inGeneral Winter 2015

l a r e n e InG SPRING TERM

By Caroline Sanders MEET MR. TONG

By Carolyn Holtzman

DRUNK HISTORY

By Polli Noskova

PLUS W&L Aids GLOBAL LEARNING Grade INFLATION

InGeneral EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Liza Boldrick

MANAGING EDITOR Hendley Badcock

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Eileen Small

LAYOUT MANAGER Jenna Faude LAYOUT Lindsay Cates, Grace Haynes, Katie Paxton, Lauren Wurthmann

PHOTOGRAPHY Sequoya Bua-Iam, Ellen Kanzinger, Katie Pettit, Shaun Soman

WRITERS Lindsay Castleberry, Hannah Falchuk, Rowan Farrell, Carolyn Holtzman, Polli Noskova, Caroline Sanders, Scott Sugden, Inga Wells, Emma Whittemore

FOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: INGENERAL JOHN W. ELROD COMMONS WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY LEXINGTON, VA 24450

Table of CONTENTS

InGeneral

01

Winter 2015

Letter from the

EDITOR Dear Readers:

Let’s remember a Lexington before Taps, before Haywood’s, before the illustrious T-Bar kick-started Washington and Lee’s scanty bar scene. It wasn’t that long ago that I had never stepped foot in a Lexington bar and that I sadly waved away the wine list when it was offered at Bistro. Wasn’t life back then so different?

No. It wasn’t. Thanks to the constant parade of fraternity parties, mixers, and formals, it’s not even remotely difficult for an underage drinker to have fun at W&L. Our relative dearth of bars doesn’t affect underclassmen in any significant way. As a senior, it’s great to be able to meet friends for a drink in town before going out, but I don’t at all feel like I’ve been missing out the past three years. When I used to explain W&L’s honor system to friends from home--how I couldn’t go to bars because using a fake ID would get me kicked out--they always acted sympathetic, but I didn’t care. Firstly, because (as aforementioned) it really didn’t affect my social life.

And secondly, because I’ve always been proud to attend a school where honor is taken so seriously, and by my own peers, no less.

That was a big draw to me when looking at W&L, as I’m sure it was to a lot of you. The fact that students were so involved and were given so much real authority made me confident in my peers’ integrity and competency. It extends beyond the committees with disciplinary influence as well. I love that the EC and SJC are student-elected and entirely student-run, but I also appreciate the myriad of other groups on campus that exist only because their student members had the drive and care to actually keep them going. There’s no guarantee that any college of our size have a Promise Committee, or an academic journal, or three a capella groups, but W&L does. And they’re not just groups in name; they actually do things.

For all the benefits of the high level of student authority at W&L, however, there exist some drawbacks as well. Quite a few student decisions have been made over the past year about which much of the school harbors very strong opinions. It can be frustrating to be handed down a judgment by someone your own age, by someone who, unlike professors or deans, is on the same playing field as you in the real world. It’s even worse when you realize that there’s no higher authority to appeal to regarding a decision you don’t like. But that’s the point-student-run organizations aren’t just opportunities for students to practice being in charge until real problems arise, at which point the adults take over. They really are in charge, all of the time. And we, the students of W&L, chose for it to be this way, for better or for worse.

After college, we’ll all transition from answering to our teachers to answering to our bosses. Some of our bosses will be great, some of them will be awful, some will deserve our respect, and some won’t. But we’ll have to answer to them regardless. Just like W&L, there either won’t be a higher power to appeal to, or it will be career suicide to do so.

W&L’s student groups have affected many positive changes this year; they’ve also demonstrated that they are exactly as unfamiliar with new territory as the rest of us through some of their more controversial decisions.

But whether we think student leaders have succeeded or not, let’s not forget that this is a system that we, together as a school, chose. Such trust in one another is not misplaced: it shows that we stick together, that we respect each other, that we believe in ourselves and our classmates to ultimately look out for the collective best interest. And I, for one, am happy to be able to describe my alma mater in such a way.

Peace and blessings,

Liza Boldrick

02) Spring Term BY: CAROLINE SANDERS

03) Spring Kickoff BY: EMMA WHITTEMORE

04) Drunk History BY: POLLI NOSKOVA

06) W&L Aids BY: LINDSAY CASTLEBERRY

08) Mr. Tong BY: CAROLYN HOLTZMAN

09) Living Spaces BY: ROWAN FARRELL

10) Grade Inflation BY: SCOTT SUGDEN

12) W&L Kids BY: INGA WELLS

13) Global Learning BY: HANNAH FALCHUK

02

03

spring term

CHECKLIST Hike House Mountain. Check.

