WEDNESDAY JAN. 26, 2005 Vol. 126, No. 43
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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
Pell Grant proposal would not affect WU By Laura Geggel and Doug Main Student Life Staff
They may be unknown on campus, but Wash U’s roller hockey squad is making a name for itself nationally. In just 2.5 years, the team has turned from league laughingstock to national title contender.
President Bush has proposed a modest change in Pell Grant awards—the nation’s primary scholarship program—that may offer some help to economically challenged college students. The President vowed on Jan. 14 to increase the maximum grant amount by $100 each of the next five years, to $4,550 total. The decision was announced at Florida Community College. But some are questioning how much this announcement will help college students around the nation, including the 493 individuals at Washington University who have Pell Grants. According to two analyses of the new rules, at least 1.3 million students with Pell Grants will receive smaller awards. And the administration has already come under fi re since last month after announcing the program’s new eligibility requirements, which will leave an estimated 90,000 low-income students without any Pell Grants. At Washington University, however, the picture appears brighter.
According to Bill Witbrodt, director of Student Financial Services, the school will compensate students for any amount taken off their Pell Grants, from small amounts to total losses of grants. “We’re always looking for better ways for students to be able to afford their education here,” said Witbrodt. University students are happy that changes won’t negatively affect them but are concerned about the losses students at other institutions may face. “It’s not the biggest part of my scholarship here,” said junior Felecia Webb. “But I think that giving me $100 more a year is not as good as giving someone else a scholarship.” Senior Marques Burnett had similar sentiments. “I like the idea of more money, but I have to put myself in the shoes of people who are losing their scholarships,” he said. “I’m kind of on both sides, but how much less are we creating for other people?” Witbrodt also questioned the idea of reducing awards. “It would be great if the federal government would take the $300
million that they predict to save from this formula revision and put it back into the Pell Grants,” he said. But even for students who qualify for the increased maximum Pell Grant, questions remain. It has yet to be determined, for example, exactly who qualifies for maximum awards. A report coming out this week by the House Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance proposed automatically allowing maximum Pell Grants for students whose families earn under $25,000 per year, but this proposal has met resistance from congressional Republicans. The proposed increases barely keep up with inflation and come after three years during which the maximum award has not budged from $4,055—despite rapidly rising national higher-education costs. Additionally, these increases don’t size up to those President Bush promised during his 2000 presidential campaign, when he said he’d raise the maximum scholarship to $5,100. “I welcome the president’s new
See GRANTS, page 3
Is Frisbee a sport? First-year Club Ultimate Frisbee player Charles Young offers his view on that and many other questions in Sports.
Senior News Editor
EMILY TOBIAS | STUDENT LIFE
PAGE 7 Daniel Ramirez offers an ode to Center Court in Forum. Another Daniel–Daniel Milstein–offers his ode to Public Enemy No. 1: SpongeBob SquarePants.
PAGE 4 INDEX News Forum Classifieds Sports
By Liz Neukirch
Powell Symphony Hall will remain empty until the musicians and management come to an agreement on a new contract. The previous contract ended on Jan. 3.
Is it the best sporting event of the year? Sports takes a closer look at the Super Bowl.
1-3 4-5 6 7-8
Four hundred ninety-three WU students currently recieve Pell Grants. Student Financial Services will look out for any students who lose their support.
Community will honor Hadas with room dedication
PAGE 8
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DAVID BRODY | STUDENT LIFE
Perlman Concert cancelled; students disappointed By Caroline Wekselbaum Staff Reporter Ongoing work stoppages at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) have caused the cancellation of concerts for the past three weeks, including the sold-out performance of violinist Itzhak Perlman scheduled for last Saturday. Over 200 Washington University students had purchased tickets to the cancelled performance through a program by ArtSci Council, the school council of the College of Arts & Sciences. The musicians have been without a contract since Jan. 3, after six months of negotiations between musician union members and the symphony management. The two parties could not reach an agreement and the work stoppage commenced one day after the union members’ previous contract expired. The musicians’ union has termed the work stoppage a “lock-out” while management maintains that it is a strike. Union members rejected a new four-year contract in which musicians would accept a pay cut. After making voluntary pay concessions in the past to keep the orchestra alive, musicians say they have earned a raise, although economic constraints may prevent this. “We’re still very hopeful for a fair solution in the near future,” said Jeff Trammel, director of communications for the symphony. When asked about how patrons are reacting, Trammel expressed their understanding, although they are disappointed. “Most of the patrons understand our situation and where we’ve been in the last few years, our economic situation…A few years ago, we were near bankruptcy,” he said. To avoid bankruptcy, a campaign was started that raised 130 million dollars,
STUDENT LIFE
although the symphony still experiences financial limitations which make it difficult to offer musicians substantial pay increases. According to a press release issued by ArtSci Council, about three quarters of students who purchased tickets to the Perlman concert had never attended the SLSO, and about one fourth of them had never been to any symphony. The popularity of the Perlman concert among students was extraordinary, according to the release. “[ArtSci Council] organized three previous trips to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra but never had more than 80 students attend. Tickets for the Perlman show were snapped up at an unprecedented rate. The original 80 tickets…for the Perlman performance were all purchased in ten minutes. ArtSci Council obtained 120 more tickets…[The] additional tickets were sold in 20 minutes, and 25 students remain on a waiting list,” the release read. The line for Perlman tickets in Wohl was so long that one student passing by asked if it was a line for the ever-popular book buyback. “We’re very excited because there are so many students interested in these concerts,” said junior James Wang, acting vice president and treasurer of ArtSci Council. “You never see a lot of young people interested in classical music.” The overwhelming sentiment among student ticket holders was disappointment at the cancellation of Perlman’s performance. “Of course I was disappointed that the concert was cancelled and that the SLSO is on strike, but I can kind of understand why Itzhak Perlman cancelled,” said freshman
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Though Professor David Hadas lost his four-year battle with colon cancer last March, his memorial service will be held next weekend. The lengthy delay was the result of both refurbishing a classroom to be dedicated to Hadas and coordinating with his family and friends so that all would be able to attend. “So that his family [from England] would only have to make one trip, it was decided to hold the classroom dedication and memorial service at the same time,” said Victoria Thomas, a close friend and teaching assistant to Hadas for several years. “He also has a lot of friends from New York coming in as well—but again, with their schedules, they would have missed it had it been held earlier.” Consequently, Thomas explained, the classroom being dedicated to Hadas will not be finished until just before the service, which will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 5 starting in Graham Chapel. Thomas was contacted to single-handedly plan the services because the University “wanted to do something his family would appreciate” and knew how close she had been to Hadas and his family during their time working together. Hadas’ coworkers and friends assert he was a man who respected the differences among his students’ opinions, and the memorial service held in his honor next weekend will replicate the accepting environment he maintained in his classroom by trying to include as many belief systems as possible. “He didn’t discount the possibility of any religion, and he thought that it was perfectly possible… that we were all believing in the same God and just calling him different names,” said Thomas. “At the same time, he was very interested in the power of prayer and of meditation, and he spent several years of his life examining meditation and doing that on a regular basis. He was very open-minded.” Case in point: Hadas, raised an Orthodox Jew, taught the University course “The Bible as Literature” for many years. At next weekend’s services, Father Gary Braun of the University’s Neuman Catholic Student Center will recite several all-encompassing prayers. Braun attended Hadas’ Bible class for many years, said Thomas. A friend of Hadas from New York, Tsvi Blanchard, will also be in attendance to recite Kaddish—a Jewish prayer for the deceased—at the end of the ceremony. The entirety of the service will be in accordance with Hadas’ final wishes. He discussed several details of his memorial service with Thomas before his death.
