STAFF EDITORIAL | A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE GARGOYLE | SEE FORUM, PAGE 4
STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 VOLUME 129, NO. 22
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2007
Butane explosion rocks Wohl Center v No one injured in blast BY SAM GUZIK AND ERIN FULTS STUDENT LIFE STAFF
LIONEL SOBEHART | STUDENT LIFE
Clayton Fire Department investigates the scene after the Oct. 12 explosion in Wohl.
Senate considers higher education spending rules v Proposal would increase money available for financial aid BY MARK DUDLEY CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Washington University has come out against a measure
See SPENDING, page 2
CUT ME SOME SLACK
DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE
Junior Emily Miner slacklines near Graham Chapel Sunday afternoon. Slacklining involves the stretching of a nylon line between two anchor points. The Outing Club, a group dedicated to outdoor activity, sets up their slackline various times throughout the week.
How about them Bears? Strong performances across the team marked the weekend for the Lady Bears, with three players scoring their first collegiate goals. Sports, Page 8
—With additional reporting by David Brody, Lionel Sobehart and David Song
Students work to improve sexual assault prevention BY SAM GUZIK
proposed by the U.S. Senate that would require colleges and universities to send a greater percentage of their net worth to provide financial aid. Under the proposal meant to help lower tuition costs, institutions that do not pay this percentage would risk losing their tax-exempt status. Many of the nation’s most
An explosion in Northwest Wohl on Friday night shook the second floor of the student center on the South 40, shattering a number of windows but injuring no one. According to reports on the scene, the explosion occurred at around 7:15 p.m. Firefighters from the Clayton Fire Department and officers of the Washington University Police Department responded to the emergency. Fire department investigations at the scene determined that the explosion was caused a leaking butane canister. Butane stoves were being used to prepare food at the Asian Christian Fellowship (ACF) fundraiser where the explosion occurred. “The use of butane under Clayton fi re codes is permitted in properly ventilated indoor spaces,” said Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Fred Volkmann. “The question is whether it is allowed under University policy and that is being reviewed.” Dean of Students Justin Carroll could not be reached to comment on Residential Life policy regarding the use of butane stoves. “All of a sudden [the tank] just flared up,” said senior Ray-
mond Deng, who was at the ACF fundraiser. Immediately after the explosion, the group rushed to fi nd something to smother the flames. “Everyone was running around,” said Deng. But these efforts were instead met with “a gigantic burst” as the tank exploded and the balcony windows in the upstairs northwest corner of Wohl blew out, sending shattered glass everywhere. In the explosion, five windows—with 11-12 windowpanes—were destroyed. They are currently covered with plywood. “No one was hurt, which is unbelievable,” said Mike Meng, ACF co-president. “Someone was defi nitely watching out for us.” “None of the students are injured, not even a singed hair,” said Volkmann. “It’s a nice end to a story that could have perhaps been otherwise.” According to Volkmann, the damage was primarily in the form of broken glass, however the cost of the damage will not be known for several weeks until an estimate has been prepared.
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Resuming an effort that began last year, Washington University students have begun to push for the creation of a position that would coordinate education about and the prevention of sexual assault. Last March, a resolution calling for the creation of an Office for the Prevention of Sexual and Relationship Violence that would coordinate prevention and education efforts across campus unanimously passed the Student Union (SU) Senate. Over the summer, however, little progress was made in advocating for the resolution, largely because it was only sent to a limited number of administrators. “I don’t recall receiving the resolution, but I don’t think that at this point that’s important,” said James McLeod, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. In previous efforts to create administrative positions, including the creation of a LGBT Coordinator this year, McLeod was involved with the initial stages of discussion between students and administrators. According to Carson Smith, the current speaker of the Senate, the resolution will be presented to administrators in the coming weeks to ensure that they have received a copy of it. “Rather than just sending
them a copy of the resolution, [now] there’s an effort to meet with them and talk about it,” said Paul Moinester, former SU president and current senator. “In order to properly explain [the resolution] and explain its needs, there needs to be a meeting.” Eric Gradel, the SU speaker when the resolution was passed, could not be reached for comment. The next step for students and administrators will be exploring what is the best way to meet the current needs on campus with regards to rape and sexual assault. “We know that sexual assault is an issue in our community and in others and we accept responsibility as a community,” said McLeod. “This is not just an individual’s problem, this is our problem—it’s a question of what is the best way to move forward on this challenge.” A 2004 survey by the Committee on Sexual Assualt (COSA) showed that more than one in five women and one in 10 men are survivors of attempted or completed rape before graduating Washington University. The same survey also showed that the vast majority of cases go unreported. According to Jami Ake, Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and committee co-chair, because the vast majority of sexual violence cases take place between
Tonight at 6:30...Spider pig! Mike Reiss, a writer for the Simpsons and the creator of “The Critic” will be speaking tonight at Graham Chapel. Get a sneak preview of what he has to say in Cadenza, Page 5
acquaintances, victims are often hesitant to come forward or unsure of whom to approach. “We had our February incident last year and we responded tremendously,” said Ake. “But, I think what that threw into relief is that there are a lot of people on
campus who suffer sexual assault but don’t get those kinds of resources.” If approved, the new administrator would work to develop protocol for campuswide responses to emergencies, essentially centralizing
See ASSAULT, page 3
TIMELINE
Sexual Assault
at Wash. U. Feb. 12 2007 A student was sexually assaulted and robbed in Myers residence hall by a stranger.
May 25 2007 Clayton Police Department and WUPD announced the arrest of a suspect in the sexual assault at Myers.
2004 Committee on Sexual Assault Survey shows that more than 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men are survivors of attempted or completed rape before graduating from Washington University.
March 28 2007 Student Union Senate unanimously passes a resolution advocating for the creation of a coordinator for the prevention of sexual and relationship violence.
JOE RIGODANZO | STUDENT LIFE
INSIDE: Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Cadenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
NEWSROOM PHONE 314-935-5995 ADVERTISING PHONE 314-935-6713 E-MAIL US editor@studlife.com