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Cadets and Crokies: Balancing ROTC with Greek Life
Cheyenne Woods wins ACC golf title
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W A K E
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U N I V E R S I T Y
VOL. 94, NO. 29
T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 1 1
oldgoldandblack.com
“Covers the campus like the magnolias”
Race, Sports & College: Conference explores campus athletes By Patrick Kelly | Staff writer It is impossible to follow college sports today without hearing an unending list of coaches disciplined for recruiting violations and students suspended for violating team or NCAA policies. Rarely, however, does the casual fan dig beyond these headlines to explore the complexities of these pervasive issues. Last week’s two-day symposium Losing to Win: Discussions of Race and Intercollegiate Sports held April 13-14 in the Benson University Center sought to achieve this deeper understanding. The conference brought together an extremely diverse group of contributors ranging from ESPN commentators and Hall of Fame professional athletes to deans of colleges and professors from across the country. “The conference aimed to engage a multi-disciplinary group of distinguished thinkers, scholars, journalists, athletic administrators, and former student-athletes, in the beginning of a conversation aimed at tackling in a comprehensive fash-
ion the complexities of intercollegiate athletics,” Symposium creators Professor of Law Tim Davis and Professor of Sociology Earl Smith said. “We also wanted to address a topic that is often ignored: the racial dimensions of the complexities and tensions residing in college sports.” The symposium was structured into eight interdisciplinary panel discussions with each addressing a significant issue in college sports, such as the economic inequities of recruits, the impact of the media and Title IX. Experts in their field, members of the panel commented on the issue in a Q&A session following the conference. In a packed auditorium, sometimes the Q&As caused sessions to run almost 30 minutes over as debate continued. One of the most impactful panels addressed “Where do we go from here?” and consisted of Kenneth Shropshire of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; Amy P. Perko,
Photo courtesy of Ken Bennett/WFU
Former university basketball star Rodney Rogers was the featured speaker for the second day of the Losing to Win conference on race and college sports.
See Sports, Page A2
23 hideamongthestudents By Rob Byrd | Staff writer When graduating seniors met in Wait Chapel April 19, university officials reiterated a request from the Dean’s Office that encourages students to present themselves as a cohesive class at Commencement, May 16. “We hope that students refrain from wearing any medallions or other items of distinction,” a representative of the Dean’s Office said. “We honor academic achievements on the diplomas, but the university has long believed that Commencement should be a time for a class united.” Has the display of extraneous regalia been a problem at ceremonies in the
past? “This is not generally an issue, but we do see a select group of students wearing non-academic decorations every year, and we oppose that,” the representative said. As tradition would suggest, the students about which she mostly likely speaks are a group of 22 or 23 students who, upon receiving their diplomas, reveal gold medallion necklaces that bear the insignia of the Order of the Twenty-Three, the university’s secret society. Alumnus and Wake Forest Fellow John Track (’10) spoke out against the Order’s medallion unveiling in a letter to the editor in the April 22, 2010 issue of the Old Gold & Black.
“The past few years, the Order of Twenty-Three has believed themselves to be above this request,” Track said. “Don’t spoil the day we have all been looking forward to for four years just so you can gain ephemeral recognition as being in a group that doesn’t make any tangible difference at Wake Forest.” The Twenty-Threes did not follow Track’s request; however, he was told that internal debate brewed among the society over this tradition. Other than the wearing of medallions, the Order does little to make its presence known on campus, but rare instances have occurred.
See 23, Page A7
Graphic by Ken Meyer/Old Gold & Black
You Chose: Fall housing selection ends By Sam Perrotta | Staff writer
As the 2010-11 school year winds to a close, university students are caught up in finals and group projects. Few are thinking ahead any further than post exams, yet this past week students were forced to look into next year as the housing selection process began. Residence Life & Housing hosted their thirdannual “You Choose” housing selection event April 11-14 for the 71 percent of students who chose to live on-campus all four years at the university. The process, albeit overwhelming, is “one that focuses on the students,” Assistant Director of Assignments Murray MacDonald said. “This process gives students control of where they live and who they live with through our online system.” The process, however, was not smooth-sailing for all. Many students, especially freshmen who had never used the system, faced issues regarding registration. Many MacDonald still find themselves homeless for next year with only their name on a Yet to be Assigned (YTBA) list. “I was very surprised that, knowing that students at [the university] are ‘guaranteed housing,’ myself along with five of my friends, all of who had sign-up times on the first day for freshmen, have been left without housing for next semester,” freshman Kendall Stempel said. Stempel’s frustrations of the YTBA process are shared by many. Freshman Lindsay Miranda explained her own predicament. “When my roommate and I finally got to register the day before the end of registration, we ended up getting the very last spot on campus,” Miranda said. “The housing situation on campus is going to have to change because everyone after us had to be placed on the YTBA list. These students won’t know about where they are living until half way
See Housing, Page A2
How a cult of personality formed around rocker Bruce Springsteen By SheRea DelSol | Staff writer
When one thinks of religion, rock ‘n’ roll music usually does not come to mind. However, Bruce Springsteen’s music forces some to rethink this very notion. At 5 p.m. April 14 in Wingate 202, the Departments of Religion, Anthropology and Music co-sponsored a discussion titled “Religion and Bruce Springsteen.” Wake Forest alumna Linda Randall and author of Finding Grace in the Concert Hall led the discussion. Randall received her Master’s degree in Religion and Culture and is now a professor at the Empire State College. Her book began as her major thesis after her adviser told her to follow her passions.
Randall was first introduced to Springsteen in 1975 when she was 24-years-old, but did not see him again until 1999. Randall went to her fourth Springsteen concert alone, and it was the first time she had attended any event alone. She wanted to see if the feelings she first experienced upon viewing Springsteen live could be reproduced. “What I felt was not a rock ‘n’ roll concert,” she said. “I felt like all my sins in life were forgiven.” To date, and just over the course of nine years, Randall has seen 70 shows and has traveled to Northern Ireland, Australia, Italy, France, New Zealand and many other countries. Randall has seen the way people are connected with each other and she has observed the calls
and responses between Springsteen and his audience, and has been left continually amazed. Initially, Randall was sure not to confuse her emotions for contagious enthusiasm and said, “I’ve never been a joiner. I don’t join clubs or organizations, but still when I was at the show, I felt that I was a part of something.” All of Springsteen’s songs have a thread of redemption and hope and Randall finds his honesty and sincerity very appealing. The topics of his songs also include justice, friendship and honesty. “He believes what he writes and he writes what he believes,” she said. After “coming to Bruce,” Randall started to surf the Internet and found an entire commu-
See Boss, Page A3
Photo courtesy of brucespringsteen.net
Finishing his last set of the night, New Jersey rock star Bruce Springsteen plays “Born in the USA” before a crowd at the Meadowlands.