Float the Maury. Check.

Go to Hull’s Drive-In. Check.

You’ve done almost all of the must-do items on your Spring Term checklist. Now what? While Lexington is a small town, it is also home to many different attractions that entice tourists from all over.

You’ve heard of most of them—and maybe even done some—but there are also many peculiar, lesser-known attractions in Rockbridge County that you should add to your springtime bucket list.

By Caroline Sanders ‘17

3) The Righteous and Rascals of Rockbridge County: As you walk through downtown, pay close attention to the granite pavers on the sidewalk. They are there to commemorate some of the significant people who have inhabited Rockbridge County. Of course there’s one for Robert E. Lee and one for Stonewall Jackson, but did you know that when Patsy Cline was five years old, the famous country singer lived where the Woods Creek apartments now stand? Or that the first recorded person to ever streak the Colonnade was not only the first recorded streaker in American history, but that he also later became a congressman and ambassador to Chile? Take a little time to stroll through the streets and learn about the famous (and infamous) people who lived in Lexington before you.

4) Gems of Rockbridge Geocaching Trail: Ten geocaches hidden around Rockbridge County make up this hunt, which is designed to take you into every nook and cranny of the county. You can go to the Visitor Center to pick up a GPS and coordinates that you can use to hunt down the hidden treasure boxes.

5) Afternoon at Goshen: Spend your afternoon tubing, fishing, and climbing in the beautiful Goshen pass. If you cross the swinging footbridge and turn right, you can hike about thirty minutes up to the top of Chamber’s Ridge for an incredible view. It’s most worthwhile to go right before sunset and best if you bring a picnic dinner along.

1) Self-Guided Walking Tour: Be a tourist for an afternoon. Sure, you walk around town every day on your way to class and you can see it all from that classroom on the Colonnade. But how much do you really know about the town? The Lexington Visitor Center has maps that outline a path through downtown, VMI, and W&L and give you historical blurbs about landmarks you pass on the way. It’s a good way to really get to know the town you’re calling home for four years.

2) Pete’s Cave: This one’s for true adventurers. About an hour and a half to two hours into the difficult hike on the North Mountain trail you will come to a large rock outcropping. Legend has it that there is a hidden cave within the rock face that was used by either a runaway slave or a soldier trying to escape service in the Civil War (legend is hazy). What is certain, though, is that you’ll have a 360-degree view of the county from the peak and a chance to search for the hideout.

6) Llama Trek: The Applewood Inn, a bed and breakfast about 15 minutes south of town, is home to eight llamas, four of which were raised in southwest Virginia. For $30 you can lead an adorably fuzzy llama through a hiking trail for two hours while you learn more about the animals and the nature you’re trekking through. Be careful, though; the llamas are known to spit!

SPRING KICKOFF

2 0 1 5 by: Emma Whittemore ‘16

W

ashington and Lee Univer“A lot of the people work on the hill sity’s Mock Convention may be nationally and do this as a side gig,” said Smith. “They recognized, but only a fourth of the current came to Spring Kickoff last time and they student body has experienced it. Mock were a big hit.”

Convention, fondly dubbed “Mock Con,” Thursday will feature “IT’S A BEGINNING CELEoccurs every four years a Presidential Issues Panel BRATION ABOUT WHAT’S TO and predicts whom the COME AND A WAY TO SHOW discussion in Wilson Hall. out-of-office party will ALL OF THE HARD WORK Political Chair KatherTHAT PEOPLE HAVE PUTTING choose as their nomine Hodges ’16 said the IN FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.” inee for the President speakers for the panel have of the United States not yet been finalized, in the next election. although she did confirm In the last 16 election cycles, Mock Con has that there will be three people from a mixaccurately predicted the nominee 14 times. ture of professions, ranging from journalists to politicians.

Because most of the students haven’t experienced Mock Con before, including the students who are planning the 26th Mock Convention, Mock Con leaders host a Spring Kickoff to boost student awareness about the upcoming convention. It also allows younger student leaders to learn from the seniors who experienced Mock Con in 2012.

Mock Con Events Chair Madison Smith ’16 is one of the students spearheading the event.

For more information on these activities as well as ideas for other adventures, stop by the Lexington Visitor Center located at 106 East Washington Street.

Spring Kickoff will run from Wednesday, May 6 to Saturday, May 9, commencing with an evening show by the Capitol Steps, a political comedy group from Washington, DC.

