STUDENT LIFE T H E I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S

STUDENT LIFE T H E I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F WA S H I N G T O N U N I V E R S I T Y I N S T. L O U I S S I N C E 1 8 7 8

Commencement 2005 Contents: News: A1 Forum: A7 Sports: A17 Scene: A20

STUDENT LIFE

One Brookings Drive #1039 #42 Women’s Building St. Louis, MO 63130

Newsroom: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938

Editor: editor@studlife.com News: news@studlife.com Calendar: calendar@studlife.com

Please Recycle

A2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Gephardt to speak at 144th Greeks’ new vision statement University Commencement wraps up a year of change

By Laura Geggel News Editor St. Louis native, former Missouri Congressman, and two-time Democratic presidential candidate Richard A. Gephardt will deliver the 144th commencement speech to the graduating class of 2005.

“He’s absolutely a very good choice because he’s a very good speaker. He’s familiar with the current political policy issue scene and he can speak effectively to young people,” Professor Emeritus of Political Science Jim Davis told Student Life this past March. “He can speak effectively to the whole audience.”

Gephardt, born in St. Louis in 1941, loyally served his home state after his return from attending Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and enlisting in the Air National Guard.

In 1971, after receiving the title of captain and an honorable discharge, Gephardt filled the post of St. Louis City Alderman twice before running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1977. His political zeal captured the attention of many, and Gephardt was elected to the position of U.S. House Majority Leader from 1989-’95 and U.S. House Minority Leader from 1995-2003, after which he decided to leave Congress and commence his second political campaign for president of the United States.

Some of Gephardt’s congressional accomplishments include fighting for a raise in the minimum wage, supporting affirmative action, helping to pass the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation, including labor and environmental standards in U.S. trade agreements, and protecting family farms.

Senior Jessie Rymph said that although Gephardt had been too moderate for her as a presidential candidate, she was still looking forward to hearing him speak.

“I have two very conservative Republican family members who are going to be coming and listening, so that will be very interesting,” she said.

“What I’ve heard about graduation speeches is they don’t have to relate to the graduates, but they

relate to the speaker and what they want to put out there.”

Senior Alexi Savov said he would like Gephardt “to say something interesting about the political environment, but I don’t think he will, based on last year’s primaries.”

“I supported Dick Gephardt in the Democratic primaries last year,” Savov said, “[but] I think one of his problems during the campaign was that he wasn’t outspoken or charismatic enough.” Savov said he was very interested in what Gephardt plans to discuss during Commencement.

Washington University also plans to bestow Gephardt with the honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the ceremony.

Even after Commencement ends, Gephardt will continue his involvement with Washington University with the creation of the Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service. The institute, which may open as early as this next fall semester, will encourage students and retirees to engage in the rewarding sphere of public service through seminars, workshops, and discussions moderated by influential speakers involved in the field.

The architects of the proposed institute hope to ignite participation in public service within the student body and possibly the surrounding community. Attendees will be encouraged to find internships in public service and volunteer in the community.

Although no plans have been finalized, Davis projects that the institute will probably construct an internship database open to students interested in the public service sector.

Gephardt, who donated $400,000 to the institute after his retirement fundraiser last December, will hold the position of advisory board chairman.

Although the former political star only plans to spend about a half-day at the institute every three months, he will nonetheless be an important resource for the University community.

Commencement takes place on May 20th at 8:30 a.m. in the Brookings Quadrangle. A live streaming video of the 2005 Commencement is available at commencement.wustl.edu.

By Sarah Kliff Senior News Editor While the school year may have just finished, the Greek community has only just begun planning for big changes that will span not only the next semester, but also the next two to three years. The introduction of a new vision statement and a reworking of Greek Week are a few changes to hit campus after a year of transformation within the fraternities and sororities.

Junior Nicole Soussan, president of the Panhellenic Association (Panhel), noted that for the Greek community, “at the very least, it’s been an interesting year.”

“We were put in a position where we were forced to look internally and make a choice, and we made the choice to move forward,” said Soussan.

The Greek community started the year with one less fraternity on campus, after University administrators asked Sigma Chi to move last spring following the surfacing of videotapes of unacceptable behavior. Near the beginning of fall semester, the Greek community dealt with a University ban on alcohol at fraternity social events. At the same time, leaders of the Greek community began to take internal steps to better work with administrators and the Greek Life Office. This spring marked the first semester during which no fraternity house had to come before the Judicial Board, according to outgoing Interfraternity Council (IFC) president Alex Curcuru.

During that same semester, Alpha Phi’s March sorority formal came to an abrupt halt when the venue, City Museum, requested that they leave due to the museum management’s belief that they posed a safety hazard to other museum guests. By the end of the year, the Greek system began to reshape its community through the first annual new member day and a new vision statement.

“We ended the semester with the presentation of the new vision statement and plans for fall to put us forward, to strengthen the community, and [to get] to know each other,” said Soussan.

The vision statement, crafted by the 11 members of Panhel and IFC, is named for the Greek term “arête.” The vision statement defines the term as “the principle of striving for excellence and nobility in all dimensions of character.”

Arête, which was formally presented on May 3 at the Greek community’s end-of-the-year celebration and recognition ceremony, emphasizes a set of values including integrity, intellectual curiosity, individuality, and social responsibility.

It concludes with a pledge to “continually challenge my fellow Greeks and myself to uphold these values.”

Soussan and other members of the Greek community plan on putting the vision statement into practice through programming that will take place throughout the next semester and following years. Members of Greek leadership have also redesigned the annual Greek Week, transforming it into a three-day-long service-oriented event, including involvement in the University City Loop in Motion parade. All of these changes and events over the past year, according to Curcuru, are bringing the Greek system closer to the University community.

“The progress we made is something to be proud of for everyone who has been involved. I think we’re starting to understand that we are part of this community [and] have to work with admins and non-Greek students,” said Curcuru.

As a graduating senior, Curcuru says he’s having a bit of “separation anxiety” parting with the Greek system, but knows that he leaves it in good hands.

“I think the people who are in positions right now, the fraternity presidents, the IFC members… they are in a good place right now,” said Curcuru.

“I think they understand their role a lot better.”

UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULE Thursday, May 19

Friday, May 20

10:30 a.m.—Eliot Honors Convocation

8:30 a.m.—All-University Ceremony following—College of Immediately Arts & Sciences Diploma Distribution

Field House, Athletic Complex

1:30 p.m.—School of Engineering and

Ceremony

and Reception, The Green (west of Olin Library); School of Architecture Diploma Ceremony and Reception, Brookings Drive Mall; School of Art Diploma Distribution and Reception, Steinberg Hall Terrace; John M. Olin School of Business Undergraduate Diploma and Awards Ceremony, Field House, Athletic Complex; School of Engineering and Applied Science Undergraduate Diploma Distribution, Lopata Hall, Room 324

Graham Chapel

Source: commencement.wustl.edu

Applied Science Recognition Ceremony Field House, Athletic Complex

4:30 p.m.—College of Arts & Sciences Recognition Ceremony

FieldHouse, Athletic Complex

8:00 p.m.—School of Art Recognition

We congratulate our Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degree candidates and all who are graduating today.

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

A3

Senior year: debates, protests, and disorderly conduct

By Helen Rhee

media from MSNBC prime time show ‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’ and CNN’s prime debate coverage featuring Paula Zhan, Anderson CooThe 2004-2005 school year was one of trans- per and Wolf Blitzer. Students witnessed the formation and change. From events of national fervor of 2004 election year in their very own importance, including the presidential debates campus.

Almost a month after the debate, on Nov. 4, and election, to campus-centric protests with the recent Student Worker Alliance sit-in, St. the nation reelected President Bush into office.

Louis and the University spent the year in the While Bush took the state of Missouri, St. Louis remained a blue dot in the sea of red Missouri. spotlight.

Washington University also experienced Washington University embarked on its 2004-2005 school year as the host of a 2004 waves of theft on campus. In November, WUPD presidential debate between Democratic con- retrieved a stolen laptop through a sting optender John Kerry and Republican incumbent eration and arrested the perpetrator, a student President George W. Bush. Leading up to the big from another St. Louis university Later that event, the University transformed the Athletic week, a member of the housekeeping staff was Complex, installed state-of-the-art communi- caught stealing a laptop at Rublemann Hall, cation and put in extra security to prepare for while in April several cars were reported stolen from Washington University property. the grand event.

The fall of 2004 also brought new changes At the last minute though, Bush’s advisory team put the debate in jeopardy when they at Frat Row: no alcohol until spring semester. became hesitant to participate in the event. A student initiated a brawl at Sigma Alpha EpFollowing the announcement, Chris Heinz, silon, which injured a security guard, leading Kerry’s stepson, visited the campus to assure to tighter rules on the presence of alcohol on the University that his step-father might still campus. Despite the alcohol ban, fraternities appear on campus even if Bush rejected the still experienced an increase in the number scheduled debate. The Commission on Presi- of students rushing to join the brothers on the dential Debates confi rmed that both candidates Row. The Greek Life Office lifted the ban for the had committed to participate in three debates, spring semester.

Greek Life’s affair with alcohol continued including the Oct. 8 debate at the University.

During the week of Oct. 8, the campus trans- to mid-March, when Alpha Phi sorority sisters formed into a political campground, attracting were kicked out of the City Museum during their formal after administrators discovered intoxicated sisters passing out in the women’s bathroom as well as in front of Girl Scouts.

The following Wednesday, when the Alpha Phi story was published, hundred of copies of Student Life were stolen and stashed into nearby trashcans.

In that week, Student Life discovered another alcohol mishap when several Lee 3 residents allegedly defecated and vandalized their RA’s room. The news came as shock to the campus and administrations and much to the dismay of Lee 3, which was soon declared into a substance free area.

While the punishment for the act is still under review DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE by the Judicial AdministraStudents assist CNN’s Crossfire host Tucker Carlson as he crowdsurfs tor, the week’s incidents at the end of a broadcast live from the Quad on Oct. 7. The presidential brought a tainted image to debate occurred the next day in the Athletic Complex. the University as well as

Staff Reporter

worth the surf.

spreading awareness about the effects of alcohol on students’ abilities to make rational judgments.

Since the public appearance of Bush and Kerry, the University invited various speakers to lead 2004-2005 public assembly series. From Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, to civil rights activist Robert Moses, the University offered various genres of lectures from the fields of science and the humanities. Speakers included Chris Heinz, Robert Kerry, Piper, Sherman Alexie and Anita DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE Diamant, among others.

An SWA protester sits in the admissions office on April 6. SWA lived in the The school encounadmissions office for almost three weeks, from April 4 to April 22. The Univertered difficulties in bringing two outspoken sity and SWA eventually came to an agreement to improve campus workers’ political activists: Mi- benefits. twist as students, faculty, administration and chael Moore and Sean Hannity. Both speakers were scheduled to visit the nation watched the Student Worker Alliance the campus, but Hannity’s demand for a pri- (SWA) occupy the admissions office for 19 days vate jet and Moore’s pneumonia caused them to in April. Starting on April 4, approximately 14 University students protested inside the admismiss their appearances.

Off campus and outside of St. Louis, this sion office to demand living wage of third party year also marked the death of Christopher workers at the University.

During the protest, the administration sent Reeve, the original Superman, Yasser Arafat, the leader of Palestine, and Pope John Paul II, multiple letters asking the protesters to leave the head of the Catholic Church. On our own the admissions office, stating that their prescampus, students read the news that junior ence was in violation of the judicial code. The Jessica Campbell passed away during spring letter only fueled the students’ fervor, eventually leading to a hunger strike. Dozens of break from a heart attack.

Student Union went under a transformation professors signed a letter in support of SWA’s when vice president Katie Lekihim resigned, fight for a living wage, while other students forcing it to elect a new VP. Former speaker protested against their effort as anti-protesters of the Senate Pamela Bookbinder was elected outside in the Quad.

The sit-in eventually ended on April 22 after as the new vice president after the resignation of Lekihim, who had been on medical leave 19 days of student occupation. The fi nal agreeduring fi rst semester. The process of electing ment reached between the SWA and the Univerthe new VP came under a heat of debate when sity included a commitment of $500,000 durthe question occurred among senators as to ing the 2005-’06 fiscal year towards improving whether or not reporters should be allowed the living wages and the benefits of lower-paid inside the room to watch the voting process. service workers. It also included various other In the end, the election took place behind the concessions to SWA’s demands. The Judicial Administrator has yet to reach a conclusion as closed doors.

Students also saw changes in fi nancial to what consequences those involved with the loans and tuition. Parents were notified of an sit-in will face.

The year 2004-2005 ended with the display additional tuition increase to approximately $31,000 per year. Students also received a of students’ fight against injustice as well as shock when they heard that Pell grants and those who will face justice as a consequence of Perkins loans were facing elimination by the their irresponsible actions. In the world, people Bush administration. These fears later proved responded with compassion while aiding vicbaseless as Congress just passed a budget ap- tims of natural disasters, including the tsunami in southeast Asia. In the nation, Americans proving both programs this past week.

The year culminated with an unexpected elected President Bush for another term.

First Time Ever!

1%

or This is f Real

This is not a Joke

“This Is Our Lowest Payment Ever!”

1% Honest & Legitimate

Call now (314) 567-7800 NEVER BEFORE - PROBABLY NEVER AGAIN HURRY! 1% WILL NOT LAST LONG

www.paulbrownlofts.com

Buying or Refinancing Call (314) 567-7800 Loan

Pay

$75,000 $100,000 $180,000

$198 $264 $476

Loan

$230,000 $300,000 $1,000,000

Pay

$609 $1324 $2648

1%

Our Lowest Ever!

BANKRUPT - BAD CREDIT - NO JOB Now You Can Own A Home Cheaper Than Rent

We Guarantee You Will Be Approved Under Our New Equity Position Program

Advance Home Mortgage 9974 Old Olive St. Rd. • St. Louis MO 63141

(314) 567-7800

First lien mortgages only. Rate adjustment and payment caps may result in deferred interest. Interest rates/APR may be higher than when these costs are paid by borrower. Chart reflects an example of 40-r term, 20% equity 1-month 12-MTA Options ARM with a start rate of 1.25% (APR 5.88%). After a 1-month period, interest rate and APR may increase, however, the minimum payment is guaranteed for the first 5 yrs of the loan with a 7.5% payment cap annually. Reduced points/fees. The expressed rate could change or not be available at commitment or closing. Rates are subject to change. Certain restrictions apply.

A4 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Junior year: 150 years, construction, and Nicaraguans

By Sarah Kliff Senior News Editor Washington University began its 150th year with the announcement that the University had risen in rank to hold a spot as the 9th best undergraduate program in the country according to U.S. News & World Report. This was the University’s first appearance in the top ten. The School of Engineering & Applied Science rose to 38th best in the nation, while the Olin School of Business held its spot at 14th in the rankings.

The Sesquicentennial Celebration, commemorating the University’s 150th anniversary, brought approximately 20,000 students, faculty and community members to campus for over 200 festive events. Chancellor “Magic Mark” Wrighton wowed students and younger children alike with his Magic Show, and University alumnus Ted Drewes created a special “SesQuete”-flavored frozen custard to celebrate the event.

To many students’ dismay, they attended the University’s first keg-free WILD in the fall, watching Busta Rhymes perform. Live was the spring headliner.

An October strike at local grocery stores, including Schnucks, had some students protesting outside, while others crossed picket lines to get their groceries. Student Union provided new shuttle routes that took students to Straub’s for their shopping needs during the 25-day strike.

The Student Worker Alliance (SWA) formed in October in response to the deportation of 36 Nicaraguan grounds workers. While the return of the workers still remains uncertain, the SWA has widened its mission to pursue the implementation of a living wage on campus through events such as the “Boot the Bell” campaign against Taco Bell and a rally on the steps of Brookings Hall that brought in activists from throughout the St. Louis community.

Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) welcomed new Director Alan Glass after former Director Laurie Rietman announced plans to retire. SHCS is also considering plans for a new home on the South 40 in the future. James McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, announced the possible move to a yet-to-be-decided location closer to student housing.

