OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_001.2.txt The Libs: a place for p procrastination? 4 F .OPll\llONSii/page 4 roductivit); or V Go back in time...again. , Check out this other oldie but goodie from Sports Illustrated. SPORTS / page 6 THE RING-TUM PHI. , MONDAY,NOVEMBER14,2011ITIHiE stuagnrs gunirnl’ THE SIUBEIIIS SIIIEE I897 VOLUMECX,NUMBERlS WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSl'l‘Y ...~. . By Allie Weiss STAFF WRITER Reformed international conman Frank Abagnale will pay a visit to Wash- ington and Lee Tuesday, Nov. 15. Abagnale’s name is one that many as- sociate with success. The fonner conman now divides his time between delivering lectures worth $27,000 to the institutions that hire him and working closely with the FBI. He owns a company on which more than 14,000 organizations rely to protect them from the dangers of fraud. He has also published four books, one of which was turned into a film by Steven Spielberg. But his is also a name that went un- used during an infamous period of his life, replaced by aliases and seated atop federal lists of wanted criminals. With the name comes the story of one ' of the world’s most brilliant and elusive conmen. According to Abagnale, when he was 16 years old, he was taken out of school and driven to a courthouse. There, a judge asked him to choose which of from that day on. Up until that point, he hadn’t even known they were getting a divorce. Abagnale fled the courtroom. Over the next five years, he accrued an esti- mated $2.5 million, over $15 million in today’s world. During his years on the run, Abagnale worked as a Pan Am pilot, a pediatrician, a lawyer in the state attorney general’s ofiice, a stock broker, and a FBI agent. By the time he could drink, he’d seen eighty six countries and flown more than one million miles for free. And he’d done all of it without even finishing the tenth grade. In a recent interview with Fox News, Abagnale described his first scam, which he carried out using his , father’s credit card. “I would -. simply go around to the gas sta- tion and I would say to the gas "V station attendant that I’d like four tires. And he’d take them down off the rack and I’d give him the credit card. He’d call it in and get an approval, and then his two he’d get ready to put them on. parents I said, ‘Tell you what. I re- he’d ally don’t want those like to tires, so I’ll sell you live those 4 tires back with for $100 cash. You’ll get the money from Mo- bile, you keep the tires, I get a hun- dred dollars [to] take the girls out.’” “I think I was just very creative,” Abagnale said in that same interview. “It wasn’t that I was brilliant, I was just very_much an entre- preneur. I saw things that other people didn’t see. Isaw weaknesses by observ- ing things that other people probably paid no attention-to.” 1 Among Abagnale’s many cons, per- haps one of the most cunning was the time he opened a bank account with his last $100, and finished the week 400 times richer. As he was leaving the bank after opening his account, he picked up a stack of blank deposit slips. The next day, he wrote his account number on all ~ of the slips using the same type of mag- netic ink that banks used. He put the slips back in the lobby of the bank, and everyone who used them that day was effectively depositing their checks into Abagnale’s new account. He withdrew $40,000 that same day and walked away scot-free. In an interview with PM Magazine in 1980, Abagnale described how he made his way into the state attorney general’s office. “When I was about nineteen years old, I came to Baton Rouge and 1 ap- plied to take the bar. I presented a phony transcript from Harvard and told them I was 28 years old, and a ‘law graduate. I took the bar the first time. fiunked it. The second time, flunked it. The third time, I passed it, and was licensed by the state, and not only became a lawyer, but an ad- ministrative aid in the attorney general’s office, where I practiced law for about a year.” When he was 21 years old, Abag- nale settled for a short time in Montpel- lier, France. Not too long afterwards, an Air-France stewardess recognized his picture on a wanted poster, and told the French police where he was living. He was brought to trial in France, convicted, and spent six months in a French prison. During his time there, where he was re- ported to have been held without inter- ruption in a dark cell and given access to neither toilets nor a mattress, Abagnale stated in an interview with Don Tennant, “The truth is, as harsh as the French pris- ons were, I thought they were the most effective ofall. No one ever came in and beat me up or physically abused me, but what they were literally saying is, ‘You don’t know how to live in society, so we’re going to take you out of society. You acted like an animal, so we’re going to treat you like an animal. We’re going to put you in this box, and you can think about what you did.’” This he compared to his time spent in an American prison. “I played miniature golf, I watched mov- ies on the weekend, I had the best of food. Someone took care of every need I had—medical, dental. It wasn’t a bad life,” Abagnale said. However, despite such pampering, Abagnale accepted the offer that came from the government when he was 26, 4 years into the 12-year sentence that he’d been given after his extradition to America. He would be released on- pa- role under two conditions. The first was that he move to Houston. Texas. The second was that he serve the remainder of his sentence helping the government solve crimes related to forgery and coun- terfeiting. After prison, he took small jobs,_but was always fired once his employers discovered his status as a convicted con- man. Finally, he approached a bank staff and offered to demonstrate the tricks that scam artists use so that the bank could avoid being subject to them in the future. If the staff found his expertise useful, they would owe him $500 and a recom- mendation. Both parties ended up ben- TOMORROW at 7 You Can” TODAY efitting from Abagnale’s experti‘se,‘a,nd, that day was the first of _a thirty—seven year career‘ in. ‘arming organizations- against the dangers of fraud. , . " Abagnale eventually founded Abag- nale & Associates, a company dedicated to such a service, as well as authored several books detailing common tricks of the conman’s trade. One of these books, Catch Me if You Can, was made into a film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. “I would be lying ifl said it wasn’t fun,” Abagnalehas said. “I would be ly- ing if I said it wasn’t an incredible life that I have lived.” Today, after having worked for more than 35 years with the federal govern- ment, Abagnale lives with his wife and three sons. His oldest son is currently an agent with the FBI. Upon being asked about his son’s choice to join the very organization that had hunted Abagnale throughout the l960’s, he replied, “At 63 years old, I will never experience again what was the proudest moment of my life when my son crossedthe stage at the FBI Academy and became an FBI agent. He’s in the 6th year at the Bureau and living his dream.” When PM Magazine asked if he was reformed, Abagnale replied, “No, just retired. I decided to take all the talents I had, and just redirect them in a very positive way and do something positive with my life.” The Contact Committee, W&L’s student-run organization dedicated to bringing remarkable people to campus, is hosting Frank Abagnale at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 in Lee Chapel. Before his ar- rival, students are welcome to see Catch Me if You Can at 8:00 p.m.-. on Nov. 14. Campus Kitchens gives back Hunger and Homelessness Week raises awareness By Neil Haggerty COPY EDITOR The Washington and Lee Campus Kitchen and Na- bors Service League are localizing their efforts to help deal with problem hunger and homelessness through this week’s Thanksgiving Turkeypalooza and Hunger and Homelessness Week. “The goal is to ensure each of our clients gets to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal,” said Jenny Davidson, coordinator of student service-leaming. The Turkeypalooza is a national program for all Cam- pus Kitchens. The W&L group will bring Thanksgiving meals to local clients including Glasgow Concerned Citi- zens, Habitat for Humanity homeowners, Magnolia Cen- ter, Rockbridge Area Occupational Center, the Manor at Natural Bridge and the Lexington Office on Youth. These Thanksgiving meals include individual meals for homeowners as well as congregation meals, where the Campus Kitchen volunteers are able to enjoy a mealwith their clients and their clients’ families. “My favorite part of Turkeypalooza is meeting some Yadlin said a lot of extra volunteer shifts have been added for the Turkeypalooza, in order for people to get a chance to work with the Campus Kitchen. “These meals mean a lot to the people...it is good to step back [and volunteer] and take a bet- ter look at the bigger picture,” said Yadlin. The Turkeypalooza can be