Student Life | November 7, 2007

STAFF EDITORIAL | KEEPING IT GREEN WITH BABY STEPS | SEE FORUM, PAGE 4

STUDENT LIFE

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007

Engineering faculty petition for Dean Sansalone’s removal v Citing communication issues and controversial e-mail, tenured faculty unites

BY SAM GUZIK SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Just over a year into her tenure, engineering dean Mary Sansalone has come under fi re for the methods she used in implementing several controversial changes in the School.

Many faculty members have expressed concern about an e-mail from Dean Sansalone that appears to suggest a policy whereby students from South Korean private schools would not be admitted to the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

In an e-mail to Student Life, Sansalone stressed that the remarks had been taken out of context from “a broader discussion about the School of Engineering wanting its fi nancial aid given to students who most need fi nancial assistance.”

In reaction to the lack of consultation with faculty over significant changes to the School and over the controversial e-mail, tenured professors in the School circulated a petition calling for Sansalone’s removal and presented it to Chancellor Mark Wrighton in August.

“Even before the review committee was convened, I met with

Dean Sansalone to review the emails and background behind them,” wrote Chancellor Wrighton in an e-mail to Student Life.

“Dean Sansalone apologized for the unfortunate impression created by the e-mails.”

Of 66 tenured engineering faculty members, 29 signed the petition and an additional 14 expressed their support verbally, according to sources within the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

In addition, 10 senior and retired faculty signed the petition and three others expressed verbal support.

Upon receiving the petition, the Chancellor convened a committee of three faculty members outside the engineering school to review the faculty’s concerns and Sansalone’s performance.

The committee, which was made aware of Sansalone’s emails, supported her and the Chancellor affi rmed its conclusions.

“With any new person working to create or bring reality to a new vision, changes occur, and for some, that’s difficult,” said Chancellor Wrighton. “The pace of change, the nature of change has caused some people to be

concerned in some sectors.”

The rift with faculty and students has been compounded by a perceived lack of communication over changes to the School and by the perception that Dean Sansalone’s actions are unilateral.

“The environment is one of terror, everyone is scared,” said Bia Henriques, a graduate student. “Staff and professors don’t know when they are going to come in and not have their position available anymore, which has happened in the past.”

Sansalone defended the changes she made, citing the need for reforms to achieve the engineering school’s strategic plan.

“When I came to the school there were a number of key challenges that needed to be addressed fairly quickly—some real fi nancial challenges, some issues around accreditation,” said Sansalone. “This isn’t to excuse lack of communication, but sometimes it wasn’t all that easy to communicate all the details.”

Student Discontent

school of engineering have expressed frustration at the lack of effective communication between the administration and the rest of the school regarding policy changes.

Many of Sansalone’s biggest changes were implemented and announced before significant feedback could be received.

In many cases, contradictory rumors developed regarding the planned reforms and were widely circulated until one or another was confi rmed by the Dean in a formal announcement.

“I don’t think there is a problem with the plan. I think the faculty and the students really do support the vision of the dean,” said Sean Mueller, a graduate student in chemical engineering. “We realize that changes are going to occur, but the way that the changes have occurred hasn’t been acceptable.”

Sansalone meets with members of the student body and the administration in multiple forums including Dean’s meetings, formal events and dinners with freshman engineers.

“Bringing about opportuni-

Students at all levels of the

In aftermath of fires, California students relieved

Despite confusion, fund provides resources for new groups

BY MARLA FRIEDMAN STAFF REPORTER When junior Jayce McQuerter received a phone call from his mom saying that the California wildfi res were approaching his house, he felt the frustrations of being far from home.

He tried to gather information about the fi res on the internet, but his attempts failed due to user overload. As strong winds fueled the fi res throughout the week, everyone from his home town of Encinitaf was forced to evacuate.

“The fi res were in a half circle around the entire coast, so there wasn’t really anywhere to go,” said McQuerter. “My family kept going to different places until those places themselves were also evacuated. They just kind of played it day by day.”

See WILDFIRES, page 3

BY GREGG RE CONTRIBUTING REPORTER

MCT

Fire fighters with the Orange County Fire Authority keep an eye on the approaching fire last week. Some Wash. .U students from the areas affected by the disaster report that it has been difficult to focus on school-related activities knowing the fires are displacing their family and community members.

Sarsgaard returns to alma mater

BY ELLEN JONES STAFF REPORTER When actor Peter Sarsgaard was a student at Washington University, he saw Kurt Vonnegut speak in Graham Chapel.

Thursday night, he returns to campus to deliver a lecture of his own.

A St. Louis native, Sarsgaard made his fi lm debut in 1995, in the Tim Robbins’ fi lm “Dead Man Walking.” Since then, he has starred in several critically acclaimed fi lms, including “Jar-

STUDENT LIFE ARCHIVES

Dean of Engineering Mary Sansalone poses with a hardhat at a ceremony welcoming her to the University in 2006. Since her arrival, the changes she has implemented in the Engineering School have sparked controversy See SANSALONE, page 3 within the administration and student body.

head,” “Shattered Glass,” “Garden State” and “Kinsey”. His latest fi lm, “Rendition,” is in theatres nationwide.

“I’ve been talking to people for a while about doing this, looking to give back to my little old institution,” said Sarsgaard.

The lecture, sponsored by the Congress of the South 40, has already generated a great deal of excitement campuswide.

Sarsgaard attended Wash. U. from 1991-1993, after transferring from Bard College. Dur-

Lights, camera, action!

A jewel heist, a Holocaust survivor and carrying a dead friend home. Get the scoop on the St. Louis Film Festival and the hottest upcoming flicks. Cadenza, Page 6

ing his time at WU, the actor studied English Literature and helped found Mama’s Pot Roast, the University’s longest-running improv comedy group.

“When we were looking around for people to speak, Peter’s name was one of the fi rst to come up because of his history here”, said Eric Wu, advisor to CS40. “Luckily we were able to bring him in”.

CS40 speakers are generally chosen because they are popular amongst students. The most recent CS40 lecture, featuring

“Family Guy” creator Seth McFarland, was held in April 2005.

Although Sarsgaard is looking forward to returning to campus and addressing the students , he admits that this isn’t his usual routine. “[Lectures] are not really my thing,” said Sarsgaard. “I’ve asked that there be a microphone for the audience. That’s what I’m used to, being on stage and doing Q&A’s. I’m not used to speaking extemporaneously

See SARSGAARD, page 2

Going in for the kill Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Hear the latest on the volleyball team in their journey for the tourney—the NCAA Championships, this Thursday! Sports, Page 5

The campus enrichment fund, created this year by Student Union and under the control of the Student Senate, will allow new projects and newly formed student groups to receive financial resources. “[Some initiatives] fall through the cracks,” said Student Union President Neil Patel. “The campus enrichment fund solves that.”

A debate last week in the Senate raised some questions about the fund. Normally, the Student Group Activities Committee (SGAC), not the Senate, recognizes student groups and assigns them a general level of funding.

“We don’t want to undermine the authority of the Student Activities Committee,” said SU Treasurer Marius Johnson.

The Senate debate also raised questions over the constitutionality of the fund; under the constitution, only the Treasury can allocate funds.

The $22,000 fund was established for non-student groups and individuals who need onetime funding for their projects.

Ordinarily, the Treasury allocates funding from its $2.1 million budget to the more than 200 student organizations at Washington University that have been approved by SGAC and require regular funds.

But certain campus initiatives and projects do not qualify as student groups. SGAC typi-

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cally does not sanction student groups that have been active on campus for less than a semester or do not hold regular meetings and events.

The fund has existed in a limited form in past years. In 2006, the $7,500 executive projects fund provided resources for those without student-group status. In 2005, the fund contained $10,000.

Johnson said that SU will advertise the new, larger campus enrichment fund more extensively than the executive projects fund.

“We plan on sending out an email and [posting] flyers,” he said. “A lot of students in the past brought concerns to the Senate, but there was no money in the budget. We wanted to expand that, and now it’s being advertised more.”

So far, the Senate has received two requests for resources from the fund.

The Burning Kumquat, a group that plans to start an herb and vegetable garden on the South 40 next semester, and DBears, a driving service for intoxicated students, have petitioned SU for funding.

The Senate has passed resolutions supporting each petition, allocating $1,600 to the Burning Kumquat.

Johnson has not yet allocated resources from the enrichment fund, and said that various fac-

See FUND, page 2

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WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

MCT

Protestors gather against the School of the Americas outside Fort Benning, Georgia, in November of 2002. The school, a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, was the topic of an event last night by Amnesty International.