“Spring Kickoff is the beginning of all of the Mock Con festivities,” said Smith. “It’s essentially four days of entertainment and political panels to get people excited about Mock Con.”

ties begin. The student band Moody and the Heard will play on Friday in Red Square.

Moody Heard ’16 will be abroad during Spring Term and the rest of the “Heard” will play without him. Another band will play Saturday night in Davidson Park.

Despite all of the parties, the most important part of Spring Kickoff will be the speaker on Saturday, whose speech will take place on the lawn in front of Lee Chapel.

Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush, served as the Keynote Speaker at the last Spring Kickoff.

“Spring Kickoff will be a lot of fun and the speakers will be engaging and knowledgeable about the Republican Party,” said Hodges. “I am very excited to get more students involved in state delegations and keep building the research project.”

“The panel will focus on the current status of the race within the Republican Party, as well as the big issues that can affect one’s nomination, such as immigration and education,” said Hodges.

Smith also said the committee plans to add another event to the schedule, but has not yet released any details. She did say that the surprise event will be held on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. and leading up to the speech at 5 p.m.

On Friday, there will be another speaker in Wilson Hall before the nighttime activi-

“All around, it’s a beginning celebration about what’s to come and a way to show all

04

05

A Drunk History of Washington

& Lee

by: Polli Noskova ‘17 Robert E. Lee said he liked whiskey–and that was why he never drank it. In the biography Lee by Douglas Southall Freeman, the former Washington and Lee president is said to have “waged an active war on liquor.”

Lee’s main concern was the well-being of the young men at his college, and although his first priority was their academic success, he also placed great premium on the one rule students often hear repeated today: that every W&L student be a gentleman.

Fearing the effects of alcohol use after what he had seen during his time in the army, Lee blamed the local “grog shops” for “luring our young men into destruction.”

“My experience through life has convinced me that, while moderation and temperance in all things are commendable and beneficial, abstinence from spirituous liquors is the best safeguard of morals and health,” Lee said, according to Freeman.

Although there was little hard drinking during Lee’s presidency at W&L, those who did fall deep in the cups were expelled.

Today W&L students revere Lee and his leadership skills, and some even aspire to be like him, but they might not agree with his stance on whiskey. This modern penchant for alcohol amongst W&L students is not a recent phenomenon.

Pat Hinley, a ’73 grad and current W&L photographer, had a healthy appreciation for liquor when he was a student as well, a school-wide taste whose origins he traced back to as early as the 1930s.

He recalled a 50th year reunion of alumni who attended W&L during Wilson’s nationwide Prohibition. The men had their own tales of heavy drinking despite the serious legal consequences of the time.

Hinley guessed that the school’s alcohol use became widespread around World War II, when returning veterans brought their drinking culture back to campus. He told a story recounted by the famous novelist and 1951 W&L alumnus Tom Wolfe about student veterans fresh from the war stocking their fraternity house Coke machine with

bottles of beer.

“What a deal – a cold beer for a nickel amongst one’s brothers,” said Hinley.

Our student culture at W&L is one closely attached to alcohol. A Google search for “Washington and Lee University alcohol” yields 1.2 million results. W&L used to be the no. 1 liquor drinking school in The Princeton Review before the administration had it taken out entirely.

Hinely said that his experience with alcohol began freshman year, when his older fraternity brothers bought gin for him from the ABC store. This satisfied Hinley until he discovered “green stuff,” a punch made out of Gatorade and grain alcohol, served from trash cans at parties.

Hinley’s heavy-drinking days ended after a blackout during a date function, but other students lacked his newfound sense of moderation. Some of his brothers would start drinking on Friday afternoon and not stop until they passed out, whether that be on Friday night or Saturday morning.

Although his time at W&L was over 40 years ago, Hinely said that, judging by what he sees of the current campus culture, there exists the same sense of adventure concerning substance use.

“I never saw any needles, but almost everything else. And most of it was fun,” he said.

At that time the administration was less concerned with alcohol use than its role in students’ morality. The idea that the young men would bring girls back to their dorms was scandalous when Hinely was a freshman, but by the time he was a senior there was more student autonomy and—to put it delicately—less gentlemanly decorum.

Shortly after he graduated, all of the housemothers and house directors quit.

As with many colleges across the country, especially those with prominent Greek cultures, the situation only escalated from there.

In the ‘80s a W&L dean declared that students didn’t consider anything to be a social occasion unless alcohol was being served, and that people “had their cages rattled.”