In November, Chancellor Wrighton announced that the University would host one of the presidential debates during fall 2004. The administration has already started preparing for the debate on Oct. 8, 2004, recruiting student volunteers and laying out plans for the debate on the basis of the University’s experience hosting debates in 1992 and 2000. The Oct. 8 Coalition, a student group created with the goal of shedding light on issues not being discussed in the debate, formed in reaction to the University’s selection as a debate host.

In local politics, two University faculty members announced that they would vie for the seat of former Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt.

Jeff Smith, an adjunct professor in University College, and Mark Smith, associate dean of students in the School of Law, are competing for the Democratic nomination in the 3rd District.

Thomas Friedman drew a crowd that filled the University’s Athletic Complex for his speech about the war against Iraq as part of the Assembly Series. Friedman, a columnist for the New York Times, will return to campus this month to give the commencement address for the graduat-

YU ARAKI | STUDENT LIFE

Chancellor Mark Wrighton performs magic tricks during the University’s Sesquicentennial celebration. ing class of 2004.

Students also had a chance to hear a voice from the political right when the Conservative Leadership Association (CLA) brought author Ann Coulter to campus for the Assembly Series.

Earlier in the year the CLA also sponsored a lecture about the hypocrisy of society and the pitfalls of liberalism given by WWF wrestler Ultimate Warrior.

Construction on and off campus has been an inconvenience to many students but yielded many developments. The renovated Olin Library, which has been three years in the making, will open its doors on May 7. Along with more obvious changes to the building’s outer surfaces, changes inside include a new 24-hour café and the Arc technology center.

As library construction drew to a close, the building of the $56.8 million-dollar Sam Fox Arts Center commenced. The Arts Center, located in the parking lot east of Brookings Hall, is set to

open in the spring of 2006 and will serve as a center for fine arts at the University.

Residents of the Village and those living on Washington Avenue woke up daily to early morning construction on the MetroLink expansion.

The project, with an expected completion date in 2006, will add MetroLink stops at Forsyth Avenue and Skinker Boulevard.

The University women’s volleyball team captured its eighth national championship this year.

The women clinched the title in a 3-0 win over New York University, finishing out their season with a 28-game winning streak.

Tuition increases announced at the beginning of the spring semester will bring the total cost of attending the University to over $40,000 per year. Undergraduate tuition will rise $1,400 (4.9 percent) to $29,700 for the 2004-2005 school year. The cost of living in a double room in a new residence hall with a full meal plan will rise to $10,292, bringing the total cost of attending the University to $40,838.

Direct Connect, a hub-based student filesharing program, was shut down this semester after the administration became aware of it. Its existence had been largely publicized by an article in the Riverfront Times. Students reacted to the administration’s action by forming an impromptu 4 a.m rally outside of Umrath Residence Hall. The Hatch, a student band, performed until University police intervened to stop its set. Letters regarding student file-sharing activity on Direct Connect and the possible consequences have yet to be distributed.

Revisions to the Ervin Scholar Program, which opened the traditionally African-American scholarship to students of all races, brought controversy to the University’s campus. Many current Ervin Scholars saw this change as an end to the community and support system that the program had traditionally provided. While the University decided to revise the program in response to pressure from the U.S. Department of Education, revisions have yet to be made to the Annika Rodriguez Scholarship program for Latin American students or the Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship program for African-American graduate students.

The year also ended with controversy, with the surfacing of videotapes and photographs displaying questionable behavior at the Sigma Chi fraternity. The materials, which showed fraternity brothers and pledges dunking their heads in freezing water and throwing beer cans at each other during sexually-charged skits, were published in Student Life. The national Sigma Chi organization has suspended the University chapter for 45 days, although the University itself is still deciding what action it will take. University administrators have said they will consider Sigma Chi’s past misconduct in their final decision.

Congratulations Class of 2005

to the

SU reviews past year

By John Hewitt Staff Reporter Student Union reviewed and revisited how they run their organization with the help of student input. A team of Olin Business School students working at the Olin Center for Experimental Learning spent the past year conducting a review of how Student Union (SU) presents itself to its constituents. They presented suggestions for the governing body’s improvement at a recent meeting of SU representatives.

“SU should be a servicing entity, not a governing entity,” said Charles Bishop, the leader of the research team. “There needs to be a basic direction of reformulation for SU.” The five-student team performed a survey involving a mass solicitation of comments from students about SU via e-mail. SU paid $7,500 for the service, which SU President David Ader believes was money well spent.

“Going back, I would have done the same thing,” said Ader. “It’s a lot of work to come in and do, [but] doing any other consulting group would have been a lot more.”

According to the research team, the major problem that SU faces revolves around the fact that they are a service-oriented body that gets funds from what is essentially a tax on every student’s tuition. SU derives its funding from the student activities fee, a set percentage of tuition.

SU’s website puts its annual budget at $1.75 million.

The team advocated the introduction of compensatory incentives to SU members. They suggested that serving in SU is too time-consuming to be a realistically open opportunity for working students. Incentives, such as full or partial tuition compensation or class credit, could make elections more competitive and enhance SU productivity. The team cited Saint Louis University’s Student Government Association, which offers the president full tuition compensation, as an example of such a policy. When asked to comment, Ader said that a new constitution was being discussed among SU members.

Communication changes were another key feature of the Olin team’s suggestions. They suggested an expansion of SU’s informational email newsletters and website to increase student awareness of SU’s activities.

While suggesting an increase in communication, the team cautioned SU to decrease the use of its logo, noting that the “dilution of the SU brand” concerned them. Currently, the SU logo appears on all advertisements for events and clubs funded by the student activities fee. They suggested that it be changed to something more memorable, which would only be used at very large Student Union-funded events.

See STUDENT UNION, page A15

Graduates!

Best Wishes!

The Washington University Campus Store has everything a new Alumni needs!

Visit us in-store or online at www.wubookstore.com.

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

A5

Sophomore year: Jews for Jesus, MetroLink, and war

By Molly Antos Senior Forum Editor This school year saw improvement in many areas for Washington University. The overall undergraduate program rose from the 14th to the 12thhighest ranking in U.S. News and World Report, which also ranked 19 graduate programs among the top 10 in their respective categories. Highlights of these rankings include the School of Medicine’s rise to become the second-best medical school focused on research, the Olin Graduate School of Business’s rise to 29 from its previous position of 31 and the School of Art’s new position of 21. The University also improved in its food rankings, offering the best food of any college in the country, according to The Princeton Review.

In response to student complaints that there was not enough security for off-campus housing, the University Police Department began patrolling surrounding neighborhoods of university-owned property. The other goal of this new program was to help improve the relationship between students and other members of the neighborhoods.

Students this year were given the option of taking new “themed” English composition courses to fit their interests. The different options included Technology and Society, Journey and Quest, Language and Identities and the traditional English composition class, Writing and Critical Thinking.

With the assistance of 18 University student interns and Chancellor Mark Wrighton, alumnus and balloonist Steve Fossett brought the Bud Light Spirit of Freedom capsule to its final destination at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. The capsule was used in Fossett’s circumnavigation of the globe last summer, which took him four days, 19 hours and 50 minutes.

The one-year anniversary of 9/11 was marked by a candlelight vigil in the Brookings Quadrangle to remember the victims and their families. Almost 1, 000 people sat in silence as students and faculty shared their thoughts, reactions and experiences about the tragic event.

Controversial author of “Step Across This Line”

Salman Rushdie spoke at the University on Oct. 3 that the SBA, the law school’s student government, and 4. Rushdie was invited back this year after had denied any group of students the right to behis visit last year was cancelled due to security come an acknowledged organization on campus.

Senior Arianna Haut represented the Univesity concerns. Rushdie went into hiding after the publication of his work “The Satanic Verses” because on “Jeopardy!” as part of the college tournament.

Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini placed a death threat, On her first appearance on the show, Haut came in or fatwa, on Rushdie. His appearance on campus first, winning $17,200. She lost in the semi-finals, marked one of the occasional public appearances however, winning only $5,000 for advancing that far.

Rushdie now makes.

Dr. Larry Shapiro was named Dr. William Peck’s Religious group Jews for Jesus ignited provocative debate on campus about religious boundaries successor as dean of the School of Medicine. Shapearlier in the year. Sponsored by members of the iro, along with two of his three children, is a UniInterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Jews for Jesus made an effort to spread their beliefs in order to convert “traditional Jews,” or members of the Jewish community who do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, into believers in Jesus.

WUTV came out with a new show that year called “Wake Up Wash U.” This is a daily morning news program that provides students with both campus and national news, as well as entertaining segments.

University College started giving employees free tuition this year, compliments of a new University benefit packSTUDENT LIFE ARCHIVES age which also includes 50 percent remission for gradu- Students discuss religion with Jews for Jesus representatives in ate courses. The result was a Mallinckrodt Center.Fall’s Jews for Jesus controversy was matched in the 32 percent increase in Uni- spring by the campus’ polarization over the war in Iraq. versity College enrollment, from 2,028 students last fall to 2,681 students this versity alumnus. Peck will remain at the university year. The number of university employees enrolled as a professor and researcher.

Undergraduate tuition increased by 5.2 perincreased by over 500.

The School of Law’s Student Bar Association cent, from $26,900 this year to $28,300 for the (SBA) denied funding to the Law Students Pro-Life, 2003-2004 school year. The hike came in response but upon LSPL’s appeal, the decision was reversed to new construction costs and rising faculty salaand funding was granted. Previous to the reversal, ries. Currently, 60 percent of University underthis had been the first time in University history graduates are receiving some form of financial

assistance; this number should increase next year, however, due to the tuition increase.

After an electric pole caught on fire at the corner of Wydown and Big Bend, the South 40 was without power for approximately 12 hours. The after-effects of this event included flooding in Eliot Dormitory as a result of frozen pipes.

The University announced its support of affirmative action in university admissions policies by signing an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court. The University joined 37 other colleges in this endeavor, and studies of student opinion showed that it was largely backed by the student body.

University students and staff watched on television as hundreds of law enforcement officials searched the “debris belt” of the exploded Columbia shuttle for remnants and bodies. The campus mourned after the shuttle broke up over Texas only 16 minutes before it was scheduled to land in Florida.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was announced as the speaker at this year’s spring graduation. Albright received an honorary doctor of humanities degree. Graduation took place on Friday, May 16, in the Brookings Quadrangle.

President George Bush delivered a speech shocking parts of the campus and the nation when which he gave Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq. When these demands were not met, the U.S. invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. This event was met with anger from segments of the University community; a war protest was held the next day in the Quad.

After three years of meetings, planning, engineering and financial decisions, groundbreaking for the new MetroLink line finally took place. The groundbreaking was marked by a ceremony in the West Campus parking lot. Forest Park Parkway will be closed for more than a year, with the new line opening in March 2006. The new route will run underneath Millbrook Boulevard via a tunnel, surfacing at the intersection of Hoyt Drive and Throop Drive to pick up passengers.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2005

And thank you to the graduating student workers of the Washington University Libraries...

Undergraduates Aler, Carolyn Artime, Louis Benz, Stephen Christopher Berwick, Meredith Bobak, AnnMarie Brault, Kelley Dao, Christine Darwent, Katherine Dooley, Kevin Paul Edwards, Corrine Ezeife, Nnamdi Kingsley Fourie, Carl Freeberg, James Adrian Fynn, Anthony Frah Griffith, Bradley Hayden, Brittany Hollenbach, Lisa*

Special Collections Art & Architecture Library Shelving Reserves Serials Art & Architecture Library Chemistry & EPSc Libraries Chemistry Library Preservation West Campus Library Circulation Reference Physics Library Interlibrary Loan Special Collections Art & Architecture Library Administrative Office

Hyde, Caleb S. Khan, Sana Kharseeva, Irene Knisley, Matthew Lee, Hogan Lohr, Tara M. Nathenson, Robert A. O'Donnell, Carmen Marie Qian, Jun Ranatunga, Duneesha S. Reich, Adam Schwarz, Laura Steelman, Will Stevens, Katherine Viverette, Shelly Woerther, William Paul Woo, Justin

Circulation Art & Architecture Library Interlibrary Loan Business Library Arc/Library Technology Center Circulation Reference Circulation Earth & Planetary Sciences Library Interlibrary Loan West Campus Library Special Collections Arc/Library Technology Center Music Library Arc/Library Technology Center Shelving Arc/Library Technology Center

*Fulbright Scholar for FY 06

Graduate Students Gehling, Andrea Godlewski, Adam J. Gupta, Sundeep Higgins, Megan Matsuo, Tomoko

Music Library Circulation Mathematics Library Music Library East Asian Library

Merlino, Elena Ridenour, Robert Vincent Vaish, Prakhar Weber, Kathryn

Circulation Circulation Reference West Campus Library

We appreciate your contributions and wish you success in your future endeavors!

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you've imagined." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Congratulations, Class of 2005!

From your friends at Quadrangle Housing

A6 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Freshman year: overcoming international tragedy

By Rachel Streitfeld Contributing Editor This year marked not only the largest number of available rooms on campus, but also the highest number of students, nearly 4,000, living on campus in university history. The increase in students was due largely to more upperclassmen applying to live on campus, as opposed to moving to off-campus apartments, as was the trend in the past.

As a result of resident complaints concerning vandalism and noise, the University City Police Department increased the number of police patrolling the area between Washington University and the Delmar Loop. This patrol increase prompted uneasy relations between residents and police for the rest of the year.

For the fi rst time, medical school applicants could apply to 116 medical schools for the 2002 academic year through an online program created by the American Medical College Application Service, though lack of server capacity and increased usage posed serious problems for online appliers.

The University basked in the glow of rising rankings in the media. Princeton Review ranked Washington University Dining Services number two in the nation, based upon student feedback, diversity of cuisine, new policies, and studentadministrator meetings. The university also moved up in U.S. News and World Report rankings to #14, the highest ranking the University had ever received to that point.

When hijacked airplanes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. on Sept. 11, the ripple effect at the University saddened and motivated the university community towards discussion and change. The university immediately responded to the terrorist attack by placing televisions, professors and counselors in common rooms across campus to comfort distraught students.

Students’ regular routines were fundamentally disrupted that Tuesday, with the cancellation of classes, constant activity on cell phones, and numerous incidental and planned campus gatherings. The University community offered support to New York victims through letters and donations—400 people were turned away from an emergency blood drive on campus because of overwhelming interest. Team 31 decided to add an extra “D” for Donations to the fall WILD and transform the event into a keg-free benefit concert, with funds going to East Coast relief efforts.

Following isolated acts of violence and threats against American Muslims, including a harassing phone call at the University, administrators shut down the university’s online directory. University students and faculty members joined together to form the September 11 Committee to discuss their concerns with planned U.S. military response to the terrorist attacks.

With more original programming, increased student involvement and a new selection process for videos, Washington University Television (WUTV) attracted more viewers with new shows like “Missionary Positions” and “WU Cribs.” University religious leaders gathered with students on “Missionary Positions” to discuss differing religious views, both official and individual, on sex, love, and sexuality.

In October, the opening of the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center complement-

ed the Olin School of Business’ $500,000 makeover and the school’s state-of-the-art program in China in an effort to increase the school’s international reputation. The University welcomed these additions despite a fi nancial blow.

Following downturns in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and other economic indicators, the University’s endowment fell from $4.3 billion to $4 billion in 2000-2001.

flame’s route to Salt Lake City, Utah. Students tuned into the winter Olympics for comfort and friendly competition after the fall’s tragic events.

The university introduced a Loan Repayment Assistance Program to provide fi nancial assistance for students from the School of Law who enter public interest law with tuition debt. Initially, University faculty voted not to aid students entering the military, explaining that the military’s anti-homosexuality stance does not comply with the school’s non-discriminatory policies. Dean Seligman of the Law School, however, overturned the hotly debated vote to provide equal treatment to all University law students.

Following a national trend, the School of Law decided to inflate the grades of its graduating students. The decision, prompted primarily by grade inflation at peer schools as well as an increase in the quality of the School of Law’s student body, was aimed at giving more of a competitive edge to WUSL graduates. This new scale was intended to run closer to grades students receive at similar institutions.

