November 2008

NOVEMBER 2008

Volume 4, Issue 3

The Phoenix The Voice of the Conservative Movement at Wabash

Broken Trust: An investigation of Center Hall

The Phoenix editor-in-chief Sean Clerget ’09 managing editor Austin Rovenstine ’10 business manager Trent Hagerty ’09 events coordinator Tyler Gibson ’09 design editor Brad Vest ‘11 copy editor Adam Brasich ’11 faculty contributors David P. Kubiak Stephen H. Webb ’83 staff Jay Horrey ’09 John Moton ’09 Kevin Andrews ’10 John Henry ‘10 Nicholas Maraman ’10 Kyle Nagdeman ’10 Curtis Peterson ’10 Luke Blakeslee ’11 Andrew Forrester ’11 Kevin Stevens ’11 Adam Current ‘11 Michael Nossett ‘11 Mike Bellis ‘12 Steve Henke ‘12 Ryan Leppert ‘12 Zachary Rohrbach ‘12 Guest Writer Brent Kent ’09 Cover Photo: Courtesy of The Bachelor.

Subscription inquiries & letters: Wabash Conservative Union Post Office Box 375 Crawfordsville, IN 47933 To reach the staff: editor@wabashunion.org

A Letter from the Editor: We are aware that these are very tough times for Wabash College. Recent investigations have garnered some disappointing information, and reporting bad news is not a happy endeavor. The reporting you will read in this issue was not published lightly. The cover story raises many questions that the college administration did not answer prior to our deadline. We hope and expect that the administration will answer them in the coming days.

This is not a story we wanted, however we would be failing our duty under the Gentleman’s Rule if we did not publish what we know.

God Bless,

Mission Statement The Phoenix, a student-run publication of The Wa­bash Conservative Union, seeks to promote intellectual conservatism on the campus of Wabash College through thoughtful debate and civil discourse. Following the best traditions of the conservative movement, The Phoenix will attack ideas, not people and will do so with both honesty and integrity.

Editorial ditorial PP olicy olicy

A l l opin ions expressed herein ref lect t he v iews of t he ind iv idua l w riters. They do not necessa ri ly ref lect t he views of The Wabash Conser vative Union, The Phoenix, or Wabash College. Especially Wabash College.

In THIS Issue:

Cover Feature Investigating Center Hall

Brent Kent and Jay Horrey Page

4

Around Wabash

6

In Times Like These

8

Classically Conversational

9

American Polarization

Editorial Staff

Austin Rovenstine

Luke Blakeslee Zachary Rohrbach

10

Hoosier Saints

16

Kate Obenshain

Adam Brasich

Mike Bellis

12 18 Proudly Biased 19 Indiana Literature 20

Brent Kent and Jay Horrey investigate new developments surrounding the death of Patrick Woehnker and the disbandment of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Their findings bring into question the college administration’s dedication to the students and the Gentleman’s Rule. The concluding authors’ note offers a brief commentary and a recommendation for moving forward.

Gridiron and Grit Kyle Nagdeman

Adam Current

Dr. Stephen H. Webb

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NOVEMBER 2008

Wabash

Around Wabash A look at interesting policies, issues, and conversations taking place on our beautiful campus each day.

DePauw to Hell

One year ago, a grave injustice was perpetrated against Wabash College when DePauw University, with the assistance of a lucky-footed Danny, was able to come into possession of a bell which is rightfully ours. We have great confidence in the Wabash College football team and wish them Godspeed in correcting this inequity.

Obenshain Lecture

The Wabash Conservative Union hosted former Virginia GOP chair and Fox News analyst Kate Obenshain on October 30th to speak about the 2008 election. Ms. Obenshain promised a Fox News-type arguing atmosphere and encouraged the audience to participate and debate her. We would like to thank all of those from the other side of the aisle, who came to the event with their Obama campaign talking points, for attending the lecture and arguing with Ms. Obenshain. It made the event more interesting and genuinely fun.

Dr. Mikesell

In our first issue this semester, we lamented the fact that many professors are choosing not to live in Crawfordsville, and urged members of the Wabash community to help make Crawfordsville a better place to live.

Dr. Phil Mikesell, who will soon enter retirement after 42 years of teaching at Wabash, has spent his years in Crawfordsville doing just that. Among other things, Dr. Mikesell served on the Park and Recreation Board, the planning commission for Crawfordsville High School, and participated in an urban rehabilitation project though which he and his wife renovated five houses. Though we certainly disagree with him on many political issues, he is a model of community service.

When he leaves next semester, he will be missed by both the Crawfordsville and Wabash communities.

The Prodigal Daughter Wabash College transsexual alumnus Andrea James—the “prodigal daughter,” as he referred to himself— returned to campus on October 29.

His lecture on gender, sexuality and identity attracted a large number of curious students as well as true believers in the LGBT cause he advocates.

The Korb classroom was saturated with attendees, and the audience was standing room only.

Many members of this publication would likely find common ground with certain points in James’s speech.

He urged vigilance against the ever-

increasing power of the state, stressed the importance of the individual, and warned against the social implications of certain Darwinist ideas.

His skepticism of Darwin, however, did not lead to any friendliness toward Christianity. James’s critique of Darwin was short and vague—saying only that we need to think about evolution in “more nuanced ways.” His speech was riddled, on the other hand, with attacks against the scary “fundamentalist Christians.”

We find this sad. Christianity has at its core a belief that all people are deserving of love and respect because they are made in the image of a divine and loving Creator. In a world without God, a world where the “fittest” of a species are measured by their reproductive success, the LGBT community would be deserving of no such respect.

The greatest enemy of homosexuals in history was Adolf Hitler, and he was not a “fundamentalist Christian,” but rather a devoted Darwinist who saw his role as to expedite the natural selection process by removing the weak, undesirables in society.

In his quest to make the world a better place for the members of his community, Andrea James needs to ask himself which worldview he finds more harmful: one which teaches its followers that all are creations of God, all are fallen, all are in equal need of a savior, and all are to be loved by their brothers—or one which preaches the cold, amoral process of natural selection, in which those who do not reproduce are weeded out and left to die off.

We believe that history has shown the latter to have much more destructive potential.

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Wabash

New Contributor Mike Bellis is a freshman from North Port, FL. He intends on doublemajoring in Political Science and Psychology. He is a member of The Wabash Conservative Union, College Republicans, and the Political Science

Society. After Wabash, Mike intends on studying political campaigning at the graduate level. In his spare time, Mike enjoys target shooting, cars, and learning more about Ronald Reagan.

Wabash Conservative Union Events

Photos by Adam Current and Mike Bellis

This semester, the Wabash Conservative Union has hosted two guest speakers: Kate Obenshain (above) and Paul Kengor (right). Obenshain spoke on the election and how the media affected the public’s opinion. Kengor spoke on how Ronald Reagan and Catholics won the Cold War.

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NOVEMBER 2008

Features

In Times Like These

Dean Warner on faith and tragedy

Austin Rovenstine ‘10 Managing Editor Newly appointed Associate Dean of Students Rick Warner was getting ready for church on Sunday, October 5, when he received the news that Wabash freshman Johnny Smith had passed away early that morning. The tragedy pulled him away from his usual Sunday worship and back to the Wabash campus to deal with the situation.

Three days later, a noticeably tired Dean Warner attended the Wednesday night meeting of the Wabash Christian Men. He thanked the students present for the opportunity to attend and worship with them, and he told them that in the days ahead, the campus would need moral leadership.

He had personal as well as professional reasons for attending the meeting.

On the professional side, he wanted to reach out to the student leaders to engage them in the oft spoken of “grand conversation.”

“I wanted to make an early connection with guys who I knew would prove to be leaders in the days to come,” he told me in a recent interview. “And

it became pretty clear right away— since the president’s Chapel Talk even more—that we’re going to be depending on students to step up and all become leaders…I knew that the Wabash Christian Men was a fairly sizable group of students who I think understand the idea of having a solid moral center.”

But he goes on to explain that his other reason for attending was a bit more personal. “[The death] was pretty hard on me and everyone around who dealt with it,” he tells me. “I actually responded as I was getting ready to go to church on Sunday…I went, perhaps from a selfish perspective, just to be in an environment that would be spiritually supportive.”

Spirituality can take on a special resonance during times of tragedy.

