t h e
Herald
By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges ISSUE 15
VOLUME CXXVIII
FEBRUARY 25, 2005
William Smith Winner
HWS Professor Takes It To The Mat Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
Along with her mentor, Tara Curtin, assistant professor of Geoscience, Rogers has presented her research at wo weeks ago, I reported about the American Geophysical Union and the incredible hard work of a is currently working on an honors William Smith biochemistry ma- project titled “Got Varves? Reconstructjor, encouraging students to acknowl- ing Holocene Climate Change in Senedge the extraordinary work of their eca Lake, N.Y.” peers. This week, I The Rochbring to you the ester Academy of story of Caitlin Science called Rogers, a William Rodgers’ proposal Smith senior who “the best proposal was recently submitted,” and awarded a grant from awarded her the the Rochester Acadmaximum award of emy of Science. $526. The grant will Rogers’ work support the carbon with laminated sedidating laboratory ment provides a dework necessary to tailed record of clifinish her project. mate spanning the Much like last 14,000 years. By Macaluso, Rogers measuring the grain Caitlin Rogers ‘05 with a land isn’t all about work. size of sediment, iguana on a study abroad trip in She has been pro/Daily Update Rodgers is able to Ecuador. moting the use of a identify changes in the lake level and composting pile on campus and has storms. Her work might also be used to been actively involved in encouraging predict future climate changes. As geo- recycling efforts on campus. She has logic history seems to repeat itself over also studied abroad in Ecuador, and she a long enough time scale, Rogers’ re- has been involved with club female ice search is invaluable. hockey. Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
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icholas Sammond, assistant professor of media and soci ety at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is the editor of a new book that delves into the spectacle that is modern professional wrestling. Titled “Steel Chair to the Head: The Pleasure and Pain of Professional Wrestling,” the book was published by Duke University Press and is set to be released on March 15. As much as it is a performance, professional wrestling is a multibillion dollar industry with roots that can be traced back in history to Greek drama. Sammond’s collection includes classic examinations of the genre as well as essays examining professional wrestling through the lenses of racial representations, sexual equality and social commentary. Sammond and his collaborators treat the topic with respect, giving professional wrestling the attention usually reserved for more conventional forms of cultural expression. He is also the author of the forthcoming book “Babes in Tomorrowland: Walt Disney and the Making of the American Child, 1930-1960,” also the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation, to be published by Duke Press later in 2005. Sammond holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, where he graduated with honors. He also earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in communication from the University of California, San Diego. Sammond joined the Colleges faculty in 2003. Check out Editor Caroline Hettinger’s interview with the wrestling expert on page 2.
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Students Take Graduation Pledge Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
Professor Nicholas Sammond’s book (pictured) , which is expected to be released March 15th of this year, examines the WWE.
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Solid 7.0 And A 3-Course Meal Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
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efore they can gradu ate, all Hobart and Wil liam Smith students must prove that they’ve developed an understanding of the multiplicity of world cultures. Students do this by taking courses on Irish literature, black film, and Asian art. And the HWS abroad programs encourage students to find their way around South Africa, China, and Denmark. The Caribbean Student Association (CSA) offers another, more low-key option for students who are interested in broadening their world view. CSA will be holding their 6th Caribbean soca band, Solid 7.0. annual Celebrate Diversity event on ried goat, fried plantains, steamed Saturday, February 26. A prime oppor- calaloo, potato salad, passion fruit tunity to explore Caribbean culture, the juice, and black fruit cake. annual event will provide attendees “I really want people to come and expewith both an authentic Caribbean meal rience the types of food and the types and authentic Caribbean music. of music that people of the West Indies The evening will commence at 6:30 are accustomed to,” said Vassandra p.m. in the Comstock Dining Room with Bynoe, a William Smith junior and the a full 3-course meal that will include cur- club president.
After the dinner, the club will host a Celebrate Diversity Party, which will be held in the Barn from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. Authentic Caribbean soca band, SOLID 7.0, will perform their upbeat fusion of calypso, reggae, and folk music. Tickets for the Diversity event are $5 for students and $7 for faculty, staff, and community members. Tickets will be sold at the door, but are also available through the College Store with cash, check, or student charge prior to the event. CSA was founded in 1999 and is dedicated to educating the community about the culture and social issues of the Caribbean region. Past Celebrate Diversity events have included a keynote speaker, although the event will not feature a speaker this year. The group routinely sponsors other campus events, like Caribbean film screenings, Caribbean night in Saga, and treasure hunts. Their weekly meetings are held in the Intercultural Center at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays.
