OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_001.2.txt <‘ ., ’ Well played, WNLI W&l..’s own sketch comedygroup everyonepfromrthe Phi t T I hashtaggers. WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING—TUMPHI. MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 BY THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE STUDENTS SINCE _ Big Changes for The Phi Plans for restructuring over the summer and a new system of writing means the ‘I2- ’I 3 Phi will be better than ever By Julianna Satterly MANAGING EDITOR Another year of The Ring- tum Phi is coming to a close, and while it has been a good one we are always trying to make the paper better. With that in mind, look forward to a whole fl new paper fall term! Over the summer my editorial staff and I are going to restructure the paper, maybe include some cos- metic changes and biggest of all, we are changing the way we do reporting. For those of you in the know, we’re transitioning to a beat reporting system. If you’re not a J-Major, like me, I’ll take a second to explain the idea. Basi- cally, currently we have writers who pick a topic and write an article about it. At the beginning of the week our editors come up with several story ideas, and writers can pick-and-choose which they want to pursue. Say “sayonara” to that system. Af-. ism School’s Alumni Advisory Board, we have decided that it would be much more effective to run a beat system. In a beat system, a certain topic (called a beat) is covered by one report- er (the beat reporter) all year. So each week at our new staff meetings, each reporter will tell their editor what the article’s topic will be that week. A specific beat, for exam- ple, would be Greek Life. The reporter covering Greek Life would write an article every week about Pan Hellenic or In- terfratemity Council meetings, upcoming philanthropy events, etc. At the staff meetings on Mondays, instead of the editors coming up with story ideas, they will ask each writer what they’ll be covering in their beat. This puts a lot more responsibility on the writer and a lot less work on the shoulders of the editors first fall-term edition explain- ing exactly what it is that we do here). So, for this new sys- tem we are looking for a team of writers who are committed and excited about covering their the Student Activities Fair next year, where I’ll be sitting with a sign-up sheet. Interested in any of these beats? Interested in writing re- views on movies or food ‘in Lex- ington? Email me at phi@wlu. edu or satterlyjl4@mail.wlu. edu. It doesn’t matter what you plan on majoring in. As long as you are willing to get your hands dirty and report the truth to the student body, then you can cover a beat for The Ring- tum Phi. Get excited because the new- and-improved paper is coming at you in just 100 and something Greek Life ter a meeting with the Joumal— ByTommy Kent STAFF WRITER V Renovations are planned for the Gra- ham-Lees and Gaines residential halls starting in the summer of'20l3 to help improve residential life for first-year stu- dents. Both Graham-Lees and Gaines were identified in the plan because they both have faults in their design. According to . the article, “W&L to Upgrade First-Year (look forward to an article in the First-year housing upgrades in 2013‘ Both Graham-Lees and Gaines residence halls are under review for renovations in 2013 to improve first-year life The maze-like floor plan of Graham-Lees (left) and the . isolated suites and tunnel-like halls in Gaines (right) are high on the agenda for the plan to improve first-year residential life. Housing as Part of Residential Life Re-I short days! NEIL HAGGERTY/ News Editor view,” by Jeff Hanna, executive director of communications and public affairs, the “maze-like interior” of Graham-Lees due to the joining of Graham and Lees hall in 1940 and the isolation of Gaines due to its suite style construction are fac- tors in the decision to renovate. Sidney Evans, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, was quoted saying that within Gaines, “there’s no reason for students to come out of their rooms into the hall, which reduces the possibilities for community that are particularly important for first- year students.” John Hoogakker, the executive direc- tor of University facilities, said: “The need for renovation in Graham-Lees was obvious during my first visit to that building last summer. I became aware of the shortcomings in the Gaines configu- ration through meetings with our Student Affairs professionals during the fall.” According to Hanna’s article, the renovations target a variety of factors, including “providing more outlets for students to socialize,” improving the ex- terior and surroundings of the buildings, and creating new facilities to “engage students with programs, lectures, and even classes.” Hoogakker said that the plan includes “general renovation/upgrade in Graham- Lees and a new floor plan (with a more Graham-Lees-like room layout) plus upgrades for Gaines.” He also said that more features, including lounges, laun- dry, and more, are planned for both resi- dence halls. The project cost represents about 4% of the Strategic Plan. Steve McAllister, the University’s Treasurer and Vice Pres- ideht for Finance, said: “The First Year Housing project is currently estimated to be in the $25 million to $26 million range. It is hoped that over the coming months as design is finalized and logis- tics of the project settled, that we may be able to reduce this budget.” McAllister added that the renovations will be funded “primarily through addi- tional debt that the University will take on during the next academic year.” In Hanna’s article, Evans states that one of the main questions for the task 4 force is, “whether there is a way to pro- vide more opportunities for men and women to interact outside of the class- room and outside of a party.” Evans also said: “Students interact in a very unstructured and informal sort of way throughout their first year, in the residence halls and the dining hall. And i 1897 VOLUME cxv, NUMBER 20 WANTED: Enthusiastic and committed writtars to cover the following topics each topic all year! Look forward to j wee ‘"1 lntercampus Politics First-year life The EC and SJC, Student Organizations Sports Academics 8: Administration Rockbridge County that changes dramatically at the begin- ning of their sophomore year.” According to Hanna’s article, the task force, as purposed by the Strategic Plan, “also is analyzing the current living pat- terns of sophomores, juniors and seniors and assessing on—campus housing for upper-class students.” Inquire to phi@wIu.edu or satterIyj14@maiI. wIu.edu In reference to the goals of the First- ‘ Year Housing Project, Hoogakker said, “My team will be delighted if we can meet/surpass the expectations of our customers (the studentsl), colleagues in Student Affairs and the goals of the Task Force.” ' ii ,.A,8cL.i/piiage6f_ OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_002.2.txt 2 0 THE RING—TUM PHI 0 pinions MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 Getting the most out of your four years of college Senior Patrick Smith describes his love for W&L and oflers advice for undergraduates in his last article As I sit and ponder a Ring- tum Phi opin- ion article idea, I look back to last week’s is- sue. Stockton Bullitt pro- vides great input to those interested (or bad) at writing articles for the , school news- CDLUIINIST papa-_ His com- ments about Georgia Robertson’s fa- mously stupid fraternity article were spot on. There was no point to the ar- ticle other than to highlight the nega- tive aspects of fraternity life. The jokes were not fiinny, and there was a negative amount of creativity. If I were to write an article being brutally honest about each sorority at our school, I would be thrown out. This is the world we live in, guys, so I digress. However, for writing that nonsense, Ms. Robertson, I will gather a group of people later today, and we will collec- tively “boo” you. I hope you can hear us from the country. The most important takeaway from Mr. Bullitt’s article was his first point. When you write an opinion article, actu- ally have an opinion. I will be the first to admit that I have been guilty of this in the past. I have written some abso- lutely heinous garbage for this paper, and for that I say to you all, “Sorry I’m not sorry.” For my last article ever, I thought I would put in a bit more effort. But not too much more effort because I am on Spring Option and don’t have class. Ever. ‘ The opinion I have for this article is simple: Washington and Lee is a great place. I am being 100% honest, and fully stand behind that statement. This place has treated me well over the years. Washington and Lee have prepared me for what lies ahead. The main thing I learn as I enjoy my Spring Option is that nothing should be taken for granted. Treat every experi- ence you have at this school like it’s your last. It will all end at some point The opinion I have for this article is simple.