STAFF EDITORIAL | FORUM FLASHBACK: PELL GRANTS | SEE FORUM, PAGE 4
STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 VOLUME 129, NO. 52
On Super Tuesday, new voters find their voice BY EMILY WASSERMAN CONTRIBUTING REPORTER In the midst of the closest presidential nomination campaign in recent memory, this week’s Super Tuesday primary contests were among the most crucial in the long run to the White House. For the fi rst time in some of their lives, many Washington University students voted in Missouri on Tuesday, influencing the closest primary in the entire nation; Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama of Illinois won by about 10,000 votes and Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain of Arizona won by about 8,700 votes. Junior Alpa Banker experienced her fi rst time at the polls on Tuesday morning. Like many, she braved an early morning wake-up call to beat the crowds and secure her place in line. While Banker initially debated which candidate she would vote for, she always knew she would participate in Super Tuesday. “When I got to the polling place and looked around, I got a little teary-eyed. It’s so cheesy, but I felt like I was officially a ‘grown-up,’ performing my ‘civic duty’ and whatnot,” said Banker. “Afterwards, I felt like I made the right decision. I accidentally woke my parents up when I called them to tell them that I had voted for the fi rst time. It was so early but I think they were kind of proud and amused by my excitement.” Despite an overwhelming presence on campus of Students for Barack Obama, new
CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Amid skyrocketing college tuition costs nationwide, the Bush administration proposed Monday to increase federal fi nancial aid in the form of Pell Grants by 33 percent. The plan calls for a fiveyear increase in the maximum Pell Grant, a principal source of fi nancial aid awarded to some 5.3 million students with family incomes of less than $40,000 a year. The proposed budget would increase the maximum award given from $4,050 to $5,400. To counteract the rising cost of the higher loans, the administration has suggested cutting back interest rate subsidies for private lenders. “There needs to be more investment in higher education,” said Luke Swarthout, a Public Interest Research Group advocate for higher education. “This is a modest increase.” Swarthout noted that the increase in Pell Grant funding would be taken from other fi-
Shriner hospital set to relocate to medical school campus BY PERRY STEIN NEWS EDITOR
LUCY MOORE | STUDENT LIFE
Members of Students for Barack Obama encourage students to make the attempt to vote in the afternoon on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5 in Mallinckrodt. Many students, drawn by the closeness of the current presidential race, made an effort to go to the polls Tuesday to cast their votes in Missouri’s presidential primary. voters expressed a commitment to casting their vote in the primary process regardless of party affi liation. “I think it’s important for everyone to vote,” said sophomore Katie Garland. “Especially for new voters, I think it’s important to get in the habit of voting and being involved in politics. As we learn and grow in college, it seems vital to question the political atmosphere we grew up in and assert our own beliefs.” Also, students who already resided in Missouri before Super Tuesday felt the weight of their vote, as Missouri is historically a swing state in the polls. Freshman Erin Meyer of Columbia, Mo. decided to vote for the fi rst time on Tuesday
Bush proposes increase Pell Grant program BY DANIEL WOZNICA
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2008
nancial aid programs. Of the 60 percent of Washington University students who receive some form of fi nancial aid, 11 percent are Pell Grant recipients. “If the president’s proposal becomes a reality, these students will see a proportional increase in their Pell Grant amount,” said Bill Witbrodt, the University’s director of Student Financial Services. “I would like to see the Pell Grant increased. An increase in the Pell Grant is long overdue.” The maximum Pell Grant has not been increased since 2003, even as tuition prices have infl ated nationwide over the past 10 years. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition plus room and board at public universities rose 35 percent between 2001 and 2006, more than at any other point in the previous 30 years. At private universities, tuition increased by an average of 11 percent during the
See PELL GRANT, page 2
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because of Missouri’s pattern of changing its party alliance. “I’ve lived in Missouri my whole life, so I’ve seen how arbitrary the election process is here,” said Meyer. “I was happy I got to vote for this fi rst time in such an important election, an election where I knew my vote would actually make a difference. Voter registration was annoying, but the actual process was really rewarding.” Meyer was not the only Wash. U. student to fi nd the voting process taxing. Sophomore Natacha Lam appreciated the volunteers who allowed students to vote on the South 40. Another fi rst time primary voter, she was one of many students who dealt with a haphazard polling location
on campus. “The voter registration volunteers meant to do well, but overall they were heavily unorganized,” said Lam. “Every student at the Friedman Center was in one line, and there were no signs to separate us by last name. I was in line for 20 minutes before I got my ballot.” Despite long lines, early risings and tedious registration, students across campus managed to mobilize to a polling place. “I feel it’s important for everyone to vote, not just people our age,” said sophomore Zach Ernst. “It’s a right our ancestors fought hard for and a right many people don’t have, so it’s important that you take advantage of that right.”