Anthony Whittington, a senior in the School of EngineerSTUDENT LIFE ARCHIVES ing, accused Professor Robert Students gather in the Quad immediately after the terrorist attacks on Morley of racial discrimination and considered fi ling a September 11, 2001. lawsuit against Washington Greek Life expanded this year to include the University. Whittington alleged that his profesMu Alpha Gamma fraternity for women and sor harassed him and gave him an unfairly low welcome back the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity. grade. School of Engineering Dean Christopher After serving a two-year suspension issued by Byrnes convened two committees and in fact ofits national board of directors in 1999, the SAM fered to let the student retake his class. Byrnes fraternity returned to Washington University stated, however, that the committee was satisthis fall. The fraternity’s suspension came on fied by Morley’s explanation for his conduct. the heels of a rocky year that, according to the director of Greek Life, included poor leadership, fi nancial woes, troubling behavior and alcohol abuse, culminating in accusations of hazing stemming from SAM’s spring pledge events.

The University raised undergraduate tuition in the spring by $1,200 to $26,900, a 4.7 percent PremierOne by Mercy Health Plans increase from the previous year’s tuition rates. is affordable health coverage Administrators cited reasons for the increase including the need to attract and keep faculty designed to fit your individual members, costs of construction of new facilineeds and budget: ties, and the implementation of the new Arts & Sciences undergraduate curriculum. This • 3-month, 6-month new curriculum, however, was met with mixed reviews, as many students and advisors were or 1-year plans confused by the complexities of the new cur• Range of office visits and ricular model.

3 deductible levels Student Union’s Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) announced their proposal for a • Prescription drug coverage revised SU constitution that would go into effect the next year. Some of the most significant changes included the adoption of a bicameral legislature, composed of a senate and a treasury. The senate would be responsible for representing the interests of the student body, while the treasury would manage the allocation of the student activities fee to the University’s student With affordable rates, an easy groups.

Olympic officials chose Francis Field, the site online application process and of the 1904 Olympic Games, as a stop on the

In March, the university’s Committee on Alcohol proposed changes addressing the University’s closed-container alcohol policy. Specifically, the proposed changes would increase policing of underage possession of closed containers of alcohol on campus. Though minors’ possession of closed containers has always been illegal under Missouri law and university policy, this rule had previously not been enforced.

Fraternities came under fi re in March when members of Sigma Chi offended three visiting women’s tennis teams and the University administration, allegedly yelling sexually explicit epithets and throwing a dead squirrel onto the courts during a tennis match.

Scandal struck the university when members of the University’s Progressive Action Coalition (PAC) and the Missouri Democratic Party said that the university implicitly contributed to the political campaign of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Talent by paying him a unusually high salary. Talent received $90,000 to teach two courses at the University.

Drawing comparisons to Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh, Adam Shapiro, a humanitarian aid worker and 1994 University graduate, was one of the individuals barricaded in Yasser Arafat’s compound on the fi rst day of the Israeli siege of the West Bank Town, Ramallah this spring. Shapiro is a member of the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian group that uses non-violence to end Israeli occupation.

University students gave back to the St. Louis community with events like Empty Bowls, an open microphone night to increase awareness of homelessness, and Thurtene Carnival, which moved back to the law school parking lot this year. Senior Jay Swoboda started What’s Up St. Louis, a magazine both chronicling and benefiting the homeless.

Seniors frantically searched for post-graduation jobs, encountering few opportunities due to what the Associated Press called the highest unemployment rate in almost eight years—a rate of 6 percent. Many students decided to stay on at the University as TAs or as admissions officers.

Affordable health insurance that fits your life.

fast approvals, PremierOne is the individual health coverage you’ve been searching for.

Live your life.

We’ve got you covered.

Call 1-800-830-1918 today for a free, no-obligation quote or information packet.

You may also visit us online at mercyhealthplans.com

Best Wishes Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2005 from The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences!

C

O

N

G

R

A

T

U L

Philosophy Majors and Roman Goldstein cum laude

A

T

I

O

N

S

Minors !

David Welgus magna cum laude Winner – Nishi Luthra Award

Eric Althofer Robert Black* Brooke Blake* Philip Chen Thomas Chibnall Damien Cortese Donald D’Amico Jonathan Dembling Greta Enriquez Charlotte Felber Aaron Finbloom Warren Gluck Danna Gurari Travis Hutcherson Jared Joiner Jeffrey Kahntroff Alden Lury Sarah Newman Christian Nunez Lawrence Sadaka Shuman Tan* Sami Tuffaha* Zach Sufrin Jeremy Weissman Margaret Wichmann *indicates December 2004 graduate

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

FORUM

A7

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS Write a letter to the editor letters@studlife.com or Campus Box 1039 Submit an opinion column forum@studlife.com or Campus Box 1039

Congratulations to the 2005 graduates

Mark Wrighton Chancellor

C

ommencement is the highlight of our academic year. Together with family, friends, peers, faculty and staff, our graduating students celebrate the conclusion of their degree programs and are looking ahead to the next phase of their lives.

This is the time when our graduating students look back on their degree experiences and take pride in an accomplishment of real importance to their future well-being. Many graduates have defi ned with clarity their life’s work. Some of our graduates will be pursuing advanced educa-

tion, others will be stepping in to employment anticipating further defi nition of their future as their experience grows and interests become clearer. Commencement is thus an end and a beginning.

The degree programs of Washington University are rigorous and demanding. Our graduates will take their place among the world’s educated elite and be granted respect for their achievement. The strength of the academic programs assures that our graduates have matured intellectually. But beyond their academic work, our graduates will have also matured in other ways. Through experiences with many others and in many different kinds of activities, our graduates have grown emotionally and socially.

Indeed, it is the combination of intellectual, emotional, and social maturation that is so vital to the Washington University education.

With degree requirements well-defi ned and milestones along the way, progress is easily measured and assessed. Social and emotional maturation is less easy to measure or assess, but these elements of the Washington University experience are nonetheless very important.

Our graduates are far better able to face new situations and challenges than when they began their studies here. For those earning a bachelor’s degree, reflect upon the trepidation you felt at our Academic Convocation in the Fall of 2001. Many of you were away from home for the fi rst time, and many were sharing a room

Job prospects rosier, especially for women

Roman Goldstein Arts & Sciences

W

ith the end of the year, many college seniors are stressing about their future employment—or lack thereof.

They should relax a bit. The job market, overall, is looking up.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers publishes quarterly reports on college grads’ starting salaries by major. They claim their Spring 2005 Salary Survey shows that “average salary offers to new college graduates are climbing at a steady pace.”

Of the top 10 highest-paying majors, nine were engineering (the tenth was accounting).

In general, science, engineering and business grads have higher starting salaries than liberal arts and social science grads.

But liberal arts students aren’t doing too poorly, because starting pay for liberal arts graduates is up 4.2 percent from last year, to $30,337. This follows a comparable increase in Fall 2004. English majors, moreover, beat out even the well-performing liberal arts group, with salaries soaring 8.1 percent in Fall 2004.

Economists and financiers will see more of the money they love with a 5.1 percent pay hike.

Virtually across the board, starting salaries are increasing.

At least, that’s what the raw numbers suggest. Some salaries are increasing slower than inflation (roughly three percent per year), meaning they’re decreasing in real terms. Psychology grads’ salary only rose a paltry two percent in Fall 2004, and that’s after an steep drop in Winter 2004. That’s tough for many seniors, since psychology is one of Wash U’s most popular majors. Similarly troubling for many is that biology majors’ salaries barely increased in Fall 2004.

And it’s probably be easier to find a job than last year, with the economy expanding. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 110,000 new non-farm jobs were created in March, lowering the unemployment rate to 5.2 percent. Unemployment among whites is even lower, but the average hourly wage is up far less than inflation.

Perhaps the bigger news, though, is that women who enter the work force will—perhaps

STUDENT LIFE Editor in Chief Associate Editor Managing Editor Senior News Editor Senior Forum Editor Senior Cadenza Editor Senior Scene Editor Senior Sports Editor

Margaret Bauer Liz Neukirch David Tabor Sarah Kliff Molly Antos Laura Vilines Sarah Baicker Justin Davidson

“The gender gap seems to be a product of lifestyle choices rather than sex discrimination.” their personal lives for their job, says Warren Farrell in his new book “Why Men Earn More.”

Farrell was thrice elected to the board of the National Organization for Women.

High-risk jobs like firefighting, truck driving and logging are 95 percent male, while low-risk jobs like secretarial work and childcare are 95 percent female. Furthermore, men are much more willing to travel extensively for their employer, work overtime and take dull jobs with little interpersonal interaction. Employers, of course, have to pay a premium to get men to make these major sacrifices. Working 45 hours a week, for example, nets a surprising 44 percent more pay than just working 40 hours a week.

In some cases, Farrell writes, women have it much better in the work place. They’re 15 times as likely to be senior executives in major companies before 40. Among never-married, college-educated workers, men earn 85 cents on a woman’s dollar. Finally, as part-time workers, women earn 10 percent more than men.

The gender pay gap thus seems to be a product of lifestyle choices rather than sex discrimination, which is great news for women.

College women now know how to earn more money, if they so choose. They can’t go back and change majors to science and business, but they can work longer hours, take hazardous jobs and perhaps do an unfulfilling or boring job if they want to move up a tax bracket.

As for men, there’s no reason for them to feel guilty about their fat paycheck, since it’s due to sacrificing their personal life, not deeply rooted male privilege.

However, I have to ask my peers who will be making those sacrifices: what good is money if you don’t have a life?

David Brody Brian Sotak Laura Geggel, Brad Nelson Mandy Silver Daniel Milstein, Zach Goodwin, Jeff Stepp, Brian Schroeder Cadenza Editors Adam Summerville, Jordan Deam Scene Editors Kristin McGrath, Sarah Klein Photo Editors Pam Buzzetta, Oliver Hulland, David Hartstein

scholarship, and special events strengthen the experience for students. Our graduates have been both givers and takers in these activities, and the University has been strengthened, too, through their participation.

The University and the St. Louis community have been enriched by the presence and contributions of our students. This enrichment has taken many forms, from the leadership of those involved in Student Union and Student Life, to those involved in community service in the St. Louis region. Our new graduates are destined to be leaders in society, and their track record of achievement while at Washington University is most impressive. The world will be better, because our graduates will be among those contributing to their communities professionally to be sure, but also because our graduates will continue to demonstrate civic responsibility.

To all 2005 graduates, congratulations! You have earned your degrees and are prepared well for the next phase of your lives and careers.

Yours will be lives of meaning and purpose, because you are well-educated and you take responsibility for the community around you. You have my thanks for leaving Washington University a better place than when you came, through your important contributions. The faculty and staff join me in expressing our wishes for continued success for you, our newest alumni, and we will look forward to hearing about you and from you as your life unfolds.

Take ownership of your space on campus

for the first time in history—be earning equal pay (if not more) for equal work.

The oft-cited statistic is that women earn 80 cents on a man’s dollar. But this statistic means the sum total of all women’s income is 80 percent of the sum total of all men’s income.

That’s not a helpful statistic, since it doesn’t tell us how the average woman’s salary compares to the average man’s when differences in education, responsibility, hours worked, etc. are accounted for.

Before even adjusting for those factors, women earn 93 cents per dollar men earn among 16- to 24-year-olds, according to BLS. When accounting for education, experience, and years on the job, women as a whole earn 98 percent of what men do, according to economist June O’Neill, who headed the Congressional Budget Office.

The overarching explanation for the wage gap is that men are more willing to sacrifice

Senior Photo Editor Senior Graphics Editor News Editors Contributing Editor Forum Editors

with someone else for the fi rst time—a stranger, no less! For those completing the M.D. degree, you are far better prepared to treat an ill person than when you began your program here, not only because you have the degree, but also because you have become sensitive to the needs and emotions of those you will serve as a physician. Every new graduate is now enriched with important knowledge, but also with important skills necessary for every dimension of life, personal and professional.

Looking back over the time our new graduates have spent at Washington University there have been many important highlights.

The University was the host site of a Presidential Debate conducted by the Commission on Presidential Debates in the Fall of 2004. During the 2003-2004 academic year, the University celebrated its Sesquicentennial, with many academic and special events. In the Fall of 2003, the Women’s Volleyball team won the Division III NCAA National Championship. There have been many other achievements in athletics, theatre, music, art, creative writing, dance, research and scholarship that have involved our students as key contributors. There have been inspiring multicultural events led by students from India, China, and Latin America as well as numerous special lecturers that have enhanced our educational mission. At the core, the educational experience is one focused on academic activities, but co-curricular programs, original

Erin Harkless Olin School of Business

F

lame grilled hamburgers and fresh fries (not Subway) from Big Joe at the Rat; Ike’s Place; the original Eliot tower; Center Court with real cafeteria style tables (instead of those oval ones and the nonfunctional WU chairs); WILD with kegs; a dark, dingy Bear’s Den with what seemed like only eight tables.

In four years these famous (and not so famous) Wash U institutions have gone or changed dramatically. In a few short days, I will be leaving the University as well and as I engage in the customary nostalgia sessions with friends, I realize how much this place has changed since I arrived in August 2001.

At first all these changes or perhaps improvements saddened me, as it made me think that students here now or those to come will not appreciate the wild, crazy, and sometimes greasy traditions and places that have made my experience here, and that of those before me, so memorable. But after looking back at photo albums and scrapbooks and recounting stories like the time a friend swiped a cheese Danish from Bear’s Den (the name will be kept anonymous to protect the identity of a fellow graduate) I have come to the conclusion that it’s okay and even necessary for Wash U to change—as long as students take ownership of this place as they know it.

Ownership is a strange concept. We move from dorm to dorm or off campus over our time here; at times, it seems like a professor runs a given classroom or a specific department has control of a building. It can be difficult to claim a space, but you should. Actually, I say make it your chief occupation during your time here, whether you have one year left or three.

When you walk into a building or class or take charge of an event through a student group—own it. Achieve a sense of comfort in these places; leave a lasting mark on the campus through your involvement in activities. Then, when you’re looking back at the end of your time here, the fact that the physical appearance of the University is different won’t seem to matter as much; the fact that events

Online Editor Dan Daranciang Copy Editors Allie McKay, Nina Perlman, Kelly Donahue, Shannon Petry

Designers Anna Dinndorf, Ellen Lo, Laura McLean, Camila Salvisberg, Jamie Reed General Manager Andrew O’Dell Ad Manager Christopher Kiggins

have been scrapped or changed won’t make as much of a difference. You will still have left an indelible impression on this place, making your Wash U experience uniquely yours.

There are many spots on campus that I feel I’ve taken ownership of over the past four years. When I walk into Simon Hall, it’s my building, my space. Those plush chairs in the lounge have provided me with many opportunities to comfortably study or just chat with friends between classes. The building is not just a space a pass through day after day; it’s where I interact with friends, engage my professors, prepare for countless PowerPoint presentations, chat with the recently departed Avion in the café; it’s home. I’m positive that when I return to campus—one, five, ten, or twenty years from now—these feelings will remain because I just didn’t pass my time idly here.

I owned activities and spaces on this campus and because of that, the memories are strong and will last despite change.

“I have come to the conclusion that it’s okay and even necessary for Wash U. to change—as long as students take ownership of this place as they know it.”

Another thing I’ve realized over the course of this semester is that this ownership or connection to the University does not have to end once you graduate. I have been involved in the senior alumni transition team and class gift campaign committee this year, working with representatives from the Alumni and Development Office to come up with ideas to keep young alums involved and encourage us give back to the University. I encourage my fellow graduates to stay connected to Wash U by giving back, whether it be of their time as a volunteer or by donating money. Something small can go a long way, and at the same time keep your ownership of the University and similarly your memories strong for years to come because you are still giving back.

After commencement on May 20, I will be leaving St. Louis to find a new home in New York and start a new job working at a prominent firm on Wall Street. Still, I know that regardless of where I end up, I will always have fond memories of my time at the University.

Even if events or buildings don’t survive over the years, I will still have countless experiences and friends to look back on. By giving back to the University as an alum, the ties will only remain stronger. You will undoubtedly have different special places or memories than the ones I mentioned earlier but that’s okay and it should be expected. Just make sure they achieve their maximum potential by taking ownership of this campus. Don’t wait until you’re ready to leave this amazing place to start.

