STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSIT Y IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 This weekend, 1,672 onlookers watched football fall to North Central. Meanwhile, women’s volleyball moved up to 12-0. Page 5.
In Forum, editor Jeff Stepp calls out his physics professor for airing homophobic views on University Web space. Page 6.
VOLUME 127, NO. 13
Inside Scene, columnist Rachel Brockway tells all regarding her late-night skinny dipping experience in Millbrook Pool. Page 8.
Is the University a good place for vegans to find a meal? Find out on Page 7.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
Hurricane transfers pay WU tuition By Andrei Weiss-Berman Contributing Reporter Washington University has opted out of offering transfers from the Gulf Coast free tuition, a service offered by some peer institutions around the country. Instead, the University will treat visiting students affected by Hurricane Katrina no differently than current and degree-candidate WU students, according to William Witbrodt, director of Student Financial Services.
Witbrodt stressed that every visiting student will be “treated fairly” and will be subject to the same advantages that current students receive. While some schools, including top colleges such as Amherst and Williams, have offered free tuition to visiting students, Witbrodt maintains that he’s “convinced we’ve gone about this the right way.” Witbrodt noted that it has been difficult to square away the details with Tulane University – where most of the
MetroLink construction leaves students without sleep
visiting students come from – because Tulane’s financial aid director has just recently gotten “back in business.” Witbrodt is confident that the University will be able to square away any financial complications that Tulane students might have. Since only a few months remain in the fall semester, Witbrodt implied that the possibility of a student paying double tuition was highly unlikely. Concerning Tulane, he said, “I’m sure they’re going to do the right thing.”
Additionally, Witbrodt was pleased that the federal government “issued emergency legislation that allows us to [grant] five Federal loans,” further relieving the burden on some of the affected students. On Tulane’s website, President Scott Cowen said, “Let me be clear: No Tulane student will ultimately have to pay more than they would have if they were at Tulane for the fall semester. Therefore I have instructed university financial staff to make
sure this issue is resolved in a fair and equitable manner as soon as possible.” Freshman Jackie Singer, a St. Louis native, had planned to attend Tulane. After the hurricane, she transferred to Wash. U. and began paying tuition on a course-by-course basis. “[I] may get the difference back from what Tulane is saying right now,” she said, “but I don’t know if that’s going to happen.” “I definitely don’t think [the University’s policy] is
unfair, but compared to other [schools] they are being a lot less generous,” added Singer. “A lot of schools are waiving tuition or giving the money to Tulane. Wash. U. is doing neither.” Singer is not concerned about paying tuition twice, believing that what she had already paid at Tulane will “roll over to next semester.” Witbrodt said that the University “jumped right into action” after Katrina hit, enroll-
See TUITION, page 4
LIL’ JON ENTERTAINS THE UNIVERSITY’S “WILD” CROWD
v Continued building gets a green light
from St. Louis County Judge Wallace By Jeff Reul and Sarah Kliff News Staff MetroLink has been working late several nights over the last couple of weeks, but restless nights for students close to the construction site should now be over. Washington University students have become accustomed to MetroLink construction along Forest Park Parkway since late 2002. The construction, slated to finish in October of 2006, has commenced working nights to repave the road. “Forest Park Parkway is a county road and St. Louis County requires a real durable super pave that is produced only at night,” said Cathie Farroll, Project Communications Manager for MetroLink. Although the work is loud at the worst times, Farroll said there won’t be many more nights like this. “It is the classic example of just-in-time production and delivery,” Farroll said. “It is unpleasant, but it’s done. There may be a little more of the night work, but not much.” For students living in Lopata House and Millbrook Apartments, the construction has meant many sleepless nights. “I don’t think [night construction is] necessary, because I can’t sleep and I go to class every day and I’m really tired,” said junior Matt Kaufman, a Lopata House resident. “They work all night long and it’s really loud.” Kaufman reported Metro-
Link construction outside of his residence between 1-6 a.m. “It keeps up everyone in Lopata and Millbrook,” he continued. Junior Matt Rubin reported waking up at 3:30 a.m. to feel his entire Millbrook Apartment in the basement of Building 3 vibrating from construction. “Starting at 3:30 in the morning was pretty terrible,” said Rubin. “My window is right there and I see all the light from the nighttime construction come in. Whenever they drive the construction equipment around it makes my apartment vibrate.” Rubin’s roommate contacted the Washington University Police Department (WUPD) about the noise disturbance. He was told that the construction was outside of WUPD’s jurisdiction and his multiple messages with the St. Louis County Police went unreturned. Rubin noted that the timing of the construction and the fact that MetroLink funds are currently in jeopardy made him uncertain if the efforts were even worth it. “They’re unsure if they’re going to have enough money for the project,” said Rubin. “Why do they need to do construction? It seems especially unnecessary to me to have to do it at 3:30 in the morning.” MetroLink did receive good news last week concerning their funding situation. St. Louis County Judge Barbara W. Wallace sided
ALWYN LOH | STUDENT LIFE
Lil’ Jon roused the crowd at WILD on Friday with both his performance and commentary. For more photos from WILD, see Alwyn Loh’s photo essay on page 3.
with MetroLink in the court action they brought last week. In the ruling, Wallace declared that funds from Proposition M, which was approved by voters in 1994, were appropriately issued to MetroLink for the purposes of the light rail project. The Public Transit Accountability Project submitted signatures that would have called for a referendum on the ballot in 2006. The bond issue funds are to be used for MetroLink to fund the extension connecting Forest Park Parkway and Shrewsbury. “Judge Wallace ruled that the funds from Prop. M are not subject to a referendum,” Farroll said. “We can now continue to work without interruption.”
Small study groups excel, says University researcher
JASON HUBERT | STUDENT LIFE
Freshmen Amy Goldenberg, Hanna Heck, Charles Clark, Sam Giorgio, and Caitlin Park study together in the halls of Liggett on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 25. Research done by associate professor of education Keith Sawyer suggests that the optimal study group size is three to five people. Carla Friedman Contributing Reporter
CAROLYN GOLDSTEIN | STUDENT LIFE
Continued MetroLink construction along Forest Park Parkway recently shifted to begin in the middle of the night, disrupting students living in Lopata House and Millbrook Apartments. Residents said that the equipment, pictured above, is loud and vibrates the buildings while they are trying to sleep.
Bigger may not be better when it comes to study groups, says recent research conducted by associate professor of education Keith Sawyer. His recent study uncovered key reasons, ranging from notebook use to group size, that determined the effectiveness of study groups. His findings revealed that “when everyone was looking down, the talk was more artificial, whereas when every-
one was looking up, the talk was more conversational, and it was this alternation that made it really effective learning.” When the students “looked up and started talking, they were rephrasing the material in their own words and making the material their own, which allows for a better retention rate,” Sawyer explained. A student in Sawyer’s conversational analysis class videotaped a psychology study group that met the weekend
before every exam to review their lecture notes. Sawyer and his student analyzed 12 minutes of the tape, using “special techniques of conversation analysis to identify how interaction patterns were different,” he said. Sawyer particularly noticed that, “the notebook played a really critical role in the learning effectiveness of the study group,” because the students “looked down to see what the professor had said, paraphrased the comments,
See STUDY, page 4
2 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
Senior News Editor / Sarah Kliff / news@studlife.com
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
STUDENT LIFE
Briefs
One Brookings Drive #1039 #42 Women’s Building St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 News: (314) 935-5995 Advertising: (314) 935-6713 Fax: (314) 935-5938 E-mail: editor@studlife.com www.studlife.com Copyright 2005 Editor in Chief: Margaret Bauer Associate Editor: Liz Neukirch Managing Editor: David Tabor Senior News Editor: Sarah Kliff Senior Forum Editor: Molly Antos Senior Cadenza Editor: Laura Vilines Senior Scene Editor: Sarah Baicker Senior Sports Editor: Justin Davidson Senior Photo Editor: David Brody Senior Graphics Editor: Brian Sotak News Editors: Laura Geggel, Brad Nelson Contributing Editor: Mandy Silver Forum Editors: Zach Goodwin, Daniel Milstein, Jeff Stepp, Brian Schroeder, Matt Shapiro Cadenza Editors: Adam Summerville, Jordan Deam, Robbie Gross Scene Editors: Kristin McGrath, Sarah Klein Sports Editor: Joe Ciolli Photo Editors: David Hartstein, Pam Buzzetta, Oliver Hulland Online Editor: Dan Daranciang Copy Editors: Allie McKay, Nina Perlman, Kelly Donahue, Erin Fults, Rebecca Emshwiller, Hannah Draper, Julian Beattie, Mallory Wilder, Jess Trieber Designers: Ellen Lo, Laura McLean, Anna Dinndorf, Andy Gavinski, Jamie Reed, Elizabeth Kaufman, Jonathan Kim General Manager: Andrew O’Dell Copyright 2005 Washington University Student Media, Inc. (WUSMI). Student Life is the financially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper serving the Washington University community. First copy of each publication is free; all additional copies are 50 cents. Subscriptions may be purchased for $80.00 by calling (314) 935-6713. Student Life is a publication of WUSMI and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the Washington University administration, faculty or students. All Student Life articles, photos and graphics are the property of WUSMI and may not be reproduced or published without the express written consent of the General Manager. Pictures and graphics printed in Student Life are available for purchase; e-mail editor@ studlife.com for more information. Student Life reserves the right to edit all submissions for style, grammar, length and accuracy. The intent of submissions will not be altered. Student Life reserves the right not to publish all submissions. If you’d like to place an ad, please contact the Advertising Department at (314) 935-6713. If you wish to report an error or request a clarification, e-mail editor@studlife.com.