BY AARON WEIDMAN CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Last night Amnesty International presented a guest speaker and a documentary on the School of the Americas, a

FUND v FROM PAGE 1

combat training school for Latin American soldiers located in Fort Benning, Ga. The event was part of a national awareness week concluding Nov. 16-18 with a Vigil at the School (SOA). The Vigil is orga-

nized by SOA Watch and annually attracts more than 25,000 participants.

“The School of the Americas represents a human rights violation which is supported by tax dollars and the United States government,” said Amnesty International Vice President David Weisshaar. “We feel very passionately that it should be ended and we wanted to bring awareness to the campus so students know what is going on down there.”

Since its establishment in 1946, SOA renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in 2001 and has trained more than 60,000 Latin American soldiers.

The stated mission of WHINSEC is to “provide professional education and training to eligible personnel of nations of the Western Hemisphere promoting democratic values, respect for human rights, and knowledge and understanding of United States customs and traditions.”

WHINSEC’s training manuals, however, include courses such as counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and

more students should become aware of the movement against SOA and the motives behind it.

“We want each person to become more critical in [his] judgment of United States foreign policy,” she said. “The best way to do this is to educate yourselves. You have to know what you’re talking about.”

Weisshaar is one such person.

While interning at Witness for Peace, a politically independent organization in Washington, D.C., he worked to raise awareness for the Vigil and to put together information for potential activists across the country who wanted to hold events in their local communities.

“It was quite inspirational to me—impressive more than anything else—how much [Witness for Peace] could get done,” said Weishaar. “They had five full time employees and four interns. They weren’t making that much money, so the passion they showed was incredible.”

Lorenz invited interested students to attend IFCLA’s monthly focus meetings or to contact her at ifcla@ifcla.org.

SARSGAARD v FROM PAGE 1

tors can distinguish an informal student group from an official one.

“Some groups and individuals might have a one-time need versus a student group that would be continually requesting funding,” he said.

He added that the normal process for establishing a student group is lengthy and that certain initiatives require funding more quickly.

Johnson and Patel acknowledged the possibility that groups such as D-Bears might eventually become formal student groups.

Johnson stressed, however, that he considers each student initiative carefully and investigates its individual needs before allocating money from the enrichment fund.

Patel said that he hopes the new fund will encourage students to approach SU with ideas that can benefit the University community as a whole.

“Hopefully, it will make individual students come to us if they need funding for projects,” said Patel. “This is just another way to provide more flexibility for students.”

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for an hour.”

There will certainly be no shortage of questions from the audience on Thursday. At press, an event listing on Facebook showed that 291 students had RSVPed to attend.

“Peter Sarsgaard is a big time actor, so I’m curious to go and see what he has to say,” said sophomore Vidhya Nagarjan.

“Plus he went to Wash. U., which is really great.”

Current Mama’s Pot Roast president David Israel said the comedy troupe is also eagerly awaiting their founder’s return to campus.

“We’re pretty pumped that he’s coming,” said Israel. “We’d love to get involved with the lecture somehow…maybe to get 10 minutes with him and a picture.”

In order to further generate publicity for Sarsgaard’s lecture, CS40 has been hosting free screenings of Sarsgaard’s fi lms in Ursa’s. The last of these screenings, “Jarhead,” begins tonight at 7:00.

“We’ve been geatting really great feedback from students”, said Jennier Sisto, speaker of the South 40. “We just want to make sure [the event] is vis-

COURTESY OF NEW LINE CINEMA

Peter Sarsgaard, seen above in the recent film “Rendition,” will speak Thursday night in Graham Chapel. The CS40 is bringing Sarsgaard, a former Wash. U. student, to campus as part of their speaker series. ible.”

CS40 also recommends that

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Graduates of SOA, including members of the Chilean secret police under former President Augusto Pinochet’s regime, have been linked to numerous assassinations, massacres and kidnappings.

“These Latin American soldiers are using their training against their own people, which is contrary to the democratic values which America stands for,” said Marilyn Lorenz, program coordinator for the St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America (IFCLA) and the guest speaker at last night’s event.

“Why are we training these soldiers if there is no outside threat to the Latin American Countries?”

Lorenz, who has attended five Vigils, will lead a delegation this year including more than 100 high school and college students, marking the eighth consecutive year in which IFCLA has sent a delegation.

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WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

SANSALONE v FROM PAGE 1

TIMELINE

Dean Sansalone and the Engineering School

2000

While employed by Cornell University, then Vice Provost Sansalone proposes a for-profit distance learning corporation called eCornell drawing criticism from faculty members.

April 2006 Sansalone is named the ninth dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, succeeding Christopher Byrnes.

July 2006 Sansalone arrives on campus and begins to work to improve the school’s financial situation and begin implementing a strategic plan.

August 2007 Tenured professors within engineering school submit a petition calling for Dean Sansalone’s removal.

October 2006

Student Life reports on negative reactions to Dean Sansalone within the engineering school, specifically in relation to the elimination of the dual degree program.

JOE RIGODANZO | STUDENT LIFE

ties for people to work across disciplinary lines and taking a fresh look at how we are organized is a refreshing undertaking,” said Chancellor Wrighton.

“But [it is] unsettling to people involved in a traditional academic organization.”

To some, however, dinners, lunches and dean’s forums do not sufficiently address the needs for communication about the reforms.

“She does attempt to have town hall meetings, she does superficially stage these opportunities to speak,” said a student who asked to remain anonymous because of the potential for academic retribution.

“But, they are very often on short notice and a lot of them are scripted.”

Many students stressed the negative effects that the Sansalone administration’s unpredictability has had upon their education.

“To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure things can be fi xed in this administration,” said Cheng. “I think there has been such a breach of trust between the dean and the student body; that it may not be a gap that you can bridge.”

A History of Controversy Prior to her tenure at the University, Sansalone worked as an administrator at a number of well-known schools, including New York University and Cornell University.

Sansalone’s service at Cornell was marked by debate and controversy because of her role in the creation of a for-profit distance learning operation in 2000 which was opposed by a significant number of faculty members.

Dean Sansalone declined to comment on the debate caused by this proposal, called eCornell.

While at Cornell, Sansalone served as both the chief academic officer of the venture

known as eCornell and as vice provost.

At the time, faculty expressed concern about the climate in which proposed changes were discussed.

“Since you have not created an opportunity for faculty to engage in a meaningful discussion of your proposal, it is surely far too early for you to conclude that only a small number of faculty are opposed to it,” wrote Cornell professor of government Anna Marie Smith in an open letter dated March 4, 2000. “I for one am strongly opposed, […] and many of us cannot attend these [faculty senate] meetings on such short notice,” wrote Smith.

Planning for Excellence Since arriving on campus in July 2006, Sansalone has unveiled a number of controversial changes, including the merging of multiple departments and the elimination of several faculty positions.

“In general, I think that no matter what department you are in there is a sense of uncertainty,” said Henriques. “And that’s really hard, coming to school every day when you don’t know what’s going to happen because of the lack of communication.”

Notably, in the fi rst months of her tenure, Sansalone moved to eliminate the dual-degree program that provided students with both an undergraduate liberal arts and engineering degree.

Other significant changes included the elimination of the undergraduate Aerospace Engineering major—a program that distinguished the University from other schools of engineering; the merging of three academic departments into the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Structural Engineering; and the elimination of a number of positions, specifically among junior administra-

tors—many of whom had a long history with the school.

These changes were part of the “Plan for Excellence” formally announced in January 2007.

“The strategic plan is the collective wisdom of the whole based on where we see opportunities going forward,” said Sansalone. “It focuses on intellectual ideas that cut across departments and that cut across schools to build for the future.”

Elements of the plan focus on responding to the perceived challenges that the future will bring; specifically, there are a number of tenets within the program that highlight the need to provide abundant energy resources that are not cost prohibitive or destructive to the environment.

While each of the five schools within the University has undergone a similar process in recent years, only in the school of engineering has there been such a significant backlash.

“The School of Engineering started in a different place than most of the other schools,” said Wrighton. “The school has been fi nancially challenged, which causes the need to take a look at everything that we’re doing and ask, ‘Does it need to continue? Or continue in that way at that scale?’”

According to Sansalone, between 50 and 60 percent of the changes that were implemented at the start of her tenure were in reaction to that fi nancial imperative.

The bulk of the substantive changes to the curriculum, however, were designed to enhance the school’s interdisciplinary nature.

“The plan focuses on intellectual ideas that cut across departments and that cut across schools,” said Sansalone. “We are a small school of engineering and we feel that it is important to maximize our size through cooperation across departments and schools.”

WILDFIRES v FROM PAGE 1 When evacuations were lifted, MQuerter’s family was able to return to a house still standing—an uplifting outcome experienced by many students at Washington University. According to Justin Carroll, the assistant vice chancellor for students, it does not appear that anyone at the University lost a home due to the fi res.