American church attendance shot through the roof in the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks, as it has in other tragedies, only to wane after the sense of urgency had diminished and things seem to return to normal. For many at Wabash too, the initial reaction upon hearing the news of another young freshman’s death was to turn to prayer—for Smith’s family, for the Wabash family, and for their own peace of mind. It is

when events prove to be beyond our poor control that the religious impulse is most powerful and pertinent. Much has passed since the initial shock of that Sunday morning—a memorial service, an investigation, a mandatory presidential Chapel Talk—but Wabash men of faith would be remiss in their duties if they let allowed their desire to help the community through this time to pass as well.

And what can they do to help? In my discussion with Dean Warner, he repeatedly urged students to look inward. In his view, the way forward is linked to personal responsibility, which in turn is linked to the Gentleman’s Rule. “All of us need to take a step back and do as President White suggested, and weigh what our personal responsibility might be,” he says.

Dean Warner constantly returns to the Gentleman’s Rule. He speaks of it almost religiously itself. “The Wabash community, in a sense, operates under a covenant,” he tells me. “It’s a different covenant than perhaps you may read about in the Good Book, or that the pilgrims signed, but we have a covenantal relationship with each other, and that’s something that makes us a little different than a much huger place. But I have a level of responsi-

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Features bility as a member of the community to other members of the community.

And most of the time, this really works quite well here. I think we need to relax a minute, and see that it really does work quite well.”

He speaks often of “relaxing a minute” or “taking a step back” and “speaking up for the Gentleman’s Rule.” There has been some pressure since the tragedy last month to rethink the Rule and its implications. Do students at Wabash have too much freedom? Did the Gentleman’s Rule enable this tragedy?

Dean Warner says the critics who believe this miss the point. “President White pointed [this] out during the Chapel and has taken some shots against the side,” he says, “because there are a lot of people in this world that don’t understand what it means to hold young men responsible and therefore allow freedom as a result of that.” In his view, President White’s defense of the Gentleman’s Rule was the right one.

For h im, t he Gentleman’s Rule is not up for negotiation. Any response, he says, “needs to be done in a way that’s respectful to students because that’s who we are. One of the reasons that the Gentleman’s Rule is not on the table—because there are plenty of people that I imagine would like to see it there—is that that is the real basis of our identity. That is who we are.”

When I mention that the public perception of Wabash College among many in Crawfordsville is not that of a particularly pious community, Dean Warner returns to the same theme of taking a step back and looking inward.

“Perceptions are important,” he says, “Our standing in the polls may have been shaken…I think, though, that

many of us are now thinking that we should perhaps be a little bit less concerned with the perception that the outside world has, and move inside, and think about what we should do, and what’s right.” He then returns to the idea of individual responsibility and suggests that that is where the solution lies: “I think that the perceptions will improve if we can become stronger inside with our own ethical behavior.” This is not to say that outside views should be ignored completely, he is quick to add. “It’s easy to overreact to public perceptions,” he explains, “but I think that they need to be listened to also, because there’s often an element of truth to them.”

He quick ly brings the discussion back to the Gentleman’s Rule and explains the folly of getting rid of it. “I know that if we are patient, and if we look within to where we need to work, that the G e n t l e m a n’s Rule, in the end, will be a stronger response to this than hiring, say, a bunch of rental cops, for example, to travel in and out of living units. If that happens, you just push the problem underground.”

Dean Warner is able to make parallels between administration policy and his own personal faith. He explains that as a Quaker, he sees a need to “stop the banter of business and mediate upon what right action might be— meditate upon where God may take me, and is asking me—calling me— to behave in a more righteous way.”

When I ask him how his personal faith helped him respond to the tragedy, he explains in more detail: “In my own tradition, we have a

“I know that if we are patient, and if we look within to where we need to work, t hat the Gentleman’s Rule, in the end, will be a stronger response to this than hiring, say, a bunch of rental cops, for example, to travel in and out of living units.

If that happens, you just push the problem underground.”

—Dean Warner

term called ‘seasoning,’” he explains, “which means that if you have an idea, rather than acting on it right away, in an impetuous way, maybe it’s better to let it season a little bit, and in the end, if you get some of your other concerns out of the way—your ego, or your desires that may not be as pure… and allow and wait on my God to help me think through a problem, in the end, it always works better. So that’s a principle that I’ve applied because I had to be very patient with all this investigation. And there’s all sorts of things and lots of people to tell us to act now fast, and some of you may think that you’re dragging your feet.”

But thoughtful consideration can often be mistaken for feet-dragging, he says. It is better to focus not so much on the loud complaining created by outside perceptions, but on the still, small, inward voice, and then act upon it. “Point of fact, patience can be a real virtue,” he says, and action should take place “when you have the strength and courage” to act in the right way.

Just as Dean Warner relies on his faith to guide him through these tough times, Wabash men of faith should take the time to step back and seek God’s guidance in order to act responsibly. Inherent in the Gentleman’s Rule is the idea that the students are capable of taking care of themselves—capable of making responsible decisions. For Dean Warner, that faith in the student body has not been shaken. He is confident that the students will come together to make Wabash a better place. “I have great faith in the Wabash community in this regard,” he says, “and that is I have seen Wabash students unite when they needed to on many different occasions, and come together…That’s enormously exciting to me as a person of faith because I see people engaging the Eternal Spirit, and I really believe in human potential. I think that we see that powerfully on our campus.”

“I’m very bullish on the future,” he concludes, “mostly because of who our students are.”

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NOVEMBER 2008

Wabash

Tag Teamin’ With Billy and Cody Classically Conversational Luke Blakeslee ‘11 Staff Writer

These two WNDY disc jockeys bag politics with goof, working original humor into important discussion. “We want to lighten the mood for guys, yet give them some solid information,” says the sophomore Evans. The onceweekly show includes a segment on just about everything, as its opening line, “News, Sports, and Weather…

Together”, identifies. They get down to business with Salutes and Pollutes, a witty critique of national, state, and Wabash headlines. Their critical analyses have in the past included such topics as adding support to the iconic Joe the Plumber and, albeit reluctantly,

The Dark Knight came out in theaters this past summer. Its general plot development was fairly easy to anticipate: When there is gross injustice; when the world becomes polluted with evil and no one is there to step up against it; when good things get ruined by bad people; and when good people get ruined by bad things, the stud hero Batman bounds to the scene, and all is not lost. Billy Evans and Cody Stipes may not immediately compare themselves much to Batman, but I think maybe they ought. “No, Luke, we really don’t compare ourselves to Batman,” they tell me. But still I persist. “What about that one scene where he’s like, ‘Woah!’, and they’re like, ‘Woah!’?” Blank stares. “No, no, Luke, not really.” Well Mr. Stipes, you can jump in a lake. Let my claim stand to be judged.

There exists a phenomenon surrounding politics. At the heart of the usual political climate are harsh tones, underlying agendas, personal attack, and, of course, personal bias.

Any mention of politics rouses an incredibly high sense of emotion Billy and Cody pause for a photo in people. In ever yday politics talk people get offended, or ignored, shame onto the once again choking or rubbed the wrong way, or simply Cubs. The showmen do however try to too caught up in their own personal keep much of the focus on the pressing opinion to listen to others. This all political issues at hand. As Evans goes turns anger on and discussion off. on, “You know, we do have a lot of fun, Such a negatively charged climate is an but we still want to be informative. injustice against politics that Messrs. We’ve really hit big on presidential Billy Evans and Cody Stipes are seek- debate coverage, our nation’s economic ing to amend. With their radio show crisis, different ideas surrounding Tag Teamin’ with Billy and Cody, they the proposed financial bail-out— the have opened a new avenue for political topics that really deserve the most conversation, aspiring to spark and attention.” hold an appreciation for politics that Following this leading news segpolitics deserves. Together they have ment is the creatively critiquing Sarah worked hard to develop a refreshingly Palin Hour. The jockeys just cannot get different approach to that wearisome enough of the Governor and former social science we call politics. vice presidential hopeful. Evans again

jumps in, “There are a lot of things about her we find intriguing, not to mention physically attractive.” Yet Stipes, also a sophomore, counters, claiming that even despite his infatuation he considers the Governor’s appeal significantly lessened when she begins talking. “Although”, he pauses, “you’ve got to love that accent.”

At the close of each show is the Final Countdown, which they each agree is one of the defining features of the show. They highlight ten issues of the previous week that were especially noteworthy and relevant to current discussion. They cover these key issues to the backdrop of the segment’s namesake, Europe’s “Final Countdown”. Throughout the show the jockeys enjoy plugging in songs of all nature, anything that might at the moment be fitting.

I wondered if the Batman theme song were ever fitting. “Maybe,” guffaws Stipes, “like if we were wearing capes and shooting cronies or something.” However, if you were to visit the show’s Facebook site you may wonder whether the wearing of capes and shooting of cronies were so farfetched. As always, these men take care of business.

