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VOL. 94, NO. 21 T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A RY 1 7 , 2 0 1 1
“Covers the campus like the magnolias”
Campus reactions proffer Republicans head to the District hope for Greek futures By Rob Byrd | Staff writer
because many of those trustees are alumni of the university and participated in Greek life during their time here. There is a paradoxical However, it is also nature to Greek life at the because they have seen how university. important a vibrant campus Just months life is to the student body. after sororities and “So many of the ideas the fraternities helped Board of Trustees discusses rally the campus to are student driven,” raise thousands of Gedraitis said. dollars for a catastrophic “Faculty and earthquake in Haiti, administration like the 2010 Greek Pledge helping student ideas Night prompted a state be realized. of medical emergency in Collaboration on Forsyth County. these issues is a It is a cultural dichotomy lot more helpful that ensures that the Greek and fruitful. If system will be a consistent students want to topic of discussion amongst see change on this students, administrators and campus, speak up. the community. Your ideas will be As our feature series has heard.” addressed, it is a pivotal time “I think we need to for change and growth in continue to put trust the Greek community. in student leaders to It is only logical then to think about the end ask what the ideal role of game in a new light,” Greek life is on campus, former president of Pi according to members Kappa Alpha fraternity of the university Connor Swarbrick community. said. “So often at Wake One would suspect a Gra phic By A students hold each other manda B strong divide and natural arasha/O ld Gold & to higher standards than incompatibility in responses, but Black administrators do.” there is a general campus consensus that Greek Members of the Demon Deacon community, life has made progress in the past year that will even beyond the student population, are continue because of student initiative. This may be surprising to those who heard known for holding themselves to higher the rumor on campus last spring that the standards. This is the same cultural theme that many Board of Trustees wanted to eliminate Greek students feel will help fuel continuing changes life completely. However, in speaking with on-campus in Greek life. According to Ken Zick, vice president of leaders, including director of Student Leadership and Organizations Steve Hirst and student life and former university Greek the 2010-11 student trustee Ashley Gedraitis, leader, it is also important that the students it is clear that the destruction of Greek life remember to show respect and compassion was an idea that has floated around for years within and between their organizations. “When students graduate, they see Wake amongst faculty members, but never amongst Forest as home,” Zick said. members of the board. “You want your home to reflect who you are. More specifically, Gedraitis has seen how the Board is committed to ensuring that I want to be proud of my home and I want my the student experience at the university be enjoyable and memorable. This is partially See Greek, Page A2 By Patrick Kelly and Calais Zagarow Staff writers
ith w g n i l Dea
Drinking
This article appears as the fourth in a four-part series that addresses the dialogue and changes surrounding the university’s drinking culture. These features cover the following topics: • Jan. 20: An investigation into last year’s Pledge Night and progress for this year (Appeared four weeks ago) • Jan. 27: An examination of the events of this year’s Pledge Night (Appeared three weeks ago) • Feb. 3: An inside look at the ability of Greek organizations to cope with changes (Appeared two weeks ago) • Feb. 17: A review of the reactions from across campus
The 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10 to 12 kicked off the Republican race to the 2012 presidential ticket, and 25 university students were in the nation’s capital to get in on the action. For three days, amidst sharply anti-Obama sentiment, nearly a dozen prospective presidential contenders aimed to prove their mettle and composure in front of an enthusiastic conservative base. For the second year in a row, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas won the conference’s straw poll that sought to gauge the attendants’ preliminary presidential pick; however, based on years past, it is not an accurate predictor of primary election performance. The sheer number of potential candidates who received votes in the straw poll, from Tea Party activist
and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to Congressman Paul, could suggest an uphill battle for the GOP as it seeks to unite the party through common ideologies and political goals. Junior Ashley Berger, chairperson of College Republicans, would suggest that the party is more united than the media portrays it to be. “In past years, many of the speakers talked about how we needed to find common ground and a new direction for the Republican Party. We have found that direction and conservatives across the board are excited and energized for 2012,” Berger said. Among the speakers were presidential front-runners Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, as well as relative newcomers like Rep. Michele Bachman of Minnesota and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. “Though many conservative voters would perhaps
See CPAC, Page A3
Career services leaves students begging for more opportunities By Greta Spangenberg | Staff writer
