OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20091109/WLURG39_RTP_20091109_001.2.txt New taste for downtown Lex Brix, a tapas restaurant with family style dishes, opens on Washington Street ARTS & LIFE / page 4 ’ W10 AND LEE UNIVERSITY ’ THE RING-TUM PHI. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2009 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE VOLUME CXIII, NUMBER 7 1897 Blair on ethics Former journalist who fabricated and plagiarized speaks at Ethics Institute, takes the blame for choices and says his wrongdoings started with “baby steps ” By Diandra Splcak NEWS EDITOR When the idea that former reporter for the New York Times, Jayson Blair, would speak at Washington and Lee’s 48th Journalism Ethics Institute cir- culated the nation, many expressed surprise and shock. One blogger went as far as to suggest that employers should not hire W&L journalism graduates. Blair, accused of fabrica- tion and plagiarism while working at the NY Times, delivered his keynote speech to a packed Stackhouse The- ater Friday evening. In a red sweater and khakis, he proposed that students would learn more about ethics from wrongdoing rather than focusing on the best practice. “One of the major problems with the instruction of ethics is that the focus is often more greatly on the best practices when we can learn the most from the worst practices, which set firm boundaries and teach us how good people end up doing bad things,” 33-year-old Blair said. “If we merely believe that only bad people do bad things, then you good people have no reason to learn ethics at all for you are destined to do good, no matter what happens.” According to journalism ethics professor Edward Wasserman, invit- ing Blair to speak at the institute was a departure from the former “heroic” keynoters. In his introduction, Was- serman explained why he thought bringing Blair would help expand the understanding of ethics on campus and in the real world. “I want to talk about this invitation on two levels. First as a journalist — I’m in the business of helping train the next generation of journalists,” ' Wasserman said. “And as journalists their solemn calling will be to engage with and confront the people who are at the center of the major events of their time - not via e-mail, but up close. Our speaker tonight is one such person. That’s not to compliment him, that’s to state a fact. So he’s exactly smart, idealistic people to transgress, to forgo fundamental principles, to do things that are personally and institutionally destructive.” But despite his interest in Blair’s personal journey, Wasserman stressed that he was not interested in publicly praising or denouncing Blair. Wasserman provided background on Blair’s story. Blair was a 27- on how to avoid the rocky roads that lead to ethical transgressions.” Blair focused on the idea that his ethical choices brought him to his current place while bringing up the accusations that have faced him in the aftermath of his transgressions. “I’m at peace with the knowledge that there is no one or nothing to blame for my troubles but myself,” he “I ’m at peace with the knowledge thatthere is no one or nothing to blame for my troubles but myself I am here because of choices 1 made. ” JAYSON BLAIR, former New York Times reporter year-old reporter for the Times in 2003, when “it was disclosed in a sensational front page story, that he had, quote, ‘committed frequent acts of journalistic fraud while covering significant news events in recent months. The widespread fabrication and plagiarism represent a profound betrayal of trust and a low point in the 152-year history of the newspaper.’” Blair was accused of fabricating comments, concocting scenes, plagia- rizing information from other news- papers and creating the impression that he had “been somewhere or seen someone when he had not.” Accord- ing to an article in the Times, 36 of 73 of his articles over a seven-month period “had substantial problems.” Blair wrote a book about his experiences in 2004 but since then, he has rarely spoken publicly about the event. “When I was first approached about speaking at Washington and Lee, I was hesitant about reopening an old wound of mine and of the journalism profession,” Blair said. “But I was convinced that there were more lessons to be learned from my experience. I believe it is my duty, de- spite my new focus on psychological coaching and mental health causes, to do what I can to aid journalism students by providing them guidance said. “I’ve been accused of attempting to deflect blame for fabrication and plagiarism on the New York Times, the profession of journalism, illness, substances, race and an allotment of other people, places and things. Those accusations of blame are as big an untruth as the lies I told. I am here because of choices I made.” According to Blair, ethical deci- sions do not present themselves in one big event, but rather happen over a span of time. “Rarely are our choices in life presented as a major dramatic ques- tion. If they were, it would be easy,” he said. “Our most important choices in life, including ethical ones, present themselves in small baby steps, one step at a time, in minor