The jockeys tackle another of what I consider to be an example of an existing injustice against politics.

They claim that the basic goals of their radio show are to promote not only political involvement, but also the creation of open forums for political discussion. Where differences exist between the men’s opinions, they confront them head-on. As Stipes reasons, “There’s no hiding among the hedges.

You’ve got to take the bull by the horns, as it were.” Yet the men go one step further to ensure proper balance and debate in their broadcast. He continues, “When Billy takes a more liberal look at something, I’ll combat it from a more conservative perspective, and continued on page 22 (Tag-Teamin)

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Perspectives

Thinking Critically about American Polarization Zachary Rohrbach ‘12 Staff Writer Americans tend to have a peculiarity that defies logical explanation.

For a nation known as a union whose citizens affectionately tout the motto “United We Stand,” America is divided on almost every issue and in almost every setting. From the great halls of Congress to the classic halls of a certain small liberal arts school in the cornfields of Indiana, the adversarial nature that is an American trademark touches all of our personal and group interactions.

Embedded deep in the American conscience there is an intense love of competition: be it football or Monopoly. However, competition is never isolated to sports and board games.

Politics, religion, and academics all entail intense competition, but what is peculiar about this competition is that there are always precisely two sides.

The polarization of our society takes away the need for us to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely.

Let’s start with the most obvious of America’s dualisms: politics. How is it that every issue of national importance has two sides: Democratic and Republican? And what happy coincidence it is that there is little debate about how each party should feel about the issue at hand. Is there one Democrat that opposes universal healthcare or Republican that supports it?

The machine that is American politics is comprised of nothing more than robots adhering to their party’s position of the hour, and often that position does not even match the philosophy of the party. As an example, rewind to 2003 and consider the issue of preemptive warfare. Now, try and explain why it was overwhelmingly Republicans who supported this tremendously liberal idea when they

themselves, if they must be partisan, are conservatives. The boundaries that define Republican are arbitrarily defined in such a way that members of this group need no mind or opinion of their own. Politicians are excused from the burden of thinking critically, acting responsible, leading effectively, and living humanely.

Unfortunately, polarization is not confined to the political arena – it spans farther. Consider Christian religion in America, which carries a subtler, yet equally disturbing form of polarization. Since the Reformation, there has been a divide between Catholic and Protestant churches that is understandable to a certain extent, as these two churches are separate by definition. However, the problem lies not in the schism between the Catholic Church and the Protestant churches, but in the schism between Catholics and Protestants themselves.

The intense repelling of these two groups of Christians is not nearly as prevalent today than it was even in our parents’ childhood, but Protestants still find themselves sniffing at papists, who in turn scoff back. Christianity should be better than that. Statements from Protestants such as “Christians and Catholics should work together,” don’t help the situation either. Catholics are Christians. We don’t need to create divisions where there aren’t any. On the other end, the “Protestant bashing” that goes on within the Catholic Church is unbelievable. Is not one of the foundations of any form of Christianity the belief that humans should not judge one another? Christianity does itself detriment when its membership refuses to be one body in Christ.

Polarization penetrates to the very roots of our society: cities, towns and schools - even to places such as Wabash College. The most noteworthy dichotomous division here on campus is the ever-present Independent

versus Greek division. To be clear, house pride or pride in the Greek system itself is a wonderful thing, but there is a huge problem with the way Independents and fraternities view and treat each other. The popular theory of Independent inferiority is unfounded and detrimental to school unity. Whatever notions there may be about a lack of pride in Wabash or an abundant antisocialism in the ranks of the GDI’s, they are unfounded. There are antisocial Independents and those who shrug off Wabash tradition, but you can find those people anywhere in the College. The extent to which my fellow freshman Independents and I participate in Wabash activities is equal or greater than my fraternity friends. Anti-Independent sentiment is silly, and Wabash gentlemen should be more mature than that.

But to ignore the Independents’ role in this situation would be exacerbating the problem. Many Independents would like to categorically deny the merits of the fraternities here at Wabash. The fact is that Wabash is a unique place, and the Greek system here is one of our signatures. While fraternity life is not for everyone, the Greek system shapes the college life of all us Little Giants, and without it we would not be the campus we are.

So please quit this Independent versus Fraternity rubbish. If we here at Wabash cannot overcome our polarization, how can we expect the rest of the nation to do so?

The grouping of ourselves into polar divisions is a convenient way to shrug the duties that the Wabash mission statement demands of us. We must think critically and determine our own beliefs, act responsibly so as not to find ourselves trapped on the slippery slope of group conformity, lead effectively to garner progress and not stagnation in the web of polarization, and live humanely by treating each other with the respect we all deserve.

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Religion

Come, Come Ye Hoosier Saints The Mormons of Montgomery County Adam Brasich ‘11 Copy Editor Though one might not notice it, Crawfordsville is a fairly diverse community when it comes to religion.

The city boasts thriving Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Catholic congregations in addition to countless churches that sprinkle the city and the surrounding farmlands. Just like many communities, Crawfordsville is also home to a small population of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormons. Having visited Mormon Utah this summer, I was interested in seeing how the faith expresses itself in this little hamlet in west-central Indiana. Though small in number, the Latter-day Saint (LDS) community in Crawfordsville is a vibrant one that counts among its own two Wabash professors: Dr. Martin Madsen of the Physics Department and Dr. Eric Freeze of the English Department.

When I entered into Dr. Madsen’s office on the third floor of Goodrich Hall, I looked around for evidences of his faith. On one shelf I noticed a copy or two of the Book of Mormon, a book he has read countless times.

Also, on one of his walls there is a picture of the statue of Christ located in the North Visitor Center at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Dr. Madsen grew up LDS in southeastern Michigan as a distinct minority in his community, and it was during his high school years that he truly claimed his faith as his own. Praying about the veracity

Crawfordsville LDS ward on Hwy 16

of the Book of Mormon at age 14, Dr. Madsen believes that the Holy Spirit confirmed the book’s inspiration by providing him with a “sense of peace.”

Several years later, he decided to serve as a missionary for two years in Venezuela, where he underwent a journey of self-discovery. While the professor says that he did not particularly enjoy certain aspects of his mission, he learned the important lesson that “when you put your life in the Lord’s hands, different things can happen than you expected.” His faith strengthened, and remained strong during his college years. Indeed, Dr. Madsen said while he was courting his girlfriend (now wife), he racked up expensive phone bills because they would read the Book of Mormon together over a long-distance telephone line. Even today they read it nightly.

Dr. Madsen and his wife were married in a LDS temple right outside of Washington, D.C. Only active members who are recommended by their local bishop can attend rites performed in temples, and while participants cannot reveal what goes on in the ceremonies, I’ve been jokingly assured that nothing nefarious

happens there. Instead, according to Dr. Madsen, there is an atmosphere of absolute peace. When he is at the temple, he gets the opportunity to experience tranquility and be able to meditate and catch on to the Holy Spirit’s “quiet promptings.” Worship in the temple provides Dr. Madsen with an opportunity to connect with God in the place where, according to BYU theologian Dr. Truman G. Madsen, “heaven meets earth.”

Dr. Eric Freeze, like Dr. Madsen, is a cradle Mormon. He was born into a Canadian LDS family, served a two year mission in southern France, and graduated from Brigham Young University. He bares a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, which he has read at least twenty times. Concerning that book, the English professor says: “I really believe that it has truth in it and that it brings people close to God.” His testimony of the book is based upon prayer and feelings which he believes are the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Being a writer, it might be assumed that Dr. Freeze’s faith – an essential element of his identity – would influence his writing. It absolutely does, but

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Religion not in the way that one might expect.

Dr. Freeze attempts to normalize Latter-day Saints in his fiction. Some of his creative writings do include LDS characters. However, their “Mormonness” is not their defining characteristic. Instead, it is incidental. While certain aspects of the culture might evidence itself, his writing does not make Mormonism a central focus of the work. Instead of being didactic or faith-building, Dr. Freeze’s fiction, when Mormonism does make an entrance, utilizes the faith as a normal characteristic amongst many others.

As I was discussing LDS theology with Dr. Freeze, I asked him for thoughts of Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the LDS Church. He acknowledged that Smith, like all humans, had his flaws. However, do the sins of Joseph necessarily disapprove his status as a prophet? A great difference between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity, according to Dr. Freeze, is the amount of distance between the present time and the time of the establishment of the faiths. It has been approximately 2,000 years since Christ walked the earth, while only less than 200 years separate us from the time of Joseph Smith. Since relatively little time has passed since the early 19th century, there are many existing narratives concerning Smith and his followers that are contradictory. Some of these reflect poorly on the prophet, while others are hagiographic in nature. For humans, it is easier to believe in ancient things where the narratives are cohesive and positive.