s the Class of 2005 approaches graduation, students across the nation are thinking seriously about their next steps. And whether they’ve decided to devote themselves to science, take a step into the corporate world, or do something entirely different, this year’s graduating class is making a promise to be socially responsible. The Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility states that, “I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.” Students at over a hundred colleges and universities have taken the pledge, and have been taking it very seriously. Graduates who have signed the W e e k e n d
Djibouti, Africa
pledge have turned down jobs that made them feel morally uncomfortable and have worked to make changes on the job. They have promoted recycling at work, removed racist language from training materials, and worked for gender parity in the office. The pledge has received press coverage on television and in newspapers and is changing the way graduation works. The pledge encourages students to think carefully about their employment, allows schools to teach values and citizenship, and forces workplaces and society at large to be concerned about more than just the bottom line. Currently, Hobart and William Smith Colleges does not have a chapter of The Graduation Pledge on campus, but students are encouraged to visit the campaign web site (http:// www.graduationpledge.org) to take the pledge themselves or start their own faction of the group. W e a t h e r
Geneva, New York
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Are We Doomed To Repeat The Past? Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
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eminist philosopher Michele Moody-Adams will give the an nual Ann Palmeri Memorial Lecture in the Fisher Center on Thursday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m. The talk, titled “Arguing with the Past: The Uses of History in Moral Reflection,” will explore the link between rumination and decision making. Moody-Adams, a former National
Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, has been widely published on topics including moral relativism and feminism. She is currently the director of the Program on Ethics and Public Life at Cornell University, facilitating the study of ethics, philosophy, and law. MoodyAdams is the author of Fieldwork in Familiar Places: Morality, Culture and Philosophy, and she serves on the board of several scholarly journals including Public Affairs Quarterly. She has given more than 50 lectures at vari-
ous universities including Georgetown, Harvard, Rutgers and Skidmore. Each year, the Colleges present the Ann Palmeri Memorial Lecture, a talk dedicated to Ann Palmeri, a feminist philosopher and HWS professor who died tragically in the early 1970s. Former Palmeri lecturers have included Martha Fineman, Elizabeth Grosz, Marilyn Frye, and Margaret Urban Walker. Sponsored by the women’s studies program and the Fisher Center, this event is free, and all are welcome to attend.
A flower blooms on the roadside in rural Virginia
University of Virginia Student
Body Slam!
In Defense of Our Military
Fantasia: Not Just For Disney
Caroline Hettinger interviews Hobart and William Smith professor Nicholas Sammond about his new WWE book.
Thomas Baptiste sounds off about homosexual controversy on campus.
Fantasia’s new album, Free Yourself, exceeds expectations of dancing brooms.
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CAMPUS LIFE the HERALD Page 2
Steel Chair to the Head
THE HERALD
Co-Editor Caroline Hettinger squares off with Professor Nicholas Sammond about his new book.
Established 1879 By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hadley Mongell Caroline Hettinger Editor-in-Chief Katie Bell News Editor Owen Oertling Brandon Currie Layout Editors Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor David Diehl A&E Editor Roderick P Thaler Jr. Opinion/Editorial Editor John Rosenbaum Sports Editor Veronica Mora El Heraldo Editor Kari Balakar Emily Corcione Assistant Copy Editors
CONTRIBUTORS Terri Hannan Amanda Jantzi Sandra Maroska Terri Hannan Fatty Roast Beef Kailey Voelinger Thomas Baptiste
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES The Herald is currently accepting submissions for our coming issue. The Deadline for this issue is Sunday at 7pm. All submissions left in the drop box MUST includeThe name and phone number or e-mail of an individual person that The Herald can contact regarding the submission. BOTH a hard copy and disk copy must be left in the drop box. If you are submitting by email, please make your submission an attatchment. If criteria are not met the Herald may not be able to print the subission.
1.What initially attracted you to examining the world of professional wrestling? I watched professional wrestling when I was a kid. At that time, in the sixties, it was on UHF and was very different than it is now. For one thing, there were regional promoters at the time. Since I lived in Milwaukee, our promoter was Verne Gagne, who owned the Midwest promotion, and the top wrestlers were the Crusher and the Bruiser (who were brothers) and Dr. X, a masked wrestler. I watched it to pass the time and thought it was funny. In 1998 or 1999 I was channel surfing when I came upon the WWF on UPN. It was a completely different animal and I was fascinated by the changes, and by how over-the-top it was. After that, see the next question 2. In your Village Voice interview, you stated that you had given a lecture about professional wrestling to your students at UC Santa Cruz. Why do you think the subject piqued the interest of the class? Yes, there was a lecture in 1999 or 2000 that led to a conference paper that led to the book. Part of the reason that it interested my students is that the WWF was quite hot at the time, having just returned to broadcast TV. Also, at least among the boys, there was a generation of Hulkamaniacs (fans of Hulk Hogan) who had just reached college age, were rediscovering it, and seemed happy that a professor was talking about it. As for the women in the class...at least among the straight ones, a large percentage said that they watched because their boyfriends did. But quite a few said that they had gotten into it, anyway. This may have been because of a conscious strategy on the part of the WWF to incorporate soap-
opera type storylines into the TV programming. 3. At what point did you begin thinking about the possibility of this collection? In 2000 or 2001. Two presses approached me after a conference talk and asked me if I was interested in writing a book. I didn’t have a whole book’s worth of things to say, so it became an edited volume.
