OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_001.2.txt - THE RING-TUM PHI. l (7-;T A A4 ..-".;:iL:%.m‘.s.I‘ Geton the offense, Dems Democrats need to work forwhatltheyi want, says columnist Summer Lollie. I OPINIONS / page 4. WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE 1897 VOLUME CXIII, NUMBER 12 The facts about drugs Even light use can affect the brain, says expert By Eric Gehman STAFF WRITER Dr. Scott Swartzwelder, Professor of Psychology at Duke University, visited Washington and Lee last week to share the findings of his extensive research on recreational drug abuse in Stackhouse Theater last Thursday night. His presentation, sponsored by LIFE, the IFC, the Panhellenic Council and the Office of Health Promotion, focused on the long-term effects of alco- hol on both the adolescent and adult brain. He then opened the floor to abroader discussion about differ- ent drugs like ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana. Dr. Swartzwelder discussed at length his research about how the adolescent brain, which can continue developing through the age of 24, is far more sensi- tive to the acute effects of alcohol abuse—especially those essential to learning and memory. According to his presentation, adolescence is a period where the brain is “built to learn,” but even light alcohol consumption can slow and dull the hippocampus and the cerebellum, two regions of the brain that are most important to the encoding of information into long-term memory. These effects can also become “locked-in,” and hinder the brain’s ability to learn and form new memories well into adulthood. In an experiment which measured and compared subjects’ ability to memorize and later reproduce a complex geometric drawing, even a group of 21 to 24 year-olds was more affected by alcohol consump- . tion than another experimental group aged just 25 “I would think that science would be a compelling motivator for W&L students to examine how they use alcohol. ” Jan Kaufman, director of health promotion to 29. Another experiment documented the behav- ior of subjects who were blackout drunk, during the period in which they could not form new long-term memories, 33 percent of subjectsiseriously insulted someone, 16.3 percent were involved in an argument or fight, 24.8 percent engaged in sexual activity, 6.2 percent had unprotected sex and 2.5 percent even got behind the wheel of a car. 5.1 percent of subjects engaged in unwanted sexual activity. The question-and-answer session after Swartz- welder’s formal presentation opened the discussion to other drugs that are abused heavily within the col- lege environment. ' Marijuana was a popular topic of inquiry: many students asked about its long-term effects on mood and brain function. Contrary to popular belief, Swartzwelder noted, there is no conclusive body of l evidence to prove that moderate usage of pot can af- fect cognition. , He also advocated that marijuana is less harmful to the brain than alcohol—but he was quick to in- clude that he believes no one should consume alco- hol or cannabis before the age of 25. That is when the brain stops significant development processes and is better equipped to handle the potentially harmful ef- fects these drugs can cause. Regarding cocaine, he talked about the addictive drugs power to take over lives. “You make choices you otherwise wouldn’t make because of the drug,” he said in a tone of absolute gravity. He also noted its “pharmacological specificity,” or its ability to af- fect dopamine levels in the brain, which makes it so highly addictive. Jan Kaufman, director of health promotion, ex- pressed her concern about binge drinking at W&L but also her optimism , that students can change drinking culture for the better. “I would think that science would be a compel- ling motivator for W&L students to examine how they use alcohol,” said Kaufman, who noted that she found it hard to imagine that “W&L students would intentionally decrease their competitive advantage in the classroom and in the future.” n 3'“ After searching two houses and confiscating drugs and paraphernalia, police arrest one former student and investigate others By Valaree Tang STAFF WRITER Lexington and Rockbridge Coun- ty police have searched two student residences and arrested one former Washington and Lee student after an 18-month investigation involving the illegal possession of narcotics. Police implemented two search warrants on Saturday, Jan 23. The first search was executed at an off- campus student residence on Jef- ferson Street. Later that night, law enforcement oflicials searched an- other off-campus residence located ‘on Winding Way, a house Inore com- monly known to W&L students as Down Wind. Items were seized from both locations. . Peter Joseph Martinez, 22, who is no longer enrolled as a student at W&L. was arrested on the felony charge of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distrib- ute. Students say that Maitinez was attending classes earlier this term. Police used an informant to make multiple purchases from the Jefferson Street apartment. Within 72 hours of an informant’s purchase of a con- trolled substance, police executed a search warrant from said apartment. In November, police had bought .819 grams ofcocaine from Martinez. The police department has video and audio evidence ofthe drug sales. Police recovered evidence that supported MaItinez’s narcotic crimes within the residence. Upon his arrest, Martinez admitted to distributing co- caine from his residence. Martinez was released from Rock- bridge Regional Facility on $5,000 unsecured bond early last Sunday morning. His court appearance is scheduled for April 27. If convicted, Martinez may face between five and 40 years impris- onment, and fined not more than $500,000, according to the Code of Virginia. According to court records, police confiscated 19 baggies of white pow- der, a film canister filled with green in‘. and observed cocaine at the Winding Way premises, according to court re- cords. The address at Winding Way is known to house members of Kappa Alpha Order. Upon search of the house, law enforcement officials seized a pill bottle with green plant material. three bags and 74 smaller bags of white powder substance. “lt’s important that we, as a university, not pre- judge anything in an on—going matter. When ap- propriate, the university applies its policies and 3 procedures. ’ DAWN WATKINS, Dean of Students plant material and drug parapherna- lia, including a scale and marijuana grinders. Police seized 22.6 grams of the white powder, and 3.6 grams of the green plant. The substances were de- termined by lab tests to be cocaine and marijuana. Because Martinez is no longer a student at W&L, he is not under the jurisdiction of the University or the honor system. Martinez provided information during his interview with the Rock- bridge County Sheriff’s Ofl”Ice Drug Task Force that led to the second search last Saturday, with the as- . sistance of the Lexington police de- partment. He said that he purchased Police also confiscated a Grand Cherokee Jeep, as well as $837 in cash. Court records say that police seized evidence of distribution. Rockbridge County Sheriff Bob Day said that the sheriff’s depart- ment believes the substances confis- cated by police at Winding Way are drugs. No arrests were made on site, but an investigation continues. The identities of the students in- volved in the criminal activity at Down Wind are not yet known. Dean Dawn Watkins, vice presi- dent for student affairs and dean of students, said that the student hand- book contains a clear no-tolerance policy on the university’s criminal and felonious activity. The handbook appropriates sus- pension to students who use or pos- sess illegal drugs or controlled sub- stances. “lt’s important that we, as a uni- versity, not pre-judge anything in an ongoing matter. When appropriate, the university applies its policies and procedures,” said Dean Watkins. Rumors that members of Kappa Alpha are undergoing drug tests are unconfirmed. lnterfratemity Council president Garrott McClintock said that he was unaware of the drug tests. According to McClintock, no charges have been brought forward and there is no current investigation from the IFC for Kappa Alpha. He said that all he has heard are rumors. Kappa Alpha Order, which was founded in Lexington in 1865, is one-third of the Lexington Triad. lts national office is located in Lexing- ton. ’ The executive director of Kappa Alpha, Larry Stanton Wiese, said that he has only heard rumors as well. “We don’t believe our chapter has been involved with any illegal activ- ity,” said Wiese, who also said that the chapter is waiting for “some law enforcement to occur.” Wiese said that the chapter has strict bylaws that prohibit illegal ac- tivity, and that all members are ex- pected to adhere to the policies. Fraternity house floods Student allegedly breaks pipe and floods Chi Psi basement, forcing party to evacuate By Diandra Spicak NEWS EDITOR When students attended Chi Psi’s “Late Nite” this Saturday#the fra- ternity’s signature dance party that usually begins at midnight—dancers got drenched by more than sweat and been Surprised partygoers found them- selves rushed out of the basement and the fraternity house as about 600 gallons of water flooded the first floor and the basement. At about I a.m, a student who is not a member of Chi Psi, reportedly ripped a fire sprinkler out of the ceil- ing on the third floor, causing the connecting pipe to break. Gallons upon gallons of murky water cas- caded down one of the stairwells and into the lower floors. As the water began to fill up the basement, the members of Chi Psi began to hurry everyone out to avoid injury and possible deaths. Due to the large amount of equipment used by the Late Nite disc jockey, DJ Duane, members expressed concern for the dancers and acted quickly in rushing everyone out of the fraterni- ty house and shutting down the party. Ultimately, because of the Chi Psi brothers‘ quick reactions and good judgment, no one was hurt. With the amount of water that flooded the house, some of DJ Duane’s equipment suffered some damage and will have to be replaced. According to one of the brothers of Chi Psi, DJ Duane could go through_ insurance or could even sue to make S up the damage done to his equip- ment. Chi Psi, due to restrictions placed on them by their Nationals, could not comment on the situat'ion nor as to what action will be taken against the person who caused the flooding and water damage. However, inspec- tors will be looking over the Chi Psi house to determine the extent of the damage. ’ But what about Chi Psi’s famed dance party? The members have said that, later on this term, Late Nite will make a comeback, but for now, they are focusing on putting the ends to- gether and fixing their house. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_002.2.txt UNNERSTTY LIBRARY WASHINGTON 8: LEE UNIVERSITY l.B(lNGTON.VA 24450 2‘ 0 THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 ' FEB fl ‘Writ? .,‘,.,b' Habitat donates for homes in Haiti W&L chapter of Habitat for Humanity receives money to provide transitional housing to homeless By Paige Gance STAFF WRITER The Washington and Lee chapter of Habitat for Humanity has received $2,076.90 to finance transitional shelters for the disas- ter-stricken people of Haiti. Representatives from the chapter appeared before the EC to apply for the fimds near the beginning of the winter term. In granting these funds, the EC took into account the past successes and future plans of W&L’s Habi- tat chapter. This donation, made in con- junction with a $4,000 donation from the Rockbridge County Habitat, will pay for what Charles Wilson, co-chair of W&L’s Hab- itat Chapter, calls “a foundation upon which you can build a nor- mal home.” These one-room houses cost about $2,500 to construct, with additional rooms costing around $300 to $500. Instead of con- crete, which is the preferred building material in heavily deforested Haiti, the roofs are made of galvanized aluminum. Whereas concrete roofs col- lapsed easily under the strain of an earthquake that ranked 7.0 on the Richter scale, these roofs are quake-resistant, a reassuring fact given the aftershocks that contin- ue to torment an already stricken nation. Experts estimate that the number of displaced Haitians is between 1 million and 1.5 mil- lion, with over 200,000 homes destroyed. This devastation has forced residents to set up make- shift shelters from earthquake rubble. Often, their only protec- tion from the elements is a thin bed sheet set up on four sticks. Those lucky enough to live in tents still lack the water tanks and latrines provided by the Habitat shelters. As problems of sanitation and illness threaten the health of survivors, this equip- ment could save lives. W&L’s Habitat has a history of helping those in need, both 10- cally and abroad. This year alone has seen $9,500 in funds raised for Habitat homes in Rockbridge County. T-shirt sales and concession stands have supplemented this amount, but the bulk, according to Wilson, comes from Habitat Hotel. As W&L parents can at- test, finding accommodations goes toward building homes in Rockbridge County. Wilson said he hopes to ex- pand Habitat Hotel to include the days around graduation, as part of the “innovative plans for the fu- ture” mentioned in the chapter’s last press release. Furthermore, “The shelters are the first step to getting the people of Haiti back into viable housing and reconstructing the nation is capital. ” Habitat for Humanity press release near campus during Parents’ Weekend can be a nightmare. Habitat Hotel creatively solves this problem while raising mon- ey for the organization by ask- ing faculty members to rent out extra rooms in their homes for a reasonable fee. All the revenue the chapter has raised enough funds this past year to qualify for a State Farms matching grant of $5,000, a goal it hopes to achieve annually. It is these past accomplish- ments and promises of future success that led the EC to allo- cate funds for Habitat. Usually, the major assignment of funds occurs in the spring, and only clubs and organizations that have run out of cash reapply for funds in the winter. However, the earthquake in Haiti created special and un- expected circumstances, and chapter leaders said they felt this humanitarian crisis called for addition funds on top of those already committed to the Rock- bridge homes. According to a press release, “The shelters are the first step to getting the people of Haiti back into viable housing and recon- structing the nation’s capital.” The poorly designed build- ings and shoddy construction materials contributed heavily to the high rate of building col- lapse, according to a recent New York Times article. The components of the most‘ common material, concrete, are expensive to import, causing manufacturers to add dangerous amounts of sand to the mix. Add to this the lack of strict building codes and the construction of homes on unstable hillsides, and the stage is set for mass devasta- tion. The Habitat shelters will not only provide immediate relief to Haiti’s survivors but also the beginnings ofa permanent infra- structure stronger than the previ- ous. People interested in contrib- uting to Habitat for Humanity or in getting involved can contact Dan Walz, executive director for Rockbridge area, at Dan.Habi- rat@rockbridge.net, or contact Charles Wilson, co-chair, at Wil- soncb10@mail. wlu. edu. Eating well, eating local in d-hall W&L is dining services are increasing their efforts to incorporate foods produced in county and lfirginia By Chelsea Stevenson 8 TA F F W R IT E R Have you ever eaten in the Marketplace, the law school, one of the five sorority houses, or at a catered event at W&L? Of course. But during your experi- ence did you really think about what you were putting in your mouth? Probably not. What you most likely did not realize is that in eating through W&L’s dining services, you’re. doing more than just consuming tasty meals, you’re helping mul- tiple parts of the community. Over the past three years, W&L has increased its local food use to nearly 18 percent. The dining services staff now looks in the surrounding areas first, to find foods such as honey, milk, chicken, apples, berries and pea- nut butter. The search begins in Rock- bridge County. W&L’s beef, for example, comes from Char- lie Potter’s Buffalo Creek Beef company. Next, the search for foods expands to the food shedof the Shenandoah Valley. Chris Carpenter, the special projects coordinator in the cater- ing department, explained that the Shenandoah Valley is one of the major food valleys in the US. Our pork loin comes from the Shenandoah. Local foods also extend state- wide. For example, apples come from Nelson County, just 60 miles away from W&L, and pea- nut butter comes from the Appo- mattox region on the soutli side of Virginia. Local foods here at W&L also extend throughout the south region of the U.S. Carpenter’s role in search- ing for local foods is to visit each farm, looking for farmers who can produce their goods at the quantity and volume W&L needs. He said has no complaints about his the local food search. “It’s like getting paid to hang out with a farmer,” Carpenter said. The one problem that Carpen- ter said he often runs into during his search for local foods is that farmers ofien do not have the ca- pability to produce the volume W&L needs. For one month’s , worth of meals in the Market- place alone, W&L needs 150 chickens. However, according to Marketplace chef Geraldine Mc- Cutcheon, giving local farmers these high quantitiy orders helps their market and ensires that they continuously have a client. ' McCutcheon also commented on the benefits eating locally has on the community. She that be- cause W&L is a small university in a small town, working person- ally with farmers helps improve the community ties. The fact that W&L has formed several close relationships with Virginia farms has encouraged other universi- ties to do the same. At the Homestead Creamery in Burnt Chimney, Va., just out- side of Roanoke, several other universities have joined W&L in creating a conjunction for the creamery’s milk, a favorite of Chef McCutcheon and Assis- tant Director of Cafe ‘77 Dennis Fowler. Because of this, Home- stead Creamery has improved its equipment by purchasing a small processor to meet the local high demand. One of these universi- ties is Virginia Tech. Eating locally helps the farm- ers, but it also improves the sus- tainability and energy efficiency in the community, said Carpen- ter. He explained the reduction in energy usage by comparing the transportation of Washington apples to W&L to the transporta- tion of Virginia apples. Washing- ton apples, which come in 40-48 a case, take 3,500 carbon miles and several days to transport. Apples from a Virginia or- chard, although only 17 a case, takes 60 carbon miles and are overall fresher. Therefore, eat- ing locally undoubtedly results in a significantly lower carbon footprint. Dwight Bitz, assistant direc- tor of the Brief Stop at the law school, explained that using local foods also causes less packaging waste and implements recycling. The Homestead Creamery and Buffalo Creek Beef, among sev- eral other companies, reuse tubs and glass bottles through a de- pository system. The final benefit to eating locally affects ‘the entire W&L community. Eating local foods is simply healthier. The local meats contain no hormones or antibiot- ics and in theory are organic, just without the certification. Carpenter explained that our bodies are able to break down the local foods faster because they do not contain high fructose corn syrup. “Better taste simply means better nutrition,” Carpenter said. New options for pre-law students Consultant expands pre-law program, including advice on the Web and a spring term job opportunity By Llzz Dye STAFF WRITER Pre-Law Studies has always been a great resource for Wash- ington and Lee students inter- ested in law school. Abigail Perdue, Special Consultant to the Pre-Law Program, hopes to expand Pre-Law Studies and rec- ommended that faculty and stu- dents attend a Mock Law School Admission Committee Meeting on J an. 28. This meeting V provided “unique insight into the law school decision-making process,” according to a press release from Perdue. Representatives from George Washington University "Law School, the University of Richmondkschool of Law, and the Charleston School of Law provided students with unique insight into how law schools make their admission decisions. Its goal was to help students re- ally see how the law schools are going to see them and make their decisions. Some common questions that students ask when applying to law school include whether to list Greek life as an extracurricu- lar activity on a resume. Perdue, , who is a W&L alum herself, said she hopes to help studies more easily answer these questions by enhancing the pre-law resources available to students. One way of doing this is pre- law advising. There are already two existing pre-law advisors, Dr. Robert Culpepper and Pro- fessor Lucas Morel, both located in the C-school. V Perdue has also created a pre- law Web site which launched in December. She is constantly maintaining and updating it. It includes internship information, tips on how to decide whether to go to law school and law courses currently offered, among many other resources. To find the web- site, go to the W&L Web site and search “Pre-Law Studies.” There is a also a new student- run group called “Generals Inter- ested in Legal Studies” (GILS). Senior Alex Caritis is the presi- dent of the newly elected board. These students are responsible for planning social and speaking events related to law school. Caritis said the main goal is to “show the administration that people do have interest in pre- law” and to “increase exposure to both law school and the various facets of the legal profession.” A new pre-law mentoring pro- gram has also been established: Law School Liaisons. It matches up undergraduates interested in law with W&L law students, like the Big Brother/Sister program. Perdue says that it is an “informal way to breach the gap between law school and undergrads.” Workshops and sessions are held to give students insight into law school. Earlier this year, for example, a W&L alum who is at Yale Law School and works at admissions there was brought in to speak. An LSAT prep work- shop is provided to give advice‘ about preparations. A Kaplan teacher was also brought in to give tips on the LSAT. Another speaker who was brought in was Professor Kim Forde-Marzui. He is the Direc- tor of the Center for the Study of Race and Law for UVA. He gave a talk on same-sex marriage ear- lier this year and how it pertains the legal battles going on cur- rently. Perdue has worked out a Spring Option for Pre-Law where a student, preferably a se- nior, will be able to work at Blue Ridge Legal Services under the supervision of an attorney. This provides a great legal intem- ship for those interested in law school. She also hasinforrnation on law school by major and how different majors should go about applying for law school. She is currently updating the pre-law bulletin board in the C—School to increase awareness of the avail- ability of pre-law resources. She said that she is impressed with the student body and excit- ed_about the future of the pre-law resources at the school. Perdue is also offering cours- es pertaining to pre-law. Last semester, she taught the course INTR 180, which dealt with di- versity and discrimination and appointment in higher education. ' Students in the class read cases, did legal research and participat- ed in a mock trial. A law school professor served as the judge, and the jury consisted of students not in the class as well as the dean of the college. In the spring she is teach- ing INTR 220, “American Law: Great Cases and Controversies,” which will focus on controversial issues in American law. 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V A . at and logical abfiirties I _ , Ecortomleglforeign language A H j E , pu,bli_e_ speaking: are.e‘neot1r+ z _ . jsmnona law-lschoot class“ - _ _ .. :‘Aft¢,fld i8Wl$°.'h.6oilSveakingi - I I O OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_003.2.txt MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 20 10 THE RING-TUM PHI - 3 l‘I GWS Six seniors to teach for America Students will spend two years after graduation teaching in low-income school systems for T FA By Katy Stewart STAFF WRITER Some seniors worry about finding a job after graduation, but six Washington and Lee seniors plan to embark on a challenging, _ eye-opening, two-year teaching experience: Teach for America. Becca Beeson, Beth Brantley, Alex Caritis, Kim Holland, Josh Gonzalez and Zach Segall will represent W&L around the coun- try in low income school systems, working to “eliminate education- al inequality,” TFA’s cornerstone goal. W&L has produced a di- verse mix of TFA participants, but they all share a common trait: their W&L experience led them to TFA and prepared them to un- dertake this responsibility. The program recruits students from all academic backgrounds, but everyone must exhibit strong leadership skills. Beeson found leadership opportunities dur- ing her W&L years working for Head Start at the local Waddell Elementary School. Next year she will teach elementary stu- dents in Dallas. " Segall also demonstrated strong leadership skills through fraternity and Outing Club in- pi volvement, and will be working with special needs children in Phoenix. TFA does not mandate any teaching experience, but Holland said she found that her Founda- tions of Education course piqued her interest in teaching. The class discussed the education system’s inequality and achievement gap, which is linked to socioeconomic status. Gonzalez, who will work in the San Francisco area, consid- ers Teach for America “a logical next step,” combining his interest in teaching with his background in athletic leadership. TFA identified these students’ strengths and potential impact, selecting them from an impres- sive pool of applicants. Beeson recalls a 2009 Wall Street Jour- nal figure, that “ll percent of Ivy League seniors apply,” so W&L’s statistic of six students is praise- worthy, especially considering the rigorous application proce- dure. The process begins with a phone interview. In the second round, TFA invites students to P p what Beeson calls a “grueling day—long interview process,” in- volving group discussions, timed essays, logic puzzles and teach- ing simulations. Students are asked to present a five-minute lesson plan, write a mock letter to parents and hold a one-on-one interview. ‘ Beeson, who will be teaching English as a second lan- versity. The two years teaching in low-income schools makes all six students “very nervous,” as Gonzalez put it, because of the “big task to help.” “lt’s a big responsibility,” he said. Yet the W&L experience pro- vided adequate tools for the chal- lenges of teaching urban youth, “[My] whole W&L experience culminates with TFA. ” j—:: guage, also took a Spanish test. F or,these students, the under- taking is not just another resume builder. Holland explained that the TFA program is an opportu- nity to “help as many people as possible and make an impact.” Segall likewise chose TFA “in pursuit of achieving results.” The motivation behind the program comes from the desire to close the achievement gap, despite ad- according to Holland. She attri- butes her leadership experience to the Pan-Asian Association for Cultural Exchange (PAACE) and said she thinks this group fostered her “perspective of different cul- tures,” both of Asian cultures and multiculturalism in general. She has confidence in her orga- nization and cooridination skills, much afforded by managing her busy W&L schedule. ayiuun In addition to classroom management skills, Beeson and Gonzalez cited extracurricular opportunities as advantages to- ward achieving teaching success. Beeson said that her “whole W&L experience culminates with TFA.” She studied with the Shepherd Poverty Program, served as English for Speakers of Other Languages co-chair and worked for Senator Ted Kennedy during Washington Term. Her- work with ESOL and education policy motivated her application to TFA. Swimming instilled values of determination and persever- ance, said Gonzalez, critical traits teachers need. He thinks the W&L environment allows students “the opportunity to do whatever you want and find what you’re good at.” Beyond the two-year teach- ing commitment, the students are looking to the future. They named ideas such as law school, graduate school in teaching and public policy, the army and con- tinuing teaching. One thing is sure: the next two years hold a ~ Theta” arppabelta - 30 steep learning curve. lnner-city schools separate the dedicated teacher from the half-hearted. Heart counts the most in win- ning a spot at TFA. When asked to advise W&L students inter- ested in TFA, all emphasized the need for passion: this job is