This statement defined W&L’s alcohol and party culture within the school and,

more unsettling to the admissions office, to prospective students and their parents.

Thus the process of attempting to control or regulate alcohol use began.

Hinely said that he moved out of his fraternity house fall of sophomore year so he could get more work done.

“There was just so much happening, and I wanted to be part of that but I also wanted

to keep my scholarship,” he said.

Jan Kaufman, W&L’s director of Health Promotion, says that in recent years students have reported less excessive drinking, partially for this reason.

“As students get older they’re more focused on the future,” she said, “and some who have had negative consequences [with drinking] learn from those experiences.”

According to multiple nationally acclaimed surveys W&L students take throughout their first year, close to 90 percent of W&L students are drinkers.

“What we do know is a higher percentage of our students binge drink—five or more drinks in two hours—have blackouts, and have more negative consequences than national statistics,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman started working at W&L fulltime in 2001, and in those 15 years high risk drinking has not budged. It doesn’t help that the rate of students who drink coming into W&L is higher than the national average.

“There might be something about our culture, either real or perceived, that is attracting those students,” said Kaufman.

Fifty-five percent of W&L students report having a blackout, or memory loss associated with binge drinking, and 60 percent reported binge drinking at least once in a span of two weeks.

And for the 40 percent of us who drink three times a week or more, if Robert E. Lee were university president today, he would send us a Traveller ride—right out of town.

Others look at the Confederate flag and see slavery, oppression, and war.”

06

THE

W&L AIDS ROCKBRIDGE AREA OCCUPATION CENTER

by Lindsay Castleberry ‘17 For the handicapped workforce of Rockbridge Area Occupation Center (RAOC) in Buena Vista, the job is about much more than earning money.

The RAOC, a nonprofit agency and business that provides jobs for disabled people in the area, has been changing lives for 45 years.

“We are serving a population of people that have the most difficulty in finding employment,” said Roy Funkhouser, executive director of the RAOC. “It’s not just about the wage they earn, it’s the prestige that comes with saying, ‘I have a job and I work with other people.’”

The RAOC works primarily to lower the unemployment rate in Rockbridge County, while simultaneously benefitting Rockbridge County’s disabled population by providing steady work and wages.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Rockbridge has significantly declined in the

past five years. In February of 2010 it was almost nine percent but the most recent analysis shows that unemployment reached a record low of five percent in December 2014. Still, Rockbridge remains on the list of counties in Virginia with the highest unemployment rate.

For those with special needs, the job search process can be particularly complex. A person seeking employment with the RAOC would first contact the State of Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services (DARS) and request classification as someone who wants to work.

“If all the parameters of DARS are met, they would then be referred to us,” said Funkhouser. “Once we’ve done our assessment, we go back to DARS and say, ‘Yes, we’d like to keep them,’ or ‘No, they are not a fit for our environment.’ The person has the first choice, though.”

To gain employment with the RAOC the individual must be an adult, be disabled, and be capable of handling all of their own

07 life needs like food, drink, bathroom requirements, and medicine.

“Based on our population, we are limited in how difficult a Currently, there are 35 employees divided into four different areas of task can be,” said Funkhouser. “These students have agreed to help work within the RAOC: hand assembly, the woodworking shop, the us find enough work for the folks.” mobile crew, and the document shredding department.

Edward Stroud ’17, a member of WLSC, recognizes that the In the hand assembly department, employees are currently RAOC has had to look further afield to find work for employees in producing tents from ropes, clips, and buckles acquired from a recent years. shelter manufacturer, while the woodworking shop employees are “I found it important to help such a meaningful organization tasked with making simple wooden structures like picnic tables and and because of my already-present community service through my birdhouses. work with the Bonner Program... it was a natural fit,” said Stroud.

“The mobile crew employees are those whose physical So far, the team of four W&L students has completed a challenges are not as great as some of the others,” said Funkhouser. capabilities assessment of RAOC and is currently working on market “They go out and do manual labor like spreading mulch and raking research of similar organizations in the United States to help with its leaves. We’ve painted some empty houses for realtors and also consultation. pressure washed.”

With the help of WLSC, the RAOC is searching for a Although the mobile crew works new source or product that they could primarily for individual citizens, anyone TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT WITH manufacture themselves, as well as new in Rockbridge County, including technology that could be brought in. This THE RAOC THE INDIVIDUAL businesses, can hire the department. initiative has not only benefited the RAOC, MUST BE AN ADULT, BE DISOperating the four departments of but also the students involved.