NATIONAL
LOCAL
Schlay Bottleworks pops open Science on Tap series starting this Wednesday
Southern schools close to save gas In Kentucky and Georgia, schools have shortened their semesters to cut down on the cost of gasoline. Schools in Kentucky have cut school days—Jackson County school district, in particular, will reduce its school week to four days beginning Oct. 17. Jackson is the fourth school district to switch to a four-day school week and the first to do so primarily for financial concerns. Georgia governor Sonny Perdue asked schools state-wide to close today and Tuesday to help preserve the nation’s oil supply. Keeping those school buses off the road would save approximately 250,000 gallons of diesel fuel each day, in addition to saving the regular fuel used by teachers commuting to schools.
Duke students alter press passes to help Hurricane Katrina victims KRT CAMPUS
Three students from Duke University helped shuttle people out of the convention center in New Orleans after stealing and altering press passes. The students, who spent a night traveling from North Carolina to Louisiana, made multiple attempts to enter the New Orleans area but were warded off by the National Guard. With press passes, which they took from a local television station and altered at a Kinko’s, they were able to enter the secured area. Once in the convention center, they helped transport individuals to hospitals in the Baton Rouge area.
Jack Petrovic (right) and Bill Hoyt package bottles of Pale Ale off the line at the Schlafly Bottle Works in Maplewood, Missouri. The Schlafly Bottleworks will host a new series called Science on Tap this week. A new lecture and discussion series called Science on Tap will commence this Wednesday, Sept. 28 in the Crown Room at the Schlafly Bottleworks. Inspired by the CafĂŠs Scientifiques in England, where people can go buy a beverage and listen to the latest scientific discoveries, Science on Tap will involve 20 minutes of presentation, followed by a seven-minute break for the attendees to introduce themselves to each other at the table, then join in an hour of discussion. All meetings are on the last Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m. and seating is limited to the first 100 people. This week’s lecture is titled “The Sumatra Earthquake, Could it Happen Here?â€? and will be led by Michael E. Wysession, an associate professor in the University’s department of earth and planetary sciences.
CAMPUS Digital mammography found to be better detector of breast cancer A recent study involving nearly 50,000 women has discovered that digital mammography is better at detecting breast cancer than conventional filmbased mammography in 50 percent of the female population. Women who are under 50, pre-menopausal or approaching menopause, as well as women with dense breasts, were found to have better results with digital mammography. Physicians from 33 sites across North America participated in the study, including researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine’s Joanne Knight Breast Health Center, which is affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the Siteman Cancer Center.
INTERNATIONAL Israel launches offensive strike on the Gaza Strip Israel began a broad offensive strike in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing an Islamic jihad leader and rounding up 200 wanted Palestinians. The offensive effort came after a round of militant rocket attacks on Israeli towns over the weekend, two weeks after Israel completed its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Late Sunday, a top Hamas leader said his group would cease rocket fire. Israeli officials are waiting to see if things remain quiet before calling off the offensive strike.
faced
Get your yearbook photo taken for free! sept 26-28 (mon-wed) 9am-5pm women’s building formal lounge sept 29-30 (thurs & fri) 9am-5pm friedman lounge in wohl center
HATCHET WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY YEARBOOK check us out at our website yearbook.wustl.edu
Senior News Editor / Sarah Kliff / news@studlife.com
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
3
WILD: Let the crunk juice FLow Photographs by Alwyn Loh Staff Photographer
Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boyz
performed
Friday night in
at
WILD
the Quad
in front of hundreds of students. Lil’ Jon’s protégé, Lil’ Scrappy, preceeded him on stage along with Quor and Murphy Lee, who made a surprise appearance.
Throngs of students massed so close to the stage that several times the
performers
had to ask people to move back so that those in front would
not
get
Lil’ Jon’s numerous requests to the female members of the crushed. crowd to reveal their assets were not well received even though most of the audience was intoxicated in one form or another. .
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4 STUDENT LIFE | NEWS
Senior News Editor / Sarah Kliff / news@studlife.com
TUITION v FROM PAGE 1 ing 69 undergraduates and 19 graduate students in the University College’s Visiting Student Program. The Visiting Student Program, which has seldom had over-enrollment concerns, was deemed the most appropriate outlet to address the needs of students affected by Katrina. The Visiting Students Program at University College was originally created with the intent of allowing local students who attended insti-
tutions around the country to take up to two semesters worth of classes at the University if they faced extenuating circumstances and were unable to remain at their regular college. “I think we feel good that we’ve been able to be responsive to our own students affected by Katrina and using that same framework,” said Witbrodt. “We’ve been able to accommodate our visiting students equally.”
STUDY v FROM PAGE 1 then looked up and starting talking about it.” The number of students is a crucial aspect to consider when forming a study group. “What makes [study groups] effective is that when you’re looking up, the interaction is more conversational,” said Sawyer. “Once groups get larger, it’s hard to have a normal conversation.” Sawyer felt that groups of three and four students are ideal. Groups of five might be pushing it, and “six is definitely too big, unless you’re really good friends and have smooth interactions,” said Sawyer. Although Sawyer’s research project only focuses on a psychology study group, his “inclination is to say that [study groups] are good for every subject,” even though he, “would expect patterns of conversation to be different.” Whether studying biology or English, there’s always a benefit when working through ideas with other peers. For a course that only requires papers and no exams, Sawyer suggested that the student should, “group with someone else to talk about the paper topic and explain what the paper will be about verbally, or have a fellow student read a draft of the paper.” In general, it is “the act of being forced to verbalize that makes the group study
an effective technique,” said Sawyer. Harvey Fields, Jr., the assistant director of Cornerstone, was intrigued by Sawyer’s research. “Study groups,” he felt, “are only effective when students learn how to work in a study group.” “Study groups are not useful if students go around, give each other the answer they got to a problem, and move on if everybody got the same answer,” said Fields. “Students must describe how they got the answer so that they will learn from the processes used by their peers.” “[Study groups are valuable if] they are interactive, hands-on, meet regularly, and if everyone is involved,” added Fields. Cornerstone provides two types of study groups: ones linked to specific courses— Peer Led Team Learning—and groups not directly connected to a course but facilitated by academic mentors. “Students in PLTL study groups perform from one third of a grade to a full grade better,” reported Fields. He has no doubt that this is an accurate statistic. “No matter how [they] slice it, the average difference is the same. It’s real, it’s significant.” he said. Given this knowledge, Cornerstone is continuing its efforts to promote study groups. As Fields pointed out, “[students] need to work in groups to maximize their potential.”