not for someone who just needs a post—graduation gig. Holland recommended that students thor- oughly prepare for the tough in- terview process. Beeson recalled that her creativity in the mock- lesson plan set her apart, and Gonzalez suggested researching the organization as much as pos- sible before applying and inter- viewing. For more information about Teach For America, visit teach- foramericaorg. Congratulations to the New Members of KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA! Julia Barry Elizabeth Bean Katie Boe Gina Bufton Neely Burch Camie Carlock Parker Chambers Lindsay Crittendon. Meg Ellis Est_efi Estrada Kendall Fritchie Ann Burton Gerhardt Jen Hall Ann Marie Haynie Katie Howard Ba rb Lewis Anne Byrd Mahoney Mary Spencer Morten Rose Pettiette Louisa Phillips Noel Price Christina Proctor Julia Seelye Megan Shaw ‘ Laura Simmons Gage Smith Chelsea Stevenson Katharine Trigg Liz Ward Margaret Womble Claire Woodall OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 opinions Liberals are tired and pissed off about 2009, but look forward to some newfound political gonads After 12 months of hoping for change, Democrats think its time to play offense with their majority By Summer Lollie COLU M NIST It was a tough year to be a lib- eral Democratf Liberals knew that a single- payer healthcare system would never happen, so we settled for a public option, then an opt-out public option, then a Medicare expansion~—but we got none of it. We just have a bill that forces every American to buy health insurance from the private insur- ance industry. Liberals watched Wall Street get bailed out before a program to help Americans with home foreclosures was even consid- ered. We watched as a wimpy stimulus bill got passed instead of a larger one that would have lowered the unemployment rate. The liberal base was ignored all year long, yet the political - world was SHOCKED when Scott Brown won the Massachu- setts’s Senate seat. Now, don’t get me wrong. I knew President Obama would have a short honeymoon. I knew his ratings would drop rapidly. After all, he was sworn into of- fice with an economy in sham- bles and two terribly misman- aged wars. However, I did not expect \ wealth in tax cuts to the richest of the rich, massive corporations would turn into populist outrage against the current administra- tion. Make no mistake about it: the Democrats lost Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in the most liberal Wipe those smug smiles ofl your faces, Republicans, because you had nothing to do with the win in Massachusetts. that, in just one year’s time, the anger voters felt at a Republican party that destroyed the econo- my, waged a trillion-dollar war in the wrong country and redis- tributed unforgivable amounts of I TEE ~—— WASHINGTON AND Lu: UNIVERSITY MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITOR ASST. COPT EDITORS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGN EDITOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER BUSINESS MANAGERS DISTRIBUTION STAFF RING -'l‘UM PHI. ALLISON CHOPIN DIANDRA SPICAK STOCKTON BULLITT STEPHANIE HARDIMAN BROOKESUTHERLAND KATHERINE ROBERTS LUKE ANDERSEN JESSIE YKIMOFF JARRETT BROTZMAN TYLER BURCHETT ADAM CANCRYN NEVILLE FOGARTY PAIGE GANCE ERIC GEHMAN SUMMER LOLLIE MELISSA POWELL HANK NATHAN STEPHEN PECK CHELSEA STEVENSON KATY STEWART VALAREE TANG KATIE HATFIELD STEELE BURROW 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 IS A MEMBER OF THE MEDIA BOARD, BUT IS OTHERWISE INDEPENDEN.T. 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 ADVERTISING 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 state in the union because his liberal base is angry. Wipe those smug smiles off your faces, Re- publicans, because you had noth- ing to do with the win in Mas- sachusetts. High-speed rail production not practical Obama is plan to revitalize American high-speed rail does not live up to rhetoric By Jarrett Brotzman C 0 L U M N l ST On Wednesday evening, President Obama addressed the nation in the annual tradition of the State of the Union address. The speech wasfilled with all we would have expected to hear: not-so-subtle jabs at House Republicans for blocking liberal legislative items, compliments of Michelle’s work, talk of hope and change and, of course, vague spending agenda items with little mention of how these vast spending increases would be covered. But between the all the “let me clear,” “make no mistake,” and “change won’t be easy” Obamaisms that we have all come to know and love, there was one item in particular that stuck out to me as an intriguing item on his aggressive agenda plan for Year 2: high-speed rail. This projected $8 billion pro- gram to bring high-speed rail to many areas across America strikes me as one of the more ef- fective ways to spend stimulus money. ‘ According to White House spokesmen Bill Burton, this investment is the largest infra- structure investments in Ameri- ca since the construction of the Interstate Highway System in 1956. The ‘long-term benefits seem pretty substantial: they are pro- jected to include lowering reli- ance on foreign oil, increasing commerce between cities linked by high-speed rail, lowering transportation by airplane within inter—country travel and reduc- ing overall emissions across the country as more commuters sub- stitute train travel for short- and medium-distance commutes. These benefits paint a very rosy picture of future American travel, where the difference in technology between domestic rail lines and efficient European rail have been compared to the gap between “the planes flown by World War I flying aces and today’s jets,” says Anthony Perl, chairman of the National Re- search Council’s intercity rail panel The $8 billion investment Massachusetts was a mes- sage from liberal Democrats to Obama and . Democratic mem- bers of Congress: Quit playing Mr. Nice Guy, grow a pair, fly the middle finger in the faces of obstructionist Republicans and get something done. Obama’s attempts at bipar- tisanship have been admirable. However, now that we have es- tablished that the Republicans will oppose everything Demo- crats say and do, I thinklthat it is safe to say that the time for bipartisanship is over. Let me throw out a few facts. Fact: Expecting Republicans to help get healthcare reform passed is ridiculous. Fact: Olympia Snowe does not give a damn about anyone other than Olympia Snowe. Fact: Voters will blame you for not having solved a problem you didn’t create. Get over it. as part of the National Recov- ery Act is intended to narrow the gap. However, the reality of Obama’s recently announced in- vestments is a more complicated picture than the Federal Rail- road Administration would like to portray. Fact: Obstruction makes great politics and bad policy. Once these facts are estab- lished, maybe Obama and Con- gressional Democrats can begin to see that moving to the right to appease the LiberDems and Re- publicans is not working. Every time Obama has moved to the right, the middle class has gotten screwed over: the stimu- lus bill, the Wall Street bail- out (bonuses? Really?) and the healthcare debacle. This is the source of the brewing populist outrage. I think that Obama is begin- ning to see the light. In his State of the Union address, it sounded like Obama is starting to under- stand where the populist outrage lies and is changing his tone. Obama was elected on a plat- form of change, and now the time for change has come. Change is never easy—especially if it can company currently has the technology or manufacturing ca- pacity to develop or build these trains. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and members of Congress have acknowledged this lack of industrial capacity. I don’t see this as an issue; The bottom line—Obama is vision of this stimulus creating high-paying, permanent American jobs is at best overly optimistic and at worst a pipe dream. One overlooked difficulty is the current state of “high-speed rail” in the U.S. In America, high-speed rail is more misno- mer than reality. There currently exists one— that’s right, one—high-speed line in the United States. It is Amtrak’s Acela line that oper- ates between Boston and Wash- ington, D.C., which does reach a maximum speed of 150 mph, but really averages just 67 mph between Boston and New York, and 77 mph between New York and Washington. The vast majority of other in- tercity rail in the United States averages less than 80 mph (A.P., I/28). This is a far cry from Eu- ropean and Japanese rail speeds, where lines in France and Japan average 169 mph and 159 mph, respectively. Proposed routes promise to reach high speeds of around 220 mph in California between Sac- ramento and San Diego, and 150 mph in Florida between Tampa and Orlando. Unfortunately, av- erage speeds in Florida will only be around 86 mph, a reality far from the optimistic outlook giv- en by the Department of Trans- portation announcement. Another snag in the adminis- tration’s plan to use high-speed rail as a catalyst for high-paying American job creation is the un- fortunate reality that no Ameri- foreign competitive advantage will result in foreign firms, such as Siemens and Central Japan Railway Co., building this new infrastructure, using American workers in lower-paying work such as construction and lower- tech development. Eventually, American firms might be able to efficiently build this technology, but any new “Buy American” provisions would only result in inferior rail messes with the status quo and big money interests. Let’s see if Obama can deliv- er on the promises of his State of the Union address. technology. The bottom line—Obama’s vision of this stimulus creat- ing high-paying, permanent American jobs is at best overly optimistic and at worst a pipe dream. The reality of current high- speed rail plans is far different from what the Obama adminis- tration would like to portray. In the short term, it does have the potential to make a small difi°erence in the unemployment rate and improve current rail travel, but this plan is no magic bullet to the 10 percent unem- ployment problem. Indeed, “change won’t be easy” and no stimulus bill can fix the underlying issue of lag- ging consumer demand in the economy. 