a “very minimal time . » commitment, but very rewarding," added Yadlin. lin. Because the Nabors Service League’s Hunger and Homelessness Week is also ' _ ‘ this week, students will be able to learn I ‘ I I about the specific problems with pov- I , erty in Rockbridge County and then :3 I make a difference by participating in‘ t the Turkeypalooza, according to Yad- - This year, Yadlin said, “We are try- I if ' I ing to make [Hunger and Homeless- ” amvus ofthe families of our clients. At both the Magnolia Center and the Office on Youth, families are invited to the event, and it is great to extend the relationships we’ve already developed with clients to their families,” said Davidson. Senior Shiri Yadlin, coordinator of campus outreach, said a central part of Thanksgiving is the abundance of food that most families share and “that this is not a reality for some people.” The first event for the Turkeypalooza was Bring Your Turkey to Work Day last Friday. Turkeys were collected from students and faculty members on the parking deck. For the remainder of this week, students interested in getting involved can sign up for cooking and delivery shifts on the Campus Kitchens website. “Turkeypalooza is our big Thanksgiving push. Each year it might look slightly different, but in general the structure remains the same year to year,” said Davidson. ness Week] locally focused [because] it is a really serious problem in Rock- ":4 bridge County.” She said that there are ' about 35 homeless people living in the Rockbridge County Area, over 100 houses with no indoor plumbing as well as many overcrowded homes. The schedule for Hunger and Homelessness Week includes an ad- vocacy event Monday, a panel on home- less- ness, housing and security in Rockbridge Coun- ty on Tuesday, a documentary about hunger issues on’ Wednesday and a final campout on Canaan Green on Thursday “to experience what it is like to be home- less,” Yadlin said. OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_002.2.txt UNIVERSITY LIBRARY WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VA NOV 2 1 2011 2 - THE RING-TUM PHI - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 news Winkler warns of technology Bloomberg editor—in—chief addresses the 52nd ethics institute; technology is good he says, as long as its not a crutch By Logan Nardo STAFF wmrea Technology is good for the joumal- ism industry as long as it doesn’t become a crutch, says Matt Winkler, Editor-in- Chief of Bloomberg News. Winkler delivered this message dur- ing his keynote address, titled “Truth in the Age ofTwitter_,” during the fifty-sec- ond Journalism Ethics Institute Friday, Nov. 11 in Stackhouse Theater. Winkler’s speech centered on the ac- tions he has taken at Bloomberg News to be sure the business does not publish any inaccurate stories. For Winkler, the focus on accuracy at Bloomberg cannot falter because they serve “those with the _ most at stake.” Bloomberg news gives many Wall Street brokers the latest fi- nancial news from around the world. According to Winkler, Bloomberg fo- cuses on the five “F’s.” Being the most factual word is first, but they also must have the first word, the fastest word, the final word and the future word. “I don’t think any news organiza- tion today can succeed without the five, ‘F’s,’” said Winkler. “I don’t think it’s possible.” Winkler said that he knows they can- not always have the absolute first word, or the absolute deepest coverage, but they are the best at always doing all five well. Winkler says Bloomberg has “report- ers operating in... a very traditional way when doing the best journalism as we know it is actually enhanced by technol- ogy, not diminished by it.” , There was a time, Winkler said, when anything published was factually veri- fied, edited and finally released to the public. Now, he says, that time is passed. Today, people can publish their every thought on a matter online. He referred to today’s media as a “freefall of sponta- neous expression.” Anyone can publish anything they want and it is accessible to the globe. Ed Wasserman, Washington and Lee’s Knight professor of ethics called Bloomberg to be a bright spotin the journalism industry. “At a time when the news busi- ness has splintered into various mutant forms mixing celebrity gossip, opinion, crowd based aggregation, thinly sourced reports of indeterminate reliability, Bloomberg under Matthew Winkler has fiercely insisted on standards of accura- cy and reliability that are the strictest in the industry,” said Wasserman, Winkler closed his speech with a sim- ple quote from Mark Twain "‘A lie will travel halfway around the world before the truth laces its shoes.” According to Winkler, Bloomberg is doing its best to counter that. Students learn to network Career services holds program for mulitcultural students, as part of an eflort intiated by By Drew Carlos STAFF wmrea Networking is beneficial to all stu- dents, but the key is to know how to do it right. On Saturday, Career Services offered a program to teach students just that. The first official “Building Profes- sional Networks: Connecting Washing- ton and Lee’s Multicultural Alumni and Students” was held Saturday Nov. 12. The program was aimed at the multicul- tural sector of W&L. Beverly Lorig, director of Career Services, called the program a “joy” to plan. Everything began, she said, with a conversation with alumni Mike Webb, who wanted to make this event happen. Webb, Lorig said, was the main person who helped in “keeping this event alive.” William Toles, ’92, gave the keynote address. His speech focused on maxi- mizing the W&L experience. He said even though going to W&L is a sacrifice, there are plenty of opportuni- ties to make the place special, because, Toles said, it is a special place. Toles advised students to get involved on campus, reach out to alumni and help with student recruitment. By doing all of these things, Toles said, students can maximize their time on campus and get involved more. “To get involved, get in- volved,” Toles said. After Toles’s speech, Dean Sydney Evans talked about why students don’t network. She said networking is not normally perceived as a good thing, which should not be the case. The only thing students need to do is to get coin- fonable with it, she said. Dean Tammy Futrell said alumni are here and want to contribute and help students, but students have to put forth the effort. Lorig talked about the importance of using the phone. In an age where ev- ery form of communication is through email, Twitter, Facebook and text mes- saging, the current generation does not necessarily use the phone to their advan- tage, but Lorig said the purpose of the program is to help the students develop these skills. She told the students, and the alumni agreed, you have to use the phone to reach out. After the keynote speaker, the stu- dents broke off into groups focused on alum Alike Webb certain topics so they could have a one- on-one conversation with the alumni and ask them questions. The students were given a choice to attend two breakout sessions in the fields of Legal, Business, Communications/Media, and Education/ Non-profit/Healthcare. President Ken Ruscio called it a “great event” that allows students to see how those who came before have weighed the choices all undergraduate students are about to face. OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_003.2.txt MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14,2011 3 - THE RING-TUM PHI - opinions . Reflections on the Real Madrid Columnist Francesca Wilson describes how gender relations in Spain compare to those at W&L 1 During my second week- end in Spain, I accompanied a Spanish fam- ily friend to a posh soiree for 20-somethings in Barrio Sala- manca, Ma- drid’s version of the Upper East Side. We ar- rived around 11- ll:30, Spanish cocktail hour, and I noticed upon my entry into the apartment that there were no other girls. There, surrounded by upwards of 20 “pijos” (yes, there’s a Spanish word for preppy), decked out in their mono- grammed Ralph Lauren oxfords and Tod’s drivers, I acted as any well-adjust- I ByFianoe9:a'M CULUHHIST ed female abroad would: I politely prac- ticed my espafiol while explaining why I had decided to study abroad in Madrid. I sat, perched on a settee for an hour chat- tingaway (it was as ifthey’d never seen blonde highlights), before any glamor- ous “pijas” entered the apartment. Immediately, the girls took up resi- dence on the far end of the living room and formed a tight little circle ofjust fe- males. It was as if the girls were there to be marveled from afar, like beauti- ful, distant objects. And, for an hour or so the group proceeded in this polarized manner. I, of course, sat, thoroughly en- tertained, feeling both fascinated and a little bit like an international harlot from all the quizzical stares I was receiving from across the room. Once the boys’ “gyntonics” finally set in, they embarked on their mission to conquer the seemingly impenetrable wall of females. With