Copyright 2005 Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI). Student Life is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving the Washington University community. First copy of each publication is free; all additional copies are 50 cents. Subscriptions may be purchased for $80.00 by calling (314) 935-6713.

Student Life is a publication of WUSMI and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the Washington University administration, faculty or students. All Student Life articles, photos and graphics are the property of WUSMI and may not be reproduced or published without the express written consent of the General Manager. Pictures and graphics printed in Student Life are available for purchase; e-mail editor@studlife.com for more information. Student Life reserves the right to edit all submissions for style, grammar, length and accuracy.

The intent of submissions will not be altered. Student Life reserves the right not to publish all submissions.

If you’d like to place an ad, please contact the Advertising Department at (314) 935-6713.

If you wish to report an error or request a clarification, e-mail editor@studlife.com.

A8 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Tyler says “bye”

Tyler Weaver Arts & Sciences

R

ichard Chapman. Pier Marton. Bill Paul. Jeff Smith. My gurus in the film department. Tolerating me at my worst, accepting me at my usual, pushing (sometimes shoving) me toward my best. Anyone who dares mock me for spending my four Wash U. years studying—gasp!— film is an idiot. I know volumes more now than when first I stepped on campus, about what I love and what I’ll love to do. And Lori Turner, the glue that holds it all together?

You’re every bit as essential as the rest of ‘em. You cats are awesome.

Kathy Drury and Emily Fridlund. Curators of my first love, the written word, and the teachers who constantly reminded me why first love lasts forever.

Frank Flinn, Dolores Pesce, Tom DuBois, Ross McNary. Yeah, a couple of you aren’t even here anymore. But the ones that really leave their mark merit mention. Which reminds me…

All my professors from this past semester. You got to see me as the wheels came completely off the wagon. Sorry ‘bout that; it’s nothin’ personal.

Ryan Adams, “Gold”; Leona Naess, “Leona Naess”; Over The Rhine, “Ohio”; Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, “Shake The Sheets.” Yeah, I said it. The albums that got me through college. This is the pop culture column—there’s gotta be some in here somewhere.

All my fellow film students, from Oppenheimer to Stadler to Molly to Brad and everyone whose name I’m now forgetting. Years from now, we’ll always have Brown 100 to make the local multiplex look fantastic.

Kristin Balzer. My leading lady and drinking buddy, ever the girl for late-night reflection and last-minute reshoots. Cheers to our (relative) working relationship, our awesome friendship, and—of course—“Dawson’s Creek.” (Even if you do like Pacey and Joey.)

Say what’s up to Mike; I’d better be invited to the wedding.

Laura Vilines and Matt Simonton. My editor people right here at ol’ Cadenza. Creaky and forlorn she may occasionally be, but we pumped the weekly life into her but good.

I’m gonna miss this fucking paper, but exponentially more I’ll miss you two. Keep up the (vaguely) countercultural legacy. And the sweet shindigs.

Robbie Gross, Sharief Gaber, Susannah Cahalan, Laura McLean, Anna Dinndorf.

My non-editor people up in this piece. For putting up with our often lackadaisical meetings, for getting shit in (well, generally) on time. And, y’know, for being fun and fantastic.

My people all the way back at Koenig 3, ’01-’02. Y’all didn’t exactly see me at my finest, but it ain’t a thang. They’re tearing down our building now—blasphemy! Here’s one for snowball fights and late-night work and, y’know, that whole dealing-with-September-11th business. The best damn floor I could’ve ever hoped for.

Laura Shapiro. You couldn’t sell me on Gavin DeGraw, but you managed to bring me around on a far more insidious demographic: Scene girls. We’ll always have, sweetly and dorkily, the facebook. Tell Amsterdam

we’re jealous back here.

Kaitlin Eckenroth. I owe you a lot, most prominently an explanation. Right now, I just want you to know I’ve missed ya. We’ve got time; we need to get coffee.

Sam Caplan. The last girl standing from the North Rosebury disaster. I love me some Chesnut, Castro and Coleman, but come on—you’re our bone-dry geek-glasses Architecture cheerleader. Stewie misses you. Get your ass over and say hello. And thank your boyfriend for all his work on that damn project.

“Anyone who dares mock me for studying—gasp!—film is an idiot. I know volumes more now than when I first stepped on campus, about what I love and what I’ll love to do.”

Mel Langdon. So what am I supposed to do? If I say “my boy’s main girl,” you’ll get all relationship-conscious and smack me or something. If I say “thanks for making my deserving dawg incredibly happy,” you might literally kill me. If I say “you’re awesome for being awesome, for being hilarious, and being a friend,” well, tough shit.

It’s true. All of it. Here’s a bold statement: you being from Omaha makes up for 311.

Beth Leonhardt aka Milwaukee’s Beth).

The little Wisconsinian ball of fun fury. That sounds ridiculous, but apropos. From our contentious debates on the nature of love to our preposterous failures in the realm of matchmaking. If that dude back Milwaukee way doesn’t get his head on straight, some more deserving chap will. In the meantime, you can always bitch to me—‘cause I’ve NEVER got relationship nonsense to whine

about.

CTAMNDR. MWW. Robyn d’Avignon. You. Are. Incredible.

I can’t really imagine anyone else, like, straight-up offering me food the moment I step into their apartment, let alone making it from scratch before my very damn eyes.

That’s just the sort of little thing that makes you the coolest kind of good friend and person I aspire to be. I’m fucking serious, dude. (I can say “fuck” a lot in here because I ain’t comin’ back.) I still have your Band CD, and your Smiths, and your Billy Collins, and your “God Of Small Things.” I owe you those back, and incredible amounts more.

And yes, all my shit’s getting done.

Jessi Stein. Y’know, I feel really bad because it’s been one of those months and I haven’t seen you in forever. So yeah, I miss you. Thankfully there’s all those weeks between the end of work and the end of school, and so we’ll have our time to hang and chat and do all the things we’ve been doing since all the way back in our “Three’s Company” neighbor days. You’ve been one of the most loyal cats I’ve met since I came here, and you’re among the best friends I’ve got. And you with Lee Harvey Jeff? Glorious.

Steve Schmidt. Endurer of the most difficult shit I can imagine (not to mention the most difficult girl), inspiration for some of the hardest laughs I’ve had. You’d better keep in touch, dude, but before that you better make your way over our apartment way.

Joe Ran-DA, Joe-RanDA! Travis Petersen. Conor to my Ryan. Writer to my writer. Drinker to my drinker. Romantic (hidden) to my romantic (obvious). What else is there? Oh, yeah. My brother for life.

This is starting to sound like a love letter, to which I say “Racism…”

James Schmidt. Because, y’know, I don’t even need to describe.

Everyone else. Thanks for reading. Keep reading Cadenza. I’ll see y’all at the Oscars.

I’m out.

Don’t forget to sign up for the best four courses A four-course fondue dinner at The Melting Pot, that is.

You’ll find when it comes to having a fun and tasty graduation celebration, we wrote the book on it. The Melting Pot will accommodate groups of all sizes.

University City Delmar Boulevard. ~ In the Loop (314) 725-4141

West County Clayton & Woods Mill Roads (636) 207-6358 Over 80 locations nationwide | www.meltingpot.com

CONGRATULATIONS

PHILOSOPHY-NEUROSCIENCE-PSYCHOLOGY UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS & MINORS!!

Cognitive Neuroscience Track

Kwong-Hon Chow Stephen Chu Erica Daiell Katherine Eder Jonathan Ganger Lauren Harte Lucas Heberlie David Hill Emiliano Huet-Vaughn Jared Joiner Ryker Jones Ryan Kriwanek Michelle Lipszyc Bevan Mahaney James Meldrum Derek Oakley Anne Oliphant Cary Paine Rebecca Rovner Anita Shah Anuj Shah Dena Smith Zack Sufrin Nicholas Teske Jeremy Tietjens

Language, Cognition, and Culture Track

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

A bit of the fantasy and a bit of the unexpected

Mary Bruce Arts & Sciences

C

oolllleeggee!!” The image that immediately pops into mind is a vision of ivy-covered arches, wood-paneled scholarly libraries, and Animal House-style keggers. The reality is, of course, a bit of the fantasy and a bit of the unexpected.

Four years ago at our freshman convocation when we all crammed into the Field House before saying goodbye to our parents over Ted Drewes, Dean McLeod said something that I have often thought about since then. He said that we should take a good look around us because in four years we would leave this place not recognizing who we were when we arrived.

I thought this was impossible. I was smart, self-assured, eighteen—and, after all, I was a college student. I knew about life, love, and tragedy and was ready to face anything—or so I thought. A few days ago we all went back to revisit our freshman floors. How we ever survived that experience remains a mystery.

We lived in cramped rooms without privacy, we stayed up late, we drank too much, we ate too much, we went to class, we learned we didn’t have to go to class, we loved our roommates, we hated our roommates, we somehow managed to do our work, and we loved every minute of it. It was such a novelty. We were away from our parents in the “real world,” and the next four years felt like an eternity of opportunity. And yet I remember very little of the details. Everything was just so exciting, and every experience was new.

My current roommate, who also lived on my freshman floor, reflected on sophomore year by describing it as being like seventh grade. You’re into the swing of things and you think you’ve got the whole system figured out. You’re sure you’re cool and hot, even though you still live on campus, and you are right in the thick of it all—so much so that you don’t realize where you’re headed or what is passing you by. You

cannot imagine what it would be like not to live this life or that one day you will not be a college student—or, worse, that you may one day not want to be a college student. You go to parties in the sophomore suites and make your way off campus, you fi nd a fake ID which is promptly taken from you, and if you still live on the 40, you continue to gain the freshman fifteen.

Junior year is the beginning of the end.

You get that itch for the fi rst time that tells you that one day you might actually want to leave college and you begin to think more and more about the post-WU life. But you’re still not ready. Those who really need a break head overseas and go abroad for a semester or a year and come back ready to enjoy the precious time they have left. I thought I was ready to leave forever, but then I thought back to that immortal feeling I had as a freshman and realized that I hadn’t done everything I set out to do…most of which will never get done at all.

Senior year is a blur. How we got here and

“I knew about life, love, and tragedy and was ready to face anything—or so I thought.” where the last three years went is beyond me.

We all worked hard and tried to think about the future. Some of us have jobs. Others are still looking, and some have given up thinking about it because frankly, it is too scary. Either way, by second semester, work transforms into play and it all goes downhill. You look around you and wonder if you did it right. Did you take advantage of all those endless opportunities?

Did you fulfi ll all your goals? Did you spend your time wisely? These are supposed to be “the best years of your life.” But then again, people said that about high school, and we’ve all managed to survive without that. I don’t buy this argument. People say the best is yet to come, and I hate to be cliché, but there is a reason people say that, you know? These four years are defi nitely about the college experience, but it still isn’t the real deal. Our entire lives have been preparation for what is about to come, and we are all about to be unleashed into another sea of endless opportunities.

This week, as we again cram into the Field House, Dean McLeod will, of course, be right.

We are not the same people we were four years ago. Simply put, we grew up. And it wasn’t easy.

College is hard work, it’s emotionally trying, and it’s full of difficult experiences. I was having lunch with a friend a few days ago and I said something to the effect of “When I grow up, blah blah blah.” He laughed, then looked at me and said, “What are you talking about?

You’re there!”

Valió la pena: it was worth it

Aaron Seligman Arts & Sciences

D

uring reading week, I overheard a fairly common conversation in Whispers Cafe. It consisted of two students complaining about all the work they had before the end of the school year. After each recounted the apparently immense amount of studying and papers yet to do, one asked the other, “So you think all this will be worth it?

Because sometimes I think a state school would have been better. I’d have done no work and gotten better grades.” The other replied, “That’s probably true, but we should get better jobs when we graduate.”

Before exams, one of my roommates mentioned that if you divide full Wash U. tuition by the number of class hours we have per week, each class costs the average student $200. I then asked myself a question I’d asked before, especially during the NCAA tournament: “What if I had gone to a state school?”

I believe that simply evaluating what I have gained from my time here in terms of class hours, homework, or even money does not even begin to fairly tell the story. As I prepare to exit for the real world, I believe my time at Wash U. has been well worth it, for far more than entry level job placement.

Certainly, classes are valuable for teaching substantive content on a variety of subjects.

They have also introduced me to different ways of studying the world and interpreting the work of others. I can work hard pursing my interests without fearing the negative label of “intellectual.”

Plenty of valuable opportunities exist to pursue interests beyond the classroom, as well.

Even as a part-time student this semester I still attended the Assembly Series and lectures by other provocative speakers.

Academics aside, I believe an invaluable resource at Wash U. is the opportunity to get involved in some sort of extracurricular activity.

With over 200 student groups, not to mention the numerous organizations around the city of St. Louis, everyone could find something worth doing.

I value that we have groups which compete and debate politically, promote cultures I would have little contact with otherwise, and simply allow others to do something they love.

While this isn’t specific to Wash U., I value that college affords us tons of free time. Our campus does make daily activities more convenient than others, and being able to keep up with work while still keeping up with the OC, Real World, and activities with friends is something I know I’ll miss next year.

Above all, I believe that it is the people I’ve met here that make my parents’ investment well worth it.

I value the fact that everyone here is a nerd about something. That’s what makes things so interesting. Each person has had at least one great class or found a subject that he or she is passionate about.

“Above all, I believe that it is the people I’ve met here that make my parents’ investment well worth it.”

I value that my freshman roommate was from New Mexico, that my sophomore roommate was from New York, and that I’ve met people here from everywhere in between. I value that we have students from different races and religions who hold disparate beliefs on a variety of topics.

During my time here, each of my friends has had a different experience. Some friends studied abroad in places all over the world, and others did fascinating research or community work right here in St. Louis. I even enjoyed experiencing a presidential election while living with two Republicans. While I don’t always agree with the Supreme Court, their 1978 Bakke decision valuing diversity certainly applies to Wash U. Reflecting back, I wrote my first column this year during the Olympics, suggesting that we could all benefit from the spirit of the games, pushing ourselves to go higher, faster, or stronger in whatever direction our interests lie.

I argue that every senior has done all three during my time at WashU. We have become faster at getting work done (or perhaps just figured out how to effectively avoid work without consequence). We have grown as people. We established deep friendships, challenged our previous beliefs, and learned to view the world through various lenses. We are stronger by facing these challenges and still being true to ourselves and finding out what we truly value. And yes, it was worth it.

Bear Necessities

Congratulations, Class of 2005!

We are still the best place to buy WU T's, hoodies & more!

Grads: The Best Diploma Frames and matching picture frames on campus from Church Hill Classics! Available at Bear Necessities or see them online at www.diplomaframe.com

Graduation Hours Mon-Thur: 10am - 6pm Fri: 10am - 7pm Sat: 10am - 3pm Sun: 9am - 3pm

A9

Commencement Coupon

Save an additional

20% off already marked down W U items Expires May 22, 2005

Find us in Wohl Center - Across from Bear's Den

(314) 935-5071

This shop is sponsored by the Women's Society of Washington University. All of our proceeds fund Washington University scholarships.

Bear Necessities Shop

A10 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

...and all I got was this lousy diploma?

Advice and other tales from the depths of Olin Library

and Marxism-Leninism did not merely come in to and stay in power automatically. To grow and survive, they required the support of intellectuals and the services of smart and educated individuals.

These are extreme examples of a very simple point: an education does not make you a better person than you were before. That’s because “good� and “bad� are not something that you can learn in a classroom, or anywhere else.

There is no experiment you can do, no theory you can develop, that can tell you what is right and what is wrong.

Good and bad are not discovered, they are chosen. Every day, you make choices. Some of these are rather banal and usually unimportant: which breakfast cereal to buy, which t-shirt to wear. Other decisions are more signiďŹ cant: who you vote for, whether or not you give to charity, how you treat your friends, how you treat your enemies.

Justin Ward Arts & Sciences

W

elcome to the ranks of the “welleducated.â€? After four (or three, or ďŹ ve) years, you will be leaving this ďŹ ne university with a little piece of paper to prove just how smart you really are.

You can hang your education on your wall, put it on your rĂŠsumĂŠ and wear it on your t-shirt.