Information leak at Miami U. of Ohio concerns students By Mackenzie Leonard Contributing Reporter Miami University of Ohio students recently became quite familiar with the danger of accidental information leakages, despite the university’s attempts to protect their students’ personal security and stave off identity theft. Early last week, the school notified all students who attended Miami during the 2002 fall semester that a report containing their names, Social Security numbers, credits attempted, and cumulative grade point averages had inadvertently been placed in a fi le accessible through the Internet. Richard Little, Miami’s senior director of university communications, explained that the students’ information was not directly accessible through the Internet, but was instead located within a sub-folder used for fi le-sharing among faculty and students—a system similar to Washington University’s Telesis. Because the department chair who mistakenly fi led the identifying information rarely used the folder where the information was placed, the mistake was not discovered until last week, when an alumna searched for her own name on Google and happened upon the fi le. J. Reid Christenberry, Miami’s vice president for information technology, stated, “Private and confidential information was exposed, and we deeply regret the incident. We have removed the fi le and are writing the students and alumni to apologize. We also are taking steps to rectify the problem and to avoid a similar instance in the future.” The incident highlighted the need for university students to be particularly vigilant about protecting their personal information and to be informed of
Are you a current Junior thinking about a career in public service (e.g., health care or environmental policy, education, government, law, elected politics, etc.)? Come learn more about the Harry S. Truman Scholarship at Thursday’s informational meeting! This merit-based scholarship includes $30,000 for graduate school, the opportunity to meet other committed and ambitious students from around the nation, a summer or year-long internship in Washington D.C., preferential admission to a number of top universities for graduate school, and more!
What: Harry S. Truman Scholarship Info Meeting When: Thursday, September 29th @ 4pm Where: January 110 Visit http://www.truman.gov or contact Dean Ian MacMullen at macmullen@wustl.edu or 5-6192 for more information. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen…”
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
the specific security policies in place at their respective institutions. Little commented that students are often naïve about security-related issues and advised students to be especially aware of issues regarding credit card security and internet fraud. In advising students about ways to protect themselves from identity crimes, Little said, “One thing that you should do as you begin to get credit cards and so forth is to obtain a free credit report each year. If you have suspicions that there may be a problem, put a fraud alert on your personal credit information.” As the ever-increasing integration of technology at university campuses across the nation heightens the potential for privacy-related problems, Washington University has attempted to enact measures to secure students’ personal information. The Washington University Information Security Policy states, “The University and all members of the University community are obligated to respect and, in many cases, to protect confidential data…systems designed primarily to store confidential records (such as the Financial Information System and Student Information System and all medical records systems) require enhanced security protections and are controlled (strategic) systems to which access is closely monitored.” Despite such policies, however, students retain the responsibility to be selective about what information they release to other students or individuals. The Miami University information leakage reminded students that the potential for privacy measures to go awry always exists, even at universities with security policies in place. MARGARET BAUER | STUDENT LIFE
Senior Sports Editor / Justin Davidson / sports@studlife.com
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
SPORTS
FALL SPORTS UPDATE
Crowd of 1,627 watches Bears crumble on Saturday night
FOOTBALL
v Bears fall to 1-3 on season
MEN’S SOCCER
Sports Reporter The Washington University football team once again failed to execute offensively and came up on the short end of a 25-0 rout against visiting North Central College (NCC) on Saturday night at Francis Field. With the loss, the Bears fell to 1-3, while the visiting Cardinals improved to 3-0. Despite holding NCC’s highoctane offense in relative check, the University was unable to capitalize on the offensive side of the ball. The Bears committed six turnovers and struggled to sustain lengthy drives. North Central, much like Wabash College the week before, where the squad fell 23-7, was able to pick apart Washington’s defense in the early going. The Cardinals racked up 129 yards of total offense in the first quarter alone and scored a touchdown on an eight-yard run with 52 seconds remaining to give the visitors an early 7-0 lead. After the Bears went a quick three-and-out on the ensuing possession, the Cardinal offense went back to work. Quarterback Kam Kniss led Central on an efficient and passing-oriented scoring drive which ended in a nine-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was good and Central led 14-0. The University’s defense played well throughout the remainder of the half, stemming the flow of Division III’s No. 1scoring offense for much of the second quarter. With roughly three minutes remaining in the first half, however, University junior running back DaRonne Jenkins fumbled the ball on a punt return and the Cardinals took over at the Bears’ 21-yard line. Kniss led Central on another effective scoring drive against a tired Bears defense, and six plays later the Cardinals found themselves with another score when Kniss found Eric Stuedermann for a five-yard touchdown pass with just under ten seconds remaining in the half. Rather than going for the conventional PAT, A Tyler Didier two-point conversion run gave North Central a commanding 22-0 and all the momentum it would need heading into halftime. The University’s defensive unit impressively limited North Central’s potent offense following halftime, holding the Car-
dinals to just three points for the entire second half. A third quarter field goal from 30 yards out was all the NCC could muster up. Unfortunately for the University, the Bear offense remained stagnant. Junior quarterback Nick Henry faced continual pressure from Cardinal linebackers and defensive ends and was forced into throwing three interceptions. Back-up sophomore Dan Cardone also threw a pick in the second half. Freshman Tommy Bawden led the Bears’ defense with nine tackles, and also blocked a Central punt. Junior defensive back Drew Wethington had a hand in two sacks. Henry finished with 100 yards passing, completing nine of his 23 attempts. Sophomore tight end Jeff Howenstein had four catches for 53 yards, including a nicely-caught 34-yard reception that had been tipped and nearly intercepted by a Central defensive back. Jenkins rushed for 81 yards on 20 carries. Cardone and freshman Buck Smith also saw time in the second half at QB, as normal starting QB Pat McCarthy was out with an injury. Despite the disappointing 25-0 loss, there was one highlight that stands out in the Bears’ season to date. Saturday’s game attracted an impressive 1,627 fans, with a small section of the crowd devoted to cheering on North Central. Still, the turnout was excellent, and Red Alert helped attract the crowd. A barbeque tailgate party began before kick-off, Red Alert provided free pizza, and the fanbase seemed pleased with the event. “It was fun to see that there were people who were trying to create an energetic student section during the game,” said junior Stan Parker. “It was nice seeing people leading cheers and trying to pump people up, and having people participate in a halftime show made for some hilarious results.” During halftime, five students were selected to participate in a kicking contest where each person had to spin around quickly 15 times, run 10 yards, and then attempt to kick the ball the farthest. The winning kick was 13 yards; every one of the contestants fell over following their kick. The University (1-3) gets back to action next Saturday at home when it faces Rhodes College. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
JASON HUBERT | STUDENT LIFE
Senior defensive back Joe Rizzo fails to stop a North Central receiver from scoring a touchdown on Saturday night. The University’s defense let up 22 points in the first half en route to a 25-0 defeat.
UAA L 0 0 0 0
W STANDINGS Case Western Reserve 0 0 Carnegie Mellon Washington U. 0 U. Chicago 0
STANDINGS Emory University Rochester Carnegie Mellon U. Chicago Washington U. New York University Case Western Reserve Brandeis University
5
IN BRIEF: The football team couldn’t get on the board in Saturday’s 25-0 loss to North Central College, while No. 1 volleyball defeated the University of Missouri-St. Louis in a close five-game match on Wed., Sept. 17.