Dr. Freeze then posed what I found to be a pertinent question to the discussion: Were Christ present on earth today, would Christians believe Him? Unfortunately, he thinks, the answer would be negative.

“What does it mean to be Latterday Saint in Crawfordsville?” I posed this question to both Dr. Madsen and Dr. Freeze, and I was surprised by the positive enthusiasm in which they answered the question. Dr. Madsen said that it “allows me to stand for what I believe in.” He never feels that it is a particular hardship to be a member of a distinctive minority in his com-

munity. Instead, it energizes him to live his faith all the more. He cannot simply follow the crowd like one could in a place such as Utah where Latterday Saints are the majority. Instead, it is precisely because it is not the norm that he finds it much easier to claim the faith in Crawfordsville. Dr. Freeze gave a very similar answer. Having lived in a city in Canada where Latter-day Saints made up 80% of the population and then having attended Brigham Young University, Dr. Freeze knows all too well what it is like to live in a majority Mormon community. He feels that in such communities there is an unfortunate mixing of what he termed “cultural and gospel elements” through the normalization of the LDS lifestyle into the mainstream culture. However, the situation obviously is much different in Crawfordsville, where there is no opportunity for “group think.”

One chooses the faith and its life, which makes it more meaningful. On the whole, living in Crawfordsville has proved to be a boon for the faiths of Drs. Madsen and Freeze.

To gain further understanding of the LDS faith, I made the trek to the Crawfordsville ward (local congregation) off Highway 136. The church is a small, brown brick building that just looks like any other church that has been built in the past 50 years. The interior is likewise reminiscent that of a modern Baptist church, with the pulpit taking prominence in the center of the church and comfortable pews lining the sanctuary horizontally. The attendance on that particular Sunday reasonably filled the sanctuary with families of all ages. There were around one hundred congregants in attendance. The ward’s bishop opened the service (called a Sacrament Meeting) by the reading of various announcements. This was followed by a very traditional opening hymn. After some church business was completed, young men began preparing for the Sacrament, which is comparable to Protestant communion services. Indeed, aesthetically it is similar to the communion practices of Restorationist churches like the Churches of Christ or the Disciples of Christ. The bread

is blessed by holders of the Aaronic Priesthood (the lower priesthood held by young men) and is then distributed to the congregants pew by pew. Then, water is blessed and passed around the congregation. The LDS use water instead of wine or grape juice because Joseph Smith claimed that God had specifically instructed the church to use water in the sacrament.

While at most sacrament meetings speakers are chosen from out of the congregation to speak on any given topic, the particular Sunday I visited the Crawfordsville ward was Testimony Sunday. During a testimony meeting, any member – no matter how young – can step up to the pulpit and deliver a testimony of either the LDS Church or of the principles of the faith. For 35 minutes, Latter-day Saints gave their testimonies. Among the major themes were the importance and truthfulness of the Church, the importance of temple work, and the blessings of family. The speakers ranged from grandmothers to nervous little girls to beamingly proud fathers.

At this meeting, the devotion of the ward members to their church was on full display.

Following the Sacrament Meeting were Sunday School and Priesthood/ Relief Society meetings. The Sunday School session was quite similar to those found in mainstream Christian churches, focusing on how to apply Scriptural principles to everyday life was paramount. The great difference, naturally, was that the text studied was the Book of Mormon, and the words of the president-prophets of the LDS Church were often referenced.

After Sunday School, the men went to priesthood meetings while the women went to a meeting of what is known as the Relief Society. Since my host was a member of the Melchizedek Priesthood, I followed him to his meeting, which consisted of an in-depth discussion of the LDS doctrine of the afterlife.

The quality of the dialogue during that 50-minute session would be a pastor’s dream. The level of doctrine discussed was deep, and it was obvious that the members were quite knowledgeable continued on page 22 (Mormon)

PAGE 12

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NOVEMBER 2008

Cover Feature

Mission Failure Students become scapegoat for irresponsible administration Brent Kent ‘09 Jay Horrey ‘09

On October 28, 2007, Wabash College freshman Patrick Woehnker, 19, fell to his death after gaining access to the roof of an academic building. Woehnker and four other students entered the building via an underground maintenance tunnel.

The five underage students had consumed alcohol, but it was ruled out as a factor in the accident.

College officials claimed the students had entered the tunnel through a man hole and that the building was secure.

H o w e v e r, f o l low ing an unrelated investigation the following year, an incident report surfaced that showed the college found earlier the same week that students were entering the building through the tunnel.

The incident report completed by campus security for the Associate Dean’s office, just six days before Woehnker’s death, stated that there were “footprints coming from the tunnels in Center Hall goodrich [the academic building]” and that it “lokks [sic] like someone has been in tunnels.”

It is not clear what, if any, action the college took to keep students out of the building following the October 22nd report

of the student entry.

However, even more devastating is a Crawfordsville police report requested by The Phoenix staff that revealed the group specifically went to Goodrich Hall because, as one student stated, “Patrick said he wanted to go to Goodrich hall [sic] because he did the other night.”

Though it was possible that Woehnker was the same student who accessed the building six days before his death, the October 22nd incident report in which the college acknowledged the entry was not made public during the investigation or en su i ng med ia inquires. College officials denied the opportunity to immediately comment on this investigation.

Even more unanswered questions surround the college’s recent disbandment of the Beta Psi Chapter of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. On November 6, 2008, President White sent an e-mail informing the campus community of their decision to withdraw recognition of the fraternity and declared the house a residence hall “effective immediately.”

In a statement released by the college explaining the decision,

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Cover Feature President White cited “a culture and practice of ungentlemanly committees and fine said institutions up to $27,700 per infracbehavior and irresponsible citizenship, which are inconsistent tion. As a result of the January request, The Phoenix staff sent the with Wabash’s Gentleman’s Rule, mission, and core values.” administration a copy of the federal law and a DoE compliance Delta Tau Delta students informed The Phoenix staff that they handbook, but a story on the log was not published. were told by the college that a decision on the fate of their house Eight months later at the end of September, and at the end of would be made at the end of the joint investigation being con- National Campus Safety Awareness Month (named so by Conducted by Wabash College and Delta Tau Delta International. gress July 2008), another request was made for the daily crime However, at 10:00 on the evening of November 5, the men log for a Bachelor investigation. By the 48th hour, it was evident of Delta Tau Delta were informed that their attendance was that the college would not only miss the deadline but that Wabash required at a meeting with college administrators at 7:15 the still did not have a log. following morning. At this meeting, Dean of Students Michael After a meeting with Dean Raters on October 2, 2008, it was Raters informed the men that the college was disbanding Delta obvious that the college had not made any effort to solve the Tau Delta, terminating its lease, and requiring students over the problem which was brought to its attention nine months earlier. age of 21 to move out within 72 hours.

Dean Raters admitted the school did not have a log. “The point Though the college claimed to have reached this decision in of debate where I would agree with your point is that, do we have conjunction with Delta Tau Delta International, a division presi- a daily log? Well, apparently we don’t. I didn’t keep a daily log. dent called the decision “unilateral” and “disYou’ve asked for one a couple times and not appointing,” and the Executive Vice President it,” said Dean Raters, “but I don’t think The inter view indi- gotten of Delta Tau Delta Jim Russell said, as quoted that is from the DoE perspective—The paper in The Paper of Montgomery County, “we were cated that the college work that they send is what they look at to hopeful, upon the investigation’s completion, see if we’re in compliance—in my mind—and in partnering with the college on an appropri- did not understand therefore we are in compliance.” ate joint course of action.” interview indicated that the college the law and had yet didThe not understand the law and had yet to A Practice of Irresponsible Citizenship to carefully read the carefully read the compliance guide sent nine months earlier.

“Woehnker fell Sunday from the top of c o m p l i a n c e g u i d e Sadly, two nights later on October 4, Goodrich Hall, an academic building that 2008, Johnny Smith, age 18, died of acute s e n t n i n e m o n t h s alcohol poisoning. Due to the sensitivity of was closed at the time.” Fort Wayne Journal the events and the inevitable media coverage Gazette, October 30, 2007 earlier. the campus would be receiving, a report on the crime log investigation did not run in The Little else came from the investigation.

It was a simple but sad story in which a young made a foolish Bachelor that week. mistake, like most of us have done on any number of occasions.

