STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 UTF—a unified technology fee, or an unnecessary one? Daniel Milstein discusses this recent Student Union proposal in Forum. Page 7.
Sports over break: softball won the UAA title for the third year running, while women’s hoops ended their season in heartbreak. Page 8.
VOLUME 127, NO. 63
Inside News: Non-art majors looking for graphics experience need look no further than the new VisComm minor. Page 3.
The Go! Team, Flaming Lips and other hot acts rocked the South by Southwest festival over break. Cadenza’s Cody Elam was there. See Page 10.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2006
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
Cleaning up after Katrina Sigma Chi to v Student volunteers storm the Gulf Coast during Alternative Spring Break By David Song Contributing Reporter Along with thousands of other students from around the nation, freshman news reporter David Song spent his spring break on the Gulf Coast helping to rebuild areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. While there, Song documented his experiences and those of the students who accompanied him. Student Life will run their stories as a twopart series that concludes on Friday. In today’s installment, work teams from Washington University arrive in New Orleans and begin their first day amidst the wreckage many of them had only seen on the news.
By Shweta Murthi and Kristin McGrath News Staff
Before spring break Two weeks before spring break, I had no idea that I would be living in abandoned hotels, with eight people to a room, or that I would be smashing apart the walls of once-flooded houses with crowbars. All I knew was that I was signing up for Alternative Spring Break—a Campus Y program that recruits students to provide volunteer relief. This year’s trip was to New Orleans. Despite having signed waiver forms and
DAVID SONG | STUDENT LIFE
Sophomore Austin Thompson helps clear rubble in New Orleans during Spring Break. having received numerous e-mails about the volunteer effort, many of us had little idea what providing aid to a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina would be like. Campus Crusade for Christ, the group with which I worked, left for New Or-
leans on Friday night. There were around 150 volunteers, and simply organizing how to get down to the city seemed something of a chore. Nonetheless, expectations for the volunteer effort seemed high. “I think it’s going to be an
awesome experience to serve people,” said Chris Allen, a junior. “Most people in college think spring break is going down to the beach.” The drive lasted about 12 hours. On the way, we met
See KATRINA, page 4
Writing 1 veterans to present work at new research symposium this Friday By Marla Friedman Associate Reporter Current Writing 1 students preparing to spend hours at the library for their fi nal research projects might fi nd the motivation to do so after encountering those who have already survived the process. This Friday, Writing 1 will be holding its fi rst annual Research Symposium at Olin Library. Four former Writing 1 students will host informal presentations about their research projects, discussing how the projects evolved throughout the semester and offering advice to current Writing 1 students. Dr. Debra Rudder, coordinator for Writing 1 in the English department, said one of the research symposium’s goals was to promote a sense of community among students.
get house back after two-year suspension
“We wanted an opportunity for students to see that the work they do in Writing 1 is part of a larger university community, that it’s a scholarly activity that leads into all the other work they do,” said Rudder. “Having a symposium like this means that they’ll have a larger audience for their work.” Many students often complain that requiring students to take Writing 1 as a mandatory course during freshman year adds an unwanted burden to their course loads. Rudder believes, however, that the symposium will still fi nd much student support. “I think it’s possible that the current students would be interested to see how other students have dealt with the problems that come up while writing research papers,” said Rudder. “I think the incentive
may have to do with the fact they are working on similar kinds of projects right now. The fact that the presenters are willing to do it is a testament to the discoveries that students can make in Writing 1.” Sophomore Benjamin Blum, one of the presenters, wrote his research paper about influences on Israeli musical culture throughout time. He feels that the symposium will offer guidance to current Writing 1 students. “I think it’s a good opportunity to learn about other people’s research projects and help students work on their own,” said Blum. “I know my research paper didn’t come together until the end because it took me awhile to figure out what exactly I wanted to do. I think the symposium will be a good opportunity for people to see what can be done with the
research project.” Like Blum, Rudder expects that students working on their own research projects might fi nd inspiration in their classmates’ projects. “The symposium can teach students about the variety of kinds of projects that they can work on, the wide range of primary and secondary sources that is available, things like that,” said Rudder. “These projects will provide students with a kind of a model for different ways they can go about doing the project.” Following the symposium, students will be able to review the presenters’ project materials, including primary and secondary sources, abstracts of the papers, and pages of the paper drafts. The symposium will take place this Friday at 11 a.m. in Olin Library’s Special Collections section.
Unplugged students concern WU officials By Troy Rumans Staff Reporter
DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE
Many students use cell phones instead of dorm phones, leaving their room telephones to collect dust or serve as paperweights.