4. What was your goal in compiling these essays? I guess I had two goals. One was that there were very few people writing about what is a major part of American cultural life, and I wanted to at least begin to examine the subject. (There is much more to be written about wrestling that doesn’t appear in this volume.) The other was to address a topic which is important to me, which is the way in which mass cultural products/ practices such as wrestling (or heavy metal, or hip-hop, or...) are blamed for social ills such as teen violence or the purported decline in sexual morals in the U.S. I consider such critiques reductive, inaccurate, and a sort of baitand-switch that leads us away from more seriously talking about how we like to organize our social and cultural life in this country, and what we imag-
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esticular cancer is the most com mon cancer in men ages 20 to 34 years old. It is a disease in which cancer forms in one or both testicles. The testicles are 2 egg-shaped glands inside the scrotum (a sac of loose skin that lies directly below the penis). They are the male sex glands that make testosterone and sperm. There are factors that raise a man’s risk of getting this disease: * An undescended testicle. That’s when one or both testicles don’t move from the abdomen to the scrotum. * Young age. Young men have a higher risk of getting testicular cancer. It is the most common cancer between the ages of 20 to 34, the second most common cancer between the ages of 35 to 39, and the third most common cancer between the ages of 15 to 19. * A personal history of testicular cancer. Men who already had testicular cancer have a higher risk of developing a tumor in the other testicle. * A family history of testicular can-
5. Your book contains a collection of articles that differ in what they focus on within the world of wrestling. What is it about the ‘sport’ that makes it such an arena for social critique? Do you mean what is it that the articles have in common? I can only answer for myself, and the other authors might differ. I think it is because, particularly today, wrestling revels in being improper. In doing so, in being “un-PC,” it becomes a great place to see where people are arguing about issues like gender, class, and race in a less than polite—hence fairly raw— way. 6. How many hours do you think you spent watching professional wrestling? When I started working on the book, I watched at least once a week. Now that it’s done, I check in every other week or so to see what’s up. 7. Been to any live matches? Yup. They’re something. 8. Do you have a favorite wrestler? Mick Foley, aka Cactus Jack, aka Dude Love, aka Mankind. 9. Had you been a fan of the sport before you began thinking in terms of it being an example of our “social order writ both large and small?” No, and I’m still not a fan. Fans are people who devote a significant part of their lives to the things that they are passionate about. I’m an enthusiast. I’d like to be a fan, but I’m a bit too reserved. 10. How did your extensive research color your appreciation for the sport?
I suppose as much as anything I developed a deeper appreciation for the improvisational skill of many of the wrestlers, and for their athleticism. It’s not the way we usually think about being athletic, but they definitely take their physical training and activity quite seriously. 11. Why WWE? What happened to WWF? The World Wildlife Federation sued the World Wrestling Federation for trademark infringement and won. Panda pins Vince. 12. Why do you think professional wrestling remains such a provocative subject despite the presence of other shows that feature sexual or violent themes, such as “Nip/Tuck,” “The Shield,” or some of the seedier “reality” shows? I don’t know that the other programs you mentioned aren’t controversial. (And I really like “The Shield”) They definitely get written up by organizations like the Parents Television Council. But they’re also on cable, which limits their audience, hence the potential for controversy. Wrestling has calmed down a lot since 1998, but the reason it is at all controversial is that social critics believe that its play with the fake and the real confuses children and lures them into beliefs and behaviors that they wouldn’t necessarily adopt from fiction. There’s no substantial scientific basis for this assumption, but it carries a lot of cultural weight. 13. What do you think your next project will be? I’m working on blackface minstrelsy and the origins of animation in the U.S.
Hobart’s Master Debaters Sandra Maroska Campus Life Contributor
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t’s all about intimidation. At least that was what the peewee football team told themselves in the 1994 classic, The Little Giants, as they waged war for the championship. I think we all understand the tension and nervousness that comes with being a “little engine that could” team trying to make it in the big leagues against teams with fancy uniforms, big budgets, and daunting reputations. Ok, so there’s no peewee football team at Hobart and William Smith, so I bet you’re asking yourself, what is this girl talking about? The debate team, silly. Only our uniforms aren’t helmets and padding – they’re three piece suits. Our weapon of choice isn’t antacid tablets that make us foam at the mouth – it’s our wit. And
our opponents aren’t 225 lb, 6’2” men – they’re often 5’5” Harvard undergrads with glasses and bad haircuts. Having just started the team at the beginning of this year, we’ve joined the big leagues on the American Parliamentary Debate Association circuit and are trying to make a name for ourselves among the schools that have been competing for years. We’ve gone to three tournaments: Bucknell, the North Americans Championships, and Boston University. We’ve competed against other universities from across the country: Stanford, Princeton, Fordham, Columbia, Temple, Yale, George Washington and more. We’ve debated topics ranging from tort reform to the Trix rabbit, from Adam and Eve to Israel/Palestine. What’s the most exciting part? We’re actually winning
HEALTH HINTS FROM HUBBS Terri Hannan Contributor
ine as its future.
cer. Men with a family history of testicular cancer may have a higher risk of developing testicular cancer. * Klinefelter’s syndrome. This is a genetic disorder in males caused by having an extra X chromosome. * Race. Testicular cancer is more common among White men. Signs of testicular cancer include: * a painless lump or swelling in either testicle * change in how the testicle feels. * dull ache in the lower abdomen or the groin (area where the thigh meets the abdomen ) * sudden build-up of fluid in the scrotum * pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum If testicular cancer is found, treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. Three standard treatments are used: * Surgery removes the testicle and some of the lymph nodes (organs that fight infection). Tumors that have spread to other places in the body may be partly or entirely removed by surgery.