significant effort and some crouching next to the girls, the males began to break into the females’ circle. By the time my amusement had turned to boredom, the “pijos” and “pi- jas” were finally interacting. It goes without saying that Washing- “Patriarchal,” and quite honestly, “parochial,” are possibly the best words to describe the Spanish upper-middle class of Madrid. Within this small, close- knit society Catholicism and conserva- tism reign supreme and given this envi- In my time at Washington and Lee, I have never wit- nessed such awkward tension between the sexes as I did during my first “pijo ” gathering. ton and Lee has gender relations issues. As a (relatively) newly co-educational institution, it will still be many years before the undertones of the “Good Old Boy” that subtly persist will truly be cast aside. Nevertheless, in my time at W&L, I have never witnessed such awkward tension between the sexes as I did during my first “pijo” gathering. ronment, it is no surprise that the young women of this society are hesitant to in- teract with males. If girls are too forward they are ridiculed through malicious gos- sip that spreads within their social circle thus sullying their reputation. . .how me- dieval. A few weeks ago, I was sipping on a delicious “gyntonic” and chatting with a “pijo” acquaintance when he confided in me that he doesn’t have any female friends. For example, the concept of going to get lunch with a girl that he doesn’t have any romantic interest in is practically ludicrous. In his world, boys hang out with boys and girls hang out with girls and they only mix in semi- formal social gatherings. It was in this conversation that I realized how much I appreciate the male friends I’ve made at W&L. Although, I despise certain fraternity traditions, I feel that genuine and equal friendships between men and women can exist on our campus. While I adore Spain for all of its beauty, I find myself continuously irked by the patri- archal nature of the society. I am look- ing forward to returning to a culture in which women command a presence that extends beyond physical beauty and ro- mantic possibility. Interested in dancing like a star? Looking to impress that special someone at formal ? Columnist Brandyn Churc For the past two weeks, students and professors alike have been brush- ing up on their dance skills in preparation for last Sat- urday’s Gala. The recently formed W&L Ballroom, coordinated with profes- sional dancer Edwin O. Roa, offered two Swing workshops before the big night. The workshops, which were held in the Doremus Dance Studio, drew an average of 25 participants each lesson. Partici- pants learned a variety of basic steps and styles; ranging from the Charleston to Single-time and Triple-time Swing. As the founder of W&L Ballroom, I will now take this time to shamelessly promote my club. I had been dancing for a little over four years when I arrived at W&L freshman year. There is not a huge Byfirandyn Churchill cutumusr ballroom/social dancing community in Lexington (hopefully that will change soon), so I soon came into contact with Dr. Melina Bell. While attending law school at Boston University, Dr. Bell started taking ballroom lessons; She then proceeded to compete on the ballroom teams at Tufts University and the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, while working on her masters and PhD. After hearing her stories about dancing in college, I — decided that this was an experience that could add value to any W&L student’s college career. After a year of tossing the idea around, I asked Dr. Bell if she would serve as the club’s adviser, to which she agreed. Dancing is a fun activity and a life skill. How often have you heard’ some- one worry about not being able to dance? I regularly receive requests, before for- mals and other events, asking for a crash course in “how to dance well enough that I don’t look like an idiot in front of my date.” The purpose of W&L Ballroom is to develop and promote a social danc- ing community at W&L. Social dancing and ballroom dancing are very similar; they tend to draw on the same moves and styles. However, ballroom dancing tends to imply a choreographed routine per- formed at a competition (think “Dancing with the Stars”), whereas social dancing is what an individual would do if one went out to a Salsa club. Social dancing has room for flexibility and expression, in that there are no patterns or routines. While we are certainly open to the idea of competing, if students are interested, the immediate goal is to get students ac- quainted with theidea of partner danc- ing. We are fortunate because as we de- cided to form the group we discovered that Lexington has a professional ball- room dancer in town two days a week. Edwin O. Roa was born in Bogota, Co- lumbia, and grew up experiencing the nightclub scene. For the last seventeen years, Roa has been formally study- ing social and ballroom dance, and has traveled across continents to further his knowledge of partner dancing. Having held a Salsa workshop for the Depart- ment of Romance Languages, Roa was thrilled with the opportunity to offer additional workshops at W&L. As we continue, throughout the year, Roa will W&L students learn how to dance before Moc Con serve as our primary instructor. Currently, we are finishing our se- ries on Swing and strongly encourage anyone with a mild interest to come to the remaining workshops. They will be held on November 15th and December hill invites you to join W&L Ballroom BRANDYN CHURCHILL 6th and will take place in the Doremus Dance Studio. The instructional hour is from 8pm-9pm and an hour of open dancing follows. Cost $5 per person. For more information, contact me at churchillbl4@mail.wlu.edu. Infant Legislators Debate Abortion Interested in Barack Obaby is thoughts on abortion? Take a look at Columnist JP Beall s satirical spin on the debate Despite sig- nificant pro-life _forces among constituencies between one and three tri- mesters, a bill has passed the infant House of Representatives this last week in support of parental abor- tion, marking a significant shift leftward in baby ByJohn Paiulfle-all cmuumsr government policy. Debate became heated while the bill was in utero, resulting in tears, squirm- ing and occasional kicking between op- posing sides ofthe fallopian tube parties. The leftist Crybaby Party was divided between more radical Screamers, and moderate Blue Puppies. Screamers, like California Embryon- ic Rep. Maxine Vitro-Waters, argued that it is a sacred constitutional right for an infant to abort his or her parents should he not be ready to interact with them, es- pecially since the mother is biologically proven to be a part of an infant’s body and shares blood and nutrition. Blue Puppies like “Fighting-Joe” or life of the infant, the infant has a right to a parental abortion. Baby representa- tives cited cases of drug abuse during pregnancy, and whether said parents were considering taking on an abortion themselves. Polls showed that more liberal babies tended to come from more liberal con- stituent parents, while conservatives al- Conservative senatorial tykes threatened to filibus- ter. A leak poses the possibility that diapers may be involved Baby-Baca, also of California, acknowl- edged that although infant science has yet to ‘prove at what point parents feel pain (since some studies show that moth- ers respond to fetal movements), should the parent become a danger to the health most always came from aconsewative parental district. Conservative Neonatal-cons and the Religious Right opposed such measures, blaming biotech lobbyists, hungry for harvestable stem cells, for influencing their fetal opponents from across the am- niotic sack. Conservatives maintain that a parent’s right to life is sacred from the moment of fertilization, and that this is- sue would not be considered, if parents were not disenfranchised demographics in infant Congress. Neonatal-con Fox News journalist and former Presidential candidate, Mike Huckababy, publically denounced the bill. Other measures discussed during debate were whether or not the same rights applied should a child decide to euthanize aged parents regardless of health, dubbed “Pull the Plug on Par- ents Clause.” Another measure, called the “Deadbeat Dad Clause” would allow an egg, while still in the ovary, to influ- ence eugenic thought in their mother. Yet much milk drinking between par- ties formed a consensus, and these items were tabled until alter birth and elemen- tary schooling. The final legislative obstacle is the Tiny-Tot Senate, where the bill could go either way because of a tenuous lib- eral majority with a large faction of Blue Puppies. President Barack Obaby has come out in favor of parental abortion reform, briefly holding a press confer- ence and then quickly returning to flying around the country holding high-dollar fundraising dinners. Neonatal opposition is gearing up for the fight. Conservative senatorial tykes threatened to filibuster. A leak poses the possibility that diapers may be involved. On top of this, conservative govemesses have established a coalition to bring the law before the infant Supreme Court, where Ruth Baby-Ginsberg is the only staunch proponent of the bill. If the bill is nurtured successfully, the new Paren- tal Abortion Act (Jr.) will be due some- time next month. Testing Tebowing: does it really work? Columnist Sally Platt describes Tim Tebow is famous practice, “Tebowing, ” and her experience tryingit at W&L Tim Tebow can never be the President of the United States. He was born in the Philippines. Luckily, he probably never . wants to be. Being the quar- V terback of the Denver Broncos is a lot more fun than having to run a big old country like the United States and worry about nasty 5?