After the campus climate started to return to some sort of Unfortunately, this one cost him his life. The campus grieved normalcy, another crime log request was made so that the invesfor the loss of a brother, sent sympathies and prayers to his fam- tigation could continue. However, this time the administration ily, and eventually recovered. The only other news received was responded immediately and made available a “daily crime log” a quiet and almost unnoticed coroner’s report a few weeks after of sorts that had supposedly existed all along unbeknownst to the tragedy that stated the nineteen-year-old’s blood alcohol the administration. content of .04%.

The log was an internal document maintained by Campus Roughly three months after his death, The Phoenix staff was Security which listed summaries of incident reports made to investigating campus security issues and made a formal request the Associate Dean. Most of the incidents were not of the type for a copy of the college’s daily crime log, a public log which is required to be maintained in the federally mandated log. Some federally mandated by the Jeanne Clery Act. The law gives the entries named students or discussed sensitive but non-criminal college 48 hours to comply with public requests, but the college incidents which some could argue were not in the college’s best did not meet the deadline. No explanation was given other than interest to make public. It certainly did not appear to be mainignorance of the specific stipulation requiring the crime log. tained for public viewing.

The consequences of non-compliance are very grave. The The entry for October 22, 2007, just six days before Patrick Secretary of the Department of Education (DoE) is required to Woehnker’s death, is pictured below. report non-compliant institutions to appropriate congressional In the very next entry dated October 28, 2007, the comment

Log entry six days before Woehnker’s death.

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NOVEMBER 2008

Cover Feature section reads, “It was found that the subject entered tunnel by man hole by hays hall. Entered goodrich where he gained acsess to the roof. [sic]” The rest of the details need not be shared here.

Despite the existence of an incident report, initial news articles reported that the college had no idea how the students gained access to a secured building. Spokesperson Jim Amidon told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, “They’re [roofs] extremely dangerous places to be…The building itself was secure.” Though details about the students gaining entry through the maintenance tunnels were publicly acknowledged, the log entry made six days earlier was not.

It is unclear what actions the college took to mitigate the problem brought to their attention in the October 22, 2007 incident report. Recent events have raised similar concerns about the college administration’s decisions.

A Culture of Ungentlemanly Behavior On November 6, 2008, the college decided to withdraw recognition of the Beta Psi chapter of Delta Tau Delta due to a “culture and practice of ungentlemanly It i s t i m e t h at t he behavior and irresponsible citicollege takes an ob- zenship, which inconsistent jective look inside its are w ith Wabash ’s ow n hou se bec au se Gentleman’s Rule, mission, and core the trust between the values.” The decision was met with students and the cur- s u r pr i s e f rom students, alumni, rent administration and international fraternity leaderis broken, and in the ship.

After all, the very least the Gentle- college initially offered support to man’s Rule means folthe men of Delta low i ng t he law a nd Tau Delta. In a letter dated Octa k i ng ca re of each tober 15, 2008, President White other. informed college alumni that “Our first concern in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy was the welfare of the young men in Delta Tau Delta and Johnny’s friends in the Class of 2012.”

However, later in the process of the investigation, the college failed to keep students, alumni, and the international fraternity informed. “We received more information from the police than the college administration,” said Delta Tau Delta senior Matthew Lee, “it’s the same thing that’s been going on for the last five or six weeks. He [Dean Raters] comes in and talks for a long time

The towers of Center Hall

and doesn’t really say anything.”

Though the students and alumni were told the conclusion of an official investigation would determine the future of their house, the college acted swiftly and—literally—overnight to disband the fraternity. The campus community, as well the alumni, and international fraternity were shocked by the surprise decision.

Eastern Division President of Delta Tau Delta International, Larry Altenburg, said, “I expect the college is doing what they need to do to cover their own interests.”

Details on the culture and practice of ungentlemanly behavior and irresponsible citizenship were not given, and many have disagreed with the administration’s characterization of the men in the house.

The men of Delta Tau Delta have had a very difficult semester.

They’ve endured three investigations. All of the members have gone through counseling, and some are receiving medical treatment related to the emotional trauma.

Wabash College President Patrick White was away from campus and unavailable for immediate comment. The Dean of Students, Michael Raters, abruptly cancelled a scheduled interview and declined to answer the questions until the following week.

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NOVEMBER 2008

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Cover Feature

Authors’ Note:

It is important not to confuse these new findings. Patrick Woehnker broke the Gentleman’s Rule in entering the tunnels and Goodrich Hall. Let that not be forgotten. However, it is our belief that the above facts suggest that the college administration has also promoted and practiced a culture of ungentlemanly behavior and irresponsible citizenship, which are inconsistent with Wabash’s Gentleman’s Rule, mission, and core values.

Did the administration submit the October 22, 2007 incident report to police? If not, did they believe it was irrelevant to the investigation?

The administration was also unresponsive to investigations into possible violation of federal law.

Seemingly to protect their interests, the college manipulated and misled the brothers of Delta Tau Delta, and, under questionable circumstances before an investigation was even completed, the administration issued a verdict condemning the brothers and casting them out on their own.

The administration will defend students in so far as it does not threaten the administration’s own interests. It is ironic that the administration should cite the Gentleman’s Rule against the brothers of Delta Tau Delta when the administration itself has threatened the integrity of the same rule.

Certainly some questions will be raised in to the appropriateness of this investigation. When the facts came to our attention, we discussed at length those very questions. Is writing this story the right thing to do? Are the consequences it will have on the college worth it? Is it morally just not to publish this story?

Ultimately, we decided that by not making the results of our investigation public, we would be aiding in covering it up. Though there are considerable consequences to this article, we are doing what we think is right because the college did not.

If we, as a college, are to gain anything from these tragedies, all parties involved must share the responsibility. This administration, however, has placed the burden solely on students. It is time that the college takes an objective look inside its own house, because the trust between the students and the current administration is broken. After all, in the very least the Gentleman’s Rule means following the law and taking care of each other.

Order of Events October 22, 2007

Campus Security reports footprints leading from tunnels into Goodrich Hall.

October 27-28, 2007

Patrick Woehnker falls from roof of Goodrich Hall after gaining access through tunnels.

January 21, 2008

The first request for the daily crime log is made.

January 23, 2008

The college misses 48 hour deadline. A reprieve is granted and the college recieves DoE compliance guide and a copy of the law.

September 29, 2008

The second request for the daily crime log is made.

October 1, 2008

The college again misses the 48 hour deadline.

October 2, 2008

Dean Raters admits the college does not have a daily log but denies it is in violation of the Clery Act.

October 4, 2008

Johnie Smith dies of acute alcohol poinsoning.

October 7, 2008

In light of recent tragedy, the Dean’s office is informed the Bachelor will not print the investigation into the crime log.

October 14, 2008

President White holds a mandatory Chapel Talk.

October 20, 2008

The third request for the daily crime log is made. Informed that it could be picked up at Campus Services or the Dean’s Office.

(College makes public October 22, 2007 incident report.)

November 6, 2008

Email notifying the college of the administrations decision to disban the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

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NOVEMBER 2008

Perspectives

Advancing Conservatism An Interview with Kate Obenshain Mike Bellis ‘12

Staff Writer

Wabash Conservative Union: How did your political career begin?

Kate Obenshain: I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and my father was very active in politics. In fact, he ran for the U.S. Senate and won.

However, he died in a plane crash, and John Warner took up the mantle and was elected to the senate in 1978, so he’s been there a long time. That’s when I got involved – when I was a little girl. I was one of those strange children that loved political speeches and watching the news. When I was ten, Reagan became President, and that really solidified my desire to be involved and try to make a difference.

He was everything I believed in – he had this capacity to comfort and inspire a nation after the disastrous presidency of Jimmy Carter. Now, we are on the precipice of having another Carter-esque administration – and that should really be scary. Young people don’t remember, but many of the things Barack Obama talks about – that’s what Carter did as President.

It should make old-timers sit up and take notice, and young people should turn to their history books.

WCU: What was it like running the Virginia GOP? Obenshain: It was the hardest job I’ve ever had and hopefully ever will have.