Still, many students’ stress levels skyrocketed as they attempted to keep track of the fi res and complete their schoolwork.

Freshman Makoto Chino found himself constantly checking online maps that showed the status of the fi res, rather than studying for his two exams. The fi re stopped about 20 feet away from Chino’s house in Rancho Sante Fe, but exacted no physical damage.

“Literally nothing was done that week,” he said. “I stared at the stupid map to see if it got updated or not. I think I failed two exams.”

McQuerter also faced the difficulties of dealing with the emotional stress from the fi re.

“I just kept telling myself that there was nothing I could do and that worrying would make it worse,” he said. “I fo-

cused on my work, but I was constantly questioning whether I was maybe a little bit more affected than I would let myself believe.”

The fi re stopped about a mile away from freshman Evan Carey’s house in Del Mar, and similarly distracted him from his work.

“My family had to evacuate, there was ash everywhere, and it was scary as hell,” he said. “I wanted to go home really badly, but my parents wouldn’t let me.

I was just constantly thinking about it and I had tests and midterms that week.”

Dr. Brent Beam, a staff psychologist at Student Health Services, guides students on dealing with emotional stress brought on by natural disasters.

“If [students] feel that their lives are being impacted in some way by the wildfi res, certainly the more social support they have during stressful times, the easier it is to cope with these events,” said Beam. “To the extent that one can, it is important to prioritize the things we can do, and to try to let go of the things we don’t have much control over. Letting go of such a circumstance would be under-

standably difficult for someone who is intimately impacted by this kind of disaster.”

Freshman Jeffrey Goldenhersh, whose family faced a mandatory evacuation from Rancho Sante Fe, found relief by following Beam’s advice to seek out social support.

“I found a lot of support on my floor, and I got a lot of calls from friends back home at other schools,” said Goldenhersh.

“It was kind of a unifying experience because a lot of people were going through same thing I was going through.”

While the University itself was not directly affected by the wildfi res as it was after Hurricane Katrina when it admitted students from Tulane University, administrators were prepared to act accordingly.

“If there were a serious situation that affected any higher education institution, I’m sure that Washington University would respond in the best way possible, but in a way that would be unique to each situation,” said Rob Wild, assistant to the chancellor. “If that meant help for students or faculty, we would certainly try to do what we could, similar to how we reacted to Tulane.”

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

3

4

Senior Forum Editor / Nathan Everly / forum@studlife.com

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

FORUM

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

Our daily Forum editors: Monday: Jillian Strominger Wednesday: Christian Sherden Friday: Tess Croner jlstromi@artsci.wustl.edu ctsherde@artsci.wustl.edu tacroner@wustl.edu To ensure that we have time to fully evaluate your submissions, guest columns should be e-mailed to the next issue’s editor or forwarded to forum@studlife.com by no later than 5 p.m. two days before publication. Late pieces will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We welcome your submissions and thank you for your consideration.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Little steps toward being greener M

any people agree that protecting the environment is a worthwhile goal. Most people who make decisions that harm the environment do so because they believe that they would have to make significant sacrifices in order to protect the environment. While this may be true to some extent, there are lots of small ways that we, as a campus, can lessen our environmental impact without having to make broad-sweeping sacrifices.

As Al Gore has emphasized throughout his environmental campaign, if we all start doing a few small things, the effects will be enormous.

We at Student Life have repeatedly encouraged the administration to urge facilities

to make minor changes. We believe if Wash. U. truly wanted to be a more conscientious institution, it could easily do so if someone in the administration took a little more initiative to make simple changes. The following are simple suggestions that would diminish our negative impact on the environment: 1. Install Energy Star light bulbs everywhere possible. Light bulbs don’t seem like they make as big a difference as they do.

According to energystar.gov, light bulbs that have earned the Energy Star use 75 percent less energy than normal light bulbs.

They also last 10 times as long as normal light bulbs, making them cost-efficient alternatives to regular bulbs. The impact of changing from regular to Energy Star light bulbs is enor-

mous.

2. Change the thermostats in campus buildings. If we made just the Laboratory Sciences auditorium three degrees warmer in the summer and three degrees cooler in the winter, we would save $7,000 a year in energy costs and 0.7 million kiloBritish Thermal Units, according to a project conducted

by Ichiyo Zhang in 2006.

3. Improve recycling. Currently, several of the cups used by the University cannot be recycled, including the clear plastic cups in the library.

Additionally, the recycling bins constantly accumulate non-recyclable items due to the confusion about what to recycle where. The green and black distinction between trashcans and recycling bins is not particularly

clear, and the three-pronged split in the recycling bins is confusing. Improved communication about what can be recycled where would help students to be more responsible in their efforts to recycle. Students, however, also need to take the extra effort to find recycling bins.

4. Get rid of plastic silverware in the Village and Holmes Lounge. Everyday the University throws away tons of plastic.

Instead of using plastics for plates and eating utensils, Wash.

U. should consider switching to real silverware, offering plastic just for take-out.

5. Implement several of the Green Action suggestions listed on the Carbon Neutrality Petition (www.ipetitions.com/petition/carbon_neutrality). Green Action has compiled a long list

SAM WASHBURN | EDITORIAL CARTOON

of concrete, University-wide suggestions for neutralizing Wash.

U.’s environmental impact.

Some of these suggestions are intricate, but some are as simple as increasing the number of recycling bins, donating unused mattresses and discontinuing the use of plastic bags in campus stores and Bon Appetit locations. Wash. U. seriously needs to consider these suggestions, as many of them are easy to implement and would add up to help Wash. U. become an environmentally responsible institution.

6. Individual students and student groups need to make commitments to be more environmentally conscious.

Student groups should consider what they can do to lessen their impact on the environment.

I love to take boring classes

A

Race, intelligence and society

BY BILL HOFFMAN STAFF COLUMNIST

T

alk about going out with a bang. A Nobel prize-winning biologist by profession and a shock jock by avocation, James Watson made headlines last week when he claimed that our social policies toward Africa are misguided because we have wrongly assumed that “their intelligence is the same as ours.”

The outrage was swift: speaking engagements at the London Science Museum and the University of Edinburgh were promptly canceled, and Watson was relieved of his administrative duties at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

He resigned shortly afterwards, after spending nearly forty years at the Laboratory directing research.

Although Watson’s comments are certainly outrageous, I am not interested here in joining the chorus of condemnation (I think we’ve got that covered). What does interest me, however, is the nature of the condemnation itself. A recent Student Life article (“University rejects Watson’s commentary on race”) featured responses to Watson from the Washington University Genome Sequencing Center (GSC) and Wash-

ington University Professor of Biology, Allan Larson. Part of the GSC’s statement regarding Watson reads: “Based on our collective extensive training and experience in biology and genetics, we do not support any notion of intellectual inferiority based on race, ethnicity, or gender.

Furthermore, we know of no scientific evidence that demonstrates that this is the case.”

Why is the fact that no evidence supports Watson’s hypothesis tacked on as a mere afterthought here? Perhaps the GSC is not primarily concerned with the lack of scientific evidence and has some other compelling reason to condemn Watson. It could be that science as we know it is not capable of answering a question like this. Perhaps intelligence is too vague a concept to be used in scientific research, or perhaps we don’t have an adequate way of measuring genetic contributions to intelligence. Or maybe questions like these are too dangerous to ask, even if science can answer them, because they will lead to racism and justification for racial discrimination.

These are all defensible positions but they are rarely suggested by those who condemn statements such

as Watson’s. A more typical response is to declare that the question of differences in intelligence between races is not legitimate, but even if it were, there is no doubt that science would lead us to the politically correct answer.

You can’t have it both ways; if you’re willing to claim that science can answer this question, both possibilities must be considered. The answer cannot be a foregone conclusion.

Dr. Allen Larson’s statements are a notable, and refreshing, exception to this trend. While taking the time to point out that Watson’s statements are based on “personal prejudice,” he devotes a greater part of his criticism to the specific empirical claims made by Watson. According to Larson, “[Watson’s] statement… has no validity that even as a scientific hypothesis could be tested…. There is no possibility of a scientific basis for his claims.”

But is speculation about genetic differences in intelligence between groups inherently illegitimate? The UCLA biogeographer and physiologist Jared Diamond, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” speculated that New Guinean natives are likely

more innately intelligent than white Europeans, due to the different environments in which they evolved. Because the major cause of death in the densely populated early European societies was infectious disease, Diamond argues, those with genes that promoted resistance to such diseases were much more likely to survive and reproduce. This means that people with genes promoting disease resistance, not the more intelligent people, were much more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation.