‘ BySal|yPlatt cnLuumsr subjects like a bad economy. Tebow, as an NFL quarterback, cer- tainly doesn’t have to worry about his own economy. His multi-million dol- lar contract takes care of that. Yet while many would probably choose to spend this wealth indulging every minute of their free time purchasing the perfect cars, houses, vacations, yachts, and trophy wife (s?), Tim Tebow has a dif- ferent mission. He is out to evangelize the world. No, really. Tebow, the son of strict evangelical missionaries who homeschooled him through high school, takes his Christian faith to a whole new level. He may play professional football, but off time he visits prisons,» goes on missionary trips to the Phillipines and prays. Tim Tebow is famous for his praying, especially when he prays and in what position he prays. He is famous for get- ting down on one knee, fist on forehead, and praying at the most inoportunte mo- ments (aka, during crucial periods of a football game). During the overtime of the Broncos improbable win against the Dolphins, while all his fellow players were freaking out, Tebow was “Tebow- ing.” That is the official name that has been given to this action. It has sparked quite a following. Originally started by teenager Jared Kleinstein with a picture posted on Facebook, it has grown into a franchise. There is the official website, where fans can post pictures of them- selves “Tebowing” (the toddler and dog pictures are especially epic), T-Shirts, XouTube videos, and much more. It’s like planking, but way cooler. This led me to try it. As if my life weren’t interesting enough as it is, I de- cided it was time to embarass myself. I tried it first in the Coop. Sitting with people around a table, I suddenly got down on one knee ---and then realized: I didn’t know how long you were sup- posed to “Tebow.” I decided one second was enough and quickly got back up to explain to my friends that I was not, in- deed, crazy. Next I tried somewhere a little more adventerous. Wednesday night. The cab- ins. Middle of the dance floor. This was a bit of a fail, as everyone simply thought I had drunk too much and --- slipped or something? Oh well, still counts. Suffice to say, Tebowing is fun. No matter what you think of the guy, whether a freak, a weirdo homeschooler, an overrated quarterback, or all of the above, you have to admit he spices up the NFL. So if you feel inspired, snap a pic and post it to tebowingcom. And who knows, maybe one day soon Pres- Pres Obama will appear on there too --- Tebowing along with the best of them. OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_004.2.txt 4 - THE RING-TUM PHI- opinions I Learning through French cinema In this world, we all are mirrors and refiections——of each other, ofeverything. This concept may be agonizingly pain- ful to accept, but this anguish is crucial to endure and cin- brace for the sake of self-growth. Three months ago, I un- covered an image ofinyselfthat was capable ofravaging my entire essence. Because of this image, I became committed to a path which demands that I explore, practice and refine my personal truths in order to become authentic. I found this piece ofmy soul within the French film “Tous les Matins du Monde,” specifically within the character of Mann Marais. This movie involves a story which contrasts the choices ofa famous commercial musician, Mann Marais, with those of his reeiusive nienton Monsieur de Sainte Coioinhe__hoth be honest, if you’re China but you don’t know how to turn your try bus at the quad, walking to the library, I. involved in the nth eentury Freneh nonuiar inusie seene_ trying to avoid see- phone on silent? I find this hard to believe. and taking the elevator down to the 4th floor _whi|e describing Mnrnisa ‘iourney from inusieian to true mg someone, the li- The dude who wants everyone to rather than facingta drunken stumble down artist. Sainte—Colombe lives quietly with his music, until By Campbefl Bu" brary IS not the place know he’s stressed out— We get it, you’re Lex1ngton’s version of “The Exorcist” a young Marais appears at his door’ heggiiig for vioi ies_ opmmus Euirag to go. Everyone who stressed out...and you want attention. stairs. This may not be as scary as it is for sons. He nityingh, deeides to take Marais int and the iessons danced with you, hit Screaming the f-word and smacking the the sober studiers because with your level of i_,eein_ Marais iearns__in then his ski“ beeoines t~oriniduhie_ on you, and filled your cup will be studying table is one way to get it, I guess. intoxication, you may think a bearded man _bJt he is too young to understand the niusiet too inexne_ I next to you. The big dipper- It’s okay, that water lying on acouch in the comer is ahallucina- rieneed to seareh for rneanind within it, too tvearr~ui to thee Here are some scenarios to which every bottle of murky brown liquid doesn’t gross tion. e-the iaek ofeternit)/_v too ignorant to reeognize the pain oi‘ W&L student can relate. We’ve all pulled me out at all. Wish the custodial staff good morn- eXistenee_ And so, he hears only the ehords whieh serve his that all-mghter, sat next to the person who The sick one——Cough, cough. Ew, cover ing-— ainbition, he sees only the gold which his gift will providc_ is oblivious to how noisy she is, and felt your mouth or I will force you to wear a You wake up to the sound ofa vacuum, t. Colombe, disgusted with Marais’ motives, rejects him, re- fusing to further his musical education. Mann is soon hired by the King’s Court, and becomes the most popular cellist of saw light." the l7th century. Yet, later, as a iniddle-aged man, he begins to feel remorse for his previous actions and he scratches on Sainte Colombe’s shed door in hopes of attaining “one last lesson.” A poignant conversation ensues in which the master attempts to convey to the popular musician the true meaning I of music: “Music is a glass for the dead. A refreshment for those who have run out of words. It is for lost childhood. It is for the time before we were born, before we breathed or Marais redeems himselfwith a last song laden with the voice of experience and understanding. As he is playing, he has a vision, in which his teacher, Coloinbe, appears to tell him, “I am proud to have been your teacher. Please play for me.” With these words, with these scenes, with this message, this film has pushed me into undergoing an excruciatingly desperate process—but one with a luminous conclusion: an elevation of self. Like Marais, I have played the chords of life as a person ignorant of their meaning~but I was only able to appreciate this by realizing that my essence was mir- rored in Mann Marais’. I was reflected in Marais’ shameless actions--his shallow intentions in playing music, his hollow I The film then shifts to a later time, in which the dying lating reasons for commercializing his talents. I therefore allowed this film to become my o\vn “Sainte Colombe,” and have embarked on ajourney to become an artist of my destiny in order to attain ultimate redemption; and to begin proverbially playing life‘s chords, not for personal gain or for ambition, but in order to allow myself an expanded per- spective of synchronicity with the world. I have thus real- ized that we are all connected, we are all mirrors, we are all reflected within each other furthered my connection with my surroundings. And I hope, when I reach my end, that I will experience the knowledge that a master ofhis own life will look to mine and say to me, “I am proud...Please play for me." because ofthis film, I have By Andrea Siso Why do I achievements and successes as a popular cellist, his calcu- THE MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS&LIFE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITORS STAFF WRITERS DESIGN EDITOR STAFF CARTOONIST BUSINESS MANAGERS DISTRIBUTION STAFF PHI. DIANDRA SPICAK ELEANOR KENNEDY CAMPBELL BURR PAIGE GANCE JAYNA JOHNS NEIL HAGGERTY ERIN SCHWARTZ JOHN PAUL BEALL JAMES BIEMILLER DREW CARLOS BRANDYN CHURCHILL CYNTHIA LAM LOGAN NARDO DESSIE OTACHLYSKA SALLY PLATT ANDREA SISO ALLIE WEISS ANGELA WILLIAMS FRANCESCA WILSON JULIANNA SATTERLY GREG USSERY MATT GOSSETT DAVID WILSON DILLON MYERS BRIAN SIMPSON KANE THOMAS MISSION STATEMENT: It is the mission of THE