FOOTBALL
By Andrei Weiss-Berman
STUDENT LIFE | SPORTS
Pct. .000 .000 .000 .000
OVERALL W L Pct. 3 1 .750 2 2 .500 1 3 .250 0 3 .000
VOLLEYBALL
UAA L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
W STANDINGS Washington U. 0 Emory University 0 New York University 0 Carnegie Mellon 0 Rochester 0 Brandeis University 0 U. Chicago 0 Case Western Reserve 0
Pct. .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000
OVERALL W L Pct. 12 0 1.000 13 1 .929 12 2 .857 12 5 .706 11 5 .688 5 7 .417 4 10 .286 2 11 .154
WOMEN’S SOCCER W 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
UAA L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pct. .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000
W 8 6 5 6 5 6 5 4
OVERALL L T Pct. 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 1 0 .857 0 3 .813 1 1 .813 2 1 .688 2 0 .667
STANDINGS Carnegie Mellon Emory University U. Chicago Brandeis University Rochester New York University Washington U. Case Western Reserve
W 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
UAA L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pct. .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000
W 6 5 5 4 4 5 4 3
OVERALL L T Pct. 0 1 .929 0 2 .857 1 1 .786 1 1 .750 1 1 .750 2 1 .688 3 1 .563 5 1 .389
No. 1 volleyball rolls to 12-0 start By Carrie Jarka Contributing Reporter The University’s topranked volleyball team proved the NCSA power rankings true last Wednesday, taking down Division II opponent University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Even without the aid of last week’s UAA player of the week, Megan Houck, Washington University was still able to tally 71 kills in the five-game match. Amy Baum led the Bears offensively, tallying a careerhigh 13 kills. The junior outside hitter also added nine digs to her performance. Unfortunately for UMSL, the Bears had three other players with double-digit kills. Sophomore middle hitter Emilie Walk contributed 14 kills. Junior middle hitter Whitney Smith and sophomore outside hitter Haleigh Spencer added 10 kills of their own. “Our offense is so multifaceted that it’s tough for an opponent to key on one player. If they attempt to, someone else comes through,” said Bears head coach Rich Luenemann. The University jumped out to an early lead, winning the first game 30-24. In a tight second game where the Bears tallied 17 kills and rallied from a seven-point deficit, the UMSL Riverwomen finally notched the game point
31-33. In the third game, the Bears jumped out to an early lead and appeared to be in control before a 10-point rally put UMSL in the lead for an eventual win of 2530. The Bears would not be defeated, however, as they registered another 17 kills in the fourth game to win 30-25. In the deciding fifth game, the Bears dominated, hitting an astonishing .667 en route to a 15-7 victory. Senior setter and captain Kara Liefer continued her solid play this season by adding 58 assists and 11 digs. Junior libero Amy Bommarito, the tough defensive specialist, added 21 digs. The Bears also enjoyed the contributions of freshman Nikki Morrison, who added eight kills, as well as those of sophomore Whitney Brodie, who added five kills of her own and led the Bears with a .400 hitting percentage. Junior Megan Delcourt also added five digs to the University victory. “Megan’s back row play improves with each match. She’s doing a better job of grasping the nuances of the rover position. The position requires strong reading skills, and she’s learning to read the correct keys,” said Luenemann. The Bears will look to stay undefeated as they travel to the first UAA Round-Robin Tournament next weekend to face Carnegie-Mellon University, the University of
PAM BUZZETTA | STUDENT LIFE
Senior captain Kara Liefer sets up sophomore Haleigh Spencer for a monstrous spike. This past Wednesday, the No. 1-ranked squad knocked UMSL off in five games to improve their record to 12-0 on the season. Chicago, and Brandeis University. With the conference title, the winner receives an
automatic bid to the postseason tournament.
6 STUDENT LIFE | FORUM
Senior Forum Editor / Molly Antos / forum@studlife.com
FORUM
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
Our daily forum editors: Monday: Jeff Stepp Wednesday: Daniel Milstein Friday: Zach Goodwin jsstepp@wustl.edu daniel.milstein@wustl.edu goodwin@wustl.edu To ensure that we have time to fully evaluate your submissions, guest columns should be e-mailed to the next issue’s editor or forwarded to forum@studlife.com by no later than 5 p.m. two days before publication. Late pieces will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. We welcome your submissions, and thank you for your consideration.
Should Wash. U. tolerate The downside of the double major homophobic professors? By Matt Shapiro
I
am currently enrolled in a physics class that I enjoy. The professor is engaging, understandable and thoughtful. The demonstrations in his class are fun, appropriate for the material, and he always takes time at the beginning of class to answer any questions his students may have. These questions often result in interesting Jeff Stepp discussions, and I’ve found that I, contrary to popular belief, am learning something in this introductory level course designed for non-science majors. You would never know this professor is a fervent homophobe. I wouldn’t have known, either, if a friend of mine hadn’t tipped me off to Professor Katz’ personal Web site—a Web site that is hosted on Washington University’s servers and linked to from a physics department page. The page seems innocuous at first; it has his picture, name and contact information on the top, followed by a summary of his research and a few select publications. There are links to his CV and other publications as well. Then there is a disclaimer: “These [essays] represent my personal views alone. Washington University would never take an official position which might deviate from the ‘politically correct’ line. I don’t know how they find out what the line is each day, but they sure keep up-to-date.” Now you know something good must be coming. From that disclaimer to the bottom of that page are 16 essays, written by Katz over the past few years, detailing his personal opinions on political issues including homophobia and diversity. These essays are
Forum Editor anything but the thoughtful, education-oriented articles one might expect. In one article, entitled, “In Defense of Homophobia,” Katz states, “I am a homophobe, and proud.” He condemns homosexuals because he believes they are responsible for causing and furthering the AIDS epidemic, by way of unsafe and promiscuous sexual practices. In part, his argument is right: statistically, gays have a much higher rate of AIDS than heterosexuals, and the HIV disease grew out of the gay community in the U.S. Yet in his mind, because gays spread AIDS, they ought to be condemned. This reasoning is flawed. Heterosexuals transmit many diseases through sexual contact, including HIV, that are viral and potentially fatal. Some are also promiscuous, adulterous and quick to divorce their spouses. Yet he makes no argument with them. Because I wanted to write this column, I called him to get more information about his opinions. His responses ranged from indignant to offensive to evasive, the latter more so as I challenged his reasoning. When I asked him how he felt about homosexuals who were in monogamous relationships, practicing safe sex and too young to have any involvement with the original AIDS outgrowth, his opinions didn’t change. But it is not Katz’ opinions that raise red flags in my head. What I find more problematic is that these essays, along with others, are hosted on University-owned Web space, funded by our tuition. The professor didn’t seem to have a problem with this, and he detailed to me the tenets of academic freedom and the fact that he is seen as a “public intellectual” and thus looked to by the public for opinions on these issues. This bears two problems. One, he is a physicist specializing in gamma ray bursts, and
while political science professors don’t have a monopoly on opinions, I doubt scholars are looking to him for academic opinions on homosexuality. Two, the University maintains both a Computer Use Policy and a non-discrimination policy. From the former: “Moreover, while freedom of inquiry and expression are fundamental principles of academic life, assaults upon the personal integrity of individual members of the academic community and dissemination of offensive materials may undermine the foundations of that community... While incidental personal use is permissible in most settings, these resources are generally available only for University-related activities.” From the latter: “Washington University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability in its programs and activities.” This professor’s opinions are not University-related and border on discrimination, which is defined in Merriam-Webster as “prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment.” To be fair, Professor Katz stated clearly and honestly to me that his opinions do not affect his class, and that his students’ personal lives are none of his business. I believe him, and have witnessed nothing to the contrary in the seven lectures I have attended. I did ask him, though, what he would do if he had a friend who told him he was homosexual. “Well, I think he would be much less of a friend,” Katz responded. “I don’t have dope dealers as friends.” I have no personal intent to request that Katz be fired, sanctioned or even “talked to” about his opinions. He is free to have them, as I am mine. But his opinions are offensive, discriminatory and bigoted. Are they appropriate for University
Web space? I am not sure. After all, by his very nature as a public figure of the University, what he writes stands in some small part for the University, disclaimer or no disclaimer. The Computer Use Policy states that student and faculty Web pages are not monitored for content, which is good. But that doesn’t mean offensive content shouldn’t be reported. Suppose his articles were about anti-Semitism. Would they receive as little scrutiny as they do now? Certainly not, especially on this campus. Sensationalist conservative speaker David Horowitz argues that campuses need more “balance” in academic thought. But surely he cannot equate balance with bigotry, can he? I’ll leave that for someone else to decide. Professor Katz’ Web site is located at wuphys.wustl. edu/~katz. I encourage you to visit the site and form your own opinions about this conflict. My gut reaction wants the offensive portions of his Web site removed from University Web space and unlinked from his University site, but there are arguments to be made both ways regarding censorship, academic freedom, discrimination, offensive material, etc.—in short, too much for one man and one column. And too often the rules are used against the good guys, those who have legitimate opinions contradicting the established majority. My other recourse would be to ask students to boycott his class, but sadly, that would cause the University to cancel it—causing me, and perhaps others, to not fulfill a cluster and therefore not graduate. Thus another way the University forces us to tolerate the opinions of this so unfortunately brilliant professor. Jeff is a senior in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor. He can be reached via e-mail at forum@ studlife.com.
