books for local elementary schools. To be the champion, one must dance all night long, and the last person dancing is the winner. As participants moved on the dance floor, different styles of dances came alive, while limbs became weak. “The only type of dancing not allowed is ‘no dancing,”’ said Lawal, Phi Beta Sigma presi- dent. All types of music were played throughout the night; however, the organizations de- cided to put a special emphasis on playing music from popu- lar movies, dubbing the night’s theme “Dancing with the Stars.” According to Lawal, more than 100 people came to the event, making it a huge success and the most profitable dance-a- thon yet. Junior Susan Taylor, who participated, said that the music made the night. “My favorite part was doing the macarena to a Lady GaGa song for entertainment,” said Taylor. First-place winner Sir—Koven Glover and second-place winner Sarah Kim both received a Fancy Dress ticket, a combined value of $120. The two danced from 8:00 Friday night to 5:30 Saturday morning. The idea of the dance-a-thon began in 2007 when the two groups wanted to do a fun, in- novative fundraiser together. This year the $20 ticket prices included a T-shirt and a pair of sunglasses. Raffle tickets for prizes do- nated from local vendors were Lend a hand, be a good “Nabor” Annual University day of service kicks of on Saturday By Stephanie Hardlman ARTS & LIFE EDITOR This weekend is the opportuni- ty to give back to the community students call home for four years. Each year, dozens of students spend a Saturday doing good for the Rockbridge area and keeping the memory of Jonathan Nabors ‘02 alive. Students can sign up individu- ally or in teams, and are assigned a service project for the day. “It’s a really great way to show that our campus is devoted to the community and that we're not trapped in this W&L bubble,” said Nabors Service League chair Samara Francisco. “Rockbridge County is a place we consider our home, too.” Nabors Service League mem- bers spent last week in Elrod Commons encouraging students to sign up for the event or even take the initiative to become a team leader and recruit students themselves. Francisco, a senior, said this year’s projects include clearing trails at Boxerwood Gardens, re- shelving books at the local library, picking trash and debris at Panther Falls and painting-related projects throughout the county. Team leader Christina Torres, a junior, decided to field a team of Heinz Scholars, high-achiev- ing minority students who receive scholarships to rise above difficult financial circumstances. Torres and her five teammates are committed to completing two group community service activi- ties as part of their relationship with Heinz. “We've been given a great opportunity and we need to give back in some way,” Torres said. About 135 students are signed up now, Francisco said, and she hopes more will choose to join the cause this week. Many fraterni- ties, sororities, athletic teams and organizations have already orga- nized volunteer teams. Nabors Service League was formed by the friends of Jonathan Nabors in 1999. Nabors, a fresh- man, and his sister were driving back to Lexington from their home in Birmingham, Ala., after winter break when they were killed in a car accident on I-81. Nabors Service Day began that year in his memory and, with the help of his friends, became a stu- dent volunteer organization that works year-round to provide vol- unteers. “Sometimes you just have to meet the person to understand how exceptional he or she is,” Nabors Service League organiz- er Clairbome Taylor ’O2 wrote upon the founding of the group. “Jonathan’s love for this Univer- sity and the Lexington community was evident in the way he carried himself. His presence truly bright- ened a room and brought smiles to people’s faces.” Nabors’s parents return to Lex- ington each year for the day of service and are still active in the University community. “lt’s how the family has been able to deal with their son's . ath and still have a relationship with the school,” Francisco said. “And it reminds the University of the greater point of the organization.” Saturday at l p.m., the par- ticipants will gather on Cannan Green to hear the Nabors family speak. After departing for their individual projects, teams will work until about 5 p.m and return to campus for a picnic dinner and reflection on the day. The next Nabors Service League event will be a Hallow- een carnival on Oct. 29 that is co-sponsored with the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. It will include pumpkin and face paint- ing, games and candy for local children. Those interested in participat- ing