8 billion dollars is a good start, but to really improve American rail travel and to reach the infrastructure quality of Eu- rope and Japan, a more serious investment needs to be made: one without any “Buy Ameri- can” provisions and with open- ness to foreign rail firms. Profiles in Leadership: Britten athews passion lies. quietly did that for me. breeds permanent improvement.” Sorority —Treasurer; Kathckon Advertising Club What energizes you about taking on leadership responsibilities? Since coming to W&L, I have learned that there are all types of leaders. Certainly there are the heads of organizations or the lead- ing scorer on the field who are very im- portant, but there are also quiet leaders that serve behind the scenes and set exam- ples every day by the way they tackle life's tough situations. Giving a word of encouragement or listening when something > hasn't gone well will often give that person the confidence to keep going and overcome that obstacle. This is what motivates me. What has been one ofyour most rewarding aspects of leadership at W&L? One of the most valuable lessons I have learned (luring my time at W&L is the need to take risks to accomplish your goals. I believe that the simple successes in life build confidence to step out of one's comfort zone. My fresh- man year I was faced with the transition from high school to college lacrosse, a challenge that helped me grow as a player and a person. The! risks I took on the field boosted my confi- dence and ultimately enabled me to pursue a career path that I never imagined I would have considered but it is where my What legacy ofleadership do you hope to leave for others who follow you here? I hope I have demonstrated that investing in people and reaching out to help are important aspects of leadership. I appreciated those upperclassmen who Any words of advice for them? “Temporary inconvenience --Dick DeVenzio Activities: Varsity Women’s Lacrosse Team ; Kappa Delta OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_005.2.txt MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 THE RING-TUM PHI '5 pinion Bringing theenergy back to winter-term parties If your party night pre-games need a little flair, Stop-In can cafleinate your night with some new, exciting beverages By Stockton Bullitt OPINIONS EDITOR Having a successful pre-game is getting harder and harder these days. The days are darker, the se- mester is in full swing and in case you haven’t noticed, there’s quite a bit of snow on the ground. It seems like by the time you fi- nally. finish a paper, .it’s already time to head out to Windfall. Gone are the lazy autumn days when you can spend all your free time gleefully tailgat- ing football games and slowly getting wasted at a snail’s pace. This is the winter, when vodka shots with ice tea chasers seem like the most efficient way to race your way to drunkenness. Let’s be honest: the only real reason Russians made vodka in the first place was to make their harsh winters a little warmer. But the problem is, shots can get boring after a while, and furthermore, isn’t there a much more efficient way to somehow mix the benefits of vodka and Red Bull into one, tasty drink? Okay, vodka-Red Bulls don’t count, just work with me here. Just in case you’re still hav- ing trouble figuring out exactly what l’m alluding to, your local Stop-ln has the answer. The key to your winter pre- gaming happiness is situated be- tween the caffeinated beverages aisle and the sealed-off cases, forties, mixers and other won- derfully alcoholic beverages. Why The alcoholic energy drinks do exactly what you need from them, when you need them. They taste surprisingly pal- atable for a malt beverage, and they make sure that you wait for the last Traveller ride home to end your fun night. Also, they provide the foundation for hav- ing a good night at Washington and Lee parties specifically. Once you get deep into the country, a consistent «supply of alcohol is always hard to come by. Luckily, these alcohol-rid- ‘ den energy drinks don’t really hit you that hard until long after they have been consumed. That would be quite dangerous at most schools, but cures ‘a prob- lem here in Lexington. Furthermore, all that danc- ing and listening to prospective hook-ups talk about irrational things like feelings and opin- ions can take a lot out of you. You’re going to need that influx of caffeine, guarine and taurine right around the time “Tik Tok” comes on. So, now that you are inevita- bly sold on this wonderful new addition to your life, how do you decide what to buy? Well, if you are looking for a relatively tame night or you are not quite sure if you are re- ally sold on the best liquid since Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade,” then you should probably divert your attention towards the smaller drinks such as Sparks, Tilt, or Joose. These drinks are slightly less intimidating than their competi- tors and probably taste a little better to boot. Unfortunately, due to pressure from the FDA (the least fun of the federal ad- ministrations), Anheuser-Busch and Miller have taken the caf- feine out of Sparks and Tilt--so can reach before the intervention that will no doubt happen in a couple of months. Four Loko and Max are pre- game behemoths that ensure a mistake-ridden night. Both con- tain over 22 ounces of liquid that is more than l0 percent alcohol, and both have enough sugar to be over 500 calories. God himself could not have The good news about these drinks [...] is that you are ensured to be bouncing heartily along to DJ Tiesto all night. while they provide a little boost, they don’t have that same kick that Joose does. Plus, according to reports from various sources, Joose defi- nitely has the advantage when it comes to both taste and variety of flavors. So you can either choose safety with Sparks or joyous- ness with Joose, and since you are already dangerous enough to be pre-gaming with one of these things, you might as well go all out and trust Joose’s sublime ef- fect on your night. For those of you who aren’t satiated by the effect these drinks have on your glutamate recep- tors, there is another step you you should change the channel to “Friday Night Lights” With so much junk that airs on television these days, “Friday Night Lights ” stands out as great entertainment By Tyler Burchett COLU M N I sr “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” This is the favorite saying of one of the greatest football coaches in television history. I am referring of course to Eric Taylor, coach of the Dillon Pan- thers on the hit NBC show “Fri- day Night Lights.” lfyou have not yetjumped on the “Friday Night Lights” band- wagon then, simply put, you are missing out on the best show on television. the other hand, there are so many types of teenagers portrayed among the players that it creates an incredibly plausible world filled with believable characters who struggle with real-life deci- sions and intense emotions. Then there are the adults who attempt to be mentors to their children, when half of them are screw-ups themselves. Ultimately, the thing that sets “Friday Night Lights” apart as a show is the way that it de- There are countless scenes in the show that manage to hit home, both emotion- ally and personally. It is impossible to watch the show without being changed, at least to a small degree. The fourth season of the show is set to air over the summer on NBC. The show was inspired by both the book and the movie of the same name, depicting the lives and struggles of high school football players in Texas. However with the show now in its fourth season, it has cov- ered more ground and spoken on more controversial issues than the two-hour movie, or the novel ever could. There are several elements of the show, and many different story lines that interconnect in an incredibly heartfelt and real- istic way. There is such a variety of characters and personalities on the show that virtually anyone can find a character to whom they can relate. There are the football players, who make up the teen element of the show. On picts the emotions and interac- tions between people. There are countless scenes in the show that manage to hit home, both emotionally and personally. It is impossible to watch the show without being changed, at least to a small degree. Football is the glue that con- nects all of the characters in the show, but in reality the show is about dealing with life, and the pressures and trials involved with growing up. The show features a few ac- tors from the film version of “Friday Night Lights.” The most prominent of these is Con- nie Britton, who plays Coach Taylor’s wife in the show. She also played Billy Bob Thom- ton’s wife in the film. But it is the new characters that make the show so incredi- ble. The most important of these is Coach Eric Taylor, played by Kyle Chandler. He and Connie Britton make up the heart of the show. Kyle Chandler plays an intense football coach who is the model of what a coach should be. He gives his players guidance both on and off the field, and is a mentor to his players, especially when they need him the most. His no-nonsense approach to both football and life is a calm- ing