A multitude of disasters awaits us By John Hewitt Forum Columnist
W
e are supposed to be afraid. We have been trained. From our earliest days of childhood, we have been poked, coerced and cajoled into endless inane activities like bubble-filling and reading aloud to one another. We have colored within the lines, perfectly. We’ve sat through health classes that teach us the importance of maintaining the purity of our bodily fluids. Some of us have come to enjoy the experience. Many of us snap long before we finish our tours. How many Americans, I wonder, have tried to imagine themselves being forced to make the choice between being flash-fried and plummeting thousands of feet before colliding with pavement? We don’t want to be fired from our cube-jobs. We fear becoming bloated demi-humans who sell giant cups of frozen sugar fluid at a gas station, or transforming into man-children living in subterranean dungeons deep below the family home—living life by pressing buttons, bathing in a bright radioactive glow. We are afraid of brown foreigners. What does the term
Islamo-Fascism mean? Is it the catastrophic product of a chemical reaction between excess amounts of melanin in the skin, madrassa learning and moustaches? I shall leave that complicated question to the very wise men who direct our national policy. Heil Experts! They have never failed us in our times of need. When you read this, there will be panic. “Recession” is a whisper as I type, days before an unpredictable massive storm devastates another populated industrial mecca. I do not know what it will be like. I am not one of the wizards that can tell you that. Our future is up to the mud, the wind and the waves. The question of what causes warmer oceans isn’t relevant now. The seawater is warmer regardless of what we think about the subject. Some clever men know why, and some other chaps don’t like them and don’t believe them. For all I care, these storms could be the culmination of a nasty fight between Jesus Christ and Poseidon. Slitting the throat of a cow and letting the blood flow into the Gulf of Mexico to feed the Ocean God would be as effective now at preventing destructive weather patterns as making a very special middleaged man born in New Haven
sign his name on a piece of paper with words on it written by a committee in a city on an island in the Pacific Ocean in 1997. It’s not normal for two hurricanes of this size to follow each other immediately in the same area. I do not think it is a coincidence. The only parallel I can find in recorded history for the Gulf region is in 1915, when two Saffir-Simpson scale Category Four hurricanes hit New Orleans and Galveston (the unnamed Galveston hurricane has a little ‘b’ next to it like a controversial home run record—it’s considered Category Four only because of its estimated wind speed at landfall). The percentage of hurricanes in all regions that are in Categories Four and Five each season has doubled since the mid-1970s. The first hurricane in history to form in the South Atlantic hit Brazil in the spring of 2004. Our pitiful fretting makes no difference to the storms. First of all, they don’t speak English. We might try to convince them to leave us alone by trying Esperanto or whale noises—but it’s probably too late now for a cross-cultural exchange. The Elder Gods have no truck with us. This passage from H.P. Lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu” is appropriate: “Who knows the end? What
has risen may sink, and what has sunk may rise. Loathsomeness waits and dreams in the deep, and decay spreads over the tottering cities of men. A time will come—but I must not and cannot think!” The fall of 2001 was unseasonably warm in New York. I concluded at the time that it must be a combination of combustions: emissions and explosions. It made me smile to think of it that way. The City’s darker months are cruel. The street grids create massive wind tunnels; standing in them is a little like having the meat rendered from your bones by energy concentrated by the tall, organized stone totems. I remember that warm fall as the happiest season of my life. Loud people will fill us with terror in the coming years. We will want to make the noise stop. It won’t stop, not now, not soon. You will get used to the loudness. The great drum-beats will soon become indistinguishable from the lub dub of your own heart, and then the drums will begin to pound a little louder. So it goes. The unimaginable cannot be prepared for. John is a sophomore in Arts & Sciences. He can be reached via e-mail at jkhewitt@wustl.edu.
T
here are a few things about Wash. U. that, even after three years here, I still don’t completely understand. I have no idea why the University chooses to have a convocation for me every single year when they could just send out all the important information I need yearly in a medium length e-mail, nor do I understand why the most convenient time for construction on the new MetroLink station always seems to be about 6 a.m. However, an article in last Monday’s Student Life reminded me of something else about the University that I still don’t get: double majors. For some reason, an unusually high percentage of students here choose to pick not just one, but two or maybe even three majors. Not only does this custom not add anything to the college experience, but it actually actively detracts from nearly any double major’s college experience. A double major limits your options during college much more than it creates possibilities elsewhere, despite the continued rush of University students to have multiple majors. First of all, double majoring takes too much time. Most majors will require at least 30 credits; multiply by two, add in clusters and other prerequisites to graduate and a student who takes an average of 15 credits a semester has maybe a semester or two free—certainly no more—to take whatever classes he wants. The point of a liberal arts curriculum is to expose its participants to new ideas and interesting concepts, not to pigeon-hole them into a few select topics. Students who take on multiple majors claim that this increases the topics they’re exposed to, but it actually does quite the opposite, limiting the classes they can take and the ideas they can pursue. Having one major to focus on also improves your potential experience within that major. At other schools, majors in certain departments really get to know both the subject and the professors in that department, adding an additional sense of academic community to the college experi-
ence, something that many students here seem to miss out on because they’re so busy moving from one department to another. Furthermore, double majoring isn’t particularly useful. Nearly any job will either have a training program or require a graduate degree. Few employers would look at a double major’s skills and accept them as sufficient for a job; graduate school is virtually a prerequisite for most well-paying jobs these days, anyway. Also, if double majoring gives applicants such an edge, wouldn’t other schools have caught on to it by now? Picking just one major is good enough for students at every other school in the country, and while we’d like to think we’re that much smarter than everyone, chances are better that we’re all a bunch of overachievers with nothing better to do than load up on everything possible, including majors. What seems to be most absurd about the majority of double majors at the University is that people don’t even seem to have a reason for doing it. Many just do it because others do, following peer pressure of the lamest kind. Who cares that your freshman roommate is double majoring in physics and dance or that your sophomore suitemate chooses to spend all of her time focusing on history and philosophy-neuroscience-psychology (does that count as a quadruple major?). This isn’t high school, so hopefully people should be able to resist both the compulsion to do as much as possible and the urge to do what everyone else is doing just because it seems to be the most popular option. There’s a sense of inadequacy that anyone who “only” has one major here will probably own up to having felt at least once, which is completely ridiculous. As a proud single major, I encourage those few of you out there who also “just” have one major to take pride in it, whatever it is, and remember there are at least a few other people at this school who agree that more isn’t necessarily better. Matt is a senior in Arts & Sciences and a Forum editor. He can be reached via e-mail at mishapir@ wustl.edu.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
De Soto coverage lacking Dear Editor: Shame on you for your negligent coverage of Hernando de Soto’s Assembly Series lecture Monday afternoon. His “remarks” (this word was your only reference to his address) took the form of a witty and informative hour-long speech, highlighting the plight of the world’s poorest inhabitants, outlining his insights on the problems facing them as they develop economically and detailing his unique and original ideas about how to solve those problems. You described him as a “Peruvian economist,” and while this description was factually correct, you might have used more fitting adjectives like “world-renowned,” “best-selling” or “groundbreaking.” Hernando de Soto revealed to the world that the vast majority of its citizens are locked out of official commerce by byzantine, restrictive bureaucratic systems. Though they may account for 90 percent of economic activity in a country, the extra-legal enterprises of the world’s poorest, novel and sophisticated though they might be, are prevented from expanding and flourishing because they operate outside
of governmental auspices. The ramifications of these ideas are fascinating and useful for helping the world’s poor better their lot, but no one would know it from your (lack of) coverage. De Soto is one of the world’s foremost development economists. He is the recipient of more than a dozen of that field’s most prestigious awards, and was recognized by Time and Forbes magazines as one of the 20th century’s five leading Latin American innovators and one of the 15 innovators “who will reinvent your future,” respectively. He is the president and founder of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, which has been recognized by The Economist magazine as one of the two most important think tanks in the world. He is the author of two best-selling books, “The Mystery of Capital” and “The Other Path.” He works closely with leaders from every continent, and has traveled extensively in the developing world. He and his ideas are extremely important for the world today, and Student Life’s failure to cover his speech was disgraceful. -Andrew Langan Class of 2006
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Senior Scene Editor / Sarah Baicker / scene@studlife.com
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | SCENE
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Is Wash. U. vegan-friendly? By Jessica Sommer Scene Reporter
OLIVER HULLAND | STUDENT LIFE
Senior Scott Satkin loves his vegetables. As a vegan, his food choices on campus are limited, but he doesn’t mind.