New Guineans, on the other hand, were much more likely to die as a result of murder, accidents and problems in acquiring food. Since intelligent people are more likely than stupid people to avoid death due to these threats, genes that promote intelligence would be selected for in the New Guinean population.

I’m open to this possibility, because it is a scientific question. If there is evidence to support a difference in intelligence, then it should be announced because it would be scientific fact, but I’ll leave it up to the GSC to prove it.

Bill is a senior in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at william.howard. hoffman.iii@gmail.com.

Students also need to remember to do simple things like turn out the lights when they aren’t using a space and unplug appliances that they are not using.

Cell phone chargers, computers, DVD players and the like use up energy by being plugged in even if they are turned off.

By making simple lifestyle changes ourselves and encouraging the groups we are a part of to also adhere to environmentally friendly standards, we can begin to decrease our contributions to global environmental problems. Wash. U. also needs to step up and take responsibility for its part in the problem. We can start to address the important environmental issues of our day with simple changes.

There’s no excuse not to take the initiative and make them.

s usual, I was horribly disappointed when I perused the new course listings book.

The forecast for Spring 2008 in the Arts & Sciences school is much more of the same: broad, general and bland. One would assume that a university as prestigious and research-based as Washington University would offer a collection of courses that are interesting, relevant and specifically based on the research and passion of the professor instructing the course, but this is rarely the case.

Case in point: the Christian College of Arts & Sciences offers many courses with mind-numbingly boring and broad descriptions. For example: “Anthropology and Development,” “Ancient Painting,” “Macroeconomics II,” “Modernisms,” “Film Theory,” “Classical Ethical Theories,” “Political Theory of Education” and two different classes in Psychology called “Cognitive Neuroscience” and “Women and Social Class.” Most of these courses are mid-range or upper-level classes, yet they describe the most generic and unspecific learning in which a student could engage.

How is it possible to study what you want to study if there is no specificity? If a class does not speak directly to you (and with these apathetically broad topics it would be difficult to achieve this), then you will not be excited to learn. Instead, students will take classes to fill as many requirements as possible and be miserable in the process. The course book offers a few saving graces, however.

Classes like “‘Terrorism’ and ‘The Clash of Civilizations,’” “Television Culture and Cult TV: Critical Approaches to Fandom,” “Topics in Japanese Culture: Outsiders and Oddballs in Early Modern Japan” and “Competing Ideologies and Nationalisms in the Arab-Israel Arena” all look relevant and interesting. Now, I know that this is mostly just my opinion, and you may disagree with what I have chosen as interesting or boring, but I can nevertheless discriminate between an interesting course and a boring course based on the class’s relevance to our changing and complex modern world and its sharp and defined topics.

One would think that students who chomp their way through the tasteless gruel of introductory classes will eventually be able to clear their pal-

ates and get ready for some fine wine and steak (tofu steak if you prefer) by taking interesting upper-level credits, but unfortunately no. Often the classes have the same title with a higher number tacked on the end (e.g.

Cognitive Theories of Political History VII). As an English Literature major, I am furious to note that I am only offered 12 English courses that are at or above the 400 level.

Of these courses, only one covers literature past the 19th century (and this one course only goes up to the 1930s). The English Sherden department seems to think that nothing written in the last 200 years is worth any in-depth analysis.

Thank you for the variety. I will choose my classes blindly and end up reading the same books regardless.

What would I like the school to offer? Well, that’s a great question, and I’m glad you asked. What about all those things that I am supposed to know as a person but don’t because of all the time I spent studying stuffy, old, dead guys and obsolete theory? You know, stuff like how to put together a stock portfolio, “Building Houses 450,” “Making Gun Powder with Household Cleaning Materials 101” and “Wilderness Survival” (can we get Professor Bear Grills please?).

What about cultural classes that would allow someone as socially awkward as myself to mingle in high society where I belong? “Making Business Deals on the Golf Course,” “The Art of Inane Conversation 354,” “Proseminar: Wine and Cigars” (this one isn’t for me, but for the rest of you uncultured swine) and “Philanthropy Events for the Not-So-Needy 200.” (By the way, why don’t we have a Polo team on campus?)

When it comes to choosing classes for next semester, make sure you do a good job and choose something that you actually want to take. I know it is hard because you have to shovel through that piece of garbage that Wash. U. calls a course book (you’ll need a big shovel).

But in the end, if you are interested in a class, you’ll learn more and get more out of your degree. I just wish that the school cared enough about their students to see that.

Christian is a senior in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor.

He can be reached via e-mail at forum@studlife.com.

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OUR VOICE: EDITORIAL BOARD

OUR WEB POLICY

Student Life welcomes letters to the editor and op-ed submissions from readers.

Editorials are written by the Forum editors and reflect the consensus of the editorial board. The editorial board operates independently of the newsroom.

Once an article has been published on www.studlife.com, our Web site, it will remain there permanently. We do not remove articles from the site, nor do we remove authors’ names from articles already published on the Web, unless an agreement was reached prior to July 1, 2005.

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Editor in Chief: Erin Fults Executive Editor: David Brody Managing Editors: Shweta Murthi, Mallory Wilder Senior News Editor: Sam Guzik Senior Photo Editor: David Hartstein

Senior Sports Editor: Trisha Wolf Senior Scene Editor: Felicia Baskin Senior Cadenza Editor: Brian Stitt Senior Forum Editor: Nathan Everly Forum Editors: Tess Croner, Jill Strominger, Dennis Sweeney, Christian Sherden

Why do we do this? Because Google and other search engines cache our Web site on a regular basis. Our thought is this: once an article has been published online, it’s too late to take back. It is irrevocably part of the public sphere. As such, removing an article from our site would serve no purpose.

Senior Sports Editor / Trisha Wolf / sports@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

5

SPORTS

VOLLEYBALL

Bears draw group of killers v Team not to be intimidated by competition

BY JOHANN QUA HIANSEN SPORTS REPORTER Washington University’s volleyball team travels to Wisconsin on Thursday to vie for the national title in a winner-takesall battle against Hanover College in the fi rst round of the NCAA tournament.

Teams face single elimination, so players will be playing as if there is nothing to lose.

The winner of each game continues on the path toward the national championship, crushing the chances of the losing team for the year.

“I hope that our team enjoys that [postseason] excitement and doesn’t let it create anxiety and tension, but rather uses it as fuel to play at peak performance, better than we’ve ever played together,” said senior middle hitter Ellen Bruegge.

The Bears, who are currently number seven in the nation, will be in tough company as sixth ranked Carthage, 14th ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 15th ranked Calvin and 18th ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse all compete in the same regional group.

Many of the Midwest Regional teams are known for their high kills per games. Calvin, for games up to October 21, has the fourth highest amount of kills in the nation, while the Bears are currently number 13.

The other ranked teams are all in the top 40 for kills per

game.

“We will respect each team as talented, accomplished teams, but we will also not let their talent, accomplishments or their rankings intimidate us,” said senior defensive specialist Lindsay Schuessler.

“What matters is who shows up and plays the best the day of the competition.”

One of the challenges that has continually faced the Red and Green this season has been maintaining a high level of play.

“Unfortunately, it’s natural to let down when an opponent runs a few points off,” said Coach Rich Luenemann. “If we maintain our composure and elevate our energy levels, we’ll weather those storms and intensify the quality of our play.”

The key to success for the Bears is something that many teammates acknowledge. “It’s stamina, an extreme focus on the ultimate goal and determination that will defi ne the champion...not the statistics,” said Bruegge.

“No matter the outcome, we hope to walk away from the weekend knowing that we brought everything we had to the court and done our best,” said freshman Nicole Penwill.

This season marks the 21st consecutive appearance

by Washington University in the NCAA Tournament. The Bears have been to the national title match four times in the past five years and won their eighth national title in 2003.

The Bears lost a tight, tooth-and-claw five-game UAA championship match last weekend to the Emory Eagles. If the Bears escape the tough Midwest Regional, a rematch with the Eagles will be possible in the quarterfi nals.

The match against Hanover is set to begin at 1 p.m.

“The teams we see are some of the best, and they will be ready to play,” said sophomore defensive specialist Jennee Montijo. “But so will we.”

2007 NCAA DIVISION III VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME 1 VS. HANNOVER THURSDAY NOV. 8th @ 1:00

LIONEL SOBEHART | STUDENT LIFE

Senior Haleigh Spencer spikes the ball during the Oct. 27 match against Webster. The Lady Bears have a tough set of teams in this year’s bracket placement.