‘ Wash- ington and Lee is a great place. The fact that I was able to learn at such . a great institution, play baseball for four years, and be in a great-fit fratemity is nothing shy of a blessing (or a miracle?). For this, I am very grateful. Like any other person at this school, I have had many highs and lows. The memories and experiences I have had at LeXington’s greatest treasures Annie Persons describes her appreciation for rolling hills, eating high-priced frozen yogurt at a gas station, and art As my freshman year draws to a close and I look back on the past L few months, I feel as though one of my re- sponsibilities (other than constantly re- minding myself that my major is English and not “profes- sional slacking Bjrhrmieons HEAD cur-‘iv EDITOR off’) is to pay, homage to the little nest that holds our campus: Lexington. Let’s face it—when you decided to come to W&L, your first though wasn’t “...and then I’ll gradu- ate and become a permanent member of Rockbridge County!” Professors, for- give me, but as a bright-eyed and bushy- tailed young college student, Lexington doesn’t exactly scream ideal post-gradu- curb outside good ole Wally World and nearly dropped their bags at the sight of the rolling mountains, their emer- ald peaks cascading across the skyline? and you never want to look back and think, “I could have done just a little bit more here.” . I have seen idiots get an A on a test because they worked hard. I have seen whimps shotgun a beer because it’s fun. I have seen jerks get beat up because they deserved it. I cannot help but feel running into someone I knew. The rea- son I include Sweet Frog is to mention the irony of it—the fact that W&L kids can be seen flocking in hordes to sit in a The fact that W&L kids can be seen flocking in hordes to sit in a gas station and eat frozen yogurt is almost poetic juxtaposition. ate residence. . .it whispers “good college town.” However, even as a mere fresh- man, beautiful Lexington has grown on "me, and while I may not spend the rest of my days here, I feel I must tribute my top three subtle, perhaps more underappreci- ated or casually fabulous locations that make up the gem that is “Lex Vegas.” The view from outside Walmart Okay, this one may not be underap- preciated, but I can’t resist writing about it. I mean, who hasn’t stepped off of the WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY THE RING—TUM PHI. Whoa. Honestly, have you ever had a moment like that in another parking lot‘? Every time I go to Walmart and trek the parking lot, I have a genuine moment of thanks that I can live in a place where even the local Walmart, maybe one of the most commercial places imaginable, can render me speechless. Sweet Frog Again, definitely NOT underappre- ciated. In fact, I don’t think I‘ have ever hopped over (ha) to this place without gas station and eat frozen yogurt is almost poetic juxtaposition. Personally, I find the place charming and weirdly comforting; it is full simple pleasures such as the brick wall wall-paper I noted peeling off of the side of Subway. I was also particularly tickled by the addition of their newest flavor “Maple Bacon Do- nut” (the handmade label with surpris- ingly artistic bubble letters). Studio Eleven I bet I’ve got you with this one. Only those of us who have taken poetry class- es (pardon me if you somehow just find out about these things) have ever been to Studio Eleven, I made my first appear- the nostalgia coursing from the plantars of my feet up through the auburn hairs atop my head. Congratulations to all the seniors graduating on the 24th. It has been a long road and we are nearing the end of it. Remember all of the good times, but most importantly, pay Leonardo Di- Caprio to “incept” you into forgetting all the bad memories. If that’s not how “In- ‘ ception” works, careface. That is such a stupid movie. Goodbye, Ring-tum Phi. I hope that a nonsense-spewing—opinions-article- writing-person springs up. Additionally, I hope Georgia Robertson never graces your print again. ' I leave you with one final joke: Crowded elevators smell different to midgets. ance last night for a poetry reading, to earn extra credit for class. At the read- ing, professors and townsfolk came to- gether to share poems they had written. The setting couldn’t have been more per- fect: soft lighting caressed every corner of this quaint, white-walled room. The walls aren’t bare, though—-my favor- ite part about Studio Eleven is the art- work. Paintings of natural scenery such as mountains or grassy fields deck the walls in a way that isn’t overwhelming, but rather contributes to the overall re- laxing atmosphere in the room. So, that’s my tribute, and I hope that in my final years here, I can continue to discover and appreciate the quirks of our town the way I do the Stars Hollow of Gilmore Girls. Because while it “doesn’t have a seedy underbelly. . .it doesn’t even have a parking meter,” it is still near and dear to my heart. Getting ready for the real World Platt describes how the W&L social scene prepares students for the real world IULIANNA SATTERLY NEIL HAGGERTY CAMPBELL BURR PAIGE GANCE LEIGH DANNHAUSER ANNIE PERSONS MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR ARTS&L|FE EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR HEAD COPY EDITOR STAFF WRITERS STOCKTON BULLITT JON GUEST TOMMY KENT SALLY PLATT ANDREW RENALDO PATRICK SMITH GABRIELLE TREMO YATES WILBURN GRAHAM COLTON STOCKTON BULLITT COPY EDITORS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER MATT GOSSETT DAVID WILSON DILLON MYERS BRIAN SIMPSON KANE THOMAS BUSINESS MANAGERS DISTRIBUTION STAFF 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, which can be reached at mediaboard@wlu.edu, but is otherwise independent.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: PH|@WLU.EDU SUBSCRIPTION RATE $45 At W&L we tend to think of ourselves as living in a bubble. College life, especial- ly in Lex, just seems divorced from the real world. While this _ 7 may be true, there are \ surprising exceptions. I Our skills can actu- ' ally take us far in the internship world, if employed well. To use them, we actually have to have the job. This can be a bit of an issue, with the economy and the competitiveness of good internships. Alumni can help with this but what is really golden is when someone from your frat or srat has the job that you want. They are usually very will- ing to help you climb the first rung of the lad- sly? I CDLUIINIST der. Having socialized, drunk, and done crazy things under the same name for four years definitely gives you that personal connection that can put you above the other applicants. Socializing. Who could possibly know ple get jobs. Basically, this means if someone enjoys hanging out with you, they would like to work with youitoo. It’s all about the per- sonal connection. Treat your internship like a rush date. You’re there to impress, but also to Who could possibly know more about surviving a cocktail party than a W&L student? more about surviving a cocktail party than a W&L student? As it turns out socializing over alcohol is a large part of how people get jobs and keep them. Want that promotion? Better go with the boss to the bar. I intern at the House Budget Committee and we keep a few bottles of good wine on hand, you know, just in case. (Maybe if we broke them out more often the Democrats would like The Path to Prosperity a little more?) People say networking is the key way peo- show that you would be ftm to hang out with on a regular basis. An office is a lot like a so- rority, just more men, more pantsuits, and a (little) less drama. We have the skills, now we just have to adapt them to the workplace. So get ready, do your research, and have the dankest summer of your life. (Stockton Bullitt said we were supposed to use that word so I had to put it in somewhere. You’re welcome.) Crmgzratulatiruw andgaadflucétatfie cam afi 2012 ffiramuacvwupparrtegus in Cameo-cSe2ruice/.5 0 Camp€etetfie“CapandQawn: ‘lUfia«t’o ./Ve/.11?” Swweg— uauntiglitwina$5(l(;’iflCaILd 0 .’l’utgawwelifiantfteQ2¢aduaw.9’./Ila,p— Ketuau»-Lfmendolfnawwfiexeuauwillfie ffick up uawt cap cC gown ./I/lag; 16-18 cf ./I/lag 27-22, 9-4 301 OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_003.2.txt i _ MONDAY,MAY 14, 2012 3 ~ THE RING-TUM PHI ° Every year the Ring-tum Phi editorial sta commends ve students ro essors A Duh“? his time . ff ’_p f _ here at W&L, Luke Andersen * or deans for their outstanding service has my made the most out of _ , _ _ , his college career. From serving on to the university. This year, the Phi has the Executive Committee and partici- . pating in the Student-‘Faculty Hearing nomlnated Luke Andersen; Franco i .gBoardto volunteering at Campus Kitch- - - - tens and organizing activities with the First- M0 ISO’ Ash’/la Shara”) D land]/i a lcak Year Leadership Committee, Luke has thor- ' ' ' ” oughly embraced "every single opportunity that and Natalle Sue}/Z Cangratulatlons to s has come his way. Some of his mostmemorable ' / j ‘experiences include going on service trips to Greece all of Our wln}/lerS' and Jamaica, helping build a_ home with Habitat for Hu- By cynthia Lam . manity, and getting two SCUEA certifications. V t E V S‘ of, / _ /I . ARTS AN :3 L I F 5 5 0 no R In addition to his impressive extracurricular achievements, 7. lvl/( wt ll‘/-l (101.11/Vi i I 4 2:11 /ii‘ Luke has received numerous awards for. his academic accom- /V i (X : /"‘Il"”"l“"‘l it ’ 1,’ ‘if ., plishments, including the Johnson Scholarship, General of Del / 1' ’ Niel" / ‘l "” W" '1" l.