ABLED, AND BE CAPABLE OF the RAOC with just four staff members “So far I have learned many things, HANDLING ALL OF THEIR OWN can be quite a challenge. But students including how to conduct useful market LIFE NEEDS LIKE FOOD, DRINK, in the area, including Washington and research and how to develop ways for BATHROOM REQUIREMENTS, Lee Campus Kitchen, W&L Student non-profits to continue operations,” said AND MEDICINE. Consulting (WLSC), and W&L Stroud. “I have also learned the process Professor Kacie D’Alesandro’s drafting and procedure of how to effectively present and design engineering class, are stepping up to help. recommendations for our clients.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Campus Kitchen, coordinated Professor D’Alessandro’s engineering class this semester is

by Jenny Davidson, delivers lunch to the RAOC. developing a technical drawing of one of the RAOC’s benches.

“The RAOC has been a service site for the Campus Kitchen “The end result would be to develop assistive technology, since [our] start in 2006,” said Davidson. “The model of the which would be something like making patterns to simplify putting Campus Kitchens Project is to partner with existing non-profits a bench together so we can hand it to a worker and they’ll know to provide meals for community members struggling with food which piece goes where,” said Funkhouser. insecurity and RAOC is certainly a good fit in that regard.”

The idea is to make labor productivity more efficient by Funkhouser said the employees are grateful for this service. simplifying the work.

“That’s a big help for the folks here because a lot of them “We are trying to get a lot of stuff going and W&L is come from low income homes,” said Funkhouser. “W&L has been a providing a lot of support,” said Funkhouser. “I can’t tell you about lot of assistance to us, starting with Campus Kitchen. And in the last any end results yet, but we’re working on it.” several months we’ve begun discussing new projects.”

According to Funkhouser, in Virginia only 36 percent of Members of WLSC, a student-managed pro-bono consulting adults with disabilities are employed. “Given such a high rate of group on campus, recently launched a project to help the RAOC unemployment for disabled adults, it is logical that we are helping in grow by searching for potential business opportunities for the center. a small way,” said Funkhouser.

08

09

meet

Living Spaces

MR. TONG

by: Rowan Farrell ‘18

by: Carolyn Holtzman ‘16 Hoi Tong, better known by Washington and Lee students and his Facebook friends as Mr. Tong, is one of the most interesting and entertaining people in Lexington. Originally from Hong Kong, Mr. Tong moved to the United States 35 years ago and opened the popular Lexington haunt, Tong Dynasty, a decade ago. We talked with the proud owner to get to know a little more about him and his restaurant.

You own a Tong Dynasty in Covington, Va., about 45 minutes away. Why did you decide to open a restaurant in Lexington?

I [wanted] to try Lexington. It’s a college town so probably the main reason was so I can see different people and not always be in Covington—a new challenge.

What sets Tong Dynasty in Lexington apart from Tong Dynasty in Covington?

My favorite part about Tong Dynasty in Lexington is that it’s very different than the other location. There are younger people here. I really enjoy it because we can see a lot of different friends come into here. We are

very happy in Lexington. The Tong community is getting larger so on the weekends we see a lot of friends come down. That’s very enjoyable.

From the conventional Washington and Lee campus tour, a prospective student might come to the conclusion that W&L lacks a certain element of diversity in its architecture, and particularly in its housing. Handsome though they might be, the dorms, sorority houses, and fraternity houses are short of contrast with their uniform red brick and white columns.

And you just opened T-Bar in September. How has this addition to Tong changed your business?

T-Bar brings me a lot of large groups on the weekends and people really enjoy it. Everyone is happy. I brought something here they really like.

You are constantly serving food to other people. What is your favorite food?

Stir-fry…dumplings…chicken dumpling is my favorite…Kung Pao chicken…some spicy food. I like spicy. I make sushi on my own too. I like that a lot.

You have over 3,000 friends of Facebook and continuously update your status. Why do you like using Facebook so often?

We have a lot of customers here so the communication is important. I like to know what [my friends] want. We need to know

“THE TONG COMMUNITY IS GETTING LARGER SO ON THE WEEKENDS WE SEE A LOT OF FRIENDS COME DOWN. THAT’S VERY ENJOYABLE.” about our friends, so we can pull everyone together.

How do you like to spend your free time when you aren’t working?

I’m almost always on duty here or in Covington. We will open the restaurant if people want to come. Every Monday I post something on Facebook saying, “If you need anything, just give me a ring, and I’ll open it.” People will text me, and I’ll open it. It’s the biggest part of my life. I put a lot of time into T-Bar and Tong. Sometimes if I have nothing to do, I just feel boring. I like coming here to work better and seeing friends.