in Nabors Service Day can register online at http://go.wlu. edu/nabors or contact Samara Francisco. Students cut the rug late into the night in the Elrod Commons living room. also sold. Lawal said he hopes, in the future, for increased participa- tion so it is even more fun. He foresees more raffle prizes and a larger location, such as the gym or the pavilion. Lawal said that the best part of organizing this fundraiser was “seeing all the planning and hard work come to fruition and know- ing that people are having a great time and enjoying themselves.” Crossword of the Week Hall in the Family by Neville L. Fogarty For the solution to this puzzle, visit phicrosswords.tumblr.com. I 2 2» 4 5 6 7 8 9 I0 I l ll 15 1 They're run or swum l4 l5 no 5 "This is ___l'' 17 [8 W 11 Reggae relative 14 Role for Ronny Howard 20 23 15 Roles for Hitchcock 26 16 "___ the land of the free ..." 17 Fishy feature 18 Groups at war 19 "Law & Order" setting, briefly 20 He served as a country's only president 23 Big diamond? 4“ ‘*7 “*8 5‘ 24 Melania Trump ~_ Knauss 54 55 25 "Fiddler on the Roof‘ role 59 60 M 62 27 Badge sort - 29 Wearing M 65 66 33 Lump, as of mashed potatoes 67 68 69 34 Problem during online gaming ,0 71 72 36 Type of fail 38 Mandela‘ Org’ _ 71 They're on the run 31 Financing abbr. 39 She penned’ "AS He €113?‘ to 72 Spring purchase 32 "Sand in My Shoes" singer make men holy, let us die to , _ make men free” DOWN 35 Resident of 61 —Down 43 Unruly head of hair 1 Deadlock 'I:0IlJe:OrRSC:l:t'r1l32I:O1l" Sin 44 Salmons look 2 Per person 40 Stol: the otli mo gar‘ 45 Sculls” need 3 Shoplift Perhaps 41 Third oeniii 9 g ' -~ - 46 Beer whose Red Triangle was ’ ‘ ‘ ry Chmefie dynasty Britain's first trademark : S——f— cemerelrir 42 Can You dig it? 48 Former "The View" chatter 3' yis "-- “tics” 43 Seeend degree? Lisa 6 3.26 light-years 47 short time 50 More than one 35-Down 7 IVS needed t0 felead 49 Worker with an apron 54 Pays to play 8 Pull (in) 51 1943 film "__ Come Home" 56 Bowl sound 9 Pige"""’ 52 __1'oeil 58 "We __ Family" 10 Analyze 53 Had a hunch .59 His 42 was retired across the 11 g(_>I1;]Gfeefl $010110 Ba1Tym0Tei 55 "The Old Man and the Sea" MLB in 1997 He 3’ boat 64 Tapping target 12 "Always Smomhs eVen When 57 1989 underwater flick, with 65 Boneheadedness you're not" beer "The" 56 Schgolg of thought 13 Story _.__ 60 Taylor Hicks, to "The Soul 67 Had a beef? 21 Ca“ f0’ P““°1" 68 Strengths 22 __ out 61 Land of 50-Across 69 "Clue" accessory 26 1970 Jackson Five hit 62 Memorization method 70 Abbn in many Company names 28 Down with the flu 63 Cheese _ ‘ 30 Live's partner 64 ___—El (Superman's birthname) OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090928/WLURG39_RTP_20090928_005.2.txt MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 THE RING-TUM PHI ' 5 sports Generals give fall preview in lax classic The Washington and L_ee Men is Lacrosse team will compete against VMI in the 23rd Annual Lee—Jackson Lacrosse Classic . By Brooke Sutherland SPORTS EDITOR The Generals’ lacrosse sticks have been patiently waiting out the summer in closets and gym bags. But now it’s time for fall ball and those sticks, eager for the taste of new turf and the jolt of a well-placed check, are ready to prove they’re worth their aluminum. The. Washington and Lee men’s la- _crosse team will compete against the Virginia Military Institute in the 23rd Annual Lee-Jackson Lacrosse Classic this Friday at 7:30 pm. on Wilson Field. The game will mark the first contest 0 for the Generals since their loss to Get- tysburg in the NCAA tournament last spring put an end to their l6-4 season. The storied match—up against Division I VMI has traditionally been held in the spring, but three years ago, organizers moved the event to the fall. “It’s very difficult to find time to schedule a game like this in the spring,” said W&L head coach Gene McCabe. “Now it can be a stand-alone event. We can really build it up in the community and have a nice long—standing rivalry.” Admission to the game is free, but " the schools will be hosting a 50-50 raffle with all proceeds going directly to sup- port youth lacrosse in the area. “It’s just a great thing to have for the community,” McCabe said. “It’s a great way to give back to the city of Lexing- ton.” And it’s a way of giving back that the players enjoy. “I interned this summer for a camp in the area and I had an awesome time,” said senior captain defender Tyler Smith. “I was coaching kids from the Lexing- ton and Roanoke area so I probably met a lot of these kids. It’s definitely some- thing that’s important for us.” As far as a long-standing rivalry goes, it may not be much of a contest. In the 