‘"- i L" “Ge; ,'m,0[ved in wimtever aspects of the Month Award, and Omicron Delta Epsilon and Beta Eeta ' campus life ygu en_/'0y_ Valunfeer’ apply Beta. National Honor Societies. His senior capstone project, which fine EC committee app0,‘mmemsY mm for — studied the effect of de novo banks on home foreclosure rates, was elected ofi"1'ces, and start organizations P3111)’ inspired b)’ his expeiiehees Weikihg With Piefessei’ M1‘ you ‘re jmeresyed in. Realize that W17 fie Sofid ' chael Andersen as an R.E. Lee Research Scholar the summer academics are crucial, college is a lot more ahei his S°Ph0II10Te Yeah _ _ than just what you do in the classroom. " V . Said Luke “I became 800d 0’ better friends With many people who were also in Lexington doing re- search and got to explore the area in ways that V aren’t really. feasible during the school year. - It was a lot of fun and Ivwas fortunate to get that experience.” Intramural S()('(,“(’II l’cur T//Io/1 ()u/mg Club, * labors Sc-’l‘\'lL'L’ l.cagi/c lt)lllII/(’(:’l‘. l:S()l. ' Double- majoring in e A Physics-Engineering .j .-I 7 _ V - _ ;and Studio Art has taught Franco ‘ . Moiso how to find the perfect bal- , it ance in life. By ‘successfiilly juggling his intensive course Work with various extracurricular activities, Franco has found by 1 time to do the things he enjoys most, which include playing . soccer with professors, VMI cadets, and local townspeople every iriillicn,people. ‘Back oricain As Vice-President‘ 1 Recruitment Com,’ ' Tutor. ‘Asa dank‘, chcreog ertory Dance Company duce Indian dance‘-to thy com on Week r A . ' V i alohnson ScholarehIu\DeIi3 Al? i , Franco“ has won multiple awards for his outstanding academic bet, and Miss Virginia Do I achievements, including the Robert E. Atkins Engineering Prize, “This unjvei-sityiwm ‘ ‘ First-YeariPhysics and,E.ngineering..Department Awards and the Phi .3 A5 . S Jib you want.to'do:stretoii*yoi;rs‘eif asjr . Beta Kappa and Eta Sigma National Honor Societies. Earlier this [ , V, ) , , 7 year; he Showcased hi§ senior at thesis inrstaniar Gallery, which f‘ea_.‘:_ V »'l l. L‘ l\ C/)(’I‘/()I:\.‘ Driller,’ C 0/II/it/Ill‘. 7:3/I/(lc’I7l Study abroad’ ofothef . urn . o ‘ tured ayear-long culmination of various videos, collages, and kinetic’. ’ R)<’('/‘I/ll/lI(’I?l C ()llll)I'Il/I(”L:. Slmlclil ( oiisul/ant. place,” Said Ashnm ewhfig P p sculpiures.« This-project was partly inspired by the “Drawing Italy”. ‘ I "W (P "”’”"/”’3 /i"""i /"m" andlcmiosiwgfiym *1" A is ‘ . Vcoursielhe’tool.(Vlast»'spring tenn.5 Said Franco: “It waslikea dream; i D‘ ‘ ‘ class,‘ therewere no worries apart from art, and as an artist that is Vlikepheavei:i;’.’e Z‘. ‘ .Of all: his achievements, Franco is proudest of forging A connections with everyone he has met here. Said’ if-,Fr'a_r_ico5:’ fflt’ is entering a class with certain professors 3 ' ' and feeling happy because it is them that are teach- ' g » .in'g~the class. Having" been able to enter their ' e . offices and talk with them, maybe not even about class; learn from them; having them as mentors; e — that is ' _ j “Find your passion. If you look for it, you passionate lover”. will probablyfina’ it at W&L. Once youfind 3“. f°—’mS '°f »‘.’°§“m can . MY. , Y . - Diandra Spicak1has‘de e p it you Hill be set. It it on t let go of you, and lege career“) repdnmgfimevtumy you will have no option but to be good in it. - the word, and keeping the Studem body; There will be struggling times. but they wont Through her work as 1\/Ianaigiifig'E‘diti()‘f mm be strong enough to make you stop. ” Tum Phi and Presidentof the So " sional Journalists, as-jwell as-her WLUR and the Rockbridge— 2 _ helped significantlysfrengthen l\’i/7_q—-/i///1 l’lii. ( '().\'7]' ICT (.'o/it/nittcc, gram and elevate itS}SIafl1'fS,0h its Il'l.(fl{’, S'o<‘1'u/i‘ ()/A/Y)/‘()/(i’.\.'.’\'l()/l(l/./()lI/'/l(( ists, Ofaii her a000mP1iShm¢11t.S he l\.’ml\.l»,"iu’;_{u .l\’ig,iiz'i/‘/. l’l l‘»“<'/¢/ l’lii Sio/‘o/‘//i‘ A V T ‘ through volunteering places “Take full advantage of all the resources our university has to ofler. You have to work hard but if there is a will, the university will grant you what you feel you need to succeed. ” I, “Try to be involved as much as you . can in things that are really important to you without spreading yourself too thin. This is something I just learned the culture here at’ turallen.s.’f _ V . * '’ Even afterall-‘tl1es,_e compares‘ to the ~expei_'i own name’ i p newspap'e‘r,« broade V 1! this year. ' 7 ‘ : g. S‘ “ .. ~ Powerful friend-j ' -j 5 - ships and lifelong experiences ’ A have shaped the past-'-four years‘T'for"_ ‘ Natalie Stier, who has ibeenlian "inspiration both in and outside of the classroom!‘ Adevoted geology major, Natalie has conducted remarkable re- ' search on topics like the seismic idevelopment‘ of Arctic _ Alaska and Piesehied he_T honeis iheSiS".ih]ii'hhi Ofpeifeieum ‘ P ~ “Don 't conform, and stay true to yourself." (;:$;’:;’yyD1::‘:‘::I:1:Itfi*:\:‘V:r“:1";1i:Ergfigtiiefiiy : V ' If that means wearing awkward hipster honored with the Frank Gyomg Awards V ~ g p. pants or 0V€l‘SI.«.'€cl tees. gofoi it. Don I lot In addition to her extensive academicwwmplishments, Nat_ others influence who you reall_v are. And. . talie was captain of the track and field tearngandiset multiple make if 67 PfN’l:V Wl7€l'€’V€”' N011 30- i/01 1 (‘(1/7 event records, Which led herio fe6€iV¢‘t1Y¢ Most Improved take that however you please. " Award her sophomore year, * Earlier thlS_—::y€ar, Most ' Valuable Player Award was renamed thelNata1ie” Stierf‘ Award in her honor to recognize theextteme courage and strength she displayed while recovering-:ii*o"i e a» seriouscar accidentthat took place 11 junior year. . ‘ ' K’ ‘ i “One of the most memorab1e.,tl1mgs for.me‘ was when the studentsorganizied‘ the dodge . tournament for Kevin and me. afier the accident. I was amazing how supportive‘ the student» body was of us,’.’ said5Natalie.Wf-“My family and friends are extremely tome? ‘ ‘S and I love then so and». I"irif‘ going to do my best at anything; in life that’s important, to. 97‘ . me , about it. Idonft it.” she said. 3 7‘/‘at’/x’ (Il.7(/ l"/Plrl. (i<’()l(2gi' Rc’S(’(l/‘('/I OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_004.2.txt 4 0 THE RING-TUM PHI 0 MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 opinions All the things Ididn’t get to say Surprise! Stockton Bullitt is back with a final article. reflects on his four years and oflers advice for younger students Graduation season is upon us, which means there will be a ton of stuff di- rected towards the future for the Class of 2012 (aka the Mayan ‘ grade). Now, " it is the time to hear what our class can and will hopefully become. If you are unfamil- iar with this type of rhetoric, just You- Tube “Steve Jobs Stanford” or “Conan O’Brien Dartmouth” and you’ll get your fill of these kinds of speeches. Thanks to the Internet and previous Washington and Lee graduations, I’m pretty comfortable with these kinds of speeches: a) make a couple of school specific jokes, b) talk about personal life in struggle form and c) bring it back to Byistc-clctori1Bull' CDLUIINIST . graduating senior applicable cliches and analogies. I’m not nearly as good as suc- cessful people at this kind of rhetoric. Also, as a graduating senior myself, I don’t know what the heck is behind the curtain. So I’m not going to say anything to the Class of 2012, other than wasn’t it absurd that I didn’t beat the RA in that trivia game during O-Week? There was money to be won and they gave it to a guy who wasn’t even a freshman. Re- ally? Anyway, since the “You can do it graduating seniors” rhetoric has been done so much before, there is obvious- ly going to be counter rhetoric because writers always need something original to