choices... One day, you can turn around and find yourself close or across a line that you never thought you’d go anywhere near.” » As a journalist, Blair had a clear outlook as to why he got into the profession. “I entered the profession to help people and then became convinced that to help the most people, I had to have the greatest impact on their lives. And to have the greatest impact, I needed to work at one of the best newspapers,” he said. “Somewhere along the way, on my way of climb- After the fa I I: Jayson ing upwards, I lost sight of the very reason I entered journalism.” He claimed that his goal of climb- ing high at the Times and continually pleasing his editors slowly led him to the wrongs that he committed. “No one came to my door and asked whether I wanted to shoot journalism. It was not so simple.” His choices, he said, came about through a number of “confounding factors,” including a newsroom that had a greater emphasis on speed and impact and battle fatigue resulting from the September llth attacks as well as his own personal struggles with mental illness and substance abuse. “But suffice to say, that my re- covery from alcohol and drug abuse, while life changing in a positive way, was the harbinger leading the way for the intensified presentation of t . mental health symptoms that added fuel to a fire that was initially ignited by my character flaws, allowing it to burn brighter and perhaps longer,” Blair said. Blair attended the University of ' Maryland, majored in journalism and headed the student newspaper, the Diamondback, as editor-in-chief dur- ing the 1996 ~ 1997 academic year. Blair interned with the Times in 1998, and eventually took a full-time report- ing position until his resignation after his ethical setbacks. For the past two years, he has taken a job as a certified life coach at an agency. He specializes in attention deficit disorder (ADD), pervasive developmental disorders, mood disorders and substance abuse disorders. The W&L Journalism Ethics Insti- tute is held twice a year and brings top media professionals and academics to campus. For two days, these profes- sionals and academics hold seminars with students from the University’s capstone journalism ethics class. The sessions deal with case studies of ethical dilemmas presented by the practicing journalists. Cadet dies march. 7 l.‘By.AlIis¢ni_chgpIn‘l: , -stitute died Saturday atter a training.e*vent Q * lapsetfiu his room irrthe barracl§s"folIowing..g in; I mile road. march with the Rat Class on Sattittiiay. memberojf the 'Marine ROTC program, I M_ANAeu~ie*Eu’iroa I I A are inghis aistmatviiaaaM:1;ea.i ‘John .A.1exaLn.d.er of. High1an;d,, Me‘. He was _pronouncsd deadihy: Stonewall; Jackson Hospital shortly after ‘noon. He was 19. The cause of death has notyet been de mined and awaitsthe word ofamedieal examin, , ingto afreleasefrorri VMI. V I 7." ~ I _ ; L. —» E , Students atwashington and Lee whoaretclosei ,3 to cadets at VMI said that the 1,0-mileioadp marches invo1ve.runniag and3’ogging,ebuteadets1¢an choosej ‘ to Walkrather thariiiinlif they need m;e's:.»; . . I " 1" Evans was an Iritem'ational"Studiles ua;m~ana,.,a ‘V Next ;week’s Phi will include amore detaiied 7 account of this tragic story. . I if Professors publish new books Law lecturer and journalism professor write books on death penalty and the history of southern journalism . the kind of person my kids should be prepared to engage and confiont. Sec- ondly, as an academic who specializes in professional ethics, I want to know as much as I can about what drives O. By Allison Chopln MANAGING EDITOR Two Washington and Lee pro- fessors have recently published new books, according to press releases from the university. Todd C. Peppers, law profes- sor, and co-author Laura Ander- son are the authors of “Anatomy of an Execution.” In this book they tell the story of Chris Thomas, who was ex- ecuted in Virginia in 2000 for the crime of a double murder he committed at age 17. He was 26 when he was put to death. Thomas was one of the last in the United States to be executed for a juve- nile offense before the Supreme Court ruled against the execution of juveniles. Anderson taught Thomas in high school and witnessed his execution after serving as his spiritual advisor after the murders, and Peppers became interested in Thomas’s story when he heard Anderson speak in a seminar about the death penalty, according to the press release. The two decided to write about Anderson’s personal experience the tragedy and what could have prevented it. In exploring the death penalty, “Anatomy of an Execution” looks at various issues, from the fair- ness of appellate review in such (I ers in it that let down Chris Thomas. ’ t wasn ’t only the system and the play- ) SISTER HELEN PREJEAN, writer and death penalty opponent and Thomas’s life while also ad- dressing the death penalty. The authors examined the trial and the details of the murder, but they also talked to family members and friends to learn what led to a dramatic case to the quality of life for death row inmates. Sister Helen Prejean, an oppo- nent of the death penalty who was written on the subject, applauds the book for its illumination of a