RlNG~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, which can be reached at mediaboard@wlu.edu, but is otherwise independent.TI-IE RlNG—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 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 It At W&L, you spend 20 percent of your time in class, 10 percent of your time in bed, 10 per- cent of your time in a dining hall, and 60 percent of your time in the library. Let’s stressed. Here is a list of the types of people who may distract you and what you may find yourself doing when work takes you longer than expected. People who may distract you: Your crush- There is nothing more distracting than having the boy you like sit next to you when you have a lot of work. You will probably be consumed by how your profile looks, or how adorable it is that he tears up when he reads “Romeo and Juliet.” We all struggle with this. There are a couple of scenarios that can happen that will make the experience worse. Scenario: He walks in when you are eat- ing something that cannot be eaten graceful- ly, such as a banana. Even Kate Middleton could not chew a banana without it sound- ing disgusting. Scenario: You have a cold and are either sniffling or blowing your nose the entire time. Who wants to make out with someone who is sick? Ew, not I. Scenario: Your friend walks up and with- out realizing that said crush is sitting next - to you, says, “Well I saw you flirting with [crush’s name] last night. I know you two will totally hook soon!” Urr. The girl who can’t take hints— Sometimes I think that there is a sign on my back that says, “If you want to complain about work or talk about nothing, talk to me.” My study spot is the Mecca for fraz- zled students. You probably have had a few run-ins with these creatures; the ones who spend their nights moving from one innocent victim to the nexticomplaining about how much they have to do. If only they were as good at doing work as they were choosing people who want to hear about their prob- lems the least, they may get something ac-» complished. The two nerds attempting to flirt— Resist the opportunity to offer advice to the challenged individuals. It can sometimes take a lot of will power not to say, “Girl, stop cracking your knuckles and yawning when you have nothing to say. Boy, stop avoiding eye contact and saying ‘frat.’ You sound like a tool.” If only I could do this, the couple may decide to spend time together somewhere other than the library. And then, I could fo- cus again. The ice chewer- I can’t think ofa more obnoxious sound. Tell the iron-deficient cruncher to pipe down. Mr. Hungry- We all love the smell of specialty fries, except for when we can’t eat them! Unless you are willing to share, keep the fries at Co-op. Studies show that eating while you work will cause you to consume more. The texter who refuses to turn off his volume- Beep, beep beep- beep, beep... ding ding---really? Really? You know how to play chess with your best friend from SARS mask and plastic gloves. The person who listens to headphones with the volume on the highest level—— Want to listen to a little T-Pain? Hah, you have no choice. I don’t know how “Chopped and Screwed” is a good study song, but ap- parently it is. Thanks to these people, your work Lex and the Library es it take you so long to finish the simplest assignments? Take a 00 go to the school was not scary enough... You take a creaky elevator ride to the de- serted fourth floor dungeon and swear you hear a Leybum ghost from behind a shelf. Your heart isbeating louder than the late- night rap they play in Co-op. This may also apply to you Woods Creek residents on your way home at night. You may prefer getting off of the Traveler coun- shake your head and realize that you are not in your bed; your head is on a keyboard and you are drooling across your books. Your dying phone reads 4 a.m. What? 4 a.m.? So much for a ten minute snooze! You have five hours to finish your project, which would seem doable if you were not com- pletely delirious. You probably have had a few run-ins with these creatures— the ones who spend their nights moving from one innocent victim to the next complaining about how much they have to do may take longer than planned. The re- sults? Later nights and extra stress." These may cause you to: Burst into tears—— Boys, don’t pretend this doesn’t happen to you. Eveniyou tough guys who claim they will never shed a tear about anything school- related after going through pledgeship have experienced that moment of panic when it feels like your life is spirally out of control. This may happen 30 minutes before class when you learn the project worth half your grade is due, or when you check your Sakai Gradebook and learn that you received a C on the paper you skipped formal to finish. The tears well up and before you know it, there are two waterfalls coming from your eyes—tears of panic, frustration, and every- thing else you have been holding in. Even that ounce of anger towards the clumsy oaf who stepped on your Sperry Saturday night may spill out. You head to the bathroom to blow your nose and ‘wipe the eye make-up from under your eyes. “Do I look okay?” you ask that friend who you know will tell the truth. “If Rudolph with a black eye on crack is ‘okay,’ then I guess,” she responds. Oh well. Make scary late night trips to the 4th floor- You are in the library on a Saturday night because you have a paper due on Sunday at 5 p.m. Why teachers make this a deadline, I do not know. You’re on Annie, the library’s search engine, trying to prove to your teach- er that your generation does not depend on Wikipedia and the intemet for all of its an- swers. A quick Annie search reveals that the one book you need for your paper is...on the fourth floor. As if studying on the main floor alone with a bunch of kids you swear do not _ . Then, a member of the custodial staff appears, a kind older man who resembles a white—haired version of Frankie Avalon when he sings “Beauty School Drop Out” in “Grease.” He gives you the kindest smile you’ve ever seen in your life and for a sec- ond, you feel optimistic that you will finish your work. I You decide that a dwarf-sized serving of caffeine is just what the doctor ordered. You head up to the Book Nook and help yourself to a 5Q-cent cup of tea that is way too small to satisfy a normal-sized human being. After downing it in a gulp, you buy some overpriced Swedish Fish from the vending machine (thank you swipe card fee), type a couple of words, and let the vacuum lull you back to sleep. Well, so much for that paper. Worst Case scenario: your teacher mistakes your paper for the fourth grader’s he tu- tors...big deal. , Soak your hands in sanitizer to recov- er from a study sesh in a fishbowl- As nice as it is to have your own space and silence, fishbowls on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors freak me out a bit. They remind me of McDonald’s PlayPlaces; they smell questionable, seem germy, but are made off to be sanitary. I’ve heard tales of people hooking up in them, so I avoid the ones with small windows at all costs. Even though library distractions some- times result in wasted time and last-minute stress, they make studying a lot more enter- taining. I mean, would you really want to go to the library if no one was there? (If yes, check out Leybum on a Wednesday night). So next time you think that going to the li- brary will allow you five undisturbed hours of work, think again. /.:'in.1-ii»-I’*-Niliuwi £30-Mrfxr--I-.+ 1'-'3. Ila: lit e i, ..,._,.,'~rl-~,i'$..,v.I"I.... UNIVERSITY COMMONS ROOM. 341 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA 24450 TELEPHONE: (540) 458-4060 FAX: (540)458-4059 EMAIL: PHl@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 GREG USSERY/ staff cartoonist OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_005.2.txt v MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14,2011 S - THE RING-TUM PHI- arts&|ife Mock C on Gala right on! The event marks the halfway point between Spring Kick— ]? and the actual Mock Convention in February By Neil Haggerty copv EDITOR Students danced the night away this Saturday at the Mock Convention’s Presidential Gala. It only happens every four years; once in every Washington and Lee student’s college experience. With about 1,700 students participat- ing in this event, the Presidential Gala brought all parties together for a night to remember. According to social committee chair Victoria Mercer in a promotional video for the Gala, “The Presidential Gala is sort of a spin-off of the Presidential In- augural Ball. It sort of marks the half- way point between Spring Kick-Off and the actual Mock Convention in Febru- ary.” “It’s primarily a fundraising event, on the scale of Fancy Dress, designed to bring the undergraduate and law stu- dents, faculty, alumni parents and lead- ers of the Lexington community togeth- er,” said Kelli Jarrell, Mock Convention Communications Chair. After many state delegations joined together at parties in preparation for the Gala, students came