See HADAS, page 3
STUDENT LIFE ARCHIVES
Professor Hadas passed away almost a year ago; however, the University will host a memorial service for him Feb. 5. Editor: editor@studlife.com News: news@studlife.com Calendar: calendar@studlife.com
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2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 26, 2005
the WUrld LOCAL BRIEFS
NATIONAL
Half-naked man asks girls to get in his car
“The Aviator” tops Academy Awards nominations
Police in Alton, Ill., are searching for a suspect who tried to lure two girls into his car. On Monday, a man who was naked from the waist down drove up to two high school girls and asked them to get in his car. The girls ran away from the man and entered Alton High School. The suspect is in his late 30s and balding with gray or brown hair. In addition to the high school, there are several elementary schools in the immediate area. Police are increasing patrols of the area.
CAMPUS BRIEFS Novelist to speak in Hurst St. Louis native and novelist John Dalton will open Washington University’s Writing Program Spring Reading Series at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. Dalton’s fi rst novel, “Heaven Lake,” was published last year and chosen by Barnes & Noble as part of the Discover Great New Writers program. He is also an accomplished short-story writer. Dalton is a graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He is currently a visiting assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The free event will be held in Hurst Lounge, which is located on the second floor of Duncker Hall.
Spring Activities Fair today Over 200 student groups are searching for new members this afternoon at the Spring Activities Fair from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Gargoyle. Students can browse through hundreds of tables, as representatives from various organizations and University departments sign up new students. Groups will offer free food and giveaways as well as information and handouts. The Fall Activities Fair took place in the Quadrangle last semester.
Assembly Series begins today Na’im Akbar, Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, will be giving a talk tomorrow at Graham Chapel from 11 a.m. until noon, entitled “Psychology, Educational Achievement, and the African American Community.” It is fi rst among the well known Assembly Series talks. A panel and group discussion will follow from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at McMillan Café. Members of the panel include several of the University’s professors of education and a writer from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, among others.
Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator” received 11 Academy Award nominations, followed by “Million Dollar Baby” and “Finding Neverland,” which received seven nominations each. Nominations were announced on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Best Picture nominees are “The Aviator,” “Finding Neverland,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Ray” and “Sideways.” Best Actor nominations went to Jamie Fox in “Ray,” Don Cheadle in “Hotel Rwanda,” Johnny Depp in “Finding Neverland,” Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Aviator” and Clint Eastwood in “Million Dollar Baby.” Included in the nominees for Best Actress are Hilary Swank for “Million Dollar Baby,” Annette Bening in “Being Julia,” Catalina Sandino Moreno in “Maria Full of Grace,” Imelda Staunton in “Vera Drake” and Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” The Academy Awards will be broadcast on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. CST.
Subway fire in New York slows down commuters New Yorkers endured long waits on the subway yesterday after a fi re Sunday forced authorities to close down a line. Transit authorities said a homeless person set the fi re, which started after a shopping cart of clothing and wood ignited some cables on the track. The fi re then spread to a control room on the line, which caused the majority of the damage. Transit authorities quelled rumors that repair would take five years, instead saying the subway should be running as normal again in three to six months. Police have not arrested a suspect in connection with the fi re.
The Week Ahead WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26 The Secret of My Success: A Career for Musicians @ 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. at The Career Center Featuring Chris Deusinger, musician with Dr. Zhivegas FREE LUNCH!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28 Center Stage: Careers in Arts & Entertainment @ 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in Umrath Lounge Hear from four panelists who represent various career opportunities in arts and entertainment.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Senior Seminar @ 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. in Women's Building Formal Lounge
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Resume & Cover Letter Writing Workshop @ 5:00 p.m. at The Career Center
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Careers for Aspiring Attorneys @ 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. in Umrath Lounge Learn more about careers in the legal field from six professionals who represent various career paths.
To RSVP for an event, log on to Career Options at www.careers.wustl.edu.
SENIORS If you are looking for a job, internship or transitional program, consider joining a Job Search Team at The Career Center. Starting January 28, teams will meet weekly to help each other find success in their job searches. Teams will be organized by city. Call Pamela at 935-5930 to join a Job Search Team.
POLICE BEAT Tuesday, Jan. 11 7:43 p.m. SUSPICIOUS PERSON, SMALL GROUP #3 – Suspicious B/M was reported outside the complainant’s building at the front entrance door. Complainant notified the police due to the subject not appearing to be a student or a parent and appeared to be waiting to get in the building. Disposition: Under investigation. Thursday, Jan. 13 11:34 a.m. AUTO ACCIDENT, SHEPLEY DRIVE – Patrol vehicle snagged a parking sign with the bicycle rack on the rear of the vehicle. Vision was obscured by snow at the time. No damage to police vehicle, signpost was bent. Disposition: Cleared. Saturday, Jan. 15 11:38 p.m. TRESPASSING, LEE DORM – Caller stated an unknown person was very rude/vulgar and refused to present ID when requested. Caller stated that this person did not seem to belong in the area. Subject issued summons for trespassing. Disposition: Cleared. Sunday, Jan. 16 3:02 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, BEAUMONT DORM – Reporting party responded to the station and reported that bicycle had been stolen before winter break. Delayed report. Disposition: Under investigation. Tuesday, Jan. 18 11:59 a.m. AUTO ACCIDENT, MALLINCKRODT CENTER – Two vehicles, no injuries, minor damage to both vehicles. Disposition: Cleared.
on Monday, Dec. 20, 2004, she left her purse containing a cell phone and room keys sitting in a booth at Ursa’s Café. The student reports that upon returning to Ursa’s the following day she was unable to locate her purse. Friday, Jan. 21 2:27 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, PRINCE HALL – Unknown person(s) took three memory “sticks” from a box lying on a chair in Prince Hall. Occurred between 9:00 a.m., Jan. 19 and 1:00 p.m., Jan. 21. Items are designed for use in routers and cannot be used in a laptop or PC. Room was open at several times during the period. Value: $1,500 each. Disposition: Under investigation. 4:28 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, LIEN RESIDENCE HALL – Victim reported theft of ID and credit card from the laundry room between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. this date. No suspects. Victim later contacted department and reported finding both items, which had been misplaced and not stolen. Report is unfounded. 5:53 p.m. FIRE ALARM, NEMEROV RESIDENCE HALL – The RA reports that steam from the shower activated the sprinkler system. Inspection of the building revealed that approximately eight rooms were affected by the water damage. Woodard was contacted for water removal and cleaning. Disposition: Cleared. Saturday, Jan. 22 11:37 p.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE, MILLBROOK #4 – Person(s) unknown activated and sprayed the fire extinguisher at above location. Disposition: Under investigation. Monday, Jan. 24
Wednesday, Jan. 19 11:14 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, OLIN LIBRARY – Phone jack adapter stolen from public computer. Disposition: Pending. Thursday, Jan. 20
5:20 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Victim stated he placed his wallet in a locker without securing it with a lock, and upon his return to the locker, discovered that unknown person(s) had stolen the wallet. Disposition: Under investigation.