The best part of the job was working with the grassroots, working with the people that put on the potlucks, or the chicken dinners, the auctions, and the barbecues. Those are the people who make up our party; they are the foundation of our party. They are willing

to leave their families, their kids, jobs, and go out and sacrifice and build the party because they believe in it because it supports their values. The harder part was dealing with the elected officials or the party officials. With a governing body of over 80 people, its like trying to heard cats. There’s a lot of complaining and second-guessing, and really you have to decide that your vision is for the party. Mine was build the grassroots, build the party from the ground up, implement technology, because the democrats are getting so far ahead of us. I became chairmen in 2003. I got to go through the Karl Rove/ Ken Mehlman election of President Bush, and I got to see what is happening at the local and state level. It made me have an appreciation for how important technology is, but also how to run a campaign from the bottom up, to make sure you have everybody on board, to make sure you have all your coalitions addressed, and everybody pulling in the same direction. That’s the reason George Bush became our President in 2004 – because of the massive operation to focus on technology and micro-targeting, [such as the] focus on what magazines people read so you could send mailings to their house that pique their interest. Overall, it was a fascinating experience, probably the hardest experience of my life, but the most rewarding too.

WCU: We see that in 2004, 54% of the electorate described themselves as “Conservative” or “Slightly Conservative.” Why do you think Sen. Obama has such a spectacular following?

Obenshain: We’re still figuring it out.

[Chuckles] He (Sen. Obama) is a phenomenon. He has this unique ability to connect to individuals, and I think that’s what it really is. His lofty rhetoric

based on “change” and bi-partisanship, really appeals to people. People love the idea that we’re not going to be bickering and that we can just be one glorious happy family. I think it’s a disservice to our country because the reason our country and way of life is so vibrant is because we have the free and open exchange of ideas. It’s because we have Democrats and Republicans who argue from their hearts what they believe and because of that clash of ideas we come out with the best possible ideas. We have to sell our ideas to the American people. We don’t do what Barack Obama is stating, “We’re going to go beyond your ideas, and have consensus and harmony.” That is based on nothingness - it’s based on feelings and emotions, and he has a unique ability to touch people’s emotions. Sen. Obama gets them to turn away from ideas, logic, and reality and have people reaching for this nebulous notion of peace, joy, hope, and change.

I can’t explain how he has done this from a technology standpoint. But yes, he has implemented the Karl Rove playbook, play-by-play. He has developed coalitions in unions, churches – all the national coalitions and brand new coalitions. He has been working on them masterfully for at least two years, but arguably longer than that.

But it’s really his hypnotic rhetoric that really disturbs and bothers me. But as a student of American history, I see our country going in a different direction with Barack Obama and it makes me very uncomfortable.

WCU: Oftentimes people confuse the Conservatism and “Republicanism.”

Where do you think the difference is, and why is the line often times blurred.

Obenshain: I am a conservative first. I

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Perspectives champion ideas and analyze elections.

I’m a Republican because I think the GOP is the best vehicle for furthering our conservative ideals. It is the only practical political vehicle right now for furthering conservative principles – and the best. Some people say, “ I’m a Republican first and I’ll do anything to support and build the party, just for the sake of the party.” I think your party is determined by your philosophy. My philosophy is what drives me.

Furthering and promoting an individuals freedoms and liberty – that’s why I’m involved. I can do that best by articulating my position in newspaper articles on college campuses, speaking at conferences, but also being involved in the Republican Party structure. So really, I see it as a vehicle to further my ideas. I fight to keep the conservative party conservative; I fight those internal battles between moderates ad conservatives. I get in there, roll up my sleeves, and fight hard to make sure the governing body of the party supports conservative principles.

WCU: In 2006, you left the Virginia GOP. How did you keep active in the political arena?

Obenshain: The first thing I did in 2006 after George Allen lost the U.S. Senate race [that] is I went to work as his Chief-of-Staff for the brief time until the end of is term. George Allen was one of the reasons I became involved in the party - his beliefs in the founding principle of our country and his “conservative-first” stance. I wanted to see his term out and wrap it up in as positive a manner as I could.

After that, I don’t really know how but FOX News called me. I think National Review had noticed and then recommended me to them. I was requested to speak on FOX News sort of as a “talking head” or political analyst. So, I have done that consistently for three years now - also MSNBC, CNN, Larry King. I never watch it, but I’m on it!

[Laughs] I also have four children, and that is what I spend the bulk of my time doing – being a mother to these four children. But at the beginning of

the summer I decided that in addition to doing television and speaking on college campuses, I wanted to do something full time where I could really be promoting my values and my principles. The means for doing that for me is Young America’s Foundation (YAF.) At the beginning of the summer, I went to work as a vice president there. I’ll be doing a lot of media work, but also just working with the students on college campuses. We own the Reagan Ranch out in California, and our goal is to pass along Ronald Reagan’s principles and visions to you guys – the rising generation. The ideas of Reagan are in essence those of our Founding Fathers. Unfortunately, young people don’t know that – they don’t know Ronald Reagan. If we can pass along a little bit of Ronald Reagan to the next generation, I believe we would do a real service to our country.

WCU: All across America, we see conservatives harangued for their opinions. This is happening so much so that some are breaking away from the movement. What is your opinion on such conservatives, and what about those of us who haven’t abandoned the cause?

Obenshain: Let me just say that those “conservatives” that are jumping ship, they love where they are right now because the liberal media loves them – so do Democrats. But in a couple weeks time, they’re going to be dropped like a hot potato. Nobody’s going to care about them; they’re going to go back to being scorned and disdained by the Left – just as John McCain has experienced. Those conservatives are enjoying their little day in the sun after they’ve been used, because that’s what the Left does. Whenever I start to think I’m hot stuff, something great happens, or I get a particular accolade, all I have to do is go to the blogs to bring me down a peg or two – I keep my feet on the ground. It’s stunning to see how cruel, vicious and untruthful people are. All I can say is it’s done a lot to strengthen my faith, and I think that’s been a great outcome of the

criticism of it. You realize you can’t care what all these people, who have too much time on their hands, think about you. You have to care what your Creator thinks about you and the people closest to you. I am again in it because I feel as though I have a purpose, and that is to share what I believe are right ideas, and I’m not going to stop because I irritate some people on the Left or, frankly, people within my own party. I see a lot of those folks for what they are.

WCU: Wabash, being an all-male school, doesn’t often get a female perspective on things. What is your opinion on Sarah Palin as a woman and as a conservative?

Obenshain: Sarah Palin has suffered the most grossly sexist treatment of any woman on the public scene that I have ever witnessed. Most of it is coming from the Left – from those supposedly open-minded, tolerant, feminists, or progressive men who claim to be so high and open-minded. It reveals their cause is a complete and utter sham.

Their entire careers have been built on something false because they do not believe in equality for all women.

They believe in equity and supremacy for liberal women. It has nothing to do with all women. Conservative women suffer more scorn and contempt than any [other] women do – it’s appalling.

Coming from the perspective of a, not hockey, but a soccer mom, I love Sarah Palin. I love the image she projects. I love her confidence in being a mother and being proud to carry her infant son onto the stage. You don’t see women in the spotlight doing that – ever. Some people think it’s a weakness to have a baby and act in your role as a mother.

Gov. Palin is saying it is not only OK; it is essential that we put our children first in our lives. That’s why she carries baby Trig on stage.

WCU: Do you think Gov. Palin was a good choice for John McCain?

Obenshain: I think she was the best choice for John McCain.

PAGE 18

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NOVEMBER 2008

Wabash

Gridiron and Grit Great stories from Wabash football a venerable institution.” This status allowed Cayou’s football teams to gain regional and state recognition for their scrappiness. Cayou also coined the Sitting here in Lancaster, England, moniker “Little Giants,” praising his I have found time to ponder many team for out-fighting their bigger opthings—most notably how much I ponents. An Indianapolis newsman miss our dear college. I remember my overheard the comments, printed “Ringing In” ceremony and a passage them the next day, and Wabash teams read by President White from Shake- have been known as the Little Giants speare’s Henry V after the English had ever since. defeated the French at the Battle of The more celebrated account dealAvincourt: “We ing with Coach fe w, we happy Cayou is during few…. we band halftime of a 1907 of brothers.” Wagame against St. bash men are that Louis University. band of broth“Ki,” as his players, and though ers referred to it might sound him, told all of trite, being away them how proud from the place he was of their makes me long efforts through to return to the the f irst ha lf campus and its even though they people. Fortutrailed. Then he nately, I did bring told them, “You’ve a long my copy got to beat them, of These Fleeting boys – you’ve got Years , a book is to beat them! And vita l to underI will not start a standing our hissingle one of you David Kogan (Public Affairs photo) tory, traditions, this half unless and what brings this brotherhood you will take my hand and promise together. With the Monon Bell Classic that you will not leave the field without rapidly approaching, I was even more a victory.” Each one of his players put absorbed to read and write about our in their hands and promised “Ki” they Wabash legacy. would go out and fight. The result: One of the addresses recorded in Wabash-12 St. Louis-11.