Students often gripe about the lack of variety available from campus dining, but senior Scott Satkin doesn’t complain. As a vegan, he has grown accustomed to limited choices and repetitive eating patterns. “I hear a lot of vegetarians complaining quite a bit [about campus food] but I haven’t had any problems,” he said. “Of course, I have very few options. If you don’t mind eating the same meal everyday, it’s not bad.” Although she doesn’t have trouble finding food as a vegetarian, freshman Sheila Forjuoh suspects that might change, should she choose to become a vegan. “I am thinking of becoming a vegan but it would be difficult on campus,” said Forjuoh. “Wash. U. has a lot of vegetarian choices, but for vegans your choices are more limited.” According to The Vegan Society, an international organization dedicated to the promotion of the vegan lifestyle, “A vegan is some-
one seeking a lifestyle free from animal products for the benefit of people, animals and the environment. A vegan therefore eats a plant-based diet free from all animal products, including milk, eggs and honey. Most vegans do not wear leather, wool or silk.” Although choices may become more limited, being a vegan on campus is not too difficult with the aid of the dining services Web site, nutrition.wustl.edu. By looking at each dining location’s color-coded menu, one can quickly see which foods are designated for vegans or vegetarians. The Web site also proffers advice on maintaining a balanced diet with the given options. The Village, Center Court and the Food Court in Mallinckrodt offer the most options for vegans, while other locations only provide “Grab-and-Go” selections. “When options are limited, an individual may not always find the choice that meets their needs, but vegan and vegetarian options are throughout all campus dining locations,” said Director of University
Nutrition Connie Diekman. Despite the options and online tools, vegans still run into problems getting food to meet their dietary restrictions. “You have to be very careful because a lot of stuff is terribly mislabeled,” said Satkin. “I’ve found soy cheese with milk in it and other things like that.” Vegans must also be aware of less overt forms of animal byproducts such as gelatine, which is made from animal bones, whey and casein, which are milk derivatives, and carmine, a red colorant made from crushed beetles. To avoid these problems, Satkin cooks many of his own meals, but he is certainly not precluded from eating out. “I’ve never had a problem at a restaurant. You just have to pick and choose from side dishes,” Satkin said. “Usually ethnic cuisine is pretty friendly.” With restricted choices, it may be hard for vegans to meet their nutritional needs. “[While eating primarily from campus dining,] I
was eating a lot of the same food, and probably not getting enough protein or calcium,” Satkin said. However, campus menus are designed with everyone’s dietary needs in mind, according to Diekman. “When dining service menu plans are developed the goal is to meet the plan established by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, no matter what the individual’s food choices,” says Diekman. For example, vegans can obtain the needed amounts of protein and calcium without eating meat or drinking milk. Beans, nuts and certain vegetables can provide the recommended daily serving of protein, while spring greens, almonds and oranges are rich in calcium. If all else fails, there are always supplemental vitamins. Although many probably crave a steak just hearing about a typical vegan diet, choosing the vegan lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to surrender your taste buds. “Just because you are eating a vegan dish, that doesn’t mean it has to taste bad,” said Satkin.
Pot Roast stew: A night at the Gargoyle By Amanda Ogus Scene Reporter Stepping into the Gargoyle at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, a visitor feels transported into another world. I had the unique opportunity to spend time with Mama’s Pot Roast, the longest running improvisational comedy troupe on campus, and find out what really happens at their rehearsals. After 12 years of comedy, the Pot Roasters have gotten practice time down to a science. After a quick stretch warm-up ending with an enthusiastic yell of “HUMP!” the group immediately launches into a game of “Freeze.” In this game, a few people create a situation and are frequently interrupted when other group members yell, “Freeze,” take someone’s position and start a new dialogue. The game flows smoothly, with members frequently adopting diverse accents and exaggerated maneuvers to broadcast their characters. According to senior Robby Boyer, the Pot Roaster who organizes practices, games like “Freeze” project the true feeling of the group. “Fundamentally, improv is the rawest form of expression,” Boyer said. “It’s right there for you and it’s right what the audience wants: pure expression without restrictions.” But improv is not a oneman show. Improv is more than just being comedic; it’s about learning how to sculpt
that humor in a form that works with one’s co-performers’ styles. “You can be the funniest person in the world and get on stage and fail because you don’t know how to work with someone else,” Boyer said. “Improv is in every way a team sport. You have to trust and be trusted.” In order to earn this trust, the team practices together two nights a week in an intense blend of practicing the rules of the game and giving feedback to each other. The group tries out all different combinations of team members for each game to see who works best together. “We practice to get the rules of the game,” said Pot Roast President Rob McLemore, a junior. “It’s more than just getting up on stage and doing stuff, because there’s a lot more to what makes the games work.” The team continues practice with a round of different improv games. In the first, titled “Fast Forward,” two members must present a unique relationship to the audience, like ship captain and first mate. Another Pot Roaster will periodically scream directions to “fast forward” or “rewind” to a particular point in the relationship, taking cues from the dialogue onstage. After each combo, the group thinks about the strengths of the scene and how the people worked together. According to McLemore, becoming comfortable with teammates is another crucial element dur-
ing practice. “For us, the big thing about practice is getting this dynamic: feeling comfortable with the group and with the games,” McLemore said. “Each member has something different that they bring to the group, and working to meld that together is really what rehearsals are all about. It’s like Pot Roast stew.” These differences are what make the group so strong. McLemore and Boyer both believe that there is no one type of person who can succeed at improv; one must only have confidence. “A person who is good at improv is someone who is not afraid to just put themselves out there,” McLemore said. “You don’t necessarily have to be funny, but if you can get up there and just be confident in what you do, you can make it hysterical.” “If you look at Pot Roast, we all have different personalities and experiences,” sophomore David Israel said. “There’s definitely no set mold. That’s part of the fun; anyone can do it.” Demonstrating that a variety of talents can be used in improv, the next game was “Bartender,” a singing game in which customers tell their problems to the bartender. The problems ranged from someone who ate himself to someone whose wife left him for a gorilla. After a few more games, the practice closed with a
KRISTIN MCGRATH | STUDENT LIFE
The improv group Mama’s Pot Roast plays a game called “Freeze” at a recent practice. discussion of that evening’s strengths and facets that needed work. After this in-depth evaluation, the members seemed ready to continue to improve. “It’s awesome to have a chance to say something that’s going to make a whole room laugh,” Israel said. Another goal for which the group strives is the great game, when the scene can only improve. “There’s a moment in a
good game, when you just know that it’s going to keep being good,” Boyer said. “I’ve never surfed, but I bet it’s like catching a wave. You just keep riding on it. It’s a high I can’t compare to anything.” The ubiquitous enthusiasm of the group makes this high very attainable. The energy level fueled the entire practice, and the jokes kept coming. From the unusual ritu-
als, which, according to McLemore, “stay only within its members,” to the quirky creations the cast creates out of a short list of suggestions, Mama’s Pot Roast presents improv comedy as an art form with which to be reckoned. So, if you hear unnatural animal sounds or loud German accents drifting from the Gargoyle late on Wednesday night, you’ll know why.