6:50 p.m. LARCENY-THEFT, LIEN RESIDENCE HALL – A student reported that
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Opportunities Below are just a few opportunities that are available for Washington University students. To apply to any of these and other opportunities, log on to Career Options at www.careers.wustl.edu. Questions? Call us at 935-5930.
INTERNSHIPS NIKE COMMUNICATIONS is accepting applications for public relations interns. This for-credit internship is located in New York, NY. Application Deadline - January 31 2005 SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA, a major international arts festival in Charleston, South Carolina, is hosting an Apprentice Program. Apprenticeships are available in a variety of areas. This is a paid internship. Application Deadline - February 4 JMR Energy offers a paid commodity trading internship in West Orange, NJ. Students must have junior status and be approved for On-Campus Recruiting to apply for this internship. Interviews will be held on campus in March. Application Deadline - March 4 Information Session - March 18 @ 12:00 p.m. in Lambert Lounge
ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS ABERCROMBIE & FITCH, is accepting applications for its Management Training Program. This program consists of a comprehensive 90-day development course designed to immerse the trainee in all aspects of managing an Abercrombie & Fitch store. Application Deadline - February 10 BROWN SHOE COMPANY is accepting applications for its Accelerated Career Track Program. The program is designed to provide a pipeline of highly talented, entry-level college graduates with cross-functional and crossdivisional experience in marketing, buying, planning, store management and inventory management. This opportunity is located in St. Louis, MO. Application Deadline - February 17 INFORMATION SESSION: February 15 @ 6 p.m. at the Knight Center
Do you have a job or internship secured for this summer? The Career Center will be highlighting students who have found success on their job or internship search in our weekly Student Life ads. Call Lauren at 935-5936 or email at lpohl@wustl.edu for more information.
News Editor / Liz Neukirch / news@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 26, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
3
HADAS n FROM PAGE 1 “He was very modest about it,” Thomas said. “He never expected a great fanfare. He told me that he would like music, and that he would like it to be an uplifting occasion—that he wouldn’t want something gloomy or anything that would exclude anybody’s beliefs, and that is what I have tried to do in arranging it.” Members of the English Department spoke fondly of their memories of Hadas. Professor Dan Shea, a colleague of Hadas, who will speak at the services, remembers that Hadas’ Bible class was a favorite on campus. “Virtally the entire time he was here, it was a large class by the standard of the English Department, averaging 60 to 65 students. And he made it work. Everyone participated and people loved it,” Shea said of the individual attention Hadas gave his students. English Department Chair David Lawton, who will be dedicating the classroom to Hadas with Dean James McLeod, said he expects hundreds of people to attend the memorial services. “It’s going to be big. David was quite extraordinary—unlike any one I have ever met. He was extremely learned, extremely individualistic, did everything in his own way… extremely unpredictable,” said Lawton. An orchestra and the University’s Chamber Choir will also perform at the services, which will be followed by a reception in Holmes Lounge. Thomas will be speaking on behalf of Hadas’ students at the memorial. “What they all loved about him was that he took great interest in them and their projects; he made them feel they were special and that they had a considered role in the world, a place he valued,” she said.
news@studlife.com
GRANTS n FROM PAGE 1 COURTESY OF DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Itzhak Perlman conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. A concert featuring Perlman that was sponsored by ArtSci Council was cancelled, to the disappointment of many students.
CONCERT n FROM PAGE 1 get tickets for these concerts haven’t been to the symphony before here and some have never been to the symphony at all. So that was another reason why we were so disappointed that [the Perlman concert] was cancelled.” When asked about how long he thought the strike would last, Mertz responded that he believes everyone is in it for the “long haul.” But Mertz and Wang are not worried that the symphony strike will be detrimental to the programming of Artsci Council. Other programs as varied as a trip to the Arch and a co-sponsored program with the Italian Club to see the opera “The Barber of Seville” are also planned. “We have taken ArtSci Council in a different direction this year,” Mertz stated. “We wanted to expand intellectual and cultural awareness Pizza. Burgers. The Pizza Party is on campus by helping students experience Brain Food. in your room. the cultural sides of St. Free Delivery. FREE Delivery. Louis and by creating opportunities for stu644-3700 644-3700 6662 Clayton Rd. 6662 Clayton Rd. dents to interact with the faculty.”
Laura Garcia. “The man is a veteran of the classical music arena, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be used as a bargaining chip…but I hope they come to a conclusion.” The cancellation of the Perlman concert follows a series of cancellations that may continue until the work stoppage is resolved. ArtSci Council had taken a turn in programming this year by planning near-monthly outings for students to the symphony. “We thought the orchestra would be a great opportunity for students because it’s a world-class music ensemble, it’s in St. Louis, it’s 15 minutes from our campus, and a lot of students haven’t heard them yet,” said junior Aaron Mertz, president of ArtSci Council. “A lot of students who
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proposal but urge American families with kids applying to college not to count their chickens before they hatch. We’ve been down this road before,” Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, was quoted as saying in The New York Times. Supporters of the president are quick to point out that over a million new students have been added to the Pell Grant program since Bush took office.
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Campus Special
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CAMPUS BRIEF Carnaval auditions to start tomorrow Dancer and skit audtions for the cultural production “Carnaval 2005: Se habla español” begin tomorrow and run through Saturday. The Association of Latin American Students, which produces Carnaval, is looking for 12 to 16 people to perform in each of 11 dances, as well as actors for the skit. Carnaval’s website has information on how to sign up for auditions as well as the audition times for specific dances. This is Carnaval’s sixth year. It began as a cultural production in on the Swamp, moving to May Auditorium in 2003. This year, Carnaval will be held in Edison Theatre.
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APPRENTICE We're looking for energetic, creative and outgoing people to join our business & advertising sales team. As part of this new "Apprentice"-like program, you'll be part of a team of 5-6 students responsible for the entire business and advertising operations of Student Life.
You'll use your problem solving skills to develop revenue streams for the newspaper. You'll also be charged with developing a marketing campaign to promote the newspaper throughout campus. Other projects may include market research, conducting focus groups and evaluating other aspects of the operational structure of Student Life.
What better experience for your resume than running the largest and oldest student-run business on campus? Compensation consists of a base salary, and a bonus plan to reward performance.