influence during some of the turbulent events that occur in the show. Some of the most powerful and inspiring scenes involve him talking to his players. All of the football players and teenagers are new characters, who were not in the movie. Do yourself a favor, and watch “Friday Night Lights.” No other show comes even close to capturing the complete spec- trum of human interactions and emotions the way that this one does. If you watch this show you will laugh, you will cry, your heart will break for the char- acters and most important, the characters will inspire and uplift you. There is still time to catch up before the fourth season pre- mieres this summer on NBC. Watch the show. There are so few good shows on television today that you would be denying yourself one of the greatest plea- sures available to you. crafted a better antagonist to the Health Center. Just watch out though, be- cause there is no way that you are successfully having a Patrick Bateman kind of love session if you have one too many of these babies. In other words, accom- pany every can with at least an extra ten minutes in the gym. The good news about these drinks, on the other hand, is that you are ensured to be heartily bouncing along to DJ Tiesto all night due to both beverages’ gar- gantuan caffeine levels. Both Four Loko and Max do apparently taste wonderful and have such delightful, myriad flavors that you are sure to be pleasantly surprised whenever you legally purchase them. However, even I have to say that it would be best to proceed with caution. Like Chi Psi Late Night, it’s best done every once in a while rather than every night. Now, you’ve no doubt heard some bad press about all of these drinks. Pretty much every sin- gle campus administrator will tell you that these drinks are as positive as Tear Night. In November, the FDA gave all 30 companies who put caf- feine in alcoholic drinks an ulti- matum about finding a test that shows a positive correlation between putting alcohol in caf- feinated beverages. I know that you’re not going to believe this, but none of the companies could find any positive health effects about mixing caffeine and alco- hol. Yes, it’s also true that drink- ing these drinks is downright ter- rible for your heart. But here’s the problem with all that logic: what’s positive about most ofthe stuff people do here? What’s positive about ripping shots, playing pong and doing keg stands‘? - What’s positive about driving “ to Wendy’s at ll:58‘ p.m. only three hours after you had din- ner? What’s positive about stand- ing outside in the freezing cold at County Seat waiting for that extra beer at 1:30? If there’s nothing positive about any of these things, then why do we do them? The simple answer is because all of those things are either fun or somehow serve to make our fun night just . a little bit more exciting. l’m not writing this article to get you to Max out on life. Nor am I going to write a diatribe against morally irresponsible as- pects of your life that will make me a pariah to some and a hero to the constituency that simply wants to make themselves feel better for not being like “those people.” i I think that if you do want to have a fun pre-game, maybe one of these drinks could help your night out a little bit. Just remember, too many keg stands, Wendy’s runs or freezing cold nights can all lead you to not having fun,just like shotgun- ning a Four Loko can lead to you not having fun. That being said, they still are pretty damn tasty. Oh, and of course wait until you’re 21 to read this article. But you of course wouldn’t fathom doing something illegal. What’s positive about illegality? Maio Fair brfiymnsamummmwmms IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII come (all to about whytheyL I/Etherimaiorl Elrod Conmnons Friday, February 5 @122 PM ~ WASHINGTON AND LEE UNlIVERSITY CAREER©SERVICES OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_006.2.txt 6 0 THE RING-TUM PHI :7 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 arts&|ife Eargasmic new tunes from WLUR Washington and Lee campus radio oflers three of the station library is hot new albums fresh from the airwaves to you By WLUR Staff STAFF WRITERS The cast of classic albums for 2010 is already piling up. Here are some more to add to the stack: ' Beach House Teen Dream (Sub Pop) 2009 was undoubtedly a ban- ner year for music; is it possible that 2010 could duplicate its pre- decessor? Here’s one key simi- larity: a record that comes out in January dazzles from start to fin- ish, shows that the band behind it is moving toward pop without sacrificing any artistic merit, and withstands whatever great albums the rest of the year throws at it to take its rightful place on year- end best-of lists. As with Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, that has happened and will happen for Beach House’s Teen Dream, the Maryland duo’s third full-length, and first for in- die superlabel Sub Pop. In the spirit of full disclo- sure, we at WLUR are big fans of Beach House. Devotion, the band’s second LP, was a favor- ite record of 2008. We had ex- tremely high expectations for the album, and it exceeds them in every way. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have created a work that is as captivating as their first two records, but at the same time more accessible than the pop- piest tunes that they’d put out before. As alluringly gloomy as Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House— Legrand is a frequent collabora- tor with that band~or Summer Sun-era Yo La Tengo, this record is still so easy to get into that it’s scary. (Devotion was definitely a grower.) Legrand’s vocals, which fall somewhere between Nico and Hope Sandoval, are a bit more prominent here, soaring over the band’s layers of organ, keyboards, guitar, percussion and bells. There isn’t a weak link on this record, but some favorites are “Norway,” “Walk in the Park,” “l0 Mile Stereo,” “Used to Be” and “Silver Soul.” 2 Lip sync-ing for hunger W&L Greeks and groups dance, strip and channel Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift at annual S.A.R.A'.H. fundraiser By Melissa Powell STAFF WRITER Every year, Students Against Rockbridge Area Hunger (S.A.R.A.H.) organizes Lip Sync, one of Washington and Lee’s favorite traditions, that not only provides an opportunity for the school to come together, but also manages to give back to the local community. And this year’s competition did just that. The Pavilion was makeup of Pi Beta Phi’s Gaga group was certainly impressive. Though only three groups could_ place, there were many other memorable acts that de- serve to be noted. Pi Kappa Phi’s rendition of “It’s Gonna Be Me” by ’N Sync set the bar high at the beginning of the night. Intense, choreo- graphed and a tad sexual, the Pi Midlake The Courage of Others (Bella Union) Midlake’s brilliant LP, The Trials of Van Occupanther, was released way back in 2006. As What it’s done is another mas- terstroke. The Courage of Others takes the classic sound back even further, borrowing liberally from ‘60s British folk and, on the lyr- ics to “Core of Nature,” words Check out the latest in new music reviews at WL UR is very own music blog at wlurradio.blogspot.com, or indulge your ears and listen on 91.5 FM or online at wlur.wlu.edu. more and more folks caught up with the Denton, Texas—based band’s ‘70s-infused sound—Van Occupanther channels Jethro Tull at times, Fleetwood Mac or Neil Young at others-wmomentum started to build for the band. Ex- citement brewed over what Tim Smith and Co. would do next. from a Goethe poem. However, the style that is quickly becoming Midlake’s trademark—a blend of electric and acoustic guitars, flute and recorder, strings, au- toharp and percussion—-is still prevalent here. And Smith is a terrific song- writer in his own right, with or without the help of Germany’s finest poet. Original, yet steeped in some of the best pop music of the past decades, Midlake 'will please both ‘70s rock fans and 21st- century indie and folk fans, just because the record is so dang good. Make sure to check out “Winter Dies,” “Rulers, Ruling All Things,” “Fortune” and the title track. Los Campesinos! Romance is Boring (Arts & Crafts) Los Campesinos!, the amaz- ing seven-person, formed-in- Wales-yet-no-one-is-Welsh (ap- parently) indie-pop group, is back for its third album, the di- rectly-titled Romance Is Boring. It’s been described as a “record that’s bigger, deeper, more com- plex and more direct than any- thing Los Campesinos! has re- corded to date”~—but thankfully this doesn’t mean that the delight- ful brass is gone or the sound is totally different. It’s simply fuller and more confident. Guest spots, electronics, drum machines and more jam-packthis ambitious record, but it still avoids being overly cluttered. You manage to hear all the members and all the layers without feeling claustro- phobic (which could have eas- ily happened given the range of contrasting vocals and instru- ments). Start with tracks “There Are Listed Buildings,” “A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte” and the title track. Check out the latest in new music reviews at WLUR’s very own music blog at http.'//wlur- radio.blogspot.com, or indulge your ears and listen on channel 91.5 FM or online at http://wlur. wlu.edu. .-1(Ilil(3¢iEi Crossword of the Week Thank You Sir, lirlay I Have Almther? by Neville L. Fugarty For the mlutimi to this puzzle, visat phicrm:-:ix'oi'cle.tiiinlili'.i:rin1. I Some t':1mil‘y cars ‘t'i..'2:.1* in ZHH5 18 Ni:-I as !s1lUl§¥I7&!'iA‘ 7 Line ot'Tiiux:5’3 People of the 11 Date way to pti:pi.m:1'ur .21 [tel '15 Smile zieaepie E01152‘ uul til it 16 .