These Fleeting Years is a 1953 Chapel Another Wabash football legend is Talk by Dean Trippet, who told the Coach Pete Vaughn. His tenure was story of Francis Cayou, the head Wa- from 1919 to 1945, and during that bash football coach from 1904-1907. period, he compiled a record of 113 This was a groundbreaking time in victories, 84 losses, and 23 ties. His Wabash history. In 1900, as Trippet squads from 1921-1926 shut out DePrelates, “the college had reached an auw by an incredible combined score age and had achieved a reputation of 118-0. Another remarkable fact: which caused her friends and admir- Coach Vaughn, from 1927 onward, did ers to begin to regard the college as not let limited funding deter him from

Nagdeman ‘10 Kyle Staff Writer

“You’ve got to beat them, boys- you’ve got to beat them! And I will not start a single one of you this half unless you will take my hand and promise that you will not leave the field without a victory.”

—Coach Francis Cayou fielding competitive teams year after year, compiling a record of 72-60-19 during that time period.

It would seem proper at this point to spin a few yarns about Monon Bell games that Wabash likes to remember and DePauw wants to forget.

Unfortunately, I have to bring up last years miracle by a kicker from a certain school that starts with a “D” and ends in a “W.” Nevertheless, Wabash has also been the provider of some last minute heroics, and a few that come to mind are the 1986, 1991, and 1992 games.

The Little Giants came from behind in the 1986 game in the 4th quarter to beat DePauw 24-23, with a minute left and the game winning field goal delivered by Tim Pliske. This was a very extraordinary come back, considering that at the start of the 4th quarter Wabash trailed 23-7.

A similar story can be told for the 1992 classic. Once again Wabash was down to DePauw – this time a margin of 17-7 at the end of the first half. The Little Giants picked away at the lead with freshman quarterback Chris Ings leading the charge. In the final seccontinued on page 23 (Gridiron)

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PAGE 19

Perspectives

Probably Biased Why won’t the media admit it?

Adam Current ‘11 Staff Writer Amid all the fuss during this election, I wonder if anybody else has grown tired of the finger pointing regarding media biases. And if the finger pointing in itself wasn’t enough, we have to endure tiresomely clichéd slogans (i.e. “ CNN: No Bias No Bull ” or “ FOX: Fair and Balanced ”) that claim objectivity and are repeated with propaganda-like zeal.

I think this matter could be solved entirely if we just rid ourselves of ‘objective news’ and made networks admit to their biases— partisan news would be more honest and would truly allow for ideas to compete.

Before examining biases, I first need propose a few ideas concerning objectivity. Firstly, to be objective means the ability for one to separate oneself from sentiments in order to examine something both calmly and rationally. Secondly, the objective world is the world in which truth lies and concrete events occur in their entirety. Here is where the problem occurs: We are emotional creatures, blinded by our sentiments and unable to separate ourselves from our beliefs/biases. Ergo, we as humans are unable to completely access the objective world in its entirety. Our biases, obtained (a posteriori) through life experiences, determine how we interpret the objective world. In addition, since our biases interpret the objective world, it is indeed possible for our biases to strengthen or weaken themselves in accordance to what we hear. Here’s an example: As a concrete event, let’s say we

have a horrific two-car accident that point for yourself, try watching FOX’s leaves both cars fused together and Hannity and Colmes—a show that is drivers with life-threatening injuries. dedicated to both strong conservaAfter hearing this fact and filtering it tive and liberal viewpoints only yields through their biases, here is how a few arguing!

As was earlier stated, it would be parties may react via first impressions.

The physics student may much easier if media outlets would first question the force just admit their biases. Think about it. of the impact so that the Instead of wasting untold amounts of energy transferred was time debating on who is being fair, we able to fuse the two cars could just cut to the chase and hear the together. The Christian, news. Why not skip the guesswork and such as myself, would listen to the news that agrees with your wonder if they are saved. viewpoint? In addition, if the outlets Meanwhile, a third per- were honest, then the news environson yearns for univer- ment would finally resemble a free sal healthcare. In this market as opposed to bitter ideological example, we witness a enemies pretending to get along.

I ask you (and be honest with yourconcrete objective event interpreted through bias- self), why are you reading The Phoenix? es and the resulting prod- Aren’t you aware that we are biased? uct, i.e., first impressions. Maybe this is where the idea works: (Note: Although I merely address first We don’t lie about our views and you read it all the impressions, same. Would t h i s wou ld this concept inevitably afnot work for fect the ‘spin’ a liberal/proof the event gressive pubc o ve r e d . It lication? Inshou ld folstead of forclow that this ing “objective “ bias filter” equa lit y ” by would show providing the when hea rtoken consering about the vative, liberal, event in the and moderate news.) v iew poi nt s, I f w h a t Keith Olbermann and Bill O’Reilly we simply I proposed holds true, the idea of objectivity in provide one. Why not have partisan reporting is quite absurd. Why should news networks that autonomously reporters be held to a different stan- function? The idea of partisan news dard than normal people? Are they too networks truly allows for competing ministers of truth? Relating this idea viewpoints and ultimately, lets the to other forms of news media, the idea consumer choose what they want to of objective reporting is as absurd as hear. While you run the risk of people thinking that the presentation of two vehemently getting stuck in their ways, sides of an argument will ultimately at least they’d be honest about where yield objectivity. If you want to see this they stand.

“...it would be much easier if media outlets would just admit their biases.”

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NOVEMBER 2008

Perspectives

Indiana Literature Tales from great Hoosiers

Dr. Stephen H. Webb ‘83

Faculty Contributor

I have been thinking about Midwestern literature lately, and re-reading Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. Anderson had no sense of plot, and he was careless with his characters, mooning over their inner lives while simultaneously taking inordinate pleasure in their lack of communicative skills. He immerses his characters in the most pathetic spiritual conditions, yet each of them has a greater story than any of them will ever be able to tell. Anderson is the quintessential literary liberal. He treats everyone the same, but only because he treats everyone as his cultural inferior and presumes that only the artist can give voice to the ostensibly mediocre lives produced by the modern world. Only in Russian literature do we have sto-

ries that can equal the viciousness of Anderson’s attack on rural life.

Having said all of that, there are stories in Winesburg that speak directly to the heart of the human condition, and no writer that I know can compare to Anderson’s mastery of the mood of unspoken sadness. But that is not what I want to talk about. What I want to say is that these stories could not have been set in Indiana. They are Ohio stories, as the title of the book announces, and they could not have been set anywhere else. Ohio went through industrialization sooner and quicker than Indiana, and its small towns were hit harder by the growth of its big cities. Small town life stayed strong through much of the twentieth century in Indiana, so no Indiana writer could have been this disparaging of the simple life.

Ohio is a state defined by its proximity to the east coast. It is and is not the Midwest, and therein lies its dis-

tinctiveness. Most of the characters in Anderson’s book came from the East, and they were looking to build new lives in a small town. In other words, they were unhappy to begin with, yet, stuck in a small Ohio town and bereft of the culture they had left behind, they were unable to make sense of their unhappiness. Most of the early settlers of Indiana came up from the South, more particularly, Appalachia.

They were people who trusted their own instincts, but they also had a deep trust in God, which Anderson’s characters do not. They combined self-reliance and reliance on God in a way that kept them optimistic in even the hardest of times. In many cases, the early settlers of Indiana were leaving the South because they wanted to leave slavery behind. Slavery offended their egalitarian sensibilities. Hoosiers embraced small town life, perhaps because everyone in Indiana was from

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Perspectives a small town, since even Indianapolis was little more than a very large small town. Anderson could not have set his stories in Indiana, and he would not have written them if he had been from Indiana.

I can imagine someone reading this and asking about The Magnificent Ambersons, Booth Tarkington’s 1918 best seller that won the Pulitzer Prize.

This book is indeed a vicious attack on small mindedness, just as it is also set in the era of the first tremors of industrialization. On the surface, it seems to be very similar to Anderson’s book.

However, the differences are fundamental. Tarkington attacks not small town life but the presumptions of inherited wealth. George Minafer, the main character, is an aristocrat who has no grasp of the dynamic nature of capitalism.