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Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com
FORUM
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 26, 2005
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
STAFF EDITORIAL
Center Court: a worthwhile tradition
I
t’s sad to see many students dismiss Center Court. The largest eatery on campus has faced declining numbers for years now, leaving attendance at a paltry 350 per night. Part of the fault lies with Dining Services. At least by 2003, they recognized a emerging “grab and go” trend to eating on campus. Rather than having a sit-down meal, students were taking their food back to their dorms, or wolfing down a bite at Bear’s Den. Their response to this trend—remodel dining areas to make them more attractive—backfi red in Center Court’s case. Yes, Bear’s Den now has plenty of seating, and that’s a plus, but it doesn’t have nearly the capacity of Center Court, and the food served there doesn’t promote
relaxed dining. Students just grab their grub and go more than ever. Communal meals are important, plain and simple. They foster socializing, not TV watching; they make students take an hour break from study, not struggle to keep from dripping grease on the problem set due tomorrow. Center Court meals in particular, until a few years ago at least, were instrumental to floor unity; where else could you seat 30 people? Also, the variety of food Center Court offers promotes balanced and healthy diets. Since students don’t pay by item, they have no disincentive to grab a banana or a salad. Quick meals, by contrast, are composed of only a few items, often snacks and unhealthy morsels. Incentives may be just what
students need to start dining at the Court again. Current seniors will remember flexes on the meal plan, each good for one Center Court meal or five points. With a Center Court meal costing far more than five points, and a Center Court meal being better than what you could get for five points at Bear’s Den, going to Center Court was easy. In the interest of promoting Center Court, then, Dining Services should reintroduce flexes to the meal plan. Doing so would create an economic incentive to eat there. Yes, this will complicate the meal plan slightly, because students will have to keep track of their flexes as well as points, but prior classes didn’t have any major problems. RAs can also be part of the solu-
tion by encouraging floor dinners at Center Court. Some seniors remember crazy, fun dinners where the whole floor, including the RAs, bonded over too many chocolate muffi ns, fro-yo and onion rings (after the balanced meal, of course!). That was before Center Court had salmon, shrimp or sirloin—the food was really an excuse to be with your floor friends. Blind adherence to tradition is indeed a sign that one has nothing better to think about. But some traditions—like Center Court dinner—have survived as traditions because they have value. With no alternate socializing plan on the horizon, Center Court deserves to be preserved.
BRIAN SOTAK | EDITORIAL CARTOON
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Activism doesn’t mean burning buildings Dear Editor: Re: “Uncovered: one of the last prisoners of the Vietnam War” [Jan. 21, 2005]. Steven Champaloux succeeded in his desire to share with other students his admiration for the anti-Vietnam war activists of an earlier generation, despite some factual errors. He focused on the burning of the ROTC building and the unjust sentencing of Wash U student Howard Mechanic to five years [in prison] for allegedly throwing a cherry bomb at the site while the building burned. My concern is that some may read his account of the burning of the ROTC building as a benchmark of the kind of thing that qualifies as effective activism. I believe anyone coming to this conclusion is missing the point entirely. Social change, in my view, comes from movements. The antiwar movement influenced events because it mobilized broad segments of the people in opposition to the war. Irresponsible super-radicalism (including burning the ROTC building) had the net effect of making it harder to recruit more people to the antiwar movement. It was not only wrong (in the context of means and ends), but also counter-productive. Building a movement is less glamorous and not as exhilarating, but the teach-ins, debates, demonstrations
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that were organized here, when added to active opposition to the war throughout the country, did contribute to ending that awful war. We should not forget that approximately 3,500,000 people, including perhaps 50,000 – 60,000 Americans, died in that awful slaughter. Recognizing the magnitude of the horror and the injustice of it brought many, by no means all, Americans into opposition. I am proud that Washington University students and faculty made a contribution to that movement. -Daniel Kohl Professor Emeritus of biology
Musicians not on strike Dear Editor: The musicians are not on strike. They were locked out by management when they voted not to accept the contract offered. They are willing to work while talks went on but management refused and instead have locked them out and cancelled concerts. I know the importance St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concerts
Senior Graphics Editors Brian Sotak, Emily Tobias News Editors Doug Main, Sarah Kliff Contributing Editors Erin Harkless, Rachel Streitfeld, David Tabor
are to the cultural life of students. Hopefully this situation will end soon. - Carl Moskowitz
Chabad of Thailand part of tsunami relief Dear Editor: I feel it is worthwhile to mention the vital tsunami relief efforts being done by religious groups such as Chabad of Thailand, a sister organization of Chabad on Campus. Chabad of Thailand is the only local Jewish agency providing relief. With three centers throughout the country, and a full-time staff of six rabbis and 12 rabbinical students, Chabad delivers aid directly to the hardest-hit victims of all faiths. Emergency services include meals (a recently purchased refrigerated truck helps greatly), body identification and even a toy drive for those youngest hit.
-Rabbi Hershey Novack Director, Chabad on Campus serving Washington University
Photo Editors David Brody, Pam Buzzetta Online Editor Margaret Bauer Copy Editors Kelly Donahue, Allie McKay,
Nina Perlman, Shannon Petry, TJ Plunk, Jonathon Repinecz Aaron Seligman, Justin Ward Designers Anna Dinndorf, George Lai, Ellen Lo, Laura McLean, Cadenza Editors Laura Vilines, Tyler Weaver Jamie Reed, Camila Salvisberg Scene Editors Sarah Baicker, Kristen McGrath Sports Staff Justin Davidson, Harry Kang, General Manager Andrew O’Dell Dan Novack Ad Manager Christopher Kiggins
Forum Editors Daniel Milstein, Brian Schroeder,
Chabad of Thailand part of tsunami relief Dear Editor: Re: “Uncovered: one of the last prisoners of the Vietnam War” [Jan. 21, 2005]. I was there; my friends were there; the government was there (in many forms). Want to “see” what was done on campus back then? Take a look at the back issues of Student Life (probably only available in hard copy – we did things the “old fashioned way” back then), The Post-Dispatch and the Globe Democrat. If Steven Champaloux was watching a TV documentary, he might find himself surprised to see that many of the pictures in Student Life are the same as those used in it. We didn’t have digital cameras, videotape or electronic newsgathering then, just film, and not much survived. When Mechanic’s legal team petitioned the president for a pardon (one of the last official acts of his presidency) they came to Student Life to find the pictures, to use them to help inform the President
See LETTERS, page 5
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.
Forum Editor / Roman Goldstein / forum@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 26, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | FORUM
5
Make it Our Court I say (quoting one of my many childhood heroes, Urkel): pish tosh! Nothing is better than the Court. I could take the nutritional approach and say that eating chicken fingers and fries regularly at Bear’s Den quickly sets one on the path toward their Freshmen Fifty, Sophmore Seventy or the Jumbosized Junior, but I think the health food vs. greasy food battle has been beaten to death. I can say, however, that I have managed to actually lose pounds over a year and a half, which I credit to my regular avoidance of Bear’s Den. Either that or my muscles have gone through severe atrophy due to a lack of activity. Instead I will say that the Court offers a surprise everyday. Not a day has passed that I have not found something new and tasty. It’s a cultural experience. For someone like me whose culinary experiences before college involved eating only American, Mexican and Chinese food, the Court exposed me to
By Daniel Ramirez Special to Student Life
H
earing that attendance at Center Court has dropped 60 percent from last year disheartens me. However, I have been noticing this trend, and I was not surprised upon hearing the news. It burns my flesh to see such a great asset being neglected. For me, having dinner at Center Court is a moment of pleasure that relieves me from the exasperating grind of college. The choices are endless and delicious, and the atmosphere is ripe for social activity. I have talked to many freshmen who do not empathize with my longing for, what I affectionately call, “C- Court” or “the Court.” According to these Wash U dining novices, it is not worth the $7 spent because the quality of the food is low and the lack of choices is disappointing. To these blasphemers,
the gamut of the world’s specialties. Now I can say that I have had Indian, Thai, Belgian and even Siberian food. Not a region of the world has been skipped. It’s as if Bon Appétit has sent chefs to explore all parts of the globe in search of the finest recipes. If I haven’t found anything new and pleasing, however, I can fall back on trusty favorites like pizza, hamburgers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Where else can you go and have a whole produce stand at your disposal? The best part is you don’t have to eat the fruit there. Lastly come the desserts. If nothing else, go for the bread pudding. It may look like what is sucked through a liposuction tube, but its taste will have students questioning their notions of ecstasy, especially after their previous night’s rendezvous. If the bread pudding chef is reading this, you are my hero. If the bread pudding chef’s boss is reading this, give this genius a raise now! We can’t
W
By Anna Dinndorf Special to Student Life
Daniel Milstein
M
YU mARAKI | STUDENT LIFE
wore any pants. He would only wear a shirt, while leaving the rest of his body exposed. This espouses a pants-free lifestyle. How could this not lead to sin? •Blue’s Clues: A man who spends all his time with a dog? Did Steve ever have a girlfriend on the show? If homosexuality is bad, bestiality surely must be worse. •The Simpsons: Where to start? Smithers is obviously gay, but is never seen burning in a fiery pit. Moreover, there are two separate occasions when Homer has favorable experiences with gay men. One gay man saves his life, another saves his marriage. There are even rumors of a gay marriage in the show’s future. How can we let such outrages go unpunished?