*Radiation therapy. H igh-energy x-rays or other types of radiation kill cancer cells. *Chemotherapy. Drugs are used to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. Other types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. For more information, go to:www.cancer.gov/ clinicaltrials. Find testicular cancer early: do a their testicles themselves. This fast and simple exam can help you find this cancer early. Do the exam after a warm bath or shower every month. Also ask your health care provider to do a testicular exam as part of your regular check-up. Here’s how to do a self-exam of each testicle: 1. Place your thumbs on top of your testicle. Put your index and middle fingers under the testicle. 2. Roll the testicle between the thumbs and fingers. 3. Feel for any lumps, about the size of a pea. 4. If you find a lump, see your health care provider right away.
– we’ve won speaker awards and beaten good teams. Given the small amount of time and practice we’ve had since we began, we’re doing great. Will Cox is a junior who joined the team this semester. “It is not very often that students at HWS get to flex their academic muscles against the likes of Harvard, Yale, and other top tier schools. The debate team is a fantastic opportunity for us students to not only learn from the best but to compete with the best in a forum that is both academic and social,” he commented. What’s great about the debate team is that every time we debate an academically “intimidating” team, like Princeton or Amherst, we don’t shake in our boots. In fact, we’re putting our education here at HWS to use and we’re demonstrating the value of that education as we hold our own in the debate world. The joke used to be that Yale and all the ivy leagues might be able to beat us in a game of jeopardy, but we’d always be able to drink them under the table. While we still maintain mastery over the latter, we’re proving that we’ve got the smarts, too. So, what is a debate like? The way that a debate works is actually quite simple. A round is made up of two teams, with two people on each team. One side will give a speech, presenting a case, or a proposition (i.e. “We should sexually desegregate Hobart and William Smith,” or “We should ban manned space flights”). The other side will offer analy-
sis and arguments as to why the proposition is wrong. All the while, a judge evaluates which side is more convincing in their arguments. However, it’s not easy– we’ve learned to think on our feet, to apply what we know to what we don’t know and to sound like we’re the supreme authority on every topic under the sun. Jerry Seinfeld once noted that the second greatest fear among Americans is death. The first, you ask? Public Speaking. That means that if you’re at a funeral, you’d rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy. Sure the goal of our team is to compete with the big wigs of parliamentary debate, but we’d also like to revolutionize the concept of public speaking. It shouldn’t be the scariest event of people’s lives – it should be a time where adrenaline is pumping through our bodies and where we finally get the opportunity to assert ourselves in a public forum. Even if students think they’re too shy to speak up at the dinner table, let alone give a speech in front of hundreds of other debaters during a final round at a tournament, we would encourage you to still come and check it out. We meet on Monday nights at 7:30 pm in Stern 201 and we’re excited to have new students join. Well, we may be the David among the Goliath schools that have long since established themselves on the debate circuit. But we’ve got big rocks and we’re not afraid to throw them.
OPINION-EDITORIAL the HERALD Page 3
CRISP, CLEAN, & HARDHITTING Photo from madhoo.com
Amanda Jantzi
Op-Ed Contributor hen using the term “activ ist” to describe someone, certain images are invoked: Birkenstock shoes, vegetarianism, thrift store clothing or a tie dye shirt, dreadlocks. In our mental image, this person is invariably tied to a tree. Invariably, when discussing activism on our campus, the PSU (formerly Refuse and Resist) is what comes to mind. After all, to be an activist one has to engage in protests and fun anti-authoritarian actions, and frequently utilize gas masks. This association, in itself, is somewhat unfortunate, because it
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leaves out the possibility for a myriad of other types of activism and organizing on our campus: one can be moderate and Republican and still engage in activity on any level. A lot of people, oddly enough, are turned off on the possibility of activism when their views are discredited as illegitimate when they do not meet with an established canon. When you don’ fit into the particular established structure, it’s possible to feel legitimized. And when “activism” is defined in an extreme, holier-than-thou way, it’s likely to make you not want to join in in at all. I’ll speak to one the example that I know best, which is the PSU’s “alternative” publication, The Martini. They say that their purpose is to provide a variety of publications and viewpoints
on this campus. This is apparently a necessity, because The Herald will basically print, within reason, any article that is submitted to it. Clearly, they are stifling the voices of many on our community with this policy. Basically, the assumption is that progressive views cannot be expressed in a mainstream forum. They need there own forum, one that can include typos, spelling mistakes, and pertinent articles questioning the importance of a continent. Additionally, one can find pop culture commentary that frequently uses the word “fuck” as an adjective, noun, and adverb. The writing is pretty “fucking” awesome, and the reviews are pretty “fucking” cool, but the typos “fucking” suck. Note to aspiring writer: many of us figured out sometime around the end of middle
school that frequent usage of swear words alone does not make your writing “alternative” or “hip.” There are numerous articles that are both political and pertinent, but many of these seem to exist as forums where it is possible for the writer to not only express their viewpoint but also indicate through their writing how much a progressive activist they are by talking about all of the environmentally, socially, and politically conscious decisions they make. The purpose of the martini (note edgy, anti-grammar establishment use of all lower caps in the title) really seems to a sort of vanity publication. All of these articles would have willingly been published by The Herald - why not submit them there? The reason that progressive views aren’t published in
this newspaper - and this is only my guess - is that people never submitted it to them. Rather than engaging in an open discussion in an already existing public forum, it was necessary to produce an entirely different format. Just because. It adds to an entirely alienating experience that many students feel when they think about activism on this campus. Activism here involves the conformity with numerous established norms and viewpoints. If someone doesn’t feel that they meet these criteria, they’re likely to just give up rather than pursue alternative ways of organizing. When a line is drawn sharply in the sand, it makes it impossible for a variety of different types of organizing and experiences to be expressed.