You know that University telephone that’s been collecting dust in your closet all year? The administration knows, and they worry that this neglected connection to the greater University community could create problems. In a recent interview, Chancellor Wrighton emphasized that the University has made it a priority to maintain an information technology infrastructure that is “both nimble and resilient” during a time of rapid technological development. Wrighton bemoaned the fact that students only pick up their dorm phones sparingly, and sometimes do not even bother to plug them in at all. “What’s evolved…is many of you come to college with a cell phone,” said Wrighton. “And so if, for example, you were a person we would like to contact, we would like to know your phone number. And maybe you gave it to
us, but, oftentimes, people will get that [cell] phone as a gift from their parents when they’re leaving, and we don’t have that phone number. You unplug the phone in the room, and there’s no way to get in touch with you.” The two primary avenues the University uses to keep students informed are the oft-maligned telephones and e-mail services. Immediately following 9/11, the University recognized the need for an improved server that would allow the University to reach students simultaneously and quickly. The server at the time queued e-mails, sometimes leading to delays of up to several hours. Wrighton cited difficulties with reaching students via e-mail as well. “I receive e-mails [from people] who I know are in residence here and they’re not using the Washington University e-mail account they’ve been given,” said Wrighton. “They’re using AOL, Yahoo, or some other [account]. They
See COMMUNICATION, page 2
After receiving confirmation from the Chancellor during spring break, members of the Sigma Chi fraternity can look forward to moving back into their house this fall. “We’ve been waiting a long time, and it’s just a great feeling to know we are getting it back again,” said senior Cory Zimmerman, Sigma Chi’s pledge educator. The fraternity was forced to leave its house in May 2004, when the Greek Life Office, the fraternity’s Alumni Advisory Board, and the Sigma Chi International Office determined that initiation activities which took place at the house during March and April 2004 were in violation of the University’s judicial code. Videos obtained of the activities in question included pledges submerging their heads in ice water and being pelted with beer cans while performing skits in front of the brothers. Jill Carnaghi, assistant vice chancellor for students, affirmed that the University has formally allowed the Sigma Chi fraternity to regain their house on campus. “I think when Sigma Chi was allowed to keep a chap-
ter on campus without a house, they were working for a greater foundation for stability within a fraternity chapter,” said Carnaghi. “Sigma Chi has done an excellent job with meeting those expectations. They are given their full rights as well as the responsibilities and opportunities back to them.” Carnaghi remained optimistic about Sigma Chi’s performance for the following academic year. “I have every expectation that they will be an exemplary fraternity with a house next year,” said Carnaghi. “They have been a fraternity during this entire time, but now they have housing.” The fraternity will remain on probation for another year, a status that requires it to submit monthly reports to the University, which documents the fraternity’s daily operations and summarizes the month’s social and philanthropic events. The 22 available beds in the house will be given based on seniority, according to Zimmerman. “We polled the house and we have just about the right number, and it’s a pretty good mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors next year,” said Zimmerman. “We thought it would be over-
See SIGMA CHI HOUSE, page 5
High school grads may not make the grade with college writing By Josh Hantz Associate Reporter Are students prepared for college writing? According to a survey conducted by Maguire Associates, a Boston-area research and consulting company, college professors and high school teachers disagree about the writing quality of rising college freshmen. The results published in the March 10 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education show that 44 percent of college faculty members say students are not prepared for college-level writing, compared to only 10 percent of high school teachers who say the same thing. Also, six percent of college faculty members, compared to 36 percent of teachers, feel students are very well-prepared for college writing. Stephanie Pippin, a Writing 1 instructor at Washington University, and her husband Andy Gallagher, a St. Louis high school English teacher, weigh in on these differences in perspective, some of which are inconsistent with their personal views. “There are differing expectations for what a good paper is,” said Pippin. “High school teaches organization and clarity—the five-paragraph essay. College teaches
a more sophisticated, more stylistic level of thinking. It takes the five paragraphs and builds on them. It’s more structured around ideas and voice.” Pippin also feels teachers give a lot of attention to standardized tests like the Advanced Placement (AP) exam and to college admission essays. “There’s less attention on the large essay,” she said. Gallagher, who teaches juniors and seniors in St. Louis public schools, argues this is not usually the case. “It is this way in some realms and wealthy highperforming districts but not in general,” said Gallagher. “Writing is only now starting to trend toward teaching to tests, but in the past it hasn’t.” Gallagher says teaching to AP exams is not wrong, but that it is too limited. “In most cases they test good things,” said Gallager. “But you have to go beyond the test to make sound, intellectually rigorous students. Otherwise they become automatons.” Gallagher adds that teachers should emphasize formal writing to better prepare students for college rather than deal too much with informal writing like
See COLLEGE WRITING, page 2