•Sesame Street: Could Bert and Ernie be gay? They live together, in the same bedroom… I know, it all seems asinine. But the nation’s children may be in grave danger. With terrorists and gay cartoon characters on the loose, we are in a time of crisis. Instead of ridiculing him for taking up a ludicrous fight, we should be praising him. Right now, we have cartoon characters preaching respect and tolerance to children. Who knows what abomination could happen next? Daniel is a freshman in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at forum@studlife.com.
LETTERS n FROM PAGE 5 and his aides about the situation at Wash U and in the country. Student Life did a credible job of covering the issues, if I do say so myself. I was a staff member. Wash U didn’t have a journalism school, there were only “General Studies” credit and an occasional English professor willing to credit an independent study available to those of us who were interested in journalism, but that didn’t stop us. Covering these events was not easy. We had a daunting task -- in true journalistic tradition stay objective, report the facts, write a balanced and fair report, regardless of our personal feelings. Those pictures in Student Life and in the documentary aren’t staged or isolated events. They are real. As reporters/students we were often the target of both the protesters and the police – including batons across the back and head, smashed cameras and other assaults. We were in a war, an undeclared war, a war that was sucking the very life from our country -- our peers, our money, our spirit. We, as 18- (plus) year-olds weren’t volunteers, we weren’t willing participants, we were drafted. Our friends, roommates, classmates were out there protesting, raising their fists, being beaten by police and National Guardsmen, dying in Southeast Asia. A huge number of the draftees were unwilling participants. Some ran – hiding stateside, relocating to Canada. Some remained here and took their cue from Ghandi – satiagraha, peaceful resistance. We could die for our country but we could not vote; the voting age was 21, draft age was 18. We were very much at risk – risk of becoming a slave to our government in its illegal actions in Southeast Asia, risk of grave bodily harm. That gave us a real, personal impetus to get involved, to have our voice heard, somehow. Without a vote, we only had our voices. And our actions.
Daniel is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at djramire@artsci .wustl.edu.
Buying your way into Wash U
Public Enemy No. 1: SpongeBob ho lives in a pineapple under the sea?” Apparently, a tool to turn America’s children gay. According to James Dobson, founder of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, SpongeBob SquarePants is being used to promote homosexuality in a video released by the We Are Family Foundation. Paul Batura, an assistant to Dobson, explained in a Jan. 20 New York Times article, “We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids.” Doing something as sinister as brainwashing certainly doesn’t seem to fit the We Are Family Foundation’s M.O. According to its Web site, the We Are Family Foundation was founded after 9/11 to promote “diversity, understanding, respect, and multiculturalism.” Its Web site also contains a tolerance pledge. It vows to “have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity, or other characteristics are different from my own.” This pledge does not appear in the video. It doesn’t appear in any of its accompanying materials. But just the mention of tolerance of sexual identity was enough to draw Dobson’s ire. It may seem foolish to attack a beloved cartoon character in the name of family values, especially when there are shows which seem far worse. For example, there is The Simple Life, which stars a woman whose most famous endeavor clearly goes against the morality which Dobson champions. There’s also American Idol, in which aspiring singers are frequently insulted and ridiculed, often after singing songs related to sex. Does Dobson think that Jesus would sing a song called, “She Bangs,” or mercilessly dish out abuse to bad singers? However, if Dobson insists attacking cartoons and children’s programming, here are some suggestions for future targets. •Winnie the Pooh: Winnie the Pooh never
afford to lose her/him! I could go on for pages about the boons of Center Court, but I am confined to only 650 words. All I can do is offer a last plea to students to reconsider their affinity for Bear’s Den. I know you don’t like standing at Bear’s Den’s godawfulhumongonormous lines at dinner time. I know you’re tired of having the same five things over and over again. There’s a remedy: all you have to do is turn the corner and go up the stairs. The lines will be short and the food will astound you. Join me in my pursuit to repopulate this hidden gem. No longer will the University’s greatest asset be unused. No longer will it be called The Court, but Our Court.
Students today have more, many more ways to have their voices heard. The communications avenues available today are many orders of magnitude greater than they were in the late ‘60s. Looking back and thinking of being a student at that time in our history, and comparing the awareness and involvement of my classmates to my college-aged son’s classmates (and I do that often), I find myself amazed at the lack of awareness or caring, at the apathy of most young people today. Though, with great pride, I must say my wife and I are raising a very politically liberal, activist son. And you have the right to vote. We were living in very different times. We, as students and young people were at risk, very real risk, not at our own choice. That is not the situation today (and hopefully won’t ever be, again) but it should make you think, it should make you act. It must at the very least, make you vote! We just inaugurated a second-term President who is continuing a war we entered under false pretenses. And if you ask your peers, I would venture to say that many, many of them don’t agree with our government’s actions (that is not to say they do not support our troops). But with all the means to speak out, young people did not come out and vote. The registration drives were there, they were successful, but somehow a cloud of apathy covered this country’s young people and they did not come out and exercise the hard-won right to speak out and make change with their vote. Along with the student body, and the police, the University was there – in large part doing whatever it could to protect the rights and freedoms of the students – not something most saw or understood. While trying to maintain its respect in the community, with its supporters and in academia, it also did many things, some
quietly, some publicly, to support the students. Wash U itself was hardly politically apathetic, and I sincerely hope that that is still the case. It just might not be as visible as a burning ROTC building. -William Harris Class of 1973
Grade inflation at the Ivies Dear Editor: My son is attending Wash U, so I know how hard the students have to work to get an A in their classes. I thought that you might want to see what the competition has been up to: Princeton has capped the percentage of students who get A’s to 35 percent, where previously half of students got A’s; other Ivies give 44 to 55 percent of student’s A’s. I’m not sure exactly how Wash U statistics compare to these, but I would bet the percentage of students receiving an A is not as high at Wash U. I don’t believe that the other schools can argue that their student body is composed of better students than Wash U (whose students rank in the top 10 percent in the country). It would appear that some of Wash U competitors have been padding their students’ transcripts. These competitors obviously expect to influence employers and graduate schools with their school names and their students’ padded transcripts. Wash U appears to be focused on preparing its students for the challenges they will face later. I hope that employers and graduate school selection committees are well informed on this issue. -Michael Smith