Opened in 1924 on the Washington University School of Medicine’s campus and subsequently moved, the Shriners Hospital for Children fi nalized a deal with the University that will once again relocate the hospital to campus grounds. “There is an ongoing partnership between the two organizations. This [relocation] will only solidify it even further,” said Tammy Robbins, director of public and community relations at Shriners Hospital. The project is set to begin construction in spring 2009, with Shriners paying all of the construction costs. While the partnership logistics are not yet fi nalized, Shriners Hospital will be operating independently from the University and anticipates future research collaboration with University faculty. The research interests will mainly focus in the area of bone, muscle and nerve development and disease. “By moving to the medical center campus, Shriners Hospital will be in a research-rich environment that lets their investigators have easier access to the University’s faculty and facilities for joint projects,” wrote Don Clayton, associate vice chancellor and executive director for medical public affairs, in an e-mail. The University sold 3.75 acres to Shriners for its new 147,000-square-foot hospital set in a highly visible location overlooking Interstate 64. The hospital will have one
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floor entirely devoted to research. This translates into an increased opportunity for students to become involved in hands-on research in the professional field. “In the past, we have certainly had that relationship with Wash. U. as far as having interns in our hospital,” said Robbins. Freshman and pre-med student Lily Kuo said that she and other pre-med students are always excited about the prospect of having more research opportunities available to them. “I think that it is a really good opportunity for a lot of the pre-med students because there are so many of them here,” said Quo. “I know a lot of students who would be interested in research opportunities on the medical campus.” Another children’s hospital, St Louis Children’s, is already located on campus, but Clayton said the two would only complement each other. “The proximity to St. Louis Children’s Hospital is an advantage, too, since Wash. U. pediatric specialists also are on the medical staff there, and sometimes patients need to be transferred from one facility to another,” wrote Clayton in the e-mail. Both the University and Shriners anticipate a relatively seamless transition with this move because 35 University physicians already work on Shriners’ medical staff. “Several specialties are ac-
See SHRINER, page 2
Education linked to Alzheimer’s onset BY JOHN SCOTT STAFF REPORTER
LIONEL SOBEHART | STUDENT LIFE
Freshman Spencer Gay drives the baseline in a game against Case Western Reserve University. The Bears will try to continue their school-record 24-game home winning streak Friday night against Carnegie Mellon University. The team will be looking for revenge this weekend after losing by three to Rochester in overtime and being blown away by Carnegie Mellon last week.
The Sex Issue is coming.... Only five days left until the fourth annual Student Life Sex Issue. Be sure to pick up a copy next week and get the scoop on the campus sex scene. Next Wednesday, February 13, 2008
INSIDE: Cadenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Forum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine shows that Alzheimer’s disease is detected at an earlier age in patients with higher education, suggesting that patients with more years of education are more likely to notice that they have the disease at an earlier age. “We think the reasons might be that people with higher levels of education might have the types of jobs or be involved in particular activities that would highlight some problems,” said Catherine Roe, the lead author of the study and a research instructor in neurology. “We looked at the age people fi rst reported having symptoms, and the age was lower for people who have more education.” According to Roe, the trend seems to contradict popular notions of Alzheimer’s disease. “Usually, if you have a high education, you are at less risk,” she said. “It’s the opposite of
See ALZHEIMER’S, page 2
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