tragedy. “It wasn’t only the system and the players in it that let down Chris Thomas, the book also dem- onstrates that again and again the adults who might have prevented the tragedy of the murders and the execution leave this young boy to grieve alone and find his own way in a world he doesn’t know or understand,” she said, according to the Web site for Northeastern University Press. “Anatomy of an Execution: The Life and Death of Douglas Christopher Thomas” is currently available from Northeastern Uni- versity Press. Journalism professor Doug Cumming’s new book looks at the history of American journalists and writers who started writing in the South, suggesting that writ- ing in the South developed from unique motivations. Called “The Southern Press: Literary Legacies and the Chal- lenge of Modernity,” his book claims that journalists in the South were motivated to find an outlet for literature rather than simply serve the public with informa- tion. Cumming argues that the types of communities in the South led to this unique perspective of south- ern writers. In the larger cities of the North, in contrast, the growth of industries and packed popula- tions created the demand for the expose and objective styles of journalism. Without these pressures, the roots of writing in the South were allowed to be more creative, I Cumming claims. Journalists got into the business so they could ex- periment with the craft of writing. “I think every Southern journalist secretly wanted to write a novel eventually,” Cumming said in the press release. Southern editors also took a gentler approach to addressing the hard issues such as the civil rights movement. Published in July, “The South- ern Press” is available from Northwestern University Press. It is part of the “Visions of the American Press” book series, launched by the Medill journalism school at Northwestern. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20091109/WLURG39_RTP_20091109_002.2.txt INI LI .3 N0lI10.Z‘ 2 - THE RING-TUM PHI opinions ' . "rt. ‘IV/\SI*lIiIi'jl'ON 5} LEli UIWERSITY LEXINGTON, VA 24450 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2009 Why November is better than your favorite month No Shave November is month-long exaltation of manliness is here. How are your whiskers celebrating? By Jonathan Salm COLU M N I st November is the greatest month of the year. While some readers may try to argue with this statement, November’s inherent superiority is in fact an objective truth — and I am here to prove it. Of course, November con- sists of many great days, includ- ing Thanksgiving, Veteran’s Day and, uhhh, Thanksgiving, but individual days cannot claim responsibility for November’s greatness. Each day lasts a pal- try tvventy—four hours, whereas the reason for November’s fame is a month-long celebration of manliness, masculinity and ma- chismo. That’s right, folks, I’m talk- ing about beards. Welcome to No Shave No- vember 2009, a test of masculine prowess and heroic will. Girls, the elderly and the pre-pubescent need not apply. For the rest of us, however, the time is upon us to put down the razor and let our facial hair grow. Maybe we’ll grow some dig- nity, maybe some shame and maybe all (or at least most) op- portunity of getting laid. There’s a reason the month is altema- tively referred to as No Sex No- vember. But before you write off this quest, grab the razor and head for the sink, let’s consider fa- mous bearded men and what their beards did for them. First, religious figures: Jesus, Moses, Muhammad and the big man himself — God. Not a bad grouping, considering these guys represent over half of the world’s religious population. Mythological figures: Odin, Thor and Zeus. If you learn one thing about either the Norse or tolheetilior Greek Gods, know that they nev- er had problems with the ladies. The world’s greatest think- ers, artists and revolutionaries Welcome to No Shave November 2009, a test of masculine prowess and heroic will... the time is upon us to put down the razor and let our facial hair grow. Philosophers: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. They laid the intel- lectual foundations for all west- ern culture — no big deal. Scientists and thinkers: da Vinci, Darwin and Freud. These guys are scary smart, enough said. And that’s not to mention musicians, artists, actors and the like. all share beards. Who wouldn’t want to emulate them? How about an in-depth case study of two such powerful beards: those of famed and re- cently deceased pitchman Billy Mays and of cult figure and professional badass Chuck Nor- ris? These men undoubtedly fit in among the world’s “greatest thinkers, artists and revolution- aries.” Billy’s passionate pitches and Chuck’s unmatched mascu- linity don’t exist because of spe- cialized training or innate skill. No, they exist because of these men’s great beards. Glorious, full and striking beards. If not shav- ing throughout November makes me half the man, nay, a twelfth the man of either of these great men, then I will be satisfied. This month-long quest may seem overly quixotic to some and downright stupid to others, but it is the truest test of one’s self-control, willpower and honor, even if