He is a European nobleman in a Hoosier setting, which makes him more ridiculous than tragic. Tarkington is thus defending small town values in this book. Minafer, in fact, thinks of himself as a gentleman, an aesthete, that is, a keeper of cultural standards. Tarkington is attacking the very idea of artistic privilege that Amberson advances, and he did this because he was a born and bred Hoosier.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not a fan of the message of The Magnificent Ambersons. It has an almost socialistic aversion the cultural consequences of inherited wealth, and it is also one of the most vicious attacks of the idea of gentleman ever written. George Minafer’s entire downfall, in fact, is rooted in his sense of honor, and no novel has ever been more single minded in dismantling the connection between masculinity and honor. Tarkington’s novel is thus much more radical than Anderson’s. He takes Hoosier humil-

ity and egalitarianism to an extreme, whereas Anderson’s book is, in the end, just another justification for the lonely artist who must flee his roots in order to find his voice, etc. Attacking privilege from the perspective of small town values is much more devastating than attacking small town values from the perspective of privilege.

Speaking of Indiana novels, without a doubt the great Hoosier novel is Raintree County, written by Ross Lockridge Jr. It is much neglected today because it is so long and the sappy movie version did it no favors, but also because its author committed suicide shortly after its publication, which left it orphaned in the world of literary self-promotion.

Raintree County was postmodern

country, and he now perceived a new beauty in the level of Raintree County.

It tranquilized the spirit, it was the image of space, it suggested civilization and good roads. It meant peace and plenty and contentment.”

The only other writer I know of who has been this penetrating about the Hoosier landscape is Michael Martone, who recently visited Indiana.

From an essay called “The Flatness,” he compares the land to abstract art. It is all surface, pure material and canvas.

But “those who live here begin to sense a slight unevenness.” When you live on flat land, you become very sensitive to the most subtle of disturbances. And here is a beautiful image from this fine essay: “And way off in the distance, the land almost met the paralleling sky, and the f lat-bottomed clouds, and there, between the land and clouds, hung a strip of air without color that the sun set through.” I feel sorry for people who did not grow up in Indiana but live here now, because I wonder if they will ever have t h at e x p e r i e nc e that Martone describes.

To get a sense of the particular form that wonder takes in Indiana you ahve to read Oliver Johnson’s A Home in the Woods: Pioneer Life in Indiana. Indiana was thick forest, and the trees were cleared one at a time. Think about that when you wonder about the plain spoken patience that is bred into the Indiana bone. And one last recommendation is a much neglected classic, Graham Hutton’s Midwest at Noon. The chapter entitled “The Cult of the Average” should be required reading for every Hoosier, though Hoosiers are much too polite to force such a thing on anyone.

WORDS

F

R

O

M

WEBB before postmodernity was invented.

Lockridge uses a variety of styles, and even incorporates social documents from a myriad of genres, in order to convey a vivid sense of the simple and settled quality of Hoosier life. Far from being an exercise in nostalgia, though, the book is brimming over with sexual energy and looks backward (the story is told in recollection) only in order to get a clear view of how different the future will prove to be. There is in this book a wonderful statement of what Indiana means. “Meanwhile, Corporal Johnny Shawnessy had begun to hate this earth that made him suffer so much. He was a man from the flat

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Tag Teamin continued from page 8

vice versa.

There are so many sides to politics; we generally believe that not all things are always just so black and white.”

Evans concurs, “You know, I always try to look at the candidates themselves, or an issue straight in the face. Whereas some people are all for one side and all against the other, I think it’s fair to say we play the moderate’s ticket.”

Interesting approach, gentlemen.

While this is not exactly the perspective of a Phoenix staff writer, it certainly is laudable nonetheless. The two men realize how fully healthy conversation depends on differing opinion, and therefore embrace any opportunity for intelligent debate. Certainly, the heart of a liberal arts environment beats with contest.

In this spirit Messrs. Evans and Stipes held on their show the widely acclaimed “Great Debate.” The October 13 showdown featured Obama supporter and Democrat activist Gary James ’10 in contest versus McCain enthusiast Mike Bellis ’12, two men whose views could not be more different. Despite their differences the two agreed to meet on the air to talk things over. The debate was formal and well-structured, with the contestants covering a wide range of key campaign issues. Tag Teamin’ provided a relaxed, objective arena for an intelligent contest; an arena which allowed for the discussion to at times become

Mormon continued from page 11

of their scriptures and their church’s doctrine. While there was some minor disagreement over interpretations, there was fundamental agreement over the teachings presented by the church publications.

Perhaps now is an appropriate time to make a crucial point – the LDS are not a homogenous group. When one usually thinks of the LDS Church, one thinks of a highly structured, authoritarian church led by one man and filled

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heated, intense, and passionate, yet still topical and informative. In other attempts made on campus to create such forums, the created atmosphere has rarely been so pure. The men can be proud knowing that their attempts to reform the political climate on campus have so far been effective.

Though this and the show’s other efforts are small in comparison to larger-scale projects put on by Senatefunded groups, they are efforts nonetheless. “We feel it is our way of making a contribution to the conversation at Wabash, that as citizen-students we are essentially obligated to do,” urges Evans, then grins, “You know, our show knows only three words: discussion, America, and Wabash.” It is this willingness to open the floor to critical comparison that becomes the backbone of social improvement.

According to the Gentleman’s Rule, critical comparison is the elixir vitae of Wabash. A fundamental pillar of personal character development first, in cooperative action critical analysis opens the blinds of skewed subjectivity to reveal a refreshing vista of forward motion. As weary politicians have for nearly two years now muddled through a mire of lie-supported funding, tirelessly degrading campaign ads, speeches that contain more flakey fluff than solid fiber, etc., the mention of constructive forward motion through critical thinking is certainly a notion of hope.

Of course, hope is a word that has been thrown around a lot lately. It is a classic catchphrase, which, once spo-

ken by the man behind the pulpit is taken up and bleated around by a herd of followers. But let us as men be not so sheepish. When a President of Wabash College speaks, we do not merely hang onto every word he says, mindlessly chanting phrases he has taught us to say. As the hope of our college depends so fully upon critical thinking, we must search out the meat in what he says and find what lies behind his smooth, often emotional talk. When we accept his plans of change without carefully looking into them and debating our agreement therewith, do we give up something that defines us as men and citizens? Of course.

The hope of our college rests upon our capacity and utility to think sensibly. We must be prudent investigators, first as independent gentlemen and collectively, in turn, as effective debaters in appropriate forum. At Wabash, discussion is our Batman of sorts – protecting us from the wiles of a society changed, nay, polluted by erroneous ideas.

The two disk jockeys Stipes and Evans agree: capes and the Batman theme song would be not only sweetaction, but moreover appropriate. My claim stands justified. Together they add a final word: “And all others on campus engaged in the conversation around them, cheers, Wallies. You earn yourselves a spot on Salutes.” But, of course, only behind Sarah Palin’s darling pronunciation, “Say it aint soe, Joe. You knowe, doggone it, let’s looek ahead naow…”

Yes, thank you ma’am. Let’s.

with Republicans. The reality is otherwise. While there is a great amount of doctrinal uniformity that is typical of a strongly hierarchical church, there is diversity amongst the members.

The ward was filled with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. On one member’s messenger bag I spotted an Obama button – a sight I would expect at a mainline Protestant church more so than at a LDS ward. Just like any other church, it is impossible to paint Mormons with a single brush.

In this article, I have tried to avoid the doctrinal issues that differentiate the Church of Jesus of Christ of

Latter-day Saints from mainstream Christian churches. That is intentional, as I wanted to focus on the Saints themselves – not their dogma. The Latter-day Saints of Crawfordsville are a distinct minority who possess strong values and testimonies, and they live them out. While there are most definitely differences that should not be ignored, all people can look at the devotion and stalwartness of the LDS community of Crawfordsville as a positive model for their own lives.

As St. James wrote in his epistle, faith without works is dead.

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onds of the game, a short field goal by Alex Costa that incidentally bounced off the left upright but through for the 17-17 tie. The Bell would stay in Crawfordsville for the second year of a 5-year span.

The 1991 game was a seesaw battle back and forth with the DePauw lead-

The Phoenix ing midway through the 4th quarter on a blocked punt for a touchdown.

Bear in mind that DePauw, coming into the game, had possessed the Bell for five years, so the Little Giants had enormous motivation to strive for the win. With the outcome of the game being uncertain, the Wabash’s offense got the ball and marched down the field. The 57-yard drive with all seven plays being carried by freshman running back David Kogan would be

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the game-winning possession. Kogan would make the touchdown in the closing minutes, and the Bell returned to Crawfordsville.

I could not summarize it any better as an example of Wabash College being that “band of brothers” from Shakespeare’s Henry V. We are one college, one family together today, we are WABASH, a “band of brothers.”

WE STAND ATHWART IT

Another Reason to Cling to Your Guns and Religion