In Defense and Support of Our Armed Forces Thomas PC Baptiste Op-Ed Contributor
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ertain forces at the Colleges of the Seneca have just in this last week begun working to ban recruiters from the American military to come to this campus and make their pitch because of an incident of judicial activism some months ago. These persons and groups are militant supporters for homosexuals making certain gains within society. The Court of Appeals has reversed a Unitèd States law that forbids centers for higher learning from blocking military recruiters lest these institutions loose government funding. Thus the focus of this article will not be based upon the idea that banning military recruiters will cause a loss of school subsidies and federal student aid. This move to ban recruiters from the armed forces is wrong because there is no viable discrimination against homosexuals involved, the armed forces are better served by college recruitment, other groups on campus (especially faith-based ones) may also suffer, and the panel of judges who overturned the Solomon Amendment used reasoning no proponent of said rights would support. The current policy that is leading to the banishment of public military is the well-joked about “don’t ask, don’t tell” that replaced an older one, and to condemn this new policy is to declaim that president Clinton was a poor President. Originally soldiers were explicitly forbidden from engaging in homoërotic actions with strict punishments if discovered. Since homophiles were seen with a deviant behavior, offending persons were often sent to psychiatrists to correct the apparent disorder. However the most common result was a dishonorable discharge. In 1993 the newly electèd President, William Jefferson Clinton decided to alter the age old practices. The two main points are that to serve in the armed forces is not a right and the armed forces only exist because of threats in the world. His new policy was one that did not involve the seeking out of homophiliacs and even gave the slightest permission to carry on homosexual relationships in private. However public discovery of an encounter or a very public admission of such affection is still cause for a discharge. When a man or woman joins the armed forces they give out three emergency numbers of close friends and/or relatives and if a person is suspectèd of homosexuality all three numbers are called to inquire as to the nature of the suspect’s sexuality and each person answers “no” then the soldier is assumed to be a heterosexual faking out in order to leave the service and not be court marshaled for desertion. (Such deception has been known to happen in the service.) If there are affirmative answers then there is the possibility of a discharge. The fact is that one who supports President Clinton should not support the banning of military recruiters from these
Colleges. It is President Clinton who instituted the policy and whose military in the New York Time’s view won the conflict in Afghanistan since President Bush would not have had enough time to change things. To many, President Clinton was responsible for the boom of the nineties and a time of peace. Any motion against military recruiters is a direct attack on his legacy, perhaps just the start. And since Senator Clinton has never refutèd his policy it would also be an attack on her and any future candidacy of hers for President. Such a thing is not where the Democratic Party is centered at the moment. Many have attempted to equate the current discrimination against homophiliacs with past segregation of blacks and the exclusion of women, but such a perception is flawed. Discrimination against homosexuals in the armed forces is much more akin to discrimination based upon religion, creed, and marital status than anything derived from ethnicity. Upon looking at a person one can tell their sex, skin color, and often upon hearing their voice guess where they are from or in what society they were raised. But to dislike one for their creed, marital status, or religion there must be some outward and artificial sign. One has to see the wedding ban on a finger, a peace symbol hanging around the neck, or a yarmulke on the scalp to have the knowledge required to form any strong negative feelings based those more inward based warrants for discrimination. A heterosexual cannot know someone is a homosexual unless the homophiliac says something that gives it away. Even something like a rainbow ribbon is not a clear sign since many who are not homosexuals wear it as sign of support for common love of all people. And so there is no basis for saying that discrimination against those not of a heterosexual preference is the same as dislike based upon race, sex, or skin color. If military recruiters are banned from campus then the military’s current state is not about to improve. About two years ago, Representative Charles Rangel, a Democrat from the Harlem section of New York City introduced a bill to reinstate the draft. He announced that this new measure of conscription was designed to rope more white folks into the military; his case was that the military was disproportionately comprised by minorities, especially African Americans. For many less privileged members of the Unitèd States, the armed forces are an opportunity for social advancement based solely upon merit. Thus there is an increased reason for someone with less of an apparent future to fight for their country in the hope that upon an honorable discharge they will have something. Few High School graduates can get into West Point from each Congressional district a year since one needs there Representative’s approval to apply and yet there are so many qualified candidates. Thus a recruiter coming to a college campus has
the possibility to correct that imbalance. The army needs young lieutenants for the infantry just as much as the air force needs skilled mechanics. In fact the military of the future is increasingly based upon new technology. Currently the number one field of employment opportunity is the armed forces. In an oeconomy with diminished job markets here is a place for jobs that needs new lawyers, nurses, computer scientists, and physicists. By allowing recruiters on the grounds of the most major universities + law schools to liberal arts colleges like these in Geneva there is the opportunity to correct any imbalances of ethnic groups in the military. Just last year the Marines were adver-
