OLD GOLD&BLACK W A K E
F O R E S T
U N I V E R S I T Y
T H U R S D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 0
VOL. 94, NO. 14
“Covers the campus like the magnolias”
Author gives ‘Senior Fifth’ comes under fire lecture on new book By McKenna Begin | Staff writer
By Ken Meyer | Asst. news editor
Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time, offered his position on achieving peace in Afghanistan to the Winston-Salem community on Nov. 12 in Wait Chapel. Mortenson argued for the building of communitybased education systems and schools in the region. Brought to campus by Bookmarks as part of his book tour to advertise the paperback release of his second book Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Education in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mortenson brought his audience to a school he built south of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2004. When he first arrived to Kabul, he discovered teachMortenson ers and students crammed into small, old truck beds or sitting on the ground outside with little supplies and little proper training. With the guidance of Mortenson and several others, the community constructed an eight room schoolhouse and later a girls school. Mortenson insisted that community involvement was the only way to ensure a working, safe school. The community typically sets up an education committee. They must provide labor and supplies. They build local factories to fund the school — and stimulate the local economy. The teachers trained by Central Asia Institute come from within the community. The community brings its elders to the school at night to educate the children on local history and lore. Mortenson and his nonprofit constructed 170 of these schools across Afghanistan and Pakistan. By this year, they reached 68,000 children – including 54,000 girls. Today, 9 million children receive education in Afghanistan. He argued that the continuance of this trend is the only way to bring peace and stability to the region. “The Taliban fear the pen,” Mortenson said. “They fear educating girls and children because it breaks down their hold on ideology.” He described how “Americans want immediate answers, but the impact of education, relationships, and other efforts in Afghanistan will not happen over fiscal or presidential cycles. These efforts will have a generational impact.” For his work in the region, Mortenson has received the Star of Pakistan, that country’s highest civil award. He was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Mortenson urged interested audience members to do their part to aid these efforts for peace. “It only takes $20 to educate a first grade child for one year in the Himalayan mountains,” he said.
The label of certain behaviors as “tradition” does not make them worthy of continuation, nor does it remove participants from blame. This year has seen such an acknowledgement by the university in the case of Senior Fifth, a tradition that has been upheld for years by successive senior classes at their last football game in Winston-Salem. But, beginning with the Class of 2011, this will hopefully change. Jumpstarted by the efforts of Matt Lamoureaux (‘07), who now works in the university’s athletic department, the new Senior Fifth Pledge is aiming to trade the destructive tradition for some less inebriated bonding as the seniors celebrate their final tailgate and football game. “Nothing I have done in that time would make me prouder than knowing I played a part in ending the worst tradition at Wake Forest,” Lamoureaux said, who experienced Senior Fifth firsthand as a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Already, 100 percent of the university senior student athletes have signed pledge cards, which don the statement “I, as a proud member of the Class of 2011 and in the Wake Forest spirit of Pro
Humanitate, will lead my peers, by example, and not participate in Senior Fifth.” These cards, which will be displayed in Benson prior to the final football game against Clemson this weekend, have also been distributed to all Greek organizations. “There is no better way for Greeks to step up and show the positive influence they can have on the school than to get rid of the tradition by leading their peers by example and not drinking a fifth,” Lamoureaux said. Student leaders have helped propagate support for the pledge. “Stopping Senior Fifth is something that challenges us to set aside our divisions and recognize the thread that ties us all together: pride in Mother, So Dear. Together, we are turning Senior Fifth into Senior Gift,” senior Carey Carpenter, president of Chi Omega, said. Student Government President Natalie Halpern
Race and environment are intertwined in lecture The issue of environmental safety is confounded by race relations, lecturers discuss
