STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 Our Bears are hot! Women’s basketball is one win away from a UAA title, and the men were in triple digits—twice—this weekend. Page 3.
Check out the back page for Cadenza’s KWUR Week preview! Page 8.
A new sandwich is infiltrating the dietary hab- Housing issues, democratic nations, class its and consciousness of South 40 residents. councils and Ben Folds’ upcoming WILD “The Bomb” drops today in Forum. Page 5. appearance are all fair game inside. Page 4.
VOLUME 127, NO. 53
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2006
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
University continues plans for overhaul of student housing v New apartments to be built near Millbrook; tentative schedule laid out for replacing old freshman dorms By Kristin McGrath Senior News Editor Over approximately the next six years, student housing on campus will undergo a major overhaul, with the traditional freshman “shoebox” dorms being replaced by new buildings on the South 40 and new apartments in the North Side housing area. Construction on the new apartments, which will be built east of the Village, near the Millbrook apartments, is slated to begin this spring or early summer, according to Dean of Students Justin Carroll. The construction will last between 12-15 months, and is expected to be completed by fall 2007. Students’ preferences have been taken into account in planning the new apartment buildings, according to Carroll, who frequently meets with the Residential Student Advisory Board, a committee of students that communicates
with the University about Residential Life matters. “We know from student feedback that students want to live on campus in apartmentstyle housing,” said Carroll. “By adding more apartment living, that’s something we always hope to offer.” The new apartments will provide about 280 additional beds and will likely have fourperson units with single bedrooms. Each unit will have a kitchen, a living room and possibly two bathrooms. Although including several two-, three- and five-person units is under consideration, Residential Life is trying to steer away from the larger six-, seven- and eight-person units in Millbrook. “We feel based on experience that if we’re really trying to convince upperclassmen, and our goal is to have juniors and seniors live there, smaller units are more popular,” said Carroll. “The smaller units usually go fi rst in Millbrook.” Sophomore Miriam Trup-
pin-Brown believes that these new apartments will be beneficial. “I think people seem to think that the only way you can live on campus is to live in the Village or on the 40,” said Truppin-Brown. “An alternative is Millbrook. In Millbrook you get the benefits of living on campus but in a more independent living situation. I would think students would want [the new buildings] because competition for housing is fierce. Any opportunity that allows people to get the housing they want is a good thing. If I weren’t going abroad I might consider living there.” The new apartments would play an important role in meeting the demand for housing as the freshmen dorms on the South 40 are torn down. “For upperclassmen, we can shift them to new apartment areas, and then the following year, take down one or possibly two buildings [on the South 40] at one time and be more aggressive about com-
WU LECTURER ILLUSTRATES DANGERS OF TOKENISM
By Helen Rhee Staff Reporter
TRISHA WOLF | STUDENT LIFE
The construction of the new Liggett dorm continues on the site of what used to be old Koenig. The University has announced a six-year plan for construction of new dorms on the South 40. pleting construction there,” said Carroll. A tentative plan has been proposed for the destruction and replacement of the freshman dorms that will remain after Liggett has been torn down this summer. The schedule for destruction, which is subject to change, would begin with Beaumont
Associate Reporter
Film and Media Studies Lecturer Shawn Shimpach uses an episode of NBC’s “Scrubs” to illustrate an example during a Social Justice Center event on racial tokenism in Ursa’s Fireside on Monday evening.
in fall 2007, followed by Lee, Umrath and Rubelmann in fall 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively, said Jim Severine, associate director and manager of building services for Residential Life. By fall 2011, all of these dormitories would be replaced.
See HOUSING, page 2
Reading series gives writers an audience By Josh Hantz
GEORGE GENNIS | STUDENT LIFE
Poetry reading has moved beyond classrooms and coffee bars, thanks to the Satellite Reading Series, a new three-week session featuring graduate students’ work in Washington University’s Writing Program. Founded by Administrative Assistant to the Writing Program David Schuman and Writer-in-Residence Melanie Fallon, the Series is held in Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts and showcases the writing of students getting their master of fine arts degrees in creative writing. This chance for writers to present their work is not always available and is one of the reasons it was started. “As writers, you basically have two opportunities to present your work—publish
it or read it,” said Schuman. “The advantage of this is that you get out there and see people’s reactions to the work.” Fallon wanted to make sure these opportunities were worthwhile but not too overwhelming. “I wanted to keep it light and casual and fun,” she said. The Series kicked off Saturday with the work of Schuman and Kent Shaw, a lecturer in English at the University. The event was deemed a success, with more than 50 people attending. “It was far better than anything I could have expected it to be,” said Fallon. “After it was over, David and I kept slapping each other on the back.” But before the event, Fal-
See READING SERIES, page 2
WU scientists to analyze NASA comet dust By Troy Rumans Staff Reporter Washington University researchers will be among the first to see stardust taken directly from a comet as part of NASA’s Stardust mission. The unmanned probe returned to Earth Jan. 15 after a successful rendezvous with Comet Wild 2 (pronounced “Vild Two”). During the encounter, the Stardust probe collected samples of interstellar dust from the comet’s tail. Frank Stadermann, who witnessed the opening of the capsule at the Johnson Space Center, leads the group of University researchers on this project. “This is the first time since Apollo 17 that NASA has brought any samples back from any extraterrestrial body from our solar system,” said Stadermann. “This is the first time since 1972 that we can take some samples from an extraterrestrial body.” The source of the particles is particularly special. “Since it’s from a comet it’s very interesting, as it is some of the most primitive material in our solar system,” said Stadermann. Stadermann will be utiliz-