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tising with multiple postèd flyers for women of all colors to join them. For many vocations a person may be willing to pursue it but hesitant to take the first step. A knock on ones door can courage decision making. These will be a diminished chance of occurrence if military personnel are not allowed to recruit anymore on this campus. There are other organizations besides the Pentagon that practice discrimination against homophiliacs and if military recruiters are banned then their physical presences could be banned as well. The main complaint against the recruiters is that they are an in the line of sight representative of an unfair institution. That is why they should not be allowed to table in Scandling Center. Presumably they should not be allowed to put up any posters or hand out any leaflets about employment opportunities in any branches of the military. But would this also include the Toys for Tots campaign that the marines run, or an army charity to give school supplies to Iraqi children? Would the military recruiters be allowed to host in introductory gathering on potential jobs in the Defense or Homeland Security Departments in Coxe 7 or another classroom? There are still those other groups that exclude homosexuals. Some of them are major religions such as the Methodist Church or the Catholic Church. Suppose a minister from the Methodist Church came and wantèd to table in Scandling Cen-
ter for donations to the Christian Children’s Fund that supports orphans from genocide in the Sudan. Would she be barred from tabling because a Methodist reverend is not allowed to perform homosexual relations in order to stay in the ministry? Or, let the hypothetical scenario take a much closer turn. Suppose the Newman Community, which is the Catholic student society on campus wants to table in the atrium of Scandling. Could they table about the virtues of joining the Franciscan or other Catholic religious orders when all of these orders work against the sin of buggery? Outside of the commons would the Newman Community be preventèd from tabling when try to sell devotional books written by Carmelite nuns since they forbid members to be openly proclaiming homophiliacs? Even during the opening of the term there would be conflicts. At Convocation could Episcopal bishop Right Reverend Barbara Harris speak since not all Episcopalian dioceses or other parts of the Anglican Communion acceptèd homophiliacs as bishops, let alone the priesthood? Often in Scandling Center someone from either the parish or the Newman Community at Orientation someone stands with information about mass times and other local catholic activities. Should they now be barred? In fact Catholic mass on campus itself must now be a controversial point. On a warm, spring day it might be possible to walk by the Chapel and hear through its open door the cleric speaking his homily about the evils of sexual intercourse before marriage? Is that not an unbearable thing for a homosexual who dies not have the option of holy matrimony within the Church? A member of the presbyterate is a full employee of the Roman Catholic Church and everything it stands for. Thus would this ban on military recruiters make it impossible for the Newman Community to hold a seminar about Catholicism on campus, when it might fully involve the disclosure that as defined by Moses and Saint Paul relations rendered between members of the same sex are a mortal sin, especially if a priest gave the answer? There is between the slippery slope theory and the law of unintendèd consequences the possibility that if military recruiters are banned, other groups from Islamic, to Christian, to Jewish, and to not all religious organizations may be also preventèd from being a student club. The final reason military recruiters should be banned from campus is that the court decision that found the Solomon Amendment unconstitutional is based upon law that no would make an activist for homosexual rights turn away from the decision wholly. The decision of the Third Court of Appeals on November 29, 2004 in FAIR vs Rumsfeld finding the Solomon Amendment unconstitutional was based upon the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dale vs The Boy Scouts of America back on June 28, 2000. As everyone knows, in
that decision, the Court’s majority ruled that the Boy Scouts had the right to exclude homophiliacs from being Scout Masters. James Dick or James Dale as was his Court alias was terminatèd as an Assistant Scout Master in the troop where he became an Eagle Scout. (Please note that the rank of Eagle Scout can never be taken away.) James Dick then sued for reïnstatement. This occurred because a member of Council saw his face in the photograph of a march celebrating homosexual selfawareness, which he had gained a few years ago while in college. So if anything the Boy Scouts are worse than the armed forces. The Supreme Court ruled the Scouts are a private organization and can thus retain their congressional charter, use of federal facilities like battleships, and the use of state parks buildings for their events. To boost the decision finding the Solomon Amendment unconstitutional is to agree the decision against James Dale as good law, which means one supports the idea the Boy Scouts can expel any volunteer adult and not suffer any penalty. There is now a movement here at Hobart Free &William Smith Colleges to ban military recruiters from coming to this campus because of a Federal Order put in place by President Clinton that many find offensive, which is viewed as discriminatory to homophiliacs. I suspect however that the motive for this manoeuver comes from the Left’s hostility to the brave men and women who fight in our armed forces for the defense of our freedom and the liberty of our allies. But let us suppose that this is all simply because someone saw it as an eyesore that a recruiter was on campus and could not handle the reminder that homosexuals were being unfairly treatèd in the five branches of the Defense and Homeland Security Departments. I have a similar story. Last spring I was in Scandling Center and saw “I [heart] Pro-Choice New York” being handèd out. Some people I had high respect for were doing that too and others still were receiving such a shirt. Every time I saw one of those on campus it remindèd me of all the innocent children being murdered, even by having their brains sucked out from their skulls during the third trimester for no crime except being conceived in the wrong mother’s womb. I wantèd to weep, but being of German and other North European descent I went back to my dormitory and told only my roommate of how I felt. There are millions murdered by abortion from my view, but I have done nothing to disrupt the National Abortion Rights Action League chapter on campus or anyone else involved in the March for Choice. As a pro-lifer let me tell you to work for change through electing executives of your political persuasion and by lobbying a legislature, not by defending judicial decisions that stretch the law. Oh and by the way, grow up while you’re at it.