together and wore formal attire in black ties and cowboy boots, an idea sparked by the theme of George W. Bush’s Inaugural Ball. The full package for this election’s Gala included tickets for t-shirts, tervis tumblers, stemless wine glasses, a low- ball cocktail glass, and a cork screw all in theme of W&L’s Republican Mock Convention. For students ages 21 and over, there was a beer and wine garden addition at the Gala. In the promotional video, Tricia King, the general chair of Mock Con, said that she is excited for all of the students involved in the convention to “own the convention as their own,” since participation in the event has increased from the 150 students involved in Mock Con at the time of Spring Kickoff. “Spring Kickoff did a great job of bringing the students body together with the leaders of the Lexington Community and Fancy Dress is a rare opportunity to interact with professors outside of the classroom. The Gala serves both these purposes and since it only happens once every four years, you know we’re going to do it big,” said Jarrell. Registration and WebAdVisor woes Many students woke up early to beat the 7 a. m. By Cynthia Lam 5 TA F F w R I T E R Just like cramming for midterrns and gaining the Freshman 15, registering for courses is one of the many rites of pas- sage every W&L student experiences. For some people, however, the stress of securing the perfect schedule is nearly as nerve-wracking as getting a date for the Presidential Gala. Winter course registration officially opened at seven a.m. on Nov. 1, allowing students to select two classes for the up- coming terrn, with staggered dates giv- ing special preference to upperclassmen. While this system generally worked for seniors, juniors, and sophomores, it gen- erated feelings of anxiety and concern among many freshmen. “My main worry was that most of . level the classes I wanted would be full either because most of the upperclassman had taken it, or they had, like, three spots or less left,” said first-year Julia Lang. “It was like a race, two of my hall mates ac- tually went to the library at 6:30 a.m. to make sure that they would have a good intemet connection, because that one second can make all the difference.” The competition for introductory- classes was especially fierce among science majors and students on the pre-med track. Said first-year Grace Lee: “There were very, very few spots for the entire Chemistry ll2 section, and all the stu- dents were trying to get in at the same time. Like everyone else, I woke up half an hour before registration happened, because I knew that it was the only hope of getting the two classes I wanted. Even though I clicked “register”.at 7 am, I didn’t get into either of them. It was really concerning that I didn’t get into a chemistry class, because I want to be a biochemistry major.” This conflict was resolved later that morning, however, when the department head sent an email to all the Chemistry lll students, explaining that they had reserved spaces for current students and they were committed to finding a spot for everyone in Chemistry 112. “It all worked out,” said Lee. Other freshmen experienced simi- larly stressful situations, often due to unforeseen consequences. Said first-year Matthew Moore, “I timed it down on the atomic clock that I had pulled up, so I waited until it was 6:59 am and 58 seconds, and then I pressed “register” at what I thought was exactly 7 o’clock, but I realized I had a business ofiice hold because my mom hadn’t paid off my $40 swipe home.” “My heart just dropped,” added Moore. “I had to wait until it opened at 8:00 am, call them, have the hold lifted, and then I registered for what was left.” “I feel like it was better when we all had different times to register, just because it wasn’t a mad rush of people all trying to register at the same time,” said Lang. “WebAdvisor is a good thing; deadline and struggled securing the few slots in primetime class times there’s just some technical difiiculties that need to be worked out.” Under the old system, registration times used to be staggered for each stu- dent. * According to sophomore Kelsey Mc- Clary, course registration becomes less stressful once students declare their ma- jor. “As a freshman, you have to finish the rest of your FDRS, but once you know what you want to do, you can actu- ally focus on the classes you want,” said McClary. “I think that this is the fairest way to do it; I can’t think of a system that would be more successful for every- one to use.” College Dems and Republicans go head-to-head Mock Con sponsors a debate between the two politically motivated clubs, debaters will cover taxes, jobs and other issues By James Biemiller STA F F wn ITE R Mock Convention 2012 will spon- sor a debate between the W&L College Democrats and College Republicans this Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in Lee Cha- pel. Each team will consist of four mem- bers. Half of the debate will feature pre- « pared answers to questions distributed beforehand to the teams. The other half will be open for audience members to ask questions of the teams. Republican debate team members include Tyler Grant, Tim McAleenan Jr., Connor Perkins and Matt Simpson. Democratic debate team members are Robbie Day, Leah Gose, Zain Raza and Todd Smith-Schoenwalder Issues to be debated include taxes, deficit reduction, education, jobs, im- migration, energy, and national security. “It’s going to be both extremely in- formative and entertaining. There are some excellent individuals on both sides of the debate who will make it fun while providing insight on the ideologies and policy perspectives of their respective party,” said Perkins. Team members have been preparing their best arguments for weeks. ‘‘I read three newspapers a day,” said Gose. “I’ve been trying to become a little more well-read in the going—ons of the House and Senate. I know the party platform well, but I’ve been trying to learn more about what’s going on in the now, not the 2012.” Both sides are confident in their abili- ties to defend their positions. “I think each side is going to be fir- ing on all cylinders in an effort to outdo the other, and in the end it will just come down to who can best convey their views and their reasoning for those views,” said Perkins. About the outcome of the debate, Gose said “Confidence is key but arro- gance is a downfall. . .I expect both sides to give good opinions.” “It’s great that we can have debates like this and that people are open to hear- ing ideas that aren’t their own. It shows a growing tolerance on campus,” added Gose. Both organizations hope to see a strong turnout to support their debate members and learn about current politi- cal issues. “We’re on the cusp of becoming in- formed voters and this is a good chance for'students to hear both side of the ar- gument and see W&L students express their opinions,” said Gose. Wa nt rage? ow! phi@w|u.edu spicakd1 2@mai|.w gancep13@maig OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_006.2.txt 6 - THE RING-TUM PHI- MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 sports The Generals Have Gone Amateur . On December 15, 1958, Sports Illustrated ran a story on W&L ’s basketball program. In honor of the basketball seasons beginning this week, the Phi decided to run it again. Written by Jeremiah Tax In the hoopla surrounding the open- ing ofthe college basketball season last , week, little attention was focused on a game played in a small gym in Lexing- ton, Va. before an audience of only 500. Even the final score excited few people outside the state of Virginia, though probably the longest-odds team any- where in the nation that night had appar- ently put on a remarkable performance. The team was Washington and Lee, the first group of “amateur” Generals since the school dropped athletic subsidiza- tion in 1954. Last spring, the few re- maining holders of athletic scholarships had been graduated, and W&L, rich in traditions going back to 1749, looked apprehensively to its athletic fortunes. As is often the case, an appreciation of the past illuminates these current events. George Washington still contributes $12 toward the education of every stu- dent at Washington and Lee. The money comes from the earnings of 100 shares of stock in the James River Naviga- tion Company, which Washington gave to the school, then called Liberty Hall Academy, in 1796. Grateful trustees promptly changed its name to Washing- ton College. More than half a century later, after General Robert E. Lee had served as president, his name was added and the school became a university. Today, a statue of Washington, carved out of a single pine log and thickly crusted with layers of white paint, stands atop W&L’s oldest build- ing and faces, across campus, the simple, sedate ex- A terior of Lee Chapel, , ‘ designed and built it‘ by the gen- eral also as a gift to the school. Inside the ‘_ chapeh "9" where Lee and his family are buried, is the famous re- cumbent marble statue of Lee, flanked by