Now that you are a certiďŹ ably learned individual, it’s time to ask yourself what the value of being learned actually is. It’s obvious that society places value on it—the mere possession of a bachelor’s degree opens up countless new job opportunities. Your education must be worth something to your future employers, but what?

The broadest answer is that education teaches general skills. You’ve learned to think with critical independence, to reason with logical rigor, and to speak with eloquent precision.

Those are talents that will serve you well in any undertaking.

More speciďŹ cally, you have gained a basic familiarity with a branch of academia (or several of them). Whether in biochemistry or French literature, you have acquired knowledge.

This knowledge and these skills make you a more powerful individual. You are better able to inuence others. You can change the world around you, whether by writing a scholarly treatise or by engineering a dam.

But you can also use this power to change the world for the worse. Educated people have been responsible for some of the most heinous crimes in the history of humanity. An education from some of their country’s top universities did not stop some Germans from contributing to world war and carrying out the mass murder of European Jews.

In some ways, the 20th century is a prime example of the destructive potential of the well-educated. Political ideologies like Fascism

Emily Tobias Arts & Sciences

A

s a graduating member of Student Life, I have my chance to impart my last words of wisdom—so here goes. The nostalgia, I fear, has already begun to set in, so watch out—there may be a few of the dreaded clichÊs and such scattered throughout this. Lately, with classes seeming like a distant memory, I have been spending an enormous amount of time in the library, and in that time I have written 107 pages of text. (I recently added it up.) Yes, 107 pages, and I am not even an English major.

Olin is a strange, sadistic venue. There are the darkness dwellers who remain camped out on Levels A & B, in contrast with the “Look at me, I want to be seen working in the libraryâ€? people who inhabit the ďŹ rst oor. And then there are the table-dwellers of the second and third oors, followed by the far less sadistic cubicle-dwellers of oors two and three, who at least have windows nearby. Next—and honestly these are my least favorite of the library breed—are the “socialites.â€? You know who they are; they’re the kids in Whispers with their fancy laptops who sit there and pretend to work, but are really just there to yap with their friends about ho they have sooooo much work. They eat all the bagels and the good sandwiches, too.

And then there are the strangest bunch of them all—the all-nighters. I had a chance to spend a good amount of time with these creatures, for in my madness of paper writing, I pulled 48+ and 36-hour spans over the past two weeks. I was among the coffee drinkers, the stressed-out, the chain-smoking, and the strung-out-on-Adderall and who knows what other drugs—individuals who nightly subject themselves to this madness. After the two-night all-nighter, I found that I had no concept of time, and that my eye sockets literally stung

“At the end of the day, you should be able to look at your reection and be comfortable with the choices you have made.â€?

You can inuence others through abstract argumentation. You can appeal to their reason, you can tug at their heartstrings, you can call upon their virtue. You cannot, however, force their decision. And you cannot make your own decision just by sitting around and thinking about it.

That’s not to say there’s no place for moral reection. We all have principles and systems of value that inform our choices. Some of us ascribe to humanitarianism, some to enlightened self-interest. We apply these lofty principles to the everyday situations we encounter.

Still, having principles cannot erase the primal need to choose. What value system to follow remains your decision, not anyone else’s.

Whether or not to follow a value system in the ďŹ rst place remains your decision.

There can only be one universal standard, that of responsibility. At the end of the day, you should be able to look at your reection and be comfortable with the choices you have made.

You should be willing to take responsibility.

You have nearly an inďŹ nity of options from which to choose. And your past four years have expanded those options. Education has given you power. But it will remain mere potentiality until you decide what to do with it.

Now is the time for you to make your choice.

What will it be?

$3.95

$4.95

8" SUB SANDWICHES

GIANT club sandwiches

All of my tasty sub sandwiches are a full 8 inches of homemade French bread, fresh veggies and the finest meats & cheese I can buy! And if it matters to you, we slice everything fresh everyday in this store, right here where you can see it. (No mystery meat here!)

My club sandwiches have twice the meat and cheese, try it on my fresh baked thick sliced 7 grain bread or my famous homemade french bread!

$2.95 PLAIN SLIMS™

PEPEÂŽ

Real applewood smoked ham and provolone cheese garnished with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. (Awesome!)

#2 BIG

Any Sub minus the veggies and sauce

slim slim slim slim slim slim

JOHNÂŽ

Medium rare shaved roast beef, topped with yummy mayo, lettuce, and tomato. (Can't beat this one!)

#3 SORRY CHARLIE California baby tuna, mixed with celery, onions, and our tasty sauce, then topped with alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, and tomato. (My tuna rocks!)

#4 TURKEY

Ham & cheese Roast Beef Tuna salad Turkey breast Salami, capicola, cheese Double provolone

JJ UNWICH™ Same ingredients and price of the sub or club without the bread.

#5 VITO™ The original Italian sub with genoa salami, provolone, capicola, onion, lettuce, tomato, & a real tasty Italian vinaigrette. (Order it with hot peppers, trust me!)

YOUR CATERING SOLUTION!!!

#6 VEGETARIAN Several layers of provolone cheese separated by real avocado spread, alfalfa sprouts, sliced cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. (Truly a gourmet sub not for vegetarians only . . . . . . . . . . . peace dude!)

BOX LUNCHES, PLATTERS, PARTIES!

J.J.B.L.T.™

(subs & clubs only) Onion, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, mayo, sliced cucumber, Dijon mustard, oil & vinegar, and oregano.

#8 BILLY CLUBÂŽ Roast beef, ham, provolone, Dijon mustard, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. (Here's to my old pal Billy who invented this great combo.)

#9 ITALIAN NIGHT CLUBÂŽ Real genoa salami, Italian capicola, smoked ham, and provolone cheese all topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and our homemade Italian vinaigrette.

(You hav'ta order hot peppers, just ask!)

A full 1/4 pound of fresh sliced medium rare roast beef, provolone, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. (It rocks!!!)

#11 COUNTRY CLUBÂŽ Fresh sliced turkey breast, applewood smoked ham, provolone, and tons of lettuce, tomato, and mayo!

(A very traditional, yet always exceptional classic!)

#12 BEACH

CLUBÂŽ

#13 GOURMET VEGGIE CLUBÂŽ Double provolone, real avocado spread, sliced cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, tomato, & mayo.

(Try it on my 7-grain whole wheat bread. This veggie sandwich is world class!)

THE J.J. GARGANTUAN™ This sandwich was invented by Jimmy John's brother Huey. It's huge enough to feed the hungriest of all humans! Tons of genoa salami, sliced smoked ham, capicola, roast beef, turkey & provolone, jammed into one of our homemade French buns then smothered with onions, mayo, lettuce, tomato, & our homemade Italian dressing.

(APPY

0OWER HOUR HOUR Š

3AME

TIME

#OINCIDENCE

#14 BOOTLEGGER CLUBÂŽ Roast beef, turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, & mayo.

An American classic, certainly not invented by J.J. but definitely tweaked and fine-tuned to perfection!

#15 CLUB TUNAÂŽ

PM n PM $RINK SPECIALS

SURE "UT WHERE ELSE DOES HAPPY HOUR COME WITH 0OWER (OURŠ MINUTES OF UNLIMITED VIDEO GAME PLAY FOR %AT $RINK 0LAY $O IT FOR LESS AT $AVE "USTER S š

The same as our #3 Sorry Charlie except this one has a lot more. Homemade tuna salad, provolone, sprouts, cucumber,lettuce, & tomato. (I guarantee it's awesome!)

#16 CLUB LULU™ Fresh sliced turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. (JJ's original turkey & bacon club)

WE DELIVER! 7 DAYS A WEEK 12808 OLIVE BLVD.

3674 FOREST PARK PKWY.

6681 DELMAR BLVD.

13586 NW INDUSTRIAL DR.

275.7011

531.8500

862.6565

209.0111

ST. LOUIS

$AVE "USTERgS 3TUDENT ,IFE PDF 0-

#10 HUNTER’S CLUBŽ

+ + + + JIMMYJOHNS.COM + + + +

$6.95

Soda Pop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.35/$1.55 Giant chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie . . . $1.50 Real potato chips or jumbo kosher dill pickle . . . . $1.10 Extra load of meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.25 Extra cheese or extra avocado spread . . . . . . . . . . $0.75 Hot Peppers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.10

A full 1/4 pound of real applewood smoked ham, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, & real mayo! (A real stack)

Fresh baked turkey breast, provolone cheese, avocado spread, sliced cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and mayo! (It's the real deal folks, and it ain't even California.)

+ side items +

ST. LOUIS

credit), and an excellent professor. Brockmann, composition: Her way with the English language is beautiful, and she will bring it out in your writing. William H. Smith: This one is a secret that I cannot give away‌but if you are not a science major, take a class with the man. You will be glad. The cluster system sucks. Deal with it and make the best of it.

Take one major. Okay, so I totally felt like a slacker at Wash U., because I only had one major and minor—but that meant I actually got to take interesting classes outside of my major. You have the rest of your life to be an overachiever. Why not have a little fun now?

Illegal stuff: Steal a sign; drink underage.

When else are you going to get away with it?

Take pictures. I know I’m the [outgoing] senior photo editor (thanks, Brody), but regardless, I treasure my photos from freshman year, and still look back fondly on the insanity that was Eliot 5.

Be spontaneous. Go out on Monday nights.

Stay up ‘til 4 a.m. talking about religion. Have a movie marathon with your roommate. Don’t plan these things, ‘cause it will all fall into place.

Hookups: What can I say? Participate, and don’t look back. Most important, do not expect a call the next day.

I don’t expect all to follow these things, nor agree with them, but simply to take them into consideration. One thing I can say about college is that I have had a hell of a lot of fun. That’s it; those are my ďŹ nal words.

#7 GOURMET SMOKED HAM CLUB

DELIVERY ORDERS will include a delivery charge.

Bacon, lettuce, tomato, & mayo.

(The only better BLT is mama's BLT, this one rules!)

freebies

1 2 3 4 5 6

Low Carb Lettuce Wrap

TOMÂŽ

Fresh sliced turkey breast, topped with lettuce, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, and mayo. (The original)

+ + + + + +

“I was among the coffee drinkers, the stressed-out, chain-smoking, and the strung-out-on-Adderall...�

ok, so my subs really aren't gourmet and we're not french either. my subs just taste a little better, that's all! I wanted to call it jimmy john's tasty sandwiches, but my mom told me to stick with gourmet.

She thinks whatever I do is gourmet, but i don't think either of us knows what it means. so let's stick with tasty!

Established in Charleston, IL in 1983 to add to students GPA and general dating ability.

#1

with pain. Yet I cannot explain how good it felt to turn in a paper on time and, by some miracle, actually get an “A.�

The thing that I found was that much like a runner’s high, at some point during the night you get to this place where it’s just not worth the energy to leave your spot and walk home for three hours of sleep. And so here I sit, attempting to ďŹ nish one last assignment that will determine wheather or not I graduate. (Yeah, I am in the library as I write this.)

Moving on from the library, I also wanted to present you with the Emily Tobias list of things to do before graduation. Take this as you will, for these are merely personal suggestions.

Classes: Gary Miller, political science: He is funny, kind, forgiving to those who are bad testtakers (there is always a paper offered for extra

UNIVERSITY CITY

) %ARTH #ITY %XP IN 2IVERPORT

BRIDGETON

"YOUR MOM WANTS YOU TO EAT AT JIMMY JOHN'S!" Š 2 0 0 5 J I M M Y J O H N ’ S F R A N C H I S E I N C . A L L R I G H T S R E S E RV E D . We R e s e r ve T h e R i g h t To M a k e A n y M e n u C h a n g e s .

4HE 0OWER (OUR4- PERIOD IS ACTIVE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF PM TO PM -ONDAY n &RIDAY 9OUR 0OWER (OUR4- BEGINS AFTER THE FIRST USE OF YOUR CARD FOR CONSECUTIVE MINUTES OR UNTIL PM WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST /FFER GOOD FOR VIDEO GAME PLAY ONLY AND CAN END WITHOUT NOTICE

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

A11

Bad rap, pre-meds, and the sights of St. Louis

Pankaj Chhabra Arts & Sciences

Congratulations

Class of 2005 From Dean Greenbaum and the faculty and staff of the Olin School of Business

It has been a long time since I wrote a column for the fine folks at Student Life, so expecting my epic “From the Stretch” sports columns of yesteryear may not be entirely realistic. However, writing a column is like riding a bicycle—it can be very boring and strenuous, despite the fact that you realize that nobody cares about the product of said activity in the first place. I mean, do you really care about this article? I didn’t think so.

Alas, I have been charged with writing a column (which I agreed to do in a somewhat hazy state of mind, by the way), and since I am occasionally a man of my word, I decided to follow through.

A few days after finishing my last final as a member of the Washington University student body, I met my cousin at the Forest Park Zoo. He has just graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine, and we decided to celebrate a little by laughing at confined animals. In the course of our conversation, I asked him how often he talks to his old college buddies.

“I’ve kept in touch with a few of them,” he said. “But really I just talk with some of them when I’m in a new city and I need a place to stay overnight. You just kind of move on I guess.”

This is most likely the approach I will take as well. Since this is my last chance to communicate with almost everybody here, I would like to make a few points clear.

1. Washington University is affordable.

Honestly, other than the overpriced food, tuition, parking passes, student activity fee and other such amenities, this place is like the Costco of the college circuit. I mean, I once got a free piece of chocolate cake. Now that’s value.

2. Washington University is diverse. WU

is the great melting pot, a microcosm of American society. You can meet anybody here. I’m introverted, and I take things at face value, so I don’t really know this from experience. But this is what I’ve been told.

3. Washington University is a great place for pre-medical students. This reminds me of a story from when I visited the University of Pennsylvania with my sister about one year ago, after she was admitted there and was still in the process of making an enrollment decision. We sat down to eat lunch, and she asked me to compare WU to Penn.

I obliged, and was overheard by somebody who was in the process of deciding between WU and Penn. She said, “My main concern is that, since I want to study biology, but not be a doctor, I don’t know if Wash U. is

“This place is like the Costco of the college circuit. I mean, I once got a free piece of chocolate cake.

Now that’s value.” for me.” I told her to stop even considering WU. Basically, one of you rising sophomore types owes your place at this college to me.

4. Washington University was great to me. I understand, at this point you believe that I either didn’t enjoy my time at WU or am just a complete jackass. If you guessed the second option, you wouldn’t be wrong.

But seriously, I need to formally thank everybody who helped me graduate, such as my advisors and, well, me. Oh, and my parents, too. They were pretty good. People here like to put you in a position to succeed, mostly if you’re going to be a doctor or a lawyer, but also if you’re doing something else.

Finally, when I told somebody I was writing a farewell column, it was conveyed to me that giving advice to the young whippersnappers at this college would be a good idea. I have two pieces of advice for y’all.

First of all, St. Louis rap is bad. The fact that you live here doesn’t mean you should automatically praise Nelly, St. Lunatics or Chingy. Because they’re bad. Even J-Kwon blows. Second, and perhaps more applicable to you, the valued Student Life reader, is the fact that you should make sure to enjoy time away from class and schoolwork. During Senior Week, I have met some intriguing people and seen some grand sights that I never even knew existed previously because I was too busy studying or, more likely, too busy worrying about the fact that I didn’t study.

So in short, I’m out. See ya.

A12 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Looking back: a journal for the year’s end

Alex Nonas-Barnes School of Architecture

A

s I sit writing this article, thinking of some kind of way to properly say goodbye to Wash U. and maybe impart some wise, departing advice; while everyone else drops cliché adages like “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” I can really only sum up my feelings in one word: denial. Not only am I not ready to go, but I also don’t feel as if I’m actually leaving. Just today I bought $50 worth of food at Schnucks that more than likely I won’t finish.

I don’t know what it is about leaving places that makes it easier for me to just ignore the issue than face it. Maybe I’m not alone, and most everyone feels the same.

All I know is that six months ago, I couldn’t wait to be up out this place.

It’s happened like this for me before.

Leaving camp for the last time, graduating from elementary, middle and high school.