talk about. Recently, I read Bret Ste- phens’ opinion article “To the Class of 2012” in the Wall Street Journal. Be- fore you think that I’m trying to show ofl° that I read the Wall Street Journal, I actually saw it on my Facebook feed. In the article, Bret Stephens laments on the problems of the graduating generation. He shares with us facts about life that we obviously don’t understand like “in our ‘knowledge-based’ economy, knowl- edge counts. Yet here you are, probably the least knowledgeable graduating class in history.” This is typical of a 38 year old Middlesex graduate, who just broke his “the kids today aren’t like they used to be” cherry. For some reason, this article has bugged me the last few days. And while I don’t appreciate the condescension, I thought I would imitate the patron- izing “I know more than you now that I’m older and therefore smarter” Harry Wormwood (the dad in “Matilda”) style tone for an opinion article. So, for my last article, I am going to try to give you readers some advice about how to spend the rest of your careers at Washington and Lee. These are things that I either was lucky enough to do, or really wish I had done in my four years in Lexington. And, hopefully, they will be a bit more nuanced then the back of the t-shirt you were given during your pre-O trip. Don’t Worry So Much about Who You Are _ A common criticism (sometimes a compliment) of W&L is that the social scene can be a lot like high school. Juicy I Campus,.College ACB and poorly writ- ten opinion articles (sorry, but I can’t get enough of Georgia Robertson) have created a socially—aware atmosphere that can sometimes make students feel embarrassed about their identities. This criticism can come from both ends: “Oh you’re studying on a Friday?” and “Oh, generation. Of the little professional ad- vice I have been given, most of it tends to be, “No really, you’re not that smart.” Now, it could be that I think I’m right a little too much. Stop nodding your head. No, the reason liberal arts colleges are necessary and the reason I went to one is because liberal arts colleges serve one purpose: they help you find the one thing you really love. you’re going out on a Monday?” usually have the same effect when ac company- ing raised eyebrows. Furthermore, you get people like Mr. Stephens calling your brains “like old maps, with lots of blank spaces for the uncharted terrain.” The common lament on our generation is that we have no real knowledge, are much more spoiled than any other generation in history, and we are so addicted to technology that we have no real basis for communication. If you listened to enough people both in school and online (print’s not really a medium anymore), you would most likely believe that whatever you are do- ing and feeling is probably misguided and ignorant. Do not listen to anything those peo- ple are saying. You are in college. You get four years to have your own preroga- tive. High school is about leaming so- - cial norms, tricking parents, and getting into college. It’s not until you are out of college you start having those dreaded responsibilities. Therefore, the times be- fore and after college necessitate some type of conformity, but college is your time to be selfish. Since it’s only four years, you can’t waste this free time worrying about who you are. If I could change one thing about my four-year experience, it would definitely be spend- ing less time doubting my own personal validity and letting friends question ' theirs. You don’t have enough time here to think that you are worthless; just re- member, you got into W&L and there is someone somewhere who already thinks you’re great, so why spend time ques- tioning that person’s beliefs? Don’t Be Cocky Now the other side of that coin is to not to take your own personal va- lidity to be superior to anyone else’s. I know that I’m starting to sound like a kindergarten teacher, but frankly, I think most problems at this school stem from someone being a little too sure of them- selves. You shouldn’t feel bad for go- ing out on a Monday or staying in on a , Friday, but you certainly are not a better person for making that decision. ‘ It’s pretty simple, if you remain over- ly confident in yourself, three things can happen. One, other people start to detest you. Chicks don’t dig the “two truths and a lie” pick-up line. The “I’m god’s gift to mankind” freshman always gets shafted on bid night. Professors tend to dislike “I’m going to comment on every- thing that is said in class” student. The “I’m better than you” upperclassman al- ways gets kidnapped. The social scene tends to give overly cocky people their comeuppance. Two, you will leave W&L with the exact overly-inflated sense of self-worth that older generations say plagues our But it could also be that older people are tired of being told how life really is by younger people who do not know what they are really saying. Go on a quick tangent, if you can. Give more time than you already devote to finding a job. Whatever job that is, don’t obsess over it, but try and give it more attention. Three, nothing will happen. There are a bunch of overly-cocky people (both student and staff) at this school who nev- er get what they really deserve. Most of these people will continue to live in the dark and continue to believe they have a direct line to the divine. If you made it this far in the article, odds are you aren’t this person. Try and avoid him or her. Cross the Picket Line At W&L, there is a’ social pyramid that has a distinct top and bot- tom. Who is located where on this so- cial pyramid is anyone’s guess. Most of the student community at W&L either abides by the rules governing the chutes and ladders dictating the fluidity of this pyramid or abhors and ignores the exis- tence of said pyramid and tries to stay as far away from “that scene.” Whether you are firmly entrenched in one of these two groups or you find yourself vacillating between the two warring factions, this is an element of W&L culture. My advice is not to re- spect or ignore the existence of this so- cial pyramid, but to get to know people on both sides. You will be so much bet- ter for knowing someone at W&L who ‘is not like you that you will probably not notice the change. On both a micro and a macro level, it is absolutely vital that you graduate W&L knowing that people are basically the same, nice people wher- ever you go. If you are some loser guy who likes hoodies a little too much, don’t be afraid to talk to the pretty girl who wears de- signer clothing. As long as there is no pretense of creepy flirtation, the girl is not going to shun you. Although it’s" W&L, it’s not actually high school. The social apex cliques at W&L for the most part are filled with genuinely nice people who are down to earth, only they are burdened with the fact that most people like them. Likewise, if you are a frat or srat star, make sure you befriend an in- dependent who could not care less about the Greek system at W&L. Almost ev- ery single personl have met outside the Greek system is both incredibly kind and fascinating. You don’t really know until you do this, but you learn a lot about who you are by chilling with someone who is not like you, and that’s a good thing. You can apply this to warring W&L factions fighting over anything. If you are a Democrat (and you’re probably not), listen to what the Republicans have to say, and vice versa. Well, except on the gay marriage debate. You don’t want to be like the 82% of Americans who disapproved of interracial marriage when it was deemed constitutional in 1967. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Lastly, if you are not on first name terms with at least one or two intema- tional students, then why are your par- ents paying so much money for you to go here? The same goes for you, intema- tional students. Do One Dumb Thing (that doesn’t get you kicked out) Yeah, most of you have already beat- en me to the punch here, but for the se- lect few of you who haven’t or believe you haven’t done one really dumb thing while here, you need to listen. Every- one else can simply indulge me. Let’s be honest, there is not one thing short of cheating, lying, stealing and drunk driving that will get you kicked out of this institution. Well, any kind of sexual misconduct will get you kicked out, but if you are the type of person to commit - that misconduct, you really shouldn’t be here in the first place. Now that we have the bases covered, W&L is one of the few places in life that you get a couple of second chances (three to be exact). Hopefully, the reasoning behind this is because the school recognizes that you learn best when you screw up. If you are one of the minority who has yet to learn this lesson, it’s a vital one. College is the best place to find out what doesn’t work, and every single success story that I have read contains one experiment blowing up catastrophically. There’s numerous clichés to put to end this part with, but I’ll just settle for “you don’t know how to do something right until you screw it up a couple times.” Make sure you do that, and make especially sure you get caught. You won’t regret it. Befriend Lex‘Po and the Deans Keep your friends close; keep your “authorities who choose to pick off mostly innocent low hanging fruit and ignore the more dangerous larger social issues on campus” closer. Befriend W&L’s Staff (and maybe a faculty member or two) During sophomore year, I started visiting friends at different schools. I got to see the variance in how schools are actually run. I began to realize that D-Hall isn’t as low on the totem pole as I am led to believe, but I also saw how the students and staff interacted with one another. As a northerner, I sometimes find the whole southern hospitality thing to be a bit overrated. People in the South aren’t necessarily more chipper and polite than their northern counterparts. However, there is a strong element of southern hospitality on campus. W&L is unparal- leled in the courtesy and warmth emit- ted by the people who take the effort to make this school better. I found most of my mid-week early morning hangovers cured by the wonderfirl Co-op ladies, and although I will never forgive carn- pus security for not letting me park in the admissions parking spots when I re- , ally needed to go to the library, they are always looking to help students get out of bad situations rather than putting stu- dents in worse situations. Trust me, these are rare for college campuses. Therefore, A I find it imperative that we as students develop strong relationships with these great people. Yes, these people get paid, but anyone can simply go to a job and get paid; people with strong moral fiber go to their job and make life better for the world around them. Oh, and use oflice hours, especially with the good professors. You can’t re- ally do that enough. Find the Thing You Love Considering there are so many liberal arts in the country, there must be a point to going to one. Mr. Stephens la- mented that our generation only knows how to think without knowing anything specific whatsoever, so the whole “learn- ing how to learn” argument doesn’t real- ly check out. Nor does going the liberal arts route help you find a meaningful career, as any graduating senior with a B.A. in B.S. will tell you. No, the reason liberal arts colleges are necessary and the reason I went to one is because liberal arts colleges serve one purpose: they help you find the one thing you really love. If you al- ready know what you love, then there are many other universities you can go to that provide the vehicles for working on the thing you love. But the nice part about liberal arts schools is that it gives you so many options, you are bound to find something you truly love. That love does not need to be purely academic. You can fall in love with in- vesting or consulting. You can fall in love with your sport or even Frisbee golf. It can even be the friends you’ve made in your fraternity or sorority. Whatever that thing is, you only really know it when you have it. It’s that thing you don’t mind wak- 'ing up early for. You’re not a big fan of the shitty times your passion can give you, but instead of discouraging you, it somehow makes you work harder. It’s the kind of thing you don’t realize how much you truly love doing it until about midway through doing it. It seeps its way into dreams, both during the day and night. During the good times, you sometimes have to stop yourself and ask, “How the t"‘** am I so lucky to be here right now?” It’s the kind of thing that brings you from a resting point of five out of ten to seven out of ten just by being present in your life. When there’s work to be done, you usually put it lower down on the list, just so you can work towards doing it. It’s a nice escape from the worst parts of the day, and it never fails to make a better day even better. Best of all, that passion continuously re- wards you for your love, paying infinite dividends on a regular basis. You won’t necessarily find this pas- sion at W&L, and I’m sorry if you don’t because that’s why you’re going here. It’s why W&L gets such a sweet endow- ment, because its alumni (and its alumni office unfortunately for us graduating seniors) know that the love and passion that gave them the guidance and direc- tion to become successful later in life originated in Lexington and not in their respective hometowns. It took me a while, but I was lucky enough to find that one thing I love while at W&L. Her name’s Caitie. Thank you for a great four years, W&L. I wish you the best. I O 6 U, OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_005.2.txt MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 5 ° THE RING-TUM PHI - pinions W&L Alumni Weekend 2064 After atching alumni relive their college days all weekend, Burr imagines what the school will b After watch- ing alumni play beer pong, wow students with their dancing abilities, scream I ' every lyric to Motown songs, and (new al- ums) test their “post-college game” on fresh- men girls, I have begun to think about what will be most excit- ing when I return to Lexington for my reunions. Besides reminding myselfhow much the real world pales in comparison to college life, my reunions will be useful for learning what careers my classmates have pursued, how many of them have married other Washington and Lee grad- uates, and how the school has changed in my absence. So, here is a look at what W&L will be like -when I return for ‘my By Campbell Bu OPINIONS EDITDR 50th reunion (note: this article ignores all of the ridiculous technology that will definitely exist at this point). by tandems (steered by a sober student) and the bus, a horse-drawn carriage. Ev- ery student will be limited to one three- minute, ice cold? shower every day. Despite these efforts, students will continue to drive A huge gas—guzzling vehicles, throw beer cans into the woods and have massive bond fires. Sustainable: And you think the library is freezing now? Oh, just you wait. By my 50th reunion, efforts to help the environment will be taken to new extremes. The Sustainability Ini- tiative of 2064 will mean replacing the three layers students currently wear in the library with a full ski suit, mask, and handwarrners during the winter months. The library will even be renamed “Ley- freeze.” Classes will be taught with the lights off and students will study by can- dlelight. Traveller cars will be replaced Despite these efforts, students will continue to drive huge gas-guzzling ve- hicles, throw beer cans into the woods and have massive bon fires which will, of course, cancel out all possible effects ofthe school’s initiatives. Mixed: “Gender relations” is one of the most discussed issues on campus. Much of this discussion stems around the fact that boys and girls go from living and eating together freshman year to moving to different sides of catn- pus and eating in separate dining halls sophomore year. In 2064, efforts to bring the sexes to- gether will be so extreme that boys and girls will be given the chance to live to- gether in a double their freshmen year. Bathrooms will be coed and large coin- munal showers will be built so students can spend more sober time together. A couple of brave individuals will at- tempt to start coed Greek organizations. The school’s endowment will drop 20% as a result. Equal: By the time my 50th rolls around, everything about the W&L experience will be equal for females and males. While these plans may require collaboration with national Greek organizations, they will involve dropping specified male visitation hours for the sorority houses, hosting parties on sorority row, and moving double beds into sorority houses. Girls will take to smashing beer bottles down the hall on weekend nights and punching holes in the walls when angry. Additionally, at this point, the school e like when she returns will ‘nave done away with the double , standard, which brings me to my next point. Promiscuous: Let‘s be honest, our parent; would have been hor- rified ifthey knew the “hook up culture” would dominate college life within 30- 35 years: I duples are no more likely to engage in liomo~.e,\ual a:;ti\ ities. I see no reason saine—se.