23 years that the Classic has been held, the Generals have lost only twice to the Cadets. Last year, W&L took home the Classic with a 14-8 victory. “We always enjoy playing [VMI] a lot,” Smith said. “It’s cool to be compet- itive with a Division I team. But I think fall practices have been going well and we’re all pretty confident about it. I just hope we play our best and then I think we’ll win.” But while the Cadets may not be the a Generals’ biggest foe of the year, the game will be a strong preview of what Generals’ fans can expect come. spring. Smith, named to the All-ODAC Con- ference team last year, will be back on defense. Fellow captain senior attack Will Keigler will be looking to continue to build the scoring record that earned him All-American Honorable Mention last year and the proud title of sixth- ' leading scorer in the nation. Senior mid- fielder Kevin Feeney, who contributed 14 goals and two assists last year, will also be returning for the Generals. But the game is also an exhibition for the new faces hoping to join the Gener- als in the spring. “We don’t use this game to decide who’s on the team,” McCabe said. “But Women’ssoccer falls to No:11 ranked foe anyone who ’s on our roster for this game has a really good chance.” The game takes" place over VMI’s homecoming weekend, but McCabe said he hoped the W&L crowd would be the one who screamed the loudest. “VMI is bound to have a great crowd so we need as many students and faculty and staff as we can,” he said. “It would be great to have a great W&L crowd there to lead us to victory over VMI.” The Lady Generals defeated Hollins University, but fell to Messiah College over the weekend to drop to 5-] By Llzz Dye smrr warren The Washington and Lee women’s soccer team lost its perfect record, go- ing 1-1 for the week with a 6-0 victory over Hollins University and a 5-0 loss to No. 1 Messiah College. Ranked third in the 2009 ODAC preseason poll, the Generals are now 5-1 and 2-0 in ODAC conference play. In the Wednesday match-up against Hollins, junior Laura Yungmeyer scored the first and only first-half goal in the 34th minute off an assist from sopho- more Allie Espina. The Generals picked it up the second half and put five goals in the net. Senior midfielder Roz Klann scored in the 52nd minute off an assist from sophomore forward Kat Barnes. Barnes contributed a goal of her own in the 56th minute off an assist" from midfielder Hannah Sackfield. Senior midfielder Maggie Sutherland scored the fourth goal for the Generals in the 62nd minute off another assist from Sackfield. First- year midfielder Ainsley Daigle contin- ued her strong play for the Generals and closed out the game with two more goals. The first came off a comer kick in the 78th minute and the second was an unassisted goal in the 88th minute. Sophomore goalie Emily Leary played all 90 minutes with two saves. The Generals knew the Saturday match-up against Messiah would be a challenge. Unfortunately, the Generals were unable to pull out a win. The 5-0 loss was a hard blow to the team, but the players said it was definitely a good experience to play against the 2008 Na- tional Champions. “We played well for the first half, but let off for 20 minutes in the second, 79 and that’s when they scored their goals, said sophomore forward Anne Masich. “We beat Hollins, but we have been playing very inconsistently this week,” added sophomore defender Corinne. Smith. “We need to be strong all 90 minutes of the game in order to continue to win. We’ve got to take a deep breath and refocus to beat our tough opponents coming up.” . The Generals will need to put in some extra work before they take on the tough opponents coming up on their schedule. The Generals face No. 1 ranked and 2007-2008 ODAC champions Lynch- burg College on October 10. ' “We need to defend as a team and capitalize on the opportunities that we get when we play them because they are a really good team,” Smith said. The Generals will look to work on building up their game in their next match-up at Roanoke College on Wednesday. Making it through prison in the NFL Columnist Lee T ackett compares the situations of NFL stars Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress By Lee Tackett sun COLUMNIST Two NFL stars have seen their lives head in different directions over the past two years. Poised to suit up for his first regular season game since serving time in prison for dog fighting, Michael Vick seems to have turned his life around. But while Vick gets set to run through the tunnel when his new team, the Phil- . adelphia Eagles, square off against the Kansas City Chiefs, Plaxico Burress will be sitting in a cell in