Every time I’ve left somewhere, it seems that I don’t realize that I’ve left until it’s gone and I’ve moved on. This robotic way of life has its advantages, in that I don’t go through the emotions and worries that other people seem to go through. I just take things one day at a time, and try to enjoy as many moments as possible. But it also has its disadvantages.

So this year, this time, I did something new. The idea came to me last year, as I was preparing to leave for the summer. A good friend of mine who was graduating had an idea. It wasn’t a novel one, but it was so simple an idea that it doesn’t seem to occur to most people. He had a journal for people to write in. He wanted anyone and everyone who he’s had an impact on or who’s had an impact on him to leave a note, a page, a sentence—whatever—about him and their experience with him, so he could have fond

Float trip philosophy: college explained

memories, in print, of his college career.

And so I took his idea, as did a few of my friends. I went to Border’s and picked out an old-looking journal (it had to have some life to it already, some feeling—it had to convey emotion from sight) with a magnetic flap (it had to be able to stay closed on its own without a lock, that was a must). The final component necessary for the journal was a high quality black pen (not too thin, not too thick, but just right, to flow nicely on the pages without smudging). I was ready to go. I started with freshmen, those most likely to leave early, and attempted to run down the few that I knew and who meant something to me.

After that I went for sophomores, juniors, and finally, seniors.

You see, the idea was to fill up this book with people who have made my time here

“I can really only sum up my feelings in one word: denial. Not only am I not ready to go, but I also don’t feel as if I’m actually leaving.” what it’s been—spectacular. It’s not as easy as it looks. As people move off campus and away, you begin to lose track of some of the people that meant something to you in your early years. And what of the people that have graduated already, those who have helped to set you on the path you’re taking?

And so it’s occurred to me, lately, that the book isn’t what I originally thought it to be. It’s both less and more. It’s a way of helping myself realize who has made any point in my four years special, as well as a way to appreciate the end of my time here.

I didn’t get everyone I wanted to sign the book. But I suppose, in my heart, I knew I wouldn’t. Because it’s not about having everyone I know sign it, so that next year, when I’m sitting at my job or at home, doing whatever I’m doing, and I read the book, I feel like I’m seeing everyone again.

The idea is that, in twenty years, when I’ve lost touch with 90% of the people I know and love, I can read this book and appreciate how special and amazing they have made my college career.

And so as I think about this idea, and write this article, it’s occurring to me that I can feel my eyes begin to water. I’m leaving.

And I’m smiling, because it happened.

Sarah Ulrey Arts & Sciences

A

h, Senior Week. It was wonderful, and it nearly killed us. The second most lethal day (behind paint ball) was the Float Trip.

On Saturday, about 650 seniors rafted down Missouri’s Meremac River. We were on the water for five hours, with a six-pack apiece; and amazingly, no one had to stop and use the restroom. While basking in the sun on my raft, I took some time to ponder my Wash U. experience. Here are a few of my Float Trip-inspired truisms.

You need a lot of rafts to hold all the different people at Wash U. One thing I love about Wash U. is the diversity of the students. My pet project this year was My Hometown, a weekly personality profile in which I interviewed Wash U. kids about their, well, hometowns.

Arkansas, Egypt, New York, Venezuela, Hawaii, Kentucky, North Dakota, and Florida were just a few of the places my interview victims hailed from. I was constantly amazed by the diversity of experiences people had to share. To a Midwestern girl from Indianapolis, Indiana, civil wars, anacondas, pig farms and cheese curds were mind boggling.

Even my best friends on my raft didn’t come from similar backgrounds to mine. Of all 15 people, I realized that very few of us lived in the same state, and some of us lived in different countries. It made me thankful I had favored Wash U. over my state school, and that I had the opportunity to learn about the world through my peers.

Wash U. follows you everywhere, even to Bourbon, Missouri.

There is, however, a homogenizing effect that occurs with all Wash U. students in those first few months after they crack their glow sticks for Freshman Orientation. Even in a state park in southern Missouri, Wash U. students can’t help but act like their hometown is Wash U. My fellow seniors will know what I mean. You can meet a random person and know they are a Wash U. student. Maybe it’s the capri sweats and the

headband, perhaps it’s the abuse of exceptionally large words, maybe it’s their cell-phone obsession or just the way they make sure to shake your hand or give you air kisses when you meet them. Whatever it is that sets us apart, I foresee this trend continuing throughout our lives, where things happen and the only appropriate description is, “That is so Wash U.” Takc, for instance, an email I received around the time of Thurtene. The e-mail compared a Herman Melville quote from Moby Dick to a line from an R. Kelly song—and this was a party invitation. If that’s not Wash U., I don’t know what is.

If life hands you a Subway sandwich, chips and a cookie, eat everything right away before it gets wet.

But beyond teaching me about other cultures and ways of life, Wash U. taught me to seize my opportunities. Granted, this truth took awhile to learn: freshman year, I barely thought past seizing the last Smirnoff Ice. But when that passed, I began to think about what I wanted from college. I took a non-fiction class and realized I still wanted to realize my childhood dream of being a journalist. I figured I should start working towards that goal.

I broke away from Instant Messenger and my extra-long twin and joined the newspaper. As my interests expanded, I dabbled in peer advising, W.U.L.T.I., intramural sports, three tutoring programs, and even joined a sorority. Every year I had a better sense of my self and a better sense of who I wanted to be. As the guidebooks promised, the extra-curriculars paid off. College was amazing. I gained tons of confidence and figured out what I’m all about.

Plus, I have a job. Next year I’ll be teaching high school English in Las Vegas with the Teach for America program. I’ll be doing a bit of freelancing on the side, and I intend to go back to journalism in the future. You can bet I’ll encourage my students to seize all the opportunities that come along, so that they can get what they want out of life. I’ve learned that if you wait too long, your opportunity to eat lunch may disappear, and then you’re left feeling hungry.

True friends will help you back onto the raft after you fall off.

But the people are what make college worthwhile. Take my raft of 15 girls, for instance. Girls were falling off our raft at the same rate those seed pod things fall off the trees and onto my car. But like true friends do, we were there to laugh with (and at) each other and help each other climb back into the boat.

I’ve met a lot of people over the last few years, and have been lucky enough to make friends who were willing to give me their support when I needed it. We’ll be scattering to the winds soon, just like those darn seed pods, but I know my good friends from Wash U. will always be there for me. And while we may never again get the chance to float down a river together, I know I’ll always have good friends willing to help me up onto the raft and out of the water.

Congratulations and Best Wishes to the Graduates of the Class of 2005 From Dean James McLeod and the College of Arts & Sciences

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | FORUM

A13

Time to start planning the reunion Learn to say no

Rachel Streitfeld Arts & Sciences

T

he end of our tenure at Washington University can mean only one thing: it’s time to start planning the reunion. And for those of us who’ve managed to fulfill our cluster requirements in a mere four years, our first high school reunion is just around the corner. Preparing to leave college makes me think about how much I’ve changed since my last graduation four years ago.

When I walked into my freshman dorm room on the South 40—a forced triple— the first thing I saw was a pen and ink sketch of the Virgin Mary. I looked across the room and saw “The Guide To A Simple Faith” by Mother Teresa. Panic set in. Was I at the right school? I thought everyone here was Jewish! I’d been expecting yarmulkes and old Bat Mitzvah t-shirts, not crosses and rosaries! And where on earth would I display my new yes-he-walks-onwater Jesus action figure?

During high school, I considered myself a very open-minded person. I had friends who were gay and I supported gay rights. My friends’ diversity would make admissions counselors drool: they were black, Hispanic, Arabic, Indian and Asian. One friend’s mother had come to the U.S. from Vietnam in a rickety boat, while another’s family had escaped torture in Iran to raise their families here.

I appreciated my friends for the differ-

ences in their upbringings.

After a few weeks at Wash U, however, I started to recognize certain prejudices in myself. In high school, I’d railed against religion. I was stubbornly unwilling to appreciate others’ emphasis on faith. But in college I started to pay attention. My two Catholic roommates were so open to my beliefs that I could listen to theirs without becoming defensive. I learned that religion held their families together, providing them a common ground and a means of communication.

And despite that initial shock freshman year, I did end up meeting many Jewish people here. I went to Yom Kippur services and attended Passover Seders.

People tend to assume I’m Jewish because of my name, and since arriving here I’ve learned more about my Jewish grandfa-

“Was I at the right school? I thought everyone here was Jewish! I’d been expecting yarmulkes and old Bat Mitzvah t-shirts, not crosses and rosaries!” ther and made contact with some distant Jewish relatives.

My old high school friends would be surprised (and glad) to hear that I’ve come around. One of my roommates is an evangelical Christian. My best friend is Jewish. As the issue of religion comes to the forefront of our national dialogue, I know personally that I can befriend and learn from people of many different religious backgrounds. I’ve learned to appreciate the power—both cultural and spiritual—of a religious faith.

My friends’ collegiate experiences have been different but no less powerful. With my cell phone and thefacebook.com, I’ve kept in touch with quite of few of them.

Two of my friends took time off from school to enter treatment facilities for their anorexia. They were smart, hardworking straight-A students with resumes full of extra curricular activities.

They went to top-tier universities. And when they came home for Thanksgiving freshman year, both my friends’ families were horrified at how much weight their daughters had lost at school. After taking a semester off, one friend had recovered enough to return to school.

The other friend decided to leave her Ivy League university for good and stay near home. She told me that every day is still a struggle.

Another friend came out during her freshman year. In hindsight, this revelation too seemed so obvious I’m not sure how I missed it. My friend is now a leader in the gay and lesbian organization on her campus and is hoping to marry her girlfriend. Her parents are still trying to adjust to her announcement, but they love their daughter and I know they will come around.

Several of my friends expect to be engaged sometime within the next few months. They all are trying to balance a career with having a settled home life.

I don’t envy them this decision; for me, freedom and mobility are essential to a successful career. I’m not ready to turn down an offer because my husband already has a good job in town.

While a large number of my friends are hoping to pursue graduate degrees, almost all have decided to take a year or two off before heading back to school.

Some will teach English in countries across the globe, while several others have joined Teach For America. Others plan to travel until they run out of money. But all have grown and changed in college, and I am proud of them. They are interesting, smart, strong, unique individuals, and I’ll be glad to get updates on the things they will accomplish in the years to come.

As I assemble what looks to be a mountain of stuff to haul away from Wash U, I’m encouraged to think that, on some levels at least, I’ll be carrying less baggage than I brought with me.

Daniel Hirsh Arts & Sciences

W

hat can I say? What can I say about the school I’ve spent so long in it’s hard to remember life before it? For one, I went through so many transformations here it’s hard to imagine myself before it. I’m still a procrastinator, actually even worse than before, and have procrastinated everything up to writing this article, if you believe it. Besides that, there’s a little about Wash U. you need to know before you dive in headfirst.

You are like…a kid in a candy store…and too much candy…can cause some serious problems. It’s only natural to approach a Wash U. kid and ask him or her what they’ve got to do that night, or that week. If what they say involves going to 21 credit hours of class, going to orchestra practice, play rehearsal, a cappella rehearsal, a fraternity meeting, a Dance Marathon meeting, their work-study job, and hanging out with friends, you are probably talking to a pretty typical Wash U. student.

Or are you? This was me for my first few years, before I learned what time management and, well, my mental health were all about. Like the kid who wants everything from Sour Patch Kids to Goobers and Raisinettes, I was obsessed by the notion that I had to do absolutely everything, or else I’d seriously regret not doing it in the future.

What I’m saying is, you gotta find some way to balance your time here…to be sure to eat, sleep, and have fun along with all the other 16 billion things on your plate. It’s only natural for a freshman to say yes to absolutely everything, which is totally fine. Experiment.

Try new things. That’s what college is for. But eventually learn what you need and what you could do without.

Learn to say yes…but learn to say no, too. And that’s the best procrastinated advice I can give.

Thank you for your support and the positive impact you have made throughout the years on both the South Forty and Wash U. We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors and will miss you greatly!

Danielle Matilsky Speaker

Sarah Chen Dir. of PR

Puneet Singh Dir. of Finance

Emily Flanders

Alex Harmon-Threatt

Dir. of Communications

Dir. Of Services

Congratulations and Best Wishes from the Department of History!

A14 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Change is an obstacle worth taking on

Sarah Geimer Arts & Sciences

W

hen I first came to Wash. U. in the fall of 2001, I was sure of many things, not the least of all being the direction my life would take. Of course, as I sit here writing this article, eight semesters later, very few of those things have proven immutable.

Sometimes the hardest obstacle one can face is change, but it can be one of the most exciting and rewarding challenges. I have had such a varied experience here at Wash.

U. that I knew I would have trouble finding something to focus on for the Commencement issue of Student Life. It took a good amount of thought, but I eventually decided that whoever reads this will probably learn

the most from my proudest and most terrible moments here, whether it be something to consider or something to avoid, and for those of you who are graduating, you can commiserate.

My first proud moment, of course, was finally arriving at Wash. U. I grew up just south of St. Louis, and I can remember riding in our little white car down Skinker when I was five years old and seeing Wash.

U. and being incredibly impressed. I wanted to go to that castle. Wash. U. was the next step after of thirteen years of hard work.

(Graduation being the culmination of seventeen diligent years.) I used to cry in kindergarten, for hours, if I missed one question on a homework assignment. (Obviously, things have changed quite a bit; I’ve never been prouder to get a C than I have at Wash.

U.) As have many, I’ve felt progressively stupider since kindergarten. When I was applying, I wrote this ridiculous essay entitled “What Would Be Your Superpower?” in which I defended empathy as my choice superpower for saving the world. In hindsight, I’d pick teleportation or shape-shifting, since I’m always running late, and tranforming into a bird and flying to class or just teleporting there would be a good thing for me. In any case, the admissions committee must have found something attractive, because here I am. The moral: follow your dreams diligently and determinedly.

My most terrible moment here will probably become a moment of pride in years to come when I finally get over the bitterness.

Failing at Biology and realizing it was the

hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was taking all these classes I hated: biochemistry, chemistry, physics (my apologies if you love these subjects)... and I wasn’t succeeding in them I was passing, but barely.

Eventually I got so depressed that I wouldn’t leave my room. I was literally killing myself, and I knew that if I didn’t do something to change, I’d end up crazy and institutionalized, so I took a completely different track and switched my major to religious studies, and I’m happy with it. The moral: don’t be afraid to admit your failings and make changes when necessary.

“In hindsight, I’d pick teleportation or shape-shifting, since I’m always running late, and transforming into a bird and flying to class or just teleporting there would be a good thing for me.”

Another point of pride has been my involvement with various student groups.

My freshman year, even as scared as I was of everyone, I managed to get involved with the campus pagans and with Spectrum Alliance. Second semester that year, I was running one group and was secretary of another. I took part in the Summer Leaders program (something I’d recommend to anyone interested in group leadership) which was both fun and rewarding. I continued on

with Spectrum for two more years, and am handing over the campus pagan group upon graduation. The time and energy I’ve spent with these groups has been the most worthwhile thing in my time at Wash. U.—taking precedence even, I must admit, over my schoolwork. The moral here: become involved and find something you can be passionate about.

It is difficult to name one’s failures, but a huge failure on my part was all the opportunities I passed up to meet people and make friends. Never really outgoing, I avoided a lot of the various social functions, and I didn’t put in a lot of energy into maintaining many of the friendships I formed. That, I think, is my biggest regret. I met so many amazing and interesting people, and I wish I had taken the time to keep up with them outside of class. I do know the friendships I have made will follow me for the rest of my life. Requisite moral: go out and meet people, and keep in touch with them.

It is my hope that you will be able to take something from my experiences, but even if you don’t, I’ve taken so much from them already that they were worth experiencing.

For those of you who are graduating, well done. I hope your experiences were as challenging and rewarding as mine have been.

Congratulations to John Hamel, Kathleen Fitterling, Adannaa Oparanozie, Debra Silberschatz and the rest of the Class of 2005!

Thank you for all you have done to make Washington University an even better place than when you arrived.

