Student Life Newspaper | Monday, August 24, 2009

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Find out all about the upcoming Jungle Boogie concert at the St. Louis Zoo in SCENE, PAGE 13

A welcome from this year’s editorial board and a call to get involved on campus can be found in today’s FORUM, PAGE 4

W U

STUDENT LIFE

the independent newspaper of Washing ton Universit y in St . L ouis since eighteen sevent y-eight Monday, August 24, 2009

www.studlife.com

Vol. 131, No. 2

Speculation over Sen. Jeff Smith’s future continues as campus reacts Former students, campaign staffers feel let down

MATT MITGANG | OFFICE OF ORIENTATION

Newly arrived freshmen visit the various tables set up by student groups on move-in day. The newly opened South 40 House, visible in the background, contains the first part of the new South 40 dining facilities and sophomore housing on the upper floors.

Puneet Kollipara Copy Chief Speculation over the political future of state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, is continuing, as former students and staffers of Smith’s struggle to come to terms with recent reports of a federal inquiry into the Washington University instructor. “In the event that the allegations are true, it seems that he gave a model for an ideal politician and statesman that he violated,” said senior Dayne Seiden, who took Smith’s course on campaigning and elections in the fall 2008 semester. Reports surfaced about 10 days ago that Smith was considering resigning his seat amid a possible federal inquiry regarding his 2004 congressional campaign. Smith also canceled a course he was supposed to teach this fall called “Topics in American Culture Studies: Contemporary Issues in St. Louis Politics, Culture, and Society,” school spokeswoman Sue Killenberg McGinn said last Wednesday in a statement. The course would have been in the American Culture Studies program. The statement said Smith “asked on Thursday, Aug. 13, to be relieved of those duties and the class was cancelled.” McGinn said she did not know the reason. Multiple news outlets have reported that the FBI was investigating Smith over campaign literature he allegedly distributed illegally during his 2004 congressional bid. The FBI has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of an in-

all the news you missed...

while you were away SAM GUZIK | STUDENT LIFE

Kat Zhao Senior News Editor

Jeff Smith speaks at an ethics forum on campus last October. vestigation. Smith, 35, was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2006 and has since established himself as a rising star in Missouri politics. If he does resign, his political career and quick rise in state politics would come to an abrupt end. Smith’s Jefferson City office has not returned phone calls from Student Life. Since the state legislature is out of session, any resignation letter would have to go through Gov. Jay Nixon’s office. As of Thursday afternoon, no letter had been received, according to a Nixon spokesman. Word of Smith’s possible resignation has caused a stir among Missouri politicians in recent days. “I hope it’s not true,” said state Sen. John Griesheimer, R-Washington. “All you can do is wait and see, I guess.” The fall 2008 semester was the last time Smith taught at the University when he was a part-time lecturer in political science. Smith burst onto the political scene in the questioned 2004 campaign, when he vied for the Democratic nomina-

The 2008-09 academic year at Washington University was one of many administrative, environmental, political and campus liferelated changes. Issues and events that arose in the past two semesters will continue to play a role and affect students throughout this year. Several of these changes have been summarized below.

METRO RESTORATIONS Last summer, Metro received $12 million in stimulus money from the Missouri legislature and $6 million from the Federal Transit Administration to restore 55 percent of the cut bus service. Metro also made changes to routes affecting Danforth Campus. On March 30, Metro had cut 44 percent of its bus service, 32 percent of its light rail service and 15 percent of Call-a-Ride service. St. Louis County is now considering putting Proposition M—transit sales-tax hike— on the April county ballot. This initiative was on last November’s ballot, but it failed by 3 percent. School leaders hint that another campaign could be in the works. The measure would restore full transit service.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS The topography of the South 40 has undergone significant changes this past summer, with the demolition of the former Wohl Center and completion of the new Umrath Hall and the first phase of South 40 House. Both construction projects began in early 2008. In place of Bear Mart and Center Court, students will find the new Bear’s Grill and Bakery and a redesigned Bear Mart in South 40 House. Meanwhile, the construction of Brauer Hall across from Brookings for the engineering school, which began in October 2008, is going as planned. At Convocation on Thursday, Wrighton said that the building will be ready to open in spring 2010.

See AWAY, page 3

MATT MITGANG | STUDENT LIFE

See SMITH, page 11

After major service cuts in late March, Metro used state and federal money to restore more than half of its slashed bus service. Amid the chance St. Louis County may put a transit sales-tax increase on the April county ballot, the school is hinting at a ballot campaign.

Citing budget cuts, University to shut School officials remember Center for Ethics & Human Values Imergoot after death in crash The Center for the Study of Ethics & Human Values at Washington University will be discontinued in June 2010 due to budget constraints. A University statement cited deficits in major gifts toward the program’s endowment as a reason for its termination. “While the university regrets the need to discontinue the center as originally conceived, we are confident that programs within the schools of the University will continue to focus on many of the issues that the center was designed to address,”

Edward Macias, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said in the statement. The center was founded in 2003 by Ira Kodner, a professor of surgery in the School of Medicine. Kodner, who currently serves as director of the center, expressed great disappointment in the University’s decision to end the program. “I think it’s a horrible decision,” Kodner said. “It’s a horrible image for the University at this time when we are facing greater ethical challenges than ever before.” “We all know the economy is bad, but the implication is if the economy is bad, the first thing you do is close

down your Center for Ethics & Human Values,” he added. Up until now, the center has been funded by contributions from each of the University’s schools. Cutbacks in the schools’ operating budgets as a result of the ill economy, however, has made this multi-source financial support unfeasible. According to Kodner, the center’s lack of a single patron made funding difficult. “The strength of the center was that we didn’t work for one dean; we were an interdisciplinary program,” he said. “The weakness of the center was that we didn’t work for one dean.”

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Dan Woznica News Editor

See ETHICS, page 6

Josh Goldman Managing Editor The Washington University Athletic Department lost one of its mainstays on July 24 when Lynn Imergoot lost control of her car outside of New York City and struck a tree. She was 60 years old and had been with the University for 37 years. “I’ll remember her as a wonderful teacher, coach, administrator, mother, friend and valued member of the Washington University community,” Athletic Director John Schael said. Imergoot, most recently the associate director of club and intramural sports, started

work at the University in 1973 as the director of women’s and co-ed intramurals, a post she held until 1979. She also served in the administration as coordinator for women’s athletics from 1977-84 and assistant athletic director from 1984-2005. Aside from her work behind a desk, Imergoot will be most remembered as the first and longtime coach of the women’s tennis team, a post she held from 1975-2005. During her 30-year tenure as coach, the Bears compiled a record of 435-164 (.726) and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Six players also earned seven All-America distinctions during that time. “Establishing and coach-

COURTESY OF ATHLETICS

Lynn Imergoot. ing the initial women’s tennis program was a great accomplishment for Lynn, as there were few opportunities for women’s participation

See IMERGOOT, page 6

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Student Life Newspaper | Monday, August 24, 2009 by Student Life - Issuu