Forest Park: what’s in your backyard? By Rachel Cohen Scene Reporter Last weekend Forest Park hosted one of its most famed traditions: the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. I got on my bike and made the trek to the far side of the park to watch the launching of the brigade of brightlycolored balloons, led by the Energizer Hot Hare Balloon, a giant floating pink rabbit. Despite perfect weather, the Bunny fell early due to technical difficulties. But the race and surrounding spectacle were a success, attracting thousands of participants and spectators from across the region, as well as a variety of icecream vendors, which kept
many of those spectators happy. For the many Wash. U. students who did not make it to the park last weekend, fear not. Forest Park is chock full of entertainment year-round. If you went on a campus tour or took a look around the city for yourself during your first visit to Wash. U., you surely came across Forest Park. Our “beautiful backyard” may have even been one of the reasons you decided to come to school here. Yet many students rarely take advantage of what the park has to offer. So what really lies beyond the golf course and art museum? And (a question pressing on the minds of all freshman, who may never make it past
Kayak’s), is it really worth the walk? Most Wash. U. students know about SLAM, if not by its full name, the St. Louis Art Museum, which is located atop Art Hill in the park. In addition to the Art Museum, History Museum and Science Center (all of which are free), Forest Park has a variety of other attractions worth checking out. Tired of the heat? Try the paddle boats. On a nice fall day, check out the zoo or the six-mile trail that winds around the park, perfect for an afternoon bike ride or for the serious distance runner. When the weather gets cold, finding the motivation to layer up for a trip to Frat Row becomes nearly impossible. As an alternative, find
a friend (or RA) who has a car and head over the Steinberg Skating Rink on the East side of the park. Starting in November, the rink is open Friday and Saturday nights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight and features live music and a café. Though we were blessed with a light snow season last year, a favorite Forest Park pastime for many students is sledding on Art Hill. Highlights in Forest Park’s history include the grand opening in 1876, hosting the World’s Fair in 1904, and playing host to Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis upon the pilot’s return from his historic trans-Atlantic flight. In recent years, the city has put millions of dollars into
upkeep and renovations at the park, revamping the ice skating rink and the World’s Fair Pavilion. Aside from the museums and regular attractions, Forest Park is a central St. Louis meeting place that hosts a variety of special events throughout the year. In October, Forest Park will host the St. Louis Wine Festival, with drinks, music and cooking classes for those of age. For the minor in all of us, hayrides through the park start at the end of September and continue throughout the fall. College students constantly complain of a lack of entertainment, especially of the non-alcoholic variety. We at Wash. U. are lucky to have a world-class facility
for sports, recreation and cultural activities literally across the street from our campus. So even if you missed the boat (or the balloon) this weekend, make an effort to get to the park while the weather is still good. Take a day off from studying to paddle, picnic, people-watch and play. Forest Park is a place to both relax and engage with the St. Louis community, and you can always stop at Kayak’s for an iced mocha to break up the walk back. For more information, check out Forest Park’s Web site at stlouis.missouri.org/ citygov/parks/forestpark/.
8 STUDENT LIFE | SCENE
Senior Scene Editor / Sarah Baicker / scene@studlife.com
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
Skinny dipping and risk-taking By Rachel Brockway Scene Columnist Last weekend I went skinny dipping in the Millbrook pool. My accomplices will remain nameless, but alas, we were all caught by the Washington University Police Department. Yes, we were all naked. Yes, we were upset about getting caught. But none of us regret doing it. We had fun flinging ourselves into the cold pool, feeling free and excited. Don’t think we weren’t punished; WUPD is making us pay for our irresponsibility. I will not be skinny dipping at Millbrook again…but that
Brockway definitely doesn’t mean I won’t be swimming naked ever again. Sometimes you have to take risks. Whether it’s taking a challenging course, trying out for a sports team or asking someone on a date, risks make things happen. With-
out risks, everyone would act safely—emotionally, physically and mentally. Romeo would have ended up with some boring Montague-ally. Lance would never have won the Tour de France seven times. Einstein would have stopped doing math after he failed the subject in high school. To get anywhere, you’re going to have to take some big risks. Junior Michele Leonelli turned risk-taking into an amazing metaphor: “You wouldn’t [refuse to] eat a hamburger just because it gets your hands dirty. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Relation-
ships can lead to heartache (i.e. the messy hands), but the good times are usually worth it (i.e. the amazingly juicy meat), so take the risk. You will never know true love, or true happiness, without letting go of your reservations and taking a risk. At church this past Sunday, the message was on the subject of letting go of our control and surrendering, whether to God, a person or a task. Many of us at the University find it hard to give up control. I am probably one of the worst control freaks I know; surrendering to anyone or anything scares the shit
out of me. But at church it occurred to me that taking a risk is the same as letting go of control. You’re not sure of the outcome, but you need to have confidence that everything will turn out in the end. In Chinese the word crisis, closely associated with risk, is written as two characters. The first character represents danger. The second represents opportunity. A friend responded to this fact by saying, “I absolutely agree with the Chinese on this one! My girlfriend and I tried a new sexual position that was quite dangerous but had a lot of potential.
I was nervous that I would walk away limping, but I took the risk, and it was the best sex of my life!” Though this is a humorous example of risk-taking, it demonstrates the point that sometimes taking a risk might be indispensable in obtaining a wonderful relationship, a great job or even an exceptional session in the sack. So don’t be scared of taking risks. Be scared of never feeling like something is truly worth the risk. Listen to the lyrics of Chris Cagle: “Sometimes the greatest risk of all/ Is never taking one at all.”
KOPPERMAN’S
STEPPING OUT
Kopperman’s Specialty Food and Delicatessen 386 N. Euclid, St. Louis Price range: $10-15
By Margot Dankner and Alexandra Nathanson Scene Reporters If you have a hankering for some great corned beef or salami on fresh kosher rye, St. Louis is often not the first place you would think to look. New York, home to the infamous Katz’s Deli, or Ann Arbor, birthplace of the amazing Zingerman’s, come more readily to mind as Meccas of these delicious cold cuts. It was to our great excitement and surprise, then, when a St. Louis eatery was featured over the summer on the Food Network’s “Best of” Delicatessen episode. Kopperman’s, which was featured alongside delis from Chicago, San Francisco and Ann Arbor, was portrayed as a gem of kosher delight with a great selection of the classics along with some more eclectic additions, such as curry chicken salad. We were so thrilled at the prospect of quality Nova lox and pastrami close to campus that we wrote down the name and vowed to make a visit when we came back to school. Our anticipation about Kopperman’s only grew when we checked out the menu online. With a massive selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner items and names for sandwiches like Cry Me a Liver and Any Pork in a Storm, how could we go wrong?
So it was with high hopes that we arrived to Kopperman’s. As we walked in, the few customers at the establishment were all seated outside, while the inside was completely empty. In retrospect, we should have taken this lack of patronage as the first bad sign. Rather than join the other clientele, we decided to take a seat inside and explore the interior of the restaurant. While a bit kitschy, the decorations, which included neon alcohol signs, giant kitchen implements and a big plaster dog, were charming. The tables and eating areas were more or less clean; however, it was slightly distressing to see mold growing in some of the displayed house-made salads. After waiting for our waiter for almost half an hour to take our orders (oy vey!), we decided we might have better luck waiting outside. The move improved the atmosphere somewhat, but even with only three other tables, the waiter did not take our order for another 20 minutes. Kopperman’s has a huge menu that includes all kinds of breakfast foods, salads, typical deli sandwiches and seafood. After reading the long list, we decided on There Oughta be a Slaw, a
sandwich with corned beef, coleslaw and light mustard on rye toast, and Radishing Beauty, roast beef, Bermuda onions and horseradish on an onion roll. So, what makes a great deli sandwich? The answer to that question is one word: meat. The more meat, the better. Most deli sandwiches are served with just a schmeer of either mustard, mayonnaise, or Russian dressing. There’s not much else to it. The sandwich then generally comes with a side of coleslaw or potato salad and a tart, vinegary kosher dill pickle. Our Kopperman’s sandwiches were satisfactory at best. The roast beef was tasty, but not of melt-inyour-mouth quality. The corned beef was only passable, a bit too much on the fatty side. While we were both disappointed with our meat, we both agreed that the bread, which they confessed came from the competing local deli Pratzel’s, was significantly better. We also agreed that our sides, a country-style potato salad and coleslaw, which were both made in-house, were very good. The pickle, however, was not as plump and juicy as it usually is at delis we go to at home. At this point, we were
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The kosher fare at Kopperman’s deli doesn’t quite live up to its juicy good looks. deflated. Our hopes that Kopperman’s would be the answer to our cold-cut prayers had been dashed. However, not wanting to completely write them off, we decided to give them one more chance and check out their lox. Good Nova lox, also known as smoked salmon, is another hallmark of a great kosher deli. We crossed our fingers
and ordered a bagel with lox and cream cheese. Unfortunately, when it came, we realized our order had been misinterpreted and we received a bagel with lox flavored cream cheese. While the lox cream cheese was actually not bad, the bagel tasted and looked like something you would buy at any grocery store. We asked them if they made the bagels
and they told us that they were, just as we thought, store-bought frozen bagels. Sadly, Kopperman’s is not the deli we had hoped it would be. If you are in dire need of some pastrami and have no where else to go, you can find a satisfactory sandwich there. But if you want to hold out for the good stuff, Kopperman’s is not the place to find it.