y name is Anna Dinndorf, and I am a public school survivor. For twelve years I attended the public schools near my home in Minnesota, and really I thought nothing of it. I worked hard, got good grades and eventually ended up getting in here at Wash U. My whole life I thought this was quite an accomplishment. But as it turns out, I was a lot more naïve than I originally thought. Maybe it’s because I lived in the Midwest, where the prep school environment just doesn’t exist. Or maybe because going to a large public school with people of all different academic abilities gave me more confidence in my intelligence than really should have been there. Regardless, I was rudely awakened to the ways of the real world from the moment I arrived at Wash U. I know that there are plenty of people like me out there. I’m by no means saying that I’m necessarily alone in my woes. But I made a realization after my fi rst semester. I worked hard in my classes, like I was accustomed to doing in high school, and as a result I did well. However, there were many people I spoke to who did not have the same results as I did. How can this be? Did everybody else fall victim to the distractions that the new college life presents them? I fi nd that hard to believe, seeing as we go to a nationally ranked university. So what then? The answer, I discovered, lies in our backgrounds. Many people that I talked to about this came from wealthy backgrounds and went to private high schools. Now I’m not saying that going to a private high school is an automatic ticket to a 4.0 GPA and success in all aspects of your life. But take any East Coast private or prep school and look at where the majority of the graduates end up going to college. What you’ll fi nd, most likely, is a list of Ivies and other highly ranked, highly regarded private schools that an average Midwest public school graduate like me would only be able to get into on a long shot. Why? Why do they end up going to better colleges than the people I graduated with? I know that some of these schools are selective about who they let in, but they can’t all be geniuses. What is it then? Two words: grade inflation. Grade inflation is something that I was never exposed to at my public high school, and the same is probably true for many other public school graduates. But when your parents put you in a school that they spend thousands of dollars a year to keep you at, they expect that their money will not go to waste. Obviously, not all students are going to care about their parents’ investment enough to try to get good grades. And this worries the schools, because unhappy parents will take their children, and their tuition money, away from the school. So, the schools think to themselves, let’s make sure these kids do well in their classes regardless, and their parents will be happy and continue to give us money. Thus, grade inflation is born. We are living in a world where the amount of money you or your parents have dictates your ability to get into colleges and graduate schools, and basically your success in life. This is a horribly unbalanced and unrepresentative system. The majority of people in this country are not rich, and work hard every day just so that they can make enough to get by. Yet children of the affluent are being sent to private schools on their parents’ money, doing nothing but still getting A’s, going to Ivy League schools where they can do the same thing and still get A’s, and then being sent out into the world, basically guaranteed a high-paying job. Is this fair? Does this give everyone an equal opportunity, as America claims to try so hard to do? I think not. We should all have to work just as hard for the things we want – whether we come from money or not. Only without grade inflation will our country’s affluent represent the intelligent, hard-working people it should. Anna is a freshman in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at aldinndo@artsci.wustl. edu.
6 STUDENT LIFE | CLASSIFIEDS
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 26, 2005
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BABYSITTER NEEDED FOR happy 3-year-old girl, M&W from 11:25am for 2- 4hrs. Must pick her up from preschool & walk her home, make lunch, play & nap. Both preschool & home are short walk from campus in Loop area. Add’l evening hrs avail. if desired. $10/hr. Call Eva Lundsager (WU faculty member) at 727-3974. BABYSITTER NEEDED. BABYSITTER needed for Saturday evenings to watch 5 and 3-year-old children at home in U City. Must have own car and prior sitting experience. Pays $10/hr. Would also consider 2 Saturdays a month. Please call Sarah, 727-7569 or 935 -8760 if interested. HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANT. ENERGETIC individual to assist WU professor and family with child-care, light cleaning, meal preparation and household organization / errands. Walking distance from WU, 15 -20hrs/wk. $10/ hr. Non-smoker, cell phone and car required. Call Anna at 314.749.5409. LIGHT SECRETARIAL / ADMINISTRATIVE tasks. Office in Clayton. 5 -10 hours/wk. $10/hr. Reliable people call 314-757-2884. MAKE MONEY TAKING online surveys. Earn $10 $125 for surveys. Earn $25 - $250 for focus groups. Visit www.cash4students. com/mowu NEW DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT Hiring experienced hostesses and servers. Apply in person. Flannery’s 1320 Washington Avenue. 314-241-8885. SUMMER JOB? MONEY driven college students needed to sell Pest Control services. $4,000 -$10,000/mo. Call Tyler @ 636 -299-7828.
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BEAUTIFUL BRENTWOOD FOREST condo. 2 BR/updated kitchen and bath. Available immediately. Excellent for residents and grad students. Call Dave 314-393- 4072. STUDIOS, ONE & TWO bedroom apartments for rent from $395, $495 & $650 respectively. Ten minutes from Wash U. Free heat, hot water and cooking gas. Apts include 24 hour laundry, covered parking, elevator, ample closets, dishwasher, A/C and w/w carpeting. Short term lease and furnished units available. One block from Metro, bus-line, restaurants and shopping. Please call 314- 421-5511.
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Your Horoscope for Wednesday, January 26, 2005 By Linda C. Black, Tribune Media Services Today’s Birthday (01-26-05). You can draw up the plans and let somebody else do the building. This is a joint project. Together you’ll get exponentially farther. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 9. Meetings should go well, and it should be relatively easy to reach consensus. Everybody’s in the mood to decide, so they can get to work. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is a 5. Add the finishing touches to make your home just the way you want it. Get ready to entertain, so you can do it spontaneously. Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is an 8. If you can only learn the language before you go over there, you’ll be amazed at how many doors will open. And, yes, you can. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is a 5. Collect as much
as you can when the opportunity presents. Work quickly and be assertive, and gather up the prize.
get the chance to be the voice of objectivity. A couple of people you know are having trouble finding a compromise. Lend your wisdom to those who need some.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8. Follow through on the innovations you’ve recently instigated. You’ll get to the part where the money comes in pretty soon, don’t worry about that.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 5. Keep looking for bargains in all the likely places, including sales at the better stores and catalogs, and even in your own closets. It’s not cheating to mend something old.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 5. Follow through on all those promises you made, one way or another. If you can’t pay the debt in full, at least make an installment on it. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8. A friend can teach you a couple of things that you’ll find very useful. You’ll be more efficient when you have more technical expertise. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 5. Collect up all the little jewels that have been scattered around. Resist the urge to be wasteful. Although there’s plenty now, this may have to last you a while. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8. You may
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 6. Somebody else may be able to get through where you’ve been turned aside. This doesn’t need to be a problem. Delegate, and then get on to other things. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 4. Concentrate on providing the very best service you can, and do it proudly. You’re developing a reputation that’s worth more than its weight in gold.