Confederate battle fiags— still the goal ofthousands of tourists. For these and other visitors there is much else to please the eye on this picture-book campus tucked into’ a hilly, wooded corner of Virginia’s lush Shenandoah Valley. It is a friendly place; the stranger is greeted warnily by stu- dents and faculty alike as he strolls the ancient brick walks~a custom which once brought the school a million-dollar endowment and a new gymnasium. In the early 1920s, a tourist from the North was so impressed with the courtesy shown him that he willed this sum and provisions for a fine athletic plant. MANY SCHOOLS Now BIGGER If only because of age, W&L has ac- quired its host of social and academic traditions~not the least of which is a record of sports rivalry with other southern schools that goes back to the origins of intercollegiate competition. Many of these schools, the universi- ties of Virginia, Tennessee and Ken- tucky, for example, have long since outgrown W&L in both size and athletic prowess. Lee Chapel will still ac- commodate nearly the whole student body (all male and ‘ less than 1,000), and W&L has never enlarged its scope beyond that of encom- passing the liberal arts. There came, inevitably, that summer day in I954 when W&L’s trustees were forced _to make a decision about athletic policy; they did, and students, alumni and fac- ulty have been debating it heatedly ever since. The decision to drop subsidiza- tion meant, simply, no more scholar- ships and competition that would elimi- nate most, if not all, traditional rivals while including others closer to the size and athletic ambitions of W&L. It will be a few more all sched- fiect this years before ules re- search for a new level, but meanwhile insistent voices and petitions condemning the poli- cy continue to bom- bard W&L’s trustees. Dr. Wil- liam M. Hin- ton, chair- man of W&L’s ath- letic committee, professor of psy- chology and education, a rabid and knowledge- able sports fan, explains the administration‘s position thus: ‘‘I’m a W&L man myself, class of ‘29, and l’vc been on the campus practically ever since. No one is prouder ofour athletic traditions. But it had been apparent for years that we could no longer compete on our past level, except at serious cost both aca- demically and financially. The compe- tition for good athletes had grown to the point where, if you wanted to play in our league, you had to accept some boys who were poor academic risks. At the same time, you were subsidiz- ing boys who were poor or average students, and were unable to offer help to top-grade students. Each year the cost grew bigger. Football got all the money it needed, and the minor sports had to be content with splitting up the rest, often less than enough for adequate equipment. We can't draw large, paying crowds from the Lexington area, so we were playing away from home, putting on a show for strangers instead of our own people. Some friends of mine say we ought to drop intercollegiate compe- tition altogether. I can’t agree. I like to see those good-looking, hard-nose boys who want to play football and basketball and lacrosse walking around our cam- pus. They add something important to your student body. And we’ll continue to get them. This year 80 boys turned out for football, more than ever before, even under subsidization. And we darn near beat Sewanee, a good single- wing team. All we need is a few wins in a few sports and this furor will die down. When I was a stu- dent, we were already having trouble in football, but we had a fine wrestling team. And our attitude was—if we couldn’t beat the Wahoos in football, we could at least wring their necks.” ALUMNI STILL PROTEST These views have thus far failed to win over a substantial number of influ- ential alumni groups and at least a ma- jority ofthe undergraduates, all ofwhom find it hard to accept such names as Se- wanee, Wittenberg and Centre on W&L sports schedules. The prevailing view of this opposition is that a limited number of athletic scholarships would still en- able the school to compete against the Virginias, VPIs and Richmonds. Prob- ably the trustees are the realists. Today, no school that offers 20 athletic schol- arships can compete successfully for long with another that offers 100. This involves nojudgment ofthe morality of athletic scholarships but a recognition of the open-market bidding for athletes Ofall kinds. Nevertheless, when the Generals opened their basketball season last week with the very first all-amateur team, still playing a Southern Conference sched- ule, the overwhelming undergraduate sentiment was that W&L’s athletic tra- ditions were being disgraced and that the players, disgruntled themselves, would fail to arouse any school spirit. True enough, the team, to a man, was in favor of some program of athletic schol- arships, especially (understandably) for basketball men. On the other hand, their coach~crew-cut, earnest Bob McHen- ry, only 24 years old and himself an amateur starting his first season—could honestly say he was for the amateur pro- gram: “Under subsidization, I wouldn’t be the coach.” Well, neither McHenry nor his play- ers disgraced anyone. They faced a strong William and Mary team, com- posed almost wholly ofscholarship men, three of whom were inches taller than W&L’s biggest player, and they were conceded little chance to put on even a reasonably close game. But McHenry had scouted William and Mary well and was able to use his boys with maximum strategic effect. In the final analysis, however, it was the very quality they were supposed neither to have nor evoke—spirit~that proved their greatest asset. They hustled endlessly, actually rebounded on even terms with William and Mary despite the vast difference in height. Under the sure hand of Mal Lassman, their attack was relentless and intelligent, rarely los- ing the ball through amateurish errors. At the end of regular time, the score was 52 all. At the end of the first five- minute overtime period, it was 56 all. They lost, finally, 63-60, never having abandoned their poise, and to student cheers such as have seldom greeted winning W&L teams. Rather than dis- gracing, they surely enhanced a proud tradition. George Washington, it appears, in- vested that stock wisely. Tired of your sport not being represented? Write for the Phi. Problem solved. Feel free to email us at phi@ wlu.edu, spicakd12@mail.wlu. edu or johnsj 12@mail.wlu.edu. OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_007.2.txt g MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 7 - THE RING-TUM PHI- I ill.lEXANl)l§l{ MARAGIIS Job security in sports is almost exclusively measured on wins and losses. This emphasis placed on the on-field results is most prominent in professional sports’, but it undoubtedly trickles down to the amateur levels as well. For better or worse, this straightforward barometer dictates nearly all personnel de- cisions in the business of sports. Yet over the last week and a half at Penn, State, job security was measured in something HI-.',l‘... S'l‘El’llE1 I PECK Joe Paterno has been the head coach of the Penn State Nit- tany Lions football team since 1966. He has amassed a Divi- sion I record of 409 career wins. He has won two national championships, is a College Football Hall of Famer, and has even been a Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. His list of accolades is only rivaled in length by the list of stories of Patemo affecting a person’s life positively. considered foreign to modern athletics. This measurement is neither new, nor complicated, but so ofien hidden from View that its prominent re—inclusion into decisions at Penn St. almost came as a shock. What’s the measurement? Right and wrong. Unfortunately, basing ‘decisions off of what is right and wrong is usually implemented when something terribly wrong has occurred, like the child abuse charges against former Penn St. Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky. It might be seldom The colle e football world was rocked last week w en allegations of child sexual abuse came out against a former Penn State . coach. Long time head coach Joe Patemo was dismissed, leading many to ask, did the school do the right thing by firing him so quickly? Stephen and Alex give their takes. But when faced with the opportunity of bringing a close friend to justice for sexual assault, Paterno stood by. Paterno is a legend. He is a titanic figure in college football -and is revered like a god in Happy Valley. People listen to Joe Paterno. But when informed of the atrocities committed against a young boy by former assistant Jerry Sandusky, Paterno shrunk. It was a deciding moment in the life of the man known as Joe Pa, and he failed. According to the horrifying grand jury report, when in- used, but thank God someone decided to apply it in Happy Val— A ley. Right and wrong has the former President of Penn State Graham Spanier and several other prominent former university officials looking for new jobs (and likely never finding them). Right and wrong also has thousands of students from Penn St. organizing a candlelight vigil on campus to show support for the victims of this sex-abuse scandal. So where is Joe Patemo’s place on the right and wrong spectrum? Didn’t he do the right thing? Well yes...and no. He reported once heir—apparent Sandusky’s alleged crimes to his superiors, assuming they would be dealt with in the proper manner, and that’s it. Yes, that was one of the right things to do. But it wasn’t enough in the eyes of The Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees or in the eyes of many in the general public. The board decided that the best course of action was to -fire the face of the school before he had the chance to coach the Nittany Lions in what would have been his 549th game. Two Saturdays ago, Patemo and the Nittany Lions defeated The University of Illinois 10-7 to place Patemo atop the all—time college football wins list--a truly remarkable accomplish- ment in what was widely considered before the scandal to be his final year on the sidelines. His iconic career at Penn St. was filled with dozens of accolades that now appear hollow in the wake of such a dark period in the school’s history. In the end, Patemo was fired because he didn’t do enough to stop the alleged abuse. I agree that he should have been fired; he didn’t do enough right to keep his job. Still, Patemo getting the ax before he had the chance to coach the last home game of the season does not seem fitting. He’s not accused of sexually abus- ing anyone. I just don’t think that the punishment fits the crime. He did not commit so much wrong to warrant an immediate and graceless dismissal. I say that PSU should let the man who has become the face of the university go out with some deserved dignity. He has donated millions to the school and is consistently mentioned as not only a molder of great football teams, but a molder of great men. Nearly all who have played under him since his first year 1966 admire his passion, leadership and integrity. So in a situation caused by one man doing so much wrong, I think Penn St should have let “JoePa” coach just one more game. It seems like the right thing to do. formed by a graduate assistant that Sandusky was found mo- lesting a young boy in the showers, Patemo simply reported it to the Athletic Director. Pa- terno did his legal obligation, but not his moral obligation. He could have made one phone call to the police. He cou1d’ve gone out of his way to bring Sandusky to justice. People would have listened to Joe Paterno. But he did no such thing. Perhaps he stayed relatively silent because Sandusky was a friend. But more frighten- ing is the thought that he stayed silent because he wanted to keep Penn State competitive. Perhaps he feared that if this news broke, his program would be shot to pieces. They would lose recruits, scholarships, and precious sponsorship money and be a step behind other programs. But ifvwe have got to the point as a society where the win-at-all-costs mentality in college sports is chosen over reporting a sexual offender to the police, then the system is broken and I fear for our future. Sports are my escape. I idolize my athletic heroes and will schedule my day around watching a game. But at the end ofthe day, that is all sports are. A game. So if college foot- ball has become so competitive, so tainted, that all moral obligation to do what is right is thrown out the window, then I want no part of it. As said by a few national pundits, I miss the days where the worst thing we heard about was Jim Tressell turning a blind eye to his players selling memorabilia. It was right to fire Paterno immediately, for the simple reason that he could have done so much more. Paterno and Penn State covered for a monster instead. of bringing him to justice. Instead of caring for the eight victims whose childhoods are ruined, who are perma- nently scarred, they tried to protect one of their own. There is no way he should have been allowed to finish out the season as the head coach of Penn State. It’s a shame that such a tremendous coach, such a beloved figure at Penn State, and by all accounts a wonderful person could leave in such disgrace. But it is ajust, albeit unfor- tunate, punishment. “I wish I had done more,” Patemo said when he stepped down last week. I’m sure the victims do too. Wimmers start season on fire The Generals have won all five of their meets, including only the second win over Mary Washington in school history A ByJayna Johns sponrs EDITOR The Washington and Lee women’s swim team is off to a hot start this sea- son. The Generals have won all five of their meets this season and also placed first out of nine teams in ODAC relays. The women added to their wins on Friday when they defeated Sweet Briar 121-78. The team won nine of the day’s 11 events, and three races saw the Gen- erals clinch the top three spots. The Generals came out strong, fin- ishing first and second in the opening race, the 400 yard medley relay. The Generals “A” team of seniors Jocelyn Cassada and Dana Fredericks, first-year Caroline Hamp and sopho- more Meredith Hardy finished solidly in first with a time of 4:10.48. They were followed by senior Katie Salvati, first- year Hannah Melkun, and sophomores Lauren Kasoff and Rebecca Lawrence, who finished second in 4:19.92. W&L captured each of the top three places in three individual events: the 200 free, the 400 individual medley and the 200 fly. In the 200 free, senior Joanie Hudak came in first with a time of2:05.85, fol- lowed by junior Kelly Mae Ross with a time of 2:07.36. Junior Izzy Brassfield touched in a breath later at 2:07.81. S_alvati continued her succesful day by winning the 400 IM in 4:51.06, and Kasoff followed her lead, coming in second in 4:55.47. First—year Kate Feeser came in third in 5:01.93. In the 200 fly, junior Delaney Rolfe touched in first in 2:18.12, while Hamp and Hampton came in second and third with times of 2:22.54 and 2:28.80, re- spectively. Fredericks had another winning swim, capturing the 200 breast stroke in 2:32.20, and Cassada took the 500 . free in 5:25.87. ' In the 100 free, Lawrence brought home the win in 58.46, Hardy won the 50 free with a time of 26.21. Finishing up the General’s wins of the day was senior Elizabeth Stames, who took the 1000 free in 11:18.40. The Generals will be back in the wa- ter on Nov. 19, when they head to Cam- egie Mellon. There, they will face CMU and Allegheny beginning at 11:30 am. «'5 o . _.. .111 - V? I V 7 M3‘ ‘ p ‘ W&L women are off to an unde eated start to th r seaso after solidly winnin all oftheir meets, includin against eight g a conference relay DAC foes. : ourtesy generalssportscom OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20111114/WLURG39_RTP_20111114_008.2.txt 8 - THE RlNG-TUM PHI - Sports MONDAY, ‘NOVEMBER 14, 2011 ondeck MoN‘ TuEs A WED THURS FRI SAT W&L Fall Wrestling Classic -. 12 pm Men’s 3‘ 1 at at Dickinson ‘ Elms Amherst Basketball 7 pm 5 pm TBD Women's Mg}, Basketball WaS7h;:gt°r , at Me” 5 _ Carnegie Swimming Me“°n 11:30 am at W0m9n'S Carnegie - - Mellon Swimming 1130 am , NCAA Men 5 Na“ X—Country Champ 12 pm NCAA Women's Natq _ Champ X Country 12 pm numbers 1950 This was the year the last time Penn State football played a inth game without Joe Paterno as a coach on the sidelines. Paterno began working as an assistant coach that year and became the team's head coach in 1965.The Nebraska Huskers beat the Nittany Lions 17-14 in the first game without Paterno in almost 62 years. 902 The number of wins Duke head basketball coach Mike Krzyze- wski has had in his college careerfollowing a 96-55 win over Presbyterian on Saturday. This mark ties Krzyzewski with his former coach Bob Knight on the career wins list. He will have a chance to break the record on Tuesday against Michigan State. 69 Tennis superstar Roger Federer has won this many tournament titles in his career. His most recent win came on Sunday when he defeated Jo—Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6 in the Paris Masters. The win also marked his 18th Masters title, putting him right be— hind all-time leader Rafael Nadal, who has 19. . ,. - Never. Well, until now anyway. The Oklahoma State football team is 10-0 for the first time in history after knocking off Texas Tech 66-6 on Saturday. Only one OSU team has ever had an undefeated season — the 1945 team finished 9-0. soapbox "I didn’t know if! was going to get out of it alive. It was very hard for me. It was very hard for my family. ” --washIn¢Ior1NaIlonaIsmherwIlaonRamos,.whowas lddnappedwhlleathornolnvenezuolqoommenlndontho ordealaflierhIsriasouoonSaurrdqy.RarnosvrasmIasln¢for Undue- “He ’d say hello, but I was looking for, ‘Hey, do this’ or ‘Watch out for that.’ He knew everyone was comparing me to him. He knew better than anyone what I was up against, but he gave me nothing.” --In hIsnawbook,baskatbaiI1e¢ondshaquIIIoo'NeaI ‘lasliesoirfatfonnerplqyars, lno1udIn¢KnraemAbdu|-Jabber, whomeshaqlsriaferrlngtolnthlscommontwdul-ilabbar raspondedlio1horarnarl