6

Senior Cadenza Editor / Brian Stitt / cadenza@studlife.com

STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

n. a technically brilliant, sometimes improvised solo

CADEN Z A

passage toward the close of a concerto, an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic work

arts & entertainment

St. Louis Film Festival returns

The St. Louis International Film Festival enters its 16th year and continues to impress with its wide variety of in-demand film titles and personalities. Highlights include St. Louis premieres of anticipated films “Juno,” “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” “Honeydripper” and “Bill” as well as appearances by filmmakers John Sayles, Peter Greenway, James Gunn, Alex Gibney and Lynn Hershman Leeson. The festival kicks off Sunday night with John Sayles’ “Honeydripper,” and continues through Sunday, November 18. The Tivoli and Plaza Frontenac host most of the screenings, but the St. Louis Art Museum, Webster University and Wash. U.’s own Steinberg Audotorium are hosting films as well. The full schedule of films is available at www.cinemastlouis.com.

ʻHoneydripperʼ Tivoli Thursday, Nov. 8 @ 7 pm ★★★★✫

BY BRIAN STITT SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR John Sayles, director of the often overlooked historical films “Matewan,” “Eight Men Out” and “Lone Star,” among others, now gives us “Honeydripper,” a look at rural Alabama in the 1950s. Danny Glover quietly plays “PineTop” Purvis, who runs a failing juke joint on the wrong side of the tracks. In an attempt to pay off his debts and save the business he recruits radio sensation Guitar Sam to play at his place, The Honeydripper. The film moves ploddingly, like the slow drip evoked by the title, but offers a unique look at music and the South. It utilizes Sayles’ ability to embody a time and place more than portray it. He sets up characters deliberately but allows them to move through the story on their own. Sayles makes his presence felt in the reserved camera movements and uncomplicated structure.

The movie feels older than it is but is also much better than it may seem at first. The photography uses all the tricks of the best American artists, the night

scenes enlivening the spirit of Edward Hopper. The opportunity to see a new film by this great American filmmaker is not one to be missed.

John Sayles, with producing and life partner Maggie Renzi, will attend.

ʻBefore the Devil Knows Youʼre Deadʼ Plaza Frontenac Sunday, Nov. 11 @ 7 pm ★★★★★

BY MATT KARLAN CADENZA REPORTER The year 2007 has been a disappointing year in film. There has been an amalgamation of sequels and prequels, innumerable overrated indies and about “300” over-budgeted special effects orgies. Two months remain, and there has not yet been a single film of enduring merit. Enter the year’s savior, Sidney Lumet. Lumet certainly has earned respect in the industry, directing multiple pictures that deserve a daily shining in the AFI vault: “Serpico” (1973), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Network” (1976). But his last critically acclaimed film was in 1982, and he has since served up a dozen nosedives.

What did Lumet need in order to remember how to direct watchable film? First, an expertly paced screenplay with a newcomer screenwriter, Kelly Masterson. Lumet’s “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” begins with a botched jewel heist.

The film then reveals tidbits of information surrounding the event in segments separated by broken-glass jump cuts that should be corny, but fit for some reason.

Next, Lumet evoked some of the finest acting performances of the year. Philip Seymour Hoffman has a mental breakdown worthy of his second Oscar, Ethan Hawke sets the bar too high for the remainder of his career, Albert Finney controls every frame he enters, and Marisa Tomei is more often naked than clothed. High praise for all.

The glorification of criminals has become standard in Hollywood blockbusters this decade. The misdeeds of the lawless have few repercussions,

and even if their crimes do not succeed they rarely finish the picture worse than where they began. “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” ignores this trend and harkens back to older crime thrillers that made Lumet famous. The bad guys are not treated with kid gloves; the lives of these despicable characters become deservedly bleak. Lumet finally succeeds as he returns to his roots in the best film of the year thus far, and the best titled film maybe ever.

ʻPunkʼs Not Deadʼ Tivoli Friday, Nov. 9 @ 9:15 pm ★★★★✫

BY ELIZABETH OCHOA MUSIC EDITOR So you’ve heard it before, but hear it again from people who were there when it was born.

Consisting completely of interviews and song lyrics, “Punk’s Not Dead” captures the enthusiasm and energy of the scene, without trivializing the people behind it or turning them into caricatures. Look for members of Bad Religion, Green Day, Operation Ivy, the Buzzcocks, Fugazi and the Subhumans to name a very very few.

Huge portions of punk’s history are completely glossed over, so if you want to learn about the origins of the scene, this isn’t the documentary for you. This is more a yearly check-up on the kids to make sure everyone’s still pissed at the government, loving making the music and hoping said music changes said government.

Director Susan Dynner does a fantastic job of highlighting the fact that punk is still alive and kicking not only in young kids screaming and moshing in basements but also really old dudes screaming and moshing in other basements.

Bonus includes a hearty lineup of ‘classic’ punk rockers saying how not punk current punk rockers are. This is quickly offset by the interviewees who state that Sum41 is just as punk as the Ramones. Also look for the insightful commentary from St. Louis’ own

Annie Zaleski.

Bottom line: Punk isn’t dead.

It’s just move to Warped Tour and basements.

ʻWaiterʼ Plaza Frontenac Sunday, Nov. 11 @ 2 pm Monday, Nov. 12 @ 5 pm ★★★✫✫

BY ELIZABETH OCHOA MUSIC EDITOR “Waiter” is a surreal film from the Netherlands with a unique plot. A writer creates a character, Edgar, and then proceeds to make everything go wrong in Edgar’s life that can: terminally ill wife, needy mistress, a second mistress who is also his best friend’s wife and is also cheating on both of them with a mysterious third man, a horrible job, the mafia living next door. Edgar’s life, in no uncertain terms, blows.

The meta-fun sets in when Edgar shows up at the writer’s real apartment in the real world to beg for a better life.

Doesn’t this sound great? It sounds like something you’d be willing to watch even though it is subtitled. It sounds like something you’d be willing to watch even though it’s poorly translated (or possibly worse, a good translation of really shitty dialogue.)

Sadly, “Waiter” falls short of dazzling and leaves something to be desired. That something is that the seemingly inherent humor, stemming from a fictional character interacting with the real world, is resolutely ignored. Maybe “Waiter” was deep and it was lost in the subtitles. The substory of Edgar is fantastic, but the cross between the real and fictional world is poorly executed.

ʻThe Methodʼ St. Louis Art Museum Sunday, Nov. 11 @ 7:15 pm ★★★★✫

BY ELIZABETH OCHOA MUSIC EDITOR Right about now everyone is cleaning up their resume and dusting off the horribly uncomfortable suit their mom helped

them pick out. It’s interview season. We’ve all experienced, or know someone who has, the wretched, gut-wrenching interview questions.

A Spanish film, “The Method,” looks at seven eager people competing for one position. The catch? One group interview, and after each question or task the group has to vote someone out of the process. Think “Survivor” gone corporate.

The characters face tough questions: Would you be loyal to the company in wake of an economic crisis? Would you employ a former union boss?

Would you put what could be true love before the company?

“The Method” keeps you on your toes, trying to guess who will get kicked out next, who will get the job and asks if the process of proving yourself to others is worth it. The fast-paced dialogue forces the viewers to keep a close eye on the subtitles.

The highlight of the movie is at the climax, when the three remaining applicants are forced to defend a country, either the UK, Spain or Italy, based on their respective strength in the global economy.

The game quickly breaks down into sexual innuendo and insults. Doesn’t sound too thrilling? Here’s the kicker: It’s in French, English and Spanish.

A must see for anyone who has ever applied to a job.

ʻThe Memory Thiefʼ Tivoli Saturday, Nov. 10 @ 2:30 pm ★★★✫✫

BY BRIAN STITT SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR Holocaust survival is at the center of “The Memory Thief.”

Lukas, a gentile L.A. tollbooth operator, has no cultural identity of his own until an encounter with a Holocaust survivor pushes him to explore the Jewish culture and its relationship with the travesty that so few survived. The film broaches some interesting subjects and will certainly engender debate about people’s rights to forget the past weighed against their

social responsibility. “The Memory Thief” does probe a certain depth with its questions, but fails to tell a completely believable story. Lukas, and the film, are quirky and overtly strange, which, to director Gil Kofman’s credit, did not harm the seriousness of the subject matter.

But the central relationship between Lukas and a pretty Jewish med student, whose father is a survivor who Lukas becomes obsessed with interviewing, never holds up. Why would she want to be with such a strange guy? The film hints at answers but spreads itself thin by going down paths it should have avoided. Still, it is very much worth seeing and Kofman will attend the screening, which should allow a forum for many of the questions raised by the film to be answered.