They say that the hand-holding days are over once you’re in college, but when it comes to finding a job, students may be looking to Career Services for more than a nudge in the right direction. While DeaconSource has received great reviews for its userfriendly layout and easy application process, seniors are quick to criticize it for these exact reasons. “It’s a little unnerving to simply submit my resume online. Wake is competitive as it is, so it’s hard to stick out on paper. I have more faith in my ability to make lasting impressions during interviews and since DeaconSource doesn’t give me that option — I have no choice but to seek job opportunities elsewhere,” senior Marianne Simpson, a sociology major, said. To make matters worse, students who use DeaconSource to apply for jobs get the dissatisfaction of never hearing back from those companies — not even a quick email to acknowl-
edge that their application was received. “I applied for a job on DeaconSource, but once I didn’t hear back, I applied again on the company website and actually got a response from them directly just days later,” senior Sean Douville, an English and psychology double major, said. Career Services does give students the opportunity to network, however, during the semiannual Job and Interns h i p Fair. Ev e n though the fair on Jan. 19 attracted 34 employers from across the country and 394 students — a 17 percent increase from last year — Career Services continues to face criticism from liberal arts majors for attracting only jobs targeted towards students in the Schools of Business. Junior Samantha Fiala, an English major, mentioned she was eager to attend the fair after returning from a semester abroad,
but after glancing at the list of participating organizations, she opted not to go because the jobs available were mostly in finance. It seems that even though the new database is loaded with job opportunities, students still believe that their options are limited. In fact, a few seniors have even begun adjusting their postgraduation plans by considering Teach for America or the Management P r o gram as possible options. “I actually signed up for the GMAT last week for that exact reason,” Douville said. With weekly email updates, Career Services has made it clear that they remain dedicated to raising student’s awareness of the resources available to them with weekly emails — but they may have their marketing strategy all wrong.
See Career, Page A7
Four administrators to field student questions in relevant discussions By Ken Meyer | News editor
Four administrators will sit down for a cup of coffee with students in Starbucks from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. during the last weeks in February and throughout the month of March to answer questions concerning campus life. On Feb. 24 Associate Provost for Technology and Information Systems Rick Matthews will field ThinkPad and campus technology questions. On March 1 Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Services Harold Homes and Associate Dean of Judicial Affairs Charlene Cerutti plan to discuss the university honor code. On March 29 President Nathan O. Hatch will reprise his “Hang with Hatch” event, held in the past semesters, which has allowed students to socialize with the campus leader and ask questions about recent changes to campus life. Student Government and campus groups have worked during the previous semesters to improve student-administration relations by opening such lines of dialogue. Sophomore Abrams Jamassi, student government parliamentarian, spoke on the effectiveness of the previous “Hang with
Hatch” events. “It is meant to be a casual avenue in which students can vocalize their opinion about the university to the administration,” Jamassi said. “They effect campus life in many ways: they reaffirm or open up new ideas to the administration. For example, before the plan was finalized, the Party Barn was brought up and extensively discussed in last spring’s “Hang with Hatch.” The overall consensus was of approval.” The “Pro Humanitate in the Mirror Week” held in January fostered discussion between campus leaders and faculty and staff from Vice President of Student Life Ken Zick to individual professors. The week considered the changes to campus life in light of the events of last year’s Pledge Night, intended to foster a sense of community largely viewed as absent on campus, and aimed to improve students’ personal sense of honor, worth and Pro Humanitate. The Student Technology Council has also been instrumental in moving the conversation between students and administrators forward. The council, which meets biweekly, brings students together with Matthews and Wake Forest Fellow for
Information System John Track (‘09) to address technological concerns. The council has already addressed a variety of problems this semester, from slow internet connections to more HD channels, from considering Mac computers to acquiring better loaners. While the council has not actually brought about all of these changes, it has worked to answer student questions surrounding these concerns. Track concluded that this type of conversation improves the ability of students to solve problems conjointly with the individuals who make changes on campus. “Dreamers have to keep dreaming, it is special and keeps the problem solvers motivated,” Track said. “Problem solvers have to hear the dreamers, this way they know what needs to be addressed. Both have to work on the solution so everyone can benefit from the experience.” Beyond these events, Student Government plans to continue to expand the opportunities for dialogue with administrators. Talks with Aramark, for example, are promised to follow. Students will be able to voice cuisine concerns directly to those who have suggestions and answers.
Old Gold & Black File Photo
A “Hang with Hatch” event during the fall semester brought students together with the president of the university to engage in dialogue on campus life.