of reusable food containers, and the preservation of the campus’ natural beauty. Sethi, who also gives lectures and speaks at universities around the country, lectured to the audience on her presentation entitled “The Good Fight: Environmental Justice for All” where she reminded, “everything goes away, but away is a By Sherea DelSol | Staff writer place.” From her presentation, the audience gathered Members of the Winston-Salem community, university students, and representatives from Ben- that economic status and skin color does affect a nett College for Women piled into the Annenberg person’s access to resources or lack thereof. She spoke about an incident in the history of Forum Auditorium on Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. for the North Carolina were a politi“My Neighborhood is Killing cal figure approved the sprayMe: Environmental Racism ing of toxic dirt containing and a Call for Justice” forum. “Everything goes away, Polychlorinated Biphenyls This event featured Julianne but away is a place.” (PCBs), a toxic chemical Malveaux, President of BenSimran Sethi that is a possible carcinogen, nett College for Women and Lecturer accumulates in fatty tissues, Simran Sethi, Emmy awardand can cause hormonal and winning journalist and associurological damage, along ate professor at the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Com- highways in various poor counties of the state, including Warren county. munication. She used that historical reflection to say, “EveryThe event was also moderated by Jill Tiefenthaler and co-sponsored by the offices of Multi- one doesn’t have equal access to clean air, clean soil, and clean water.” cultural Affairs and Sustainability. She also clarified, “Going green is not about In her welcome and introduction, Provost Tiefenthaler applauded the university’s sustainability shopping differently, it’s about living in a differefforts by highlighting some of its own attempts ent way.” to sustain the deteriorating environment such as Campus Kitchen, the zip cars, shuttle service, use See Justice, Page A3
University students inspired by “Wake Saturdays” initiate first annual Homelessness Awareness event held on campus in Green Room of Reynolda Hall. Seniors Elaine Shing and Amy Liang decided after many Saturdays spent with the homeless community of Winston-Salem that on-campus awareness and involvement needed to commence. After finding support through the Mortar Board, Shing and Liang set out with the goal to tell the homeless community’s stories through words, art and film. Liang spent her summer filming a documentary that focuses on the homelessness in Winston-Salem. Two other students Chris Zaluski and Sam Smartt who are attaining their masters in Documentary Film Program recently filmed a similar
story about the homeless community of Winston-Salem. These two documentaries were presented in the show titled “Homelessness isn’t Faceless.” These documentaries interviewed the university and homeless community’s relationship and perspectives on life in Winston-Salem. Members of Wake Saturdays participated in the project because of their close relationships with the homeless community. Every Saturday these students spend time with the homeless community, making friends by reading, playing games and talking with them. A group of students from different parts of the university got together to raise more awareness, and those ideas formed into the “Homelessness is not Faceless” exhibition in the Green Room of Reynolda Hall.
See Homeless, Page A3
CONGRATS GRAD!
Outside the Bubble... Potential evidence found for Natalee Holloway case The death of Natalee Holloway, the high school student who went missing while on a graduation trip to Aruba in May 2005, remains a mystery. Joran Van der Shoot once confessed to the murder but has retracted this confession multiple times. However, police found a jawbone in Aruba on Nov. 12 and may be able to link it to Holloway’s death. The bone was found on a beach close to Bubali swamp. The last person to see Holloway, Van der Shoot, once claimed that he dumped her body in Bubali swamp.
Prince William announces engagement Prince William, heir to the British throne has officially announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, on Nov. 11. The royal family has said the wedding will take place next spring or summer in London.
U.K. to pay Guantanamo Bay detainees A group of former Guantanamo Bay prisoners have sued the British government for alleged involvement in their torture. Government officials have said that negotiations have been taking place with lawyers and 12 former detainees all of which were either British citizens or residents. The expected cost of the court cases and expenses involved with the lawsuits is $80 million. Specifically, police are investigating the conduct of two British spies for possible wrongdoing over alleged torture to ex-Guantanamo prisoners.
Illness sweeps through already- ravaged Haiti
Holly Hinshelwood/Old Gold & Black
Students browse among the thought-provoking artwork at the “Homelessness isn’t Facelessnes” exhibition.
Life | B7
INSIDE:
See Fifth, Page A3
Graphic by Bobby O’Connor/Old Gold & Black
Homelessness is confronted in presentation By Katie Phillips | Staff writer
says that as a freshman, she was simply confused by this tradition — which does
How to Waste Time 101
Brieflies
A2
Police Beat
A2
Spotlight
B2
Favorite websites and videos are discussed as popular ways to avoid doing those mundane tasks
The Hot List
B8
In Other News
Sudoku
B8
• Student receives prestigious service award | A3 • Administration shares opinion on drinking | A7
Sports | B1 Is football inherently violent? The violent nature of football is highlighted in light of recent controversies in the NFL
Cholera, a potentially fatal bacterial infection of the digestive system has now killed over 1,000 people in Haiti. Health officials made the death toll announcement on Nov. 17 even though the figure may underestimate the total killed. The ministries of health claims over 16,700 people have been hospitalized throughout Haiti in various clinics.
Opinion | A7 Redbeard would approve! The merits of “NoShave November” are contested