ʻGetting Homeʼ Plaza Frontenac Sunday, Nov. 11 @ 4:30 pm ★★★★★

BY BRIAN STITT SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR A successful road movie depends on the strength of its diversions and its ability to stay on course. A black comedy comes with its own unique brand of problems mostly concerning finding a singular tone that encompasses the emotional scope of the film.

“Getting Home” accomplishes all of this and, more importantly, manages to translate laughs, a notoriously difficult task.

The film follows a man carrying his dead drinking buddy back to his hometown for a proper funeral. The friend’s body, constantly slung over our hero’s back like a beloved sack of potatoes, influences many of the comedic moments of the film but also serves as an everpresent reminder of mortality.

Many films try to create such a somber yet jovial mood and are praised for barely missing the mark. “Getting Home” fails at none of its aims and is not overly simple, although much of the emotion of the film is carried in the always-changing Chinese landscape.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Backstreet Boys: ‘Unbreakable’

BY STEPHANIE SPERA CADENZA REPORTER Oh my god, they’re back again, again. The Backstreet Boys have released their sixth album “Unbreakable.” Unfortunately, this time it was without the infinite talents of Kevin Richardson, who, to his credit, probably came to the conclusion that once you hit the age of 30, you should no longer be part of a group with the word “boy” in the name.

Yet despite their name, the Backstreet Boys do realize that they are getting older and are trying to show their maturity through their music. You won’t find any upbeat, high-energy tracks from their glory days that somehow coupled rock, R&B and Euro-pop with so-bad-they’reamazing lyrics. Although on The Today Show, Brian Littrell so eloquently stated that BSB “make[s] music for music lovers,” it is evident that the boys are trying to appeal to an older audience.

“Unbreakable” contains mostly piano heavy power ballads, and if you want to know what the album sounds like without actually buying it, you can just listen to their catchy

first single, “Inconsolable,” and mess with the tempo.

“Unbreakable” does, however, highlight Brian, Nick, AJ and Howie’s impressive vocals and ability to harmonize. All of the Backstreet Boys have powerful voices, yet they refuse to do anything interesting with them.

As someone who would fight for hours about how much better the Backstreet Boys were than N*Sync, I really wanted this album to be good. But the album falls flat after the first song and there is only one standout track.

In “Treat Me Right,” which happens to be co-produced by old boy-band rival J.C. Chasez, the boys finally decided to give the piano a rest and mix up the chord progression. With a beat reminiscent of P. Diddy and Keisha Cole’s “Last Night,” “Treat Me Right” could actually be danced to. This song has more energy than all of the other tracks combined, and sounds like it could be found on their earlier albums.

“Unbreakable” is the musical equivalent to “Saved By The Bell: The College Years.” The original was good: they thought they could keep what they had going.

But as we all remember, they could not.

Backstreet Boys Unbreakable Rating: ✭✬✩✩✩ For fans of: Bryan Adams, Clay Aiken, Nick Lachey’s attempt at a solo career Tracks to download: “Treat Me Right” and “Inconsolable”

Sigur Rós: ‘Hvarf-Heim’

BY REBECCA KATZ CADENZA REPORTER The Icelandic post-rock group Sigur Rós returns this week after a two year silence to release their first ever film with a two-disc album, “Hvarf-Heim”. “Hvarf” (said like “kvarf”) means “disappear” and features five tracks the band feels have disappeared from their history.

Three have never been released on record, due to either non-recording in the first place or recording but lack of inclusion on a finished album. The other two are radical reworkings of songs from the band’s first album.

“Heim,” meaning “home,” includes acoustic versions of material taken from previous Sigur Rós albums recorded in Iceland either during the band’s summer 2006 tour or in early spring 2007. All are live recordings. Four of the songs were played acoustically on the road, and two played originally for a protest concert against a planned road development next to the band’s studio in the artistic community of Iceland called Alafoss in February 2007.

To say the least, the album in its entirety is enchanting in its uniformity and cohesion. Sigur Rós is a notoriously awkward group, often accused of continuing the “shoe-gaze” trend of the 90s. They maintain a mo-

tionless (both literally and figuratively) style, standing on the stage and staring fixedly at the ground while playing their instruments, seemingly gazing at their shoes. The music features extensive use of guitar, most remarkably the use of a cello bow to play the guitar.

While the band uses guitar, bass, drums and keyboard, instruments commonly associated with rock music, they use rhythm, harmony, tone color and chord progressions uniquely for non-rock purposes.

Strangely enough, the only member of the band with any musical training is the keyboardist, Kjarri, responsible for orchestral and string arrangements.

“Hvarf” opens with a fantastic instrumental, blustery yet relaxing, called “Salka.” Named after bassist Goggi’s stepdaughter, the track consists of constant repetition of a keyboard pattern, varying in dynamics and gradually slowing down and growing softer towards the end.

The absence of vocals makes the track ponderous and gorgeous, emphasizing the repetition of the keyboard arrangement and encouraging the listener to think differently upon each repetition, digging deeper and deeper into the soul of the listener to extract various interpretations and thoughts.

The first disc continues

Sigur Rós Hvarf-Heim Rating: ★★★★✬ For fans of: The Republic of Iceland itself, Radiohead, Band of Horses Tracks to download: “Salka” and “Starlafur”

in the typical Sigur Rós style: a slow and fanatical rendition of the aforementioned shoe gazing. While fans will detect untold symphonic grandeur, more undecided listeners will hear only monotony. The tracks have a pensive quality, largely due to their nonEnglish lyrics. No matter how hard you listen, unless you understand Icelandic, the words themselves are meaningless. You can, however, sense emotion in the vocals, and with Jónsi’s unmistakable falsetto voice, the minimalism of the songs reveals itself.

Particularly in “I Gaer,” the variation in dynamics of the vocals and the change in pitch from whiny to seductively hushed creates an overwhelming aura of emotion.

The tracks of “Heim” follow suit, retaining Sigur Rós’s doleful and soft sound, using a string quartet in place of the signature tool of a guitar played by a

bow. “Starlafur,” is a song the band had not played live before; they felt they could not do justice to the studio recordings. To hear it played at all is something special. The opening piano note is astounding, and the fantastic nature of their instrumentals and wavering vocals goes unmatched.

Interestingly, “Heysatan” has a snippet of English: Jónsi sings of the waning farmer falling from his “Massey Ferguson” tractor.

Lastly, “Von” is an acoustic of the electric version of the song on “Hvarf:” It provides a counterpoint to the album, but also joins the discs as tracks that have disappeared yet form the basis of the band’s home.

All in all, the album is incredibly beautiful and fluid as to be expected, but can be track after track of tedium for the unenthused listener. If you’ve liked their music in the past, this is sure to be an extraordinary listen.

Senior Cadenza Editor / Brian Stitt / cadenza@studlife.com

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

MUSIC REVIEW

Saves the Day: ‘Under the Boards’

BY DAVID KAMINSKY MUSIC EDITOR Emo/pop-punk favorites Saves the Day have returned with “Under the Boards,” the second of three albums written to tell a story of self-discovery.

Front-man Chris Conley describes the relationship of the three albums as such: “’Sound the Alarm’ is an expression of discontent, ‘Under the Boards’ is reflection and remorse, ‘Daybreak’ is acceptance.”

Released in April of 2006, “Sound the Alarm” received great reviews (including a mention in Cadenza’s best of 2006) as it was a return to form from the sugar-pop that was “In Reverie” back to the fast-paced emo/pop-punk they’re best known and loved for in “Through Being Cool” and “Stay What You Are.” As established previously, “Under the Boards” picks up where “Sound the Alarm” left off, both lyrically and sonically. Singer-songwriter Chris Conley wears his heart on his sleeve; no longer feeling the rage he expressed and exposed to the world in “Sound the Alarm,” Conley has become depressed and unsure of what should become of his life. The title track starts things off and setts the tone for the album, begining with Conley singing,

Saves the Day has ever written that could be played at a party hosted by people who have never been on Livejournal.

Overall, this is a fantastic addition to the Saves the Day library, successfully following “Sound the Alarm” to progress the trilogy of albums and also progressing Conley as a songwriter and the current cast of characters playing in Saves the Day as a band. If “In Reverie” turned you away from Saves the Day and “Sound the Alarm” was too angsty for you to allow yourself to listen to as a college student, “Under the Boards” might be just the thing you need to reconnect your passion for Saves the Day. Thanks to “Under the Boards” you can now party to “Get F***ed Up” before the alcohol destroys your liver to the point that it’s time to be buried to “At Your Funeral.”

Now that’s a band.

“I wanna crawl into the ground and not come out / For 37 years when my life runs out / A demon in my mouth, it spits words out / Let everybody hate me, make me kill myself.”