Spirituality on campus By Mike Duncan Scene Reporter What denomination of Judaism are you? Chabad, which is a branch of the Hassidic movement founded by the Israel Baal Shem Tov founded 300 years ago in Ukraine. Chabad is devoted to Jewish education and Jewish teaching and serving God in a joyous, meaningful manner. Today, Chabad is the fastest growing Jewish movement in the world, with branches in 45 states and 70 countries. What spiritual leadership do you provide for WU students? We teach, we inspire, we consult. We provide a homestyle Shabbat dinner every week for students. We bring a broad range of Jewish students together; students who were raised observantly Jewish and students who were never Bar Mitzvahed; students from reform, conservative and orthodox backgrounds. And they are able to join together at Chabad. That is a very special and a very meaningful part of my responsibility.
Did you ever have a spiritual awakening? I think I became more spiritually aware when I spent a year in London in 1996 as a Yeshiva student studying in a rabbinical seminary and I think that was a pivotal year. When I was studying there, I became more aware of the value of meaningful Jewish experiences. But it was not an overnight thing; it was a lengthy process. In terms of personal Judaism, the process continues. I become more spiritually aware as I study, as I pause and reflect. I cannot overstate the value of stepping back and reflecting in our fast-paced society. It was also profoundly spiritually awakening to become a father for the first time. What do you do every day/ week/month/year that you would consider spiritual? I pray and I study and I do Mitzvot (sacred acts). I think those are profound spiritual exercises. One of the challenges of praying regularly is that the Prayers can become dry and we can forget the inner meaning of the prayer. It is critical to recognize the accessibility of spirituality in our lives; it is not distant.
We have an opportunity to elevate the mundane existence by performing sacred acts. When do you feel closest to God? It seems counter-intuitive. Of course I feel close to God on the high holidays and in the synagogue. But there are times in my day-to-day experience when I have the opportunity to do something special; that is when I feel closest to God. We have this spiritual opportunity to be bound to God at all times. What would you consider the most important part of you spiritual life? It is the knowledge that spirituality is both essential and very available. Why don’t Jews offer sacrifices anymore? When the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed 1,900-and-change years ago, the central location for sacrificial offerings was destroyed. We lost that outlet. Ever since then we achieve repentance and atonement through the inner sacrifice of prayer and liturgy.
If the temple was rebuilt, do you think sacrifices will start again? Moses Maimonides states that when the temple was to be rebuilt and consecrated properly, animal sacrifice would resume. Do I know what it would look like? Well, when I stand in Jerusalem I find the concept of sacrifice hard to imagine. If I wanted to convert to Judaism, what would you tell me? According to Judaism, every person can find their path in the way that they were born. If I were pressed, I would refer you to a Bet Din, which are the folks that would convert you. So there is a group of people that can convert me? Well, there is a long serious process. Many people don’t realize the weightiness of conversion. The process would involve immersion in a pool of natural water, circumcision if you weren’t circumcised and, most importantly, the acceptance of Jewish principles and the responsibility of the Mitzvot. But, then again, we’re not out to convert the world.
Rabbi Hershey Novack, Director of Chabad and Chabad Campus Rabbi
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
STUDENT LIFE | CLASSIFIEDS
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10 STUDENT LIFE | SCENE
Senior Scene Editor / Sarah Baicker / scene@studlife.com
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2005
SCENE Is Scientology legit or full of it?
…a visit to St. Louis’ Church of Scientology Pulling into the parking lot of the Church of Scientology, we of the Wash. U. bubble had aliens, cults and Tom Cruise on our minds— all we knew about Scientology was that it was antiprescription drug and very defensive against its often heavy media criticism. The monolithic St. Louis Church of Scientology on Delmar Boulevard looks more like a castle of the ancients than a place of modern religion. We wondered what we could learn from the Scientologists themselves. Despite its intimidating exterior, the Church’s lobby was actually quite warm and inviting. A young, redheaded receptionist greeted us, and we barely had to ask before a tour of the Church was offered. Before the tour began, we were shown fi lm clip of David Miscavige, chairman of the board of the Religious Technology Center. He told us enthusiastically that Scientology has “real answers that work” for such problems as drug abuse and dependence, crime, illiteracy and immorality. Sounds good, right? He described the aims of the philosophy of Scientology as a world without war and a world without insanity, where people take responsibility for more than themselves. We got a heavy dose of the drug part of his speech, including his passionate praise of Narconon, Scientology’s rehabilitation program for drug addicts of any faith or persuasion, which claims 80 percent effectiveness.
After listening for a few minutes, we turned around to fi nd our tour guide, Barry, standing behind us. We started our tour in his office, where he openly answered our questions about Scientology and its practices. According to Barry, Scientology doesn’t have a specific dogma; rather, he said, they teach the “basics of life to use your spiritual being.” Because of this, the uses of Scientology can be applicable to people of any religion to further their spiritual selves. He told us that there is an ocean of data in the world, some pieces of which are more important than others, and Scientology helps one to “fi nd the important pieces.” Still a bit shaky on what exactly Scientology was, we continued on our tour of the building. We entered the colorful bookstore/gift shop, where many of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s books were on display, along with an assortment of DVDs and tapes. On one of the DVDs, Barry showed us the eight-pointed cross of Scientology, which represented the eight dynamics of existence: self, creativity, group survival, species, life forms, physical universe, spiritual dynamic and infi nity (which encompasses all concepts of God). All of these dynamics are considered necessary for survival because each depends on all the others. We then traveled through the newly renovated movie room and the physical/spiritual cleansing center, which included a sauna, treadmill and bathroom—all used in
the weeks-long process of cleansing the body of its toxins in order for the soul to be free to grow. Outside of this room, we bumped into the organizing board, which Barry referred to as the “philosophical machine.” He was about to pass over it, but upon further questioning Barry revealed that, basically, this board organized their division of the Church of Scientology into such departments as personnel, marketing, treasury and production. Barry said that the board could “apply to anyone’s life,” but to us it looked more like the organization of a business. Barry did say that the Church sells a product: to meet the long-term goal of “members actually applying Scientology to create a new civilization without immorality, without war,” the church sells classes, counseling and books. He said that to go through the whole Scientology program, it costs “no more than what you would pay for a doctoral degree.” Another highlight of our tour was a complicated audiovisual system where one could listen to a selection of L. Ron Hubbard’s 3,000 speeches. Our ears and eyes were graced with a discussion of good and evil, in which Hubbard explained that man is not like a clock—he cares whether he live or dies. Upstairs, the Church is a veritable counseling center with rooms and offices set aside for various types of advising from workers spe-
OLIVER HULLAND | STUDENT LIFE
Based in an old Zionic temple, the Church’s architecture stands out from many of the rest of the buildings in the Loop.
By Sarah Klein and Jake Levitas Scene Staff
OLIVER HULLAND | STUDENT LIFE
The entrance to the Church of Scientology on Delmar Blvd. cifically trained for Scientology counseling. Distinctly unique from traditional counseling, tools such as clay, seashells and dictionaries are used to more clearly explain potentially complex ideas during sessions. Scientology’s most unique and well-known implement, however, is the E-meter: a device used to read electrical imbalances in one’s body. These imbalances are interpreted into specific thoughts by an “auditor,” someone who must study extensively to fi ll the position. Upon our viewing of the E-meter, Barry surprised us by plopping the metal rods, which are connected by wires to the E-meter, into Jake’s unsuspecting hands, asking him to think of
people in his life. The dial shot to the right. “Look at that!” exclaimed Barry. “What were you just thinking then?” After a series of indistinguishable sounds, Jake came out with, “Uh, my parents.” Barry and Jake talked for a minute about how he had not called his parents for a week. “You should probably get on that,” Barry advised. The employees at the Church of Scientology were particularly friendly to us, especially considering we had somewhat expected to encounter some sort of cult members. But it was fairly obvious that Scientology—religion, philosophy, whatever—did have a strong business component to it. We saw picture after picture of
L. Ron Hubbard and of his books, the covers of which highly resemble those of science fiction novels, despite the fact that they are the religion’s sacred texts. Now, we’re not going to go judging a book by its cover, but due to the fact that upon leaving the Church, the intricacies of Scientology were still a bit of a mystery, we continue to view it with a critical eye. The heavy press coverage of those who claim they were duped and cheated by Scientology is also difficult to ignore. But the most important thing is that we took time to set previous prejudices aside and to learn about a new way of viewing the world. And yes, Jake did call his parents.
OLIVER HULLAND | STUDENT LIFE
A number of L. Ron Hubbard’s books are available at the Church, including “What Is Scientology?” and other tomes outlining Hubbard’s ideas and philosophy.