the maximum security prison of Rikers Island, outside of New York City. Admittedly, Burress made a mistake by carrying a gun with him the night he accidentally shot himself in the leg. Burress was rushed to the hospital, and made a full recovery from the injuries, but turned himself in to authorities the following week. A warrant was issued for his arrest, not because the hospital reported the shooting to the authorities, but because the police department saw the television coverage of the incident. The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, urged for Burress to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and Burress quickly found himself in a difficult situation. ' Throughout his career, Burress has never been exempt from criticism for his off-field actions. He has two restraining orders issued against him for domestic disturbances, both of which were even- tually dropped. For most, Burress’s re- cent actions were seen as a clear lapse in judgment, but not necessarily a truly criminal act. But today, Burress finds himself in a cell next to some of the hard- est criminals in New York City. Murder- ers and drug dealers next to someone who accidentally shot himself in the leg doesn’t quite seem right. Burress wasn’t a weapon-toting thug, but simply part of a culture that sees many athletes carry guns for “protection,” even if they rarely think of using them. Burress’s status as an NFL star clear- ly worked against him in this case. The New York City judicial,system made an example of Burress by sentencing him to two years in prison. Burress has made the most of his difficult situation, how- ever. He hasn’t been making any excus- es for his actions and has accepted his punishment as best he can. Michael Vick’s career has taken a much better turn than Burress’s. Vick will be on an NFL depth chart for the first time in two years this Sunday. Vick had obvious issues before his prison sentence. He was around the wrong type of people, making the wrong type of de- cisions at the height of his career. Vick filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy while in prison. He had irresponsibly squandered the massive sums of the money he made through his contracts and endorsements and was left with virtually nothing. The Eagles took a decided risk in signing Vick, facing criticism from multiple ani- mal rights organizations. But the Eagles believe that Vick has turned a corner in his life and greatly increased his level of maturity. While Vick may never be the star that he was in Atlanta, his redemption proj- ect can serve as motivation for Burress. Maybe he, too, will make it through his prison term and one day return to the NFL. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20090928/WLURG39_RTP_20090928_006.2.txt MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28,2009 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 6 sports deck Mon Tues WED Tiiuns Fm SAr SUN a Randolph Football Macon ‘_ 1 mm. * at M Field "5 3" Hockey Limestone: W=Sh'"E‘°" 6:30 p.m. 2 P-01- vs . M , Gullford 3‘ sozgesr 4 p_m_ Randolph 7 p.m. it at Randolph Vs- \lVomen’s ’ soccer Roanoke Macon Randolph 7 p.m. 12 pm. 2 mm- at . _ at R Emory & Randolph Merv V I I: ii i o lay a flenfy 6:30 p:m_ Washington 7 p.m. 1 P-"L -W‘ Mason- Men's xc ' Invlte TBA at Women's Royals xc Invlte 10 a.m. 5! Ill at ITA Monrs Atlantic Atlantic Tennis South south Regional Regional Women's Tennis numbers 19 The length of the second-longest losing streak in the NFL. The Detroit Lions succeeded in keeping the streak at 19 with their Sunday win over the Washington Redskins, 19-14. 10 The most recent ranking for the University of Cincinnati in the AP Top 25 poll. The Bearcats defeated Fresno State 28-20 on Saturday. The ranking is the highest in program history. 11 The number of plays Michael Vick saw in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 34- 14 win over the Kansas City chiefson Sunday. The game was Vick’s first regular season appearance since December 2006. Vick signed with the Eagles this fall after serving 18 months in federal prison on a dog fighting conviction. 3 The number of consecutive overtime games played by the Washington and Lee men's soccer team. The Generals fell to Lynchburg on Saturday, 3-2 box “Not really. I will talk to the guys about never venting or talking about team business on Twitter. That's usually what creates problems. [But] Twit- ter is just another form of media. What you say on Twitter is like saying it on ESPN.” Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on whether his team will Impose twitter restrictions on its players. Cuban received the NBA’s flrst-ever flne for comments he made via his Twitter account, when Cuban was docked $25,000 last March after complaining about the referees’ refusal to call Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith for a technical foul following a clash between Smith and then-Mavericks guard Antoine Wright. The NBA is expected to announce new quidellnes this. week regarding the use of twitter and other social networking sites by players, coaches, and team offlclals Courtesy of espn.com. . STEELE BURROW / Staff Photographer Top: Senior forward Steph Mansey fights for the ball against Randolph-Macon Bottom left: Senior captain forward Sallie Armstrong takes a swing at the ball as fellow senior captain midfielder Grace McGee looks on Bottom middle: Mansey looks for the ball as a she streaks past a Randolph-Macon defender Bottom right: Junior defender Kelly Tran keeps the ball out of the Generals’ goal Field hockey redeems slow start Generals improve to 3-4 with wins over conference foes By Stephen Peck STAFF WRITER The Washington and Lee field hockey team struggled to a 1-3 start, due in part to some tough out-of-conference scheduling. But “struggled” is not the way to describe the Generals’ effort last week. W&L (3- 4, 2-1 ODAC) silenced a lot of doubters with their performance against Lynchburg, Randolph-Macon and Sweet Briar. The Generals lost to Lynchburg, 3-2,'but rallied to defeat both Randolph-Macon, 4-1, and Sweet Briar, 5-2. W&L played host_ to Lynchburg on Wednesday and rose to the occasion, just three days after a heartbreaking 3-2 over- time loss to Catholic University. Lynchburg arrived at the field boasting a 5-2 record, a four game winning streak versus W&L, a No. 14 national ranking, and two attackers (Jordan Warrington and Allie Weir) with 49 points scored between them. The ladies in blue could have easily packed their things and handed this game to the Hornets. But the Generals went toe- to-toe with their bitter rival. Senior goalkeeper Caroline Habliston V kept the game scoreless with some few key saves. Finally, with less than two min- utes left in the half, W&L caught a break. Sophomore attacker Annie Stevenson opened the scoring and shocked Lynchburg with a goal from right in front of the cage. First-year Chelsea Stevenson provided the assist. The Stevenson connection gave the Generals some momentum and much- needed confidence going into halftime with a 1-0 lead. But the Hornets came out buzzing to start the second period and simply dom- ' inated play for the first five minutes. The Hornets tied the score quickly with an unassisted goal by Kristina Morris. W&L called a timeout shortly after, and answered the call once again to take the lead 2-1. Sophomore Lindsey Edmonds netted the goal this time on a beautiful hustle play and cross-field pass from Stevenson. \ The first-year dynamo energized the team once again, and W&L tried to hang on for the win. With four minutes left in the game, however, Lynchburg broke the hearts of the Generals. War- rington and Weir each scored goals with four minutes and two minutes left in the game respectively. Their goals secured a come-from-behind 3-2 victory for Lynchburg. In a game where so many things went right for the Generals, they were outplayed only two minutes late in the game, and it cost them. “It was simply mental errors, and men- tal errors lead to physical errors,” said head coach Wendy Orrison about the end of the game. The Generals took to the field again two days later for another conference match-up against Randolph-Macon. Senior captain Sallie Armstrong opened the scoring just 30 seconds into the game and Alex Caritis added two more goals to close out the half. Ran.- dolph-Macon got onto the score sheet with a penalty stroke in the second half, but first-year Ann Burton Gerhardt dashed any comeback hopes with an un- assisted goal. The goal put the Generals ahead for a 4-1 victory. ‘‘I am very pleased,” Orrison said. “They had every right to be tired and they weren’t. We had great team speed”. The team then traveled to Sweet Briar on Saturday and came back home with another big win under their belts with a 5-2 victory over Sweet Briar. After a scoreless first half, the Gen- erals’ exploded with five goals scored by senior Steph Mansey (2), sophomore Christina Benedetti, junior Jennie Nor- cini and first-year Katharine Price. “We are getting a significant fresh- man contribution,” Orrison said of the first-years’ impact. “They are giving us some big minutes.” . The Generals’ next game is a home match-up against Limestone on Friday. Come out and support the team, and per- haps witness history as Armstrong looks to pass the school record with one more goal. V