Later in “Can’t Stay the Same,” Conley seems to be trying to convince both the subject of the song as well as himself that their relationship is not in shambles, but things have to change. While the lyrics are by no means deep (“Hey, hey everything’s okay / I love you more than I can say / But we can’t stay the same /Yeah!”), its pop-punk riff drives it home as one of the most instantly likeable Saves the Day songs to date.

Unfortunately, the convincing doesn’t seem to go terribly well as the next track on the album, “Get F***ed Up.” The good news is that the song is infectiously catchy and is without question the fi rst song

Saves the Day Under the Boards Rating: ★★★★✩ For fans of: Lifetime, Say Anything, Motion City Soundtrack Tracks to download: “Under the Boards,” “Getaway,” “Lonely Nights”

MOVIE REVIEW

To bee or not to see ‘Bee Movie?’

BY MATT KARLAN CADENZA REPORTER

www.studlife.com

Jerry Seinfeld grew tired of being that comedian who makes observational humor on television. So he went on hiatus and now finally returns as a bee that makes observational humor on a much larger screen.

That left all his fans and Michael Richards pondering why he unnecessarily ended the run of the most successful show ever. Why couldn’t he just hang out in the apartment with the gang and kvetch about what the deal is with bees?

Well, this topic may not have merited another season, but it certainly should saturate a feature film, right? It’s Jerry Seinfeld.

“Bee Movie,” written and produced by Seinfeld, follows bee Barry B. Benson, voiced

by Seinfeld, after he completes college and realizes that his only career options revolve around honey production. Craving a more exciting life, Barry leaves the hive to enter daunting New York City, and shockingly doesn’t stop at a single diner or deli. Nevertheless, he strikes a friendship with human florist and bee-lover Vanessa, voiced by the least animated vocals in Hollywood (Renee Zelweger).

Together they sue the humans for improper treat-

ing to appeal to all those “Goodfellas” fans that have jumped on the Dreamworks bandwagon. Supposedly the “Casino” diehards all support Pixar.

The humor occasionally rings Seinfeldian with its wry intellectualism, but becomes so broad that it alienates the fans that have shown up just because his name is attached.

Not broad enough, however, to successfully attract the crying child demographic.

Therefore the film will probably have a stellar opening weekend due to its transcendent animation, the lure of the deified Seinfeld and the ad campaign so ubiquitous it might as well have stung our eyeballs. But its buzz should be squashed in subsequent weeks when audiences realize that the humor will all go either below or above their heads.

While “Seinfeld” the show was highlighted by minor actors more famous for their characters’ names than their actual ones, “Bee Movie” certainly is not a showcase of Bee-list actors. (Sorry, if you don’t like bee puns, you will not enjoy this movie.)

Besides Seinfeld and Zellweger, the resounding voices of Matthew Broderick, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Oprah and other

ment of bees and the use of their honey. Eventually, in extremely anti-Seinfeld fashion, everyone learns a valuable lesson about togetherness or something along those lines.

Dreamworks would be lucky if “Bee Movie” draws comparisons to that other animated comedy about an annoying, disgusting pest released this year, Disney/ Pixar’s masterwork “Ratatouille.” The most striking difference between the two films is that Remy the rat attempts to become part of the human world in order to rise from the seedy underground. Barry the bee attempts to impact the human world, but the world he leaves is eerily similar to it.

The bees have television (and Bee Larry King, aptly voiced by human Larry King), they drink coffee, they’re familiar with Vogue magazine and they have a flourishing infrastructure.

But they are outsiders, so Seinfeld can still crack wise about commercialization and make quick jabs at pop culture, equipped with his new bee persona.

The jokes are hit or miss, ranging from clever, relevant quips about Tivo, to chuckleinducing but ultimately lame double entendres about Sting (get it?), and a nest egg of Ray Liotta jokes Seinfeld has obviously been keep-

See BEE MOVIE, page 8

STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

Not-so-boring documentaries

BY MATT KARLAN CADENZA REPORTER Most college students don’t see a lot of documentaries. Their screen time is spent ogling fictionalized tales about sex, stuff exploding or robots that have sex and then explode. We’re here to tell you that those things happen in documentaries, only for real. You, the college student, may retort that documentaries are about boring everyday life, and your life is boring everyday, so why add insult to injury? Well, unless you’re talking about the critically overlooked “How I took too many Extra Strength Tylenol and passed out at the frats,” most documentaries uncover topics and reveal facts about which you probably had no idea. So here are the top 10 recent documentaries that you probably haven’t seen, so should go seek out.

#10 The Best About Something Totally Messed Up: ‘Zoo’ The sensationalized story of a Seattle man who has sex with a horse and then dies due to complications from a ruptured colon. If you’re wondering, the description has grand implications for the man’s position in his equine courtship. It also means it should be at the top of your must-see rentals list. The doc exposes the secret lives of zoo, or animal-“loving,” culture; it has breathtaking cinematography, and a dude dies after having sex with a horse.

#9 The Best Mockumentary: ‘Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon’ Surprisingly, other mockumentaries came out in the last year besides “Borat.” Who knew? This one follows the next big thing in psycho murderers as he plans his next killing spree.

Consistently clever and hilarious as it pokes fun at every tenet of the slasher industry and in the end it even becomes scary due to convincing acting and a creepy mask on the killer, Leslie Vernon. Low budget, but with enough funding to bring on Robert Englund, best known as Freddie Kreuger, to play Vernon’s mentor.

#8 The Best Muckraking: ‘This Film is Not Yet Rated’ This doc is the only one on the list to receive an

NC-17 rating, even though nobody in the film has sex with a horse. In Kirby Dick’s disrobing of Hollywood, he compellingly exposes the film ratings board for the hypocritical and homophobic group that it is. If you ever wanted to know how to distinguish an R-rated film from a PG-13, this doc gives a blueprint on how that is decided. And it’s a sad state of affairs.

#7 The Best About the Environment: ‘Who Killed the Electric Car?’ “An Inconvenient Truth” should be viewed by everyone alive, but there was another important eco-doc recently released that all should see. GM put out an electric car in the early 1990s and, contrary to popular belief, they were mostly loved by those who owned them. Well, actually, you could not own one, you could only lease. So GM could take them all back. But if they were so popular, why would GM do such a thing? The answer will probably infuriate you, unless you are somehow related to Nikola Tesla and don’t like electricity getting so many props.

#6, 5 The Best About Iraq ‘No End in Sight,’ ‘My Country, My Country’ Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, hundreds of documentaries have been released concerning the reasons for war and the effect the war has had on the current state of Iraq and the United States. These two will leave the greatest impression.

“No End in Sight” shows how the inadequate preparation for the war has made it such a quagmire. I understand that the Wash.

U. campus will not appreciate such haphazard liberal ideals, but this doc has information that the most vigilant watcher of Anderson Cooper 360 would not know. White House officials actually admitted recently that they were afraid of what the people interviewed in the film were revealing.

“My Country, My Country” portrays the lives of candidates and officials involved in the first Iraqi vote under U.S. occupation.

The film is uplifting as the people seem to maintain hope for the future, and heartbreaking as the watcher realizes they probably shouldn’t have any.

#4 The Best Character Piece: ‘Shakespeare Behind Bars’ An extremely introspective documentary, Hank Rogerson’s film follows the casting, rehearsals, and presentation of “The Tempest,” as put on by convicted felons in Kentucky’s Luther Luckett Correctional Complex. One cannot ignore that everyone involved would much rather not be: they might enjoy theater, but they like freedom more.

Indeed, much recasting is done due to prisoners being paroled or moved to higher security facilities. The people portrayed have such rich and engrossing backstories that one might think Shakespeare crafted their characters himself.

#3,2 The Best About Something Inane: ‘King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,’ ‘Air Guitar Nation’ These next two docs will be enjoyed by anyone who has dreamt of one day being awesome. One chronicles the fate of the world record in old-school arcade Donkey Kong, the other the world championships of air guitar, which are obviously held in Finland. Both have villains to despise and heroes to cheer for, both are more exciting than almost any other film this year, documentary or not, and both will keep you laughing throughout. Do you have no discernible athletic or mental talent? Who cares!

Just learn to rock out or maneuver a joystick and you, too, can be rich and famous. (Note: wealth and fame in these fields does not necessarily mean the opposite sex will find you attractive.)

#1 The Best: ‘Street Fight’ After watching this doc, which follows the 2002 Newark mayoral race between Yale Law School grad and recent Wash U Assembly Series speaker Cory Booker, and champion of dirty politics and fourtime incumbent Sharpe James, I gave a standing ovation. I rarely do that.

I certainly rarely do that while watching a film alone at home. This is the best documentary to come out in the last five years, and one of the best five films to be released in the past five years. Now there’s a recommendation.