it means putting up with unsightly facial hair for thirty days. Mostly, however, I would like to stress honor, which is particu- larly apposite considering the school we attend. If anyone is an authority on honor, it is the revo- lutionary who transformed our institution - Robert E. Lee, who, yes, rocked a beard. The evidence seems to be overwhelming: beards are great, the growing of one is great, thus No Shave November must be the greatest month. To those dedicated enough to undertake this great venture: Godspeed, and good luck. Should we censor sexual assault or encourage discussion‘? There are various coping methods, but victims of sexual assault shouldn ’t fear speaking up at W&L Sexual assault is a much larger problem at Washington and Lee than it is on most college cam- puses. END IT is a movement that seeks to end sexual assault at W&L no later than 2030. Thus far, the publication of survivor stories has been a very important part of our attempt to remove the shroud that has tradi- tionally silenced this issue. Not all survivors of sexual as- sault deal with their experiences the same way and in fact, there is a huge range of reactions. This makes it difficult for END IT to effectively confront the sensitive issue of sexual assault without making some individu- als (whether affected by sexual assault or not) uncomfortable. While some survivors choose to deal with their experiences through official reporting and professional counseling, others choose only to confide in their ~—-—»~—— WASIIINGTOII men LEE Umvsksmr ----——-—-— THE RING-TUM PHI. MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITORS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGN EDITOR BUSINESS MANAGERS DISTRIBUTION STAFF ALLISON CHOPIN DIANDRA SPICAK STOCKTON BULLITT STEPHANIE HARDIMAN BROOKE SUTHERLAND SAMUEL GILLERAN LEVI THROCKMORTON KATIE BOE ANDREW BONDS LIZZ DYE NEVILLE FOGARTY STEPHEN PECK MELISSA POWELL JONATHAN SALM BRIELLE WEINSTEIN KATIE HATFIELD ROB GEORGE STROCK MOORE MATT GOSSETT SHAMIRA IBRAHIM TRANG NGUYEN VALAREE TANG ROBERT UHLMAN 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. THE RING-TUM PHI IS PUBLISHED MONDAYS DURING THE UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL YEAR. THE RING-TUM PHI /5 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. 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 ADVERT/SING DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINION OF 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: PHI@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 Lclosest friends. Furthermore, there are some who choose not However, the perspective of survivors this: you are not alone. those who choose to tell their And second, to make the num- We believe that sharing sto- ries has the power to both help survivors and change the Until now, it has been taboo to admit to being sexually assaulted. END I T would like to encourage and empower survivors who wish to share their stories and their personal struggles with us, their friends, a coun- selor, etc. to talk about it to anyone. Individuals who have chosen to deal with their experience in more private ways, or individuals who do not believe the realities of sexual assault, may feel un- comfortable when reading the publicized accounts of survivors in bathroom stalls and in previous Phi articles. These public accounts force many survivors (in- cluding members of END IT) to revisit a traumatizing incident and it is admittedly hard and painful to read and reread the stories. stories should be considered as well. Although sharing an account of sexual assault is a difficult task, it is also a huge step in the healing process for many indi- viduals. Doing so anonymously also removes the stigma from these survivors and allows them to overtly challenge the status quo. Many people on campus read posters with our sexual assault and rape statistics and openly say that they do not believe the numbers are accurate. The aim of the stories is therefore twofold. First to tell bers real in such a way that peo- ple can no longer ignore them or say that they are untrue. END IT respects the various coping strategies of all survivors. Nevertheless, sexual assault is not just a personal problem; it is also a social dilemma. It is helpful to address it in a public forum. If END IT were to stop distributing accounts of sexual misconduct, it may calm the symptoms of individual sur- vivors but would fail to address the campus-wide problems of disbelief and an unwillingness to help. campus culture. Until now, it has been ta- boo to admit to having been sexually assaulted. END IT would like to encourage and empower survivors who wish to share their stories and their personal struggles with us, their friends, a counselor, etc. Our goal is to have all members of the campus com- munity join the dialogue. We look forward to hearing your questions, comments, and sto- ries. Email us at endit@wlu.edu. END IT. WGS Megan Steinhardt, 296A 1 embers as well. 3 K 142 ,W&L.s,tudents and oomrnurii_tyA;‘ A = DaIi§iCasey,’oo1umnist for} the Q. ’R.oanoke, Times, xnade I, :_ parisons to,‘irivitinggBl1iot. ; ,Spi,tzer to‘-speaki at a.;:confer~j[ Lance bit marriage fidelity: Teri .2 'i.