Sports Editor / Mary Bruce / sports@studlife.com
WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 26, 2005
Football 101: better late than never Football has never really been my thing. I tried for years to get into it, but it ended up taking a lot more than just football to make me a football fan. If you had asked me what I knew about football when I was about nine years old, I would have told you that some guy from the Chicago Bears visited my day camp once and picked me up and spun me around, but that was about it. Now I can tell you that that guy was Jim Harbaugh and that he was the starting quarterback on Da Bears when I met him. As I got older, I did get slightly more football savvy. One of my closest guy friends in middle school had this Bears shirt he used to wear pretty often and every time he wore it, I asked him when he was giving it to me. It was one of those really great old, worn out grey tee shirts and it just looked so comfortable. Anyway, I never got the shirt, but it did tell me that the 1985 Bears won the Super Bowl, which I thought was pretty cool. Then in high school, I finally learned the rules of the game. I worked as a parking lot attendant at Northwestern University’s Ryan Field. Once we were done, my fellow workers and I got to go into the games for free. For most sports fans, the opportunity to go to Big Ten football games for free is amazing. Did I go to a game? Well, of course. I went to the game when Northwestern played Duke. If you’re not laughing, there are two things you need to know: one, I’m a huge Duke basketball fan, and two, Duke football is AWFUL. Embarrassingly enough, that is the only football game (above the high school level) that I have ever attended. But it was beneficial experience for my football knowledge. One of the guys who worked with me sat there explaining every detail of every play of the game to me. I learned what things like “first and ten” meant and that a safety was worth two points. Shortly thereafter, I actually learned how to play football. I played lacrosse in high school and when I was a junior, this senior football player, Wes, started running our conditioning sessions. One night, we got to practice at the time we thought we’d signed up for the gym, but it turned out we had it all wrong. So Wes decided to improvise. He brought his car near a field outside, turned on all of the lights, opened all of the doors, and gave all of the girls these little glow-stick bracelets (Don’t ask me why he had those in his car). He taught us how to throw and catch a football, split us up into teams, and showed us two of the best and most strenuous hours of our lives. Okay, so there is something a little bit fun about football. I really don’t know why I never watched the games; it wouldn’t have hurt to support the Bears once or twice. They were actually not that awful…well at least not until I was actually old enough and had the attention span to sit through an entire game. What I have found, though, is that someone can still be a football fan without being able to stay awake through a whole game. The biggest football fan I’ve ever known would have to be my sister’s boyfriend, Mike. Mike was staying with us over this past Winter Break, so I made it his mission to get me into football for real. He was actually doing an okay job, until I walked in at the beginning of the fourth quarter of the Colts-Broncos game and found him, along with my sister and my dad, dead asleep on the couches. As they slept, I realized I didn’t need anyone else to get me into football. I watched the whole quarter by myself and loved every second of it. And for no other reason than Peyton Manning. I still don’t understand people who can watch entire football games for the sake of football. Loving football, for me, is about guys like Peyton. I still laugh and cheer “Cut that meat! Cut that meat!” with him every time that dumb Master Card commercial comes on. Football players are just such characters, such personalities. I love that I saw Torry Holt and Rex Grossman on “Wheel of Fortune.” And that Donovan McNabb was crying into the microphone when he was interviewed after the game Sunday night. I love that Randy Moss pretended to moon the crowd and Rick Reilly made fun of his lack of creativity. Football is just fun. It’s rough and aggressive and dirty and just wonderful. I regret not getting into it in the past, but I’m hooked now. And for those of you who aren’t (which is probably not many, considering the typical Sports section audience), it’s not too late. And it’s well worth it.
Allie Wieczorek
sports@studlife.com
Two sports writers battle it out… Super Bowl Sunday: Final Four: the sports a national holiday fan’s obvious choice that reigns supreme There are only a few true American holidays. Americans tend to celebrate these revered days, not through observance and contemplation, but rather by playing hooky from school and work. Labor Day and Memorial Day are prime examples of this. But arguably, the greatest American holiday is Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest extravaganza of the year. Although the Super Bowl marks the culmination of the NFL playoffs, as the AFC and NFC champions battle for the right to be Super Bowl victor, Super Bowl Sunday is much more than just the biggest football day of the year, it’s truly a national holiday Even without all the shows, commercials, food, betting and parties, the game is quite a spectacle in itself. The NBA, NHL and MLB all decide their championships in a best of seven game series, allowing for a week or two roller coaster ride of emotions. The Super Bowl, however, is a championship match up, with the title decided in a single game. Football is the most exciting sport to watch, and seeing the teams leave everything out on the field in one three hour session is unmatchable. The games in recent years have been thrillers, coming down to last-second field goals or last-ditch attempts that fall one yard short. And what makes watching the game even more exciting is viewing it with 20 other screaming members of your friends and family. The prestige of the Super Bowl extends far outside the field. What makes the game so unique and special is the aura and mystique that it creates. Companies like Budweiser, Miller, e-Bay, and others spend millions of dollars for overthe-top 30 -second commercials. The biggest names in entertainment perform in a halftime show that makes you wonder if the performance is interrupting the game, or vice versa. Millions of dollars are spent wagering on everything from the final score of the game to which wide receiver will let his afro pop out of his helmet first. And parties are thrown with enough food to feed the entire population of Uganda. On what other day of the year do friends and family come together to eat, watch television and run illegal house pools? How often do people sit on the couch, anxiously anticipating the commercials? When else can you hear a 7 year-old scream, “C’mon Patriots, I need a safety. I’ve got 7-5 in my dad’s office pool”? And on what other day can a halftime celebration send the media into year-long frenzy? The game has become an entire production and is no longer just a game, but rather an American event. While other sports championships are exciting and generally longer, the Super Bowl just simply cannot be topped. The NCAA Tournament is a great month. March Madness is an exciting time, and filling out and following brackets is a great way for people to avoid reality and pretend they actually know something about college basketball. But the big dance just lacks that Super Bowl flare, that anticipation and hype that makes the Super Bowl so great. When else do players come onto the field running out of giant blow up helmets? Where else can you see a 6’5, 250 pound linebacker do his best Justin Timberlake impression in his football pads? Never. The Super Bowl is the single best sporting event of the year.
Scott Kaufman-Ross
sports@studlife.com
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The thing about the Super Bowl is that for everyone other than football fans, it’s not about football. It’s about the halftime show, the commercials, the fancy snacks and the illegal pools. For football fans, the Super Bowl is the National Football League Championship. But even for them, it’s hard to see the Super Bowl as more than a Super Bowl party. So if the best sporting event of the year is what’s in question, we’re about six weeks premature. The NCAA Final Four is the answer. Every year, on a Sunday in the middle of March, we embark upon the most contagiously addictive and exciting month for not only sports fans, but for people everywhere. For an entire month, people love a sport for its purity, for its beauty, and for the sport itself. Almost everyone fills out a bracket. And the real fans fill out two—one with their hearts and one with their heads (a.k.a. wallets). And those who choose not to fill one out at all still can’t resist the last three games. Okay, so maybe it is a little bit about the money you have riding on the games, but the Final Four is really about your heart bracket. It’s about watching the underdogs beat those Yankees-esque teams who everyone hates. It’s about athletes who play as teams and not individuals, for fun and not for contracts, for the fans and not for the fame. It’s a sporting event without an elaborate halftime spectacle that gets talked about more than the game itself. Furthermore, I think we can all agree that the Super Bowl is rarely a game between the two best teams in the NFL. The Final Four has proven to be a much better representation of the best teams in the league. This is, despite those few upsets along the way that, in truth, wind up making the tournament much more exhilarating. There is no limit to how many teams from a given conference can play in the NCAA tournament so that the best teams in the league compete rather than the best teams in each conference. More importantly, teams don’t suffer for playing in the tougher conferences. Maybe I’m a little biased because if it weren’t for college basketball and the Final Four, I don’t know that I’d have ever gotten into sports to begin with. Don’t get me wrong—I love football too. But the Super Bowl just isn’t football. It may be fun and entertaining, but it just can’t compete for the best sporting event-because it’s not a sporting event. Half of the people who watch it don’t even know or care who wins. And I know that Super Bowl parties are fun and exciting. We all love our families and friends, but I personally don’t like to mix them with my games. I don’t mix my sporting events with people who talk and eat at obnoxious volumes during the game and tell me to shut up during commercials. At least the Final Four fans are watching the game.