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Where It Reigns Fantasia Free Yourself David Diehl A&E Editor
getting rightful accolades and climbing charts that reflect the talent of the artt’s that goddamn time again. Time ist more than the popularity of his or to separate an hour of our day, three her show. The powerfully sassy and times a week, aside for song, dance, sweet single-mother from North Carobicker, banter, Stevie Wonder covers, lina will be co-hosting The Soul Train and “unique personalities” that glow Awards on March 12 and is nominated through wardrobe and smiles. Ameri- for two categories. Her single, Truth is, can Idol is breathing again, and no is currently climbing the Billboard R&B matter how hard the media kicks it, it Charts and is Number 1 on Urban Adult just won’t die. Just this week, a crop of Radio. People Magazine agrees, “This 24 shiny, spastic newcomers—sepa- American Idol Champ is most likely to rated by gender—has been shrunk by become a genuine Pop legend.” a sixth. And next week four more will The album itself isn’t without Pop be gone. The only altogether; way to keep your Clive Davis favorite afloat is to and Simon snatch up that cell Fuller are still and vote. involved. But The American they brought in Idol Competition a vat of rehas slugged its nowned writers path across Popusuch as Missy lar Culture for the Elliott and past three years Jermaine Dupri and running. With to gain credibilevery missed note, ity within the bad look, and Willhip-hop comiam Hung, we munity. The cringe as our eyes single, Truth Is, and ears cling to is a moody but the screen like genuine rhythm mold. and blues track Everyone has with a strong Photo from Fantasia Barrino website devoted thembeat and depenselves to at least one Idol competitor dence on the whiny groove of her like a first crush via satellite. And why unique voice. The title track and Selfshouldn’t they, the Idol Champions ish (I Want U 2 Myself), both written have delivered every time: Kelly by Missy, add a sense of funk to her Clarkson’s debut album went straight soul and give a more believable hipto number one on the Billboard Charts. hop element to her repertoire. So did Rueben Studdard’s. Even Clay Not completely ditching her Idol roots, Aiken’s went to the top—and he didn’t the disk does include her competitioneven win. Some say Clay has had the ending cover of the Gershwin classic most commercial success out of any of Summertime, and her first hit I Believe, them. And Fantasia… written by fellow Idol Tamyra Gray. But Well, Fantasia’s album never made the highlight track is Baby Mama— it to number 1. It only made it to num- Fantasia truthfully and proudly wails ber 8, the first of the Idols to come up out in support of single mothers around short. But is that really a bad thing. a crowds’ chant of B-A, B-Y, M-A, MKelly, Rueben, and Clay soared off the A. The expected battle cry of a chalpopularity of the show just as much, if lenging life is celebrated by Fantasia’s not more than their actual talent. They confident words, “It’s about time we will always be American Idol pop- had our own song/Don’t know what tarts—they heated up quickly, but they took so long/’Cause now a days it’s are already getting cold. Fantasia is like a Badge of Honor/To be a Baby taking a different route. She has man- Mama.” When she performs this, she’ll aged to fend herself from the petty pop have a tear in her eye, mouth-gaping, onslaught that Idol provides and has but she’ll be celebrating—because she produced a record that will help her has made it through. And although she shed any cable labels—legitimizing her didn’t meet the American Idol stanas a Soul singer. dards that Kelly, Clay, and Rueben creFree Yourself was released last No- ated, do they even compare with what vember by J Records, but the much- Fantasia is continuing to accomplish awaited cut’s disappointing debut had in her preferred and respected speccritics second-guessing the Idol trum. And will any of the new 24 be competition’s future in creating Pop looked at as a legitimate singing Stars. Now, months later, Fantasia is phenom like the reigning Queen.
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Oscar Predictions… Kailey Voellinger A&E Contributor
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n February 27th, the 77th an nual Oscar Awards Show will be broadcast, featuring our favorite actors, actresses and films. Unfortunately, I have not been able to see all the films that are up for nomination this year, but the hype surrounding this year’s race, as none of the nominated films earned more than $100 million in the theatres, proves to be a tight one. Up for Best Film are The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby, Ray, Finding Neverland, and Sideways. Of these films, Million Dollar Baby, and the Aviator seem to be the contending favorites. The Best Director Oscar seems to be a toss up Between Million Dollar Baby’s Clint Eastwood, and The Aviator’s Martin Scorsese. David Germain from the Associated Press believes that both have an equally good chance of winning, but “The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby might end up splitting the picture and directing
The Herald would like to apologize for the color of last week’s issue. Due to a Finger Lakes Times printing error, the color on the front page was wrong. The image accompanying the title article should have been pink, in honor of breast cancer awareness. The Colleges’ logos were also printed wrong. And the images on the bottom half of the fold were distorted. We can not promise that these issues will not arise again, but we do apologize for the mistake.