From the Office of Student Services: Karen Levin Coburn, Terri Brennan, Bill Woodward, Melanie Osborn, Melissa Ruwitch, Jill Ringold and Chris Win

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

STUDENT UNION FROM PAGE A4

A15

Local students rally to save Humphrey’s

Sophomore Ana Bailey, SU Senate academic affairs committee chair, said that these suggestions brought up new issues that the group had not previously considered.

“There was overlap between what we already knew and what was new to us,” said Bailey. “They defi nitely brought to our attention things we didn’t know, like how we used our logo and how students interpreted our money being spent.”

All members of SU attending the consultation received a booklet containing all comments received from students in the review process. The unedited compilation of electronically collected, anonymous student comments in the study contained a variety of opinions about SU. “More support for outside interests such as the roller hockey team and lacrosse,” said one student when asked what s/he wanted from SU that was not already being done.

Another student responded, “Too many RULES. Selective enforcement periods. Need to be able to get food to encourage participation,” when asked for thoughts about problems with SU’s structure.

Many students objected to the amount of funding their student group received from SU, while others objected to the amounts that other student groups received. Other student comments covered a wide breadth of subjects, with some expressing frustration over SU’s relationship with the University administration, others taking the opportunity to write on completely unrelated topics, and a few praising SU and its involvement in the University community. Whatever the comments suggested, Bailey found that hearing students’ actual input was helpful in planning for the future.

“In general, one of the most valuable things we got from it was the hardcore data from the survey,” said Bailey. “Some of the comments were stuff we already knew, like that we need to improve communication. They also showed us a lot of graphs and breakdowns of what students thought on serious issues, and how they thought their funding should be spent.”

By Helen Rhee Staff Reporter Saint Louis University seniors gathered together at landmark saloon “Humphrey’s” to celebrate their senior week sporting t-shirts with the message, “Save Humphrey’s.” The restaurant and pub, popular among Saint Louis and Washington University students alike, is now in jeopardy of being shut down by local private developers, who hope to rebuild the area.

Humphrey’s, located near Saint Louis University (SLU), has been home to many college students and community members in the St. Louis metropolitan area for almost three decades. It opened 1976 when husband-andwife team Bob and Jen Humphrey Mangelsdorf decided to open a campus bar. Now, 29 years later, it has become a landmark for college students and community members venturing south of SLU on Laclede Avenue. It caters to a diverse crowd, and at midnight serves as a popular hang-out spot for college students. It is also known for being the place to go when college students embark upon the rite of passage known as turning 21.

In 2003, developers Rick Yackey, Bill Bruce, and broker Rick Zimmerman bought the 240,000-square-foot warehouse complex west of and behind Humphrey’s that had gone on the market in 2001. Developers planned to turn buildings west of the bar into residential housing, condos and lofts. They hope to exercise eminent domain to purchase the land that includes Humphrey’s and turn the bar’s location into a commercial parking lot.

Jen Mangelsdorf, who now runs the business after her husband passed away due to a heart attack at the age of 40, does not wish to sell her business.

“I have been here 29 years. I am entering my 30th year as the owner of the bar. We are very excited to have residential neighbors, but they

feel that they need the space for retail or parking space,” said Mangelsdorf. “But I do not want to sell.”

Even if Mangelsdorf does not sell, developers may block access to the Humphrey’s parking lot to starve the business. Various lawsuits are currently in the works to prevent developers from absorbing the Humphrey’s parking lot.

Students at SLU, in a show of solidarity, created the Web site www.savehumphreys.com.

Junior Jim Swift, the student behind the site, said he created it not only to preserve the landmark saloon, but also to save the memories of students who have been their loyal customers since 1976.

“I have been going there since my 21st birthday. But is not about my memories I am trying to save. It is about memories of people who met their wives and ex-wives and their life-long companions. I may not have had crazy and sweet memories as of yet, but I always have a good time when I am there,” said Jim Swift Every day, Swift receives hundreds of emails from former alumni who send pictures and share their nostalgic memories of Humphrey’s.

Most of them include thank you note for his effort to save the restaurant.

Some of the emails include the story of an alumnus of the class of 1996 who still owns the plunger that bar gave him when he turned 21.

“It’s about the alumni and community. It’s a landmark place,” said Mangelsdorf.

The bar attracted a large crowd during the Final Four when SLU alumni came back with their sons and daughters, hoping to relive the memories of old days.

“It is very emotional every day. I have talked to so many people who met their husbands and wives and life-long friends [at Humphrey’s].

So many people have developed relationships here,” said Mangelsdorf.

Currently, the future of the landmark saloon depends on whether or not the developers can exercise the power of eminent domain.

DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE

Pictured above is Humphrey’s, a popular restaurant on Laclede Avenue. This bar and grill is a favorite of St. Louis-area college students, particularly those in residence at Saint Louis University. Unfortunately, it currently faces threats from local developers, who hope to tear down the building in order to build a parking lot for a new housing development and loft space downtown.

The year in pictures: 2004-2005

RACHIT PATEL | STUDENT LIFE

SWA leader Ojiugo Uzoma makes a call during the group’s several-week sit-in in the Admissions Office in South Brookings.

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE EMILY TOBIAS | STUDENT LIFE

President George W. Bush listens while Senator John F. Kerry argues a point during the 2nd Presidential Debate. Bush debated Kerry in the Athletic Complex on October 8, 2004.

MTV’s Real World and Road Rules cast members (F-B) M.J., Rachel, and Cameran speak to students at the Gargoyle on Friday. The cast members reportedly partied with students later that night.

Above: Members of the Student Worker Alliance (SWA) rally on campus in the fall for a living wage for campus workers.

Below: Janine Brito, a leader of the SWA, takes a moment to reflect during the SWA’s occupation of the Admissions Office.

DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE OLIVER HULLAND | STUDENT LIFE

MTV’s Campus Invasion invaded campus the week of WILD, taking over Bowles Plaza and hosting concerts in the Pageant.

Chris Matthews was one of the many nationally known figures on campus for the presidential debate.

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

A16 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

The year in pictures: 2004-2005 (continued)

DAVID HARTSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE

State police in riot gear block of a section of Big Bend Blvd. as protesters march to Northmoor Park before the presidential debate.

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

Dancers perform during Diwali 2004 on Nov. 6 in Edison Theatre.

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

SWA members storm the Admissions Office to begin their sit-in.

EMILY TOBIAS | STUDENT LIFE

Washington University students from both side of the political specturm made their voices and views heard during the presidential debate on campus.

EMILY TOBIAS | STUDENT LIFE

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

Chris Matthews interviews students during a broadcasting of MSNBC’s Hardball live from outside Graham Chapel.

DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE

A dance sequence chronicling the struggle of slaves in American history opened this year’s Black Anthology. A play, “The Ties That Bind,” followed, showing the modern challenges of a black family.

Wesley Duke of Mercer University sticks out his tongue and waves to the crowd at the Washington University Field House during the Slam Dunk Competition this March. Duke placed fourth in the NCAA Men’s Slam Dunk Competition. The Men’s and Women’s Three Point Competition was also held in the Field House.

RACHIT PATEL | STUDENT LIFE

Robert Randolph and the Family Band light up the Quad during Spring WILD. Sister Hazel, Michael Kelsey, and the Hatch also performed.

EMILY TOBIAS | STUDENT LIFE

Taco Bell workers at the restaurant’s location in the Mallinckrodt Food court mug for the camera. The franchise endured much controversy over the course of the year, with pressure from the Student Worker Alliance and other local groups culminating to the restaurant being voted off campus.

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

A17

S PORTS Goodbye, Seniors!

Senior athletes reflect on their time at Wash U.

By Justin Davidson

Colin Robinson

Colleen Winter

Maggie Grabow

Charlotte Felber

Colin Robinson, of Brookfield, CT, was the starting goalie for the men’s soccer team.

Robinson’s 0.58 career goalsagainst average ranks fi rst on the WU all-time list; he also tallied 15.5 career shutouts and a career record of 18-9-6. Robinson, who has a 3.8 grade-point average as a Biology major, garnered fi rst-team Academic All-District VII honors for the second straight season. He was also named to the fi rst-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team for the College Division.

Colleen Winter, a St. Louis native and biology major, was the captain and outside hitter on the second-ranked women’s volleyball team. She ranks fi rst on WU’s list in career digs (1,991), second in career attack attempts (3,880) and games played (528), fi fth in kills (1,538) and ninth in total blocks (218). A three-time University Athletic Association (UAA) All-Academic honoree, Winter has also earned all-UAA honors in each of her four years on the Hilltop Campus. She was named fi rst-team All-America both this and last season and second-team All-America in 2002.

Maggie Grabow, of Wauwatosa, WI, was the captain of the third-ranked women’s cross country team. She is an environmental studies major and a double minor in French and legal studies. Maggie holds two University records, including a time of 35:47 in the 10K and a time of 17:11 in the 5K. She placed ninth in the 10K and 15th in the 5K races in the 2003 NCAA Nationals. She also won the UAA Cross Country Championships in 2003 and 2004, garnering All-Conference Honors for herself. She is a six-time UAA Athlete of the Week.

Charlotte Felber, of Orland Park, IL, was the starting goaltender for the twelfth-ranked women’s soccer team. She ranks fi rst in Washington University history in career wins (36), second in career goals against average (0.64), fourth in career saves (175) and fourth in career shutouts (21.5). Felber, who has a 3.65 GPA as a philosophy major, garnered fi rstteam Academic All-District VII honors earlier this month. She is a three-time member of the UAA All-Academic Team and was recently named to the ESPN Women’s Soccer Academic AllAmerican Team.

Senior Sports Editor

What has your Wash U experience been like and what has it taught you?

Robinson: “It’s definitely been a period of growth, both academically and athletically. I’ve really gained a sense of maturity which has taught me how to focus much better with classes and especially soccer. I love Wash U. It’s been such a great, positive experience for me.”

Winter: “I’ve met so many people here from all over, like my freshman roommate from Saudi Arabia. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I’m going to really savor next semester. As for volleyball, I’m so lucky to be part of such a talented group of great people. Kudos to the coach for his recruiting skills.”

Grabow: “It’s taught me how to be an independent person and how to expand upon the values that my parents taught me like dedication, perseverance, loyalty and trust through developing relationships. I had to use those values to build bonds of trust, especially with teammates, who then became my best friends. I’m not the same person I was freshman year—I was more naïve and sheltered, but coming to college opened my eyes to a different world.”

Felber: “I’ve come to love Wash U as a very special place that has taught me a lot. I’ve met some great friends, and even though the classes have been challenging, it’s been a very rewarding experience.”

Woock: “The past four years have taught me how to balance my responsibilities and how to have fun. Enjoying being around such great people, especially, has given me a greater appreciation for diversity across the country. Coming from Louisville I wasn’t very exposed to all that’s out there, but Wash U has opened me up to people of different backgrounds and places.”

What was it like balancing an academic life with an athletic sports career?

Woock: “It really comes down to managing your time and knowing how to study at the last minute, which is clutch. Football was something I really wanted to do, so giving that up was out of the question. So, in order to do both successfully, I had to make both equally as important to have a purpose and persevere despite everything I had on my plate. I managed.”

Winter: “Firstly, there’s no such thing as a social life on Friday and Saturday, so there’s not much time for yourself and with friends.

When you have such a schedule you must become disciplined and use the time when you have it. Every moment is basically spent doing work because you basically have to. It’s all so worth it, though. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Robinson: “Freshman year I didn’t play because of a knee injury, so I was in rehab, which I think gave me a better chance to readjust while also preparing for competition.”

Grabow: “I’ve learned how to manage my time, that’s for sure.

Both work and athletics are really important priorities for me, and in order to maintain that priority at practice and at school, you have to be efficient. Nevertheless, it’s always important to have the time to have fun. Professors have been really sympathetic and understanding with my demands and schedule, so I’m grateful for that.”

Felber: “As an architecture major my first two years, it was hard being a perfectionist and having to have so much studio time, so sometimes I overexerted myself. I then switched to philosophy, and still spent lots of time doing work. Also, being around other driven people has a trickle-down-effect. On the bus, everyone would have their books out doing work. It was tough, but rewarding.”

Looking back on the past four years, would you do anything differently if you could?

Woock: “It would have been nice to win a few more games, especially the close ones, but the memories wouldn’t be traded for anything. It was an awesome, fun four years, so I can’t say I’d want to change a thing. No regrets.”

Robinson: “Well, being a biology major I felt I was forced to take specific courses. I would have liked to get some more variety than just planning for my future.

Grabow: “One of my weaknesses is perfectionism, and because of that I always seem to put a lot of pressure on myself. I would have liked to handle some situations without always putting so much pressure on myself and hindering myself in doing so. Coach Stiles taught me to run to have fun, and after learning from him, it now is.”

Felber: “No, because then everything would not have turned out the way it has. Soccer is more than just soccer, and I would never want to give something as special as that up. Maybe I would’ve liked to come in having more of a propensity to explore different areas.”

What is your greatest Wash U sports memory?

Robinson: “I don’t think I have one in particular, but it was the

things like road trips that I’ll always remember. For instance, coming back from U Chicago [University of Chicago] last year after a big win just hanging out and celebrating, having freestyling sessions, telling jokes on the microphone—it was all just so great.

It was also really cool traveling with the girls, which gave a nice variety with their team there. One of the greatest things is that you don’t only get to know all the guys on your team but also other athletes from other teams… since we all pretty much live at the AC during the season.“ Winter: “The natural thing to say is to win the national championship last year, but I’m not sure, because there are so many great random moments. It’s the little memories that I’ll remember the most, like on the bus and in the locker room with the girls. They’re an exceptionally amazing group of girls and there’s no fighting between us. After every game we’d go to Wendy’s and get Frostys—it’s the little things like that.”

Felber: “Probably beating U Chicago last year is definitely at the top of the list. It was one of the things that helped to set up our success this year, I believe. There were a lot of family and friends at the game, so that was really great. It’s tough to choose just one; there’s so many.”

Grabow: “On Saturday, November 20, we took third place at Nationals and it was quite the honor to lead these ladies to that after working so hard. That day was the event we all had worked for, and it was so exceptional, not just because of our success, but also…the entire team came up to Wisconsin to cheer us on. I saw my grandfather on the sidelines with tears in his eyes—the joy that I saw in his eyes and the pride I saw was simply unforgettable.

I never saw Coach Stiles that ecstatic. It was so rewarding to see him so happy.”

Woock: “Probably the end of the Carnegie Mellon game this season because it was an intense last drive and stopping them cold meant something special for the seniors, which was that we became the only class to win every conference game ever played.

Also, I just got in from New York for the Awards dinner and it was an unreal experience. People like Ronnie Lott, Joe Paterno and Archie Manning were there—it was ridiculous. I felt very fortunate to be there.”

With the close of your last season behind you, what were some of your emotions and thoughts knowing that itÊs all coming to an end soon?

Grabow: “My initial feeling was sadness because of the

remarkable experience and knowing that I’m leaving it. I’m so proud to be a member of the cross country team and happy for them because I know they will do well. Still, I’m excited to see what the future holds— a little apprehensive, but confident that the relationships I’ve built are strong and will help me along the way.”

Felber: “Denial. I didn’t think about it as over right away. Some people were pretty emotional, but it wasn’t until we had a team dinner last week where it really set in. It was really more so what we built as a team more than anything that I’ll miss. The future of the team is ahead of them and they should all be very successful.”

Robinson: “It’s kind of weird—working for so much then all of a sudden it stops. It’s hard to know that it’s coming to an end. I mean, you can’t just stop playing since we’ve all been playing since we were four of five years old. It’s a real transitional period. I’d like to continue playing [soccer] in the future in maybe indoor or adult leagues as I become an overweight middle-aged man.”

Winter: “It’s a real bittersweet feeling because I love volleyball and sports in general, so it’s hard not to imagine being on the team. I plan on starting up with sand volleyball and coaching a club team here in St. Louis just so I can hold some ties to the sport. But it just won’t be the same since it’s not with the team. I’m excited to have some free time and go out.

Woock: “My biggest feeling was to just take it all in and just stand around on the field before the game to take a mental picture of it. I didn’t want to worry about it going by too fast. It should be interesting to see how I’ll be next season when I’m not playing.

I was talking with Ronnie Lott at the awards dinner and he told me to take these things from the field and apply them to life.