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Roller Hockey Team Prepares for Nationals By Derek Winters Contributing Reporter With the National Hockey League on hold, many St. Louisans are left without the game they love. Unknown to much of the Washington University community, however, our school has an alternative, and they’re a nationally ranked team. I am not speaking of ice hockey, but of a hockey substitute otherwise known as roller hockey. “Not many people know we exist, but currently we are the second-ranked team in the country,” said junior David Garland, president of the team. Although the team was started in 1994, Garland, who is in his third year with the team, says it was in “disarray” when he encountered it two-and-a-half years ago. With the help of Garland’s father, Randy Garland, the team’s coach, however, the team has been transformed from the league’s laughingstock into a national title contender. As Garland explained, it required a great deal of dedication, time, and effort for the team to reach its maximum potential. “In order to field the best roller team, we had to go out and recruit the best ice hockey players and convert them to roller hockey players,” said Garland. And that’s just what he did. The team’s three leading scorers were once all skilled ice hockey players. The team’s leading scorer, junior Jim Jost of St. Louis, captained the St. Louis Junior ‘B’ Blues last year to the city’s first and only national title. He leads the University’s team in goals with 10 and thus far this season has two assists in just four games. Jost, an engineering student, is a major force behind the team’s undefeated record. Another St. Louisan is freshman Zane Truman, who leads the team in points with 17. Zane was a high school standout at DeSmet, where his team won the state championship in 2002. “[It was] difficult at first, but now it’s becoming second nature,” said Zane, describing the switch from ice to roller hockey. “I’m having a blast so far and can’t wait to compete in the
The roller hockey team’s players lounge around after a hard practice.
PAM BUZZETTA | STUDENT LIFE
Team captains (from left to right): Evan Keibler, Matt Melchiori, David Garland, Ross Ginsberg, and Jim Jost.
PAM BUZZETTA | STUDENT LIFE
Regional Tournament.” The team’s third convert is graduate student Matt Melchiori, who played Division III ice hockey in college and is considered one of the best players overall in the league. Other solid players for the Bears include freshman Dave Brigati and junior Ross Ginberg. Brigati has 4 goals and two assists in just four games and is known as a offensive defenseman for his steady playing on both ends of the rink. Ginsberg also has four goals in two assists for the season thus far. Thanks to their many talented players, the team is able to maintain their undefeated status and cope with the University’s rigorous workload. The team practices once a week and competes on the weekends. The team practices and plays all of its home games out in St. Charles at Matteson Tri-Plex. Although the team receives some funding from the University, it does not even close to covering all expenses. The rest of the costs are paid for by sponsors and out of the players’ own pockets. While Garland would love the University to step up and cover all expenses so anyone could play regardless of their financial situation, the current costs are relatively low for players. The team’s wins have come against Saint Louis University (11-5), Western Illinois (10 - 0), Southwest Missouri State (11-1), and their bitter rivals the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) in a very exciting 7- 6 game that left goaltender Garland in a “bloody mess” after he was butt-ended in the eye by an UMSL player. Garland describes their re-match with UMSL scheduled for the last weekend in January as a, “day we already marked on the calendar and can’t wait to play.”
sports@studlife.com
20 Questions with Charles Young Junior Charles Young is a first year player on the Contrabears, Washington University’s club Ultimate Frisbee team. He brings his infectious enthusiasm (and mono) to an already stellar cast. He was gracious enough to take time out of his schedule of sleeping and playing Frisbee to answer Dan Novack’s questions. Student Life: Lately I’ve taken a lot of heat for failing to cover sports faithfully. I say that I am merely giving the people what they want. Can you come up with a more legitimate excuse, say, by Monday, for our meeting? Charles Young: Frisbee is a sport. It looks easy, but we Ultimate players sacrifice our bodies out there every weekend. I would go so far to say that football is only the second-most entertaining sport on Francis Field. SL: As a Frisbee player with countless fans, you’re always at the mercy of the commentators. Here’s a chance to evaluate someone else’s work: On a scale of 1-10, 9 being the lowest, 10 the highest, and 6 being the number of women I’m currently seeing, rate my column.
sandals at all complemented his swastikas? CY: Harry needs to goosestep his way into a WalMart. That’s where I get all of my fabulous clothes.
CY: I have not personally been served before, but around here, nobody serves it up better than Fan Yang after a score.
SL: This year’s Best Actor Oscar is rumored to be a two-horse race between Jamie Foxx and Johnny Depp. If we are going to do horse races, don’t you think that Seabiscuit deserves at least some consideration?
SL: It must be challenging to maintain your reputation as a thug when you are throwing around what is essentially a dog’s toy. How do you keep it real?
CY: Tobey McGuire is in that one. I love Spiderman… and horses.
CY: Whoah- first of all, its not a dog’s toy, and second, us Frisbee players have mad street cred.
SL: Speaking of snubs: Supposedly, the deciding factor will be which actor has been most slighted out of past nominations. Does this make Jamie Foxx the odds on favorite for his brilliance in Booty Call?
CY: I’ll give you a 9, but only because 6 women is really impressive. Could you help a brother out?
CY: Personally, I prefer Foxx in Any Given Sunday. When is LL Cool J going to get an Oscar?
SL: How long overdue is the instant replay review in Ultimate?
SL: Let’s say Johnny Depp does win. Would that mean that the judges are going in a new directionoffering “makeup” awards not to those who have been the most deserving in the past, but rather for those who have worn the most makeup in the past?
CY: It probably would have helped when Texas cheated on our last game, but we would have to tape the games first. SL: You got me there. Randy Moss has recently come under fire for his post-touchdown celebratory “mooning” in the Vikings’ first round playoff victory over Green Bay. Have you ever pulled a “Moss” after a big score?
CY: How come ladies don’t come flocking to me when I wear mascara? SL: It is estimated that the Bush inauguration festivities will ran upwards of 40 million dollars in costs. Is Halliburton catering? If so, is Fabio required to proclaim, “I can’t believe it’s not bidding!”
CY: I’ve only scored one point so far, but rest assured-Tennessee has seen the junk in Charles Young’s trunk.
CY: All I know is that Halliburton makes a delicious quiche.
SL: Moving on to entertainment news: Prince Harry’s getup at a recent British costume party was absolutely appalling- did he honestly think those drab
SL: During a match, has the competition ever broken into a full-on dance battle, “You Got Served” style? If so, how fiercely were you served?
SL: Well then drop some rhymes on me. CY: Gladly.
Charles Young
The Contrabears don’t play games Our opponents are lame We kick *** and take names Our Frisbee puts them to shame Yo, don’t be talking smack Your defense is whack! Watch out for the C-Bear attack You better worry About these cats from St. Louis, Missouri Not Washington State Don’t player hate!
SL: That was mildly traumatizing, but impressive nonetheless. Any last thoughts? CY: I’d just like to give a shoutout to my captains Brian, George, and Brett. I love you guys. sports@studlife.com