Rugby, Rookies, and Roastbeef
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he Hobart Sinister Lake Trout traveled to Buffalo for the an nual Winterfest Tournament last Saturday. This early morning snowfest almost didn’t even happen because the Lake Trout had to overcome broken alarm clocks, tangled sheets, plenty of narbs, and the disturbing images of supafupas (Jackknifed trailers). Smoking past bowling alleys and mounds of snow, the team finally arrived at 9a.m. rugby time at the Buffalo Zoo. Bryan “Swallow” Murphy had a pregame meeting with John Daniels and breakfast was served. The team was ready to start the festivities. While we weren’t able to document, or remember, most of the tournament, here are some highlights. Our first opponent was the University of Buffalo squad. Lucas Ray forwent his usual pregame boot and rallied the team. They played hard and
even Do Ché carried a heavy burden, ing past enemy lines. Joel had an outbreak into the try zone early in the game but had to come out for a cut on the lip. Paulie Walnuts assumed a position at the middle of the eastern sideline and dropped bombs in the form of timely substitutions and lead the team to a 70 victory to start the day. Next up was Binghamton University, a formidable oppon e n t . Binghamton…What happened? I blacked out… We entered the playoff rounds seeded sixth and faced Buffalo State first. Although Captain T. Watty didn’t play due to an injury to his cat, he clapped vigorously as coach from the sideline. Everyone brought their A game. Even self appointed team hero Rock Steady had a few breakthrough runs reminiscent of the Professor’s prime. The team ran away with a 28-0 victory. As we stood across the field from our final opponents, we began to realize that they were all just a derivation
Lastly, for acting roles, Kate Blanchett is the favorite for her role as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. Christy Lemire, also of the Associated Press notes that, “It’s not a dead-on impression, and it shouldn’t be, but it captures Hepburn’s spirit and will appeal to the old-Hollywood ranks among the Oscar voters.” I guess, as far as seeing only a few of the films nominated in any category, the Academy is fairly predictable in their picks. As much as my personal opinions get in the way, I unfortunately don’t see Johnny Depp winning Best Actor. I believe that Million Dollar Baby will take home the Oscar for Best Film, Clint Eastwood will win for Best Director, and Foxx, Swank, Freeman, and Blanchett will win for their acting.
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Sports Fatty Roastbeef Sports Contributor
prizes, and if so, it’s more likely Scorsese will win here while “Baby” takes best film.” As far as nominations for the best actor, many critics are predicting that Jaime Foxx, for his role as Ray Charles in Ray, will walk away with an award. Germain notes that, “Foxx captured the cadences, body language and spirit of the man. Add in the fond sentiment for Charles, who died last year, and there’s no way Foxx can lose.” As for best Actress, Hillary Swank seems to be the favorite, for her role in Million Dollar Baby. Also contending is Annette Bening who may get the nod, due to her age and long career. The trophy for Best Supporting Actor is pretty much being proclaimed to be for Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby). Germain says of Freeman, “His peers have been looking for a reason to hand him an Oscar; this is it.”
of the same person. Whether fat or fatter, bald or balder, old or older, there was a significant difference between the men with real jobs and the fish that got thrown back. Making sure everyone got some facetime, some Hobart players including B.Ukake and Jay Izenmouth switch hit and played with the friendly Vikings who were short on numbers. The eclectic collection of old guys and rotten fish put up a tough battle, and the lead changed hands several times. Blue and Zan questioned their existence and what they were even doing there as large middle aged men piled on top of them. We’ve never seen such a pretty playboy with a broken nose. But the Lake Trout were not about to give up. Shady Grady called in some reinforcements from Chile and Philly who played strong after a mysterious 2 year hiatus. Fullback played well putting foot to ball proving that you don’t have to be ugly and smelly to play rugby, but it helps.Tim-Tim smoked past the defense and rolled up the championship with a winning try, putting the Sinister Lake Trout ahead 21-14.
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Rachel Stephansky Contributor
Let’s face it. We’re all counting down. Spring Break is two weeks away, and we can hardly wait. So in honor of everyone’s excitement, here’s the top 10 best places to go for Spring Break: 10. The Bahamas 9. Rosarito, Mexico 8. Key West, Florida 7. Daytona Beach, Florida 6. Mazatlan, Mexico 5. Jamaica 4. South Padre Island, Texas 3. Lake Havasu, Arizona 2. Cancun, Mexico 1. Panama City, Florida
McCarthy Checks the Competition Melissa Sue Sorrells Copy Editor
the top male and female players, is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse obart senior defender Greg award honoring varsity collegiate laMcCarthy was selected as one crosse players in the United States. The of 37 men’s lacrosse players Tewwaaraton Award Foundation, in the U.S. for the 2005 Tewaaraton named for the Mohawk name for laAward watchlist. The first crosse, also awards scholStatesmen to earn a spot on arships to the winners the list, McCarthy was also The Hobart lacrosse awarded an honorable menteam is scheduled to kick tion USILA All-American in off its official season this 2004. He was sixth on the Saturday, February 26, team in ground balls (41) in when the Statesmen play 2004, with a career total of Butler at St. Paul’s School 85. in Baltimore. The team won The players on the both of their scrimmage Tewaaraton Award games this semester, dePhoto from The Daily Update Foundation’s preseason feating Colgate (10-3) on watchlist are considered the top la- February 12 and Albany on February crosse players in the country. The list 19. Their first official home game of the is narrowed down by coaches voting season is on March 5, when they’ll take as the season progresses, ultimately on Binghamton University. becoming a list of only five men and For a complete listing of all nomiwomen, who are the award’s finalists. nees on the 2005 Watchlist please visit The Tewaaraton Trophy, given to http://tewaaraton.com.
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