\' couples should not be given the static consideration as hetero- sexual couples in adopting or prmiding foster care rm children. The broken nctturc of the foster care systein. the ltigli tuexziletice of teenage pi‘egiianc_\ in in} home state of South (ftnolina. and in}; pro~lll\c stance influ- cttcc this iteliel“. \‘=«lii!e I strongly dis- agree with the continued practice of abortion (barring extenuating circum- stances), l lind it impossible to stand op- posed to it without offering another op- tion for women laced with an unplanned pregnancy bcyoitd abstinence-only sex-ed and a cold. lieartless and llippant reprimand consisting of little more than "you shouldn‘t ll1;t\‘C gotten pregnant in the lirst place." which solves nothing. Also. I don‘t have a uterus and can never speak to the lcar. pain, and confusion as- sociated with an unexpected pregnancy. As sueh——in addition to a concerted national ellort to encourage behavior that leads to fewer unplanned pregnan- cies in the lirst place that includes, but is not limited to, expanded sex-ed and abstinence -I advocate for expanded awareness ol'zit—birth adoption and for its presentation to mothers seeking abortion as an equal alternative. Ilowever, if this were to take place, more willing parents wottld be required to ltillill the demand produced by higher numbers ofchildren seeking adoption. This realization has led me to conclude that we cannot af- ford to turn away qualified homosexual couples seeking adoption without plac- ing thousands of parentless children at risk ofa life ofsatliiess and ignorance. . .1! mil: .l| finals (if !.u hav¢.tIei) and have a fantastic simmer! gfiarhsffl OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_006.2.txt 6 ° THE RING-TUM PHI - MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 rts&|ife WNL? presents live Spring Show Wednesday Night Live, By Gabrielle Tremo STAFF WRITER “What did the farmer say when he lost his‘ tractor?” Pause. “‘Where’s my tractor?” Cue laughter. Thisjoke set the stage for Wednesday Night Live’s perfor- mance this Saturday night in the Stack- house Theater. Wednesday Night Live (WNL) is Washington and Lee’s most active and only sketch comedy group on campus. Making its last appearance of the year, WNL had a great line-up of student written, directed, and performed sketches. WNL’s chemical equation includes one part Saturday Night Live, two parts W&L events, and three parts flawless satire. The plays are written by the stu- dents, for the students, and include jabs at awkward friendships, the stereotypical W&L student, broken gender relation- ships, and even classic internet memes. ‘During its last act. the performance even had a very impressive skit about the poor writing-style of The Ring-tum Phi. After that skit; I went up to Jeb Purcell, first- year author of many of the skits (includ- ing the piece about The‘ Phi), and asked him a couple of questions, noting how many of the pieces portrayed classic W&L life. ' - “it’s not necessarily what we want,” Purcell said, “but it’s what people want. What plays best for audiences is W&L stuff. it’s relatable; it has to be univer- sal.” That is exactly what these skits were. Who hasn’t had a conversation with» someone who keeps using hashtags as if it were part of their language? Or who hasn’t had that one “best friend” who you would rather be more than just a “best friend?” Or who hasn’t gone through The Phi looking for typos, pretending it’s a game? (Find five in my article and H1 give you a quarter). However, they also had some other skits thatawhile not as relatable—‘ were absolutely hilarious. What happens when the guy who does every voice over for the Hollywood trailers tries to find a job at Best Buy? Or how will Mike & Ike’s come up with a new marketing strategy to get above 6th place in the non—choc- olate candy ranking? A particular audi- ence favorite was how would Cleopa- tra’s life been different if she had a Sassy Gay Friend (apparently Mark Antony is a stupid b!@#$)? These were the exact same questions that WNL asked, Despite having relatively little time to come up with these questions due to being assembled rather quickly, WNL put on a great show. “Spring term’s been hectic,” Purcell said. “It’s been hard to get everyone together.” The night of the performance was the first time the whole troupe had per- formed some of the skits together as a whole. Regardless, the satire was flaw- less, the message still pointed, the com- edy still brilliant. The wit in some of the skits shone through in both the irony and in the reality. A particularly provocative skit was one depicting the SJC as a male—domi- nated, misogynistic committee in which the group judged the students based on hotness of body—— and how these cus- toms and traditions were received by the new, singular female representative on the committee. My favorite was a modern represen- tation of how technology had invaded our lives. It focused on a date between a young man and woman in which the woman would end every sentence with “hashtag [insert punchline here].” Below is a sample piece of dialogue: “You can’t say one thing and then W&L ’s best (and only) sketchy Comedy group, delivered a double dose of satire and wit have it mean something completely dif- ferent?!” “I don’t think that’s what I’m do- ing—hashtag, duh.” The performance was all-in-all hi- larious and well-received. The audience gave a standing ovation to the group of students who had crammed countless re- hearsals into busy schedules and braved the stage of sketch comedy— which, as every group from SNL to WNL knows— can be either kind or unforgiving. Con- gratulations to each member of WNL on ajob well done! Make sure to stay in touch with WNL and look for their first performance of the year next semester. Beta boasts fine dining experience Beta takes fraternity cooking to a new level and proves that house meals can be classy. Now there is some food for thought. By Stockton Bullitt snxrr warren Fraternity cooking took another evo-, lutionary step this year towards fine din- ing. On March 28, members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity were treated to a full- llcdgcd restaurant style dinner. Members of the fraternity were noti- tied a week in advance to schedule a res- ervation time of either 5:30 or 7:00 pm and were encouraged to bring dates. The dining room was preset with linens on ta- bles and formal place settings, including two different types of forks and spoons. The place settings also included decora- tive fiowers and appropriate plates for appetizers and desserts. The experience also included a full service wait staff. The meal consisted of three differ- ent courses. The appetizer was a Shrimp ljscabeche with a side of green peppers, plum tomatoes and Manzilla Olives. The main course was a choice between a Tri- tip Beefsteak with dark onion sauce or roasted duck breast with Amontillado Kirsh, and both were served with a side of lobster and crab risotto and zucchini Provencal. The dessert featured choices of Chocolate Mousse Bundt, Hazelnut Ganache and Raspberry-mascarpone Coppa. This menu was inspired by the Cu- linary Institute of America, which Julia Child deemed as the “Harvard of culi- nary schools.” Having recently taken an exam at the institute, Chef John Stallard was inspired to provide the fraternity with a real restaurant experience. The menu, reserved seating at 5:30 and 7:00 pm, and were encouraged to bring dates to the fancy occasion. Beta’s first-ever restaurant themed dinner on March 28th. Th ingredients were mostly taken from 10- cal sellers and a premium was placed on fresh ingredients. As Stallard noted, “Pre-fabricated food doesn’t taste as ‘ good as fresh made food.” Planning the event was an arduous and laborious task, but also an exciting one. The dinner itselftook about a week to prepare, and the restaurant atmosphere and food preparation took the entire day. Marking the night as a success, Stal- lard hopes to do another restaurant- themed night next year, and more frater- nities will follow suit. Looking for more options in the future as well as a sous chef to help with the heavy workload, Chef Stallard believed that the restaurant experience done in a fraternity house can continue to evolve and expand. Beyond just a fine dining experi- ence, the restaurant—themed dinner was another step in the continued evolution of fraternity dining. Stallard was one of many fraternity chefs who believed that the food at the fraternity houses was not supposed to simply be a gluttonous af- terthought. “I want students to experience their food, and maybe chew a little slower to get everything the food is about,” said Stallard. I - Stallard would also like wine at next yearls event, but noted that since alcohol-free wine has yet to become in vogue, the deans might not approve of the complete dining experience. __,.4s‘—“=7* e Betas were treated to flne Ilnens, a real STOCKTON BULL|TT/ staff photographer OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_007.2.txt MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 7 ‘ THE RING-TUM PHI - JON GUEST Professional