What’s your favorite part about owning a business near W&L? Everyone is really sweet! They bring a lot of business to me—for house parties and sorority house parties—so I am very happy with them. They are great, smart, and beautiful people.

Once each generation of first-years moves out of the comfort and familiarity of the freshmen dorms, the majority of the class splinters very typically into the various predictable on-campus housing options.

It is easy to forget that just down the road from Graham-Lees sit several unique and alternative choices for post-freshman year living. Six themed and club-specific houses, scattered in and around the W&L campus, offer students living spaces with a character all their own, architectural or otherwise.

house attracts many international students itching for a taste of home, but it also offers an amazing immersive experience for domestic students looking to study internationally or focus on the global community.

Exploring the colorful and brightly decorated rooms of the Global Service House, one tends to feel far away from W&L, as most of the pictures and decorations displayed chronical the journeys of students abroad.

The Outing Club House is nestled among the various fraternity houses that make up Davidson Park. A little more exclusive than the two aforementioned homes, the OC House is reserved for members of the illustrious Outing Club. It only holds about five nature-hungry residents at a time, but it has a lively kitchen and large living rooms.

“We have these big The word on La meals together,” said STEP INSIDE AND YOU WILL Casa Hispanica…is in FIND A SPACE ENTIRELY DEDSierra Noland ’16. “We Spanish. It has to be.

ICATED TO THE WORLD OUTcook and have a feast Spanish is the language SIDE THE UNITED STATES. and can invite friends of the household, over.

They’re like family whose residents are dinners.” limited to the language in all in-house communication. On Thursdays The house’s decorations reflect the La Casa’s residents open their front door to interests of its namesake: two deer heads and the public, throw on music from whichever a roomy porch swing match its residents’ Hispanic musician is on demand for the eve- affinity for the great outdoors. ning, and guide the guests--from wandering The other three specialized housing opfreshmen to fluent seniors--through often tions are the John Chavis House, named for fragmented Spanish conversations. the first African American W&L graduate; A few houses down from La Casa and the Leadership and Engagement House, occupying the space above W&L’s philwhich aims to foster and develop leadership anthropic Campus Kitchen is the Global and school spirit; and the Sustainability Service House. Granted, it looks like any House, a living space for those especially other W&L building; but step inside and dedicated to living green. you will find a space entirely dedicated to “I am definitely more conscientious the world outside of the United States. The

about turning off the lights in every room and recycling everything I can,” said Camilla Davis ’17, who spent a year living in the Sustainability House.

Next year, the Sustainability House will move to the old Sig Ep house, making way for the new Arts, Recreation, and Culture House (ARC House), which will cater to W&L’s artier students.

The residents of the themed houses clearly value their experience in the houses.

While each house can claim a high level of individuality and uniqueness, they do have in common good people and good times.

GRADE

10

INFLATION

by Scott Sugden ‘15

A FOR EFFORT: GRADE INFLATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION Last April, a record number of Washington and Lee student-athletes were presented with the scholar-athlete award. There are only two qualifications for this award: be a varsity athlete and manage a one-term GPA of 3.5 or above. Almost half of our 472 athletes in the 2013-2014 school year met these criteria; 22 of those athletes boasted a perfect 4.0. This past fall, the top five percent of W&L’s firstyear class received a 4.0 for the term, setting another record for student performance.

While it might be easy to praise these achievements as exemplifying the academic talent of our student body, the alternative—that equal quality work is now being awarded a better grade—is hard to overlook.

Grade inflation in higher education has been widely discussed: while the old adage that “C is average” may have been true in 1960, when the average GPA among students in public and private universities was 2.40, that figure had soared to 3.11 by 2006. For private universities alone, the average GPA in 2006 was a 3.30. At W&L, the average GPA in 2006 was not far behind that average, at a 3.28.

One of the most-cited consequences of this upward trend in grades is an inability to distinguish between the highest-performing students. According to professors at the Institute of Technology at Tralee quoted in the article “The Consequences of Grade Inflation” by Simon Quinn and Martin O’Grady, students with a 4.0 today do “not have the same level of achievement as those with similar grades in the past.” As a result, it is more difficult for graduate schools and employers to determine which applicants are truly the best. With the promise of easy A’s, students can also become complacent:

W&L Professor Jim Warren notes in his article “Severn” that grade inflation “makes… students expect an A and barely accept a B with any grace.”