Football was never work, and if I could play forever, that would be awesome.”

John Woock John Woock, of Louisville, KY, a defensive back, was the captain of the football team. He has a 4.0 GPA in biomedical engineering and was recently named to the College Football’s 2004 National Scholar Athlete Class, one of 15 individuals from all NCAA divisions in the nation. He won an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship with the award. Woock earned second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 2003 and is the 2002 UAA Defensive Player of the Year and the recipient of the Washington University Most Courageous Award. A Dean’s List member every semester of his career, he received the Biomedical Engineering Department Junior Class Award in 2003.

Is there any advice you want to leave to your teammates after gaining infinite wisdom from your experiences?

Felber: “Enjoy it, it goes by a lot quicker than you think. Still, don’t lose other aspects of life and be set only on academics. Enjoy the other aspects and remember to have fun. That’s really important.”

Winter : “Don’t be a fool, stay in school. No, just kidding. Wash U is so amazing and once in while you should look around…and just appreciate it. Try to enjoy it because it goes by really fast. I just hope that next semester goes by really, really slowly because I’m going to have some fun!”

Grabow: “I guess just to believe in yourself and don’t put pressure on yourself. Be confident and if you work towards your goals, you’ll achieve success. It’s the little things you need in order to have success…like with teammates, friends, professors, and family. I think it’s really important to make sure to make the time to say you love the people who are important to you in your life and recognize the people who have helped you along the way.”

Robinson: “Enjoy the guys on the team and the experience because you’re never going to go to school and play sports again like we’ve done. The senior batch, especially, are such amazing people; they’re all very impressive. It was great having the opportunity to get to know all of them and I’ll miss them very much.”

Woock: “Well, something that I picked up from the older guys when I was a freshman was that there’s nothing more important than having fun. You really can’t take things too seriously, or else you’re in for trouble. Enjoy life, it’s that simple.”

What are your plans after graduation and what do you see the future holding in store for you?

Robinson: “I’m applying to medical school, so hopefully I’ll be there next year, maybe back East. Hopefully I’ll get into public health of maybe international or urban health.”

Grabow: “Right now I’m applying to law schools, environmental law especially, and then maybe get my masters in environmental science. I also want to run in marathons because it’s very fulfilling to feel that connection with long-distance running. A family is also in order.”

Winter: “I’m applying to physical therapy school at Wash U, so right now I’ve got to finish up all my applications. I’d like to get right into it—physical therapy is just what I’m looking for as a biology major and someone who loves to interact with people. As long as I can interact with people.”

Felber: “I’m applying to law school, but I might possibly give myself a break to get a feel for what exactly I want to do. I’m not quite sure—I’m still interested in architecture, so maybe construction or environmental and land use law. So, we’ll see how that turns out.”

Woock: “I’m looking to go to Biomedical Engineering graduate school in neuroprosthetics research, maybe out on the West coast for a change of scenery. But for right now, I have to wrap up my applications and get all that together.”

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Winter: “I’d just like to reiterate how lucky I feel to be a part of such an amazing group of people and how lucky I feel to be able to make the playoffs and be so successful as we have. Not many teams can be as privileged as we are to do so well, even though most teams will work so hard. I can’t feel any luckier.”

Grabow: “Definitely my parents for always being so supportive.

They rarely miss a competition, regardless of where I’m competing, and I can’t thank them enough for their support.

Definitely my grandfather, sister, and teammates, and to Coach Stiles. It was truly an honor to be a member of the women’s cross country team.”

Felber: “The development of the team is something I haven’t felt from coaches before and the same goes with my teammates. We’re all very close, almost like family. It’s very genuine, that’s what I’m going to miss the most. But I’m thankful just for the opportunity to be part of such a team and get to know everyone I have met.”

Robinson: “I want to thank all of my teammates, my coaches, my friends and, above all, my family for all of their support. I had a fantastic experience as an athlete and student here at Wash U, but it wouldn’t have been as great were it not for them.”

Woock: “I’d like to thank my coaches. Some of the greatest lessons of life are taught from the sidelines, and I can’t appreciate that any more. My teammates, the seniors especially, are so special to me.

They’re a special bunch of people and I can’t be more grateful for them.”

A18 STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

Senior spring athletes share their memories

By Derek Winters Sports Reporter As the end of the year approaches and seniors are getting ready to walk across the aisle and prepare for the “real world,” a look back at the past four years holds special meaning for senior athletes. There are a couple outstanding spring athletes who have contributed so much to the University in their past four years, both academically and athletically, that a look back into their undergraduate experience must be in order.

In particular, Kacie Cook of women’s tennis, pitcher Victoria Ramsey of the no. 1 ranked softball team, designated hitter Dan Rieck of baseball and Jon Ganger of men’s tennis have much to share.

What was your greatest sports moment or memory in your last four years at WU? Victoria Ramsey: I have a lot. I can immediately think of two recent ones. The first is when I pitched a perfect game in our conference tournament. The other is my brother coming to watch us play Greenville, who my neighbor from home happened to play for.

It was pretty cool to see her family and my family sitting together yet rooting for opposing teams. My first great moment of my four years here happened during my freshman year. It was when we found out we got a bid into Regionals. Not only was it my first NCAA tournament appearance but it was also the Wash U. softball program’s first.

Dan Rieck: My greatest sports memory at Wash U. was winning the UAA Conference Tournament in Florida this year. It was the first time a Wash U. baseball team had won the tournament outright. What made it special was the fact that we lost the first game and then came back to win the next five in a row. The team showed a lot of character by bouncing back and winning those five games and set the standard for the season.

Jon Ganger: My greatest sports moment actually didn’t involve playing. During our spring break trip in California, we happened to be on the same block as the governor. The team was rolling around in an unmarked white van and thought that it would be smart to take a picture of Arnold’s house. Lo and behold, this was a terrible idea and an angry Austrian security guard ran out of the dark, not unlike a forehand winner down the line with topspin, and nearly smashed our camera.

Kacie Cook

Dan Rieck

Kacie Cook: My greatest moment: freshman year going to team Nationals in Virginia.

If you had to do it all over again, would you have changed anything about your experience here?

VR: I wouldn’t change any particular moment. I would have let the little stresses go more easily and would have realized that these four years would go by so quickly. So, I would have enjoyed and cherished the time I did have with my teammates [a little more].

DR: I wouldn’t change anything about my experience at Wash U. I left a team at Simpson College that was nationally ranked to finish my fourth year of eligibility at Wash U. and don’t regret my decision. To switch schools in my senior season and step into a program at Wash U. that is on the verge of a record-breaking season has been a great experience.

JG: I probably would have played at least one more year in an attempt to not suck as much. I also would not have let girls be a distraction to my game.

KC: I would not have changed anything about my experience. I was able to play doubles with both my older sister Stephanie and my younger sister Ashley [current doubles partner].

Jon Ganger

Victoria Ramsey

DR: My ultimate sports fantasy would definitely be playing baseball in Chicago for the Cubs and hitting a walk-off homerun to win the seventh and final game of the World Series giving the Cubs their first World Series Championship since 1908.

JG: Well, to be honest, I would go with a Grand Slam victory at the U.S. open.

What is the best thing you are taking away from the University?

VR: Great teammates who turned into amazing friends of mine. Together we’ve overcome many obstacles and created many wonderful memories and laughs. The friendships I’ve made really are one of a kind. No other time do you really bond so closely to 18 other girls.

DR: I think the best thing I will take away from Wash U. will be the friendships I have developed with teammates. And, hopefully, a degree that makes me some money.

JG: The best thing I took away was definitely the people here. If you look hard enough, there are some real quality people walking around campus.

Would you like to give any shout-outs to any coaches, friends, teammates, family?

VR: Just a quick “Yeah Bears!” Especially my bear buddy, Mount Prospect!

DR: I would like to thank my professors for working with my schedule and allowing me to take exams/quizzes early when conflicts with baseball and school arose. Finally, I would like to thank all of my teammates, as well as my parents, who were always there for me.

JG: A shout out to “Bing” and “Mr. Kim” for pulling me through the season and to coach [Follmer] for giving me a chance to play for just a senior season (why not the rest?) And finally, to my family for paying for tennis lessons that somewhat helped me become the flawed player I am today.

KC: I want to thank my teammates for the endless memories and Lynn for four amazing years. A special thanks to my parents for their endless support— I am so grateful for their countless efforts and trips to come watch me compete and their constant encouragement.

KC: Many of my greatest memories are from tennis trips—from the van rides to the competition.

What is your ultimate sports dream/ fantasy?

VR: The softball team winning Nationals this year and then celebrating with the other 18 Bears by Riding the Pony!

Are you looking for a great apartment and a responsible landlord?

If so, then give us a call. We own 98% of our properties and serve them with pride of ownership.

We are family owned and operated and have been in business for almost 50 years.

Don't take our word for it - ask our residents!

We will strive to make your apartment experience the best that it can be.

Check us out at www.barronrealty.com call us at 725-1899 or just walk into our leasing office at 736 Demun. Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Philip H. Barron Realty Company

WE SERVE

SANDWICHES ON BREAD SO

FRENCH,

YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR IT

SURRENDER!

WE

DELIVER

!

12808 OLIVE BLVD. ~ ST. LOUIS ~ 275.7011 3674 FOREST PARK PKWY. ~ ST. LOUIS ~ 531.8500 13586 NW INDUSTRIAL DR. ~ BRIDGETON ~ 209.0111 6681 DELMAR BLVD. ~ UNIVERSITY CITY ~ 862.6565 ©2005 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, INC.

JIMMY JOHNS

. COM

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

STUDENT LIFE | SCENE

A19

(Senior) Word on the Street: What is your favorite Washington University memory?

Zach Clark (left) and Ryan Allerman (right)

Compiled by Kristin McGrath Emily Culver

Brad Griffon

[Clark points to Allerman] “This kid swimming in Millbrook pool in the dead of winter. He broke in, took off the cover, broke through ice, got chased by the police, then just escaped back to his room.”

“It was my very last day in Olin Library studying for my last exam ever, and right before I left, I went into the bathroom and saw the biggest cockroach I’ve ever seen in my life. I made a mental note never to go back in there, and then I realized I don’t have to!”

Aaron Finbloom (left) and Jason Oppenheimer (right)

Brian Kaebnick (left) and Steve Resnick (right)

“We were heading back from a party, and we found a running car. The windows were tinted so we couldn’t see in, and when we opened the door, there were three people having sex in the back seat.”

“My freshman roommate!”

Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2005!

“It was 4 a.m. after WILD freshman year, and the door to Center Court was just left open. So we went in and had a feast of cereal and free lemonade.”

Congratulations Class of 2005!

From the Department of Facilities Planning and Management

May all your dreams be realized.

A20 STUDENT LIFE | SCENE

COMMENCEMENT | MAY 2005

SCENE On the way home:

By Erin Fults and Sarah Baicker Staff Reporter and Senior Scene Editor

Summer roadside attractions Because not every Wash U student hails from the Midwest, it’s likely that you or a close friend will be traveling a fair distance by car to return home for the summer. Perhaps on your way back to New York or Philadelphia or L.A. you’ve stopped off along the way. Maybe you’ve spent an evening or two in a small town along I-70 or I-80. If you have (and probably even if you haven’t), you’re likely aware that besides some cows and market or two, there aren’t many fun places to get out of the car, stretch, and enjoy. However, there are a plethora of unique, off-beat and unknown attractions across the entire country, perfect for an intermission on a 15-hour drive—so we’ve taken the liberty of telling you about eight of them. If you want more information about these and other oddball tourist stops (or if you just want to see how ridiculous America really is) visit www.roadsideamerica.com.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Big Coffee Pot

Louisville, Kentucky: Worldʼs Largest Baseball Bat

College students, who know the malaise incurred by constant sleep deprivation, also recognize the benefits of imbibing that big cup of joe each morning. These caffeine addicts will appreciate the giant coffee pot located in the restored Moravian Village of Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The coffee pot stands at a height of about 12 feet, has circumference of about 16 feet, and holds an estimated volume of 740 gallons of coffee. The pot has seen numerous relocations, initially due to common “traffic” accidents involving horse and buggy teams. If it could talk, could spout off many stories such as concealing a Yankee (or Confederate) soldier during the war, and even being the target of an explosive Halloween prank. The coffee pot marks the continuance of caffeine in our daily lives and visiting this landmark will surely provide a perk to any road trip.

A Mecca for baseball fans everywhere, Kentucky’s Louisville Slugger Museum is a home run hit with the world’s largest baseball bat propped up against the museum’s brick exterior.

The bat is 120 feet tall and weighs 34 tons, in honor of baseball legend Babe Ruth’s 34 inchlong wooden bat. The museum offers visitors a history of baseball, interactive displays, fun facts, and a look into the art of the bat and hitting.

Louisville native and freshman Whitney Lesch takes pride in her city’s baseball tribute.

“I have been to the Slugger Museum many times and I am very proud of our big bat. It’s cool because you get a mini Louisville slugger to remember your trip. You can even see the bat from the highway and I drive by it almost every day.”

Berwyn, Illinois: Cars on a Spike If you’ve seen Wayne’s World, then you’re already familiar with this fortyfoot-tall spike impaled through eight cars. It resides in Berwyn, Illinois’ Cermak Plaza Shopping center, not too far west of Chicago. It’s titled “The Spindle,” and was sculpted (if that’s the right word for it) by Dustin Shuler in 1989. A drive through this art-full parking lot will prove that Berwyn’s got more to offer than just the impaled autos: besides a handful of other sculptures, another of Shuler’s outrages pieces calls Berwyn its home, too.

Darwin, Minnesota: Worldʼs Largest Twine Ball What roadside journey would be complete without the compulsory big ball of string? While large twine balls are dotted throughout the country, Darwin, Minnesota holds the claim to the world’s largest rolled by one man. Started in 1950 by Francis Johnson, the ball of twine is now 12 feet in diameter and weighs in at 17,400 pounds. Others have tried to surpass this 39+ year endeavor, but Darwin still maintains the king of string.

Audubon, Iowa: Albert, the Worldʼs Largest Bull “Born” in 1964, Albert, the World’s Largest Bull is 30 feet tall, spans 15 feet from horn and weighs a mighty 45 tons. He’s named after a past president of Audubon’s State Bank, and if you push a button next to him, he’ll let you know he was built to resemble a Hereford Bull. His message ends with a reminder to drive carefully, either on to your next destination, or into town to buy a replica of Albert to take home. Your immature side may be interested to know that our bovine friend has two giant, concrete gonads.

Helendale, California: Exotic World

Goodland, Kansas: Worldʼs Largest Easel Kansas is one of the flat plains states where anything remotely tall attracts attention. An 80-foot-tall easel, then, is very obvious. Goodland is home to such an easel, complete with a 32-foot by 24foot representative painting of Van Gogh’s sunflowers. Kansas, the sunflower state, and Goodland, the heart of the sunflower industry, is the perfect setting for this $150,000 work of art.

A minor detour from the typical star-studded sights in L.A. and Hollywood leads travelers along a dirt road to Exotic World in Helendale.

This museum, run by retired burlesque queen Dixie Evans, celebrates the history of stripping and exotic dancing. Visitors are welcomed by boa-wrapped Dixie herself, and then take a tour, passing walls decorated with stripper posters and glass display cases holding garter belts, costumes, pasties, and G-strings. Decorative urns containing the remains of past celebrated greats adorn the halls along with commemorative photos, each with a story. For example, a stripper named Siska trained her Macaw parrots to fly around and bit by bit remove pieces of her clothing. The museum is filled with many other such stories and visitors can pick up helpful hints such as, “how to keep your pasties on.”

Effingham, Illinois: The Giant Cross Familiar to many Wash U students, the “Crossroads of America” in Effingham is home to one of the world’s largest crosses. The giant cross is reported to be 198 feet tall with a 113 foot crossbar. Initially constructed by the First Baptist Church of Effingham, a Meditation Walk and Ten Commandments monument have also been added to the area to provide a fully religious experience. Take a walk around the base of the cross and you’ll find audio recordings of each commandment in 10 small stone boxes. And of course, the Crossroads of America is complete with the obligatory gift shop nearby.