football is a North American tradition. For years,the Super Bowl has reigned supreme in the world of professional sport- ing events, and for many people Sunday afternoons would seem irrelevant without the opportunity to sit in front of a television set watching their favorite team step onto the field to do battle. Unfortunately, recent studies have suggested that the term “bat- tle” is more telling than we may have realized; hundreds of cur- sports ANIIREW RENALIDO The recent death of Junior Seau has brought more attention to player safety issues in the NFL and the potentially chronic side effects that players may develop after a career’s worth of violent collisions. But while evidence of football’s harmful toll on the body grows, there is little that the NFL’s rules committee can do without fundamentally changing the game. rent and former NFL players have filed lawsuits against the NFL understand these issues. I know what it feels like to have the wind Is football too violent of a sport? After Junior Football is naturally a violent sport. Players are prone to horrific and equi mem manufacture;-3_ Following the tragic death of figure , . . . . contortions and damaging blows to the head and other parts of the body. Hall of Flame linebacker ‘Junior’ Seau, the issue of head trauma has Seaus death the Issue Is. brought to hght Once A5 players bec0me, On average, faster and stronger through the years, resurfaced, and some critics have even suggested that the level of . aga1n' . . the impact cf nits becomes mcie damaging» Almost eVeTY sP01‘t entails danger is too high to justify the continuance of professional foot— ion and Andrew hne on Opposlte Sldes of 3 risk Of SeVeFe inlniys but fcctbaii increases this iikeiinccd by empna‘ ball altogether. As a fan and former high school football player, I _ the 1ss11e- sizing tackling and physically punishing opponents. , Some former NFL players are now imploring officials to clean up the game. Their concerns stem from an increasing number of play- knocked out of you, or to feel a little bit dazed afler a hard tackle. If the administration is honest with itself, I just don’t see how they can counter the argument that player safety is simply not possible. Football is a contact sport, and NFL players are certainly capable of protecting themselves... most of the ‘time. When given the best equipment and top notch medical staff, they are able to minimize the occurrence of extreme injury. In addition, the millions of dollars that they are paid seem to poke holes in the argument that players are taken advantage of. Surely there are thousands of people who would leap at the chance to participate on the grand stage. The problem with this claim is that it puts a price tag on well be- i ‘- ‘. ing and possibly on life. 1 don’t think that it is ever a good idea to justify . “ shedding years oft” of lives for mere dollars. Framed in this man- . ner, it is easier to see why the situation is inappropriate. Can we le- gitimately con- sider the question of how much we would need to be paid to give up one year of our lives? Even the aspiring profes- sional athlete is unlikely to jump at that deal. As dangerous as it can be, I don’t think that the biggest con- cern is the safety of NFL players, mainly because _, of the fact that they do have the best equipment and training and _'g’ because they nique and the ing age at which are sufliciently educated regarding the proper tech- risks of their trade. More alarming is the declin- we are beginning to allow our cleats and shoulder pads over. Without the proper education and state of the art helmets, etc., and given their more fragile state children are much A more likely to suffer seri- ous injuries. With parents _ who are unaware of the risks and kids too young to realize that they are not invincible, the con- sequences can be severe, or fatal. children to strap on and run each other ers developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a debilitating neurological condition, during the latter stages of their lives. The disorder arises from an accumulation of concussions sustained over multiple NFL seasons. As research reveals more worrying results, certain ex-players like Kurt Wamer—who suffered many concussions during his playing days—say they will not allow their children to play football. Others re- mark that had they known the severity of harm football could do to their bodies, they may have pursued a different career. Criticism of the game, the league’s rules and education of players has notably come from these play- ers rather than fans. While supporters may hate to see their favorite players from the past struggle to complete interviews because their short-term memory is so impaired, they also want to see their favorite sport playedevery Sunday in all its glory. That is, fans love crunching blocks, ferocious tackles, and players carrying on despite injury. Football is a game for warriors, and America’s obsession with it conveys a tacit approval of the harm- ful circumstances to which players expose themselves each week. Fans ultimately reinforce the violent nature of the game, because rule changes that might reduce some of the game’s physicality would turn them off from the sport. Big hits are big business, and the league wants to keep fans happy with its product. ” Rule changes to protect quarterbacks and receivers running across the middle of the field have helped reduce the risk of injury for some players. More cushioned helmets have also helped reduce the likeli- hood of concussions. Protective legislation and technological improvements, however, can only go so far to protect players when violence remains an essential element of football. The NFL needs to address its problems by increasing awareness. Just as people who smoke now do so with full understanding of the perils, players need to be fully aware of football’s detrimental effects. The benefits will outweigh the risks for some, but the scientific findings that keep arising need to be more transparent. Players and fans can also help the issue by changing the NFL’s culture. Many analysts who used to play in the league explain the pressure on players to play through injuries or rush back from major opera- tions. The body needs time to heal properly. Perhaps empirical evidence showing the benefits of full rest and recovery will help justify players who choose to sit out with a concussion instead of returning to the gridiron and risking further injury. , While overhauling the game to protect players makes sense, the reality is that most fans and players relish the sport’s physicality too much for it to go away. Officials, then, must continue to look afier play- ers left in vulnerable situations, make more improvements to players’ equipment, increase the awareness of potentially debilitating cumulative injuries, and help players become morehonest evaluators of their own health. Generals can’t control Eagles W&L gives up nine to open the second half By Leigh Dannhauser SPORTS EDITOR Washington and Lee fell to Mary Washington 16-8 in the opening round of the NCAA touma- ment on Wednesday. The Generals jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on two unassisted goals by senior Christina Benedetti. The Eagles were able to respond and closed the gap. The Generals were up 6-5 entering halftime’. Mary Washington came out in the second half fighting. They, scored nine unanswered goals. W&L was unable to score until Benedetti scored unassisted with 5:12 remaining in the game. Senior Catherine Kennedy of Mary Washington scored four goals during the streak. Kennedy led the way for the Eagles with a game-high five goals and a game-high three assists. Senior Lauren Cal- lison added three goals while three players each scored two for the Eagles. One of the biggest differences between the first and second half for W&L was turnovers. The Gen- erals turned the ball over just four times in the first half, one less than the Eagles. In the second half alone W&L turned the ball over ten times. The turnover discrepancy allowed for Mary Washington to take more shots as well. In the first half both teams attempted 12 shots on goal. In the second half Mary Washington outshot the Generals by eight. Mary Washington was able to attempt 17 shots compared to W&L’s 9. In addition, Benedetti led the way for the Gen- erals with a team-high three goals. Sophomores Meade Brewster and Margaret Klein each contrib- uted two goals. With the loss the Generals are done for the sea- son. They finished with a 15-5 record with an Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship title. Mary Washington fell to Cortland 12-5 in the second round game. The Eagles finished their sea- son with a 14-4 record. ”Pure Eats is Lexington’s newest slice of heaven.” 