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STUDENT LIFE | CADENZA

Peter Sarsgaard: unknown celebrity

BY BRIAN STITT SENIOR CADENZA EDITOR The name Peter Sarsgaard inspires a wide range of reactions from Wash. U. students. Many respond with gleeful praise, raving about his performance in dorm room favorite “Garden State,� or the incredible sympathy he engenders as Stephen Glass’s editor, Chuck Lane, in “Shattered Glass.� But an equal number of people either respond to the name with a blank stare or ask, “Wasn’t he that guy in “Good Will Hunting�?�

(That was Stellan Skarsgaard, no relation.) “I actually kind of like thatâ€? Peter recently told me in a phone interview, in preparation for his appearance at Graham Chapel on Thursday. “When you’re being recognized there’s a type where they’ve seen speciďŹ c things that you’ve done that have moved them, and it feels nice. When it’s not speciďŹ c, when they know you just from your name or for your wife, that’s when it feels sort of crappy.â€? Peter’s wife, the equally well-respected Maggie Gyllenhaal, could be heard over the phone in the background attempting to prevent the couple’s one-year-old daughter Ramona, from eating something she shouldn’t. “What is she eating?â€? he asked.

When the response comes back “paper� Peter seems to shrug it off as any experienced father might. “Right.

That’s my daughter. She’s putting everything that she can into her mouth.�

While playing the father seems to come naturally to Peter (he was able to ďŹ nish the interview while watching “Annieâ€?) so too does understanding the wide variety of characters he has portrayed throughout his career. “I always could play a villain; I always had that option, even though you quickly get bored with that.â€?

As an actor, Peter is often

cast in the more socially disturbed or disaffected roles, something that stems from his breakout role as the homophobic killer in “Boys Don’t Cry.� “I’ve always had a strong sense of empathy with people, without any moral judgment,� Peter tells me. “From the girl in class showing off knowing the right answer, to, you know, the kid who comes to school and leaves road kill in your locker.�

Empathy is something Peter takes seriously. So seriously that it will be the subject of his speech in Graham Chapel on Thursday at 7:00. “I’m going to bring up the bonobo monkey and a couple of other things. They have more sympathy than most humans do.� He sees a lack of empathy in our society and feels his experience with it has been an important part of his life. Empathy is something he uses everyday in his work. “That (empathy) is my connection to acting. It allows me to play rapists and people like that, and even like characters that are socially acceptable that aren’t me.�

He also told me that he prefers working with ďŹ rst time directors as it allows him a greater ability to ďŹ ght for the rights of the character. “You know the best thing is somebody who’s worked a long time and still listens. That’s very rare.

Frequently a director just sees this person as part of the plot, so you’ve got to ďŹ ght for their rights even if they’re the villain. You’ve got to ďŹ ght for their humanity even if they’re Hitler.â€?

Sarsgaard lived in and around the St. Louis area until the age of 10, but returned to attend school at Washington University. “It was a combination of wanting to go someplace that felt homey to me, and wanting to go to a good school.� He has many fond memories of Wash. U. as a child, since

he grew up near the University. “I went to Glen Ridge Elementary School, within walking distance of the campus. I went to go see foreign ďŹ lms at the University with a neighbor, who taught there. She was an opera singer.â€?

When he came back for college he still enjoyed the city, going to the theater in University City and eating toasted ravioli at Talyanya’s.

He was not involved in the performing arts department while in school, claiming he “was lured intoâ€? forming improvisational group, Mama’s Pot Roast, “by this guy Michael Holmes.â€? Though he studied a variety of arts and sciences he never settled on just one. “I was a very curious kid and I spent a lot of time in the library watching, like, every single Andy Warhol ďŹ lm. I would always get sidetracked from my studies by something else, like, something I probably could have studied and received a grade for. I was just never cut out for academic life.â€? And while Peter never ofďŹ cially graduated, he feels very close to the University.

Coming to speak at Wash. U. has long been on his mind: “It’s something I’ve really wanted to do. A lot of people try to pursue the arts, and it’s nice to have somebody come in and remind them that every once in a while it happens, and you can make a living.�

After graduation Peter quickly started booking jobs on television and in theater but acknowledges that many are not as lucky as he was. “It’s such a depressing job market out there and I think it scares a lot of people.�

Whether you need reassurance while looking for a job in the entertainment industry, or simply want to tell Peter he was great in the jewel thief movie, don’t miss Thursday night’s presentation.

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

MUSIC REVIEW

Jay-Z: “American Gangster�

BY EMILY SMITH CADENZA REPORTER On what was supposed to be the last studio record of his career, “The Black Album�, JayZ boldly asked his listeners, “Can I get an encore?�

Apparently, he can. Twice.

On November 6, Hova released his second post-retirement album, “American Gangster�.

Inspired by the movie of the same title, the record explores the rise and fall of a drug king through honest lyrics and clever sampling. Featuring such producers as Diddy and the Neptunes, Jay raps with a conďŹ dence and candidness of a musician with nothing to prove. While his last album, the coolly received “Kingdom Comeâ€?, featured such boring themes as puppy love and beach chairs, “American Gangsterâ€? deďŹ nitely has something to say on issues that matter.

What happens to matter, in this case, is the escape from the violence and poverty of the streets through the lucrative drug industry. While there is, in fact, no reason this album should not be incredibly clichĂŠ, Jay-Z puts a refreshingly frank perspective on the issue. By

taking an autobiographical approach to the album, he atly lays out the pressure he put on himself to succeed, be it through drugs or music. In the track “No Hook,â€? he says, “Hustle cane, hustle clothes, or hustle music/But hustle hard in any hustle that you pick.â€?

Between this track and the wonderfully orchestral “Pray,�

Jay-Z invites people into the mindset of an aspiring gangster.

The album progresses chronologically through the hopeful hustler’s “big break� into the drug world, the cash, parties and women that result from it, and the ultimate downfall of our beloved kingpin. In the appropriately titled “Fallin,� he rhymes, “The

irony of selling drugs is sort of like using it/I guess there’s two sides to what substance abuse is.�

It is this full-circle exploration of the world of drugs that make Jay-Z’s message so unique from most rappers who mention the chronic or the cane.

While this album is inspired by the story of heroin kingpin Frank Lucas, it belong undeniably to Jay-Z. Had he tried to make this a soundtrack to the movie and tell Lucas’ story, the personal meaning and emotional value would have been entirely lost. For now, let’s just all rejoice that Jay found his place in the music world. He’s much better off talking about drugs than selling them.

Jay-Z American Gangster Rating: ★★★★✊ For fans of: Notorious B.I.G., The Black Album Tracks to download: “Pray,� “No Hook,� “Roc Boys (And the winner is...)�

BEE MOVIE v FROM PAGE 7 mainstays of the business outshine their thinly drawn characters. In “Ratatouille� smaller bills carried the leads so that Brad Bird’s incisive screenplay became more relevant than the names on the marquee.

The most memorable character in “Bee Movie� is the melodramatic bee-hater Ken, wondrously caricatured by lesser-known Patrick Warburton. Some may remember Warburton as Puddy from “Seinfeld.� And those who do not remember “Seinfeld� may know Warburton as the voice of Joe from “Family Guy.�

But if you do not remember “Seinfeld� well, or have

I WANT

kids in grade school, you probably shouldn’t see this watered-down shtick.

And even then I’d still “bee� wary.

Bee Movie Rating: â˜…âœŹâœŠâœŠâœŠ Directed by: Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellwegger

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12/31/07

WU INTRAMURAL NEWS Entries are now being accepted for the following: Sport

Divisions

Euchre Free Throw Shooting

Entry Deadline Thurs. Nov. 8 Tues. Nov. 13

FOR ENTRY FORMS: Stop by the Intramural Sports Office in the Athletic Complex (4th Floor) or go to: http://intramuralsports.wustl.edu Entries must be turned into the Intramural Sports Office Basketball OfďŹ cials Needed!! (Both Referees & Scorekeepers) Make money and have fun at the same time. Contact Sean Curtis @ 935-4708

Intramural Corss Country Results

Š2007 U.S. Cellular Corporation.

Overall Top Individual - John Aerni (The His-Storians) WomenĘźs Team Results: 1st - Blue 2nd - Her-Storians 3rd - Run4Fun MenĘźs Team Results: 1st - WU Run4Fun 5th - Sigma Nu 2nd - Alpha Epsilon Pi 6th - Tau Kappa Epsilon 3rd - Sigma Phi Epsilon 7th - Phi Delta Theta 4th - Kappa Sigma 8th - Beta Theta Pi

Congratulations to all this year’s runners! 68 runners started and ďŹ nished the course!

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WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 7, 2007

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