Some schools have made efforts to combat this upward compression of grades by adopting grade deflation policies. At Wellesley College in Massachusetts, the average grade awarded in introductory and intermediate-level courses cannot exceed

G

RADE INFLATION

MAKES STUDENTS EXPECT AN A AND BARELY ACCEPT A B WITH ANY GRACE.

a B+. Cornell University includes the median grade for each course on a student’s transcript, to allow reviewers to compare the student’s performance with the rest of the class. From 2004-2014 Princeton University required that no more than 35 percent of grades awarded by each department be within the A-range.

In one of the biggest concessions to grade inflation and students’ expectations, Princeton last fall ended its ten-year-old grade deflation policy. An ad hoc faculty committee cited the “large element of stress” their so-called quota system added to students’ lives as their primary motivation for repealing the policy: Princeton students felt “as though they [were] competing for a limited resource of A grades.”

Other schools have managed to keep grades in check without resorting to university-wide policies or putting undue stress on their students. In the past 30 years, the average GPA at Reed College in Oregon has increased very little, from 2.90 to 3.15.

At our not-too-distant neighbor Roanoke College, less than 30 percent of grades are in the A-range. Purdue University is by far the champion against grade inflation, with students in 2012-2013 boasting an average GPA of 2.92, well below other similar-caliber schools.

To avoid the stress and complications of grade inflation, some schools have abandoned letter grades entirely. Faculty at the New College of Florida and Alverno College provide their students with “narrative evaluations” instead of grades. Students at Fairhaven College self-evaluate their performance in each course, and that self-evaluation, combined with their professor’s nar-

11 rative evaluation, constitutes their “grade.”

Despite—or perhaps because of—these nontraditional approaches, graduate school acceptances and post-graduate employment remain high at all three schools.

Where does W&L fit in the grade inflation world of the past decade? Among the top five percent of our student body, grades have not been compressed. In fact, it has gotten slightly easier to be in the top five percent of the class: a 3.91 marked the top five percent of all students in 2008, whereas last spring it was a 3.88. However, the benchmark for being in the top 50 percent has increased consistently since 2008. In 2008, a 3.28 was enough to be in the top half of the class, but last spring a student needed a 3.39 to make the same claim.

Perhaps we’re working harder than our

parents ever did in college, and therefore our stellar GPAs are the reward of our labor?

That doesn’t seem to be true—according to a 2010 study by Philip Babcock and Mindy Marks, full-time college students spent an average of 40 hours per week either in class or studying in 1961, whereas by 2004 that number had declined to only 27 hours per week.

Perhaps we’re genuinely smarter than our predecessors? But that doesn’t seem to be true either—even though incoming students are receiving better grades than those in previous years, the average ACT and SAT scores of incoming W&L students have remained mostly constant over the past decade, ranging from 650-740 for the SAT and 29-32 for the ACT. Perhaps those standardized test scores

have inflated over the years? No luck there— the nationwide average scores on those tests have also remained constant.

Does that mean W&L has been inflating (or deflating) grades? Hard to say. Students today certainly aren’t averaging the 2.40 that they were decades ago, and I think we’re a long ways from giving narrative evaluations instead of grades. But there’s nothing to suggest that W&L has been doing anything differently than our sister institutions. If you’re aiming for exceptional grades next term, there are reliable (and natural) ways to improve your grades: get enough sleep and exercise regularly, to name a few. But you can sleep easier knowing you might be getting a little extra boost.

CA

12

CHILDREN OF THE FACULTY by: Inga Wells ‘16

13 Most of us call Lexington home for four years and then spend the rest of our lives reminiscing on the good times we had here. For a few local kids, however, residence in Lex is more than just temporary. To some, W&L might seem like the ideal college town, but faculty children—including Miles Bent, Emma Mansfield, and Dylan Smith—consider the school and the community their primary stomping grounds.

Although all three agreed that entertainment may not be extensive in Lexington, they are still very attached to the community.

Miles Bent is a W&L sophomore whose father and mother, George Bent and Lori Olan, work in the art history department and career development services, respectively.

“My favorite part about growing up in Lexington was probably the connection I felt with everyone around me,” said Bent.

Fifteen-year-old Mansfield, the daughter of dance department artistic director Jenefer Davies, agreed.

“I love the safe, quaint feel of the area and couldn’t think of a better place to grow up,” said Mansfield.