ing the NanoSIMS instrument, a device on the cutting edge of research technology, to delve deep into the particles. “Basically, we have a special resolution that is much higher and can analyze much more about the particle. We can actually find grains older than the comet and the solar system,” said Stadermann. “Our instrument will be able…to find small subcomponents that are actually stardust in the truest meaning of the word.” Though no students will be taking part in this aspect of research, Stadermann noted that they are working closely with graduate students to interpret the data they collect from the stardust. Two other groups from the University will also be receiving stardust from the mission. The first, headed by Dr. Alex Meshik and Professor Charles Hohenberg of the physics department, will study noble gases of the particles in hopes of seeing to what extent comets have contributed to the noble gasses of the Earth. Meshik and Hohenberg expect to receive their sample in the coming year. “What we’re doing presently, we are getting data from a sister
mission for the Stardust mission called Genesis. For Genesis, we are making measurements now,” said Meshik. The final researcher from the University to be receiving samples is Brigitte Wopenka, a senior researcher in the earth and planetary sciences department. “The University has a long history of analyzing stardust,” said Wopenka. “I analyzed, more than 20 years ago, stardust samples. Many years ago stardust was collected by U-2 airplanes in the solar system, taken to NASA, and sent to Wash. U. to analyze these particles. I was one of those people.” Wopenka will be working to determine the mineralogical composition of the stardust. Her extensive expertise led to her being chosen as one of the preliminary researchers. “I do that involvement with stardust because I was personally asked because of my 20 years of experience,” said Wopenka. A total of 50 researchers will receive samples from the mission as a preliminary examination team. “Our department is one of the top departments when it comes to planetary sciences,” said Wopenka. “As a matter of fact, most
Conference highlights influential area music group from the ‘60s
KRT CAMPUS
Scientist Masayuki Yamamoto prepares to document the re-entry of the Stardust capsule as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere on Jan. 15. Washington University researchers will be some of the first to be able to analyze the space dust gathered by the mission. of this research is related not to the earth, but to other planets. That’s the main thing which this department is focused on. And so NASA is obviously a big player and has supported many of my colleagues for many, many years.” The recent Stardust mission comes at a time when unmanned missions to space may be coming to an end. The Bush
administration has been arguing for more manned missions to space in lieu of work like the Stardust mission. As a result, much of the funding for such missions will most likely shift to manned work. “My major issue is that there would be more funding altogether,” said Wopenka. “There’s not enough funding as it is, manned or un-manned.”
On Thursday and Friday, a symposium will remember the influences of an innovative black musical group that flourished in the late 1960s and 1970s in St. Louis. The group, called the Black Artists’ Group, formed in the 1960s under the ideals of the Black Arts campaign, when the Black Power movement gained momentum in the United States. The campaign set out to spread new forms of experimental art. During this period, between 150 and 160 new artistic groups like the Black Artists’ Group emerged under the ideals of the organization. “[The group] really cut a racial line in drawing together a people who were interested in art and left wing politics,” said Benjamin Looker, a Washington Universary graduate who wrote a book about the artists’ group. “They challenged a contradicting notion that arts and politics should remain in separate social spheres.” The Black Artists’ Group was driven by experimental avantgarde jazz musicians who wanted to explore new forms of jazz during a time when traditional forms dominated the musical scene. They soon discovered, however, that they could not find venues in which to perform their new music, especially in a city where black artists were excluded from playing in most public places. Because of this, the group created its own venue on Washington Avenue inside an old warehouse. The new performance space gave artists around St. Louis a forum to express new forms of art and also functioned as a hub for the African-American community, bringing various artists and political leaders to a central location. “[The group] provided a center of gravity for various political, civil rights organizations that were working in the social sphere,” said Looker. The Black Artists’ Group musicians experimented with new forms of jazz by stripping away the conventional jazz improvisational technique in the same way as abstract expressionism moved away from figurative images. “Experimental jazz in the mid and late 1960s experimented with a property and element of sound itself, not constrained by rhythmic and harmonic convention that governed improvised music of jazz,” said Looker. According to Looker, one of the group’s philosophies was the notion that black artists should work to benefit their own communities, directing their art towards impoverished black communities, instead of attempting to appease white consumers. Thus, their art reflected their attempt to reclaim black heritage and pride. “[The Black Artists’ Group] is an important part of St. Louis heritage,” said Looker. “It was born at a moment when experimentation was popular amongst African artists around the country. The group was one of the preeminent Midwestern examples of the Black Arts movement and it provides an interesting combination of musical heritage, tradition with experimental forms.” The University’s two-day event, entitled, “Music and Musicians in the Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis,” will include a panel discussion, a series of concerts and lectures. On Thursday, trumpeter and group cofounder Floyd Leflore will play as part of Jazz at Holmes. Looker will be part of the panel for Friday’s discussion.