107 N Main Street 46H000 -The Washington Post (12/30/11) Premium local burgers, fresh doughnuts, fries, Homestead Creamery milk shakes, daily soups and stews...on|y the good stuff. facebookxom/PureEatsYum for menu updates and news coming soon: beer! . , .1; Christina Benedetti looks to passithe ball COURESY OF GENERALSSPORTS.CO OCR::/Vol_115/WLURG39_RTP_20120514/WLURG39_RTP_20120514_008.2.txt 8 ' THE RINVG-TUM PHI - MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 sports in the numbers 41 The total number oftennis titles that Serena Williams has won after defeating Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the MA- drld Open on Saturday. 4 The total number of home runs that Texas Ranger Josh Ham- llton hit in a game versus the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. He is just the 16th player in MLB history to do so. 85 The total number of first-place votes out of 121 that LeBron James received in the NBA MVP voting. 120 votes come from a panel of sportswriters who cover the league and 1 vote comes from fans on NBA.com. His point total was 1,074. Kevin Durat of the Oklahoma City Thunder came in second with 889 points. 44. The total number of years since Manchester city won their last English football title before defeating the Queens Park Rangers 3-2 on Sunday. They scored 2 goals in stoppage time in a comeback victory. soapbox “This is a team game and I wouldn't be receiving what I've received in the past and now in the present without my teammates and without my family and friends who've helped me to this point.” -MlamlHeutLeBronJamesallarwlnnln¢h|sthIrdoareor NBAMalVflumhFhuuuu¢ “It does not help that ESPN has all of the sudden become Medical TV with damn near every brain expert on the planet... Since no one is showing any support, I figured I would be the first.” -NavEn¢andPtrulotcludOclioolnooInaluuartnNFL ounmhduurflqaraaublehahflandunhFLhwobu umrmofirdnanmmunhduuflnunflamnoqndflu dmnhmmrsumkannnmuhfle CONGRATULATIONS TO TAMARA MORSE AND CAMILLE COBB FOR BEING SELECTED INTERCOLLEGIATE HORSE SHOW ASSOCIATION NAITONAL ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS ondeck Women’s Tennis W&L can’t make magic happen twice Generals come from behind in first round of N CAAs but can’t in second By Leigh Dannhauser SPORTS EDITOR 20th ranked Washington and Lee was able to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3 against University of Texas-Tyler in the open- ing round of the NCAA tournament on Friday. The duos of junior Hayden White and first-year Taylor Shamshiri, and seniors Mac Davis and Brian Roberts lost to sophomore Ryan Spencer and junior Kevin Singer, plus sophomore Doug Kierstead and first-year Joey Hendrie, respectively, 8-5. The doubles team of seniors Jeremy Becht and Ben Fass were "almost able to reduce the gap but lost in a tie-break 9-8 (7-5) to senior Kevin Wright and first-year Robert Hodous. But the Generals turned the match around in singles competition. Shamshiri quickly de- feated Singer 6-2, 6-0 to open singles compe- tition. White followed suit by defeating Spen- cer 6—1, 6-1. Fass was able to finally tie the score up by defeating Wright 6-2, 6-2. W&L’s first lead of the day came when Roberts defeated Houdous 6-0, 3-6, 6-0. The victory came in the next competition as Becht came back from losing the first set to defeat Wright 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Sadly, W&L was unable to make the same comeback against second ranked Emory Uni- versity on Saturday. They lost 5-0. Eagles junior Elliot Kahler and first-year lan Wagner teamed up to defeat‘Becht and Fass 8-2. Senior Dillon Pottish and first-year Brian Kowalski then defeated Davis and Roberts 8-3. Seniors Chris Goodwin and Will Humphreys finished off doubles play for the_ Eagles by defeating the duo of White and Shamshiri. Wagner opened up singles play by defeat- ing Becht 6-3 ,6-1 to bring the Eagles within one match of moving on in the tournament. Pottish sealed victory for the Eagles when he defeated White 6- 1 , 6-2. With the victory Emory advanced to Sun- day’s Regional Finals. ‘ W&L is out of the tournament, ending their season. They finished with a 16-5 record. White will continue his season when he competes in the NCAA singles tournament in Cary, N.C. beginning on May 24. Gennies cruise in NCAAs W&L easily defeats Ohio Northern in second round after losing the first By Leigh Dannhauser SPORTS EDITOR Women’s tennis won in the second round of the NCAA tournament. After receiving a goodbye in the first round of the tournament, Washington and Lee faced off with Ohio Northern on Saturday. But once the match was moved to Emory University’s indoor facilities due to the rain, the Generals easily defeated the Polar Bears. The final score was 5-0. The doubles pair of first-years Sonja Meighan and Meghan Buell defeated sopho- mores Lauren Rife and Carly Olmstead 8-0 to open up the match. W&L never looked back. First-year Patricia Kirkland and sophomore Cameron Dorsey defeated first-years Brittany Miller and Kristin Cellentani 8-4 and seniors Lauren Lukas and Trelsie Sadler defeated e i sophomore Michelle Tuma and junior Christie Gales 8-3. The Generals did not slow down once singles play began. Buell easily defeated Ol- Senior Lauren‘ Lukas returning a cross-court shot mstead 6-0, 6-1. Lukas securedthe victory for the Generals when she defeated Tuma 6- 1 , 6-1. T . COURTESY OF GENERALSSPORTS. OMO Two more win NCAA postgrad awards Stirling and Washnock join Lawson as NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients By Leigh Dannhauser SPORTS EDITOR Seniors Brian Stirling and Chris Washnock were among 29 scholar—athletes from all three divisions who earned the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship -this winter. Stirling and Washnock join soccer player Kat Lawson, who was a recipient in the fall. 9 Never before has Washington and Lee had three winners in the same year. According to a W&L press release, they become three of 36 athletes who have been given the award since 1970. Stirling has earned All-American honors five times, and served as the team captain his senior year. Stirling additionally holds three school records. He also holds the 100 butterfly record with a time of 49.07 and was a part of both the 200 and 400 medley record squads. In the classroom, Stirling is a neuroscience major and has earned the status of a W&L ath- lete this past semester with a GPA of above 3.5. Moreover, Washnock has earned All- American honors five times. He served with Stirling as a team captain this past season. At the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Champi- onships he placed third in the 200 back with a time of 1:49.51. Washnock is a 2011 Capital One Third Team Academic All-American honoree. He is also was one of 19 W&L student athletes to boast a 4.0 GPA this past winter semester. Lawson has been named a first team All- American on two occasions, the first General to achieve. that feat. She also served as team captain her senior year. Lawson plans to use the money to help pay for med school. NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships are awarded each of the three sports seasons. 29 men and 29 women are awarded a single grant of $7,500 for each season. Overall, 87 men and 87 women are awarded each year. W&L wins Wooldridgecup Generals take home the awardfor the ninth straight year By Leigh Dannhauser SRORTS EDITOR Washington and Lee just beat out 1-_\'nch- burg to \\in the 2012 Wooldridge (‘up. The Wooldridge (‘up is presented to the institution in the Old Dominion Athletic ('onference \\ ho has the best overall athletic program. "Points for the (‘ommissioner‘s (‘up are based on regular season standings in team sports and championship team linishes in in- di\ idual sports,“ according to an ()l)l\(‘ press release earl_\‘ last \\’ee\. The total number of ;Tuesday Wednesday points earned is then divided by the total nuin- ber ofpossible points in order to come up \\ ith a ranking for each institution.“ W&L stood on top ofthe overall standings \\ ith a rating of 0.733. L_Vnchburg was not \*cr_\ far behind with a rating of 0.714. W&L won the \\romen”s ranki as for the ninth time in a row as well. The (‘ a rating of 0.788. L_\'nchburg finished second \\ ith 0.71’-'l. Thursday W&L placed third behind L_\,-‘nchburg and Randolph-Macon in the men‘s rankings. The Hornets had a rating of 0.714 while the Yel- lo\\~ Jackets had a rating of 0.685. The Geh- erals Iinished close behind with a rating of 0.670. Throughout the course of the year. W&L \\ on ()1)/\C Championship titles in \\'0lllC|1iS s\\imming. men's and \\’omen‘s tennis. and - \\‘omen‘s lacrosse. Saturday Sunday ‘_, Men's Lacrosse Baseball Men's Tennis H4NP 3 % Track 10/B9/12 Isaqs. E -, . Jug. :water Last Chance Golf Women’s Lacrosse M