}3l‘:itliJ2lz~l rr1ii;li.iir1g.i]-zviiqi: "ET -(‘luv willi ii rum‘ :'i1'¢“.l¢-. llltffi Sigma Chi is excellent song choice of “Dirty Talk” by Winter Gordon caught everyone 3 attention but ended up making the audience cringe, as man thongs were exposed towards the end of the dance. [9 With [$2-Picmizs, tic» lcizlmical Term for S5-Across 2 I Fii1pci'laIi*-.'c mifi X‘ 23 Frcncli jmsezssive 24 Ai'ri.c-an mountain goats 25' "-Wt]: -H-Acre-55. 1966 E-lnum and Garfunkel single that 33% too ncr:ura.tei}' desizribnes 159- and 55-.*\.i.:ni15.'€ 28 Nearly silent i:4ir Lam].-:r 5 mplii packed on Saturday night with supporters and onlookers, who cheered and booed at the 27 groups that participated. Starting at 9 p.m., hosts Chris Washington and David Gilbert first introduced the Greek house moms, who got a little sassy this year. Flaunting their boas and throwing fake money into the crowd brought cheers from all‘, especially those who reside in the Greek houses with them. Though competition was tough, Phi Psi won first place with a high-energy dance to “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Their perfor- mance had many intricate dance moves, but the human steps, the high jump between legs and the ending (when the dancers tore their shirts to reveal. their Greek letters on their chests) definitely stood out. Second place went to the Alpha Delta Pi group that per- formed a well-rehearsed piece to a mash-up of songs. The crowd fell in love with their clever cho- reography when Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” came on and the girls held up their ADPi diamond hand sign to symbolize an en- gagement ring. KLAZICS, always a crowd favorite, took home third place. Though Lady Gaga was a com- mon theme in many ofthe dances throughout the night, KLAZICS’ Gaga had the most authentic hair, outfit and moves. However, the Phi guys got into it and knew how to please the crowd. The stripping of their shirts, which they threw to the audience, only added to the loud cheering. Kappa Alpha Theta had ev- eryone laughing with their foam star costumes, and Kappa Kappa Gamma pulled out some surpris- ingly thug hip-hop moves in their second performance. Sigma Chi’s excellent song choice of “Dirty Talk” by Wyn- ter Gordon caught everyone’s at- tention but ended up making the audience cringe, as man thongs" were exposed toward the end of their dance. A personal favorite, the Beta Theta Pi guys performed “She Wolf’ by Shakira and had the costumes down to a T. A large cage prop was even used, simi- lar to the one that appears in the music video. 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"‘l‘hi:.Wii1al'zzi tit: 11 i‘x’!."v'«il1l;‘trV' -:.il1‘v;‘L‘l'3J[' -U"~“”'“" U1 H137’-uméi 5P‘‘''-i*.'.’’“ ' 2f3'é]3- buniin at Lia: b-4.1.». Lillitw: Spine I.ifl"—v-'ti?zti::i Smn]1 laugh 1‘ 1. pt.” 5” 2_(;{]| l”‘li1i;:lwvl1r.‘.:it‘:-t ill'il'fh|u¥a't.'e Sea: ll}-I/‘u;rL-sis 29 H}11[]]af|j,{_‘.g§,r[‘_y;]‘[;§]_.,‘[{1 til .-’~.ii,gr;t.3, music: gciitc I‘-lloleti Oiympic heal nation 23 Han-E§m,clc.1 55 U015 U1 Ult ‘Villll-'1’!!! "Ill [}£llaih~” "lliriil Evin Tigiili lmmi . Q OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_007.2.txt .. "MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 7 sports Making history at Randolph-Macon Men is basketball beats Randolph-Macon College 65-5 7, defeating the Yellow Jackets at Randolph-Macon for the first time in over 50 years By Hank Nathan V‘ STAFF WRITER For the first time in over 50 years, the Washington and Lee men’s basketball team defeated ninth-ranked Randolph- Macon College on the road. The Gener- als knocked off the Yellow Jackets 65- 57. The Generals‘ then continued their momentum against Randolph College, winning 64-46, to sweep the two-game road trip. On Wednesday, the Blue and White put an end to some negative history by winning at Randolph-Macon for the first time since the 1958-1959 season. “I am extremely proud of our guys for ending that streak,” said Coach Adam Hutchinson. “Fifty years is a long time to go without winning at an oppos- ing team’s gym. Our guys were very focused and _committed to getting that win.” The Generals opened up the scoring on a fade-away jumper from the foul line by first-year forward Jeremy Adkins who got a rare start. Randolph-Macon immediately responded with a layup, but Adkins scored again on the next pos- session. The game remained tight early on and the score was knotted at 14-14 after senior forward Zac White scored on a layup. W&L scored on its next two posses- sions on a layup by senior forward An- drew Payne and a dunk by first-year for- ward JD Ey after stealing the ball at half court. The score was 18-14 at 1 1:12 and- the Generals would never look back, not relinquishing the lead for the rest of the game. The Generals continued to advance their lead as senior forward Ben Goetsch and Payne combined for 16 points in the first half. With six seconds remaining in the first frame, White hit a 3-pointer from the right wing, making the score 41-30 at the break. In the first half, W&L shot a stagger- ing 66.7 percent from the field and con- nected on seven of seven free throws. Despite averaging 20 turnovers per game this season, the Generals had only six turnovers in the first frame, while the Yellow Jackets had nine. “Concentration,” said junior guard Jason Cimino, was how the squad cut down on turnovers. “Our team has suf- fered from lack of focus all season, and that lack of focus causes turnovers. Dur- ing the Randolph-Macon game, every- one was paying attention and very fo- cused, and, therefore, we didn’t turn the ball over.” Midway through the first half, the Generals switched up their defense to a 1-3-1 zone and, after the 13:18 mark, Randolph-Macon shot six of 18 from the field. “They were having a real off night from outside and the zone really ex- ploited that,” said Cimino. “We have so many long, athletic guys which makes the zone much more effective.” In the second half, Adkins once again began the scoring for the Generals, but then W&L’s shooting cooled off and the team was unable to hit another shot from the field for nearly 1 1 minutes. The Yellow Jackets capitalized off of the poor shooting and went on a 17-6 run to deadlock the score at 47-47 with 8:07 remaining. W&L and Randolph-Macon then traded off free throws and the score stayed tied at 49-49. When the Blue and White needed a basket the most, it was Goetsch, one of the team’s senior captains, who ended the Generals’ drought from the field on a three-pointer from the left wing and a la- yup off of a feed from Ey. Goetsch said the key to not falling behind was playing with a high intensity level. “Before the game, we had talked about keeping up our intensity for the whole game,” said Goetsch who tied a game-high in scoring with 17. “No mat- ter what the score was, we were not sur- prised or fazed that the game got close in the second half.” Cimino extended the lead to 56-49 with 5:22 to go on a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound. Randolph-Macon _ converted a layup of its own on the fol- lowing possession but was never able to get any closer down the stretch, the final score being 65-57. , In the effort, the Generals shot 44.7 percent from the field and held the Yel- low Jackets to 37.7 percent shooting, in- cluding one of 23 from beyond the arc. During the scoring drought, W&L was aided by excellent foul shooting, con- verting on 20 of 24 attempts. Also, the team forced l7 turnovers for Randolph- Macon and only had 12 of their own. “We have been in some tough games this season and over the last couple of years,” said Coach Hutchinson after the game. “We have responded quite well to adversity all year long, and this game was no different.” Following the upset victory over Randolph-Macon, the Generals trav- elled to Randolph College on Saturday. The game started out as a defensive battle as both teams struggled to score. The score was 24-20 at the break. The game remained tight for the first eight minutes of the second stanza, but the Generals eventually broke the game open. The score was 36-34 before W&L went on a 13-3 run, making the score 49-37. Adkins punctuated the lead with a three-pointer ofif a steal with 6:44 to go. Randolph narrowed the deficit to eight points, but could not get any clos- er. From the 5:24 mark on, the Generals scored 15 of the game’s next 20 points to win 64-46. Cimino, Goetsch and White each had 11 points apiece in the contest, while first-year Hans Harris contributed nine points off the bench. Once again, the Generals minimized turnovers by com- mitting only nine, while forcing 17 by the Wildcats. The W&L men’s basketball team is now 12-6 overall and 4-5 in the Old Do- minion Athletic Conference. Saintsvs. Colts: What’s the key to victory? Expect high-scoring and an emphasis on the receiving corps from two virtually identical offensive teams in Superbowl XLI V By Adam cancryn STAFF WRITER And so it is set. Super Bowl XLIV will pit the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. Manning vs. Brees. Offense vs. offense. First one to 40 wins. In the days leading up to the game, every aspect of these two teams_will in- evitably be examined, pored over and picked at in search of some obscure clue as to who will have the upper hand. Of- fenses will be compared to defenses, players matched up against their posi- tional counterparts and coaching strate- gies scrutinized. ‘ Countless storylines will emerge, but perhaps the most compelling one is also the simplest: the Saints and the Colts are nearly identical in every way. It is no secret that Indianapolis’ path to victory is paved through the air. The team averaged more than 282 yards per game through the air, good enough for second among all teams. Oftheir 14 vic- tories, star QB Peyton Manning threw for at least 300 yards nine times. He completed touchdown passes to five dif- ferent receivers, and wide receiver Reg- gie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark each notched 100 receptions. The only team more committed to passing, it seems, is the Saints. Employ- ing a similar aerial attack, New Orleans equaled the Colts’ 34 passing scores and supplemented it with 11 completions of 40+ yards. They boast their own accomplished signal caller, Drew Brees. Cast off by the Chargers five years ago, Brees moved to post-Katrina Louisiana and promptly ignited the offense. His deadly accuracy put him atop all quarterbacks this year in completion percentage and passer rating. v Both have dispelled the notion that to win in the NFL you must run the ball. The Colts have perhaps the worst run- ning game in the league. Veteran Joseph Addai and newcomer Donald Brown combined forjust 1,294 yards, a league low. But it’s not like they had much ofa chance to establish their worth: the Colts averaged just 22.9 rushing attempts a it am ; is 13 Eagl : aiiidf 5 ii 389311 4 game. By comparison, their last playoff opponent, the Jets, ran almost 40 times each week. ‘ New Orleans possesses a stable of running backs, but they are just as much receivers as runners. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush combined to make 86 catches out of the backfield. The run game is used primarily as a strategic change of pace, something to break up the monotony of Brees’ throws. For just the second time in 20 years, both Super Bowl teams are without a 1,000-yard rusher. If the Saints and Colts have merely ignored the run game, then they’ve demonstrated disgust at the concept of defense. The two are the only playoff teams ranked in the bottom 15 in total defense, giving up more than 339 yards per game. The Colts’ run defense was a sieve, with opponents averaging nearly 127 yards on the ground. The Saints’ de- ficiencies came in the secondary, which ranked 26th against the pass. The final score of this Super Bowl @Mi @Arizo V l/.DCtff1.l1Ii:@T§¥ii}éSS€ will certainly not be 9-6. So what will determine the outcome of a matchup of two identical teams? Unsurprisingly, it will likely come down to the play of two similar groups: the receiving corps. Indianapolis and New Orleans have found success through the air by relying on previously unheralded receivers; players that, when turned loose in a pass-centric environment, have flourished. To win, the Saints’ trio of Marques Colsten, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem must be the ones to move the ball down the field. With defenders keying on Pro Bowl- ers Wayne and Clark, the Colts will need to look to previous unknowns Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. If you don’t immediately recognize those names, don’t worry; most scouts hadn’t either when they broke into the league. In fact, Meachem was the only one selected in the first round of his re- spective draft, as the 27th pick. The av- erage draft position for the other four is 158. This year, however, they have made a name for themselves. Collie emerged as a reliable receiver opposite Wayne after the Colts lost a starter early in the sea- son. He made headlines most recently after catching seven balls for 123 yards in the AFC championship, including a game-changing 46-yard touchdown. Garcon, who did not start a game last year, has become Manning’s go-to guy in the playoffs. He leads Indianapolis with 16 receptions. Compared to the Colts’ young fly- ers, Colston, Henderson and Meachem are seasoned veterans. The unit has de- veloped a chemistry with Brees that is rarely disrupted. The pieces are in place for a display of offensive fireworks not normally seen on Super Bowl Sunday. The only ques- tions that remain are how many points each team can score and which group of unheralded receivers will swing the game in their favor. OCR::/Vol_113/WLURG39_RTP_20100201/WLURG39_RTP_20100201_008.2.txt MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1,2010 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 8 sports deck , MON Tues WED THURS FRI SAT l vs l Emory 8- Guilford I Football "em, 3 P m , 2 p.m. l . l at Virginia V5 Women’s at basketball wsslenian Lynchburg Randolph l p‘ ' p-'“- 4 p.m. l Men's swimming ‘[lllIomen’s Swimming] t Muhlen- Wrestling berg 11 a.m. M at VMI en's Track and '°'3Y5 Field 9 a_m_ at Women’s VMI relays Track and new 9 a.m. j Men's l Tennls l Women’s Tennis 1 ‘V numbers 16 The number of Grand Slam victories for tennis superstar Roger Federer. Federer easily defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) in the finals of the Australian Open yesterday. 28 The number of points keeping Kobe Bryant from tying Jerry West for the most points in Los Angeles Lakers history. West's record sits at 25,192 points. Bryant scored 19 against the Celtics on Sunday. 3-0 The University of Georgetown’s record against ranked non—conference opponents this season. No.11 Georgetown stunned No. 7 Duke Uni- versity 89—77 on Saturday as President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden looked on from the stands. 1958-1959 The last season in which W&L men's basketball defeated ODAC foe Randolph-Macon College at the Yellow Jackets‘ home stadium. W&L hadn't beaten Randolph-Macon at all since 1977. The Generals defeated the Yellow Jackets 65-57 on Wednesday. box “I can cry like Roger. It's just a shame I can’t play like him.” Andy Murray, the 22-year-old tennis pro from Scotland, on his loss to Roger Federer in the finals of the Australian Open on Sunday. Federer won 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11), only a year after sobbing on the court after losing a close final in five sets. The win marks Federer’s fourth Australian Open victory and his 16th Grand Slam title. courtesy of espn.com. “I ran into him in the hallway at halftime. ‘I was wor- ried he was coming. I thought it might be another distraction.” University of Kentucky head men's basketball coach John calipari on LeBron James, who attended the Wildcats 85-72 victory over Vanderbilt University on Saturday sporting Kentucky blue and white. courtesy of espn.com. -V STEELE BURROW/ saff photographer Sophomore forward Becca‘Bolton goes up for a lay-up in the Generals’ 69-66 win over Guilford College on Friday. Bolton put up a career-high 31 points and 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season Women on the rise The Lady Generals continue their success with a 69-66 win over Guilford College By Stephen Peck STAFF WRITER Sophomore forward Becca Bolton out- did herself again, and Washington and Lee beat Guilford College 69-66 in a back and forth battle on Friday night. W&L stretched its winning streak to four games and ran their record to 9-7 overall and a sparkling 8-4 conference re- cord with the win. The Quakers beat the Generals 55-52 on December 2nd, but the tables were turned this time around. It took a while for both offenses to get going and the first half ended all tied up at 26-26. Lead changes were plentiful in the first stanza as both teams struggled to seize control of the game. Once the second half started though, the fireworks began. Head coach Mandy King must have said all the right things at half time, because the Gen- erals came flying out of the gate and went on a 17-3 run. The first seven minutes of the second half was all W&L. The defense forced six Guilford turnovers during that span and the Generals’ offense capitalized on their miscues. With 13 minutes left, W&L had a comfortable 43-29 lead. But Guilford was not going down without a fight. With 47 seconds left, Jazlyn Gibbs sunk two free throws for the Quakers to put Guilford ahead by a score of 66-65. Fundamentals won this game for W&L. Bolton knocked down a free throw to tie the game at 66-66 with 33 seconds left. F irst-year Katy Wilson drew a foul and made one of two shots at the charity stripe to put the Generals ahead. And Bolton iced the game by grabbing a rebound, drawing afoul and sinking two more free throws with a mere four seconds left on the clock, ensuring the 69-66 victory. Bolton, who has been a double-double machine as of late, continued that trend with her ninth double-digit point and re- bound performance of the year. Bolton finished the game with 31 points and 13 rebounds. She was extremely efficient in this game, making 10 of 12 field goal at- tempts and sinking all ll free throws. ‘ For the game, the Generals shot 89 per- cent for free throws (24-27) to make up for a dismal shooting performance from long range. Fundamentals outweighed flair in this contest as the near-plerfect free throw shooting exhibition made it easy to overlook a poor 15 percent three-point field goal performance. “It was a great team effort,” said junior forward Felice Herman, who added 14 points and five rebounds to the win. “The individual efforts were complimented per- fectly by our chemistry on the floor. That whole game was about revenge for the loss the first time. Even though we did not match up great with Guilford, we_got the stops we needed on defense and made the shots that counted on offense.” . As postseason play advances rapidly, W&L is coming together at just the right time. The team faces another tough test on Tuesday and put their winning streak on the line versus Virginia Wesleyan. Herman said she is already looking for- ward to the next challenge. “We know we have to be just as tough when playing against Wesleyan,” she said. “That will be another great challenge for us and will just be another opportunity for revenge for the one-point loss to them last time.” That contest will tip offat 7 p.m. at Vir- ginia Wesleyan. Junior guard Allie Long dribbles up the court against Guilford