Smith, the eight-year-old son of theater professor Jemma Levy, said he has enjoyed taking part in all Lexington has to offer for elementary-aged children. He participates in an after-school program called READY and takes hip-hop classes at Rockbridge Ballet. Of course, his tastes do not differ much from that of W&L students despite his age: “Pure Eats has the best donuts ever!” he exclaimed. No argument here.

But what are the disadvantages of living in a small town?

For Smith, it is the lack of a Jewish community. Mansfield, enrolled in an online schooling program, agreed the local offerings are wanting. While she loves attending the W&L Virginia Colleges Equality Gala, taking spin classes at the school fitness center, and helping out during dress rehearsals for the dance company, she wishes she could have “more opportunities [to take] cooking classes” in town.

Bent expressed that he too noticed the same lack of extracurricular activities growing up. He said that he worries for kids who do not find an activity to get involved in: “I saw many friends and peers go down the wrong path in high school because it’s sort of a stagnant place to grow up unless you have some outlet.”

While most of us have to decide if we like W&L after a quick campus visit, these kids have years to figure out if they want to study here. Would they come if they have the chance?

“Yes!” said Smith. “There’s always something going on.

And I have grown-up friends that work there.”

“I have hoped to attend Washington and Lee University for college ever since my mother started working there,” said Mansfield. “I sincerely hope I…attend W&L, as I think that it is a fantastic school.”

Although Bent did not think seriously about attending W&L until he was accepted, he has taken full advantage of the experience and does not mind having his parents too close. He even took one of his dad’s courses last term.

“Lexington is located in one of the prettiest areas I’ve ever seen,” said Bent. “Growing up around all the natural beauty…hugely impacted my decision to stay for four more years.”

W&L hub for global learning by: Hannah Falchuk ‘18

Lexington is about to get a whole lot bigger. The Center for Global Learning, opening in winter of 2016, will be the place where “the world comes to Washington and Lee, as W&L steps into the world,” according to Romance Language Professor Laurent Boetsch, who spurred the initiative for a more globalized campus more than six years ago.

The Center for Global Learning is the most visible development in W&L’s strategic global initiative. Inspired by Boetsch, the center will lead to changes in the international direction of the campus in both its academic outlook and physical groundwork.

While international education at W&L has never been limited to those with passports and plane tickets, in recent years the school has worked to place greater focus on international trends in the classroom as well as improve its approach to study abroad courses.

But the Office of International Education, where W&L’s international education is currently condensed, isn’t on the radar for most students, many of whom might be hard-pressed to point out the building among the aging houses at the bottom of campus.

“The physical presence of the Center for Global Learning will attract a greater number of students to explore their international education opportunities,” said Boetsch.

The Center will hold classrooms equipped with Skype-ready technology, as well as an atrium, an international tea café, and a video wall for showcasing real-time, worldwide events. The Office of International Education will be more accessible when it is located in the Center, as will the Tucker Multimedia Center.

The TMC will be upgraded to become a fully integrated technological resource for practicing languages, like Arabic, and

for accessing the world through multiple forms of media.

Upon completion of the Center, students of all majors and schools will be able to make use of the school’s international resources, both during and as a supplement to classes. In a press release written by Boetsch, he sought to show the breadth of potential opportunities students could pursue.

“In the virtual classroom, art history students join their professor on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to examine the details of the recent restoration,” wrote Boetsch in the release. “Next to the News of the World bulletins, three ESOL volunteers use a new distance learning tool to tutor children in a Houston afterschool program.”

Unlike most buildings on the hill, the Center for Global Learning will be accessible by law students as well as undergraduates and faculty members, thus benefitting the entire university community.

The newest addition will be situated behind and perpendicular to DuPont, while a connecting walkway will link the two facilities.

“The building’s use is dependent on what the students want it to be,” said Boetsch.

The space will be equipped with the technology to explore and connect to the world, but it will be the students and faculty filling the conference rooms, lecture halls, seminar rooms, and lounges with discussions of worldwide events. The new Center will provide a “renovation” of sorts for an existing campus outlook.

According to Boetsch, it is a necessary change for the school and it students.

“By functioning as a viable, fully-integrated hub for the university,” he wrote, “the Center for Global Learning will be a major factor in W&L’s [mission to prepare graduates for an engaged international citizenship].”

I took these photos at the South Charleston Antique Mall, Nitro Antique Mall, and somewhere in Time Antiques in West Virginia. I go to antique malls to practice photography because they offer a variety of unique objects to photograph.

(I also enjoy shopping at antique stores, so I get to combine two interests at once!)

- Sequoya Bua-lam